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~3^rd Person Perspective~

　At the Royal Capital.

　As the Libra Division was successfully fortifying Mount Shibi, the army was getting ready in the Royal Capital.

　Maxis’ personal guards and the divisions under his control had completed their preparations.

　The number of troops exceeded 50,000.

　Expana, the priest of the Demise Cult who saw the formation, sighed, “Hah…”

　He was amazed that he was able to mobilize the pro-royalty divisions without missing a single one.

　King Wallace’s eldest son, Maxis, was notorious for his lack of popularity. He was not the type to inspire loyalty in his subordinates, and he was not very capable either.

　However, as the eldest brother of the king, the fact that he was the most promising candidate for the next king could not be ignored. In the military, many of the mainstream factions were on his side.

　However, he also used some outrageous tactics when he sided with the mainstream.

　He sacrificed several officers who were neither mainstream nor reformist in the military to strengthen his own power.

　He made up charges against and arrested officers who were not taking a stand against either side.

　He made up charges of embezzling military supplies, assaulting civilians, disrespecting the Crown, all sorts of crimes, and taking away their military rights. He then added their troops to his own.

　In a way, he may have been a capable general, since he succeeded in strengthening his army and winning over the mainstream factions that had been trying to be passive.

(I thought there was no talent as a commander, but he may actually be quite good.) (Expana)

　Expana thinks.

(…Although it is a short-sighted strategy.) (Expana)

　Anyone can be a statesman if such vulgar use of force is allowed.

　It is not a bad move for a military man, but it is the worst move for a statesman. It is an action that creates enemies within the military. The subordinates and family members of the soldiers who were arrested on innocent charges will resent Maxis for the rest of their lives.

　Seeing Maxis hang the officers he arrested for innocent crimes, even the most insubordinate of them, Expana was amused.

“Mwahaha! Have you seen it! This is what happens to everyone who defies me!” (Maxis)

　Seeing the crown prince laughing at the corpse hanging on the gallows, dripping with feces and urine, Expana felt the end of this country, but he didn’t care.

　But he didn’t care, because he was a priest of the Demise Cult, and even if he wasn’t, he didn’t feel any responsibility or attachment to this country.

All he has to do is get rid of Leon von Almarsh, that is his current goal.

It was not a bad idea to increase the strength of the army even in the short term.

Maxis’s troops gathered at the Arch of Triumph in the Royal Capital.

The number of the Guard was five hundred. The troops consisted only of the aristocratic leaders of the royal capital, and their armaments were superior to the elite troops of the Astorian Empire.

It was also characterized by the large number of tactical class magicians deployed.

A tactical class magician is a magician who can take on 100 soldiers by himself, and one of the factors that determine the strength of a corps is how many of these magicians it has.

Maxis’ Guard, with its ample funds, can be described as one of the best divisions in the kingdom.

The armaments of the other divisions that are his faction are also quite impressive.

Their gun ownership is probably higher than that of the Libra Division.

This is also thanks to Maxis’ relentless fundraising. After the death of his brother, Kerich, he was able to take away the entire concession he had built. In that sense, he assisted his sister in killing Kerich.

“Everything is exactly what I envisioned.” (Maxis)

　Maxis laughed and cackled again.

　He couldn’t stop laughing at the thought that if he killed his sister, he would be able to rule the world.

　He continues to laugh, but one unpleasant piece of information jumps into his ears.

　One of the forts on the way to Mount Shibi had sent a messenger back.

　The commander of the fort replied coolly,

“This war is not even a civil war, but a private battle of His Highness and the supplies of the fort cannot be given to such a battle, because these supplies were bought by the kingdom tax from the blood and sweat of the people.”

　He was a spirited officer and a patriot who cared for his country, but he lacked imagination.

　What Maxis wanted was not a patriot or a righteous voice, but a resounding yes.

　Maxis wanted only those who admired him and would go along with any foolishness.

　It would have been a bad idea to say no to him, but the commander of the fort said no without hesitation.

　Maxis, who had prepared an army of over 50,000 men, was in high spirits.

　That would create a tragedy.

　It was decided to attack the fort in question to familiarize the 50,000 troops.

　Maxis von Ernia attacked his allies under the guise of ” the King’s representative” and “General of the Royal Army”.

