'Calm.'
Elizabeth closed her eyes and murmured to herself.
In her mind, a dark landscape unfolded. In an endlessly pitch-black space, only Elizabeth sat in a chair. Before her lay an imaginary chessboard.
In Elizabeth's mind, the chessboard represented the continent. Every piece carried meaning. Sometimes it symbolized wealth, sometimes a Saint, and sometimes the rulers of a dozen nations.
The black king represented Elizabeth herself.
The white king, on the other hand… naturally represented Dantalion.
Elizabeth had often immersed herself in this kind of imaginative exercise to sort through her thoughts. A faint smile traced the corner of her lips.
'It's been a long time since my mind felt this at ease.'
It was as if she had returned to her childhood.
Back then, she believed that if she so desired, she could turn the continent into a chessboard at any time and roam it freely. She had confidence. Every moment was bathed in the brilliant sunlight of high summer. Even though oppressive, scorching steam surrounded her life, it was simply the fate one must bear as one who held the sun in their arms.
'It truly has been so long.'
If there was a difference from those days, it was that the spirited excitement had vanished, leaving only a calm stillness standing alone like the backdrop.
'There are no nightmares either.'
Elizabeth slowly opened both eyes.
From the landscape of her mind, she stared straight ahead. There, an impenetrable darkness shrouded everything. On the other side, just like here, a chair had been placed. But the person sitting in the chair was painted in a black even deeper than the surroundings, so that only the faint outline of their body could barely be discerned.
"———."
It began.
From the dim, hazy far side, only a right arm rose into sharp relief. The hand was gaunt, stripped of flesh. That hand picked up a piece. With a soft clack, the piece advanced and was set down on the board.
'They're buying off envoys with money.'
Elizabeth stared at the table with an emotionless gaze.
'...Responding to this will be troublesome.'
The Republic lacked funds. There was not enough money for bribes in the diplomatic war. She moved a chess piece in response, but she could already sense that the black army was being pushed back by the white army.
'It has always been this way. Dantalion attacks the enemy's weaknesses ruthlessly.'
Elizabeth had replayed and analyzed the opponent's tracks dozens, even hundreds of times. The Battle of the Black Mountains, the Holy War, the Frankish Civil War, the Lily War. That was why, if only faintly, Elizabeth could make out the outline of Dantalion.
'Conversely, if the enemy's weakness is unclear, he never attacks...'
From the dark far side, an arm emerged once more. As it moved a piece, a soldier on her side was captured.
Elizabeth felt cold sweat forming on her forehead.
'...And on top of that, he's fast.'
Before even half a month had passed since the diplomatic war began, he had dropped Teuton and Kalmar. It was far too fast.
'Three days to take the Black Mountains' fortress. Seven days to seize Brandenburg. And only ten days to capture Parisiorum.'
When Dantalion led from the front, everything accelerated abnormally.
Compared to the female general believed to be Dantalion's subordinate, Laura de Farnese, this trait became even clearer. Heidelberg Fortress had fallen over the course of eleven months. That was far too long for Dantalion, who strongly favored swift and decisive action. Long before the fortress fell, Elizabeth had realized that it was not Dantalion's strategy.
'You act as though you're suffering from some obsession. Always moving as if you're being chased by time.'
Elizabeth's eyes glinted darkly.
'...Why?'
It is the weak, not the strong, who are pressed for time.
In war, the strong prioritize safety and slowly press their advantage. When the situation is favorable, there is no need to rush. In the current state of affairs, Dantalion was clearly the stronger party. Yet he was launching his diplomatic offensive with frantic urgency.
'There's a problem that must be resolved quickly. The Empire—or perhaps the Demon Lord's army—faces a latent threat. Almost certainly, a threat that will explode if not dealt with before this winter.'
Elizabeth gripped a chess piece.
'Was I wrong—Demon Lord.'
With a thud, a heavy chess piece settled onto the board.
This was the meaning behind this move: deploying a Saint of the continent.
If Dantalion was going to exploit his opponent's weakness, there was no reason not to act in exactly the same way. The Demon Lord's forces had absolutely no religious symbol capable of standing against a Saint. It could be called a decisive, conversion-striking blow.
"……."
Perhaps they were paralyzed by the unexpected ambush.
The shadow covered in black gazed silently at the chessboard. For a moment, there was no reaction. The shadow's arm moved slowly. At the opponent's response, Elizabeth frowned.
'The Longui Saintess of Bretagne.'
The opponent had returned an equally unexpected counterattack to their surprise assault.
Longui had actually criticized the other Saints. The gods did not distinguish between humans and demons, she argued, and if lasting peace was desired, then all—regardless of status, gender, or race—should be equal servants of the gods.
'Impressive.'
You fight a Saint with a Saint. Simple yet effective.
Just the fact that the Saints' opinions were divided would agitate the continent's people. Which Saint was right? People would think about what the problem was and begin to doubt. At the very least, they could no longer blindly condemn the Empire.
'But they managed to convince Henrietta skillfully.'
Henrietta was steadily losing support among the nobility. They must have used that.
'As Henrietta's support vanishes, they engineer it so the Longui Saintess gains the people's backing instead. And then, if the popular Longui Saintess endorses Henrietta again, Henrietta will recover a considerable amount of the public sentiment she lost…'
Elizabeth's eyes quickly scanned the board.
Where? Through what method did they plan to grant popularity to the Saintess? How had they convinced Henrietta?
'The Frank Central Government and the southern cities.'
Elizabeth's gaze fixed on a spot on the chessboard.
'There's a conflict brewing between the two factions. They need a negotiator to mediate. Originally, the Habsburg Empire would have attempted the mediation... but they've yielded that role to the Longwy Saint. Truly, it's a brilliant move.'
