CH 166

Chapter 166 – We decided to do them a favor!

In a room in the palace, Ylis gazed at the royal capital from her window.

“…So such a thing happened… I did not know that my brother was with Count Torlin.”

I had told Ylis everything that Neia told me. That Count Torlin had refused to pay the Grank Mercenaries after hiring them, and that King Torlin was staying on his lands.

However, Ylis continued.

“It will be difficult for me to side with the Grank Mercenaries here. While it may be different for you, they are…”

“They are hated by the people.”

“Yes. That being said, it is also clear that Count Torlin got what he deserved. He had already been well known as a terrible lord. If anything, his people are probably sighing with relief.”

After thinking about it for awhile, she said,

“At the very least, I will promise to not touch the Grank Mercenaries while they are in the city. However, if my brother returns, there will likely be a problem.”

“You would allow your brother to return?”

“As long as he is not wearing a crown.”

In other words, he would have to abdicate.

But there was doubt on Ylis’s face. A battle for the throne was not something that she had wanted.

“Now that Count Torlin is dead, would it be possible that your brother might take over his lands?”

“Yes. He will surely lead Count Torlin’s army and march to the capital. Torlin’s children and friends will also be glad to help, if it gives them authority within the kingdom… And since they had the Grank Mercenaries fight the undead, they must have quite a lot of soldiers left.”

“How large is their fighting force?”

“They should be able to gather five thousand men. And we only have two thousand… We could defend ourselves, but I would like to avoid a siege when the city is overflowing with people.”

Ylis said, and then continued.

“My brother must be impatient to return to the city. Even he would know what the people think about his absence. And he must now know that things have been settled here.”

“So he might have already sent out his soldiers then.”

“Yes… And so if asked, if I am willing to go to such lengths for the throne, I…”

She did not want to take the throne at the cost of so many civilian lives.

Perhaps a ruler could not be so soft. She had spoken of being more ambitious before.

That being said, this was Ylis. And I could understand her desire to put the lives of so many people before anything else.

And so I made a suggestion.

“This matter… If the Grank Mercenaries and I could solve it… Could we expect you to do us a favor in return?”

Ylis looked a little surprised.

“A favor? What do you want, exactly?”

It should not be difficult… We had just learned the Hide spell, after all.

“You can do that?”

“I can.”

“…Then, please.”

But then Ylis muttered as if she realized something.

“But how does this benefit you?”

“First, I also want you to rule this country. That alone should benefit Fendel in various ways.”

It seemed like she wanted to know why I would help them.

“…I just want them to be happy as well. That’s all. The lands of the Fendel Alliance were rich, while theirs were poor. And then the slave hunters came. They had no choice but to abandon their homeland.”

“I agree that they have suffered a wretched fate… But I cannot give them land.”

“I’m sure all the human kingdoms would feel the same. And that is why I’m inviting them to our alliance.”

As for me, I wanted to solve this problem, and win the trust of the Grank Mercenaries. And then I could suggest, once again, that they consider settling down in Fendel.

Like this, I decided to take back the Toria crown for Ylis.

However, the King of Toria’s army was already approaching the city from the north.