Book Eater

Chapter 277: Revenge (1)

A few days after retreating from Karul Plains, Theo sat in the command tent for a moment to breathe. The war wasn’t going too badly.

In fact, it was going rather well. Andras had lost four shields to Theo, which had exposed several tens of thousands of troops to tactical-class spells. They also couldn’t enact any large scale maneuvers. Best of all, Meltor had only lost twenty thousand troops in comparison to Andras’ fifty thousand troops. If this continued, Andras would receive devastating damage.

The problem was the aftermath.

“This really can’t be called a plains anymore.”

Theo was right. The battle between Veronica and Crowd, the strongest monsters of the north, had destroyed the landscape so much that it was unrecognizable. There were lava filled craters scattered throughout the battlefield, while rocks reminiscent of icebergs rose from crevasses. No one would ever mistake this for a plains again. It would be impossible for a thousand people to fight on this field, let alone hundreds of thousands.

The chief commanders on both sides had surveyed the land before retreating in full. It was a clear indication that neither side thought they could fight there anymore. There were more than a few places in the area where they could stage their armies, but only a few where both armies could confront each other. So the two chief commanders had to come up with a new strategy.

- User.

Gluttony, who had been silent till now, suddenly spoke.

“Why are you calling me?”

- I have something I want to ask.

“Go ahead. You will just speak anyway.”

- You understand me well. Then I won’t hesitate.?

Theo waited for Gluttony’s question while feeling amused. Considering Gluttony was a grimoire that only cared about magic books, Theo was sure it would be a question about magic books.

However, his expectations were foiled.

- It’s about this war. Why isn’t User using all the cards you have?

“What?”

- It wouldn’t be difficult. There are several ways User could devastate the battlefield alone. You might not be able to summon Fafnir but summoning a high ranking demon alone would sharply tilt the balance. You would not even need to order it directly. You can just throw it into the middle of enemy territory, and it will perform its role.

It was a clear analysis. Theo had more than his personal ability. Even if he couldn’t summon Aquilo due to the crisis of his chastity, he had endless choices with Gluttony’s Library. He could even sacrifice the god sword, Claimhb Solais, as a last resort to summon Fafnir. It might only last two or three minutes, but Andras’ army would be destroyed. However, Theo didn’t use his summoning magic. However, he had unconsciously sealed the method.

Gluttony wanted to hear his reason.

“Uhh, don’t laugh once I tell you.”

-Hmm?

“... There isn’t a logical reason. It’s just a feeling. My super sensitivity is telling me I shouldn’t use it just yet. I have a feeling that things will get bigger soon.”

It was a worry that he couldn’t tell anyone. He had hidden his cards without any evidence, and now his allies were suffering... So, he didn’t feel good. If his commanders knew, they would rebuke him immediately.

Gluttony was a grimoire of reason and rationality, so Theo closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable ridicule. He wouldn’t be surprised if he was called an idiot.

- Hoh. You came to the same conclusion using intuition, not logic? Your judgment is correct.

Theo’s eyes widened in surprise. In this situation, Gluttony had praised him instead.

“W-What?”

- Once again. User’s intuition is correct. You shouldn’t call a transcendent being like Fafnir.

“If you say so... but why?”

-?This is just my own hypothesis.

A hypothesis was something that hadn’t been proven yet, and Gluttony didn’t want to speak just using conjectures.

- Let’s change the topic. User, have you ever thought that the North was strange?

“Strange? What part?”

- Everything about it.?

Gluttony declared without hesitation.

- Think about it. This war between Meltor and Andras, the two nations that worship magic and the sword, has been going on for five hundred years.

It seemed like common sense at first. However, Gluttony’s voice had turned sardonic.

No matter what the circumstances, there had never been a case as extreme as the Northern powers. Meltor had developed the magic towers and rejected the sword, while Andras had waged war on magic since the days when they first became a kingdom and declared that Meltor was their enemy. Either way, both were unusual.

But it was strange that in five hundred years of warfare, the result hadn’t leaned to one side. Despite the superior and inferior positions changing several times, there had never been a definitive result. After almost carving away at each other’s strength, they would conclude with an armistice agreement like it had already been promised.

Anyone who thought deeply about the history of the war in the North would find it strange. Why had this useless war of attrition in the North persisted? Why had they gone to war every few generations and continued to consume people and resources to no end? Why had they not tried for a peaceful resolution even once?

- The Andras Empire is the one at the heart of the incongruity. Regardless of which side has the advantage, they will make a move that somehow prolongs the war. After driving Meltor to the brink, they would step back and only declare war again if Meltor begins to revive. If history is to be believed, Andras had a chance to unify the North many times by making a truce with Meltor. It is very strange if you think about it.

“... In other words,” Theo organized Gluttony’s words. “This long war in the Northern Continent is being controlled by a certain someone in Andras?”

- That is my thought.

“Andras and Meltor... The history of the two nations might be due to that bastard?”

- That’s right.

“... Don't make me laugh!”

If he hadn’t cast a quick silence spell around him, he might have been treated as a crazy person. Theo was more furious than he had ever been before.

How many people had died in their wars? The two nations had collided with each other since the day they had been founded. At least ten million lives had been snuffed out like candles. But they had been dancing in the palm of some mysterious figure this whole time?

There’s no way I can tolerate this.

Theo ground his teeth and barely managed to calm himself. It was still a hypothesis. He should think about it as a hypothesis. Theo replied to Gluttony, who had been waiting, from behind gritted teeth. “... Assuming that this person exists, will using Fafnir force him to move?”

