Side: Mist Melt
It had been a little over two weeks since we parted ways with Yuki and his companions, quietly passing the time in this mansion within the royal capital.
There seemed to have been some sort of massive commotion at the royal castle recently. However, since we are officially registered as not present in this city, we could not afford to investigate the matter too closely. At most, we could only use the mansion's servants to gather general rumors about the state of the town.
We don't have any connections to probe inside the royal castle.
Well, we do have some, but only if we had allies. After such a major failure, we cannot believe we still have any allies. If we carelessly seek outside help, our situation would be exposed, and if Yuki's negotiations with the King failed, we could end up on the execution platform.
"Good grief, still not a single word from them... What do you think, Mist?"
It seemed that being cooped up inside the house for two straight weeks was finally wearing Onee-sama's patience, as she paced back and forth across the room before throwing that question my way.
"I have said this many times, Onee-sama, but judging by the whispers in the city, there is almost no doubt that Yuki and his group launched a raid on the royal castle."
"Yes, a lone man leading demi-humans to storm the castle could only possibly be him."
"And yet, Yuki's head has not been displayed on a spike, nor are there any rumors suggesting the royal castle has actually fallen. While we lack the finer details, he must be engaging in some form of prolonged negotiation with the King."
"...Negotiations. What on earth could they be discussing that would require this much time?"
"Who knows. He did mention that our disposition would be included in the terms. If Yuki has no intention of actually overthrowing the Jilva Empire, forcing various unreasonable demands through a formal bureaucracy is bound to take an immense amount of time."
"Honestly, why must he take such a tedious, roundabout approach? With their raw strength, they could easily suppress the entire royal castle by force. The King's lapdog, Air, is present, but even she would be absolutely no match for them."
"Yes, you are entirely correct, Onee-sama. However, doing so would merely plunge the nation into total chaos. Yuki's primary objective from the very beginning has strictly been to ensure that no one dares pick a fight with his faction ever again."
"...And we were the root cause of that provocation, weren't we?"
At those words, Onee-sama's head slumped downward in profound dejection.
"Still, I cannot comprehend why he would go to such lengths to shield us. If he simply cut us loose, the number of complications he would have to negotiate would decrease dramatically."
"You are already aware that Yuki intends to make use of the Jilva Empire, correct? ...Most likely, at least."
"Yes. And is that exactly why he chose to engage in baffling negotiations rather than just seizing the royal castle?"
"Precisely. In truth, it cannot actually be called a baffling choice at all."
"What do you mean by that?"
"First of all, even if the royal capital of the Jilva Empire were to fall, that does not mean the entirety of the empire would instantly submit to his rule."
"That is true."
"Indeed. On the contrary, the various nobles governing the remaining territories of the former Jilva Empire would either declare immediate independence or actively raise the banners of rebellion against Yuki's faction."
"That is incredibly easy to foresee."
"Therefore, he negotiates. By demonstrating an overwhelming display of power, he forces the Jilva Empire to formally recognize them, secures a significant degree of authority, and restrains them from acting hostile."
"...In other words, a diplomatic negotiation is simply the most convenient path for Yuki's goals?"
"Yes. And our political downfall is almost certainly viewed as a single component of that broader equation. If we are completely removed from power, it will inevitably trigger a chaotic scramble to select replacement Magic Sword wielders, a partition of our personal territories, and immediate invasions from hostile nations capitalizing on our absence. This exact same logistical collapse would occur even if Yuki had simply destroyed the capital."
"I see. From that perspective, Yuki stands to gain absolutely zero advantage by destabilizing Jilva. It is vastly more efficient for him to use Jilva as a shield while he moves freely about the continent."
In the end, Yuki and the others are taking the shortest possible actions to achieve their goals.
While we remain ignorant of his ultimate goals, it is clear that they wish to move across this continent entirely unhindered. Therefore, having the backing of the Jilva Empire — which has considerable territory and many friendly nations — would be extremely convenient.
They can have the Jilva Empire handle troublesome matters, so they are treated as honored guests of the empire. There is nothing more convenient.
"Even so, if he has successfully brought them to the negotiating table, shouldn't he have sent at least a single message to update us?"
"Well, that may be true... but considering how meticulously prepared Yuki always is, the fact that he has abstained from contacting us should be taken as a sign that the current situation is still precarious for our safety."
Normally, we would either have already lost our lives, become playthings, or barely escaped only to face punishment — a completely hopeless situation.
The current situation can only be called fortunate.
Even if negotiations fail, in the worst case we can escape using our powerful magic swords.
"...In the end, we have no choice but to wait, do we?"
Just as Onee-sama uttered those words while staring wistfully out the window, a sharp knock resonated against the door.
"Olive-sama, Mist-sama, a man identifying himself as Yuki is requesting an audience. His appearance perfectly matches the individual in question; shall I escort him inside?"
