"...There was a sudden downpour."
The godmother muttered softly after receiving the news.
The purge of the Mountain Clan. Princess Ainoa made no attempt to hide what she had done. Rather, she maintained an attitude of not having a single shred of shame.
All blame was placed on the princess. At the same time, the nobles were in an uproar as the treason of the deceased nobles was clearly revealed.
Even if the legitimacy was proven, it was clear that it was a huge flaw.
There is no family that would marry a princess who has killed more than a dozen nobles with her own hands. The possibility of her succession to the throne is also closed. It is impossible unless she kills the prince.
Bastet was in the midst of chaos.
However, it was completely different from what the Legion had intended. After a little while, the prince's forces would naturally unite Bastitera.
Ainoa has blood on her hands, and Adrian calms his anxiety. By taking opposite actions from each other, the domestic situation will quickly stabilize.
Someday, a new corrupt force will appear. At least until then, Bastite will be strong. By accepting change, the constitution will also improve.
This is not what the godmother had hoped for.
"Princess Ainoa should have died."
"...."
"Bastitera should have been divided, and the foul blood of Pecatum should have been spilled across the land. Mutants should have devoured women and children, knights should have beheaded civilians, and slaves should have burned the royal palaces and stabbed nobles with their swords."
A shadow loomed beneath the godmother's feet.
A chill ran down the adjutant's spine. It was obvious how angry he would be, seeing his elaborate plan fall apart so easily.
"Nothing seems to go as expected."
"...The one who led Princess Ainoa's transformation was the Selfrogics Lab. I don't know who was holding the leash, but I'm sure they played a big role."
"Isn't it incredible?"
The godmother laughed hollowly.
"What kind of research institute is that that always causes such sabotage?"
The Legion did not let up either. The Matron confirmed that the mercenaries disguised as Dustborn were actually agents of Cellbrox Labs and Redwood.
Given the circumstances, the key would have to be the Cellbrox Lab.
The ghosts of the ruined Shalem. The Godmother understands the rap. It seems to have a deeper connection with the leader of the Legion, but she doesn't care much about it.
I liked the foolishness of a ghost anyway.
"It's so annoying."
Something unknown. A living, breathing creature with thoughts different from our own. Others whose skin color, appearance, environment, and innate abilities do not match.
To the great mother, nothing was more disgusting and nauseating than the fact that they were swarming like ants outside her control.
"Has Camellia still not contacted you?"
"That's because I said I had a place to stop by for a bit…."
"Where?"
"It's a small town called Andalusia."
Andalusia. The godmother who was in my mouth said, "Ah," and then laughed with her nose.
"There was another ghost."
It is the hometown of Snowfield. I heard that it was swept away by a disaster and is now uninhabited. The two of them are not that old, so Camellia probably doesn't know the old Andalusia.
But it was truly sincere. Strange people tend to be followed by strange people. Camellia was one of those who gave her godmother a bad feeling, but she had a use for it.
"This is the end of the petty acts."
widely!
The cane struck the stone floor.
"Tell them to prepare for invasion."
"...Is it okay if I don't tell him?"
It refers to the leader of the legion. Most of the members, as well as the executives, were reluctant to mention him carelessly. It was something the godmother could not understand.
"What difference would it make if I told you?"
No, perhaps it was a suitable object to be sanctified. To be precise, it was changing to become suitable. In order to fulfill a long-cherished cause.
But he wouldn't know.
'Who in the Legion would sacrifice themselves for such a cause?'
There are only those who are worse than Pecatum. They are just claws that have been sharpened and honed by the wind and waves, and they just scratch at anything they come across. They are soldiers that the Godmother can control without any problem.
"The princess, the pecatum, and the celbrologics lab. Let's sweep them all away."
My godmother smiled elegantly. I felt refreshed after speaking.
This should have been done from the beginning.
* * *
Footprints were engraved in the thick snow. Asterike walked next to Kim I-hyeon. Every time she exhaled, pure white breath came out.
"It feels like it's been a really long time."
"It's been a while, hasn't it? It's been years since I've been back."
"Yeah, there's that too."
She was sniffling, her nose bright red.
"I'm with Hyun like this. You've been really busy lately."
"You must have been busy."
Kim Yi-hyeon yawned slightly as he answered. He must have been tired both physically and mentally. As he said, he had been working without a moment to breathe, but now that the work was over, he was overcome with fatigue all at once.
'It's still a mess though.'
It's not like there's a riot because there are public executions every day. Even if the main culprits are purged, it's not like it'll end with that. In a monarchy, treason is an extremely serious crime.
The general public is also being swept away by the rapidly changing situation. It is like a surgical operation to remove a diseased part. It is inevitable that there will be pain for a while.
Honestly, it didn't matter to me.
'Do whatever you want.'
I don't plan on interfering in internal affairs any further. My brain is exhausted from overwork. I need to gain something from Rap, but I can leave that to Kushan.
Of course, it is too early to say that everything is over.
'How will the legion turn out?'
The research center was almost completely emptied. The connections that had been built up through human resources and money were also gone. Since the position was disadvantageous, there was also the option of calmly planning for the future.
Well, though.
'You're probably not the type to get hit and then run away.'
