We had already decided that our next destination would be the capital of Illumasia. Now, it was time to determine if we’d help the resistance or not. Truthfully, I didn’t see any benefit to us in doing so at present, but the annoying truth about life was that things were rarely that simple.
If the emperor was the one behind the demonization research, we’d have to stop him, meaning we’d be making an enemy of him. If we succeeded, the emperor would abdicate, and we’d need to put someone else on the throne. Failing to do so could lead to the empire’s collapse, and it would be the people who ultimately suffered. Illumasia was a large nation that had expanded its territory through war. If its government collapsed, that would likely lead to a civil war. That was the one thing I wanted to avoid at all costs, which was why we couldn’t flat-out refuse the prince’s cry for help, even though he’d been disinherited.
I’d entrusted this discussion to Lionel because I trusted he could make that decision. He was likely quite familiar with the prince, and I trusted his judgment. I was only here because I wanted to know a little more about former prince Albert.
“Your Highness—no, Albert. Can you tell us why you want to join forces with us?” I asked.
“Why? Well, because I want to put a stop to the emperor’s reckless behavior. The empire has signed a temporary ceasefire with Luburk, but if the war drags on, we’ll end up with more losses than gains, even if we were to win.”
After hearing that, I decided to ask him more questions. “I understand that you want to stop the emperor. I also believe that you did a good thing by freeing the slaves and the people who were unfairly imprisoned. Is your objective to become the next emperor?”
“No, I do not wish to ascend the throne. I simply—” Albert started, but the holy oracle interrupted him.
“Mister Albert,” she said before turning to me, “is concerned about the possibility of a civil war. If that were to happen, the people would be the ones suffering the most from it. That is why he has decided to take action and form the resistance.”
When Melphina finished speaking, I glanced at Lionel, and he nodded silently. I was starting to understand. The former prince seemed like a kind person, but I wasn’t convinced he was a strong leader. It felt to me that Melphina was the one truly commanding the resistance. Initially, I’d wanted Lionel to handle the discussion, but I may have pried a little too much, and I felt like they were now wary of us.
As such, I decided to make it clear that there were certain conditions if they wanted to become our allies. “Our goal is to destroy the research facilities in the imperial capital,” I started.
“Sir...” Lionel began.
I felt a bit bad for him, but if there truly were no merits in joining forces with the resistance, then I wouldn’t do it, and the sooner I made that decision, the better.
No sooner had the words left my mouth than the atmosphere, which had been friendly and relaxed, suddenly became much tenser.
“Master, why would you allow him to attack Illumasia?! It’s your homeland!” Albert bent toward Lionel, visibly agitated.
Lionel, on the other hand, was completely impassive. He looked at me, let out a sigh, and said, “I’m leaving it to you, sir.”
Albert must not have liked that response, as he threw me a nasty glare. He sank even further in my estimation, yet at the same time, I was kind of mad at myself for not letting Lionel handle the whole thing.
“Aren’t you getting a little too heated, Albert?” I asked.
Still glaring at me, he replied with a question of his own. “Why do you wish to attack my nation’s research facilities?” he asked, his face slightly red, perhaps because I’d taunted him.
“While I do find it appalling that the emperor and the fake Lion of War are imposing such tyranny upon their people, I can understand that the emperor made these decisions in his role as the ruler. But I cannot overlook the empire having facilities specifically made to turn people into demons. You two were demonized as well, so I trust you’ll understand I am telling the truth—”
“Demonized? Me?” Albert interrupted me, his entire body shaking. Did he not know what the empire had done to him? Melphina was much calmer—surprisingly so.
“That research is a threat to humanity,” I continued. “If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t bother attacking the empire’s facilities.”
I’d told them about our objective, but based on how shocked Albert was, he might not be able to continue the discussion. So I turned to Bazack. “We’ve offered you quite a lot of information about our plans. Now, the question is, would it be worth it for us to fight together? To make an alliance or not.”
“If destroying the research facilities in the imperial capital is your only objective, then I assure you that we will be able to help,” Bazack answered.
“How many people do you count among your ranks? And how much help can we expect?” I asked.
“We can ensure that you infiltrate the palace with no one standing in your way. As for our numbers, I would prefer to keep that information confidential for now.”
“I see. By the way, do you still think we should join forces even after learning our plans?”
Bazack likely wanted us for our fighting ability to help them defeat the empire, but Albert and Melphina didn’t seem enchanted by the idea.
“I believe it would be wise, yes. We will cause a commotion in the capital, which should give you enough time to destroy the research facilities. And with those out of commission, we would have more leverage against the emperor.”
I could see the benefits for us in his plan. But after giving it some more thought, I realized that he wanted us to act as decoys to distract the demonized individuals so that the resistance could achieve its own goals.
“I see. Is that the only advantage we would gain from this alliance? If it is, then it’s not enough for us. Are you all right with that, Lionel?”
“Yes. I’m disappointed myself.”
“What? Master!” Albert cried out in surprise, standing up abruptly, almost as if his attitude up until now had all been an act. He must’ve thought that Lionel was on his side.
“Your Highness, how many times have I told you to always have a clear picture of the people you’re dealing with? Do you truly think that the man I serve with unwavering loyalty would be so easily deceived?” A murderous aura radiated from Lionel before disappearing as soon as it had appeared, but it was enough to cause the prince to collapse onto his chair.
“We have a few arrangements to make, but once they’re done, we can head to the capital as early as tomorrow,” I said.
“T-Tomorrow?” Bazack stammered, a panicked look on his face. He must’ve understood that, at this rate, it was likely that these negotiations would lead to nothing. Then again, he’d seen our airship but didn’t know anything about our true abilities yet.
“There would be other benefits for you if you were to ally with us,” Melphina said. “We can tell you where to find the fake General Lionel as well as the underground research facilities.”
It seemed that she knew quite a lot about the capital, which I’d already suspected upon hearing she had helped the prince escape.
“I see. So the research facilities are underground, huh? In the palace, perhaps?”
The prince and Melphina exchanged panicked glances.
“The holy oracle”? To me, Melphina seemed more like a tactician than an oracle. I made a mental note to ask Lionel about her later.