Chapter 6: Talks
The day of the talks between the Restoration and Beltrum Kingdom had arrived.
On one side was the Restoration, represented by Christina and Duke Huguenot.
On the other was the Beltrum Kingdom, represented by Duke Arbor’s faction.
And on the third, as witness, was King Francois of Galarc.
The leaders of the three powers gathered in a room of the guest house once used to introduce Satsuki as a hero.
“...”
The opposing forces sat facing each other, silently looking through their documents under the heavy air.
The documents in the Restoration representatives’ hands contained the list of the Beltrum Kingdom’s demands, while the documents in the Beltrum Kingdom representatives’ hands had the list of the Restoration’s demands. Francois had copies of both documents in his hands.
Father...
Celia...
Celia and her father Roland were also in the room. Despite being parent and child, they were seated on opposite sides as they worried for each other.
“Have you all done reading?”
After both sides had finished looking over the documents, King Francois opened his mouth as the chairman and witness of the meeting.
“Yes.”
“We’re ready.”
Christina and Duke Arbor replied at the same time.
“Then we will now go through everything from the top. First, the points that I found to be unreasonable. From Beltrum Kingdom, the dissolution of the Restoration and surrender of all affiliated nobility. From the Restoration, the forfeiture of the prime minister and military general positions back to the King, and the resignation of all current ministers and officials.”
In short, the Beltrum Kingdom’s demand was “surrender immediately and hand over the rebels to be punished,” while the Restoration’s demand was “remove all Duke Arbor faction nobles from the key positions of the kingdom, and give up the faction’s power.” It was only natural for Francois to consider these demands unreasonable.
However, unreasonable as they were, these were the main goals of each side. They wouldn’t have broken up the kingdom in the first place if they were able to accept the demands of the other.
“And just to be clear, neither of you have any intention of accepting these demands, is that correct?” Francois asked both representatives.
“That is correct.”
“Likewise.”
Christina and Duke Arbor both replied immediately. They had both presented these demands with full awareness of how unreasonable they were.
Making unreasonable demands in the first place may seem unnecessary, but that wasn’t the case. Only by opening with such unreasonable demands could negotiations begin for compromise. Placing the main demand on the back burner to make the opposing party compare it to the first demand was the clever way of going about things.
“Next, for the other demands. The Beltrum Kingdom wants the two hostages, the Light Blade of Judgment, and the presumably stolen regalia returned. The Restoration wants the guaranteed status and safety of the Count Claire family and connected figures. They also wish to make the Claire territory a neutral zone and appoint Count Claire’s people as a mediator between both sides. Are both parties willing to accept these demands?”
Francois read the demands from the documents in his hands. The demands seemed to be as expected, as Christina gave her answer easily.
“Depending on the conditions, I am,” she said.
At the same time, Duke Arbor nodded reluctantly. “We are also willing to accept some of the demands, depending on the conditions,”
“Then what are the conditions being requested?”
“We are prepared to guarantee Charles Arbor’s safe return in exchange for the demand regarding the Count Claire family,” Christina stated calmly. The negotiations seemed to be going as predicted, as Duke Huguenot looked cool and composed beside her.
“We cannot accept all your demands to the letter, but we will give you due consideration if all our demanded items are returned.”
In contrast to Christina offering Charles Arbor alone, Duke Arbor made the demand for her to hand over everything.
Naturally, Christina was unwilling to budge. “Don’t make me laugh. You’re asking us to present you everything in exchange for ‘due consideration.’”
“You’re asking for all the traitors to be excused. I’d appreciate it if you had more awareness of the weight of your demands,” Duke Arbor snapped in annoyance, glaring at Celia and Roland.
“I could say the same for you, Duke Arbor. From our point of view, you and your son are the traitors.”
“What a ridiculous claim to make. Who exactly are the traitors here? It’s clear who the rebels betraying the kingdom are here.” Duke Huguenot scoffed in spite of himself.
“It almost sounds like you’re accusing me of being a rebel,” Christina pointed out.
“That is exactly what I’m saying,” Duke Arbor stated firmly.
“Such words would be considered blasphemy before the First Princess. It sounds like you’re making light of the royal heir.”
“Another absurd claim. Royal authority belongs to the king, not you.”
Christina calmly continued bearing the brunt of Duke Arbor’s verbal attacks, but he was more brazen than she had expected.
“You’re the one being absurd. As I said to your son already—the Duke Arbor family has been trying to seize control of the kingdom from the king they clearly despise.”
