Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint
Chapter 322: Why Use Backward Compatibility?

“And so, the vanguard led by the Sunderspear defeated the treacherous invaders and raised the flag of the Military State high.”

After finishing her monologue, Hilde bowed deeply, waiting for our reactions.

Tyr and I clapped lightly, while Azzy, seeing me clap, imitated me by tapping the ground with her paws.

The only one who stayed still was the Regressor.

In a village of two-eyed people, anyone with one eye stood out.

For a moment, all eyes were on the Regressor.

Capturing everyone’s attention with her silence, the Regressor clicked her tongue instead of clapping.

“You guys already launched the attack, huh?”

“Weren’t you listening to the story? They started it! They were scavenging Tantalus! The Military State was merely defending its territory!”

“You were planning to march into their homeland regardless. Am I wrong?”

Hilde, caught off guard by the Regressor’s sharp observation, fell silent.

A moment later, she smiled, admitting she’d been caught.

“Huh, it’s strange, isn’t it? Most of the time, you seem as clueless as a schoolchild, but other times you speak with the wisdom of someone who’s lived for a hundred years.”

“Shut it. If you were really trying to protect something, you would’ve sent the Engineer Corps, not an army. Who do you think you’re trying to fool?”

｢It’s the same as the last timeline. Back then, the Fallen Dominion was a lot more cautious. Both the State and the Fallen Dominion couldn’t approach easily because of that damned undying corpse golem…｣

The Regressor is a bit like me.

I steal people’s thoughts and act as if I deduced the answer myself, while the Regressor uses her experience from previous timelines to present it as foresight.

We’re both cheaters, lying about how we got our answers.

If she didn’t have her regression, her empty-headedness would be on full display.

Oh well.

Just like Mind Reading is a skill, regression is also a talent.

Too bad I wasn’t the one to get it.

｢Was that occasional simple-mindedness all part of his bold calculation? I thought he was just one of Father’s pawns… but I guess I need to rethink that.｣

Unaware of this, Hilde adjusted her evaluation of the Regressor.

“Anyway, you understand, right? The Military State sacrificed a lot just to accept your truce proposal. It was a tough decision, you know?”

“Tough decision? They’re just holding the line.”

“Gathering enough force to strike deep into enemy territory than simply holding the line—that’s the hardest thing to do, but I’m sure you already know that.”

“…”

｢Just sitting there and holding the line? How’s that hard?｣

It’s clear she doesn’t understand.

Though she hides it well, I should give her a gentle nudge.

“It’s about the supply lines, right?”

“Exactly. A gap in military presence means a gap in administration. Soldiers don’t just stand around, you know? They transport goods and handle construction, too. Gathering them all here and leaving them idle in the field is a huge loss. Right now, they have enough stockpiled supplies to manage, but eventually…”

Hilde trailed off with a sigh as she mimicked counting something with her fingers.

“When you look at it coldly, they’ve got about a week. After that, they’ll have to march forward just to keep the army from collapsing. So, you all need to step it up, okay? We need to reach the Golden Palace and present the truce agreement within a week.”

“A week?”

“Why, not enough time?”

“No, it’s plenty.”

｢Negotiating the truce should be easy. The Military State is the hardest one to convince. The Fallen Dominion is comparatively weaker.｣

The Regressor replied casually.

Hilde stared at her for a moment before adding one more thing.

“Let me tell you this. A week is more than enough time for not just us, but for the Fallen Dominion to finish their preparations. If everything had gone according to plan, we would’ve broken their spearhead, cut off their information network, and then torn down the Juggernaut piece by piece, but in just a week, that won’t be possible.”

“What, are you asking us to help because we made the war more difficult?”

“I’m telling you to do it right if you’re going to stop the war. The war that happens a month from now will be a hundred times worse than the one that should’ve happened yesterday.”

Hilde has a way of saying serious things with a lighthearted expression.

It’s probably a skill she’s perfected, but it’s unnerving.

The Regressor, now at a loss for words, sharply turned her gaze and responded.

“Tch. Anyone would think you’re some peace-loving person. So, do you know where the Golden Palace is?”

Hilde grinned as she replied.

“I don’t know! Who can say where that moving palace might be right now?”

“Well, that’s true. We’ll figure it out as we go. Even if we can’t find it, Claudia might have the information we need. Wait a minute, I have a map…”

The Regressor rummaged through her Pocket as she spoke.

