158 - The Princess of Rolfis
The room in Zain that was becoming my workspace.
There, I was on the verge of screaming.
Work that never ended.
And work that kept increasing.
Work that made me wonder, Why do I even have to do this?
"Why aren't they moving? We're already proceeding with the preparations."
The justification for the invasion of Selva, as well as the necessary number of troops and supplies, had been gathered. No, to be precise, I was simply reusing what Zain had prepared for the invasion of Rolfis.
The scale was four thousand.
That many combat-ready soldiers, with nearly the same number provided for rear support. Simultaneously, I was hiring mercenary groups and proceeding with the preparations for the invasion.
It was less than half the scale Zain had originally envisioned for the Rolfis invasion. However, that alone was sufficient.
Given Selva's diplomatic situation, reinforcements could not be expected. The larger neighboring countries behind Selva, Galleria and Lusworth, were glaring at each other and showed no sign of sending aid. Or rather, while they weren't diplomatic enemies of Selva, they weren't allies either.
They likely had little interest.
Novem, Miranda, Clara, and I—all of us becoming increasingly proficient at paperwork—turned our gaze toward Mei, who was sitting in the center of the room.
Mei was eating the meal Monica had prepared.
"I definitely delivered the letter again, you know? But they said they're still in a meeting. It's taking a long time, isn't it?"
Mei was smiling, but we couldn't.
I stood up and spoke to Novem.
"...I'll go check with Gastone-san. I need Aura-san and Selma-san to write some documents as well, so I won't be back for a few hours."
Novem gave me a smile.
"Yes. I'll keep the work moving forward."
With those words, she saw me off. Miranda and Clara had complicated expressions, and Monica spoke their feelings for them.
"He's trying to run away, the chicken coward."
A room within the temple.
It was a place that felt more peaceful than others.
With plants growing and water flowing, the room was luxuriously constructed. Four of us surrounded a white round table, but unlike the atmosphere of the room, all four of us had exhausted expressions.
An exhausted Selma-san was confirming things with Gastone-san, who looked as if he might collapse at any moment.
"Gastone, what is the current situation?"
Gastone-san seemed more haggard than before. His face was pale, his eyes were bloodshot, and he held a cup of tea with trembling hands.
"Everything is fine except for the Rolfis matter. Well, there are problems, but they're at a level that can be managed."
A limp Aura-san was eating sweets while leaning back with her right arm resting on the backrest. They were sweets Monica had prepared.
"I mean, why don't you just call them back immediately? If you call back the priests scattered in the provinces, it'll be solved in no time. Oh, this is delicious."
Aura-san, who looked quite tired despite her happy expression while eating sweets, was also exhausted.
Selma-san spoke.
"Even if we call them back, we don't have enough priests to send out. Besides, we're changing the current method of governance, so expect to be busy for a while. You have already become the official Saint. From now on, we will also introduce hereditary succession to prevent interference from other countries."
The method of governance that had allowed Zain to be subject to interference from other countries and to launch wars. Because that was being changed, things had become quite busy.
Many priests had collapsed, and their number had become greater than those who fell in war. Priests would collapse, receive treatment, and then return to work.
This place was hell.
Gastone-san looked at me.
"So, Liel-dono is heading to Rolfis. I'll prepare the documents immediately, but... why isn't Rolfis moving? Even now, maintaining the soldiers is a considerable expense."
I had reduced the number to less than half. But even so, money and supplies were needed to move and maintain an army. If Rolfis didn't move, we would be the ones unable to move first.
"I'm going to ask about that as well. I want to get this over with quickly."
Selma-san looked at me.
"Do you have some kind of plan again?"
I picked up my cup, drank the tea, and shook my head while keeping my eyes downcast.
From within the orb, the voice of the Fifth Generation spoke.
Since we lacked numbers, we resorted to unconventional tactics, but if the numbers are there, the orthodox method is best. It's better to have fewer casualties, but numbers themselves are a sufficient tactic and power.
Gathering numbers also required power. If that were possible, there was no need to execute a tightrope-walking plan.
"I have nothing. I'll just fight a normal war. Besides, the reason I could win with unconventional tactics was because I had all of you. I could never have won alone."
