The schemes of the Armes Kingdom were obvious.
If you can’t win, join in.
After bumping into them a bit, it seemed there was no hope in fighting, so the plan was to use a lord and the already broken alliance as sacrifices to preserve their lives.
I despise traitors. Of course, who in the world would like a traitor? But there’s a level of hatred that goes beyond the normal rejection.
The shock of being abandoned by those I trusted in the days when I still hoped to be human is still a fragment buried in my heart, a conclusion that vampires and humans could never coexist peacefully.
Thus, to be honest, the way the king of the Armes Kingdom chose was not very pleasing to me.
“What will you do?”
Jeil calmly sought my direction.
Should we accept the Armes Kingdom’s, to be precise, the Armes royal family’s surrender or not?
If I could judge solely based on personal feelings, I would have easily brushed them aside without hesitation.
If they’re the type to leech onto me, they might stab me in the back someday.
But I couldn’t just say we accept their surrender and massacre all the royals.
Maybe after the system is more stable, but it would be too risky for the newly-formed alliance to abandon their principles and break their word right out of the gate.
However, from the perspective of the Scarlet Alliance Kingdom, it was different.
With personal feelings alone, the bait dangling on the fishing line was too attractive to just ignore.
“If we accept… we can buy time.”
The reason I hesitated was solely one thing.
Accepting their surrender could save precious time and manpower.
No matter how much the Armes Kingdom lagged behind the Bertica Kingdom, it was not a country that could be easily conquered with just three hundred combatants.
Of course not.
It’s not some primitive tribe; it’s a fully established country.
“Do as you wish. We will simply follow your will, Your Majesty.”
But if I accepted their surrender and merely promised the royals’ lives and some power, I could eliminate that uncertainty in an instant.
Wasn’t the small number of troops I led primarily in preparation for the upcoming battles with the Luminous Kingdom?
Moreover, no matter how actively I lead, the losses of our allies couldn’t be reduced to zero.
And the fact that someone might die at my command still weighed heavily on my heart.
Thus, the advantage of minimizing our casualties while accelerating the Luminous Kingdom’s restructuring time was too valuable to refuse just because it felt unsettling.
Had they calculated this far? I didn’t think so, but since the outcome was this way, it might not matter which side it came from.
Anyway, this wasn’t something I could pass off to someone else.
No matter how fearsome the consequences of my decision might be, or how one day I might look back and regret today, it was solely for me, the queen, to decide and take responsibility for this matter.
“Accept it.”
“Sis, are you okay?”
Plona, who knew my stress points quite well, asked worriedly.
To be honest, it felt awkward to spare them, but hadn’t I put away any expectations that everyone would give me their unwavering loyalty the moment I accepted my role as king?
Even if it meant taking in those I didn’t like, if it benefited the alliance, then so be it.
I shouldn’t fear being used by someone; rather, I should be able to use even them.
I was no longer just a vampire. That’s what a queen should do.
“It’s fine. But for the current king of Armes to become the Grand Duke of Armes, he must clearly renounce being human.”
Right, let’s think positively.
Those who are calculating and looking to stab me in the back are far easier to manage than those who openly declare they want to side with the favorable.
And once I take them in and set restrictions on them, I should be able to block most direct plots against me.
If they were begrudgingly following because of the restrictions while secretly harboring other thoughts, it might be a bit harder to utilize them compared to willing participants like Selina. Still, objectively speaking, this level of risk is more than acceptable.
“I will accept their surrender. Eleonora, write a reply and send it to the messenger. Jeil, contact Martini as well.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Understood.”
I hope this decision can offer a better future for those who trust and follow me.
And I hope this hesitation and fear remain a secret from everyone.
*
After handing over the captured slaves to the beastmen as usual, I quickly moved towards Mabelro, the capital of the Armes Kingdom.
If it was a hasty surrender concocted to buy time, I wondered if the more I rushed, the more flaws would be revealed, and that was my own strategy, but it turned out such worries were unnecessary.
“Thorough, indeed.”
I kept my eyes sharp, ready to drop a hammer if I caught even a whiff of trouble, but the journey to the royal capital was smooth sailing.
Was the internal agreement already concluded? Every city I passed through opened their castle gates without resistance, with the lord himself coming out to bow his head, and even the residents didn’t cause a fuss, only showing mild unease at the sight of the vampires in their yards.
‘It seems they’ve already announced this to the citizens.’
Otherwise, such prepared responses wouldn’t make sense.
Had they prepared both options for their gambit, it seemed.
Though the sight of them desperately trying to cast the blame onto a single lord was rather pathetic, at least it didn’t give off a sudden, hasty vibe.
“I meet the mighty Queen of the Night.”
And now, I stood before the king of the Armes Kingdom, who was kneeling and bowing.
Baron Armes.
My first impression of this man, 38 and still young for a king, was, “He doesn’t look like royalty.”
Based on the humans I’ve seen so far, nobles, even if they weren’t royal, typically held a demeanor that matched their status with a degree of arrogance.
And why wouldn’t they?
How could the aristocracy, which enjoyed all privileges, have the same attitude as commoners?
Of course, many arrogant and pride-driven nobles were slow to accept change, hastening their own demise, but those precedents only proved that the noble attitude was hard to change, even when a blade was at their throat.
“I sincerely apologize for the disgrace caused by one foolish sinner who rejected heaven’s will and sacrificed the people for personal ambition.”
However, how could a king of even a minor kingdom so naturally bow his head?
He looked like some overworked office drone, and indeed, didn’t carry the regal air.
‘Was he a child of the second wife?’
From the information I hastily requested from Martini about the Armes royal family, I recalled that Baron Armes was the child of the second wife of the late king, who ascended the throne dramatically while facing numerous assassination threats as a prince.
I heard that even as a prince, he didn’t particularly have ambitions, but his half-siblings, wary of Baron enjoying the late king’s favor, conspired against him, which led to their demise, and consequently, the crown fell to him.
Perhaps that period ingrained a sense of valuing life over pride.
In fact, the Armes Kingdom has always been treated as one step below the Tri-Kingdom Alliance, yet they never showed any dissatisfaction, perhaps that is the secret of their survival.
“Seeing your resolve, I will forgive this matter.”
I looked down at Baron.
His childhood struggles were irrelevant to me, but it’s clear he was a bothersome individual to have around, but since I had to make use of him, it was better to have someone with clear desires.
“You wish to be subordinate to the alliance, is that right?”
“Yes.”
What’s the best way to manipulate such a thoroughly calculated man?
The answer is simple. Just give them what they want.
If they’re asking for something they can’t possibly give in on, then it’s game over, but otherwise, you can give and take what’s necessary.
“Then lift your head. A man who is to become a Grand Duke shouldn’t be kneeling so easily.”
Baron twitched, his body reacting reflexively to my indirect declaration of guaranteeing his life and status while he knelt before me.
“Does that mean…?”
“Though it was an invasion carried out without intent due to external pressure, there are still many vampires who wish to hold the royal families of the countries involved in the last war accountable.”
Carrots and sticks must be offered at the same time.
I subtly shifted the conversation to indicate I was merely giving him a chance and to not get too complacent or harbor other thoughts.
“So, I will give you a chance to prove your loyalty. We shall rename the Armes Kingdom to the Duchy of Armes, and I will grant you the title of Duke and some powers during peacetime. If you succeed in your proof, I will grant you eternal life.”
“I’ll… I’ll definitely live up to your expectations.”
Now a Duke of Armes, Baron repeated his oath as he nodded earnestly.
I sincerely hope he meets those expectations.
Otherwise, there will be unnecessary sacrifices again.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
