Revenge Continues
Liberation. Mei took a gamble to do so, and it ended up being a success. But that was not all. Mei had always wanted a position that would allow her to fight on equal terms with Ren. She was even able to obtain the position of king of a country.
Mei is not very satisfied with this achievement. She was reminded of the harshness of the position of king, which she would not understand until she had obtained it.
"Is the subjugation of the rebellion not over yet?"
"Even though it's still small in comparison to the entire kingdom's army. It is not something that can be settled so easily."
Domestic opposition. A considerable amount of time has passed since she received the report that they were cornered, but it still hasn't come to an end.
"What is the problem?"
"The rebel group is led by the former princess Milianea, who was well-liked. Many people took her side, partly out of sympathy."
Milianea, who was supposed to be in the Lemberg Empire, has returned and is now leading the rebel group. It was a great miscalculation for Mei, but now she knows it is not the only problem.
"I thought she was more against you guys?"
"...I don't understand what Her Majesty means."
The one who is playing dumb over Mei's question is Watkins Hilton. He is a member of the Elected Court, and is in a position to be said to be number one among them.
"You people have quite a bad reputation, don't you?"
"I am entrusted with a position of great responsibility in the Elected Court, but there are many fools who take it as a privilege."
Watkins' explanation is a lie. Members of the Elected Court actually enjoy the privilege. This was true even before Mei became Elected King.
Mei knows that there are many people who are against the fact that they continue to be in power.
"It's better to clear up such misunderstandings."
"Yes. But those who know should know."
Watkins continues to spew deceptions. They never intend to admit their tyranny in public.
"Yes... but it's true that you've been misunderstood. And that it has helped the rebels."
"No, it doesn't have that much of an impact."
"Is that so?"
"...Punishing a retainer without solid evidence will affect the government in the future, you know?"
In response to Mei's pursuit, Watkins finally began to show his true colors. If she makes him an enemy, no one will support her. It's a threat that it's still okay.
"But if I cut off your heads, there are a lot of people who will take my side."
"There shouldn't be many people."
"Whether it's a large number or not is up to each individual, isn't it? But the other party said they would stop supporting the rebels."
"...Isn't that person a sinner too, such as supporting the rebels?"
It's kind of fishy. Watkins is acutely aware of it.
"Yes. But right now, it is important to settle this situation as soon as possible. That requires some compromises, doesn't it?"
"...If we show a naive stance to the rebels, it will become a root of trouble later."
"Yes. And if I show lenience to our failed subjects, it will also cause problems later on, won't it?"
"...Can't we get away with this for free?"
Mei's intentions are already clear. And Watkins doesn't take it lightly.
"I don't think so. A new uprising may break out. But on the other hand, there will be a revolt that will be contained. So, which should we choose?"
"...I was the first to support you."
"Yes. I'm grateful for that. That's why I won't take your life."
"R-ridiculous! How can you be Elected King if you lose our support!?"
"That is not your concern. Take Senior Mage Watkins into custody."
At Mei's command, the knights who had been surrounding the area prepared their swords and approached Watkins.
"F-foolish! Think again! Are you willing to be forced out of your position as the Elected King!?"
Watkins desperately appeals to Mei. But there was no way Mei would change her mind. She had taken her time to think about it, and she was going to take action. And even if she were to allow it now, there was no way the people at the Elected Court, who knew what Mei was thinking, would stay quiet about it.
"......Now, let's see what will happen."
The fact that the members of the Elected Court were detained does not mean that it is the end. There is no guarantee that their relatives will remain quiet.
"What about the territories?"
It was Manami that asked.
"I'll make sure they keep their word. Let the nobles who have said they will side with us send their troops."
"Understood... after all, we don't have enough manpower."
By disposing of the Elected Court, they could bring in new allies. It would also allow them to cut off the former princess Milianea's supporters. It was a two-birds-with-one-stone response, but it was also a gamble. Would they succeed in eliminating the Elected Court? Even if they succeeded, there was no guarantee that their new allies would not be self-serving individuals like the current members of the Elected Court.
