Chapter 294: War Preparations (1)

< War Preparations (1) >

A neatly arranged flowerbed, as if tended by a skilled gardener.

Within it, countless small creatures wriggled and busily moved their bodies.

A natural ecosystem where ants, butterflies, ladybugs, earthworms, and other creatures lived together—

While they might be considered insignificant, the sight of these tiny beings striving to survive in their respective roles was strangely moving.

"…Cute."

And there was one being who was particularly captivated by this scene, muttering to herself:

The silver-haired woman, Liesta Saint Hatianuss, the Saintess of the Main God's Church, who was squatting and gazing intently at the flowerbed.

"Hmm~ Hum~♪"

Not content with just observing, she hummed a light tune and bestowed blessings upon each creature. Hours had passed, but she showed no signs of boredom. Her golden eyes sparkled with interest as she observed the garden's inhabitants.

'How precious.'

Such small and lovely creatures.

Liesta, investing her rare free time in her hobby, smiled softly.

'I've been so busy lately…'

The Main God's Church had been incredibly busy since the death of Pope Hatianuss II.

Externally, they had to continue leading the continent's stabilization efforts, and internally, they had to focus on filling the now vacant position of the Pope.

'It will be decided soon.'

At the Grand Temple of Roselia, the six Cardinals, a small number even considering the entire Church, were gathered for the Conclave, an in-depth meeting to elect the next Pope.

While the Saint and Saintess were chosen directly by God, the Pope was more of a representative elected from among the followers, making this procedure essential.

'Whoever it is, it won't take long. The Cardinals can't be away for too long in the current political climate. If something happens, we need to be able to respond immediately… Right?'

As Liesta was enjoying the peaceful atmosphere in her small sanctuary…

She suddenly felt a sense of unease.

An inexplicable premonition, independent of reason, crept into her thoughts.

'…Ugh, this is… could it be…?'

Having experienced this before, she quickly understood the cause.

A revelation from the Main God.

It was a phenomenon akin to a sudden enlightenment or self-awareness.

As she clutched her head and staggered, an uninvited guest flew into the garden.

Flap—

A black-feathered crow hopped around the flowerbed while she was disoriented. It briefly surveyed its surroundings, then began devouring the plump insects, blessed by the Saintess.

Caw— Caw—

Exclaiming in bird language as if savoring a delicacy.

"Sigh…"

Liesta, having barely regained her composure after the revelation, frowned slightly at the crow, then wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief and relaxed her expression.

It wasn't uncommon for birds or insects to enter the garden. Completely isolating the garden for ease of maintenance and aesthetics would make it nothing more than a large-scale miniature garden.

The law of the jungle was also part of the natural order ordained by the Main God.

'Anyway…'

Taking a deep breath and regaining her composure, she slowly approached the small intruder.

Caw— Caw!

Flap—

The crow, startled by the approaching human, flapped its wings, trying to escape. But it only managed a few flaps, freezing in place before she reached it.

"There, there."

She gently cupped the now docile crow in her hands and stroked it. Even though Liesta wasn't a combatant, a mere creature couldn't withstand her presence.

She could bring down a bird in flight with her will alone.

'The outside world…'

She paused while stroking the crow and stared at it intently. She had no intention of harming it. Catching it was just a whim, a distraction from her troubled thoughts.

'An invader from another dimension…'

The being the Main God had just warned her about, directly, was unlikely to be as harmless as this bird. The Main God hadn't given her any warnings about the otherworlders who had come and gone before.

'…Could this be related to the Immortal King again?'

It was a reasonable assumption, but not certain. The important thing was to prepare for the revelation in some way.

Caw— Caw!

Flap—

Liesta released the bird, watching it fly into the sky, and turned with a serious expression.

To discuss the revelation with a reliable man.

To talk to Saint Heinrich.

Slowly, but steadily…

Time flowed like a river.

Perhaps due to managing multiple bodies simultaneously, time felt longer for him than for others. Many things happened during that period.

"Long live Crown Princess Riley Carte Azerion!"

"Hahaha! Congratulations, Your Highness. All that's left is the finalization."

"Oh my! You look even more beautiful today, Your Highness. Even the most beautiful flowers in the empire lose their vibrancy before you."

First, Riley finally officially ascended to the position of Crown Princess in Jeron, the capital of the Azerion Empire. She successfully ousted Prince Simon, who was almost forgotten, and was formally recognized as the heir to the empire.

'The current Emperor's health doesn't look good, so there might be an abdication ceremony within a few years.'

The authority Riley held now as Crown Princess was on a different level compared to when she was just the Fifth Princess leading a large faction. As the de facto second-in-command and future ruler, she could now directly mobilize the empire and the imperial family, wielding their power.

This was proof that her long journey, which began after meeting Isea over a decade ago, was nearing its end. And this change in continental dynamics wasn't limited to the empire.

In Drakal, the land of mercenaries in the southeast of the continent…

Crash—!

