“Can Ashtar handle Pector’s army?”
If it’s an army, that sounds plausible.
He’s really planning to command troops now.
Up until Noah’s death, Pector had never truly mobilized a proper army.
If I don’t intervene, he might actually declare war on the Empire.
That’s the kind of stubborn guy he is.
“Well, I don’t know. It seems even Olivia of the 1st generation didn’t know much about Ashtar’s army.”
“Then, in the end…”
“I’ll have to go myself.”
Using human wave tactics isn’t an option.
The nuns are still unprepared, and they can’t be used as combat personnel.
‘Fine. If necessary, fighting would be acceptable. I think I can manage sword magic. Depending on the situation, I might even have to face a duel. But before all that, maybe I should visit those worthless fools who have made no progress even after I’ve been gone.’
***
The reunion with the Hero’s party happened at the knights’ barracks near Karchem.
The group looked like they’d been through quite the fight.
Eugene was battered, and Syria and Ella weren’t in great shape either.
Among them was a suspicious woman cloaked in robes.
She seemed shady, so I decided not to talk to her.
She appeared to be a new companion, but no matter who she was, she’d end up being a pawn of the Hero.
“Hello. I’m Olivia Rapha Ashtar, Saintess of the Empire. Are you part of the Hero’s party?”
“Oh, hello. Yes, this is Eugene, the Hero. These two here, who look like a mess, are Ella and Syria.”
The suspicious woman answered in their place.
They didn’t look great, so I quickly cast a healing spell on them.
‘This woman’s voice… It feels oddly familiar. Surely, it can’t be her, right?’
“Then, let me ask. Is the enemy really Pector?”
I carefully inquired of the Hero, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time.
For now, even the opinion of this useless Hero was important.
As Olivia, not Noah, I refrained from scolding the Hero.
While I might not care much for his companions, as a member of the Empire, the Hero remained humanity’s hope.
“Uh, yeah. But…”
“Did Pector really mobilize his army?”
“It’s different this time. He truly seems intent on attacking the Empire. He’s occupied Karchem and imprisoned all its residents.”
‘Of course, that’s something Pector would do. He won’t kill the residents, though. He’s likely waiting, testing the waters. If he sees that Noah won’t come, then he might start killing them. If he really wants me, that is.’
“What about the prince?”
“The prince is fine. The problem is my sister,” Ella answered.
“Did something happen to Sharial?”
“Not exactly, but it’s unsettling.”
‘Ella. This is the result of you slacking off. But it doesn’t matter now. If I show up, those prisoners will be released. That much is certain.’
“If Pector remained idle until Ashtar’s army moved, he must have some objective in mind. He hasn’t mistreated the prince either, let alone tortured him,” Eugene said, showing he was capable of some thought.
‘True. While Ashtar quickly mobilized troops, Pector hasn’t pressed the attack. It’s not just Ashtar; other territories could have sent forces too, but they haven’t.’
“Did you ask Pector about his intentions?”
“He didn’t answer. So, I’m just speculating.”
‘That’s good enough.’
“Olivia, does that mean…”
“Life never goes smoothly, does it?”
‘Still, it’s not surprising. Deep down, I suspected this. In the end, it’s about Noah.’
‘If all of this was done because of me, it feels absurdly pointless.’
‘But at the same time, I feel strangely moved—because who knows what might have happened if it weren’t for me?’
***
“Miss, the troops are ready for battle.”
A knight approached me.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Lord Rokton has delegated command authority to you.”
‘What’s the point of giving that to me? I have no intention of attacking. Stirring things up prematurely would only make matters worse.’
“Let’s wait and see for now.”
“Excuse me?”
“You said the Light Sword is coming soon, didn’t you? Let’s watch the fight between the Light Sword and Pector first. There’s no need to rush into battle now. If we attack, both Karchem and Ashtar’s forces will suffer heavy losses.”
The troops were armed with cannons and advanced weapons.
Clearly, Ashtar had gathered his elite forces.
The scale was significant, and the casualties would be, too.
“Understood. We’ll await your orders.”
The knight retreated.
***
I approached a woman slumped in the corner of the barracks.
Seeing her face made my blood boil.
Yuria. If this woman had done her job properly, none of this would have happened.
“Yuria.”
“Olivia?”
Thud!
I kicked Yuria in the stomach.
Already looking exhausted, she crumpled to the ground.
“Ugh!”
“Miss?”
“This wretched woman ignored my orders and caused all this trouble. Get up.”
I grabbed Yuria and slapped her across the face.
Smack!
‘A mad dog needs a good beating. Those who refuse to listen can’t be tolerated.’
“Do you think I’ll go easy on you just because you’re a woman? If you had properly followed my orders, the prince wouldn’t have been captured, the Hero wouldn’t have been humiliated, and Karchem wouldn’t be in its current state.”
“Even if the Hero Eugene is a worthless fool, he is still under the public eye.”
