{"id":3617,"date":"2025-10-11T12:38:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T12:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/?p=3617"},"modified":"2025-10-11T12:38:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T12:38:14","slug":"interlude","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/?p=3617","title":{"rendered":"INTERLUDE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

GAZEL\u2019S MELANCHOLY<\/a><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Gazel, king of the dwarves, was stunned to see the scene on the big screen in front of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis\u2026 This is just\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy liege, your agitation is showing on your face. Don\u2019t tell me you\u2019re still that naive about this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh, Jaine, you say that, but how else are we supposed to react? All conventional wisdom about warfare is being thrown out the window.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prodding of Jaine, Dwargon\u2019s elderly arch-wizard, was met with a rebuke not by Gazel, but by Vaughn, admiral paladin and supreme commander of the dwarven force. It was understandable. This large screen provided by Rimuru\u2019s new technology showed warfare at its worst, projected to them as it happened. Even to the usually jaded Gazel, it was something extraordinary to witness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis certainly turns conventional wisdom about war on its ear, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dolph, captain of the Pegasus Knights, breathed a tired sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot even a legion-magic barrier could block that tank\u2019s attack. Face up to that without knowing anything, and defeat is inevitable. But\u2026while we have every right to be terrified by it, we can handle it by building trenches and earthen walls. Just like it was foretold to us\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>They all nodded. As they had concluded, one wall wouldn\u2019t be enough to keep the shells at bay, but multiple layers of defensive walls could very effectively tamp down their power. That countermeasure was based on Rimuru\u2019s knowledge, and although the battle ended before it could be put to use, based on the power they saw in the video footage, they had come to the conclusion that this was no overwhelming weapon that rendered them totally helpless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLooking at the Empire\u2019s equipment, I\u2019d say their main focus is on medium- to long-range strikes rather than close-quarters combat. It appears they\u2019ve eliminated their heavy armor and are using light equipment instead?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019ve looked into that. It seems the Empire\u2019s invented a new type of arm called a spellgun that allows even junior foot soldiers to easily wield magic. Furthermore, some of their troops are armed with guns\u2014an otherworlder weapon, it seems. With that, they apparently think the era of close-quarters combat is obsolete.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can hardly blame the Empire for thinking the era of swords is over, then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dolph nodded gravely. These so-called guns could apparently penetrate iron armor without much difficulty\u2014and their large tank force seemed capable even against stout city walls. It all but made a mockery of the weapons and armor that were the mainstays of dwarven industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are in our<\/em> world\u2014and not another one,\u201d Gazel insisted. \u201cTactical theories that work over there are pointless if you can\u2019t incorporate the presence of magic into them\u2014is that what you\u2019re saying?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndeed I am. The spellguns are a threat, yes, but they did not match up well against their foes. Lord Rimuru has a large number of Scale Shields obtained from Charybdis. He was kind enough to give us an ample supply, but they allow us to cancel out most magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMm\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With magic a real presence, they had the ability to defend themselves against many modern weapons, even as they neutralized the <\/a>enemy\u2019s magic skills. And thanks to that\u2014yes, they had drawn an inopportune opponent, but still\u2014today was a disaster for the Empire. They had specialized way too much in mid- to long-range offense, and when the enemy came too close, their abject vulnerability became all too clear. It was a major tactical blunder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut it all depends on who\u2019s controlling the reins. We have to make the most effective use we can of the intel from this war, lest we fall into the same traps.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such was Gazel\u2019s conclusion, but truth be told, he felt the real issue came well before that. All this talk of tactics and weapons was well and good, but they had bigger fish to fry. However, he hadn\u2019t quite willed himself to bring it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His concern lay with the individual strength each of these monsters was showing. Gobta\/Ranga and Gabil went without saying, but even the monsters serving under them seemed like they had grown an incredible amount. They also made extremely liberal use of recovery potion, allowing them to engage in some pretty hazardous battle tactics. Thanks to the large-scale production of the hipokute herb, a far cry from times before, they were now cranking out huge supplies of potion. That, too, had disrupted the norms of battle on this planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even more than that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKing Gazel, may I offer you a word of advice?\u201d said Jaine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t say it. I know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, yes, I\u2019m sure you do. But this is something I think we must bring out in the open.