Genjitsushugisha no Oukokukaizouki - Volume 16 - Chapter 5

 Chapter 5: Crossed and Conflicting Intentions

With Fuuga’s sights set on the Empire and Yuriga’s decision to marry me in the future, our country had managed to avoid conflict with the Great Tiger Kingdom for the present. That gave us a lot of time to work with. This wouldn’t have been possible without Yuriga working to realize her own desires, and Liscia and my other wives helping her because of their common interests.

The day after the meeting with Fuuga, I was with Liscia and Yuriga explaining to my other wives—who weren’t at the meeting—what had happened. That said, Yuriga had all of them in on it from the beginning, so I didn’t need to explain her feelings to them as they already knew more than I did. When I told them Yuriga would be marrying into the family, they all cheered for some reason, and Roroa and Aisha even clapped.

“Ya really pulled it off. Nice goin’.”

“You bent Fuuga to your will. Even warriors would have trouble doing that.”

Naden, meanwhile, stood in front of Yuriga, hands on her hips and chest thrust outwards.

“Now I’ve got a queen who’s my junior. People have been treating me like I was younger than I am, but now everyone will see they can’t treat me like a kid anymore.”

“Hmm... But don’t you see that Yuriga is already taller than you?” Juna pointed out.

“Whuh?” gasped Naden, and her eyes widened. Her body hadn’t changed much since we met, while Yuriga’s figure had filled out, giving her a more womanly form.

If you asked me which of them was younger...I’d have had to go with Naden too.

“I-It’s okay, Lady Naden! I’ll show you the respect you’re due as my senior!” Yuriga hurriedly reassured her before she could get too depressed.

“You mean it?” Naden asked, eyes upturned, and Yuriga nodded vigorously.

“Oh, my. But when Yuriga marries into the family, she’ll be a primary queen, won’t she? As secondary queens, aren’t we the ones who have to show her the proper respect?”

Naden’s shoulders slumped as Juna pointed this out too.

“Juna...” I said, looking at her reproachfully.

“Hee hee!” Juna playfully stuck out her tongue.

I gave Naden a hug and a pat on the head to raise her spirits.

“Yuriga wants to keep playing mage soccer, and it’ll probably still be a little while before the wedding. If Fuuga announces the engagement, I just plan to confirm it for now. So she’s just my fiancée for the time being.”

If we maintained a loose relationship status, it would be possible to break things off if the situation called for it. Should Yuriga decide later that she doesn’t want to marry me, I wasn’t going to force her. But saying that now would trample on her determination, so I kept it to myself.

I bowed my head to all my wives.

“If Yuriga does join our family, I want all of you to be good to her.”

“Of course,” Liscia said, hugging Yuriga tight. “If anything happened to her, Tomoe would cry... And, I mean, Yuriga is like a little sister to me too. I couldn’t make any of my sisters cry.”

“L-Lady Liscia...” Yuriga said, blushing.

Yeah, they’re going to be fine. As I was thinking that, Roroa suddenly crossed her arms and groaned. What’s she going to say?

Roroa glanced at Yuriga. “Is it okay to assume Yuriga’s on our side? Is she gonna keep makin’ reports to the Great Tiger Kingdom?”

“Ah! No!”

Yuriga slipped out of Liscia’s arms and placed her right hand over her chest.

“If I’m going to marry Sir Souma, I need to put this country’s interests first. My obligation to report to my brother ended with yesterday’s meeting. If you tell me to send him false information, I would be hesitant to the idea, but I won’t tell him any of this country’s secrets that I might learn! Because, if I do anything that hurts this country, I won’t be able to beg for his life!”

Hearing all this, Roroa then glanced at me. She was probably checking to see whether it was okay to trust her.

I nodded, and Roroa seemed satisfied.

“Well, in that case, I’m not gonna hesitate to talk. We may be fine with all this, but the problem’s the Empire, right? Fuuga Haan’s goin’ after the Empire, so won’t you gettin’ engaged to his sister shock them?”

