Published at 30th of May 2023 8:30 am

Volume 12, Chapter 3 – Snake Queen, Part 2

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

The Great Grantz Empire―Fort Caputo.

It was a relatively brisk morning if one ignored the various events.

Hiro leaned his arms on the edge of the outdoor table, taking in fresh air into his lungs and repeating deep breaths.

The early morning was covered in a deep fog, but by the time the sun pointed to the mid-sky, visibility was good enough to see the horizon. But even as the fog lifted, his mind was clouded by the sight in front of him.

The horizon was painted black. Occasionally, the sound of a beast’s cry would come through the air.

The deafening sound made him turn his gaze to see that the blue sky in the distance was covered with dust. It was an odd sight, the smoldering smoke over a wide area forming a mountain range.

Hiro narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance, but his gaze was soon directed downward.

The gates of Fort Caputo had been opened, and many people were coming inside.

At first glance, however, it was clear that these were no ordinary people. Everyone was clad in armor, with sharp-edged spears in their hands, great swords on their backs, and polished weapons shining brightly in the sunlight. The arms of the nobles were engraved in the center of their armor and on their chests, and the banners held by their banner bearers were also different from each other.

They were the armies of the central nobility that did not respond to Liz.

After the decline of the Krone family, the position of the central nobility became very weak in the Grantz. This was due to the Krone family’s rebellion, but it was not easy for those who were involved in the rebellion. However, the Krone family was already inferior to the minor nobles even if they wanted to settle their grudge, and Hiro, the one who caused the decline of the Krone family―the fourth prince―was dead.

That was why they resented the Sixth Princess and the Kelheit family, who had inflicted punishment on the central nobility and did not respond to the summons to the crisis in the Grantz.

When a country might lose, it was not a good idea for the nobles to be emotional like children, but in this case, they were spared.

Hiro had less than 5,000 “Raven Army,” and Selene’s army had been reduced from 2,000 to 500 in the previous battle. It would be reckless to try to stop the turbulent flow of the river with a twig.

“We’ve gathered more than we expected.”

Hiro thought that the central nobility had gathered here more than he had expected.

Hiro, in cooperation with Selene, sent a letter to the surrounding central nobles and blasted them.

Even so, only a small percentage of them were willing to fight for the country. Most of them were afraid of the group of “monsters” that appeared in the central region and dispatched their soldiers. They also wanted to do a favor to Hiro, the “king” of the small country of Baum, and to Selene, the second prince.

After leaving the edge of the table, Hiro turned on his heel and slipped through the open window.

Once in the room, he saw fifteen central nobles surrounding a long desk. The rest are Selene, Hiro’s close associates, Ghada, Munin, and Hugin.

And Luca, who always stayed close to Hiro, was in the corner of the room, holding both knees, looking up at the ceiling, and muttering something. As usual, everything was normal, with no problems.

Hiro once again turned his attention to the fifteen central nobles gathered in the room. A smile appeared on their faces to keep them from getting nervous, and Luca looked at their faces with disgust.

“Well, you have gathered here well. I want to thank you.”

Hiro, with his arms, outstretched in a welcoming gesture, sat down in the upper seat that had been prepared for him. His manner was so imposing that everyone was watching his every move.

With all eyes focused on himself, Hiro placed a bundle of parchment on the desk with a natural motion.

“Here are fourteen pledges. I need everyone to write their names here.”

While tapping the desk with his fingers, he checked the faces of the assembled nobles one by one. It was comical to see their shoulders shaking from fright every time they looked at him.

In the midst of all this, one of the central nobles, out of the goodness of his heart, asked for permission to speak. He stood up as Hiro gave a small nod and urged him on.

“My name is Taniram, head of the house of Davoud, a member of the central nobility. Thank you for allowing me to speak.”

Although Taniram raised his voice vigorously, he did not make eye contact with Hiro even once.

The heavy, greasy sweat on his forehead seemed to express his innermost feelings.

“We have come to you in a time of national crisis, so why should we sign a pledge, Black Dragon King-dono? With all due respect, you are the king of the small country of Baum. Why do we need to sign a covenant with the king of another country? Perhaps you are trying to take advantage of the crisis in Grantz to seize our weak spot.”

