Chapter 273

The diplomatic document Maximilian had drafted was delivered to the Imperial household first. After Princess Justine approved it, it was passed on to the ambassadors.

"What?! Say that again!"

Hailand's ambassador Stanley was in the middle of a meal.

"Just now, Sir Maximilian's estate asked for Your Excellency to..."

"Tell them I'm coming at once! At once!"

Upon hearing the news, Stanley hurried out. Prozen's ambassador Laurent did the same.

At his residence, Stanley received a single telegram.

"Good heavens!"

His hair stood on end. A chill ran down his spine.

To relay the news as quickly as possible, he held the physical document close to his chest and sent only its contents to his homeland by telegram.

Thus, news of the "agreement" was first conveyed to the major nations, and would now spread across the entire continent...

"Father."

In the deepest part of the Imperial Palace lay the Most Holy Sanctum.

Princess Justine addressed the shadow beyond the curtains.

"We will gain Bolska's territory."

"......"

As though even breathing pained him, the Emperor did not release a dissatisfied groan until a long while later.

Justine understood his intent.

"I, too, seek the greater cause. This is all part of making that cause easier to achieve."

"We are at an opportune moment."

"......It will take less than a year."

The Imperial Princess remained kneeling before the curtains, never raising her head. The Emperor let out a deep sigh, then spoke as though gazing somewhere far away.

"I will fulfill the dream the late Emperor failed to achieve in the Western War. Everything those bastards take pride in..."

It was the Emperor's own calling. The revelation he had always dreamed of.

"I will burn it all away."

A continent thoroughly cleansed, and the purging of filthy breeds.

......

Hailand's legislature, the Common Hall.

"August 31, the deadline announced by the Empire, is fast approaching, and Bolska has declared general mobilization."

The legislature was heavy with silence. Ambassadors and reporters from various countries sat in the gallery, taking shorthand notes of Beaufort's words.

"Of course, this country will do its utmost not to let go of diplomacy, but..."

Then it happened.

The rear door of the Common Hall suddenly opened, and a Foreign Ministry employee rushed in and handed something to Foreign Minister Damian in the gallery.

"......!"

The Foreign Minister's eyes widened upon reading it. He hurriedly passed the document to the front row.

The single sheet passed forward, and forward, and forward...

Until it finally reached Beaufort's hands.

Beaufort read it as well. His eyes went wide, and his hand paused for a moment.

"......However, just now."

Gary Beaufort took a deep breath.

"We have received an invitation from the Empire to hold talks."

A sound like everyone's breath catching echoed throughout the hall. Bodies leaned forward, and reporters' pens froze.

"Tomorrow morning, the Prime Minister of Prozen, myself, and a representative of the Empire will sit down together in the Imperial capital."

Beaufort finished in a trembling voice.

"I trust that you, members of parliament and citizens alike, will agree with my decision."

An agreement had suddenly appeared before those who had come certain of war, as if it were fate itself.

Most of the Common Hall rose to cheer. Documents someone had thrown flew up with a rustle, and some members of parliament burst into tears, unable to bear the tension any longer.

Regardless of party, the ruling party and opposition alike stood.

Only Arthur Winston and those close to him exchanged unreadable looks, their expressions complicated.

Clap clap clap clap!

Amid applause so loud it seemed enough to rupture eardrums, Arthur spoke to his comrade, Army Minister Leonard.

"......It looks like Maximilian Ebenholtz will gain the Bolskan border without spilling a single drop of blood."

Leonard nodded, trembling with rage. As someone of Izenheim descent, Leonard was filled with even greater anger.

"What will he want next? What greed will he show beneath that aristocratic face of his?"

A more dangerous figure than even the Emperor. That was what Winston thought.

While every cabinet looked to the Emperor and the Imperial Princess, Arthur was certain of the Moon's danger.

The sun was hot, but predictable. The moon, however, quietly waxed, while the curtain of night secretly concealed the ambitions in his heart.

"This entire diplomatic battle, too..."

It must have been a scheme of his making.

The Imperial family had underestimated its opponents from the very beginning. They could not even conceive of conquest accomplished through "respect."

"Now that they have Genson, next will be the rest of Bolska's territory. After that, Yursled. But that can't be the end of it... Do they truly desire to unite the continent?"

At Arthur's murmur, Leonard lowered his voice.

"Sooner or later, the Empire will be destroyed. It will turn the whole continent against itself."

Leonard's words were quite radical.

But Arthur agreed.

The entire continent, with its different languages and cultures, could not be bound together as one. Endless resistance, rebellions, and plots for independence. No matter how mighty the Empire was, even if it consumed our generation, it would someday certainly collapse...

"Too many people will die for that someday."

Arthur looked around at the applauding members of parliament.

Leonard squeezed his eyes shut and spat out the words as though chewing them.

"It must be endured."

Today, they believed they had bought peace.

But Arthur Winston was certain that this was merely a postponement.

* * *

Hailand's Prime Minister Gary Beaufort and Prozen's Prime Minister Gauthier gathered in the Imperial capital.