The godmother is the embodiment of narcissism. It is not expected that she will quietly step down. That is why Kim I-hyeon continues to communicate with Kushan and request reinforcements.
We were only given a moment's leeway.
'I need to figure out an infiltration route.'
Kim Yi-hyeon was conscious of the pocket of his jumper. Inside, a plastic bottle the size of a finger was hidden. It was a syringe with a structure that revealed a needle when the stopper was removed.
It contains some 'Helixivir' that was extracted before being delivered to the lab.
This is insurance.
Its usefulness was confirmed in the previous battle. It is a weapon that can turn the tide of the battle with just one strike. As a result, the 'Kim I-Hyeon' tag gained great tactical value.
There is hesitation.
'I don't think I'll have to worry too much when the time comes.'
Kim Yi-hyun was able to look at himself objectively. He had always had good decision-making skills. However, he often got into trouble because of hasty decisions.
I would rather suffer the consequences than regret them. Even if I end up with a foreign substance on my tongue, it's better than dying. I don't plan on abusing it at any time.
'In the end, it depends on the situation at that time.'
Predictions are just predictions. They can be wrong at any time.
Sabak, sabak.
Asterike walked, pressing hard against the snow.
A winter jumper and a wool scarf. The thick layered outfit is not unfamiliar. Whenever I go out, I always wear an outer garment.
Unlike Asterike, the other Basteterras were lightly dressed for winter. Aside from their horns and hair color, there was little in common between them.
"Is there a culture like that here?"
"what?"
"Because people don't wear outerwear very often."
I thought it was a plausible reason, such as valuing activity over being cold… I asked him out of the blue, and he responded with a snicker.
"That's not true. Where I used to live was a little out of the way over there, and it was colder there than here. Even in the summer, it would snow sometimes. But look at this."
She held the scarf wrapped tightly with both hands. She also wore fur gloves on her hands. Where did the slender woman with her arms and legs stretch out go? Instead, she had a round face.
"I hate the cold."
"It looks like that."
"Everyone will hate what they don't like. Instead, I think it's cool that there's a foolish side to people who can endure it. Whether it's pain, cold, or anything difficult."
Asterike said that she was just a little more honest than others.
"Ugh, it's cold."
I quietly watched her blowing her breath. As she said, Asterike was honest. If she had any worries, it would show on the outside.
"Can I go back without looking?"
Even though she acts cheerful now, she has become noticeably quieter since coming to Bastitera. No, maybe it was since she brought Ainoa.
It couldn't be that I didn't care.
Even if the cause was the spell's rampage, didn't I burn down my family with my own hands? Sometimes, the past would come to mind here.
'… … Come to think of it, there were other hypotheses.'
There is a possibility that the rampage was not due to simple carelessness. Some users speculated that [Fire of Regeneration] was activated for some reason.
Of course, this is not an official setting. It is only an assumption that it might be so. No matter how much the so-called Astdan defends it, Ast is nothing more than an arsonist in Bastitera.
Asterike also understood my situation well. That's why I didn't forget to disguise myself when I was out and about like this. My impression changed completely with just makeup and contact lenses.
"Yeah. Not now."
Everyone is preparing for war in their own way. Asterike is no different. It is a time when you need to calm your body and mind. You cannot afford to add to the headaches.
"I don't want to think, 'I might as well do something while I'm here'… I didn't know I'd be back this quickly in the first place. I guess I'm not the only one who feels this way."
"Who else is there?"
"Carmen Mobile. I asked her too."
"Oh, I see."
Certainly, the two were in similar situations: having left their homeland, established themselves on the continent, and then returned, no matter what the process.
"I heard he was only working as an agent for Redwood. I didn't ask him why he left home, but I figured that was just the case. I just followed Hyun."
Asterike turned half a circle.
"I'll be satisfied with this this time."
The snow sparkling white in the sunlight. The wide open view without any tall buildings. The forest of winter trees that have grown strong, and the sound of birds chirping in the wind.
Walking side by side with Kim I-hyeon, looking at the scenery of her hometown. Just that alone made Asterike extremely happy. Even if the problems that had been put off were still piling up.
"So next time. Then, Hyun, follow me."
"Or so it is."
Kim Yi-hyun accepted it easily. It wasn't something to be stingy about. It was more of a homecoming to tie up the knots within himself rather than a clear purpose. He just had to be there.
If you call it a short vacation, it's not bad.
'You'll feel like you're getting a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes story.'
As a user, I also have a selfish desire to watch over him. Even now, when we have become close outside of operations, Ast is still one of my favorite characters.
In games, it's common to get involved in unnecessary trouble at times like that... ... .
'No way you're going to do that.'
I blew away my momentary worries with a refreshing laugh. No matter what happens, it's just a story of 'someday.' I hope we can stay connected until that day comes.
"Oh, by the way."
Something suddenly occurred to me.
Kim Yi-hyeon rummaged through the pockets on his jumper. The inside of his clothes were filled with cold air. He shrank back for no reason and took out his walkie-talkie.
Tick, tick.
By some coincidence, noise started flowing out at that very moment.
"You can't be a nobleman."
"Hyeon sometimes makes strange noises."
Was it too absurd? You can explain it as you go.
"Let's go back slowly."
It's time to reunite with them after a long time.