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Walter Hellhound did not recklessly mobilize his army, but he was always prepared to send Rose to respond in case an unforeseen situation arose from the south.

For Walter, the decision to keep Rose by his side was truly a momentous one that required serious thought. There was no Jeongjae, no Jenis, and no Margaret. If Rose were to descend to the south, Walter would be left to guard the northern frontlines with only the talented yet inexperienced Alex and the capable but awkwardly commanding Phineas.

The Demon King’s Army’s Supreme Commander, the Gargoyle Queen Diana, seemed to have stepped back from the stage for a moment, but she was by no means completely out of the picture. While the Hero was forced to take a moment to regroup, the Demon King’s Army was regaining its strength from the aftermath of their previous defeat and buying time to replenish their forces. And in such cases, time almost invariably favors the defender over the attacker.

To Walter, the Gargoyle Queen’s diamond barrier appeared as high and solid as Rose’s iron fortress. The Hero sent a letter to the southern Jenis with a substantial request: “Is a significant reinforcement needed?” He received a reply today.

The Hero, with trembling hands, opened the Great Sage’s letter. Since realizing her vampiric lineage—or even before that—she had been more bold than usual in requesting support or planning.

Just how much support did she ask for this time? If Rose had to be sent south, how much territory would be yielded to the Demon King’s army? What kind of fortifications would need to be constructed to cover the terrain? The letter he tore open contained only two simple sentences that completely missed Walter’s expectations.

“No additional support needed. I will soon bring the vampire lord’s head as a gift.”

“Whoa…”

The Hero let out a slight sigh of relief and took off the glasses that were perched on her face as she placed them on her desk. At least one of his assumptions was correct—it was only natural to expect a message containing something quite audacious and bold.

According to the news Walter received, Jeongjae and Jenis seemed to be preparing for Dracula’s direct assault on Harriet’s Territory. They successfully executed an evacuation operation, relocating all the vassals from the Baron’s territory to the westerly Duke Jeffrey’s Territory, and despite the allied forces of the second front being pushed back nearly to Harker Count Territory, they did not step forward to provide direct support.

When Walter first heard this news, he thought perhaps Dracula was planning to reinforce Harriet’s Territory to prevent its attack. However, the large-scale evacuation of the vassals was not mere deception but a true temporary relocation to Duke Jeffrey’s Territory. Despite the escalating clashes between the alliance and the vampires, the two wizards maintained their silence, leading Walter to conclude that they were indeed confident that Dracula would directly attack Harriet’s Territory.

If that were true, and if Jenis’s letter he just opened contained not mere bravado but a concrete plan, the outcome of this battle would determine the course of history.

“Walter, Walter! It’s bad!”

Just then, Rose burst in with a frantic expression, interrupting Walter’s meditation, where he had momentarily closed his eyes. Even when the enemy might launch an attack, it was rare to see Rose so flustered, which startled Walter, causing him to spring up from his seat and draw his holy sword.

“What’s happening? Is it a surprise attack? What’s the scale? Are there enemy officers?”

“No, it’s not a surprise. For now, there’s no armed conflict, so you can put your sword away.”

Seeing the dazzling light from the holy sword, Rose instead became flustered and stopped Walter. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Walter sheathed his sword back at his side.

“Isn’t this an immediate situation we need to respond to?”

“It’s not a matter of urgency, or maybe it is, but I can’t assess it at all. You should just listen and figure it out yourself.”

“Alright, sit down.”

Walter pointed to a chair across from his desk. Rose trudged over and plopped down on the chair. After putting his glasses back on, the Hero asked.

“What happened? Why did you rush in here so urgently?”

“The elven scouts went pretty far today. It seems the Gargoyle Queen has completely abandoned the defenses of the nearby area and pulled her forces back.”

“That’s… not particularly big news.”

Rather than a remarkable revelation, this was closer to a logical and expected piece of news. Walter had thoroughly pushed through areas that favored defense with unyielding determination, reaching the end of the mountain range. Now, what stretched broadly to the north were mostly plain terrains. The reality was that there were no mountain paths or ambush terrains to hide the orc army. Although the Gargoyle Queen might not have given it much thought, the Succubus Queen, who was in command from the rear, would have certainly issued orders to withdraw her armies, perhaps allowing Walter’s advance a little leeway.

“The important part isn’t that.”

“Then what is it?”

“I found them. Ten of them.”

“Ten of what?”

“Dragons. Ten dragons! An elven scouting unit under Phineas confirmed they spotted ten dragons being tamed about 200 kilometers northeast. They were so scared they ran all night just to report it back here. Walter, this is no small matter.”

The tactical action of the elves venturing forth alone for 200 kilometers overnight was astonishing, but upon hearing the contents of the report, Walter could not hide his excitement and jumped up from his seat.

However, Rose could hardly read surprise in Walter’s expression. No, in Walter’s eyes, there was a resolve filled with foresight of ‘what was coming.’ Rose asked, trembling.

“Did you know?”

“I didn’t think there would be ten. This is crazy. Are you sure it was verified? They didn’t mix up dragons with a wyvern or something?”

“It was reported by the elven scouts. Ordinary people would likely doubt their findings, but how could the elite troops of Eramenia make such a minor mistake?”

“That’s true. I should consider that report accurate.”

Walter rummaged through his desk, pulling out a map of the continent containing the Northern Expedition plans. When he asked Rose to point out the area where the scouts found the dragons, the Crown Princess raised her finger and generally indicated the canyon between the Mounzhije Mountain Range and the Eastern and Western Mountain Ranges.

“I’m not sure of the exact location. But it should be around here. This spot is quite close to where we are, and also…”

“It can’t be that far from Eramenia.”

“Come on, no way.”

