CHAPTER 295

“Again! Another failure!?”

Leos squinted his eyes shut as he looked at the second prince’s black eyes, now flickering with panic. Ever since the incident at Macline, or more precisely, ever since the first prince overtook him in points, Baros von Ares, who had always seemed so composed, began showing signs of reaching his limit.

‘Was his composure just a façade? Why is he showing a worse side now than when he was younger…’

Despite such thoughts, Leos had no choice but to follow through with even the most reckless of operations like this current one. After all, he was the chronicler of the succession battle. The fate of Prince Baros was directly tied to his own.

“The Emperor’s order was to be cautious, and yet you’ve gone and made a deal with ‘those people’ — and you failed!?”

Baros’s trembling hand looked ready to strike Leos at any moment, yet, fortunately, he did not cross that final line. They were fated to be in the same boat until the very end. For the current second prince, Leos was one of the few people he could trust until the last moment. That was reciprocated by Leos as well.

Despite the bitter feeling, Leos knew he still had to speak the truth.

“According to ‘them,’ superhumans have appeared as assassins from the Duchy. They claim more than one, and since this breaches the contract, they said they can’t pay the penalty either.”

“What utter nonsense!!”

Crash!

Decorum like that of royal dignity was nowhere to be found, but it was a relief that all the knights and servants had previously been sent away. With these thoughts, Leos waited for the prince’s outburst to subside.

Once Baros seemed to have quieted down, Leos spoke again, maintaining his composure.

“We still have something to rely on. We may have lost the Duchy’s card, but the Union of Small Kingdoms is in chaos. The spark of that confusion was undoubtedly something we created.”

“So, what?”

Seeing a flash of red seethe in those black eyes, Leos gulped. If he misspoke now, he could very well set off the prince’s fury upon himself.

With dry lips, he hurriedly continued.

“Per His Majesty’s command, the succession battle is currently at a stalemate. Since the first prince can no longer advance his operations either, this disorder within the Union will count toward the succession score, allowing for a possible reversal.”

It was the most optimistic hope he could offer, and yet there was validity in his words. But…

“That’s precisely what we had planned when we instigated strife between Macline and the alliance.”

The growling voice of the prince was evidence of lingering anger.

“It’s not about Macline being important. The most crucial thing is the throne, Your Highness. Look higher.”

Only then did the shadow of madness begin to fade in those black eyes. Soon enough, the prince slumped into his seat, as if his energy had drained away.

“I apologize for such an unsightly display.”

With a deep sigh, Baros spoke, and Leos managed to calm his heart just a bit.

“I don’t know why I’ve been like this recently. Whenever I think of Logan Macline, I just lose my cool.”

“Perhaps frustration due to a few failures is to blame.”

“…No. It’s not that.”

“What do you mean?”

“There must be another reason. A reason unknown to me. Something is rattling my mind.”

The prince sounded borderline insane from his continuous failures, but his demeanor was chillingly rational, the same as the one Leos once noted as a prime candidate for the next emperor. Again, Leos couldn’t help but feel a surge of hope.

“That means…?”

“Call them. To the palace. When it comes to dealing with people and minds, those folks are indeed the best, aren’t they?”

“A single contract is like a gamble. Should it reach His Majesty’s ears by chance….”

“No. We can’t continue like this. It’ll only get worse.”

“It’s a perilous endeavor. For all we know, they may have bewitched Your Highness.”

“Our royal family is more rigorously protected in mind than in body, thanks to all sorts of magical devices. Have you forgotten?”

That was a tradition birthed precisely because of those individuals. Leos almost let these thoughts slip, but the prince, guessing his thoughts, scoffed.

“No. It all started right after I met Logan Macline. I keep having strange dreams and an endless rage against him rising. We need to pinpoint the cause before we proceed.”

Despite the ambiguous reasoning, there was a strange certainty in Baros’s voice. Leos, though hesitant, found himself nodding agreement without realizing it.

“Understood. I will make contact.”

“Tell them to come to the palace as soon as possible.”

“They may refuse. The palace is like death to them.”

“If it’s impossible here, I must go to them.”

“That’s even more dangerous….”

About to object, Leos froze as he met the prince’s daunting, blood-red stare. The prince, with a cold and composed gaze, was far more terrifying than when his eyes were gleaming with madness. Leos had applied to be his chronicler precisely because of such moments.

“…Understood.”

In the end, Leos decided to reach into the forbidden once more. As they exchanged these words, a decisive conversation was beginning elsewhere in the heart of the imperial palace.

“Baros, the child has reached out to the serpents.”

A middle-aged man’s brow furrowed slightly as he lounged on a massive throne. It was rare for the emperor, the absolute ruler of the empire, to show displeasure.

But when speaking of ‘serpents,’ it was entirely justified.

– I have confirmed it myself.

The voice resonated in the space, belonging to a presence unseen even to the emperor, who seemed unfazed by such insolence.

“How did the child come to be connected with them?”

– I was unable to determine that, Your Majesty.

“So, the mad serpents still have ties within the royal family. Distasteful. Highly distasteful…”

The emperor drumming his fingers against the armrest was a clear sign of his irritation, which remained even as silence stretched and another voice spoke.

