Episode 33. Breaking the limit (1)
“Lichen.”
“…… Yes.”
Lichen, who got goosebumps from Blas’ chanting, tightened her head even more. The creak of her armour.
“Does keeping your chivalry take precedence over my orders?”
“Sorry.”
“Miles.”
“Kick!”
A dark purple round creature placed next to Lichen replied, rubbing her face against the floor.
“Why did you let Lichen do as she pleases?”
“…… Key…….”
“Why did you fall for Prause’s scheme?”
Lichen glanced at Peremus. Peremus looked at Lichen and snorted at her.
It was true that he was seduced by Prauss’ words, but she wanted to prove to the demon king that she was stronger than Phremus by killing Prauss.
“Why are you looking at Peremus without answering?”
“…… I wanted to set up the first ball myself.”
“Did you not think that the first mission was the first ball? As a result, it took two days just to tear down the wall. It would have taken longer without the intervention of the 1st and 3rd corps!”
Lichen and Miles groaned in agony at the Maggie filled with the Demon King’s wrath. It was because it felt like it was about to collapse under the pressure.
“I thought you would be better. After all, they were the same guys.”
“…… I have no face.”
“All right. What are you going to say now Now that the walls have collapsed, destroy the Rexton estate and head for the capital. Let’s wait and see which legion will reach the capital first, you or Peremus.”
“No more disappointing.”
“Kiik!”
Richen and Miles showed their will, but Blas gestured appropriately as if he didn’t want to hear it. Lichen thought as she got up from her seat.
‘Prause, if we meet again, I will definitely rip you limb from limb.’
Prause was always building a karma stack.
* * *
“Ah…… It is an unfamiliar ceiling.”
I muttered as I looked at the ceiling I had never seen before. Somehow familiar is an illusion, right?
I whimpered and raised my upper body. During the process of getting up, there is a popping sound in the joints. The pain seems to have completely gone, but somehow my whole body didn’t work well. Really i’m dying
“This is the worst morning… ….”
“It’s lunch, not breakfast.”
A familiar voice answered my murmur. When I looked up, Emperor Se-Ri was sitting respectfully next to the bed. When my eyes meet, he smiles.
“…… Tax collector? Why are you here?”
The teleport location I requested from Ariel was the 2nd line of defense built at the point where I predicted the 1st Legion’s movement route.
In other words, the tax collector who should have been in the capital was no different from the one now on the front line.
“While boosting the morale of the knights, it is to check the condition of Prause, who fought in the forefront.”
“It doesn’t matter if you ask others to do that. What if someone who needs to give instructions from the capital comes here?”
“…… I know I shouldn’t be like this as an emperor, but even in this situation, I think I’m going crazy because I’m only worried about Prause. I want to take her to the imperial palace right now and make her stay in her room.”
…… Isn’t that confinement in a different sense?
A yandere with power is a bit scary…….
“However, the empire is in danger if we do not rely on Prause, although I have no choice but to understand it… ….”
I couldn’t understand it at all when I saw his tone and expression. I felt a strong desire to take me to the capital as if I were kidnapped.
“During the strategy meeting, I watched everything with surveillance magic. Prause’s performance. It was to the extent that everyone present was in awe of the fact that he was not pushed back even in the face of a corps commander with a huge demon.”
“I see.”
“Still, please don’t overdo it. I heard from the wizard who healed Prauss, but he said that his physical condition was in the worst condition. It’s even questionable how he fought with a body like this.”
“…… You can’t win if you don’t overdo it.”
There was no way to win without overdoing it in a war where there was a clear difference in strength.
“But oh… ….”
“So how many days did I wake up?”
I asked, pretending not to see the tax collector who kept his lips pursed. She said, changing her expression seriously as if she had flipped a switch on and off.
“Two days.”
“Two days? Then what about the war? How is the war going?”
Two days was enough time for the demons to enter the empire and stir it up.
“Because of the last attack that Prause used before fleeing, the demons temporarily stopped attacking and bought time. But a few hours ago, demons broke down the border wall. The estimated time it takes to reach here is estimated to take about four days.”
Four days.
Perhaps her estimated time is correct. Aggro will be attracted to the aristocratic territory between the 2nd line of defense and the border.
I felt bad about using them as bait to buy time, but you have to be cool.
