Chapter 600

Chapter 600

Ludwig’s Troubles

The next day, the people of the Fire Clan left the village early, ahead of Mia and her group. To everyone’s surprise, they were leaving with the entire clan, including women, children, and even the elderly.

“The men who are with the Serpent Priestess are our precious family members. It is only natural that we all work together to bring them back.”

Aima nodded vigorously, then waved at Mia.

“I’m truly grateful for the kindness you’ve shown us so far. We will certainly live up to Princess Mia’s expectations.”

The women also nodded vigorously in agreement with Aima. It was a deeply reassuring sight.

After seeing off the members of the Fire Clan who were departing, Mia muttered anxiously.

“Well... I hope it goes well...”

“It’s fine, Mia-sama. I’m sure Aima-san will handle things well.”

Anne, the super-maid, spoke in a bright and encouraging voice. However, her face showed traces of anxiety she couldn’t hide.

Looking at the two of them, Ludwig had a thought.

‘Perhaps Princess Mia and Miss Anne are concerned about different things. What Princess Mia worries about is probably not the persuasion tactics of Miss Aima and the others, but the strategy that follows. Ludwig understood perfectly well.’

Did Ludwig really understand, though?

‘That’s right... Miss Anne will probably be accompanying us this time, so we should ensure she has a proper grasp of the situation.’

Ludwig knew without a doubt that Anne was a core component of Mia’s emotional support.

This time, Mia’s burden was quite heavy, as she not only had to save Citrina, who was being held hostage, but also had to support Abel, who would be opposing his own sister. She would definitely need some emotional support, so it would be unthinkable not to take Anne with them.

It would be dangerous, but Ludwig decided that she needed to go with them.

Ludwig nodded and began to speak.

“I cannot be certain, but I do think that the women’s success rate is not that low. To be exact, I believe the Serpent Priestess might not get in the way.”

“Eh...? Is that so?”

Anne blinked in surprise, while Mia responded with a thoughtful “Hmm...”

She remained calm and composed, offering only a limited but correct number of responses to show she was listening attentively. It was a truly magnificent display that radiated the dignity of royalty.

Afterwards, she glanced at Ludwig as if to say that she was leaving the explanation to him. Ludwig nodded as if he understood and began his explanation.

“First of all, as I mentioned the other day, I don’t believe that all of the Fire Clan warriors are loyal to the Serpent Priestess. I think there are quite a few who would ally with us if we called upon them.”

Even if the number of people who allied with them was small, it would still be beneficial as long as it reduced their fighting forces.

Moreover, if the enemy’s goal was to ‘summon Mia to their base’, Ludwig thought they would likely choose to keep only a minimal number of troops.

“Open to communication... what do you mean?”

“In other words, it may be easier to reach an agreement with her—probably. The enemy wishes to lure Mia-sama to their base, so I believe they might cooperate in eliminating any elements that could prevent us from getting there.”

If the enemy’s only interest was to summon Mia to their base, then the Fire Clan warriors might be an obstacle. That was because if an unexpected skirmish were to break out, Mia would likely retreat immediately.

“If you weigh the benefits of keeping the Fire Clan warriors at the base against the advantages of their departure, the Serpent Priestess will probably relinquish the warriors without hesitation. That’s the feeling I have.”

If not, that would be fine too. If the enemy used the warriors to fortify their base, they could simply respond by trying to appease them using the Fire Clan members and win them over to their side.

It would be useful to weaken the enemy’s morale.

‘I wondered what would happen when Mia-sama declared her intention to participate in the Horse Match-up. However, it seems her plan to bring about a swift reconciliation between the Equestrian Kingdom and the Fire Clan dealt a serious blow to the Serpents.’

Ludwig was impressed by that.

‘I don’t think she had anticipated Citrina-san’s kidnapping, but even so, what Mia-sama accomplished must have been quite an annoyance for the Serpent Priestess.’

“The problem is, if the enemy is that perceptive, what is the optimal strategy?”

‘What if the enemy intended to lure Mia-sama to their base, even if it meant relinquishing the warriors guarding it... potentially sacrificing most of their current fighting forces? What could they possibly want so desperately?’

Ludwig had no idea.

“If they are going so far as to summon the princess, it must mean they have a corresponding strategy in place.”

Dion was right about that, and it was likely what Mia was also worried about.

“In any case, let’s strengthen the security around Mia-sama.”

Given their uncertainty about how the enemy might act, they had no choice. The best Ludwig could do was ensure that Mia’s protection was flawless and remain prepared to respond flexibly to any changes in the situation.

The number of guards they could take was not only limited, but there were also few suitable candidates available. The members of the Princess Guard were skilled, yet they lacked the specific expertise needed for infiltration into the castle base. The only one capable of that was Dion. However, if he wasn’t close to Mia, the enemy would surely exploit his absence.

Perhaps the knight Grammateus of the Remno Kingdom could successfully rescue Citrina, but there was no guarantee he would actually do so, even if asked.

So, the only option was to surround Mia with a small number of the most elite guards. This wait-and-watch approach aimed to establish a solid defensive formation capable of countering all the enemy’s manoeuvres. When the opponent ran out of options, that would be the time to strike and execute the rescue operation.

As long as the hostage remained in the enemy’s hands, they had to comply with the enemy’s plan to some extent. They would need to break through the enemy’s defences and seize any momentary gaps that might arise. That was all there was to it.

‘Honestly, since they have a hostage, the advantage lies with the enemy. Since I am no genius, the best I can do is weaken the enemy’s fighting forces. All that remains is to ensure that Mia-sama survives at any cost.’

The best-case scenario was to rescue Citrina safely. However, if that was not possible, they would need to demonstrate to Duke Yellowmoon that they hadn’t abandoned his daughter and had made every effort to rescue her.

That was the most likely outcome Ludwig could foresee.

However, he also contemplated.

‘For Mia-sama, the minimum requirement is ensuring Citrina-san’s safety. If that is the case, how can it be accomplished?’

Ludwig was racking his brains over a question he couldn’t seem to answer.