Noon, November 14, 2813 in the Western Continental Calendar


　A heavy air covered the audience room.
　Tension floated on the faces of the knights standing on either side of the red carpet, the guards standing on either side of the red carpet.
　That was also natural in a way.
　Because from now on, the heroes of the country's salvation who led the civil war to its end and the rulers who tried to eliminate it will meet for the first time in a long time.
　Guards and civilian officials. And the powerful nobles.
　All eyes of all the people standing here were on the man who was kneeling and waiting for the queen to enter the room and the guards behind him.

It's been a while, Baron Mikoshiba. Look up.

　As Ryoma was kneeling in front of the throne, face down, Lupis' voice rang out from above his head with the sound of his robe rubbing.
　Mertina, standing to the left of the throne, directs a sharp gaze at him as if to challenge him.
　It's the same as when they first met, with Mertina refraining from standing beside her.

''It's been a long time. ''Your Majesty.''

　Following Lupis' voice, Ryoma looked up with a gentle smile on his face as he knelt down.
　There was no disgust, anger, or contempt for Lupis, or anything else floating on his face.
　A perfect aristocratic manner.
　And a gentle smile that seemed to be good-natured.
　Seeing that figure, the air that covered the audience room relaxed.
　Although they didn't outwardly speak, most of the upper echelon understood the feud between Lupis and Mikoshiba Ryoma.
　They had been worried that this meeting would take a rather stinging turn, but it had started off unexpectedly harmoniously.
　It was no surprise that they were patted on the chest.
　But in the next moment, their faces were all tightened at the words that were released from Lupis' mouth.

I'll be blunt: "I believe the situation was written in Elena's letter as well, so I'll be blunt. I would like you to join the reinforcements to Zaruda as Elena's assistant.

　I had always assumed they all exchanged some degree of formality in their greetings before cutting to the chase.
　After all, it's the way things have been going so far.
　I thought that they would start off after the atmosphere of the place had been relaxed with a trivial conversation, but it seems that Lupis' choice was different.
　Single-mindedness.
　It may not be a very desirable means for a nobleman who values formality, but for Ryoma, who dislikes useless formality, it was a good impression.
　While those around him watched with bated breath, Ryoma smiled calmly and replied in a firm voice.

''I will accept.''

　The words caused a thud.
　Indeed, those who knew Mikoshiba Ryoma would find the scene in front of them more difficult to believe than those who knew him.
　There was a part of his personality, but most of all, it was about a year and a few months after he had made the Woltenia Peninsula and other uncivilized frontiers as his territory. A magical land abandoned by the kingdom for many years. A land where there are no people to even pay taxes.
　As a practical matter, there was no way they could accumulate enough strength to send out troops in such a short period of time after being forced into a land like that.
　Naturally, most of the people standing during this audience thought that Ryoma would refuse Lupis' request.
　Only a handful of people who knew Mikoshiba Ryoma's character well, led by Elena, did not think so.

''I just have a few requests,''

　At Ryoma's words, a groan envelops the audience room again.
(Well, it's only natural...)
　Lupis nodded quietly and urged Ryojin to go ahead.
　Although she was calm on the surface, she herself was inwardly prepared for her own request to be rejected.
　On the contrary, it was accepted too easily and once the venom was drained out of her, but the man in front of her is not naive, as expected.
　It's an old-fashioned man with a good-natured smile on his face.
　His physique is good, but he is rather ordinary looking.
　However, Lupis understands as much as he doesn't want to.
　The fact that the man in front of you is a blood-eating Wesen.
　It was only about a year ago that Gerhard, who was a duke at the time, carried Princess Ladine as the son of the previous king and Lupis' father, Falst II.
　The Knights, who were originally the shield and contraption of the royal family.　
　For Lupis, whose 80% of it was controlled by General Hodram, the only two people he could rely on were Mikhail Banash, who had served as his guard for many years, and Mertina Lecter.
　He appeared in a situation where there was not even a glimmer of hope.
　The [Demon of Iraklion] who cut down the nobles who were called bystanders and drowned thousands of enemy soldiers in order to create a bridgehead in the Thebes River.
　A man who is cunning, brutal and ruthless.......and can take any means necessary.
　But on the other hand, he was sincere and faithful to Lupis.
　I'm sure you'll be able to trust me even more than the noblemen who don't have a hunch.
(And yet I betrayed him...)
　It's true that ostensibly as a reward for his war service, he anointed him a nobleman and gave him the territory known as the Woltenia Peninsula and treated him generously.
　But Lupis himself understands best that this was an act of fear for the man in front of him.
　No, there's no such thing as generous treatment while giving him an uncivilized frontier as a fiefdom where he can't even expect tax revenue that has been neglected by the kingdom for many years.
　In fact, it's an open secret in the ruling class of the Roselia Kingdom.

