Alice nodded slightly and took a step forward. Her calm gaze swept over Dominic and Simo as she spoke in a collected voice:
"Legion Commander Dominic, Legion Commander Simo, I believe you are both mistaken about one thing."
"When it comes to the Demon Kingdom, our current role is that of a defender, not an aggressor."
"No one can guarantee they won’t use the coming summer demon tide—the time when our border defenses are under the most pressure—to launch a surprise attack on Storm Fortress."
"At that time, if we don’t focus all our efforts on dealing with the demon tide and instead divide our forces to form an Extermination Corps, then once the demonic beasts truly breach the fortress and enter the plains, laying waste to the farmland..."
"Even if ten provisional legions were to help afterward, it would be impossible to make up for such a colossal loss and mistake."
"Only by first concentrating all our strength to safely weather this summer demon tide can the roles of attacker and defender between our legions and the Demon Kingdom be reversed."
"The most prudent and wisest choice would be to only consider forming a temporary Extermination Corps *after* the demon tide has completely ended, factoring in the time our Knights and soldiers will need to rest."
The Knights and scribes in the council hall listened, lost in thought. Many nodded to themselves, feeling that her words were not without reason.
Although the Blood Race no longer had any Extraordinary, the fact that those demonic beasts could breach the Greystone Bulwark—something the Kingdom’s army never managed to do—was in itself proof enough of their threat.
If they rashly diverted manpower to form a temporary legion at this critical juncture, leaving the fortress’s defenses vulnerable, the demonic beasts could indeed exploit the opening, leading to irreversible consequences.
In the end, thanks to Alice’s reasoned arguments, the motion to form a temporary Extermination Corps was once again forcefully shelved.
...
After the meeting, Alice silently followed the members of the Arevalo Clan out of the oppressive council hall, walking down the fortress’s cold stone corridors toward the exit.
Walking behind Levin, Alice lowered her voice and said, "Father, Dominic and the others are so eager to undermine our family’s power. It seems they’ve already noticed something is amiss."
Levin raised a hand and waved it slightly, signaling for her to say no more. "It’s fine. They didn’t get their way in the end. We’ll discuss this in detail when we get back."
Meanwhile, the members of the Elvin Clan and the Barnes Clan lingered in the now-empty council hall.
After a long period of contemplation, Dominic finally spoke. "Levin may have actually discovered something."
Simo said in a gruff voice, "He’s not an idiot. Even if he doesn’t know about His Excellency’s existence, he must have sensed that the relationship between our families is unusually close."
"So what do you think, Dominic? Do you believe what she said just now?"
Dominic narrowed his eyes, a glint flashing within them.
"What she said wasn’t entirely without reason. The Demon Legion from the swamp could very well make a move on Storm Fortress when the demon tide arrives."
"We need to strengthen our defenses. Don’t let those demonic beasts actually succeed."
"But it’s also true that the Arevalo Family is unwilling to form a temporary legion."
"It’s just that we still haven’t found any conclusive evidence of their contact with Princess Louisa."
He ordered a Knight beside him, "Send more people to watch them closely, especially the eldest daughter of the Arevalo Family."
"As soon as the matter with the swamp is concluded, we will liquidate them. We cannot allow a second voice of dissent to exist within the Garrison Legion."
...
Alice rode her horse away from the oppressive Storm Fortress, heading back to the Arevalo Clan’s manor in the fortress city.
Only after she stepped through the familiar gates and felt the tranquil atmosphere did she visibly relax.
But she had no idea just how deeply the Demon’s influence had infiltrated her own family. She simply returned to her room as usual and closed the door.
Then, she took a jet-black feather from a hidden pocket.
She placed the feather on the desk. With a soft POP, the feather exploded into a roiling cloud of black mist, from which the figure of Count Brand gradually emerged.
He shook his head, beat his chest with his wings, and complained, "This Count is truly not suited for riding horses! The jolting almost made me faint. It’s so much worse than flying."
Alice sat upright in her chair, lost in thought. She casually picked up a pine nut and offered it to him.
