88 Chapter 88: Engagement circumstances of the Daughter of Haemorage (1/2)
”Major!”
”Yo.”
I saluted when I saw Captain Elia Kratz, Lieutenant Gio Vanni and Lieutenant Daniel Dressia on the holographic projection that was beamed from my smartphone.
”It's been a while…and I'm finally back!”
”Where are you, Major?”
”In Haemorage. Bringing the Vampire Queen home.”
”Ah…”
Immediately, there was an uncomfortable silence that stretched through the air. I frowned when I saw my three officers fidgeting uneasily.
”What is it?”
”N…nothing.”
”It's none of our businesses, really.”
While Elia and Gio didn't say anything, Daniel was more straightforward.
”There has been rumors about you and her highness, Queen Lilith.”
”…I see.”
”Hmm, I'm not sure about the details either, but Lilith-san asked me for a favor, so I'm helping her out with her family matters for now.”
”…I see.”
The three officers of my battalion exchanged glances. Elia frowned as she pondered over my words.
”Personally, I'm surprised. I never imagined her highness Lilith-sama, to be requesting Major Tanaka, considering her character.”
”So what do you intend to do, Major?” Gio added.
”Whatever she asks me to do.” I scratched my head. ”To be frank, I still have no idea what Lilith-san plans for me to do for her.”
Honestly, even though Lilith requested for me to be her lover or fiancé, the contents of that request itself remained very vague.
”But that's not important right now. As I've informed Emperor Regis earlier, the human kingdoms are preparing for a massive invasion. In a week or so, they'll be invading the dwarven domain of Moria. We need to gather the alliance to mount a counterattack.”
”Yes. His majesty Regis-sama has already ordered us to standby and meet with you in Haemorage in a few days' time. We're getting fresh troops and new weapons and tanks, so we'll need a week to prepare. Once we're done, we'll head to Haemorage immediately to pick you up, and then we'll proceed to Moria from there.”
”Won't it be too late by then?!”
I frowned when I heard Elia's explanations. I didn't want to show up late to the party, I wanted to be there helping Moria fortify their defenses against Kobayashi's army right from the beginning.
As usual, Daniel was on hand with the information. I sighed when I realized that my information – and that of the Iron Knights' – were a bit outdated.
”All right. That buys us a bit more time than I thought.”
”Well, you're there to prepare the vampire company of heavy infantry, aren't you? We've split up and they returned to Haemorage for further supplies and training. We'll be merging the three companies into a battalion again once we meet up.”
”Uh huh.”
I nodded at Elia's words and raised my hand.
”Leave them to me.”
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”Right.”
”Still, I'm unable to surmise Lilith-sama's true intentions.” Gio frowned as he stroked his chin. ”You might want to be careful.”
”…careful?”
I blinked, bewildered by his statement.
”You think Lilith-san is going to betray me or something?”
”No, that's not it…”
Gio frantically waved his hands and denied that. Instead, it was Daniel who explained.
”Well, Major Tanaka, you seem the type to be weak to a girl's aggressiveness, after all. So we're a bit worried.”
”Just what do you guys think I am?!”
”A guy with no experience with girls,” all three officers chorused. I felt as if an arrow had thudded right into my heart, especially when I realized that I couldn't deny that at all. I had been single my entire life and never been in a relationship with any girl, not even once.
”Putting that aside…this time, the battle's going to be harder than before. For the first time, the human kingdoms are united under a single ruler. And I heard he did something to the populations that are under his control.”
”Yes. We heard that too. Entire populations have turned into zombie-like beings, becoming crazed, fanatical and devoted followers to the so-called Emperor of Humanity.” Daniel's expression was grim. ”We do not know what sort of magic Kobayashi Kenji is using, but his armies have become a lot more dangerous than before.”
”Ugh…this is so troublesome,” Gio complained as he clutched his forehead. ”Just when you thought it can't get any worse…”
”He's starting to sound like some invincible psyker with godlike powers and golden armor who launches crusades into the stars to unite all the disaparate worlds of humanity under the banner of the Imperium, and bring enlightenment and technology to end superstition and fear…”
”Don't worry…if he does that, he'll end up becoming a writhing corpse on the Golden Throne, right?” Gio joked. I shuddered.
