“Princess Her Highness, I am merely conveying the facts as they are, without any personal opinion.”
“Your Highness, please grant us a revelation. What should we do?”
The Princess had prepared for and responded to both the war on the plains and the Regent Duke's rebellion one step ahead of everyone else.
While the world outside clamored about Peleus’s reign and bravery, the leadership present in this room knew that without the Princess, neither today’s victory nor its stability would exist.
Thus, they felt no sense of incongruity in the sight of Siseo and Dianzel asking the young Princess for an answer.
Medeia knew that Peleus asking for her opinion was his way of putting his weight behind her decision.
“……”
Everyone waited for the Princess to speak.
“Lord Siseo, how long would it take for our national power to rival that of Kazen?”
But instead of giving an answer, Medeia asked Siseo a question.
“In the current situation…”
Though bewildered, Siseo gave a dutiful response instinctively.
“To reorganize state affairs and stabilize the regions by advancing into the plains, it would take at least ten years. And that is assuming everything goes well; if we include variables, it will be even longer.”
Ten years. Even considering the current state, it was a short time for a preparation period for Baldina’s new leap forward.
But Medeia was not satisfied.
She walked over to the map of the continent spread out on the table. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the Princess’s next move.
Her small hand placed a flag marker somewhere on the map.
“Your Highness, isn't this… the Elamuz Strait?”
It was a strait bordered by Baldina to the east and Kazen to the west, connecting to the Red Sea in the south.
“What if this falls into our hands?”
The distance across the strait was narrow and its scale small, so it was usually only used as a passage into the bay.
“……We could advance through the Red Sea and into the ocean.”
But Siseo soon recognized its value at a glance.
Baldina, located in the barren north, would secure a sea route for maritime trade without having to go through the Kazen Empire.
Siseo’s eyes widened, then grew pensive.
“But the Empire will never give up this strait. They will know it is to Baldina’s geographical advantage…”
“At the same time, it is a troublesome piece of land that the Emperor of Kazen cannot simply leave alone. It is a conflict zone where they are still fighting with the indigenous people of the strait.”
Originally, the Elamuz Strait did not belong to Kazen.
Since it was a region forcibly annexed after a victory in a war of conquest, the indigenous people of the Elamuz Strait still refused to recognize Kazen.
“It is only a matter of time before they naturally submit to Kazen. What is important is that the current Emperor does not have the luxury of that time,” Medeia pointed out calmly.
“The reason the Emperor is bothering to save Claudio is likely not just because of his daughter’s pregnancy. It is because of the symbolism of Claudio’s blood. Besides my brother, they are the lineage closest to the throne of Baldina.”
“But Princess Her Highness, the Regent Duke has already been removed from the Royal Family—”
“That doesn't mean the symbolism of the blood disappears. If he disappears like this, the very possibility of hindering my brother’s royal power will vanish. As the Emperor, he wants to keep the embers alive somehow.”
“……”
Medeia had accurately read Perdicas II’s inner thoughts.
“Then shouldn't we take this opportunity even more to eliminate the Regent Duke’s family?” Dianzel pointed out with a bewildered face.
“Fortunately, the only embers left to us are my uncle and Samon. My uncle has lost his eye, so only Samon remains.”
Medeia had no intention of ending the Regent Duke’s family with a simple result like execution.
Her revenge had to be dense, even if it was slow and gradual.
‘A moment’s death is too simple. You all should experience the same betrayal and frustration I felt.’
Having brought down their ambition, it was now time to crush their steadfast beliefs.
“Therefore, the Emperor of Kazen will also try to keep them alive by any means.”
Medeia knew Perdicas II’s obsession with the Mithril and the Philosopher’s Stone well.
‘His madness truly began when the 1st Prince died. It won't be any different now.’
The Emperor’s obsession with Baldina would not fade. If so, there were only two choices for Baldina.
‘Bend, or resist.’
She had no intention of going as far as destroying the Empire.
