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“What kind of battle was it? Tell me.” (Yuri)

“Understood.” (??)

The Kilghina cavalry began to speak.

In summary, when the tide of battle turned, Soim immediately pursued the fleeing enemies and chased them relentlessly. As a result, he died in combat, crossing blades with a formidable opponent. Although there were gunshot wounds, they were inflicted after the outcome was decided.

While I mourned Carol’s death, Soim fell on the battlefield.

‘Seriously, what’s wrong with the world?’

“…Why did he pursue them? He had completed his task. He should have rested.” (Yuri)

I said something that was pointless to say. It was a mission given with the expectation that he would achieve success and face minimal danger.

‘To think he would move to pursue immediately. Should I have ordered him not to pursue?’

“Soim-dono always feared his spear becoming useless. He often said he wanted to die on the battlefield before his skills dulled… Perhaps he pursued recklessly because that was his wish.” (??)

“Were the enemies formidable enough to bring down Soim?” (Yuri)

“They were formidable. However, Soim-dono had fought valiantly at the forefront before… He might have been exhausted as well.” (??)

‘Of course, that would make sense… But if we hadn’t let him fight, would that have been unfortunate for Soim? He didn’t desire a peaceful retirement surrounded by grandchildren. In the battle against the dismantled Euclich Cavalry, Soim seemed to have fallen into despair despite earning the pinnacle of knightly honor. While many knights regretted ending their lives without gaining renown, Soim seemed to sink into despair despite his fame.’

“Who were the opponents?” (Yuri)

“It seems they were led by a woman… Despite fleeing the battlefield at first, their skill level was extremely high. Even after more than half of their forces died from our pursuit, they continued to fight in an organized manner.” (??)

‘That’s probably why Soim was relentlessly targeted by them. If they were as worthless as trash, he might have ignored them instead. Or rather…’

“That must be Angelica Sacrament.” (Yuri)

I couldn’t think of anyone else. In fact, the moment I heard that a woman was leading troops and participating in the crusade, there was only one person that came to mind. I met her once at Hot Bridge, a female knight with her face veiled. Afterward, I heard reports that she was a member of the royal family of the Tyrellme God-Protected Empire and held the position of a local lord. I lost interest after that, so I only have that much knowledge.

‘Is she leading such strong soldiers? Nevertheless, it’s a strange connection.’

“I don’t know her name, but I was unable to fulfill the task of capturing her and bringing her to Your Excellency Yuri… I lacked the strength.” (??)

“More importantly, was Soim satisfied with his final battle?” (Yuri)

Rather than Soim’s death, I was more concerned about whether his final battle was fulfilling.

‘Did the one who gave him death fulfill his desired death, which he sought over a meaningless life? I wish the one who gave death to Soim was a formidable opponent. For example, a death by a grazing poison arrow leading to death by poison wouldn’t be fitting for Soim.’

“It seems he was satisfied. He fought valiantly and died in combat. There was no sign of holding back. However, he insisted a one-on-one duel, and he wouldn’t let us lay intervene… so, I still believe he wished for death.” (??)

“I see…” (Yuri)

I wished he could have lived. I looked at Soim’s almost smiling corpse.

‘…Yeah, I still wished he could have lived. Would he have been happy to see the child Carol bore for me? Or perhaps, was it more important for him to achieve a meaningful death before his spear rusted? Although I’ve become too accustomed to the deaths of those close to me and knew that corpses don’t answer, it still bothered me.’

“You who sought death so eagerly… I won’t forget your spear.”

I said so and left the underground crypt of the royal castle.

—

In the royal castle’s office, there were Dimitri, Tigris, Gin, and Myaro. The Rube Household had returned north to reclaim their territory. It was quite convenient. The four of them sat on the guest sofa, and I sat at the desk.

“Carol passed away two days ago.” (Yuri)

As I said this, except for Myaro, who already knew the situation, everyone else had a surprised expression, and a tense atmosphere enveloped the room.

“…And the child?” (Myaro)

Myaro inquired.

‘Didn’t know? That is unexpected.

The child wasn’t born two days ago but five days ago. I thought Myaro would be aware.

“It’s a girl. And she has proper blonde hair.” (Yuri)

“Has she given birth? If that’s the case…” (Tigris)

Tigris breathed a sigh of relief, her expression showing some reassurance.

‘Even someone like Tigris, in her position, believes that the ruler of the country should be a queen. Truly, this disparity in perception is frightening. I may only see the king as a mere functionary, but the majority of people in this country, while it might be an exaggeration to say they worship, at least view the king as a figure to look up to. One wrong step, and that disparity could become deadly.’

