Ignition (2)

Frondier stood before the gathering of the Empire's most powerful figures.

Among them were some familiar faces, but most were strangers.

The mere fact that such formidable individuals were casting suspicious glances at him sent shivers down his spine.

Click.

Yet, Frondier did not hesitate. He manipulated his bracer, dispersing black mana.

There was no time to persuade each of them now. Besides, he had no intention of doing so.

He would simply show them.

That he was the one they needed most.

"What you see before you is a three-dimensional map."

Frondier once again brought out the three-dimensional map he had previously used at the Phenomenon headquarters.

Of course, it was a completely different map this time. The one Frondier presented was a map of the entire Empire.

"Her Majesty the Empress will vouch for the reliability of this map."

"I do."

Philly responded immediately, as if there was nothing to consider.

At her confirmation, Frondier enlarged the map for all to see.

"Oh, this is..."

"I've heard about it from the Phenomenon pro. It's amazing to see it in person."

A three-dimensional map that could instantly change its size and angle without the need to join papers or adjust scales.

Currently, Frondier was the only one who could create it using black mana, but he had heard that the magic artifact company Hitchcock was also working on its production based on this idea.

Since they could create three-dimensional blueprints, it wouldn't take long for them to achieve it.

"As you all know, the Manggot live outside the Empire. Their exact location has been unknown until now. However, the prevailing view was that they likely resided in a very harsh and barren terrain. To survive without the protection of the wall, the environment would have to be one that even the outer monsters would avoid."

That's why the 'Red Land,' where Renzo was currently located, was also one of the candidates for the Manggot's original location.

One of the noble family heads who was listening spoke up.

"That's strangely in the past tense."

"Yes. We now know where they are located."

At those words, everyone murmured. Knowing the Manggot's location was considered the biggest challenge, and it had already been solved?

"Lord Osprey witnessed it."

Frondier extended his hand as if to welcome him, and Osprey stepped forward.

"Greetings to all."

Osprey glanced at everyone once before speaking.

"How did it feel to forget about me for a moment?"

Osprey's joke was hard to laugh at. Everyone made ambiguous expressions before realizing.

"That's right! When you went outside the world!"

Osprey nodded at the guess.

"At that time, I saw the killing intent directed towards me. While observing from outside the world, I discovered the location of the Manggot. I don't know the exact location, but I can pinpoint the direction and region."

"Oooooh!" Cheers erupted from the crowd. Even with just that much information, with this many people searching, they would find it quickly.

Frondier observed the murmuring crowd for a moment.

In fact, Frondier knew where the Manggot were. It was one of the prerequisites.

And he also knew that knowing it wouldn't make things any better.

Frondier spoke.

"Everyone, the reason the Manggot are causing trouble this time is because Osprey discovered their dwelling place."

Of course, there were other reasons as well, but Osprey's sighting was definitely the trigger.

"In other words, they already know that the location of their base has been exposed. Yet, they intend to wage war."

At those words, the others nodded.

"So they're also fully prepared."

"Moreover, to reach the Manggot, we must first overcome the outer monsters. That's where the difficulty lies."

Frondier nodded at their words.

"And no matter what method we use, we cannot attack them first. At least not in the first battle."

"...?"

This time, everyone tilted their heads in confusion.

"What does that mean?"

Ludwig spoke up.

"We know the location, and you've been running around day and night gathering people and preparing everything, right? It's not like they're attacking the Empire's walls right now, so why can't we attack first? It's not like we don't want to."

"I will explain."

Frondier waved his hand.

Black mana gathered and emphasized the locations of the Manggot and the Empire, clearly revealing the terrain and movement paths.

"First, I have something to tell you."

As Frondier spoke, black mana piled up above the Manggot and the Empire.

"This is just my personal opinion, but if the Manggot and the Empire were to engage in an all-out war, the strength of both sides would be like this."

The heights of the black mana towers created for both the Manggot and the Empire...

The Manggot, led by devils and gods, had raised assassins and combat personnel in a harsh environment.

While everyone was unable to predict their full strength, the Manggot's power as estimated by Frondier was...

"...Hmm?"

"Huh?"

Clearly lower than the Empire's.

At least, the black mana tower built for the Manggot was shorter than the Empire's.

Everyone in the Imperial Palace fell silent for a moment, looking at the heights of both sides. It was difficult to react. The atmosphere had been building up to something extremely serious, but the Empire was stronger?

"It's exactly as you think. The Manggot are weaker than the Empire."

"...Well, I guess that makes sense..."

Ludwig's voice was somewhat deflated.

Seeing that, Frondier said,

"If there's such a difference in power, in a head-on confrontation, the victory of the stronger side is guaranteed, and the damage will be minimal. The inferno that the Manggot desire wouldn't even spread, it would be trampled."

This was the commonly known Lanchester's Law. Of course, the people here wouldn't know the name Lanchester, so Frondier explained it in detail.

"However, the Manggot still intend to attack. They are confident that they will set the Empire ablaze. What options do they have?"

At Frondier's question, everyone looked at the map for a moment.

The corner of Sanders', the Shroud Knight Commander's, eye twitched.

"...Chaos?"