"Bertil Lagerbeck, Commander of the Second Order. This is the first time I've been able to find out about this. I'm not sure if it's the hope of Ciel-Teira, who survived the battle of King's Landing despite the loss of both of her arms. ......

　A girl with long honey-colored hair and white porcelain skin.
　A man in the shape of .......
　This is a great way to make sure that you are getting the most out of your investment.

I'm not sure I'd want to be in the princess's army,.......
"Hey, hey, hey, tell me who you're dealing with. I'm surprised, too.
　Tracy is an adventurer even I know the name of. I can't believe she was captured by Rene and made into his puppet.
I don't know what to say.

　Bertil drinks tea and moistens his lips with his steel skeleton-like artifact prosthetic hand.
　You can find a lot more than just a few simple pieces of furniture in a room that, at first glance, looks like a pre-furnished apartment. This is a medium-grade inn in the city of Teirakainen. The room was assigned to Bertil.
　Tracy, sitting opposite Bertil, was dressed in the work clothes of a thief, which showed off her curves. She had snuck in here under the cover of night so that no one would notice that Bertil had come into contact with someone.
　Tracy had come under Rene's orders to ask for Bertil's help.

　Her men were not in this place.
　Only Bertil himself and Rene's party knew of Bertil's decision.

"Is that the reason you're in this town?　Prince Ghislain.
That's it. Well, I was only told about it after I came here.
　Because of my position, I'm the only candidate for the crown prince, so I have to stick around.
That's right. Royal security is also the job of the Royal Court Knights.
......, you know. So you want His Highness' head, do you?
With all due respect, yes. Yes. And the Marquis, of course.

　Of course the Marquis does," Bertil muttered in his mouth.
　As soon as Hilbert is dead, he's going to set up another king to replace him, and then he's going to join forces with Noa Curio again.
　It is natural for René to find this unforgivable.

　But that doesn't mean I'm going to sell Gislain out so easily.

I'll only help if I think it'll reduce the death toll. I'd be happy if you brought me some bait that I could bite on.
"Hmm, if you can kill the Marquis and His Highness without incident, I'm sure they'll refrain from slaughtering the citizens.
That was a bargaining chip until the Noa Curio army showed up. I'm only interested in reducing the number of civilian casualties. If Rene loses, so be it.
The dazzling ...... glow of freedom is dazzling .......

　I'm not sure what to make of this.

I'm not going to let you down.
　The princess is preparing a countermeasure against the holy beast. And Noah Curio's army is ......, well, the first phase of the operation is underway, did you notice?

　Tracy holds up her index finger with a serious face.
　I'm not sure what to make of that.

　As soon as he was told, Bertil thought of an incident.

"...... Ah. I've been thinking that it was unnatural, but I knew it. I knew it was a development I liked, Rene.
I'm not sure.　It is not a lie that the knight is self-defense!

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.
　It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this.

　Barthil swallowed a swear.
　If Tracy is right, then first of all the Noahcurio soldiers who caused the scandal and the Marquis who covered it up are at fault.
　And then there's Rene, who saw an opportunity and took immediate action. It's unbelievable.

And also... The mysterious merchant should be on the move by now. A mysterious merchant who buys up food and fodder at two or three times the market price.
"Huh. ......
　In order to maintain a large Noah's Curio army, it is necessary to buy the necessary supplies locally. However, once the food is bought up, we'll just have to wait for it to dry up in the sun.
　Come to think of it, there must have been a lot of gold and jewels left in the royal castle that was attacked by the undead army. Well, what a coincidence...

　Every army needs supplies to stay active.
　There is a large scale transport from the home country using the sea and rivers, and Transportation Corps to transport overland from there. For powerful nations, mobile airlift using storage magic and airborne cavalry is also an option.
　However, transporting heavy goods requires a tremendous amount of manpower and money. It makes sense to procure as much as possible locally.

　Water, food, and fodder for the horses are relatively easy to procure locally. You will have to buy or loot from markets and villages.
　These things are absolutely necessary, except for the joke of an all-undead army, but they are consumed in huge quantities and are very bulky if you want to carry them over long distances.
　I'm sure the Noah's Curio army has been buying them up in Ciel-Teira as well. ......

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. So there is a possibility that they will cooperate even if they have to push a little.