Then, Aura-san looked at me with suspicious, half-closed eyes.
"I wonder if that's true? The shrine maidens were saying that in the city, the Holy Knight Order Captain is treated as a hero. A hero who defeated a large army with a small force. It's ironic, since you've never actually fought a large army properly."
I laughed.
"If I had fought a large army, I might have won the battle, but I would have lost the war."
Selma-san shook her head.
"So you could win. However, if that's the case, why isn't Rolfis moving? I wonder if they doubt our strength? Thinking we're an army that lost to a small force."
I thought that was possible. Because I had won too much, Rolfis might have come to think that Zain's army was weak.
That we were unreliable.
"In any case, I need Rolfis to move. I'll be back soon, so please proceed with the preparations."
As I stood up, Gastone-san added one thing.
"Please come back as soon as possible. Otherwise, people will die."
――Gastone-san had threatened me with a completely exhausted smile.
Riding Mei, I arrived at Rolfis and headed to the royal castle.
Before having an audience with the Princess, I was to speak with the Prime Minister, Lombolt-san, first. Alette-san had been chosen as my guide.
While walking through the royal castle, I conversed with Alette-san.
"How is the situation in Rolfis?"
Alette-san looked a bit nervous.
"It's calming down. Most people think the war has been avoided."
It seemed they were reluctant to go to war.
"Zain has officially announced that this incident was the result of Selva's secret maneuvers. We've entered preparations to move, so if possible, I'd like you to move promptly."
Then, Alette-san turned back to me.
"We want to move as well. But opinions were split during the meeting of the heavyweights. Also, I hope you won't get too angry."
I braced myself, and Alette-san made a subtle expression.
"Princess Anneliese has said she will forgive Selva for this incident. She wants Zain to withdraw, without even breaking the engagement."
While I was so surprised I couldn't even speak, laughter echoed from within the orb.
What is that, how cruel!
It's the perfect time to attack, this is unbelievable!
It's a good thing we didn't move on the Rolfis side. What will you do? Will you invade alone?
Management would be a pain. Destroying them is easy, but Gastone would die.
While I was appalled, the successive heads were enjoying themselves.
I knew she was infatuated, but I didn't think it was to this extent.
I spoke to Alette-san.
"Um, we've already announced that we will officially invade."
Alette-san nodded.
"Ah, I know that. But the Princess... we want to move too. But we cannot move without orders."
The Seventh Generation spoke cheerfully.
Hahaha, I'd like to crush Rolfis while we're at it. Shall we crush them if it comes to that?
To that opinion, the Fourth Generation replied.
Rejected. The current Liel and the others cannot maintain it. Seizing it would take up too much time. We have to somehow wake the Princess up. Kindness is a virtue, but... being unable to recognize the current situation is painful.
The Third Generation spoke in a lower voice than usual.
If she's just a decoration, she should act like one. I wonder what happens when you hold someone back... Come to think of it, there were other people with succession rights to the throne in this country, right?
The Fifth Generation denied that opinion.
It's a small country. Apparently, the current Princess is quite popular. If she dies, people will make a fuss.
The Third Generation said regretfully.
I see... But if it's her, since she'd marry Dario, wouldn't she happily hand over the throne if told to?
They didn't seem to have given up yet.
(Why are they so happy?)
I shook my head and walked down the corridor of the royal castle. It bothered me that Alette-san looked a bit nervous as she watched me.
The audience chamber.
There, I saw Dario glaring at me.
Princess Anneliese looked a bit nervous as she looked this way. In contrast, Dario looked terrified as he looked at me.
Since I had come as an envoy, I was indirectly conveying the business and waiting for a response. Knights were also in the audience chamber, and Lombolt-san and the ministers were lined up.
Everyone was tense, but among them, the terrified Dario felt very out of place.
For some reason, the Seventh Generation started laughing.
Damn it! Instead of hiding the Prince of Selva, they put him in front... they have no intention of negotiating! This is bad, my stomach hurts!
It seemed he had hit a funny bone. Indeed, Dario did feel out of place.
(Actually, the tension of the successive heads has been a bit strange lately. Unlike me, they aren't tired... did something happen?)
