EP.181

Snow falls from the black sky. The snow that falls was not white as there was no light source over the sea.

Crew members holding torches, port workers lighting campfires in place of the extinguished lighthouse, and nobles holding lanterns and staring at the sea all blankly gazed at the dark snowflakes obscuring their view.

And beyond that, an aerial battleship descends like snow.

– Whoooosh… Kwang.

– Kwang, kwoojik…

The sound of the battleship crashing into the surface echoed faintly amidst the rough winter winds.

With every battleship sinking beneath the waves, the turbulence grew. The vessels that sought refuge in the harbor rocked violently.

The foam of the waves crashing against the breakwater splashed across the cheek of an elf noble.

“The end is coming.”

Once, the most powerful beings of this world, and among them, those who held the greatest power, lamented as they gazed at the end of an era.

This was happening simultaneously across the 13 associated islands of Kalion.

From that day forward, the elves lost air superiority.

However, what Kalion lost would not end with that.

“Tsunami!! Portside!!”

“Speak properly!! Exact measurements!!”

Shouts exchanged through the sleet. They had been battling fiercely for six hours now. Ivan was using all his strength to manage the sail ropes.

He saw Rundis rolling around on the deck. He quickly grabbed a rope and threw it to tie it up. Turning his gaze, he saw Oswald flying through the air.

He had been flung off the deck. Ivan gritted his teeth, holding onto the sail ropes with one hand and reaching out to secure Oswald with the other.

“Th-thank you— Uweeeek!!”

Oswald politely began to vomit. Since he was at least polite about it, they decided to overlook it. This was the behavior of a wizard who had lost his magical power.

Crew members scurried back and forth, struggling through the waves. Knowing nothing about navigation, Ivan decided to just focus on his task quietly.

His role was to support the sails instead of magic. Considering the tension pulling on the sail ropes, it was beyond what a person could manage.

“Lighthouse!! Northwest!!”

“Uaaaaaaaaah!!!”

They slid past gargantuan waves larger than the vessel itself. Two crew members tumbled beneath the deck. A crew member sucked into the night sea never showed his head again.

If navigating from Black Tower to Ydranhill, it would take three hours. Using traditional navigation methods would have taken about half a day.

However, Ivan was someone who could measure time down to the second, so he was able to determine the exact duration of the journey.

It took four hours.

This means he arrived three times faster than a typical ocean voyage. He could say it was due to a favorable wind, though it was a problem since it was excessively favorable.

Ivan raised his gaze and looked at the snowflakes. In the stormy sky, the snow drifted helplessly in the wind.

They were heading towards Ydranhill.

The wind, the snow, and the sea currents.

A storm was gathering.

“Prepare to anchor!!”

The port that came into view in the blink of an eye was engulfed in flames.

*

Three days after departing, the port of Ydranhill was engulfed in flames. Humans were swarming, driving out the Elves, and the sight of them laying siege beyond the burning barricades was visible.

The Elves holding torches looked haggard.

“The Eternal Palace has been blockaded, Senior!”

Fortunately, the leader of the humans who had occupied the port was someone Ivan recognized.

“A blockade…?”

“Yes, of course, right? In cases of national disaster, you know… frightened authorities lock up the vault and warehouses first, and angry workers set fire to seize key facilities—.”

The man who had incited the working-class humans to take over the port replied with a grin.

“Are you saying the Queen was frightened?”

No way.

She was far too bold to be frightened. The current queen was.

And this situation was indeed a national disaster, but…

“Is there anyone who gets scared after committing to something?”

“Y-yes…?”

The moment Ivan’s words reached him, Dmitri’s eyes widened sharply.

Surviving the war against the magical beasts, and even surviving as part of the Cleanup Unit, was an achievement in itself. Especially considering he had returned alive after facing the Seven Dragon Lords.

And the homeland he returned to was a hellish domain embroiled in a succession crisis. It was a precarious situation where a single misstep could lead to a purge at any moment. Surviving through all that solidified Dmitri’s competence beyond any need for elaboration.

Thus, he could perceive the profound implications in Ivan’s words.

“Who did you ally with? The demons?”

“Veolgrin.”

“If it was that guy, he could certainly do something like this… What’s the reason?”

“We need to find out.”

Ivan scanned the surroundings with tired eyes.

The port of Ydranhill was engulfed in chaos.

“What’s the damage report?”

“There are no casualties among our forces.”

The man standing next to Dmitri quietly bowed his head and answered.

Ivan nodded and asked.

“What about the occupation status?”

“The four ports, including this one, have been perfectly secured. There’s really only military facilities there. A defensive line has been established along the street leading to the noble district. Local elf resistance is fierce, and the route leading to the Eternal Palace is blocked.”

“What about the riots?”

“We started it, but it was only a matter of time. To be honest, there’s a pile of treasures behind the elves who have lost their magic; do you think they can just endure that?”

Most of the workers were humans, and most humans of this era had direct experience of war. Those who were healthy enough to engage in primary labor and belonged to the impoverished class, living under conditions akin to slavery in foreign lands, even more so.

Most of these individuals were likely conscripts who had fought on the frontlines. The only system that governed such rough manpower was magic.

It would be a miracle for elven society to maintain itself at the point when magic stopped. Given that the labor population of the city likely outnumbered the noble population by more than ten times, the wealth accumulated by the elves would be glaring before their eyes.

