Volume 4 Chapter 80 Concerning Enemy Forces
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”I’ve managed to gather the following intelligence regarding the enemy’s combat strength,” Rou said.
■ Shidarkan Army¹ Part 1 (Stationed in Malc² House territory, Phoenicia³)
Latest State-of-the-Art Magical Vessels⁴: 12
Conventional Large Ships: 400
Reconnaissance Skiffs: 15
Strategic-class Mages: 1,231 (Calculated via recent staff procurement records)
Total Manpower: Approximately 20,000 soldiers.
■ Shidarkan Army Part 2 (Stationed at Cyclops Island)
Conventional Large Ships: 200
Reconnaissance Skiffs: 15
Strategic-class Mages: 500
Total Manpower: Approximately 3,000 soldiers.
■ Former Umar Remnants (Cyclops Island)
Conventional Large Ships: 30
Small Reconnaissance Skiffs: 5
Strategic-class Mages: 528
Total Manpower: Approximately 600 soldiers.
”The Gensou Army⁵ and Mansoor Army⁶ show no signs of pushing toward the Underworld Island⁷ region. They remain locked in a standoff with the Crete Navy⁸. I’ve included their numbers here for reference.”
”Thanks.”
Kian watched as numerous documents were spread out across the temporary strategy table in the guild’s foyer. Since the table was set over sea charts of the waters near Minotaur Island—also known as Underworld Island—the scene felt like a real military briefing. Despite his age, Kian couldn’t help but feel a small spark of boyish excitement.
”Mind if I ask something, Lord Rou?” Talia asked.
”By all means, Ms. Talia,” Kian replied.
Talia crossed her arms just below the curve of her blouse, pacing back and forth near Kian. Her pale flaxen hair moved with her, carrying a scent that mixed sweet perfume with a faint, natural musk.
She hadn’t bathed since their slime soak yesterday morning, letting the strong scent of Lyritisse’s pheromones stay on her. Just thinking about the smell of her—warmed by a day in her blouse, miniskirt, and black tights—and the musk of her body made Kian feel a pull in his stomach. However, they were in a war council; he did his best to clear such thoughts from his mind.
”I’ve known about the Shidarkan forces on Cyclops Island for a while,” Talia noted, “but this is the first I’ve heard of the Phoenician main group joining the fight.”
With a sharp clack of her boot heels, Talia stopped and looked up at Rou. The sound snapped Kian back to reality; for a second, he’d felt as if she’d ground her heel right into his lap.
”Regarding Shidarkan Army Part 1… isn’t that almost the entire military strength of Malc House? If this info is right, wouldn’t that leave their defenses at the Kingdom of Castile⁹ strait and the Kingdom of Nile¹⁰ border totally open?”
”The information is certain,” Rou said. “I’ve checked reports from many merchant friends across different areas. Shidarkan signed a peace deal with the Kingdom of Castile on January 1st, then moved every ship from the strait to Phoenicia. They’re ready to strike Underworld Island at any moment.”
”What is Shidarkan thinking, taking a risk like that?” Kian asked, his face tightening.
He muttered, “Making a deal with Castile and leaving the Nile border—Gensou’s land—wide open just to come after us? Is he a fool?”
”It just shows how serious he is,” Rou suggested. “Perhaps his friend Gensou pushed him… or maybe he’s just filled with a need for revenge for his wife and daughters.”
”Risking everything over a wife and some kids? That’s past stupid,” Kian said.
”Oh? And what would you do if someone killed me, Kian?” Talia challenged.
”I’d hunt down whoever did it. No matter what. I’d use every tool I have and break them. I would never, ever forgive them,” Kian said quickly.
Having answered Talia, Kian tapped a finger against the phrase ‘Magical Vessels’ in the report.
”They’re listed away from the large ships. What exactly is a Magical Vessel?”
”They are warships built for high-level magic fights at sea,” Rou explained. “They use huge magic stones for power, and can reach speeds of sixty kilometers per hour in short bursts. Also, their decks are covered with Mithril¹¹, which stops enemy spells. This means they won’t easily fall to long-range attacks or group magic.”
Rou pointed toward a wooden bath bucket in the corner of the room, near the way to the baths.
The bucket, about a meter wide and full of water, had a model of a normal sailing ship and a smooth, silver-colored box-like boat.
”That silver box is a small model of a Magical Vessel. Ms. Aliona, if you would?”
”Got it. Kian, Ms. Talia—watch. I’m going to hit them both with lightning of the same power,” Aliona said.