Even though they had already induced evacuation, they couldn’t save everyone. The number of wizards who could teleport was also limited, so they couldn’t afford to save everyone.
Above all, I had to buy time for the warriors to arrive.
Sacrificing the small for the big was the best for now.
“We are also building a third line of defense. I’m also installing the Anti-Anti-Magic. However, if the 3rd line of defense is breached, the center of each territory will be destroyed from then on, and at the same time there will be enormous casualties, and the worst situation will happen.”
“What is the number of deaths so far?”
At my question, she hesitated for a moment. Soon, a bitter emotion appeared on her face.
“Most of those at the border are dead. Because the demons mainly attacked the magicians, we couldn’t evacuate and restore our strength. I managed to save the S-class people.”
“I see.”
It was impossible to predict all war situations, so there was no choice.
“…… Can you?”
Sherry asked cautiously.
“…… If the disciples come back.”
Now that the border has collapsed, it’s been a race against time.
Since it was impossible to stop the demons pouring across the country, the situation will change depending on how quickly the warriors arrive.
“Come to think of it, can’t you see the disciples who were stuck like chewing gum?”
“We are growing to win this war.”
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“Is that so? I hope you come back as a good force.”
“The potential of those children is far greater than mine. You can look forward to it.”
I said as I sat down on the bed. Put on Mai hanging from a hanger. Perhaps thanks to the self-cleaning magic, the condition was clean.
“Get some more rest. You can still rest.”
“…… Rested enough Rather, where is Ariel?”
“Here I am.”
It appears through the tent. What kind of ghost are you, appear there.
“What were you doing?”
“I asked Orient to look at the movements of the legions.”
I see!
When I was playing the game, I often checked the mini-map to figure out the movement of the corps, but now that it became a reality, it was impossible to look at the entire empire.
I had no choice but to prepare with uncertain predictions.
However, Orient, a fragment of the World Tree rooted in this world, was able to figure out the movement just like in the game.
“What did you hear?”
“Fortunately, the legion was moving along the path Prause expected.”
I was very fortunate.
If the predicted point was wrong, the troops would have to be dispersed.
“…… Ariel, by any chance, what happens to the accessories I commissioned earlier?”
“Are you going to use it in four days?”
“Well… ….”
“I keep injecting mana into it. But if you’re going to use it in four days, take it now or later, but it won’t increase the usage time or improve the effect.”
“I see.”
“Do you want to take it now?”
I nodded.
Ariel gathers energy in her hands. With a brief flashing effect, a bracelet with a green wind pattern was placed on her hand.
I picked it up and put it right on her left arm.
[Wearing 「Ariel’s Hearty Handmade Bracelet」]
[The skill [Causal Interference] Is activated in passive form.]
Causal interference.
This was a passive skill that increased skill attack power and decreased skill cooldown in the game. However, when I asked Ariel to wear it once, it was applied with a different effect here.
[Skill penalty decreases when equipped.]
[Duration is 19 minutes.]
[18:59]
…
[18:55]
After confirming the effect, I removed the bracelet. All holograms are gone.
Originally, an artifact intended to be made for a hero ended up being made suitable for me.
If Peremus comes here, I intend to use it to fight.
Being pushed back from the second line of defense had to be seen as giving away at least six noble estates in the empire. Even so, if you can’t defeat even one of the core beings of the demons, the war situation will be unfavorable in an instant.
So I had to deal with as many corps commanders or deputy corps commanders as possible here.
“I want you to ask Orient how her students are doing.”
“Oh, that. I heard that Tina fought against the World Tree a lot?”
“…… What?”
A hero fought against the world tree?
When Tina, who became a hero after receiving the blessing of the World Tree, attacked Yggdrasil, she was about to slap her forehead and go mad.
“The teacher protested that he had to stay by his side because he might die. Well, right now, the World Tree has firmly said no, so they are quietly training.”
“I see.”
Please think ahead and act, Tina…….
“But if the warriors had seen Prauss, who was devastated by this battle, they might have rooted out the demons.”
Looking at Ariel giggling, I somehow feel disgusted. Still, she said that she could afford to laugh in this situation, so she decided not to take it too badly.
“Tell Orient.”
I took a map from the top of the drawer and marked it appropriately with the charcoal next to it.
“If they succeed in breaking through the limits, don’t send them to a useless place, send them to the place I marked on the map.”
Hold the map to Ariel.
This is not the only place in crisis.