Thirty people surrounded a long table fashioned in a rectangular shape. Leaning forward from their chairs as if about to rise, they exchanged heated opinions. They were members of the council, the very core of the Libertoa Trade Federation, that guided the federation’s future. Among them were self-made magnates who had risen to prominence through commerce, as well as those who carried the blood of royalty that had once ruled over distant lands.

One such council member, Hugo Evans, listened to the chaotic debate as though he were a spectator seated in the gallery.

A hardliner against the Highserk Empire, Hugo had been placed under house arrest until recently, after losses from the Great Rampage were weighed against the benefits gained from the empire’s collapse. The moderates and rival factions had no doubt applauded the lessening of his influence and celebrated deep into the night.

That much did not particularly trouble him. When Hugo joined the council, he had already dedicated himself to his nation. So long as it served the national interest, a period of suspension or a loss of influence within the council was trivial.

The problem was in how the council had acted after he lost the initiative.

Rather than striking down the Highserk remnants while they were gasping for breath, the moderates had chosen a policy of reconciliation. It was not without merit. If all went well, the young people of the Libertoa Trade Federation could incorporate Highserk without shedding unnecessary blood. Should the era of endless warring states come to an end under Libertoa’s leadership, it would be a historic achievement.

But that was not how events unfolded.

In the wake of the Great Rampage, monster habitats shifted. In Karoloria (once part of the Demonic Territory) Magic Silver Mines were discovered. The deposits were within territory controlled by remnants of the former Highserk Empire’s Southern Army. However, the border with one of the Archipelago Countries’ domains, particularly the land ruled by the Dalimarcus Family, was extremely ambiguous. Given the balance of power between them, it had been considered nearly impossible for Highserk to secure the vein.

That assumption was overturned after the Dalimarcus Family clashed with the Meizenaf Family, and the Karoloria Mine began full-scale operations. The wealth brought by Magic Silver began flowing into the former Highserk Empire.

Spies who had infiltrated the region reported that the mine was now jointly operated by Highserk Empire and the Dalimarcus Family. As the moderates frantically gathered more intelligence, the situation only worsened.

The Highserk Imperial Army, which had supposedly fractured into separate warlord factions, began coordinating with remarkable precision. Transportation routes were reopened. Their unified movements suggested not only cooperation, but that they had always remained under a single chain of command, which was now striving to heal a half-rotted body.

Worse still, the Duchy of Mayard, which had once been a part of the Four-Nation Alliance in the Selta region, had aligned itself with Highserk. What had seemed like a desperate move to resist absorption by the Crest Kingdom transformed into a strategic threat when the invasion route of the Flame Emperor Dragon was treated as a massive transport corridor. The situation could no longer be observed passively.

The former Eastern Army and Southern Army of Highserk which were once believed to be severely depleted, were rapidly rebuilding and expanding. After information from spies and informants, Hugo concluded that border forces alone could no longer contain them. Depending on scale, even limited offensives into Libertoa’s territory were conceivable.

Given enough time, Highserk might even surpass its former strength.

The bad news did not stop coming.

Though the Military God had crossed into the underworld, the stitched soldier who had rampaged along the border remained. Worse yet, the supposed-to-be-dead wielder of Demon Fire had been sighted during irregular warfare in Labyrinth City Bergana. If he had contributed to the slaying of the Undead Dragon that appeared there, earning the title of dragonslayer, then Highserk’s military power and reputation would spread.

Should Highserk deepen ties not only with Dalimarcus but also with the Marquis Borgia Family, which governed the Labyrinth City, Libertoa’s advantage would shrink.

The wide-area capabilities of the Demon Fire user were not confined to the front lines. A single attack by this individual could easily burn villages, cities, even grain-producing regions to the ground.

And though reduced in number, the previously called “spearhead of the Military God”, Jeyf Cavalry Battalion remained a threat that could not be ignored.

“Are we done talking here yet?”

Hugo’s deliberately detached question was met with sharp jeers and venomous insults, plunging the chamber into further disorder. He offered no rebuttal and waited until the noise subsided before speaking again.

“It is evident that the threat of the Highserk Empire remains alive. We should have dispatched our army immediately after the Great Rampage and crushed them entirely. Still, what is done cannot be undone. Isn’t that so?”

