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Volume 3 Chapter 2 Part 2

「Yeah, it is not that I was frightened when I heard the story just now… 」

Lasik, who had been silent until then, opened his mouth for the very first time.

「… But can I not stay in Selvis? 」

「Huh? And pray tell, what exactly would that accomplish? 」

Vilar asked him with genuine curiosity in his voice.

「As you know, I am currently making various plans to attract Falvis and Clovis to the Fantasia Union. If I leave the territory now, everything will come to naught. 」

Immediately after pacifying Selvis, Lassic began putting military pressure on Falvis and Clovis, and conducted various diplomatic negotiations with the representatives of these two countries.

「I understand the circumstances that you are talking about, but since you are a newcomer to the Fantasia Union, Lord Lassic, then I am afraid that you have to make an appearance during this Lord’s Conference no matter what, since in order to formally be accepted as a legitimate member of the Fantasia Union, it is necessary to obtain the approval of the Lords who are already the members of the Union themselves. 」

「is that so… ? 」
Lassic sighed heavily.

「It is reassuring to see you flourish so much, Lord Lassic, but if we take the territory of the fellow members of the Fantasia Union without good reason, it will be difficult for us to maintain our current relationship, especially since Alexis Ducet, Marquis of Halusia who is going to be the next leader of the Fantasia Union has not given up on the idea of Marrying Marine Kraische of the Factory Alliance. 」

Earl of Regalia spoke in a calm but admonishing tone.

「It’s just as Lord Serge said. It is about time for the Lord’s Conference, so it would be better to restrain yourself now instead of doing anything rash. 」

The Queen of Haman said to Lassic in an attempt to soothe him.

「Is neither of you going to question Fantasia Union’s attitude at the Lord’s Conference? 」

Then Milza suddenly spoke up and stomped his feet against the ground. When he did that, the lines of sight of the Lords gathered in the main hall were focused on the Prince of Dartania.

「They have never done anything to be of even remote help to Artuk. Moreover, when the forces of Waldrind invaded Artuk, the Fantasia Union did nothing and just sat quietly without lifting as much as a finger! 」

「That is because Artuk was surrounded by the Factory Alliance’s forces and the Union could not send reinforcements. Every time there was an invasion of Artuk, the Fantasia Union’s Lords moved their forces to the border and put pressure on the Factory Alliance, preventing them from going any further into the country. 」

Serge objected Milza’s statement.

「So you think tat as long as the Factory Alliance’s forces do not cross your borders, that means they are not a threat? In fact, I do not understand why would they go and withdraw their armies every single time you were always so unprepared to fight against them in the first place! 」

Milza stomped the floor with his foot again.

「That is exactly what I was saying! 」

Lassic said angerly and leaned forward from his chair as if he was preparing to stand up.

「If Falvis and Clovis are brought into the Fantasia Union, then our territories will be connected to Ismeia, which belongs to the Fantasia Union, and thanks to that we will be able to escape from the dangerous situation of being surrounded by the Factory Alliance! And in addition, our allied nations could then sent us the reinforcements by land! 」

「That may be true, but starting a battle without the approval of the rest of the Fantasia Union… 」

Serge looked at his brother as if he was asking him for help.

「That may be, but because he has incorporated the territories of Selvis into the Fantasia Union, it can be said that the war has finally begun. That ocean king also gave his trade ships permission to plunder. 」

Villar said as he smiled at his brother.

「Ocean King Eric did something like that? 」

Count of Regalia’s complexion changed in an instant.

The Queen of Hamar and the Theater King of Kirchs could not help but look at each other. Eric, who was called the Ocean King, was a powerful Lord of the Factory Alliance that ruled over the Nords in the north of the continent. His title is that of a Marquis. He was originally a pirate who plundered the North Sea coast of the continent. At the peak of his pirate career, his range of activities extended as far as the South Sea, and there were even records of his attacks on Kirchs and Haman.

Erik’s father, Oror, stubbornly resisted Jürgen, the Iron-Blooded Earl, when he went on an expedition to expand the influence and territories of the Factory Alliance, and Jürgen finally gave up on using force to bring him to his knees. It is said that he arranged a banquet with Oror that lasted for 10 days in a row where the two of them talked about their dreams and ambitions, at the end of which Jurgen finally managed to convince Oror to subordinate himself to the Factory Alliance.

Later, when Jurgen ordered his entire army to retreat during what was supposed to have been a decisive battle against the Fantasia Union, Oror was the one who was so furious at Jurgen’s supposed cowardice that he killed Jurgen by slashing him to death with his sword for abandoning the dream that he shared with him during their memorable banquet.

Oror himself was then killed by Jürgen’s aides, but his Crest was recovered and then returned to his heir Eric, and Eric never defected to the Factory Alliance ever since. Even though the Nord people have a saying that it is common for both sides of the conflict to die in a fight, he managed to live long enough to hear about Archduke Matthias Kraische’s death during 「The Tragedy of the Grand Cathedral」, after which Eric was quick to recognize Marine as his ally and the new leader of the Factory Alliance and urged other Lords to join him.

「Disturbances are starting in other regions as well. This trend probably will not stop anytime soon. 」

「If it were not for 「The Tragedy of the Grand Cathedral」… 」

Serge sighed.

「No, that event was meant to happen. It means that there are those who do not want the Crests to be merged into Grancrest and an Emperor to be born. 」

Villar said so and narrowed his eyes slightly.

(And whoever these people are, they are a force to be reconned with.)

Siluca added in her mind. The ones behind 「The Tragedy of the Grand Cathedral」divided the two major forces who were about to put aside their differences into allies and enemies once more, and she also could not help the feeling that they were now looking down on all the Lords who went back to fighting each other over the titles and territories.

「Brother, what do you think we should do? 」

「I already consulted this with my contracted Mages, but… 」

After saying that, Villar looked back at Siluca.

「It was your suggestion, so you should be the one to explain it. 」

「Understood, Lord Vilar. 」

Siluca nodded and advanced to Vilar’s side.

「My name is Siluca Meltes, a Mage who has a contract with Lord Vilar’s subordinate Lord Theo Cornero. 」

Siluca bowed respectfully to the Lords whom she was meeting for the first time.

「As a result of Lord Lassic’s work in Selvis, the Lords of Falvis and Clovis have all been violently shaken. And with Ismeia to the west, our current situation right now is that we are being sandwiched between the forces of the Factory Alliance. 」

「So that is how it is right now, huh? 」

Solon nodded loudly.

Before Selvis became a territory allied with the Fantasia Union, Kirchs was in a situation where it was impossible to know when it would be invaded next. This is because Navir Gerje, who called himself The King of Sevis, was an ambitious person who wanted to unite all of the neighboring countries under Selvis’ rule. But luckily for Kirchs, his ambitions were aimed first and foremost at the subjugation of the independent Lords of his own country.

「Therefore, I would like you all to mobilize a large army, pacify both Falvis and Clovis, and head for Ismeia. The army will then return home, and you will proceed to Halusia by land. 」

Siluca said calmly.

「Are you trying to get us out of the situation where we are surrounded by the enemy territory? 」