“Now, let’s discuss the ailment of your daughter and the future of the House of Keitel under my rule.”

  General Kurt von Keitel shifted visibly in the seat as the girl in front of him spoke those words with a slice hiss. It was clearly a threat, but most of all, what was she saying about his daughter?

  She’s already on her deathbed.

  Kurt frowned.

  Is the crown princess insulting me?

  He scoffed. Not even the greatest healers in the Empire managed to cure his daughter. Even at the tender age of eleven, his little angel was frail, she bruised easily, and she was bedridden.

  Sometimes, she would even bleed profusely, which was difficult to stop. Recently, this month, her condition continued to worsen, enough that Kurt and his family already expected the worst.

  All they could do now was pray to the goddess, nothing more. Perhaps it was the price he paid for the sins he committed under Grand Regent Ludwig’s employ.

  So he was surprised that the princess was speaking about this.

  Now that she’s saying that…I did once consider this option.

  Kurt’s eyes turned slightly to the saintess, who was standing near Alexa’s seat. His breath deepened as he realized what the princess was planning.

  “Are you…?”

  “Yes,” suddenly, Alexa Theresa smiled, as if satisfied at having Kurt fall into her trap. “Miss Phoebe behind me here is ready to heal your good daughter. I assure you, with her near divine healing magic, your daughter will be as good as new once Phoebe meets her.”

  The silver-haired Helgon immediately curtsied with grace and elegance, her white halo glowing brighter on cue. Then, her soft voice filled the room.

  “General Keitel, if you cooperate with Her Highness, I assure you, I’ll save your daughter posthaste.”

  Though, by the tone of the saintess’s voice, Kurt deduced that she’d probably heal his daughter regardless of his choice today. But Kurt still had doubts.

  After all, while his daughter was important and most dear to him, Kurt was protecting the entire House of Keitel. His wife, his sons, his daughters, and even his relatives all would be implicated or worse if Ludwig fell.

  They were natural allies. They were at the same camp; it was why he was in charge of the 1st Group Army, after all.

  So even then—

  “Now that we’ve talked about that,” Alexa frowned. “I know you and many of the men in this room have been involved in heinous crimes against the Empire.”

  “You accuse us of nonsense, Your Highness,” Kurt grumbled.

  “Really now? Then why the long face, General? Why the hesitance to act?”

  “As I’ve said, there are practical realities limiting us,” the general said. “We cannot act rashly. That might threaten the 1st Group Army’s combat integrity. Should that happen, Ostend and the east coast of the Empire might find themselves in danger.”

  “I hate excuses, general.”

  “And I don’t like that you come in here, in my office, attempting to strong-arm me into compliance,” Kurt fumed. “Grand Regent Ludwig is the commander of the forces of the Empire. Not you. I await his instructions.”

  “Do you really intend to keep up this farce, general? When your family is at stake? When your daughter is at stake?”

  The crown princess stood up, walking to one of the officers standing on the side.

  “You, sir. What about you? Where do you stand? Do you wish to endanger your empire, your family, and your friends, all because of a kompromat?”

  The senior officer remained silent.

  “What about you? Or you? Or you? Have you all no shame? You stand here, thinking that if you continue following an old decrepit man, you will not end up in a grave too?”

  Her voice started rising, yet none of the officers of the 1st Group Army replied.

  Then, Alexa stared at Kurt.

  “I give you all one offer. Give me your loyalty, and your fates will be lenient.”

  She did not pardon them. Nor did she offer any assurances that justice wouldn’t chase them.

  “The army is mine,” she declared. “They are my soldiers. They love me. They follow me. They believe in me.”

  She pointed at Kurt.

  “You, sir, are nothing but a fossil implanted by another fossil to command them. None of the men on the ground believe in you. They just follow you because of your rank.”

  “...Your Highness, insults should not be leveled so lightly.”

  “I have insulted and degraded your master,” Alexa said. “So I give you two simple options. Follow me like a dog, and I’ll ensure you all receive nothing worse than a dishonorable discharge. Refuse my offer, and I’ll take my army and make sure that all of you will face the same fate awaiting Ludwig and his cronies.”

  She dropped the last part as silence dominated the halls.

  “So which side are you on, Sir Kurt?”

  +++

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Unfortunately, a reshuffle of the leadership of the 1st Group Army was highly improbable. It was why, as much as it pained Alexa to admit it, she had to keep Ludwig’s men in charge of the unit.

  But, within hours of talks, Alexa and Kurt made an agreement. All of the officers who allied with Ludwig were clearly going to end up with charges of treason once Alexa took power.

  And with her using her [Rose Eyes] skill, she gained complete control over the general soldiery of the 1st Group Army. She promised them a new future in which they would be more prosperous and freer and that she would end the corrupt monsters of the Empire.

  She promised the common soldier an end to their humiliation.

  She promised the crooked noble officers leniency and grace.

  In the end, the noble officers all swore an oath of loyalty to Alexa. They had no choice left except to prove themselves to her by performing well against Henry and thus save their skins.

  She also agreed to let Phoebe go and check Kurt’s daughter. Kurt himself was most likely going to be arrested once this conflict ended, as Alexa and Alfred discovered that he was bribed big time by Ludwig.

  But Alexa promised him that so long as he surrendered his ill gains and fought with the 2nd Group Army well, he would only be discharged from the army.

  The lack of true justice was unfortunate, Alexa thought. But, these were less than ideal times. She had to make do with what she had. The great news was she managed to get the 1st Group Army marching out of their bases, garrisons, and fortresses within two days.