She took out a staff made from a tree in the monastery’s back garden, spinning it with skill before pointing the tip at the bucket.
CRACK!
A loud bolt of white lightning hit the two models.
”Whoa!” Kian yelled, his eyes wide as he watched the strike.
The wooden ship model stood no chance; its masts burned instantly before the body broke apart, sending wood pieces across the water.
The silver box boat, however, looked perfectly fine.
”I’m turning up the power,” Aliona said.
Without waiting, she shot a second bolt at the Mithril model. This time, a heavy thud shook the room, vibrating the air.
The water in the bucket shot upward, the smell of burnt air mixing with the steam. When the mist cleared, the box boat lay at the bottom of the hot water, totally broken inside—except for the Mithril skin itself.
”My Lord, are you okay?!” Isthbaran’s voice came from outside.
”I’m fine! Everything’s okay!” Kian yelled back.
He turned to Aliona as she put away her staff. “Was that… like, a ninety-nine percent drop in damage?”
”Something like that. Do you know this effect, Ms. Talia?” Aliona asked.
”I do. I know a lot about Mithril golems, after all, desuwa,” Talia replied.
”Chairman, do you see the issue?” Rou asked, kneeling by the bubbling bucket.
”Yeah. Magic is mostly useless against the outside. But with a high enough hit, the inside parts that aren’t Mithril can’t take the shock, and the ship sinks anyway,” Kian said.
”Or everyone on board just gets cooked,” Aliona added, walking them back to the table.
”And they have twelve of these?” Kian asked.
”And likely a small group of Shidarkan’s own mages on board,” Rou added. “We’ll need to break the enemy’s shields before they even get close enough for the Mithril field to matter.”
”So the magic we use will be even harder to land… Can the Crete Navy even fight this?”
”Chairman, Azrael¹² is now the world’s top magic power,” Rou explained. “When they use their newest ships, very few nations can stop them.”
”Mithril is best against magic, but it’s not invincible against physical hits,” Talia said, taking her spot next to Kian.
”Meteor magic might fail, but if we get big rocks and throw them with catapults, or lead them into reefs to rip their hulls open, we can still sink them.”
”…”
Kian wondered why Malc hadn’t just taken over every neighbor with this gear. Then, he remembered a lesson from Sarah.
War is the least efficient choice.
The cost for newest golems and a standing army is huge. Just moving them into other lands is a big money drain. Yet here was Shidarkan, showing a level of fight not seen since the time of Nizaam…
Kian felt a bit of sympathy. It wasn’t just about the family; Shidarkan was being pushed into a corner.
Unlike the last member of the Twelve Divine Generals¹³, Flora, Shidarkan had no blood link to Nizaam. He wasn’t a Malc by birth. There were likely many lords who argued against his right to take over. To make them follow him, he needed a show of total, crushing power.
Taking Underworld Island—now that the ‘Sea of No Return’¹⁴ was gone—was that show. Kian didn’t know the man, but if he were in Shidarkan’s shoes, he’d do the same thing.
Also, Underworld Island was like a knife at the Kingdom of Crete’s back and was close to the Western Church¹⁵. Holding that island would let Azrael stop Crete and keep the Church from forming a group against them. Shidarkan’s fame would go up, letting him stand equal to Gensou or Mansoor. He was looking less like a sad husband and more like a man with big goals, just like Gensou.
”There is more bad news, I’m afraid,” Rou said.
”Go on, Rou.”
”The island we’re defending—Underworld Island—is about fifty kilometers long and over forty kilometers wide. It’s almost a perfect square. The territory you cleared, Chairman, is just a small part of the south.”
Rou pointed to the map.
”The south has hills and many cave entries. To the north, according to Leprobus, the land becomes a sharp mountain range of high rock.”
”I see… So Shidarkan’s main ships hit from the southwest, while the second army and the Umar group go around ‘Grass Island’ to hit the southeast?”
”Exactly, Kian,” Aliona noted. “And remember, my best range is about ten kilometers. For now, anyway.”
”The island is fifty by forty… the mountains run north-to-south… Wait.” Kian stopped.
Really, he’d thought Aliona made this easy. In his head, he’d seen the enemy ships all together, only for Aliona—the woman who’d killed a giant sea snake in one shot—to drop one ‘Megiddo Lightning’ bolt and end it.
”Even with your range, you can’t cover the whole coast?” Kian asked.
”I’m afraid not. It’s too much land,” Aliona said.
