It was part of the city wall. It was inside a guard tower guarding the city gate.
　In a round room made of heavy stone, there are only two men in armor.

　The man who thought he was kidnapped by the undead and came back with terrible news. Humphrey the archer.

　And the other. Nearly forty, if I had to guess his age from his appearance. He wears shining blue-black orichalcone armor. The dark blue tassel is reserved for the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. He has a toned physique like a soldier, but his black hair, which should be in order, somehow looks stubborn.
　It was Bertil Lagerbeck, the Second Knight Commander.

　Bertil placed his hand on the Visioner on his desk. He is activating the symbol and calling out to the paired symbol.
　This is the one that Humphrey brought back. Unlike the caller, the Visioner has the power to project a vision of the user and show it to the caller.
　You can convey nuances to the other person that are difficult to convey with just your voice. ...... may sound convenient, but in reality, if you're close enough to communicate with such a thing, you can just meet and talk in person.

　However, it is very useful for this moment.
　The Visioner was used to meet with enemy generals on the battlefield without the risk of going to see them in person.

　Within thirty seconds of activating the Visioner, a figure of light stood on the other side of the desk from Bertil.
　From Barthel's perspective, the difference in height was as if he were looking down on him.

　In this country, it is considered an abomination. ...... But it is so beautiful and fantastic, with silver hair and silver eyes.
　He has the innocent look of a child, but from the way he stands, you can see that he has acquired the behavior of a nobleman. She is a little sluggish, but that's only a child's fault.
　She was wearing a pure white dress, but her skirt was covered with an ominous red rose.

　--This girl is the ...... "Rose Princess of Hell"......

　It was hard to believe that this girl was the monster that was about to destroy Ciel-Teira.

　The visionary projected by the Visioner is reaching out to join hands with Bertil. She also seemed to be touching the Visioner on the desk, deep in the camp. If you look closely, you can see that her visionary's feet are floating in the air. Is she using a step stool, or is the desk on the other side lower than Bertil's?

　Bertil is almost dumbfounded, but quickly comes to his senses and thanks her.

I am Bertil Lagerbeck, Second Knight Commander of the Kingdom of Ciel-Teira. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what's going on in your life.
"My name is Rene "Rosy" Luvia Ciel-Teira. I can't thank you enough for accepting my request on such short notice.

　The phantom girl put one hand on the sign and pinched her skirt with the other hand and bowed.

I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.
Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I couldn't get through from the Order's home base, so I'm moving it to a closer location and reusing it.

　It's not as if they know where Bertil is now, but they're not going to just drop a spell on him.
　Besides, the magic defense of the city walls is quite good. At the very least, they can withstand the initial attack and keep it up until Bertil runs away.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
"No, it's fine. It's fine. Don't worry about it.

　In the event that you've got a lot of time, you may want to take a look at the following.

I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but I'd like to know if there's any chance of this conversation being overheard by anyone else?
...... I can't say that it's impossible, but I think the risk is very low. This room is a frontline command center, and detection is blocked, so magic prying and eavesdropping is blocked.
　Physical eavesdropping is also unlikely. It's just me and Humphrey in this room and no one else around.
Are you sure?　There is no one else in this room but me and Humphrey. I don't think so.

　Rene looked more than skeptical, he just looked worried.
　She looked like a child afraid of the dark, and even though she knew she was dealing with a transcendent undead monster, she still felt protective of it.

"Yes. As a warrior myself, I have some confidence in my ability to detect the presence of those who hide in plain sight.
"I see. ......

　I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one.

I'm sure you'll understand. So let's get to the point.
　I'm sure you're aware of what I'm asking of you,.......
　I want you to betray the pretender, Hilbert, and help me.

　Here it comes, thought Bertil.
　He had expected this, but to hear it face to face was like having his heart grabbed.
　I will betray and murder the current king who came to the throne in a coup d'etat. ......

I have no desire to kill needlessly. I am not interested in the prosperity or destruction of this country after I have taken my revenge.
　If you do not want a rebellion, but only the peace of this land, then our interests are aligned in one thing: to end the war quickly.

　Rene put his hand on his chest and said pleadingly.
　Bertil watched him with a poker face. I don't believe every word Rene says, but who else but her would talk like this to the undead? I got the impression that she was intelligent and knew how things worked.

　It is painful to think that such a girl was cruelly beheaded in the frenzy of the coup.
　However, he did not shake his head out of compassion.

Frankly speaking, I have two concerns.
　First, is the defeat of Ciel-Teira really inevitable? And will you really stay without harming your people?
　Unless this can be guaranteed, my betrayal will be detrimental to the nation.
"Of course. But, at the risk of repeating myself, ......



　For a brief moment, a cold light flickered in his silvery eyes.
　Rene laughs. Prankishly.

If you're asking if Ciel-Teira's defeat is really inevitable, I'd like to ask, "Do you really think you can defeat me? I'd like to be able to say that.
"......!!!

　Bertil was at a loss for words.
　We've already seen how powerful she can be. That ward-breaker. It was a mere attack spell that defeated Rene, even though more than 30 sacred wizards had worked together to weave it.
　His subsequent victory in the air battle was also brilliant, but it gave the impression that he was still hiding his power. He was probably just waiting to recover the magic power he used to break the wards. If he was at full strength, all the airborne cavalry would have been shot down by magic attacks from a distance alone.

