Of course, not all forces of the Monster Front are departing for New Terra.
We must leave troops behind to defend the Monster Front. Only a part of our forces will move north.
'Who should stay, and who should I take with me?'
It was a difficult decision.
Taking too many troops would weaken the defense of the Monster Front.
If, by any chance, monsters launched a major invasion while our main force was heading north, and Crossroad fell, it would lead to world destruction. A classic case of losing sight of the main issue.
We must leave enough troops to firmly hold Crossroad.
However, concentrating too many troops in Crossroad and taking too few to the Imperial Capital would increase the risk of failing to retake New Terra and being annihilated by Fernandez.
'Of course, there are also forces from other alliances.'
The forces from various places that have agreed to join the World Defense Front are all gathering in front of the Imperial Capital New Terra, on the plains... in front of the Iris River.
They would already make up a considerable number. But I can't immediately command them as my own.
I still needed a certain number of troops I could use.
Finally, after much deliberation, I decided on the personnel and announced it.
"Duchess Dusk Bringar and her troops. The remnants of the Imperial Army's 1st Legion led by Captain Metallic. Kuilan's Penal Squad. Verdandi's Holy Grail Seekers. Hannibal's Elementalist Party. Lastly, the Gambler's Club."
After finishing the roll call, I put down the paper with the names.
"We will march like this."
Those whose names weren't called looked baffled. Evangeline was the first to raise her hand.
"Sir, our names weren't called?"
"The rest stay."
"What?"
My subordinates looked at me in stunned disbelief. I repeated firmly.
"The rest stay. Keep Crossroad safe."
Dusk Bringar, as the Duchess of Bringar Duchy commanding several small nations and forces, must participate.
Captain Metallic, as the leader of the Imperial Army's 1st Legion, had joined me initially to avenge Lark. He must come.
Kuilan is the king of the beastmen. Verdandi is the deputy queen of the elves. As representatives, their participation is confirmed.
In the same vein, Kellibey and Serenade too, the father of the Dwarf King and the spokesman for the Merfolk King.
They decided to come along because of the issue with operating the airship. However, as they are not combatants, there's no need to mention them here.
Hannibal, as the representative of the half-breeds, I'm taking him too for political considerations.
The Gambler's Club... They were originally recruited for the operation against Fernandez. Naturally, they are included.
So, these are the absolutely necessary personnel.
Conversely, the rest don't have a compelling reason to be taken along. I intended to leave as many troops as possible in Crossroad.
"However..."
Before Evangeline could finish her objection, I gestured for her to step back and Lucas, stepping forward, spoke in a serious tone.
"Isn't this too risky, my lord?"
I gestured for him to continue. Lucas went on.
"I'm not suggesting you take the entire force. We fully understand the importance of defending Crossroad here."
"..."
"But wouldn't you need at least your main party, directly under your command?"
The Main Party.
Though they have been operating separately for a long time, they still hold a sense of belonging as one party... undoubtedly the strongest combination of the Monster Front.
Me, Lucas, Evangeline, Junior, Damien.
The problem was that each of the five members of this Main Party was too well-developed.
Each was extremely useful, but that also meant their absence would significantly impact the Monster Front.
If I'm not there, Lucas has to act as the commander of the Monster Front.
Lucas is the only one capable of controlling the entire Monster Front here. Therefore, naturally, Lucas must stay.
Evangeline is now the commander of the Monster Front's infantry.
With her overwhelming defensive and breakthrough capabilities, this lady knight can protect our allies and penetrate through monsters, allowing the infantry to fight with remarkable efficiency at the forefront.
Junior is leading the mage party, handling wide-area attacks and battlefield climate control.
The difference in defensive efficiency with and without her participation is several times greater.
And then there's Damien, the elite killer.
He snipes enemy elite units, named units, and even boss units, serving as the strongest spear of the frontline.
In fact, Damien alone is responsible for eliminating more than half of the high-value enemy units.
None of them can be spared.
Rather, it's the opposite. I must leave these four behind in the Monster Front to depart with peace of mind.
"There will be no changes to the personnel!"
I spoke sternly.
"Those who were called prepare to march, and the rest stay here to firmly defend the front! That's all!"
After the meeting was adjourned.
Lucas and the Main Party came to me, still looking worried.
"My lord. Wouldn't it be better to take at least Damien with you? He will be useful in various situations."
"..."
Useful is an understatement.
Damien's clairvoyance is an insane trait. Just taking him would make the battle at the Imperial Capital much easier.
But.
"This is a war against people, not monsters. We will be killing people, not monsters."
There are no monsters in this battlefield.
Only people intent on killing other people.
Like before... they could be defined as monsters.
Indeed, Fernandez and his forces, who intend to massacre the innocent citizens of New Terra, are no different from monsters. That's why I willingly entered this war.
But, however.
There will definitely be soldiers who are forced to move under Fernandez's orders, not out of conviction.
In this battlefield, we will have to take down such people too.
I don't want to make Damien kill. He is gentle-hearted and reluctant to kill.
Above all, he is already an excellent sniper without having to do such things.
Damien will have to play an important role in the upcoming decisive battles against the remaining monsters.
I was worried that if I took him to the Imperial Capital campaign, he might develop trauma and be damaged as a sniper.
At that moment, Damien stepped forward and shook his head lightly.
"I disagree, Your Highness."
"Huh?"
"To avoid taking their lives and only subdue them, I should go."
"...!"
"In the past, I was a sniper who only aimed at the enemy's weak points. I couldn't control the power of the magic bullets. But now, I have gained the know-how to snipe 'where I want' with 'the power I want'."
Damien smiled faintly.
"I can perform non-lethal suppression sniping. It'll be very useful, right?"
