Volume 9, Chapter 65 – Redemption for the Guilt-Ridden

“Cardinal Yisi, why are you here?” Gore’s bewildered gaze darted between Yisi and the empty space behind her. Confirming there was no fourth person, he said with difficulty, “You are a Cardinal of the Ymir Church. How can you be the envoy of the Duchy of Chloe?”

“No. Although I hold the status of Cardinal in the Ymir Church, I do not come today in that capacity. Currently, I am the envoy appointed by the King of the Duchy of Chloe. With me are Camilla Pescia and Lin, representing the Divine Religion.” Since Gore remained shocked, Yisi had to proactively change the subject. “General Gore, may we sit down and talk?”

“Ah… quite right. Please, have a seat, Your Excellency Yisi.”

Quickly making their way, Gore and Bayldes returned to their seats. Under the gaze of countless officers, the negotiations began.

Yisi first glanced at Bayldes, sitting beside Gore. Although she had appeared in her third form when slapping him, considering the identity issue—even though her third form and normal form were basically the same apart from species traits—ordinary people wouldn’t connect ‘Yisi’ with ‘Viel.’ Yet Bayldes’s gaze towards her was now filled with fear. When she looked at him, his eyes even showed obvious apprehension.

Did he recognize me?

Even so, as long as she adamantly denied being the Pope of the Divine Religion, no one except her own companions, Lin, and Atwood would know that Yisi Enya was the Pope.

Pushing her inner doubts aside, Yisi smiled and initiated the conversation.

“This isn’t the first time General Gore and I have met. Let’s skip the customary pleasantries and get straight to the point, shall we?”

“Yes, no objection.”

Being in a disadvantageous position, insisting on formalities would only be asking for trouble. Gore agreed without hesitation. As for why Yisi said ‘appointed by the King of the Duchy of Chloe’ instead of the Pope, the reason was that in the eyes of most ordinary people, the Duchy and the Divine Religion weren’t directly linked. Many didn’t even know the Duchy was secretly controlled by the Divine Religion; on the surface, it remained a monarchy.

“Then, I shall convey the words of the King of the Duchy of Chloe. If the Imperial army withdraws from the Duchy’s territory within ten days and compensates for the consolation fees of the soldiers killed or wounded in this war, our side will let bygones be bygones.”

Gore, who had prepared for Yisi to make exorbitant demands, froze for a moment, looking astonished.

“Only this?”

“Yes, only this.”

How is that possible?

Knowing they were outmatched, withdrawing the army was a matter of course. If anything, the ten-day timeframe was too long; Gore even wanted to start moving the troops tomorrow. Maintaining supplies for tens of thousands was extremely difficult, and the Duchy of Chloe was situated in hilly terrain, further increasing the difficulty, placing a heavy burden on the rear baggage train.

As for war reparations, although this was a first for the Norta Empire since changing from ‘Kingdom’ to ‘Empire,’ it wasn’t an unusual demand in past wars. Perhaps upon returning, he would be ridiculed by the entire court for disgracing the Empire, even stripped of his rank. But compared to the lives of the tens of thousands of soldiers in this camp, he had only one choice: agree. Fortunately, in this siege, the Empire hadn’t been able to unleash wide-area annihilation magic. Most of the fighting involved ordinary soldiers, and the Duchy’s losses weren’t very large. Therefore, the amount of compensation, relative to the Empire’s scale, was pitifully small.

Combined, the conditions were so favorable they made one suspect ulterior motives.

Could the Duchy be waiting for us to propose additional compensation? Usually, besides consolation money for soldiers, the defeated nation should also pay an extra sum of gold to the victorious royal family. This was basically an established convention on the continent of Alexia.

Of course, Gore wasn’t incapable of requesting more troops from the Emperor to the border. After all, paying reparations was quite humiliating for the Empire. But based on Bayldes’s estimation of the Divine Religion Pope’s strength, Gore didn’t think mobilizing more troops was a viable option. Even that arrogant Chief Court Magic Caster said the Pope possessed power equal to a Demon Lord. Sending more soldiers would be like moths flying into a flame. Not to mention, the letter sent from the capital a day ago specifically emphasized the Emperor’s order to temporarily halt the offensive against the northern small countries.

First exchanging a glance with the equally surprised Bayldes, Gore considered carefully. Since the other side was waiting for them to mention additional compensation first, then he had room to maneuver—not to lower the amount, but on the contrary, to raise it significantly in exchange for greater benefits for the Empire. As a condition, he could ask the Duchy not to publicize this war. Compared to insignificant reparations, face was clearly more important.

After considering for a moment, Gore picked up a pen, hastily wrote down a number on paper, and then pushed the parchment towards Yisi.

