148 - The Fourth Camp
I had decided to make a major change in direction.
(Damn it, if the Princess of Rolfis weren't so terrible, we could have just secured victory on Rolfis's side as it was.)
Rolfis discovered mithril in the labyrinth.
Zain claimed that the Goddess had bestowed it upon them.
That was the public catalyst for this war.
However, a third nation――the Kingdom of Selva――enters the picture.
Looking at some of the information...
The Prince of Selva was engaged to the Princess of Rolfis――her only daughter.
Zain's current Saint is the daughter of a former Selva noble.
Both have connections, and the third nation that has not shown any overt movement in this war is Selva.
In my own room of the mansion that Novem and the others had purchased and were preparing for our arrival.
I sat in a chair facing the desk, talking with the voice from the Jewel Orb.
"There's a country that seems awfully suspicious, but do you think we can handle these three nations?"
In response to my voice, the voice of The Sixth Generation echoed from the Jewel Orb placed on the desk.
『Rest easy. Fortunately, you have several cards in your hand. A former Saint, a former High Priest, a knight of Rolfis... and a former Saint Candidate. Considering that information has also been gathered, all that's left is to decide where to aim.』
Where to bring the conclusion of this war, that seemed like a difficult problem to me.
Then, sensing a presence, I picked up the Jewel Orb, hung it around my neck, and shut my mouth.
The voice of The Third Generation spoke.
『Oh, they've arrived already.』
I heard footsteps, gradually drawing closer. As I sat in my chair watching the door, a somewhat rough knocking sound echoed through the room.
"Come in."
As I said that, the door was flung open violently.
The person who entered the room was Shannon, out of breath. Panting heavily, she opened her mouth to speak to me.
At first, perhaps her voice wouldn't come out as she wanted, as there was a short pause before she spoke.
"Liel... your guest is here."
Looking at Shannon's exhausted face, I gave a smile.
"Ah, I see. By the way, this mansion is really huge, isn't it?"
As I stood up laughing, Shannon, whose lack of exercise was being somewhat resolved, looked at me resentfully.
"Then just sell it already! I'm scared to death in here, but no one even mentions selling it! They call this place a haunted mansion!"
We had purchased a mansion famous for being haunted in Beim, and several days had passed since we arrived. However, nothing particularly strange had happened.
Surely, the rumors had just been exaggerated.
According to Novem, there's a dungeon in the basement, which might be the cause of the rumors.
"Even so, Alette-san moves quickly."
I left the room with Shannon. I felt like Shannon was strangely close to me, but that was because she was afraid of being alone inside the mansion.
As I felt it was harder to walk because she was closer than usual, The Sixth Generation spoke.
『Liel, hold her hand.』
Told that, thinking it was better than walking at a strange distance, I reached out my hand to Shannon.
Shannon hesitated for a moment, but then she took my hand. Together, we walked down the hallway toward the room where the guest was waiting.
As I was pondering various things, Shannon spoke.
"I, I'm only holding your hand because it's scary, okay!"
Since she said that...
"Yes, yes, thank you very much."
When I gave a half-hearted reply, Shannon muttered some complaints. Listening to that, I thought about how the conversation with Alette-san would proceed.
Now then, I wonder how Rolfis will respond.
Walking through the hallway where sunlight streamed through the windows, I worried about the future.
The mansion's drawing room.
Sitting on a sofa, I faced Alette-san across a table.
Diagonally behind Alette-san, an adjutant stood with perfect posture, and diagonally behind me, Monica stood, having finished preparing the tea.
As for me, why is the maid standing behind me?
This girl is definitely doing it wrong.
While feeling dissatisfied with Monica, I tried to bring up the topic with Alette-san. However, Alette-san was the first to speak.
"I heard you hired Crate. Do you intend to participate in this war?"
I nodded to Alette-san, who looked down while sipping her tea.
"If you're on our side, we're acquaintances. I'll give you some preferential treatment. However, if you're on the enemy side, I cannot show mercy on the battlefield."
Alette-san was calm, but there was something sharp about her atmosphere.
"I will participate. And as for which camp... well, I intend to participate as the Fourth Camp myself."
The cup Alette-san was holding stopped, and her gaze turned toward me. I continued my explanation.
