Plain Girl Hero of Darkness
Southern Hero

Located south of the continent of Dubedirica, the Sutherland Confederation consisted of 13 cities. On the one hand, each city governs itself independently; on the other hand, the policy of the Sutherland Confederation is decided by 「Sutherland 13 Charters」 created by the governors of 13 cities. When viewed as one nation, its population of 100 million makes it equivalent to the Kingdom of Farnesse, the Arsbelt Empire, and all three are known as the three great nations.

The 13 cities also had their own armies. In accordance with 「Sutherland 13 Charters」, they are obliged to form a united army to fight against external armies.

(Many things become problematic ...).

This is a city with a large area in the confederation—— Third City Bey Grand. A young man from the city army headed for the Mayor's office with a report in hand.

This young man with a gentle light in his eyes was Julius Lira Fifus. A general at the age of twenty-two, he rose to status not only thanks to the famous family name of Fifus alone. His display of incredible intelligence for strategy, tactics, and a bit of luck made him a real man. His gentle demeanor made him a hot topic with the ladies.

After saluting the officer who passed by, Julius stopped in front of the beautifully decorated door at the end of the hall.

This door was made by craftsman Trois Schiele in the 600th year of the Lunar Calendar, which was covered in an intrinsically flowing design.

「Is the Mayor there?」

「Pak! The mayor's inside! 」

The guard answered respectfully. Julius nodded and set his breath before knocking on the door.

「Im sorry for my interruption.」

Lizun Castle built on top of this cone-shaped hill—— gives the illusion that the beautiful city is floating in the air, and people call it 「Castle Sky」. In the glass room on the top floor that had a clear view of the entire city, Grand Bey Commander Rion von Elfried sat behind his large office desk staring right at Julius.

「Every time you show that face, it usually means bad news.」

Rion's first words were beyond Julius' expectations. He did not plan to show any emotions, but Rion saw him head-on, leaving him speechless.

With a wry smile on his heart, Julius stepped forward.

「It looks like Lord Rion knows me better than myself.」

Rion sneering.

「What are you saying all of a sudden? We've both been a long way since we were kids, so this is only natural. Enough, show me the thing in your right hand. Is that the reason for your sour face? 」

Rion casually extended his left hand as he said that. After Julius submitted the report, he began to read it quickly.

His dark green uniform could not hide his dense body. Her sparkling blonde hair, pleasant stature, and unique colorful eyes were like a work of art. Like a fine sword made by a famous craftsman, he emitted a sharp light.

But right now, only Julius was aware of the seriousness deep within him. No one knew yet about the great ambition hidden within Rion.

「—— There are signs that the Twelfth City is planning to attack the Kingdom of Farnesse ... It's unexpected, but it's none of your business, let it be.」

He thought Rion would be worried, but he surprisingly unfazed—— Julius looked at him as if he was looking at a rare beast.

「——What, is my face weird? Aren't you tired of seeing her after all these years? 」

Rion said while stretching his face excessively.

Julius' question made Rion lean back in her chair with furrowed brows. This is not an approach to indirect attitudes.

「No matter what, 13 cities have the same standings. It would be a different matter if the Twelfth City broke the secret agreement with the Empire, but just attacking the Kingdom of Farnesse would not be a problem. Empire does not forbid us to get involved in war—— In the end, this kind of internal affairs is not something I should comment on. 」

Indeed, the 13 cities established relationships with each other with equal standings. However, total equality is impossible. The difference in the scale of the city would naturally lead to a comparison of their strength.

Julius was a soldier, and did not oppose war. However, he did not understand the reason behind the invasion of the Twelfth City of the Kingdom. If war breaks out, it will have a huge impact on the citizens. If Rion advised the Twelfth City not to do so, they would not be able to ignore it.

(She refused to speak even so, so she really wasn't interested?)

Julius knew it was futile, but he tried to persuade Rion from a different point of view.

「But if the Sutherland Confederation had a neutral oath to the war, would not the actions of the Twelfth City violate that oath?」

「Crosses, yes ... Julius, you seriously don't understand?」

In response to Rion who had a faint smile on his face, Julius shook his head slightly.

—— End of the war era.

At its peak, there were over sixty countries, and when the dispute ended on the Lunar Calendar of 950, that number dropped by half. Smaller countries facing extinction are enacting non-aggression treaties for survival. In the Lunar Calendar of 952, they formed the Sutherland Confederation.

At about the same time, they swore an oath not to interfere in the war. Half a century has passed since the declaration of absolute neutrality. When the riots resumed, Sutherland always watched from the sidelines. A declaration not to intervene and absolute neutrality does not mean they are giving in to the idea of war.

If another country invaded, Sutherland would naturally retaliate. But that hasn't happened yet.

Aside from the major states of the Kingdom of Farnesse and the Arsbelt Empire, the rest were small states. For example, the Adorina Kingdom and the Rure Magic Kingdom that shared a border with the Grand Bey had always been at odds regarding their small territory.

(Rure means country in Latin.)

For the great country of Sutherland which had a solid foundation in the south, it was impossible for any small country to show hostility towards it. In the end, there was no hope for the Mayor of each city to keep the oath. The declaration half a century ago is just an empty promise now.

He did not say it out loud, but Rion also thought so. As expected, this question made him laugh.

「Other countries will also not trust this old declaration. No country would protest if the Twelfth City attacked the Kingdom of Farnesse, as it was only a declaration. 」

「It's true....」.

「If any country believes that declaration, it means its people are careless. Currently, Sutherland only needed to keep a secret treaty with the Empire. 」

Rion concluded and threw the document on the table disinterestedly.

In the Year of the Lunar Calendar 997, one month after the famous impenetrable Kiel Fortress fell, the Confederacy of Sutherland and the Arsbelt Empire held many secret talks. His agenda was to stop the export of food to the Kingdom of Farnesse until its destruction. In exchange, the Empire would never start a war against Sutherland.

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...To Be Continue's...