Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint
Chapter 354: Midterm Inspection

We fled as fast as we could and hid in a corner of the cornfield.

The vast field would shelter us from the eyes of the Golden Lord at least for a while since none of his abilities directly aided his ability to search.

Thanks to this, we managed to catch our breath.

However, we couldn’t fully relax.

The air around the cornfield had clearly shifted.

Footsteps echoed above us, slowly pacing back and forth.

The search party had reached this area.

I held my breath until the footsteps faded away before whispering,

“Ugh, it sounds like they’re swarming all over the place out there.”

“They’re probably not homunculi. They wouldn’t be able to move beyond the boundaries of the Golden Palace. Most likely, they’re soldiers under the Dominarch.”

“If we attack them, the homunculi will come running anyway, so it’s pretty much the same.”

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like they noticed us..

I sighed in the underground cave we hid in.

Once we were far enough from the search party, the Regressor instinctively began digging into the ground using Jizan.

Normally, in such situations, the displaced dirt would pose a problem, but Jizan’s powers compacted the soil further beneath us, creating an impressively spacious and comfortable hideout.

Just as wild creatures instinctively seek out dark, confined spaces for safety, humans find comfort in similar places.

Hidden in the shadows, I stretched out and enjoyed the relative peace.

“Ahh, this is nice.”

“Do you think so too? I must admit. I have been feeling slightly irritated lately with how often you insist on wandering about in broad daylight.”

“Well, we have to move around during the day if we’re going to go anywhere. We can’t stay here forever.”

…Not as long as a vampire could, of course.

“Besides, look at Peru. She’s coughing. Maybe the air down here isn’t good for her.”

“…Cough. It’s because of… you…”

Peru muttered weakly, her face scrunched up in discomfort.

What an exaggeration.

As I’ve said many times, I’m just an ordinary person.

Sure, I hit her hard, but without any Qi, my punches were nothing extraordinary.

Anyone could take that kind of hit.

Really, considering I saved her life, she owes me.

If it were me, I’d take a hundred hits in exchange for my life.

“Well, let me ask again. Do you have any intention of cooperating with us?”

“…Cough, cough. I’ve done enough.”

“Hmph. Stubborn, aren’t you? Mr. Shei, the knife.”

I casually held out my hand toward the Regressor.

“What do you think I am, your maid? Why are you acting entitled?”

Grumbling, the Regressor pulled a sleek dagger from her Pocket and handed it over.

It wasn’t some incredible artifact, but it was a finely crafted dagger made from the tusk of a rare beast—something so valuable it could easily be exchanged for a house in a major city if you negotiated well.

…And she just handed it over without a second thought. How rich is she?

Maybe I shouldn’t return this.

Clearing my throat, I crouched down in front of Peru like a thug and pointed the dagger at her.

I had no intention of stabbing her, but the sharp blade itself was enough to be threatening. She couldn’t hold out forever.

“You’re not afraid of dying? Even with a blade pointed at you like thi–”

As I made a feinting motion, the blade turned pitch black and then disintegrated into dust.

In an instant, the once-pristine dagger was reduced to just the leather handle.

“What the–?”

My money just turned to dust?!

Peru’s ability can destroy even the tusks of beasts?!

What kind of absurdity is this?

How did someone with this power even come to exist in the Fallen Dominion?

Terrified that anything else might crumble, I tossed the handle aside and retreated hastily.

At that moment, the Regressor, who had been watching, issued a sharp warning.

“Witherarch, Don’t use your power recklessly or I will have no choice but to kill you.”

She was dead serious.

Her killing intent was aimed squarely at Peru’s neck.

Since Chun-aeng and Jizan were impervious to rust or decay, even Peru wouldn’t be able to block an attack from the Regressor.

Yet, despite the threat, Peru remained calm.

“…Kill me. I’m… as good as dead anyway…”

｢If I use my power, it only destroys the resources the Golden Lord can use. Even if war breaks out, I have no place in it. A power that only withers things has no value…｣

Despite being deep in enemy territory, her demeanor wasn’t one of loyalty but of resignation, making her even harder to sway.

The Regressor clicked her tongue in frustration.

“Tch. Hughes, threatening her with a knife won’t work.”

“Then what about money? Peru, if you cooperate with us, I’ll give you half of the Fallen Dominion. You could be rich.”

“…Cough. I don’t… need it.”

Now that I think about it, it would crumble to dust even if she had money.

Hmm, this is tough.

They say people who have nothing to lose are the scariest and Peru, who practices a kind of involuntary minimalism, isn’t swayed by knives or money.

No matter how much I read her mind, there’s no answer. Normally, people would be tempted by either a weapon or wealth.

Annoyed, I muttered.

“Knives don’t work. Money doesn’t work. What has the Golden Lord ever done for you that you’re so loyal? Doesn’t look like they’re even paying you.”

“…It’s not about good or bad. Everything in this land—our food, alchemy, all the truths of the Fallen Dominion—originates from the Golden Lord. He is everything to us… You wouldn’t understand.”

Though it seems like the Golden Lord lives in the remnants of the Golden Empire. Well, technically, that’s still part of the Fallen Dominion.

Stuck, I scratched my head in frustration.

Peru had no greed.

The issue was that this wasn’t a matter of faith or belief—it was a rational conclusion.

Everything she owned turned to dust when she used her Unique Magic, so the concept of possession was almost meaningless to her.

Her best survival strategy was to rely on the goodwill of others by sharing what little she had.

It was a logical, practical way to live, relying on human social bonds.

There was nothing I could say to refute or correct her.

In other words, I had no way to persuade her in this situation.