"I picked up some large luggage on my way back from a request. I've ended up taking a personal request, so in that case, it seems better to participate as the Fourth Camp rather than belonging somewhere."
When I said this with a smile, Alette-san spoke with a serious expression.
"This is a problem between us and Zain... a matter of two nations, is it not?"
Yes. At first, I thought so too. However, it seemed the third camp was also waiting in the background for Rolfis to weaken or be worn down.
I――
"Let's skip the fine details. At first, I considered participating in the Rolfis camp. However, that made me uneasy. The Princess... I hate to say it, but she's quite terrible."
――When I said that, the adjutant's expression sharpened.
Alette-san signaled the adjutant to stop with her hand.
"...It seems you've heard some strange rumors, but our Princess is a beautiful and intelligent person. She is pained by this war. She even said that if the war could be avoided, we should just hand over the mithril. For the sake of the people, wealth is not something to be stingy about."
The King and Queen of Rolfis had passed away, and the Princess was an only daughter.
As for other royalty, since it's a small country, there are branch families, but the successor was the Princess. However, she has not ascended as Queen.
A delicate state of affairs.
That is the current state of Rolfis.
Alette-san questioned me about the third camp.
"So, Liel-kun, you seem to believe there is a third camp. I wonder who will appear? I would very much like to hear it. I've heard you've been gathering quite a bit of information using information brokers."
Alette-san held the information that I was gathering information.
Indeed, I was gathering it regardless of how I looked.
"...I believe the third camp is Selva. I think they'll emerge once Rolfis is exhausted to a certain extent. I haven't investigated whether they'll deliver the final blow or come to help in a condescending manner, though."
Alette-san let out a sigh.
When the adjutant tried to say something, she stopped the remark with a wave of her left hand. Looking at me, she drank the remaining tea in her cup and opened her mouth.
While Monica moved to prepare a refill...
"That's right. Selva is also moving. However, we want to do something about it before Selva moves. You seem to have investigated various things, but if you stick your nose in too deep, it will shorten your life."
Though the words could be taken as a threat, I shrugged my shoulders and sat deeper into the sofa before continuing.
"I have a few requests. An audience with the Princess of Rolfis. And I would like you to arrange meetings with three people, Selma-san, the former Saint of Zain, Gastone-san, the former High Priest, and lastly, Aura-san, who was a Saint Candidate."
At my words, Alette-san looked surprised.
"The moderates of Zain. A great find... I see, you've picked up some truly extraordinary things again. If you entrust them to us, we'll give you a suitable reward."
I shook my head.
"I've already accepted the request. Besides, I'm having them hide for a while."
"What do you intend to do with the meetings? I assume they'll cooperate with us?"
I nodded at Alette-san's words.
"I want Rolfis to win, after all. Besides, Zain deserves to be taught a lesson. And while I'm at it, I want to strike Selva."
Alette-san had a puzzled expression.
"...That is appreciated, but what is your goal, Liel-kun? Do you want to start a mercenary group? It seems the possibility of failure is greater than the possibility of success."
I gave Alette-san a smile.
"I'll win. The preparations for that are these meetings. I will cooperate with Rolfis and lead this war to victory. Well, the winning side will be two nations, though."
"Two nations?"
When Alette-san said that, I smiled.
"So, what will it be? Is a meeting between us and the Princess possible?"
Alette-san, looking troubled, spoke.
"I will only report it. I am not in a position to make the decision. It's possible an order will come to secure you at all costs."
Looking at Alette-san's fearless smile, I said...
"In that case, I'll just move on Zain's side."
After Alette-san and the others left the mansion, I proceeded with the next preparations.
There was plenty of space in the first-floor hall, and the formation ceremony was to be held there.
I hurried to make the hall look presentable, then brought out tables and lined up liquor and food.
Novem and Monica prepared dishes one after another, and Miranda, Aria, and Clara arranged them.
Since Mei tried to touch the food, Shannon kept watch.
And as for Eva...
"I just need to sing something light, right?"
"That's right. Something that gets the mood up."
In the area prepared in the hall, I was telling Eva what to sing. To liven up the atmosphere, I was having Eva sing.
"...I hate that it's not the main event, but if I can sing, I guess it's fine. How many people are there?"
