CH 550

Delphin Izzard

We weren't close friends, but we were classmates, and ever since the deserted island mission, she had been kind to me. She was someone who was supposed to survive until the end, but one of the main heroines had died. It was such a futile end.

Now that Ludwig had become incapable of fighting, there was a high probability that he would no longer be involved in battles. If, in the original work, Ludwig, who was supposed to lose his life, would survive in a place unrelated to fighting due to this turn of events, would that be a good thing?

Since I've taken on Ludwig's role, shouldn't he be allowed to survive? I couldn't know how Ludwig's vacancy would manifest itself or whether, as it stood, he would lose his role in the war. Or perhaps he would still try to fight.

But in that case, Ludwig would likely die with a high probability. Trying to fight with his left hand after losing his right arm would be foolish. I hoped he wouldn't dream of such a thing, but I couldn't predict how reality would unfold.

I had heard the shocking news about the Royal Class, and in the end, I couldn't be the only one to know. Harriet, Liana, and Charlotte – their expressions couldn't help but darken when they heard the news about the Royal Class.

Upon hearing of Delphin's death and Ludwig's injury, Charlotte cried for a long time. To her, they were classmates from the same B-class, so she couldn't treat their stories as someone else's. Harriet couldn't hold back her tears, and Liana was at a loss for words.

But we couldn't just be sad. We had to move on, and there was too much to do to stand still. We had to swallow our tears.

I consciously tried not to think or mention the events surrounding the Royal Class. Although it wasn't as if we had promised not to mention it, none of us brought it up.

------

The allied forces would spend the winter in Serandia. We could have resolved the climate issue, but Liana's ability took a toll on her heart every time she used it.

Since we couldn't always help the allied forces, it was fine for them to spend the winter in Serandia. Not only the climate, but they also needed time to reorganize and regroup after the large-scale battle.

One couldn't forget someone's death just because winter passed, but we hoped to overcome it. "For the time being, there will be no activity for the allied forces, so we won't have any either."

It was winter, and if the allied forces didn't move, we wouldn't have a reason to move either. It seemed paradoxical, but even during a war, there would be a few months of rest. The allied forces would take this time to reorganize, upgrade the Titan, and try to quell the shock, fear, and sadness caused by the many deaths.

"Your Highness, do we not need a countermeasure for the Titan?"

"A countermeasure?"

"Yes."

It was Antirianus who spoke. "Only the Lord of Tuesday has seen the Titan directly, but from what I've heard, it's as big as a mountain and can crush hundreds of monsters with just one step. Isn't there a chance that it could turn towards us?"

"First of all, they don't even know our location. Even if they did, would the Titan really be able to cross the ocean and come all the way here?"

Whether the Titan was big enough to walk across the ocean, I couldn't be sure, but it probably couldn't. 

"Isn't there always a 'what if' in the world?"

"Hmm..."

Even though we're helping the alliance now, it's true that we don't know when a war might break out.

Suppose I have to fight a Titan.

Me, fighting a golem as massive as a mountain.

Just imagining it makes me feel insignificant.

Come to think of it, there was a similar game.

"I think it wouldn't be bad if we had a weapon similar to a Titan..."

At Antirianus' words, I sighed.

I understood why he would say such a thing.

"You don't just want something like a Titan, do you?"

"…Well, isn't it fascinating? A colossal golem that has never existed in the world before."

Wow.

Looking at the expression on the old man's face, like he's been caught, something seemed to come up from deep within him.

Is this a joke?

No, how can this old man speak of such things with the mindset of approaching a toy, as if he were a child?

Has dementia finally set in?

I had my suspicions, but is it true?

"Harriet, can we make something like a Titan?"

"If we have blueprints and materials, there's nothing we can't make. But we don't have blueprints, and even if we did, we don't have the materials."

"What about using the existing Titan's parts..."

"Shut up, old man. I have no intention of making or stealing something like a Titan."

"What a shame…"

Antirianus seemed to be genuinely disappointed by my response.

"If you suddenly steal control of a Titan and do something like that, I'll make sure you truly experience the feeling of having your neck sliced by a divine sword. Stop fooling around."

At my harsh words, Antirianus chuckled and nodded.

