"—I am truly, deeply sorry."
After that.
Following the resolution between Ermes and Lucius, the Northern Alliance—still unable to fully grasp the situation—was dismissed for the time being. Once everyone had calmed down, she explained the full sequence of events to all of them.
The fact that the core of the Northern Alliance, the vast majority of it, had been brainwashed by the Archbishop—this must have been especially difficult for the rank-and-file soldiers to accept.
And yet... it seemed that quite a few soldiers had already sensed something was off—that their supreme commander, Lucius, had been acting strangely. There was far less confusion than one might have expected, and everyone accepted the explanation.
And now. At the Northern Alliance's base.
The soldiers of the Northern Alliance had assembled, and at their forefront... the Knight Commander of the Northern Alliance, Lucius, knelt on one knee, bowing his head.
"I fell for the Archbishop's scheme and threw the entire north into chaos. In the end, I nearly laid hands on Your Highness myself—I do not believe I can ever make amends for that."
Lucius's bearing was that of a true knight in every sense, stripped entirely of his usual rough demeanor. One could feel genuine intelligence, respect, and... the will to obey.
"I will accept whatever punishment you see fit. ...However, if it is possible... I would ask that you spare the rank-and-file soldiers who were not under direct manipulation from harsh punishment."
Thus spoke the man who had, just moments ago, put on that performance of defiance to protect his subordinates and bring them around. Here too, he firmly prioritized the lives of those under his command, raising his face and fixing her with golden eyes that radiated unwavering resolve.
The one at the end of his gaze was—
"...I have no intention of 'punishing' you."
The Third Princess, Liliana Yosef von Yustia.
She first made clear that she held no intention of carrying out the "punishment"—that is, execution—that Lucius spoke of. It would not have been unusual for this country to do so before, but she conveyed with her words that things would be different going forward.
On top of that—
"However—I have no intention of forgiving you, either. We do not have the luxury of that right now."
She made it firmly clear that this was about far more than simply granting mercy.
"Therefore—"
She addressed the murmuring soldiers with her declaration.
"I order you, Lucius von Frodaight. And all knights of the Northern Alliance—
—to serve as my subordinates in the battles ahead. ……To fight alongside me in order to restore the throne that my brother unjustly usurped, and return it to where it rightfully belongs."
Her wish. Her desire.
At first, she had simply gone along with the current… but now, these were unmistakably Liliana's own words, spoken from the bottom of her heart.
"It will be a brutal fight. It will be a savage battle. In a country that has always left everything to Bloodline Magic users and called it solved, the fierce combat awaiting us will be something never before seen in our history—of that, I have absolutely no doubt."
It might well be no different from sentencing them all to death. The idea that every single person here could emerge unscathed… without dying and still finish her "fight"—that was the ultimate fantasy. In essence, then, perhaps nothing had changed from telling them to die for her sake.
……However.
"—But, should that day come—"
Having understood every last one of those contradictions, Liliana…
……proclaimed the decisive difference she believed in—the reward she ought to give to those worthy of her loyalty.
"Lucius, who was cast out from the Royal Capital for the crime of possessing heretical talent. And… all of you from the North, who were banished to positions unworthy of your abilities for no other reason than lacking magic, and then shunned through unjust evaluations despite proving your strength—"
"!"
The truth of the North that she had come to know—after cutting straight to the heart of why they had clung so fiercely to meritocracy.
"—I will evaluate all of that. Fairly.
Not just me. In everything this country does from now on, I will shine a proper light upon you all… no, I swear I will.
Such a
country—
,
I shall—
change."
"
After declaring the righteous path she must walk and her unwavering feelings—she extends her hand.
"...The throne that should rightfully exist. The vision I hold for this country.
And—your honor. In order to reclaim it... would you lend me your strength...?"
And so, in the end, she makes her request—in the form of a wish, with a voice both lovely and resolute.
"——"
In that moment, the knights of the Northern Alliance must have seen it too.
