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Many soldiers had already gathered at the meeting place with Alfred. The meeting point was in the hall of a village slightly within our territory from the front line. Alfred’s side was allowed to bring in 500 soldiers. There was no set number of soldiers on our side.

20 disarmed soldiers from both sides gathered under a tent that had been set up, and Alfred and I would meet there. Each side’s soldiers, stripped of their weapons, were inspected to ensure they carried no hidden arms, and only the two of us were allowed inside the tent. One of Alfred’s Kuran soldiers patted me down over my clothes in a simple inspection. I wasn’t carrying anything, but given how brief this was, it seemed they weren’t really worried about assassination. In the first place, if they were serious about it, there was no need for me to risk my life trying to kill him. They could just surround me with soldiers.

“The other party is already inside.” (??)

The captain of the elite Hou Household unit in charge of security said it.

“I see.” (Yuri)

I returned the answer and entered the tent. There was no need to hide any kind of weapon within the interior. It would only be troublesome for both sides. So, there were no decorations at all. ust one table and two chairs. The man already seated was wearing a mask. Dull golden brass covered his entire face.

How pitiful. Having something like that done to him must have ruined his life. I’m the one who did it, though.

“It’s been a while, Demon King.” (Alfred)

Alfred called me by that nickname I still wasn’t used to.

“Yes, it has. It’s been four years since then.” (Yuri)

I pulled out the chair and sat down without permission.

“Has it been that long? In the meantime, you’ve crushed and annexed Galilea, but I haven’t been able to do anything.” (Alfred)

“Your sister seems to be quite formidable.” (Yuri)

“Indeed. Truth be told, I’m at the end of my rope. That woman has used her body to bring the Papal States to her side.” (Alfred)

Alfred spoke bitterly.

So that’s how he thinks.

According to Melissa’s analysis, the relationship between Angelica Sacramenta and Epitaph Palazzo was indeed good, but the conclusion was that it was doubtful they were lovers. Geographically, they were too far apart to meet easily, and considering the great risk both would take by leaving their home countries, it was hard to imagine them being in an affair. Another analysis suggested that they may have had a physical relationship during a past crusade and that this bond still existed, but Melissa was skeptical of that as well.

Despite effectively ruling the Papal States as a dictator, Epitaph had no known lovers, not even a shadow of a mistress, nor any rumors. Melissa speculated that Epitaph might be sexually impotent. Given his previously well-known extreme and abnormal proclivities, it wouldn’t be surprising.

Well, regardless of his relationship with Epitaph, it might be possible that Angelica used her feminine wiles with other figures to gain diplomatic advantage. But I get the feeling that Alfred just doesn’t want to admit his sister’s diplomatic skills and is using this as an excuse.

“Is that so? That must be hard for you, then. Your state must be like a candle in the wind.” (Yuri)

“Exactly. That’s why I’m proposing we join forces. I know your goal is to destroy the Papal States, right? If you kill that sow and unify the nation, I’ll have no trouble allowing you to pass through my territory. If you want to advance your army beyond, I’ll even help with logistics.” (Alfred)

Hmm… so he understands that we’re not fighting this war with the intention of annexing the entire Tyrellme region. In that case, he’s offering to cooperate in exchange for future accommodations.

“There are a few conditions for us to collaborate.” (Yuri)

“Let’s hear them.” (Alfred)

“First, the region north of the Tiran River is the old territory of the Great Empire of Shantilla. We will annex it. Otherwise, my people won’t accept it.” (Yuri)

“Is that all?” (Alfred)

“There’s more. If you continue practicing the Catholic faith, we won’t have a deal. If we sign a treaty today, you’ll need to expel all clergy from your country starting tomorrow.” (Yuri)

“That’s only natural, given that your goal is to crush the Catholic Church. I don’t care what happens to those preaching bastards. I’ll accept that condition too.” (Alfred)

…Don’t accept so easily. Normally, this would be quite a harsh demand. Figures like bishops and archbishops may not hold much military power, but their financial influence could surpass that of a king. And since this has been the state religion for centuries, they hold considerable support from the people, meaning the church’s influence is massive.

