Ch.260Exploding NPCs. (1)

“…Are there nobles within the Empire who oppose the war?”

“It seems so. There are many questionable aspects about this war, aren’t there?”

After dealing with Imperial spies hiding in a village near Nati, I met with one of our contacts named Dolph. The next day, I brought him into the city and reported the current situation to the Chancellor.

“Aren’t they all just nobles from the borderlands, nobles from territories where it’s difficult to draft troops?”

“…Yes. Actually, the ratio is about 7:3. No, more like 8:2.”

“What benefit is there in joining hands with Imperial nobles who are neither useful as military strength nor completely on our side?”

“Well. Justification, perhaps? A performance to show the people that the Empire isn’t unified?”

Dolph, suddenly finding himself in conversation with the Chancellor, the leader of Nati, seemed bewildered but conveyed everything he had learned and observed to her. Yes, the fact that there were voices within the Empire that did not desire war.

“In reality, neutral trading cities like Aigram, or border territories that traded food with small countries adjacent to Ponia, are suffering actual damage due to the recent declaration of war cutting off trade. The Empire isn’t doing anything to address the situation, citing war preparations as the reason.”

“War is quite expensive~”

“For us to bear that burden would literally just be a burden. If they claim they’ll become our allies, receive food, and then provide neither troop contributions nor support, we’ll only end up at a disadvantage.”

“That’s true too~”

“…Even if troop deployment is difficult, I believe we can expect the border nobles to join hands and submit protests to the Imperial Palace. If that happens, the Empire will feel pressure from the uncooperative situation with the lords and nobles of the border territories that will actually become battlefields.”

“That’s one approach~”

“If such means were available, they should have done it among themselves long ago. Do you think these lazy individuals, who are only now moving in hopes of external support, will get up from their chairs after eating? We’d be lucky if they don’t just lie down even more.”

“You’re not wrong~”

“…Excuse me, Princess.”

“Yes?”

“Ragni, what’s with all these reactions? Are you joking around?”

While the two were talking, I was just adding casual responses from the side. Feeling suddenly interrogated, I sat up from lying on the sofa. Ah, I’m sleepy after staying up all night.

“*Yawn~* I was just saying that both Dolph’s words and your words, Chancellor, are correct. In reality, joining hands with them would bring more disadvantages than advantages. If we do join hands, the benefit would merely be opening another channel for internal political strife within the Empire. It’s difficult to expect it to actually stop the war.”

“Princess…!!”

“Ah, stop calling me Princess. I’m just Ragni Bluemoon! Master told me to abandon ‘Ottman’ when he put this collar on me.”

“…Sigh. So, you also think it’s right to reject this proposal?”

“That’s my personal opinion. Dolph’s argument is righteous, but realistically, there’s almost no benefit to us.”

I simply stated the facts, but Dolph’s face was filled with despair, like a dog abandoned by its owner.

But what can I do? War doesn’t just harm one’s own citizens, you know? If the Empire is starting to suffer from food shortages, that means the merchants from other countries who exported food and the people who produced it are suffering just as much. And now we’re supposed to join hands with the anti-war faction within the Empire and extend a hand of justice to them? The complaints and damages to the citizens of the country actually helping would only increase.

“…For now, let’s put this matter on hold. And, we can’t let someone who was in the Imperial assassination organization roam around freely. I’m thinking of detaining you in the Academy’s underground facility.”

“…That’s fine. Please do as you see fit, Chancellor.”

The conversation concluded, and the Chancellor called the guards to place him in the Academy’s underground detention facility. Though it’s called detention, it’s more for protection rather than punishment. He’ll be placed in a nice room used for disciplining noble children, not a prison. The other two we captured were properly imprisoned, though.

“So, Ragni. What are you really thinking?”

“Huh? I’m just thinking that I want to sleep?”

When I speak with genuine sincerity, the Chancellor’s eyebrows rise. What? Oh! This might resemble Jack a bit♡

“I’ve heard before that you have no attachment to your position as an Imperial royal, as a princess, so I understand that. But if war breaks out, the royals who conspired with demons, and the nobles who participated in the war along with their armies will all be subject to punishment.”

“I suppose so. Well, that’s assuming we win?”

“Do you think Nati and Ponia will lose?”

“Well. From what I know of the Imperial army’s strength, the alliance might have a 6:4 advantage? However…”

The Holy Theocracy concerns me. I don’t know much about their military strength, and the fact that they’re in league with demons is an immeasurable variable.

“Superior demons. If they’re at the level of that superior demon of lust we captured that day, I don’t think we’d lose even if ten of them came at us.”

“The Seven Deadly Sins are different. I haven’t fought them directly, but when I saw that massive demon in Aigram, I thought: if something like that attacked the Empire, half the country would be flattened within a month.”

I don’t know about the other Seven Deadly Sins, but if that mountain-sized demon I saw that day isn’t the strongest military force, then the other demons are simply unstoppable disasters. No matter how strong my husband Jack is, it would be impossible to face them head-on.