I received the foreign dignitaries courteously.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Prime Minister Beaufort. Prime Minister Gauthier."

I had heard that the agreement itself had been a complete mess before my return.

There had been no proper procedure, so the Imperial Princess had become irritated at every little thing. There had been no prepared provisions, so they had struggled through an entire day. In the end, the talks had nearly broken down before they barely managed to sign.

When they ran out of ink for the signatures and had to rush out to buy more, some farcical reporters had already written articles proclaiming, "War has begun!"

"This way. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

It was a quiet conference room. Three memoranda prepared in advance lay on the respective tables.

One for Beaufort, one for Gauthier, and one for... Princess Justine.

After exchanging greetings that were nearly ceremonial, the three began the negotiations.

"We cannot yield the regions, including Genson, where people of Imperial descent make up more than 50 percent of the population."

The Empire's demands were as follows: Bolska would hand over Genson and the fortress zone in full. This included ammunition depots, arsenals, and mana stone storage facilities, with no damage whatsoever.

The justification was that they were fortresses built by Aran hands.

"I understand. This agreement is meant to carry out that cession."

Gary Beaufort remained every bit the gentleman. Gauthier smoked cigarette after cigarette.

They talked for quite a long time, and I interpreted all of it.

"But will there be no compensation for Bolska's fortress facilities?"

The Prime Minister of Prozen, who had repeatedly read only the document's provisions until then, suddenly spoke.

The Imperial Princess gave a short laugh.

"We can spare them a few hundred shells for their capital."

It was a very harsh refusal. The Prime Minister of Prozen did not seem to have expected much, but could not conceal their displeasure.

The Imperial Princess was not skilled at diplomacy.

The Emperor and the Imperial Princess both considered themselves the most noble people on this continent.

I smoothly changed the subject.

"Now, the next agenda item..."

And so, the agreement itself proceeded without issue.

The ink and pens had already been prepared, so there was no reason for it to take long.

An agreement ceding part of one nation's territory was completed in merely a few hours, on a single sheet of paper.

"......Thank you for visiting. You may now take these documents home."

I handed copies of the agreement to Gary Beaufort and Prozen's Prime Minister Gauthier.

Gauthier watched me for a long time, but shook their head and left.

Gary Beaufort, however, accepted the paper and asked,

"May I take this as proof of peace?"

Proof of peace.

Perhaps for the next few months, at least.

"It is the result of Prime Minister Beaufort's efforts."

I gave him a faint smile.

"Do not wave the paper. The ink might fall off."

"......?"

Gary Beaufort wore a bewildered expression for a moment.

"It was a joke."

"Ah... Hahaha. I understand."

Beaufort was someone I could communicate with.

Arthur, on the other hand, probably was not. He would reject communication itself.

But someday, when the war reached its end and we achieved complete victory...

I hoped Beaufort's position would remain secure enough for us to speak again then.

Before my return, the sight of him proudly waving that paper in his hand had been regarded as far too great a mistake.

"You have done well, Sir Maximilian."

"Yes."

Gary Beaufort departed as well...

Then, out of nowhere, a servant rushed over and handed me a newspaper.

[ Balkanian Prime Minister Agento Fiercely Condemns Empire as "Aggressor" ]

Balkania had participated in this agreement in the original history.

But now, still tied down in Mekerel, it was prepared to risk a complete breakdown in relations to hurl bitter words at the Empire.

"......Haha."

This was better, if anything.

Balkania would be far more useful to the Empire as an enemy nation.

* * *

The agreement ceding Genson to the Empire was delivered to the Bolskan government.

"......"

President Lobsky stared at the paper for a long while.

"Mr. President. Someday, they will realize that they made the wrong choice."

Chief of Staff Odkan spoke as though offering comfort.

Odkan, of Bolska and Izenheim heritage, was currently the person the President trusted most. He was, in effect, a companion who had shared a political life with the President.

"......Call a meeting."

"Yes."

The President summoned Bolska's cabinet ministers and military commanders.

They all gathered in the residence's conference room.

In that place, sunk in bleak silence...

"Mr. President. Let us fight."

The Chief of the General Staff spoke first, face clenched with rage.

Even alone, they would fight. They would protect a soldier's honor and warn the world of the Empire's ambitions...

"If we fight alone, the country will cease to exist in a matter of days."

At the President's words, the generals fell silent.

"Our people will be massacred."

"......That is true."

Chief of Staff Odkan spoke in a low voice.

"We have been abandoned, but now we must survive."

Izenheim was the people most hated by the Empire.

Yet Odkan was the one urging them to bow their heads.

"So we are supposed to endure it without doing anything?"

The general's question carried the pride of a middle-aged person already thick with tears.

Odkan stared straight at the general and shook his head.

"......History and time will judge the Empire. Certainly."

......

Prime Minister Gauthier of Prozen sighed aboard the plane home.

"I am worried. What do you think?"

Gauthier asked the secretary seated beside them.

Karevier, an Izenheim, shook his head as if to reassure the Prime Minister.

"......Please do not worry."

