Ch.133133. Preparing to Counterattack (2)

“It’s still hard to say we’ve completely failed.”

However, for Alicia, it wasn’t a total failure.

While it was true that the Lord Protector had gained much from this international organization reconstruction conference, in exchange, he had turned many people against him.

To be honest, it was essentially selling the future to survive the present. Both the United States, their biggest partner, and Asian countries recognized that the Lord Protector and the Saint of Orleans were not trustworthy figures and would be detrimental to their national interests.

Going forward, their actions would become a major diplomatic risk in regions outside Europe, and they would inevitably face many penalties, known and unknown.

Of course, they could avoid responsibility by choosing not to engage in diplomatic activities in the future, but…

‘Is that even possible? Even our Balhut Cult needs trade to maintain civilization.’

That approach might have been feasible during the early apocalypse or when there was no international organization at all.

However, now that everyone had agreed to at least partially rebuild the international organization and diplomatic channels between countries had been somewhat activated, they couldn’t choose to completely abstain from diplomatic activities.

To be blunt, both Britain and France were countries that heavily depended on trade with other nations to maintain their civilization, and proper diplomatic activities were essential for trading with other countries.

It was no wonder the United States was horrified by their behavior.

It might not seem like it now, but later it would be tantamount to scoring an own goal.

“What do you mean we haven’t failed! You said the Lord Protector got what he wanted. Then… I’m finished now, right? That lolicon Lord Protector will surely usurp my throne and establish a new dynasty!”

However, it was natural for Alicia, who knew nothing of these behind-the-scenes circumstances, to despair that everything was over.

Bahamut’s statement just now meant that the Lord Protector had won the power struggle, and it seemed all too obvious that the victorious Lord Protector would claim her as his trophy.

He might have failed the first time, but would someone who coveted the throne not try a second or third time?

The gloomy thought that the Lord Protector would surely eliminate all who opposed him, purge her as well, and ascend to the throne kept swirling in her mind.

“No, it’s not that bad. Other countries won’t allow it anymore.”

“Eh? Other countries are other countries. Would they be allowed to interfere in our internal affairs?”

“Before the international organization was established, it wouldn’t have been a problem. But now that the international organization has been formed, the Lord Protector must be mindful of external perspectives. Especially since he’s thrown down the gauntlet to the United States, he’ll have to be quite cautious of them.”

However, it was the maid Mary, who was beside Alicia, who refuted her statement.

She assured that even if the Lord Protector tried to usurp the throne, other countries would not permit it.

The young Alicia responded with a puzzled expression, and Bahamut explained the reason in detail.

Simply put, even with a half-rebuilt international organization, it was still an international organization, so the Lord Protector now had to be mindful of external perspectives.

From the moment he chose to antagonize the United States to gain prestige, the United States would use every means at its disposal to prevent the Lord Protector from usurping the throne.

“Really?”

“Yes. He already attempted a usurpation without any justification and failed due to significant internal opposition. It seems the Lord Protector, even if not punished for treason, was politically cornered.”

“Yes, in fact, both the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party refused to cooperate with the Lord Protector’s usurpation attempt. Rather, they were obstructing his administrative orders as much as possible.”

Moreover, one reason the Lord Protector had acted out at the international organization was because he failed to gain cooperation from other political factions in London after his failed throne usurpation.

The two major parties openly refused to cooperate with the Lord Protector’s administrative orders and even obstructed them, so the Lord Protector had not completely taken control of London.

“And he hasn’t fully controlled the Royal Guard either.”

“Yes, as I mentioned before, the Royal Guard has found different masters. Rather than being loyal to just one person, they’re scattered. This means the Lord Protector hasn’t fully taken control of all of England.”

He hadn’t even managed to control the entire Royal Guard, and there were still many among the Guard who remained loyal to the Queen.

The Lord Protector had more vulnerabilities than Alicia had thought, considering she had believed him to be an absolute, invincible entity. It was still too early to declare that Alicia had no chance of winning.

“Your Majesty, although it may seem like the Lord Protector controls all of London, in reality, he and his collaborators are acting rather forcefully. Since the palace coup failed, they can’t be too brazen. Still, some believe in the Lord Protector’s strength and achievements and consider the rumors of throne usurpation to be just that—rumors. The Lord Protector also wants to end the truth of his usurpation as mere gossip. But for the British political circle, which knows everything, he needed prestige to overlook the palace coup he attempted.”

“So, that’s why he hosted the international organization reconstruction conference in London?”

Yes, the Lord Protector needed prestige.

In other words, he needed fame and to prove his worth. Through this international organization reconstruction conference, although somewhat oppressive, the Lord Protector, along with the Saint of Orleans, led the conference, showcasing strong leadership and sharp charisma.

“Yes. For that, the Lord Protector wanted to bring prestige and initiative to himself, even if it meant taking outrageous actions. With this, the Lord Protector probably won’t be punished for treason right away, but… I see. The problem is that if he resolves the immediate issues in front of him, there’s no telling what that Lord Protector might do next.”

Anyway, even if other countries complained, it wouldn’t significantly affect domestic public opinion, and the effects wouldn’t be immediate.

Moreover, on the surface, the Lord Protector and the Saint of Orleans were portrayed as representatives of the international organization and beacons of humanity, and many would come to greatly trust the Lord Protector because of this.

“Oh, I see. Then the Lord Protector won’t target me…”

“He will.”

After the maid’s explanation, Alicia felt relieved, thinking that if the Lord Protector was focused on other matters, he wouldn’t pay attention to her, but Mary immediately denied that possibility.

“That’s a direct answer! But you said he already failed the coup and retreated! That he needed prestige! That the US would stop him!”

“If he were thinking normally, he wouldn’t try again. But is the Lord Protector someone who thinks normally?”

