Raelnia was the Oceanwolf Knight Order's forward base in the North Sea. It bore the name of the founder of the Ducal Family of Leston.
"Hurry up with the construction! How is a large garrison supposed to be stationed here at this rate?"
"If we speed up any more, people will start suspecting shoddy work!"
"What's the point of magic then? Either throw the mages into the work, or throw your own body into it! If this drags on, that Mad Dog will come charging in and raise hell!"
"Gasp! I'll do my utmost!"
Change came so fast here, it felt as if the saying "the world changes overnight" had been made for this place.
All along the freezing North Sea, construction was in full swing. On the coast, a harbor capable of housing a massive fleet was being built, and inland, countless buildings of every sort were rising.
Among those who had come to Raelnia were merchants sniffing out opportunities. From every corner of the continent, as well as from the empire itself, the most renowned merchant guilds had willingly entered this place to seize the enormous chance called the "Demon Realm Expeditionary Force."
They were reaping the rewards of the "Northwest Imperial Development Project" led by the Ducal Family of Leston, which had completed an impeccable logistics network centered on railways.
The forward base was bursting with energy. No—by now, Raelnia was no mere forward base. It had grown into a full-fledged city.
Here, in this thriving hub, a beautiful woman raised her glass and smiled.
"Everything's moving along exactly as planned," Sabina said.
"It's only now becoming worth the effort," Caron replied.
"When did they say the advance party would depart?" Sabina asked.
"Exactly one year from now. We have to make the most of having the expeditionary headquarters here," Caron answered as he smiled faintly and nodded.
Of all possible locations, the reason they had chosen one by the North Sea for their headquarters was simple—war with the Demon Realm.
Most of the people gathering here knew little about fighting monsters. But in the lands near Raelnia, monsters appeared in absurd numbers, and Caron planned to use them to train the expeditionary force.
"A year of grinding together will at least give them some sense of camaraderie," Caron said. "Take an uncoordinated army into the Demon Realm, and it's guaranteed defeat."
"Shall I lend a hand?" Sabina asked.
"How?" Caron replied.
"I could hide among the monsters, unleash some sword aura, and push them to the brink of death," Sabina answered.
"Oh, that's a good idea, Lady Sabina. I think I'll join in too," Caron agreed.
"Hmm... You look awfully pleased these days. Did something good happen?" Sabina asked casually.
Caron scratched his head, looking a little sheepish, then said, "Well, there are now more people calling me the Mad Dog than calling me a hero."
"That's not exactly something to be proud of," Sabina said.
"For me, it is. I've inherited your nickname, Lady Sabina. Hehe," Caron said with a smirk.
The Mad Dog of Azureocean Castle.
Once, that title had belonged to Sabina. But now, it had passed entirely to Caron. No one called him the Mad Puppy anymore. By defeating countless knights, Caron had far surpassed the status of a mere rising star.
Though the martial tournament had never reached its finals, that fact had ironically helped secure his place as the second-strongest on the continent.
Everyone had expected him to win without trouble. Even veteran knights who had just stepped into the 8-Star realm were overwhelmed by his skill.
If the tournament had gone to the end, Caron's victory would have been certain.
"Have you found any clues about reaching 9-Star?" Sabina asked, her gaze warm.
Caron was now at a level where they could discuss the same heights. He was also one of her most cherished disciples.
At her direct question, Caron dropped ice into his glass and shook his head, then answered, "Not yet. Merging the seas into one isn't easy. How about you, Lady Sabina?"
"...Who knows? I've swung my sword for countless years, but I still can't grasp it. Perhaps with my talent, 8-Star is my limit," Sabina replied.
The 9-Star level of the Ocean Dominance Arts was unlike any other stage. It could only be reached by uniting all the seas into one. But merging what was divided proved far harder than they had imagined.
Caron hadn't even obtained a single clue.
Still, he felt no real urgency. The Ocean Conquest Arts, his refined version of the Ocean Dominance Arts, granted far superior mana control compared to the original. With enough experience and time, he was certain he could find the path to 9-Star.
The master and disciple were still speaking leisurely about swordsmanship when—
Knock, knock, knock.
A man stepped into the room where they were.
It was Urhan, Caron's personal butler. Moving his massive frame with surprising speed, Urhan said to Caron, "Master, a guest has arrived at the forward base!"
"A guest?" Caron asked.
"Yes, but the thing is—"
Before Urhan could even finish his sentence—
Bang!
The door flew open as if it had been smashed apart, and a woman strode into the room. She looked straight at Sabina and Caron and said, "Well, aren't you two living the good life? Drinking in the middle of the day?"
The woman wore a cloak made from golden fur, and a long spear rested diagonally on her shoulder.
