Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint

Chapter 234: The Die is Cast

Yerien Grandiomor was born a princess but grew up as an ordinary citizen of the Military State.

During the State's fervent pursuit of remnants of the Kingdom and sporadic resistance from provincial lords, Yerien was too young to be a focal point of these struggles.

Her young Guardian Knight and devoted nanny traveled the kingdom searching for someone to help them, but the provincial lords’ knights saw the royal bloodline as a tool for exploitation, some even attempting to arrange political marriages with the infant Princess.

Unlike the central government, these lords ruled their territories as kings and lacked blind loyalty to the royal family.

Trembling with rage, the Guardian Knight fled with Yerien.

Without the help and dedication of a few loyal knights who had not forgotten their chivalry, the young Guardian Knight alone would not have been able to protect the Princess.

Disguised as siblings, the Princess and her Guardian Knight returned to the land ruled by the Military State, risking discovery.

At that time, the Military State was a band of soldiers who had inadvertently seized power in a revolution but lacked administrative experience.

Amidst the chaos, the Guardian Knight and the Princess lived secretly as ordinary citizens. Some knew their true identities, but they were individuals who would never betray them, even at the cost of their lives.

Under the rule of the Military State, she was surrounded by an elder brother who seemed willing to give his heart for his sister and an occasionally teary-eyed old nanny, along with suspiciously kind adults.

Raised with abundant love and care, Yerien lacked for nothing. However, she eventually realized that this seemingly kind world came at a price.

At first, she wandered, conflicted by the harsh fate. She knew she was expected to fight and sacrifice her life for a country that had already fallen, so she wanted to run away.

Even if she ran away, the Guardian Knight would respect her decision. Some loyal retainers might have agreed as well.

Yet, they tolerated her for one reason only; because she was a princess. Even if she ran, the burden of her birthright would follow her.

The Princess reluctantly accepted her duty out of a sense of obligation.

She donned the thorny crown bestowed upon her at birth, dedicating herself to igniting the dwindling embers of the kingdom.

During that time, while investigating the strange incident in Hamelin as a representative of the Resistance, they received an unusual visit. Children around her age, broken and consumed by hatred.

They emerged as sacrificial victims, holding the hand of their forsaken friends, and walked on their own.

***

Despite a moment of agitation, the Princess held firm, concealing her true feelings behind a composed face as she faced the Regressor.

"Now that the formal introductions are over, shall we talk...?"

Though her heart was endlessly pounding, she outwardly projected the demeanor of a Princess. Despite her immature resolve, her outward attitude remained resolute.

However, our Regressor... well, I couldn’t quite describe it.

"We don't have much to discuss. Let me get straight to the point. Listen carefully."

Her attitude…

Sigh. There's nothing I can say.

"We didn’t contact you to rely on you or to find an escape route."

"Then?"

"We're planning to strike the command center. Frankly, you won't be of much help there."

The Regressor stated her intentions bluntly. The Princess's face contorted with question marks, but the Regressor continued speaking as if even explaining further was a waste of time.

"We have plenty of power. We have the Progenitor, myself, and the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Even the Beast King is temporarily with us."

Why am I included?

"We're going to strike swiftly and retreat. If weaker members get in the way, it'll be troublesome, and if you hold us back, it'll be problematic. Ideally, I'd like to select only the elite if possible."

"Wait a minute, Sir. You're speaking a bit too quickly."

｢What are you talking about? An attack? No matter how strong you are, launching an attack on the Military State’s command center...｣

I understand.

When the Regressor proposed attacking the command center, for a moment, we couldn't grasp why such a drastic measure was necessary. We were dumbfounded. Yet, upon delving deeper into her thoughts, we understood the Regressor must have a plan.

"Surely you've noticed from our movements. We encountered minimal resistance en route to Amitengrad. They consistently avoided direct confrontation."

"Yes, our spy reported that."

｢Active engagement avoidance. Essentially, fleeing. We do that a lot, so we understand…｣

"But when we left Amitengrad, the loose encirclement began to tighten, and enemy numbers swelled. The Southern Corps consolidated their forces to pursue us, gradually converging from the east while engaging in sporadic skirmishes."

"That's impressive. I heard reports that even the Six Star Generals mobilized, but I didn't realize you were facing the entire Southern Corps."

