"Once the civil war is over, the Lutania Kingdom must help other kingdoms. There are still places that haven't even dealt with the regions of rifts."
"So? Are you planning to use my strength for that too?"
"There's even a small kingdom whose royal family was wiped out after being entirely consumed by the Salvation Church. It's a small kingdom, but the fact that it has no ruler is what's important, isn't it?"
At that moment, Amelia realized what Ghislain wanted from her.
"Leave Lutania and take over such a place. With your abilities, it should be possible. Until it's stabilized, we'll support you as promised. That should be enough to achieve your ambitions, don't you think?"
That made sense. She didn't necessarily want Lutania for its own sake; it had simply been her target because she was born here.
But thanks to the Salvation Church, the door had opened for her to expand to other kingdoms.
"If we fight, it'll only drag out the war unnecessarily. People are eager to get rid of the Salvation Church quickly. There's no need for us to damage public sentiment by fighting each other."
"......"
"Even if we don't fight, staying here would make things uncomfortable for both of us. After all, we've already separated."
"...Get lost."
From the start, they had been enemies trying to kill each other. The only reason they had suppressed their mutual animosity to join forces was because the Duchy and the Salvation Church were so powerful.
But few knew the true history between them. Most believed they were simply uncomfortable around each other because of their broken engagement.
If the two, who had fought together until now, suddenly attacked each other, it would unsettle the people of the Kingdom once again.
Amelia wanted to avoid such a situation. She cared deeply for the people of her territory.
In that sense, Amelia and Ghislain shared at least one goal.
"Even if you defeat me and take this kingdom, you'll still have to fight the Salvation Church. Those cockroach-like pests are spread all over the continent."
"Hm…"
Amelia nodded. What she wanted was not a world ruled by monsters.
It had to be a world of humans—a place where she could realize her ideals.
But as long as the Salvation Church remained on the continent, she wouldn't be able to fulfill her goals. She would spend her entire life on the battlefield, and fighting alone would be an arduous path.
Ghislain understood this well.
"So, what do you say? You and I can't avoid the fight against the Salvation Church anyway. The allied forces will handle other nations, which should lessen your burden."
Ghislain had grown strong enough to overwhelm Amelia. Even so, he extended an offer of cooperation because of the inevitable fight against the Salvation Church, which spanned the continent.
The Salvation Church would throw everything it had into killing Ghislain. He couldn't end the fight simply because he wished for it.
Thus, it made sense to secure one more capable ally. This was no longer a battle for power; it was a fight to protect humanity.
Hearing Ghislain's earnest words, Amelia twisted her lips.
"You've dressed up your words nicely for someone trying to drive me out and use my strength."
"Who's asking you to do it for free? I'm now the leader of the allied forces. I can give you a legitimate reason to advance into other kingdoms. I'll also provide ample food."
"Fine, it's not a bad deal. If you win the civil war, that is."
"Don't worry about that. If you accept, I already have a way to win."
Amelia had to admit that Ghislain's proposal was the best option.
Zwalter was a king who commanded the respect and support of many. There was no need to risk danger and infamy to seize the kingdom.
It was better to ascend the throne in a new land, boldly and independently.
Thus, Amelia accepted Ghislain's proposal and joined the war effort.
After the war ended, Amelia muttered with a somewhat relieved expression.
"I'm finally leaving this cursed kingdom."
Though she would nominally act as part of the allied forces, there would be no particular reason for her to stay with Ghislain anymore.
There was no need for mutual vigilance, and each could simply fight and win in their respective domains.
Both Ghislain and Amelia found this arrangement far more comfortable.
'It doesn't matter where it is. I'll start over there.'
To create her ideal utopia, a strong foundation was essential. She would first establish herself in a new place and then gradually expand her influence.
Even if it took generations, if she steadily moved forward...
"One day, my will shall reach everywhere."
There was no need to achieve it immediately. The important thing was to eradicate the Salvation Church and gain certainty in her goals.
