During the audience.
　Summoned in a hurry to the palace, I bowed to the Emperor Elisabeth in aristocratic manners and raised my head.

　The emperor--no, Elisa had become beautiful again.
　I've taken one year off from 9 years old to 10 years old, and I'm still very much the same physical child, but Elisa has become more mature and beautiful over the past year.

"I have answered the call, Your Majesty.
"Take it easy. You and I are friends, there is no need to be more humble than necessary.

　I don't know how the relationship between the emperor and the vice-emperor is usually, but I know that a more broken tone would be better.

"I understand, Your Majesty,
"Mm.

　Eliza nodded with satisfaction.

'Thank you for coming, Sir Alec.
What happened to you in such a hurry to get me?
You're right, I need you to do something for me ASAP.

　As the Emperor Elisabeth made her presence known, a group of mere servants without any official position brought something in.
　Attached to a board was a huge map with the map of the empire on it.

Is this ...... a rebellion?
"You are quick to understand, that's Sir Alec.

　Eliza nodded with satisfaction.
　On the map the servant brought, there's a part blacked out area around the northern frontier.

　In the framework that marks the governed area, the area is clearly filled in.
　The writing is immediately recognizable as 'rebellion'.

If you know it's a rebellion, you'll know what I mean.
I understand that, but why me?

　I take a breath and look around the audience chamber.
　There are officials, servants, and guards, but the person I'm trying to find is nowhere to be seen.

　Returning my gaze, I ask Eliza, "This is the strongest warrior in the empire.

"I think it would be more appropriate to send Horsen Chohi, the greatest warrior in the Empire, here.
"Sir, you're half right and half wrong.
What do you mean?
This rebellion is huge.
"Big?
It's the biggest one since I ascended the throne.

　Really? .......

"Therefore, to show the resolute will of the Empire, we must put an end to this at once by throwing in our strongest cards. Leaning back will sway the people's minds.
"Yes.

　That's quite true.

But the best tag is not Sir Chohi. Just you, Sir Alec.
"...... me?
Hmm. The strongest and highest-ranking person in the Empire, excluding me, the Vice-Emperor Alexander Carlisle. You are the strongest card in the Empire and the best example of your seriousness.
"I see.

　When you put it that way, it's true.

"Will you do it, Sir Alec?
Yes, I will. I'll do my best for you.

　I understood, and I readily agreed.
　Then Elisabeth smiled with satisfaction - and for some reason her face turned a little red.

　　　　　☆

　I went into battle with a crushing force.

　The strike force formed for the subdue, ten thousand of them.
　It was quite spectacular to see ten thousand troops just moving about.

　In the center, a gigantic portable shrine was on its way, protected by the army.
　Just riding on that five-meter square portable shrine makes me feel like I'm a person who can do anything.

It's about time to see the rebel stronghold, the seventh stronghold, Archaide.
I see. . ...... It's fine.

　I turned my head to the side.
　Riding on the same mikoshi, it was Eliza who gave me "the report.
　It was Eliza dressed as a maid to the general.

　I stifled my voice - no. I used a silencing spell to muffle my voice.
　I stifled my voice - no. I used a silencing spell and asked Eliza, "Why is Eliza with you?

"Why is Eliza with you?
I wanted to see everything with my own eyes.
"Then why didn't Eliza go to war? The emperor's personal conquest would be more serious than the vice emperor's.
It's not good enough. If I'm the emperor, things will get too big. It'll be too much for them to handle.
"...... You mean a political decision?
"That's right.

　Eliza replied with a wink.
　Emperor Eliza has a different charm and cuteness from the time of Emperor Eliza, but it's ...... but.

"Besides, if the emperor comes out and something goes wrong, we're in trouble. They will be desperate to get you.
Yeah, I can see that one.

　The emperor is absolute for the empire.
　If he were to die on the battlefield, the empire itself could collapse.


　The "emperor" should not go into battle unless he is very careful.

　Even vice emperor, no.
　There is such a gap between the emperor and the rest of the world that they can ultimately be classified as such.

You shouldn't have come to ...... to see for yourself in safety.
You know what I'm talking about.

　Eliza slapped me on the back even more happily.
　Well, if that's the case, it can't be helped.

And I want to see ...... cool Alec too. ......
"Hmm?　What did you just say?

　I missed Eliza's words, which were suddenly toned down because of the high tension right before.

