541 540 Say, "Do it properly if you want to keep it in...




 Once the policy was set, the old general Richard moved quickly. After agreeing on the general framework with Lugis, he immediately began to reorganize the army.

 The new kingdom's army, which had annexed the old kingdom's army of Garleist, once again raised their spears and set out for the battlefield.

 The pretense was to defeat the Great Demon. But the ultimate goal of the nation is different.

 The ultimate goal is to conquer the northern part of the country, the territory under the direct control of the cathedral, and to defeat the pretender, the previous king, Amerites-Gerleist.

 By accomplishing this, the new kingdom of Gerleist will finally be able to settle the unstable situation in both military and political affairs.

 This great expedition was carried out in cooperation with the heraldry, the allies of Gazalia, the Borvat dynasty, and the southern Illyssarde.

 It was almost a pledge of mutual non-aggression, though of course it was a pretext.

 The fact that it was possible to reach an agreement with other countries in less than a month was partly due to the success of Richard and the heraldry, but the real reason was that a real threat was at hand.

 --That is, the existence of the Zebraelis, a fortress behemoth.

 If it continues to devour continents, it will become a threat to all nations. It must be settled by any means necessary.

 This was the only thought that was shared by all the forces and people.

 Queen Philos, who had finally agreed to the expedition, issued a proclamation to Lugis, Richard, and the other soldiers.

The cathedral unjustly controls our lands and extorts money from the people under the guise of taxes! Furthermore, they have enshrined the previous king as a pretender. This is a rebellion. Crush the rebels immediately and raise your troops to protect the people from the demons and evil spirits!

 There were plenty of good reasons. Everything was going smoothly. Everyone was busy with this important matter.

 You may be the only one who is not happy about this. Richard's second-in-command, Neymar-Gloria, was in the barracks finishing up the last of the troop formation and had one report to make to his superior.

"...... Battalion Chief, no, General. After all, you shouldn't be in the line of fire this time. This expedition is not inevitable, but it is unwinnable.

 Richard listened to Neymar's words, keeping his eyes on the report.

 He didn't look up, but he heard the voice itself. She knew that, too, so she continued.

If we move north, the cathedral will definitely move. The number of troops we can mobilize is limited to 20,000, 30,000 if we include the private armies of the nobles. On the other hand, the Cathedral has 50,000 troops of the Old Kingdom and the Cathedral Knights. Morale is also very high under the cause of protecting the cathedral. The quality of the commanders is not low either. There's no need for you to get dirty. Let the man handle it.

"There you go again, Neymar.

 Neymar looks at Richard and says things straightforwardly. This was a sign of her honesty, but also a flaw. At the very least, she was not suited to persuading anyone.

 There are not many outstanding people who can easily accept an opinion that is the exact opposite of their own.

 She could absorb anything with an open mind, but her oratory skills were inexperienced. Richard looked away slightly from the report and looked up.

"I'll say it again. Sir! Are you content to be treated as a lizard's tail by that man? The cathedral still welcomes you now. I'm sure General Brightnes will welcome you too!

You're really not good at persuasion. You're really not good at persuasion. People won't come on board with such open words. You're not really good at persuasion.

...... So you think you have no chance, do you?

 Richard laughed, his wrinkles twisting involuntarily.

 Not too long ago, Neymar was just a hard man who would shut his mouth if you tried to talk him out of it. While that was strong, it could be broken at the slightest hint.

 But now, she had tenacity. She had the spirit to hold on to her opponent.

"...... if you want to go head-to-head. What you're saying isn't wrong either. We're dealing with a cathedral and a demon. We're at a disadvantage because we'll have to split ourselves in two. But I've told you many times. You can go to the North if you want.

I'm not going alone.

 With his back straight, Neymar looks directly at his superior. His eyes were clear and he said he owed nothing.

 I'm sure he won't turn on his heels again just because of a few simple words. After acknowledging this, Richard finally put the report on his desk and looked at her.

...... Despite all the talk, we're not going straight into the cathedral this time. We're just going to take up positions in the northern fortifications. If the cathedral moves south, we'll hold them off while Lugis deals with Zebreylith's men. It's more like a defense.

 We can't be so reckless as to attack the Great Demon Zebraeliris when it's approaching.

 But if all we want to do is defend ourselves, even a force half the size of the enemy's will be enough to keep them at bay. This time it was just a strategy to keep the enemy at bay, not an aggressive offensive as they say.

...... I doubt that. If General Blightness were to come, it would be a very different story.

 Neymar was still gritting his teeth, unable to swallow Richard's words. He even seemed to be trying to cling to his opponent somehow.

I was under General Blightness for a while, but you are right, she is not of the same standard. ...... I can't see how I could beat her even with twice the strength. I don't think we should confront her in any way. You know General Blightness very well, sir.



 --When it comes to warfare, there is no one in this world who can surpass me.

 The image of Valerii, close to Vera's burial chamber, came to his mind. Now Neymar knows that this is not overconfidence or arrogance, but the truth.

 He wondered why Valerii had been so enthusiastically supported by the other officers. It's because she is an overwhelming individual who is unmatched and has a huge amount of passion.

 And yet, Neymar could feel the fear rising up from her heels.

 He was going up against that insane monster.

 Neymar is not so stupid as to not know what that means.

 He listened to her last words, then nodded.

"Well, there you have it. You've got a big mouth. I guess I raised him and you both wrong.

...... I don't want to be compared to that man.

 That man," Neymar said to only one person. "I don't want to be in the same league as that man," Neymar said, always with a look of abject emotion on his face.

 Richard smiled with surprising candor. His usual cunning and ruthlessness was not visible in his eyes. He said with a nostalgic tone.

The first time I met Valerie was when she was just starting out. I was an adventurer, and I had given up the title of hero. Do you know what he said to me when we first met?

 Neymar didn't shake his head, but looked blankly at his superior.

 It was quite a shock to hear Richard, who rarely talked about his past, suddenly sound nostalgic. I had never heard that he had known Valerie before.

 What was she going to say?

 I'm not sure what you're talking about," Richard said, leaving her upset.

"A former hero. For the pride of my fathers and the peace of my soul, I challenge you to a duel. That's what he said, and then he came at me. It's rare for someone to challenge you to a duel, let alone an assassination attempt.

...... So, what did you do?

I'm not going to lose to a novice. But then he started following me around every chance he got. I took care of him a lot and taught him a lot. You're right, I know Valerie better than anyone. ...... You can't beat her, but you're right. So if you're looking for someone to stop him, I'm your guy.

 So... Isn't it a mistake to confront her in the first place?

 Neymar could see the anger in his eyes. His teacher must be trying to talk him out of it again.

 His lips twitched as he tried to argue, but Neymar could not speak. Richard said, before Neymar could.

Watch it. There's not much more I can teach you on the battlefield. You won't get the chance. Think of it as the last time.

 And with that, Richard didn't talk anymore. All he could do was solemnly prepare for the expedition.

 Neymar, for some reason, couldn't stop him. No, he understood that it was not going to happen.

 Richard-Permillis's expedition was to Fort Medraut in the north. The fortress, built into the hills, is a testament to the Garlist Kingdom's past loss of land to that point and the narrowing of its borders. It is also the history of decline itself.

 The conflict between the heroes of the past and the heroes of the present was no longer in the distant future.