"What in the world...?"
Rei and Seto were heading toward the Main Camp to report the death of General Kastom, the Commander-in-Chief of the Bestia Imperial Army. However, when the battlefield finally came into view, Rei didn't see a scene of fierce combat. Instead, only the Kingdom of Mireana Army remained. From his vantage point in the sky, it was clear they had sustained considerable damage.
"Guruuu?" Seto purred, looking back at Rei as if to ask what they should do.
Rei stroked the creature’s neck and turned his gaze toward the King's Faction Command Headquarters. Fortunately, unlike the units on the front lines, the headquarters appeared unscathed.
Well, if they’d allowed the enemy to damage them two or three times over, there wouldn't be any merit left to speak of, Rei thought to himself. He gave Seto the signal to head for the command center.
But why is the battle over already? More importantly, I came straight here from the enemy’s camp. Why didn’t I run into the retreating imperial forces? They had likely discovered the Supreme Commander’s death somehow, but it seemed impossible to retreat so thoroughly that Seto couldn't spot them from the air. It felt less like an unforeseen crisis and more like an event planned from the start. No, surely not. There’s no reason for them to let their own Supreme Commander be slain on purpose.
As he turned these thoughts over, Seto descended, landing near the Main Camp's Tent. Rei recognized the pavilion immediately; it was the same one he had been summoned to when Lunojis had protested his inclusion in the Lead Unit.
Two guards stood outside the entrance, just as before.
"I’m Rei, assigned to the Surprise Attack Unit," Rei announced. "I have a report for Count Alius. Please announce me."
"What?! Did you succeed?" one guard blurted out.
"I knew it! Then that retreat must have been..." the other added.
Shock flashed across the guards' faces the moment they heard Rei's voice, though it quickly gave way to admiration.
"Yes, we were successful. Now, please take me to Count Alius."
"Right, right! Just a moment."
One guard ducked into the tent while Rei spoke to the one remaining behind.
"What’s the situation here? It looks like the Bestia Imperial Army has already pulled back."
"Wait... you were on a Gryphon, weren't you? You flew here. Did you really not see them retreating?"
Rei was about to respond to the guard's puzzled question when the other man returned.
"Count Alius will see you. Enter."
The summons came with exceptional speed. Perhaps it was the urgency of the war, or simply the desire to hear the results of the surprise attack, but Rei had expected to be kept waiting for at least a short while. Since the haste worked in his favor, he didn't hesitate. He surrendered his Mithril Knife at the entrance and stepped inside.
"Rei, good work," Alius said the moment he saw him. "The enemy has retreated. Am I correct in assuming the surprise attack was a success?"
So the situation here really is that unclear, Rei noted silently before nodding.
"Yes. Lord Siminal... successfully slew General Kastom, the Supreme Commander of the Bestia Imperial Army."
Rei almost referred to the man without his title but corrected himself just in time. The members of the King's Faction present didn't seem to notice the slip; instead, they erupted into smiles.
"Excellent! The Surprise Attack Unit took down the Supreme Commander. The honor of the King's Faction is preserved!"
"It’s more than that. Slaying the enemy leader is undoubtedly the war’s Top Contribution. You there—Rei, was it? Even you must agree that the greatest merit in this war belongs to our King's Faction, yes?"
A noble standing near Count Alius spoke with a calculated tone. He wasn't necessarily denying Rei’s personal achievements, but for the sake of the faction's prestige, they couldn't allow a mere adventurer to walk away with the war’s highest honors. He was pressuring Rei to acknowledge the faction’s superiority, hinting that making an enemy of the King's Faction would be a poor choice.
Rei, however, didn't hesitate to agree to the loaded question.
"Since it was Lord Siminal who struck the final blow against the Supreme Commander, it is only natural to say the Top Contribution belongs to him."
The noble’s cheek twitched. Rei had effectively credited the achievement to Siminal as an individual rather than the faction as a whole. Before the disgruntled noble could press further, Count Alius intervened. He was more concerned with facts than fragile egos.
"Now then, you flew here on your Gryphon. Did you see no sign of the Bestia Imperial Army during your transit?"
"None at all, unfortunately. I was quite surprised to find the fighting already over when I arrived."
A few nobles scowled at Rei’s informal speech, but they were wise enough to realize that now was not the time to lecture an adventurer on his manners. They urged him to continue.
"If I may ask," Rei said, "exactly how long ago did the enemy retreat?"
"Hard to say. All we know is that it was well before you arrived."
Well before... Rei furrowed his brow. Precise time was hard to measure without expensive Magic Items, but for an entire army to have completed an orderly withdrawal, it must have taken more than just twenty minutes. They must have started moving the moment Rei breached the Earth Dome—or perhaps the very second General Kastom died.
