Re:Zero -Starting Life in Zero

"So how many troops have you prepared?"

Green got straight to the point and asked directly.

Crusch clasped his hands together, elbows resting on the table, a hint of hesitation in his eyes, clearly considering whether he should reveal his hand.

Considering the crucial role the White Whale intelligence played in their operations, she finally sighed and resolved to be completely honest with them:

"About seven hundred people. To be honest, I'm really not good at dealing with someone as outspoken as Lord Green."

Green quickly calculated in his mind, then nodded calmly: "This is enough to give the beluga whale a hard time."

Upon hearing this, Crusch smiled confidently: "Of course, I've prepared only the elite."

Green shook his head and smiled nonchalantly.

"No, Crusch, I meant that your small group could have been finished off in one go by the White Whale."

"Unbelievable! The optimal troop composition I discussed with my staff can't even match it?"

Crusch's eyes showed a serious expression.

She possesses the "protective ability of wind vision," which allows her to interpret the direction of natural winds and the emotional winds of people's hearts, accurately judging whether the other party is lying.

From the moment this man appeared, the wind around him was chaotic and utterly disordered.

But when he pointed out that seven hundred men were not enough to kill the white whale, the wind strangely stopped for a moment.

This proves that the man in front of me was not lying.

"The beluga whale is more than just a massive magical beast."

Green tapped the table with his fingertips, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable weight.

"Its most deadly effect is not the physical impact, but the two types of fog."

"Ordinary fog can blot out the sun and instantly disconnect your team. The second type is the Devouring Fog, which will make those hit disappear and even erase their comrades' memories of them."

He looked up at Crusch, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

"Those who disappear leave no trace, and those who survive may not even remember that they lost their comrades. The formation will only become more and more chaotic as the fighting continues."

Crusch's hand, hidden under the table, clenched quietly. The protection of her vision allowed her to clearly perceive the unwavering truth in Green's words.

"What's even more troublesome is its ability to create clones and its defenses."

Green continued, "Once it falls into a disadvantageous position, it will split into two clones to hold the enemy back, while the main body hides in the fog to recover."

"The white hair on its body can disperse magic, making offensive magic almost ineffective."

As Crusch listened, her heart sank deeper and deeper, realizing that her previous preparations were not only inadequate, but practically tantamount to suicide.

"It seems that even increasing the number to a thousand will not help."

Phyllis, listening intently from the side, couldn't help but interject, "Then...then isn't there any way to deal with it, meow?"

"Of course."

Green smirked slyly.

"Kursh, one person's strength is ultimately limited. To deal with a calamity-level monster like the White Whale, relying solely on your Karsten family would be like sending lambs to the slaughter. The wisest approach is to form an alliance and fight together."

Kurshu's body trembled slightly, her golden eyes filled with solemnity. She lightly pressed her knuckles against her brow and said in a deep voice:

"Are you volunteering yourself, or are you trying to get me to join forces with other potential royal candidates?"

"The more friendly forces, the better, of course."

Green nodded, his tone resolute.

"The fog of the white whale shrouds the Flügel Road, hindering many caravans and travelers. There will always be someone more eager than you to get rid of this thorn in your side."

Before the words were finished, the wooden door of the tea room creaked open, and a charming yet shrewd voice drifted in:

"Oh my, Mr. Green, you've hit the nail on the head."

"Haha, Mimi's come to see her big brother!"

A cat-like orc with caramel-colored curly hair peeked out from behind Anastasia.

He charged forward and pounced on Green.

Green raised his hand to block her, then grabbed Mimi by the collar and lifted her up.

If you don't grab this little one quickly, she might fly onto your head in the next second.

"Mimi wants to eat that cookie!"

Little Sprout pointed to Green's plate and pleaded in an overly familiar manner, swaying her body as she moved closer to the table.

Frustrated, Green simply tossed her onto the dining table.

Anastasia walked straight to the table, pulled up a chair, and sat down.

She rested her elbows on the table, looked at Crusch with a smile, and spoke with the clear-headedness characteristic of a businesswoman.

"Lord Crusch, it's been a long time. I didn't expect we'd both be concerned about the same thing. Our Hexin Merchant Guild also wants to get involved in this fish and meat business."

As she said this, Anastasia winked playfully at Green.

Crusch's expression remained unchanged, and his tone was calm.

"Hey, it seems you two had already met beforehand?"

Anastasia smiled brightly, making no attempt to hide her excitement: "I rushed over here without even having breakfast after receiving a message from a merchant. Could you bring me some tea and snacks too?"

Poor Otto, he failed to make anyone remember his name again.

Crusch waved her hand, and Phyllis understood and withdrew to prepare food for Anna.

"I will consider the alliance, but let's talk about your bargaining chips first. After all, this will affect the selection of the king and even the future of the country, so we can't jump to conclusions."

"Our private mercenary group can be incorporated into the expedition team, and all the team's supplies can be provided by the Hexin Merchant Guild."

"Of course, if Mr. Green could hand over his entire warehouse of Soul-Soothing Herbs, we could at least produce 800 high-grade healing potions before sunset today. Those are a warrior's second life."

Kurshu's eyes flickered slightly. She had less than two hundred vials of high-grade healing potion in her hand. How could she not be tempted by such a condition?

"Is this also one of Green's bargaining chips? As far as I know, Emilia doesn't have many usable troops, does she? Based on this alone, the contributions from each side are quite unequal."

To actually kill this monster that has ravaged the land for four hundred years would be an unparalleled honor for anyone.

Not to mention the royal selectees like them who desperately need a lot of prestige.

"Huh?" Emilia, who had been sitting upright, looked up in a panic.

She was just there for breakfast when Grimm inexplicably started discussing the major event of defeating the White Whale with Crusch.

As the center of the camp, she felt like nothing more than a decorative vase.

"I...I can ask Parker for help too..."

As she spoke, Emilia gave Grimm a mournful look and tugged at his sleeve.

Grimm extended his five fingers and gently placed them on Emilia's slightly cool hand, indicating that she did not need to panic. He then looked directly at Crusch with a firm tone.

"I possess a treasure that grants me power comparable to that of the White Whale for a short period. When the White Whale is injured and uses its clone ability, I will strike it down unexpectedly."

As soon as he finished speaking, the tea room fell silent, and everyone looked on incredulously.

The White Whale, created by the Gluttony Witch, can only be killed in a one-on-one fight by the Sword Saint Reinhard in the entire kingdom.

Unfortunately, Reinhard was assigned by the kingdom to escort the core members of the Sages' Society on a diplomatic mission to the Empire.

Crusch suddenly opened her eyes wide, focusing intently on the wind direction around Grin, fully activating the protection of her wind vision, and after a long while, she murmured softly.

"It's actually the truth..."

She slowly released her hands and placed them on the edge of the table. First, she nodded slightly to Anastasia, then turned to Green with a solemn expression.

"May I have a look at that treasure? If I can confirm its power, the Karlsten family will accept this alliance."