On the evening of April 22nd, ritter orders were massing within the fortress city of Tetrada.
The Klein Kingdom’s Second and Fourth Ritter Orders, as well as the Relief Ritter Corps and the Second magi-ritter corps, were all represented.
Though none had been as deeply embroiled as the Third Ritter Order, all of them had seen their battles brought to an abrupt and baffling end. Since there were no other fortress cities in the vicinity, they had naturally converged on Tetrada.
"The Kingdom of Franz’s army appears to have retreated to the border."
According to scouting reports, the Franz army was in a similar state of disarray, having lost their weapons and armor just as the Klein forces had.
"I see. Is that so?"
Viscount Bernardo Nephra Foster, commander of the Second Ritter Order, nodded. He was currently in command of the combined forces.
"In any case, we cannot wage war without equipment. Whether we retreat or advance, we must wait for word from the royal capital."
"Yes. Furthermore, interrogations of the captives have confirmed that the Unifilar was the mastermind behind this," Niclas Fahlheit replied.
"Hmph, so I’ve heard. And they are being escorted to the royal capital as we speak?"
"They are."
"Good. There is no urgent task now beyond emergency repairs to the damaged sections of the city walls. Have the men work through the night in shifts—and see that the commanders get some rest as well."
"Understood. I am grateful. Fahlheit, taking my leave."
"Good work."
Leaving the lord's Mansion—now serving as a makeshift headquarters—Niclas headed for the Relief Ritter Corps’ encampment alone, without an adjutant. He expected to find his daughter, Lishia Fahlheit, there.
"Ah, Baronet. Are you injured?"
As Niclas approached, a young guard ritter ran up to him. Since the Relief Ritter Corps was not particularly skilled in combat, they were accompanied by guard ritters for protection.
"No, I am off duty. I’ve come to see my daughter. Is Lishia Fahlheit here? If she is still on duty, I will return later."
The guard smiled broadly, then straightened his back and snapped to attention.
"Oh, so you are Lady Lishia's father! I am Pascoe Rush, the third son of House Rush. I owe Lady Lishia a great debt for healing my wounds the other day!"
He bowed deeply.
"I believe Lady Lishia is on a break right now, so please, go right in. It’s the third tent from the back."
"I see. Thank you."
Niclas thanked him and headed toward the tent where Lishia was staying.
＊ ＊ ＊
As the veil of night fell over Asunt, the capital of the Kingdom of Egerea, the King and the Third Prince were speaking in a room within the Royal Castle.
"Are you suggesting, Ernest, that those mysterious golems that saved us were Jin's creations?"
"Yeah. Their movements are distinctive. They move exactly like Lotte."
Prince Ernest answered with total confidence. However, the King lacked the eye to distinguish such nuances in golem movement.
"Hmm. I cannot tell the difference myself, but if you are so certain, perhaps it is true."
Though his expression remained troubled, the King accepted Ernest's word.
"But if that is the case, who on earth is Jin? To be able to create golems that can effortlessly crush enemies our forces couldn't even touch... I could understand it if it were that automata Reiko, since she is an artifact, but this time..."
"It’s no use overthinking it. Jin is my friend and this country's Honorary Magi Craftman. Isn't that enough?"
"Mmm, while that may be true, the Chancellor likely won't be satisfied with that."
The prince's assessment was almost exactly correct, but it was a chronic habit of those in politics to search for hidden agendas.
"Well, no matter. I must speak with the Chancellor. You go and stay with Catherine."
"Yeah, Mother must be feeling lonely."
Ernest nodded and left. In his place, the Chancellor, Marquis Boyd Norus Galueri, entered.
"Where did His Highness Ernest go?"
"I sent him to be with Catherine. She has been confined to her bed since the commotion."
The Chancellor nodded knowingly.
"Aha. His Highness is quite attached to Her Highness Queen Catherine, isn't he?"
"Indeed. Catherine treats the boy with genuine affection, despite his concubine-born status. As his father and husband, it brings me great peace of mind."
"I should imagine so... Now then, Your Majesty, straight to business."
The Chancellor spread his documents across the table.
"I know. This is about those who were identified as puppets of the Unifilar, isn't it?"
