The news that the captured Arakia had been taken away sent shockwaves through the conference room.

“Sorry. Even with Holly’s bow, we couldn’t catch up. She got away.”

“That’s just…!”

The two looking down and apologizing were Holly and Kuna, both armed with bows.

Taking Holly, who brought the bad news, Kuna immediately rushed to pursue the fleeing Arakia. Just like when she shot Todd from outside the city, they aimed at the runaway with a combined archery snipe utilizing Holly’s strength and Kuna’s keen eyesight.

However, the fugitive managed to outsmart the two long-distance snipers and successfully escaped with Arakia.

“One remained as a decoy, while the other took away one of the Nine Divine Generals. We can’t just let this go, so we’ll pursue immediately…”

“—It’s useless.”

Kuna’s words, filled with frustration, were interrupted by two voices.

The two who spoke in unison were Abel and Priscilla, who remained seated at the round table. After exchanging glances, Priscilla closed her eyes.

It was an indication of yielding to Abel.

“…This is a team that infiltrated the enemy’s territory and completed their objective with a clean getaway. With two people working together, their roles are clear. Both the courage to make that decision and the judgment to escape successfully deserve recognition. Sending pursuers now would only mean we’d be caught.”

“—But!”

“Arakia will wake up within half a day. Once that happens, there will be no chances left for the pursuers. If she manages to change her mind and return to the city, it would be catastrophic. Let me be clear, there won’t be a second stroke of luck like before. Given our current strength, it would be nothing short of reckless.”

“Gah…!”

“Kuna… Abel is right.”

As he rattled off his words, Abel worked to suppress Kuna’s feelings. Meanwhile, Holly, who stood next to Kuna, gently patted her shoulder to comfort her.

As a proxy chief sitting at the round table and confident in her archery skills, it must have hurt Kuna deeply. Nevertheless, despite the harshness of his words, Subaru couldn’t help but agree with Abel’s point.

The Imperial soldiers who invaded wouldn’t act without a winning strategy. They would set achievable objectives based on the current situation, find a way to win, and execute their plan. Naturally, they wouldn’t take half-hearted measures like a one-way ticket; there would certainly be a proper escape plan involved.

“No matter how you twist words around, the fate of that girl didn’t just end here. It means there’s still a role left for her.”

“Priscilla…”

As silence fell, Priscilla dropped those words into the conversation.

For Subaru, who had just been discussing Arakia’s fate, her not being executed and being taken away without a chance to speak created a complicated mix of feelings.

However, it was impossible to read what Priscilla, who had maintained an indifferent posture regarding Arakia’s life or death, felt about her escape through her crimson eyes.

“So, what are we going to do about that girl Arakia? Are we just going to leave her be?”

“…If she got outside, we have no other options.”

In response to Al’s tone-deaf remark, Subaru responded with an annoyed expression.

Since they had already dealt with Kuna and Holly’s sniping, they couldn’t let someone inexperienced chase the fugitive. That meant the candidates for pursuers were limited, and the powerhouses that they had couldn’t be moved away from Gwararu right now.

Thinking hard, Subaru realized that his strengths mainly relied on surprise attacks, and he was weak if the enemy struck first. This situation had unveiled that flaw.

“By the way, although I don’t think it’s likely, how about the scenario where she pretends to escape but is still hiding in the city?”

“That’s highly unlikely. Although it’s touted as a solid castle city, there are secret paths beyond the two main gates. All those passages have been meticulously closed off in the last few days.”

“Meticulously, huh…”

“Yes. I assumed that someone would try to infiltrate the city using hidden passages. I never expected them to break through so boldly.”

It had ended up with them getting a complete surprise; however, Zikuru answered coolly without showing any sign of discomfort.

As a commander of the castle city, it was natural to be wary of secret paths. Yet Zikuru’s orders, while being on the defensive, had inadvertently aided the soldiers who had escaped with Arakia.

“It’s likely the soldier who brought out one of the generals was a member of the search party for the hidden paths. As Lord Abel mentioned, no one would challenge us without a sense of victory. Thus, they must have acted knowing that there were escape routes available.”

“Is there no way to identify the locations of those sealed paths on a map?”

“…It’s possible to create a diagram, but it would be impossible to do it immediately. The city has fallen, and the troops are in a state of great unrest. This chaos will not easily settle down.”

“…It’s not a game, so that’s understandable.”

If this were a scene from a video game, if you brought over the commander of a defeated enemy to your side, then their units would come along too. But real life isn’t a game. Those soldiers, like numbers in a game, each had their own lives.