At Mary’s words, Alicia pondered.

As she thought about the Lord Protector’s actions she had witnessed so far, her face gradually turned pale.

“That… no, right? If he were normal, he should have been satisfied with being regent, right?”

“That’s what I mean.”

From the beginning, he could have easily controlled all of England just by being regent, but he obsessively fixated on the throne, leading to the current situation.

Alicia, realizing that the Lord Protector was someone who would do anything for the throne, couldn’t refute the maid’s words.

A normal person wouldn’t do it based on common sense, but the Lord Protector would!

That thought was firmly embedded in her mind.

“From what I hear, if the Lord Protector hasn’t completely taken control of London, doesn’t that mean Alicia has a chance?”

“A chance…”

“A chance for Alicia to surpass the Lord Protector and become the monarch of England.”

But conversely, if the Lord Protector wasn’t invincible, Alicia still had a chance.

To defend her position as monarch against the usurping Lord Protector.

If everything in England had fallen into the Lord Protector’s hands, resistance would be essentially meaningless, but many were resisting the Lord Protector, and the Lord Protector himself was creating hostile relationships with several countries due to the risks of throne usurpation.

“Me?”

“Isn’t it possible? If you can make a name for yourself as the only opponent of the Lord Protector, I think it’s entirely feasible.”

Then it would be possible for Alicia to seize her own opportunity by targeting those vulnerabilities.

Not all of England was in the Lord Protector’s hands, and there were countless people opposing him.

If she could position herself as the Lord Protector’s opponent faster than anyone else, Alicia could also cultivate enough power to oppose him.

“But I have nothing except my title as Queen.”

However, Alicia said she had nothing except her title as Queen.

Of course, that was just Alicia’s perspective. As the maid said, there were still those loyal to the Queen, and there should be plenty of royal assets.

If used appropriately, there was ample possibility.

“You have something now.”

“What?”

“Me.”

Moreover, unlike the Queen from a day ago, the current Queen is an Awakened.

And as a Priestess of the Dragon who has contracted with the dragon god Bahamut, she could demonstrate power that was almost like cheating.

Bahamut reminded Alicia of this point, but…

“What?”

“Huh?”

Alicia stared at Bahamut with an expression that showed she didn’t understand at all.

She seemed to have no idea what a Dragon Priestess was, and so she was just staring at Bahamut with a clueless expression.

‘Ah, of course she wouldn’t know. This isn’t Gyeongju or Pohang, not even the Korean Peninsula. It’s England.’

Only then did Bahamut realize that unlike in Gyeongju or Pohang, his power and fame weren’t well-known here.

“Can’t be helped. Wait a moment.”

With a resigned expression, he began searching among the items he had brought for something Alicia could use right away.

“Take this.”

“What is this?”

After a short while, Bahamut handed Alicia a small hand mirror that could be held in one hand and armor engraved with size-adjustment magic.

“It’s armor. It has size-adjustment magic on it, so there shouldn’t be any issues when you wear it.”

“Armor… Is this perhaps the armor you were wearing when we first met, Bahamut?”

When Alicia asked if it was the armor she had seen when they first met, Bahamut nodded in response.

He had unhesitatingly given Alicia a national treasure-grade armor made from the best materials available in the current apocalypse.

The current Alicia couldn’t possibly understand its significance, but…

“It’s powerful armor that will protect your body even if attacked by an average Awakened.”

“Hmm! It’s perfect for defending against assassins sent by the Lord Protector… Wait. The fact that you’re giving me armor means…”

It was indeed a good item for Alicia, who needed to be prepared for assassins sent by the Lord Protector.

Alicia was genuinely happy about Bahamut’s gift, but she soon realized that Bahamut wouldn’t give her armor without a reason, and she looked at him with a suspicious expression.

“Now that you’re an Awakened, how about getting out there yourself, like the Lord Protector?”

“What?”

With a bright smile, he suggested that she should get out there herself, as befitting an Awakened.

So… he meant she should take action herself?

Alicia was filled with fear at Bahamut’s words, thinking, “Won’t that be extremely painful?”

“And we’ll have to leave tomorrow. It’s difficult to meet secretly like this and give advice… Yu-na.”

“Yes, I’ll teach you how to use the Scrying Mirror.”

Unfortunately, Bahamut either didn’t notice Alicia’s face turning pale at his statement or chose to ignore it, as he immediately called Yu-na to teach Alicia how to use the Scrying Mirror.

From Bahamut’s perspective, since he had to leave tomorrow, he needed a means to regularly communicate with Alicia.

“S-Scrying… Mirror what?”

“The Scrying Mirror. You can think of it as a tool to communicate with Bahamut in real-time.”

“R-really? Can’t it be intercepted?”

The problem was that Alicia was under surveillance, so there was a risk of interception or eavesdropping.

“It’s a method that wasn’t detected even by American surveillance. Unless the Lord Protector is a detection type, it shouldn’t be discovered easily.”

“Oh! So it can be done secretly! Amazing!”

It was a method that had worked well even against elite American units, so it should be effective against the Lord Protector, according to Bahamut’s guarantee.

At those words, Alicia looked at Bahamut with eyes full of admiration, and Bahamut continued his explanation upon seeing her gaze.

“Yes. To unauthorized eyes, it appears as just an ordinary hand mirror or accessory. With that, I’ll fulfill my duty as a contractor and provide you with the advice you need.”

“Th-thank you.”

Alicia bowed her head in gratitude at his declaration to fulfill his duty as a contractor.

It was an action that showed his intention to take care of her, as they were indeed contractors.

“Alicia, ultimately, salvation must be achieved by your own hands. I can only help you on that path.”

“By my own hands…”

And with that, Bahamut told Alicia that she must achieve things with her own hands, and that he would only help her on that path.