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“I agree that there are aspects of the popular mandate that are somewhat unconventional and petty. But first, you must read the people’s will, Sage.”

“What do you mean by ‘people’s will’?”

Jenis answered in a monotone voice. Sally Jeffrey shook her head and spoke.

“It’s a sentiment that at least one means must exist for the Assembly to restrict the absolute military power of a hero. If the Great Sage came to me directly like this, then you must agree with the expectation that the regional faction will secure a majority in this election.”

“That’s how the currents flow, isn’t it?”

“Despite the Royal Family having a third of the primary nomination rights. Think about it. To prevent the regional faction from taking the majority, they would only need to secure one-sixth of the seats through elections. If they can’t achieve this, it ultimately means that they will hand over more than half of it to us. What does this mean? It means the theory of reconstructing the Empire is gaining traction.”

“That’s the opinion of the nobility; it’s not a proper mandate.”

“The entire South is in an uproar. Even ordinary citizens are expressing their support for their lords. As I mentioned, our decisions are not bound by public sentiment, but we are influenced by it. No lord ignores the people’s will and governs.”

“Were you a democrat, Duke? I thought it was a bit far-fetched. Isn’t that an outdated governing method from a bygone era?”

“What do you think, Count? Do you believe it is right for the people’s will to be reflected in our decisions? Or do you prefer decisions made solely by heroes that ignore the people’s sentiment?”

Jenis kept her lips sealed. Seeing the Sage holding his tongue, Sally Jeffrey nodded in understanding and continued.

“I see. You believe our nobles and ordinary ignorant citizens are no different. We know nothing of the war’s situation and were not born as shrewdly as you, so you mean to say we are people without a voice in this war, is that right?”

“Please don’t make me an outsider, Duke. I am a viscount of House Harker and still a legitimate ruler of the Harker Count Territory. I am part of the alliance, and my presence here represents House Harker.”

“Then why do you disregard the role we are playing in this war?”

Jeffrey shouted with a somewhat agitated voice.

“It’s utterly strange that the Assembly has no right to interfere in military operations. Despite having fixed seats, the Royal Family has secured a majority and cannot manipulate the Assembly as they wish. This already signifies that the military has lost the trust of the nobility. Is that a normal situation? Isn’t that a sign that something is wrong? With such extreme distrust spreading, if the Assembly does not create means to intervene in the military, dissatisfaction will only accumulate, turning into anxiety waiting to explode.”

“You are trying to provoke that dissatisfaction.”

“I am merely trying to express it in the most limited and reasonable way before that dissatisfaction explodes! It seems you believe I am spreading and inciting dissatisfaction, but in fact, I am someone who is condensing various dissatisfactions into one place to minimize it as much as possible, and that person is you, Sally Jeffrey. You are clever enough to know that!”

“The war is ravaging the continent. In this era, no one’s grievances can simply be dismissed. However, if those grievances are not consolidated, they will weaken as a collective force against a powerful enemy. It’s those trying to forcefully unite those grievances who end up causing problems.”

“A common enemy unites allies. The Empire has been harshly squeezing the provinces, relying solely on one principle of dominance. We’ve endured like this for ten years, my dear count. Do you really believe we could withstand another ten years of this kind of advance war, which demands more resources and longer supply lines than a defensive war?”

“What you say…”

Jenis spoke, her eyebrows twitching.

“It sounds like you are envisioning an extreme situation that should not occur. That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

“If an extreme situation that should not happen does arise, I am saying it won’t be my fault.”

“The possibility of division cannot be tolerated.”

“But that possibility is also left open by the Empire’s laws.”

“That law was established to ensure that if the regime falls and the Royal Family must flee south, a new state can be established smoothly without legal disputes. It does not exist to allow local powerful figures to unilaterally become independent from the Empire.”

“The interpretation of the law’s purpose is something judges do in court. We are those who use the law. Count, my ideal is for the Empire’s Assembly to have at least a minimum mechanism to check the military’s unilateralism, and to that end, we will use any old laws as much as we can.”

“Then why must that subject be Jeffrey? The House of Duke Jeffrey has directly inherited the bloodline of the royal family. Everyone knows you aim to be a king under the Emperor.”

“Then let me ask you. Since when have you been such a devoted loyalist to the Imperial Family?”

Jenis sighed.

“I remember when Baron Harriet came to our Duke Jeffrey’s Territory. He spoke about the necessity of a large southern alliance himself. Princess Margaret was there, and so was Lord Harker. You must have agreed with him. Baron Jeongjae is not the type to push his political actions against your opposition. Isn’t that so?”

“At that time, I didn’t think the Southern Alliance would create any issues.”

