When those individuals appeared, everyone present wore expressions of sheer disbelief. Though they had known in advance that these figures were coming, the reality of it was still difficult to process. The two men standing before the group were not the kind of people who should ever be found in a place like this.
As one, those who saw the two men dropped to their knees in a bow of submission.
"Your Highness Cabajid, Your Highness Schurus... please forgive me for only being able to prepare such meager accommodations to welcome you," Pelfeel said, offering her apology while remaining knelt.
She was the commander of this army. She had spearheaded the operation to annihilate the Mercurio Army Main Camp, only to be thwarted by the outlier known as Crimson. Currently, she led the combined forces that had attacked the main camp and blockaded the highway, encamping just outside a village along the road according to the instructions passed down from Noise.
Naturally, the morale of this army was abysmal. They had not been defeated by an opposing military force, but by a single individual. Pelfeel had been agonizing over how to rally her troops' spirits, but then the figures before her had arrived.
They were First Prince Cabajid and Second Prince Schurus.
Of course, they had not come alone. They had brought nearly every ounce of combat power they could currently mobilize. While the Imperial Capital still required guards and the National Army for its defense, and some nobles had left a minimum number of troops behind to protect their private estates, the princes had arrived leading every other force at their disposal.
The Final Battle.
The phrase echoed through the minds of Pelfeel and the others kneeling in the dirt. Noise had already relayed the word, but seeing the two members of the Imperial Family in the flesh made them truly realize the gravity of the situation.
The two princes took their seats in the chairs Pelfeel had provided. Cabajid was the first to speak.
"Don't let it weigh on you," he said. "Besides, we wouldn't have come all this way if we didn't have a plan for victory."
"...True enough," Schurus added. "The previous operation would have been a success if it weren't for the existence of Crimson. Looked at another way, if we can suppress that Crimson, our chances of winning are more than sufficient. Though, to be perfectly honest, if we had the means to suppress him, I wish we had used them sooner. Our reputation in the Imperial Capital wouldn't have plummeted so far if we had."
At the words of Schurus, who sat beside Cabajid, the onlookers silently agreed. The previous engagement had been utterly decimated by Crimson alone. Had there been a way to neutralize him then, they would undoubtedly have seized the enemy main camp and captured Mercurio by now.
However, Cabajid merely offered a thin smile and shook his head at his younger brother’s complaint.
"The individuals capable of standing against Crimson are limited, even within the Empire. I prepared several countermeasures, but while the Magic Items were effective, they weren't enough to actually defeat him. That left us with only this final method... though I'm sure you understand how difficult it is to get in contact with him, Schurus."
When put that way, Schurus could not deny it. In truth, Schurus had spent a great deal of time brainstorming ways to handle Rei—for instance, instigating a battle elsewhere to draw him away.
But even with such tactics, he knew they could only lure Rei away temporarily. Even if they attempted to strike the Rebel Army's position during that window, Rei had a Gryphon as a tamed monster.
While Schurus found Rei’s personal combat prowess terrifying, Seto’s mobility was an even greater nuisance. As a flying monster, its speed surpassed even that of a Wyvern. With the ability to traverse any distance at such speeds, the massive power of Rei could be deployed anywhere at a moment’s notice.
The only person who immediately came to mind as a match for someone of Rei's caliber was Noise—the man who had fought Rei in the Fighting Tournament and won.
(But... Noise is the old man's pawn, a tool of the Emperor. If we use him in this civil war, it will be seen as a major political blunder after the war is over, even if we win.)
That was precisely why Schurus had hesitated to play the card known as Noise. While he had been vacillating, Cabajid had stepped in and effortlessly brought Noise under his wing.
(Besides, I wonder what kind of bait he used to lure Noise to our side.)
Noise was a man of extraordinary standing. Even for a prince, providing the kind of compensation an S-Rank Adventurer would demand was no simple task.
(This is the difference between me and Big Brother Cabajid... But it's not over. Not yet. I haven't lost. First, we win this battle, and then I'll find a way to overcome Big Brother Cabajid...)
While Schurus hardened his internal resolve, the conversation continued to move forward.
"So, Your Highness Cabajid. When do we begin the decisive battle?"
Blatta, who stood behind Cabajid, asked the question. The prince maintained his faint smile as he replied.
"Regardless of how many soldiers Schurus and I have brought, our primary strength still lies with the units that attacked the Rebel Army Main Camp. Considering the damage they sustained in their recent defeat, they will likely need several days to recover."
"Several days, sir?" one of Cabajid’s subordinates spoke up. "It's true that many were wounded, but thanks to the supply of potions Your Highness brought and the recovery magic of our mages, they have almost all healed. If we wait too long, we simply give the enemy time to prepare. Why not attack tomorrow?"
Pelfeel immediately voiced her objection.
"Wait. While physical wounds might heal by tonight, many of these soldiers witnessed Crimson’s combat from a terrifyingly close distance. If we force them into battle now, while they are still reeling, they might simply break and flee the moment Crimson appears. To prevent a rout, we must wait for the soldiers to regain their composure."
"But..."
The man looked away awkwardly. If he had seen Rei in battle with his own eyes, he would have understood Pelfeel’s reasoning. But he had not. Or rather, he had seen the Fighting Tournament finals, but he had not seen Rei on a real battlefield. That distinction created a massive divide between his perception and Pelfeel’s.
"I understand your point, Lord Pelfeel," the man countered. "However, if they were traumatized that deeply, will just a few days really be enough to make them fit for combat?"
