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Until then, Reine had spent her time at the training grounds training in command and operation.

Although she had understood the concept in her knowledge, it was the first time for her to actually command soldiers――she was bewildered at the nobles and soldiers who did not understand Reine\'s instructions and intentions, but her mother was clear about such doubts.

On the battlefield, a small mistake can lead directly to danger.

In politics, minor failures and mistakes might be overlooked, but for the military, that is not permissible.

That is the rule of the military, the battlefield, and such leniency directly results in the loss of soldiers, and losses in military power cannot be recovered on the battlefield.

Her mother\'s explanation was clear.

By replacing one general and two Corp commanders and executing a battalion commander who disobeyed orders during training as an example, the army began to move astonishingly smoothly.

The corps commander is the arms and legs, the battalion commander is the fingers and toes――a group of people, the army, must always be able to carry out the orders of the general.

If her arms and legs move on their own when fighting with a sword, even Reine wouldn’t be able to win.

It would be good if everyone could get along, but the battlefield is a place to kill each other.

She couldn\'t lose under any circumstances, so she had to pursue efficiency.

Sacrifices were inevitable.

Even if you consider the pros and cons of executing a hundred people, if you consider that thousands or tens of thousands of people would die because of those hundred people, then of course they should be executed, and the army rules were made with that in mind.

It was neither an enjoyable nor a comfortable place, but Reine had no doubts about her mother\'s words.

It was arithmetic using people.

Estimate the capabilities of a corp, a battalion, a century, or even a single soldier, figure out their value, and if it\'s not worth the disadvantage it would cause, remove them.

Just like a board game, a battle is a simple addition and subtraction of your losses and your opponent\'s losses.

And she just has to process it while taking into account the time it will take to take the opponent’s head.

On the battlefield, in the enemy camp, there were countless corpses scattered around.

Facing her was the third son, Phenireis, clad in full armor.

As she cut through the ranks and entered the main camp, the soldiers, friend and foe alike, kept their distance.

This was the third brother to do so, but she didn\'t really understand this ‘ritual’ of duel.

Even after struggling to create a local advantage, they deliberately set up one-on-one duels like this for Reine and her brothers.

When entering the enemy’s main camp, the subordinates never intervened.

Apparently, that was the proper way to fight a general, especially if they were members of royalty, but she always thought it would be better if they\'d just end it with a duel rather than a battle in the first place.

That would result in fewer deaths.

This was what she suggested to the fourth son and Phenireis, but they were reluctant, but in the end it was a duel.

It was just so ridiculous.

While saying he is doing it for the people, he is causing them to die in pointless battles.

"Elsreine! If it weren\'t for you...!!"

She tried to keep her movements to a minimum, deflecting Phenireis\' spear with the same spear he controlled.

The visored helmet restricted her field of vision, so she had stopped wearing it after the first battle, but the surroundings begged her to at least wear armor, so she had no choice but to wear it.

The armor Reine wore was relatively light, but it was still somewhat heavy.

She thought braces would be sufficient, but she couldn’t refuse when convinced it was like a dress in high society.

His thrusts are decent, and his sweeps were large, but although he has reach, Phenireis was only so-so.

She had thought it would be a good learning experience, but the difference in ability was too great for that.

With a sigh, she tilted her head to dodge the spear and stepped in.

From the tip of her back foot to the spear\'s point, she thrust out as if transmitting power and pierced the breastplate.

Letting go of his spear, Phenireis dropped to his knees, and she picked up the spear next to his face, and swung it, beheading him.

She then pierced the neck and drove it into the ground, taking some distance to avoid blood getting on it.

"Lukazan, it\'s over."

"!..., Ha"

The general, Golzarias Lukazan, raised his voice and echoed Reine\'s victory.

Hearing the loud cheers, she looked around.

Broken swords, spears, and armored corpses were scattered everywhere.

She narrowed her eyes, remembering a picture Fili had drawn one day.

In the “Elsren” that Fili drew, all of them were rusty.

Perhaps they had no longer been cared for, or abandoned.

Fili was someone who valued things and always took care of them.

She always wondered why Fili drew swords and spears that way.

She felt she somehow understood now.

She wasn’t sure if she truly understood what Fili was trying to convey, but she felt close to it, yet couldn’t feel very happy about it.

At the very least, Fili probably wouldn\'t be happy that Reine was here like this.

The little paradise she painted――Elsren.

There would surely be no wars there.

It would be so long ago that swords and spears would rust and be forgotten.

"Your Highness...?"

"...Reine will go ahead and rest in the tent. I\'ll leave the rest to you."

She thought she could defeat the three armies and return home, but the situation in Sail was at a stalemate.

Traveling from west to east on either side of the royal capital, she painted pictures of the scenery she passed by every day.

She couldn\'t show her face because of training, and she hadn\'t spoken much to Fili since then.

That souvenir――Fili would surely be happy.

She hoped that it would be conveyed that fighting was just work, and painting was what Reine wanted to do.

Surely there would be no violent people in Fili\'s ideal paradise.

