kscans

Chapter 232 - The Kingdom and the Republic.

In the Harg Kingdom...

The care of the seriously wounded continued.

After all, even though the monsters had retreated, there was always the fear that they might attack again. As such, they could not let their guard down. Magicians were on standby at the new weapons on the castle walls, ready to fire at a moment's notice. And all those who had been on the front lines were bedridden.

There were few with minor injuries; most were serious. At least twenty deaths had been confirmed.

Furthermore, due to the effects of the poison mist, many had not yet awakened from their comas, and those who had were confused and being kept at rest. Moreover, the 'Wind Guard' and Captain Glad, who had fought the hardest...

...were in such bad shape that it was a wonder they were still alive. The leader of the 'Owl' party was seriously injured, and the other members were dead. It was no longer possible for them to function as an adventurer party.

Most of the magicians on the castle walls were unconscious from magical exhaustion.

They had no physical injuries, but they probably wouldn't wake up for a day.

And Rumily, who had protected them from the Salamander's bombardment...

She had been recovered before she hit the ground, but she had suffered burns all over her body. Her right leg was especially bad. It was severely blackened, and in the worst case, she might never be able to move it again. Even with a high potion, the burns couldn't be completely healed. The flame attack must have been incredibly powerful.

She was now wrapped in bandages from head to toe, lying in bed like a mummy. Worried about her, Milfy and Matilda, who had also suffered burns but had been fully healed by a high potion, were ignoring the doctor's orders to rest and were instead watching over Rumily.

They were now asleep on the floor, exhausted.

In the history of the Kingdom, the damage had not been this severe since the time of the necromancer of the 'Seven Demon Lords.'

Queen Olivia watched this scene from the castle terrace. "Thank you for your assistance with the weapon. You did well, Sakura."

"I was merely carrying out Your Majesty's orders," Sakura, who was standing beside her, replied.

From this exchange, it was clear that Olivia had been the one to send her to the castle walls. "Go to the weapon immediately. I want you to act independently, just in case."

Having received this secret order from Olivia, she had gone to the castle walls and witnessed that scene.

She had immediately relayed the situation and given instructions to the soldiers, and then returned at once. It was easy to imagine her physical prowess.

"Your Majesty?" Sakura asked. "What news from the Empire?"

"They say they have defeated the root cause," Olivia replied. "The monsters should be quiet for a while."

Her expression was one of relief, but still tense.

"Then the full-scale repair of the castle walls, a banquet to reward those who have distinguished themselves, a memorial service for the fallen, and other miscellaneous matters will be dealt with once these three are finished, correct?" Sakura said, laying out a tentative plan.

"Phew... They say the hardest part of war is the aftermath, and it's true," Olivia said. "I will discuss these matters with my brother before proceeding. For now, please issue a directive that everyone should focus on their treatment."

Sakura bowed her head and left the terrace.

Alone, Olivia looked up at the full moon, lost in thought. Just then, the former king, Elyunpos IV, entered the terrace.

"I'm sorry," he said, apologizing. "I've left everything that I should have done to you, Olivia. It seems I abdicated the throne too soon."

"It can't be helped," Olivia replied. "No one could have imagined something like this would happen back then. If you're going to apologize, I'd rather you apologize for making me king."

"That's impossible," the former king said, his face weary. "You had more support at the time. Even if Alphonse had become king, neither the nobles nor the common people would have been satisfied. In the end, a king is just someone who gathers everyone's opinions and puts them into action. Nothing more is required."

A king was the face of the country, its representative. As such, they held various privileges. But that didn't mean they could do whatever they wanted. With power came responsibility. To do otherwise would be to become a dictator.

No one would follow, a revolution would break out, and the country would fall into ruin. Earth's history had proven this. Fortunately, the royal family of the Kingdom were all good-hearted people. Internal conflict was virtually non-existent.

Just then, the former king asked, his eyes full of expectation, "Ah, yes. Olivia, when will you take the name 'The Fifth'?"

"I have no intention of doing so," Olivia replied. "'The Fifth' sounds lame. Things are going just fine as they are."

She turned her gaze back to the full moon.

The former king looked dejected. Was it really that important? Or was it just a royal hobby?

In the Republic of Letyl...

The damage here was also considerable.

There were many with minor and serious injuries, and fifteen deaths had been confirmed so far, but there were also some missing. Those who had acted as the rearguard during the retreat had not yet returned. It wouldn't be surprising if they were dead, but holding out hope, a search party had been sent out.

And the two greatest contributors, the Guild Master and Captain Bradamante, had regained consciousness, but had not yet recovered enough to move.

King Lustolfo stood before them. "You fought splendidly in this battle. Without your efforts and contributions, the damage would have been far worse."

"No," the Guild Master replied, his face a mask of bitterness. "I am nothing but ashamed. I never imagined there would be so many high-level monsters, and I fought at full strength from the very beginning. If I had been more cautious..."

"The same could be said for me," Captain Bradamante added, her expression mirroring his. "I should have acted as the rearguard during the retreat. But I couldn't even manage that properly..."

"Phew... You two," Lustolfo said, his face exasperated. "Since when did you become the saviors of humanity?"

To the stunned pair, he continued, "It was within our expectations that there would be multiple high-level monsters, wasn't it? The plan was based on that assumption. In the end, there were just more than we expected. The enemy doesn't move according to our plans. If they did, there would be no deaths, not even injuries. Am I wrong?"

He was slightly angry.

The two of them fell silent. He was right. They were not chosen warriors. They were just humans. There was a limit to what they could do, to the lives they could save.

"You're right," the Guild Master said, his voice laced with self-reproach. "What was I even saying?"

"The same goes for me," Bradamante said, apologizing as if the poison had been drained from her. "I was getting a little ahead of myself. I'm sorry."

"No, I went too far as well," Lustolfo said. "As soon as you're back to full health, I'll have you back to work. For now, rest."

With that, he left the infirmary.

Alone in the infirmary, the Guild Master muttered, as if making a fresh start, "That wasn't like me. As soon as I'm healed, I'll get back to work."

"Yes," Bradamante said with a smile as she lay down. "So as not to disappoint King Lustolfo any further."

The first step to recovery was sleep.

King Lustolfo walked, filled with regret.

What he had said to those two could be said to himself as well. Although the decision had been made after consulting with the other nations, the information and analysis had suggested a high probability that the damage could be kept to a minimum. Of course, they had also considered the possibility of unexpected reinforcements.

But the reinforcements had been larger than expected. That was all.

As he was thinking this, his wife, Queen Melisa, appeared before him.

"Why the long face?" she asked, her expression slightly mocking. "Are you regretting it? This large-scale operation? Thinking you shouldn't have done anything?"

"Of course not," Lustolfo replied, his face lost in thought. "If we hadn't acted then, the dissatisfaction of not only the soldiers and adventurers, but also the common people would have exploded. They were already at their limit. I... I want to believe I wasn't wrong."

Melisa walked up to him and slapped him across the face. "Get a grip! You are the king of this country! The leader of the people! If you hesitate, no one will follow you! Am I wrong?!"

Her words were filled with spirit.

Lustolfo held his stinging left cheek. "You're right. This isn't like me. I have to be able to face the dead. And besides, you hit me so suddenly. Not even my father ever hit me."

"Oh, how honored I am," Melisa said, a broad smile on her face. "To have done something that not even your father did. Is this a feat worthy of being recorded in history? If you'd like, I can hit you once a day."

"I'd rather you didn't," Lustolfo said, laughing as he declined. "My face will swell up."

Sensing that he had returned to his usual self, Melisa said nothing and took his left hand. Lustolfo said nothing and walked with her.