In the depths of night.
Charlotte had gone to her bedroom, and so had I.
Harriet had apparently dozed off while studying, as she was asleep with a book on her lap, leaning against the bed.
Carefully, I placed the book on the study table and laid Harriet down properly.
Seemingly sensing my touch, Harriet chuckled in her sleep.
“Reinhardt… cat… good… nice…”
So adorable, I wanted to bite her.
I too leaned against the bed, preparing to sleep.
Since I had told Airi to rest today, she would not be coming.
The king of the world.
It wasn't something I hadn't considered, but I had never really delved deeply into the subject.
It was something I couldn't know until I thought about it now.
The problem at hand was the assassination of Heinrich von Schwarz.
It was difficult to interfere carelessly, and Charlotte said that capturing Heinrich was the best method.
A method.
I had a secret method that no one knew about.
Although I had stopped using it well since the world began to turn in a way that somehow tried to screw me over, the system function still existed.
I couldn't tell when or how it would screw me over, and its reliability had decreased.
After a very long time, I decided to use the rollback function.
The assassination of Heinrich von Schwarz would not occur.
[Please specify the date range.]
Date range.
Well, I guess I need to specify a date range since using rollback would ensure Heinrich wouldn't be threatened by assassination for the rest of his life.
I could prevent the assassination for a week. But the assassination could happen the day after that.
It's a temporary solution until I can solve the real problem.
For now, how about ten days?
[To cause the event, 2,000 achievement points are required.]
The required achievement points are 2,000.
My total achievement points, including those I had secured while roaming the Sren Mountain Range, amounted to around 30,000.
I could do it.
I could guarantee Heinrich's safety for ten days. And then for another ten days after that.
However, this campaign won't end in just a month or two. Naturally, it would span years.
But if I continue to postpone it like this, I would eventually run out of achievement points.
I already knew that I couldn't do anything significant with the rollback function.
I couldn't cause extremely significant events, nor could I avoid crucial ones. From the beginning, it was only meant to function as an auxiliary.
There was just too much I couldn't expect from the rollback.
So, what about something else?
Another long-forgotten system cheat.
[Advice of the Oracle - 150 points]
The advice of the Oracle had not been of much direct help. It mostly threw me into new situations.
It typically provided help and danger simultaneously.
Considering that I'm still alive, it must have been helpful, even though I didn't use it often.
One way or another, the first piece of advice from the Oracle led me to Eleris's shop, which is the root of all these stories. However, I hadn't used it much since then. It wasn't particularly necessary, and it often caused confusion.
And there was always the possibility that it was a trap.
In the current situation, where I must make the best choice in almost every circumstance, relying on the potentially risky advice of the Oracle might be better left untouched. It could just complicate things further.
That's why I didn't even look at the advice regarding Ellen's case. I didn't even try the rollback since it was obvious that it would be useless.
What about this time?
As the assassination of Heinrich von Schwarz loomed, I wondered what I should do.
I hoped it wouldn't be one of those pieces of advice that only served to further complicate matters.
[Absolute Fate Advisor's advice]
[Do nothing.]
"..."
Just as I suspected.
It was advice that only complicated things.
Telling me to do nothing.
I couldn't tell if it meant that I should just let things be, or if it would be better for Heinrich to die, or that trying to make direct contact would only make the situation worse.
What if I do nothing?
So what? Are you saying it's better to let him die? Or is it better to leave him alone?
If you're going to talk, finish what you have to say!
The advice was direct, but the outcome was anything but intuitive, making my head feel like it would explode.
In cases like these, ambiguous advice was even more ridiculous.
Are you one of them too?
[Ambiguous Fate Advisor's advice]
[Why is Heinrich von Schwarz alive?]
What kind of nonsense was this now?
Was it suggesting that it was strange for Heinrich to be alive in the first place?
Achievement points used: 300
There was still quite a lot left, but still, achievement points...
"......sigh."
My head ached.
I should just sleep.
"Uh, goodnight... goodnight, lullaby..."
What kind of dream was our blockhead having?
Was it a dream where a cat-like me was putting her to sleep?
In the end, I couldn't help but stroke the blockhead's head a few times.
Kernstadt Army Headquarters.
Late at night, only three people remained in the headquarters, while all the other commanders and soldiers slept.
"Sister, I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do."
"What are you talking about?"
"Is it right to integrate that bastard into our army?"
Alphonse von Schwarz chimed in at the words of German von Schwarz, the second and eldest son.
