Chapter 534: The Best Gift for You

Arche, the royal capital of the Gharast Kingdom.

The city was once again on the brink of prosperity after recovering from its fall at the hands of demons. And today the air was filled with cheers.

Men drank as they carried their luggage, and women welcomed them with bouquets of flowers. Music echoed through the streets, and artists competed to take up their paintbrushes.

Today marked the triumphant return of Princess Philos’ personal army and the advance force led by the hero Lugis.

The entire city was a grand celebration ground. People gathered in clouds, rejoicing at the signs of a new era.

Once shattered, the Gharast Kingdom had now regained its glory as it completed its eastern expedition. The hero killed the Great Demon with his blade, and the Princess had made the Bolvat army, her sworn enemy, an ally on favorable terms.

If this wasn’t a success, then what was?

Princess Philos, still clad in her black military uniform, rode down the road, receiving the cheers of the people. Unlike typical royalty, she responded to the crowds on horseback rather than from a carriage.

It was as if she was asserting that she was no distant figurehead.

A sigh escaped from her lips.

「You can finally catch your breath, Princess. 」

Saint Matia, who was riding her horse a little behind Philos, spoke with a clear voice. Nobody could hear her voice because of the loud cheers. Only Philos could hear it. It was much easier to speak here than indoors, where spies might be present.

「Yes, finally. 」

There was strong emotion in the word “finally”.

Enshrined as a Princess born to a concubine by the King of this kingdom, Philos always sat on a throne of sand.

She had to desperately keep the nobles and surrounding forces in check, on a foothold that could collapse at any moment, and she didn’t even have time to catch her breath.

But with this, Philos had accomplished a major achievement. She had transformed from an undiscovered young girl into one who had fulfilled her duties as a ruler.

「Still, there are still many tasks and problems to be resolved. Glory alone won’t win the hearts of the citizens. They need peace and sustenance too. 」

「…I see. I understand. 」

Philos didn’t say that Saint Matia was one of those problems.

No matter how powerful that fox vixen was…Philos couldn’t lose Matia now. She glanced briefly at her ring and distorted her lips.

Philos’ immediate task was to create a new regime.

With Lugis’ return, Philos was going to be crowned. She would become the ruler of the country by name and authenticity. Gharast would welcome the new reign.

The coronation ceremony would mark the beginning of the new kingdom and the end of the old.

To that end, the creation of a new political system was an urgent matter.

But Philos faced one problem that required her attention.

…Who should receive the baton of a General?

After the triumphal ceremony and celebrations was over, Philos sat in her study, sulking while she faced a literal mountain of parchments.

If the kingdom was to claim its name as a new one, then military reorganization was essential. It wouldn’t longer be possible to get away with a makeshift reorganization in an emergency, as had been the case until now.

The General occupied the pinnacle of a nation’s military power. Appointing an incompetent person to the position would be enough to destabilize the nation.

This was now a political matter. It wasn’t something that could be decided lightly.

「Excuse me, Princess. It concerns the date of the coronation. 」

One of the candidates was this man with a magnificent beard.

Biomondor Gagari, the leader of the nobles.

He was Philos’ quickest support, and he was instrumental in launching the charge in the battle to retake the capital.

He tended to make hasty decisions, but there was no denying his competence.

Even now, he was the one who shouldered one half of government affairs.

「Biomondor, what would you have done if I had died on that expedition? 」

Biomondor twitched his beard without much thought.

「I would have stayed behind and waited until the right moment came to act. If the princess died, there would be no legitimate successor to rule the capital. In the midst of chaos, the capital would lose its value. 」

He handed over a new piece of parchment and answered smoothly, without even a hint of hesitation.

In other words, he had already thought through all the possibilities.

Both selfish and realist. And a man who said what he wanted.

In the new kingdom, Biomondor was the leader of the nobles. With him as General, it would be easy to tame the nobles.

However, that would be tantamount to allowing the influence of the noble faction to expand.

The other candidate was Richard Parmilis, a hero of the former Gharast army. Many of the unit commanders and soldiers in the new kingdom’s army were also former Gharast soldiers.

