Chapter 58 : The Free City, Bernhard (5)

Rumble, rumble, rumble……!

The vibration got closer and closer.

To match it, the horses began to go mad with fear and thrashed about.

-Neeeeigh!

-Snort! Snort!

It couldn’t be helped.

What was approaching this place now was no different from a living disaster that would destroy everything in its path.

‘So it really has come to this.’

Now, it has become certain.

The demonic beast attack appearing in the Mülhen Granary Zone was not caused by something like a chieftain demonic beast.

No, in the first place, there were few chieftain demonic beasts even in the Demonic Realm that could lead an attack of this scale.

Moreover, if the attack was large enough to cause a Wave, there was only one possibility.

“Captain.”

“Did you figure something out?”

“Yes. It seems we’ll have to meet Councilman Garrett Mason. I think a re-discussion about this mission is necessary.”

“……Is that so, after all. Understood. Let’s return quickly. It seems we won’t see a good end if we delay.”

It was a natural story, but Edric decided to return to Bernhard.

The option of facing a Wave on flat ground like this didn’t exist in the first place.

As I said before, that was no different from a massive disaster that a mere individual could not stand against.

No matter how strong Edric was, he was ultimately human.

“Then let’s hurry.”

We drove our horses toward Bernhard, leaving the gradually approaching vibration behind us.

-Neeeeigh!!!

Whether the horses had also sensed the approaching disaster, they galloped, almost half out of their minds.

Ruuuuuumble…….

It was to the point where the back of my head tingled from the countless gazes I felt from behind, but I drove the horse, trying hard to ignore it.

“Hey.”

As I was riding like that, Conlan, who had come up next to me at some point, spoke.

“What is it?”

“Those things behind us…… surely they’re not following us all the way to Bernhard?”

“They probably are. In the first place, they’re not following us, they’re heading for Bernhard.”

“……Dammit.”

Conlan’s expression became serious.

“Isn’t there any way to deal with it?”

“For now, returning to Bernhard is the top priority. There is no other way. That isn’t a problem an individual can respond to.”

Of course, strictly speaking, it wasn’t that there was no way at all, but returning to Bernhard and meeting Councilman Garrett Mason was the first order of business.

I had to hear the full story of all this from him to be able to respond appropriately to it.

“……In that case, I will stay.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Doesn’t someone have to buy time for Bernhard to prepare its defenses? I’ll do it.”

“Did you not hear what I said? That isn’t something an individual can stand against. At minimum, an army has to step up. Even if you make a fuss about blocking it, you won’t be able to delay it for even a single second.”

“Then what am I supposed to do!”

Conlan’s voice rose.

I couldn’t know what on earth was making Conlan this agitated, but it must have been related to the fact that Conlan had worked as a mercenary in Bernhard in the past.

“There is a way.”

“……Didn’t you say there wasn’t one until just a moment ago? Are you messing with me right now?”

Conlan growled lowly.

He always had a wild personality, but right now, he was really like a beast.

“That way is returning to Bernhard. We return, inform Bernhard of this fact, and find a way to end this situation while Bernhard prepares. Understand?”

“What if we can’t find a way?”

“Is there another way?”

Conlan ground his teeth.

“……There isn’t.”

“There’s probably no need to worry much. We’ll be able to find a way.”

“Can I trust you?”

“Yes.”

“……Understood.”

Conlan barely calmed down, and Edric, who had been silently watching this, stealthily drove his horse next to me.

“I made you do the work I should have done. I’m ashamed.”

“You should have just done it sooner.”

“You did well for someone saying that.”

“I won’t do it next time.”

“I’m sure you won’t. Haha.”

Edric laughed heartily.

However, the words that flowed out after the laughter were not ordinary.

“Hmm…… in the worst-case scenario, we might have to give up on Bernhard.”

“Are you serious?”

“Can it be helped? That horde is something Bernhard alone will find difficult to handle. It’ll be the same even if we’re added. You already know that well, don’t you?”

Edric added.

“We are in the position of having come to help Bernhard, but there’s no need to risk our lives for it. If it’s demonic beasts of that scale, the Imperial Household will have no choice but to understand.”

They weren’t particularly wrong words.

The scale of the massive disaster approaching from behind us right now was to the extent that it looked overwhelming for a city of Bernhard’s size to handle.

Moreover, if they were to face a Wave of that scale without even having proper defensive preparations, it was a level not even worth mentioning.

However, that said, just abandoning a city the size of Bernhard was a completely different story.

Because it was difficult for me to even dare to know what kind of repercussions that would cause later.

“There must be a way.”

“Don’t overdo it.”

“I will.”

Before long, the appearance of Bernhard, peaceful beyond compare, was seen over there in the distance.

It was time to hurry.

***

We, who had returned to Bernhard, immediately informed the Bernhard Guard Force of this fact.

“That……. Is it true?”

“It is. Soon, its outline will begin to be revealed from the watchtower as well. If you start preparing then, it will be too late.”

“Ah, understood! Thank you. I will get going first.”

“Good work.”

For now, I had relayed all I had to say to the Guard Force.

Preparing for this would be purely up to Bernhard’s capability, but I didn’t really think that this peaceful city would have a proper defense system in place.

‘If the fact that quite a few users are active here is any consolation, it’s a consolation, but…….’

Would they really risk their lives and fight together for Bernhard?

As for me, I was negative.

It might be different if this place was still inside a game, but for us now, this place was clearly reality.

‘For now, I must hurry.’

We immediately headed to where Councilman Garrett Mason was.

Bang bang!

“Who is it?”

“It’s 4th Special Task Force Captain Edric. It’s urgent.”

Whether it was because of the words ‘it’s urgent’, a clattering sound was heard from inside a few times, and only then did Garrett Mason come out, opening the door with an urgent look.

