The meeting took place within a section of the city wall, inside a flanking tower protecting the city gate.
Inside the round room, built of heavy stone, were only two men wearing armor.
One was Humphrey, a bowman who had been thought to be kidnapped by the undead, only to reappear unexpectedly with shocking news.
The other man appeared to be nearing his forties. He wore gleaming orichalcum armor of a bluish-black hue. The dark blue tassels adorning it were a privilege granted only to the Royal Knight Commanders. Although he possessed the toned physique of a soldier, his neatly styled black hair somehow appeared unkempt.
This was none other than Bartille Lagerbeck, Commander of the Second Knight Order.
Bartille placed his hand on the Visioner, a magical communication device, sitting on the table. He was activating the device, calling out to its paired counterpart.
This Visioner was something Humphrey had brought back. Unlike a Caller, a Visioner had the ability to project an illusion of the user, allowing the person on the other end of the call to see them.
It seemed convenient, being able to convey nuances that were difficult to express through voice alone… but in reality, if the people communicating were close enough for such a device to work, they could just meet and talk in person. It was a magic item with very little practical use.
However, at this particular moment, it was extremely useful.
Visioners were used for meetings between enemy commanders on the battlefield, allowing them to see each other’s faces without the risk of meeting in person.
Less than thirty seconds after activating the Visioner, a silhouette of light appeared on the opposite side of the table from Bartille.
From Bartille’s perspective, he had to look down at the figure due to the difference in their heights.
She had silver hair and silver eyes, a combination considered cursed in this country… yet, they were also strikingly beautiful and ethereal.
Her face retained a childlike innocence, but her posture suggested that she had learned the proper bearing of a noble. The slight awkwardness in her movements could be chalked up to her youth. She wore a pure white dress, but the skirt was adorned with an ominous and sinister depiction of a red rose.
—This girl was the “Rose Princess of Hellrage”…?
It was hard to believe she was the monster currently on the verge of destroying Ciel-Terra.
The illusion projected by the Visioner was reaching out, as if to place her hand over Bartille’s. It seemed she too was in the depths of her own camp, touching a Visioner placed on a table. Upon closer inspection, her illusion’s feet were floating in the air. Was she using a footstool, or was the table on her side lower than Bartille’s?
Bartille, momentarily stunned, quickly collected himself and bowed.
“I am Bartille Lagerbeck, Commander of the Second Knight Order of the Kingdom of Ciel-Terra. Although it may not be visible on the Visioner, Humphrey, who brought back your message earlier, is also present.”
“I am Renée ‘Rosy as a Rose’ Luvia Ciel-Terra. I am at a loss for words to express my gratitude for your willingness to respond to my sudden request.”
The illusory girl kept one hand on the device, while using the other to lift her skirt in a curtsy.
“Earlier, it connected for a moment but then cut off…”
“Ah, my apologies. The connection was not working from the Knight Order’s headquarters, so I moved to a closer location and tried again.”
By saying this, he was practically revealing his location, but he doubted she would suddenly unleash magic at him.
Besides, the city wall’s magical defenses were quite formidable. At the very least, they should hold long enough for Bartille to withstand the first strike and escape.
“Oh, I see… I am terribly sorry to have troubled you to come all this way for the sake of the Visioner.”
“No, it is no trouble at all. Please do not worry yourself.”
Renée seemed genuinely apologetic, and Bartille found himself feeling guilty for his own ruthless calculations.
“Before we proceed, I would like to confirm that there is no possibility of this conversation being overheard by others?”
“…While I cannot say it is completely impossible, the risk is extremely low. This room is treated as a frontline command center and is subject to detection interference, blocking magical eavesdropping and spying.
As for physical eavesdropping, it is also unlikely. Only Humphrey and I are in this room, and there is no one else around.”
“Really? Not the King’s brother who claims the throne… the First Knight Commander… anyone from the Temple… or any other guards… no one is listening?”
Renée seemed less suspicious and more anxious.
She appeared like a child afraid of the dark, a sight that evoked a sense of protectiveness even though he knew she was a transcendent undead monster.
