| Author: Himezaki Shiu | Original Source: Syosetu |
| Translator: Jiro | English Source: Re:Library |
“How infuriating!” Today, the spirit was stolen right before my eyes, and I was powerless to stop it.
I, Topersion, could only scream in frustration within my chambers, fully aware of how undignified it was. Normally, I’d never allow my emotions to show—even here, and certainly not if a maid were present—but today, I just couldn’t hold it in.
“I heard a commotion in the castle; did something happen?” my maid inquired.
“The spirit was stolen.”
“T-The spirit? I… I’m just relieved that at least you’re unharmed, Princess Topersion.”
“Thank you. But that might not stay true for long.”
“Please don’t say such things, Your Highness. Without you, we’d lose all hope of ever retrieving it. Please take care of yourself.”
Soter, the maid responsible for my wellbeing, spoke in a soothing voice, hoping to lift my spirits.
She wasn’t wrong. Although my survival presented some challenges, if anything were to happen to me, it would set our plans back by a considerable amount.
The thought alone was galling, more so than when Makoto had foiled my plans during the hero summoning. Yet, I hadn’t let my emotions overwhelm me then, and I certainly wasn’t going to waste time sulking now.
War was not an event that simply erupted overnight. Leaving the capital to invade another kingdom carried immense burdens. The borderlands were already nearly drained of the spirit’s energy1.
Food was scarce, especially near the border towns, which made provisioning an army for an invasion near impossible. Attempting to gather what little remained would doom the towns there.
But even more crucial than resources, we needed a justifiable cause for war.
If we launched an unprovoked attack, we’d invite condemnation from neighboring kingdoms and risk being assaulted from all sides. That was why having a legitimate reason was essential.
“I may as well share this with you, Soter. The Fraus Kingdom will be going to war soon.”
“I thought that was the plan all along?”
“Yes, originally, the idea was to summon the heroes and then attack the Nigel Kingdom after a few years. But we’ve delayed long enough. Ideally, I want to see the Nigel Kingdom toppled within a year.”
“That’s… But first, you’ll need to establish a compelling reason for war, won’t you?”
Initially, I’d planned to wait for the Nigel Kingdom to make the first move, or at least provoke us enough to justify retaliation. But now, I no longer had the time to see how they’d respond.
I’d lost track of how many plans I’d had to alter, all thanks to Makoto.
“I do have a plan. But it’s not going to be easy. Would you think less of me for only coming up with something like this?”
“No, Your Highness. You are a member of the royal family, and I understand that, at times, you must make difficult decisions, no matter how drastic they may seem. However outrageous it may appear, I, Soter, know it’s for the good of the people. I will stand by you until the end.”
“Thank you, Soter. You truly are a maid I can take pride in.”
“Such praise isn’t necessary, Your Highness.”
Soter’s words lifted a bit of weight off my shoulders.
I hadn’t been trained to fall apart when things didn’t go as planned, though I would be lying if I said I hadn’t hesitated. Now, however, I could move forward without further doubt.
“By the way, how strong was this bandit? Would it be wiser to focus on retrieving the spirit rather than moving forward with war?”
“It’s best not to pursue that path. I brought the Hero and his team, but they were all defeated in an instant.”
“That strong?”
“Yes, and after stealing the spirit, he left through the main gate without issue.”
“So even the fortified castle defenses were no match for him?”
“Fortunately, neither the heroes nor the knights lost their lives. It’s more accurate to say we negotiated to avoid casualties. Had he wanted to, he could’ve wiped the royal capital off the map.”
Soter looked truly stunned, but I believed that this bandit had such power.
Though the heroes were still relatively inexperienced, their strength was on par with B-Grade adventurers, and yet he easily overpowered all six of them. It would be best to consider him as strong as an elite A-Grade. If he was truly that powerful, a mere outburst could cause untold damage to the capital.
“How could we have missed someone of such strength?” Soter asked.
“My guess is that someone used Forbidden Magic to grant him this extraordinary power. He wasn’t concealing his strength; he was simply created recently.”
“So… he’s a reanimated dead man?”
“Yes. That bandit is none other than Makoto, one of the heroes.”
“Makoto… there’s some kind of twisted irony in that.”
“I think so too.”
I never imagined he’d return to haunt me after all I went through to dispose of him.
“The fact that he was revived, even after we completely disposed of his body, suggests this is no ordinary Forbidden Magic. Still, I’m certain that Forbidden Magic is responsible. He will eventually lose his sense of self, and the extreme boost in his stats will cause his body to deteriorate.”
There are ways to artificially enhance a person’s power, a formula known to the Fraus royal family. But it always comes with a cost—a drastically shortened lifespan.
Given the immense power Makoto had gained, it was unlikely his body would endure for long.
“So that’s why you’d rather avoid him and proceed with the other plan. I understand. But won’t he try to attack us? His hatred for Fraus must be substantial.”
“We’ll have to take him at his word that he won’t. It’s true he resents this kingdom, but his grudge against his former companions is even stronger. He mentioned that seeing the heroes suffer serves as his revenge.”
“So if we continue treating the heroes as we have, he’ll leave us be?”
“Precisely. It’s unfortunate that Fraus has become a tool for his revenge, but if it ensures the safety of our people, I have no choice but to accept it. We’ll continue as we have, with the exception that we cannot kill the heroes.”
“That’s understandable. Given his drive for revenge, he likely wants their suffering to last.”
One could say this situation is a small blessing.
Had his hatred been severe enough to kill the heroes immediately, Fraus would have lost not only its spirit but also its military force. If that had happened, we would have had no choice but to face the Nigel Kingdom with resignation to our demise.
Though we’re still in a precarious position, our odds are higher now with the heroes. They will be a vital part of our upcoming strategy. Without them, morale among the knights and soldiers could falter, distancing us further from victory.
In times like these, having a loyal force is reassuring. No matter how hard we push them, they will still follow orders.
But all that aside, I needed to finalize a plan by the end of the day to present to Father tomorrow.
