On that day, a heavy air covered the king's office, which was set up in a corner of the castle that rose in the center of Piraeus, the capital of the Roserian kingdom, in a heavy atmosphere.
　Of course, there was only one cause for this.
　It was a report brought by the group that had delivered the summons to Baron Mikoshiba's house the other day.

"I see.......you responded to the summons quite simply.......
　Lupis, who has finished her daily duties in her office, looks up at Mertina, who stands at her side with a deep sigh, while leaning back against the backrest.
　What comes to her eyes is confusion and fear.
　You will be able to find out the best way to get the most out of your own personal life.　
''Yes.........I'm sure she will have responded to the call eventually, but I didn't expect her to respond so quickly.......''
　Not much time has passed since Mikoshiba Ryoma ruled over the northern part of the Roserian Kingdom until today.
　Normally, it would be a time when they were struggling to govern their newly won territory.
　Unless you are the kind of person who tries to squeeze as much money as you can out of your fortune without thinking about governing your territory from the start, or you are a fool who doesn't understand domestic politics, you would want to work hard on your own territory.
　But in spite of that, Mikoshiba Ryoma responded to the summons with aplomb, much to the dismay of Lupis and the others.
　Of course, there was nothing wrong with that if you think about it in a normal way.
　After all, the one who issued the summons was the House of Lords of the Roselia Kingdom.
　Its power could be said to be truly immense.
　Depending on the time and circumstances, it could be said to be comparable to the royal authority.
　And this time it is ostensibly taking the appearance of interviewing a witness.
　It is certain that the meaning of this case is much different from being called up as a defendant from the start.
　Therefore, it is not unnatural for Mikoshiba Ryoma to have responded to the House of Lords' summons.
　However, that doesn't mean that Queen Lupis and Mertina are not congratulated enough to honestly rejoice in the current situation.
　It's because Mikoshiba Ryoma has made you drink a lot of boiling water many times in the past.
''But if that's the case... what do you think that man is thinking?'' 　　
　Mertina tilted her head in response to Queen Lupis' question.
　A question from her beloved Lord.
　If it was the Mertina of a decade ago, she would have twisted the answer, even if she had to force it out.
　But the current Mertina has no such qualms.
　Because she was aware that just as she answered that she didn't understand what she understood, answering that she didn't understand was also an act that would lead people astray.

'Does Mertina really think that Mikoshiba would make such a lenient decision?
No I'm afraid that's highly unlikely in that man's case.
　Saying that, Mertina gives a small sigh.
　The reason why I gave him a baronetcy and a fiefdom in the magic world of the Woltenia peninsula as an award for merit after the end of the civil war is because I wanted to tame Mikoshiba Ryoma. It's not just that he's not a citizen, he's that he's a horseman, and it's impossible for him to be used in the Kingdom of Roselia, where the status system is so strict, and it's also impossible for him to be expelled into the wilderness with a few rewards as he was originally promised, given the skillfulness of the civil war.
　You can't allow such a gift of intrigue to serve another country as a matter of national security.
　Elena seems to have suppressed her subordinate's advice, but the purge of Mikoshiba Ryoma was actually advised under Lupis as well.
The old saying, "The cunning rabbit dies and the running dog is cooked" is not an exaggeration or an exaggeration.
　This is because regardless of whether in the East or West, the greatest enemy of those in power is still the talented subordinates.
　However, Lupis did not kill Mikoshiba Ryoma.
　Or perhaps it should be said that he couldn't choose the option of killing Mikoshiba Ryoma because of the unfathomable eeriness of his human being.
　But as a result, Baron Mikoshiba's territory has now expanded to conquer the northern part of the Roserian Kingdom.
　Of course, I knew that he was a shrewd man, but even Lupis had no choice but to sigh when he was shown such a rapid growth in a short period of time.
''After all, we can't admit that we own the north in any case.......''
　Mertina nodded deeply at those words.
''Naturally. Even if you say that as a result of the conflict, you have placed the aspects of the ten northern families under your control, because in this case, you have completely destroyed most of the families and annexed their respective territories.''
　The problem of this disturbance.
　In terms of the Roselia Kingdom's national law, the war between the northern ten families, led by the Barons Mikoshiba and the Countess Salzberg, is not so much of a problem.
　Beginning with the ownership of a village well, disputes over the boundaries of the territory and the extradition of criminals who have escaped to other territories, there are plenty of sparks of warfare between the lords in this land world.
　There are even skirmishes over the ownership of forests that are used to collect firewood for daily use.
　Of course, this is a matter that should be judged by the laws of the Roserian Kingdom.
　But the land world, where communication technology is poor and road maintenance is lacking, doesn't have the time or energy to judge each and every one of them.
　The governing foundation of the law is extremely fragile.
　That's why the local lords' warfare is acknowledged up to a certain scale by doing things between the parties involved.
　That can only mean that the winner's argument takes precedence.
　But.........
'Well I can't allow that to happen, even as King. Absolutely.
　This time, based on the laws of the country, this story can be said to be a gray area that is truly a judgmental area.
　The northern part of Roselia is a vast area of land that covers nearly a fifth of the entire kingdom.
　If you add the Woltenia Peninsula held by Baron Mikoshiba's family, you end up with a fiefdom that is even larger than the various kingdoms that populate the south.
　This is exactly the kind of scale that even the framework of a duchy cannot contain.
　It is also doubtful whether Mikoshiba Ryoma, who possesses a territory of such a scale, will continue to serve the Roserian Kingdom without a fight.
''If you only look at the size of the territory, Baron Mikoshiba's family is roughly equivalent to a third of the Roseria Kingdom. There is no other way to say that this is an unprecedented amount of territory for a vassal to possess. With this........
　When he said that, Mertina cut off his words.
　It's a good thing that you're not going to be able to find a way to make your life easier, because you feel it's too impolite to say that to Lupis.
　However, Mertina's concern is just meaningless to Lupis now.
''Well ... perhaps that man will seek independence ... if it's the Mikoshiba Ryoma I know.
　There was an expression of anguish on Lupis' face.
　It's the kind of face that comes from being forced to admit a fact that you don't want to admit.
　But that can't be helped.
　Mikoshiba Ryoma, who is supposed to be a vassal by formula, is aiming for independence.
　Because that would be like being told that Lupis Roselianus was not fit to be a ruler.
''Your Majesty........''
　Mertina knows.
　Mertina knows how much Lupis has sacrificed herself from the day she sat on the throne of this Roselia kingdom as queen.
　Mertina understands.
　The fact that Lupis' heart is already on the verge of breaking.
　That's why Mertina swears from the bottom of her heart.
　She will follow her lifelong master to the end of her life.
(But I won't let you have your way. No matter what you do, no matter what you have to do.
　At that moment, a dark fire dwelt in Mertina's eyes.