Beginning of the Continental Upheaval
Negotiations for an alliance between the Lemberg Empire and the Izrim Magic Kingdom proceeded smoothly. The most important condition was the marriage of Crown Prince Siegfried and Princess Milianea. However, since this was a mutual desire, the negotiations were quickly settled.
What required the most adjustment was the treatment of other countries between the two countries. The Lemberg Empire was to invade from the east and the Izrim Kingdom from the west, but even with the difference in national power, the Lemberg Empire, unlike the Izrim Kingdom, did not have to worry about its rear. Even if they proceeded simultaneously, it was clear that the Lemberg Empire would have many countries under its control. From the perspective of the Izrim Magic Kingdom, they wanted to decide at the outset how much of each country would be under their control. This is a very convenient argument.
The Lemberg Empire, which only wants to use the Izrim Magic Kingdom as a shield against the Luine Kingdom, does not want to make such a decision. Only on this point, the two countries could not reach a consensus.
In the end, a half-postponed conclusion was reached: the boundary line would be set for the time being, and negotiations would be resumed when either side advanced to that point first. It is not necessarily true that the Luine Kingdom will remain stuck in this situation forever. This method of settlement was born out of the desire of both countries to form an alliance and launch an invasion as soon as possible.
The fast horses would go back and forth between the two countries. Finally, the alliance was concluded after secret negotiations were held in the church capital, which is not too far from both countries. The alliance was not made public in the form of a secret alliance. However, those who knew about it knew about it. A country skilled in espionage would be able to quickly obtain this kind of information.
The Nord Empire was one such country.
◇◇◇
The bedroom is massive. The only light in the room was a single candle on the sideboard beside the bed. In the corridor outside the bedroom, there are a number of knights standing at equal intervals wearing the armor of the Kingsguard. They are not the only guards. There were guards posted in the ceiling and everywhere else connected to the bedroom, and no one was allowed to get close to the bedroom.
"Who are you!"
"Your voice is loud. Even if you yell, they can't hear you outside. You'll just tire yourself out."
"What did you say?"
In fact, there is no movement by the escort knight who would normally come into the room in response to the voice.
"By the way, if you make a strange move, you will die immediately."
"......An assassin, huh?"
"Well, something like that."
"Well done, you managed to sneak in here. The guards should have surrounded you. Did you defeat them all?"
"No way. I had to ask them to leave their posts because of an emergency."
"What?"
"Don't blame me because it's actually an emergency."
"What's going on?"
"The country's intelligence department is being attacked en masse. If left unchecked, the damage would be catastrophic, so I've asked them to head over to help in the fight."
"…Are you a spy?"
"No, I'm not. I am from the side that is attacking. In case you are wondering, rushing in now is not going to save anyone. They're going to go out of their way to get killed."
"...You mean we fell for your plan?"
"It can't be helped. The order was transmitted in a special code that only the spies in this country were supposed to know. It is not the fault of those who were deceived, but of those who let the same code be used for a long time without thinking that it was leaked to the enemy."
"I see. Are you from the Nord Empire?"
"Correct. Nord Empire, Kaiser Ren Breitkreutz. For the time being, I am the emperor."
Upon receiving Ren's name, Emperor Lemberg's eyes widened in surprise.
"...This is foolish. The emperor himself goes into enemy territory."
"This can't be helped. We're still short of manpower. There aren't many people who can be entrusted with the front lines. Especially for a job like this in the dark."
"What are you here for?"
"I've already told you. Even if it's impossible, I'll annihilate your intelligence corps, but I'm going to take a look at the existence with the same title of emperor. Before I kill you."
"...In the end, it's for assassination. Fool, assassination won't change the world."
"I agree. If you kill one person, someone else will take their place. They say everyone has a job to do, but I think that's half true and half false."
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone has a job to do. I agree with that. But not each one. There are others who do the same thing. If your mission is to conquer the continent, so is the mission of King Luine and the Crown Prince. Killing one, and one of them will do it, killing them both, and one will do it. Killing three of them, and someone else will. In a larger sense, the world will remain the same."
"Interesting thought. But if that's the case, why are you trying to kill me?"
"The world doesn't change, but the country does. There are people in the world who can replace you, but there is no one in this country."
"I have a son. And my retainers are also excellent people."
"But there is no good emperor. There is one person who could be, but he will not be emperor. As long as your son lives."
Emperor Lemberg guessed that the assassination was well thought out with these words. It makes him want to know the purpose.