”I hope not. It would mean I get my existence annihilated after the Siege of Restia.”
And I really didn't want Restia to be under Kobayashi's rule for another 10,000 years, even if he became an imprisoned corpse who was unable to relay anything to his followers and do the actual ruling himself.
”Ahem…”
Elia cleared her throat.
”Major, I think it's time for you to go to the place of the request.”
”What request?”
”What do you think? Have you forgotten that you're supposed to help her highness Lilith-sama out this week?”
”Ah…that's right.”
I saluted my three officers, said the usual encouraging words, then signed off and switched off my smartphone. Taking a deep breath, I left the room.
*
”I want you to act as my lover.”
This conversation happened shortly after we escaped from Cross Castle and arrived safely in Haemorage.
”Pretend to be Lillith-san's lover?”
”Yes, that's right. I want you to play that role after we return to Haemorage, after your diplomatic mission.”
”Um…why?”
That night, I had been taken by surprise, but I wasn't going to just go along with it because she was beautiful. There was something about this request that bothered me.
”I told you earlier, didn't I? About the elders in the capital of Haecient. They've been pressuring me into a political marriage. I asked you all those nights ago to pretend to be my lover or fiancé so as to stave off pressure from those elders.”
”Oh, right! I remember!”
Lilith nodded.
”As the daughter of the previous queen, and the current Vampire Queen of Haemorage, there are no small amount of nobles eyeing the position of my husband. They would want to integrate themselves with my family, to forge close links with royal blood. The man who becomes my husband will inevitably wield vast power and hold authority second only to mine. In terms of military, anyway – the elders, unfortunately, still hold the political reins.”
That made sense. I sympathized with her.
”So…yes, in other words, a political marriage of convenience.”
Perhaps it was because I came from modern Japan, specifically Tokyo, that I saw such practices as horribly outdated.
”Either I get married to one of the candidates that the elders choose for me, or I find my own husband – one who is a high ranking demon noble from another domain, and establish an engagement with him.”
Those were the instructions that Lilith received from the shadowy elders in Haecient.
Establishing connecctions with an influential person who was holding a strong position in Morten. Despite her battle prowess and being one of the most powerful demon nobles in terms of military might and war potential, Lilith did not hold much political power, and was tasked with such a mission.
”That's utter BS,” I muttered angrily. ”You should be allowed to choose your own husband.”
I wasn't naïve enough to be ignorant of how political marriages among particularly prestigious noble houses worked. That was the way of history. Only by maintaining strong ties with other high-ranking nobles could such families maintain and consolidate their power – and even grow and expand their influence politically and economically.
”As expected, you speak like someone from another world.”
Seeing my bitter expression, Lilith giggled.
”90% of marriages between nobles are like that. It's pointless to be angry about it.”
Lilith asserted curtly.
”…”
I had no rebuttal to that. Lilith was right, of course. As I said earlier, I wasn't naïve enough to think that all marriages – especially those between nobles – were committed out of love. In fact, even in modern Tokyo, I heard that the old powerful families in billionaire conglomerates and zaibatsu still continued such practices.
But still, this is weird.
”Why me, specifically? Don't you think there will be much better candidates?”
”To be frank, I'm trying to avoid trouble as much as possible. Until I achieve my personal goal…”
”Personal goal…?”
Lilith continued without answering my question. Oi, was she ignoring me or something?
”In several days' time, a representative will be dispatched from Haecient to here by the Elders. In order to confirm and report the progress of my engagement…”
I scratched my head and sighed, suddenly understanding what this whole farce was about. Simply put, I just needed to pretend to be Lilith's lover to deceive this representative. It was just the timing of this thing that I didn't agree with.
There was a war going on, and Kobayashi's armies were poised to invade Morten – specifically Moria – in two weeks' time, and all the vampire elders cared about was political marriages!? Not just them, but Lilith as well?
But it appeared that the reason why I was selected was clear.