Hearing Cardan’s excuses, I determined that while it wasn’t the impressive backstory or dramatic reason I suspected, it likely wasn’t a lie.
‘The reason is plain, but it’s not incorrect.’
Often, the closer you are to the essence of something, the simpler it tends to be.
In fact, Shete’s existence was unexpected for me.
When I responded to the talks proposed by the Suwang Kingdom, I gauged my chances based on the renowned strongest beastman, Suwang Cardan Lionheart.
The strongest in the Suwang Kingdom is the Suwang. So, if I calculated based on Cardan’s maximum potential, I figured I could manage against a reasonable scale.
However, now a stronger opponent than the maximum I set, Cardan, had suddenly appeared, so I couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered.
Of course, I didn’t think I couldn’t win, but if Eleonora hadn’t shown unexpected prowess, I might have ended up in some risky situations a few times.
‘…So, as soon as the secret was discovered, you tried to kill us.’
While Cardan ultimately attacked under the pretense of the meeting, he emphasized he hadn’t intended to ambush us from the start.
The ambushed archers were half serious about needing help to establish a temporary barracks, and they only stood by as insurance because we didn’t know how many could come and what they might be thinking. They never intended to strike first, he claimed.
Well, if you want to make excuses, you can spin it any way you like, so I didn’t pay much attention.
I just realized how important the truth that there’s another Suwang was to the Suwang Kingdom.
In simpler terms, it’s like discovering a country has a hidden aircraft carrier that they only claimed to have one of.
A single being at the peak of the species in this world holds immense value, and information about them could determine the outcome of a war.
Think about it from the opponent’s perspective.
You analyze the strength of both sides and decide to attack thinking you have a chance, only for an aircraft carrier or a nuclear missile you didn’t even know existed to show up.
Cardan saw Shete Raselo as such a presence.
And the cherished trump card would someday kick off the counterattack when her talents fully blossomed.
“Shete Raselo.”
“…Why are you calling me?”
Shete, who stubbornly kept her mouth shut even when called, finally muttered while glancing cautiously at me after three seconds of my glare.
“From here on, I want to hear the answer from the current Suwang’s mouth. What does the Suwang Kingdom ultimately want by hiding the sword?”
“Is that a question that needs to be asked?”
This time, perhaps deciding it was unnecessary to hide, Shete surprisingly opened up without much resistance.
“I want a future where children can eat their fill and sleep peacefully. I’ve been fine thanks to what Cardan gave me, but there are still kids rummaging through dumpsters in the Suwang Kingdom.”
Well, this is a bit of… an unexpected answer.
Honestly, I wouldn’t have expected to hear something like this from this cat beastman.
Having just met her today, who knows what I can infer, but I felt she had a notably individualistic tendency in her previous demeanor and history.
So I thought she would have materialistic goals like wanting more land or power.
The position of Suwang obtained through her own efforts could have easily satisfied such selfish desires.
‘Looking at what she says, Cardan doesn’t seem to be the behind-the-scenes operator…’
I wondered if, as per custom, Cardan was the one really making decisions while formally raising Shete to the position of Suwang. But seeing her declare confidently, she didn’t seem to be moving based on someone else’s will.
Alright, let’s organize this.
What I desire is for the Suwang Kingdom to strike the Empire while the United Kingdom fights the Luminous Kingdom. For that, I need to bring Shete and Cardan to my side.
Under normal circumstances, the simplest way during such a critical time would be to recruit them as my subordinates, but I can’t do that this time.
‘The moment she becomes my subordinate, she will no longer be a beastman.’
The Suwang Kingdom grants absolute power along with the title of Suwang to the strongest beastman within its territory.
As long as someone meets the conditions, opportunities are open to anyone, but conversely, those who don’t meet the standards cannot wield power under any circumstances.
If I take Shete as my subordinate, she would lose her qualifications as a Suwang, becoming a vampire instead.
Because of that, I need the power of a Suwang that can lead the Suwang Kingdom, so I cannot command her to lead troops and attack the Empire.
‘…It’s difficult.’
In the end, the only option left is to persuade and recruit them directly.
When you think about it, it’s not that different from how I’ve been recruiting Ain slaves all along, but how can I compare a mere slave to a Suwang?
The reason I let the Ain slaves go free instead of making them my subordinates is that I was sure I could easily suppress them even if they revolted.
By taking on minimal risk and appearing to be generous, I gained their voluntary cooperation.
By instilling a sense of benevolence in them, I ended up with potential allies who could work during the day.
However, the risk I would bear if I failed to recruit Shete and Cardan would be on an entirely different level compared to what I faced so far.
It would be kinder if they declared they wouldn’t cooperate with vampires even if a knife was at their throats.
If they pretended to comply and then completely withdrew their forces when the United Kingdom attacked the Luminous Kingdom, the damage would definitely exceed what I could handle alone.
‘In the end, I must do my best to persuade them and just trust them… right?’
For no reason at all, my chest tightened, and I felt breathless.
You want me to trust the very one who just tried to kill me? With my life? With the lives of my people?
An instinctive feeling of rejection surged up.
Now that I think about it, I haven’t changed as much as I thought.
Since deciding to become a king for the sake of my people and actually experiencing many events to wear the crown, I believed my distrust of others had diminished significantly.
But that wasn’t true.
I still couldn’t fully trust anyone except for a very few of my people.
The only difference is that as I grew stronger, the range of what I could take responsibility for expanded. I reacted less pathologically in my relationships with others, but if faced with situations that exceeded what I could manage, it was no different than before.
I faced Shete, who was glaring at me with eyes full of suspicion.
Could I truly put my complete trust in the words coming from her mouth?
If she harbored ambitions like conquering the continent, obviously, I would have no choice but to oppose her. However, now that we’ve occupied the grain-producing area of Bertica Duchy, providing food aid shouldn’t be too hard.
The only issue is whether I would completely trust her when she promised cooperation representing the Suwang Kingdom.
But making decisions and taking responsibility are my duties.
Failure is not an option. However, not trying is also not permitted.
Even though I have no way to deal with the unease stirring within me, at the very least, I must not show it outwardly.
I must.
Because I’m the queen. I have a duty to live up to the expectations of those who believe in and follow me.
Unconsciously biting the tip of my tongue, I felt a sweet yet salty taste and loosened the tightness in my jaw.
I could sense the gazes of Eleonora and Lavina behind me.
Okay, I just need to not fail.
Perhaps I’ve become overly sensitive after recently fighting only weak humans and spilling more blood than necessary.
Looking back, this situation isn’t entirely new.
It wasn’t much different from when I visited Helraig Duchy to persuade Jeil.
Jeil and the vampires in Helraig Duchy were clearly hostile toward me, and yet, if I failed to persuade them, the destined outcome would have been the fall of the Sahelrn Duchy.
However, the plan I thought reckless eventually opened up a singular possibility that led to the best conclusion.
The one who had thoughtlessly tried to kill me, Jeil, had now become a reliable ally, and the Sahelrn Duchy was saved from its fate.
Yeah, this time I’ll protect everything too. It’ll be just like last time.
I moved my fingers to loosen the tight thread a little.
It’s okay.
If I can’t use them as subordinates, I just need to give them a reason they absolutely cannot betray me.
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.
