Genius Prince’s National Revitalization from State Deficit ~ Right, Let Us Sell the Country - Volume 2 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Circling Schemes

“What do you think of the Empire?”

A scene back in the military academy.

They were hanging out in the corner of a classroom, doing nothing at all, when Lowa had suddenly asked this question of the four of them out of the blue.

“What do we think?” Glen repeated after the four exchanged glances, getting the ball rolling. “I’m proud, of course. Earthworld is glorious. As a soldier, it’s an honor to devote myself to my country!”

“Except you haven’t been enlisted yet,” Wein butted in.

“Ngh.” Glen groaned. “Well, yeah, but if my grades are any indication…”

“You mean in all the classes that I beat you in—other than martial arts? Those grades?”

“…AaaaaaaAAAAAARGH!”

“Whooooa?! You cheater! You can’t just throw a punch out of nowhere?!”

“Shut it! I’m gonna end you!”

Wein and Glen started to grapple with each other, clambering over desks and chairs, as Lowa turned to Strang. “What do you think?”

“You’re asking someone from the provinces?” Strang asked back with a bitter smile.

The provinces were nations that had lost to the Empire, becoming shadows of their former glory. It was easy to see why someone from these areas might have complicated feelings about their conqueror.

“…To answer your question, I think it’s impressive. You know, seizing land and integrating people and cultures into their own. They became the rulers of the eastern half of the continent in the blink of an eye. That’s no easy feat.”

“Well, that’s what the losers have to say—otherwise, they’d have to admit their own faults,” Wein added.

“Why can’t you just shut your trap?!”

“It’s my mission to provoke others at every opportunity.”

“Give up your delusional little goal!”

Lowa giggled at this volley between Wein and Strang before turning to Ninym. “What about you?”

“Well…as a Flahm, I think it’s easier to exist here.”

The Empire was home to a wide array of ethnicities. As a meritocracy, there was relatively less discrimination here. Even those in the provinces or people facing oppression in the West could succeed on the basis of their skills and accomplishments.

“Right, I’ve heard prejudice against the Flahm is bad in the West.”

“Who needs those guys? The Empire could beat the bias straight outta them,” Glen proclaimed before looking at Wein. “…Hey, why aren’t you being a prick to Ninym?”

“What? Provoking others? That’s the worst. Why would I ever do such a thing, Glen?”

“You’re seriously…!” Glen shouted.

“Obvious nepotism,” Strang remarked.

Lowa took a sidelong glance at Glen reacting indignantly and Strang smirking wryly before posing the question to the final member.

“And what do you think about the Empire, Wein?”

“Fit for use,” he answered frankly.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing more. I don’t love it or hate it, but there are ways that it can serve me. That’s all.” Wein shrugged. “I mean, the relationship between a citizen and country shouldn’t be a bad deal. If they’re in disagreement, the citizen is free to move elsewhere. I think patriotism and national devotion are huge pains in the ass.”

“Nghhh…”

“How very Wein of you.”

“Well, I’m impressed that the Empire lets me think this way,” Wein admitted, turning toward Lowa. “But more importantly, what do you think of the Empire?”

“Me? I love it, of course,” she replied, leaving no room for debate. “I was born and raised here. But I guess that’s why I’m frustrated by some aspects of it.”

“Oh? For example?”

“Well…” Lowa adopted a mischievous tone. “Like the fact that you haven’t been arrested yet, Wein.”

“Agreed. One hundred percent.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

“I think a little adversity would do him some good.”

“Hey! You guys are the worst! You know that, right?!”

Lowa giggled as she observed her friends fly into an uproar, smoldering a passionate fury deep within her that nobody could see.

“I have no idea…”

It had been some time since the Imperial envoys arrived in Natra.

Wein was in his office alone, clawing at his head.

“I can’t figure out what’s going on in that noggin of hers… Seriously. What did Lowa come here for…?”

Ever since their secret meeting, he’d observed her every move in search of a motive. And since Wein was the only one entertaining her, there were plenty of opportunities to keep an eye on her.

But he couldn’t find anything. He knew she was touring Natra under the pretext of enriching herself, but he caught no suspicious activity whatsoever. She appeared to be actually sightseeing.

“But I know she’s up to something…” Wein crossed his arms, hemming and hawing, when a knock came at the office door.

“May I come in?” His little sister Falanya appeared in the doorway.

Wein quickly straightened up and beamed. “Oh, it’s you, Falanya. How did the meeting go?”

“I’m super tired… And to think you sit through them every day.” Falanya let out a long, exhausted sigh, sounding as if she were deflating.

As per their earlier discussion, Falanya had been entrusted with a handful of his usual duties while Wein was busy dealing with the Imperial envoys. Attending this meeting was one of them.

“Give it time, and you’ll get used to them. When I first started, my shoulders would always get stiff,” Wein consoled, running his fingers through her hair once she’d made her way over to him.

Falanya began to close her eyes.

“Once they return home, everything will go back to normal. Bear with me. I’ll try to keep your responsibilities to a minimum,” he assured her.

She pouted. “Am I really that unreliable?”

Wein blinked back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that… You’re doing great, Falanya. I’m going to have to ask you for more of your help when the opportunity arises. Is that okay?”

Falanya broke into a smile. “Of course. Leave it to me, Wein.” She gave him a big squeeze.

“Nothing makes a big brother happier than watching his sister grow up,” he added, stroking her hair.

Falanya spoke with more fervor. “I’ll have to work hard to catch up to you.”

“Ha-ha, there’s no rush. I’ll talk to Ninym and see how we can increase your workload little by little.”

She nodded before realizing something. “By the way, Wein, where is she?”

“Hmm? Oh, Ninym is—”

In the Kingdom of Natra, even commoners soaked in baths.

It wasn’t that they were particularly fussy or neat. Given the harsh climate, it was common knowledge that warm water could help beat back the cold. Moreover, Natra was a country blessed with an abundant source of water that allowed for liberal use. In select locations, there were hot springs that gushed out of the ground—though not enough to make them a famous vacation destination or anything.

Public bathhouses were a staple in larger towns. In the dead of winter, relaxing in their warm tubs was considered the height of pleasure for the citizens of this kingdom.

Naturally, this was no different for the upper class.

“…It’s as splendid as the first time.”

Here in the palace lay one of the bathhouses built to serve the elite. It had the capacity for a few dozen, but it was currently reserved for one person’s private use ever since the arrival of the Imperial envoys. And that was none other than Princess Lowellmina, who was soaking in the bath at this very moment.

“The water feels warmer than the baths in the Empire. It must be because it’s so cold outside.”

“I’m delighted that it pleases you, Your Imperial Highness,” replied Ninym in a voice tinged with concern. “But…”

“What’s the matter?”

“…Why must I accompany you?”

Ninym was currently undressed in the tub alongside Lowellmina. She’d been invited by the princess, meaning she couldn’t possibly refuse, but it was unprecedented for a foreign retainer to bathe with royalty.

“But didn’t we do this all the time at the academy?”

“Our social standings are different now.”

“Let’s just say we tossed those aside along with our clothes.”

Don’t be ridiculous, Ninym warned with her expression.

Lowellmina continued to spew more nonsense. “Which means you can be more informal with me.”

“……” Ninym’s cheek twitched as she turned to the side.

“Um, Your Imperial Highness,” rang out a demure voice from her line of sight. “If you wish to rekindle your friendship, I believe I should take my leave…” suggested Lowellmina’s attendant, Fyshe Blundell.

She’d stripped bare to enter the bath, exposing her generous chest from the confines of her clothing without any shame.

“Fyshe, wouldn’t that leave me all alone with a foreigner? What if something happened?”

“You’ve already locked yourself away in secret meetings with them on multiple occasions.”

“And suddenly, I can’t remember.”

“What about your remarks about disregarding social status?”

“How about we focus on the future instead?”

““……”” Ninym and Fyshe exchanged glances upon hearing her be all nonchalant, empathizing with each other’s burdens.

“…Just this once. How does that sound?” Ninym asked the attendant before her.

“I don’t see why not.”

Fyshe held out her hand, which Ninym took. For just this moment, the two had overcome borders to become friends.

“Are you leaving me out? You’re gonna make me cry.”

“Stop it. This is no laughing matter.”

“Then let’s talk. Fyshe, would you like to begin?”

“Yes… This may not be a sophisticated topic, but…I’ve heard of your time as classmates at the military academy. How did you spend your time together?”

Ninym and Lowellmina looked at each other.

“Let’s see. There were two others besides me, Ninym, and Wein. Glen and Strang. The five of us were always together. The popular kids at school.”

“You mean troublemakers. They overlooked our shenanigans, thanks to our grades.”

“I can’t deny there’s some truth to that. But it’s no question we were popular. Especially Ninym. After the whole situation with that duel, even the girls had respect for her.”

“A duel…?” Fyshe blinked back.

Ninym sighed next to her. “Someone insulted me for being a Flahm. I challenged them to a duel and gave them a good thrashing. That’s all.”

