Chapter 662
The Northern Strategy Council had begun.
“Shift the flank troops back to the rear.”
“But then Dondra will be at risk, won’t it? If Dondra collapses, our supply lines will be endangered as well.”
The usual grumbling had vanished; the generals were all deadly serious as they engaged in discussion.
They spread a huge map across the round table, moving chess-like pieces over it in heated debate.
Simon found it difficult to join in.
He lacked expertise in army maneuvers, logistics, winter equipment, and the geography of the North—and the amount of jargon being thrown around was overwhelming. So he merely nodded along while seated at the Grand Duke’s side.
“We must strike the eldest!”
“I told you, the second must be broken first.”
Simon could not follow all the detailed military slang, but from what he understood, it was roughly this:
Among the North Star’s undead, there existed beings known as the Three Brothers.
Each one was an immensely powerful named undead, reigning for centuries as living nightmares of the North. All three had been granted portions of command authority over the undead from the North Star himself; they were Hive entities. Unless these three were eliminated, advancing toward the region where the North Star resided was impossible.
And the Grand Duke had long devoted herself to hunting them down.
“As you all know, the North Star is a cunning creature. He has long measured the reach of my arrows.”
With her quill pen, she drew a large circle centered on Bilkenos, the capital of the North.
“He’s sacrificed named undead in the outer regions, letting them die to my arrows just to calculate my effective range. If he thought I’d aged or grown stronger, he would send more named ones to the same spots for recalibration. Why does he obsess so over my archery?”
Tak—!
She set the quill down and curved her lips into a smile.
“To prevent the eldest of the brothers from ever coming within my arrow’s reach. But I’ve been sketching my own diagram as well.”
This time she lifted a quill soaked in red ink and drew a much larger circle than the black one before.
“The true range of my arrows… is this.”
A fact unknown to the North Star.
The Grand Duke had spent years and effort to surpass his expectations. The North Star underestimated her capabilities, an edge that could prove decisive if used correctly.
Thump.
She picked up several chess pieces scattered off the map and carefully placed them onto it.
“As originally planned, we’ll lure out and eliminate the Three Brothers first. Grand General.”
“Yes, Grand Duke!”
The second-in-command of the North, Ganiro, bowed his head.
“Lead your army northwest. Take with you as many of our best warriors and cavalry as you wish.”
“Yes!”
Placing a white bishop on the map, she next raised a white king.
“My Second Legion will advance due north.”
Clack—
She set the king down and slid both the king and bishop northward.
“The North Star’s response is obvious.”
She moved a black knight this time.
“He’ll send the eldest against the Grand General’s army, and against me, he’ll send the second—the one immune to my arrows.”
The generals nodded. Simon also rose to gaze down at the map.
“Of course, the North Star will ensure that the eldest fights only outside my bow’s reach. He’ll allow pursuit only up to that limit.”
A red-bearded general turned to her.
“As it stands, this flows the same as always. Do you have a concrete plan?”
“Indeed. Our true target is the eldest.”
She declared firmly.
“Once I pin down the second with my legion—”
She pushed the white king slowly to the right.
“—I will dash toward the eldest. The shrewd North Star will sense when my Darkness vanishes and will attempt to withdraw the eldest at the right time. But I—”
She stopped moving the piece.
“—can shoot and strike from far beyond the distance he believes possible. Your task is to ensure the cavalry plant the banner squarely on the eldest’s forehead at the right moment. If that is done—”
Her lips curled upward.
“—the eldest will die.”
The generals stroked their chins, murmuring. Then Ganiro, the Grand General, narrowed his eyes sharply.
“But Grand Duke, there is a fatal flaw in this plan.”
“Speak.”
“Committing nearly all our forces against the eldest and second is fine. However—”
Clack!
He picked up a black rook from beyond the map and set it down.
“What of the third?”
“…….”
“If the generals, cavalry, and even the Second Legion march out, our fief will be undefended. The third brother, holding the northeast, will immediately march his undead down upon us.”
