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‘In terms of guilt, Queen’s Sword was significantly more culpable than Myaro. Aside from me, who was about to marry Carol, Luke and Suzuya were invited. Simply put, if you extend an invitation, you bear the responsibility for their safety. Rook and Suzuya, who had drunk the wine, were completely blameless. They were merely invited, attended, ate the offered meal, and drank the wine that was served, unaware it was poisoned.

Whose fault, was it? Clearly, it was the responsibility of the host.’

“Anyway, isn’t there a culture of tasting for poison in the royal palace? What happened?” (Yuri)

“Of course we did that. If the poison had come from outside the castle, we should have been able to prevent it. But Carya put the poison in the wine bottle after the tasting.” (Tillet)

Even hearing that explanation didn’t make it acceptable.

“Well, couldn’t you have tasted it again?” (Yuri)

“We… we do not doubt the Queen. Without an order to be wary by Her Majesty, we wouldn’t suspect the Princess either. If she had left her seat in that situation and asked to be given wine in the kitchen, one would normally think she came for a binge drink. We didn’t imagine she would secretly add poison… that’s what Queen Sword, who is the taster in the kitchen, said.” (Tillet)

“And because of that lack of suspicion, the Queen has ended up dead, which is none of my concern.” (Yuri)

Despite feeling that it was futile to say anything, I couldn’t stop my mouth.

“It’s only natural for you to be angry. If you feel better by killing me, then go ahead.” (Tillet)

Tillet’s eyes were fixed straight on me.

‘Indeed, he probably wouldn’t resist if I tried to kill her.’

“You fool… killing you won’t bring anyone back. Nobody will come back to life. It won’t cure Carol’s condition.” (Yuri)

“I truly am sorry.” (Tillet)

Tillet bowed his head again. She too had lost her master. It wasn’t that he lacked sorrow.

“…I haven’t asked yet what the Queen’s Sword was doing. Didn’t you look into the Witches?” (Yuri)

“We were investigating you.” (Tillet)

‘What? Me?’

“Myaro here was causing confusion by meddling in various matters, making it difficult to understand. We were strictly instructed not to handle things roughly.” (Tillet)

“…I see.” (Yuri)

I could only sigh deeply.

“The Queen was suspicious of you. Despite having such abilities, you seemed indifferent to the threat from the Crusades, lacking urgency. Upon investigation, many people from the Suomi territories of the Hou family have gone missing, with no trace of their whereabouts. Even abducting sailors to inquire was prohibited. The investigation simply couldn’t progress.” (Tillet)

‘What a mess… How absurd. Always looking far ahead and neglecting what’s right under your nose. That’s why I was so shocked when I heard that a scheme was being planned to kill me in the royal capital right at my doorstep.’

“In the end, the Queen didn’t trust me.” (Yuri)

I instinctively brought my hand to my head. Though I understood it was politics, it was still disheartening.

“Because you were hiding it. Being hidden only creates more unease.” (Tillet)

‘Hiding what? This was a venture I had started with my own money. I had no obligation to report anything in the first place. Even the results of intelligence operations in the Republic of Albio were conducted as a service without receiving a single cent in return. Sure, I didn’t deny benefiting from the Hou Household’s protection, but I had paid substantial taxes and bore the logistical expenses for the relief troops at the secondary residence. I wasn’t receiving services for free. I had been hiding to prevent being taken advantage of.’

“So, did you manage to find out and report?” (Yuri)

“No, we couldn’t find out. We were even discouraged from going to Suomi.” (Tillet)

‘Instead of going to Suomi, they wanted us to investigate the New Continent. What an unreasonable request. They were probably trying to be considerate of me, ensuring there was no possibility of confrontation, but they were demanding something that was impossible to achieve with both results and methods. The Queen’s Sword obediently followed along. I wonder if Queen Simonei was considerably unwell.’

“Sigh… Honestly. So, from now on, you’ll be serving under me, right?” (Yuri)

“That’s right. Queen’s Sword currently follows your orders.” (Tillet)

“By coming here, does that mean you’re Queen’s Sword leader?” (Yuri)

“Yes. After protecting Princess Carol during the Kilghina incident, I inherited the role from the previous leader.” (Tillet)

‘So, this person was the leader. Well, they wouldn’t entrust Carol to just anyone if they weren’t promising.’

“How many are there in total?” (Yuri)

“Five here. Twenty in Shibyaku. Seven are hidden in various places. Among the twenty in Shibyaku, five are injured and unusable.” (Tillet)

‘They must have been injured during the escape. So, a total of 32 people. Not many.’

“What about the First Army? They wouldn’t have moved until the end, right?” (Yuri)

“It appears they were bought off.” (Tillet)

‘As expected.’

“Metina Arkhorse is Teresia Carsfit’s close friend. Even if they’re not classmates, they’ve spent four years together in the School of Knight where men bathe together and share everything. Trusting someone like that is just absurd.” (Myaro)

Myaro expressed his dissatisfaction. Just listening to this sounded dangerous.

