[V14C12] Diplomacy of the Fairy Queen

After parting ways with Bridget and Kollwitz at the storage room, Henrik headed straight toward the hall located on the opposite side of the second floor. Judging by the deployment pattern of the soldiers, he determined that this was the mostly likely location for confining the staff of Valmbelk Castle.

Henrik made his way to the hall, sometimes using secret passages, and even jumping out of a window to detour along the outer walls.

It would be faster to take the direct route and cut down any soldiers in his way, but drawing too much attention increased the risk of the enemy taking his staff hostage. Though Henrik did not intend to let the threat of hostages slow him down, it was always better to have fewer casualties.

Henrik reached his destination avoiding most of the patrols. Then, he knocked out the guards and freed his staff. Those who were able to fight took up weapons, and Henrik led them to the main hall on the first floor, the location of General Strauss.

The staff of Valmbelk Castle was mostly elderly—meaning many of them had retired from the front lines after surviving multiple wars.

Though they no longer had the stamina to journey for expeditions, these hot-blooded old veterans still had plenty of confidence in their skills.

And so, they took up the blade once again to retake Valmbelk Castle.

“Do not underestimate Valmbelk!”

Following Henrik’s roar, the staff of Valmbelk Castle let out their own battle cries.

The elderly men who spent their days as gatekeepers or cooks now howled with bloodlust in their eyes. Their entire bodies brimmed with fighting spirit.

It was as though Henrik led a pack of wolves.

A terrifying pack that would not stop until they tore into the throats of their enemies, no matter how dire the situation—that was the Valmbelk army.

Their sudden appearance in the hall overwhelmed General Strauss and his men, but only momentarily. After all, the soldiers under Strauss were also seasoned warriors who survived countless battles themselves.

General Strauss gave the order to his men, unshaken by Valmbelk’s momentum.

“Intercept them!”

His voice was like the crash of thunder, drowning out the howls of Valmbelk. The momentum of the pack was snuffed out before it could grow any further.

Meanwhile, the prisoners, including Albert, could do nothing but tremble at the heat that now dominated the main hall.

The room had become a battlefield, and the time for talk was over. From here on, the fight would continue until only one side was left standing. No interruptions were allowed… Yet someone broke through that atmosphere.

“Hold it!”

The voice came from the corridor behind Henrik. It sounded so beautiful and out of place. Perhaps that was how it managed to reach everyone in the room.

“Clear the way.”

The Valmbelk soldiers standing at the doorway parted to reveal a uniformed woman with golden hair.

She was Bridget Greyham, the beautiful diplomatic secretary to the Third Prince of Ridill. Behind her stood the captured craftsman, Helmfried Kollwitz.

Henrik furrowed his brows in confusion.

(Why are they here?)

Did Bridget come out of her loyalty to the Third Prince? That would be admirable, but she was powerless to do anything in this situation, and she should be intelligent enough to understand that.

What are you doing here? This place is dangerous. Please step back… is what Henrik wanted to say, but an Imperial mage promptly pointed his staff at Bridget.

He sent an arrow of lightning flying straight at Bridget’s head.

However, Bridget didn’t even flinch. She merely raised a handkerchief and unfolded it in front of herself. The white handkerchief trimmed with lace looked like an exquisite item fit for nobility.

Extremely fine threads of gold covered the white braids of lace, forming an intricate pattern reminiscent of the wings of a fairy.

Suddenly, the lace emitted a faint glow, and a pattern similar to the lace expanded to cover Bridget. It was as though a set of fairy wings had sprouted from her back.

The stunning wings of white and gold seemed light and dainty, but they deflected the lightning arrow aimed at her.

From behind Bridget, Kollwitz cheered with rapture.

“This handkerchief is none other than Elfriede the Fairy Queen, painstakingly spun by yours truly, Helmfried Kollwitz of the ‘Fairy Fingers’, one of the Imperial Magic Cross Flame Heaven Four Artisans! None of your pitiful attacks will get past this masterpiece of art! Hah… Hahaha…! Fwahahahaha!!”

Kollwitz bent back in maniacal laughter. He seemed far too out of place.

