“Le-Leila! Didn’t your father annul that a long time ago? I recall that he wasn’t happy with my inferior crest.”
“How should I know. But I haven’t agreed to such a thing, and you never informed me of your intention. It is we who should decide whether we are to marry or not.”
What Leila was saying was quite outrageous for a noble of the continent. Engagements were always decided by the master of the house. Children had no right to decide anything.
However, Leila’s beliefs…were that of the old empire, and she believed that it was the right way.
Erevan then raised his voice.
“…Fiance!? You speak nonsense! If anyone is going to marry the Chief, it is the Princess! And if not her, then it shall be my daughter! I won’t allow this! Not in a hundred years!!”
“Chi-chief!!”
“Father!!”
Rienna and Fule used magic to unleash torrents of water into Erevan’s mouth.
“M-mm…gg… I understand why you’re upset, Fule…but…Princess?”
“General… You will get thirsty if you talk too much. Besides, that has nothing to do with what is being discussed.”
Rienna was smiling, but she was somehow intimidating to watch.
Erevan became silent and nodded.
Rienna then turned to Leila and bowed.
“Miss Leila, I’m sorry that you were interrupted.”
“I don’t mind. And you can just call me Leila. As for the matter of Heal, that can be discussed later.”
“Oh, uh, yes!”
Then Leila turned to the rest and said,
“I will not take back what I said about you. I cannot understand why you will all make such sacrifices to comply with what they want? You know, this is called spinelessness.”
While she was speaking to us as a group, they were words that I had to accept more than anyone.
After all, they were only trying to accommodate me, because of the way that I had wanted things done until now. Always peacefully trying to avoid fighting…
They just didn’t want to see me sad…
Leila continued in a strong voice.
“From what I’ve seen, this island has an impressive fighting force. So why are you so afraid?”
Erevan, Ashton, Haines and the others had expressions that suggested they knew this all too well.
If anything, they agreed with her wholeheartedly.
“There is no need to hide that there are monsters on this island. You should proudly declare what this island really is. And if they say that they do not like it, you can call them sons of bitches.”
Leila’s dream was also for the different races to live together.
And so she had a strong desire to see this realized here on this island.
And she wasn’t wrong.
“…Leila. They only made that suggestion out of concern for me. All of them actually agree with you.”
I told her before continuing to the others.
“…All of you. No matter what comes here, I will protect you. And no matter what they say, this place belongs to all of us. And if that is under threat, then I don’t mind going to war.”
I looked down at the two crowns that had been placed on the table.
“If they won’t accept us… I will tell them. This isn’t a part of Sanfaris. This is our country.”
I didn’t know how my father would react, but I supposed this was a declaration of independence.
In that case, I needed to be prepared.
It was my ideal for us all to talk together and decide. And I would continue to do that.
However, it had also been a way for me to escape my own responsibilities.
The people that lived here all respected me. I had to protect them. And if Sanfaris’s hatred was directed towards us, then I had to accept it.
“I…I’m going to accept the title of Emperor.”
Sheorl was an Empire now.
With me as its head, this would be a country where everyone was equal and free.
It was on this day, that a most heretical state was born.