Taniram demanded an answer as he spoke quickly as if he wanted to take control of the military discussion.

The assembled nobles, perhaps worried by Taniram’s words, could be heard whispering to each other. Hiro tapped the desk once with the back of his hand to silence them, and after a pause, he stared at Taniram with eyes that did not light up with emotion.

“Let me correct one misunderstanding.”

Hiro raised his hand and called out to Hugin. She approached him without hesitation and took a piece of parchment placed in front of him, and distributed it to the nobles.

However, the fourteen sheets of parchment ran out without being distributed to Taniram.

“H-hey… How about me… No!?”

Taniram asked Hiro. His expression shows his agitation. Perhaps because of this, he had lost his discretion in his words and actions. Hiro’s only response to him was to shake his head. Not understanding what he meant, Taniram tried to press him.

“Wha… H-hey――!?”

But just as his hand was about to grasp Hiro’s shoulder――,

――He fell to the floor.

Blood splatters wet the floor and instantly change the air in the room.

“A-ah――”

Taniram was about to scream out from the intense pain, but he was unable to voice his feelings. This was because his head was crushed, and his brain fluid was sticking to the wall. Taniram’s body collapsed to the floor from his knees, red droplets falling onto his armor, which must have cost a fortune and had not a scratch on it.

The central nobles seemed unable to scream in surprise as the blood spurted from their necks with such force. As a strange silence settled over the room, Luca, the woman who had killed Taniram, placed her prey on the floor and sat over Taniram’s corpse.

“You were going to kill him anyway, weren’t you? I don’t like sluggishness, so I took care of it for you.”

Luca responded to Hiro’s reproachful look.

Hiro sighed in annoyance as she showed no sign of regret,

“There is such a thing as order. See, everyone has gone stiff with so much surprise.”

Fear-driven gazes focused on Luca, who had her bottom on Taniram’s corpse. Still, strangely enough, no one protested, and no one was shaking with anger and shouting curses. It was no wonder; they had no idea what kind of fate awaited them for a single complaint.

“Now, I’ve left out a little too much in my explanation, but I hope you understand now.”

Hiro clapped his hands to bring the central nobles back to their senses. Their shoulders shook, and they all looked frightened, not looking at Hiro but at the parchment that had been handed out to them.

“Taking advantage of the lack of surveillance in the central region, you’ve been plotting with Taniram to do some nefarious things――I’ll give you one last option.”

Hiro stood up and approached the lion’s banner hanging behind him.

He remembered how happy he had been when his brother-in-law had completed this emblem flag―the symbol of the Grantz―with a smile as innocent as a child’s. He had been so happy that he had waved the flag in the air behind him. He was so happy that he wore it on his back or strapped it to his horse and rode through the city. When he fell and soiled it on the way because it was tied to him improperly, he was depressed and angered Ray.

However, the “human race,” which had been despised as an inferior species, held up the lion, and the other races sneered at them. Even among the humans, there were many who did not look favorably on it. Yet, by winning the war, Altius overturned the reputation of being inferior and proved that humans were as brave as lions. Pride, hope, and courage are the many thoughts and feelings that are packed into this banner.

Those who sought freedom, pride, and resistance to the demons gathered under this banner.

No one will be allowed to tarnish it.

“Taniram, the head of the Davoud family―or rather, the former head of the Davoud family―his son consented for me to kill him. He seemed troubled by the idea of abandoning his father until the very end, but in the end, he signed the pledge to protect the house.”

Hiro looked back at him, his mouth tearing open, and despite the expression on his face, he let out a cold emotion.

“Now, what do you people want to protect?”

He held out both palms.

“This is the final judgment. Choose, swear fealty to Grantz, or die.”

Hiro glances at Hugin. Quill pens and ink were distributed in front of them.

Then, without any hesitation at all, the central nobles began to fill in their names single-mindedly.

“Those who have filled their names may leave.”

One of the nobles got up from his seat, approached Hiro, and held out a piece of parchment to him.

“Isn’t there a war council?”

“No, there is still time before the war council.”

After accepting the parchment and checking his signature, Hiro looked at the nobleman with a question mark in his eyes.

