“If you marry me, you’ll gain an entire country of Hordia!”
Asteria hurled those formless explosives of words at Marius as they parted.
“However, I refuse.”
Marius replied instantly.
For a subject of one nation to marry the Queen of another and gain a country was out of the question, even setting aside personal feelings for Asteria. He understood that much. Besides, on the eve of the Demonplay, he had no desire to enter a marriage with someone who had explicitly stated their intention to use him.
“If Hordia were annexed, it would be quite beneficial for Philat, wouldn’t it?”
“I will consider it positively.”
Bernhardt III received the second proposal. He had concluded that Asteria was nothing more than a pest in his own body.
“Eh? What was that?”
While Marius appeared calm on the surface, he was flustered internally. He couldn’t believe they wouldn’t realize that Asteria wouldn’t simply stay put once inside. The other nations were also astonished.
(*What is King Bernhardt thinking?*)
There was no way Asteria could be reformed. Moreover, Hordia was superior in national strength. The dangerous word “takeover” might become a reality. Regardless, it was certain that ripples were cast across every nation.
Before Marius could question her, Lovisa confronted her father king.
“What are you thinking, Father? Marriage with that woman and Marius-sama? Surely you don’t genuinely believe you can incorporate Hordia?”
To his daughter, whose tone was unusually harsh, Bernhardt III replied with a certain detached expression.
“It’s about that woman. No matter how things unfold, she’s bound to be plotting something nefarious. Therefore, it’s better to keep her where I can see her, where Lord Marius can reach her.”
No one could deny the possibility of Asteria plotting something. Thus, Bernhardt III’s reasoning, that it might be better to have her close, held some merit. If Marius kept a close eye on her, she likely wouldn’t dare do anything rash. He was ignoring her own will and proceeding with the assumption of a “Read Sink,” but still…
“But will it be that simple? She might deny responsibility by claiming it was an independent act of her subordinate. That woman is capable of letting people die without hesitation.”
Most nodded at Marius’s point. Surely no one fully grasped Asteria’s ill nature. That was the potential weakness in Bernhardt III’s plan.
“If she comes within reach, there are plenty of ways to deal with her. However, I don’t believe she’s foolish enough not to know that, so it will likely be a battle of wits.”
At the King’s confident assertion, everyone decided to back down.
“Furthermore, every country will try to appease Marius-sama,” Lovisa pointed out. Everyone nodded.
“That’s precisely why showing readiness to accept even Hordia is not a bad move.”
Of course, it would all depend on future developments and responses.
“Did I say something unnecessary?”
To Marius, who was being so considerate, Bernhardt III offered a reassuring smile.
“Thanks to Lord Marius, other countries’ policies are limited, making predictions and countermeasures easier. I thank you.”
After all, it was natural for other countries to plot against Philat, and the only way to stop them would be to destroy them. Simply reducing the vast number of options was a gain. It was safe to say that no nation would dare openly fight a country possessing the power to destroy a demon. The only unsettling factor was Hordia’s mad king, but he had shown deference.
“I am impressed that you possess the power to destroy even demons, Lord Marius.”
“Well, she herself called them weaklings.”
Marius did not take Lucas’s sycophantic compliment to heart. The actions of the demon Samuel were simply too foolish. If he had the ability to create tens of thousands of clones, he should have fought Marius with his clones to probe his strength. Instead, he foolishly faced Marius directly, leading to his instant annihilation. That was why Marius judged him to be a mere pawn, but by not saying anything, the observation that “one would not normally expect all tens of thousands of clones to be attacked simultaneously” went unmade.
(*The problem is Demon King Zagan. If Asteria is correct, he should be sealed near the Lake of the Abyss…*)
Since it was a place he had been before, confirming it wouldn’t take much effort. He might as well check once he returned to his country.
“What is King Philat thinking…?”
King Henry IV of Ranleo tilted his head. He couldn’t believe anyone would seriously consider allying with an unfathomable madwoman like Asteria. Barra immediately offered her opinion.
“Surely Marius-sama will handle it somehow! After all, he can completely destroy demons.”
