"......Regarding their fighting force, I understand."
Katia reported.
There were still things she didn't fully understand — particularly regarding Chrono's Bloodline Magic and the like — but she clearly grasped that those were matters she couldn't ask about right now.
And so, they moved on to the next topic.
"Well then, next — the important part. Regarding their movements from here on out,
to put it plainly — where are the organization's people heading right now?"
"The Royal Capital. Without a doubt."
Perhaps fortunate was the right word for it.
At the very least, on that point, Rose answered without the slightest hesitation.
"The reason they revealed everyone's identities at this point is because there's no longer any need to hide.
And that's not overconfidence. They've crushed the Archbishop's faction — the single greatest organizational threat they faced — and beyond that, the wielder of 'that magic' has already secured Estia Magna. Once preparations are complete, there won't be anyone left who can stop them."
As for what those 'preparations' entailed, she said — as was now typical — that she couldn't disclose that just yet.
Regardless, since they had already obtained every power necessary for their objective, all that remained was the final touch — namely, utterly destroying the Royal Capital, the heart of this nation, once and for all.
Therefore, the organization's people were either heading to or already in the Royal Capital — there was no longer any reason for them to go anywhere else.
...In other words.
If that much was clear, then the course of action they themselves needed to take going forward naturally fell into place.
"Then... we head to the Royal Capital as well?"
"That's the long and short of it. There's no fundamental countermeasure against 'that magic.' It's crude, I know, but our only option is to rush to the Royal Capital and take them down in a straight-up showdown."
This time, it was Rose who answered Liliana's question.
But then, with a solemn expression, she continued.
"──But of course, we can't just head to the Royal Capital with only us."
"!"
"Our opponents are the 'Organization,' and they're not the kind of idiots to let their guard down. The nobles who are cooperating without even knowing the Organization's people or reasons... their military forces will almost certainly try to intercept us before we reach the Royal Capital."
"............"
The group fell silent.
Not because they didn't know what to say, but because having heard this, the problem they would inevitably have to face right here, right now, had become unmistakably clear.
"Then..."
"Yes, that's right. In short, from here on, we──"
Yet they couldn't avoid addressing the matter.
Rose nodded once more to Katya, who had stepped forward.
And stated it plainly.
"Military forces on our side capable of standing up to theirs──"
"──"
"the Church and the remaining nobles,
who are thoroughly fed up with the way things stand.
We need to bring them over to our side."
Silence once again fell over the group.
They could no longer avoid confronting a problem they had understood all along but, for one reason or another, had managed to look the other way about.
"...Lucius, how are the nobles feeling at the moment?"
"I managed to keep things under control, but... honestly, I have to say we've hit our limit. Sorry."
When asked about the nobles' response — a task Lucius had been handling until now — his answer was far from encouraging.
They refused to budge, insisting only that the Pope be produced. Even when he tried to honestly explain what had happened to the Pope, they wouldn't hear a word of it, dismissing it outright with "That's impossible." They would listen to nothing but the Pope's word, and when told the Pope was gone, they demanded that a new one be chosen — undoubtedly a puppet of their own making — and would not change their stance.
In short, it was the typical reaction of this country's nobility: refusing to accept anything that didn't suit their own interests.
"..."
The reality was that they needed to persuade and win over that very crowd.
But this was the kind of thing Ermes and the others had never dealt with before — no, they had been able to avoid dealing with it.
Because Yurugen had handled all of it for them.
Yurugen had single-handedly managed all the tedious behind-the-scenes dealings, negotiations, and maneuvering required when a large group of people needed to unite as one.
He had been left entirely in charge of every dirty job that came with being a "noble" — and now, the consequences of that avoidance, of turning a blind eye for so long, had come back to strike them where it hurt most.
However.
"...I can't just stand here whining about whether I like it or not."
Having fully grasped that reality, Katia took the lead.
"Father is no longer with us. If this is something we've never done before, that's all the more reason we have to do it now."
Her declaration — coming from the one who had surely been hurt the most by Yurugen's absence — silenced the room.
The other members of the Third Princess's faction nodded one after another.
The path forward was clear. They had to use whatever means necessary to persuade the complaining nobles and rally them into a military force capable of marching on the Royal Capital.
These were not the kind of nobles who would meekly obey a command to "go fight for us all the way to the Royal Capital," and that was precisely where their ingenuity would have to come into play.
...This was the children's declaration — a resolve to grow, to face what they had spent so long turning away from.
Rose watched it all and gave a satisfied nod.
"—So, do you have any concrete plans? For the record, I don't."
...That had hit a painfully accurate nerve.
Of course. If simply having different levels of motivation or awareness could magically conjure up some brilliant plan, there wouldn't be much to struggle over.
They had left everything to Yurugen up until now, which naturally meant they were severely lacking in experience in that area. Rose, who had been detached from such worldly matters for years, probably wasn't too knowledgeable either.
It was a meeting that had hit a snag almost from the very start, but...
"Well, can't be helped. We're all amateurs when it comes to this kind of thing.
And... because you were exactly like that, you were able to gain certain things."
"Huh?"
At that point, all eyes turned toward Rose, following her gaze and the slightly bitter, knowing tone in her voice.
Just as that premonition suggested, Rose continued.
"It's simple. Because you were exactly like that, you were able to gain this many allies, right?
So, 'this' is also your achievement. ...Which is why, it's perfect timing—you can come in now."
Following her words and the direction of her gaze, the entire group turned their attention behind Rose—toward the entrance of the meeting room.
At the same time, the door opened with a slightly hesitant gesture.
And at the person who entered... everyone, to a greater or lesser extent, showed expressions of surprise.
The long golden hair, the beautiful features that suggested a strong will, and though her expression gave her a somewhat weary air... her distinctive crimson eyes still held a firm light of resolve.
Most of all... everyone present recognized the young woman.
"Sister..."
Second Princess, Laila.
In response to Liliana's murmur, the sister, who looked away with a slightly sharp expression, watched the reaction of her siblings.
"I had a little chat with her just now. This girl—honestly, her magic is pretty underwhelming, and she never really stood out under that shitty stepsister... but I'm genuinely surprised."
Rose smiled and spoke.
"—
The thing is,
she's
absolutely
brilliant,
this princess. At least when it comes to politics... I think she'll prove to be an incredibly dependable ally."
The Third Princess's faction was once again gripped by shock.
But among them, there was one exception. Only Liliana—only she—let her face beam with irrepressible joy.
And so, the Second Princess Laila has joined our ranks...!
Next time, we'll touch briefly on her story before diving into political matters—look forward to it!
Also, a quick announcement!
Volume 3 of "Creation Magic" goes on sale July 25th!!
The cover art has been revealed as well! It's been posted in my activity report. Hanagata-sensei's wonderful illustration finally brings that new character to life, so I'd be thrilled if you could check it out...!
Volume 2 of the book series is also currently on sale!
If you haven't picked it up yet, I'd really appreciate it if you'd consider purchasing the book! You can use the image link at the bottom of the page to jump to a preview of content exclusive to the print edition—please, please give it a look!
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