The Jigsaw Kingdom had been preparing to invade another land, but in a stroke of great irony, that very fortress had been attacked and the vast quantities of supplies and food were plundered by the Allied Multispecies Army. The enormous amount of food that the Jigsaw Kingdom had gathered from across the land was soaked in blood and sweat, but to the multispecies alliance, who carried back more spoils than they could hold, that fact meant nothing at all.
First and foremost, they fed their families generously, and then themselves ate their fill. Drunk on the taste of victory, they basked in the happiness of full stomachs. Supplies were abundant, morale was high, and monsters and humans marched in step. This operation had served as the perfect skirmish, a morale booster before the real battle.
And the leaders understood that this was the final branch in the road.
Leaving behind the soldiers and civilians who laughed cheerfully, the king of Oseo and the dragon leader spoke alone. Despite the ferocious smiles on their faces, their expressions were rigid. It was proof that emotion and reason were clashing with tremendous force.
“Our generals’ reports have been impressive. They say the monsters of the old world are strong... Strong enough to lose to no one.”
“That may be overestimating us. Still, our warriors will be pleased. And we have heard as well that the humans of this country fight well alongside us.”
Even for the two who bore ultimate responsibility, this battle had been flawless. And precisely because of that, they now faced an extremely simple problem.
“If we are to be wise about this, we should not fight Arcana.”
The king’s expression was stiff as he said it; he clearly did not enjoy speaking those words aloud. Still, it was his rational judgment, and so it had to be said.
“We should abandon the idea of securing the Eight Sacred Treasures, and rather invade nations that are on bad terms with Arcana and seize their lands instead. That is what I should be persuading you—persuading all of us—to do.”
“Indeed. That would be a wise decision in its own way.”
To the monsters of the old world, the Eight Sacred Treasures were the greatest threat. At the very least, that was how the monsters perceived them. To actively provoke a great power that possessed all eight treasures could only be called foolish.
“And yet, Arcana shows no mercy. This country, of all places, knows that better than anyone, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. Exactly!”
The king of Oseo leaned forward, his true emotions overflowing in the foolish, unbridled joy of charging straight ahead.
“The wisdom inside me screams that we should not cling to Arcana. And yet I know that no matter what I say, my people cannot abide that!”
The king of Oseo was, in truth, the very embodiment of his people. What lay in his heart was identical to what lay in theirs.
“Humans are foolish creatures. Surrounded by countless weaker nations, they still choose to wage war against the strongest one simply because they hate it. And what’s worse—they rejoice from the bottom of their hearts! That is the greatest foolishness of all!”
Sansui—or rather, the Arcana Kingdom—had pushed them too far. They had driven Oseo into a corner so completely that they stripped it of wisdom, stripped it of self-preservation. No one could stop this war anymore. Even knowing that other paths existed, they could no longer retreat.
“We want to make that superpower—so certain of its own invincibility—feel our rage!”
“Choosing you as our ally was not a mistake.”
The dragon smiled cruelly as well. Had either of them withdrawn or hesitated here, their unity would have faltered. Fortunately, there was no such concern. The monsters of the old world and the people of Oseo burned with a single will to fight Arcana.