“Yeah, you have a point there...”

Unlike us, who had been given a little extra time thanks to Yuriga, Maria and Jeanne’s Empire was about to face the moment of truth.

“I’ve got Hakuya contacting Madam Jeanne about it right now. He’ll be telling her about everything, including Yuriga.”

“Madam Jeanne...gets along pretty well with Hakuya, right?” Liscia mumbled to herself. “This must be difficult for him...”

Yeah... I know it was his job, but maybe I’d pushed an unpleasant task onto him.

◇ ◇ ◇

At the same time, in the room with the broadcast jewel...

“I see... Sir Souma, with Sir Fuuga’s little sister...”

“Yes...”

Black-robed Prime Minister Hakuya and Little Sister General Jeanne were talking over the Jewel Voice Broadcast. He had just finished recounting what had happened during the broadcast meeting between Souma and Fuuga yesterday.

“That Yuriga girl sounds pretty competent; starting a fight with her own brother in order to get what she wants... Compared to the way we’ve been on the back foot against him lately, it’s satisfying to see that happen.”

Jeanne let out a self-derisive laugh. Hakuya’s expression grew concerned.

“You’re on the back foot?”

“Yes. With the Great Tiger Kingdom’s rise, the support for our own country and our vassal states after the natural disasters, the sudden abolition of slavery...our country is in a state of disarray. Now, on top of that, if we have Sir Souma getting engaged to Madam Yuriga—thus creating a familial bond between the Kingdom of Friedonia and the Great Tiger Kingdom—that will only breed further confusion. That man...Hashim, was it? Fuuga’s advisor is sure to spread word of it far and wide.”

“I’m sorry to cause you additional trouble...” Hakuya apologized, but Jeanne shook her head.

“No. You did what you had to. It’s only natural to put your own country first... Even if we’re on the back foot, in the past, my sister would still have been able to do something about it. The fact that she can’t now is a failing of our country.”

“Is Madam Maria...the same as always?” Hakuya asked hesitantly. Jeanne nodded.

“As always, she’s slow to act. She only responds to issues as they arise...”

“I see...”

“Honestly... I don’t know what she’s thinking...” Jeanne muttered, a pained look on her face. She shook her head. “I’m speaking in a personal capacity... Please, ignore what I’m about to say... To my eyes...it looks like my sister has lost the will to be Empress. I know she’s been enduring the weight of responsibility all this time. But if that’s true...then this country is...”

Hakuya looked at her, speechless, and Jeanne let out a weak laugh.

“Ah ha ha... I shouldn’t be like this. The commander of the Empire’s armies mustn’t think like this. No matter what decision my sister comes to, I will protect her.”

“Madam Jeanne... I...”

“Don’t worry about it. You are the prime minister of the Kingdom of Friedonia. You should act on behalf of your own country. Don’t strain yourself on our account.”

Jeanne rejected him with a smile on her lips.

“If the worst should happen... Sir Hakuya. Please, stay well.”

There was nothing more Hakuya could say.

Step, step, step. Prime Minister Hakuya walked the halls of Parnam Castle, lost in thought. His face was as calm as ever, but in his mind he was playing out simulation after simulation, giving no attention to his surroundings. Bureaucrats greeted him, guards saluted him, but Hakuya just kept walking, unnoticing.

His mind was occupied by two things: Jeanne’s pained face on the other side of the broadcast as she rejected his help, and simulations of how the Kingdom of Friedonia was best to act from here on. A brilliant mind that he was, Hakuya had a firm understanding of the situation. If the Kingdom of Friedonia was going to prepare to deal with the growth of the Great Tiger Kingdom, it was in their interest for the Empire to be destroyed.

If the Great Tiger Kingdom and the Empire fight a total war, the Empire will almost undoubtedly lose, he thought. The Empire’s knights and nobility are torn on whether or not they support Madam Maria right now. Unless they unite as one, not even the Empire can fend off the fierce attacks of the Great Tiger Kingdom. But she still has the overwhelming support of the rest of her people.

