The Most Powerful Wizard's Scheme of Seclusion

His reply to Cisernia's question was a perfect smile that left no room for doubt.

There was no way out for Ars if Beric asked him to do so with his eyes as well. I'll try to rouse him somehow by telling him that this is just an explanation and that he was called here for this role.

I shift in my seat so that the two men in front of me split up.

Scratching the back of his head rudely, Ars stepped in between them and began to open his mouth.

'Then, ladies and gentlemen, the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "bad food" is the great disasters of the past. I'm sure some of you don't understand all the details of it, so I'll be brief. First of all, when a demon eats a person, its purpose is to increase its own power by absorbing magic power. It activates the cells, so to speak, the evolution of the race. The more magic power they absorb, the more rapidly they evolve, so if any country fails to defeat them, they will try their best to free the highest-ranking magician in their squad. This is because normal demons have a long period of time to replace the magic power they have absorbed with their own magic power. It's normal for them to eat one, or at most two people. During that time, the magic power of a mage who died at the same time as rigor mortis will be shed as residue outside the body in roughly 12 hours, so demons will instinctively tend to absorb the one with the highest quality and quantity of magic power in preference.

The biggest disaster ever was the progression due to the estimated SS rate. Initially, they changed their appearance at a dizzying pace and grew more vicious due to predatory behavior during the defeat. This led to it being called instant food absorption [bad food].

At that time, the territories and borders were so fuzzy that they couldn't be called the seven nations, so there was confusion in the chain of command. Spurred on by this, the worst thing that could have happened was that the first rank died and was absorbed by the demons.

I looked around at the faces of all the lords and saw that they had been able to keep up with me so far.

''It seems that the organs that bad food replaces are somehow abnormally developed. If I were to compare it to a human, it would be the digestive system. Hundreds of times in the same amount of time, probably in different individuals, but more than a hundred at a time absorption. More than two levels in rate.

The pallor on his face is probably due to a lifeless explanation: even the S-rate is a threat to the survival of the nation. If a single country deals with it, it would cause enormous damage and would not have a reliable chance of winning.

There are two stages, or the possibility of a repeat of the past: the SS rate.

'I'm not optimistic, but it's probably too soon to despair. The great disasters of the past have eaten away at the first place, but my personal opinion is that even the first place then is estimated to be about two orders of magnitude higher than it is now. That's how advanced modern magic science has become. The information currently known alone is at least an S-rate, and I don't want to think about it any more than that... it sounds like a pain in the ass.

Of course, the demons of those days can't be used as they were, but it would be wise not to talk about them here.

Since the disaster, the number of new demons has continued to increase, and to date, there are more than 300 of them. Even so, dozens of confirmed reports are still promulgated between countries each year. This can be seen as a result of the improvement in the quality of the wizards, but the truth is still unknown. Some people believe that they have evolved on their own, or that they have mutated due to cannibalism.

''It's called bad eating because it absorbs such an enormous amount of magical power. It's a bit of a hypothesis, but there are extant reports that say this is a dependence on digestion. But it depends on the findings, so I don't approve of it from a theoretical standpoint. In other words, bad food can be absorbed, but it doesn't replace everything in the body. Of course we can't be sure. It may be a bit of a meanderer, but the point is that if you can buy them time without defeating them, you're good to go. If we can get them to retreat, we can call it a success... maybe.

'Something like this, I suppose,' he concludes, and when he doesn't seem to have any questions, Ars takes a step back.

How nice it would be if we could just keep going to the door.

I feel like my body is leaning more toward the door, but it's a minor resistance that projects Ars's will.

It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.

''Let's immediately assemble the mage troops from each country to Balmes.

So I suppose we should limit ourselves to mages in the double digits and above.

Proposals for countermeasures began to be made, but they weren't done with Cicerunia yet.

''Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, let's ask Lord Holtal to confirm this. It is important to share information, and I'm sure the Balmes State is more aware of the current situation in detail than you are.

All eyes are on Holtal, who is paragraphing as if in contemplation. The movement without a moment's hesitation, like the formation, may not be the intended reaction.

It's probably not just that they can't even begin to formulate a countermeasure without accurately assessing the level of danger. The expressions on his face were all laden with the hope that they were all wrong in some way. And if he could, this one word, "The body has been recovered" would still save him.

Such faint hopes popped like a blister, with a sure sound in front of his eyes.

In the gloomy silence, Holtal kept his eyes on the tabletop, chewed his lower lip to curl it up and shook his head slowly.

''There's only one returnee........'' The survey team that also did the recovery has been out of contact for two weeks now.'

Oh....

Such lamentable disappointment escaped from somewhere, and there was no one in the room to blame. Already a calculation was being made in the brain to improve the odds.