“No, I apologize. My condolences. Your wife—” (Tigris)

“No, it’s fine. The funeral will be in two days. Of course, it will be a state funeral.” (Yuri)

According to Carol’s will, her body was to be buried next to my grave. That would be on top of that hill. We would likely have to bury an empty coffin in the formal grave.

“Afterward, we’ll have the infant crowned, and I’ll act as regent.” (Yuri)

“…If the Great Witches were still alive, they would surely faint at the idea.” (Myaro)

Myaro remarked.

‘That’s right. From the founding period of the Shantilla Great Empire, which dates back to ancient times, Witches and Queens have feared the situation where Queens are reduced to mere figureheads, and the Knights who wield military power hold real power. To prevent this, the empresses of the Shantilla Great Empire never married.

They remained unmarried for life, each having multiple lovers akin to a reverse harem, and through them, they produced offspring. This was a mechanism to prevent the father from being publicly known, thus preventing a man from standing as regent. In a sense, it can be said that they went to such lengths to prevent that situation.

After the Great Collapse, which occurred after the fragmentation of the Nine Kingdoms, the culture disappeared. In reality, it seems that there were many examples where they didn’t have multiple lovers and instead had specific male partners, but they still strongly opposed the idea of a male regent. For me to act as regent would have been an absolute taboo to even mention just half a year ago.’

“It’s for the best now. It’s better to do it while the influence of the former Witches is low.” (Myaro)

“So, before we decide on the timing of the coronation… Dimitri.” (Yuri)

“What is it?” (Dimitri)

Dimitri looked at me.

“If we were to entrust you with command of the entire army and move north to capture Reform, how long would it take?” (Yuri)

“…Well, if we crush the enemy’s ships with eagles, supply by sea, and march along the coastline… Even then, it would take about two and a half months to reach Reform.” (Dimitri)

“I’ve heard that the city walls that the Crusaders collapsed two years ago haven’t been repaired yet.” (Yuri)

“In that case, unless there are unexpectedly large enemy forces, it would take about three months.” (Dimitri)

‘Well, that’s about it.’

“Then, let’s tentatively schedule the coronation for three months from now. Myaro… sorry, but…” (Yuri)

“I understand.” (Myaro)

Myaro replied firmly.

“I’m counting on you. We’ll have a state funeral, and use it as an opportunity to invade Reform. After capturing Reform, we’ll have the coronation amidst the victory celebrations.” (Yuri)

“Understood. But, why entrust me with command of the entire army? Aren’t you going to command, Your Excellency?” (Dimitri)

‘That’s a natural question.’

“I’ll be heading to the Albio Republic by ship once the state funeral is over.” (Yuri)

“What—?” (Dimitri)

Dimitri showed signs of agitation.

“Leaving the country? But—” (Dimitri)

“I’m going there to negotiate the exchange of 53,000 prisoners of war with the Shanti over there. The only country that can serve as a negotiation window for this deal is that country.” (Yuri)

‘It’s a deal on a national scale, so I have to go myself.’

“Among the prisoners are kings and high-ranking nobles. We’ll negotiate with the Shanti for either an exchange of prisoners or payment in gold. This needs to be done urgently.” (Yuri)

‘However, we can’t delay the capture of Reform during this time. If we leave it alone, they’ll send more soldiers and fortify their defenses even more.’

“But—without Your Excellency Yuri here…” (Tigris)

Tigris spoke up.

“Are you worried?” (Yuri)

“Since you’re regarded by the soldiers as a god of war…” (Tigris)

‘A god of war, huh? That’s ridiculous.’

“I won’t be able to participate in every local battle. Get used to that.” (Yuri)

“…Yes, I understood.” (Tigris)

“Besides, we’re running low on food. Sending out a large army to the north will deplete our reserves, and we’ll also need provisions for the prisoners. We’ll have to bring food back by ship on our return, or the people will starve.” (Yuri)

“I see, understood…” (Gin)

Gin Toga nodded.

‘In the meantime, we could put the prisoners to work making firewood. You can never have enough firewood, and you can store it for years.’

“Let’s discuss this again later. I want to talk about the treatment of the Kura settlers in the farming villages over there.” (Yuri)

“Yes.” (Dimitri)

“Tigris, Gin. You two will report to Dimitri. Got it?” (Yuri)

“Understood.” (Tigris)

“Yes, milord.” (Gin)

‘Well, that’s about it, I guess.’

“Alright, everyone, start getting ready.” (Yuri)

With that, I dismissed the meeting.