Risou no Himo Seikatsu - Volume 12 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 — The Husaria

Once Freya had given her warning to the town’s lord, she returned to the Ancient Arbor. As if trading places, the priest and his companions were requested at the man’s estate.

Meanwhile, Zenjirou had summoned the vice-captain of the ship and informed him that the Glasir’s Leaf might be leaving Pomorskie in a hurry. However, even a day later, not all of the sailors had returned.

It was hardly a surprise. They had been given money and time to spend in the globally connected city. It was practically inevitable that the sailors would make themselves more difficult to get a hold of as they stretched their wings.

The city was a rather peaceful one, so there was a tacit understanding between the sailors and their superiors that the former would be able to relax. Now, though, whatever the circumstances explaining it, Freya and Zenjirou—royals from both their own country and another—were stranded on a soon-to-be battlefield due to those issues.

The vice-captain had a fearsome visage at the best of times, but his teeth were bared in anger now, making him all the more intense. All of that together meant Zenjirou was far from being in a position to savor his food as they took lunch in his room.

He heard a disturbance from outside over the sounds of the meal. “Something seems to be happening,” he commented.

“I certainly heard something,” Freya responded.

She and Lucretia were also in Zenjirou’s room so that they could start to move as soon as necessary. The suite had been created on the assumption that it would serve royalty and nobility, so it was practically a penthouse. Zenjirou, Freya, Lucretia, and their various maids and guards were all gathered around. Despite that, there was no sense of claustrophobia.

“It cannot have begun, can it?”

Lucretia flinched visibly at Zenjirou’s comment. No one present asked what “it” was. There could only be one answer. There was only one thing they were warily awaiting.

The knights. The group was aiming for a surprise attack on the city to “reclaim their rightful territory.” Their movements were unclear and they could be at the castle walls at any moment. Therefore, neither Zenjirou’s concerns nor Lucretia’s reaction were excessive.

However, Ines shook her head and calmly refuted his worries. “No, Sir Zenjirou. There is none of the fear in the voices that would represent an attack. The majority sound shocked, and the others sound welcoming.”

“Go confirm,” Natalio instructed one of his subordinates while Ines explained.

“Yes, sir!”

The soldier moved swiftly from the room and soon returned. He was unable to hide his shock as he delivered his report. “Sir Zenjirou! Look in the sky. Above the lord’s estate!”

“Natalio?” Zenjirou said.

“Wait a moment.” Natalio checked for danger before Zenjirou approached the window. “You are clear.”

Zenjirou leaned out of the opened pane, looking outside. He was staring in the direction of the sky above the Pomorskie lord’s estate.

Three figures were wheeling through the sky. They were the wrong shape for birds—too large, regardless of anything else. There was a significant distance between their lodgings and the estate. It was rather obvious to Zenjirou’s eyes that they were not birds.

“Are they...winged horses?” he asked, squinting to make them out more clearly. “There seem to be people atop them as well.”

The silver-haired princess reacted dramatically. “What?! Excuse me!”

She slipped in front of Zenjirou with almost indecent haste, her back against his chest as she looked in the same direction. Figurehead or not, she still captained a vessel. Her icy-blue eyes were significantly better than Zenjirou’s, and they quickly saw the truth of what was in front of them.

“It is?! The Husaria!”

Their circling seemed to be their waiting for permission to land. With that permission apparently granted, the three figures—winged horses or similar, with knights astride them—drifted down to the ground.

It was then that the figure on the lead horse threw themselves from horseback. Whether rigorously trained air force paratroopers or high-altitude fire department rescue teams, the height would have been enough to instantly kill anyone from Earth attempting the maneuver.

However, the knight was clearly—while falling faster than the spiraling horses—not in free fall.

“Is that wind magic?” Zenjirou asked, trying to explain what he was seeing with his limited knowledge. Freya was pale, though, even her lips having lost their color.

“No. It is flight magic, the lineal magic of the royal Krakow family of Złota Wolność.”

The moment the words “lineal magic” left her pallid lips, there was no need to ask who it was. Wanting to stay out of the conflict between the country and the knights, they had refused the offered accommodations from the lord and stayed in their own lodgings. If royalty was getting involved, however, they would need to send someone to the estate.

“Princess Freya,” Zenjirou said, “I would like to send someone to better understand the situation.”

“I quite agree,” she replied.

Both of them had severe looks on their faces. The conversation was pointless, though. By the time they had finished the short exchange and decided to send Skaji as their representative, an envoy from the estate had already arrived.

“I beg your pardon, but I have been requested to ask you both to come to the lord’s estate, Sir Zenjirou, Princess Freya,” they said.

The origin of the request was omitted, although it was obvious even if it went unstated. It must have been the knight from the Husaria, who had jumped earlier.

Zenjirou had no reason to refuse.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Even Zenjirou, with his relative lack of experience in carriages, could tell they were moving faster than usual. There was an unexpected event awaiting them.

He assumed he would be shown to a guest room—as had happened the last time—and for the marquis to arrive and introduce the royal later. However, the very moment the front door opened, Zenjirou’s expectations fell to pieces.

“Welcome. I am Princess Anna Krakow of the Nobles’ Commonwealth of Złota Wolność. I would ask for both of your names.”

