Chapter 396 Similar But Different

Three days had passed since the Summit Meeting. With Anthony and the Princes, Basil was waiting for Iliana's return from the 27th Obelisk in the palace.

Although Basil had already foreseen the result of the investigation from the beginning, he didn't prevent Anthony from sending Iliana to investigate the Obelisk. It was, of course, done to avoid any suspicion that Anthony might have towards him for his knowledge.

"Father, do you think it is really a wise choice for you to send six Legions for the Alliance Army? The rest of the Kingdoms only send five, don't they?" Cameron, the Third Prince, asked.

"It is very rare for someone like you to doubt your capability in things like this," Anthony remarked.

Cameron shook his head faintly and glance at Basil standing on the left side of Anthony. "I think you should assign all of us under Master Basil and send your top four Legion Commanders with their Legions."

"You shouldn't worry, Cameron. Although you are given the title of Legion Commander, you will still be accompanied by an experienced Legion Commander, so you don't blunder."

"What about the number, Father?" Edward asked.

"Although being the only one amongst your siblings to have six Magic Circles is commendable, it doesn't instantly make you exceptional, Edward. I get your confidence—you work well with Basil, but we are not going to only help ourselves on the battlefield."

"The Elf—are the five of us needed to support the Elf army?" Edward lightly frowned. "Isn't that going to be a little bit of a waste?"

Anthony laughed faintly, surprising Edward slightly. "No, my son. The five of you will be needed to aid the rest of the Alliance Army. The Legion Basil leads will be on the frontline, aiding the Elf to defeat the Obelisk Master."

Since the establishment was quicker than anyone had ever expected, the Alliance Army, which was named Henosis, was determined to conquer the Obelisk so an Outbreak could be prevented.

Out of the 31 Legion (humans) and 15 Cohorts (Elves) in Henosis, only 2 Legions and 5 Cohorts would be sent inside the Dungeon. From Anthony's words, it was clear that the five Princes wouldn't partake in the conquest of the 27th Obelisk.

"I told you to join Henosis because I want all of you to experience how harsh the world is and how heavy the burden of your comrade's life is. Basil will be paired with someone from Frachtenhein later; so, naturally, I can't just send you with him."

The two Legions that were chosen to conquer the Obelisk were the Legion that Basil commanded and the one that Cyane commanded. Their task was to aid the Elf to the best they could to defeat Dantalion.

Although from the Summit Meeting they had all agreed to make the upcoming problem their problem instead of the Elf's problem, from the way they put the Elf on the frontline, it was clear that those in the most troublesome spot had the most responsibility.

The Elf might be stronger than humans in general; however, still, expecting them to do most of the work was absurd. The Elf's population was barely a third of the human, which was the reason why they had Cohorts instead of Legions.

A Cohort only consisted of 500 soldiers. Five Cohorts wouldn't do much to the Demons in the Obelisk no matter how stronger the Elf was compared to the human.

Due to the good relationship they had with the Elf, Anthony assigned Basil and the Legion he led to aid them. By doing it, he hoped they would be able to minimize the casualties on the Elf's side when the conquest began.

Pitter-patter.

"Commander Iliana and her Legion have arrived!"

As the guard opened the gate to the palace, Iliana and her Legion came in. The people who watched their entrance instantly noticed the solemn mood she and her soldiers had.

"First Legion Commander, Iliana, reporting to the King!" Upon arriving before Anthony, Iliana immediately knelt.

"Please, be at ease, Commander. Let me hear the result of your investigation," Anthony said calmly.

Standing up straightly, Iliana looked at Anthony stoically after taking off her helmet. Being 188 centimetres tall, the height difference between Anthony and her was negligible, which made Anthony somehow feel weird.

He didn't feel weird being shorter than Basil, but he still couldn't get used to the fact that he was almost the same height as Iliana.

"We couldn't measure nor could we sense the Mana Flow of the Obelisk, Your Majesty."

"Yes?" Anthony blinked his eyes in bafflement. "Please, elaborate," he said with a frown.

"We couldn't approach the Obelisk. There is a weird creature guarding it, which I am afraid is Chimaera. We didn't dare to bet, so we immediately retreated the moment it blasted us with its pressure."

"Chimaera…"

Anthony believed Iliana's judgement, but he couldn't help laughing in amusement. Chimaera was, after all, another disastrous Mythological Monster that could bring hell upon the world.

Chimaera had the head of a goat, the body of a lion and a serpent as its tail. Although its size was nothing compared to Dragons or Scylla, the five metres tall Monster was fearsome enough to make Scylla think twice before bothering it.

