For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

Why do ominous premonitions never miss?

“…You’ve refused the request for support from Crascius?”

“Yes. The damage from the Grotesque Proliferation was significant, and they’re currently busy dealing with the forces of the Lofty Dominion.”

“What in the world…?”

I was surprised by the clash with the Grotesque Proliferation, but I didn’t expect much damage. After all, we prepared using even the name of the Levantin Empire.

In fact, didn’t the Grotesque Proliferation try to mess with us, only to turn towards Alfheim when they realized the cost was too high?

And what about the forces of the Lofty Dominion?

Certainly, they were formidable. They bestow such powerful divine authority on their followers that they claim to embody the sin of pride.

But perhaps to live up to their name, they didn’t accept just anyone as a follower. Unlike other Evil Gods who only saw how desperate one was, they were quite selective.

Noble lineage, profound knowledge, genius talent, etc.

Anything worked. You need at least one thing that could overwhelm others to be baptized.

Thus, on average, followers of the Lofty Dominion were considered several levels above other cultists.

However, their numbers were only half as many. It was like a case of the elite few.

In any case, it shouldn’t be on the level where Cracsius would struggle in a large-scale battle like this.

Milone nodded in admiration at my explanation.

“I didn’t know you were even aware of the entry conditions. Count Lindelheit’s speculation was probably correct. According to the information we gathered, the forces of the Lofty Dominion are indeed confronting Cracsius, but it’s merely a containment effort. They’re likely just holding the line until another cult can fill the void left by the Grotesque Proliferation.”

“Hmm…”

“…This time, we’ve prepared thoroughly to avoid falling to the power of the Boiling Silence. By having one person in each pair carry the relic of the Circulating Life, even if the power tries to interfere with the mind, the discrepancy in timing with their partner will alert them, so it should be fine.”

“Oh, I wasn’t doubting the reliability of the information. If you knew what was coming, you wouldn’t make the same mistake again. I trust you on that.”

“That’s a compliment mixed with curiosity. We’ve only met a few days ago.”

Milone, with dark circles under her eyes, stared at me. I shrugged in response.

“If you didn’t have that level of ability, you wouldn’t have managed all of Alfheim’s affairs alone for over a hundred years. The country would have fallen, or you would’ve been ousted from your position as chancellor, or forced to work with others’ help, wouldn’t you?”

“…I don’t do it out of a desire to handle everything alone. There just aren’t enough people to delegate to… but that’s not the point now. We need to secure forces capable of winning a short battle without Cracsius’s support.”

“Is there no way to make Cracsius send support? I could offer financial incentives if needed.”

“I would like that too, but it would take too long, and they probably won’t budge for just anything.”

Milone continued with a bitter expression.

“At first, even the warriors who were so confident couldn’t fight properly. If we hadn’t received prior support, half of Crasius would have been devoured by now. Knowing this, it’s understandable to be afraid. As a leader of a nation, I can sympathize, though the frustration is greater.”

“Just for that reason… well, thinking about it, it makes sense.”

Originally, cultists would gradually reveal their presence over years, then all at once when the Evil God would break the seal.

That was how it was in H&A’s future.

But now, by blocking their plans here and there, they’d hastily raised their forces, unable to delay further.

Since there wasn’t enough time to feel the full threat of the cultists, their overreaction and self-centered attitude were understandable.

Well… beastmen were inherently a belligerent race, so they’d soon engage actively in combat.

The issue was that wasn’t the case right now.

“This time, whether it’s an official protest or a show of force, we need to send a warning one way or another.”

“If you or Count Lindelheit are still alive by then.”

“It’s too early to cry foul. We should do what we can. I must visit the Circulating Life once more.”

“Nari—ahem—I will contact Her Majesty. Only the High Elves connected to the World Tree can speak directly to the Circulating Life.”

“Meanwhile, I’ll show my face at the Spear Knights. I came all the way from the Levantin Empire; it wouldn’t do for me to just sit idly after calling for support.”

