The wind is strangely dry, probably because there are few mountain ranges in this region. I forced the rum down my throat to get rid of the feeling of the cloth sticking to my throat.

There is no response from Philos, and the Great Church has not moved. No response from Philos and no action from the High Holy Church.

　He sits back in his chair and looks towards the Cernio Plain. There were no foreign objects there, just tall plants and flowers that looked comfortable.

　Of course, there was no way I could get much of an idea of the situation by peeking through the tent. If I were allowed to, I would have sent my horse to scout. That used to be my main job, so it's easy.

If you're fine with peace and quiet, I'm fine with peace and quiet.

　In front of me, Erdis nodded, his pale blue hair brushing his cheek. That's a very euphemistic way of putting it. Perhaps it was Elddis's way of being sarcastic. Her cheeks crumpled and she cowered.

　The war between the heraldry and the archdiocese had been quietly drawing to a close.

　They were camped on the east and west sides across the Sarnio Plain, their gazes intertwined, neither moving. Of course, there would be a few skirmishes, and guards would exchange spears, but at the very least, they were not even trying to start a battle that would decide the outcome of the battle.

　After the meeting between me and old Richard, there has been a long and eerie calm. It's an undesirable peace for us, the heraldry.

　The more time ticks away, the more likely it is that reinforcements will arrive for the Daishonin army, and we have little hope of that. Besides, if the field stagnates, the food supply as well as the morale of the soldiers will be eaten up at an alarming rate.

　To put it another way, warfare is a frenzy.

　The act of cheating one's brain out of the heat of battle and affirming that life has a price tag is what people call warfare.

　Once the heat is gone, the soldier can no longer move his limbs. The spear that was supposed to be able to pierce anything looks very thin, and the limbs become so cold that they can only fight. This is a common occurrence on the battlefield. The feeling of the heat being taken away from you like a wave suddenly receding. That's not something you want to experience over and over again.

　Depending on the amount of heat hidden in their skulls, people can easily twist off a man's head, but they also can't move a finger. It is extremely inconvenient.

　That is why it is not good to swallow silence or stagnation on the battlefield. Especially if you are outnumbered.

　Of course, I understand the meaning of this stagnation and silence. Both sides are trying to figure out where the autonomous city of Philos is headed.

　The existence of Philos, a self-governing city located very close to the Sarnio Plains, is something to keep an eye on in the course of battle. If Philos were to make a firm alliance with the enemy, it could be bitten in the side during the battle. Therefore, whether he becomes an enemy or an ally, we must keep a close eye on his movements.

　Either way, both sides can't make any major moves until Philos's movements become clearer. That's why I'm nervous. My heart burns. It's that old Richard. You never know what else he might be planning in this silence.

　--So why don't we just go ask him what's on his mind?

　Of course, I'm not here to start a war. I'm just going to throw a few rocks at him to see what he's up to, that's all.

　That thought crossed my mind, and just as my eyes narrowed.

"Lugis.

　Erdis's voice made me jump up and down. It was not a voice that tickled my ears as usual, but a sharp voice that pierced the core of my head. Her blue eyes twinkled.

"You can't do that. I won't allow it.

　A shiver ran down my spine. Elddis's blue eyes stared straight at me as if she could see right through me.

　No, wait, what are you talking about, not forgiving? I haven't said anything yet, I haven't even acted. I haven't even moved a finger. So what should Elddis forbid me to do, and for no reason at all?

　He waited silently for Erdis to speak, with clear skepticism and agitation on his face.

He waited silently for Erdis to say something. Just like in the Gazarian Civil War.

　There was a hint of annoyance in Elddis's tone. It was as if she was trying to say something, and was trying to euphemistically convey it to us.

　And Elddis's words were exactly what I was thinking. I thought I was twisted, but maybe I'm more straightforward than I thought.

　I guess Erdis is trying to tell me not to take the risk of working alone. But even so, on a battlefield like this, there are times when it is less dangerous to move in small groups than to go out with a large number of troops. And I'm not trying to go it alone. I have a few people I can rely on.

　That's what he said in a light tone of voice. I thought I had guessed what Elddis was trying to say, that there was nothing to worry about.

It's disgusting. So, am I included in the list of people you rely on?

　Apparently, I was way off the mark.

　At the same time, his blue eyes began to change shape. There was a fierceness condensed in those eyes, as if they were about to crush anything that stared at them.

　It was an eye that I had never seen before, not even in the past. It's not just ferocious, it's ferocious to the extent that it wants to bite you with a clear will.

　Immediately, the air in the tent dies out, and a strange alarm bell begins to ring deep in my chest. It was more like a biological instinct screaming at her than an emotional response. Elddis's eyes, then her voice. They're in danger.



　Slowly, she opened her lips, choosing her words carefully. Her tongue was twitching with tension, as if her head would fall off if she said the wrong words.

"Of course. But Elddis, you are the Hanging Gardens, Queen of the Elves--

　So you can't just walk around with her, you know your place. I tried to continue, but Elddis bit my words off.

"And you're that knight. And you're a knight. If you're talking about position, that's where you should be, Rougis.

　It's not nice, is it? I'm sure you can understand why I was suddenly invited to the Erdis tent, and I think I understand why now.

　In short, Erdis, the Queen of the Elves, is saying that she is very unhappy with my behavior.

　And it seemed that her dissatisfaction was very deep-seated. The way she spoke was filled with emotion, which was unusual for her.

　Her small lips formed an oval, and her voice echoed.

"I'll tell you this, Lugis. I feel like I've been rudely touched in the ear. I feel like I've been rudely touched in the ear because the person my knight relied on for that meeting was not my soldier, but someone else.

　Were my soldiers so unreliable, or did you not trust me? Erdis' voice was colder than an icicle as he continued.

　I don't know what to say to her. I'm not sure how angry an elf would be at the idea of having his ear rudely touched, but I know it would not be a shallow one.

　I run my thoughts from one end of my head to the other, trying to find the right words, but I can't seem to get them to come out. I opened and closed my lips several times.

　Perhaps seeing this, Elddis's cheeks fell slightly. Her eyes were still glittering with a fierce color, but her expression seemed to have relaxed.

　As she slowly moved her eyes closer, Erdis let out a few words. The sweet smell of flower honey tickled my nostrils.

　--If you don't want to rely on me, that's fine, of course. If you don't want to rely on me, of course that's fine. I swear I won't use any of my powers then. Not as queen, not as an individual. Or maybe you're counting on me, you tell me.

　I won't let you change my mind now that I've said it," Elddis said. The voice reverberated in my ears again and again.