episode_0209

*

When Violet arrived at the mansion with Tifa and Francis, most of the main characters were gathered there.

“Brother, it’s late.”

In response to the words of the second daughter, Charlotte, who had arrived first and was waiting, Francis, the eldest son, lowered his head and asked, as if embarrassed.

“What’s going on?”

“You have something important to say. Luna.”

“Luna?”

Nod.

For some reason, because the atmosphere was quite serious, Francis did not ask any more questions and quietly waited for Luna to appear.

And, after a while-

“You’ve all been waiting, right?”

A woman’s soft voice is heard along with the sound of footsteps.

Very bright yellow hair that looks like a cream puff.

Red ruby eyes attract attention like strawberries on a cake.

She was once a nameless, powerless and weak feudal lord who set out to save the continent, but she is now showing outstanding performance as the lord of Tepelo Castle, the most important point in Karelia, one of the most powerful countries in the south.

Runarien Inian appeared in front of everyone.

“Sorry for the delay. There’s something I need to check… … .”

“I guess that’s okay. What on earth happened that everyone called me?”

All the people who could be called the ‘Lunarien Clan’ were gathered here.

First of all, Tifa and Kane, who have been together since she was a feudal lord.

Francis, Charlotte, and Violet, the three exceptionally talented siblings that Kane had asked for.

And while she was working as the lord of Tepelo Castle, several generals in the Karelia army were impressed by Luna’s personality and deeply followed her… …

Because they were very dissatisfied with Vanessa’s one-sided actions, they had a strong tendency to follow Luna, the only person who stood up to Vanessa, rather than the monarch, Karelia.

Considering that Luna had never brought them all together before, today’s gathering like this was definitely an extremely rare situation.

“No other than that, a very important order has come from my lord Karelia.”

“If it is a command… … .”

“War, I guess.”

Kane, who was quietly listening next to him, asked, wriggling his eyebrows.

Luna looked into Kane’s eyes and nodded slowly.

“In preparation for the battle with the Ohana Army, it is said that approximately 93,000 troops will be deployed to Tepelo Castle. It looks like General Eston, General Gail, and General Medea will come over here. The Commander-in-Chief… … I think I will be the owner of the castle.”

“That means… … ?”

Luna nodded at the words of one of the generals following her.

“Yes. I think everyone should prepare for battle. For our Karelia military, this will be the first battle in a long time, so we may need to mentally prepare… … I thought it would be good to discuss various things with the people here before the future battle, so I invited you here.”

Luna said that and unfolded the Juseomjuseom map.

It was a detailed map of the southern continent around Tepelo Castle.

“First of all, I would like to discuss which of the three adjacent castles to attack… … If you have any good opinions, please raise your hand and speak freely.”

Just like that, the moment when we were about to start something like a normal ‘military meeting before going into battle’.

“Wait a minute.”

The one who raised her hand was Violet, the youngest but most intelligent treasonist here.

A girl who was still learning could have been criticized for not intervening in the matter, but Luna asked in a very serious tone, as if she were dealing with a general.

“Violet, do you have any good opinions?”

“I’m not sure if I should say it’s a good opinion.”

Violet sighed briefly, then raised her head and looked straight at Luna’s face –

She brings up a story that she would have never thought of.

“Really… … Are you planning to prepare for battle?”

“… … Yes?”

“Literally, I am asking Luna if you really plan on preparing for battle.”

Luna tilted her head and asked at Violet’s ambiguous words.

“Of course it should be that way, right? Because that is what my lord ordered-”

“Luna’s master is Karelia?”

“… … Yes?”

When she heard those words and was momentarily speechless, Violet asked her again with clear eyes.

“The master of all of us is Karelia, so is it really Luna’s intention for us to help Karelia unify the continent?”

As far as I’m concerned.

Even though it was Luna, it was not difficult to understand what she was talking about.

“… … What are you talking about now, Violet.”

“I’m asking whether helping Karelia is really the right answer.”

Luna placed her hand on her forehead, sighed, and asked.

“I will listen to anything you say… … Please tell me clearly what you think.”

“Betray Karelia.”

“!!!”

“About 90,000 troops are rolling into our hands. As Luna has always said, if the intention you have in your heart is not small, I can confidently say that there will be no better opportunity than the present.”

