Chapter 442: The Hopeless Gap of Military Strength

Chapter 442: The Hopeless Gap of Military Strength

“Whew... this should be everything...”

As Asley muttered to himself in his room in the Eddo Silver Mansion, a Telepathic Call rang in his head.

[Asley, it’s me.]

[Warren? What’s the matter?]

[The selection process for the Duodecad’s bodyguards has been completed, so I thought I’d give you a report.]

[Oh, I see. I also happen to have some business with you, so I’ll go over there right away.]

[No, that would not be...] “...Necessary.”

The room’s door slid open, revealing Warren the Black Emperor, startling Asley with his uninvited appearance.

“Hello there.”

“Uh, do you REALLY have to show up here in person...?”

“I’ve never hung out at a friend’s house before, you see — always wanted to experience it at least once.”Th.ê most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m

Warren cracked a smile, and Asley did as well — although the latter was also twitching with annoyance.

And then Warren noticed the box that Asley was holding.

“Is that... what I think it is?”

“Oh, uh-huh? Maybe?”

“Then I’ll keep it with me, if you don’t mind.”

“I didn’t say exactly what it is, though...?”

“And you think I don’t already know?”

Asley kept his lips sealed in response to Warren’s rhetorical question, seeming somewhat grumpy — perhaps due to jealousy at Warren’s ability to see through everything hidden, an ability that could very much be considered a talent.

“Now, no need to think about it too deeply, Asley — you have a talent that no one else has.”

Warren said as he accepted the box from Asley.

“Me? Talent? Hah, very funny.”

“I was referring to your insatiable mind for the arcane arts, of course.”

“You think that’ll be useful during our fight against the Devil Kign’s army?”

“Rather than during the fight, I was thinking AFTER... Or is now not a good time to discuss that?”

Asley was at a loss for words at how Warren, seemingly playing dumb, had just started talking about what to do after the battle against the Devil King.

After all, he was talking so casually about a future Asley had not yet even thought about at all.

“What kind of life would you like to lead in the future, Asley?”

“T-that’s... I don’t have time to think about that now...!”

“You don’t? Then what is it that you are fighting for?”

“Well, obviously, to defeat Lucifer...”

Sensing the hesitation in Asley’s voice, Warren chuckled.

“In other words, for a peaceful world, yes?”

“Well, yes. That’s right.”

“Hehehe... I’m glad to hear that you are fighting for the peace of the world, Asley. Really, I’m VERY glad.”

Warren nodded in agreement and continued explaining,

“She and the Heavenly Beasts will mainly be a hit-and-run unit. They have both the speed and strength to handle any danger.”

“Wait, so the main force will be...”

“Teams Silver, Silveer General, Eddo Boars — the best of their best. The one leading them all will be... Sir Bruce.”

Asley tightly clenched his fists.

It did not matter how strong Bruce was — being the first to clash with the enemy was extremely risky.

Bruce — one of his best friends — had been asked to lead the charge. Naturally, Asley was worried about his safety — deeply upset and intensely confused as to how he should react.

“They all laughed, you know.”

“Huh?”

“Sir Blazer, Miss Betty... and even Sir Bruce himself.”

“But why...?”

“They said it was a great honor — to be the very first ones to clash with the enemy without anyone getting in their way.”

“You’re lying.”

“THEY likely were. They laughed as they said that, after all.”

“Yeah, I mean, they never really were ones to care about this so-called honor...”

“Sometimes, it is what one must cling to in order to act.”

“...They can really be a caring bunch even at a time like this... Damn it...”

Both Asley and Warren cracked the same dry smile.

They must not lose focus for even a moment. On the battlefield, it would be no surprise who was killed at any given moment.

The two looked at each other, that thought weighing heavily on their conscience.

“So... what are our numbers?”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll get a good laugh out of this...”

“You know what? Never mind.”

“Considering your position, it is imperative that you know.”

“Wow. That sucks.”

“......Mages and their Familiars total at around two thousand.”

“Shit.”

“You’ll probably be swearing even harder when you hear how much the enemy has.”

“You know that!?”

Asley stood up and grabbed Warren by the collar his his shirt.

“We have just received the information from our scouts, yes.”

Asley clenched his fists.

As Asley waited for the answer, Warren adjusted his glasses and spoke in his usual tone — but with an unusually serious look in his eyes.

“The Devil King’s army’s numbers... is about a hundred million.”

Asley’s eyes were instantly filled with despair, all his movements ceasing as if time had stopped.

The gap in military strength between the two sides was, indeed, far too great.