Chapter 351: Who’s Crazier? (4)

In the basement of the Lord of the East Deyal’s palace...

Sizzle!

The hiss of red-hot iron searing flesh echoed through the stillness.

Crack. Craaack.

The sound of big logs being split apart followed.

Rrrrip!

Something was being torn to shreds.

A man stood before the door marked as the confessional chamber, one arm resting on the window frame as he took a long drag from his cigarette.

“Ha...”

It seemed like he had a lot going on. He looked extremely exhausted, yet his eyes burned with ambition. The hand holding the cigarette hung loosely, but his posture showed no vulnerability.

Creak.

From the chamber that had produced those dreadful sounds emerged a figure wearing a crow mask. Fresh blood-stained parts of his clothing.

“My apologies, Your Highness. I failed.”

Rakan, the second prince, flicked his cigarette out the window.

“What is there to apologize for? If even you, who was able to break an elf through torture, failed, then no one could have succeeded.”

“If you grant me two more days...”

“Will that help? He hasn’t even groaned once.”

“It appears he underwent a procedure that removed his sense of pain. I intend to restore it within two days.”

“I’ll consider it. Leave us. I need to see him myself.”

The torturer in the crow mask opened the door. Rakan put on the coat he had removed and stepped inside.

The chamber was simple: rough, thick stone walls; numerous torture instruments; and a single chair at the center. The man bound to the chair was naked and in a state no one would consider survivable. He had been tortured from head to toe. He was only still alive due to a Superhuman’s tenacious vitality and elixirs.

“

Hsss... hsss...”

Most of his teeth were gone. His throat had been damaged so badly that laughter escaped as a wheezing rasp. This man was the Demon Capital tamer captured by Rakan.

Rakan’s face twisted the moment he saw him.

I lost Marquis Lanius to capture this single bastard...

Marquis Lanius was a seven-star Prime that Rakan trusted. When Rukan unleashed the Demon Capital monsters—a devastating move—the losses had been severe, but retreat had still been possible. Rukan had not pressed his advantage.

At that moment, however, Lanius had urgently come to him.

“Your Highness, Demon Capital monsters have no weaknesses. If we withdraw now, the next battle will be even harsher. We must learn their secret, so I will capture the tamer.”

“Our forces are retreating. Will you charge in alone? We should withdraw and plan an abduction...”

“It will be too late then.”

Defying Rakan’s order, Lanius charged into the enemy alone. Even as a Prime, he faced other Primes and the Demon Capital monsters—creatures even Primes could not take lightly.

However, he returned. In his grasp was an unconscious tamer from the Demon Capital.

“Please... protect this nation...”

Those were his last words before he died in front of Rakan.

“Ha...”

Rakan tried to calm the bitterness in his chest with a cigarette, but it did nothing. He seized the tamer’s hair and forced his head up, glaring into his single remaining eye.

“I swear upon my name, Rakan. Upon a prince’s honor and nobility, I promise you this: reveal the secret to controlling the Demon Capital monsters, and I will grant you a painless death.”

He offered a merciful end. However, the tamer’s response was the same.

“

Hss...

No—the laugh was different. It carried mockery. Rakan’s face changed instantly from restrained anger to fury.

“I’ll tell you what happens next. First, I will restore your sense of pain. No—I will amplify it dozens of times beyond normal. Then I will torture you until you die of old age. Even if I die... even if this war ends... you will suffer forever in a lightless underground cell.”

Thud!

He kicked the tamer in the chest and left the chamber. Outside, he beckoned his aide closer.

“I’ve heard that among dark magic there exists a spell that steals memories. Bring me a high-ranking dark mage capable of it. Use any means necessary.”

“...Yes, Your Highness.”

“I’ll give you one week. If it cannot be done, say so now.”

“I will accomplish it.”

“Go.”

The aide bowed deeply and retreated.

Rakan took out another cigarette from his inner pocket, but did not light it when he heard footsteps descending the stairs. He was a strategist from the Baen Kingdom.

“Great General Perez requests your presence at the strategy meeting, Your Highness.”

Great General Perez was the commander of the Baen forces sent to aid Rakan. He was also a Prime. He looked down on Rakan without realizing it; his choice of words made that clear.

Sending a mere aide to summon me... not even a request, but a demand.

Crunch.

Rakan crushed the cigarette in his palm and smiled.

“I will come at once.”

He could yield such slights. For the greater cause, this level of disrespect meant nothing. And he was confident. If he defeated Rukan and ruled this kingdom, he would repay today’s humiliation in full.

* * *

Great General Perez of the Baen Kingdom, Sixth Great General Stefan of the Belferio Kingdom, and Lord of the East Deyal of the Lillian Kingdom were all sitting in one room.