Slide—
He pushed the black rook deep into their territory.
“At full speed, within two days—”
Tak.
The rook toppled the banner of the fortress at the center of the North.
“Even Bilkenos will be endangered.”
Khmm—
The generals’ faces grew grim.
“Indeed, the third would hardly stay idle.”
“His undead horde is likely no smaller than those of the eldest and second.”
At that, the Grand Duke bared her teeth in a grin.
“As for the third—fear not! I have a trump card.”
“Could it be…?”
The generals all turned to stare at Simon. He could only laugh awkwardly.
“Listen closely. The one who entrusted him to me was none other than Lady Neftis of Keyzen.”
The Grand Duke ruffled Simon’s hair roughly with her hand.
“Of course, it wasn’t for free. The North has received a price.”
“A price, you say…?”
Her teeth showed in a broad grin.
“Twenty thousand undead. Lady Neftis promised a vast army of them.”
Oooooooh!
The generals leapt to their feet, cheering.
‘What the hell does that mean?!’
Simon looked aghast at the Grand Duke, who simply winked as if to say, Leave it to me.
“In truth, this boy is just incidental. It seems Keyzen and the Dark Alliance have decided they can no longer ignore the North Star. A great army will soon march. Another fact unknown to the North Star.”
Grand General Ganiro spoke with some doubt.
“But forming such a massive host into a true legion takes time….”
“Naturally, we received them as Hive-type undead. Once a handful of Hive entities are organized into a legion, the rest of their minions will automatically follow my orders. If you sense Darkness unlike mine among the undead, do not be alarmed.”
The generals applauded.
“As expected!”
“Better the Dark Alliance than Carlos itself! They would never abandon the North!”
The Grand Duke drew a new chess piece from her pocket.
“Within three days at most, Lady Neftis’ forces will arrive.”
She slammed a red chess piece—neither white nor black—before the black rook.
“With this hidden force, we’ll lure the third deep into our fief and crush him. If all goes well, we won’t just slay the eldest—we can annihilate all three. No, we must annihilate them.”
“Splendid!”
“I declare this!”
She flung her arms wide.
“We will sever a grudge centuries old. Within two weeks, the Three Brothers shall be no more, and we shall march into the Abyss itself, where the North Star lurks, and expel him once and for all!”
The generals’ eyes widened. She gathered every piece on the board and pushed them into the pitch-black circle marking the northernmost reaches of the Frost Field.
One general hesitated.
“I agree to striking down the Three Brothers. But to invade and kill the North Star himself—isn’t that too hasty? Should we not secure our advantage and take more time…?”
“No.”
The Grand Duke’s voice turned cold.
“Know this: unless we act immediately after the Brothers fall, the chance will vanish. Another few centuries may pass before it comes again.”
The Ancient Undead North Star was limited in the strength of undead he could sustain with his will. He could not mass-produce more powerful Hive entities beyond the Brothers.
However, if the Brothers were eliminated, within months he could fashion replacements at roughly their level.
“And the North Star has delegated command authority over his forces to the Three Brothers. If the Three Brothers are taken down, all undead except those directly under the North Star will fall into confusion. That is the moment we must seize.”
The Grand Duke rose to her feet.
“I say it again: within two weeks, the North will destroy the North Star and bring this endless war to its conclusion.”
Cheok!
Cheok!
By her order, the march to war was decided.
All the generals raised their weapons.
“For the liberation of the North!”
* * *
Even to Simon, an outsider, the council had set his blood boiling.
He felt as though he now carried at least a fragment of responsibility for the North.
The generals went outside to prepare for war, while Simon and the Grand Duke returned to her office.
Thud! Clang!
The moment she stepped inside, she stripped off her armor and changed back into a shockingly casual outfit. Then she flopped onto the sofa.
“Grand Duke…”
“What is it?”
Simon pointed to himself.