Elizabeth smiled faintly.
'The Frank south has a much stronger royalist coloring compared to the north. And there's no great hostility toward Bretagne either. If Henrietta herself stepped forward as a mediator, they would resist—but if the Saint takes action, it's a different story.'
The Saint had a certain quality that allowed her to transcend national hatred and serve as a symbol of peace.
Elizabeth completed her assessment.
'The Longwy Saint stepping forward now is meant to highlight that very quality.'
If things proceeded as they were, the Longwy Saint would gain a most convincing reputation.
First, the Longwy Saint advocated peace transcending the racial divide between humans and demons.
Second, the Longwy Saint led peace across the national border between Bretagne and Frank.
Third, the Longwy Saint had even been captured as a prisoner by the Demon Lord's army, and was in fact Bretagne's own Saint. Yet she still championed a peace policy favorable to the Demon Lord's army and Frank.
To anyone looking on, this made it appear as though the Longwy Saint genuinely loved peace.
'Is this the birth of a true Saint?'
And furthermore, the Saint would stand at Henrietta's side, supporting her from the brink of total collapse.
This was the script Dantalion had used to persuade Queen Henrietta and the Longwy Saint.
'The Demon Lord creating a Saint! And she's even going to be hailed as a true Saint! Dantalion—is this your method?! How far do you intend to toy with and mock humanity?!'
Elizabeth glared at the dark shadow seated beyond.
In her eyes, Dantalion was nothing short of a being born to insult humanity. He had denied the sacred alliance of humanity against the Crescent Alliance Army. He had humiliated the great authority of the crown. And now this abominable Demon Lord was trying to defile even humanity's faith.
Elizabeth clenched the chess piece tightly in her hand.
'This time, things will not flow as you wish.'
Pushing the Longwy Saint forward. Elizabeth frankly acknowledged that it was an absolutely brilliant move. But, she thought.
'You've shown your weakness, Demon Lord...!'
The place that had arranged the false name Jean Vole and the false priestly position for Dantalion was the Grand Temple of Artemis in the Batavia Republic. This Demon Lord had entered into some manner of secret liaison with Batavia.
'In the last war, Batavia fought alongside you as well. In other words, you and Batavia share more than an ordinary bond. This time, it would have been far easier to move Batavia than to move Bretagne.'
And yet, he had not done so.
Dantalion had deliberately chosen Bretagne as his partner in this diplomatic offensive. Why?
There was only one answer.
'Dantalion. You have fallen out with the Batavia Republic!'
With this, Elizabeth had uncovered why Dantalion was rushing through the diplomatic battle so desperately. The potential threat looming over the Empire — or the Demon Lord's army — was none other than the Batavia Republic.
'Under normal circumstances, Batavia should have been the very first to voice its support for you during this diplomatic campaign. But Batavia has remained neutral thus far.'
Here, Elizabeth took one step further.
The Batavia Republic had recently sent an official letter. They were convening a congress to discuss republicanism, and they requested that the Habsburg Republic also attend to lend its presence.
At first, Elizabeth had dismissed it as a sinister ploy by the Demon Lord's army. She had suspected they were using republicanism as a pretext to sow discord between the royalists and republicans among humanity.
However, the move Dantalion made in response led her to an entirely different interpretation.
'The republican congress is not meant to divide humanity — it is meant to divide the Demon Lord's army. I don't know the reason, but at the very least, Dantalion has judged it so.'
In other words.
'The republicans and anti-republicans within the Demon Lord's army have begun a power struggle.'
A triumphant smile crossed Elizabeth's face.
She fixed her gaze straight ahead.
'You lack the power to control the republicans within the Demon Lord's army. There is at least one faction opposing you within your own ranks. Tell me, Winter King — is this your weakness?'
A silence like death settled in.
The figure, which had been nothing but pitch-black darkness, gradually grew brighter. Fingertips appeared, then thin wrists, then forearms, and before long, the entire body came into view.
The shadows receded, and the opponent seated across the board materialized.
Demon Lord Dantalion.
Elizabeth's razor-sharp instincts told her she had arrived at the correct answer. She had finally managed to outpace Dantalion!
'I've got you...!'
Now that she had uncovered what her opponent feared, Elizabeth no longer had any room for hesitation.
The diplomatic battle could go however it went from here — she didn't care anymore. She would play along well enough. And then she would pour every ounce of her strength into the Republican Representatives' Conference to be held in late winter! There, she would find the thread that would unravel Dantalion.
Just as Elizabeth was about to revel in that realization—
"...?"
There was still a part of the opponent where the pitch-black shadow had not faded. The face.
That area remained shrouded in ink-black darkness, making it impossible to tell what expression her opponent wore or what kind of gaze he was directing at the chessboard.
'...Wait a moment.'
Elizabeth realized something.
'If all he wants is to extend a friendly hand to the royalists on the continent, there's no need to pursue a flawless victory in this diplomatic battle, is there?'
Inviting envoys from the Empire. Treating them generously. That alone should be more than sufficient. There was no reason for Dantalion to go this far for a perfect victory.
'It's not just that he's being cornered by circumstances...?'
Why is he in such a hurry?
You should clearly be standing in the most advantageous position.
'...!'
A jolt of electricity suddenly shot down Elizabeth's spine.
In that instant, every act of imagination crumbled. The chessboard vanished. The shadows evaporated. Elizabeth hurriedly opened her eyes. The dark space was gone, replaced by the familiar scenery of her office.
A quiet office.
In the middle of it, Elizabeth murmured dazedly.
"...She considers herself the weaker party?"