Chapter 337

Episode 337 With These Hands (1)

─Is the West over?



A general meeting was held over the unprecedented situation. It was an emergency position created by replacing available wizards.

─Three cities have disappeared, but what is the end?

─To begin with, the fall of those three is not yet certain. It could be that you simply don’t have the resources to contact them. It would be better to refrain from making assertions.

─Oh... I don’t know. I think it is too optimistic to think that no news is good news now that even Daesinjeon has lost contact.

As it was a hastily created place, the number of people illuminated by magic was small. This is because not all cities have magic towers, and even if they do, there are not many cities that can immediately provide the resources needed to transmit illusions in real time.

─Don’t waste time making useless speculations when you don’t have time. The information I have received so far is the loss of contact with the Great Temple and the nearby city of Corsata Mernes Santero, as well as distress signals from Encuman and Mardelphia.

─Wasn’t only three cities attacked...

─Also... Oh, there’s one more news.

─What is it?

─...It is said that Mardelphia has fallen. It is said that survivors are being evacuated to other cities due to irreparable damage, and this news was also conveyed through the testimony of survivors who arrived in other cities.

─What about Enkuman?

─There is no news, but it does not seem to be much different from Mardelphia.

In that respect, it would be lucky to be able to hear all of their conversations. Isn’t it just luck in that it creates a sense of useless debt?

I crossed my arms behind Soseongju’s consideration. I don’t know why, but the castle owner can’t even see his nose, and there are only the pale-looking Inquisitor and other people next to me. These are the people who heard the story while preparing the place and came running.

─So the Western Front has completely collapsed? How far has the wire been pushed? Is it to the point where it goes beyond Giodiva and into the Kenyak and Porsen regions?

─It is inevitable that something happened when all the attention was focused on the eastern part...

─It may be that the problem did not explode when all the attention was focused on the eastern part, but that they focused attention on the eastern part in order to make something explode.

The longer the conversation continues, the more pale the Inquisitor’s face becomes. I couldn’t help but notice the pitiful appearance. It wasn’t noticeable, but the frequency was frequent glances.

“...Are you okay, Inquisitor?”

“It’s okay.”

But the Inquisitor doesn’t even notice that. This means that the fall of Daesinjeon had a huge impact.

“I’m fine....”

Ever since I came here without any hesitation, the impact has been so great that I haven’t even been aware of my existence.

─What is the situation in Munmund?

“...Thanks to the actions of warriors and heroes, the crisis has been averted.”

─Do you need more reinforcements?

Meanwhile, the topic of conversation briefly turned to Munmund. So Seong-ju’s eyes, which had been silent, are tinged with inconspicuous envy. According to the flow of the conversation, it was not surprising that the support supplies that were supposed to come to this city were leaving to the west.

“...In the face of the risk of a region collapsing, we should not only take care of the safety of this land.”

However, if you insist on supporting until the end in this situation, you will be treated as a traitor to humanity. So Seong-ju appeared to take a step back under implicit pressure.

“However, if we focus only on the west, we cannot allow the unfortunate event of the eastern front being breached. “There is no guarantee that the cunning demons were only targeting Seongdonggyeokseo.”

However, I didn’t back down too much. He secured the most necessary resources through appropriate justification and concessions from his opponents, which he obtained by making concessions first. It was food and medicine.

“Isn’t it difficult to send food to the West anyway? “I don’t know if it doesn’t rot like armor or weapons.”

─If the North provides food aid to the West and we provide aid to the North, food will also be delivered...

“If you do that, we will give up food. Please send someone instead. “If we send only twenty people per city, it will be enough.”

─...Don’t you know best that there is no point in gathering soldiers from different affiliations together?

“That kind of thing depends on the commander’s capabilities. Also, when did I ask you to send troops? “I asked you to send someone.”

In the process, he also took advantage of some human resources. I’m not sure if they were aiming for it from the beginning or if they found it through an opportunity.

Several eastern castle lords looked embarrassed as they had been ripped off due to a mistake in speaking.

─Are people really necessary...?

“Deaths from battle are not only deaths, but the loss of non-combat personnel due to the plague spread by gluttony is significant. “Especially the manpower to repair the broken walls and repair the damaged materials.”

Even now, the manpower that Soseongju requires is not at the level of common technicians. The owners of the city, which was so close that it would surely be torn apart, turned pale.

─A plague spread by gluttony...

