Free Web NovelRena's reaction was completely within Leon's expectations. After all, bringing Weiss back was no trivial matter. Under those circumstances, Leon had no opportunity to consult anyone and could only make the decision himself.
The decision to rescue Weiss concerned not only himself but also Rena's future.
Choosing to become an enemy of the Earl meant that if the Earl launched a purge against them, both Leon and the people around him would face complete destruction. This was not a matter affecting him alone.
“I'm sorry, Rena. I made this decision on my own. But if we're going to cure Mrs. Hesh's illness and create medicine capable of treating Saltification Disease, I had no other choice. Right now, she's the only one who can formulate that medicine. If she dies, the medicine dies with her,” Leon patiently explained.
Rena slowly recovered from her shock and muttered quietly, “I know that, of course. If it's necessary, then I understand. But understanding is one thing—I'm still worried. You suddenly did something so dangerous. What if you hadn't come back?”
After hearing Leon's account, she was honestly a little frightened in hindsight.
His rescue of Weiss had been incredibly risky. It would not have been surprising if the Church had caught him on the spot. If anything had gone wrong, she would never have seen him return.
Besides that, bringing Weiss back was itself a massive hidden danger. After all, both the Church and the Earl were searching for her.
“Yeah, our contingency plans in that regard really aren't sufficient. In the future, we need to be prepared to flee at any time—to somewhere beyond the Earl's territory... preferably out of the Empire altogether. Even if something happens to me outside, at the very least, you'll have to be able to escape,” Leon said thoughtfully.
“Are you planning to do something dangerous again?” Rena's eyes widened slightly.
“Rena, we're already taking risks. We've been doing so this entire time. The Earl is targeting Weiss for revenge. He's been preparing for this for many years, and there's no way he'll give up easily. He'll likely stop at nothing to achieve it. And then there's Bishop Beckett. Whether it was investigating Potter or investigating us, every single time he struck directly at the vital points.
“With his abilities, if he gradually expands the investigation, it wouldn't be surprising at all if suspicion eventually falls on me. We shouldn't be too optimistic. They're elephants, and we're ants. If they step on us while we're completely unprepared, we'll have no path left except death,” Leon said Sallyously.
The ideal outcome would naturally be for the Earl's side to never suspect him and for the Earl to eventually abandon his plan of using Weiss to take revenge on Archbishop Rogers.
But when facing those two individuals, Leon did not dare harbor even the slightest illusion of luck.
“But when that time comes, can we really escape? There are people who might be dragged down with us! What if Lady Sally and Melissa suffer retaliation? If that happens, would anything we've done still have meaning?” Rena asked worriedly.
“True. Making sure everyone escapes safely would be extremely difficult. There's no guarantee for the future. That's merely the last resort we should consider when there are no other options left. So, Rena, that's not the preparation I'm talking about.” Leon stared directly into her eyes.
“Then what do you mean...” Rena still did not understand.
“If necessary, we may have to find a way to kill the Earl,” Leon finally voiced the idea he had been contemplating all along. “If things reach that point, then as long as the Earl remains alive, we'll never have a peaceful day no matter how far we run.”
“Kill the Earl?” Rena's eyes widened. The thought had never even crossed her mind. “Can we actually do that?”
Leon was not exaggerating with his analogy. Against the Earl, they truly were ants facing an elephant.
The Earl's territorial army, the assassins and mercenaries of the Underworld, the cadres and enforcers under his command—any one of those forces would be enough to overwhelm them.
Not to mention that Johnny Wellman alone, together with a few subordinates, could conquer the labyrinth they themselves were unable to clear. If the Earl wanted to, crushing them would be effortless.
“This isn't a question of whether it can be done. If things reach that point, then we must do it. Preparing in advance gives us at least a sliver of hope. If we don't start planning now, then all we can do is wait to die!” Leon declared with unusual Sallyousness.
“Then what are you planning to do now?” Rena asked.
“Starting now, we need to increase our combat strength. I'll create more Demonic Wolves and Petrifying Lizards. You should also have the wolf pack reproduce as much as possible. With the powers of a Lord of the Labyrinth and your abilities, we can build an army of Magical Beasts,” Leon said.
A single mature Third-Level Magical Beast already possessed combat power superior to that of an ordinary armed soldier and could contend with a First-Rank Transcendent.
If they could prepare a large force of controllable Third-Level Magical Beasts, its military value would be considerable.
“Leon, Magical Beasts can only operate around the labyrinth. One or two aren't a problem, but in large numbers they can't even leave this island,” Rena reminded him.
Magical Beasts could not survive away from a labyrinth for long.
Supplying them with Mana could alleviate the problem to some extent.
