Chapter 2: The Casts of Two Nations (last part)

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Left alone in the room, Castor leaned all the way back in his chair, staring up at

the ceiling. And then...

"Carla," he said quietly. "You're there, aren't you?"

The window behind Castor opened, and a girl with red wings came in with an

embarrassed look on her face. With long red hair the same color as her wings, this

beautiful girl who looked to be around eighteen was Castor's only daughter, Carla. In

contrast to her pretty girl look, she had the courage and combat sense to lead an air

force unit into battle.

"So you noticed me," she said.

"You'll need to hide your presence better than that. The sound of your wings

when you landed on the balcony gave you away."

"But that's not sensing my presence." Carla shrugged her shoulders. Then she

pulled a bundle of letters from her pocket.

Because he was talking to his daughter, Castor was taking a less formal tone.

"What are those?"

"From Liscia," she said. "Liscia sent a number of them, asking us to make peace

with King Souma."

Carla considered Liscia a friend. They had gotten to know one another after

Liscia had joined the army. Because both had serious personalities, and both had

enlisted in the military despite being women of high birth, they had a lot in common,

and had become fast friends.

However, because Carla was even more serious than Liscia... or, to put it in less

favorable terms, she was a bit hard-headed... when Liscia had gotten engaged to King

Souma, Carla had suspected coercion, and she had become hostile towards Souma.

Because of that, even when her mother and brother had gone to the Walter house,

she had remained here by herself with her father Castor.

However, at this point, Carla was beginning to have a change of heart. "I can feel

Liscia's passion in these letters. It's not coming from someone who was coerced into

a betrothal she doesn't want. Also, in her letters, Liscia cautioned to 'Beware Duke

Carmine as he is now.' ...We may have been the ones who were mistaken."

"...I see," Castor said. "So Princess Liscia feels the same way, does she?"

Castor's shoulders slumped. Then, as if making up his mind, his head rose.

"Carla... It's not too late. Go be with Accela. I'm the only one who needs to go

along with Duke Carmine."

As a father, he must have wanted to avoid getting her caught up in something he

was doing out of friendship. However, Carla shook her head, her mind already made

up.

"I don't even know how I'm supposed to show my face to Liscia after all this," she

said. "Besides, you still believe Duke Carmine has put some thought into this, don't

you, Father? In that case, let's see our position through to the end. Even if Duke

Carmine is defeated and we become traitors, if you fall at his side, having believed in

your friendship, I doubt the people would laugh at you for that."

"But... then you'd..."

"I was born into a military family," Carla told him. "I am prepared. Oh, don't

worry, we have Carl, so at least the house and our bloodline will remain. That's why,

as members of the House of Vargas, we will leave behind a record of distinguished

military service."

"...I see."

Learning of Carla's determination, Castor made his own decision. He would

believe in Georg Carmine to the end, and he was ready to fall for that.

To that end, he did not call up the air force units stationed around the Vargas

Duchy. This was done out of consideration, so that even if he came into conflict with

the king after the ultimatum tomorrow, he would fight with only his own personal

forces in Red Dragon City, and would not drag the rest of the air force into the

conflict.

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—At night, the same day, in a certain location.

"I see... Those two have resolved themselves to do it, then."

When she learned of Castor and Carla's movements from the spies she had sent

to Red Dragon City, Navy Admiral Excel Walter's beautiful face took on a look of

sorrow, and she let out a sigh.

This antlered beauty who, despite having lived for five hundred years, looked no

older than twenty-five, stood at the window in her dark room, staring out at the

night sky. Even the clothes she wore seemed to weigh her down now.

Tonight it was cloudy, and she could barely see any stars.

"Castor is prepared to martyr himself for his friendship with Georg," Excel said

sadly. "And Carla is prepared to follow him to the end as he does it. Fools though

they are, I cannot bring myself to deny the validity of their choices entirely."

Excel closed her eyes slowly, bringing a hand to her ample bosom which was

apparent even through her kimono-like outfit.

What was she to think, having learned of her son-in-law and granddaughter's

determination?

Some time passed before she opened her eyes once more, turning her back to the

window and walking away.

"If anything, this only gives me more reason to do as I must."

Even if that meant treading on their determination...