The room in Zayin that was gradually becoming my office.
There, I was on the verge of screaming.
Endless work.
And the work kept piling up.
Work so relentless it made me wonder how it had come to this.
"Why won't anything move? We're making progress on our preparations."
The just cause for the Selba invasion, along with the necessary troop count and supplies, were all in place. No, to be precise, we were simply reusing what Zayin had prepared for the Rolfis invasion.
The scale was four thousand.
That was the number of soldiers capable of fighting, and roughly the same number had been readied for rear support. At the same time, mercenary companies were being hired, and the invasion preparations were moving forward.
It was less than half the scale Zayin had envisioned for the Rolfis invasion. But even that was more than enough.
Given Selba's diplomatic situation, no reinforcements could be expected. The larger nations in the surrounding region behind Selba — Galleria, Rusworth, and the like — were all staring each other down, with no indication they would send aid. In truth, they weren't diplomatically hostile to Selba, but they weren't allies either.
They probably had little interest.
Having done nothing but paperwork — myself, Novem, Miranda, and Clara — we turned our gaze toward May, who was seated in the center of the room.
May was eating a meal that Monica had prepared.
"I definitely delivered the letter again, you know? But they said the meeting is still going on. It's taking forever."
May was smiling, but none of us could laugh.
I stood up and spoke to Novem.
"I'm going to go check with Gastone. I'll also need to have Aura and Selma write up some documents, so I won't be back for a few hours."
Novem smiled at me.
"Yes. I'll make sure to keep things moving along with the work."
She said that and saw me off. Miranda and Clara wore complicated expressions, and Monica voiced what they were all thinking.
"Running away, huh? You Chicken."
A room inside the temple.
It was a place that felt more peaceful than anywhere else.
Plants lined the walls and water flowed through the lavishly designed room. The four of them sat around a white, round table, but unlike the tranquil atmosphere of the room, all four wore exhausted expressions.
Selma, who was herself worn out, was checking in with Gastone, who looked like he might collapse at any moment.
"Gastone, how's the current situation?"
Gastone looked more haggard than before. His face was pale, his eyes were bloodshot, and he held a teacup with trembling hands.
"Everything except the Rolfis matter is under control. Well, there are problems, but they're at a manageable level."
Aura, completely drained, was eating snacks while leaning back in her chair with her right arm draped over the backrest. The snacks Monica had prepared.
"Seriously, why not just recall them right away? If you called back the priests scattered across the regions, wouldn't that solve everything instantly? Oh, this is delicious."
Even Aura, who wore a happy expression as she ate her snacks, was clearly quite exhausted.
Selma spoke.
"Even if we recall them, we won't have enough priests to send out. Besides, we're changing the current system of governance, so expect to be busy for a while. You've already become an official Saint. Going forward, we'll also be introducing hereditary succession to prevent interference from foreign nations."
It was the system of governance under which Zayin had endured interference from other nations and been drawn into wars. Changing it meant they were incredibly busy.
Multiple priests had collapsed — more than had fallen during the wars. They would collapse, receive treatment, and return to work.
This was hell.
Gastone looked at me.
"So, Lord Laiel will be heading to Rolfis. I'll have the documents ready shortly, but I have to ask… why won't Rolfis make a move? They're already spending a fortune just to maintain their soldiers as things stand."
I cut the numbers to less than half. But even so, moving and maintaining an army still required money and resources. If Rolfis wouldn't budge, we'd be the first ones to hit a wall.
"I'll go ask them about that too. I'd like to wrap it up quickly, though."
Selma looked over at me.
"Got some kind of scheme up your sleeve again?"
I picked up my cup, took a sip of tea, and shook my head without looking up.
From inside the Jewel, the Fifth Generation's voice came through.
"With fewer numbers you'd have no choice but to rely on tricks, but when you've got the numbers, a straightforward approach is best. It's better to minimize casualties, and having the numbers is a strategy and a force all on its own."
Gathering those numbers required strength of its own. If that were something we could do, there'd be no need to pull off any tightrope-walk of a plan in the first place.
"Nothing like that. We'll fight a normal war. Besides, the only reason those tricks worked was because I had you all with me. There's no way I could've won alone."
At that, Aura looked at me with a skeptical, half-lidded stare.
"Really now? The shrine maidens were saying that back in the city, the Holy Knight Order's commander is treated like a hero. A hero who defeated a massive army with a tiny force, they said. It's rather ironic, isn't it—having never once properly faced a large army."