“Yes. As a warrior, I have some confidence in my ability to detect the presence of those who hide themselves.”
“I see…”
Seeing Renée’s relief, Bartille felt a slight pang of guilt.
“I understand. Then let us proceed to the main topic. …Although, I imagine you have already guessed my request. I want you to betray the usurper, Hilbert, and join my cause.”
Here it comes, Bartille thought.
He had anticipated it, but hearing it spoken aloud made his heart feel as though it were being gripped tightly. To betray the current king, who had ascended to the throne through a coup d’état, and assassinate him…
“I have no desire for needless bloodshed. Whether this country thrives or falls after my revenge is of no interest to me. If you do not wish for chaos and seek only the peace of this land, then our interests should align in the single point of ending the battle quickly.”
Renée placed her hand on her chest and spoke pleadingly. Bartille maintained a poker face as he observed her. He couldn’t fully trust her words, but what other undead would speak like this? She gave the impression of a wise and reasonable child.
It pained him to think that such a child had been brutally beheaded in the frenzy of the coup. However, he did not let his emotions sway him into nodding his head.
“Frankly speaking, I have two concerns. First, is the defeat of Ciel-Terra truly unavoidable? And will you truly refrain from harming the people? Unless these are guaranteed, my betrayal will result in harm to the country.”
“Naturally. But if I may return your words…”
He thought he saw a fleeting, cold glint in her silver eyes for a brief moment. Renée smiled. Mischievously.
““If you ask, ‘Is the defeat of Ciel-Terra truly unavoidable?’ then I must ask, ‘Do you truly believe you can defeat me?’””
“Ugh…!!”
Bartille was at a loss for words.
He had already seen the extent of her power. The breaking of the barrier. The holy barrier, woven together by the combined power of over thirty holy magic users, was shattered by Renée with a single attack spell.
Her subsequent victory in the aerial battle was also impressive, but it gave the impression that she was still holding back. It was likely that she was just waiting for the magical power used to break the barrier to recover. Had she been at full strength, she probably could have shot down all the Sky Cavalry with long-range magical attacks alone.
“From that perspective, the current battle is merely a sideshow. No matter how many lives of your soldiers you expend, I will sweep them aside effortlessly. There are likely not many warriors capable of defeating me.”
“You do not say there are none, then.”
It was bold of her to call knights, who were supposed to be combat specialists, mere soldiers, but he did not consider it boasting. It was simply the truth.
Even Bartille, who commanded the Second Knight Order and possessed power befitting his position, did not feel confident in his ability to defeat Renée in a one-on-one fight.
—But perhaps Lawrence could?
“The reverse is also true. The outcome of this battle will likely be determined by a direct confrontation between myself and the First Knight Commander. By witnessing that battle, you should be able to understand what you must do.”
If anyone could defeat the “Rose Princess of Hellrage,” it would be Lawrence and no one else. Bartille agreed with that sentiment.
“If we preserve our allied forces until the final battle, we will have an advantage in the decisive engagement. I, for one, would like to keep as many of my forces intact as possible in order to fight in peak condition. And you… if the Second Knight Order remains unharmed, you should be able to exert significant power regardless of which side you support. The First Knight Commander has defeated me before. Are you familiar with the tactics used at that time?”
“Yes.”
He couldn’t possibly be unaware. It was Lawrence and the First Knight Order who had fought Renée, but it was Bartille himself who had devised the tactic.
—If I were to assign the Second Knight Order to support Lawrence… could we replicate the same feat even if the First Knight Order were annihilated?
Lawrence was a warrior of exceptional power, far surpassing Bartille. However, the individual knights under his command were not inferior to those of the First Knight Order.
Bartille’s mind raced with calculations. Possible changes in the situation. Renée’s own power. The undead army. It was something he didn’t want to think about, but if he abandoned the idea of protecting the citizens from the undead soldiers and focused all his efforts on protecting Hilbert and supporting Lawrence, could they defeat Renée…? No, even if they couldn’t defeat her, if they could repel her, reinforcements from Noacurio should arrive in time.