The greeting came in a loud—but somehow not harsh on the ears—voice from a woman clad in gleaming armor. She was standing imposingly in the entrance. She looked around twenty and her eyes were about level with Zenjirou’s, so she was probably around a hundred and seventy or so centimeters tall. Her hair fell in blue waves around her face, there was a strong look in her eyes, and her features were distinct and defined. Her lips were a bright crimson—perhaps due to some form of cosmetics—and stretched in a wide grin.

Zenjirou was taken aback and couldn’t immediately manage a response. If her intention was to purposefully throw him off, it was masterfully done. But intentional or not, it was certainly the blue-haired beauty’s decision. If not, Marquis Pomorskie would not have come running from inside with a strained smile.

Seeing someone less composed than him actually allowed Zenjirou to relax. After a sidelong glance at the other man, he took a quiet breath and forced himself to look amiable.

“I am the spouse of Queen Aura of the Kingdom of Capua, Zenjirou Capua,” he told the royal.

Freya added, “I am the first princess of Uppasala, Freya Uppasala. It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”

Anna bared her white teeth in a smile at their introductions. “I see, Your Majesty Zenjirou and Princess Freya. Unofficial though it may be, I am glad as a royal of this country to meet those from other lands. Particularly you, Your Majesty, with how far you have come. Ordinarily, I would love nothing more than to truly welcome you and show our country in the best possible light. However, as you know, the city is rather busy at the moment. I would like to request your understanding in a period of inconvenience.”

Freya’s face tightened at that phrasing, and Zenjirou’s quickly did the same.“A period of inconvenience” was essentially the same as saying “You cannot leave until this incident has been resolved.”

Considering the two of them had been working on the assumption that once they gathered all of the crew, they would be leaving immediately, it was a hard pill to swallow. It was an understandable action, though. There was nothing they could do.

If Zenjirou and Freya wanted to leave town, the only way they could was by putting the Glasir’s Leaf to sea. It went without saying that the port followed the instructions of its lord. Given the situation, with information of a possible attack by sea, there was no arguing with the lord’s choice. The port was larger than even Valentia, the pride of Capua. Closing and guarding it would take a considerable amount of time. If the visitors were leaving immediately, that would be one thing. However, since they were still gathering their men, it was only natural the port would not wait for them.

Zenjirou and Freya exchanged looks, a wordless agreement passing between them. Frankly, they had no other choice.

“I see. Then we will accept your hospitality,” Zenjirou said somewhat brusquely, breaking off the politeness to show at least some displeasure even as he agreed.

The woman had called herself a princess and addressed him as “Majesty,” so there would be no problems caused by the situation. On the other hand, the sudden change would still show a worsening of mood.

“Of course. Although, as I am a guest here as well, the hospitality will be from Marquis Pomorskie,” the princess replied with a shameless grin.

The guest room they were shown to had—as they had expected—other guests already waiting.

“Oh?”

“I suppose this is heartening.”

“Guys?”

The three Yans—priest, mercenary, and orphan—greeted them in turn. The trio had been staying with the marquis since yesterday. The orphan was practically the informer who started everything, and the mercenary was a field commander with plentiful experience on the battlefield. There was no reason for the marquis to send them on their way, and it was a responsibility the priest was willing to take up. They had no intention of coming this far and then leaving before seeing how things played out.

The suggestion had been made to the youngest of them that he could leave now that they had his information, but he was possibly the one most concerned about the knights. Even the priest’s attempts at persuasion fell on deaf ears on this occasion. It was hardly a shock, since the knights had wiped out both his family and village, and were therefore the ones who had made him an orphan.

There was also a more pragmatic part to it all. If he left and survived, he would still be an orphan, liable to end up dead in a ditch somewhere. If he could show that he was useful, though, he might find himself with a lifestyle other than picking through trash and pickpocketing.

“Hm? What?” the mercenary asked.

“Nothing.”

The mercenary was his aim. He was a commander, and becoming an apprentice of such a man was the best option for the boy. Naturally, he understood how unlikely such a request was. Still, he hoped that showing his skill meant that he could find employment as some form of assistant.

Whatever the case, Zenjirou spoke to the priest about something else. “As you can likely tell, we seem fated to become rather involved with this as well. Have you already met Prince Anna?”

The priest offered a soft shake of his head. “I have not. The estate has been busy, so while I know she has arrived, I have unfortunately been unable to meet her in person.”

That, too, was not particularly shocking. Not even an hour had passed between Anna and the other two Husaria arriving. She had likely barely touched down before Zenjirou and Freya had been summoned. It made her seem like a somewhat hasty person. Then again, the city was in a state of emergency. Acting, and doing so quickly, was more important than etiquette and following norms. There was a possibility that it had been a calm calculus such as that.

Either way, seeing the priest before he met the princess was a valuable opportunity.

“As you know, Priest Yan, I am rather uninformed about the Northern Continent. If there is anything you can tell me about Her Highness, I would greatly appreciate it.” The explanation Yan had given during the banquet had been logical and easy to understand.

“Of course. She is royalty from a neighboring country from my perspective, so I am not too well-informed. We have relatively little time as well, so will a simple outline be acceptable?”

“It will.”

Freya knew a little about her peer, but Uppasala was separated from Złota Wolność both culturally and geographically. The priest would probably be better informed. Therefore, Zenjirou spent the time before Anna arrived learning about the royal family’s position in the commonwealth and acquiring a bare minimum of knowledge about the princess in particular.

