episode_0296

* * *

The capital of the Aesir army, the city of Valharat.

Yuuri, who had somehow managed to escape with his life despite losing all of his central territory and safely returned to the castle, had been unable to properly govern since he had stopped eating and drinking since his escape.

“Emma… … Ernando… … I… … .”

Even if I want to move forward, I can’t. I’ve lost everything.

They had already lost all of their troops, and the territory of the Che army that they could not conquer was being thoroughly trampled by the evil woman Serpina.

Even though he knew full well that the people of Yeongji were suffering under her, he could do nothing about it—in this situation, the thing that Yuuri could not bear the most was that fact.

The current leader of the country is Anima, a state strategist who acts as regent in place of the monarch.

It was fortunate for the Ashes Army that, since power was not always concentrated in Yuuri, there was not much shaking on the inside, no matter how it looked from the outside.

“How’s Yuuri?”

“It’s the same. … … It’s a situation where I can’t do anything.”

“You must be heartbroken. Even the chance to get revenge flew away… … .”

At Epinel’s words, Anima made a sour expression as if she had put something very bitter in her mouth.

Their current greatest enemy – Chel Brands – has perished in the blaze of battle.

It was Serpina who caught Chel. Another enemy had been robbed of the chance to take revenge.

In fact, Yuuri fainted when he heard the news that Chel had died to Serpina.

The cold truth that she had helped Serpina with her own hands and had even been deprived of the chance to kill Chel was crushing her.

“What are you going to do from now on?”

“How are you going to do this… …There are no troops to recruit. The Kalintz Army has been annexed by the Branth Army. The Branth Army and the Serpina Army are in a peace treaty. Do you know what that means?”

“… … .”

The meaning was incredibly simple.

――The tip of Serpina’s sword is aimed at their necks.

With the destruction of the Chell Army, the only destination for the Serpina Army was the Aesir Army.

“Is there a way…?”

“I wish there was. Seriously… … .”

Epinel bit the thumbnail of his remaining arm hard.

“There’s no way… … There’s no way. It doesn’t seem like we can win. Even if we fought the Chel Army, the reality is that the Serpina Army is unilaterally beating up the Chel Army. And, since Yuuri’s public declaration a while ago, our army is probably a thorn in Serpina’s side more than anyone else. Even if we somehow come out with a humble stance, we won’t be able to sign a ceasefire or an alliance unless we have something to hand over to them.”

At the mention of changing one’s mind, Epinel openly frowned and asked.

“Change your mind… … No, are you serious? Change our mind? Why? To form an alliance with that damn woman? Who do you think you are-”

“I know too!”

Anima was unusually angry, causing Epinel to flinch and take a step back.

“Me too… …I know. There’s no way I wouldn’t know. Serpina, the humans of Eingart are our enemies. We’re making a pact with such a witch? It might be embarrassing to see the dead Emma and Ernandorf. But, do you think we have a way now?”

“No, what I mean is… … .”

“Listen carefully. Right now, we can never defeat Serpina. We have magicians, and the number of troops is vastly different, and there are no external forces to restrain her. Perhaps, just like Chell Burns, we will lose our territory without any reason, and in the end, we will be captured and killed while making a last-ditch effort to siege the capital. Are we going to end up destroyed if we fight Serpina’s army like this? If Serpina takes you, me, and Yuuri’s necks at this point, what’s the point of all this! If we all die!!!”

As the voice grew more and more intense, tears that Anima had been trying not to shed at any moment began to fall from her eyes.

“If we all die… …Aishus’ pride and joy, and we really can’t do anything. All of that can only continue if our lives are still alive, but do you think Serpina will save us? A woman who knows that she hates herself so much… … Us?”

“No… … .”

“… … Epinel. Do you know why Serpina is such a scary woman? She didn’t try to kill me when I was taken prisoner. She didn’t treat me emotionally, even though I cursed her and knew her hidden flaws, and made a choice to gain the maximum benefit. That’s politics. If you’re the one leading a country, you shouldn’t be swayed by emotions, but always make choices that consider the best interests! We’ve been doing it wrong up until now! Why don’t you know that?!”

After hearing that, Epinel was speechless for a while, then turned his head slightly to the side.

“Well… I don’t know. I still think it’s better to die than to continue living while bowing down to Serpina, not to anyone else.”

“Epinel!!”

