Meeting with the king wasn’t a one-on-one chat.
But it wasn’t packed with nobility like before either.
I met some friends in between and had a pretty long conversation, so it felt like a lot of time had passed, but thinking back, it hadn’t even been a day since we visited the underground of Lutetia. I had a short nap, and since then, I hadn’t taken a break, wandering the castle to meet people.
Maybe it was even more exhausting because I tried to sneak into Charlotte’s room. But I couldn’t just rewind time and recover my condition. If I did, all the conversations we had would go to waste.
Considering the time, it should’ve only been a few hours, so I thought the nobility would come along and chat excitedly again, but surprisingly, there were hardly half the people in the meeting hall to meet the king compared to the morning meeting.
The nobleman who’d challenged me earlier was still there, but this time he was keeping his mouth shut. Could it be that the situation had become urgent? Or were they just facing something that couldn’t be resolved without me?
Fortunately, all the academy teachers were gathered. They didn’t say anything, but at least knowing someone here was familiar would ease the awkwardness a bit.
The king was sitting on his throne like this morning—but—
“Ah, you’ve arrived.”
From the look on the king’s face, it seemed like he had gained about five more wrinkles in just a few hours.
Well, thinking about it, he would’ve hardly slept at all. Unlike me, who got some hours of rest, he might have spent the whole night arguing with nobles flocking to the palace.
“You said you had important news.”
“Indeed. It’s important.”
The king replied while wiping his face with the hand that had been propped up.
“Last night, after the incident on the Papal State’s land, I sent some people over there. They say that not only us but also the Iberia Kingdom, which borders the Papal State, sent people.”
“What happened? Were you able to assess the situation?”
“That’s the problem.”
At my question, deep wrinkles formed on the king’s forehead.
“We failed to grasp the situation of the Papal State.”
“…Was it because of that pillar of light?”
“Exactly.”
The king let out a heavy sigh and leaned back against his throne.
“No matter what that pillar of light is, all those who came into contact with it received serious burns. It seems that it’s different from fire, in that you don’t feel pain just being nearby, but touching it is like sticking your hand straight into a flame.”
“Are the soldiers safe?”
“…At least, no one died. They had a healer with them, so it’s likely they won’t have serious disabilities.”
The king answered while narrowing his eyes a bit at my question.
“You said you would organize a special unit to enter. That means you know how to get in?”
“……”
No, I don’t.
Actually, I wasn’t sure.
However, the circumstances suggested that the emperor was responsible for creating that pillar, and if that were the case, I assumed the emperor would allow me to enter.
The emperor needed materials.
“I think at least I will be able to enter.”
“What about the others?”
At the king’s question, I couldn’t respond.
“…Charlotte has been insisting on following you since last night.”
The king opened his mouth heavily.
“If she follows you in, is there any guarantee that she won’t be harmed by that pillar of light? Charlotte is the only bloodline in this country. She is also the one who will inherit the throne.”
The king paused for a moment,
“If I were to simply ask if there would be another to ‘inherit the throne,’ I might say there are others besides her. I have relatives, after all. But even so, she is my only daughter. If that child were at risk of serious injury, I would, of course, have to oppose her following you.”
With a firm voice, he declared thus.
It’s only natural. I don’t have any children, but if I did, I would have reacted the same way.
No, even without kids, it’s the same. If my friends were in danger of those flames, I would immediately abandon organizing the special unit and march in alone.
“…I’ll make sure to confirm and act accordingly.”
I told the king, just as firmly as he spoke.
“If it seems dangerous, I’ll make sure to strongly tell them not to follow me in. Charlotte knows how important she is.”
Even if she doesn’t realize it, I should make her stay behind by force.
“If you go in alone, is there a possibility of calming the situation?”
“……”
That’s something I really don’t know. Even though it’s a world following the original story, the plot has moved forward so hurriedly that it has progressed to situations I don’t even know. Even if my abilities work properly while I’m inside, I still don’t know if I can win. I definitely wouldn’t be facing the emperor ‘alone.’
“There’s a possibility.”
But I answered like a promise.
Yeah. There’s a possibility. It’s not non-existent.
And if there’s even a slight possibility, I have the capability to seize it.
So, I will definitely resolve the situation. For a proper happy ending.
…Well, that’s what the original story says, and in reality, there likely won’t be anything that ends after that.
We aren’t even twenty yet. Alice will ascend the throne, Leo will take over Grace’s Estate, Mia will become the lord of the Crowfield territory… and even after a few years or decades go by, our lives will continue. And amidst that, countless annoying and headache-inducing events will inevitably occur.
For now, relationships might be fine, but as time passes, those relationships might naturally fade, or we might remain good friends for life.
But to welcome all those futures, I had to make sure to wrap up this incident clearly.
“You don’t need to worry too much, Your Highness.”
As if reading my mind, Jennifer, who had been silent until then, spoke up.
Unlike at the academy, she used formal language instead of casual speech.
“The Winterfield family will spare no support for you, Your Highness. We will do our best to find ways to support you through that pillar of light.”
“M-Maybe so. As your teacher, I’ll do my best too. I’ll mobilize all my magical knowledge if I have to.”
Carolyn chimed in after Jennifer.
“…If it really works like ‘fire,’ well, it seems like it shouldn’t be, but… even so, there might be a way to physically prevent injuries. The time given is short, but I won’t even think about sending a student in alone.”
And then Aida also chimed in.
Several other faculty members nodded in agreement with her words.
“Then, I’ll confirm one last time.”
The king, watching us, said this, turning his gaze away from me to the other nobles.
Among the nobles who had chatted so much that morning, not one person spoke to me in this meeting. The king seemed to be quite aware of that.
“Is there anyone among the nobles present here willing to support sending soldiers on their behalf? If, just as you all mentioned in the morning, it would be better to resolve relations with the Papal State based on our Velbur rather than seeking help from foreign lands. If you think that resolving the situation with only your private soldiers would be better, then I think that’s the way to go.”
“……”
However, no one responded to the king’s words.
In contrast to the Empire, where private soldiers have been abolished and imperial troops roam the territories, the kingdom still retained some feudalistic characteristics. Although not to the extent of the independent status found in the medieval period of the world I lived in, private soldiers were still an important resource for local lords.
And those private soldiers aren’t very numerous. Each one requires pay based on the lord’s capabilities.
However, it’s unlikely there are lords willing to push such precious existences into a place where they might die just from contact. Especially not at a time when there were people insisting they would go in voluntarily.
“…Then, I take it there aren’t any.”
The king said that with a weary expression and turned back to face me.
“Sylvia Fanggriffon, I’ll be counting on you. If there’s anything you need, ensure you’re well-supported.”
“Thank you.”
And so, the personnel destined to go to the battlefield were determined.
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