Step, step, step.

If the people who worship Madam Maria as the Saint of the Empire have an almost religious belief in her... If Fuuga were to kill Madam Maria...the whole Empire would rage. Their massive territory would become an unstable region with frequent rebellions. When they put down one rebellion, the resentment will remain and fester once more. He won’t be able to say, “Today the Empire, tomorrow the Kingdom of Friedonia,” and invade us next. He’ll need a great deal of time and effort to solidify his position in the Empire.

Step, step, step.

Fuuga and Hashim must know this. Once their victory is assured, they’ll call on Madam Maria to surrender. If they can make her submit without killing her, they can keep her believers under their control. But Madam Maria won’t submit. She wouldn’t make her people follow a man as bellicose as Fuuga, and would defend them as long as she’s still alive to do so.

Step, step, step.

In the event that Fuuga goes to war with the Empire, he can only end the war with their total annexation. That means ruling over a vast and restive territory. During the meeting, Fuuga said that once he united the continent, he would give it to His Majesty... In a way, that’s true. Once he unites the continent and amasses all the enmity that will earn him, Fuuga won’t be able to maintain the unified nation.

Step, step, step.

So...if you think about it from just this country’s perspective... Our best move is not to get involved in a conflict between the Great Tiger Kingdom and the Empire. It’s not impossible that His Majesty could assume control of everything without shedding a drop of our blood. But...that means abandoning Madam Maria and Madam Jeanne...

Step, step, step.

As prime minister, I have to advise His Majesty to do that. His Majesty is a rational man, and cares deeply for his family and those who are close to him. He’ll surely want to save Madam Maria and Madam Jeanne, who were our allies. I...have to stop him... Because, on the day he hired me, I swore to myself I would support him.

“Oh, hey...”

Urgh... I mustn’t waver. I’m the prime minister of this country. I need to work for the benefit of this nation without letting myself be trapped by my own personal feelings. Madam Jeanne understands that. It’s why she turned me down. I mustn’t let my emotions sway me from my duty. If I were to abandon my role and act on Madam Jeanne’s behalf, that would sadden her...

“Hey, are you listening?”

But... Even so! Even so...in my heart, I want to...

“Hey! Hakuya!”

There was a sudden pull on his shoulder, and Hakuya turned to find Souma standing there. Aisha was behind him too.

“Your...Majesty? And Lady Aisha too.”

“Jeez, what’s got you so worked up? I called out to you, but you didn’t even respond.”

“Ah! My apologies. I’ve been thinking...”

“Yeah, I’ll bet. Your face looked scary with all those wrinkles on your forehead,” Souma said with a shrug, and Hakuya turned his face away from him.

Souma sighed, patting him on the shoulder with the hand he’d been using to hold it.

“Let’s take this conversation somewhere else. Follow me.”

“As you wish...”

The three of them went to the governmental affairs office.

“Aisha, keep people away.”

“Yes, sir! Understood!”

Souma posted Aisha at the door to the office and went inside with Hakuya. Instead of using the desk, this time they sat down facing one another on the sofas in the reception area.

Once they had relaxed a moment, Souma said, “I know why you’ve got that look on your face. It’s Madam Jeanne, isn’t it?”

Hakuya was silent, but his expression spoke for itself.

“Ha ha ha, you’re unusually easy to read for once.”

Seeing how Hakuya was shaken to have this pointed out, Souma smiled wryly.

“You had a meeting with Madam Jeanne, right? War between the Empire and the Great Tiger Kingdom is inevitable at this point. You know what will become of Madam Maria and Madam Jeanne...so you offered to help, and Madam Jeanne refused... Is that about right? Or could you not even voice your desire to save her?”

It was the latter. But Hakuya didn’t say a word. He told himself that a prime minister must not get his personal feelings involved in his work—Souma already knew, though.

