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Soldiers could be seen rushing to and fro in fortresses and strongholds, bringing around an endless stream of logistical supplies with them.

All military supplies had been made available to all of the soldiers without any limits, be it weapons, arrows, magic tools, armor, or steeds. Brawny knights excitedly tried out new armor. Staff-wielding magicians organized their new array of magic tools with smiles.

The soldiers’ excitement was palpable even though they were about to march off to war soon. Never had they fought a war so wealthily before.

Quality of equipment had a great influence on a soldier’s survival rate, but it was difficult to properly equip all three million soldiers stationed on the eastern border, not to mention that military supplies often required maintenance and replacements.

Even obtaining newer armor would require two rounds of approval, and it would only be distributed to those who needed it the most. Such free distribution of military supplies was unprecedented in the history of the eastern border.

It was no wonder the soldiers were excited.

Roel watched this scene from the fortress walls with a chuckle. He turned to the person responsible for this, the logistical chief of the united army, and asked, “Are you sure the Sorofya House can bear this burden?”

“It’s fine. We established strict controls on the distribution of military supplies to ensure long-term resource sustainability on the battlefield, but there’s no need to do that anymore,” Charlotte replied as she watched the soldiers joyfully pick their weapons.

“Humankind is over if we lose the upcoming battle. No amount of resources and money can save us once that happens. It’d be more worthwhile to stake our entire fortune here.”

“That might be so, but this scale is still ridiculous…” Roel replied as he recalled the long queues of carriages delivering weapons to the fortresses.

“Well, the Sorofyas have completely squandered our fortune for this.” Charlotte dropped a bomb.

“Ah?!” Roel was taken aback by that news. “Doesn’t that mean that…”

“Yes, the Sorofyas are on the verge of bankruptcy. Our finance was about to reach the bottom anyway, so we’re staking it all on this.”

“…A gamble, is it?”

“Indeed. If we win, we’d resolve a major threat to humankind. The Sorofyas will be handsomely rewarded for this investment. Conversely, everything would be reduced to dust if we lose. That’s the kind of bet this is.” Charlotte turned to Roel with glowing emerald eyes. “It doesn’t seem like my way of doing things, right?”

“I must concede it really doesn’t feel like you… but it’s understandable.”

“Oh? What makes you say that?”

“You’re a descendant of the Sofyas’ lineage, a house of naval explorers. It might be in your blood to take such huge risks. Perhaps that’s the reason you got along well with Isabella,” Roel said as he reminisced about the Golden Fleet from centuries ago.

The Sorofyas might have transitioned from naval explorers to the richest house in the Sia Continent over the generations, they still retained the boldness of adventurers in their bones.

Charlotte took a trip down memory lane too and muttered, “Isabella? I guess so, but it’s not as if it’d be the end of me once the Sorofyas go bankrupt.”

“You have a secret hand?”

“Of course. Shouldn’t my debtor take responsibility for me if I go bankrupt, Mister Roel?”

“Pfft. Is that your backup plan?” Roel chuckled.

Charlotte took this opportunity to pursue the matter. “3,114,500 gold coins, and that’s not factoring in interest yet—you’re the Sorofyas’ biggest private debtor. I’d be forced to live on the streets if you refuse to take responsibility.”

“I’ll take responsibility, but just to be clear, my debt should be canceled once the Sorofya Merchant Association closes down, right?”

“Are you going to shirk your debt? Mister Roel, when did you become so despicable?”

“I don’t plan to shirk my debt. I simply prefer to help you in my capacity as your fiancé,” Roel said as he reached out to grab Charlotte’s hand.

Charlotte pouted in dissatisfaction as she replied, “Darling, you’re sly.”

“Haha! I’ll take that as a compliment. I don’t have the means to pay that much money, after all.”

“Won’t you consider selling yourself to me? I’ll give you a good price.”

“Why would you buy something that’s already yours?”

Roel embraced Charlotte and took this opportunity to blow a warm stream of air into her ear, which caused her to squirm in embarrassment. He immediately retreated after the successful counterattack, and Charlotte turned her blushing face away.

“Stop playing around. It’s about time,” Charlotte said.

“You’re going to make a breakthrough?” Roel asked.

“Mmhm,” Charlotte replied with a nod.

Roel lowered his gaze and fell into deep thought.

While he was worried about Nora as well, Nora had a strong and resilient character, so he thought that there was a good chance of her overcoming this ordeal and successfully reaching Origin Level 1.

However, it was a different story for Charlotte.

He hadn’t fought alongside Charlotte often. The last time they fought together was during their time in the academy. She, as the Sorofyas’ successor, belonged more to the world of banquets and balls. The battlefield was not where she should be.

If his impression of Nora was a warrior devoted to ridding evil and injustice from the world, Charlotte would be an acute business mogul who maneuvered the world’s finances from her posh office. Given so, it was hard for him not to be worried about Charlotte.

