We fled frantically and hid in a corner of the cornfield. The field was vast enough, and the Golden Mirror lacked proficiency in conducting searches. Thanks to that, we managed to catch our breath.

Still, it was no time to relax. The atmosphere surrounding the cornfield had unmistakably shifted.

Footsteps thudded overhead. Our pursuers had tracked us to this point. Holding my breath, I waited for the footsteps to fade before speaking.

“Ugh. Seems like they’re swarming out there.”

“They’re probably not homunculi. Those can’t operate outside the Golden Palace. Most likely, it’s the Suppressionist Overseer’s soldiers.”

“If we attack them, the homunculi will come running anyway. It’s not much different.”

Fortunately, they hadn’t even caught a glimpse of our shadows. That’s because we were hiding underground.

Once we’d gotten far enough from the pursuit, the regressor began digging into the ground with Jizan as though it was second nature. Ordinarily, digging like this would create a troublesome pile of dirt, but the power of Jizan compacted the excavated soil further into the ground, forming a surprisingly comfortable hiding spot for an underground burrow.

Wild animals, tormented by predators, instinctively seek out dark and narrow spaces. The darkness hides them from prying eyes, and the cramped quarters protect them from attacks. Humans, despite their supposed superiority, are no different. I lay in a corner, relishing the sense of security.

“Ah. This is nice.”

“You think so too? I must admit, I find it pleasant as well. Truthfully, I’ve been slightly annoyed by how often you lot insist on wandering about during the day.”

“Well, if we’re going to wander, daytime is safer. We can’t live down here forever.”

…Not that we’re going to stay here for centuries like a certain vampire might.

“Besides, look at Peru right now. She’s coughing. The air here must not be good.”

“…Cough, cough. It’s because of you…”

Peru croaked, her face twisted in discomfort, her voice barely audible.

What an exaggeration. As I’ve said countless times, I’m just an ordinary person. No matter how hard I hit her, my punch couldn’t have been anything extraordinary. It’s a wonder she’s complaining about something so minor. If you think about it, it’s the price she paid for me saving her life. If I’d charged by the pound, she’d owe me a hundred punches in return.

“Well, let’s settle this while we’re here. Do you have any intention of cooperating with us?”

“…Cough, cough. I’ve already… cooperated enough.”

“Hmm. Stubborn. Words won’t work. Shay, the knife.”

I held out my hand toward the regressor as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“What do you think I am, your butler? Why are you so demanding?”

Grumbling, the regressor pulled a sleek dagger from his subspace. It wasn’t some priceless treasure, but it was crafted from the fang of a rare beast—a weapon that could fetch enough to buy a house in a major city if sold to the right buyer.

…He hands out things like this so casually. Just how rich is he? Maybe I shouldn’t give it back and stash it away instead.

Ahem. Anyway, I squatted like a delinquent and pointed the dagger at Peru. I had no intention of stabbing her, but a sharp blade is intimidating on its own. She wouldn’t be able to hold out for long.

“Seems you don’t care about your life. Even when I’m threatening you with a blade, you still won’t cooperate—”

As soon as I feigned a thrust, the dagger’s tip turned pitch-black and crumbled into dust. In the blink of an eye, the prized dagger, made from a beast’s fang, vanished, leaving only its leather handle.

“…Huh?”

My money just turned to dust? Peru’s power can break down even a beast’s fang? How the hell did a talent like hers emerge in the Heat Nations? Panicking, I tossed away the leather handle and stepped back hastily. The regressor, who had been observing intently, issued a sharp warning.

“Verdant Overseer. Don’t use your power recklessly. You might die.”

He wasn’t joking. His killing intent aimed squarely at Peru’s neck. Since Tianying and Jizan are impervious to rust and decay, not even Peru could stop the regressor’s attacks.

Yet Peru remained calm in the face of this threat.

“…Kill me. I’m… cough… better off dead.”

‘If I use my power, the Golden Mirror loses a resource. Even if war breaks out, I have no place in it. My ability to destroy is worthless…’

Even surrounded by enemies, her stubbornness remained. It wasn’t loyalty but resignation that drove her, making her all the harder to sway. The regressor clicked his tongue.

“Tch. Shay. Threatening her with a knife won’t work.”

“Then maybe money will. Peru, if you cooperate with us, we’ll give you half the Heat Nations’ land. You’ll be rich.”

“…Cough! I don’t… need it.”

Come to think of it, even if she had money, she wouldn’t be able to use it before it crumbled away. Ugh, this is tough. They say those who have nothing to lose are the scariest, and Peru, with her enforced asceticism, can’t be swayed by blades or gold.

Even reading her mind offers no answers. If she were human, one of these would have worked. Frustrated, I grumbled.

“Neither a blade nor money works. What has the Golden Mirror done for you to earn such loyalty? Looks like they don’t even pay you a salary.”

“…It’s not about good or bad. This land, my food, the truth of alchemy—everything in the Heat Nations comes from the Golden Mirror. That being is everything to the Heat Nations. You wouldn’t… understand.”

Sure, the Golden Mirror stays holed up in the Golden Nation, but technically, the Heat Nations are part of its domain. Scratching my head, I faced the realization that Peru’s lack of greed wasn’t rooted in faith or fanaticism—it was the result of cold, rational logic.

Peru’s power to destroy everything made the concept of possession meaningless to her. She’d gain far more by sharing her resources and earning goodwill than hoarding them. If she ever used her unique magic, everything she owned would turn to dust anyway.

It’s a socially adapted, rational survival strategy. And I can’t dispute or change that. Which means… I can’t persuade her right now.

“What’s so great about the Golden Mirror, anyway?”

