For a moment, Rei couldn't wrap his head around what the man in front of him had just said.
Or rather, it was more accurate to say that while he understood the words, he couldn't accept them.
To begin with, the Frizion Army stood between the Rebel Army's camp and the Imperial Capital.
If the Rebel Army Main Camp was currently under attack, then how had the Subjugation Army—how had Cabajid or Schuls—managed to dispatch their forces there?
Hearing the report, Rei first wondered if the man before him was actually a spy or an operative for the Subjugation Army. He considered whether the man was feeding him a fabrication specifically to sow confusion.
However, the man looking up at Rei with a desperate expression showed no signs of deception. The only thing written across his face was a single-minded plea for Rei to save the Rebel Army's position.
(Does this mean the assault on the Rebel Army Main Camp is a fact? Or is there a possibility he wholeheartedly believes information that was intentionally manipulated... No, they managed to dispatch enough troops to blockade the highway, so it's entirely possible they prepared a force to strike the Main Camp in advance...)
While Rei hesitated on how to judge the man, he asked a question just in case.
"So, how long can Vihera and the others hold out? Are they in danger of being overrun today?"
"No, I don't think it's a matter of today or tomorrow. But... there is almost no military strength left at the Main Camp right now."
"...What?"
"Lady Vihera and the others headed out to destroy the Subjugation Army units blockading the highway. It's as if the enemy struck at that exact opening... No, in truth, there's a possibility that this was their real objective all along."
The man spoke with bitter regret, as if they had fallen headfirst into the enemy's trap.
"...I see."
Hearing the man's explanation, Rei finally grasped the enemy's true intent.
The reason they had stalled the Frizion Army's progress, even by a little.
The highway blockade, which had served as a feint.
The additional forces that must have been dispatched alongside those meant for the blockade.
(The ultimate goal was to strike the Rebel Army Main Camp all at once after its defenses had been stripped to the bone, huh?)
The inexplicable actions taken by the other side finally connected within Rei's mind.
Particularly regarding the sporadic attacks by the Thieves; Rei had been certain that stalling the Rebel Army until they succumbed to starvation tactics was impossible, but if the goal was to cover an attack on the Main Camp, the meaning of those skirmishes changed.
In other words, they were simply buying time until the assault on the Main Camp was finished and the rebellion was suppressed.
There were still a few things Rei didn't understand, such as why they had treated the Dragon Knights as disposable, but he could imagine that this operation was likely the true endgame for the Subjugation Army.
The Rebel Army Main Camp currently lacked Rei, their greatest military asset, and even Vihera and Gurgast—the next most powerful fighters—were absent.
Since they were attacking while nearly all their most formidable enemies were away, the Subjugation Army must have judged their chances of victory to be extremely high.
(The only saving grace is that as long as Mercurio is at the Main Camp, Theoreme is surely there as well.)
Just as Tilleul was devoted to Vihera, Theoreme remained at Mercurio's side. While their methods differed, from Rei's perspective, their level of devotion was much the same.
"I see. I'll need to inform Frizion about this immediately. Sorry, but I have to let her know as quickly as possible. What about you? Getting back to the Rebel Army's position..."
"No, the Rebel Army camp is currently sealed off. It's likely an attempt to prevent word from reaching Lady Vihera and the others."
"...I see. But what about signal fires and the like?"
"No, it seems some strange illusion is covering the sky above..."
"An illusion?"
Rei tilted his head at those words. He was aware of Magic that could create illusions, but he had never seen it used on such a scale before.
"Yes. Because of that, we were forced to send messengers out directly like this... Fortunately for me, unlike Lady Vihera who should be relatively close, I was entrusted with reaching Her Highness Frizion and Lord Rei. The number of pursuers on this route wasn't as large... Though I am still the only survivor."
As the man lamented his own weakness, Rei pushed the conversation forward, knowing that while he felt for the man, time was of the essence.
"I’m sorry, but I don't have time to keep talking. I'm going on ahead. If you continue straight along the highway in the direction of the Imperial Capital, you'll rendezvous with the Frizion Army. There weren't any Thieves when I came this way, so you should be safe."
"...Thank you. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. Just make sure you don't die."
Leaving him with only that, Rei gave Seto’s neck a light tap.
"Guruuuuuu!"
Understanding the signal, Seto took a few running steps and flapped its wings, taking to the sky even without Rei saying a word.
The messenger soldier watched them go, letting out a sigh of relief now that the information had been delivered. He then headed toward his horse, which had been cowering a short distance away, terrified of Seto.
"I managed to convey the message somehow. Now then... I'd better rendezvous with Her Highness Frizion's army without dying. Jennifer, I’m counting on you for one last push until we join up with them."
"Brrrrrr."
The horse named Jennifer snorted, showing her spirit as if telling the soldier to leave it to her.
The soldier turned his gaze for just a moment toward the direction he had come from—where his comrades had fallen—then, as if cutting off his sentimentality, he lightly kicked Jennifer's flanks and began to ride toward the Frizion Army.
Aided by Seto's wings, the distance to the Frizion Army was covered in an instant.
Returning to the ranks at incredible speed, Rei and Seto approached the carriage carrying Frizion at the head of the march, alongside the White Rose Knight Order.
A Female Knight of the White Rose Knight Order approached them, likely wondering why they had returned so much earlier than planned.
"Lord Rei, you've returned quickly. Has something happened?"
"Yeah. I saved a Cavalryman being pursued on the highway ahead. According to him, it sounds like the Rebel Army Main Camp is currently under attack by the Subjugation Army."
"What!? But the people we saved previously said..."
She cast a quick glance toward the rear of the Frizion Army, toward the area where the messengers saved by the First Unit of the White Rose Knight Order a few days ago were likely stationed.