With all three present in one space, even the air felt different—it felt thick, stale, and abrasive. An ordinary person would not be able to tolerate being in the same room, and even a five-star Master would turn pale in this chamber.

Rakan stepped into the room. He walked slowly to the vacant seat at the head of the table, sat down, and tapped the table with his finger.

“Now that I am here, we can begin the meeting.”

“Your Highness, has the Demon Capital tamer spoken?” Great General Perez asked.

Without even turning his gaze, Rakan replied, “Do not concern yourself with the tamer. If there is progress, you will be informed.”

“My Baen Kingdom possesses an interrogation device. If you wish, we could lend it to you.”

“Great General Perez, you called this a strategy meeting—yet this is a strategy meeting? If it is one, then speak of how we will reclaim the captured cities and how we will counter the Demon Capital monsters.”

Rakan’s tone was calm but cutting. Perez frowned, yet had no rebuttal.

“...The Demon Capital creatures controlled by Crown Prince Rukan clearly have limitations. Otherwise, we would not be holding this meeting at all.”

“Even my chambermaids know that much. Do not speak as if you alone possess this insight. What strategy do you propose? That is what I wish to hear.”

Perez brushed his lips with his finger, then pointed to the map.

“Crown Prince Rukan controls the north and the west. Our original plan was a direct confrontation using overwhelming force while minimizing civilian and infrastructure damage. However, with the Demon Capital creatures now in play, that is no longer possible. We must expand the front to the north and strike the west using airships and large high-speed vessels.”

Rakan held the east, the largest region of the Lillian Kingdom. If he succeeded in securing the west, Rukan would be isolated in the north.

Baen, known as a nation of engineering, possessed technology surpassing even the Samael Empire’s. The west bordered the sea, and its central canal allowed warships to pass through. Perez’s plan of using Baen airships and high-speed vessels to seize the west first was undoubtedly one Rukan would find deeply troublesome.

“Kekekek...”

Laughter echoed through the chamber. Perez frowned.

“What is so amusing, General Stefan?”

Stefan, the Sixth Great General from Belferio, the land of gastronomy, stroked his sleek mustache.

“When someone speaks such nonsense about expanding the front lines with complete seriousness, laughter is inevitable.”

“Nonsense? On what grounds? His Highness commands a three hundred thousand-strong army and possesses sufficient resources to sustain simultaneous northern and western fronts.”

“Has the south ceased to exist?”

“...”

At the mention of the south, all eyes flickered toward Rakan. He had poured immense time and effort into conquering it, but he failed. In the end, he lost it to Sefira. Rakan wished to remain composed, but he couldn’t help but feel bitter whenever the south was mentioned.

“Failing to subdue Sefira is regrettable, but not a concern. Governing the south alone will strain them; they cannot attack us,” Rakan replied.

“Then do you support General Perez’s plan to expand the front and begin with the west, Your Highness?”

“General Stefan, it is far easier to destroy than to build. Rather than tearing down another’s plan, present a strategy. If yours surpasses General Perez’s, I will adopt it.”

“I possess a plan worthy of being called a certain victory. However...” He stroked his mustache again, letting the silence stretch. “Your Highness, you must be prepared to accept sacrifice.”

“How can war exist without sacrifice? Speak.”

“Having gained great advantage through the Demon Capital creatures, Rukan will be complacent. He will assume we are preoccupied with defense and devising countermeasures. While he believes this—and while it is in fact happening—we should instead mobilize all forces immediately and strike him.”

“...Your certain victory plan is a total offensive with no backup?”

“Kekekek...”

Even Perez openly sneered. However, Stefan continued calmly.

“It is not without backup. If you launch a full advance from the east into the north, Your Highness, our Belferio forces will also attack the north.”

“That sounds odd. You are saying that Belferio intends to act independently while we draw attention.”

“No. My current forces and I will follow you. The army I refer to is additional reinforcements.”

“Additional reinforcements from Belferio?”

“Yes, an additional fifty thousand troops, including one Prime, can advance into the north. This is not my personal decision—it has His Majesty’s approval.”

Belferio had already sent three Primes and twenty thousand elite troops, but they were offering more. There was no way it was just goodwill or free. As if confirming that truth, Stefan pointed to a northern mountain.

“In exchange, grant Belferio full control over the Browning Duchy. That is the condition.”

“...!”

The Browning Duchy was the strongest family in the Lillian Kingdom that controlled half the northern region. To grant it was to grant half the north itself. However, the request was not unreasonable, as it was one Prime and fifty thousand troops. It was valuable as Belferio was providing support knowing that Rukan possessed Demon Capital monsters.

