Chapter 633: The Plan

After two days of rest, Victoria’s condition had clearly improved, though faint traces of lingering weakness and fatigue still lurked beneath her carefully guarded eyes. Gawain glanced at the Northern Duchess and reminded her, “Tulip Castle lies deep within the contaminated zone and isn’t part of our next offensive. Sonia flying over it is one thing, but landing there without purifying the entire area is quite another.”

“But it’s not impossible,” Victoria met Gawain’s gaze without flinching. Her face remained impassive, but her tone carried a quiet determination. “Those monsters are currently in a frenzy. On the upside, that means they’ve lost their coordination—no mutual support, no sentries, and they’re less alert. We could slip in quietly. As long as we don’t make too much noise or alert too many creatures, I might be able to send out a message without being detected.”

“…I admit it sounds feasible,” Gawain nodded after a moment’s thought. “But are you sure you want to go yourself?”

“Not every mage can rely solely on the amplification of a single tower to send messages all the way to Saint Suniel. It requires advanced spellcasting skills and a vast reserve of magical power,” Victoria said matter-of-factly. “I’m the safest choice for this mission.”

Before Gawain could ask more questions, the duchess continued, “I heard that Belk of the Loren family lit the first beacon.”

“I can no longer achieve feats like his, but as head of the Wilde family, I cannot avoid doing what I am capable of.”

When a noble puts their family’s honor on the line, it usually means their mind is made up.

“We can try. At least it’s a plan,” Gawain finally agreed. “But one thing—we need a safer way to get you to Tulip Castle. The giant eagle can’t carry much weight; Sonia can only guide, not carry you. Griffins don’t fly high or fast enough, and once inside the contaminated zone, they’re easy prey for the crystal giants. Overall, flying in isn’t safe.”

“Is there a safer way?” Victoria sounded puzzled. Flying over the contaminated zone and landing at Tulip Castle was already the most viable plan she could think of. She couldn’t imagine anything more secure. Surely they couldn’t fight their way through the crystal giants on the ground?

Gawain smiled faintly and looked toward Amber…

The half-elf stiffened the moment Gawain smiled, then realized there was no escaping this. She curled her lips. “Shadow Realm travel is an option. But just so you know, moving through the Shadow Realm consumes energy. It depends on whether we encounter unstable shadow rifts or deadly ‘voids.’ If the toll is too high, I might not be able to get you all the way to Tulip Castle—and I’ll need enough strength left for the return trip.”

“Of course, just do your best,” Gawain nodded. “I’ll send an armored assault unit to get you as close to Tulip Castle as possible. Then you infiltrate and send the message. Meanwhile, I’ll dispatch an elite force to advance at full speed toward Saint Suniel. We can’t waste a second.”

The plan’s details were quickly finalized. Those receiving orders left the room one by one, until only Gawain and Victoria remained.

“To be honest, the situation is grim,” Gawain said calmly once the Northern Duchess was alone with him. “I remain pessimistic about whether Saint Suniel can hold—though I’m doing everything I can to get there in time.”

Victoria’s expression didn’t change. She quietly asked, “…If Saint Suniel falls, do you have a backup plan?”

“…We’d have to abandon the entire northern region and the Holy Spirit Plains, preserve the southern and eastern territories, and try to build a defensive line in the west before the contamination spreads there,” Gawain didn’t hide his contingency plans. “The pressure to survive will force those regions to accept a new order. I’m confident that once the new defenses are in place, we can stabilize the situation and gradually reclaim the contaminated lands.”

Victoria was silent for a moment before finally saying, “Sounds like you don’t have much faith in the kingdom’s nobles.”

Gawain smiled and countered, “Sounds like you have high expectations?”

“…I admit my expectations aren’t as high as they were years ago,” Victoria said slowly. “But I believe Saint Suniel can be held—if reinforcements can get to Silver Keep in time.”

Gawain’s expression grew interested. “May I ask where your confidence comes from?”

“Grant Duke Bertram Franklin, and Prince Wales Morn,” Victoria said, looking him squarely in the eye. “They will hold the city. They’ll hold out as long as reinforcements take to arrive.”

“…You think more highly of Wales Morn than I expected.”

“I was assigned to monitor him, so I know him well. Prince Wales has never lacked talent; he just chose to step back. But if the kingdom needs him, he will stand up,” Victoria said. “Besides him and Grant Duke Bertram, the capital has many reliable people—Count Cromwell of White Mountain, the loyal Royal Knights, Captain Coen Loren… Maybe half the nobles want to abandon the city, but at least the other half will fight to the last.”

Gawain studied Victoria quietly. She met his gaze steadily. After two seconds, the “Ice Duchess” exhaled softly.

“I know our generation has disappointed you, Duke Cecil. Maybe the nobles of Ansu today are truly corrupt, but please believe not everyone is rotten. Many still hope for the kingdom’s revival and are working toward it.”