“Oswald.”

“Yes, Ivan.”

“Leave with Evelyn. You need to contact the Privy Council and find a way to calm the situation.”

The issue in Ydranhill can be resolved. With the thirty or so agents present at this moment, it would be more than enough.

It would be enough to occupy the major facilities and incite the humans. The incited humans would naturally wish to join the “armed human group.”

“Gather as many Privy Council members as possible and surround this city.”

“…Here?”

“The Queen surely wouldn’t have entrusted Veolgrin with full authority.”

If the Queen were sane, she would have surely set up a means to control Veolgrin. Stopping the Milestone would be a major undertaking involving the fate of the race.

Therefore, we must now occupy Ydranhill and detain the Queen. The fact that the Queen has sealed the Eternal Palace hints at this reality.

If the Queen and Veolgrin were the ones who caused this situation, there should also be a way to restore it through the Queen. At the very least, a solution should exist.

We need to check what they are hoping for by closing the doors and laying siege.

“Rundis. Lucia. You two are the only available forces at this point.”

“Those filthy elves, as expected.”

Rundis replied with a grin.

It was a disaster that fell within unimaginable boundaries, but Ivan had no choice but to acknowledge that this party composition was a mistake. Most of the party comprised elves, which resulted in a severe power gap against the terror directed at elves.

However, with Lucia and Rundis, they could respond. In a disaster situation without explicit enemies, there was little chance for the party to get involved in direct conflict.

Rundis was an engineer who had fully inherited the dwarven engineering skills. He was the most competent at the time when magic had vanished.

And Lucia was an immediate power that could take Ivan’s role under any circumstance. Although her direct combat ability might be somewhat lacking, with the two of them together, they could fully perform scouting roles.

“When the Privy Council is convened and the response begins, gather information. There’s a high chance of there being a traitor within the Privy Council.”

It was clear that this situation was a collaboration between Veolgrin and the Queen. But there was something that remained undisclosed. A fragment of information that had not yet been confirmed.

Alexander.

In the first place, the reason Ivan headed towards Kalion was that intel indicating someone among the Privy Council had teamed up with Alexander.

Even now, Alexander still existed in this country. And what he hoped for and what actions he might attempt in this situation had yet to be confirmed.

“Yes, Sir. I’ll be back soon!”

“Elder, please wait just a moment!”

The party quickly led the crew and departed. After a simple loading operation, the ship immediately set sail towards the dark night sea.

Ivan briefly looked back at Lucia, who was waving her hands energetically from the rear, before turning his head away.

“Dmitri.”

“Yes, Senior.”

“Will interrogating a foreign queen become a diplomatic issue?”

“Well, if it becomes a problem.”

“What was the last operation you were deployed in?”

“The northeast, at the Oléga of the Great Rift.”

“Survivors?”

“Five of us survived, including myself.”

Ivan turned his gaze. He could see the men surrounding him.

He knew all the men present here. He knew each of their names, lives, hobbies, and even the most trivial details.

They were the ones who had received orders to assassinate the Seven Dragon Lords and returned after burying over ninety percent of their comrades in the field.

“Senior, I received a message from His Majesty.”

“If there’s something that must be done, do not consider the future.”

“Now, the personnel has been arranged directly by Your Majesty.”

The survivors of the Cleanup Unit have been gathered and sent off. It was Elizaveta herself. This decision comes from a commander who once operated the Cleanup Unit.

This signifies that even the Warlord of the Seven Dragon Lords can be a part of this force. In this era, it is the most secret and sharp weapon owned by Krasilov.

All armies of civilization take this symbol as their shield. It indicates that they were established to protect their ethnicity and nation.

However, from its inception, the Cleanup Unit has taken only one phrase as its symbol: the dagger held in reverse. It carries the meaning that it is a military branch solely for offense.

“I will issue the orders.”

“Yes, Commander.”

The last high-ranking officer of the Cleanup Unit opened his mouth.

“The final objective is the normalization of Kalion. The immediate task is the occupation of the Eternal Palace. The subsequent tasks are the capture and interrogation of the Queen, and understanding the situation. The secondary objective is the incapacitation of Ydranhill. As an alternative in case of failure, we will gather intelligence after joining with the forces of the Privy Council that will arrive later.”

Ivan continued, making eye contact with each person.

“The grand strategy involves active intervention in the reorganization of Kalion. The minimum requirement is the securing of Krasilov’s haven. The maximum requirement is the acquisition of the source technology for airships.”

And then.

“We will strengthen the capture of Alexander.”

“Can I ask one question, Senior Ivan?”

“Go ahead.”

“Can I include emotions in this?”

The fact that everyone present here are survivors of the Cleanup Unit means, simply put, that everyone here has crawled back to life after burying their comrade before the Warlord of the Seven Dragon Lords.

By the command of a madman.

The reason the Cleanup Unit grasped Elizaveta’s hand and established the Counterintelligence Command was only for one reason. The reason why agents betrayed by the state once again placed their bodies in the hands of state power was solely one.

Revenge.

With Dmitri’s question, around thirty agents simultaneously looked at Ivan.

“We can’t just let our limbs go back to normal.”

“Revenge is meaningless.”

Ivan quietly gazed into Dmitri’s eyes and concluded his words.

“So, it seems appropriate to offer a tribute for the brothers who died meaninglessly.”