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When I entered the room used as the living room, Melissa from the Albio Republic was there.

“Ah, Your Excellency—” (Melissa)

Melissa, sitting on the sofa, looked at me with her mouth agape. It was probably because Shulika, in a great mood, was clinging to me like a koala, wrapped in my arm.

“She’s so cute… too much like an angel…” (Melissa)

Melissa, with a dreamy expression, muttered in her native language, Telor.

“Are you jealous?” (Yuri)

“I am. Please switch places with me.” (Melissa)

Maybe her head wasn’t working right, because she responded absent-mindedly in Telor when I spoke to her.

“Then, try winning her over with a gift.” (Yuri)

“But the Queen Swords stopped me from giving sweets… and I don’t know what kind of gift would make a princess as happy as a commoner’s child…” (Melissa)

So, you did try something, huh? Well, I guess that makes sense. Shulika can get most things she wants, so it might be hard to think of something that would genuinely excite her.

“Unexpectedly, toys from your homeland might be a hit.” (Yuri)

“That’s true… I’ll try ordering some next time.” (Melissa)

“Melissa, are you going to give me something?” (Shulika)

Shulika, lifting her face from my chest, spoke in Shan language.

Wait, could she understand what we were saying earlier? …Well, she probably just picked up on the word ‘present’.

“Eh!? Ah, Your Excellency, what are you making her say?” (Melissa)

“I’m not making her say anything. It was just your inner thoughts leaking out.” (Yuri)

“Th-That’s… now it’s been exposed that I adore Shulika Your Majesty…” (Melissa)

Yeah, everyone already knows. You always find reasons to meet her. A foreign military officer trying to meet a 4-year-old girl doesn’t usually need much explanation.

“I like Melissa too.” (Shulika)

“…Eh?” (Melissa)

“I just like you normally. You’re kind.” (Shulika)

It feels more like ‘the affection meter is tilted slightly toward liking, so if I had to express it, I’d say I like you’ rather than actual fondness… But Melissa didn’t seem to mind at all. She looked the happiest out of Kuran that I had ever met.

“Then, can I hold you?” (Melissa)

“No.” (Shulika)

“Eh?” (Melissa)

“No. I don’t let just anyone hold me. I only get held by special people.” (Shulika)

Who taught her that? Well, it would be strange for a Queen to let just anyone hold her, I suppose. Melissa, however, looked utterly crestfallen.

“I can’t… really…?” (Melissa)

“But I can shake your hand.” (Shulika)

“Then, please shake my hand.” (Melissa)

“Sure, here you go.” (Shulika)

While I was holding her, Shulika extended one hand. Melissa quickly approached and shook her tiny hand. From my perspective, both of them were mini-sized. So, the scale felt odd.

“Wow… so soft and squishy…” (Melissa)

Melissa looked blissfully happy.

Is that really okay?

At that moment, the door behind me opened.

“Your Excellency Yuri… hm? What are you doing?” (Myaro)

It was Myaro.

“Playing with my daughter. Shulika, it’s time to let you down. Find a maid and ask her to help you change clothes.” (Yuri)

“Okay. I’ll do that. Thank you, Otou-san.” (Shulika)

When I set her on the floor, Shulika happily glanced back at me and ran toward the maid’s room. How conveniently she left.

“Time for a strategy meeting. We’re attacking Tyrellme.” (Yuri)

“—Will my advice be necessary?” (Melissa)

Melissa asked, her face shifting into work mode. She was from the Albio Republic, so whatever we discussed in front of her would be relayed back to them. We were fully aware of that, so we didn’t call her when there were things we didn’t want overheard.

“Yes, of course.” (Yuri)

“Then, please give me your report in a separate room.” (Melissa)

The gentle smile she had shown to Shulika vanished, replaced by the face of an elite analyst. It wasn’t just her love for cute young girls that got her dispatched here as her country’s representative.

“By the way, I just received a report from Carnot-san. Kien Rube has passed away.” (Myaro)

“…I see.” (Yuri)

I wasn’t too familiar with the potential of the borrowed Eagles, so I wasn’t ready to risk crossing the dangerous strait. I stopped halfway and returned. Since the journey could be completed in one day by switching Eagles, it must have caused the sequence of events to change. That meant Kien died the same day I left.

“My condolences.” (Melissa)

Melissa expressed her sympathy, then calmly said.

“The battle must have been intense if the commander-in-chief was mortally wounded. Could you tell me the details?” (Melissa)

—

“—I can’t understand the military’s intention. Throwing away their prized Volunteering Knights like that.” (Melissa)

As expected, Melissa shared the same doubts as I did.

