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Chapter 295 part 2

A few hours after the discussion about Amria’s future and Gwandan’s subsequent actions, the evening had passed. In the darkness, twinkling with countless stars, in Asteria’s private room in Baroldi Castle, the owner of the room and Kyles were present.

Despite the presence of Asteria’s attendants, a young man and woman alone after dark might not be commendable, but given Kyles’s status as Asteria’s lover and one of the Twelve Wing Generals, few in the empire could reprimand them.

Asteria, dressed in a gown, sat on a sofa near the window draped with deep blue curtains, and Kyles, still in armor unchanged from when he met Gwandan, stood in front of her.

The attendants, behaving as if they were not present, were also those permitted to hear the private conversation between Asteria and Kyles.

「Amria has graciously accepted my proposal, Kyles.」

「It seems Asteria was right after all. It’s going to be quite a burden for my sister, but I hope she can endure it.」

「You’re feeling guilty, aren’t you? Any person with a righteous heart would. I just feel it’s an equal exchange: I give her what she desires, and she pays a fitting price.」

「Being complicit in Asteria’s plan means I’m just as guilty. Even feeling pity is an insult. Since she’s replacing you, you’ll arrange everything possible to help her afterward, right?」

「Yes, certainly. As I mentioned before, merely handing over power would be like tumbling down a slope toward ruin. I’ll leave behind a strategy and plan. However, she might not need them. Kyles, are you disappointed in me?」

「No, I’m not disappointed or disheartened now. I just feel pity for your sister.」

「You’re still not disappointed in me, I see. I was so worried you might finally hate me. It was a painful yet exciting time. So, I achieved my goal, but what about you? How was the sparring, warning aside? I believe Gwandan is at least an Archwitch-level force.」

「Regretfully, that’s true. If it had been a fight to the death, I wonder what I could have done. As long as he is with my sister, her life is secure. I can only imagine a future where even an attempt to kill an entire city with him present would fail.」

「If you openly admit that, then he is indeed stronger than I thought. Then, even if Amria faces the Demon Lord’s army, we can be at ease.」

「Asteria, you wouldn’t lead my sister that way, would you?」

「? Oh, did I give the wrong impression? When I usually speak with undertones, even straightforward words can be misinterpreted. There’s much I don’t know about the Demon Lord’s army, so even if we repel them now, I can’t say what will happen next time. By the time Amria takes the throne, the empire’s forces will have greatly diminished, and we’ll need an overwhelmingly powerful force.」

「The Demon Lord’s army, yes. The forces I held back beyond the borders were mainly a mix of goblins and demons, unlike the goblins we see in Romal or Arkrest.」

「They were led by higher-ranking goblins, displaying thorough discipline from generations of training. Asteria, the Demon Lord’s army possesses both quality and quantity.」

「So, I’ve burdened Amria more than I thought?」

With a voice that seemed to say she’d done just a little wrong, Amria caused Kyles to sigh, unsure how much she truly felt at fault.

As Kyles had asserted about quality and quantity, they were ready outside the Romal Empire’s borders, prepared to commence war at any moment.

The dispatched forces of the Romal Empire, led by Galilius and Zandarza, were ready to advance at any time.

Like Vengitta’s forces, they had a fleet of six surface warships and an aerial force centered around faux dragons from the Demon Lord’s army, but the most significant difference was in the composition of their land forces.

While the Arkrest Kingdom’s dispatched army comprised Vengitta’s living puppets, here it was goblin soldiers led by Galilius and demon soldiers under Zandarza. Both groups’ core members were personally trained by each, more resembling private armies of the two leaders than the Demon Lord’s army.

Galilius and Zandarza, equal as six demon generals, had given Zandarza the higher command for this operation. Zandarza, once famed as a Demon King, had the experience and strength to rally an army of individual scale.

Galilius, an ancient goblin, a generation older than Zandarza, was created as a soldier by the God of War Sagravas. His power and divinity were on par with or even greater than Zandarza’s, making him one of the mightiest in the Demon Lord’s army alongside the current Demon King Yaheim.

Galilius, however, had no objections to Zandarza taking command of the dispatched army, easily passing it on. As a goblin with the highest spiritual stature living on the earth, his desires in this world were faint, being a near-primordial being.

Zandarza, sensing there was more to it, had playfully tried to uncover the reason. They were in the reception room of the Megyn-class land warship Megyn-Dar, the fleet’s flagship. This ship was entrusted to Zandarza, and Galilius, who had quarters on another ship, was specifically called over for this.

Zandarza, a humanoid with three heads, six arms, and reddish-brown skin, contrasted sharply with his attire—a black jacket and slacks of unmistakable quality, with countless jewels sewn into the fabric around his chest, and large, sparkling rings on the thirty fingers of his six arms, all high-quality magical equipment.

Facing Galilius across an ebony table, Zandarza offered his colleague a drink from a glass crafted by Mundus Carnus’s master artisans.

「Sorry for the trouble. First, let me thank you for accepting my invitation.」

Galilius, savoring the aroma of the golden liquid, inquired as he watched Zandarza pour his own drink. The question from the ancient goblin, who appeared much like a resolute young human except for his iron-colored skin and slightly pointed ears, was straightforward.

「Zandarza, I responded because I felt it necessary. The journey was worth it for just this one drink.」

Galilius sipped his drink lightly, and Zandarza too smiled slightly, tilting his own glass to enjoy the burning taste and scent of the alcohol.

「Galilius, I know you’re not interested in fighting for control. But you, like us demons, are a servant of the God of War Sagravas. You should have the urge to fight, yet you show no sign of it. Why?」

「It’s a valid question. I’m not suited for command. I’m not incapable, but you’re better suited for it. The delightful opponents in this country are the descendants of the Twelve Wing Generals and the first emperor’s contractor.」

「Indeed, the Twelve Wing Generals have exceptional human capabilities. We find them enjoyable enough to praise. They’re that good.」

That’s why Zandarza doesn’t understand. If they’re such great opponents, shouldn’t Galilius also wish to fight? It’s a question any member of the Demon Lord’s army would have.

「This is not an oracle, but my soul tells me it’s not yet time. I feel there’s someone more worthy of igniting my soul than the Generals of the Twelve Wings and the emperor’s contractors.」

「Hou! Ha ha ha, stronger than them, huh? That’s excellent. The world has been rocked by tremendous changes since last year.」

「Something has happened to this world. It’s shaken the balance. It’s kept the world from stagnating. My blood and Yaheim’s have been strangely excited, but if you’ve sensed it, I want to join in.」

「Sorry to raise your hopes, but I only have a vague feeling.」

「How could the intuition of a primordial monster be unreliable? Ha ha ha, what an unexpected treat for this drink!」