Rei emerged from the ruins of the collapsing Earth Dome. As the structure literally imploded before his eyes, the sight dealt a crushing blow to the morale of the nearby Bestia Imperial Army soldiers—particularly those serving directly under General Kastom.
Their commander had been holed up inside that dome. Now that it was destroyed and Rei was the only one to walk out of the wreckage, it wasn't difficult for them to imagine what had transpired within.
In truth, by the time Rei had breached the barrier, the malfunction of the Bracelet of Behemoth had already reduced everyone inside, including General Kastom, to mummified husks. However, there was no way for the Imperial soldiers to know that.
"G-General Kastom!?"
"Hey, the General was supposed to be in there, wasn't he!?"
"Y-Yeah. He should have been, but..."
Amidst the rapidly spreading chaos, a single warhorse galloped toward Rei. He let out a breath of relief when he recognized Siminal Gypsos, the leader of the surprise attack unit, atop the steed.
Finding the target dead and shriveled to skin and bone before he could even engage him had been entirely unexpected. Rei had been hesitating over how to proclaim the victory; if he claimed the kill and the body was later inspected, he might be accused of perjury. In that sense, Siminal's arrival was a godsend.
"Rei, what’s all this commotion? Did you take General Kastom’s head?"
Around the collapsed dome, the Imperial soldiers stood paralyzed by shock. However, further off, the struggle between the surprise attack unit and the camp's defenders continued. Siminal had asked because he knew they needed to end the fighting immediately if the target was dead, but Rei only responded with a puzzled tilt of his head.
Had Seto been there instead of guarding the perimeter, the Gryphon likely would have mirrored the expression perfectly.
"...What is it? Looking at that wrecked dome, I assume your breach was a success?"
"Yeah, I got in. But by the time I did, everyone inside was already dead—nothing but skin and bone."
"What?"
"Some kind of magic item apparently malfunctioned. They were so withered I couldn't even tell which one was the General. It might even be a trap to fake his death... What do you think we should do?"
Siminal looked lost. Having not seen the interior himself, the explanation only added to his confusion.
"Even if you ask me... For now, our reports confirmed he was in there. Shouldn't you just announce that you’ve slain him?"
"Me?" Rei asked instinctively.
Siminal nodded. "Naturally. It’s a fact that you destroyed the dome, Rei."
"I wouldn't recommend that."
A new voice interrupted them. Both men turned to see exactly who they expected.
"Lady Elena, I am glad to see you are safe. Not that I ever doubted the Princess General would prevail in a skirmish like this..."
Siminal trailed off as he gazed at her. Elena wore a suit of pure white half plate armor. In the heat of such a chaotic melee, it should have been drenched in blood and grime, yet it remained pristine. Not a single drop of blood, nor even a speck of dust, marred its surface.
This was the effect of the magic item armor. Siminal, unaware of the technical details, found himself staring at Elena's face, his heart fluttering as a faint blush colored his cheeks.
He spoke up loudly to mask his reaction. "More importantly, why are you against Rei claiming the kill? The Imperial Army won't stop fighting until they know their supreme commander is dead."
"Did you not hear Rei? He said the body is unrecognizable. That means after the war, someone might claim it wasn't actually General Kastom. Specifically, someone within our own Kingdom of Mireana Army. Rei is an adventurer hired by Daskar of the Neutral Faction; he is an Item Box user who dealt a massive blow to the enemy vanguard and rescued Count Alius. His achievements are already peerless. If anyone were to ask who the top contributor of this war was, Rei’s name would be at the top of the list."
The reason Rei remained only a "candidate" for that title was his status as an adventurer. No matter how famous he was in the City of Gilm or how quickly he had reached C-Rank, he lacked noble standing. If he were an A-Rank or S-Rank, perhaps it would be different.
"Because he is such an outlier, Rei has earned a great deal of resentment without even realizing it," Elena continued. "There are those who would leap at any chance to attack him if he showed the slightest vulnerability. If he claims to have slain General Kastom and then produces an unidentifiable corpse, it would be a golden opportunity for them."
Rei immediately pictured the face of Lunojis, the man who had harassed him before the campaign began.
With his personality, he’d definitely try to make a scandal out of it the moment I gave him an opening, Rei thought, nodding in agreement.
"Then what do you suggest? We can't keep fighting until one side is wiped out. And we can't forget that enemy reinforcements might be heading here from the front lines."
"I understand that. Nor do I have any desire for needless slaughter. Therefore..."
Elena turned a meaningful look toward Siminal. Though she intended nothing by it, that sidelong glance was enough to send Siminal's pulse skyrocketing.
"W-What? Is something wrong with me?"
"I see," Rei muttered, catching on as he followed Elena's gaze. "The problem is me standing out any more than I already have. But if someone from the King's Faction takes the credit, there’s no issue."
"Wait, hold on! Are you telling me to steal Rei’s achievement!?" Siminal cried out in shock as the realization finally hit him.
Rei and Elena both nodded, unfazed.