“I only invited the central nobility who, at the instigation of Taniram, attempted to connect with the Vanir Three Kingdoms. Thanks to the precautions we took, it seems you never had the chance to meet them, but now is the perfect time to do so. These are the central nobles who have the same aspirations.”

“…..I see. Excuse me.”

The central nobles left at a brisk pace. Maybe they could no longer bear the shame of betraying their country. After signing the papers, the others also quickly left the room.

All that was left was Hiro’s entourage and Selene――and Taniram’s corpse.

“So you really forgive them?”

Ghada then called his men and instructed them to dispose of the bodies.

“No way, I wouldn’t trust them with just a piece of paper like this. Someone who has tried to betray his country even once is not going to stay quiet. They may listen to us quietly for now, but you never know what the future holds.”

“Then what will you do?”

“Well, you can leave that to me. In the meantime, we have to decide on one thing. How are we going to fight against an army of monsters that will fill the horizon?”

“I thought the war council had not yet met?”

“They came here because of the title of ‘Black Dragon King’ and ‘Second Prince.’ No one has the plan to win against the army of monsters.”

They were originally followers of the Krone family. In terms of handling the situation, they were better than the nobles of the other five territories. It seemed that they were able to respond quickly to changes in the situation, but it seemed to work in the wrong direction. If the “monster” had not invaded, they would have surely turned to the Vanir Three Kingdoms.

Even if such people participated in the war council, it was unlikely that they would express a proper opinion. They were the ones who simply followed the authorities, and they were the ones who had corrupted the heart of the Grantz.

“Moreover, I should add that more than half of the central nobility who have joined us are the same people who tried to betray Grantz.”

Hiro lifted his shoulders and laughed, and in between, Selene opened her mouth.

“I’ll leave it to you to deal with the central nobility. I think they deserved it, and their presence will be a hindrance to Liz in the future.”

After a pause, Selene changed the subject.

“So――, about the ‘monsters,’ if we’re not careful, they’ll catch us off guard. The “monsters,” who have always moved individually, have formed a group. I think they are more of a threat than the Vanir Three Kingdoms.”

With their physical strength that surpasses that of ordinary people, taking on a human opponent would be like twisting a baby’s hand. If they were to collide head-on, the damage would be enormous. And even with the combined forces of the central nobles who had joined them, their numbers would be overwhelmingly small.

“Since ancient times, people have been able to bridge the power gap between the “monsters” by working together to trap and defeat them due to their low intelligence. This time, however, the monsters have the brains of the Faceless King. This would give them the ability to cooperate. It could be said that our advantage was crushed, and their disadvantage was eliminated. It would be too risky to go head-on with them, considering the difference in numbers.”

Hiro waited for Selene to finish and was about to open his mouth, but it was Ghada who moved first. He kept his back against the wall and looked at Selene with one hand raised in question.

“I wonder. They are just a bunch of unintelligent beasts. I doubt they have a command system as elaborate as people. Once the battle begins, our individual abilities will be inferior, but if we deal with them calmly, the difference in numbers will not be a problem. After all, this is just an order that imitates others.”

“We can’t deal with them with half-baked measures. At least they have overcome the “Spirit Wall.” It is no use just pushing and retreating. If we are not careful, we will be swallowed up by the storm of violence.”

Looking dismayed, Selene objected, glaring at Ghada.

“Certainly, we must be on our guard. But beasts fight on instinct. If they try to force us into a fight, we should just avoid it and continue. Above all, we cannot ignore the keen intuition of the “monster.” There is a good chance that a tactic like the one used against humans will fail to work. In the first place, it is doubtful that we can use complicated strategies since we are nothing more than a collection of mishaps. Therefore, the simpler and clearer the strategy, the better our side can coordinate and exploit the opponent’s weakness. If we can put our troops in the rear and launch a pincer attack, we can easily break the ranks of the ‘monsters.'”

“Demon-kun seems very hot-blooded. I say it’s dangerous to fight in the dark. If you don’t use strategy and catch them in the gap, you will lose. A mere pincer attack will easily be swept away, and you will be annihilated.”

Having been denied outright, Ghada responded silently. Selene tilted her head at his strange reaction. Then, after a few moments, Ghada opened his mouth again.

