episode_0227

* * *

A conference room within Balharat Castle.

The five heroes representing Acious County – Yuuri, Epinel, Hernandorf, Emma, and Anima gathered together for the first time in a long time.

Emma was the first to speak.

After her territory expanded, she mainly focused on outside activities, so meeting Yuuri was something that had been very rare for her.

“Yuuri. Seeing as how you brought us all together, it looks like you’ve made up your mind?”

“Yes.”

Seeing Yuuri nodding his head, Emma smiled as if it was fun.

“Okay. When I laid out the map and looked at the situation, even I could tell that the time had come, but I thought everyone was too quiet. Epinel and Anima too.”

“So, where should I go?”

Yuuri is lost in thought for a moment as Hernandorf continues to remain silent.

“Before I tell you my thoughts, why don’t I hear everyone’s opinions first?”

“I think it would be right to target Serpina County’s territory.”

As soon as Yuuri finished speaking, Epinel raised his hand and offered an opinion.

“Why?”

“If we go to war with the Serpina Army, there is no way the current Brans Army can gain anything. No… … .”

Clutching my chin, indifferently.

“Should we say it is Chell County or Kalinz County, which are likely to actually border each other?”

The fall and division of the Brans army.

Considering that the three of us are still wasting time without coming to a conclusion, Epinel suggested that we cannot touch this side even if we aim for a war with Serpina Army in the meantime, so now is the time to sort out Serpina County. That was the gist of the opinion.

“What are you going to do about Hesna?”

“Hesna? under… … .”

In response to Emma’s question, Epinel shakes her head.

“If they could do something, they would have done it a long time ago. Perhaps you won’t be able to do anything without worrying about Ohana-kun or Roland-kun? It looks like they are not properly managing the territory they took from the Brans army.”

“Umm… … .”

“Do you have any other opinions?”

This time it was Anima who answered.

“I think it is right to attack Hesna County.”

“… … Huh?”

Attacking Hesna County?

At Anima’s completely unexpected opinion, everyone looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“Looking at Serpina-kun’s lack of movement so far, we’re not sure, but it looks like there’s a pretty complicated internal situation… … Wouldn’t it be right to conquer the southern continent first? If we conquer Hesna County, we will be able to suppress the Chell Army and Kalinz Army as well. If we do that, the hegemony of the central continent will pass to our military.”

While competing with the Serpina Army for the northern continent, there is a possibility of chaos in the southern continent.

So, conversely, it was the opinion of Anima, the national strategist, that it was right for us to take advantage of this chaos first to seize hegemony over the central and southern continent.

“In the meantime, what will you do if Serpina’s army moves south? The ‘complex internal circumstances’ are just a guess, right?”

“However, we cannot rule out the possibility that a country will appear that will take advantage of this chaos while dealing with the Serpina Army. I’ll be honest. Since Brans County is divided into three parts, it’s a golden opportunity as there is no country large enough to suppress our army, even to the south, right?”

Anima unfolded the map and explained the situation with her free hand.

“Of course. If the four countries in the south are sorted out, they will be stronger than us. So, let’s move before that.”

“I think that the chaos will not be easily sorted out even while we are at war with the Serpina Army. If it was going to be sorted out, wouldn’t it have been neatly concluded a long time ago? The same goes for the southern continent. They just keep antagonizing each other and repeating local wars, but I don’t think it will be resolved quickly, as some of them may join hands.”

“Epinel, I know what you’re saying, but… … There has already been a rift in the South.”

“Crack?”

“Rebels. A country that is independent from the Karelian army and is supported by Kyle von Eyngart.”

“Umm… … well. Should we consider that a crack? It just seems like the royal family who happened to be lucky enough to survive is doing something for the last time before they die.”

Epinel answered as if she was puzzled, but Anima shook her head as if she was not and spoke in a serious tone.

“No. Considering that the country where the rebellion took place was Karelia, and that this was the first great disaster to occur in the southern continent, where there were no such events at all… … That rebel group may have a much bigger impact than you think.”

“It seems like too much fuss. The evidence is weak, right?”

“… … .”

Surely, he was aware that even his thoughts had little basis?

Anima looked at Yuuri with her mouth closed.

“Yuuri.”

“Huh?”

Hernandorf, who continued to listen without saying anything, once again urged Yuuri to make a decision.

