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Chapter 609.2: So, How Should We Settle This? (2)

A day later, in the temporary barrack’s conference room, four women of different hair colors and personalities gathered around a table, staring intently at a report.

The largest coordinated military operation since the inception of the war against the deviants, the Battle of Scorched Earth, was a resounding success. They had accomplished far more than what they had set out to do.

On top of rescuing Roel Ascart, they had also saved Tark Stronghold’s elite soldiers, who had been devoured by Shrouding Fog, and dealt a crushing blow to the deviants.

With the full force of the united army on the frontlines tying down the deviants’ armies, Roel had an epic showdown with the Deviant Sovereign and decapitated the latter, thus putting an end to one of the greatest threats looming over humankind.

Humankind was no longer facing an immediate threat of extinction, but it was too optimistic to say that the worst was over yet.

In accordance with the prophecy of the Tripartite Alliance, the Savior and the Mother Goddess had started to wake from their hibernation, and the signs were only becoming clearer as time passed.

So far, humankind only had to deal with their believers wreaking havoc. Those cultists were a tricky bunch to deal with, but they weren’t so menacing as to threaten the survival of humankind as a whole. The appearance of the Egg of the Beast God was outside humankind’s expectations, and it was definitely an enemy to be wary about.

The same applied to the Six Calamities who appeared afterward too.

In a way, it was ironic how humankind was left feeling more chilled than ever in spite of the Battle of Scorched Earth being a huge success. The cataclysmic fight between those monsters opened the human soldiers’ eyes to just what kind of entities they were up against.

Of course, the women who had witnessed the Six Calamities together with Roel through the Witness State couldn’t be shaken that easily, but Roel’s condition tugged at their heartstrings. That was also the reason the tent’s atmosphere was so heavy.

“His external injuries have healed, but he isn’t waking up. This…” Charlotte murmured as she held the report from the united army’s clergymen with trembling hands.

None of the four women in the tent had a good complexion.

A day had passed since the united army’s retreat from the battlefield. By casting aside their heavier weapons, they were able to hasten their footsteps and reach the outer perimeter of Hawe Desert within a day.

However, there had been no improvement in Roel’s condition. He hadn’t woken up even once since falling unconscious the day before. While the four women maintained an impassive front regarding the matter, their hearts were actually filled with anxiety.

“Could it be a problem with his soul, as we previously guessed?”

“It might be due to exhaustion too. We had another battle with the deviants prior to your arrival, and Roel sustained severe injuries back then too…”

Wilhelmina paused at this point to look at the three livid-faced women. She placed her hand on her chest and contemplated, but she decided against telling them about how Roel had severed a part of his heart to save her. As a muscle-headed knight who knew nothing other than battle, she wasn’t sure why she had to withhold that piece of information either; it was more like a gut feeling that she had to do so.

Nevertheless, the others heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing the information she provided.

“Yes, it could be due to fatigue. Even if his body is fine, it might still take some time for him to recover from his mental fatigue.”

“Let’s keep him under observation for a few more days.”

Nora and Lilian pulled themselves together and forced themselves to think on the bright side, but Charlotte was unable to curb her worries.

“But what if the problem lies in Darling’s soul?”

“…Then we’d be helpless. Even the Country of Scholars has not made much progress in the research of souls.”

“All we can do now is to trust him.”

“…”

Lilian’s words caused the other three to fall silent, and the atmosphere in the tent turned heavy once more. A moment later, Nora shook her head and pulled herself together.

“Let’s put aside this matter for now. There’s something more troublesome we need to deal with.”

“Are you referring to the two Calamities? It won’t be easy to deal with them,” Wilhelmina said.

Worry seeped into the eyes of Lilian and the others.

The war had not ended yet, and the deviants’ carcasses lying around Hawe Desert served as a reminder of that. What struck greater fear into them, however, was the brilliant aurora that continued to glow in the sky. According to Stuart, Shrouding Fog was also lurking in the vicinity, even though they couldn’t clearly identify its whereabouts due to its intangible nature.

What does this mean? Is the Egg of the Beast God still alive? Or do those wretched calamities have other motives?

Such a doubt surfaced in Nora’s and the others’ minds, but there was no way of knowing the answer to that question. All they could do now was to organize their military formation and hope that the full might of their force was enough to deter those Calamities from making a move.

“While I don’t have the Crown Origin Attribute, I am an inheritor of the Kingmaker Bloodline too. If the Kingmaker Clan truly possesses the ability to curb the Six Calamities, I should be able to do it too,” Lilian said.

“The High Elves were the Six Calamities’ administrators in the ancient era. I should be able to do something about them too,” Charlotte added.

“From the looks of it, we should at least be able to put up a fight against them. Let’s follow our original plan and retreat as fast as possible while preserving our military prowess. As for Roel’s guard, we’ll do a daily rotation. That’s fine with you, right?” Nora concluded the matter.

“Mmhm.”

“Who should take the first day, then?” Wilhelmina asked.

“Well…”

Nora and Charlotte were tempted to volunteer themselves, but before they could make up their minds, Lilian suddenly stood up. She first lowered her head to examine herself before saying with a calm but firm voice, “Leave today’s guard duty to me.”

…

Lilian easily secured her position as Roel’s guard for the first day.

It was difficult for Nora and the others to estimate when Roel would regain consciousness, but it was unlikely for him to recover in a single day regardless of whether the cause behind his coma was his damaged soul or mental fatigue. That was the reason the two of them had hesitated.

As much as they wanted to be with Roel, they couldn’t do so due to the responsibilities they shouldered. If they had to prioritize, they would prefer to be with Roel when he was conscious.

As Lilian had predicted, they didn’t put up much of a fight for the first guard shift.

In truth, she shared the same thought as the others, just that she withheld a crucial piece of information to herself. She only chose to take up the first guard shift because she was confident that she could make Roel wake up.

Lilian spent the rest of the day clearing her work. She looked at the silver moon in the sky before dismissing her guards with a wave of her hand. She then made her way toward the carriage located at the innermost area of the temporary barracks.

Stationed around Roel’s carriage to ensure his safety was none other than the Ascart Fiefdom’s heretic army. They had grown stronger than ever after having spent a year on the battlefield, but their loyalty remained unchanged. They were the ones who had volunteered to protect Roel.

“Your Highness Lilian, is there anything you need of us?” Cynthia asked.

“Call out the guards inside. I wish to spend some private time with him,” Lilian replied.

“This…” Cynthia hesitated.

“I understand your worries, but you should know that I am his bloodline kin, right?”

“…I understand.”

Cynthia eventually chose to back down here.

Lilain waited for the guards to first evacuate the carriage before she stepped into the carriage and entered Roel’s bedroom.

Over the years, thanks to the Sorofyas’ generous technological support, Roel’s carriage had been expanded to resemble the Diamond Rivière. It was extremely comfortable, and there was minimal shaking when the carriage moved. That put Lilian’s mind at ease.

Looking at Roel lying quietly on the bed sent a rush of emotions through her. She first took a deep breath before placing her hand on his forehead. A faint light shone from her hand and enveloped Roel’s body.