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jaine\u2019s words were grim. Her warning needed to be shared with everyone in the room. Taking Gazel\u2019s silence as an affirmation, she began speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThose demon girls, you know; there\u2019s just something off about them. The one that set the flying ships afire used Nuclear Flame, which is classified as a ritual magic. It\u2019d be damned difficult for even me to pull that off alone. But the real<\/em> problem is what that white-haired girl did. That was Death Streak\u2014a forbidden spell, one deemed uncontrollable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Everyone listened to Jaine\u2019s words in silence. Just in the few days they had spent together, even the casual observer would realize just how beyond the norm these demon girls were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henrietta, the knight assassin and leader of the Dwarven Kingdom\u2019s dark agents, had looked into these new hires brought on by Tempest. Diablo, Rimuru\u2019s close adviser, had seemingly brought them in out of nowhere. They were demons, and rumor had it that they were old acquaintances of Diablo. Rimuru explained that they were intelligence officers tasked with observational duty over their various army divisions. Gazel assumed they were much more than that, and he seemed to be right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2026 I thought this might be the case\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, my lord, do you have any idea who these girls might be?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMmm\u2026 Yes. But you\u2019d be much happier not knowing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you talking about?! After seeing such an unbelievable battle unfold, I\u2019d be more terrified if I didn\u2019t<\/em> know!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jaine was right. The fighting skills of these demons was the scariest thing of all about this day\u2014enough so that even Gazel was staring at the screen, muttering \u201cAre you joking?\u201d to himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Well, I\u2019m ready for it. If you became that<\/em> emotional after seeing that, King Gazel, I have a pretty good idea of what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group nodded at Jaine\u2019s grave foreboding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gazel looked at the faces of his trusted comrades-in-arms\u2014Dolph, then Vaughn, then Henrietta\u2014and steeled his resolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBack during that one night at the festival.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe festival? When you were invited to the monster nation?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou did<\/em> attend a secret meeting alone while you were there, didn\u2019t you? We were standing by in the next room over, but what happened then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, I saw Rimuru\u2019s secretary\u2026or butler, was it? You met him as well, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh yes, Diablo. Quite a gentleman.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCertainly one with a threatening air about him, though. What of him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone who participated in the Tempest Founder\u2019s Festival was acquainted with Diablo. Henrietta had been undercover guarding <\/a>Gazel, so she knew the names and faces of Rimuru\u2019s top staff. Only Jaine, who was holding down the fort in Dwargon back then, was wholly unaware of what was coming as Gazel dropped his bomb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026According to Elmesia, Diablo is a Primal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u201c\u201c\u2026\u201d\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cW-wait. What? What did you just say, King Gazel?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jaine\u2019s face paled at once as she spoke, hoping that she was mistaken about this all along. But reality was cruel to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI said he\u2019s a Primal. I can only assume he\u2019s Noir, the Original Black. That\u2019s the only one not previously bound to a claimed territory, and there\u2019ve been sightings of him all over the world from before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

King Gazel laid out the facts as flatly as he could. He sounded dignified as always, but Jaine wasn\u2019t fooled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWait! Wait, wait, wait! King Gazel, wait a minute!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong<\/em>?! A Primal\u2014Noir\u2014is working for the demon lord Rimuru?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2026 That\u2019s a big problem, isn\u2019t it?! Why were you silent about it until now?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jaine was screaming at the top of her lungs. But the assault wasn\u2019t over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen\u2026 What about Testarossa\u2026and Ultima, too\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, come now, that\u2019d really<\/em> be too much\u2026 They\u2019re probably just old demons under Diablo or whatnot\u2026 Right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dolph and Vaughn\u2019s hopeful conjecturing was shot down by Henrietta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not all,\u201d she said. \u201cDiablo has recruited several more people from parts unknown. Hierarchically speaking, they\u2019re meant to be his subordinates\u2014but their diplomatic attach\u00e9 Testarossa, chief prosecutor Ultima, and chief justice Carrera have known each other for a long time\u2026and all four of them seemed to treat each other as equals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhoa, whoa, are you serious?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLord Rimuru\u2019s far too loose with his legislative appointees\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTh-three people on the same level as a Primal? B-but we just saw two of them do that\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Everybody there wanted to deny it. But reflecting on what they just saw transpire, all of them had to arrive at the truth. Testarossa\u2019s and Ultima\u2019s strength was massive\u2014not even Jaine could fully estimate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told you, you\u2019d be happier not knowing\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u201c\u201c\u2026\u201d\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is to say, I feel bad that I kept quiet about Diablo, but what would telling you all have accomplished? If he was spreading evil, that\u2019d be one thing, but I have a firm promise from Rimuru that he\u2019ll keep him in line, and I\u2019d like to believe my former training partner at his word. But never in my wildest dreams did I think he\u2019d bring on more<\/em> Primals!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bit late for that<\/em>, everyone in the room thought. But as they all saw now, being aware of that wouldn\u2019t have changed much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLook, when I decided to trust in Rimuru, that\u2019s when I cast my lot with him. He\u2019s already got the Storm Dragon; it\u2019s a little late for regrets now. All of you need to settle this in your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not that simple, but Gazel had a valid point as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ll trust in you,\u201d said Vaughn. \u201cIf you believe in someone, I\u2019m not going to complain about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. I\u2019ve seen Lord Rimuru with my own eyes, and I agree with my lord. He deserves our trust,\u201d said Henrietta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am your shadow, my lord, and I will follow you in your thoughts,\u201d added Dolph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSigh.