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Volume 1 Chapter 4 Part 12

Siluca answered proudly to her adoptive father. For an afterthought reason, it’s important that it makes sense in this case.

 

「So in order to protect the prestige of the Alliance, you dared to call yourself the members of the Fantasia Union?」

 

「Since we are going to be under the direct control of Lady Marine, we thought that was the best thing we could do.」

 

「I am also a Lord, so I understand that it is every Lord’s desire to grow and expand their territories and sphere of influence. Right now, your Lord holds the second highest title in Selvis and has the support of the independent Lords, and yet he still wishes to swear loyalty to me?」

 

Marine pestered her further to make sure.

 

「Yes.」

 

Siluca nodded solemnly.

 

「If a Great War over the Crests were to break out, my Lord believes that the one who would obtain the grancrest would be Lady Marine.」

 

「The Grancrest…」

 

Marlene had a complicated look on her face, but she quickly continued her words.

 

「Of course, I intend to fulfill my mission as the leader of the Factory Alliance.」

 

「If you allow us to join the Factory Alliance, I can promise you that my Lord will do everything in his power to aid you in fulfilling that goal.」

 

Siluca stood up and she bowed respectfully.

 

「I understand your request well. I will consider it, so please wait in the guest room for a while. I will answer you later when it is going to be time for lunch.」

 

「Of course.」

 

Siluca saluted Marine once more before leaving the conference room. When Siluca Meletes left, Marine smiled with satisfaction.

 

「Aubest, what do you think about Siluca Meletes?」

 

Marine asked Aubest for an opinion. And just like she thought, he was thinking exactly the same thing as she did.

 

「I think that her actions speak for themselves. She probably wanted to stabilize her Lord’s position now that he has gained a certain amount of peerage to his name.」

 

「It must have taken a lot of talent to make a wandering Lord who was unknown to anyone into the second biggest power in Selvis in such a short time.」

 

「Ability-wise, yes. However, she is disqualified as a Mage belonging to the Mages Association. That is why I have proposed to the Headmaster of the Magic Academy that she should be admitted to the Magic Academy and be subjected to the most strict selection process possible. Headmaster agreed to it, but we could not carry it out, because the president of the Magic University and my other adopted daughter protected her.」

 

「Selection!」

 

Marine was surprised, because she knew what that word meant in the society of Mages.

 

「Was it because she is your adopted daughter?」

 

「Yes, that is why.」

 

Aubest answered with a voice without intonation again.

「I have a responsibility as a foster father. I thought that I couldn’t let a child who breaks the rules while driven by passion become a Mage. In fact, she has committed a serious breach of contract…」

 

「You mean the contract with the Earl of Artuk?」

 

When Marine asked, Aubest nodded his head.

 

Marine also knows that Siluca unilaterally canceled her contract with Villar Constance, the Earl of Artuk. That was a serious breach of the agreement indeed. However, when Villar made a contract with her, it seems that he used a method that bordered on violating the agreement himself, so Marine was rather impressed with how she rebelled against such an opponent with the same means.

 

「Even if she violates the agreement, the Mages Association will decide how to deal with her. It has nothing to do with today’s negotiations, right?」

 

「That’s right, it doesn’t matter.」

 

Aubest nodded his head again. As usual, his actions were completely emotionless and eerie.

 

「However, I think we should refuse to allow Theo Cornero to join the Factory Alliance.」

 

「And why is that?」

 

Marine was shocked. She never thought that her contracted Mage would refuse the option to accept his own adopted daughter into the Alliance.

 

「Even if it is a ruse, if we declare his affiliation with the alliance and recognize the Lord who has expanded his territory, we will not be able to suppress the Lords who would be planning to do the same. This must be done sternly, otherwise we will not be able to ask the allied Lords to swear allegiance to us again. that is why you must act strictly like your predecessor to protect the territories of the Lords belonging to the Alliance, Lady Marine.」

 

Marine pondered on Aubest’s words. It is certainly true. However, such an exception seemed to be within the permissible range.

 

「The king of Selvis also planned to expand his territory. Everyone knows that. And the independent Lords of Selvis, and the people of their territories support Theo Cornero.」

 

Even the people of Waldrind have applauded the success of the young Lord who has appeared in Selvis.

 

「Nabir Gerje, the King of Selvis, had a cause of avenging the Lords who belonged to the Alliance. He lost the battle, but that was the result he should have accounted for. And if he denies that he fought in the name of the Alliance, he will not be able to achieve unity with other Lords…」

 

「And that is why I must be strict?」

 

「That’s my opinion on the matter.」

 

Saying that, the Head Mage bowed respectfully. It is the Mage’s role to express his opinion, but it is the Lord who makes the decisions, so even if Marine didn’t adopt his opinion, he wouldn’t mind it.

 

「Do you hate that Siluca woman?」

 

It didn’t look like that from the situation just now, but…

 

「Of course not!」

 

The Head Mage hurriedly said, and then he smiled as if his being expressionless was nothing but a lie until now.

 

 

「Of course, I am not related to Siluca by blood. I adopted her because I was ordered to do so by the Meletes family, but I do love her, as a daughter, that is.」

 

Aubest’s speech right now lacked its usual clarity.

 

「If I adopt your opinion, I will have to comply with the request of King of Selvis and avenge him by fighting Theo Cornero, which means that I will also have to fight your daughter and that she will possibly share his fate.

 

「I’m prepared for that.」

 

Aubest hanged his head as if it was crushed. Marine could not tell if he was genuinely sad or not. As far as Marine knew, Aubest was usually a mild-mannered person. However, as soon as he became the Head Mage, his expression disappeared as if he had ceased to be human.

 

「I think that having a Mage named Siluca as an ally will be advantageous to the Alliance later on.」

 

「Maybe, maybe not. She did perform admirably until now…」

 

Aubest nodded, and the expression disappeared from his face.

 

「However, taking her as an ally may lead to fatal consequences for her. We are now in a stable position, so I don’t think it’s necessary to swallow a good medicine that might as well turn out to be a deadly poison.」

 

「I understand.」

 

Marine also made up her mind. As leader of her alliance, she has a great responsibility to fulfill.

 

「I feel sorry for Siluca, but…」

 

「No, it’s just that she was shallow.」

 

When Aubest said so, he bowed his head again.

 

It was at the lunch that Siluca was told by Marine Kraische that she would refuse to allow Lord Theo Cornero to join the Factory Alliance.

 

When the meal was over, sweets and tea were brought in. Since the atmosphere had been so peaceful up until then, Siluca was so shocked that she accidentally dropped the cup she was holding in her hand on the floor.

 

「Why?」

 

Siluca stared blankly at Aubest. She wanted to know why did he refused her request.

 

「I recommend your Lord to surrender his territories to King Clovis and King Selvis and leave immediately.」

 

And that was the end of that.

 

If they do not comply, they will be subjugated at the request of King Selvis. Siluca had regained her composure by then. This is because she realized that in the long run, making an exception for her would be disadvantageous to Marine.

 

Despite her status as the leader of the Factory Alliance, Marine’s position is not as strong as that of her father, Matthias Kraische. Showing her resolute stance here would also be effective in promoting the unity of the Alliance.

 

(My thinking was shallow…)

 

Siluca clenched her fists tightly under the table.

 

「I cannot do that. The next time we will see each other, it will be on the battlefield. I am looking forward to facing the heavy knights of Waldrind in battle.」

 

Siluca smiled gracefully. She knew that they would not be able to win against them in battle, and that their luck had just run out, but she was determined to do her best until the very last moment.

 

(I cannot give up because of something like that. I have to fulfill Lord Theo’s dream…)