"That is the bad news."
Fluder's voice was low.
"The enemy possesses sixty to seventy individuals at the Heroic Realm.
If they scatter, they would be more than capable of tearing apart the Empire's foundations."
He glanced at the elegant young emperor before him and added with a thin smile:
"The only good news… is that Your Majesty came here personally.
Your presence unified the Empire—and drew the enemy together into a single location.
They intend to stake everything on one decisive battle."
"...!"
A sudden cry broke the tension.
Nimble, who had been preparing to restrain the captives, let out a horrified gasp.
Jircniv frowned and turned—
All five captured shinobi were collapsing, blood running from their mouths, their bodies already lifeless.
"Your Majesty—Lord Fluder—I…!"
"This is not your fault. Leave us."
Jircniv dismissed him with a calm wave.
The wise and composed Bloody Emperor would never punish subordinates for matters beyond their control.
"Y-yes, Your Majesty."
After Nimble left, only the emperor and the Imperial Court Wizard remained.
Jircniv leaned back into the soft cushions, fingers pressing against his brow.
Before his lifelong teacher, he finally allowed the exhaustion he had concealed from others to surface.
Slowly, he spoke:
"The Empire possesses eight knight legions.
With the Seventh Legion destroyed, seven remain.
Each legion numbers around ten thousand knights—yet their average strength is merely Silver-rank, one tier lower than the enemy's."
He continued:
"The Royal Imperial Guard—eighty men—my personal elite, the most promising candidates to reach the Heroic Realm.
Their strength equals Gold-rank adventurers.
"The Royal Airborne Cavalry—mounted on tamed wyverns—around fifty warriors, their combined strength akin to Platinum-rank.
"The Silver Guard, my closest personal escort—only eighteen members.
Each one is at least Mithril-rank, and the captain stands within the Heroic Realm."
"And finally, the Imperial Magic Corps trained by Master Fluder.
In total, they can match an entire knight legion."
The more he spoke, the heavier his voice became.
"As for the Four Knights… the only one we can truly rely on now is Nimble."
Jircniv exhaled, shoulders stiff.
"And lastly… there is you, Master Fluder—who could annihilate the entire Imperial Army alone."
He straightened and met Fluder's thoughtful gaze, a touch of bitterness in his own.
"To think that even after building an Empire ten times stronger than the one I inherited…
I still need to rely on you, teacher."
Fluder stroked his beard, shaking his head gently.
"All things in this world—like the boundless domains of magic—can never be fully predicted.
Your Majesty's accomplishments already surpass those of all your predecessors.
There is no need for self-reproach.
Simply continue forward."
Jircniv inhaled deeply.
"Even if the enemy is powerful, seven thousand enemies cannot defeat seventy thousand Imperial soldiers.
As long as they are still human…"
He paused, his voice turning cold.
"…victory will eventually be ours.
The only questions are how heavy our casualties will be, and whether we can kill their leader—Hanzo of the Salamander."
If Hanzo escaped after a defeat, the resulting retaliation would drown the Empire in endless bloodshed.
Jircniv knew it.
And Fluder knew it.
"Master Fluder," the emperor said, eyes sharp, "I entrust the task of keeping Hanzo contained to you."
Fluder nodded—calm, confident, but with a spark of scholarly excitement.
He wished to dissect these strange invaders, to understand what made men surpass him in strength.
Perhaps the secret to transcending magic lies in these so-called shinobi…
Rain Village Military Camp
In the Rain Village central command tent, Hanzo the Salamander sat with one leg crossed, a row of kneeling officers before him.
His eyes shifted as the mother insect on the table stirred—a subtle signal.
"The five elite jōnin sent to assassinate the Emperor have been killed."
Rain's military used a new tool developed by Konoha's Academy—Chakra-Locating Insects, modified from the Aburame clan's parasites.
When a shinobi swallowed a micro-sized "child insect," the mother insect could sense its status from afar.
If necessary, predetermined signals triggered the child insect to release instant lethal toxins—preventing capture.
The mother insect's shudder told the whole story.
A strategist spoke up:
"To kill five elite jōnin… the Emperor must have a powerful defender at his side.
Most likely the Empire's guardian, Fluder."
Another strategist added respectfully:
"Rain Shadow-sama, please be extremely cautious in the upcoming battle."
Hanzo waved dismissively.
"War changes in an instant. Some things cannot be avoided.
But we already have a clear picture of the Empire's structure.
The real question is how to win beautifully—minimizing casualties while taking the entire Empire intact."
"Capture the king first," a strategist said crisply.
"If you take either the Emperor or the Imperial Court Wizard, the rest of the knight legions will almost certainly surrender."
Hanzo's eyes gleamed.
"Then our battle plan will revolve around that."
He swept his gaze across the tent, every officer stiffening under his presence.
"Everyone—
Let us turn this land into Rain Village's private back garden."
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