"I don't think that previous report was a lie. The highway blockade itself was probably just a plan to draw military strength away from the Main Camp. Of course, they likely figured it would be a bonus if the starvation tactics actually worked. I need to report the details of the situation."
"...Yes. Please come with me."
Led by the Female Knight, Rei was guided to the front of Frizion's carriage.
"So, Rei. What is it?"
The first one to speak was not Frizion, but Angela, who was riding near the carriage.
Judging by Rei's behavior, she had assumed another disadvantageous situation had occurred. However, at Rei's report that the Main Camp was being raided by the Subjugation Army, Angela's expression grew tense as she turned to him.
"Is that the truth? It isn't a ploy by someone under His Highness Cabajid or His Highness Schuls?"
"It's not. At least from what I saw, the man was desperately seeking help. If I hadn't intervened, his pursuers would have tortured him to death. Besides... I came back ahead to deliver the news, but he’s on his way here right now. If you’re really concerned, you can hear his story for yourself when he arrives."
As Rei muttered this, casting a glance toward the rear of the Frizion Army where the Supply Unit and its escorts were located, Angela nodded as if it were only natural.
"Once the man you mentioned arrives, I intend to have him face the people we saved before. ...Though, from what I've heard, the Rebel Army has grown quite large, so there's a chance they might not know each other."
"Well, for them, I'm sure having work to do is better than sitting around with nothing."
The messenger soldiers saved by the First Unit of the White Rose Knight Order had been integrated into the Supply Unit, as they currently had no specific duties.
Normally, as chosen messengers for the Rebel Army, they would be quite capable. However, since this was the Frizion Army, the chain of command was clearly distinct from the messengers under Mercurio's direct authority. For that reason, they had been assigned to the Supply Unit, where the fighting would likely be less severe should a battle break out.
To be precise, they were serving as caretakers, guards, and as a Watcher for the prisoners in the Supply Unit.
They were there to ensure that the prisoner Sobul, as well as the surrendered Mura and Shistoi, didn't make any suspicious moves—even though they had Seeds of Restraint embedded in them. They also served to protect the trio in case someone tried to assassinate them to keep them silent.
Of course, those assigned to guard them were likely doing so very reluctantly.
Mura and Shistoi had rampaged through the Rebel Army's position, causing significant casualties. The guards naturally harbored personal feelings about that, and the assignment was surely against their will.
But even so, they couldn't go against the orders of the Imperial Family member Frizion, so they performed their roles quietly for now. Still, if they were being honest, they wished they were anywhere else but this high-stress post.
"Anyway. There's a report that the Rebel Army's position is covered by an illusion and that signal fires are useless... Do you have any idea what could cause that?"
The one who answered Rei's question was not Angela, but Frizion herself.
"Yes, I do. There is a Magic Item known as the Breath of Quantome. However, it is an object with properties similar to the Barrier used in the arena; it requires multiple Magic Stones from B-Rank equivalent monsters just to activate. The effect, as you said, is to create an illusion within a specific range, though there are limits to its scale."
As Frizion added that it was one of the Imperial Family's Secret Treasures, Rei couldn't help but sigh.
"They actually brought out something that grand?"
"Indeed."
When she answered so simply, Rei hesitated for a moment on how to respond, eventually speaking with a wry smile.
"If the other side is breaking out Secret Treasures, I wish we could have brought out a few ourselves."
"Don't ask for the impossible. Besides, whether it was Big Brother Cabajid or Schuls who took the Breath of Quantome, they likely didn't have our Father's permission."
"...Won't that be a problem once the Civil War is over?"
"I wonder. If one is of the Imperial Family, there shouldn't be any difficulty in taking it out. As for Father's permission, it's likely a mere formality. Of course, they will eventually be rebuked for it, but they probably thought that if they could end this Civil Strife with their own victory, they could handle any fallout later."
The way she lightly shrugged her shoulders was somewhat reminiscent of Vihera. It was only natural, perhaps, given that they shared half their blood.
"Well, I know where it came from now. So, how long does the effect actually last?"
"It depends on the area covered by the illusion, but for one B-Rank Magic Stone, I would say roughly thirty minutes to an hour."
"...Boy, that's some terrible fuel efficiency."
True to his words, Rei looked exasperated at the poor consumption rate.
B-Rank monsters were powerful creatures like the Orc King. While they were significantly inferior to an A-Rank Gryphon, they were undoubtedly extremely dangerous opponents for any ordinary adventurer. To use the Magic Stones of such monsters as disposable fuel for only thirty to sixty minutes of use was indeed the height of inefficiency.
"Nevertheless, the ability to deploy an illusion over such a wide area can have a massive impact depending on how it's used—as we're seeing now."
"I suppose so. In fact, we're in this pinch precisely because they used it. ...So, getting back to the point, I want to head out ahead of the army. There's no doubt we'll join up with Mercurio and the Rebel Army today, but there's a high probability the enemy has set up ambushes along our path. I want to deal with them beforehand. ...What do you think?"
Rei's suggestion was certainly sound for someone acting as a guard for this army.
However, both Frizion and Angela understood exactly where his true intentions lay. He intended to head toward the Rebel Army as reinforcements under the pretext of clearing out ambushes.
"...I see. Indeed, now that we've come this far, it shouldn't be difficult to rendezvous with Mercurio and the others, right?"
At Frizion's question, Angela nodded immediately.
"Yes. I believe there should be no problem. On top of that, if Rei strikes any units that might be lying in wait, it will only increase the safety of our march."
"Then it's settled. Rei... I'm counting on you to look after Vihera and Mercurio."
"Understood. Seto!"
"Guruuu!"
Having received permission to leave the Frizion Army, Rei lightly tapped Seto's neck.
At the signal, Seto immediately took flight into the sky.