I laughed.
"If I had fought a large army, I might have won that particular battle, but I would have lost the war."
Selma shook her head.
"So you could win, given the chance. But then, why won't Rolfis make a move? Could it be they doubt our capabilities? An army that lost to a handful of men..."
That did seem possible. Maybe I had won too many times, and Rolfis had come to think Zayin's forces were weak.
That we weren't worth relying on.
"Either way, we need Rolfis to get moving. I'll be back soon, so please keep the preparations going."
As I stood up, Gastone added one line.
"Come back as soon as you can. People will start dying otherwise."
—And Gastone threatened me with a weary smile.
After arriving in Rolfis with May, I headed straight to the royal castle.
The plan was to speak with Chancellor Lombolt before an audience with Her Highness the Princess. Alette had been selected as my guide.
As we walked through the castle grounds, I struck up a conversation with her.
"How are things in Rolfis?"
Alette looked slightly tense.
"They've calmed down somewhat. Most people believe the war has been averted."
It seemed they were lukewarm about the prospect of war.
"Zayin has officially announced that the whole incident was orchestrated by Serba. They're preparing to mobilize, so ideally they'd like to move as soon as possible?"
Alette turned back to me.
"We want to move too, you know. But opinions were split during the council of senior officials. Also… please don't get too angry about this."
I braced myself, and Alette made a guarded expression.
"Princess Annerine has said she will forgive Serba for this incident. She wants Zayin to back down without the engagement being dissolved."
I was so stunned I couldn't even speak, when suddenly I heard laughter from inside the Jewel.
"What? That's outrageous!"
"Now of all times, when they should be pressing the attack? Unbelievable!"
"It's a good thing Rolfis isn't making a move on their own. What do we do? Attack solo?"
"Managing that would be a nightmare. Wiping them out is easy enough, but Gastone would end up dead."
While I stood there dumbfounded, the successive heads were having a grand time.
I knew they had a soft spot for her, but I never imagined it was this bad.
I turned to Alette.
"Um, they've officially announced they're going to attack, haven't they?"
Alette nodded.
"Ah, I know that. But Her Highness the princess... We want to take action too. But without orders, we can't move."
The Seventh Generation spoke, sounding amused.
"Ho ho ho, I'd love to crush Rolfis while we're at it. Shall we crush them if it comes to that?"
The Fourth Generation responded to that suggestion.
"Rejected. With the current Laiel forces, we couldn't hold it. Taking it would just take up time. We need to somehow wake the princess up to reality. Being kind is a virtue and all, but... not being able to recognize the current situation for what it is — that's painful."
The Third Generation spoke in a lower voice than usual.
"If you're going to be a decoration, at least play the part properly. Do you have any idea what happens when you hold people back... Come to think of it, weren't there others in this country with a claim to the throne?"
The Fifth Generation shot that idea down.
"It's a small country. Apparently the current princess is relatively popular. If she died, there'd be plenty of people kicking up a fuss."
The Third Generation said, sounding disappointed.
"I see... But if it were the person herself, since you'd have her marry Dario anyway — wouldn't she gladly hand over the throne if you told her to?"
She still didn't seem ready to give up.
(Why does she look so amused?)
I shook my head and walked through the corridors of the royal castle. I couldn't help but notice that Alette seemed a little nervous watching me like that.
The audience chamber.
There, Dario stood glaring at me.
Princess Annerine looked nervous as she glanced my way. In contrast, Dario looked terrified when he saw me.
The envoy had come, conveying the message indirectly and awaiting a reply. Knights were present in the audience chamber, and Lombolt and the ministers stood in formation.
Everyone was tense, but among them, the terrified Dario looked utterly out of place.
For some reason, the Seventh Generation started laughing.
'Damn it! They aren't hiding the prince of Selva, but putting him on display... They have no intention of negotiating at all! This is bad, my stomach hurts!'
He seemed to have hit on something amusing. Indeed, Dario did look out of place.
(Actually, the recent generations have been in a weirdly high mood. They aren't tired like I am... Did something happen?)
After a while, Her Highness the Princess spoke.
"...I suppose I should say congratulations regarding the matter with Zayin."
Hearing this, the Third Generation laughed.
'Oh my! She's coming out swinging right away, this one! Can't even offer a proper congratulation, she's too honest for her own good!'
The Fourth Generation calmly.
