Faith is heavier than life...!

Marks had a pained look on his face and his eyes were downcast. Patrick would have had a similar look on his face.

“So, you're saying you're going to withdraw after all?"

"Yes,... unfortunately."

Patrick told him with a look of resignation.

Patrick decided to withdraw his forces from Ciel-Terra.

“The supply and reinforcements were destroyed. And yesterday's attack ... is beginning to cause concern, not only among the farmers but also among the knights who are close to me. Supplies are also in severe shortage. Frankly speaking, there is no longer any alternative but to 'go home while there is still enough to go home'."

An army without supplies would starve without being able to fight.

And the lack of supplies was adding to the already low morale of the troops.

A demoralized army won't listen to orders and will run away on its own, making it really helpless. If they were forced to attack the capital, they might be defeated before they could even beat a single zombie.

"Rest assured, Marquis Edfert. The Kingdom of Noacurio will be replaced by the Holy Kingdom of Diletta, which will protect the Marquis and the Crown Prince. Yes, a great army, illuminated by the divine majesty! An overwhelming army! And that will be the end of the "Rose Princess of Hellrage"!"

His voice, which sounded like he was proud of his ability to read the room, echoed in the parlor of the castle.

--Why is he here in the first place?

He had relentlessly coiffed blonde hair and an overdone blouse with shoulder decorations that were said to be Diletta's latest fashion.

A little thin for a Fighter. He was rumored to be a "nobleman if he keeps his mouth shut", and his face was above average.

Erminio Drolet. He was the son of a senior minister of the Holy Kingdom of Diletta, and was currently employed as Marks' bodyguard.

For some reason, he was present at this meeting to discuss future strategies.

The most likely scenario was that "Erminio was selfish enough to ask Marks to be present, and Marks couldn't refuse." ... or "There was no particular reason to refuse". In a way, there was a pretext of being his escort.

However, Erminio himself was in the process of destroying that pretense. Maybe he intended to act as an agent of the Holy Kingdom of Diletta? If so, it was unforgivable for him to step into the negotiations between Noacurio and Ciel-Terra, and Marks who allowed him to do so.

Marks, on the other hand, had a distressed expression on his face and was looking at Erminio with a gaze that said, 'Please, don't talk any more'. He was in a good position to link up with Diletta, so he could not let Erminio's mood be spoiled at this point.

--Erminio, this guy is just a fool, but if things continue as they are, the Holy Kingdom of Diletta will take the good parts...

If Diletta's army came and protected Ciel-Terra after Noacurio retreated, the people's gratitude would of course turn to Diletta. They might even take the entire Glacelum rights with them. That needed to be avoided.

Of course, Noacurio was planning to dispatch a replacement army as soon as it was ready, and Patrick was not going to retreat without a plan.

"If someone other than Noacurio's army were to protect Ciel-Terra, it would be a dangerous situation for the time being. So we will leave behind the Holy Beasts and a small force to support them."

“Holy Beasts? But that didn't work at all against the "Rose Princess of Hellrage"..."

Marks's brow wrinkled deeply.

The incarnate holy beasts of the Noacurio army had engaged the "Princess Rose of Hellrage" three times so far, and each time they had been reaped like dust.

But Patrick had thought this through.

“They are just a small army. It was assumed that they would not work against the "Rose Princess of Hellrage" herself. However, the materials needed for them can be procured relatively easily, and they can be produced in large numbers. From now on, we are thinking of attaching these holy beasts to knights and adventurers who are superior in their individual abilities. We are going to change the way we operate."

"Will that work?"

"The recent attack on the Mobile Central Unit and yesterday's battle... The "Rose Princess of Hellrage" is avoiding those who are above a certain level of ability, and is focusing on farmers and non-combatants. If she could defeat them, she would have done so by starting with the knights. She probably thinks that even if she can beat them, she will have a tough time. The "Rose Princess of Hellrage" herself cannot be weak in terms of combat power, given the fact that she defeated Lawrence Reinhardt, but I estimate that she is not so far removed as to be unbeatable, and strong beyond another dimension."

