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The carriage carrying Princess Lucila passed through the gates of the royal capital.
"Phew... We managed to return safely."
Loretta, who had been riding in the carriage as her escort, let out a sigh of relief.
"I am sorry for forcing you to stay on high alert for such a long time, Lore."
"Do not worry about it. It was clear that your presence was essential for this meeting, and this is my job. You do not need to apologize, Lucy."
"Thank you. The war has only just begun, so days of rest seem far off, but once I return to the castle, please take today to relax at least."
"Yes, I will do that."
While the two rejoiced over their safe return to the royal capital, the carriage arrived at the castle.
When Loretta stepped down from the carriage, several people who had come to welcome Lucila were gathered there.
After confirming that everyone present was one of Lucila's close aides or attendants, she extended her hand into the carriage toward Lucila.
Guided by that hand, Lucila stepped down from the carriage.
"Welcome back, Your Highness Lucila. I am relieved to see you appear unharmed."
The elderly man in his late fifties, Duke Azar, spoke on behalf of the group as he greeted Lucila.
"Duke Azar, I have returned. Thank you to everyone else for coming to welcome me."
Lucila offered words of appreciation with a smile.
Immediately afterward, everyone present except Lucila was blown away as if forcibly ripped from her side.
"————"
Lucila widened her eyes at the sudden event.
A man was now standing beside her.
"Everyone, do not move. Do not even open your mouths. If you ignore me, I will mercilessly cut off her head."
The man standing beside Lucila — the Hero Felix Lutz Kreuzer — warned everyone while pressing the blade of his sword against her neck.
"...Prince Felix, why are you here?"
Even with a blade at her throat, Lucila maintained a resolute attitude and voiced her question.
"To end the war quickly."
Felix answered while directing his clouded eyes toward Lucila.
"Surrender, Princess Lucila. I do not wish to shed blood needlessly. If you declare here and now that the kingdom submits to the empire, I promise to stop the attacks on the kingdom."
"...The one who decides the kingdom's future is my elder brother, the crown prince. You know I do not have the authority to make that decision, correct? Yet you would accept my words?"
With the king deceased, the current head of the Nohitant Kingdom was Lucila's elder brother, the crown prince.
Lucila held the authority of royalty, but she was not in a position to steer the kingdom. At least on the surface.
"Hmph. Did you think we did not know? The true leader of this country is you. In the current kingdom, your opinion takes the highest priority. Am I wrong?"
"..."
"Well, it does not matter either way. We will simply continue the attacks on the kingdom until you acknowledge defeat. Shall I start by destroying this castle and then slaughter everyone in the royal capital?"
Felix's expression was completely serious.
He had been defeated by Orun before.
However, that event had not been made public.
In the eyes of the world, Felix was still regarded as the "strongest in the world."
In reality, with the loss of Warren, the former hero and captain of the royal guard, the kingdom had no one capable of fighting Felix head-on. Even if the kingdom's soldiers banded together, they could not match him.
The only countermeasure was the magical weapons received from the Hitia Duchy, but those were currently at the front lines and not present here.
(My assessment was too optimistic. I never imagined the Hero would ignore the battlefield and come here...!)
Lucila regretted her overly optimistic view.
Because the kingdom and empire shared a border, Lucila and Felix had met face-to-face and spoken many times in the past.
Based on that experience, Lucila had analyzed Felix as a kind-hearted man who cared for his people.
That analysis was correct.
However, it required the caveat "before he was subjected to recognition alteration."
Lucila had predicted that Felix would appear on the battlefield, but she had not foreseen that he would take action like coming to the royal capital alone.
(Still, how did this man get here...? It should be impossible for someone as well-known as the imperial crown prince to reach the royal capital without anyone noticing. Yet he is standing here now. If that is possible, then... long-distance teleportation!?)
Based on the information she possessed, Lucila reached a conclusion that would normally be dismissed as impossible.
In the world at large, the technology of long-distance teleportation was still considered unestablished.
However, after analyzing the various incidents that had occurred, she had inferred that both Amunzaas and the Cyclamen Cult had already made long-distance teleportation possible.
And that inference was correct.
(According to my estimation, even among the cult, only executives should be capable of using long-distance teleportation. If he came here via long-distance teleportation, that means the imperial crown prince holds the position of an executive within the cult, or something equivalent.)
"So, what will you do? Decide quickly."
The air gradually grew heavier in a physical sense.
Creaking sounds could be heard from the buildings and surrounding objects.
(If the Hero, who can use long-distance teleportation, gets serious, it would not take even a week to destroy this country...)
Lucila simulated in her mind the future developments if she refused to surrender and if she did surrender.
What she needed to think about now was how to save as many of her people as possible.
"Allow me one question."
With a look of regret, Lucila opened her mouth.
"...What is it?"
"If we surrender, will the rights of the kingdom's citizens be guaranteed?"
"If you surrender here, we will apply imperial law within the kingdom and make you all imperial citizens. I have no intention of harming imperial citizens. As crown prince, I promise that. Of course, if there are forces that resist, they will be eliminated."
While listening to Felix's words, Lucila lowered her face and bit her lip as if enduring regret.
Then, with a trembling voice, she murmured.
"...I understand. We surrender..."
Thus, the kingdom came under the rule of the empire.