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“Hey, what’s the update on the war? Has that Loda nation fallen already or what?”

“It has, Your Majesty. We met fierce resistance, but in the end, we were successful in making the Loda Kingdom’s capital yield.”

Reporting and kneeling before the Cranzel Empire’s emperor was the newly appointed supreme commander of the empire’s army.

“Oh! That means Loda’s ours now!”

“It’s as you say, Your Majesty.”

Minister Zerus respectfully agreed as he stood behind the sparkly-eyed emperor.

“But it would seem that his predecessor truly was incompetent. For what else can we call someone who has suffered defeat despite leading the strongest army there is?”

“Yeah, yeah! I was so right in executing him! In contrast, this one’s quite capable! I like capable people!”

“I am not worthy of such praise, Your Majesty.”

The man silently bowed, but deep inside, he was at his wit’s end.

“*(Shittttt! I just told a big, fat lie!! Like, what the heck!? Really, what the heck!? Once they realize I was lying, it’s all over for me! But even if they think I was only lied to as well, they’ll still…)*”

The man’s report about the Loda Kingdom falling was a complete lie.

They tried for the several days, but they failed to capture the capital. In fact, they had suffered great losses due to the enemy’s counterattack.

“*(But there’s no way I can tell them that…my predecessor reported the truth and they executed him…)*”

That information of the empire’s failure didn’t reach him as the new supreme commander. Rather, he obtained it through his personal connections. It was likely that the generals leading the forces in the field were falsifying reports as well in fear of punishment.

“*(Worse yet, there’s the chance that the Giant Soldiers have been captured…if that’s true, then it’s the end for me, those generals, and all our families…)*”

Obviously, he couldn’t report that either.

And of all people, he couldn’t let Minister Zerus, the one said to be pulling the emperor’s strings and therefore truly in control of this nation, know about it.

“*(But this man…chances are he’s getting his own reports of the state of the battlefield. Either he’s still processing the information or he’s just taking a wait and see approach on us. Which means, I have to somehow get my family out of the country with me before the truth becomes known…)*”

At that moment though, something happened. Something that turned his resolve around.

<<S-supreme Commander…we have an emergency!>>

That came from a subordinate he had since the latter was young. That protege had the [Long-distance Communication] Gift. Since the Gift could be used to converse with people even if they were far away—up to 10 kilometers—it was a godsend in the battlefield. But the more it was known that this subordinate had this kind of Gift, the more prone to being poached they were. As such, the supreme commander decided to keep it a secret as much as possible.

<<What is it? I’m in the middle of an audience with the emperor.>>

<<A-a…a fort, a giant fort is flying through the sky and making its way to the imperial capital.>>

“…what?”

Due to the absurdity of the report, the Supreme Commander unintentionally voiced his reply.

The emperor took notice and frowned.

“Hmp, what’s the matter?”

“Sir…it’s noth…”

<<I’m telling the truth! Please look outside, sir! You’ll understand once you see it!>>

Upon receiving his subordinate’s request, he decided to risk it all.

“Your Majesty! Outside! Please take a look outside!”

“What? What’s outside?”

“An exceedingly rare sight is waiting for you!”

“Oh? Is it something fun? Very well”

Brimming with curiosity, the young emperor stood up from the throne and moved one of the many windows that offered a view to the outside.

“I wonder what it could be, Your Majesty. It must be something truly and greatly amusing to dare to put a hold to an audience with you.”

Despite saying so, Minister Zerus followed the emperor.

And when the two of them reached the window, they both stood motionless.

“W-what is this…”

“A fort…is flying…in the sky…?”

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