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While Jenis Harker was struggling to defend the fortress at the northernmost point of the continent, the Southern Region once again fell into a state of leadership vacuum.

It was a grim situation, and the news of the power struggle between Jeongjae and Rose had the entire South on edge. Some local nobles, unsatisfied with merely communicating among their close minor lords, primarily chose Sally Jeffrey as their discussion partner.

Many nobles wrote letters to their heirs or children, instructing them to meet with Jeffrey and report back. Jeffrey welcomed them all warmly and then shared his thoughts.

“There’s no need for concern. I have been closely monitoring this situation for quite some time. However, the chance of this escalating into a full-blown civil war is minimal.”

“W-what makes you so sure, Your Grace? You haven’t even attended the Assembly this time…”

A sub-count from a noble family visiting the duke asked, still unable to conceal his anxiety. Jeffrey waved his hand dismissively as if to reassure him.

“I can see the movements of the armies. If both sides were preparing for a decisive battle, at the very least, there should be some activity. However, Jenis Harker isn’t preparing to withdraw troops from the North; instead, he continues to increase his demands for supplies, asking us to send them North. This indicates a willingness to advance West, completely disregarding the notion of redirecting troops South.”

“It could be a ruse. The Great Sage is quite skilled at such things, isn’t she?”

“Well, I can’t say for sure. As for the Northern Expeditionary Force, there seems to be no suspicious movement on their part either. I’m keeping my own people deployed to observe the situation… but it appears the Imperial Guard isn’t showing any indications of preparing for battle either. To me, neither side seems to be considering an actual armed conflict. It’s different this time…”

“What do you mean by ‘this time’?”

Jeffrey realized he had misspoken and shook his head in surprise.

“Nothing at all. Was my answer sufficient?”

“For now… I think that will do.”

Sally Jeffrey genuinely recalled the grim atmosphere during that time, when the political storm was raging in the Assembly. There were no clear ominous signs at that moment. The Magic Tower was quietly preparing its siege, and the Northern Expeditionary Force seemed quietly poised to move South.

The Eramenian army had also turned its spearheads towards the West, towards the Empire, so discreetly that ordinary people could hardly notice. Real upheaval bursts forth in such atmospheres. Most people cannot catch the subtle hints scattered here and there occurring beneath the surface.

Jeffrey broke into a cold sweat at the sight. She herself had thought that her ‘Jeffrey Doctrine’ crisis would clash with political opposition from the center, but she never imagined it would unfold into such a fierce atmosphere of full-scale war. No matter how much she thought about it, from the information she had, there was no reason the situation needed to escalate this far.

So, since that uproar, Sally Jeffrey chose to curl up in a state of strange anxiety that something she didn’t know was passing across the front lines. There was a reason she didn’t put up any feeble resistance against Jenis’ somewhat excessive swordsmanship.

“More than that, I’m curious about the Elf Lord. I heard she made a surprising proposal at the Assembly. Could you enlighten me about it?”

As Jeffrey mentioned, Margaret of Eramenia had, after sorting out the disturbance between Jeongjae and Rose, promptly attended the Imperial Assembly to deliver a speech addressing foreign affairs. On that day, Margaret stepped into the Imperial Assembly, receiving a standing ovation from all the members, then bowed her head in salute to the nobles.

“I assume you were surprised by my sudden visit. Everyone probably knows I’ve been… somewhat inactive in external affairs. Moreover, I have heard that the Assembly has been busy with a significant bill recently. Nevertheless, what I, Margaret, have to say will undoubtedly hold meaning. Listen well, esteemed members. Eramenia has prepared a package of gifts as we deeply regret the recent decline in military support for our country.”

Having said that, Margaret unfolded a map of the Eramenian forest in the center of the Imperial Assembly. The members, having had no prior knowledge of her visit, could hardly take their eyes off her “gift,” curious about what it could be.

Margaret first placed her finger on the southernmost tip of the forest, Harker Archipelago.

“This is a harbor location currently being leased by Baron Harker in the Eramenian forest. The Southern Alliance has been granted unlimited resource development and utilization rights within the area approved by Eramenia for ten years. This territorial leasing has led to significant military achievements. The Alliance’s activities are noteworthy both diplomatically and militarily.”

