30 Years Have Passed Since the Prologue

Chapter 210

Elizaveta stretched her stiff shoulders and stood up. It had been a fulfilling day again. Today, like every day, she had triumphed in the battle against the hot-off-the-press approval documents that were submitted to her desk.

Krasilov was being rebuilt at an astonishing pace. The rough development policies continued without any resistance. Those who could oppose her were surely greeting Alexander in the afterlife.

It could be seen as a type of administrative dictatorship. Most of the nobles and bureaucrats had been dismissed, and their positions filled with her people.

As long as the direction was right, this kind of regime ensured definite progress. The downsides, after all, were only a matter of immediate outcomes.

Thus, the Demon Realm was quiet, the Elves were divided, domestic issues were eradicated, and in this situation where the two bordering nations were weakened, Krasilov had nothing but favorable prospects.

It was a pleasantly busy feeling. Elizaveta even smiled subtly as she headed toward her chamber. Sweet relaxation awaited her after handling a busy workload—

“Banka, huff. What shall we have for dinner…?”

It should have been that way.

“What are you doing?”

Elizaveta stiffened at the sight of Pavel and Dmitri kneeling with their hands raised before her. (Since Dmitri had no legs below the knee, he had joined from his wheelchair.)

They couldn’t dare enter, quietly waiting for punishment at the entrance of the chamber with closed eyes.

“What is… what is going on?”

“It’s not my fault, Your Majesty.”

“Please spare me, Your Majesty.”

That was not a remark fit for a loyal subject. Information began to piece together in Elizaveta’s mind in an instant.

Hmm, they came all the way here to apologize first.

Dmitri and Pavel. Those two were affiliated with the Counterintelligence Command, and their apology meant that it was a significant matter for which they had to personally apologize.

In fact, they had come to the chamber instead of just a formal apology, meaning this incident was extremely personal.

“Ah, no way. No matter how much, even if… Ah, even if it’s Banka, there’s no way he would have gone out again without a report just after getting up from his position after a month… again!”

Elizaveta looked at the two men with a stiffened face and laughed. Pavel turned his gaze out the window, and Dmitri smiled nervously, sweating.

The smile quickly disappeared from her lips.

“Where is it?”

“The Papal Enclave, Your Majesty.”

“Why?”

“There was a request from the Saint. It was a personal request, and since a cooperation document was not submitted separately, we noticed it late…”

“What about the agents we assigned?”

“No matter how diligently the Counterintelligence Command manages the agents… how could we follow you, Senior? You could infiltrate Kalion at will.”

Elizaveta laughed emptily at Dmitri’s words.

Of course, he was the best agent in this country; there was no use in attempting to track him.

“Maybe we should have detained him…”

With an administrative officer assigned to the orphanage, it would merely be a state project, and the Counterintelligence Command was not an incompetent organization that would be paralyzed by his absence.

After all, how could they manage that lunatic who would skip an entire semester to wander off to a foreign country even if given a professorship?

Elizaveta chuckled for a long time before glaring coldly at Dmitri, who awkwardly followed her laughter.

“Is there something to smile about? Is there something good happening? You need a change of mood too; do you care to share?”

“Your Majesty, Lord Yermov is no child, so do not worry. If Lord Yermov has made up his mind to survive, there is no way to oppose him at the Papal Enclave.”

“Is that the problem?! What Banka might do is a bigger issue! When we visited the Dwarves, he killed a byproduct of the Seven Dragon Lords, raised a civil war in Tylesse, and destroyed the Royal Palace in Kalion!! You think you can anticipate what Banka might do at the Papal Enclave?”

The Papal Enclave was not a military organization. It barely had a few guards, and up until now, most military power had relied on the priests.

In the days when Sacred Force existed, it was strong enough. But now, it wasn’t. The current Papal Enclave was, to be blunt, just a den of frail old men.

Meanwhile, there was no expectation that Ivan would return injured. Naturally, that was not the issue.

Ivan Petrovich Yermov had laid waste to three nations in just under two years since his short retirement.

“Moreover, the Saint specifically requested Banka on her way to the Papal Enclave! That obviously means they predicted there was a significant threat. The Saint is no fool; she needed Banka, despite understanding it could tarnish her honor!”

“Would the ‘White Kings’ near the homeland dare to confront our nation without going insane? Or do you think Lord Yermov suddenly went mad and stomped down their armies?”

“Hmm…”

“Hmm…”

Dmitri’s joke made Elizaveta and Pavel shut their mouths.

After glancing at their reactions, Dmitri burst out laughing and made an effort to conclude.

“It’s a joke! A joke!”

Elizaveta ignored Dmitri and turned her gaze to Pavel.

“How many usable troops do we have?”

“If we leave the borders unguarded, we can mobilize the 2nd Legion, but… Your Majesty, we cannot manage the military funds. How could you handle the leaking treasury for Tylesse’s rearmament?”

“What about fundraising for the war? Is there still a lack of deployment funds?”

“If we tighten the nobles here any more, we will have to worry about civil war first, won’t we? The mobilization of the 2nd Legion during the Tylesse campaign caused significant treasury depletion.”

Krasilov had no remaining national power to plan a large-scale overseas deployment. This country had mobilized all its strength for post-war reconstruction and was still insufficient.

