🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter: 42
“Please, speak.”
“Thank you for granting me permission, Your Majesty.”
Sebastian bowed respectfully and continued.
“If the Chief of Staff’s report is accurate, it will be impossible to stop the monster hordes advancing from both the north and the south using military force alone. However, there may still be a way.”
At the mention of a solution, the expressions of everyone in the hall immediately brightened.
Even Queen Marie, who had maintained her composure throughout, fixed her gaze on the priest as if urging him to continue.
“If the priests of the temple construct a holy barrier, we can halt the monsters’ advance for several days. By sealing off either the north or the south with the barrier and concentrating our forces on the other front, we may be able to subjugate at least one of the two armies.”
“Oh!”
A murmur of admiration spread through the hall.
“However, there is a problem.”
The voices abruptly fell silent.
“First, priests lack the mobility of trained soldiers. Moreover, completing the barrier will require three full days. Therefore…”
Sebastian gestured toward the map.
“Even if we expand the barrier to its maximum range, it will not extend very far beyond the capital.”
“Three days…”
Queen Marie traced her chin as she scanned the map, murmuring softly. After organizing her thoughts, she turned her gaze back to the priest.
“So you’re saying that we can only protect the area surrounding the capital. Is that correct?”
“Regrettably so, Your Majesty.”
As the priest bowed, indicating that this was the best they could do, the queen pressed her fingers to her forehead.
“In other words, we must abandon either the north or the south.”
Her pale blue eyes darkened as she stared at the map.
Though it was nothing more than flat lines and place names, millions of Brienne’s citizens lived within those borders.
And by her decision, half of them would be lost.
The weight bore heavily upon her shoulders.
“Would it not be wiser to abandon the north? The south is the former royal capital—the roots of Brienne, and the resting place of our past kings.”
“I must object. To alleviate overpopulation, we established new districts in the north, and many citizens relocated there. If we abandon the north now, public trust in the royal family will plummet.”
“And does that mean there are no people in the south? On the contrary, many of the old noble families reside there. Or is this simply because you regret the investments made into the new districts?”
“When did I ever say that? By that logic, are you suggesting that since you live in the south, the north doesn’t concern you?”
“What did you say? Have you lost your mind?”
The nobles had already split into northern and southern factions, raising their voices in heated argument.
As the debate spiraled out of control, Queen Marie slammed the cane in her hand against the marble floor.
“Enough!”
Silence fell at her shout.
“At a time like this, when we can barely afford anything but cooperation, you choose to quarrel? Do you feel no shame?”
Her fury echoed through the hall. The nobles coughed awkwardly or lowered their gazes.
She had always known that the nobility prioritized their own safety, but seeing them behave the same way even now filled her with disgust.
She wanted to lash out further—but restrained herself. This was not the time to waste her emotions on them.
Once more, the queen studied the map, imagining the countless nameless faces living upon it.
How many times had she wished she could cast aside her crown whenever faced with such horrific choices?
But now, a decision had to be made.
“Priest Roche.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I will send twelve thousand soldiers, including the Royal Knights, to the south. You will oversee the installation of the northern barrier.”
Mixed reactions rippled through the nobles. Those who favored defending the south sighed in relief, while those who supported the north visibly paled.
Yet the queen’s decision did not end there.
“In addition, we will request military support from Lorraine and assign them to the northern subjugation.”
“Lorraine?!”
Alexis sprang to his feet, shouting. The sudden outburst left both the queen and the nobles staring at him in stunned silence.
No one knew that merely hearing the name “Lorraine” was enough to make his blood boil.
“Prince Alexis, you may speak.”
“Well, that is—”
He hesitated.
“We must not ask Duke Lorraine for support! That man threatened me—said he’d rip out my tongue! Someone like that would never help Brienne!”
“Prince.”
The queen called him sternly.
“Do not derail the discussion. Sit down.”
“Derail it?! I was insulted as a prince of this nation—!”
“Then answer me. What did you say to the duke to provoke such a response?”
“I said nothing.”
“And yet he threatened you? Does that sound plausible?”
“He looked down on me!”
“….”
An awkward silence followed. With no context, no one seemed sure how to react.
The queen ended it with a sigh.
“We will discuss that later. Sit down.”
“Mother!”
“This is a national emergency! We do not have time for a prince’s grievances!”
Her sharp rebuke left Alexis opening and closing his mouth in frustration.
But the queen—and every noble present—looked at him as though he were speaking nonsense. No one believed him.
After Alexis reluctantly sat down, the queen continued as though nothing had happened.
“A holy barrier can halt the monsters’ advance, but it cannot kill them. If Lorraine attacks from the rear while the monsters are immobilized, we can minimize damage in the north.”
The room focused intently on her new strategy.
“Therefore, we must immediately dispatch envoys to Lorraine.”
Her gaze swept the hall before stopping on the Chief of Staff, who anticipated her command and responded crisply.
“I will send a swift messenger at once.”
“If Lorraine responds immediately, when might their forces arrive?”
“Given their mobility, they should reach Allas within five days.”
He pointed to Allas on the map—a small city slightly north of the capital.
Which meant that even with reinforcements, Brienne would lose most of the northern territories.
“As per Your Majesty’s orders, twelve thousand troops will hold the monsters near Bluwa in the south. Meanwhile, the priests will deploy the holy barrier here.”
He drew a wide arc north of the capital.
“If Lorraine’s army joins us at Allas, the probability of a successful subjugation will increase dramatically.”
“Understood. Any objections?”
No one spoke.
Seeing no further input, the queen rose from her seat, concluding the meeting.
“Proceed with the operation as discussed. Chief of Staff, dispatch a courier to Lorraine immediately.”
Though a plan had been set, the queen’s expression remained grim. No matter how optimal it was, lives would be divided by a single line on the map.
Once more, she studied it carefully.
‘Iefer… Andorra…’
Cities already fallen.
‘Redel… Rikav…’
Cities soon to fall.
And—
‘Iveto, Ryushu, Dorman…’
Cities that must be abandoned for the sake of strategy.
She engraved each name deep into her heart.
* * *
Two weeks had passed since Jacques’ visit to Lorraine.
During that time, Jeanne lived an ordinary routine—morning training, afternoon patrols, evening drills.
When her thoughts became tangled, a simple and exhausting routine helped. Pushing her body to its limits allowed her, if only briefly, to forget the turmoil inside.
Including the words her father had hurled at her.
To bury the aching wound once more, Jeanne threw herself into training and duty more fiercely than anyone else. As a result, her fellow knights held her in high regard.
That wasn’t all.
Since the Megalodon incident, everyone in the order knew she was a Child of the Goddess.
Unlike others who had been chosen—such as the Grand Duke—she never boasted or acted arrogant, and instead worked quietly. The division commanders began to take notice of her, and in a good way.
Clang!
As proof, more commanders had begun requesting sparring matches with her. Today, Laurent was the first to speak up—and the result was…
“…I yield.”
Laurent raised his empty hands beside his head. Jeanne’s wooden sword rested just beneath his Adam’s apple.
She withdrew her blade, and Laurent lowered his hands with an awkward smile. They bowed to one another in mutual respect.
“Thank you for sparring with me, Commander Pynes.”
“I’ve learned much, Knight Leclerc.”
The other knights, who had been sparring nearby, had gradually become transfixed by their duel. Once it ended, they couldn’t hide their admiration—the match had been so intense that the outcome was impossible to predict.
Jeanne and Laurent clasped hands in a firm shake. Dropping the air of a commander, Laurent returned to his usual self.
“Wow! I knew you wouldn’t be easy after taking down fifty Megalodons alone, but I didn’t expect this.”
“You went easy on me, Commander.”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t hold back.”
“You’re known for overwhelming opponents early on. But just now, you eased your strength a bit.”
“When facing a master, you can’t just charge in blindly. Still, I didn’t think I’d lose—honestly.”
Morning training was coming to an end, and the two returned their wooden swords.
“At this rate, you’ll snag a division commander seat at the next promotion exam.”
At the word commander, her father’s face flashed through Jeanne’s mind.
Her original plan—to return and persuade him once she’d become a proper knight—had already crumbled, leaving a bitter taste.
“…That would be great. I want to rise quickly.”
She shrugged off the bitterness—only for a sudden voice to ring out.
“Emergency assembly! All division commanders, report to the conference hall immediately!”
