The Place Where He Was Reincarnated Was Hell - The 300-Year-Old Frontier Defense Line of the Margrave Family - Episode 25

　–The morning in the royal capital of Adriana was unusually gloomy. Heavy clouds covered the sky, casting a vague sense of unease over the streets. Amidst all this, a young reporter named Leonard was running swiftly down a stone corridor leading deep into the royal castle.

　Leonard is one of the official messengers between Frontline Fort and the royal family. Normally, reporters report to the king with proper protocol.

However, it seems he doesn’t have the time for that right now. His face is filled with impatience, and he calls out to the guards with a grimmer expression than usual.

“I would like to deliver this letter to His Majesty immediately. It is an urgent report summarizing the situation at Frontline Fort. Firepower supplies are running low, and there is a risk that Frontline Fort will fall, threatening the survival of the nation!”

　In his hand, he holds a letter sealed with red wax.

Before the guards could even exchange a glance, Leonard slammed his ID card down. The letter he was holding, sealed with red wax, was an “emergency letter” that required direct correspondence from the royal family.

“…Reporter Leonard. I have certainly received your emergency report. The steward…!”　

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the Imperial Guard quickly took action, and the Prime Minister’s aide, who reports directly to the King, rushed to the scene.

“Please deliver this letter to Prime Minister Lord Rowell immediately. I also ask that you convey this to the King as soon as possible. I must now return to the Vangarde territory.

This matter is a matter of every second!”

　Leonard quickly finished his sentence and, without even a moment’s hesitation, ran off again. His pale face was tinged with fatigue and pain, but he still turned around and

The fate of the country was entrusted to him.

　Thus, within a few minutes, Leonard had once again left the royal castle and was on his way to the Vangarde Margraviate.

『I beg of you… Please, do something to make up for this…』

　Leonard muttered as he ran across the stone pavement and left the royal castle.

At this time, the Frontline Fort was already on the verge of being unable to do anything due to wounded soldiers and limited supplies.

How the royal capital responded to this report would determine the fate of the country.

◆

One after another, the leaders of each ministry appeared in the strategic conference room of the royal castle. Usually, this was a regular meeting held on the weekend, but this time it was an “emergency meeting.”

　Minister of War Marquis Craig, Minister of Finance Count Raymar, Minister of the Interior Duke Evans, Minister of Magic Marquis Muriel, and Prime Minister Marquis Rowell. Queen Elizabeth is also in attendance.

　In the center sat King Reynold with a grim expression on his face.

“—I’ve already confirmed the report from Leonard.”

　The air froze at the king’s words.

　Marquis Rowell read out the report.

“Firepower supplies have run out. Wide-area annihilation tactics using magic and other methods have reached their limit of sustainability due to the depletion of magical power. Margrave Darius and his eldest son, Leyvan, have left the front line due to the depletion of magical power and serious injuries. The remaining forces are becoming more and more exhausted with each passing day, and it is only a matter of time before the front line falls.”

　Minister of Magic Muriel choked.

“…Even Lord Darius and Lord Raven have fallen.”

　Minister of War Craig raised his voice, unable to hide his irritation.

“……bad!!

This is extremely bad!!!

Vanguard can fight Eclipse because he has received the blessing of God!!

As for Eclipse, up until last year, there were only 6,000 of them every day, but now there are 10,000! This is an insane amount! If Vanguard is destroyed, how are we supposed to fight these monsters!?”

In the first place, humans other than Vanguard are unable to confront Eclipse head-on due to the effects of mental contamination, and are unable to do anything.

That is why the Vanguard clan has been supporting the front lines for 300 years. But even if they are crumbling from the fierce battles and injuries,

The collapse of the country is becoming a reality.

“…Until now, Lord Darius and the knights on the front line have managed to hold out somehow… but looking at this report, it seems that supplies are running out and the soldiers are exhausted…”

　Minister of Finance, Count Reymar, groaned as he lowered his eyes to the letter.

　Queen Elisabelle was also present, and spoke with an anxious look on her face, her hands folded in front of her chest.