Just as Subaru was reflecting on that—

“Holly, are you hurt?”

“Huh? You’re worried about me? Natsumi, you’re so sweet!”

In response to Subaru’s question, Holly raised both arms with a beaming smile. Flexing her muscles to show her strength, she proclaimed her well-being.

“I got a little whacked, but there’s no serious injury, so I’ll heal fast!”

“That’s good. …But.”

Seeing Subaru’s gaze drop and his words trailing off, Holly tilted her head in confusion. Realizing Subaru’s inner thoughts, Kuna scratched her head.

Then—

“Some of the guards we had standing inside the building were taken out. All of them died, and there’s nothing we can do.”

“—How many were there?”

“…Seven.”

Reluctantly, Kuna answered when asked for the exact number of casualties.

The fact that seven warriors had died struck deeply in Subaru’s heart. —In the highest room, there were no reports of casualties among Shudrak and the Imperial soldiers who were injured by Arakia’s attack, as Rem continued to treat them with utmost effort. There were no reports, but—

“…What do you mean there was a bloodless surrender?”

As he flicked back his long black wig, Subaru let out a truly pathetic sigh.

What was supposed to be a bold declaration of a bloodless surrender—the scheme that was supposed to secure the fall of Gwararu had instead resulted in many deaths, despite his enthusiasm.

His promise had been broken, and there was no way he could excuse himself from being called a liar. Even if no one accused Subaru of being a fraud, he would still condemn himself.

How shameful to be such a liar—

“—A bloodless surrender, you say?”

A voice that echoed back, repeating Subaru’s murmur.

It belonged to Priscilla, who had her chin propped up at the round table. She raised an elegantly shaped eyebrow and gazed at Subaru with a rare expression.

Still wearing that expression, Priscilla preceded her words with “You,” and then declared—

“I’ve heard a rather reckless statement. Did you dare to think you could take a city without shedding blood? During this war, you planned to do so without wielding a competent strength?”

“…Yeah, that’s right. Is that bad? No, it is bad. I failed after all…”

“That’s a foolish idea, and I’m just appalled. Not to mention, I’m astonished that you attempted to put such a pipe dream into action. —Abel, are you out of your mind?”

“—. While the plan was indeed lunacy…”

Once the attention turned to Abel, who had his arms crossed, he quietly responded.

It was evident to anyone that Subaru’s proposal was madness. Listening to the details alone was enough for anyone to think the same. Yet, Abel had agreed to its execution.

Apparently, that was something Priscilla, who seemed to know him well, couldn’t comprehend.

“From the throne, looking at the empire, how can one soften it to that extent? There are no achievements without sacrifice. One cannot maintain pride without spilling blood. That is how the empire works.”

“I have no intention of going against the code of the Sword Wolf either. While I called it madness, there was a possibility for success. In fact, without Arakia’s existence, a bloodless surrender could have reached fruition.”

“——–”

“The fault lies not in the plan but in my judgment. Priscilla, even if you’re you, I won’t allow you to mock the suggestions of my strategist. This is my decision. The responsibility lies with me.”

“Oh…”

In an unexpectedly bold declaration, Abel openly confronted Priscilla.

While designated as a strategist—a role not to be taken lightly—Abel’s actions were clearly defending Subaru. With both parties locked in a tense glare, the others could only watch in silence.

“What’s with you, brother? You’re really getting some preferential treatment. Big promotion, huh?”

“…I’m just Emilia-tan’s knight and Beako’s protector. I’m not in the mood for any other pointless roles.”

Pushing Al away, Subaru was also pushing off the unwarranted burden that was pressing down on him.

However, thanks to Abel’s defense, it seemed like Priscilla’s attention had shifted to him. Still, that didn’t heal the inner wounds Subaru carried.

The responsibility for the lost lives must certainly fall on him, the one who planned and executed the strategy.

“I can’t save everyone, brother.”

As he mumbled, Al fiddled with the fittings of his helmet and muttered to Subaru’s side.

When Subaru glanced toward him, Al was gazing up at the ceiling without looking in his direction.

“Everyone just lives and dies as they please. Just like you said, it’s not a game. So, each person is responsible for their own life.”

That was the cynical perspective Al sometimes displayed.

It sounded much like advice, yet at the same time, it felt like he was speaking to a child who doesn’t understand.

It was a sound argument, in a sense.

