"And so, the vanguard led by Patracion defeated the vile invaders and raised the flag of the Military Nation high."

After finishing her unique rendition, Hilde bowed gracefully and quietly waited for our reaction. Tiran and I clapped lightly, while Azi, watching me intently, mimicked us by tapping the ground with his front paws. The only one who remained still was the Regressor.

In a village of the two-eyed, the one-eyed always stands out. Our gazes turned to the Regressor, who, capturing everyone’s attention in silence, clicked his tongue instead of clapping.

"They’ve already invaded?"

"Invasion! What part of my story were you even listening to? They were the ones! They were gnawing away at Tantalos first! The Military Nation was only in a defensive posture!"

"But regardless, you intended to advance to their homeland, right? Am I wrong?"

The Regressor’s sharp remark silenced Hilde. After a brief pause, she gave a sheepish smile, as if caught red-handed, and replied.

"Hmm. It’s really strange. Normally, you seem as slow as a child in grade school, but at times, your insight is as sharp as a wizened old man."

"Shut up. If you truly intended to protect the place, you would have sent engineers, not an entire legion. Don’t take me for a fool."

'It was the same in the previous round, too. Back then, the Alchemical Nations were even more cautious. Both the Military Nation and the Alchemical Nations couldn’t approach easily because of that Immortal’s corpse golem....'

The Regressor is a bit like me. I boast about answers I obtain by reading minds as if I figured them out myself, while the Regressor speaks of experiences from previous regressions as if they were his own predictions. In a way, both of us deceive by masking our methods.

If he didn’t have regression, he’d be as transparent as an empty bowl. Tch, it can’t be helped. Just as my mind-reading is an ability, regression is his ability. If I’m envious, I should have been the one to regress.

'Was that simplicity he shows from time to time a calculated decision? I thought he was just a pawn of Father... but I might need to reconsider.'

Unaware of this, Hilde adjusted her assessment of the Regressor.

"Well, now you understand, right? The Military Nation made a very difficult decision. They gave up a lot to accept the ceasefire you all insisted on."

"Difficult? They’re just standing there."

"Standing there with enough power to march straight into the enemy’s heart. That’s the hardest thing to do... though I doubt you don’t understand that."

"...."

'They’re just standing there. Is that really so hard?'

It’s something he doesn’t seem to understand, so I should give him a gentle hint to avoid any embarrassment.

"It’s because of the supply lines, right?"

"Yes. A gap in the Military Nation’s forces also means an administrative gap. Soldiers aren’t just standing around; they transport goods, handle construction throughout the country. Gathering them all in a barren wasteland like this is a tremendous loss. For now, they’re managing with stockpiled supplies, but soon..."

Pretending to count on her fingers, Hilde sighed.

"If we’re being practical, they have a week. After that, they’ll have to advance, if only to prevent the legion from disbanding. So, all of you should do your best, yes? Within a week, you need to reach the Golden Palace and present the ceasefire proposal."

"A week?"

"Why? Is that not enough time?"

"No, it’s plenty."

'A ceasefire… well, as long as I can convince the Military Nation, it’ll be easy. The Alchemical Nations are relatively weaker, after all.'

The Regressor responded casually, and Hilde, studying him, added a final remark.

"Just keep this in mind. A week is enough time for not only us but also the Alchemical Nations to complete their preparations. If things had gone as planned, we’d have broken their spearhead, cut off their information, and crushed the Juggernaut one by one. But in a week, we won’t be able to do that."

"So, you’re asking for help since we made the war harder?"

"I’m saying if you’re going to stop the war, then stop it decisively. A war a month from now will be far more dreadful than the one that should have happened yesterday."

Hilde has a habit of saying serious things with an endlessly light-hearted expression. Maybe it’s a skill she’s cultivated, but it’s unnerving, and I wish she’d restrain herself. The Regressor, at a loss for words, turned his gaze away.

"Tch. Anyone would think you love peace. So, do you know where the Golden Palace is?"

Hilde smiled brightly and answered.

"Nope! Who could possibly know where a moving palace would be right now?"

"True enough. Let’s search as we go. If we can’t find it, we’ll get information when we reach Claudia. Wait a sec. I think I had a map…."

The Regressor turned around, rummaging through his pockets. Meanwhile, Hilde sidled closer to me, trying to avoid being overheard by Tiran or the Regressor. Leaning in, she used Qi Gong to whisper.

