"Your Majesty, Emperor Vincent Volachia."
Being addressed with that solemn look directed at him, Vincent closed one eye.
Trapped inside a compartment of the linked dragon carriage, Flop and Medium—this beautiful blonde-haired brother and sister—seemed entirely unaware of the enormity of what they had done.
Their brazen act, one that could earn them capital punishment if anyone found out, was committed for the sole purpose of relaying a message from someone else. There had to be something wrong with them.
And to top it all off— "Before I deliver the message, would you mind if I told you a little story about the past?"
They had the nerve to say something like that, still maintaining that serious expression.
"......"
Unable to read Flop's intentions, Vincent remained silent with one eye still closed. Perhaps Flop took that silence as encouragement, because he continued with "Also—"
"I know it's cheeky of me, but... after you hear the message, would you do me one small favor?"
"Hey—"
"My, my, what a frightening face, Your Majesty! But do try to remember. I am the only one who knows the message you ought to hear, so you can't very well silence me carelessly."
"I could order Olbart Dunklecken to use shinobi interrogation to pry open your mouth."
"Why don't we both just have a nice, peaceful conversation, Your Majesty!"
The moment Vincent's voice carried a threat, Flop immediately raised both hands.
It wasn't merely a matter of nerve—negotiating with an Emperor took real audacity. Still, if Flop was going out of his way to bring up this so-called story from the past and the favor he wanted to ask along with it, they must have been important matters to him.
Although— "But big brother, you don't really have much time, do you? If this keeps up, Goz and the others are going to start complaining that Abel hasn't come back! The favor is one thing, but a story about the past?"
Medium tilted her head—she hadn't been briefed by her brother, it seemed.
"You, of all people, had no business helping your brother with this outrage without even knowing what it was about."
"Huh? But it's something my brother's doing, right? So whatever it is, I'm gonna help him out. That's the family oath. Abel's the same way, isn't he?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Don't you know how the Emperor of Volachia is born?"
Medium blinked in genuine surprise at that answer. Her sincere reaction made Vincent glare at Flop, as if to say there were limits to how inappropriate one could be.
It wasn't exactly pleasant to think about, but it was common knowledge that the Volachian imperial siblings fought to the death to determine the next Emperor.
The fact that Medium didn't even know that made Vincent suspect Flop's skewed approach to teaching.
But Flop simply smiled at Vincent's look.
"I understand what that look means, Your Majesty. You're surprised that my sister is so sheltered, aren't you?"
"What else could it be? Also, stop addressing me as 'Your Majesty' every single time. If there's no one else who fits the title, just 'Your Majesty' alone will do."
"I see, I see. Understood, Your Majesty-kun."
"......"
Smiling and nodding as he continued, Flop narrowed Vincent's eyes further.
He had sensed it from Flop's serious demeanor earlier, but today Flop wasn't merely acting the part of a kindly merchant—he intended to show the face behind that title.
Truly, the face of someone who had something specific in mind regarding Vincent.
"Your Majesty, my sister asked me why I wanted to tell this story. The answer is that there is a connection between our past and you, Your Majesty-kun."
"What!? Really!? Between us and Abel!? What is it!? What!?"
"Hahaha, now now, you're far too forgetful, sister. Your Majesty-kun is the Emperor of the Empire. Which means he has connections to the 'Nine Divine Generals' as well—"
"—You mean Brother Barloy?"
Medium's eyes went wide with surprise, then her expression lost its luster.
The name she had uttered, paired with the term "Nine Divine Generals" from just moments before—linking them together naturally brought one name to Vincent's mind as well.
"You two are associates of Barloy Temeglyph."
"Yes, that's right, Your Majesty-kun. Sworn brothers, one might say. We spent the most formative years of our lives together—precious, beloved family!"
Flop clenched his fist and raised his voice proudly. Vincent let out a sigh.
Medium's expression shifted, her brow furrowed as she looked between her brother and Vincent. Confusion and something akin to sorrow were plainly visible on her face.
"By the way, this dragon carriage also has Countess
"Miss Selina..."
"Incidentally, that's the name Countess Dracroy insisted Medium use, so she wouldn't be treated as a stranger or mistaken for someone older than her actual age. Amusing, isn't it?"
"Get to the point."
Dragging out pointless topics and eroding someone's concentration—that was a traveling merchant's tactic.
