When everyone showed a lukewarm reaction, Belinda bristled.
"What's this? I just revealed my secret past, and that's the reaction I get? Why isn't anyone surprised?"
As the others hesitated on how to respond, Kaor stepped up and shouted, "Who doesn't know the head maid is an assassin? You even lead the estate's assassination squad! What we need is an explanation of which assassin group you were in and how you know the guy who sent this weird letter!"
"I was going to explain, but your reactions ticked me off!"
"..."
"Anyway, I was in an assassin group, and that guy who sent the note? We fought against him. The problem is…"
Belinda let out a deep sigh before continuing.
"That guy was definitely killed by our leader. I don't understand how he's still alive."
Ghislain raised an eyebrow at that.
"Your leader? Killed him? Then isn't this just an imposter?"
Belinda, calming down from her initial irritation, spoke more evenly.
"Now that I think about it, that could be the case. But I'm not sure why anyone would bother impersonating him. None of us here know who that guy is, right? So why go through the trouble?"
"That's true."
Ghislain nodded. Impersonating someone unknown would serve no purpose. Even now, no one except Belinda recognized the symbol or the name Melkir.
So what could this all mean?
"Are you sure he's dead?"
"I'm sure. Our leader finished him off and even destroyed his mana core. I have no idea how this is possible."
"Hmm. So where is this leader who supposedly killed him?"
Ghislain was curious. There was no information about either Melkir or the leader Belinda spoke of. It was clear they were both people who lived in complete secrecy.
Belinda hesitated for a moment before averting her eyes and replying, "They passed away a long time ago."
The group continued to look at her with suspicion. Her evasiveness only made her seem more suspicious.
Ghislain felt a nagging thought. A hypothesis sprang to mind.
'Could this leader be…? No, it couldn't be…'
Before he could ask, Belinda spoke up angrily.
"That's not what's important right now! What's important is that this guy has shown up again! Even if he's dead and someone's impersonating him, the way this is being done is exactly like how he used to operate! There's no way this is just for show!"
"Hmm…"
Ghislain pondered briefly before nodding. No matter how he looked at it, this didn't seem like a fake ploy.
The Duchy must have sent an assassin for real, as this operation was something they needed to succeed.
"So, either he survived somehow, or someone is imitating his methods?"
"Exactly! I must see this guy's face myself. Even if you're not going, I'll go alone!"
Belinda's eyes burned with an unidentifiable hatred.
It was rare to see her this furious. It was clear she bore a deep grudge against Melkir.
'Well, I guess I'll know more when I meet him.'
"If he's really alive… what's his skill level?" Ghislain asked.
Belinda's expression hardened as she answered, "He was already a master-level assassin 20 years ago."
At those words, everyone's faces grew grim. If he had reached mastery 20 years ago, it was impossible to predict how strong he might be now.
But Ghislain shrugged it off.
"Even if he became a Master, it doesn't mean his skills have automatically improved. There's always a wall that blocks further growth after becoming a Master. No need to get scared before even facing him."
Even so, the group couldn't fully relax. Only Erenes nodded slightly in agreement with Ghislain's words.
"And if this guy is real, didn't he get severely injured and almost die? He was probably recovering all this time. If it's an imposter, it's someone who recently reached the superhuman level."
Belinda, catching on, interjected, "That's possible. So let's confirm first if he's real or just an imposter."
"Alright. By the way, what's this symbol?"
"It's a black moon. It's their mark."
"Does it have any meaning?"
"If the target is still alive, it's a crescent moon. When the assassination succeeds, it changes to a full moon."
"Quite the poetic bunch."
Ghislain smirked as he stood up.
The Duchy was pulling every trick to separate him from the Northern Army. It seemed they believed that everything would be fine as long as he wasn't around.
In such cases, it could be fun to play along and then strike back hard.
Ghislain issued new orders.
"For now, Claude will take command of the Northern Army."
Aside from Erenes, no one objected. Despite his grumbling, Claude had proven his capability.
Claude, meanwhile, kicked at the ground with a sulking expression, his lips pouting in clear reluctance.
"Belinda, Gillian, pick a few knights. We'll move with a small group."
This order drew some protests, with Vanessa speaking up first.
"My lord! Let me come with you!"
"No, the Duchy's army will definitely target the Northern Army. Why do you think they're trying so hard to separate me from it? That's why we need a mage here."
"But Lady Erenes is here!"
"You need to be here too. That's the only way to stop the Duchy without taking heavy losses."
Reluctantly, Vanessa stepped back. Protecting the Northern Army was equally important.
"Then I'll go help! It's me, the man who defeated a goddess!" Alpoi shouted enthusiastically, but no one paid him any mind. He just didn't want to stay on the battlefield.
Once preparations were complete, Ghislain spoke to Erenes.
"I'm counting on you to handle the Northern Army while I'm gone. The enemy doesn't know about you or Tenant yet, so they'll be caught off guard. They won't be able to pull stunts like this again."
Once the war began in earnest, every superhuman would be too valuable to waste. Assassins wouldn't be able to influence the tide of the war significantly.
Ghislain planned to strike swiftly and decisively, leaving no room for such schemes.
Erenes nodded but looked slightly concerned.
"Will this be alright?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… entrusting command to Claude. He seems capable, but his carefree attitude doesn't inspire much confidence. This is an important battle."
Ghislain chuckled.
"Carefree or serious, that's just personality. It has nothing to do with ability. Don't worry. Just follow his lead in battle. It'll work out."
"…Alright. But how will you find the assassins?"
"Who knows? I'll wait at Perdium Castle and figure it out when they show up."