"Father, don’t misunderstand. It’s not that we’re hiding it; ‘I’ and even she truly don’t know. That’s because…."

"Because it can’t be seen, right?"

"Yes, you know that too."

Hilde nodded, smiling faintly.

The Heavenly Eye can see all things in the world, but only as far as it can ‘see.’ In other words, if light doesn’t reach it, it encounters significant limitations. It’s no coincidence that Tiran, the greatest enemy of the Holy See, cloaks herself in darkness.

That’s partly why Yuel tried to drive us away. Tiran’s darkness obscures Yuel’s Heavenly Eye. Even with the Heavenly Eye, Yuel couldn’t see through our decoy operation and was fooled.

‘...Moreover, even Yuel doesn’t know the layout of the Golden Palace. Even Father might not.’

Still, surely someone in this world must know? I can just read their mind to find out. For now, let’s just get closer.

"Alright. I’ve made up my mind."

The Regressor, who had been looking over something by himself, clapped his hands and gathered us. He spread out a small map before us.

It was a blank map with nothing written or drawn on it. You’d think, what kind of map is this? But that’s the Alchemical Nations for you. The cursed land that’s led countless surveyors to despair—it’s actually better to leave it blank since cities and terrain change every moment.

On the right edge of the map, a mountain range stretched like a screen. Surveyors trying to map the land of the Alchemical Nations must have been delighted to find that mountain range. In a country where today is never like yesterday, it was the only identifiable geographic feature.

Besides... surveyors aren’t the only ones who love unchanging things.

The Regressor pointed at a spot in that mountain range.

Claudia.

A solitary city name etched onto the map of the Alchemical Nations. The most populous place in the Alchemical Nations.

"We’ll head for Claudia, the only settled city in the Alchemical Nations. On the way, we’ll raid the wolves or Juggernauts we encounter and try to locate the Golden Palace. If we can’t, we’ll stop by Claudia to get information on its whereabouts."

"Claudia? That’s the city at the foot of the eastern Cloud Mountains, right?"

"Yes. Although the Golden Palace moves at will, Claudia, its base, doesn’t move, so we can find it if we go there. It’s also a place where we can easily meet people from the Golden Palace."

A surprisingly straightforward plan for the Regressor. But there’s one problem.

"We’ll have to keep ascending along the mountain range to reach Claudia. Can we make it within a week with the Cataphract?"

"It won’t work with this. Its defenses are good, but it’s not that fast."

"Then… are you planning to fly?"

"No, Cheonaeng can’t travel that far. There isn’t enough space within Cheonaeng for that. So, we need an alternative."

Drawing up a plan and suggesting alternatives—Regressor, you really have it all figured out, don’t you? For the first time, I’m starting to see you as somewhat reliable.

The Regressor lifted Cheonaeng and Jijan and looked around the Cataphract with an expression as cold as ice.

"Let’s modify it."

Why did he have to say that while holding a blade? I feel uneasy. Do you even know what modification means? Please don’t have a one-track mind….

But maybe it’s just my imagination, but the Cataphract seemed to shiver.

As I expected, the Regressor’s modifications were quite rough and violent.

First, he detached the engine with the Thunder Wheels to avoid damage, then used Jijan and Cheonaeng to slice off the upper parts. The Cataphract, clad in level 3 alchemical steel with level 4 plating on its weak points, couldn’t withstand the Regressor’s ruthless hands.

[Ah, ahh. The Cataphract…]

The golem covered its mouth, watching in horror as the Cataphract was disassembled.

Most of the Cataphract’s weight came from its thick armor. Removing that entire section made it significantly lighter.

The Regressor looked satisfied at the Cataphract, now reduced to a mere cart.

"There! Now we can go much faster!"

I should have stopped him.

I rubbed my forehead and said, "Shay, just because you make it lighter doesn’t mean it’ll go faster."

"Huh? Why not?"

‘Carts go faster when you lighten the load, don’t they?’

Just as he was starting to look reliable, he goes and does something ridiculous. Does removing a horse’s hindquarters make it run faster? It’s about structure and design.

Shaking my head in exasperation, I turned to the golem, who was sitting in shock.

"…Sigh. Dizzy, what do we do now?"

[Sob… please, just destroy my main body instead…]

"That’s not fair. Keep those eyes wide open and face this nightmare. That’s your duty, as the communication officer."

[Communications Officer Captain Dizzy… understood. I shall rise above this sorrow.]