His and Medium's relationship with Serena, as well as their connection to Barloy, had been predictable the moment they declared their association. Barloy Temeglyph had been Serena Dracroy's subordinate, and it was on the strength of his proven ability that he had been elevated to the rank of one of the "Nine Divine Generals"—a promising general in the making.
However, knowing the ultimate fate of that Barloy turned most soldiers' gazes to disappointment.
Treason against the Emperor, failure, and a wretched death—that was Barloy's well-known end, the conclusion that history books would record for the man they called family.
"—No."
Or rather, having been resurrected as a corpse person, the historical record of Barloy Temeglyph might not be one of treason, but of the being that destroyed the Empire.
Vincent chose not to share this fact with Flop and the others.
He could predict that bringing up the topic of Barloy as a corpse person would take him even further from the conversation he wanted.
In any case— "Right, let's get to the point. The story from the past won't take long. And the key detail was already blurted out by Medium, whether she meant to or not."
Flop's brow twitched slightly downward as he shook his head slowly from side to side.
Medium looked bewildered by her brother's words, but Vincent didn't comment. He figured it was best to simply rein in the siblings' conversation whenever it strayed, rather than try to prevent it from straying in the first place.
"Medium and I were orphans, raised in a terrible facility. We were rescued from there and taken to Countess Dracroy's territory, where... we met Barloy and became sworn brothers. Is that clear so far?"
"—Go on."
"It was a whirlwind of days. Both Medium and I were utterly ignorant of the outside world, and everything we saw was fresh and new. Countess Dracroy had a very broad perspective, so she had us educated even though we had nowhere to go."
"For all that, it doesn't seem to have paid off much with your sister."
"I liked being active and moving around with Brother Barloy and the others more..."
Medium pouted, having partially recovered her usual composure.
The way Flop described Dracroy's domain was something Vincent had heard about, and its style of governance could indeed be considered favorable.
Serena Dracroy was often called the "Scorching Duke," and it was her fierce temperament that drew the most attention. But her true strength lay in the flexibility of her thinking, unbound by conventional assumptions.
In most cases, the Volachian Empire lacked the vision for long-term planning.
Most children were not expected to contribute as either labor or military assets, so many were born, and among them, those blessed with talent and circumstance survived—while an extremely small number rose to prominence as the strong.
A nation where educating children from a young age and cultivating talent broadly was dismissed as nothing more than armchair theory—if they weren't your own family, that is.
Flop and Medium were siblings who had benefited from that rare opportunity. —No, Barloy, who had recognized their talent, was one of them too.
"Of course, it wasn't all fun and games. Countess Dracroy wasn't always kind to us either. At the time, she herself had just seized the territory from her father and was busy with that."
"We sure had our share of scary moments too."
"Like when we were attacked by assassins targeting Countess Dracroy's life. That was quite an ordeal."
As the two reminisced fondly, Vincent searched for the thread of the main conversation.
He had already grasped the point, though. To put it bluntly, there were certain words one got used to hearing, certain gazes one got used to being on the receiving end of.
What these two were directing at him probably fell into that same category.
In other words— "After we overcame all those days together, a strong bond formed between us siblings and Barloy. It's precisely because of that bond that I want to ask you, Your Majesty-kun."
"......"
"Our sworn brother, Barloy Temeglyph—was he truly the foolish, short-sighted traitor that everyone knows him as, who lost his life chasing a desire beyond his station... is that so?"
Flop's expression had returned to a calm stillness as he posed the question.
He was asking Vincent about the death of Barloy Temeglyph—their sworn brother, the Empire's traitor—and the truth behind it.
As expected, these were familiar words, familiar gazes.
Dying on the battlefield was a warrior's honor; refusing to yield even when pierced through by a sword was the way of the blade wolf.
Even in the Volachian Empire, which prized such things, not everyone could celebrate the death of a loved one. Seeking meaning and reason in death was simply human nature.
So being asked this by Flop and the others was a sorrow he was accustomed to.
"Why do you doubt it? That the rumors circulating among the common folk are tainted with impurities and unreliable—was that your reasoning?"
"No, that's not it. It's just that we have this rare opportunity to speak with the man involved firsthand. Can you blame us for wanting to hear a more trustworthy account than secondhand rumors?"
"An opportunity for dialogue that you created by force, I might add."
Vincent added that as a correction to Flop's rather self-serving reframing of events.
And then, for a brief moment, he actually considered.
The rumors about Barloy Temeglyph's death circulating among the common people.
