The Great Plains #2
The Lucilla Great Plains.
Specifically, the territory of the wolf beastkin. There, in the land that had recently surged into prominence under a new leader who had unified the beastkin alliance, an unspoken tension was flowing.
“……Hmm.”
“Sigh….”
From the elderly elders of the tribe to the warriors whose faces were etched with clear signs of nervousness—everyone had gathered to look at Groom, their new chieftain.
“…….”
Groom kept his mouth shut, his face grave as he bore the weight of his tribesmen’s gazes. He kept glancing at the door, as if waiting for something.
“W-what do you think will happen?”
In the end, it was a young warrior who could no longer bear the silence and spoke up first. Though young, he had been allowed to attend this gathering of the tribe’s key figures due to his recognized natural talent. However, being young, he lacked patience.
“Will the Empire truly treat us as equals and talk to us? Even now, we should rethink our relationship with the Empire—.”
“Enough.”
“Ugh.”
When an elderly elder finally stepped in to stop him, the youth realized his rashness and clamped his mouth shut.
“Now, now. Do not worry too much.”
Sensing the atmosphere was about to overheat, Hakan, Groom’s advisor and strategist, stepped forward.
“In any case, the decision rests with our chieftain, Groom.”
“…….”
At the advisor’s words, Groom nodded quietly. As if the reticent chieftain’s attitude had restored their trust, the subtle anxiety that had been drifting among the tribesmen began to fade.
And then.
“Chieftain! A reply has come from the Empire!”
“…!”
At the messenger’s words, everyone present pricked up their ears.
“They say the Empire is sending a delegation!”
“Gasp.”
“Is that true?”
“It’s real! Look at this!”
The messenger unfolded the letter sent by the Empire. Hakan, the most brilliant mind in the room, took the letter and read it through on the spot.
“……It’s true. Groom, it says the Empire is sending a large-scale delegation. Furthermore…….”
“Furthermore what? Speak quickly.”
Groom urged him on, looking impatient. Hakan replied in a trembling voice.
“They say they will send us food to celebrate the unification and harmony of the Great Plains, so we should accept it….”
“They’re sending us food?”
“Hmm. In my opinion…….”
Amidst the murmuring wolf beastkin, Hakan calmly summarized the situation.
“Perhaps the Empire already knew that our claim of food shortages was a lie.”
“What? Is that true?”
“Yes.”
The beastkin of the Great Plains had been continuously requesting food from the Empire, but in truth, they had only recently begun to suffer from a real shortage. Having ended their long internal struggle, they were now truly strapped for food—and for the Empire to send supplies just as they were waiting for them… It was beyond exquisite; the timing was so chilling that one had to wonder just how much the Empire knew.
“As expected, the Empire’s intelligence network is extraordinary…….”
The wolves marveled. Groom, who had been listening silently, opened his mouth.
“Hakan. Then, who does it say is the representative of the delegation?”
“……Theodore von Aquitaine. It says the Emperor’s younger brother is coming in person.”
“What?!”
They had thought there was nothing left to be surprised by, but this time, the wolf beastkin jumped in shock. To think the Emperor’s brother was coming himself!
“My goodness.”
“The Emperor’s brother, of all people, is the representative?”
“Unbelievable.”
The beastkin began to chatter excitedly. Khalid had basically thought of this event as something that ‘needed to be finished by building rapport with the beastkin,’ but if he saw this scene, he would have thought otherwise. The Empire of the original work and the Empire currently ruled by Khalid were completely different. Therefore, the Empire as viewed by the beastkin had to be different as well. Khalid had overlooked that.
“……We must prepare a grand welcome. Everyone, go and get to work! I need to have a word with Hakan.”
The wolves filed out. Once the two were left alone, Groom, who had been sitting with dignity, stood up. He spread out the letter from the Empire again and grinned.
“……Hakan, what should we do?”
“About what?”
“What do you mean, what! The Emperor of the Empire is sending his brother. Eh? That very God of War!”
Hakan frowned, having expected this.
“It’s not the man himself coming.”
“That’s……. true. But this is still a huge deal. Doesn’t it mean the Emperor recognizes my existence?”
“Well, I suppose so. If not, he wouldn’t have sent his brother as the delegation.”
Seeing his advisor nod readily, Groom grinned until his mouth seemed to split.
