"I understand that the two of you need time to grieve. So I shall be the one to play the villain."
Elizabeth broke the silence and spoke.
"The Marquis is already dead. We must deal with the living enemies in his stead. Genoa or La Spezia—we need to determine precisely which direction the Imperial forces will advance."
"Mm."
Grief was grief, and the council was the council. They couldn't remain lost in sorrow forever. What's more, by calling him "the Marquis"—using his formal title from when he was alive—Elizabeth had indirectly expressed her mourning……
"The Consul's words are correct. But I think differently. In any case, they can choose at any time whether to march on Genoa or advance to La Spezia. No matter what strategy we devise based on what the Imperial forces might be thinking, it will be futile."
"……."
"What is it that we must defend at all costs? Our strategy should be built around that."
It was an extremely sensible and correct observation. The Duke of Milan, sitting nearby, nodded in agreement.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, smiled. It was a bitter smile—not mocking anyone in the room, but closer to mocking herself. The Grand Duke could not fathom which part of their exchange had just provoked that self-directed mockery.
The bitter smile lasted only a moment. Elizabeth naturally carried on.
"A fair point. Grand Duke, which location do you consider most important?"
"Genoa is the strategic stronghold we must defend at all costs. It is a major city, home to our naval base, and above all, wealthy. It cannot even be compared to La Spezia."
The Grand Duke spoke firmly, with conviction.
"Even if La Spezia were to fall, it would not greatly affect the overall situation. However, Genoa is different. It is one of the kingdom's foremost cities. If Genoa falls after Parma, the citizens of the kingdom will tremble with fear."
"This old man sees it differently."
The Duke of Milan objected.
"Genoa possesses fine, sturdy walls. Even should the enemy swarm in, they can hold out for well over a year. But La Spezia is different. There is a great likelihood the citizens will rise in rebellion. If we do not station sufficient troops there, we will be handing the entire city over to the Empire as a gift."
"Duke. That is precisely the problem—the sufficient troops."
The Grand Duke let out a quiet sigh.
"No matter how I arrange it, my forces cannot defend both cities simultaneously."
"Hm."
The two nobles' expressions grew grim.
Should they safely hold a single major city, or take the greater risk and defend two? Compared to last time, the two nobles had completely swapped positions. Now the Grand Duke argued for the safer route, while the Duke pushed for the riskier one.
This was because the Grand Duke of Florence had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Imperial forces. He now understood all too well how terrifying the enemy truly was. If there was even the slightest possibility of danger, he did not want to take it. That was the Grand Duke's honest sentiment.
"Surely this is not a simple matter."
"Do you have a good solution, Consul?"
Elisabeth nodded.
"Before the Empire arrives, we simply reduce La Spezia to ashes with our own hands."
"What…"
Reduce to ashes? What had this woman just said? The moment the Grand Duke of Florence registered his disbelief, Elisabeth spoke again with unmistakable clarity.
"We dispatch our troops to La Spezia, tear down the city walls, and eliminate the residents. Any citizens who resist should be purged as an example. Rather than handing it over to the Empire, we would be better off wiping it out entirely."
"What—have you lost your mind?!"
The Grand Duke stared at Elisabeth in horror. There was not a flicker of wavering in her eyes. A surge of fury boiled up from the depths of his chest.
"We have no right to destroy La Spezia!"
"The Marquis of Lodi, who holds the city, has been designated a traitor. Eradicating a territory of treason is a perfectly natural procedure, is it not?"
"It is easy for you to speak so glibly when they are not Sardinians, Consul."
The Duke of Milan made no effort to hide his displeasure either.
"We have just resolved to stand together against the Empire, and now you would increase the body count further? This is, quite frankly, insane."
"It is simply a strategically necessary measure."
Elizabeth responded calmly.
"We cannot defend both Genoa and La Spezia simultaneously. If we hand over La Spezia intact, we will only be feeding the enemy. That being said, the choice left to us is clear — destroy La Spezia."
"......"
The Grand Duke's lips trembled.
He struggled to contain his fury and spoke with deliberate precision.
"The Habsburg Republic is truly blessed, to have someone like you as its head of state."
"......"
"What does it feel like, shut away in this cramped room, casually deciding whether tens of thousands of lives are strategically necessary or not? Does it feel good? Tell me, Consul. Is power that sweet?"
The Grand Duke slammed his right fist down on the table. In the end, he could not hold back all his anger.
"As the Grand General of the Kingdom of Sardinia, I am issuing an order! The deliberate slaughter of my nation's subjects, or the act of leaving them in harm's way, cannot be justified under any pretext whatsoever!"
"......"
"You, in particular, must take special care, Consul. If you so much as treat them lightly on the grounds that they are not your people — I swear upon my house and my honor: this is our land."
An uneasy silence settled over the room.
In the charged atmosphere, where it seemed something catastrophic could erupt at any moment, Elizabeth murmured:
"How admirable. How beautiful."
It was a response entirely unfit for the situation. The Grand Duke furrowed his brow.
"What do you mean by that, Consul."
"Exactly what I said. I never knew that watching someone stand by their convictions could be this beautiful. I see... so this is what it feels like..."
"......?"
It wasn't an answer to her question. If anything, it only deepened her confusion. The Grand Duke looked at the Duke, and the Duke shrugged, signaling he had no idea what she meant either. There was no condescension or mockery in it, though. That only made the whole thing more bewildering.
