Once the monster was gone from behind them, Ramune, one of the Imperial Six Knight Generals, dropped to his knees and drew in a ragged breath. The sheer, suffocating tension proved too much; he began coughing violently, until he finally heaved and vomited onto the dirt.
"What was that...?"
Beside him, Kirki—another of the Imperial Six Knight Generals—squeezed out the words as she collapsed onto her backside. Every current member of the Six Knight Generals had been bestowed a special title by His Majesty the Emperor. Kirki was the War Princess, a ferocious warrior said to rival even the holy knights of the Hero's party in one-on-one combat. Seeing a woman of her stature reduced to such a humiliating state was, quite frankly, a first.
"Just like Lord Four, he's a monster beyond human comprehension."
Ramune managed the reply as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
Kirki staggered to her feet, leaning heavily against a nearby tree.
"His Majesty's orders were to persuade him to join the Six Knight Generals, weren't they?"
"Do you think that's possible?"
At Ramune's question, Kirki closed her eyes and shook her head vehemently.
"Not a chance. At least, I don't have the stomach for it. Or rather, I'm too terrified to even try."
She stated it flatly, wearing a dead-serious expression he had never seen on her face before.
"I agree."
Besides, that parting shot—"Don't make me angry. Don't displease me"—was no bluff; it was dead serious. And his threat to crush them was just as real, backed by unshakeable confidence. One wrong move, and the Empire would find itself at war with that monster.
If Lord Four could win, that would be one thing. Having felt Lord Four's ruinous power in their very bones, Ramune and the others desperately wanted to believe in his victory. Yet merely recalling that bottomless magic that had warped the very atmosphere behind them an instant ago completely shattered any confidence in such an outcome.
There was one thing they could declare with absolute certainty: that creature was an inhuman entity with zero regard for human life. One could never expect human mercy from such a being. If they angered him or rubbed him the wrong way, an entire nation could easily be wiped off the map.
"What's the plan, then?"
"It's obvious. Our mission is to observe and persuade him. But the time isn't ripe for persuasion. For now, all we can do is watch."
"A-Are you insane?! I refuse to stay anywhere near that monster for another second!"
She meant every word. Hugging herself tightly with both arms, she screamed with a look of pure desperation.
"His Majesty's orders are absolute. If we tuck tail and run back now, Lord Four will execute us for treason. Our only option is to observe him."
At the very least, they needed proof that Lord Four stood a chance. If he didn't, Ramune and Kirki would be exterminated like pests. In fact, a quick death at the hands of an inhuman fiend would be a mercy; the worst fate would be being denied even death, trapped instead in a living hell.
"Didn't you just say you couldn't possibly persuade him?!" Kirki shouted.
"I did," Ramune said, revealing his true thoughts. "Persuasion is impossible right now. All we can do is take his measure."
Suggesting he join the Empire's Six Knight Generals without knowing if Lord Four could beat him was sheer madness. That would only provoke him into annihilating them—and the entire empire along with them.
That was why they needed hope: proof that Lord Four could stand on equal footing with him. If Lord Four could hold his own, persuasion might still be on the table.
"And if Four can't win?"
"Then I'll convince the Empire to leave him alone."
If they hammered home just how dangerous that creature truly was, even their fearless Emperor would have second thoughts. They had no choice but to believe that.
"And if you fail to convince the Emperor?"
"Simple. I'll turn tail and run."
That bastard Zignir had the right idea when he fled. When faced with a monster like that, dropping out early was by far the happier choice.
"Ugh! I finally climbed the ranks, earned the title of War Princess, and thought I'd finally put all those bastards who looked down on me in their place... and this is how it ends?!"
Kirki let out a heavy sigh, looked up at the sky, and bit her lower lip hard.
"For now, our job is to observe him. Got it?"
There was no way Babel had placed Ramune and Kirki on the same team as that monster by mere coincidence. Nine times out of ten, the higher-ups at Babel had a rough idea of what he was capable of. This was Babel's way of checking the Empire—a clear warning that crossing him would mean mutual destruction.
At the very least, whoever drew up these team rosters wanted to keep the Empire from provoking a war with that monstrous entity. It was proof that Babel hadn't fallen entirely under his thumb yet. If so, they probably wouldn't restrict Ramune and Kirki's movements in the city. There were plenty of ways to handle this. All that mattered now was their own nerve.
"Fine. My mind's made up too."
After closing his eyes tight and steeling his resolve, Ramune forced his heavy legs forward, heading in the direction the monster had gone.