At Walter’s words, Rose made a face that indicated disbelief. But when Walter did not share in her moment of laughter and instead adjusted his glasses with a serious expression, Rose’s face began to turn pale.

“Walter, you’re not suggesting…”

“In order to get the dragons to listen, a justification of that magnitude is necessary.”

Walter spoke in a flat voice.

“No dragon likes the red dragons. But from what I know, there are quite a few dragons who would hold a grudge against Etrias for its death.”

“Walter! You’re not saying you sent Margaret to Eramenia…”

“Calm down, Rose. The enemy’s objective has been Eramenia from the beginning. However, had Margaret remained here, the dragons would not have boldly attacked Eramenia without going through a battle with the Northern Expedition. It’s ten of them, Rose. Ten. To confront ten dragons with just you, me, Jenis, and Margaret—there’s no guarantee we can win, and in that manner of fighting, there’s nothing to gain.”

“They’re gathering to attack Eramenia? And you knew this…?”

“I can’t tell if what I see is something from the near future or the distant future. But it seems to me it was closer than I thought. The scouting units are almost ready based on their stationed positions. ‘Taming’ represents the last phase of preparation.”

Though Walter’s voice was flat, his hands trembled. He was not free from the moral burden of having deliberately sent the second dragon slayer, who exists on this earth, back home while redirecting the dragons’ arrows towards Eramenia.

But this was a rational decision. The defenses of Eramenia were powerful. The powerful light mana shielding the Elf Kingdom prevented any demon from daring to infringe upon it.

Even if just one dragon were to attack, it would not inflict any damage on Eramenia. Ten? It is hard to consider that number as being organized to confront the Northern Expedition. From the start, they were a dragon legion organized to attack Eramenia.

If Margaret were still here, the Demon King would have a good excuse to deploy them to contend with the Northern Expedition. But in the current situation… even if the Demon King ordered his forces to attack Walter’s army, there would be no guarantee that these dragons would willingly obey his command.

The outcome would be the same. Eramenia would be attacked. It would simply be a matter of whether it occurred sooner or later.

“Why didn’t you say anything? What’s the reason for not announcing it?”

“Are you crazy? If I acknowledge that I predicted the dragons would attack Eramenia, the elf legion will retreat back home, sword or no sword. We wouldn’t have any offensive capability without them. I don’t even know when the scene I envisioned will unfold. Why would I send them back early?”

“Is there any thought of sending them back now?”

Walter closed his mouth. Both of them agreed on one fact. The current Northern Expedition plan was a massive gamble with overwhelming risk. If any adversities arose resulting in a large-scale retreat, and it concluded as an unfruitful expedition, humanity might not step foot on this land for the next ten years, or even decades.

What should be done? Should they announce the truth and permit the elves to return home? Or should they lie openly, hide the planned attack on Eramenia, and use Margaret’s orders as an excuse to keep the Eramenia troops held back? The elves are not fools. They will soon realize the implications of ten dragons stationed in that threatening location.

A lie in this situation would not remain a simple falsehood. It was a matter of grave importance that could fundamentally shatter the trust established between humanity and elves.

In a sudden outburst, Walter, who had been shaking all over, shouted.

“Phineas Marbellius! I know you can hear me, so just come in!”

“Then, excuse me.”

The deputy commander of Margaret, who had been outside the tent, slowly stepped inside according to Walter’s summons. Rose, who had not noticed his presence at all, flinched in surprise, but Walter glared at Phineas with tightly pursed lips.

“General. What do you intend to do?”

“What I intend?” Phineas said flatly.

“I received but one order from Princess Margaret: to obey the Hero’s command without fail. Any other information or knowledge holds no meaning for Commander Phineas of the Eramenia army.”

“Your homeland will burn. The dragons will breathe fire upon the forest, rushing to destroy the source of your sacred power. I have seen it. It will undoubtedly happen. I have found no way to stop it. Yet… regardless, will you follow what I say?”

“Let it burn.”

Phineas said. His voice remained calm, but there was a hint of agitation.

“If we can’t win now, it will happen eventually, sooner or later. Just let it burn. The forest recovers faster the earlier it is burned. Once it is burned, even the surviving old-folk will realize what the price is for not raising arms against the most malevolent powers while dismissing it as someone else’s problem.”

This was an answer that neither Walter nor Rose had expected. Both being caught off guard, Phineas chuckled slightly and added.

“Hero, do you really still not know Princess Margaret well?”

“She is… difficult to know, as one might expect.”

“In that case, I will recount her exact words when she took her leave: ‘From your expression, it looks like he witnessed my house burning. It’s no metaphor, General. He really saw it burning. It’s better to pretend to be unaware for now. Upon my return, I have my own preparations to make. So, Phineas Marbellius, no matter what threats may approach, even if the war flames soar in Eramenia, you must keep your post. Remember this: no matter what happens, you are to obey the Hero’s command without fail.’ Yes, she said exactly this. The princess spoke precisely those words.”

Walter, as if trying to block out the truth of what Phineas had spoken, closed his eyes tightly, covering his mouth with his hands. The commander of the Eramenia army bowed his head, positioning his feet straight towards the Hero.

“We are the legion who have followed Princess Margaret out of respect. No elf should entertain the thought of disobeying her. If there is one who does, let the Hero personally deal with that traitor with the holy sword. But I assure you, the holy sword will not need to spill elven blood. If the Hero commands us to forget about the dragons, everyone will forget. If you say to march towards Eramenia, regardless of whether it burns or not, everyone will advance.”

Phineas raised his head to meet Walter’s gray eyes directly. Now steadying himself, a deep thought of the ‘Sage Hero’ contemplating their future shadowed his features.

“That is the princess’s will, Hero.”

At the words of the elf general, the Hero nodded. The concept of respect is both significant and, at the same time, fearsome.

 

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