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Chapter 307 part 2

I have already informed Asteria and the Grand Duke, but basically, since the establishment of the Romal Empire, guardians and contractors are only active in internal battles related to imperial succession. In battles against external enemies like the Demon King’s Army, they are usually bystanders.

If a contractor or their candidate faces danger, they will act for protection, but they do not engage in national crises, or only act in very limited situations.

「So they get involved in the struggle for the emperor’s throne, but not against external threats from the empire? I imagine they would act against external threats.」

That’s the thinking of the first emperor. He decided that using our power to subjugate and rule others was only until the empire was established. He believed that threats from outside should be dealt with by the empire’s people of that time, and if they perished, then so be it.

「Then, it would have been better if the generals stayed out of the succession disputes too. I can’t help but think that would have been a fairer contract. But then, there would be no point in making a contract…」

Humans change their minds as their positions or ages change. What seemed right at the time of making a contract might be regretted later. Romal didn’t show any signs of this, but his true feelings are unknown to me. But he was somewhat of a fool.

Asteria couldn’t help but laugh at such a scathing assessment from Hausen.

「Haha, calling the first emperor a fool? Haha.」

Asteria covers her mouth with her hands, but her laughter is still audible. Amria, ignoring her sister’s human reaction, could only say this about her ancestor.

「A fool, is he?」

He was well-liked. Kind of a thug.

「A thug. A fool and a thug, huh?」

He might not have had a commendable personality, but he was certainly lucky and clever in finding and utilizing us while we waited underground. It’s not always the wise and the heroes who shape the world, Amria.

「Perhaps a consolation?」 Even after hearing Hausen’s words, which seemed like a consolation, Amria couldn’t stop a heavy sigh from escaping. Well, if the first emperor hadn’t made a contract with Hausen and the others, his descendants, including her, wouldn’t have been born, so it’s not all bad.

「It’s pointless to criticize the character of those who have already passed away. So, we cannot expect the Grand General and his contractors to contribute in the fight against the Demon King’s Army, correct?」

Unless you are in a situation where you face harm. This stems from the first emperor’s contract. We do not accept changes to the contract, so negotiating for such changes would be fruitless.

「It seems inflexibility is the norm. It’s futile to covet what doesn’t exist, so I’ll accept that. It appears pointless to even contemplate it. I assume my sister has always planned for the battle without the Grand General and the guardians?」

「Ufufu… Ah, excuse me. Yes, I had heard about the situation from the Grand General much earlier than you. Even if we cannot expect to combat the Demon King’s Army, it’s different for the rebel forces within the empire.

I’ll leave the rebellion in the south to our uncle, and I have instructed Zanad and the others to assist from the shadows. Even if we deploy all the available Twelve Winged Generals against the Demon King’s Army, the empire’s defense will not waver.

There’s no chance now for the southern forces to unite. While there are some outstanding individuals in the area, there’s no one great enough to unite them across differences in race, ideology, and customs.」

Amria fell silent at Asteria’s words. It’s a confirmed fact, though not widely known, that the southern forces had received support from the Arkrest Kingdom and western countries until they actually took action.

As far as Amria is aware, the support from the Arkrest Kingdom ceased, and even divided into three parts, the forces of Grand Duke Linosart and Princess Asteria maintained a power surpassing the rebels’ expectations. This disrupted the rebels’ coordination and led to discord.

The most likely future for the rebel forces seems to be either continued fragmentation or subjugation by Linosart or Asteria after the Demon King’s Army is defeated.

「I’m being selfish for not wanting this for the people of Elkeney. Yet, I joined my sister’s plan to have the chance to fulfill this selfishness.」

Amria shifted her focus. The Demon King’s Army, which invaded the Romal Empire, had already significantly retreated. The same was true for another division that attacked the Arkrest Kingdom.

The next battle is clear: it will be offensive, not defensive. The challenge now is to identify the objective and secure the necessary resources, information, conditions, and forces.

「So to reconfirm, we can’t expect much cooperation from the Grand General and Mr. Zanad in the upcoming battles against the Demon King’s Army.

