And this is exactly why Sabine is Sabine. She knows precisely what to do at the right time, and she figures it out all on her own. She’s as subtle as a demon, yet bold as an angel…
Sabine referred to Princess Remia without her title. That wasn’t exactly appropriate, being younger, having been a princess for a shorter amount of time─which came hand in hand with age─and being lower in her respective line of succession, but Zegleus was the more powerful country, and Sabine and Princess Remia were friends. No one was going to complain about it and risk upsetting the two girls. They both had a glare that could kill.
“What did she say?”
“She said, ‘We’ve detected foreboding signs in the empire. Mitsuha, start preparing to fulfill your promise.’”
“WHAT THE HELL?! I only promised to protect her and her alone─and that was mostly to quell any rebel forces in her kingdom! She knows that, right? I mean, I’ll keep my word…but it clearly sounds like she expects something other than fleeing solo.”
“Obviously,” said Sabine. “She’s interpreting your promise as broadly as possible and demanding that you fight for them. I’d do the same if I were in her shoes. She’s gathering as much foreign support as possible to save as many lives and prevent as much damage as she can. If you agree to help, she’ll gain fighting strength without having to go through cumbersome negotiations or placing her kingdom in massive debt. There’s also the benefit of you being the Goddess’s envoy, which would put her on the side of justice.
“In addition, there’s the chance of you summoning the divine soldiers who annihilated the imperial army and their ancient dragons. She’s in no position to worry about appearances; of course she’s going to grasp at any straws and never let go,” Sabine finished off with a shrug.
Damn it! Princess Kak-Kak-Kak got me good!
“What should I do…?” Mitsuha looked despondently at the king.
“This is all because you made a promise like that…”
Oh, come on! Count Kolbmane told me to say something that would strengthen Princess Remia’s position! It was all his idea! I was just following orders!
If Zegleus had already learned of the empire’s intentions, then Princess Remia’s kingdom had surely known for some time. The level of military technology on this continent made it impossible to conceal the mobilization of a large army. The spies in the empire would’ve picked up on the signs. There were moles among the military and nobility as well.
Princess Remia waited to ask for help until she had proof that the empire was going to invade her kingdom and calculated the best way to utilize Mitsuha’s promise. She didn’t mention this matter at all during her last scheduled call, although she almost certainly had most of the information by then.
Princess Kak-Kak-Kak’s more cunning than I give her credit for. There’s a reason those traitors wanted to get rid of her…
I doubt she bears any ill will toward me or our kingdom. Her people are her top priority, the same way my people are to me. Although unlike me, her citizens’ lives might even be more important to her than her own. She wouldn’t think twice about getting down on her knees and begging or risking raising ire from other countries for the safety of her citizens. People like her are unpredictable and much trickier to deal with than people who prioritize their own pride and money.
“I caught the attention of the wrong person, didn’t I…” Mitsuha slumped her shoulders.
The king said to her coldly, “It’s because you’re naïve. You did this to yourself.”
“Hey, that’s not fair! I was just following orders as a part of my role! This is a workplace issue. As my boss, you have a responsibility to help me!”
I’m not gonna let him pin all the blame on me, damn it!
Mitsuha argued, “You’re the one who ordered the delegation leader to persuade me into saying something that would strengthen Princess Remia’s position, right? My promise to her was a result of your orders. Shouldn’t the responsibility fall on you, then?”
“Grk…”
Mwahaha! I read a lot of “revenge of the office worker” novels when I was considering getting a job right out of high school. I know exactly what to do when your boss tries to pin the blame on you!
I have to be careful not to let him reverse UNO-card me, though.
“Technically, I’m the one who made the promise to Princess Remia,” admitted Mitsuha. “I offered it not as Viscountess Mitsuha von Yamano, but as ‘Mitsuha’ the ordinary girl and made it clear it was a personal promise that had nothing to do with our countries. I don’t plan on involving you or the military. I’m just going to give what little help I can manage myself. And if Princess Remia wishes it, I’ll jump her, her brother, her chancellor, and her retainers here with Traversal. But are you fine with taking in not just refugees, but a government in exile?”
The king only took a few seconds before answering:
“Yes. Should the need arise, I would house a government in exile… But make sure you get the princess and the prince.”
That was the only right answer. If the empire secured Dalisson’s legitimate heir to the throne, they could kill the king and use the young prince to set up a puppet regime. And with that, they could either dispatch soldiers “under the new king’s orders” to put down the rebels under the guise of keeping the peace or strong-arm Dalisson into an alliance. It’d only be a matter of time before Dalisson was annexed into the empire. The empire would then move on to target other countries.
On the contrary, if both the princess and the prince were secured, they could blazon abroad to neighboring countries that they were trying to reclaim their homeland and raise troops. The presence of both royal siblings would put justice firmly on their side and win the support of Dalisson’s populace.
It was hard to say what would happen after the imperial army was driven out of Dalisson. Would the siblings rebuild the government together? Would Zegleus and the neighboring countries use Dalisson’s great debt to them to interfere with their politics and station their own troops in the name of preventing another invasion from the empire?
I don’t really understand any of that political stuff, nor do I care. Either way, a better life would await the Dalissonians than living under imperial rule, at least.
There was one more thing Mitsuha needed the king’s approval for.
“Your Majesty, I have one more request. I ask this not just as ‘Mitsuha,’ but also as ‘Viscountess Mitsuha von Yamano.’ I would like your permission to assist the Kingdom of Dalisson.”
Having that approval from the king would allow her to boldly interfere in the situation without having to make excuses later. If an emergency were to arise, she’d be able to act freely as Mitsuha Yamano, the Lightning Archpriestess, and as Viscountess Mitsuha von Yamano of Zegleus.
“Hmm? Oh, I guess I don’t mind…”
Sweet, he just gave me permission to carry out a mission without any opposition… Can I stop rhyming?!
He probably thinks I’m gonna summon my divine soldiers again, but I only did that last time out of necessity because the invading army was at our doorstep. This time, I have time to prepare. I’d rather world-jump with a smaller force…or maybe use a high-speed vessel.
He obviously knows my provincial army is too feeble to make any difference in combat. Anyone could see that. He’s likely assuming that I want to fight as a noble of this kingdom to prove that I’ve cast off my previous identity as the princess of a foreign nation.
Which he wouldn’t be completely wrong about.
“Hey captain, can you fly a helicopter?”
“The hell d’ya have in mind this time…” the Wolf Fang captain groaned. “We ain’t got choppers. None of us can fly one, and takin’ care of ’em is a damn chore. Those things’re a money pit, and it wouldn’t be long before someone crashed it and drained our account. Only militaries, filthy rich groups, and lucky bastards with connections to a helicopter company have access to ’em.
“Besides, choppers are only used in large-scale warfare. That’s the governmental army’s job. If an independent group like us forked out the cash for a chopper, all the dangerous jobs would be forced onto us until we burn out. That just ain’t worth it… But, uh… D’ya need one?”
“Yeah…”
“Fine, I’ll find ya one. But I’ll hafta ask another mercenary group. Is that okay?”
“Yes, that’s great!”
Asking another mercenary group would mean she’d have to work her way from the beginning to build trust and negotiate payment. Mitsuha trusted the Wolf Fang captain’s connections. She was sure he’d pick a reputable gang.
“Just so ya know, an attack helicopter made for combat ain’t happenin’. Those cost a goddamn fortune. The best they’ll be able to do is a transport helicopter loaded with weapons. Is that okay?”