But large numbers of Third-Level Magical Beasts were difficult to conceal. They could easily be spotted during transportation, attracting a Church extermination campaign.
Therefore, even if they managed to cultivate a Magical Beast army, the foreseeable result would be that they could only defend this small island, or perhaps only the stronghold surrounding the labyrinth.
And if conflict with the Earl broke out, the initiative would almost certainly not be in their hands. They could not choose the battlefield either.
They might never get the opportunity to remain on the island and wait for the Earl to attack. Nor was the Earl obligated to invade according to their expectations. Even if they did manage to fortify the island and wait for him, the Earl could simply surround them and starve them out.
“Outside this island, we have no chance at all. Only here do we have even the slightest possibility of victory. So our strategy should be to focus everything on a single point and maximize that tiny chance. The rest is figuring out how to create the situation we need. For now, just do as I say,” Leon replied.
“All right. If you say so, then let's increase the number of Third-Level Magical Beasts first,” Rena finally agreed.
“I'll also find ways to expand our manpower and equipment. But we can't expand too aggressively. If we attract suspicion, we won't have enough time to prepare. Ideally, we can hold out until after Melissa leaves the Reformatory. Then we can rescue Mrs. Hesh from prison.”
Leon had already begun rapidly organizing his thoughts along that line.
“Weiss was a key member of the Saint Rosalia Research Institute. Besides formulating medicine, she may possess other techniques that could prove useful.”
“Mm. Did you arrange for her to work in the apothecary laboratory outside?” Rena asked.
She guessed Leon would not allow Weiss unrestricted access to the depths of the labyrinth. The most suitable workplace for Weiss was probably the external laboratory, which already possessed fairly complete equipment.
“That's right. She's already taken over the laboratory. Those two apothecaries got quite a scolding for their lack of skill,” Leon replied.
Rena secretly let out a small sigh of relief.
Since Weiss was the key to saving Sally, Rena would not oppose Leon's decision to rescue her. After all, Sally had gone to prison in her place.
And if rescuing Weiss meant making an enemy of the Earl, then Weiss's own abilities would be valuable in preparing for that confrontation.
When Leon said he had brought Weiss back, aside from being shocked by the risk he had taken, Rena also felt a tiny additional concern.
She had long been uneasy about the private connection between Leon and Weiss.
Although she had never met Weiss herself, considering that Weiss had once been selected as the Saintess of the Creator Church, she was surely an exceptionally attractive woman.
Anyone would find their imagination running wild if their lover maintained long-term secret contact with a young and beautiful woman.
But compared to the grim situation before them, such trivial thoughts were hardly worth mentioning.
And it seemed that Leon had brought Weiss back entirely for rational reasons.
“Yeah, I shouldn't scare myself with nonsense,” Rena thought silently.
Then she heard Leon continue:
“That's right, but she still wants to use the Temple in the deepest part of the labyrinth. She says she wants to extract Mana there.”
“What!?” Rena cried out instinctively.
“Do you remember the ninety-six-percent-purity Mana in that Special Medicine? She really did refine it herself. She says that only the depths of an Active Labyrinth provide the conditions necessary to produce it. We'll need to prepare materials from a Fourth-Level Magical Beast for her, so I'm planning to use the labyrinth's magical power to create a Drake egg and see what happens. If we can gather all the necessary conditions, should we let her try?” Leon explained.
Rena stared at him blankly.
This Bishop Weiss had already surpassed her in the field of developing Special Medicine for Saltification Disease, something that had bothered Rena for quite some time.
Now it had been confirmed that Weiss was a Witch, and her ability to refine Mana also surpassed her own...
No—producing Mana of that purity was simply unheard of.
Rena could not even imagine surpassing her.
Now this Weiss, who surpassed her in every conceivable aspect, would create the medicine that saved Sally for Leon and would also refine even higher-purity Mana for him.
Then what about her?
At this rate, wouldn't she be completely replaced by Lady Saintess in every way?
A sense of crisis immediately surged within her.
“By the way, Weiss still doesn't know about your existence. Would it be better if she never found out? I can arrange for people to watch her and keep you two separated,” Leon asked, seeking Rena's opinion.
Only then did he notice that Rena was looking at him with a somewhat indignant expression.
“What's wrong with you?”
“I want to meet her!” Rena declared Sallyously.
“You want to meet her? Right now?” Leon was a little surprised.
“If you're going to keep using her and even let her enter this Temple, then she'll find out about me sooner or later anyway. Besides, I also want to learn more about the Special Medicine she developed. Is that not allowed?” Rena looked at Leon firmly.
Leon thought it over carefully for a moment and nodded.
“Mm, that's true.”
Although he wasn't entirely sure Weiss would be willing, if she could teach her techniques to Rena, it would naturally be the best possible outcome for them.
