That day, the soldiers standing guard at the Mercurio Army encampment spotted a group approaching their position.
It was a group of about ten people, dressed in resplendent attire. They rode horses decorated just as lavishly as their outfits, leisurely drawing closer to the encampment.
"H-hey. Look... what do you make of them?" one soldier muttered, his confusion evident.
It was only natural. If the group had approached with weapons in hand, he could have easily imagined them as a group of nobles, adventurers, mercenaries, or volunteer soldiers arriving to join the Mercurio Army. Alternatively, there was the possibility that they were a Subjugation Army unit acting recklessly and independently in a desperate bid for glory.
However, the only weapons they carried were rapiers sheathed at their waists—and even those were so excessively decorated they looked more like ornaments. Since the strangers hadn't even reached for them, it was clear they had no intention of fighting.
"Don't ask me... seriously, what do we do? It's hard to handle when we can't even tell if they're friend or foe."
The other soldiers listening all nodded in agreement. In truth, none of them knew how to respond. Nevertheless, as the party continued to draw near, they had to take action.
"Can't be helped. I'll go call the Captain. You guys stay here and see what they want. ...I doubt they'd attack after trying to disarm us with those outfits, but whatever you do, don't get careless."
"Yeah, obviously. Just hurry up and get the Captain."
Nodding, the soldier headed into the encampment. I hope he gets back before things get troublesome, his comrade thought as he watched him go. Then, along with the remaining guards, he fixed his gaze on the approaching group.
The arrivals surely knew they had been spotted, but they continued forward at an unhurried pace, eventually arriving at the front of the encampment.
"Halt. This is the Mercurio Army Main Camp. State your business," the soldier commanded, resolving to use his spear if it came down to it.
The person at the lead of the flashy group obediently brought their horse to a stop.
"The Mercurio Army? I believe I heard it was called the Rebel Army... has the name been changed?"
The voice was unexpectedly gentle. The soldiers, who had assumed the man would be overbearing, felt some of the tension drain away. The soldier who had called out took a proper look at the person on horseback. Though he and his horse were draped in gaudy clothing, his features were handsome enough not to be overshadowed by his attire. Furthermore, he lacked any overbearing aura and used polite language. It was easy to imagine he held a position of some status.
"Yes. Since Her Highness Frizion's army joined us, it was decided that the name 'Rebel Army' was problematic, so we are now the Mercurio Army."
The soldier corrected his speech to be more formal. The man nodded as if satisfied.
"I see. Indeed, the term 'Rebel Army' carries an unfortunate stigma. ...Now then, allow me to introduce myself. I am Frederic, serving His Highness Cabajid. I have come as an envoy to negotiate with His Highness Mercurio, Her Highness Frizion, and Her Highness Vihera."
Upon hearing that the man served Cabajid, the soldiers instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons. However, they didn't actually level them, primarily because they felt no hostile intent from the man calling himself Frederic. The same was true for his companions; even after announcing they were Cabajid's men, there was absolutely no hostility toward the guards.
"Negotiations, I see. Understood. I've sent someone to fetch the officer in charge, so please wait a moment."
"Very well. We shall do so. ...Even so, although this place was a battlefield only a short while ago, it doesn't feel that way at all."
Frederic looked around as he spoke. In fact, the broken fences had already been repaired. Debris like fragments of weapons and armor, corpses, and bloodstains had been thoroughly cleaned up. It was hard to believe a fierce battle had occurred here. Granted, part of the reason was that this entrance faced the highway and saw a lot of foot traffic, so it had been prioritized during the post-war processing.
"Yes. After all, it was our victory. We put a lot of effort into the cleanup."
"Is that so? According to what I heard, it was a draw at best—and if considered in detail, a victory for us."
"No, not a chance. The moment Crimson appeared, your side's units were reduced to a half-destroyed state. That caused a mass desertion, so looking at it objectively, there's no doubt it was our victory."
"But even so, you were unable to completely crush our military strength, were you? No matter how hard you struggle, the fact remains that the Subjugation Army's side is still overwhelmingly superior in numbers. In that sense, your side likely suffered more in terms of exhausting your forces. We also lost some strength, but that has already been replenished."
As they went back and forth about who had won, the soldier suddenly heard approaching footsteps. The man arriving in a hurry was the Captain of the sentry soldiers. He had likely come running after hearing the report. Arriving near his men while clutching his spear, he exchanged a few quick words with one of them before slowing his pace and turning to Frederic.
"I heard you serve His Highness Cabajid?"
"I do. My name is Frederic. I was dispatched to negotiate with His Highness Mercurio, Her Highness Frizion, and Her Highness Vihera. This is proof of my identity."
He handed over a single dagger. The crest used by Cabajid was engraved onto the sheath. While there was a possibility that someone had stolen the dagger to impersonate an envoy, it was unlikely anyone would go out of their way to present themselves to the hostile Mercurio Army for such a deception.
"Understood. A report has already been made. I shall guide you."
"I appreciate it. That would be a great help."
With a small smile, Frederic followed the Captain into the encampment.
Inside the Magic Tent, the interior was currently a cacophony of voices. It was only natural, given that a messenger had arrived from the hostile Cabajid.
What was the purpose of these negotiations? Was it a demand for surrender? Was it regarding the return of the large number of prisoners taken in the previous battle? Or—though nearly impossible—was it a negotiation for the other side to surrender? The leaders of the Mercurio Army were debating the matter.
