[My goal is to eliminate the current emperor of the Empire and Crown Prince Maximilian at precisely the right moment.]
Ella, who had spoken of treason, tilted her head at me as I kept my lips firmly shut.
[Even if those men are treating you somewhat well right now and making good use of you…… you do agree that the two of them are horrific sadists in the end, don’t you?]
“……”
It was an undeniable fact.
When I considered Princess Himiko’s miserable state, the wretched condition of the hostages, the useless resources being poured into keeping those hostages in a state neither dead nor alive, and the fact that all of it was done purely for amusement… they were certainly monsters devoid of blood or tears.
But that did not mean I could readily nod along to treason.
I was happy right now, and it was not as though I had been driven to the point of having that happiness shattered.
Whether my conscience pricked a little or not, I could simply shut my eyes to it and remain happy on my own.
I deliberately changed the subject.
“Then why isn’t First Princess Victoria included among the targets for elimination? When it comes to being mad for war, she’s hardly insignificant.”
At my question, Ella let out a small, amused chuckle.
“Ah, Princess Victoria? She isn’t a target for elimination. In my view, she’s merely the sword of the Empire. She isn’t the one wielding the sword, but the sword itself.”
“Even though she enjoys war quite a bit herself?”
[A sword has neither eyes nor thoughts, you know. The reason she enjoys war so much is simply that the battlefield is the only place where she can prove her existence and worth. If no one gives her orders or points her in a direction, she lacks the caliber to devise a plan and run the Empire herself. Once the emperor and the crown prince disappear, she’ll be nothing more than a sword with a dulled edge.]
“……”
[Besides, if we eliminate Princess Victoria as well, we have to consider the possibility that some troops might run wild in revenge for her death, since she has a certain amount of popularity within the military. Especially the cavalry units that fought alongside her.]
It was an accurate insight.
When I recalled the lonely figure of the First Princess awkwardly lingering at the edge of the ballroom, she was merely a chess piece on a vast chessboard, not the player.
When I continued to remain silent, Ella added in a leisurely voice.
[I’m not asking you to give me an answer right away. We still have some time, so think it over carefully. It’s not as though I’m in a position to act immediately, either.]
“You have time?”
[Yes. My plan has one important precondition. The Empire’s expedition against the Laurent Kingdom, which will begin as soon as spring arrives next year, must fail without fail. If the Empire succeeds in its offensive with overwhelming force, my entire scheme will collapse. It is essential that the Laurent Kingdom withstands at least one of the Empire’s attacks and holds out.]
“The spring expedition must fail once, and the war must drag on….”
I began rapidly calculating the continent’s political situation, the weather, and the timing of the army’s movements in my head.
‘If the expedition that begins in spring stretches beyond spring into summer, and the Laurent Kingdom manages to hold out until then—’
Then the Empire’s main army would become bogged down on the western front.
The seasons would change. Summer would arrive, noncombat losses among the troops would increase, and the time would come when their provisions began to run low.
‘Wait, then—’
In that instant, an idiom from my former world, Earth, flashed through my mind.
‘Cheongomaebi—天高馬肥.’
The sky is high, and the horses grow fat.
In modern South Korea, the phrase is used with the leisurely sense that autumn weather is pleasant and there is plenty to eat, making it a good time to put on weight. But that was not what the phrase originally meant.
It meant that the northern Xiongnu had fattened their horses and that the time had come for them to cross the border and descend to plunder—so beware.
“……Autumn. Are you planning to begin the war in the north during autumn?”
[Ahahaha! Excellent! This is exactly why I wanted to speak with you rather than any of those other people!]
Ella continued, delighted as if she might burst into applause.
[That’s right. When the fields turn golden with grain, and instead of being summoned to the battlefield, the soldiers are holding sickles in preparation for the harvest. To launch a surprise attack when they are most off guard and most prosperous, seize everything, and cut off their very breath. That is the way of war practiced by the nomadic peoples of old. The Empire, which can hardly be considered a nomadic people anymore, must have forgotten its roots, but our harsh north remembers them to the bone.]
Upon hearing her words, I understood everything.
Autumn, just before the harvest—under ordinary circumstances, the Empire could drag things out and slowly starve the north, whose supplies would be lacking. But if the crops had yet to be harvested, the situation would be somewhat different.
