Riches and Bitches: I have a gate to an isekai and leveling-up system!-Chapter 272: Turning point (3)

"It’s okay to slow down!"

Gripping tight at the fur of Fay’s fox form, I held on for my dear life.

The speed at which she crossed the dense labyrinth of thick trees made me question everything I thought about how strong I’d grown.

With both the processing speed of my brain and the enormous cache of information it could access at the same time, my perception of the world should be as sharp as a perfectly optimized game.

And yet, riding on Fay’s back, I often couldn’t tell individual trees from each other.

"Aren’t we in a hurry?"

In the last five minutes, Fay not only carried me halfway through the forest, but she also managed to learn the very trick I’d just figured out of using aura to reinforce our voice.

"I mean, we are…"

Dizzy from the mind-boggling speed at which Fay ran, I struggled to gather my thoughts for a second.

"But I doubt anything will happen right away."

Hearing my words and sensing my meaning through our bond, Fay slowed down to a speed that no longer made me feel like keeling over.

"I mean, I don’t think they will be able to find Madam anytime soon. And even if they see through this trick, that princess isn’t likely to do anything about it. Not when there were other times when acting up would yield greater benefits."

With less than a single hour left for my portal to come online, buying time meant everything. For as much as I wanted to trust in Makary’s men back on earth…

Would they really be able to prepare everything in a perfect way and be on standby the moment we return? And even unrealistically assuming they would go above and beyond…

Moving an entire army along with its heavy equipment and endless supply train wasn’t something that could happen instantly. Modern warfare didn’t like to hurry, after all.

"We need three hours in best case scenario, five in a more realistic one. If there will be even the tiniest semblance of unexpected trouble, we might need to double if not quadruple that number."

That was already a conservative estimate, too. For if something really bad happened on earth while we were away; if the preparations Makary set in motion were to be delayed…

Then it was an open discussion over how long it would take to fix the issue and then go back to the still unbearably long timeline.

’Is this going to be a blitz or will it be a prolonged battle where both sides scramble for time?’

By the time I shook my head free of the question, Fay already arrived at the place where the entirety of the forest forces gathered.

With the exception of the few elites tasked with the role of a fake crowd during the ceremony and now just a few minutes behind me and Fay, all the able-bodied fighters grouped in a circle surrounding the gate-to-be.

Between exploiting the hard terrain and their still impressive numbers, Fay’s kin created a protective barrier around the clearing, leaving it all open for those who were about to come.

"A bit over half an hour left," I muttered, swinging my hand and summoning my portal just to check the time.

"How long do you think they will take?" Fay asked, already building up on the trick I discovered and manipulating her aura to direct and limit her voice just to my ears. Then, as she approached the lineup of her kin, she gathered her strength before leaping over the entire line and continuing all the way to the clearing.

"If they just walk ahead, between an hour or two if they rush, five or six if they take their time and keep any semblance of cohesion."

It was only a rough estimate, but it was better than nothing.

"But it’s only a matter of time before the princess realizes something is wrong," I added with a sigh. "She might be indecisive, but she isn’t stupid."

Even though I couldn’t name myself as the greatest reader of souls, the way Etaria acted, the way she carried herself and reacted to my quirky behavior… All of it was extremely restrained yet annoyingly familiar.

Back in my teenage years, I just happened to play myself for the exact persona the princess adopted as her own. The only difference was, that my power came from my delusions while Etaria’s fame, ability, and wealth were all real. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

Still, this sense of familiarity helped me realize this one, extremely important factor of Etaria’s soul. In a bid to get the perfect solution, unless pressed by an outside force, she would often take her time to think things through.

"It all rides on how long she will take to realize the trick, decide how to deal with it, and then figure out the reasons behind it," I explained with a sigh.

"And how can you be sure she will believe there’s an actual meaning behind your play?" Fay asked, turning back to her human form the very second I jumped off her back and landed on the soft grass.

The parasitic organism blemished the face of the forest to siphon more energy and resources into growing an herb hiding somewhere out of sight. But in this particular scenario, the side-effect of that parasite draining the entire area out of nutrients was what I actually desired.

A huge, open space with enough room for heavy machinery to operate.

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Or for an army to deploy its front units.

"Half an hour left," I muttered, taking a quick glance at the portal before turning around and facing the direction I believed most likely to be where the first attack would come.

"And yes, even if she won’t realize there’s a deeper play in leaving Madam behind to fake our presence, she will have to respond somehow anyway. After all, we are actively using our Supreme to affect the battle," I pointed out with a smile. "We are, quite literally, pulling the queen out before any of the pawns gets to move."

I took a deep breath before turning to the side, smiling at Fay, and reaching out to rustle the silk-like hair on her head.

"Even if just to save face, she will have to respond in kind. And then, whether or not she discovers the trick or not, she is bound to follow Madam here anyway."

"You really don’t seem to be worried about this situation, even the tiniest bit," Fay muttered while putting on a pouty face… and pressing her fingers against the palm of my outreached hand, bringing my hand down to her cheek.

An action that thoroughly reinforced the lethal potential of yet another of Fay’s rare faces.

"You might’ve learned about the modern world, but you don’t seem to feel it yet," I spoke some cryptic words before moving my hand to caress Fay’s delicate cheek.

With a sigh, I lowered my hand… only to pounce ahead and grab Fay within an embrace. And as I bent my head down, bearing with my mouth on the side of Fay’s neck, I pressed my lips against her fair skin and left a red mark of my victory.

"For now though, it’s all a race of time," I added, relaxing my hold over Fay’s waist yet still holding her close. "Will they reach this place first, or will we get enough time to bring some democracy over?"