Richard still enjoyed high support among them, and if he became a General, the soldiers would surely pledge even greater loyalty to their new lord.

But this was precisely why Philos saw Richard as the man to be most wary of.

Biomondor only valued profit, but Richard measured worth.

If he felt she was no longer worthy of his service, then he would easily turn against her. Philos believed that he had no loyalty.

Thinking about this, a smile naturally spread across Philos’ face.

She shall admit it…She had lost all faith in people.

When she was merely the lady of a city, she tried to trust her subjects and vassals alike. She believed that if she showed herself to be upright, then they would surely serve her well.

And that was the result.

The man who taught Philos to distrust and to hate was also one of the candidates to be a General.

…Lugis. The hero who slew the Great Demon Vrilligant. Now he was the symbol of the kingdom.

But there was someone who would be happy to give him the General’s baton in the Heraldic Order’s name.

The bond between the Gharast Kingdom and the Heraldic Order had grown even stronger, and that vixen would surely plot to gain even more power.

Philos put her monocle back on and thought to herself.

「This is politics, yes politics. It’s like a balance. 」

From now on, Philos was going to be the Queen. She must seize the reins of the three major forces: the noble faction, the former Gharast army, and the Heraldic Order, and maintain balance.

Personal feelings couldn’t be mixed in here. A cold, calm, and absolute decision must be made.

「…Bruder. You’re there, aren’t you, Bruder? 」

Philos called out to Bruder, who had been loaned to her by Lugis as a bodyguard.

She heard that Bruder was Lugis’ most trustworthy person. She wouldn’t betray her then.

Indeed, her skills were solid. There were several times that what appeared to be spies sniffed around Philos, but they were all pierced by needles and killed.

Bruder was always nearby, where voices could be heard.

「…Yes, I’m here. What is it, Princess? Are you looking for food? 」

「No, you idiot. I can eat anything later, just listen. 」

Bruder looked extremely angry. She seemed extremely annoyed that she couldn’t visit Lugis even though he had returned.

Still, she was a mercenary at heart, and work was just as important.

「For example, how do you think your employer, Lugis, would feel if he was asked to become a General? Would he be reluctant, or happy? 」

Bruder answered with her brown hair hanging down from the ceiling.

「He’d probably be reluctant. He’d say, “it’s not for me”, or that he can’t take on such responsibility. Just the usual. 」

Philos nodded, tucking her chin in slightly. Yes, Lugis would be reluctant. He would definitely refuse. It was obvious he’d try to abandon his position somehow.

For some reason, he was trying to distance himself from glory. Even if she nominated him to become a General, she knew it wouldn’t go according to his wishes.

In that case…Philos narrowed her eyes.

…I’ll definitely put the General’s baton in that man’s hands.

Philos’ cheeks twisted dramatically. Her eyes narrowed into crescent moons as she thought.

Lugis. You brought me to the throne. You made me a princess, a young girl from a weak noble family, so that you could use me.

And so, in the end, I was crowned solely to be used by you.

Philos knew that Lugis harbored an unspeakable sense of guilt about this. The further Philos advanced on her path to becoming Queen, the more this guilt would surely grow.

The path of a reigning Queen wasn’t all pretty. One must tread on thorns and must be prepared to even have one’s head chopped off.

Walk that path, Lugis had told her. Philos laughed heartily.

Very well. If that’s what you want, then I’ll walk that path with you, covered in blood. I’ll give you glory, and I’ll walk with you.

And then, when it’s all over, I’ll say this.

…Thanks to you, who made me bloody and even gave up my most precious happiness, I was able to become a fine Queen. Thank you. For ruining my life.

Philos wondered what kind of expression that man would have when she say that.

She was sure it would leave a scar that would never heal. Those wounds would torment him until he dies.

Philos was certain of that.

「Haha, hahaha! Yes, I’m sure he’ll hate it. But he must fulfill his duty. 」

Princess Philos picked up her pen and signed. The name of the person to whom the General’s baton should be given was engraved on the parchment.

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