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Chapter 277 part 2

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While Gwandan was holding back Regul, the greatest force of The Roaring Sun’s Majesty, Amria, and the others successfully reached their destination—a corner of the forest on the outskirts of Uminal. They regrouped with Lynette, who had already stopped shelling.

There was a carriage hidden in the forest in advance, and once Gwandan joined them, they could depart from Uminal.

Having regrouped and reverted to their original forms after Gwandan’s illusion was dispelled, Amria, Fuuko, and Yachiyo relaxed, entrusting the lookout and protection to Lynette and the two.

They couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about leaving Gwandan behind, but they also knew that it would be a waste of time to worry about him, since he was Gwandan. As a result, the atmosphere in the group was not so gloomy.

「Ah, disguising ourselves and infiltrating enemy territory, isn’t that exactly what a ninja does, Fuu?」

Yachiyo laughed heartily, while Fuuko looked exhausted and tired, her ears flattened.

「I’m not cut out for this kind of thing. I was told that I’m not suited to be a ninja because I’m terrible at handling sneaky tasks, and I can’t even do the basics of acting…」

「Fufufu, indeed, indeed. Fuu, you were a pretend Kunoichi. I’m the same!」

「Don’t say it like it’s something to be proud of. Anyway, this time, or rather, this time too, thanks to Mr. Gwandan, everything is going well so far, but did you achieve your goal, Lady Amria?」

Amria loosened her collar, took a sip from the canteen that Lynette handed her, and smiled brightly at Fuuko.

「Yes, it was worth the trouble I put you and Yachiyo through. I can’t say it with confidence yet, because Gwandan is still doing his best…」

「Well, it’s Mr. Gwandan, after all. We should be more concerned that he might accidentally annihilate all the soldiers of The Roaring Sun’s Majesty.」

Everyone present could easily imagine Gwandan muttering “Hmm” and looking at the fallen soldiers of the Roaring Sun’s Majesty with a troubled expression, just as Fuuko had said. A wry smile appeared on everyone’s faces.

They knew no other being made up of such chaotic, bizarre, and extraordinary elements as Gwandan.

The maids – Lynette and her sisters, knew of other extraordinary beings, but they still felt that Gwandan – or Dran, were a cut above the rest.

By general standards, Lynette, Kyrlinne, and Gundeus would also be considered highly exceptional and superior, but they didn’t even feel like comparing themselves to their master.

Lynette looked around, agreeing wholeheartedly with the assessment that the righteousness of their masters was not something that could be unreservedly praised.

「It seems The Roaring Sun’s Majesty’s soldiers and scouts aren’t probing this area.」

Gundeus, who was still on guard with his beloved magic cannon slung over her shoulder, agreed with Lynette.

Although constrained by the no-kill restriction, the fact that she had been able to unleash her weapon to her heart’s content had satisfied her sadistic desires. Her skin seemed to be glowing, and her complexion was good.

Lynette, now had somewhat developed tolerance to this state of Gundeus, so she didn’t get a headache from it anymore. She was just slightly disheartened.

「With their leader locked in a duel with an intruder, they probably can’t afford to move their soldiers rashly. I imagine their chain of command is in quite a bit of disarray. Still, they must be making some moves…」

Lynette had no objections to Gundeus’s assessment. Kyrlinne, who was more easygoing than the other two, finished cleaning her magic cannon, put it away in the shadows and shared her thoughts.

Unlike Gundeus, she didn’t seem to take pleasure in the rampage, but she seemed to be feeling refreshed after being able to move her body and vent some of the frustration she had felt after the somewhat cramped journey to Uminal.

「That Regul guy doesn’t seem like he’d act covertly or be a smooth talker, but I think he understands that because he can’t, there should be someone capable of those by his side.

We should stay alert for surprise attacks. There’s no need to be concerned about Master Gwandan being tailed. The likelihood of being found by The Roaring Sun’s Majesty is slim, except by chance.

And even if we’re found, it’s no big deal. Ahahaha!」

Kyrlinne’s jovial laughter echoed through the forest. Her laughter, which was completely devoid of any anxiety, was enough to convince anyone who heard it that she truly believed that it would not matter, even if they were surrounded by the entire army of The Roaring Sun’s Majesty.

Yachiyo realized once again that she was traveling with an incredible group of people, and she let out a deflated sound. Was it more of a laugh or a sigh?

「Tahaha, I can’t deny what Kyrlinne says.」

「Indeed, I agree with Hachi. Though such a task seems utterly impossible for us, if Gwandan and his four compatriots were to strike, I honestly think they could just go and attack either Grand Duke Linosart or Princess Asteria and take their heads.」

In reality, this would have been an easy task for Gwandan, but the question was, what would he do after that? For the time being, Gwandan had no motive to do so.

Even if Amria passionately advocated for overthrowing the two, becoming emperor herself, and revolutionizing the Romal Empire, Gwandan would likely not lend his support.

Gwandan had his own somewhat obscure criteria for helping others, and Amria taking the initiative to conquer the Romal Empire herself was something that he would refuse to help with.

For now, it seemed almost certain that Amria wouldn’t request such aid from Gwandan. Even if she became emperor, she would probably end up at a loss for what to do next.

「Umm, I have no intention of asking you guys to do anything so violent. I don’t have the capacity to govern a nation, and I don’t think someone like that would be allowed to sit on the throne of Romal after all this fighting. Or rather, I don’t think there’s any room for that. 」

「Yes, I agree with Lady Amria. This turmoil will leave a lot of aftereffects, and someone with the ability to rebuild it all quickly will be needed. If they don’t show their ability right away, there will be a foundation for the flames of war to flare up again.」

Since there were no other people around, Lynette addressed Amria by her real name and agreed with her opinion. No matter whether Asteria or Linosart seized control of the Romal Empire, stabilizing its once-collapsed foundation would require considerable time, and the same would be true for Amria as well.

It was clear that Asteria and Linosart would rule with a system of control and oppression, but on the other hand, Amria herself had no idea what would happen if she were in the same position, so it could be said that she was the furthest thing from being a ruler of the turbulent war period.

Perhaps thinking about such a future, Amria mentioned one of the proposals she had made to Regul, with a gloomy expression on her face.

「I’ve been studying history a lot, and I’ve learned that in times like these, even people who are at odds with each other can be forced into a situation where they have to join hands, and their relationship tends to become relatively peaceful afterward.」

「Hmm. So you envision Princess Asteria, Grand Duke Linosart, and the rebellious factions uniting to face a powerful enemy? And you wish for the Arkrest Kingdom to shoulder this “enemy” role?」

「While I could become a dependable ally. However, opting for such an alliance would be cowardly, or rather, shameless, and it would leave a lasting resentment in a different sense. It’s a challenging proposition.」

「It’s an internal conflict now, but it could just as easily turn into an external threat. From Lynette’s perspective, if they taste the frustration and defeat of being unable to win even by joining hands with their sworn enemy, it could create a sense of solidarity, right?」

「Wouldn’t that only lead to them joining hands to break free from the kingdom’s rule?」

「Let’s place our hope in the kingdom’s governance system. In that regard, Lady Amria, you’re prepared to be used as a symbol, aren’t you?」