A day later, in the temporary barrack’s conference room, four women of different hair colors and personalities gathered around a table, staring intently at a report.
The largest coordinated military operation since the inception of the war against the deviants, the Battle of Scorched Earth, was a resounding success. They had accomplished far more than what they had set out to do.
On top of rescuing Roel Ascart, they had also saved Tark Stronghold’s elite soldiers, who had been devoured by Shrouding Fog, and dealt a crushing blow to the deviants.
With the full force of the united army on the frontlines tying down the deviants’ armies, Roel had an epic showdown with the Deviant Sovereign and decapitated the latter, thus putting an end to one of the greatest threats looming over humankind.
Humankind was no longer facing an immediate threat of extinction, but it was too optimistic to say that the worst was over yet.
In accordance with the prophecy of the Tripartite Alliance, the Savior and the Mother Goddess had started to wake from their hibernation, and the signs were only becoming clearer as time passed.
So far, humankind only had to deal with their believers wreaking havoc. Those cultists were a tricky bunch to deal with, but they weren’t so menacing as to threaten the survival of humankind as a whole. The appearance of the Egg of the Beast God was outside humankind’s expectations, and it was definitely an enemy to be wary about.
The same applied to the Six Calamities who appeared afterward too.
In a way, it was ironic how humankind was left feeling more chilled than ever in spite of the Battle of Scorched Earth being a huge success. The cataclysmic fight between those monsters opened the human soldiers’ eyes to just what kind of entities they were up against.
Of course, the women who had witnessed the Six Calamities together with Roel through the Witness State couldn’t be shaken that easily, but Roel’s condition tugged at their heartstrings. That was also the reason the tent’s atmosphere was so heavy.
“His external injuries have healed, but he isn’t waking up. This…” Charlotte murmured as she held the report from the united army’s clergymen with trembling hands.
None of the four women in the tent had a good complexion.
A day had passed since the united army’s retreat from the battlefield. By casting aside their heavier weapons, they were able to hasten their footsteps and reach the outer perimeter of Hawe Desert within a day.
However, there had been no improvement in Roel’s condition. He hadn’t woken up even once since falling unconscious the day before. While the four women maintained an impassive front regarding the matter, their hearts were actually filled with anxiety.
“Could it be a problem with his soul, as we previously guessed?”
“It might be due to exhaustion too. We had another battle with the deviants prior to your arrival, and Roel sustained severe injuries back then too…”
Wilhelmina paused at this point to look at the three livid-faced women. She placed her hand on her chest and contemplated, but she decided against telling them about how Roel had severed a part of his heart to save her. As a muscle-headed knight who knew nothing other than battle, she wasn’t sure why she had to withhold that piece of information either; it was more like a gut feeling that she had to do so.
Nevertheless, the others heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing the information she provided.
“Yes, it could be due to fatigue. Even if his body is fine, it might still take some time for him to recover from his mental fatigue.”
“Let’s keep him under observation for a few more days.”
Nora and Lilian pulled themselves together and forced themselves to think on the bright side, but Charlotte was unable to curb her worries.
“But what if the problem lies in Darling’s soul?”
“…Then we’d be helpless. Even the Country of Scholars has not made much progress in the research of souls.”
“All we can do now is to trust him.”
“…”
Lilian’s words caused the other three to fall silent, and the atmosphere in the tent turned heavy once more. A moment later, Nora shook her head and pulled herself together.
“Let’s put aside this matter for now. There’s something more troublesome we need to deal with.”
“Are you referring to the two Calamities? It won’t be easy to deal with them,” Wilhelmina said.
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