The Brissa Plain—the place where the Subjugation Army and the Mercurio Army had clashed head-on.
Normally, the victory of the Subjugation Army, which had fielded more than four times the military strength of its opponent, should have been a certainty.
However, that outcome had been overturned by individuals who possessed strength of extreme quality, such as Rei, Vihera, Gurgast, and Videre.
Rei, in particular, had sought even greater heights of power in the midst of his duel with Noise the Immovable, an S-Rank Adventurer, and had eventually succeeded in forcing the man to withdraw.
Thanks in part to those overwhelming forces, the final and greatest battle of this civil strife had ultimately ended in victory for the Mercurio Army.
By the orders of both the victor, Mercurio, and the loser, Schuls, the primary figures were currently preparing to depart for the Imperial Capital in a few days. Meanwhile, the remaining troops were receiving medical care, with no distinction made between friend or foe.
Of course, until just a short while ago, these men had been trying to kill one another.
Resentment over fallen comrades naturally lingered, but the reason no major disturbances had broken out was likely because the noble retainers from both the Mercurio Army and the Subjugation Army were maintaining strict patrols.
In particular, Gurgast, a man famous in various ways within the Mercurio Army, was leading the patrols personally. Since his subordinates were patrolling with equal vigilance, most soldiers understood that any foolish move would cost them their lives.
(I'd rather be patrolling the battlefield site like this than go to the Imperial Capital and get caught up in pointless politics.)
He muttered inwardly, giving the battle axes he held in both hands a wide swing.
At the sound of the wind being sliced, the soldiers who had been glaring at each other while waiting for their turn for treatment straightened their backs and settled down.
Gurgast snorted as if the sight were beneath him and resumed his rounds.
"Boss, Boss! I've finished off the guys who were causing a ruckus over there."
"...I told you I'm not 'Boss'! How many times do I have to say it, you bastard!?"
Gurgast's fist descended onto the man's head, and the sound of flesh and bone colliding echoed through the air.
A Subjugation Army soldier waiting quietly for treatment a short distance away instinctively cringed at the sound—an impact so heavy it could only be described as a thumping blow. It seemed like the kind of strike that would have left an ordinary soldier with a permanent injury.
However, the man Gurgast had just struck merely clutched his head and cried out.
"Ow! That's cruel, Boss! Unlike you, my head is delicate!"
"Stop talking nonsense! Do you think someone with a delicate head would get away with just saying it hurts after taking a hit from my fist?! Seriously, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me 'Boss'?"
"But... we've called you Boss all this time. Why change it now?"
"It's not 'now'! How many times do you think I've told you not to call me Boss over the years?! My patience has finally reached its limit!"
Veins pulsed on Gurgast's already fearsome face out of sheer anger.
The Intimidation he radiated grew even more intense, and the soldiers watching from a distance—regardless of which army they served—waited in absolute silence for their treatment.
It wasn't as if their hatred for their enemies had vanished.
Nonetheless, it was clear that if they caused trouble here, they would end up like the man who had just been punched. They wanted to avoid that at all costs; they were certain that such a blow would leave them in critical condition rather than simply needing a bandage.
Neither Gurgast nor the subordinate he had struck had intended for their exchange to have such a chilling effect.
Still, Gurgast considered it a stroke of luck that the noise had subsided and moved on to the next location.
Watching him leave, and knowing that Gurgast would return the moment anyone made a fuss, the area remained peaceful even when no officers were in sight.
Near the Mercurio Army Main Camp, in an area where many were processing the post-war situation while celebrating their victory, Rei stood with another man.
"...I see. So their lives aren't in danger."
Rei let out a sigh of relief at the words of the man in front of him.
Seeing this, Paelnix, the Vice-captain of the Mobile Unit, replied with a wry smile that only slightly curled the corners of his mouth.
"Yes. They suffered various injuries while they were rampaging, but once they were restrained, we used Recovery Magic and Potions to heal them."
"I'm just glad they didn't die. ...I'm sorry. I never would have thought such a trap had been set in the Wyvern Leather Armor. I thought it was strange when they attacked as if they were just handing over Wyvern materials for no reason, but I never expected this."
As Rei spoke with regret, Paelnix shook his head.
"No one would have expected someone to treat Dragon Knights as disposables. Moreover, for it to only take effect when a specific Magic Item was used... if the hides had been tanned normally, the effect never would have triggered. They must have been betting on the slim chance that the armor would reach us."
"To discard precious Dragon Knights on such a gamble, huh."
Typically, a Dragon Knight hatched their Wyvern from an egg and raised it personally.
If that was the case, the person who devised this plan had made a decision that was nothing short of atrocious.
(Then again, if it was Cabajid, he'd probably do that without blinking.)
Recalling the face of the man who had outwitted them time and again, Rei let out a small sigh.
However, since Cabajid was no longer alive, Rei decided it was useless to dwell on it. He shook his head slightly and spoke again.
"The guys from the Mobile Unit who were wearing the Wyvern Leather Armor are in the treatment center, right?"
Rei asked, recalling what he had heard from Theoreme earlier. Paelnix nodded.
"Fortunately, Digma joined our side."
"...To be precise, it's not that he joined us, but rather that he's lending his help for medical treatment in exchange for better conditions for the prisoners."
"Even so, it's a fact that thanks to Digma and his Water Spirit Magic, our casualties have been surprisingly low."
"I suppose so. I'm honestly envious of that."
The Water Spirit Magic Digma had utilized crossed Rei's mind.
It was highly versatile, serving not only for attack but also for recovery and support.
