Chapter 123: The Stellar Gala 4

Sofia, the second city of the Dragonian Empire.

Having received the Empress’s invitation, Estelle felt a mix of intense tension and excitement.

‘To think I would meet the Empress Rozveta in such a manner…’

The woman who transformed a small nation into an empire and was currently revered as a virtuous ruler by countless people.

Although they had exchanged letters a few times, this was the first time Estelle would meet her in person. She began to harbor great expectations at meeting someone who embodied her own goals.

‘I wonder what she looks like? I’ve heard that despite nearing 200 years old, she possesses remarkable beauty…’

Essentially, those who wield mana can maintain eternal youth if they so desire.

Of course, many chose to age alongside their loved ones, but many others did not.

In the case of Empress Rozveta, not only herself and her husband but all her children were mana users as well.

The Empress herself was said to be the most powerful witch in existence.

Some even rumored that she was no longer human, having transcended the concepts of death and aging.

Recalling this, Estelle suddenly remembered that her fiancé, the man she loved, Santana, was also a mage… a mana user.

‘Unlike me, who lacks talent for mana, Lord Santana is a mage. He too could choose an eternal life if he wished…’

Of course, it was perhaps too early for them, still in their twenties, to ponder such matters. Nevertheless, Estelle began to consider this quite seriously.

‘If Lord Santana truly comes to love me… would he age alongside me? Or…’

Lost in such uncharacteristic musings, Estelle’s thoughts were interrupted by a voice in her ear.

“She has arrived.”

“Ah…”

Rising from her seat at the servant’s words, Estelle respectfully bowed her head as the person entered the room.

“It is an honor to meet you. I am Estelle Berthina Fernandes, sister of the Lord of Repsodis, here to greet the great Empress of the Dragonian Empire.”

Unable to clearly see the other’s appearance, Estelle nonetheless sensed an extraordinary aura emanating from this person as she respectfully greeted them, awaiting their response in tense anticipation.

“Raise your head.”

A voice filled with composure and an undeniable power.

Estelle carefully raised her head and beheld the woman before her.

Clad in crimson attire that was not extravagant but neat, yet emanating profound dignity.

Unfortunately, her face was concealed by a black veil, but her approximate figure visible beyond it allowed Estelle to discern that she was a remarkably beautiful woman.

‘This is Mina Rozveta Dragona, the Empress… her aura alone is extraordinary.’

It was not simply because the person before her held the position of Empress.

Despite merely standing there, Estelle felt a tingling sensation on her skin, and…

Every subtle movement, from accepting her greeting to taking a seat, exuded the bearing of a sovereign who knew precisely who she was.

Estelle felt a profound sense of awe and pressure from this person who so clearly emanated her identity.

“I am truly delighted that you have accepted my invitation, despite the arduous journey.”

“Ah… no. It is I who am grateful for the honor of meeting the great Empress, despite being but a humble lord of a small territory.”

Unlike her usual self, Estelle spoke with intense tension, and the Empress maintained her composed and dignified demeanor as she observed her.

“Then let us dispense with formalities and proceed to the main matter. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes! Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Very well. Then… I wish to hear more detailed plans regarding your future endeavors.”

“Future endeavors, you say?”

“Precisely – how the Heretical Alliance intends to proceed, and how we can provide assistance in that process.”

The Empress posed her direct question.

In response, Estelle momentarily set aside the pressure of facing the Empress and strove to analyze the situation as objectively as possible.

The Empress was inquiring about the Heretical Alliance’s future movements.

In simple terms, it was akin to an investor asking about the business plan for their investment.

Of course, this matter held far greater significance beyond mere commerce, deeply intertwined with politics.

It was not a simple business plan but crucial intelligence; a misstep could endanger not only the Repsodian territory but the entire Heretical Alliance.

However, Estelle had already anticipated such concerns to a certain extent.

The matter of maintaining confidentiality had already been approved by Santana, the de facto leader of the Heretical Alliance.

Moreover, at this juncture, the likelihood of the Dragonian Empress siding with their adversary, the Holy Empire, was virtually non-existent. The risk of this information leaking was minimal.

In contrast, providing concrete details could yield substantial benefits from the Dragonian Empire.

Having weighed the overall situation, Estelle began to speak in a tense voice to the Empress before her, relaying the future course of the war and corresponding countermeasures as conveyed by her beloved fiancé, Santana.

“I understand. Then… allow me to explain.”

The Heretical Alliance, a coalition of rebel forces within the Holy Empire.

Although this faction rivaled a quarter of the Empire’s mainland territories, as one privy to the original work, I was acutely aware of our limitations.

Our victory at White Mountain had reignited the spark of hope, and by employing the unruly Mansfelt faction to deplete the Imperial forces, we had succeeded in temporarily stalling the war.

However, the time we could endure in our current state was undoubtedly limited.

Through Bohemia’s vast economic might and the cooperation of its lords, we could gradually recover from the damages.

But the formidable force of 40,000 men under Generals Tilly and Spinola, presently regrouping in the Palatinate region and preparing for the next major offensive, remained an adversary beyond our capabilities alone.

At White Mountain, we had capitalized on the enemy’s complacency and leveraged our various advantages to secure victory, but relying on such fortuitous circumstances again would be folly.

While I had utilized Friedrich to pursue alliances with neighboring nations, achieving some degree of success, it remained insufficient to turn the tide in our favor.

There were inherent limits to relying on foreign support.

Although I had strongly appealed by emphasizing the clear justification and exaggerating the practical dangers to some extent, securing far more resources than the original work,

it was still inadequate to contend with the impending threats posed by Spinola, Tilly, and, crucially, the imminent resurgence of ‘that individual.’

Ultimately, what we needed was to extract and consolidate our own intrinsic strengths to the utmost.

To achieve this, an unconventional approach was necessary – one that would enable us to scrounge every available resource, regardless of allegiance or ethical considerations.

I possessed a potent means well-suited for such circumstances.

In modern society, many had disgraced themselves by mishandling this tactic.

Success could yield unimaginable gains, but failure risked catastrophic and irreparable consequences.

However… fortunately, in my current situation, I need not worry about such risks.

The reason was simple.

Unlike those gambling when even tomorrow’s stock prices were uncertain, I had a clear understanding of how the overall situation would unfold.