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Volume 5 Chapter 1 Part 12

There were even rumors that he was a projection from another world.

「Now this is troubling. 」

Theo smiled wryly.

「Right now, I feel like it would be best for everyone to allow you to become the Emperor, Lady Marine. But… 」

「But…? 」

Marine urged him to continue.

「I feel like a lot of blood will be spilled that way. 」

「This is something that you need to be prepared for. After all, the spilling of human blood is the only thing that can bring the Grancrest into existence. 」

The sorrow of losing her father, the sorrow of abandoning her lover… Marine carries all kinds of sorrows on her shoulders, and these sorrows have pushed her into believing the supremacy and merging Crests by force are the only things that can unify the continent together. And in that case, perhaps it was only natural that a black-robed Viceroy of Dartania, who shared her aspirations, would stand by her side.

「I feel like I want you to once again aim for the ideal that you have abandoned. You and Lord Alexis should get married, Lady Marine. 」

「Even the Earl of Artuk was saying the exact same thing. 」

「Even he did?! 」

「Yes. These were Lord Vilar’s last words. 」

Marine nodded quietly.

「In that case, that must be the goal that the Artuk Treaty will aim to realize, since it was formed first and foremost to carry on Lord Vilar’s will and ideals. 」

「As expected of someone whom Alexis would call his friend. You are a dreamer as well, Lord Theo. 」

Marlne sneered.

「I have a dream, but I’m not going to let it end. Siluca here will show me the way to realize it. 」

「Eh? 」

The sudden mention of her name upset Siluca, and she unintentionally raised her voice.

Immediately following on that, her adoptive father turned a reproachful gaze towards her. One of the rules he taught her was that Mages should not intervene in discussions between Lords in any way.

「E-Excuse me… 」

Siluca fixes her messy robe in an attempt to hide her embarasement.

「Come to think of it, you did give up your title and territories because you didn’t want Siluca to be taken from you, right, Lord Theo? 」

Marine said while glancing at her.

「I just thought about what was the most important for me and chose it. 」

Theo once again answered without hesitation.

(That was also the case at that time……)

Back then, Siluca had made up her mind, thinking that there was no other way for her but to become Vilar’s contracted Mage after all. However, Theo kept his contract with Siluca by subordinating himself to Vilar.

Even now, remembering the sacrifice he made for her made her heart all warm.

「It is the same for me. However, what is more important to me is not Alexis, but the Kraische family, Waldrind, and the Factory Alliance. 」

「In other words, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a situation where we didn’t have to choose one or the other? 」

「It would be convenient, but it’s something that’s out of the question for me right now. I don’t want to fight you, Lord Theo, but I need to recapture Veltava and Ozer. 」

「I don’t want to fight Lady Marine either, but I can’t give these countries back to you. I also plan to liberate Artuk as well someday. 」

「Is that so? Then the next time we will see each other, it’s going to be on the battlefield. 」

After Marine said so, she asked Theo to shake hands with her again, and that was the end of the negotiations.

Theo responded to the handshake, bowed to Marine and Aubest respectively and left the tent.

Siluca followed after him, lining up so that the two of them could walk side-by-side

「So, what do you think about the Margrave of Waldrind now that you had a chance to meet her? 」

「She was exactly what I thought she was going to be. 」

Theo replied after looking back at the tent they just left for a moment. Marine and Aubest were also coming out of the tent and returning to their own camp.

He is intelligent, and has a strong sense of mission and will. I want it.「She is definitely intelligent and has a strong will and sense of responsibility. I think that is why she is forcing herself to go down the path she is walking now. She also still loves Lord Alexis dearly, so if possible, I would really like these two to end up together. 」

Siluca felt like that too.

「But it would take a miracle to make it happen with the way things are now. 」

Siluca sighed.

「Then, can you make that miracle happen? 」

Theo stares at Siluca and said with a completely straight face.

「Even if it was not a miracle that we need right now… 」

Siluca was perplexed. That sort of thing doesn’t happen that often.

「Let’s do our best to change the result of 「The Tragedy of the Grand Cathedral」! 」

Theo put his hands on Siluca’s shoulders and said in a strong tone.

「The result of that tragedy? 」

The Factory Alliance and the Fantasia Union did not reconcile because of it, and Marine and Alexis didn’t get married. Of course, the past cannot be changed, but when it comes to the future, then that is something that can definitely be changed.

(It would be nice to create a situation where the two of them could finally be together…)

Siluca started seriously thinking about what could be done to make that happen. It was like she was walking in the dark, but even there she could still see a single ray of light, just like when she and Theo were trapped in a different dimension in The Forest of Eternal Darkness.

At that place, Theo’s feelings have finally managed to reach Siluca, and the two became connected, allowing them to get out of that situation safely.

「It would be easier for us if we could cooperate with the Factory Alliance instead of having to fight it, but since we have become a force independent from the Union and the Alliance alike, it might actually be a good idea to try to make a miracle happen. 」

Siluca looked back at Theo and smiled.

「Let me show you the way. 」

「Yes! We will make it happen! 」

As soon as Theo said that, he suddenly hugged Siluca and put her lips on top of hers.
「L-Lord Theo! 」

Surprised, Siluca pushed Theo away and glared at him with her face turning bright-red.

They were already at the foot of the hill where the castle was located, so it was very probable that all of the soldiers on the walls witnessed what Theo did just now.

「N-Now is not the time nor place for such…! 」

「Well, I think it’s precisely the time and place for such actions. 」

Theo says and looks up at the castle. And then he waved his hand at the soldiers on the walls, and received loud cheers as a response.

「For their love! 」

After a while a chorus of such voices also started roaring all around the castle. These voices were definitely loud enough to reach the enemy camp.

「Could it be… did you just do that to provoke Lady Marine?! 」

「I just wanted to make sure that you will remember what’s important… 」

Theo answered with a serious expression.

「This battle is going to be difficult to win. But as long as we won’t lose, an opportunity to win is definitely going to present itself. If we buy ourselves enough time, something will surely happen. We’re aiming for something that no one on the continent has ever thought of, so we cannot allow ourselves to die in a place like this. 」

「Well, I on the other hand am so embarrassed that I feel like I’m going to die right now. 」

「It’s okay. Our relationship is already well known. 」

Siluca climbed the slope to the fort while being escorted by Theo, but she didn’t dare to look up at the walls.

As they approached, the cheers of the castle soldiers grew louder and louder…

「So naïve and innocent… 」

Seeing Theo Cornero and his contracted Mage embracing each other, Layla had a distant look on her face.

「And you being near me is irritating. These two had feelings for each other for a while now, but it is only recently that they finally became true lovers. 」

Irvin said as he folded down the huge tent.