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Jeongjae knew that he couldn’t just sit in the forest forever. It wasn’t just because he was an outsider.

In fact, the forest fairies didn’t seem to mind his presence all that much. After all, he was one of the few sources of hope for Margaret to find “comfort,” and he was dedicating whatever free time he had to help with the restoration of Eramenia. Especially since the quaint villa of Princess Margaret, which he had burned down himself, was now magically rebuilt and situated within her small kingdom.

Nonetheless, Margaret showed no intention of leaving the Royal Palace in Eramenia. She had become quieter, barely expressing any desire to do something.

The management and maintenance of the army were now in the hands of the faction that had opposed Margaret. The stubborn old elves felt that since they had already taken a hit from the Demon King’s Army, they had to repay the favor somehow. However, no one felt confident enough to step forward, which meant that even Hamad de Phiris was unable to do more than keep a couple of legions on standby.

This army was essentially a reserve force meant for emergencies. The very thought of taking them out to seek revenge against the Demon King’s Army was naturally absurd.

That day was when Phineas’s legions, having heard the news of Margaret’s defeat on the frontlines and returned home, were to report their expedition’s results to the Grand Council of Eramenia.

Phineas’s report was precise, mostly telling tales of successfully repelling or advancing against the Demon King’s Army without much trouble. However, the story of their inability to breach a powerful gate and having to retreat hundreds of kilometers back into the dense forest complicated the feelings of many elves.

Elves were clever. They realized that Phineas’s advance was primarily executed due to the high expectations about Eramenia, and as those expectations fell, it ultimately led to the conclusion that they needed to comprehensively reorganize their northern expedition efforts.

Jeongjae, who was there as a witness to the Grand Council of Eramenia, couldn’t hide his complex emotions. Even King Richard was present, but one seat that was typically filled remained conspicuously empty that day.

It was the very seat where Princess Margaret usually sat during the council sessions.

“Maintain the army well.”

Just before the council was about to fall apart, Hamad de Phiris stood and spoke on behalf of the elders to General Marbelious.

“Someday we will need them again.”

“I hope that ‘someday’ comes soon, Councilman,” Phineas Marbelious responded, nodding in agreement to Hamad de Phiris’s opinion.

“It would be wonderful if that were the case.”

Then the Grand Council was dissolved. Just as Jeongjae made his way to assist with the restoration efforts in the fairies’ forest, General Phineas beckoned him.

“Exalted Grand Mage, do you have a moment?”

“Oh, of course, I’m not that busy of a person.”

Jeongjae answered as he approached the elf general. Phineas had often shared opinions mainly with Walter or Margaret since their time together. Jeongjae recognized his name and face, but he hadn’t had much real fighting experience alongside him. Even when they fought together, it was mostly under Margaret’s directives, so there never was a situation where they could forge a close relationship.

“The situation in the Empire is concerning. It seems a troublesome political crisis has erupted.”

“A political crisis? During such times? Is there perhaps a protest for a reversal in progress?”

Jeongjae asked, recalling what kind of things usually happened when the war dragged on from his memories on Earth.

“It’s similar. But it’s a bit different.”

“It must be different. We’re up against the Demon King’s Army. Regardless, it’s a matter of fighting or dying; there wouldn’t be any chance for a protest like that.”

“Exactly. Currently, those opposed to the hero are not at that level yet. However, there is a growing consensus that we should immediately halt our northern expeditions and focus on land recovery and military demobilization. They call it the Empire Restoration Theory…or the Jeffrey Doctrine.”

Jeongjae felt his head spinning at Phineas’s words.

“Jeffrey? Duke Jeffrey?”

“Indeed, she is leading that faction. It’s already a foregone conclusion that they will seize control of the Empire Assembly this year. Even the royal family’s fixed nomination rights won’t be enough to prevent her supporters from dominating the council.”

“But Empire Restoration? How long do they think this war will last… Could it be that the Southern Alliance has politically intervened in that faction?”

“Exactly. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Southern Alliance has transformed into a political party. Duke Jeffrey has skillfully harnessed the influence of the Alliance to bolster her power. The situation is rather grim. This might not be the time for us to be idle.”

“I did warn that Sally Jeffrey might create an unmanageable toy out of this. I led the formation of the Southern Alliance. It might have been a mistake. I never thought I could handle the nobility of this world, but I didn’t expect such a powerful faction to emerge…”

“The problem is that they possess military power. A political faction with an army is far more dangerous than a simple political faction. Emperor Anton Caprice made a significant remark recently: ‘A warlord cannot exist within a single Empire’.”

“The Southern Alliance is an organization that has received the approval of the Princess of Eramenia. It can’t simply be interpreted as an armed warlord operating separately from the Empire.”

Jeongjae recalled that the Southern Alliance’s laurel wreath insignia was quite similar to Eramenia’s green flag.

