Ch.166Chapter 166

No one intervened even as they watched Fiore make swift decisions.

Everything Fiore said was based on completely reasonable and natural assumptions.

So now there were more people at the table.

Asty, who would accompany us halfway.

And The Huntsman.

The Huntsman had always given off a fishy scent of divine blood, but now there was something fragrant about her. I thought perhaps the smell had faded since she no longer had anything to hunt.

“…She really is a woman through and through.”

“So she’s a woman.”

“She’s a woman indeed.”

Fiore, Zumiya, and Faura all muttered as they looked at The Huntsman.

The Huntsman, who naturally couldn’t understand what they were saying, pointed at them and looked at me.

“What are those creatures babbling about me?”

“…I think it’s better you don’t know.”

After I told The Huntsman this, she twisted her lips and took a seat.

“Asty, sit down too.”

“I’ll stay right here.”

Asty said this and remained standing directly behind me.

With her hair now almost completely brown, there was no trace of the former Advisor left in her. Only in her more mature appearance could one find remnants of The Advisor.

The divine beings were all glaring at Asty, perhaps displeased with how meaninglessly close she was standing to me.

But as if her face were made of steel, Asty simply endured with her eyes closed.

It was Asty’s strategic endurance, based on the premise that I would dislike it if she caused trouble here.

The divine beings ground their teeth at Asty’s cunning, but since she wasn’t openly expressing affection, they seemed to decide to let it go for now.

…With things already this tense, would I survive intact after the war ended?

“Well, anyway. Now that all parties are here, let’s start the discussion. Oh, Tanthyn, you’ll need to explain things to her since she probably won’t understand.”

As Fiore said this and was about to point at the map again…

“I understand just fine, so skip the unnecessary consideration and continue as you were.”

The Huntsman made a very surprising statement.

Everyone looked at The Huntsman with blank expressions, but she merely shrugged.

“When the Outer Gods flooded into Rondan and that fellow saved me, I could hear the voices of other Outer Gods. I don’t know why. Perhaps being together for so long had an effect.”

The Huntsman said this while taking a sip of the tea Asty had brought, though I wasn’t sure when she’d gotten it.

…So it’s because of contact with me.

Rather than that, I think it’s because she grew stronger and began to empathize with the divine beings, gradually opening her heart.

After discovering The Huntsman’s truth in Lintfia, her anger toward the divine beings would have mostly disappeared.

“This is pointless talk. Let’s continue.”

The Huntsman abruptly cut off any discussion about her past.

Fiore snorted at The Huntsman’s behavior.

“That’s refreshing. Let’s start again.”

Since the territory occupied by the Second Princess was drawn very small on the map, Fiore began drawing directly on paper.

On the paper with the rough drawing, Fiore drew something presumed to be the Second Princess.

“Now, let’s begin our discussion from here.”

Finally, the proper strategy planning began.

#

“First, the Commander will take the knights and enter the territory.”

The Knight Commander hadn’t yet formulated a proper strategy.

He probably planned to act according to the strategy I would devise.

Considering that the Vice Commander didn’t particularly object either, it was definitely the case.

“Before entering, everyone will eat Faura’s food, and then proceed. That should somewhat resolve the freezing issue caused by the Second Princess. The truly frozen things will be thawed by Her Majesty the Empress.”

“By Her Majesty the Empress…?”

Asty tilted her head as if hearing this for the first time.

Of course, she wouldn’t know since she hadn’t been with us then.

“I’m talking about the Empress from before the Empire froze over.”

“…She’s still alive?”

“Of course. After all, the Empress was originally one of the divine beings.”

Asty covered her mouth in slight surprise at my words.

This was information that had been severely concealed until now.

It’s natural she would be surprised.

“So we’re taking the Empress with us?”

I shook my head at Fiore’s question.

She seemed to be asking about approaching the Second Princess.

