On that day, an elegant, unobtrusive knock echoed through the corridors of the Count of Salzberg's mansion, which loomed in the center of the citadel of Ipylos.

'Sir. I'm sorry to interrupt your fun, but could you give me a moment of your time?

　Julia Salzberg calls out to the owner of the room as she hears a woman panting through the door in the daylight.
　She must have heard the voice. The woman's ragged breathing and the creaking and creaking of the floor stopped for a moment, and an exasperated man's voice rang out from inside.

'What is it Yulia?　It's a good place to be right now. If you're not in a hurry, you can do it later.

　It is a voice full of arrogance and confidence, like that of a master giving orders to his servants.
　The voice of her husband, Count Thomas Salzberg, shows no signs of guilt, despite the fact that he was accosted by his wife in the middle of an affair in which he had dragged a young maid, who was still a child, into his room during the day.
　If someone who knew Count Salzberg on a daily basis heard his words and voice, they would doubt their own ears.　The power relationship between Count Salzberg and Madame Salzberg is ostensibly one of the strongest in the world.
　I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm going to be able to help you. You can understand how the Count does not see Julia as his wife.
　In modern society, this would be a kind of psychological abuse.
　If you are a man of sound mind, it is only natural that you would consider divorce or separation.
　But Yulia has no right to choose that option.
(I just work like a slave for this person.
　Julia herself does not consider herself to be a fastidious person.
　If her husband wishes to have a vestibule, she will have the guts to listen to his wishes, putting aside her true feelings. If it were more to the point, I am even considering stepping down from the position of a full-time wife.
　Originally, Yulia was only the daughter of an influential merchant in Ipylos. No matter how economically wealthy they may be, merchants are only commoners in the framework of the status system.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what to expect when you're in the market. It is a fact that even the king has to show proper courtesy to such merchants, even if they are commoners. But how many such merchants exist even if you look around the world?
　But that is only if you are recognized by the Count as his wife.
　It's a good thing that you're not going to have to worry about the fact that you're not going to have to worry about the fact that you're not going to have to worry about the fact that you're not going to have to worry about it. She may be formally the official chamber of the Count's family, but in essence she was no different from a servant.
　Even though she had been prepared for this from the beginning, her heart screams whenever she sees her husband's heartless treatment and attitude.
　A mixture of disgust, frustration, and deep sadness bubbles up inside her. Fighting back the urge to scream at the thought of being in such an awful situation, Julia quietly said her business.

'I have received a letter from Baron Mikoshiba of the Woltenia Peninsula.

　At those words, a loud tongue lashing could be heard from inside the room.
　Even though they are in the middle of the fun, they seem to be able to judge the situation on the stone.

''Okay ... wait a minute, I'll get dressed now.''

　Julia gave a small sigh at the sound of his voice.
　The debauchery of the current Count of Salzberg, Lord of Ipylos, is a new thing.
　It's probably a reaction to his strict upbringing and frugality from an early age. From the day he overthrew his father and sat on the throne of the Count of Salzberg, he had never hesitated to give vent to his repressed desires. Now, gastronomy and women are mostly on his mind. And it was his wife, Yulia's job to carry out his duties as a lord.
　To the Count, Julia, who is not from a noble family, is nothing more than a gardener who tends her own garden.　She is said to care for a garden named Ipilos. If it loses its usefulness, they will just find someone else to take care of it right away.......
　Yulia herself understands this better than anyone else.
　In the event that you're not able to find a way to get a job, you're going to have to make sure that you're able to do it.　
　The Earl of Salzberg's reputation and track record of governing the borderlands in a stable manner for many years. And the military power as an ally uniting the nobles of northern Roselia.
　In order to support this, Julia has single-handedly been responsible for the economy of the fortified city of Ipyros. That achievement was no small thing.
　However, the reality was merciless.
(I'm just a tool for this man...)
　The truth is that this is all there is to it when people around you see you as a brave woman who manipulates Count Salzberg behind the scenes.
　The moment you open the door to that room, the lewd and fishy smell that assaults you assaults you makes you turn away.

'What are you doing? If you have something to do, get in there.

　A cold, inorganic voice. He must be in a bad mood because he is interrupted in his enjoyment.
　To Julia, who is still standing at the entrance of the room, Count Salzberg orders her to go inside with his chin.
　The moment she heard that voice, Julia's mind was made up.

'Don't worry about this place. No one is to come near this room until I call you.''

　So commanded the maid who opened the door, and Julia slowly stepped into the room.

'A letter from that young man?　What the hell do you want?

　With that, Count Salzberg thrust his hand in front of Julia with a quizzical expression.



　The wax seal on the letter received is a design of a two-headed snake entwined with a sword, indicating that the letter is from Baron Mikoshiba.
　Count Salzberg looked at the letter and took out a small knife from the desk in the corner of the room.　　

It's a good idea to take a look at what that young man has to say.

　Slowly, the Count's gaze traced over the letter.
　Eventually, the Count Salzberg finished reading the letter and slowly folded the paper.
　Soon, a high-pitched laugh began to echo in the room where a heavy silence reigned.