Indeed, Al was correct. It’s impossible to save everyone, and if you set out to do that, it would never end. Thus, Subaru never strived to save everything up till now.

However, war was on a different scale. —Could he confidently say that choice was correct?

The lives he could save with a single action were not merely tens or hundreds.

“What a farce.”

While Subaru and Al exchanged words, the stare-down between Priscilla and Abel continued.

After Abel had declared the responsibility as his own, Priscilla pulled out a fan from her chest and waved it around to indicate the conference room—no, the entirety of the city.

“Even if you managed to take the city effectively through the strategist’s suggestion, we are in this situation. That miracle of driving away Arakia won’t repeat. Surely, that tactic cannot be used again?”

“Yes, there won’t be a second time.”

With no hesitation, Abel nodded in response to Priscilla’s inquiry.

When the method of expelling Arakia was mentioned, Subaru also recalled: There had been a moment when Arakia’s demeanor had shifted while she clashed swords with Al.

“Could it be that Al did something…?”

“Huh? That wasn’t me. If it were me, I would have handled that a little more smoothly after that, right? I was literally dropped off when I got deflected.”

“That’s true.”

Now that it was brought up, it would seem a clumsy strategy for Al.

As everyone turned their gaze toward Abel, the only one who might have been able to weave something in that moment, he snorted in annoyance at the gathering attention.

“Arakia is a ‘Spirit Eater.’ She can devour spirits present in the atmosphere and absorb their power.”

“Spirit… eater…?”

Hearing that phrase, which was far from familiar yet ominous, Subaru couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

It had already been evident that the Volakia Empire operated under different rules and soil than the Lugnica Kingdom, but a ‘Spirit Eater’ was far more unusual.

Though Subaru himself was a budding spirit mage, that term had such a different connotation, and frankly speaking—

“I absolutely don’t want Beako to meet her… is that ‘Spirit Eater’ a common thing?”

“Not particularly. The term ‘Spirit Eater’ originally belonged to one of the tribal secret arts passed down among the frontier people of Volakia. However, due to its powerful nature, it was eradicated, and the method has since been lost.”

“At the very least, to my knowledge, Arakia is the only confirmed ‘Spirit Eater.’ If there were others, they’d have been safeguarded carefully. That’s a matter for the observers… but enough about that for now.”

Averting the topic, Abel redirected the conversation.

Subaru, relieved to learn that ‘Spirit Eaters’ weren’t common enough to risk Beatrice’s safety, responded, “So what?”

“How did you fool the ‘Spirit Eater’ known as Arakia?”

“I didn’t fool her. —I only made her get drunk on mana.”

“Mana-drunk… I see, that’s quite a crafty move.”

Al nodded in admiration to Abel’s answer, as if he found it enlightening.

However, merely hearing ‘mana drunk’ didn’t quite click for Subaru.

“Wait, I remember that if you go to places with a high concentration of mana, those sensitive to it might easily become ill…”

“Arakia, being a ‘Spirit Eater,’ is particularly susceptible to such influences. However, there’s a prerequisite for absorbing spirits, requiring a certain degree of resistance. To make her drunk on mana requires exceeding that baseline level…”

“Ah, so I had to use a treasure. Including what remains, I’ve run out.”

That, Abel indicated while jutting his chin toward Subaru. Confused, Subaru frowned and tilted his head.

“What treasure are you talking about? When did I ever—”

“You broke a ring to shatter the horn of that magical beast during the ‘Ritual of Blood.’ That was it.”

“Ah…”

Suddenly recalling something he had overlooked, Subaru remembered borrowing a ring that cast magic.

In the thick of battle, he had no choice but to smash the ring along with Elgina’s horn, shattering it in the process, which ended up making a mess of his arm and the ring.

And it seemed he had used something that was mentioned in conjunction with that battle against Arakia.

“I smashed the ring I had hidden, timed with the collapse of the balcony. Although it took some time for the mana it contained to spill out and fill the surrounding area…”

“So, Arakia ended up drunk on mana, and well, I got taken down by that very girl—”

“At that moment, even amidst that battered state, you were still searching for a chance to snatch victory. Truly impressive, Abel.”

While he was amazed at how everyone had been so grievously injured, it was commendable that Abel had still sought a way to turn it around.

Subaru thought he might have been relentless in his determination, but Abel’s intelligence made it seem more than merely stubbornness; instead, it was the difference between a desperate struggle and a halting counteroffensive that he couldn’t help but notice.

That aside—

“That plan was originally made with Arakia in mind, right? How bold of you to prepare such tricks, never knowing when a dagger might stab you in the back.”

