Chapter 41: It Feels Like a Weight Has Been Lifted

A silvery knife pressed lightly against the back of my neck as I walked through the camp.

Two tridents were crossed before my chest, barring my way.

“The Second Princess of the Kingdom of Saripa, Rishali, has come to visit the encampment.”

“I see.”

The tent serving as the Yaiban Army’s command center was stationed with numerous Yaiban soldiers.

I was led inside, and from every direction, bloodshot eyes glared daggers at me.

Even so, I strode through the charged atmosphere in my formal dress, calm and unshaken.

“Oh? What a lovely princess. Just as the rumors say.”

“It’s an honor to receive your praise.”

The Yaiban army’s tent was more modern than I had expected.

A state-of-the-art fire-powered lantern lit the interior with a steady glow.

Its iron frame was meticulously constructed, about the size of my own private room.

Inside, nearly ten of the Yaiban army’s top brass sat waiting to receive me.

“She’s truly beautiful. Like a handcrafted work of art.”

“Indeed. More than I had imagined.”

The flamboyantly dressed man seated at the deepest part of the tent was likely the king.

The King of Yaiban was a burly man with a thick beard, wearing a gray robe as he gazed down at me.

“There’s no doubt about it...”

I studied the king and offered a graceful smile with a bow.

...But inside, I was freaking out.

“────I bet her skin would fetch a good price if we flayed it.”

After all, every single person here was radiating murderous intent.

Well, I am standing in the enemy camp, during wartime. It’s not surprising.

But seriously? I’m supposed to win these people over and propose an alliance? For real?

“The flesh and blood of a beautiful maiden brings good fortune. Let’s stew her in a pot.”

“Maybe we should carve her skull into a sake cup.”

“...Oh-hohohoho. You’re all so delightfully witty.”

“You think we’re joking?”

What is with these people? Are they savages? Their cultural level is terrifying.

Why is cannibalism even a consideration here?

This is just a scare tactic, right? They wouldn’t actually do that, right?

Wait no, they’re the kind of barbarians who start wars to demand human sacrifices. Somebody help me!!

“How should we kill her? What’s the most entertaining way?”

“Let’s see... burn her alive... skin her... grind her into paste...”

“Bury her and let the birds feast...”

“No, it needs to be something even more painful...”

Okay, this is escalating fast. Their bloodlust is off the charts.

I mean, I’m cute, right? I expected pervy threats, sure.

But this? This is just pure murderous intent. Couldn’t they go the creepy laughter route instead?

“So, what’s the reason the princess of Saripa wandered into a den of wolves like this? Though I can guess.”

“You’re quite right. The reason is exactly as you suspect.”

Still, someone had to break the ice. If we didn’t unite, we’d never stand a chance against Deken.

I steeled myself, making sure my voice wouldn’t tremble.

“This is no time for us to be fighting. If we’re to resist the Deken Empire’s invasion, we must join forces.”

“BAAHAHAHAHAH!! GWAHAHAHAHA!!”

The moment I made the proposal, the Yaiban commanders burst out laughing.

A storm of middle-aged man-spit showered my face.

“Of course! Makes sense, doesn’t it? You’d hate to see our Yaiban elites march deeper into your lands.”

“Indeed, the Yaiban army is quite formidable.”

“Don’t patronize me, you sow!!”

“You grovel before Deken when it suits you, and now that you’re cornered, you come crawling to us. How convenient.”

Clearly, the Yaiban faction had no interest in allying with Saripa.

...Ugh, I figured as much. We’ve been enemies for decades.

“Well, enough entertainment. Cut off that idiot’s head and mount it on my spear.”

“You don’t see any benefit in joining forces with Saripa?”

“We’ve always fought both Saripa and Deken, defending our land. Nothing’s changed.”

Think. At this rate, talks are going nowhere.

What is this Yaiban king thinking? What does he really want?

“This time, Deken’s invasion is serious. They fully intend to wipe out both our nations.”

“Hmph. My elite warriors will not fall. The ones who perish will be you Saripa dogs.”

“Saripa has its own strength. If we combine forces, imagine the good it could do for us both.”

I looked closely into the king’s eyes. Yes... I was sure of it now.

He’s not like Prince Jalpha. He’s not blind to what lies ahead—this one sees.

“A wise king of Yaiban like yourself... surely you’ve already realized this, haven’t you?”