“Let me tell you why you didn’t think so. At that time, it was certain that Harker was the king of the south! Though he is a count and a viscount, in reality, he is no different from a king and a royal princess. Did you ever have any discontent about House Harker reigning as the practical king of the South?”

In fact, there was none, so Jenis had nothing to retort.

“I’ve already presented my options. Jeffrey is strong enough to stand alone, but not strong enough to stand alone while opposing Harker. If you wish to prevent a king from being born in the South, then the best choice for you is to join my hand and directly balance power in the South. It is not wise to openly oppose me and become an isolated figure in the South.”

“Your father directly controlled the unsettling elements of the South while maintaining loyalty to the Royal Family. Are you saying that Jeffrey can take on that role?”

“Why can’t I? Once the grand task of stopping the northern invasion and enhancing the military power of the South is accomplished, there will be no reason to resist the center anymore. Ten years—just another ten years. I do not expect more than that. We also need a moment to pause and recharge.”

“Ten years is not a short time to be called a moment, Duke.”

“If that is the time required to unite and restore the continent, then ten years is rather a short wait. They say dragons have turned Eramenia into a wasteland. If I were to say to wait ten years for that forest to be restored, would it seem like too long a time?”

“That… that’s not the case…”

“How long will it take for Eramenia to raise an army again? Can you answer that with certainty? I’ve heard that more than fifty thousand fairies of Eramenia have died. If you count the injured, then perhaps about half of the populace is in a situation where they cannot fight. This ten years is not only necessary for the Empire but also for our elven allies beyond the mountains.”

“The Emperor will not be pleased about that.”

“Let’s be a bit more honest, Count.”

Jeffrey’s gaze was sharp. Perhaps because he was losing the verbal battle, Jenis felt an unpleasant sensation as if something was overwhelming her from the Duke’s eyes.

“You don’t really want a strong Royal Family, do you?”

“Duke Jeffrey.”

“In truth, you fear the Crown Princess. You are worried that she sees the Imperial Assembly as a group of nothing more than bugs, aren’t you? Don’t you believe regional lords must possess the capability to oppose the central authority? Are you not always concerned that the Crown Princess’s arrogance might cause some trouble? Though you still seem hesitant, now is the time for that discussion.”

“Sally Jeffrey, that’s enough.”

“Now is the time for that discussion. Great Sage of the Magic Tower. If we are to show that we are a force not to be ignored, the opportunity is now.”

“Stop it, Sally Jeffrey! That is a direct insult to the Imperial Royal Family!”

Jenis shouted as she struck the ground with her cane. The Duke, who knew the reason for Jenis’s outburst, didn’t flinch in the slightest.

Jenis Harker was not angry because she opposed Jeffrey’s words. Rather, she felt discomfort because the Duke’s words unveiled her usual thoughts to a troubling extent. Sally Jeffrey was undoubtedly ambitious. However, the reason Jenis recognized that she was an ambitious noble was that she herself also had the aspects of a greedy politician, no less than Jeffrey.

“It seems we won’t reach an agreement right away.”

The Duke leaned back with a resigned expression, as if saying there was nothing that could be done. Jenis slightly lowered her head in apology for raising her voice.

“There remains an unbridgeable gap. Yes, this matter does not seem something that can be tied up right now.”

“I hope you do not isolate yourself. For now, I do not wish to leave seeds of discord in the Southern Alliance.”

“At least, that is something we can agree upon.”

For Jenis, it meant she would not openly join anti-Jeffrey faction propaganda. If Harker were to launch a massive denunciation against Jeffrey, it might inflict some wounds on Jeffrey, but it would instead significantly diminish her influence, isolating her, and ultimately hurt Jenis herself.

There are many reasons she cannot do so, but also due to her ambitions, she cannot undermine her steps towards the future because of the present situation.

“I will take my father’s corpse and belongings back with me. Once the schedule for the funeral is set, I will send an invitation. I hope to meet you again in our territory. Thank you for today’s hospitality, Duke Jeffrey.”

“I should be the one thanking you for making such a long journey. Yes, we will personally carry the sarcophagus for you. I look forward to the day we meet again, Lady Harker.”

At least, they ended on a note of mutual respect. Aside from a few tense moments, the exchange between the two was not significantly deviated from standard courtesies.

Although a confrontation had begun, neither could afford to forget their courtesy in the fight, and the situation was too delicate. Jenis thought that persuading Jeffrey directly seemed an unlikely solution, and she resolved to leave the Duke’s territory and return to the Harker Count Territory.

Sally Jeffrey was filled with conviction. She would not be able to persuade someone without the ability to logically break her beliefs or offer something greater.

“A strengthened Imperial Assembly, a South that does not support the center…”

Jenis muttered softly to herself as she walked out of Jeffrey’s castle.

“Not now. No, not yet.”

 

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