“Even if you want to help Madam Jeanne, the best thing for this country is to abandon the Empire... That’s what you’re thinking, right? If we’re going to take on the Great Tiger Kingdom, it’s simply better for us if we do it when he has to deal with an unstable Empire that’s lost Madam Maria.”

“You understand me well...”

“We’ve been working together a long time,” Souma casually responded.

Hakuya gave in and spoke up. “What I should advise you is that...rather than let our momentary emotions get the best of us, we should stay out of the fight between the Empire and the Great Tiger Kingdom.”

“Even if that means abandoning Madam Maria and Madam Jeanne?”

“Indeed.”

“You think we should stay neutral?”

“Yes. Whether Sir Fuuga means to keep his word to you or not, he will not be able to fully capture the hearts and minds of the people of the Empire. Once they annex the Empire, the Great Tiger Kingdom will surely lose steam. Should we choose to join hands with them or fight them, it will be easier then.”

“You’re naive...” Souma muttered.

Hakuya snapped back to his senses and looked up at him. That’s when he realized Souma was staring at him critically.

Souma told Hakuya, “Your understanding is naive. That’s not like you, Hakuya.”

“What do you mean...?”

“‘Declaring yourself in favor of one party against the other will always be more advantageous than standing neutral.’ Those are the words of Machiavelli, the political thinker I always refer to when making decisions as a king.”

Souma was paraphrasing the twelfth chapter of The Prince, “How a Prince Should Conduct Himself So as to Gain Renown.”

“To explain what he means, imagine there are two countries, A and B, in conflict. If C remains neutral, the winner will view C as weak, and they’ll be the next target. The loser will resent C for being heartless and not coming to their aid, so if the winner attacks C they won’t be willing to help defend them. This is the harm that comes from choosing neutrality.”

Hakuya listened intently to Souma’s words.

“Now, if they declared themselves in favor of one party... Let’s say C sides with A. If A wins, they’ll share in their joys, and that will build a bond between the countries. Conversely, if A loses, A will still be grateful for the help, and if they recover at some point in the future, they’ll be a reliable ally. The winner, B, will respect C for standing by their beliefs—be wary, and if possible, try to become allies with them... Or something like that.”

Machiavelli served as a diplomat in the Italian Peninsula when it was divided between many scheming principalities, so you could see his distaste for ambiguous positions. In fact, the Florentine Republic, which Machiavelli served, remained neutral in the conflict between their longstanding ally France and the Holy League of Pope Julius II. As a result, the government of the republic was thrown out by the House of Medici with the backing of Spain, a member of the Holy League, once the French withdrew from the Italian Peninsula.

Souma told Hakuya, “If I were going to go in the direction you’ve suggested, I should align myself with Fuuga outright from the start. I could even send our troops in with Fuuga’s vanguard and help them destroy the Empire. If we don’t go that far, we won’t have a say in how things are settled after the war.”

“But we couldn’t—”

“Yeah. I don’t want to do it either. But if we aren’t prepared to go that far, we won’t be able to survive under Fuuga’s rule.”

Souma was thinking of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Ieyasu was renowned for his patience, having endured serving under other powerful figures. When his ally Oda Nobunaga called for reinforcements, he fought as hard as the Oda. Even when they lost to the Takeda, he was strong in his commitment to the Oda alliance, and he bowed his head to the next ruler, Hideyoshi, too.

If the Hidetsugu Incident hadn’t made the Toyotomi government such a mess, Ieyasu would likely have remained a loyal ally. However, after Hideyoshi’s death, he had to take over to stabilize his house and the country. This is the Ieyasu who is hated by those who are fans of the commanders of the Western Forces at the Battle of Sekigahara—like Ishida Mitsunari, who died for loyalty to the Toyotomi government, or of the commanders on the Osaka side of the Siege of Osaka, like Sanada Yukimura.

He wasn’t a commander Souma liked before, but now that he’d become king, he was finally able to see just how great Ieyasu was. If you were to ask him if he thought he could do the same, he didn’t think so.

Hakuya was looking down, a hand pressed to his forehead.

“Still... I can’t see it. I can find no other way.”