– What will you do, Your Majesty?

Despite the audacity to rush the emperor, the ruler maintained his composure.

“Baros. I thought he had potential, but he’s disappointing.”

After a pause, the emperor’s voice emerged, deadly cold.

“We will use Baros as bait. Let him maintain ties with them and use it to locate their stronghold.”

– And the succession?

“Baros is out of the running. But we won’t make it public. Not until we eradicate those serpents from the empire.”

– As you command.

“I’ll support you with Sword Soul and Slicing Wind. This time, we must eliminate the serpents.”

At the mention of the continent’s greatest sword(s) and the top sorcerer in the empire, the voice acknowledged:

– Understood.

That was the last of the exchange. * * *

Logan had arrived at the border of the Roman Kingdom, one of the four nations of the north, just three days after meeting the king. Yet despite having sent official orders and communications in advance, the reception at the frontier base was far from welcoming.

“A superhuman just out of mountain training, you say…?”

Count Karil Zamod’s manner of sizing Logan up wasn’t flattering, no matter how generously one tried to interpret it.

“You wish to lead the vanguard? Even for a superhuman, it would be difficult without the backing of knights. I hope you will follow my commands dutifully.”

Though not entirely incorrect, Logan could clearly see the greed within Karil’s eyes.

‘He thinks he’ll be the hero of a war he believes can’t be lost.’

The count’s sturdy build and strong, chiseled face were filled with determination, albeit extending to friends and foes alike which could be problematic.

Had it not been for the king’s orders and messages, he likely wouldn’t have even met with Logan. Understanding the man’s mentality, Logan simply nodded without a word.

“Just give me the vanguard.”

The slight was met with a twist in Karil’s face, but since Logan was a potential duke within Liberty and had his capabilities verified by the kingdom, the count did not dare test him further. Regaining his composure, Karil forced a smile and begrudgingly nodded.

“Fine. Go and rest. I’ll call for you when the war begins.”

He spoke of coordinating with the knights yet offered no formal introduction, his intentions abundantly clear. It was so obvious Logan almost laughed.

‘I might just have to jump into the fray myself if needed.’

There was no need for contests of pride. Logan’s goal was to end the war as quickly and with as little damage as possible. To dominate from the beginning, there was no value in petty squabbles with a local commander.

– The war will start simultaneously in Triad, Liberty, and Ternan.

Triad, in the heart of the continent, would advance south toward Romero and Tahiti, while Ternan faced off against the formidable naval nation of Caleron to the east. Sandwiched between them, Liberty would conquer the Roman Kingdom, sharing ancestral ties with Romero, then swiftly continue southward.

A simple yet efficient strategy hinging on overwhelming might aimed at engulfing all four nations at once.

‘Quickly seize Roman and advance south. And then…’

Logan recalled King Ramon I of Triad after ending a communication with Ronian.

It was really the third power moving the king’s hand.

– The promise has been kept.

– Ah… Ha ha. As expected, Macline. I have always trusted you.

– When will the war begin?

– Right now, preparation is in the heat. Ha ha.

The awkward vibe from the communication suggested those behind the king were panicking even more. If trouble arose from Triad’s front, Logan’s face turned grim.

If Triad caused complications…

‘The vanguards of Liberty and Ternan will likely pay the Triad royal family a visit.’

They would end the war, even if it meant dealing with them directly. Or perhaps, that would be better. If he and Eileen demonstrated their power, the kingdoms of the alliance led by Liberty and Ternan would inevitably heed Macline’s words.

As Logan settled his thoughts, he closed his eyes quietly in his quarters, provided by Count Karil, for meditation.

‘The board is set; now I wonder how the Empire will move.’

Honestly, he was fed up with all the scheming. With world-shattering power at hand, why keep plotting?

And yet, he had an inkling of their objective.

‘They desire chaos.’

Just as Macline had, the empire sought to weaken neighboring nations. Perhaps it was a preliminary move in preparation for invasion. If so, Logan would put an end to that chaos far sooner than they anticipated.

‘And even make the kingdom alliance our allies.’

Plans flowed both in Logan’s mind and in the minds of the Eyes of Flame and Damian, charged with intensity.

Three days passed in this manner, and then the Liberty kingdom army began to mobilize. But what they encountered defied Logan’s expectations.

“Advance!”

Over two thousand knights, more than fifty thousand soldiers — the full might of Liberty’s forces crossed the border. The Roman army, known to be less than half in number, provided little serious resistance.

As soldiers, knights, and commanders, exuberant with visions of victory, marched ahead, their success seemed almost preordained. In just three days, they struck down the first castle, which hardly mounted a defense.

Overtaken by joyous victory, Count Karil Zamod sneered at Logan.

“It seems we won’t need a superhuman after all. Just watch from the back.”

Three days later, another castle fell, and then another. Soon enough, Liberty’s forces stood before the capital of the Roman Kingdom, their morale at its peak.

“The enemy has given up resistance!”

“Advance!”

While a few commanders and Logan felt wary, a sudden shift occurred on the battlefield.