Chapter 255

“The sight of her casting a shadow of killing intent, intimidating tens of thousands of people… truly, the nickname ‘Red Empress’ fits perfectly. That power, no one in the Empire could match it.”

Red Empress.

Yeah. Those who weren’t clergy didn’t call me the Knight of Radiance. To them, the path I walked and the aura I exuded were closer to ominous than sacred.

The alternative nickname they came up with was that… but to me, even that seemed a bit too blasphemous.

[Empress, huh? Quite a fancy title, isn’t it? Almost enviable. You got the title of Kagan before Orhan, after all.]

Well, it might sound cool to you, girl.

But having such a nickname isn’t exactly a good thing, you know? In a way, this war broke out because of the imperial throne, and now they’re calling me Empress in that very empire.

Not to mention, my reputation and martial prowess rival those of a hero, my lineage is that of foreign royalty and the direct descendant of the Twelve Knights. My status is also that of the heir to a border lord’s territory, capable of independence at any time.

At this point, to Leopold and his supporters, it might seem like a declaration that I’m ready to break away and swallow the Empire whole. They must know that. Or maybe, deep down, they even wish for it.

From Hersela’s perspective, even if it’s just formal, being under someone else’s authority wouldn’t sit well with her.

As for me, I never really cared much for power. To me, status was just a means to easily gain the cooperation of others.

Anyway…

“…Is this really okay? Not just any nickname, but Empress? His Highness the Crown Prince probably wouldn’t be too pleased with that title.”

“Huh? Me? Haha, no way. I’m the one who came up with that nickname. Why would I mind?”

…What?

Wait, is that even allowed? What’s this guy thinking? A man aiming to be the emperor giving someone else the title of Empress? Is this some kind of death threat?

“Aren’t you being a bit reckless…?”

“It’s just a nickname, no need to take it so seriously.”

I tried to subtly ask if he’d lost his mind, but Leopold just smiled, running his fingers through his thinning hair.

“Surely, no one would dare approach you, now that you’re called Empress, and suggest you start a rebellion, right? Everyone already knows you have no lust for power. If there’s anyone foolish enough to do that… you’d probably let me know, wouldn’t you?”

…So, he’s using my rising reputation as bait to see if anyone dares to make a move. Like a fisherman’s lure. And if someone does, he expects me to report it to him.

“Well… I’d probably let you know. Though I’m not sure when.”

Even as the heir to the border lord, as long as Ludwig is alive and kicking, I’m just an individual with no army. Even if some fool harbors such thoughts, they’d likely stay quiet until Ludwig dies and I become the border lord.

“True, it’s still a distant matter. Ernst, Isabella… and we still need to stabilize the north and east. At least this time, we managed to preserve most of our forces, which is a relief.”

Facing Ernst’s army head-on would’ve resulted in heavy losses even if we won. With the Empire’s enemies everywhere, if the Great Lords’ armies were too depleted, even defeating Isabella would leave us in a tough spot.

“…There are just too many enemies.”

“Indeed. It’s almost a miracle the Empire has held out this long…”

Leopold sighed lightly and shook his head. His golden hair fell like dew, but pretending not to notice was the humane thing to do.

[Looking at that guy’s balding head, in five years, his forehead might reach the crown. If he ascends the throne, he might be called the Sun Emperor or something.]

Hersela chuckled.

Yeah. This woman really doesn’t understand people’s feelings…!

—-

“…Anyway, it’s a relief you seem unharmed. With the situation in the Venes territory looking grim, we’d want to avoid losing a force like yours if possible.”

“The situation in Venes… So the scouts made it back safely. How’s it looking over there?”

While staying in the Zeren Plains, Leopold’s forces weren’t just sitting around.

The scene Isabella showed us was so shocking and terrifying that we couldn’t rest—we wanted to rush in and annihilate it immediately.

Countless insect monsters. Even those who fought against the army of undead in Einfeld would be overwhelmed by their numbers.

We couldn’t gauge their strength before fighting, but… breaking through a swarm of tens of thousands of palm-sized bugs with knights and soldiers’ spears and swords wouldn’t be easy.

So…

Leopold was also mobilizing every means at his disposal.

He requisitioned every drop of oil from the surrounding territories and gathered all the troops, knights, and magicians from the local lords as much as possible.

These lords had originally supported Isabella but declared neutrality when things got messy… but now, such talk wouldn’t hold.

Hundreds of clergy, driven by a near-fanatic sense of duty, and knights, furious at Isabella’s actions, were fully prepared to slaughter anyone who resisted.

Either hand over the supplies willingly or be skewered and burned as a price for siding with the witch.

No one dared to defy Leopold’s threat to choose one of the two.

And why would they? Who could oppose an army that crushed 36,000 with just 15,000, suffering only 800 casualties?

With the “voluntary” cooperation of the lords, Leopold’s army received enough supplies.

—

Leopold didn’t neglect reconnaissance either.

Even though the 36,000-strong army had been effortlessly dismantled and the situation had completely tilted in their favor, Isabella Benes remained holed up in her territory, taking no action.

As if daring them to come at her.

Her blatant lack of response made the situation seem like an obvious trap.

Or perhaps she believed she could defeat Leopold’s army with just a handful of troops and monsters.

Wary of this, Leopold dispatched a significant number of scouts.

If they were caught by Isabella, they’d meet a gruesome and horrifying end… but despite knowing this, many volunteered, ensuring there was no shortage of scouts.

According to Leopold, the scouts had just returned.

“…They say the Benes territory is already like a demonic realm. It’s filled with insect-like monsters, and there’s no trace of human presence.”

“What about the archers who retreated earlier…? Did they all desert? Or…”

Did they all become bug food?

“Well… if 3,000 had deserted, we would’ve heard reports of bandit groups. Since there’s been no such report, it’s reasonable to assume most of them became prey. For now, we’re compiling the scouts’ information, and I’ll share the details once it’s organized.”

Leopold stood up after finishing his words, leaving golden threads on the chair he had been sitting on.

“Ah, and by the way… didn’t you once declare to me that you’d never marry? Do you still feel the same?”

“Of course…?”

What’s with the sudden question?

Bringing that up now, of all times.

“Hmm… Then it might be best to stay inside the tent as much as possible. Normally, your appearance is so warrior-like that it’s not a problem, but… if you wander around looking like this now, Duke Bien might start believing the rumors to be true.”

Rumors…?

Ah, could it be that? The rumor about Leopold’s concubine…!

“Right now, since I’m engaged to the Duke’s daughter, the other vassals are keeping quiet. But if Duke Bien misunderstands and our engagement with Adelaide falls apart… who do you think the vassals will push to be the crown princess?”

That would be…

[You, of course.]

…Yeah, it’d be me.

The justification is perfect, isn’t it?

A union between the descendant of the Twelve Knights and the bloodline of Emperor Carolus, fully integrating the Empire’s strongest knight into the royal family.

And if I maintain my position as the heir to the borderlands, the royal family’s influence over the Randenburg territory would grow even stronger.

Even the relationship with the Church Order would become closer… If I were in Leopold’s position, I’d do everything to make this marriage happen too.

Of course, it’s absolutely out of the question.

[Let me make this clear. If I ever have to roll around with some man, I’ll definitely…]

‘I’d rather die than do something like that!’

Sure, Hersela would be disgusted too, but it’s not just me, right?

I’d never do it, even if I died.

“I also want to respect your wishes as much as possible, but if all the vassals strongly insist, I won’t have a choice… So please be careful.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

Good. I won’t go out until my condition improves.