“Hakuya...”

“It is impossible to protect this country and maintain the Empire. If we recklessly try to defend both, it will turn into a quagmire. No matter how I think about it...I can’t find the answer I want.”

Hakuya hung his head. Souma was quiet for some time before opening his mouth.

“—————”

Hakuya’s head snapped up at what Souma had said. He looked at Souma, as if trying to check whether what he said was true.

Souma nodded. And then, rising to his feet, Souma gestured for Hakuya to follow him.

They went to the second war room, a place that was hardly ever used.

In the center of the gloomy room, which relied on candlelight because it had no windows, a number of tables had been pushed together with a huge map of the continent on top of them. Present was a distinguished group consisting of Liscia, Aisha, Juna, Roroa, Naden, National Defense Force Commander-in-Chief Excel, Vice-Commander Ludwin, and Julius the White Strategist. There was also Tomoe, Ichiha, and even Fuuga’s little sister Yuriga.

“I don’t believe I was ever told this war room was in use...” Hakuya said, sounding confused.

“Yeah, because you weren’t,” Souma replied with a shrug. “You were our representative in talks with the Empire, and you have feelings for Madam Jeanne too, right? Excel said it was best to hold off on telling you.”

“They say love makes men blind,” Excel said with a chuckle, hiding her mouth behind her fan.

Hakuya felt a mixture of confusion and consternation, but he set those feelings aside for the moment and stood in front of the big map. Souma stood beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Now then, Hakuya. I have high regard for your intelligence... The board is ready. The pieces too. All that remains is you. In light of everything we just talked about, here are your orders.”

Souma gestured broadly towards the map with his right arm.

“I want you to use that head of yours to devise the optimal future for us.”

◇ ◇ ◇

Meanwhile, there was a military council being held in Fuuga’s camp as well...

The Great Tiger King, Fuuga Haan, sat with the Partner of the Tiger, Mutsumi Haan, seated on one side of him, while the Wisdom of the Tiger, Hashim Chima, was seated on the other.

At the seats lining the luxurious carpet that stretched out in front of Fuuga were his wise and brave commanders: the Sword of the Tiger, Shuukin Tan; the battle-crazed Battle Ax of the Tiger, Nata Chima; the veteran Shield of the Tiger, Gaifuku Kiin; the commander of the archers, the Crossbow of the Tiger, Kasen Shuri; and the gaudy Flag of the Tiger, Gaten Bahr.

Further away were newcomers like the Saint of the Tiger, Anne, sent by the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State, as well as Lombard Remus and his wife Yomi. It was a who’s who of Fuuga’s subordinates.

The only one not present was Moumei Ryoku, the Hammer of the Tiger, who was currently serving as viceroy in Mercenary State Zem. Fuuga had determined their next target was the Empire, and now Hashim was explaining the strategy they would use against them.

“We must strike quickly and decisively,” Hashim said, pointing to the map of the continent in the center with a pointer. “If you include our allies, we have twice as many soldiers as the Empire. However, the Empire is still a more powerful nation. If this turns into a protracted war, we’ll likely have a hard time.”

“We can’t maintain our supply lines?” Shuukin asked, but Hashim shook his head.

“That is not a major concern. Fortunately, our forces are more mobile than those of other armies. When the Kingdom of Friedonia was experiencing a food crisis, I heard that they rolled out a transportation network to bring food from places that had it to places that didn’t. We can do the same. We have a lot of mounts in our forces, so we’ll have no shortage of overland transportation options. With the current strength of our country, we can wage war for a few years. The Empire also has a transportation network, perhaps modeled after the Kingdom’s. That will help us to move faster as well.”

“Introducing good ideas even if they were developed elsewhere... It speaks to Madam Maria’s broad-mindedness,” Mutsumi said, sounding impressed.

“Yeah, sure,” Fuuga replied with a laugh. “It seems the Kingdom and the Empire are more connected than we thought... Come to think of it, Souma was saying we shouldn’t underestimate Maria.”