Margaret’s words were light, but had the power to snap the nobles’ minds alert. Anyone even mildly informed about the current situation could recognize she subtly indicated her opinion regarding the political circumstances within the Empire. Yet, the Elf Princess nonchalantly continued on to the heart of the matter, as if she hadn’t said a thing.

“While there are abundant resources in the forest, the forest’s mana has been severely depleted and is in a state where recovery is difficult. According to the analysis from the Grand Council of Eramenia, this war is increasingly advantageous for the Demon King’s Army as it drags on, requiring the Empire to conclude the war as rapidly as possible. Is there anyone who disagrees with my information?”

No one opposed her. It was common knowledge that even ten years of war would overwhelm the Empire with economic hardships.

“To restore the forest’s mana, logging must be limited, and the environment needs protection. However, no matter how diligently we plant trees and cultivate grass, it will take at least 70 years for Eramenia to return to normal. To my knowledge, the Empire will not have the strength to drag this war on for 70 years. It must end before then. There was fierce debate within the Grand Council, and as a result, it was concluded that sharing a substantial portion of our kingdom’s resources with the Audrich Empire would aid in achieving rapid victory, swift peace, and prompt recovery. This is the gift we wish to present to the Audrich.”

As Margaret lightly tapped the map, ten red circles appeared on it. As the members blinked in confusion, unsure of its meaning, Margaret smiled sweetly and stated, “These areas represent the special zones in Eramenia that we wish to officially lease to the Empire.”

“Huh?”

“What? The Elf Kingdom is leasing such vast land to humans?”

Immediate astonished reactions erupted. Calmly, Margaret began to explain in more detail the areas she had marked on the map.

“There are three special zones for food production necessary to improve food supplies, four zones available for mining-centered development, one zone dedicated to mana-related research by personnel from the Magic Tower, and one small village for other residents to use as a settlement. The remaining special zone can be freely used according to your needs. Of course, this purpose is merely a recommendation and is not forced. Are there any questions?”

Naturally, there were many inquiries. Margaret ended up spending the entire day answering the avalanche of questions from the assembly members.

The Rose’s bill seemed to vanish from the assembly members’ minds for a moment. The giant political clash they had been tangled in seemed insignificant compared to the obviously advantageous proposal from the Elf Lord.

After thorough examination and questioning, most assembly members had no choice but to acknowledge that Margaret’s proposal was one that likely emerged from genuine goodwill and would undoubtedly benefit the Empire.

“Yes, of course. If, after the lease period ends, any citizens of the Empire wish to remain, Eramenia is willing to grant citizenship to those residents, even while pursuing transformation into a multi-ethnic nation. In that case, the leased territories may be maintained as a special administrative area within the Eramenia Small Kingdom for humanity. Of course, I recognize that negotiations with the Imperial Royal Family and the Assembly will be necessary regarding this matter.”

After finishing her response to the final question, Margaret bowed her head and thanked the members.

“What I have shared today is just one proposal that has passed through the deliberative process of the Grand Council of Eramenia. For this proposal to be officially enacted as a treaty, it will require the proper ratification procedures from the Assembly and the Imperial Family. I hope to see it reviewed in the shortest time possible. Additionally, I must stress that the Assembly should prioritize this crucial diplomatic treaty over any other issues. This statement is made not just on my behalf but represents Eramenia as a whole.”

In simpler terms, she was suggesting they postpone Rose’s bill and address her issue first. With the week that Rose had mentioned drawing near, if they could scrutinize Margaret’s treaty within the Assembly and send it to the Imperial Family, the “Normalizing Emergency” bill would become nearly impossible to discuss in the Assembly.

A few astute nobles quickly grasped that Margaret’s appearance at the assembly also aimed at forcibly quelling the turmoil within the Empire. Upon hearing this news, Rose reacted to the Assembly.

“Is there really a need to inquire further? Let the Assembly handle it. If they claim they cannot vote, let them freeze the bill. The Royal Family has never directly intervened in the Assembly’s affairs from the start.”

And then, Sally Jeffrey, who had heard all this news from the South, remarked, “Even if it’s Rose Caprice, I believed this would be an overreach. I wish she wouldn’t act so emotionally. At the very least, for now, Crown Princess, you have lost. However, in times like these, it’s not the time to discuss who won or lost among us. Sooner or later, the Crown Princess will head North again, and then the political crisis will likely be resolved. If someone in the Assembly were to ask for my thoughts, please tell them to focus first on swiftly reviewing and passing the treaty brought by Lady Margaret. It will be a truly beneficial proposal for us. Plus, it’s not like she’s someone who would betray her word with any strange tricks.”

