Finally, the Mass Summoning
“Gasp.”
In the early dawn, Queen Lydia bolted upright in bed. She wiped her still-damp hands on the blanket, shivering uncontrollably.
“……What in the world.”
Dreams were like that. The details never stuck. Especially ones involving the goddess. With an anxious face, Lydia desperately tried to recall.
The goddess was crying.
Something about…… clutching at my skirt hem, lamenting terribly.
What could it mean?
But that one intent had come through crystal clear. Lydia stared at her reflection in the mirror with a pathetic expression. A single strand of hair was sticking straight up toward the sky.
“Ugh.”
Lydia shuddered. A mad intuition gripped her……!
The gut feeling that she absolutely could not appoint Sisilia as humanity's proxy!
It was the exact opposite of last time's intuition.
“……With Sisilia.”
Lydia scratched her cheek with an awkward smile. Changing her mind out of the blue would get her chewed out by Erterion.
“Guess I'll have to ask for the recipe.”
* * *
Edward moved exactly as announced.
“The Empire is reacting strongly.”
“……The Holy Nation is foaming at the mouth.”
“What bastard is it? Who leaked the info?”
“We must hold them accountable for treason against the state!”
Serious-mode Edward must have been something else, because he'd thrown the kingdom into utter chaos. The Empire, the Holy Nation—and countless other kingdoms besides—were protesting Queen Lydia's decision.
It was an unusual reaction from a queen and kingdom that normally dismissed such nuisances as living in their own little world*.
*A world where only they exist.
After all, the rumors were rampant that this queen could actually converse directly with the goddess.
Even Sisilia was personally curious. What was Queen Lydia's true nature?
For starters, living for over 300 years ruled out any ordinary human. If she had to guess……
……High-level magic is basically miraculous anyway.
Probably an archmage on the level of pulling off newbie summons.
Whether she really talked to the goddess? Sisilia was curious about that too.
Save it for later as fun bait once the newbies arrived.
Anyway, even if it was a decision from the enigmatic queen's nation, it felt like they'd crossed a line this time. Word was, over a hundred envoys were already sailing in.
Well, no surprise—a single kingdom arbitrarily declaring humanity's proxy? The two superpowers wouldn't sit idly by.
“Our queen's invincible, so she'll handle it just fine.”
Sisilia trusted Queen Lydia. Stubborn queen. But capable. This was what she was for, right?
“It won't be that easy, Sisilia.”
She turned at the voice behind her. There stood Edward.
Sisilia's eyes widened round.
“How'd you get in here……”
Edward smirked.
“……Because this is my office.”
“Impressive.”
What's so impressive about that?
Edward pondered gravely. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't understand Sisilia. She was still an incomprehensible creature to him.
“Anyway, the queen isn't one to cave so easily. If it were, I'd have been humanity's proxy ages ago.”
“You think the vice-captain failed?”
“Halfway. But not a total failure. This card's enough to shake her.”
Sisilia stared at Edward blankly.
“No. Our queen will stop right here.”
She stated it definitively. Edward asked, puzzled.
“Why are you so sure?”
Sisilia clasped her hands behind her back and gazed out the window with a distant look.
“I don't know the queen as well as the vice-captain. Politics is a bit tricky for a cute little Sword Princess like me.”
……Even in a serious talk like this, she insists on calling herself cute.
Edward was dumbfounded, but he waited for her to continue.
“Compared to that, the queen's invincible and godlike. If it weren't for me, she'd be the kingdom's top beauty.”
“……I see.”
“But the queen's the love-her-or-hate-her type. I can pull some souls together too (?), but she doesn't even need to try. Of course…… in front of Betty, we're both equals.”
Damn it, world! Some of us spend 30 minutes daily just on underwear, and others do it in one minute.
Sisilia clenched her fist, trembling with gloom.
“……”
Edward's face was turning more goldfish-like by the second.
What the hell has she been rambling about?
“So?”
“?”
“……Is that it?”
“Need more explanation?”
Edward asked with superhuman patience. Talking to Sisilia required endurance and a refusal to give up.
“I was asking why you're so sure the queen will back down.”
“You should've said that from the start.”
“……”
Edward eyed Sisilia's head—which looked especially light today—with cold eyes. He wanted to flick it.
Thankfully, Sisilia explained properly this time.
“They say the queen picks the right answer every time with perfect intuition on all matters.”
“I can tell victory from defeat for sure. This round? Victory.”
Two 'nyas. Wonder if that came off as cute. I am actually cute.
Sisilia embodied the precise virtues of cuteness. Ending sentences with nya-nya docked points, though.
“Fair enough.”
Edward chuckled. Sisilia's matter-of-fact words rang undeniably true.
