Chapter 33 : Black Moon (1)
"Grand Young Master, what did you just say?"
"I asked you to slow down the march."
Deep in the night, 'Larmus', the Commander-in-Chief of the expeditionary force facing Helkane in the barracks, twitched his eyebrows and asked back.
Larmus, the commander of Reichart's 2nd Knight Order 'Helmes', following 'Ares', and serving as the Commander-in-Chief of this expedition, was a person with an appearance closer to a scholar than a knight.
However, today Larmus pressed Helkane with a vehement tone, clearly different from his usual gentle appearance.
"The Family Head ordered us to arrive at the front line as soon as possible to prevent any potential damage to the territory residents. Not even a day has passed since receiving that order……."
Larmus pressed Helkane with a sharp voice, but Helkane was still only smiling.
"I am not asking you to disobey Father's order, but requesting the Commander-in-Chief to exercise reasonable discretion."
"I do not wish to hear it. Leave now. There will be no slowing down of the march."
Larmus issued an eviction order and turned his gaze to the operation status board.
However, Helkane did not back down.
"Commander-in-Chief, this is not my will but the Grand Madam's will."
"……."
As the Grand Madam came out of Helkane's mouth, Larmus's expression hardened even more.
Considering that Larmus was a figure equivalent to Redin's left arm, this was a natural reaction.
"Before departing, Mother called me separately and earnestly requested. To support the Commander-in-Chief well so that our territorial army does not suffer great damage due to excessive boldness."
However, Helkane, who would know that fact better than anyone, did not hesitate to bring up Rishu's name.
"I am a person serving the Family Head, not a person receiving the Grand Madam's orders. I clearly told the Grand Young Master to leave."
"Commander-in-Chief, why are you so hasty? Unlike Volmada and Nefam which already suffered much damage, our Zodiac has suffered almost no damage. They are the ones who must prevent the situation from spreading.
But why must we arrive at the front line before them, suffer damage, and worry about other countries' safety?"
"The Family Head ordered us to move as quickly as possible to prevent damage to the territory residents. I only follow that order, so the circumstances of Volmada and Nefam are none of my concern."
Eventually, Larmus issued an eviction order once again.
"I truly like Sir Larmus."
But suddenly, Helkane's atmosphere changed.
For some reason, he continued speaking with a much more subtle voice.
"Since Sir Larmus possesses discernment as outstanding as your sharp sword, I do not think you are unaware of the current situation of the territory."
The title Helkane used to call Larmus had changed from Commander-in-Chief to Sir Larmus before anyone knew.
"For the person who knows that situation better than anyone to so firmly refuse none other than Mother's request……."
Helkane's eyes suddenly narrowed.
"I only realized today how great Sir's loyalty to Father and the territory is."
"Grand Young Master, are you threatening me now?"
"Threatening? How dare I. I merely intend to explain our situation in a little detail. As Sir knows, due to the flood that occurred this summer, a significant portion of the farmland in the Arterbeck region suffered damage. And it was decided that the Vispon family would support a significant portion of the budget to recover the damage. However, Sir Larmus, no matter how solid Mother's position within the family is, a minimum justification is needed to draw out that level of large-scale financial support."
As the 'financial' problem, which could be called Reichart's Achilles heel, came up, Larmus had no choice but to listen to Helkane's words silently.
"But if we unnecessarily endure damage to the knight order that could be avoided if we put our mind to it, and then request financial support, wouldn't Mother also have nothing to say to Vispon?"
"……."
"Father appears cold on the outside, but he is a person whose heart aches for the territory residents' suffering more than anyone. If the recovery of Arterbeck is delayed and the people suffer next year too, Father's worry will also be immense."
Grind.
Larmus clenched his fist without realizing it, but unfortunately, that was all he could do.
"And I am not asking the Commander-in-Chief to disobey Father's order. Isn't adjusting the marching speed something fully possible at the field commander's discretion?"
Upon examination, there was nothing wrong in Helkane's words.
As he said, the possibility of damage occurring in Zodiac just because the march was delayed by a few days was extremely low, and adjusting the marching speed was also a part included in Larmus's discretion.
"I will be waiting for the Commander-in-Chief to make a wise judgment."
Having finished what he had to say, Helkane showed a beaming smile and left the barracks.
Tremble.
However, even long after Helkane left the barracks, Larmus's clenched fist did not easily unclench.
***
Smirk.
As soon as he left Larmus's barracks, Helkane smiled.
'Unlike other old men who are dull beyond measure, Larmus is a person whose head works quite well, so he must have understood this much.'
Unlike a moment ago when he harbored a knife under his tongue but was polite in expression at least, Helkane's smile now was cruel beyond measure.
'The armies of Volmada and Nefam have already arrived at the border region. It means a full-scale subjugation battle will begin soon. Then that flame spreading toward the Zodiac will also happen in an instant.'
Helkane chewed over the information that came only to him through the noble alliance's top-secret information network a moment ago and smiled with satisfaction.
