We stayed at an inn in the Ashtar territory.
Given the situation, we had to signal Rokton and focus on investigating Karchem.
Reports from the knights came through Claire, positioned between Karchem and Ashtar’s territory.
Normally, I preferred being on the move myself.
But being the Lady of Ashtar, they insisted I conserve my energy.
Apparently, it had something to do with Pector’s situation.
Honestly, sitting down and receiving reports wasn’t as bad as I thought.
I have a rough idea where Pector is.
The problem is, the more certain I feel, the more suspicious it becomes.
His movements seem geared toward attacking the Empire.
‘Has Pector begun his offensive?’
No, not yet.
For that, his movements are strange.
‘Why head to Karchem?’ Considering the movements of the Four Generals so far, this seems unnecessary.
And Pector isn’t the type to act first.
Despite being the Demon Army’s field commander, he isn’t someone who moves without calculation.
“Miss Olivia, you really don’t know? You’ve fought him countless times,” Syria said, scratching her head with an annoyed expression.
“I don’t know every detail about his personality. Like I said, I’m a mage, not a military strategist or a swordsman obsessed with knightly honor.”
I reminded myself not to think solely from my own perspective.
Pector only appeared after my death, so he might be different now.
Especially since he made a deal with me to raise the hero.
***
“For now, the knightly and mage units have thoroughly investigated the territory and surrounding areas. The results indicate Karchem’s vicinity, as expected,” Claire reported blandly, adding to what we already knew.
It’s decided, then.
“That place is most likely the spot. If I had to guess, it would be the wooded hills near Karchem. It’s a place people rarely visit.”
“Wait, does that mean… Is Pector really planning to wage war against the Empire?”
“Could it be true? Is he really planning a war?”
“It’s still too early to be sure. Something feels off.”
“It’s already too late,” Rivelte commented from the window, striking a needless pose.
“Rivelte, what are you talking about?”
‘If he spouts nonsense again, I’ll tear him apart.’
“I heard the prince was kidnapped near Karchem by unknown assailants.”
“What? That’s ridiculous.”
“You must have misheard. That can’t be true.”
“I clearly heard reports that confirmed otherwise.”
“Why would they listen to you?”
“Ah!”
Rivelte’s words hit me like a revelation.
‘Right! Damn it, I forgot. Why would they just listen to me?’
One of them is overly ambitious, one deliberately acts contrary to my wishes, and the last one is blindly loyal without a brain.
I felt a sudden heat at the back of my neck.
‘Calm down. Stay calm.’
“If he had just stayed home, none of this would’ve happened. Is the prince an idiot?”
Looking at it objectively, yes, he’s an idiot.
Even the first Olivia wouldn’t have cared for him.
“Miss, no matter how angry you are…”
“Don’t expect mercy from me. Next time I see him, I’ll break his face.”
“I’ll beat him black and blue and then beat him some more. I’ll make sure that pretty face of his is utterly destroyed.”
***
Time passed.
I just stayed still.
No, honestly, hearing that they got caught left a sour taste in my mouth.
I just wanted to leave them to their fate.
“You’re not going to rescue them?”
“Why would I? Do they look worth rescuing to you?” I snapped back at Rivelte.
There’s no value in saving someone like that.
“So, you’re really going to leave them?”
“Why not? There are always other heirs. There’s still the princess.”
Might as well cut our losses.
The Emperor likely anticipated this to some degree.
Worst case, we could escape the Empire entirely.
Some smaller nations are livable enough.
“But from Ashtar’s perspective, we must rescue them,” Claire said desperately.
“This is just an endless hassle.”
“Ashtar is a loyal family to the royal house. If we abandon the prince, our political position will be at risk.”
“Could it lead to fewer Ashtar representatives in the council?”
“Yes, and can you bear the wrath of His Majesty the Emperor?”
“Then just rescue him. Problem solved.”
So, it’s a matter of family reputation.
Looking at it another way, this might be a stroke of luck.
The idiot’s capture confirms Pector’s presence and even reveals his location.
If we capture him now, it would mean taking down one of the Four Generals.
Just then, a bird flew to Claire, whispered something to her, and disappeared. Likely magic.
“Has something else happened now?”
“If so, I really hate this.”
“The mage unit has received new information.”
“What information?”
“The hero’s party has encountered Pector.”
“What? They did? Were they out on a stroll?”
“Or maybe traveling? Karchem, hmm… I guess it could just be a trip.”
“What would they even do without me? The so-called hero would probably take advantage of my absence to chase women here and there.”
“If they ran into Pector in the middle of that, it’s almost comical.”
