“So… how many hours have you been logged in?”
“I don’t know!”
Leo shook his head vigorously and smiled brightly.
Looking at his status, it seems he’s been online for at least more than the 38 hours from before…
“Hehe…”
At this point, can we call him a totally different person?
“But I’m glad you came! I was going to look for you.”
“I’m just here to sightsee. Of course, I should be the one looking for you.”
Leo’s castle, much larger than Yena’s.
Inside Leo’s marquisate, countless people were bustling around, and golden flags symbolizing the empire along with knights were guarding the castle.
After briefly exploring the castle, I asked Leo, who was still staring wide-eyed.
“Don’t you have any defensive items?”
“Oh. That’s because they’re useless.”
“?”
“Better than that, my spirit is way stronger.”
As Leo said this, the spirit of wind appeared next to her and perched on her head.
“Wow?” Leo looked up in surprise.
So cute.
“Ehh.”
“Today it feels even softer.”
“Uuu…”
Do the penalties stack and affect this too?
It’s clear that after being soaked in penalties, Leo no longer resists.
Instead, she slightly lifted her face to make it easier for me to poke her cheeks and gazed at me intently.
While I was playing with Leo’s cheek, the green bird perched above her head opened its mouth.
─Leo is indeed cute. But it’s not just cuteness that defines her.
“…?”
“Ah! Lady Arne! Why are you here?”
Startled, Leo pulled my hands away and placed her short hands on the green bird to catch it.
The bird, with a pouty expression.
However, Arne, connected to the bird, chuckled and conveyed a message to Leo.
“Hmm? Ah ha? I was going to… Yes…”
Leo sighed and turned toward the bird.
The bird, now looking at me, spoke in a gentle voice.
─Hello. I’m Arne Partia.
“If I may refer to this person as—”
“Spirit Lord. I know who they are.”
Spirit Lord, Arne Partia.
It’s a name I’ve already heard through the internet and various sources.
One of the Eight Swords of the Empire, an unparalleled powerhouse that even the Emperor cannot handle. The contractor of the Spirit King.
And Leo’s master.
─…So you know. No need for an explanation then.
Cough cough.
The bird nodded.
In sync, Leo also nodded her head.
I wonder why Leo is nodding.
─As the contractor of the Wind Spirit King, ‘Naphras’, I’d like to make you a proposal.
As the contract holder of the Spirit King, ‘Naphras’, I’m here to make you an offer.
“Naphras?”
Was he still alive?
I thought everyone was dead back then.
—Yes. Naphras. The great lord of the wind. Do you happen to know her?
The bird tilted its head and asked.
I know…
‘Well, I know a bit.’
At one point, I had quite a connection with the Spirit King. I liked Spirits, and they were like a refreshing escape for me while wandering through the tiring world.
Especially, I had a pretty deep friendship with water and wind.
‘Until the Demon Race used Spirits for their experiments.’
That was probably around the time the world was halfway destroyed.
If we count years, it’s been about 23 years since I possessed Lily.
Everywhere I went, the world was ablaze, and ancient beasts that had devoured hundreds and thousands of years roamed freely.
Whenever the Celestial Race and the Demon Race clashed, a part of the continent was wiped out in an instant.
A world filled with war and death.
And even Spirits couldn’t escape the relentless Demon Beasts.
‘The Demon Race’s experiments.’
A major incident where the Lower Spirits that existed everywhere were slaughtered, and the Higher Spirits vanished from the world.
The Spirits hastily hid from unprecedented terrible malice, but they couldn’t escape the eyes of the Demon Race, often referred to as the God of Magic.
Countless Spirits were used.
Even the Spirit King, who held power comparable to the ancient beasts, was turned into experimental material.
After a dreadful time, the Upper Demons conducting the experiment came to one conclusion.
‘What the heck? Useless.’
What the Demons intended to experiment was the creation of ‘Darkness’ Spirits.
They sought to fully encapsulate magic within a Spirit and actually created it, but upon realizing it wasn’t effective, they discarded all of them.
I mean, they literally ‘threw them away’.
They discarded them without any disposal or restraint and just released them into the world, disappearing into thin air.
The remaining Spirits dissolved into the magic that gnawed away at their bodies and souls.
Even if they survived, they lived completely merged with darkness, suffering until death.
They were forcibly infused with magic, so no matter how much of a spirit they were, they would inevitably feel pain.
And, naturally, the Demons couldn’t care less about the Spirits’ suffering.
I thought Naphras had been swept away and died back then too.
Really, there was no trace of her, and the winds of Naphras didn’t blow anywhere in the world.
