The next day.
We headed to the lord’s residence.
We met Kaeld in front of the house.
“Good morning.”
“Sure is. Handshake?”
“We did plenty of that yesterday.”
“Good. I was nervous you’d actually insist.”
We smiled at each other with overly bright grins.
Behind me, my party whispered among themselves.
“This feels like it’d be simpler if they just fought outright.”“I’ve never seen Mide go this far to get under someone’s skin.”
“Heh. Their killing intent is shaking me to my core. It’s been 2,000 years since I’ve felt something this intense.”
“Kid. Sounds like yesterday’s ‘1,500 years’ talk really fired you up.”
Anyway, I wiped the smirk off my face and said,
“Shall we go in?”
Then Neril tilted her head and asked,
“By the way, where’s the rest of your group?”
“Hm?”
“You came alone. Where are the other three?”
“Why does it matter, Witch of Carnage?”
“I’m just asking because I don’t see them.”
“Sigh. So what if they’re not here?”
Now that I think about it, Kaeld used to speak politely to Neril before the regression.
Guess he doesn’t feel the need to be courteous now that we’re not on the same side.
This time, Xenia answered instead of Neril.
“Mr. Mide has never once left us behind. Not even when meeting with lords or anyone else.”
“Ah.”
Kaeld casually snapped his fingers.
“Must’ve been too much for him to handle alone. So he relied on you all for everything.”
“Watch your mouth.”
“Oh, I am.”
“……”
“Like I said yesterday, we gathered to defeat the Demon King. And no one’s better suited to that task than a Hero.”
Kaeld let out a yawn like he was tired of having to explain something so obvious.
“So everything about how we proceed is decided by the Hero. My party has already agreed to that.”
“……”
“But don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not out of disregard for them—it’s just more efficient this way.”
“Hmph.”
“If you’re aiming for the Hero’s seat, Mide, you’d do well to follow my example. Though I’m not trying to lecture you.”
I let out a small laugh and replied,
“If I were aiming for it, I’d do exactly the opposite of what you’re doing.”
“This won’t be like those. The castle and the manor will collapse, and a mountain will flip over. A massive earthquake.”
“…! What must I do?”
Good. He moves fast.
Kaeld and I answered at the same time.
“Evacuate everyone.”
“Stay right where you are.”
“…?”
“……”
I asked,
“An earthquake’s coming, and you say they should stay? What do you mean by that?”
“That’s what I’d like to ask you.”
He stepped close and whispered in a low voice.
“If we evacuate everyone, who’ll witness our deeds?”
“……”
“Hearing about a miracle doesn’t compare to seeing one with your own eyes. What you’re proposing sounds like you’re tossing away a golden chance to gain recognition.”
“……”
“Could you really become a Hero that way, Mide Mohan?”
I sighed.
“And if something goes wrong? People are helpless against a major quake. You’re not going to run around rescuing everyone one by one.”
“Nothing will go wrong. And if it does, that’s their fate.”
“…Haa.”
I sighed deeply.
I really didn’t want to argue with this guy.
So I turned to the lord and said,
“You should evacuate the people—but there’s no need to leave the territory. If you divide Tetra into five sections, the far eastern zone should experience only minor effects.”
“Pardon?”
“At worst, a few things will topple over and people will feel shaken. Isn’t there a disused training ground in that area? Just have everyone stay there for a day or two.”
The old training grounds.
The place where I fought Kaeld yesterday.
It looked like they also used it for cavalry drills, so while no one could live there, if it’s just for packing people in for a short time, it should be doable.
Grab.
Kaeld suddenly grabbed my shoulder.
“Who told you to speak for us?”
“Let go. While I’m still being nice.”
“What about what I said earlier?”
“I don’t remember. Want to say it again, louder?”
Kaeld’s face hardened.
Well, there’s no way he could say in front of the count, ‘Let them stay and risk death so they can witness my glory.’
So he said something else instead.
“How can you be sure the eastern area will be safe? How do you even know where the quake will hit?”
I know because I remember from before regression.
The epicenter was in the western part of the territory.