After some time passed, the Princess opened her mouth.
"...Regarding the incident in Zain, I suppose I should say congratulations."
Hearing that, the Third Generation started laughing.
Whoops! She's immediately aggressive, this girl! To not even be able to give a straightforward congratulation, she's too honest with herself!
The Fourth Generation said calmly.
Is that why she chose the man over the country?
The Fifth Generation said calmly.
That's probably it.
With that, everyone in the orb burst out laughing simultaneously. I didn't understand the successive heads' sense of humor.
Amidst the laughter of the successive heads, the Princess, with a serious expression, spoke.
"However, the war ends here. Isn't this enough? I do not wish for any further expansion of the war. I will have Zain withdraw from Selva."
The successive heads burst out laughing. It seemed their stomachs hurt.
The Seventh Generation said.
No, it was the right choice to participate on Zain's side. With this person at the top, I would have been irritated beyond belief.
The Fourth Generation said.
Well, there are things that are funny to a third party but not to the people involved.
My feelings at that moment were.
(With the laughter of the successive heads, I can't feel the tense atmosphere at all. This is bad, I'm going to start laughing too.)
The other people probably couldn't hear the laughter of the successive heads. They were waiting for my response with serious expressions.
But to me, who could hear the laughter, the atmosphere of this place felt like nothing but a comedy.
"No, we've already announced that we will officially invade, and withdrawing would cause various problems regarding our position. Besides, Rolfis and we had already reached an agreement to invade."
The Princess looked down, looking a bit frustrated.
"Then, you do not need to return the lands that Rolfis once had seized. Would that not put you at ease?"
Lombolt-san spoke.
"Princess, that's not it!"
He was explaining the current situation to the Princess, but it was becoming difficult for me to hold back my laughter. After all, the successive heads commented every time.
The Seventh Generation, for instance.
You get them back without doing anything? Are we just ignoring the fact that we stopped Zain from invading? How convenient.
The Third Generation said.
She really is a convenient Princess. No, maybe a convenient woman?
They started guffawing again. Then, the Fifth Generation spoke.
You guys, you'd absolutely never be able to say such things if you had wives.
The Fourth Generation said.
Stop it. Stop saying that now... you've made me break into a cold sweat.
The successive heads――it seemed all of them were unable to stand up to their wives.
They were usually assertive, but thinking that they must have been flustered in front of their wives made me want to laugh. No, I did laugh.
Coming to my senses, I scanned my surroundings, and everyone was looking at me. Their expressions were the definition of serious.
I cleared my throat.
"No, excuse me. Well... let's just let the mutual rudeness slide for now. So, will Rolfis send troops? Or will you not? Surely... you aren't saying you'll cooperate with Selva?"
I desperately tried to cover it up, but in my haste, I spoke without choosing my words and immediately regretted it.
The Fifth Generation said.
What, Liel is provoking them too. Alone in the enemy camp... there's no such thing as provoking. He's grown some guts.
I couldn't say that I had actually made a mistake out of panic.
The Princess spoke.
"How dare you threaten us. Rolfis cannot side with such atrocious acts! If you wish to speak with spears in hand, I shall accept!"
Everyone present tried to stop the Princess. But I could hear the laughter of the successive heads, and it made the scene look like a comedy.
I couldn't feel any sense of tension in the scene at all.
(This is bad, I can't hold back the laughter!)
The fatigue from the unfamiliar paperwork, and the lack of progress in the current situation, had exhausted me. I was mentally drained and made a mistake I wouldn't normally make――.
When my voice echoed in the audience chamber, the surroundings became silent in contrast.
――I had burst out laughing.
Judging that this was truly bad, the Fourth Generation decided to follow up.
Liel, no matter how funny it is, you're laughing too much. You have to keep your expression unchanged so the opponent can't read your heart. Now, since this is truly bad, I'll lend a hand. No, in this case, my mouth――
The memory of almost wooing Selma-san because I was led by the Fourth Generation came back to me, but I decided to trust the Fourth Generation that he wouldn't do such a thing here.
Following the Fourth Generation's words.
"――You speak of atrocious acts, but did not Rolfis also use Zain in the past? Do you think we don't know? The Saint of Zain from three generations ago was a person from Rolfis. There are records of them invading Selva and looting at that time."