“If there’s no military intent, then perhaps it was politically motivated. The commander of the Fourth Division who died there was a fervent supporter of the Pope, and they might have wanted to get rid of him… What do you think?” (Dimitri)

“That seems possible. First, let’s investigate his background. We can inquire further from the mainland, but some basic information might be in the book I brought.” (Melissa)

Melissa stood up and headed to the bookshelf.

“Let’s see… got it.” (Melissa)

She pulled out a thick book made of parchment, carrying it with effort, and placed it on the table, opening it.

“This is the ‘Who’s Who’ of the Papal States. It’s last year’s edition. Let’s start by looking up by position… Fourth Division, Fourth… The name is Giacomo Veranius.” (Melissa)

Muttering that to herself, she flipped back from the index and started looking for the name.

“Here it is. He lived a monastic life at the Sidotti Monastery. He entered the military after returning to secular life at the age of 15, meaning he actually spent several years living as a monk. After joining the Fourth Division… he was promoted steadily. As for family… there’s none at all, so he either came from an unknown family or was an orphan.” (Melissa)

“Nothing particularly worth digging into, huh. Well, that’s the nature of this kind of book, I guess.” (Yuri)

The ‘Who’s Who’ is a social reference book that lists the names, brief biographies, family lines, and addresses of important people in the country. It’s used for things like sending gifts to nobles you want to form connections with or checking the background of someone you only heard the name of at a party. If you’re going to participate in high society, you’d want to have at least one copy in your household.

However, due to space limitations, it can’t include everything known about every person. The amount of information varies depending on the importance of the person, but it’s usually very basic. Information related to scandals, like if someone was an orphan, wouldn’t be listed.

“Wait, I remember something…” (Melissa)

While keeping the book open, Melissa rummaged through the thick bag she was using. She took out a pile of papers from a file made of thick cardboard and began searching through it.

“Found it. The name of the abbot of Sidotti Monastery is listed on the list of people purged in the Papal States.” (Melissa)

“As expected of you. It was definitely the right choice to recruit you.” (Yuri)

Myaro, known for her prowess in domestic politics and intrigue, wouldn’t be able to so easily uncover internal matters of a distant foreign country as brilliantly as this.

“Oh, it’s nothing much… This just suggests that the person who likely influenced him during his childhood held pro-Pope ideas. It’s just one element to strengthen the hypothesis. This is only the first step of analysis.” (Melissa)

“In the end, to find out the full story, we’ll need to have our operatives investigate on the ground?” (Yuri)

“Yes. If one of the divisions defending the Holy City was destroyed so meaninglessly, the related information will eventually surface. It shouldn’t be too difficult for our agents to pick up on the chatter.” (Melissa)

“Alright, please continue with the arrangements.” (Myaro)

“Understood. By the way…” (Melissa)

Melissa looked at me.

“You’re finally going to attack Tyrellme, aren’t you?” (Melissa)

“Yeah, that’s the plan.” (Yuri)

“In that case, let us have a bite too.” (Melissa)

“Now?” (Yuri)

Melissa’s Albio Republic had long harbored a desire to annex the large and small Albio islands.

The Albio Republic had historically controlled the northern part of Great Albio Island, corresponding to Scotland, but instead of being the aggressor, it has been the one defending itself. They have been using mountain and hill defenses to block enemies trying to attack from the plains to the south.

The nation controlling that southern plain was the Catholic-aligned country known as the Euphos Federation. Naturally, the Albio Republic considered this nation its greatest potential enemy.

“I think it would be easier to attack once we start our offensive against the Euphos Federation.” (Yuri)

“That assumption is based on the expectation that, if their homeland is threatened, reinforcements would be dispatched from Great Albio Island, leaving their defenses thinner.” (Melissa)

“That’s right.” (Yuri)

“Recently, the Euphos Federation has instructed its forces to defend independently of Great Albio Island. In other words, even if a crisis arises, they won’t send reinforcements or seek aid, according to their basic doctrine. From their standpoint, it’s a sound strategy.” (Melissa)

Well, that makes sense. It’s only logical to send reinforcements if the damage during the transport is minimal. But in the Euphos Federation’s case, they would need to ferry troops across the strait, and if their ships were sunk, the reinforcements would be lost to the sea.

If there were, for example, a 40% loss rate while moving forces between the mainland and Great Albio Island, it would be more rational for them to defend independently rather than take the risk. Great Albio Island has fertile land, so even if communication lines were severed, they wouldn’t face starvation. Communication could be maintained with carrier pigeons.

