“Thank you for coming all this way. Let's get right to the main topic.”
Ian hung a large map on the wall for everyone to see.
“As you all know, the rebels have made their move.”
The location of the rebels was in the south.
Covering a vast granary region in the south, it was situated on the outskirts of the Empire.
“Originally, the southern region was limited by the Verdès territory, preventing further expansion.
However, this time, they have changed their direction.”
The capital of the Empire was located in the center of the Empire's territory.
To attack the capital, one had to break through the Verdès territory.
The Verdès territory, guarded by the prestigious Verdès family, had always been a place of reassurance.
However, the rebels had now shifted their path.
“The rebels are now heading east, towards the Liberion Academy.”
The largest territory in the east of the Empire was actually where the Liberion Academy was located.
Always bustling with students, professors, and other staff, it had developed commercially and was virtually a demilitarized zone, making it a safe haven that attracted many people.
“I've already informed Principal McDowell of the Academy, and the Academy is now in a defensive stance.”
This was the very reason Gracie was here.
People in high positions like Cromwell and McDowell were all preparing to counter the rebels.
So, it was safer to send Gracie, the junior professor, to a secure place.
Although Gracie had shown exceptional performance with Rudy and Yuni as assistants, she was not ready to prepare for war.
The Emperor opened his mouth upon hearing this.
“Could the rebels merely be feigning an attack on the Academy?”
“Your Majesty is correct. We have prepared for the possibility of a large rebel force moving towards any territory. Surrounding territories are all in a state of combat readiness, so they can immediately assist if another territory is attacked.”
Ian then placed pins on the map, indicating these territories.
Rie, who had been watching, raised her hand.
“Princess Rie, please go ahead.”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})“Isn't there a possibility that the enemy diverts our attention with a large force and then captures other territories with a smaller one?”
If forces are redirected to counter the rebels on the outskirts, the inner territories become vulnerable.
“Even if they attack from behind, it's essentially meaningless, Princess. By doing so, the rebels, even if they capture a territory, will only end up surrounded by the Empire's forces from both the outer and central regions.”
Even if the rebels capture a territory, it can be quickly retaken, resulting in greater losses for them.
“There’s no need to attack just to capture a territory.”
Rie calmly countered Ian's statement.
“What do you mean by that?”
“The Persia territory.”
The Persia territory was a region located in the southeast.
The rebels were separated from the rest by a mountain range, marking a natural boundary.
Ian frowned.
“Princess Rie, you know we can't move troops in that direction.”
“But that very point could be what they're exploiting.”
Ian, visibly annoyed, ran his hand through his hair.
“Don’t be unreasonable. We’re engaged in war here, not personal feelings. I wish you would not let personal sentiments cloud your judgment.”
It was a well-known fact that Rie had persuaded Astina at the Academy, turning the neutral Persia House into an ally of the Emperor.
Their close relationship was no secret to those present.
However, Rie's considerations were not emotional.
“My thoughts are not driven by personal feelings. As you all know, the Persia territory is a massive warehouse storing grain from the south and a market handling its distribution. Imagine the consequences if it suffers major damage.”
War is not fought by troops alone.
If you have troops, you need food.
Besides, part of the mission is to provide relief to civilians affected by the war.
In the current war, the objective isn't to attack a territory but to defend against attacks.
Damage is inevitable.
Even if we completely defeat the rebels, there will be no spoils of war to gain.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})But for Ian, the Royal army's commander, such considerations were unnecessary.
His only goal was victory.
Even if the rebels inflicted damage on the Persia territory, the loss of troops was a certainty.
As long as Persia territory isn't captured, it's more advantageous to inflict troop casualties.
Even if some citizens starve to death, the war itself can still be won.
“So, Princess Rie, are you suggesting we deploy troops near Persia territory, not where the large rebel force is moving?”
Ian's sarcasm was met with a sly smile from Rie.
“The Astria House will provide the means of transportation.”
“…What?”
“Spatial magic. We’ll supply magical artifacts inscribed with spatial magic around the territory, allowing key personnel to be transported directly to Persia territory.”
