Arcadia, possessed by the Holy Magic Empire, was so large it looked like a small floating island.
A floating fortress, a mobile fortress—it was called by various names.
The master of such a fortress was Mia—[Miliaris Lux Erzberger].
She was petite, with dark brown hair tied into a ponytail.
Right now, she was wearing a dress, with a tiara and other accessories on her person.
However, her purple eyes looked sad.
She was gazing outside from within the fortress.
Until a short while ago she had been sickly, but inside Arcadia her condition was good.
Beside Mia, in addition to the maidservants who took care of her, was a magical creature: a black sphere with a single visible eye.
It resembled Brave, but its insides were completely different.
"Master Mia, why do you look so sad?"
Mia answered the magical creature.
"—Why do I have to fight my friends?"
The Empire was in a great hurry preparing to invade the Kingdom.
Around Arcadia, many warships were floating.
They were about to wage all-out war.
"The Kingdom is an entity on the Old Humanity side. If we continue to exist as we are, they will eventually realize that they alone are in danger. Furthermore, there are artificial intelligences that know about us. They will gather in the Kingdom and eventually bare their fangs at the Empire."
Strike before being struck.
That was all.
This was not a war.
It was a fight for survival.
Mia had also heard the circumstances from her father—Emperor [Bartholt]—and had received explanations many times.
But she could not accept it.
"I have friends in the Kingdom too."
"There are family and friends in the Empire as well. Can you tell them you want them to perish?"
Mia shook her head.
"I can't! I can't say that, but—"
Mia was heartbroken.
(What on earth am I supposed to do? —Sir Knight, why aren't you here beside me?)
The one who should originally have been by her side, [Finn Luta Hering], had returned to the position of the Empire's strongest knight, ranked first.
Because of that, he was now busy moving about in preparation for battle.
He could not stay by Mia's side.
The magical creature looked at Mia and seemed to sense that she was worried about whether they could win this war.
"Master Mia, there is no problem. The weapons on the Old Humanity side are nothing more than a hodgepodge. It is impossible to sink this Arcadia."
"—Uncle—no, His Majesty the Emperor didn't think so. Boo-kun was on alert too."
Boo-kun—Brave—had been wary of the Old Humanity side's weapons.
Regarding that, the magical creature said he was being overly cautious.
"It seems to be a cautious individual. Certainly I won't say we'll come out unscathed, but our victory is unshakable. I estimate our win rate at eighty percent."
"That means there's a twenty percent chance we lose, doesn't it?"
"Unless a miracle occurs, the Kingdom will not be victorious. Besides, His Majesty Bartholt is also requesting cooperation from other nations."
To secure certain victory, the Empire was asking for cooperation from the Rashel Holy Kingdom, which was at odds with the Kingdom, and from other nations as well.
Not all of them were New Humanity-side nations, but the other countries, who had no idea a survival competition had begun, were proceeding with talks to join hands out of wariness of the hero in the Kingdom—Leon.
"That said, it's an ironic story. Because there is a hero in the Kingdom who knows the truth of this war, the other nations are cooperating with us."
A man who had defeated the Republic single-handedly.
Leon, who had won countless battles, was more highly regarded abroad than within his own country.
Because of that, he had ended up giving other countries a reason to cooperate with the Empire.
"Leon-san—he's friends with the Sir Knight, you know."
"Lord Finn has promised to fight. One-on-one would be worrying, but in this situation, Lord Finn will win."
Mia looked down.
(—Sir Knight, the reason you cried before was because you knew this.)
◇
A sharp sound echoed through the room.
Slapped on the cheek, I looked at the tearful person in front of me and couldn't blame her.
Angie's voice was trembling.
"You—won't you trust us? Why are you trying to fight alone?"
Angie and Livia had apparently known the circumstances.
Thinking what a chatterbox, I turned my gaze toward Luxion.
But Luxion said nothing.
"Leon-san, please don't push yourself alone. If Leon-san died, we—"
Livia, with tears spilling down, pressed her hand to her mouth partway through.
I gave a bitter smile while looking down.
"—There's nothing to be done. Besides, in this fight, anyone else would be in the way."
In the corner of the room, Noelle was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
"In the way—that's a cruel way to put it."
But perhaps because she understood that she herself couldn't be of help, she didn't say more.
Angie cupped my face in both hands and brought it close to hers.
"News of the Empire's movements has reached our side too. The Empire intends to crush the Kingdom with all its might. That's not all. They're also asking other nations for cooperation. —The enemy is using every card they have. And yet, you—why!"
The reincarnators on the Empire's side are serious.
But it's impossible for me.
I have social standing in the Kingdom.
But unlike the reincarnators on the Empire's side, I have neither the time to prepare nor absolute authority.
The forces that would gather if I alone called out would be few.
The only ones who'd come would be the people close to me.
—I couldn't tell people like that to throw away their lives.
"I don't have any popular support, you see."
"Are you going to dodge the issue like that? Knowing you, you're thinking you don't want to drag us in, aren't you? But this fight is a survival competition. We have the right to know too."
"Even if you know—there's nothing to be done."
They probably have the right.
But what good does knowing do?
If they knew, the populace would panic and make a fuss.
Besides, would they really believe a story like this?
To put it in terms of my previous life, it'd be like saying that there was actually a civilization in ancient times that perished but was more advanced than today's—it's the same thing.
Very suspicious-sounding.
And what's scary on the battlefield is betrayal.
Even if we forcibly scrape together military forces, nobles will appear who, judging the Empire's side as advantageous, will betray us.
The territorial lords are especially dangerous.
