Volume 9 Chapter 2 Part 1

Chapter 2: Manuevers

「Did the Fantasia Union really managed to defeat the Nords in a naval battle? 」

Siluca Meletes heard the news of the naval battle off the coast of Bretland late at night.

It was a communication using a magic wand, and the sender was Kato Meletes, a fellow Diplomatic Mage of from the Factory Alliance. As a staff officer in Alexis’ entourage, he appeared to have participated in naval battle against the Nords.

Although it was the result that Siluca had hoped for, she suddenly couldn’t believe it.

「It was a wonderful victory. There was no way we could have defeated the Nords in the actual naval battle. That’s why Lord Alexis came up with the idea of building a castle on the sea with all of the ships in our fleet. You were right about the Ocean King: he was so prideful and so sure of the might of his own fleet that he didn’t even consider the possibility of losing on the sea, and that’s why he send his soldiers with slow and heavy weapons straight at us as soon as he got closer, but he never realized that getting closer to us and spreading out his forces to try and surround us was the reason they got annihilated in the end. Unfortunately, even though we managed to defeat them, he and his berserkers still managed to kill a number of our soldiers, because Eric’s Crest made them not fear death and unwilling to retreat. Even when he was outnumbered, he did not stop attacking. The result was devastating for the Nords. They lost the majority of the members of their warrior class in that battle, and now it should be impossible for them to maintain the colonies that they’ve established for themselves. 」

The Kato that Siluca knew had a calm personality that made him look cold, but now he couldn’t hide his excitement, and it almost sound as if he was being extatic to tell her all about it.

「And what about the Ocean King himself? By any chance, did he…? 」

「Yes, it took a considerable effort, but we managed to kill the Ocean King as well. I was when he boarded Lord Alexis’ ship all on his own, and it took a great number of our knights and soldiers to finally put him down. Regrettably, many of our men were killed in the process as well. 」

「But Lord Alexis is safe and sound, right? 」
She could have predicted it from the tone of Kato’s voice, but Siluca still wanted to receive confirmation of her suspicions.

「He is, but I have to admit, it was too much of a close call. 」

「Good… that’s good to hear. 」

Siluca breathed a sigh of relief. If the Marquis of Halusia had died at the hands of the Ocean King, the fallout from that and the damage it would’ve caused would be irreparable.

「Please tell Lord Alexis that Lord Theo and the Artuk Treaty congratulate him on his splendid victory. He probably won’t be happy about it, but… 」

「That’s right. Lord Alexis has locked himself in the cabin and hasn’t come out since. His maid, Noelia, is frightened for his well-being. However, I feel a little relieved. This proves that Lord Alexis has changed as a person. He’s always possessed immense amounts of innate talent, but didn’t have many chances to properly display it, and whenever he had to, he would always be hurting himself the most. The events of this battle will definitely have an impact on him, but I’m sure that once he picks himself back together, he’ll continue to create beautiful works of art. 」

Kato’s sigh-like voice came from the magic wand.

Siluca remembered that this fellow Mage of hers was well versed in art. He did not create art on his own, but he was a person with an excellent sense of aesthetics and was able to give accurate criticism no matter who asked him to provide it or when.

「For the time being, it’s just as you thought. However, I don’t want Lord Alexis to be sad any more. I want him to think about the possibility of reconciliation with the Factory Alliance. 」

「Please leave it to us. Next, it’s our turn. However, we’ll need the Fantasia Union to help us as well. In order to force the Factory Alliance to give up on conquering the continent by force, we need one more big battle. Well then, I’ll be hanging up now. 」

Siluca said before she cut off the communication with Kato, after which she headed straight to Theo’s room.

When she knocked on the door, there was an immediate answer. For now, Theo was free from the need to manage his territory, but as the leader of the Artuk Treaty he was still busy, but with altogether different things.

Siluca entered the room and first reported the results of the naval battle between the Fantasia Union and the Nords to him.

「I see… 」

Theo looked relieved. Even though he believed in Alexis, he was probably still worried sick about him.

Siluca then continues her report with the details of the naval battle that she heard from Kato.

「I know that I shouldn’t probably be saying this, but listening to you, I can’t help but think that Lord Alexis actually wanted to win this battle with his whole heart. I feel like if he gets serious and puts his mind to it, he could actually unify the continent by force. 」

To be honest, Siluca also never expected that the Marquis of Halusia had such talent as a Lord and a leader. She was embarrassed about her lack of insight and being unable to see his hidden qualities.

「That person has no such ambitions. All that he wants is for his words to reach Lady Marine. 」

「I see. 」

As for Alexis, Theo’s judgment seemed to be correct.

「The results of this naval battle will soon spread across the continent and be received with great shock, that much I can say for sure. 」

Siluca said with great enthusiasm.

「By which you mean that you’re going to make sure that the news are going to be spread as shockingly as possible, right? 」

Theo laughed.

「To be precise, yes, that was my intention. 」

Siluca admitted openly. Information can be used both offensively and defensively, after all.

「I will contact Sefaud Latkins in Elam and have him spread the news about the Fantasia Union’s victory far and wide. After that, I think I will send a negotiations request to Lady Marine. If she agrees to it, then I will head to Waldrind as a messenger and try to deal with her diplomatically. 」

「It’s not going to be dangerous, is it? 」

Theo asked while staring Siluca dead in the eyes.

「If it’s Lady Marine we’re talking about, then I think you have no cause for concern. 」

Capturing or harming a messenger is against the Mages Association agreement, and Marine is a Lord who always follows reason and doesn’t do anything irrational.

「That’s right, I guess. 」

Theo nodded, but he still seemed uneasy about the whole thing.
「Thank you for your concern, but there’s really no need for you to worry. 」

「Isn’t it obvious why I’m worried though? You’re already my queen, so I cannot help it, even if it’s only for private matters and when we’re alone. 」

Theo became a little sullen. He also looks like he was ready to sulk. Happy with that reaction of his, Siluca approached Theo and kissed him briefly.

「Well then, right now we’re alone, so… 」

When Siluca said that to him seductively, Theo immediately corrected his posture. Maybe it’s because he’s still not used to it, but when they’re alone, Theo always starts to openly express his feelings.

「Why don’t we have a toast first? Lord Alexis might be sad about it, but I think that his victory is worth celebrating nonetheless. 」

「It must be painful for him. He wanted nothing more but to be together with Lady Marine, but then 「The Tragedy of the Grand Catedral」happened, and now he has no choice but to stand on a battlefield where he might be forced to fight against the person he loves more than anything in this world. 」

「Well, in the first place, something like the heirs of the two Archduke families from the opposing factions falling in love with one another shouldn’t have happened. As far as both of their factions were concerned, these two were never supposed to be together. As long as that outdated view is not going to change, I’m afraid that the two of them are going to keep dealing with difficulties if they want to be together. 」