Bardloche groused outside the old capital. Demetrio had seized the city and insisted he was only there for a meeting. He even claimed the increased security was meant to ensure everything went off without a hitch despite the volatile environment. He also insisted he lacked any political motives.
Don’t screw with me, you idiot. Bardloche cursed his elder sibling a thousand times over. This was clearly meant to thwart his advance on Nalthia, regardless of whatever spin Demetrio put on it.
Still, there was one thing Bardloche couldn’t understand. Close investigation revealed that a majority of Nalthia’s forces consisted of conservatives originally loyal to Demetrio. However, they should have allied with Lowellmina upon his defeat.
There was a possibility that while Demetrio’s banner hung from the ramparts, he was actually a part of Lowellmina’s army. However, Bardloche also heard that the conservatives and Lowellmina were at odds with each other. It was likely they’d deserted her and returned to Demetrio. The princess was Bardloche’s enemy, no question, but the First Prince might be open to a united front.
That being said, the other side offered no indication of movement. Was Demetrio waiting for the right opportunity, or did he believe there was no value in an alliance with Bardloche?
The Second Prince wished to charge in and pummel all his opponents indiscriminately, but that wasn’t an option.
Keskinel has approved of this meeting in Nalthia. Demetrio’s forces are keeping on the defensive. If I get rough now and throw Nalthia into the heat of battle, my army will fall!
Ever since Bardloche’s faction contacted the West, Eastern Levetia had considered it a bitter foe. Bardloche had colluded with the West, but only his most trusted advisors were privy to that information. The prince assured everyone else that it was baseless political slander cooked up by Manfred. That put Bardloche’s soldiers on the side of justice and maintained morale. However, if Bardloche ordered an attack upon the Empire’s symbol of authority, and the truth about his dealings came to light, his troops’ confidence would plummet.
If either Manfred or Lowellmina had occupied Nalthia, Bardloche would still have had cause to strike. But Demetrio, who’d already dropped out of the fight for the throne, insisted his only intention was to host a meeting. Although infuriating, Bardloche had no legitimate excuse to interfere. He needed some kind of political maneuver, but such tactics weren’t up his faction’s alley.
But even if I leave Nalthia alone and head for the capital, I’ll still have the threat of Demetrio’s and Manfred’s armies on my heels! Manfred might walk straight into Nalthia and announce his purification ceremony to the whole Empire! And if he does, I’m done for!
Bardloche couldn’t attack Nalthia or leave it alone. The prince’s do-or-die attitude wavered. He was struck by uncertainty, and that hesitation sealed his fate.
“I have a report! Troops have been sighted in the south! They bear the flag of Princess Lowellmina!”
The princess, who’d been preparing for battle in the capital, suddenly sprang into action.
Lowellmina had been aware of the plan since Fyshe returned with a letter from Wein.
“…What?” she’d breathed. It was hard to believe he’d try to draw Demetrio out. However, the princess was equally formidable; she’d quickly recovered and reviewed Wein’s plan.
It’s not…entirely impossible.
There had been four deciding factors.
The first had been whether or not they could convince Demetrio. However, there was no question Wein would succeed. Lowellmina knew those two shared an odd connection that wasn’t quite friendship, perhaps owing to their previous collaboration. If anyone could persuade Demetrio, it was Wein.
Next was Keskinel. Lowellmina and Wein had needed the Prime Minister’s permission to hold a meeting in Nalthia. However, Lowellmina hadn’t worried about this. Keskinel harbored a peculiar value system, and since plans for a conference had always been on the table, he’d had every reason to approve. And if the Prime Minister gave his blessing, there was no question the third factor, Eastern Levetia, would follow suit. After all, it had requested the meetup be held in the Empire in the first place. The conference had nearly been canceled because of the recent chaos, but the Church would attend so long as the other parties showed they could hold their ground.
Of course, there would be no actual meeting in a war zone. Wein was merely borrowing everyone’s credibility.
The final obstacle was the biggest—the troops protecting Nalthia.
Since Lowellmina had been busy assembling her own forces, she couldn’t spare any elsewhere. Furthermore, this task, at least on the surface, was meant to protect those holding the Empire’s most important and simultaneously carefree meeting. The majority of Lowellmina’s soldiers were outraged volunteers who lamented the Empire’s future. She couldn’t send them.
Then, the conservatives in Lowellmina’s faction caught Wein’s eye. They’d originally belonged to Demetrio’s faction, so it made sense to believe they would be eager to return to their former master.
Still, this won’t be easy, Lowellmina had thought.
The conservatives were lazy and had already disregarded her own request for troops. Demetrio was their old master, plus there was nothing to be gained by returning to him. If their current liege couldn’t control them, what hope did the previous one have?
