"Haah…"
Rowan let out a deep sigh as she left the Kernstadt military garrison.
Royalty was indeed royalty.
Not just any ordinary royalty.
She knew they couldn't be mere chess pieces that could be moved at will, but Louise von Schwartz was beyond her expectations.
Even though she knew she had to shake an unwilling hand, she ultimately got what she wanted.
No, to be precise, she didn't even say she wanted it.
Louise didn't tell Rowan that she wanted her dead.
She said there was a 'need' for her to die – not for herself, but for the Demon King.
The reason Louise's negotiation and demands were eerie was because Rowan herself had been convinced by her words.
A dog had no use in troubled times.
Cute dogs were not needed.
All that was needed was a large, fierce dog to bite the enemy.
But once the troubled times were over, the use of hunting dogs diminished, and mad dogs must be eliminated.
It was clear that the Demon King had ambitions, and while Rowan might be needed for now, there was a possibility that her past actions could come back to haunt her once the situation stabilized.
For the sake of the Demon King's world, Rowan had to die along with all her sins the moment that world was completed.
She had to confess that her sins were unrelated to the Demon King and take her leave.
She was already a villain, and the dice would continue to roll every day, determining whether her villainy would be exposed or not.
The longer she lived, the more responsibility the Demon King would bear for condoning Rowan's sins.
"…"
Louise von Schwarz had achieved a great success.
Even if she withdrew her demands now, she had made Rowan prepared to die the moment the world she desired arrived.
The fundamentals did not change.
Noble-born royalty would remain royalty until death.
Although she might appear to be submitting miserably to the Demon King for now, once the Demon King's world began, Kernstadt would become one of the top nations in the hierarchy.
Despite the gossip that Louise von Schwarz was a traitor to humanity or a despicable person who had submitted to the Demon King, she would still live as royalty, and that would not change.
However, Rowan believed that her past actions would eventually catch up with her.
She had to disappear because her very existence was a burden to the one she served.
The fundamentals did not change.
The words spoken and the deeds committed remained unchanged.
Rowan was a creature that should never have stepped into the light.
If she hadn't, she could have continued to live in the fog and shadows.
But as a consequence of stepping into the light, she must wither and die, rather than return to the darkness.
The shadows that hid her.
The tree called the Pope.
For a creature that had lived in the shadows they created, cutting down the masters of those shadows and occupying their place was a transgression that must be punished with death.
Rowan didn't feel particularly sorrowful or sad about it.
It was just unpleasant that a spoiled royal brat had made her realize something she should have known all along.
But it made her think.
What if she hadn't lived as a heretic inquisitor?
Like the children left in the monastery, she too had been an abandoned child.
Some of these children would grow up as abandoned, then demonstrate their talent for holy power and enter the Temple.
Adriana had done so.
Or, they could catch the eye of the Holy Knight Commander and be groomed to become the next Holy Knight Commander.
Olivia Lanze had said so.
Someone who happened to have a similar talent but was raised in a monastery that trained heretic inquisitors.
So, she was raised as a heretic inquisitor.
"…"
Who defines one's origin?
Was it something I decided?
Would it have been different if I was raised differently?
In that harsh country, where the snow of the four seasons fell. In a gloomy and desolate monastery built away from people's eyes.
Not learning terrible techniques to torture, brainwash, and fabricate nonexistent crimes.
Not being educated on how to convince myself to betray my teachings even before I learned them.
Wouldn't it have been different if I had grown up in a place like a temple, not knowing how to hate others?
Olivia Lanze.
The person who had lived with the Demon King and the temple.
The position of the leader of the Holy Order and the future Holy Emperor of the next Holy Empire.
Could that position have been mine?
Originally twisted and with a dark heart, Rowan became even more entangled by the words Louise had thrown at him.
"…Nonsense."
The good thing was, Rowan only knew Louise's intention.
She clearly understood her intention not to interfere and to watch the grave.
So, thinking too much about it was just falling for Louise's malice.
The position of Olivia Lanze was Olivia Lanze's position.
There was no reason to desire it, nor to regret it.
If dying and disappearing would help the Demon King, then so be it.
Twisted loyalty is still loyalty.
And the Demon King didn't even like her.
She just had to think about what she had to do.
Louise von Schwarz had been captured.
Now, it was time for the next.
The current goal was to carefully make those with a high likelihood of capture come over, one by one.
The most important person, Louise von Schwarz, had asked for a price but had crossed over.
In fact, it wasn't even a price. It was necessary from the beginning.
Rowan didn't need to capture everyone.
'Is it the Duke next……?'
Now it was the Duke of Saint Owan's turn.
'He said there was no need for me to go there……'
The person who should step forward to capture the Duke of Saint Owan.
Wasn't the most suitable person right next to the Demon King?
——
The report that had been sent from Rowan to the side of Sarkegaar arrived for me around noon the next day.
As I read the report, I couldn't help but feel a taste that was both bitter and not.
"Hmm……"
Louise von Schwarz wanted Rowan's execution.
Not right now, but after everything was resolved.
Harriet, Charlotte, and I gathered in the office and read the report together.
"It's a necessary task. Of course, it seems certain that she asked not because it was necessary, but because she wanted to see it happen."
Charlotte nodded her head as if acknowledging the intentions and necessity of Louise von Schwarz's request after reading the report.
She agreed that Rowan should be killed.
She agreed that an execution was necessary.
But, if you think about it, how many people in my group should not die?
"It's scary……"
Harriet, who was not familiar with such matters, trembled slightly at the tips of her fingers.
