178 “Negotiation”
Penduline, Capital City of Rua Kingdom:
With silver handcuffs on her hands, Eleanora continued to walk after the aid of King Mendel, Zachary.
There was a huge team of knights walking beside her so that she couldn’t ran away.
‘I just hope everything goes according to the plan,’
A few hours ago~
“Hah, who do we have here?”
“Isn’t it Eleanora? The second Hero of the empire?”
[A/N: Alexander Dalton is the first one]
Mendel sneered as he spoke, after they used canons to brust the huge Fort gate of Demacia.
.....
They had thought Eleanora would hide or prepare to fight them.
But surprisingly, she was just standing infront of the main gate like she was waiting for them.
“Did i ever gave permission to address me casually?”
“I am a commander of the imperial army, Do address me as Commander Dalton... Or, You can also bow down to show me some respect, King!”
Eleanora smriked as she spoke.
In terms of status, Eleanora is higher then Mendel.
As she is not only the emperor’s fiancee but also the only saintess of the prophecy.
“Hm... Commander? I think you are still not aware of the situation you are in...Your highness.”
“Well, Well, Well... I knew that you would stay here, you would never risk the whole army for you... I would’ve been greatly disappointed if you had ran away.”
Mendel spoke as he tried to hurry a little.
The fact that the imperial army was trapped and Demacia was attacked instead, it won’t take time for the emperor to reach here.
‘I better not waste time and leave with my victory trophy... This is an payback for blinding my eyes, Your Majesty; the emperor.’
“Why would i ran away? I have seen this trick before, not the first time...”
Eleanora confessed with a cold voice as she recalled this was also how her father was lured out of the duchy and then the duchy was attacked.
Her mother made her escape and then sacrificed herself to protect their territory.
She understood this trick the moment she heard it and this time, she didn’t wanted to run away.
‘There is no way that Mendel planned all this alone, this have something to do with the incident of our duchy 12 years ago too...’
“You must be in a hurry... As you know, if he manages to come back right now then it just won’t be your other eye which will go blind.”
“YOU-”
Eleanora knew how much Mendel disliked Cathain and getting defeated.
So she purposely mentioned the emperor to piss him off, to hurry up and carry out her plan.
“I, Eleanora Ariande La Dalton; the future moon of the empire, would like to negotiate with you- Mendel De Melendez, The King of Rua.”
“Negotiate, You say?!”
The Rua’s army started to laugh at Eleanora as soon as they heard her words.
“Your highness, Demacia is surrounded with our army, a total 30 thousand troops! Where all you have is 10-15 thousand sick soldiers!
Does our holy highness not even understand the meaning of negotiation?
Negotiation is between people of equal footing or have the corresponding advantage.”
Mendel spoke as he chuckled at Eleanora, thinking of her as a stupid person who only knows to fight with a pretty face.
“Who said we are not equal?”
“My request is that, from onwards, you won’t harm any of my soldiers. Sick or healthy, no one should be harmed or arrested, taken as a prisoner.”
Eleanora spoke with solid firmness in her tone, which made them understand that she was not joking with them.
“...What do you offer in return?”
Mendel spoke as he narrowed his eyes to look at Eleanora, with seriousness in his face.
Where, Eleanora exhaled a deep breath before she decided to speak up.
“Myself,”
“!!!”
“I will voluntary surrender and go with you as a war captive.”
“Hah... You are coming either way with us, how is it advantageous for us, Your highness?”
Mendel spoke as he found her words to be ridicules, but then Eleanora’s blue eyes lit up as she unbuttoned her knight suit.
“If you don’t agree... Then, DIE WITH ME!!”
“W-WHAT!!!”
The knights stepped back with horror, even Mendel staggered when he saw Eleanora, who had attached bombs with her.
“STOP YOUR SOLDIERS RIGHT NOW, MENDEL!!”
“OTHERWISE WE ALL DIE TOGETHER!!!”
Eleanora’s heart trembled with fear as she spoke out loud.
Even if she uses a bit of her mana and the bombs hit up and blasts, everything will be over.
She will die with everyone again.
“Y-You... WANT TO DIE TOGETHER?! Just for those worthless guys?!”
Mendel spoke as he widened his eyes and looked at Eleanora, who came up with such a decisive plan.
“Till you people retreat and don’t harm any imperial soldiers, i won’t do anything. I will let you people defuse the bombs once we are out of the territory!”
“Now, Do you agree to negotiate or die together?!”
Eleanora’s seriousness made the Rua’s knight shiver in fear and Mendel sneered.
