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Chapter 272 part 1

「Hmm.」

The person who uttered the catchphrase of a reincarnated person who possessed the soul of Ancient-Celestial Dragon was neither a knight from the remote village nor a dragon-headed explorer.

It was from the human-like Dragonian Gwandan, one of the guards of Amria, a hidden princess of the mighty Romal Empire. The other guards who came with him were Lynette, a living golem, Kyrlinne, an artificial girl, Gundeus, the Caninein Yachiyo, and the Fox-tribe Fuuko.

Gwandan was a young man of average yet majestic appearance. He was stroking his chin with his right hand as if in thought.

They were atop a hill overlooking the Hishmerk Coast in the southern reaches of the Romal Empire, now a stronghold of the most formidable rebel faction. This coast in the south of the empire was once where countless of demi-humans fought for supremacy.

They were about to visit Uminal, one of the important port cities that handles maritime trade with distant countries.

After finishing the battle at the rebel city of Elkeney, which had raised the banner of rebellion against the Romal Empire, they set foot in this southern land where the main force of the rebel forces was located, but what they had seen along the way was slowing them down.

While watching from a distance the people coming and going on the magnificent road that had been laid out during the Romal Empire’s rule, Gwandan and his group sat in chairs, forming a circle beside the stopped carriage to discuss their future plans.

As they approached their destination of Uminal, the group hesitated, unsure whether to actually enter the city. They stood beside their carriage, each sitting in a chair, and held a meeting to discuss their next move while the salty sea breeze washed over them.

Normally, the group made decisions quickly, as they always prioritized Amria’s wishes. However, this situation was somewhat unusual.

With Uminal just around the corner, Yachiyo, with a sullen expression, initiated the final decision-making.

「I am still against entering this Uminal! The closer we get to Uminal, the stronger my feelings become.」

「I agree with Hachi too. In Elkeney, demi-humans and normal humans coexisted because they were all oppressed by the empire, but it’s different here.」

Yachiyo and Fuuko made bitter faces. Their opposition to letting Amria, Lynette, Gundeus, and Kyrlinne, who apparently were normal humans, go to Uminal stemmed from the governance of the rebel faction “The Roaring Sun’s Majesty” which controlled Uminal and its surroundings.

The history of the demi-humans and non-Romal people being forcibly subdued and reduced to a dominated class by the Romal Empire had been told many times before. This had caused a violent backlash against this humiliating and tragic history, especially from “The Roaring Sun’s Majesty” and their followers.

「It’s understandable that they would be sensitive to the Romal people, given their history. After all, we are still in a state of war, so it’s natural that they would be sensitive and overly cautious.」

Yachiyo was still talking about something only she could understand. If it had been solely about matters such as history or war, Yachiyo and Fuuko would not have strongly opposed entering Uminal. However, the issue extended beyond such understandable concerns.

「If their hatred and resentment towards the Romal people have grown so strong that they hate all normal humans, we can’t go there with Lady Amria. They’re sure to find fault with her.」

The deep, resigned sigh from Yachiyo was due to her increasing awareness of the intense animosity and hatred towards normal humans, as she got closer to Uminal from Elkeney.

Amria’s own feelings mirrored those of Yachiyo, but Yachiyo and Fuuko were troubled by her desire to uncover more about Uminal’s situation.

Fuuko recalled their journey to this point and flattened her ears against her head.

「Even towards humans who don’t share the same historical background as the Romal people, there’s a level of aggression beyond mere restriction. It looks like the idea of『Now we will be the rulers, not the Romal Empire』has spread to even the lowest ranked soldiers.」

Amria, unable to refute this, she downheartedly lowered her head. Gwandan and the three maids following him also did not offer any words to object to it.

While Yachiyo and Fuuko openly opposed the plan, the supporters, including Gwandan, the three maids simply following his lead, and Lynette, did not voice their opinions as strongly.

It was probably because the Gwandans have adhered to the stance of consistently treating Amuria’s will as their priority and always respecting it.

「Lady Amria, would you at least consider disguising yourself as a Caninein like me, or a Fox-tribe person like Fuuko? Or even a Dragonian like Mr. Gwandan?

Lady Lynette and the others could do the same. Hmm, how about you disguise yourselves as Dragonians like Mr. Gwandan and say something like『We’re siblings who came along with our brother and three sisters to see the brave people who rebelled against the evil empire』?」

Lynette and the others seemed to be swayed by Fuko’s suggestion. Not only the expressive Kyrlinne, but even the usually reserved Lynette and Gundeus were visibly shaken, and their bodies were quivering in response.

With Gwandan’s abilities, it was a simple matter of casting an illusion that would fool even a first-class sorcerer, regardless of their Demon Eyes or Clairvoyant Powers. Yachiyo and the others knew this, which was why they had made their suggestion.

The downcasted Amria raised her head and gave a serious look at the Caninein and the Fox-tribe person, who cared for her with strong determination in their eyes.

