“Yeah, that guy. Are you keeping in touch with him?” Siegfried asked. — We are barely maintaining contact with him. — I do not really want to use Ragdoll IV for small matters. He is a trump card up our sleeves, so there is no point in risking him right now. “Ah, that makes sense.” Michele was right. King Ragdoll IV was one of their most powerful cards right now, as he had direct access to confidential information due to his position as the king of the Adrianople Kingdom, one of the founding members of the Holy Alliance. He could get them confidential information otherwise impossible to get using spies, so he was truly a valuable asset. If they were to use him from the start, and he ended up getting found out by the Holy Alliance, then they would lose an extremely valuable asset. The information King Ragdoll IV had access to could very well decide the fate of an entire nation, so it was indeed wiser not to use him for small espionage missions. “Tell him to start spying on our behalf, but make sure not to use the information he provides unless we absolutely have to.” If the Proatine Kingdom reacted to every single move the Holy Alliance made using the information they obtained from King Ragdoll IV, then they would without a doubt grow suspicious and realize that there was a spy among them. Once that happened, it would only be a matter of time before King Ragdoll IV's cover was blown. “Just collect whatever information he sends. Once we think that the information he sent can change the tide of this war, that is the only time we will act.” — I understand, sire.” Michele understood what Siegfried meant and nodded in response. — But Your Majesty. What are your plans from now on? “Hm? What do you mean by that?” — Things are not looking good these days. The Holy Alliance is using their newfound religion to let the angels descend. — The Marchioni Empire is fighting against the Coral Race, and they even sent an expedition into their world. “Yeah, I know that, too.” — So what is our kingdom’s stance on these matters? This was an important question, as the Proatine Kingdom had to decide on their future in the event that the Marchioni Empire would fall and be replaced by the Holy Alliance. Would Siegfried decide to maintain his blood alliance with the Marchioni Empire, or would he side with the Holy Alliance? Whichever side it would be, he would have to make his decision soon. “Isn’t it obvious? The Holy Alliance is trying to help the angels descend. Once they do, we’re all doomed,” Siegfried replied. “We aren’t siding with the Marchioni Empire. We are simply protecting this world from the Holy Alliance and the angels.” “But we have to reduce the empire’s burden. They are already doing their job as the rulers of the continent by fighting against those Coral invaders.” The Marchioni Empire was currently fighting a planet-versus-planet war against the Coral Race with their pride as the most powerful nation in the world on the line. The empire’s people also believed that they were the owners of the Nurburg Continent, so it was their duty to defend it against alien invaders. “We have to reduce the empire’s burden.” — I understand what you mean, sire. “Send word to all of our allies and every nation at war with the Holy Alliance.” — What should we tell them? “Tell them that we are forming a coalition against the Holy Alliance.” “If we have to fight this war anyway, then we might as well do it with a bang. Sure, if they want a world war, we will give them one.” Siegfried decided to form a coalition against the Holy Alliance, which was plotting to help the angels descend upon the Middle Realm. This was the beginning of the world war that would soon rage across the entire Nurburg Continent. Siegfried instructed Michele to contact all of their allied nations as well as those at war with the Holy Alliance, and then he called Quandt next. “I will be needing new gears.” — Oh? What kind of gears are you thinking of? “Something that will reduce the burden placed on my mana hall.” “My mana hall could get destroyed while I’m fighting, so I need something that will stop that from happening.” — That is not an easy request. Quandt looked visibly troubled by Siegfried’s request. Even though he was a master craftsman and a future Legendary Blacksmith, coming up with an artifact that would reduce the burden on one’s mana hall was not easy. “Do you think it’s possible? I actually have a huge gift for you.” “Actually, I...” Siegfried trailed off. Then, he began to share the things that happened in the Demon Realm. How he acquired one of the materials required to complete Herbert’s Legacy, and how he met the greatest blacksmith in all of the Demon Realm, Tubal-Cain. — A-Are you serious?! Not only did you obtain a powerful demon’s heart, but you also met the greatest blacksmith of the Demon Realm?! “Yup! Have I ever lied to you? Ah, would you like to see it instead?” Siegfried opened his inventory and presented the Demon Lord’s Heart to Quandt. Badump! Badump! Badump! Shockingly, the Demon Lord’s Heart was still beating as if it were still attached to a body. “All that’s left is the Eye of the Storm. Once we have that, then... Ta-dah! The Universal weapon will be complete!” Quandt felt chills spreading throughout him after hearing that the Universal weapon left behind by the Legendary Blacksmith Herbert was finally nearing its completion. The Bavarian Workshop would soon finally achieve their lifelong dream. Of course, Siegfried still had no idea what the Eye of the Storm was nor where he could get it. “But that’s not all!” — Oh?! There’s more?! “The Greatest Blacksmith of the Demon Realm, Master Tubal-Cain, wishes to meet you!” — A-Are you serious?! “Again, when have I ever lied to you? Ah, Master Tubal-Cain took one look at the Vanquisher’s Grasp and spared no praises for you! He said he couldn’t believe that such a talented blacksmith existed in the Middle Realm!” “So he practically begged me to let him meet you. I did tell him I’ll try my best to convince you. Anyway, so, what do you think? Do you like what you’ve heard so far?” — Of course! I love it! Quandt was all worked up, evident from how his dwarven ears were all perked up. — I will be eternally grateful to Your Majesty if you grant me that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! — Not