――While organizing documents, I had seen such information. Because there was such a past, reports of problems at the border had come up.
The border region where Zain, Selva, and Rolfis meet. Because the boundaries were ambiguous, skirmishes occurred frequently.
I never thought paperwork would be useful here, but I wasn't particularly happy about it.
"You claim you aren't atrocious? Furthermore, this incident with Selva. It was intended to place Rolfis under their control. In other words, you were targeted for invasion. And you'll just silently permit that? As for Zain, we cannot overlook a country like that increasing its national power."
Dario, who had been silent until now, stood up and shouted at me with great fury.
"Don't get cocky just because you won once! Do you think you can win before the strong soldiers of Selva, who are different from the weak soldiers of Zain!"
I smiled.
"Yes, I suppose so. That's why this time I've matched the number of troops. I believe I've made the preparations to win. The Second Prince seems to be well-acquainted with the battlefield. Why not go back and prepare for war? I, Liel, would like you to provide guidance on the battlefield. You must be very strong. I'm looking forward to it. There were no decent opponents in Zain, and I was getting bored."
Ahaha, the people around you have amazing expressions.
I continued while panicking.
(This glasses-wearing bastard! After criticizing me, he's provoking them here too! I thought he'd settle things peacefully, but he's doing the opposite!)
While Dario's face turned pale, I prepared myself to flee at any moment. Using the skill――Connection―― I told Mei, who was connected to me, to get ready to escape.
Mei, the clouds are looking ominous. Please... get ready to run!
Mei sounded displeased.
...Wasn't it Liel who did the provoking? Well, whatever. I'll come save you, so just wait.
In addition to the sharp gazes around me, the knights looked as if they were about to put their hands on their weapons at any moment. They weren't in a stance, but they had lowered their hips to be able to move immediately.
Then, Dario collapsed to the floor and landed on his backside.
The Princess spoke.
"Dario-sama! ...Capture this fool!"
She pointed her right hand toward me. As her long purple hair, which looked as if it could reach the floor, moved violently, the knights were about to spring forward when the window of the audience chamber was smashed through and Mei intruded.
In the form of a Kirin.
The surrounding ministers and knights recoiled upon seeing Mei.
"A-A Kirin!"
"A Kirin came to help? No way..."
"W-What should we do!"
While the surroundings were in a panic, Mei in Kirin form approached me. She shook her head, telling me to get on her back, and as I tried to climb up.
"W-Wait! Lower your weapons!"
Lombolt-san made the surrounding knights step back and told me to wait. Dario had fainted the moment Mei burst in and had wet himself.
The hair of the Princess, who was crouching and hugging Dario, also became wet, and upon noticing this, she pushed Dario away.
"Kyaa! H-How rude! My precious hair! S-Someone bring something to wipe this!"
Seeing Dario collapsed on the floor, the Third Generation spoke.
I've seen the moment love cools.
The successive heads burst out laughing again.
While cold sweat flowed, I pondered what to do moving forward.
A few hours later.
I was heading toward the capital of Zain on Mei's back.
I had also received detailed documents regarding the invasion of Selva from the Rolfis side. After that, they had immediately promised to invade Selva.
Of course, this was after making a promise that Rolfis would not become an enemy of Zain.
The detailed coordination would likely be continued by people other than me from now on, but I gripped the bag containing the documents and let out a sigh.
"What was with that audience..."
Whether it was madness, or why I did such things... it was certainly true that being tired and mentally unstable played a part.
But normally, that's just not okay.
And for some reason, the successive heads were also depressed.
In turn.
Yeah, sorry. I couldn't stop laughing... a lot has happened lately. I'll explain tomorrow.
...Now that it's over, I wonder why I did that. I regret it.
Looking only at the result, there was no problem. It's that, that... I was tired.
Thinking back, it was rude and embarrassing. Let's just forget about it.
Did something happen that exhausted the successive heads?
Thinking that, I returned to my room in Zain, where my work had likely increased, while feeling completely drained.
Emotionally, I thought in my heart that I didn't want to go back.
(But I might want Novem to comfort me...)