Assumption
They attacked and destroyed Partheon. However, this was not a joyous occasion for the Izrim Empire. The objective was only to obtain a way to remove the proof of servitude. There was no need to invade and destroy Partheon, but they could have obtained it through negotiations after exerting military pressure. That is what should have been done.
But it failed. None of the upper echelons in the Church who might have known the secret have been captured. Their whereabouts are also unknown at this point. The Izrim Empire has lost the means to fulfill its original purpose.
"...All we got were treasures."
Mei, who heard the report, also looks dumbfounded.
"It's only treasure, but it's quite a lot."
It is the wealth that was stored in the capital of the Church. Even though some of it was taken by the priests when they fled, and a good amount of it was worn by knights and soldiers, the Izrim Empire obtained enough wealth to be considered a war result. Ogawa is proud of that one and only achievement.
"But we haven't found a way to remove the proof of servitude."
"We'll attack again"
"Again?"
"Reoccupy the church country and make the church guys obey. That will solve the problem."
Re-occupation, but that's because the church capital that was once occupied was abandoned. Ogawa doesn't want to touch on that.
"That's fine, but will we be able to reoccupy it even if the Nord Empire Army is there?"
"This time, we will be fully prepared. We will be prepared to never lose."
If you are prepared to never lose, then there is no need to fear the Nord Empire. If they can do it.
"...What kind of preparation is that?"
Mei doesn't know what it is. If she knew, she would have done it from the beginning.
"Challenge them with all our might"
"…Ah, so you want Jin to sortie, too."
"That's one thing."
Let Jin, who has the power to compete with Ren, be dispatched. Then there is no need to fear Ren. Even if it's Ogawa's personal convenience, it's not impossible as a strategy.
"Unfortunately Jin can't move right now."
"Why?"
"Because we are at war with other countries."
"Invading another country..."
The Izrim Empire was trying to expand its territory even further. It certainly has such intentions, but Ogawa is wrong about this.
"We are being attacked."
"Eh?"
"The Moldova Kingdom in the east formed an alliance with other countries and attacked."
"Moldova Kingdom? Is that true?"
"Yes. The country where Hayashi-kun is."
The hero in the Moldova Kingdom. Shuhei Hayashi, a former Class A student who Mei was trying to get on her side.
"...The people in this world are rotten to make us fight each other."
Ogawa expresses his anger at the way the Moldova Kingdom makes the heroes fight each other.
"I hope so."
"What do you mean?"
"I haven't heard about the details, but it seems that they are fighting aggressively."
Mei had different information. It is information that Hayashi seems to be fighting Jin on his own accord.
"Hayashi is?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"......If I can become emperor, why not himself?"
"…………"
Hayashi challenged the battle to become the emperor himself. Hearing this, Ogawa falls silent.
"Ara? Could it be that Ogawa-kun was thinking the same thing?"
"Don't say stupid things. There's no way I can do that, right?"
Ogawa's answer is not that he doesn't think about it, but that it can't be done. The real intention is leaking out unconsciously.
"Yes. It's not easy."
There is a way to become an emperor. All they have to do is use the proof of servitude and become Mei's master. It's the same as the release method, and they don't know how to do it. They don't know if they can force it.
That doesn't mean that Mei is not cautious. The proof of servitude is hidden in a place that no one knows.
"It's not about that, it's about Hayashi. Are we struggling?"
"I haven't heard anything about that at the moment. But that doesn't mean it's all right."
It will be quite a few days before they receive any information about the Lemberg Kingdom. They don't know what the situation is right now.
"What about reinforcements?"
"I've sent them. But I didn't feel safe with them, so I thought I would call you back. But you came back, so I didn't have to send a messenger."
"...Should we leave right away?"
Avoiding reacting to Mei's sarcasm, Ogawa tries to move on.
"Right. I'd like to have Ogawa-kun's unit head for the Lemberg Kingdom right away."
"Just me?"
"The others will reorganize first. I'd like to rush the reinforcements, but I don't want a situation in which we lose as a result of our haste."
It sounds like she's talking lightly, but it's a big problem if it really comes down to losing. The current Izrim Empire is based on rule by force. She must avoid situations in which her power is questioned. Moreover, they had already lost to the Nord Empire and returned. Losing twice in a row is unacceptable.
"Can I take a break for at least one day?"
"We're preparing to transport supplies, so you can rest more. I'll contact you when it's ready."