The unmistakable bearing of a ruler that dwelled within this young princess... and had been nurtured through this Northern uprising.
"—Haah!"
Leading them, Lucius bowed his head deeply once more. In answer, every knight behind him swore their loyalty.
And so, what she—what the Third Princess's faction had so desperately wanted—two things.
Military strength and a secure stronghold. What they had wished to gain through the Northern uprising... they obtained in a form beyond their wildest expectations.
And then, Liliana departed. Among the knights of the Northern Alliance left behind, a conversation like this was exchanged.
"...She really was something, that princess."
"Yeah."
What showed on their faces was... the unmistakable reverence born from this entire chain of events.
"She's only eleven, isn't she? Yet she carried herself with that kind of presence, and she truly understood every single one of us."
"It wasn't just her presence, either. Her magic was something extraordinary."
"Yeah, from what I've heard... apparently she used some unbelievable magic that lets all allies use Bloodline Magic."
Sounds about right. But get this—her Majesty herself apparently declared it wasn't Bloodline Magic. I don't understand it either, but I've certainly never heard of any Bloodline Magic like that.
The mages under her command are all formidable too. On top of the one who defeated Lord Lucius... there's the young lady from Thracia and the rumored Dual aptitude holder.
"Maybe we've ended up serving someone truly extraordinary..."
On top of having understood the grievances they'd been harboring, there was the terrifying domain magic she had displayed on the battlefield—silencing even the most hard-nosed meritocrats without room for argument.
And there was... one more factor that drew out their loyalty.
"Besides... she was a beautiful woman, wasn't she?"
Yes—shallow as it might sound, it was Lilliana's appearance.
Hair like burning crimson, deep azure eyes that conveyed wisdom. A miraculous beauty that combined the angelic charm of a young girl with the regal dignity and elegance befitting one who stood above others.
In addition to that striking beauty, there was the intelligent and perfect bearing she had just demonstrated.
Indeed, beauty raises morale. Combined with everything else, the image she had projected in this short span of time was rapidly gathering the soldiers' loyalty—to a level approaching reverence.
And so, the voices of the fired-up knights rang out across the room.
"To be honest, I always disliked the royal family... but for her sake, I feel like I could fight to the ends of the earth."
"That's right! No—I've never seen such a magnificent princess!"
"Truly, that composure at her age. Her private life must be absolutely flawless too."
"No doubt about it! Wherever she goes, she must surely present a beautiful and noble visage!"
And the very Lilliana whose idealization as the "perfect and magnificent princess" was progressing so smoothly among the knights was, at this moment, in the infirmary.
"Master! Say 'Aaah'!"
—Her lovely face beaming with a blissful, radiant smile.
With an expression so relaxed one might wonder what had become of the dignified composure she'd shown earlier, yet still unbearably charming in a way befitting her age, she held out the tip of a fork toward the young boy sitting on the bed—Ermes.
...Having watched Lilliana's earlier demeanor from the shadows as well, Ermes was, as usual, bewildered by the overwhelming gap between the two sides of her as he spoke.
"Um, Lady Lily. I can at least move my hands."
"Please don't be so formal about it! Master is injured, and more importantly, this is what I want to do! Now, please!"
Lilliana approached with an expression of utter, trusting confidence. Ermes knew that if he kept turning her down, her face would crumple into something even an abandoned puppy would find disheartening, so he obediently ate the fruit she offered.
Watching Lilliana's face light up with a radiant, satisfied glow, Ermes found it endearing — but he was growing somewhat concerned, and spoke up.
"Um, Lady Lily. ...You're already a princess who draws the attention of many. You really shouldn't let people see that side of you so often."
"It's perfectly fine! I only show it to Master! Besides—"
"Besides?" Tilting his head, Ermes watched as Lilliana declared boldly—
"I know it's necessary, but... honestly, all that stiff formality is really, really exhausting!"
"..."