His death, which would no doubt be recorded in the history books, was officially attributed to his failed treason and the wretched end that followed.
What Flop and Medium had heard would be nothing more and nothing less than that story. And Vincent had no intention of restoring Barloy's posthumous honor.
Nothing more and nothing less—that was the correct version of events to spread.
"I want you to answer me, Your Majesty-kun. If I know the truth, then I can deliver the message to you—"
"—I don't know what you're after, but..."
Vincent was about to answer that he was certain they had merely heard the same rumors everyone else had.
But then— "—Abel."
A weak, fleeting call interrupted his words.
"......"
Medium stood before the cabin door, blocking the exit—no, she probably no longer intended that.
Standing there, Medium hunched her tall-for-a-woman shoulders, hugging her own arms tightly as she looked at Vincent. Her blue eyes brimming with tears.
Tears, begging for one's life, desperate pleas—he had seen them all countless times.
So none of it should have moved him in the slightest. And his heart indeed did not waver. But his equanimity was given a moment's pause for thought.
He didn't know what Flop and Medium wanted, he thought.
Yes, that was what Vincent had been about to answer.
But was that really true? He should have known what they wanted. What they desired was obvious, and Vincent had it.
He had it, and still he refused to speak. That was Vincent's way.
Only, that way came with the qualifier of "as always."
The way he had always done things was for Vincent to decide everything according to his own judgment.
But with that way, Vincent had been tripped up by a loyal retainer. A fool of a man had shattered what he had been certain was correct.
The way he had always done things had its limits.
What was demanded of Vincent was a way beyond "as always."
And to obtain that way— "—Barloy Temeglyph's death holds a truth that differs from the rumors circulated among the people."
Vincent chose an answer different from his way of "as always."
△▼△▼△▼△ "The......"
The moment he heard Vincent's answer, Flop and Medium's expressions changed.
Flop's eyes widened slightly, and Medium blinked in wordless shock. Both appeared surprised, but the quality of their surprise was different.
Vincent understood the distinction from their differing reactions.
"
"Huh... brother?"
"Not exactly 'knew.' The story that's being told is just too unlike Barloy. Even Medium felt something was off about it."
"Y-yeah..."
Put on the spot, Medium nodded with her confusion still visible.
But Flop, having coaxed this from his sister, couldn't entirely deny Vincent's accusation.
Tilting his head slightly under Vincent's gaze, Flop said: "Surely, Your Majesty-kun, you don't suspect that I got the story beforehand from Barloy himself—given how close he and I were—and have been laying a trap for you?"
"—It's possible, but close to zero. The man I knew would never have breathed a word to anyone until the very moment of execution, not if it meant even the slightest increase in the chance of failure."
"...I think you're right about that. I'm glad. It seems I can have a real conversation about the Barloy we both know. Because—"
"———"
"—ever since that incident, no matter where in the Empire I hear Barloy's name, it sounds like they're talking about a stranger."
Flop's handsome brow furrowed, and his blue eyes shimmered with loneliness.
That was a fact, and it didn't surprise Vincent.
The one who had carefully shaped the rumors to reflect that reality was Chisha, who had received those instructions from Berstetz, who had been ordered to do so by Vincent himself.
All of it was to conceal the truth—the reason why Barloy Temeglyph became a traitor.
And that truth was— "—That rebellion was not of Barloy's own volition."
"Brother!?"
At Flop's words, Medium let out something like a scream.
Her eyes went wide, and she shook her head violently from side to side.
"That's wrong, that's ridiculous! Brother Barloy was... Abel, say something! Tell brother he's wrong..."
"If a correction is needed, I will make one. If not, I won't. That's all there is to it."
"You have no reason to say anything..."
Medium was struck speechless, unable to grasp the situation.
Flop, meanwhile, let out a deep, long breath, absorbing the fact that Vincent had not denied his suspicion—about the truth behind Barloy's death.
According to common rumor, Barloy Temeglyph had grown dissatisfied with his position as one of the Nine Divine Generals and risen in treason to reach greater heights, only to die a foolish loser.
This version of events served to prove the unshakability of Vincent Volachia's throne and to dampen the flames of ambition in many who might have followed.
"Ironically, my own schemes have both fueled and weakened the fire of this latest civil war."
"—Yes, the peace didn't last. But that was probably just using the result as it happened, not the original intent."
"......"
"Barloy had a different purpose. Your Majesty-kun only used the outcome—the premise was something else entirely. Did Your Majesty-kun know that purpose as well?"
Vincent had had ample time to think. That was probably why Flop's line of questioning was so fluid.
Barloy had died, rumors contradicting the truth had spread, and Flop had continued searching for where that truth lay. That was why he had seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The "Magic Bullet Marksman," Barloy Temeglyph.
His purpose in that rebellion had been— "—To avenge Private First Class
"You—!"
"What is there to be surprised about, Flop O'Connell? This, too, is something you must have already known. Testing the Emperor at every turn—how irreverent."
Vincent snorted at Flop's sharp intake of breath.
Just as Flop had asked whether the rumors about Barloy were true, this too was a trap Flop had set for Vincent.
To verify whether this conversation was worth continuing.
But at Vincent's remark, Flop shook his head and said "No."
Wearing an expression of surprise—one that mixed two different kinds of surprise—he spoke.
"I have no intention of brazenly deflecting. I did try to test you. But—"
"But what?"
"—I was genuinely surprised by your answer... and that you spoke Miles's name."
"......"
Vincent narrowed his eyes at Flop's voice, which carried real astonishment.
The first surprise—being tested—he could understand. But the second was unwarranted. He knew about Private First Class Miles, who had deep ties to Barloy. —No, not just Miles.
"It is only natural to know the names, appearances, and positions of those who serve you. Did you imagine I wouldn't know whose lives my soldiers have devoted their everything to?"
Even without that, the position of Emperor was one where one always had a blade pointed at one's back.
He was commanding people to risk their lives, so naturally he needed to know who they were. They might come to take his life, after all, so he had to understand who they were rather than remain ignorant.
And the names of those who had obeyed his orders and lost their lives—those, he must never forget.
"I am not like the people of the Kingdom. I don't crumble at each soldier's death. I merely remember. That is why I remember Private First Class Miles, and I remember Barloy Temeglyph—"
"Abel... you don't forget...?"
"—That is all. It's no comfort."
Vincent answered Medium's weak, halting words plainly.
Then, he added further.
"However, if you two are hoping for the restoration of Barloy's honor, that is something I cannot grant."
"—!? Wh-why!?"
"If people learn that the circulating rumors differ from the actual facts, suspicion will breed, and new factions will arise. Their emergence would place unnecessary fractures in the Empire's foundation. That is something—"
"Barloy wouldn't want either. Right, brother?"
Flop asked Vincent how much he understood.
Vincent nodded, acknowledging that there was no point in concealing it further. Medium's face grew increasingly troubled.
To his sister, Flop spoke gently, like a brother, but with an edge of sternness.
"Sister, didn't you say it yourself? That you'd help with whatever your brother does. That it's the family oath. I can say the same with pride."
"Y-yes, I did! But what does that mean? What exactly..."
"If Barloy had truly intended to kill Your Majesty-kun and succeed in his rebellion, he would have asked us for help. Even if it was only to raise the chances by the slimmest margin—if he was truly committed, he would have done that."
"Oh..."
Medium's eyes widened at Flop's words.
She too had spoken of the "family oath" earlier—Vincent didn't know how much coercive power it actually held, but if it meant she wouldn't refuse even an invitation to commit treason against the Emperor, then Flop's logic held up.
"Barloy didn't genuinely want the rebellion to succeed. On the other hand, he did have the goal of avenging Brother Miles. That contradiction means Barloy didn't consider the Emperor to be Brother Miles's killer."
"......"
"One last thing—may I ask just one more?"
Despite having spent what was surely an unconscionable amount of time already, Flop still had the audacity to raise a finger. Vincent was at a loss for words.
When Vincent gave no answer, Flop took it as tacit consent.
"Did Barloy's cherished wish—avenging Brother Miles—come to fruition?"
"—No."
"I see."
Vincent kept it short, offering no further information.
Even if Flop had pressed for more, Vincent had no intention of providing it. Even if Flop wished to take on the vendetta for both Barloy and Miles, it was impossible.
More than anything—it was something Barloy Temeglyph himself would not have wished for.
△▼△▼△▼△ "I've taken up far too much of your time, Your Majesty-kun. My apologies."
Having finished his exchange with Vincent regarding Barloy Temeglyph, Flop bowed his head.
It was an apologetic bow, but he remained standing. In truth, it had been a drawn-out exchange.
"Do you have any idea how precious my time is during this crisis?"
"I have the utmost confidence in judging the value of goods. That is precisely why I used the message entrusted to me at its peak worth—to secure the answer my sister and I wanted."