Erenes frowned slightly and clicked her tongue.
"I'll help you find them. Since we're 'family,' I can do at least that much."
"Oh? How?"
"I can use the spirits to observe the world. There are some limitations, but for a short time, I can scan Perdium. If we pinpoint the assassins' locations, the Perdium forces can prepare more effectively."
"Impressive. Then I'll leave it to you."
Though Ghislain already knew of Erenes's abilities, he feigned ignorance. In his past life, her skills had been instrumental in pinpointing key locations during wars.
As she mentioned, there were limitations. Magic interference or areas with weak spirit energy were hard to observe. It also required significant focus and energy, limiting how long she could maintain it.
Thus, she often moved around herself, seeking traces of the Salvation Church and using them to predict enemy movements.
Even a brief glimpse could greatly aid in battle.
"I'll leave one of Dark's clones behind. It's linked to my consciousness, so you can relay messages through it. I'll send a clone to Perdium too."
"…Understood."
Erenes still seemed somewhat suspicious about Dark, likely because his abilities resembled something she knew of.
However, since she didn't say anything and hid it, she had no choice but to continue watching.
"Let's go. Time to make sure they can't pull a stunt like this again."
With a handful of confidants and knights, Ghislain set off for Perdium.
Before departing, Ghislain made sure to send Dark ahead. Not only was it necessary to relay Erenes's scouting information, but it was also crucial to ensure that the defenses around Perdium Castle were raised to the highest alert until Ghislain's arrival.
The moment Ghislain departed, Erenes settled in an open area rich in natural energy.
"Protect me."
Elves who had accompanied her took up positions around her, exuding sharp, vigilant energy.
Claude, now suddenly a commander-in-chief again, stationed knights and soldiers around her as well.
'With the lord gone, the Grand Chieftain must be the Northern Army's strongest now. If I want to survive, I'd better take good care of her.'
Claude followed Erenes closely, grinning slyly. Erenes, unaware of his inner thoughts, looked visibly uncomfortable.
Rustle.
Vines emerged from the ground, wrapping around Erenes's body as she closed her eyes and turned her face toward the northern sky.
Hoooooooom…
Strange phenomena began to occur around her.
Winds blew in from all directions, rustling the weeds scattered across the ground. Birds, arriving from nowhere, cried loudly as they circled overhead. Clouds gathered above her, blocking out the sunlight.
The space around Erenes rippled and distorted, as though mysterious energies were converging toward her.
"What… what is this?"
"Is this really the Grand Chieftain's power?"
"It feels like when the Saintess performs miracles."
The overwhelming power left the surrounding knights and soldiers stunned, forcing them to step back in awe.
Elves from Fenris, sensing the immense natural energy, were drawn toward her as if hypnotized.
The most shocked of them all was Lumina. She had been the first elf to successfully communicate with nature, thanks to Ghislain.
But now, she realized something humbling: the nature she had experienced was only the tiniest fragment.
"Ah…"
Everything in the world was whispering. The weeds no one paid attention to, the winds that merely kicked up dust, the earth that served only as a surface to walk on, even the small insects crawling nearby.
All of them were speaking to Erenes, sharing their observations and feelings with her.
From distant places, countless connections relayed information to this very spot.
This was true communication with nature.
It was something only Erenes, blessed by the World Tree, could accomplish.
However, such a feat couldn't last long. Even for Erenes, this miracle-like power wasn't something she could wield freely.
Cough!
Whoosh!
Erenes spat blood, and the energies gathered around her dissipated instantly.
"Grand Chieftain!"
"Are you alright?"
"Quick, help the Grand Chieftain!"
The elves standing guard rushed to her side in alarm, but Erenes waved them off.
"I'm fine. It's just… difficult to use this power away from the World Tree."
Near the World Tree, the recoil from using her abilities would be shared with it, but here, she had to bear it all alone.
Taking a deep breath, Erenes said, "I'll rest for a moment and try again. For now, Perdium Castle remains safe."
The others looked at her in astonishment. To think she had glimpsed Perdium Castle from this distance, even for a moment—something even an 8th-circle mage couldn't do.
Though they found it hard to believe, they couldn't doubt the legendary elf Grand Chieftain.
Claude, on the other hand, was having different thoughts.
'Amazing, really. Useful for war, sure, but… imagine using her to spy on the lord. I could secretly run my trade without getting caught. Gotta stay on her good side and win her over later.'
Unaware of Claude's ambitions, Erenes took a brief rest before resuming her scans of Perdium.
It wasn't something that could be done in a single attempt. The assassins might not have even arrived yet, so she had to scan multiple times.
Cough!
Each time, Erenes spat blood. The elves who had accompanied her could no longer stand by.
"Please stop, Grand Chieftain."
"It's too much to keep doing this without the World Tree."
"How can you hope to survey the entire area like this?"
Despite their protests, Erenes shook her head.
"No, it's enough to watch the area near Perdium Castle. After all, they'll come there. I can manage that much. I promised to help, so I will."
Her words left the elves unable to argue further. A promise from the Grand Chieftain of the elves was sacred and carried immense weight.
Claude, meanwhile, had another thought.
'She's such a loyal elf. If everyone in the world were like her, things would be so much better. Shame they're not. After all, promises have to be guaranteed by Mother Nature.'
It was an audacious thought, made worse by how earnestly he believed it.
Wendy shot a glare at Claude. By now, she could guess what he was thinking just by looking at his expression.
For several days, Erenes continued to scan the area around Perdium Castle. Finally, she found something.
"There they are."
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]