Conscription 4

After leaving District Seven, I took the military magic circle and arrived in the imperial capital of Karnon. When I opened my eyes, a group of knights was waiting for me.

I was slightly surprised.

“We have come to escort you, Baron Jandel.”

Is it because of the war? Those proud palace knights had actually come all the way to greet me.

“Please step into the carriage.”

Soon, escorted by the Royal Knights, I boarded the carriage and headed straight to the Palace of Glory, a place I had already visited several times thanks to the ceremonies I’d attended as a noble.

‘It definitely feels like wartime.’

The Palace of Glory I arrived at was completely different from usual.

And I did not mean just the atmosphere.

“The identity of Baron Bjorn Jandel has been confirmed.”

For one thing, the identity check at the gate was several times more thorough. As I stepped into the wide open area beyond the gate, I saw what appeared to be a military camp, though it didn’t quite match the usual image of one.

“It feels like it is all officers.”

Because we were far from the frontlines, communication equipment was installed everywhere, and soldiers who looked better at wielding pens than swords stood infront of them.

Some of them had spread out a map and were engaged in serious discussion.

“The command headquarters is this way.”

Following the knights inside the Palace of Glory, I finally began to see familiar faces here and there.

Count Ferdehilt.

Viscount Muhlbargh.

Count Alminus…

Their silent acknowledgement from across the hall left me feeling uneasy.

It felt as though these people were now more familiar to me than knights, officers, guild branch heads, or high-ranking officials.

“That Count Ferdehilt over there… I first met him at the banquet hall.”

There, I became a barbarian warrior, fought with the knights, and earned the nickname ‘Knight Breaker’, and acquired the Garphas Necklace as a spoil of war.

‘It had already been a few years since then.’

Now, as a titled noble, I was exempt from most ordinary laws and could only be punished under Noble Law. I am also chief of one of the city’s six races and leader of my own clan.

And yet, for some reason—

‘I still think that time was the most fun…’

Charging recklessly into Rank 6 monsters, watching the mana overload phenomenon on the third floor every time, clashing with fellow explorers in the labyrinth just to get by day after day.

Whenever I feel mentally exhausted, my thoughts drift back to those times, even though, from an outsider’s perspective, my current position was far stronger and better.

“The supreme commander is currently in a meeting. Could you wait here for a while? You are free to move anywhere within the military headquarters.”

“Very well.”

With that, the knight who had escorted me here left. With some time to spare, I took the opportunity to look around and get a sense of the atmosphere.

“Just how long were you off training?” a familiar voice asked.

A woman of the White Rabbit Tribe approached me.

“Ah, Baroness Lirivia.”

A member of the non-human noble alliance Melbes, and among them, the house head most friendly toward me.

The so-called Rabbit Baroness.

“Just how much stronger are you trying to get?”

Since we were fairly close, she started with a joke instead of a formal greeting, and I smirked in response.

“Have you been well?” I asked

“Well, I was doing well. Until all this happened.”

“I see. Anyway, it is good to see you. What exactly is going on right now? Is there anything I should know?”

The Rabbit Baroness paused, clearly not expecting the question. “Hmm… how should I put this? Baron Jandel, how much do you know?”

“I came in a hurry, so I don’t know much. Just assume I don’t know anything and tell me.”

The Rabbit Baroness did exactly that, giving me a detailed explanation from start to finish.

“They invaded the imperial capital…?” I repeated, stunned.

“Not the main force, but a small elite unit.”

On the day the barrier around Bifron disappeared, the Noarkans who had gone outside formed an elite unit and infiltrated the imperial capital.

However, they didn’t cause any significant damage, and after being discovered once by a search party, the palace was unable to find any further trace of them.

“Didn’t you see them on your way here? Search units are spread out all over the city.”

I did see some soldiers, but I had assumed they were there to defend the capital.

“We don’t know why they attempted to infiltrate the capital, but so far no damage has been discovered yet.”

In short, there was still a possibility that Noark’s special unit was hiding somewhere within Karnon.

In short, there was still a possibility that Noark’s special unit was hiding somewhere within Karnon.

“But don’t worry too much. With a unit of their size, they wouldn’t dare set foot in the royal palace. This place is safe.”

The rabbit baroness seemed to genuinely believe it.

Of course, her belief wasn’t unreasonable.

Given the number of soldiers stationed in the palace, there was a high chance that even an elite squad of over thirty would be dealt with in just a few minutes.

But…

‘You think those bastards would act without a plan…’

Since we didn’t know what they were after, I became increasingly uneasy.

‘For now, it’s right to think that the royal palace isn’t a safe zone either.’

Mental preparation complete.

