Ch.296Chapter 296. Diverging Hearts (1)

* * *

The capital of the Aeshus Principality, Valharat Castle.

Yurie, who had somehow escaped with her life after losing all the central territories and safely returned to the castle, had been unable to govern properly since her escape, refusing all food and drink.

“Emma… Erinandorf… I…”

Even if she wanted to move forward, she couldn’t. She had lost everything.

Her forces were completely decimated, and the territories of the Chel Principality that she had failed to conquer were being thoroughly ravaged by the villainess Serpina von Einhart.

Knowing full well the suffering of the territory’s people under Serpina yet being unable to do anything—this was what Yurie found most unbearable in this situation.

Currently, the nation was being led by State Strategist Anima Ingram, who was serving as regent in place of the sovereign.

Fortunately for the Aeshus Principality, since power had never been entirely concentrated in Yurie’s hands even in normal times, there was little internal disruption regardless of how things appeared from the outside.

“How is Yurie doing?”

“The same. …She can’t do anything in this state.”

“She must be devastated. Even her chance for revenge has been taken away…”

At Epinel’s words, Anima made a sour expression as if she had tasted something extremely bitter.

Their greatest enemy at present—Chel Brans—had perished in the flames of war.

It was Serpina who had captured Chel. Another enemy had stolen their opportunity for revenge.

In fact, Yurie had fainted upon hearing that Chel had been killed by Serpina.

The cold reality that she had effectively helped Serpina and lost her chance to kill Chel herself was crushing her.

“What are we going to do now?”

“Do? There’s nothing we can do… We have no troops to recruit. The Kalintz Principality has been absorbed into the Brans Principality. The Brans Principality and Serpina’s forces have signed a peace treaty. Do you know what that means?”

“…”

The meaning was painfully simple.

—Serpina’s blade was now aimed directly at their throats.

With the Chel Principality destroyed, Serpina’s forces had nowhere to go but toward the Aeshus Principality.

“Is there… a way?”

“I sincerely wish there was…”

Anima bit her remaining thumb’s nail fiercely.

“There’s no way… no way at all. I don’t see how we can possibly win. Even though they fought against the Chel Principality, in reality, Serpina’s forces one-sidedly crushed them. And after Yurie’s public declaration recently, we must be more of a thorn in Serpina’s side than anyone else. Even if we somehow approach them submissively, without anything to offer, we can’t secure a ceasefire agreement or alliance.”

At the mention of changing their minds, Epinel’s expression visibly soured as she asked:

“Change our minds? Anima, are you serious? We should change our minds? Why? To form an alliance with that damned woman? Do you realize who we’re talking about—”

“I know!”

Anima’s uncharacteristic outburst made Epinel flinch and step back.

“I… know. How could I not? Serpina, that Einhart woman, is our enemy. Form an agreement with such a witch? It might be shameful before the deceased Emma and Erinandorf. But do you think we have any other options right now?”

“No, what I meant was…”

“Listen carefully. We absolutely cannot defeat Serpina now. She has mages, her forces vastly outnumber ours, and there are no external powers to check her. Like Chel Brans, we’ll helplessly lose our territories and make a final desperate stand in our capital before being captured and killed. Is that it? We just face Serpina’s forces and perish? At this point, if your head and mine and Yurie’s all roll to Serpina, what’s the point of all this! If we all die!!!”

As her voice grew increasingly intense, tears that Anima had never allowed herself to shed began to fall.

“If we all die… all talk of Aeshus pride becomes meaningless, and we truly can’t do anything. All those things can only continue if we remain alive, but do you think Serpina will spare us? A woman who knows how much we hate her… would she spare us?”

“Anima…”

“…Epinel. Do you know why Serpina is such a frightening woman? When I was captured, she didn’t try to kill me. Despite my curses against her and my knowledge of secrets she’d rather hide, she didn’t respond emotionally but made choices to maximize her benefit. That’s politics. As a ruler of a nation, one shouldn’t be bound by emotions but always consider the most beneficial choice! We’ve been doing it wrong all along! Why don’t you understand that?!”

Hearing those words, Epinel was silent for a long while before slightly turning her head and saying:

“I… don’t know about that. I still believe that rather than living with our heads bowed to Serpina of all people, it would be better to die.”