No one answered. After fruitless debate, even the council members had reluctantly admitted that their plans built on assumptions had failed.

“I have gathered considerable information. Among the latest is that even though the imperial bloodline was thought extinguished, it survives. Despite losing half its territory and leadership, one reason for Highserk’s recovery is the emperor’s surviving child. An empire rebuilding under the banner of blue blood. How sweetly such words move the masses. So then, what should we do now?”

Again, Hugo posed his question.

The self-proclaimed moderates who had once profited from steering national policy lowered their eyes, studying the wood grain of the table or glaring at Hugo.

“Hm? How strange. A debate that chirped so noisily has fallen silent. This won’t do. The answer is remarkably simple. Before their ties with the Archipelago Countries deepen further, we must crush Highserk. Our assessment remains too lenient. The worst-case scenario? As the vanguard of the Archipelago Countries, the Highserk Empire will invade the northern nations again! After the incident in the Labyrinth City, the Archipelago Countries have begun expanding their army and seeking allies of strength. Can you truly say such a scenario is impossible?”

Despite his sharpened tone, Hugo slowly swept his gaze across the council. Though minor objections surfaced, no clear opposition arose. At the very least, those present sensed the necessity just as he did.

“We must remove Highserk’s remnants swiftly and decisively. That troublesome neighbor must disappear for the eternal prosperity of Libertoa. I shall draft a plan for a full-scale offensive against the Highserk Empire.”

Time was needed to integrate Felius and Highserk refugees and to develop newly acquired territories. Hugo understood, to some degree, why the moderates who had profited from the situation sought further gains without paying the price.

Even so, even at the cost of blood and sacrifice, they should have struck down the dying empire. It was already a year and a half too late.

Fortunately, the flames had reached their own doorstep, and the councilors had grown more receptive. The debate shifted entirely toward how to force Highserk into submission.

◆

After the meeting, Hugo returned to his chamber and began reviewing the gathered intelligence.

Plans for invading Highserk had existed for years. From granaries serving as supply relays to supporting castles feeding provisions to the front lines, preparations were thorough. Even if troops infiltrated from the border, they would not be caught unprepared.

The problem was that the Great Rampage had altered the geographical relationship between the two nations.

Many former Highserk territories bordering Libertoa had fallen to the overflowing tide of monsters. After the rampage subsided, Libertoa’s army had steadily carved away territory, adjusting to new monster habitats. Abandoned fortresses and supply depots left by Highserk were repurposed. Lessons from the Sarajevo Fortress, where they had been struck from behind, led to exhaustive searches of hidden paths and underground passages.

Hugo’s remaining challenge was in the defensive positions constructed along the river and the fortified networks maintained by the Eastern Army. Unlike the hastily built river positions, the Eastern Army’s strongholds were formidable. Should Libertoa bleed heavily there, they risked being dragged into a war of attrition.

“Advancing from the Lake Selta side while continuing to carve away at the Demonic Territory is the most realistic plan. Highserk will anticipate attacks from their former lands. Even so, it would minimize losses. After all, the imperial capital lies there.”

Hugo lowered his gaze to the ever-changing map and fixed his stare upon that city.

The imperial capital, lost to the Flame Emperor Dragon, was Highserk’s cherished objective for reclamation. It was not merely a mark on the map. Though half-destroyed, its defensive facilities were astonishingly intact. Its vast outer perimeter could station large numbers of troops, and its roadways allowed rapid concentration of forces and supplies.

Yet what Hugo valued most was something else.

The imperial capital, as the nation’s heart and symbol, was central to Highserk’s revival. If it were to fall again, the psychological shock would be immense. Thus, Highserk could not afford to treat it as worthless, and they would defend it with substantial forces. If the already weakened field armies were further worn down there, Highserk might finally become unsustainable as a state.

Furthermore, the Flame Emperor Dragon Corridor, the symbol of Highserk’s alliance with the Duchy of Mayard, was located there. While other trade routes could be established over time, at present it was the most efficient and sole passage to Mayard. Its loss would sever Mayard’s lifeline as well.

Immersed in troop deployments, Hugo’s eyes eventually drifted to a single document at the corner of his desk.