“…Do you understand? If I deal with the Empire that has joined hands with such beings, the ‘royals’ must be punished.”

“Of course I understand. All ‘Imperial royals’ who created this situation would have to be executed.”

When I answer with a yawn, the Chancellor’s eyebrows rise even higher. Ah, what now?

“…You, you know full well that you’re also subject to punishment, and yet you still say we should abandon the opposition faction?!”

“Hehe. So you are worried about me?”

As expected, the Chancellor has changed. The reason she kept questioning why we should join hands, why we should join hands with the Empire’s anti-war faction, was all for my sake.

“But, while I appreciate your concern, please don’t insert my personal safety into this anymore. The declaration of war has already begun with my name attached, and citizens are starting to suffer. I don’t want to extort others’ present for the sake of my future self-preservation.”

“…Tsk.”

As I rub my sleepy eyes while talking, the Chancellor clicks her tongue roughly before standing up. It’s time for afternoon classes now?

“You get some rest. There will be a night meeting about the difficulty level of next week’s final exams and the recent increase in student leave of absence applications.”

“Okay~ I’ll sleep a bit then.”

After the Chancellor informed me of the afternoon duties and left the professor’s room, I remain alone and lie down on the sofa. Sigh, war…

“…I really hate this.”

War, future accountability, they’re all things I don’t want to think about. With a somewhat depressed feeling in her heart, Ragni closed her eyes.

*

“Attention!”

“Peep!”

“Sit!”

“Peeep!!”

“Jump!”

“Peep! Peep!!”

“Sit on my head!”

“Peeeep!!”

“…Ehehe. Well done!”

“Peeee~”

“””Oh…”””

-*clap clap clap clap!*

A girl with hair as red as a fresh rose, and a spirit with similar colored fur sitting obediently on her head. The students let out small exclamations and applauded Ira, who had clearly given perfect instructions for Piyaki’s actions. Truly, that talent which made a superior-grade spirit move like a lower-grade spirit in just a few weeks is beyond the word genius.

“Well done. Next, direct the spirit to hit that target ‘without destroying it’.”

“Yes! Piyaki?”

“Pipit!”

—Pong!

When Ira relayed the instruction from the Chancellor—who had changed her appearance to look younger—to Piyaki, the Class A professor, Piyaki fluttered just one wing and sent a small fireball.

‘Ha. This is ridiculous. Is this really the same spirit that used to just show off its power whenever Ira told it to attack?’

“Wow, look at that power control. It didn’t even leave any soot.”

“And that fireball didn’t fly in a completely straight line. Didn’t it spin around in the air just now?”

“Did she control even the direction of the attack? That’s amazing!”

“It’s like, ‘Ira’ is just in a different category now? It feels wrong to say she’s a first-year like us.”

As the children who watched Ira’s midterm practical evaluation murmured among themselves, the Chancellor cleared her throat loudly to quiet them. Even in Class A, which has the most talented students in the first year, this child is gradually becoming detached from the rest…

-BOOM!!!

“””Oh…”””

“Grace Mueller. Well done. Next is compound spirit magic with lower-grade and middle-grade spirits. Can you do it?”

“Yes.”

After Grace perfectly demonstrated her top student abilities with compound spirit magic using a lower-grade wind spirit and a middle-grade fire spirit, the children who had been whispering about Ira now targeted Grace with their murmurs.

“Ira and Piyaki are amazing, but…”

“I heard contracting with a middle-grade spirit in elementary first year is the first time in 20 years?”

“No, that person did it after passing the second-year advancement exam. They say contracting with a middle-grade spirit before the first-year final exam is the first time in 100 years.”

“I saw it before. Another middle-grade spirit of a different attribute appeared beside Grace. I think she’ll soon contract with two middle-grade spirits once her affinity increases a bit more?”

“”Eeeh?! Really?!!””

It seems Ira won’t be the only one standing out. Should this be considered fortunate? Not a single student yet thought of the tiny bird-like Piyaki as a superior-grade spirit. Rather, the fire spirit contracted to Grace, which was about the size of an adult human, was captivating the children’s eyes more.

“…So, is Grace the first in the Academy’s history?”

“I heard that even contracting before age 15 is considered genius since middle-grade spirits also consider magical power capacity…”

“””Wow. As expected of the top student.”””

If Grace, an elementary first-year, really contracts with two middle-grade spirits, it would indeed be the first in the Academy’s history, but Ira’s case would undoubtedly be the first in the entire continent’s history. There’s no story, even in fairy tales, of a human under 15 years old walking around with a superior-grade spirit.

“Wow~! As expected, Grace! Amazing!!”

“Hehehe! Thank you, Ira. But you and Piyaki were quite good too. If I have to duel with you in the practical exam, I’ll have to give it my all.”

After Grace’s evaluation ended, the Chancellor refocused the children’s attention and continued the assessments as they watched the girl who immediately returned to Ira’s side, smiling with slightly lower tension than usual.