“I would like to thank you all once again for accepting my invitation,” Anna said firmly when she joined them. “I would greatly appreciate your wisdom and assistance.”

She was sitting on a sofa across from everyone else, looking over the group evenly. The marquis was at her side, his eyes darting between them all with a concerned look. It went without saying which was the more normal reaction.

In the room with them currently were: a priest from a foreign country, a mercenary who, whatever his origins, had no permanent home, an orphan who, while born in the commonwealth, now had no place to go, a princess from another country, and finally, a royal from a country they had no diplomatic ties with at all. None of them had any duty to stand against any difficulties facing the country of Złota Wolność.

Zenjirou knew how overbearing the princess was being. While she had removed her armor, she was still wearing her leather under-armor. Managing to still give off the air of royalty despite the plain, practical outfit was just proof of her status.

“I doubt I need to explain it now, but Pomorskie is currently facing an unforeseen danger,” she stated.

Everyone present already knew, but she began summarizing the situation just to make sure they were all on the same page.

“The boy over there started everything by happening to hear the knights talking. They were discussing an attack on our lands. Now, that in itself is an unfortunate reality, but their target being Pomorskie changes things. The border is well defended, but it is hard to say the same for this city.”

Pomorskie was an international port and a flourishing center of trade. Having both a strongly defended city and one open to all for trade was a difficult balance to strike. Of course, considering the distance between the city and the knights’ territory, this assault in itself was a gamble. They had neither the time nor manpower to constantly defend against such an unlikely avenue of attack.

“Additionally, we have information corroborating the boy’s story. While not making it ironclad, it certainly adds a great deal of support. Is that not right, Marquis?”

The noble at her side paled as the conversation turned to him, but he responded regardless. “Indeed. Late last night, a fast trading ship from the north passed several larger ships. Their testimony states that, considering the ship’s drafts, they were considerably well loaded. They were likely to arrive within three days—assuming they were heading for Pomorskie, of course.” The last sentence was obviously added as an optimistic aside, but it was obvious that not even he thought it likely.

The princess clenched her fist. “The knights prattle on about their ‘old territory,’ but Pomorskie has been ours since the founding of our nation. We need to show just how illegitimate their claims are!”

Her statement was true. Pomorskie had been the territory of the Poznań Kingdom even before Złota Wolność had been founded. However, about two hundred years ago, the king of that nation had legitimately turned the land over to the knights. Then, about a hundred years later, the people of Złota Wolność had conspired to allow the city to regain its independence and immediately incorporated it into their commonwealth, ignoring any of the consequences.

“It is as clear as day that there is no legitimacy to their claims. However, it is equally true that there are certain elements in our nobility still clinging to an ancient indiscretion.”

The “ancient indiscretion” was the king at the time handing the city over to the knights. A hundred years of controlling the city meant that there were still descendants of the knights among the ruling class even today. It was an open secret that many of the nobles with the same surnames as the influential knights were still potentially close to their current forces.

Additionally, the Sejm controlling the country as a whole had a majority of those who followed the Church of the Claw, the same faith the knights adhered to. It was ordinarily mere fantasy, but in Pomorskie, there was the possibility of the city falling to a surprise attack and being taken over by the knights, to legitimate control later on. It was the shortest possible path to regaining the city.

“We cannot allow them to take control, even temporarily. They must be stopped at all costs.”

The marquis at her side was the one most in agreement with her. He was both intimately connected with the issue and had much to lose. If the knights’ wish was granted, then he would lose his home and status, at the very least. He could also very well end up losing his life.

“Frankly, a complete surprise attack would put us in a bad position,” he said, mopping his brow.

“Just so,” Anna said, agreeing with exaggerated movements. “Should we safely see our way through this situation, the boy there will be among the biggest contributors. When the knights have been repelled, you will be well rewarded.”

“Ah, uh, right!”

Anna looked away from the orphan and continued with a drawn expression. “We are lacking information here. However, we are also lacking the time to gain that information. I would like to hear your unvarnished thoughts on how we can protect this town.” As she spoke, her gaze found the one-eyed mercenary’s.

The man spoke firmly in understanding. “I shall start, then. I will be speaking from a soldier’s perspective, so I beg your pardon for any rudeness. First, as long as the knights are not overconfident fools, it is almost certain they will not sail directly into port.”

Zenjirou was the only one who found that surprising. Everyone else simply took it as fact. It took some courage to ask the question, but not knowing and pretending to understand would make it harder to follow the conversation as it progressed. “Is that so?” he asked shortly.

There was no mockery from the mercenary—at least on the surface—as he explained briefly. “Indeed. Invading via a port is a rather courageous choice. While few in number, there are mages capable of casting during battle here. Casters who can create massive swells and fire storms may even end the battle before it begins.”

“Ah, I see. Magic.”

Understanding that, he could easily see where the statement came from. There were few mages capable of casting spells while engaging in melee like Skaji, but if they were a greater distance away, many more could employ their powers.

“Marquis Pomorskie is among the leading nobles in the country. The knights would not assume that we had no access to such mages.”

“Which means that they will land some distance away and attack by land.”

“That seems likely.”

