"It seems a truly fierce battle took place here," Mercurio murmured as he progressed across the battlefield, surveying the area.
Ahead of his gaze, numerous soldiers' corpses lay scattered across the ground.
The civil strife had ended, which was a relief, but if these bodies were not cleared away, they would undoubtedly draw monsters or rise as Undead. Fortunately, the season was currently autumn—leaning toward winter—so the rate of decomposition was slower than it would have been in spring or summer. For the time being, they likely did not have to worry about pestilence. However, if the site wasn't cleared before the snow fell, the corpses would rot come spring, posing a serious risk of an epidemic.
"To think the people of the Bestia Empire would fight amongst themselves... No, as the ones who took the lead in this, we are in no position to say such things," Frizion muttered in a similar vein. She had joined the group heading toward the Subjugation Army's Main Camp to finalize her parting with Cabajid.
Being a woman of profound kindness, a light of deep sorrow dwelled within Frizion’s eyes. She knew this battle had been unavoidable, yet she could not suppress the grief she felt.
"Her Highness Frizion..." Angela, the Commander of the White Rose Knight Order, murmured with concern.
The struggle between the White Rose Knight Order and the cavalry unit directly under Schuls on the right wing had already concluded, and the imperial troops had retreated on Schuls’s orders. Consequently, Angela had joined the party traveling toward the Main Camp.
The group consisted of Mercurio, Frizion, Theoreme, and Angela, along with several nobles and their escorts. Rei and Seto acted as the primary deterrent against the Subjugation Army. In total, nearly twenty people were on the move.
Normally, moving across a battlefield so soon after combat had ceased would be fraught with danger. This was exactly why the presence of Rei and Seto was so significant. Almost everyone on this battlefield had witnessed their power firsthand, and the sight had been seared into the depths of their hearts.
While Rei had not inflicted the same level of psychological trauma on a mass scale as he had during the war in the spring, many had still been beaten into a near-death state after he activated the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor. Those who had clashed with him directly during his charge had suffered severe burns.
Then there was Seto. Even a standard Gryphon was an A-Rank Monster that no ordinary adventurer could hope to handle, but word had already spread that Seto was a Rare Species capable of wielding various skills and magic. No one was foolish enough to attempt an attack on a group accompanied by such a beast.
Naturally, information regarding Seto had reached the Mercurio Army’s side as well.
"Rei, about Seto..." Theoreme muttered from his horse as he rode alongside Rei, who was mounted on Seto's back.
For safety and speed, everyone except Rei was traveling by horse. Though the steeds were clearly intimidated by Seto's presence, they did not bolt, proving they were highly trained animals.
"Yeah, I have a general idea of what you want to say," Rei replied. "I'm sorry for keeping it a secret that he’s a Rare Species, but Seto was already feared as he was, right? I figured things would get even more complicated if people knew he was a Rare Species on top of that. Well, because of everything that happened this time, I didn't have much choice but to reveal it."
"It was because of Noise," Rei added, and Theoreme could only nod in understanding.
Just having a Gryphon as a tamed monster caused a massive stir; if word got out that his companion was equivalent to an S-Rank Monster, it would inevitably invite more trouble. And since Rei had displayed Seto’s skills before such a large audience, preventing rumors was a lost cause.
(Well, if they're convinced he's a Rare Species, that's actually exactly what I'd prefer,) Rei thought. (It's better for that recognition to spread than for them to start thinking about Beast Magic.)
Beast Magic was a form of magic that had only briefly appeared in the distant past when Zephyle was alive. Under normal circumstances, it should have been buried in history as a transitory phenomenon.
However, Zephyle—often called a Majin—and the members of Zephyle's Party were legendary. They were an elite circle of geniuses beyond even the greatest mages of their time, a group said to be capable of toppling entire armies or nations single-handedly. Because it was magic used by such a legendary group, it had refused to be forgotten by history.
Fortunately for Rei, Beast Magic was a discipline developed through the combined efforts of Zephyle and his peers. It was effectively impossible for anyone outside of Zephyle's Party to inherit it. Consequently, while the name "Beast Magic" was known to a handful of historical researchers, virtually no one understood its true nature.
Though Grimm had lived through that same era and continued to exist as a Lich, he was virtually unknown to the world, meaning there was no risk of knowledge regarding Beast Magic spreading through him.
(In that sense, it was probably lucky that I was summoned to this era, so far in the future from the time Zephyle and the others lived.)
Rei petted Seto, who had been brought into being through Beast Magic, while lost in thought.
"Looking at them now, it's clear they are people of the same nation after all," Frizion murmured from her horse beside Angela.
Ahead of them, Mercurio and Theoreme’s orders had clearly been implemented. Regardless of which side they belonged to, soldiers from both the Subjugation Army and the Mercurio Army could be seen lending their shoulders to the wounded.
This wasn't entirely a spontaneous show of goodwill. It was a direct order from the leadership to minimize post-war resentment. While some performed these tasks voluntarily, others remained visibly tense and bloodthirsty, ready to attack at the slightest provocation. Still, the majority were doing their best to help.