At those words from beyond the door, Onee-sama instantly throw the door open wide.
"Show him to the reception room at once!"
I rose from my chair and hurried after her.
"...Were there any imperial soldiers accompanying this Yuki?"
"No, there was no sign of any soldiers. He is accompanied by roughly three women who appear to be his personal attendants. One of them is a demi-human who bears no slave collar, so please exercise a degree of caution."
Hearing those specific details, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was indeed Yuki.
"...That demi-human, does she happen to be a fox?"
"Eh? Yes, that is correct."
"...I don't get along well with Kaya though??"
Onee-sama turned slightly pale upon hearing the servant's answer.
If I remembered correctly, Kaya-san was the one who had thoroughly beaten her.
Furthermore, she was a fellow vanguard who commanded the exact same element of fire, yet she had completely overwhelmed my sister despite the latter wielding a legendary Magic Sword.
It was only natural that she possessed a profound psychological aversion to her. In a sense, Yuki may have intentionally brought her along specifically to serve as a psychological restraint on my sister.
And when we opened the door to the reception room...
"My bad, I completely forgot all about you guys!"
There stood Yuki, offering a lighthearted, entirely casual smile.
....Did I perhaps give his intellect a bit too much credit?
However, after hearing his explanation, I realized my assessment had not been wrong.
I had never heard of an externally hired mercenary force possessing almost complete freedom of action, authority over war spoils, and official endorsement from the Jilva Empire—powers exceeding even those of us Magic Sword wielders.
Yet despite that, they still intended to fulfill their duties as mercenaries.
Apparently, they had accepted a mission to support Marley-sama's invasion of the Holy Nation of Enaria.
"...You really are outrageous as always. So, what became of our situation?"
Though exasperated, my sister immediately addressed the issue most important to us.
"Ah, that. Well, to preserve public appearances, there will be no official announcements or formal punishments leveled against you. The military losses in personnel and logistical supplies will be completely glossed over as well. The entire incident is being officially processed as a standard engagement against a massive horde of orcs."
"...To avoid disputes over our replacements and reactions from neighboring nations?"
"Oh, spot on. Though I'm guessing it was Mist who actually deduced that line of reasoning?"
"...Yes, it was."
"Thought so. Anyway, even if there won't be any official punishment, everyone in the upper ranks knows about this failure. If you return to the capital without any achievements to your name, there'll definitely be people complaining no matter how much the king and we keep them in line."
"That is undeniably true."
"And that's where this plan comes in. The two of you are to immediately coordinate with Marley, take command of the remaining 1,000 soldiers under your banner, and actively assist in the invasion of the Holy Nation of Enaria to secure definitive merits on the battlefield."
I see. So this is our designated path to thoroughly restore our lost trust and credibility. For the select members of the high command who currently look down upon us, there is no better method to force a total reassessment of our worth than a decisive display of military achievements on the battlefield.
"With this, the two of you are officially cleared of your status as my prisoners. You will be formally receiving royal decrees through myself and Marlie, allowing you to legally mobilize your military forces out in the open. This completely eliminates the need for you to awkwardly return to the royal castle to file failure reports. The next time you set foot in the royal capital, it will be strictly to report your glorious achievements from the Enaria campaign."
"...Do you think we can win?"
"Who knows? You never know how a battlefield will turn out. But from your perspective, you'd better give it your all, right?"
"You clearly don't believe we'll lose in the slightest... Still, this is good news for us."
"Indeed, Onee-sama."
Indeed, if they become our allies, their combat strength will be more than sufficient.
Achieving results with our own strength is important, but if we fall from grace, it would also trouble Yuki and the others. So they will surely help us in ways that benefit us.
"Then we shall place our trust in you."
"If we can rely on your strength, defeat is impossible. Besides, you'll be helping us in whatever way benefits us most, won't you?"
When I asked that, Yuki made a slightly troubled expression.
"Well, it's true that it'd be a pain if you two got removed. I'll do what I can to prevent that, but I can't do everything, you know? For example, I can't fly."
"""You could, couldn't you?"""
Instantly, a unified chorus of sharp retorts erupted from Ria, Jessica, and Kaya standing right beside him.
So, he can fly... Wait, what!?
""Jessica!?""
"You only noticed now?"
What are you doing, returning so openly to this capital!?
"At present, His Majesty has entrusted me with the role of negotiator for dealings with Yuki."
"...Yuki really works people hard." (Kaya)
"...I won't deny that." (Jessica)
"Hey, that's a terrible way to put it."
However, with this our necks are safe.
No, in truth, our grueling labor was only just beginning, but I felt a profound sense of relief knowing that we had successfully navigated the immediate, terrifying crisis threatening our lives.
Our next destination is the Holy Nation of Enaria...
There should be multiple magic sword users there, just like us.
Even with Yuki's staggering power at our disposal, it will undoubtedly prove to be an exceptionally fierce campaign.
