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Three days after arriving at the battlefield on the Eagle, today was the day of the meeting with the enemy leaders. Whether they would actually show up was a fifty-fifty chance, but reports suggested they were indeed on their way.

The Galilia Union was a country that stretches long and thin from east to west. In truth, the front lines weren’t that far from Shantinion. With the short travel time, and given that I initially designated a small village in a forest near the enemy camp as the meeting place, they likely saw it as an opportunity to assassinate me.

Of course, there was no way I was actually going to hold the meeting there. At the last moment, I changed the location to an open grassland with a clear view. Even so, they came, perhaps because they felt it would be a waste to return after making the journey.

“Hey. Take a seat.” (Yuri)

The two men who entered, accompanied by their guards, didn’t respond to my casual greeting. Instead, they stared at me with a scrutinizing gaze. I wondered how I appeared in their eyes. Perhaps, they thought of me as a foreign young man, or maybe they suspected I was an imposter.

“What’s wrong? Go ahead and sit down.” (Yuri)

I repeated in the Telor language, to which Dolla, sitting beside me, grumbled.

“I don’t understand a word of what you’re saying.” (Dolla)

“Doesn’t matter. Just keep glaring at their commander.” (Yuri)

“…Got it.” (Dolla)

With that, Dolla fell into a sullen silence. He didn’t cross his arms, but in his palm, he concealed a smooth, flat stone, likely picked up from a river. Both sides had conducted body searches before entering, allowing only small weapons like daggers for self-defense but no spears or the like. The stone was likely intended as a projectile if needed.

“Let’s sit down.” (Fritz)

The man who appeared to be Fritz Roni spoke. Outwardly, he looked the part of a serious bureaucrat, having climbed the elite ranks as his profile suggested.

Fritz Roni and the other man took their seats on the opposite side of the table.

Hmm… So this is the guy who’s supposedly cheating on his wife left and right with his mistress. He looks like a decent, honest man, but appearances can be deceiving. According to reports from my spies, despite marrying the daughter of a former consul, who was his benefactor, he’s been having an affair with a younger lover, even starting a second family with her.

“And you must be Gertrude Evans.” (Yuri)

The two men looked slightly surprised. They hadn’t expected me to know the name of such an obscure individual.

Information, once it gets out, spreads quickly. Even in casual tavern talk, soldiers from the God-Protected Empire speak of their unreliable, unproven commander. The creation of regions where multiple races coexist has made it easier to cultivate spies, and this advantage isn’t exclusive to their side. Even without relying completely on the Albio Republic, a system for gathering information is gradually being established.

“Yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” (Gertrude)

The pudgy Gertrude did not stand up from his seat but gave a polite bow. Originally, from his perspective, there was no need for him to greet me, and there was no obligation to show any respect.

For a person born in the Papal States, it’s an unusual behavior. At least, none of the Kuran who look down on us as demons, particularly the captives from the Papal States, have ever shown me such an attitude. For example, Epitaph Palazzo would never do this, and the military man who recently came to Sibyaku would certainly never act this way. He might be a person not very concerned with religion.

“Normally, I would offer some tea, but you might be reluctant to drink it. Let’s just stick to the discussion.” (Yuri)

“That’s reasonable.” (Fritz)

Fritz Roni said.

“I have a few questions.” (Gertrude)

The pudgy man said.

Questions?

“What is it?” (Yuri)

“If you were to subdue the Galilean Union, what would you do afterward?” (Gertrude)

The pudgy man looked straight at me and asked.

“The Crusader nations should have received the declaration of war.” (Yuri)

“That’s one thing. Peace could be renegotiated afterward. I fear, if you destroy our city-states and subdue the Galilean Union, you would have effectively reclaimed the ancient empire’s former lands, wouldn’t you?” (Gertrude)

“Well, there would still be the territory taken by the Tyrellme God-Protected Empire.” (Yuri)

“Oh, that’s right. And if you reclaimed the northern part of the God-Protected Empire, what then?” (Gertrude)

I understand what he’s trying to say.

“Naturally, I plan to invade the Catholic Papal States.” (Yuri)

“And what would be the justification? You would have reclaimed the former territories.”

What is this pudgy man? He’s persistent.