In the meantime, Hilde edged closer to me, making sure Tyr or the Regressor couldn’t overhear her.

She pressed close, using her Qi, and whispered softly in my ear.

“Father, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not hiding anything. Neither ‘I’ nor she truly knows. It’s because…”

“Because she can’t ‘see’ it, right?”

“…Yes. You’re right.”

Hilde nodded slightly, smiling faintly.

Clairvoyance can see everything in the world, but it’s only as good as what it can “see.”

In other words, if it was a place where people couldn’t see, the Saintess would be no different from a blind person.

It’s no coincidence that Tyr, the Sanctum’s greatest enemy, always shrouds herself in darkness.

One of the reasons Yuel wanted us gone was because Tyr’s darkness blocked her clairvoyance.

Even with Clairvoyance, Yuel couldn’t detect our diversionary tactics and she was deceived.

｢… Not to mention, Yuel doesn’t know the layout of the Golden Palace either. I wonder if even Father knows.｣

Well, someone in the world has to know, right? I can just read their thoughts.

Let’s focus on getting there for now.

“Alright, I’ve decided.”

The Regressor, after fiddling with something for a while, clapped her hands and called us over.

She spread out a small map in front of us.

The map was completely blank, with nothing written or drawn on it.

What kind of map is this?

Well, that’s the Fallen Dominion for you.

The cursed land that has driven countless cartographers to despair—better to leave the map blank, since its cities and landscapes change constantly.

The right edge of the map showed a range of mountains stretching like a backdrop.

The cartographers who stumbled upon these mountains must have felt immense relief.

In a land where nothing remains the same from one day to the next, at least the mountains were recognizable landmarks.

And more importantly…

The Regressor pointed to a spot on that mountain range.

Claudia.

The only city marked on the map of the Fallen Dominion, the place where most of the citizens lived.

“We’re heading to Claudia, the only stationary city in the Fallen Dominion. Along the way, we’ll take down some packs of Dholes or Juggernauts and try to locate the Golden Palace. If we can’t find it, we’ll stop at Claudia to gather information.”

“Claudia? The city near the base of the Cloud Mountain Range to the east?”

“Yeah. The Golden Palace may move, but Claudia stays put, so as long as we get there, we’ll be fine. It’s also a place where people from the Golden Palace often visit.”

It’s a surprisingly reasonable and straightforward plan coming from the Regressor.

However, there’s a catch.

“Claudia’s all the way up in the mountains. Can we reach it in a week with the Catafract?”

“We can’t. The Catafract has good defenses, but it’s not that fast.”

“So, what are we going to do? Fly?”

“No, Chun-aeng can’t fly that far. Even if it can, there’s no way I can take all of you with me. So, we need an alternative.”

The Regressor seems to have thought this through.

For the first time, I’m starting to find her somewhat reliable.

Then, raising both Chun-aeng and Jizan, she glanced around at the Catafract with a cold expression.

“We’ll modify this thing.”

Why does she have to say that while holding swords?

Something about this feels off.

Surely she doesn’t mean something as simple-minded as… Oh no.

Am I imagining things, or did the Catafract just shudder in fear?

The Regressor’s idea of modification turned out to be as crude and violent as I feared.

First, she detached the engine section with the Thundergear to avoid damaging them.

Then, she used Jizan and Chun-aeng to slice off the upper part in a single stroke.

The Catafract, covered in Grade-3 Alchemic Steel with Grade-4 reinforcement on its weak spots, couldn’t withstand the Regressor’s brutal handiwork.

[A-Aaaah… the Catafract…]

The golem covered its mouth, horrified as the Catafract was ruthlessly dismantled.

The thick armor that made up most of the Catafract’s weight was removed entirely, leaving it significantly lighter.

The Regressor looked satisfied as she gazed at the now wagon-like Catafract.

“See? Now we can go much faster!”

Of course, it’s not that simple. I should’ve stopped her.

I rubbed my temples and spoke up.

“… Mr. Shei. Just because it’s lighter doesn’t mean it’ll go faster.”

“Huh? Why not?”

｢When you unload a cart, doesn’t it go faster?｣

Well, there goes the trust I had in her.

It’s like thinking you can speed up a horse by trimming its muscles.

That’s not how it works—it’s all about structure and design.