“Wh-What is it?”

“An army of demonic beasts is advancing toward Bernhard. It’s an unusual scale.”

“An army of demonic beasts…… such a thing…….”

“You must be shocked, but it is the truth.”

“Th-Then, this is not the time to be standing around. We must convene the council at once and prepare for this!”

“Yes, of course you must. But there is something we must address before that.”

“……What is that?”

“The real reason you requested support from the Empire this time. We’d like you to tell us that.”

Garrett Mason’s expression hardened stiffly.

“What do you mean by that? A real reason…… there is no such thing.”

“Councilman, there is no time. If you do not tell us the real reason, we cannot find a solution for the situation that is happening right now, either.”

“That…….”

“If you will not speak, we will be returning to Winter Castle now. It seems this is not a problem we can handle.”

As Edric turned his back, Garrett Mason, his face pale white, shouted.

“W-Wait! I, I will tell you. Everything!”

“Everything?”

“O-Of course!”

With that, Edric, who turned his body naturally as if nothing had happened, spoke with a smiling face.

“Yes. By all means.”

Seeing that detestable expression, Garrett Mason might have felt that he had been tricked, but Garrett Mason’s expression was still just as heavy.

“……I don’t know where to start telling this from, but…… one day, demonic beasts began to appear in the Mülhen Granary Zone. At first, it was one horde, but from some point on, they began to multiply uncontrollably. We are managing to solve it with mercenaries for now, but we cannot hire mercenaries forever. We had to find the cause. We couldn’t find that cause by ourselves, so we requested help from the Empire’s side.”

“What about the story of the mutant? We came because we heard news that a mutant had appeared.”

“I apologize. We couldn’t figure out the cause at all, so we jumped to the conclusion and thought it must be because of a new mutant.”

They were quite plausible words.

To the extent that I would have just let it pass if I hadn’t known the truth.

As if Edric, too, was not unaware of that fact, he glanced at me.

Well…… if so, I had no choice but to meet his expectations.

“Isn’t it because you thought Hanover was behind this incident?”

With that, Garrett Mason’s face was colored with astonishment.

“How did you……?”

“The fact that you thought we wouldn’t know is even more surprising. Do you still not know the Empire?”

The truth was I knew from seeing it on the Anonymous Bulletin Board, but that wasn’t a very important issue right now.

“……I am truly, truly ashamed. You knew everything. It is as you say. We believe that Hanover is behind this entire incident.”

Was it thanks to the power that the name Hanover carried?

Councilman Garrett Mason finally began to spit out the truth he had hidden and hidden until now.

“When demonic beasts first appeared in the Mülhen Granary Zone, I thought it was a coincidence. However, as those incidents continued, we sought to know the cause, and not long after, we were able to detect suspicious movements from Hanover’s side. Thanks to that, we were able to specify the force behind it as Hanover.”

Garrett Mason continued to speak in a bitter voice.

“But that was all. We couldn’t find out what method Hanover was using to send the demonic beasts. We even heard the speculation, ‘could it be that Hanover’s alchemists had succeeded in taming demonic beasts?’, but seeing the number of demonic beasts, that would also be an impossible thing.”

Garrett Mason added.

“In other words…… we had circumstantial evidence, but no physical evidence.”

“With only circumstantial evidence, Bernhard couldn’t protest to Hanover directly, so the calculation was to borrow the Empire’s hand. Because if you made such a request to the Empire officially, it would create an international problem with Hanover’s side.”

“……You saw through everything. Shamefully…… yes.”

“I can’t understand. If Hanover is behind this situation, it would have been fine to just inform the Empire of that fact. But was there really a need to hide it?”

Garrett Mason lowered his head.

“……I couldn’t do that. The current Bernhard council is…… in a state of being dominated by the pro-Hanover faction.”

At the rather shocking declaration, Edric, who had been listening to the story silently until now, interjected.

From now on, it was the turn of Edric, the decision-maker of the 4th Special Task Force.

“The pro-Hanover faction, those are not words I can just overlook. Are you speaking with the knowledge that the Union is behind Hanover?”

“That is why I could not say it. If the Empire finds out about Bernhard’s current situation…… then things will become truly serious.”

“Ha.”

Edric laughed lowly.

It was an incomparably savage laugh.

“If the Empire finds out that fact, all the favors of the Empire that Bernhard has received until now will disappear. The Imperial Household will also feel a great sense of betrayal and insult. Am I not right?”

“……You are correct. If that happens, the relationship between the Empire and Bernhard will become irreversible. I wanted to avoid such a thing.”

“That event has ultimately become reality like this. Am I not right?”

“That’s…….”

“Now, listen. Right now, we have two choices.”

Edric held up one finger.

“First, to leave this place right now, return to Winter Castle, and then inform the Empire’s side of Bernhard’s destruction.”

“D-Destruction! What do you mean by that right now!”

Garrett Mason’s face turned pale white, but Edric held up two fingers, not caring in the slightest.

“Second, to resolve the situation currently facing Bernhard, then execute all personnel related to the pro-Hanover faction, and then normalize Bernhard.”

“N-Normalize…… d-don’t tell me……!”

Edric spoke, staring at Garrett Mason with a chilling gaze.

“What will you do?”

“Th-That’s…….”

“There isn’t much time. If you will not decide now, we will be returning. Isn’t the sincerity we’ve shown over the past few days enough for the Empire’s favor?”

Edric spoke as if he were giving Garrett Mason a choice, but in truth, there was nothing Garrett Mason could choose in this conversation.

“I…….”

Garrett Mason’s gaze slowly fell.

And the words that flowed out lowly soon after, decided Bernhard’s fate.

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