CH 74

—Dantha Fio Emperlord.

She is the daughter of the former emperor and sister of the current emperor. Dantha, descended from the blood of a legitimate imperial family, was, however, accused of overthrowing the state and has been locked up in an asylum for political prisoners for the past year.

“…It was a year ago that I started a revolution in the Empire. But I did not want to be an emperor. I wanted to restore the original… empire as it was when my father ruled.”

In that audience, where I had the King’s permission, she recounted the events of the Empire over the past few years.

“My eldest brother Sieg has always had an extreme electorate. After the death of his father, he became emperor and developed his policies in line with his ideology.”

According to the report, there has been a significant disparity between the rich and poor within the empire over the past few years. Sieg’s policies were mainly limited to enriching imperial capital and towns that could be used as relay points for invasions of other countries. Other towns and villages were subject to burdensome tax obligations, and the people living there seemed to be struggling to survive every day.

“There were riots, but all of them were immediately suppressed by the imperial soldiers. And very miserably, too…”

People are, however, more united in the face of great oppression. If they could not be defeated by force, they now apparently resorted to all sorts of measures, including refusing to pay taxes and abandoning farming, mining and steel-making operations. It is a revolt by the people.

“But the Sieg did not let that rebellion stand. They must have planned it beforehand with the Agranis of the Sieg faction. They immediately started invading other countries. They then replaced the country’s head of state and started importing crops and iron resources for free, which had been reduced in production because of the rebellion.”

Because of his electorate, Sieg believes that as long as a few people can survive within the empire, that’s all that matters. This is why he imports only the bare minimum [of what is necessary for the few imperial people who are allowed to live]. The sabotage of the imperial people who were not allowed to live, living in poor towns and villages, has resulted in them being strangled.

“Of the people in the townships and villages who were abandoned by the Sieg, only 80% made it through the first winter. The ones who made it through the year after that, when many towns and villages ran out of stockpiles… were roughly 40% of them.”

Dantha clenched her fists in frustration.

“No words of mine could reach Sieg, no remedies of any kind were blocked… I had no other choice but to start [the revolution] and avenge Sieg.”

Dantha thus rallied those who aspired to revolution, and then led an armed uprising. They occupied the thinly defended imperial capital, taking advantage of the Imperial Army, which had been exhausted by a series of invasions. However, the elite forces led by Dantha, who had invaded the Palace, were destroyed by the overwhelming power of the court magicians, including Agranis. The ringleader, Dantha, was imprisoned as a political prisoner, and as for the others, their whereabouts are apparently unknown.

“It was a painful failure. But I still can’t give up on defeating Sieg.”

When Dantha finishes speaking there, she bows deeply to the king.

“Please accept my asylum. If I can be of help to defeat Sieg, I will go to whatever hell I have to go to. So, please…”

The king and the princess looked at each other. Then they both nodded at the same time.

“The Imperial Princess, Dantha Fio Emperlord-sama. And her companion, Hibiki Kisaragi. The Kingdom accepts the custody of both of you.”

**

“Hey, Leia!”

Princess Leia and we, the SS, had just left the throne room to escort Dantha and Hibiki to the Guest Room. Nina approaches the Princess with a biting smile.

“Your Majesty is the same, but what the hell are you thinking!”

“What do you mean, what? Niña.”

“It’s obvious, it’s about the treatment of these people!”

Swish!, Nina pointed at Dantha and Hibiki.

“We’re going to send a peace envoy to the Empire, even if it’s only a performance, and you’re going to accept political prisoners in the Empire for asylum… that’s insane!

“Hey, Nina! Don’t be rude in front of our guests!”

“This is not the time to worry about that!”

Behind her, Dantha bowed her head again, as if a cat with its fur standing on end was threatening her.

“I’m sorry, Nina-dono. I’m aware that I’ve caused you trouble by taking advantage of the hospitality of Your Majesty and Her Highness. It is only natural that you are offended. Please allow me to apologise to you.”

“You know what? If you think so, you should’nt have come to this castle in the first Muhh?”

Spera covered Nina’s mouth with her hands from behind her as she turned into a rampaging cat that bites anyone who gets in its way.

“Let’s calm down, Nina. The situation is as it is. The more friends we have, the better.”