It was all Zenjirou could do to keep his expression placid as the princess and mercenary discussed tactics. They were truly in the swing of things now. There was almost no reason for him or Freya to be there. In terms of information control, it could even be considered a bad choice. He honestly could not see the intent in forcibly keeping them there, then summoning them to the estate and involving them in the war council. Perhaps they were relying on aid from the Glasir’s Leaf?

Currently, Zenjirou was nothing more than a self-proclaimed royal without even a dozen people, split between knights, soldiers, and maids. In terms of both political and physical power, he was not only useless, but an active risk.

This nation had diplomatic ties with Uppasala and therefore had to show her some consideration, so they would turn to her for help if they were going to ask. Whatever the reasoning, there was nothing he could do but go with the flow.

His mind made up, Zenjirou continued to watch the discussion quietly.

“Commander, can you predict where they might land?” the princess asked.

“Might I trouble you for a map I can annotate, along with tools to do so?”

“Lord Pomorskie?”

“I cannot object.”

Unfurling a map in front of both a mercenary and foreign royals was hardly the most pleasant of prospects for a feudal lord such as himself. Still, he understood that needs must and instructed a subordinate to fetch a large map.

“It is somewhat rough, but will it still serve?” he asked once it arrived.

“It will. My thanks,” the mercenary stated.

Rough though he called it, the map was better than any Zenjirou had seen in Capua. Naturally, compared to the maps of Earth it was far rougher. The change in his expression did not go unnoticed.

“Another result of our Husaria. I am confident it is in no way inferior to other nations’ maps,” Anna boasted.

It was a rather obvious duty in retrospect. Since they had flying assets, there was no reason to forgo gathering information from the air.

I’m jealous. If we combined flying knights and a camera, we could at least mimic satellite mapping.

The thought brought a realization to Zenjirou’s mind.

“Princess Anna? If we are lacking both time and information, could we not ask the Husaria to scout? I get the impression they could gather a significant amount of information in relatively little time.”

Having the princess herself join the scouting party was out of the question, but there were three such knights who had arrived.

She offered a slight shrug at his suggestion. “We may need to should the worst come to pass, but it is a choice I am disinclined to make.”

Just as Zenjirou was mulling over what “the worst” might represent, the mercenary seemed to have come to a conclusion and drew a large circle on the map.

“Even taking into account that this is a supported surprise attack, I would want at least a thousand cavalry if I were to try to take Pomorskie. Two thousand if it was just infantry. Speed is a matter of life and death for such attacks, and they pride themselves on being ‘knights.’ Therefore, a thousand knights is the most likely distribution. However, horses are far bigger and heavier than people. They require massive amounts of provisions as well. While purification magic can supplement a water supply, traveling by ship will slow them. People are one thing, but horses will not be comfortable entering into battle as soon as they make landfall. Conversely, using cavalry for the entirety of their force means that they would have transport even after landfall and therefore would not need to be in the immediate vicinity.”

The man paused to let everything sink in.

“With all of that combined, I believe this region to be the most likely location for them to land.”

The circle looked rather large to Zenjirou, but judging by the impressed looks both of the locals had, it was more precise than such things usually were.

“So you have narrowed it down to that extent? How reliable would you say this estimate was?” Anna asked.

“Who can say? Should it hold that the knights are attacking by sea, I would say that it is approximately a nine in ten chance.”

“Hm...Commander, would you be willing to work under my employ? I would welcome you as a tactician.”

The mercenary’s single eye flicked towards the priest in response to the princess’s question.

“I am honored you think so highly of me, but I am already employed.”

Despite the clear refusal, Anna didn’t falter. “I am aware. Despite that, however tenuous the link is, the priest here is a legitimate priest of the church. Involving yourself in the affairs of the knights while still in his employ could cause issues for him. A temporary change of employ—if only for the sake of argument—would be for the best. Of course, once our contract is fulfilled, I would not be opposed to you returning to him.”

“Hmm...” The mercenary mused it over. The priest was important to him. With the other man already being despised by both the fang and claw factions, the mercenary didn’t want to prompt any further aggression towards him.

It was difficult to decide whether to withdraw here or not. If Złota Wolność was pushed aside by the knights and religious freedoms gave way to a die-hard following of the claw, it would limit the priest’s scope on the Northern Continent. The mercenary knew he should do what he could for the commonwealth’s victory. The princess’s suggestion was worth considering.

“Priest,” he began.

“The decision is yours, Commander. Military matters are far outside of my wheelhouse.”

The words could be taken as either wholehearted trust or a complete washing of his hands on the matter, depending on one’s perspective. The mercenary closed his eye and considered matters for a few moments before coming to a decision.

“Very well. Then I shall temporarily sever the contract between the two of us. Princess Anna, the specifics?”

“Of course. The first clause would be to serve as a military adviser as you have just done. Additionally, I would like to appoint you as a commander for the incursion from the knights. At all other times, I have no issues with you serving as protection for Priest Yan as you have been doing.”

The conditions she gave ended up leaning towards consideration for the man’s own preferences.

“Then I foresee no problems. However...”

“I know. I pledge that you will not be restricted after the completion of this contract, loath as I am to let a man of your talents slip away.”

“It is an honor to hear it. Were it not for Priest Yan here, perhaps I would even swear fealty to you.”