However, it was necessary to cut off the hand of Perdicas II, who sought to target the Philosopher’s Stone.
‘By releasing the poison known as Claudio.’
The Emperor would think that what he left behind was an ember to burn Baldina down, but…
“We must aim for that gap. If we can obtain the strait and resist Kazen in exchange for temporarily suspending that man’s life, it is a more than profitable trade for Baldina.”
Medeia turned back to Siseo.
He still looked worried.
“But even so, to resist Kazen, it is still insuffic—”
“What if this is also included?”
Medeia placed a new flag on the map.
“Sardegna Island…?”
Everyone’s eyes went wide.
“I obtained it from the 4th Imperial Princess.”
Among the murmuring people, Siseo looked at the Princess.
“Lord, please do your best to see the Castulo Grand Duke out of the Royal Capital.”
At that time, he thought some kind of agreement had passed between the 4th Imperial Princess and Medeia, and it seemed this was precisely it.
‘Princess Her Highness has not let a single small thing pass in vain.’
At first glance, it seemed she had moved on generously, but looking at the results as time passed, she had tenaciously extracted every single price.
While he admired the Princess’s flawless arrangements, a chill also ran down his spine.
“And most importantly, the fact is that this is buried there.”
*Clatter.* A small, crude-shaped lump of platinum-colored metal rolled across the table.
“Is this Mith— *Gasp!*”
Dianzel was the first to recognize it and was about to shout when he hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand.
“Is this not Mithril?”
As if afraid the sound might leak out, a muffled voice came from behind his hand.
Medeia nodded.
For a moment, not even the sound of someone catching their breath could be heard inside.
Even Peleus was lost for words, staring down at his sister and the lump of Mithril that had fallen from her hand.
“I have already sent people to Sardegna Island to confirm. Large quantities of Mithril are buried beneath the iron mines. Since it is close to the strait…”
Sardegna Island was located not far from the strait. A distance that took less than half a day by boat.
“It can be utilized as a base to seize control of the indigenous people of the strait.”
Peleus finished the sentence for Medeia. Medeia, meeting her brother’s eyes, gave a soft smile.
“Yes. And we can trade Mithril without being caught by Kazen.”
Medeia asked Siseo once more.
“Lord Siseo, if we add this Mithril? How much time do we need?”
Siseo’s eyes, looking down at the table, trembled with shock.
His straight fingers repeatedly wrote something in the air as if calculating invisible numbers.
“Three years.”
He finally spoke. His voice was uncontrollably overwhelmed.
“Three years will be enough. It might be a bit taxing, but we can sufficiently build enough internal strength to stand against Kazen without being pushed back.”
“Good.”
Medeia gave the order as if satisfied with that much.
“Reply to the Emperor. Tell him that if he hands over the strait, we will preserve the lives of the Claudios.”
Medeia’s voice was indifferent.
“And, it would also be good to demand compensation for the Castulo Grand Duke as well. Since his crime is not light, I think twenty years of tax revenue from his territory would be appropriate for the reparation.”
“The amount would be astronomical; will the Emperor truly give it up?”
The Castulo territory was a large and fertile place even within the Kazen Empire.
It was a prime territory the Emperor had given up contrary to his wishes, as he could not ignore public scrutiny after taking the throne from his nephew.
‘The Emperor has always coveted Iason’s territory, so he won't miss this opportunity. He will try to seize the territory this time using the compensation as an excuse.’
“Yes, because there isn't absolutely no way to procure it. He will soon devise a plan.”
Medeia intended to also take away the foundation for Iason, who had returned to the Empire, to make a comeback.
In the Castulo territory, there were the remaining forces of the former Emperor. Those behind the veil who supported him and made him secretly dream of the throne.
Once the territory was taken away, Iason would not be able to hide them from the Emperor’s sight forever.
Just how far would Iason be able to climb?
“What we need is time. If we can buy three years for Baldina to stand on its own, this is not a losing contract.”
Medeia looked at Peleus.
