Chapter 70

If it’s a feast hosted by the state, not just at evening parties, the moment the monarch appears is probably the most exciting scene.

Nevertheless, the applause for the prince, Duke Drapon, was sparse, and everyone in the hall looked unhappy.

That’s a natural reaction.

Eleven years after the defeat in the war with the kingdom, when they was finally forgetting their humiliating past, they found themself in an unintended state of war―――and were informed by two lords of another country.

However, because Yuri had intentionally excluded the subject from telepathy, only Duke Drapon himself was unaware of this fact.

“Yuri-sama.”

Pope Altorius quietly talks to Yuri as the eyes of Duke Drapond are focused on her.

“What is it?”

“If I ask, may I also send out a ‘telepathy’ like Yuri-sama just did, where it speaks directly to everyone in the hall?”

“Yes, it’s all right.”

Yuri’s profession, <Etherlinker> is completely specialized in the ability to operate [Bond Link], so it is not difficult to apply them in many ways. It’s no trouble to set any other person as the sender of ‘telepathy’.

“Well, I’m going to have a little conversation with the Duke Drapon. Will you please make my remarks and those of the Duke Drapon heard throughout the hall?”

“You’re applying it to the other voice. Okay, can I do it now?”

“Yes, please.”

Yuri manipulates the [Bond Link] and changes the settings so that the words spoken by Pope Altorius and Duke Drupon are transmitted over telepathy.

This way, if the Pope and the Duke Drapon have a conversation, the contents can be heard by everyone in the hall.

In fact, it will be transmitted to Yuri’s ‘broadcast’ as well, so it will not only be heard in the hall, but also by all the citizens of Yuritania, Farrata, and the royal capital, Dellane.

Yuri nodded and said that the telepathy effect had been applied.

Pope Altorius turned his piercing gaze towards Lord Drapon, who was still looking down the hall from the top of the stairs.

“Duke Drapon!”

“……!?”

Pope Altorius cried out in such a loud voice that he thought he had come from. Surprised, Yuri almost speaks.

Of course, Yuri was not the only one who was surprised. The Duke of Augort and Theodore, who had just spoken to them, the nobles and daughters of the hall, and the Duke of Drapon, who had been shouted at, were also uncharacteristically surprised.

I wonder where the graceful figure that had been looking down the hall from the top of the stairs disappeared. The Duke of Drapon hurried down the stairs and confronted Pope Altorius.

“What is the matter with you, Holy King Altorius? It’s not like you to raise your voice so loudly, is it?”

“I do get angry when I should. Why did the Principality make the foolish decision to declare war on the Yuri Empire?”

“…….This is not something that other countries should be concerned about, Holy King. Nildea is a strategic location, and it is in the interest of the Principality to acquire the land. It’s also great that a group that calls itself the Yuri Empire is occupying the land, so attacking it now would not result in a war with the kingdom. I’m sure the sovereign of the principality would not be able to let a golden opportunity pass him by.”

“……”

Pope Altorius was speechless at the words of Duke Drapon.

For now, the remarks made by Duke Drapon revealed that the Duchy still does not recognize the Yuri Empire as a country.

“…… Yuri Empire is such a country that uses dragons as messengers. Do you think that the duchy will be safe from war with such a country?”

“That’s all, Holy King. I don’t know how you know, but a group of people who call themselves Yuri Empire have a dragon―――and it’s also very large. If you win a war, you can make it a duchy. Then there is no kingdom to deal with. Isn’t it a great opportunity to get rid of the humiliation of 11 years ago and try to recover from lost territory?”

“………”

Pope Altorius was disgusted again by the Duke of Drapon’s words.

Yuri, too, was completely dumbfounded. Radragulf is Yuri’s messenger and has absolute loyalty to Yuri. Why is it easy for the Duke Drapon to think that he can take Radragulf if he can win?

“……The High Priest Conrad, who is in charge of the cathedral of the duchy, should have sent a notice to the Duke of Drapon many times that the Empress of the Yuri Empire is one of the main gods?”

“The Lord God cannot be in such a place. The notification is clearly wrong.”

“Oh. So you’re saying, Duke Drapon, that the High Priest Conrad, whom the Holy Land has sent to the Principality, is an apostate who deceives about the existence of the Lord God?”

“No, no, I didn’t mean it like that……”

Pope Artorius smiles, but behind him is an aura of rage.

It seems that his subordinate’s insult was an offense to him. The Duke of Drapon was in confusion with a shot-killing stare.

“Mu……, that’s right. In the first place, I did not declare war on the group known as the Yuri Empire! I just sent them a letter of intent and asked them if they would like to join us as part of the Principality!”

“Oh?…… Yuri-sama.”

“Oh, what is it?”

“Do you happen to have any personal letters from the Duke of Drapon?”

“Yes, I have.”

In the first place, it was confirmed by Pope Artorius that Yuri carried a personal letter.

Yuri took a personal letter from the inventory and handed it to Pope Altorius. The Duke of Drapon, who was watching it right beside him, turned pale.

“―――To the foolish barbarian woman who declares herself Empress.”

“Why do you have to read this out loud?”

“I’m sure everyone here would like to know the contents of the letter.”

Pope Altorius replies with a smile on his face to the protesting Duke Drapon.

If you look closely, you’ll see a blue streak at the end of his forehead. I think people who get angry with a smile are much scarier than people who get angry normally―――Yuri thought about it while looking at it from the side.

