Chapter 60
[ Two of the Bellos Empire’s Five Covenants have been fulfilled. ]
[ To continue the Original Plot Development, the timing of the appearance of the Male Leads will be advanced. ]
[ Elf Eiloren, Beastfolk Creed, and Eastern Continent Prince Ryu-Jin will appear in the world. ]
“What?”
Just as the atmosphere of war had been somewhat quelled through the first round of talks,
Mirne heard a shocking message.
The Bellos Empire resolved the covenants? And two of them at that?
“That makes no sense.”
It was something that made no sense logically.
The very idea of the Empire resolving the covenants was strange to begin with.
How could that even be possible?
The Empire was a place destined to fall, yet it resolved two?
Does that mean there’s a possibility it could resolve the remaining three as well?
“…Isn’t the Demon King’s army getting too strong?”
Normally, Mirne had no intention of speaking about the Original Plot Development out loud.
But perhaps because she was flustered, words about the Original Plot Development slipped out unconsciously.
“The Empire needs to be fragmented as much as possible so it’ll be easier to clean up later when the entire Empire becomes the Demon Realm…”
She felt anxious.
If the Empire didn’t fall like this, how on earth was she supposed to handle it later when it became the Demon Realm?
Maselin was still absurdly weak to handle that.
[Of course, it’s something that will happen in five years, so there’s still some time… but the Empire getting stronger is going to be a huge problem in itself.]
The Empire getting stronger meant the Demon Race would also get stronger accordingly.
If she had it her way, she would preemptively secure the Executioners right now to prevent the remaining three from being broken, but.
[ You must absolutely not interfere with the Executioners during the Covenant Period. ]
She couldn’t do that because of the strict warning from the System Message.
When she saw this, it seemed like there was something going on, but she didn’t want to take a dangerous gamble just to Check.
[It’s going to fall anyway, so why is it struggling so much? What on earth is the problem? Does the Crown Prince know something?]
Seeing a plot unfold that wasn’t in the Original Story meant something had gone severely wrong.
Then, was there really a possibility of what she had only thought of before - that the Crown Prince was also a Transmigrator?
But even so, it would all be useless if things flowed according to the Original Story.
[Should I tell him? The future? Tell him to give up everything since struggling is meaningless… and come to the Maselin Kingdom? That I’ll let at least him live?]
What was the right judgment?
Mirne couldn’t make a clear judgment hastily on this.
And in that situation,
“…Your Highness the Crown Princess, the Dern Kingdom has issued a Declaration of War!”
“What?!”
The news of a second Declaration of War, making the situation even more chaotic, pierced Mirne’s ears.
+++++
I had expected many Male Leads to appear, and I somewhat predicted numerous variables would arise as a result.
But the problem was that even knowing that, there was nothing I could do.
I hadn’t even properly known of his existence until Mirne made direct contact, merely by looking at the Northern Great Warrior.
Unless Mirne moved directly, it was an established fact that I couldn’t intervene on that side.
But if that were the case,
“I just need to keep Mirne busy.”
I just had to keep her busy so she couldn’t meet the other Male Leads, right?
“You’re saying the war with the Chireun Kingdom was ended through dialogue very smoothly?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Then, to put it differently, if a war is started… doesn’t that mean they can have a conversation with Mirne? And at a satisfactory level, at that.”
“…!”
Words were always a matter of phrasing, weren’t they?
The situation changes depending on how you interpret it.
And manipulating that changed situation at will is a privilege only the strong can exercise.
“According to the information brought by the Eye of the Empire, it seems there are quite a few countries that want to talk to Mirne.”
“That is correct. In the Western Region where the Maselin Kingdom is currently located… there are said to be many kingdoms maintaining close relations with the Maselin Kingdom.”
“Right, then they should all hurry up and start a war, since they’ll need to hear her out.”
“…We will endeavor to orchestrate events in that direction.”
“I’ll trust only you guys.”
“Loyalty!!!”
Perhaps the words 'I’ll trust you' were that moving to the Eye of the Empire.
They saluted me with passionate eyes, then hurriedly left their seats.
[She’ll be busy for a while.]
This was a situation where the Second Prince confessed and she hadn’t given a proper answer.
Another Kingdom merely declared war, yet it got to have a conversation and even hear an answer?
Even if it wasn’t a definitive answer, no matter how foolish someone was, they would be able to tell whether the relationship would continue or not.
From the perspective of those who were feeling frustrated, there could be no better sign of encouragement than this.
You don’t even have to fight a real war, and if you just drag out the time for show, you’re guaranteed to hear an answer?
The moment this rumor spread all across the Western Continent.
For the time being, Mirne would be so busy stopping wars that she wouldn’t have time to do anything else.
If it were a normal war, she might be able to find a brief moment of free time.
But the justification was love, and the goal was to hear an answer to a confession.
How could the person receiving the confessions possibly have any leisure?
“Is the interrogation of the Black Mages going well?”
“I will report on the progress of the Black Mage interrogations. Currently, we are extracting information by repeatedly turning the captured Black Mages into turtles and then restoring them, but since most of them are the lowest of the low, we have not yet secured any important information.”
“So they’re all just pawns.”
“That is correct. I apologize!”
“No, what is there to apologize for? Teo, I know very well how hard you are working.”