“Besides the consolation fees for the families of the Duchy’s soldiers, our Empire is willing to pay this amount in reparations. However, as a condition, Your Excellency Yisi, we hope the Duchy of Chloe will not publicize this war. Do you find this acceptable?”

Hmm?

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Yisi tilted her head. She had never intended to publicize this war. If anything, she wanted to suppress the manner in which it ended as much as possible. The Divine Religion was a mysterious entity to the outside world. If people knew its main base was in the Duchy of Chloe, it would cause considerable trouble for the Duchy in the future. Setting aside various unknown organizations that held grudges against the Divine Religion, Duke Wozwahl of the Hels Kingdom alone was enough to give the Duchy a headache.

After the Alice incident, Duke Wozwahl hated the Divine Religion to the bone. If he found out the church was hidden in the Duchy, they would face the predicament of sending off the Imperial army only to welcome the Kingdom’s army immediately after. Standing in the position of being both the Pope and Duke Wozwahl’s benefactor, she really didn’t know how to handle it. After all, the Divine Religion harming Alice was a fact, not a grievance that could be resolved with a few words.

Therefore, agreeing to Gore’s condition of not publicizing the war was completely fine for her. She didn’t even need the extra compensation from the Empire. However, she wasn’t alone now, but represented the Divine Religion and the Duchy of Chloe. If the Duchy could use this money to improve the lives of its people, she would have done a good deed.

If there was any problem, it was only that this hush money was simply too much.

The compensation Gore offered was five hundred thousand gold coins.

Yisi subtly glanced at Lin sitting on her left. Due to their proximity, Lin could easily see the number Gore wrote. When she saw ‘five hundred thousand gold coins,’ her purplish-blue eyes suddenly widened, her mouth forming an ‘o’ shape of disbelief.

Yisi couldn’t help but ask Lin in a low voice, “Lin, how much money is in the Duchy of Chloe’s treasury?”

“A few… tens of thousands of gold coins?”

Lin even stammered, unable to believe such a large number.

Indeed, too much.

Although there were no wars in the era she came from, and thus no concept of war reparations, in the historical texts she had read, the lives of common people in countries that paid reparations became quite difficult. Yisi couldn’t help but imagine the populace of the Norta Empire suffering from hunger.

Better ask for less.

Gently pinching her chin between her thumb and forefinger, Yisi frowned, looking hesitant.

“This amount—”

Here it comes?

Gore, having regained some leverage, sighed in relief. He had guessed that a mere five hundred thousand gold coins, as hush money to save the Empire from humiliation, was indeed too little. The reason he wrote such an obviously paltry number was simply to make it easier to increase the price later.

Gore unhesitatingly took back the parchment, crossed out five hundred thousand, and changed it to one million gold coins.

“How about this then?”

“Uh…”

Yisi raised an eyebrow subtly.

That wasn’t my intention at all.

But seeing Gore’s decisive attitude, perhaps a million gold coins was just a small sum for the Empire. Thinking carefully, back at the auction in the Kingdom, those high nobles already used gem coins as units of measurement. As a powerful nation, maybe she really didn’t need to be so surprised by the Empire’s wealth.

Yisi didn’t notice that Lin beside her was now completely dumbfounded. The Duchy of Chloe’s total annual tax revenue was barely ten thousand gold coins. One million… was an astronomical figure.

“Alright. Let it be so. The Empire withdraws from the Duchy of Chloe’s border within ten days, and neither side will publicize or record this war. As compensation, besides paying the consolation fees for the Duchy’s fallen soldiers, the Empire will pay an additional sum of gold. This is the result of today’s negotiation.”

“Wait, Your Excellency Yisi. We forgot to discuss another important matter.”

“What is it?”

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“The Pope of the Divine Religion must not retaliate against us after the war.”

“Eh…”

I never intended to retaliate anyway.

Yisi readily agreed.

With the most crucial matter settled, the subsequent negotiations became much easier. Yisi and Gore quickly decided on the specific timing and method of compensation.

For the current Duchy of Chloe, supplies were more needed than gold. People needed winter clothing and food. There was also a severe shortage of livestock for farming. With Lin and Camilla assisting, Yisi converted most of the one million gold coins (reduced from the initial six hundred thousand after discussion) into immediately usable supplies.

It was worth noting that Yisi initially wanted to exchange the remaining gold for magic materials for the Divine Religion’s academy. When she visited last time, she found not only poor living conditions but also a severe lack of various magic materials. Unfortunately, the Empire refused to provide magic materials under any circumstances. Thinking about it, it was understandable; no one wanted to cultivate enemies near their home. Yisi could only give up.

If the worst comes to worst, I’ll just have Atwood take the money to the nearby Ymir territory and buy materials from Evelyn. The Ymir territory had a large amount of magic items produced from ruins of the God Era; things like magic materials weren’t that valuable there.