Mei has no vassals she can trust. This is the number one problem. She's still working on some measures to solve it.
"......What is the status of negotiations with other countries?"
"We are negotiating. But the answers are being stalled."
"Even though we said we would destroy them if they didn’t surrender?"
Between the Izrim Magic Kingdom and the Lemberg Empire, there are several small countries that were not vassals to either. To these small nations, Mei had sent messengers to advise them to surrender.
"It's like they're trying to gauge whether we have the strength to do it."
"…In the end, we don’t have enough manpower."
Even with the threats, they don't have the troops to actually attack. They are occupied with suppressing the domestic rebellion and the Lemberg Empire.
"If only one country would fall, we would have more allies."
Mei and the other's plan is to attract heroes from other countries to their side. If the country with the heroes surrenders, the heroes of that country will belong to the Izrim Magic Kingdom.
On top of that, the plan is for Mei, the Elected King of the Izrim Magic Kingdom, to release them. That way, at least, she can have more reliable companions than her current retainers.
"...In that case, we have no choice but to postpone the suppression of the Lemberg Empire."
The Lemberg Empire has no one who can be its banner. It's just that it's taking time to control the whole country because it's a large country, and the conflict isn't that fierce.
"It hurts that Jin's knights can't move, right?"
"...I don't have a choice. I can't leave Yuya alone. He has to be the hero in his own country, or else who knows what he'll do."
"Even so, I'm still worried."
"Yes..."
Even if he is the hero in his own country, if they keep him out of sight, they never know what he might do. Mei has yet to come up with a way to control Yuya.
"Right now, our priority is to get more people to join us."
"I agree. I'll have to send a messenger to Lemberg. Who should we send to Lemberg?"
"Since it's only a messenger, I think a knight for that role would be fine."
"...I see. Isn't it funny that the king would even think of this stuff?"
Anyway, no matter how many bodies she has, she doesn't feel like it's enough. There are so many things to think about. There are many decisions to be made.
"…Come to think of it, it seems that Lang went to Ren’s place after all."
"As expected... Well, we knew that."
She was a person recognized by Ren. Mei was searching for Lang's whereabouts. The results were as expected, but it still made her feel depressed.
"Negotiations with Ren..."
"Not yet. It’s still early. I'm sorry to say, but we're not being taken seriously right now."
"……I agree"
Mei is also considering negotiating with Ren. It is only a temporary cooperative relationship. But there is no way that Ren would accept such a proposal from Mei now. Even if he did, Mei's pride would not allow it.
She was supposed to have obtained a large country called Izrim Magic Kingdom that would not lose to the Nord Empire. However, Mei has not been able to move that great power. She doesn't want to face Ren in such a pathetic situation.
"We have no choice but to use the Mage Order effectively in our country. There is a possibility that the sacrifices will increase, but it can't be helped now."
In terms of military power, the Mages can be trusted. They are meritocratic Mages. They will follow Mei, who has unquestionable magic power, to the letter.
But even the Mages with their powerful magic are not all-powerful when it comes to war. Mei knows the weakness of the Mages in close combat. And in war, there is no such thing as an orderly battle. They are quickly brought into a state of confusion. That means that they have to be prepared to make a certain amount of sacrifices.
Of course, the army of the Izrim Magic Kingdom is not composed only of mages, but also includes an overwhelming number of soldiers. However, the magic-heavy Izrim Magic Kingdom absolutely lacks the number of knights to command soldiers in combat.
That is why Mei wants to bring in the heroes. She wants the heroes to be her allies and lead the soldiers.
"This is an experience. And I will definitely overcome this."
"……I agree"
Mei has always felt like she is walking a tightrope since becoming the Elected King of the Izrim Magic kingdom. This time is no different. The stakes are even higher than when she became the Elected King.