Duke Arbor sneered. “Ridiculous. I have and always will place my life on the line for the kingdom of Beltrum.”
“The one that nobles should be pledging allegiance to is the king. That is what Charles said, but are you of the same opinion?”
“Indeed I am.”
“If that’s true, then the current Duke Arbor family’s disdain for the royal family leaves questions to be answered.”
“Such baseless claims. I have no recollection of making light of anyone, and my every action had been for the sake of the king and kingdom,” Duke Arbor said, making the same claims as Charles. In fact, it was probably Charles who followed in the footsteps of this duke.
“I see. So you say your loyalty is only for my father and kingdom.”
“Indeed so. This is why I see the Restoration’s opposition to royal authority as rebellion. Being the princess does not exempt you by any means. You are flying the flag of rebellion against His Majesty and the kingdom.”
Duke Arbor criticized Christina harshly, threatening her.
But Christina wouldn’t lose. She spoke dauntlessly, staring straight back at Duke Arbor.
“I’m not sitting here with some kind of false resolve. I have no intention of opposing royal authority either. My anger is purely directed at you, Duke Arbor.”
“In the first place, as the prime minister, I am attending these negotiations with the full authority of the king. Thus, defying me is equivalent to defying His Majesty. You should think of my words as the words of your father.”
“Are you claiming to have royal authority?”
“I’m saying I’m attending this meeting on behalf of royal authority.”
“You’re the only noble in the history of Beltrum who has had both the positions of prime minister and military general. But it’s dangerous for the powers outside of the king to be so concentrated. I am also concerned about your control over so much power. The only person who should have power to move the kingdom is the king.”
Originally, the prime minister was meant to be the highest administrative position in the country, with the authority to represent the king in administrative decisions, and the military general was the highest military position, with the authority to represent the king in high-level military decisions. Although both positions were more honorary than permanent, it was believed that the ability to make decisions on behalf of the king made them capable of exercising as much power as the king himself.
Thus, it could be said that the current Beltrum Kingdom’s royal authority was shared between the king and Duke Arbor. The king had the right to deny Duke Arbor the right to represent him, but with the overwhelming number of nobles on Duke Arbor’s side, that right had become more of a formality. The true power balance was tilted in Duke Arbor’s favor.
“I completely agree. There is no need for two kings in a kingdom. However, my positions as prime minister and military general were both bestowed upon me by the king himself. His Majesty has both the appointive power and right to refuse representation, so he is still above me in position.”
“Then why doesn’t father do anything? To me, it seems like you’re the only one making the important decisions over the Beltrum government right now.”
“That’s how pressured the kingdom is nowadays. With all due respect, His Majesty made a mistake in the struggle against the Proxia Empire when he was deceived by Huguenot over there.” Duke Arbor made a show of sneering at Duke Huguenot.
“...” Duke Huguenot didn’t show any reaction. He was a cunning man capable of controlling his emotions when necessary—he wasn’t foolish enough to react heatedly here.
“As a result of belittling the Proxia Empire’s threat, our kingdom lost a vital point of national defense, making His Majesty lose authority. That was when I, with His Majesty’s leave, stood in the firing line as the prime minister and military general.”
“That was the incident where you suddenly changed your aggressive stance towards the Proxia Empire and began to compromise with them.”
“When the situation changes, policy must change with it.”
“You approached the Proxia Empire before our base was stolen. You claimed to be opposing the Proxia Empire on the surface when you were actually in secret talks to sell out the kingdom in the shadows.”
Christina made an attack to throw Duke Arbor off-balance, but he couldn’t be shaken by such a thing.
“You accuse me of selling out the kingdom? I was the one who regained the land through negotiations. I’d love to see the face of whoever suggested such a thing.”
“So that you can dispose of them?” she asked.
“Ha ha ha.”
Duke Arbor laughed coldly.
“The Proxia Empire’s ambassador was called Reiss Vulfe, right? It seems you’re rather close with him.”
“He is a diplomat of the empire and the ambassador of our kingdom. It is only natural to treat him with respect.”
“I’ve met Reiss before, on my flight to Rodania. He led the mercenaries of the Heavenly Lions and tried to capture me. They were collaborating with the pursuit team from Charles.”
“So I’ve heard. Mr. Reiss grieved for the state of our kingdom and offered his assistance.”
“In other words, Reiss’s actions were in accordance with your intentions?”