However, before they could not withstand the pressure and say yes, someone intervened. He was wearing the flowing robes that wizards usually wear, so his racial characteristics were clearly visible.

feather. And smooth flesh. It was clearly a Qureity tribe. A Qureity who stands out to the point where it’s strange that I didn’t recognize him until now.

─That’s a strange story. If those with great power do not fight for humanity, what is that power for?

“If you do it, I’ll ask you. If you try to use that enormous power without paying the right price, will that entity be willing to accept it? Even castle lords like us enjoy many rights in return for fulfilling our duties as rulers.”

While I was clenching my fists under the pressure and sense of useless responsibility, the story took another thematic upheaval. The topic this time was devotion without compensation.

─But....

“Don’t try to force him. Since we are indebted to him, this city will fully cooperate with his wishes.”

Naturally, one part of my heart became heavier. I was just debating whether I should step forward or not, so I have no choice. At least I was able to breathe a little better because Soseongju said that.

“....”

Even so, the relief from breathing is short-lived.

I saw a young man who would carry the world on his back the moment I stopped. She didn’t see my presence till the end and that made my tongue bitter even more.

─Are you threatening me?

“I’m sorry if that sounded like a threat.”

─I know you are the master of Munmund, but this is outrageous...!

─Now, now. Let’s postpone this story until later. I don’t think there’s any need to discuss right now whether or not to respect an individual’s opinion.

─Lord Charcot!

─One more news about trends in the West has arrived. Are you not going to listen to it?

If I had openly asked for help, I wouldn’t have felt as much of a prick.

─Even though it has been revealed that the real culprit of this disaster is one of the great evils, and there is a strong possibility that it is Arrogance, the person known for nothing other than anger?

I closed my eyes again as the entity that Anger had most seriously warned against was mentioned. Don’t follow me. I felt deep regret.

* * *

─White Crow, what do you think about this disaster?

The magic tower lord of Klevech glanced up at his nickname mentioned. On one side of the large hall where he is, the North Conference is standing with a doll, and in the corner, the East Conference is being projected by magic.

“It’s an opportunity in a crisis.”

─Opportunity in crisis?

“No matter how sharp the devils’ teeth are, wouldn’t it hurt their spirit if they chewed and ripped something?”

It is not easy to control and think with a doll that is magically connected to your own body at the same time. Despite this, the white crow did it very naturally.

“It’s because it’s so consumptive that it requires a huge amount of resources each time the blade is sharpened.”

─I would like to ask for an accurate explanation....

“I am saying that their latest sortie must have been a bloody attack from their perspective as well.”

It was too easy for him to think like he was talking about a situation that was clearly visible. Even if the two things overlap, it is easy to do.

“Otherwise, there is no way I would have attempted this now. “If it could have been used at any time, humanity would have been defeated long ago.”

─Is it heartbreaking... But due to this incident, the front line has been pushed back significantly. It’s a huge loss for us too.

“Well, is that really true?”

─...?

“I wonder if a front without troops to maintain it can also be called a front.”

─...No troops to maintain?

“Hehe... This is still just a rumor, so I’m not sure. “After more testimony and evidence comes out... I don’t think it will be too late to tell you then.”

However, there are questions that cannot be resolved even with this thinking.

“However, I will not take back the statement that it is still an opportunity in a crisis. To be honest, the main shrine served as a sacred place of faith rather than functioning as the center of an actual temple, right? “At least in the North.”

─...I will not deny it. The northern temples often move independently.

“In that respect, the destruction of the Great Temple will affect the faith of the priests and instill a desire for revenge... which will lead to an increase in combat power. Additionally, the cities in the west are accustomed to the protection of the Great Temple, so there are not many cities that are good at fighting. “No matter how many cities were blown up, humanity’s actual military power did not decline.”

─On the other hand, if your guess is correct, the devil has thrown its expendable teeth into the West...

“Now that gluttony is dead, if lust is also killed, there will be no obstacles blocking the northern front. If we exclude the sloth of the South, the only thing left in the Demon City is arrogance and Satan. “If this isn’t an opportunity, what is?”

Even though he couldn’t know this, what was Oman thinking when he moved like this? What picture does his cunning paint?

“If we do not fall prey to the devil’s cunning tricks, the war that has lasted for thousands of years will end in our generation.”

The white crow laughed heartily as he looked at the riddle assigned to him.

A battle of wits that risked each other’s lives. It was the best entertainment among the several entertainments that Oman gave us as a gift.