“Oh, so we simply met the wrong way around?”

“No, it is not a matter of the order, but existence. Even assuming we had met first, I would likely have left with the priest here.”

The princess let out a noise of musing.

“Commander, I would appreciate it if you left matters there,” Priest Yan interjected with an awkward smile as the situation devolved somewhat.

The princess also seemed to realize that pursuing the matter further would just sour relations. “No matter. Let us speak of more practical affairs. It is Lord Pomorskie’s view that the army cannot leave the city and still continue protecting it. That means that if we were to attack proactively, it would be with mercenaries he hires and any such soldiers who happen to be in the town. We should be able to manage around eleven to twelve hundred. I will temporarily employ them and place them under your command. The majority will be infantry and they will be a level or two less trained than the knights. I ask for your frank opinion, Commander. Under those conditions, are we able to launch a preemptive strike?”

If the one-eyed mercenary’s assumptions were correct, they would be facing a thousand cavalrymen. The defenders had a slight numerical advantage but would be mainly focused around mercenary infantry rather than cavalry. They would not be a unified force, and their training would be relatively inferior.

It went without saying just how much she was asking. Still, after some thought, the man answered in the affirmative, albeit with some provisos.

“Indeed. Assuming our goal is not the extermination of their force but ensuring they abandon their invasion. Victory will be decided by their allies, though. We have no guarantee that they won’t have some famed commander beyond our knowledge. We can’t tell whether they’re hiding someone like that Janos brat.”

The man’s tone grew harsher as he spoke, perhaps remembering prior battles. He was practically seething by the end of the statement.

“I see. Then I shall have you begin immediately. If you can secure their morale and conduct with deferred payment, then you may promise whatever you like. I shall deal with the payment after the fact.”

“Very well. There is little time to waste, so I will excuse myself here. Lord Pomorskie, I would like you to gather your employed forces.”

“Of course. I shall do so immediately. I will also excuse myself, Your Highness.”

The two men hurriedly left.

“That is all from me, then,” the priest added. “Yan, we have little time, but I can teach you to read as you wished.”

“Thank you, Priest,” the boy said as the two of them exited as well.

The princesses and Zenjirou were the only ones now in the room. Simply being carried along by the flow of the situation, Zenjirou was struck by an indescribable discomfort. Perhaps that was due to being unable to contribute to the situation in any way, even though it could impact his own safety in the worst case.

He considered the possibility, but that didn’t seem quite right. It felt more like there was a disparity between the information available and the situation. If he let it go unremarked, he would be at a disadvantage. It was similar to when he had worked in business and his negotiating partner hadn’t lied but had certainly given a different impression from the truth.

“Is something the matter, Your Majesty?” the princess asked, red lips curving into a grin.

“No, nothing,” he replied, growing all the warier. “You may have already realized it, but I am something of a coward, wholly unsuited to combat. I suppose I am slightly concerned about the situation.”

The admission of his deficit in that area allowed him to hide his other concerns. Her blue eyes widened in surprise for a moment before she returned to her prior expression.

“I see. Personally, I view being able to say as much with such honesty to be rather courageous. Unfortunately, it is far more common for people to be unwilling to admit their cowardice. Rest assured, if not taken by surprise, Pomorskie is well defended. The moment their surprise attack—albeit still an attack with a thousand cavalrymen—became known to us, its failure was assured. I personally guarantee your safety.”

The explanation that followed was all too easy to accept: the city was surrounded by sturdy walls in addition to its navy, and breaching it would be by no means easy, especially when the composition of the attacking forces was so focused on speed and ambush tactics. They likely had little that was suitable for laying siege to the town. Their goal was collusion from the inside. Unless they were actively invited in, they would have no way to get past the walls.

If the marquis was unable to suppress such internal support after being warned of it, then he was wholly incompetent as the lord of the city in the first place. Her claims that a decisive failure was now impossible with the attack no longer being a surprise were therefore not groundless.

The princess and marquis were still concerned, though, because failure for the knights did not necessarily mean success for the city. Pomorskie was an international port and a hotbed of trade. Even if they managed to repel the invaders, the enemy reaching the city walls was still unconscionable. While the massive ramparts protected the interior and port alike, its position as a trade center meant that there were many—usually wide open—gates to prioritize ease of both ingress and egress.

If the city turtled up and closed the port and gates, it would also be shutting down much of its economy. Above all else, the fact that the walls had been attacked would be a gaping wound. While location, transport links, and facilities were important for commerce centers, the most important thing was safety. This would end that. However easy the city was to reach, if it was not a safe region, merchants would avoid it. Therefore, if it was at all possible to avoid such an attack—even a short-lived one—the city would be best served by doing so.

With that in mind, the lord strengthening their defenses for the worst-case scenario while the mercenary took an expeditionary force to preemptively attack made sense. If their plan went well and they defended the city from a distance, it would minimize the damage overall.

War was not like sports; the victory and defeat conditions were not necessarily equivalent on both sides. With each side’s conditions being different, it was possible—albeit rare—for both to lose. Even more rarely, it was possible for both sides to win. Victory and defeat were entirely different for each faction.

“Ah, I see,” Zenjirou murmured to himself as she repeated the point that victory for one side was not necessarily defeat for the other.

“Oh, is something wrong?” the princess asked with interest.