"Tilleul, what do you think?" Mercurio asked.
Tilleul shook his head, a troubled expression on his face. "I do not know. If it were about the prisoners, I doubt they would take such an ostentatious attitude..."
"Maybe they're saying that since prolonging the fight any further would be a loss for everyone, they want to settle it in one final battle?" Gurgast suggested.
Mercurio considered the possibility for a moment, but then hit upon a problem and shook his head.
"...But we have Lord Rei, do we not? If we clash head-on in that situation, the probability of them losing one-sidedly is far higher."
No one could argue with Tilleul’s assessment. In fact, the Subjugation Army had already suffered massive damage from Rei multiple times: during the Second Subjugation Army's campaign, during the recent defense of the Mercurio Army—then the Rebel Army—Main Camp, and to a slightly lesser extent, when Frizion's army escaped the Imperial Capital and encountered an Ambushing Unit.
Given that Rei possessed such power and was part of the Mercurio Army, the answer to whether they would fight a proper head-on battle was surely "no." At the very least, if the people in this room were to oppose Rei and were asked if they wanted to fight him head-on, no one—unless they had a death wish—would answer "yes."
"Is it not possible... that they have prepared a means to handle him?" Gurgast asked.
Silence fell over the room. If that were true, the next battle would put them at an overwhelming disadvantage due to the disparity in numbers.
"W-well, now. We really won't know their intentions until we hear from the negotiator. Deciding things now is pointless. Besides, as Lord Tilleul mentioned, we can't rule out the possibility that they've come to offer surrender conditions of their own."
At the words spoken by one of the nobles, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. The truth was that the nature of the negotiations was still unknown. Letting one's thoughts wander and becoming anxious was all harm and no benefit.
"That's right. I don't think there's any need to overthink it now. We can worry after we hear their proposal. ...Theoreme, what is the situation?"
At Mercurio's question, Theoreme spoke up immediately. "I have positioned appropriate forces in case anything happens. Also, messengers were sent to Her Highness Frizion and Lady Vihera; they should arrive shortly."
"...And Rei? He isn't with my Big Sister, is he?"
"No. He said his body was still a bit sluggish, so he is resting in his Magic Tent. Apparently, he was shouting about how if he had just used his Magic Item, his consumption of Magic Power would have been much lighter!"
What is he talking about? Mercurio wondered, failing to understand for a moment.
It was only natural. Rei himself had completely forgotten about the existence of the Bracelet of Magic Absorption he was equipped with. It was a Magic Item that absorbed Magic Power in proportion to the damage dealt when attacking an opponent. However, because Rei himself possessed such immense Magic Power, he had never had an opportunity to use it until now. Therefore, although Rei saw the bracelet every day, he had come to see it as just a simple accessory and had completely forgotten its effect.
No matter how high-performance a Magic Item might be, it was nothing more than a wasted treasure if one did not channel Magic Power through it. In that sense, it was precisely because he had such immense reserves that the Bracelet of Magic Absorption had gone unused until now.
"In any case, as for Lady Vihera..."
"Oh, did something happen to me?"
Partway through Theoreme's sentence, Vihera entered the Magic Tent with perfect timing. Behind her were Frizion and her guard, Angela.
"Big Sister, have you heard the news?"
"Yes. Apparently someone from Big Brother Cabajid's faction has arrived. An envoy for negotiations, or so I heard."
"That's right. According to the reports, that seems to be the case."
Mercurio nodded, and just as he was about to say more, a knight appeared at the entrance.
"Your Highness Mercurio, the messenger from His Highness Cabajid has arrived. May I let him through?"
"...Rei hasn't arrived yet, but it can't be helped. Yes, let him in."
It was a shame Rei wasn't here, but Mercurio spoke, knowing he couldn't keep the messenger waiting. He noted to himself that having Rei's Magic Tent located at the edge of the encampment was inconvenient at times like this.
"Pardon my intrusion. I am Frederic, serving His Highness Cabajid. It is a great honor to meet Your Highness Mercurio, as well as Your Highness Frizion and Your Highness Vihera. Seeing so many renowned nobles gathered here, it almost feels as if another Imperial Capital castle has been established."
Frederic, leading a group that had disarmed themselves, entered the Magic Tent and gave an elegant bow. Those who heard him couldn't help but let out wry smiles. It was true that there were many famous nobles here, but almost none of them were considered "influential" in the traditional sense. At most, Marquis Lognos fell into that category, with Theoreme and Angela possibly qualifying as well.
Granted, there were people famous not for their influence, but for their uniqueness—such as Gurgast, who was the head of the Count Obrisin family but famous as a battle maniac, and Tilleul of the Viscount Boogle family, a renowned artist devoted to Vihera.
"Haha... we can't compete with Big Brother Cabajid or Big Brother Schuls's wealth of talent. I'm actually impressed that you still have so much military strength despite losing one battle after another."
Mercurio’s response was a sharp jab, intended to show that since the Civil War began, their own battle achievements were overwhelmingly superior.
"Indeed. Capable talent has gathered here like a cluster of stars. ...Now then, if I may, could we get straight to the point?"
"Right. Neither of us has time to waste. I would certainly like to hear what you have come to negotiate."
Prompted by Mercurio, Frederic bowed elegantly once more and opened his mouth.
"Then... Your Highness Mercurio, won't you surrender to His Highness Cabajid?"