Chapter 176
The moment Ungrim witnessed the might of the sword of light drawn by Erich, he must have known.
No matter how strong he was, defeating Erich in a one-on-one fight was out of reach.
That's why Ungrim chose peace.
If Erich had insisted on fighting to the end, Ungrim would have fought as well, but since Erich extended his hand first, there was no reason to choose a battle with such little hope of victory.
Above all, in Erich's estimation, Ungrim was already preparing for battle against the dead.
Fighting the Watch, or even the Empire itself, was merely a matter of priorities.
In the end, Ungrim also knew well that war with the dead was an inevitable fate.
But here, Erich had presented him with a way for all his kin to be incorporated into the Empire's system. He'd also given him sufficient authority and solutions to make this a reality.
As long as Erich kept his promises, Ungrim saw no reason to fight the Watch before the dead.
In other words, Ungrim was a man with whom 'negotiation' was more than possible.
However.
'The lords are different.'
These lords do not understand why battle with the dead is inevitable.
Unlike Erich and Ungrim, who had either directly experienced or at least indirectly confirmed the secrets of the past, the lords likely regarded those stories as little better than fairy tales.
Erich addressed the lords.
"Ungrim—no, the fact that Astha of the Leonor house has started cooperating with us comes down to the mutual threat we share: the 'dead'."
"We know well enough about the dead, but is it really a threat requiring an army of this scale?"
"It would barely be enough, even with an all-out war."
"... That is just the commander's personal opinion, is it not? The Great Wall and the Watch exist to keep northern invaders out. But if you need the might of the lords for that, what is the purpose of the Watch being here in the first place?"
Harald's Sven put it simply: this is your problem, and unless there's a direct threat to their own lands, they see no reason to join the fight.
And considering even the northern territories, who would be next if the Watch falls, are thinking this way, it was obvious what the other lords were thinking as well.
However, Erich had already expected this.
In his previous life, right up until his death, he had continually appealed for the Empire's help, but even then, they did not come with their full strength. Erich knew well that things would be no different this time.
'I can't let myself suffer the same setbacks all over again.'
That was why Erich had considered a way to persuade them from the beginning—a method that lay with Ceres.
Erich turned to the woman at his side.
"The Tower Master of the Mage Tower will be joining this expedition. And as you all know, the Mage Tower always acts fairly. After all, they don't involve themselves in pointless things."
Some of the lords smiled at Erich's words. It was a bit of a backhanded remark, but not wrong.
Not even the mages cared enough to object.
There is nothing wrong with only doing what is necessary. Mages, after all, often set aside emotion in favor of rational thought.
Erich added more.
"So, you are all aware of the magic of the mages. The Tower Master can show you precisely what she witnessed herself."
"And what changes if we see those visions?"
Erich raised the corners of his mouth slowly.
"Everything."
At Erich's signal, Ceres let light stream forth from her two hands.
Soft light poured from the tattoos on her skin, and before long, a smoky mist shrouded the council chamber.
Erich could not see exactly what vision they beheld. He could only surmise that Ceres was showing them everything she had seen of the dead.
Since the previous day, Erich had instructed Ceres on what to display. Of course, there was no falsehood mixed in.
What Ceres had already seen would be more than enough—a transcendent vision unlike anything these lords had ever experienced.
Gradually, the lords' expressions turned ashen as they were drawn into the vision.
It was not because they were weak-hearted.
'... Would I have been any different?'
Even now, Erich could not forget the moment he first witnessed the legions of the dead, nor the moment when so many soldiers died screaming from their chilling aura.
That remained unchanged, even after his return and as he approached the end of everything.
The undying legions that would not die unless beheaded. The monstrous ones who froze anything that came near. But that was only a taste.
The true terror lay in the beings who led them.
'What they see may be a weakened death lord, but the Lord of the Dead would be beyond such riffraff, regardless of their numbers.'
At present, the Lord of the Dead had lost half his power—because he had lost the strength of the black dragon, karkas.
Even so, whenever Erich thought of the Lord of the Dead, he felt a peculiar tension.
The terror he felt upon first beholding the creature was forever engraved in Erich's soul.
Still, to them, the death lord's power would be as shocking as the Lord of the Dead had been to Erich back then.
There are not many swordmasters—transcendent beings—even in the Empire.
And yet, a death lord who could instantly kill even an intermediate swordmaster....
The psychological shock of such an existence to these lords would be unimaginable.
