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Chapter 294 part 2

Amria kept her thoughts to herself, knowing the truth wouldn’t be pleasant.

After leaving the private meeting with Asteria, Gundeus communicated the summons to Gwandan and others, and they gathered in Amria’s room in the detached palace.

As Gundeus had already shared the meeting’s content through telepathy, there was no need to explain it again. Nevertheless, the content was unexpected for everyone, and it troubled them, especially Amria, whose concerns differed from the others.

In a lavishly decorated room, Gwandan, near the entrance, turned to Amria on the sofa. Yachiyo and Fuuko sat beside Amria, Gundeus and Kyrlinne stood behind, and Lynette faced them.

「Hm, Princess Asteria has thought of something quite daring. It seems she only made the decision to implement it after actually meeting and talking with Amria, but she still thinks it’s not too late. Amria, do you also think there is still room for you to become emperor?」

「I have so much information at my disposal that it is difficult for me to make an accurate judgment, but if she thinks she can do it, then it is possible, in my opinion.」

「I see, so you have decided that, personality aside, Princess Asteria’s intellect is trustworthy. Amria, it is written on your face that you wanted to adore your own sister in terms of her personality.」

「Unsolicited, I see. I think I was a little moved by the bloody smile she showed the moment she recognized me as this superior pawn.」

Gwandan could not help but look at Amria, who placed her left hand on her own chest and mocked herself with a sense of dripping sorrow, with eyes that saw the most painful thing of all.

「I’m sorry. I spoke out of turn.」

「No, don’t worry about it. Just as you have recognized me, I have finally been able to recognize you. She really has no interest in the emperor’s throne, the Romal Empire, or even the world. She won’t care a bit about what I do with the empire once I become emperor.」

「So that’s it, huh? In Asteria’s case, it’s as much as she can give up the emperor’s position.」

Although I was surprised that Asteria’s personality and proposals were so different from what I had expected when I actually met her, I could not remain surprised for long. If Asteria had made Amria emperor, and Amria also agreed to take his place as emperor, then he had to decide what he would do.

It was Yachiyo who raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth with a scowl. Even though Amria herself would use him back, he has been in a foul mood ever since Asteria told him that she would use Amria with impunity.

「So what are you going to tell the Arkrest Kingdom? Or will you not tell them? Would His Highnesses Sperion and the others be surprised if they were told that Amria might become the emperor of Romal?」

If Amria is willing to take the helm of the Romal Empire in a way that protects its independence and sovereignty without choosing to revere the Arkrest Kingdom, then we should not tell them that Asteria has prepared a path for Amria to become emperor.

Before leaving Arkrest Kingdom, Amria had asked Sperion and his siblings for help to save the people of the empire from suffering as much as possible, no matter what they had to offer, but Yachiyo understood that if he was set up in a situation where he could accomplish this on his own, he might change his mind, at least by a grain of sand. Surprisingly, she was a very smart girl.

「I understand why Yachiyo-san would say such a thing, but under the current circumstances, I cannot do anything that would go against the Arkrest Kingdom and Sperion’s highnesses’ ingratitude. I can’t do anything that would go against the favor of the Kingdom of Arcrest and His Highnesses Spellion and the others.」

「I can understand that you cannot betray them from Amria’s point of view, but from the point of view of the situation, that is? Does that mean that the Romal Empire cannot afford to take on the Arkrest Kingdom?」

「If the Arkrest Kingdom had internal conflicts like the current Romal Empire and many enemies outside the country, it would be a different story, but even if the Romal Empire were to take on the Arkrest Kingdom right after the three-way battle, it would have little chance of winning.」

「I have concluded that even if the country is spared from exile, it will not be spared from becoming a vassal state. However, since my sister … has a lot of information that I don’t have, I have no choice but to draw a different conclusion from her on that point. How much of a gap there is between us is what concerns me.」

Amria has no other means of obtaining personal information other than directly from Gwandan and those who have helped her in Arkrest Kingdom, who are now in front of her. There is no one who can act as her hands and feet, her eyes and ears, and gather information that can be used to make decisions.

However, for now, Amria still has an outsider by her side, someone who has the ability to overturn common sense and the concept of set rules from the very bottom up. Gwandan, who is the person in charge of this, opened his mouth after showing signs of thinking for a moment.

「I can probably tell you one piece of information that Princess Asteria has. The situation in Arkrest Kingdom has changed.」

「Master Gwandan, is it an urgent situation?」

「Amria, you don’t have to sound so impatient. From beyond the Dark Wilderness come the warriors of the blood of war, looking for a fierce battle.」

「It won’t be an immediate war, but a battle of national scale will break out. And it will be not only in the Arkrest Kingdom, but in the Romal Empire as well.」

「Is this really something you can talk about at such a leisurely pace, Master Gwandan?」

Yachiyo and Fuuko were no different, staring at Gwandan as if they were staring into the eyes of the world, oblivious to Asteria’s shocking comment.

Lynette, Gundeus, and Kyrlinne had only just heard this information, so they were secretly expecting the next disclosure to their master, even if they did not reveal it.

「I told you. The war would not start immediately. The battlefield will be near the Barony of Berne, but there will also be an allied army of the northern lords of the Arkrest Kingdom. In addition, the dragonkin of the Mores mountains and other races of the Ente forest will also be involved.」

「Even though we are up against a demonic army that has crossed the Dark Wilderness, we will not be easily defeated. Above all, there are people in Berne, including myself.」

Gwandan’s words reminded the three maid sisters of the extraordinary strength of the leaders of the Barony of Berne, and they were greatly relieved that they did not have to worry about anything.

Amria and the other three were still not completely at ease, but the fact that Gwandan, Lynette, and the others did not seem to be perturbed by the situation made them understand that there was no need to worry so much.

「If Master Gwandan, who knows the land and people of Berne much better than we do, assures us that everything will be fine, there is no need for us to make a fuss.」

「Besides, it is not as if we can do anything from this place in Romal. That is, if I were the emperor right now and had the power to move the army…」

「Oh, Amria, about that, even if you were the emperor of the Romal Empire, you could not afford to send relief to the Arkrest Kingdom.」

「It is … ah, your sister made her move not only because I came here, but because she knew that further warfare would accelerate and the situation would become chaotic and confusing.」

「You guessed it. Those who come from beyond The Dark Wilderness – the armies of the demon king who rules the nation of Mundus Carnus – have turned their fangs not only on Arkrest Kingdom, but also on this Romal Empire. It is possible that Grand Duke Linosart and Princess Asteria have already made contact with their envoys.」

Gwandan said this was only speculation, but Amria recognized it as fact. And now the Romal Empire is about to enter into a great four-way war with enemies from outside the country.