A backstab from an "ally"

After hearing why Ryan had come, Kadrian did not waste time watching the Recording Stone's footage. As the Kurland Empire's supreme military commander in all but name, he understood the importance of time.

He took the Recording Stone from Ryan and immediately used his mental power as a demigod mage to force its contents directly into his mind.

Moments later, Kadrian abruptly opened his eyes. His usual languid gaze was gone, replaced by shock and ruthlessness.

As far as he could recall, the army the Deep Sea Empire had deployed this time surpassed all its previous forces in both quality and numbers. Even so, Kadrian was confident he could keep such an army outside Twilight Fortress.

But that confidence rested on Twilight Fortress being a major military stronghold of the Kurland Kingdom, one of humanity's four great powers. Thirty percent of the nation's elite troops were stationed there, including specialized summoner units used for surprise attacks.

When he saw the enemy interrupt the Sea Folk's Summoning Ritual through some unknown means, Kadrian felt as though a cold, venomous snake were crawling up his back.

Even more frightening was the fact that such a vast and powerful army had existed right under his nose without him knowing anything about it.

Kadrian immediately decided to join forces with the Deep Sea Empire and completely eliminate this "destabilizing" factor threatening the Kurland Kingdom.

He promptly mobilized twenty percent of Twilight Fortress's troops-a total of five hundred thousand soldiers-and sent them toward the Monster Forest in the Northern Borderlands.

Though their numbers were modest, they included specialized summoner units. Whether conducting decapitation strikes or reconnaissance, summoner units were humanity's deadliest weapon.

Neither the Deep Sea Empire nor the Orcs or Elves had many summoners. They had very few, in fact, whether because they lacked systematic educational institutions or because heaven had deprived them of the talent.

In short, summoner units were an unstoppable trump card in humanity's wars against other powers. Kadrian, for example, had once fought the Naga Queen when she led three million Deep Sea Empire troops against Twilight Fortress.

Kadrian had used just one move: he summoned a demigod (silver one-star) creature and over a dozen legendary creatures at the Naga Queen's location, then personally cut through countless Deep Sea Empire soldiers to launch a decapitation strike against her.

That encounter had laid the groundwork for Kadrian's "business dealings" with the Deep Sea Empire. Ironically, despite the grand invasion by three million Deep Sea Empire troops, Twilight Fortress had achieved zero casualties.

And though summoners currently reigned supreme across the continent, that did not mean professions such as mages and knights had been abandoned. Quite the opposite: every nation's military vigorously promoted the use of Magic Devices while training large numbers of mages and knights.

As a man who had successfully graduated from both the Mage Class and the Knight Class at the Xipu Federation Academy of Magic, Kadrian knew very well that the things those mages cooked up were lethal to ordinary soldiers on the battlefield.

That was also why no power wanted to offend the Xipu Federation. Nobody knew what terrifying invention those bookworms shut away in their Mage Towers might develop next, and the Xipu Federation had more than half the continent's mages.

Thus, Kadrian was confident that even against the Deep Sea Empire's nearly ten million troops, these five hundred thousand soldiers could retreat without trouble even if they could not win.

Yet after he dispatched the troops, his ominous premonition only grew stronger. Kadrian narrowed his eyes, considering whether he had overlooked anything. The answer was clearly no.

"Then is it just a premonition?"

Kadrian murmured to himself.

He wrote something in the air with his finger, and the words transformed into a black bird. Kadrian said,

"Go to the usual place in the Royal Capital."

The bird nodded knowingly, then flew toward the Royal Capital.

Seated at the head of the room, Cheng Yu let out a long breath.

"Phew~"

The system popped up just then and said,

"Are you free now?" ( ^_^ )

Cheng Yu paused, but answered honestly.

(What is it? Go ahead.) ( ¬､¬)

"Hehe." ╰(*°▽°*)╯

"Congratulations, host, on earning the achievement:

Flabby Fishbane (silver one-star)."

Cheng Yu chuckled. So that was what this was about. Then he asked,

(What? I thought I wasn't getting an achievement.) ╭(⊙o⊙)╮

Rather than answering directly, the system asked him a question.

"What do you think the requirements for earning an achievement are?" (￢‸￢)

Cheng Yu was too lazy to guess and simply asked outright.

(What are they?) (¬д¬.)

"An achievement is an achievement. Something you've never done before, or something you do for the first time. Achieving results makes it an achievement. Of course, all of this depends on the big shot's mood. This system just felt you could earn this achievement, so I awarded it to you." (￣︶￣)↗

Cheng Yu nodded. A whole load of nonsense. He already knew the literal definition. The final sentence was the important part: everything depended on the big shot's mood.

It seemed the big shot was in a good mood. Of course, so was he. He had just watched a blockbuster, after all, and even he thought the Space-Based Weapon's appearance at the end had been insanely cool. 乁( ˙ ω˙乁)

Then Cheng Yu opened the system panel.

"Congratulations, host, on earning the achievement:

Flabby Fishbane (silver one-star).

