Unmotivated Hero's Tale

No one but the Emperor is allowed to enter, the Emperor's Office.

Usually in that room where Rialto performs his duties in silence by himself, there was a figure of a man who was seen as the next emperor.

"So that's what you're saying, that the ambush we had prepared was an ambush to be intercepted from the beginning?

A glimpse of Noyne visiting the battle report asks Rialto to confirm the report.

"It's not a mistake, but it's a little different, to be exact. If the enemy's response is dull as far as ambushes are concerned, he was going to let them cut straight into the enemy formation. Once inside the enemy line, the Filament people won't be able to use massive magic. There's a chance that we'll get into a fight somehow."

"I see. He said he didn't particularly mind if the ambush succeeded or failed otherwise when it came to ambushes"

Noyne smiles and nods one smile as Rialto states so with his hands on his chin.

"Yep. The planners of this operation have presented us with a measure that we can win whichever way we fall. What's more, you've presented us with a subdivided plan of operations under each circumstance, if the enemy didn't come after the ambush troops, and if they ended their magic battles at all long distances."

"... I guess it should be called a boulder. But given our army's battle last year, it's something that makes the Filaments feel a little sympathetic."

From the memory of the bitter defeat caused by last year's battle with Clarice, Rialto unwittingly laughs bitterly.

Then he opened his mouth again, grinning bitterly that Noyne would also be caught.

"Ha, I have just a few feelings about that too, but I guess I can afford to think about that because I won this fight too. Together, in fact, as I mentioned earlier, the enemy forces pursued our army's ambush unit and main body to withdraw, in the form of a straight forward advance of the army. And they arrived at the first place our army was forming, the place where Lemuriak's demonic stones were laid down, and that was where they matched his turn."

"So Istarz, who was waiting for a unit in the rear, induced the demonic stones laid at their feet by rewriting the small collective magic"

The task of digging back into the ground and burying the massive amount of demonic stones bought up from Yui. No one knew what it meant to do the job at first.

It was never cheap as an amount either, but if you look at the results in this way, Rialto can't help but think that the decision to ride Yui's suggestion was an English one.

On the other hand, however, one concern remained.

It's about what technology Yui Istarz got and no, what magic exploded the Demon Stone and so on.

"Yes, I don't know what principle, but the detonation caused by the demon stone he caused was an explosion and power like collective magic and melon"

"That much... well, let's leave him alone now. Anyway, there was such an explosion from the ground within the enemy formation, and we simultaneously punched it into the filament confusing the other small collective magic we had prepared. So you're my checkmate."

"Exactly. But unfortunately, the leader of the enemy army was unable to capture all of them."

Shaking his neck twice, left and right, Noin drops his shoulders and exhales a sigh of sigh.

"When it comes to leaders, are they the heads of the three houses in Filament? So they got caught up in collective magic, too."

"No, they seemed to have escaped the collective magic"

"Hmm... so you're saying they simply got away with it?

Hearing Noin's response, Rialto glows behind his eyes as he wrinkles between his eyebrows.

But the person with that gaze shook his neck left and right again as if it meant denial.

"No, according to one piece of information, it all died in battle. Just..."

"Just?"

"Whoever brought that information to our army is in trouble."

With a sinister look in his eyes, Rialto wrinkles slightly between his eyebrows.

"Who is it, who is it?

"It's Zhu."

An unexpected person's name is given from Noin's mouth, and Rialto opens his mouth to confirm.

"Zhu...? I mean, if you're not a soldier in our army, let alone Isterz, that's what you're talking about."

"Yes. It is true that I had allowed Yui's guy to negotiate with Filament. But at that time when our army's collective magic was unleashed on the enemy army, it seems that Yui's men were already moving to start negotiations alone."

The fact that the person he was trying to take into account had already begun to act when the generals of his own army were convinced of the victory and were heading to his morale men and Noin was giving instructions to him to persuade him to pursue.

With an indescribable look on his face, Noyne tells Rialto.

"He didn't have a watchman on him?

"I was wearing Royce... but at that time when the collective magic of our army was simultaneously unleashed against the enemy army and the sight and consciousness of all the armies was directed towards the success or failure of the collective magic, it seemed that he was starting to act as if he were going to poke a gap in that moment of mind..."

The bell on the cat's neck that I was wearing just in case, even though I was sure I was on my side this time.

Noyne laughed bitterly at the fact that it was lightly put out where it loosened for a moment in front of the fact that it was a victory.

"I see. Probably the Istarz guy would have calculated everything, including that much. I just didn't tell anyone."

"Yeah, it's about him, so I'm sure there were other ways to win. There's just nothing like that that that lets your eyes go from the end of a fancy battle. Instead, that's why he may have tried to make the most flashy ending possible. It's only my prediction."

For that scenario part, which is not written in the pre-prepared script and seems to have been written only in the screenwriter's own original script, Noyne refers to a frivolous crossover.

"Well, I can't help but say what's past. So, what did Zhu say?

"Medium and Phileo were peers after the impersonation of responsibility, and together they scattered their lives. They tried to negotiate a further truce, and because the virus came at them, he truncated them without stopping."

"All three of your family died in battle on the spot, so... it stinks a lot."

Moving his eyebrows pickly, as Rialto stares straight at Noine, he tells the facts he could confirm.

"Yeah. So we also did a field verification of the point where they did the combat act just in case. Then, as Zhu reported, surely all of your three families were out of business. It's unclear if Zhu really did what Zhu said."

"So how's he doing?