"I can't stand the sight of that brat. Why do we have to command the army alongside that filthy bastard? Just seeing him being treated like a big shot lately makes me nauseous."
"Didn't I tell you not to use that word?"
At Louise's words, German and Alphonse's expressions hardened.
"We apologize."
"......We apologize."
"Even in private, mentioning such a word so carelessly is a problem. How many times have I told you that people like us should never utter such an ominous word? What will you do if someone hears you?"
Bastard.
If anyone found out that the Schwarz royalty had mentioned the word "bastard," it would cause a problem.
People would sense the implication that there was an issue with a bastard.
The siblings picked up the problematic word too easily. Alphonse, the third, broke the silence that followed Louise's words.
"Anyway... I don't understand why we have to integrate the youngest one into our army. His position will only grow stronger."
"That's right. Wouldn't it be better to keep him away from our army, perhaps with the Temple or the Allied Forces?"
Changing Heinrich von Schwarz's affiliation to the Kernstadt Army was risky.
It might be different in ordinary situations, but the bastard's position was gradually solidifying.
The second and third siblings judged that their positions as heirs could be threatened.
However, Louise von Schwarz shook her head.
"Whether he returns as a hero, or is treated as one here, it's all the same. After all, we are part of the enormous system called the Allied Forces. No matter how far apart we are, as long as we belong to the same system, there are no gains to be had by distancing ourselves."
"..."
"..."
"We should utilize what we can, shouldn't we? Just by bringing the youngest to our side, the Supreme Command will need the approval of the Schwarz Royal Family to deploy Heinrich in future operations. Do you not understand what this means?"
The youngest, who had become too influential to be simply dismissed as a bastard.
"It doesn't matter where a useful person comes from or their background. Think about the aftermath of the war."
"After that..."
Louise von Schwarz's cold gaze shone.
"Do you think the empire will still be the same?"
"!"
"El, elder sister?"
At the mention of the forbidden word, the siblings' expressions hardened.
"The empire will exist."
A smile hung on the corner of Louise von Schwarz's mouth.
"But there is no law stating that the Gardias Royal Family must always be the ruler of the empire."
"In this situation, Heinrich von Schwarz's studying at the temple will only serve to prove the empire's capabilities."
"It means he will be treated as a talent nurtured by the empire."
"Heinrich must establish his merit. He must rise through the ranks in this Kernstadt army, in the name of the Schwarz Royal Family."
"Why should we hand over any achievements we secure to the empire?"
"Will we be content living in a mere façade of the Number One Imperial Vassal State forever?"
"Where is the law that says the Schwarz Royal Family cannot become the Schwarz Imperial Family?"
"At no time has the empire been weaker than now, and if the empire is thinking about the aftermath of everything, why shouldn't we?"
"The person who could change the Schwarz Royal Family into the imperial family is... yes, a bastard."
The unspoken word emerged from Louise von Schwarz's mouth.
"If a bastard can help, then by all means. No, even if it's the bastard's child, we should use him. Is this the time to care about personal pride?"
At Louise's words, Alphonse and German's expressions became strange.
In this situation, Louise von Schwarz is trying to topple the Gardias Royal Family after the war.
Kernstadt will take their place.
Receiving Heinrich von Schwarz into their command structure is just the beginning.
"But, elder sister... the support for the youngest from the army and the people..."
"After the war... we might not be able to interfere with him so easily."
In the eyes of the two siblings, Louise von Schwarz read the fear of an uncertain future.
As much as they disliked Heinrich, they were afraid of him.
"I said we'd use him. Did I say we'd go all the way with him?"
Eldest sister.
Louise von Schwarz shook her head as if to say not to worry.
"The epic of a hero is always created only after that hero has laid down his body on the cold ground."
At the cold expression of the eldest sister, as if everything was calculated, Alphonse and German held their breath.
Saviolin Turner, who was in charge of the vanguard mission, sat on her horse, quietly observing the surrounding scenery.
"This area wasn't supposed to be part of the operational zone."
Saviolin Turner and the soldiers she led silently looked around the surrounding scenery, positioned on a hill.
Their role was to wait for the next advance, check the enemy's monster hordes, plants, and dense areas in front of them, and then strike and annihilate them if possible.
Ellen had also taken on a similar role, but she was currently dispatched to a different operational area.
Thus, the location where Saviolin Turner now stood had never been designated as a coalition operation area, and no army had ever been dispatched there.