'That's probably why she chose a man over her country.'
The Fifth Generation, also calmly.
'Naturally.'
As they spoke, all of them burst out laughing inside the Jewel. I could never understand what tickled the historical heads' funny bone.
Amid the sound of the historical heads' laughter, I watched as Her Highness, her expression serious, continued.
"However, the war ends here. Isn't that enough? I do not wish for the conflict to escalate any further. Zayin must withdraw from Selva."
The historical heads burst out laughing again. They seemed to be in stitches.
The Seventh Generation added.
'No, participating on Zayin's side was the right call. With this fellow at the top, it was just unbearably frustrating.'
The Fourth Generation said.
'Well, even if it might look entertaining from a third party's perspective, there are times when the people involved just can't laugh about it.'
My feelings at this moment were:
(With the Successive Heads' laughter ringing in my ears, I couldn't feel any of the tense atmosphere at all. No good — even I was starting to crack up.)
The others probably couldn't hear the Successive Heads' laughter. They were waiting for my response with serious expressions.
But to me, who could hear every last chuckle, the atmosphere of this situation felt like nothing short of a comedy.
"Well, we already made an official announcement about the invasion, so retracting it would cause all sorts of problems from a diplomatic standpoint. Besides, Rolfis and I have already come to a mutual agreement about the invasion."
The princess lowered her head, looking a little frustrated.
"Then you don't need to return the lands that were once taken from Rolfis. Doesn't that put your side at ease?"
Mr. Lombolt said.
"Your Highness, that's not right!"
He was explaining the current situation to the princess, but I was finding it harder and harder to hold back my laughter. After all, the Successive Heads kept chiming in with commentary at every turn.
The Seventh Generation, for instance.
'You get it returned even though you did nothing? And you're just going to ignore that we held Zayin back from invading? How convenient.'
The Third Generation added.
'She really is a convenient princess, isn't she? No wait — a convenient woman, perhaps?'
They burst out laughing again. Then the Fifth Generation spoke up.
'You guys wouldn't dare say stuff like that if you had wives.'
The Fourth Generation said.
'Cut it out. Don't bring that up now... I just broke out in a cold sweat, you know.'
The Successive Heads — every single one of them, it seemed, couldn't stand up to their wives.
They were always so bold and unyielding, but I couldn't help but smile thinking about how flustered they must have been in front of their spouses. No — I did laugh.
I snapped back to my senses and looked around. Everyone was staring at me. Their expressions were dead serious.
I cleared my throat.
"No, forgive my rudeness. Um... well, let's call what just happened water under the bridge for both sides. So, Rolfis — will you be sending troops or not? You're not going to... say you'll cooperate with Selva, are you?"
I scrambled to patch things up in desperation, then regretted blurting out my words without thinking.
The Fifth Generation spoke up.
'Well, well — Lyle's stirring the pot now, isn't he? Taunting someone while alone in enemy territory... you've got some nerve. You've grown bold.'
I couldn't very well say that I'd panicked and made a mistake.
The Princess declared:
"How dare you threaten us! Rolfis will never condone such a wicked act! If you wish to settle this with blades drawn, then I accept your challenge!"
Everyone in the room moved to restrain the Princess. But all I could hear were the laughter of the Successive Heads, and the whole scene looked like a comedy.
There was absolutely no tension whatsoever.
*(No good — I can't hold back my laughter!)*
I was worn out from the unfamiliar paperwork, and exhausted by the stagnant situation. I'd been mentally fatigued, and I'd made a blunder I never would have made under normal circumstances —.
When my voice echoed through the audience chamber, the surroundings went completely silent instead.
I had burst out laughing. Apparently deciding that this was truly bad, the Fourth Generation stepped in to cover for me.
'Lyle, no matter how funny it is, that's too much laughter. You need to at least keep your expression neutral so the other side can't read your thoughts. Anyway, this is clearly a mess, so let me lend a hand — or rather, my mouth in this case —'
I vaguely remembered the time the Fourth Generation had almost goaded me into hitting on Selma, but I decided to trust that he wouldn't do something like that here.
As the Fourth Generation continued to speak.
'—You call us inhumane, but did Rolfis not also use Zayin in the past? Do you think we don't know? The Saintess of Zayin three generations ago was a Rolfis operative. There are even records of incursions into Selva and pillaging at that time.'
—I had seen that information while organizing documents. Reports of border disputes had prompted me to review that kind of history.
