42 – Meanwhile in the North – 4
Meanwhile, the army of Carl von Cronor.
“majesty! Your Royal Highness! Emilia-sama moved!”
Chronor was frightened at the words of Archduke Cronor’s tactician Usami Arca.
“Go Emilia! Are you saying Emilia is coming here?”
“no! We are attacking Rachnar von Skane!”
“Well? Aren’t they coming towards us?”
“Yes! God help! Emilia-sama is attacking Raknar-sama! If we hit Emilia-sama from behind, Emilia-sama will be attacked from the front and back, and she will take a lot of damage! It is self-evident that the damage will help us!”
“Hmm… ”
The Archduke was troubled, and Usami Arca was shocked to see the Archduke worried. Why the hell are you worried? It’s a situation God helped, but isn’t it normal to move right now?
Meanwhile, Dorothea, who was watching the Archduke from the side, said:
“Averning… I hate war… ”
“But if you have to, shouldn’t you?”
“Should I do it?”
Dorothea made a meaningful expression. Usami Arca felt something ominous at that moment.
“What do you mean by that?”
“They say my sister hit Rachnar. Then there’s no reason to go after your sister, right? Let the rebels fight, and if the winner or loser is different, then you just have to go and hit the other side.”
At those words, Archduke Cronor and Usami Arca spoke at the same time.
“Ooh!”
“Sounds crazy!”
Grand Duke Cronor was stunned by Dorothea’s words, but in the eyes of Usami Arca, it was nothing but madness. That would also be the case, after the match had already been won, the victorious tribe would gather all the rebel forces and attack the Grand Duke of Cronor. How would you stop that?
“Dorotea is pretty smart.”
Chronor said so, but in the eyes of Usami Arca, the bookkeeper, this was nonsense.
“Your Highness Kronor! No way! After the two insurgent factions have sorted themselves out and joined forces, it’s too late! We must attack Emilia-sama now and inflict great damage on Emilia-sama so that she cannot move! After that, if the three powers continue a permanent confrontation, the one who will win is sure to be the Archduke Kronor!”
“Well? Is that so?”
It was Chronor who thought there was truth in Usami Arca’s words. Grand Duke Cronor was stubborn, but not stupid, so he could understand Usami’s words to some extent. but…
“Averning… ”
Dorothea, who called Grand Duke Cronor, was embraced by Grand Duke Cronor. Archduke Cronor hugged her back with one hand and said.
“Why is that, daughter?”
“Do not go… ”
At those words, Grand Duke Cronor’s heart was captured.
Archduke Cronor pulled Usami Arca out again. Usami Arca, who had been kicked out many times starting from the last time, was angry for the first time this time.
“Was the monarch I served all my life so incompetent… Even so, when I was young, I was somewhat outstanding… ”
since when After a big defeat? Or since becoming addicted to drugs? Grand Duke Kronor was completely destroyed. Thinking so, Usami Arca secretly left the castle with only a few men.
—–
Meanwhile, Emilia’s military advance.
“Miss Emilia.”
“What is it?”
“Usami Arca has requested an interview.”
“Usami Arca?”
Emilia couldn’t help but be surprised. This is because Usami Arca was the secret agent of Grand Duke Cronor. Why on earth is such a person?
“Is this an official diplomatic envoy from Archduke Kronor?”
“no. It was with some attendants. It didn’t look like an official diplomatic envoy of any power at all.”
“then… ”
Emilia couldn’t understand the current situation. Why did Arca Usami suddenly ask for a visit?
But when I met him, nothing seemed bad. Thinking so, Emilia immediately brought in Usami Arca.
“Ask them to come.”
The appearance of Usami Arca, who entered soon after, was full of pensiveness. It wasn’t long before Usami was the first to speak.
“Miss Emilia.”
“Usami.”
“Your Highness has lost his sanity.”
At those words, Emilia had a clue. Not long ago, his younger brother Rohan came to visit and said that Grand Duke Cronor had become an opium addict.
“Is it opiate addiction?”
At Emilia’s words, Usami’s pupils widened. How could Emilia know about opiate addiction, something that only people on the inside know about? Usami made a grave mistake here.
“I hope Emilia-sama… ”
It was the misunderstanding that Emilia had used Dorothea to turn Cronor into an opium addict. Of course, this was an illusion.
