Side: Holy King Enaria VII – Enaria Holy Kingdom
"...This Magic Sword... is genuine?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"There is no mistake."
We were currently holding a heavily guarded meeting with General Prism, who had returned with almost no losses despite failing to reclaim Betan, along with General Wooly and the reinforcements he had led.
Initially, we were astonished to hear that they had returned without reclaiming the Betan region, but after hearing the full context, we had no choice but to nod in understanding.
An unknown army had appeared. If our forces had blindly launched an attack and committed hostile acts, that army might have allied with Jilva, plunging us into an even more disadvantageous situation.
Above all, the entity leading those monsters was a Minotaur—a creature of legend.
Fortunately, unlike the legends, he spoke our language and seemed to dislike unnecessary strife. He did not attack General Prism or General Wooley's troops without cause. In fact, despite General Prism having seized supplies from within the ruins they occupied, the Minotaur handled the matter amicably.
The crowning touch was that, while they held General Aegil as a hostage until the supplies were returned, they entrusted a mountain of Magic Swords and legendary armaments to the generals as proof of good faith.
"Furthermore, regardless of aptitude, even I can wield this..."
"Yes. Under normal circumstances, hand-delivering such armaments so casually is simply unthinkable."
"Which leaves only two possibilities. Either even weapons like these are insignificant to them... or they are displaying genuine goodwill toward us. That is why, despite them being monsters, we honored our promise and came to seek Your Majesty's judgment as knights and nobles entrusted with protecting the people."
Indeed, even I could wield this Magic Sword... Such weapons had never existed before. When I hold the sword and focus, flames emerge... I can probably generate even larger flames depending on my will.
It is clear that clashing with the monster army that so casually handed over these weapons would be extremely unwise.
These generals have not made any blunders... Though an unforeseen event had prevented them from achieving their original objective, this discovery carried far greater significance than reclaiming stolen territory.
"...Fumu. I understand the situation. Normally, failing to accomplish the main objective would warrant punishment, but any king who would punish a general after beholding this Magic Sword and these armaments would be a complete fool."
As I spoke, the Prime Minister, who was listening alongside me, nodded in agreement.
"I completely agree, Your Majesty. We do not know whether these weapons are manufactured by those monsters or merely owned by them, but by preserving the possibility of negotiations instead of becoming enemies, they have secured benefits for Enaria far greater than simply retaking Betan."
"In that case, we must open negotiations with this monster army immediately and invite them to our Holy Kingdom."
"Yes. While the populace may experience some initial confusion, many regions within our realm already keep Goblins and Orcs for labor. If we present it under a similar framing, it should pose no major issue."
"...Fumu. Is there a risk of offending this Minotaur? What are your thoughts, Hein? As someone who has spoken directly with the Minotaur?"
Hein had been my trusted companion ever since my younger days on the battlefield.
In this matter, his performance was as expected of Hein. According to the report, he had ridden out to negotiate with the monster army accompanied by only a handful of guards.
He truly is a bold man.
"Let us see. Based on my observations of General Minotaur and the Orc Vice-General, their subordinates are disciplined, and they treated us with great courtesy, accounting for our lack of familiarity with monsters. As long as we do not inflict actual harm upon them, he is a figure... or rather, a monster, who will let minor slights slide. That said, if anyone wishes to pick a fight with them, I beg you to do so far away from us. They managed to seize our supplies and render our scattered units unable to fight—all while taking almost no human lives."
"...Indeed. While I hesitate to speak of how far we can trust them, the fact remains that after seizing the supplies, they returned them upon your retreat, correct?"
I turned my gaze toward General Wooley.
"I am deeply sorry, Your Majesty. Having the supplies entrusted to me by Your Majesty stolen, and putting the lives of our precious soldiers at risk—however few—was entirely my responsibility."
Indeed, under General Wooley's operational plan, the army was supposed to divide and isolate the enemy, taking them down one by one. However, the monster army struck at their weak point, seizing their supplies and rendering them unable to fight.
Some testimonies claimed they were defeated by two women, though descriptions of their appearances varied wildly. General Wooley claimed he was overcome by a Goblin possessing terrifying strength, an account backed by eyewitnesses.
