“Lord Marius! I’ll be a good slave!”
“Please, let me be your slave!”
The Holdian soldiers rejoiced greatly at the destruction of the collars that bound them and directed immense favor towards Marius.
Marius, faced with their adoration, found it amusing that no one considered the possibility of being freed from slavery. He also found it frustrating that he couldn’t say anything rash because the decision ultimately rested with Bernhard III.
All he could do was mention that there were no criminal slaves among them.
“Psychometry” proved its worth in such situations.
The Filat soldiers watched the fervent declarations of the bound slave soldiers with complex expressions.
While the slave soldiers bore no guilt for being forced to fight, they couldn’t forget their resentment. They also felt a sense of deference towards Marius, who had demonstrated a way to fight without killing them with overwhelming force.
Their dissatisfaction didn’t erupt due to Yaders hinting that the commanders wouldn’t survive, and the sight of the commanders themselves, vacant-eyed and devoid of life as if they were violated women, bringing them a sense of grim satisfaction. “Those who slaughtered my family, friends, and comrades have had their minds completely broken by our kingdom’s Royal Court Magician. Serves them right!” That was their sentiment.
“Lord Marius, you seem quite popular.”
Upon their triumphant return to the Royal Capital, Marius and his companions were met with thunderous applause from the citizens.
The cheers specifically directed at Marius were particularly grand.
Bernhard III, upon hearing this, commented with a mixture of mockery and admiration.
The collars had been perfectly destroyed, making research impossible, but this was a luxury they could afford.
The King was busy shuffling through documents. Marius immediately brought up his reason for being there.
“What will happen to the slave soldiers?”
“They cannot be declared innocent. However, we urgently need to fill the void left by the twenty thousand casualties in the standing army. It’s most practical to integrate them into the kingdom while being careful not to provoke the bereaved families.”
Marius had anticipated this and found the judgment to be reasonable.
“And the commanders?”
“It will be impossible to appease the public unless they are executed. We will also demand reparations from Hordia, and depending on the circumstances, we may cancel our participation in the Demonplay and go to war. There might be a request for Lord Marius to lead the charge.”
This too was as Marius had expected. However, there was a missing piece, so he inquired further.
“Have you heard about Lord Fleg?”
“Ah. It was unfortunate.”
Bernhard III’s processing speed slowed slightly.
“But there’s no time for sentimentality. If Fleg was captured by Hordia, all information regarding our intelligence division may have been compromised. We must urgently reestablish our network.”
His words carried a tone of self-reassurance.
“And we will hold Bernard responsible for this incident and dismiss him. …Hordia, you’ve managed to improve just one thing for us.”
Bernhard III spat out the words with loathing. Fleg had gone missing, their intelligence network was compromised, and furthermore, General Carno and his twenty thousand subordinate soldiers had been killed. Filat had suffered significant damage from this incident, and rebuilding was a pressing necessity. They had to prevent the worst-case scenario by toppling Bernard, whose negative impact far outweighed any positives.
“This is what I wanted to report… It’s very strange. No one knew about this expedition, you know. The circumstances.”
Using “Psychometry” and “Read Sink,” they had discreetly investigated the instigator of this rule-breaking invasion, only to find that no one had been aware of it. The soldiers had only been encouraged by the Queen, and the noble officers below Nicole had only been incited by the nobles.
“Several of the generals and officers who captured the fortress have been replaced. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?” Marius added, “as if they were wary of their thoughts and memories being read.”
Upon hearing this, Bernhard III’s processing speed slowed even further.
“Only about five or six people, including myself, know about Lord Marius’s magic. If the Hordian side was being cautious, it wouldn’t have been towards Lord Marius, but towards the ‘Tears of the Moon Goddess’.”
Marius vaguely recognized the name.
“The ‘Tears of the Moon Goddess’ is a type of Magic Item with the effect of ‘Psychometry’. There are records suggesting that the first generation and Klaus Adler possessed it.” He added, “It’s not surprising that it would be anticipated, unlike for Ashton and the others who are not expecting it, making things easier for them.”