“I didn’t know that Emilia had such resourcefulness.”
Emilia didn’t bother to correct Usami’s misunderstanding. Because there is nothing to lose by misleading.
Usami Arca, who appeared to have calmed down more than before, spoke.
“Emilia-sama, let me ask you one thing.”
“yes.”
“What does Emilia-sama ultimately want through this fight?”
It was the first time Emilia had ever been asked such a question. However, it was something I had always thought about, so I was able to answer right away without thinking for a second.
“The Stability and Victory of the North.”
“Stability and victory?”
“The North has been a land that has only been invaded so far. Although the land was vast and cold, there were only a few successful cases of invaders, but there were endless attempts at invasion. I will change that history. I will make a strong north that never existed before so that the north is not invaded again.”
“… ”
Usami Arca thought. Grand Duke Cronor in his youth also had similar thoughts. It was thought that if the fragmented North was brought together, outside forces would never invade the North again.
However, Grand Duke Cronor failed. After getting older and weaker, he became a completely different person from the past.
“Emilia-sama, the Grand Duke said something similar before. You said that we would unite the fragmented North to prevent foreign invasion.”
At Usami’s words, Emilia quietly closed her eyes.
“Can you assure Emilia-sama that you won’t be corrupted like the Grand Duke?”
“… ”
At those words, Emilia closed her eyes for a moment and thought.
“I can’t be sure.”
It was to say this.
At that, Usami Arca put on a disappointed expression for a moment, but the next word changed his mind completely.
“But if you fall, I will hand over the family name to the next heir and never appear in the North again.”
With that determination, Usami Arca had no choice but to dream once again.
Usami Arca knelt down towards Emilia.
“I swear that I will never leave my lord’s side and give unshakable loyalty.”
Looking at Usami Arca kneeling down on one knee while saying the knight’s oath, Emilia thought for a moment with her mouth shut.
“Will you accept my oath?”
Usami Arca’s words contained sincerity. And after reading the sincerity, Emilia immediately spoke.
“I will allow it.”
In that way, Archduke Cronor’s secret agent became Emilia’s secret agent.
—–
The first thing Usami Arca did after committing herself to Emilia’s army was to give Emilia a plan to unify the north.
“Looking at the current situation, unifying the North is only a matter of time. But the problem comes after unification. After the unification of the north, the north is weakened by civil war, so we are worried about foreign invasion again. That’s why I have a plan.”
“What is it, Usami?”
“There are many nobles under Raknar. I have prepared letters for some of these nobles. He said he would give all the territories that Rachnar owned to whoever kills him.”
“… ”
“The plan is already underway, and if Raknar dies, one of the three factions can be easily destroyed, so it is advantageous, and even if the nobles receiving the orders are defeated, it is advantageous because it can break the trust among the rebels. In fact, it’s a plan prepared for His Highness the Archduke, but… Now that this has happened, I will use it for Emilia-sama.”
However, Emilia said this with an expressionless expression that was completely incomprehensible.
“I will not unify the North that way.”
“Yes?”
“Even if we unify like that, there is a high possibility that rebellion will happen again. Whenever a rebellion occurs, national power is shaken. So we have to make sure there is no rebellion at all.”
“However… Does such a method exist in the world?”
Even if there was, could Emilia, who was only a military commander, come up with such a great plan?
However, it was only after hearing Emilia’s words that Usami Arca could understand Emilia’s words.
It was because it was a method that Emilia would think of more than anyone else.
“The answer is head-on breakthrough.”
“Breakthrough head-on?”
“The overwhelming victory against Raknar and his father demonstrates the difference between the ranks of a commander. The rebels won’t try to rebel again if they know that the opponent is overwhelmingly strong.”
“indeed.”
If this is the case, it is a way that even the armed Emilia can think of. No, it was a method that could be recalled because it was the armed Emilia.
But Usami Arca was puzzled.
Emilia was the one who defeated Diane de Balboa, who was considered the strongest swordsman in the world. So now you can say that Emilia is the world’s strongest swordsman.
However, in a war between armies, individual strength alone cannot win. It requires leadership.
That’s why Usami Arca thought.
Is this woman a rare genius with not only military strength but also commanding power, or is she just a megalomaniac?
That was what the war to come would reveal.