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“Walter, we can’t treat this issue lightly.”

Northern Region, Northern Expeditionary Force’s stationed camp. Fortunately, the Demon King’s Army refrained from aggressively pursuing the retreating Hero Army, providing Walter with a moment to breathe and gather his thoughts. Rumors circulated that the Gargoyle Queen’s wounds from Jeongjae’s fire had not yet healed, and the Succubus Queen was completely holed up in the Demon King’s Palace, focusing on political stabilization.

The Demon King himself was never the type to take an active role on the front lines. Since the Northern Expedition began, he had frequently been thrown into direct combat, but that was merely an extreme measure taken to alleviate the crisis brought by the frenzied Hero Army. Now that that issue had been largely resolved, it felt natural for him to retreat back into the shadows.

In other words, the serious conversation Rose was having with Walter was not about military matters. Walter, with a tired expression, removed his glasses and nodded.

“I know, Rose. I know.”

“Jeffrey’s faction was like a pack of strays invading our Empire’s backyard. We even considered mobilizing the army with weapons to chase off those strays, right?”

“That was the case. But that’s no longer necessary.”

“However, sitting in our backyard, instead of chasing the strays away, is a dragon. Walter, it’s one thing to live with a pack of strays. But we can’t afford to be complacent with a dragon nesting in the yard. It’s just not a normal situation.”

“You can’t reason with a mutt. No matter how hard you try, there’s no way to hold a conversation with a pack of strays.”

Walter placed his glasses back on his face.

“At least dragons can communicate with humans. We can engage in dialogue and make negotiations. I, as a human, would much prefer having a single dragon in the yard rather than a bunch of strays.”

“And you think you’re capable of riding that dragon?”

“That’s not my role. There are others more suited for that issue.”

“Park Jeongjae is not the right person for that. He’s just an ordinary citizen from a peaceably dull democratic republic. It’s remarkable he’s lasted this long. I even thought when we kicked him out, it was a blessing in disguise. But Walter, you’re actually putting more responsibility on him than when he was by your side!”

“Most of it wasn’t intentional. He sought out the responsibility himself. Rose, like him, I was an ordinary human to begin with. It’s not a bad thing, but… a noble like you can’t see how far small humans can go. Just… just leave it alone. It’s not something that can be resolved with immediate action.”

“Father directed that the issue in the assembly should be revisited by reconvening the Imperial Assembly.”

At Rose’s words, Walter’s eyebrows twitched for a moment. It was clear that the Crown Princess had touched a nerve with the Hero. The Hero despised it when the Emperor made directives regarding political issues instead of military matters. He showed a near-revulsion response at being dragged into something he didn’t want to interfere with.

“Just refuse, will you? Jenis was quick to disperse the lords due to this situation, meaning those remaining at the royal court can’t even summon a quorum for the Imperial Assembly.”

“If necessary, he even mentioned using it as a pretext to hold new elections. He’s instructing to fabricate greater charges against Sally Jeffrey to create an allegation of fraud during the election process.”

“Tell your father to stop the nonsense and just keep the palace safe. I wonder if he even knows what kind of trouble he almost brought upon himself!”

“Our father, who keeps babbling nonsense, seems to already anticipate what might happen to him.”

Rose spoke coldly. Just as Walter was about to realize his words were excessively disrespectful and apologize, Rose cut in.

“The Emperor stated. Rather than watch the Empire split in the most cunning and legal manner, he would sacrifice his life to hand the crown to me and safeguard a unified Empire.”

“You and your father are indeed descendants of the Audrich Kingdom. Damn, but that won’t do. Let’s not engage in political maneuvers against the South any longer. The situation isn’t that dire yet. Just… let’s just watch for now. I’m… I’m already overwhelmed by this situation.”

Walter’s words made it impossible for Rose to push him further. Lowering her voice, Rose softly asked.

“Walter, what are you looking at lately? That pair of glasses, I mean. You haven’t been telling me what you’ve seen at all. If it’s something you can’t even share with me, then what exactly are you looking at?”

“If the Demon King’s Army hadn’t been stirring up this world, and if I hadn’t become a Hero, what would I have been doing?”

Walter uttered something entirely unexpected. Rose shook her head with a bittersweet expression as she turned to him.

“You probably wouldn’t have enlisted in the military, right? You would never have met me.”

“Meeting you has been the greatest gain I could have achieved by walking this path. But sometimes… I think of the life I may have lost. It’s funny, but I might have studied math. Well, I could have delved into history instead. Anyway, I was likely going to become a scholar. There was probably no sword in my future. No, maybe I would have just become an anti-war activist, leading protests for disarmament of the Empire.”

“And you wouldn’t have met me.”

“Who knows? In such a world, you might have seen me as a detestable reactionary, remembering me in a bad way. Rose, I’m begging you. Until I can throw off this burden that doesn’t belong to me, until I can offer everything for the victory of humanity, please don’t tie me up with other problems.”

Walter pleaded. Rose sighed deeply and nodded.

“I’m not planning on imposing my father’s stubbornness on you. He was wrong. The Emperor won’t be able to resolve this issue his way. I’m merely… relaying the Empire’s position. Father is gravely concerned about Jenis Harker’s actions. Even if we stand by, a clash between the royal family and the Southern Warlords is inevitable. If we don’t intervene at all, the problem will only escalate.”

