by Dojyomaru
“...I believe that would be appropriate,” Julius said.
Unlike Gaius, who had let the blood rise to his head, Julius wore an icy expression. Still, uncertainty was beginning to take root in his mind. He sensed a suspicious presence on the other side of those walls. Had Weist truly just been buying time with no hope of winning?
As he was contemplating that, a single Amidonian soldier rushed into the main camp. “I-I have a report! A woman has been spotted on the walls of Altomura!”
“A woman?” Julius asked.
As he listened to the soldier who bowed low as he gave his report, Gaius raised an eyebrow. “Just who is she?”
“Well... according to one commander who recognized her, she is Excel Walter, Admiral of the Elfrieden Navy,” the soldier said.
“Did you say Excel Walter?!” Gaius doubted his own ears. “You say that one of the three dukes was inside that castle?!”
It was hard to believe. The King of Elfrieden, Souma, had issued his ultimatum to the three dukes only a few days ago. Certainly, Admiral Excel Walter had sworn loyalty to him there, but by the time the spies had delivered that information to them, the armies of the Principality had already besieged Altomura.
Her base of operations was Lagoon City on the northeast edge of the Kingdom, while Altomura was close to the southwest edge. No matter how quickly she traveled, it should have taken three or four days to travel that distance. If Excel had been in Lagoon City when the ultimatum was issued, she couldn’t possibly have gotten inside Altomura.
“Why?! Why is Excel there?!” Gaius screamed.
Unlike the bewildered Gaius, Julius looked as if things suddenly made sense to him. “...Most likely, Excel was in communication with Souma prior to the ultimatum.”
The identity of that sensation which he hadn’t been able to put a name to... the one that he had been feeling from Altomura. Had it been Excel’s shadow?
The moment he realized it, Julius figured out the enemy’s ploy and turned pale. If Excel and Souma had been secretly in contact, it was possible the other two dukes had been, as well.
If that ultimatum was a farce...!
That was where Julius finally realized the enemy’s true aim.
“Father, prepare to withdraw posthaste! We’ve been lured here!” he shouted.
Julius took a knee before his father, regretfully offering that advice. Gaius blinked at the sudden suggestion of retreat. “Lured here? What do you mean?”
“Most likely, Excel was in Altomura when she took part in the meeting where that ultimatum was issued,” Julius said. “We have a Jewel Voice Broadcast jewel in our country, just like they do, and it certainly wouldn’t be impossible to transport one.”
“Why would she need to do that?” Gaius asked.
“To keep us pinned down at this city, I’m sure,” Julius said bitterly. “The enemy’s target is...”
“This is an announcement which concerns all citizens of Elfrieden.”
Cutting Julius off mid-sentence, a voice loud enough for all the Amidonian soldiers encircling Altomura to hear it echoed through the area. When they turned to look, there was a giant silhouette standing on the walls of Altomura.
It must have been around 20 meters tall. If that were the man himself, he would truly be a giant, but the scenery behind him was see-through. It had to be an illusion of some sort.
That silhouette was the provisional King of Elfrieden, Souma Kazuya.
Today, he wasn’t wearing the casual attire he usually did; he was dressed in a proper military uniform. They say the clothes make the man, and he did look much more intimidating than usual.
Gaius and Julius looked hatefully at Souma.
◇ ◇ ◇
“I repeat. This is an announcement which concerns all citizens of Elfrieden. I am the provisional King of Elfrieden, Souma Kazuya.”
Meanwhile, up on the castle walls, Excel was looking up at the giant image of Souma in military uniform with a complicated expression on her face.
The mist this supersized image of Souma was being projected on had been produced by Excel’s magic.
With the magical power Excel held as a descendant of sea serpents, it was easy for her to imitate one of the mist-dispersing receivers used for the Jewel Voice Broadcast. Right now, Excel was using that power to show the Amidonian army Souma’s Jewel Voice Broadcast.
Souma began by giving a straightforward explanation of the sequence of events that had led to the current situation.
How the General of the Army, Georg, had been sheltering corrupt nobles, and so the Forbidden Army and the Army had come into conflict.
How the General of the Air Force, Castor, had rebelled against him, ready to martyr himself for his friendship with Georg.
And how, of the three dukes, only the Admiral of the Navy, Excel, had expressed her intention to serve him loyally from the beginning.
Of course, he was just laying out the facts one after another, not delving into the details, but details mattered little to these people. What they wanted to hear was whether they were going to be caught up in the fighting or not.
“A lot has happened to bring us to this point, but at present the Forbidden Army, Army, Navy, and Air Force are all under my command,” Souma announced. “As such, I hereby proclaim the civil war to be at an end.”
The conflict between the king and the three dukes was over.
For the citizens, just knowing that was enough. However, Excel wore a pained look on her face.
It had been only two days since the ultimatum. This announcement meant that, in that time, Souma had defeated both Castor Vargas’s Air Force and Georg Carmine’s Army.