The moment Count Brand saw the food, he cast aside all his complaints, his beady little eyes lighting up.
He took tiny, mincing steps and hopped over joyfully, snatching the pine nut in his beak. "Oh, you shouldn’t have..." he mumbled indistinctly.
"Little Alice, this Count actually prefers meat, especially that Moss Monster jerky from the swamp. It has a nostalgic taste of home..."
"Fine. I’ll prepare some for you next time."
She pulled her thoughts back to the matter at hand and asked seriously, "Count, are you able to contact His Majesty the Slime right now? There is something I wish to ask him in person."
"Contact His Majesty?" Count Brand muttered, swallowing the pine nut. He then puffed out his chest and patted the soft feathers on his belly with a wing.
A pea-sized Slime was shaken loose from his fluffy feathers, landing on the rug.
The little Slime’s body was rising and falling with faint breaths, as if he were asleep.
Then, as if performing a mysterious magical ritual, Count Brand began to circle the tiny Slime, muttering incantations.
"Return, return..."
"Your Majesty, return..."
"Your loyal Minister Brand is calling for you..."
Alice was intrigued by his strange behavior and couldn’t help but crouch down to watch the little ball of Slime on the rug.
Perhaps Count Brand’s Magic was working, because the tiny Slime slowly opened his small, round eyes and actually woke up.
Chen Yu hopped a few times, exasperated. "I’m not dead yet. What are you doing, holding a séance?"
Count Brand was overjoyed. He hurried closer and asked, "Your Majesty, you’re awake! I heard the Demon Legion has completely taken over the Dark Land. Is that true?"
Chen Yu was no longer surprised by the speed at which information traveled in the Kingdom. He just nodded calmly. "Of course it’s true."
Count Brand couldn’t help but feel pleased with himself, preening his feathers smugly. "GAK! It seems my diligent teachings have paid off. Those little ones can finally stand on their own."
He suddenly remembered something and hastily flapped his wings, adding, "Of course, this is all thanks to our wise and powerful Slime Majesty. If Your Majesty is the flower, then this Count is but the green leaf."
Chen Yu ignored his clumsy flattery and hopped around to face Alice.
"You’re Arthur’s sister?"
Although the sight of a crow addressing a Slime as "Your Majesty" was bizarre to Alice, she quickly suppressed her strange feelings and performed a Knight’s salute.
"Knight Alice Arevalo. Greetings, Your Majesty the Slime."
Chen Yu wobbled his Gel body in satisfaction and gave a light hop, landing on the desk to meet Alice’s gaze.
"Count Brand was in a hurry to wake me. You must have run into some trouble and need my opinion, correct?"
Alice nodded and recounted the intense debate from the council hall in Storm Fortress. Finally, she raised her main concern:
"Your Majesty, if our operation goes wrong and something unexpected happens at Storm Fortress, do you have the resources to resolve the situation?"
Chen Yu’s mind stirred.
"Are you worried that the Demon’s Claw will disregard the threat of the demon tide and cause trouble inside the fortress?"
Alice admitted it freely. "Yes. Judging from the situation in the council hall today, Dominic has undoubtedly grown suspicious and hostile toward our family."
"I’m worried that in order to eliminate us, they might even resort to extreme measures during the demon tide to catch us off guard. We must prepare for the worst."
’This is indeed a problem that can’t be ignored.’
Chen Yu fell into thought.
’Hoping your enemy is an idiot who won’t discover anything is pointless. It’s better to be prepared.’
When planning the demon tide offensive earlier, Chen Yu had intended to form a regular Oak Guard legion to participate in the siege.
But clearly, if the other side had Extraordinary powers intervening, relying solely on the Tree-man Army and the Demon Legion might not be enough.
The only thing that can counter an Extraordinary is another Extraordinary.
The Deng Lun from before was just a half-baked amateur who borrowed power from others; he wasn’t a true Extraordinary.
’To break this impasse...’
’The only thing I can think of right now is the Crown of Ignis.’