Although Hedin's homeland had not suffered an invasion by the Kingdom of Rakia, his hatred toward them remained deep.
At first, this hatred stemmed from the shared animosity of being a member of the elven race.
But for Hedin, the true source of hatred was because the Kingdom of Rakia had once openly insulted the goddess Freya whom he believed in.
["Capture Goddess Freya and bring her back to the palace of the War God!"]
—This was a slogan once shouted by the Kingdom of Rakia during the war.
That time, Rakia suffered a particularly miserable defeat in the conflict with Orario, almost annihilated entirely. In the end, in order to appease the rage of the powerful warriors under Freya, the Kingdom of Rakia had no choice but to empty the national treasury and pay a huge amount of compensation.
However, for Hedin, this matter was far from over.
This elf, known within Freya Familia as the "Demonic Glasses" due to his gloomy personality and vengeful nature, had always been petty and held grudges.
Hedin looked at Riveria, his gaze firm, "Your Highness, give the order."
For Riveria, taking the initiative to act against the Kingdom of Rakia was an extremely difficult decision.
Though she no longer placed importance on her status, it was an undeniable fact that Riveria was the princess of Alf, a representative figure of the elven royal family to the outside world.
Every move of the royal princess was, in a sense, seen as an embodiment of the elven race's will. Therefore, any decision involving other great nations could not be made lightly.
However, precisely because Riveria's identity was that of a royal princess, she could not easily let go of the deep-seated hatred of her people.
Especially during this rare journey outside of Orario, she had met many of her kin. These elves, without exception, showed her utmost respect and admiration.
And among these people, the proportion whose hometowns were destroyed by the Kingdom of Rakia was overwhelmingly high.
The reason was simple; elves had always been proud. Many elves, unwilling to interact with other races, chose to build villages deep within forests, living in seclusion.
It was precisely because the Kingdom of Rakia had abused magic swords and destroyed these villages that these elves were left homeless, forced to leave their hometowns and seek survival in the cities.
That merchant who provided them with a night in a luxurious hot spring hotel in the city of hot springs was just such a person. His village had been destroyed by Rakia's magic swords, and he was the sole survivor of his family.
Riveria knew very well that when she accepted the respect and kneeling of these elves, she also had to bear some far heavier responsibilities.
"I'll do it," Sensing the pressure Riveria was under, Emiya suddenly spoke up.
Riveria didn't immediately understand what he meant, and Emiya continued to explain, "For this operation, Riveria, you don't need to show up. Let Ryuu and I take action. Hedin and Mr. Hogni can provide support."
His words made Riveria freeze, but Emiya continued, "As the leader of the operation, I attack the Kingdom of Rakia out of personal will, and [Gale] is my companion."
"That's all, this is my personal action. Orario is already at war with the Kingdom of Rakia. If Rakia can bring their troops near Orario, then adventurers from Orario attacking Rakia's capital should also be reasonable."
Riveria originally wanted to criticize Emiya's absurd idea... but soon, she realized the significance behind what he was doing.
The Kingdom of Rakia itself was such an existence, to the entire elven race, it was a huge threat; but to individuals, especially powerful adventurers, the size of this grand kingdom held no deterrent power.
Riveria and the others needed to consider that the Kingdom of Rakia might retaliate against the elven race because of her actions, whereas Emiya had no such weak points that could be threatened by a kingdom.
"We travel together, many people know that. Even if I don't appear, and it's done under your name, this matter will still be tied to the elves…", Riveria spoke softly, "Such an absurd claim, no one would believe it."
However, although Riveria said that, in her heart, she was already vaguely understanding something.
Hedin spoke, "Your Highness, I think what Emiya-kun means is, the important thing isn't which people believe, but rather, which they more 'want' to believe."
'Mm!'
"This matter is either a declaration of war by the elven princess, or an attack by a human adventurer… Between these two explanations, if it were me, I would definitely choose to accept the latter."
[Whiter Fairy's Magic Wand] spoke its answer.
"When you have enough strength, justification becomes especially important," This sentence was something Emiya had learned from the goddess Astraea.
Just like back then, when he "forcefully took" Haruhime from the Ishtar Familia, the public explanation was that Emiya had, of his own will, taken a girl he liked from the Pleasure District.
That ridiculous excuse, of course, Goddess Ishtar could not possibly believe it, but she ultimately chose to accept it.
Because if the pretense was torn down, she would be facing not just an adventurer who "snatched a girl," but the hammer of the Hephaestus Familia and the blades of the Astrea Familia.