“Indeed. That is why we must go at this with everything we have,” Hashim said with a polite bow.

The youngest member of the group, Kasen, raised his hand. “Sir Hashim. If we don’t have to worry about our supply lines, why do we need to strike so fast and decisively?”

“It’s simple. We run the risk of losing our all-important ‘momentum,’” Hashim said, tapping his left hand with the pointer. “Lord Fuuga has expanded the country this far by winning every battle he’s fought. The people supporting him believe Lord Fuuga cannot lose. It’s the same for us soldiers, isn’t it?”

“Of course,” Kasen said with a nod. Hashim nodded in return.

“Right now, if Fuuga says we are going to fight, the people will have no doubt victory is assured. When Lord Fuuga takes to the field, our enemies tremble. However, if we struggle against the Empire, we will lose that advantage. Once our abilities come into question, this smooth expansion we’ve experienced up until this point will no longer be possible.”

“So, basically, if we say we’re gonna fight, we’ve gotta win or we’re finished,” Fuuga added.

Hashim nodded in response. “Indeed. There is no need to occupy the entirety of the Empire; we just need to move quickly to the point where they concede. We can strike down Empress Maria and her sister Jeanne to destroy the House of Euphoria, or take the Imperial capital Valois... Perhaps make Maria surrender so that people see she’s lost her authority, and impress upon them that Lord Fuuga has won.”

“Hmm... You’re talking about destroying the House of Euphoria, but they have that other sister, what’s her name, in the Kingdom, right? Can we leave her alone?”

“You mean the third sister, Princess Trill. Opinion of her in the Empire is low. They talk about how she was shipped off to the Kingdom because even Maria couldn’t keep her in line. Even if King Souma were to trot her out later, no one would follow her.”

Hashim said this as if it were no big deal. Shuukin arched an eyebrow at that.

“We owe the Kingdom and Empire for their help in suppressing Magic Bug Disease. So, I don’t know about this talk of destroying them...”

“Hmm. It’s not to your liking, Sir Shuukin?”

“They did save me, after all.”

Seeing the pained look on Shuukin’s face, with cold eyes Hashim said, “We must prioritize Lord Fuuga’s great work. Or am I wrong?”

“I know that... When the time comes, I’ll kill my emotions and fight like a demon.”

“If you’re not keen on it, you can leave it to me. I’ll send those Imperial losers packing!” Nata, the battle-crazed lunatic, said with a hearty laugh.

Men as simple as him make for easy pawns, Hashim thought, but didn’t say it out loud. He pointed to the map.

“What we need is speed. There are two routes from our territory for a fast attack on Valois. One heads through their former vassal states, the Kingdom of Meltonia and the Frakt Federation, in the northeast. The other heads straight west from our allied nation, the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State, and Mercenary State Zem now ruled by Sir Moumei.”

“Let all be as Holy King Fuuga wills it.” Hearing the name of her country, Saint Anne bowed her head.

Anne was of the Lunarian Orthodox Papal State, but had been taught to submit to the ruler she served, so she would never oppose anything Fuuga did.

Looking at those routes, Lombard cocked his head to the side.

“Wouldn’t the route south from the former buffer zone be shorter?”

Hashim shook his head. “I would prefer to avoid routes near the coast. We can’t be sure that the Maritime Alliance won’t intervene.”

“I see...”

As things stood, there was no nation that could equal the Maritime Alliance in terms of naval power. Even with their incredible momentum, Fuuga’s forces couldn’t handle even just the Kingdom on its own at sea. Thus, an inland route was of utmost importance here.

“I gave him Yuriga and told him to stay put though...” Fuuga said with an exasperated shrug.

Mutsumi furrowed her brow. “Are you saying the Kingdom will align itself with the Empire?”

“Looking at how strong their connection ended up being, he might be considering protecting Maria and helping her escape... Yuriga’s going to be acting as Souma’s queen from here on, so we can’t count on her to keep him out of it. But that’s why we’re making a strong offensive, right?”

