---

The next day. I received a message from Your Highness the Princess in the morning.

It stated that she would be visiting our family in the afternoon.

If it were any other day, I would have thought, “Ah, our servants are going to have a tough time again.”

But given the conversation I had just had with His Majesty the Emperor, I felt a strange nuance the moment I heard that.

“What do you think of the Crown Princess as a person?”

My answer to the Emperor had been, “She’s a good person.”

There was no lie in that. Quite simply, she truly is a good person.

As the Empire’s Princess and as an individual.

Honestly, I wondered who could dislike her after experiencing her firsthand.

She’s noble by birth and never shows anything but grace.

Instead, she makes every effort to set an example as a member of the Imperial Family.

And unbeknownst to her, there’s a bit of clumsiness that makes her all the more adorable.

“A good person. A good person…”

“What did you say?”

I jumped, nearly dropping my heart. When I looked over, the person herself was standing there.

I had expected her around late afternoon, but she had come right after lunch.

“Your Highness the Princess. You’ve arrived?”

“Why are you so surprised? Didn’t you hear from the servants just a moment ago that I was coming?”

“I did. I just got a bit lost in thought.”

After standing there in a daze for a moment, I quickly offered a seat to the Princess.

I naturally pointed to the seat of honor, but she chose a different spot instead.

“I heard there was a small party for Prince Kael yesterday.”

Right across from me. The place where our eyes would meet directly.

“Yes, Your Highness the Princess.”

“What a pity. I wanted to go as well, but I had a busy schedule after returning to the Empire.”

“It’s quite alright, Your Highness. I don’t mind at all.”

She says she had a busy schedule, but to be precise, nothing particularly happened to her.

She was just being cautious, worried that other nobles might have strange thoughts.

She was on guard against anyone who might think that the successor’s position could sway now.

A wise decision. I think it should be that way too.

Not only me, but the Princess has also been active all over Nobogord and the East.

Next, she turned the hearts of the Southern Kingdoms toward the Empire.

I may have devised the plan, but there’s definitely a share of the credit that belongs to the Princess.

And others will see that share and think of it as proof for themselves.

They will interpret it as a call to the Emperor to reconsider his successor.

“What nonsense. Our Princess has no such intentions at all.”

The Second Princess, Isabelle. She belongs to the hardliners but isn’t one for disputes.

Her heart is filled with love for the Empire. She wouldn’t do anything to harm it.

Above all, she understands herself well. And she doesn’t underestimate others.

In any aspect, for any reason, no one would dare to do that to the Princess.

Yes. Just as I’ve seen. And just as I conveyed to the Emperor.

This person before me, the Second Princess, Isabelle, yes, she is truly a good person.

“Honestly, I should just stay quietly today. Maybe it’s because I’ve been wandering around, but my body feels a bit sluggish, and after hearing news about Kael, I felt I had to come out.”

“Is that so?”

“I hope I’m not misjudging.”

I shook my head at the worried expression of the Princess.

“Not at all. On the contrary, I think you should worry less.”

“Really? The people around me say it’s better to be a bit cautious.”

“I’ve just seen His Majesty the Emperor and Your Highness the Crown Princess. Neither of you showed any hint of concern regarding that.”

To be honest, I must say that the current Princess will never surpass the Crown Princess, no matter how she tries.

The very way of looking at things is different. She truly does seem like a well-prepared future Emperor.

The Princess is no slouch, but the Crown Princess is of a different caliber.

From the very first meeting, she stood a few steps higher than the Princess.

There had been parts where she received an excessive amount of authority, and it all made sense.

The Emperor knows the differences between the two of them. And knowing their personalities, he doesn’t worry.

“There’s a possibility that the Princess might be hiding something…”

If that were truly the case, it would have at least been revealed before me once.

No. From the start, she would have avoided surfacing herself like this.

But the Princess acted solely out of her feelings for the Empire and the Imperial Family.

So the worries of the people around her are unfounded.

Why? Because I will go to any lengths to vouch for the Princess’s sincere intentions.

“You saying that gives me some peace of mind. Is that perhaps a prophecy?”

“…What?”

A prophecy? Where did that utterly absurd idea come from?

“Don’t think of denying it. Don’t you remember what you told me a little while ago?”

“If it were something I said…”

“You said there would be a catalyst arising in the East.”

…Wait a minute, Your Highness. When did I say anything like that?

“However, something probably needs to serve as the catalyst.”

Right. That is exactly what I said. I even didn’t know what followed after that!

In other words, it wasn’t a prophecy, but barely a grumble at best.

So why on earth is she recalling it as a prophecy all of a sudden!

“I thought back then that it was just a grumble.”

Yes, it was indeed just a grumble, Your Highness. This is neither humility, nor a concept, nor misunderstanding, nor anything of the sort.

What I said back then was just pure nonsense that slipped from my lips without any thought at all!

“Yet a genuine catalyst did arise. An enormous downpour in the East… No, even describing it with that word is hard. A massive flood almost submerged everything.”