The borderlands where Zayin, Selva, and Rolfis met. The boundaries were blurred, leading to frequent skirmishes.
I never expected desk work to prove useful, but I wasn't exactly thrilled about it either.
'Do you claim you're not inhumane? And as for this Selva incident — it was a ploy to bring Rolfis under their control. In other words, they launched an invasion. Are we simply supposed to stand by and accept that? As Zayin, we cannot allow such a nation to grow its military power unchecked.'
Dario, who had been silent until now, rose to his feet and rounded on me with furious intensity.
'Don't get cocky just because you won once! You think you can defeat Selva's elite soldiers when you could barely manage against Zayin's weakened forces?'
I smiled.
'Yes, quite. That's precisely why I've assembled a proper force this time. I believe I've made every preparation to win. Your Highness the Second Prince seems quite familiar with the battlefield — might I suggest you go home and make your own war preparations? I would love for you to show me a thing or two out there on the field. You must be terribly strong. I'm looking forward to it with bated breath. There was no one worth fighting in Zayin, and I've been dreadfully bored.'
'Ahaha, everyone around you looks absolutely murderous.'
I pressed on while panicking internally.
(This Fourth Generation! He goes and tells me not to provoke people, then turns around and does exactly that! I thought he'd help smooth things over, and instead he's pouring oil on the fire!)
As Dario turned a sickly shade of blue, I readied myself to flee at a moment's notice. Through the Skills — Connection — linking me to May, I sent her an urgent message to prepare for escape.
'May, things are looking ugly. Please… get ready to run!'
May sounded less than enthusiastic.
'…Wasn't it Lyle who started it? Oh well, whatever. I'll come help, so just hang tight, okay?'
In addition to the sharp glances all around us, the knights looked ready to draw their weapons at any second. They hadn't assumed combat stances, but they'd lowered their centers of gravity, poised to spring.
Then Dario collapsed onto the floor in a heap.
The princess stepped forward.
'Dario! …Seize that scoundrel at once!'
She pointed her right hand toward me. Her long purple hair that nearly reached the floor swept aside dramatically, and just as the knights were about to leap forward, the window of the audience chamber was shattered and May burst through.
In her Kirin form.
The ministers and knights surrounding us all recoiled at the sight of May.
"A K-Kirin!"
"Has the Kirin come to save him? Surely not..."
"W-What do we do?!"
While everyone panicked, May in her Kirin form approached me. She tossed her head, motioning for me to climb onto her back, and just as I moved to do so—
"W-Wait! All of you, lower your weapons!"
Lord Rondbolt ordered the surrounding knights to stand down and told me to wait. Dario had lost consciousness the moment May crashed through, and had even wet himself.
Her Highness, who had been crouching over Dario with her arms around him, found her hair soaked as well, and upon noticing this, she shoved Dario away.
"Kyah! Y-You insolent wretch! My precious hair! S-Someone bring me something to wipe it with!"
When Dario collapsed to the floor, the Third Generation spoke up.
"The moment love goes cold — witnessed."
And once again, the Successive Heads burst into roaring laughter.
I broke into a cold sweat as I pondered what to do from here on out.
Several hours later.
I was riding on May's back, heading toward the capital of Zayin.
The documents from Lord Rolfis included detailed papers regarding the Selva invasion. Right after everything had transpired, he had promptly promised the invasion.
Of course, he had made that promise only after swearing that Rolfis would never stand against Zayin.
The finer details of the arrangements would be handled by someone other than me going forward, and I clutched the bag of documents with a sigh.
"What was that all about, that audience..."
I didn't know whether to call it madness, or what possessed me to do something like that... Being exhausted and mentally unstable certainly had something to do with it.
But still, that was completely unacceptable.
And the Successive Heads were all feeling down about it too, for some reason.
One by one.
'Yeah, sorry about that. I just couldn't stop laughing... A lot's been going on lately. I'll explain tomorrow or something.'
'...Now that it's over, I have no idea why I did that. I regret it.'
'If you only look at the results, there wasn't really a problem. But still, that was... I was just tired.'
'Looking back on it, it was so rude and embarrassing. Let's just forget about it.'
Had something worn out the Successive Heads as well?
Wondering about that, I dragged myself back to my room in Zayin's quarters, where a mountain of additional work almost certainly awaited me.
In my heart, I wasn't too eager to go back.
(But... maybe I'd like Novem to comfort me...)