Telling someone to expel them would typically be a demand that makes any lord turn pale, but this mentally unstable man probably doesn’t care. If someone protests, he’ll just purge them, and even if chaos erupts in his country, he likely thinks he can suppress it with fear and force.

“Even if we sign a treaty, I won’t trust you unconditionally and leave my back exposed. Regarding the supply lines and march routes that connect the main battlefield and our homeland, we will take temporary control of them. That applies to the war against Angelica and any future wars.” (Yuri)

“—Can’t you trust us with that? We’ll be fighting side by side on the battlefield. A certain level of trust is necessary.” (Alfred)

“Trust is a kind of experience built up through repeated actions. Unfortunately, there is no such relationship between us at present. I see no reason to take a major risk by partnering with you.” (Yuri)

After all, he might betray me.

“Hah… So, how many more conditions do you have? Dozens more?” (Alfred)

“Don’t worry. There’s only one more.” (Yuri)

What exactly is this man thinking? I can’t quite grasp it because of that brass mask covering his entire face. Even trying to gauge his tone is difficult since I’m not a native speaker of Telor, and the unique Tyrellme regional intonation makes it hard to pick up on subtle nuances. I’ve been in many negotiations before, but this one feels particularly challenging. Well, it doesn’t matter. This time, I’m just laying out my demands.

“After you defeat Queen Angelica, you must not purge any of the key figures in her camp.” (Yuri)

When I said that, Alfred jerked his head slightly. It seemed this demand had caught him off guard.

“Why? It wouldn’t matter if they were killed.” (Alfred)

“I have no interest in your internal power struggles. However, if your country remains in a state of civil war indefinitely, it will interfere with our military operations.” (Yuri)

“That won’t happen. I’ll just kill them all.” (Alfred)

Honestly, this guy…

“If you do that, the war will never end. Humans will fight to the death if they know they’ll be killed if they surrender. If you look at military history, there are few battles where every last enemy was wiped out. No matter how well you conduct a pursuit, more than half will escape. With your approach, those who flee will continue to resist in the regions.” (Yuri)

“…Hmm.” (Alfred)

This demand was a ploy I devised to create future leverage. I don’t trust this guy at all, and I have no idea what he’s thinking, but there’s one thing I do know for sure. He may not care about ceding part of his territory. He might not mind slaughtering all the clergy in his country. But he will never reconcile with his sister Angelica.

That is the one unchangeable fact, no matter what happens. After Angelica is killed, there’s no way he would ever spare her loyal supporters. His impulses will inevitably overpower his reason, and some disaster will occur. That way, I can dispose of this one without hesitation. It will likely take the form of punishment for a meaningless slaughter, so it won’t damage my reputation.

“The list of conditions from our side is summarized on this sheet.” (Yuri)

I took out a piece of paper from my pocket and placed it on the desk.

Though I’m uneasy about teaming up with this one, if things go well, I can free up the manpower of at least 20,000 or 30,000 soldiers. Even if betrayed, this was originally an opponent I was prepared to fight. There’s no loss on my side. The country has expanded, and we don’t have extra forces either. If they’re willing to accept these terms, using them might be a good option.

“I’ll take this back and consider it.” (Alfred)

Alfred took the paper from the desk.

“Do that.” (Yuri)

At the very least, it seems he thinks it’s worth considering. I know it’s my own proposal but accepting it would require considerable courage. Is he really that desperate, or is there something else?

“By the way, how do you evaluate that woman?” (Alfred)

Just when I thought the meeting was over, it seems he intends to continue talking about something. What now?

“You won’t like my answer, but I rate her fairly well. I thought she was a kind ruler, but she can be ruthless when necessary. The Marquis Visitorholm was executed without hesitation, wasn’t he?” (Yuri)

Marquis Visitorholm was a grand noble and one of the electors. Though he had shown allegiance to his sister and formed an alliance with her, he sided with her brother and was killed for it. That said, all he did was allow Alfred’s army to pass through his territory. However, Angelica suffered great damage from that. She thought she had an alliance with the elector, but suddenly the enemy army emerged from his lands and attacked her unprotected flank. After managing to repel them, Angelica sent a letter of fury to Marquis Visitorholm.