“No. I also acknowledge the contributions you have made to our military. Without you, we wouldn’t even be able to form a proper nation. But think about it. You also saved your life because of our military’s ‘wrong decision’, right?”

“That, that’s… … !”

Anima flinched in embarrassment, but Epinel paid her no mind and continued to ram out what he had to say to her.

“We sent Swen to save you. He was a wizard. Do you think it’s a coincidence that Serpina’s army has been on a roll since the wizard appeared? No, maybe our army didn’t just send Swen. Airen, a capable general who seems to have made great achievements in the battle against Chel’s army, followed him. And many people, including Jinor, left us after that incident.”

“I expected the aftermath to be so bad! Of course, none of us regret that decision. I have no complaints about everyone leaving either. We were satisfied with saving you. Yuuri, me, Emma, Hernando. If it had been any of us who had been taken away instead of you, we would have made a similar decision.”

“But.”

Epinel stares at Anima, who has become four hundred-eyed, with eyes that are cold yet sympathetic at the same time.

“Not anyone else, but I don’t think it’s right for you to talk like that.”

“I… … am.”

“Listen carefully. The choices you criticize as wrong are the pride of our Aishus Army. If you break that, even if you survive, you won’t be able to plan for the future. What great work can these rats who have lost their pride accomplish? That’s why I can’t agree to making a pact with Serpina. Even if―”

-Even if Yuuri says so.

Anima looked at Epinel in shock after hearing the last sentence, but-

She just stared at Anima with an extremely detached expression.

Even if Yuuri, the monarch, speaks, I cannot follow it-

Anima, who knew the weight of that sentence, managed to ask back in a trembling tone.

“You… … That means… … .”

“I used to be your teacher. A teacher’s job is to correct his disciples when they go down the wrong path. Regardless of the relationship between the ruler and his subject, I believe that’s what I should do. And, the fact that Yuuri is currently not in a position to be a ruler… … shouldn’t you, who is closest to him, know this best?”

“… … Are you kidding me? Being a monarch or something, our Aishus Army was―”

“There is only one representative out of five.”

After saying that, Epinel turned his back and slowly walked away from Anima.

… … thud.

Tears began to flow in earnest from Anima’s eyes as she sat down.

“I… …I should have died at Serpina’s hands right there… … .”

Anima knew it too.

Handing over Swen, who had gone to meet with Serphina as an envoy, was an act of madness that a monarch would never do.

Still, he tried not to mention it, because in the end, that decision saved his life.

It was none other than the great villainess Serpina, who was famous for her wickedness. Don’t you know very well that she is a cruel woman who would put her own life in the palm of her hand and play with it?

That’s why he couldn’t come out strong against Epinel. Yuuri was in a state of mental weakness, unable to make proper judgments, and Emma and Hernando, who would have taken his side, had already passed away.

And, in a desperate situation where Serpina’s boots were right in front of my nose-

There was nothing she could do with my hands.

* * *

One day, without being able to come up with a concrete plan, I was just somehow preparing for an all-out war with the Serpina Army day by day.

“Yuuri… … ?!”

In the audience room of the palace, the master appeared for the first time in a long while.

Yuuri nodded slightly towards Anima, his face brightening greatly.

“No, thank you for doing this and that for me. You worked hard.”

“No, I just did what I had to do… …How are you? Are you okay? Are you feeling better now?”

“Yeah. Vaguely. Well, I have something to do… … .”

When I saw Yuuri smiling as he said that, I should have felt relieved.

‘… … ?’

It was strange.

For some reason, what I felt from Yuuri’s appearance was not relief that the monarch had come to his senses – it was a maddening sense of discomfort, as if someone was crawling around his neck.

Anima consoled herself by saying that it was just her imagination.

“No. Since I’m back, I’ll give the order right away.”

“Order? What order is it? No, before that, about the current situation our military is in―”

“No. Listen to me first.”

“Huh… …? What, what is it?”

Unlike usual, Yuuri was speaking in a very firm tone.

“Build a giant altar in the empty lot behind the Valharat Royal Castle right now.”

“What… … ?”

“I’m going to build an altar to honor Emma and Hernando for life. Will you cooperate?”

The first order given by the monarch, who had been completely absorbed in food and drink, returned to his senses with a smile on his face—

It was literally a horrible nightmare, something I never wanted to even think about.