Chapter 36

In a dim, enclosed room, a lone swordswoman and a grand general—enemies—faced one another in silence.

One glared with open suspicion; the other had her eyes widened to their limits, a silent scream frozen on her lips.

It was a small, personal hell.

“…Uh, ah… Are you… with Rex?”

“Yeah.”

“Why are you here? Why am I lying here like this?”

“You collapsed in the corridor. I was taking care of you.”

“…Huh. I see? …A-Aaaah…”

Bathed in moonlight, her soft, pink hair shimmered faintly.

Having realized what had happened, General Mino cradled her head and fell silent, cold sweat pouring from her like a waterfall.

“Question one: Didn’t Rex tell you to stay away from me?”

“Yeah, well, he did.”

“Question two: Then why’d you help me?”

“I mean, you collapsed right in front of me. Of course I’d help.”

“…Question three: I didn’t mutter anything weird in my sleep, did I?”

“You said stuff like ‘Don’t withdraw the troops from the border,’ ‘Please don’t hate me, Rex,’ and ‘Let’s frame the nobles for funding.’ A lot of things, really.”

“…I want to cry.”

General Mino’s eyes dimmed like a dying light. Her mutterings had been practically incriminating.

Rex’s sworn enemy is… the king, isn’t it?

“Your name… It was Flatche, right?”

“Yeah.”

“…And of all people to find out… it had to be you. That name’s fake, isn’t it? I couldn’t trace a single thing about your past… Guess that means I can’t threaten you through your family…”

“You’re a horrible person, you know that?!”

Still a bit dizzy, Mino muttered something terrifying, her eyes dark and cloudy.

So basically, if I’d shown up under my real name, she might’ve targeted Natal or my mom? Damn. No wonder Rex calls her a scumbag general.

“…”

“Ah, wait, that came out wrong! I just mean… I really want to get along with you! That kind of thing would seriously be a last resort, I swear!”

“…”

“No, really! It’s just—my sleep-talk was bad, okay?! I didn’t expect anyone would actually take care of me! I’ve never had anyone hold something like this over me before!!”

…Not my problem.

…But damn. No one else ever takes care of her when she collapses from overwork? How hated is she?

“So you do know everyone hates you.”

“I made it that way! I did what I had to for this country, and before I knew it, I became the most hated person in the kingdom! Damn it all!!”

“Okay, okay, calm down.”

…She’s definitely been through some stuff. A terrible schemer, sure—but her personality seems like the type to constantly lose out too.

“Please. Look, I’ll make any concession I can—just don’t tell Rex, okay?”

“Tell him what?”

“My sleep-talk…”

“Oh, you don’t want Rex to hear what you said in your sleep. Alright then, I’ll let him know.”

“If he finds out, the country will fall! Please, I’m begging you!!”

Mino clung to me, gazing up with teary, pleading eyes.

A soft, generous chest pressed against my waist. O-Oh. She’s… pretty stacked.

“Please… Blame it all on me if you have to, just don’t tell him…”

“Hmmm…”

Now this is a dilemma. I’m Rex’s friend. I’ve got no reason to side with her—or this country.

But from what I’ve heard, this woman’s thrown everything away to protect the kingdom. She even said she’d offer her own head to Rex earlier today.

…Honestly, I kinda wanna ask Rex whether I should tell him or not.

“Okay then. Answer my question first… Why did you pull Rex away from Penny’s faction?”

“Huh? Like I said, the capital would’ve been in trouble if he didn’t fight under my command. Emma’s good at politics, but she’s got no real war experience. I was seriously worried about leaving Rex with her. Besides, that girl always puts General Penny above the kingdom.”

“And the real reason? You’re hiding something behind Rex’s transfer, aren’t you?”

“Nope. Nothing. At best, this plan might weaken Penny’s camp a little, but that’s just a side effect. This time, I genuinely just wanted Rex under my command. I knew he might walk away, but I took the risk anyway.”

Mino said this with a clarity in her eyes that didn’t look like a lie.

…Well, yeah. Given how much Rex hates her, pulling that kind of move would’ve risked him walking out instantly. I don’t get why she’d take that chance unless she meant it.

“What about Clarise? Why did you send her away from the capital?”

“Clarise? You mean that pervy mage? I didn’t send her away, she’s just out on an expedition.”

“…Pervy?”

“Definitely a pervert. Her magic theory is beyond insane. I can’t understand a single word of it. What kind of logic even is that?”

Mino’s eyes glazed over like Mei’s used to. Yep. Clarise is apparently too unhinged for even other mages to follow.

“But the Demon Lord’s army is coming, right? Why send Clarise away now?”

“Because they are coming. What we want to avoid most is letting them establish a base at the northeastern fortress. So we didn’t hold back—we sent Clarise there. That fortress has a magical barrier and is nearly impossible to take.”

Mino answered smoothly, like she was giving a lecture.

“Realistically, the chance of the Demon Lord’s army going for that fortress is fifty-fifty. If they’ve got a smart commander, their first move will almost certainly be a surprise attack on the northeastern fortress.”

“Wait. So there’s a chance they won’t go there? What if they don’t? How do we fight without Clarise?”

“That’s the best-case scenario. Because it means the Demon Lord’s army would have Clarise behind them the entire time.”

Like a professor, Mino pointed upward with her index finger as she calmly explained.

“Flatche, think about it. The southern side of the capital is a sheer cliff. The enemy has to come from the north. No army could climb that cliff.”

“Fair enough.”

