Chapter 1686: Chapter 1684: Here to Camp? (The Reader Group Exploded Again)

After that, the operation to clear the Demon Beast Forest went smoothly without any further problems---of course, manpower is limited after all. It’s impossible to kill every single Demon Beast in the entire forest, but for Fang Zheng, being able to eliminate eighty percent is enough.

And after the operation ended, Fang Zheng, as promised, provided Crusch with information about the White Whale.

The location was Lifas Street, under the great tree of Vogel.

Five days later.

Having received the information, Crusch immediately began preparations, and as for Fang Zheng... he also planned to join in the fun.

On one hand, he was the provider of the information, and on the other hand... wasn’t it time to take everyone out for a picnic?

So when the fully armed Crusch and her soldiers arrived at the destination, what they saw was... a party enjoying the flowers in the field near the great tree...

"Uh... Your Excellency Fang Zheng, this is..."

"Yo, Crusch, you’re here."

Seeing Crusch and Felis dismount from their Earth Dragon, Fang Zheng waved his hand.

"I’m here to check out the situation too, and also brought others out for camping. Everyone hasn’t had fun in a long time. Oh, don’t worry, I won’t interfere with your business."

"That’s what you say..."

Looking at the girls eating and drinking in the flower field, Crusch felt all her strength drain away.

"But the White Whale is still a very dangerous Demon Beast."

"Don’t worry, it’s just a trivial Demon Beast. For me, it’s something that only requires one sword stroke."

"I trust in your strength."

This time, Crusch didn’t brush it off. Someone who could topple Sword Saint Reinhard with a single strike naturally had superb ability. In fact, if Reinhard hadn’t left the Royal Capital due to official business, Crusch originally intended to invite the Sword Saint to assist.

Regardless, they were facing a legendary Demon Beast, a monster that had caused countless casualties over hundreds of years. But the most frustrating part was that those devoured by the White Whale almost entirely lost their existence. Except for their closest ones remembering them, others had forgotten the victims. They could only confirm casualties by counting survivors after each campaign, and even the tombstones couldn’t bear the victims’ names.

It’s never excessive to be cautious against such a creature.

"If you need help, just let me know. Of course, there will be an additional charge."

"I understand..."

Caught by Fang Zheng’s words, Crusch gave a wry smile, then became serious again.

"Though it’s impolite, Your Excellency Fang Zheng, I hope you refrain from interfering in this battle as much as possible."

"Oh? Why’s that?"

"In truth, many warriors who joined this mission to defeat the White Whale have lost companions before... for them, this is a battle of revenge, and for me, this battle against the White Whale holds particular significance..."

"Hmm?"

"......"

This time, Crusch hesitated for a moment but decided to speak.

"I imagine you know there is currently no King of Lugnica."

"Yes, I’ve heard of it. Honestly, it’s quite surprising a country like that hasn’t collapsed yet. Judging by the intelligence of the officials I’ve seen, this country should have been finished long ago."

"......"

Faced with Fang Zheng’s blunt critique, Crusch’s expression was quite subtle, yet she chose not to elaborate and continued.

"In fact, in our country, there is a Prophecy Board known as Dragon Fossil. Whenever a national crisis is imminent, Divine Dragon Bolkeny informs us through that board, allowing us to make preparations in advance. This is why this country has been able to endure hardships and survive to this day."

"Oh ho? This is the first time I’ve heard this. No wonder this country has become so weak."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean it literally."

Fang Zheng spread his hands.

"In my view, a country is like a child, and its Protector is like a parent. When children are young, they can’t do many things themselves, so they need parental support, which is normal. Parents warn children about dangers, what things they can do, what things they can’t, educate them, train them, and protect them. But just like young birds eventually leave the nest, children will grow up one day, become independent, and leave parental care, finding work to earn a living instead of depending on parents, making their own judgments about gains and losses instead of always listening to parents’ advice. Then they form families, have children, and start a new cycle."

"......"

"However, this country feels to me like an eternal child or like a grown-up who still stays by their parents’ side, refusing to leave."

"Ne’er-do-well...?"

"Oh, it refers to someone spoiled by their parents since childhood, refusing to leave home even as an adult, not wanting to earn money, and still expecting their parents to protect them, earn money for them, buy them food, handle everything as they did in their childhood."

"People like that..."