''Tell me,''

　Lupis was ready when he said that.
　The one who made the decision is me.
　So the responsibility is all on me.
　Lupis decided to drink in any condition to protect the country.
　No matter how painful the demand was.
　There was no other way left to protect the country.


　That night, in a room in the royal castle, Ryoma was visited by Elena.
　Sitting down on the sofa, the two exchanged glances.

''That was a quicker reunion than I expected.

　Elena stared at Ryoma's face with a gentle smile like her mother's.

''Yeah. I'm surprised too.''

　The light from the lamp on the tabletop illuminates Elena's face.
(A little pudgy, I guess.)
　Nodding at Elena's words, Ryoma's gaze was directed at the small wrinkles, or wrinkles, on Elena's face.
　When I saw her in the audience room, I didn't notice it because it was from a distance, but she seemed to be having a lot of trouble.

''I wonder if that advice was in vain?''

　It was the advice that Ryoma sent when he and Elena broke up.

''Yes. I honestly didn't expect it to get this bad... what can I say to Elena...''

　Ryoma didn't hide it, he told her what he thought.
　Even though he paid the price of acknowledging his vengeance on Hodram, it was Ryouma himself who made Elena return to her current position.
　He could not escape the responsibility of putting her on the ship called Roselia Kingdom, which was close to a mud boat.
　That thought pushed Ryojin back.

After all you should have executed Viscount Gerhardt then.

　Ryoma shook his head at Elena's words, which were muttered with a sigh.

''Looking at the current situation, even if they abandoned Mikhail and executed Gerhardt, the results wouldn't be much different.

"Not fit to be king?

　Elena's eyes narrowed as they were directed at Liang Shin's face.
　That's a word that is equivalent to slandering the king 《hibou》.

''I won't say it's disqualifying, but it's probably not very appropriate. Well, if someone trustworthy held the real power and she ruled with a symbolic presence, the outcome would have been quite different.

　With a shrug of her shoulders, Ryouma and Elena's eyes lost their sharpness and a sad expression appeared on her face as she replied.
　Regret.
　That pierces Elena's heart.

''Well that would certainly have been better for this country and for His Majesty Lupis. If only someone like you had been there to support her........

　It's a meaningless fantasy that is useless to assume.
　The opposition of the aristocrats and senior knights of this country, which is solidified by bloodlines and factions, against Liangzhen, who was not even a citizen of the Roselia Kingdom, even though he had merit in warfare during the civil war, is strong.
　While they are proud of their own families and bloodlines, they have a high-handed attitude towards the commoners.
　Even so, there is a part of them that can be understood if they are the same Roselia people.
　Even if they disapprove of it.
　However, Ryojin is different.
　He's just a mere mercenary who doesn't know which horse's bones he's from.
　As a result, Ryoma was anointed a baronet and became a member of the aristocracy, but because of the strong implications of taming him, it's just that there is no one who would take issue with him out loud.
　The special geography of the Woltenia peninsula only suppressed the rejection of the nobles, a measure that would normally be impossible.
　In such a country, Mikoshiba Ryoma couldn't possibly be involved in running the country.
　Of course, Elena was also from a commoner's background, but in her case, she had spent a long time building a track record and allies.
　She also has a great reputation that has spread to the surrounding countries.
　Her position was too different from Ryouma's.
　And the biggest reason was that Lupis himself had put Ryojin away.
　All the conditions showed that Elena's words were impossible.
　Still, Elena was frustrated.
　Maybe.
　Those words bind Elena.

Well, you don't have to talk about it...

　Sighing deeply, Elena tightens her expression and faces Ryojin.
　An assumption is just an assumption.
　Regrets won't change the reality.
(You have no choice but to do what you can now.)
　Yes, because the fangs of the great powers are closing in on the kingdom of Roselia now.