"Indeed. Bitterness and grudges are probably inevitable once the dust settles, but we should avoid leaving such seeds behind if at all possible," Angela added. She knew it was far easier said than done. Yet, she also believed that if they did not take the initiative to change, nothing would ever improve.
"I don't expect resentment to vanish that easily," Mercurio commented, having overheard their exchange. "But I thought it was at least worth the effort." Theoreme nodded in agreement.
Since this was a civil strife fought between fellow citizens, grudges were prone to fester. Now that Mercurio had emerged as the victor and the Next Successor to the Throne, he had to be mindful of such things.
"From what I can see, though, there are more people who are happy you won," Rei noted, surveying the area from Seto's back.
Many soldiers of the Mercurio Army were raising loud cheers for Mercurio as he rode grandly across the battlefield. Part of it was likely the lingering adrenaline of victory, but to Rei, their enthusiasm seemed almost fanatical.
Of course, not everyone was cheering for the prince. Some were crying out for Frizion, whom they idolized; others cheered for Mercurio’s right-hand man, Theoreme, or for the admired Angela. Some were simply enamored with Seto's endearing nature, while others were in awe of Rei's overwhelming strength.
As they rode through the field of cheers, Rei spoke up as if he had just remembered something.
"By the way, what happened to the Mobile Unit? I'm not sure which front they were on, but they must have earned quite a bit of glory, right?"
Rei asked the question quite casually. Given how much he had personally trained them, he was certain they had performed great deeds. However, in response to his query, Theoreme merely shook his head in silence.
"...What happened? I trained them thoroughly. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the Most Elite unit in the Mercurio Army. It makes no sense for them to have failed to distinguish themselves."
"Yes. It's not that they didn't achieve anything. They did manage to inflict significant damage on the Subjugation Army in the end. It's just..."
Theoreme trailed off, and Rei fixed him with a sharp, probing gaze, urging him to continue.
Seeing Rei’s reaction, Theoreme realized there was no point in dodging the issue. If he didn't explain, it might lead to unnecessary friction. With a grimace, he spoke.
"A while after the battle with the Subjugation Army intensified, several members of the Mobile Unit suddenly went into a frenzy and began attacking their own allies. It threw the entire unit into chaos."
"Are you saying they betrayed us?"
"No, it wasn't a betrayal. But the reality was worse. Those who rampaged were in a state of complete confusion. They couldn't even distinguish friend from foe."
At Theoreme's explanation, Rei finally understood that the situation was more dire than he had imagined. He had assumed some might have turned for money or because of hostages.
"Based on your tone, this wasn't just one or two people?"
"Right. The exact count isn't in yet, but it was a substantial number."
"What was the cause?"
Theoreme looked hesitant, but he forced himself to answer Rei's question clearly.
"The Wyvern. Specifically, the people equipped with Leather Armor made from the materials of the Wyvern you fought while escorting Her Highness Frizion."
"A Wyvern? Wait, how does that lead to this?"
"Apparently, a trap had been set within the Wyvern Hide beforehand. It was a mechanism that only activated when a specific Magic Item was used."
Rei's brow furrowed. He immediately knew what that "specific Magic Item" was. Tanning a Wyvern hide normally takes a significant amount of time, but there was a Magic Item designed to accelerate that process: the Drops of Dorim.
"So, they had read that far ahead from the very beginning?"
"It would seem so. If there is a silver lining, the trap was only in the hides. The weapons made from the claws and fangs seem to be fine. Thanks to that, we managed to contain the chaos."
"He was a troublesome opponent. ...No, he was a troublesome opponent, I should say."
Rei's use of the past tense made it clear who had orchestrated the trap. The man was no longer of this world, yet he had found ways to plague Rei right up until the end.
(Cabajid, huh? He was a man of countless mysteries.)
He might have been an existence similar to Rei, if not identical. In Rei’s mind, that was already a foregone conclusion based on the prince’s final words.
"...So, what about the guys from the Mobile Unit who were affected?"
"We managed to suppress them, so they should be at the Treatment Center now. ...Did you not see them?"
Theoreme asked the question implicitly, wondering if Rei had noticed them when he went to check on Rhodos. Rei shook his head. He had gone to the center, but Rhodos was still unconscious, and a soldier had come to fetch him while he was still talking to Digma.
"I see. Well, knowing them, they'll probably be fine even if things got a bit rough. They'll likely be back to normal soon."
"I hope so. Paelnix, the one commanding the unit, seemed to be quite in shock over it."
The face of the man—the quintessential professional soldier—crossed Rei’s mind. Because of his personality, Paelnix cared deeply for his subordinates.
"...I see," Rei repeated, though his tone had turned serious.
Rei remained silent for a few seconds, lost in thought, before eventually spotting familiar figures ahead of them.
They had reached the Main Camp of the Subjugation Army. Because they had been observing the state of the battlefield as they moved, the journey had taken some time, but they had finally arrived.
The Subjugation Army and the Mercurio Army were waiting at a distance from one another. Right in the center, standing beside Cabajid’s body, were Schuls and Vihera.