Frontline in the mountains 5

Coil called out, "Don't overthink it," then headed back to the tent.

Only I and Noel remained by the campfire.

"What was that all about? He suddenly started saying strange things."

"It's fine. I kind of understood it already. That's his way of being kind."

"Noel, do you think I'm not suited for war?"

"Huh! Well, um..."

"You can be honest with me, you know."

"Maybe I'm not cut out for battle. But that doesn't mean you're useless."

"Thanks. I'll think about it, just like you said."

"Right, you can always count on me. You're the one who's always slipping up, after all."

"I'll rely on you if things get serious."

"Leave it to me."

Did Noel's words help? I suddenly feel incredibly calm.

So, what should I do now?

It's true—I might not belong on the battlefield after all.

But if I retreat here, it'll be impossible to save William's father.

Worse, all the sacrifices he's made in battle up to now would be in vain.

And even if I do manage to save someone, what then? How many times do I plan to return to the battlefield?

What if war simply ended altogether...

Veronica said that if the cost of war became too great, it would eventually stop on its own.

What's keeping this war going on the brink right now is humanity's petrification.

Destroy even just the source of that phenomenon. In some cases, the central figures too...

It won't solve the root cause. But it can stop the war from dragging on indefinitely.

"Tarou, she's awake."

William's eyes opened.

He immediately rushed to the cargo platform.

"William, are you alright?"

"Tarou-san...! Everyone...!"

Even though William couldn't move his body, he conveyed his urgency with just his gaze.

"I'm sorry. The Empire has won this battle."

"I see..."

William shed tears and cried silently for a while.

I could only watch him in silence.

Eventually, exhausted from crying, he fell into quiet, peaceful sleep.

"Your head feel cold now?"

Alex, who had quietly appeared behind him, spoke up.

"Yeah, it's cooled down nicely."

"What are we going to do about it, then?"

This time, Coil, who had gathered nearby, asked.

Noel remained silent beside me.

"We'll end this war ourselves."

Brrr.

Noel, who had just taken a sip of water, reacted with a cartoonish expression of shock.

"It's not just cooled down—it feels like it's boiling over."

Coil, meanwhile, was clutching his head.

"I'm not saying we need to pull off some grand maneuver."

"What exactly is a grand maneuver if not ending the war?"

"Empress Veronica said that a war ends when the ability to continue fighting is lost..."

"Then how do we eliminate that ability to fight?"

"Destroy the kingdom's weapons—especially that abnormal gemstone... let's call it a body gemstone. Prioritize destroying that."

Everyone was overwhelmed.

"There's still room for consideration, I suppose. But really—can't they fight even without powerful magic stones? Soldiers, after all, would use swords if magic stones aren't available, and if no swords, then trees. It'd just be a circular logic, wouldn't it?"

Coil's point was utterly valid. Yet, it wasn't the kingdom's soldiers who needed to prove they couldn't fight.

"The goal is to make the soldiers' superiors, and even the king himself, realize that the kingdom's combat strength has been lost. Force them to choose options other than fighting."

"I understand the objective, but how exactly do you plan to carry this out?"

"We'll directly invade the kingdom and destroy the weapons factories."

Alek and Coil groan, covering their heads. Noel's energy spikes.

"How exactly do you plan to invade the kingdom, Taro?"

"Successful infiltration methods are airborne drops or disguise!"

"Only Taro can handle the former. The latter is out of the question. Right now, the kingdom is on high alert—every supply entering the country is inspected, and identity verification is required."

"Two people could be smuggled in together, though."

Alek furrows his brow, deep in thought. Just a little more effort...!?

"Hey, can I say something? I also have doubts about breaking into the kingdom. Even if we managed to get near the palace, where would we hide? Do we even know where the factory is?"

"That... I'll figure that out now."

Koil's comment instantly exposes the haphazard plan.

An awkward silence settles.

"Hey! You two! Don't worry about the details! This guy's Taro! Don't dismiss it before even thinking it through."

The two are overwhelmed by Noelle's illogical, forceful words.

"F-fufu, haha..."

Aleks can't help but laugh at the sheer suddenness.

"You're right... I might have been too negative. We still have time. Let's just think it over a bit more."

"Yeah... We're already free to begin with. Maybe we can afford to think a little more flexibly."

"That's right!...But what now?"

Noel looks over at him, appearing genuinely at a loss.

"First, I think we should infiltrate the kingdom from above."

"Indeed, no objections there. The kingdom is currently on full alert. Any designated entry points will surely be inaccessible."

"Next, we need to decide where to hide."

"Back when I was a noble, the land I once maintained remains unused. Naturally, there are still many vacant houses. There's also ample space available."

"Good. I'll leave the hiding spot to Alex."

"Anyway, just how far do we need to go to achieve our goal?"

"Our objective is to destroy the fusion chamber where humans and spirit stones merge. That's what's causing the war to spiral into chaos."

"The kingdom is vast. We have no idea where the laboratory is located."

"Isn't that simple?"

Coil spoke with a smug air.

"Simple?"

"Yeah. All the ones with abnormal spirit stones embedded in them so far have been mercenaries or people gathered for this war. So if we volunteer under the guise of joining the war, we'll be able to gather information, won't we?"

"That's too dangerous. Besides, who exactly is volunteering? Me and Alex have faces that are already ruined."

"I don't have any combat ability either. That means... "

Naturally, everyone's gaze turned to Noel.