Spatial magic, a specialty of the Astria House.
Only the head of the house could use this magic, but there was a way to enable others to use it too.
Magical artifacts.
If the head of the Astria House created these artifacts, others could use them too.
“Are you suggesting the Astria House provide these magical artifacts now?”
“Perrian Astria, the current head of the Astria House, isn’t particularly busy with other matters. So, he could create these artifacts for our use.”
“Princess Lia…”
“Hmm…”
Rie's suggestion stirred the room.
Spatial magic artifacts were items the Astria House had never released before.
They weren't nonexistent, but they came with astronomical prices, and even if one could afford them, the House was not inclined to sell.
From the Astria House’s perspective, there was no financial issue necessitating their sale, so there was no reason to offer them.
“We should use a different method.”
Ian sharply interrupted Rie's words.
Rie laughed incredulously at him.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})“Didn’t you say it yourself, Commander? This is war. Isn't it biased to let personal feelings influence decisions?”
“There are plenty of ways to win without that method. It's an overinvestment.”
“How can you equate investing in people's lives to a matter of money?”
“Even lives have their value. If there were weapons in the Persia territory capable of defeating the rebels, I’d protect it, but it’s just food. And not even a growing area, but a distribution center.”
“If that distribution is disrupted, not only the people in Persia territory but also those in the north and west could starve to death.”
“That's a concern for later. Right now, winning the war is the priority.”
Ian and Rie's voices grew increasingly louder.
Yet no one around them dared to intervene.
On one side stood a potential leader of the nobility, on the other, a future Emperor.
Getting involved in a clash of titans could be dangerous.
Amidst this silence, someone cautiously raised their hand.
“Um…”
It was Gracie, raising her hand timidly.
The others were shocked to see Gracie, the junior professor of the Academy, attempting to interject in their argument.
“Uh, what if the people from the Academy also help defend the Persia territory…?”
“Professor Gracie?”
“Can the Academy do that?”
Gracie smiled awkwardly.
“Well… the Persia territory and the Academy are connected by a mountain range, so there's actually a fairly accessible path…”
Rie frowned at Gracie's words.
“But even so, if we wait until we hear of an attack, won’t it be too late?”
“Professor Cromwell… No, Vice-Principal Cromwell could move quickly. It might be possible with him…”
Ian nodded with a satisfied smile.
“Vice-Principal Cromwell is trustworthy. Isn’t he also your mentor, Astina?”
Astina nodded, her expression complex.
“Still, we must prepare in advance since we don’t know the extent of the enemy’s forces.”
“Are you saying you don’t trust Cromwell? You were also trained by him, weren’t you? Is such an expert not enough?”
Just as Ian and Rie were about to resume their argument, a man next to them raised his hand.
“Let’s stop here. This seems to be enough.”
A middle-aged man in a neat robe and wearing glasses.
Keln Rinsburg, the head elementalist.
“I understand the concerns of Princess Rie, and I get what Ian is saying. Arguing like this won’t solve anything, so may I make a suggestion?”
Ian nodded.
“Go ahead.”
“I will go to the Persia territory.”
Keln smiled.
"I can move quickly to the territory using elementals. Therefore, I will wait in the Persia territory, and if a battle breaks out in a nearby territory, I will move there."
“Is the Head Elementalist himself going?”
Rie asked, surprised.
The Royal Head Elementalist and the Head wizard were famous for their reluctance to move.
They were figures who seemed almost uninterested in worldly affairs.
They possessed great power but didn’t interfere in politics, only appearing in the academic world, where they focused on research.
“However, I would like to have one person to assist me. As I've aged, I find it difficult to move around on my own.”
Rie smiled and nodded.
“Yes, we will assign a maid from the palace to serve you…”
“No. How could I go to a battlefield with someone who can't defend themselves?”
“…Excuse me?”
“Assign my daughter, Serina Rinsburg, to me. As family, she is most convenient, and being powerful, she will have no problems handling any situation.”
People whispered among themselves at Keln’s words.
“Serina Rinsburg... wasn’t she the one who almost killed the second son of the Astria House?”
