“So, how did you come to be here...?”
Inside the tent prepared by the Kingdom of Lepuitari’s support force, proper rugs and furnishings had been set out, even including a table and chairs that seemed meant for receiving guests.
There, they were first served fragrant black tea and sweets to wet their throats. Both had been preserved in excellent condition.
“Now, now. There is no need to rush, Your Highness. You must have suffered a great deal until now. Why not take your ease, at least for today and in this place?”
“I... see...”
The imperial elder sister, Niata Piata, had fallen back to this fortress while protecting the young second prince and the imperial younger brother’s daughter, in order to preserve the imperial bloodline.
The emperor had remained until the very end at the imperial capital’s defensive battle, and was presumed to have died there.
The first prince had gone missing after taking the field in the early border-defense battles. Within the imperial household, he too was treated as having died in battle.
And this fortress’s Imperial Guard unit, led by the imperial elder sister, had become the Piata Empire’s foremost resistance stronghold.
Though the reality was that, due to supply issues, they could not retreat any farther.
This unit had initially numbered several hundred Imperial Guards, but repeated fighting retreats had gradually worn it down. Now barely more than a hundred remained.
They had already steeled themselves for nothing but death in battle when these reinforcements joined them.
“However, the Prava Divine Kingdom’s cleric-soldiers move faster than we imagined. They may attack this fortress as soon as tomorrow...”
“Please be at ease, Your Highness Niata. The Prava Divine Kingdom completely halted its advance one month ago. About forty talfa from here... around thirteen leagues, perhaps. They have drawn up camp beyond that point, and show no signs of coming out from there. The Kingdom of Lepuitari’s reconnaissance unit has confirmed this.”
“What...!”
Niata’s eyes widened at that information.
“But only the other day, a messenger reported that Trayua Fortress to the west had fallen...”
“Ah...”
At those words, the man across from her lowered his face.
“Trayua Fortress, unfortunately, fell to bandits.”
The one who answered the imperial elder sister’s question was the girl soldier who had been silently eating sweets beside the man.
No.
If she was present here, she likely held some rank.
They had only just met, but Niata could infer that much.
“Most likely, it was an attack by deserters or defeated remnants. It would be reasonable to assume that order within the empire has collapsed. Including that, you will need to gather the domestic forces and restore public order.”
“The Kingdom of Lepuitari will supply the materials for that. Well, such difficult matters may wait until tomorrow or later. So please rest today. Unless you first rest your body, you will hardly be able to think properly.”
As the eldest member of the imperial household present, Niata carried many responsibilities. She could not force such a heavy burden onto a young prince. Nor could she entrust it to her niece, who had only just reached adulthood after being raised in pampered luxury.
She could hardly sleep at night, and her forces only kept dwindling. The country had been thrown into devastation, and they could not even properly procure supplies.
It was only because these were Imperial Guards, educated elite soldiers, that they had made it this far without rebellion.
“At the very least, you may leave the maintenance of public order in the surrounding area to us. I am sure you have many concerns, but please begin by resting yourself. Let the Imperial Guards relax for tonight as well. The castle town has also ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ been calmed for the moment with the supplies we brought. Yes, many decisions will need to be made from here on, but at least as far as support until tomorrow is concerned, we will ask no compensation. Please rest assured.”
That declaration was nothing other than a statement that compensation would be requested for future support.
Even so, it was far more reassuring than being told they would simply help for free.
At long last, the Piata imperial household faction that had remained inside the empire was able to settle down.
At present, the prince stood first in the line of succession.
And here, the faction of the legitimate heir—who had remained inside the empire to the very end, continued resisting, and steadfastly displayed the authority of the imperial household—would formally declare the recovery of the homeland.
◇◇◇◇
“What did you say? A survivor of the imperial household... and the second prince, no less, has been found?”
That urgent report came in just before the declaration of the homeland recovery army’s advance was to be announced.
Belerforesti, which had been about to move its army on the grounds of a request from the government-in-exile, was shaken.
“I heard the imperial household had been wiped out! Then the legitimacy of our army will be damaged, will it not?!”
“We are rushing to confirm it! However, this report was formally conveyed by the Kingdom of Lepuitari’s ambassador! If we advance the army without confirming the facts, it could become a problem later!”
“I know that! Damn it, if only it had been one day later...!”
The timing could not have been worse. The declaration of homeland recovery was scheduled to be formally issued only a few hours later.
And now information had flown in that could cast doubt on its legitimacy.
Naturally, the Kingdom of Lepuitari would have recorded the exact date and time the report was delivered.
They could not claim they had not heard it.
Belerforesti was counted among the higher-ranked nations, but it did not have the power to oppose the great southern power, the Kingdom of Lepuitari, head-on.
Worse, the recovery army had been organized on the assumption that it would receive support supplies from that very Kingdom of Lepuitari.
If that support were cut off, the damage to the domestic economy would be immeasurable.
“...Halt the declaration’s issuance. We will need to hold talks with the Kingdom of Lepuitari at once...!”
Afterward, the Kingdom of Lepuitari’s ambassador declared the cutoff of support to the Piata Empire’s government-in-exile.
The ambassador demanded that the government-in-exile join the imperial household inside the country.
Naturally, as for the assembled recovery army, Lepuitari also requested that basic command authority be handed over to the Piata imperial household. After all, allowing an army without command authority to cross the border and move freely inside the country was plainly unacceptable.
Belerforesti requested a joint operation as allied forces as a compromise, but the Kingdom of Lepuitari refused to acknowledge it in any form.
Naturally, the Kingdom of Lepuitari saw straight through Belerforesti’s intentions.
That said...
The Piata Empire’s territory was vast.
Once it had fallen into lawlessness, bringing it under control again would be no easy task.
Lepuitari also had its own desire to use Belerforesti’s soldiers, who presumably maintained a certain degree of order, so the Kingdom of Lepuitari’s side was searching for a point of compromise as well.
“...Public-order maintenance in liberated territories?”
“Yes, yes. The Piata Empire’s position is that it cannot possibly hand over ruling authority. However, there is a shortage of personnel for maintaining public order in the first place. Someone must handle that. The Piata Empire seems to be thinking in the direction of winning over local influential figures, but, well, that is unlikely to go very smoothly.”
Matters inside the empire ought to be settled by imperial citizens. That would be necessary for the legitimacy of future rule. But as a practical matter, accomplishing that under the current circumstances would be extremely difficult.
Many residents had scattered, become bandits, or settled everywhere as refugees driven from their homes.
Naturally, no one could grasp who was living where right now.
In such conditions, there was no way to operate a public-order organization with cohesive military strength.
The Kingdom of Lepuitari was declaring that it would turn a blind eye if Belerforesti’s army took on that role and used it as a foothold to acquire concessions.
“Of course, if you do anything lawless, the eyes of other nations will become harsh. But if you pour your efforts into maintaining public order, help the residents sufficiently, and earn their trust—well. Once that happens, is it not obvious where the sentiments of the people will turn?”
“I see... It is worth considering. We shall bring this proposal back and examine it.”
“Reach your conclusion quickly. The more time passes, the smaller our reason to invite you in becomes.”
