“Of course not; I wished to ask if Your Majesty had any opinions about this operation.”
So that was it.
He wanted to borrow the intellect of the Sorcerer King. That was what had worried Neia about his insistence on coming along. Ordering that paladin away was also for that reason. If he overheard what Gustavo said, if he learned that the Vice-Captain had bowed his head to the king of another country, who was also one of the undead, things would go very badly indeed.
At this point, what’s the use of covering things up...
It was plain to see that they were helpless without the might of the Sorcerer King. That being the case, news of this would certainly circulate throughout the people. It was only a matter of whether it took place sooner or later.
What the people of the Holy Kingdom should have done was to spread the word of the Sorcerer King’s mercy and compassion throughout the land, and then treated him with gratitude.
While I understand they’re wary of him because he’s one of the undead, I don’t think the Sorcerer King’s that kind of man...
Still, even if Neia told everyone, it was likely that no-one would believe her. They might even think she was the subject of a 「Charm」 spell or similar magic.
What can I do to make everyone trust the Sorcerer King? In the end, it seems I’ll need to do something to change the first impression of him. However, I can’t possibly say something rude like, “Please let more people accompany you…”
While Neia pondered the matter, the Sorcerer King was still speaking to Gustavo.
“...No, I’ve already said this. I will not comment on your battle plans.”
“I pray you will furnish us with a solution on this point, because we have nowhere left to go. We would like to avoid the possibility of failure, however slight.”
“And that is the reason why I will not. If you heed my suggestions and the operation ends in a failure, what shall be done? I do not intend to shoulder that responsibility, you know?”
“Yes. Therefore, I feel that what we discuss here should remain with my heart, that of Your Majesty’s, and Squire Baraja’s.”
“In that case… there were several points in the operation you suggested just now which bothered me. The first is the question of rations. I agree that there might be food stocks in the prison camps, but I do not feel there will be much there. When you think about it, do you think they would feed their captives properly? If it were up to me, I would decrease their daily food intake and weaken them so they would have no chance to revolt. Also, there is the matter of pressing them into service as soldiers after rescuing them. What about their weapons? Have you transported them to this cave?”
“No, we have not. I would like to think we could obtain those from the camps.”
“Your plan of wagering everything on these camps is very dangerous. You do understand this, right?”
“Yes. However, saving the people suffering in there is very important.”
“On that point I concur. The more time passes, the less they will love this country. However, it would be best to do something about the food situation. In truth, I feel that seeking the aid of the south is the best choice in many ways. What can be done to accomplish that more easily?”
“The royal family will help. While the Holy Queen-sama has already passed away, I do not think all the royals have been wiped out. We could aid the members of the royal family supported by the southern nobles, and then have them ask the southern nobles to cooperate with us. If we did that, we would also have a safe refuge… speaking of which, Your Majesty. The Holy Queen is dead, but perhaps Your Majesty could do something about it?”
“What do you want me to do about it?”
“Resurrection.”
“I see. That is not impossible.”
“Naturally, I will expect some form of compensation for this. Then where is the body? In what state is it?”
“The body’s location is currently unknown, as is its status. On the subject of compensation, we will gladly pay as much money as Your Majesty desires.”
The Sorcerer King waved his hand before his face.
“The lack of a body will make things very difficult. Even with one, damage to the body might complicate matters. Without an intact corpse, there is a chance that if I used resurrection magic, it might become one of the undead.”
“That, that would be very problematic for us.”
The Holy Queen becoming an undead being would not just be problematic, it might plunge the entire Holy Kingdom into war.
“Are there no magic casters in the Holy Kingdom which can use resurrection magic of the fifth tier?”
“I apologize, but I have not heard of any.”
“Hoh… and what about the remaining members of the royal family?”
“They are probably in one of the internment camps. After so long, I doubt any of them are still hidden within the cities.”
“Ho, prisoners, then? ...Do you have any information on where they might be?”
“Umu. You really are making this up as you go along, aren’t you?”
“Is that so…” The Sorcerer King hmmed to himself. “As I thought, a solid organization to allow every subordinate to deal with all kinds of situations is essential. In addition, one needs multiple intelligence-gathering apparatuses.”
“There-therefore, we were hoping to draw on Your Majesty’s might. May I know if you could help us with your magic?”
“Well, magic is not that omnipotent… for starters, we need detailed information on the prison camps. I trust you have a detailed map for me to peruse?”
“My sincerest apologies—”
“I do not think there is one here; shall I fetch one?” Neia interrupted halfway.
Maps were the treasure of a kingdom. The more accurate they were, the more useful they were in battle. Allowing a possible enemy nation to know so much about one’s geography did far more harm than good. Therefore, Gustavo must have been planning to refuse him.
However.
Neia could not concede on this point.
She could not tolerate their one-sided usage of the Sorcerer King.
If they wanted to draw on his wisdom, they would have to pay that price.
Although Gustavo stared daggers at her, Neia pretended that she had not noticed.
“Ah, in that case, let me take a look at it afterwards. Also, I apologize, but do tell me everything you know about the terrain, Miss Baraja.”
“Understood!”
After the two of them spoke to each other, Gustavo pulled aside the curtain and left. Once the sounds of his footsteps faded away, the Sorcerer King muttered:
“You don’t have to worry about it. I came here for my own gain, That’s how valuable Jaldabaoth’s demon maids are.”
“Yes.”
He must have been talking about the maps.
Neia’s chest burned. Truly, it was a joyful thing to have everything you did validated by others.
“Still, this really is pushing it. I’m surprised an organization that splinters so easily has held out for so long.”
“—My deepest apologies.”
“No, there’s no need to apologize to me… however, it’s quite troublesome when an organization isn’t united. Do you not use majority vote when a difference of opinion occurs? And of course, a rule to not hold grudges whatever the outcome.”
“How wonderful it would be if we could unite the group in that way. It sounds like a dream organization.”
“Mm… wonderful, you say?”
The Sorcerer King suddenly looked at the ceiling, but his eyes seemed to be gazing at something further away.