"Execution is a necessary task. It's not just Rowan who needs to die. If there are too many heroes, the country will be ruined."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
It was true that heroes should be treated with respect.
However, excessive respect could lead to a dispersion of power, and when it went too far, it would become the seed of division. Therefore, as a ruler, it was necessary to make a decisive choice to purge heroes after successfully completing the conquest.
It wasn't just about killing Rowan.
It was also about killing Charlotte.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
At my words, Charlotte shrugged her shoulders.
"If necessary, I should be killed too. No, actually, it would be better to kill me."
"What?"
It wasn't me who was surprised by Charlotte's calm words, but Harriet.
"Because if you employ me while sparing my life, my existence itself would become the seed of the Gardias royal family's revival. Logically, I should be killed."
Yes, I wasn't unaware of that.
"Would I do that?"
"That's why I'm worried. Because you absolutely won't."
"How many times have I saved your life by now? If I have to kill you later, I'll bite my tongue and die first."
It sounded absurd.
Countless times, I had tried to save Charlotte.
But now, after everything had finally stabilized and I wanted to strengthen the foundations of the nation, would I just hang her out to dry?
I would rather die than live to see such a thing.
I understood that such a decision was necessary for a ruler, but if that was the life of a ruler, I would rather not live as one.
That didn't mean I didn't acknowledge the necessity of a purge.
A purge was necessary.
But if so, who should be purged and to what extent?
Even though I didn't plan on it, I would have to sift through the heroes who had been with me since before we arrived in Edina.
If necessary, even Olivia and Liana would have to be killed.
I absolutely couldn't carry out such a purge, and this report was written by Rowan herself.
It wasn't just about Louise von Schwarz's demands.
Rowan had written in detail about why she should die.
She was prepared to die at any moment.
"I really dislike this guy. It's too burdensome."
It was overwhelmingly burdensome.
"I don't know. Purges and all that stuff aren't problems to think about right now. Just promise to do it. We can change our minds later."
After all, even if Louise received a promise for a purge, she would only collect the price later.
We could say that we couldn't do it later on.
When the situation actually came to that, we could think differently based on the necessity at that time.
But ultimately, it was about promising to give in to everything she wanted for now since we could just back out later.
"What should I say… it's a bit… difficult."
Harriet couldn't help but have a troubled expression.
"People in these positions usually have to lie a lot, you know?"
"That's true."
"And if the situation unfolds according to our wishes, do you think Louise could turn against us for not keeping our promise? She absolutely can't."
"Right, right. Of course."
As Charlotte and I bickered in agreement, Harriet scowled at us as if we were both trash.
We decided to go ahead with the purge.
Whether or not we would actually kill Rowan would be determined later.
It was a garbage-like logic, but Louise probably knew that my guarantee wasn't very reliable.
A purge.
I was already worrying about something that wasn't an issue at this stage.
Let's focus on the task at hand.
Charlotte seemed to have sorted herself out and stretched.
"Now it's time for the next step."
Louise von Schwarz agreed to join our side, with the condition that the payment would come later.
The Holy Knights, the Five Great Churches, and Kernstadt.
Next.
The Saint Owan Duchy.
And the leader of the duchy, the Archduke of Saint Owan.
"I'll do my best."
With a determined expression, Harriet nodded.
Look at her.
How adorable.
"What exactly are you going to do well?"
"Uh? That would be… persuading…?"
Harriet seemed to think it was obvious that she should go to persuade the Archduke of Saint Owan.
"Why would you go? I'm the one going."
"Huh?"
"What are you talking about? Why are you going in person?"
Charlotte seemed just as confused.
"Honestly, I don't think it's a bad idea for you to go either. But don't you think you should consider the feelings of a parent?"
"Um?"
"Ah…"
"If you go and ask for help, it might be easier to say, but the Archduke might think… won't I look despicable?"
Although not a hostage, the daughter's happiness might depend on following my words.
If I were a parent, I would find it very despicable.
I should visit in person.
"Even if the Archduke understands your actions, I'm ultimately the scumbag who stole his daughter, right? He may understand you, but understanding me is a completely different matter."
"…Huh?"
"That's why this time, I should go and bow my head."
"Is, is that so?"
"Certainly, it would be fortunate if he didn’t slap Reinhardt as soon as he saw him. No, Reinhardt should be slapped at least once as a courtesy. It seems that way."
Harriet appeared puzzled, and Charlotte seemed to agree with my decision.
That's right, as Charlotte said.
I should have been slapped at least once. I was despicable. I didn't even go to get slapped until now.
But then.
What should I say?
Let's say I get slapped. What should I do next?
Father-in-law, please.
You’ve already taken my daughter, you bastard!
Not the daughter. I've already taken your daughter.
Then what! What else do you want, you brat!
Father-in-law.
Don’t call me father-in-law.
Do I have to say that… is that the situation?
The Archduke could use teleportation.
So, there was no need to meet at the Allied Forces' base.
If the Archduke wanted, we could meet in the Saint Owan Duchy, and if he wanted to meet at the Allied Forces' base, that would be fine too.
Unlike Louise, the Archduke wouldn't refuse a proposal to meet and talk since his daughter was with me.
"What if… my father… tries to kill you…?"
Harriet's eyes were brimming with tears.
Harriet had actually visited Saint Owan Duchy once before to meet the Archduke. At that time, the Archduke said he understood Harriet.
But that was one thing, and wouldn't it be natural for the Archduke to have the urge to crush me?
"I think it's best if I go with you."
"…No, that would be even weirder."
It would really look like we're going to ask for permission to get married!