“And the plain in front of the capital gives clear sightlines. If we’ve got a fortress on high ground, we can snipe at will. Just having Clarise stationed at that fortress—with her insane spell range—gives the humans a massive advantage. Even if the Demon Lord’s forces realize the threat and surround it, a mage like Clarise, holed up in a warded fortress, would be nearly impossible to dislodge. And reinforcements can launch from the capital at any time.”

“...R-Right.”

“If she holds the fortress during a battle, we can sandwich the Demon Lord’s army. That’s why I sent her there first.”

“So for the demon army, taking that fortress should be their top priority?”

“Exactly. …I thought they’d go for it first. But hitting the city instead? That was unexpected. I think this morning’s attack was just a rogue faction acting on their own.”

Mino frowned slightly, falling into thought.

“Attacking the city should have been a terrible move for the Demon Lord’s army. Either they were desperately low on supplies, or a few of their members acted independently. It was unexpected—but maybe that’s what made it effective.”

“Why? We took heavy losses. A lot of people died.”

“Exactly. Because a lot of people died. Up until yesterday, most citizens of the capital didn’t even believe the Demon Lord’s army existed. There were only rumors—no real impact.”

“Seriously? There’s plenty of evidence they’re real.”

“Hearing it from someone else’s mouth isn’t enough. Especially not when it’s something you don’t want to believe. But now? After this? Everyone’s aware. They’re scared. And they’re ready to fight.”

"If it were me in command, I would’ve seized the Northeastern Fortress with the Demon Lord’s full army before the national forces even had a chance to react. I’d never waste our guaranteed first-strike advantage on something like raiding a castle town."

"......"

"Countless civilian lives. The weapons and food supplies brought in by merchants from all over. As you said, the damage from the Demon Army's attack is immense, and the cost of rebuilding will be huge. But more than that... the people have gained something far greater—something stronger than any weapon: the will to fight."

Mino's crystal-clear eyes, sharp enough to see straight through everything, stared directly into mine as I frowned in confusion.

"From this raid, I’ve learned two things—and realized one critical truth. First: just as I predicted, the Demon Army is right on our doorstep. Second: they’re not a monolith. Apparently, even they have ugly parts, like factions and internal strife, just like humans."

"If this morning’s attack was a rogue operation by one of their units... then yeah, that tracks."

"And the thing I realized... is that the Demon Army is far stronger than we imagined. From the accounts of survivors, even their foot soldiers coordinated with high-level precision, and each of them fought on par with our elite captains. Physically and in raw power, humans are clearly no match for demons."

"Yeah. Even their regular troops were absurdly strong."

"And if that’s the case... then how strong must their generals be—the ones leading these soldiers? Honestly, I can't even begin to guess. If it ever comes down to a one-on-one fight... I don't know if General Penny or even Mello could win. That’s exactly why Rex is absolutely essential—our trump card."

Having said that firmly, General Mino paused for a breath before continuing more softly.

"Flatche, you’re always with Rex. You should know better than anyone—there’s no one alive who could beat him one-on-one, right?"

"Uh... w-well, that’s hard to say..."

"No, it’s not. Impossible. If anyone could beat someone like him, they’d have to be inhuman themselves."

...Hey, I have beaten him before, you know. Not often, but it’s happened. Wait—does that make me inhuman?

"General Penny and Mello—they’re strong, yeah, but they’re more like 'the strongest among humans.' You can’t really compare them to Rex."

"Well... yeah, I guess that’s fair."

"And Penny’s true strength isn’t just his combat skill. It’s his absurdly powerful charisma. He’s strong, sure, but what’s really crazy is how people around him are so willing to lend him their strength. He’s the total opposite of me, really..."

Ah. Mino’s expression turned a little bitter there.

"Emma-chan, Clarise, the volunteer soldiers… the fact that so many people rally around Penny, who came from a commoner background, that’s gotta be thanks to his natural charm."

"...Actually, is Emma-chan really a strategist? At that age?"

"She’s more than that—she’s the core of Penny’s faction. She’s not just competent. No joke, if you exclude me, I think she’s the most capable administrator in the entire country. When she worked as a civil officer for a while, her results were absolutely insane. She quit after about half a year because she couldn’t stand being apart from Penny, though."

"Now that you mention it... she did say she worked in civil service once."

"Emma-chan’s the real deal. She’s still a little unpolished when it comes to corruption cover-ups, hush negotiations, stuff like that... but with more experience, she’s going to be a monster. I actually wrote a will to the king saying that, if I die, she should be my successor."

"Wait—Emma-chan’s going to be Commander-in-Chief? At her age?!"

"Well, I don’t plan on dying anytime soon. Besides, that would give Penny’s faction way too much influence. Still, purely based on ability, I can’t entrust that position to anyone else. That girl understands that politics isn’t about idealism—even at her age."

"......"

"Though... I’ll admit, she does tend to prioritize Penny’s needs a bit too much. If only she’d direct that passion toward protecting the country instead."

Mino’s opinion of Emma-chan was absurdly high. Wait a minute... if that little monster is being blackmailed by this general right in front of me, then maybe she’s the real monster here.

"...I’m starting to get why people say politics is terrifying."

"Yeah. It’s a world where you do things you’d never want to admit out loud—all for the sake of the nation's interests. …But still, even if it means being branded a heartless monster, there’s something I have to accomplish."

"Hmm. Why are you so desperate to protect the country anyway, Mino?"

"Me? Hmm... well..."

In response to my question, she scratched her cheek, glanced away, and gave a vague, awkward smile.

"It's kind of embarrassing... so, I’ll keep it a secret."

Mino blushed and smiled like a shy maiden.

And somehow, in that moment... I couldn’t see even a hint of deception in that smile.