In a corner of the castle within the Imperial Capital of the Bestia Empire...
Frizion was conversing with the nobles of her faction in her private chambers.
"In other words... does this mean that Your Highness Frizion will serve under His Highness Mercurio?"
Frizion nodded at the words of Marquis Lognos, an elderly man in his sixties with a magnificent, dwarf-like beard.
"Yes, I believe that is how it will be."
Her simple, flat declaration prompted a collective sigh from the nobles listening.
As a princess, Frizion’s rank was originally quite low for anyone aiming for the throne. Because of that, many of those who belonged to her faction were people who genuinely adored her. While not every single one of them worshipped her, few were inclined to outright oppose the idea of her serving under Mercurio.
"But... why so suddenly? If I recall our previous discussions, the plan was to cooperate with the Rebel Army led by His Highness Mercurio to address this civil strife. Why has it turned into Your Highness Frizion serving under him?"
"If Mercurio and I were of equal status when we joined the Rebel Army, wouldn't the chain of command descend into chaos? Besides, there is no guarantee that someone wouldn't try to snatch glory for themselves to gain merit. That is precisely why it is better to make it clear that I am serving under Mercurio."
"But still!" the noble protested.
This particular nobleman had decided to join the First Princess Faction because he had fallen for Frizion's inherent kindness. He believed that if Frizion became the Empress, the country would undoubtedly become a better place than it was now. That conviction had driven his choice. Serving under Mercurio meant that Frizion's chances of becoming Empress—while perhaps not completely extinguished—would be reduced to an extreme low.
"Calm yourself. The issue right now isn't about who becomes the Emperor; it's about how quickly we can bring this civil strife to an end. Don't you think we should focus our attention on that?"
"That is... however..."
He understood what Frizion was trying to say. He understood, yet if asked as a noble whether he could accept her serving under Mercurio, his answer remained a steadfast no.
"Her Highness Frizion said it herself. Calm down," Marquis Lognos interjected, his voice steady.
"...My apologies. I lost my composure."
"It is quite alright," Frizion replied. "Everything regarding this matter is very sudden. I explained it to the other nobles as well, and they all had similar reactions."
The maneuvering with the nobles had begun immediately after Rei arrived at the castle, but naturally, it wasn't going to go smoothly. It was only to be expected, considering the original plan was to proceed with both parties as equals.
"If anyone feels they cannot follow me because of this, there is no need to hesitate. You may return to your own territories... or even leave my faction. Considering this development was unexpected even for me, I have no intention of blaming anyone."
Frizion made her position clear, but the nobles—including the one who had been complaining—fell into a silent contemplation. Though they had various thoughts on the matter, they would never dream of abandoning the lord standing before them. On that point, they were unanimous.
Frizion must have read the sentiment in the eyes fixed upon her. She offered a small smile before speaking again.
"...Thank you."
"No, think nothing of it. We are here because we enjoy being with Your Highness Frizion. ...Though, it seems there are some among us who harbor other thoughts... or rather, feelings."
The young noble whom Marquis Lognos glanced at turned red with embarrassment. He was a man who had been attracted to Frizion for some time. Fully understanding this, Frizion directed a gentle gaze toward him.
She knew how he felt. Yet, even knowing, she could not respond to those feelings. There was the difference in status, and then there were the things she had to do and the goals she wished to achieve.
Thinking of that, Vihera has likely thrown such concerns to the wind.
Since Vihera had discarded her Imperial status, there were no obstacles to her being with someone, even if that person was a mere adventurer who wasn't even a noble. Well, to be precise, since there were those who adored Vihera herself rather than her status, it wasn't as if there were no obstacles at all.
Like Tilleul, for instance.
The image of a man who practically worshipped her younger sister floated in her mind. That noble, who possessed a profound appreciation for the arts, was undoubtedly with the Rebel Army right now. There had been reports of him being seen in the first battle, but even without those, the moment she heard Vihera was with the Rebel Army, it was a foregone conclusion that Tilleul would be there as well.
I suppose I'm envious in a way... but the truth is, I cannot walk that path.
This was why Frizion pretended not to notice the affection from the man before her, even while knowing exactly where it came from.
"In any case, if you are coming with me, please prepare your soldiers and logistics. We will be leaving the Imperial Capital within a few days, so please make sure our movements aren't discovered by Schuls or Big Brother Cabajid in the meantime."
"But if we all try to leave the castle at once, won't we inevitably be found out? In my opinion, it would be better to send soldiers out of the castle in small groups to hide within the Imperial Capital, then gather outside the city on the day of the operation."
"You're right... Angela, what do you think?"
The princess turned to ask her confidant standing behind her. Angela thought for a few seconds before nodding.
"As Marquis Lognos says, it might attract attention if we all leave the castle at once. However, there is also the tactic of making our move conspicuous to deter them from interfering. Especially since we have Rei—Crimson—as our guard, neither His Highness Schuls nor His Highness Cabajid will be able to attack us carelessly."
"...Crimson, huh."
They had already been informed that Rei had been dispatched by Mercurio to serve as a guard. However, as nobles of the Bestia Empire, it was a fact that they had complicated feelings toward the one known as Crimson. Naturally, there were many within the First Princess Faction who had lost family, friends, or acquaintances in the Spring War. For that reason, they had many conflicting thoughts regarding him.