「I could indeed enter Uminal without causing any fuss if I do that. There’s no doubt about that.. But Yachiyo and Fuuko, you know, don’t you? I want to see how they react to me as a『 human』」

Amria’s insight was spot on, and both Yachiyo and Fuuko were well aware of it.

They knew that Amria wanted to enter Uminal as a human and see how she would be treated, what kind of emotions she would be exposed to, and what kind of treatment she would receive. They also knew that if she didn’t, there would be no point in visiting Uminal in the first place.

While Yachiyo and Fuuko hoped Amria would compromise and at least change her appearance, the hidden princess was known for her stubbornness.

「Ahhhh, that is the crux of the matter, isn’t it? Although I respect the firmness of Lady Amria’s resolve, I believe wisdom in life lies in making compromises and appropriate decisions based on the situation.」

Yachiyo’s own lifestyle was far from prudent, so her words were very unconvincing. Nevertheless, the way she desperately wagged her tail and body showed that she was trying her best to convince Amria.

Fuuko, standing beside Yachiyo, also wagged her tail and twisted her body, trying to charm Amria like a pet dog, begging its owner to change its mind, but unfortunately, her charm was not enough to sway Amria’s determination.

「I’m sorry. I understand that both of you are deeply concerned for me, and I know that I’ll probably cause you a lot of trouble. But this is what I want to do.

I didn’t choose to have the blood of the Romal Imperial Family, but because it flows inside my veins, I need to find what I can truly do. I’m sure of it.」

「You’re sure of it? But Lady Amria, I’ve learned that what your “sure” really means is “definitely.” You’re such a stubborn person!」

Fuuko puffed out her cheeks, showing her disagreement, though it was clear she wasn’t truly angry. After all, both she and Yachiyo were always the most indulgent and overprotective towards Amria.

After witnessing Yachiyo and Fuuko’s acceptance of Amria’s unwavering stance, Gwandan, who had been silent until then, finally spoke up.

Though the outcome was predictable, it was essential to formalize it to avoid lingering doubts.

「The decision is made. Amria will enter Uminal as she is. Hmm, it seems prudent to let Lynette and the others continue as they are, but we should change things up a bit.

If this were Elkeney or a city we passed through on our way here, we could have gotten by with a disguise as a noble human lady and her escorts, but that won’t work here in Uminal.」

Gwandan implied that taking a position where humans were above demi-humans would only add fuel to the fire and provoke an excessive reaction from those around them. Amria frowned sadly and nodded in agreement. She understood the gravity of the situation.

Following Gwandan, Lynette held a document summarizing the information they had gathered in advance about Uminal and the surrounding area and presented a proposal. She exuded the aura of a talented woman while doing so. If Diadora had been there, she would have smiled at Lynette’s attempt to act more grown-up.

「Uminal and its coastal neighbors have been reclaimed by The Roaring Sun’s Majesty. non-Romal people, though still present in their original locales, are barred from major urban centers.

The Romal people who were left behind during the uprising have been detained as laborers and forced to perform various tasks. In effect, this area is being reconstructed as a demi-human supremacist state by the Roaring Sun’s Majesty.」

Yachiyo frowned as she compared the scenes she had seen in previous cities with Lynette’s report. It was a rare expression for Yachiyo, who was usually optimistic.

「It looks like the people are now treated the same way as they once were during the age Romal Empire. It’s not a very pleasant story to hear.」

Stories of the weak being oppressed, especially women, children, and the elderly, made her particularly vulnerable, and since this kind of story was all too common, Yachiyo’s gloominess naturally deepened. Lynette spoke up:

「Humans tend to repeat what they did, even the same mistakes in the past. I agree with that.

However, it seems that they are not engaging in acts such as shackling and whipping people to work tirelessly, perhaps because they believe that simply repeating the same actions as before will not make them any different from the Romal Empire.」

「So, are they using family members as hostages or disposable meat shields at the front lines?」

「There have been sporadic battles with the Romal Empire since the uprising, but there are no records of human shields being used. It seems that they have forbidden the captured Imperial people to go into the battlefield and to enter important facilities in anticipation of the worst-case scenario」

「That’s a more humane treatment than I expected. I know it’s easy for me to say this as an outsider, but they don’t seem to be too concerned with how they rule, given that they have achieved their position of rulership.」

「Because they have driven out the imperial forces and reclaimed ancestral lands, their initial satisfaction is understandable. They seemed to have loudly proclaimed these two to boost morale and unity, so detailed actions might not have filtered down to everyone. The fact that senseless violence isn’t prevailing is, I believe, a welcome development.」

「Hmm, I’m a little relieved that it’s not as bad as I thought, but I still can’t avoid seeing unpleasant things, can I?」

「If there are reasons one deems acceptable to look down upon others and believes violence can be justified, humans can easily resort to non-stop violence.」