In preparation for the invasion of the Galland Empire, I regularly went out for reconnaissance with a team of scouts like one's with Sedeia and Rosa.

Of course, we also went to the Rembrandt Kingdom's side to scout.

Since we're scouting with mages who can use flight magic, it is possible to receive reconnaissance report from long distance everyday.

And that day came.

I know that I'm making a reproachful face. I looked at Rosa who's kneeling on one knee beneath the stairs.

「I’m sorry but I’ll ask you again.」

「Yes. The king's appearance in Ramblas was confirmed.」

Apparently, I did not misheard it.

I vomit a long sigh and squint my eyes.

「Not a Coo Coo monster?」

TN: king is kokuō so he's verifying it.

「No, it's the king of Rembrandt Kingdom…」

「… Sightseeing?」

「No, he is accompanied by about 2,000 soldiers. There are also about 50 mages.」

Rosa reported it to me as if it was too tough to say.

I can understand it if they were to attack but…

That number of people won't last for battle.

Are they going to force an attack at the back of the castle? Should I take measure?

No, they should have been more discreet if that is the case.

First, the king himself should have not come.

s.h.i.+t, I wish it was a coo coo.

I guess he like the word nuance.

I threw a sigh after thinking about such a useless thing.

「… What is the King doing?」

「Earl Villiers… No, he seem to want to meet and talk with minister Villiers.」

「Do you think he's going to convince Minister Villiers to return to Rembrandt Kingdom?」

I looked at the one beside me. Eleanor shook her beautiful blonde hair to deny it.

「I don’t think so. After all, he declared independence unilaterally and rolled under master immediately after that. Looking at it from the Rembrandt Kingdom's side, it is a face crus.h.i.+ng event. It is an inexcusable betrayal.」

「In other words, if Minister Villiers returns to the Kingdom of Rembrandt, he will be punished to convince both the Kingdom and the world.」

When I said so, Eleanor nodded lightly.

I thought about the king's visit in various patterns but I was unable to find the answer.

「… What do the two of you think?」

When I asked, Eleanor and Rosa looked at my face and nodded.

「The king has come to be a va.s.sal of master's kingdom.」

As Eleanor responded so, Rosa nodded deeply.

No, that conclusion is too extreme.

「That's an extreme theory. Don't you think he's here to build a cooperative relations.h.i.+p? In other words, an alliance.」

When I said that, Rosa frowned a little.

「Alliance? Will the Rembrandt Kingdom take that position?」

No, because it's one of the five major powers. They are almost at the top position in this continent.

「Rosa, the Rembrandt kingdom is a country with only wide land with useless history. Even if it's just a paper mache, a king of a country cannot lower his head. Therefore, why don't we make him kneel in a place where there is no one else around?」

「I like it. Should we make him so while naked?」

What a ferocious child.

Read only at SHMTranslations.com

After all, I came to the conclusion that I had to actually meet him so I went to the Ramblas myself.

Although I was stopped by Cartas from going out myself, we were in a state where we won't be able to avoid troublesome events in our immediate vicinity.

I want to postpone this troublesome event.

In order to make this person think that I'm in a higher position from the beginning, I decided to ride Lagreat in his dragon form to stand out.

I asked Rosa to go ahead and inform Minister Villiers in Ramblas that I'm heading there so Minister Villiers and the the king should come out of the city.

「Master, is that alright?」

Sitting next to me at the back of Lagreat, Eleanor asked an abstract question.

「What is?」

When I ask back, Eleanor tilts her head with an ambiguous face.

「The matter of the alliance. If one determines master's power, he will be glad to be master's va.s.sal state with pleasure. Something like an equal relations.h.i.+p is…」

When Eleanor said that, Sainos groaned.

「Yes. Unfortunately, there is no one that can stand on the same position as my liege. Therefore, it is necessary to looked up at my liege as the absolute monarch.」

Sainos said with a strangely high tension.

By the way, my escorts are the vanguards Sainos and Eleanor.

However, I'm not lacking war potential because Rosa is already ahead of us in Ramblas as a scout.

「There would be backlash if I suppress them from above. There is also a hierarchical relations.h.i.+p in an alliance.」

When I said that, the two of them looked at me.

Lagreat in dragon form gave out a roar.

Is an alliance something unlikable?

When I was thinking about such a thing, Sainos looked at the ground and raised a voice.

「My liege, they seem to be there.」

As confirmed by Sainos, there were figures of soldiers in a formation outside the main gate of Ramblas.

Their numbers are more than what I heard.

It seems that Villiers soldiers are also there.

It was an estimate so it can't be helped if the number is twice than what was reported.

「Get down to the front.」

When I said so, Lagreat barked shortly.