“Recalling what we saw in the Eastern Front, I doubt you’d even consider that level of strategy.”
… Did I just mishear something? What did she just say?
“If we take into account the position of someone like the young master.”
What nonsense is this demon woman babbling about now?
Back then, I was just as tense during the Eastern Campaign.
It was all just sheer luck that the situations fell into place so perfectly.
“But still, if you consider how it affected us in Nobogorod, wouldn’t you think of it as some kind of strategy? And if you could see it that way, we’d be very grateful.”
“Excuse me…”
“Please, Master Kael. Could you maybe save some face for Nobogorod?”
That’s got to be some kind of joke. Yeah, that’s it. There’s no other way to explain that smile on her face.
Yet for some reason, she actually seems kinda serious, which is pretty amusing.
Wait, was our defeat at your hands really that shocking? It’s certainly surprising to hear that.
“No need to worry, Miss Charlotte.”
The response came not from me, but someone else who suddenly interjected.
“Master Kael always gives his best, no matter when or where.”
I wasn’t alone in this situation. The princess was also present.
I heard I was the only one officially invited from the other side, so why is the princess here?
I don’t know. She just suddenly appeared and took the seat beside me.
Judging from the situation, she probably got some kind of tip from the Emperor.
Well, it wouldn’t make sense for me to receive someone as distinguished as the Chairperson’s daughter alone.
“By the way, wasn’t Her Highness the Princess also present during the conflict between Nobogorod and the Empire?”
“Yes, she had a special interest in military affairs and requested to accompany the army.”
“How was it? Watching Master Kael devise strategies right beside him.”
“Pointless to even ask. He was incredibly impressive. I couldn’t help but be amazed.”
… Uh. Just listening to their conversation from nearby makes my face feel hot.
Having someone else say I’m impressive is surprisingly exhausting.
I tried to cough a few times to appear unfazed, silently hinting I’d like to change the subject.
“Her Highness seems to share the same opinion as me!”
The problem is, this Miss Charlotte shows no signs of stopping.
And the princess herself doesn’t seem inclined to change the topic either.
“To be honest, ever since I returned, I’ve been replaying Master Kael’s strategies every night!”
“…”
Why are you replaying that?! Stop it! There’s no need to dwell on such trivial matters.
“Some of my like-minded friends are even systematically studying Master Kael’s tactics.”
Are you crazy?! What’s with all this ‘studying’ business?
“I understand. Considering the conflict with Nobogorod, and especially what Master Kael showed our Empire during the eastern campaign, it goes beyond that.”
Princess, please stop smiling like you’re bragging about yourself. Really, just stop!
Ignoring or not these inner thoughts, the two women continued their conversation.
“I requested this personal meeting because I wanted to have more discussions with the brilliant strategist Master Kael.”
“The pursuit of knowledge knows no borders. Miss Charlotte proves to be a principled individual.”
Hmm, women really do seem to click, even across different races.
This is good. One is the Empire’s princess, the other is the Chairperson’s daughter.
Can we even call these two “people”? Ah, let’s just skip that part.
Anyway, if these two get along, it would certainly benefit both countries!
I don’t like this. All of this makes me extremely uncomfortable.
Isabel looked at the demon woman sitting in front of her, trying to calm herself down.
At first, it seemed funny. Sure, she’s a distinguished guest, but still just a visitor, right?
How dare a foreign guest ask to meet personally with an Imperial noble?
As soon as Isabel heard this, she made sure to stay right by Kael’s side.
“Demon races are notoriously cunning. Who knows what schemes she has.”
Plus, Kael is already under mild suspicion by the Emperor. (Not really.)
Any unnecessary meetings could become a potential liability, so it’s better I stay close.
That way, I can nip any rumors about suspicious conversations in the bud.
And Isabel confirmed her instincts were right.
“To be honest, ever since I returned, I replay Master Kael’s strategies every night!”
What is this demon woman saying now? She’s claiming she’s thinking about Kael every night? Is she sane?
What is she doing daring to lust after an Imperial noble, no matter how incredible he may be?
(Isabel completely ignored the “strategy” part.)
“I understand. Your people must feel bitter not having someone of such greatness. And I’ve heard your kind values strength as the highest virtue.”
Ah, I see. This is understandable. You don’t have such great talents in your demon world, so of course it would upset you.
‘Hmm.’
Meanwhile, Charlotte noticed something odd about Isabel sitting directly beside her, almost like she’s monitoring everything.
Ever since the start, she’s been acting strangely protective of Kael, answering for him even before he can.
This was supposed to be a meeting personally requested by Charlotte.
Could it be the Empire suspects my motives because of my status?
The only daughter of the Chairman, though currently holding no official position, that’s not permanent.
The daughter of the Chairman could quickly rise to a high position upon returning home.
Could it be they’re bothered by that person having discussions with the Empire’s genius strategist?
“I requested this personal meeting specifically because I wanted to have more discussions with the brilliant strategist Master Kael.”
So I’m stating my intentions clearly.
I definitely wanted to have this discussion alone with Kael.
Why is this princess butting in and ruining it?
We’re just having a normal conversation – why does it need to be monitored?
“…”
Isabel’s eyes narrowed slightly upon understanding the implications.
