Chapter 1074 – #256_Small Wars – DeepL
#1068
1.
Taking his deputy’s advice, Herja led the Rehar group in a successful raid.
Wearing the Necklace of the Servant of Solidus, she launched a preemptive strike against Gehenna.
The mood among the Rehar was festive as they returned to their temporal gathering place and temporarily hunkered down.
Not only had they struck a historic blow to mainland Gehenna, which hadn’t seen an invasion in centuries, but Lydia was a big Mac.
“Hahaha, the look on Lady Magnus’ face should be something to behold.”
“That’s right, she’s a cowardly wench who’ll fight with her mouth, but she’ll use every trick in the book to avoid a fight.”
“Any trace of her in Gehenna?”
“I don’t think so, not yet. That sandal-slinger’s got some nasty tricks up his sleeve.”
Herja knows the deputy’s words are not mere optimism.
The way Gehenna had floundered during the raid on the Border Town had been self-defeating.
To be beaten down without a proper defense.
In fact, the resistance we received during our last attack on the Seoul branch of WitchPoint was much stronger.
We were overwhelmingly outnumbered, but the Witch of the Sword and the Witch of the Composition had been quick to react.
“So, Leader, what are we going to do now? Another attack, or do you want us to start a war?”
“No.”
Herya shook her head at the question from the triumphant deputy leader.
Lydia Wall may be a savage, but her animal instincts make up for her lack of intellect.
And she has an eye for the big picture.
That’s why she controlled the water level during the raid on Gehenna.
To keep the witch unharmed, to keep it from becoming a full-blown war, to keep the blame for the sudden outbreak from falling on the Lehar group.
“Why dress up?”
“If you do, it could get really bad.”
“A war would be good for us, wouldn’t it? We’d get a lot of work.”
“That’s true, but we shouldn’t start the war.”
I’m sure Hexennacht is applauding this delightful raid.
Gehenna, too, must be suspicious of the motives of the head, Solidus, rather than the tail, Lehar Group.
However, if the Rehar Group were to stumble through verse 1 and 2 like a kid who just happened to get a drip, Gehenna’s gaze would shift from Solidus Top to the Rehar Group.
The giggling Hexenacht rascals, who have been chanting, “Do it again, do it again, good job, Lehar Group!” will not help the Lehar Group, who have been stampeded firmly and are Gehenna’s priority target.
I don’t know if they’d even say, ‘Stop!
“If we’re going to fight, it’s best after Gehenna makes the first move.”
“Ho-ho, is that so?”
“Yeah. We don’t need to be the first ones up front and give her a free punching bag.”
If Gehenna responds strongly to this provocation, Hexenacht and Lydia will have no choice but to respond in kind.
From then on, they can operate as the mercenary organization Lehar Group for a reasonable price, not as Passion Pay as they do now.
“If all-out war breaks out,” she says, “I’ll part ways with Lady Magnus and join the New Clippert side.”
The orthodox hardliner Clippert would welcome the Lehar Group with open arms, although Lydia seems to have abandoned her ‘moderate’ title of late.
Politically, it would make for a pretty good lineup.
He didn’t have to think this far ahead.
Herya was just instinctively looking for a way to save herself and the Rehar.
“Oh, I can’t wait for a war. Where’s the chief?”
The deputy leader, who had been speaking in a tone that suggested he couldn’t wait to go on a picnic, looked at Herja questioningly as he stood up, leading his giant beast.
“You take the kids and stay hidden here for now.”
“Where’s the captain going?”
“To see how Lady Magnus is doing, and to check the mood in Hexenacht.”
For now, Herja is the Improvement General.
With ransoms at their peak, it’s a good idea to make contact with the bigwigs and get a good deal before the mood subsides.
The goal is to secure a place for the Rehar Group in the city, even without the backing of Solidus.
“If that’s the case, I’ll come with you. I want to be baptized by a million handshakes.”
“And who’s going to take care of the kids?”
“You’re just having a little fun with them. If we went to the city now, they’d be a hit.”
“Well, you can dress up.”
“Hmph.”
Herja left the sulking deputy alone and set off for the ‘gates’ of Hexenacht.
Unlike the Gates of Gehenna, where you can enter from anywhere in the world, Hexenacht is only accessible at key points that change randomly.
With its increased influence, there are now about ten portals, up from three or four in the past, but even getting there is a task.
Her body flew over the blue sea and disappeared.
“You’re the only one having fun….”
