“What if we just destroy the supplies?”

    The first item on the agenda that came up in the meeting, started immediately after forming a temporary alliance and with everyone cautiously observing each other, was exactly that.

    “Supplies?”

    “It seems like they’re eagerly gathering supplies from everywhere to start staying by the Master’s side as soon as possible. What if we keep cutting off those supplies?”

    “That doesn’t seem like a fundamental solution, does it?”

    Rin contradicted the Red Dragon’s statement.

    However, the dragon argued,

    “If we keep preventing the creation of the cksmith Guild branches, the cksmith will have toe out eventually.”

    “So, when shees out, we just swoop in?”

    “…That’s good too.”

    The dragon spoke seriously, responding to Merilda’s words.

    However,

    “Who’s going to swoop the cksmith, though?”

    “Well? Shouldn’t the person who suggested it do it?”

    “…Do you take us for fools?”

    About three minutes after the alliance was formed,

    “Why don’t you do it?”

    “As you can see, I’m in no condition to move around much.”

    “What about you?”

    “Aren’t you the fast one?”

    “You can use poison, can’t you?”

    “It takes a long time to prepare poison. What do you think I can do without any equipment? So, you sneaky dragon, you can use magic, can’t you?”

    “I can use magic, but since I’m borrowing this consciousness right now, I can only use basic spells. Maybe just a quick swoop would be best.”

    “No- So even if it takes time to prepare the poison-”

    “Didn’t I say that won’t work? Instead, just use magic-”

    “Magic is too shy, so how about quickly and invisibly-”

    “……”

    In just 180 seconds, the alliance began to falter.

    That was because the three present knew the truth.

    Ultimately, the cksmith who returned to Lartania was beneficial to Kim Hyunwoo, and any harm to the cksmith would mean harm to Kim Hyunwoo, whom they all cherished.

    Therefore, none of them even thought about harming the cksmith.

    Moreover, the three iming alliance here already had a rough idea of what each other were thinking.

    Having lived together for a few years, even though it was 10 years ago, they naturally knew each other.

    They were all looking for an angle to stab each other in the back.

    Of course, they didn’t know where or expect an angle to backstab to appear in this situation, but they were certain that they would try to betray each other.

    Thus, as they looked at each other,

    “…So, we’re skipping over the cksmith swiping n. Any other ideas?”

    They returned to the agenda.

    After much deliberation, Merilda spoke up.

    “…I have one good idea.”

    “What is it?”

    “What’s that?”

    “Isn’t she the Guild Master of the cksmith Guild?”

    “Right?”

    “Then shouldn’t we just demolish the cksmith Guild in the Norba Kingdom?”

    It was a suggestion from Merilda.

    It was a solution so brutish and destructive that most people would never think of it.

    “Wow…!”

    “That might actually work…!”

    Contrarily, those gathered admired the idea as a very good one.

    “…What exactly?”

    Everyone except Adria, who was listening to their conversation from within her consciousness, seemed to think so.

    However, excluding Adria, the n began to take shape step by step.

    …It was a straightforward and simple n to just barge into the Norba Kingdom and blow up the cksmith Guild… but the conversation continued regardless.

    “Now, we need to decide who will execute the n?”

    The discussion proceeded to who would carry out this significant n.

    “I think it’s a matter of speed. So, the person who can move the fastest should do it. The point is to move before the cksmith Guild is established in Lartania.”

    “Hmm, I agree.”

    Rin, looking at Merilda, agreed following the dragon’sments.

    However,

    “No, since she’s the Guild Master, the destruction power shown when the cksmith Guild is destroyed is more important. Among us, the one with the most destructive power is, as you can see, the half-demon.”

    “That’s incorrect thinking. If you consider it that way, wouldn’t the half-dragon be the most powerful in terms of firepower from the start?”

    “As I mentioned before, given my condition, I can’t exert much firepower.”

    “Hmm, is that truly the case? From my perspective, it doesn’t seem so. Couldn’t you sufficiently demonstrate the capability to destroy the cksmith Guild?”

    “Then, aren’t you capable of doing that much?”

    “Wouldn’t magic be more feasible?”

    “Wouldn’t it be easier for the two of youpared to me, who is restrained?”

    “Wouldn’t it be right for one of the two to do it?”

    “Huh?”

    “Why are you opting out?”

    “I’m the one who devised this n in the first ce, right? If I’m the one nning and also executing, would that still be considered an alliance?”