There are only three heads of heads of state here who are not familiar with the outside world, and the Governor, the head of the army, including Bellick, so it could be said that the majority of people cannot decide on this in one fell swoop.

''By the way, Ars, how much force would you throw at them?''

As Cicernias administered a sedative to the air that was beginning to become cluttered, Ars took a beat as he stared at the back of his shiny black hair behind him.

This head of the head, who doesn't even turn his face to look at her, has a tone of voice that sounds like he might be singing a song, as if he's enjoying the reactions of those around him with his remarks.

''I suppose I'll have to let out all the single mages. It's not a good idea to get a lot of information about the demons, so we can't deny the lack of information about the demons, so we'll just surround them with two or three digits and see what happens with the simultaneous radiation of top-level magic from a remote location. However, time is limited, and even if they come close to the defense line, even if they are defeated, they will have to be prepared for the destruction of half of Barmes. Probably more than half of the single magicians won't make it out alive.

Holtal, who was covered in greasy sweat on the Balmes half-breaking, was unable to speak as he raised his ragged breaths. Which head should I bow to now? It's only because I think of my home country that I've acted in secret, but I didn't expect this much damage, I'm even afraid of my own ignorance.

It's the same for other countries. Even if we rallied one single magician in our own country, we feared losing them, and even if we succeeded in defeating them, our national power would be dampened and we would have to be on the defensive for a few years.

Maybe a few years would still be good, the existence of single mages is that overwhelming. Perhaps it's more likely that they won't be able to develop a mage of the same caliber in their lifetime.

It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

''You're not one of them, are you?''

..........

Taking this silence as an affirmation, Cisernia continues.

'Wouldn't Ars be able to defeat it?'

No, it's as good as it gets, and we're fighting each other...

Berrick interrupts the words and reminds me here and there in a bland manner.

The Zentrais you recaptured, you single-handedly defeated the S-rate. You don't lose that easily.

What!　 One person, for example........

The voice of authenticity is prematurely and powerlessly sidelined. The man, who looked at the quizzical atmosphere around him, saw in his eyes an earnest wish for it to be so rather than a uniform denial.

After swallowing all the saliva in his mouth, the man continues with a strange idea.

''So, if there are eight single wizards joined by Lord Ars, wouldn't that mean that defeating them is a certainty?

There are a number of reasons for this. This is a very good thing, as it means that we have to get our chain of command in place and set up our base of operations right away.

The heavyweights who unconsciously nodded, their eyes blazing as if they had found a ray of light.

''Who said I was going to participate. Sorry, but we don't want that kind of trouble.''

What the f*ck?

The voice simmering with rage could be said to be quicker to rebuild than those around him who were taken aback.

However, even Ars couldn't remain unthinking and troublesome.

It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for. That's just not sustainable.

Somewhere there was the sound of gritted teeth grinding together.

Naturally, Ars's gaze was drawn to the source of the sound as well.

He clenched his fists tightly on the desk and glared at me, but I passed it off with a cool look and looked over to the seat next to me two more times. There, behind Lithia, Jean's cheeks twitch as he suppresses his desire to look up at the heavens.

The next person to open his mouth was Lusarka Head of State Lithia, with such a Jean behind her.

''Then, Lord Ars. Is it possible to negotiate for money to get you to join us?''

Don't be a fool!　What kind of mercenary are you?

Ars ignores such rude remarks and replies.

'Lady Lithia, I'm not interested in money.

Well, if you'd like...

and arrive at the negotiating table. No, there is a section that is guiding him. For a head of state, he had the luxury of showing his business acumen.

However, it is probably because he is a head of the same rank that he interrupted his words as if he was trying to spurn the idea.

''Lithia-san, can you leave that area to me together?

He had a strong evasion in his eyes, which was unusual for Cicernian, who smiled and hid his mouth with a fan.

Then he raised his voice lightly, "Just as well.

'How about we take on the task of facilitating this time with our Alpha?

Hey!

Aloofly dodging Ars's snickering, Cicernias stood up and walked over to her, bringing her mouth up to her ear and hiding it with a fan.

'I won't make you feel bad. If you don't like it, you're welcome to refuse. Instead, for now I'm sure Provillelevens' eyes will come in handy to inspire you to do your research.

....!

Ars frowned at the sound of the seductive words that were included. He didn't expect a response from the fact that he immediately left his face. That's exactly what we have to do, we have to wait silently for an after-the-fact consent.

The magic eye possessed by Linne, who is not here, can be expected to bring useful information as part of Ars's research agenda, so the magic eye holder was at the top of the list of research subjects.

Beric followed suit, as if to declare that he was taking a bite out of it.

''If we don't take it on, the Seven Nations Magical Friendship Tournament will be cancelled, I suppose.