Tetra suffered so much damage because the castle, the manor, and most residential areas were all located in the west.
Of course, I couldn’t say all that, so I gave him a convenient answer.
“A Hero should know that kind of thing, shouldn’t they?”
“Annoying answer.”
“I get what you’re worried about, but relax. I’ve got a plan.”
I leaned in close and whispered,
“I don’t intend to pass up the fame. I’ll make sure your glory gets handled properly too.”
“……”
“You don’t have to trust me on anything else, but on this point, you can. No one aiming to become a Hero would ever throw away a chance at fame.”
Kaeld stared at me for a moment, then gave a small nod.
“Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“Thanks.”
“Anyway, that’s how it is, Count.”
The count, who had been blankly watching us, suddenly snapped to attention.
“Pardon?”
“Just evacuate everyone to the old training grounds, as this man said. Let’s see… six days left.”
“Wh-what should I do after that?”
Kaeld answered gently.
“Just watch.”
A mass migration began in Tetra.
Though they only had to take shelter for a day or two, fearing the loss of their homes, the citizens packed their belongings in a way that resembled a full-blown evacuation.
[Well, it basically is one.]
‘You’re not wrong.’
In any case, we blended in with the struggling townspeople.
And while helping their exhausted bodies and spirits, we gradually refined our plan.
Then six days passed.
The day of the earthquake.
And the day of my showdown with Kaeld.
Kaeld stood in the very heart of the cataclysm.
Physically, he was positioned atop the castle.
From there, the entire territory stretched out beneath him—a breathtaking view he might’ve leisurely admired if not for the situation.
-Crunch. Boom!
Trees that had withstood the passage of over a hundred years toppled, and roads and bridges collapsed.
Houses crumbled and the ground caved in.
But the fortress where they stood remained firm.
“The divine of the heavens…”
The holy power summoned by Serein’s prayer surrounded the entire castle.
Just then, Lisel spoke.
“Mr. Kaeld. Shouldn’t we get started?”
Lisel didn’t like talking to anyone—including her party members—but Kaeld was one of the few exceptions she spoke to somewhat comfortably.
From behind, Serein chirped up.
“She’s right. I’m starting to struggle here too. Unlike someone, I don’t have a holy sword.”
“…”
“I’m pretty sure that holy knight is carrying the holy sword Caesar. Ahh, I wish our leader would get me something like that too.”
Kaeld slowly turned his head and looked at Serein.
She flinched under his indifferent gaze and hurriedly waved her hands.
“I was joking! Just a joke.”
“Jokes usually make people laugh, you know.”
“Ugh… Sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood.”
“No, I’m the one who was too indifferent. I didn’t mean to make things harder for you.”
He raised his hand and pointed toward the territory.
“I simply judged it best to let a little more damage occur first.”
“…What?”
“That way…”
Kaeld trailed off.
That way, the destructive power of the earthquake would be more vividly conveyed.
And that, in turn, would make the fame of the one who stopped it—him—all the greater.
But Kaeld didn’t expect his party members to understand such a “heroic” line of thought.
‘Only Mide and I would understand this.’
The only person who understood him was his rival.
The irony of that made him smile.
“Anyway, let’s begin. Lisel, I’m counting on you.”
“I just need to stay behind as usual, right?”
“Yeah. Just like always.”
“Got it.”
The usual positions were taken.
Standing at the edge of the castle ruins, Kaeld raised both arms high.
Anyone unfamiliar with the details would naturally assume he was about to perform some great act to stop the earthquake.
Serein quietly watched the scene, then whispered to Offense.
“I know I’ve said this before, but… isn’t this kind of shady?”
“What, you don’t like Kaeld getting credit for what Lisel’s doing?”
“Not exactly, but… this time there’s no need, is there? It’s not like the townspeople are watching.”
“Mide told Kaeld he’d make sure to raise his reputation no matter what. So it’s only natural that Kaeld would take all precautions—even if no one’s watching—to make sure he’s not outplayed.”
“…”
“Hey, if you don’t like it, complain to Kaeld, not me.”
Serein just pouted in response.
