I found myself having to make a major shift in strategy.
(Damn it. If only that princess of Rolfis hadn't been so terrible, we could have just won this from Rolfis's side.)
Rolfis, the nation that had discovered mithril in the Dungeon.
Zayin, the nation that claimed the goddess had granted it to them.
On the surface, these were the root causes of the current war.
But then there was the third country — the Kingdom of Selva.
Looking through some of the information I had gathered:
The prince of Selva had been betrothed to the princess of Rolfis — her only daughter.
The current Holy Maiden of Zayin was the daughter of a former Selva noble.
A country with ties to both sides, yet one that had not made any overt moves in the current war — that was Selva.
It was my room in the mansion that Novem and the others had purchased, where we were preparing to receive everyone.
I sat in a chair at my desk, talking to the voice of the Jewel.
"There's a country that seems suspicious no matter how I look at it, but can we really take on all three nations at once?"
In response to my words, the Sixth Generation's voice came from the Jewel resting on the desk.
"Don't worry. Luckily, you've got quite a few cards in your hand. A former Holy Maiden, a former High Priest, a knight of Rolfis... and a former Holy Maiden candidate. With the information you've already gathered, all you need to do now is decide where to aim."
Where to bring this war to its conclusion — to me, that was the difficult question.
Then, sensing a presence, I picked up the Jewel, hung it around my neck, and fell silent.
The Third Generation's voice came.
"Oh my, someone's here already."
Footsteps sounded, growing closer by the minute. As I sat in my chair watching the door, a somewhat forceful knock echoed through the room.
"Come in."
The moment I said that, the door burst open.
It was Shannon who stepped inside, completely out of breath. Gasping for air, she turned toward me and opened her mouth to speak.
At first, no words came out—maybe she couldn't find her voice right away—and after a brief pause—
"Layel… you've got a visitor."
Looking at Shannon's exhausted face, I smiled.
"Ah, right. Seriously though, this mansion is huge."
As I stood up laughing, Shannon shot me a resentful look—at least the endless walking through the halls was doing something about her lack of exercise.
"Then sell the damn thing already! I'm terrified out of my mind and nobody even mentions selling it! They're calling it a haunted mansion, you know!"
We had purchased the infamous haunted mansion in Baim, and a few days had already passed since arriving. But nothing particularly unusual had happened.
The rumors were probably just blown out of proportion.
According to Novem, there were cells underground or something like that—maybe that was the source of the rumors.
"Still, Alette sure moves fast."
I left the room with Shannon in tow. She seemed to be keeping unusually close, but that was probably because she was scared of being alone in the mansion.
She was closer than usual, making it difficult to walk, when the Sixth Generation spoke up.
*"Layel, hold her hand."*
Taking the hint, I figured it was better than walking at this awkward distance, so I extended my hand to Shannon.
Shannon hesitated for a moment, but then took my hand. The two of us walked down the corridor toward the room where our guest was waiting.
As various thoughts ran through my mind, Shannon—
"B-Because it's scary, so I held your hand for you, okay!"
That's what she said.
"Sure, sure. Thank you."
When I gave my half-hearted reply, Shannon grumbled something under her breath. As I listened, I thought about how my talk with Alette would go.
(Now then, what kind of response will Rolfis have?)
Walking down the corridor with sunlight streaming through the windows, I worried about what lay ahead.
The sitting room of the manor.
Seated on a sofa with a table between us, I faced Alette.
Standing straight behind Alette at a slight angle was her adjutant, and behind me at a slight angle, Monica had finished preparing tea and was standing at the ready.
On my side, why exactly was a maid standing behind me?
(She's definitely got this wrong.)
Though I harbored my grievances toward Monica, I was about to broach the subject with Alette. But it was Alette who opened her mouth first.
"I hear you hired Crate. Are you planning to participate in this war?"
While sipping her tea and casting her gaze downward, Alette received my nod.
"If you're on our side, we're old faces. I'll give you some preferential treatment. But if you're on the enemy side, I won't show mercy on the battlefield."
Alette was composed, but there was something sharp about her air.
"I'll be participating. And as for which side... well, I'm thinking of joining as the fourth faction."
The cup in Alette's hand stopped, and her gaze turned toward me. I continued my explanation without pause.
"On my way back from a commission, I picked up a large package. I ended up taking on a personal job, and if that's the case, rather than affiliating with any one side, it seems better to participate as a fourth faction."