It was as different as selling water to someone who lived by the sea, and selling water to someone who lived in the desert.

“Hmm.”

Perez, who mocked the plan at first, looked dissatisfied, yet he could not object.

If the Baen Kingdom had known about the Demon Capital monsters beforehand, they would never have sent reinforcements. They were fighting alongside Rakan now because oaths and treaties had already been signed; if not, they would have stood by and watched.

But now, Belferio was promising a generous level of support. It was costly, but even Perez thought it was proportional to the danger.

The strategists present fell silent. They were calculating whether Stefan’s strategy was fair or not.

“The sacrifice of the people... and half the north...” Rakan murmured aloud, deep in thought.

If an army numbered one hundred thousand, not all of them fought on the battlefield. Only sixty thousand would fight at the front, and the rest would guard cities and supply lines.

However, Stefan proposed eliminating the supporting troops entirely for a decisive short war. As he said, casualties would be immense. It would be a fight to the death, so there would be no retreat. The fighting would continue relentlessly, driving casualties ever higher. Above all, the rear would fall into chaos. If Rukan sent even ten thousand to the rear, Rakan’s cities would be laid to waste.

Even if they couldn’t conquer, they would be able to destroy and loot. And even if they emerged victorious, they would have to give up half of the north.

Rakan had already paid for military support from Baen and Belferio with his future. To the Baen Kingdom, he promised an arranged marriage with the princess and land development rights; to Belferio, he pledged unilateral trade concessions and preferential privileges. And to give up half of the north on top of that?

Even if we force Prince Rukan to his knees, the war will not be over. Lerkin and Sefira would still remain.

Of course, those two were neither as formidable nor as unhinged as Rukan. All of Rakan’s strategists predicted that if he subdued Rukan, ceasefires with both factions could be reached naturally. Two cities between the north and the east would be granted to King Consort Lerkin, and half of the south would be ceded to Sefira in exchange for a truce. That was the endgame scenario devised by Rakan’s advisers.

I don’t have much time to deliberate. If we are to wage a decisive short war, it must be now.

At this moment, time was worth more than gold; if he could stop the clock for ten minutes, he would gladly pay one hundred thousand gold. Yet no matter how he weighed it, this was not a decision that could be made lightly.

General Stefan’s strategy assumes absolute victory. How can that be guaranteed? The foundation is weak. Even if it ends in a draw, our losses would be greater. This is... This is a trap.

Rakan realized the truth. The smug curve of Stefan’s smile suddenly seemed frighteningly brazen.

This bastard... Stefan wants Rukan and me to destroy each other.

A Prime and fifty thousand troops promised through the northern front? Even if they truly sent them, it was obvious they would withdraw the moment the tide of battle turned unfavorable. And if Rukan and Rakan’s forces suffered devastating losses against each other, what would happen then? They would no longer be able to prevent outside powers from intervening.

To hide such filthy schemes behind empty words like sacrifice...

War inevitably demanded sacrifice. Stefan had framed it as something natural and unavoidable, skillfully guiding the conversation and luring Rakan in.

Rakan bit his lower lip.

I had forgotten. These men are not fighting for me.

They were allies, but not forever. The moment he let his guard down and exposed his throat, they would surely tear into him.

Rakan clenched his fist under the table, while keeping his expression thoughtful. If his expression gave him away now, his true thoughts would be exposed as well.

“Are there any other opinions?”

He delayed his answer and glanced toward his strategists. Then he turned his gaze toward his own strategists—a silent pressure implying that, since the foreign generals had presented their strategies, they ought to produce something as well.

Just as the strategists hesitated, reading the room...

Bang!

Deyal, Stephan, and Perez rose almost simultaneously, looking first toward the ceiling, then toward the door.

“This is...!”

Others soon sensed the strangeness, too. It was an overwhelming pressure descending from the sky.

Creak.

The door slowly opened. An uncanny silence heavier than the pressure filled the chamber.

“Greetings.”

A clear voice echoed.

“Well, I was sure it was here, but I didn’t expect everyone to be gathered.”

Keter, who should not have been here, walked in calmly.

The corridor behind him was filled with collapsed guards. He hadn’t shed a single drop of blood.

“Keter...!”

Rakan reacted first, saying the name like one confronting his nemesis.

“Keter?”

“That is the Divine Bow of the South...!”

“How is he here?”

Those seeing him for the first time spoke in shock and awe.

“You’ve come to your death of your own accord.”

Rakan immediately signaled Deyal to eliminate him.

However, Keter reached out to Rakan and said, “Let’s form an alliance.”

That single, contextless sentence turned the room upside down.