Of course, he was aware that Charlotte had fought on the frontlines, and her strength had grown by leaps and bounds since then. Still, it was hard for him to put his mind at ease, as it felt like he was sending his virtuous wife to the battlefield.

“Are the preparations for your breakthrough in place?”

“Yes, Rosa’s preparations are thorough. I have calculated the ideal timing through The Arbiter too. Don’t worry; I’ll be fine.”

“To be honest, I don’t want you to take this risk.”

“That won’t do. I want to stay by my darling’s side, and Rosa needs an Origin Level 1 transcendent too,” Charlotte replied earnestly.

Roel sighed. He took a step forward and sealed Charlotte’s lips.

Charlotte was flustered by his advance, but she didn’t reject him. Their lips intersected, as a stream of hot energy flowed into her body.

“Darling, this is?”

“My blood. It contains Sia’s power. It should aid your breakthrough.”

“Thank you, darling.”

“You should thank me when you’re back.”

“All right,” Charlotte replied before reluctantly bidding Roel farewell.

Shortly after they parted ways, the fortress sent out a notice for all magic tools to be temporarily deactivated. The two princesses were going to begin their breakthrough.

…

Nora’s and Charlotte’s breakthroughs were a huge matter for humankind. The military potential of two Origin Level 1 transcendents could not be made light of, even in the ancient era.

Roel was so concerned about it that he couldn’t shrug off his unease. It was just that there was no end to the amount of work on his hands, so much so that he had no time to dwell on anything else.

Their greatest priority now was to decide on their war strategy and manpower allocation.

This was going to be a battle of epic proportions, involving all three million human soldiers on the eastern border, but their goal was clear: they would deliver Roel into the Abyss, where he would use Sia’s Scepter to absorb the Savior’s mana and defeat the Savior.

From the skirmishes between the humans and the Fallens, the united army had concluded that the Fallens’ military prowess far surpassed the deviants’. The million Fallens stationed in the imperial capital were superior to the three million human soldiers stationed on the eastern border.

Humankind had no hope of overrunning the imperial capital, so Roel would have to sneak into the imperial capital with a small team of elites while the united army distracted the Fallens with a feint attack.

After careful discussion, they decided that the team should have only a thousand personnel.

A thousand people was a drop in the ocean given the scale of the imperial capital, but last-minute experiments conducted over the last few days had led specialists to conclude that the risk of being discovered by the Fallens significantly increased if there were more than a thousand people in the team.

To ensure Roel reached the Abyss, each member of the team had to be picked with great care. The first candidate on the list was naturally Wilhelmina.

Roel grimly looked at the armored woman seated across the table. A brief moment of silence lingered between them before he finally said, “Mina, you should stay with the united army. They need someone to lead them.”

“Perhaps, but that’s not where I should be. I am your knight. I’ll stay with you.”

“…What if I request you to stay behind?”

“I’ll first fight on the frontline before chasing after you alone.” Wilhelmina obstinately refused to change her mind.

Roel knew there was no way to dissuade Wilhelmina, so he decided not to even try anymore. Instead, he changed the topic and asked about another matter. “Mina, is your heart… still doing well?”

“Mmhm. The Knight Kingdom conducted many physical checks after I returned. The results show that not only am I fine, but my condition is even better than before.”

“That’s a relief to hear.” Roel heaved a sigh of relief.

Indestructible Body was an extremely powerful buff, so much so that even a portion severed from him could greatly strengthen Wilhelmina’s constitution. Roel was delighted with how it had turned out.

“Mina, you can join my team, but you have to promise me you wouldn’t do anything dangerous.”

“I can promise you that.”

“By ‘dangerous’, I mean you can’t take attacks on my behalf, too. No harm should fall upon you, even if it’s for my sake.”

“…” Wilhelmina’s eyes reflected her reluctance to accept Roel’s request.

However, Roel wasn’t opening this matter to negotiation. Words couldn’t describe how awful he felt when Wilhelmina suffered severe injuries and nearly died trying to protect him. He suddenly felt like life had lost all meaning.

That crash of emptiness and sorrow was something he would never forget.

“I don’t want to experience that a second time. Mina, promise me, all right?”

“…All right. I had the same thought in mind too.”

“You did?”

“I don’t want to die either. I have only just confessed, and our relationship has barely started. There’s no way I could let it end just like that.” Wilhelmina raised her head to look at Roel with amber eyes filled with inextinguishable warmth.

Roel was startled, but his expression soon mellowed down. He answered with a nod as he hardened his determination once more.

Be it for Wilhelmina, his friends and family, or the soldiers who would soon march into battle alongside him, he had to defeat the Savior. This was not just his wish but the millennia-old wish of the Ascarts’ lineage.

It was beginning to sink in just how much he was carrying on his shoulders.

With that, Roel had no choice but to accept her on the team. “We’re both shouldering the hopes and dreams of our predecessors. Let’s pave a future for humankind together.”

Roel gently held Wilhelmina’s hands while firmly exchanging gazes with her, and the two smiled.

…