Fuuga turned to Hashim, who nodded.

“Indeed. If we let her escape, all we need to do is loudly spread the word that Maria abandoned her people. Depending on how we do it, we might even be able to make it so that Souma abducted her in the confusion. If we can hurt their opinion of the Kingdom, they will reject Maria if she tries to come back with the Kingdom’s support.”

“Harsh,” Fuuga said, half appalled, then looked at the map. “If we want to hit them hard and fast, dividing our forces is a bad idea. Do we choose one route and go with it?”

“No, we attack using both. We also make the Empire aware we will be attacking by these two routes. That will force them to spread their forces to defend them.”

“Oh-hoh...”

“However, on one route, we will only make a token effort while we focus on the other. That means we will be making a primary and secondary attack. We’ll break through their divided defenses all at once with our main force. However, while the secondary attack is not a serious one, we still need to act in a way that makes them think it will be the primary one.”

“Hmm. So, north or east? Which side do we make the main one?”

“This one,” Hashim replied, pointing to the route through the Orthodox Papal State and Zem. “If they learn we intend to attack by two routes, the Empire will assume one must be the primary invasion force. The natural thing to consider, then, is how well we can coordinate with our allies, Zem and the Orthodox Papal State. It’s only natural to be suspicious of a country you haven’t been allied with for long. Therefore, the Empire will assume ‘They will invade through the north, as it’s closer to the Great Tiger Kingdom’s main force, and the east will only be a token effort from Zem and the Orthodox Papal State.’”

“I get it. That’s how we trick them, huh?”

Fuuga crossed his arms and grunted. Hashim gave an exaggerated bow.

“Indeed. Even if the Empire does predict that this is the primary attack, they still need to position forces on the northern route. The mental strain of having a border with the Great Tiger Kingdom up north should be considerable for them. I think that our forces, together with those of the Orthodox Papal State and Zem, will be able to break through.”

“Got it.”

Fuuga stood up and drew the sword at his waist, holding it backhanded as he swung it down at the Imperial capital on the map. It went through both Valois and the table.

“We’re going with Hashim’s plan. Everyone, prepare for war!”

“““Yes, sir!”””

His vassals all rose from their seats and saluted him.

◇ ◇ ◇

While Fuuga was preparing to invade the Empire...

The Empire had noticed the moves he was making. Jeanne, the commander of the Imperial forces, went to her sister Maria to ask how they should respond. She had her soldier-face on as they stood with a map of the continent between them.

“The Great Tiger Kingdom is preparing to invade us. One route is from the north through the Federal Republic of Frakt, while the other is through their allies in Zem and the Orthodox Papal State to the east. His forces are large, and many of the soldiers are recently recruited, so I expect they will aim to strike fast and decisively. No matter which route they take, we can expect them to come straight for Valois.”

“How much greater are their forces?”

“With the loss of the Frakt Federation and Meltonia, our forces now amount to less than 250,000 men. If you include his allies, Fuuga has 400,000. That’s less than twice as many as us.”

“I see...” Maria said, nodding. “Then there’s no chance they’ll split their force perfectly in two.”

“Agreed. If they had double our strength, that would be one thing, but without it, they run the risk of being defeated in detail. The steep mountains of the Star Dragon Mountain Range lie between the two routes, so it will be hard for them to communicate. I can’t imagine that Fuuga or his advisor Hashim would employ such an amateurish plan.”

“Yes, I agree... That’s why I think one of the two must be a ruse while they focus their forces on the other. And this will be their real target.”

Maria pointed towards Zem and the Orthodox Papal State on the map.

“They’ll attack through their allies, not closer to their homeland...is what you’re saying?” Jeanne asked.

“Sir Fuuga trusts in his strength, while a schemer like Sir Hashim doesn’t trust others very well. He won’t think his allies would put up a good fight without him there to command. That said, Zemish mercenaries are experienced at acting as a diversion, and the Orthodox Papal State has a sizable military too. Without those two countries, they wouldn’t have considerably more forces than we do, right?”