“That ‘third brother’ among the Three Brothers… don’t tell me—”
“Yes. I glossed it over earlier, but of course I intend to leave the third one to you.”
She sprawled across the chair’s armrest, giggling.
“Among the brothers, he is the weakest. You’re afraid, even though you command five Ancient Undead? Seventh Legion Commander.”
“I’m not afraid. It’s just…”
Simon scratched his head.
“…I didn’t expect you to put so much trust in me.”
Throughout all of his legion commander training, she’d never missed a chance to hit him or call him an idiot. Yet she now entrusted him with the fate of her very home, Bilkenos.
And more than that—the two-week period.
That was exactly the length of Simon’s stay in the North.
“You still are dull. I’m not trusting you.”
“Huh?”
She tapped her own forehead with her fingers.
“I’m trusting your teacher, myself. Before the final battle, I’ll hammer you into someone worth using.”
Simon burst into laughter.
“In that case, I’ll be in your care.”
“Good, then…”
She was about to continue when her gaze sharpened. By habit, she grabbed her bow and strode to the window.
Simon was already familiar with this sight. She condensed Darkness into an arrow and called out—
“Godrick, window twelve—”
Clack!
Even before the butler Godrick arrived, Simon had yanked open window twelve with Cloud, grinning.
“This one’s number twelve, right?”
The Grand Duke smirked, nocked her arrow, and fired a stormy blast. Then she looked back at Simon playfully.
“To think I’ve managed to turn even a fool’s brain sharp. My teaching must be extraordinary.”
Simon grinned back.
“Have you thought about becoming a professor at Keyzen someday?”
“Once the North is pacified and my mission ends, perhaps I will. Now, come outside.”
She slung her bow over her shoulder and gestured.
“I’ll make sure you can perform as a true legion commander within two weeks.”
As they walked outside, they began speaking about Geheim.
Simon explained the strange power Erzebet had unleashed, just before being struck by the Grand Duke’s arrow.
“Could that have been Erzebet’s Geheim?”
Simon asked.
“It might have been Geheim, or it might have been simply that undead’s innate ability. Has it manifested again since then?”
“No. I tried with it several more times, but every attempt failed.”
She gave a teasing smile.
“If you wish, I could shoot another arrow at you.”
“I’ll pass.”
The ache in his abdomen still throbbed. Soon the two halted.
“So then. I promised to advise you on one Ancient Undead’s Geheim each day. Are you bringing out that Erzebet fellow?”
Simon decided otherwise. He’d already gained a huge hint from Erzebet yesterday, he would pursue that separately.
Instead, he raised his gray ring.
“Come forth, Prince.”
Opening a subspace, he pulled out a zombie. The moment he touched the ring to it—
Krrrrrrr!
A jet-black lightning bolt fell, infusing the zombie’s body. The Darkness swelled and warped, twisting its form until it shrank into the shape of a small boy.
[Pre-sent-ing!]
The boy zombie, dressed in the neat attire of a young noble, covered his forehead with one palm in a dramatic pose. The Grand Duke let out a curious “Hooh” at the sight.
“An amusing Ancient Undead. It looks strong, but clearly that isn’t its true body, is it?”
“Your insight is incredible.”
Simon explained about Prince.
“A crown that rules all zombies. The immobile true body rests in the Deathland, but regardless of distance, he can possess any other zombie. And… he has nine lives.”
Surprise flickered across her face.
“This is the most peculiar Ancient Undead I’ve ever seen.”
[The most special! Say it louder! More praise!]
Prince folded his arms and strutted. The Grand Duke pointed at him with a finger, addressing Simon.
“I’ve just thought of an idea for this undead’s Geheim.”
“Really?”
“Even if it’s not its Geheim, this will be worth it. It may become the mightiest technique of your legion.”
Both Simon and Prince’s eyes gleamed.
“What is it?”
[What is it?! Tell us!]
The Grand Duke bared her teeth in a grin.
“What else? Blow this one up with Corpse Explosion.”
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters