A Force Of Hope

What was going on here? Did Ernesto also want to do something about this country, or had these two detected our movements and been sent as spies, intending to capture us as traitors to the Empire?

“Ernesto-sama, we brought them.”

As I tensed my body, ready to flee at any moment, Ernesto stepped closer to us and spoke.

“Is it true that you will help correct this country?”

“…It’s true. You all…”

“We have gathered because we feel a sense of crisis about the upper leadership running wild, and we intend to correct the country.”

At Ernesto’s words, the tension left my body.

“I’m glad there are people like that in this country. I had started to think there were none left.”

When I muttered my honest feelings without thinking, Ernesto furrowed his brow and let out a sigh.

“With the current state of this country, it can’t be helped if people think that. There are few who can move freely, and we are also short on manpower.”

“To be honest, we want to increase our allies even if it means taking risks.”

They were even considering recruiting adventurers from another country like us… things must be extremely tight for them.

“So what are you planning to do from here?”

“…Our ultimate goal is to purge the upper leadership. By force.”

“So, a coup?”

“Yes. That’s the only way to correct this country.”

It was true that a country that had collapsed this far could not be peacefully corrected. At the very least, the current leadership had to be wiped out. However, even that would not be enough; the aftermath would be even harder.

Someone would have to stand at the top of the country and unite this nation where even the currency had become unusable.

Until now the problem had been who to entrust that role to, but if there was already a faction planning a coup, things would become much easier at once.

“Ernesto, let us help with the coup.”

If that happened, rebuilding the country after defeating the upper leadership could be relatively entrusted to them, and it should produce a better result than us acting alone.

Lady Seremees wished for the Empire to return to normal, and this would likely fulfill that wish in the best possible way.

Thinking that, I stared straight into Ernesto’s eyes. Ernesto looked back at me for a moment and showed a slight hint of confusion.

“…Are you really sure? You two don’t even have family in this country. A coup is a matter of risking your lives. It might also become an extremely reckless gamble.”

Well, it made sense that he would find it strange. If I were in Ernesto’s position, I would probably suspect there was some hidden motive.

“Even so, it’s fine. After seeing the current state of this country and the suffering in daily life, I can’t just pretend not to see it. Besides, if this country is left like this, even the Albanell Kingdom might end up in danger.”

“We’ve already made acquaintances in this country, so we can’t just abandon it.”

“…And if we join you, it won’t be a reckless gamble anymore.”

Ernesto’s expression had not changed at our first words, so when I added that final line, he suddenly smiled with clear amusement.

“That’s quite the confidence.”

“That’s because I’m a First Rank adventurer. Only six of us exist in the world, the very peak of adventurers. I’ve even entered a dungeon during a Stampede and destroyed the Dungeon Core.”

I deliberately spoke boastfully so they could understand my strength at least a little, and the three of them widened their eyes in shock.

“Entering a dungeon during a Stampede and destroying the Dungeon Core…”

It seemed that concrete achievements were easier to understand than titles. After staring blankly for a moment, the three changed the way they looked at me to one filled with expectation.

“If you are willing to help us, we would be extremely grateful. May we ask for your assistance?”

“Of course.”

“Me too.”

“Thank you. …However, promise me one thing. Since you are not people of the Empire, I am not too worried, but please never betray us. No matter what they try to tell you over there, you must not listen.”

After expressing his gratitude, Ernesto spoke those words with a tightened expression, and Rebecca and I nodded firmly.

“We would never do that.”

“Me neither. Helping the rotten upper leadership of this country would be impossible.”

After hearing our words, Ernesto relaxed the corner of his mouth and extended his right hand.

“I look forward to working with you from now on.”

“Yeah, the feeling is mutual.”

Now the direction to correct the Empire had finally been decided. From here on, we would have Lady Seremees investigate while we devoted ourselves to helping Ernesto and the others with everything we had.

“Has the date for the coup been decided?”

“Not yet, but we want it to happen sooner rather than later. The longer time passes, the more victims there will be.”

“When you say purging the leadership, how far does that go?”

“The plan is to eliminate all royal family members and nobles in the royal palace, as well as every knight who sides with the royal family when the coup begins.”

All the knights as well… but that was probably necessary. Without going that far, this country could never be rebuilt.

“Understood. We’re prepared for that as well. …Right now, what are the chances of victory?”

“…That’s the difficult part. The key will be how many knights defect to our side once the coup actually begins.”

“So with the current difference in strength, you can’t win.”

At Rebecca’s words, Ernesto and the two knights showed expressions as if they had bitten into something bitter.

“…To be honest, I can’t imagine us winning at all. However, I know the structure of the royal palace, so we should be able to kill the king. But killing the king alone means nothing. If we try to eliminate the rest of the major leadership afterward, it will become a full-scale battle and the difference in strength will appear clearly.”

So the surprise attack could succeed, but if it turned into open combat, they would almost certainly lose.

That meant the difference in strength was quite large… besides our help, strategy would be extremely important.

“For now, let’s end the discussion here. If we’re gone for too long, the other knights will find it suspicious. After this search ends and we return to the Imperial Capital, I want you to come to our base.”

“You have a base?”

“Yes. The location is…”

After that we heard the location of the base, and the two of us returned alone through the forest to where the other knights were. A little later Ernesto and the others also returned separately, and it seemed the other knights had not noticed anything.

“The rest will happen after we return to the Imperial Capital.”

“Yeah. Until we return… let’s think about strategy.”