  All of them were now on the move to the central region, aiming to contain Henry’s lightning advances. Today, Alexa’s group visited Kurt’s estate, which was south of Ostend.

  It only took Phoebe barely a few minutes to check on the general’s daughter before healing her. Apparently, she had some sort of blood disease, which Alexa suspected was leukemia.

  Now, she wasn’t a medical expert to know that, but, based on the symptoms she remembered, it was likely. Luckily, as always, Phoebe managed to save the young girl from near death.

  “There,” Phoebe declared as she lowered her wand with a smile. “She should be fine now.”

  The young, black-haired girl was originally watching Phoebe with muted curiosity, even when she suffered from chronic pain. When it was done immediately, the girl’s pale skin and random bruises improved.

  She seemed healthy and well. Kurt’s family, who were inside the girl’s bedroom to watch Phoebe perform her miracle, all let out a silent gasp.

  The girl herself began looking at her palm, opening and closing it delicately.

  “...Papa,” the girl mumbled. “I don’t feel…off anymore…?”

  She seemed like she was doubting it until tears came out of her eyes. Phoebe and Alexa both moved to the side of the room, trying to make space for Kurt’s family.

  Kurt himself kneeled at her daughter’s bed, checking her frail arms as he wept.

  “It can’t be…” Kurt sobbed. “Is this real?”

  Phoebe nodded gracefully.

  On the other hand, Alexa was smiling smugly. She could already smell it. This peasant would definitely be working his ass off to satisfy Alexa’s demands, which was helping Wilhelm defeat Henry.

  The general stood up before bowing to Alexa and Phoebe.

  “Thank you, Your Highness and Your Holiness. I will never forget this, and I shall meet my end of the bargain.”

  “Good,” Alexa uncrossed her arms. “I expect great things from you, General Kurt. Your house’s fate hangs on your performance.”

  “Yes, Your Highness. I shall do my best.”

  +++

  Elisabeth looked down at the ground as she walked on the streets of Rempart, the latest city captured by Henry’s ‘revolutionary army’. He had reorganized the 4th Group Army already into the Free Republic Army, or the ‘FRA’.

  She was now a prisoner of the FRA. She was now their unwilling collaborators, as Henry made it clear that Alexa Theresa and Ludwig had already found out about her involvement in the assassination plot. All of her classmates who were involved with it were already arrested, and their families were shamed.

  Her father himself also officially disowned her, at least for now. Even Elisabeth was hurt by it. She thought he loved her, but…

  A single tear went down her left cheek.

  The only option she had left now was to work with Henry, the only man who would give her a semblance of a future. She couldn’t believe it.

  “Hey,” Henry suddenly patted her shoulder. “Smile again for me, will you? I need the people to have their heroine.”

  “R-right.”

  Elisabeth wiped her tears before recomposing herself. For a prisoner, she was treated quite well by Henry and his men. They weren’t exactly roving barbarians, as one would expect for unwashed peasants attempting to overthrow the government.

  Instead, they fed her well, clothed her well, and tried to make her feel welcome. They were using her as a tool after all. In speeches that Henry made to the population of the cities and towns he captured, he would parade Elisabeth as a ‘martyr’ noblewoman.

  Everyone already knew that she tried to poison Alexa Theresa. But Henry spun it positively. He painted her as someone who had discovered how craven, hypocritical, and elitist Alexa Theresa was.

  He also painted Elisabeth as a visionary. A noblewoman who understood the plight of the common man. And so, enraged by the inequality of the system, she, a person from the top, attempted to destroy it from within.

  Only that she failed, and she was cast aside by her peers—the villains of the story.

  It was a ridiculous story. It didn’t make sense. In fact, Elisabeth hated the commoners. They were all fools being swept up by honeyed lies and nonsense said by both sides.

  But what else could she do but be a pretty doll? She was just a pathetic mascot now, all because she tried to save her family and failed while doing it.

  She watched as the crowd in Rempart roared. Earlier, they hated Henry and the occupiers of the city. Now, after he spoke to them passionately, explaining their side of the story, Elisabeth saw the townsfolk looking at her with pity.

  “She’s one of us!” Henry declared. “In the new, free republic we will create, there shall be no class that separates you from her! Commoners and nobles, so long as we all stand together, we shall be equal and honorable citizens. She is an example of that.”

  Elisabeth smiled fakely as Henry pulled her left hand and raised it, causing the audience to cheer them.

  How foolish.

  Why are they so easily swayed by mere words?

  She looked at Henry. He was basking in the glory of the progress he was making. Each day, his control of the central region was being consolidated, and the Free Republic Army was growing with eager recruits.

  He sounds like her.

  These two.

  She wanted to cry.

  I’m stuck between two monsters who are of the same breed.

  Well, they weren’t from the same family, yes, but the way they acted, their confidence, their sense of grandeur, and their ability to rally the masses and change the fate of a literal nation…they almost seemed like mirrors of each other.

  That, and she knew that they both ultimately only wanted to take the throne for themselves. All of this was just a farce, and she was a little pawn now.

  Damn it.

  What should I do?

  What should I do?

  That was when Henry pulled her off the stage, patted her back, and whispered in her ear.

  “Thanks. I appreciate your help, as always,” he smiled. “It’s good to have you with us.”

  …Stop making me feel like I belong on your side.

  Stop it. Just stop.

  “Thanks…Sir Henry.”

  She hated having no options except for this monster.