“Mogargh!”

Exhaling a small sigh of “Oh, God” at the rampaging Nina, Princess Leia bowed her head to Dantha and the others.

“I apologise for the rudeness of my squire.”

“No, I take that as a fair reproach. Please raise your face.”

“Your Imperial Highness, I do not blame you at all for your conduct. Rather, I am deeply sympathetic to your aspirations for the Empire and your efforts to restore it to the state it was in a few years ago.”

The Princess then smiled briskly.

“Well, shall we go to my room then?”

“..Eh?”

I thought we were going to the guest room? I exclaimed involuntarily. The Princess smiled at me and said

“In my room, I have prepared some delicious tea, and unlike the guest room, it’s not a place for public entertainment.”

“…Princess Leia’s room, that certainly sounds convenient.”

Spera muttered while holding down the flailing Nina.

“From now on, as an exile, Her Imperial Highness Princess Dantha will no doubt be targeted by Imperial assassins. Allocating a guest room or drawing room is the same as appealing ‘She is here’, isn’t it?”

“Yes, you are right, Spera. From now on, Her Royal Highness will be kept out of sight in the Royal Castle as much as possible.”

“We don’t know how many spies there are yet, so we’ll just have to be careful.”

Princess Leia smiled at Spera.

“That is why, Your Royal Highness. Would you like to come to my chambers first? I would like to discuss everything with you there.”

“Yes.”

Dantha nodded.

“Lets talk. I will tell you information about our Imperial Army and the Seven Warriors.”

**

“Well, then, Nina-san. I’ll get right to it, but I’d like to know if there’s a wiretap.”

In Princess Leia’s own room, there were six of us, including us SS, Dantha, and Hibiki, gathered there.

“…No problem. Nothing is caught in the ‘presence detection’.”

“Thank you.”

She still didn’t seem completely convinced, but still, a job is a job, and Nina stands beside me with her eyes narrowed as if sharpening her nerves. Incidentally, there are a total of three chairs in Princess Leia’s own room. Taking their seats were the Princess, Dantha and… Spera.

“No, no, no, oui.”

Why Spela? I had to tsk tsk.

“Spera-san, shouldn’t you normally give up your seat to a guest there? Hibiki-san’s there, you know.”

“Ah, no problem, because I said I didn’t want myself!”

Hibiki said unconcernedly.

“I mean, I don’t know anything about difficult topics, and I’ll probably just get in the way of Dantha-chan’s conversation.”

Hibiki laughs it off. I tried to get a chair from another room, but that too was refused. According to her, she ‘I’ll fall asleep if I don’t stand up’.

Well, if she says she doesn’t want to sit down, that’s fine. But what the heck. I feel a bit closer to this girl… I can’t talk about anything too difficult either.

Hibiki also came to stand beside me near the entrance to the princess’ room.

“Also, you can call me ‘Hibiki’ without ‘san’. And no honorifics.”

“Eh? not that, but yes. Okay, Hibiki.”

“Yeah, like that!”

Hibiki says so and sends a good sign.

“I’ll be your friend from now on, Gufu-nii !”

“? Yes… Gufu-nii?”.

“Eh, you don’t like it? Gufu-nii seems a bit older than me, and I thought it would be easy to call you…”

“No, no, I’m just surprised because it’s the first time someone’s called me like that.”

“Well, can I then call you Gufu-nii ?”

“UMM…. Yeah, well, okay.”

Hibiki makes a yay, with both her hands up and a joyful smile. I think once again that she’s a rather cheerful girl. The first impression I had of her when she came with Lent yesterday was that she didn’t talk at all, so it’s a bit surprising.

However, it seems that she has become a lot more frank… and Eh? What’s with everyone looking at me?

“Gu, Gufu-nii ? What a hussy she is, calling you by a nickname as soon as she meets you…!”

“Gustav-sama, I’m so sad that you allow another woman to call you by your nickname while leaving me out of it…”

“Ah, there are clouds. It’s going to be a rough day…”

Nina, Princess Leia and Spera. Each of them mutters something like that in a low voice. … Eh, what? Scary.

“Gustav-dono, you are very serious……no, is it uncouth to speak out?”

Dantha says, and shakes her head in amusement.

No, I didn’t do anything this time, did I?