She does not want to take such a risk. She intends to find a trustworthy companion, select them, and stabilize the national government, but she has been unable to do so successfully.
As a result, Mei is trying to rely on a former classmate. It was their strength as heroes.
◇◇◇
The northeastern part of the continent. The battle was taking place in the Baslek Kingdom, a small country bordering the former Saint Miriam Kingdom and the new territory of the current Nord Empire. It was a battle between the forces of the Sabalina Kingdom, which had joined the united front, and the forces of the Nord Empire.
If it was one of the three major powers, there was no way that the army of the Sabalina Kingdom, a medium-sized country, if not a small country, could stand up to the Nord Empire's army. The battle ended in an easy victory for the Nord Empire.
Now they are dealing with the aftermath of the battle.
"...Now, what do you want to do? Should I kill everyone here now, or surrender?"
Ren asked with a smile. Ren's baby-faced smile is cute, but they don't have the luxury of feeling that way right now.
"...We will surrender."
"Is it okay to take that as meaning that your country, the Sabalina Kingdom, will surrender?"
"That's……"
King Sabalina hesitated to answer Ren's question. This place, Baslek Kingdom, was a former Northern Alliance country. The Sabalina Kingdom had seized that country's territory by force. Their home country is somewhere else.
"The only ones who will surrender are you and the army who are following you right now. Is that what you mean?"
"…………"
King Sabalina could not answer. He fears that if he returns the affirmation, the surrender will not be accepted and he will be killed.
On the other hand, he does not want to answer that he accepts the surrender as a country. King Sabalina believes that his country still has the strength to fight.
"No answer... I'm stumped. Well, I don't care either way. As long as you hand over the hero."
"Eh?"
"Because what I want is the hero. If you give it to me, I'll let you go."
"I-I'll give it to you! I'll give it to you right now!"
There was no need to think at all. King Sabalina immediately agreed to Ren's request this time.
"Your Majesty!?"
The hero panicked.
"Then, Yamagiwa-kun belongs to the Nord Empire. Is that correct?"
"Y-yes. In exchange for that..."
"When this is over, you will be released. That's the deal, right?"
"I see……"
Ren's words cannot be trusted. Even so, the expression of King Sabalina showed relief. The same goes for his subordinates.
"W-what about me?"
The only one who is in a position to be handed over, Yamagiwa, is even more anxious than before. Everyone knows that Ren has a grudge against them.
"You will be fighting for your freedom from now on. If you win that match, you will be freed from your hero status. You can do whatever you want with your life."
"...T-that's impossible."
Yamagiwa witnessed Ren's strength when he was participating in the united front. He knows he can't win on his own.
"No matter what, you have no choice but to fight."
"Even if I fight, I'll just die! Ren! Please help me! I'll do anything! I'm begging you, just save my life!"
Yamagiwa kneels on the ground and pleads with Ren.
"If you want to be saved, fight and win."
There's no way Ren would be shaken by something like that.
"There's no way I can win..."
"I don't think it's right to judge like that... but I'll correct the misunderstanding."
"……Misunderstanding?"
"Because it's not me who's going to fight."
"Really!? N-no... it's a demon, right?"
Yamagiwa was happy to learn that he wasn't going to fight Ren, but he remembered that there were other strong people in the Nord Empire besides Ren.
"A human though."
"...Human."
But Ren said it wasn't even a demon. Perhaps he might be able to win. Such expectations spread through his mind.
"Then, let's get started. For the time being... Mai."
"Yeeess!"
After receiving Ren's nomination, Mai happily stepped forward.
"A girl……"
And Yamagiwa is upset.
"A girl? Mai is already an adult. To be called a girl is rude."
"Even so, it's not polite to fight a woman."
"What are you doing now? You're already fighting Mai. You haven't forgotten what you did at the church capital's monastery, have you?"
"…………"
Ren's words reminded Yamagiwa of the incident at the monastery. Yamagiwa remembered the children who had come at them with bombs during the incident at the monastery. Ren took in those children.