"...What will happen to this country if I die?"
"Buying time? Well, it's fine. There's still time before the next one comes to check on your room."
"…………"
Again, Emperor Lemberg's face turned surprised at Ren's casual remark. The guards don't just stand at their posts. Some of them visit the bedroom regularly. But when it comes to the emperor's security, it is a matter of national security. Ren knew about it.
"It's not that I'm reckless just because I'm going into enemy territory. I've done my homework. I'm not going to die for nothing."
"...That's true."
"Do we no longer need to talk about it?"
"No, let's hear it."
"The Crown Prince takes over. The daughter-in-law will take over the practical affairs. That's just as planned. I think the two of them will do reasonably well. The alliance with the Izrim Magic Kingdom will proceed as planned, and if all goes well, there may even be an early heir."
"...That's right"
The alliance with the Izrim Magic Kingdom, and even the terms of the alliance are known. As expected, he did not express his surprise anymore, but inwardly he was terrified by the intelligence capability.
"The empire is safe. If it weren't for turbulent times."
"Do you think so?"
"I don't know what the crown prince is capable of, and I can't find out because he is not in a position to take political office. I know a little about your son-in-law's abilities. He's good in his own way. That is the opposite problem. I don't have to explain this to you, do I?"
"......You think that if the expectations for Heinz are raised, my son won't be able to remain calm?"
"It was your role to coordinate it well. But you can't do that. And there is no one who can do it on your behalf. In fact, there are people who are trying to make things difficult for you. That's the way it is."
"Don't you think it will only benefit Luine?"
"I will deal with Luine the way Luine deals with us."
"Not an assassination?"
"If the current king is killed, the next one will be that crown prince. Why should I bother to make a tough opponent king?"
"Then kill the crown prince."
"Doing that doesn't weaken the Luine Kingdom. It just doesn't make it stronger."
"...I see. By the way, what about Izrim?"
"There's no one there to kill"
"That's your assessment?"
"Yes. As I said before, I am also against assassination. But you are the only one worth killing. I'm sorry for that."
"Do you think you can kill me quietly?"
"You're confident in your skill. But what about my heart?"
"What!?"
With a slight voice of surprise, Emperor Lemberg stopped moving. He was not frozen, but rather, he seemed to be stunned. Two shadows approach Emperor Lemberg. A nude woman, without a stitch of clothing on her body, is entangled with Emperor Lemberg from both sides.
"Was the effect of the surprise too great?"
"Well, I wonder? It could be just lust."
Before he knew it, Queen Lyra of the Lilith tribe was standing next to Ren.
"There are only two children, the crown prince and the princess. I don't think there's anything tawdry about it."
"Being lustful and having the ability to have children are two different things."
"...Certainly. I suppose there are two of them, so he can't be sterile, but are they difficult to have children?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
"You can tell?"
"I think there's good food and bad food, right?"
"...Um"
"His Majesty is very delicious."
"…………"
"Isn't it painful just to look at them?"
On Emperor Lemberg's bed, two Lilith women continue their affairs with Emperor Lemberg, their meal. It's a lascivious and exciting spectacle that would make a normal man lose his mind just by looking at it.
"...While watching people's actions, a bit."
"Ara, that's a shame."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'd like to have you as often as I can, Your Majesty."
"Often... huh?"
"The taste is the same, but that's not all. As you can see, we usually take our sperm from the other person who is in an almost insane state like that. They are just lying there. They're nothing more than prey."
"Because it's a meal"
"But His Majesty doesn't lose his mind for some reason. You acted to entertain me."
"That's……"
"With His Majesty, it was not a meal, but a sexual act. That made me happy."
"...That's really embarrassing"
"I would like to have your company again. And preferably with other girls."
"I wouldn't say no, but I'm not that lascivious."
"Lascivious. I can assure you of that."
"I see……"
In fact, Ren is just now becoming aware of this, but when others assure him of it, he feels indescribably uncomfortable.
While doing so, the Lilith women repeatedly take turns eating. From time to time, the groans of Emperor Lemberg could be heard. After a few more times, the bedroom fell silent.
"He was really killed."
"In our case, we are sucking not only the semen but also the life force."
"…………"
"I will not let His Majesty die. I cannot do such a wasteful thing."
"I beg you."
"Well, we're done. How was it?"
"…It was the worst meal with no taste. And yet it was full of vigor. I feel bad because I was forced to stuff myself with bad food."
