Merchant Noble is out (1/4 chapters for today)
Occupation
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*Thud thud thud*
“…What is this?” (Yuna)
Amidst a ground-shaking rumble, an enormous army suddenly appeared, covering the plains beyond Alma.
“Yuna. It’s the Laplace Kingdom army. I see the flag of the royal guard’s Jeanne-sama, the flag of General Renoir, and also Tyr-sama’s flag.” (Yulia)
Yulia, who was staring intently, spoke to Yuna, whose thoughts had frozen from the sudden development.
“…Why such a large force? An invasion?” (Yuna)
While Yuna struggled to comprehend the situation, Alma declared triumphantly:
“Yuna. It’s already too late. You should give up. Your rescue mission has failed.” (Alma)
With those words, Alma and Martina turned their horses around and disappeared into the advancing army.
“Wait!” (Yuna)
“Yuna! Yulia!” (Tyr)
Yulia started to chase after them, but a familiar voice called out from the army.
“Tyr-sama!” (Yulia)
Under Tyr’s banner stood Tyr himself, along with Hal, Randal, and Laika, officers of the Warden Household.
“This is a real invasion…” (Yulia)
Seeing the impressive lineup, Yulia finally grasped the gravity of the situation.
For reasons unknown, the Laplace Kingdom had launched a full-scale invasion of the Lureid Kingdom.
“Tyr-sama.” (Yuna)
“What’s going on!? Were the couple successfully rescued?” (Tyr)
Tyr, who had marched forward himself yet seemed equally confused, asked frantically.
“Tyr-sama, why are you doing this?” (Yuna)
“I don’t know. We were stationed near the border, ready to move if needed, when suddenly the other units started invading. So? Were the couple rescued?” (Tyr)
“…Not yet.” (Yuna)
“What!?” (Tyr)
Yuna answered hesitantly, and Tyr was left speechless.
An invasion had begun before the hostages were rescued, something that now placed the couple’s lives in grave danger.
“Damn it. But once the march has begun, it can’t be stopped. The die is cast. Join us.” (Tyr)
“Understood.” (Yuna)
Thus, the Laplace Kingdom army advanced toward the capital of the Lureid Kingdom.
—
The invasion by the Laplace Kingdom was a complete surprise for the Lureid Kingdom, which had been preparing for a hostage exchange. Having kept only minimal defenses to avoid provoking Laplace, the Lureid army collapsed without a fight.
The Laplace forces broke through forts and castles, advancing almost without pause to the royal capital. With the king fleeing and the gates left wide open, they achieved a bloodless capture of the city within weeks.
“Casablanca-sama. The soldiers have abandoned the capital. One-third of the retainers have surrendered.” (Lily)
“Good.” (Casablanca)
Sitting proudly on the throne of the royal palace, Casablanca listened to the report from the Third Officer, Lily.
“One-third of the retainers fled east, but Jeanne is pursuing them with ten thousand troops. It’s only a matter of time before they are annihilated.” (Lily)
“Good, good.” (Casablanca)
“The Lureid king has fled north with the remaining third. He’s offered to surrender in exchange for the release of Princess Alice.” (Lily)
“Good, good, good.” (Casablanca)
Hearing the report, Casablanca was on cloud nine.
She wore a triumphant smile, basking in the glory of her success.
“See, Lily? We’ve achieved a bloodless victory against our long-standing enemy, the Lureid Kingdom.” (Casablanca)
“Casablanca-sama, this is an unprecedented feat in Laplace’s history.” (Lily)
The royal guards and generals showered Casablanca with praise.
“Once we absorb Lureid, the Laplace Kingdom will reach its greatest extent since its founding. Casablanca-sama will be remembered forever as the queen of Laplace’s golden age.” (Lily)
“Hehe… you flatter me.” (Casablanca)
Casablanca feigned modesty at Lily’s words, though her face revealed her delight.
The eastern front was still engaged in mop-up operations under the Second Unit Jeanne, but here in the capital, the atmosphere was celebratory. Yet, amidst the revelry, one person wore a concerned expression, the First Unit, Fran.
“Casablanca-sama.” (Fran)
“What is it, Fran?” (Casablanca)
Fran hesitated to disrupt the mood but voiced her concern.
“Please deal with the Lureid Kingdom with leniency. Respect their sovereignty; do not turn them into a colony.” (Fran)
“…Why?” (Casablanca)
Casablanca’s mood soured, and her tone turned curt.
“First, we won without fighting. This means Lureid’s military strength remains intact. Though demoralized now, a colonial policy would provoke rebellion, which would be difficult to suppress. Second, unlike our kingdom at the continent’s edge, Lureid is surrounded by other nations. A colony would leave us constantly guarding against enemy invasions, a logistical nightmare. Third, Casablanca-sama has been queen for only a short time. The kingdom’s development is already demanding enough. Managing a colony would overextend us.” (Fran)
Fran laid out her argument clearly and concisely.
“That’s the reasoning.” (Fran)
“…” (Casablanca)
As Fran finished, the festive atmosphere evaporated into silence.
Fran’s logic was impeccable, dousing everyone’s excitement with cold reality.
“So, Fran, what terms would you propose for peace?” (Casablanca)
Casablanca’s voice had regained its usual sharpness.
Despite the prickling hostility, Fran answered firmly:
“First, return Princess Alice unharmed and allow the Lureid royal family to continue their rule.” (Fran)
“What a waste! We’ve taken their capital so easily!” (Alma)
The Fourth Unit, Alma, protested loudly.
She had brought Princess Alice to Casablanca, and the idea of returning her with no gains was infuriating. Ignoring Alma’s outburst, Fran continued.
“This will earn us the royal family’s gratitude, ensuring 20 years of peace.” (Fran)
“But what if they betray us and attack later?” (Martina)
“We will demand that they demilitarize their western territories to prevent that.” (Fran)
“Would they agree to that?” (Casablanca)
The idea was sound, subduing their historic rival without bloodshed would be an unparalleled success.
“Yes. The king adores his daughter. Returning her will earn us his trust.” (Fran)
Fran answered every objection calmly and convincingly.
“Lastly, we will secure trade rights for the Warden Household Trading Company.” (Fran)
“…Why bring up the Warden Household Trading Company?” (Casablanca)
Hearing that name soured Casablanca’s mood completely.
But Fran couldn’t back down, this was for Casablanca’s sake.
“They were crucial to this victory. And… you broke your promise to Tyr. You agreed not to act until the hostages were safe.” (Fran)
Fran’s voice faltered slightly. The others shifted awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.
Indeed, Casablanca had promised Tyr to prioritize rescuing the hostages before taking action.
“Yes, I intended to keep that promise.” (Casablanca)
Casablanca spoke, now defensive.
“I never imagined we’d capture the princess so easily. With the king’s daughter as leverage, the invasion was irresistible. I acted as a queen for my kingdom’s best interest—unavoidable, really.” (Casablanca)
“Casablanca-sama was absolutely right. One princess against two hostages or one kingdom? The choice is obvious.” (Martina)
“This isn’t about right or wrong. It’s about the broken promise. That’s why I propose trade rights as compensation.” (Fran)
Fran’s words cut through the room’s excuses.
“…Fine. Fran, I’ll leave the postwar negotiations to you.” (Casablanca)
Having been battered by Fran’s relentless logic, Casablanca finally conceded.
She, then, looked around and asked.
“Where is Tyr?” (Casablanca)
Fran sighed slightly, exasperated by the belated realization.
“He’s in the dungeon.” (Fran)
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