”The numbers just don’t help us,” Rou agreed.
”Well, obviously, desuwa,” Talia added.
Kian had briefly wondered if Aliona was truly the ‘strongest,’ but a ten-kilometer hit range was still scary. She was a goddess—a goddess of destruction.
”Plus,” Aliona added, “storms are common here. Thunder would mess with my senses and likely shorten my range more. I won’t know for sure until we’re there.”
”If they all attacked one beach, Ms. Aliona could sink them all in five shots,” Rou explained. “But…”
”But they’ll likely split up, hitting both sides at once,” Aliona finished. “The coast isn’t complex; they can land a ship almost anywhere. They’ll likely fill the island with warrior monks to hunt me while I’m busy.”
”If it were just the Cyclops Island group, I could have won through force by sitting on the eastern peaks,” Aliona sighed, resting her face on her hand.
”Which is why you need me at full power, Lady Aliona,” Talia said.
”You really have a sense for perfect timing, don’t you?” Aliona’s eyes got thin as she looked across the table.
Talia stayed calm.
”I have no secret goal. I just want Kian to live. The death warning over us makes that clear. Why are you so against a winning plan? If I’m sent out at half-strength because of your pride and Kian dies, can you live with that? How would you explain that to the Head Magician?”
”The risk is too high,” Aliona said back. “It’s like choosing between a flight over fire or a dance on ice.”
”I’d prefer you didn’t call my body ‘fire,’” Talia snapped.
”I’m not talking about you; I’m talking about the nightmare of a political mess that comes with it. If we make an enemy of the Western Church, we’re done.”
”Ms. Aliona, Talia—enough,” Kian said.
”This isn’t a fight; it’s a plan session,” Aliona said. “Now, Kian, please stay out of it for a bit?”
”She’s right. We aren’t fighting just to fight. Be quiet, Kian,” Talia added.
”I am technically the one paying you both…” Kian grumbled.
They were right back at the start.
Man, I miss Rufna.
He only saw how much he needed her now that she was gone. She was the peace-maker the group needed—the one who could watch everyone’s goals.
Kian looked to Rou for help.
”It’s a fact that adding a mage who is good at killing would be a big help,” Rou said.
”Rou? You too? You’ve got some nerve, hitting me in the back like that,” Aliona said.
”I’m not taking sides,” Rou said. “But from a tactical view, having another ‘immortal’ mage would let us lock down the south coast.”
Aliona huffed, hands on her hips, looking at the youth. Even though she was a goddess, she was truly scary when she was mad, and Kian kept his mouth shut.
”Lady Aliona, you take the west ships. I’ll take the Shidarkan-Umar group in the east. It’s much better than you running over a mountain range playing defense,” Talia argued.
”I’m not against more mages,” Aliona said. “The more power, the better. My worry is what happens after. Kian’s guild has to survive the peace, too.”
”Can we focus on surviving the war first?” Talia said. “Be honest, Lady Aliona—aren’t you just underestimating them? You think that because you’re the top mage and almost immortal, you can just win on your own?”
”Don’t change the topic. You’re acting like a social climber, using fear just to get a better spot. Is this for Kian, or are you just hungry for power? If even a bit of this is for your own ego, you should stop for his sake.”
”Kian is my first priority, desuwa,” Talia said back. “But why can’t we both win? It’s good for everyone. Don’t tell me you aren’t making your own deals with him, Lady Aliona.”
”…You little brat. I think you and I need to have a very long, very private talk,” Aliona growled.
”I’d be happy to, desuwa, Lady Aliona,” Talia said.
”That’s enough, both of you!” Kian yelled.
He stepped between the two women before they could start using magic on each other.
”Talia, everyone has secrets. I won’t let you spread rumors about Ms. Aliona.”
”…”
Talia went quiet, turning her face away.
”Ms. Aliona, I don’t want to die. I’m going through with the power-up. However, if this causes issues later, I will hold Talia responsible. I’ll never trust her again, and I’ll take away her rank,” Kian said.
”Look, this isn’t about rank…” Aliona started.
”Excuse me?!” Talia cut in. “I don’t even have a rank yet! If you stop using me as your witch, what then? Are you going to make me your floor girl?”
”I’ll send you to Izerland to help Sarah with the work there,” Kian said flatly.
”If you do that, Linca and I will send you cursed letters every day,” Talia threatened.
”Try it,” Kian said, his face cold.
Aliona made a sand-glass appear from air and looked at it.
”We need to move. I want to start looking before noon. If we’re lucky, we can find a way to kill the first group before they land.”