‘Didn’t this guy say the First Army wouldn’t betray them in the castle?’

“Well, it can’t be helped. Their heir is determined by the Arkhorse Household.” (Tillet)

“This is about not trusting them. Isn’t this the result?” (Yuri)

‘Well, indeed. If the First Army had acted immediately, at least things wouldn’t have gotten this complicated.’

“So, is the First Army hostile?” (Yuri)

“No, those below should have strong respect for the Queen. They’re a military temperament that wouldn’t attack the royal castle, at least…” (Tillet)

“Dolla’s father would’ve received it. That person was my father’s best friend.” (Yuri)

‘That’s what I was thinking. How’s Gallah doing?’

” Galla Godwin-san, right? He’s the Deputy Chief of the Dawn Cavalry Unit.”

“Huh? Wasn’t that a pretty big unit?” (Yuri)

‘I remember Galla had already reached a high position as a man. The Dawn Cavalry Unit is the largest cavalry unit in the Royal Guard, sometimes seen parading in splendid uniforms around the capital, sort of like the face of the Royal Guard.’

“Yes, it’s a cavalry unit of several thousand riders. He used to be the deputy of a half squadron of five hundred riders, but he was specially promoted under the Queen’s patronage.” (Myaro)

“Why?” (Yuri)

“I’m not sure, but wasn’t it to promote Dolla quickly? Carol-san had a high opinion of Dolla-san. Besides, he’s highly regarded from the Battle on the Bridge, isn’t it?” (Myaro)

Ah. Dolla, huh… Well, indeed, Dolla has become strong and may be suitable. After all, cavalry is a world where physical prowess often speaks louder than intellect.’

“Basically, the Royal Guard has its flaws. The units are led by women, but male deputies handle relations with the men. Shouting during training and spear-fighting instruction are also duties of male deputies. Naturally, trust from the common soldiers is directed towards the deputies. There’s an overall structure with severe distortions.” (Tillet)

“Hmm… I see.” (Yuri)

‘Certainly’ sounds like a challenging situation.’

“Therefore, it is common for the unit commanders end up being figureheads. That’s why the higher-ranking officials are exclusively women. If the unit commander becomes a figurehead, it becomes a male army.” (Tillet)

‘Indeed, having a male-dominated army is problematic. Practically, it’s a problem, and historically too. A long time ago, around 2,000 years ago, there was a rebellion called the Mutna Rebellion in the ancient Great Empire of Shantilla, where a general’s rebellion nearly led to the country’s downfall. At that time, the Great Empire was a matriarchal state ruled by empresses, conducting invasive wars against the Kura people. The rebellion was caused by a general, considered a great warrior who won many wars, turning against his own people using the war slaves he had captured.

Ultimately, the rebellion failed, but it came close to capturing the capital, Shantinian. The royal family was apparently deeply traumatized by this event. They began to believe that if male generals were allowed to wage war against other nations, the country would collapse. Winning wars inevitably led to the annexation of territories under the general’s control, resulting in the emergence of strong male-dominated factions within the country. This was the lesson they learned.

Of course, defense was necessary, so they maintained their military. They allowed soldiers to take pride in their military achievements because they knew generals could rebel if their pride was taken away. They praised successful defenses and rewarded them with medals. However, they strictly prohibited any expansionist wars initiated by their own forces. As a result of these events, the Great Empire of Shantilla became a peculiar nation that possessed a powerful military yet refrained from engaging in aggressive wars. The slave system also ceased to exist publicly.

This approach wasn’t all bad. Restraining expansive territorial ambitions prevented the country from fracturing into independent states along its borders. Instead, they could comfortably develop and prosper across their vast territory. However, as a consequence, the Shant people remained consolidated within a single nation for a long time, and their influence wasn’t spread widely across the world. This situation arguably contributed to the current state of affairs.

In any case, due to this history, there’s a strong sentiment within the royal family against considering male armies as part of their inner circle. The core defense of a matriarchal nation is upheld by a female army. Having the First Army, the fortress that should protect the queen, become male-dominated is considered unacceptable. Considering this, Gallah must have truly received special treatment.’

“In that case, Metina Arkhorse must face pushback from the ordinary soldiers.” (Yuri)

‘Being suppressed by superiors at crucial moments and unable to work, they must be filled with dissatisfaction.’

“Well, I suppose so. The current Arkhorse Household may be like that, but the noble families comprising the First Army are generally loyal to the queen. It’s impossible to have everyone swayed. I heard that they plastered papers similar to the ones on this estate’s main gate all over the royal capital.” (Tillet)

“Oh, yes, that. I remember they spread a thousand of them. Today will be another thousand…” (Yuri)

I glanced at the pillar clock in the office.