“As if. There were many gentlemen charmed by your dignity. I know there was a heap of love letters you had to reject by hand. Isn’t that right?”

Ninym assumed a bitter expression, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle.

“Is this how it’s gonna be? I could say the same for you, Lowa. We’ve heard of the stream of nobles courting you, even in Natra. I think I remember hearing Antgadull and Lubid just won’t give up.”

“…To tell you the truth, those two have plagued me.” Lowellmina sighed. “I gave them a few pointers when they were struggling to remember proper etiquette at a soiree—and that launched a rush of letters and presents… And all in awful taste…”

“That’s rare for you to say, Lowa.”

“Would you like me to show you one of the letters? On the surface, each insists they have all the qualities necessary to be the perfect consort to an Imperial princess. Which means they only see me as a crown jewel to adorn themselves. Throw in an awful taste in cheap jewelry, and I’m sure you’d feel the same if you saw it firsthand.”

“You have my…deepest condolences.”

Lowellmina began to whisper as if in prayer. “I hope this visit will encourage them to give up on me.”

To that, Fyshe shook her head, almost cruelly. “They’re the tenacious type in my opinion, and this may ignite their passion.”

“You heard her, Lowa.”

“…Fyshe, recount every single detail of your romantic encounters. Spit it out. Now,” Lowa teased Fyshe, who’d planted her foot firmly in her own mouth.

They continued to chat for a long while afterward.

“—And that’s why Ninym is in the middle of taking a bath with Lowellmina.”

“Hrm.” Falanya growled like a small animal. “No fair! I haven’t even been able to take a bath with Ninym lately…!”

From Falanya’s side of things, the Imperial Princess had already attempted to steal her brother away, which meant she didn’t have a favorable opinion of Lowellmina from the start. The Imperial Princess had some nerve trying to take Ninym away from her, too!

Falanya vowed she would never forgive Lowellmina until she apologized.

“No need to pout,” Wein assured, poking her cheeks. “I’ll tell her to make some time for you.”

“Really? The three of us can take a bath together.”

“Me too? Hmm… I think we’re too old for that.”

“It’ll be fine. I don’t mind at all.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll think about it,” Wein placated with the slyness of a politician—a promise to consider a request with zero intent to follow through.

He quickly changed the subject. “By the way, Falanya, how are your studies coming along? Making any progress?”

“Ack.”

Her reaction was more than enough for Wein to grasp the situation.

He chuckled. “No worries. Claudius might not forgive his students for horsing around, but he’s patient with those who need a little more help. If you want to learn, you will.”

“But I’ve been distracted by other things lately, and I haven’t been paying attention to my lessons. I’m think he’s still cross with me,” she admitted apologetically.

Wein patted her head. “Don’t worry. He would have died in a fit of rage while teaching me if there was any chance that could be true. Let’s see… To make up for lost time, do you want to have a remedial lesson? I think I can carve out some time to teach my one and only sister.”

Her eyes widened with surprise—and then with glee. “I’d love that.”

“All righty. What have you been learning from Claudius?”

“Um, about the Empire. It kept getting bigger and bigger, conquering a bunch of countries. And there were a few stand-out nations.”

“Got it. Burnoch, Codlafy, Todrelan… Each country has a story of their downfall, but I guess we don’t have time to cover everything. In that case… Let’s go with Antgadull.”

Wein took the feather quill on his desk and a piece of scrap paper from a stack of documents. He began to draw in the margins, creating a map of the eastern continent.

“Our Kingdom of Natra is positioned in the center of the continent at its northernmost tip. To the West, we have Marden, which is now a defunct country. To the East, we have the Gairan State, aka Imperial territory. Falanya, do you know what their specialty is?”

“Textiles. I’ve heard the quality is very good.”

“Especially those that have been ‘mirror-dyed,’ which produces a mysteriously glossy finish. They’ve been regularly used by successive generations of Earthworld Emperors. It’s rare to find them on the market.

“If only they would offer them wholesale to Natra,” Wein grumbled to himself. “The Gairan State was originally called the Kingdom of Antgadull. The Empire annexed it shortly before we were born…but the events leading up to their fall earned its king the reputation of the biggest poseur on the continent.”

“What do you mean?”

“At the time, the Empire had just defeated the nations in the south, Burnoch and Codlafy. They were hungry to make rapid progress, but we all tend to bash those who are different from us. The remaining nations in the East began to feel the heat. There was a big chance they could unite to topple this threat. That was how the anti-Empire alliance was formed.”

Wein wrote a list of nations in the alliance on the map. Among them was Antgadull. By blocking out Imperial territories in black, it was clear just how many nations in the East had joined hands to fight against them.

“The alliance cornered the Empire, annexing their conquered territories. If this had continued, the Empire might not have existed today.” Wein continued. “But the situation changed when the king of Antgadull declared vassalage to the Empire.”

“What? He made himself a vassal? Of his own will?”

“Yeah. Look at the map. Antgadull is in the northeastern part of the continent and the Empire is at the southeast. They’re as small as us, but the anti-Empire alliance had been stabbed in the back. Falanya, what do you think the group should have done?” Wein asked as he marked Antgadull in black.

Falanya thought for a moment. “I think they should focus on Antgadull and try to topple them.”

“That would be ideal. But their king prevented that from happening. He bought time by tripping up the alliance with his negotiation skills. Meanwhile, the Empire pincered them, crushing every nation in the group.”

The map was colored black. There were barely any white spaces left at all.

“In the end, the alliance collapsed, securing Imperial hegemony in the East. The defeated royal families were either stripped of their titles and banished from their kingdoms or executed…except for the king of Antgadull. He was bestowed the title of marquis and given control of his own colony. This is why he’s called a charlatan,” Wein concluded.

Falanya exhaled. “To betray the alliance and give up his kingship… Why would he do such a thing?”

“Even if the alliance won, it would have simply resulted in an era of rivaling warlords. Antgadull knew it would be crushed sooner or later. In his memoirs, the king writes that he thought it would be better to let the Empire win and secure a place among them.”

But Wein knew that didn’t mean it was the only reason.

“A memoir? I didn’t know there was one.”

“He wrote it in his later years—a rare tome with only thirty copies. I have one in my library. You’re free to read it.”

Falanya nodded, then cocked her head. “…Wait, what do you mean by ‘later years’?”

“The king has already passed away. He was already well on in his years before he became a vassal, and his boy is the second marquis. Well, ‘boy’ in air quotes. He has children older than us.”

“And is he just as great?”

“I don’t have any firsthand experience with him, but I’ve heard certain things. Vulgar. Despotic. Known to shirk his duties. Lacking in appreciation of the arts. Not even knowledgeable in military affairs. All he’s inherited from his father are looks and ambition—not courage or wisdom.”

Falanya adopted a complex expression.

“He’s famous for not getting along with the governor-general of the Gairan State,” he went on. “One is the marquis who owns half the state, the other a governor-general sent by the central government with the authority to act as magistrate. I guess it’s only natural that would cause them to butt heads—”

A knock came at the office door.

“Pardon me—Ah, Princess Falanya. You’re here, too.”

“Oh, Ninym.” Falanya trotted up to Ninym as soon as she saw her enter the room. “I heard from Wein. He said you were bathing with the Imperial Princess.”

“I was relieved of my duties a moment ago… Why do you appear displeased?”

Wein laughed. “Our little sister is angry that someone took away her big sis.”

“I see… I’ll make sure to carve out time for us to visit the bathhouse together, Princess Falanya.”

“Really? Promise me, Ninym.”

“Of course.”

They concluded their conversation on friendly terms.

Wein spoke up. “By the way, where is Princess Lowellmina?”

“She has retired to her room.”

“Any intel?”

“I’ll report everything in detail later, but there isn’t a solid lead, unfortunately…”

“Hmm.” Wein crossed his arms.

He wanted to figure out Lowellmina’s motives—and fast, but this was going to be tough.

“Hey, listen to this, Ninym. Wein just told me the story of how Antgadull became an Imperial vassal.”

“That’s great. I imagine His Royal Highness must have spoken with great fervor. He’s always thought King Antgadull was the gold standard among monarchs.”

“Is that true? Hey, Wein.”

“Hmm? Yeah. But that’s just my opinion.”

The turncoat king had seen through the changing times and found the right time to sell out to a superpower at the highest possible price. King Antgadull had pulled off the perfect act of treason Wein dreamed of committing.

When Wein had learned this backstory, he’d initially cursed at himself like, Dammit, he pulled it off! But this fit of jealousy didn’t prevent him from realizing his goal wasn’t unprecedented. He’d used every means to find out as much as he could about King Antgadull and anything related to him. He even went to great lengths to acquire his memoir. That was how he knew so much about the current marquis.

“The countries in the alliance detested him, but there was no questioning his skill. If there’s anything to be learned here, it’s that personal history is inconsequential.”

“As expected of you.” Falanya gazed upon him with unbridled respect. “It would have been nice if the current marquis could be like you. If his father was so great, it’s a shame he can’t continue his legacy.”

