Meanwhile, while the Demon Lord’s Army and Tris clash head-on, there was a nation that managed to distance itself from the fray.
The Hanzibal Empire.
It was a great power that the Demon Lord’s Army also kept a wary eye on. However, by diverting its attention due to the god’s flashy rampage, the empire managed to escape harm and was highly likely to gain the most from this situation.
“So. Your efforts were greatly appreciated.”
“Hah!!”
Ruziana Hanzibal, the leader of the empire, stood up from his throne and patted the shoulder of a man kneeling before him.
This was the reward for a man’s loyalty, who had infiltrated and continued to do so for decades, all for a single, confirming word.
The gods are not allies to humanity.
The gods are enemies of humanity.
That information was worth more than mountains of gold, and it was enough to move a king who had remained steadfastly observant for a long time.
“Summon my daughter.”
The information brought by the man’s loyalty would significantly alter the course of their nation. They summoned the princess, who was forced to retreat due to the mad actions and had been returned to the palace, once again a caged bird.
“You summoned me, Father?”
“Yes.”
The princess, who had spent years managing people, her efforts seemingly in vain, no longer possessed the demeanor of a girl who believed she had everything under control. Instead, a woman who had matured through hardship stood before him.
“We will form a joint front with the Demon Lord’s Army. You will be our envoy.”
“…I have clashed with that nation. Furthermore, I have kidnapped personnel from them. I believe my value would be better served as a tool for apology.”
At the same time, she looked as if she had resolved to offer her own life as a member of the royal family.
Originally, their plan was to win the war against the Demon Lord’s Army and then negotiate peace from a position of equality, thus severing grudges. By creating a three-way conflict, they intended to suppress nations dyed in religion, like Tris. This plan had become impossible, resulting in the loss of many soldiers. On top of that, they had retreated while still holding grudges against the Demon Lord’s Army.
“That is precisely why. You are a hostage. Right now, not just our nation but humanity itself is on the brink of destruction. We must approach them with sincerity and prepare a venue for negotiations. You must fulfill this great task.”
While he felt it was illogical for such a person to be sent as an envoy of peace, he decided it would show sincerity by framing it as an apology offered at the cost of her life.
“According to our spy’s information, the current Demon Lord is tolerant of coexistence with humans. If we fail to navigate this situation, this nation will be annihilated by the gods.”
Of course, he knew full well that simply offering his only daughter and apologizing would not achieve reconciliation.
“We have no time to waste. we depart tomorrow. I will accompany you on this journey.”
“Father…”
“If need be, my son will hold this nation together. With the prime minister in place, there will be no problem.”
The king declared he would personally face the Demon Lord’s Army in negotiations to take responsibility for the authority he had granted. The princess, who had half-expected this, lowered her eyes for a moment.
“Understood.”
She understood just how cornered their world was. If they were to depart tomorrow, there was no need for further conversation.
“Then, I will go prepare for our departure.”
Princess Anri finished her greeting and turned to leave the throne room.
“Wait.”
A voice stopped the princess. It was not the king, but the king’s close aide, the prime minister, who was also Princess Anri’s uncle.
“Yes, Prime Minister?”
Despite her title as a princess, she held little power. Previously, she had the title of Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, but within this nation, she was merely a princess. Compared to the prime minister, her power was immeasurably less. She turned back obediently, creating an opening for him to state his business.
“Leave that armor you have in your quarters.”
“…Understood.”
Though related by blood, their relationship was not necessarily good. They harbored a sense of dislike towards each other. Essentially, they felt a kind of self-loathing towards their relatives. It meant they understood each other’s useful aspects and found them effective, but simultaneously felt a sense of aversion.
The prime minister and the princess were very similar in their arrogance, believing they could be rational and manipulate everything. It was for this reason that they could understand each other and, at the same time, detest one another. Any clumsy verbal exchange would bring disadvantage to the nation. The armor was originally managed by the nation, and the princess had no objections to returning it.
“That is all.”
“Yes.”
Accustomed to her uncle’s behavior, the princess finally left the throne room. Royal guards opened the doors, and she passed through them boldly.
“Young lady.”
“Dazlo.”
Beyond the doors, the man who had been unable to enter the throne room awaited her.
“What did the Court Mage Division say?”
“Oh, they were quite angry. To be honest, they’re considering stripping me of my title for this blunder. I might become a nameless nobody at this rate.”
Even with a man of unsettling appearance following her, chuckling hollowly, Princess Anri walked on calmly, showing no particular concern. The gazes of those within the castle directed at the two of them could be largely divided into two: pity and ridicule. Such gazes were not fitting for a young girl who was royalty. Dazlo shook his head with a sigh, while Princess Anri didn’t even seem to notice these stares.
“Is that so?”
“Well, I’d actually be relieved if they stripped me of my title. That way, I wouldn’t have to get involved in troublesome things like war. I’d be most grateful.”
The man’s fervent excitement in speaking of losing his position stemmed from the joy of being freed from the impossible demands placed upon him. He clenched his fist, praising himself for enduring.