As I muttered in frustration, a suspicious presence became evident aboveground. All of us fell silent, as if on cue. The presence wandered aimlessly around before heading toward the entrance of our hiding spot.

The regressor gripped Tianying and stood.

“Damn it! Did we get caught because of you talking?”

“This is Peru’s fault for coughing! Wait… could it be? Did she cough on purpose to give away our position?”

“…Cough. The coughing… is your fault…”

“You all made noise, didn’t you?”

As the blame game began, we glared at the entrance, covered in dirt and grass. It wouldn’t take much effort for someone paying attention to find it. Just as we exchanged grim looks, a familiar voice drifted down.

“Knock, knock~. Is anyone home? Peace envoys from the Military Nation are here~!”

It was Hilde.

Not that I was surprised. I’d already read her thoughts.

Hilde casually slipped through the entrance with a carefree smile. The regressor frowned in disapproval as he questioned her.

“How did you find us?”

“The corn you plowed through pointed the way like a compass! It was so blatant that I almost thought it was a decoy! How nerve-wracking!”

“Such an annoyingly precise skillset.”

“You mean amazing! Shay, you’re so bad at giving compliments!”

“I didn’t mean it as one!”

Hilde chuckled softly, spun in place theatrically, and spoke with an exaggerated tone.

“More importantly, everyone, we’ve got big trouble~. The Golden Mirror is making weapons! It seems they’re really preparing for war!”

“Weapons?”

“Yes! For example, something like this!”

Smiling faintly, Hilde reached toward the entrance and pulled something she had left outside. With a loud crash, a suit of armor with a rough metallic texture tumbled into the hiding place as dirt collapsed around it.

Pieces of armor—greaves, a helmet, a breastplate, and gauntlets—rolled across the ground, clattering noisily as they settled.

“Plate armor.”

“Exactly! Full-body armor! And so sturdy that even with my strength, all I could do was dent it a little! I wonder if there’s any armor in the world more impressive than this!”

Ordinarily, in a fight between armor and bare hands, the armor would win. But against a master of martial qi, it’s a different story. Qi reinforces the body to be as tough as steel and can penetrate and destroy the interior of metal.

If even the mightiest forces of the Military Nation—like the Six Warlords—could only dent this armor, then it was no exaggeration to call it a treasure of the ages. That said, such armor would be incredibly rare. Considering the quality of the alchemical steel and the craftsmanship, just one set would cost as much as a fortress.

“But there’s a whole field of them lined up like corn in this cornfield!”

To the alchemical deity, the Golden Mirror, such armor was no more valuable than corn—or perhaps even easier to produce.

“And it’s not just armor. There are weapons and mounts too. All of them monstrous creations, strewn about like they’re nothing. It seems the Golden Mirror is planning to build a massive arsenal beyond this cornfield. Obviously… they’re expecting to use it.”

That much was clear. After all, Elik had already declared his intent to wage war.

Hilde picked up a gauntlet, then dropped it back down with a clatter before turning to question the regressor.

“So, weren’t we here for peace negotiations? Care to explain how things turned out like this, oh esteemed peace envoys from the Military Nation?”

“I’ll handle that explanation.”

Since the regressor hadn’t been present the whole time, he wouldn’t know all the details. Instead, I briefly summarized what had happened in the Golden Palace: Elik’s decision to continue the war, the Golden Mirror’s support, the sudden appearance of the homunculi, and our dramatic escape at the end.

After hearing everything, Hilde scratched her head and laughed awkwardly, her expression troubled.

“Aha~. So peace really was out of the question, huh? This is bad. If the Golden Mirror starts preparing for war now, it’ll throw all our planned operations into disarray.”

“Operations?”

“Yes~. Like a mobile warfare strategy using Military Nation couriers to exploit the weak connections among the Overseers, creating chaos and capturing territories, with the ultimate goal of advancing all the way to Claudia~.”

Hilde sighed heavily, letting out a small puff, and twisted a strand of her hair between her fingers.

“This is a disaster~. If the Golden Mirror unites the Overseers, the Heat Nations will become an overwhelming force. A full-scale war will result in enormous losses for both the Military Nation and the Heat Nations. Sigh. What do we do now?”

Hilde’s words clearly reflected the Military Nation’s perspective. Sent as a peace envoy, she had missed the golden opportunity to secure a truce and, instead, had inadvertently escalated tensions. Framed in her lighthearted tone, it sounded harmless enough, but the actual cost of this failure would be astronomical if measured.

The regressor, now facing the brunt of her disapproval, hesitated awkwardly.

“Well… that’s—”

“It’s fine. Don’t blame yourselves too much, everyone! After all, there’s still a way for you to fix this huge mistake!”

As if she had anticipated this outcome from the start, Hilde flashed a bright smile and continued.

“If a war breaks out, it’ll have to end eventually, right? Naturally, it’s better to end it quickly and decisively, with overwhelming force. That way, fewer people die and fewer resources are wasted. But you see, the Military Nation’s forces have been whittled down, little by little, thanks to people like Shay here. Even our one major advantage, mobility, was lost when someone held a knife to our command center’s throat.”

The regressor’s attacks on the Military Nation had originally been meant to prevent the war from spiraling into chaos. However, failing to persuade the Heat Nations now made it seem as though he was siding with them, whether he intended to or not.

This was clearly on the regressor. He had used the pretext of a truce to threaten the Military Nation. Hilde didn’t miss the opportunity to emphasize that as she pressed on.

“But if you all join the war on our side, the balance will be restored!”

In essence: if you start something, you have to finish it. Hilde smiled sweetly as she pressured the regressor with her cheerful demand.