After that, I locked the bound Mertina in a room that I use as a storage room and drove the two knights out of my city.

Fortunately, the knights had not suffered any life-threatening injuries and did not require any further treatment beyond a bottle of restorative potion each.

The knight has been subjected to a simple memory manipulation by Neimilia, and the memory of Raidorl having one of the Six Witches of Doom as his maid has been falsified.

The power of Neimilia is something that the Kingdom of Zain does not know about, and it could be a trump card. At the moment, there was no advantage in letting the people on the king’s side know about it.

“I see, so that’s what happened before I got here.”

“Yes, I’m sure if you’d been here earlier, it wouldn’t have happened.”

Raidorl spat sarcastic venom at Zafis Bartolomeo, who had finally arrived just as the discussion with Mertina had ended and the knight had been driven away.

Zafis’s lips twisted in reply to his pupil’s words.

“I can’t help it! We’re busy, not like those ornamental lords!”

With a rough hand, Zafis picked up the wooden cup in front of him and gulped down the liquid in it. Then he spat out half of it on the floor.

“Ha!? What the hell is this?!”

“My apologies, sir. It seems that the amount of tea leaves was wrong.”

Neimilia smiled and mopped up the rather thick tea that Zafis had sprinkled on the floor.

Zafis calls out fearfully to the maid, who sweeps the floor with an indifferent look on her face.

“Oh....are you mad at me, by any chance?”

“No, I’m not mad at you for overlooking my master’s danger, or for calling him a decoration.”

“Ugu....”

The smile on her face was gentle, but there was a look of anger on her face.

Zafis’s face contorts in horror, and he clears his throat.

“Well, I’m glad you’re alright.? But why did you agree to return to Royal Capital?”

“That’s what I was wondering, too. Is the master a masochist who goes and faces troubles with the demands of those who have cast him out?”

“Who’s a masochist? I have my own plans!”

Raidorl retorts and exhales.

“Think about it, whatever the intentions of the people in the royal court, we can’t just leave the Alsatian Empire alone, can we? If the Empire destroys the Kingdom of Zain, it will of course wipe out the royal family. I can’t be a part of that.”

He could ask for a pardon, explaining that his brother had treated him badly, but there was no guarantee that the Empire would accept it.

In the eyes of the Empire, there is no merit in keeping alive the royal family of an enemy country that it has destroyed. It is much more likely that they will dispose of them in order to avoid any regrets.

Beheaded or burnt at the stake, either way they will not be treated well.

“And this is a great opportunity. In this time of war, Granard will be forced to concede to our demands, and we will be able to extort aid for the town.”

The pioneer town serves to prevent the influx of demons from the jungles to the south of the Kingdom of Zain. In spite of this, the town is run by money from the sale of demon materials and loans from the adventurers’ guild.

The town has never received any aid from the Crown.

“.... Is that really what you want? You’re not going to get revenge on your brother, are you?”

Zafis raises his eyebrows in question.

Zafis, who knew Raidorl when he was sent to the frontier, knew how devastated and hurt the young prince had been by the betrayal of those he had trusted.

He suspected that he intended to use the war as an opportunity to return to the Royal Capital and take revenge on his brother the King.

“Revenge....huh..”

In response to his sword master’s question, Raidorl looked out the window with a faraway look in his eyes.

He once hated his brother Granard for betraying him.

He has hated his brother Granard for betraying him, and he has hated his aides Lockwood Marcell and Bazel Garst.

He even disliked the kingdom of Zain, which had driven him to the frontier and kept him at peace by mistreating him.

“But.... that’s beside the point.”

But Raidorl was not going to take revenge, he swore.

If Granard would leave him alone, he would be happy to spend the rest of his life fighting demons on the frontier.

The frontier city was full of danger and turmoil, but there was a pure truth to it, that the strongest survived, and that suited Raidorl.

“If my brother, Granard, had stayed out of my life, I would have been fine with that. But if he still wants to take it from me after all this time, I’ll have to fight. I will not let them take it from me again.”

“...I see.”

“I’ll come with you everywhere you go, Master!”

Zafis nodded gravely when he heard Raidorl’s decision. Neimilia also pinched the edge of her skirt and bowed her head smilingly.

“This is a fight for my pride. I’ll take back what is taken from me. I will not tolerate those who take from us. I’ll crush them both, the Empire and Granard.”

With a determination like a blazing fire, Raidorl stared out of the window at the northern sky.

Beyond the sky – in the royal palace of the Kingdom of Zain – a dead holy sword cried out with a high-pitched sound, as if calling out to its master.