Volume 8 Chapter 1 Part 2

It’s probably going to be a political marriage made out of convenience, but it’s clear that the two of them have a strong relationship based on trust, so it’ll definitely work out nicely for all the parties involved in the end.

「Now there’s only a matter of one country left… 」

Siluca turned her gaze to a Lord waiting in the last row.

That was Mislav, the heir of Alfred Shakes, the King of Clovis. It would seem that Alfred himself returned back to his country after being thoroughly routed by Milza.

「My father asked me to become the next head of the Shakes family. 」

Mislav said so as he stepped forward.

He was a fine-looking young Lord. He’s probably about five years older than Theo.

「Therefore, it is my will to become the Earl of Sistina’s subordinate Lord as well! 」

There was no hesitation or doubt in those words. Because he is young, his thinking may be more flexible than his father. By transferring his title of the head of the family to his heir, Alfred was able to carry out his intention to not be subordinated to Theo himself.

「Well then… 」

Siluca took a deep breath, trying to calm her mind after what she just heard.

“My Lord, Theo Cornero, the Earl of Sistina will be the new leader of the Artuk Treaty, and he’ll also be in charge of your Crest, is that correct? 」

She waited a moment to see if anyone would raise any objections, but nothing of the sort happened.

Suddenly, applause broke out from everyone and spread throughout the room like a roaring wave.

(Finally, Lord Theo…)

Siluca couldn’t help it but to feel emotional about this moment.

When she first met him, he was just a wandering Lord who was no more than a lowly Knight, but now he is an Earl and the leader of a new faction that could rival the other two powerhouses of the continent: Factory Alliance and Fantasia Union. However, even that is just a passing point for Theo now. His dream is still far away from being realized.

「I intend to inherit the will of Earl Villar Constance, who died serving as our shield… 」

As Theo stepped up to the throne to continued applause, he turned around and declared as such.

「It was Lord Vilar’s wish to comply with the Fantasia Union’s resolution to make peace with the Factory Alliance and don’t mobilize the soldiers against them or seek further conflict. 」

Then, Theo slowly sat down on the throne. Although there is still some awkwardness in his actions, his behavior as a Lord has also improved.

「That’s what we’re aiming for as well. Therefore, in order to encourage both sides to come to terms with each other from a neutral standpoint, the Artuk Treaty will become independent from the Fantasia Union. 」

Hearing Theo’s words, the Lords looked at each other in confusion, and then they looked back at him. However, no one was raising any voices of protest.

Seeing this, Lassic took a step forward.

「If we become independent, the Factory Alliance will be even more upset than it is now, and I don’t think that the Fantasia Union will agree to a settlement as well. And also, wouldn’t us going independent result in the actual strengthening of the Factory Alliance’s position on the continent? 」

Lassic spoke about the concerns that were on the minds of probably every Lord of the Artuk Treaty, and several more Lords agreed with that opinion.

「Just like we did before, we will continue to cooperate with the Fantasia Union and continue to fight against the Factory Alliance. Our goal is to balance the forces of the three camps and bring the battle to a stalemate. Otherwise, there will be no possibility for the peace negotiations to be held properly. 」

「Is it really going to bring balance, though? 」

Lassic asked while smiling bitterly.

「If they don’t let us, then that’s going to be it. What I want you to understand though is that by ourselves we don’t have the power to conquer the entire continent, but we also don’t have the ambitions to do that as well. 」

All the Lords nodded at Theo’s words. All of the Lords of the Artuk Treaty were connected by a strong bond, but it was a bond forged in order to protect the territory of Artuk and its people. None of the Artuk Treaty’s members would ever express a desire to suddenly go and invade other countries in order to expand their own territory.

「Although we managed to defeat the Viceroy of Dartania and recapture Artuk from him, the Factory Alliance remains strong. Unfortunately, there is simply no time for us to relax just yet. 」

After saying this in a harsh tone, Theo’s expression relaxed.

「But on this evening, let’s celebrate the outcome of the battle and the recapturing of Artuk to the fullest. 」

Then, the door to the hall opened widely, and Irvin rolled in a large barrel containing wine. Next, Emma and Luna brought in an entire table filled with food. It was all possible because after the battle was over, Irvin was preparing for a feast with the other Lord’s attendants and maids.

They served food and alcohol not only to the Lords, but to all the soldiers and the common people as well.

The food collected by Dartania the siege and the food and drinks left in Castle Unicorn were also scheduled to be released to the public, except for what was needed the most by everyone. In addition to celebrating the recapturing of Artuk from the hands of the tyrannical Milza, that was also a feast meant to commemorate the ascention of Theo Cornero, the Earl of Sistina to the position of the new leader of the Artuk Treaty.

(This is a grand occasion indeed, so we need to make sure that we’re going to celebrate it accordingly.)

Siluca thought to herself.

* * *

The feast began with a flourish, gradually became more exciting, and ended in a frenzy as it lasted way past midnight.

However, since Siluca was not on the receiving end this time, it was far from enjoyable for her, since she needed to make sure that all the Mages, Chamberlains, maids, servants, knights and soldiers of the royal guard will be properly dispatched as she desperately tried keep the entire feast from falling apart prematurely.

As dawn approached, the party naturally broke up, perhaps thanks to the fact that the guests have reached the limits of both their physical and mental strength. There were some fierce people out there who kept going at a slower pace, but even they had to throw in the towel at some point.

When it was finally all over, Siluca dragged her exhausted body into the room she used to use when Vilar was still the lord of Castle Unicorn.

As she approached the room, she saw a figure standing at the door in the darkness. She didn’t have the energy to check who it was, so Siluca just kept walking forward.

「Welcome back. 」

When she was only a few steps away from the figure, a familiar voice called out to her.

「Lord Theo! 」

Siluca looked up in surprise.

「Aren’t you tired? I heard that you went around talking to not only all the Lords, but also the soldiers and the residents of Artuk… 」

「Well, I am, but that’s okay. 」

While saying that, Theo took a deep breath.

「Please have a good night’s rest then. 」

Siluca said in a hurry.

「That’s what I intend to do. But before that, I wanted to talk to you. 」

「Huh? I-I see… 」

Siluca opened the door to the room while feeling a little bit agitated. But it’s true that they can’t stand and talk in the hallway. She got inside the room, turned the light on with magic and offered Theo a chair to sit on.

She doesn’t know who was using this room during her absence, but the room hasn’t changed much since the last time Siluca was here. Furnishings that match Villar’s sense of aesthetic were still arranged exactly as they were previously.

Milza had a large number of female servants working for him, so the cleaning was also pretty thorough.

However, all the ladies-in-waiting and Dartania’s servants, along with the prisoners, handed over their bows to Ender Selik, half-brother of Milza Kuches who now possessed the highest title among all the other Lords of Dartania, which made him the new Marquis of Dartania in place of the new dead Milza.

He now has the big task of pacifying the rest of Dartania before him. He managed to regain the capital, Taroca, but there are still many tribes who remained loyal to Milza.