"This... this is impossible..."
"Is this real?"
It seemed the vision had ended. A strange bead of sweat trickled down Ceres's nape.
It seemed to consume a considerable amount of power to share such a vision with them all.
Now, persuading them was no longer difficult for Erich.
Compared to before, the lords' faces looked so dark you'd hardly recognize them.
Erich was about to respond, but fell silent. A strange surge of regret welled up within him.
'... If only I could have gathered the Empire's lords together like this back then.'
Since returning, Erich had always thoroughly prepared himself so he would never regret again.
And so, now.
Because he had gathered all the northern lords in one place, he had the chance to speak to them like this.
Because Ceres was here, he could show them such a vision.
He doubted he would have encountered the death lord, who could show them such a spectacle, so early otherwise.
Erich gave a bitter smile.
Although he had sworn not to have any regrets in this new life, now that everything was proceeding so smoothly, he couldn't help but feel regret over those moments before his return.
The lords raised a ruckus among themselves—disturbed disbelief, cries to report immediately to their lieges.
But among them, none now opposed Erich's thinking. Soon, the priest representing the Incensus order spoke up.
"The Incensus order will follow the incarnation. To have witnessed such a sacred vision!"
Strange tears were gathering at the corners of the priest's eyes. Erich could quickly guess the reason why.
'... So, to them, the sword of light looked like the judgment of the gods.'
Apparently, the vision Ceres showed included the battle between Erich and the death lord—certainly including a scene where Erich wielded the sword of light.
Strictly speaking, since he used the divine ritual of Incensus and the Lord of the Dead's power, it really was a god's power—even if he could wield it without receiving a direct blessing.
Erich answered with a smile.
"If you come with me, you may witness it again as many times as you wish."
"Incensus, heavens above!"
The priests grew vibrant at these words.
They were madmen, surely, but at such times, Erich thought they were easy to handle.
Next, Milon spoke up.
"Even without seeing such a vision, the south will follow our lord."
Erich nodded. Milon was the one to start the momentum.
As soon as Milon spoke, other faction representatives would undoubtedly speak up as well.
Next was central Leonor—specifically, Abe, who had been as silent as the grave for some time.
"A-after witnessing such a thing, I cannot remain idle. I will report to my lord."
He claimed it was because of the vision, but Abe's glances had kept straying to Ungrim.
It seemed he was troubled by thoughts of that lost ancestor.
Next, the rest of the factions also declared their intent to join the campaign—from the largest ducal territories to the smallest counties, all pledged to report to their lieges.
Finally, Erich spoke to the representatives of the north, who had remained silent.
They could contribute the largest forces.
For others, supplying troops itself would be a major expenditure, but for the northern territories, which lay closest to the Watch, it was different.
They could send not only the largest military force, but supplies as well—practically 100% of their capacity due to proximity.
Sven, representing House Harald, spoke.
"I will report to my lord. This is not merely a threat to the north, but to the entire Empire."
"Thank you."
Even the northern territories now declared for the campaign in the chamber.
It was the right evaluation of Sven—that this was not just an invasion, but a threat to the entire Empire.
That reality had come through at last. Erich smiled at Ceres in thanks.
All that remained, in truth, were the minor lords. But with all the great lords agreeing, who would now refuse?
Naturally, the council's focus shifted—from Erich's persuasion to a resolve to resist the invasion of the Lord of the Dead.
And as the council was drawing to a close, the doors suddenly burst open and someone entered.
It was a barbarian, sweat streaming from every inch of his body, who burst into the chamber.
Ungrim narrowed his eyes at the man.
The lords' gazes focused sharply on the barbarian who had just burst in.
They exchanged urgent words in their own tongue, and those who could understand it showed strange changes in expression.
Sven of the north, who was at least easiest to communicate with, addressed Erich.
"What is going on?"
"There is good news and bad news. Which would you like first?"
"... The good news?"
Erich quickly sorted out what he'd heard in his head and replied.
"We have detected movements among the dead. The barbarians here have been keeping watch on the dead."
"... And the bad news?"
"The dead are amassing. At a scale never before seen."
The lords' faces turned pale.
To think the enemy's forces were already gathering, just as they had resolved themselves!
But Erich thought a little differently.
Either way, it wasn't exactly a bad thing, but the gathering of the dead left much to consider.
At least one thing.
Above all, the most important thing was this:
It meant the Lord of the Dead was about to be resurrected.