Trust Me and Leave It to Me (3)
"Uwaaaaah!"
"Amazing!"
"To think such a weapon exists!"
The onlookers raised their hands and cheered.
That massive tower had been obliterated in an instant. To unleash such power, one would have to be at least a high-circle mage.
Yet a mere soldier, with nothing more than simple operation, had demonstrated such destructive force. Truly, it was an extraordinary weapon.
Rumors that war would soon break out had already spread, leaving the entire territory restless. But upon witnessing the weapon's power, all worries vanished.
With just a few shots from that thing, the enemy would be completely wiped out.
Even Count Bonedor was so astonished that he gasped in admiration.
"A, amazing. Truly amazing. To think the Empire has created such a terrifying weapon…."
"It was made for the war against the Demon Realm. They are strong, after all."
"That's true. But with a weapon like this, even the Demon Realm won't stand a chance. Perhaps this long war with them will finally come to an end."
"It absolutely will."
Yulian spoke with firm conviction. That, at least, was no act—it was his true belief.
Count Bonedor nodded several times before asking,
"H, how many of these do you have? Did you bring more?"
"Unfortunately, we only brought one. Our goal was merely to test its performance and spread the word. Of course, the Empire is continuing its production."
"I, I see. Even one is more than enough. More than enough, indeed."
With power like that, a single unit could change the course of a battlefield. Just having one was something to be grateful for.
The territory's mages also approached in admiration.
"I felt an immense surge of mana just now."
"How on earth was this created? What mechanism powers it?"
"May we examine it closely?"
Their eyes gleamed with curiosity, hoping to glean even the smallest insight. The territory's court mage, in particular, was the most excited.
He was a 5th-circle mage. Yet the mana released from that weapon had far surpassed what he could generate at his peak.
How could he not be curious?
But Yulian and the mercenaries firmly blocked their path.
"You may not."
"C, can't we just take a quick look?"
"You may not. This is the Empire's secret weapon. We cannot allow its technology to be leaked."
"But we're on the same side. Just a small peek—"
"We came to demonstrate the weapon's power and spread awareness of it. We were not granted permission by His Holiness to do anything beyond that. If you persist, we will leave immediately."
At those words, Count Bonedor, startled, hurriedly stopped the mages.
"Ahem! This is the Empire's new weapon! Of course, they must be cautious about technological leaks! No one is to approach the weapon!"
With war looming, letting these people leave would be disastrous. Siding with Yulian, Count Bonedor issued a stern order.
Yulian gave a slight bow and spoke.
"You may verify the technology behind the weapon later. Once war with the Demon Realm begins, the Empire will supply these weapons to the kingdoms."
"Naturally. The Empire truly is our spiritual pillar. No, at this point, it has become much more than that. Having created such a weapon, the Empire will surely prosper once again. Hohoho."
"Thank you. By the way... we must ensure the news of the Empire's new weapon spreads far and wide. Could you assist us with that?"
"That is no trouble at all! I shall widely proclaim that the Empire has gifted us this new weapon. Since so many have witnessed its power firsthand, word will spread quickly."
"Thank you. The Empire will not forget this kindness."
"Your words alone are thanks enough. Hahaha!"
Count Bonedor looked pleased. Then, he suddenly turned to Yulian and brought up an unexpected topic.
"You see, I have quite an appreciation for the arts. In fact, I might be the biggest patron of the arts in this entire region. 'Bonedor the Aesthetic'—you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't know the name."
"Ah... I see...."
Count Bonedor turned his gaze to the Dragon Cannon, the very weapon he had inwardly cursed moments ago, and now offered a new critique.
"Looking at it again, there's a hidden beauty within its rough craftsmanship. It holds the dwarves' delicacy and a philosophy far ahead of its time."
Yulian found himself at a loss for words.
In truth, the Dragon Cannon was hideous to anyone's eyes. Scrap metal had been crudely melted together in an attempt to resemble scales, and the head portion was an indistinguishable mess—somewhere between a chicken and a crushed monster.