“I heard she’s imprisoned…”
The people were unaware that Serina was currently part of the royal secret service.
The names in the secret service were always highly classified.
However, Keln seemed to know exactly where Serina was.
Rie looked at Keln, her expression confused.
“I can't do anything about that…”
That’s when the Emperor spoke up.
“I will permit it.”
“Heh, Your Majesty, don’t forget to reduce her sentence if my daughter contributes to the war effort.”
“I understand. Don’t worry about that; just focus on the war.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Reducing her sentence meant releasing her from the secret service.
While Rie found it beneficial to use a talented individual like Serina in the secret service, she had no say once the Emperor made his decision.
“And.”
The Emperor shifted his gaze to Ian.
“What is the head of the Astria House doing? As you said, the Empire is in a state of war. Why is Perrian Astria cooped up in his house?”
“My father has delegated the duties of the head to me…”
“There must have been a council meeting. You are a contender for the succession, not the confirmed successor. It's acceptable for you to take on some duties of the head, but not all of them.”
The Emperor narrowed his eyes and stood up.
“Inform Perrian Astria to return within three days.”
“…Understood, Your Majesty.”
Ian bowed his head in response.
Even if the Astria House held a high status, it was still a ducal house under the Emperor.
Until now, the Emperor had turned a blind eye to certain matters, but he wouldn’t let this situation slide.
“It seems this is the only matter worth discussing, so let's conclude the meeting. Report the rest in writing.”
“…Understood.”
“Oh, and.”
The Emperor looked towards Gracie, who was standing to the side.
"I heard you're the junior professor, quite a bold one at that. Much better than the nobles who just watched the fight unfold."
"Me? Yes?"
Gracie displayed a bewildered expression at the sudden praise directed at her.
"Thinking that someone like you teaches at the Academy brightens the future of the Empire. I trust you’ll do well both in this war and in your future teaching."
"Your Majesty, I am immensely honored!!!"
Gracie bowed her head in surprise.
The Emperor nodded with satisfaction and then headed out of the conference room.
"Well, I shall take my leave now."
"Professor~ You were amazing today~."
"What, amazing?... I don’t even know what I said there…"
"Hey, you were really cool when you just raised your hand and said, ‘Stop everything!’"
"When did I ever say that?"
"What? You don’t remember?"
"I didn't actually say that!"
After the meeting,
Gracie and Yuni were chatting nearby.
"So, will you be staying in the capital for a while?"
"No, I’m going to be moving with the Royal Army…"
"With the Royal Army?"
"Since the Academy is in a dangerous situation, someone from the Academy needs to represent our position to the Royal Army."
"That sounds tough~."
"We have to endure it... Others will have it even harder."
Gracie felt grateful to Cromwell.
The Academy was now entering a state of war, a tremendously dangerous situation.
In the midst of it, Cromwell had extracted the youngest professor, Gracie, to the safest place.
Being a spokesperson for the Royal Army was an incredibly important position from the Academy's perspective.
The spokesperson had to understand the situation on the front and negotiate for appropriate reinforcements based on their position.
Yet, the Academy had sent Gracie there.
This move was to prevent the junior professor Gracie from being exposed to the war.
It was evident that the professors cared for Gracie, despite how hard they made her work.
"Professor."
That’s when Astina called out to Gracie.
"It’s time to leave. You should start packing."
"Ah, okay! Yuni, I'll see you later."
"Take care."
Yuni smiled warmly and waved at Gracie.
After exchanging farewells with Gracie, Yuni turned and walked away.
Hidden from view, Rie was there.
"You could have at least said goodbye"
"Was there any need to do that?"
Rie replied with a blank expression to Yuni's comment.
"Ah! Are you upset because I interrupted you earlier?"
"Absolutely not."
"Seems like you are~."
"I’m not."
Rie narrowed her brows in response and looked in the direction Gracie had left.
However, she wasn’t looking at Gracie.
Her gaze was fixed on Astina, who had called Gracie.
'It should be alright.'
Rie watched Astina’s retreating figure with a complex expression.