The Princess naturally praised the Regressor, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears, given the Regressor's rebellious nature.

"At first, I thought it was because of the Pied Piper of Hamelin... but it's strange. They avoided direct combat to minimize losses, yet suddenly decided to fight head-on just because of the Pied Piper? It doesn't add up."

Raising an army costs money.

This was especially true for the Military State.

From bullets and alchemic steel to clothing and provisions, each item consumed significant alchemical resources and costs.

Unless the Regressor or the Progenitor had caused irreparable damage, there was no reason for the Military State to mobilize so many resources.

Yet, they deployed numerous Corps to capture a handful of individuals.

With a serious expression, the Princess asked.

"Does that mean... the corps weren't mobilized to attack you?"

"That's what I think."

"Then why?"

｢The Military State didn't mobilize the corps to attack them...? Then why did they move the Southern Corps?｣

To hunt effectively, one needed an intimate understanding of the prey.

As a former member of the Military State turned hunter, the Princess understood the Military State better than any other remnant of the kingdom.

｢No, I need to change my perspective. The Military State isn't ruled by a king. ALTHOUGH there's a command center, Corps aren't typically moved based on personal whims. Instead of speculating about their intentions, I should deduce their motives from their actions. So, what's the simplest explanation for why they mobilized the Southern Corps onto the Meta Conveyor Belt?｣

Naturally, it was for deployment. The Meta Conveyor Belt was a means of transportation.

So the next question surfaced: where were they being deployed?

The Princess's mind raced.

In an instant, everything clicked into place.

With sudden realization, she exclaimed.

"...It's for war in the north! It must be for the Fallen Dominion!"

The Regressor nodded.

"That's right. They didn't mobilize the corps to chase us. They pretended to chase us to mobilize the corps."

"Oh my...!"

"Well, they probably also wanted to capture or expel us. Having Progenitor Tyrkanzyaka present could give the Duchy of Mist a reason to intervene. If they leave the Dog King alone, the Wolf King might come knocking."

There wasn’t just one strategic objective; this was likely just the beginning.

Realizing the urgency of the situation, the Princess momentarily forgot her composure and sprang to her feet.

"Wait a minute. Our base is near the northern border! If a war breaks out, we'll be the first to be 'stabilized'! We need to inform everyone quickly...! Kyahh!"

In her panic, the Princess nearly tripped over a chair leg. The Guardian Knight moved swiftly to catch her, but the Regressor was quicker.

Mastering the Heavenly Counter Domain and was a woman herself. So, she had no psychological hesitation.

Her familiarity with the Princess in her past life also played a part.

The Regressor smoothly and naturally caught the Princess.

Momentarily stunned as if struck by lightning, the Princess quickly jumped back and regained her footing. Her face flushed slightly, though it wasn't noticeable due to her pink hair.

"Ah, oh! Thank you, Sir...! I-I was so startled that I made a fool of myself!"

"Just be careful."

The Regressor had caught her reflexively and had no particular thoughts.

Maybe startled by the sudden contact, the Princess covered her mouth with a handful of hair and muttered.

"Sir Landemeyer. Inform everyone. Prepare for evacuation immediately."

"Understood."

The Guardian Knight took out a white stone tablet hidden in his pocket.

The Great White Wall of Rakion.

One of the miracles of the Sanctum, a fragment of the white wall encircling the sacred site.

Even a broken piece could transmit writings onto the inner walls of the temple if someone wrote on it. The temple, therefore, served as a bulletin board for conveying not only divine will but also royal decrees. This was a factor that allowed the Sanctum to spread its power widely.

However, the signaller of the Military State didn't need this method since they had created a moving ‘Great White Wall.’

As the Guardian Knight prepared to reveal the tablet, the Princess urgentlystopped him.

"Sir! Not here!"

｢The Progenitor is present! You mustn't reveal the Great White Wall here!｣

Understanding the need for secrecy around the stone tablet, the Guardian Knight sought permission and exited the container.

Though Tyr noticed and was slightly displeased, she wasn't petty enough to get angry over something not directly revealed to her. The Princess had at least shown minimal courtesy.

"Hu, I felt slightly uncomfortable. Come, soothe my mood for a moment."

Or not? She wanted to use her discomfort as an excuse to involve me.