To put it simply, they are kings of small countries.
The Kingdom is merely silencing them through overwhelming military force and acting as their boss.
So when someone stronger appears, they'll betray without hesitation.
Furthermore, once they themselves gain power, they'll come to destroy the Kingdom.
The Kingdom that rules over them surely can't rest easy either.
I've started to understand—just a little—the feelings behind creating that culture of treating women as superior and men as inferior.
To begin with, for the Kingdom, the territorial lords were not trustworthy.
And now, I feel the same way.
"Angie—you understand, don't you? Even if I call out, will the Kingdom lend its strength? Will they cooperate with all their might?"
Angie's gaze fell away from me.
"That—I can't promise."
If things go badly, there's even the possibility that the Kingdom itself will turn against me.
After all, we're about the only ones who know it's a survival competition.
Even the Kingdom's upper echelons don't know.
How would those upper echelons respond when facing the Empire's full force?
They'd fight, but—what if the enemy said they'd let it slide if I were handed over?
The Kingdom would, without a doubt, sell me out.
It's sad, but that's the Holfart Kingdom.
If sacrificing me alone would make the Empire sheathe its spear, they would surely hand me over.
Well, having thought about various things—everyone is in the way.
"You're in the way. The win rate drops, so I won't rely on you."
Angie let go of me.
"—Leon, will your feelings not change? Are you, until the very end, not going to trust us?"
"I do trust you. That's why I want you to survive."
Angie shed tears.
"You really are a cruel man. You're worse than even Prince Julius."
"—I think so too. So you'd be better off forgetting a man like me."
When I said that and tried to leave the room, Angie clung to my back.
"Leon, if you truly trust me, will you trust the Kingdom just one more time? I'll definitely bring it together."
"It's impossible."
What can you possibly expect from this sluggish, sloppy country?
As I was thinking that, Angie—
"There's one way to bring it together. There will be a burden on you too. It's not just me—or Livia. Noelle also needs to be prepared. But the three of us have already made our resolve. If you'll acknowledge us, we'll bring the Kingdom together. We can become your strength. So—please. Just once is enough, trust me."
When I stayed silent, Livia stood in front of me.
"Leon-san, please. Let us help you."
She was looking straight at me.
Normally, it would be Livia who cried while Angie remained composed—but today their positions were reversed.
Noelle scratched her hair, looking embarrassed.
"I'll do what I can too. So I want you to acknowledge what we're going to do."
What were they planning to do?
I looked at Luxion.
"Did you know what the three of them were going to do?"
"Yes."
"—Don't drag the three of them into anything dangerous."
"They are already involved. Besides, it is safer than what you are doing, Master."
As I was agonizing over what to do, Angie said to me while crying,
"I think it's unfair to Leon. But with this method, the country will come together. We can become your strength. Please. At least just listen to what we have to say."
I scratched my hair.
"Luxion, will it be all right? —The three of them won't end up in danger, will they?"
"—There will be some danger, I think, but I will assign guards. With that, there will be no problem."
"I see—then, do as much as you want."
"Leon?"
Angie pulled away from me.
"Do as you like. You don't need to consider the burden on me—prioritize yourselves."
I surely won't be able to come back.
But if I push the three of them away as is, there's no telling what they'll do.
It would be better to place them under Luxion's management.
"Then, an explanation—"
"Sorry, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. —I'll hear the story later. Luxion, let's go."
"Yes."
There's an item I need to retrieve now.
Leaving the three of them behind, I left the room.
I wanted to get away from the three of them quickly.
Because my hard-won resolve was about to waver.
◇
The room Leon had left.
The three left behind were in a delicate atmosphere.
"—As I thought, he won't trust us."
Livia embraced Angie, who let out a somewhat resigned-sounding voice.
"It's all right. Leon-san will trust us."
Though she said that, Livia too could feel that Leon didn't trust them.
More than that, she felt that he was hiding something.
Noelle put her hands in her pockets.
"More importantly, what are we going to do from here?"
Angie wiped away her tears.
Then, a brilliance returned to her eyes, showing strong will.
"I'm going to my family's home now."
Livia nodded.
"Take care."
"Yeah, it'll be fine. They'll be angry since we became enemies, but they won't actually go so far as to take my life."
Livia also spoke of her future plans.
"I'll head out to retrieve Are-chan and Vice."
Noelle shrugged.
"Then, I'll handle the Sacred Tree's sapling and—matters related to the Republic. I've already sent a letter over there, but it's scary not knowing what kind of response will come back."
Angie showed a composed attitude that made it hard to believe she'd been crying earlier.
"Then let's begin. This battle doesn't end just by winning, after all."
Angie and the others were envisioning what came after victory.
Because Leon was thinking only of winning, without considering what came after.
Even if Leon won, from the perspective of a Kingdom that didn't know the circumstances, he'd be treated as a dangerous person who defeated the Empire single-handedly.
It would be fine if Luxion was safe, but in the worst case, if Leon alone survived, it would be dangerous.
"I'll have him survive. After all, I promised to make him happy."
Livia also nodded with a smile.
"That's right. We made that promise, didn't we."
Noelle scratched the tip of her nose with her finger.
"I don't know about that story, though."
Angie smiled slightly.
"I'll tell you later. But it's a lovey-dovey story, so it'll be too late even if you regret it. —Well then, since we got Leon's permission, let's start acting."
When Angie said that, Livia looked a little uneasy.
"Leon-san wasn't really listening properly, though. —Will it be all right?"
Noelle, with her hands still in her pockets, tilted her head.
"He gets it, doesn't he? —Probably."