    “…What’s so great about the n to just smash the cksmith Guild that you speak of it so proudly? Isn’t that a n anyone could think of anywhere?”

    “Exactly!”

    Rin and the dragon contradicted.

    “What are you talking about? After all, I’m the one who came up with the n, right?”

    However, Merilda frowned and spoke up.

    About three minutester.

    “Are we trying this right now!?”

    “Yeah, let’s give it a try! How can smashing a guild be considered a n!!”

    “I didn’t like it from the start! Since forming the alliance, you’ve had that greedy look, as if you’re plotting a stab in the back!”

    “That goes for you and that sneaky dragon as well!”

    “Hah!? You were the same!! And you’re just as sneaky! You even asked for a sharing of consciousness before, so you have no right to say that to me!”

    Adria, observing from within her consciousness, let out a disbelievingugh as the alliance crumbled in less than seven minutes.

    “Let’s see you try!”

    “Whether you’re a sneaky bastard or a dumbass, bring it on!”

    “Cut the nonsense!”

    With those words, the three heroes shed.

    And then-

    Boom!

    ‘…My office…!!’

    As the heroes’ battlemenced with her office exploding, Adria’s pitiful thoughts echoed under the starless night sky.

    Ten minutester,

    “Look at that! You sneaky bastard! After all this, what!? You’ve got no power!?”

    “You were nning to backstab from the start, weren’t you!?”

    “At least we didn’t hide our power!!”

    The three heroes, having thrown their full might into the battle a fair distance from Lartania, literally scorched the earth around them.

    And just as they were about to face each other for a second round-

    Swoosh-!

    “…?”

    The heroes, scowling fiercely at each other, wore puzzled expressions at the sudden spout of water from the ground.

    Merilda, frowning as she looked towards the source of the spouting water, suddenly saw the Lartania territory beyond the water jet and,

    “……”

    let out a soft exmation as if something had suddenly urred to her.

    The ce where Merilda had fought was clearly outside the Lartania territory.

    This meant that their fight had not caused any damage to the Lartania territory.

    How could they possibly have damaged the Lartania territory, which was far away in the first ce?

    Yes, it would have been impossible to cause any damage originally.

    …Unless they had fought each other to the death in the middle of the main road leading to Lartania.

    Merilda turned her gaze around to look at the surroundings.

    Although she had caused it herself, there was really nothing left.

    The neatly maintained road was destroyed to the point where it was beyond recognition.

    The surrounding grass and meadows were already buried under deep loess soil and rocks, as if from long ago.

    “Ah.”

    It was somewhat funny that they mentioned the destruction of the road, but the road was indeed important.

    Especially since this major road to the Lartania territory was used by hundreds of carriages every day.

    In other words, the absence of the road meant that the hundreds of carriages could no longer pass through.

    As soon as they realized this, their pupils began to tremble.

    The pupils of the red eyes trembled,

    the pupils of the purple eyes fell into panic.

    “Eh? Eh??? Dragon Lord?”

    Due to a mental overload, the consciousness sharing with the Red Dragon was disconnected.

    And then-

    Thinking of Lord Kim Hyunwoo of Lartania, who would be witnessing this situation, their faces turned pale in an instant.

    “First… first- let’s get out of here…!”

    They fled right away.

    They would definitely make repairs, but their first priority was to not get caught by Kim Hyunwoo.

    The next day,

    Kim Hyunwoo, who had been making a tidy profit through Magnifying sses, was slowly considering how to further develop his territory.

    The introduction of skeletons and a ceiling system meant that Kim Hyunwoo had the funds to maintain his current state of development and considerunching other ventures.

    “Hmm, there’s not much to try… It seems better to wait until I’m ready for the next step before proceeding.”

    However, despite having the funds, Kim Hyunwoo was pondering over theck of a suitable business to pursue.

    “My Lord, something strange has happened.”

    Soon, upon hearing a report from a guard, he found himself asking without even realizing,

    “…So, the main road leading to Lartania is destroyed, and carriages can’t pass through?”

    “That’s correct.”

    Even just hearing the guard’s report indicated a serious issue.

    The destruction of the main road meant it posed a problem for all the hundreds of carriages traveling to and from Lartania.

    Yet, without any change in expression,

    no, rather, the reason he even wore a faint smile was,

    “…But, at the ce where the main road was destroyed, hot spring water is emerging?”

    “Yes…!”

    It was because of the unexpected, fortuitous luck that hade his way.