"It goes beyond mere irreverence. And don't you dare lie to me."
"Hmm?"
"Not the answer you and Medium wanted, but the answer *you* wanted. I merely indulged in that little request of yours. The 'family oath' and all."
Vincent tilted his chin and corrected Flop's misstatement. Hearing this, Medium's eyes went wide, and after a moment of surprise, Flop nodded.
"The one who wanted to know the answer was me. If you're going to behead someone, let it be me alone."
"Don't be ridiculous. Do you think I'd keep humoring your outbursts? Medium, don't look at me like that either."
Vincent had no time for such banter, and he snorted at Medium's pleading gaze before asking: "So. Are you satisfied?"
"Yes. I can see that Your Majesty-kun took my many tests seriously despite the preciousness of his time. I appreciate that you didn't take the bait."
Flop stated frankly that he had tested the Emperor. Vincent remained silent.
And what if Vincent's answer had not been what Flop hoped for?
Sensing the unspoken question in Vincent's silence, Flop smiled.
"In that case, I would have delivered this message not to you, Your Majesty-kun, but to that man—had him save the Empire and become its Emperor instead."
"You..."
"Oh, I'm so glad it didn't come to that! You are one of the people who built the world I want revenge against—but you aren't."
"Revenge... against the world?"
Flop's words, tinged with relief, prompted Vincent to raise an eyebrow.
At that, Medium, who had been sniffling on the sidelines of her brother's conversation with the Emperor, chimed in with "You see—"
"Brother always says this: the reason bad things happen isn't because there's one evil person—it's that the world that makes that person evil is the real danger!"
"It's quite an oversimplification, but that's the gist! I hate the world where such unjust things happen, so I try to make small improvements every day. That's my way of getting revenge on the world."
"—Ridiculous."
Revenge against the world, and the architects of that world.
It sounded exactly like something
Watching their reaction, Vincent found himself even more convinced of how absurd this all was.
Undoubtedly, Flop was right that Vincent was one of the architects of this unjust world. Even if he was contemplating reform for his own reasons, as long as he hadn't actually achieved it, he remained a legitimate target.
He couldn't understand why Flop had excluded him from that.
Could it be that abandoning "the way things had always been done" was the reason? Who had he been thinking of when he aimed for "beyond as always"—he didn't want to consider that.
More importantly— "You said it yourself. If my wishes weren't granted, you would deliver the message to someone else, and use it to save the Empire."
"Hmm? That's right. I was going to leave it to that man."
"It doesn't matter who the recipient is. Rather, if you could entrust it to *him* and have him resolve the 'Great Calamity,' that would be a remarkably decisive move."
This was surely the card Chisha had left behind—the schemer who had plotted against Vincent in all manner of ways.
What exactly had it been?
"Relay every last word without omission. A single dropped phrase could change the fate of the Empire."
"I was already planning to, but that's terrifying! I've been entrusted with three messages in total... Ahem, ahem. Wish me luck, sister!"
"You got it, brother! Do your best~!"
Vincent's threat spurred Flop on, and Medium cheered him enthusiastically.
Vincent watched this theatrical display as Flop cleared his throat once more.
"First message. —Cecilus Segmunt. That man was copied and scaled down using Olbart Dunklecken's techniques, then thrown onto the Sword Slave Island. Presumably, he'll climb out on his own, but if he's running late, I suggest you relay that he's there."
"......"
"He looked just like Your Majesty-kun when he spoke before me, you know. Same manner of speech, same tone. But he was saying these things in his usual way."
At the narrowing of Vincent's dark eyes, Flop hastily added a clarification.
But no clarification was necessary. The fact that Chisha had been impersonating the Emperor and acting in his stead ever since driving him from the throne was irrefutable.
Cautious as Chisha was, he would never have reverted his appearance even once, and he would have maintained the imitation of Vincent's voice right until his final moments.
Vincent had already more or less deduced that Chisha was behind the shrunken Cecilus sighting in the imperial capital. The purpose was equally obvious—Cecilus would have been an obstacle to the plan to oust Vincent from the throne.
"That could only be Chisha's work. If Cecilus had remained in the capital at full size, no amount of preparation would have been enough to remove me from the throne."
In short terms, Chisha had shrunk him and sent him away because he was in the way. If the one responsible was Chisha, it made sense that he would exploit the opportunity to shrink Cecilus.
"I have no objections. Continue."