“Epinel!!”

“Anima. I acknowledge your contributions to our principality. Without you, we couldn’t have properly established our nation. But think about it. You survived because of our ‘wrong decision,’ didn’t you?”

“That, that’s…!”

Though Anima flinched in surprise, Epinel continued relentlessly:

“We sent Swen to rescue you. He was a mage. Do you think it’s coincidence that Serpina’s forces have been triumphant since a mage appeared? Perhaps we sent more than just Swen. Irene, who appears to be a capable general who made significant contributions in the battle against the Chel Principality, followed him. Additionally, many others, including Ginor, left us after that incident.”

“We expected severe consequences! Of course, none of us regret that decision. I have no complaints about everyone leaving. We were satisfied with rescuing you. Yurie, myself, Emma, and Erinandorf. Had any one of us been captured instead of you, we would have made a similar decision.”

“But.”

Epinel looked directly at the pale-faced Anima with eyes that were both cold and somehow sympathetic.

“For you of all people to speak like this seems wrong.”

“I… I…”

“Listen carefully. The choices you’re condemning are the pride of our Aeshus Principality. If we break that pride, even if we survive, we cannot plan for the future. What great achievements can be accomplished by prideless rats? Therefore, I cannot agree to an agreement with Serpina. Even if—”

—Even if Yurie says so.

Anima looked at Epinel in shock at those final words—

But Epinel maintained an extremely detached expression, simply looking back at Anima.

To say she wouldn’t follow even if Yurie, the sovereign, commanded it—

Understanding the weight of those words, Anima asked with a trembling voice:

“You… do you mean…?”

“I was originally your teacher. A teacher’s duty is to correct disciples when they walk the wrong path. Beyond the relationship between sovereign and subject, I believe that is what I must do. And you, being closest to her, know better than anyone that Yurie is currently unfit to rule as sovereign, don’t you?”

“…Are you joking? Sovereign or not, our Aeshus Principality from the beginning—”

“Has just one representative among five.”

After saying this, Epinel turned her back and slowly walked away from Anima.

…Thud.

Tears began to flow in earnest from Anima’s eyes as she collapsed into her seat.

“I… I should have died at Serpina’s hands back then…”

Anima knew it too.

That handing over Swen, who had gone as an envoy, to Serpina was an insane act that no ruler should ever commit.

Yet she had tried not to mention it. After all, that decision had ultimately guaranteed her own survival.

Serpina was infamous for her cruelty. She knew well that this woman was cruel enough to toy with her life as she pleased.

That’s why she couldn’t strongly oppose Epinel. Yurie was in a state of mental incapacity, unable to make proper judgments, and Emma and Erinandorf, who would have supported her, had already departed this world.

And in this desperate situation with Serpina’s military boots approaching—

There was absolutely nothing she could do with her own hands.

* * *

Thus, without being able to formulate any effective countermeasures, they were simply preparing day by day for an all-out war with Serpina’s forces when one day:

“Yurie…?!”

After a very long time, the master of the royal castle appeared in the audience chamber.

With a remarkably brightened complexion, Yurie gave Anima a slight bow.

“Anima. Thank you for handling everything in my place. You’ve worked hard.”

“No, I was just doing what needed to be done… How are you? Are you alright? Have you come to your senses now?”

“Yes. Vaguely. After all, I have something I must do…”

Seeing Yurie smile as she said this should have naturally brought relief.

‘…?’

Something was off.

For some reason, what Anima felt from Yurie’s appearance wasn’t relief that the sovereign had regained her senses, but rather an insane sense of discomfort—as if something were crawling around her neck.

Anima tried to convince herself it was just her imagination.

“Anima. Now that I’ve returned, I want to issue an order immediately.”

“An order? What kind of order? No, before that, about our current situation—”

“No. Listen to me first.”

“Huh? What is it?”

Unlike her usual self, Yurie was speaking in an extremely resolute tone.

“I want you to build a massive altar in the open space behind Valharat Castle right away.”

“What…?”

“I’m going to build an altar to honor Emma and Erinandorf for eternity. Will you help me?”

The first order issued by the sovereign who had returned seemingly recovered after refusing all food and drink—

Was, literally, something as horrific as a nightmare that one would never even want to imagine.