Chapter 130 - Turning Crisis into Opportunity

He had told himself he could do it, but what exactly was he supposed to do?

Even as a 9th Circle Great Mage, he was a beginner at running a territory like this.

What a beginner had to do was clear.

'The manual.'

The procedures for dealing with a wartime situation like this had to be well known.

Ferda asked Isabella.

"First, we should gather all the forces in the far east. What does the wartime manual say?"

"It says to concentrate our troops in Count Concillus's domain. However, this was established before you were born, Lord Regent, so we should consider whether to apply it."

Ferda thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"No, we should follow the manual. Send all the dispatched soldiers to the count's domain."

Count Concillus's castle had been designed as a fortress with wartime in mind.

Since everything was arranged according to that design, trying to be flexible could turn into a bad move.

While Isabella was busy sending telepathic messages, someone came to the office.

Blue hair and horns with blunt tips.

It was Erica Iorga, master of the Blue Eye Tower.

"Regent Ferda, you have grasped the current situation, yes?"

"I have."

"I think you need to know how things are moving right now, so I will explain."

She sat down, and just as she was about to begin,

KNOCK, KNOCK.

At that moment, someone else came.

Luri went over herself and opened the door.

It was Olivia Arken, Princess of the Empire.

"Greetings, Lord Regent and master of the Blue Eye Tower. If it would not be rude, may I join this discussion?"

"This discussion?"

"I believe I may be of help."

Olivia smiled sweetly.

From the moment Erica saw Olivia appear, she too put on her mask.

"It is an honor to meet the Princess of the Empire. You are every bit as beautiful as the rumors say."

"Oh my, you flatter me. If we speak of beauty, compared to the great Aspect of Water, Lady Iorga, and her descendants, mine is only a pretty shell."

"Thank you for the compliment. Princess, this matter is something to be discussed with those responsible for the far east. There may be topics that would be uncomfortable for someone from the Empire."

Erica was politely telling her to leave.

"I, too, wish for the peace and development of the far east. Are you saying this because it might be related to the Empire?"

Olivia did not back down.

With neither of them yielding in the standoff, Erica sent Ferda a telepathic message.

-Regent Ferda, it would be better not to involve someone from the Empire in this matter.

With her eyes, she asked whether he intended to drive her out.

Ferda answered that question.

-There is no need to worry.

-Why not?

-That woman is desperate to kill every last one of my blood relatives.

-Your blood relatives...?

Startled, Erica rolled her eyes back toward Olivia.

Olivia read that look and responded.

"I do not know what conversation passed between you, but I feel Lord Regent must have said something rather rude about me."

Olivia covered her mouth with her hand and laughed softly.

Contrary to her words, a sinister murderous intent stretched out from her.

She was practically a ghost.

Since Ferda said it was fine, Erica did not try to stop her any further.

"Very well. Given the situation, I will allow Your Highness to participate as well."

Erica removed her mask and explained the current situation.

"The Empire has already noticed this crisis. This is an invasion of territory within the Empire, correct?"

"Yes."

"So I asked the Empire whether cooperation was needed to eliminate the demonic creatures."

From the words "asked whether cooperation was needed," Ferda learned one fact.

'Blancaros has not judged this crisis to be a continent-wide emergency.'

As those who inherited the blood of a Guardian Dragon, Blue Eye took the position of observing the laws of the Grand Council.

If Blue Eye judged rashly and intervened, the Empire could claim its autonomy had been violated, and then there would be no way out.

"The Empire gave this answer. It is within your autonomy, and you are capable of handling it sufficiently."

They might believe the situation was not actually serious, but to Ferda and the others, that was not the case.

"I also contacted them about the current situation. The Crown Prince answered."

"What did he say?"

"The official position is that we should wait around two months."

Erica looked dumbfounded.

When even a week was tight, two months was an absurdly slow response.

"That is just like my utterly insidious elder brother. To reveal his intention to tame the far east in such a grave situation."

"If you say he is trying to tame the far east, that means they can prepare faster than that?"

"Yes. Two days would be enough to muster the imperial standing army and reserves. Considering the distribution of supplies and marching speed, they could begin advancing within two weeks at the latest."

Hearing that, Erica could not help being a little taken aback.

Despite her gentle, measured way of speaking like a noble lady, the way she rattled off the Empire's military capacity made her seem no different from the commander in charge.

Luri looked incredulous.

"They are doing something like that in a situation that must be resolved as quickly as possible?"

"On the contrary, because it is a situation like this, it is a good opportunity. They can say the side in a hurry was at fault for not bowing its head, and they can make excuses that they did their best. Besides, the far east's collapse matters less to them than you might think."

Luri's insides boiled.

She felt like storming into the imperial palace at once and raising hell.

Ferda looked at Erica and asked.

"What if I request help from Blue Eye as the Grand Duchess's proxy?"

"Of course, as allies, we will help as well."

Unlike Erica's triumphant face, her telepathic message was gloomy.

-It would be better not to expect too much. Even on our side, we lack enough firepower. We can assist the imperial army, but we do not have the strength to act on our own.

Iorga's absence was an important matter that must not be discovered by them.

The words "You cannot even do this much?" rose to Ferda's throat, but he chose to understand.

If Valdrova were sick, Ferda would focus only on that place too.

"I will inform the dragons in various places of this as well and check whether they can help the Grand Duchy's territory."

