Her Highness the Princess Is Tired

I was told to go to Princess Tianis's private chambers rather than the office.

Apparently, it was currently her break time.

When I knocked on the door, Anatia-san's voice invited us in.

Entering the room, I found Princess Tianis collapsed on the floor.

I wondered what had happened, but then I noticed Princess Tianis was flailing about.

"I can't take this anymore… Why is passing the reconstruction budget this exhausting?"

"There, there, good girl."

"It's so infuriating! I can only think they're opposing just to make snide remarks!"

Princess Tianis was lying on her back, waving her arms and legs.

An undignified posture, but considering her age, it wasn't entirely unnatural.

If there was a problem, it was that this was the appearance of a nation's leader.

Anatia-san sat beside her, stroking her head to soothe her.

Kanon was nowhere to be seen.

Since she'd been gravely wounded, hovering between life and death, it was only natural she wasn't here. But knowing her, she seemed like the type who'd sneak out for Princess Tianis's sake.

When I cleared my throat, they finally noticed our presence. Princess Tianis hurriedly stood up and brushed the dust off her skirt with both hands.

Trying to compose herself now seemed pointless, but saying nothing was an adult's kindness.

Anatia-san couldn't help but giggle at the scene.

"Come on, don't laugh, Sister Anatia."

"Sorry, sorry. Look, it's work."

"Hah… Well then. Welcome back. I think you stayed a bit longer than expected, so report whether anything happened."

"Then I shall report."

Going to the Empire was technically official business.

We'd received some support as well.

It would be best to report properly.

"His Majesty Emperor Kelves was pleased with Her Highness Princess Tianis's gifts. He wishes to maintain good relations between the Kingdom and the Empire."

"I see, that's good."

Though her tone was casual, I could see she was clearly relieved.

This had undoubtedly been her biggest worry.

Unable to trust the noble diplomats, she'd entrusted the relationship with the Empire to a merchant under her patronage.

It must have been considerable stress.

Honestly, Emperor Kelves hadn't been that pleased with the paintings and art.

He'd been happier with what I'd brought personally.

But figuring out his preferences without meeting him directly would be difficult for Princess Tianis.

I also told her about the coronation, getting caught up in the red moon incident, and the Church of the Sun God's attack.

Partway through, she started looking at me with an exasperated expression.

"Does trouble come to you on its own?"

"That's not… it shouldn't be happening."

I hesitated slightly to say so definitively.

I couldn't deny that I tended to encounter things, for better or worse.

She asked particularly detailed questions about the coronation.

Princess Tianis also had to officially succeed to the throne and become queen eventually.

As a princess, she couldn't deal with foreign nations as equals.

And there were many restrictions. The reason some nobles were uncooperative with Princess Tianis now was precisely because she was still just a princess.

She was being looked down upon because she only held temporary royal authority.

The Kingdom wasn't as centralized as the Empire.

The king was merely the largest of the lords.

Thinking of him as the boss of the nobles felt more accurate.

So our conclusion from discussing with Orleans and Alexia was that if she inherited the throne, she'd have more freedom to act.

Princess Tianis and Anatia-san probably understood that too.

That was why they were curious about the Empire's coronation for the sake of authority.

But they sighed when they heard the details.

"The Empire has money. There's no way we could spend that much."

"I can imagine the fierce opposition."

"It does seem that way. You have my sympathies."

"Exactly! Hah. It's hard when they oppose everything for one reason or another. The Chancellor supporting citizen-friendly policies is a saving grace. Though he'll probably be reluctant about the coronation budget."

Princess Tianis wearily rested her head on Anatia-san's shoulder.

Right now, the only people she could speak honestly with were probably Yohane and Anatia-san.

I didn't think her appearance was pathetic.

She was a child, after all.

And on her shoulders sat the enormous pressure of the Kingdom's future.

That was connected to our future as well.

I wanted to help however I could and make the Kingdom better.

*　*　*

The nobles probably weren't opposing out of pure malice, but the political balance had become more complicated compared to the Empire.

The fact that even something everyone should agree on, like the reconstruction budget, was nearly blocked illustrated this.

It seemed Princess Tianis's royal authority wouldn't stabilize for a while yet.

As a citizen, I had no complaints as long as life improved, but smooth policies seemed unlikely for the foreseeable future.

The conversation then moved on to the Church of the Sun God.

"So they're meddling in the Empire too. Does that mean they don't mind fighting on two fronts?"

"Unlike us, the Empire doesn't share a border with the Solar Union. They're probably easier to target. It seems they've been working in secret to keep the Imperial army from moving."

"… Should I be relieved there's no possibility of them attacking us?"

"So how is the war going? All I know is that it started."

"Apparently, it was an army centered on citizen soldiers. On the plains, it was an overwhelming victory. They weren't much opposition."

"I see."

Duke Baroba's Alsarm forces were renowned as the Kingdom's strongest.

Their training was excellent, and with money, their equipment was good too.

Citizen soldiers given swords and spears wouldn't stand a chance.

"However, they're having trouble taking cities and are being held up. The enemy refuses to surrender at all."

"That's…"

When there was no chance of winning, you surrendered.

That way, you might lose your property, but your life would be spared.

That was only natural. Everyone valued their own life.

"That's not all. Among the citizen soldiers, there seem to be some who revive wrapped in flames even after being killed. The revived soldiers are unbelievably strong, and there have been casualties."

I remembered Elhani, who kept attacking even after I'd cut off his head.

This was probably also a blessing from the Church of the Sun God.

With something like that on the battlefield, casualties were inevitable.

"Fortunately, that great magic that attacked the Royal Capital hasn't been used again since then. If something that outrageous could be used repeatedly, we'd have no chance."

"It's fine for now, but if it drags on, morale will suffer."

The war situation couldn't be viewed optimistically.

As long as the threat of that magic being fired at the Royal Capital again remained, the Kingdom couldn't withdraw.

I felt the situation had become troublesome.

"Oh, that's right. I wanted to give this to Duke Baroba, but it seems that will be difficult."

I took out the crown fragment that King Izard had entrusted to me.