234. The Die Is Cast - Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

Yerien was born as a princess in Grandiomor but grew up as an ordinary citizen of the Military State. At a time when the Military State was fervently capturing remnants and local lords continued sporadic resistance, the princess was too young to become their centeral figure. The young Guardian Knight and the tenacious Nanny wandered the kingdom seeking aid, but audaciously, the provincial knights were only interested in utilizing the royal blood. Shockingly, there were even attempts to form a political marriage with the princess, who was still an infant. Unlike the central region, the provincial lords reigned over their territories as kings themselves, which meant they weren’t blindly loyal. The Guardian Knight, trembling with anger, fled with the princess. Without the help and dedication of several loyal knights who had not forgotten their chivalry, the young Guardian Knight alone would have been unable to protect the princess. The princess and the Guardian Knight, forced into a wandering life, disguised themselves as siblings to avoid irreverence and returned to the lands governed by the Military State. At the time, the Military State was an unorganized collection of soldiers who inadvertently succeeded in a revolution, with negligible administrative power. Amidst the chaos, the Guardian Knight and the princess lived pretending to be ordinary citizens. Some came to know their true identities, but most were individuals who wouldn't reveal it even at the cost of their lives. In this precarious peace, the princess grew up healthily. The princess matured under the aegis of the Military State, surrounded by an older brother who seemed ready to give up his very heart for his younger sister, and an old mother who sometimes teared up, encircled by suspiciously kind adults. Showered with love and attention, she grew up with nothing lacking. Yet at some point, the princess realized. This kind world surrounding her had not been given without a price. At first, she wandered, conflicted in her harsh destiny. Knowing she must risk her life fighting for a land that had already fallen made her want to run away. Even if she fled... the Guardian Knight would respect her. Some vassals might also acquiesce. But there was only one reason they were lenient with her: because she was a princess. Even if she fled, the burden of being a princess would continue. The princess accepted her duty out of obligation, donning the thorny crown given at birth and sacrificing herself on the altar to ignite the remnants into more fervent flames. It was then. Acting as a representative of the resistance, while investigating the peculiar incidents in Hamelin, the resistance received an unusual visit. Boys and girls of her age. Children matching her age, broken in some way, ablaze with hatred. The offered sacrifice rose, holding the hand of an abandoned friend, and walked on her own. Though there was a fleeting disturbance, the princess possessed a strong enough mindset to tightly conceal her inner thoughts. She adjusted her expression and posture, looking at the Regressor. "Now that the formal greetings are over, should we have a conversation...?" Inside, her mind was endlessly rattled, but it was indeed princely in a way. Despite her awkward mindset, her displayed demeanor was upright. However, our Regressor... Well, the determination is indeed praiseworthy... "I have nothing much to say. I'll just relay the message quickly. Listen well." The displayed attitude... Sigh. What can I say... "We have not contacted you to rely on or seek an escape route." "Then what is it?" "We're going to strike the Command. Frankly, there's not much you can do to help." The Regressor bluntly and swiftly stated the purpose, so directly that a question mark filled the princess's face, but she continued speaking as if such explanations were beneath her. "We have ample strength. We have the Progenitor, myself, the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Even the King of Beasts follows us for now." Why am I included? "We're going to hit swiftly and retreat quickly, but it'll be troubling if the weak ones make a fuss and hinder us. Ideally, we'd like only the elite." "Hold on, my lord. We're moving a bit fast." ｢What are they saying? An assault? As strong as they may be, are they suggesting taking on the Military State Command...?｣ I understand. Even we found it unbelievable when the Regressor proposed the idea of attacking the Command. It was baffling. However, upon reading the thoughts, I discovered, surprisingly, that the Regressor had a plan. "You must know from tracking our actions. We faced no interference on our way to Amitengard. They kept avoiding direct confrontation." "Yes, our spies informed us of that fact." ｢Active engagement avoidance. Essentially fleeing. We're quite familiar with it....