“Those you keep close should always have countermeasures ready in case of opposition. …Especially since Arakia might bite me at any moment.”

“—However, such single-use schemes only work once. It’s far from easy to prepare enough mana crystal to get her drunk. Before the next opportunity arises, it’d be crucial to ensure a proper battle force. But…”

Just as she got that far, Priscilla’s words trailed off in thought.

Hiding her mouth with her fanned hand, she narrowed her crimson eyes and glared at Abel. With a look that appeared to be probing for understanding, she exhaled softly.

“Adding the ‘People of Shudrak’ to our side was expected… Yet to adopt the schemes of a dreamy strategist proposing bloodless conquest and storm the castle city is quite bothersome indeed.”

“—”

“Under these circumstances, I cannot even advise my collaborators to support you.”

“Collaborators!?”

Subaru, shocked by Priscilla’s casual declaration, was not the only one. The entire conference room, excluding Abel and Al, shared in their astonishment.

While Al, Priscilla’s companion, was taken aback, it felt unreasonable that Abel was so unfazed, but Subaru decided not to dwell on that.

“Wait, wait, wait, that’s taking a huge leap! Collaborators… what’s your stance on that? Was it true you came to help Abel…?”

“I didn’t come to help. Don’t take my jester’s foolish remarks seriously.”

“Fine! Whether you came to help Abel or not isn’t the issue. What I want to know is your greater objective.”

As mentioned previously, he had heard about her small goal of having a conversation with Abel directly.

However, what Subaru wished to know was about Priscilla—what brought her and possibly her family members to the Volakia Empire?

And on top of that, whether she intended to side with Abel or not would be even better.

“Please answer me. Frankly, I and everyone else here can’t figure out what to think of you.”

“Ha, how presumptuous. I could not care less what ordinary fools think of me. Regardless of your thoughts, I will do as I please. After all…”

“—The world is made to my liking, is it not?”

With a familiar philosophical stance, Priscilla snorted at Subaru as he echoed her words. Then, realizing the number and sharpness of the glares directed her way, Priscilla closed one eye.

“My goal is to restore the dethroned Emperor to his rightful place. Otherwise, I would continually be troubled by unwanted guests.”

“You needn’t remind me, but those assassins are not on my orders.”

“I’m not doubting that. That’s why I went out of my way to come so far. More accurately, it would be proper to say I had my wings carry me here.”

With one eye still closed, Priscilla looked up toward Abel. What she indicated was not the ceiling but something beyond—the night sky.

To put it another way, it was not merely the sky but something that claimed ownership over it—

“Don’t tell me you two arrived flying through the air?”

“Ah, like a delivery service from a flying dragon. Honestly, I thought the world was ending when the princess jumped down by herself. I can’t do the same, and I couldn’t come down until they lowered the altitude.”

“Flying dragons… Just when I was startled by the water dragon of Pristella.”

The emergence of water dragons, which were fantasy creatures besides earth dragons, along with the mention of flying dragons stirred up more questions.

From what he had heard, flying dragons were exceedingly ferocious and required specialized skills to tame. Due to the lack of such experts, riding on flying dragons was quite rare.

“So, the one who can send flying dragons for delivery is a collaborator of Priscilla?”

“Don’t stoop to grasping at straws. In your case, base vulgarity outweighs cleverness. Try to polish your talents. If you made yourself presentable, you’d be easier to look at.”

“If I go touch up my makeup right now, I’d look like a lunatic…”

If he brought that up, it would somehow be problematic that he hadn’t removed his cross-dressing suit, yet the people present were able to read the atmosphere and refrained from mentioning it.

Nonetheless, while the conversation had taken a major detour—

“If your goal is to put Abel back on the throne, does that mean we can work together?”

“Well, to put it plainly, I can’t easily nod in agreement. —Don’t forget what I just said. If this one doesn’t possess the qualities of an Emperor, returning him would mean nothing.”

“——–”

As the tension rose, Abel faced Priscilla, who was directly challenging the very essence of his emperor qualities.

What Priscilla was questioning was not whether Subaru’s suggestion of a “bloodless surrender,” acknowledged by Abel, had been successful or not, but rather the very notion behind it.

In the context of Volakia’s standards, being too soft could be lethal. In actuality, many lives had been lost due to Subaru’s lack of thoroughness. Her suspicions couldn’t be disregarded.

However—

“I will reclaim the throne. Regardless of what anyone says, that is absolute. —Priscilla, this will not change, even if you tell me so.”