“The burden on the front lines is already at its limit… The deployment of national troops will result in wasted deaths due to the Eclipse’s characteristics… What on earth should we do…”

Prime Minister Marquis Rowell nodded and placed the letter on the desk.

“In the end, the only ones who can stand a chance against Eclipse are the Vanguard who possess the Blessing. If they become physically exhausted, it will only be a matter of time before the fortress falls. So the question is how to help them… but as things stand, if we continue to ignore them, even the royal capital will be exposed to threats.”

Minister of Magic Muriel Marquis says:

「Shouldn’t we declare a national emergency? With this declaration, we will concentrate all magical technology in our country here.

And the whole nation must work together to prevent mental contamination. We can no longer afford to hide the truth to avoid confusion.

The Home Secretary, Duke Evans, responded in a weak voice.

“However, declaring a national emergency would mean making Eclipse’s true identity and Vanguard’s role public. The truth that has been hidden for 300 years would be revealed all at once, and the people might panic.”

“But isn’t it possible that we haven’t made much progress so far precisely because we kept it a secret? Not only have we not received any support in the form of soldiers or supplies, but we haven’t been able to make progress on measures to combat the mental contamination as we had hoped…. Now is the time to inform the public of the situation and ask for their cooperation.”

　Minister of Magic Marquis Muriel pointed this out with a sigh, and King Reynold nodded gravely in acceptance. He then raised his voice and addressed the entire room.

“I also believe that there is a limit to what can be achieved by simply gathering technology and devising countermeasures while keeping the situation secret. There is no other way than to announce to the public that this is a threat to the survival of the country, and to use that sense of urgency to aim for a breakthrough.

It’s a gamble though…

If the frontline collapses, certainly, the royal capital will not escape unscathed.

Not only this country, but given the nature of the Eclipse, the entire human race may face extinction.”

“Your Majesty… I agree.”

　Queen Elisabelle gave him a fierce look.

Without the blessing, Eclipse is seriously polluted mentally, and it’s a problem even before fighting.

I’m at a loss as to what to do.

However, if the entire country could gather supplies and researchers, there might be some hope of saving Vanguard.

“Then, Your Majesty, would it be okay if we declare a national emergency in the capital’s great square within a few days and explain the truth about Vanguard and the threat posed by Eclipse?”

　When Prime Minister Marquis Rowell confirmed this, Home Secretary Duke Evans scribbled in a letter, “If this happens, public unrest will be inevitable, so we must ensure thorough security…”

Finance Minister Count Reymard grimaced and said, “We will need to restructure the budget, but we have no choice but to do it.”

“If that is what the King wants, then it is decided. I cannot stand by and watch Vanguard bleed to death at Frontline Fort.”

　Minister of War Craig announced, slowly stroking the report on the desk. The King took a deep breath, as if to receive it, and then spoke clearly.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this meeting has decided to declare a national emergency and make the seriousness of the situation known from the royal capital to the people. I’m sure we can contribute in terms of research and supplies for the people. We can’t put it off any longer.”

　Nobody argues. There is no room for argument anymore.

The front line will collapse, and Vanguard will come to an end.

Because it’s all over

And so, in this heavy atmosphere, the feudal lords’ conference drew to a close.

◆

　While the lords and ministers were leaving the meeting room, King Reynold, his Prime Minister Marquis Rowell, and Queen Elisabelle remained behind for a little while.

Maps and reports about Frontline Fort were scattered across the desk. King Reynold looked over the documents again, making sure to take everything in.

“Lord Darius and Raven are seriously injured and unconscious… The other knights are all strong, but they’ve reached their limits… The Frontline Fort is about to…

This past year has been way too cruel.”

　Prime Minister Rowell let out a low sigh and muttered.

“The number of them is a big issue. It’s surprising that I still had them up until now.

I wonder what it must be like… I can’t even imagine the despair of being attacked by an army of 10,000 every day.”

“…Yes…The situation is serious, with personnel, supplies, and everything…”

　Queen Elisabelle’s face clouded as she stared at the letter.