“As long as the Second Knight Order remains intact, shouldn’t you be able to observe and decide which side to support until the very last moment?”
“In other words, you are suggesting that it would be in both our interests to wait and see?”
Instead of saying “Betray him,” she was saying “I will give you time to consider whether it is worth betraying him.”
“The Second Knight Order will not destroy the undead soldiers, and the undead soldiers will not kill the Second Knight Order. That is the premise. I do not consider the Second Knight Order to be a target for active elimination. I have no desire to kill them unnecessarily. I believe that ending the battle quickly is a result that aligns with both our intentions.”
And then silence fell. If defeating Renée was the primary objective, then waiting and seeing was out of the question, and joining forces with the First Knight Order would be the best course of action, but…
Renée looked up at Bartille with a slightly tense expression. She appeared to be nothing more than a pitiful girl putting on a brave face as the “strongest undead” and confronting a mighty nation. Within Bartille’s mind, various calculations and simulations of future actions were running.
“…As for the matter of not harming the people, you will simply have to trust me. I have already taken many lives, but fortunately, I am calm at this moment. I have no desire to engage in needless killing. I ask that you consider the fact that I have not taken the lives of any non-combatants in the fighting up to this point today as proof of my intentions.”
“Hmm…”
“As a further gesture of good faith, how about I withdraw the undead soldiers stationed on the western road, opposite my main camp? Those who wish to evacuate from the capital can use this route.”
Words he had never expected came from Renée. Bartille was taken aback.
“What…? You would abandon the advantage of a complete encirclement?”
“It is more important that I earn your trust.”
—Perhaps this is the right time…
Bartille judged that it would be better to create a point of compromise around here, rather than trying to extract further concessions from Renée. A breakdown in negotiations would lead to nothing.
“…Very well. For now, I will agree to wait and see.”
“Thank you!”
Renée’s face brightened. She seemed deeply moved.
“But this is strictly a wait-and-see approach. I will act in the best interests of this country’s future. Please do not forget that.”
“Yes, I understand. In order to maintain closer cooperation, I may need to contact you again as necessary. I hope for your cooperation at that time.”
“Understood. Please do not break your promise. …Ah, and one last question, if I may.”
“What is it?”
Bartille couldn’t help but ask, even though he thought it might sour her mood. It was out of curiosity, a desire to understand Renée’s character a little better.
“Why did you withdraw your troops?”
He felt that continuing the battle was a viable option, but Renée had withdrawn her troops after leaving a single wyvern corpse as a souvenir, returning to a stalemate. He was curious about her intentions.
Renée answered without any sign of hesitation.
“After witnessing your valiant efforts, I realized that this would not be a simple matter, and I thought it would be better to negotiate with you rather than continue the attack.”
“…I see.”
So, the First Knight Order was killed because they sided with the coup, and the Second Knight Order was spared because they did not actively participate…? The Second Knight Order had not fought on the side of the former king, and among the individual knights, there were members of the First Knight Order who doubted the current situation, as well as members of the Second Knight Order who fervently supported Hilbert. Renée’s actions up to this point seemed simple and straightforward, yet they were also somewhat unnatural.
Was the initial attack a demonstration to draw him to the negotiating table? Was that why the Second Knight Order was spared…? Bartille thought, but he said nothing further. In negotiations like these, it was customary to maintain a facade of courtesy while acknowledging the mutual deception.
—If she showed some embarrassment at having her weak point exposed, it might have been endearing… but she’s capable of this level of manipulation. It’s quite unpleasant, really.
If everything was calculated, it was an unnerving level of cunning for a child. It was certainly not something a ten-year-old should be capable of. …Well, a normal ten-year-old wouldn’t be resurrected as an undead after being killed by a guillotine, but that was beside the point. Bartille thought it would be dangerous to assume she was a child acting on impulse and emotion.
“I understand. Then, let us conclude for now.”
“Yes. I pray that your choice leads to the result you desire.”
When Bartille bowed and raised his head, the connection to the Visioner had already been severed.
After confirming that the Visioner’s effect had indeed ended, Bartille immediately pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket.