Chapter 150 - Episode 12: "It's a Demand for Surrender!"
Greetings! It is I, Violia Nico Fortesia!
I am currently in the royal castle's conference room!
"Greetings. It is I, Violia Nico Fortesia!"
As I entered the conference room, I was greeted by the King and many other royals and nobles. ...Naturally, an unusual tension is drifting in the conference room. Yes. After all, I, the revolutionary who is trying to destroy the future of the royals and nobles gathered in this conference room right now, am here. They must be tense!
They probably didn't think I would visit openly from the front. When I visited, the castle soldiers, the minister who came flying after receiving the soldier's report, and the princes and princesses who were watching me from the balcony, everyone was incredibly surprised. Some of the princesses even fainted on the spot. Ohoho.
...And, since I didn't come to attack but just offered to 'come for negotiations,' they seemed to be quite troubled. Yes. Because right now, in this situation, the ones who want to 'negotiate' are definitely the royal family. They are the ones who have already lost their escape routes and options and are just waiting for the fall of the castle. My offer of 'negotiation' should be something very welcome. Of course, I don't have any weapons, and I didn't bring any soldiers or slaves. Therefore, it seems it was too good to throw away by judging it as a trap... ...As a result, a veeeery long discussion began about whether to let me into the castle.
While the heavyweights of the royals and nobles were discussing, I was left alone the whole time. In front of the royal castle, while being watched by a large number of soldiers. ...When I tried saying 'Maybe I'll just go home' halfway through, a table set and a parasol were prepared in front of the royal castle, and tea and sweets were brought there. How should I put it, they are desperate... ...And so, I was left alone for about three hours. During that time, the soldiers who gathered in front of the royal castle and continued to be on guard against me, thank you for your hard work. Yes. But it was worth the wait. I was guided by the minister and a large number of soldiers into the royal castle's conference room. ...And at the same time I announced my name in the conference room, tension ran through the room. Yes.
"I have come to present a demand for surrender to the members of the Orchesta royal family."
Saying that, I threw the document at the King's feet. Throwing something at the King is an act that would get one arrested for lèse-majesté, but there's no way anyone here could complain to the current me!
The King hurriedly picked up the document, opened it... and was speechless! "T-This is..."
"Yes. Those are the conditions for 'surrender' that I am presenting."
The conditions I presented are as follows.
First, the first one. On the condition that every single member of the royal family, without exception, surrenders themselves, the nobles of this country will be overlooked. The ugly struggle between the royals and nobles is also fun, but more than that, the part 'every single member of the royal family' is important. Yes.
Next, the second one. Transfer all authority held by the royal family to the Revolutionary Army. Well, it's a natural condition. It's my conscience that brought this, which can be seized by force, to the negotiation table.
And the third one. If the above conditions are met, the lives of the royals who have been taken into custody will be guaranteed.
The final fourth one. If the above conditions are not met, the Revolutionary Army will kill everyone, both royals and nobles. Now, will they choose exile at this point? Or will they come to accept the conditions? Well, no matter how they struggle, the future is already one!
After that, another loooong deliberation began. Perhaps because I was right in front of them, the words of the royals and nobles were all hesitant and reserved... but well, they were elegantly insulting each other. For the nobles, since they would be overlooked, they want to make the royals accept the conditions so they themselves can be saved. For the royals, since they would definitely face something far from good if they accepted the conditions, they don't want to accept them. Since both parties are in one conference room, it presents a truly chaotic aspect. Yes.
"...U-Umm."
In the midst of that, the 6th princess, Princess Scola, timidly raised her hand and peeked at me. When I urged her to go ahead, she immediately began her question.
"Umm, you said the lives of the royal family would be guaranteed... in that case, what kind of treatment would we receive?"
Ah, that's naturally a concern. Well, it's something that can be imagined without saying...
"Slavery, you see."
The moment I said that, Princess Scola made a face as if to say 'Ah, as I thought...', and the other royals began to buzz. "Wha... Then it has no meaning! What do you think of us royals!"
"I think of you as trash."
When I told them honestly, someone around the 3rd prince fell silent while trembling. As expected of trash. Yes.
"What meaning do you need for surrendering, other than apologizing to the citizens you've continued to push around until now? This time, I am generously saying that I will overlook the nobles, you know?"
"S-Such a thing..."
Someone around the 4th princess said 'Such a thing' and then seemed to remember that nobles were also in this place, and shut her mouth. Yes, I think the nobles already heard it, though.
