Vestalinu-Gerua opened his mouth, clopping his horse's hooves. Her tone was that of a fluent, educated person. She doesn't look like the head of a mercenary company, by any means. She is very different from me and her sister, Bruder. She grew up as the daughter of the Lord of Belle Fain and was called the Steel Princess.

"A war zone." "Please excuse me on horseback. How do you like it? Mercenaries in Belle Fain are not cheap, but I can assure you that they are not bad.

　Vestalinu turned her clear eyes to me and said.

　The smile on her cheek was very soft. I used to think that she was an uptight person, whether in the past or this time, but I can't seem to get that vibe from her now. I wonder if her reconciliation with Bruder has affected her in some way. Very well.

　Of course, there's only one answer. Her lips ripple, her cheeks lift, and she opens her mouth.

"Sure, we'll sell our warhorses to buy them. So, Bruder hasn't shown his face yet?

　He spread his arms and asked as if it was nothing. The Bruder I knew was not the kind of man who could stay in his carriage in front of a war zone.

　Rather, he was a man who even dared to throw his life away. I wonder if this has also been changed by the reconciliation with Vestalines. In a sense, it may be a good change, but it also makes me feel a bit lonely.

　Vestaline's fingertips bounce for a moment at my words. She let the words come to her mind, and then opened her lips.

It seems that you are tired from your long journey and are taking some time to rest.

　Rest. The Bruder. I honestly wondered if he was suffering from a hangover from drinking. Well, that's just the way it is. That's just like him.

　But whatever the case, it didn't change the fact that he had a reliable escort. Again, he looked at the Philos Urban soldiers, and then at Roseau, who was clinging to the top of the city wall. He tilted his lips.

"Well, the actor has made himself available. What do you say, Roseau? Are you retreating or are you coming?

　The answer to that question was easy to see in the feet of the city soldiers. Vestalinu's hatchet and the shattered pieces of skull and brain plasma made them all take a step back. And that's it. A step back is the end of the battlefield.

　Of course, retreating is a tactic. There are ways to fall back to lure your opponent in.

　But if you fall back like a dizzy, frightened child in the face of an enemy attack. There's no way you can go forward. That's the way it is with humans.

　The spirit shatters easily. Even if you could step forward again, your courage would have vanished.

　They can't fight anymore.

　Roseau gulped in air for a moment, then said.

...... Good. If you're going to run away, run away, you evildoers. It won't hurt us at all.

　Very well. That's a very nice, effusive curse. You can't see it from a distance, but its eyes must be searingly bright.

　He looks at Largd-Anne beside him with only his eyes moving. I asked her if she was okay with this ending.

　Anne nodded at my gaze and opened her mouth. The movement of her lips was strangely smooth. Perhaps she had been formulating her words in her head while surrounded by soldiers.

"Lord Roseau. Please send a message to Master Philos-Treit.

　Everyone around him snickered at the words.

　It was obvious that Philos-Treit was now in a position to be stoned by the citizens in exchange for his alliance with the heraldry. The message will not be of any use, nor will it even be delivered to Philos-Treit.

　However, Anne's cheeks flushed as if she knew she would get such a reaction. Her profile looked strangely passionate.

I'm sure you'll be able to understand that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. That is all I ask.

　Ann said in a high-pitched voice that echoed throughout the surrounding area. Hearing that, I almost let out a squeal.

　Oh, yeah, that's right. The girl named Anne is in the service of the saint Mattia. Then her nature is not always good. In fact, it would be more normal for her to be twisted.

　In other words, Anne seems to be talking to Roseau, but she is not. She is telling the citizens around her, as many people as she can reach, that she is going to take Roseau into custody.

　-Surrender Roseau to me quietly. And you will reinstate Philos-Treit. And I will spare your life.

　He's bad. Not so much what he's doing, but how he's doing it. She had a smile on her face as usual, but apparently Anne didn't like the idea of having her own plan thwarted.



　I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.


　.


　My bowels churned and my brain boiled with the heat of rage.

　Largd-Anne remembered something deep in her guts that made her feel like water was about to be lost from her body. I don't even know if I can call it an emotion anymore. It was just a raging, almost maniacal, emotion.

　It was anger at Roseau for betraying her, and remorse at her own inability to see his folly.

　What kind of person would take the initiative to shake off his hand in a place where death would be the only thing that awaited him if he did?

　No, I know there are people like that. He's standing right beside me, wearing a green uniform. So that's okay. But I hadn't realized that Roseau was a person who thought like that.

　Regret and humiliation clutched at Anne's heart and wouldn't let go. How could she not have seen it coming? How could she have dismissed him as nothing more than a mouthpiece? I'm not sure what to make of this. But of all things, to turn the other cheek at this point?

　There was anger, regret, and humiliation. But there was another emotion that dominated Anne's brain. It was bigger than anything else, and it filled her thoughts. To the point where she could no longer think of anything else.

　It was shame. Shame, no doubt. It wanders through Anne's brain, crowding out other feelings and thoughts.

　How could she, who is so good at controlling people and negotiating with them, be betrayed by someone and find herself in a tight spot? What's more...

　--To be humiliated like this in front of the hero, Lord Lugis!

　My cheeks are hot as if they were burning. If I let my guard down, my eyes will water from too much shame. Shame, great shame.

　Largd-Anne is well aware that she is useless on the battlefield or in martial arts, and she has no desire to compete with anyone there. But on the other hand, he was not willing to easily give up the backstage, post-processing, and negotiations, even to the saintly Mattia.

　Because if I were to become someone with no outstanding abilities, I would surely be out of his sight. I'd be nothing more than a civil servant.

　I refuse to do that. I cannot accept the idea of being pushed around to the end and ending up defeated when I have not yet gained control of him.

　That's why I couldn't afford to make a mistake only in my own domain. Largd-Anne's tongue twitched numbly, and her teeth bit together as if they were about to destroy themselves.

　The words came out of her mouth in a fever.

"By all means, tell Master Philos-Treit. He will be pleased to know that only one heart can fix all this.

　Anne felt her cheeks lift distortedly. Even with the cold wind beating down on her body, her organs remained heated and refused to cool down.