I turned to the golem who was sitting there in disbelief and asked.

“Hah… D.G., what do we do?”

[Sob… just destroy the whole thing…]

“I’m not letting you off that easily. No matter how bad it gets, you’re coming along for the ride. It’s your duty, after all.”

[…Understood. This is Signaller Captain D.G. I shall rise above this sadness!]

The Regressor, oblivious to the mess she caused, blinked innocently, unaware of her mistake.

“What do we need to fix to make it usable?”

[To increase speed, we would need to adjust the gear ratios and rework the Thundergear…]

“Is that possible?”

[Unless someone here can reforge the Thundergear using alchemy… it’s unlikely.]

Damn. We almost have all the requirements.

I can handle the reforging of the Thundergear, but the problem is I can’t read the golem’s mind.

My power heavily relies on reading others’ thoughts.

How am I supposed to recalibrate the gear based on the golem’s instructions with my limited mana?

Even if I could rework the Thundergear, I’d still be short on mana to power it.

“Huh? We can’t do it?”

The Regressor asked, and Hilde, shaking her head, stepped in.

“Sigh. Oh well”

“W-What! Just because it’s lighter doesn’t mean it’s bad!”

“Move aside. I’ll handle this.”

Hilde yanked out the Thundergear with raw strength.

What was once securely embedded in the heart of the Catafract was now easily pulled out.

With her force, Hilde dented the Alchemic Steel and began inscribing something into the Thundergear with her fingernail, imbued with her Qi.

｢I am an alchemist, one who transforms matter with mana.｣

The once chaotic lines formed a precise geometric pattern.

An alchemy circle.

Mana surged through the grooves etched by her Qi.

A bright light flashed, and the grooves melted into larger patterns, enlarging the gear.

Within moments, the Thundergear had doubled in size, not by crude stretching or patchwork but through pure alchemical transformation.

The Regressor seemed impressed.

“You can do alchemy, too?”

“Of course! I can’t disguise myself as an alchemist without learning the basics, can I?”

She’s really committed to this whole disguise thing.

The Regressor muttered in disbelief.

“So, does that mean you can cast spells too?”

“Yep! I’ve learned most Standard Magic too.”

“What?”

Without elaborating, Hilde placed her hand on the Thundergear, closing her eyes as she muttered under her breath.

｢I am a mage, one who bends the World’s Principle to my will.｣

Her prayer changed.

The alchemist Hilde was now a mage Hilde.

Everything in the world has a place and a limit.

No matter how much you understand the theory, if something doesn’t suit you, it’s hard to excel in it.

For example, I’m average at everything—Qi, mana, you name it—thanks to my Mind Reading.

But I never get far because I lack natural aptitude.

Hilde, on the other hand, was different.

She had enough mana and skill to masterfully wield everything she learned.

She pushed herself to reach the highest level in every field by sheer willpower.

“Set, Re. Volt.”

Lightning gathered around the Thundergear, crackling as it surged into the metal.

Hilde’s mana was abundant, and her execution was flawless.

The Thundergear glowed with imbued lightning as Hilde carried it proudly toward the engine.

“D.G., instructions?”

[Yes! Attach the A-part to the drive axle! Optionally, you may remove the B-part entirely to prevent interference. Once aligned with the center, it should mesh perfectly with parts C and D!]

Hilde followed the instructions to the letter.

She didn’t know everything, just enough to base her work on the golem’s guidance, but that was all she needed to produce flawless results.

It was a beautiful combination of strength and skill.

Hilde detached unnecessary components, realigned the enlarged Thundergear, and used some quick alchemy to make minor adjustments.

This must be the true ability of the “Camarilla” of the Six Star Generals.

Soon, the Thundergear spun, and the Catafract began to move.

The golem, overjoyed, shouted.

[All systems… operational! Power output stable! It worked!]

Hilde had mastered alchemy, magic, and engineering, and had mastered Qi.

She could wield any weapon like an expert and she could seamlessly blend into any role, human or otherwise.

Wherever she went, she would make herself indispensable.

Wow, now I feel like I’ve got a lot less to do…

Wait a second.

｢Her knack for various skills… It reminds me so much of Hu. If Hu regains more of his strength, he could become just like her… I wonder… Who is the child, and who is the parent here?｣

Wait, hold on…

She’s… superior to me in every way now, isn’t she?