Eva seemed slightly dissatisfied, but she asked that after looking at the number of tables in the hall.
"Ah, I hadn't told Eva. You were sent to do the shopping, and there was the matter of preparing the costumes."
Amidst the hectic preparations, I told Eva.
"The ones coming are Crate-san and his group, and some dreamy adventurers participating in this talk. There are some of Crate-san's acquaintances too. Small parties, and people who were knights of some country. In terms of scale, maybe about a hundred people."
I gathered as many as I could, and at this point, that was the limit.
"...A hundred people gathered? And you're going to pick a fight with Zain without even borrowing power from Rolfis? Even if you're defeating a great army with a small force, can you even have a battle with that number?"
I smiled.
"Rest easy, there's support, so those who can actually fight are less than half. The equipment won't be ready in time, so it'll be about thirty people this time."
Eva looked at me with a completely appalled expression. After all, the enemy was a great army of ten thousand. And here I was, intending to fight with about forty people, including ourselves.
I could understand why she thought I was being foolish.
"I, it'll be fine. Trust me. I'm not a man who does things recklessly."
When I said that, Eva let out a light sigh.
"I wish you'd say that with a more confident expression, like you used to. Well, I've decided to follow you, so I won't oppose it. Besides, if it succeeds, it'll definitely be a heroic tale. By the way, don't die until you confess to me. I'm looking forward to it."
To Eva, who said the last part teasingly, I blushed and averted my gaze.
Then, Selma-san and Aura-san came to us.
They were wearing costumes handmade by Monica, and the atmosphere was there. The two of them looked embarrassed in costumes that looked like white dresses clinging to their skin.
Aura-san spoke.
"Honestly, what is that maid thinking! Clothes that show the body lines like this... and on top of that, she nitpicks our clothes!"
Monica had said one thing after looking at Selma-san, Aura-san――and the shrine maidens.
"Sister clothes for shrine maidens... that's wrong."
On the spot, I told her, "You're the one who's wrong." Then, when Monica made costumes for her and High Priest Gastone-san, they were flashy.
Selma-san also spoke bashfully.
"This is honestly embarrassing, so is there something I can wear over it?"
Looking at the fidgeting Selma-san, Eva spoke.
"It's fine, isn't it? There's very little skin showing. I wear clothes with more exposure than this."
Many of Eva's stage costumes were extreme. Or rather, the few she had were all extreme.
Aura-san spoke irritably.
"This isn't the image of a Saint! That maid even snorted at my chest!"
Looking at Aura-san, who tried to hide her small chest with her right arm, I looked at the ornaments on the arms and head. The things Monica prepared had wonderful craftsmanship.
I had bought some ornaments, and Monica finished them, and they looked good.
"No, Monica is busy, and there's no time left, so it's impossible. Besides, Gastone-san seems quite satisfied."
We turned our gaze toward Gastone-san and the others, who were confirming the proceedings in the hall.
He was wearing the given costume, and since he was a man, there was no exposure, but it was a bit flashy. The hat was long and large, and the clothes were loose. He seemed satisfied with the white and blue High Priest costume.
According to him, it was more comfortable than the ones he usually used.
Monica is too versatile. Once the improvements to the porters are finished, our preparations will be complete. After that, I have to hurry the setup on Zain's side.
As the preparations for the party... the formation ceremony were quickly completed, I confirmed something with Selma-san.
"Ah, changing the subject, please make sure to execute that matter certainly."
Selma-san looked at me and nodded.
"Without a doubt. In the first place, if we achieve victory with this many soldiers, it's a sufficient reason to have them appointed as officers. But really, do you intend to participate in the war with only about fifty people? I'm an amateur, but I think defeating a great army with a small force like in stories is difficult."
Aura-san glared at me.
"Do you even have experience in war?"
Due to her doubting gaze and dissatisfaction from being made to wear a costume she didn't like, she was taking it out on me.
I gripped the Jewel Orb once.
"Well, to some extent. Besides, I'm not going to fight an army of ten thousand. I don't intend to fight on the main battlefield either."
Hearing that, Aura-san and Selma-san had surprised expressions.
Only Eva spoke.
"Wait, then the song won't be exciting at all."
She sounded disappointed.