“As expected of the girl who caught my eyes... You are still bold and fearless like before”
“DO YOU AGREE OR NOT?!”
Eleanora yelled as she pulled out the ring from a grenade bomb to threaten them more.
“WE AGREE!!! RETREAT THE SOLDIERS RIGHT NOW!!”
Mendel commanded his army as he gritted his teeth in anger and Eleanora felt a little relief in her heart.
“BRING THE SILVER CUFFS AND TIE HER UP SO THAT SHE CAN’T USE MAGIC”
As soon as Mendel commanded, silver cuffs were bought but no one dared to approached her.
“Useless...”
Mendel cursed before he took the silver cuffs to cuff Eleanora’s both wrist with anger.
Because if she can cover herself with bombs, then she can also choose to sacrifice herself to harm them after they are out of the imperial territory.
He never thought her to be this fearless, where Eleanora’s blue eyes was still cold; which didn’t even looked at him or showed any emotions.
“The moon of the empire is finally mine now...”
…
Scunthorpe, Field Hospital:
‘Damn it, they caught Elee?!’
‘Is this why she asked the emperor to shift me in today’s march?!’
‘I shouldn’t have thought that she have mended, she is still the same as before; up to no good and causing troubles.’
Cedrick thought as he glanced at Jennifer, who was lying on the bed unconsciously.
The whole army is in a chaos and he doesn’t know what to do.
The medical team suspects her of being poisoned but who would poison someone in the middle of the war?
.....
That too, a medical doctor?
‘Wake up, little sister... Brother can’t bear to see you like this,’
Cedrick sighed as he stroked Jennifer’s light blonde hair, her face was completely pale like a dead person.
Even if he wants to help the imperial army, but he can’t bear to leave his little sister dying alone like this.
‘Just who is so cruel to do this to you...’
“COLONEL RAVEN!!!”
Cedrick looked back as Sir Charles called out for him with a panicked voice and stood outside of the room.
“Sir Charles? What happened?”
“Colonel- His Majesty...”
Cedrick jumped up from his chair as he approached Charles, who had a letter in his hands.
“WHAT?!”
Cedrick blinked a few times to read the letter again and again, but the contains remained the same.
~I and Duke Richardo are off to Penduline, Colonel Raven will command the army from onwards.
This is an direct order issued by, Cathain De Valerian Valentino; the emperor of the Valentino Empire~
“...”
‘How can you do this to me, Your Majesty!!!!!’
.
.
.
At the borders of the Penduline:
“Why do i always end up carrying you on my back?!”
“You can still talk human language in this form? Interesting... I wanna make you the national pet now.”
“...”
Dion, who was running inside of the dark forests in his wolf form with the emperor on his back didn’t knew what to say anymore.
Just like how the first emperor was a descendent of the dragons, the Richardo’s are the descendants of the wolves.
As time went by, the dragon’s power faded from the world and seeing that, the Richardo’s decided to hide for protecting their descendants.
Dion’s furry wolf is huge in size, almost as tall as an average human.
Fiery red in colour and pitch black eyes like his human form.
He recalled the time, when he carried the injured 18 year old crown prince on his back four years ago and now he is doing the same.
“Am not talking! Am mind linking with you and thus you are feeling that am talking, where am actually not!”
“Oh? That’s more amazing. From now on, wolves will be our national pet...”
“...”
‘Who wants to be a national pet?!’
Dion decided to hold back on his anger and not drop the emperor off his back.
‘Just hold on... Remember the deal... For the deal... Be patience, Dion... Don’t hit him...’
“Your Majesty, there are more then 150 thousand troops at Penduline... Do you think Colonel Raven would be able to do this?”
“He has to do it, even if he can’t. He ain’t got any other options except this.”
Cathain spoke as he clenched his fists into a ball tightly. They can’t afford to lose now.
Even if Eleanora’s plan is solid and as long as they moves according to it, they will win.
But that plan will take at least a month time to success, and he can’t let her stay there all alone.
Now that he got his memory back, he remembers how obsessed Mendel looked over Eleanora.
Which was kind of similar to his, but more dangerous.
‘Please... Be safe, Elee... Nothing is more important then your safety!’
This is why he prepared everything according to Eleanora’s plan but he left Cedrick to command the army instead of him.
There is no way he would rest with peace, where he doesn’t know what is happening to her.
“We are almost there, Your Majesty... I can only drop you till this point, Be careful as your face is way too much recognisable.”
“Don’t worry, i have a plan for that...”