Even if the nobles were removed and administrative officers were placed, it wouldn’t change anything. To extract money from each territory, raising the tax rate was the only way, and exceeding the current taxation would eventually collapse this nation.

The resources exploited in the Demon Colonies were struggling to maintain Krasilov’s three legions at the border. In fact, disarmament should have been the proper course after the last war.

Elizaveta held her forehead and groaned.

*

Bang–!! Tadatadak!!

The sound of bullets striking the armored surface of the train continued. Ivan pushed the Saint under the seat of the passenger compartment and leaped over the shattered window.

Ping—.

At that moment, sharp shots were aimed at his head. He tucked his chin to dodge the bullets and reached out his hand.

Firing in the direction of the shots, one line of shots diminished. He turned his head and fired again, followed by screams.

Without stopping his steps, holding his breath for a step. Fire again. Counting the number of bullets, he separated the magazine, shook his wrist to insert a new magazine, and fired again.

Bang—!!

“It’s a superhuman! Cease fire!”

“There was no mention of the Saint being guarded! You’re incompetent!”

“Did we decide to support the Saint from Krasilov?”

Murmurs were heard. Ivan quickly counted the fleeing individuals.

These were individuals who knew how to escape when facing a superhuman. It meant they were trained agents. They were all running in different directions.

It seemed they had planned to engage in a delaying strategy at the cost of losses. It would take at least three days by foot to the nearest city from this area where the train had derailed.

No matter how much of a superhuman someone was, rest was necessary. Sudden attacks and escapes without a moment to catch breath would inevitably wear down a person’s stamina.

By the third day, someone weakened could no longer be called a superhuman. Of course, even if they struggled with depleted mana and food, they wouldn’t lose to an ordinary person. If there were superhuman powers among them, handling them wouldn’t be a problem.

There must be superhuman strength among the strike team organized to ambush the Saint.

Ivan fixed his gaze on one fleeing man and spoke.

“You can come out now.”

“What is the meaning of all this?!”

“Are they really ambushing the train with the Saint aboard? Have they lost their minds?!”

The group began to climb in one by one through the open window. In the sudden combat situation, they adhered to the principle of remaining in the safe zone until Ivan gave instructions.

Once Ivan had deployed, a mere ‘gun’ wielding soldiers could not harm him.

“Patricia, do you have any idea about the identities of the attackers?”

“Bellacria, Lorensia, Leonor. One of the three, but I can’t be certain.”

“Three have already crossed from the southern six nations?”

“Based on what we’ve confirmed, yes.”

The so-called great powers referred to four nations: Kalion, Tylesse, Krasilov, and Drovian. Excluding them, among the remaining human nations of the United Kingdom, there were a total of six.

The four nations directly bordering the Demon Realm were the only ones excluded; the other six nations were small states that had not developed significantly due to negligible resources and complicated borders.

These were realms led by a small number of territories claiming kingship. In Krasilov, they were called the ‘White Kings.’ They merely proclaimed themselves as kings at the level of great counts.

Regardless of such derogatory titles, their national strength was hardly inferior to their glory days, as they hadn’t directly been involved in the Great War.

Thus, the council could serve as a blessing for them. If neighboring nations fell, they would be the first to gain, and in case the ‘great powers’ faltered, there was a possibility to march under the pretext of the ‘Crusade Army.’

Just northward was the border between Tylesse and Krasilov. Tylesse was now significantly weakened after recent internal strife, so it was no surprise they were licking their chops.

Jill Ber is dead, so there’s nothing to fear anymore.

Ivan clicked his tongue and loosened his hands.

“The closest region along this rail line is Leonor. It’s three days away, and it’s not much further to the capital.”

At Ivan’s words, the group focused their gaze.

“The attackers are after the Saint’s neck. Remember, the Saint is currently an ordinary person with no mana, so she could lose her life even to a single bullet.”

Once they arrived in a densely populated urban area, they could not launch another blatant ambush as they had done now. They knew that was why they had intercepted the train deep in the forest.

Unless a decree was issued against the council, the Saint remained the Saint. If she were assassinated in front of the populace, she would soon become a martyr.

Unless the reason for her ‘forced’ absence from the council meant she couldn’t refute the heretical judgment. The Pope’s proceedings had to be official without exception.

So, simply put, this situation was—

“Until we reach the Papal Enclave before the council starts, we must remain vigilant. Any questions?”

“How long will it take to the Papal Enclave?”

“If we only travel on foot, it will take about fifteen days. We would have to cross from Leonor to Lorensia to reach it.”

“When is the council scheduled to be held?”

“A week from now.”

“Then it’s over, isn’t it…?”

Ivan shook his head shortly.

“You can run twice as fast.”

“While defending the Saint against attacks?”

“Correct. Prepare yourselves.”

Ivan stretched his back and concluded.

“It will make for good training.”

“That’s insane,” they murmured.

Breaking through perilous terrains and making forced marches counted as basic physical training. Ambushes occurring at intervals could be seen as part of the training if done in a controlled environment.

What he didn’t say was—

“If things go wrong at the council leading to a finalized heretical judgment, we will have to retrace the same distance to return.”

In that case, every nation along that route would officially pursue the Saint. Under the pretext of the Crusade Army, they would come all the way to Krasilov.

On the contrary, the path into the Papal Enclave would be a walk in the park compared to that. For there would be no need to confront an army.

*

This is the last registered episode.

   

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