Now, Emiya planned to give the Kingdom of Rakia the same multiple-choice question: they could choose to believe that this was just a human adventurer leading a few elves in an attack, an accidental incident.
Or, they could choose to declare war against the entire elven race represented by the elven princess, swearing enmity to the death.
And in the eyes of the elves, this would not be a war provoked by Princess Riveria, but yet another shameless provocation by the greedy and sinful Kingdom of Rakia, exploiting a pretext.
This was another meaning of "justification". Not only was it an explanation to the outside world, but also something for their own people to see. And between the two explanations, the elves would naturally choose the one favorable to Princess Riveria.
In other words, Riveria would become the absolute winner in this political game.
If the Kingdom of Rakia chose to endure the insult, everything would be interpreted as Princess Riveria secretly orchestrating it, suppressing Rakia's arrogance, showcasing her wisdom and composure in strategizing and winning battles from afar.
But if Rakia couldn't bear it and chose to start a war with the elves, then Rakia would be seen as utterly shameless and despicable, daring to smear the pure and noble Princess Riveria. This behavior would completely enrage the elves and their allies.
Whether they advanced or retreated, Riveria would remain invincible.
Advance and win, retreat and win.
Of course, all of this was based on one premise, Emiya, the [Black and White Knights], together with [Gale], could truly turn the capital of the Kingdom of Rakia upside down.
Riveria was silent for a moment. She raised her head and looked into Emiya's eyes.
Those light golden eyes met Riveria's gaze without a hint of retreat. For some reason, Riveria felt her breath tremble slightly, as she sensed a deep "demonic nature" within those brilliant eyes.
Despite being a Level 6 and a Level 2, in that moment, Riveria felt that she was the weaker one.
This illusion made Riveria's heart race.
Finally, she gently nodded, approving of Emiya's plan.
Emiya then said, "Give me some time. I'll project a few magic swords in advance."
———
[Outside Orario, in the Plains]
In the military camp, tents stood in dense rows, soldiers patrolled back and forth, and the air was filled with a heavy, grim atmosphere. At the center of the camp stood a command tent more majestic than the others, symbolizing the highest authority of the kingdom.
Inside the tent, a tall, muscular, and handsome young man sat before a map, frowning deeply.
This youth was the crown prince of the Kingdom of Rakia, Marius Victrix Rakia. With an average build, honey-golden hair, and a chiseled, handsome face, he stood out among any crowd.
However, at the moment, he appeared somewhat haggard, with exhaustion written all over his features.
The Kingdom of Rakia's supreme ruler, the War God Ares, despite the title of War God, was more of a war fanatic than an actual military genius. On the battlefield, His most frequent actions were coming up with all sorts of eccentric ideas to cause trouble for the kingdom's generals.
And the crown prince's father, King Martinus of the Kingdom of Rakia, was extremely loyal to War God Ares, obeying His every command without question. Such behavior earned him the nickname [Foolish King].
The young Marius was one of the few examples of rationality and intelligence within the upper ranks of the kingdom.
His wisdom and composure made him stand out among the rulers of the kingdom, gradually taking control of the Kingdom of Rakia's actual highest authority.
However, holding great power brought him no sense of satisfaction, only endless fatigue and exhaustion.
"Crown prince of the Kingdom of Rakia, Marius, are you there? I have a great idea," A voice that made Marius's heart skip a beat came from outside the tent.
Hearing the god's booming voice, Marius couldn't help but hold his forehead.
The flap of the tent was lifted, and a handsome male god strode in.
He had orange-gold long hair like a lion's mane and eyes blazing like fire. His features were rugged and radiated a masculine beauty, with even a bit of blinding divine presence.
If one didn't know the true nature of this god, Marius might have felt some awe.
"God Ares," Marius spoke in a tone that wasn't particularly respectful, "What whimsical plan do you have again?"
At first, Marius would get stomachaches from Ares's completely unreliable plans. Now, he was simply numb to them.
Ares was excited and paid no mind to the crown prince's slightly sarcastic tone. He said enthusiastically, "According to intel, the [Nine Hells] and [Black and White Knights] group will pass through our kingdom on their way back to the city. Say, if we capture them, can't we use them as bargaining chips to force the city to surrender?"
Marius raised his head, his eyes full of disbelief.
He knew Ares's plans were always outrageous, but this one was downright absurd.
Marius took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, and said, "God Ares, the Kingdom of Rakia's strongest forces amount to no more than three Level 4s, including the Captain of the Warriors, and if you count me, fewer than twenty Level 3s."
