While Lance and Ikkaku reaffirmed their master and subordinate relationship, a certain middle-aged man sitting at the round table wasn’t happy about the situation.
“Wait a minute! Now that Captain Debardan has left us and we have lost a lot of our soldiers, are we actually able to defeat Prince Arthur?!” interjected the guildmaster of the Merchants’ Guild—Abus. “Our forces have decreased, and the enemy’s have increased. I do not see how we could possibly win!”
“Numbers alone don’t decide the outcome of war,” Lance placated him.
“But they are led by Prince Arthur, a veteran of the battlefield! We are not just outmatched in numbers!”
Arthur was a military man, and Lance a pacifist. The difference between their armies wasn’t just in the number of soldiers they commanded, but in the abilities of their leaders too. That was why Abus was growing anxious, becoming almost certain they would lose.
“We’ve been at a disadvantage from the start. That’s why we’ve been making all these preparations, no? We have no reason to panic yet,” Lance explained calmly, but Abus was still pale, his expression sour as his lips opened and closed, not knowing what to say. “There’s no need to worry, everyone. We have Millicia on our side.”
“M-Me...?” Millicia asked, surprised to be named so suddenly. She started to open her mouth to protest, but she stopped herself just in time, not wanting to interrupt her brother.
“My reliable sister has come to help us. You can relax, everything will be fine,” Lance said cheerfully, but the statement was so irresponsible that it only made Abus’s face turn even paler.
The meeting continued after that, but by the time it ended, more than half of its participants did not seem optimistic. And while Caim had little opportunity to speak, he was strangely bothered by how grim the guildmaster of the Merchants’ Guild had looked.
Caim and his lovers were now back at the lodgings that Lance had prepared for them at the most luxurious inn in the city, which was also the closest to Lance’s residence. Their room was very spacious, and it was furnished with expensive-looking furniture.
“So, what will we be doing in the end?” Caim asked.
“I will be in charge of treating the wounded. As for you, Caim, I am sorry, but you will have to fight on the front line as usual,” Millicia answered, looking apologetic. After the reveal of the Knights of the Black Dragon’s captain’s betrayal, the meeting had continued, and they had established a clear course of action, assigning roles to everyone. “While Arthur is not loath to use tricks, he takes a direct approach on the battlefield. He will likely lead his army and charge head-on, so you will need to fight them alongside the other soldiers.”
“The battlefield, huh...? I’ve been through a lot, but it’ll be my first time fighting in a war,” Caim commented. While Caim had experienced plenty of battles, he had never stood on a battlefield among countless soldiers.
I might be a little inexperienced, but I’ll manage, Caim told himself. He possessed the memories of the Poison Queen, after all. When she had still been human, she had worked as a mage for her country and had fought in many wars. As long as he applied her knowledge correctly, Caim should be fine.
“As I did not think you were the type to take orders well, I asked Lance to let you move freely on the battlefield.”
“Oh, thanks. Yeah, I don’t want to obey someone weaker than me.”
“As for me, I’ll fight together with the Knights of the Blue Wolf,” said Lenka, who had been standing next to the wall. “While I won’t be close to you, Sir Caim, I’ll also be on the front line. There is nothing to worry about, however, as I am used to it from when I was working at the capital.”
“Really...? You’re not going to act shamefully like you usually do?”
“I won’t get aroused in the middle of a war! What do you take me for?!”
“My she-dog?”
Lenka whined, a hand on her chest. “Being treated like your property made my heart race, and now I’m all wet! How are you going to take responsibility for this?!”
“See? A real bitch in heat.” Caim’s shoulders drooped in exasperation. While Lenka was ordinarily a serious warrior, at night she was a she-dog who loved to be spanked. Unfortunately, the latter was so ingrained in Caim’s mind that he had a hard time imagining her standing valiantly on the battlefield.
“Tea will fight with the Knights of the Black Dragon,” Tea announced, next to Caim. “They have many beastfolk like Captain Ikkaku in their ranks, so I should be able to mingle with them easily.”
“And I’ll do whatever I want,” said Rozbeth, who had also been leaning against the wall a little ways away from Lenka. “I’m an assassin. I’m not made to cooperate with soldiers. So I’ll just move around freely, hunting the heads of the enemy commanders.”
“Please be careful, Rozbeth,” Millicia said. Going off on her own to behead enemy leaders would put Rozbeth in far more danger than Lenka and Tea, who would be cooperating with other soldiers.
Still, Rozbeth wasn’t particularly nervous about it. She had once infiltrated the imperial palace to kill Arthur—she had nerves of steel. “Don’t worry. I’ll retreat if I’m in danger.”
“Please do. Last is Lykos, but...she is not present.” Lykos had been absent since before the meeting. She was likely walking around town and would return when she’d become hungry. “Oh well. She is not part of the plan and will stay here during the war.”
Lykos was no mere child, and their battle at Mount Garank had shown that she possessed a mysterious power. However, none of them knew if she could use it at will, so it would be safer for Lykos to stay in town.
“We only have a week before the war begins, so we must use that time to prepare properly,” Millicia declared calmly, a hand on her chest. Despite loving peace and disliking conflict, she was oddly resolute and calm.
It’s when push comes to shove that a person’s true nature is revealed, Caim thought. Maybe this was Millicia Garnet’s true nature—under her meekness was a true imperial princess, someone born to stand above others, who could stay composed no matter the situation.
“Could you participate in the Knights of the Blue Wolf’s training tomorrow, Caim? Captain Ildana wants to see how strong you are.”
“I don’t mind, but... Well, to be honest, I’m not eager to see him...”
Millicia cocked her head, not understanding his reticence.
Caim didn’t explain himself and sighed as he thought back on the woman he had slept with previously.