Just as Erica was about to send a telepathic message to Blue Eye,

"No. If anything, humans must resolve this matter."

The one who objected was Olivia.

Erica smiled reflexively.

Like an elegant and refined noble lady, she expressed her displeasure.

"Princess. May I ask the reason?"

Olivia responded just as firmly.

"As you said, this is something happening within the Empire, and it surrounds the Grand Duchy's territory within the Empire."

"That is correct."

"If the Grand Duchy's territory resolves this matter on its own before the Empire responds, you can protest their slow response, and you gain a pretext to exercise 'autonomy.'"

"Autonomy..."

"That autonomy is not simply a matter of law. It means that when you pursue expansion in economic and military matters, you can use this incident as grounds to reject actions that try to put the brakes on the elements of development."

Olivia looked at Ferda and said,

"If you do that, Lord Regent, you may also be able to claim ownership of magical engineering."

It meant that the Empire was not the only side that could turn crisis into opportunity.

Ferda glanced at Isabella.

She gave a small nod, as if Olivia's words had a point.

"What do you intend to do if things truly become dangerous?"

Erica asked.

"If that time comes, we must do as you said, Tower Master. We may have to consider cooperation from the dragons, but in the current situation, that would only create a pretext for us to be devoured by the Empire."

"Even so, there are too few soldiers to respond to the demonic creatures. Hestia's standing troops cannot provide enough fighting strength."

"There is no need to worry on that point. Many elite soldiers have already gathered, have they not?"

Many of the finest troops had gathered to escort the young men and women attending the Start of Spring Festival.

Nearly four thousand had entered officially, and three thousand of them were soldiers.

"I will try persuading them."

"Persuasion is all well and good, Princess, but requesting cooperation from them will be a signal that we have drawn in 'foreign forces,' will it not?"

"I wonder. In any case, they are in a situation with no hole to flee through, so they will have no choice but to unite. And if it is framed not as foreign forces, but as 'chivalry' that cannot tolerate injustice and the 'duty of nobility' that those who set foot on the Serdes Continent must possess, they will have no choice. Above all..."

Olivia smiled gracefully.

"If the Princess of the Arken Empire appeals for unity, who would fail to step forward?"

It sounded like shameless self-praise, but not one of them could think it was bullshit.

Her strength was using her beauty as a weapon to enchant and persuade both men and women alike.

Even Erica, who had spoken with her for the first time today, rated her persuasive power highly.

"Princess of the Empire. I apologize for having thought lightly of you until now. You are far better than that Crown Prince and the 2nd Prince."

"Ho ho, it would be too modest to call that an overpraise, since I certainly am better than those human degenerates."

"However, how this matter is to be resolved is something the Grand Duchess must decide. If the Grand Duchess is absent, then the Regent ought to make the decision."

The two glanced at Ferda.

Ferda began to consider both of their arguments.

'Erica's judgment matches mine.'

This matter had to be finished as quickly as possible through a swift and decisive battle to avoid aftereffects.

Even if they suffered politically, that was the path that would keep the Grand Duchy's territory safe.

'But Olivia is not wrong either.'

They would have to take a risk, but if they succeeded, it could become a foothold for a new leap forward.

Safety or adventure.

At that crossroads, Ferda made his choice.

"We will resolve this within the Grand Duchy's territory."

He sided with Olivia.

Erica's face twisted slightly before she put on her mask.

"Can you not think it over once more?"

"Since we are dealing with Demons, I do have concerns about relying only on human strength, but as she said, if we buckle once, it will be difficult to gain momentum."

"Hmm..."

Erica could not understand Ferda.

It was only natural.

What was happening now was human politics, and Erica was a dragon spawn.

However, the one who had handed over the right to decide was none other than Erica, so pressing the matter further here would be ugly.

"Very well. If you judge that this matter is a human matter, Blue Eye will withdraw from it."

Erica whipped around and walked away.

Her forceful footsteps quietly made it clear she was sulking.

"Then let us hold a meeting on what we will do with the humans who remain—"

KNOCK, KNOCK.

Just as Olivia was about to open the meeting, someone knocked.

Luri opened the door, and the person who entered from beyond it surprised everyone.

It was Erica again.

No, it was Erica, but at the same time, it was not Erica.

There were no horns on her head, no tail, and her clothing was not the sort an Iorga witch would wear.

She was not a Tower Master, but an adventurer.

While everyone stood there dumbfounded, Erica approached with her lips pouting and gave a small nod.

"Nice to meet you."

"... Pardon?"

Olivia asked with her eyes wide.

They had met less than a minute ago, and yet she was saying nice to meet you?

"I am Eri, head of the far eastern adventurer branch."

"..."

"Originally, I was scheduled to arrive in two days, but due to unexpected circumstances, I arrived a little sooner. Given the situation, I will lend support to the far east."

"... What are you doing?"

Ferda also asked her, wondering what kind of joke this was.

"What do you mean? This is a human matter, so dragons cannot participate, can they?"

"That is correct."

"Then can I not participate as Eri, a Platinum adventurer, instead of Erica, master of the Blue Eye Tower?"

"That is true, but..."

"Then I will participate."

Erica declared proudly.

"As Eri, Platinum adventurer and branch manager of the far eastern adventurer's guild!"

"..."

"..."

Olivia glanced at Ferda, as if asking what kind of ridiculous situation this was.

Ferda passed that gaze on to Isabella.

Isabella only hid her own face.