Eripony glared at Ian while clutching her burning palm.
No matter how powerful an empire, for a mere minister to wound a sovereign’s palm! If this were Ruswena, Ian would have been cast aside like the corpses rolling on the ground.
But Ian didn’t care. He knew better than anyone the weight a defeated nation would bear, and even if his rudeness briefly added to it, Ruswena’s side wouldn’t even notice.
“Please sit down, Your Majesty.”
Ian pulled out a chair and guided Eripony back to her seat.
Though one step forward would lead outside, the queen realized she couldn’t take it. The northern reinforcements were also pretending not to see, deliberately overlooking the queen’s injury with feigned ignorance. Eripony reluctantly perched on the edge of her chair again, pretending to be defeated.
“We still have much to discuss. Didn’t I just convey matters regarding war reparations? We need to clarify responsibility regarding the rifts that have appeared within Clifford. Ruswena cannot be excluded from this. The northern reinforcements also won’t be able to add words about this situation.”
The rift had finally occurred. The demons they had so desperately wanted had overflowed—something the people from the barren north could welcome, but for Clifford and the bordering Bariel, there was no greater disaster.
“How can we possibly seal a rift that’s already opened? If that were possible, the north would have tried it long ago. The only method is distributing forces, which is why they joined this war.”
When Eripony gestured irritably, the northern chieftains shrank their shoulders. It felt like walking on thin ice. One wrong move here and they’d plunge into those distant cold waters. Everyone remained silent, waiting only for statements from Ian, Eripony, and the King of Clifford.
“Though the earth is splitting and rifts are occurring, controlling their speed should be possible. During that time, capital relocation and evacuation would be the last opportunity God has granted.”
“So how exactly?”
“Send Ruswena’s mages to Bariel.”
“What?”
Eripony reflexively asked back in disbelief.
But Ian’s expression remained serene without the slightest change, and that calmness drove Eripony further into a corner. Perhaps it was the sense of leisure that everything would proceed according to Ian’s will, as he dictated.
“It’s time for all the continent’s mages to join forces to find a solution. Unlike Ruswena, Bariel has a long-established Ministry of Magic with considerable numbers of mages. There’s no better environment for research than ours. If Clifford had mages, I would have asked them to send theirs to Bariel as well, but sadly they disappeared long ago. Ruswena’s cooperation is essential.”
“Absolutely! Absolutely impossible!”
She’d rather give up a chunk of land than hand over mages!
Through this war, Eripony had personally experienced how the presence or absence of mages affected national power. If she sent even those few remaining to Bariel, the balance of power would completely collapse.
Moreover, it went without saying that the support sent from other nations, including Hawan, largely depended on whether Ruswena possessed mages.
“I understand the mages aren’t affiliated with the royal palace. Frankly, Your Majesty’s opinion doesn’t seem particularly important. While being born somewhere is fate, choosing where to live is freedom. They certainly have the right to choose.”
Eripony wanted to shout for Ian to shut up, to stop making trouble, but the faint remnants of royal dignity barely managed to control her anger.
Unlike Bariel, Ruswena’s ties for keeping mages in the royal palace were pathetically weak. They were already barely securing their support by holding their families hostage, and exile? She neither wanted to suggest it nor could she.
Ian turned his head away from the trembling Eripony.
“There must be mages in the north as well.”
Several chieftains nodded. Though not part of their forces, there were certainly mages like Efdiram roaming the north.
“Summoning them is the duty of the northern reinforcements—you. Since rifts have occurred here, the northern land’s energy will be less than before. Many previous activity restrictions should have been lifted. I trust you’ll accomplish this.”
“Ah, yes. Th-those who handle demons aren’t just the Atan tribe—there are many others. We’ll request their help.”
“Yes. Make your requests. We’re making demands, though.”
Ian smiled thinly. Whether they requested or asked, that was their business—he drew that line.
“If the rifts worsen, Ruswena won’t escape their effects either. Supporting the gathering of all mages in one place to put their heads together is how Your Majesty can erase the traces of defeat as deeply as possible.”
“Right now—”
“And please cede part of Ruswena’s territory. The area adjacent to Bariel would be good.”
Swoosh.
Ian marked a section of the map with his pen. What was he talking about now? Toward Eripony, who stared in bewilderment, Ian raised an eyebrow.
“Refugees are expected from Clifford. Bariel will temporarily open adjacent border areas for humanitarian reasons while simultaneously receiving compensation of equivalent territory from Ruswena. In practice, His Imperial Highness will make the final decision, but even if all the imperial ministers put their heads together, they won’t reach vastly different conclusions. This is my small consideration to let you know in advance.”
Money, slaves, and territory.
The losing side in war had always paid the price with these three things. Since Burgos’s side had their king captured, they were excluded from the current discussion.