At the sight of the uninvited guest, Sabina gave a snort and shook her head, then said, "Typical pirate. No sense of propriety. Ever heard of decorum?"
"Why would a pirate bother with that?" the pirate retorted.
"That's exactly why you're always such a disgrace," Sabina shot back.
"You want to die, mutt? Has your brain frozen solid up here in the North Sea?" the pirate replied.
"I'll let it slide just this once, since my dear grandnephew is here. Tsk, tsk... Barging in by breaking the door? Didn't anyone ever teach you manners, you barbarian?" Sabina asked.
The two women bit at each other with sharp words, their hostility practically visible.
Caron scratched his cheek awkwardly at the arrival of Kynda Reynolds, the Pirate Queen. He'd heard they were rivals, but...
This is the kind of tension where even a knife fight wouldn't be surprising, Caron thought.
They were even showing killing intent in their little standoff. Come to think of it, their personalities were somewhat alike. They were both the type to break before they bent.
"You've arrived, Your Majesty?" Caron said.
If he left them alone any longer, they would probably start stabbing and skewering each other. Thus, he quickly slipped between them.
Kynda smirked at his intervention and said, "Such poor treatment for a guest, Caron. At this rate, bringing my grand fleet feels like a waste of effort."
Sabina raised her middle finger, then said, "Just giving you the opportunity to be served by someone other than your filthy pirate crew should be an honor, you hag."
"Ha... Maybe I should get rid of a corpse today," Kynda shot back.
"Mountains belong to bandits, seas belong to pirates—an old tradition. Welcome to the expeditionary force, Your Majesty," Caron said.
The famous North Sea was no place for amateurs. To cross it and reach the Demon Realm, skilled navigators were essential. And the Pirate Queen's navigators were perfect for the job.
On land, perhaps, pirates were despised—but on the sea, they could never be ignored.
Caron smiled awkwardly in welcome, and the Queen rested her hands on her hips, then continued, "My foolish men have been grumbling nonstop. Tell a pirate not to plunder, and of course they'll get upset. So you'd better make sure we're well compensated."
"Of course. It's not my money anyway, so I'll be generous," Caron said.
"Really?" Kynda asked.
"Our Demon Realm Expeditionary Force Headquarters is always happy to accept voluntary donations. Heh heh," Caron answered.
It was called a donation, but in truth, it was little more than emptying the coffers of other nations. When someone contributed too little, Caron himself would pay them a personal visit to request more.
Now, with the authority of the Expeditionary Headquarters behind him, Caron was practically running an extortion racket across the continent.
"Hey," Sabina said suddenly, staring at Kynda. She grabbed her wine glass and hurled it.
Kynda caught it cleanly.
"Stop pestering my cute grandnephew and drink," Sabina said.
"Hmph."
"Caron, you can head out now. No need for you to waste time entertaining old folks," Sabina added.
"Heh heh, I really don't mind, but... If you two want to catch up, I'll take my leave," Caron said, rising quietly from his seat.
Sabina clearly wanted to have a serious talk with Kynda. If he didn't leave now, he'd only be accused of lacking tact.
So Caron bowed politely to the two women and said, "Have a pleasant time."
Leaving the room, he turned to Urhan and added, "Urhan, make sure the drinks in there never run out."
"Yes, Master," Urhan answered.
"If the alcohol stops flowing, they'll start fighting. And you know what happens if two warriors at the peak of 8-Star go at it? The entire forward base disappears. The fate of the base is on your shoulders, Urhan! If they start fighting, you'll be fighting me next," Caron explained.
"M-Master, if I fought you, I'd d-die," Urhan stuttered.
"That's exactly what I mean," Caron said.
"...I'll make sure the drinks keep coming. I'll bring food too—just leave it to me, Master!" Urhan said.
Like a shrimp caught between warring whales, Urhan swallowed hard and looked at Caron. His master was already enough of a handful... He didn't know what would happen if he upset Caron.
In moments like this, compliance was the only answer.
Urhan had become quite the seasoned butler.
***
When the pirate crew led by Kynda joined Raelnia, a remarkable shift occurred.
And of course, that shift was anything but positive.
"First the other races, and now pirates?"
"Do we really need to take in those ignorant brutes too?"
"...Everything about this is unacceptable."
The change leaned heavily toward the negative.
The expeditionary army was a mixture of many nations and many races. It included not only the soldiers of the southern kingdoms, who had until now pointed their swords at each other, but also other races who had fought humanity for centuries. Naturally, their discipline was hanging by a thread.
Even just within Raelnia, dozens of incidents were reported daily—clear proof that the army's discipline was already in tatters. And now, with pirates thrown into the mix, there was no chance the situation would improve.