Bellick's sarcastic assertions were misdirected by the others' replies - or perhaps it should be said that for Ars, he changed course to the main idea.　

'What do you mean? We can't continue to have a tournament in this situation.

'That is the condition of the undertaking. Of course I promise to take them down responsibly. But if you refuse, the Alpha will relinquish its offer of a single mage.

"Who the hell is this little girl?

You have two choices: take them both down with all the wizards lacking first place. The other is to defeat the alpha country that can incorporate the first place. We have decided that the latter has a better chance of winning in our country. You can take it as the consensus of Alpha.

Forcing the inevitable to be presented. If this was all there was to it, the backlash would have been great. As a drop in the bucket, Cisernia added.

But that won't dispel your fears. As a rule of thumb in a case like this, we should build a single defensive line in the defense line, excluding Alpha, as an insurance policy.

A monologue that could be considered a complaint sprang up instead of a rebuttal to Cicernia, who was wound up in rapid succession.

''Then, if Lord Ars is absorbed........''

'It seems that the first place was not the absolute protector of humanity. He's like a mercenary.

Beric blackmailed such ridicule. As the Governor who put it in the arrows, it could be taken as a defense of the person called Ars, who knew more than the single wizard in his country was insulted.

'As it should be, I suppose.

..........!

'He can already volunteer for retirement, if he wants to, but he's not a member of the military. If he did, he would have had to fight a battle of attrition with no clue and little chance of winning, but now he's still a wizard in the military as the nation's reserve force.

Ars listened with bitterness to Beric's words.

It sounds good to say that he was defending himself, but it was certainly intended to remind Ars of his responsibilities as a soldier.

'So this is the option Alpha can offer. If Ars is defeated, that would be the end of the world. However, in a defeat battle without Ars, the odds of winning are five minutes at best, and if one of them is eaten, that's the end of it. I'm not talking about anything but simple strength. It's not always possible for a single wizard to be able to show his or her strength in a battle against all of the other wizards. If you don't have the affinity and coordination of strains, even if you're a single person, if you don't have these things, your strength will be reduced by half. You can't blame me for this, though, since we don't have much time. If that's the case, it's best to have the squad headed by an Alpha or Lusarka who has two single mages. This would be a simple order, Alpha would be more suitable. The one who can currently move the fastest is not Balmes or Iberis, but Alpha.

No one could argue with this. But it was also true that they could not agree.

Even though risk is inherent in the outside world, it was too big a thing to decide so easily.

Beric felt more than a little relief that he had no objection. In terms of experience in cooperation, Ars and others are equal to newcomers. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time with the newcomers, but it's clear that many military personnel value practical experience, so it's obvious that they'll be trapped if they are attacked.

The first thing you need to do is to get the right information about the person you're fighting for.

It would be a pushover to make him nod as an acknowledgment of agreement.

Cicernia looks with satisfaction at the air that seems to be heated by the fever of wisdom.

'So here's what we'll do. While the forces, mainly singles from each country, are assembled in Barmes, Alpha will act as a scout and send his troops to the bad food. We will investigate the demon's strength and if it is determined on the scene that we can kill it reliably, we will switch to defeating it. As expected, Ars will be able to escape. The damage to intelligence gathering should be minimal. We will bring back accurate information and intercept them with all the singles.

There was a flicker of thorns in the mocking words, "How about it?" that told us, without saying it, that he had compromised so far.

It was clear to all that this was a technicality. But in the unlikely event that it did, it would escape the question of responsibility. That is, if they don't perish, too.

If they can beat us, that's what we'll hope for. It would be foolish to bother risking the loss of a single one of our own country. But it's also folly to preserve our forces against a threat we can't measure.

In the end, it would be nice to defeat it, but there was not enough material to assert that it was the right answer to offer up on its own terms.

In a country where there was no viceroy as the supreme military decision-maker, everyone was unified in their reluctance to go along with it if they agreed.

All of us here have questions about how much fighting ability the young man named Ars - or, to them, his age as a child - is capable of. That's why they have traveled all the way to this tournament from afar.

The singles rankings are directly a difference in power. But first place is hard to measure because there is no one stronger than that.

I didn't know I was holding out hope when I was thinking about this.

There's nothing like the disgusting spectacle of consulting with those around you.

There was a glimmer of agreement, and then a tightening of the mouth as if it were his own will.

"So we're in agreement, then?

A voice rose flatly at a distance in response to Cicernia's summation.

'May I ask one thing about that? The representative of Rusalka is here, Jean. It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one. What do you think, Cicernia?

It's offered out of good faith, but none of these men know its true intentions. You are taking on a most dangerous mission.

That's very kind of you, Mr. Lithia. However, as Governor Bellick said before, considering the possibility of not being able to coordinate with each other, as well as the fact that it would be a waste of time to learn the instructions from now on, I would prefer not to do that. But...