Despite regretting his slip of the tongue, Zenjirou realized this might be an opportunity. “No, I just realized I had been misunderstanding something.”

“Oh? How intriguing. I would be glad to hear what you mean.”

With her focusing on what he expected, Zenjirou offered as casual a denial as he could. “It was nothing major. Besides, there is no way for me to be sure I am correct now.”

“That just makes me all the more curious. For you to bring it up means it must be related to this incident with the knights, no? In that case, I truly would like to hear your thoughts. After all, we are in the same situation until this is resolved.”

It was a somewhat insensitive comment considering he had been forcibly placed into the situation, but it was a useful phrase for him at present.

“Hm, the same situation. Well, if you insist, I will speak plainly, then. However, there is one thing I must ask you to also answer plainly first. After all...we are in the same situation.”

“Hmph.”

Before Anna could adjust to the sudden change, Zenjirou took the initiative. “I would like for you to tell me your objective. Why did you purposefully fly out to the city?”

She had braced herself but the question still took her aback. There was visible surprise on her face for a moment, although it was soon masked by the confident look she had maintained throughout the meeting.

She made exaggerated motions as she answered. “My goal is, of course, to prevent Pomorskie from falling into the clutches of the knights. I would have thought it obvious?”

Zenjirou refuted her words. “That was my assumption, yes. Lord Pomorskie is currently working towards that, in fact. However, things are different with you. After all, by your own admission, Pomorskie is already protected.”

Her smile merely deepened at his statement as she remained silent. If she wasn’t going to say anything, then he would simply have to explicate further.

“You yourself said that if the attack is known, it has no chance of success, which means that when word reached the palace, that was already the case. Why, then, are you here?”

Freya—who had thus far been sitting and listening at his side—made a short noise of surprise. His comments had revealed the inconsistency to her.

“You could certainly say that the bare minimum of success—that is, protecting the city—was already achieved once the attack was brought to light. However, as you can see from our decision to attack, that is not enough to protect the functions of the city as a center of trade.”

“That is the case for Marquis Pomorskie, yes. However, what of you? Pomorskie might be the largest trading city in the country, but the commonwealth is both powerful and vast. It is not irreplaceable. In that case, from a national perspective, simply protecting the town from falling into the knights’ hands is enough. At the very least, it seems unlikely to warrant the risk of royalty arriving with a mere two attendants.”

“Therein is the misunderstanding. Pomorskie certainly is not the only option we have for trade, but it is still significant. It is not unthinkable for royalty to personally come and see to its defense. Additionally, royalty in our lands is not as central a position as you think. It is likely somewhat difficult for other nations to understand that, though.”

“Reigning but not governing, yes. Even with the reduction in the monarch’s powers, I see no mutual exclusivity with protecting the powerful royal family. Still, let us set that aside. In that case, merely sending three Husaria is odd. A state of emergency would—for this country—be declared by the Sejm. With an official declaration, they would send more forces. It makes sense that having a detachment march their way here would be too late, but the Husaria would have no such issue.”

He had heard that their winged horses were valuable to the country, but there were far more than single-digit numbers of them. If what he had heard from the priest was accurate, there were at least a hundred and possibly as many as three to five times that.

“The mounts are precious, and those who can ride them even more so. They can not be sent here and there at a moment’s notice.”

“That is contradictory. The Husaria are fighters. Fighters with extremely high mobility. If they cannot respond immediately in the case of an emergency, they would be little more than decorative. It would be akin to never using your trump card.”

The woman was silent, apparently having run out of excuses.

“I want to know your goal here,” he pressed. “I have no doubt that you are also aiming for a more complete victory against the knights attacking this town. Still, even if that is a result you want to achieve, it is not your true goal, is it? What purpose do the accolades of defending Pomorskie—or, more specifically, beating the knights—serve for you?”

Thinking about it in retrospect, Anna had been rather forceful about gaining the mercenary’s employment from the priest. She was even rehiring any others that the marquis already had.

If she was putting so much effort in, it would make more sense for the marquis to employ Yan and for him to take command from there before carrying out the attack. Despite that, Yan—and the mercenaries who would be serving under him—would all be under Anna’s auspice.

The mercenary taking the fight to the knights was under Anna’s command. If the plan went well, she would be seen as the one to protect Pomorskie from the knights. That itself was what she was aiming for.

The blue-haired princess finally seemed to resign herself. “My, what thorough questioning. I feel like women should be allowed some more leeway, even in a battle of words.”

“Should such generalizations be applied to you? Or do they simply serve your purposes?”

There was a pause. “Is continuing such questioning even necessary if you have seen through me so thoroughly?” she said, an edge to her voice.

Zenjirou didn’t let his guard down as he fired back. “Hence me saying it was nothing major. At this point, we are in the same situation, are we not? Incidentally, I get the impression that there may be some connection to us being detained here.”

There was a much longer pause this time until the princess let out a resigned sigh. “Magnificent. As you have discerned, Your Majesty, my goal here is to be the next person on the throne.”

“During the next Free Election?”

“Indeed,” she agreed with a slight nod.