The Empire would be forced to choose between giving the north its food or burning it all so that no one could eat it, thereby destroying the people’s support.
[With its main army tied down on the western front, the Empire will let down its guard in autumn, just before the harvest. That is when the north will begin an all-out war and cross the border. And if, at precisely that moment, we eliminate the emperor and crown prince simultaneously within the imperial palace? The Empire will fall into irreversible chaos and ultimately suffer a crushing defeat in this war.]
There was a chilly certainty in Ella’s voice.
[The Empire will suffer enormous losses and lose even the ability to expand its territory. For a while, it will be desperate simply to maintain the status quo. If that happens, a tense standoff will continue across the continent for at least a hundred years, and peace will come.]
It was an astonishing strategy.
The north had to invade at exactly the right time, the Laurent Kingdom had to hold out until autumn, and the emperor and crown prince had to be assassinated inside the imperial palace at precisely the right moment. It relied on an absurd premise in which every condition had to fall perfectly into place. But if it succeeded, it was a strategy that could change history.
And the more incredible it was, the greater the questions in my mind became.
“……After hearing all this, I find myself wanting to ask even more. Why tell this entire plan to me, of all people? I am merely a powerless hostage in this vast Empire.”
The Grand Duchess of the North answered my challenge without hesitation.
“Because it has to be you, Prince.”
“…….”
[You underestimate yourself, Prince Ian. Among all the hostages who have come to the Empire, not a single one has penetrated this deeply into the heart of the Empire the way you have. That is why there was no one but you—someone who could become my ally.]
The Grand Duchess’s voice grew serious.
[Do you happen to know about golden retrievers? They’re golden hunting dogs famous for being friendly toward people.]
“I know them well if you mean Chapchu.”
[Is that what they’re called in your homeland, Prince? In any case, if you know them, the analogy will be convenient. A retriever is a large dog used for hunting, and a very dangerous animal, but no one is wary of retrievers. They are, after all, exceptionally obedient and harmless toward people.]
“……”
[And yet, when an accident occurs, a golden retriever can be the most dangerous of all. People keep an eye on ordinary vicious dogs, but far more often, they never expect a retriever to attack. That is what I am counting on.]
“I suppose that’s true… but I have no intention of risking my life for your sake.”
[I’m not asking you to risk your life. You only need to remain an observer, and act as my ally once, at a crucial moment. I’ll take care of those who are willing to risk their lives.]
“Why me, of all people?”
[This is a grand plan I spent years painstakingly devising, with the feeling of spitting blood. And the final missing piece on that board…… is you. With your arrival in the Empire, I finally gained a chance to attempt it at all.]
“……”
[I didn’t come here expecting an answer today. As I said before, this plan depends on how the Empire’s spring expedition turns out. For now, I’ll come looking for you again after the expedition ends.]
“Grand Duchess….”
[I truly enjoyed our conversation today. Get plenty of rest.]
As her final farewell scattered beside my ears, the silver radiance that had grotesquely colored Artur’s eyes slowly faded away, like water draining from a basin.
“U, uhm…….”
After blinking for a moment, Artur’s eyes returned to their original deep violet, and his expression became vacant.
As though he had no memory at all of what he had done just moments ago, he vigorously scratched the back of his head with his massive hand.
“Huh, w-what? What was I doing here just now? I think I told you to wash up and go to sleep…….”
“……Yes. Your Highness was just about to leave, saying that I should have a good night.”
“Ah, aah. Right, that’s it. I must be out of it from being tired after enjoying parties one after another lately. Haha! In any case, watch out for muscle loss, and I’ll see you tomorrow. Sleep well.”
“Yes. Good night, Your Highness.”
The Second Prince, who knew nothing, rubbed his neck, closed the door, and stepped outside.
The click of the closing door rang out unusually loudly and heavily tonight.
“……”
An empty, dark room.
I could do nothing but stand alone on the carpet damp with sweat, sunk in deep thought.
The enormous wheel bearing the fate of the continent had begun to turn slowly, designating me, for some unknown reason, as its final cog.
I knew instinctively that, having learned this much, I could never return to the way things had been.
And that I would have to make a choice.