“As I recall, there were no demon corpses anywhere…” Philip, riding in the same carriage, murmured. He seemed overwhelmed by the reality of the magically reinforced buildings, specifically constructed to prevent injuries during the Demonplay where high-ranking mages unleashed powerful magic, being reduced to rubble. It was an astonishing sight.
“She must have used a first-class magic. Second-class magic wouldn’t be enough to destroy a demon, and a forbidden spell would have caused devastation around the area. She seems to favor fire magic, so perhaps it was ‘Exharatio’!”
Barra laughed cheerfully, but her father and Philip turned pale at the mention of “Exharatio.” To Barra, who her own parents called a “magic enthusiast,” it was not a terror but an object of worship and admiration.
“Say, Father? Will you permit my marriage to Marius-sama?”
“B-but, sacrificing you to Philat, your enemy…!”
Henry IV’s voice was weak.
“But King Hordia proposed to me, didn’t he? Philat should also have a princess of marriageable age, and if it’s not me, wouldn’t she be outmatched?”
“Hmph…”
He knew he would have to make peace with Philat, and in doing so, he couldn’t afford to fall behind other nations.
“I would have common ground with him and wouldn’t be afraid of Marius-sama. Also, finding a suitable husband for me within the country has become difficult.”
“Gah!”
The smile of his beloved daughter, whom he cherished as a father, now appeared as the triumphant grin of a victor, which he found hateful. He had a father’s intuition that she hadn’t truly unleashed her power just to rival Marius, but he was helpless.
“Isn’t this the best way for Ranleo to survive?”
Although her intentions were transparent, the troublesome thing was that Barra was not bad at rationalizing her arguments.
“Very well, I shall handle it appropriately.”
Henry IV reluctantly agreed. If he outright refused, she might elope and go to Philat. His daughter possessed that much initiative. In that case, it was better to grant her permission.
“Your Majesty, your prophecy has come true.”
Asteria merely nodded vaguely at Mireille’s comforting words. She had predicted Marius’s victory, Philat’s, and the demon’s attack. Princess Barra’s strength, Hemrooth’s seriousness, and Marius’s extraordinary power. With three unexpected events occurring simultaneously, she couldn’t rest easy. After all, the skills Asteria possessed were neither perfect nor absolute.
(*Marius is still developing… Depending on the combination, it could lead to the worst-case scenario.*)
Even a single piece of unknown information could drastically alter her predictions. Would her warning about the Demon King, delivered at great risk, prove beneficial? Upon returning to her country, Asteria intended to prioritize strengthening her domestic foundation and preparing for war. After the festival, she expected Misra or someone similar to attack within a month.
“It seems to have ended safely.”
King August III of Boltner was relieved that the tournament had concluded without major incident.
“Is it really safe when a demon appeared?”
“It is safe.”
His words sounded less like a reprimand to his subordinate and more like a self-reassurance. Although his slumbering, yet young, daughter remained frightened, no other abnormalities were observed. The venue was gone without a trace, but it was understandable if a demon and someone capable of defeating it fought there. He even felt gratitude for their defeat.
“Perhaps I should send my daughter as a token of gratitude, what do you think?”
“Huh? But the Princess is only twelve years old?”
It was natural for his minister to be surprised, but he sensed a period of upheaval. And wouldn’t the center of it all be Marius, the man who won the Demonplay and defeated the demon?
“My daughter will have to be married off eventually. If so, it would be better for her to be with a man worthy of trust. Fortunately, our country and Philat have been long-standing allies. Making the proposal should be easier than with other countries.”
“Understood. I shall make the arrangements.”
Watching his minister bow and depart, King Boltner contemplated the future. He wished for his daughter to at least experience some happiness.
Seraeno was most shocked by Marius’s unharmed defeat of the demon. Although stirred up by Gerik, Seraeno had suffered a great defeat and lost most of its territory in the past.
“I hope the retaliation isn’t directed at Philat.”
King Derek of Seraeno voiced his concern, and Hemrooth and Agash nodded in agreement. Both had lost their fathers and uncles, who were high-ranking officials at the time, in the war against the demon army.
“No matter how outstanding Marius is, it should be difficult for one country to defend itself against hundreds of thousands of demon soldiers and numerous demons.”