“An incompetent and foolish woman who just happened to be lucky enough to have a weak dragon under her control and used its power to successfully conquer Nildea. The Great Principality of Selsia is tolerant enough to accept a lowly woman. Immediately surrender the dragons and the city of Nildea under your control to us and swear an oath of vassalage with your weak soldiers. If you do so, I will give you enough coins to live on.

―――Grants Drapon.”

As the full text of the letter was read out, the expression on Duke Drapon became very serious.

His face, completely drained of blood, no longer looked like that of a healthy person.

Also, the people in the hall were not only dumbfounded but also had some kind of strange expression on their faces.

At any rate, the only thing written on every face was a mental note that said, “I don’t know that sentence.”

“Duke Drapon.”

“What is it, Holy King Altorius?”

“I, Altorius, as the Pope of the Church of the Eight Gods, do hereby declare that the reigning monarch of the Duchy of Selsia, Grants Drapon, is excommunicated.”

“What……!?”

Duke Drapond was greatly dismayed by Pope Altorius’s words.

When a sovereign is excommunicated from the Eight Divine Religions, it means that the church will completely withdraw from the country. Naturally, people with healing professions such as priests will also leave the country, leaving the principality with no one who can use healing magic.

Benefits such as treatment for injuries and illnesses, which used to be available as a matter of course as long as one paid for them, albeit at a high price. This would be lost to the whole Principality.

“In addition, the Holy Land of Nimun is the most important ally of the Yuri Empire. So if the Principality of Selsia declares war on the Yuri Empire, the Holy Kingdom of Nimun will naturally stand by the side of the Yuri Empire and fight back. You should try tasting the horror of the soldiers who live in the desert.”

In this world, it seems that many demons living in deserts have high levels of individuals. Therefore, the Holy Knight of Nimun, who has many opportunities to fight against these demons, has stronger skills than the Knights of other countries.

Aside from quantity, they are superior to the soldiers of other countries in terms of quality.

Also, the power of religion cannot be underestimated. If a country is excommunicated, it is as good as an enemy of God, so the soldiers of the Holy Land of Nimun, which has many devout believers, become dead soldiers who turn their swords against the Principality.

In a sense, they are a more terrifying opponent than a dragon.

“Wait! Holy King Artorius!”

“I’ve finished my story. Let’s go home, Yuri-sama.”

“Are we done?”

“This is a barbarian land. It was a mistake for the Holy Kingdom to be friendly with them until now.”

Pope Altorius’s attitude to say so is no longer an island to cling to.

Duke Drapon still wanted to say something, but in the end, he seemed unable to say anything.

(Wellー……)

It’s not that Yuri reluctant to leave.

But――if you go home like this. Pope Altorius took all the delicious places this time, so it feel like Yuri is doing nothing.

At least I would like to make a clear ‘attack’ on the duchy.

“Duke Drapon.”

“What is it, Empress of the Yuri Empire?”

When Yuri called out his name in a chilling voice, Duke Drapon responded in a panicked manner.

She hasn’t said her name yet, but it seems that he already knows who Yuri is.

“What kind of weather do you like, Duke Drapon?”

“…… What?”

“The weather. Don’t you have any favorite weather?”

I don’t know why she would ask such a question, though it was clearly written on his face.

When Yuri urged him to answer, Duke Drapon answered after a moment’s pondering.

“Well…… except during the march, I like snow. It’s pleasing to the eye.”

“I see! Snow, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

With a clap in her hands, Yuri admired Duke Drapon answer.

What a convenient answer for Yuri.

“Duke Drapon. Thank you for inviting me to your evening party this time. My good neighbors are urging me to leave, so I think I will take my leave this evening. Finally, I would like to thank you for inviting me and presenting you with some ‘snow’”.

“Huh? You’re going to give me snow …… ”

“Yes, Primula, exercise the magic of [Weather Manipulation] from now on. Please triple the range of effects and extend the duration as much as possible. Change it to [Heavy Snow]. I will also allow you to use [Chant Bracelet]”.

“Yes, Princess.”

Yuri turns around and orders Primula.

In response to instructions, Primula immediately began to perform magic. With her constant [Chant Bracelet] no matter how great magic and how much magic she tries to expand, she can set her chant time to zero once a day.

“―――[Weather Manipulation・ Collart Adam Temul]”

Without needing any chanting time at all, Primula’s magic is activated.

At first glance, the magic that Primula used may seem to have had no effect, but in a few minutes, the temperature around them will change to middle winter and snow will soon begin to fall.

“Relying on our bond, connect the space and invite us to this land―――”

Yuri also started chanting magic.

Seeing the appearance of a magic circle on the ground, Macaron, and Primula, and Pope Altorius and the guards quickly entered the magic circle.

“Well, Duke Drapon, we must excuse ourselves now. Please enjoy the snow to your heart’s content. [Group Long-Distance Transfer ・Tron Adas]!”

She chants [The Magic Word Nessiant] and concludes the chant and invokes magic.

Yuri disappeared in an instant from the Dellane Palace evening party hall.

“…… What is that?”

There was so much going on that the Duke Drapon, who was left behind, was absent-minded. Suddenly the hall became noisy.

He looked around hurriedly, wondering what was going on, and saw snow falling outside the window of the hall.

“Could it really be ‘God’ ……?”

Lord Drapon shivered as he witnessed a miracle that could not have been performed by any human being.

In fact, it was Primula that made the snow fall, not Yuri.

Looking out the window at the snow, the Duke Drapon was stunned.

He didn’t know that this snow would turn into [Heavy Snow] in less than 10 minutes and that it would not stop falling for at least the next 80 days.