In response to Queen Lyra's question, one of the women of the Lilith tribe gave her honest opinion. That's a fair amount of criticism.
"Ara, that's..."
"Does that mean anything to you?"
"Maybe it's seedless."
"Is that what it tastes like... I wonder if that's a good thing. I think it's necessary to investigate the Empress. But not now. It is time. Let's get out of here."
The scandal of the Lemberg imperial family. It might be of some use, but it's not that important now. People believe what they want to believe. It doesn't matter if it's true or not, Ren believes. In fact, the information that framed Heinz was also untrue.
"Then Your Majesty, don't forget your promise."
"……That is?"
"It seems that they have tasted a bad meal, so please clean it up."
Queen Lyra's words brightened the faces of the two women. They must have heard about Ren from the Queen.
"...It's a promise."
Ren accepts with such an excuse.
――The death of Emperor Lemberg was announced as an illness. There was no choice but to announce it that way. Emperor Lemberg clearly died during s*x. How could a woman have entered his bedroom while his guards were watching? It was an open secret that the door to the bedroom was not the only entrance. There are hidden passageways throughout the castle that only the emperor knows about.
They thoroughly investigated the other woman, but the queen, his assistants, and all the maids who were around the emperor denied it. The only thing that can be considered from the situation is that Emperor Lemberg secretly brought a woman into his bedroom who had a situation that could not be made public, and died during an act with her. There was no way that such a scandal could be made public.
The sudden death of the emperor was a source of great upset in the Lemberg Empire, but his subjects moved swiftly to calm the situation. The Crown Prince's accession to the throne, his engagement to Princess Milianea of the Izrim Magic Kingdom, and other bright parts were announced one after another to show that there was no problem in the empire. With this, the anxiety of many of the people disappeared.
Excellent subjects. It proved the deceased emperor's reputation right. But it was only the people who had calmed down, and the uneasiness had not disappeared from his subjects. They know that the new emperor will not be able to take over the government. Heinz will be acting in his place, which stirs the anxiety of his subjects even more.
With no one to hold down the reigns, will the new emperor and Heinz get along? There is no one who can guarantee that.
◇◇◇
Lancel, the largest fortified city in the eastern part of the Luine Kingdom. There, many soldiers were gathering now.
The Lemberg Empire and the Izrim Magic Kingdom have formed an alliance. When the Luine Kingdom learned of this fact, it chose to expand its power to the east rather than confront them directly at an early stage.
What made them do so was their wariness of the Nord Empire. There was a strong possibility that the Nord Empire would move in while the three countries were fighting. In order to prevent this from happening, the idea was to first establish control over the north and then prevent the Nord Empire from advancing.
It is a correct idea. If only they had moved earlier.
"Message! Message!"
A messenger on a horse runs toward them, shouting loudly. The soldiers in the fortress are suddenly tense because of the unusual situation. The information from the messenger is not conveyed to the soldiers, but this time the soldiers understood the situation even without a message from above.
An army was approaching from the border. Even from a distance, it was easy to see that they were not from their own country. Soldiers in the fortress followed their assigned positions in order to fortify their defenses. Even though they know that the fort will not fall with the number of troops approaching.
A battle flag soon appeared. It was the flag of the Saint Miriam Kingdom far to the east.
General Gary Harrisman, Commander of the Knights of the Platinum Knights, leads the army of the Luine Kingdom. In front of the general, the leader of the army of Saint Miriam steps forward. It was not a knight. The person was a woman.
"Are you from the Saint Miriam Kingdom army?"
"Yes. It is nice to meet you. I am Amalia Armstrong, First Princess of the Saint Miriam Kingdom."
"Princess?"
"If you have any doubts, please ask the hero who is standing next to you. I know him in the church capital."
"...Polaris Knight Commander?"
General Harrisman called Yuya by his official title. According to the conditions of his pledge, Yuya is the leader of his own knight order.
"Surely she is Amalia."
"I see. But this place is a battlefield. I would like to dispense with the courtly formalities."
Even if the Luine Kingdom is a great power, the general is inferior to the princess. He gets into trouble when it comes to politeness. General Harrisman, knowing this, decided to save himself some trouble by saying this.
"Yes. That's fine."
"First of all, I want to ask. Why is the Saint Miriam Kingdom army here?"
"I believe I have sent word to the messenger."
"I've heard the story, but I find it hard to believe. I'd like to hear it from the people concerned."