The unit that entered the forest claimed they were attacked by a giant snake monster—likely having caught sight of a passing traveler and mistaken them in the chaos.
"It is fine. Thanks to General Wooley, we were able to roughly gauge the monster army's power."
"Indeed. While failing to protect the supplies was a misstep, we gained a vital opportunity to understand the enemy's true strength. If we were to welcome these monsters blindly without knowing anything, fools would inevitably emerge claiming we should slay or subjugate them."
"Just as the Prime Minister says. Should such a situation arise, our Holy Capital of Enaria would become a living nightmare. There exist monsters capable of incapacitating over 300 men—including General Wooley—with only a few Goblins. Gaining information to prevent such a catastrophe is a marvelous achievement. It is nothing to be ashamed of. It would not be wrong to say General Wooley protected the kingdom with his very body."
"...Thank you, Your Majesty."
In truth, simply bringing back this treasure was more than enough to offset any tactical misstep.
"The issue now... is the Jilva Empire, is it not?"
"Indeed. Continuing the war under these conditions brings nothing but losses. To invite the monster army here as quickly as possible, we must propose a ceasefire to Jilva."
"Hmm. But will they not be wary if we suddenly give up on Betan? Is there no chance they might press their advantage and attack?"
Indeed, while we wished for a ceasefire, there was no guarantee Jilva would comply. They might seize the opportunity to launch a full-scale invasion.
"I cannot say for certain, but if we secure the cooperation of the monster army, the probability of them accepting becomes quite high."
"...I see. You mean to demonstrate to them just how formidable the monster army truly is?"
"Precisely. Fortunately, only we know of these Magic Swords and armaments, and the monster army has no reason to offer such treasures to Jilva. Furthermore, since we are already negotiating with them, should Jilva be foolish enough to attack, we could potentially cooperate with the monster army to push them back."
"Yes. However, Jilva will likely agree to the ceasefire as well. An unfamiliar army has suddenly appeared on the board. Launching a reckless attack leaves them vulnerable to a sudden strike. Therefore, they will not act rashly. Having secured Betan, if they can buy time, nothing could be more favorable for them."
Through my discussion with the Prime Minister, it became clear that a ceasefire was our best course of action.
Even if negotiations failed, the monster army would become our ally.
...The warmongers at court will surely make a fuss, but showing them this treasure should silence them.
"Very well. General Prism, General Wooley, send a proposal for a ceasefire to the Jilva Empire's commander currently holding Betan. At the same time, transfer the supplies to the monster army as compensation for the release of the captured General Aegil. Furthermore, extend an invitation for them to visit the Holy Capital of Enaria. Inform their representative that they may bring up to 100 subordinates as an escort."
""As you command!!""
Now then, the Prime Minister and I must go quiet those noisy, bloodthirsty faction members.
* * *
Side: Fionha Reiga Zilva, Zilva VIII – King of the Zilva Empire
"Fumu. We should indeed agree to a ceasefire."
"Indeed, Your Majesty. The situation is far too unclear. We have no way of knowing how the monster army will move. In the worst-case scenario, we might even need to join forces with Enaria."
I was reading the report sent by Miffy.
Good grief, one problem after another.
However, depending on how one looked at it, this might actually be a favorable turn of events.
Air, who had reviewed the report alongside me, reached the same conclusion and supported my decision for a ceasefire.
"Currently, we are forcing reinforcements toward Betan under great strain. However, if a ceasefire is achieved, Miffy-sama's valor will be widely praised, boosting morale. The fact that we secured Betan will remain, and we can redeploy those hastily dispatched reinforcements back to their original posts."
"Indeed. If Enaria attacks us ignoring the ceasefire, their reputation will plummet instantly. A nation with as much territory as Enaria wouldn't do that. The question is whether they'll quietly accept a ceasefire after having Betan taken from them..."
Indeed, the question is whether Enaria will agree to a ceasefire. Currently, the forces that fell at the ruins have retreated with reinforcements, but they suffered almost no losses.
Once they resupplied, there was every chance they might launch another attack.
"...It may be optimistic, but the monster army is present. As long as both sides face the risk of a third party interfering, Enaria cannot afford to ignore this ceasefire proposal either."