"...."
However, amidst the silence, what Saviolin Turner saw were the scattered corpses of monsters, as if someone had already swept through the area once.
The monsters in this place were not supposed to be exterminated, yet their corpses were strewn about as if a wave had washed over them.
Some monsters were seen coming and going, but it was assumed they had migrated from other locations.
"Has someone other than us… already swept through and passed this place once…?"
Saviolin Turner and the other members of the squad sensed that something peculiar had occurred.
"Let's return to the garrison. We need to look into this further."
Though not having witnessed it directly, Saviolin Turner couldn't help but have some inkling of the identity of the mysterious support force.
At about the same time, the vanguard led by Ellen encountered a similar scene.
Reconnaissance, tracking, and extermination when possible.
If the enemy's numbers were too great, the original directive was to retreat and bring a larger force. However, since Ellen had gained the ability to harness Lapelt's power, she had annihilated most of the enemies she encountered.
In fact, her squad members hardly had to exert themselves.
Sweep through once with flames, and any enemies not killed by the fire are cut down with a void sword.
No enemy had survived the void sword yet.
However, Ellen, who had overcome the limitation of only being able to engage in close combat, was capable of performing feats akin to a one-person army.
"...."
Ellen and her subordinates saw the same remnants of slaughtered monster hordes that Saviolin Turner's squad had encountered.
They were either burned to death, slashed apart by something, or shattered into pieces.
The different manners of death indicated that this wasn't the work of a single individual but rather several.
An unidentified squad capable of using various types of power had already dealt with the monsters.
"It seems all the monsters in this area have been wiped out. There are still some, but their numbers are extremely low, suggesting they have migrated from other areas after the extermination."
"…Is that so?"
After confirming the absence of monsters in the area, the squad members who had gone out to scout in all directions returned with the same report.
Monsters in the vicinity of the planned march route had been completely wiped out.
There were still some monsters, but they were believed to have appeared from other areas after the extermination.
There were unidentified collaborators.
Ellen stared at the scene, clutching her necklace in her left hand.
'Rein… Reinhardt…'
Ellen seemed to know whose work this was.
She struggled to hold on to her fading consciousness.
Just thinking of that name caused anger and hatred to consume her mind.
It wasn't a cursed name.
Every time she thought of the Demon King and Reinhardt, Ellen felt negative emotions devour her entire body, down to the last cell.
Sometimes she even lost her consciousness.
But it wasn't a loss of consciousness that made her collapse.
For a moment, it was as if someone else was controlling her body, not causing her to fall, but rather taking control of Ellen's body.
It didn't do anything strange.
It simply carried out its mission like Ellen, hunting monsters and following military orders.
The only difference was that it wasn't Ellen.
Someone was controlling her body.
Although the frequency wasn't too high yet, Ellen was secretly certain that it would gradually increase.
Clutching the necklace in her left hand, Ellen gazed at the plain where the monsters had been slaughtered.
"Let's go back."
Ellen turned the horse's head.
Some already had an inkling of the truth about this mysterious situation.
Of course.
'Could it be…?'
Ellen couldn't help but wonder if that black, fluffy creature would be waiting for her when she returned to the garrison.
The spirits that hated the Demon King did not hate or dislike small animals.
That's why she didn't feel the agonizing pain that seemed to tear her head apart just by thinking about it.
Something that wasn't pain just by thinking about it.
Having such a thing wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Of course, when Ellen returned to the Royal Class garrison, the black kitten was nowhere to be found.
Feeling somewhat disappointed, Ellen spent the entire day brooding for a different reason than before.
Upon returning to the garrison, Saviolin Turner shared the current situation with the High Command on a top-secret basis.
Unknown individuals were clearing the way ahead.
Saviolin Turner didn't mention that they were suspected to be forces of the Demon King. If that information spread throughout the garrison, it would only cause more confusion.
If the information were to spread carelessly, it might lead to soldiers and commanders panicking, thinking that they were entering a trap set by the Demon King, rather than speeding up the march.
The fact that the Demon King's forces were cooperating would actually hinder the army's advance.
The secret must be kept, but if it became known, it had to be presented as if it were part of the Allied Forces' strategy.
After reporting the events on the march route to the High Command, Saviolin Turner sought someone out.
Someone who could grasp this situation more quickly and accurately than anyone else.
"Frontline reconnaissance…?"
"Yes, we need your power."
It was none other than Kono Lint, a teleportation ability user.
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