“We safely returned the captured mages and keep insisting we participated after being deceived by Burgos. Yet the responsibility we bear is the heaviest among all participating nations. This is like branding us as the war’s leading nation. Don’t you think this is excessive? Countless kingdoms of Gaia will focus on this situation, and they’ll consider the empire’s mercy to be truly like a mirage. If possible, I would drink your truth serum. If I could only claim innocence, I would do anything—”
“Where is mercy in war?”
Ian firmly cut off Eripony’s words. Though she claimed innocence, saying she could even drink unknown substances from Bariel, that was a trivial matter.
What mattered was that Bariel now had the opportunity to completely break Ruswena’s spirit.
“Did Your Majesty Eripony shoot arrows out of overflowing mercy, pierce soldiers’ hearts, and merely watch as mages fell into the abyss of hell? Were you so benevolent that you kept mages’ families in the royal palace, dragged children to battlefields, and ordered them not to share magic power with dying mages? That’s truly remarkable. So remarkable it brings tears to my eyes.”
Every word carried Ian’s suppressed anger.
Eripony realized there was nothing to gain in this tent and closed her mouth. It would be better to wait quietly until the meeting ended, return to the royal palace, and plan for the future. The judgment that she couldn’t provoke the razor-sharp Ian to achieve better results finally crossed Eripony’s mind.
“And if countless kingdoms of Gaia learn of this situation, it will be a good example to remind them of Bariel’s great national power. This isn’t something Your Majesty Eripony needs to worry about.”
When Ian gestured to summon mages, those who still had magic power stepped forward.
“Based on the overall content I mentioned earlier, we’ll establish a simple contract magic. Everyone must enter the Bariel imperial palace within a fortnight to meet with His Imperial Highness Jin. Otherwise, your lives will come to a rather sudden end.”
Whirring. Whir.
As the mages activated their magic power, the northern chieftains nodded as if they had no choice.
The problem was Eripony. She bit her lips as if she absolutely couldn’t accept this, and seeing that, Ian flicked his hand.
“Ah. Your Majesty doesn’t need to do it personally.”
“……?”
“Have Eldert come in. I’ll make the contract with him.”
Eripony frowned. Why Eldert instead of herself?
Even the King of Clifford looked at Ian with puzzlement, but Ian merely calmed the king with a glance. He had his reasons—just follow along.
“Eldert!”
Eripony had no reason to refuse. Though he was her closest aide and the royal palace’s second most powerful figure after herself, he wasn’t the sovereign after all. If he could stake his life as collateral in place of herself, who was Ruswena itself, anything was fine.
At Eripony’s call, Eldert immediately rushed in.
“Yes, Your Majesty! Are you all right?”
Eldert had been anxious since flames erupted at the tent entrance but couldn’t approach due to the mages’ interference. His face hardened seeing Eripony clutching her palm, but the atmosphere inside the tent was colder than expected. And above all, his liege’s look telling him to exercise restraint.
A mage extended his hand to Eldert. Golden eyes, proof of magic power, glinted.
Whirring. Whir.
“Eldert, make a contract magic in place of your liege. Your Queen Eripony knows everything we just discussed, so you need only offer your life. How about it? Will you do it?”
He needn’t know the contents—it was asking if he could sacrifice himself for his liege. Though Eldert was flustered, he didn’t hesitate. Rolling up his sleeve, he grasped the mage’s hand. Soon magic power swirled between their clasped hands, and a massive contract magic circle surrounded them.
Ian leaned against the table and nodded toward Eripony.
“You have quite a trustworthy subordinate.”
“……”
Though it was clearly mocking, she couldn’t even dare respond carelessly since she couldn’t fathom Ian’s intentions.
Why hadn’t he made a contract magic with her? Even though she was a sovereign, given the atmosphere until now, if he had continued pressing, she surely couldn’t have escaped.
Unable to shake off the unsettling feeling, Eldert’s contract magic ended. Seeing the magic power subside, Eripony kicked back her chair and left the tent, while the King of Clifford watched her retreating figure in disbelief.
“She deserves to die.”
At the king’s muttering, Prince Noah seemed slightly startled, rolling his eyes. He had never seen his father, who was a father before being a king, use such harsh words. Ian nodded and smiled as if understanding his feelings.
“She does deserve to die. But there’s no need for Your Majesty and I to kill her with our own hands. That would give justification to the opposition forces remaining in Ruswena and hinder persuading their vested interests for cultural integration.”
Just as Prince Noah was about to ask Ian for details, commotion was heard outside. It was the shouting of Eripony, who had left first.
Prince Noah slowly poked his head out and soon spotted Eripony berating a soldier.
“How could you handle things like that!”
“I-I’m sorry.”
News that mages had left for the royal palace without her orders. Specifically, that troublemaker Jaira and some others. Eripony ground her teeth while grabbing the horse’s reins.
“We return to headquarters immediately.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Neighing!
Alenara.
Since things would head toward the worst if they fell anyway, thinking it was time to grab even a rotten rope, Eripony spurred her horse.