“Wait a sec!”

Sion is requesting reinforcements from someone named Rubia.

Looking at this, Yuli’s face turned a shade of panic. She just couldn’t wrap her head around Sion’s actions with any logical thinking.

“So you’re saying… you’re planning to raid the palace? And asking that Rubia for backup?”

Sion nodded at her words, looking almost as if he was questioning why she brought that up again. Meanwhile, Yuli’s head was spinning more and more.

“That can’t be possible!”

Could it be that something went wrong while he was trying to recall his memories?

Sure, Sion can be a bit oblivious sometimes, but he usually has his wits about him. This judgment he made was completely out of the frying pan and into the fire.

The palace.

Yes, that very palace.

The heart of the Empire.

The location where all the Empire’s forces are gathered.

Even if every nation except the Empire united and attacked the palace, it wouldn’t leave a scratch on its walls. It would only mean that every other nation would be wiped off the map.

There was a reason she suggested assassination first.

Gathering a large army to attack the palace openly is tantamount to signing a death warrant.

Even when considering that they could rewind time, wasting opportunities is a no-go.

Drawing attention by bringing in an army and then getting caught and killed before they could even confront the fake Heinrich was something she desperately wanted to avoid.

She summarized the information clearly and concisely for Sion, who seemed a bit out of sorts.

Yet Sion still looked like he was acting as if he already knew everything. He seemed completely lost in the current situation.

Yuli, feeling frustrated, clutched her chest and shouted, “Even if we gather reinforcements, they’ll be effortlessly neutralized! This place is being guarded by you and three other Swordmasters!”

Heinrich… was confirmed a fake, but that aside…

There’s Bazark Ludvest, called the Empire’s greatest sword, and Karl Alexander, who single-handedly destroyed a nation.

Such monsters are safeguarding the Empire.

Even for Sion, who had just become a Swordmaster, piercing through their defenses with mediocre reinforcements would be nearly impossible.

That’s what she thought…

“Not a single Swordmaster remains in the Empire.”

Sion suddenly declared.

It was such a ridiculous claim that she wondered if he was joking, but…

“I killed both of them.”

His expression was too serious as he uttered those words. Their time together had crossed months.

Yuli instinctively knew that even though Sion’s story was unbelievable, it had to be true.

Her face naturally stiffened.

Seeing that, Sion scratched the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed as he added an explanation that didn’t do much to help.

“Well, it wasn’t intentional. Things just ended up that way…”

Not the best excuse to offer, that’s for sure.

Just ended up that way?

Seriously, who accidentally kills two Swordmasters from the Empire?

“Regardless, it’s a good thing, right? You’ve greatly weakened the forces we have to confront in advance. This should definitely be doable, don’t you think?”

Sion skillfully shifted the conversation.

While curiosity about what on earth he was thinking crept up on her, the greater problem of doom loomed large, so she decided to speak up again.

“Still, it’s dangerous. Even aside from the Swordmasters, the Imperial Forces are not to be taken lightly.”

It’s definitely safer and more efficient to lie in wait near Heinrich and aim for an assassination rather than bringing some half-baked army.

She voiced that opinion, but…

“That’s fine.”

Sion shot back with another bizarre reply.

For some reason, a tiny smile spread across his face.

“Our kids are stronger than you think.”

At that moment, Yuli almost let slip a response, questioning what on earth he meant with that proud expression.

…The ground shook.

But this wasn’t an earthquake.

If it were, the ground wouldn’t shake so rhythmically. It’s not an earthquake for sure, but what on earth is this?

Her gaze naturally shifted toward the source of the sound.

And soon enough, her face was dyed with shock.

Steel was walking.

Dwarves, riding in complexly connected silver armor that resembled machinery, were onboard. Just that sight alone was already bizarre.

And elves.

Elves were there!

After the World Tree was supposedly burnt to ashes for some reason, the elves were thought to be extinct, yet here they were, alive and seemingly gathered in numbers.

Guardians.

Creatures that belonged in fairy tales taking form.

But there was something even more peculiar…

The girls standing prominently at the front of the army.

Now aware of her divine powers, they appeared incredibly otherworldly to her.

If she hadn’t known they were Sion’s companions, she might have mistaken them for the apostles of a wicked deity… or even gods manifested in reality, given the ominous aura they carried.

Her legs trembled with a natural fear.

This situation.

If she failed to notice that, not realizing it would be the weirder thing.

The sheer scale and number of forces, the identities of the leaders and underlings, even their specific motives lay wrapped in a shroud of secrecy.

They were the legendary terrorists and revolutionaries who manipulate the Empire as they please and shake nations.

…The ‘Black Fangs’ had appeared right before her.

*

“I’ve assembled the core troops. Preparations are in place, so we can engage in battle at any time.”

It was good to see Rubia again after a while. She wore a serious expression as she spoke.

Originally, the plan was entirely about rescuing Yuli and securing the former corpses, but suddenly it had turned into gathering all forces at the palace.

She expected some shock, but instead, it seemed like she was ready to embrace the challenge that had come.

Truly, she was someone capable.

Yet, if Yuli sprawled out on the ground making these dazed sounds of “Huh? Ah? Eh?” was any indication, the situation was already absurd.

“We should hurry. I feel like we don’t have much time left.”

As Rubia said,

There was no time to explain everything to Yuli bit by bit or leisurely recount what had happened with this rejoined companion.

With this many troops.

And with all sorts of weapons developed by the dwarves.

The limits of the camouflage magic are stretched thin.

In fact, just managing to gather this many troops without getting caught was a miracle in itself.

It was only a matter of time before they were discovered… which likely means the higher-ups knew already and were currently working on grasping the situation and dealing with the fallout.

In a few minutes, the Imperial forces would come to respond.

Time for a conversation was running short.

‘Well, this got tricky.’

Talking about the cycle of rebirth seemed too far-fetched. She wondered if she would have believed it if it weren’t something she experienced directly.

To spread that message around during this time frame and make everyone understand seemed quite the stretch.

A simple-minded, bold plan premised on a single reset. How could she explain such a foolishly aggressive tactic and make others believe in it?

In the midst of those convoluted thoughts,

“Give me the orders. I’ll make anything happen.”

Rubia said, gazing at me.

Even after suddenly assembling all troops at the palace, she was fearless enough to follow my orders without asking why, which could very well cost her life.

I looked back at my companions.

In their eyes, doubts or unease were nowhere to be found. There was trust. Trust in me.

‘Turns out, I worried for nothing.’

After all, I’m pretty lucky when it comes to companions.

How fortunate I am to have so many who would put their lives on the line for someone they believe in without hesitation.

A subtle smile crept onto my face at that realization.

Now, in this situation.

What should I say?

What orders should I give that would be the most effective?

Right now, the most important thing is the fake Heinrich.

The second most crucial thing might be the corpses I have yet to secure, which could relate to this whole matter.

But finding out where those two are seems impossible from my current position.

At least it’s certain that there’s a high chance they’re somewhere in the palace.

Finding how to kill a Kim Seobang who lives in Seoul is complicated, but dealing with one who lives in Seoul isn’t that difficult.

“From now on, we’ll take down the palace.”

With enough bombast, we’ll surely catch something.

Let’s rain down massive explosives on the Empire’s palace!