“No, I don’t think so. The Second Princess became like that precisely because she didn’t properly receive the Empress’s love. It would be like pouring oil on a burning house.”

Fiore nodded as if agreeing with my assessment.

“Hmm, I think the opposite.”

Faura raised her hand at that moment.

I turned to her to hear what she had to say.

“Rather, to break old grudges, wouldn’t it be better to bring the Empress? If someone claims they’ve come to persuade her but brings someone unrelated, I think she might not feel the sincerity.”

Everyone stroked their chins thoughtfully at those words.

Faura had a point.

If someone who claimed they would listen came, but it was a stranger, it might be disappointing.

But bringing the Empress was somewhat awkward in terms of our forces.

It would be burdensome for the Empress to look after all the knights.

If the Empress were to be absent in such a situation, casualties would certainly occur.

“Given our forces, it’s awkward, so I think we should just go with the people we discussed earlier…”

“I’ll go.”

Just as I was trying to conclude the discussion, a voice that shouldn’t have been audible here came from behind.

I turned toward the voice and couldn’t help but be surprised at who was standing there.

The Princess was looking at me with a determined expression, her hand on her chest.

“If my mother cannot go, I will go myself.”

#

And so the meeting gained one more attendee.

The problem was that this person happened to be the highest authority in Rondan.

“Princess, how did you…?”

“I heard from the Commander. He said you were planning what to do next with these people.”

The Princess said this and smiled gently at the divine beings.

Faura returned The Princess’s smile, but the other divine beings met her with sullen expressions.

It seems they were quite displeased because The Princess had proposed to me.

Despite their expressions, they were still looking at me, waiting to hear what I had to say.

“But what do you mean by going yourself?”

“Exactly what I said. I will approach my sister with you. I bear some responsibility for my sister becoming like that. I really want to talk with her.”

Hmm, this is troublesome.

But with such a determined expression, it would be too rude to simply say “No!”

“But that would put Your Highness in danger.”

“You’ll protect me anyway, won’t you?”

The Princess smiled and winked at me.

Due to this seemingly calculated action, piercing gazes from the divine beings rained down on me.

She’s doing this on purpose.

She knows exactly what she’s doing!

“…If that’s what you want, is that okay with you, Huntsman?”

“Why ask me? If Her Exalted Highness wishes to go, we must escort her.”

Despite her words, The Huntsman’s voice suggested she had some objections too.

Come on, what’s wrong with everyone today?

You might not feel it, but I’m suffocating here!

“So it’s decided then?”

“…Yes, well. If this is acceptable.”

“Thank you, everyone.”

The Princess bowed her head as she said this.

…Well, I suppose.

This should address the concerns Faura mentioned, so it should be fine.

“By the way, how did you persuade my mother?”

“We decided to try reviving His Majesty in a similar way to how I was brought back to life.”

Hearing this, The Princess’s eyes widened, and then she nodded with a wistful smile.

“That’s right. If Tanthyn succeeded, it should be possible for my father too.”

The Princess said this and took my hand.

This caused another commotion around us.

“What?!”

“Oh my.”

Regardless, The Princess gave me a burdensome look.

“Thank you, Tanthyn. This debt of gratitude…”

“Ah, Princess, that’s enough!”

I quickly stopped her words as she seemed to be trying to establish something as fact.

This isn’t just seeming deliberate—it definitely is deliberate!

I barely managed to shake her off, but I looked around nervously at the divine beings’ lingering auras.

“There are many limitations to us divine beings intervening at full power in human affairs, but there’s a way to lift those restrictions.”

“…W-what is it?”

“It’s by receiving compensation.”

Fiore said this with a somewhat chilling smile.

“And the standard for that compensation is anything the recipient desires.”

“…Y-you mean…”

“Hehe, I’ll be looking forward to it, my lord.”

The reward they were talking about was obvious.

I somewhat resented myself for knowing this fact.

I deliberately focused on fiddling with the map, hoping the meeting would conclude quickly.