”Is that even possible?!” Kian asked.
”Maybe. I need to see the land first.”
”Lady Aliona? We haven’t settled on a plan,” Talia noted.
”We know the numbers; that’s enough. Ms. Talia, I’ll trust you for this fight. I’ll do what I can to keep the Western Church from seeing.”
Aliona signaled Rou to get her things before talking again.
”But don’t you dare die. That goes for both of you. I’m not trying to get rid of you, Talia. Just remember that.”
”Right back at you. You’re a main part of the ‘Empire’ we’re building, Lady Aliona, desuwa,” Talia said.
”After the war, we’re sitting down. We need to be on the same page.”
Aliona didn’t answer. She took her coat and ropes from Rou and got ready to go.
”Ms. Aliona, wait. One more thing,” Kian said.
”The Order of the Lightning Knights¹⁶ thinks Asterios¹⁷ is here. In case of a raid or a surprise hit from Gensou, we need to leave someone here who can fight mages.”
”Oh, I almost forgot!” Aliona said.
”Great, our numbers just got smaller,” Talia said.
”Will the Chairman stay? Or General Isthbaran?” Rou asked.
”Kian has a death-flag on him, Lord Rou. Leaving him alone is suicide,” Talia warned.
”Isthbaran will stay. Any problems, Ms. Aliona?”
”None. God, we’re short on people…”
”It’s a constant problem for the guild,” Rou noted. “Maybe we should recruit more from the Al-Ilah monks?”
”You really shouldn’t have left Sarah and Linca behind,” Talia added.
”I didn’t… look, it’s hard, okay?” Kian sighed.
It was too late. If he’d brought Sarah, Linca, and Natra, they wouldn’t be in this mess, but that wasn’t a choice anymore.
”I’m leaving,” Aliona said. “Kian, join us when Talia is ready. We’ll finish the plan there.”
”Right.”
Aliona gave Kian a quick kiss on the cheek and a warm smile before going out the door.
”I’m going to the bath,” Talia said.
”Wait, Talia—”
”If you look, I’ll kill you. That’s a promise, not a threat.”
”…”
She stuck her tongue out and went down the hall.
Kian turned to Rou, looking lost. This was the third time he’d been left waiting today.
”Rou… did I do that wrong?”
”In the end, I think you made the right choice,” Rou said, watching the door.
”I can’t lose you, Chairman. I don’t know if Talia’s warning is real, and we can’t wait to find out. But if we skipped it and you died? I’d never forgive myself.”
”That’s the point. If there’s a chance I’m dead, I have to take every help I can get. Doesn’t matter what the problems are later if there is no later.”
Rou nodded. “Exactly.” He paused, looking at Kian.
”The result will be what judges us.”
”That’s a sad way to look at it.”
”Maybe, but it’s true. If we don’t help Ms. Talia, we avoid the Church but you might die. If we do, we risk the Church but you might live. Only a god could say which is ‘better’ now.”
”Fair point.”
Rou looked toward the baths. “Besides, it’s hard to know what those witches think. They have their own plans. Trying to read a woman’s heart is like guessing the fall weather.”
”So it’s all luck?”
”Only after you’ve tried everything. But really, Chairman, you haven’t tried everything. Ideally, you’d be checking the Church, Crete, and everything else yourself instead of choosing between Aliona and Talia. You need to be the one with the total knowledge.”
”Ouch. My lack of experience shows, huh?” Kian sighed. Rou gave a small smile.
”Experience is something you get. I started with big dreams, only to fail because I didn’t know enough.”
”Bad luck helped too.”
”Maybe, but I wasn’t ready. My sister would have been better. But I’m talking too much.”
Rou turned back. “For now, your survival is the right move. But if Talia was lying just to get her way, she needs to be punished.”
”Aliona won’t settle for less.”
”None of us will. We can’t let ‘being liked’ let someone ignore rules. If we do, the guild breaks. If people start making groups and playing games behind your back, we won’t stop it.”
”Surely they wouldn’t… Sarah and Linca aren’t like that.”
”Don’t be so sure. Women like them are never simple. They play a different game.”
”…I see. I’ll keep that in mind,” Kian said.
”Just between us… do you think Linca could become a problem?”
”That’s a hard question, Chairman,” Rou said.
He seemed to look for Kian’s true thought, but finding none, he spoke his mind.
”If Linca ever becomes a threat to your leadership, she becomes a risk. If she ever acts against you on purpose, I’d use her and throw her away in a war, just like Lord Jibril would.”
