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Volume 4 Chapter 2 Part 10

Even if it meant offering her virginity to him.

When Marine gave a signal to the two maids with her eyes, she spread her hands out to the sides. The two maids shed tears as they removed the jet-black armor their master was wearing. After a while, Marine became completely undressed. She did not even show a hint of shame, and she did not even lower her outstretched hands as if to show off her nakedness under the silvery moonlight.

At Marine’s signal again, the two maids left and disappeared into the darkness.

Milza took off his cloak and turban and threw them to the ground. With his other clothes on, he grabbed Margrave of Waldrind’s supple shoulders and laid her on her ground-spread cloak and turban.

「I do not like monarchy, so I will subordinate you. But from now on, I will be your sword. As long as you follow the path of supremacy, I vow to fight alongside you… 」

And Milza laid his own body on the naked body of Marine.

* * *

It was near dawn when Marine returned to her camp.

After Prince Milza pledged that Dartania would join the Factory Alliance, he returned to his homeland in a fleet of ships he had summoned.

And 10 days after that, the news that Sayid, the current governor of Dartania died suddenly and Milza took over his position had reached Marine’s ears.
(It means that Lord Milza had fulfilled his pledge.)

After returning to Waldrind, Marine lead only the royal guard knights and toured Veltava and Ozer as announced. And she subjugated the Lords of both countries to her will. With this, she made Stark, Veltava, and Ozer, which bordered Artuk, a vassal states of the Alliance, and it can be said that preparations for the invasion of Artuk were complete.

Marine then convened a Lords Conference. At the meeting, Marine herself reported on the subordination of Stark, Veltava, and Ozer. Diplomatic Mages should know about the battle on the Isthmus of Penelope, after all.

No criticism of Waldrind’s actions was raised.

Next, the Lords questioned whether or not to make peace with the Fantasia Union, and they generally agreed on the terms of the peace. It was proposed that the Lords of the Alliance and Union should be subordinate to their respective leaders, and that a permanent consultative body should be set up in Elam to enact a treaty to unite the two powers together. Marine did not think that this plan would go through, and she did not have any intention of actively passing it on either, so as expected, Diplomatic Mages of the Lords did not give positive opinions on making peace with the Union.

(Do they just want to protect their independence? Or do they not want to unify the continent?)

She did not know what the Lords really wanted. However, it was clear that there was no option to proceed with peace with they way things were now.

(It means that more blood must be shed before the Crests can be integrated.)

In that case, Marine once again decided that she had no choice but to aim for what Prince Milza had said was the ‘supremacy’.

However, for the time being, she made the Lords agree to continue the peace negotiations. As long as negotiations continue, the Union cannot move its forces. In the meantime, the Alliance must be reunited. For that end, Marine proposed the establishment of an Electoral Council, which she had been thinking about for some time.

「I want it to consist only of independent Lords above the Viscount rank who have the will and resolve to become Emperor. It will be an institution to elect an Emperor. 」

Marine just said so and let Aubest continue on with the details. Since the Conference was made up of Mages, everyone understood the system of the Emperor Electoral Council after a simple question and answer session.

The Elector is eligible to be the leader of the Alliance, but is also responsible for the decisions of the Alliance. And other Lords must be subordinate to one of the Electors. Until now, the Alliance was a dictatorship of the Kraische family, but from now on, it will be an oligarchy of the Electors.

Instead of abandoning some of the power of the Kraische family, she wanted to quickly reunite the Alliance. And even if something happens to her, she wants to build a system in which the ideals of her grandfather Jürgen will be inherited without the Alliance falling apart. The battle she’s aiming for requires that much caution.

「Since this is an important topic, consult with your Lords and give them your opinion. 」

Aubest informed the Diplomatic Mages, and the meeting was adjourned.

And from that day on, a Factory Alliance Lord’s Conference meeting was held almost every day to discuss the establishment of an Electoral Council. Even after the meeting was over, the Diplomatic Mages continued to keep in touch or meet face-to-face to gather information.

Although it is an Alliance meeting that is considered rational, the agenda this time is that much more serious. However, as the days went by, more and more Lords allowed the establishment of the Electoral Council. Some Lords would also introduce themselves as Electors.

The decisive factor was that the diplomatic magician of Eric, Marquis of Nord expressed his opinion while feeling ashamed as usual.

「My lord Eric agrees with the establishment of the Council of Electors, and he will stand for the position of Elector. 」

A few days later, his youngest daughter, Ulrika, came to Bertha on behalf of the Nord King.

Although she is still in her teens, she is rumored to have inherited Eric’s blood the most, and has a bold personality, and is known to be a first-class sailor and warrior. The Nord King, it seems, considered one of her one of his heirs, and he had bestowed the title of Viscount on his youngest daughter.

Due to the strong will of the Nord king, other Lords one after another also agreed to the Electoral Council. Then the discussion shifted to how many or who the Electors should be. There was a heated debate about that as well, but in the end eight of the Lords above the rank of Viscount were elected.

Marine did not tell them about the secret agreement with Dartania thanks to which Milza was to be made an Elector. Besides Marine, the only people who know about it are Milza, the two maids, and Aubest, the Head Mage.
The final remaining question is to which Prince-Elector the Lords will be subordinate. This was the most controversial part of the Conference, and there were various bargains even outside the meeting chamber. Armed clashes between Lords even broke out everywhere. Each time, Marine would have to go on an expedition as a mediator of the conflict.

Still, by the end of July, the conflict within the alliance had mostly subsided. Waldrind subjugated the remaining two countries bordering it and secured the loyalty of their Lords along with their territory and peerage. And then, once again the Lord’s Conference was convened to confirm the new constitution of the Alliance. Marine then formally informed the fantasia Union that she formally rejected the peace talks.

The entire army of the Waldrind’s Heavy Knights then crossed the Rovier Bridge and invaded Artuk’s territory. It was August 10, 2013 on the lunar calendar.

Seven days have passed since then.