"I will say this once: that battle was a war. Furthermore, we were the ones who initiated the invasion. Since that is the case, please do not harbor some misplaced grudge against Rei."
Frizion spoke with a sad expression, and the nobles listening could only mirror her look with complicated expressions of their own. They all knew that Frizion had originally been opposed to the Spring War. However, every other member of the Imperial Family, including Emperor Trajist, had been in favor of it.
All to lay claim to the sea.
The result of that ambition had been a crushing defeat. Furthermore, it had given birth to a single hero called Crimson. In many ways, one could say it was the worst possible outcome for the Bestia Empire. And now, with this civil strife occurring before the nation had even fully recovered, this year was shaping up to be the worst in memory.
"...Understood. At the very least, as far as I can oversee, I will ensure that no one does anything against Crimson."
Marquis Lognos nodded at Frizion's words. The others followed suit, nodding one after another, since it was Frizion's will.
"Thank you. So, what would be the best course of action in the end? If the soldiers are scattered throughout the Imperial Capital, our movements will be harder to track, but it will take time for them to gather... on the other hand, if everyone leaves the castle together, it's a certainty we'll be spotted."
"It's a difficult choice. However, in the end, Your Highness Frizion should simply decide based on which option you prefer. This is your faction, after all."
At Angela's words, Frizion wore a troubled expression as she thought. Since Frizion was usually seen with a smile on her face, the nobles present found her current gravity somewhat refreshing. Though she probably hadn't noticed the gazes directed at her, Frizion eventually spoke.
"Tell me, Angela. If we all try to leave the castle together, we'll naturally stand out and be seen by everyone, won't we?"
"Yes. It might not be as grand as a parade for a Subjugation Army, but we will definitely be noticed."
"At that time, if Rei is by our side, what do you think will happen?"
"...On the premise that the other side realizes who he is, I believe they would hesitate to attack. They wouldn't want to engage in a battle inside the Imperial Capital and cause massive collateral damage. Above all, they must know the power of the Flame Tornado Rei uses all too well. At worst, not just the capital, but the castle itself could be burned to cinders."
Frizion nodded, but she spoke up, curious about a part of Angela's words.
"If they realize?"
"Yes. To an outsider, Rei looks like nothing more than a novice mage. If his Gryphon—Seto—were there, they would immediately know it was him. However..."
"Ah, I see. ...Then, would I have to somehow get that Gryphon into the Imperial Capital? It's currently outside the city, right?"
"That is what I've heard. Besides... oh, there was one other symbol of Rei. If he has that Great Scythe, it would be obvious to anyone that he is Crimson."
There were very few people who used a weapon as difficult to handle as a Great Scythe. Rei was one of those rare individuals, and alongside the Gryphon, that weapon—the Death Scythe—had become his hallmark. At a time like this, if there was someone in the Imperial Capital carrying a Great Scythe and wrapped in a robe, that person would undoubtedly be identified as Rei... as Crimson.
"I see. Indeed, anyone seeing a robed figure with a Great Scythe would judge him to be Crimson. In that case, allow me to change my opinion to match Angela's."
As Marquis Lognos voiced his agreement, the other nobles nodded.
"Then, if Rei is among us, they won't attack. Can we assume that?"
"Yes. Unless something extraordinary happens... at the very least, they would wait until we've left the Imperial Capital to attack."
"Then it seems it's better for us all to leave the castle together. ...Let's discuss the details of that a bit more. Also, we need to convey this matter to the people we've spoken to so far. ...Angela, I'm sorry, but could you have one of the girls from the White Rose Knight Order go?"
"Yes, Princess!"
Angela nodded quickly at Frizion's command and immediately set off to deliver the task to a knight waiting outside the room.
"Furthermore... that's right, although the forces we're taking aren't many, I think the move will inevitably take time. Please don't forget to prepare for camping and gather food."
"Your Highness Frizion, regarding the supplies, even if each household brings their own, it would be better to consolidate them into a single Supply Unit for transport. Otherwise, various problems will arise during the move, and it will take extra effort to distribute the rations."
"If they are all in one place, won't the damage be greater if that spot is attacked?" one of the nobles asked.
It was Angela who voiced the counter-argument.
"If we provide individual supply units, it will be harder to defend them against those who target them. Since our numbers aren't that large to begin with, I believe our forces should be concentrated."
"But I don't see what can be done if we only focus on defense. If we don't launch our own attacks, we'll just be beaten down."
"We should devote ourselves to defense and leave the attacking to Rei. We, the people of the Bestia Empire, are the ones who know his strength best, after all."
"...It seems you've become quite close with Crimson," the noble spoke with a hint of sarcasm.
Angela replied without seeming particularly bothered.
"That's only natural. Rei is our guard, is he not? Honestly, I would question the wisdom of anyone who would foolishly antagonize their own guard and go out of their way to ruin that relationship."
"..."
The words that came out of Angela's mouth were certainly sound logic. If they ruined the relationship with the person sent to protect them, there would be nothing but disadvantages for both sides. No, considering that Rei could protect himself, it would be the First Princess Faction that would suffer the most. Understanding that, several nobles who had their own lingering feelings about Rei kept those thoughts buried as they discussed the strategy for escaping the Imperial Capital.