“The actual command was entrusted to my son Charles, but I received progress reports along the way and deemed there was no issue. I also heard Mr. Reiss is a talented sorcerer himself.”
“That talented foreign sorcerer made military movements on our land. Are you still saying there was no issue?”
“As long as it’s under our kingdom’s control, it isn’t a problem. In the first place, Mr. Reiss has been bestowed with diplomatic immunity. It would be one thing if he had been leading an army, but he is within his rights to move about our kingdom with his guards.”
Christina kept up her questioning attack, but Duke Arbor continued answering her in an aloof manner. However...
“Reiss has used the Heavenly Lions in an attempt to capture Flora and myself on multiple occasions. For example, when the Heavenly Lions made their bold raid on the mansion I was residing in here in Galarc. Were you also in agreement with that?”
“Hmm? I have no idea what you’re referring to.”
When Christina made reference to the recent attack on the Galarc Castle, Duke Arbor’s expression changed just the slightest.
“I intended on staying as a neutral party for this negotiation, but my kingdom was also a concerned party in regard to this incident. If the mercenaries attacked my castle on your behalf, then it would be considered a clear act of hostility against the kingdom. I suggest you take this chance to explain the truth.”
Here, Francois joined the conversation, encouraging Duke Arbor to explain himself.
“If you’re going to say that, Your Majesty, then your kingdom’s support of the Restoration could also be considered hostile interference in our kingdom’s politics. I would love to hear your explanation of your intentions as well,” Duke Arbor said, returning the question brazenly.
“Our kingdoms had once formed an alliance against the Proxia Empire, yet you made a friendly approach to the Proxia Empire without a word of explanation to us. At the same time, in contrast, you one-sidedly started to distance yourself from our kingdom. Seeing these actions caused my kingdom to harbor suspicion towards the Beltrum Kingdom,” Francois stated clearly, without hiding the truth.
“Does that explain everything?” he asked, shrugging with a composed smile.
“Will you not be answering His Majesty’s question? I’m rather curious to hear your answer myself,” Christina said, directing the focus back onto Duke Arbor.
“I said I have no recollection of such a thing. What Mister Reiss does abroad is none of my concern. I am not foolish enough to believe your opinions without confirming with Mister Reiss first either.” Duke Arbor shook his head, devoid of any emotions. Whether he was actually unaware or merely feigning ignorance was uncertain. They had no way of confirming the truth. However, merely being able to witness Duke Arbor’s reaction in person was fortunate for both Christina and Francois.
“I see... In that case, let’s return to the topic at hand. I understand how both sides feel about the situation regarding the kingdom, but no agreement can be made like this.” Seeing the discussions were going nowhere, Francois steered the conversation back to the topic of mediation.
“Sure.”
“Very well.”
“Do either of you have a suggestion on a point of compromise?”
“We are prepared to make concessions, after which we hope to hear your conditions for the remaining demands to be met,” Christina said, presenting her compromise plan.
The demands the Restoration first made of the Beltrum Kingdom were to exchange Charles Arbor for the guaranteed status and safety of the Count Claire family and all connected figures. Furthermore, they proposed the use of the Claire territory as a neutral zone, with Count Claire’s people acting as mediators between both sides...
“What specific concessions are you willing to make?”
“The guaranteed status and safety of everyone connected to the Count Claire family. If you accept this condition, we will return Charles Arbor. If you are willing to agree with the remaining demands, we will also return either the King’s Sword Alfred or the Light Blade of Judgment.”
“Your response, Duke Arbor?”
“We are willing to accept the former condition as is. However, in regard to the latter condition...”
“If you are unsatisfied with these conditions, we are willing to return both the sword and Alfred. Would you be willing to accept that?”
“I would not.”
Christina dangled further concessions before Duke Arbor, but he rejected them with a serious look.
“What part of the condition are you unwilling to accept?”
“As I have said already, the government sees the Restoration as nothing more than traitors. Creating an agreement on equal footing would normally be out of the question. The idea of continuous negotiation is ridiculous. Creating a permanent neutral zone for such negotiation is completely absurd.” Negotiating with rebels was unthinkable to Duke Arbor. In modern Earth terms, his view was similar to refusing to negotiate with terrorists.
“While I can understand your point, wouldn’t attending this agreement be going against that in the first place?”
“Indeed so. That is why I wish to emphasize this is an extreme exception.”
“In that case, will you only be accepting the first proposal from the Restoration for Charles Arbor’s return?”