Jeffrey’s thoughts were indeed truthful. After the announcement of the new territory lease treaty, Jeongjae approached Margaret and inquired.

“So, did it require such measures to ask about Rose’s bill?”

“It just happened to align well in timing. Would I really make such a tremendous proposal for something so trivial? I’ve been considering a collaboration like this for quite some time. Eramenia and the outside world have been disconnected for a long time. And I… already feel a limit there. The reason Eramenia was able to maintain its isolated worldview was due to an external force being incapable of hurting Eramenia. With the emergence of this Demon King, that age-old premise of the Fairy Kingdom that had stood for millennia has collapsed. This Demon King, Violet Moriarty, is the first of her kind in history—a ‘demonic sovereign who can inflict harm upon Eramenia.’”

“And in truth, her actions have indeed shattered Eramenia’s mana.”

“Right. Now, even the oldest of elves must begrudgingly admit that an era has come where the common sense of their generation doesn’t apply. Reform is necessary. For reform, we must first share our wisdom. I’m not saying this just because I’m an elf, but Eramenia’s technology is often more advanced than Audrich’s in many areas. However, there are certainly things we can learn from the Empire.”

“So you plan to use this as pretext to draw the Empire’s citizens in and take what you want.”

“And in due time, I’ll propose more concrete cooperation plans by sending some of our elves over to the Empire as officials or military advisors under the pretext of this agreement. I’ve already mentioned it to Rose. She seemed positive about it. Whether that counts as being positive, though…”

“How did Rose react?”

“She still seemed sulky for having lost to you. Even while I was discussing important matters, she acted like she wasn’t really listening, so I had to smack her on the head and snap her back to attention. Only then did she express her thought that since elves and humans aren’t inherently different species, it might not be a bad idea for both countries to harmonize into a multi-ethnic nation. Well, her attitude was rather casual, but she was clearly listening.”

Jeongjae briefly imagined the scene of Margaret giving Rose a playful smack on the head. Given how the two usually interacted, it wasn’t that hard of an image to conjure.

“Rose will likely head North again soon, right?”

“That child has no real reason to stay here any longer. She’ll probably pack up and leave tomorrow. So it seems the feared crisis is settling down. That’s fine in its own way, but… what about that kid?”

“What kid? Which kid are you talking about?”

“Harker. That little guy. No matter how I think about it, he’s taking on more than he can handle. Didn’t you stop him from coming South this time?”

“I did. I thought it would really end badly if I let him go.”

“Good call. If that had happened, things wouldn’t have been resolved at all. He’s an outlandish kid, but I truly don’t want him collapsing before he defeats the Demon King.”

Margaret chuckled softly while standing with her arms crossed. Jeongjae shrugged.

“That kid has issues too. He’s such a mysterious one that I can’t gauge the depth of his troubles.”

“If it’s just a rivalry with a romantic rival, even if it comes to marriage later, it’s something he could easily reclaim. Isn’t that a fair enough possibility in human culture?”

“You casually make such terrifying statements.”

Jeongjae’s face grew serious. Margaret shook her head.

“But if the Great Sage falls too quickly, the fate of this world is in jeopardy. And a world fallen apart cannot be rebuilt after its destruction. Even if it could be rebuilt, trifling romantic disputes become utterly trivial when faced with that.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

Jeongjae looked genuinely perplexed. Margaret replied.

“Because I said the same thing to Rose. So I advised her to set aside the authority of nobility and the honor of heroes for a while. The authority of a great figure remains even after they have stepped down from it, and the honor of a brilliant figure accumulates even at moments of honour indifference. Many humans seem to misunderstand this. Even the greatest and most brilliant among them have been reverse-thinking about it. I doubt Rose will change her mind after hearing what I said. I merely wanted to convey how much patience I’m exerting to avoid unnecessary conflicts with those I truly need to cooperate with, even in this moment.”

Jeongjae felt uncertain about how to process this. He could only hope that this wasn’t a mere implication that they’d brawl it out once the war was over.

 

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