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"So that's how it is. Now I finally understand what needs to be done."
"Are you truly going to be alright?"
Gregory asked Radian once more. It was just that fraught with danger that could rebound onto him.
Contrary to Gregory's concerns, Radian accepted it as if it were only natural.
"Weren't you the one who suggested it? I can never allow my family to lose their lives in vain."
"Then, we shall proceed as discussed."
Radian spoke quietly, closing his eyes.
"Let's try it that way."
After that, Radian and Gregory spent a long ti discussing quietly, searching for a way to eradicate the Stria group and protect Radian's entire family.
The chosen plan was simple.
Radian would beco the scapegoat. If he announced a four-month period before war would comnce, Stria group's attention would no doubt shift there.
If Radian, who had until now only done as the Stria group commanded, suddenly changed his behavior, it would disrupt their plan, and Stria group would be unsettled when things didn't proceed as they wished.
Radian would be driven to death by the Stria group.
Taking advantage of the mont when the betrayed Stria group would be suspicious and focus on Radian, his family would be smuggled into Ar.
Normally, many would criticize Radian's family for entering Ar, but the situation had already reached a boiling point. What good would such gossip do when war was a certainty?
Until a new, suitable candidate for the commander-in-chief of the coming war appeared, the date for the war wouldn't be easily changed. Even if it changed, they could use that ti to better prepare.
There was, however, one foreseeable problem. The Blandi Kingdom wouldn't simply stand by and let its people starve during that period.
But what had been Blandi's cause for going to war with Ar in the first place? To obtain fertile lands.
Ar's harvest this year had increased threefold compared to last year, thanks to technological advancents and favorable climate conditions.
With such a surplus of food—enough that Ar couldn't even store it all—they could provide full support to Blandi.
If that happened, Ar's food prices would stabilize to so extent and provide an opportunity to ease the worries of Blandi's officials.
Of course, this would require close cooperation between Ar's king and his officials, but that was no longer Gregory's concern. Just postponing the war was a monuntal achievent. Even Hemingway and the king would surely be thankful for this blessing.
If that could be achieved, everything would be resolved. Even if Stria group was eradicated after the war with Blandi, it wouldn't be too late.
In the end, isn't this the very revenge Radian sought? The desire to give hell to those who had threatened him and his family.
Stria group could be hunted down one by one after the war.
Gregory felt a pang at the thought of Radian dying, since he idolized him, but considering the reasons that brought him here, there was no helping it. This was the best choice.
'Mmm, perfect. It's certainly as good as it gets.'
Radian added,
"Thank you... To think there would be soone who understood this well is both astonishing and a bit overwhelming..."
Gregory deliberately feigned malice against Stria group.
"No... I will make sure to wipe those bastards out, whatever it takes."
"Alright, I trust you. Take good care of my family..."
Thus the discussion concluded, and Gregory returned to the Dawn Knight Order by carriage. Radian's last appearance was like that of livestock being led to the slaughterhouse. Perhaps because of that heavyheartedness, he didn't even see Gregory off.
Gregory understood. In a way, it was like Radian had gathered the courage to be hated by his own family.
***
A short while later, Gregory swiftly returned to the Dawn Knight Order. It had been a while since he'd returned to their base, and everyone welcod him.
Walter, having heard the news, rushed over to ask about his wellbeing. He must have been quite anxious.
"So, the result? Did it work? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"We've managed to avoid war for four months."
"Four months. That's both short and long. You've done well."
Gregory didn't respond to Walter's praise. Instead, he glanced around; unlike the bright exchange between himself and Walter, their companions were collapsed, crawling along the ground in utter exhaustion. With vacant expressions, they all repeated the sa words.
"Save ..."
Walter furtively glanced at his fallen comrades as though not wanting to get caught, and Gregory asked him,
"By the way, why are they all like that?"
"Well, I only put them through a bit of training, that's all."
Gregory alternated his gaze between Walter and the others, starting to compare them.
"But uncle, why have you put on so much weight?"
Surely, he hadn't been this burly before—his body seed about 1.3 tis its previous size for so reason.
Just look at that gleaming skin and chubby belly. Who would ever guess this man had just gone through harsh training?
Walter offered an awkward excuse.
"Heln's been cooking really well lately..."
Gregory didn't refute that claim. After all, Heln's cooking was undeniably fantastic.
He gestured toward the other team mbers once more.
"So are they starving? They look like half the body size they used to be."
Walter, embarrassed, began to break out in a cold sweat.
"I fed them just as much as usual... Maybe I was too hard on them?"
Gregory gave a subtle, wry smile.
"Well, it's still better than being dragged onto a battlefield and dying after suffering horribly. I'll stay out of it."
"Right, all I did was my best."
"Then, if you'll excuse ."
Gregory stepped away from Walter and took a walk around the base, calmly checking on the state of his comrades.
Under Walter's command, they seed to have worked hard, but one could never be sure without seeing it directly. At that mont, Alessandro approached Gregory.
He gazed at him with admiring eyes.
"You did it again, huh? I'll definitely beco a cool swordsman like you."
"So what do you have to do for that?"
"Huh? What do you an?"
Gregory couldn't just ignore his comrades' desperate longing to beco stronger. Happy to see his fellow mbers after such a long ti, he took a deep breath and strode toward the training grounds.
"Let's go train."
Gregory looked at Alessandro with a fond expression, then grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and began to drag him along.
Alessandro wailed and struggled.
"P-please, have rcy! I was just training until a minute ago!"
"From today, it's special training. Follow ."
The others ignored Alessandro as he was dragged away. Gregory cast a look over at the rest who were just watching.
"What are you all doing? Aren't you coming?"
Brea retorted coldly at Gregory's words.
"I-I can get stronger without all that."
"Really?"
"......"
It was a pointed prod. She couldn't imdiately respond, having been struck by the truth of his words. The only reason was the lack of ti before war.
Brea decided to set her pride aside for now. She'd realized she hadn't improved much while Gregory was away on his expedition.
Whenever he corrected her posture, her technique felt noticeably more natural.
Letting ti slip by with no improvent until her skills were exposed for all to see in the war was not an option; it was better to train. She hoped this hellish training would make her stronger.
Gregory asked again,
"Do you really think you can get stronger without doing this?"
Normally, Brea would have hesitated and never answered, caught up in her worries, but shyly she replied,
"If I must, I will."
Everyone reacted with surprise.
"Right. And what about you all?"
Gregory addressed the other mbers about training as well. Everyone hesitated, knowing how hard it would be, but the one who answered most confidently was Elisabeth.
Was it because suffering together brought them closer in thought? Or was it just the clear desire to grow stronger?
Inspired by her strong and steadfast determination, the other mbers began to join in one by one.
"I was planning to train anyway, so this is perfect."
"M- too. There won't be another chance like this."
To check how much progress they'd made, Gregory led everyone to the training grounds.
"Alright. Shall we get started?"
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Hmm, so Radian would die?
【「(°ヘ°)?】
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