Chapter 65: Chapter 54: When the Birds Are Gone, the Bow Is Put Away?

Behind Isaac, the others watched the retreating Black Orc army and exchanged glances. Was the crisis... over?

That simple?

That fast?

They stared at the retreating Black Orc army for a moment. Once they confirmed it wasn’t just a feint, the weight on their chests finally lifted. It was really... over...

Though the War wouldn’t end immediately—the Black Orcs were sure to attack again soon—they had weathered the hardest wave. The rest would be much simpler.

For one, it would be difficult for the Black Orcs to assemble another army of this size. For another, they now had enough time to take the initiative, to strike out and stop the Black Orcs from massing their forces. With Caesar, a High-level Knight, leading the charge, the enemy wouldn’t stand a chance of gathering their army again!

Unless they could simultaneously dispatch five or more High-level Creatures, each comparable to a High-level Knight, to trap Caesar.

But if they had that many High-level Creatures, they wouldn’t have been held off by the Solomon Clan for so many years. Or to put it another way, if they really had that many masters, this territory wouldn’t be held by the Solomon Clan at all.

So while the War would continue, it no longer posed a significant threat.

And it was all because of Isaac...

Everyone stared at Isaac’s back, their expressions a complicated mix of gratitude and fear... 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Gaia included...

...

In the council hall, everyone took their seats, preparing to review the recent action. Though "review" was a generous term. It was more like calculating losses, since only Cheryl and Isaac had truly done anything, leaving little to analyze.

First up was Cheryl. Though their battle achievements were comparable, Cheryl had expended far more resources. From the completely exhausted supply of Magical Shells to the damage the Mage Tower sustained from overloading—neither was a trivial expense, and they couldn’t be replaced quickly.

The Magical Shells were manageable. By tapping into the black market, Imperial channels, and the Truth Association all at once, they could be restocked within a week—provided they were willing to pay the price.

The Mage Tower, however, was a different matter. Repairing overload damage was beyond the skills of an ordinary Official Wizard. They’d have to properly hire professionals for on-site service, and the costs for both labor and materials were steep. On top of that, it would take a month at the absolute minimum.

And that was only because the Mage Tower had fired a single volley. If it had fired a second time, the repairs wouldn’t be a matter of just one or two months.

Compared to Cheryl, the price Isaac paid was quite low. He had only exhausted the Magic Power accumulated in his Flesh Nest; he hadn’t even used his ace in the hole, Infinite Magic Power.

The catch, however, was that this move was a one-time trick. The next time he tried it, not only would the enemy likely not give him the opportunity, but the Black Orc God itself would be prepared. It would react instantly, and the power it sent down would come crashing directly on his head!

And he hadn’t prepared the rituals for any other Evil Gods, so he couldn’t call upon them.

Regardless, the outcome of this battle was utterly brilliant!

After a brief summary of their expenditures, Gaia began to lay out the next phase of the battle plan. Just as Isaac had expected, Caesar would lead one thousand cavalry to strike out, cut the Black Orcs’ various supply lines, and harass them constantly.

Barry, meanwhile, was to continue focusing on his Cultivation, striving to break through to the rank of High-level Knight as soon as possible. Only when he succeeded could Solomon Fortress be considered truly impregnable!

Cheryl was put in charge of repairing the Magical Cannon and the Mage Tower, as well as partially restocking the Magical Shells. As for why only a partial restock—they were out of money, of course...

The others were free to act as they saw fit—they could remain in the fortress and prepare for the next battle, follow Caesar on his Hunting expeditions, or patrol the fortress perimeter.

Isaac really wanted to go out with Caesar. ’I’ve been here for so long and I keep hearing how strong High-level Knights are, but I’ve never actually seen their power firsthand. I’m actually pretty curious.’

’Unfortunately, the last battle revealed several of my own weaknesses. It also gave me a bunch of new ideas, and I need to get busy with my experiments. I just don’t have time to be running around.’

’I can see how strong a High-level Knight is later, but if I let this research inspiration slip away, it’ll be gone for good.’

So in the end, he decided to stay in his laboratory and not go anywhere.

Soon, the brief meeting concluded, and everyone filed out of the council hall. Before long, only Gaia, Caesar, and Cheryl remained.

Of the three, Gaia and Cheryl wore grave expressions, while Caesar looked confused.

"Isaac must leave!"

Once everyone had left, Cheryl got straight to the point, not waiting for Caesar to ask a question.

"What do you mean?!" Caesar’s brow furrowed at her words.

"Because he is dangerous!" Cheryl said gravely. "I know you both care about him, but I need you to understand. The Isaac we have now is not the same frail, good-natured boy he used to be. He has become a thoroughgoing Mad Witch!

If he stays in the fortress, sooner or later he will bring ruin upon us all! I’ve seen too many Mad Witches die. Every single one of them, right up to the very end, is utterly self-confident! They believe they are the ones who will win their bargain with an Outer God, and Isaac is exactly the same."

"But he..."

"You were going to say he’s always been cautious, weren’t you?" Cheryl cut Caesar off before he could finish. "Why don’t you compare his actions lately to how he used to be? Think carefully—has he really not changed at all?"

At that, Caesar fell silent...

Seeing Caesar’s silence, Cheryl’s tone softened. She sighed and said, "I’m not saying he should sever all ties with the family. I just believe he can’t stay in the fortress. The fortress is our territory’s most vital line of defense. It’s too important. We absolutely cannot afford to lose it.

He can go anywhere else in the territory. I’ll even give him a letter of recommendation to a good Wizard Organization. After all, no matter what, we’re still family."

After she finished speaking, Cheryl saw that Caesar had no rebuttal and breathed a small sigh of relief. Only then did she turn to look at Gaia.

She knew, however, that with Caesar not objecting, the matter was essentially settled. Their father would surely think the same way she did.

Sure enough, Gaia nodded slightly. "We’ll do as Cheryl says. This Wizard Organization you mentioned, is it reliable?"

"The Flesh Sect," Cheryl said with a serious expression. "It is one of the oldest Wizard Organizations and the parent organization of the Tower of Flesh—the very group Isaac wants to join. They have a comprehensive system for cultivating new members and an incredibly rich repository of Wizard Knowledge. It’s a perfect fit for his needs."

Just as she said, her proposal for Isaac to leave the fortress was born purely from the fear that his increasing madness and dealings with the Outer God would lead to the fortress’s destruction. Apart from that concern, she was still Isaac’s big sister.

"The Flesh Sect?" Gaia’s brow furrowed. "The same Wizard Organization the Eldest Princess joined? I recall it’s incredibly difficult to get into. Don’t promise more than you can deliver!"