Chapter 197 – Sacrificial Operation (1)

The Empire was an incredibly vast nation.  

It occupied one-third of Ea’s single continent.  

Of course, some might think that since the country is located on the northern mountain range, it wouldn’t be that large. However, the northern mountain range wasn’t actually in the north—it stretched across the center of the continent.  

Among scholars, it was widely accepted that the name of the mountain range came from the fact that the origins of humanity in Ea began in the south.  

In any case, invading such a massive country was no easy task, even for the Demon King’s army.  

Although border territories were now being attacked after the barrier was breached, it would still take a considerable amount of time for the Demon King’s forces to reach the imperial capital.  

After giving the chancellor a few more instructions, such as summoning sword masters and mobilizing the imperial knights, the emperor concluded the audience.  

We weren’t the only ones who finished the audience.  

The hero, the emperor’s daughter (the saintess), and the rest of our party also left the emperor’s office, and we all headed to the chancellor’s office.  

Everyone seemed to have a lot on their minds, as we walked down the corridor in silence. Shortly after, we arrived at the chancellor’s office, where several nobles were gathered, waiting for the chancellor.  

The people gathered there didn’t seem to be high-ranking nobles, but they weren’t just minor nobles either.  

*Wait, no. It’s not that. My standards have just become too high.*  

The people gathered in front of the office were at least from notable families who could enter the imperial palace.  

They seemed to be at least barons.  

The fact that I thought they were insignificant meant that my perspective had been skewed from only interacting with higher-ranking individuals.  

While I was berating myself for having such high standards, the nobles gathered in front of the office made way for the chancellor as he approached.  

Indeed, this was a class society that had persisted for over a thousand years.  

None of the nobles blocked the chancellor’s path like journalists from my past life would have.  

Of course, the nobles didn’t just step aside without a word.  

One of the nobles who had stepped aside came forward and asked the chancellor:  

“The nobles of the capital are uneasy after hearing that the undead have breached the barrier.  

We heard that you went to see His Majesty the Emperor. Did His Majesty have any special instructions?”  

At the noble’s question, the chancellor put on a diplomatic smile and spoke.  

“His Majesty said that everyone should not worry and remain in their positions.  

He said that the undead will never reach the imperial capital.  

He has ordered the summoning of all sword masters from the territories to halt the advance of the undead, and he plans to counterattack by mobilizing the hero, the saintess, and the imperial knights.”  

At the chancellor’s words, the nobles’ expressions visibly brightened.  

“Ah, he’s summoning all the sword masters?”  

“That’s a relief. We can breathe easier now.”  

This was because the emperor had ordered the summoning of all the Empire’s sword masters.  

Having heard what they wanted, the gathered nobles bowed to the chancellor and quickly dispersed.  

As they left in a hurry, I could hear their hushed whispers with my mana-enhanced hearing.  

“How long has it been since they were all summoned?”  

“It hasn’t happened since the previous emperor’s reign, so it’s been at least half a century.”  

“That just shows how dire the Empire’s situation is…”  

“But with the sword masters mobilized, the capital should be safe.”  

“That’s true, but… When we fought the Demon King before, only one or two sword masters stepped forward. If more had acted then, maybe this wouldn’t have happened…”  

“Now, now, back then we were acting as part of a coalition. The Empire wasn’t in danger, so we couldn’t mobilize the sword masters.”  

Listening to their conversation as they left, it seemed that the nobles weren’t so different from the journalists of my past life.  

*Could this be some kind of press conference, or rather, an imperial briefing?*  

Hearing the chancellor address our party, it seemed my guess wasn’t far off.  

“You all look curious about what’s going on.  

This is how we disseminate information to the nobles of the capital. It’s not a situation where we can formally summon the nobles to the palace and make an announcement.  

So, these nobles will now rush out of the palace and inform the other nobles.”  

So that’s why lower-ranking nobles were waiting here?  

It was both understandable and somewhat amusing.  

“In any case, thanks to the sword masters, the most troublesome matter has been resolved easily.”  

The emperor had casually mentioned summoning all the sword masters, but I hadn’t realized how significant it was.  

The summoning of the sword masters had overshadowed the news about the hero and the saintess.  

It really drove home the fact that the Empire was no longer a nation of heroes, but a nation of sword masters.  

After they left, the chancellor entered his office and explained the plan to us.  

“As His Majesty said, we plan to use the sword masters to implement a delaying tactic alongside the imperial army.  

The goal of the delaying tactic is to buy time for the hero’s party to cross over to the other world and either strike a blow against the Demon King or destroy the gate.”  

The chancellor sighed and glanced at the door before continuing.  

“In fact, the imperial army headquarters believes that if we use delaying tactics with the imperial army and the sword masters, we can annihilate the undead before they reach the capital.”  

It seemed the chancellor and the imperial army shared the same optimistic view as the nobles who had left reassured.  

“There were reports that the eastern territories would be completely devastated and more than half of the imperial army would be wiped out, but they still believed the Empire would survive.”  

But wouldn’t that level of damage essentially mean the nation was doomed?  

“Well, His Majesty believes that a victory at such a cost isn’t a true victory, so he prepared an alternative plan…”  

It seemed the emperor shared my thoughts.  

“But your words have rendered all other plans useless. One hundred million undead…?”  

The chancellor shook his head in disbelief, then stood in front of his desk and explained the detailed plan to us.  

“While the sword masters carry out the delaying tactics, a unit consisting of the imperial knights, the imperial mage corps, the hero, the saintess, and your party will advance east.  