Marius thought, “Now is not the time to be saying things like ‘it’s not surprising it would be anticipated’,” but he held his tongue.
“However, it’s not entirely unusual for commanders to be replaced after successfully taking a fortress. While it is strange that only the generals and officers were swapped, and that there were no signs of reinforcing troops or sending in reinforcements, there are things that should and should not be done.”
Bernhard III scowled in displeasure. From a national perspective, equivalent things were rare, and a king had to constantly make the most valuable choices. That was how he protected the country and its people, and ensured they had the best possible lives.
“Is the assassination incident the cause after all? Hordia became strange after that…” A few years ago, the King and Queen at the time were assassinated, and a mad Princess ascended the throne. The power of the noble faction increased, and the already heavy taxes grew even heavier.
“In any case, Lord Marius, you have worked hard. You may retire and rest.” Marius bowed and withdrew. The next morning, news arrived from Hordia about an incident where “the disloyal nobles who were puppeteering the Queen were all massacred by a coup led by the Queen’s faction.”
***
The Kingdom of Hordia.
Upon receiving the news that Balderra Fortress had been recaptured, the nobles gathered at the residence of Duke Schneider, the most powerful noble in the kingdom. The Schneider family, though a branch line, inherited royal blood and held a claim to the throne. They had always lived luxuriously, but after the previous King’s death, they raised the tax rate to seventy percent, reducing their subjects to a life barely above death, and steadily accumulated wealth. Now, they were stripping the Queen of her authority and plotting measures to overcome the country’s crisis. It was then that they were attacked by the Queen’s faction.
“…Thirty-one, thirty-two. I’m surprised the Chancellor was here too.” Vanessa confirmed the faces of the leaders of the “Anti-Queen Alliance,” who stood frozen in shock, after her thousand private soldiers had been annihilated without even a chance to flee or counterattack.
“W-Why…” The Chancellor stammered, trembling, trying to force out a voice. Why had their location been discovered? Why were their private soldiers annihilated? Why was the Queen’s faction, which should have been in a desperate situation, attacking them? To the Chancellor’s many questions, Vanessa replied, “Well, we figured you’d all gather for the final planning session when we faked being in a desperate situation, so we could strike all at once. We heard you wouldn’t have many intelligent or cautious people coming, maybe twenty at most… You’re all fools. And Her Majesty misjudges things at crucial moments too.” Vanessa muttered, “She said even with the attack on Balderra, twenty thousand would be left behind.”
“W-What did you say…” The head of the Schneider family was aghast. Asteria’s reputation had plummeted due to the forced, ill-advised expedition. If the Queen’s faction were truly competent, defense would not have been difficult. That was precisely why they had planned this gathering, but to think it was a trap.
“D-Do you realize? Killing us all at once will result in a massive loss! A civil war will inevitably break out!” Schneider pointed out tremblingly, to which Vanessa readily nodded. “Yes. That’s why it’s happening now. Ah, it’s alright to kill you now.”
As the nobles thought “Eh?”, a ruthless blow ended their lives. Vanessa had spoken unnecessarily, waiting for spies from other nations to notice the anomaly and approach the vicinity. While they skillfully concealed their presence, as befits spies who had infiltrated foreign countries, Vanessa was fully aware of them. (They are to be captured alive and brought to His Majesty. How busy I am.) Vanessa’s burden was immense. Furthermore, they would use “Teach Me,” a Magic Item developed by Isabella with effects equivalent to the “Tears of the Moon Goddess,” to investigate Filat’s intelligence network. They also had to attack the families of the nobles. Although they would use “Teleport” magic items called “Transfer Stones,” it would take time. Even though her companions had gone ahead, it was uncertain if it could be finished in one night without Vanessa’s participation.
***
“So, the result of framing and crushing the troublesome nobles, considering the time required for the aftermath, is what’s happening now?”
