How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game Chapter 288 - Romanek Plains (2)

The snow didn’t stop easily in the suddenly approaching winter. The timing wasn’t good for us. Of course, that’s a minor complaint. Summer with its heavy rains was just as bad.

If anything, summer had more difficulties. We had to worry about food spoilage and hygiene issues. But we couldn’t limit our battles to just spring and autumn.

The information coming from ‘Star Cluster’ was no longer very useful. It couldn’t be, really. They were preparing for the final battle, and so were we.

At best, we got numbers of troops and potential battlefields. They had already predicted that the Romanek Plains would be the battlefield.

‘Actually, it was inevitable from the moment the Great Devil appeared.’

Even if a high-ranking official was a double agent, it’s fair to say they became useless with the appearance of the Great Devil.

Even if information was passed on now, it wouldn’t easily reach us.

In a way, the war situation had changed slightly from our predictions. As we moved east, we expected a series of large and small battles.

Since the Great Devil hadn’t shown itself, we thought they’d try to buy time. But that didn’t happen.

They only prepared for defensive battles at small choke points and stockpiled their forces. Looking at it from a different angle, this could be seen as good news.

If there was a possibility that the Great Devil could regain its full power, they wouldn’t have acted this way.

‘If it was certain it could regain its power, it would have been willing to sacrifice most of its forces.’

The fact that this wasn’t possible explains why they only prepared for defensive battles and stockpiled troops. This was also connected to the summoning of devils.

We were now three days away from the Romanek Plains. The approach of the final battle was palpable in the atmosphere around us.

The soldiers were silent, and even the Sword Masters had serious expressions. Of course, I was similar.

An unexplained urgency came over me, as if my solar plexus was burning. Still, I didn’t show it.

Erendil was the same. The anxiety of people like us easily spreads to the soldiers. Erendil maintained a dignified face and smile.

“Schurtafen.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

It was just after lunch as we were heading northeast. Erendil, riding her horse beside me, suddenly called out to me. I sensed a slightly peculiar atmosphere.

“…I heard you met Count Henna Schrier.”

And Orhen’s words proved true. Erendil mentioned Orhen’s other name while glancing at me sidelong.

“Ah, yes. That’s right. How did you know?”

“Emmet said he saw it in passing.”

I didn’t think Emmet was around at that time… but I didn’t press the issue.

“I see.”

“You said she was an old friend.”

Before Erendil became emperor, the three of us had met. Erendil had given us her time.

“That’s right.”

I nodded in affirmation, but the conversation didn’t continue. Erendil didn’t say anything more. Instead, she just kept glancing at me subtly.

Was she trying to hint at something? It seemed so. I inwardly sighed and continued speaking.

“She wished me good fortune as the final battle approaches. Nothing unusual happened.”

“I see. But why are you telling me this?”

“…”

I was a bit dumbfounded. I threw a quiet glance, but Erendil shrugged with a clueless expression. The movement caused the snow accumulated on her blonde hair and shoulders to fall.

I couldn’t stare for long. Rank was the issue. She was the emperor and I was her loyal knight, so I could only bow my head.

“I apologize. I thought you might be curious, so I mentioned it.”

“I wasn’t.”

“I see. I spoke out of turn.”

“It’s fine.”

Erendil spoke as if she wasn’t particularly interested, but her expression had brightened compared to before. I couldn’t see clearly as she was looking ahead, but judging from the slight upturn of her mouth corners, she was definitely wearing a faint smile.

“…”

Erendil looked at the northeastern sky. The sky where we were headed was filled with dark clouds, a grayish color.

“It doesn’t look like the snow will stop.”

“Still, we should arrive faster than them, shouldn’t we?”

Based on the information we had gathered so far, we would arrive at the Romanek Plains about a day earlier. It was worth pushing our speed.

“Let’s hope it goes well.”

“It will go well.”

“Hearing you say that puts me at ease.”

Suddenly, I was reminded of the conversation I had with Orhen. It was a very similar exchange.

“Is that so?”

“Because it’s you saying it, Schurtafen, and no one else.”

“Thank you.”

Through these two conversations, I once again realized that I had been doing well up until now. I already knew it. I had clearly felt the changes I had made.

But hearing it from someone else’s mouth was a different feeling. I had done well. And I would do well this time too.

Hmm, maybe I needed someone’s assurance too. The anxiety facing the Great Devil was beyond imagination.

After hearing Orhen and Erendil say they believed in me, I felt some of my urgency disappear.

“Y-Your Majesty…!”

But such positive thoughts didn’t last even 15 minutes. A messenger came running urgently, gasping for breath as he spoke.

“The, the Romanek Plains have been dyed in darkness…!”

***

The information that came in was shocking. At first, I couldn’t even understand what it meant for the Romanek Plains to be dyed in darkness.

They said it was literal. The plains, which should have retained a green tinge even with snow, had turned black. It wasn’t a normal occurrence.

