“Hold on. Wait just a second. Are you sure I should be hearing this?”
“Yes. As I said, the fact that our queen allowed you here at all means that she trusts you enough to hear it.”
“I don’t need to remind you I’m an imperial noble, do I? Does that apply even so?”
“Of course. That’s already been taken into account. And I also know you’ve all but severed ties with the nobility. Still, I’d be lying if I said I felt nothing about it. That’s my own weakness to bear.”
“Well, I don’t know the whole story, but I can guess well enough how you lot have been treated. I’m not so narrow-minded as to take issue with your feelings toward the nobility. If you’re fine with this arrangement, then so am I.”
“Thank you.” Bowing his head to Anriette, Percival composed himself again and continued. “Of course, that is the hidden purpose. The empire is in turmoil now, and if our plans to defect were exposed, the consequences would be dire. So our queen’s visit to the kingdom had to include an official pretext.”
“Well, naturally. Without one, it’d be the same as openly declaring you had an ulterior motive,” Anriette commented.
“So, what pretext did you use?” asked Allen.
“Scouting the kingdom.”
“Scouting...?” The words alone carried an ominous weight. And sure enough, Allen’s unease was justified.
“Yes. To prepare for war.”
“Still as incorrigible as ever. I suppose the sentiment isn’t exactly new, though,” said Anriette.
Allen nodded. “Right. The empire has wanted to move against the kingdom for ages.”
“Indeed, it’s hardly new. But it depends on how it’s framed. Imagine this: If the Elven Queen were to declare that demons were lurking in the kingdom, what then?”
“You can’t be serious,” said Anriette, mouth agape.
“I know it sounds absurd, but unfortunately, they mean it. At least, I was strongly encouraged to endorse such a lie. Not outright, but enough to make their intentions clear.”
“That was the last straw that drove the elves to defect.”
“Well, that’s understandable.”
Demons were regarded as humanity’s sworn enemy, which was precisely why invoking them in international disputes was forbidden. To accuse another nation of harboring demons was to brand them an enemy of all mankind. Any country that failed to act against them would itself be seen as betraying humanity.
And it didn’t stop there. A nation reckless enough to make such a declaration would itself be branded dangerous, a threat to all. It would be crushed before it could make another such claim. Thus, invoking demons was a forbidden weapon in diplomacy, a double-edged sword that could destroy both sides. Yet the empire was prepared to wield it.
“So the empire is that desperate?” Allen asked.
“Creating an enemy outside is the quickest way to unite what’s inside, but if the empire has reached the point where it can’t hold itself together without doing that... Well, of course you’d want to get away fast,” Anriette explained.
“But for us, it’s not something we can brush off as somebody else’s problem. The empire intends to use our queen’s name in that declaration,” Percival added.
“Not just the empire. If it’s spoken as the words of a single race’s ruler, then there’s no way anyone could ignore it, right?” said Noel.
“How selfish,” said Mylène.
“And if it comes to that, our own position will be lost. Not only will exile be impossible, we might even be deemed a threat and wiped out. The empire already plans to absorb every other nation anyway, so they’re saying it doesn’t matter if they make more enemies now,” said Percival.
“If they really believed that, they wouldn’t need to talk about demons in the first place,” said Anriette.
“Or maybe there are those who truly think it’s possible as long as they can unify everyone,” said Allen.
Either way, it was a nuisance.
“So, why are you telling us all this? Don’t tell me you expect us to stop the empire for you?” said Allen.
“Besides, that wouldn’t even make sense with the rest of what you’re saying,” Anriette chimed in.
“Indeed. This is only to set the premise. It’s to show just how precarious our queen’s position has become,” said Percival.
“Dramatic much? Given how we’ve been treated, it’s a bit late to start worrying about my position, don’t you think?” Noel retorted.
“That’s why I’m here too,” said Mylène.
“Of course, our queen’s position has always been precarious. But this is about more than that. It means she could become hated and targeted by the entire world. To make such a declaration using her name...this is what we risk.”
That, indeed, was undeniable. Perhaps if it were only the elves, others might overlook it as them being manipulated by the empire. But Noel, who was responsible for leading the defection, would never be forgiven, even if everyone knew that she, too, had only been used.
“And if, in such a situation, you were to go back to the kingdom? The empire would seize on it at once. They’d claim you returned in order to confirm the traces of demons nesting in the kingdom, turning it into definitive proof,” said Percival.
It sounded paranoid, but it wasn’t something that could be dismissed outright. That was certainly a way the empire might exploit the situation, and if they did, it could speed up the outbreak of war with the kingdom. That was why Percival insisted that a second trip to the kingdom would only endanger Noel’s standing.
“The first time was unavoidable. To disobey at the time would have meant the empire might have done who knows what to us, and visiting the kingdom was necessary for exile anyway. But this second time...is it truly necessary? Is it something that must be done, despite the danger to your own position? I beg you, please reconsider.”
His words were indeed out of concern for Noel—the admonishment of a loyal retainer. And most likely, Noel herself understood he was right.
As Percival bowed his head, Noel gazed at him with a troubled expression.