Was this orchestrated from the start? Rei wondered. They thought they had trapped the enemy, but perhaps it was the other way around. He recalled the discussion before the mission began—the theory that Theoreme had anticipated the Kingdom's surprise attack.
But why would they let us kill their own Supreme Commander?
"What is it? Do you have an idea?" Alius asked, noticing Rei’s silence.
"It’s just... for the Imperial Army to retreat so cleanly, and to take a route that avoided my path entirely... it feels like we’ve all been dancing in the palm of someone else’s hand."
"Absurd! Are you suggesting the Kingdom of Mireana was used as a tool by the enemy?!" one of the nobles shouted. Others turned sharp, unpleasant glares toward Rei.
"Quiet," Alius commanded. "I asked for his opinion, and he provided a possibility. There is no need for such outbursts. But... used, you say? The enemy commander was General Kastom, correct?"
A subordinate nearby nodded. "Yes, sir. He was a key military figure within the Second Prince Faction."
"And the Flash?"
"Theoreme belongs to the Third Prince Faction, sir."
"Then it’s settled," Alius muttered, his expression souring. It was a bitter realization—that they had been manipulated into eliminating a political rival for a segment of the enemy’s own government.
"Count Alius, even if that's the case, it hasn't been confirmed," another noble argued. "And even if we were used, the fact remains that a Surprise Attack Unit formed by our King's Faction took down the enemy's leader. This war is a complete victory for the Kingdom of Mireana. We stopped the invasion, protected our borders, and killed their Supreme Commander."
"Don't be a fool! That would mean we only won through the enemy’s grace! Do you have no pride as a noble? No pride in serving His Majesty?!"
"Wait. Being used is a bitter pill, yes, but it proves we were a force worth using. Perhaps they feared our strength and chose to sacrifice their leader to preserve their troops? Kastom was a sacrificial pawn, nothing more."
The nobles descended into a cacophony of debate. The room split into three camps: those who wanted to maximize the current profits regardless of being used, those who felt insulted and demanded a Counter-invasion into Bestia territory, and those who convinced themselves the enemy had sacrificed their leader out of fear.
To Rei, the first group seemed the most realistic, and it was a stroke of luck for the kingdom that they held the majority.
A counter-invasion is impossible anyway, Rei thought. The kingdom is already strained, and Bestia's national power is nearly one-and-a-half times our own. Besides, the King only ordered us to stop the invasion. Pushing forward now would just be a violation of orders.
Alius turned his attention back to Rei. "You were there, Rei. You fought Kastom's forces. What do you think?"
"Personally? Since Kastom is dead and that can't be changed, it doesn't matter if we were used. We should take whatever benefits we can get."
Most of the nobles nodded in agreement, though a few continued to glare at the 'insolent' adventurer. Rei simply parried their stares.
Alius nodded. "If the man who was actually there says so, then we shall heed it. Orders to the entire army! Collect the prisoners from the Surprise Attack Unit and secure any intelligence or Magic Items left at the enemy camp. Regardless of the details, this war has ended in our victory. Declare it to the men! We shall return in triumph!"
Manipulated or not, Alius had the results he needed. He had spent a fortune to lead this army, and defeating a General while repelling a surprise attack by the enemy’s Secret Weapon—the Beast Soldiers—was a massive achievement. He could frame the defense against the Teleportation Stone as a brilliant tactical response to a new threat.
There was a lapse when the main camp was targeted... but I can spin that. I successfully defended against an unprecedented magical assault and then struck back to kill the enemy commander. It shouldn't be seen as a fatal failure, Alius mused.
He looked at the adventurer before him. Despite the chaos, their victory was undeniably due to this young man. He looked like a mere Apprentice Mage, but his strength was elite. He possessed an Item Box and a Gryphon—assets that were nearly priceless. His only flaw was his lack of manners.
But manners can be taught, Alius thought. I cannot let someone this valuable slip away.
He glanced at the celebrating nobles before focusing on Rei again. "Rei, what are your plans now?"
"Plans? I intend to head to Lord Daskar and report the success of the mission."
Alius shook his head. "No, I mean after the war. If you are willing, would you consider entering my direct service?"
Silence fell as the other nobles turned to look at Rei. They all recognized his utility, but Alius had beaten them to the punch.
Rei didn't even pause. He gave a small shake of his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I’m better suited to being an adventurer in the frontier than serving a noble."
The refusal was blunt, effectively tossing aside a guaranteed life of honor and wealth.
Alius didn't press him. "I see. Well, the door is always open. I have no distaste for men of your caliber. For now, go. Report to Margrave Larkus."
With that, Alius dismissed him, and Rei stepped out of the tent.