"I understand."
The conversation was over. With that in mind, Ogawa left the room. He did so partly because he did not want to be pursued for the failure of the operation.
But Ogawa was the only one who left the room. The other heroes, including Minami, remained behind.
"…You didn’t fight Ren-kun properly, did you?"
"Yeah. Even if we fight, we will lose."
"I see. Then it hurts that we can't release Yuya."
The reason for the attack on the church capital was to free Yuya from the Luine Kingdom. It's to make him usable as an asset. Failure to do so would greatly affect future battles.
"What if we could free him?"
"...You mean Yuya will lose?"
"I don't think that possibility is zero. But what I'm thinking about is a comparison as an army."
A hero may have the power to change the course of a battle, but he cannot say that he can do so at any time and against any enemy. Although he is the hero himself, Minami believes that it is the power of the army, not the individual, that decides victory or defeat.
"We can't win against the Nord Empire Army?"
"I won't go so far as to say we can't win. However, I think it will be difficult even if we have the same number, or even twice as many."
"You mean the power of the demons?"
"You know that, right? There are almost no demons in the Nord Empire army. But they fought against an army of demons who sided with the united front. What happens when more demons join that army?"
"...To fight Ren-kun, we need to expand our strength more."
Even the united front struggled. The three powers did not fight with all their might, but now they know that the Nord Empire side was not at full strength either.
In order to win against the Nord Empire, it will be necessary to have more fighting power than the united front. Mei wonders how that is different from conquering the continent.
"How about negotiating with Hayashi? The enemy is Ren. We have to make Hayashi understand that."
"I sent messengers before the battle began. It's possible that it was a mistake."
"What do you mean?"
"I think I came off a little arrogant. Hayashi-kun might be wondering why I, a classmate, talk down to him."
It was against the Moldova Kingdom that she acted arrogant, but Hayashi saw it as something that was directed at him as well. Hayashi was not dissatisfied with being the hero of the Moldova Kingdom.
"Isn't that a failure in choosing the messenger?"
"Exactly. It's my mistake."
"Are you giving up on negotiations then?"
"I sent Manami. I don't know if he'll meet her."
"...Isn't it dangerous?"
The Moldova Kingdom is currently an enemy country. Minami feels uneasy when he hears that she sent Manami there.
"She had done dangerous negotiations before."
"That's right, but... I hope it goes well."
Minami decided that Mei was not aware that she had sent her friend on a dangerous mission. They are not friends but subjects. He thought that's how it is.
He didn't feel any resistance to it. In fact, Mei is the emperor, and he is nothing more than a knight commander. If so, he should behave like that.
"I have high hopes, but I don't expect too much."
Mei didn't say anything to Minami, who suddenly changed his language. She continued talking as if nothing had happened.
"In preparation for failure, I have to head to the Lemberg Kingdom as well."
"Yes. But before that, I want you to go around the church capital."
"That's... to look for someone related to the church?"
He doesn't want to be ordered to fight against the Nord Empire Army and Ren. Minami doesn't have the confidence to win with just his knights.
"Yes. That and the documents. It is possible that they are still in writing."
"......Though it's less likely."
"Why do you think so?"
"The church was the one that burned the most. I don't think there are any written documents left."
"I see... did you forget your purpose?"
The way Minami and the others fought, it seems to Mei that they forgot their purpose. The fact that they had set fire to the church, as well as the fact that they hadn't captured a single church official, even if Ren had interfered, was also frustrating to Mei.
"It can't be helped even if you say so. But if I may make an excuse, it was a miscalculation that the church capital burned so badly. I can't imagine anyone not trying to put out the fire."
One wouldn't call this a miscalculation. It was a mistake to choose to attack with fire without ascertaining the situation in the capital. In some aspects, they prioritized not making sacrifices over their objectives.
"I don't blame you for what you did. Then, find the church officials. That's all we need."
"...What if the Nord Empire Army is in the church capital?"
"You can't win, right? Don't overdo it, head to the Lemberg Kingdom."
"I understand"
Feeling relieved. With this, re-sortieing to the church capital became considerably easier.
"What else?"
"...Ah, Ogawa didn't report this either."
"What?"
"Kitagawa-san and Sakaki were in the capital. I think they stayed in the church."
"That woman... so?"
Even Mei clearly remembers Miko Kitagawa, a mage. She has the not-so-good impression that this is someone who refused her solicitation.