”Because once someone turns on you, they’ll do it again.”
”Exactly. A man like you will always have mages wanting to serve. If they see you won’t wait to cut a risk, they’ll work harder to stay good.”
”Cold, but I like the honesty,” Kian said with a grim smile.
”Rou! What’s the wait? We’re going!” Aliona’s voice came from the door.
”I’ll go and start on the plan. Chairman—watch out for that mercenary, Rita.”
”I will.”
Rou gave a final bow and left.
”Rou!”
”Yes?”
”Getting all this must have been hard,” Kian said, pointing at the table. “How much did it cost to get staff records?”
”It wasn’t a problem. Anything for the Chairman.”
”I’m not letting it go. Send a cost report. I’ll make sure it’s paid and used in your next review.”
”Understood,” Rou said, looking happy.
As the door shut, Kian let out a long breath into the quiet room.
—
Summary:
Rou delivers an alarming intelligence report on the massive Shidarkan and Umar forces converging on Underworld Island. Kian and his team realize that Aliona’s magic, while powerful, cannot cover the island’s entire forty-kilometer coastline against a pincer attack. A heated dispute arises between Aliona and Talia over the risks of a power-up ritual, exposing deep internal tensions. Kian ultimately prioritizes immediate survival over long-term political consequences, as Rou warns him about the dangers of factionalism within the guild.
—
Character Insight:
Kian is beginning to feel the weight of leadership, forced to navigate the clashing egos and hidden agendas of his subordinates. The rivalry between Aliona and Talia highlights a divide between those who prioritize long-term stability and those who seek immediate utility. Rou emerges as a crucial, cold-blooded strategist who values the Chairman’s survival above all else, including the lives of other guild members. This chapter marks a shift from simple adventuring to high-stakes political and military maneuvering.
—
Behind the Scene:
The introduction of ‘Magical Vessels’ and Mithril plating adds a technical, resource-focused layer to the world’s magic system. The dialogue reveals that despite their supernatural powers, the characters are still bound by logistics, economics, and political perception. Shidarkan’s motivation is painted as a mix of personal tragedy and a desperate need for political legitimacy. The ‘Sea of No Return’ disappearing acts as the catalyst for this geopolitical scramble.
—
T/L:
Notes:
• Shidarkan – Gloomy, bearded son-in-law of the Malc family (Flora’s clan); once a modest Malc magician, ordinary next to Shajar’s elites. Attends the Cyclops Island war council after losing his wife, Flora, and sisters-in-law in the northern base’s destruction. First appears Vol. 4 Ch. 45. Reminder: bereaved Malc son-in-law—sober, doubtful, and dim but dutiful.
• Mag – The wolfwoman under Yelmar—the one who was caught by Kian’s group earlier.
• Mansoor – Crimson-eyed elder monk and Azrael’s Divine General from the Shakerdoust domain near Dacia. Wielding mist form, blood-drinking, rapid healing. He ties to allies like Ryoma and Hanami Tsai. First appearing in Vol. 4 Ch. 25. Quick tag: vampiric red-eyed grandpa-general who mist-forms and drinks blood, obsessed with rescuing his captured son unlike other human monks.
• Gensou – Eccentric young Eastern monk-general in Azrael’s army, playful yet ambitious. Wields sun-like magic, swordsmanship, and assassination tactics. Linked to three masked wives—Seishi, Oushoukun, and Yougyokukan (Head Magician). Ally of Mansoor and Oji, serves under Jibril, proposes Operation Assassination. First appears Vol. 4 Ch. 45. Reminder: playful Eastern general with masked harem wives, always late but magically explosive, contrasting serious monks with his bathrobe vibe and schemes.
• Talia – A high-ranking vampire spirit currently possessing the body of Lyritisse. In this form, she has flaxen hair, blue eyes, and thick lips.
• Isthbaran – The High Warlord of the ‘Storm Herd.’
• Nizaam – A former member of Azrael’s Twelve Divine Generals and the current head of the Malc family, though he has passed both titles to his daughter to return to the battlefield. He is a prominent warrior noble in Azrael, known for his love of beautiful boys and fierce battles.
• Leprobus – Rou’s comrade who sacrificed his chance to escape during a pirate raid by pushing Rou off in a small boat. He returned to the deck, sword in hand, to protect the others. Distinguished by his giant blood and burning red hair, marking him as more than human. He is released by Kian on Cyclops Island jail.【v4c23】.
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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