Chapter 404: The Unfavorable Battle and the Mouth’s Deception

「…Is this correct? Is Lord Saleino marching from Garoua Maria? 」

Largud Ann traced the report with her lips. The mercenary, Bruder, didn’t overlook the slight heavy breath leaked from her voice. Bruder waited a few seconds and looked closely at Ann before speaking.

The way Bruder sat on the chair was not much like the attitude of someone who gave a report.

「Their numbers easily exceed 2,000. It seems they’re using the soldiers protecting Garoua Maria. What will you do?」

Bruder muttered while holding the chewing tobacco, finally realizing that her gaze met with Ann’s eyes. Ann’s eyes were quiet, but it seemed that her emotions were shaking from within.

Was she upset? No, it was natural. What would one think about an ally that sent soldiers against an associate’s army during the death snow?

This incidence changed their relationship status. They could only be enemies now. That was the flow of normal thinking. But it wasn’t that simple when it came to Saleino.

Bruder felt as if she could understand Saleino’s motives.

Humans originally moved with reason. That was always the case. But if an enemy you hated from the bottom of your heart was born, the profit and loss connected with reason would no longer work. That hatred had the power to erode everything with meaning, such as normal thinking. Bruder knew it well.

It was troublesome turning such person into an enemy.

Saleino and his soldiers were now a threat. But his name was a bigger threat since he held great authority within the Heraldic Order. He was almost on part with the Saint.

In any case, Bruder couldn’t laugh at the situation because Saleino stabbed the Saint from the back and was now threatening Ann.

For Saleino, this was a march of justice. He saw the hero who led the soldiers dangerously as a great menace.

Of course Saleino obeyed the Saint’s directives. But the Saint who should judge was far beyond in the front line.

It was easy to understand. It was a fight for power. Saleino’s aged counterparts against the new factions led by Ann. The one who couldn’t see this much was the one with a stained heart.

Bruder explored Ann’s facial expression with her five senses and opened her lips. Bruder quietly asked if they could win. The number of enemy soldiers was more than twice as theirs. It would be their loss even if they resisted.

Bruder needed better odds to make a bet.

Ann leaned her petite body on her chair and said with a smile on her cheeks.

「There’s no way I can’t win. Lord Saleino is a masterpiece with a big history, albeit with bones and skin retired from the front stage.」

Ann said, naturally turning her thin fingers around. Without knowing Ann’s thoughts, Bruder pressed the chewing tobacco against her teeth. She thought the sound of her heart was one step faster than usual.

「I’m just a guide, with no charisma like Saint Matia or the power to pave the way like Lord Hero. I cannot win on the battlefield. 」

Bruder unintentionally hardened her expression. So why did Ann imitate a fight to her opponent? It was natural that even the warm opponent would be angry at it.

Bruder heard from Lugis very good things about Ann. She was a person full of wisdom.

Well, this was not a situation where she deserved such praise.

From Bruder’s viewpoint, Lugis’ evaluation wasn’t wrong. Ann’s abilities were proof that her governance in the city of Philos didn’t break down.

Honestly, administration and governance were unknown areas for Bruder, but she could say that Ann did an excellent job managing the post-occupied city.

But Bruder didn’t know much about Ann’s intentions. Why was she creating a fight that she sold at a low price? Bruder didn’t think Ann wouldn’t expect the other person to retaliate.

「I had expected it, but it’s still surprising. I didn’t expect that he would be able to gather the soldiers so quickly. Saleino’s centripetal force is still large.」

「…Please stop it. I don’t like the way it sounds! How could you initiate something out of your grasp? 」

They were now exposed to a big threat. Bruder said while having such thoughts. Her long brown hair shook in the air.

Ann saw Bruder’s nervous reaction and looked directly at her gaze. Ann was still smiling.

「Yes. Me too, Lord Bruder. So, let’s not focus on the physical battle…Because I shall win by any means…」

—

The sand country, the southern state of Elizard. All those who lived there trained their bones and bodies with their own resources.

They were all excellent fighters. Even their skin and muscles were like iron.

The sand country was now one of the leading countries in wealth and troops, but it was originally a thin and poor land. In the past, it had been ridiculed as a country with only sand.

Because of such barren land, its citizens respected power. The madly trained forces had turned their country into a power like the Gharast Kingdom.

Telsarat Rwana, a high-level fighter of Elizard, gritted her teeth in a prepared, comfy room.

There was no doubt that she was greeted as an important messenger. After all, the room she was given was a fairly large room in the city of Philos.

Telsarat had already spent a certain amount of time in this room. But she couldn’t move.

It was good that she came into contact with these people, but she couldn’t stand being the main character of this place.

She was not dissatisfied with the treatment, but there were many things that she didn’t like. She couldn’t help but wait in such a packed place.

She had a bitter face that showed her impatience when facing the table. It was there.

At the end of her gaze was a sugar confectionery prepared as a luxury item. Sugar was not so cheap, and Telsarat could see that she was being specially treated.

She shook her dark-toned cheeks and grabbed the sugar confectionery while wandering with her fingertips. Telsarat put one of the sugar confectioneries in her mouth.

The sugar crushed and melted in her mouth. The modest sweetness gradually licked her tongue.

“…It’s so sweet that my tears come out. Delicious. It’s very delicious.”

Telsarat found that her throat was trembling with joy. Her homeland Elizard had little sweetness.

The food culture was not sparse, and many of the Elizard meals used meat and fat, and many of them even used spices.

But this type of confectioneries tended to be neglected in Elizard. That’s why Telsarat looked at sugar confectionery with awe. This could be the first time that she tasted something so sweet.

“Why is it so sweet?” While sighing, Telsarat spoke as if she felt marvelous.

“I know it. This is surely a trap. There’s no way I’ll fall for this trap. But one more. I will not fall in their trap if I eat one more.”

The moment when her fingers were trying to grab the sugar confectionery.

*knock knock*

The sound of hitting the door was heard twice.

With her stretched fingers, Telsarat kept the container with sugar confectionery as it was. Then, she heard the voice of the person who knocked on the door.

Of course, this person belonged to the Heraldic forces. Telsarat couldn’t afford to expose her relaxed appearance in front of that person.

After clearing her throat, Telsarat allowed that person to enter the room. She still felt the sweetness of the sugar confectionery in her throat.

「Excuse me, Lady Telsarat. I wanted to ask you something. 」

A voice that echoed well. The voice of a woman who claimed to be the proxy ruler in this city stroked Telsarat’s ears.

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Have a nice sunday!

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