"I invited them to become our ally, but they refused. I don’t know what happened after that. I wonder what happened to them with Ren."
"...Were they killed?"
The number of heroes who could have been on their side has decreased again. As disappointing as it was for Mei to not get the information about the proof of servitude, it was just as disappointing for her.
"...Have we done something so terrible?"
"Eh? What are you talking about?"
"I wondered if what we did was something that could turn a grudge against us so strong that it could cost us our lives."
The resentment that Ren directed at them. And Minami is not convinced.
"...I don't know what Ren-kun is thinking. But it's true that we killed Harumoto-san. And..."
Since they don't know what Ren thinks, whatever they say is just their imagination. Mei hesitated to say anything. However, if she stopped halfway through the conversation, those listening would be more than a little concerned.
"And what?"
"...I know it's just my imagination, but I wonder if Ren-kun was thinking of killing everyone who was there."
"You don't think so?"
"Because Shizuru is by Ren-kun's side."
Shizuku is alive and by Ren's side. Mei believes that this fact proves that Ren doesn't necessarily want to kill everyone.
"......What's the difference between her and those who were killed?"
"I don't know. How Shizuru was forgiven might give us a hint."
Probably not a hint. What Mei and the others don't understand the most is that Ren doesn't see the heroes as special as they think they do. Heroes or not, if they are an enemy, he will kill them. If Kazuki's children and orphans want them dead, enemy or not, he will make sure it happens. That is the basic principle.
"Are you planning to send an envoy to Ren?"
Improving relations with Ren. That's what they should think about, Minami thought. If Ren is still strongly hostile toward the Izrim Empire, the situation will continue to be difficult.
As a man with little ambition, Minami would prefer not to fight if he could avoid it.
"I'm thinking of sending Manami. Manami shouldn't be the target of his revenge."
Mei is also thinking about improving her relationship with Ren. In Mei's case, unlike Minami, she only wants to improve the relationship temporarily.
"When is that?"
"It's undecided, but it's definitely after the negotiations with the Moldova Kingdom are over."
"...That's true."
Manami, the emissary, is on her way to negotiate with the Moldova Kingdom. There is no way she can go to the Nord Empire until that is done.
"I understand negotiations. But what are you going to negotiate?"
Maki interjected here. She is negative about negotiating with Ren. It's not that they shouldn't negotiate, but that they will not succeed.
"Non-war."
"Impossible. He's the one who started the fight, you know?"
"I know it's difficult. But we don't want to fight two countries at the same time, the Nord Empire and the Luine Kingdom. And if the only way to defeat the Nord Empire is to annex the Luine Kingdom, then so be it."
Mei is also not convinced that negotiations with Ren will succeed. She has limited options, so she just thinks she has no choice.
"It's fine as it is"
"What do you mean?"
"We should balance the three countries and end the war there."
Like Minami, Maki has no ambition to conquer the continent. They secured a country where they could live freely. After that, she thinks that it is good to continue to protect it.
"...Do you think Ren-kun will allow that?"
"If he doesn't want to forgive us, then we will fight. There's no need to initiate anything from here."
"If we don't initiate... No, that's also an option. I'll think about it."
If she doesn't initiate it before they initiate it, she will lose. Mei swallowed those words. She doesn't want people to think she's afraid of Ren. She hates to admit it is the case.
To gain freedom in this world, to protect herself from Ren, and to fulfill her ambition to conquer the continent. What is she fighting for? Mei has lost sight of that. The only thing that is clear is her pride in not wanting to lose to Ren. She still doesn't even know what makes a win.
◇◇◇
For what purpose. In Manami's case, it is very clear. She does not want her companions to fight among themselves. This is the reason why she is willing to go on dangerous missions. It is the same this time. Hayashi led his army to attack the Lemberg Kingdom. It was Jin who would be Hayashi's opponent. For Manami, this is an unacceptable situation.
Even without receiving Mei's order, Manami would have wished to stand as an emissary herself. That is what she can do. She thinks so after having experienced being an emissary for negotiations with other countries several times.
"...Hasegawa-san. I thought you were a little more mature."
"Eh?"
Not appropriate words for the beginning of a negotiation. Manami was caught off guard by Hayashi's words.
"Well, it's good? Hasegawa-san is like a child, so I can't bring myself to kill you without asking questions."
"...It would be nice if we could negotiate with that."
Manami puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. This kind of gesture makes her feel even more childish, but she doesn't notice it herself.