"Yes. It is 'such a thing.' Whether the nobles are saved or not, it probably doesn't matter to you royals. If anything, if everyone, both nobles and citizens, died and only the royals were saved, you would choose that path, wouldn't you?"
When I said that, there were no more royals who could speak. The nobles also just looked at the royals suspiciously, and no one spoke. "Therefore, this is just a matter of providing you royals with one last opportunity to fulfill the responsibilities you were originally supposed to fulfill as royals. Since you've done whatever you liked for so long, at the very last moment, resign yourselves and atone for your sins with your own persons."
Now, when I said that and smiled at them, the royals finally turned pale! It's very exciting to see what kind of conclusion they will reach from now on!
...Now then, the meeting has started again. They tried to shut me out of the conference room, but I pushed back, saying 'If I am taken to a separate room alone, there is a possibility that I will be almost killed like Saint Carol.' Therefore, the royals and nobles were unsightly insulting each other and pushing responsibility onto each other in front of me... but... this 'negotiation,' honestly, is something very indifferent to me. No matter how they struggle, this negotiation is bound to break down! At most, waste your time! And gather soldiers in this conference room to be on guard against me! In the meantime, the villains at my place are stealing every single one of the royal family's treasures!
And so, after watching the insults in the conference room for a while... at that moment, a handkerchief fluttered outside the window of the conference room. It's the lace handkerchief I had given to Lital in advance. The lace handkerchief that Lital is making flutter and hover with wind magic is quite conspicuous. Yes. It's sufficient as a signal.
"Time's up."
There, I stood up and said so. "Time's up? That is..."
"The negotiations have broken down. I understand very well that the members of the royal family have no intention of fulfilling their responsibilities. Then it can't be helped even if I wait any longer."
Looking at the royals who seemed a little relieved and the nobles who had expressions of despair, I said. "All of you will face something even worse than being made into slaves, so please be prepared?"
"W-Wait! I'll accept the conditions! We'll hand over every single member of the royal family to you, the Revolutionary Army!"
Oh. It was unexpected, but the King suddenly started saying that. He probably thinks 'I'll accept the conditions for now and betray them later,' but... well, fine.
"Oh. That is a wise decision."
While praising the King and enjoyably watching the princes and princesses direct looks of reproach at the King... "Then, please bring them out. 'Every single one, without exception.'"
Yes. I am saying 'Bring out every single member of the royal family.' Which means, naturally, the 'missing' Dactor-sama is also included. There's no way they can bring the prince who disappeared! Therefore, I knew from the beginning that this negotiation would break down!
By the time both the royal family and the nobles realized that Dactor-sama was also included in the conditions of this negotiation, it was too late. "The negotiations have broken down. Then I shall take my leave."
"W-Wait!"
Without listening to the words to stop me, I leave gallantly! Regret various things to your heart's content! And later, realize that the royal family's treasures have been stolen, and learn the reason why I went to the trouble of bringing a negotiation! Learn that 'negotiation' was just a name, and that I went out of my way to come just to earn attention and time, and be as regretful as you can! Ohohohohohoho!
Now then. There's no way I can just leave the royal castle normally. Yes. As soon as the negotiations broke down, the royal soldiers attacked... I threw a medicine bottle on the spot. As soon as the medicine bottle breaks, it starts releasing smoke. What the royal family and soldiers thought at that moment was... naturally, what they themselves had done recently. Yes! They remember that they used poison that dissolves in the air to try and assassinate Carol and the others!
"E-Escape! It's poison!"
"The Revolutionary Army used poison!"
The soldiers panic on their own and move away from me on their own! ...This smoke isn't poison or anything, it's just a liquid that produces smoke. Yes.
Now, while the soldiers are flinching, I'll escape toward the window! "Well then, good day to you!"
I kicked down several soldiers with momentum, used them as stepping stones, flew toward the window of the conference room... broke the glass window, and went outside just like that! The outside of the window is mid-air, and since this conference room is on the third floor, naturally, I would end up falling from that height... but ignoring that, I went out the window! ...And! "Heave-ho! ...Violia-sama! Was I useful!?"
"Yes, of course!"
Caught by Lital's wind magic, I successfully escaped outside the castle! "Now then, the others have already come out, haven't they? We're going home!"
"Yes!"
And so, we quickly leave the royal castle! Well then, good day to you!