｣ "However, as we departed from Amitengard, the loose encirclement gradually tightened, and the numbers grew as the southern corps gathered to pursue us. We engaged in sporadic battles as they gathered in the east." "Impressive. I heard the Six Star Generals were assembled, but to face the entire southern corps..." The princess naturally praised the Regressor, but it didn't reach her due to the Regressor’s inherently rebellious nature. "Initially, I thought it was due to the Pied Piper of Hamelin... but that's actually strange. For an opponent that avoided engagement to avoid losses, to suddenly confront just because the Piper is involved? It's illogical." Raising an army requires resources. In particular, the Military State requires it. Their ammunition, the alchemical steel of their weapons, even their food supplies—all of these consume considerable resources. Unless the Regressor or the Progenitor caused irreparable destruction, But as they'd merely poked at a few bases. The Military State had little reason to expend resources. Yet they did. To capture a mere handful, an inefficiently large force was deployed. The princess, with a serious expression, asked. "If by your words... did the army moved not to attack you?" "That's how I see it." "Oh, then why?” ｢If the Military State didn't mobilize their forces to capture them... then why did they move the southern Corps?｣ To successfully hunt, one must possess extensive knowledge of the prey. Once a citizen of the Military State and now a hunter, the princess understood the Military State more deeply than any other remnants of the kingdom. ｢No, I need to view this differently. The Military State isn't ruled by a king. There is a command, but it's never been said that they move the army on personal whims. Rather than speculating on intent and explaining actions, we must deduce intent from actions｣ Now, the simplest answer is often correct. What reason do they have for loading the southern army onto the meta-conveyor belt? Naturally, it's mobility. The meta-conveyor belt is a mode of transport. Then a new question arises. To where? The princess's mind raced, clicking through all the possibilities. In an instant, all the pieces fit together, and with a sudden epiphany, the princess exclaimed. "...It's a war towards the north! The Fallen Dominion!" The Regressor nodded in agreement. "Exactly. They didn't organize the army to chase us. They pretended to chase us to organize the army." "My goodness...!" "Though they probably did want to restrain or exile us. The existence of the Progenitor, Tyrkanzyaka, gives the Duchy an excuse to intrude. If they leave the King of Beasts alone, the King of Wolves will eventually arrive." Strategic objectives are seldom singular, and undoubtedly, this isn't the end of it. Realizing the grave situation, the princess sprang up, momentarily discarding protocol. "Wait a moment. Our base is near the northern border! When war breaks out, we'll be the first ones to be ‘eliminated!’. We need to warn them immediately...! Ah!" In her haste, the princess nearly tripped over a chair leg. The Guardian Knight attempted to catch her, but the Regressor was much quicker. As someone accustomed to celestial perspectives, the Regressor had no psychological hesitation, especially since they were both women. Having familiarized themselves with the princess in past iterations also helped. The Regressor caught the princess smoothly and naturally, as though pre-coordinated. Briefly stunned, the princess leaned against the Regressor, then quickly leapt back. While her face, owing to her rosy hair, wasn't visibly blushing, But it had indeed turned a shade redder. "Oh, thank you, my lord...! I was so startled, I made a fool of myself!" "Be careful." The Regressor, merely acting on instinct, hadn't thought much of it. Possibly rattled by contact with a stranger, the princess grasped a handful of her hair to cover her mouth, muttering. "Sir Landemeyer, inform everyone. Tell them to prepare for evacuation immediately." "Understood." The Guardian Knight pulled out a pristine white stone tablet hidden in his clothes. Lachion's Grand White Wall. One of the miracles of the Holy Chapel, a part of the white walls encompassing the sanctuary. Even a broken piece remains connected. The inner walls of a temple constructed from parts of that wall mirror anything drawn on the tablet. Thus, the temple served as a bulletin board relaying divine messages, as well as royal commands. It was a factor in the Holy Chapel's ability to spread closely aligned with political power. ...The Military State, which had developed signallers, had no need for it. As the Guardian Knight was about to unveil the Grand Wall fragment, the princess urgently stopped him. "Sir Landemeyer! Not here!" ｢This is a space where the Progenitor resides! We can't reveal the Grand Wall!｣ Recalling why the Grand Wall fragment was so securely wrapped, the Guardian Knight excused himself briefly, stepping outside the container. Though Tyrkanzyaka, realizing its identity, became slightly displeased, she wasn't petty enough to become angry at not revealing it right there. The princess had maintained at least a semblance of courtesy. "Phew. I'm slightly displeased. Come to my side to appease me a bit." 