The Demonplay entered its lunch break.
Ranleo’s strength was as the rumors suggested, while Hordia’s strength was unexpected. The focus now would be on how the consistent top contenders, Filat and Seraeno, would make their comeback.
What the final competition would be was also something not to be overlooked.
Meals were delivered to the participants and the heads of state from each country at their seats, but regular spectators had to go outside to eat.
As they chattered, making predictions about future developments, the spectators began to leave like a receding tide.
After watching them go, Henry IV let out a deep sigh.
(Marius Tuban… he’s too strong.)
The only fortunate thing for the King of Ranleo was that the hardliners against Filat had been utterly crushed. Their expressions were devoid of life, their eyes lacked vigor, and they even seemed vacant. Now, even if he advocated Filat’s peace policy, no one would object. The issue was how to proceed, but Henry IV had his own daughter as a weapon. His daughter, Barra, had seriously stated that if she were to marry someone in the future, Philip, Hemrooth, or Lucas would be ideal. The youngest, Philip, was over fifteen years her junior, so it was no exaggeration to call her an incurable magic enthusiast. Proposing marriage to Marius would surely send her into ecstasy. The problem was that Barra had absolutely no intention of prioritizing Ranleo’s national interests over Marius… but he concluded that it was infinitely better for her to be taken by another country or become a target of attack than to risk that. His current concern was whether Barra had forgotten herself and was approaching Marius.
(That’s why I have Philip watching her…)
For Barra, Philip was her first love, and she still listened to him more readily than she did her own father king. Considering his daughter’s temperament, he thought she probably wouldn’t stay put.
“Lovisa, from now on, consult with me first.”
“I am deeply sorry, Father.”
He had received a shock that could have caused a heart attack. While feeling a twinge of sympathy, thinking that they themselves had experienced such a shock… Bernhard III pondered the future developments. Until now, apart from allied nations, most countries had shown a hardline stance, but that would likely end today. One only needed to look at the faces of the kings of each country to see it clearly. Annoyingly, Queen Asteria of Hordia seemed relatively composed, but he hadn’t missed the way her expression twisted when Marius repaired the barrier in an instant.
(In any case, more countries will likely turn to marriage diplomacy.)
Bernhard III was almost certain.
(This is troubling… but he is reliable, in a way.)
Even Asteria’s composure was starting to fray. The reason she hadn’t completely lost control was that she didn’t consider the damage to her own country to be a major issue. She couldn’t remain perfectly calm because her skill had informed her that “the greater Marius’s power, the more terrible events will occur.”
(Does this mean it will be difficult to prevent the revival of the Evil God Tindalos…?)
Asteria had lived her entire life for that purpose. She believed it was her mission, born with a certain skill.
“Marius-dono, he’s amazing, isn’t he?”
King August III of Boltner was relatively calm. Filat had been a long-time ally, and since he wasn’t very knowledgeable about magic, he hadn’t fully grasped the gravity of the situation.
“Marriage diplomacy will surely become more active. We must be careful not to be left behind.”
August III nodded at his confidant’s words. There were countless examples in the past where relationships had changed significantly through marriage. There was even the saying, “Yesterday’s ally is today’s invader.”
The Berganda Empire was closer to Ranleo than to Filat.
“Wh-what should we do…”
Therefore, Emperor Carius VI desperately wracked his brain for ideas. It was absolutely necessary to become friends with Filat, or rather, with Marius. However, he had no daughters.
“Th-that’s it, an adopted child. We can adopt a daughter.”
It took him several minutes to come up with such a simple idea, which was a testament to how mentally stressed he was. With a mere “Fire” demonstrating immense power, destroying the barrier, and then repairing it in an instant, the Berganda Empire could be conquered in no time. The mention of distance or travel time felt futile against an opponent like him.
Frederick Monard, President of the Republic of Misra, was struggling with how to move forward with concluding an alliance with Filat. Unlike other countries, Misra, which had no royalty or nobility, could not engage in marriage diplomacy. Even if Frederick offered his own daughter, her term would eventually end.
(It’s better than doing nothing… but still.)
Unlike princesses or noble daughters, his daughter had been raised with no expectation of a political marriage, so would she truly be alright? The uncertainties were endless if he thought about them. It was fortunate that they were not on particularly good terms with their neighboring country Hordia, and had a decent relationship with Filat. If war broke out, they could offer to pressure Hordia from the rear.
King Garius, Venuto II, was contemplating which of his two daughters Marius might favor, and suddenly had the idea that perhaps both would work. They were adjacent to Seraeno and had previously been distant from Filat, but as long as Marius was alive, they wanted to be on good terms, even if it required some effort. As long as he was there, the continental situation would revolve around him.
Queen Jessica of Barshark was considering sending high-class courtesans. The brothels were an important source of income, but they had to avoid a situation where the country might disappear. The problem was whether he preferred virgins or to be serviced by experienced women. It seemed necessary to investigate.