As Air pointed out, that was the logical conclusion.
However, we had invaded Enaria and seized the Betan region. That granary district yielded immense profits, making it doubtful whether Enaria would willingly surrender it even under these circumstances.
"We must take proactive measures from our end as well... But what should we offer...?"
"...It may be improper for me to suggest, but we could send Princess Miffy to head the ceasefire negotiations, and offer her in marriage to Enaria... My apologies, I have spoken out of turn."
"No, that is fine. In fact, it is a brilliant move. Miffy was originally sent to buy time. Though low in the line of succession, she remains Zilva royalty. Offering her in marriage is something Enaria could hardly refuse. However, a single hostage is not enough. That granary region is far too valuable. We do not know how long this ceasefire with Enaria will last... but the longer it holds, the longer we can avoid committing troops there, which works entirely in our favor."
"Yes, but..."
"Fumu... In that case, let us release the captured Holy Sword wielder along with the Holy Sword itself. While it is regrettable that we cannot unravel the secrets of the Holy Sword, securing a ceasefire takes priority right now. Doing so will also allow us to establish a cooperative stance with Enaria regarding the monster army."
"I see. If we return the captured Magic... pardon me, the Holy Sword wielder to Enaria, combined with Princess Miffy's marriage proposal, they will have no choice but to accept."
"Very well. Air, take this order directly to Miffy and instruct her to proceed with the ceasefire under these terms."
"Understood!"
"The peace treaty will likely be signed in the Holy Capital of Enaria. Considering all possibilities, order Yuki's mercenary group to serve as her escort. That should prevent any bloodthirsty factions on the other side from assassinating Miffy or the Holy Sword wielder to ruin the ceasefire."
"Understood, Your Majesty!"
In a sense, we owe a debt of gratitude to this monster army.
If a ceasefire is achieved through this, we can significantly lower our guard toward Enaria and focus our strength on invading other fronts.
"...Miffy, fulfill your duty as royalty."
* * *
Side: Tori
Riel and I hurriedly went around making notifications to all relevant departments.
When Seraria and Rurua gave birth, the town was in an uproar for a whole day, practically turning into an impromptu festival.
Anticipating a repeat, we reported the situation to the town hall, keeping ourselves frantically busy telling them to prepare for an upcoming festival without delay.
After desperately wrapping up all the contacts, I returned to the hospital, only to find...
"Not ever yet...? Will everyone give birth safely...? The children... Uhh..."
Yuki-san was pacing frantically back and forth in the hallway, muttering to himself.
"...Again?"
"...Looks like it."
"...He never changes."
Kaya's voice came from the side. Turning around, I saw her letting out a soft sigh while watching Yuki-san.
"...Yuki is hopelessly helpless when it comes to us and the children."
"Right~? The only other time I've seen him this panicked was with Seraria and Rurua."
"Still, it makes you happy, doesn't it? Knowing he cares about us this much."
When I said that, both of them gave happy, warm nods.
"...Though it's getting a bit annoying now."
"Yeah. He's kind of getting in the way."
"True. It's a bit pitiful, but if he hears everyone's screams during labor, he's definitely going to intrude... Yuki-san."
The three of us came to the exact same conclusion.
"Tori, Riel, Kaya, great work!! But things aren't done here yet! Good grief, isn't there anything I can do?! Anything at all! Is there nothing I can do to help everyone?!"
Yuki-san frantically grabbed my shoulders, talking at a mile a minute.
"A-Ah, Yuki-san, p-please calm down?!"
"Alright, alright, let's calm down, okay?"
"...Yuki, go to sleep."
"Eh?"
With a swift gesture, Kaya cast a sleep spell, and Yuki-san instantly lost consciousness, slumping forward.
I caught his falling body in my arms.
"Please don't overexert yourself. We'll do our best on your behalf, Yuki-san."
"Now then, time to go night-night~"
"...Hey, Riel, don't sleep together with Yuki. We have to go help everyone."
We laid Yuki-san in an empty hospital room, just like last time, and dragged Riel along as we went to help welcome the new lives.
"W-Wait, my ears, don't pull my ears!? Yuki-san is the only one allowed to touch my earrrrs—!!"
