Unseen Movements
Back in the Luine Kingdom, Crown Prince Albert was working to put down the rebellion, putting off formal enthronement and other matters. The rebellion was so widespread that he had no choice but to do so. The Luine Kingdom, with its vast territory, was even more difficult to suppress.
Even so, Prince Albert didn't panic and steadily achieved results.
"If it's just that the kingdom is at fault, then it's fine to fight back."
"What?"
The words were said to the person who is considered one of the ringleaders of the rebellion. The person who was told this was surprised. It was not only him, but also his subjects who were listening around him.
"Didn't you hear me? If you still believe that you are right, you can stand up again."
"...You won't kill me?"
Rebellion is an immediate death penalty. This is well understood by those who rebel. But the words of Prince Albert indicate that he has no intention of doing so.
"Do you want to be killed?"
"…………"
He does not want to be killed. But to say so would seem to be begging for his life, and the man is unable to say anything.
"...Well, I understand the plight of the Nakura tribe. It is my fault that I did not know that such discrimination was happening in the kingdom. I apologize for that. I am sorry."
With these words, Prince Albert bowed to the ringleader of the rebellion.
"Your Highness!?"
It was the retainers who were present at this place panicked. One of them, Hank Holdings, suddenly raised his voice.
"What's the matter?"
"Apologizing to the one who started the rebellion. That would allow the rebellion to be justified."
"I didn't mean to apologize to those who started the rebellion. I apologize to the oppressed people of the country."
The motive for the rebellion was the discriminatory treatment of minorities in the Luine Kingdom, people who were once the people of the occupied country. There are many such people in the Luine Kingdom, which has swallowed many countries and become a major power.
"But……"
"Hank. You weren't aware of this fact, were you?"
Prince Albert stares at Hank and the other retainers with a stern look.
"N-no. I didn't even know about it."
Regardless of whether it is true or not, as a subject, they have no choice but to say this.
"I see. Now that we know, what do we have to do?"
"That's... I think we should promptly ascertain the facts and make improvements."
"Then do it. Follow this man and find out what is going on with the Nakura and why they are in the situation they are in."
"Ha. I will select the people immediately."
They will go to those who have rebelled. It will most likely be a life-threatening mission, but they cannot hesitate to do so. Hank was not one to accept unreasonable orders as they came, but he could find no reason to deny this matter other than the risk to their life.
"Now, will you cooperate with us?"
Prince Albert asked the man a question. Even Prince Albert is aware of the dangers of his vassals accompanying him. The idea was to mitigate it as much as possible.
"...If it really makes our lives easier."
"It won't get better immediately. But as the king of the Luine Kingdom, I promise to do my best to improve the lives of the people."
"……I understand."
Accepting a companion does not pose much of a risk. On the contrary, in the man's heart, his expectations for Prince Albert were growing.
"Then you can rest until the selection is done. Someone. Please prepare a room for him."
"Ha"
The Nakura man left the room with his retainers who had been instructed by Prince Albert. When the door closed completely, Prince Albert opened his mouth again.
"After all, don't you know what caused such a large-scale rebellion?"
The rebellion is being put down one by one. Although Crown Prince Albert is not willing to go through the effort, it is obvious that the sooner the rebellion is put down, the better. Prince Albert had them search for a common motive among those who started the rebellion.
"The motives of those who caused the rebellion that we know at the moment are various. We have not found a specific cause."
Hank answered Prince Albert's question with an apologetic look.
"I see... Maybe there's no common reason."
"Do you believe that they provoked discontent and led to rebellion?"
Persuading a group of people, not just one person, to cause a rebellion. Hank is dismissive of Prince Albert's opinion, believing it will take a daunting amount of time.
"Do you think it's impossible?"
"If I were ordered to do it, I cannot promise success."
"Even if the Nord emperor ascended to the throne and moved immediately, and the demons were doing it?"
"It might... be possible."
Information operations against the entire continent. The Nord emperor was the first to do so, and they were the first to do so in the last war.
Because of that power, the Nord were put under various restrictions so that they would never be able to fight again after their defeat.
"A rare conspirator has obtained the best execution unit. They are still a troublesome opponent."
Ren and the demons living in Nord should never have been linked. He strongly believes that now. But was it really possible to prevent it?
Prince Albert thinks that even before the Hero Selection Ceremony, the nations had fallen prey to Ren's schemes.
"I think we should destroy them quickly..."
Hank's articulation is aggressive. He doesn't know what they will try again if they give them more time, but he can't think of any way to quickly end the rebellion in front of them.
"What's the situation in the east?"
"There have been almost no battles. This is as planned. However, we have not made much, if any, progress in gaining effective control of the former Saint Miriam Kingdom."
"That, too, is right on schedule."
There was no way they would have been able to advance in controlling other territories just by leaving Yuya behind. That was also something they knew in advance. Even so, he left Yuya on the battlefield of the former Saint Miriam Kingdom.
"Why didn't the Nord emperor challenge him to a fight?"