'Or not? She's using her discomfort as a reason to turn me into a tool.' Relieved deeply, the princess now looked at the Regressor with admiration. "Amazing... To be of such young age, possessing might rivaling the Sunderspear and insight like this... If you led the rebellion, the kingdom wouldn't have needed someone like the Sunderspear to crumble." Though a genuine compliment, considering she was the last princess, it was a delicate one to digest. However, the Regressor felt awkward for a different reason. ｢Insight, you say... I came back from the future; knowing this much is obvious. No, I should have realized it a bit earlier.｣ The Abyss collapses. The curse lifts, allowing the abyss to return to the land. Countries vie for the now fertile land. War breaks out. The one-week conflict ending in just seven days, the Seven-Day War. The Regressor had known this early on. It had happened in the previous iteration. Whether the Military State intended to remove the Abyss with this in mind, she didn't know, but the war itself was a foreseen event. Yet amidst the intense pursuits, she momentarily forgot. Thinking the Military State was genuinely pursuing them, she responded with all seriousness. ｢Come to think of it, the Sunderspear and the Mage Marshal were holding back until the Gunmaster was captured. The only one with a reason to truly fight us was the Gunmaster. In truth, the Gunmaster was targeting that Hugh from the start... It seems the Command didn’t divulge the true plan even to the Six Generals. Tch, what in the world is the Command’s real identity?｣ No matter, having fled up along the southern route, the southern corps gathered on the meta-conveyor belt, congregating in the Far East. If they now moved north... deployment would be completed instantly. The war will spark, beginning with the Military State's invasion of the Abyssal plains. ｢Anyway, stop it while we can. There's no reason not to. Even If we escape to the other countries, it'll merely serve as an excuse for the war.｣ War isn't what the Regressor wants. Specifically, chaos erupting in the world due to war before stopping the King of Sins is better avoided. Hence, the Command must be attacked. "My... lord?" Perhaps unintentionally, the Regressor was absorbed in deep thought, sporting a rather complex and sober expression, as if contemplating a much broader scope or distant future. 'How this might have appeared in the eyes of the princess—oh, imagining it sends shivers down my spine. I'd rather not.' ｢...Isn't this person just too perfect? Not only are they exceptionally skilled and perceptive, but they can also read political situations and have good looks that would put women to shame! How could someone like this be born!?｣ Regrettably, I caught those thoughts. Oh, how I wish I could turn off this mind-reading ability. Can't someone just knock me out? The Regressor responded to the princess’s unspoken admiration. "Uh... well, it’s nothing. I've dealt with the Military State and gathered a lot of information in the process. I can't help but know more." "Too much humility can be its own downfall." "It’s not really humility...." It was a statement of fact, but it didn’t register with the princess. She continued to gaze at the Regressor with admiration. To think that the Regressor would ever receive such reverence. The end must be near. Or perhaps time travel is truly this deceitful. As I nodded, I noticed Shiati flashing me a grin filled with exhilaration. The story thus far had sparked a great inspiration for her. Shiati suddenly turned and kneeled before the princess. Her knee loudly struck the container floor with a thud. "Your Highness. Give the order." "Shiati? You never act like this, why do you suddenly feel the compel to kneel...?" The princess looked at her perplexedly, only for Shiati to bow her head even further and plead. "Please give an order for an All-out attack. Now is the only chance." "What? Shiati, what is this about?" Shiati continued with a quick and concise explanation. "If the Military State is preparing for war, they’ll first secure the domestic situation. Staying in the north, where the army is gathering, is a death trap. We must evacuate. However, if we leisurely attempt to leave now with the forces already in the Far East, including civilians, we’ll only be pursued and defeated one by one. It would lead to near-catastrophic losses." The princess, smart enough to infer a war from only a few clues, could now visualize what Shiati was proposing more clearly with each word. "To prevent this, we must attack the Command and throw them into disarray. Making sure they have no resources to look elsewhere is their only chance of survival. Your Highness, you must decide." The princess fell silent. This was Shiati’s proposition. A revenge-seeker’s plan, ready to sacrifice herself to scorch the Military State with fire. It was laden with personal motives. The problem was, it was the correct course of action. Faced with an unanticipated full-scale war, the princess bit her lip and, with a glimmer of hope, turned to the Regressor. "Could it be, my lord... Did you plan this from the start?" "Huh? I was just thinking of borrowing a few of your scouts." Even the Regressor, taken by surprise, shook her head, but the die had already been cast.