“What are you going to do, Yuuri? I just do what you tell me to do.”

“… … .”

As soon as those words ended, everyone gathered here looked at Yuuri.

Our opinions may all be different, but the quiet conference room was filled with the determination that we would all follow as long as the decision maker decided what to do.

And, their decision maker is… … It was Yuuri, the ruler of Atious County.

“I… … .”

Yuuri looked at the map for a while, lost in thought, then carefully parted his lips… …

* * *

A memory of an unforgettable moment that can never fade.

It’s been months since Piviola Academy was literally ‘deleted’.

“Yuuri.”

Anima, who had lost one of her arms, spoke to Yuuri, who was recalling the corpses of his friends in front of him with empty eyes.

“Anima… … .”

As soon as I saw Anima’s face, tears that I thought had dried began to well up in my eyes.

“Ha.”

Anima took a deep breath and stopped Yuuri from saying something.

“That story is over now. Because this is not important.”

“… … But, but.”

“Don’t cry, Yuuri!”

“Hiik.”

“You are the one who will become the monarch now. What are you going to do if you shake this much?”

“Yeah, but… … .”

“Tonight, I will enter Balharat Castle.”

“… … !!!”

“Teacher Epinel… … No, I think Epinel used up all of our capital and somehow succeeded in hiring a group of mercenaries. If we can just get rid of the band of wandering thieves currently occupying the castle, we will truly be able to establish a nation.”

As the empire began to fragment, the management of the territories began to fail properly.

In a situation where most of the territory was occupied by wandering thieves, what they chose was Balharat Castle.

“So, brace yourselves. Someday, even if it’s just to get revenge on the imperial family… … Do you understand?”

“I… … Can I do it?”

“Of course.”

Anima holds Yuuri’s trembling hand with her free hand.

Her hands were warm. The blood was still flowing vividly in his remaining hand.

“We… … You can do it. Got it?”

* * *

Why is that scene flashing through my mind right now?

No, Yuuri already knew the reason.

The tyrant who shed countless blood to monopolize everything in the Eingart royal family… … I no longer wanted to sit back and watch with my eyes open.

“… … We will invade Serpina County.”

After saying that, Yuuri looked at Anima and said.

“Anima, what you say makes sense. Maybe now is an opportunity to clean up the southern and central continent. However, I don’t think Serpina will ever stay still. If the Serpina army begins to attack our territory while the troops are raised, our military’s capabilities will not be able to stop it. Conversely, what if the Hesna army touches our country while we are fighting the Serpina army? Stopping their offensive is much easier than stopping the Serpina army’s offensive.”

“… … .”

“And, I… … I still haven’t forgotten what we talked about back then. So, this time, I plan to follow Epinel’s opinion. In fact, my opinion was like that from the beginning.”

After hearing Yuuri’s story, Anima slowly lowered her head and spoke.

“… … I am just a government agent. It is not a being that can be above a monarch. If you, the monarch, do it, I will just do as you wish.”

“Yes. Thank you for your understanding.”

After answering that, Yuuri looked at Epinel and said.

“Let’s gather all the troops that can be mobilized. We will immediately invade Serpina’s territory.”

“It’s already ready.”

“Emma. Gather up all the troops in the rear as well. Got it?”

“Just leave it to me!”

“Okay. everyone… … This time, I will get revenge on that enemy woman. I have never forgotten, not even for a moment, the moment when blood was shed at the Academy, and the sight of our comrades dying. What on earth have you done? … This is the perfect opportunity to properly inform that wicked witch.”

The voice of determination no longer trembles.

If you think about why the Aceers raised their flag in the first place… … At this moment, it felt like fate to point a knife at Serpina.

“If we can suppress Serpina’s army, then our Atious army’s unification of the continent will not be just a dream. Got it?”

At Yuuri’s words, the four national figures knelt in unison.

Five of us.

Because I have never forgotten the moment when Piviola Academy was trampled and shed blood by the military boots of the Eingart royal family.

Yuuri walked between them, pulled out the sword from his belt, raised it to the sky, and shouted.

“After winning the war, the central and southern continent was slowly organized… … With the blood of you and me, we will paint this sky with our rich, deep red color!”

A long time has passed since the dangerous battle where I almost lost Anima-

Acious began to show his teeth at Serpina once again.