“Zamuell was likely a demon from Shadow Grab… Putting aside his special abilities, his pure combat power might not have been that significant.”
The other two agreed with Hemrooth’s assessment. These were, of course, based on Seraeno’s standards.
“I wonder about fully martial demons like Dragons and Griffins.”
“They might be surprisingly easy to defeat, though.”
Without seeing Marius in his full gear, their assessment couldn’t be higher.
“I would like to cooperate with Ranleo, Philat, and Hordia.”
If Philat were attacked by demons, they wanted to be able to send reinforcements quickly.
“What about Hordia? I don’t think that madman is someone one can reason with.”
Agash’s doubt was countered by Derek.
“I don’t know. While their methods are wicked, they are quite efficient.”
“Is abandoning fifteen million slave soldiers efficient?”
“And we were able to gauge Marius’s strength during the Demonplay.”
Hemrooth and Agash, posing successive questions, were met with a wry smile.
“We learned about Marius’s strength and character by using expendable forces. Much faster than we could have. While it’s only a difference of about two weeks, what could our country achieve in two weeks?”
To the King’s question, the two looked at each other, and Hemrooth replied.
“We can raise an army of a hundred thousand. With that number, we can secure supply lines, and with appropriate commanders and targets, we can even expect to capture some fortresses.”
The Seraeno army boasted that much training. However, they simply didn’t act on it because, as matters stood, maintaining captured fortresses and cities was difficult.
“In other words, we have gained that much time. You know the saying, ‘Time is more precious than gold’.”
“Y-yes. But isn’t that overestimating us…?”
Agash pressed on. Queen Asteria appeared to be nothing more than a madwoman who callously inflicted bloodshed.
“I admit that woman is twisted. And that she is a villain. However, she understands that a country cannot exist without its people, and that moderate tax cuts invigorate the economy. At this point, she cannot be considered incompetent.”
“That may be true, but…”
Among the royalty and nobles who had inherited their positions and privileges for generations, there were many who mistakenly believed that the populace were their property, or beings who could not live without their permission. In that sense, being free from such a sense of privilege made her relatively reasonable.
“However, her cruel behavior, trampling on unspoken agreements, makes her a dangerous person to rely on, in my humble opinion.”
“I admit the possibility of overestimation. But if you underestimate her as just a madwoman, you will surely get badly burned.”
“Understood.”
Agash, convinced that underestimating her would be dangerous, withdrew. Then Hemrooth posed a question.
“In Your Majesty’s opinion, what kind of being is that mad queen?”
“Hmm. The worst-case scenario would be if the demon Gerik had been replaced, and she was acting as a pawn for the demons.”
Hemrooth and Agash’s faces turned pale, and they exchanged glances.
“Just kidding. Since Marius, who saw through Zamuell’s disguise at first glance, treated her normally, it’s unlikely.”
It was a joke that nearly made their hearts stop. Still, Marius was truly a lifesaver.
“Genius and fool are separated by a fine line. Heroes and madmen are also separated by a fine line. I suspect Queen Asteria is the former disguised as the latter, but who knows? Perhaps there’s a mastermind behind it all.”
There wasn’t enough information to make a definitive judgment. It would likely result in less damage if they approached the situation with the former in mind. Hemrooth and Agash nodded at the King’s concluding remarks. Their calculation was that an alliance of the four nations—Seraeno, Ranleo, Philat, and Hordia—would be more than sufficient to fight the demon army. They needed to scrutinize whether there were any factors that could disrupt that calculation. To prevent the revival of the Demon King. To Derek, Philat’s affairs were ultimately their own business, and he had no time for sympathy. While he outwardly criticized Hordia, his true feeling was, “With demons moving to revive the Demon King, is this really the time for such actions?”
“Send the very best among those skilled in espionage to observe her. Someone who will report only the facts of the Queen’s actions. She is someone who skillfully manipulated information; have them investigate the demons with that mindset.”
“Yes, sir.”
Although Seraeno prided itself on being the strongest among human nations, they couldn’t afford to be careless, given that Mireille’s country was relatively unknown despite possessing considerable skill.