Instead, we can deploy the majority of the Twelve Winged Generals. Combined with my sister and the Grand Duke’s troops, we should be able to mobilize between two to three hundred thousand soldiers.」

「Delivering a decisive defeat to the Demon King’s Army is unlikely. There are still two powerful Demon Generals remaining, and high-ranking demons comparable or superior to the Twelve Winged Generals.

Considering we’ll be venturing into unknown territory, and they surpass us in basic technical abilities, it’s almost a reckless expedition.」

Asteria bluntly stated the unlikelihood of victory. The abilities of the remaining Demon Generals and Demon King Yaheim, as well as the strength left in Mundus Carnus, the Demon King’s Army’s base, are unknown.

Considering these unknowns, it’s not unreasonable for the Romal Empire to struggle against the combined forces of the Arkrest Kingdom and its own, not just the retreating forces of Galilius and Zandarza.

「So, my sister also thinks this way. Then, collaboration with the Arkrest Kingdom seems inevitable. With the strength of the Arc Witch and the formidable northern lords who repelled the Demon King’s Army, we might see a chance for victory.」

「Your support, indeed. Who could have predicted that your hidden existence would become a key to saving the Romal Empire? There’s so much I don’t know. Ufufufu.」

Amria noticed her sister’s slip of the tongue and looked at Hausen, her face turning pale. She realized that she had inadvertently revealed her connection to the Arkrest Kingdom to a key figure in the founding of the Romal Empire.

What could her sister be thinking? It seemed out of character for Asteria to make such a mistake, and in that moment, Amria was truly flustered.

Hausen, however, remained unchanged in his demeanor, not showing any signs of anger or condemnation as a traitor. He spoke calmly.

「Amria, I understand your hurry, but it’s not an issue. Our contract stipulates minimal action against external threats, so how the royal family collaborates with outsiders or changes the empire’s future is irrelevant to us.

You might be misunderstanding, but our contract does not include ensuring the empire’s indefinite survival. We will assist within the contract’s limits, but what is destined to fall will eventually do so.」

「Um, I wasn’t expecting to hear that, but are you sure that’s acceptable?」

「It is. The majority of our contract with Romal was fulfilled upon the establishment of the Romal Empire. Therefore, we mostly ignore both internal and external troubles.」

「Hmm… Oh! Could it be, and I don’t want to think this, but did the first emperor not give much thought to what would happen after founding the empire?」

「Exactly. He didn’t permit changes to the contract, so there are almost no terms related to the empire’s survival. Our inflexibility is considerable, but Romal’s mindset was equally significant.」

Amria lost respect for her distant ancestor.

「Furthermore.」

「Furthermore?」

「As of late, I’ve been contemplating that there isn’t much significance in perpetually upholding the contract with Romal. Perhaps, should the empire undergo significant changes, it would be wise to end the contract renewal.」

「Really? You, who are like a living dictionary of the empire?」

「We, as artificial beings, have a longer lifespan than humans. But even we think it’s about time to pursue something different. Even if the contract with Romal ends, we cannot act freely as we still have our original purpose.」

Hausen and his group had been active and on standby even before Romal found them. It’s quite possible they were waiting for some purpose.

From Hausen’s remarks, the princesses inferred that if a situation arose, it would take precedence over the contract with Romal.

Hausen’s original purpose seemed unknown to Asteria, who asked him directly.

「Then, General Hausen, what is the mission given to you by your creators, the Devas?」

「I might have spoken too much. There should be no bugs, though. …Hmm, I see. …Permission to disclose information to you has been granted. I’ll speak within the scope I can. The fact that our creators, the Devas, left this planet and reached out to the stars in the night sky is not a fairy tale but a fact.」

Amria and Asteria listened silently as Hausen continued his disclosure.

「In that process, we encountered many alien life forms, and numerous wars broke out among the stars. These wars ended with many sacrifices and the decline in our creators’ race. But the legacy of the hostile species known as star people still lingers near this planet.

Many have been intercepted by the Three Dragon Emperors, the Moon Dragon King, and the Rabbit People, turning them into cosmic dust. However, our target is different.」

The conversation shifted from terrestrial warfare to a cosmic scale, yet Amria and Asteria seemed to understand and accept it without confusion.

「Our primary mission is to monitor and, if necessary, destroy the legacy of a certain star people species still lurking in this star system, eluding the lunar surveillance network.」