CHAPTER 114

Elric's method of operation was quite simple.

He would check the flow using his Mind's Eye from the outskirts of the city, locate the position of the barrier stones, and relay that information to the Blue Hawks.

Then the Blue Hawks would enthusiastically run around, destroying the stones as they went.

[Hehehe!]

[This is the right spot, right?]

[The more I do this, the more fun it gets! Isn't there more to do? Hey, nephew-in-law, just give me something to do! Hihihit!]

Elric shook his head as he heard the Blue Hawks' laughter through the communication device he had handed out.

Mephistopheles clicked his tongue in disbelief.

『They're all just a bunch of perverts.』

[Thanks to those perverts, things are moving smoothly. Anyway, this area is all done now.]

Elric smirked slightly as he watched the city fall into confusion as General Winter's cold winds swept through.

『But it seems like the resistance this time wasn't easy. Moving forward from here will be nearly impossible.』

"They aren't idiots. If they have any learning ability, they won't just keep falling for the same thing. Besides, I never planned on just going around breaking stones forever."

『What you wanted was to shake things up, right?』

"Bingo."

『Honestly, you're more insidious than even the demons. Typical Melvinger.』

So far, Elric had stirred up trouble in five cities.

All of them were major strongholds of the Fury tribe, places that were the most vocal supporters of both Fury tribe and the Blood Wolf King.

The reason for devising such a strategy came from the current power structure he had heard about earlier.

-The Beastmen Alliance under the control of the Blood Wolf King is actually nothing more than a house of cards.

-A house of cards?

-Yes. A castle built on sand. The cities are tied together only because the Blood Wolf King is overwhelmingly strong, not because there are many places that actually support Fury.

-So, if we can create a crack in their governing system, we could see a significant number of defectors.

-Yes. According to what Irina found out, there were already places showing signs of unrest after Anthromorph managed to fend off one of their offensives. Though the rebellion... unfortunately failed.

Elric interpreted the Blood Wolf King's regime very simply.

'Oppression.'

Thanks to that, it became much easier to plan his strategy.

'Forced loyalty will inevitably waver if the support base starts to crumble.'

What Elric aimed to provoke was precisely that support base.

The apparent stability of the Blood Wolf King and Fury tribe was only due to two factors: their overwhelming military power and their ability to protect the cities from General Winter.

If even one of those factors was disrupted, their regime would inevitably falter.

So, Elric personally demonstrated that even they were not immune to the threat of General Winter.

'If I gradually target the other factor as well, the defections will accelerate.'

As Elric grinned mischievously...

Crash!

Whirl, whirl!

The barrier surrounding the city disintegrated, allowing General Winter to descend upon it.

The fifth city's downfall had begun.

Elric watched as the city plunged into chaos, with enraged fighters pouring out beyond the walls. Bringing the communication device to his mouth, he whispered softly.

[Everyone, retreat.]

[Roger that!]

[We're heading out right away!]

[It's an order from the nephew-in-law, of course we'll go! Hehehe!]

Elric watched as the Blue Hawks safely withdrew, and, deciding the danger had passed, prepared to make his own exit.

Just then, a red shimmer rose from the spot where the dome-shaped barrier had collapsed, flaring up before fading away.

"There it is again," Elric muttered to himself.

The God of Camellias, perched on his shoulder, responded.

[The Blood Wolf King's tail is a symbol of Fury's control, after all.]

Elric nodded quietly.

The tail of the Blood Wolf King, which appeared every time the barriers of the cities were broken, was an important element in forming the barriers, and also served as Fury's communication network so that orders could be given at any moment.

When Elric first heard that this was the core of the Blood Wolf King's power, he had been astonished.

But now, he had dismantled it. By now, Fury must have realized what was happening here.

[The Blood Wolf King is going to be furious. He's the kind of authoritarian who can't tolerate anything that doesn't follow his control. Hohohoho!]

As Elric listened to the God of Camellias' laughter, he disappeared in pursuit of the Blue Hawks before the fighters could swarm the area.

It was time to start observing their reaction and initiate the second phase of the plan.

***

[By any means necessary, eliminate the intruders.]

Neterre, the chieftain of the Spirit Fox Tribe and second-in-command of Fury Tribe, the royal family of the Fury tribe, furrowed his brow as he read the order before him.

The four long tails extending from his back bristled in response, as he was all too aware of the intensity of the anger radiating from the lord he served as both master and king.

'If I fail like that fool Barasen, my head will be on the line too.'

Neterre had to rub his cold neck several times to steady himself.

The Blood Wolf King ruled and commanded, but never directly governed. As a descendant of the Spirit Fox Tribe, he still needed to complete his unfulfilled cultivation.

Instead, he left governance in the hands of his subordinates.

Neterre was the one primarily responsible for that duty.

To ordinary beastmen, he likely appeared to hold the position of second-in-command.

But Neterre knew better.

He understood that his life was as fragile as that of a fly.

As a Four-Tailed Fox, a lowly servant who had to offer up his tail if the Blood Wolf King willed it, Neterre had no choice but to achieve the orders given to him.

"I need to make sure those Anthromorphs can't cause any more trouble… but what exactly are they after?"

However, there was one thing Neterre simply couldn't understand.

He couldn't figure out their endgame.

On the surface, it appeared they were stirring up Fury's territories to destabilize the ruling power.

But Neterre knew that only a few cities would even be in a position to answer Anthromorph's call for rebellion.

'No matter how much they resist us, unless the Tiger King's faction can show they have a real chance of defeating the Blood Wolf King, no one would take the risk of siding with them.'