King Vester, Johnson, wondered if Katharina and Stacy wouldn’t suffice. They would be troubled if he adopted a daughter from a prominent family and became more deeply involved with her. At the same time, they couldn’t just pick up and raise orphans or slaves. Vester was the country farthest from Filat, but it offered no comfort. One of the legends of Melinda Guilford was that she had pushed back the Demon Lord’s army, which had controlled most of the continent, in just a few days to a remote region. Marius, possessing similar capabilities, could not be expected to fail when dealing with humans. They had to find a way to establish friendly relations.
King Derek of Seraeno clicked his tongue at his own misjudgment.
“I should have let Hemrooth and Agash go all out.”
Even then, they would have paled in comparison to Marius, but the impression Marius would have had of them would have been different. Although their soldiers were still the strongest on the continent, their national strength had not recovered, and it was difficult to fight multiple countries simultaneously. Therefore, he had strived to show just enough strength not to be underestimated, preventing the formation of alliances against Seraeno out of fear. He had anticipated that Filat would do the same this time, but they had shown enough power to crush all of them combined. Other countries would likely resort to romantic diplomacy, and Seraeno couldn’t afford to abstain, but honestly engaging in it might just make them blend in. While they had powerful female mages, they should be mindful of Princess Barra of Ranleo. Seraeno didn’t normally favor political marriages, but this time, given the circumstances, it was unavoidable.
Targeted by various countries for romantic diplomacy, Marius pretended not to notice the atmosphere emanating from the other participants and indulged in the grilled meat. The competition was simple, but there were many things to learn from, and it was surprisingly enjoyable. The items being used seemed quite high-performance, but even a Demon Lord might not have been able to destroy all convenient items. The only problem, perhaps, was stopping at sixth place. Judging from the reactions around him, their initial objective had clearly been achieved long ago, but he had hoped to aim for first place. However, if Barra placed higher than him, his current situation would be dire. If it was a battle format, he could only pray to be matched against Barra in the first round. While finishing his meal and drinking cacao tea, Barra herself approached Marius.
“Nice to meet you, Marius-sama. I am Barra, Princess of the Kingdom of Ranleo.”
She gracefully curtsied, holding the hem of her dress. Marius realized she was the only girl who looked at him with a favorable gaze and returned a polite bow.
“This may be sudden, but do you not take disciples, Marius-sama?”
As Marius blinked, unsure how to respond to her abrupt question, Philip rushed over at a speed comparable to a galloping horse.
“P-Princess! This is beyond presumptuous and rude!”
Barra paid no mind to the obvious observation.
“I may not get another chance to speak to Marius-sama, you know. It’s best to foster friendship early. Or do you not want Marius-sama’s favor?”
“N-not at all!”
Philip immediately and vehemently denied it in a small voice. What he was worried about was “Barra going out of control,” not Marius becoming friends with her, nor did he oppose Barra and Marius becoming friends. Therefore, he was unable to immediately counter her.
“Then be silent. … Marius-sama, what do you say? I will refrain if it would be a bother to you.”
“Taking a princess of a kingdom as a disciple is not something I can decide on my own.”
Reading Lucas’s expression, which clearly conveyed “Please refuse,” Marius firmly declined. Marius believed that after demonstrating his abilities, he should maintain a resolute attitude towards people from other countries, but he hadn’t expected Barra’s favorability towards him to increase so rapidly.
(As expected, she’s gallant and wonderful!)
Though, as a princess of a kingdom who required subtlety, she didn’t show it outwardly.
“You are entirely correct. This is merely a declaration of my intentions. I would be honored if you would keep in mind, even a little, that such a woman existed.”
With a refined and charming smile, Marius didn’t feel bad about it either. He could understand, without using magic, that Barra genuinely liked him, unlike the noble daughters of Filat. He also understood that it was likely her admiration for him as a mage. However, things wouldn’t end so simply.
(Even the Princess of Ranleo, who has long been hostile to Filat, is trying to curry favor with Marius Tuban.)
Everyone other than Marius and Philip thought this. No one could know that Barra was simply a magic enthusiast, interested only in the most talented mage. It was a fact that it had influenced the diplomatic strategies of various countries, but for Philip, this was within his expectations and still relatively manageable.
“I wish for the friendship between my homeland and your country.”
Barra said this, bowed, and withdrew, with Philip following close behind.
(Th-thank goodness.)
Philip felt as though his lifespan had shortened, but he was relieved that the worst had been avoided. He had thought she might even kiss Marius on the cheek in a declaration of love. It was common knowledge that there were factions within the country, both hardliners against Filat and proponents of peace, and that Barra was at the forefront of the peace faction, so speaking out now wouldn’t be an issue.
“Princess, thank you for exercising restraint.”
“Huh? But Marius-sama, you seemed put off when I mentioned wanting to marry you or bear children right after meeting you.”
She mumbled, adding that he had seemed surprised when she spoke to him.
(Was it simply Marius’s personality? Not because of the onlookers…)
Philip felt dejected.
“My immediate goal is to get engaged to Marius-sama, so please cooperate with me.”
She continued, adding that she was also considering the national interests of Ranleo. Given how terrifying her reaction would be if refused, Philip nodded. However, he thought it wouldn’t be easy, as everyone would likely have similar ideas.