Elisabeth offered a faint smile.
"My assessment is as follows. The Imperial Army is heading for La Spezia. They were two days late moving from Parma. During those two days, they would already have made contact with the citizens of La Spezia and prepared an uprising."
"Two days?"
"I moved from Venice two days ago. And yet the Imperial Army didn't march immediately. We must assume they were delayed because they were busy pulling some scheme."
The Grand Duke of Florence furrowed his brow.
"Could it simply have taken time to ready the march?"
"That's highly unlikely. The Empire already knew we would move. They would have had everything prepared to advance at a moment's notice."
"......"
The Grand Duke looked at the Duke again. Both great nobles were equally baffled. On what basis was Consul Elisabeth so supremely confident? In their eyes, the Consul seemed to be jumping to conclusions far too quickly.
"The problem comes after La Spezia falls. The Imperial Army will not head for Genoa."
"Then where are they headed, may I ask?"
"Florence. It is your domain, Grand Duke."
"......!"
The Grand Duke's eyes widened.
"That's impossible. If the enemy advances south toward Florence, they would be exposing their rear to me. Why would they willingly take such a risk..."
"Florence is your stronghold. No matter what, you will have to come out from Genoa to chase down the Imperial Army."
"......"
"You will be stepping from the safety of your fortress onto a perilous plain. That is the Empire's true aim."
Elisabeth smiled brightly.
The Grand Duke and the Duke found their gazes involuntarily stolen by her. She was the Consul, renowned since childhood as the greatest beauty on the continent. The two high nobles were momentarily stunned, like soldiers caught in an ambush on the march.
"Isn't it amusing, Grand Duke? The Empire is forcing a choice upon you."
"A choice, you say?"
"Indeed. Whether you will protect the citizens of La Spezia, or the subjects of your Florence. You will inevitably have to choose one or the other. And in doing so, what sort of person you truly are will be revealed... Heh heh. What a truly vicious hobby, wouldn't you say?"
Elisabeth smiled.
It was a smile so clear it seemed without a single speck of impurity, yet the Grand Duke felt a nameless sense of foreboding. The scorn the Consul had worn moments ago, and the smile she now displayed—neither was directed at anyone sitting in this conference room.
"...What a peculiar story. For such a choice to come about, the Imperial Army would have to move exactly as Your Excellency has described. On what basis are you drawing conclusions about the enemy's movements?"
"Grand Duke. I know the Empire well."
Elisabeth continued, her smile still unwavering.
"This is a classic Imperial ploy. They use your convictions as bait and present you with an impossible choice."
"...That's abstract. I cannot accept it as any kind of basis. To operate an army on such grounds would be preposterous."
"Oh? Is that so? Abstract, you say?"
Elisabeth propped her chin on one hand. She was clearly enjoying herself.
"As the Grand Duke says, I am nothing more than a mercenary from a foreign land. Even the wages of the mercenaries I've hired are provided entirely by the royal court of the Kingdom of Sardinia. If you, as the appointed deputy commander, give the order, I have no choice but to comply in silence."
"..."
Elisabeth smiled with her eyes as she gazed directly at the Grand Duke.
"How about this? You and I make a wager."
"A wager?"
"Station your forces in Genoa as you see fit. However, I will advance south toward Florence as a contingency. If the Empire attacks Genoa, I will immediately change course. And I will never again raise objections to your operational decisions."
The Grand Duke met Elisabeth's gaze without flinching.
"If, as Your Excellency predicts, the Empire advances southward?"
"Then I win. The Grand Duke shall give my opinion serious consideration in all future operations."
"Do you require nothing else?"
"That is all."
The Grand Duke and the Consul gazed at each other for a long moment.
"...Very well. I accept the wager."
"Grand Duke!"
The Duke of Milan spoke in a hushed, reproachful tone.
"Private wagers have no place in decisions that determine the fate of the realm!"
"It is quite all right, Duke. This wager benefits the Kingdom regardless of who wins."
The Grand Duke of Florence held his gaze fixed on Elisabeth's face.
"If I win, your forces advance north from the south, allowing us to pincer the Imperial army from both directions. If I lose, the result is the same. We attack the Empire from the north and south simultaneously. Is that not so, Consul?"
Rather than answering, Elisabeth offered a bright smile.
The Duke of Milan still spoke with a worried edge to his voice.
"But you run the risk of being defeated in detail if things go awry."
"I will exercise sufficient caution. Should the need arise, I will mobilize the fleet and take the sea route."
"Hmph. If the Grand Duke's resolve is truly firm, then I shall not stand in your way..."
Elisabeth tapped the table lightly twice with her fist.
"It is decided then. I must head south as quickly as possible, so I will take my leave."
"...Do take care."
From the curtain projected by the crystal orb, Elisabeth's image grew hazy and then vanished altogether. The Duke of Milan's figure faded shortly after.
Left alone in the conference room, the Grand Duke of Florence clenched his fist tight. The binary choice was nothing more than typical politician's logic—rhetoric used to justify one's own decisions. It couldn't be helped, they would say. It was an unavoidable choice, they would insist.
The Grand Duke of Florence was certain in his heart. A binary choice was nothing but an illusion. He would prove that…
============================ Author's Notes ============================
I will be uploading a reference map.