A Reliable Ally

Queen Tianis took her seat again.

"Even if we honestly tell the surrounding nations about them, it's all too absurd for anyone to accept. That's the difficulty. Between Yupe-nee-san's negotiations and the fact that they attacked during the coronation when envoys were present, we haven't been directly criticized for our war against the Church of the Sun God… but there are still many people in other countries who believe they're a benevolent organization."

"That was likely one of the goals behind their soup kitchens and near-free medical care. If they'd simply been an evil group from the start, nations could have united against them. Instead, they've thoroughly disrupted any unified front."

"Exactly."

A deep sigh filled the room.

Queen Tianis was still just a girl, yet she carried herself with the weariness of an exhausted adult.

Not that anyone could blame her.

She had inherited the throne of the kingdom, one of the largest nations on the continent. The burden was immense.

"Well, look on the bright side. The empire, which we most needed cooperation from, is standing with us."

"Anatia-nee-san, you know the reason for that as well as anyone. The empire just wants a shield between itself and the Church of the Sun God. As long as the kingdom is the one fighting, the empire doesn't suffer any direct damage. They might even be waiting for both us and the Church of the Sun God to exhaust each other."

"That's not…"

Lady Anatia couldn't bring herself to say "not true."

She was young, yet she held the position of chancellor.

She couldn't afford to give the queen optimistic predictions.

"Dwelling only on worst-case scenarios won't help. At the very least, Emperor Kelves, while harsh, didn't strike me as a malicious person."

"That's right, you've met him in person, haven't you, Yohane?"

"Yes. When they made a request for food supplies, I delivered a large shipment of barley and the like. That shipment saved Emperor Kelves's neck, so he should owe us at least somewhat. Isn't the favorable treatment partly because of that?"

"Maybe… I hope so."

Getting involved in that affair had also been how we ended up being tasked with defending the gate.

Thank goodness Alexia had been there. No matter how strong they were, Azu and Elza alone couldn't have handled it.

That was when I truly learned that battlefields and monster hunting are completely different things.

Emperor Kelves himself had come across as a sharp and capable man.

He showed no mercy to enemies but was kind to competent allies.

There would be opportunities for advancement under him, but it would be a demanding life.

"All we can do from the Royal Capital is pray that Duke Baroba's Alsarm army succeeds. I've received word that they've completed preparations and are steadily advancing."

"Finally some good news… We held the concert to lift everyone's spirits, and they had to pick that very day."

"Same thing happened during the coronation. They clearly target these kinds of events. They must be calculating for maximum impact."

It was unbearable from the receiving end.

The massive spell that had rained down meteors and the whale that flew through the sky were both, frankly, just plain cheating.

No amount of tactics meant anything against threats like those.

A straightforward invasion would have been easier to deal with.

Silence settled over the room.

No matter how much we talked, our course of action was already set: support the Alsarm army while weathering the enemy's attacks from the Royal Capital.

And here I'd thought the concert would be a nice break.

Even Lady Anatia, who had looked so cheerful before, now wore a tense expression.

Then came a knock at the door.

The person who entered was Commander Mani, who oversaw the military.

"Apologies for the delay, Your Majesty. The cleanup is finished, the evacuation order has been lifted, and things are mostly back to normal. There were many people demanding an explanation, but since there were no injuries, we managed to get everyone to disperse for today."

"Understood. Thank you. Please let them know that an official statement will be issued in the coming days."

"Yes, ma'am! Evalin-dono… Thank you for protecting the Royal Capital. Without you, I can't imagine what would have happened."

"I don't mind. I don't particularly want humans to die, after all."

"Um…"

Unsure how to respond to that, Mani sent a helpless glance my way.

This was just how Evalin was.

She was the type to do things at her own pace and say exactly what she was thinking.

I whispered to Mani that trying to read hidden motives into her words would only give her headaches.

"Then I'll take my leave. We'll maintain a heightened security posture for a few days, just in case."

"Please do. And once things settle, make sure the soldiers get proper rest."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Mani departed.

The atmosphere shifted toward winding down.

Everyone except Azu was still in their dresses, and between the intense concert and the battle afterward, they had to be exhausted.

Right now, rest was the greatest reward.

"What will you do after this, Evalin-san?"

"I plan to return to the forest. I've finished what I came here for."

"The golems are handling the forest restoration, right? And the Wind Elemental Stone just needs to be left in place. If you'd like, why not stay in the kingdom for a while?"

Evalin was a mage who had single-handedly defended the entire Royal Capital, albeit with the help of the barrier.

I felt bad relying on her, but her presence fundamentally changed the security equation.

Just having her around would raise the soldiers' morale.

"Well…"

She actually paused to think, which was unusual.

Until now she'd seemed like the type to make instant decisions based on her own values, but apparently this warranted at least some deliberation.

"We'll arrange a room for you, and since it's been a long time since you've been in a city, why not enjoy yourself?"

"Maybe I will. But I don't have any human currency."

She had been entirely self-sufficient in the forest.

That had apparently been enough for her until now.

"We'll figure that out. Right, Your Majesty?"

"Y-yes. Hosting a benefactor is only natural. There's the matter of my debt of gratitude as well, so I'll make sure you don't have to worry about money."

Queen Tianis gave her approval.

I had been prepared to cover the costs myself if necessary, but it seemed I wouldn't need to dip into my own pocket.

"Though we'll need to do something about your clothes."

"Oh? Is something wrong with them?"

"They suit you very well, but there's a bit too much skin showing for walking around the Royal Capital."

She probably hadn't thought about it since there had been no one around to see her.

Evalin would be staying in one of the castle's guest rooms.

That was the most convenient option. Less hassle, and easier to reach her quickly if something came up.

With that, the discussion came to a close, and everyone prepared to leave.

Azu and Orleans looked drowsy.

"As promised, please take the instruments you played home with you. I'd love it if you could practice in your spare time so we can perform together again."

"Well, if you're giving them to us, I'll take it. It was pretty fun."

Finn said this while holding the case with her flute in it as if it were something precious.

She clearly had taken quite a liking to it.

Lady Anatia let out a small laugh, hiding her embarrassment.