“But they were defeated,” Claire reported.
“Ah, now that’s delightful news. As expected, there was no way they could beat Pector.”
“Since Pector likely brought reinforcements, we should send Ashtar’s mage unit and knights to Karchem.”
“That’s obvious, but something’s been bothering me for a while now.”
“Even though Claire is a former member of an assassin’s guild and a close aide to Katarina, doesn’t she have too much authority?”
“This is Ashtar’s territory, after all. Where is Katarina, the acting leader of Ashtar’s forces?”
“Hm. Isn’t this something my mother should handle?” I asked.
Claire flinched at my question, looking suspiciously flustered.
“Well, uh… I’ve been given full authority in her stead.”
“And my mother?”
“Um, she’s… on a trip.”
Of course.
“Well, I hate to say it, but isn’t it a bit inappropriate for Ashtar’s lady of the house to be absent when one of the Four Generals, Pector, shows up?”
“Haha…” Claire laughed awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable.
“Surely my mother has heard the reports by now. Or does she think Claire can handle everything alone?”
“Since Pector entered through Ashtar’s territory, it’s our responsibility to resolve this. Yet Katarina has handed everything over to Claire.”
It’s clear now—Katarina is just another typical noblewoman.
“Well, I suppose. My mother’s just another aristocrat at the end of the day.”
“After all, isn’t gallivanting around a favorite pastime for noble ladies?”
“Maybe the lady of the house has her reasons…”
“Come on, Claire. Isn’t it a bit much to defend my mother so strongly?”
“Well… um…”
“What did Katarina give Claire to inspire such loyalty?”
“Miss Olivia, please stop,” Syria interjected, trying to calm me down. “Claire must have her reasons.”
I sighed. “Fine. For now, Pector is more important. I was too harsh. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. You make a good point, Miss Olivia. I’ll send the mage unit and knights immediately,” Claire said, bowing slightly before leaving the room.
She looked so dejected.
“Poor girl, bearing the brunt of someone else’s responsibilities.”
“Honestly, Katarina wouldn’t be much help anyway.”
“The enemy is one of the Four Generals. Even with her skills, Katarina’s specialty is assassination. That might work against mid-level commanders in the Demon Army, but not someone like Pector.”
“In that case, it’s better she stays away.”
“I’ll head to Karchem myself,” Rivelte suddenly declared.
“You?”
“Well, I am still a citizen of the Empire. If the prince gets captured, it could cause me trouble too, given my ties to this mission.”
***
Rivelte left the inn.
Now it was just me and Syria.
Once Claire and Balen were out of sight, Syria sidled up to me.
“Miss Olivia, in my opinion…”
“Go on,” I prompted.
“Isn’t Pector looking for you?”
“For me? Why would he?”
‘I couldn’t think of any reason.’
“After all, he’s one of the Demon Army’s Four Generals, and I’m just a mage from the hero’s party. While we’ve crossed paths, our relationship hasn’t been close enough for this kind of attention.”
“Think about it. Wasn’t your plan to use Pector to train the hero’s party?”
“It was. You’ve been paying attention.”
Syria smirked. “Of course I know everything about Noah. And now he’s circling back for a proper fight, isn’t he?”
“Maybe. But you’re saying he’s trying to draw me out?”
“That’s basic strategy, isn’t it? Forcing an opponent out of a defensive position instead of suffering heavy losses attacking them directly.”
I nodded thoughtfully. “So you’re saying Pector is trying that on me?”
“It seems likely. He’s not the type to forget about an unfinished fight.”
“But we’ve already clashed several times. Doesn’t that count for anything?”
“Casual skirmishes aren’t the same as a proper, serious fight.”
“Fair point,” I conceded.
“Still, it seems unnecessary at this point. “
“The Demon King is already dead. Shouldn’t Pector just acknowledge Noah’s strength and move on?”
“Except now, Noah is Olivia,” Syria pointed out, grinning mischievously. “And that complicates things, doesn’t it?”
“To send him packing, I suppose I’ll have to fight him again.”
“Probably. But are you confident?”
“There’s no other choice. I’ll fight him if I have to.”
“Miss Olivia, remember that a woman’s body is generally weaker than a man’s, even if her mana reserves are greater.”
“That’s what mana is for—to compensate.”
“Still, years of training can’t be matched by a few months.”
“It’s about experience, not just brute force. The skills are still ingrained in this body.”
Syria sighed dramatically. “You’re insufferable, you know that?”
“Don’t worry. I don’t plan on losing.”
Even if things get tough, negotiation is always an option.
At least Pector is someone you can talk to.
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