Mike, who was writing in his own tent, felt the faintest movement of air on his skin.
　Normally, he would have to be wary of assassins, but this was the innermost part of the camp, which had been fortified tenfold and twentyfold by soldiers.
　On top of that, in the surrounding darkness, a few handlers dispatched from the Igazakishu are following Mike, who has been entrusted with the second-in-command as a bodyguard, at his side.
　There are only a few assassins who can break through those defenses so quietly that you can count them on one hand.
　And it's hard to believe that an assassin with that much skill would be hired to target a second-in-command like Mike. If they were to go after him, they would go after Mikoshiba Ryoma's life directly.
　If that was the case, there was only one answer left.

''What's going on?''

　Without moving his gaze from the parchment at hand, Mike asked quietly.　
　With those words, a man was down on one knee in front of Mike.

'Excuse me for the evening. The Master of the House would like to see you.'

Young?　I see, Ipyros has contacted you.

　At the words of the messenger, whose face was hidden by the mask, Mike asked quietly, without any sign of surprise.
　At first I was quite flustered, but after repeated many times, I got used to it naturally.

'Yes, sir. I have just given you the word from the head of the Ipiros, who is hiding in the Ipiros, and Oyagata-sama has asked me to call you, Mike.

So that must have gone well for you, Jinni-dono.

　The shadow answered Mike's question with silence.
　It is extremely rare for a shadow to speak words other than its role.
　Of course, he hasn't completely abandoned his human emotions, such as joy, anger, sorrow and joy, but he is extremely unlikely to show them in the course of his duties.

'What else, young man?'

No, sir. He just asked me to call on Lord Mike.

Well all right. Thank you.

　At Mike's words, the shadow silently nodded a small nod, and then melted its figure into the darkness again.

''Hmmm........So for now everything is working according to the young man's intentions......the problem is after this.

　Quickly putting away the brushes and papers he had spread out on his desk, Mike sat deep in his chair and looked up to the heavens.
　He sat deep in his chair and looked up to the heavens, his eyes staring blankly at the sky, his brain was buried in a sea of thoughts.
　Normally, when you are summoned by your master, you should go to him as soon as possible.
　But Mike's master has a very different personality than most masters.
　Why did he call you? What is the problem? How should we move forward? What are the risks?　The benefits?
　Ryoma's way of asking the people around him for their opinions after considering various factors, he would never allow them to answer that they just went out immediately because they were called.
(How do you move?)　As for Iphiroth, it's just as the young man had planned.
　While it is true that gaining victory is the ultimate goal of the battle, the way to win is also important since this battle has already confirmed victory.
　At the very least, there is no need to wear out your own troops by attacking Ipyros with force in this battle.
(Besides, we need to make preparations for the next battle...)
　If he won this battle, Mikoshiba Ryojin would establish control over the northern part of the Roserian Kingdom.
　In other words, he would crush the ten northern families and take the territory they hold.
　And what would be created after that would be the vast Baron Mikoshiba territory, which would occupy nearly a quarter of the kingdom.
　It's the equivalent of creating a country that is comparable to a duchy in both name and reality.
　But that's a situation that Lupis Roserian, who became king of the Roserian Kingdom, absolutely could not overlook.　
(At the time, I never thought it would come to this.)
　A bitterness passed through Mike's chest.
　Originally, both Mikoshiba Ryoma and Lupis had joined hands together during the previous civil war.
　The group of mercenary groups led by Ryoma and Rionne, who were in an unexpected predicament due to the scheming of Walls, the head of Fulzard's guild, desperately wanted a strong backing to protect themselves.
　At the same time, Princess Lupis, who was overwhelmingly outnumbered at the time, was craving for someone who could break the deadlock.
　One was capable but powerless, and the other was powerful but weak.
　The meeting of these two was a fate that could only be described as a gift from heaven.
　If the relationship between the two men had remained good, the story might have been handed down for a thousand years as an epic heroic tale, the "Saga".
　However, the honeymoon couldn't last for long.
　It was right after the end of the civil war that the relationship between the two sides began to sulk.
(Well, it's not hard to understand Queen Lupis' feelings.
　For Mike, who had lived in the strict status system of the Earth World from the moment he was born, the fear Lupis felt was understandable.
　Although it's not clear whether it was someone who put him up to it or whether it was the result of his own deliberation, Lupis planned to seal up Mikoshiba Ryoma in the Woltenia Peninsula and tame him.
　To a ruler, there was nothing more terrifying than a competent person of low status.
　And moreover, this was a time of warring states.
　It's hard to trust even parents and siblings unconditionally in these times.
　So, when you add someone under your command who is capable and untrustworthy, you have two choices: kill them mercilessly or take a leap of faith.
　There are only two options: kill them mercilessly, or lock them up in a deserted job or outlying area and tame them so they can't make the leap.
　From that point of view, Lupis' choice could still be called a moderate decision.
　It's obvious that choosing to kill him would have no consequences.
　But that is just the arrogance of those in power.
　And once the buttons have been crossed, the gap between the two sides is widening.
　The serpent that was set loose in the field continued to feed on its prey and sharpen its venomous fangs.


　Finally, the thought came together and Mike slowly sat up and left the tent.

'A good month...'

　Mike smiled fiercely as he looked up at the full moon peeking out from between the clouds.
　Yes, a reddish moon as if to suggest the battle to come........