The deeply relieved Princess gazed at the Regressor with admiration.

"Incredible... At an age younger than mine, your strength rivals the Sunderspear, and your insight... If you had led the rebellion, even without the Sunderspear, the Kingdom would have still fallen.”

It was indeed high praise, and considering she was the Last Princess, it was hard to know how to respond appropriately.

However, the Regressor felt awkward for a different reason.

｢Insight... more like foresight. Naturally, I should know. Actually, I should have known sooner.｣

The Abyss collapsed.

The curse lifted, restoring fertility to the land.

Various countries vied for the now fertile territory.

War erupted.

The Seven-Day War, where every battle ended within seven days.

The Regressor knew this because it happened in a previous timeline.

Whether the Military State aimed to eliminate the Abyss with this in mind or not, war became inevitable.

In the heat of pursuit, she had forgotten this crucial detail.

She had genuinely believed they were being chased.

｢Come to think of it, the Sunderspear and the Mage Marshal fought with less fervor until the Gunmaster was captured. Except for the Gunmaster pursuing Hughes, none of them had a reason to fight against us directly… It seems the command center hadn't informed even the Six Star Generals of the true plan. Tsk, what game is the command center playing?｣

Anyway, fleeing south had drawn the Southern Corps to gather along the Meta Conveyor Belt in the Far East.

If they moved north, their deployment would be completed in an instant.

War began with the Military State's invasion of the Wastelands.

｢Anyway, let's stop it while we can. There's no reason not to. If we escape to the Fallen Dominion, it will only provide an excuse for war.｣

The Regressor did not desire war.

Specifically, it would have been better if the world wasn't in turmoil due to war before confronting the King of Sin.

Therefore, she aimed to strike the command center.

***

"Sir...?"

Unintentionally, the Regressor was lost in deep, contemplative thoughts, with a look of profound introspection as if she were glimpsing a distant future and a grand scheme.

What must have that looked like in the Princess's eyes? Ugh, it's creepy to even consider.

｢He's too perfect! Exceptional skills, and deep insight! Able to grasp the political situation, and an appearance like that of a young prince...! How did such a person come to be!'｣

As much as I disliked it, I couldn't help but read her thoughts.

Ah, I wish I could turn off mind-reading.

Can someone please knock me out?

The Regressor responded to the Princess's call.

"Oh... um, it's nothing. We've encountered a lot of information through our battles with the Military State. Naturally, we know more."

"Excessive humility can be poisonous."

"I'm not trying to be humble..."

Though it was meant literally, her words didn’t quite reach the Princess.

She simply gazed at the Regressor with eyes full of admiration.

To think there would come a day when the Regressor received such reverence.

What nonsense.

Or maybe the ability to regress was just that overpowered.

As I nodded, Shiati suddenly flashed a joyful smile my way.

What she heard so far had greatly inspired her.

Shiati swiftly turned and knelt before the Princess.

Her knee struck the floor of the container with a resounding thud.

"Your Highness. Give the order."

"Shiati? You never do this. Why kneel now...?"

Bewildered, the Princess stared at Shiati, who lowered her head further and pleaded.

"Give the order for a full-scale war. Now's our only chance."

"What? Shiati. What do you mean?"

Shiati swiftly and briefly explained her reasoning.

"If the Military State is preparing for war, they'll first secure their territory. Staying in the north would mean certain death. We need to evacuate. But with troops already gathered in the Far East, if we leisurely set out with the civilians, we'll be pursued and wiped out. We'll face near-total annihilation."

The Princess, who could deduce war from a few clues, grasped Shiati's proposal more clearly with each word.

"To prevent that, we must also strike the command center and throw them into disarray. Making sure they can't divert their attention elsewhere is our only path to survival. Your Highness, please make a decision."

The Princess fell silent.

This was Shiati's proposition—an avenger willing to sacrifice herself to inflict damage on the Military State.

It was driven by self-interest.

The problem was, it was the right course of action.

Confronted suddenly with the prospect of an unanticipated full-scale war, the Princess bit her lip and hesitantly turned to the Regressor.

"Could it be, Sir? From the beginning, you planned...?"

"Huh? I just wanted to borrow your spies."

The Regressor, caught off guard, waved her hand dismissively, but the die was already /genesisforsaken