“Your Highness…! I, Teo!!! I will make every effort so that I can become not the First Aide, but Aide Zero… a permanently retired aide beyond Aide Zero!!!”
I had no idea what the difference was between Staff #1, staff number zero, and a permanently retired staff member.
But I knew that at times like this, it was better to silently acknowledge it rather than bother asking.
“…Right, I’ll be watching you until the end.”
I stood up and patted Teo’s shoulder a couple of times.
“Hmph, His Highness stroked this Princess’s hair. Teo is… slightly far off!”
The Dragon Princess, who was watching this from the side, was burning with a sense of rivalry for some reason.
Viewed only in this way, it was quite peaceful, but strictly speaking, the situation wasn’t actually flowing all that well.
[Because Mirne isn’t moving, are the Black Mages also remaining at the lowest echelons?]
I had hoped to get at least a hint about the plot development while Mirne was focused elsewhere.
But it seemed that the information was restricted accordingly, as the development had paused.
[But does that have nothing to do with breaking the covenants?]
If the Original Plot Development had paused and the information on the Black Mages was also blocked,
Shouldn’t things like the covenants accordingly also be unfulfilled? Or so I thought.
But that was that, and this was progressing on its own.
It was extremely tricky to get a grasp on this part.
“Luminix, did you say Fairies don’t gather and live together?”
So rather than bothering to keep paying attention to that side, I wanted to focus on something else.
“Yes, that is correct. The Fairy King does exist, but even that is merely a formality… Fairies are so fickle that they don’t stay in one place and wander around here and there.”
“Even if I have the Fairy Tale, the fairies still won’t gather together.”
“That is correct.”
Lately, I have been focusing on matters related to the Heterogeneous Races.
If I had it my way, I wanted to embrace their entire Race into the Empire, especially since the Fairy Race was said to bring good luck.
[ Fairy Tale, the tail of a Fairy that does not originally exist. ]
[ It is said to be able to twist providence, call forth Mystic Power, and perform miracles. ]
[ You gain absolute favor from Fairies. ]
Because I had resolved Luminix’s covenant and even obtained a sweet reward.
I wanted to use this as an opportunity to make contact with the Fairies.
But according to Luminix’s words, I heard that it was purely difficult to meet Fairies.
“That’s a shame.”
“However… if you become a Noble, the story might change.”
Noble.
As soon as that word popped out, Arveda looked at Luminix in surprise.
“Luminix, I didn’t know you would seriously bring up the story of a Noble.”
“…I know it sounds like grasping at clouds too. But Your Highness is a Human, so it’s only natural to mention it.”
An incomprehensible conversation suddenly continued.
I immediately cut in to get straight to the point.
“Noble? Does it have a different meaning from the Nobles I know?”
I asked what I was most curious about.
“Humans are numerous and bound as one, but we are not, so we shall seek the one who will make us one, and call them a Noble.”
Luminix opened her mouth awkwardly.
“…?”
I looked at Luminix and expressed my confusion.
At the time her curse was purified, Luminix had become a Fairy the size of a palm.
Perhaps because of the time she had spent since then, she maintained the size of an appropriately-sized adult woman.
Anyway.
“…This is a legend-like story that has been passed down among the Heterogeneous Races for a very long time. Should I call it the representative of the Heterogeneous Races? I can’t understand why the Heterogeneous Races need to be bound as one in the first place, but… it’s said they decided to call that representative a Noble.”
Luminix continued speaking to resolve my confusion.
And as soon as I heard those words, something flashed in my head.
[What if the reason a Noble is needed is that a Great Evil is scheduled to appear?]
A situation where the Main Villain of 'Jupeobae' had not yet appeared.
But what if the entire Continent had to face that Main Villain with all its might?
Then the entire Continent would need to gather its strength as one.
[Assuming the Humans will all cooperate with the Maselin Kingdom anyway, there’s a high chance the Heterogeneous Races won’t do the same.]
However, if one was recognized as a Noble, it would become easier to command all the Heterogeneous Races at that time.
If so, I understood why the Crown Prince had said that resolving all the covenants wasn’t the end.
[Is the Empire going to become the Land of Demons in five years?]
The Empire falls.
It falls by the hands of the Executioners and turns into an Uninhabitable Land.
An Uninhabitable Land.
A land where only Humans cannot live.
A place where Humans cannot set foot.
“Ah.”
Only then did I understand why 'Jupeobae' was so anxious to devour the Empire.
[The Empire becomes the Demon Realm?]
The reason Mirne was trying to tear the Empire apart so much.
Was it because if the Empire was going to become the Demon Realm anyway, it was right to tear off as much as she could?
[Then does that mean Mirne knew all of that and didn’t cooperate with the Crown Prince?]
Is it because there would be nothing to gain from talking to the Crown Prince of an Empire that would become the Demon Realm anyway?
It was nothing more than a hypothesis, but the situation fit together strangely perfectly for a hypothesis.
“Call the Saintess.”
I understood why the Crown Prince had regressed so many times.
To think the Empire absolutely had to fall for the story to progress?
[But I have no intention of leaving it like that.]
First of all, the very first thing I had to do to prevent it from becoming the Demon Realm was to call the Saintess and perform a Large-scale Land Purification.
And the second thing was:
[Should I try transplanting the World Tree?]
It was to plant the roots of a large tree in the Empire.