“If conflict arises, the current Eramenia will be unable to serve as a mediator. Especially since Princess Margaret, who regarded the Southern Alliance as a positive partner, is in no position to step forward.”

“That seems to be true. What should we do? Should I go meet Sally Jeffrey?”

Jeongjae asked with a troubled expression. Phineas shook his head.

“Didn’t you say that you might not have a good eye for humans? But, Baron, if you go to the south, you won’t stand a chance against the seasoned local nobility. You aren’t considering forcibly overpowering Sally Jeffrey, are you?”

“Doing something so foolish would have repercussions.”

“Then it’s impossible. There’s been a rumor that Jenis Harker has met with Duke Jeffrey directly. No, I’ve personally seen her go to meet him. Yet, Lady Harker reportedly made no gains or progress and has remained holed up in her territory, deep in thought.”

“If it’s something that Jenis couldn’t manage, it would be even more impossible for me.”

“I’m sorry to say, but that is the case. The intellectual capacity of the Great Sage has already surpassed that of a young person, and her eloquence and political qualities are also very remarkable. The fact that she couldn’t dismantle the Jeffrey Doctrine indicates there’s something credible in Sally Jeffrey’s claims. It won’t be easy to refute.”

“What should we do? I want to act immediately, but right now…”

Jeongjae glanced over toward the Royal Palace. Upon noticing Jeongjae’s gaze, Phineas shrugged.

“The princess… will be fine. It won’t get worse than this.”

“I apologize for saying this, but right now it seems like Margaret is in such a bad state that it would be hard for her to get any worse. Even I feel pain when I see her, and I can’t imagine how her loyal subjects, who have followed her for so long, feel.”

“It’s a heart-wrenching sentiment. But it can’t be helped. Someone is asking for the Grand Mage.”

“Who is it?”

“Jenis Harker. The Great Sage has requested that you, Baron, attend Count Harker’s funeral. It seems… if you’re going to leave Eramenia, now would be the time.”

This was something he couldn’t refuse. Personally, Count Harker was an important figure to Jeongjae, and they shared a special connection. Although their time of knowing each other was brief, Harker must have been aware that Jeongjae was from his homeland. He had simply concealed that fact out of fear of revealing his complex about being a vampire.

This distant, often felt like another world, shared the same Earth, and that kinship alone had always given Jeongjae an immense sense of comfort and relief.

Now he was gone. But if Jenis had finally been granted the opportunity to preside over her father’s funeral, it was only common courtesy and reasonable to attend.

Moreover, he had received considerable assistance from Harker in various ways. As Jeongjae reminisced about Count Harker, he suddenly recalled the fact that he maintained a fairly decent and close relationship with Walter when he was alive.

“When I first thought about the alliance, I trusted Count Harker. I believed that if he held the ground, there wouldn’t be any problems. He knew how to negotiate smoothly with the hero, and did just that.”

“Perhaps killing him was part of an intention from the very beginning.”

“That might be the case. The Demon King was thorough. With a powerful spy network of succubi, she had a strong enough desire for information to infiltrate personally. I understand now why she has managed to maintain her winning streak until now.”

Jeongjae sighed.

“Anyway, I must attend the funeral. After greeting Margaret, I should depart either today or tomorrow. Thank you for the information, General Marbelious. What are your plans from here on out?”

“I must wait here. We are the army of the Grand King of Eramenia, but in reality, we are an army bound to the small kingdom. I cannot recklessly act while our lord is in such despair.”

Jeongjae nodded with a somber expression. Phineas spoke.

“We all cannot stop burning. That’s why fire is terrifying.”

“Not being able to stop the burning… yes, that’s true.”

Jeongjae gave a wry smile as he recalled his time with the Nomads. Yet after somewhat “surviving” the situation at the “Castle of Calamity,” Jeongjae could still compel himself to force a laugh, although it would always evoke feelings of terror and pain.

“If you break, at least there’ll be remnants left, but if you burn, everything turns to ash. But General Phineas, I am a wizard. It’s natural to fear fire, but wizards can’t achieve anything by simply hating it.”

“That’s why the tradition of elves originally rejects wizards. The older elves believe that the tower wizards are foolish enough to play with fire and disaster that they cannot confront.”

“These fairies seem friendly, though.”

“Well, they must have realized what it means to face a truly unmanageable fire. It could be that some of the soldiers from the small kingdom, who were active on the front lines, have already come to such realizations, while the fairies took longer to wake up to the truth.”

Phineas was referring to the flames of a dragon.

“The only way to fight fire is with fire. I wish to express my gratitude once again to you, dear Grand Mage.”

Jeongjae humbly bowed his head. He could no longer linger here. While there may be fairy lords who couldn’t move, humans who could must take action.

 

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