“No... In regard to the second proposal, we are willing to accept the condition that Count Claire’s people are used as messengers between the two sides.”
With an extremely reluctant expression, Duke Arbor suggested a compromise.
“You won’t allow the entire territory to be used as a neutral zone, but you’re willing to allow the people to act as neutral envoys?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Did you change Princess Christina’s use of the word ‘mediator’ to ‘messenger’ for a certain purpose?”
“We have no intention of negotiating with rebels. The only words we’ll accept from the Restoration are those of surrender.”
“I see.” Francois accepted with a wry smile.
It sounded like mere wordplay, but as a collective building a society, they couldn’t disregard such pretexts. Only with pretext and purpose could a group of scattered individuals work together towards a goal.
For example, on a battlefield, envoys were often sent into enemy bases before the start of war. But there would never be a neutral zone set up between the two bases. If a neutral zone was placed in the middle of the battlefield, the troops that had gathered to fight could potentially be swayed into questioning the point of fighting in the first place, which would have a huge impact on morale.
With the Beltrum Kingdom in agreement that the Restoration were rebels, it was essential for them to keep treating them that way. If they declared the Count Claire territory a neutral zone, they would lose their justification that the Restoration was a rebel group that needed to be crushed. The only role they could allow as a gray area was a messenger.
I heard he was originally a military noble, but it seems he’s got a clever head on his shoulders as well. He has a good understanding of how to handle politics. Although he was blessed with good circumstances, he seemed to possess the capability to knock down Duke Huguenot from the beginning.
Francois assessed Duke Arbor as a cunning but brilliant man.
“I understand Duke Arbor’s alternate proposal, but it would require some compromise on the Restoration’s side. What are your thoughts, Princess Christina?”
He directed the subject to Christina Beltrum to see how the teenage princess would react to such a cunning great lord.
“We are willing to accept this proposal in exchange for a different condition.”
“And that condition would be?”
“To prohibit the extension of the scope of punishment for obscure reasons such as collective responsibility, and to forbid political purges from being conducted over deeds that haven’t been committed in regard to the conflict between the Restoration and main Beltrum government. Harming any citizens of the kingdom will also be forbidden. I would like to request this as an agreement,” Christina said, presenting her new conditions.
“Are you implying that we conduct our political purges indiscriminately...?” Duke Arbor asked with a daring smile.
“I do not wish to believe it, but the trigger that split the Restoration from Beltrum was the onset of a political purge. There was a movement to strongly censure and criticize who was to blame for the base lost to the Proxia Empire. Am I wrong?”
“A base vital to the kingdom’s defense was captured. The kingdom was shaken by fears that the Proxia Empire’s army would invade in a single swoop. It was only natural to have the responsible party take the blame for negligence in protecting the kingdom from the dangers of the empire.”
“That’s true. But the scope of the natural blame you speak of was too wide in my eyes. There was no logical reason to convict the families of everyone in Duke Huguenot’s faction. Some were demoted, others lost their positions completely, and anyone who protested was accused of rebellion and imprisoned. Even I was placed under house arrest in the castle.”
“House arrest is an exaggeration. Those were measurements to keep you safe, Your Highness. There was a lot of criticism towards royalty at that time. Besides, there are members of Huguenot’s faction that still work in the kingdom today.”
“Are you referring to how those who changed sides to your faction were spared from the purge?”
“Your false accusations are getting excessive. It is truly deplorable.”
“That sounds like a matter of opinion. But I have no intention of arguing about it now. At any rate, the Restoration and main Beltrum government are all parts of the same kingdom. We may be in opposing factions right now, but we both have family and acquaintances on the other side. Would you acknowledge that as a fact?”
“I suppose I have no means of denying it.”
“Then perhaps you can imagine the fear of having one’s acquaintances penalized just for being in the opposite faction. There are also some who fear their friends and family will be taken hostage,” Christina said, presenting her well-reasoned argument.
“We have no intention of doing such a thing.”
“Neither do I. But there’s no guarantee that everyone in the organization feels the same. If our conflict is prolonged, demands for more purging may appear from within the organization. Voices who endorse such a movement may arise. Barbaric reasoning such as ‘having family on the enemy side is a crime’ could be brought up. Can you deny that possibility?”
“I won’t deny it, but aren’t your hypotheticals rather excessive?”
“Right. Because I’m considering the possibilities.”