After all detailed matters were settled, both Yisi and Gore showed expressions of relief. The former was relaxed having finally dealt with matters she wasn’t good at; the latter was happy the negotiation was completed with minimal cost to the Empire.

Waving dismissively at his subordinates, Gore smiled cheerfully.

“Should I consider myself fortunate that the envoy sent by the Duchy of Chloe was Your Excellency Yisi? Although it’s inappropriate for me to say this from my position, Your Excellency, you’re agreeing so readily to our proposed conditions… upon returning, won’t the Pope—oh no, the King of the Duchy of Chloe—give you trouble?”

“General Gore need not worry. Since they appointed me, it means they trust my ability to handle things properly.” After smiling and nodding, Yisi’s expression gradually turned serious, her blue eyes looking directly at Gore. “I came here today not only for negotiations but also for another purpose.”

“Another? May I ask what it is?”

Gore raised an eyebrow, subtly glancing at Lin. He had tried his best to restrain his hostility towards her, but this hatred wasn’t something easily ignored. Targeting Lin in the declaration of war against the Duchy was also Gore’s idea. War needed a pretext, and the ‘fact’ that Lin killed the Eldest Princess satisfied both Gore’s personal hatred and the needs of war.

“General Gore said before that as long as you haven’t seen the Eldest Princess’s body, you would believe she is not dead, correct?”

“Yes. I am deeply grateful for the clue Your Excellency Yisi provided. Since the wooden plaque symbolizing the Eldest Princess’s identity was found in the Hels Kingdom, it proves Her Highness indeed did not perish in that disaster. It’s highly likely someone took her to the Kingdom before we could find her.”

“What if I said I know the whereabouts of Her Highness the Eldest Princess?”

Like a depth charge dropped into water, the entire tent erupted in noise. The officers standing at the edges began murmuring amongst themselves. Even Bayldes frowned; the Imperial royal family currently had only two members. Adding the Eldest Princess held immeasurable significance for the Empire.

Gore froze first, then slammed his hands on the table with a ‘bang’, shooting to his feet, his expression agitated. Visible red veins rapidly spread across his eyes.

“Your Excellency Yisi, I implore you to tell me!”

Not only Gore, but even Lin wore an expression eager for the answer. These past few days, Yisi hadn’t told Lin who the Eldest Princess was.

Taking a deep breath, Yisi rose from her seat.

“If you want the answer, come outside.”

Without exchanging any words, Gore, his expression grave, followed Yisi and the other two outside the camp to an open area. Amidst the soldiers’ gasps of surprise, Yisi took the [Imperial Gift], towering over fifty meters tall, out of her storage.

“This is… the [Imperial Gift]? Your Excellency Yisi, how do you have this?”

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“This is not my property, Gore. As an Imperial General, can you discern the type of this [Imperial Gift]? I mean, does it possess self-awareness?”

“No. Only royalty can command the [Imperial Gift]. Those obtained by others are all temporary fakes. The [Imperial Gift] should be guarding the capital; how could it follow Your Excellency here? No, ultimately, how did Your Excellency even obtain it, and how do you make it stand here so quietly… This defies reason.”

Although he said this, Gore vaguely sensed what Yisi was about to say. His breathing quickened, and his body trembled with excitement. His gaze, as if wanting to devour Yisi whole, fixed intently on her face.

At this point, I can only reveal the truth.

Although revealing it would cause all sorts of trouble, not doing so would leave the deadlock between Gore and Lin forever unresolved.

If Emperor Adonis comes looking for Camilla later, I’ll just use my fists to let him know that even as Emperor, he can’t do whatever he wants. Setting aside the absurd custom of close-relative marriage, firstly, she couldn’t possibly give up Camilla.

Calming her mind, Yisi pointed at the [Imperial Gift].

“Camilla, command it to move.”

“Yes.” Nodding to Yisi, Camilla, under the watchful eyes of all the soldiers, issued a command to the [Imperial Gift]. “Kneel.”

Creaaak—Thud.

The former was the groaning of the [Imperial Gift]’s joints; the latter was the roar of its knees hitting the earth. Without the slightest deviation, the [Imperial Gift] executed Camilla’s command.

Only royalty can command the [Imperial Gift]. Camilla’s identity is self-evident.

Yisi looked at Gore, whose features gradually contorted, tears welling up in his eyes, and said word by word, “My adoptive sister, Camilla Pescia, is the Imperial Eldest Princess you’ve been searching for all these years, Gore. If you compare Camilla’s appearance with Emperor Adonis, you’ll find they look almost identical. The reason you came to me asking about the Eldest Princess back then might be because you subconsciously noticed the resemblance between Camilla and Adonis.”