“Hmm?”

At first, I thought this Yaiban king was nothing but a brute... but I was wrong.

He might appear like a beast on the outside, but among the Yaiban leadership, he’s probably the most rational of them all.

“What is it you claim I’ve realized? Go ahead—say it.”

“That the only way to stop Deken’s advance is with Saripa’s army. And that Deken abandoning Saripa... is nothing short of divine fortune for you.”

The Yaiban officers continued to glare down at me with malice and hatred.

But the King of Yaiban alone... was different. His eyes held a glimmer of expectation.

Of course. If he truly had no intention of listening, he wouldn’t have summoned me to his command tent.

What he wants from me is clear: to convince these warlords to accept an alliance.

“A wise king such as yourself, King of Yaiban, mustn’t let heaven’s blessing slip through your fingers.”

“What honeyed words. Why should we place any trust in you?”

He had a point. The king had his position to protect. The Yaiban people had their pride.

Forging a pact with Saripa out of nowhere would earn only suspicion from his vassals.

“How do we know this isn’t just a ploy? That you haven’t conspired with Deken?”

“A ploy, you say?”

“You feign alliance, lure us into a retreat, then strike from behind... Sounds exactly like the kind of filth you people would pull.”

So that’s what this is.

The king wasn’t tearing into Saripa just for his own amusement—he wanted a case he could make to the others. Something to satisfy the grudges the Yaiban have long held toward Saripa.

“I see. You truly believe it’s a scheme?”

“I do. Entirely plausible. If you wish to deny it, then prove it.”

He knew. Of course he knew that wasn’t our intention.

This is his way of saying: Spell it out. Explain it to them in plain terms.

“Saripa lacks the national strength to occupy your country. If we truly wanted to win, we’d need Deken’s cooperation.”

“Hm.”

“In that case, the most logical move would be to tie down your main forces and allow Deken to sweep in. But instead, we’ve abandoned the Yaiban front and withdrawn entirely. That alone proves we have no ulterior motives.”

“Hm. Hm.”

Given Saripa’s capabilities, our retreat was clearly not part of any grand plan.

Hearing that, the King of Yaiban let out a small grin.

“Well, yes. Abandoning a minor nation like Saripa sounds exactly like something Deken would do. I suppose it’s true that your country’s backed into a corner.”

“Thank you.”

“But diplomacy—and agreements—are built on trust. No matter how real your desperation is, if we don’t trust you, there will be no agreement.”

“...Yes.”

“After groveling to Deken all this time, now you come begging us the moment they betray you? That’s not a country I can trust.”

Judging by his tone and posture, I got the sense he’d already heard about Deken’s invasion of Saripa.

Now, it was simply a matter of whether he could be made to trust in Saripa itself.

“Then... what kind of action would be enough to earn your trust?”

“Hmm... let’s see...”

...Okay, but what am I supposed to do? I had no idea.

I’d studied Deken’s culture in depth—but Yaiban’s? I knew next to nothing.

What sort of apology or show of sincerity would work here? Prostration? Ritual suicide?

“What do the rest of you think? Is this princess trustworthy?”

“She is not!”

“Kill her and feed her to the dogs!”

“Such passion... I suppose we’ll have to proceed according to the customs of Yaiban, then.”

If I didn’t know what to do, I might as well just go with it. The King of Yaiban likely did think, rationally, that forming an alliance with Saripa was in their best interest.

This was probably his way—the Yaiban way—of showing how one takes responsibility.

“Yaiban customs, is it?”

“Indeed. In Yaiban, there is only one way to atone for betrayal.”

If it involved degrading Saripa’s dignity too far, that would be a problem... but—

Maybe I could just offer to marry someone. That’d be ideal.

If he’d let me settle this by offering my hand, I’d agree on the spot.

“That is... the Iron Maiden.”

“Oooh!!”

“It’s an execution device lined with countless iron spikes. The sinner redeems their guilt through unbearable agony and death. Do you possess such resolve?”

……

Ah. I see where this is going.

“So, um. Given that it’s an execution device... that would mean I’m going to die, correct?”

“Yes. But rest easy—it won’t be immediate.”

“Meaning?”

“The spikes in the Iron Maiden are arranged to avoid instant death. You’ll suffer excruciating pain and slowly bleed out over the course of half a day.”

“...That’s a little much, don’t you think.”

“What’s this about ‘a little much’, huh!?”