The Queen's pirates were like fuel poured onto an already smoldering fire.
"What makes a monster think it can sit down and eat with us...?" a human asked.
"Human, did you think I wouldn't understand you? As expected, humans are all equally inferior," an orc answered.
"Hah, the world truly is ending. A monster dares to use human language? Such primitive vermin—!" the human replied.
Scenes of humans and other races brawling weren't rare in Raelnia.
Caron sat with Leo at a corner seat of a tavern, watching one such quarrel unfold.
"Are you just going to sit there and watch, Caron?" Leo asked casually, popping a handful of dwarven-made popcorn—corn kernels fried in oil—into his mouth.
Caron took a swig of the dwarves' specialty beer and smirked slyly and answered, "Of course not."
"Then at least try talking them down," Leo suggested.
"Tsk tsk. If words worked on them, would they be doing this in the first place? Leo, that's far too idealistic. People who've hated each other to the death don't suddenly join hands overnight," Caron said.
Crossing into the Demon Realm was a hurdle that demanded unity. Without combining the continent's strength, defeating the Demon Realm would be impossible.
"If things fester like this, the expedition will split apart," Caron added in an even tone.
"Then shouldn't you be doing something about it? We don't exactly have time to sit around drinking," Leo asked.
"This dwarven beer is worth making time for," Caron replied.
"No, you lunatic, that's not what I—" Leo began, but was cut off.
"Hold still. This is all part of my plan," Caron interrupted, then drained the rest of his beer and smiled like a man with mischief in mind.
Meanwhile, the conflict on the other side of the tavern had grown.
"You bastards!" the orc shouted.
"I'll teach you the greatness of humanity right here and now!" the human shouted back.
What began as a duel between one knight and one orc had turned into a full-blown humans-versus-other-races standoff. Beastkin and elves in the tavern sided with the orc, while knights from the Free City Union and southern kingdoms banded together.
It was one step away from an all-out brawl.
"This won't do. I'll go break it up," Leo said, starting to rise from his seat—
Slam!
Caron set his empty beer mug down on the table with a sharp thud and stood. He said, "I told you to wait. They'll settle down soon enough."
Twisting his lips into a crooked grin, Caron strode forward, glancing back at Leo. He asked, "Do you know when even mortal enemies join forces?"
"How would I know that?" Leo replied.
"Watch closely. It's the most obvious equation in the world," Caron explained.
As he stepped in, the would-be fighters recognized him. The knight who had been shouting the loudest against the other races faltered.
"Y-You're here, sir?" the knight said.
"What's your name?" Caron asked.
"L-Leddel. Leddel, sir," the knight answered.
"Good. Sir Leddel, you know what you did wrong, don't you? Now, take your beating," Caron said.
Thwack!
Caron's punch sent Leddel sprawling unconscious to the floor. The other knights trembled and bowed their heads.
Why just us...? a knight thought.
They were fighting too... another knight thought.
But none dared challenge Caron. They knew all too well how dangerously unhinged he was.
The orcs and other races smirked at the sight of a human knight laid out—
Until Caron's gaze snapped to them.
"What are you grinning at?" Caron asked, eyes glinting.
The orc flinched and replied, "...They started it, I was only—"
"Even if they started it, you should've reported it to your superiors first. What's the point of having a command center if you won't use it? You deserve a beating too," Caron interrupted.
"This is unfair—" the orc began, but couldn't finish his sentence.
Thwack!
The orc went down just as badly as the knight.
Without caring whether they were human or otherwise, Caron dealt out an equally solid blow to both sides. Then, licking his lips, he said, "Hah. Vermin like you just keep on fighting, huh? You think I formed this expeditionary army to babysit trash like you? This place is crawling with filth."
Caron spat the insults without restraint, his words stinging both sides equally.
Everyone's expressions hardened.
"Fight, kill each other, I don't care. Just keep it between yourselves from now on. Got it? Leo, I can't stand the stench here. Let's go," Caron added.
"Uh... Okay," Leo replied.
Caron hurled his last venomous line before walking out of the tavern with Leo.
On the way back to headquarters, Leo mulled over what had just happened. A thought struck him and he asked, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"If I become their common enemy, they'll have to work together. Works for me. And with this many witnesses, the word will spread fast," Caron explained.
No matter how bitter the grudge, a greater threat always united people. It was a truth history had proven time and again.
Caron pulled some jerky from his pocket, chewing it as he grinned, then added, "I'm used to playing the villain."
"...What a lunatic. You just wanted to hit people, didn't you?" Leo asked.
"I. Am. Used. To. Playing. The. Villain," Caron repeated.
And so began Caron's campaign of villainy to unite the fractured expeditionary army.