Rialto, who had so far questioned the lack of words from the most important figures, asks Noyne.

Then what was told from Noin's mouth was what deepened the crease between Rialto's eyebrows.

"That's... Yui's guy was wounded in the fight against Uila and remains unconscious, and now he seems to have been transported to the embassy and apologized for all the interviews"

"That's an increasingly stinking story."

"Not at all. I'm not interested in what happened on that occasion, but at least it seems true that he's unconscious and being transported to the embassy. We've got all the same testimonies from inside the embassy."

Noyne was convinced that Yui's injuries were true, both because he had obtained all similar testimony from insiders who were releasing him to the Clarice embassy, and because he had not revealed himself in this important phase.

Meanwhile, Rialto, with the piece Yui's wound added to the plate, looks even more suspicious as he rubs his jaw with his hand.

"Hmm, it's still somehow too well timed. Don't you think so?

Shortly after the defeat of the battle against the Imperial Army after the battle, Rialto had felt something smelly about the fact that three Filament leaders had lost their lives in a struggle outside the war and even the very person who painted the picture of this battle was mysteriously injured.

"Yeah, I agree"

"If we're talking too far, maybe Medium's daughter is chewing one on this one, too?

"... did you know?

Noyne gives a dodgy look, whereas Rialto knew the information he didn't dare to convey.

"Sort of. Abandoned princess of Diorum, let's just say a pawn that's a little too big to be noticed. I don't know how you're involved in this, but the girl must have been there."

"Exactly."

"But to the reunion of parents and children, the confrontation between the Lord, and the death of the odd. And extreme is a hero's injury..."

When events are too concentrated in one phase, Rialto thinks.

And most importantly, the fact that the person who was supposed to have painted the picture of this battle was injured was the biggest point for him that didn't fall.

"What still bothers me, even as far as I'm concerned, is that he was injured on the spot. It would be too bad for him to have pulled the thread behind it."

"That makes sense. If it was the work of a man who had complete control of this battle, he lacks some dragon dots... well, why don't we start discussing inconclusive things on this occasion? You can ask as many questions as you want after he regains consciousness, and if you do, let's think about what's coming."

Rialto speaks that way and prompts Noyne to speak by turning his gaze back.

"Yes, in the meantime, starting tomorrow, I plan to enter into peace negotiations with the daughter of Medium, an agent of the Filament Army"

"Do you want to call yourself an agent, not a representative? In these Filaments in the midst of confusion, even if they have been duped, they have no other talent, so stop... Either way, I guess this battle was an almost ideal outcome for our country. Although, with a little more greed, I would have liked to have swallowed filaments like this."

"It's..."

In response to that Rialto word, Noyne gently bites his lips to clog the word.

"... I know. You promised him, didn't you? But it's sweet of you to keep such a promise in discipline."

Rialto, who thought he should go slowly and seriously strangled rather than swallow filaments at any time in the midst of confusion if the status quo were, virtually subscribed to Noyne's judgment in that language.

"I know that. But once again, I found out in this battle. That guy, yeah, the Yui one really doesn't know the bottom. If we can, no, we never want to turn him against our enemies."

"I don't know if that's the wrong idea, Noin. But you think that's enough if you don't turn it around to the enemy?

In response to that direct inquiry, Noyne discloses the candid desire he had, as it were, towards his own father.

"No, it's not. If I can, I want you to stay on my side, like this one."

"Right...... then, Noin. Leak to Clarice that the man helped our army in this battle."

The moment that instruction is given by Rialto, the noin solidifies on the spot. And thinking it might be some mistake, he turned to the Emperor and asked him straight away.

"Ha... now what?

"That's why I'm telling Clarice that Yui Istarz cooperated in war with our empire. Yeah, it might be nice to announce Miriam's engagement at the same time."

Whereas Noyne opened her eyes in surprise, Rialto repeated so as if nothing, even smiling at the look on his face.

"But... Yui's guy is also supposed to be the benefactor who led us to win this fight. If you do that to him, his position within Clarice... are you going to deliberately crumble his scaffold ⁉ ●"

"Heh heh, come on. The sweet spot stays, but you're finally starting to turn your head, too. Okay, Noin. Trump cards are not things that should be cut comically. It's only when you take away other options and your opponent loses his way that you should cut him off."

"... but"

Noine and Rialto understood the effectiveness of the measures. But he could not accept such ruthless measures as they were against Yui for saving us from the crisis of the Empire this time.

"I hesitate about what. Seeing this battle, you didn't get it? The horror of that man."

"No, I was reminded again. If you stand on the front as an enemy, that man will undoubtedly be the biggest barrier to our empire."

"If you understand that much, the answer would be one. If we take this measure, he will have two options left. Weaken your position within Clarice under punishment for cooperating with the Empire without permission, or..."

"Do you wish to marry Miriam, in deference to the Empire..."

In a way that precedes Rialto's remarks, Noyne speaks so powerlessly.

Satisfied with that answer, on the other hand, Rialto nods once and for all without breaking the grin sticking to his expression.

"Exactly. Either way, let's say it's a good result for our country. Noyne, if you intend to carry the Empire in the future, be ruthless at times. Even if he's your friend."

Having said that, Rialto takes his gaze off the noise, just saying that there is no more room for debate on this issue.

When Noyne dropped his shoulder, understanding what Rialto had done, he left the office after gracing him on the spot.

"... Yui. Sorry."

Noyne's words sounded vain as she thought of her friend in the gallantry hallway where no one was present.