"But that doesn't mean the negotiations will be successful."
If Manami is like a child, she will be underestimated by the other party. Hayashi does not believe that she will succeed even if she gets a chance to negotiate.
"It's up to Hayashi-kun."
"...If that's the case, then the negotiations have failed."
"Why? There should be something that can be resolved through discussion."
"What will be resolved by discussion?"
Hayashi smiles wryly at Manami's words. He thinks her way of thinking is naive.
"We can end the war."
"There are certainly cases that can be resolved. But that doesn't mean it's going to happen this time."
"Is Hayashi-kun thinking of killing?"
Manami could not tolerate Hayashi's desire to fight. As for her, she asked the question in a harsh manner.
"...Hasegawa-san. Please stop saying that I'm the cause of the killing."
"The one who attacked us was Hayashi-kun."
"Are you saying that the side that took the initiative was evil? Isn't it the Izrim Empire that made us attack?"
"...We didn't do that"
Manami has no recollection of having made the Moldova Kingdom go to war. It is quite possible that she is just unaware of it, so she can't say it strongly enough.
"If we do nothing, we will be destroyed. If we don't want that, we have to fight for our survival."
"Such a thing……"
"You're doing it, aren't you? The Izrim Empire destroyed the surrounding countries and grew. After the south was over, the next was the east. In other words, it's our country."
"No. We don't want to destroy the country. We just want to help our companions."
They want to free their fellow heroes. That was the goal of Manami and the others. That feeling didn't change.
"Companions... who are you talking about?"
"Who? All of our classmates."
"...You know. Right now, my comrades are the people from my country. Those of you who want to kill those comrades aren't my comrades."
Manami and Hayashi have different ideas about companions. There was no way they could have a discussion.
"...Are you serious?"
"Yeah, I'm serious. It's not like I'm being ruled by the proof of servitude. I came to the Moldova Kingdom as a hero, and in order to strengthen myself and the army, I've worked hard with everyone in the country. In the fight against Ren, I knew I still had a long way to go, but it was still a fulfilling time."
As a hero of the Moldova Kingdom, he's been doing his best in his own way. He was recognized and supported by the people of the country. He has no complaints about his country.
"Don't you hate being forced into a slave contract?"
"When I first learned about it, I was naturally angry. But it didn't bother me in any way. I was forced to fight, but I have the power to do so. If I think of it as a job where I can put my abilities to use, then it makes sense."
"...Even so, it doesn't change the fact that you're tied down."
"No, like I said earlier, I'm free now."
"Eh?"
"Being free, I continue to be the hero of the Moldova Kingdom. I want to help my comrades."
Hayashi is fighting with his own will. His contract as a hero is broken. The Moldova Kingdom made such a decision. Of course, it is only with Hayashi's loyalty that he can be trusted not to betray them.
"…If there is a war, many people will die."
Manami's persuasion would not gain momentum if she lost her goal of freeing her comrades.
"The Izrim Empire is also responsible for causing that war. Hasegawa-san. I thought you were more of a good-natured person, but no, you're a good-natured person, and that's why you're dyed."
"What am I dyed with?"
"You are imposing your values on me. You call them your companions, but to Hasegawa-san and the others, those companions are pathetic slaves that they have to save. They are small fry. That's what you guys assume."
"…………"
She had no intention of doing so. But it is true that she had a sense of obligation to help her companions. Regardless of whether or not the other person is asking for help.
"I decided to live in this world, in the Moldova Kingdom. The original world is already in the past. I value the current relationship, not the past relationship."
"...You might die."
Hayashi has no chance of winning. Manami thinks so.
"Hasegawa-san. Deciding to live in this country is the same as deciding to die in this country."
"…………"
Hayashi answers Manami's words with a smile. Seeing that smile, Manami gave up trying to persuade him. Hayashi doesn't have the same talent for intrigue as Ren. He has no charisma. He is a former Class A hero, so his fighting prowess is far superior to that of ordinary people, but it does not exceed that of Mei, Yuya, and Jin, who were called the Four Heavenly Kings.
Even so, Hayashi has his own way of life.
It is natural. She feels as if she has been made aware of that obviousness, and perhaps Hayashi was right, and she had looked down on him as a small fry. Thinking of this, Manami was too embarrassed to look up.
――Manami's negotiations ended in failure. The Izrim Empire was forced to continue its fight against the unwanted Eastern countries.
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