With Subaru growing silent, Abel made this strong proclamation.

It was akin to when he had revealed his identity before Subaru and declared he would regain this land—perhaps even with more fervor.

“——–”

Upon hearing Abel’s resolution, the expressions of those in the conference room shifted.

Kuna and Holly harbored fighting spirit as the “People of Shudrak.” Zikuru bowed his head as if standing before a divine being, while Al turned to cast a glance at Priscilla, who narrowed her eyes at his solid statement.

“While your ambition remains undiminished, the reality doesn’t align. Indeed, are you not being denied the throne?”

“——–”

“The circumstances are already known. The question is, who started this? Whose scheme was it?”

“—The one who drew the plan was Prime Minister Berstetz.”

In response to Priscilla’s inquiry, Abel answered with enmity swirling in his black eyes.

The Prime Minister held the absolute top position in the national government, being a close advisor to the king or emperor. The pinnacle of military leaders can be seen as generals or squadron leaders, while the pinnacle of civil leaders would be the prime minister.

In either case, he was unquestionably someone in the second position and capable of easily betraying.

“That old tree? Using the legacy of the Lamia, can you really trust him?”

“Of course, I foresaw his treachery and prepared accordingly. However…”

Abel paused, quietly exhaling.

That reaction resonated with a hint of a weakness rarely seen in him. Despite being the emperor, even when shaken from his post, he had revealed his first trace of vulnerability.

And the source of that vulnerability wasn’t merely the treacherous Prime Minister—

“I couldn’t see through the betrayal of Chisha Gold… the Fourth of the Nine Divine Generals.”

“—Are you kidding? Chisha would betray?”

Zikuru exclaimed in disbelief, unable to conceal his shock.

For Zikuru, one of the two divine generals of the empire, the names of the “Nine Divine Generals,” unknown to Subaru, were quite familiar. With attention focused on the round table, he stroked his flowing hair as he continued.

“Chisha is an extraordinary figure among the Nine Divine Generals. He earned a name through his intelligence rather than solely through martial prowess and has supported Lord Vincent most effectively during the ‘Rite of Selection’…”

“So that means he’s the most trusted aide? He’s betrayed by both the politically savvy prime minister and a longtime military general?”

“Don’t keep repeating that. My right-hand is firmly attached to my shoulder.”

“That just sounds like bravado at this point…”

Listening to Zikuru’s explanation surprised Subaru with how little regard Abel had fared in terms of popularity.

However, hearing about Volakia’s extremist ideology, one must consider that an emperor classified as weak could be immediately turned against, so perhaps that wasn’t too unusual.

“Is it common for the emperor to be on the run in this country?”

“Since I ascended to the throne, I’ve only been chased away in a formal sense twice.”

“But you have previous offenses!”

“Fool. It was a retinue of the kingdom’s palace knights that whisked me away. If you have complaints, take it to them.”

Seeing the genuinely disgruntled look on his face, Subaru tiredly decided to shut his mouth.

Now that he thought back, he recalled Julius had once mentioned going as an envoy to the empire, but he had hoped it wouldn’t be related. If it were, the world was indeed too small.

“Ah, so the Emperor was chased away by his trusted aides and advisers, and now Arakia has turned into an enemy… Isn’t that rough? Are there any allies?”

“My fellow divine general, Goz Ralfon… He worked hard to ensure my escape. Without his efforts to stall the enemy, I wouldn’t have been able to activate the teleportation device.”

“Oh, Goz is quite the impressive fellow!”

“However, if the remaining nine divine generals have also turned traitor, it’s hard to say how long Goz could hold out. It’s highly likely he could end up dying in battle.”

While the existence of the Nine Divine Generals who risked their lives to protect Abel was a glimmer of hope, it appeared to be quite a fragile one. Nevertheless, Zikuru shook his head.

“With due respect, I’ve already received reports concerning the absence of Goz. However, since he is such a formidable warrior, it would be almost impossible to cover up his death for long, regardless of whether it was due to battle or illness.”

“Then perhaps he has been captured.”

“Most likely. No, certainly! With a warrior of Goz’s caliber!”

In response to Abel’s words, Zikuru bowed respectfully.

Given that Zikuru here held a deserving amount of respect for him, Goz must be rather substantial as a figure, or perhaps it was a case of a female with a harsh name.

“If the prime minister and the Nine Divine Generals turn against us, the empire would find itself in a death knell.”