"To put it bluntly, it's a total pain! I'm pretty sure I just realized how much stress that stuff piles on you...!"
...Yeah, hmm.
The way she talked, her dislike of formal occasions — there was something about it all that reminded him of...
(...Lately, she'd been growing more and more like her master, he felt.)
Her appearance only deepened the resemblance, making it all the harder for Ermes not to think of Rose — but while he was lost in these thoughts, Lilliana turned a slightly apologetic, upward glance his way.
"So... just while we're here. I want you to spoil me with everything you've got, and I want to be spoiled rotten. ...Is that... too much to ask?"
She said it in a voice dripping with affection.
And naturally... Lilliana's change was far from unwelcome to Ermes. She was, without question, his adorable disciple.
"...No, I'm the one who should apologize. Please, don't hold back."
He ruffled her hair as he said it. After all, starting with that magic, there were plenty of things about his disciple he wanted to praise.
At that, Lilliana's face shone even brighter. From there, the two drifted into conversation about magic and other topics — a master and disciple chatting away for a good while.
One day, with a small *click*, the door opened. And the person who appeared was someone slightly unexpected.
"...Lady Sarah?"
"Um... was I... interrupting...?"
Ermes raised his voice at the golden-haired, blue-eyed girl who had arrived in her typical door-opening fashion. Reacting to this, Lilliana turned toward her as well, and then—
"Ah... Sarah."
"?"
For some reason, after showing just a slightly... awkward expression—
"N-No, it's fine! ...Well then, I really ought to go discuss future plans with Yurugen! I'll visit again, Master!"
She abruptly pulled away from Ermes, speaking at a slightly hurried pace. And just like that, passing Sarah on the way, she left the infirmary.
"............"
...That was quite an unexpected turn of events.
It was true that Ermes didn't have a particularly clear grasp of the relationship between Lilliana and Sarah. From the fragments he'd heard, he'd gathered that they got along just fine, and from what he'd observed when they were in the Royal Capital, that had certainly seemed to be the case...
With that question still on his mind, Ermes addressed Sarah, who was standing frozen in place.
"Um... Lady Sarah. I'm sorry for the intrusive question, but... are you being avoided by Lady Lilliana?"
"...That... y-yes. I think so..."
And getting confirmation from Sarah herself only deepened his surprise.
Seeing the look on Ermes' face, Sarah quickly waved her hands in front of her chest.
"Ah, um, but! I don't think she... dislikes me or anything."
"Huh?"
"This might be me flattering myself, but, well, I do know in my heart that Lady Lilliana cares about me. But..."
As if somewhat sunken in mood—or rather, with a look that carried a stronger sense of doubt—she spoke.
"…How should I put this… it's in a different way from that. It's more like she doesn't want to, or can't, get along with me well… that's the feeling I get, I think…"
"…That is…"
It was an analysis from Sarah, who excelled at insight. If she said so, the likelihood was probably high… but that only deepened the questions, right there.
"But—"
With a tone that was, for her, notably firm—just this once. I listened to the words Sarah had spoken.
"If that's the case, then we should properly hear the reasons. And from there, we can think carefully about how to interact with her… if it's possible, I'd like to help resolve whatever is troubling her, find the reasons she feels that way. I care about Lady Lily too, after all."
"…"
"So… Ermes, I hope you won't trouble yourself over that any further…"
"…Yes, you're right."
Even as I was surprised by her forceful words—something I could barely imagine from the days when she was still at the academy—I knew this was undoubtedly a good thing, so Ermes nodded sincerely.
From there, I exchanged a fair amount of information with her. Specifically, about wrapping up the aftermath of the Northern Rebellion, the handling of Archbishop Johann, and the reorganization of the Third Princess's faction that had expanded rapidly.
At first, Ermes had tried to join in as well…
"You idiot. Ermes, have you forgotten that a sword went clean through your body once already? In the real world, they call that a serious injury. Stay in bed and behave yourself."