'It's actually better this way. I won't have to waste time and energy dealing with stagnant and corrupt elements.'
To realize her vision, she would inevitably have to reform the kingdom's system.
The feudal system, where lords ruled their lands like kings, was untenable. Under such a system, the laws and principles she established would eventually waver with time.
Ultimately, a strong centralized government was the only way forward. And in unclaimed lands, building a new system would be far easier.
Stroking Bastet's fur, Amelia spoke.
"Bastet, it seems my mission lies in another land. It may be challenging, but I will never give up. The rightness or wrongness of my ideals will be judged by future generations."
Meow.
For the first time in a long while, Amelia wore a truly peaceful smile.
***
With Amelia deciding to leave Lutania, the delicate relationship between her and Ghislain was finally resolved.
Having removed the greatest latent risk, Ghislain and the royal family moved swiftly.
They had to stabilize the lives of the people devastated by Berhem's tyranny while reorganizing the military to aid other kingdoms.
After all, wasn't that why allied forces had come and sacrificed themselves for this kingdom?
"Relief supplies for various regions are ready!"
"The Kingdom's army has completed its new reorganization!"
"Food supply and equipment checks are finished! We're ready to depart anytime!"
Everyone was preoccupied with stabilizing the people's livelihoods and preparing for the new war. As a result, no one paid much attention to Elena, who had become a princess.
Well, except for Ghislain, who, impressed by Parniel's immense strength, crafted a new giant hammer for her—the Proclaimer of Destruction.
"…Am I really a princess?"
While swinging her hammer during training, Elena suddenly asked Rachel.
"You are, indeed, the only princess of this kingdom," Rachel replied with a bright smile. She was overjoyed at Elena becoming a princess.
"What kind of princess is this! This isn't what I imagined! What princess smells like sweat all the time!"
Elena's life hadn't changed much. She still lived in the barracks and trained with Rachel all day.
Since Ghislain was too busy, he had simply thrown her in with the knights to train.
"Damn it! Why do I have to train all day? Either let me enjoy life as a princess or send me out to fight someone! I'm stressed to death!"
Boom!
Elena swung her hammer to the ground, splitting it open. The knights training nearby quickly scrambled to safety.
Elena and Rachel hadn't participated in the war. They had stayed in the rear, training continuously.
Ghislain had determined that it was still difficult for them to kill people.
Rachel spoke soothingly, "It's alright. Soon, we'll be heading out to hunt the beings from the rifts, won't we?"
"Hmph, when we do, I'll crush every single one of them. I'll flatten them all with this hammer."
After spending so much time in the barracks, her temper had grown worse. Living as an ordinary princess seemed impossible now; she just wanted to smash something—anything.
Skovan, who had been promoted to the rank of noble and appointed as the commander of the royal escort knights in recognition of his achievements, clicked his tongue as he watched.
'I didn't think the young lady would turn out this way, but the more I see her, the more she's just like her brother.'
It seemed like the family's bloodline was the problem. His Majesty wasn't like this, so who could they have taken after?
Even the late Queen, whom he had seen in the past, had seemed to be such a gentle soul.
While Elena was grumbling and training, Arel approached her and bowed.
"Princess, it's time for your lessons."
"Oh, oh my. Baron Hydune, you're here?"
Elena quickly turned her body sideways and started frantically brushing her hair aside. She even tossed her hammer far away.
"Ugh, I forgot what time it was. I must smell awful from all this sweat."
She was worried she had shown him an unsightly appearance.
Arel, who had also been rewarded for his contributions with the surname Hydune and the title of Baron, continued to serve as a knight.
The vassals of Fenris still had to fight alongside Ghislain.
Arel was currently the most popular knight in the capital. His background as the Grand Duke's disciple was impressive, and at a young age, he had achieved great merits and earned a noble title.
On top of that, he was handsome and had an impeccable reputation for his character.