Christina tilted her head questioningly. “If either one of us begins a purge, it could trigger a contest of revenge. That would also lower the organization’s morale. It could seriously damage the future of the kingdom. Neither of us would wish for that, right?”
Such cheap lip service... Duke Arbor thought with revulsion.
Indeed, Christina’s proposal was pure lip service. However, it wasn’t just an idealistic thought. It was a sound argument that took careful account of reality, making it an actual possibility.
It was easy to dismiss mere lip service as unrealistic idealism, but it was a different matter when that lip service was a sound argument based on reality.
“Indeed, that would be undesirable.”
Thus, Duke Arbor was unable to deny that either. The world didn’t revolve around lip service. This was the rebuttal that had immediately come to his mind, but while his argument was just, it didn’t sound as good. Applying it to the current conversation would be rather dirty, so it was possible no one would agree with him. He had no choice but to hold his silence.
There were no rules to internal struggles. Hostages, purges, assassination—every means possible was used to obtain victory. It would be a different story if the fact that history was written by the victors could be sugarcoated in a way to gain the agreement of the general public, but alas...
“I’m glad you understand. In that case, will you agree to the condition? Both our organizations will forbid the act of barbaric purges. We will also prohibit any damage done towards the citizens of the kingdom.” Christina smiled at Duke Arbor pleasantly, as though embodying the lip service she was speaking of.
“Very well.” Despite clicking his tongue in his head, Duke Arbor nodded solemnly. The fact Christina was bringing up such lip service as an agreement was proof of just how much she was bothered by the Restoration being labeled as rebels by the more powerful faction. That was why it was important for her to give the organization a clean image. Yet, even though he knew this, Duke Arbor had no choice but to agree to her conditions. It was truly infuriating for him.
What magnificent handling.
Seeing how well Christina had led Duke Arbor into nodding filled Duke Huguenot with relief. The talented First Princess was truly reliable. The only problem was that she was a little too talented.
At present, all he had to do was sit there. There was barely any chance for him to speak. If it had been Flora beside him, Duke Huguenot would have faced Duke Arbor on her behalf, but that was unnecessary with Christina. He didn’t have any complaints about that this time, but being unneeded at every negotiation in the future could pose some problems.
“Then, to summarize the meeting up until now. First, the Beltrum Kingdom will guarantee the status and safety of all figures related to the Count Claire family. In exchange, the Restoration will return Charles Arbor. Second, the people of the Count Claire family will act as messengers between the two parties from now on. Both parties will be forbidden from conducting indiscriminate purges in regard to the conflict between the Restoration and the main Beltrum government. Both parties are forbidden from harming the citizens of the kingdom. In exchange, the Restoration will return either the Light Blade of Judgment or the King’s Sword, Alfred Emerle. This concludes the summary. If neither party has any additional claims, we will move on to drafting the agreement...” Francois looked around at the concerned parties.
“We have no further claims to make, but there is one thing I wish to confirm. Since it concerns Count Claire’s family, I wish to ask Count Claire for his thoughts on being selected for the envoy role,” Christina said, looking at Celia’s father, Roland.
“How about it, Count Claire?”
“As a noble, I am prepared to do whatever it takes for the sake of the kingdom’s future. I will carry out that duty proudly.”
Roland placed his hand over his chest and bowed his head deeply.
“Anything else from you, Duke Arbor?”
“I would like to request the return of both the Light Blade of Judgment and Alfred Emerle if possible, but...”
“You can only pick one. Unless you have anything else to offer, then we can give it some more consideration.”
Duke Arbor expressed his desire for both, but Christina naturally had no reason to concede without an alternate offering.
“Then I request the return of the Light Blade of Judgment.” Duke Arbor easily chose the sword. “I would also like to request the return of the regalia believed to have been stolen by Princess Christina. In fact, this is the most important demand.”
“May I inquire as to why you think I stole the regalia?” Christina asked, cocking her head in confusion.
“Are you feigning ignorance? The regalia used for the succession ceremony was discovered to be missing immediately after you fled from the capital.”
“I don’t need to feign ignorance, because I really have no idea what you’re referring to. I didn’t steal it.”
The regalia was a symbol of royal authority—a national treasure that belonged to the king alone. Possession of the regalia was proof of the king, making the inheritance of the regalia from the previous king a prerequisite for succeeding the throne.
