* * *
As for the Runcandel camp, which was watching all of this from outside the sword emperor castle.
It was truly a series of shocks.
If it was just to annihilate the enemies, it would have been possible with only the flagbearers and some of the Black Knights, or even the first division of Black Sword Association, without Rosa coming forward.
However, making sure that none of the allies die in the process was a completely different problem.
Silence hung over the barracks.
Everyone seemed to have forgotten what to say because they were thinking about Jin's divine battle prowess.
The elders cleared their throats and looked at Rosa's countenance.
"The 12th flagbearer is only shows shocking things every day. Are you saying that it's a piece of cake?"
"It was nothing what he showed when he announced the reinstatement of the magic swordsman. Now you can't disparage the 12th Flagbearer's magic sword with the value of legitimacy...…."
Ran and Vigo, Myu and Anne were also in the barracks.
The brothers shook and nodded their heads from time to time, unable to recover from shock, while the sisters had expressionless faces.
Rosa looked at Myu and Anne.
'Since I stripped Joshua from his position, these two children definitely changed.'
Rosa had never been interested in Myu and Anne.
As she always did with the other children who didn't stand out.
Among them, Myu and Anne were especially unsightly children.
To the extent that even stepping on or scolding them to stimulate them is a waste of time.
However, after that day even if the feeling has changed, it has changed too much.
If it were their original self, even if they wouldn't know the subject, they would go wild and talk nonsense, but their calm appearance was strange.
Because of this, Rosa has been watching over them these days.
'They weren't martial artists that could gain heaviness through enlightenment.'
What made her daughters change?
'They kept their composure even after seeing the youngest's overwhelming appearance...… However, they do not seem to have given up everything while waiting for the day to die.'
Rosa soon came to a conclusion.
'Looks like they met the Prophet. That's why they may have a belief that a greater power is with them than the one youngest showed.'
Rosa closed her eyes and opened her mouth.
"There must be restrictions."
The buzzing people stopped talking.
"If the youngest can continue to use the powers without any restrictions, the clan's battle of hegemony is over."
"That… That's right."
"You are right, acting matriarch. Since the 12th flagbearer is the Shadow Contractor, he must have borrowed the power of the Solderet through some condition."
"Wasn't there a report that he used an artifact? It could be God's thing."
"Also, being the youngest, he wouldn't have known that he could wield that much power. Had he known, he would have revealed his power as soon as the war began. Unlike before the reinstatement of the magic swordsman declaration, he is now in a position where the youngest does not have to hide his power."
Those gathered in the barracks nodded.
It was a power that could be understood if there was a contractor and God's help.
Runcandel is a clan far from god's contractors, and everyone was so shocked that they couldn't think of it.
"The first battle ended with a perfect victory for the sword emperor castle. But I don't think Zipfel will give up on that white stone."
The barracks door opened and two Black Knights entered.
"Acting matriarch, Zipfel's troop movement has been confirmed."
"What's the size?"
"More than fifty flying battleships, including Kozec, we don't know the exact number, but it is estimated that at least three hundred elite mages, including the Spectres, are on board. Octavia Zipfel took over the overall command, but we cannot rule out the possibility of Kelliark Zipfel."
"Kelliark Zipfel…?"
"Huh."
It wasn't certain yet, it was just a report that it could be.
However, the size of the 2nd reinforcements would not be strange at all even if Kelliark will present.
Kelliark Zipfel.
The leader of the world's number one clan and the pinnacle of magic.
His direct movement in Zipfel is the same as Chiron stepping out of Runcandel.
Rosa's eyes narrowed.
"What is the basis for Kelliark's possible participation in the war?"
"The Fire Dragon, Kadun, was spotted leaving the 1st Magic Tower. We also confirmed that the composition of the 1st Magic Tower mages rapidly changed to 2nd division."
"Then it's almost certain that Kelliark will step in."
"That's what I think, Acting Matriarch."
"How long do you think it will take to reach sword emperor castle?"
"Two days. The teleportation ability shown in the Gaifa Islands in the past and the first battle of this war is unusable."
"It's a technology that we don't know about. It also seems to have some limitations."
There was another heavy silence.
Runcandel and Zipfel have been fighting big and small wars from time to time.
The battle that lasted a thousand years was no longer a war, but more like a daily routine.
It was when Chiron and Kelliark were young that the quarrel reached its peak.
When they hadn't yet ascended to the throne, the two clans fought more fiercely than ever before.
And after they became patriarch of their clans, they entered a period of stability.
It was because, from then on, the moment the patriarchs confronted each other directly, one side will surely come to an end, and the other side will also be on the brink of destruction.
