Turning a Crisis into an Opportunity

Although he had told himself he could do it, what exactly was he supposed to do?

Even a ninth-circle archmage was a novice when it came to managing a territory like this.

The things a novice had to do were clear.

‘A manual.’

There had to be a well-known manual for handling a wartime situation like this.

Ferda asked Isabella.

“First, we should gather all the forces in the Far East. What does the wartime manual say?”

“It says to concentrate the troops in Count Consilius’s territory. However, this was established before Your Excellency was born, so we should consider whether it still applies.”

Ferda pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

“No, we should follow the manual. Send all the soldiers who have been dispatched here to the count’s territory.”

Count Consilius’s castle had been designed as a fortress with wartime conditions in mind.

Since everything was arranged according to that design, trying to be flexible could prove to be a grave mistake.

While Isabella was busy sending messages, someone came to the office.

Blue hair and horns with bluntly cut tips.

It was Erika Iorga, the blue-eyed Tower Master.

“Regent Ferda, you understand the entire situation by now, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“I thought I should tell you how things are unfolding.”

She sat down and was just about to begin when—

Knock, knock-.

Someone else came to the door.

Luri went to open it herself.

It was Olivia Arken, the Imperial princess.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Regent, and you as well, Tower Master of the Blue Eyes. If it would not be an inconvenience, may I join this discussion?”

“This discussion?”

“I believe I may be able to help.”

Olivia smiled sweetly.

From the moment Olivia appeared, Erika put on a mask as well.

“It is an honor to meet the Imperial princess. You are every bit as beautiful as the rumors say.”

“Oh my, you flatter me. Compared to Lady Iorga, the great Water Dragon, and her descendants, my beauty is merely an attractive shell.”

“Thank you for the compliment. Princess, this is a matter we need to discuss with those responsible for the Far East. Some of what we have to discuss may be uncomfortable for someone from the Empire.”

Erika was tactfully asking her to leave.

“I, too, pray for the peace and prosperity of the Far East. Is this perhaps because the matter is connected to the Empire?”

Olivia did not back down.

Since neither side was willing to retreat from the standoff, Erika sent Ferda a telepathic message.

-Regent Ferda, it would be best not to involve anyone from the Empire in this matter.

She asked with a glance whether he wanted her to drive Olivia out.

Ferda answered her question.

-There’s no need to worry.

-Why not?

-Because that woman is hell-bent on killing all of my blood relatives.

-Your blood relatives…?

Erika, startled, shifted her eyes back to Olivia.

Olivia read that look and responded.

“I don’t know what was said between you two, but I suspect the Regent said something rather rude?”

Olivia covered her mouth with one hand and laughed softly.

Despite her words, a sinister killing intent radiated from her.

She was terrifying in a way that defied description.

Since Ferda had said it was all right, Erika did not try to stop her any further.

“I understand. Given the gravity of the situation, I’ll allow you to participate, Princess.”

Erika dropped her mask and explained the current situation.

“The Empire is already aware of this situation. This is an infringement upon territory within the Empire, is it not?”

“Yes.”

“That is why I asked whether the Empire needed assistance in eliminating the monsters.”

From the way Erika said she had asked whether assistance was needed, Ferda learned one thing.

‘Blancaros did not judge this situation to be an emergency for the entire continent.’

Having inherited the Guardian Dragon’s blood, Blue Eyes took a position in accordance with the laws of the Grand Council.

If they made a rash judgment and Blue Eyes intervened, the Empire could claim that its autonomy had been violated, leaving them with no way to defend themselves.

“This is how the Empire answered: the situation falls within our autonomy, and we are more than capable of handling it.”

They might think the situation was not truly serious, but Ferda and the others did not see it that way.

“As it happens, I also contacted the Empire about the current situation. The Crown Prince answered.”

“What did he say?”

“The official position is that we should wait about two months.”

Erika looked utterly incredulous.

With even a week already being a tight deadline, two months amounted to an absurdly slow response.

“Typical of my utterly devious older brother. He’s trying to bring the Far East to heel in the middle of a crisis this serious.”

“So when you say he is trying to bring the Far East to heel, you mean the Empire could prepare more quickly?”

“Yes. It would take only two days to call up the Imperial standing army and reserves. Taking supplies and marching speed into account, they could begin their advance within two weeks at the latest.”

Erika was a little taken aback by that.

Despite her gentle, measured tone as a young noblewoman, she rattled off information about the Imperial military like its current commander.

Luri looked dumbfounded.

“You mean they would do that when we need to resolve this as quickly as possible?”

“On the contrary, that is precisely why this is such a good opportunity. They can say that we were at fault for failing to yield when we were the ones in a hurry, and they can make excuses that they did everything they could. Besides, the Far East falling to ruin is not as important to them as you might think.”

Luri’s insides boiled with anger.

She felt like storming into the Imperial palace right then and there and wreaking havoc.

Ferda looked at Erika and asked,

“What if we requested aid from Blue Eyes as the Grand Duke’s representative?”

“Of course. As your allies, we would help as well.”

Unlike Erika’s triumphant expression, her telepathic message was gloomy.

-You shouldn’t get your hopes up too high. We don’t have enough firepower to contribute much, either. We can support the Imperial army, but we don’t have the strength to act independently.

Iorga’s absence was something they had to keep hidden at all costs.

Ferda nearly let out a frustrated question about whether they could not even do this much, but decided to understand.

If Ferda were told that Waldrova was ill, he would focus solely on that place as well.

“I’ll also notify the dragons in various regions and see whether they can assist the Grand Duchy.”