But what could she do?
This was something Kaeld enforced in the name of being a hero.
And more importantly, Lisel, the one actually doing the work, didn’t seem to mind at all.
There was no place for her to interfere.
Behind Kaeld, Lisel closed her eyes and whispered softly:
“Akhdar. Baan. Opil. Serium.”
Serein leaned closer to Offense and whispered again.
“I’ve always been curious—what kind of spell is that?”
“It’s probably not a spell.”
“Huh?”
“Think about Magna Neros’s precedent. She didn’t summon spirits with spells. She just… spoke to them.”
“…”
“So those weird-sounding words—they’re probably a language meant to command spirits. Spirit language, you might say.”
“You’re surprisingly scholarly today, Mr. Offense.”
“And you’re just as annoyingly talkative as always.”
While the two exchanged light jabs—
“Dakhrani. Malphire. Aitum!”
Taang.
Lisel’s voice rang louder.
And moments later, the trembling of the earth gradually began to settle.
Her “command” was taking effect on the spirits of the land.
Serein nearly whistled without thinking, but decided to hold back—thinking that wasn’t something a “delicate little priestess” should do.
A short while later—
“Phew. It’s done.”
Lisel smiled brightly.
Kaeld lowered the arms he’d raised for dramatic effect and looked down.
Much of the territory had been devastated due to his intentionally delayed intervention, but overall, the damage wasn’t too severe.
‘Perfectly balanced.’
It was surely the best way to maximize his reputation.
Offense spoke.
“Good work, Miss Lisel.”
“O-oh, no…”
“Mr. Kaeld. What do we do now? That Mide guy didn’t interfere at all.”
Originally, Kaeld had asked Offense to block any possible sabotage from Mide.
But Mide hadn’t shown up at all—not even when the quake subsided.
Kaeld turned and replied.
“Whatever he’s scheming, we just need to focus on our part.”
“And that is?”
“What else? Visiting the evacuation sites. We announce that we’ve successfully stopped the earthquake and bask in the praise. That’s our job.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Just then, a voice pierced through the group.
“Got a minute?”
Fwoosh.
Everyone whirled around.
“Eep.”
Serein made a strange squeal.
“It’s a monster!”
“That’s a divine carriage, actually.”
“Huh? Is that the holy knight’s voice?”
Appearing at the top of the fortress was a beast shaped like a dragon.
And atop its back—was Mide’s group.
Six days ago.
After hearing a long-held secret from Grade, I immediately came up with a great plan.
I explained it slowly to the others.
Neril, listening closely, tilted her head.
“You’re going to ask Lisel to stop the earthquake?”
Adwin followed up.
“But Lisel is—”
“Why are you calling her that? She’s like 1,500 years old.”
“I call Neril ‘big sis’ too, you know?”
“Yeah, and?”
“…Nothing. Anyway, I’m just saying Lisel seems especially loyal to Kaeld. No way she’ll agree to help you. There’s only one quake—it’s not like she’d give that opportunity away.”
I chuckled.
“Who said there’s only one?”
Everyone’s mouths fell open.
Right—before the regression, Tetra’s territory had suffered two earthquakes.
Eight hours apart.
But more important than the number was the difference in scale.
“The first one’s just a small quake. Happens once every ten years or so.”
“…”
“But the second is a major quake. The kind that happens once every hundred years.”
“Ohh.”
“Like I said, Tetra gets a lot of quakes. So the residents are used to it. Sure, the first one will scare them, but it won’t feel completely unfamiliar.”
And that difference was the key to my plan.
If Lisel stops the first small quake, Kaeld will believe he’s succeeded and let his guard down.
But…
“If I lay the groundwork well and stop the second, much larger quake—then I can flip the tables.”
“Yeah, I guess if both sides stop a quake, the one who handles the bigger one gets more credit.”
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Huh?”
“I’m going to plant a bomb in that first small quake. Well, you’ll see what I mean soon enough. One thing I can say for sure is…”
I grinned as I continued.
“There’s no way I’ll let that guy walk away from this territory with even a shred of fame.”
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