　Colonel Astor von Redrick, who was guarding the fort, was astonished. He had expected to be punished after the war, but he had never dreamed that the entire fort would be attacked.

　However, the spirited patriot was as capable of commanding as he was highly spirited.

　With 500 men, he was at the mercy of Maxis’ 5,000.

　After holding Maxis’s army at the fort for a few days, he made a desperate charge and broke through Maxis’s siege.

　His army of 500 men was reduced to 50, and Colonel Redrick was killed, but he was not wiped out.

　It was a victory that lacked the finishing touches, but Maxis was pleased with the victory.

　He thought it would give him a boost before the next battle against the Libra Division.

　He encouraged his men to drink heavily and personally killed the captured soldiers of the fort.

　This was to calibrate the armor he had taken from the treasure house.

　His men were horrified by Maxis’s cruelty, but the fifty who survived were not. They were furious with vengeance and vowed to tell the rest of the kingdom about this folly.

　All fifty of them did so, damaging the reputation of Maxis, and most of them joined the anti-Maxis resistance.

Shadow Court Magician 6^th Arc

~Leon’s Perspective~

　The next morning, Chloe and I leave Mount Shibi.

　We will not take a single soldier with us.

　As I said yesterday, the Libra Division doesn’t have any surplus troops.

　If we took even a single soldier with us, there was a possibility that the front would collapse and we would lose to Maxis.

　We don’t want to see that kind of future, so we’re going in alone.

“I’m not alone. I have with me Chloe with her superhuman strength.”

　The maid puffed out her cheeks.

　Once she decided to follow me, it seems that she has no regrets about the princess.

　No, I think she trusts the princess completely.

“The princess has grown up thanks to Leon-sama. Before she met Leon, she was an eager but naive young lady, but now she has overcome many difficulties and has gained experience and dignity.” (Chloe)

“I see. She has become a strong woman. A great leader.”

“I’m sure she’ll handle her position as regent of the kingdom with ease.” (Chloe)

“I’m not worried about that, but first we have to seize power.”

“Yes, sir. Well, shall we head to the villa first? We can use the tunnel from the other day.” (Chloe)

“Sicily’s stepmother is not that stupid. She has already abandoned the villa and is now under the protection of Maxis.”

“Is she in the Royal Capital?” (Chloe)

“Yes, she’s in a guest house prepared by the military brass.”

“Royal Capital. The military seems to have a lot of security personnel.” (Chloe)

“Maxis? No, Expana must know that Reinhardt is our lifeline. He will be well guarded. It’s not going to be easy to get close to him.”

“Well, but is there a way?” (Chloe)

“None.”

　I will answer immediately. Chloe’s eyes widen.

“What do you mean? You were so confident in the strategy meeting yesterday.” (Chloe)

“I can’t tell the troops that I don’t have a plan, because that would be bad for morale.”

“………” (Chloe)

　Chloe stares at me frozen, so I laugh and added.

“And we’re short on information. We need more information, especially about the capital. The main army of Maxis has left, but we don’t know how many are left in the capital.”

“Maxis is heading for Shibi with 50,000 soldiers.” (Chloe)

“But I’m sure he has some troops left in the Royal Capital as well. I’m also worried about the movements of the Main Army. If they are not motivated, if we attack with a small number of troops, we may be able to break through the front.”

“We don’t even have that few soldiers.” (Chloe)

“About that? Volunteers are gathering from all over the country.”

“They’re no use to us if we can’t get them together.” (Chloe)

“There’s someone working behind the scenes now who can make it happen.”

“Someone like that? Is he trustworthy? How good are they?” (Chloe)

“He scores A in both. You are familiar with that person too.”

“Me?” (Chloe)

　Chloe cocked her head but didn’t give her an answer. I don’t have to tell her, she’ll figure it out soon enough.

　I continue to talk about strategy.

“Recruiting the people in the Royal Capital will depend on Ziggurat’s letter. I’m sure that the pro-princess, the faction with commonsense will side with us, but I wonder what the mainstream faction will do when they see that. If Maxis is well-liked, he might prove to be a handful.”

“That’s not going to happen, so don’t worry.” (Chloe)

　She says flatly.

“His Highness Maxis is the same as his younger brother, His Highness Kerich. His Highness was incompetent and cruel, but is His Highness Maxis incompetent and ruthless, I guess?” (Chloe)

“You could say that.”