The approximate number of deaths was also listed, and my eyes welled up with the tragedy.

　The king looked at his wife and was about to speak to her, but then his expression tightened, and he said,

“…Honestly, I am hesitant to involve the people and cause confusion. But we can no longer turn our backs on this issue. We must do everything we can.”

“I also believe that this decision is appropriate, Your Majesty. If the people knew even a little about the fact that Vanguard is fighting for their lives on the line, I’m sure there would be some who would be willing to cooperate in some way. We have no choice but to involve many people, including magical researchers.”

　There was something of a prayerful tone to Elizabeth’s voice.

The king nodded and looked over the notes that Prime Minister Rowell had written.

“In a few days, I will give a speech at the Royal Capital Square, revealing Eclipse’s true identity and the 300 years of the Vanguard family.”

Up until now, this fact had been kept secret from everyone except the most important nobles to avoid confusion.

This is truly an unprecedented move, but it is likely an unavoidable step to overcome the current situation.

“Rowell, be prepared to deal with any disruptions immediately.”

“I understand, Your Majesty. Even if the people show signs of unrest, we need to guide them so that they do not lose hope. We will move immediately, including sending advance notice to each territory and calling for research collaboration with Minister of Magic Muriel.”

　Saying so, Prime Minister Rowell turned over his long cloak.

　Queen Elisabelle looked at his back and softly asked, “I’m also worried about the injuries to the Vanguard knights. I wonder if we can send supplies to the front lines quickly…”

“We’ve sent supplies up until now, but it’s impossible to prepare enough supplies to deal with the current volume of supplies Eclipse is carrying. We’re doing our best to respond within our capabilities, though…”

　The King’s bitter expression remained as he recalled the image of Leonard, the reporter he had been unable to meet.

He will likely return to Vanguard soon, surviving a life-or-death struggle and bringing us new news.

How long can this back-and-forth be maintained?

There was a way to report this using magic transmission, but due to its nature, it was impossible to use frequently. Magic transmission was a secret technique of the Ministry of Magic, and only a few people in the country were able to use it, and even using it once would cost one’s life.

…The only time it would be used would be if something fatal were to happen to Vanguard.

“Please arrive on time. We can move before the frontline falls, so that we can truly support the Vanguard.”

　The King’s murmurings sank into the room. Elizabeth gently put her hand on the King’s arm and said with a smile, “Don’t worry, we’re here…” But even that smile had a hint of anxiety.

　The morning sun shining in from outside the stone window illuminates their backs. The royal capital may look peaceful today, but in reality, the problems that have been building up are about to explode all at once.　　

“Vanguard’s Devotion”

–When the false peace that has lasted for three hundred years collapses, it is unknown how the country will change.

“Now, let us take action. While Lord Rowell and the others continue their preparations, I, as the Queen, will do as much as I can to ease the anxiety of the people, even if only a little…”

“Please, Elizabeth. If we all join forces, there is surely hope. I want to believe that.”

　The king put the letter down and took a deep breath. The fate of the royal capital could change dramatically in the next few days. How would he perform as a king in that situation? The time had come to test him.

　　　“Declaration of national emergency”

　Will such a shocking decree save people from despair, or will it only lead to further chaos?

No one knows yet. But this was the only option left.

　The desolate landscape of Frontline Fort came to the King’s mind: the bl00d-stained earth, the anguished expressions of Darius and his men, and the exhausted figures of the soldiers who continued to fight with the power of their blessings…

If these issues are left unchecked, it is clear that the country will be destroyed and is on the brink of collapse.

“Now, it’s your job as a king.

Let’s prepare ourselves.”

　Elizabeth quietly smiled back at the King as he muttered these words.

　In the distance, across the corridor, you can hear the ministers exchanging instructions with each other.

All of this is for the sake of saving Vanguard. And for the sake of exposing the truth that has been hidden until now.

–Three days later, in the royal capital

　　A national emergency was declared.

It will be the sound of a bell that breaks three hundred years of silence.

Hope or despair? A decision was about to be made in the unknown future.