There's no barrier in the other two lands so he thought that Selnes Country would be the same.
Does this mean that he couldn't get Kessa's power to help him?
Souta sighed inwardly. He was prepared for the war as he even brought his strongest ace but it seems that it would be in vain. No, it was too early to conclude it. There must be a time when he would need her help.
He just hoped that time doesn't come since it means that the situation has gone to something that he couldn't control with his strength.
The meeting lasted for two hours.
All the warriors were informed about their jobs and roles in this war.
The Sixth Grain War was powerful on its own. Aside from Souta's group, it consisted of several squads. The number of experts in the Sixth Grain War was 108.
2 Four Shackles Realms, 9 Three Shackles Realms, 23 Two Shackles Realms, 47 One Shackle Realms, and the rest were Solidifying Realms. There were Liquefying Realms but they weren't included in the mission.
The War Company and Hammer's Guard closely have the same number too.
There were also squads from other Grains that were dispatched in this mission. Some of them were going to the Fedru Republic and Bruim Principality.
After the meeting, Souta entered a tent with three people.
A tall man with a giant axe on his back, Genzu. His skin was full of scars and he looked a bit intimidating. He was the leader of a War Company.
A man with a pair of daggers on his waist, Heido. He was covered in tight dark clothes and a mask. He was the other leader of the War Company.
Lastly, a young man wearing full-plate armor with a giant black hanging on his back. His name was Santu, the leader of the Hammer's Guard.
They have the same status as Grain Leader in Athen's Champion so they were strong.
"You're the leader of this group, Souta. The War Commander assigned you as a commander of this group." Genzu said.
The other two experts also glanced at Souta. They'd heard of his name but it was their first time meeting him.
"I'm in charge of the group so I want you to give me your opinion. Should we proceed and fight the enemy or gather information first?" Souta asked.
"I'm in favor of attacking the enemies," Genzu said.
"I also wanted to attack the enemies but we need information first," Heido said.
"I agree with Heido. We need to know our enemy first." Santu said.
"I see... Okay, we'll follow the majority. We'll enter the Selnes Country and gather information about the enemy. Also, once we arrived there we'll send some of our men to scout the enemy's formation." Souta looked at them before he continued, "Also, it's better if we can gain the cooperation of the army of Selnes. That way, we can move freely without being hindered."
"Now that you mention it, our role is just to help them protect their defense line. Cooperation with them seems possible but there are forces from other Holy Lands too." Heido said while rubbing his chin.
"The higher-ups said that we shouldn't engage with the other Holy Lands." Santu paused as he glanced at Souta. "Especially you, Commander Souta. You have a history with a few of them in the Hall Plains."
"I know, I will not act against them. Our focus right now is the Army of Gluttony." Souta nodded. He tapped his finger on the table and said, "Okay, we'll gather information. No one will launch an attack without permission. After we enter the country, we'll separate. You guys know what to do. After we gather information we'll meet at the entrance early in the morning to talk about our next plan."
The four people talked for a few minutes before they ended their meeting.
Souta walked out of the tent and saw Alice and the rest. He conveyed the plan to them.
Enter the country, go separate ways, gathered information, and meet up tomorrow morning. Well, it was simple and Souta made it this way since he wanted to find clues about the Tears of Divine Might. It was the reason why he volunteered to fight in Selnes Country. Otherwise, he would simply go to the same route he did in the past, the war in the Bruim Principality.
Souta was talking to Alice and the rest when a group of people approached him.
"Souta, you're here too... Oh, should I say Grain Leader Souta?"
Souta turned his head and smiled when he saw the approaching people. "I didn't think that you guys would be dispatched here in this place."
This group of people was the Blue Cross Squad from the Tenth Grain War.
"It's been a while. We've heard of your accomplishment in the Hall Plains. You've become quite famous in Olympus." Leilus said.
"Yep, a lot of things have happened." Souta shook Leilus' hand.
Souta introduced his comrades to the Blue Cross Squad.
"This is Alice."
Alice nods her head.
"This is Eilish."
Eilish smiled and waved her hand. "Hello."
"This is Franklin."
Franklin simply stared at them.
"And this is Eztein."
Eztein waved his hand and said, "If you need something you can just ask me."
The Blue Cross Squad greeted them and they introduced themselves in return. Drami, Marcus, Sekmet, Paolo, and the squad leader Leilus. They were the squad that Souta got to know in the war against the Red Matter Association.
"Hey, Souta. I didn't expect that you would become a Grain Leader in a short amount of time." Drami said with a smile as she jumped around him.
"Things happen. I didn't expect it either. The incident in Hall Plains was just an accident." Souta shrugged his shoulders.
Souta and the rest of the Blue Cross Squas talked for a while.
Soon, the group departed. They used a portal and flew for an hour before they arrived in Selnes Country. Souta left Kessa in the base after he heard the details of the All Filter Barrier Formation.
Selnes Country.
A nation known as Impregnable before Gods. The nation boasted about its powerful defense and military capabilities.
It has more than five million population and a quarter of them were experts. The nation has a land area of three thousand five hundred sixty square kilometers.
There were thick walls with a height of one hundred meters around the entire nation, and there were only four entrances. Flight would be impossible since the whole country was protected by a barrier formation. Below the walls, there was a long and deep river that surrounded the nation. This made the nation look like a large island.
Souta and the rest arrived at the front, staring at the majestic walls of the Selnes Country.
"It feels like this isn't a small country..." Eztein commented.
"A god was living in this place in the past," Eilish said.
"Still, this place is a good one..." Souta said.
Leilus agreed with Souta's words. He said, "Yeah, the entire nation is surrounded by a huge river so walking is impossible. This river alone contained thousands of monsters. I heard that this is their first line of defense."
The group walked forward and the guards in the gate asked for their identities. After confirming their identities, the gate opened and they entered the Selnes Country.
Ohm!
Once they stepped inside, Souta felt the changes in the atmosphere.
"This..."
Alice frowned as she looked at the sky. "It feels like this is a different space. The pressure here is strong."
"So this is the famous barrier..." Eztein muttered.
Souta glanced at his hand before he observed the others. The pressure he was feeling was stronger than them. It seems that his decision to leave Kessa in the base was good.
Heido asked from the side, "Commander Souta, can you handle the pressure?"
Souta turned to him and nodded, "Yeah, I'm just a little bit surprised. It's just a bit stronger than I expected."
"You don't have to worry. If you're feeling a stronger pressure then it means that you are strong." Heido explained.
"I understand..." Souta took a deep breath.
Heido, Santu, and Genzu bid farewell before they left with their men.
Souta looked at their back. They were strong support. He would use them later.
He turned to Alice and the rest before he said, "Let's go now,"
Everyone had adjusted to the strange atmosphere so they started to leave. They finally had time to observe the country.
Everyone could feel the liveliness and clamor despite the threat of the war. The citizens were confident in the defense of the nation which wasn't breached for several centuries.
There were people everywhere in the plaza and various stalls were installed across the streets. It wasn't the vibe that everyone expected.
"This is much worse than I imagined..." Souta muttered.
Alice heard his words. She looked at him and asked, "Why?"
"It's not bad for them to be confident in the defense of their nation but..." Souta narrowed his eyes, looking at the smile of the citizens. "They clearly underestimate the Army of Gluttony, one of the Seven Deadly Sins. They didn't have any idea at all."