“The current Catholic Church is a distorted heresy. Their interpretation of Galilean Book 5, Verse 35 is clearly incorrect.” (Yuri)

“That’s Eisa Wichita’s unique interpretation, isn’t it?” (Gertrude)

Ugh, this is tedious.

“Hafshureka.” (Yuri)

When I suddenly said this strange-sounding word with an odd accent, the two of them looked puzzled.

“It’s a term from the ancient scriptures written in Tot language that you are mistranslating as ‘demon.’ The term used in both the Holy Cave version and the Classical version remains the same. Are you aware that the Arn language is a descendant of the Tot language? Fritz, you should know that in Arn language, foreigners are called ‘Akushureni’. It’s a word derived from Hafshureka. The spelling is similar. Comparing various texts, it’s self-evident that the term Hafshureka cannot be interpreted as ‘demon’. It seems that in the Papal States, to avoid anyone realizing the absurdity of this interpretation, they don’t teach the Tot language, which should be mandatory, to the clergy.” (Yuri)

“…I see. So, changing that is your goal.” (Gertrude)

“Ah. Being driven around by foolish interpretations for all eternity is boring. I intend to settle it in my time.” (Yuri)

“Then, if we acknowledge the teachings of Eisa Wichita, you will not invade us?” (Gertrude)

“Huh?” (Yuri)

I let out a sigh at the dull question.

“If you are a fool without proper political sense, I would prefer to avoid further questioning. It’s not a condition that can be achieved without war.” (Yuri)

“It’s just a hypothetical example.” (Gertrude)

“An example.” (Yuri)

It feels like it has been a while since I had such a futile and pointless conversation.

“For example, if all countries declared the Catholic Sect illegal, allowed our race’s investigative team, who are granted independent investigation rights, to operate, and gave us the authority to punish priests spreading false teachings and allowed us to roam the country, then perhaps invasion might not be necessary. Are you foolish enough to think that such conditions could be established without war and suppression?” (Yuri)

After thinking for a moment, the pudgy man said…

“That seems difficult.” (Gertrude)

“Then, could you be quiet for a bit? It’s unpleasant to be criticized by those who were treating us as a slave race and trying to exterminate us until just yesterday. Oh, not just yesterday, even now. It’s not good to start complaining with a grudge after having done whatever you pleased and suddenly becoming the invaded side.” (Yuri)

“Well, that is true.” (Gertrude)

The pudgy man, seemingly unconcerned, leaned back against the backrest of the simple chair used for camping, as if to say the discussion was over.

What is with this guy?

“Well then, Fritz Roni. I have matters for you.” (Yuri)

“Yes.” (Fritz)

Fritz Roni immediately nodded.

“As you know, even if I destroy the Galilia Union, I do not intend to exterminate the people. In the very long term, I plan to gradually replace the population and turn it into a Shantinion country, but that is a matter for over a hundred years from now.” (Yuri)

The estimate was based on the assumption that we could easily reclaim the old territories and considering the allocation of people to the new continent, the necessary period is not just 100 years but an estimate of 150 to 280 years to reach a sufficient population.

“Of course, since the rulers will be Shantinion people, there will be some degree of discomfort and difficulty in maintaining pride. However, I generally plan to treat you well. It would be a waste to let the land go to waste.” (Yuri)

“You mean we will be treated the same as the people of the colonial cities. We are not completely unaware of these matters, so no need for further explanation.” (Fritz)

It seems no further explanation is needed.

“That’s right. However, compared to the colonial cities we have conquered so far, Shantinion is an enormous city. I think it would be convenient to have someone who can act as a bridge between the Shanti and you. Based on your background, popularity, and abilities, you would be suitable for that role.” (Yuri)

From the looks of it, he doesn’t seem like a playboy, fortunately.

“…Ah, I see.” (Fritz)

“Of course, it doesn’t mean surrender before fighting. However, I thought you might rush to escape abroad if you think you will be held responsible for losing a battle. That’s why I arranged this meeting. Well, I intend to treat you well, so it would be helpful if you could stay in Shantinion instead of escaping. Your salary will be generous.” (Yuri)

“Do you have the luxury of thinking about such things before you win?” (Fritz)

“It’s not certain that we’ll win, but things like this can’t be conveyed after the victory. There’s no harm in doing it ahead of time.” (Yuri)

That’s not the purpose of today, though. He seems like the type who understands things well and having him as a pawn would certainly be convenient.