As I said this with a smile, Alette's expression turned serious.
"Between us and Zayin… that's a matter involving two nations, isn't it?"
Yes. That was my initial assumption. But the third faction seemed to be hanging back as well, waiting for Rolfis to weaken — or be whittled down.
As for me —
"Let's set aside the finer details. I did consider participating under Rolfis's faction at first. But the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I became. Her Highness the princess… I hate to say this, but she's in a rather dire position again."
The moment I said that, the adjutant's expression sharpened.
Alette raised a hand to stop the adjutant from speaking.
"I've heard some strange rumors floating around, but our princess is a beautiful and brilliant young woman. This war is causing her great pain as well. She even said that if it would prevent the conflict, she would hand over the mithril without hesitation — that material possessions mean nothing compared to the lives of her people."
The king and queen of Rolfis had both passed away, and the princess was their only daughter.
There were other royals — branch families existed, since it was a small kingdom — but the princess had been designated as the sole heir. However, she had not yet ascended to the throne.
A nation balanced on a knife's edge.
That was Rolfis today.
Alette turned to me to confirm the existence of the third faction.
"So, Laiel, you seem to believe a third faction is out there. Any idea where they might emerge from? I'd very much like to know. I hear you've been using information brokers to gather quite a bit of intelligence."
She already knew that I had been collecting information.
And she was right — I had been gathering everything I could get my hands on, regardless of method.
"I believe the third faction is Selva. They'll likely make their move once Rolfis has been sufficiently weakened. Whether they plan to deal the final blow or show up playing the generous savior — I haven't dug that deep."
Alette let out a sigh.
The adjutant opened his mouth to speak, but she waved her left hand dismissively to cut him off. She looked at me, drained the last of the tea from her cup, and spoke.
Monica rose to prepare a fresh serving.
"That's right. Selva is moving too. But we'd like to resolve things before they do. You seem to have been doing quite a bit of digging — but poking your nose in too deeply has a way of shortening one's lifespan."
The words could have been taken as a threat, but I shrugged, sank deeper into the sofa, and carried on.
"I have a few requests. I'd like an audience with Her Royal Highness the Princess of Rolfis. I'd also like to meet with three people from Zayin: the former Saint Selma, the former High Priest Gastone, and Aura, who was a Saint candidate."
Alette looked surprised at my words.
"The moderates from Zayin, I see. Quite the catch... So you've gone and picked up something outrageous again. Leave them with us, and we'll see to it you're handsomely rewarded."
I shook my head.
"I've already taken on the commission. Besides, I'd like them kept hidden for a while."
"What do you plan to do with this audience? They'll cooperate with us, I take it?"
I nodded at Alette's words.
"I want Rolfis to win. Besides, Zayin deserves to take a beating. And while we're at it, I'd like to rough up Selva too."
Alette wore a puzzled expression.
"...That's all well and good, but what's your angle here, Lyle? Are you trying to start a mercenary company? The odds of failure seem greater than those of success, if you ask me."
I flashed a smile at Alette.
"We'll win. This audience is preparation for exactly that. I'm going to cooperate with Rolfis and lead this war to victory. Well, the winning side does consist of two nations, technically."
"Two nations?"
When Alette said that, I kept smiling.
"So, what do you think? Can you arrange for us to meet with Her Highness?"
Alette's expression grew troubled.
"I'm just here to report. I'm not in a position to make any decisions. Though who knows — they might send orders telling me to secure you by any means necessary."
Seeing Alette's fearless grin, I spoke.
"If that happens, we'll simply operate from Zayin's side."
After Alette and the others left the manor, I moved on to the next preparations.
The first-floor hall had plenty of space, and it was decided the formation ceremony would be held there.
I rushed to spruce up the hall, then brought out tables and arranged drinks and food.
Novem and Monica prepared dishes one after another, while Miranda, Aria, and Clara set them out.
May kept trying to get her hands on the food, so Shannon stood guard over her.
And then there was Eva.
"I just have to sing something light, right?"
"Right. Something that gets people fired up."
I was in the spot I'd prepared in the hall, teaching Eva what she would sing. I needed Eva to perform to get the crowd going.
"...I'm not happy that it's not the main event, but if I can sing it, I guess that's fine. How many people are coming?"
Eva looked somewhat displeased, but she was asking after counting the number of tables in the hall.
