Preparations

Cheng Yu stared at Yog in disbelief. He had already set foot on the path of becoming the world's enemy? How had that happened? Why didn't I know about it?

Yog chuckled.

"Consider that a little spoiler in advance. In any case, get ready. The climax of this world's script is coming up next. As for now... won't you have some tea?"

Miss Puppet produced a teapot and cup from somewhere, poured Cheng Yu some tea, and set it on the mechanical console in front of him.

The black dog eyed this weak human suspiciously. Who was this person, to warrant a deity's attention-and such "intimacy" at that?

It looks like this human is the key, Grete thought privately.

Cheng Yu, meanwhile, looked miserable. He had just been telling himself so earnestly to take things one at a time. How had he ended up on the path of becoming the world's enemy?

Still, he dutifully thanked Miss Puppet, picked up the cup, and took a small sip. As for the preparations the big shot had mentioned? What was he supposed to prepare? He wasn't the one directing things anyway. But this was exhausting. ε(┬┬﹏┬┬)3

The royal palace of the Kurland Kingdom.

Red felt a little dizzy as he read the message the bird before him had transformed into. His elder brother was once again requesting the transfer of a considerable number of Magic Devices to Twilight Fortress, along with the royal family's own Summoner troops.

In the letter, his brother repeatedly mentioned the fighting in the Northern Borderlands and the crisis Twilight Fortress would soon face. The army of ten million elite Sea Folk led by the Deep Sea Empire's Merfolk King had been routed on the Northern Borderlands Plain. The enemy's next objective would inevitably be to march south, and if they did, Twilight Fortress was an obstacle they could not bypass.

Although his brother had also said that the neighboring countries would not act rashly, troop numbers throughout the kingdom were already stretched thin. Further transfers might spark unrest at home. His brother could not have overlooked that, yet he still insisted. There was only one possibility: the situation at Twilight Fortress might be far worse than Red imagined.

After much deliberation, Red decided to trust his ever-reliable elder brother.

Not long after Red issued his orders, a figure barged straight into the palace. It was a burly, middle-aged man whose features bore some resemblance to Red's. Upon entering, he shouted,

"Father! Father! Why did you issue such an order? Was it another request from Uncle? Who is the king of this country, you or him?!"

Red sighed at the man before him. This was his eldest son, once the crown prince of the Kurland Kingdom. Once, of course.

The reason he was no longer crown prince was simple enough. That question alone made it clear.

"This country can do without anyone, but it cannot do without your uncle." He had once said those words in all seriousness to this son, whom he had thought so highly of.

But his son's attitude had disappointed him deeply. He had not considered what those words meant, nor why his father would say them.

And so he was no longer crown prince. Red had also asked his brother whom he should choose for the position. His brother said he had yet to see anyone qualified among Red's sons, but his youngest daughter, the Fourteenth Princess, was another matter.

His brother said the child might be able to lead the country to greater heights. But Red did not want to name his daughter as heir, so he had said no more.

His brother had not pursued the matter either. He had merely said that he hoped the Black Forest Family would produce another Kadrian or Red.

The man before him pulled Red out of his thoughts-or rather, his voice did.

"Father! Why aren't you saying anything? Do you know how much pressure the entire country is under right now? The local nobles we worked so hard to suppress might seize this chance to strike back! Father!"

Red let out a heavy sigh, then looked at his eldest son with a slight chill in his eyes.

"Are you questioning my decision, Kri?"

Hearing the change in his father's tone, Kri finally realized how far he had overstepped. He immediately dropped to one knee and placed a hand over his chest.

"I was out of line. Please forgive my insolence, Father."

When his father said nothing more, Kri ventured,

"Father, I don't understand. Why would someone as wise as you make this decision? You know perfectly well how much time and effort we spent suppressing the local nobles. Transferring troops away from the provinces now is truly unwise, Father!"

Red sighed softly and shook his head.

"How could I not know the consequences? But you must remember, my child. Your uncle, my elder brother, Kadrian Blackforest, is the pillar holding up our Black Forest Family. Until another Kadrian appears, everything the Black Forest Family does must revolve around him."

At this point, Red gave Kri a meaningful look.

"You must understand that your status as a prince and mine as a king are both built upon your uncle's strength. As far as the kingdom's nobles and common people are concerned, they don't care who rules them. They only care about themselves."

Ignoring Kri's outward show of attentiveness, Red continued,

"The Karen Empire was founded on the ideal of creating a single, unified human empire. Without the demonic backing of the Jebel Theocracy or the Xipu Federation's thousand years of accumulated magical knowledge, what do you think allowed our Kurland United Kingdom to withstand the Karen Empire's attacks, led by the Golden Family of Summoners?"

