"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
A thunderous roar of cheers echoed throughout the Imperial Capital.
The cries were directed at the Mercurio Army as it advanced through the city. The masses shouted their support for Mercurio and Frizion as they rode at the head of the procession.
While it was Mercurio who had requested this triumphal parade, Chancellor Peshe was the one who had seen to such flamboyant preparations. Ordinarily, a triumphal parade would be out of the question for what was effectively a civil strife. Mercurio had been branded a rebel, and his victory came from defeating the Subjugation Army, which had been dispatched by the state itself.
Even Peshe had originally been preparing this very parade for the anticipated victory of the Subjugation Army led by Cabajid and Schuls. Their lord, Trajist Gnose Bestia, the Emperor of the Bestia Empire, had been unable to suppress a fit of laughter when he heard the outcome—a result that had exceeded even his own predictions—and his booming voice had echoed throughout the audience chamber.
However, while the conflict took the form of civil strife, it functioned primarily as a war to determine the next successor to the throne. One could even say the war had been triggered for that sole purpose. That was precisely why the preparations had been made to ensure the parade could proceed regardless of which prince claimed victory.
(Even so, to be so nonchalant about such a staggering loss of life... I really have to wonder about you, Father.)
As he rode his horse down the main street toward the castle, Mercurio waved to the commoners, keeping his inner turmoil hidden behind a practiced smile. People grew frantic, convinced he had waved specifically at them. Many others shouted at the top of their lungs, pleading for him to look their way as well.
"Theoreme, has the Subjugation Army, including Big Brother Schuls, entered the Imperial Capital safely?" Mercurio asked while maintaining his public facade.
"Yes. Every one of them has entered through the North Gate," Theoreme replied, riding nearby.
"...I see."
The Imperial Capital was vast, with numerous gates dotting its perimeter—ranging from the grand Main Gate to the exclusive Gate for Nobles. However, several gates served special purposes. One of them was the gate to the north.
It was a gate reserved for those with a shameful presence who could not be acknowledged in public. The Subjugation Army, having lost this civil strife, was slated to enter through there.
At that gate, the adventurers, mercenaries, and volunteer soldiers who had fought for the losing side were being processed. Those who could pay their fines immediately did so; those currently lacking the funds were questioned about their residences and ordered to pay at a later date. Naturally, some would attempt to evade payment, but most chose to pay a few silver coins rather than face being blacklisted from working in the Imperial Capital and its surrounding areas.
Furthermore, depending on the noble who had hired them, some lords might pay the fines on their behalf... but such nobles were exceedingly rare. To begin with, these fines existed because, formally speaking, some form of punishment had to be imposed on those who had stood as enemies of the new order.
Most who had received their rewards in advance had no trouble paying. Even if they had already spent their coin, it was possible to offset the fine in exchange for a few days of labor. Nevertheless, some remained who absolutely refused to pay. Many possessed an inflated sense of self-worth, insisting that even if their side had lost the civil strife, they themselves had not been defeated. Such individuals either ended up arrested by soldiers—facing much steeper penalties—or fled the capital entirely.
If they fled, their only options were the remote countrysides. While the state would not dispatch a massive pursuit force for a few silver coins, if it became known that someone had fled a fine, they would face imprisonment if ever caught. This forced them to seclude themselves so deeply that the eyes of the state could not reach them. Those who truly loathed the rural life could leave the Bestia Empire entirely, but few went to such extremes over a small fine.
"I need Big Brother Schuls to be of use to me eventually," Mercurio noted. "Please see to it that the political root-work is handled properly."
"Understood. I intend to dispatch my agents to His Highness Schuls."
"Good. And regarding the nobles who participated in the Subjugation Army..."
"Everything is being handled without failure."
Despite exchanging such heavy words, both Mercurio and Theoreme continued to wave to the crowds with bright smiles.
Meanwhile, Frizion, the other figurehead of the hour, was also waving to the masses from her carriage window.
"So? What happened with those two?"
"H-Huh? Um... so Her Highness Frizion is interested in such things as well," the maid serving as Frizion's attendant replied, taken aback.
Frizion nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world while she continued to wave. "For a woman living in the castle, other people's love lives are the ultimate pastime. That remains true regardless of rank—be it a maid, a noble, or royalty."
"I certainly won't deny that, but..."
"Then tell me. Besides, this matter involves the White Rose Knight Order, so it's hardly unrelated to me, is it?"
"Well, I suppose... that might be true. However..." the maid hesitated.
"Come now, just tell me. You saw it, didn't you?"
"...Fine. However, Princess, please take an interest in your own romances as well. Being single at your age is quite problematic, you know? Even though marriage proposals are pouring in from the great nobles of the Bestia Empire, the royalty of neighboring countries, and even the Kingdom of Mireana."
"What are you talking about? Romance is only fun because it involves other people. Now, hurry up."
Hearing words that one would never expect from a woman smiling so radiantly at the public, the maid let out a sigh of resignation.
"Justina was speaking with one of the gatekeepers. At first, given their history when we were leaving the Imperial Capital, they had their friction, but it seems they've gradually warmed up to each other through conversation. Though, as far as I could see, they haven't reached that kind of atmosphere just yet."