The Free Elections for the position of monarch was a system which—to Zenjirou’s knowledge—only existed in Złota Wolność. The Senate proctored a vote of all the nobles in the country, each of whom had a single vote, to choose the next monarch. While it was called an election, the only actual candidate was what other countries would call a crown prince—in other words, the next in line to the throne—so it was merely an approval of the next king. It seemed that the princess was going to cause a large upheaval in that respect.

That meant that Zenjirou could see why the somewhat unnatural step of restricting them had been taken. His title was “Spouse of Queen Aura I of the Kingdom of Capua.” He was living proof that there was a foreign country led by a queen with legitimate power. Złota Wolność was proud of building a large, powerful country by promoting freedom and equality. Therefore, officially speaking, any royal—even a woman—had the right to candidacy for the throne.

More practically, though, the weight of long tradition and custom held strong. Her calm self-assessment was that even if she was a candidate, she wouldn’t be taken seriously as one, let alone get votes.

“So my first targets are those who constantly bemoan the fact that I am a woman. Pushing past my mother’s objections to joining the Husaria was part of that. Fortunately, I am rather accomplished in flight magic, so the qualifications were relatively simple.”

It went without saying that being able to fly on your own power, if needed, was extremely convenient for joining the Husaria. While others would need to train so that they didn’t fall from their mounts’ backs under any circumstance, the Krakow family trained their magic so that they could cast at a moment’s notice instead.

While being able to cast a spell immediately, even while tense, was difficult in its own right, the Krakow family had to learn fall control—the simplest of flight magic—as they became part of the Husaria. Specifically, there was a balcony without balustrading on the top floor of the palace. They were blindfolded and then pushed out without warning. There was a large artificial pool underneath, so falling uncontrolled wouldn’t kill them, but casting the spell before they hit the water was the pass mark.

Incidentally, Anna could cast more than just fall control. She could float, move, and even soar. Zenjirou’s immediate desire to create a magic tool for it was probably Francesco’s influence.

“So you will use these events to make a name for yourself and stand in the next election. Further, my presence will make it known that there are queens with true power in other nations. That combination will at least somewhat improve the country’s disposition towards a queen as its monarch here. Was that the reason you wanted me to be present until an official celebration of your victory?”

Anna’s eyes went wide before she applauded. “Wonderful. You saw through my actions completely. I am impressed by your keen insight.”

While the joking way in which she was acknowledging him was likely to hide it, she could actually have been surprised. The blue-haired princess’s smile twitched for a moment as she fixed her eyes firmly on his.

“What say you, Your Majesty? It will take some of your time, but I would gladly see you present at a celebration of our victory.”

“Hm. I would be lying were I to claim that I was not curious about how Złota Wolność celebrates a victory. However, I am here for my own reasons.”

“Perhaps our country could offer its blessing to your relationship with Princess Freya?”

It was Zenjirou’s turn to be surprised now. He had not spoken a word of any relationship between them since his arrival on the continent. Then again, with some thought, it was hardly surprising that particularly sharp-eyed individuals would have been able to presume as much. They were male and female royals from different families, traveling in the same ship far across the ocean to the woman’s homeland. Both of them were also of a suitable age for marriage. Observing how they acted together would be enough to pin down what kind of relationship they had.

Blessings from a country with Złota Wolność’s strength would pressure the king of Uppasala, but it would be a third country interfering in diplomacy between the two.

“Perhaps not. Such things would be better suited after results have been borne.”

Anna’s crimson lips parted in a laugh. “I see. I shall not force the issue, then. That puts me in a bind, though. I truly would appreciate your participation. I wonder how I would thank you for it.”

“I have not yet said whether I shall. Besides, does it not strike you as rather indecently hasty to be concerned about a victory party before the victory has taken place?”

“Hardly. There is little I can do now to change events. All I can do is await good news from my commander. Preparing with that in mind simply shows my faith in him.” She chuckled, sending blue locks cascading back.

Zenjirou was somewhat taken aback by her claiming there was nothing she could do. “What of the other two Husaria accompanying you? Two are unlikely to turn the tide of battle, but they would be valuable for scouting. After all, we need to know where our enemy is, and there seem to be many ways to put them to use.”

“In the worst case, I will have to do that. It is an absolute last resort, though. If the commander requests it, I shall talk with them, but I would much rather not.”

She was repeating that this was a last resort for the worst case. The question made its way from Zenjirou’s lips—if he had to give a reason, due to sheer curiosity.

“Why is that?”

“It is not complex, Your Majesty. Currently, one of our advantages over the knights is that we know they are planning a surprise attack. However, they do not know that we are aware. The Husaria are indeed among the most useful scouting forces in the world. However, they are also the least useful when needing to do so without being seen themselves.”

“Ah, I see.”

It certainly was a simple explanation. It was all but impossible to escape the sight of the Husaria as they soared through the distant sky. A person or two might manage to do so, but a military formation of a thousand men would be completely incapable.

The same went in the other direction, though. It was hard to imagine that the entire division would overlook them wheeling through the air. This meant that while the Husaria would, in all likelihood, be able to pinpoint the knights’ position, the knights would also know they had been spotted. In other words, the city was trying to carry out a surprise attack on the knights as they tried to do the same.

“Have you considered you may be overreaching?”

“Am I? On that front, all I can do is leave it to the commander. The only things I can do now are pay my dues in money should we succeed or take responsibility should we fail.”

