The night exploration was going smoothly. Ivan felt the constant flicker of Line-of-Fire Detection in a corner of his senses and smiled faintly.
It was a technique of aiming the gun barrel slightly, testing the waters, making it difficult to pinpoint distance and direction. A trap for facing superhumans, and for luring them in.
For a Tilles agent, they're utilizing quite advanced techniques. Unusually so.
Ivan continued walking as if he hadn't noticed anything. On the surface, he appeared to be simply searching for traces of the dragon.
The more capable the enemy, the more excited he became. A capable agent invariably possesses more information than an incapable one.
Just then, Yu-jin quietly approached his side and whispered.
"Brother, right now..."
"I know."
The detection range of the Status Window is about 1km? Not bad. This could be used as a short-range radar. Ivan nodded and continued speaking.
"Don't look in that direction. 700m at 9 o'clock. Correct?"
"Yes, brother."
"Pretend you don't notice until they approach within 500m."
"Yes, brother."
Ivan placed his hand on the axe handle and walked on unconcerned. Leading the way, like a leader.
-Zing.
The Line-of-Fire Detection warning became more blatant. Are you not coming? Are you not avoiding this? As if whispering in that manner.
A superhuman could never escape this temptation. Using a gun meant you were weak. And superhumans are the type who rush toward the shooter the moment a gun barrel points at them.
The doctrine of superhumans is passed down this way. Because superhuman combat greatly increases the survival rate of ordinary people. In other words, to protect ordinary people who lack Line-of-Fire Detection, superhumans tend to throw themselves in front of gun barrels.
Techniques that exploit this doctrine in reverse are, well, from 10 years ago. For Tilles, it might be considered a very modern technique, but in Krasilov, it's considered outdated.
So let me teach you how to deal with superhumans. Even "trained agents" who have one foot in the Domain of the Transcendent.
On the battlefield, superhumans of this level were as common as dirt. And those who survived after breaking through all those battlefields are the current Hero Party.
You tried to kill Gil Ber with just this?
Ivan gripped his axe handle again with a slight sense of displeasure and disgust.
"I, I am...!"
"Shh."
Clicking his tongue once more, Ivan's hand swung with a whoosh. The axe disappeared beyond the bushes without leaving a trace.
Splash! Along with the sound of water pouring, screams echoed from beyond the bushes. Ivan opened his mouth without even glancing in that direction.
"One mouth to answer is enough."
"You... monster...!"
"Monster?"
Ivan expressionlessly took out a dagger and potion. Walking steadily forward, he placed his foot on the man's chest and asked.
"People who dare call me a monster, how exactly did you plan to kill Gil Ber?"
"Wh-what are you talking about! We were just..."
"Enough."
Ivan stepped on the man's chest a little harder. With a choking sound, a strained groan came from beneath his foot.
"When I speak, you listen."
"Kugh...!"
"When I ask, you answer."
"Hnngh...!"
"You should answer carefully. I have many things to ask, and many of the same things. I plan to ask quite thoroughly. If your answer is wrong or displeasing, you won't be able to die."
At Ivan's words, the man burst into sporadic laughter. He looked straight up at Ivan and opened his mouth.
"Krasilov...! A ghost from the past!"
"That wasn't what I asked."
-Slash!
The dagger blurred, and blood sprayed from around the man's shoulder. The man whimpered and groaned, but soon clenched his teeth.
"So the Guardian Knight has finally sold the country to foreigners! The lords were right. This country is rotten..."
-Slash!
"Things won't go your way, stupid northerner!!"
The man turned his magic with a resolute face. A mage, was he? Ivan clicked his tongue and removed his foot. It seemed to be some kind of self-imposed restriction spell, not an attack spell.
As the magic penetrated the man's body, he trembled, rolled his eyes, and collapsed. With a choking sound, foam spilled from his mouth.
He forcibly stopped his heart. He committed suicide by blocking his blood flow.
Ivan's hand moved like lightning into the man's chest. His stiffened fingers dug into the chest area, and magic flowed roughly in, gripping the man's heart tightly.
He'd never done this to someone else's body before. But generally, hearts have similar structures. Ivan's magic bound the man's ventricular muscles, making them beat, thump, thump.
Color returned to the man's face, which had gone pale. With a groan and a gasp, the man slowly trembled.
"H-how... how...?"
"I told you that you couldn't die."
Ivan, without removing his hand from the man's chest, turned his head slightly.
"Yu-jin."
"Yes, brother."
"Send the children to Gil Ber. It should be the safest place on this mountain. And you stay."
"What? Oh, yes. Why should I..."
"Because you need to learn too."