"I see. Then we'll have to have her work a bit harder. But she went out of her way to head toward the Gate for Nobles, so she must feel something, right?"
As she spoke, Frizion recalled the exchange from when they had escaped the Imperial Capital. As a member of the White Rose Knight Order, Justina had nearly gotten into a brawl with the man guarding the Gate for Nobles. Somehow, through a strange path of logic, the two were now apparently on good terms.
"But she's from a noble family, isn't she? Her partner would need appropriate status... Since he was at the Gate for Nobles, I wonder if he's a noble himself?"
"Yes. However, he is the third son of Baron Ashdan, so there might be some complications regarding his standing."
"...I see. If anything happens, make sure we can lend them a hand."
"Is that wise? Won't Baron Ashdan be displeased?"
Even for a baron, the lowest rank among landed nobility, it was not unusual to seek political marriages to elevate the house. In fact, lower-ranked nobles were often the greediest when it came to climbing the social ladder.
(Note: while the status of 'Knight' exists as a non-landed noble, it is a single-generation title given to commoners for merit. This is distinct from the military function of a knight; it is strictly a title of nobility. A person of knightly rank can eventually become a baron, but the jump from commoner to knight is far easier than the jump from knight to baron.)
"Baron Ashdan is one thing, but Justina's father also has far too much ambition. That's why she joined the White Rose Knight Order to distance herself from it, isn't it?"
Frizion's impression of Justina was that while she lacked the skill to become a captain, her heart was in the right place. Most people with poor personalities were weeded out before they could even join the order anyway.
"In any case, the White Rose Knight Order has precious few opportunities for romance, so let us support Justina's encounter. ...While making sure everyone is kept fully aware of the situation, of course."
"...Aren't you actually just looking forward to the gossip?"
Frizion pretended not to hear the maid's suspicious remark and continued waving from the window. Deciding that further prodding was useless, the maid abruptly changed the subject.
"More importantly, Her Highness Frizion. This civil strife has settled the matter of His Highness Mercurio becoming the next successor to the throne, but are you truly satisfied with that?"
"In what regard?"
"I simply thought that if you had been a bit more motivated, you might have become the successor instead of His Highness Mercurio."
"...That would have been impossible. To begin with, from the moment Rei joined that side, the outcome was settled. Unless we had Noise on our side, there was nothing to be done. Besides... it's true that I once desired the throne. But now, I believe my goals can be sufficiently fulfilled as Mercurio's assistant."
"To make everyone happy... is it?"
"I wouldn't go that far. In reality, many people died in this conflict. It is impossible to say that everyone can be happy. However... even so, I want to make as many people happy as I can. To do that, we must build a friendly relationship with the Kingdom of Mireana rather than remain hostile."
Frizion knew all too well that building such a relationship would be a daunting task. The Bestia Empire was landlocked and surrounded by mountains; it desperately needed access to the sea. Until now, the Empire had aimed to seize that access by occupying the Kingdom of Mireana through superior national and military power.
The Kingdom of Mireana, while not quite the equal of the Bestia Empire, was still a formidable major power. The fact that it continued to exist despite centuries of imperial hostility was proof enough. Annexing such a country would bring unimaginable profits to the Empire. Past attempts at diplomacy had always ended in failure, which was why the Empire had pivoted toward forced occupation.
"But... if we fight and forcibly annex them, it will undoubtedly become a spark for rebellion. Especially now that Rei is in the Kingdom of Mireana, and Vihera would likely lend them her strength if a war broke out. Rei, who defeated the S-Rank Noise, and Vihera, who defeated the A-Rank Digma. And... even that Digma is hinting at defecting from the Empire. I simply cannot imagine us prevailing while remaining hostile toward the Kingdom of Mireana."
Though she maintained a smile, Frizion's voice held a melancholy tone that stood in sharp contrast to her expression.
"Whoa... this is incredible, Captain Rei."
Near the rear of the Mercurio Army, a member of the Mobile Unit voiced his shock at the cheering crowds. Having never received such a welcome before, he was initially stunned, but a look of intense excitement soon filled his eyes.
"I suppose so. I certainly didn't expect preparations to have proceeded on this grand a scale," Rei replied.
From Rei's perspective, this had strictly been a civil war. While his side had won, he had harbored concerns that they might be attacked the moment they entered the Imperial Capital. Instead, they had been greeted not by hostile soldiers, but by a sea of cheering commoners.
"I'm sure there's all sorts of root-work and political maneuvering behind it... though."
"Guru?"
Seto, carrying Rei on its back, turned around and tilted its head at the murmur.
"No, it's nothing. Anyway, for now, the priority is seeing this triumphal parade through to the end."
As he stroked the back of Seto's neck, Rei lowered his Dragon Robe's hood at Theoreme's request, participating in the parade despite looking somewhat out of his element.
At the sight of Rei's face, those who recognized him from the Fighting Tournament cheered at the top of their lungs. Even those unacquainted with the tournament let out sighs of admiration at Rei's face, which was refined enough to justify the "girlish face" description.
...Though, the latter sighs were also born from admiration for Seto, the magnificent beast Rei was riding.