Reine wanted to be one of its residents, so she drew the same pictures as her.

Fili loved landscapes, and painted many different scenes.

She said that as a servant of the royal domain, she had few opportunities to go outside, so she wanted to see beautiful scenery.

So she continued to paint many scenes for her, who could not go outside.

She thought it would be fine if Fili was happy.

"...It\'s a splendid painting. Beautiful."

"Really?"

General Golzarias, who had come to the tent, nodded at the painting she had just finished.

When she placed tea in front of him, seated on a chair, he bowed deeply.

His black hair, mixed with gray, was thick with signs of aging.

He was a very large man, and his left eye was covered with an eyepatch.

“Thank you, Your Highness…to be personally served tea.”

“Please, don’t worry about it. Kaa-sama told me to do everything for myself...although it’s not that Reine doubts you or your men, Lukazan.”

"No, don\'t worry about it. You never know where the scoundrels are hiding... It\'s only natural now that even the princes are rebelling. It\'s frustrating that we can\'t even ease your suffering..."

"You don\'t need to worry about it, Lukazan is working hard enough. So, what do you want?"

Raine also sat down in a chair and tilted her head while stirring her tea.

The temperature felt from the spoon――it was still too hot to drink.

She looked at Golzarias\' expression, thinking that she should have added a little more milk.

"No, it\'s not really something I need to do, but... I know I may be presumptuous, but I\'ve always thought that I\'d like to have a chance to talk to Your Highness like this."

"Talk..."

"Yes, of course I\'m not swearing in or asking for any kind of favor. It\'s just... you see. I\'ve heard some rumors about what kind of person Your Highness is, but I feel that she is at least different from those rumors. So, although it may be rude... I wanted to see for myself what Your Highness is really like."

"Rumors..."

You can tell what someone is thinking by looking at their facial expression, as my mother says.

Still, it was a bit difficult for Reine.

"It\'s a silly rumor. Do you dislike war, Your Highness?"

"Um, yes. I\'ve heard that there are some who like it."

“Indeed, it’s true there are such individuals. Sadly.”

"Does Lukazan dislike war too? On the battlefield, you seem quite cheerful, and since you often request to join the battles yourself, I thought you might like it.”

“…So you knew.”

“Yes, I’ve looked through most of the records.”

Golzarias was a margrave who rose to power during her mother’s reign.

He was originally the head of a baronial family, and he seemed to have achieved his current position by accomplishing many military exploits.

The previous general had often argued with Reine, but Golzarias, who came in as a replacement, was straightforward in following orders.

He immediately agreed and carried out the exchange of corps commanders and the execution of the battalion commander.

He was competent in his work, handled most of the miscellaneous tasks voluntarily, and performed well on the battlefield. However, seeing him laughing while slashing enemies, it was hard to think he disliked war.

That said, perhaps appearances could be deceiving.

"To be honest, I\'m forcing myself to smile. As someone who commands and inspires frightened subordinates, showing anxiety or fear would affect morale. Like Your Highness, I don\'t like war. However, I\'m on the battlefield because I think I can save many lives...so that those who enjoy it wouldn’t increase the number of deaths."

Soldiers are the people, Golzarias said.

"Since it has happened, there will be deaths. However, it is possible to reduce them. ... Honestly, I was impressed by the way Your Highness fought. I\'m sure Your Highness is also trying to avoid deaths as much as possible, right?"

"Um... yes..."

"... I thought so. Your Highness is a kind person."

“K-kind...I don\'t think I\'m kind... I\'ve killed a lot of people.”

"No, Your Highness is a kind person. There\'s no need to worry. By getting your hands dirty, Your Highness has saved many more people who were destined to die than those you killed. I don\'t know about the others, but I understand Your Highness\' feelings."

Golzarias looked straight into her eyes, and Reine wavered and lowered her gaze.

Golzarias smiled at Reine and continued, looking at the painting.

"...It\'s a beautiful painting that has nothing to do with the battlefield. I\'d heard rumors that Your Highness painted magnificent paintings, but this was even better than I\'d heard. When I saw this painting earlier, my vague imagination became a certainty. I think Your Highness is heartbroken by these battlefields."

"By looking at the painting...?"

"Yes. Art speaks directly to the heart without words."

Reine looked up, her eyes wide, and after a moment she smiled.

"W-well... Fili... a servant of the royal estate, Reine’s former personal servant, and teacher, said something similar. Does it look like a good drawing...?"

"It\'s a wonderful drawing. Fili... I think I recognize her as a former personal servant. Isn\'t she the slightly reddish... golden-haired servant?"

"Yes, Fili draws amazing pictures. Not just drawing, she taught Reine many things―"

Smiling at Golzarias\' words, Reine talked about Fili.

Wanting him to understand how amazing a person Fili is, Golzarias encourages her to talk, one by one, about everything that has happened up until now, asking questions with interest.

Once she started talking, stories would come to mind endlessly.

Golzarias continuously showed agreement with a smile, and she felt happier hearing Fili praised than being praised herself.

If you open your heart, you will find people who understand you.