“Then we shouldn’t let our military be misused. They shouldn’t even dare to move without consulting us. Just preparing for Jeffrey’s crisis has been exhausting. I don’t want to define or deal with the current situation as a problem.”

“Walter. You truly have the authority to choose and decide many things. But you don’t have the right to define this situation as a problem or not. Right now, the political situation in the Empire is the Harker Crisis. There’s a monster born that could overturn the Empire’s order at will, and unlike when Arthur Harker was involved, your father’s desire for you to intervene in this matter is rational. Consider how to approach this problem in any way. It won’t do to just leave it in Park Jeongjae’s hands. Such a solution would convince neither father nor myself.”

Walter did not respond at all. Rose shook her head with a look of frustration.

“There’s information that Jenis Harker is preparing a separate military operation.”

“That’s probably true. If no operation were prepared, it would be surprising.”

“It would likely involve the strength of our allies, probably involving Douglas Koesernis. If there was any transaction between Koesernis and Harker, it would clearly be about military operational authority within the Southern Alliance. Walter, you’ve already caught on, but that blueprint for the ironclad ship that guy shoved in back then might be the very thing he’s prepared to use right now.”

“That’s a possibility. There’s also a likelihood.”

“If that’s the case, what Jenis Harker aims for is another strike at the center of the Demon King’s Army to create a new front. Walter, recognize the seriousness of this issue. If he continues to prosper, while we’re stuck here, he could take all the credit for this war. Instead of you, the Hero, it would be the Great Sage who gets acknowledged as the main player in the Great Demon War. In a serious case, it could even escalate into a dispute over command authority in the war. Are you really going to do nothing while everything in your hands might slip right into his?”

“If it leads to a strategically beneficial result, what does it matter whether it’s me or him commanding this war?”

“It matters to me!”

Rose shouted. Walter looked up at her, surprised by her angry expression.

“This is our war. It’s the war you’ve been fighting for ten years! The glory, the failures, the joy, the despair—all of it belongs to us. It’s unacceptable for a child who was merely learning to read when we started fighting to suddenly act as if he’s the greatest person in the world and tries to take everything we’ve built from us. Just because you’re exhausted and don’t want to keep fighting political battles, you want us to yield? Practical outcomes are nice, but honor is precious. Let’s at least protect what we must defend, please!”

“I… I don’t know what that means. I said it before. I’m not someone who jumped into this game dreaming of honor on the battlefield. Just… forget it. Let’s talk later. I just want to rest a bit now.”

With Walter clearly expressing his refusal to engage in further conversation, Rose had no choice but to step back. She exited Walter’s tent, muttering to herself with a sad expression.

“Looks like I’ll have to act directly…”

Rose went straight to find Alex Caprice, who could be said to be her most loyal subordinate. Upon realizing that Rose intended to give him some orders, Alex straightened up.

“Welcome, my lady.”

“Alex. You know the current situation is dangerous. As a member of the Caprice royal family, we can’t easily tolerate Harker’s tyranny like this. I’m not saying we should label them as enemies, but we do need to show some degree of the royal family’s authority. You understand what I mean, right?”

“Please tell me what I must do.”

“Write a letter to Sally Jeffrey. There’s no creature easier to manipulate than a toothless mutt. Maintain a politically friendly relationship with her on my behalf. Be as careful as possible to ensure the contents of the letter you write don’t reach Harker, and establish some connections with the Jeffrey family. There will come a time when it will be crucial.”

“Sally Jeffrey, you say? But she was the source of the problem until just recently.”

“Jeffrey is a small-minded person. With her goals shattered, all she desires is to regain her original territory. If we scratch that itch for her, Sally Jeffrey will be able to serve our purposes whenever we want.”

“Does your brother know your thoughts?”

At this question, Rose’s expression darkened as if struck at her core. She brought her index finger to her lips and made a “shh” sound.

“Walter has withdrawn from this matter. Don’t bring him back onto the stage. This is an issue between Caprice and Harker, understand?”

“I understand everything. I’ll send a friendly signal to the Jeffrey family to prepare for future situations. Being a smart noble, I’m sure they’ll understand the purpose of our outreach.”

“That’s enough for now. Beyond that, let’s keep an eye on the movement of the Demon King’s Army as always and watch the situation unfold.”

Alex saluted Rose, feet together to signify obedience. Rose nodded once and then made her way from Alex’s tent. The Crown Princess looked up at the sky and whispered softly.

“Do you think the world is all yours, brat? Do you think everyone else is beneath your feet, dancing to your tune, little one?”

Rose clenched her fist and beat it against her chest.

“Then I’ll show you someday. This world is mine, and I won’t hand it over to anyone. The one who will stand at the top of this world is me, and I won’t allow anyone to stand above me. And that’s the price for challenging Caprice’s name, Great Sage of the Magic Tower.”

For now, nothing happened. However, even as early summer approached, the wind was cold, and the air of the Empire was as sharp as a blade. The northern wind sent by the Demon King clashed against the southern wind sent forth by the Great Sage, creating a massive storm.

No one could ride atop this storm. There were no reins to grasp.

 

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