''Kukukukuk... hahahahahaha!　This is hilarious. It's actually hilarious.

　The way he covers his face with his right hand and shoots a big smile to the heavens is proof that he's making a fool of his opponent from the bottom of his heart.

''What in the world is written in it?''

　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in your life.
　I'm sure you've already been informed of the contents of the letter by your father and know what it says, but I couldn't possibly say it right here. She took the letter in silence.

'What do you think?'

　Count Salzberg's eyes, which contained his laughter, shot sharply through Julia.

''A declaration of war........I suppose.

　That's not a false impression. In fact, if you summarize the text in this letter, there is no other way to interpret it.　But Count Salzberg snickered at Julia's words.　

'Fool! I have not heard such an obvious question. What I have heard is why that young man openly turned on me.....　

　The letter contains an apology and reparations for the recent subversive activities in the territory by the Count of Salzberg, who has sent secret agents into the country. And also to entrust Baron Mikoshiba with the full command of the army stationed in Ipylos in order to restore security in the Roserian Kingdom, which has been severely devastated by the commoners' rebellion.
　However, Count Salzberg understands that both of these reasons are just a token.
　Firstly, it is true that he sent a spy into the peninsula, but every lord does such things, and above all, he has never once ordered a spy to sabotage his territory.
　It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.
　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get it right or not.
　In addition, it is also an absurd request to ask for the delegation of military command for the restoration of security within Roselia.
　What world would you expect to find someone who would hand over an army to defend their own territory?
　Moreover, the person you delegate to has sent spies into your territory to accuse you of sabotage. He would hand over an army to defend his territory to someone who was hostile to Count Salzberg. There is no such comedy as this.
　No matter what the cause, it is safe to say that no lord would ever hand over command of an army in this situation.
　Then there are two possibilities. Either the person who wrote this demand was an idiot who couldn't understand the race of people in power, or he intended to write it with the understanding that the demand was unacceptable from the beginning.
　But neither Yulia nor Count Salzberg are so dumbfounded as to judge the man Mikoshiba Ryoma as an upstart fool.

''I think he saw the recent rash of commoner rebellions as an opportunity to expand his power.



　At Julia's words, Count Salzberg gave a dark smile.
　The position of the man called Mikoshiba Ryoma is indeed a delicate one within Roselia.
　The Woltenia peninsula, which was called the Devil's Land, was nothing more than a backwater from which little tax revenue could be expected. However, a trade agreement between the three eastern countries and the Kingdom of Ernest Gura changed the landscape. The peninsula was an indispensable stopover point for trade on the northbound continental route.
　Many of the monstrous creatures on the peninsula are traded for a very high value in the form of medicines and armour.
　These riches are in the hands of a mere upstart.
　It is only natural that the surrounding nobles would find it uninteresting. And for Queen Lupis, who tried to seal up Mikoshiba Ryoma in the frontier, it's a bitter experience.
　And those grievances would surely lead to warfare sooner or later.
　The surrounding lords will demand their share of the pie called concessions, and the queen will be planning to change her territory.
　And, of course, there was no reason why Mikoshiba Ryoma wouldn't understand such an unstable position he was in. One of the countermeasures was this letter.

"It is difficult to create a soil to support our troops from scratch. Therefore, we have no choice but to attack the surrounding territories.

"If that man wants to survive, there is only one option. You must ride south.

　As an emerging upstart, only a limited number of nobles are willing to cooperate with the Baron Mikoshiba family, which is seen as a heresy by the aristocratic community.
　That is to say, they are at an overwhelming disadvantage against pressure from surrounding nobles and interference from the royal family.
　Even if Baron Mikoshiba had legitimacy, it would have no effect.
　Justice is always only a majority decision.
　However, at this point in time, when the country is in turmoil, that is a different story.
　Even if Mikoshiba Ryoma had carved out a piece of territory by force, the royal family did not have the extra power to condemn it.

''Hmmm.......well, I guess that's what he has in mind.

　Nodding deeply at Julia's words, Count Salzberg crossed his arms and fell silent.

　Various predictions flashed in and out of the Count's mind.

''So what do you plan to do about it?''

''Since we don't know what's going on on the peninsula, I'm not keen on it, but I guess we'll have to call on the surrounding nobles...''

　At Julia's question, which broke the long silence, the Count opened his heavy mouth.
　Although he had sent many clandestine scouts, he had no clue about the situation on the peninsula. Although it seems impossible, there is no possibility that they could exceed the Countess Salzberg's troops with their abundant financial resources.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more than you need to know.

I'm sure you'll be able to gather an army and crush them in a single breath in the field, right? It's true that the flavor will be diminished, but it will have to be done. I understand. Now, let's get the letter ready...

　After saying so, Julia bowed gracefully and left the room in a hurry.
　At that moment, Count Salzberg felt just a little bit of discomfort.
　The Count remains silent and continues to stare at Julia's back. I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in your mind.