　But - if you have any doubts about the Noah Curio army here: ......
I think you want to hold onto your money for the future.
　I hate it when they pay well. If Rene does a scorched earth campaign, the remaining people will want to put their faith in Noah's Curio more and more, but that won't happen if they play it cool.
　Hahaha, when the buying up is over and we can't replenish our supplies, will the raid on the armory be the end of it?
"I'm sorry. A living army needs food, so that's tough.
d*mn it!　I hate enemy armies that don't need food!

　Bertille half-heartedly slammed his empty teacup on the desk.

I'm sure you'll be able to get some food from Noah's Curio next door,......, but I doubt it.
　If Rene herself moves to destroy the transport line, there's nothing you can do. She can only move around so lightly on her own, and the convoy's escort can't keep up. If we can get a convoy that can fight her without a position, we'll have no trouble.
　But Noah Curio can use storage magic and aerial cavalry for mobile transport. ...... No, there will be more zombies!

　Bertil shook his head.
　The battle over King's Landing was still fresh in his mind. If we let anyone fly, we'll just add more undead airborne cavalry to Rene's army.

　The more he thought about it, the worse it seemed to him.

The more he thinks about it, the worse it gets. "It's more like the Noah's Curio army came out unprepared because they were next door, so they could handle it. It's a good opportunity to seize the Gracelum vein, so it's natural for them to push themselves to come out.
　...... d*mn it, war in the wintertime is unreasonable. It's a good thing that you're not the only one.
　I love it!　Skeletons don't need to keep warm, they won't complain if you make them walk through the snow endlessly, and they won't get frostbite from metal equipment!

　Tracy looked pained as she saw Bertil scratching his head.

I think the Noah's Curio army is more interested in conquering demons than fighting a war.
　The atmosphere, the tension, it doesn't feel like we're dealing with an army. To be honest, I don't think you're licking your chops.
"So you're saying that the ...... Noah's Curio army is barely taking shape because it's supported by 'ease'?

　Tracy was full of conviction.
　I can't help but wonder how and when you figured that one out.

We don't fight wars in the winter, but we fight demons all year round, right?　That kind of thing.
　The fact that the princess escaped almost without a fight when we arrived also adds to the ease.
　I don't think there is any guarantee that the army won't fall apart when each soldier realizes that "this is war. Because no one wants to go to war in winter.

　It's possible, thought Bertil.

　He knows firsthand that the undead that attacked King's Landing were not a rampaging horde, but an army that conducted a proper siege and used strategy to bring the city down.
　He also informed the Noachurian army of the circumstances of the battle for the capital.

　But the top brass of the Noah's Curio Army probably didn't bother to tell their soldiers about the threat of the Rose Princess of Hell. There is a possibility that only the upper echelons of the Noah's Curia understand the situation accurately. Or perhaps even the upper echelons of ......

　An army that can no longer maintain its morale can easily lose control and collapse.
　You don't have to fight and lose, but you may find yourself in a situation where the Noahcurio army is in a mess just because Rene gave you a hard time.

If the Noahcurio army retreats or even temporarily malfunctions, the princess will be able to get everything done in the meantime.
"...... I know enough to know that it's going to be bad. The problem is what comes after that.

　In the past, Bertil had already given up on the idea of rebuilding Ciel-Teira with Gislain and Noah Curio as the pillars.
　But if so, what should he do?

If we don't rebuild the country, people will slowly die. The Marquis of Edfelt was motivated by the desire for power, but hopefully he was also protecting his people.
　He was able to bring together the princes that were about to fall apart in such a short period of time, talk to Noa Curio, and even drag out His Highness.
I know. I know. I've known the Marquis for a good amount of time, so it's hard for me.
　I've been with the Marquis for quite some time, and it pains me to say this. The Marquis doesn't care about the sorrows of the lower classes, but he loves the people as a number, and he's prospering his domain with his merciless kill-or-be-killed approach.
　If only he hadn't fought with the princess...
If only I hadn't fought with the princess." "That's it, if I make a bad move, I'll get the princess's attention. Now, how can I save my people without upsetting Rene?

　Barthel's goal is to save his country and his people.
　If you're looking to rebuild your country, you're going to have to watch Rene crush it and your people die. ......
　There is no reason to make a deal with Rene. No matter how hopeless it is, Bertil has to fight.