“Yes, I heard it did.”

“I also heard about what followed. We intended to help as humanitarian aid while showing the Empire’s supremacy, but Prince Kael stopped it.”

Stopped it? Saying it that way makes it sound like I blocked the Emperor and the Crown Prince!

I merely expressed my opinion with some enthusiasm!

Moreover, judging by appearances, it seems both Your Highness the Crown Princess and His Majesty the Emperor were also thinking the same!

“Until the kingdoms of the East humbly ask for mercy, no mercy shall be shown. No assistance whatsoever. It seems cruel to say, but honestly, I don’t see it as an error at all.”

“…”

“Is it reasonable for the taxes of our empire to be wasted frivolously? To receive them, they must bow their heads and plead for mercy from our Empire. What we’ve already given is enough by not breaking one of their countries in the last war.”

Truly, our Princess bares her fiery temperament sometimes.

She’s a good person, but that only applies to those within the Empire and its boundaries.

As an Imperial Princess. As a subject of the Empire. Outside of that, she clearly defines them as enemies.

“They haven’t bowed to the Empire yet.”

“I’ve heard the same.”

“It looks like they’re doing fine then. Kingdom people are probably dying right this minute.”

“Once the authority and pride of a ruler fall, it’s hard to rebuild.”

“If that was so important, they shouldn’t have bared their teeth at the Empire from the start. Foolish words.”

As the Princess spoke, she looked at me and asked, “How long will it take?”

I suppose she’s wondering how long it’ll be before the three kingdoms in the East, especially Burgai, will kneel.

I did have some thoughts regarding Charlua and Dedorant.

“It won’t be immediate. I’d say it’ll take at least another month.”

“A month? In that time, how much more suffering will their kingdom people endure, and how many more will die?”

“Even this is a positive and optimistic estimate. Would you believe that?”

“…Oh my.”

As I said, the authority and pride of rulers is a serious matter.

If they easily give that up, would they even be called rulers?

Of course, it’s too harsh to simply call them power-drunk lunatics.

It’s not just a matter of power; it directly concerns their lives.

So, I can understand their hesitations and frustrations.

“Sometimes, it seems the world is full of incomprehensible events.”

“Well, isn’t that true? The world turns out to be more irrational than one would think. It’s emotional rather than rational, unwise instead of wise.”

“Why is that?”

“What moves most people in the world is desire.”

The desire to be recognized. The desire to love and be loved in return.

The desire to become stronger than anyone else. The desire to be more remarkable than others.

In the relationships between people and between nations.

From simple verbal disputes to massive wars where tens of thousands lose their lives.

In the end, what moves and decides everything is desire.

And I made use of that desire at the right moments.

From the North to the East, and even the South.

People call me a genius or a strategist, but honestly, how do I see myself? Um… Yeah.

A lucky con artist who manipulates the human heart? That might be too derogatory.

“Perhaps I really am a strategist.”

I shrugged my shoulders and turned my focus back to the Princess.

“If the East completely surrenders, then Your Highness the Crown Princess will be the one to go there.”

“My sister?”

“Yes. It would be the best way to turn their shattered public sentiment toward the Empire. Our goal is to maintain the Royal Family while somewhat diminishing their influence.”

“Will Burgai allow that?”

“If they don’t, they’ll drown. They must do it.”

Surely, threats come from those who have much to lose.

And those who have nothing to lose naturally face the consequences.

“Next will be the South. At the very least, to firmly tame the Holy Kingdom and its surrounding kingdoms, someone from the Imperial Family will have to go again. I think Your Highness the Princess would be the most fitting…”

“No. My brother, the Crown Prince, is better suited.”

“…Is there something troubling you?”

I had already assured the Princess that she needn’t worry about the contributions she has made.

No matter how much nobles might stir, neither His Majesty nor the Crown Princess would be swayed.

Yet, with such a reaction, I couldn’t help but wonder just how worried she was…

“No. Kael. It’s not that. If I go south, I won’t be able to move with you, Kael.”

“…What?”

“It’s my intuition. I feel like if I go south like this, I’ll be incredibly busy for a few months. Rather, being by Kael’s side will be better.”

“If you stay with me, you might end up being even busier.”

In truth, for the past year, I’d truly been running around like a headless chicken.

To the North, East, and then South. I’ve just been darting everywhere!

Plus, it seems I’ll have to head west again soon, so there’s no way I won’t be busy.

“Hmm. Well, it can’t be helped, can it? Still, wouldn’t it be better for two to be busy than for one to be busy?”

With that, the Princess beamed, which made me smile unconsciously as well.

*

“Tell me, Kael.”

“No, absolutely not.”

“Are you sure you can’t foresee anything?”

“Definitely not.”

“Like reading the heavens and summoning rain and wind.”

“Never, ever.”

A month later, Burgai officially submitted to the Empire.

They had tried to hold on, but once again, monstrous rains poured down.

The combo of massive floods had even the power players raising their hands in surrender.

 

---