Just as Fili said――it was reassuring to know that there are people like that among them.

"――...a little paradise, you say?"

"... Yes. A place where there are no bad people, no wars, and where you can have fun all the time. Fili said that it would be nice to have a place like that, and, well, Reine thought the same... Kaa-sama also said a long time ago that she wanted to live in a world like that with Reine."

Looking at the almost pure white tea, she narrowed her eyes.

"Kaa-sama says that Reine and the others are different. But Reine thinks that\'s probably a misunderstanding. Kaa-sama has been through a lot of hardships up until now, so she just thinks that way... but there are definitely people who understand. Reine hopes that someday this misunderstanding will be cleared up..."

"... I also hope that this will come true. ...As you say, Her Majesty the Queen has walked a difficult path... The battle with the fools who disrespect the royal family and act on their own desires is extremely fierce. The biggest reason for this is that Her Majesty did not have a true loyal retainer by her side at that time. It\'s a pity."

Golzarias shook his head and sighed.

"I guess we should call it the king\'s disease."

"The king\'s disease..."

"That\'s right. ... Because he has immense power, he feels that everyone who approaches him is only interested in that power. There are many stories throughout history of great kings who were known as virtuous rulers, but at some point lost the ability to trust people, became isolated, and fell ill."

Golzarias drank his tea and looked at Reine.

"I have no doubt that Her Majesty is a great leader, and many of those executed were certainly incompetent and foolish. However... I’m sure there were some among them who respected and loved Her Majesty, just like Your Highness. Those who oppose her will be executed... I don\'t think that someone would advise Her Majesty knowing that is the greedy, evil minister Her Majesty speaks of."

"That\'s..."

"Even if they were foolish, they would surely have feelings for Her Majesty in their hearts. Otherwise, they wouldn\'t want to throw away their only life. A true evil minister would not oppose Her Majesty, but would want to survive."

Golzarias certainly had a point.

It would be foolish for someone to make a suggestion if it meant being killed.

"It is true that Her Majesty and His Highness are far superior to us in terms of intelligence. In the not too distant future, Alberan will become a rich and perfect country. However,... if you ask whether that is the world Your Highness desires, where everyone can live happily, I have to say it is not. ... There will only be a world where everyone spends each day in fear of Her Majesty."

Saying this, Golzarias shook his head.

"Kill one to save two. Arithmetic logic is always correct in terms of numbers. However... sometimes it can kill one person with a pure heart and save two people filled with evil. Good people usually do foolish things, obsessed with what is good in front of them, without considering the gain or loss, but the more evil people are, the more they calculate the gain and loss, and use clever logic to maneuver around and satisfy their desires... that is what I am worried about. If things continue like this, I am afraid that the world will soon be filled with such people."

That may be so, Reine thought deeply.

The fools who proposed this to their mother and were executed――they were certainly fools, but as Golzarias said, some of them may have decided to do it for reasons beyond profit and loss.

Their mother only saw people in terms of their abilities and results.

Reine didn\'t think she was wrong, but she couldn\'t be convinced because she had Fili and the servants around her.

There must be many people who can get along even without abilities, Reine wanted to tell her mother――perhaps that was what was causing the haze in Reine\'s head.

"Now that they have caused this, there is no choice but to punish them as traitors... but it is impossible to say that the princes are truly evil. I just hope that their sacrifice will lead to a better future..."

Venure was a kind, good person.

For the sake of the future, make the princes rebel, drain the pus, and get rid of them.

She didn\'t think the idea itself was bad, but considering the reason for her death, Reine couldn\'t just call it foolish.

Killing the good and letting the evil live――perhaps that was how she felt.

Otherwise, there would have been no reason for her to die.

"...My apologies. I spoke such critical words without considering my position. If it bothers Your Highness, please convey that to Her Majesty. ... In any case, it\'s an insult to Her Majesty, and I will accept it if I end up being executed."

"Eh? Ah... No, I won\'t say anything. I think that was a very... well, good story."

Reine shook her head in a panic.

"Just like I said before. I also want Kaa-sama to change a little, and Lukazan’s story was very helpful in that sense."

"Those are... an honor to hear.”

"I\'m relieved to hear that there are people like Lukazan. But... if Kaa-sama hears, she might actually kill you, so don\'t tell anyone else about that, okay?"

"... Yes."

Golzarias finished his tea, stood up from his chair, and knelt down.

“I pledge my loyalty to Your Highness. As a subject, I pray for the arrival of the paradise Your Highness wishes for.”

"... Yes."

“I swear on this name that when the order is given, I will work for Your Highness with my life on the line whenever and wherever."

As Golzarias bowed his head, she smiled and said, ‘Thank you.’

It was as he said――if things continued like this, the world she wished for might never come true.

If there was anyone who could do something about that, it had to be Reine.

――It was just a mistake in buttoning, a slight misunderstanding.

Reine looked at her ‘Loyal Retainer’ and nodded to herself.

The face of the ‘loyal retainer’ was hidden, and she couldn’t see it well.

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