Helios Orb Chronicle – Chapter 457

Side: Mako

After quickly taking our leave from His Majesty Reinhardt, we used Traveling to teleport to Polar.

Since there wasn’t much of a time lag between the report of the dragon attack and our notification, Polar fortunately hadn’t been attacked yet.

However, the Trial Hearts who were protecting Polar, and Lord Rex and his group who had transferred immediately upon receiving the report, were already on standby. Ancient Hunters who had heard the news were also gathering one after another.

Since they were all veterans of war, they wouldn’t act rashly. Still, with over 30 Ancient Classes gathered, a meeting was necessary. We decided to gather in the Multi-functional Beast Carriage, which was set up as a defense line near the gate, along with Baron Laguna Acquellerio, the Harpy who served as Polar’s representative.

“I never imagined that Lady Carol would grace us with her presence.”

“This is a crisis for my homeland, so I asked Yamato to persuade him to accompany me. The Wing Crest also dispatched a large number of Ancient Classes, although not all of them could come. So, Baron Laguna, please rest assured.”

Carol is from Sincero, the capital of Count Bernstein’s Territory, located south of Polar. If Polar were to fall, Sincero would be the next target. Carol’s family lives in Sincero, so her desire to accompany us is understandable.

“Lady Carol, Baron Laguna, I apologize for interrupting your reunion, but may we begin the military council?”

“Ah, my apologies, Lord Rex.”

“Please do.”

Carol had visited Polar several times since Raus and Rebecca learned Traveling. However, now it was wartime, and since Polar was part of Count Bernstein’s Territory, she was very concerned about the war situation. That’s why she was so preoccupied that she almost tried to confirm things first, only to be gently cautioned by Lord Rex. Since everyone knew Carol was the daughter of the Count of Bernstein’s Territory, no one was angry.

“Then let us begin the military council. Lord Abend, do you have a grasp of Retisencia’s current movements?”

“We are receiving reports from the Scout Order as they come in, but we were also unaware of the reinforcements from Abaricia until Grand Order’s Master informed us.”

Lord Abend Furtstrom, the male Dragonewt who serves as Polar’s Order’s Master, spoke apologetically. Scout Order communications were generally delivered to Polar using birds, but once a day, someone from the Ancient Order would directly go to the site to receive a personal report. When the reinforcements from Abaricia landed in Kobaldia, Miranda was apparently receiving the report at that very moment. Therefore, the report went to Float first, not Polar. It was faster for someone from the Ancient Order, who could use Traveling, to head there directly compared to using birds, and it also allowed for an immediate increase in combat power. So, it wasn’t that Polar was being neglected. Still, the reason Lord Rex asked was that reports might have arrived via bird in the meantime.

“That is acceptable. A report will likely arrive by evening, and the content will be the same, so please instruct the Polar branch to avoid unnecessary confusion.”

“Understood.”

“Now that the Ancient Hunters have also arrived, I will explain the current situation again. Muse, please.”

“Understood. You’ve likely heard the basics, but a little past noon today, over ten Dragons flew into Kobaldia. It’s reported that these Dragons were carrying objects resembling beast carriages.”

We received the report at Amagi Castle, but it’s almost certain that these box-like objects are troop transport containers. Each container seems to be large enough to hold about 50 people, or even 20 more if packed tightly. Considering all the Dragons were carrying them, we should assume that the reinforcements from Abaricia, the Demon Race, number at least 500, and possibly twice that.

“An invasion of nearly a thousand Demon Race from Abaricia.”

“And airlifting them too. We’ve ridden in beast carriages carried by Athena or Eos, so we know how troublesome it is to be attacked by them.”

“Indeed. Fortunately, they seem to have landed in Kobaldia, but they will likely take off again after gathering information. Once they do, it will be difficult to predict where they’ll head next.”

Sley, Shazara, and Caesar share the same speculation as us. In the Great Mylight Mountains Extermination battle last summer, the Raids we asked to participate also flew all over Mylight using airlifts from Athena or Eos, or their own Traveling. They fully understood the usefulness of airlifting, so it’s natural they’d come to the same conclusion.

