Very quickly, after assembling troops centered around the First, Fourth, and Fifth Legions, the joint forces of the Inquisition and the Royalist Army set out at once, advancing toward the Royal City.
This time, Shira did not remain with the Guard as before. After all, she was now the Emperor. Although the news had not yet spread and only a portion of the high command knew, as the Emperor of Herman, she obviously could not be placed in danger again.
Thus, Shira became Duanmu Huai's attendant—after all, there was no safer place than by his side.
Soon, as the Emperor-class Titan activated, the entire army began its march toward the Royal City.
On the Council's side, they responded as expected.
"They've deployed a large number of soldiers."
Duanmu Huai glanced at the footage transmitted back by the Valkyrie gunship. As the army advanced, countless soldiers clad in golden armor emerged from the Royal City, sealing off the streets and city gates. At the same time, a square-shaped luminous barrier appeared above the Royal City, enveloping the entire inner city.
"That is the royal defensive barrier."
Though merely a puppet Emperor, Shira still knew what she was supposed to know. She quickly explained to Duanmu Huai.
"I don't fully understand the principles behind it. I only know that it was left behind long ago by the Holy Demon Order that once resided here, meant to protect the core district. No one can break through this barrier. Once inside it, their flesh will be completely melted away, leaving only bones and armor… Only members of the royal family can activate it. At present, the one who activated it should be my… mother."
At this point, Shira's expression darkened. No matter what, that was still her mother. Yet from childhood to now, the woman had never treated her like a daughter. Even when she was imprisoned by Stisser, her mother chose that man instead of her…
"So you're saying that even if we defeat them, we won't be able to enter the core district?"
After hearing Shira's explanation, Duanmu Huai frowned.
"Is there any other way? Secret passages or something?"
"Of course there are."
"Then there's no problem."
Duanmu Huai made the decision decisively.
"We'll first encircle the entire Royal City. Then we'll enter the palace through the secret passage. After that, you'll deactivate the barrier. Then we capture Chancellor Stisser and the Council members, wrap things up neatly. Any objections?"
"...…No."
"Hm? You don't seem very excited."
Seeing Shira's somewhat dispirited expression, Duanmu Huai looked at her curiously. She nodded.
"Yes. I actually regret it… If I had known this would happen, I should have stepped forward earlier and told everyone the truth…"
The reason she did not say aloud was simple. At the beginning, she could not determine the true nature of the Royalist Army. Though she was a canary locked in a cage, that did not mean she was foolish. If the Royalist Army or the Inquisition harbored ill intent, she would merely be escaping a tiger's den only to enter a wolf's lair.
But along the way, she had seen how the Inquisition and the Royalist Army helped the people of Herman. Her worries gradually diminished—though even so, she still could not bring herself to casually reveal her secret.
Until now.
"Regret is meaningless, especially regret over things that have already happened."
Duanmu Huai glanced at Shira, then looked away.
"We don't know what Stisser is plotting, nor what he possesses. We made decisions based on the intelligence available to us, and those decisions brought about the current result. That's enough. Whether that result satisfies everyone is another matter entirely."
In truth, Duanmu Huai understood Shira's thoughts very well. Many who yearn to foresee the future feel this way. But in his view, regretting established reality is pointless. For example, if they had known in advance that Stisser would slaughter the entire city, they would certainly have attacked the Royal City directly instead of liberating other regions first.
But the problem was—they didn't know!
So this is how it turned out.
What else could be done?
Certainly not regret. What's done is done. Regret changes nothing. What must be done now is to consider new countermeasures based on the current situation.
So, would possessing the ability to foresee the future have prevented this?
Perhaps.
But perhaps it would have created an entirely different future—possibly an even worse one.
If they had foreseen the future and rushed to the Royal City with thunderous force, they might indeed have prevented the massacre. But perhaps Stisser would have escaped instead, triggering a catastrophic disaster that plunged the entire Herman Kingdom—even the world—into crisis.
At that point, perhaps they would begin regretting having changed the future in the first place.
After all, the deaths of a city's population and the deaths of an entire continent are completely different matters.
You see, regret has no meaning. Even if you reload and try again, it doesn't mean you'll achieve the ending you desire.