“Then I’ll contact you through the crystal ball I gave you once preparations are complete.”

The conversation proceeded smoothly.

I took the crystal ball out of my inventory to ensure I could receive the message immediately, hung it around my waist, and left the office with my companions.

---

With the help of Secretary Eda, I briefly greeted the commander of the Spear Knights at their lodgings.

The commander was quite pleasant, better than I expected. He had a good personality, was friendly towards us after hearing something before the expedition, and was full of fighting spirit.

It was truly commendable how he wasn’t letting his guard down despite being an Aura Expert and preparing thoroughly against the power of the Grotesque Proliferation.

Ah, this is what a knight should be. When facing a bizarre enemy, you prepare and fight, not hide and watch the developments.

While grumbling about Cracsius in my mind during our conversation, I received a call from Milone just as we were wrapping things up.

Upon arriving at the upper part of the World Tree, Milone and Nariell were already there waiting, and this time, we headed to the sanctuary of the Circulating Life together.

After discussing various matters, we decided to seek support from the Church of Righteous Radiance instead of Cracsius.

Though it would take longer due to the distance… still, if the enemies were the forces of Evil Gods, weren’t they the elite of the elite, unsurpassed by any?

We also discussed ways to conserve as much spiritual energy as possible, or how to defend Yggdrasil through the World Tree, among other things.

After days of discussions leveraging time distortion, we devised countermeasures for the current situation before leaving the sanctuary.

Now, we’d done everything we could. The only thing left was to rest as much as possible to maintain our strength before the forces of the Grotesque Proliferation arrived. For that reason, I decided to sleep soundly without any worries for the first time in a while.

My body was healed with potions and holy magic, but perhaps because of accumulated mental fatigue, I slept through an entire day. But, considering how refreshed I felt, it might have been worth it.

“Yaaaawn.”

“Oh? Did you wake up?”

“Ah… yeah…”

At Elisha’s voice, I groggily sat up to see Iris and Helena sprawled around.

Helena, even in sleep, maintained a proper posture with her hands neatly folded, while Iris not only kicked off the blanket but was also sleeping in a bizarre position with her back slightly bent.

She’s not a child, so what is this…?

I straightened Iris’s waist and the clothes tangled around her, then covered her with the blanket again.

“Hehe. Do you know, dear? Even if you do that, she will return to her original state within 10 minutes.”

“No way. It would take at least an hour.”

“Uh, uh…”

No sooner had I finished speaking than Iris’s mumbling could be heard. Looking back in disbelief, I saw her frowning as if frustrated, limbs flailing.

Good heavens. She really does kick off the blanket and revert to a yoga pose in less than 10 minutes, huh?

Dumbfounded, I watched as Elisha, with a giggle, closed the book she was reading with a snap.

“See? What did I tell you? I left her alone after trying and failing.”

“She didn’t do this before…”

“It’s a habit that only comes out when she’s really tired. Maybe she wasn’t this exhausted when she was with you.”

“I see.”

With the thought that I could push Iris a bit harder from now on, I got up from my seat.

“Where are the others?”

“Carla and Professor Iona are in the training room, and Miss Faye is in the workshop, making consumables for us.”

“And what were you doing, Elisha?”

“Just watching you.”

“Hmm. I am quite handsome, after all. You can’t get tired of looking at me.”

“This time, you might really die, so I need to look my fill to not feel cheated if I become a widow.”

“…”

Her voice was calm, but the content was not to be taken lightly.

“How many days have I been asleep?”

“Only two days have passed, so don’t worry.”

It wasn’t on the brink of collapse, as I feared. Although I felt I slept a day longer.

“So, what happened while I was asleep?”

“…A lot.”

With a heavy sigh, Elisha handed me what I thought was a book, but it turned out to be a bundle of documents bound together.

Let’s see. What could have happened to make Elisha react like this?

Rustle.

The moment I read the first page, I understood her behavior.

It was because this thick stack of documents was all damage reports from Alfheim.

“…”

What in the world happened while I was asleep?