"Second message. —The 'Divine Domain' has been kept at the fortress city. Its presence or absence will determine the nature of the 'Great Calamity' that threatens to destroy the Empire."
"......"
"Honestly, this one sounds extremely important, but I don't fully understand its meaning. The atmosphere didn't allow me to ask for clarification..."
Flop spoke with uncertainty and then held his breath.
The reason was Vincent's expression upon hearing the second message—its transformation.
Vincent bit down hard, pressing his hand to his mouth in silence. His two eyes would not close simultaneously, so he squeezed his right shut with tremendous force.
He had aimed for the fortress city of
What
"I need to reach the fortress city immediately."
"Wait, wait, Abel! There are three messages, right? There's one more!"
Medium stopped Vincent, who was already moving toward the door, unwilling to waste a single moment. He halted at her words and exhaled deeply.
The first was Cecilus. The second was "the answer." What, then, was the third?
"Let's hear it. If there's another card you've been holding back—"
He would use that too, to protect the Volachian Empire from the "Great Calamity."
Meeting Vincent's dark gaze as he made this appeal, Flop cleared his throat once more, preparing to relay the entrusted message— "—Your Grace."
"......"
"Helping to pull the wheels from your chariot ends here, I see."
—Yes.
——Yes.
————Yes.
"What a load of nonsense."
With that single line, Vincent strode toward the cabin door.
Behind him, Flop dropped his act entirely and called out in his own voice: "Wait!"
"There's no point rushing out of the room—your arrival speed at Garkla won't change! Unless, of course, Your Majesty-kun can run faster than a land dragon!"
"I must hurry to the fortress city. If necessary, I'll fly a dragon ship or whatever else is available."
"The sky isn't safe either! There could be dead winged dragons flying around! And there's still one more message to—Medium!"
"O-okay! Got it, brother!"
Vincent's urgency to reach the fortress city was palpable.
Flop, who had pointed out the danger of dragon ships from a perfectly reasonable angle, now turned to Medium and once again had his sister block Vincent's path.
"There's no harm in being too hasty, whether speeding the dragon carriage or sharing intelligence with Berstetz and the others. If you insist on standing in my way, I'll have you executed."
"Brother, Abel's eyes are serious!?"
"But we're just as serious about staying alive! Your Majesty-kun! Didn't I say at the very beginning? After you hear the message, I'd like you to hear my favor."
"......"
Frustration building inside him, Vincent turned to where Flop stood behind him—his sister in front, the brother behind, sandwiching him between them.
It was true. Flop had presented two brazen conditions: the story from the past and the favor.
Vincent didn't recall agreeing, but he hadn't flatly rejected them either, since he needed that message.
"Go ahead and say it."
He had already made clear that the restoration of Barloy's honor was impossible.
As for anything else Flop and Medium might want, Vincent couldn't immediately think of anything they desired that was impossible to grant.
If it was something so outlandish that it was simply unacceptable, there would be nothing he could do—but— "Your Majesty-kun, once this crisis has passed, you'll be returning to your seat as Emperor of Volachia, working to restore the Empire to its former state... no, to make it even better, won't you?"
"The wording leaves something to be desired, but that's essentially correct."
Vincent had his own plans, but since Chisha's schemes had thrown them into disarray, he felt it necessary to discuss whether they could still be realized.
Therefore, there was no room for denial, and he nodded.
At this answer, Flop smiled and nodded as if to say *exactly what I thought*.
"Then how about this. Once it's all over, Your Majesty-kun will be welcoming many wives, I imagine... would you make Medium one of them?"
"Huh?"
"Oh, something like that? Very well, I have no objection."
"Huh?"
Vincent had remained unmarried thus far precisely to eliminate the unnecessary complications that would arise from his plans.
If those plans were collapsing, there was no particular reason to cling to that principle.
He had already been considering changes to the Imperial Selection Ceremony as well.
Therefore, as Emperor of Volachia, Vincent merely needed to face his obligations head-on.
Flop let out a sigh of relief at this answer.
And then— "Huh?"
Medium alone, left out of the conversation entirely, continued tilting her head in confusion.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ The frequently mentioned "Barloy Temeglyph" is a major character covered in the book edition *Re:Starting Life in Another
The occasionally mentioned "Miles" likewise appears in the book edition *Re:Starting Life in Another World Ex1: The Dream the Lion King Saw*.
Since the main story cannot go beyond its own content, please refer to those volumes for more details!