In comparison, Rei's Magic was fundamentally specialized for destruction.
He had ways to adapt it, such as using the purifying nature of fire to cleanse the Undead or spreading it thinly to detect traps. While the latter didn't consume much energy, the former purification process drained his Magic Power quite rapidly.
This was likely because Rei was essentially a fire specialist.
(Fire is a symbol of destruction, but it's also a symbol of rebirth. Technically, it shouldn't be impossible for me to use Recovery Magic with fire, but...)
Even so, he didn't feel as though he could ever actually cast Recovery Magic.
Considering how his personality—or perhaps his nature—was specialized for combat to the core, he wondered if it was a result of this body, the masterpiece of the Zephyle Clan's technology.
Setting aside his nature for now, he addressed Paelnix.
"Do you think it's okay for me to go see the men from the Mobile Unit?"
"Well... some of them said they were too ashamed to face Captain Rei, but I'd appreciate it if you could meet them. During this battle, the Mobile Unit was expected to be one of the most elite forces in the Mercurio Army. In the end, we were driven to infighting and were hardly of any use."
"...But it's not like you were completely useless, right? According to Theoreme, you defeated a fair number of enemies. Not just common soldiers, but commanders, knights, and nobles too."
Rei asked this more to confirm the facts than to offer empty encouragement, but Paelnix only shook his head weakly.
"Since we are elites, we aren't satisfied with 'fair' results. ...It's not just the people around us; we feel that way ourselves. That's why the men feel so miserable, thinking they failed to do their duty. ...If Captain Rei could say something to them about that, it would help."
Nodding at Paelnix's request, Rei proceeded toward the section of the treatment center where the Mobile Unit was being held.
Theirs wasn't a simple injury, but the result of an attack bordering on a curse.
Because of that, the members of the unit had been kept together in an area separated from the other wounded as a precaution.
Though it was expected that they would be fine, there was a risk that some lingering effect might harm others.
Furthermore, although their Wyvern Leather Armor had been removed, it wasn't yet certain that the danger had passed.
Rei approached the isolated members of the Mobile Unit without a trace of hesitation and called out to them.
"Are you guys holding up? I heard you went through a lot of trouble."
The men there didn't seem to recognize who was speaking at first.
They wore blank expressions for a moment before hurriedly looking around in a panic.
"Captain Rei! You shouldn't come near us right now!"
"He's right! There might still be some negative influence left!"
At their words—spoken out of concern for Rei rather than themselves—Rei let out a small smile.
"Don't worry about it. You know how strong I am, don't you? Even if some aftereffect lingered in you, there's no way it could affect me."
"But, what if we go back into a Rampage State...?"
The man who had started to speak trailed off when he noticed Rei looking at him with a grin.
However, it was already too late. Rei spoke with a mischievous smirk.
"Oh? You think that just by rampaging, you could actually do something to me? I didn't realize you guys had improved your skills that much. Fine, then. Now that the civil strife is over and things have settled down, let's have a Test of Strength tomorrow. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"
"I do!"
The man who had let his tongue slip shouted back without a moment's hesitation.
Rei's smile shifted into one that was even more menacingly joyful as he shook his head.
"No. It's already been decided."
"Whoa, Captain Rei is wearing the most terrifyingly happy smile I've ever seen!"
"You idiot! You absolute idiot! Look what you've done, you moron!"
The other men began hurl abuse at their comrade who had spoken out of turn.
To those men, Rei pulled out his prized Gamelion Grilled Skewers from his Misty Ring.
The Gamelion Meat itself had been harvested last year, but since time didn't flow inside the Misty Ring, they were essentially Freshly Grilled Skewers.
"Here, eat these for now and cheer up. I need you to get back on your feet properly for your duties in the Mobile Unit."
"Captain... we appreciate it, but now that this civil strife is over, isn't the Mobile Unit going to be disbanded?"
Indeed, the Mobile Unit was originally formed by gathering talented soldiers, adventurers, and mercenaries from within the Mercurio Army. To put it bluntly, they were a patchwork unit.
They had been needed for the civil strife, and once it concluded, the unit was supposed to be dissolved.
"That's true. The Mobile Unit will eventually be disbanded. However... that won't happen until after the Triumphal Parade is over."
"...The Triumphal Parade?"
"Yeah. Apparently, it's necessary to make it known all over the Bestia Empire that the conflict is truly over. ...No, not just the Bestia Empire. I heard that neighboring countries were watching this conflict very closely. It's probably intended more as a display for them."
"Can we... actually participate in that parade?"
At the soldier's hesitant question, Rei nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"You in the Mobile Unit are one of the Most Elite units in the Mercurio Army. As such, you'll have to appear in the parade no matter what. Besides... in this battle, I, your Captain, was acting completely separately from you. The least we can do is welcome the end together."
"Captain Rei... did you ask His Highness Mercurio for that?"
"I wonder. More importantly, you understand, right? I expect you to participate in the Triumphal Parade properly. So, be ready for it."
Rei averted his eyes as he spoke, an attitude that confirmed the soldier's guess had hit the mark.
The soldiers realized this immediately. They turned grateful gazes toward Rei...
"Captain, if it's all right, could I go with you when you return to the Kingdom of Mireana?"
"Hey, no fair cutting in line! Captain Rei, please let me go with you too!"
"You guys... think about Captain Rei's circumstances for a second. By the way, Captain Rei, I'm going too, so I look forward to your guidance."
"Must be nice... maybe I should quit being a soldier and become an adventurer."
At the words that suddenly began to fly back and forth, Rei could only stand there in utter amazement.