"I heard there's someone named Harley here! I, Stallone of the Crimson Fog, have come to learn a thing or two! Let's have a proper match…"

"Huh? What, again?"

"…Huh?"

"Sniff! I don't care if you're Crimson Fog or bloody clam. Come at me if you're going to."

As if a plague that killed anyone who didn't prove their masculinity within one second of arriving in the city had spread, people kept coming to challenge Harley, not intimidated but fueled by competitive spirit.

Even considering the inherently aggressive nature of mercenaries and the constant need to prove their strength, this was a bit much.

'Of course, I haven't seen anyone maintain that attitude after meeting me face-to-face.'

Even the highest-ranking members of the mercenary guild, the Peak Masters, had cowered before Harley. How could these average mercenaries stand a chance?

What followed was a swift process.

As the challenger's eyes darted around nervously, Harley casually approached, slung an arm around his shoulders, and dwarfed him, making him look like a middle schooler being extorted by a bully.

"Do you want to be beaten into ground meat, or do you want to buy me ground meat?"

"…I… I'll buy you some."

"Good choice! Now, take me to the best restaurant you know! If I don't like it, I'll break you in half, so choose wisely, got it? Hahaha!"

It was actual extortion.

Harley patted the man's back and made him lead the way. Some, driven mad by fear, attacked him blindly, but they soon regained their sanity after receiving some loving physical therapy.

Of course, the kind and generous Harley took care of them, dining together and resolving any misunderstandings.

"Mmm! The meat in this town is excellent! Quite surprising."

"D… Drakal's land may be barren and unsuitable for farming, but it's not bad in other aspects. It's a major trading hub, and the local specialty, cliff goat, is top-notch. …Though it's a bit pricey."

"Indeed, brother! …But we're out of meat again? I… I'll order 10 more servings… No, 20… I apologize, 30 servings. Ha, ha…"

"Tsk, don't interrupt the flow. Order more meat when it's running low. That guy has no sense."

His unconventional actions caused a stir throughout the city upon his arrival. Eyewitness accounts and rumors about Harley spread rapidly through Drakal, further boosting his fame and influence.

'In the end, mercenaries sell their strength. Overwhelming power is more important than complex politics. Similar to the south in that regard.'

Drakal was a perfect fit for Harley, who was the embodiment of violence.

Moreover, the situation in other regions was also developing favorably, exceeding his initial expectations.

'Not to mention the south, the expansion of our eastern base, mainly with Obaifoe returnees, is going smoothly. And the Talia Kingdom in the west has officially established diplomatic relations with neighboring kingdoms and is expanding its influence…'

It was natural for the Hubert Company, which had taken over the Tulke Kingdom and was expanding throughout the west, to be deeply involved in the westward expansion.

The key to the Hubert Company's market dominance was the infinite supply of rare metals from the north. Fearing the Immortal Army, nations were eager customers, competitively purchasing these materials to bolster their military.

'And the ones supplying these materials are the Immortal Army.'

A situation where military supplies were traded between both sides, regardless of friend or foe, purely for profit. This was what they called a 'merchant of death.'

He felt like he had entered a new world.

'But…'

Recently, amidst this smooth sailing, he received some troubling news.

'An interdimensional invader worthy of a warning from the Main God?'

It was the Main God's revelation relayed to him by Saintess Liesta.

'…There's only one person who comes to mind.'

A monster that devoured the essence of worlds, traversing dimensions.

The Heavenly Wealth Society Master.

'He's finally here.'

If it weren't for Liesta, he wouldn't have even gotten this much information. He might have been caught off guard and crumbled without any time to prepare. Only a Saintess could interpret the revelation to this extent.

He didn't know the mechanism by which the Society Master crossed dimensions, so he couldn't know where he was or what he was doing. But it was unlikely he used the same method as him, reading memories of his destination and using 「Interdimensional Travel Gate Summon」.

Considering the Society Master's abilities from their encounter in Japan, he probably refined his space-manipulating Unique Skill to the extreme and found a way.

'But that's not important now.'

The 'how' was a secondary issue. The important thing was that the monster's target, the place he was trying to invade, was the stage he had painstakingly set.

'This land… Auterica.'

His blood boiled.

This was absolutely unacceptable.

It was known that the Immortal Army and humanity were at war, but that wasn't true. Both sides were merely his pawns.

It might be unimaginable to others, but manipulating the flow of this world was easier for him than for anyone else. He had influence over most of the powers in Auterica.

The Immortal King and his Immortal Army, the Vampire Alliance led by the Vampire King, the Main God's Church worshipping Saint Heinrich, Harley, the War King and Mercenary King, and his warriors, Harris and the Elven Kingdom, the imperial elite controlled through Riley, the merchant cartel led by Hubert…

Most of this world was already in his grasp.

'Auterica is—'

This place…

…was his land.

His domain.

'Mine.'

A world prepared solely for him, a stage for his dreams, a treasure chest filled with precious things.

If the Society Master still insisted on invading…

'You will have to fight against the entire world.'

It was time to prepare for war.