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“Hm, in that case, I’ll take the vanguard,” Edelred volunteered, stepping forward. Isaac had been planning to ask him for this very role, so he was pleased.

“Would you? That’d be a great help.”

“Of course. This salt desert looks suited for a horse’s gallop. I’ve never actually encountered an Outer Boundary creature myself, but I did see a skull of one in the sanctum beneath the Holy See.”

“I’ve faced them before,” added Lianne. “Though I doubt they’ll be exactly the same…”

Those from the Gerthonia Empire, the heartland of the Codex of Light, rarely saw these beings, but those living in the outskirts had glimpsed creatures from the Outer Boundary. However, this wasn’t the task Isaac needed them to focus on.

“If you push forward while clearing out these creatures, your horses will tire quickly. First, reach Miarma as fast as possible and prepare a campsite for the following troops. That way, we can tend to the heatstroke victims when they arrive. Look for any wells and buildings that can be used for shelter.”

It was more of an advance party than a vanguard. Edelred looked a bit taken aback by the change from his expected role, but this task was crucial. The greatest enemy was not a few stray monsters but the relentless sun that had defeated even the Seventh Dawn Army.

“Tuhalin, I’d like you and the priests of the Forge to clear a path by handling the creatures. If anyone can withstand the heat, it’s a World’s Forge artisan.”

Tuhalin grinned. The Salt Desert was a wide, flat expanse with nothing but Outer Boundary monsters to hinder them. Without those creatures, they could move even faster.

“This is barely a warm-up.”

“Perfect. I’ll leave it to you.”

“Commander, what’s our role then?” Rottenhammer asked. Isaac already had a plan for the Codex paladins, who would face the miracle of the Lighthouse Keeper head-on.Nôv(el)B\\\\jnn

“I have the most important task for you.”

“Oh? And what would that be?”

“Pray for us to cross this desert safely.”

***

“Angela.”

Half a day after Elil and the vanguard had set off, the Issacrea Dawn Army began to move.

Isaac approached the youngest member of the Dawn Army, Angela, who was being escorted by knights from Issacrea. Though she, as usual, displayed calm composure, Isaac knew the heat of the desert would be particularly grueling for her.

“I’m still not sure if it was right to bring you here. But since we’re already here, we have to keep going, don’t we?”

Angela didn’t reply, but it seemed like she gave a slight nod. He still wasn’t certain of the exact knowledge she held, but whatever it was, it would greatly ease their reclaiming of Holy Land Lua. ŕ

Still, Isaac was more focused on breaking the curse that chained her mind, restoring her fully. If reclaiming Lua came as part of that, then so be it.

“It’ll be tough, but hang on just a bit longer. Understand?”

This time, she nodded clearly.

Isaac’s next destination was the group of people still gathered on the beach.

Since they couldn’t bring the Salt Council’s ship into the desert, Isaac had entrusted Horace’s skull to Yenkos. Holding the skull of his ancient hero, Yenkos looked both awed and a little overwhelmed but also somewhat excited about the power to control the legendary Orca Fleet.

“You don’t have to wait for us in this inhospitable place. Feel free to return to Odryf Harbor and wait there.”

“I’d love to claim I could wait here as a show of dedication, but… the salt levels here are so high that there’s not a fish in sight. I’ll station a relay ship and arrange for periodic visits to check in.”

Isaac nodded. The fleet was their only supply line and retreat route across the sea. A relay would be more than enough reassurance.

If things went wrong, he could summon them with the Salt Council’s relic Amundalas had given him.

However, Isaac knew the reason for their loyalty. Unlike other captains, some Salt Council members had chosen to join the Dawn Army on land.

Among them were Aidan and a few of his crew.

Grinning awkwardly, Aidan explained, “I’m a captain, yes, but I’m also a bit of an amateur archaeologist. I couldn’t miss the chance to visit Miarma.”

Isaac knew exactly what they were hoping for, which made him feel a bit guilty.

“I hate to disappoint, but I don’t have a way to break through the Salt Desert and let the sea flood in… yet. It’ll be a while before that can happen. But I’ll be looking into it.”

A lie. Isaac knew exactly how to achieve their dream, having reached an ending with the Salt Council’s help in the past. But he didn’t have the necessary resources now, and it might interfere with reclaiming the Holy Land.

Their wish would have to wait until after Lua was reclaimed.

Aidan nodded understandingly. “That’s alright. I didn’t expect everything to be solved the moment we arrived in Miarma.”

Yenkos smiled. “Honestly, my biggest fear was that you’d say, ‘It’ll be easy.’ I’ve never seen anything go smoothly when you’ve put it that way.”

“…Me?” Isaac blinked, caught off guard.

“Think back,” Yenkos continued, “the Drowned King, the kingdom of Elil, fighting Dera Heman in Odryf, even the Nightmare Strait… Every time you said, ‘It’ll be simple,’ things got pretty rough, didn’t they?”

Isaac stared at them blankly for a moment.

That was true. He’d scraped by, often by a stroke of luck or a near brush with death. It dawned on him then that his idea of “simple” might not align with that of others.

Whenever an angel obstructed his goal, things teetered on the edge of impossible.

That was just how this world worked. But Isaac knew how to make things happen “despite” angelic interference, even if it meant facing near-death situations along the way.

Many failed to succeed even in death, so if he achieved his aim despite an angel’s interference, wasn’t that “simple” enough?

‘Maybe it’s a difference in how we value life,’ he mused.

Isaac was living in this world with the mindset of a player. Life was precious, of course, but he saw it differently than those born and raised here. To him, victory was still victory, even if he barely survived with 1 HP left.

“This time, there’s no need to worry,” Isaac said confidently.

Yet Aidan and Yenkos exchanged glances, their expressions darkening slightly.