I'm not going to let you get away with this. No matter how much you spend on the lives of your mooks, I will reap it all in a single touch of armor.
　There aren't many people fierce enough to defeat me.
"You don't mean there aren't.

　It's a big deal to call knights who are experts in combat mooks, but I don't think that's a big deal. It's just a fact.
　It's a fact that even Bertil, who is in charge of the second knight order and should have power commensurate with his position, doesn't think he can defeat Rene in single combat.

　--But Lawrence could?

But Lawrence?
　I'm sure the winner of this battle will be decided by a direct confrontation between me and the First Knight Commander. I'm sure you'll know what you need to do when you see that battle.

　If anyone could defeat the "Rose Princess of Hell", it would be none other than Lawrence.
　This was something that Bertil agreed with.

If you have a lot of allied forces left until the final battle, you will have an advantage in the decisive battle. As for me, I want to keep as many men as possible so that I can fight in the best possible condition.
　And if ...... the Second Order is safe, you will be able to exert a great deal of power no matter which side you are on.
　The First Knight Commander has defeated me before. You know how to defeat me before, don't you?
"Yes.

　How could you not know?
　It was Lawrence and the First Order that fought Rene, but it was Bertil himself who came up with that strategy.

　--If you can get the Second Order to support Lawrence, you can do the same thing even if the First Order is wiped out.

　Lawrence is a uniquely powerful man, and Bertil is not even close to Lawrence. However, his subordinates, the individual knights, are no less powerful than the First Order.

　Barthil is making calculations at a dizzying pace.
　Possible changes in the situation. Rene's own abilities. An army of undead.
　It's not something I want to think about, but if we give up on protecting the citizens from the undead soldiers and focus all our efforts on protecting Hilbert and supporting Lawrence, will we be able to defeat Rene ......? No, even if you can't defeat him, if you can defeat him, Noah Curio's reinforcements should be able to reach you in time.

If the Second Order is safe, you will be able to figure out which side to take until the last minute.
In other words, are you saying that it's best for both sides to wait and see?

　I'm not saying to turn on each other out of the blue, I'm saying to give each other time to think if it's worth turning on each other.

The second knight order will not destroy the undead soldiers, and the undead soldiers will not kill the second knight order.
　I do not regard the Second Order as a target for active execution. I don't want to kill them if I don't have to.
　I think a quick end to the fighting would be a mutually beneficial outcome.

　And then there was silence.
　If your primary goal is to defeat Rene, then you should not wait around and join forces with the First Order, which is the best way to do it. ......

　I'm not sure what to make of this. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　Various calculations and simulations of future movements were running in Bertil's head.

"...... You can only trust that I will not harm the people.
　I've already taken many lives, but fortunately I'm calm now. I have no intention to kill needlessly.
　I would like you to consider it all the more important that I have not lost any non-combatant lives in the battle to this point today.
"Nhu ......
I'm not sure what to make of that, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
　If anyone wishes to evacuate the capital, they can pass through here.

　Rene said something I hadn't expected.
　Bertil was taken aback by this.

What ......?　Are you saying you're willing to give up the advantage of a complete siege?
It's more important that you trust me.

　--It's about time. ......

　Bertil decided that it would be better to make a compromise here than to extract any more concessions from Rene. You can't do anything if you break down.

...... I understand. I'll take a look at it for now.
Thank you!

　I'm not sure what to do. He seemed to be overcome with emotion.

But this is just a test. I'm acting for the good of this country. Don't forget that.
Yes, I understand.
　I'll be in contact with you again if necessary to work more closely. Thank you in advance.
"Yes, sir. Please do not make any mistake in your promise.


　...... Oh, and one last thing, if I may?
What is it?

　Even though he was a little afraid that he might offend her, Bertil couldn't help but ask.
　He was curious to find out more about Rene's character.

Why did you leave the army?

　It would have been easy enough to fight him, but Rene had retreated with a dead wyvern as a souvenir, and had turned the fight back to a standoff. I was curious about his intentions.

　When asked, Rene responded with no sign of dismay.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's worth it.
"...... I see.

　The first knights were killed because they participated in the coup, while the second knights were not killed because they did not act aggressively. ......?
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　Rene's actions up to this point seem simple and straightforward, but there is something unnatural about them.

　Perhaps his first strike was an act of intimidation (demonstration) to get himself to the negotiation table. I thought that this was the reason why the 2nd Knights were not harmed,......, but Bertil did not say anything more.
　In such negotiations, both parties are aware of the deceit, but they also talk about it with a sense of importance.

　--It's cute if you're upset because you've been poked in the eye, but ...... can you do this kind of bellyaching? I'm sick of it.

　If it's all calculated, it's childishly cunning. It's not something a 10 year old would do.
　I'm sure you'll be able to do it. ...... Well, a normal 10 year old wouldn't come back from the guillotine as the undead, but that's about it.
　It's dangerous to think of them as children who lash out haphazardly with their emotions, Bertil thought.

I understand. I'll leave you to it this time.
"Yes. I hope that your choice will lead to the outcome you desire.

　When Bertil looked up to thank him, the connection to the Visioner had already been cut.

　As soon as he saw that the Visioner was indeed out of effect, Bertil quickly pulled out a folded bill from his pocket.