“The regalia was stored in the treasure vault within the king’s residence. Only the king’s direct family may enter that area. The only people who know the location of the vault key are the king, the queen, and the first in line to succeed the throne. The key has already been confirmed missing. Who else could have stolen it but you?” Duke Arbor furrowed his brows and shot a sharp glare at Christina.
“Who knows?” Christina boldly cocked her head again.
“H-His Majesty also said this after it disappeared—that the only one who could have taken it was you.”
“In that case, it’s up to my father to judge me. Even if I had stolen the regalia, the only one who could judge me is the king. You can insist I was the one who stole it all you want, but your words have no power.”
“As I stated earlier, as the prime minister, I have been given all of the king’s authority in relation to this negotiation. Thus, you may consider my words to be the words of His Majesty himself.”
“No matter what you claim, I refuse to believe you speak on behalf of my father. I will only believe Father’s direct words. For just like how you consider me a rebel, I consider you to be a rebel.”
“That’s quite the contemptuous take.”
Duke Arbor frowned in disapproval. Rather than choosing not to hide his emotions, it appeared he was unable to hide them. It was the greatest display of emotion on his face today.
“If you wish to judge me for the regalia, you’ll have to prepare an opportunity for Father to judge me in person. I am willing to meet with him at any moment. If my father directly addresses this matter, I, Christina Beltrum, vow to face him without running or hiding,” Christina said proudly, speaking with the demeanor of a queen.
Faltering at the pressure of her response, Duke Arbor swallowed his words with a stern look. “Hmph...”
She appears more like a queen than a princess in her teens.
Francois was also impressed by the dignity Christina showed. In addition to that, he addressed Duke Arbor. “With no evidence that Princess Christina stole the regalia, any further questioning will be pointless on your part, Duke Arbor. It will only devolve into a matter of he said, she said. Considering how you put off the topic of the regalia until the very end, I believe you are well aware of this yourself.”
“Fine. I will withdraw from this matter for today. However, do not forget my statements today. If it is discovered that you were the one who stole the regalia, you will have no excuse. Not only you, but the entire Restoration will lose their just cause.”
Stealing the regalia of the king was an act of pure treason. Duke Arbor made sure to emphasize this in a final threat to Christina.
“I know,” Christina nodded with a cool face.
“If both sides have made their claims, we will now move on to drafting the agreement. Speak now if you have any suggestions on the wording of the document.”
Thus, while the rift between the two sides worsened, they were able to reach an agreement. The drafting of the agreement took up the next few hours, making it nighttime before the official article was completed.
◇ ◇ ◇
The next day, at noon, the same people had gathered in the same room of the foreign guest house as yesterday, facing each other across the table.
The only difference from yesterday was the presence of the hostage to be returned behind Christina: Charles Arbor.
“...”
His father, Duke Arbor, glared straight at him, making Charles look awfully uncomfortable. He probably felt like he was standing on a bed of nails.
“We will now hold the signing of the agreement. The original contract is in both your hands—I guarantee both documents contain the same text. After the contract is signed, both of you will keep a copy each, while another will be kept in the Galarc Kingdom as the witness copy. Are there any objections so far?” Francois said, an original copy of the agreement in his hand. The same contract with the same text was being held by Christina and Duke Arbor.
“None.”
“No objections here.”
Duke Arbor and Christina both nodded.
“After signing the contract, both parties will be bound by this agreement. Breaking the contract will be equivalent to sullying the face of the Galarc Kingdom and myself. Ensure you are signing with that knowledge. Now...”
With that, Francois wrote his signature on the contract before him. They had confirmed the text of the agreement yesterday, so there was no need to read it again. Christina and Duke Arbor proceeded to sign theirs as well. Once they were done with the contract in their hands, they passed it onto the next person and signed the new contract they were handed. Thus, once the contracts were all signed with three names, the agreement was sealed. All three contracts were temporarily collected by Francois.
“With this, the agreement has been settled. First, let’s have the Restoration return the hostage.”
Once Francois confirmed all three documents were signed, he announced the agreement reached. He then requested the Restoration fulfill their side of the conditions.
“Vanessa.”
“Right away!”
Christina shot a glance at Vanessa, who was standing behind her, giving her an order with her eyes. Vanessa immediately removed the shackles from Charles.
“Go on.”
“Right...”
Charles, now freed, walked over to stand behind where Duke Arbor was seated.
“Fool,” Duke Arbor said in a low voice.
“I’m sorry...” Charles muttered with a look of shame.