As a result, she was firmly shoved back into bed with full force by Katia and every other member of the third princess's faction, and had no choice but to meekly do as she was told.
If one could call it fortunate, the various procedures and paperwork seemed to be progressing smoothly. Feeling relieved that nothing had gone wrong, Ermes finished listening to Sarah's account—when, right then…
"…Ermes."
"Yes?"
"I… I'm sorry."
Exactly as her words conveyed, with a deeply apologetic expression. Sarah had offered her apology.
Ermes tilted his head, unsure what she meant, as Sarah reached out toward his chest.
"...It's because I let Nina-san through. I let her cause such terrible injuries..."
"...Ah."
He understood. So that was what this was about.
But her apology was misplaced. In Ermes's mind, Nina breaking through Sarah had been entirely expected—if anything, he was the one who should be apologizing, having placed Sarah on a battlefield that didn't suit her aptitude in the first place and then used her as a sacrifice. He explained this to Sarah once more.
"No... that's not... I have no objections to the deployment itself, but I..."
It seemed that wasn't what she meant either. Sarah faltered, searching for the right words.
"I'm... right now, I'm the least... useful to you. Of anyone."
That was what she said.
"...I don't think that at all. The one who should be useful to you is Lady Lily."
"Yes, that's true, but... no."
At Ermes's response, Sarah cut herself off.
Unlike before—unlike everything up to now. She let a different expression settle onto her beautiful features, one carrying not just dejection but real conviction, and gave a soft smile.
"I probably shouldn't say any more than this... right now, this is all I can do."
With that, she gently took Ermes's hand. Through the warmth of her touch, she once again channeled the Star corolla to mend his wounds.
"So I... I'll do my best. Please... just watch over me."
With those somewhat vague parting words, she smiled at him from up close once more. Then, turning on her heel, she too left the infirmary.
"..."
Ermes was left alone with his thoughts.
...Well, naturally, they were only halfway there.
They had overcome one great mountain, but the place they still needed to reach was far off. And up until now, there hadn't been any breathing room on their side either. With so many people gathered together, all manner of circumstances and relationships inevitably arose.
The relationship between Sara and Liliana, Sara's words just now—Ermes could only guess that this was the sort of thing he was dealing with.
And... facing it head-on didn't feel painful anymore.
With that thought, Ermes finally turned to consider matters during the first moment of solitude he'd been afforded.
...No, truly. It really was "finally."
Even though he'd been told to rest and tossed into the infirmary, there hadn't been a single moment of peace until now. That was because visitors had been streaming in without pause, just as they had been up until a little while ago.
Before Liliana's visit, Lucius had shown up, saying, "I'm really sorry about all of that! So when will that injury heal? Let's have another match once you're better!" The offer itself was welcome enough, but Ermes couldn't help being slightly exasperated that it was the very first thing out of his mouth.
Before that, there had been the knights of the Northern Alliance and the soldiers of the Harvist territory. They had been amazed by Ermes's magical abilities, impressed, or full of questions—grateful as he was, it had also been somewhat exhausting. He was genuinely thankful to Yurugen for cutting that momentum short and to Albert for silently leaving behind a plate of fruit.
Still, when you put all of those people together, almost none of them had harbored any ill will toward him—so all in all, it was something to be grateful for.
And...
There were still two. Among his close acquaintances, there were two people he hadn't met yet... Just as Ermes was idly mulling this over, the door opened.
"...Hey."
One of those two—a beautiful girl with silver hair—raised her hand in a casual greeting.
Nina von Frodit.
The one who, in a sense, he was most nervous about meeting right now... At this moment when he had finally caught his breath, Ermes came face to face with her.
It feels like something might happen to those two people he hasn't met yet next time, so stay tuned!
The first volume goes on sale February 25th, and that date is fast approaching!
I think there'll be a related project announcement around the next chapter, so if you're interested, I'd love for you to look forward to that as well!