The Allied Forces

As soon as I emerged from the underground archive, I spotted Katharina and Natalia stamping their feet in agitation.

Cute kids.

Thinking that, I approached them.

The moment they saw me, they dropped to their knees.

Natalia immediately shouted.

"Your Majesty! The eastern nations have formed the allied forces!"

"Yeah?"

I already knew.

The system had kindly informed me.

"Ulysian's detention is secure, right?"

"Yes. We've had the mages from the Magic Tower cast seventh- and eighth-circle detention spells on him."

"Support from the Magic Tower mages?"

"They're currently standing by with the revolutionary forces."

"Good."

I headed straight for the office.

I must have spent quite some time underground; dawn was already breaking.

On the way to the office, I recalled the day I'd gathered Theresia, Katharina, Natalia, Maribel, and Celine for a serious talk.

It was right before the soldiers started flooding into my mansion.

"Do you know about the Book of Prophecy?"

I asked as soon as they were all assembled.

The four stared at me blankly, but only Katharina's eyes widened in shock.

"How do you know of it...?"

"I saw fragments of it in the north."

Having even one person who knew made the conversation flow smoothly.

It proved I wasn't lying.

"That's when I realized the previous emperor was a mad conqueror, but he had his reasons."

"So, you're saying we should just accept losing our countries?"

Katharina glared at me like she wanted to kill me.

That was understandable.

As far as I knew, Katharina was a member of the old Lishumark royal family.

I shook my head.

"Didn't I tell you before? I'm dismantling the empire. I'll restore the monarchy and grant independence to the five nations."

"...So what are you trying to say?"

"If the five nations gain independence like this and Nicator holds off their invasion, what do you think will happen in the east?"

Maribel thought for a moment, then sighed.

"Endless war... the return of the Warring States era..."

"Exactly."

I scanned the five of them before speaking.

"I'm not aiming to be emperor. I'm aiming to be hegemon."

"And the reason?"

Celine pushed up her glasses with her middle finger and asked.

Thwack—

I flicked her forehead before answering.

"Because that's how we stop humanity's extinction."

I patted Celine's head where I'd flicked it, and she flinched away from me in surprise.

Feeling awkwardly embarrassed, I crossed my arms.

"So what I'm saying is, even if my plan succeeds and I become king of Nicator, don't leave my side."

"...I get the gist."

Katharina muttered bitterly.

Natalia nodded too.

"If it means ending the era of endless war..."

All of us, myself included, had been born and raised in an age where war was everyday life.

And paradoxically, that age of constant war had ended because of the previous emperor's conquests.

They had witnessed both an era normalized by war and an era without it.

Theresia looked up at me.

"Can you really end it? The endless wars."

"Yeah. I can."

"I'll believe you."

"I will as well."

The five rose and knelt before me one by one.

"We pledge our loyalty to you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as our true sovereign."

"Yeah. Thanks."

That was how the five women came to pledge their loyalty to me.

By the time I reached the office, everyone had already found their seats.

The Minister of Finance, Oskar von Whatever, and the Minister of the Interior, Ernst von Somethingsomething.

And the Minister of War, Claudia von Reinhardt.

Commander of the Royal Guard Maximilian had been with me for a while now.

I'd heard the Minister of the Imperial Household, who spent his days flattering Ulysian, had his head chopped off while fleeing the capital, but I didn't care.

Anyway, with them, plus Celine, Katharina, Natalia, Maribel, and Theresia, I started the meeting.

Claudia spoke to me first.

"Y-Your Majesty."

She stuttered, clearly unaccustomed to calling me that.

I chuckled teasingly.

"What's wrong, Minister of War? Does it gall you that I've become this nation's sovereign?"

"N-No, Your Majesty!"

Seeing Claudia bow her head to me made me laugh.

"So, the allied forces are marching on Hargen Pass?"

"Yes. To summarize their composition..."

Claudia handed out a sheet of paper to everyone.

"Ugh..."

Ernst groaned the moment he saw it.

"Heavens."

Oskar sighed.

"Hm..."

I just commented casually.

"That all?"

All eyes turned to me at my taunt.

The paper's contents were as follows.

Logically, this was a hopeless matchup.

Unlike when they'd crushed Ulysian and our standing army of 50,000 with a ragtag mob of peasant levies, these were elites of elites.

And I doubted that was their full force.

Conscripts were probably waiting in the rear.

Time to offer a solution to the despairing group.

"Theresia, that bag."

"Yes."

She dumped the bag's contents onto the table.

Minister of Finance Oskar's eyes lit up.

"Th-This is...?"

The table was covered in glittering jewels and ornaments.

Including magic stones enchanted with spells.

"All confiscated from Ulysian, Elysis, and the imperial family's luxuries. Pawn them to the capital's merchant guilds and secure their trade ships."

"Trade ships?"

"Yes. Hargen Pass is an invincible fortress, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sure, but if the enemy combines navy and army, it'll fall easier than you think."

"Ah..."

Light returned to Claudia's eyes.

"You're proposing we deploy a navy, Your Majesty."

"Exactly."

I grinned slowly.

"Now, Lords Ernst, Oskar, and Claudia—I'll reinstate you to your original posts. Work for Nicator. I'll head to Hargen Pass."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The three hurriedly repacked the bag and rushed out.

The moment they left, I picked up my pipe, stuffed it with tobacco, and lit it.

"Whew. Just one smoke before I go."

"...Yes."

Theresia shook her head with a sigh, but without even this much ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leeway, nothing would get done.

More importantly, what I needed to say.

"What are you still doing here?"

"Pardon?"

"Get the soldiers ready."

"...Yes."

The five glared at me in unison, but I ignored them.

Who am I?

King of the Nicator Kingdom.

You're my vassals now, so I can use you as I please.

...As long as it benefits the nation, of course.

Word reached the allied forces as they crossed the vast eastern plains and entered the canyon.

Claire de Lumiere, commander of the allied forces' core—the Saintess Legion—read a letter in her tent.

"A coup in the Nicator Empire. Leon Eisen downgraded it to kingdom status and crowned himself king."

She turned to Lucas Vernet, the other Eperian legion commander seated beside her.

"Ludicrous. Don't you think so, Lucas?"

"Haha, I'm too ignorant to say."

"Nicator called itself empire after annihilating the five nations. Downgrading to kingdom means he's signaling no interest in reconquering them—that's what Leon Eisen is saying."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes."

Claire clenched her fist, her hand trembling.

"Crowning himself and immediately pulling this sneaky stunt. Kassandroff or Pharos might even withdraw."

"I-I see."

Lucas kept glancing at Claire's expression.

"Saintess, how about stepping out for some fresh air?"

"Good idea."

As Claire exited the tent, cheers erupted from the soldiers.

"Saintess!"

"The Saintess has come out!"

Her face had been twisted in rage moments ago, but now she smiled benevolently, as if the fury had never been.

She waved silently.

Because she was the saintess.

She didn't care that Nicator called her a witch.

From her perspective, Nicator might as well be the Demon King.

To ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the right of the allied forces marching along the canyon, the Pharos fleet sailed up the Great River.

A horn blared from their warships.

Bwooooooo——

This time, it wouldn't end with annihilating Nicator's main force.

They would utterly destroy Nicator and avenge themselves.

Everyone in the allied forces thought so.