Hearing this, Crusch’s brow furrowed slightly; clearly, it wasn’t a flattering depiction.

"That’s what this country is. When the parents are around, it flaunts itself, thinking it’s the best in the world. When the parents are gone, it immediately cowers, not daring even to fart. When I defeated Reinhard, these people quickly surrendered a piece of territory to me without a second thought. If I were to slay Polkini, would they kneel and beg me to be the King to protect this nation?"

Fang Zheng chuckled as he spoke.

"You know, I think this possibility is quite likely."

"........."

Faced with Fang Zheng’s words, Crusch was speechless. Although Fang Zheng’s words were harsh, she had to admit that such a situation might indeed happen.

But it was precisely because of this that she had to change this country.

"In fact, the Prophecy Board mentioned before that if we find five Dragon Witches, one of them would be chosen as the King... Although not all are found yet..."

"Are you a Dragon Witch too?"

Fang Zheng carefully examined Crusch. To be honest, he couldn’t imagine this woman in a Shrine Maiden Outfit.

"That’s right."

As she spoke, Crusch took out a badge, and the stone on it immediately began to glow.

"This is the mark of being chosen by the Dragon, and I’m one of them."

"I see. So for you, this White Whale hunt is not just about eliminating danger, but also a way to boost your reputation, right?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Zheng immediately understood. Crusch now had the qualification to inherit the throne. Although it was unclear how a king would be chosen from the five Dragon Witches, it was obvious that both achievements and strength were very important. According to Beatrice, the Karsten Family is a central nobility in the Kingdom, so their reputation is undoubtedly sufficient, leaving just achievements.

Therefore, if Crusch succeeds in this White Whale hunt, her reputation will be greatly enhanced. However, if Fang Zheng were to intervene, it would be a different story.

It’s akin to a newbie defeating a boss, a victory if they manage it.

But if a veteran carries them to an easy win, that’s a different matter.

"Got it, we won’t intervene. Good luck."

"Thank you."

After both parties finished their conversation, Fang Zheng returned to the banquet, and Mel curiously approached.

"Mr. Fang Zheng, what did you talk about?"

"Hm? Nothing much, just that the other side asked us not to interfere."

"Huh? We’re not helping?"

Upon hearing this, Mel was shocked.

"Everyone has their reasons to fight. Let’s see how things go. But since they’ve asked us not to intervene, we’ll just watch for now. We’ll act if the situation becomes really dangerous."

"Alright, that’s okay..."

After hearing Fang Zheng’s response, Mel seemed uneasy, but she didn’t say much else. She merely nodded before rejoining the crowd.

With that, this side was lively with a barbecue camp, while the other was tensely preparing for battle.

"By the way, what exactly is the White Whale as a Demon Beast?"

Meiyin also curiously raised her question. Today she decided to come out too. Recently, Meiyin had been busy with improving paper machines and paper, even planning to produce inexpensive ink. Although Fang Zheng provided her with materials, Meiyin had to handle the experiments herself.

But since this was a rare vacation, she came out to relax.

"Does it look like a whale?"

"It should, isn’t it called a White Whale? Then it should look similar to a whale."

"Speaking of which, our world has white whales too, but probably not the same..."

Mel chimed in as well.

"After all, this is land. The white whale from our place can’t fly."

"Exactly, exactly..."

The participants of this camp included not only Ram, Rem, Mel, and Meiyin, but also Mel’s three friends, along with the Priestess of the Goddess, Ais, and Megumin, plus Emilia and Parker.

Initially, Emilia didn’t want to come. She felt that as a guest, it wouldn’t be right to do nothing but eat and drink. However, everyone didn’t mind, leaving Emilia with no choice but to come along. For Emilia, this was a very rare experience, as she never really had any friends before, and in this country, due to the Witch’s legend, Emilia faced considerable prejudice.

However, Mel and Meiyin, being Otherworlders, naturally didn’t care about these matters. The Priestess of the Goddess had different beliefs, Ais was indifferent to it all, while Megumin, being somewhat eccentric, was genuinely eager for Emilia to be a Witch reincarnated......

Soon, night descended.

"It’s about time."

Fang Zheng glanced at the time displayed on his terminal, then squinted his eyes and gazed at the night sky.

The cool breeze swept over the flower field, carrying a gentle fragrance.

Meanwhile, a massive shadow emerged from the night sky.