She could understand Castor. He had only rebelled with his personal troops, and Excel had shared her knowledge of routes that could be used to invade Red Dragon City in order to aid in his capture.
However, she sensed something contrived in the way that Georg had surrendered so easily.
The amount of time I was asked to buy was so short, I thought there might be something up, but... I never expected they were working together from the very beginning, she thought. It looks like Castor, myself, and even His Majesty may have all been dancing in the palm of Georg Carmine’s hand.
Despite her youthful appearance, Excel wondered if this was what it was like to grow old. As she began to comprehend Georg’s plan, she gazed off into the distance with a sigh.
If this was how it was going to be, I should have pressed harder to make Castor stop. ...If I risk this old neck of mine, is there some way I can save their two lives?
That was what Excel thought as she looked up at the image of Souma.
Souma’s speech was rising towards its climax.
◇ ◇ ◇
“The civil war has come to an end. Yet it is too soon for us to sheathe our blades! The armies of the Principality of Amidonia have crossed the border and invaded our country! At this very moment, Amidonian forces have besieged the southwestern city of Altomura!”
When the king suddenly revealed the Amidonian invasion, roughly half of the population grew tense, while half reacted with shock. The ones who grew tense were those in the west who had already received information of the Amidonian incursion, while the ones who were shocked were those in the east of the country where the news had yet to spread.
Not many days had passed since the Principality of Amidonia had launched their invasion, so the information hadn’t fully spread yet.
The people of the east reacted to this sudden news with panic. However...
“But fear not,” Souma declared. “I had anticipated this might happen, and so I sent Duchess Excel to Altomura. Thus far, the enemy has been unable to capture Altomura.”
When the people heard these words from Souma, it helped calm them a little. He continued.
“I already have the Forbidden Army, Army, Navy, and Air Force under my command. The invading force from the principality numbers 30,000. With the Forbidden Army, Army, and Air Force combined
, we can mobilize roughly 55,000 troops. If we marched on Altomura now, it would be a simple task to drive these barbaric invaders back.”
When they heard those words, an air of relief fell over the people. However, the next moment...
“But, my people. Is that alone enough?!” Souma shouted.
That air of relief was blown away as the king raised his voice.
“The Principality of Amidonia has always been targeting this country’s lands,” Souma continued. “For generations, their princes have called for the return of their lost lands, expanded their military, and kept the border in a constant state of tension. The current prince, Gaius VIII, is no different. He fanned the flames of conflict between the three dukes and myself, acting behind the scenes to further his own aims! Then, when the clash between myself and Georg became a thing of certainty, he raised his armies and trampled lands belonging to our country underfoot!”
Yes, Souma had done some maneuvering behind the scenes, issuing a quest to the adventurers’ guild in order to have them evacuate the towns and villages in the path of the armies of the Principality. However, that didn’t mean there had been no losses. There had been villages deliberately put to the torch. There had likely been plundering, too. If any people had had the misfortune of running into enemy scouts as they’d fled, there may have been lives lost, as well.
Putting his anger at all of that into his words, Souma continued.
“I ask you once more! Are you satisfied to merely chase them off?! In this era, when all mankind is trying to unite under the Gran Chaos Empire against the armies of the Demon Lord, can such backwards and barbaric behavior be tolerated?! Nay! It most certainly can not! As such, while it is unnecessary for our country to say this, having already been subject to a surprise attack, I will say it nonetheless.”
Here Souma paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, then made a clear proclamation.
“The Elfrieden Kingdom hereby declares war on the Principality of Amidonia!”
It was a declaration of war. The people tensed when they heard those words.
These were words they had never heard in the time of the former king, Albert.
The men were engulfed in a strange sense of elation, while the women were frightened, and the elders who had experienced the days of war and chaos during the reign of the king before Albert, the one called the Conqueror, worried that those days might return.
However, Souma continued without wavering in the slightest.
“I am sure that the armies of Amidonia are watching this broadcast, as well. And so, I will declare this. I am sending the forces gathered in the Carmine Duchy westward. Their goal will be to capture the capital of the Principality, Van. While you, the forces of the Principality, are wasting their time near Altomura, we will no doubt be burning your houses to the ground.”
And then Souma closed his speech with these words, which would no doubt be used to represent this whole scene when it would be dramatized in later years.
“Hear me, Gaius! Now that you have laid a hand on my house, I will see that you pay for it!”
◇ ◇ ◇
The Forbidden Army’s palanquin-carrying wyverns for royal trips abroad (also known as the “sitting room wyverns”) were four wyverns that carried a gondola that was as luxurious as a limousine. They served a role similar to that of an airship.
It had been one of these four wyverns that I’d loaned to Poncho when he’d gone around gathering ingredients.
The inside of the gondola was spacious and luxuriously appointed. When money had been tight at the beginning, I’d considered stripping out all the decorations and selling them, but Marx, who had been Prime Minister at the time, had begged me, “These serve as the face of our kingdom to the outside world. Please don’t sell them!” So I’d given up on the idea.