“Two hours left. They should be spreading them soon.” (Yuri)

“Indeed. If something like that happens, they won’t be able to deceive anyone with lies. Most likely, the First Army won’t move. Once they know the truth, it’ll be difficult to get them to act, even if they tell them to fight.” (Tillet)

‘I wonder about that. But from the Witch’s perspective, losing trust in the First Army is concerning. There’s nothing scarier than having an untrustworthy army nearby during a battle. At the very least, she wouldn’t want to entrust them with important roles.’

“Tillet, go to the royal capital and make contact with Galla. It’s not exactly turning him, but…” (Yuri)

‘Originally, they’re the kind who should follow us anyway. Considering everything, Carol is the rightful one.’

“Understood. Are we planning to encircle the Second Army?” (Tillet)

‘No, that’s not it.’

“What I mean is to pacify them to avoid fighting the Second Army. Even those weaklings can become somewhat useful if trained.” (Yuri)

“Avoiding a fight?” (Myaro)

Myaro raised an eyebrow in skepticism.

“You mean winning without fighting?” (Myaro)

‘Taking down the Royal Second Army would be a waste. Conquering the capital is likely just a precursor.’

“A precursor? Next, are you planning to defeat the General Households and annex them immediately?” (Tillet)

‘No, that’s not the plan.’

“Do you think the Witch is foolish? The Crusade is likely coming this year.” (Yuri)

“Eh…” (Myaro)

Myaro’s face froze in shock. Tillet was equally surprised.

“Do you think the Witches instigated all this to control the country? What about the Crusade coming in a few years?” (Yuri)

“Well, um… I suppose there’s no way to deal with that.” (Tillet)

‘That’s right. If the Crusade doesn’t attack Shiyalta, then it’s understandable. However, considering they will attack within a few years, the actions of the Witches seem strange.’

“The witches aren’t foolish. They’re desperate to survive and are using their heads. Even if they manage to overthrow the royal family and Hou Household, they’ll be done in by the next Crusade. They understand that much.” (Yuri)

‘Queen Simonei was certainly eager to deal with the Crusade. Under Queen Simonei’s rule, the country’s military families could have united to face the Crusade. However, with a Witch regime like the one with Carla, even that was difficult. The General Households were divided, the nation was in chaos, and there was no unified response. That’s something even fools could easily imagine. The Witches likely didn’t even consider being able to establish a defense system stronger than the reign they sought to overthrow.

So, overthrowing the royal family to put Carya in power and wiping out the Hou Household to weaken them would only shorten their own lives, even with the assumption that the plan went perfectly. In reality, the risk of failure was more than enough. As evidenced by this failure, the mastermind behind the assassination plot was Carya, an ignorant fool. Even if everyone else played their roles perfectly and leaked no information, the risk would still be quite high. The cunning witches would not have underestimated that risk.’

“They’re probably colluding with the Isus Churches. I don’t know what conditions they negotiated in exchange for surrendering the country, but it’s likely something they’d consider.” (Yuri)

‘After hiding in the capital for nine hundred years, they’d likely consider such things. In a way, they were raised comfortably under the protection of the royal family, ignorant of the outside world. Within that, they’re searching for an easily understood rationale to find a way to survive.

If the plan had succeeded perfectly, Carla would have ascended to the throne as queen, and the military families would have been unable to act. While the country would be divided, deflecting complaints from General Households and maintaining a stalemate for about six months wouldn’t be a particularly difficult job.

During that time, the Crusade would be urgently summoned. Resistance would be minimal due to the stratagem, allowing for easy plunder without the hardships of war, likely attracting many countries to participate. If the Crusade arrived, the northern Rube Household might resist, but ultimately, there is little a single household could do. Since they control the royal domain, they could invite troops directly to the port of the capital. Resistance would be minimal.

Aside from whether the Crusade would honor their promises, it was almost a perfect scenario. In my opinion, I doubt they’d honor their promises, but the Witches likely entrusted their last hope to a mere straw.’

“Ensuring the lives of a hundred or so individuals in exchange for effortlessly obtaining a country as large as a nation is too small a price to pay. It wouldn’t be strange for the Witches to expect the Crusade to honor their end of the bargain.” (Yrui)

“But according to Lilica-san’s report, there might not even be a Crusade.” (Myaro)

“We can’t be sure if they’ll actually come. The Witches failed, so they might try to stop them from coming. But I doubt the Witches would honestly report their failure.” (Yuri)

‘Since they let me escape, the Witches can’t turn back now. They’d be in trouble if they didn’t somehow get the Crusade to come, even if they had to report false information. Now, the Crusade is like reinforcements to the witches, freeing them from the surrounded situation by the military families.’

“I see… when you think about it, that does make sense.” (Myaro)

“It’s all speculation at this point. But if we don’t consider it this way, things won’t add up. I can’t come up with any other explanation.” (Yuri)

‘For now, we need to plan as if they are coming. We shouldn’t engage in the foolish act of completely surrounding and annihilating the Second Army, boasting around ten thousand troops.’

“I’ll have the Queen’s Sword work to their fullest. Send ten people this way. We need to make various preparations ahead of time.” (Tillet)