'If the reinforcements' advance is delayed, some pitiful person left alone at the border with 500 leftovers will have to struggle desperately to block the spreading flame.'
Even if Hein failed to block the flame spreading over the Zodiac border and damage occurred within the territory, Helkane had nothing to lose.
Anyway, the Commander-in-Chief of this operation was Larmus, and it was right for him to bear the responsibility.
What if Hein, struggling alone against heavy odds, suffers a fatal injury?
Beaming.
A much colder smile than the one a moment ago formed on Helkane's lips.
"My brother whom I want to see. The road to meet you is truly far."
***
Helkane's prediction was not wrong.
In fact, the flames of the battlefield had quickly moved the stage to Zodiac and were burning fiercely.
"Hey, burn that there thoroughly. Since they are guys covered in mold all over their bodies, it's useless if you don't burn them to the roots."
However, the point he did not predict was that those flames were burning on top of the corpses of Alcala's apostles who raided Zodiac.
The parts and corpses of the guys that Haken members scraped out from the Alcala camp burned in fierce flames that seemed to reach the end of the sky.
"What did these bastards eat to burn so fiercely? I've lived over 100 years, but this is the first time I've seen corpses burn this well."
"How would I know? We've already burned them over 10 times, but I just can't get used to this sight. What kind of guys are these?"
10 times.
Like the words exchanged by the Haken members, the number of times they had repelled the apostles attempting to cross the border into the Zodiac during that time was already exceeding 10 times.
However, no sign of fatigue could be seen on the members' faces at all.
"Commander, we have executed all commanded situations. We secured all specimens the Commander ordered to collect, and completed the incineration of the guys' remains as well."
"Understood. Could you call me Gabriel?"
The reason was due to my existence, standing at the forefront of the knight order and commanding the battle.
Joining Haken, I played an active part showing an overwhelming appearance in all local battles, and thanks to that, they could win dozens of battles without particular danger.
My swordsmanship, which had already far surpassed the 6th Star level, was close to invincible in local battles of this level.
Haken, who had already learned aura and begun to create synergy effects with superhuman physical abilities, was also one of the factors making the apostles' raids meaningless.
Now Haken was not lacking to obtain the title of the strongest knight order within the territory, excluding perhaps Ares.
Helkane's prediction, which seemed quite sophisticated at first glance, failed miserably because he failed to predict the variables of my realm and Haken's awakening.
"Yes! Young Master, did you look for me?"
After a while, Gabriel, who was immersed in experiments in the large palanquin that became a means of transport and a makeshift laboratory, revealed his appearance.
"How is what I asked you to prepare going?"
"Ah, yes, it is almost finished. I just need to make a little more."
"How much does that little mean?"
"About 20~30 people's worth? I will have it completed by tomorrow morning."
Confirming that appearance, I let out a sigh of relief.
"You suffered a lot. It must be hard, but please cheer up a little more going forward."
"Oh my, Young Master. Actually. I really wanted to tell you this when the Young Master came anyway. Since I am making things while moving, the palanquin rattles, my head hurts, it's hard to find where the materials are, I mean."
Listening to Gabriel's grumbling, I burst into a smirk.
Seeing he had the energy to make dying sounds like that, it seemed he still had strength left.
"Understood. I won't forget the reward for the hard work you put in, so look forward to it."
I patted Gabriel.
In the end, it was no exaggeration to say that the success or failure of this plan depended on Gabriel.
'It seems it will be completed not too late. Now is waiting the only thing left?'
Having sent Gabriel back, I leaned my body against a tree stump in the clearing full of acrid scents and fell into thought for a moment.
With this, the initial purpose of suppressing Alcala's initial overflow without loss of power and collecting specimens to block the guys' decisive move was achieved.
No, rather, since the knight order achieved significant growth through actual combat experience, the initial goal was overachieved.
I, who was lost in thought while smelling the blood of apostles which became the manure for growth, opened my eyes.
"Ismael, send scouts to secure a place where we can camp. Since a large-scale force has to stay, you will have to look for a quite wide place."
"I received your order, Commander."
Even at words that seemed out of the blue at first glance, Ismael accepted my order without an inch of doubt.
Strict movements of an army were felt from the detection magic installed throughout the vast forest.
'Have they arrived only now? Slowpokes.'
Even though the arrival of reinforcements was much later than originally scheduled, no sign of anxiety could be seen on my face at all.
As long as the capital's forces were mixed in the suppression force, the influence of Vispon and the noble alliance was already expected, and this level of check was at a level not even ticklish.
Unlike Helkane's expectation hoping for a crisis, what was in my head was only the plan for the future.
The forces of 3 nations arrived at the border, the allied forces soon to be formed, the full-scale offensive of the allied forces that increased in size, Alcala's fierce resistance.
However, Alcala, whose initial operation was not smooth, will soon be driven into a defensive position.
Eventually, Alcala is driven into a defensive position…….
'Black Moon.'
Recalling Alcala's last move, I turned my gaze toward the moon, rising high and bright.
From the halo surrounding the achingly blue moon, a somehow ominous energy was emanating.