"Oh, I never told you, did I? I had you go out shopping and also needed the costumes arranged."
Amid the flurry of preparations, I explained to Eva.
"Crate and his people, plus some starry-eyed adventurers who want in on this job. Some are acquaintances of Crate's, too. There are small parties, former knights from various countries, that sort of thing. In terms of scale, roughly a hundred people."
I'd gathered everyone I could, and this was the limit of what was currently possible.
"...You rounded up a hundred people? And you're going to pick a fight with Zayin without even borrowing Rolfis's strength? Even if you want a small force to defeat a large army, are you really going to fight with only that many?"
I smiled.
"Don't worry—support personnel will be there, so fewer than half will actually be combat-ready. Plus we couldn't get enough equipment in time, so this time it'll be around thirty people."
Eva stared at me with a look of utter disbelief. After all, the enemy was an army numbering in the tens of thousands. And here I was, proposing that our side—roughly forty people all told—go up against them.
I could understand why she'd think this was a joke.
"I-I'm fine, really. Just trust me. I'm not the kind of guy who pushes things too far."
When I said that, Eva let out a light sigh.
"I'd prefer you say that with the same confident expression you had before. But well, I've already decided to follow you, so I won't object. Besides, if this works out, it's guaranteed to become a hero's tale. Oh, and one more thing—don't you dare go dying before you confess. I'm looking forward to that, you know."
Hearing her tease me like that at the end, I blushed and looked away.
That was when Selma and Aura came over to join us.
They were wearing costumes Monika had hand-made, and they really pulled off the vibe. The outfits could almost be described as white dresses that clung to the skin, and both of them looked rather embarrassed about it.
Aura especially.
"Hey, what was that maid thinking?! Clothes that show off body lines like this... And on top of that, she had the nerve to nitpick our outfits when she saw them!"
Monika had taken one look at Selma and Aura—and at the shrine maidens too—and said:
"You're shrine maidens, yet you're wearing nun outfits... How inappropriate."
Right then and there, I told her, "You're the one who's wrong." And that was how Monika had ended up making costumes for her and Chief Priest Gastone, with rather flashy results.
Selma, still fidgeting with embarrassment, said:
"This is honestly a bit too embarrassing... Is there anything I could wear over the top?"
Seeing Selma squirm like that, Eva replied:
"What's the big deal? The skin exposure is minimal. My stage costumes show way more."
Eva's performance outfits tended to be quite revealing. No, "tended to be" undersells it—she had a small collection, but every single one was daring.
Aura, increasingly irritated, said:
"This doesn't fit the image of a Saint at all! That maid took one look at my chest and scoffed!"
Watching Aura cover her small bust with her right arm, I turned my attention to the accessories for her arms and head. The pieces Monika had prepared were exquisitely crafted.
She had purchased a fair number of accessories and then put the finishing touches on them herself, and they really came together nicely.
"No, Monika's busy, and we're out of time, so that's not possible. Besides, Gastone seems pretty satisfied anyway."
We turned our attention to Gastone and the others, who were going over the preparations in the main hall.
He was wearing the outfit he'd been given. As a man, there wasn't much exposed, but it was a bit flashy. The hat was long and tall, and the clothes were loose-fitting. He looked quite pleased with the white and blue high priest's vestments.
According to him, they were more comfortable than what he usually wore.
(Monika really is too talented. Once the Porter upgrade is done, our preparations will be complete. After that, I need to hurry Zayin's side of the setup.)
While the preparations for the party… formation ceremony were coming together in a rush, I checked in with Selma.
"Ah, changing the subject, but make sure you carry out that matter we discussed."
Selma looked at me and nodded.
"That goes without saying. Honestly, winning a battle with this many soldiers already gives more than enough reason to grant them commissions. But really—are you planning to send only around fifty people to participate in a war? I'm no expert, but I don't think it's easy to defeat a massive army with a small force like in the stories."
Aura glared at me.
"You? Do you have any experience with war?"
The suspicious stare, combined with her frustration over being made to wear an outfit she didn't like—she was taking it all out on me.
I gripped the Jewel just once.
"Well, some, I suppose. But I'm not actually going to fight against an army of ten thousand. I don't plan to fight on the main battlefield either."
Hearing that, both Aura and Selma looked surprised.
Eva alone—
"Hey, that's not exciting at all. You couldn't even make a song out of that!"
She looked disappointed.