You can't trust this old man to know what he'll do next; it's impossible to feel at ease.

"But Your Majesty, Antirianus' suggestion that we need a countermeasure against the Titan does seem reasonable."

Sarkegaar, who had finally returned to Edina, joined the conversation due to Antirianus' useless remark.

"Why should we fight something like that? It's monsters without intellect that charge at things like that. We have intellect and can think. If a Titan is in front of us, we should flee, not confront it."

"What if a Titan crosses the sea and comes here? We can't abandon this place."

"Why are you like this too, sister!"

"No, am I wrong? I'm right, aren't I?"

In the end, Olivia also deeply sighed, as if she had a mountain of worries.

Although we anticipate that we might clash with the empire in the future, why does everyone accept it as an established fact?

But still...

What if?

Suppose a war breaks out, and the issue of mobilization time is resolved.

Let's say a Titan crosses the continent and attacks Edina.

What then?

Titans would have defensive measures as formidable as their offensive weapons, right?

I can't do anything like cutting down a mountain, and neither can anyone here.

Do we have to smash it with a meteor?

My thoughts shifted towards needing a countermeasure against the Titan as well.

"… Assuming we can't use spatial teleportation, a Titan wouldn't be able to come here either."

The one who gave the answer wasn't me but Charlotte.

"… Huh? Why can't it come?"

"I haven't seen it myself, but the Titan is huge, right?"

"Yes, incredibly so."

"Could such a massive creature really cross the sea properly? It would be fortunate if it isn't swept away by the currents and shattered. Don't underestimate the sea."

"…Is that so?"

"Besides, we have merfolk."

"What do merfolk have to do with the titan?"

"Merfolk can manipulate ocean currents."

"…Huh? Really?"

"…You didn't know?"

I had never heard of this before.

Charlotte seemed incredulous that I didn't know.

"I heard that the reason our journey from Edina to Port Mokna has been smooth so far is largely thanks to the merfolk. They couldn't control the weather, but they helped our navigation by manipulating the currents."

I hadn't met the merfolk directly, so I thought they just caught fish for us, but that wasn't the case.

Charlotte seemed to have learned facts I didn't know, since she was focused on governing Edina. The demons recognized her as the Demon King, so she must have been treated as my equal.

Merfolk… they weren't just pretty faces.

They could use magic-like abilities like the succubi.

Impressive.

I chose a good ally.

Of course, it was my problem that I didn't know what I should have known.

"Anyway, if the titan tries to cross the sea and attack us, the merfolk will subdue it. It probably won't be able to come via teleportation in the first place."

Antirianus seemed to have considered capturing the titan, and Sarkegaar and Olivia seemed relieved that a titan attack wouldn't happen.

"Anyway, let's prepare ourselves until the allied forces depart. We still have to consider what to do if they suffer a food shortage, though it hasn't happened yet…"

The allied forces need to manage a huge group for a long time, so they might face food shortages.

If that happens, we don't know how much help we can provide.

While the allied forces are spending time on preparations, we need to find something to do.

"Reinhardt, we need to strengthen our forces too."

"Strengthen our forces?"

It was Olivia's question.

"More like replenishment than strengthening. We used up many Death Knights during the Serandia campaign."

Death Knights.

Olivia, who could handle Kier's divine power, could summon Death Knights. They were a significant force during the pre-emptive attack on Serandia.

"Couldn't you summon them anytime?"

"…What?"

Wow.

I haven't seen that expression in a long time.

A genuinely disdainful expression.

"Of course, replenishing the Death Knights is possible. We can summon them anytime. But ultimately, the base is important, right?"

"The base?"

"That's right. Would a Death Knight made from Reinhardt be stronger, or would one made from that little weakling over there be stronger?"

"…Stop talking nonsense, will you?"

"Let's get to the point. That weak little guy wouldn't even be suitable for a Death Knight. Maybe a tiny, pale, frail skeleton would come out? It would be cute, though."

Harriet squinted her eyes at the creepy sound of that.

A Death Knight made from me.

A Death Knight made from Harriet.

I don't like thinking about it, but the outcome would be obvious.

"Before the Demon God Cult was under our control, some chose the path of becoming a Death Knight themselves. The Death Knight we saw before was one of those cases."