Still smiling, she responded calmly.
“The pursuit of knowledge knows no borders. Though Miss Charlotte is from Nobogorod, she proves to be a principled individual.”
A polite way of telling the foreign guest to not overstep her bounds.
A subtle warning not to do anything that might become a weakness for Kael.
An unspoken power struggle had formed between the two women.
‘Hurok’
The main cause of all this, Kael, was enjoying his tea leisurely the whole time.
The next day. Just like yesterday, Charlotte came to see Kael.
And just like yesterday, Isabel was also present beside him.
‘The princess is still here today. This makes things quite difficult.’
Charlotte wanted to have a proper discussion with Kael, the genius strategist.
She wanted to exchange opinions about the strategies he had used so far.
How to better understand and handle situations. She wanted advice on that.
And as a bonus. To get help with the internal unrest in Nobogorod that’s been brewing recently.
Regarding the headaches she’s been having with her father and the council members.
“Still, I’m curious why Miss Charlotte takes such an interest in Master Kael?”
At this point, Isabel could no longer contain herself and directly demanded an explanation.
Her smile remained, but her voice carried a sharp edge.
A foreign guest should know her place and not monopolize our precious talents.
Normally, the best course would be to avoid answering such questions.
Even if you do answer, it’s better to lie or beat around the bush.
“I’m actually here to ask Master Kael for help, Your Highness.”
But Charlotte chose a different path – the direct approach.
This was due to the wit and insight into human nature she inherited from her father.
‘Though she’s cautious of me, she’s not a completely twisted person. She’s protecting her country’s talent as a princess, and yet she’s shown strong interest in state affairs enough to join the military twice.’
So rather than beating around the bush, why not be straightforward? Let’s provoke her as a princess.
If a foreigner says this so directly, she’s bound to react somehow.
“What do you mean by ‘help’?”
As expected, Isabel’s eyes widened in surprise.
From what she knows, the envoy never said anything like this.
So this must be Charlotte acting on her own – which is impossible.
It’s more likely she’s pulling our leg for fun.
“Exactly that, Your Highness. I seek council from Master Kael, the brilliant strategist.”
“…”
Isabel stared at Charlotte for a moment before dismissing it as nonsense.
She’s heard that the envoy never made any similar statements.
So this must be Charlotte’s personal whim – that’s impossible.
Even if she were joking around with Kael and herself, it would be more believable.
“Currently, Nobogorod is in a very chaotic state.”
But an unexpected announcement from Charlotte left Isabel stunned.
“Why are you doing this?”
“What do you mean, Your Highness?”
“Why are you revealing your country’s secrets to people from another country? If you’re trying to defect, you should go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
“I’m not defecting, Your Highness. This is information you’ll find out soon anyway, and as I said, to seek advice, I need to explain the situation first.”
Isabel’s expression hardened further.
Exactly! That’s precisely why this doesn’t make sense!
Why seek counsel from another country about domestic issues?
Especially between two countries that haven’t been on great terms and still have some lingering tensions.
How could anyone easily believe this coming from the Chairman’s daughter?
“Currently, the Menwa Tribe in Nobogorod is growing more restless.”
But Charlotte ignored the doubts and began her explanation.
“What’s the Menwa Tribe?”
Kael finally broke his silence with a question.
“To which Charlotte sighed softly and continued.
“As you know, Nobogorod is a union of various demon races.”
“Of course.”
“Among these groups, there are different factions. Broadly divided into moderates and hardliners, but even within those groups, there are further sub-factions.”
“…”
“And the Menwa Tribe? They’re part of the hardliners – the ultra-hardliners, to be precise. They’re even suggesting we break the treaty with the Empire and launch a surprise attack on your northern territories.”
At this point, Kael and Isabel began to grasp the situation.
If true, this is certainly something delicate to discuss in formal settings.
Bringing this up in front of the entire imperial court would create quite a stir.
It could easily lead to mutual distrust, so handling this with great caution is necessary.
The emperor must have received this information secretly through the envoy’s representatives by now, as a sign of their sincerity.
Perhaps this unexpected move by Charlotte was also planned beforehand.
“Not too long ago, they even dug up the grave of someone who worked to improve relations with the Empire.”
“Wh-what? They disturbed the resting place of the dead?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Whether in the Empire or Nobogorod, anywhere on the continent, disturbing the resting places of the deceased is considered taboo.
So if they dug up a grave, it shows the Menwa Tribe’s strong animosity toward the Empire.
“Originally, we thought about raising an army to punish them. But…”
Charlotte glanced meaningfully at Isabel.
More accurately, she was looking at the Empire behind Isabel.
From that look, it was clear what she was implying.
‘The Empire might suspect Nobogorod if we take military action.’
Since we initiated this peace, we don’t want to break it ourselves.
We want to avoid provoking you. Instead, can the Empire help us in some way?
Isabel finally understood the true intention behind Charlotte’s – or rather, Nobogorod’s – actions.
“If we openly ask for help, it would appear that Nobogorod relies on foreign intervention and the Empire meddles in others’ affairs. Therefore, I’m seeking advice on a personal level.”
Right from you, Kael Klauwitz.
Both Charlotte’s and Isabel’s gazes fixed on Kael, who was holding his teacup.