“In short, waiting for the Euphos Federation to collapse holds less significance now. Moreover, we have our own problems with the Albio Republic military. There is a defensive line in the central region using fortresses, which makes it hard for our weakened army to break through in one swift strike.” (Melissa)

I could see where this conversation was going.

“If we control the sea, there’s no need to engage with those defensive lines.” (Yuri)

“Exactly. Your insight is spot on. Even if we coordinate with the Shalta Kingdom’s mainland invasion, it would be ideal to seize at least one port city ahead of time. That would give us a base from which to launch an offensive, and even if they prepare defenses, it would force the north to divert resources.” (Melissa)

That made sense. Even if we were pushed back, the Albio Republic could retreat to the sea, avoiding complete annihilation.

“Do you have a specific port city in mind?” (Yuri)

“There are several options, and we are currently in the process of planning. Once we receive confirmation that the Tyrellme region invasion is proceeding, we can quickly move forward with our plans. Synchronizing efforts should be feasible.” (Melissa)

“Well, that works for us. If we attack Tyrellme, the Euphos Federation might send reinforcements. Reducing their numbers would be welcome.” (Yuri)

“So, which side will you attack from, the sea or land?” (Melissa)

This was likely a question about whether we would attack the region controlled by Queen Angelica, the sister, or King Alfred, the brother.

“We’ll start from there. This invasion comes from Angelica’s region, but neither sibling has been particularly hostile toward the Papal States. It wouldn’t be surprising if they permitted passage.” (Yuri)

“However, if the conditions are the same, it would be more advantageous to pass through King Alfred’s territory. The land route along the coast may have steeper elevations, but the roads are wider and well-maintained. The fact that they chose Angelica’s domain might indicate stronger ties with the Papal State, hoping for protection during their march.” (Melissa)

“Hmm… that might be the case.” (Yuri)

The width and condition of roads are crucial in military marches. Narrow roads slow down the army and stretch the formation, making it vulnerable to ambushes. If I have to choose, I’d prefer the broader, better-maintained roads, unless they were blocked by several steep mountain passes.

“Diplomatic relations are complex, so it’s hard to say for sure.” (Myaro)

Myaro said.

“It’s possible that the Flusha Kingdom, not the Papal States, played a part in securing the passage. But in any case…” (Myaro)

Myaro continued with a serious expression.

“As the Prime Minister, my opinion is that after occupying the Tyrellme region, we should establish a puppet regime. Our capacity to govern more territory is limited, so annexing the majority of the region is not an option.” (Myaro)

The northern part, being part of the old Shantilla Great Empire, would need to be annexed to satisfy the populace.

“Looking ahead, Alfred is not fit to be a puppet ruler. We must devise a strategy to remove him, or we risk becoming the lion that keeps a snake in its mane, and that is a threat that could endanger us.” (Myaro)

The expression about a lion keeping a snake in its mane is a local idiom, meaning someone foolishly harbors a dangerous threat.

“I’m aware of that. I have no intention of keeping an unpredictable madman around.” (Yuri)

In a sense, Alfred was a manufactured madman, created to turn the Tyrellme region into a conflict zone. He is useful while fighting Angelica, but he’s not someone we can control as an ally. Politics can be strange. Using Alfred too opportunistically could make it difficult to get rid of him later.

“But can’t we make Queen Angelica our puppet instead?”

Melissa asked, puzzled.

“Why not? We haven’t been supporting Alfred militarily, after all.” (Dimitri)

That’s true. When the sibling conflict began, we had considered aiding Alfred if he appeared to be losing, but that never became necessary. The brother and sister have maintained a balance, continuing their fratricidal war.

We’ve only been observing from beyond the border.

“Eh… but…” Melissa looked at me with disbelief in her eyes.

“Didn’t you intentionally release Alfred after Angelica’s coronation to create this conflict? Our intelligence bureau views it as a remarkably successful strategy, but wouldn’t she see you as her sworn enemy?” (Melissa)

Both Myaro and I exchanged troubled looks. Myaro had a perplexed expression.

“Besides, Angelica’s domain is along the coast. We’ve raided those coastal cities many times… We’re the ones doing it, but the eagle we borrow is the symbol of the Shanti. We have nothing that would make us likable to her…” (Melissa)

“Hmm…” (Yuri)

That was an undeniable point.

“Well, if Angelica has indeed allied with the Papal States, stabilizing the Tyrellme region would be a pressing issue for the Catholics Sect. Eventually, Alfred will fall behind, and when that happens, we’ll intervene at the right time.” (Yuri)

“That sounds reasonable. In the meantime, we should prepare the expeditionary forces and get ready for the campaign.” (Melissa)

It looks like things are about to get busy.

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