Chapter 173: A beat

After what little information Elina gave, the eldest son asked more questions in order to determine how to proceed with the war. The younger brother also asked questions and provided answers of his own.

And when all three children were unsure about a particular matter, the unkingly king, who at least had experience in wars and hunts, gave the gathering more fuel to run.

Like this, plans were made. The gathering also examined the case of the Voisiran Kingdom. After minutes of debate or discussion, other plans were made.

Soon, the royalty, who was kind of my master, would require her monster servant's services. Elina was happy to be part of this. Tonight, she felt like she could serve her father, at last, and be useful to him.

The girl was ready to give so much to earn her father's approval, as well as her independence and the right to live her life as she pleased. Success, to her, was intricately linked to that. And there was no changing it.

And all she had to do was sit there, with her two brothers and father, listen attentively to what was said, and be part of an important conversation.

She was still seated by her father's feet, on the other side of the giant bed, with an indescribable feeling of lightness in her chest. And, with a glass of wine in her palm, she showed great interest in what was going on:

"That's a no can do, I'm telling you."

"But, Older Brother, if I may, we know that half our force does not fight at the border against Voisiran. Reports from the Grand General arrive to us every morning and every evening. So..."

"No can do. In theory, we could pull back half of our forces to wipe out Ladafar clean immediately. How long would it take... Elina?"

"Hmm, with half the main army at the East border?"

"Yes."

"I recognize it should be a week. But then... It's as you say, Brother."

"Right." The older brother turned to his younger brother and continued the bit of conversation he was having with him. "We may try what only fools would try. Sure, the demi-human scum would no longer stand against us. However, word of our tactic will be relayed to Voisiran, they will double their forces overnight, and in a fortnight, we will have lost multiple castles, keeps, and strongholds at the East."

"Right, Younger Brother," Elina chimed in. "And politics being as they are, you should know that would not work for us, the royal family." It was well-known to them that the younger brother hated his sister's guts. All during their private meeting, she made sure not to speak to him more than was necessary.

The idea he entertained was poorly thought out, so his older brother educated him. The younger brother was fine with that. Really, he himself was quite new to discussing actual military tactics and strategies. As a male, he had known battle; that was tradition. Now that his sister, who wasn't a male, also participated in correcting him, he instantly grew irritated. A frown marked his handsome, youthful face.

Nobody spoke for a second, so Elina stretched her explanation to the younger brother. "That wouldn't work for us. The Lords of the East," she mentioned the names of their Houses, "are very prideful, boastful men. Let them suffer unnecessary casualties during this war and let history repeat itself. The Kingdom might be briefly disunified after the war. You wouldn't be surprised to hear them say they want total independence over the crown. Have their own country, you see. In the past, it is the case that it happened—"

"Tch— Enough, I know that!"

A blank unfolded. Elina was uneasy. The other three men, not so much.

"...As easily-irritated as ever, boy," said the older brother. "But you want to be a man, boy. You want to have your father call you his son." The silent king laughed one Ha! "Our sister speaks wisely, know it. Inner politics are, you could say, far more important than wars. They withhold more drastic consequences. The war of the pens is fiercer than that of the swords, know it."

"But we could always...!"

"We could always? ...No. These lords... We need their loyalty as much as they need ours. The royal family is nothing without the support of all the houses gathered around it, unified for the same cause. Take the lords of the East from us—civil war may break out."

"Brother... But...!" The younger brother was intent on putting up a good fight before resigning. To his understanding, the swords bore more significant importance than the pens. If trouble with the lords of the East happened, surely, knives to their throats and warnings, from the royal family and the crown, would make them fall back in rank.

Of course, golds and other lands could be given to them later, since lords own lands. That way, the crown always held full power over the entire kingdom. So he turned to his father. The king had to agree with him, he thought.

"Surely, Your Grace, you can reason with my older brother better than I could!"

"Boy..." The unkingly king didn't have to think about his answer. He already had it. Ever since he wore the crown, he had this particular answer. Fondling with his grand glass of wine, he leisurely looked inside its dark red color, and, for a second, lost himself inside the red within. "Follow in your father's path, why don't you."

"I sure will, Your Grace!"

"Follow in your father's path, and be known as the Unkingly King II. Second of his name. And you'd first have to become King. Nay! It can't be what you want, can it! Listen to my eldest son, now, and cease pestering me!"

"Y-Your Grace... Understood." The boy said he understood, but I doubted it. From my perspective, he still seemed well too agitated. "My understanding was that..." He still felt antagonistic toward his sister. How dare the simple-minded woman correct him, the son of his father, in front of their close circle? "My understanding was that... we could stealthily handle the trouble at the Palace for the time being, and re-establish peace afterward, but... hm." His eyes were glued to the ground. He took them off his feet and eagerly eyed everyone. "...My much-esteemed sister could handle it, for example," the boy laughed, "with the monster-type she's recruited, ha-ha."

Elina's heart skipped a beat.