Just as Erika was about to send a telepathic message to Blue Eyes—

“No. On the contrary, humans should resolve this matter themselves.”

It was Olivia who objected.

Erika smiled reflexively.

Like an elegant and noble young lady, she expressed her displeasure with perfect grace.

“Princess, may I ask why?”

Olivia responded just as firmly.

“As you said, this is a matter occurring within the Empire, and it surrounds a Grand Duchy within the Empire.”

“Indeed.”

“If the Grand Duchy resolves this matter on its own before the Empire responds, it will gain grounds to protest the Empire’s delayed response and claim the right to exercise its ‘autonomy.’”

“Autonomy…”

“That autonomy is not merely a legal provision. It means that, when pursuing expansion in economic and military affairs, the Grand Duchy could use this situation as grounds to reject any actions that put the brakes on the factors necessary for its development.”

Olivia looked at Ferda and said,

“If you do that, Regent, you could even claim ownership of magitech engineering.”

It meant that the Empire was not the only one capable of turning a crisis into an opportunity.

Ferda stole a glance at Isabella.

She gave a small nod, as though Olivia’s words made sense.

“And what will you do if the situation truly becomes dangerous?”

Erika asked.

“When that happens, we’ll have to do as you suggested. We may need to consider the dragons’ cooperation, but in the current situation, that would only give the Empire a pretext to make us its prey.”

“Even so, we have too few soldiers capable of fighting the monsters. Hestia’s standing army cannot commit its full strength.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. Haven’t many elite soldiers already gathered here?”

Many of the Empire’s finest had gathered to escort the young men and women attending the Beginning-of-Spring Festival.

Nearly four thousand people had officially entered the territory, including three thousand soldiers.

“I’ll try to persuade them.”

“Persuasion is fine, Princess, but requesting their cooperation would send a signal that we have brought in ‘foreign powers,’ wouldn’t it?”

“Perhaps. In any case, they have no avenue of escape, so they will have to band together. And if we appeal not to foreign intervention but to ‘chivalry,’ which cannot tolerate injustice, and the ‘duty of nobles’ who set foot on the continent of Cerdes, they will have no choice but to help. Above all…”

Olivia smiled elegantly.

“If the princess of the Arken Empire calls for unity, who would refuse to step forward?”

It sounded like shameless self-admiration, but no one thought it was nonsense.

Using her beauty as a weapon, she enchanted and persuaded people regardless of their gender. That was one of her greatest strengths.

Even Erika, who had spoken with her for the first time today, held Olivia’s powers of persuasion in high regard.

“Princess of the Empire, I apologize for underestimating you until now. You’re far better than the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.”

“Ho ho. It would be excessive to call that flattery when I really am better than those human scumbags.”

“But deciding how to resolve this matter is the Grand Duke’s responsibility. If the Grand Duke is absent, then the Regent must make the appropriate decision.”

The two of them glanced at Ferda.

Ferda began weighing their arguments.

‘Erika’s judgment aligns with mine.’

Resolving this swiftly and ending it as soon as possible was the best way to avoid future trouble.

Even if it meant suffering a political loss, that was the safest path for the Grand Duchy.

‘But Olivia isn’t wrong, either.’

It meant taking a risk, but if they succeeded, it could become a springboard for a new leap forward.

Safety or adventure.

At that crossroads, Ferda made his choice.

“We’ll resolve this within the Grand Duchy.”

He sided with Olivia.

Erika’s face crumpled slightly before she put her mask back on.

“Couldn’t you reconsider?”

“Since we’re dealing with demons, I admit there are concerns about relying solely on human strength. But as you said, if we yield once, it will be difficult to seize the initiative afterward.”

“Hmm…”

Erika could not understand Ferda.

It was only natural.

What was happening now was human politics, while Erika was a Dragon Spawn.

Yet Erika herself had handed over the authority to decide, so it would be unbecoming to keep arguing now.

“I understand. If Blue Eyes judges this to be a matter for humans, then we’ll withdraw from it.”

Erika spun around and walked away.

The force in her steps subtly revealed that she was sulking.

“Then let’s hold a meeting on what to do with the humans who remain—”

Knock, knock—.

Just as Olivia was about to begin the meeting, someone knocked on the door.

Luri opened it, and the person who entered made everyone stare in surprise.

It was Erika again.

No, she was Erika, but at the same time, she was not Erika.

There were no horns on her head, no tail behind her, and her clothes were nothing like the attire of Iorga’s witch.

She was an adventurer, not the Tower Master.

In the midst of everyone’s bewilderment, Erika approached with her lips pursed and gave a little nod.

“Nice to meet you.”

“……Yes?”

Olivia asked with her eyes wide.

They had met less than a minute ago, so what did she mean by “nice to meet you”?

“I’m Eri, head of the Far Eastern Adventurer Branch.”

“……”

“I was originally scheduled to arrive in two days, but I arrived earlier because of this unexpected situation. Given the circumstances, I’ll be providing support to the Far East.”

“……What are you doing?”

Ferda, too, wondered whether this was some kind of joke and asked her.

“What? This is a matter for humans, so dragons aren’t allowed to participate, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then can’t Eri, the Platinum Adventurer, participate even if Erika, the Blue Eyes’ Tower Master, cannot?”

“That is true, but…”

“Then I’ll participate.”

Erika declared confidently.

“As Eri, a Platinum Adventurer and head of the Far Eastern Adventurer Guild Branch!”

“……”

“……”

Olivia cast Ferda a look as though asking what kind of joke this situation was supposed to be.

Ferda redirected that look to Isabella.

Isabella merely covered her face.