“Retisencia likely knows that we have nearly 30 Ancient Classes on our side. The Imperial Royal Family might not believe it, and they haven’t moved troops from Kobaldia even now, but if the commander of the Demon Race is intelligent, they wouldn’t ignore this force.”

“In other words, they expect us to have gathered forces and will try to take Polar first?”

“Yes. Polar can serve as a bridgehead to Amister, so from their perspective, they would prioritize Polar.”

Indeed, if they manage to capture Polar, the capital Sincero will be just a stone’s throw away. Capturing Polar would also mean breaking through the defenses of the Ancient Ulfy’s Bout. Even Bout, facing nearly a thousand Demon Race, would be impossible. If we hadn’t acted so quickly, Polar might have truly fallen. Furthermore, if Polar falls, Sincero, which lies beyond it, would also fall due to a shortage of defensive forces as they’ve concentrated their power on Polar.

“For us to have mastered Traveling, we had Yamato’s Multi Edge’s assistance, but we never imagined a situation like this.”

“Indeed. But thanks to that, we’ve avoided the worst-case scenario, so we’re in Yamato’s debt.”

“I didn’t expect things to turn out like this either.”

Including the Orders, Yamato’s consumable Engraving Tool, Multi Edge, played a significant role in mastering Traveling. Because it’s consumable, Yamato could generate as many as he wanted depending on his Magic Power, and he could also imbue them with magic. By imbuing each person with the elemental magic they were weak at, it could be used as assistance for their weaker attributes, allowing all Ancient Classes to learn Traveling. As a result, the movement speed and range of action for all Ancient Classes have dramatically expanded, but we never imagined it would be useful here.

“We understand why the Demon Race will likely head for Polar, but we still don’t know how they will move, do we?”

“Yes. However, Rosemary and Saya are currently with the Scout Order. Although it’s a considerable distance from Kobaldia, so they may not be able to grasp the situation precisely, having eyes on the ground makes a world of difference. If there are any movements, we will be notified immediately.”

I wondered why Rosemary and Saya weren’t with us, but they were with the Scout Order. No wonder I couldn’t find them. Just as I thought that, Rosemary and Saya suddenly descended into the living room of the Multi-functional Beast Carriage, which served as our headquarters.

“Marie, Saya. You’re back, did something happen in Kobaldia?”

“No, there have been no movements there yet.”

“It’s hard to say accurately from this distance, but I don’t think they’ll stay in Kobaldia today. Even though they flew here, they likely camped on some island along the way.”

So, there are no movements from the Demon Race yet. Saya’s guess aligns with our own. However, camping is not restful, and they’d need to be wary of monsters. I can understand their desire to rest in a safe place for today. Although Kobaldia’s barrier is almost non-functional, the environment within the city is different from an uninhabited island.

“The reason we returned is that a rear echelon appeared.”

“A rear echelon?”

“Yes. There were about five Dragons, but one of them was carrying a luxurious box, and furthermore, that Dragon was an O-rank.”

Saya brought forth very troubling information here. A luxurious box could imply the arrival of the Divine Emperor or someone from the Divine Emperor’s family, and an O-rank Dragon accompanying them? This is an extremely troublesome situation.

“An O-rank Dragon. That might be a bit too much for us.”

“Indeed. Saya, you used Questing, didn’t you?”

“Yes. The species is a Blood Ruby Dragon. Based on its species name and coloration, it’s a fire-attribute Dragon. I didn’t see them all, but the four accompanying it were Red Dragons, so it’s highly probable that the ones that have already landed in Kobaldia are of the same kind.”

So, at least 15 fire-attribute Dragons, with one of them being O-rank. We don’t know how Abaricia managed to subjugate such high-ranking Dragons, but we have to face this reality. The Ancient Classes will be the ones to fight them. However, with so little information, we don’t know their attack methods, and we need to be more cautious than with the Demon Race.