Thus, foreseeing the future is actually a very foolish thing. In Duanmu Huai's view, any kind of foresight is like forcibly adding a single fixed choice into an otherwise free sandbox game.
If that choice didn't exist, you might freely act according to your own will.
But once given a direction, your options shrink to only three: follow that future, prevent that future, or ignore it.
"Don't always think about taking shortcuts. Humans must do what humans are meant to do—exert their utmost and then accept fate; know fate, yet never neglect human effort. Regretting an irreversible situation is both foolish and meaningless. What we must do now is consider how to deal with it!"
"...…"
Shira was startled by Duanmu Huai's words, but she quickly pulled herself together and nodded firmly.
"I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Lord Inquisitor."
"Good. We've reached our destination."
As he spoke, Duanmu Huai looked ahead—the gates of the Royal City were clearly visible.
"Attack!"
With Duanmu Huai's command, the battle began.
The Titan raised its arm. In the next instant, a blue plasma beam burst forth, striking the city gate directly. Amid an earth-shattering explosion, the entire gate along with the nearby walls was obliterated. Then, led by the Poisonblade heavy tanks, the Leman Russ tank columns and the Fourth Legion charged in.
The ground assault employed infantry–armor coordination: tanks provided cover while soldiers launched assault attacks. Considering this was urban combat in narrow streets, it was a relatively suitable tactic. Strictly speaking, however, this form of coordination was not fully modernized—after all, the soldiers carried cold weapons rather than firearms. Only the mages positioned behind them somewhat resembled a modern heavy firepower battalion.
But Duanmu Huai saw nothing wrong with it. Who says melee combat can't coordinate with tanks? Melee is the bravest, most glorious, most prideful form of battle. Not like those effeminate Tau cowards who only dare hide behind robots with guns and take potshots. What kind of skill is that?
A bunch of trash! Cowards! Fish-faced aliens without noses! Pointless, grotesque, sneering, unemployed mongrels!
Duanmu Huai swore that if he encountered those damned bastards preaching the "Greater Good" again in this world, he would lead the Inquisition to annihilate every star system those scum had tainted—leave none alive.
But for now, he focused on the battle before him.
Facing the Inquisition's overwhelming firepower, the soldiers clad in golden armor showed no fear. On the contrary, they charged straight toward the advancing army without hesitation!!
And then—
"Boom boom boom!!!"
A series of explosions erupted, instantly engulfing those soldiers in flames. Yet this did not halt those behind them. They continued their charge, passing through smoke and the corpses of their comrades, rushing forward.
And then—
"Boom boom boom!!!"
Another chain of explosions rang out—but this time, the blasts did not come from the armored units.
"We're under attack!"
Soon, Maria's anxious voice sounded in Duanmu Huai's ear.
"What's happening?"
"Those soldiers seem to have some kind of special equipment—they explode!"
So not only fearless soldiers—but suicide bombers as well?
What a nuisance…
Duanmu Huai frowned and immediately issued orders.
"Contact Anne and Guleya. Have them lead the mage units and maximize fire coverage as much as possible. Also—capture a few alive!"
"Yes!"
Anne acted swiftly, but…
"We can't capture any alive."
Standing before Duanmu Huai, Anne looked helpless.
"Because they're already dead!"
As she spoke, Guleya brought forth a frozen soldier. Through the ice, everyone could clearly see a rotting, shriveled face—like a mummy or dried corpse. Just as Anne said, this was no living person.
"Have you determined their operating principle?"
"Partially."
Hanna frowned, gazing at the soldier with visible disgust.
"Based on our research, they implant specially manufactured metal into corpses and use magic to exert limited control over them… Of course, this can indeed be considered a form of magitech…"
"A solution?"
"It's difficult. They only receive limited commands. Their brains retain nothing but the instinct to attack. They don't think for themselves. To eliminate them, we must destroy the core…"
As she spoke, Hanna held up a metal sphere.
"This thing. But it's embedded within their bodies, making it extremely difficult to destroy."
"So someone is controlling these dead bodies with this device? Then if we find the source, we can break the control?"
"In theory. If they can receive control, then control should be able to be severed."
"Good. I understand."
Duanmu Huai nodded, then turned to Shira, who stood nearby.
"Well then, Your Majesty—please lead the way."
(End of Chapter)