“If news spreads that Eugene got beaten up by one of the Four Heavenly Kings again, the Hero’s reputation will sink even further. And with it, the morale of the Demon King’s forces will rise.”
“Miss, that’s just a possibility. Besides, wasn’t it ultimately the prince who chose to go to Karchem?”
“Looking at the prince’s situation, it’s clear that Yuria was the one who manipulated him.”
“Aslan is someone with overly high ideals who gets swayed by his vassals under the pretense of listening to their advice. It’s obvious Yuria whispered in his ear out of spite for me. That fool Raileur would have blindly followed Aslan’s orders, too. A possibility? Sure, it’s a possibility. But at the very least, we could have bought some time to uncover Pector’s intentions. Karchem wouldn’t have been conquered by the demons. Am I making this up?”
Slap!
One slap wasn’t enough, so I struck the other cheek.
“Do you all take me lightly just because I used my position as Grand Advisor and Saintess to try to stop this?”
“I should have done this from the beginning.”
“I should have used my authority as Grand Advisor to beat some sense into the prince, Yuria, and Raileur.”
“At the very least, I should have sent Rivelte with them.”
“Even if Rivelte dislikes Ashtar, he’s still loyal to the Empire. He would have beaten some sense into the prince and forced him to flee.”
“I’m sorry, Olivia.”
“If something happens to the prince, it will be entirely your fault. What are you all doing? This woman isn’t even worth treating in Ashtar’s camp. Throw her outside and have her polish the soldiers’ weapons.”
“I really couldn’t stand the sight of her anymore.”
“It would be better to have her polish the weapons of Ashtar’s soldiers, who might end up fighting because of her.”
“But she’s badly injured. Shouldn’t we at least treat her a little?”
Claire, feeling pity, moved to heal Yuria, but I waved her off.
“Healing? Nonsense.”
“At least the Hero’s party fought, even if they lost. Those injuries? They’re probably from running away. It’s obvious. Yuria must have whined to the Hero’s party, and they rushed into battle with Pector unprepared and got crushed. Isn’t that right, Eugene?”
“Hero Eugene, you’re in the spotlight as the Hero of the continent. If you’re honest about what happened, you can still preserve your reputation.”
At times like this, it’s important to control the narrative.
No matter how pathetic he is, the Hero is still humanity’s hope.
If word spreads that he lost again, it will be disastrous.
“Ah, well, you’re not wrong. Ella’s younger sister was captured too, and things were so urgent we ended up like this.”
‘At least he’s being cooperative now. It’s funny how shamelessness can sometimes be helpful.’
“This is all your fault, Yuria. If you have any conscience, go outside and polish the weapons of the soldiers who might die because of you.”
“Yes…”
Yuria dragged herself out of the tent, looking dejected.
“Honestly, I could have lectured her, but she’s the type who responds better to a beating than to words.”
“Aslan will be no different.”
“If I catch him this time, I’ll give him a beating too.”
“Royalty? Who cares? I am both the Saintess and the Grand Advisor of Ashtar.”
“But the way the Hero’s party was looking at me wasn’t normal.”
“What’s with those eyes? Do you want to get hit too?”
When I glared at them fiercely, they quickly turned away.
“Olivia, please calm down,” Claire said, trying to pacify me.
“Calm down? After everything that’s happened because of them?”
“Do you think they did it on purpose? Perhaps it’s time to show some mercy.”
“Mercy? I gave them so much information about Pector, and this is what happened.”
“Was anything I said wrong?”
That incompetent Yuria ignored my advice and practically handed Aslan over to Pector.
“Claire, focus on healing the Hero’s party. As much as I dislike them, I still have to support them as someone from Ashtar.”
“Understood, Miss.”
But then I realized Claire is a woman.
Healing the Hero’s party might cause more problems.
‘Who knows what that scoundrel Hero might try?’
“Rivelte, you handle the Hero. Personally.”
“What? Me?”
Rivelte’s eyes widened in disbelief at my command.
The two aren’t strangers.
Balen Rivelte despises the Hero.
During the supply line recovery operation, the Hero dumped all the responsibility on Rivelte.
While Rivelte didn’t mind working alone, the Hero had the audacity to insult him.
“Take care of it, Rivelte. You can handle treating their injuries. You’ve been through battlefields, so you should know how.”
Rivelte couldn’t argue.
The sight of him begrudgingly agreeing was amusing.
‘Ah, there’s a certain satisfaction in tormenting these two.’
Pairing Balen and the Hero together was going to be entertaining.
“I guess that makes sense,” Syria added.
“And what about you two?”
“I’m from Ashtar, and she’s from the Magic Tower. We’ll be preparing to take down Pector.”
“If you slack off, I won’t let it slide.”
Balen muttered something under his breath and reluctantly approached the Hero.
Seeing them glare at each other, I bit my lip to stifle a laugh.
At least this way, I managed to separate Claire and Rivelte.
In the end, I’ll have to handle this myself.
‘Has Pector grown stronger, or has he weakened?’