Seeing that Kri seemed somewhat curious, Red lowered his voice.

"Back then, the Black Forest Family allied with the many Summoner families unwilling to be ruled by the Golden Family, and held off their attacks through sheer numbers.

"But within a mere hundred years, under the Golden Family's threats and inducements, many families in the Kurland Kingdom had become estranged from us. Just as the Kurland Kingdom was about to collapse, your uncle returned bearing the title of the continent's strongest.

"Under the suppression of overwhelming force, both the Golden Family's covetous designs and the unrest among the kingdom's nobles vanished."

Having finished, Red looked deeply into Kri's eyes and said softly,

"Now do you understand why I support your uncle so completely?"

Kri could not understand. That was hardly surprising. Having been told as a child that he possessed no talent whatsoever, he looked down on anyone who solved problems through force.

Especially after he grew older and used his intelligence to deal with those so-called "powerhouses," that prejudice had only deepened. It had grown so severe that it blinded even his otherwise exceptional intellect. He had always believed that even his uncle, hailed as the "Unfallen" prince, would fall before sufficiently formidable schemes.

When his father fell silent, Kri had no desire to say more either. After taking his leave of Red, he decided to solve this problem his own way, without disobeying his father's orders.

He would prove to his father that only he could lead the Kurland Kingdom, and only he could make the Black Forest Family great again.

The Main Fortress of Twilight Fortress.

Kadrian sighed softly as he surveyed the equipment and troops that had arrived at Twilight Fortress. Apart from the Royal Summoners and some equipment he had specifically requested, most of the equipment consisted of old, retired pieces, and most of the troops were recruits who had not received enough training.

Still, all of this was within his expectations. There was some time left, enough to train these recruits into proper soldiers. As for the equipment, it was merely backup.

Ever since he had taken command of Twilight Fortress, he had worked constantly to turn it into a truly Unfallen Fortress. Whether its enemies came from the north, the south, or attacked from both directions, Twilight Fortress would remain a nail driven into Twilight Gorge, impossible to pull out.

Sitting in his chair, Kadrian considered the situation. This must be my eldest nephew's doing. He fulfilled Red's orders while also meeting my requirements.

What a pity. If his prejudices weren't so severe, he might become an even better king than Red, Kadrian thought.

After all, ever since Kri became involved in the kingdom's politics, the central figure behind the suppression of the local nobles had gradually shifted from Red to Kri.

And he had done an even better job than Red. But compared to Help Gold of the Karen Empire, everyone else of that generation in the Black Forest Family seemed dull and lackluster.

No! All the young people on the continent pale in comparison. Though perhaps things are different among those Papal Candidates in the Jebel Theocracy.

Is the Black Forest Family really going to decline like this? Kadrian's usually genial expression could not help growing somewhat grave.

Inside Steel Main City.

"...That concludes our assessment of this war. Please make your decision, Commander."

After listening to the Conductor's report, Cheng Yu spoke thoughtfully.

"So you're saying we should head south immediately, without making any preparations?"

"Yes, Commander. Our conclusion is that setting out south as soon as possible is the optimal solution. The organic faction known as the Deep Sea Empire is highly likely to attack again. To avoid fighting on two fronts, we must occupy the only route available for the legion's southward advance as quickly as possible."

Cheng Yu frowned and looked at the Conductor.

"You're saying that bunch of salted fish will come back?"

"Yes, Commander. According to the latest information-courtesy of the system, 乁( ˙ ω˙乁)-the organic faction known as the Deep Sea Empire has no shortage of numbers. Past examples also indicate that the organic faction known as the Deep Sea Empire places considerable importance on what they call their reputation, and their decision-making structure is complex. Taking all available information into account, the probability of another attack is as high as 93%."

Cheng Yu asked another question.

"But in the last battle, we already demonstrated the Shuttle Fighters' terrifying capacity for mass destruction. They'll still come back after that?"

"Yes, Commander. As you said, having witnessed our weapons of mass destruction, they will not invade with a large army. However, the probability of them dispatching a small elite force to conduct a decapitation strike or sabotage operation against us is extremely high."

Cheng Yu muttered to himself,

"If those salted fish really don't know what's good for them, they can't blame me for bringing out my ultimate weapon."

At that moment, the commander continued,

"Therefore, for your safety, Commander, please relocate the Main City."

Cheng Yu also thought the Conductor had a point. By now, it seemed that anything breathing knew his base was in Monster Forest. Still, he intended to ask the Conductor's opinion.

"Then where do you think we should move it?"

The Conductor placed a hand over his chest.

"Space."

"What!?" (￣口￣)!!