I was inside that gondola, having just finished with the declaration of war against the Principality of Amidonia.
The jewel for the Jewel Voice Broadcast was sitting there right in front of me. As spacious as the gondola was, we’d still had considerable trouble loading the jewel into it. Because the jewel was just large enough that it would poke through the roof, we had been forced to cut an opening in the top and lower it in through there.
Because of that, now that we were flying, the wind blew inside the gondola and made it very cold. I just hoped my shivering legs didn’t make it into the broadcast during the declaration of war...
“You did a good job, Souma,” Liscia said. “Come on, get in here.”
Now that I had finished withstanding the cold long enough to declare war, Liscia opened up the blanket she had curled around herself and let me in.
Two people wrapped in one blanket. Oh, how warm. I finally felt like I could rest a little. I’d never been so grateful for the warmth of another person before.
“Ahh, that was so cold,” I moaned. “If I’d known it was going to be so cold, I think I’d have preferred to go by land.”
“If you were going to load the jewel into some other vehicle, a horse-drawn carriage wouldn’t cut it,” Liscia said. “And if you’d transported it by rhinosaurus, wouldn’t you have gotten motion sickness instead?”
“...They’re both equally bad, huh,” I muttered.
I had ridden with the rhinosauruses when we had gone to provide aid to the dark elf village. It had been anything but a smooth ride.
Hal and the others are probably moving around with them, I thought. I need to find a way to improve the experience, quick. They might go on strike if I don’t.
As I was sitting there, wearily thinking about such things...
“H-Hmph... A little chill like this... is nothing...” Carla said, sitting across from us and trying to put up a strong front even as she shivered.
This girl I had brought with us as a hostage against the Air Force may have been wearing armor, but she didn’t have a blanket to protect her from the cold. I had offered to lend her one, but she had refused it, trying to act tough.
I thought she’d be fine, being a dragonewt, but... now that I think about it, they’re reptilian, aren’t they?
“Do dragonewts have trouble adapting to the cold, like lizards?” I asked.
“Don’t lump us together with lizards!” she cried. “Yes, it’s true, we do have trouble with the cold, but...”
“But you must fly at rather high altitudes in the Air Force, right?” I asked. “Isn’t it cold when you do that?”
“...We take the proper measures to protect against the cold,” she said.
“Ah, yeah, I suppose you’d have to.”
This sort of chill had to be an everyday occurrence for the Air Force, so they had to have means of dealing with it.
When I put a spare blanket over her, Carla gave an awkward “...Hmph,” and wrapped it around herself as she sniffled.
Then...
“Honestly... How can you say ‘You have laid a hand on my house, and I will see that you pay for it’?” she burst out. “You were the ones who tempted the forces of Amidonia to attack in the first place, weren’t you, you bast... I mean, Your Majesty.” Carla turned and looked away.
“...You noticed that, huh.”
“Now that I know the full picture, it wasn’t hard,” she said. “You used the unrest inside the country to lure in the Amidonians, and now you’re going to strike them, right? Was Duke Carmine in on it, too?”
“...I guess you could say that you’re half-right,” I said. “What Georg did, he did entirely on his own initiative. The target of the subjugation Hakuya and I had been planning was the Principality of Amidonia from the very beginning.”
While investigating the nobles’ corruption, I had learned there was no small number of nobles inside the kingdom who were working for the Principality of Amidonia. Whether it was family ties, bribery, or the illegal diversion of supplies, their connections took many forms, but the existence of those nobles was extremely dangerous to this country. For instance, if Amidonia were to invade as it now
was, and if they were to stage a revolt all across the country, that could have proved to be a fatal blow.
Because of that, Hakuya and I had thought of ways to solve the root of that problem. And by “the root,” of course, I meant the Principality of Amidonia itself.
“The Principality of Amidonia has been a constant threat to this country,” I said. “If we had left them to their own devices, I had little doubt that they would continue to foment rebellion. If that had happened, many more people would have been hurt. That’s why Hakuya and I planned to use this opportunity to deal them a crushing defeat and strip them of their influence. In order to do that, we used forged letters, among other methods, to try to lure them into a trap, but...”
There, I stopped for a moment, scratching the back of my head.
“At pretty much exactly the same time, Georg was coming up with a completely separate plan of his own,” I said. “By deliberately taking a rebellious stance against me, he gathered the corrupt nobles around himself. Then he planned to launch a rebellion and lose, so that they’d all be captured along with him. That was his plan, you see.”
“You... weren’t informed about it, either, were you?” Carla asked, her eyes widening as she did.
I nodded quietly in response.
Liscia looked downwards, looking pained by this.
“We were told of Georg’s plan much later,” I said. “Once things had progressed to the point that no one could pull back. He must have thought we’d stop him if he revealed the plan to us. As a matter of fact, if I had been told from the beginning, I think I would have. This sort of... self-sacrificing plan... I wouldn’t have wanted to accept it.”