The minister of finance reported in detail the specific plan for securing funds through government bonds and the items of expenditure. He then passed the floor to the next person. The general secretariat, which administered local imperial decrees, rose.
“The ark of heaven cannot pass through the labyrinthine canyon, so do not overlook the time spent traveling overland.”
Pushing through labyrinthine canyons to create straight passageways or building warp portals directly to Dandelion is difficult at this time.
So for now, we had to solve the human and material transportation using the same route Eve used when she left on her mission.
Then one of the Privy Council members, Count Linedel, raised his hand. He spoke cautiously, knowing little about magic.
“Last time, the Four Knights went on a dispatch to the Gray Wall Outpost, didn't they? Homunculus is an excellent mage in his own right. Since it's a place you've been to before, can't you use long-distance warp magic to travel there?”
It was Brigitte's mouth that let out a cold remark.
Her specialty, magic, came up. She wasn't one to miss an opportunity to show off.
“Spatial travel magic is extremely dangerous due to its nature of dealing with 'space-time' and 'existence.' If the arrival coordinates are not properly set, the caster's physical body will be drowned, buried alive in the mud, or worse, scattered and annihilated. That's why warp is usually only short to medium distances within line of sight. Do you think ultra-long-distance warp portals are considered a breakthrough invention for nothing?”
“I... I’m sorry..."
“Yes, you're right. I'm sorry that an Imperial noble doesn't have that much basic magical common sense. In the future, if you don't know something, don't say it. It's very unpleasant to listen to you rant.”
Count Linedel's face turned bright red. His mistake was correct, but it was a harsh accusation to hear in public, especially in front of his cabinet.
“If there is an artifact or aid to fix the arrival coordinates, such as a portal, it might be worth a try, but we have enough time now that it's not worth the risk. The Count's suggestion is something to consider in the event of an emergency.”
Count Linedel bowed deeply, thanking Eve for saving his face.
'Are you showing off your humanity by coming to the meeting?'
'Pretending to be nice again. How disgusting.'
The next agenda item was to be reported on military supplies, so Marquis Belteor stood up abruptly.
“You will be amazed when you see the military weapons. Even Ambroxa will not be able to pick off the bones if you focus your fire with the magic-imbued silver-tipped ballista. The performance of the ice ballista is especially promising. I expect it to be excellent at freezing and destroying wings.”
“Just hearing it makes me feel great.”
“Yes, yes, Your Majesty. A fallen dragon is nothing more than a piece of meat for the slaughterhouse. Then, with a few strikes from the fierce, Ambroxa will be sent straight to the goal.”
“Fierce? Sounds more like a siege spear.”
“Indeed, Your Majesty, it is indeed a siege weapon. It's more like a Great Dragon Magic Spear, but you can expect it to be powerful. Oh, and in addition to that, it has flashbangs to seal the demon dragon's vision, flash protection equipment to protect the vision of allies, mind protection magic stones to prevent the demon dragon from interfering with their minds, traps for binding, etc..."
The excited Marquis of Belteor continued to talk endlessly. Desmond II raised his hand to interrupt.
“So, the production plan will go without a hitch?”
“Haha. This is a project that our Southern Alliance is working on together. Don’t worry about it.”
“Well, I guess you know that your bond was forged with Mithril gold coins.”
Next, we moved on to tactics. The commander of the Imperial Guard, Sir Isidore, who would concurrently hold the position of cavalry general in case of emergency, spoke.
“First, I'll give you a quick overview: the Sealstone must be removed to allow friendly Homunculus troops in. When the Demon Dragon rises from the volcanic crater, the front Homunculus will engage, while the rear Homunculus will use Frozen Ballista to destroy its wings.”
“I don’t know if it’ll fit, but anyway?”
“As it loses drag, it will gradually fall, and the Homunculus will continue to engage it, drawing its attention and using flares and traps to slowly lure it into a narrow canyon to the southwest.”
“At this point, five vertical shots from the dragon spear will leave the dragon dead, and all that's left is to finish it off, and the homunculus will be fine from then on without any special tactics.”
After hearing the brief explanation, Desmond II pretended to be somewhat convinced.
However, Eve, who knew the history of the battle, and Michael, who had actually seen the battle, quickly darkened.
'It was because of those guys who said such ridiculous things that I had to avoid them so much...'
The hall was quiet. Traditionally, the idea was that the Empire was weak against the Martial Arts and that the war of attrition was for Homunculus. It's a field that no one really cares deeply about.
“Then let’s discuss what happens after the expedition..."
"No."
At that time, Desmond II, who thought he had understood, applied the brakes.
“Before that, I would also like to hear the Knight Commander’s opinion.”
There was a small murmur among the nobles at his sudden remark.
“If it’s the commander of the Knights Division...?”
“Huh? No way..."
