The talk continues.

"…….just why have you gone that far to seek my support?"

"Well, of course, 90% of it is due to my calculations as the Prime Minister…….right now, you"re someone that this country can"t afford to lose. You have popularity amongst the ma.s.ses, and your very existence serves as a deterrent to other countries. In reality, the negotiations with the Country of Towair went smoothly because you were there…….that"s why it would be troublesome to crush you if you became disgusted with this country"s graces."

"The country, is it?"

"That"s right."

"…….I understand your power. I ask this while knowing that, but just what sort of a.s.sistance can you give me? It may be rude of me to say this, but I do not think that you have any fighting power."

"That"s true…….I"d probably even lose to your daughter too."

At Romel"s words, Gazelle stiffened.

Though he had been given countless surprises for a while now, he still hadn"t gotten used to it.

Just how much could he (Romel) predict?

"Surely you jest. My daughter has a weak const.i.tution, and simply cannot bear to fight."

"Even though that weakly daughter easily mowed down a bunch of bandits recently?"

Romel cackled, looking at Gazelle with a gaze filled with certainty.

Gazelle quickly noticed that, and let out a single sigh.

"Just for reference but……how did you know? At the very least, the outside story is that my daughter"s body double that was concurrently acting as her guard took care of it."

"The first reason is the distance from the Capital that she was attacked. A decoy is something that should be sent far ahead of oneself. If you were to have a single guard acting separately as a decoy, then doing it that way would be more efficient. However, the location of the decoy was somewhere where they"d just barely be able to make it to the tea party if they went at their fastest speed. Would you really make a weakly ojou-sama go on a forced march? - is what I thought."

"……and the second?"

"……intuition."

Hearing Romel"s words, Gazelle laughed for the first time since his arrival.

"That answer"s quite unlike you."

"I think so too. Just……I saw with my own eyes, and felt it. It was just that. That alone was capable of convincing me."

"Even though my daughter has never even left the territory?"

"I attended your wife"s funeral, right?"

"……ahh……"

"You know, it gave me the chills. Amongst everyone, only she was focussing on the future. While despairing at the irrationality of reality, her strength that didn"t yield to it……a flame dwelled within those eyes."

As Gazelle listened to Romel"s words, his eyes narrowed.

It was the same.

The same as the feelings that he had once felt from her.

"Though I don"t know if she"s got talent in the military arts. But it wasn"t likely that your daughter would fall ill "because" of the loss of her mother. She"d kick aside the sickness, and run past it. If she were a man, I"d want to have her train under me."

"Don"t you have a son?"

"She"d train together with my son under me. If the two of them join forces, it seems like they"d be able to do some pretty interesting things……..well, it"d be quite an extravagant thing to do."

"No doubt. She"s female, and above all else, I"m also looking forward to how far she can refine her martial arts. That"s why I can"t hand her over to you."

"Kukuku……I thought so. Well, we"ve gone off topic but……it is true that I lack combat power. However, do you not think I have quite a bit as a civil official? In order to make it easier for you to move, I"ll back you up as much as possible. If we join forces……it won"t only be the bandits. We"ll be able to crush everyone behind those bandits too."

"Behind……the bandits?"

"What, you haven"t investigated that far yet? Then it"ll be a secret until you ally with me."

"Kukuku……hahaha……!"

Gazelle laughed.

It was a grand laugh that came from the bottom of his stomach.

His laughter was loud……to the point that the room"s furnishings shook from shock.

"Interesting, how interesting. You will accompany until I complete my revenge……is it alright to think that it is for the sake of making things easier for me? Is it fine for me to wield all my power entirely for my own sake?"

A feeling of completion* welled up from the depths of Gazelle"s heart.

Just how wonderful a thing it would be to be able to use all of your strength and move without having to think about the consequences?

His true nature, in the end, was simply that of a single soldier……he, who had just realized that of himself, laughed at that.

It was not bad to run around the battlefield as a General.

Rather, to move as he liked and influence the progress of the battle himself made him excited.

However, to him, the t.i.tle of General was equivalent to shackles binding him during this peacetime.

It had numerous duties and negotiations.

The country and the people - numerous people who wished to share in his glory called him here and there.

He, who disliked aristocratic society, was completely sunk right in the middle of it no matter how much he denied it.

The ones approaching would give a friendly smile, in attempts to draw out the best terms for themselves.

Like I care about something like that! -is what Gazelle"s true feelings were, but when he thought of his subordinates, he was unable to run away from it.

The truth was that some of the things that his subordinates should have been doing originally had been pushed onto Gazelle because things would go better if he went out front, but……that was something that he was unaware of.

In any case, it was those kinds of burdens that made it hard for him to move.

"Of course. We are allying together after all……first off, do something about that stuffy way of speaking."

"My bad! Then, once again…….I must say, I"ll be in your care!"

"Ou."

And so, the Prime Minister and General of Tasmeria Kingdom firmly joined hands.