“Did you learn about the current marquis?” Ninym asked with a wry smile. “It’s unusual for greatness to be passed down to the next generation. Particularly for royals. Travel the continent and you’ll encounter hordes of royalty who have stepped away from their thrones. Even Marquis Antgadull was once meant to be king of his own nation. There are rumors that he’s unsatisfied with his role as a vassal.”

And there was a certain someone on the verge of giving up his crown right next to them.

Antgadull, huh… Something was flickering in the back of Wein’s mind as he replayed his lesson with Falanya. I get the feeling that we’d get along well. Maybe. Or maybe not…

Hrmm, Wein groaned mentally.

It felt as if the answers he sought were within arm’s reach, but he couldn’t quite make them out through the fog. He tried to connect scraps of information in his mind, but they just wouldn’t come together in a way that made sense.

There wasn’t enough information. He was missing something. If only he had it. If only something would happen—

—No, no, no! He’d almost wished for something stupid.

He already had his hands full hosting the envoys. There was absolutely no reason why he should be hoping for something to happen on top of that.

That’s right. It’d be better if nothing happened at all. Then, it wouldn’t even matter what Lowa is scheming. I’m not hoping for truth but peace! Tranquillity! Halcyon days! Which means—

“Pardon me, Your Royal Highness!” An official flew into the room. “An emissary has arrived with news from Sir Raklum! There are signs that fighting has broken out in their assigned territory!”

“……”

This is why he’d begged for nothing weird to happen. But his hopes had been dashed. They didn’t even stand a chance.

As with the Earthworld Empire, the Kingdom of Natra was home to a number of ethnic groups.

But they’d become diverse for different reasons.

The Empire had forcibly absorbed various races and tribes through acts of war, whereas those from the East and West flowed into the Kingdom of Natra of their own accord.

Not that it was an alluring country by any means. Its weather was harsh. Its land was infertile. It was lacking in all forms of industry and entertainment. Virtually no one would call it an easy country to live in, even out of flattery.

Then why would people come to this place?

Because they had nowhere else to go.

Those who’d committed crimes. Or those who had been persecuted for their race or ideology. Or those who had lost their homes in war or suffered at the hands of the government or disease.

They’d been driven from their homelands with no place to start anew. As they wandered from place to place, they’d finally stumbled upon the gateway between East and West, quietly settling amid the unforgiving weather in the Kingdom of Natra.

It was a slum on a nationwide scale. At least, that was how Wein described it.

Those who flooded into the country were generally minorities with no fond memories of systems and institutions. Which meant their thoughts on the kingdom weren’t anything like, “Thank you for accepting us! We pledge our lives to this land!”

This isn’t the start of an inspiring tale.

“I’m gonna get my revenge…”

“Leave us alone…”

“If the government is gonna take advantage of me, I’d rather…”

Terrible. Pessimistic.

But months became years, and those feelings melted away as they assimilated with the rest of the population. And those beside them in the royal capital were a tolerant bunch, loyal to their nation.

That said, the newcomers from local tribes and villages would sometimes project their own experiences onto the citizens around them, taking their anger out in bitter scuffle after scuffle. The instigators were often small clusters of impoverished groups. And when there was no blood shed, these fights were mostly settled by those involved by the time the government caught on.

Keyword: mostly.

“Ignoring our decree to stop and preparing for war on their own…” Wein grumbled upon reading a report in the tent.

“My apologies. I didn’t imagine it would come to this.” Raklum bowed his head before Wein.

“Don’t worry about it. It was my own misjudgment.”

It had all started with the construction of the channel on the Torito River.

The Torito River was under the direct control of the royal family, and it flooded from time to time. Under the king’s orders, they were building a new waterway to lower the volume of the main river, constructing a tributary that would run to a riverhead in a distant territory.

This entire process had continued well after Wein became regent and had finally reached its conclusion the other day.

But this was where the problems arose.

Two tribes in the area that the new tributary crossed had begun fighting.

The dispatched magistrates tried to persuade them to lay down their arms, but those pleas had fallen on deaf ears and the animosity had only deepened as time went on. But that wasn’t what fazed Wein, since it wasn’t unusual for quarrels to break out among their citizens. In his experience, these upstart militants were poorly armed for the most part, and that was why he’d assumed the hostilities could be quashed with trained troops dispatched by the government.

And that countermeasure had been effective for a short time. With the presence of government soldiers, the magistrate tried to start negotiations once more, but then an unexpected development occurred.

“—I can’t believe it. Both tribes have obtained a huge cache of weapons.”

The government’s show of force was the only thing that had brought the warring tribes, now backed by arms suppliers, back to the negotiating table. All of Wein’s initial assumptions had come crashing down.

“And no info on the source of the weapons?”

“I’m afraid not. We know they were procured by a merchant, but we’re unsure of the supply chain.”

“I see… All right.”

It bothered him, but that took a backseat to suppressing the tribes.

“Your Royal Highness, I would like to ask one thing,” Raklum requested nervously.

Wein looked at him. “What’s up?”

“The person over there…” Raklum pointed to a corner of the tent at a girl with a poised smile—Lowellmina Earthworld.

“Pay me no mind. I’m here to observe.”

“You heard her.”

“Ooooookay…”

“Anyway. I’d like you to call in some soldiers, Raklum,” Wein ordered.

Are they serious? Raklum silently voiced with his confused expression.

Wein let out a sigh in his head. Geez, I honestly wonder why this happened, he thought, grumbling on the inside, as he mentally replayed the sequence of events that had brought him to this point.

Reports of a disturbance had left Wein racking his brains.

He needed to go and see things for himself in this situation. There was no question about it.

There was just one issue. The Imperial Princess Lowellmina was still visiting. And he couldn’t just leave his guest of honor hanging.

I guess I can send Ninym…or sneak out myself if this can be settled quickly…

Wein had been busy turning the gears in his mind when Lowellmina showed up.

“It appears there is trouble.”

It never occurred to him to question how she’d found out. After all, she was staying at a foreign palace, which had its fair share of secrets, and it wouldn’t be the least bit strange if she was using her envoys to discretely gather information.

Plus, it was entirely possible that Lowellmina was involved in this turmoil. With this in mind, he threw her a curve ball.

“Nothing major. I’ll go there myself and resolve the issue immediately,” Wein declared. This meant he’d be neglecting his guest of honor.

Would Lowellmina try to stop him from leaving or see him off amicably? He was going to assess her reaction to see if she was part of this whole scheme—

“I see. Well then, I’ll come with you.”

What?

This had Wein scrambling—along with her entire delegation.

There was no way that the envoys could bring the Imperial Princess to a potential battlefield, even though they belonged to an entirely different faction. To get her to change her mind, they attempted to persuade her out of it, with Fyshe leading the charge.

“We came with the purpose of confirming whether we should continue our alliance with Natra,” Lowellmina replied. “With the threat of war looming over the entire continent, this is a good opportunity for me to see Prince Wein—a considerable leader—in action.”

“But it’s dangerous and…”

“An unfounded concern. I’ll have the regent of this nation by my side. Nothing could be safer,” she asserted.

They could only stay silent in response.

“Great. I’ll be under your care, Wein.”

And that’s how Wein was roped into going to Raklum with Lowellmina in tow.

“…All right. What’s up?” Wein asked Lowellmina, now that the two of them were alone in the tent.

Ninym wasn’t standing beside him; instead, she was hanging back at the palace to handle government affairs.

“What’s up? I already told you. My goal is to confirm your abilities for the sake of our alliance, Wein.”

“Enough with the act,” he replied disparagingly.

But Lowellmina was unshakeable. “Hmm. Let’s just say I wanted to catch a glimpse of you gallantly leading your army. How’s that?”

“……”

He knew she wouldn’t answer him honestly.

Lowellmina giggled. “But enough about me. Wein, how do you intend to handle them?”

“…How else?”

According to the report, the warring tribes were named Heinoy and Eshio. They had struggled for power before, but up until the latest conflict, their skirmishes had been on the smaller side. That said, news of the tributary’s construction and its utility as a water source had intensified the conflict between them, and each had mobilized a force of a hundred people max, almost all of whom had been armed with weapons.

On the other hand, the government had dispatched two hundred soldiers. They were evenly matched in numbers, but that was where the similarities ended.

“We can neutralize them if we fight normally. I mean, our soldiers are leagues beyond them.”

At the end of the day, their opponents were a disorderly rabble with no formal training.

They could wield weapons, but they didn’t stand a chance against a skilled commander leading capable soldiers.

“True. Especially under your command, Wein. That said, I imagine there will be bloodshed.”

Lowellmina was correct to be concerned: It was unrealistic to think the troops would come away unscathed, even with an excellent commander at the helm. It would be a battle after all.

“But this is Wein Salema Arbalest we’re talking about. I know you won’t let things come to that… I’m sure you have something up your sleeve. Isn’t that right? Something unusual to avoid any casualties on your side.”

It was framed as a question, but there was conviction in her eyes as she sized him up, wondering what peculiar miracle he’d pull to fix this problem.

