The white flas flickered for a few final seconds before vanishing completely, leaving no trace of corpses, traps, or curses behind. The battlefield was clean and silent again, as if the fight had never happened.
The assassin leader approached Javier one last ti. His posture remained respectful, and his tone calm.
"Young Master, the investigation is complete. We've identified all usable intel and cleansed the site. We'll return to our sector now."
Javier nodded slightly.
"Understood. Be safe."
The man bowed deeply.
"You too, Young Master."
And then—
In a single instant, the entire elite investigation unit vanished. No sound. No footsteps. Just gone, like the shadows they ca from.
Liana exhaled slowly, sliding her blades back into their sheaths.
"Young Master?" she said quietly.
"Hmm? Yes, Liana?" Javier responded, stretching slightly as if nothing intense had just happened.
She stepped closer.
"How do you even know them? You said they're Alf's direct unit, but... I've never seen or heard about them. Not even once."
Gloria stepped up beside her. Her warhamr hung at her side, but her eyes remained sharp.
"Sa. Even as one of Mrs Errinette's elite battle maid unit, I never heard of them. Not even whispers."
Javier gave a cheeky smile.
"Hmm? Didn't I tell you already? I saw them reporting to Mr. Alf before. Just once or twice."
The two maids stared at him.
Hard.
Very hard.
Their narrowed eyes conveyed that they were not buying that explanation at all.
Javier slowly turned away, stretching lazily and yawning.
"Let's head back to the border town."
He casually raised a hand.
"Buddy!"
"Cuquawked!!"
From the treeline, Buddy ca out with his usual proud gait, closely followed by Pikko and Peanut, all three Pekkos looking ridiculously proud of themselves for doing absolutely nothing during the clean-up.
Javier hopped back onto Buddy with his usual grin.
"Oops, nearly forgot."
Javier grinned as he raised his hand. A soft ripple of mana pulsed outward.
One by one, the Mithril Puppet Knights—still standing like silent sentinels across the forest—glowed faintly and then began vanishing into sparkling light, returning to Javier's magic storage without a sound.
In monts, the entire force was gone, leaving only the quiet forest and faint scorched marks from the earlier battle.
He turned back, hopping effortlessly onto Buddy.
"Alright, you two. On your Pekkos. We're heading back."
"I want a bath. And a nap."
Liana mounted Pikko, though she kept glancing around the forest, her brows slightly furrowed. Gloria swung up onto Peanut, adjusting her warhamr before looking toward Javier.
"Young Master… what did you have the Puppet Knights plant on the ground earlier?"
Javier looked over his shoulder, his grin lazy but sharp.
"Oh, that?"
He stretched a little, then gave a smug shrug.
"Just a little sothing. An alarm and sothing else. If any enemies try sneaking in again…" He tapped his temple.
"...I'll know."
Javier rode at the center, relaxed atop Buddy, his posture casual but his eyes sharp behind the faint glow of his mana glasses.
Flanking him on either side were Liana on Pikko and Gloria on Peanut. They rode in silence for a while, letting the wind settle the intensity of the earlier battle.
Then, quietly—
"Young Master?" Liana's voice broke the stillness.
"Hmm?" Javier tilted his head slightly.
"Can I ask sothing?"
"Sure, go ahead." He kept his eyes forward, but his tone was open.
Liana hesitated, then asked,
"How many of Armand's secret units have you t… or know about?"
Javier smirked.
"A few for now," he said lightly.
"The one Gloria used to be with—the Elite Battle Maid Unit—that's one."
Gloria glanced over but said nothing.
"Then there's another one. A separate group—the Secret Battle Maid Unit."
Liana blinked. "There's another unit…?"
Javier nodded slowly. "Yep. Rember that hill? The one where Ari and Aria were?"
Both maids imdiately recalled the place—the oppressive aura, the overwhelming pressure, and the sheer seriousness of that operation.
"The ones guarding that location—those won were part of the Secret Battle Maid Unit. They're different from the public-facing maids and even from Gloria's team. Most don't even know they exist."
Liana narrowed her eyes. "And the assassin unit just now…?"
"Also a secret unit," Javier replied. "An Elite Investigation Force, all under the direct supervision of Mr. Alf."
He let the words hang for a mont, then added with a grin,
"You'd be surprised how many people are loyal to Father that even we don't know about."
Liana was silent. Gloria quietly adjusted her posture, her eyes thoughtful.
Armand's strength… wasn't just in its visible army.
It was everywhere.
"In terms of total troops, we're not that big. Not even a quarter of what the entire kingdom commands."
He glanced at Liana and Gloria on either side.
"But one thing I've learned in war…" His tone sharpened slightly.
"Quantity doesn't always win battles. Strategy, coordination, morale, preparation—those are what decide who walks away standing."
Liana turned to him, her eyes narrowing slightly with curiosity.
"How do you know that, Young Master?" she asked.
"You speak like soone who's experienced it firsthand."
Javier's lips twitched, and his grin faltered for just a mont—awkwardly.
None of them knew. None of them knew he wasn't born of this world but was instead reincarnated, carrying mories of a very different life... a life filled with conflict, loss, and war fought with machines, not swords.
He scratched his cheek casually, dodging the truth with a shrug.
"Well… just look at the last holy war. They had 120,000 troops… but what happened? It didn't an a thing."
Liana smiled faintly, and Gloria nodded in agreent.
Javier said it like a joke, but there was weight behind his words—like soone who'd already seen how devastating numbers could beco aningless when facing the right enemy.
"In terms of preparation, I'd say we're unmatched."
He glanced at the guards patrolling along the road—each one equipped with gleaming, mana-reinforced armor and finely crafted weapons.
"Our troops wear the best enhanced gear our genius Armand blacksmith, Mr. Rasdingen, could produce."
Liana and Gloria listened in silence, letting him speak.
He looked at them both.
"And in terms of actual strength? I'd say our regular soldiers can match most kingdom elites—not just in gear, but in discipline too."
Gloria gave a small nod of pride.
"Our training is strict. Relentless. And we rotate with live combat drills even during peaceti."
Javier chuckled.
"Exactly. Quality over quantity."
Then he exhaled softly.
"That being said, we're not exactly drowning in numbers."
Liana looked over.
"How many active troops do we actually have?"
Javier tilted his head.
"Father ntioned it before—our current standing force is around 90,000. Maybe a bit more now. Still…" He looked up at the stars.
"That's nothing compared to the rest of the Human Kingdom. They've got nearly 900,000 when fully mobilized. And the other kingdoms?"
He shrugged.
"Beastkin, Elves, Demons—they each have over a million. Maybe more."
A long silence followed.
Then he smirked and leaned forward slightly, giving Buddy a soft pat on the neck.
"Still, I'd rather have ninety thousand properly ard and fully trained soldiers than three hundred thousand conscripts who barely know how to hold a sword."
Because numbers ant little if the first wave couldn't even breach a single town.
( End of Chapter )
User Comments
0 comments from readers