The Kingdom of Boltner sent Princess Catherine to thank Marius directly. They also requested to learn about Filat’s excellent culture.
The Kingdom of Vester sent Katarina, a military instructor, to offer cooperation in reorganizing the Filat military.
Ranleo sent an official document stating that they would dispatch Princess Barra as a goodwill ambassador to improve relations between the two countries by conveying Ranleo’s magical civilization.
…These were still relatively reasonable. There were more blatant and worse offers.
King Bernhard III of Filat felt like his head was going to explode at the development, which was within his expectations but still too blatant. Even if he rejected all the offers, they would just scheme behind his back. The damage sustained in the Hordia war was too great to simply say, “Bring it on.” At present, they were so weakened that they had to reduce the defenses of the royal palace. Otherwise, they would have captured the spies who contacted Marius. He was truly a detestable existence for Filat.
As for Hordia, they only sent a letter offering to make efforts to restore diplomatic relations. It seemed they intended to remain on the sidelines regarding the current situation. Seraeno was the same as Hordia.
…In the end, they decided to accept the proposals from Boltner and Ranleo and reject the others. Accepting all their proposals could have resulted in angering Marius. They pretended to have a clear hierarchy of master and subordinate to foreign countries, but the reality was different. Marius could escape with Lovisa and even usurp the throne of this country. From another perspective, as long as their relationship with Marius was good, they could hold an absolute advantage over other countries. That was precisely why they had to be most careful about any attempts to sow discord with Marius. They even had to consider the possibility of the other nine countries ganging up on them. It was unclear how much their weakened intelligence agency could do, but they had to try.
This was a war targeted at the individual named Marius. Therefore, King Bernhard III, with a tired expression, declared his determination: “We cannot postpone the reward for Marius’s merits any longer.” His senior officials nodded with similarly weary faces. It was not that they begrudged giving him a reward. The difficulty lay in the fact that they argued endlessly over “what kind of reward would constitute a proper acknowledgment.” If he had won the Demonplay, an勋章 could suffice, and for retaking the fortress, money, treasures, or superior weapons could be granted. But what about unprecedented achievements like single-handedly retaking a fortress and capturing tens of thousands of prisoners, including their commanders, or defeating a demon alone? Unfortunately, Melinda’s existence was from ancient times, and no records remained of how her achievements were recognized. Improperly rewarding merit could lead to national unrest, so they had to proceed with caution. In fact, this was the reason for the delay in paying Marius’s salary as the Royal Court Magician and for his intellectual property rights. There was an opinion, eloquently put, that they should pay his salary for now and wait a bit longer for his merit evaluation, but when asked if they would be the one to explain it, Filat’s senior officials fell silent. However, Bernhard III felt they were reaching their limit. Marius had reported being recruited by the Berganda Empire. He had told Marius, “From now on, please capture them,” but they would likely come by different means next time.
“Marius’s treatment will be the grandest in history. That is to say, he shall be granted the title of Count, territory, and the Order of the First Class.”
The King’s declaration caused a stir among the senior officials. In Filat, several nobles had risen from commoner origins, but none had become Counts overnight. Furthermore, he was an unprecedented Royal Court Magician, and considering Marius’s capabilities, this could be seen as too little. This was done in anticipation of opposition from the upper nobility. Their sentiments were peculiar; while they acknowledged his abilities, they would not allow him to join their ranks so abruptly. Ignoring them was difficult, and trying to suppress them with force would only increase the influence of Ashton’s faction. If the suppressed dissatisfaction were to explode, it would likely be after Marius was gone.
Be that as it may, Marius’s reward was finally decided. While they ideally wanted to advance his relationship with Lovisa, they were still afraid of the aristocratic backlash. If there were many like Ashton, they might as well let the dissatisfaction erupt… but that was a minority; the majority were favorably disposed and cooperative. It would be foolish to turn friendly allies into enemies. Besides, Marius, who was completely unaware of the existence of “merit evaluation,” had no way of knowing.
Princess Barra’s entourage arrived after Marius had been awarded his reward.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Barra, daughter of King Henry of Ranleo. I have come to your esteemed country as a goodwill ambassador. As I am young and inexperienced, there may be many shortcomings in my conduct, but I humbly request your kind understanding.”
Barra bowed with a dignified demeanor, blending elegance, refinement, and politeness. Marius didn’t quite understand, but seeing everyone’s impressed reactions, he assumed it was perfect by the world’s standards. However, not everyone was genuinely impressed; some harbored inner frustrations. This was the case for Bernhard III and Lucas. An equal had appeared, rivaling Lovisa in beauty and status. In the current Filat, refusing her would be detrimental, so it was unavoidable.
The ceremony concluded smoothly, and they moved on to the welcome party.
(A party again.)