"...I see."

Those who continued to train their bodies often enhanced their physical abilities to the point of physical incapacity. They could crack open a large rock with their bare hands and withstand a Daagon's breath with no clothes on, thanks to the effects of their bio-magic.

Lawrence Reinhardt was definitely a warrior in that realm. If one wanted to kill him, a mountain of undead soldiers would not be enough. Someone of comparable strength would have to fight him themselves. In other words, the reasoning that the "Rose Princess of Hellrage" was strong enough to kill Lawrence was valid.

However, Patrick's opinion was that she was only "that strong".

If she were strong enough to kill all the knights in an instant, she would not have used strategic moves or avoided the battles.

Furthermore, if she had strength from another dimension, she wouldn't have needed to lead an army to take the royal capital. She didn't have to go through all that trouble, she could have just rushed in on her own.

"You know how to use the Holy Beasts. A limited number of fierce fighters can be used to hit the "Rose Princess of Hellrage" in a more effective way. In addition, a limited number of holy beasts can be used as decisive weapons. This one is an unknown, but probably effective. I will leave Morgana here, so please use the Holy Beasts as needed."

"I am grateful for that. I, and the people of Ciel-Terra, will never forget the efforts of the Kingdom of Noacurio."

Marks and Patrick shook hands.

For Marks, there was no need to weigh the pros and cons of Noacurio and Diletta. If he could have the support of both, that would be better.

But seeing this, Erminio sniffed.

"Hmph. You run away with your tail between your legs, but you have the brains to sell favors. That's why Noacurio knights have no class."

Patrick was on the verge of putting his hand on his sword.

--Would you say that about this guy who engaged you once and let you get away with it?

Erminio was not opposed to Noacurio as a Dilettan, he was simply arrogant and said what he thought.

"By the way, you, what was your name... If you say you want to protect Ciel-TeRra here, then give me the Holy Beast as well. I could put it to better use than anyone else."

Erminio commanded Patrick in a familiar and superior manner.

It was a miracle he could hold his tongue.

Patrick responded with silence, but Marks interrupted to intervene.

“Of course, I will have a Holy Beast to guard myself and the Crown Prince's guards, all of you "Decisive Drolette"."

"Of course."

Marks had a tight smile on his face. Erminio nodded his head in a nonchalant manner, seemingly unaware of Marks' state of mind as he walked the tightrope.

It wouldn't be disloyal to Noacurio, Patrick thought, if he at least worried about Marks' condition.

＊ ＊ ＊

Patrick walked along the corridors of the castle, feeling doubly tired.

But he couldn't keep dragging the idiot Erminio around forever. He decided to retreat, but then he had to do everything in his power to make the retreat a success. To return alive to his homeland, Patrick had to go the extra mile.

"Are you running away?"

The voice sounded like a stabbing needle.

Patrick stopped. An old woman in an ominous red, brown, and white robe was watching Patrick.

"...Technical Advisor."

“I don't mind if you lend me to Marquis Edfeldt to cooperate with him. It would be a shame to see the humans' country dwindle. We have to protect the crown prince. But why are you leaving again? Even with your current strength, you might be able to win if you attack the capital, don't you think?"

Morgana said in her usual gentle tone of voice, but with a tone of determination not to retreat, admonishing him.

Patrick proceeded to talk about his army's retreat, making sure that Morgana did not hear.

If Morgana, who only thought about fighting in the name of God, heard about the withdrawal, it would be obvious from looking at the fire that she would not be able to come to a consensus.

It was his intention to inform her of his decision after everything was decided and in motion, but it seemed that somehow, she had overheard the meeting that had just taken place.

According to Morgana, the closer she was to the holy beasts the more they adjoined, the more they could connect through a mental link and share their senses and thoughts. She may have been listening through the ears of a holy beast.