Wein took it in. “…Sorry. I think you’ve misunderstood, Lowa.” He took a breath and grinned. “I don’t intend on letting anyone die in this battle, not even my enemies.”

Her eyes widened in surprise before she did a complete one-eighty and beamed, donning the face of a giddy child looking at her idol.

“I’m coming in, Your Highness!” Raklum boomed as he walked in.

Behind him were three soldiers.

“I’ve brought those whom you requested.”

“Good work.” Wein looked at the trio. “Torace of Heinoy. Caldia and Zold of Eshio.”

““Sir!”” They straightened their backs and replied as one when he called their names.

Wein continued. “Are you aware of the situation?”

“Yes… Apologies for the trouble that our people have caused.”

“It’s not your fault. Do you have connections to your tribes?”

“Yes. I return home when time allows…”

“As do I. But I’m afraid it’ll be hard to convince them…”

The soldiers must have thought Wein was planning to use their connections to move negotiations forward. But he had something entirely different in mind.

“That’s not why I called you… I’m assuming you don’t want everyone in your hometowns to die.”

The three involuntarily looked at one another.

One spoke up quietly. “…Of course. It’s terrible that it came down to this, but they are our brethren. We’ve grown up with them all our lives.”

“Would you be willing to risk your lives for them?”

The three looked at one another again before nodding as one. ““We would!””

Wein grinned. “I’ll hold you to it. I’ll assign your duties now. My apologies, Raklum, but you’ll have to take the fall for this.”

Raklum replied with reverence. “I’ll gladly take any responsibility for Your Highness.”

Wein began to inform the soldiers of his plan as Lowellmina watched with mirth.

The Heinoy were originally those from the West who had gathered together, working hard to get by each day. But they wouldn’t be found in any written records, since they relied on oral tradition to pass down their history. Which meant there were a bunch of inaccuracies and omissions—including the point at which their relationship with the Eshio had become volatile.

There wasn’t a single Heinoy who knew the reason for their fights, which also happened to be the case for the Eshio, too.

The only thing anyone thought they knew for sure was that the Eshio hailed from the East and that it was only natural the two would clash.

Nothing bonds family and friends like a common enemy.

“Oh! You’re back, Torace!” Upon his return to the village that formed the core of his tribe, Torace was welcomed back with open arms.

“Great timing. We’re about to start a war with the Eshio.”

“You served while you were in the capital, right? That’s great. Having you is like getting another hundred men.”

“Don’t worry, we made sure to secure weapons. There’s no way we’ll lose.”

The villagers piped up one after the other.

Torace spoke with a concerned look. “Listen up. We don’t have time for that.”

They were immediately silenced by his peculiar state.

“The government troops are coming. I’m sure you know already. I was just with them.”

The group of villagers stirred as their excitement turned to distrust. From their point of view, the kingdom’s soldiers were a third-party meddling with their personal affairs. Moreover, their new weapons gave than more confidence than ever.

“You betraying us?” one of them accused.

“No! You got it backwards!” Torace raised his voice. “I may be one of their soldiers, but I’ll never forget my roots as a Heinoy. I’ve come to tell you all about their strategy! The one in command is a man named Raklum, and his plan is absolutely ludicrous. Listen to this.”

He stopped for a beat. “He wants to demolish the river embankment…!”

Feelings of shock and confusion rippled across the villagers in waves.

The embankment was essentially their flood wall. It was built to prevent water damage from the newly dug-out channel. The region would be rendered useless if it was destroyed. And any attempt to rebuild it would require extensive time and manpower.

“Wh-what?! Why?!”

An obvious response.

Knowing that its construction had been done under the watchful eye of the royal family, they couldn’t think of any logical reason why the government soldiers would choose to destroy it.

“The dispatched troops are here to destroy this land, even though His Highness wishes to avoid bloodshed. But Raklum wants to hurry up and make this problem disappear—by destroying the embankment! Then he’ll blame it on the Heinoy and Eshio and crush us in the name of justice…!”

All present were at a loss for words. They didn’t all believe him right away, of course, but the villagers knew they were the ones who’d put the troops between a rock and a hard place. And no one dared call this a bluff when it threatened to turn the territorial feud between the Heinoy and Eshio on its head.

“Wh…what do we do if that happens?”

“I—I know. We should inform the prince.”

“Don’t be stupid. They’ll make sure the message never gets to him. Besides, it’s not like he has any reason to believe us! And it’d take too long for the message to reach him in the first place!”

“Time… Torace! When is it?! When are they going to destroy the embankment?!”

Torace adopted an expression filled with concern. “I’m not sure. I slipped away to warn everyone. But if Raklum is trying to wrap things up, it could be as soon as tonight.”

They imagined the worst-case scenario, which sent a shiver down their spines.

Their original plan had been to end their long feud with the Eshio to take control of the basin and prosper. Now, it was looking like they’d lose the land that was rightfully theirs, be falsely accused of a crime, and then be forced to suffer a military crackdown. It was completely unacceptable.

“What do we do…?! How could this happen?!”

“Wh-what about trying to reconcile with the Eshio?!”

“Quit screwing around! Make up with them? At this point? Forget it!”

“Then, what?!”

It was here that Torace raised his voice.

“Calm down! As we’re wasting time arguing, the troops could be on the move at this very moment!”

“That’s right! We’ve gotta focus on them first!”

“If they plan to destroy the embankment, we’ve gotta stop them!”

“Gather any fighters! We’ll set up positions by the riverbank and engage the enemy!”

The tribe started moving with haste. No one noticed that Torace had let out a huge sigh of relief as he helped with the preparations.

Since they’d been preparing to go to war, the Heinoy had their people and provisions ready to go and set out quickly.

They had just under one hundred people, and every person was armed. They identified the target site based on the information that Torace had given them. It was paramount that they engage the troops as soon they arrive, which made them naturally pick up their pace.

But the group stopped dead in their tracks.

“H-hey, that’s the Eshio!”

On the other side of the hill was another armed group of one hundred. As the two groups spotted each other, they halted to observe the situation in bewilderment.

“Wh-what should we do…? Go after ’em?!”

Torace turned as each tightened their grip on their weapons. “Wait! If we fight the Eshio here, how will we stop the soldiers?!”

“That’s right! Stop them from destroying the embankment first!”

“…All right, let’s go! But if the Eshio rush on us, don’t hold back, and don’t drop your guard!” barked their representative.

The Heinoy started off toward the embankment, just as the Eshio began marching toward the exact same destination, maintaining distance from each other.

“What the hell are they doing…? Don’t tell me they’re heading to the same place, too!”

“That would be my guess. They must know the government troops have their eye on it.”

Both groups arrived at the designated spot.

On the upside, the troops hadn’t arrived yet, meaning the embankment remained in one piece. But that only meant they had made it in time for the worst-case scenario. Each began preparations for their assault on the soldiers.

It was a peculiar scene. The two opposing sides kept watch over each other while working toward the same goal.

“…I guess that should do it.”

As the sun began to set, the two tribes finished getting into a basic defense formation.

“We’re all beat. Let’s take the patrol in shifts. That way, everyone can get some rest.”

“But don’t let your guard down. We have no idea when those soldiers are planning to attack.”

If this had been an exam, their response would deserve passing marks at the least. There was no doubt their sense of purpose would sustain them if the troops came.

But they had no idea that keeping their minds and bodies alert for an indeterminate amount of time would be this difficult.

“No sign of the soldiers…”

“Yeah… Damn it! If you’re gonna come, then just come already…!”

“Hey, did you just hear something?”

“You already said that a while ago. It’s all in your head.”

“How long are you two going to keep yammering? Sleep…!”

Keep vigilant, but not too alert. Otherwise, it would only create unnecessary worry, which won’t allow the inexperienced to get any rest. The weight of a sleepy body and an unsound heart are not inconsequential things.

From sundown to sunrise the government forces mounted no attacks, and the Heinoy tribe didn’t get a wink of rest in the meantime.

“…Hey, Torace, what’s going on?!”

“Weren’t they gonna attack?!”

But even their frustrated voices lacked energy.

Nearby, the Eshio seemed to fare no better. Any outsider would notice the obvious air of fatigue that hung over them. After all, the tribes had arrived wielding unfamiliar weapons, and they lacked proper sleep. With hands trembling and hearts on edge, the group had become completely exhausted without seeing a single moment of combat.

“This is their target. They’ll attack. I’m sure of it.”

“We’re asking when—”

“H-hey! Wait! I can hear…”

Horse hooves hitting the ground.

But there weren’t just one or two horses. There were dozens approaching.

“They’re here! They’re here! Grab your weapons!”

With great composure, the soldiers appeared before the panicked group rushing into formation.

“Th-that’s…!”

They all held their breath.

In a display of perfectly synchronized motion, the troop moved in the shape of a huge dragon. And though they were all human, there was an enormous difference between their smooth gestures and the erratic movements of the Heinoy. Even their formation was unsteady.