"Yes. I'll explain. The Saint Miriam Kingdom was invaded by the Nord Federation and the royal capital fell. All the royal family except me were captured."
"So?"
"I happened to be in a different town, so I managed to escape from the disaster, and put together an army that was scattered outside the royal capital…"
"You ran away."
"That's right"
"And you just happened to be in another city?"
"It has nothing to do with this case."
"……Surely"
He doesn't have to ask, he knows most of it. Princess Amalia was under house arrest for bringing shame to the Saint Miriam Kingdom because of the incident with Yuya. The other city is the place where she was driven away by that house arrest.
General Harrisman did not ask this question out of meanness. He wanted to confirm the legitimacy of Princess Amalia as a princess. But he could tell from Princess Amalia's tone of voice that she would never tell him. If that was the case, he had no choice but to investigate separately, so he stopped pursuing the matter further.
"Another question."
"Go ahead."
"Why so far? It's not very close to this place from the Saint Miriam Kingdom. If you just want to escape, you don't need to come this far."
"Yes. That's right. I came to your country for negotiations."
"What negotiations?"
"The Northern Alliance will work together to deal with the Nord Federation's outrages. We do not want the Luine Kingdom to do anything to threaten the Northern Alliance."
"What is the Northern Alliance?"
"It is an alliance of nations formed around the Saint Miriam Kingdom. It is an alliance of almost all the nations of the North, with the exception of the Union of Mercenary."
"......If we don't listen to them?"
"The Northern Alliance will also jointly deal with the Luine Kingdom."
"What about Nord?"
"The Nord Federation has its hands full with the occupation of our country. It cannot afford to invade another country. All we have to do is endure the humiliation."
"...I see. Maybe so."
Despite his calm tone, General Harrisman was inwardly very anxious. The army in this fortress is the army to attack the northern part of the country. However, once they crossed the eastern border, the Northern Alliance would try to block their way. He doesn't think the alliance can win. But he cannot allow their army to suffer heavy losses.
In the first place, the Nord affair and the existence of the Northern Alliance were unexpected. It was not a decision that General Harrisman could make.
"I'll try to make an inquiry to the royal capital. Until then..."
"We have nowhere to go"
"Then spend your time in this fortress. However, the army will be disarmed."
"...I understand."
If they don't like it, they will just kick them out. If they are kicked out, they will soon have no food to eat. She has to endure the humiliation and do what they say.
The horse left for the capital of the Luine Kingdom. This message came as a surprise to the city. And it is not only the Luine Kingdom that is surprised.
The beginning of a great war. The information that the Nord Empire had started it spread throughout the continent.
◇◇◇
Amalia was prepared a private room in the fortress. There was a person who visited there immediately. For Amalia, Yuya was the one who evoked really complicated emotions.
"It's been a tough time for you."
"Yes"
"If there's anything I can do, please tell me. I'll do what I can for you."
"…………"
Amalia had no idea what to say in response to these kind words. Yuya took the silence as simple resentment.
"I'm sorry. I should have first apologized for what happened in the past. I'm really sorry for what I did to you."
"I already forgot"
"I can't forget. I, who abandoned my love for you and ran into greed, was deprived of my freedom as you know. Even though I deserved it myself, my regrets won't disappear. I wish I hadn't left you. I'm sorry, but that's what I think."
"……I see."
"So please let me make amends. If anything happens, feel free to tell me. I will obey you no matter what."
"...Not now"
"I see. Well, I'll leave you to it, I'm sure you're tired. I'll come back and see if there's anything else."
"Yes"
Amalia feels unsatisfied with Yuya, who tries to leave rather easily. Yuya's back when he leaves the room. It's the back she had seen many times before. Seeing it off, Amalia let out a small sigh.
"Amalia-sama. Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm feeling tired after all."
"Then please rest for a while. We still have time for dinner."
"I will."
"Then, I'm going to go check out the building."
"Okay"
Amalia lies on the bed. Seeing that, Emily left the room.
"…I'm not stupid. You've been fooled again, haven't you? And that guy. He's the same as ever. He may be trying to fix his words and mannerisms, but he can't hide that nasty look in his eyes."
Emily curses as she walks down the corridor.
"...I wonder if he will offer it to me again. But I'm okay now. I can endure anything for that person's sake."
Emily's face turns ecstatic. Is it revenge that is driving Emily crazy, or――
The upheaval on the continent has thus begun.
Thanks for the chapter!
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