The Girl Who Hacked The Magic System

"What's the situation?"

The main hall of the army office is beaming with anticipation, as several messengers come and go through portals carrying information.

"Your Highness, Marquess Otbert has called for the Blessed faction to gather at Beaudorf. It seems that they were already in position for the call, as the troops are moving this very moment."

"Beaudorf, huh?"

It's ironic that the faction that fights for human superiority is gathering in a city named after a beautiful dwarf.

It's a strategic position within Otbert's domains, roughly 150 km west from East Rising. It controls the communication between Wesgoth's heartlands and the southern countries.

That city is the source and seat of his economic power, a bustling trade city. And where we had already assumed that their troops would rally.

"Perfect. Keep an eye on their movements and inform me of any out-of-the-ordinary moves."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Will we attack soon, Aurea?"

"No, Yaci, not yet. I want the Blessed to be gathered before we do the first strike."

"Will you really use that plan, Aurea?"

"Yes."

"What happened with that 'not killing' from when we went to Amapytu?"

Yaci's body language was of seriousness and alertness, but her voice and the shine in her eyes betrayed the playful nature of her teasing.

"First, this is a war. Second, the leaders of the Blessed are hardly to be counted among the 'innocent bystanders' label."

"I know... I'm just teasing. I thought that a war would be something more..."

"Is 'eventful' the word you're looking for?"

"Yes, Lovelace. Thank you."

All the commanders are here, around a table in the main hall. To be fair, this waiting game does feel a bit dull. But it's an important part of the strategy.

"Normal wars would be. But this is not a normal war. If we go all out from the start, we're done for. I mean, we have a proper army that is on the field right now, but our division is to carry out other kinds of missions."

An officer comes to the table.

"Your Highness, the device is ready."

"Ooooh. Amazing. Let's test it right now."

"What device is that, Aurea?"

"Hehehe. Just wait and see."

I take a mirror from a drawer on a desk nearby and bring it to the table where the other ones are. It's a weird mirror made with a silver alloy that is pitch black. It has a base so it can stand up, so everyone can see it.

As I silently chant the proper aria, the table is already surrounded by curious officers looking at the first live transmission of this world.

Well, maybe not first first, but the first for most people alive, and that's what counts.

"What? It's showing images?"

"How? And what place is that?"

"Isn't that Marquess Otbert?"

"I'm using a combination of spatial magic with illusions to reproduce in this screen everything that's happening in the office of Lord Otbert."

"And what are you using as an anchor?"

"It's a special artifact I created, which I named a 'camera' for some reason."

"Can you move it so we see Otbert better?"

"No, I can't control it from here. That's why proper positioning is of crucial importance."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. This is the best I managed without being detected."

That last phrase was said by a soldier who's been working undercover as a maid in Otbert's office for some time.

"It's okay, it's okay. The simple fact that we have any image at all from that place is already great. This is the very first time this device is being used in practice, after all."

"This is fascinating... but with just this image we can't have much info on their army's movements or their orders."

"I know, I know. Sadly, this prototype only got ready today, and she hurried to place the camera there, risking detection. But now that we know it works, we can start mass-producing it and using it in other contexts."

"I see."

"I'm just mad at you because you didn't tell us anything about such a powerful tool before."

"I'm sorry. I wanted to make a surprise for you."

I get up, take the mirror, and hand it to one of the officers.

"Okay, everyone. Back to your posts. Inform me of any change in the situation."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The officers scramble, leaving us alone on the table again.

Lovelace is a bit more thoughtful than usual, so I cast her a quizzing glance.

"Oh, I'm just thinking on the ambush we're setting up. Do you think that we need all six of us?"

"Oh, I'm sure that you alone could kill all of them, Lovelace. But that's not the point. My face being there is essential for the impact, as well as the beastkin in the army's uniform. Then Ingela is there for support with her mastery over spatial magic."

"Aurea is right. Killing all enemy leaders in one swoop is great to break their morale, but it doesn't have the same weight as the daughter of the Saint herself doing it personally."

Thank you for the aid, Kwarah.

"Your Highness, the Church released a proclamation."

"Oh? Let me see."

A messenger came through the portal from the palace with the news. He hands me a pamphlet with the proclamation written on it.

"They have been spreading this all over the capital."

"What does it say, Aurea?"

"Nothing different from what we expected them to say, truly. It's all there: the degeneracy accusations, the heretic branding, and a call to throw the Annes family out and enthrone another family who is pious and blessed. I bet that the wording is implying their allegiance to the Blessed faction, but it isn't a direct reference."

"Oh, they didn't say what family they want to enthrone?"

"No, not a word about that."

I turn to the messenger again.

"What has been the reception among the people of the city?"

"Well, some have rallied to the temple and are there chanting hymns. Most are simply ignoring the priests, but there have been two cases in which the city guard had to intervene; otherwise, those priests would've been dead."

"Has the king made a public declaration about this?"

"He has declared that calling for the overthrow of a king is a major crime of treason but stopped short of taking any concrete actions against the Church itself."

"I see. He's giving them the rope and waiting."

The girls looked at me with confusion clear on their faces.

"Giving them the rope so they hang themselves. Like, leaving them to doom themselves with their own actions."

Of course idioms from Earth wouldn't translate well to the language of this world.

"Shouldn't he just crush them? They are inside the capital and doing that."

Yaci exasperatedly points to the pamphlet.

"It's not as simple as it sounds. Their priests command strong magic, even with the silence of the goddess. And the most powerful ones have the excommunication spell, which can render all soldiers except the ones here useless."

The one who answered Yaci's question was not me, but Ingela, who is sitting right at the other side from her.

Yeah, Yaci is between me and Ingela. On the other hand, I'm between Yaci and Lovelace. Fair, right? No reason to feel jealous, right? Nor the right moment for it.