To use Yuya as bait to draw Ren out. In a battle between armies, the odds were against them. But if they were to fight individually, Yuya, who is the best hero, would have a good chance of winning. Prince Albert does not expect to succeed from the beginning.
"There is no sign of an assassination attempt, is there?"
"As far as we know"
"It's not that. We were told that the Nord emperor's goal was revenge, but perhaps that is not all."
"That's right. He wouldn't do something this big just to get revenge on the heroes."
This is a mistake. Ren's goal is only revenge. However, the target is not only the heroes, but also the idea and structure of this world that drove Kazuki to her death.
Ren is thinking of destroying the world itself.
"...That guy would probably do it. Even if I think about it now, I can't come up with an answer."
"Do you want the hero to return?"
If he is not going to be used as bait, there is no point in leaving him there. It is better to use those troops to suppress the rebellion in their own country.
"I agree. But we can't just pull them out, can we?"
"The two countries, at least the Izrim Magic Kingdom, should want to withdraw as soon as possible. All we have to do is to create that opportunity for our country."
The Izrim Magic Kingdom is in turmoil. The elected king's side must want troops. Even if the Lemberg Empire does not, if the two kingdoms, Luine and Izrim agree to withdraw, they will have no choice but to go along with it.
"Then send messengers to the two countries immediately."
"......With their withdrawal, I think it would be artless to just pull them out."
"What do you want me to do?"
"I think that by ravaging the former Saint Miriam Kingdom territory, we can reduce the power of the Nord Empire.”
If the united front army withdraws, the former Saint Miriam Kingdom territory will be annexed to the Nord Empire. If the territory to be annexed is damaged, the Nord Empire will be drained of national power for reconstruction. Hank thought so.
"......Hank. Is the Nord Emperor such a man?"
"Is something wrong?"
"Wouldn't the Nord emperor cut off the new territory if that was enough to undermine their home country's national strength?"
"...Do you think that he will not increase their territory?"
Cutting off the occupied territory. Moreover, the former Saint Miriam Kingdom territory is the Nord Empire's entrance to the continent. Hank could not think of abandoning such an important territory.
"If that man is aiming to conquer the continent, he will need it. But...... now, we're back to that again."
"Is that the goal of the Nord emperor...?"
"If you don't know your enemy, you will make the wrong decision. Somehow I would like to know more about the Nord emperor and his purpose."
"Hero... was her name Manami, I believe?
Manami is the one who understands Ren the most on the united front side. It is thought so.
"Tell the messenger sent under the hero to get as much information as possible from her."
"Ha"
"The rest is... the guild and the church. It's quite difficult."
Stealing confidential information from the Adventurers Guild. This is almost impossible. The only thing they can do is to talk to the adventurers, but if they did it too openly, they never know how the adventurers guild will react.
The church, on the other hand, is also difficult to get information from. If they could, they would have obtained more detailed information about Ren right after the selection ceremony.
"I'll do what I can"
"Better yet, I want to go see him."
"Your Highness?"
"The best way to get to know a person is to meet and talk to them face-to-face."
"No, but..."
It's not that simple. Ren is not afraid to assassinate people if he has to. Hank knows that.
"Not now. Alright. There is no need to be hasty. The Nord emperor has more power than I could ever hope for. My greatest enemy is still that man."
Even the great Luine kingdom cannot easily defeat him. The Nord Empire, with Ren as its emperor, had that much power. For Crown Prince Albert, it was both a miscalculation and an expectation.
The time to decide who would be the champion of the continent. Crown Prince Albert was convinced that this was the time for that.
◇◇◇
The Luine Kingdom has many rebellions in the country, and the battle between the Elected King Selim and the Elected Court is raging in the Izrim Magic Kingdom.
In such a situation, the Lemberg Empire, one of the remaining three continental countries, is relatively calm. There are signs of rebellion in the Lemberg Empire as well. But that is just a one-sided assumption on the part of the emperor, and nothing has actually happened.
"Your Majesty..."
"What is it, Milianea? Something worrying you?"
Emperor Lemberg replies with a stupid question. He knows what is worrying Empress Milianea.
"Could you please tell me what is going on in the Izrim Magic Kingdom?"
Empress Milianea is worried about the civil war in her home country, the Izrim Magic Kingdom. She wonders what happened to her father, Elected King Selim.
"The civil war continues. But it will be over in the not-too-distant future."
"...How is that?"
It is not just a matter of the civil war being over. Her father, King Selim, must win.
"Neither side wants to engage in a fierce battle on their own. In the end, it will be a very typical outcome for the Izrim Magic Kingdom, won't it?"
"Comparison of magic..."
The king of the Izrim Magical Kingdom will be a person with superior magic. This is the premise. However, in times like this, this premise is useful. It is not a battle of armies against armies, but a battle of individuals that will settle the issue.
"Of course, if it's magic ability, His Majesty the Elected King is the best. Shouldn't Milianea be worried?"
"If it is done fairly"
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"If it's one-on-one, as Your Majesty says, Father will win. But will the Elected Court battle him if they know they will lose?"