It was a confidential dossier compiling troublesome Highserk officers and soldiers and particularly detailed the Demon Fire user who had stirred so much unrest. Though Hugo had already reviewed it thoroughly, the individual’s martial prowess marked him as a potential candidate for the next Military God.

However, in the grand scheme of things, it was low priority.

Hugo attempted to push the matter aside but suddenly felt a faint sense of unease. As if guided, he pulled open a drawer and retrieved a stack of documents, flipping through them intently.

“Not the naturalized Mayard adventurers… where… which one…”

Halfway through, he found what he sought.

Libertoa was a flexible nation. Even those once belonging to enemy states, if useful, could be collared and employed. Hugo had been reviewing evaluation reports of naturalized officers and soldiers.

“Place of origin, family composition, name… No mistake. An exceptionally capable bloodline. Truly, if only the entire family had been born in Libertoa, we would have been spared this trouble. Still… this will do. That Demon Fire user named Walm should be most pleased.”

Leaning back in his chair, Hugo withdrew a cigarette and lit it from the nearby candle. The faint sweetness of beeswax brushed his nostrils as he drew in the purple smoke and exhaled slowly. White vapor drifted through the room before dissipating.

“There is no reason not to use it.”

As he started to strategize in his mind, Hugo’s burn-scarred cheek twitched and he smiled.

◆

The man had been summoned back from the front lines, where he had been tasked with shaving away at the Demonic Territory, to a powerful fortress that had stood on the border of the Libertoa Trade Federation before the Great Rampage.

Now that the border had shifted, it functioned as a supporting castle, sustaining the soldiers deployed in the annexed former Highserk lands.

The man stepped into the training grounds, which also served as barracks. He was Hayes, a soldier of Libertoa but once, he had been nothing more than a powerless farmer. Through training so brutal it made him cough up blood, he had been reborn as a soldier. He reclaimed lands swallowed by the Great Rampage and returned them to human hands, earning his current position in the process.

The leveled earth bore the stains of countless drops of sweat and blood. In one corner of the grounds, the soil had been churned up by magic and skills, left as it was. It meant the facility was still being used to train new recruits. Turning his gaze away from that sight, Hayes entered a tent that looked hastily erected.

“Excuse me. Company commander Hayes reporting. As ordered, I have relocated my company to Paldokia Castle.”

His company had not suffered enough losses to warrant retreat or reorganization. Considering the need to continue carving into and holding the Demonic Territory, the order had been perplexing.

That doubt melted away at the sight of the burn-scarred face before him.

“Good work. Thank you for coming.”

It was Hugo Evans, the Foreign Minister who played a leading role in Libertoa’s military affairs, who welcomed him.

Faced with such an unlikely and powerful figure, alarm bells rang loudly in Hayes’ mind. Paldokia Castle, now expanding in scale, was undergoing construction to add new facilities. Hayes wanted to believe this tent was merely part of that expansion, but it was hard to imagine that someone would go out of their way to erect a tent and a long table in the middle of the training grounds without purpose.

“Now then, have a seat.”

There had never been a choice to begin with. Hayes sat as instructed, and a soldier standing by closed the entrance to the tent.

As Hayes braced himself, uncertain of what was to come, Hugo began chatting casually, as if speaking to an old acquaintance.

“Congratulations. I hear your second child is on the way. With more Libertoa citizens inheriting excellent blood like yours, this country’s future looks bright.”

“Thank you very much.”

Words were cast toward him like lines in a play. A person like Hugo, who had spent his life battling the now-deceased military god of Highserk, would never summon Hayes merely for idle chatter.

“That makes three in your current family, then.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hayes’ sense of danger sharpened further. The Foreign Minister who also headed covert operations, seemed to know Hayes quite well.

Three soldiers stood by his side as guards. One was a hardline company commander who had successfully led many troops back home during the Great Rampage. The other two were former adventurers who had revealed their talents during the campaign to sweep the Demonic Territory. Hayes had once fought shoulder to shoulder with them in removing the aftereffects of the Great Rampage. Possessing powerful skills and magic, they could perform the work of an entire company if used correctly.

Including Hayes himself, they were counted among Libertoa’s elite.

Even outside the tent, he could faintly sense presences. Not one or two. Likely at least a platoon, and they were positioned so skillfully that their exact locations were impossible to discern.