“Leading nearly a thousand Demon Race, and even commanding O-rank Dragons, not just A-rank ones. ‘Demon King’ feels like a more fitting title than ‘Divine Emperor’.”

I couldn’t agree more. In that case, Yamato might be the hero destined to defeat the Demon King. He’ll likely hate it, but it seems like it could be interesting, so I’ll tease him about it next time.

“In that case, it seems like attacking Kobaldia directly might result in less damage.”

“I agree, but we must obtain His Majesty’s approval. Attacking Kobaldia means simultaneously destroying the Imperial Royal Family.”

“That’s right.”

In a way, this might be the most troublesome issue. The appearance of the Demon Race in Kobaldia presented Amister with the option of attacking Kobaldia with all their might. However, attacking Kobaldia also means taking the head of the Imperial King, which leaves the problem of what to do with the remaining Imperial Royal Family and the residents of Kobaldia. Of course, the Imperial Royal Family would have no choice but execution, and if the residents have become Demon Race, their lives would also be forfeit. However, Kobaldia itself would remain, presenting the problem of its administration. Retisencia’s towns and villages, other than Kobaldia, have been destroyed, and all guilds have withdrawn from Kobaldia, so trade for goods including food is non-existent. Therefore, the residents would likely not survive unless they became Demon Race.

“That’s the only way for them. The other problem is the possibility of someone from the Divine Emperor’s family arriving.”

“Yes. The Divine Emperor himself led a campaign about 30 years ago, so the possibility of the Divine Emperor himself arriving is not low.”

Indeed, if it’s a major issue even with someone from the Divine Emperor’s family, if the Divine Emperor himself shows up, it’s beyond just a major issue. The Divine Emperor is the creator of Sword-shaped Engraving Tools. Thirty years ago, he was recorded as fighting evenly, or even better, against three Ancient Classes: Kazushi, Shinichi, and Lord Elie. The result was a draw, but it’s said that Kazushi and the others were at a higher level, and the three of them died due to injuries sustained during that battle, so from a purely result-oriented perspective, it could be seen as the Divine Emperor’s victory. It’s said that his Engraving Tools were destroyed in that battle, which might be the only consolation.

“Our levels don’t even compare to Lord Kazushi or Shinichi, let alone Lord Elie. Furthermore, it’s said that because the Divine Emperor has become a Demon Race, he can’t be fought by Ancient Classes alone. So, only Yamato can fight him directly.”

Shazara’s words weigh heavily on me as well. Although there was a previous campaign, I honestly never thought the Divine Emperor would leave the Gradia Continent, so I didn’t think it was necessary to evolve into an Element Human urgently. However, that may have backfired in the worst possible way. From what I’ve heard, my level is higher than the Divine Emperor’s, and I can create Multi-Attribute Specialization Type Engraving Tools, so I might be able to fight him. However, there’s no guarantee that the Divine Emperor’s Engraving Tool is a Single Attribute Type, and his level could have increased since 30 years ago. Furthermore, with the issue of the Demon Race and Dragons, it’s truly a dilemma which opponent to prioritize.

“I see. Since you’re both Engravers, Mako, you might be able to fight on equal terms even as an Ancient Human.”

“However, considering Mako’s fighting style, we’d prefer to rely on her to deal with the Dragons and Demon Race.”

“But if the Divine Emperor has appeared, shouldn’t we defeat him here if we can?”

“Wouldn’t that be counterproductive and spread the damage?”

In the military council, it was quickly decided that Yamato would handle the Divine Emperor if he appeared. However, what I should do remains unresolved. Until my deployment is decided, the Wing Crest’s deployment cannot be decided, and without the deployment of the core force, the Wing Crest, even the battle formation cannot be determined. The war with Solemnne did not involve such complications, but it’s understandable given the vast difference in our forces. However, the Demon Race may begin their advance as early as tomorrow, so we must decide today. I too must think carefully before speaking about what I should do and what needs to be done.