“That’s right.” Ign, who was by the Queen’s side as a bodyguard, wished he could disappear. So, Marius’s incident was merely one objective; the true goal was to gain a reason to eliminate troublesome nobles. By presenting the heads of the Chancellor and the great nobles, the emotions of the Filat citizens would likely be appeased, and there would be no external issues. Of course, it wouldn’t eradicate everyone who harbored resentment towards the Queen, but any significant force capable of raising an army and seizing power would be crushed.
(You’re too self-centered…) Ign grumbled inwardly. Asteria had chosen the quickest method to establish her authority, but it was also a method that would spill much blood. Would a monarch who killed her own people be welcomed, even if they were opposition? According to her childhood friend Mireille, she used to be a cheerful, innocent child who talked and laughed a lot, but as few people took her words seriously, she gradually became twisted into her current personality. Mireille also said that if it weren’t for Mireille and Isabella, she might have become even worse. While there was room for sympathy, Ign felt that a nation’s Queen shouldn’t dwell on the past forever.
“Hehehe, still, Marius’s power is remarkable.” Asteria’s smile was tinged with more bitterness than mirth. According to the spies, Marius had touched the collars and the prisoners’ bodies multiple times. Only Asteria and Isabella had associated this with “Psychometry.” “Psychometry” was used in such ancient times.
“The King of Filat is surprisingly careless. Not properly investigating the origins of the slaves is tantamount to telling us that Marius used something akin to ‘Psychometry.’ Or are they intentionally revealing their hand to put pressure on us?” Hearing Asteria’s monologue, Ign thought that the old fox of the neighboring country might do something like that. However, there was a more pressing issue.
“Your Majesty, if the people of Filat can use ‘Psychometry,’ won’t they realize this entire affair is our scheme?”
“They might. However, that’s not a problem.”
Why could she say that with such certainty?
“Filat has not made that publicly known. If they suddenly claim that Hordia’s words are lies after using ‘Psychometry,’ how will other nations react?”
“Well, it sounds like an excuse to invade… Ah.” It couldn’t serve as a justifiable reason for invasion that would convince other nations. It was unlikely they would lend the “Tears of the Moon Goddess” carelessly, and there would probably be no opportunity to prove that Marius was telling the truth. The common understanding was that it was a dubious entity.
“But isn’t Marius’s approval rating plummeting also a problem? We’d prefer him as an ally if possible, wouldn’t we?” Ign’s persistence was understandable. Facing an opponent who could achieve a bloodless victory through sheer force was a nightmare. It was like throwing a stone into a pond and a furious dragon emerging. This analogy wasn’t entirely accurate, as they attacked to test the dragon’s strength. The option of trying to manipulate him due to his inherent kindness would likely be ineffective if “Psychometry” were involved.
“Let’s try to confront him head-on. Fortunately, he’s kind-hearted enough to save slaves. There might be an unexpected way forward. Though if we fail, we’ll die.” Asteria spoke with an expression that accepted even her own death, but Ign could not overlook it.
“No, Your Majesty, if anything were to happen to you now, this country would be finished. Please stop acting on your own!” As Ign admonished her, Asteria snorted.
“However, it’s only a matter of sooner or later.” Ign immediately understood what Asteria meant.
“I understand. With a sealing site of the Demon Lord Decarabia within the country, there’s no choice.” While not as famous or powerful as Auraniess or Zagan, it possessed the power to destroy an entire continent—one of the Demon Lords. If she hadn’t actually seen the sealing site with her own eyes, Asteria wouldn’t have followed her sister, even with her backing.
“To avoid further lowering Marius’s approval rating, we will return Filat’s intelligence network. I believe the father of a woman who has ties with Marius is also there.”
“Ah, wasn’t that Fleg? The former head of the intelligence agency.” They had captured him, and thanks to “Teach Me,” Filat’s entire intelligence network was revealed. They planned to use the same method on the individuals from other countries that Vanessa was tasked with capturing. While it might have a minuscule effect, Asteria’s insistence on reducing the probability of it decreasing, even slightly, was surprisingly reasonable for her.
“Everything is yet to come…” Asteria’s murmur faded. Ign did not reply. Would the new Hordian regime be accepted by the people and other nations? The answer would come much later. Ign remained unaware of Asteria’s true intentions.