The deputy commander, who was grumbling about being left alone, received an unexpected call.
It was from an informant he had left behind in Hexenacht.
“What? The city is closed?”
2.
Erelim doesn’t want a witch war.
Neither does Lydia.
They have different reasons for opposing the war, but for now, their interests are aligned.
The pact between Duke Erelim and Lydia was neither difficult nor complicated.
All Lydia asked was to calm the raging public opinion in Gehenna.
The price was Herja’s head.
Duke Erelim is happy that he can quell the discontent in the mainland without doing anything, and he is happy that he can avoid war.
Lydia, on the other hand, is happy to be promised peace in exchange for the capture of Herya, which was going to happen anyway.
Maybe Xinxiu will take care of it for her.
It’s a win-win deal, and they hope to put the case to rest.
But something went wrong.
“How is that possible?! What were you guys doing, sucking your fingers and watching the whole thing on my doorstep?”
Upon receiving Suha’s report from Hexennacht, Lydia was enraged and screamed, “I’m sorry!
[-Is- disgraceful-]
The call was barely audible due to the complete collapse of the gate between the temporal world and the city.
The news was enough to enrage Lydia.
“What was Clifford and the other bitches doing?”
[He’s so–magical–and–nuclear–that–he–actively–doesn’t–know–how–to–do–himself–his–damage]
“What were the bitches who couldn’t do anything about it usually doing?!”
[Sin–does].
The gate was welded shut in front of these assholes.
Xin Xiu and his supposed lover, Sharon Evergreen, just the two of them.
Let’s not even talk about repairing the gates, which cost an astronomical amount of money to build and maintain.
No matter how exorbitant the cost, wealthy city witches can afford to pay in Dutch.
But there is no humiliation like humiliation.
It’s like being teabagged with your balls on your forehead.
“Xinxiu, that asshole knows how to piss people off.”
He’s been doing it since the last time I had epilepsy, and he seems to know where it hurts the most.
Perhaps this attack was also calculated.
Here’s what Xinxiu gains from this raid
One, a complete blockade of Hexenacht.
With the gates down, the city has about 7% of its total merit tied up.
It’s probably a forced stay.
This creates a very favorable environment for him to operate in Central and South America, where he’ll be on the edge of his seat, wondering when reinforcements will arrive.
Second, depressing war opinion and honor within Gehenna.
War public opinion varies greatly depending on whether or not there are deaths in the provocative event.
One life is more likely to set the temperature of public opinion than billions and billions of damage.
In other words, this is probably intended retaliation.
Otherwise, even one person would have been harmed.
Xinxiu is the Baron of Gehenna.
In the name of the nobility of Gehenna, he retaliated in a limited way, making it less likely that events would lead to war.
By channeling everyone’s anger into an overwhelming performance, he averted a cascading conflict and earned his honor.
Third, political turmoil within Hexenacht.
It goes without saying, but a military provocation is a provocation, even if there are no casualties.
After a humiliating teabagging, Hexenacht would be abuzz with talk of war.
Naturally, the orthodox hardliner Sin Clifford will speak up.
This means that Lydia will have to fight another battle to stop the war.
Xin Xiu has packed up his bags and left to “go to sleep,” leaving Lydia to clean up the mess.
“Ah…. Xinxiu, fuck…. Stop it….”
Lydia mumbles, looking like she’s lost her mind.
“Mom, are you okay?”
“No, not at all. Just fucking pissed off….”
At that moment, Kiara cautiously approached Lydia’s side.
Lydia buried her head in the crook of Kiara’s shoulder and mimicked black sobs.
Unsure of what to do, Kiara gently patted Lydia on the back and spoke.
“Mother, I found the location of the submarine.”
This was why they were here in the first place.
With no way to fight back, the only plan Lydia could come up with was to take his helper and lover, the Witch of the Deep, hostage.
“Really?”
Lydia, who had been wriggling freely like a mime, regained her sober expression.
“Yes, Mother.”
Kiara complied with her mother’s request with all her might.
“Hmm, I must have raised a good daughter.”
That was the kind of praise she wanted.
But as Lydia’s child, she couldn’t help but worry.
I pride myself on knowing my mother’s strength, but would it translate to a witch from the depths of the sea?
“Mother, why don’t you wait a while and join the other warpana….”
“That way we may not make it in time. Interest due today is interest due today.”
“Will that be all right?”
Lydia replied with a confident look.
“Of course, show me where.”
