The Lubaras Siblings

“My name is Eltrise-Lubaras. I am deeply grateful for the honor of being granted an audience.”

“…My name is Haria-Lubaras.”

The two Arandor had brought knelt before me.

Siblings, huh… If I remembered right, the younger brother was the commander-in-chief, and the older sister was the military inspector. But even in that greeting just now, it felt like the sister was the one holding the reins.

“I am Fels, King of Einheria. I dislike stiff formality, so speak at ease.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

“Now then—you two surrendered without fighting even once, correct? Tell me why.”

“Yes! By the order of our father, Sarnare-Lubaras-Harekukku, we led three thousand soldiers toward the site where the Einheria army and the Lumoria national army were to fight their decisive battle. We were reinforcements meant to strike the Einheria army’s flank, but from the beginning I had no intention of making an enemy of Einheria. I led troops only because doing so would ensure we were discovered.”

The sister answered smoothly. She didn’t look tense at all… but the brother looked extremely tense… I mean, his face was pale blue—he looked like he might collapse or puke any second.

“I see. So you moved three thousand soldiers solely to speak with me. I heard the commander-in-chief was the younger brother, though…”

When I glanced toward Arandor, standing a short distance behind them, Arandor nodded to confirm it.

“In terms of the army, yes. My brother is still young, but he has talent. Our father likely wished him to gain experience early, for the sake of the future.”

“And you were the military inspector, then? As I understand it, a military inspector acts as an overseer of the army as a whole, or as the commander-in-chief’s aide.”

“That understanding is correct. I have led troops several times in bandit suppression and monster hunts, so I participated as the military inspector.”

“You were entrusted to oversee based on nothing more than fighting bandits and monsters?”

“The troops of Harekukku Territory have almost no experience in war, and there are no suitable commanders.”

So the sister… Eltrise… Unlike her brother who looked ready to topple over, she answered with remarkable calm.

“Harekukku Territory, hm. Come to think of it, your father participated in this battle.”

“…What became of our father?”

“He died in battle.”

“—!?”

The one who reacted wasn’t Eltrise, who had been speaking, but the brother… What was his name again…?

Still, even though he looked shocked, he didn’t direct anger or hatred at me.

As for Eltrise… I wondered if she already knew what had happened to her father before I answered.

If she were worried about family, she would have asked whether he was safe… but she didn’t. The way she asked sounded like she was already certain he had reached his end.

“I see. I expected as much if he clashed with Einheria’s army…”

“You know about our army?”

“I do not know the full picture. However, among the people of the Lumoria Kingdom, I believe I understand the terror of a nation called Einheria better than anyone.”

“Oh? Then why didn’t you stop your father? You were convinced he would die if he went to the battlefield, weren’t you?”

At my question, Eltrise flicked her gaze toward Lynferia behind my left shoulder, then opened her mouth with a wry smile.

“Perhaps it is different in Einheria, but in the Lumoria Kingdom, women do not possess power. Since childhood I was called odd, and I continued refining myself along a path somewhat different from a typical noble lady. As a result, though I sometimes spoke my mind even to my father and brothers… I still could not overturn decisions made by my father as head of the house.”

Eltrise smiled as she said it. But maybe it was my imagination—something about that smile felt… dark.

Could it be…?

“Then I’ll change the question. Eltrise—did you advise your father not to go to the battlefield?”

When I asked, Eltrise looked startled for an instant, then her smile deepened.

“…No. I did not advise him. Regarding this war… no, regarding the nation called Einheria—I spoke not a word of it to my father.”

“Why? You knew our country’s information—its danger—better than anyone around you. If your parent mattered to you, shouldn’t you have tried to stop him?”

“We heard the king of the Lumoria Kingdom would go to this battle. My father, as one of the king’s close attendants, could not leave his side. No matter what I said as his daughter, stopping him was impossible.”

“Even if you couldn’t stop him, you could have at least conveyed the level of danger. Judging by the enemy army’s behavior, the Lumoria Kingdom clearly underestimated us. In that state, they never could have fought a proper battle.”

“Unlike the nobles who govern near the border, the rising nobles do not understand war. Ignorant of the value of information, they twist whatever reaches their ears into whatever interpretation suits them. Within domestic affairs, even if they twist things, they can use their authority to force outcomes anyway. Those who misunderstand their own power and do not know how to handle information properly cannot hear unfavorable information in the first place.”

