“Your performance earlier was truly remarkable, General Zebul. The Hameil Kingdom’s elite forces are the envy of all.”
“Coming from the legendary General Gamb, such praise is humbling indeed.”
A silver-haired, bearded man converses with another whose helmet bears a red feather plume.
The long-bearded man is the famed General Gamb, still commanding at the front despite being nearly seventy. The man with the feathered helmet is General Zebul of the Hameil Kingdom.
“With the Hameil Kingdom’s bravery, Fort Gangaruga will fall in no time. Don’t you agree, Princess Helen?”
General Gamb addresses the woman in a green dress seated to his right.
With short black hair and large, doe-like eyes, she is the Second Princess of the Heirent Kingdom, Princess Helen. Though said to be twenty, her youthful features make her appear much younger.
“Yes, it was truly magnificent.”
“Your words honor our soldiers, Princess Helen.”
General Zebul nodded with a broad smile, then turned his gaze to the young man standing behind him.
“You feel the same way, don’t you, Zephyr?”
“Eh? Uh, well…”
The young man, his timid face peeking out from beneath his brown hair, seemed flustered, as though he hadn’t expected to be addressed.
“Pull yourself together!”
General Zebul barked at the faltering youth.
“My apologies… I suppose I’m a bit overwhelmed in Princess Helen’s presence.”
Scolded, the young man—Zephyr, General Zebul’s son—slumped his shoulders. Though his features were meek, as a descendant of the royal bloodline, he undoubtedly held a claim to the throne. Yet, under his father’s oppressive glare, he shrank back.
Beside Zephyr stood his bodyguard, the one-eyed knight Laisel, who gave his shoulder a reassuring pat.
General Zebul and General Gamb soon returned to their mutual praise, while Princess Helen, perhaps bored, began whispering to the black-haired knight Baines beside her.
“Oh my, if it isn’t Lady Romelia.”
As I observed the scene from the tent’s entrance, a shrill voice rang out. Turning toward the sound, I saw a woman with long, vertically coiled blonde hair and a blue dress rising from her seat.
With her slightly upturned brows and sharp eyes, this woman was Princess Lelia of the Hovos Federation. Beside her stood the silver-haired, armor-clad General Deimos, known as the Serpent of the Jungle. True to his epithet, his gaze was piercing.
Behind them stood the muscular, red-haired warrior Maise, acting as their escort. Though originally a mercenary, she was a renowned fighter who had once clashed with one of the Demon King’s Great Generals and severed their arm.
“I expected you to arrive much sooner. We’ve been waiting.”
Princess Lelia approached me, her voice sweet but laced with thinly veiled reproach for my tardiness.
She was the eldest daughter of Duke Scor, one of the five great ducal houses of the Hovos Federation. In Hovos, the throne was not hereditary—instead, rulers were chosen from among the five ducal families. There was a chance she might one day become queen.
“Princess Lelia, good day to you.”
I greeted her politely, then turned my gaze forward.
Though she had implied I was late, the war council hadn’t yet begun. The representatives of the alliance’s leader, the Hurion Kingdom, had yet to arrive, and neither had those of the Fulgus Empire. By all accounts, I was well within the scheduled time.
Noticing my lack of apology, Princess Lelia bristled, but I paid her no mind.
“Ah, um… Lady Romelia. Good day.”
Before Princess Lelia could say more, Princess Helen of the Heirent Kingdom hesitantly approached and bowed.
“Good day, Princess Helen.”
I returned her greeting, then surveyed the assembled representatives at the round table.
“Good day, General Zebul, General Gamb, General Deimos.”
I gave the three generals a courteous nod. None responded. Just moments ago, the tent had been filled with a warm, lively atmosphere. But the moment they noticed my presence, the air turned frigid.
In this alliance, I—no, the Lionel Kingdom—was treated with disdain.
To these battle-hardened generals, a woman leading an army must have been an affront. Worse still, the fallout from the Zaria Rebellion two years ago, where King Henry was lost, still lingered.