Achievement description: You successfully made these slackers experience the long-forgotten taste of defeat. Two successive setbacks have taught them not to underestimate you again. Finally, your name has become impossible for the Flabby Fish King to forget. Congratulations, congratulations!"

Cheng Yu said directly,

(Convert it into currency.)

Accompanied by the clinking of coins, Cheng Yu opened his system panel.

"Host: Cheng Yu (black iron three-star).

Ability: Heart-Bewitching Spell (black iron three-star).

Equipped title: 'The Kid Watched by the Big Shot' (epic).

Title: 'The Kid Watched by the Big Shot' (epic). Ability effects: ... (click to expand).

Equipment: None.

Achievements: None.

Currency: 900,000.

Items held: Carbon-Based Virus (black iron two-star), Big Shot's Aura (epic) ×5, Source of Augmentation (silver one-star).

Evaluation: You barely qualify as a scrub now. Though you relied on outside help, black iron is still black iron (laughs). Keep working hard."

Cheng Yu froze.

(Silver one-star gives two hundred thousand currency?)

"Yep. Silver one-star gives at least two hundred thousand. The main reason your achievement reached this rank was that you drove off the Merfolk King. Of course, if you'd wiped out this Deep Sea Empire army single-handedly, the achievement could probably have reached silver two-star."

(Fight alone? Why would I fight alone when I can gang up on them?) (¬д¬.)

"Tch. Coward." (¬д¬.)

(Hehe.) ( ¬､¬)

Having finished bickering with the system, Cheng Yu looked toward the army that was about to enter the Monster Forest. He needed a reason now-a more reasonable justification.

So Cheng Yu ordered a 0-5 to descend and spoke in a clear, carrying voice.

"Is that the Kurland Kingdom's army approaching? Our two sides are allies. By entering an ally's territory without permission, should I take it that you intend to unilaterally tear up our agreement?"

Kadrian had been monitoring the army's movements all along. Now that the other party had appeared to question them, did that mean the fighting on the Northern Borderlands Plain was over? Had the Merfolk King lost?

Yes, that was Constantine's voice. Instead of focusing on the front lines, he had come to question them. There were only two possibilities: either the Merfolk King and his Deep Sea Empire army had already been defeated, or the battle on the Northern Borderlands Plain no longer required his attention.

Neither possibility was good news for the Kurland Kingdom. Their alliance had already fallen apart, and the other side would inevitably march south. Still, he could buy Twilight Fortress some more time.

With that thought, Kadrian used Light and Shadow Projection to project himself to the outskirts of the Monster Forest. His illusory figure appeared above the Kurland Kingdom's army.

Kadrian laughed.

"Hahaha, this is a misunderstanding, Your Highness Constantine. I heard that the Deep Sea Empire had launched a massive invasion of your territory. In consideration of our alliance, after much deliberation, I decided to send troops to help you drive the Deep Sea Empire's army back.

"Oh dear! I forgot to introduce myself. I am Kadrian Black Forest, the man in charge of the Kurland Kingdom's Twilight Fortress."

Cheng Yu also chuckled.

"So it's Your Highness Kadrian. But why did your army not take the shorter route through the Wailing Hills? Why instead take the complicated, unpredictable route through the Monster Forest, where my headquarters is located?"

Kadrian chuckled as well.

"To be frank, I did not believe you could withstand the Deep Sea Empire's assault. By my calculations, they should have been attacking your headquarters by now. For your safety, and for the safety of Twilight Fortress, I therefore chose to enter the Monster Forest and drive back the Deep Sea Empire."

Cheng Yu shook his head. That explanation was watertight. The man was telling him plainly: I thought you might not be able to hold them off, so for my own safety, I wanted to keep the enemy outside my gates.

And since this is your headquarters, I figured the enemy's main force would be here. So I came here-and checked whether you, my ally, were already dead while I was at it.

Cheng Yu smiled.

"There is no need to worry, Your Highness. I have already driven back the Deep Sea Empire, and I doubt they will return anytime soon. You have my thanks for your kind intentions."

Kadrian exclaimed in admiration,

"The strength of your forces has surprised me, Your Highness. It seems my concerns were unnecessary. In that case, I shall withdraw my troops at once. Allow me to congratulate you on repelling a formidable enemy. All troops, heed my command! Return to Twilight Fortress!"

Seeing that the prince had issued his order, the general leading the army promptly replied,

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Then he shouted,

"All troops, heed my command! Withdraw!"

Watching the Kurland Kingdom's army retreat, Cheng Yu muttered to himself,

"He knows when to bend and when to stand firm, when to advance and when to retreat. He's nowhere near as straightforward as he looks."

His excuse had evaporated this time, but he had still caught one thing-one point he could reasonably use: they had brought troops into his territory without his permission.

Whether his justification held water did not really matter, though. He was a man who intended to make an enemy of the world, after all.

But if he could take them on one at a time, why bite off more than he could chew?

Just as Cheng Yu was thinking this, he heard the big shot beside him say,

"You have already set foot on the path of making an enemy of the world. So what will you do next?"

Cheng Yu turned stiffly toward Yog and gave an awkward smile.

"Big shot, what did you say?"