“And now, we’ve got to fight them…” someone said in a trembling voice.

But it was clear they wouldn’t stand a chance.

The hearts and minds of the tribespeople were at their limits. And the dignified appearance of the regular soldiers dampened their morale. It was a miracle no one had tried to run away. But once the battle broke out, the tribes would be obliterated, right along with that so-called miracle. In their minds, the worst possible future played out, as one cavalryman stepped out from a row of his comrades.

“I bring news to the Heinoy and Eshio! We are the soldiers of the Kingdom of Natra! We will not tolerate any disturbances on this land! Lay down your weapons and surrender!” the cavalryman warned in a crisp voice.

If this had been the day before, the Heinoy and Eshio would have bared their teeth and stood their ground. But they didn’t even have the strength to talk big anymore.

That said, they remained locked in place, knowing what hell would break loose if the embankment was destroyed.

That’s why everyone was shaken to the core by the cavalryman’s following words.

“Listen up! Our former captain has been dismissed. Our current captain is His Highness, Crown Prince Wein. He has traveled all this way from the royal capital! By his command, we will spare the lives of all who surrender and restart negotiations with the two tribes!”

The uproar that followed the herald’s words spread not only to the Heinoy, but the Eshio as well.

“What?! His Highness is in command…?”

“Isn’t he the leader with enough prowess to defeat thirty thousand Marden soldiers…?”

“That’s right. But they say he extends his goodwill even to those of foreign nations.”

“That’s what I heard, too… Is this true? He’ll speak with us if we lay down our weapons?”

They wrestled with contradiction and hope.

If they’d assessed the situation calmly, they might have realized that things had taken an unnatural turn. The tribes had come to the embankment to prevent its destruction—based on information from their kin, who had returned out of the blue. And once they arrived and forced themselves to their physical limits, their enemy had appeared only to offer them saving grace. If someone had been watching everything from overhead, they would have found this situation was very contrived.

But neither of the two tribes took notice. After all, it’d been part of the plan to grind down their minds and hearts to the point of carelessness.

“I say again! Throw down your weapons and surrender! His Highness has no desire to spill any blood without need!” the cavalryman shouted as if urging them on.

Then, one of the Heinoy dropped a weapon to the ground.

As if setting off a chain reaction, the others began to let go, one by one, traveling all the way down to the Eshio. When all the tribespeople had disarmed themselves, the fight over the new canal ended without spilling a single drop of blood.

“Marvelous. I have nothing else to say.”

Upon comprehending the entirety of Wein’s plan, Lowellmina was unreserved in her admiration.

“You fabricated a nonexistent battle plan, sent out spies, manipulated the enemy… Easy to say, but hard to do. As expected of you, Wein.”

“If it wasn’t for my reputation of defeating Marden, I bet it would have been a little trickier.”

The two were inside a tent. Outside, the soldiers and the surrendered warriors were sharing a meal.

Wein had fed the tribes under the guise of helping them recover from their fatigue, but he had something else in mind, of course.

“And your plan now is to take this opportunity to make the two tribes reconcile. You’re as crafty as always, Wein.”

“You’re forced to rely on creativity when your kingdom is broke.”

Even if everything was fine and dandy for the time being, the Heinoy and Eshio would inevitably fight again if he didn’t uproot the deep-seated hostility they held for one another. That was why Wein planned to have the two become one to make the region more secure.

“Excuse me, Your Highness!” Raklum appeared, along with the three soldiers from Heinoy and Eshio.

“We’ve come at your request.”

“Yes. Relax… Torace, Caldia, Zold. It was dangerous task, but you did well. This is all thanks to you. I’ll be sure you’re rewarded later.”

““Sir?!””

To be personally complimented and rewarded by the crown prince was the greatest honor a soldier could receive. They grinned from ear to ear as they bowed to Wein deeply.

“Raklum, I put you through some trouble.”

“A poor reputation will command more fear. I would not have been able to avoid bloodshed if I had been left in charge. Compared to that, this is nothing worth your concern,” he assured the prince, even though his opportunity for valor had been snatched away from him.

I’ll make it up to him eventually, Wein thought before he turned to the other three.

“By the way, you’re all bachelors, right?”

“What? Um, well, I am, but…” one of them admitted, nodding in confusion.

The others followed suit.

“Any lovers or sweethearts?”

The three shook their heads, making their bewilderment even more pronounced.

Wein dropped a bomb on them. “I see, I see. In that case, this will go quick. What do you think about marrying a girl from the opposing tribe?”

““What?!”” the three spit out, panicked.

Wein went on. “I intend to use this chance to reconcile the two groups to prevent this from happening ever again. It’d be quick and easy if we could form familial relations between the tribes. You three will be the trailblazers.”

“No, that’s, um.”

“Didn’t you say you’d risk your life for your brethren?” Wein planted a hand on Torace’s shoulder. “Which means you’re prepared to dig your own grave—metaphorically.”

But that’s a whole other story, the trio silently protested with their expressions, which mixed with shock and confusion.

Wein chuckled. “Well, no one’s forcing you. Just know that based on our royal records, there was a time when the two tribes were united. To assume you can’t exist in harmony is nothing more than prejudice. You may go now.”

Raklum and the soldiers left the tent.

Lowellmina had been watching the situation unfold and spoke up once their footsteps had receded. “Wein, did they actually get along in the past?”

“Of course. I’m sure the records will materialize once I return to the palace.”

“I see… The work of an awful swindler.”

“If being stupid honest would bring wealth to my country, I’d gladly cut off my forked tongue,” Wein responded, chuckling wryly as he stood. “Well, I’ve got a meeting with the tribe leaders now. I can’t let foreigners sit in. Sorry.”

“You’ve gone above and beyond to humor me. I’ll behave while I wait. But come back soon. I hate being alone.”

“Then pray the meeting goes well.” Wein waved and exited the tent.

The tribe leaders were waiting for him. But that wasn’t where he was headed.

“I’ve been waiting.” Raklum had gone ahead to a tent set up in a slightly removed area.

Behind him were countless bundles of weapons.

“These are the weapons confiscated from both tribes.”

“Good work.”

The catalyst for this feud was construction along the river, but it had spiraled out of control because of these weapons. If the tribes hadn’t gotten ahold of them, the dispatched troops would have resolved this without a hitch.

Where in the world did the weapons come from? Wein intended to find out, but it was sensitive information that needed to be handled with care. This was why he had lied to Lowellmina and kept her at a distance.

“From what I can tell, they’re new,” Raklum continued. “But they aren’t products of Natra…”

Hmm, let’s say they were made abroad. How did they find their way north to Natra? If someone’s trying to sell a bunch of weapons in the boonies, their prices would need to be hyper marked down.

Which meant there had to be a country somewhere with an overabundant supply of weapons. That would be the only way to find a seller who would be okay with such a huge discount. And there were few reasons for a country to hoard this many weapons other than war.

As Raklum’s reasoning ran through the back of his mind, Wein spoke bitterly. “…This is bad.”

“Your Highness?” Raklum was unnerved by his master’s unusual state.

Wein recovered in the next moment and turned to him.

“Raklum, get me a pen and some paper. I have a message for Ninym. Start preparing to withdraw the troops. By confiscating their weapons, we’ve broken the spirit of the tribes. For the time being, we’ll leave the negotiations to the magistrate—without military presence.”

“S-Sir!” responded Raklum without missing a beat.

Wein watched him go from the edge of his vision before turning toward the tent where Lowellmina was waiting.

“—Thanks for nothing, Lowellmina.”

Lowellmina loved the Empire.

She loved it for its diverse array of nations, peoples, cultures, ideologies, and faiths jumbled together in a disorderly mess.

That’s why she had devoted her entire life to the Empire. She dreamed of supporting her nation and devoured knowledge with greed. She had no doubt that she would be rewarded if she kept it up.

But those dreams were dashed at a certain banquet.

The Emperor had quizzed his eldest son on politics. When his son was unable to respond, the Emperor’s mood became sour, dampening the vibe of the entire party.

It had been at this point that Lowellmina offered the correct answer from beside them. The Emperor praised her, and the vassals remarked that they’d expect no less of their Imperial Princess. The eldest son had turned bright red with embarrassment, but she paid him no mind. For Lowellmina, it was more important to become a rock for the Empire as quickly as possible.

But from that day forward, the circumstances around her changed.

Her time to learn politics became crammed with lessons on poetry and dance. The vassals engaged in national politics kept their distance. And to top it off, she was forced to stop sitting in on the affairs of the Imperial Court as she’d been allowed before. That was when it became clear that this was happening according to someone’s will.

She initially had thought it was the work of her embarrassed eldest brother, but that wasn’t the case.

It was all under the orders of the Emperor.

As a father, the Emperor loved Lowellmina, but he hadn’t the slightest intention of naming her his successor—because she was a girl.

The Empire was a country that held onto a creed of talent over status. And yet, the Emperor held onto the belief that women were best served when dolled up and speaking in soft, melodic voices. They were not meant to bear the burden of national politics.