“He doesn’t kill his servants, but they have constant whip wounds on their backs. Several of them have been impregnated with bastards and thrown out.” (Chloe)

“The enemy of every woman.”

“The enemy of all humanity.” (Chloe)

“Yes. If such a man were to succeed to the throne, the country would be in chaos.”

“That’s right. That’s what the current king feels.” (Chloe)

　Chloe took out a letter from her bosom. His Majesty the current King Wallace does not seem to want it either, she continues.

“That is?”

“It arrived this morning. It’s a secret decree from His Majesty. “The winner of this ‘war’ is to appoint the next king.” (Chloe)

“The strongest shall succeed. I’ve heard that Wallace is physically weak.”

“That’s because he hasn’t always been a strong man. He is not a man of war, but his mind has always been on the battlefield.” (Chloe)

“I see. He’s not a hero on the battlefield, but he is a wise man.”

　This war, a civil war, must be ended as soon as possible or the country will collapse. If the civil war is prolonged, the imperial army that borders the country will attack.　

　I think he’s rooting for Sicily’s victory, but he’s also thinking about what will happen if she loses. That’s why he did not name Sicily directly but left this will.

　In a way, I was grateful for the king’s extraordinary political consideration and hurried to the capital to be the victor.

　According to the scouts’ reports, Maxis would set up camp at Mount Shibi in a few days.

　From there, an all-out attack would begin, but there wasn’t much time to spare.

　I didn’t want to lose even a second of time, so I prepared to abandon my horse and fly.

　When I arrived at the capital, I greedily and swiftly gathered information on Reinhardt’s exact whereabouts and the political situation in the capital.

　After contacting scouts from the Libra Division, spies, and the intelligence department of the Ernian Army, I spent a whole day trying to figure out everything.

“We can force our way through from the front.”

　I concluded.

I decided to assemble a group of volunteer soldiers, storm the guest house in the administration section of the military headquarters, and quickly retake Reinhardt and remove him.

　At first, Chloe was opposed to such an aggressive plan, but she changed her mind when I explained to her the capacity of the guesthouse and the political situation.

　She agreed that the regular army would not move even if we caused a disturbance in the capital now.

　She agreed, and I immediately asked her to do a job.

　I asked her to get in touch with the leader of the volunteer army on the outskirts of the Royal Capital.

　She agreed but was dismayed when she heard the name of the leader.

“…Leon-sama is quite sly.” (Chloe)

　But it was true, so I didn’t argue.

　The leader of the volunteer army was her brother, Volks.

　In fact, she had asked him for his help beforehand.

　Volks had accepted with a simple answer.

“If it is for my beloved sister.” (Volks)

　I got such a reply.

“I thought that he had disappeared from the Royal Capital because of his wanderlust, but he was carrying a secret mission from Leon-sama, wasn’t he?” (Chloe)

“I told him that the fate of this country and the princess were at stake, and he immediately agreed. The two of you are part of a family.”

“Leon-sama is also in it.” (Chloe)

“There is Volks but there are countless other volunteers. Volks is the organizer of the militias, but Orgas, who previously led the rebels in the mining district, also participated.”

“Everyone is very loyal.” (Chloe)

“Oh, it seems that the Doll tribe will also move.”

“Well, how do you get such a stubborn tribe to move?” (Chloe)

“I told them I would marry you off.”

“…………” (Chloe)

　Lululucca, the chief of the Doll tribe, is still wishing for Chloe’s hand in marriage.

“It’s a joke. Lululucca never forgets a favor. Also, everyone wants to turn this country for the better.”

“That’s right. I want to repay this feeling.” (Chloe)

　Chloe declares and agrees to head to the outskirts of the royal capital.

　When she does, he hands her a letter. He adds that the letter should not be shown to anyone other than Volks and that if he sees it, he should act on it immediately.

　Chloe was curious, but I was confident that she wouldn’t peek at the letter, so I didn’t say anything more and pushed her back.

　I tell her I’m going to do some political maneuvering in the royal capital and show my back to Chloe, but as soon as she’s gone, I let out a sigh.

“It’s hard to fool someone you know. It’s not really my style to be a military strategist.”

　I wanted to go back to being a librarian as soon as possible, but there was no way I could do it that way, so I let out a second sigh and headed back to the “Guest House”.

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