Desmond II opened his mouth.
“Michaelis Agnito.”
Eve was startled by the soft call. Michael, however, calmly bowed.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I know that you are functioning as the commander of the six divisions, including the Punishment Division.”
“I am embarrassed.”
“Let me ask you. Do you have any additional thoughts about the expedition?”
It was the first time in the history of the Empire that a homunculus was given a voice in the Council of Elders.
Michael lowered his eyes for a moment as if lost in thought. The nobles were taken aback by the careful silence he had created.
They felt more nervous.
“Speak.”
Eve felt her mouth go dry at the low blow. From now on, the entire Homunculus would be judged by the value of what Michael would say. This was a test, a chance, so to speak.
“It is advisable to attack the tail first, rather than the wings.”
“The Ambroxa has seven pairs of wings; it would take a very long time to paralyze more than four of them, rendering flight impossible. It is self-evident that the damage done to the enemy is proportional to the length of the engagement.”
"So?"
“Rather, we believe it is more efficient to attack the tail first, which is responsible for balance. Flying a dragon without its tail is harder than driving a two-wheeled bicycle with a broken steering wheel. Without balance, the dragon will crash within half an hour.”
“Huh?”
Desmond II's cerulean eyes lit up. The nobles listened.
“Luring them into the canyon is a good strategy, but flashbangs and traps are insufficient countermeasures. I'd rather have the wind on our side. We should organize a special force of people who are skilled in wind-based magic and train them to push the demon dragon's body toward the target point.”
“Oh! That’s a good idea!”
One of the elder nobles shouted. The others nodded or made brief nods of approval.
“Keep talking.”
“The tactics you've described rely heavily on tactical weapons. If a strike with a lance fails, there's no backup. Maybe it's just me being an old fart who hasn't seen the real thing yet, but the bigger the weapon, the lower the hit rate and the longer it takes to reload. Rather than being used as a counter, it's more for binding feet... For more specifics on how to do that, see..."
A dragon slayer who has caught a demon dragon once is different.
At that moment, Marquis Belteor intervened excitedly. He was greatly impressed by the tactics of the captain of the guard.
Because he is the one who interfered.
“What's so hard about destroying a wing? How big is the area of a wing? And it's a reptile, so the effects of freezing magic..."
“I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you earlier. Ambroxa is a demon dragon that originally lived in what used to be called the Ice Labyrinth in the north. It's supposed to be resistant to freezing temperatures.”
His stomach churned at the shocking revelation. That was when the Marquis of Belteor tried to argue that it wasn't so. Eve appropriately backed him up.
“No, I believe it.”
Desmond II seemed eager to hear more from Michael, and in this friendly atmosphere and trusting Eve's secret favor, Michael spoke what he felt was necessary.
“Ambroxa has seven heads, so it's hard to tell when and from which direction a sword will fly. To counter the surprise and keep our allies from being disorganized, we need to take defensive measures rather than evasive ones, so I'd like to request that you give the Aegis of the Binding Magic Stone to the Moonclaws in the front line.”
The Marquis of Belteor's eyes widened again at the words. The defensive magic stones didn't leave much of a margin.
“Ugh! How dare Homunculus refute the strategy of the captain of the General Guard, and you think you're qualified to speak to His Majesty about such matters? Insolent!”
Eve did not stay still here.
“This is a statement that His Majesty has permitted. What authority do you, Marquis Belteor, have to judge?”
Marquis Belteor shrank back in his majestic old age.
The nobles in the conference hall were also in an uproar.
'Hey, did you just see that?'
'The 7th Princess is angry.'
'Wow, that's scary.'
Eve was a gentle and fair-minded person, but she also seemed a bit weak.
But the nobles have changed their minds today.
The nobles waited to see how Desmond II would react.
Desmond II muttered with a serious expression so that only the chamberlain could hear.
“Again to Your Majesty... When will Your Majesty go..."
“Oh, right.”
Thanks to this, Desmond II, who came to his senses easily, took Eve's side.
“Yes, Jim allowed it. This is not the time for the Marquis of Belteor, who created the frozen barista without reading 21 books and 89 archives.”
“Ah, that’s enough. Tell them to prepare some magic stones for the south.”
The nobles were again moved by the cheerful acceptance.
Not only did the emperor give Homunculus a voice in the Senate, but he also formally approved his proposal.
In this sense, both the recent saga of the pretend districts and the reorganization of the Royal Guard were policies that increased the rights of the homunculi.
The nobles vaguely sensed the signs. But they were lost in their haziness.
They were not given much time to react, as the change was happening faster than they thought.
“Then let's talk about the aftermath. I has some ideas for a lesson on the aftermath.”
“There are many vacancies in the nobility due to unsavory events, and I am granting titles and estates for military merit in this war of attrition.”
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