Is it because the other party is Lithia that it is mixed with anger? However, there was no one to interrupt his mouth just to clear his throat at such a changed and stern atmosphere of Zetsubei's leopard print.

''Oh?　You don't know Cicernia?　In the past, during a joint operation with our company, Lord Ars and Jean fought together. So, since we know each other as a partnership, we need not worry about each other, right?

It's a petulant tone that adds fuel to the fire.

The reason Sisernia didn't immediately respond with a sales pitch wasn't because Jean had given Lithia an earful, but because she had a full brain full of material to simply say back. For the personal reason that he had lowered his spirits, though.

But that he didn't have to, because Cicernia could hear some of the content he was going to overhear.

That's because no care was taken to prevent Jean from hearing it. The mouth is a little too far apart to be overheard, and the volume of the voice is not that of a confidential conversation.

It is uttered deliberately so that it can be heard.

So the word 'AWR' was enough for Cicernias to gloat with a bad human face.

''Apparently, Mister Jean is taking some time to prepare for the battle, so can we just end this conversation, Lithia-san? We're running out of time.　

It was a ridiculous sight from Ars, who had been standing on the sidelines. I guess Lithia had something to include. It wasn't just harassment, that's for sure. But it's not a story if Jean didn't bring the AWR.

It's a farce after all.

Cisernia turns into a cool smile and hides her white-faced mouth with a slightly open fan.

Nevertheless, it is true that Ars has an unusual ability that needs to be hidden. That is something Jean cannot know and does not need to know right now.

It seems to me that it would be safe to assume that Cisernia has heard the reason why she has to do so from the Governor in this case.

As Ars was lost in these thoughts, a voice was suddenly thrown at him from the head of the ex-head in front of him.

'Ars, I've decided to entrust you with the captaincy of the squad this time. Beric.''

He passed the baton to the head of the army, probably because it was beyond his domain.

''The troops are assembling Letty's troops,'' he said, ''and if that's not enough, I've already sent dozens of high-ranking mages from Alpha. If that's not enough, I've already sent dozens of high-ranking mages from Alpha at the moment as well.

More than this, Ars let out a disgusted sigh. He hadn't even agreed to it yet, but he was already talking about the formation of the squad.

However, it seems safe to assume that Cisernia and Beric had planned it carefully, taking into account that Ars would not move. There would still be something more to add to the eye of Provillebens.

It's also working in a bad way to keep the tournament going in the first place.

Needless to say, I can see that it's an order to defeat them, but is it really worth it? Any Demon Eye holder would be fine, but when it comes to those who maintain enough of an ego to help us with our research and are in control enough to not risk going out of control, not only is it limited, but they may be in a reasonable position. If that happens, it would be impractical to ask for their cooperation without anything in return. On the contrary, just looking for it is a bone to pick.

Ars doesn't mind being heard, but he clicks his tongue.

'No, I don't want it. I'll take some people from Letty's unit. Oh, and I'll have Linne-san help us with that.

Yes, of course. Linnaeus is the best at detecting them in Alpha. I agree.

Cicernia does not crack a smile, as if even that is within the calculation.

It's not like there's nothing in return for Ars, even if everything is in your hands.

'We can't move even if it's a large group, we'll head out with the minimum number of people. Departures........

I was about to say, "Huh!" and let out a sigh. It means that the main battle was still impossible.

The generals, who were late and some of them were shivering in surprise, stood up and spoke up.

''Wait a minute. That's too insulting at any rate. I have brought my troops with me, there are only about ten of them, but use them.

The anxiety of use is rubbed into the words, but Ars shakes his head.

Perhaps he's not the only one. If he's the one who initiated it and the offer goes through, a few people are bound to raise their hands.

'No thanks, I won't take anyone who gets in my way this time. The wall of flesh isn't bad, but honestly, it would be a waste of time. And I'm sure the low rates in the area have been reduced considerably in number due to the large scale operations in Balmes. If that's the case, we should put them on the defensive line and send them out to scout the vicinity.

Ars's suggestion is right on target. The generals still tried to bite down on it. The generals who were about to entrust their troops with the same thing choked on the word "wall of flesh," but their throats cleared as if they had made up their minds that this was an important matter for humanity.

Suddenly, the sound of a fan closing ripped through the air and my gaze was focused on one person. The sound was a physical phenomenon, but it was tinged with grimness.

Cisernia felt as if she had come full circle, doing the same thing.

'I have left this matter to Ars. I doubt he has time to dispute that decision.

..........

He took one look at the general who was seated with a slight bow and nodded, satisfied that he had no other objections.

'Letty-san, it's nice to meet you too,'

She nodded one nod with a tightly fixed expression, which was unusual for her.