<\/em> I trust him, too, you know. I had an audience with Lord Rimuru, even before he became a demon lord. What I\u2019m scared of is that he\u2019ll assemble this vast concentration of forces that we can\u2019t deal with any longer\u2026 But you\u2019re right. It is<\/em> a little late for that. If we can\u2019t deal with it, there\u2019s no point considering ways to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone nodded deeply at Jaine\u2019s words. If there was no way to come to a conclusion by thinking about it, the problem essentially didn\u2019t have an answer. They had only two choices\u2014trust in him or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019ll put that topic on hold.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Gazel\u2019s final statement, the issue was shelved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Was this the end of the war? Not hardly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The troops who had been looming large at the Dwarven Kingdom\u2019s central entrance were now fully eradicated, but they were still locked in a standoff with the imperial army at their East gate. There were still hints of disquiet around Rimuru, the capital of Tempest, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDamn that Rimuru, though\u2026 Even after such a huge victory, he\u2019s still not satisfied? I\u2019d hate to get on his bad side\u2026,\u201d Gazel grumbled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis may not be Lord Rimuru\u2019s will, though. There\u2019s a chance the Empire still hasn\u2019t called off the invasion because they\u2019re unaware of this defeat\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmm\u2026 That\u2019s a strong possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gazel nodded at Dolph. If the Empire was<\/em> aware of it, they\u2019d definitely abort the mission at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd also, King Gazel,\u201d Jaine cut in, \u201cI\u2019m sure even the Empire is using magic to coordinate their forces. But well, you see how the situation has changed in an instant today. It\u2019s hard to believe even with your own eyes, but if you receive this report about how your army was defeated, and everyone was killed out of nowhere, you\u2019d heavily suspect it to be some sort of enemy ruse, wouldn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019m sure I wouldn\u2019t believe a mere report, either. The Empire\u2019s General Caligulio is hardly incompetent, but I don\u2019t think he\u2019s the kind of guy who\u2019d opt to retreat at this point. They\u2019d treat him like a coward if he did. Those imperial fools aren\u2019t going to shoulder their lances until they taste defeat for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jaine was right, and Vaughn was talking good sense as well. Gazel was convinced he\u2019d make the same decision if he was in the Empire\u2019s shoes. He felt pity for the poor soldiers and officers who had to come along with him\u2026 But as the invaders, that\u2019s on them. Gazel was known as a wise king, but he had no intention of taking responsibility for an Empire currently engaging in hostilities with him. He wasn\u2019t obligated to anyway. All he could do was coldly speculate on what the future would bring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cOut of the nine hundred forty thousand imperial soldiers who invaded the Forest of Jura, two hundred forty thousand are already lost forever. By this point, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any questioning Rimuru\u2019s final victory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fair, yes. It\u2019d be pretty cute of him if he got caught off guard at this<\/em> point\u2026 But Lord Rimuru is hardly that kind of buffoon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vaughn wistfully agreed with Gazel. But the question on everyone\u2019s mind: How much more of a sacrifice was the Empire willing to tolerate?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will need to keep careful records of this war, so we can use it as a lesson for the future. That, and we should remember all the more that we, as humans, must never rile a demon lord.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u201c\u201cYes, my lord!\u201d\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strength of these monsters\u2014shattering conventional war strategy, even as its sheer depths remained untapped\u2014was now clearly something that could approach a Catastrophe-size threat. Quite fortuitous, then, that the goal of Rimuru and his cohorts was to live hand in hand with humanity, not dominate the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Empire was simply getting what it deserved, but to keep their sacrifice from going to waste, Gazel wanted to see this battle through to the end. That, and despite it all, he still had to prepare for the worst possible outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Rimuru was ever to turn against him\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026Well, he prayed that would never happen, but what if it did? What should they do? Gazel had boasted to his closest confidants that he trusted Rimuru, but by that, he only meant Rimuru as a person. As the leader of a nation, he also had to take the best measures possible to prevent hurting his people. Just because he didn\u2019t have a good answer yet didn\u2019t mean he was excused from pondering the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026That being said, taking on a Primal is a fool\u2019s errand, and we\u2019re not much more likely to ever defeat Veldora. My hands are tied, really\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faced with a question far too difficult to ever answer, Gazel began to feel a headache coming on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GAZEL\u2019S MELANCHOLY Gazel, king of the dwarves, was stunned to see the scene on the big screen in front of him. \u201cThis\u2026 This is just\u2026\u201d \u201cMy liege, your agitation is showing on your face. Don\u2019t tell me you\u2019re still that naive about this?\u201d \u201cAh, Jaine, you say that, but how else are we supposed to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tak-berkategori"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3617"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3618,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3617\/revisions\/3618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}