"First, as a basic premise—
Creation magic is
fundamentally unbeatable.
Just keep that in mind."
This was how Rose began laying out her strategy for their current situation.
Those opening words were nothing short of devastating news.
Yet while shock ran through the group, not a single person hung their head.
Because they believed. They knew the Sky Witch would never lead them to the conclusion that "we're hopeless."
As if answering that trust, Rose continued.
"Which means the fight shouldn't be against Creation magic itself. The focus should be on 'keeping Creation magic from unleashing its full power.'"
"Its full power..."
"Right. If that magic is allowed to operate at full capacity, cracking it would be nearly impossible.
But — that magic only demonstrates its true worth when combined with other spells. In other words, its effectiveness depends entirely on what spells it's paired with. And so—"
In a quiet voice, she said:
"—on their side, aside from Yurugen,
there is no other wielder
of the 'Netherworld of Salvation.'"
It was, when you thought about it, a simple enough strategy.
But for the Third Princess's faction, who had been thrown into a completely unknown situation, a methodical breakdown like this was far easier to digest. And indeed, as Rose laid out her reasoning with careful precision, the restless members of the group began to settle down once more.
"That is to say,"
"Yeah.
We take out Yurugen first.
Once that's done, at the very least, the vengeful spirit phenomenon currently blanketing the entirety of the Royal Capital will cease."
──Well, having said that."
She paused for a breath.
"Because it's so straightforward, they'll be on guard against exactly that above all else. Without a doubt, he'll be stationed in the most heavily fortified location──the heart of the Royal Capital, surrounded by the other executive members of the organization."
With that premise established, she further simplified the situation.
"In short, it comes down to whether we can charge in──first, whether we can even reach Yurugen's position, second, whether we can pry him away from the other executives guarding him, and finally, whether we can actually defeat him. The objective is simple, and the three hurdles to achieving it are exactly what I just outlined."
"W-Wait a moment, please."
It was Liliana who raised an objection.
"I understand that striking Yurugen──the spellcaster──is the fastest way to stop the vengeful spirit phenomenon, and I have no objection to that.
But... what about the nobles being attacked by the vengeful spirits in the meantime? Can they not be... saved?"
...Surely.
If Liliana hadn't spoken those words here, Rose would likely have ignored that matter entirely. She had, after all, already declared her intention to adopt precisely that approach.
But having heard her words now, and having taken them to heart in this way, there was no chance Rose would turn a blind eye to it.
"Don't worry."
!"
"The deep assault into the heart of the Royal Capital will necessarily be carried out by a small, elite strike team. That means, by extension, that all remaining personnel will be deployed to rescue operations across the Royal Capital."
Right people for the right jobs.
The assault team, needless to say, would need to be comprised of powerful mages with extraordinary individual strength, since their objectives would necessarily be limited.
However, defending the entirety of the Royal Capital during that time — the rescue team, so to speak — required a different kind of power.
For example, the vast manpower needed for rescue operations, or mages who could uniformly and drastically enhance the abilities of others — those would be ideally suited for the role.
"This is your specialty, Liliana. I have no interest in the people of the Royal Capital. So in exchange... you protect the Royal Capital itself. I'm counting on you."
"Yes!"
Liliana responded with a forceful answer.
Rose watched her with a warm smile, then quickly composed her expression.
"That said, I can't leave it all to Liliana. For starters, having everyone else here join the assault team would be overstaffed no matter how you look at it."
"So from here, we'll finalize the roster. Who heads into the deepest reaches of the Royal Capital — and who gets assigned where."
The tension among the group deepened by another degree.
The strategy to conquer the Royal Capital, led by the Sky Witch, was steadily taking shape.
My apologies for the short chapter!
Starting next time, the final battle truly begins. I hope you'll be there to see it!