Before Subaru could sneak in a pointless question, Priscilla, having heard everything, muttered.

In agreement with her statement, Subaru raised his hand and said, “By the way, why is it a problem for Abel to declare himself as Emperor? If he did, those in the imperial capital who are operating in the shadows would be branded as treacherous traitors…”

“Unfortunately, expecting an uproar where the outraged populace and military rise up against the coup is impossible to manage, my brother.”

“I’m not suggesting anything as malicious, but why not?”

“—Because you are in the Volakia Empire, where strength is held in high regard.”

Abel rejected Subaru’s proposition, and Al supplemented with his own words.

If an emperor, chased from the throne, stands up and expresses a desire to reclaim the imperial capital, he’d rather be welcomed. However, it wouldn’t mean that he’d gain their support. What was taken must be taken back; that is how it is done.

“Not just possessions and land; the Emperor’s seat as well…”

“There are no exceptions. —Therefore, what I should do has already been decided.”

Just as Subaru was about to bury his head in despair, he was stunned by Abel’s words.

Just as he thought they had reached a deadlock, Abel’s answer was surprisingly the opposite. Standing up, he slowly placed his hand on the round table.

And then—

“Zikuru, bring the map.”

“Yes! At once!”

Responding to his command, Zikuru directed a soldier waiting at the corner of the room. The soldier quickly peeled the map off the wall in the conference room and laid it over the round table.

The map spread out depicted the entire world, including Volakia.

“We are situated here in the east, the castle city of Gwararu, and the imperial capital Rupugana, which we need to reclaim, lies roughly at the center of the empire.”

“…Volakia is surprisingly huge.”

As the map indicated, Subaru became acutely aware of the vastness of the nation he had previously overlooked.

This world was governed by four major nations, divided into four quarters, where the territory of the Volakia Empire that occupied the south on the world map was the largest compared to the other nations.

The Badheim Forest that Subaru and the others had gone through with such difficulty made up only a meager part of Volakia’s vast territory.

“The cities of the empire are managed by respective city lords and chiefs. Just as with Gwararu, each city wields its autonomous military strength and will not hesitate to fight in times of emergency. —We will gather them under our banner and secure the forces necessary to reclaim the imperial capital.”

“…The traditional strategy of a national takeover makes sense, I guess.”

“You seem dissatisfied.”

“Of course! Doing it all from just Gwararu is a colossal task. I can’t believe it will go that smoothly.”

Subaru was keeping up with Abel’s explanation, but while he could grasp the logic, the emotional aspect was another matter entirely.

As previously stated, this wasn’t a game. Strategies that could work in simulation RPGs wouldn’t necessarily yield easy results in reality.

Abel’s outlook seemed exceedingly optimistic to Subaru.

However—

“I have the means to dispel your concerns. In fact, it is an essential method for me to pursue my aims.”

“Essential condition…”

“—The securing of the ‘Nine Divine Generals.'”

Upon hearing that answer, Subaru’s eyes widened.

Of course, that was obvious. After all, just moments ago, he mentioned that it was the betrayal of the ‘Nine Divine Generals’ that had sent Abel tumbling from his throne.

The loyal ‘Nine Divine Generals’ were currently unaccounted for, while the two he did know had already turned their backs.

All that remained was—

“What about the rest of the Nine Divine Generals?”

“That’s the point.”

With a finger raised toward the unfurling query, Abel nodded at the stunned Subaru. Then, he scanned the faces of those gathered around him.

“Imperial citizens must be resilient. The ‘Nine Divine Generals’ embody that tradition. Hence, to claim the position of the Volakia Empire’s ruler, one must unite the ‘Nine Divine Generals.'”

“So that means…?”

Picking up on Abel’s words and realizing the implications, Subaru’s eyes widened. Noticing Subaru’s reaction, Abel’s expression twisted into a joyful smile.

And then—

“—‘Blue Lightning’ Cecilus Segmunt. ‘Spirit Eater’ Arakia. ‘Malicious Old Man’ Roswaal Dunkelken. ‘White Spider’ Cheshire Gold. ‘Lion Knight’ Goz Ralfon. ‘Cursed Craftsman’ Grooby Gamuret. ‘Colorful’ Yorna Mishigure. ‘Steel Man’ Moguro Hagane. And ‘Flying Dragon Marshal’ Madelin Eshault.”

“—”

“Whichever side manages to secure more of the ‘Nine Divine Generals’ will emerge victorious in this conflict. That’s the method for winning and the absolute condition I must fulfill.”