Marquis’ response was, “There’s no problem at all”. Indeed, he had interpreted the treaty in a way that, if Alfred’s army chose its route carefully, it wouldn’t strictly violate the agreement, but such reasoning didn’t work on Angelica. She immediately broke the alliance, attacked, and swiftly captured the smug elector, who had been lounging around, and beheaded him without question.

“Do you know why I hate that woman?” (Alfred)

“Before starting a war with your siblings, you feared you’d be assassinated and have your throne usurped, right?” (Yuri)

It all started with this guy’s rise to power when the previous king, Lenycht, was killed. That king, when I was still a child, died in what was essentially an accident during a suicide attack by Gouk, without naming a successor. After that, a succession war broke out between the eldest and second brothers in the God-Protected Empire, and the usual battles to win over the electors began. This went on for several years until suddenly, the eldest brother was assassinated. It was likely orchestrated by Alfred, the third son, but since he was completely unknown at the time, it was blamed on his rival, the second brother.

Assassinating a contender for the throne was taboo, so the second brother’s support plummeted, and Alfred quickly gained the electors’ votes and ascended to the throne. Afterward, Alfred poisoned the second brother, then killed the fourth brother, who was only eight years old at the time. Amidst all this, Angelica, through her wit, survived by guarding against assassination. And then Alfred began to fear Angelica. Since he had gained the throne through assassination, he believed she would try to usurp it in the same way.

“Well, yes. But I didn’t intend to kill her from the start.” (Alfred)

“Really? That’s surprising.” (Yuri)

There’s no reason for him to lie here, so this might be the truth.

“She’s a woman. If she were married off to another country and abandoned the name Sacrament, that would be the end of it. If I had a legitimate son, her chances of succession would be one in a million. There’s no reason to go out of my way to kill her.” (Alfred)

“That’s true.” (Yuri)

Judging by her actions, though, I don’t think she’s the type to settle down as a meek wife in some other household. A woman who could be content with that sort of life wouldn’t be leading armies on the battlefield in the first place.

“But at the funeral of our youngest brother, she drew her sword and suddenly attacked me, screaming unbearable insults. Looking back now, I should have killed her then, no matter what.” (Alfred)

Maybe she was particularly fond of that brother.

“Yeah, that was probably the biggest mistake of your life. Why didn’t you kill her then?” (Yuri)

“I tried to. But a man named Gustav stood in the way, and I couldn’t finish it. She used her womanhood to escape again. If she had been a man, she would’ve been killed without a second thought, but since it was dismissed as a woman’s hysteria, she was forgiven. People said she was distraught over her brother’s death, and it was all glossed over.” (Alfred)

“Hmm.” (Yuri)

This guy probably couldn’t make the decision to eliminate the future threat at that time. Besides, he probably didn’t expect a fight to break out at a funeral, and the only people he likely brought with him were a few attendants. Even if he wanted to engage in a battle there, he probably didn’t have the manpower.

It’s possible Angelica has regrets of her own. Maybe she wishes she had gathered as many soldiers as possible while she wasn’t being watched and surrounded him to finish him off. Once you’ve been marked by a paranoid man like this, you’ll never get another chance. That was probably her first and last opportunity.

“At that time, that woman said… she called me an unworthy, cowardly ruler. Said she’d drag me down from the throne. Even then, I forgave her. And yet…” (Alfred)

Alfred slammed his right arm down on the table in anger. A loud bang echoed, and the table shook.

“Letting out your anger is fine, but don’t fight a war in that state. If I ever go to war with you, I’ll use that emotion to my advantage. It’ll play right into the enemy’s hands.” (Yuri)

“…I understand.” (Alfred)

This is hopeless. He doesn’t understand. That’s why he strangled his wife in their bed after she became frightened of his face. I’ll use him as much as I can, then discard him.

“Well, fine. If you intend to ally, do it properly.” (Yuri)

I stood up and turned my back on the madman.

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