"Rei is in the employ of Daskar’s Neutral Faction. I am of the Noble's Faction. That leaves only you, Lord Siminal, representing the King's Faction," Elena explained.
"But the Imperial soldiers saw Rei destroy the dome! So did the surprise attack unit! Will anyone even believe it was my deed?"
"How curious. I was under the impression the King's Faction possessed the power to call black white if they so desired. Besides, wouldn't the King's Faction prefer to claim they slew the enemy supreme commander themselves rather than leave the credit to an adventurer?"
"That's... certainly true..."
Siminal weighed the options. The benefits were immense—not just for his faction, but for him personally. It would also spare Rei from unnecessary envy. And...
It benefits Lady Elena because she doesn't want Rei to deal with the headache, Siminal noted inwardly. He let out a long sigh and nodded.
"Fine. It’s for the best. Gaining such an achievement isn't a bad move for me, especially since the mainstream of the King's Faction has been treating me coldly lately."
Rei and Elena both exhaled in relief. Honestly, they just wanted to avoid pointless political friction.
Of course, while Elena was established as the Princess General, Rei had already accomplished so much that he was bound to be a target of jealousy regardless. Still, he judged that it would be much more manageable than if he added the supreme commander's head to his list of kills.
Maybe people will just think Siminal of the King's Faction snatched the credit, and the heat on me will actually die down, Rei mused.
He watched Siminal ride toward the ruins of the dome, but his thoughts drifted to Lunojis of the Noble's Faction. A man like that wouldn't dream of showing mercy just because Rei lost one achievement. If anything, he’d likely be delighted to press his advantage.
"Well, if it gets too messy, I'll just have Elena help me out," Rei murmured.
Elena, whose beauty never failed to captivate, turned toward him. "Did you say something?"
"Just that I'll be counting on you if things get troublesome."
"...If it's within my power, I will always lend a hand."
"Guruuu!"
Seto approached and rubbed its head against Rei, as if demanding not to be forgotten.
As Rei stroked the Gryphon's head, a voice boomed from the direction of the Earth Dome.
"General Kastom, Supreme Commander of the Bestia Imperial Army, has been slain by Siminal Gypsos of the Kingdom of Mireana!"
The shout echoed across the entire main camp. Cheers erupted from one side, while cries of despair rose from the other.
Rei ignored the noise and stared silently at the collapsed dome. He wasn't praying for the dead, nor was he particularly rejoicing at the war's end. His mind was elsewhere.
That magic item that made the Earth Dome... I really wanted it.
It had a fatal flaw—draining the magic power of everyone nearby—but if that could be fixed, it could create a barrier strong enough to withstand even Rei’s attacks. As a collector of magic items for actual combat, it was only natural for him to covet it.
High-end items like that require advanced alchemy. Maybe I should visit the Bestia Empire someday.
Rei considered the idea, though he had been so prominent in this war that the Empire had already branded him with the alias "Crimson." If he ever set foot in their territory, he was bound to cause an international incident.
"Rei... Rei! Are you listening!?"
Rei snapped out of his thoughts to find Siminal standing before him.
"Right, sorry. I was just thinking. What is it?"
"Sigh. I know you've been through a lot this campaign, but I need one more favor. I want you to go and report to Count Alius that I’ve slain Kastom. Seto is the fastest messenger we have."
"Guruuu!" You bet I am! Seto purred, puffing out its chest.
The tension around them softened momentarily at the Gryphon's antics, but the realization that the front lines were still fighting quickly spurred them into motion. Siminal organized the remaining surprise unit, Elena began processing and disarming prisoners, and Rei mounted Seto to fly toward Count Alius.
"...It appears the main camp has fallen."
At the front lines where the two armies were locked in a stalemate, Gilgos, the commander of the Beast Soldiers, spoke to Theoreme.
Theoreme gave instructions for the Beast Soldiers to flank the enemy's left wing, a thin smile playing on his lips. "And what of our Supreme Commander?"
"He is confirmed dead."
"I see."
Theoreme dismissed the news in a single breath. Kastom's death had been part of his calculations from the start. However, his brow furrowed slightly at the next report.
"It seems General Kastom was not slain by the enemy. He was caught in the malfunction of a magic item provided by the Ministry of Magic."
"...That is less than ideal. If the enemy had taken his head, it would be one thing, but a failure of an item from the Ministry of Magic..."
In the distance, a deformed centaur with a lion's upper body and a horse's lower body slammed into the flank of the Mireana Army, sowing chaos while the other Beast Soldiers moved in to widen the breach. Despite the tactical success, Theoreme did not look pleased.
The Ministry of Magic was closely tied to Third Prince Mercurio. If Kastom had died because of an item they provided, suspicious eyes would fall upon Theoreme and the rest of the Third Prince Faction.
The headache for Theoreme was that the suspicion wasn't entirely wrong—he had knowingly left the camp vulnerable to the surprise attack.
"Lord Theoreme, the political fallout is a concern, but for now, we should focus on the withdrawal."
"Agreed. Once the news of the General's death spreads, our morale will collapse while the enemy's soars."
Nodding, Theoreme began issuing the orders to retreat.