"Ummm ......, as much as I'd like to help...

　When Alicia and Chief Chrom asked King Bulgalon for help, he slurred his words.
　Alicia and Chief Chrom bit their lips.

　We can't afford it. And if we help you, ......".

　Other clans will come to us for help.
　Then there will be no end to it.

　So said King Vulgaron.
　Well, that certainly makes sense.

　But ......

　"We of the Chromium clan must have a close relationship with the Kotormir clan. ...... is different from the other clans.
　"Of course we know that. But it is impossible to provide food for eighty thousand people.

　King Bulgalon replied.
　Alicia pressed him further.

　So, ...... 40,000, even 10,000 would be fine!　Please, please save the people of my clan.

　Alicia bowed profoundly to King Bulgalon.
　At the same time, Chief Chrom bowed as well.

　If you say you can't, you can't!　You can't get what you don't have!

　King Bulgalon raised his voice.

　"But ......
　"Stop it, Alicia!

　"Stop, Alicia!

　"I'm sorry, King Vulgaron. My daughter was rude. ...... We'll leave you to it.
　"Well, I'm sorry I can't help you.



　After the audience, Alicia was temporarily separated from her father, Chief Chrom. ......
　After the audience, Alicia split off with her father, the Krom chief, and went to visit her fiancé, Telerig.

　"Mr. Telerig, please, can't you intervene?
　"And I would if I could, ......, but my father has asked me not to respond to any requests for help.

　Terelig said, shaking his head.
　Alicia closed in on Terelig.

　You've got to get out of there. ......
　No, you can't ...... go against your father.
　Just a little, just a little ...... sheep will do!

　Alicia says, but Terelig says no, no, no.
　Alicia then looked at Terelig suspiciously.

　...... Are you sure you don't have a stockpile?　From what I've seen, you seem to be quite well stocked.
　"No way!　Are you doubting me?
　The way you're dressed, it's not hard to suspect.

　Terelig, of course, but also King Bulgaron and the other leading members of the Kotormia clan were all dressed in expensive silk.
　Even though Alicia and the others had sold off most of their luxuries and were cutting back on their lives.

　We of the Krom clan are short of food, and some of our young have died. ...... Are you sure the Kotormir clan can't afford it?
　"Oh, of course not. ......

　That was a lie.
　In fact, the people of Kotormia had a good life.
　Since they had the farming people under their direct control, they could easily obtain grain from them as taxes.
　It is true that they could not provide food for 80,000 people, but they could still afford to provide some support.

　But ......
　King Bulgalon was not going to help.

　The reason was simple.
　He wanted to reduce the power of the Chromes.

　Not just the Chromes.
　He was planning to reduce the power of the powerful clans in the Kingdom of Bulgalon, including the Territorial Clans, and create a centralized country with King Bulgalon at the top.

　Although he had originally had this idea, the decisive moment was the Battle of Astia, where he was defeated because the clan leaders left the war on their own.

　The Battle of Astia, where the clan chiefs left the war on their own and were defeated, was the decisive moment.

　It is true that the Krom clan has intermarried with the Kotormir clan and become a powerful clan, but ......
　No matter how many intermarriages they have, they are still other clans.
　In fact, it was rather troublesome because they had to be careful.

　This is not a problem because the power of not only the Chromes, but also the Telltales and other non-Kotormir clans will be reduced.

　We have helped the Kotormir clan many times. We have helped the Kotormir many times. ...... We have given many young men as soldiers. We also value our trade with Lemuria. But we have shed our blood and spent our fortune fighting for the Kingdom of Bulgalon!　So how dare you treat us like this!

　Alicia said in a hoarse voice.
　Then ......

　"Shut up!!!

　Terelig shouted at her. 　
　Alicia's body stiffened involuntarily.

　"Don't you dare speak to me like that!　You're supposed to shed blood for the Kingdom of Bulgalon!　Don't ask for anything in return!　You're really, always, always, always ！！！！　You're so cocky!　You're a woman, and you're getting carried away!　It's only natural for you Chromes to work for the Kotormir clan. ！！！！



　Terelig yelled at her.
　Alicia looked stunned.