"Yes. Unfortunately, that information was accurate."
＊ ＊ ＊
"It appears the fighting has ceased," Laojun said to Anne as they reviewed the footage sent back by the Raptors.
"Yes, Laojun. My Lord’s plan worked perfectly."
"Indeed. According to reports from the Quinta investigating the battlefield, there were one hundred and nineteen fatalities. All occurred before we intervened."
"Even so, My Lord may still be troubled by it."
"Yes, that is quite likely. Therefore, we shall refrain from reporting this to him unless he specifically asks."
"Understood."
The conversation then turned to the Unifilar.
"Information from the Quinta has allowed us to locate what appears to be the Unifilar headquarters."
"Where is it?"
"It is an old ruin atop the Kashimnole Mine on the western shore of Azul Lake in the Celuroa Kingdom. We obtained the same information from the captured enemy magi, so there is no mistake."
Laojun had his mobile terminal, Laozi, display a map of the area.
"Let me see... ah, I see. It wouldn't be surprising to find an old Dinar Kingdom base in that area. They likely renovated it for their own use."
Anne possessed memories from the early Great Magic War. While Laojun had access to the same data, Anne’s direct mental link to her memories allowed her to utilize the information with greater intuition.
"I am currently dispatching ten Quinta to the area."
If this location was confirmed as the Unifilar headquarters, they might be able to resolve the conflict between the Allied Kingdoms in a single stroke.
"After all, it is far more efficient to crush the head than to worry about the limbs."
"Precisely. And finally, Master Reinhard seems to be staying at the supply base without further incident."
"Is that so? In that case, I have a proposal."
Laojun listened with interest.
"What is it?"
"I was wondering if we could take this opportunity, through Master Reinhard, to obtain combat patterns from soldiers—preferably ritter-class ones."
Laojun considered the suggestion.
"That is an excellent idea. We have very few motion samples for swordsmanship and martial arts. Master Reinhard has the aptitude for level 2 Trans Info, if I recall."
With that, Laojun summoned an available Quinta and dispatched it to Reinhard's location. If successful, this would significantly bolster Hourai Island's military strength.
And Reinhard would readily agree to the request.
＊ ＊ ＊
After leaving Astan with Golem 457 and Elena, Donald had taken a full day to reach the nearest secret base. Now, aboard a thermal balloon enchanted with Hide magic, they were drifting toward headquarters under the cover of night. Few would ever notice their passage.
Elena was communicating with the Unifilar headquarters using a device similar to a built-in manacam. When the transmission ended, she fell into a silent, deep thought.
"Elena, what’s wrong?"
Seeing her acting out of character, Donald grew curious.
"Are you thinking about Reinhard? He was certainly talented, but he’s no match for me. Besides..."
"Quiet. Hold your tongue for a moment."
"O-Okay."
Elena was actually thinking about Sage and Cosmos, the SP golems. She had dismissed them as failures, but in truth, she had recognized them as formidable foes. And then there was the golem user named Jin she had just heard about.
She had much to consider.
"Numbers, then," she murmured.
Elena recalled a memory from long ago, when she had been forced to retreat in the face of a collective force.
"Donald, as soon as we return, we are activating every golem unit we have."
"I understand, Elena."
The thermal balloon drifted at about fifteen kilometers per hour. It would be a few more hours before they reached home.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Nothing beats a meal shared with everyone!"
In the plaza in front of the Village Chief's house in Kaina Village, the villagers were enjoying a festive barbecue of freshly caught mountain deer and chilled alcohol. Sharing a heavy haul with the whole village was the Kaina way.
"This is delicious."
"Right?! Elsa, Mine, try some of this too."
Since freshly made smoked meat can be overly pungent, pre-made smoked meat was being served instead.
"This is a lovely flavor. You call it 'smoked meat'? The savory aroma really whets the appetite."
Elsa and Mine had joined the circle and were enjoying the festivities. In the midst of the merriment, Reiko leaned in and whispered to Jin.
"Father, Laojun has a report."
"I see. Is it about what happened afterward?"
Jin slipped away from the plaza. He pulled the manacam from his pocket and called Laojun.
"Laojun, let's hear the report."