“… … Violet. Although these are difficult times, Karelia has been a great blessing to me. Actually, there’s something I haven’t told you, but it is said that there were a lot of people inside the Madeleine Castle who were opposed to me, an outsider, taking on the authority of commander-in-chief. However, Karelia believed in me. Therefore, isn’t it a human duty to repay that trust?”

“Conversely, that is why now is the only opportunity. Even now, if there are more than half of the people in the capital city who want to keep Luna in check, there is no telling when the position of commander-in-chief may be taken over by someone else. Moreover, Luna doesn’t seem to be on very good terms with Vanessa. Isn’t Vanessa the de facto power of this country?”

Violet was the only person who witnessed the argument between Vanessa and Luna.

She was precocious and smart for her young age. There would be no way that Vanessa would not have been able to read the hostility that she had revealed to Luna right then and there.

Right now, Luna could easily sense that Vanessa was fiercely keeping her in check.

“So, if you really want to show yourself as a prince to Luna again, now is the perfect opportunity. So, betray Karelia. This is all I want to say.”

Obviously, when I first met her, she was just a shy young girl.

As time passed by, I found myself saying such strange words on my tongue and sentences that only a worn-out trickster could spit out.

Did I buy too many books on the art of war?

Although Violet could no longer hear the story, Luna could feel it.

The fact that the air in this room has become very strange.

If you notice and look around, no one seems surprised by Violet’s cheeky remark.

no.

Rather, things started to turn strange.

“Luna!”

Metz, a member of the Karelian army and one of the officers who followed Luna in Tepelo Castle, immediately knelt down.

“I know very well that Luna was originally a feudal lord with very grand intentions. The territory of Karelia is groaning in pain due to Vanessa’s tyranny on the back of her lord. If there is only the prerequisite that it is meant to be for the benefit of the people of the territory, wouldn’t it be such an important question who will achieve it?”

“Mets, what do you mean by that…? … !”

“What Mr. Mets said is correct, Luna.”

Charlotte, who was next to Metz, bowed her head and said.

“I also know very well from my uncle that Luna has great intentions for you. I am not a person as bright as Violet, but I can at least get a feeling that there will be no better opportunity than that of a member of the Karelia Army.”

In addition, several more people joined in with Violet’s words.

So, everyone gathered here-

――I was sincerely hoping that Runarien would stab Karelia in the back.

“… … But… … .”

As a subject, how could you do that?

Although it was true that he was relying on himself for a while and was looking for an opportunity, he had no intention of getting what he wanted in such a despicable way.

Moreover, in the letter sent to Cecil with the news of his appointment as Commander-in-Chief, Luna was able to find out all about the process by which he was appointed to this position.

The faith of Karelia, who even defeated Vanessa’s opinion simply because she believed in herself… … Smash it with my own hands?

Anyway, isn’t that something a human would do?

Ruby-colored eyes trembled more than ever.

Up until that moment, Luna hadn’t even thought about betrayal.

I was just thinking about how to calm this strangely heated atmosphere.

Luna has continued to work with them. And I knew full well what Vanessa had done, how unfair her actions were, and how much ill will her colleagues had towards her.

But still, Karelia is not without sin. Since he couldn’t bear to betray Karelia, who had placed her trust in him, he needed to persuade them somehow.

but.

“You know, Luna.”

Among the people gathered here, Tifa has been with Luna longer than anyone else-

He sees through Luna’s thoughts even before she opens her mouth.

“Uh… … ?”

“I know what you’re thinking.”

Tifa sighed briefly and scratched her head.

“We can’t just play house under someone else like this forever, right?”

“Well, but… … .”

“I know. I know. You’re right, actually. No matter how difficult the times are, betrayal is not a very pleasant thing. Because there is such a thing as human duty. I also know very well that my master cared for you very much, as I have been watching him from the side. Besides, you and Karelia are people who uphold that duty. I know. But, ”

That moment.

Instead of her usual playful voice, Tifa spoke in a more serious voice than ever-

“But we promised. With that guy.”

“!!!!!!”

Carefully, I touch upon the evil nature of the human called Runarien.

“She’s probably waiting, but we can’t drag on forever, right?”

okay.

As Tifa said… … he.

That man.

‘Swen… … !!!’

Waiting for us was Swen, the Lunarien army’s first and most eternal national counselor who had been sold to the Brans army in their place.