So it was clear that Anthromorph was aiming for a much bigger "blow."

Neterre's frown deepened as the crease in his brow grew more pronounced.

"There's something else. Something more."

Neterre, deep in thought, suddenly had an idea and urgently called for his subordinate who was waiting outside.

"Is there anyone out there?"

"Yes? Yes, sir!"

"Bring me a map of the Black Snowfield! Immediately! Hurry!"

The subordinate, caught off guard, nodded and quickly brought the map, spreading it wide before Neterre.

Neterre grabbed a pen, marking the cities where the barriers had been destroyed and connecting them with lines.

Then, dropping the pen onto the ground in frustration, he grimaced even more.

"How do they know about this…?!"

The cities, when connected, formed a boundary protecting a specific area.

The area where General Winter's main body resided.

In Fury's territory, it was called the "Night's Quarter."

".....We can't let this be discovered."

The fact that Fury was hiding General Winter's main body was a closely guarded secret, known only to the highest-ranking officials within their ranks.

If this information leaked, even the cities that currently pledged loyalty to Fury might rebel or defect.

That was because General Winter was a symbol of hatred for the beastmen.

They believed that, because of General Winter, their cities couldn't expand outward, nor could they claim the Black Snowfield as their own territory.

Fury had used this fear to strengthen their control over the cities.

But if Anthromorph had figured this out and was trying to exploit it?

It had to be stopped at all costs.

The thought that they might have already entered the Night's Quarter made him increasingly anxious.

"I'll have to mobilize the army."

Neterre immediately commanded his subordinate to bring the First Lord to his office at once.

***

"Oh, they're moving."

Elric and his team had retreated to a rocky mountain not far from Fury's territory.

Hidden in the natural cover provided by the Black Snowfield's environment, they were quietly observing the movement of Fury's fighters.

Elric didn't miss the fact that the fighters were heading north, specifically toward the Second Army.

Just as he had expected.

It was clear they were trying to protect the area where General Winter resided.

『I wonder what their reaction will be once they realize they've been playing in the palm of your hand.』

Even Mephistopheles, who usually found fault with everything Elric did, was watching the situation with keen interest this time.

In truth, Elric had only been able to pinpoint the general location of the "Night's Quarter," where General Winter resided, based on memories from the arrangement. 

He knew it was within Fury's territory but didn't know the exact location of General Winter's main body.

And for good reason.

Neither Vel nor Irina had even been aware that General Winter was located in that area.

So, Elric had to come up with a cunning strategy.

-If I can't find the exact location of General Winter, wouldn't it make sense to blend in with them and infiltrate deep enough to figure it out?

Of course, Fury wasn't foolish. If an unknown figure suddenly blended into their ranks, they would immediately be on guard.

That's why Elric decided to create enough confusion to slip in unnoticed.

Muddy Waters.

When the waters are murky, fish naturally gather.

And if that confusion occurred around the Night's Quarter, the chaos would only intensify.

Just a small nudge, and Fury would panic and try to protect the Night's Quarter at all costs.

Elric's plan was to exploit that gap and infiltrate deep into the heart of the area.

And now.

He could see them moving busily.

Elric realized that this was the perfect moment to make his move.

[Are you sure you can handle this alone? I can still come and help.]

At that moment, Herman offered his support through the communication device, clearly concerned about Elric going in alone.

But Elric calmly shook his head and brought the device to his mouth.

[No, it's much easier for me to move alone this time. Please stay where you are, as we agreed, with your sworn brothers. I'll send the signal within a few days.]

[If that's your decision, I'll follow it for now. But try not to overextend yourself.]

[Thank you for your concern. I have no intention of making any mistakes in a place like this, so don't worry too much.]

[Understood.]

As Herman's communication ended, Heize's voice came through immediately.

[Be careful.]

[Sis, how old do you think I am this year?]

[Stop messing around.]

Heize sighed lightly and cut the communication.

Judging by the sound of movement in the background, it seemed she was preparing to return to Anthromorph, just as Elric had asked.

'While I'm busy shaking things up with Fury, the Tiger King's faction must gather other support behind the scenes. With my sister and Sean by their side, they should manage just fine.'

Heize had trained Elric to be self-reliant, and Sean, as a direct descendant of one of the most prestigious families in the Empire, had been schooled in imperial leadership.

If the two of them supported and guided Vel properly, he should quickly awaken to the qualities required to be a ruler.

After all, he too was a descendant of King Yul.

"[Transform]."

Elric placed his hand on his face and activated the True Speech. Mana settled across his entire face, gradually altering his bone structure.

Crack, crack, crack!

This was on a completely different level compared to the transformation magic he had tried before.

Back then, all he could do was lower his cheekbones and stretch his eyes slightly.

But now, although it was gradual, his entire appearance was changing.

Polymorph.

Though it wasn't the fundamental transformation only the dragon species of legend could achieve, on the surface, he now appeared closer to a beastman than a human.

His skin turned pale white, his hair became tangled like a mane, and his eyes took on a fierce, hostile look.

He had adopted many of the traits of the Sand Lion Tribe, resembling the dead Barasen.

It was a 7th-circle magic he had mastered after safely completing the arrangement and breaking through new levels.

A transformation that was somewhat similar to Elric, but at a glance, it was impossible to tell it was the same person.

Even his aura, which subtly spread around him, was different.

"[Fly]."

Whoosh!

Elric launched himself into the midst of Fury's army, which was busily moving about.

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