- Of course. However, User still isn’t prepared to kill millions of lives.

“Ugh,” Theo groaned.

But Gluttony did its best to sound comforting.

- I don’t blame you. A clear mind is a great quality for a magician. It is a hundred times better than being drunk on black magic and malice like those black magic apostles.

“Well, whatever,” Theo came to a conclusion, “There’s one person who should know the truth.”

- Indeed, that person.

“Yes.”

They had been there since the kingdom had been founded, and they would know the history of the North and prove the truth of this hypothesis… Theo and Gluttony reached the same conclusion at the same time.

That person had founded the magic towers in Meltor and devoted themselves to it. On the surface, everything had seemed to be for Meltor’s revival, but there was nothing to rule out that they weren’t involved with the bastard who had created this situation in the Northern Continent.

It was time to question the grimoire, Paragranum...

***

“Oh, you came.”

Benedict seemed to brighten when Theo entered the barracks. It seemed the duties of a commander weighed heavily on him. Or perhaps the arrival of an ally had lightened his load?

Shortly after Orta secretly joined Theo’s party, he had revealed his identity and moved to the command center under Theo’s direction. It might be necessary to move in secret, but it was too wasteful not to use his abilities as head of Meltor’s information gathering network.

It is enough reason to use the ingredients.

Theo had helped Orta’s body recover quickly, and Kurt had given Orta permission to accompany Theo. Furthermore, Orta’s presence in the last operation hadn’t been revealed. It had been difficult to notice Orta’s existence since the teleportation had been underground. This meant he could still be mobilized as a trump card.

“You came, Benefactor!”

“... Good morning.”

Two elves were seated to the right of the commander’s desk. The first was Edwin, who had once come to Meltor as an envoy, while the other was the guardian named Ellaim, who had fought valiantly against Laevateinn.

Elvenheim had proven how seriously they were taking the way by sending two guardians. They had also sent a hundred elf warriors with the guardians, whose ranks included elementalists and archers. They would be able to compete with the Red Tower’s war magicians and the elite knights of Andras in a one-on-one match. The fact that Elvenheim had sent a hundred people, who could be defending the Great Forest instead, showed their regard for Meltor.

There were also another thousand elves coming in the next few days.

“Okay, you have all gathered on time?” Veronica casually sauntered in. Her red hair and the ever present heat around her body didn’t seem any different; however, Theo’s expression grew slightly darker.

Her magic power is a little thinner than usual... It looks like she used a lot of power in her fight against the 1st Sword.

Normal people wouldn’t feel anything, but Theo had spent a lot of time in her company in the last few years. He might be the youngest in this place, but everyone had different experiences.

Unsurprisingly, Veronica immediately disclosed it, “First of all, I have to leave the battlefield temporarily.”

Meltor’s strongest asset, an 8th Circle magician, was equivalent to two armies. So, for a moment, there was chaos inside the barracks as many people grew pale.

However, Veronica couldn’t have expected it either. “My condition isn’t great right now. I consumed around 40% of my magic power and only scratched that guy once or twice. In the meantime, Blundell will arrive to keep the 1st Sword in check. He will teleport in tomorrow.”

“Hrmm, I-I see.”

“Don’t be so amazed. Well, it isn’t too much of a problem since I’m usually operating independently. Orta recovered faster than expected, so the war’s in our favor.”

Meltor had gained a slight advantage out of the clash at Karul Plains. Exploiting that initiative would fall on the commanders and magicians present. Now that the two guardians and a hundred elf warriors had joined them...

Meltor could currently field five master-level combatants, including Orta. The only question was how they could split this combat power to defeat Andras? Before everyone could dive into that discussion, Veronica turned to Theo and said, “For the next few days, your role will be the most important.”

Theo nodded. “... Yes, I’m aware.”

The 1st Sword and Veronica had been forced away, so it was a battlefield where the peak monsters of each power weren’t present. However, it wasn’t that clearcut. It was easier for one of the Seven Swords to enter the battlefield since it was closer to Andras’ territory than Meltor.

Since they now could rely on Lairon’s healing power, Andras’ swordmasters would be able to recover quickly. It wouldn’t be strange to see the 1st Sword tomorrow. Moreover, everyone had forgotten, but there was one more peak monster in the Andras Empire.

“Zest, that bastard, will come after you.”

Zest Speitem was the Imperial Sword who had the ability to cut space. In other words, it meant he could jump through space itself. As a swordmaster of the highest level, he could attack from an unexpected spot with impeccable timing.

He had also never failed a mission in his life, so he would consider Theo’s survival as a personal affront to his record.

Veronica held both of Theo’s shoulders and asked, “How about it, can you do it?”

Could Theo deal with Zest, the Empire’s 2nd Sword? The question probably wasn’t referring to victory. Survival in and of itself was an excellent outcome. In fact, considering Theo’s age and abilities, that was the best outcome.

However, Theo wasn’t satisfied with that.

“Once is enough to learn from my defeat.” This time he vowed that he wouldn’t give up. “I will properly smash him.”

“Okay! That is my kid!” The explosive magician who stood at the peak of the Red Tower, Veronica, laughed excitedly as she ruffled Theo’s black hair.

Her hopes for this magician, this man, kept on rising. She was supremely satisfied.

“Now, reorganize the troops!” Veronica proudly raised her voice to call out to the younger generation, whom she wouldn’t see for a while.