“The Golden Lord, huh…”

As I grumbled, a distinctly suspicious presence became apparent above us.

Instinctively, we all fell silent.

The presence wandered aimlessly, eventually moving toward the entrance.

The Regressor grabbed Chun-aeng and stood up.

“Tch! Guess they found us because you wouldn’t stop talking!”

“This is Peru’s fault for coughing! Wait, no way! Was she coughing on purpose to give away our position?”

“…Cough. I’m coughing because of you…”

“All three of you made noise.”

Still arguing, we all glared at the entrance. It was covered with soil and grass, but if someone looked closely, it wouldn’t be hard to spot.

As we exchanged tense glances, a familiar voice came from above.

“Knock, knock~ Anyone home? It’s the peace envoys from the Military State~”

It was Hilde.

Of course, I’d already read her mind and knew she was coming.

Hilde casually slid through the entrance, her carefree expression making the Regressor scowl.

“How did you find us?”

“The trail you left through the cornfield was like a compass pointing straight here! Even with my ‘basic’ tracking skills, it was obvious. It was so blatant I even worried it might be a decoy!”

“You really are skilled in the weirdest things.”

“Isn’t it ‘amazing,’ instead? Shei, you’re so bad at being honest!”

“Never thought that, not even once.”

Chuckling, Hilde spun around theatrically and, in her usual playful tone, announced.

“But more importantly, everyone, we’ve got a big problem~ The Golden Lord is making weapons! It seems he’s serious about preparing for war!”

“Weapons?”

“Yes! For example, something like this!”

Hilde smiled softly, reached toward the entrance, and pulled something out with great effort.

A pile of soil crumbled away, revealing a set of armor with a rugged metallic texture.

Greaves, helmet, breastplate, gauntlets—the armor pieces, crafted separately, rolled onto the ground, clanking noisily as they hit.

“Plate armor?”

“Yes! Full plate armor! It’s so sturdy that all ‘I’ could manage with my strength was to dent it! Could there be anything more formidable than this?”

In a battle between armor and bare hands, armor would naturally have the upper hand.

However, against a master of Qi Arts, the situation is different.

When Qi envelops the body, it becomes as tough as steel, and techniques exist to infiltrate and destroy even the interior of the armor.

If this armor could withstand attacks from one of the Six Star Generals, the Military State’s strongest forces, with only minor dents, it would undoubtedly be a treasure of the century.

But such armor is unlikely to be common.

Considering the quality of the Alchemical Steel and the forging techniques required, crafting a single suit could cost as much as an entire castle… that is, for anyone other than the Golden Lord.

“This kind of armor is lined up like corn in the cornfield!”

To the Golden Lord, the Divine of Alchemy, it’s no better than an ear of corn.

In fact, it might even be easier for him to produce than corn.

“And it’s not just armor. Weapons, vehicles—an array of fearsome equipment is scattered everywhere. It looks like the Golden Lord is planning to build a massive arsenal beyond this cornfield. Surely… he intends to use these weapons soon?”

It’s obvious. Elric already declared the start of the war.

Hilde picked up a gauntlet and dropped it with a clang, questioning the Regressor.

“Wait, weren’t we supposed to be here for peace negotiations? How do you explain this as peace envoys from the Military State?”

“That… I’ll explain.”

Since Hilde wasn’t present from the start, she wouldn’t know the details.

I took over and briefly explained what happened in the Golden Palace: Elric’s determination to continue the war, the Golden Lord’s agreement, the sudden emergence of homunculi, and our final, frantic escape.

After listening to everything, Hilde scratched her head and smiled awkwardly.

“Haha~ As expected, a ceasefire was probably too much to hope for~ This is bad. If the Golden Lord is preparing for war now, the strategy we planned will fall apart.”

“Strategy?”

“Yes~ A mobile warfare plan using Military State Signallers. The idea was to exploit the weak bonds among the Fallen Dominion’s Primarchs, disrupt them, create chaos, occupy territories, and ultimately march to Claudia.”

With a sigh, Hilde twirled her hair as she lamented.

“This is a disaster~ If the Golden Lord unites the Primarchs, the Fallen Dominion’s preparations won’t be easy to overcome. If war breaks out like this, it’ll turn into a full-scale conflict, causing enormous losses for both the Military State and the Fallen Dominion. What should we do?”

Hilde’s words reflected the Military State’s stance.

They had sent peace envoys, missed the golden opportunity, and even raised the enemy’s vigilance.

Hilde’s tone was lighthearted, but when measured in terms of actual losses, the consequences were enormous.

The Regressor, now being blamed, fumbled for words.

“Uh… well…”

“It’s fine. Don’t beat yourself up too much, everyone! Because there’s a way for you to make up for this colossal failure!”

As if she had foreseen this outcome, Hilde flashed a bright smile.

“If war is going to break out, it’ll have to end eventually, right? Naturally, ending it quickly with overwhelming power would be the best course to minimize casualties and resource consumption. However, thanks to Shei and the rest of you, the Military State’s power has been steadily diminished. Even our limited advantage in mobility was lost when you pointed a blade at our Command and made threats.”

The Regressor’s attacks on the Military State were intended to prevent the chaos of war.

But if she failed to convince the Fallen Dominion, her actions could be seen as inadvertently siding with them.

This was unequivocally the Regressor’s fault, for using peace as leverage to threaten the Military State.

Hilde emphasized this point as she continued.

“That said, if you join the fight, the balance can be restored!”

If you’ve caused the problem, you’re responsible for fixing it.

Hilde smiled sweetly, using her cheerful demeanor to pressure the Regressor.