By Zephyria Unlike before, today’s meeting was held outdoors. This was because it was a rare scale with even lower-ranking commanders attending, so it was not easy to set up a space to accommodate them.
The gold that appeared among the navy-blue combat uniforms, widely seated in a circle, was enough to attract attention by its mere presence. Perhaps because the sun was hiding behind the clouds today, the colors he exuded were particularly noticeable.
The gazes directed at him were all different. The gazes of vigilance were always present, but there were also many people who couldn’t take their eyes off him because of his appearance, as well as those who looked at him with curiosity.
Hugo was worried about Leonardo in the midst of it, but unlike before when he seemed to be having a hard time, today he seemed nonchalant. Of course, he was probably trying, but he didn’t seem to be under unbearable stress.
After the two of them finally took their seats, the attention that had been focused on them quickly dispersed as soon as the meeting began. This was because the chief investigator began briefing on another presence that was as surprising as Leonardo’s existence.
Thanks to this, Leonardo, who was able to attend the meeting with a relatively comfortable mind, sat next to Hugo and listened to the situation report, inwardly admiring it. He had heard about it from Alex Siles, but their intelligence was not to be ignored.
The Council’s exploration team already knew of the Queen’s existence. They had deciphered the ancient characters on the monument in the structure, knew what ‘Elder Millie’ meant, and called the entity ‘the core’.
This core had been sealed for the past hundreds of years by a Magic Circle spanning the entire Peninsula, and its effectiveness was still clearly present. However, the chief investigator explained that the sealing power had weakened significantly, causing the consciousness of the sleeping entity to awaken, and fortunately, it was not yet in a state of complete liberation, so it was presumed to be tied to the center of the Magic Circle and unable to move freely.
The reason for the weakening of the seal was attributed to the active volcanic activity on the Peninsula in recent years.
First, volcanic activity raised the overall temperature of the Peninsula, creating clouds due to the influence of low pressure, and then heavy rains washed away the volcanic ash, revealing hidden ruins to the world.
And his argument was that these ruins were gradually losing their function as seals due to weathering and erosion, or by outsiders who had entered from the outside.
Leonardo, who had only guessed that the curved structures might have some meaning, couldn’t hide his surprise when he saw the Magic Circle drawn directly on the map of the Peninsula by the Council.
As he silently touched his lips, he then recalled the ruins that he had half blown away while trying to save Kenneth, who was surrounded by a swarm of Illaptor, and the huge roar that occurred immediately afterward.
The investigator said that the two huge roars that echoed throughout the Peninsula just recently may also have been a phenomenon caused by the significant damage to a ruin that formed a line of the Magic Circle somewhere on the Peninsula.
It was as if the chains that had been barely holding onto the core had broken a few strands, spurring the entity’s struggle as it waited for the time of complete resurrection.
However, he soon added that, based on the state of the Magic Circle and the ruins, apart from such temporary shocks, it was a natural course for the core to be liberated in some way, and it was estimated that the time was not far off. Then, a commander raised his hand and spoke.
“Then isn’t now the perfect opportunity? If we immediately enter the entity’s lair and attack before the seal is released, we can eliminate the core without great damage or depletion of forces.”
“That is the common line of thought, but the problem is that we cannot predict how the remaining demon beasts will move after only eliminating the core.”
The chief investigator had roughly grasped the system of the Peninsula, which was controlled by the King’s pheromones, by taking hints from the ‘Millie’ name, which was the origin of the word ‘honeybee’ inscribed on the monument, and the swarm of Illaptor concentrated in the center of the Magic Circle.
In other words, if they killed this core, which was preventing the demon beasts in the Peninsula from going out, there was a possibility that the demon beasts freed from the control of the pheromones would simultaneously rush out, attack humans, and cause chaos.
In addition, based on the birth of Deformed species and the food storage habits of demon beasts, which are mainly seen during the spawning season, he speculated that there would be several alternative entities and supporting forces to take on the role of the new King instead of the existing core, which could not produce normal individuals.
In conclusion, he added that simply eliminating the sealed core would not be a fundamental solution to eradicating the demon beasts of the Peninsula.
Leonardo, who had been listening intently, quietly nodded. Then, he leaned forward, noticing the assistant investigators bringing something in at the right time.
The investigator explained that it was a sample of an egg presumed to be the next core. It was almost identical in shape to the one found in Alec’s backpack, and it was the moment when the guy’s words that there was more than one egg were proven before his eyes.
Finally, the chief investigator explained that Dermokas’s act of running away with this egg even in moments of crisis suggested that the Dermokas were likely the largest force supporting the next core.