"It is a fake one—don't worry," Basil said suddenly, surprising the people.

"Yes? What do you mean it is fake?" Anthony asked, puzzled.

"The real Chimaera had been killed a long time ago. Any Chimaera that may walk on this world is artificial," Basil explained. "I believe it is Dantalion's attempt to shy us away. Still, I won't suggest us underestimate the power of the artificial Chimaera."

"We are confident in our prowess but not obnoxious. Such a thing will never happen," Anthony assured. Clearing his throat, he apologetically said, "Kuhum! I am sorry to inform you of this, but you have to depart with Professor Basil in the afternoon, Commander Iliana."

"Ah, I have foreseen that. It is to have the first mixed training of Henosis Army, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Since there are still a few hours before your departure, you can take your time to rest." Sighing lightly, Anthony added, "Sorry for sending you on another trip after returning from one."

"What can I say? It's my job as the Kingdom's slave," Iliana replied nonchalantly, causing Anthony to smile wryly. "Well, can I leave this place already? I want to meet the people who are under my command."

Anthony nodded his head lightly, prompting Iliana to turn around and dismiss her soldiers, which she did by waving her hand dismissively. Her soldiers were already used to it, but the people who saw the scene for the first time were dumbfounded.

Uncaring of the look she got, she walked towards Basil and dragged him by his hand. Soon after, the two disappeared from the palace.

The King was asking himself if he should be okay treated like that, meanwhile, the Princes were wondering if the Pacifer couple had any respect towards the Royalty in the very first place.

In the end, still, they shook their head in amusement and then busied themselves with their activities. The King had his matters and the Princes had to prepare for their departure to Padeitophys, where the mixed training was conducted.

…

"How is the investigation on your side, Basil?"

"It is finished already."

"So, that means you already have located all of them?"

"Seventy-eight of them."

"That is a lot…"

Basil and Iliana were conversing as they walked around the garden that they had built behind their mansion. They were talking about the plan Basil would execute during the conquest of the 27th Obelisk.

"Is Ione going to join us too?"

"No, I have asked Anthony to keep her away from the battlefield."

Stopping in her tracks, Iliana looked at Basil in suspicion. "Did you accidentally impregnate her?" she asked solemnly.

Basil immediately flicked Iliana's forehead and neutrally said, "Don't slander my name, please. I don't plant my seeds in any media I can see." Sighing lightly as Iliana rubbed her forehead, he added, "It is for that plan."

"Hm… is it really necessary for us to hasten everything?" Iliana wondered. "It has only been slightly more than a year. You said it yourself—everything would be fine for, at least, three years."

"Iliana," Basil called solemnly as he looked into her eyes. "Are you getting comfortable with your current life? Have you forgotten we have enemies lurking behind our back, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike?"

"I… I am just…"

Iliana wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the right words to explain it. She got frustrated, so she hugged Basil for emotional support.

Basil enveloped her in his embrace and then waited until she spoke again, which wasn't that long. She always got comfortable whenever she was in his hug.

"After spending years living here, I have met quite a lot of people. Some of them became enemies and some of them became friends. The ratio is 1:5. 1 for the enemies and 5 for the friends."

Looking up, Iliana continued, "For the home of the bastards that will roast our arses for our identity, that ratio is surprising, no? It makes me wonder if I will be able to kill the 5 just because of the 1."

Iliana stopped speaking, but her eyes were asking, 'How about you, Basil.' The one in question didn't even think as he said, "There are only two types of people in this world: those who stand in my way and those who mind their business. I will cut the former without a second thought."

"I see," Iliana muttered as she buried her face in Basil's chest. "You are strong, aren't you? I don't think I won't get a nightmare after killing the idiots in my Legion."

Caressing Iliana's head, Basil softly said, "Sheep only follow their shepherd's lead without asking where they are going. Because of that, they end up in an abattoir."

"When our identity is revealed, the people who know us will be given two choices: to follow the shepherd or make their own way. That day will decide who they are—a sheep or a human that is capable of thinking."

Slightly pushing Iliana back to look at her face, Basil added, "Those who know us will stand on our side and those who don't will oppose us. There is no need for you to feel sad for the latter; instead of you, after all, they believe hearsay more."

Basil thought of the Kinslayers he had managed to locate. His other plan was to recruit them to his side by using his identity.

In the future, he would only see two types of people: those who supported him and those who misunderstood him. With the Kinslayers and the Pacifer on his side to support him, he was ready to cut the people who misunderstood him.