“What do you say, young lady? Why not take a journey to a remote location with me? I know an inn that serves delicious meals.”
Carried away by his enthusiasm, he made an invitation to Princess Anri, a royal, that one might not expect from a mere mage. To an outsider, it might seem like the act of a jester, and it was certainly out of character for him.
“Do I look that dejected?”
“You do. Well, it’s been a whirlwind of days since I returned to report, you know.”
Princess Anri had taken action to prevent the reckless behavior of Tris and the kingdom, but she was a step short in her assessment and execution. The unit that captured refugees had moved on a large scale, and the forceful retrieval of people by military power had been successful. This led to the distribution of drugs and the production of many hastily assembled soldiers.
“It was only the other day, yet it feels like a distant memory.”
Those soldiers were originally intended to fight the Demon Lord’s Army. But that was from the perspective of a rational person. It was common sense, based on the premise of them being allies. That premise had been overturned. Princess Anri’s mind conjured images of soldiers, their judgment clouded, devoid of reason, swarming into the empire’s encampment. They were branded enemies of the gods, swords raised, calling them enemies rather than allies, their pleas for the gods to excuse their actions, and humans killing humans on the battlefield. The scene devolved into chaos. The commanders were attacked first, severing the chain of command. Even with Princess Anri directly commanding, it took time to restore order. The number of lives lost among her soldiers during that period was not something she could easily speak of. Therefore, she felt a heavy responsibility for the loss of her soldiers, mourned them, and thus wore a black dress, her face concealed by a black veil.
“It just means you were that busy,” Dazlo said, his words not a comfort but a statement of fact. A surprise attack from allies, followed by a retreat battle with inadequate supplies. The distance to the empire’s encampment felt endless.
If she had been alone, she could have escaped on horseback with an escort. However, with the loss of so many commanders, the supreme leader fleeing would mean the collapse of the army. Many soldiers remained, but there was no food. Princess Anri could not abandon such a dire situation. The dependable Dazlo and the Black Knight were not by her side. The escort knights alone would likely be insufficient to stop even a mob of mutinous soldiers. For safety, a retreat was the best option, and in fact, her subordinates had forced her to escape. It was loyalty mixed with a sense of mission that she must not be lost. However, she brushed aside that goodwill and remained at the scene. Instead, she gave the finest horse among those she entrusted to the escort knights and ordered them to ride swiftly for reinforcements. Princess Anri understood that if she abandoned the soldiers here, the empire would have no tomorrow. It wasn’t simply a matter of numbers. The bond between soldiers and their nation, which could only be felt through trust, was broken. There was no time to rebuild it. Princess Anri had made her decision.
“That battle was a terrible outcome, but for me, it was an invaluable experience. It turns out that even weeds can alleviate hunger to some extent.”
The retreat battle, which couldn’t be described as merely difficult even when recalling it, was a brutal ordeal. The kingdom and Tris, driven mad, unleashed their refugee soldiers. To repel them, they had no choice but to kill them all. Princess Anri took an action that was absolutely unthinkable: she became the figurehead of the rearguard. Even in their madness, the enemy could still discern who their foe was. Hated by the gods. A princess of the royal family, defying the gods. To the crazed soldiers, she was undoubtedly the best bait. She assigned escorts to wounded and incapacitated soldiers, and with the minimal personnel she deemed necessary, engaged in a delaying action. They were slowly moving back towards their own territory, but it was essentially a defensive battle. At worst, Princess Anri’s light would be extinguished here. Every soldier thought this. But Princess Anri was wise. Too wise. She understood the value of her own life too well. She merely weighed the impact of retreating and surviving versus staying, rallying the soldiers, and dying on the battlefield.
“I couldn’t even laugh at that as a joke. Do you know what your face looked like when I arrived? Covered in mud, cheeks sunken, eating wild plants and getting sugar from nectar from nearby flowers?”
Dazlo understood that she was the kind of person who would make such a decision, but he never imagined she would push herself to the brink of survival, even giving the food prepared for her to the strong soldiers to maintain the front lines, simply because she was the one commanding.
“Our chances of victory depended on whether you and the Black Knight would return. If you had been a day, no, perhaps even eight hours later, I would have been found with my body pierced by swords like a hedgehog.”
He had not considered that his master would be in such a dire state in the rearguard unit left to ensure the safe passage of the soldiers. Seeing her, Dazlo was so stunned he couldn’t even look away.
“Well, I was happy to be relied upon, but it easily shortened my lifespan by three years.”
He claimed later that his jaw nearly dislocated from the shock. Unable to consider his fatigue, he wiped out the attacking, maddened soldiers by deploying all his reserve potions. The Black Knight’s efforts in fighting alone also contributed.
“Thanks to that, we were able to return many soldiers to the country.”
Dazlo scratched his head, somewhat at a loss for words, as the princess chuckled at how he had shortened his lifespan.
“And this is the result… this situation? Well, I just hope the surviving soldiers don’t start a riot.”
He voiced his future concerns.
Another side End
Word of the Day:
It’s better not to postpone hardship.
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