“Including Edmund Morn and Selas Loren?”

“…Including them.”

“But they failed. You failed. The many progressives in the capital, those nobles you say aren’t rotten and want to revive the kingdom—they all failed. Why do you think they failed?” Gawain’s deep brown eyes bore into Victoria’s. “Was it just because some ‘End of All Things’ suddenly showed up to stir trouble?”

The weight of the founding duke’s gaze was indescribable—deeper and sharper than the northern snows and mountains. Victoria held her breath. For many years, she had used her authority to intimidate others; she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be on the receiving end of such a stare. For a moment, she was transported back to her childhood, facing the stern eyes of the previous duke.

In her memory, her father pointed at the withering plants in the courtyard and asked, “If pruning, fertilizing, watering, and applying medicine don’t work, what would you do?”

The fleeting memory passed quickly. Victoria snapped back to the present, still facing Gawain’s penetrating gaze.

“You actually know the answer,” Gawain said quietly, “but you’re not free to act.”

Victoria remained silent.

“We shouldn’t discuss this now,” Gawain looked away and relaxed his posture. “Victoria, you’re exceptional—even among the pioneers’ generation, you’d be a remarkable noble. After this war ends, we can slowly consider how to rebuild the kingdom. But for now, our most important task is to end this war.”

“As you say,” Victoria exhaled softly, then lowered her head with a solemn expression. “No matter what happens, you saved me and the Mountain Legion. I can never repay that debt. So from now on, at least personally, I will be your loyal ally.”

Once alone, Gawain leaned back in his chair and let out a silent sigh.

“On a personal level… it’s never easy for anyone.”

After the sigh, he straightened up and began drafting a feasible plan to send the main forces north. The situation had taken a sudden turn; he could no longer follow the original timetable. Considering Saint Suniel’s importance as a gateway fortress, he had to deploy battle-ready troops to the north faster than planned.

Using the retrofitted civilian cargo ships and the Gorgon River might be a good option…

Just as he was outlining the beginning of his plan, the magical network communication terminal on his desk buzzed suddenly.

Gawain glanced at the holographic ID—it was a special channel from Cecil City.

The terminal activated, and after a brief flicker, Heddy’s face appeared before him.

“What’s happened?”

“Miss Tyr said it’s urgent,” Heddy said simply, stepping aside. Gawain then noticed a long snake tail swaying in the background behind her. The tail flicked twice, and Tyr’s upper body wobbled into the center of the frame.

“I’m sensing it again,” the siren said, eyes wide as she stared at the hologram. “The scent of food! It’s suddenly much stronger!”

Gawain’s heart tightened. Though he had anticipated and prepared for this, hearing it from Tyr still made his nerves tense. “Direction? Intensity? Can you roughly determine the target’s condition or status?”

“The direction should be deep in the eastern Holy Spirit Plains, but the exact location is unclear. It seems suppressed or sealed by something—maybe deep underground,” Tyr spoke quickly. “As for intensity… I don’t know how to describe it. It feels subtle. It’s ‘alive,’ stronger than the giant squid, but its aura is unstable and impure, like a chaotic mix of many energies, waxing and waning.”

Gawain inhaled softly.

Is this the “divine power” held by the End of All Things? The energy source they use to create and activate divine abominations? Has it gone out of control? Is some godlike entity awakening?

Could the sudden mutation of the crystal legion be related to this rogue “divine power”?

Countless speculations flooded his mind. He controlled his thoughts and asked the siren, “What’s your queen’s stance?”

“She’s interested in the little biscuit and your arcane energy technology, willing to assist. They’re preparing an elemental warp tower, but the details of cooperation still need discussion,” Tyr flicked her tail tip, her expression serious. “Also, I must convey Her Majesty’s words—sirens will only help you deal with ‘non-human entities’ and won’t interfere in human internal conflicts. We want this cooperation to be pure and restrained; that’s the guarantee for long-term collaboration.”

“That’s more than enough,” Gawain nodded sincerely. “Thank you very much for your help.”

“No need to mention it. Mutual benefit,” Tyr waved her hand and tail tip, then swayed out of the communication frame. Her voice drifted from off-screen, “How do you turn this thing off? Oh, you do it. I’m off.”

Two seconds later, Hetty reappeared before Gawain. “Ancestor, the engineering teams sent to the edge of the wasteland have begun their return. The reinforcement work on the Grant Wall has been successfully completed.”

“That’s finally some good news,” Gawain breathed out softly. “Excellent. Let those teams rest thoroughly first. Then arrange for them to start construction on the second-phase tank factory and armory. As for that elven mage, send her to the Arcane Energy Research Institute to assist Rebecca with the translation and optimization of the anti-gravity runes.”

“Understood.”

(End of chapter)