Eltrise spoke with a voice laced with scorn… Had she been bottling this up for a long time?

“And regrettably, my father was the same. I believed a Lumoria Kingdom ruled by such leadership had no future. Therefore, I decided to use the information I obtained not for the nation, but for myself.”

With that, Eltrise stared straight at me.

That was all well and good, but her brother behind her… he was staring at her with a completely stunned expression, you know?

Did she drag him here without explaining anything…?

“As a result, the king and your father are dead.”

“I am of House Lubaras, but I am not a vassal of the Lumoria king, and I have no loyalty to him. As for loyalty, I think most nobles—old or new—are the same. And regarding my father, there is no affection between parent and child. Just as we were tools to him, he was merely the head of House Lubaras to me. I feel nothing beyond that.”

That was… way too cold. Honestly, it was scary.

I mean… she was probably far more capable than the nobles who joined this battle, but… still scary.

“Having abandoned your country and your father to surrender to us—what do you seek?”

“I do not harbor grand ambitions. I seek only that my brother and I may live in health and peace. That is all.”

Eltrise wore a beautiful smile as she said it… but that meant she was willing to discard anything else as long as she and her brother were fine, right?

She was a serious hazard… but I wanted her intelligence-gathering ability.

It probably hadn’t been that hard to investigate what we did in Yōntsu Territory, but I wanted to know how precise and fast her information was, whether she already had a network… With manpower shortages right now, that was exactly the kind of asset I wanted.

Even so…

“You moved three thousand soldiers solely to speak with me, abandoned your country and your father, and all you want is your own happiness. Bold. But it sounds like you see Einheria as a convenient perch to roost on, doesn’t it?”

The instant I said that, I felt as though the entire room creaked and warped.

Lynferia and Arandor were probably pressing down with overwhelming intimidation, and honestly, even my gut clenched.

But the two being targeted weren’t just at “gut clenching” levels.

The brother, who had already been so tense he looked ready to vomit, turned ghost-white like death itself was visible on his face, and Eltrise’s composure vanished—she was sweating with a stiff expression.

If I let them keep going, it looked like not only the brother but Eltrise might collapse… We weren’t done talking, so I should stop them.

“Y-your Majesty!”

I was about to speak, but a beat faster, the brother raised his voice.

“P-permission to speak! W-we do not, in any way, hold your great nation in contempt!”

He spoke desperately, blood at the corner of his mouth. Was that… did he bite his own lip to fight the fear?

He sounded like he was trying to protect his sister… A surprisingly caring little brother.

Alright. I’d hear him out.

When I raised a hand, Lynferia and the others read the intent and stopped applying pressure.

That should make it easier for the brother to talk.

“Oh?”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Wait. That’s it?

I stayed quiet thinking there’d be more, but now the brother went quiet too.

This was… incredibly awkward.

But yeah, I had to move things along.

“Heh. Not a bad man. You’re Haria, was it?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Up until you got here, did Eltrise tell you nothing?”

“N-no. Right before we surrendered, my sister said she wanted me to leave it to her, and I answered that I trusted her.”

“That alone, and you came this far? Heh. Eltrise—your brother seems rather soft-hearted.”

When I spoke lightly, Eltrise—still stiff—finally opened her mouth.

“As his sister, I am happy… but also worried.”

“I don’t dislike it. He also seems to have the strength to raise his voice and shield his sister in that situation.”

At my words praising her brother, Eltrise’s tense expression softened.

“Fine. Haria, and Eltrise—show me your worth. Einheria will absorb the Lumoria Kingdom. We could force submission by arms, but from here on, we will proceed by subjugating wherever possible. You two will take part as well. Especially you, Eltrise—you claim to understand the value of information. Then show me you can skillfully manipulate the Lumoria nobles.”

“Yes!”

“Depending on your achievements, I may even entrust you with a city. And if you have other wishes, I’ll hear them. Einheria does not discriminate by sex or race. Anyone with ability and motivation will be given opportunities. Work hard.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

The two knelt again.

We were short on people for the next phase anyway, so it would help if they worked hard. If they betrayed us, I’d cut them down without hesitation… Haria might be fine, but Eltrise didn’t seem like someone I could trust.

Still… Haria apparently ended up betraying his country and house without being told anything, so… was he really okay with that?