　Tracy crossed her arms and twisted around as if physically squeezing the idea out of her.

Hmmm... ...... In short, the princess can't stand it when the people who sent her to her death get their comeuppance. The same goes for the old Hilbertites gaining power, and the four powers that supported the coup gaining mining rights.
　So in the end, if it comes to a point where all the people flee the land of Ciel-Teira and it becomes a land of death! If that happens, those who can escape will be safe for a while. I think it would be better to flee to a small or medium-sized country that has nothing to do with Ciel-Teira, or to the Federation. It's not safe in the four major countries.
"Do you think that Rene will eventually destroy the Four Powers?
I think it's possible. I can't tell you why, though.
"...... I see. Is there something that would make me go to the trouble of silencing you?
"Yah.

　Tracy flicked her tongue out.
　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's had to deal with this.
　Perhaps that was the last hint Tracy was allowed to give.
　It was a warning, an offer of information.

Otherwise, if Ciel-Teira were to become part of the Federation in its entirety, that might be a possibility.
　At the very least, once the country is part of the Federation, the other four powers won't be able to interfere.


After all, it's the Federation, no matter what. ......

　The Federation of Gilesh Hathar.
　It is a country with which Ciel-Teyla has no close relationship.

　It's not like René is close to the Federation, but unlike the other powers that supported the coup, René doesn't care about the Federation.
　There was a big difference between holding a grudge and not caring.

I think the Federation has been in contact with the anti-coup princes.
Of course they are.
　Between you and me, there's even a 'Ciel-Teirah Initiative' in the Federation.
Does that mean that the Lacrima Kingdom on the eastern edge of the Federation is going to give a dukedom to the interim head of state here?
You got it. I'm sure you'll understand. We've lost our government functions, so we're talking about having the Lacrima government fill in for us.
　I'm not sure what you mean by that.
　I've heard that it's being called unfair within the Federation, so it's going to be tough to implement.
That's true.
If we want to avoid a war with Rene, I think we have to somehow maintain the appearance of a state and become a dependency of the Federation. In order to do that, we need to rebuild the government and have a king that everyone can accept.

　Bertil lowered his voice a little, though I'm sure he wasn't eavesdropping.
　I'm sure he didn't overhear me, but he still lowered his voice a bit, because in his position, he shouldn't have said those words.

...... Actually, I think we have a shot if the current movement is crushed badly.
　After that, while the old Hilbert faction is still stuck, the opposing princes will collude to establish a federal-leaning crown prince, and even if they have to use some rough tactics, if they can keep the country together,.......
If we can push through to the conclusion of a treaty with the Federation, the government can be rebuilt slowly and the Federation can get their hands dirty.
I think that's basically the direction we should go.
　I think it's a good idea to work in that direction. If Rene can let it go, it'll be easier.
All right, I'll ask her.

　I'll ask him." Tracy's lighthearted assurance made Bertil feel strange.
　I'll ask him.

　--It's hard to believe that it's a ...... monster, but it is.

I'm sure I'll be contacting you later about what exactly I'm going to do.
But I'm sorry you had to call on me, but I think I can do little more than blow a hole in my own security.
"Oh, really?

　I'm sure you're not the only one.

In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.
　You can use the fact that you are a survivor of a collapsed royal knight order as a foil for His Highness. The Marquis has a 'just do as you're told' attitude, and I don't get any military secrets.
　I didn't actively cooperate with the coup either, so I'm sure he's wary.

　It's important to know that the surviving members of the Royal Guard are on Zhislan's side.
　I'm not going to let you do more than that, and I don't expect you to from the start.

"Well, okay. It's up to you to decide how you want to use it.

　Tracy didn't seem particularly bothered.
　Tracy was just being obeyed. She wouldn't care if Rene lost as long as she survived.

"Well, I'll be going now.
"So I'll be going back to Rene. I don't know what to say. ...... I know it's hard, but hang in there. I don't know if I should say "hang in there.
Yeah, ...... pray for me that the world doesn't end. ......
Haha, the world. ......

　Tracy leaned out the window, leaping into the darkness of the night.
　Her honey-colored hair fluttered in the air as she waved goodbye.

　After a pause to watch his back, something cold invaded Bertil's chest.

"Is the ...... world really in danger?

　The sound of gulping seemed to be strangely loud.