The goal is the capital of Posen, where the gate you came through is located.  

After breaking through the Demon King’s occupied territory and reaching Posen, the mages will stabilize the gate.  

Then, as many people as possible will cross over to the other world to carry out the operation.”  

The operation was to use the hero’s party as bait to destroy the Demon King’s gate in the other world.  

It was a reckless and absurd plan.  

But, aside from the sacrifices involved, it wasn’t an unusual plan by this world’s standards.  

The problem was the scale of the sacrifices.  

“But moving like this will result in significant casualties. Even if we exclude the hero and the saintess, it won’t be easy for the others to return.”  

At my words, the chancellor spoke with a stern expression.  

“We’re prepared for that.”  

He looked at the hero and his niece (the saintess) as he continued.  

“Earlier, I spoke confidently to the nobles, but the truth is that the Empire is on the brink of destruction.  

The barrier has been breached, and for the first time in a century, all the sword masters have been summoned. On top of that, with one hundred million undead on the way, we have no way out.  

Just as the hero and the saintess are prepared to sacrifice themselves, we are also prepared to lose the entire imperial knight order and the imperial mage corps.”  

The chancellor’s words were filled with sincerity.  

To the Empire, this was a great sacrifice, and even Hopman looked at the chancellor in shock. But to me, a free knight, his words sounded half like nonsense.  

The fact that the “sacrifice” ultimately meant other people’s lives…  

For the emperor and the imperial family, this might have been a natural thing to say, but to me, who remembered my past life, it sounded no different from a dictator’s self-aggrandizement.  

*Wait, isn’t an emperor essentially no different from a dictator?*  

Living in this world had made me forget, but to the emperor, the imperial family, and the nobles, people were nothing more than property.  

Property that they could casually refer to as “sacrifices.”  

The hero, the saintess, and even our party were included in that property.  

*This is troubling.*  

Perhaps it was because I had been to Earth, but what I had once considered normal now felt incredibly uncomfortable.  

Thinking this way, everything in the imperial palace now seemed distasteful.  

If it weren’t for Yelena, I might have considered leaving without a second thought.  

*But I can’t just leave.*  

If I left because I didn’t like it, the Empire would fall, and Ea would be doomed.  

Then, the territories and manors would be finished.  

All the gold I had worked so hard to accumulate would become useless, so I had to endure, even if it was against my will.  

“It seems we’ve finished discussing the main points. Good work. Now, you all can wait until the preparations are complete. We’ll prepare rooms for you in the palace.  

You’ve all been through a lot, so why not take some time to rest and talk with the hero and the saintess?”  

Was he telling us to say our final goodbyes to those being sent to their deaths?  

Or was he suggesting that those heading to their deaths should comfort each other?  

Once I started feeling displeased, even the chancellor’s words sounded insincere.  

In any case, staying in the palace would likely lead to more trouble.  

Seeing that both Hopman and Yerim looked uncomfortable, it was clear we had to decline.  

Fortunately, I had an excuse to refuse.  

“I’m sorry, but we already have prior arrangements. Someone told us to rest at their house when we came to the capital.”  

“Ah, did Count Schröder, who came with you, mention that? But staying at a mage’s house might be inconvenient.”  

“No, when we were last in the capital, we stayed at Count Sponheim’s mansion, and he invited us to stay there again next time we came.”  

Though it was still a noble’s house, it wasn’t as extravagant as the palace.  

It would be less mentally taxing, so the count’s house seemed like a better place to rest.  

The chancellor seemed quite disappointed when I mentioned staying at the count’s house.  

The princess and the hero seemed equally disappointed.  

They could have just visited us at the count’s house, but they looked as if they wouldn’t see us again until we left the capital.  

*Surely they’re not being held captive in the palace, are they?*  

For a moment, I wondered if they were being kept in the palace to prevent them from running away, but I quickly dismissed the thought.  

Surely the imperial family wouldn’t go that far.  

After leaving the palace, everyone in our party let out a sigh of relief.  

It seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling stifled.  

“You did well. If you had decided to stay in the palace, I would have left on my own.”  

Even Zahina praised my decision.  

When we arrived at the count’s house, the count, who happened to be home, warmly welcomed us.  

With the Empire’s situation deteriorating, he had come to the capital early to wait.  

As expected, the rooms were comfortable, and the food was delicious, but I still had one problem.  

“Have you already become a sword master?”  

The count, having recognized my skills, dragged me to the training grounds.  

From then on, until we were called back to the palace, I spent every day sparring with the count and his knights.  

While my party and I enjoyed this peaceful time, the Empire was in a frenzy.  

Rumors of territories falling continued to come from the frontlines, and even the relatively stable capital became chaotic with refugees and soldiers.  

However, thanks to the emperor and chancellor’s prior announcements, the nobles and citizens of the capital patiently maintained their daily lives.  

A week later, the Empire completed its preparations.  

Sword masters gathered from all over, and all the mages of the imperial knight order and the imperial mage corps arrived in the capital.  

Unlike before, a proper departure ceremony was held this time.  

Knights and mages lined up in the square in front of the palace, usually used for festivals and events.  

On the podium at the front of the square stood the emperor, the chancellor, the hero, and the sword masters.  

The problem was that our party was also standing next to the sword masters.  

The citizens of the capital who had gathered around the square looked at us curiously, and we had no choice but to stand there awkwardly.  

After this uncomfortable period passed, the emperor stepped onto the podium and declared the departure.  

The counterattack operation—the hero bait operation—had begun.