Karevier said that, but the Prime Minister became more anxious as the plane drew closer to the capital.

An angry crowd would gather at the airport and jeer. They would throw eggs.

At us, who could not even stand against the Empire and had accepted all its demands.

The Prime Minister suddenly recalled the time Prime Minister Bernard of Yursled had been killed by an explosion while visiting Prozen.

"......"

Then the plane entered Prozen's airspace.

Tens of thousands of people had gathered outside the window.

"......That many?"

Naturally, it must be a protest.

Gauthier straightened their collar.

But once the plane landed and its doors opened, the sound pouring in from beyond was...

Waaaaah!

Cheers.

Bouquets flew toward them.

Someone waved Prozen's national flag. The police cordon bent under the pressure of the crowd. Shouts such as "Long live Gauthier!" and "Long live peace!" rang high in the sky.

There were no angry faces.

Only faces laughing or crying with happiness.

"......"

Prime Minister Gauthier looked at them.

The swelling voices included praise for the "Prime Minister who prevented war" and gratitude for "Prozen's achievement."

"......Let's just go. They are fools who know nothing."

The aide guided the Prime Minister with clenched teeth.

But the people would not let them simply leave. They rushed over and stretched out their hands toward the Prime Minister. They placed flower garlands around Gauthier's neck.

Despite their welcome, Prime Minister Gauthier could not smile.

No, they did not smile.

......

"Extra edition! Extra edition!"

News spread throughout Hailand.

"They say there will be no war! They say Bolska has reached an agreement!"

Newspaper boys ran through the streets shouting.

The citizens of Hailand were all bewildered, but that soon turned to relief.

Those digging trenches put down their shovels. They looked at one another and shook hands.

Or embraced.

The next morning, the stock market surged as soon as it opened, and only one word was printed in large letters on the front page of the morning newspapers.

[ Peace! ]

"They say Prime Minister Beaufort is coming!"

That afternoon, Beaufort, the leader who had achieved peace, arrived.

The citizens gathered at the airport. Before the plane had even landed, everyone was excited.

Fathers carried children on their shoulders. Couples stood with their arms around each other's waists. Reporters smiled as they handled their cameras.

At last, Beaufort's plane landed, and the moment its door opened...

Whiiiiistle!

Whistles, applause, and loud cheers covered the runway.

It was a frenzy.

Waaaaah! Gary! Gary! Gary!

Gary Beaufort stood there and waved.

Gary! Gary! Gary!

With a bright smile on his lips, he reached inside his jacket.

"Yesterday morning, I met with Her Imperial Highness the Princess."

Everyone held their breath for a moment, to listen to the words of the leader who had brought about peace.

"That the people of both nations hope never to wage war upon one another again, and regard it as the wish of both our peoples..."

Gary touched the paper inside his breast pocket.

A document containing the agreement and peace.

But...

"Do not wave the paper. The ink might fall off."

Maximilian's voice suddenly flickered through his mind.

"......"

Gary considered it for a moment.

Then he folded the paper and tucked it away.

He did not take it out.

Instead, he continued down the street, allowing his smile to stand in for the next sentence.

Reporters' questions poured toward him. He asked most of them for understanding, saying that announcements would be made later.

But to one question alone, he gave this answer.

"Prime Minister, we heard that Maximilian Ebenholtz was deeply involved in this diplomacy. What kind of person was he?"

"Sir Maximilian was a gentleman. He promised peace through the summer, and he kept that promise..."

* * *

The Imperial regular army entered Genson.

The Aran people of Imperial descent in Genson offered flowers and applause to the soldiers marching in without incident.

One step taken by the Empire.

The people of Imperial descent in Genson had now become Imperial citizens, and everyone received a new family register.

But the Mer, Izenheim, Kenshi, Yedlem, and others who were not of Imperial descent fled clutching only their bundles.

"......"

I was deep in thought at the Sentinel Knights.

The capture of Genson had been cleaner than before my return.

We had even gained about thirty percent more territory, but the result itself was similar.

"If history continues..."

In Genson, an Izenheim person would grow enraged after their family had its property confiscated and was driven beyond the border.

They would commit a crime.

Out of nowhere, in Prozen, they would shoot and kill an employee of the Imperial embassy.

That would lead to quite a major incident.

The Empire's Izenheim policy had run wild starting from that very night.

"......Does Izenheim want war?"

That was my suspicion.

At that time, the Empire burned every Izenheim shop, smashed them apart, and killed people...

The Izenheim themselves became the trigger.

In truth, it was not only Izenheim. Innocent people such as the Mer and Dromon were swept up as well.

Moreover, graphic photographs were released across the continent, exposing the Empire's true face to the entire world.

Knock knock.

As I pondered, someone knocked on the door.

"Sir Knight. A message from Georgen."

"......Georgen?"

"Yes."

The administrative officer handed me a document.

"Georgen is requesting the Knights' cooperation..."

[ Contact spotted while tracking the Veil. ]

That was all it said.

"Hmm."

Georgen did not seem especially reliable, but one never knew.

Even a cow backing up could catch a mouse once in a while.