“I see. Well, I’ll have to decline.” (Fritz)

“I figured. But it’s worth keeping in the back of your mind.” (Yuri)

After saying that and staying silent, a brief moment of silence passed. Based on the order of things, I thought Fritz Roni might have something to say, but it seemed he didn’t.

“—Now then, Gertrude Evans, there was an incident in our country recently.” (Yuri)

“…Oh?” (Gertrude)

“An assassin from the Papal States infiltrated my capital and killed a trusted engineer.” (Yuri)

I didn’t miss Fritz Roni’s slight eyebrow movement. It seemed this was news to him. As for the pudgy one, he didn’t move his face at all. If this was the first time he heard about it, he had quite the poker face.

“It seems they were quite skilled. We brought the corpses of the two assassins in coffins. They’re outside. You can take them back.” (Yuri)

“There should have been three, though?” (Gertrude)

So, he knew. The key to the success of such secret operations is to keep the number of people in the know to a minimum, but it seems he’s someone who was in the loop. But to bring it up like this…

“The third one disappeared at sea. If he didn’t escape back to your country, he likely drowned and became fish food.” (Yuri)

In reality, he’s become Enrique’s plaything.

According to Enrique’s report, simple physical torture didn’t make him talk, so he was confined to a sensory deprivation room in the dark basement, a room with no light or sound. After being left there for about three weeks, a rat was given to him. His mind was teetering on the brink of madness from the isolation, and he quickly grew attached to the rat, treating it as if it were his beloved daughter or something.

After a week of fostering this bond, Enrique placed the rat in a round tube, prepared an iron ball attached to a string, and bound the man’s hands and feet. He set it up so that if the string in his mouth was released, the iron ball would crush the rat. Apparently, he held onto the string for eleven hours, but in the end, he let go. “The look on his face when it happened was so intense that I got a bit of a thrill”, Enrique said with satisfaction, so it must have been quite a sight.

“I see…” (Gertrude)

“You seem to know a lot about that operation. Were you involved?” (Yuri)

“I was the one who devised it.” (Gertrude)

So, he’s the one who came up with it. Hmm… But why is he admitting it so openly here? Is he trying to rattle me? Is he trying to gauge the truth about Lily-san’s fate? I mean, this guy was the one who thought of it. Lily-san was almost killed because of him. It’s irritating.

“I see… well, that’s fine then.” (Yuri)

I stood up from my seat.

“The discussion is over. Well then—” (Yuri)

At that moment, I drew the dagger hooked to my belt and threw it with the momentum of the draw. The dagger flew through the air diagonally and was sucked into Gertrude Evans’ chest.

With a dull thud, it struck his chest. In response to the sudden act of violence, the guards on the other side tensed up, hands reaching for their sword hilts.

…He was lucky.

“Consider it a token of my appreciation for your visit. Take it with you along with the corpses.” (Yuri)

As the air grew tense, I pulled out the remaining scabbard and tossed it over to the other side. The scabbard slid across the desk, making a rattling noise.

The blade hadn’t pierced Gertrude Evans’ chest. The dagger had struck him with the hilt rather than the blade, hitting his chest hard before falling to the ground. He seemed like a troublesome guy, and I thought it might be better to deal with him here, even if it led to a fight, but I failed.

“Let’s go.” (Yuri)

Switching to Shan language, I spoke to Dolla.

“Is that okay?” (Dolla)

“It’s a well-made modern dagger, but it’s not expensive.” (Yuri)

“No, I meant if you’re going to do it, you could.” (Dolla)

Dolla, without moving an inch, glared at the two of them, gripping the stone in his hand.

If we caused a ruckus here, it wouldn’t be impossible to kill them even now, I suppose.

Looking across the table, the two didn’t pick up the sword, instead staring at us with what seemed to be a mixture of fear and reproach.

“No, it’s fine. Let’s go.” (Yuri)

I’m not a believer in fate but considering that the blade didn’t hit despite a good chance, it must be his lucky day. I wanted to give him a gift on this occasion, but it ended up being a bit of a rough throw. We should leave it at that and go back.

“Then, let’s meet again on the battlefield.” (Yuri)

With those words, I abruptly ended the meeting and left the camp.

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