But Lowellmina was jolted to her very core by the events that followed.

When she realized that the Emperor’s will was unwavering, she began trying to work through the vassals. But not a single one paid any attention to her. They had feared invoking the Emperor’s displeasure—

or so one might think.

In reality, most of the vassals agreed with the Emperor that women shouldn’t be involved in government affairs. Even the court ladies agreed it was the unconditional truth.

And the most terrifying part of all: They meant her no harm. With good intentions and these beliefs, they were keeping her away from politics, knowing full well she was more than capable. They didn’t want her to know the unhappiness that was part and parcel with meddling in these affairs.

How could Lowellmina describe her shock?

She wasn’t facing a conspiracy of just one or two people. And it wasn’t only in the palace but most of her country that stood in her way. It was a barricade of people who shared this cultural hegemony. And when Lowellmina found out about this system of beliefs, she realized there was nothing she could do to change it.

From then on, she locked herself away in the palace, feeling as though she would suffocate upon looking at her personal library, knowing that studying was meaningless. She ceased to flip through the pages. She took her frustration out on those around her. She lamented that she was born a girl.

But time was relentless and continued to pass without change.

One day, her older sister made a proposal. She couldn’t stand to see her sister wasting away anymore: What if she went to the military academy for a change of pace?

Lowellmina agreed. They schemed that she would attend under the pretext of scoping out potential suitors. Of course, no one from the Imperial family could choose their own marriage partners. But even the Emperor must have been concerned about his beloved daughter. With her sister’s support, it was a done deal.

She would lie about her social status upon entering the academy. There were plenty of reasons for this, but the true motive was that if she wasn’t herself, Lowellmina could at last escape this feeling of asphyxiation.

Which led to her meeting…

“Wein, the final painting is here.”

Strang was carrying a canvas into the room. It was a piece by a famous artist. Its value was enough to cause the hands of those who knew its name to tremble just by holding its frame.

But Strang and Wein were handling it without care—not that it was weird or anything, since it was a fake.

“Nice. Better than I expected.”

“Yeah. It’ll take someone with a good eye to spot the differences in all our counterfeits.”

“But I can’t believe you were able to get your hands on these, Strang.”

“I have a few connections with artists. Glen, how are things with you?”

“I’ve got a path to sneak into the mansion as well as an escape route, in case something goes wrong.” Glen gave a sour look as he answered. “But are we really going through with this? The guy’s an Imperial aristocrat.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, it’s a bit late for that, Glen. Remember: Our target exploited his subjects, right?”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“C’mon, it’s not like we’re assassinating him. He’s used dirty money to procure his needless collection of paintings, and we’re just gonna swap them out with Strang’s pieces of art. I’m telling you, no one will notice.”

“He’s right, Glen. The guy has no eye for art. We’re gonna offer them to someone who understands their true worth and distribute the payout to his people. Justice will be served!”

“Justice… When you put it that way… I’m on board!”

“As gullible as ever.”

“You’re right. I worry he’ll be tricked by some nasty friends.”

“Did you guys say something?”

““Nothing,”” Wein and Strang answered together, shaking their heads to the side.

Ninym appeared in the room. “I’ve sealed the business deal. Our paintings will be ready to head West.”

“All right. Let’s go and get the goods.”

The group began hauling the paintings out of the room one by one.

Just as Wein went for another, he turned around. “What’s wrong, Lowa? You’re spacing out.”

Lowellmina had been completely motionless in a corner of the room. Her face twitched slightly after being called on.

“…Just observing.”

“Observing? What?”

“You.”

Wein blinked and flashed a pompous smile. “Guess you finally caught on that I’m hot stuff.”

“Not at all.”

“Oh.”

“Not in the least.”

“You just had to say it twice, huh…”

“Impossible.”

“Is it really necessary to say it a third time?!” he yowled, kneading and stretching his own face.

And I thought I was pretty good-looking, his expression whined silently.

Lowellmina let out a heavy sigh. “How should I say this? I guess I’m jealous that you seem to live without a care in the world.”

“What? Trying to pick a fight? Have you been trying to stir me up this entire time?”

“It’s not like that. I mean it. I envy you,” she admitted in a melancholy way.

Wein observed her before giving her a small nod, as if in sympathy. “All right. Cool. See ya.”

“Hold it.” She yanked his collar as he turned on his heel to walk away. “I think this is the part where you hear me out.”

“No way! I want absolutely nothing to do with your annoying mess…!”

“After all I’ve done to plan this exciting adventure to swap out an aristocrat’s artwork? And you’re still going to be a stingy…?”

“Hey now. Listen up, Lowa. Think of me as an idiot who sees himself as a special snowflake. You can mock me when I fall flat on my face, like, Hah! Serves you riiiiiiight! I’m the type of guy who will pass up anything that might create a problem for me, including listening to the woes of teenage girls!”

“You shouldn’t puff out your chest while you say that!”

“Well, when you have nothing to be ashamed of, your spine becomes straighter,” Wein declared as he tossed his hair back with a dramatic flair, but Lowellmina kept her hand firmly on the nape of his neck.

Wein helplessly continued. “…Uh, so, you should go to Ninym for that. Yeah, Ninym. Since you’re both girls. It’s probably better that way.”

“It can’t be Ninym. It has to be you.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

Their gazes pierced each other for a moment.

Wein finally caved. “Ugh, fine, I get it. Just spit it out already. I promise to grunt at the right intervals.”

“…It’s about my family.”

“Oh boy! Here it is! Ranking at the top of the charts for Most Annoying Problems of All Time, family issues!” he joked.

Lowellmina glared at him, but this didn’t bother Wein in the slightest.

“Ooh, let me guess. Your family is keeping you from doing great things because it’s not proper for a lady, and you’re fed up with it. Right?”

This startled Lowellmina. “H-how did you…?”

She’d thought that he had somehow worked out she was actually the Imperial Princess, but he proved otherwise.

“You’ve got top grades at the academy. You don’t act shy around the guys, and you stand your ground. Plus, a bunch of other stuff besides. It’s easy enough to guess what’s on your mind.”

That wasn’t a simple matter at all. This confirmed her earlier suspicions that Wein possessed a rare insight.

“If you plan on asking me for advice, I’ve prepared a jokey answer and a real one. Which do you want?”

“The real one,” she said without hesitation, and Wein obliged.

“Start a war.”

“……What?” Lowellmina blinked back at his perplexing response.

Wein must have known that this reaction was coming.

“Listen up. This isn’t about your family. Your problem is a culmination of the Empire’s—no, the continent’s culture of misogyny, which it’s spent years trying to indoctrinate. I can’t even imagine the weight and depth of it.” Wein went on. “But it’s a product made by and for the people. Just like language and etiquette, it’s nothing more than a local rule that applies to humans.”

“…I’ve never thought of it that way.”

She understood what he was saying. Compared to absolutes like aging and gravity, ideologies and cultures were nothing more than local rules. They could change according to the circumstances of a country or its people. In fact, they had a history of doing just that.

Okay, but why would you think to suggest that I change it myself…?

Lowellmina knew Wein’s true identity and that he’d received an advanced education. But that could also be said about herself. And yet, unlike him, she hadn’t been able to make a bold decision.

It wasn’t as if Lowellmina was at fault, though. The majority held the same mindset she did.

Wein was the odd one out for thinking his solution was perfectly natural.

“For example, we all used to eat with our bare hands, but these days, it’s common sense to use a knife and fork. Why? Because someone way back when spread the word, and people made it part of the established culture. As a result, eating with your hands was eliminated. The same can happen with chauvinism.”

“…You’re saying we can change? By our own hands.”

Wein gave an unwavering nod. “There isn’t anything inherently good or bad about ideas and beliefs. They’re the same as strengths and weaknesses. Like how weak people lose or powerless countries are destroyed. In the same way, shaky beliefs can be weeded out. That’s why, Lowa, if you want to reject a widespread idea, you can do nothing short of solidifying your ideals and starting a war.”

“You say I should make them solid… But how?”

“An idea is stronger when more people are backing it. Find others who are dissatisfied and become friends with them. Name and give a voice to your goals to spread the word. Make an emotional appeal to gain sympathy from the masses. take advantage of your eloquence to win over intellectuals.”

Wein answered so smoothly that Lowellmina couldn’t help but shudder. Were they really the same age? He sounded like a wise man who’d been living for an eternity.

“Win the battle of wits, and your ideas become ‘right.’ Our cultural norms are strong enough to punch down any other beliefs. You’ve experienced it, too. And they can stand firm against other ideologies because they’re ‘right.’ You have to usurp their place if you don’t want to be crushed.”

“…You really have a way of casually stating the impossible.”

Wein had given Lowellmina more than enough information to sort through and digest. In fact, she was so overwhelmed she hadn’t thought of an action plan. But she understood that he was suggesting the road less traveled.

“Depending on the situation, your suggestion will end in my death.”

“But if you do nothing, you’ll be giving in to society. The death of your soul. Doesn’t it help to think that way? Die physically or psychologically. The choice is up to you.”

