"That's right. In the Divine Realm, the end of a war is unconditionally called a 'triumph'."

"It's incredible that they were able to convince the public in this way."

"There's nothing we can do about it. To the citizens of the Kingdom of God, this is just a war on the border. If the High Priest says so, they will absolutely believe it, without question."

Oscar answered Mei'er's question with a wry smile. Then he said:

"However, the apostle being defeated was definitely an unexpected situation."

The "Apostle of God" was a symbol of the "absolute," a true "world's strongest" without metaphor or exaggeration. Now, for such a being to be defeated in a direct confrontation, the impact of this fact was undoubtedly immeasurable.

Bart laughed and said:

"After all, something like this has happened. Without understanding Meredith's current state, they certainly wouldn't dare act rashly. Sending a half-baked force would only lead to a checkmate—that's probably what they're thinking."

"Hmm. Right now, the most the Divine Kingdom can do is stubbornly claim victory. As for the soldiers of the Federation and the Empire, they'll undoubtedly spread the word about the miracle they witnessed."

"As a result, other nations will inevitably begin to question the absoluteness of the Kingdom of God and pay attention to Xiao Mi."

"We can no longer ignore the meaning and ideals of the Liberator."

At this point, everyone's eyes were focused on Meredith. Those who knew her before couldn't believe that she would be so calm now.

Meredith's eyes were empty, staring blankly at nothing—no, she was staring at the person next to her, and her eyes met his.

Of course, that person was Oscar.

"M-Miledi? What's wrong?"

"……fine."

Everyone had noticed that Meredith had been looking at him throughout the meeting.

Her gaze made Oscar fidget uncomfortably, and he pushed his glasses up awkwardly.

The atmosphere in the entire conference room changed, as if a warm smile appeared on everyone's face.

“Tsk!”

"Uncle Bart, no!"

"Ugh...Okay, okay, I know I was wrong. Don't look at me like that, Colleen."

Although Oscar heard their conversation, he pretended not to hear it, trying to change the caring atmosphere that made him embarrassed.

"Right, right! Natsu, how's the effect of the 'Black Gate' I tried to make!?"

"Too loud, Oscar."

"What do you think!?"

Seeing his friend so flustered, Natsu couldn't help but burst out laughing. However, since this was undoubtedly an important matter, he tried to answer in a serious manner.

"It seems I can only move about fifty kilometers at most. However, the amount of mana consumed is much less than using my own teleportation ability. With that, anyone with average mana should be able to fully activate it."

"Is that so... Well, let's call it a success for now. However, I'd like to increase the distance a little more if possible."

"I think what we lack in this area can be made up for in quantity."

Listening to the conversation between the two, Shim, Balfe, and Creed's expressions became as if they had seen something terrifying.

“The traditional concept of ‘mobility’ is about to be completely overturned.”

"If even the entire army could be moved... Ugh, an army that appears and disappears mysteriously is nothing but a nightmare."

"The most important thing is to prevent it from being used against the enemy. This technology is a double-edged sword."

The "Black Gate"—that is a divine tool that can open a door to space, and anyone can use it.

It looked like a cube about the size of a palm. Its color resembled highly transparent black crystal, and inside it was engraved a spherical, three-dimensional magic circle that shone like the sun.

As long as you use the activation artifact "Black Key" (it looks like a black key), you can be transferred to the location of the "Black Gate" as long as you are within a radius of 50 kilometers.

"I have already placed the fifty Black Gates you gave me in various locations, hiding them as best I can. Twenty between the Republic and headquarters, seven between headquarters and Entris, three in the Esperade branch, ten between the Kingdom of God and the Duchy's border, and the remaining ten on the road to the Empire."

"You're not concentrating your efforts? Wouldn't it be better if there's at least one place you can move to at once?"

Bandu narrowed his eyes and asked a question. Oscar shook his head and said:

"Doing so would pose a security risk. As Creed worries, considering the risk of the enemy exploiting it, it's best to disperse the use for now."

Although he wanted to provide Ross with supplies to help him escape, the necessary condition was that Nizu and others could sneak into the suburbs of the capital before the Knights returned home.

In other words, these transfer artifacts must be prepared within a few days between the end of the war and the departure of Natsu and Tsui. They are emergency items. Since the priority is to help Rouse escape the country quickly, only those that could be stolen and used against us by the enemy are available. After reuniting with Rouse, we must retrieve all of them.

However, anything set up within the forest is safe, and Ouroboros-san's followers will help guard it, so the distance from the Republic to "Saint Mary's Country" can be shortened by half.

"Hmph, then improve it quickly, you stinky glasses guy."

"...You don't have to tell me, stinky scarf man."

Oscar retorted, but his tone lacked conviction. He knew the reason was that his ability was not enough.

He had just been reprimanded by Colleen, so he tried his best to smooth things over and avoid making the situation worse.

At this moment, Oscar felt someone tapping his arm.

It was Meredith. She was still staring at Oscar, not feeling bored at all.

Although her face was expressionless, her attitude seemed to be encouraging Oscar, saying "Don't worry, it's okay", which made Oscar feel both relieved and a little embarrassed.

As a result, the atmosphere on the scene became warm again.

Oscar had finally managed to change the subject, but now he failed again.