Yeah, no. That’s... that’s not something I can agree to.

Also, this world really has Iron Maidens, huh?

“Did you know this, Princess of Saripa? I lost two sons in the war against Deken.”

“...Yes. I’ve heard. Deken reported them as ‘achievements.’”

“Their heads were displayed at the city gates, beaten so badly there was barely a spot left unbruised. They must’ve suffered. So terribly.”

“......”

“As the daughter of Deken’s vassal state, Saripa, how can I forgive that humiliation? If your execution would serve as a condition for truce, would you accept it?”

There was no deceit in his words. That was, without doubt, the King of Yaiban’s genuine cry from the heart.

Even a rational man like him carried hatred toward Saripa. The grief of losing his sons still weighed heavy.

Deken really pulled some monstrous things. War is just... revolting.

“So then, the condition is...?”

“Speak, let’s hear it!”

Well, if that’s how it is, then there’s no way around it.

I’d have to brace myself too.

“I think it’s an excellent idea. I accept it gladly!”

“...Hrm.”

With a beaming smile, I declared this to the King of Yaiban.

This negotiation was a long shot from the beginning. If all it takes is my life to settle it—so be it.

“No doubt, the King of Yaiban is a wise ruler. A man of reason, leading his people with virtue. Truly a noble sovereign.”

“……”

“Now then, when shall the execution take place? Shall we hold it here, or perhaps in the streets of Yaiban?”

“Wait. Weren’t you the one begging for mercy just now?”

I gave him my brightest princess smile, a graceful bow.

...The King of Yaiban now looked utterly caught off guard, as if the ladder had been pulled out from under him.

“Didn’t you not want to be executed?”

“Indeed. If word spreads that I’ve been executed, the people of Saripa will never accept it. The alliance will be impossible.”

From the flow of conversation, I began to understand what the King of Yaiban was thinking.

Why had he suddenly brought up such a monstrous device as the Iron Maiden?

Did he explain the method of execution in detail?

"I'm still a princess, you know. If you were to execute me, your envoy, the negotiations would fall apart."

"Exactly. That would be the end of the alliance. Which is why..."

Most likely, King Yaiban was trying to threaten me.

He intended to dangle the threat of execution, stir up emotions, and publicly shame me.

He was probably planning to keep yelling until I broke down in tears.

"However, if my execution isn’t meaningless, but instead becomes a condition for the alliance, I have no objections."

By holding up his nation’s brand of justice and thoroughly humiliating me—the princess of Saripa—he could give the ministers of Yaiban some satisfaction.

As a way to let his subordinates vent their frustrations, it would be perfect.

Then finally, King Yaiban would extend a so-called “generous gesture” and form an alliance under favorable terms.

…Well, for Yaiban, it’s not a bad plan.

"The princess of Saripa paid with her life to form an alliance with Yaiban. That’s something the people can accept."
"And if you were executed right here, who exactly would explain that it was a 'condition of the alliance'?"

"Oh, that won’t be a problem at all."

But for the sake of Saripa’s national interest, I can’t go along with that.

Even if my life were to be spared, it would come at the cost of signing a humiliating treaty.

"I’ll leave behind a handwritten will, stating that I accepted the terms myself."

"A will?"

"Yes. A handwritten one—with a cheerful tone and even a little portrait for good measure."

More importantly, that idea King Yaiban carelessly let slip earlier—the one where my execution becomes the condition.

To him, it may have just been a bluff, but frankly, it’s an unbelievably good deal.

"Surely, a man of King Yaiban’s caliber wouldn’t think of going back on the terms now, would he?"

"...You—"

At my sudden shift in attitude, King Yaiban was clearly caught off guard.

And of course he was. Anyone with even a shred of social instinct would’ve noticed.

Because I—

"Oh, what a relief! It feels like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders!"

—I’m genuinely delighted, after all.

"...That was just a hypothetical. Even if you left a will, there’s no guarantee Saripa would be satisfied."

"It’s fine. They’ll understand."

You think the royal family of Saripa wouldn’t accept it if I were killed?

That’s nonsense. Father the king, my elder sister, and my brothers—they’d all understand.

Because...

"Everyone knows that if it were Rishali, she wouldn’t hesitate for a moment."

"────!"

A voice of rapture slipped from my lips.

Hearing those words, the king—and the ministers of Yaiban—took a step back.