“Kuhahaha! The Emperor, of all people, has recognized me, so I cannot just sit still. Let’s prepare a grand welcome, Hakan! We shall leave Prince Theodore with an unforgettable memory!”
“That is only right. The Empire has reached out its hand first; there wouldn’t be a fool who wouldn’t take it.”
The reason they, especially Groom, were so happy was simple. Beastkin were a race that worshipped the strong. And in this era, the strongest, whom no one could deny, was reigning supreme.
In other words.
“Ha. I’d like to meet him at least once. If I could die fighting the God of War, I would have no regrets.”
“That’s insane. If you die, who will lead us?”
It meant that to the beastkin, the Emperor of the Empire was like an idol. Groom chuckled, looking thoroughly excited.
“And.”
“What is it.”
“…Would it be out of the question to spar with Prince Theodore?”
“Do you think it would be?”
“What a pity.” Groom smacked his lips.
*
The delegation led by Theodore left the Imperial Palace. Before they departed, he introduced his lover to me. My impression was:
- Y-y-your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you…….
She was cute, I’ll give him that. She was the exact opposite of Serena. She was the type that stirred a protective instinct, someone you wanted to shield. Like a timid, trembling puppy.
- Don’t worry, Flora. My brother isn’t such a scary person.
I saw her clutching Theodore’s sleeve and shivering. It felt like watching a puppy hiding behind its owner after meeting a stranger.
Serena? - Your Majesty! Let’s go for a walk together! She’s an affectionate retriever. A retriever with pink fur, now.
“By the way, when did they get so close?”
“That is what I would like to know.”
Seduced a woman without even telling me? Do you know how much heartache I suffered because of you, Theodore? Still, it’s a relief. Even if it’s not the set route, he’s at least carved out a path of his own. This should buy some more time.
- Hehehe. Your Highness….
Honey was literally dripping from Flora’s eyes as she looked at Theo. Well, they say you never know how things will turn out, but with Theo, there shouldn’t be any major problems. He only acts helpless around Serena in the original work. If you really look at it, he’s an alpha among alpha males. Isn’t he in the position of an apex predator? Even in the original work, he was a guy who could seduce any woman other than Serena just by sending a deep, soulful look.
If he couldn’t even properly seduce a single Flora, he’d be disqualified as a romance fantasy male lead.
“However, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you really not going to follow them to the Great Plains?”
“If I leave the borders, it will cause an uproar again, won’t it?”
In many different ways, that is. Both inside and outside the Empire. Elizabeth looked at me as if she were suspicious. It was as if she were saying, ‘Were you the type of person to care about such things?’
It’s true. I don’t really care. But.
“This time, I must leave it to Theodore. He needs to accumulate various experiences. Although he is growing rapidly.”
Rather, the faster he grows, the more he needs to solidify his foundation. What do I mean by that? It means that even if he is strong, if he has no track record, it’s a bit difficult for me to hand over the throne later.
“And there is work that needs to be done while staying behind.”
“Hmm……. Aren’t I already doing your work for you, Your Majesty?”
I have nothing to say to that. In reality, 90% of my work as Emperor is done by Elizabeth. On top of that, the duties of the Chancellor, the Count of the Court, and the Minister of Justice are all Elizabeth’s share.
“Besides that, the two of us are also handling the minor tasks you secretly order, Your Majesty.”
That’s true. Although in that case, it’s usually Lily’s share. ……Now that I think about it, I really don’t touch much of the paperwork. I feel sorry for Elizabeth. But what can I do? That’s why I brought you here.
“Well, never mind. I do it because I like it. Instead.”
What is it?
Elizabeth lowered her voice and whispered with a serious face. I could hear her even without her whispering like that.
“Is something else going to happen?”
“What do you mean? Suddenly.”
“I know everything. That you are planning to do something else again.”
…….
Is she a ghost? Since there was no point in hiding it, I decided to just tell her.
“There is a high possibility that someone will pull strings behind the scenes to ruin this negotiation.”
“Yes?”
“They will likely act through terrorism or assassination. The mastermind will be a heretic who serves foreign gods or a demon. They will use drifters or exiled beastkin under their command to make it look like the work of the Great Plains.”
This is why I need to prepare well for the Great Plains event. If things get twisted, it’s easy for misunderstandings to pile up and turn into a complete mess.
“For your information, a considerable number of them have already infiltrated the Imperial Capital.”
“……Yes?”
After hearing that, Elizabeth’s complexion turned pale.