Naturally, all the noble ladies in the capital set their sights on Arel. Elena was no exception to such feelings.
'So what if he's younger than me? They say younger men are trendy these days. I'll protect him.'
Pretending to be aloof while indulging in such thoughts, Elena received a smile from Arel, who replied, "Please make your preparations."
"Yes, of course."
As a princess, Elena had many things to learn, including etiquette.
In the past, she had thrown tantrums to avoid studying, but now she didn't mind—because she studied alongside Arel.
Ghislain, who took Arel's education seriously, had assigned him the best scholars in the royal family.
Since the princess couldn't have lesser teachers than Arel, Elena and Rachel ended up learning together with him.
Following Arel with shining eyes, Elena thought to herself, 'How can someone like this even exist? Oppa was a total delinquent at his age.'
Arel seemed like a knight straight out of a storybook, flawless in every way. Compared to the somewhat unhinged Fenris knights, he was all the more dazzling.
'If he ever disobeys me, I'll just subdue him by force.'
Not even Arel could beat Elena in strength. Her preference for solving problems with brute force was yet another way she resembled her brother.
'Why has my personality gotten so bad all of a sudden? It's all because of this training.'
Elena's dream of becoming a graceful lady seemed to drift further away with each passing day.
Zwalter was so busy he couldn't even properly attend to his daughter.
"Helping the struggling people comes first. Spare no expense. The housing and food issues must be addressed immediately. Move quickly."
Having food and a place to sleep were the most fundamental needs of human survival. Once those two issues were resolved, people could focus on other matters.
Thus, Fenris and Perdium's policies always prioritized resolving these two issues.
Under Zwalter's orders, supplies and materials were sent across the kingdom. The resources stockpiled by Perdium and Fenris proved invaluable.
"Let's move quickly!"
"The mages will assist!"
"Do it like we practiced!"
The advance preparations, such as building roads and using soldiers for logistics to gain experience, allowed for incredibly fast supply distribution.
The previously insufficient administrative capacity was also quickly addressed, as nobles who had fled with the old regime sent back talented individuals to help run the kingdom.
Rozalin and Meriel, who also took on roles as royal treasurers, were the leading figures among these talents. Thanks to their efforts, the kingdom was stabilizing rapidly.
Once things were somewhat settled, Erenes came to see Ghislain.
"The Duchy has been dealt with, so I'll take my leave now."
"Huh? Where are you going?"
"I mentioned it before, didn't I? That once the Duchy was destroyed, I'd leave to take care of personal matters."
"Oh... right. You did say that."
Ghislain nodded awkwardly. In this situation, where he couldn't pretend he hadn't read the "contract" they had previously signed, he couldn't stop Erenes from leaving.
"Of course, I'm not saying I'll stop fighting the Salvation Church. Once my business is finished, I'll return to fight alongside you. In any case, thank you for keeping your promise. I'll never forget this."
Erenes smiled gently.
As the Grand Chieftain of the Elves, who held honor and trust in high regard, he was deeply satisfied that a mutual promise had been fulfilled satisfactorily.
"Then, I'll take my leave. When the time comes to fight the Salvation Church again, we'll meet. May the blessing of the World Tree be with the Lutania Kingdom."
Still wearing an awkward smile, Ghislain glanced at Claude.
Lately, Claude had been overworked and stressed. Now, his eyes sparkled as he eagerly raised his hand.
"Grand Chieftain! Wait a moment!"
"What is it?"
"You can't leave just yet."
Erenes tilted his head, wondering if there was something more he needed to do.
"Why can't I leave? If there's something urgent, I'll help before I go."
"No, it's not that... I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding."
"What misunderstanding?"
Scratching his head, Claude sighed and spoke with a frustrated expression.
"Grand Chieftain, you signed a 30-year contract with us, didn't you? So where do you think you're going? Are you planning to break your promise?"
Erenes froze, looking completely bewildered.
[T/L: I am in dire need of support. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]