The Hero Party doesn't need to learn such harsh, such dirty work. This is too filthy and "uninteresting" for heroes to do.
But someone has to do it. And Ivan can't handle all situations for them. When he's not around, one member of the Hero Party needs to do this kind of work.
Strictly speaking, there's Lucia, but well. At least in this area, Yu-jin with his "Status Window" is more useful. Lucia's specialty is the same as Enrique's. Assassination and infiltration.
Reconnaissance and interrogation were Ivan's roles. That's how it was back then. So in this era, the current Hero Party needed someone to take on Ivan's role.
Yu-jin looked into Ivan's eyes, swallowed hard once, and quietly nodded.
"Brother... this is..."
Yu-jin's face turned pale. He poured healing onto the man who had become a rag, but soon shook his head. He had already passed the critical point that could be treated with priest's healing and Healing Potion.
Ivan, covered in blood, slowly rose.
The smell of iron was thick. Under the shadow of the forest, he closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Now he could be certain. The scattered information locked together like a puzzle, forming a picture. The picture of Tilles' downfall.
"Yu-jin."
"Yes, brother."
"Every country in this world has a switch for destruction built into it."
"What...?"
"Listen."
Ivan continued with his eyes closed.
"The previous generation's Hero Party was too competent. They didn't just stop the Union's destruction; they almost completely eradicated the demon threat. Yet, a next-generation Hero Party was created in this world."
"...Yes."
"That's because a threat exists that warrants it. Even if the Demon King returns, the current 'Union Kingdom' could probably win. The previous Hero Party is still active, and the demon race suffered greater losses than the Union Kingdom."
"...Yes, brother."
"Then how will a threat that requires heroes arrive? It's simple when you think about it. It's also something we've experienced before."
Ivan opened his eyes. He looked at Yu-jin and continued.
"Every country in this world has a switch for destruction built into it for various reasons. Like Krasilov's. In the form of civil war. In the form of demons. That must be why a new Hero Party and even Transmigrators were needed. If 'The Story' truly exists, that would be the meaning."
Yu-jin gritted his teeth and shook his head.
"Brother, now is not the time for such talk. We should warn Duke Etakrihi immediately..."
"It's too late."
-Wheeeeee!! Bang!!
A flare burst beyond the forest. The flare they were supposed to use when spotting a dragon.
The dark night sky turned red. Almost simultaneously with the flare, a pillar of fire rose. Dragon's breath. The kind that melts walls and steel.
Had he been careless? No way. He had made all possible preparations. He himself was there. If anything was lacking, it was just one thing: information. Only that.
But in the end, these are all excuses. He ultimately failed to prevent the civil war.
"There's no more time to explain. As soon as you return to Gil Ber, you must gather your party and return to San Matilenne."
"Brother..."
"The capital's defense force here is half of the total troops. There are still that many troops left in the capital. Hold out there with your party. Don't forget my words, remember them."
-Wheeeeee!
-Bang!
-Wheeeeee!! Bang!!
Like festival fireworks. Like a fireworks display, flares burst all over the night sky.
Flares signaling dragon sightings, from all directions. All the flares held by each unit burst like dominoes from all directions.
Flames were blooming brilliantly throughout the Bernini Mountains.
The sky seemed to be burning. Like daylight, but illuminated by the eerie red light of the flares.
Shadows are pressed down and fade. The mountain range's shadows crouched low under the numerous light sources in the sky.
Ivan closed his eyes with a sigh.
"Gil Ber... I'll try to save him."
The dragons were not just one.
The arrival of the dragons was no mere bait. It was a trap in itself, and at the same time, the main force of the Grand Dukes and demons.
Tilles will lose the northeast. The eastern front will now be isolated from the center and must face the demon army alone without supplies.
The Grand Dukes now only need to deal with the remaining half of the capital's legion. If the capital falls, if the royal family collapses, Tilles is finished.
In Ivan's mind was a complete military map of the entire Tilles region. If his predictions are correct, Tilles' remaining lifespan is less than two weeks.
All maps at this moment were stained red, like the night sky of Bernini where the flares had burst.
[Quest Status Updated!]
[Objective: Prevent civil war among Tilles' three major ducal houses. (Failed)]
[Available Objectives]
[Objective: Win the defense of San Matilenne. (New)]
[Objective: Keep destroyed territories to 15 or fewer. (2/15)]
[Objective: Ensure Gil Ber de Etakrihi's survival.]
[Objective: Encounter with Maximillian de Etoile.]
[Objective: Preserve the Tilles royal family.]
[Reward: Extension of the Union Kingdom's existence by 10 years.]