"…Yes, that must be the case."

Indeed, when we brought the Demon God Cult members, several Death Knights also joined.

Integrating them into the Holy Order was no easy task, fraught with many headaches.

The followers of the Demon God Cult had engaged in many unthinkable and outrageous acts, unacceptable by societal norms.

Various measures had been taken to eliminate this noise.

And then, a significant number of the Death Knights were purged during that time.

Their ominous appearance was one thing, but their excessively long existence made it impossible to change their ways.

"So the Death Knights I summon are either those without a sense of self or those who have perished."

These beings are, quite literally, undead, with no other purpose than to obey commands.

The Death Knights with consciousness were purged, and those that remained, who had lost their consciousness, had become almost machine-like. These were the Death Knights that Olivia summoned.

The power of corruption, Death Knights who answered its call.

"Anyway, Death Knights don't just come out of the ground. Well, they do come out of the ground, but if ten of them were used up today, that's it. They're gone."

"So, we need reinforcements, right?"

"Of course. And naturally, it's better to create powerful Death Knights."

Olivia folded her arms and nodded.

"Of course, it's not impossible to create Death Knights by force with Kier's power, but it's better to have excellent basic conditions."

My sister.

She's starting to sound no different than an evil dark mage.

"So we need good ingredients?"

Whether it's the right term or not, if it's not ingredients, what is it?

It's just a bit creepy since it refers to corpses.

"Surely you're not planning to use the dead from the Serandia campaign as material... to create Death Knights...?"

Harriet looked at Olivia with a disgusted expression.

The others' expressions were not much different from Harriet's.

Even Antirianus stared at Olivia with his mouth wide open, which said it all.

What a genius idea! They were astonished and puzzled.

Many people had died. And many of them were exceptional.

It was obvious that using their corpses as material would create outstanding Death Knights.

But wasn't that too cruel, regardless of whether it was possible or not?

"Well, I did consider that, but I think it's going to be difficult."

She was planning to do it if it was possible...

"First of all, it's crazy to perform the ritual to create Death Knights in a place swarming with allied forces. And they probably won't be able to bury that many corpses, so they'll inevitably cremate them, right? What do you think, Sir Sarkegaar?"

Sarkegaar showed no reaction to being called "sir." It was as if he didn't care.

But isn't Sarkegaar currently in the form of a lady?

Why is my sister always so twisted?

"Actually, that's what's happening. Most are choosing cremation for the funerals. There are cases where corpses are sent to the imperial capital for burial, but it's rare."

Sarkegaar's confirmation prompted Olivia to nod her head.

"How could I raise the ashes of the burnt corpses? It's possible if forced, but the result would be weak and uncertain. Anyway, I can't risk my life doing that in a place constantly garrisoned by both the allied forces and the Holy Knights."

"That's true..."

Amidst the grieving for the dead, the deceased rise as Death Knights?

And there's someone who would do that?

It's no different than advertising for someone to kill her.

Given the environment of the alliance's garrison, which is forced to resort to cremation, and the excessive number of people, creating Death Knights could be a dangerous endeavor.

That's why it's impossible to do such a thing in Serandia.

"So, do you have a place in mind?"

Where on earth does she plan to find the materials, regardless of whether it's possible or not?

At my question, Olivia grins.

"The royal mausoleum."

What?

What did I just hear?

"There are many war heroes and great figures resting there. Let's raise a few and put them to use."

"Wha-What?! What on earth are you saying?!"

Charlotte's complexion turns pale as she jumps to her feet.

"Well, who would want to raise weak and useless royalty or the imperial dukes? I'm talking about raising the helpful ones."

"But still! That's... that's just...!"

Charlotte's face grows increasingly pale, unable to accept the idea.

"Ugh..."

This is like...

If you think about it...

It's like looting a war memorial... That kind of story?

Not exactly looting, but something more malicious... that kind of...

At Charlotte's horror, Olivia shrugged her shoulders.

"Come on, the end of humanity is near, so what difference do heroes or great figures make? They should spring up when called. They'd even be happy about it. Where else can they find the glory of saving humanity even after death? They should be grateful to me."

"Crazy... woman..."

Harriet shook her head in disgust.