I opened my mouth slightly in surprise.
If he can subdue without taking lives, then as Damien says, it's even more useful in a war against people.
I smiled helplessly. Even though he was so delicate, he's now volunteering to go.
You've really grown a lot, haven't you?
"Your Highness."
At that moment, Junior, who had been hesitating behind, stepped forward.
"I want to go too."
"..."
After swallowing my words for a moment, I carefully said.
"Junior. You know, in this battle, we will clash with Fernandez."
"Yes."
"And under Fernandez... there's a corps of magic soldiers."
And the commander of that mage corps is none other than Captain Reyna.
Junior is intricately entangled with that elderly mage.
Unlike the others, the mage corps are a pain in the neck, a group of mages tougher than the Aegis Special Forces, and they are absolutely loyal to Fernandez.
There's a high likelihood... we will end up fighting and killing each other.
"...That's why I have to go."
Junior, clenching her fist, looked up at me with determination.
"I have to put an end to this chain of hatred that has continued from the past, to the relationship with that person, no. To all of it."
"..."
"Please take me with you. Whatever the outcome, I want to see it with my own eyes."
After swallowing my words, I sighed and turned away.
There stood the lady knight, arms crossed, looking this way, and beside her, the silent, blonde protagonist.
"Lucas. Evangeline. Are you two really okay on your own?"
"You're too much, sir."
Evangeline smirked playfully.
"Do you have no regard for the other soldiers who sustain this front?"
"No, I didn't mean that..."
"All the soldiers of the Monster Front are staying behind. And they are the real backbone that has been supporting the Monster Front."
That's right.
The backbone of the Monster Front – the soldiers – all remain. Besides, dozens of heroes still remain.
Most of all, there are Lucas and Evangeline.
My strongest knight duo under my command. Who else should I trust if not these two?
"Go without worry. We'll hold the fort well."
Evangeline grinned, flashing her fangs.
Then Lucas spoke.
"Even if I can't follow you directly, knowing that Damien and Junior are by your side comforts me. They are reliable comrades."
Lucas bowed his head slightly.
"I'll wait for your safe return. Trust us, my lord, and go to the southern front with a peaceful mind."
"...Thanks, guys."
I expressed my gratitude with all sincerity.
I looked around at my comrades, patting each one on the shoulder. Even as we prepared for our brief parting, we smiled at each other.
The future was uncertain and fraught with anxiety. But.
My trust in the comrades with whom I had traversed hell together was stronger than that anxiety.
***
Lake Kingdom, Zone 8.
The Mage Tower.
Flash!
I arrived here again via the teleport gate.
"You're here, Ash."
The Cyber Lich, now fully a friendly NPC... White Night, was waiting for me.
With a skull-shaped face on the monitor screen of the machine, she spoke to me through the speaker.
"I've been waiting. Just finished in time."
The parts of the guardian beasts brought by the four kings of different races to this meeting.
The root of the Elf's World Tree, Evergreen.
The branch of the Dwarf's Golden Vein, Evergold.
The fragment of the Merfolk's Blue Coral, Everblue.
And the leaf of the Beastmen's Cursed Maple, Everred.
As soon as I had secured these, I immediately handed them over to White Night, who had been synthesizing Everblack using these four tree fragments.
Following her lead to the arboretum, I muttered.
"The Empire has long struggled to find and destroy these four trees."
They burned the World Tree.
Dug up the Golden Vein.
Covered the Blue Coral with lime.
And logged the Maple outright.
‘The attack on the Leaf Wolf tribe was also because the Empire wanted to log this tree...’
It was truly fortunate that each race had at least a fragment of these guardian trees.
The World Tree was thought to be dead, but a part of its root was barely alive,
The Golden Vein was meticulously split and hidden by the Dwarves,
And the Blue Coral, although it lost the grandeur to cover an entire island, the Merfolk transplanted and maintained its lineage in various places.
The cursed maple tree... due to a strange twist of fate, Kuilan, who had lived trapped inside it, knew about its secret inner space.
The tree had long been logged, but within the hidden space, covered in fallen leaves... a sapling maple was growing.
'I made Kuilan do a terrible thing.'
Despite the absence of pleasant memories, Kuilan silently gathered the maple leaves and fragments.
White Night murmured softly as I thought about this.
"I may not know much about the outside world... but if they tried to destroy those four guardian trees, there must have been various reasons."
"..."
"Either for the persecution of different races or to prevent the creation of a new Everblack."
And inside the arboretum, guided by White Night...
A long, thin branch resembling a staff floated in mid-air, sustained by magical power.
The black, thorny tree.
"But here in the Lake Kingdom, the technology of that era has been perfectly preserved, and thus, a new one could be created."
"Everblack..."
My surname, the name of the empire, and the guardian tree of humanity.
I carefully grasped the thorny staff. Recognizing its owner, the Everblack staff wrapped around my hand.
"Currently, the number of people who can 'use' that tree is limited. It seems the emperor who owned the tree hundreds of years ago had set up some special configurations. And..."
White Night observed as I held the staff and then uttered.
"You are qualified, Ash."
"Right."
One of those acclaimed 'Guardians of the Empire,' after all.
"Since it's made from a fragment and not the tree's main body, and given there wasn't enough time to root and sprout... that staff will only be able to perform a fraction of Everblack's functions."
As the guardian tree of humanity, Everblack has many grandiose features. A beacon of magic, roots extending into the spirit world, and so on...
But none of that matters to me. There is only one reason I need this tree.
"What exactly do you plan to do with that small branch?"
Instead of answering White Night's curious question, I just grinned slyly. Then I replied.
"Victory."
The key is in hand. The conditions are clear.
Now, it's time to go all out in this battle.
--TL Notes--
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