Therefore, Chiron and Kelliark rarely led their henchmen to the battlefield.
No matter how they went out, the moment they appeared, the war ended instantly on any battlefield.
The two are literally the absolutes of the world.
Such Kelliark was stepping out directly.
He was heading towards sword emperor castle, not Huphester, but to stand in front of him meant an all-out war.
Everyone was concerned about an all-out war as soon as his name came out, but Rosa had a different idea from them.
"Kelliark is the one who prioritizes negotiations, unlike the patriarch. Although the patriarch is said to be in the Black Sea, he is still alive, so they wouldn't think of an all-out war with us. Did everyone forget? He is afraid of the patriarch."
Rosa judged that Kelliark was coming in person to negotiate with her.
"However, we cannot avoid an all-out war. The Black Knights, immediately go to the Black Sea and report the situation to the patriarch."
Chiron would have already entered more than the depths of the Black Sea, even the Black Knight could not make a quick report.
Maybe they couldn't meet at all.
However, Rosa deliberately gave the order as if the report would reach him so that the clan members would not be concerned about such a thing, and the Black Knights immediately understood her meaning.
"Honorable name!"
"Also, summon all the Black Knights, enforcement Knights, the Black Sword Association's first division, Guardian Knights, and all flagbearers, except for the scribes, and have allies stand by. When my order is given, they can immediately move to match the war scenario."
"Alright, acting matriarch!"
Some of the elders and secretaries of the Black Sword Association hurriedly left the barracks to carry out Rosa's orders.
"An all-out war is something that cannot be ruled out, but the important thing is not that, but the white stone. It has already been proven that the fleet was summoned in the first battle, and the large-scale reinforcements are coming again now. The white stone is an indispensable thing for them. But we don't even know what it is yet."
"Shall we send someone to the sword emperor castle?"
At the words of the scribe, Rosa shook her head.
"No. If the youngest knew exactly what the white stone was and was sure that the clan needed it, he would have asked the clan for help first. The youngest is probably still judging. Above all, the master of the hidden palace is with him. It could provoke her for no reason. For now, we have two days, so we'll watch a little more."
"Hmm, I don't know why the 12th flagbearer isn't leaving the sword emperor castle. If the purpose of participating in the war was to rescue Dante Hairan, he would have to leave now when the opportunity arises, but there is no sign of that at all."
Even Rosa found that part strange.
'Under common sense, the youngest should lead Dante and the knights of Hairan to retreat even now. There's no way they don't know that bigger reinforcements are coming. At this point, it is the youngest way to absorb Hairan and start a public opinion war to sway the empire and urge the clan to step up, but why doesn't he leave the sword emperor castle?'
Is it because he can't leave?
If only Dante was stubborn, the youngest would have forced him to leave the sword emperor castle even by beating him halfway to death.
It was the same in the case of saving not only Dante but also the other knights of Hairan.
If the youngest is the person Rosa knew, he could have taken Dante as a hostage, or even threatened the whole of Hairan to leave the sword emperor castle.
"It is also suspicious that Kinzelo is not moving. As reported so far, there has been no troop movement in the Land of the beastmen."
"As in the case of the sword emperor's terror attack, they will be able to use the portal to suddenly go to the battlefield. Keep an eye on it."
Runcandel didn't know, but Kinzelo was currently in a state where they couldn't use the leader's power.
Therefore, in order for them to participate in the sword emperor castle War, the movement of troops should have already begun.
"The last magic used by the 12th flagbearer is the legacy of Riol Zipfel. Acting matriarch, maybe the reason Kelliark is moving isn't just because of the white stone. Retrieving Riol Zipfel's magic seems to have been included in the purpose as well. Also, the artifacts used by the 12th flagbearer could also be Zipfel's."
Rosa nodded when Tellot Runcandel spoke.
Rosa accurately read the hidden meaning in his words.
"That makes sense. You are worried about the youngest, Sir Tellot"
"… Joshua is finished, and he is now the best flagbearer in the clan, except for the first flagbearer. I have no choice but to worry."
"If Kelliark's purpose is to find not only the White Stone but also the magic and artifact, then he wants to negotiate with me. That part will not be included in the content of the negotiations. It is unacceptable to ask for the return of what was taken away."
It meant that even if there were negotiations rather than an all-out war, she would never make Jin lose anything.
"Sir Tellot, you think I'm an idiot for worrying like that."
It was a joke, but no one laughed.
Only Tellot smiled and lowered his head.
There were really only a few people in the clan who could take Rosa's jokes in this way.
"Okay, the meeting ends here. Let's head to our respective positions. And Myu and Anne, you two stay for a while."