She would usually force him to make food together sometimes, but looking at the current situation, it made him feel thankful towards that cousin of his.
When Ryouma received the teacup from Sara, he sat down deeply on the sofa in front of Elena.
"With this, the war has ended..."
Elena opened her mouth while lowering her eyes slowly.
"Indeed, it is a satisfying result..."
"I guess so..."
Elena only answered Ryouma"s with short words.
For the time being, the Ortomea Empire"s army had pulled back. It can be said that the reinforcements had fulfilled its mission.
Even if the peace was only for a brief time, even if it was only stalling for the inevitable.
"After the ceasefire messenger came to explain the situation, I spoke with Eclatia for a bit..."
"Did she say anything?"
"She said that she will keep in touch with her home country and see the future movements. Well, she seems to speculate the Ortomea"s aim as well... But honestly, it was something that couldn"t be helped..."
"And ?"
Towards Ryouma"s question, Elena shook her head quietly.
"Mist Kingdom doesn"t have more leeway... Frankly speaking, it would be impossible for providing reinforcements beyond this..."
Zalda, Rozeria, and Mist. Among the countries called the eastern countries, the most stable and powerful country was the Mist Kingdom, where trade with the central continent was thriving.
However, because they were rich, they also have a lot of enemies.
The border with the southern kingdoms was always tense, considering that Mist Kingdom strength lay with its navy, it was hard for them to dispatch a large army to help another country.
On top of that, the battles were far from their country.
Although they sent their army because they understood the importance of the conflict, they never liked the war.
With such thought, the ceasefire this time was not something that the Mist Kingdom thought as disadvantageous.
"If that’s the case then, as expected..."
"Right, I will return to the Rozeria Kingdom as soon as possible and replenish my soldiers for the next round... Though how far her majesty Lupis’ reforms have advanced is also a problem..."
More than a year had pa.s.sed since the start of the reinforcement mission.
It would not be surprising if Lupis gained some successes during that time.
"Well, I don"t think she will gain some satisfactory results..."
Towards Ryouma"s bitter words, Elena fell silent while showing a bitter smile.
Elena herself probably thinks that the reforms have already advanced a lot.
"How much time we can get from the negotiations, it depends on his majesty Julia.n.u.s. I guess..."
"We can only leave things to him for now. I"ve played my role long enough, and I can"t leave Wortenia peninsula much longer."
He didn"t want to get involved any more.
Elena turned her gaze at Ryouma"s eyes after she heard his words that indicated he didn"t wish further involvement.
"I feel like you still have some leeway though?"
"Oh please, I"m at my limit here you know ? In fact, I"m just barely able to keep things together. That"s me being honest here..."
Saying that Ryouma showed a gentle smile.
He didn"t have time to spare anymore. That alone wasn’t a lie. However, that was not the complete truth either.
If it was on schedule, the initial development of Sirius City, which already became his home base, should be about to end.
After that, he needs to gradually develop the whole peninsula.
In that sense, Ryouma still have some room to spare.
However, it was for his own territory, not for another country.
Besides....
(Even if I involve myself further, there are not many things we could do...)
That sentiment too existed inside Ryouma"s heart.
He had obtained enough reputation, and the reinforcement mission this time ended honorably, furthermore his fame as a strategist should spread to the neighboring countries.
Above all, it was very satisfying for him that he had managed to open diplomatic relations with leading countries such as ErnestGora and Mist.
(Reputation, connections, and profits...)
He had nothing more to aim for...
If one were to take the discussion further, it was not like Ryouma didn"t have the means to make the Zalda Kingdom achieve a real victory.
But, Ryouma just didn"t want to use it.
The problem was the labor and time he needed to spend to achieve that. And it was also not a hundred percent sure he could achieve it.
After all, Ryouma was not a G.o.d that could see ahead with 100% certainty.
(Well, it would be greedy of me if I tried to get more than what I have right now anyway...)
Now that he had managed to obtain the results he had originally planned, further profits might end up hurting him instead. Because profits were something that can make other people feel envy.
From that point of view, he thought it would be better for him to end everything here...
Although personally, Ryouma favored Julia.n.u.s more than Lupis.
"Well, fine then... I guess I can"t burden Ryoumkun any more than this..."
Elena sighed after she said those words.
For Elena, she wanted to keep the personnel she can use as much as possible for the war that will happen again soon.
However, for Ryouma who had a duty to finish his territory’s development, she could not say anything.
(If only that child could understand politics like Ryoumkun...)
With those thoughts, the face of a blonde young man that she had raised as her close aide. appeared inside Elena"s mind.
"What"s wrong?"
"Hmm? Ah, I just thought a bit about Chris..."
"Chris? Ah, Elensan"s aide, am I right?"
A bitter smile appeared on Ryouma"s face.
He understood why Elena looked gloomy.
"At the time he heard about the ceasefire, he was very furious was it not?"
Elena nodded her head by way of answering Ryouma"s question, while shrugging her shoulders.
"Indeed, he even flared at me."
"Hoo... But then, I guess it was reasonable for him to get angry, no ?"
A beautiful young man that looked like a woman.
Thinking about the figure of a pretty man getting angry at Elena, Ryouma could not help but laughed a little bit.
"Well, it can"t be helped. I think it was normal for a field commander to be like that ? Does Elensan think differently?"
It was a fact that Ryouma"s plan had aimed at the complete destruction of the enemy invading army, and a lot of effort had been put into it.
How much blood had to flow for that plan to be carried ?
And, another chance of victory might not come the second time.
Yet, the Zalda Kingdom king ceased the fight without the consent of the other countries. Not to mention, at a time when the Ortomea Empire army was trapped in a cage...
As a matter of course, it was natural for Chris.
However, that was because he was a field commander.
Each position had its own opinion.
Each position had a different view at things like someone who saw the scenery from the top of the mountain compared to someone who saw it from the foot of the mountain.
"Of course... "
She was putting her expectations on Chris.
Elena wanted to make him her successor in the future.
As the elderly Elena had lost her daughter, he was someone she regarded as her son.
That was why she wanted him to find the answers by himself.
"Well, it can"t be helped after all, even Chris-san has his share of bad luck. Do you understand what I"m saying?"
One of the Rozeria Kingdom General had died.
Chris who was always being overshadowed by him for a long time was hungry for some acknowledgments.
He was being impatient to achieve a good result, he cannot let himself get satisfied with some low a.s.sessments.
Combining with his beautiful face, it had become his inferiority complex.
He didn"t want to be despised by the surrounding people. And he wanted the people to acknowledge him. Such thoughts were swirling inside Chris" mind.
Ryouma himself didn"t think that Chris was someone who was ambitious.
After all, every person wanted to receive a valid acknowledgment from other people.
"Well... I guess so..."
Elena was well aware that she cannot compare Chris with Ryouma.
Within the knight orders, Chris was among the best, his head was not that stupid either. In terms of talents, Chris was someone who one day will be responsible for the next generation of the Rozeria Kingdom military.
However, youth come with roughness. Especially when it comes to reading other people"s minds, he was very naive. Also, the lack of understanding for the politics of a country...
(Like that, I always ended up comparing Chris with the youth in front of me. It might also be the reason why Chris felt irritated all the more at me...)
However, if one were to think about the Rozeria Kingdom’s fate, it could not be helped that she thought like that.
In truth,if only the young man with mediocre features that was in front of her could stay by her side...
Thinking that, Elena then sighed while looking down at her cup of tea.
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