The Kingdom of Rakia's army had great numbers, but not a single first-rank warrior above Level 5.
Marius stared directly at Ares, the implication of his words clear, "Are you planning to send us few people to capture three Level 6s?"
'These humanoid calamities are willing to leave Rakia quietly without settling old scores with the elves, just that alone should have us giving thanks to the heavens and earth, and you want to provoke them?'
Ares didn't understand, completely missing the sarcasm in the crown prince's tone, and instead said even more confidently, "What's the problem? There's a slight power gap, but that's okay! Where strength is lacking, we'll make up for it with the number of warriors and their determination!"
Marius closed his eyes in exhaustion, slumping into his chair. Suddenly, he remembered Ares's opening line when he entered the tent, and asked, "God Ares, when you entered the tent just now, what did you say to me?"
Ares: "I said I have a plan?"
"No, the sentence before that."
"Are you there?"
"I really wanted to answer, 'Not here.'"
Marius continued, "One more sentence before that."
Ares thought for a moment, "Crown prince of the Kingdom of Rakia, Marius—?"
"Yes, that's the one—"
Marius suddenly stood up, raising his voice sharply, "I quit! I'm done being crown prince!"
Marius snatched the laurel crown symbolizing his status from his head and hurled it to the ground, then turned and ran out of the camp.
It was only then that Ares realized the seriousness of the situation and, together with a few generals, hurried to stop Marius.
Amid the chaos, Marius was pinned down by the group, while Ares was forced by the generals to bow and apologize to him.
After everyone's efforts and persuasion, Marius reluctantly returned to the tent.
And then, Ares quickly tossed aside the unreliable plan.
He was always like that. Saying whatever came to mind, and not really thinking about it afterward.
However, Ares completely forgot one thing: before coming to find Marius, he had already written a letter sharing his 'great plan' with the king remaining in the royal capital, Marius's dog father, His Majesty the [Foolish King] Martinus.
———
'Ares-sama has completely gone mad,' That was the only thought that surfaced in the chancellor of the Kingdom of Rakia's mind upon seeing the divine confidential letter.
As Crown Prince Marius's most important ally and supporter, the chancellor had always played the role of Marius's right-hand man in the kingdom's political scene.
Although his level was merely Lv.1, he had provided great assurance to the crown prince with his rational personality and absolute loyalty.
Marius knew well that if his dog father remained on the front lines, the kingdom would lose even more disastrously. Therefore, he left the foolish king who only caused trouble in the royal capital and had the chancellor keep watch on him at all times.
In a typical country, such a situation would resemble a script where the treacherous minister and the crown prince collude to harm the king.
However, in the Kingdom of Rakia, the real story was the opposite. King Martinus and the gods, with their 'world-shocking wisdom,' instead tormented the few remaining normal people.
Unlike Marius, who constantly thought about escaping the Kingdom of Rakia, the chancellor was very loyal to Ares. But he also understood in his heart that this god's orders must be carefully filtered and adjusted before they could be implemented.
As for that foolish king, the chancellor held no goodwill and only considered him a burden to the kingdom.
The king of the Kingdom of Rakia was not chosen through bloodline inheritance, but was selected by Ares from among the familia members he deemed most 'excellent'. In essence, more like the head of the familia.
The current 'head' had been selected because his personality matched Ares's, while the prince, so excellent it made people suspect the queen had cheated, had become the crown prince and vice-leader by virtue of his own talents.
"Your Majesty, please don't do anything foolish at this time. There must be some mistake," The chancellor did his best to dissuade the foolish king, trying to calm his impulsiveness, "Even Ares-sama would not issue such an outrageous command. I will immediately write to inquire with His Highness the Crown Prince, so please do not act recklessly."
However, King Martinus had long been dissatisfied with the 'treacherous minister' and the crown prince who always opposed Ares. Now that he was in the royal capital, free from the crown prince's direct surveillance, and combined with Ares's order, he had completely lost his patience.
A trace of anger flashed in King Martinus's eyes, and he cursed furiously, "Bullshit! Lord Ares's orders are absolute! This king will never listen to that arrogant little brat!"
With that, he suddenly struck out, punching the completely unguarded chancellor to the ground with two heavy blows. Though lacking in intellect, as a Lv.2 powerhouse, King Martinus's strength was definitely not to be underestimated. The chancellor stood no chance against him.
King Martinus gathered the subordinates loyal to him, "Throw this guy into prison."
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