The barrel from which fireballs spewed was grotesquely twisted, and the rest of the decorations seemed haphazardly slapped on without any sense of balance.
And yet, Count Bonedor nodded deeply, as if truly moved.
"This harmony of jagged lines... It's as if it dares to challenge the limits of civilization. The bold composition seems to intentionally shatter sculptural beauty, thereby emphasizing its essence."
"..."
Stroking his chin, Count Bonedor continued to gaze at the Dragon Cannon.
"Those crooked eyes… They symbolize passionate turmoil. It's as if it seeks to abandon conventional aesthetic norms and instead expresses a screaming ego."
They were, quite plainly, just glass shards messily glued together.
Yulian silently listened. Art was indeed difficult to understand.
Count Bonedor kept boasting about his refined artistic sense. Just as he was rambling on without pause—
Thunk!
A noise rang out from the body of the Dragon Cannon. Count Bonedor flinched and asked in surprise,
"What was that sound? Is it broken?"
"It's probably just... irritation— No, I mean, I'll check it out."
"Ahem, I see. Yes, yes. A weapon like that must have delicate inner workings. Go ahead and inspect it. In the meantime, I shall go spread the news."
Finally, Count Bonedor stopped talking and left. The people who had been listening around them also slowly dispersed, looking exhausted.
In any case, thanks to Yulian's smile and the weapon's power, the demonstration had concluded successfully.
And, unexpectedly, thanks to the talkative Count Bonedor, the rumors began spreading even faster.
***
"It happened! It finally happened! War has been declared!"
A ragged-looking man burst into the cave, shouting. Inside, those who had been waiting erupted into cheers.
"Is it true? War has really broken out?"
"At last!"
"We're saved! Saved! Hahaha!"
These were bandits from another region—the very ones who had raided villages to pit the two territories against each other.
After celebrating for a moment, they quickly lowered their voices and spoke cautiously.
"Now that war has started, do you think they'll let us go?"
"Th-they have to, right? That was the deal!"
"But what if they kill us to keep us quiet?"
Fear crept into the bandits' eyes.
They had no way to escape. A strange energy had seeped into their bodies.
One day, a middle-aged man had appeared and infused them with some sort of power. From that moment on, any who resisted or tried to flee had their bodies explode and die.
Not knowing how it worked, they dared not even think of rebelling.
And so, they had faithfully carried out their given tasks. Now, all that remained was to wait for the middle-aged man to arrive.
They longed to report their success and be freed, yet they had no idea where he resided.
After an entire day spent trembling in anxiety, at last, footsteps echoed through the cave.
Step. Step. Step.
The moment they heard those slow, deliberate steps, the bandits immediately fell to their knees and bowed their heads.
They trembled in terror. That mysterious middle-aged man had completely subdued their spirits.
Step.
The footsteps halted. A heavy silence followed, then the man's voice rang out.
"Report."
The one in charge of relaying information from the territory spoke, his voice shaking.
"Th-the war has been declared. Count Bonedor made the first move, and Count Schwarz responded. Both sides are now mobilizing their armies."
"A success, then."
The middle-aged man smiled. In his hand, a black energy had begun to gather.
That ominous aura flickered, as if seeking to reject and annihilate all things in existence.
Ismogen.
As Ghislain had suspected, he was a high priest of the Salvation Church.
Before the Demon Realm could rise, Ismogen had been sent ahead to plunge the world into chaos, inflicting as much damage as possible.
And he had accomplished his mission here.
The two territories had never gotten along in the first place, so the war would escalate naturally, even without further intervention. Eventually, it would grow into a full-scale conflict between two kingdoms.
It was a satisfying outcome. Now it was time to leave. There were other places where he needed to sow disorder.
"Since the plan has succeeded, I shall grant you your freedom as promised."
Of course, that freedom meant death. Anyone who was not a believer of the Salvation Church had no right to live, and he could not allow those who had seen him to remain alive.
The bandits, oblivious to this, bowed their heads, relief washing over their faces.