It's nothing. I told her to let me go in case of an emergency.
I know. I will protect Eliza with my life.

　If something were to happen to the emperor, war would break out across the country and many people would be unhappy.
　This must be stopped at all costs.

...... ugh.

　Satisfied, Eliza smiles depressedly.
　Then she turns her gaze from Eliza to her original direction, to Arcadian.

Then we need to figure out a way to bring it down.
"No, that was the last one.
"Last?　Even if you don't want to.

　I looked down at the map in my hand.

　It was an enlarged map of the area, right on the front line of the rebel army, and it was clearly marked "Fort Alkayd".

Do we need to drop it here to get to the back?
Normally, yes, but they brought out the plum wards.
"Plum Wards?
One of the Great Magic . . a super-widespread wizarding wizardry that harnesses the magic of seven stars that coincide once every 100 years.
What's the effect?
"Did you notice the numbered forts?
"Yes.

　Eliza is right, each rebel fort on the map is assigned a number.

　The fort called Doube is numbered 1.
　Merak is numbered 2, Fekuda is numbered 3, Megrez is numbered 4, Alioto is numbered 5, Mizar is numbered 6.

　And here in front of us is the Archaide, 7.

What do these numbers mean?
You have to attack them in that order.
"Yeah?
As long as there are still a number of forts younger than that one to be exact, the soldiers there can't be hurt no matter what they do. They'll be invincible. So you have to drop one, then two, then three - in that order, that's the plow's warding.
"It's a messy magic.
"So true!　You can only use it once in a hundred years, so you can't be careful.

　Eliza, I know what you're thinking, but it's tricky.

　Still, it's tricky.

　I looked at the map again.
　The younger the numbers are, the younger the fort is positioned, the more protected the rebel backcountry is, in that order.
　Well, to hear the effect now, that's how I would place them.

So we have to drop it at the back, at number one Dube first.
"I see. ......

　I asked the Philosopher's Stone, which I carry on my person, just in case.
　The information I got from the Philosopher's Stone was exactly the same as Eliza's.
　Even with my SSS-ranked magic power, I can't hurt the soldiers of the seventh Arkadian fort.

　It's the way it is.

So we'll do a little detour.
"Oh, wait a minute,
"Huh?

　Surprised Eliza, I stood up and jumped off the portable shrine.

All troops stop. Wait here until further notice.

　A nearby commando heard my order and gave the order.
　The wave of orders spread, and the ten thousand troops stopped dead in their tracks.

Alec!
Wait there.

　Turned around, said to Eliza over her shoulder, and then stepped forward.

　Stand face-to-face with the Archaide, standing clearly out of ten thousand troops.

　Create the seven-colored magic spheres, kneading magic power.
　Collide the seven colored magic spheres together and make them one.

　The colliding magic spheres change color one by one.
　After the seven colors are blended together, the result is the color of nothingness.
　Although transparent, the color of nothingness is something different from complete transparency.

　It was emitted.

　The magic sphere morphed into a snarled shape and flew toward the fort in a line.
　A beam of nothingness, the most destructive offensive magic I can use.

　To my knowledge of the Philosopher's Stone, it's a broad-ranging magic of the strategic class.

　The next thing I knew, the fort was gouged.
　Just as I placed a hot iron bar on a block of ice, the fort was gouged cleanly into the shape of a beam.

　There was no debris, and what was once a fort vanished cleanly.



　My back was buzzing, and the suddenness of the event was upsetting, despite the fact that the soldiers were on my side.

"Alec!

　Eliza belatedly jumped off the mikoshi and stood beside me.

What was that?
Colorless beam--well, it's a hell of a destructive spell.
"It's funny, because the plough's magic circle protects you--
"It's a human thing. The fort is not protected.
"Huh?
See?

　I cast a telephoto spell on Eliza.

What is this!　Oh, I can see far away. ...... and everyone else is swooning!
They say that humans are unharmed, but there is no protection for anything else. So, if you blow up the whole fort, you'll be left with an unharmed human being, with no weapons and no armor.
"......

　Eliza exclaims.

"Yeah?　What's going on?　Still not convinced?
"...... not so funny to begin with,
"Huh?
Magic that blows up an entire fort isn't something you can use that easily.
...... that way.
"I think I already knew how great Alec was, but I guess I wasn't aware of it yet.

　Eliza was half dumbfounded and half happy to say.