“You get duped by scams easy, but you've never lost a single bet on the outcome since way back.”
When duels happened, Windsor always opened the betting pool.
And in those fights—Sisilia had never once lost as Windsor.
“I'll trust you, Sisilia. Cancel the other plans.”
Edward decided to believe her intuition.
“B-but just in case, let's still give it our all.”
……Can I really trust her?
Edward felt doubtful.
* * *
While the two schemers conversed at length.
The Liannen Kingdom's royal council convened.
“The Empire is reacting strongly.”
“……The Holy Nation is foaming at the mouth.”
“What bastard is it? Who leaked the info?”
“We must hold them accountable for treason against the state!”
The nobles feigned heated arguments while shooting tense glances at the queen.
W-what's with that expression!
It looked like a smile, or maybe disdain for the meeting. A strange face, of course.
Lydia was just spaced out.
“Ahaha.”
The nobles' mouths snapped shut at her sudden laugh. Queen Lydia spoke in an incredibly awkward tone.
“H-hearing your counsel, it seems withdrawing my decision this time would be wise.”
“Y-Your Majesty!”
“A most righteous thought! As expected of Her Majesty—a refreshing resolution!”
“Long live Liannen Kingdom! May you live a thousand years!”
Thank goodness Edward pulled through……!
Lydia sighed in relief. Without the timely foreign pressure, those praises would've turned to condemnations.
……To think he'd drag in foreign powers. You really surprised me this time, Edward.
Queen Lydia leaned on her throne with clouded eyes.
Expecting led to disappointment from the child.
No expectations revealed new potential.
Even if that decision directly opposed her will and could've brought grave threat to the kingdom if mishandled.
Lydia valued that courage highly.
A king needed no pretty, obedient child.
Sisilia, this is your win this time. But…… I still believe you're the only human who can slay demons.
Lydia opened her eyes coldly.
Still—you must bear a heavy burden.
“So what now?”
“Ahem, shouldn't we appoint Sir Edward as proxy? As royalty, they'll accept that.”
“Accept my ass. They'll shove their own kids forward. Your Majesty, ignore their flattery.”
“Is there another way……”
Queen Lydia raised her hand. The room fell silent instantly.
“I command the ministers here and all high officials of Liannen Kingdom.”
“Yes!”
“The Magic Tower shall reexamine if it misjudged the goddess's power. The Sacred Flame's strength is clearly waning. Too many oddities for mere conservation.”
The Magic Tower mages replied without hesitation.
“We receive Your Majesty's will.”
“Royal Knights and Windsor Knights, hear me. Greet the envoys with courtesy. But I shall not appear personally. Ensure Liannen's resolve doesn't seem swayed by foreign might.”
“Yes! We shall convey your will!”
“Finally—my opinion.”
Gulp. The nobles swallowed.
“I respect all who supported or opposed me. You navigated pitch darkness with wisdom and distant duty alone. You broke the stubbornness of a queen who's held on for 300 years.”
Queen Lydia smiled faintly. Those who faced this with true duty. And those chasing personal glory.
Her sincere words left them speechless. A strange feeling swirled in their chests.
Among them, Sisilia was openly crying. The Sword Princess in tears would linger long in many hearts.
“Thus, rescinding this decision is no one's will but mine. I choose to trust you all. You are the heroes, humanity's true proxies!”
Queen Lydia sprang from her throne.
“We shall perform a grand summoning. If this world fails, we'll call from another to overcome adversity. This is the decree of Lydia Veladis Liannen, second queen of Liannen Kingdom—and I brook no dissent!”
All who heard burned with fanatic resolve. Ready to die on command.
But one alone shot her hand up.
A silver-haired girl wagging her tail, it seemed. Lydia said with a pathetic face.
“……Sisilia Windsor. Something to say?”
“The summoning date should be the goddess's 500th anniversary. One month from now.”
Sisilia's sparkle was ambiguous at best. Instead, the nobles glared murderously at Chiron.
How do you raise your daughter!
No sense at all!
Who dragged a kid into sacred royal council!
“……”
Chiron closed his eyes briefly, then opened them.
“We'll take our leave first.”
Dragging Sisilia out by the mouth, Chiron's retreating figure looked pitiful today.
* * *
On the way back, they ran into a strange person wandering the palace in a white dress from morning. She was crying, staring at the floor with an utterly aggrieved face, mumbling.
“I won't believe Sisilia anymore.”
Sisilia stroked her chin, watching teary-eyed Beatrice.
Did I do something upsetting? She couldn't quite remember……
“Cry looking at me.”
“……?”
“Betty's cutest when she cries.”
Beatrice's tears vanished in a snap.