The Holy Grail War Blessed by the Gods

"Selmo, how is the situation in that village?"

On the way, Atalanta asked Yaga, who was standing to the side.

"It's not good. Because they've been in contact with us, they've been plundered very severely, and the killing of the hunters has been excessive and violent. There are rumors that a village that started the rebellion was completely burned down, and they seem to be considering relocating."

9. In this land of the Russian Lostbelt, resistance is obviously impractical most of the time.

The pressure from the rampant killing of elite soldiers, as well as the pressure from their own kind, meant that those in the middle, though they hadn't reported the perpetrators, could use the reports as leverage for blackmail.

"There's no other way. Those villages were originally meant to be used as bait. But since they're planning to move here, it seems they've made up their minds. I reckon about 80% of the villagers will die."

2. "But considering the possibility of being slaughtered by the Killer Hunters, it would be good if 20% of them survived."

Hearing the two people in front of him discussing this issue so casually, Patsch couldn't sit still any longer and asked loudly:

"I'm telling you guys, don't you feel any guilt at all?"

"Huh?"

Yaga, who was talking ahead, was somewhat confused.

Wu: "I'm asking you, don't you feel any remorse at all for this village that has become a victim?"

"Haha, so you're from one of these kinds of villages too, right? Don't worry, me too."

Yaga, the rebel leader, did not give a direct answer.

"Don't try to fool me, answer me quickly."

"Of course there will be, but it's just wishful thinking. After all, we're fighting against an emperor who's lived for about 450 years and is practically immortal. The villages that have become victims, the innocent Yaga, and the children—these things have piled up like mountains. What can we do?"

Sacrifice was inevitable, especially in such harsh conditions against such a powerful enemy.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that being able to muster the courage to fight back is already a remarkable thing.

"We will undoubtedly fall into hell, we will degenerate, and the monsters with the demonic eyes will see through everything... But at least we must kill Ivan the Terrible before my little brat grows up. The moment when Lady Atalanta joins the rebels is the perfect opportunity. We must launch a revolution in Russia!"

Chapter Four Stay

Continue forward from the village that supports the rebels, and finally pass through a tunnel to reach the rebels' hidden stronghold.

This is a very secluded place, with only one access route. The other three sides of the fortress are cliffs, making it a dangerous location.

The fortress gates were covered with large torsion ballistae as defensive weapons, and the gate area was also filled with chevaux-de-frise and roadblocks to guard against any cavalry that might come.

This all reveals that the rebel fortress was a heavily fortified and difficult-to-conquer location.

The reason why the rebels here lasted longer than all the rebels that appeared in the 450 years of Ivan the Terrible's reign is not simply because their leaders were followers.

"Open the door! Open the door quickly!"

Atalanta shouted as he reached the foot of the fortress gate.

"It's the boss! The boss is back! Open the door quickly!"

The sentry on the wall, recognizing the person by their voice, relays the information to his colleagues.

Inside the fortress, the Yaga quickly opened the gates and surrounded them to welcome their leader's return.

"Boss, welcome back! ...Why are there more people now?"

When rebels return from operations abroad, it's usually a good thing if their numbers remain the same, since their enemies aren't exactly human.

It was quite a miracle that the rebels could hold out, given that the immortal killing hunters, as Ivan the Terrible's brothers, roamed the frozen lands of Russia, slaughtering anyone who dared to defy the Tsar.

"Well, I'll explain their situation later."

There was no need to go on about this at the door. Atalanta turned around and beckoned the people behind her to have the monsters they had hunted along the way drag over.

"We've got plenty of meat, enough to share with everyone!"

Besides providing some support to their villages, the rebels mainly rely on hunting or exchanging their prey with neutral villages for resources.

But as a force resisting the Tsar, they couldn't hunt like normal people. They could only secretly hunt monsters, avoiding various informants. Naturally, the resources they could obtain were scarce.

"Great! It's meat!"

The Yaga children nearby raised their arms excitedly and surrounded Atalanta, shouting, "Thank you, boss!"

A smile flickered across Atalanta's face, but it quickly vanished, replaced by a cold, expressionless look as she gave the order to Yaga beside her:

"After lunch, all cadres should assemble; I need to convene a meeting!"

"I'm sorry, but until then, I'll have to ask you to stay in the corner of the fortress."

"Actually...we also need food..."

Seeing that Atalanta seemed to have overlooked their need, Fujimaru Ritsuka weakly reminded them.

"Hmm? You humans want to eat the flesh of magical beasts? No, I suppose you have servants with superb culinary skills. Well then, any extra mortals will just rot anyway, so I'll give you about three kilograms."

Although Atalanta's common sense was of unknown origin, she only hesitated for a moment before ordering some of the meat to be distributed to her.

"Thank you very much. Senior, it seems I can report some good news now!"

Mash gladly accepted the monster meat and said to Fujimaru Ritsuka.

"Let's wait leisurely for a while."

There was indeed nothing to disturb during mealtime, so the group went into the fortress and found a quiet spot where they wouldn't be bothered.