Ismogen was about to release his black energy when he hesitated. War had been declared, but he had not yet confirmed whether the fighting had actually begun.
The armies were mobilizing, but if they remained in a prolonged standoff, further action might be necessary.
He could not move directly, so until he was certain the conflict was truly underway, it might be best to keep the bandits alive.
Ismogen always acted with caution. The Salvation Church's movements could not be exposed.
His meticulous approach, even minimizing contact with the bandits, was the reason his presence had remained undetected until now.
After a brief moment of deliberation, Ismogen looked at the bandit who had first reported and asked again.
"The two sides have not engaged in battle yet, correct?"
"Yes, that's right. The last report said they were gathering their forces and moving into position."
"Anything else unusual?"
"Well... there's a strange rumor."
"Speak."
"They say the Holy Empire has intervened in this war."
"......."
Ismogen's eyebrow twitched.
The Holy Empire was the Church's greatest enemy. Such an intervention was not something he could ignore.
"How did they intervene?"
"A secret unit from the Empire reportedly visited Count Bonedor. And... they gave him a new weapon."
"A secret unit from the Empire? A new... weapon?"
"Yes, it is said to be a weapon secretly developed by the Empire to fight the Demon Realm. They are testing its performance in this war."
".... Are you certain?"
"Many people have seen it. Even one of our informants inside the territory witnessed it firsthand. He said its power is immense."
"Explain in more detail."
"They... they say it's powerful enough to destroy a massive tower in a single strike. And, more importantly, even ordinary soldiers can operate it."
"A soldier?"
"Yes. Our informant confirmed that a soldier was the one who controlled the weapon when the tower was destroyed."
"........"
Ismogen withdrew his energy entirely. If everything he had just heard was true, then this was a serious matter.
A weapon so powerful that even a mere soldier could wield it, capable of toppling a tower in one shot—if hundreds of such weapons appeared on the battlefield?
The impact would be catastrophic. The entire balance of war could shift.
'It's possible.'
Humanity had been fighting the Salvation Church for a long time. It was not unreasonable to think they had developed new technology to win the war.
And the fact that it came from the Empire troubled him even more.
If someone were to secretly develop such a weapon, the Empire was indeed the most suitable candidate. Even for a high priest like himself, infiltrating the Holy Empire undetected was nearly impossible.
'I must confirm this.'
This was more important than anything else. Depending on the weapon's capabilities, the outcome of the war could change drastically.
He had to see it with his own eyes. Only then could he formulate a countermeasure.
Ismogen did not blindly trust rumors.
'It could be a trap.'
He considered the possibility that this was a deception by Count Bonedor to mislead Count Schwarz. However, the idea that this was a trap aimed at him never even crossed his mind.
Ismogen decided to take a small risk to verify the truth behind the rumors.
If such a devastating weapon truly existed, humanity's morale would skyrocket.
And the Salvation Church would find itself facing an even more difficult war.
"... You all will need to continue working a little longer."
"P-please, just give us your orders."
"Simply observe the progress of the war. Keep an eye on Bonedor's forces and report their movements. Also, confirm where the weapon is actually being used. Do not fail to track it."
"U-understood. We will verify everything carefully."
"I shall grant you some additional strength to help you move more efficiently. The territory's mages will not detect it, so do not worry."
Hsssshhh...
As Ismogen extended his hand, tendrils of black energy slithered toward the bandits.
"Open your mouths. This sacred energy shall transform you into holy warriors."
The bandits hesitantly parted their lips, and the writhing darkness crawled into their throats.
It was a disgustingly vile sensation, but they endured it, too afraid to move and risk having their heads explode.
For a brief moment, their eyes turned completely black before returning to normal. However, none of them noticed the change.
Lowering his hand, Ismogen spoke.
"Go. Witness its true nature with your own eyes and report back to me."
The bandits quietly scattered, ready to shadow Bonedor's forces and monitor the situation.
Ismogen slowly followed behind them, emerging from the cave.