And at Church Academy's swordsmanship tournament, there was a girl named Mai on the team led by Ren.
"Isn’t it strange that you hesitated here even though you wanted to kill Mai who was younger before?"
"... A-at that time... I didn't know anything..."
"I don't need any boring excuses. Just kill each other."
With a sword at the ready, Mai stepped forward. Taking that murderous intent seriously, Yamagiwa's hesitation disappeared.
If he doesn't kill her, she will kill him. It was clear to him.
"...Finally, you feel like doing it. Then... go."
Mai's body seemed to bounce lightly. However, the actual movement was not like that, and when the onlookers noticed, she jumped into Yamagiwa's bosom and raised her sword from below.
He avoided it by averting his body, as expected of a hero. But the sword that was cut up was brought down without stopping and fell on Yamagiwa's shoulder.
"Guh... aaahh!"
Yamagiwa cries out in intense pain. She will not miss that opportunity. The sword in her hand was thrust into Yamagiwa's stomach.
"Ah... Uwaaaahh!!"
Bright red blood gushed out from the wound. Yamagiwa held it down with his hand, but there was no way that would stop the blood.
"Shizuku! Heal him!"
"Eh? Is that okay?"
Surprised by Ren's instructions to heal Yamagiwa's wounds, Shizuku casts healing magic. Thanks to the magic, Yamagiwa's injuries quickly closed.
"...I'm saved?"
Yamagiwa is surprised to be saved.
"Because it's not over yet. Kai will be your next opponent."
"Eh……?"
It wasn't that he was saved. More suffering awaits.
"Kai. Don't kill him. There are others still waiting."
"I know"
"Wait a second!"
There is no way that Yamagiwa's voice will stop them. Kai, like Mai, closed the gap in an instant and swung down his sword at once.
Yamagiwa, who was not ready to fight, could not avoid it. His body was cut diagonally from his shoulder, and he fell backward while spouting blood.
"Heal him."
"R-Ren... already..."
"I'm telling you to heal him. Can't you hear me?"
"...I understand."
A cold gaze that is different from usual. It's not unusual to receive a cold gaze, but right now it's something that seems to freeze the depths of her heart.
The distance between her and Ren was getting closer. Shizuku thought so, but she was reminded that she was still not forgiven for what happened to Kazuki.
After receiving Shizuku's healing magic, Yamagiwa's wounds were completely closed. However, even if the wounds were closed with magic, the blood he had lost would not be restored.
"...No, stop... s-stop it already."
Yamagiwa, unable to stand up, is crying and begging.
"Next, Sai."
"No, stop... help... gyaaaahhh!!"
This time it's magic, not swords. Yamagiwa's body, still lying on the ground, is cut into pieces by magic.
This is a cruel punishment. The people of the Sabalina Kingdom can no longer stand to watch the scene and turn their backs.
"Heal him."
"Ren… please, forgive me, already…"
Shizuku is shedding tears as well. Her heart could no longer bear the thought of being forced to assist in the gruesome torture.
"You... you say that line even when you see someone else being blamed?"
Ren shows a surprised expression at Shizuku.
"……What?"
Shizuku has a bad feeling about it.
"Forgive me already... I can't believe you said that line here. You're amazing."
"Y-you're kidding, right?"
Shizuku was also surprised. She didn't expect him to make his usual misunderstanding in the middle of issuing a ruthless order.
"...As expected, we can't do it here. I'll make you say that line about 100 times later, so just endure it now."
"H-hundred times..."
She had never experienced that much before. She was drowned crazy by Ren when she was still in the church capital, but even so, it's not hundred times. She wondered if her body and mind would survive the experience. Shizuku's mind was filled with such worries.
As a result, Yamagiwa ended up dying as he was. Even in this way, Ren could be stopped. Shizuku didn't know that the people of the Nord Empire were secretly impressed by this.
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