Empress Milianea is well aware of the despicableness of the Elected Court. Few people take on a fight that they know they will lose otherwise. They will try to find a way to win.
"…Is it to be challenged by a large number of people all at once, or even if not, to be challenged one after another?"
"Yes. There is a limit to one's mana. Even though Father's power is far superior to that of ordinary people, the members of the Elected Court also have magic that is superior to others."
"...Millianea. You are already the Empress of the Lemberg Empire, my wife."
Emperor Lemberg is afraid that Empress Milianea will announce that she will return to her home country to help King Selim. Even more so if the odds of winning are slim. That's why he had tried to avoid the subject as much as possible.
"I understand. But I would never do anything to abandon my father...... and in case he should pass away......."
How much she would regret it. Emperor Lemberg understands that feeling. He just doesn't want to let go of Empress Milianea and doesn't want to put her in danger, but that doesn't mean he doesn't think it's okay to make her sad.
"...Shall I send the Mage Order?"
"Mage Order?"
"They have been saying such things from the battlefield. I've been told that they should actively support His Majesty the Elected King in order to end the civil war in the Izrim Magic Kingdom. Otherwise, the Nord Empire will not be stopped."
This should have been done much earlier. But the Lemberg Empire didn't do that.
Even though the Lemberg Empire had an alliance with the Izrim Magic Kingdom, it had no choice but to form this alliance in order to fight against the Luine Kingdom. Now that the Luine Kingdom was stuck, the Lemberg Empire was thinking of breaking off its alliance with the Izrim Magic Kingdom and even invading it, rather than sending reinforcements.
Of course, in a place, Empress Milianea doesn't know about.
"That's... I'd be happy if you could do that."
From whom did this advice come? Thinking about it, Empress Milianea was at a loss for words, but here she decided to speak her mind honestly.
"I see. Then I will do so."
Luckily, Emperor Lemberg didn't react strangely to Empress Milianea's words. After hearing rumors about Heinz and Empress Milianea, Emperor Lemberg sometimes showed unnecessary reactions.
"Thank you. I am deeply grateful for His Majesty's kindness."
"No need to thank me. I only want to see my Empress happy."
"Your Majesty..."
Emperor Lemberg, who decided to send his own Mages for Empress Milianea without regard to the national interest, is not a wise man. His abilities and benevolence are a notch or two below those of Heinz. That is why rumors of rebellion, for which there is no proof, continue to be told plausibly. Not only by those who have malicious intentions toward Heinz, but also by those who have high expectations for him.
Such is Emperor Lemberg, but Empress Milianea has no regrets about marrying him. It is because she is aware that she is definitely loved. Even if it sometimes brings troublesome feelings to Empress Milianea.
"I hope we can have a child soon. I want to hand over the throne to that child as soon as possible. I am sure that he will accomplish the Lemberg Empire's long-cherished dream of conquering the continent."
Emperor Lemberg knows that he is far from competent. He knows that conquering the continent is too much for him.
That said, he has no intention of giving up the position of emperor to Heinz. Even if it is a child between Heinz and his sister, who is a member of the royal family. He dreamed of handing over the throne to a child he had yet to have.
"Your Majesty. I hope that your reign will last for a long time. I believe it is the happiness of the people of the empire."
This is not flattery. A world in which the current Lemberg Emperor can continue to be emperor is not a turbulent world. Empress Milianea has no interest in conquering the continent. In fact, she lost interest after marrying the Lemberg Emperor. She has come to desire peace rather than turbulence.
"...Even the Empress has no such high spirits. No, it is I who am making you do so."
"Nothing like that. I am, of course, an ordinary woman."
"I know that's a lie... that's right. Shall I entrust the Empress with the government of the country?"
"Your Majesty. Such a joke..."
If he had made such a statement, there would be those who would despise Emperor Lemberg again. Empress Milianea is worried about that.
"It's a joke, but it's something only I can do. Fools have their own advantages. I can do things that other people are ashamed to do."
"That's... His Majesty who can think of such things is not a fool."
"The Empress is good at compliments."
"No, I'm pretty sure... the wisdom of a fool, huh? I know such words."
"What do you mean?"
"A humble person who knows he is stupid is a wise man. A fool is a person who thinks he is smart and proud. I think that's what it means."
"...I see. I know that I am a fool. If I know it and am humble, does that make me wise?"
In saying this, Emperor Lemberg wonders if he is being humble. He doesn't think so. There is a lack of humility in him. Emperor Lemberg could see that.
"Yes. And Your Majesty can be humble."
"Then I am a wise man. And the Empress who teaches the wise man is even more wise."
"His Majesty is really good at compliments."
Empress Milianea is smart. As Emperor Lemberg said, she would be more than enough to become an emperor instead.
Emperor Lemberg, who married Empress Milianea. He is jealous of Heinz, but he doesn't feel that way about Empress Milianea. Good looks and talent. He is honestly glad that his wife has them.
That is a happy thing for Empress Milianea. As a wife.
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