And he argued that the reason why their habitats or nests had not been found so far was because the energy of the entities, which mainly moved underground, had been suppressed by the huge Magic Circle.
In the same vein, he said that it was practically impossible to find and eliminate all of the next core that Dermokas was hiding unless the Magic Circle’s effect disappeared.
In other words, in order to achieve ‘perfect subjugation’, the effect of the Sealing Magic Circle had to be lifted, but if that happened, the core would be released and the situation would become complicated. On the other hand, if they eliminated the core first, there was a concern that the demon beasts would rush out, so they could not guarantee what would happen in the future.
In a word, it was a dilemma.
As the clue that seemed to be caught disappeared again into a distant maze, the meeting place was filled with commotion. As soon as the briefing ended, opinions were largely divided into two, leading to heated discussions.
“Whatever the situation, I think it’s right to eliminate the immediate goal first, rather than worrying about the future. We’ve almost identified the location of the core, so there’s no reason to leave it as it is.”
“It’s not drive, but recklessness to proceed with action without preparing measures against risk factors. It’s right to leave the core alone for now and reduce the number of demon beasts as much as possible as we are now, even if it takes some time.”
“But isn’t the seal that’s strangling the entity gradually being released? If the core is released at an unexpected time, the situation could get bigger.”
“If the core’s control disappears, the entities that can fly will be the first to go out of the Peninsula through the sky. Now that the primary Gate Defense has already been breached by illegal intruders, do you think the barrier above the Gate can withstand the numerous demon beasts trying to burst out?”
One commander vehemently preached a particularly negative view.
“Moreover, the barrier between Fidele Territory and the Peninsula has already weakened due to the demon beast attacks. If we’re not careful, the problem of the Peninsula could spread to our main territory.”
“The Peninsula is already our territory. And we can install additional barriers. Isn’t that why we bought Barrier Stones before starting the subjugation for this situation? If we keep looking at it from a negative perspective, nothing will work out.”
Both sides had valid points, but no appropriate alternatives were presented. Leonardo, who had been narrowing his eyes and carefully looking at the stuffed egg, listened to the commanders arguing among themselves and pondered.
‘Can’t we do both at the same time…?’
In fact, he had a scenario that he had been drawing in his head all along, but there were many things to worry about to readily bring it up.
It was a nonsensical operation based solely on theory, and all the evidence and support for it came from Alex Siles, so he had no idea how to explain it.
At that time, Isabella Roslin, the 12th Battalion Commander of the Southern Branch, raised her hand and asked in the midst of the chaotic meeting.
“Regarding the Queen’s ‘pheromones’ that the investigator mentioned earlier. Can’t we use that for the subjugation?”
Leonardo turned his head in that direction when he heard a question similar to his own thoughts. The chief investigator, who had stepped down from the platform and was about to return to his seat, also stopped at her words.
“If we enter the entity’s lair and threaten it, wouldn’t it summon its demon beasts to resist?”
The commanders who had been arguing also stopped talking and turned their heads. Meanwhile, Charlotte, the vice commander of the 9th Battalion of the Southern Branch, raised her hand as if she had been waiting and added.
“I also have the same thought as Battalion Commander Roslin. If the demon beasts are staying on this Peninsula because of the core’s control, I think they will definitely react to the pheromones that the core emits in moments of crisis. Moreover, it shows control even in a sealed state, so wouldn’t the core that is close to liberation have a more definite influence?”
“Are you saying that we should stimulate the core to attract the demon beasts, and then wipe them out all at once?”
When Bruno summarized and asked again, both Isabella and Charlotte affirmed. However, 3rd Battalion Commander Meterion had a skeptical reaction.
“It seems like a very dangerous idea since the state and power of the core have not been properly identified. Besides, there’s no guarantee that the demon beasts will move as we want, is there?”
Some commanders quietly nodded as if agreeing with his words. Dellua also seemed to have the same thought as Meterion this time, so she watched the situation without saying anything. It was then.
“But there is enough value in trying it now when there is no clear alternative.”
Rainer opened his mouth as if to support Charlotte’s opinion, who was the vice commander.
“Even if the entities don’t move according to our plan and we fail to annihilate them, we can buy enough time before they escape the Peninsula by laying Barrier Stones in all directions and activating Defense at regular intervals. Conversely, if we succeed, isn’t it the fastest and most certain way to end the subjugation at this point?”
The end of the subjugation. That was the wish of everyone here.
Whether it was because of the great impact it had, the opinions of the commanders who had been in turmoil began to gradually come together after Rainer’s words.