Patrick defended himself, knowing he had gotten himself into trouble.

"Yeah, maybe so! But it's a one-way ticket. If we fail to capture it, we will be killed in starvation. Even if we succeed, we will suffer a great deal of damage if we hit them with our current strength. Knowing this, the entire army is demoralized and wants to go home. We cannot afford such a catastrophic battle! It would be better to be buried alive in the fields and fertilize the land."

If they suffered human losses in battle, they would be haunted for decades.

Not to mention the knights and the farmer-soldiers who would become the people who would cultivate the land and pay taxes once they returned to their country.

Wars should not be fought by exhausting troops to the point of finally winning.

But still, Morgana was not satisfied.

"What, we can win after all. Then let's fight."

"Technical Advisor. I understand your strong faith. But there are other things to do than to be a martyr to your faith. They are the children who have been entrusted by God with the land in Noacurio. When they return home, they will cultivate the land, nurture their children, and in the future, become a force to fight against the armies of darkness. We cannot afford to lose them. There are times when we must retreat for the sake of greater victory. It is not too far from what you seek."

Patrick explained in a way that was in line with Morgana's thinking.

In the temple, it was taught that 'man is entrusted with the land created by God in order to accumulate the strength to fight against the Evil God'. The farmers' cultivation of the land was also a battle against the Evil God.

It was important for the five great powers, the key players in the world of the human race, to maintain their power. The logic that it would do no good to diminish national strength by plunging troops into a battle that would be difficult to win ought to hold true according to faith.

That was what Patrick thought.

"Oh, I knew it. Boy, you don't understand anything, do you? That's the selfish logic of humans..."

Morgana sighed deeply.

"Do you realize how dominant the human race is in the world today?　The demons are squeezed into a small area, less than half of Noacurio, while the human population is estimated to reach a billion or so. Even if you, your knights, and the farmers you brought with you die, it's only a ... little scratch. The hole will be easily filled. When there is no one left to cultivate the fertile soil, someone will come along and take over. And they will have children, and they will nurture the 'power for the future' and all that."

"Wha..."

Patrick was speechless.

Neither the royalty nor the peasantry ... Morgana didn't think of people as people... She looked at the world from a bird's eye view, like moving pawns on a board, or like playing games.

There was no selfishness, no mercy, and only one thing to seek...

Victory in the name of God...

"But you know that the "Rose Princess of Hellrage" is an exceptional opponent, don't you? Ahh, a world-threatening calamity. If there was a chance that we could defeat it, we should do so. No matter how many sacrifices we make here, it is not worth the enormous damage that could occur in the future. The "Rose Princess of Hellrage" may eventually gain more power. Or she might escape somewhere else. That's not good enough. But she's here now, isn't she?"

Morgana's eyes, too unwavering, seemed to Patrick to be like an inorganic golem.

Patrick gave up control of Morgana. Her values were too far removed from people. This was more than a fanatic; this was just a maniac.

He had been treating her politely because she was entrusted by the central military, even if only formally, and because she possessed useful technology. But that had reached its limit. There was no need for subordinates who would not do as they were ordered.

Morgana should have been thrown out. Since it was her desire to fight the undead, she would cooperate with Marks on her own if they left her in Ciel-Terra, and she would not refuse to cooperate if they left support staff with her.

If he couldn't talk to her, he would have to use her in that way.

No longer finding usefulness in his conversation with Morgana, Patrick began to walk away like Morgana was not there.

Did she see Patrick's attitude as a rejection?

"Apostate... Go ahead."

In the courtyard surrounded by the cloister, someone came down with a thud.

Men in priestly robes, their faces hidden by masks. They were incarnate holy beasts controlled by Morgana. They were made on the basis of human beings and usually disguised themselves as humans.

The crowd of masked priests rushed toward Patrick, instantly grabbing him and holding him up.

“You, what…!!”

More red stains appeared on Morgana's white robe.

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