"I don't know," Pelfeel admitted. "But I do know that we will have more usable troops than if we were to launch a reckless assault on the Rebel Army Main Camp tomorrow."
The room split into two factions. Pelfeel and those who had participated in the attack on the main camp, along with those who had witnessed Rei during the Spring War, argued for several days or even a week of rest. Those who had never seen Rei fight, or had only seen him in the tournament, pushed for an immediate attack the following day.
While the former group held a slight majority, it wasn't enough to completely silence the opposition.
Cabajid, who had been watching the exchange in silence, turned to his brother.
"I see. Personally, I find Pelfeel’s reasoning sound, but what do you think, Schurus?"
"There's no need to ask," Schurus replied. "The operation will begin in a few days. Pelfeel is correct. However, we cannot afford to waste too much time, so we should set a definitive number of days."
"In that case, how many days do you think would be best?"
Schurus found it strange that Cabajid was seeking his opinion so readily, but he quickly ran the numbers in his head. Tomorrow was out of the question, but they couldn't afford to dally. As Cabajid’s subordinate had noted, time gave the enemy the chance to fortify their defenses. Furthermore, with autumn deepening, the first snow was a looming concern.
(Besides... with Big Sister Frizion on the other side, I want this civil strife ended as quickly as possible. I've ordered my men to bring her back unharmed if they find her, but I can't even begin to imagine what methods Big Brother Cabajid might employ.)
The sheer depth of the man's enigma was the real reason Schurus feared Cabajid more than his actual capabilities. Forcing down the sudden surge of anxiety, he spoke.
"Let’s say... three to four days should be appropriate."
"Pelfeel?"
Asked for her take on Schurus’s suggestion, Pelfeel answered immediately.
"Yes, Your Highness. I believe that would be acceptable. If we wait any longer, war-weariness might begin to take root among the soldiers."
"I agree. That sounds like the best course of action."
"!?"
A voice spoke up in agreement with Pelfeel, but nearly everyone in the room gasped. No one had any idea where the voice had come from. Some instinctively reached for their weapons, but they were frozen mid-motion. There was no obvious cause, yet the moment their hands touched their hilts, they found themselves unable to move another inch.
Pelfeel was no exception. Unable even to cry out, she could only scan the room with her eyes. The air was thick with a suffocating tension. Yet, there was one who spoke as if nothing were wrong.
"Could you leave it at that, Immovable?"
At Cabajid’s words, many of the surrounding officers looked on in shock. In that brief instant, a figure had appeared exactly between the chairs where Cabajid and Schurus sat. A split second ago, the space had been empty.
The men in this room were all confident in their own prowess—Schurus, Blatta, and Pelfeel included. While they might not be outliers like Rei, they were all elite, first-class warriors. And yet, not one of them had noticed his approach. They were forced to accept that the skill of this individual—Noise—was simply on another level.
"I seem to have startled you," Noise said.
"Given your skill, I think it's impossible to expect anyone to notice," Cabajid replied. "Now then, Pelfeel has already had some contact with him, but let me officially introduce Noise the Immovable. He is our trump card for the battle to come."
"A trump card, is it? Such a description is a bit ticklish," Noise said. "I'm simply looking forward to my battle with Rei. During the Fighting Tournament, I wouldn't say either of us was fighting at our full strength. Now, we can fight without any restrictions whatsoever. I wonder just how far we can go."
Those who had witnessed the Fighting Tournament finals gasped at Noise's words. They could hardly believe that a fight of that magnitude hadn't even been their full strength.
"This... if Noise-dono is truly with us, it seems we really will be able to completely suppress Crimson."
"No, rather, there's no doubt he can defeat Crimson. He says he wasn't being serious, but even if they both go all out, the result will be the same as it was then."
"I wouldn't be so optimistic."
"Hey. Are you trying to insult Noise-dono?"
"I am not! Of course I don't think Noise-dono is inferior to Crimson! What I'm talking about is their specialized combat methods. As everyone here knows, Crimson specializes in wide-range annihilation flame magic. And he uses it while moving freely through the sky on a Gryphon. No matter how much Noise-dono's strength exceeds Crimson's..."
The man’s point was valid. While Rei excelled at wide-range annihilation, Noise was a specialist in individual combat. If that were the case, there was the problem of whether a battle would even occur. If Rei chose to stay on his Gryphon and fly circles around Noise, wouldn't the Subjugation Army end up suffering massive casualties anyway?
At the words of the man voicing these doubts, Noise let a small smile touch his lips. It was a tiny gesture, yet the man who had spoken suddenly felt a crushing pressure emanating from Noise that made it impossible for him to move.
"You don't need to worry about that. If I show myself, Rei will come out. He's not the type to ignore me. That's just his character. More importantly, while it's true you'd take damage if he did what you suggested, there's no doubt their forces would also suffer massive casualties from me in return."
Cabajid nodded with a satisfied smile at Noise's words and continued.
"Besides, it's not as if Noise is without his own ways to strike over a wide range. It’s not quite the same as Crimson's, but he has that... what was it called? The skill that allows magic power to be visualized. You’ve all experienced firsthand that the destruction is absolute when he charges into an enemy using that skill, haven't you?"
At those words, the memory of the previous battle—of being utterly overrun by Rei—clearly returned to them. Pelfeel and the other survivors of that engagement nodded in silent understanding. They had been devastated by such power before, and if they now had an equivalent weapon on their side... they thought.