“…..You can call me Ghada. Don’t call me Demon-kun, it makes my spine itch.”

“Eh….. Oh, sorry about that…”

Selene nodded in confusion, perhaps because it wasn’t the word she had imagined, and her momentum had been cut off.

“Oh… Then, you can call me Selene.”

“I understand.”

Ghada agreed and opened his mouth again, despite the awkwardness of the situation.

“Anyway, I’ve seen the whole “monster” battle on the “Spirit Wall.” It is true that there was some coordination, but in the end, it was just a matter of forcing their way through by sheer numbers. If they had not stayed inside but had attacked outward, the outcome of the battle at the “Spirit Wall” would have been different. In other words, it was a matter of how to fight. The Spirit Wall fell because they were too passive, afraid of the marked tribe.”

“Ghada-kun, I agree with you about not being passive. It’s not enough to just go in on instinct, either. If it’s a simple contest of strength, we’ll lose.”

“It is said that a schemer drowns in his own tricks. This battle should not be complicated.”

The two were adamant in their insistence. Selene seemed to be taking a cautious, wait-and-see approach to the fight against the “monster,” while Ghada was taking a bold, aggressive approach to the fight, taking advantage of the situation.

After listening to each other’s arguments, Hiro clapped his hands to get their attention.

“If that’s the case, why not take both? It is only when you combine the two, the soft and the hard, that you will see the true strength of a human being.”

Hiro turned his gaze to the window.

He could see the dust rising into the sky, larger than before. It was like a sandstorm, raging wildly, trying to turn the blue sky brown. Even Hiro thought it was eerie, so the soldiers watching outside must be filled with anxiety.

This is because it is also evidence that the “monsters” who have crossed the “Spirit Wall” are gathering one after another under the Faceless King.

“We cannot take time to prepare. They will not give us that kind of time.”

“Then what are you going to do? I guess we will have to fight with what we have now.”

“I have an idea. Let’s start preparing right away.

Hiro got up from his seat,

“Ghada, I need you to prepare something for me.

“What is it?”

“Here is a list of what I want you to gather.”

After handing the parchment to Ghada, Hiro handed Selene a letter as well.

“How are things going in the north…? Have you heard anything from your men?”

Selene opened her mouth as she looked dubiously at the letter handed to her by Hiro.

“Nothing, well, I think it will be fine. My men are very good. By the way, who do you want me to send this letter to?”

“I want you to send it to your subordinate.”

“Very well… but I think it’s going to waste. I’ve already sent it to them.”

That’s a smart thing to do, Hiro thought. Selene had already sent a letter to her subordinates after thinking about the future development. Of course, Hiro knew what the letter was about. They must be thinking about the same thing.

In her letter, she must have written to her subordinates to cease the war. This was no longer the time to be fighting amongst themselves. And she must have written the details of how to move forward. It’s utterly terrifying… Hiro said with a smile. The fact that she anticipated these thoughts and moved ahead of him is not a bad thing. No, to be precise, he was relieved that Selene had moved as he had expected.

So, separately, Hiro was not surprised.

It was something she would have been able to do. If she had not sent the letter first, he would have been very disappointed with the extra work.

“Yeah, I knew you would come to the same conclusion as me. That’s why I kept it separate from your letter. It was simpler.”

“…..Hmm, it’s not the same…? Then I’ll be sure to send it to them.”

Looking at the letter again with interest, Selene tried to let the sun penetrate the letter.

But the contents of the letter were not visible.

Hiro smiled at her and gave orders to Hugin and Munin.

“You have a job to do, too. Let’s round up all the ‘monsters.'”

What the future held was uncertain.

Even the clairvoyant eye, one of the world’s three most powerful and mysterious eyes, can’t see into the future.

But one thing was known.

Everything was going according to Hiro’s wishes.

If the answer was not known, then the way to get there was to make a path.

The future was the same; you just have to give meaning to the past, one step at a time.

And when you reach the destination, the future that you have wished for will be waiting for you.

(Almost there… Just a little bit more…)

Hiro squinted at the sunlight streaming in through the window.

(Can you guys――forgive me?)

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