However, his words carried a strange fervor that could pressure even the most battle-hardened of veterans. This was an artisan who had discarded everything else in order to pour his entire soul into a creation.

Meanwhile, Bridget glanced over the stunned onlookers as she brushed her fingers across the handkerchief. As though the Fairy Queen was playing her harp.

Though her makeup had come off during the escape, and her clothes were covered in dust, her beauty still shined through.

Her neatly tied hair had come loose and now flowed down her back. The contrast between her beautiful golden hair and the wings of lace captivated everyone in the room.

Bridget Greyham parted her lips with the beauty, elegance, and dignity of the Fairy Queen.

“Now then.”

She returned the handkerchief into her chest pocket, and the lace wings spread around her slowly dissolved into the air.

Her amber eyes swept across everyone in the room.

“It’s time for diplomacy.”

Bridget went on to say a certain phrase.

“…××, ××××××, ×××, Ridill, ×××… ×××××××, ××, ×××, ××.”

Henrik did not understand what she said, so this seemed like the language of Old Solyarg. The only part he managed to catch was the name of the Kingdom of Ridill.

Aside from Bridget, the only people present who understood Old Solyarg would be General Strauss and his subordinates.

However, one of the prisoners reacted to Bridget’s words. He quickly went pale and started shaking violently.

“As I thought, it was you, Lord Konitz,” Bridget said, locking her amber eyes on him as if to block off his escape.

The trembling Konitz, who had been keeping his head down, looked up with a gasp.

Bridget put on a faint smile as she explained.

“I just said the following in Old Solyarg: ‘The Ridill army has already surrounded the castle. Lay down your weapons and surrender… including you, the one pretending to be a prisoner.’”

Henrik immediately recognized that it was a bluff.

There was no way the Ridill army could arrive in such a short period of time. A calm analysis of the current situation was enough to disprove such a cheap lie.

However, Konitz was pretending to be a prisoner, so he did not know anything about the situation outside. Moreover, his naturally timid nature caused him to flinch under the pressure.

Konitz governed Hydelingen, the region just east of Valmbelk. Though Hydelingen was not part of Old Solyarg, it was close enough to make it natural for him to study the language.

“What do you mean by pretending to be a prisoner!?” Birendahl shouted.

He stared daggers at the nearby Konitz, who kept his head down to avoid those eyes.

Meanwhile, General Strauss’s facial expression showed no change, but Henrik noticed Strauss giving a brief signal to his subordinates.

His men started inching towards the prisoners.

That said, Henrik’s grandfather, the War Wolf of Valmbelk, stood in front of Konitz and the other prisoners, so they could not get too close.

In the midst of the tense atmosphere, Bridget bowed her head to Albert.

“Prince Albert, I apologize for being so late.”

Albert looked momentarily stunned, but quickly composed himself and responded with the dignity befitting royalty.

“It is no matter. I am glad you are safe, Secretary Greyham.”

“May I ask what General Strauss said to you, Your Highness?”

“He said he intends to establish a new nation on this land.”

“I see. I suppose it is a bit late, but…”

Bridget placed her hand over her chest and showed a smile as beautiful as it was fierce.

“Your Highness, may I have permission to speak?”

“You may.”

Bridget raised her head, glancing at General Strauss and Konitz.

“This incident began when General Strauss and his men occupied Valmbelk with the aim of establishing a new nation… However, a nation requires three components: the king, the land, and the people.”

Even Henrik had noticed the issue there.

General Strauss did not come from a bloodline with a claim to kingship. If he wanted to create a nation, he needed a figurehead—such as someone from the Imperial family, or one of the royal bloodlines from before the time of Empire.

In addition, the people of Valmbelk would never accept General Strauss as their king. The Valmbelk army was currently on an expedition to the south, but once they returned, they could easily retake the castle from him.

In other words, the whole plan seemed doomed to begin with.

Bridget continued speaking, as if to answer Henrik’s doubts.

“That is why General Strauss chose Lord Konitz to be the king of the new nation… or perhaps I should call him…”

Her amber eyes turned to Konitz with a look of pity, combined with an unforgiving intensity that allowed no escape.

“…Prince Richard Konitz, as he is the son of the previous emperor.”

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