“That doesn’t help at all…” Lowellmina lamented, sighing and shaking her head.

Wein was saying the absurd. This just wasn’t practical.

On the other hand, her heart did feel lighter for some reason. Even if it wasn’t realistic, there was now a path toward confronting the wall that was blocking her. It transformed her beliefs to learn of its existence.

“…Hey, Wein.” It surprised her to hear the gentleness and hope in her voice. “If I chose to fight…would you support me?”

“What? No way.”

Lowellmina punted Wein in the shin.

“Ow! Damn! What was that for?!”

“This! Is! Normally! Where! You! Would! Nod!”

“Don’t be stupid! I’ve got stuff to do, too!”

“And what could that possibly be?!”

“I’ve got lots on my plate! Lots! …Well, to tell you the truth, they’re all pains in the ass. There’s a good chance I’ll bail halfway.”

“Then give up now and help me!”

“Aren’t you the one talking nonsense?!”

“That makes two of us!”

They continued to yell at each other for some time as the argument unraveled. When their heads finally cooled off, Lowellmina heaved a big sigh.

“—Okay. You’re right. This is my problem. I should be the one to take care of it.”

When she thought about it, it’d been shameless of her to demand help on top of asking for advice. Not to mention Wein was the crown prince of Natra, which he didn’t know that she knew. When she considered his position, it was obvious there was no way he could have accepted. Lowellmina reflected on her foolishness.

“Thank you, Wein. I’ve found my goal, thanks to you. I have a lot to think about.”

“Glad to hear. I’m rooting for you,” Wein replied as Lowellmina bowed deeply.

Ninym’s voice rang from outside the room. “Wein! Lowa! What are you doing? We’re ready to go!”

“Whoops. Guess we got caught up in conversation.”

“Seems that way. Let’s go, Wein.”

The two exited the room and went down the hallway together.

After they’d been walking for some time, Wein spoke up with hesitation. “Ah… Well, Lowa.”

“What is it?”

“If you need my help, I guess you could get me involved in your mess if you want.”

Lowellmina stopped without thinking, but Wein walked on as if nothing had happened. In a flustered state, she rushed to catch up to him.

“…You’d be willing to get wrapped up in this?” she asked with a dim hope.

“Nope, I’d avoid it at all costs.”

Curse this man, she thought after seeing her dreams dashed.

But then Wein clarified his true intentions. “Go ahead and work hard to get me mixed up in it. If I can’t escape—well, I’d probably end up lending a hand or two.”

“……” She didn’t break stride this time.

Keeping in step with Wein, she spoke quietly after a long pause. “You’re a strange one, Wein.”

“You’re the last person I want to hear that from.”

“Well, let’s just say we’re one and the same.”

As Lowellmina chuckled to herself, her mirth soon spread to Wein. The two continued walking together toward where their friends waited for them.

“ Mmm.”

Lowellmina opened her eyes as the sun beat down on her face.

“Good morning, Princess Lowellmina,” greeted Fyshe.

Ever since their arrival Natra, she’d been the one in charge of waking Lowellmina each morning in the palace bedroom allotted to her. After the feud with the tribes had been settled, Lowellmina had returned to the palace with Wein.

“Good morning, Fyshe… Yawn.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. I had a nostalgic dream.”

“From your countenance, I’m guessing it was a lovely one.”

“Well… It’s a very important memory of mine.”

Although she was probably the only one who felt that way.

After all, when they snuck into that aristocrat’s mansion, one unexpected event happened after another, and the situation had escalated into a chaotic uproar. There was no doubt that all memory of their chat had been wiped clean from Wein’s mind.

“Fyshe, I don’t have anything in particular scheduled today, right?” Lowellmina confirmed as she stretched lightly.

Since coming to Natra, every day had been packed with dinners and visiting various locations, including a battlefield, but she’d recalled there was nothing in particular on this day.

But the reply was different from her memories.

“The crown prince would like to invite you to tea.”

“Prince Wein, huh.” The moment the name registered in her brain, her sleepy mind sprang to life.

“What shall I do?” Fyshe asked.

“Please inform him that I look forward to it.”

“Understood.”

This was Wein they were talking about. There was no way he was inviting her to make small talk.

Would he doggedly probe her? Or did he have other intentions entirely?

I accept his challenge, whatever it may be.

Lowellmina donned a fearless smile and rose from the bed.

A clear blue sky spread over the Kingdom of Natra, and warm sunlight filled the air, which was unusual for this time of year. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be possible to leisurely sit in the breeze as it blew through open windows, but by pairing it with the warmth of the sun’s rays and a cup of tea, it was almost pleasant.

“I’ve been impressed time and time again since arriving in this country, including by the flavor of your black tea.”

Following her arrival, Lowellmina was enjoying a cup of tea that had been poured in a white porcelain teacup.

“Its rich aroma. Its color, a clear crimson without a hint of murkiness. Amazing. I imagine it’d be in high demand at the Empire. Why haven’t you exported it yet?”

“Well, the tea leaves only grow in the mountain ranges,” Wein replied directly across from her. “We’ve been tinkering around with a few things, but mass production is completely out of reach in the near future. Which means most of it is consumed domestically.”

“That’s a shame.”

“You wanna bring some home with you?”

“I would love that.” Lowellmina smiled and sipped her tea.

If there had been an artist or an aspiring one, they would have taken to paper or canvas to capture the perfect beauty of the scene. But there was no one in the room besides Lowellmina and Wein, and neither were the artistic type, unfortunately.

“Guess you’ll be going home soon, Lowa.”

“Yes. I’ve had a lovely time.”

It’d been almost two weeks since the delegation arrived. As Wein had just vocalized, the day she was to return to the Empire was fast approaching.

“My only regret is that I couldn’t get you to declare that you’ll be supporting my cause of usurping the Empire until today.”

“BWA-HA-HA!” Wein guffawed before cutting himself off. “You’ve got some nerve. I know that’s not what you’ve been scheming all along.”

This caused a rift between them.

A troubled look flashed across Lowellmina’s face in that split second.

“You say the strangest things.” She was obviously shaken, like if she’d been falsely suspected of wrongdoing. “Why would I come otherwise? To rekindle an old friendship? To see the sights? To investigate the gold mine that your kingdom seized?”

“Nah. There’s only one reason why you’d put yourself at risk to come here, Lowa.” His gaze pierced through her. “It’s all in order to save the Empire. Right, Lowellmina Earthworld?”

Agitation evaporated from her face.

She giggled. “I’d like to say bravo, Wein, that’s just like you…but you know nothing at all. How could you possibly tie this trip to saving the Empire?” Lowellmina asked mischievously.

Wein adopted a bitter expression. “Which means you won’t come clean with me. Fine.”

He continued. “Okay, I’ll be frank. I’m guessing that at the first hint of spring, the conquered nations in the former alliance are going to stage a revolt against the Empire with the other territories in tow. And you’re here to prevent that.”

“……Well, well, well.” Lowellmina took an elegant sip of her tea. “And would you care to tell me how you came to this conclusion?”

“It hit me when I saw the weapons of the Heinoy and Eshio. They were produced in the West, which meant they came into Natra through a transit point in the East. That means they’re just a morsel of the stash of weapons that the Empire prepared in case of a civil war.”

“…You’re saying our glorious Empire uses weapons of the West? What a distasteful topic. That said, it’s not all that strange. I know Imperial equipment is of the highest caliber, but with three factions fighting over them, there’s hardly enough to go around. As a last resort, isn’t acquiring weapons from the West the logical next step?”

“Yeah, but only if you hadn’t divided them equally among yourselves.” Wein flung a stack of documents on the desk. “I mobilized my troops to investigate—all hands on deck. We looked into the stocks of weapons in each territory and found that they’d all somehow been spread among the three factions of the Imperial Princes.”

Lowellmina took the papers and gave a quiet groan. “To discover this in such a short amount of time… Your network of spies shouldn’t be underestimated.”

Wein went on. “We looked into the future goals of those in the occupied territories: connections, extortion, fame, advancement… From the outside, it appears they’ve aligned themselves with one of the princes for a variety of reasons—and this resulted in the current struggle for power. But follow the flow of weapons. You’ll see that this situation was created with a clear purpose in mind.”

“……”

“Speak of a rivalry between the factions. Heighten concern for civil war. Distribute equipment en masse to the occupied territories under the pretext of preparing for an internal conflict. Use this opportunity to start a rebellion in these areas to destroy the Empire in one go. That’s the scenario currently coming to a boil on the Eastern side of the continent, Lowa. How’s that?” Wein laid things out with eloquence and true power.

It was a voice that could overpower and shackle her, forcing her to nod along.

But Lowellmina deflected it.

“You’re coming up short. Let’s assume your hypothesis is correct. Why am I here? If you’re saying I knew about this all along, shouldn’t I be warning my brothers?”