Being a titled noble, the Rabbit Baroness was able to share quite a few new pieces of information with me. Naturally, she had access to high-level information that ordinary people couldn’t.

“They used magical weapons to drive the Noarkans back into Bifron, but the military command suspects they planted spies during the chaos.”

She told me that the palace had launched a manhunt throughout the refugee districts, fearing the presence of spies.

“From what I’ve heard in the rumors, it seems the military command is planning to send all its forces into Bifron and wipe them out.”

Information about future war developments.

“You said your clan is currently in the 7th district, right? If that happens, there might be damage there too.”

Words I could not possibly ignore.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“This… You should be the only one to know, okay?”

“Of course.”

After swearing me to secrecy, the Rabbit Baroness glanced around, leaned in, and whispered as softly as she could: ‘Aside from the Noarkan invasion, the palace believes the explorers have become too strong.’

“……What?”

“Don’t you see it as well? Ever since the war that began on the Dark Continent’s seventh floor, explorers have been growing noticeably stronger with each passing moment.”

Ah, that.

Certainly… I could agree to some extent.

 

Throughout the war, the royal family had been forced to reward the explorers.

To survive the age of chaos, small and medium clans merged into larger forces, participating in the war like mercenary groups. Using the essences and equipment they received, they grew rapidly.

“Then closing the labyrinth wasn’t just to keep the Noark fellows in check.”

“Yes. No one has heard the official stance of the Royal Family, but everyone secretly thinks so.”

“But why is the palace so afraid of the explorers?” I asked, finally giving voice to a frustration I’d carried for a long time.

“Isn’t it obvious? When any group becomes powerful, its voice grows louder. It wants more. And greed always leads to bloodshed. To rule this city, absolute authority is necessary.”

Hmm, politically, that might be true… but I have a hunch that there’s more to it than that.

It didn’t feel like the royal family was worried about explorers demanding more power. Rather, it felt like they were worried about explorers becoming too strong in the first place.

“As if they want to stop us from reaching deeper into the labyrinth.”

The thought came to me naturally, as if it were inevitable that I’d reach that conclusion.

Badump.

Wait.

“……”

If what I’d just thought was true…

“Look over there, it’s Baron Jandel.”

“The baron’s arrival means his clan has reached the front lines as well.”

“How fortunate. Though their numbers are small compared to major clans, each of them is said to be worth a hundred men.”

“I have even heard people say that if someone were to reach the tenth floor for the first time in thousands of years, it would be Baron Jandel and his companions.”

Isn’t this… the most dangerous situation for our clan?

***

The third command center was set up by taking over one of the largest buildings near District Seven’s city wall.

Knock, knock.

A knight with a stiff expression entered.

“Commander, urgent news has arrived from military headquarters.”

 

“Speak,” ordered the man seated before a massive map spread across the central table.

The knight who had entered carefully began his report.

“The first news we received is about the Biphron subjugation operation. The security clearance does not permit me to open the document, so you will need to check it yourself, General.”

“I understand. And the second?”

“Baron Jandel has arrived at the Military Command.”

“…I see.”

The man who received the subordinate’s report seemed lost in thought for a moment, then took the document and dismissed the knight.

Tear.

He ripped open the sealed document and immediately checked the contents.

Subjugation date, time, troop deployment plan, and so on.

Information that is invaluable in war and must absolutely never fall into enemy hands.

As he read through the details, the man froze when he saw the proposed troop formation.

“They want them all dead.”

The elite regular troops had been assigned to the rear, while the explorer forces had been sent straight to the most dangerous front lines.

The intent was unmistakable.

Moreover, a single-line sentence was added at the very end of the document.

“We hereby inform you that Baron Bjorn Jandel is to be assigned to the military command and is not to be transferred under any circumstances.”

There was no need to guess what the military’s higher-ups were after.

“Hoo…”

The man put down the document and let out a long sigh.

[So, do well.]

[…]

[There won’t be a second chance.]

The chilling warning left by the barbarian echoed in his ears.

“I don’t like this.”

The directive from above was highly unsettling. No matter how justified it might have been, he was still just a person in the end.

‘What on earth is the Royal Family thinking…’

Clearly displeased, he put the documents down and summoned the subordinate who had just left.

“This is the strategic formation we’ve been given,” he said. “Share it only with the top-ranking officers of each unit, and handle it discreetly.”

“S-Sir, this is…”

As soon as he laid eyes on the document, the servant understood their intentions.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand the subordinate’s feelings.

The man himself was still displeased with the contents written in the document.

But…

“These are orders from above. No objections will be tolerated.”

To survive in this city, one could not live by doing only what one wanted.

“…Nia Raphdonia!”

Because he was not a barbarian.

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