In the office of the city of Philos, Largd-Anne inked a piece of parchment with her fingers.
It was the first of several messages to the saints Mattia and Lugis. The contents were brief. It outlined the current Salainio Uprising, the situation in the city of Philos, and the messenger from Elyssarde.
Then, in the last row, he scribbled down a proposal for what to do in the event of his death, and inscribed his signature. She immediately handed it to the messenger and sent him to the front.
Anne bent her fingers lightly and stretched them out. Then she finally exhaled.
Naturally, she had reported Salainio's uprising as soon as she found out about it. But Salainio would not be so ordinary as to allow it to happen so easily. The outstanding man that Anne knew was not of a careless nature.
It would not be surprising if he had sent out an advance party and conspired to kill our envoys as a matter of course. We sent out a number of messengers, but if there was no response so far, many of them might not have even reached the front.
But we did what we had to do. That was enough for now.
As he took a breath and prepared himself, the door to his office closed softly. It was a very soothing sound.
Excuse me, sir. Once again, a pack of hexenbiests is ravaging the outskirts of the city. We'll have to deal with them on a smaller scale.
Without waiting for Anne's reply, the chief administrator of the city of Philos stepped into his office and said, "Your face is pale and tired. His face was pale and tired. The gray hairs in his hair seemed to have increased.
Ann shook her head, mouth agape.
From the time of the Roseau Rebellion, she knew that there were several magical beasts that had taken root around here, but there was no way she could have dealt with all of them in such a short period of time.
We had prioritized the reconstruction and governance of the city of Philos, but the bill for that was being paid at the worst possible time. There was only so much manpower to go around.
Ann's eyes flickered lightly as she leaned her small body against her desk and opened her mouth. The chief administrative officer waited for her words with a relaxed attitude.
It is unavoidable. Please organize a corps of a hundred men to deal with the situation. Consult with Master Vestalinu about who will be in charge. Vestaline herself has other duties.
On the military front, Anne is aware that she is quite ordinary. She has dealt with night thieves and small mercenaries before, but at best she follows the book. At worst, her command is lacking in responsiveness.
At the very least, Anne didn't feel like she could read her opponent's intentions based on their momentary movements and make them change their formation in a flexible manner.
That's why, when Salainio's rebellion became clear, Anne turned to Vestaline, the Steel Princess, from Prison Vera.
She is the best person to rely on in terms of military affairs in this area. She also has a strong relationship with the saints Mattia and Lugis, so she can be trusted to some extent.
For some reason, he stubbornly refused to leave Jail Bella. I managed to drag him into the city of Philos on the condition that it was only for a short time.
Well, actually, I think I know why. Anne reflexively raises her eyebrows and places her hands on her hips. Her brow wrinkled blatantly.
It must be the influence of the heroes. Anne saw that Vestalinu had used his name several times in the written report.
Oh, well, he's just another one of those easy words that binds people with chains of passion. What does he think he is and what he says? Does he think that they have no importance?
I don't like that part either. Ann's eyes widen in displeasure.
She secretly decided that if everything went well and she could get through this, she would make her face look like that. Thinking of this, she felt a strange weight lifted from her chest.
I don't know about ....... I'm not sure what to do. Why don't you change your policy?
After finishing the various reports and consultations, the man who was the chief administrator said with a bitter expression. Perhaps he had been planning to say this all along. He said it so smoothly.
Anne herself could not help but understand what the man was trying to say. They were already outnumbered, and now they were in this situation.
On top of that, the morale of the enemy forces seemed to be high, boosted by the will to fight of Salainio himself, but here, they would rather dredge the bottom of the ditch.
There are some who see Salainio's uprising as a rebellion against the saint Mattia and are outraged, but most of the heralds are still unsettled.
After all, those who had been our allies and taught us the same thing until recently were suddenly attacking us with spears. The heraldic soldier is not so foolish as to be able to fight without understanding or consent under such circumstances.
Many of them became soldiers because of their high religious beliefs, so they would not have thought that they could turn on their own people.
Moreover, some of them may have parents, siblings, or friends who were in the enemy's service. In such a case, morale would have been next to nothing.
And even if by some miracle they could manage to get enough troops to fight an all-out siege. It would not last long.
Most of the food for the troops has been poured into the front lines, and a siege is only possible with the cooperation of the citizens in the castle. If a rebellion is triggered from within, the defense system will collapse in an instant.
And so, the city of Philos did not have any fondness for the heraldry, especially for Anne. There is no such thing as a post-occupation ruler that can be disliked, but there is no such thing as a ruler that can be liked.
With all these bad news, why not change the course of the conflict with Salainio?
The chief administrative officer is probably right. A head-on confrontation would result in the loss of lives in vain.
But then Anne raised her lips and said. The color in her eyes showed no agitation or impatience, only emotion.
No, it can't be. Mr. Chief Administrator. Salainio--so they are traitors who have rebelled against the saint Mattia. Where is the path to reconciliation?
A greater emotion than anything else in the name of faith filled Anne's heart now.
Largd-Anne, before she was the ruler of the city of Philos, before she was a heraldic cultist. Above all, she was a fanatic of the saint Mattia. She is devoted to her ideology and idealizes her existence.
How can we tolerate those who stab her in the back and try to tear her religion in two? Anne tilted her head as if to say, "What the hell is this guy talking about?
And not only that, but she also has her own personal thoughts.
This Salainio's treason. He chose to take the opportunity that Saints Mattia and Lugis went to the front.
So what would they have done if it was only Saint Mattia who went to the front and Lugis stayed in the city of Philos? Or if the other key people had been left to stay here.
Surely Salainio would have called off the uprising. The truth exists only in his mind, but that's what Anne decides.
You've been underestimated. Insignificant. Disregarded as someone who can be easily defeated with an army.
It made Anne's heart burn with inexplicable resentment. It's true I have no talent for tactics. But I hate to be underestimated and underestimated. Especially against Salainio.
Don't worry. Don't worry. I have no intention of a head-on collision. No matter what happens, we'll keep the damage to a minimum.
Even if it means giving you my head for the last time. And with that, Anne wrapped me up in my winter gear. I thought I said that was the end of the story. But the Chief Administrator said as he approached Anne.
Her face was still pale.
"...... Mister Ann.
She was about to ask what it was, when she saw something silvery in her eyes. It was very familiar, and would have easily gutted Anne's flesh and blood.
A knife, showing its silver color, was in front of her. Anne saw it and quickly moved her lips. Was she able to say it or not? She didn't know.