“I bet you did. They just didn’t listen. Or they listened and chose to do nothing. It’d be hard to completely cover up these traps for the rebellion. If it were me, I’d intentionally spread fake information and give my opponents in a false sense of security. I’m assuming all three princes have been informed of the impending revolt but are predicting it to be smaller than its actual size. Instead of squashing the rebellion before it starts, I bet each plan is being used as an opportunity to beat down the other two factions from the throne.”

Wein snorted before continuing. “Well, to be precise, those around them guided the princes into thinking this way. The vassals must be scheming that it’d be better to build connections with the West—especially with the Emperor laid low by illness and his successors found wanting.”

And this was where Lowa’s status made the greatest impact.

Though the Empire was a meritocracy, men spearheaded politics for the most part. There was no room for women. And Lowa herself had no notable accomplishments in the political realm, which meant it didn’t matter if she warned her brothers of oncoming revolt. Their disloyal retainers could easily put her in her place.

“And when you realized that you couldn’t rely on your brothers, you made a big gamble: To pressure one of the forces to start their rebellion early, convince your brothers to recognize its danger, and provide hard proof of the uprising. And you chose to do that in—”

“Natra. And the Gairan State next to it—where Marquis Antgadull has his stronghold.” Lowellmina released a lamenting sigh and looked at Wein. “Incredible… You’ve come to the right conclusion.”

“Is this where I say I’m honored to receive your praise?”

“I offer you a kiss as a reward.”

“I’ll pass.”

Lowellmina shrugged her shoulders as if to say How unfortunate.

“In the grand scheme of things, you’re spot on. I felt that something was off about the factions, so I had Fyshe help me investigate. I picked up on the scheme around summertime, but I was unable to persuade my brothers. I couldn’t accomplish anything by myself, either. Which is why I thought I would use myself as bait to throw off their pace.”

“With your nominal claim to the throne.”

Lowellmina nodded. “I assume that the nations in the West want to march to the other side of the continent once the Empire has fallen to ruin. But those in the former alliance have different plans entirely. They hope to rise as independent nations and achieve distinction, but they view the West as a threat. Once they topple the Empire and achieve independence, they need to absorb the Empire’s power to resist Western interference.”

“If the rebellion succeeds, the princes will be killed—no doubt,” Wein added. “And your older sister, the Imperial Princess who married an Imperial aristocrat, would be another likely target for execution. That would leave the youngest, unmarried Imperial Princess—you. By capturing you, the captor can take the Empire’s legacy for themselves… In fact, they could even call their nation ‘the Second Empire.’ That wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.”

“And what do you think might happen if that person in question left the palace without a proper guard?”

“They’d go out of their way to get a hold of you, even if it was difficult.”

This chick is bonkers, Wein thought.

He understood her reasoning. There was no other way to escape this quandary, meaning it was all she could do. That said, humans tended to fall into indecision when it came down to the wire, and he knew she was unusually courageous for walking this metaphorical tightrope.

“I mulled over who might fall hook, line, and sinker and decided on Marquis Antgadull. I knew he was part of the rebellion, but his family has a bad rep for betraying the alliance in the past. I was sure he would want me as a pawn, no matter what.”

It was here Lowellmina smiled.

“This was around the time I heard you were searching for a princess. A real lifesaver. I was able to position myself within your neighbor’s reach—for the taking of Marquis Antgadull.”

Which meant she’d come to Natra before winter set in to give his army the chance to seize her.

It would be midwinter upon her capture, meaning the Imperial forces would have trouble operating at maximum capacity. His army would only need to hold back their advances until the revolt in spring. There was no doubt she could count on Marquis Antgadull making this assumption.

She’d stayed in Natra long enough to buy time for the marquis to build his army. Lowellmina spoke of her plan casually, but it was a frightfully elaborate scheme.

That’s why Wein had one point he didn’t understand.

“…What were you gonna do if I handed you over to the marquis?”

“Odds are you wouldn’t. And when I arrived, I became absolutely certain this wouldn’t be the case.”

“Why?”

“Because of Ninym.”

This was unexpected. Wein was slightly caught off guard.

She reminisced. “Back in our school days, there was a time when Ninym dueled with the other students.”

“…And what about it?”

“I thought it was because they looked down on her for being a Flahm. But she was usually calm and collected. Something was off about this situation. Then why did she fight? …What if I said she wanted to solve this issue with her own hands to prevent you from taking these students down?”

“……” Wein couldn’t answer.

But his silence spoke volumes.

“You and Ninym share a special bond. I think it takes precedence to everything else. If you were to hand me over, the revolt would kick off and usher in a surge of Western influence. With Natra on the border between the two sides, you’d be unable to escape. That’s why I knew you wouldn’t do it. There’s one place you’ll never side with: the West, where they treat the Flahm as slaves.”

“…That’s why you were glad to see Ninym still by my side.” Wein brushed back his hair as he sighed. “I thought it was odd, but now I get what you were trying to say.”

“Of course, I meant what I said as a friend, too. In any case,” Lowellmina went on, “those were my secrets. That’s it. I’m sure that Marquis Antgadull will raise his forces to invade Natra and capture me shortly. You stop him for me, and I save the Empire.”

If Wein refused to hand her over, that meant a clash with Antgadull forces was unavoidable. And since it was known throughout the land that Imperial envoys were here on business, he couldn’t insist on claiming complete ignorance, either.

“…Have you lost faith in me? To think I’d call myself your friend and use you for the sake of the Empire.”

Anyone with a heightened sense of hearing might have detected the slight trembling in Lowellmina’s voice.

Either way, Wein only had one answer. “Of course not. That’s what makes you the Lowa Felbis I’ve come to know.” He grinned. “But let me ask you this: Will Antgadull’s army really come to invade us?”

Lowellmina knit her eyebrows. “…I see. You’ve made your own move.”

When she thought about it, he’d been easygoing as they reviewed their answers and hypotheses together. It was natural to think he’d already enacted a plan.

But he shouldn’t have had any time to spare…

He’d probably come to this conclusion after quelling the tribal conflict. There hadn’t been much time between then and now for him to make any plans.

And Wein’s move had actually been a simple one. “What? It’s no biggie. I just wrote Marquis Antgadull a letter.”

“A letter…?”

“Yeah, a little something that says a certain high-ranking aristocrat will be heading toward her mansion after completing their stay in our Kingdom of Natra.”

Lowellmina adopted a look of surprise and concern. “…What’s that supposed to do? That’s nothing.”

“Which is the best approach. It’s crude and sloppy, and that’s why he’ll bite. He won’t be able to help it. The idea is to make him think he’s got no reason to fight—since you’re falling right into his lap. He might invade Natra if you’re here, but that won’t be the case. Especially since Marquis Antgadull is the type of guy who likes taking the path of least resistance.”

“……”

“You’ve got it right that I don’t want to be bossed around by the West. But I don’t plan on going to war with Antgadull over it, either. Sorry, but I suggest you think of another way to stop the rebellion.”

Lowellmina was seriously racking her brain.

If she couldn’t make Antgadull rise up in revolt at the right time, her plan would collapse. That said, it wouldn’t do her any good to send him another letter claiming that the first message was all a mistake. After all, it was known that she was here on official business. Plus, with their return to the Empire fast approaching, any letter that was sent now wouldn’t reach its destination before her departure.

Even the original trip to Natra had been a near impossible request. If she expressed her wishes to extend her stay, she knew the majority of her envoys would be against it. And that would be tricky to override.

“I see. I didn’t anticipate my plans being thwarted. What a surprise. Well, if you’ve actually stopped me, that is.”

Lowellmina knew that those odds were slim.

She hadn’t realized that he’d investigated the son, the current Marquis Antgadull, while also researching his predecessor. Even if she had, she still would have thought the same thing.

She had confidence that her plan would be fulfilled.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Ninym burst through that door in a panic to tell you of an enemy invasion.”

But when it came to confidence, Wein didn’t fall far behind.

“Nah, won’t happen,” he proclaimed loudly. “Let’s make a bet. I say Antgadull’s army won’t make a move!”

Just when he’d finished, there was a dynamic bang! and the door flew open.

“ Your Highness!” Ninym kneeled before Wein and Lowellmina in a fluster. “My apologies for interrupting your discussion. I have urgent news…!”

Lowellmina looked at the dumbfounded Wein with a triumphant smile.

“What were you saying? Ah, right… Something about making a bet, right?”

“…No, no, no, no, NO, NO-NO-NO! Wait! Hold up! Just a sec! This has gotta be some sort of mix-up.”

“You never know when to give up, Wein. I’ll be generous enough to collect your debt at a later date. Matters of higher priority take precedence.”

Lowellmina turned to Ninym.

“Well then, Ninym, tell me about Antgadull’s army. Where are they? I’m not completely uninvolved. I believe I have the right to hear.”

Ninym blinked back. “—We have had no reports of military activity.”

““What?””

Ninym took a breath. “The son of Marquis Antgadull, Lord Geralt Antgadull, has just arrived at the palace!”

““Whaaaaaaaaaaat?!”” Wein and Lowellmina let out an astonished shout.