“It’s certain that the Great Devil has made its move. It must have acted first. Isn’t there also a legend about the Sea of Ashes from long ago?”

“What Sea of Ashes? That doesn’t exist in reality…”

A heated discussion continued at the meeting. Although we hadn’t seen the plains dyed in darkness, the threat implied by those words was considerable.

“No. The Sea of Ashes does exist.”

There was something I needed to correct. At my words, all eyes turned to me. They seemed to be saying, ‘What nonsense is this?’

“When I left Chenarus, I entered the Sea of Ashes in the west.”

“Sir, even if it’s you…”

They were eyes of disbelief. It was unnecessary proof, but I raised my wrist to show the purification. The eyes of those present widened at the shining blue light.

“You all know it’s impossible to have two Mystic Powers, so I won’t say more. This is the purification I received from the last sky whale. The Sea of Ashes does exist.”

The tent was momentarily shocked, as if most people hadn’t believed in the Sea of Ashes. Even Count Campbell had his mouth open.

“This isn’t what’s important. Neither the Sea of Ashes nor the sky whale has anything to do with this situation. What’s important is that the plains dyed in darkness are dangerous.”

“Sh-shouldn’t we change the battlefield?”

Someone said. Change the battlefield. That would be the best option. Of course, if it were possible.

“It’s awkward to advance further, so why don’t we wait around here instead?”

“Do you think they’ll move? It’s a battlefield advantageous to them.”

“We’re talking about the Great Devil here, surely it won’t wait because of that. Couldn’t we wait a bit? Even a few days to assess the situation…”

The noble speaking now wasn’t originally a coward. It must be the bad news of the approaching final battle that made him this way. I interjected.

“It would be good if things went as the duke says, but the problem is if they don’t. There’s no guarantee that another devil won’t appear while we’re waiting for them.”

“…”

“Moreover, devils are at their weakest right after being summoned. You all know this fact.”

According to the books from the founding emperor’s era, the reason for this was the side effects of moving between worlds. Whether it was a few months ago or now, a quick resolution was important for us.

In that sense, I thought the possibility of them coming towards us was low. The Great Devil is not a fool.

It’s even less of a fool obsessed with its own power and authority. Count Campbell, who had been silent, agreed with my words and spoke up.

“That’s right. If they become stronger, our battle might become even more difficult than entering a dangerous battlefield like the Sea of Ashes.”

“So you mean we should go to the plains dyed in darkness?”

It felt like a ‘deadly dilemma’ in reality. There was no guarantee that either option would be advantageous to us.

Although the plains dyed in darkness might not be like the Sea of Ashes that appeared in the distant past, as the Great Devil’s power isn’t complete…

We couldn’t predict at all what would happen on those plains. To put it bluntly, if a devil appeared during the battle, things would become even more chaotic.

“If that’s the case, we will withdraw now.”

It was the King of Altre speaking. The eyes of those present turned to him. I inwardly clicked my tongue. A spark of division had appeared in the alliance that had been without major issues until now. Erendil looked at him with an expressionless face.

“Denied.”

“Your Majesty! This is madness.”

“Asking you to wage war here would be madness too.”

Erendil spoke firmly.

“You have only two choices: attack the Great Devil with me, or fight me before that.”

It was a predetermined answer. If we let Altre leave now, there would be more deserters. The morale of the imperial army would hit rock bottom.

The actual movements on the battlefield don’t matter. We mixed the soldiers to prevent such desertion. The King of Altre couldn’t continue speaking.

“We have no choice but to go.”

At my words, the stiff gazes turned to me.

“Even if it’s a trap, we have no other options. Even if we don’t move, the devil could use the soldiers of the east as sacrifices on those plains.”

“…”

“Rather, we should fight to the death there. It would be good if we could deal with them quickly so they can’t play any tricks.”

Erendil nodded at my words.

“We’ll do that.”

“Y-Your Majesty!”

Several people called out to Erendil. They had frightened faces. Erendil sighed with a look of disappointment.

“I’m disappointed. Do you think you can survive if we don’t go, or if you retreat from here?”

Everyone knew the answer. It was the same during the founding emperor’s time. Unless they had been on their side from the beginning, even the devils didn’t accept mid-way defectors.

“We’re going to the Romanek Plains. Now, the only way for you gentlemen, for me to return alive… is to defeat the Great Devil.”

As the snowfall grew heavier, the atmosphere among those leaving the tent became even heavier. It wasn’t without problems.

That night, the King of Altre and several nobles from the empire, west, and south attempted to desert. I caught them on Count Campbell’s advice.

Their heads, executed at dawn, were displayed on stakes along the march route the next day. The commanders spread Erendil’s words that the only way to survive was to win the war.

After learning that I, who use winds, was guarding, there were no more deserters.

My heart was heavy. Just a month ago when we caught the devil, no, even just a week ago, it wasn’t this bad.

But nothing changed because of that. We arrived at the Romanek Plains with heavy, solemn, fearful, and trembling hearts.