Even the golem, moved to tears by the Regressor, blinked in confusion, oblivious to what he had done wrong.

"How can we make it useful again?"

[To increase speed after reducing the weight… we need to adjust the gear sizes and rework the Thunder Wheels….]

"Can it be done?"

[If you can’t process the Thunder Wheels with alchemy… realistically impossible….]

Tch. That’s risky.

Reworking the Thunder Wheels is possible. The problem is, I can’t read the golem’s thoughts. My ability largely depends on reading others' minds to gather information.

If I attempt to rework the Thunder Wheels based on the golem’s explanation alone, will it fit the specifications? And even if I manage to process the wheels, what about the thunder magic? I’ll be short on magical energy.

"Huh? Can’t we?"

When the Regressor asked nonchalantly, Hilde shook her head, stepping forward.

"Sigh. It can’t be helped~. As if someone who wields a Demon Sword would understand machinery."

"W-what! It’s not bad just because it’s lighter!"

"Enough~. Move aside."

Hilde grabbed the Thunder Wheel and effortlessly pulled it out, despite it being firmly embedded in the Cataphract’s core.

The strength befitting a Qi Gong practitioner. She channeled Qi into her fingernails and scratched the surface of the Thunder Wheel. A deep groove appeared in the hardened wheel.

‘I am an alchemist, a master of steel who reshapes matter with magical energy.’

What once seemed like random lines now formed a shape. A transmutation circle. Magic seeped into the groove carved by Qi, and with a flash of light, part of the Thunder Wheel melted and expanded.

In an instant, the Thunder Wheel had more than doubled in size. It wasn’t crudely enlarged or hastily patched together; it was pure alchemical reworking.

The Regressor couldn’t help but be impressed.

"You know alchemy too?"

"How else could I impersonate an alchemist? I’ve learned just enough for what I need."

The Regressor muttered in disbelief.

"Learning skills just for disguise, at that rate, you’d even know magic…."

"Oh? How did you know? ‘I’ have mastered most basic spells!"

"What?"

Instead of explaining further, Hilde covered the Thunder Wheel with her hand, closed her eyes, and muttered to herself.

‘I am a mage, a sage who recreates the principles of the world in my grasp.’

Her chant changed. Just moments ago, she’d been an alchemist; now, she’d become something akin to a mage.

Everything in the world has an affinity. Knowing the principles doesn’t mean much if you lack compatibility, and most people achieve little without it.

In that sense, I’m ill-suited for all skills. Thanks to mind-reading, I understand and can adopt techniques, but I can never attain more than average proficiency. Whether it’s Qi Gong or magic, I’m always just at the baseline.

But Hilde is a bit different. She has ample magic and Qi and utilizes her abilities to their fullest. Excelling in all fields is nearly impossible even for geniuses, but Hilde elevates herself to the elite by putting herself under a trance.

"Set, Re. Volt."

The dispersed magic gathered into the form of lightning and merged into the Thunder Wheel. Hilde’s significant magic and elite manifestation methods fused perfectly.

Encased in lightning, the Thunder Wheel crackled as Hilde proudly brought it over to the engine.

"Dizzy, instructions."

[Yes! Attach Part A to the drive shaft! For optimal performance, I recommend detaching Part B to prevent interference! Align the core, and it should fit Parts C and D with the current setup!]

Hilde followed the instructions precisely.

She didn’t know everything, only the minimum knowledge required. However, this basic understanding combined with the communications officer’s guidance achieved a flawless outcome.

It was a delicate work combining strength and technique. Unnecessary parts were removed, and the larger Thunder Wheel was adjusted with impromptu alchemy to fit the connections.

Is this the true skill of the Military Nation’s Six General, Young Gwe?

A moment later, the Thunder Wheel spun, and the Cataphract began to move slowly. The golem shouted in excitement.

[Startup sound… normal! Output stable! Success!]

Magic, alchemy, and even engineering reached an elite level. She even had mastery over Qi Gong. A true master of all weapons, able to disguise as another human with ease.

She could make a place for herself wherever she went. Ah, with her around, maybe I’ll have less to do… wait, what?

‘The fact that she’s skilled in miscellaneous arts reminds me of Hyou. If Hyou regains a bit more power, he might become similar to her…. Hmm. Hard to tell who’s the child and who’s the parent here.’

Wait a minute.

Isn’t she my superior in every way?