The world had condemned Lionel for losing the hero who had once defeated the Demon King Zelgius to internal strife. Our kingdom had lost the trust of nations, and as a result, I was often ignored in these war councils. But I refused to let it show—I held my head high.
Though the generals offered no reply, I turned my gaze to Prince Zephyr of the Hameil Kingdom.
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“Prince Zephyr, good day to you as well.”
As I smiled and nodded, his face flushed bright red.
“Ah—uh, w-well—”
Stammering, he fell silent, clearly unprepared to be addressed. But I had expected as much. Unfazed, I took my seat at the table.
The moment I sat, countless stares bore into me.
Princess Lelia glared irritably. Princess Helen watched me while gauging the others’ reactions. The three generals openly regarded me with displeasure. As for Zephyr, who had failed to respond earlier, he hunched his shoulders and stared at the ground, as though hoping to avoid further interaction.
The atmosphere was thick with tension, yet I remained composed, waiting for the remaining delegates to arrive.
Before long, a cool breeze drifted into the tent. At the entrance stood a young woman clad in deep blue, flanked by two attendants.
Her metallic silver hair and snow-white skin gave her the appearance of an ice-carved statue. This was none other than Princess Gudelia of the Fulgus Empire, who shared dominion over the continent with the Hurion Kingdom.
“P-Princess Gudelia!”
Princess Lelia’s demeanor shifted entirely as she rushed forward with an ingratiating smile. Princess Helen, Zephyr, and the three generals all rose to bow deeply. Even I paid my respects while studying the princess’s retinue.
Aside from her two attendants, she had brought no generals or guards. Princess Gudelia wielded absolute authority within the Fulgus Empire, commanding the military with an iron grip. Her decisions were the empire’s decisions—hence, no generals were needed. Moreover, as a master of magic, she required no bodyguards beyond her attendants.
The princess took her seat beside the Hurion Kingdom’s designated position.
Now, only the alliance’s leader—the Hurion Kingdom—remained. But no matter how long we waited, their representative never appeared.
Conversation dwindled as the silence grew increasingly awkward.
Given that the Hurion Kingdom is a dominant power on the continent, it would be inappropriate to send someone to fetch them due to their delay. If they are to be kept waiting, there is no choice but to wait indefinitely.
But Princess Gudelia was here. The Hurion Kingdom and the Fulgus Empire had once been at war—they were sworn enemies. Making the princess wait was no small matter. If this slight led to the alliance’s collapse, it might even reignite a human war.
“…They’re late,”
Princess Gudelia muttered.
“Ah, um… Shall I go fetch them?”
Though summoning the Hurion delegation was improper, keeping Princess Gudelia waiting was worse. Princess Lelia stood—but just then, three men strode in, their cheerful voices filling the tent.
“Sorry, sorry! Got caught up chatting with a maid and lost track of time.”
A sun-kissed, golden-haired man raised his hand in apology as he entered.
This radiant figure was Prince Hughes, the third prince of the Hurion Kingdom.
“Honestly, you never change. No wonder they call you the Playboy Prince.”
Beside him, an elderly man with deep wrinkles sighed in exasperation. This was General Regalia, the king’s younger brother and the alliance’s coordinator.
Behind them loomed a towering warrior in golden armor—Gildevaren, captain of the Sun Knights, hailed as the strongest in Hurion.
The three made their way to their seats. Prince Hughes took the chair beside Princess Gudelia, who fixed him with an icy glare.
The temperature in the tent plummeted.
Princess Gudelia was a renowned mage—her freezing magic could turn land into eternal permafrost. Even now, an unconscious aura of cold radiated from her.
Prince Hughes’s sunlit eyes clashed with the princess’s frozen gaze.
“Heya, Guu. Kept you waiting?”
“I don’t mind, but don’t waste everyone else’s time. And stop calling me Guu. We’re not children anymore.”
Just as tensions seemed ready to explode, Prince Hughes’s cheerful tone melted Princess Gudelia’s frosty demeanor, her lips curling into a springlike smile.
“Eh? The two of you… know each other?”
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