　"Oh, you ...... thought of me, of us, that way?　I've worked so hard as your fiancée, as the daughter of an allied clan. ......

　Alicia glared at Terelig as she said this.
　A tear rolled down her cheek.

　When she saw the tears, Terelig realized that she had misspoken, and hurriedly made up for it.

　No, no, no, no, no!　Wait, wait. I never meant what I said. ......
　That's a lie!

　Alicia yelled.
　She stood up and turned on her heel.

　That's enough. I will not ask you to do this. I understand what your people, the Kotormir, want. To you, I, your father, and the Chromes were tools and slaves.

　"Wait, wait, Alicia!

　"...... Goodbye, Master Terelig.

　Alicia said and left the place.






　After that, Alicia and the chief of the Krom clan returned to the Krom settlement and sent letters to all the clans, including the Telltale clan, asking for their support.
　But all the clans were in trouble.

　They were all turned down.

　We'll have to turn to foreign countries.
　"Foreign?　But father, there is no foreign country that borders Bulgalon. ......

　There is the Lemurian Empire, or the warbeast tribal nations on the western side of the land.
　Or the kingdom of Hayastan on the other side of the sea.

　The warbeast tribal nations don't have the production capacity to export food.
　The Kingdom of Hayastan is a tributary of the Lemurian Empire, so there's little hope for them. ......

　The Lemurian Empire's agricultural production capacity is not right in the first place.
　Only the Lemurian Empire or the Kingdom of Fars has the capacity to produce enough wheat to feed its own people and export to other countries.

　"How about looting?
　Looting? ...... But can we defeat Lemuria on our own?

　The Lemurian Empire has moved all of its villages and cities inside its own borders.
　The Lemurian Empire has moved all of its villages and cities to the interior of the country, so in order to loot, you need to break through the Lemurian Empire's defense lines.

　But the Lemurian Empire's defenses are too strong to be breached.

　But if you don't, you'll starve to death.
　"......

　Alicia knows.
　It's impossible for the Chromes to defeat the Lemurian Empire alone.

　If you can draw them into the Bulgurons' kingdom and use their geographical advantage to fight them, you can still ......
　It's impossible for them to invade the territory of the Lemurian Empire, defeat the Lemurian army, and then plunder it.

　The Lemurian Empire's army is so powerful and the Lemurian Emperor's military abilities are so high.

　The Lemurian emperor's military prowess is so great that Alicia knows that he has more military talent than most people.

　"Clan leader!　The settlement to the north has been attacked this time!
　"What!　Which clan is it this time?　They're coming after us like hyenas. Those traitors who sold their souls to Lemuria. ！！！！

　The Chrome Clan Chief shouted.
　Hearing this, ...... Alicia realized.

　There's only one way to do this.
　Yes, just one. ......

　"Oh, Father, ...... I've got an idea.
　"A plan?　What's that? Tell me.

　Alicia tells her idea to Chief Chrom.
　The Chromium Chief's face contorted.

　You can't do that. There's no way I can do that, and they'll never allow it.

　"But it's the only way!　If we don't, we will all starve to death!　This year is good, but next year?　What about the year after that?　The Kotormir clan has no intention of saving us, but rather they are waiting for us to weaken!

　"That's true, but .......

　The Crom Clan Chief twisted his face in frustration .
　The main reason for this was that Chief Chrom had too much faith in the Kotormir clan.
　If he'd given up on them early on and gone with the war protesters like the Tellitelle, none of this would have happened.

　"...... All right, Alicia. You're right. There is no need for us to think about the whole of Bulgalon when the Kotormia clan only thinks about the Kotormia clan. We'll think only of us.

　Finally, the Crom Clan Chief relented.

　"Then I'll be going right away.
　"Yes, I'll entrust you with full authority. I'm entrusting you with full authority.








　It was a week later.

　In the Throne Room of the Nova Lemuria Palace: ......


　Hercule looked down at the girl in the traditional costume and said.

　'You're faster than I thought, Alicia Crom. No, b*tc*. Now, what can I do for you?

　Hercule said happily.