But seeing her alive like this, it seems she had hidden away quite well.
“Looks like you were pretty good at hiding since you’re still alive.”
“A little bit.”
“Right… Anyway, I have a proposition for you, Lily Elbrite. Do you know where this place is?”
“It’s Leo’s castle.”
“Exactly. It’s Roton Castle in the western part of Leo’s territory. There are plenty of other kingdoms nearby.”
“The castle with the Sword Saint is on the exact opposite side. Although there are also many other kingdoms there, it’s more of a federation…”
“Of course, the Sword Saint should be more than enough. The Angel Guild is strong and all, but that’s just by name… their actual strength? Oh, skip that.”
“Anyway, the above and sides are sufficient. It’s a pity there are only two people capable of moving around…”
“What are you trying to say?”
I interrupted the bird’s words.
To be precise, I cut off Arne’s words connected to the bird.
This proposal? Obviously, I won’t accept it.
I already figured out the Empire’s strategy of using the Siege War system to instantly capture castles from Leo’s message.
No, even if Leo hadn’t sent a message, I would have roughly caught on.
The Sword Saint and Leo are both in their own single-person guilds.
With a sturdy castle already prepared, it was clear they’d use the Empire’s troops as “mercenaries” to get into a conquest war.
The problem is, I’m not siding with the Empire.
The Empire and I are already in an irreconcilable relationship, and the Empire is fully aware of that.
Spirit Lord Arne Partia chuckled lightly.
“… That’s the Duke Huangyeol’s position. It’s not worth it to engage in a conquest war for either moral or cost reasons, so they want to move like this.”
“Of course, that’s not our position!”
We have enough strength.
There are sufficient troops and a decent justification can be made up.
But for the Empire, the issue was ‘cost.’
The variable called ‘Lily.’
It was almost a catastrophe for the continent, having dispatched Sugarado and easily overwhelmed the Eight Swords.
Even Saintess Nea couldn’t get a finger in and fled at Duke Huangyeol’s command.
From the Empire’s perspective, which doesn’t know what losses might arise, they can’t just start a war recklessly.
“But what if we use the Siege War? We can secure justification and conquer without much resistance! This system was created by Deoen, so it can’t be obstructed!”
Once you break the core, the castle gets conquered.
Of course, the Siege War isn’t just like a land-grabbing game.
It’s a contest fought over castles, and the victory of the siege is determined by the “points” scored from attacking the opponent’s castle.
But Deoen is a game with extremely high freedom.
As long as they can handle it, there’s absolutely no problem in occupying it beyond just the attack…
If it can be done, there’s no problem at all…
─ But, we’re in a bit of a different position.
“…Different position?”
─ A war, sounds plausible. Leo and the Sword Saint commanding the Eight Swords, sweeping through the continent as mercenaries. Not a bad strategy at all. You just have to break the gems.
No need to kill anyone.
No need to subdue everyone for occupation.
You just have to break the core.
At a glance, it even looks like a user vs user situation, so it’s perfectly justified.
From the empire’s perspective, it’s a banquet laid out deliciously.
But the Spirit Lord didn’t want that.
─ Let me be straightforward. I want enemies of the Magic Lord rather than the empire’s side.
“Enemies?”
─ Yes. If the Sword Saint’s side is handled well, the Twin Moon Lord and Blood Fight Lord will probably be dispatched there. There will be an empty spot.
“Just so you know, those two are also on the Magic Lord’s side. The owner of the weapon that Lady Lily brought is the Twin Moon Lord!”
Um… Leo continued to speak with a smile.
“What I want from Lady Lily is not… to be affiliated with me! I’ll give you a castle, so you can run it as a one-man guild, or you can join Yena’s team! As long as you participate in the siege war, that’s okay.”
But.
“When the siege war starts, please go to the north and stop the Sword Saint and the Eight Swords. It’s fine if you just charge in and destroy the empire’s castle.”
“…Is that really fine?”
The empire’s castle?
Those who are said to be the backbone of the empire?
Arne laughed.
─ Yes, completely pushing it down would be fine too. That would give a greater sense of despair.
“…Are you trying to break away from the empire?”
─ Not so much breaking away… more like… carving it out.
She must realize her sins.
The bird that spoke coldly summoned a verdant wind.
A wind that made my blue hair flutter.
Amid this familiar breeze, I sank into thought for a moment.
But the thought didn’t last long.
“Bring Naphras.”
─…Yes?
“I need to have a conversation with her.”
First, let’s see what she’s up to.
‘I’ve said it many times, but I am not a celestial being, I am human. Don’t believe me? Hmm… if you don’t believe it.’
How about giving it a try?
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