"…Haha, kid, you've done a great job this time! I made the right bet! The Adeptus Sprawiedliwi really does want to ease relations between Kazimierz and Ursus. Just look at this, they even published something like 'Knight Major Promote Diplomatic Ties, Ursus Duke Personally Experiences Kazimierz's Traditional Culture.' What a ridiculous headline."
"…Chief Editor, I don't understand."
"Don't call me Chief Editor. From now on, call me President!"
"Yes, President!"
"You managed to grasp that key point, so you must be quite sharp… Let me give you a bit of guidance."
"Please, President."
"Tell me, as media, aside from 'truthfulness,' what else should we pursue?"
"…Timeliness?"
"Haha, just as I thought. The fact that you were able to adjust your strategy immediately and send the Red Wine Daily's sales soaring the day before yesterday proves you catch on quickly. The article you wrote back then gave the public the impression that the Ursus duke was about to be rehabilitated. Then, when the official announcement came a day later, what did that prove? It proved the reliability and insight of our Red Wine Daily. Who knows, before long, our credibility might even elevate us to becoming Kazimierz's recognized official newspaper."
"But the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi…"
"When has the Chamber of Commerce ever been afraid of the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi?"
"Then… that person…"
"Idiot. Isn't his reason for coming obvious? We may not know what he's truly planning, but on the surface, he's here to ease relations between Ursus and Kazimierz. The article you published worked in his favor. Remember, the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi can be checked by Chamber of Commerce and vice versa, but that one… he has very few concerns holding him back."
"…Thank you for your guidance, President."
"Haha, and I wish you a swift promotion as well, Chief Editor."
"My deepest thanks!"
'What… am I even doing?'
'No matter. With the bonus and the position of chief editor, it's enough to bring my parents here.'
'…I just hope that duke forgets someone as insignificant as me.'
The Black Snake coiled above the journalist's… no, the now chief editor's head, gently swaying its tail.
'You did well this time. I'll let your merits outweigh your faults.'
'But after offending me, you still think you can run? How naive.'
Although the Black Snake had given up on taking the young man's life, he would never escape its control.
For the rest of his life, he would serve the Black Snake.
'Now then, what kind of big story should I stir up next?'
___
The Elafia girl who had attempted to resist, dagger in hand, woke with a jolt from her bed.
"…"
Fully conscious, she quickly realized where she was.
Inside a wooden cabin… her home.
She tried to get out of bed in a hurry, only to stumble and fall.
"Ah—"
The Phidia man had shown no mercy.
She could clearly feel that multiple bones in her body were broken.
Her entire body was wrapped in layer upon layer of bandages… and on them, unmistakably, was the mark of Ursus.
They were Ursus military bandages.
"Your Grace, Duke Kashchey, the Elafia who attempted the assassination has awakened. Shall I—"
Kashchey was strolling through the small settlement hidden within the forest.
He showed no urgency in pursuing the fleeing Silverlance Pegasi of Kazimierz.
If anything, he appeared deliberately idle.
Ursus had already grown to the very limit the Black Snake could tolerate.
The relationship between the Black Snake and the Ursus royal family was complicated.
Not outright hostile, yet far from harmonious.
After dispatching the Black Snake to take part in the four-nation war that carved up Gaul, the ever-ambitious emperor of Ursus had already turned his gaze toward other lands.
Though vast in territory, much of Ursus was barren. Rich in minerals, yes, but lacking in agriculture.
Thus, the current emperor set his sights on the eastern nations and Kazimierz, especially its fertile grasslands.
But was the strengthening of Ursus and the rise of imperial authority truly a good thing for the Black Snake?
Moreover, that increasingly arrogant emperor had long been displeased with a "god" like the Black Snake, one who stood beyond imperial control.
So the Black Snake decided to give this prideful ruler a reminder.
It would begin by restraining Ursus's appetite.
"The purpose of Ursus in war has never been destruction, but conquest."
The Phidia man lightly tapped his scepter.
The guard beside him listened in silence.
"The exiled cannibal, the Wendigo, has now become one of the strongest shields of our empire."
"The swift falcon of divine blood, the Liberi general active on the eastern front, has also earned great merit for the empire."
"Ursus has never rejected anyone willing to contribute to it. Regardless of origin, status, or race, as long as Ursus lives in their heart, they are its people."
Kashchey watched the "natives," who, though still fearful, continued their labor with unease.
Their fear had not vanished, but they were slowly growing accustomed to the presence of the Shieldguards.
Those soldiers stood like statues, watching over them.
Yet beyond that watchfulness, their daily lives remained largely unchanged.
Their homes had not been seized, for the Ursus army used its own military tents.
Their food had not been taken, for the army carried its own rations.
More importantly, discipline was absolute.
No one dared, or even conceived of, disobeying Duke Kashchey's orders.
Even when some villagers tried to offer tribute to curry favor, they were met only with silent refusal from the Ursus soldiers.
They were soldiers.
Not bandits.
Destruction, for these Shieldguards raised on the duke's doctrine, had never been the goal.
It was merely a byproduct of war.
Their purpose had always been singular.
To let the glory of Ursus shine upon this land.
___
"So? Firewatch, have you forgotten why your homeland was destroyed?"
"…We were betrayed."
"I know there were traitors, but think carefully. To whom did they sell Forest Rangers' intelligence?"
"…"
"To Ursus. It was the Ursus army that erased your home, your homeland, down to nothing. Promise me, don't go looking for that duke again, alright? Everyone at Rhodes Island is worried about you."
"…But if that's the case, then why didn't he act at the beginning?"
"…"
"Instead, it was only after he left, after he returned my homeland to me intact…"
"Even an organization as small as Forest Rangers has internal conflict and differing views. Let alone something as vast as Ursus."
"I know. I've already come to terms with that over the years… I won't cause trouble for Rhodes Island."
"Get past Kal'tsit, Amiya, and the Doctor first. And I have one condition. I'm coming with you."
"…Thank you, Meteorite."