“No wonder Atalanta was surprised that you wanted monster meat. The meat contains toxins that need to be removed before it can be eaten.”

Manshu received a piece of monster meat, picked it up, and examined it closely.

The meat smelled ordinary, but in this frozen wasteland, one doesn't seem to be picky about food.

After removing the toxins, you can simply cut the meat into chunks, grill it over a fire, sprinkle it with a little salt, and eat it directly.

It can be described as a rather rough method, and the taste cannot be expected to be very good; at least the fishy smell is still quite strong.

Manshu only tore off a piece and took a bite, then lost all interest in tasting it. Anyway, he didn't need to eat; he was just interested in trying food from different places.

"Hmm, I'm really picky. As long as it fills my stomach, I'll eat anything."

Patshi, standing to the side, remarked on the behavior of the group, "For Yaga, who lives here, this is indeed not bad food."

After all, meat isn't something you can eat all the time, and what you can eat might not be the meat of a monster; it could be the meat of your own kind.

However, just as he was making his sharp comments, a little boy wandered around beside him, staring curiously at Fujimaru Ritsuka.

"Um, what?"

Patshi asked, puzzled, as the child pointed and asked, "Who's that naked Yaga over there? Is it a ghost? Doesn't it hurt to be so naked?"

"I'm a monster!"

Fujimaru Ritsuka also became playful, stretching out her hands and making a gesture as if she was about to pounce, which scared the child away.

"So, nearly 10% of the rebels are just kids and old folks... Strictly speaking, it would be more accurate to call them refugees, wouldn't it?"

Patzhi looked behind him and saw children playing and elderly people busy at work.

"More than 10%. In my opinion, only 60% of the Yaga here are capable of fighting."

Manshu waved his hand and said, "But to me, these rebels are only good as scouts."

These Yaga are able to gather information about this Lostbelt, at least preventing people from being completely in the dark and falling into too much danger.

As for the rest, even if they make huge sacrifices in important battles, their role will probably not be very significant.

There's no need for them to sacrifice themselves; everyone should just do their job.

“You’re here, Fujimaru.”

Atalanta, having made arrangements for the rebels, came looking for them.

"First of all, our goal is to defeat Emperor Ivan the Terrible, and we both agree on this point. But don't think that I will obey your orders because of this."

"I have no such intention."

"Furthermore, even if an individual is exceptionally strong, they still cannot fight against the elite killing squad. They are like a fierce storm, which is already a disaster."

Therefore, I hope you can prove your worth. I have a mission here that only a select few can accomplish, a mission that has been shelved and can only be completed by my direct involvement until now. But I am the leader here, and I am not afraid of death, only worried that doing so would slow down the overall operation of the army. So, are you willing to accept this mission?

Although Atalanta accepted everyone through a test of strength, it was impossible for her to fully trust them in just a short time.

Even powerful heroes are practically powerless against unkillable killing hunters.

Even if we break through the formation of those elite killing squads, so what? They're like a storm, they'll soon blow in from somewhere else.

“Outstanding strength is indeed not enough to fight against the Killer Hunters, but if you have the power to fight against the Killer Hunters or even the person who gave birth to the Killer Hunters, the result would be completely different. Obviously, your strength is not yet enough for Atalanta.”

Manshu said bluntly, "All I can say is that the other party is indeed a beast, and his actions are as straightforward as those of a beast."

"Do as you please. So, what is your decision?"

Atalanta showed no anger, but continued to ask with an indifferent expression.

"Then there's probably no need to ask any further. What is the difficult task of gaining your trust? Tell me."

Manju shook his head, pretending he hadn't said anything, and decided to listen to what Atalanta was up to first.

“Very well, I hope you can travel to each village and deliver the proclamation to them.”

"A manifesto?"

"We told them that our goal as rebels is to defeat Ivan the Terrible and annihilate the Killer Hunters. If possible, we hope they can provide us with food or medicine."

"Hey, this is very risky. If the villagers want to inform on us, we're finished!"

"Let's solve it by improvising."

"That's quite casual, but to resist such a large country requires extensive support and assistance. Just consider it a tour of Russia. I have no major objections. The rest is up to you to negotiate."

Manshu did not refuse the matter, and Fujimaru Ritsuka naturally agreed, exchanging some necessary resources with the rebels and inquiring about the giant tree that appeared in Russia.

However, the rebels did not know the origin of that tree, only that its name was the Imaginary Tree.

Chaldea is also preparing to return to the submarine to bring back food and materials, as there are still several staff members waiting for supplies there.

The food inside the submarine would only last for a few days, and it would be doomed if it wasn't replenished soon.

However, the intelligence provided by the rebels indicated that the villages were closer to here, so they could send the proclamation to the villages they wanted to reach first before returning to the submarine.

The first village was not far from here. When the guards in the village heard that the people had come to deliver the rebels' proclamation, they actually let them in.

The village elders, though they remarked that it was the creation of Yaga by the Tsar, a creature synthesized from a monster, that allowed history to continue, also worried about the increasingly brutal killing of the hunters.