The atmosphere of the scene made him feel uncomfortable. The gazes of the crowd stung him.

"Middley, thank you. I'm fine."

So, no more filming—Oscar grabbed Meredith's hand to stop her, but Meredith gently squeezed Oscar's hand instead. Oscar couldn't help but let out a strange "hmmmm" sound.

"Alright, I think we're almost done organizing the information. Mimi?"

In the atmosphere as sweet as honey, Lutilis's cheeks flushed and she called out to Meredith, probably to give her a way out. So, only then did Meredith take her eyes off Oscar.

"……Um."

"Then, let's discuss the future direction of the Liberator Camp. Lord Bart, please."

Bart was also being patted by the girl. After being called by the Pasha, he first coughed dryly.

After Colleen soothed the reflexive jealousy on his face, the 45-year-old man fidgeted with embarrassment. He seized this opportunity to speak and adjust his mood.

"For now, we are merely informing the local branches of the outcome of the war and asking them to 'prepare'."

Bart shrugged. His expression had finally returned to that of the "Deputy Leader of the Liberator Camp."

"The future direction depends entirely on our leader."

Bart's sharp and oppressive eyes were directed at Meredith.

She nodded slightly, and after looking around at everyone—

"We're going to greet them."

There was no need to specifically say who she was meeting. Because only by reuniting with that last companion could she take a bigger step forward. Therefore, no one denied her idea. However—

"...Everyone, go rescue Ross."

"That won't do, Meredith."

「!?」

As for the method, that's another matter.

Meredith looked at Oscar, her face expressionless but looking as if she had been shocked.

"You shouldn't leave the safe area right now. Absolutely not."

It's only natural.

Therefore, even if he heard people around him whispering, "Hey, onee-sama, did you hear that? It turns out that Ao-kun is a restraining type of boyfriend!" or "He's really worthy of being called a weirdo glasses guy. Not only is he restraining me, he's basically trying to imprison me. How scary." He wouldn't take those jokes to heart.

Although the hand that pushed up his glasses was shaking, it was definitely not out of anger.

"At least you should always be with Mei. And as long as you're in the sea of ​​trees and stay by Ryu's side, you're the safest place right now. You must stay."

"……But……"

"Don't worry. Natsu, Ben, and I will go together."

Meredith's eyes wavered and her mouth clamped shut.

"……don't want."

A very simple and concise refusal.

"Miledi..."

"don't want."

Seeing her being unreasonable, Oscar's tone couldn't help but become lower.

"Listen carefully, Meredith. You are... let me be blunt, you are a burden."

“…Ugh.”

"Even if you go to rescue him, if a fight breaks out, you'll need help from others. That's for sure. And if you cast powerful magic in this state, no one knows what will happen to you."

“…Wuwu.”

"Not to mention fighting. I can't even allow you to approach the Kingdom of God. Can you forgive me?"

Oscar's opinion was completely reasonable and irrefutable. So—

“Wu, wu, wu—”

"Eh!? Mi-Miletti, wait, there's no need to cry, right!?"

The emotion that could not be expressed in words could only be expressed through tears. The lips that were tightly pressed into a horizontal line also fully expressed the inner dissatisfaction.

Thus, Oscar's strict attitude, which he had just shown for the sake of Meredith, collapsed in an instant.

Oscar was at a loss. No one had ever seen him so lost and helpless. He stood up so quickly that he even accidentally pushed over his chair. His hands wandered in the air, unsure whether to touch Meredith or not.

"Ohh ..."

"Stop arguing!"

"Big Brother..."

"Colleen! No! It's just because of this and that!"

Mel and Lutilis cheered, and Corinne's eyes betrayed a note of blame. Seeing Meredith burst into tears, Pasha and the others were both surprised and, at the same time, gave an "Ah, ah, we screwed up" attitude, leaving everyone speechless.

"Wow, I don't know how long it's been since I saw Meredith cry."

"Mr. Marshall, what should I do? Honestly, seeing Meredith like this makes my heart flutter. It's like she's become the lovable Meredith again."

"I couldn't agree more. When she first joined the Liberator, she was quite outspoken."

Although Meredith tried hard to behave in an annoying manner at that time, she still couldn't hide her good upbringing. Instead, she was so cute that people couldn't help but smile.

Whenever this was pointed out and teased, she would tear up with shame and regret, which was very cute. She was only ten years old at the time, but a year later, the lovable Miss Meredith was gone forever.

I didn’t expect that I would have the chance to see it now... Marshall and Michaela thought so, immersed in inexplicable emotion.

"Ban! Natsu! Help me!"

Oscar finally couldn't help but turn around and ask for help. Then Bandu sighed helplessly and said:

"Hey, Meredith. Just be obedient and let others protect you this time."

"Huh?"

"Before, you were the one who always protected others, weren't you? However, you knew that wasn't enough. So, in search of companions to fight alongside you, you embarked on this journey to find us."

"..."

"Now that you've found us, feel free to let us protect you if things get tough."

Hearing Bandu say this, Meredith hung her head like a scolded child, her hands still tightly grasping the hem of Oscar's clothes.

Natsu smiled bitterly and continued:

"My men will definitely bring Ross back."

"Hmm? Natsu, I too—"

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like