Goblin Kingdom

By the time word of that reached Blanche the War Princess, she was a day’s distance away from the imperial capital.

The goblins had broken through the southern and the western frontlines, and even the Short Sword Battle Maiden stationed at the border of the Kushain Believers were defeated. When that report was passed to her, for a moment, all expression left her face.

“…”

She closed her eyes for a minute, and then pondering, asked the messenger, “Is there any chance that the report is mistaken?”

“…If we wait for a few more reports to come, we can find out the exact number of casualties, but the report is most likely…”

“I see.”

Surprisingly calm, she told the messenger.

“Sorry, but I need to go to the imperial capital. I’m giving you another mission, so you’ll have to make a run for it.”

“As you will!”

After sending the messenger, Blanche headed for the imperial capital and made preparations to receive the soldiers that managed to escape. She also requested an audience from the king. It wasn’t until four days after her return to the imperial capital that her aide, Mehran Le Coude, and Far and the rest of the Valkyria came back.

Her pair of reddish-brown eyes, which she inherited from her mother, reflected the chaos of a castle on the verge of capitulation.

There was no end to the number of people fleeing. Commoners, merchants, and nobles alike all fled one after another from the imperial capital of Rishu. She watched all of that without saying a word, then she went back to the house she was given and changed to her clothes meant for having an audience with the king. After that she made her request for an audience.

“Oh, our beautiful War Princess!”

The king greeted her as though in search of solace in her, but Blanche greeted him as perfect as usual.

“I’ve heard of the war at the borders. It is regrettable.”

“I have betrayed Your Majesty’s expectations. I offer my deepest apologies.”

There were no great nobles left beside the king.

The only people left in the royal palace were those without anywhere to run to, those who couldn’t run because of their honor, and those who were truly loyal. All the sensible ones have already left the imperial capital.

“My beautiful War Princess, I have burdened you greatly, but you have done well despite your youth.”

“I am unworthy of such praise, Your Majesty. My actions have brought shame upon the name of Ririnoie.”

She was not even 20 years-old, and yet the fate of the kingdom rested on her shoulders. After apologizing she told the king how the battle was likely to progress.

It was no longer possible to win after the borders have been broken through.

—But if we emptied the kingdom’s treasury and scorch the land, and then fight with every man, woman, elder, and child, then perhaps there’s still a slight chance of winning.

She remembered when she asked the king back when they failed to diplomatically reconcile with the goblins.

The king shook his head and laughed.

—That is not how a magnanimous rulerShushunu does things. What point is there in having a kingdom if only to make the people suffer.

Because of that Blanche genuinely bowed her head to this king whom she called incompetent.

“Now then, my War Princess. Can this head of mine buy peace?”

“…Unfortunately, that is impossible.”

Until now she has been obediently bowing her head, but then all of the sudden, callousness covered her face, and she turned to the king.

“Insolent!”

The chamberlains by the king’s side yelled angrily, but Blanche silenced them with a glare and snapped her fingers.

The door leading to the throne room opened and the sorcerer cavalry Blanche raised entered with weapons in hand.

“…What is the meaning of this!?”

The chamberlains cried out, but Blanche had them suppressed, while Mehran Le Coude extended his hand to the king.

“Our beautiful War Princess, what are you…”

“My beloved king, this war was for my sake, so just for today, please rescind the throne… You don’t mind, yes?　After all, almost all of the authority has been given to me anyway.”

As Blanche mysteriously smiled, her aide, Mehran Le Coude, bound the king.

“Take them all away. Do not hurt His Majesty.”

Blanche calmly commanded, and then the sorcerer cavalry took all of the people they’ve bound away.

“Are you certain?”

“Stop pestering me. If you’re a man, then you should learn to steel yourself from time to time.”

“Never would I advise you to do something like this.”

Blanche snorted as she sat on the throne.

“Now then, let us negotiate with those goblins.”

Blanche Ririnoie sat herself on the throne as though she truly belonged there. With surprising self-restraint, Mehran Le Coude stiffled his anger and knelt.

When he looked up, the War Princess was dazzling.

◆◇◆

The goblins had broken through the borders, but unlike the various armies that wanted to hurry, Pale ordered them to advance slowly. General-class goblins from Felduk, Zailduk, and Aransain showered her with criticism, but Pale didn’t budge and she stuck to her decision to advance slowly.

By the time they arrived at the imperial capital, it has already been three days since Blanche the War Princess ordered her king to be taken away. Blanche ordered her remaining forces to gather in front of the imperial capital and assume formation, then she saw the goblins arrive. She wryly smiled.

“Not too slow, not too fast. What excellent timing.”

The goblins too assumed formation.

“They still want to fight?”

The Goblin King narrowed his eyes. Pale shook her head.

“No, it depends on Your Majesty, but…”

“The enemies have raised a white flag!”

When the sylph near Pale said that, she looked down.

“The messengers have arrived. Please receive them,” Pale said.

“Very well,” the Goblin King replied.

Three riders came from the Holy Shushunu Kingdom. A tall beauty with fluttering golden hair, a feeble man with a wound on his cheeks, and a female soldier with a cold gaze.

From the goblins came the Goblin King and Pale the Tactician. Gi Go Amatsuki and Yustia accompanied the king as his escorts. Rashka of Gaidga said that negotiations were boring and refused participation.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am the representative of the Holy Shushunu Kingdom, Blanche Ririnoie.”

Golden hair, reddish-brown eyes, and a dress. Blanche smiled without any bashfulness. She was indeed charming. The Goblin King nodded and returned her greeting.

“I am the king. The king that rules over the unruly.”

“…I see. That majestic aura most certainly belongs to a king.”

Blanche nodded as though she understood something. The Goblin King looked at her with his blood-colored eyes.

“I am Pale Symphoria. Where shall we hold the negotiations?”

“Oh, please don’t mind me. Our Holy Shushunu Kingdom will surrender.”

Blanche chuckled and looked up at the Goblin King.

“We will accept your surrender,” the Goblin King said.

“Thank you. The conditions for our surrender is that all the people related to our late kingdom be spared and that no violence be done to our people… In exchange, I shall give you my life.”

For a moment, the Goblin King narrowed his eyes and Pale looked down.

“I hope you don’t mind.”

Blanche confirmed with the Goblin King and Pale.

“…Very well.”

The Goblin King nodded and Blanched thanked him with a smile.

“Thank you. Now then… Allow me to fulfill my end of our deal.”

As she said that, she pulled out her short sword and pierced her chest. Before the blood that dyed her dress could reach the ground, she fell. The Goblin King held her up and told her.

“Fear not. In my name, I promise you that I will not break this contract.”

Blanched looked into those two red eyes, and after a small nod, closed her eyes in peace.

“The contract has been fulfilled. Take her corpse away.”

The two officers bit their lips as blood dripped from their clenched fists, but they quietly bid the king goodbye and recovered Blanche’s corpse.

With the death of the War Princess, the curtain was drawn on this battle known as the War Princess Battle, and the Holy Shushunu Kingdom surrendered to the goblins.

Word of the fall of a major power at the center of the continent reached the countries eastward, bringing with it unrest and chaos. After the great power of the plains collapsed, everyone believed that there was no one left to stop the goblins.