“As you have been informed of in advance, the Light Blade of Judgment is currently stored safely in Rodania. Count Claire will serve as an envoy and accompany us there, then return it to the main Beltrum government. If Count Claire could come this way, we will inform you of our upcoming plans,” Christina said, summoning Roland.
“Understood.” Roland bowed his head respectfully, moving to stand with the Restoration members. He stopped beside his beloved daughter, Celia.
“...” Celia sent her father a sidelong glance. Roland was looking down at her with a gentle smile. Her father, whom she had been separated from for so long, was right beside her. She was nearly moved to tears, but the agreement signing wasn’t over yet. She held back her tears with all her might.
“This concludes the signing of the agreement. If you have nothing more to discuss, you may disperse.” Sensing the mood of the room, Francois announced the conclusion of matters.
“We will return to the kingdom.” Duke Arbor immediately stood up and marched away in clear discontent. Charles and his other companions hurried after him. This left the members of the Restoration and Galarc Kingdom in the room.
“Thank you very much, Princess Christina,” Celia said first, bowing her head at Christina. Roland also lowered his head in silence.
“I haven’t done anything to warrant your gratitude. We will be departing immediately, but please enjoy your time as parent and child until the count has to return with the Light Blade of Judgment.”
Although she said that, Christina had actually prepared the gift of time for Celia and Roland to enjoy their reunion. After all, she had expected the Light Blade of Judgment to be one of the subjects to come up in negotiations. Yet she had forgone bringing the sword along with Charles and Alfred to the Galarc Kingdom.
The reason for why she had left the Light Blade of Judgment in Rodania was because she had been planning on appointing Roland to retrieve it, giving Celia and Roland more time to be together.
“Ha ha ha. How about a hug to celebrate, my little Celia?”
“No! Not when everyone’s watching.” Celia rejected him with happy tears in her eyes. Seeing her former teacher rejoicing so happily made Christina hope she could keep protecting that smile. However...
With this, the worst risks of the future should be avoided. The conditions have been met. All that’s left is to find the right time to use the regalia...
Although Christina was looking at Celia, she was also setting her eyes on the nobles of the kingdom at the same time. Picturing the future.
However, there were things that even the clever princess couldn’t foresee. And even if she could foresee them, there were things she couldn’t deal with.
The time for Christina to realize that was almost near.
◇ ◇ ◇
Meanwhile, the group led by Duke Arbor had left the Galarc Castle, boarding the enchanted airship anchored at the lake of the capital.
With an order to the crew to depart as soon as preparations were complete, Duke Arbor brought Charles to the cabin. There, Charles encountered an unexpected figure.
“Long time no see, Sir Charles.”
“M-Mister Reiss...”
Inside the cabin was the ambassador of the Proxia Empire, Reiss. Seated in a chair, he welcomed the Arbor father-and-son duo with a grin. Along with...
Who is this boy? He has black hair...
There was a boy seated beside Reiss who still had youth remaining in his face. His hair was a black color, which raised questions. However...
“Dear me, you sure went through a lot. But I’m glad to see you’re in good health.”
Reiss stood up and congratulated Charles on his return without introducing the black-haired boy.
“R-Right, I’m sorry to have worried you...”
“The rumors would have been rather awful with your son held hostage. Isn’t it great that you fulfilled the minimum goal, Duke Arbor?”
“I apologize for the trouble my foolish son has caused.”
Duke Arbor snorted in displeasure as he sat down heavily in a fine chair within the cabin.
“Not at all, it was beyond your control. His opponent was simply an outrageously irregular case. Sir Charles is not to be blamed,” Reiss said, sitting down quietly
Duke Arbor furrowed his brow in suspicion. “An irregular case?”
“It’s nothing to be concerned about. Rather than dwell on the past, let’s focus on thinking about the future.”
“Concerning the regalia, that shrewd princess feigned ignorance until the end. There’s no doubt she either has it on herself or stored away in Rodania...”
Recalling the conversation with Christina, Duke Arbor frowned in even more discontent. Charles was unable to keep up with their conversation, having just returned from confinement...
“Now that Sir Charles has returned, either option can be dealt with. Oh? What’s the matter, Sir Charles? You seem rather befuddled standing there.”
“N-No, I was just wondering why you’re here...”
“That’s because... Ah, it would be better to ask your father instead.”
“We will now proceed to attack Rodania.”
An immediate raid after a signed agreement. What came out of Duke Arbor’s mouth was the overview of a terribly bold operation.
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