“Her Highness… the Eldest Princess…”

Although Gore had fantasized countless times about how he would beg for forgiveness upon finding the Eldest Princess, what guilt he should feel facing her, when this moment truly arrived, he felt only a lump in his throat, unable to speak. Besides the tears streaming down his cheeks, only his knees gave way. Before all the soldiers, like a criminal atoning to the dead, Gore gradually lowered himself, finally prostrating himself at Camilla’s feet.

“Finally… I’ve finally found you… Your Highness, it’s all my fault… It was my dereliction of duty, failing to protect you. I am a sinner to the entire Empire…”

His words filled with repentance, Gore’s voice twisted almost unintelligibly through his sobs. His pathetic state made it impossible to associate him with the Imperial General who commanded tens of thousands and held the Emperor’s deep trust.

But everyone understood this was Gore’s truest emotion. Even Camilla felt no malice towards this man prostrating himself at her feet, constantly begging for forgiveness. Her beautiful face showed only confusion.

“Onee-sama…”

“Let him be for a while. He’s waited a long time for this day.”

“Okay.”

A full ten minutes passed before Gore finally composed himself. Trembling, he stood up, facing Camilla, his expression holding only sincerity.

“Your Highness, I implore you to accompany me to the capital! As the Eldest Princess, you hold a position second only to one, above tens of thousands! Your appearance is the Empire’s fortune! The Empire will surely record this day in its annals!”

However, Gore’s excited suggestion was met only with Camilla’s cold stare.

“I refuse. I will only stay with Onee-sama.”

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“Why? As the Eldest Princess of the Empire, you need not endure a humble life! You can enjoy the reverence of the entire Empire’s populace! All the Empire’s resources can be mobilized for you! Even His Majesty will personally celebrate for you!”

“A mere Empire can’t even compare to Onee-sama’s used bathwater. If you dare say ‘humble’ again, insulting Onee-sama, don’t blame me for being impolite, foolish man.”

“Uh…”

Gore froze on the spot, looking helplessly towards Yisi for assistance.

Yisi sighed quietly.

Should I say, ‘As expected of Camilla’? It was the reunion Gore had longed for, yet she shattered his dream without ceremony.

Of course, although she thought this, Yisi couldn’t help but feel a shameful flicker of joy. Her sister chose her even over the status of Eldest Princess. The satisfaction of her vanity made Yisi exceptionally happy. She couldn’t resist stroking Camilla’s golden hair.

“My apologies, General Gore. Due to her childhood experiences, Camilla developed such a personality. Please don’t take it to heart. As for going to the Empire, I will consider it, but not now. The reason I came here and let you hear this secret, General, was in hopes you would stop holding onto the mistakes Lin made in the past. Lin also feels guilty about that disaster; destroying the city was not her intention.”

If blame must be assigned, it could only fall on the Empire for lacking institutions to care for young children. Otherwise, Lin wouldn’t have been starved nearly to death, triggering the Calamity transformation.

Gore glanced complexly at the equally complex-looking Lin. After a long silence, he spoke with difficulty. Even knowing the Eldest Princess wasn’t dead, letting go of years of accumulated hatred was an extremely difficult thing.

“I… will try.”

“Not ‘try,’ but ‘must.’ Didn’t you hear Onee-sama clearly?”

“But Your Highness! She robbed you of the life of comfort you should have had! We should hate her!”

“Perhaps. But now, Onee-sama is the meaning of my existence. I will not dwell on past events. If not for her, I couldn’t have met Onee-sama. Rather than dwelling on those things, focus on the present.”

Does Camilla have moments of speaking kindly too?

Yisi couldn’t help but feel surprised.

Gore pressed his lips together tightly. Now he finally understood: his Eldest Princess held no attachment to the Empire. He had been too idealistic. Seeking atonement… There was still a long road ahead.

After hesitating for a long time, Gore finally nodded.

“I understand… Please, Your Excellency Yisi, take good care of Her Highness. Upon returning to the capital, I will report this matter to His Majesty. Your Highness, the Empire forever awaits your arrival. Please, when you have time, you must return to the capital.”

Solemnly taking two steps back, Gore bowed deeply to Yisi.

“Thank you deeply, Your Excellency Yisi. I, Gore Harile, will keep your kindness in my heart and will surely repay it abundantly in the future. Please take care of Her Highness.”

“Yes, rest assured. Camilla is my sister; I will naturally take good care of her.”

“Please do.”

Emphasizing his plea with a heavy tone, Gore straightened up, took a long breath of the dry, cold winter air, regaining the imposing manner befitting an Imperial General, and shouted loudly to the surrounding soldiers.

“Break camp! Prepare to withdraw!”