Sofia, the second city of the Dragona Empire.
Estelle, invited by the Emperor, was feeling a mix of intense tension and excitement.
‘Emperor Rozebeta… I never dreamed I would meet that person like this…’
A figure who transformed a small nation into an empire and is revered by many as a sage ruler even in this moment.
Though they had exchanged stories a few times through letters, this was the first time Estelle would meet her in person, and she began to feel a deep sense of anticipation as she faced someone who shared her goals.
‘I wonder what kind of person she is? I heard she’s incredibly beautiful, even close to 200 years old…’
Those who wield magic can choose to remain forever young if they wish.
Of course, many have chosen to age alongside their loved ones instead, but there were plenty who didn’t.
In the case of Emperor Rozebeta, she, her husband, and even her children were all magic users, and especially, the Emperor herself was the most powerful witch alive.
There were even rumors that she might not be entirely human, but something beyond, someone who was far removed from the concepts of death and aging.
Recalling this fact, Estelle suddenly thought of her fiancé and the man she loved, Santana, who was also a mage… a magic user.
‘Unlike me, who has no talent for magic, Mr. Santana is a mage. He too could choose eternal life if he wanted…’
Though they were still in their twenties, it felt a bit too early to be pondering such heavy matters, yet Estelle began to think seriously about it.
‘If Mr. Santana truly loves me… would he choose to grow old with me? Or otherwise…’
Lost in thoughts she wouldn’t normally entertain, Estelle was suddenly interrupted by a voice in her ear.
“You have arrived.”
“Oh…”
At the words of the attendant, Estelle rose from her seat.
She then respectfully bowed her head to the person entering the room.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Estelle Bertina Fernandez, sister of the Lord of Rhapsody, here to meet your illustrious Majesty of the Dragona Empire.”
Although she couldn’t see the person’s face clearly, a distinct, extraordinary aura could be felt instinctively from her. Estelle waited in deep tension for the other to speak.
“Lift your head.”
A voice imbued with calm and an irresistible power.
Estelle cautiously raised her head and looked at the woman before her.
A lady clad in a simple yet stately crimson robe, radiating a sense of dignity.
Sadly, her face was covered by a sword-shaped veil, but the general outline visible beyond the veil was enough for Estelle to sense that the other was indeed extraordinarily beautiful.
‘This must be Mina Rozebeta Dragona Emperor… the aura she exudes is anything but ordinary.’
It wasn’t just because she was an emperor that made Estelle feel this way.
Even just standing in front of her, the tingling sensation from her skin and the subtle aura of sovereignty she projected with every minimal movement as she accepted Estelle’s greeting made it clear that she knew exactly who she was.
Estelle began to feel a mix of pressure and admiration simultaneously.
“I am truly delighted that you could respond to my invitation; you must have had a long journey, and I appreciate your efforts.”
“Ah… No, it is I who must thank you for granting me, a mere lord of a small region, the honor to meet your splendid Majesty.”
Estelle spoke in a way that felt unlike her usual self, filled with deep tension, while the Emperor maintained her calmness and dignity.
“Well then, let’s put pleasantries aside and get straight to the point. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes! Of course, Your Majesty.”
“Very well. Now… I would like to hear more about future matters.”
“When you say future matters…?”
“How the Heretic Alliance will move and how you would like us to assist during this process.”
The Emperor’s words were quite straightforward.
For Estelle, facing such pressure momentarily faded as she began to analyze the situation as coolly as possible.
The Emperor was asking her about the movements of the Heretic Alliance.
Simply put, it was akin to a request for a business plan as an investor regarding upcoming ventures.
However, this matter involved politics, with much more at stake than simple commerce.
The sensitive information was important, and if it slipped out, it could endanger not just the Rhapsody Region but the entire Heretic Alliance.
Yet, Estelle had already considered these concerns to some extent.
With the approval of Santana, who was effectively the leader of the Heretic Alliance, she had ensured confidentiality regarding this matter.
Moreover, there was practically no chance that the Dragona Empire’s Emperor would have any ties with the Sacred Empire, making the likelihood of this information leaking extremely low.
On the other hand, there were considerable advantages to providing specific information to the Dragona Empire.
With her thoughts organized, Estelle began to speak to the Emperor seated before her in a voice laced with tension.
She started to share the plans for the war and necessary preparations she had heard from her beloved fiancé, Santana.
“I understand. Then… I shall share what I know.”
*
The Heretic Alliance, a conglomerate of rebel forces within the Sacred Empire.
Though this faction was nearly a quarter the size of the imperial mainland, I was well aware of our limits as someone familiar with the original work.
Through a victory at Baeksan, we had rekindled a flicker of hope, using the uncontrollable Mansfeld gang to wear down the Emperor’s army, successfully bringing the war to a temporary standstill.
However, even so, there were clear limits to how long we could endure in our current state.
Thanks to Bohemia’s immense economic strength and the cooperation of the lords, we managed to recover from our damages to an extent.
Yet, the combined forces of General Tilly and Spinola, perched in the Palatinate Region preparing for the real third battle, totaling around 40,000, remained adversaries we couldn’t handle alone.
In the Battle of Baeksan, we had seized victory by exploiting the enemy’s carelessness and maximizing our advantages, but relying on luck again was unrealistic.
Thus, I tried to make the most of Friedrich to forge alliances with neighboring countries and achieved some results.
However, that alone was still insufficient to turn around our unfavorable situation.
There are limits to relying on foreign support.
Though I’d managed to appeal strongly by slightly exaggerating the precise reasons and realistic dangers, securing significantly more than the original work’s yield,
it was far from enough to counter the threats posed by Spinola, Tilly, and crucially, ‘that person’ who would soon reveal themselves.
Ultimately, what was needed was to extract our own power to the fullest and consolidate it in one place.
To do this, I needed to gather resources from both friends and foes alike more than ever before.
In this situation, I knew one very effective method.
In modern society, many have suffered ruin by misusing this tactic.
If successful, the rewards would be unimaginable, but failure could result in devastating repercussions.
However… in my current situation, fortunately, I had no need to worry about such risks.
The reason was simple.
Unlike gamblers who are unsure whether the stock will rise or fall tomorrow, I was very knowledgeable about how the overall situation would unfold.
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