There was a vicious grin on her face as she spoke.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Seemingly satisfied with her conversation with Zenjirou, the princess left the room in good spirits.

Zenjirou and Freya had yet to be shown to their own rooms, so they remained in the guest room. This would normally be the height of rudeness, but expecting perfect hospitality under the circumstances would be pointless.

The service staff had—with absolutely no warning—been forced to contend with their princess arriving first thing in the morning. That princess had then summoned a foreign princess and prince consort. On top of that, the mercenary Yan had needed to see the lord’s men to deal with the imminent attack before taking them marching on.

The service staff was doubtless in the midst of a hellish period of busyness. With that in mind, it would be rather childish to complain about being kept waiting.

As Zenjirou let out a deep breath—almost a sigh—Freya turned to speak to him in concern.

“Are you tired, Sir Zenjirou?” she asked.

“I am fine. Thank you for your consideration, though,” he replied, putting a polite look on his face.

He was rather tired, in truth. Of course, it wasn’t a physical tiredness, but a mental one. Anna could give as many logical explanations as she liked for why the city wouldn’t fall. Zenjirou wasn’t resilient enough to be unbothered when he could be on the periphery of a battlefield. The trip on the Glasir’s Leaf had risked his life, but there was a distinct difference between nature and a murderous person.

Frankly, he felt ill. He had been aware of it from the beginning, but war and fighting were areas where he would be more of a liability than anything. The current situation was just emphasizing that to him.

“Judging by Princess Anna’s comments, we will be free to go after the victory party. Is that inconvenient to you?”

There was honest concern in the silver-haired princess’s question, so Zenjirou answered in kind.

“I cannot honestly call it a good situation. The diplomatic permissions Her Majesty gave me were for a friendly relationship with Uppasala and nothing else. Still, the choice for Capua between the knights and Złota Wolność itself is self-evident. Some personal friendliness should be nothing to be concerned about.”

The commonwealth allowed religious freedoms, while the knights only permitted following the Church of the Claw. Capua put their faith in the spirits, so there was only one choice as far as diplomacy went.

That said, there were multiple decisions making up such a choice, and the final one rested with Aura, not him. That meant that Zenjirou’s only choice was to stress that he could not make diplomatic agreements while he was there.

It certainly should be fine. After all, Anna was using him to make it clear that there was at least one country with a reigning queen. Him solemnly deferring to his wife was actually in service of that.

Freya mulled over what he told her. “So having me be the invited guest while you are just ‘royalty from another country that happens to be present’ would work for you?”

The difference would be an introduction—unofficial, but still—as royalty of the Southern Continent.

“It would, thank you,” he replied.

This was assuming that the one-eyed mercenary would be successful in battle. While Zenjirou lacked Anna’s confidence, thinking of failure would serve no practical purpose.

Assuming the military man’s predictions were correct, they would not be blockaded by sea. If his assault failed and the knights made their way to the walls, as long as there was no blockade, they could likely arrange for the Glasir’s Leaf to leave port immediately after confirming the enemy had no naval forces. Princess Anna was unlikely to refuse their escape in that situation.

For Zenjirou, it would almost be better if the assault did fail.

“Still, do you think their strategy will work?” he mused aloud, utterly lost in military matters.

“I do not know. Mercenaries do tend to be of inferior training to a proper army, but the most skilled can upend that understanding from what I have heard.”

“And Commander Yan is one of those most skilled?”

Freya nodded immediately. “I feel there is little doubt. His name is not known as far as Uppasala, so I cannot say for sure, but Princess Anna seemed to know him. Additionally, entrusting a new person with the men Lord Pomorskie hired means that the other mercenaries are likely to follow his word just from his name.”

“I see, so he is a famous man,” Zenjirou mused, a hand on his chin. He spent a while in thought before speaking again. “Princess Freya?”

“What is it, Sir Zenjirou?”

She understood from his expression that his suggestion would be a major one. She adjusted her position and waited.

“Would it be possible for some of the fighters from the Glasir’s Leaf to participate?”

With how far removed Zenjirou was from fighting, it was a rather uncharacteristic request. She was taken aback but managed to rally immediately and answer.

“Indeed. They are my subordinates, so they would not cause issues.”

It was, incidentally, unthinkable for any of Zenjirou’s subordinates to participate. He only barely had enough men to act as protection in the first place, and it would moreover be a political issue. Capuans could not interfere with disputes between other countries.

Conversely, it was already a done deal for Uppasala. Going into battle with their own standard flying might be out of the question, but soldiers taking up mercenary positions for a little extra spending money while on shore leave was—whilst shameless—an excuse that would work. Besides, the knights were already enemies of Uppasala and all other animistic countries on the continent, so participating would make no difference at this point. They did need to keep the number of people moderated, though.

Zenjirou seemed somewhat relieved by her answer, but there was still a clear sense of guilt as he continued. “That is good. Then I would like for you to send one or two people you can trust.”

“Would that be covertly, so the commander is unaware of their origins?”

“No, that does not matter. I would want them to report on what occurs in the battle between the two groups, though.”

“Sir Zenjirou...why in the world would...”

He was asking for people to be sent to the battlefield. It was not a battlefield that needed intervention either. It was impossible not to question him.

Zenjirou kept a grave look on his face as he answered her question in kind.

“Princess Freya, are you familiar with gunpowder?”