The word “purge” surfaced in Hayes’ mind.

He did not understand why he might’ve been chosen but if a purge were to occur, it would not end with him alone. The foreign minister had spoken of family.

Hayes forced his mind to turn rapidly, answering carefully to avoid any misstep.

“For the sake of your family, for the sake of the nation, you have performed work befitting a Libertoa citizen. You will continue to do so, yes?”

“Yes, sir. I intend to devote my loyalty to the Libertoa to which I owe so much.”

Even if the oppressive atmosphere pushed him to say it, Hayes’ words were sincere. Though it had once been an enemy nation, it was Libertoa that had rescued him from the flood of monsters unleashed by the Great Rampage.

Now a soldier, he possessed education, knowledge and a new family he could never have dreamed of as a poor farmer. Though he felt nostalgia for the past, he now carried the awareness and resolve of a Libertoa soldier.

“Mm, very reassuring. By the way, I hear that when you were in Highserk, you had family there. Do you remember how many siblings and parents you had?”

Unable to grasp the intent behind the question, Hayes answered honestly.

“My father and mother, and two younger brothers.”

The rural village where he had lived had been lost to the Great Rampage, but he would never forget the family with whom he had spent most of his life.

“Do you know who among them has died?”

He tried to remain expressionless, but the bitterness likely showed. Hayes searched his memory.

On his way to sell crops in the city, he had been caught in the Great Rampage. His second brother had been killed by monsters along with the village’s young men. Even now, his brother’s dying screams still rang in his ears.

When Hayes finally made it back to his homeland, barely alive, the village had become a nest of undead. The entire village had turned into walking corpses. His parents had greeted him with an embrace of death. That scene remained seared into his heart.

As for his youngest brother, though custom dictated that the second son and below should go to war, Hayes had sent him to the battlefield in place of himself and the second son. He had never returned. Not a day passed that Hayes did not regret sending off that cheeky yet beloved youngest brother.

“…My father and mother were turned into undead in the village. My second brother was killed by monsters. My youngest brother died in battle in the Mayard Duchy.”

“Hm? That is rather strange.”

Suppressing his discomfort, Hayes responded.

“With respect, what do you find strange?”

“Because the dead are still alive and moving about.”

“My parents did become undead, yes, but that is not a pleasant way to put it. Someday, I intend to wipe out the monsters in the Demonic Territory and lay them to rest.”

“Ah, forgive me. That is not what I meant. Your parents may be moving, but they are dead. The issue is your youngest brother.”

“My youngest brother as well… turned undead?”

Undead born on battlefields tended to grow stronger. Surrounded by an abundance of corpses as nourishment, their attachment and regrets bound their souls to the mortal realm. It was entirely possible his youngest brother had become a powerful undead.

“No. In some ways, undead would be more convenient for me. The Hellfire Beacon… a soldier feared by foreign nations is your brother. He breathes still and now seeks to stand against Libertoa.”
The name struck Hayes like a blow to the back of the head. If it were a cruel joke, how much easier it would have been.

“W-Walm?! Impossible… That’s absurd. He was supposed to be dead!!”

There was no reason for the foreign minister to feed him false information. Ironically, the heavy security surrounding them only confirmed his brother’s survival.

“As the elder brother, you will meet him as a soldier of Libertoa. Your youngest brother Walm will stand as a soldier of Highserk.”

“Ah… ngh…”

No meaningful words could escape him. Hayes’ mind descended into chaos, but the foreign minister gave him no time to recover.

“You have two choices. First, persuade your brother and make him an honorable Libertoa citizen.”

Like a clergyman offering guidance, the foreign minister spoke gently. Hayes did not wish to hear the rest but the cursed words continued.

“If persuasion fails… then your brother must be removed.”

The implication was clear, Hugo meant Walm’s death. And Hayes himself would be used as the bait.

“I have high expectations. For Libertoa. For your compatriots. For your family. As a soldier, you will do what must be done. So… what’s your answer?”

There had never been any choice.

His molars ground together. His clenched fists creaked.

He could not even rejoice at his brother’s survival. For the sake of self-preservation and his new family, he now had to contemplate either turning him or killing him.

Silently, Hayes cursed the foreign minister, the world and the god who had abandoned him.

Translator – Lyxxna