Marius was dismayed, but it was unavoidable, as it served not only to showcase the country’s prestige to foreigners but also to place orders with food and logistics providers. Lovisa, who usually wore dresses emphasizing purity, in white or blue, wore a vibrant red dress that accentuated her figure today. This was Emma’s choice, not Lovisa’s preference. It was to prevent Marius from being captivated by other women. Her hair, usually worn down, was tied up in a bun, revealing her fair nape. The strategy worked perfectly, and Marius unconsciously swallowed.
Barra, who was viewed with caution by Filat, wore her usual light blue dress, which was modest in its exposure and emphasized her demureness. Since she knew most of the people present, it was best to stick with what she was comfortable with. Barra succeeded in winning over the people of Filat with her approachable and cheerful demeanor. Even those who were cautious could not help but feel flattered by the young and beautiful princess, and it was commendable that they didn’t drool over her.
Marius watched from a distance. A discreet magical check revealed that Barra’s compliments and friendly attitude towards Filat were sincere. She wanted to foster good relations for Ranleo, and considering her position as princess, this was natural. Marius, who had heard she held animosity towards Filat, found this quite surprising. However, it seemed that Barra was an exception, and her entourage, if not hostile, at least harbored some form of “rivalry.” Meanwhile, Barra, who had successfully captured the hearts of Filat’s important figures, acted solely as an ambassador, suppressing her personal feelings. She limited her conversation with Marius to the bare minimum, including greetings. Assuming that her role would allow for opportunities to get closer to Marius later, she focused on “securing the outer defenses” for now. This was because Barra needed the approval of the people of Filat to achieve her “long-cherished wish.” She also hoped to subtly inquire if there were any potential rivals. And she overheard one of them casually mention, “Doesn’t the King wish for a relationship with Princess Lovisa?”
(Hmm. Princess Lovisa, huh?)
Barra naturally remembered the name. While she was more interested in commoners who would be harder to gather information on and seemingly of the same social standing as Marius, compared to the princesses and noble daughters she already knew, this was valuable information nonetheless. As a princess of a kingdom, with her father’s support, she could be a formidable rival. She also made a mental note that the man in front of her “was surprisingly talkative for an important figure.”
Barra concluded the welcome party with favorable reviews and retired to her assigned room with her attendants.
“I would say it was a good start.”
She analyzed the situation carefully. She was not optimistic in the least. Despite their one-sided enmity, their relationship was far from good.
“You all must be careful not to make any mistakes,” she reminded her attendants. They were chosen from those with less hostility towards Filat and who were trustworthy in character, but she couldn’t shake off a sense of unease. This, however, was testimony to the struggles of the peace faction, led by Barra herself.
“By the way, what are your impressions of Marius Tubaan?”
When Barra asked, her attendants exchanged glances before replying.
“He’s not very memorable.”
“He had an overwhelming presence, though…”
Their evaluations were clearly divided. It seemed to depend on whether they had a high aptitude for magic. When asked what she thought, Barra replied,
“He barely had any scent.”
“S-scent…?”
Someone choked out, and a maid quickly intervened.
“Perhaps he’s from a country where people don’t wear perfume.”
“Ah, ah, I see. That’s a brilliant insight for unraveling Marius’s mystery. As expected of a princess.”
The maid pitied the knights, who were easily deceived, but she didn’t show it. She prayed for their sake that their illusions about Barra would not be shattered.
“In other words, Bernhard III cannot fully control Marius,” King Derek of Seraeno stated definitively.
“Can you say that for certain?”
Derek nodded confidently at the Chancellor’s question. He had become convinced when they fought the demon in the Demonplay. In that situation, the correct choice would have been to let his own people escape and have everyone else annihilated. It was the perfect opportunity to eliminate all the continent’s kings and blame it on the demon.
“If I were in control, I wouldn’t be alive right now.”
“But isn’t the current King of Filat part of the moderate faction?” the question came from a young civil official.
“Being a moderate king does not contradict the act of killing other kings when the opportunity arises.”
Perhaps this was the darkness of a nation. Even a gentle and good person, as a king, would routinely be forced to make ruthless decisions. If Seraeno had eliminated the kings of Hordia or Ranleo, Filat would have benefited greatly. And Bernhard III was a king who would not hesitate to do so. He used the phrase “I wouldn’t be alive” because he surmised that Marius was weak in fine magical control. Therefore, the fact that everyone was safe was proof that Marius had acted independently. The civil official, having been appointed at a young age, understood the unspoken implications and said no more.
(Well, he’s likely beyond my grasp as well, so as long as we don’t oppose him, it’s fine…) Derek believed that excessive power was the cause of destruction. However, he needed to monitor the situation. He decided to dispatch several individuals skilled in intelligence gathering and infiltration through different channels.
