Chapter 163

Chapter 163

Anger was quickly subdued. Because the target of anger was wrong from the start.

His anger should be directed solely at one person. Until then, any kind of emotion should not be wasted meaninglessly.

Thanks for the information.

What for?

Ivan bowed his head to the man in front of him. Just giving this information alone meant that the fate of the Grand Duke had been decided.

The moment he revealed Alexanders contact, he was as good as submitting to Elizaveta.

I felt greedy too. Am I not a dwarf? That dwarf. Just like the current 2nd Legion, wouldnt I have been tempted by the dwarven military supplies back then?

The Crown Prince said so. He said he would hand over all the dwarven military facilities just by keeping the military rule and sitting tight. When he rules Krasilov, he will grant independence to the military rule.

Then why?

Military rule independence. That meant recognizing the colony as a fully independent country. If they also transferred the military facilities there, it wouldnt be a big problem economically.

An independent country combining the productivity of the demon military colony, the technological capabilities of the dwarven military facilities, and the military power of the 1st Legion. It even had the potential to surpass Krassilovs national body.

Wouldnt it be too sweet?

A sensible ruler would never offer such conditions in exchange for worship. Assuming he fulfills all those conditions, its one of the two.

Either hes a complete idiot or its a sweet trap.

Alexander is definitely not an idiot. If he were, it would have been impossible to continue the struggle with Elizaveta for a dozen years. Elizaveta was one of the most capable politicians in the country.

So if at the very least the Grand Prince didnt think Alexander was an idiot, then this was a trap. The Grand Duke realized the moment he became aware of Alexanders contact.

And he remained silent.

Prepare to set out when the dwarves actually step on Krasilovs border. He quietly waited at the Ministry of Military Affairs.

Several months passed like that.

But suddenly, isnt the 2nd Legion cooperating with the dwarves? I naturally thought Alexander had also contacted the 2nd Legion. Whats this? The 2nd Legion swore allegiance to the princess.

The Grand Duke chuckled and tapped the table lightly with his dry fingers.

So I hurriedly investigated, yes. You returned. Little Ivan. The crown princes brother-in law. When I loosened the reins a bit, werent the noble families of the royal family recently purged?

I immediately sent you a summons. Remember? It was right after those damn dwarves opened their gates. I clearly asked you to meet once, didnt I?

Thats right. I ignored it.

Ivan nodded quietly. The Grand Duke chuckled incredulously.

I wonder what my state of mind was. If the Counterintelligence Command had even half the Cleanup Unit back then, they could have anticipated Alexanders contact in advance, and then wouldnt I be classified as part of the crown prince faction in the central government?

Thats

I couldnt sleep at night.

The area under the Grand Dukes eyes was blurry.

If it were the little Ivan I know, no matter how well the colonial military rule is prepared, it wouldnt be difficult for them to come for my neck.

Please dont misunderstand.

Then why doesnt he come? Why ignore my letters on such a subject? What does it mean for the 2nd Legion to stockpile military supplies? Are they aiming at the rear of our 1st Legion?

The jurisdiction of the 2nd Legion is the Northern Front. To be precise, they are defending the area near the border, which was once the Northern Front.

And beyond that, across the mountains, there is the colonial military rule of the 1st Legion. Deep in the demon territories.

If the 2nd Legion were to block the border, the 1st Legion would be isolated in the demon territories. After the supplies are cut off, the 1st Legion would undoubtedly be torn apart by the demons.

Then just report directly to the Her Highness.

Your arm?

Its fine.

Performance?

Its about 30% recovered.

Look at this! Elizaveta was one of the few who could communicate effectively with Ivan; he never lied to her when answering quantitatively.

So asking if he could move was actually meaningless. As long as his limbs were attached, he was a man who moved.

Therefore, if you ask, you should ask about the physical functions quantitatively. But its 30%. Considering Ivans superhuman recovery ability, it means that even after a month of proper treatment, hes still not in perfect condition.

It was an injury severe enough that even the Saints healing would find complete recovery difficult. In fact, it was natural. When a person becomes such a wreck, mere four weeks of treatment cannot recover from the injury.

Moreover, that man even firmly refused medical treatment like healing potions. Foolishly. (Ivan never used healing potions on his allies, so he had no choice but to resist Elizavetas insistence.)

Its 30%. And the danger of the big-eared tribe in Kalion is ten times no, a hundred times greater than the knights in Tylesse! Challenging a stronger military force with reduced power, what kind of military strategy is that?!

But, Your Highness. We cannot abandon Alexander. The consequences are endless.

Dont you know why my brother slipped into Kalion?

Elizaveta sighed deeply as she spoke.

That traitor has already lost all his bases inland! The impulsive plan in Drovian, it failed. The Dwarven civil war? It failed! And even the rebellion in Tylesse failed! Who would willingly sponsor someone who has only seen failure in his attempts at overthrowing the country three times in a row?

At this point, the support base should collapse entirely. The reason the elves helped him? That was obvious. Because theyre elves.

Elves fundamentally dislike peace. (Its true.)

Because in peace, and in a stable situation, they cannot gain any benefits. As chaos intensifies, elven diplomacy becomes sharper.

Perhaps the reason they helped the United Kingdom was because they judged that otherwise, the Alliance would exterminate the demons too quickly.

Elizaveta was almost certain. They were the most unbelievable race in the world, so it wasnt strange to want to use the repeated failures of Alexander as leverage.

Who knows. Maybe someday theyll use Alexander to incite Tylesse again.

So you must absolutely, absolutely, never leave this country. This isnt a request, its an order!

There was even a way to invade with a military force in Tylesse. But even that was a diplomatic absurdity that Ivan had committed, thinking he was dead.

Once would have been enough. Losing this man.

Kalion can only be accessed by sea route. And there is no naval power in Krasilov. Moreover, there are no flying mounts, so all sea routes are blocked in winter.

The only way she could contact Kalion was through the trade route via Tylesse. Since it was impossible to lead military forces through that route, Kalion was truly another world.

It was a task that could never be tolerated.

I understand your command.

Ivan nodded quietly.

Elizaveta tried to comfort him with various words, her expression softened, but Ivan just nodded silently without continuing the conversation.

He was a trained agent, so he didnt repeat his failures twice.

Once would have been enough. Missing the enemy right in front of you, and watching longtime friends dying.

He was a reasonable person, so he didnt try to persuade the stubborn young woman in her late twenties.

That was impossible even in his Earth days. Since he had never succeeded in love even once in his Earth days, he didnt know how to persuade women.

Moreover, the extermination unit does not persuade.

As he once recalled. Only to prove.

*

I should prepare smuggling ships heading to Kalion.

And thats my specialty again!

Elpheira finally laughed brightly.