only are we one step closer to achieving our workshop’s lifelong dream, but I will also get to meet the greatest blacksmith in all of the Demon Realm... A string of notifications popped up in front of Siegfried’s eyes. [Alert: The buff Soul of Expert has been activated!] [Alert: Quandt’s desire to invent a new artifact has increased by 500%!] [Alert: Quandt’s inspiration has increased by 200%!] [Alert: Quandt’s crafting speed has increased by 200%!] [Alert: Quandt’s item crafting skill has increased by 200%!] There was a saying that a few words of praise could even make a whale dance out of joy. Quandt received a huge buff from being overjoyed after hearing that the greatest blacksmith in all of the Demon Realm, Tubal-Cain, had spared no praises for him. His pride as a blacksmith lit a roaring fire in him that, in turn, gave him these bonuses. — Your Majesty! I will definitely craft you a set of artifacts that will reduce the burden on your mana hall! Leave it to me! “I thought it was difficult?” — Make the impossible possible! Impossible is nothing! That should be the mindset of a master craftsman, shouldn't it? Bwahahaha! “I would be extremely grateful if you manage to pull it off! Hahaha!” Siegfried and Quandt started laughing together for quite a while. — Please give me a bit of time. I will quickly craft it for you, sire! — Then, I will be hanging up now. I have to grab my hammer while these inspirations are still fresh in my mind! “Thank you for your hard work as always!” ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚·𝔫𝔢𝔱 After requesting Quandt to craft him a new set of items that would reduce the burden on his mana hall, Siegfried headed to the command center of the Kiev Kingdom’s forces. With Siegfried's proposal to form a coalition against the Holy Alliance, the power dynamics of the Nurburg Continent's international community began to shift rapidly. News of Siegfried forcing the three-hundred-thousand-strong army of the Holy Alliance to retreat spread like wildfire three days ago, and this dramatically raised expectations surrounding the soon-to-be-formed coalition forces. Perhaps that was the reason why, but not only did the nations that were already allied with the Proatine Kingdom join the coalition, but seven other nations expressed their intentions to join. With that, the balance of power on the continent was completely overturned. The Marchioni Empire, the Holy Alliance, and the coalition forces led by Siegfried. These three forces split the Nurburg Continent into what looked like a three-way power struggle straight out from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Of course, the coalition forces under Siegfried and the Marchioni Empire were practically allies, which meant the true conflict was now a two-versus-one standoff—the Marchioni Empire and the coalition forces versus the Holy Alliance. ‘I have to screw those bastards first,’ Siegfried had already made up his mind even before the coalition forces were formed. He would wipe out the Holy Alliance’s army that had invaded the Kiev Kingdom before anything else, as eliminating at least one front before the all-out war would definitely be advantageous. ‘But how do I crush them...’ he wondered while studying the map closely. “Your Majesty! We have received word that the Holy Alliance is retreating!” A messenger came rushing in with an urgent report. “Huh? They’re retreating?” “But that doesn’t make any sense at all.” Siegfried couldn’t understand the reason behind the Holy Alliance’s sudden withdrawal. Sure, it was possible that they were pulling back to avoid further pointless casualties after the crushing defeat they suffered during the Siege of Odessa. “No, it doesn’t add up,” Siegfried muttered under his breath. He couldn’t find a compelling reason behind the Holy Alliance's retreat. From their standpoint, abandoning the front here would leave their rear dangerously exposed to attacks. In other words, capturing Odessa was something they had to do no matter what the cost was if they wanted to push their lines forward. “But why are they retreating? They should be trying to take Odessa no matter how many casualties they suffer. Unless they’re bringing in reinforcements...?” “Perhaps they are afraid of Your Majesty?” “No, there’s no way that’s the case,” Siegfried shook his head and replied. Then, he said, “The Holy Alliance is a coalition of great powers. If we consider their combined military might, withdrawing here makes no sense at all.” A great power was feared for a reason. They were not upstart kingdoms that grew strong overnight—no, they had accumulated their might over centuries, and that was not something that could be toppled easily. On top of that, the Illuminati and the angels were backing them, which meant that they were not to be taken lightly. It would not be strange for some other great power to suddenly join the Holy Alliance or for an archangel to suddenly descend onto the battlefield. To sum it up, there was no way such a massive army would retreat just because of Siegfried. ‘What are they scheming? Why are they pulling their troops back?’ Siegfried wondered, staring at the map. Then, he retraced the route the Holy Alliance was using to retreat. ‘And why are they using that route to retreat when so many other options are available...?’ Five minutes later... “Those crazy bastards...” Siegfried growled under his breath. The messenger tilted his head in confusion and asked, “What is the matter, Your Majesty? Why are you so angry when the enemy is retreating?” “This... They are not retreating,” Siegfried shot up from his seat and said. “They’re... Those crazy bastards are about to commit a massacre.” “They intend to destroy every major city and slaughter every civilian! We have to convene an emergency strategy meeting right now! Inform every commanding officer to gather in the war room! Now!” Siegfried had seen right through the Holy Alliance’s intentions and immediately called for a strategy meeting without wasting another second. ‘Damn it... How many people are those crazy bastards planning to kill?’ Siegfried’s pace quickened as he strode to the war room. If his assumption was right and the Holy Alliance was indeed planning to use scorched earth tactics against them, then they would certainly massacre millions of people.