Shortly after Lowellmina had this notion, the conservatives rushed over to Nalthia.
“Huh?”
Lowellmina had been furious.
“Y-Your Highness, please calm yourself.”
“I haven’t lost my cool. I simply cannot help but wonder why they are suddenly compliant even though everyone made excuses and wouldn’t listen to a single word I said before, but I assure you I am perfectly calm.”
After Fyshe had consoled Lowellmina and she had regained her composure, she returned to theorizing on how Wein’s plan would operate.
“Prepare a letter, Fyshe. There’s something I want you to deliver in secret.”
“Yes, right away.”
Lowellmina had reached her conclusion.
“It’s time to make my debut. This victory shall be mine.”
Lowellmina’s army boasted about eight thousand soldiers. The majority were volunteers who admired the princess, decried the princes as good-for-nothings, and held a sense of righteous indignation against the West. Less than half were formally trained. One could easily label them rank-and-file troops who possessed the bare minimum amount of discipline or skill.
However, their spirits were unmatched. No one, from the lowest soldier to the most elite veteran, doubted their cause, and Lowellmina took direct command. Everyone was determined to demonstrate their valor to the radiant princess.
Bardloche’s legion totaled ten thousand; each soldier was a hardened veteran who understood the art of war like the back of their hand. They were prepared to overtake the enemy in a direct confrontation. Their morale, however, was terrible. Bardloche’s troops had been branded traitors, and the sudden occupation of Nalthia prevented them from acting. In the meantime, Lowellmina’s forces had appeared before Bardloche’s while Demetrio’s took the capital from behind.
Moreover, Manfred’s militia of approximately ten thousand had kept its distance while entering the battle between Bardloche and Lowellmina’s units. Instead of launching an immediate attack on Bardloche, it carefully sealed off his escape routes. Manfred’s forces’ morale and tactical expertise were palpable.
Still, for all their cunning, the Third Prince’s soldiers had been assembled by provincial leaders. Each fought for their own home, and their level of discipline depended on the tide of the fight.
“So, who will reign victorious?” Wein mumbled as he considered the chaos that threatened to erupt outside the city.
Demetrio shot him a questioning look. “Even you don’t know?”
“There are several invisible factors at work here.”
“Hmm… Well, so long as everything works out as we discussed, that’s enough for me,” the First Prince said. “Prince Wein, are you certain this will bridge the gap between the conservatives and Lowellmina?”
“Yes, you can rest assured on that point.”
How can I pull Demetrio out of his seclusion and back on the world stage?
Wein had wrestled with this issue in the hope of occupying Nalthia. Demetrio had withdrawn from the squabble for Emperor quietly. Even if Wein had tried to lure the First Prince back with money or another shot at the throne, there was a good chance it would only dissuade him and bring everything to a screeching halt. Wein had then turned his focus to the tension between Lowellmina and the conservatives.
They’ve been at odds from the start. The conservatives won’t accept an Empress. Their group would unravel if any of them did.
This was the dilemma among conservatives. As the name implied, the organization honored history and tradition. Readily accepting the rule of a trailblazer like Lowellmina would undermine that reputation. Still, its members weren’t oblivious to reality. The conservatives had previously revolted against Bardloche and Manfred and understood it was far too late to join either. Their best option was to support Lowellmina as Empress while protecting their interests.
And so the conservatives had continued to search for a compromise, a way to serve Lowellmina while remaining true to their convictions, if only by the bare minimum.
Then came the proposal for Demetrio’s return.
“The conservatives have valiantly come to assist their former master, Prince Demetrio. Moved by this unauthorized yet touching gesture, Lowellmina will magnanimously forgive them and thereby earn their respect. This way, both sides can finally have a real working relationship.”
Serving Lowellmina had few downsides, and she could handle the conservatives even after this minor betrayal.
“I see…” Demetrio said softly. “I really couldn’t do anything for them. If it will put the issue to rest, that’s fine by me.”
The conservatives had supported Demetrio’s bid for Emperor, but his shortcomings had cost them a bright future. The prince undoubtedly still had misgivings on the matter, but he’d swallowed his pride, accepted Wein’s offer, and returned to the spotlight.
“Once this is all over, I’m going to live freely with my wife and child.”
Wein’s shoulders twitched. “…You have a child?”
Demetrio nodded shyly. “Yeah. I dismissed all my concubines when I went into isolation, but one insisted on joining me. Then…well, we had a child together.”
“…Hmm, yes, I see.”
“I meant to leave everything to a wet nurse, but my little one is just too cute for words. My wife scolds me for hovering.”
“Hmm! Yes! I see!”