“Well...even without them, they’d still have slightly more.”

“Then he’ll want them under his control so he can use them to his advantage. To do that, he needs them to join up with the main force. That’s why he’ll choose this route.”

Maria spoke confidently, but Jeanne was still unsure.

“It’s true if he takes this route, he can secure the men he needs. However, if he brings men who are not marching at the same pace with him, his advance will be slowed. Is it not entirely possible that he will use his allies as decoys while attacking from the north with a force purely of his own men?”

Jeanne presented her doubts, but Maria quietly shook her head.

“I’m sure that’s what Sir Fuuga expects us to think. It’s certain that if his goal is to destroy us and become the greatest power on this continent, that plan would work. But Sir Fuuga has grander ambitions. He intends to strike into the heart of the Demon Lord’s Domain, and perhaps to have a showdown with the Maritime Alliance to unite the continent. Which means...”

“He doesn’t want to use up his soldiers fighting us,” Jeanne said bitterly. “We’re being taken lightly...”

Maria didn’t respond. Instead, she placed a pawn on the border with Zem.

“That is why I will have you and Sir Gunther lead the majority of our forces to the east. Please, do everything you can to hold back Fuuga’s forces as they come in from Zem and the Orthodox Papal State.”

“Yes, ma’am! Understood.”

Jeanne clicked her heels together, stood up straight, and saluted.

“But what will we do about the northern route?” she asked.

“I have Sir Krahe defending us with his personal forces there. He will join up with the knights and nobles who have land in the north. That should be enough to deal with a decoy army.”

“In the north...?”

Maria’s comments made Jeanne look hesitant.

“Jeanne?”

“Oh, no... Sir Krahe is an odd one, but his loyalty to you—or his faith, rather, is abnormally strong. It’s just...Lumiere and all of them have their lands in the north.”

Lumiere was the Empire’s young and talented top bureaucrat. And she had also repeatedly objected to Maria’s policies on domestic issues.

Ever since Maria rejected her advice that “the Empire should take part of the buffer zone too” as the Great Tiger Kingdom was seizing the territory, she had secluded herself in her own domain.

“It’s not just Lumiere. The northern regions were confused by your sudden abolition of slavery, so many of the knights and nobles are pushing back against that.”

Jeanne’s comment made Maria nod sadly.

“Yes... That’s why it’s best to have them focus on defending their own lands. We’d be in trouble if they collaborated with Fuuga’s forces on the front lines. It’s my fault for not doing a better job of keeping them attached to us though.”

“Sister...” Jeanne couldn’t help but address her not as a soldier, but as a family member.

Maria smiled at Jeanne as she stood up and walked to the window.

“Hey, Jeanne? What do the soldiers think about fighting the Great Tiger Kingdom?”

“Everyone is highly motivated! They want to fight for the country, and for you! Many of the knights and nobles criticize your policies as being too passive, but those of lower birth understand! They know it’s your politics that have protected their families!”

Jeanne spoke from the heart, but Maria’s expression was unchanged.

“Then...what of the common people?”

“They love you, Sister! I...never really respected you for it, but the way you sang and danced on the broadcast made a fine lorelei that everyone loved! They’re prepared to endure any hardship for you!”

“I imagine they are,” Maria murmured, running her fingers along the window glass. “The one the people love, getting them caught up in a war... It’s almost as if...I’ve brought the war upon us.”

“No! That’s absurd!”

“Jeanne.” Maria walked over to Jeanne, took her hand, and wrapped both her own around it. “No matter what happens, I want you to survive. You are not allowed to throw your life away.”

“Sister...!” Jeanne gritted her teeth and pulled her hand away. “I will protect you, Sister! I will protect you and our country to the end!”

Then, saluting, Jeanne said, “Excuse me,” and left the room.

Left behind, Maria dragged herself to the bed and collapsed into it. She turned onto her side, clenched the sheets, and mumbled. “Sir Souma... I really...”