Chapter 3 : The Flame Still Burns(Revised)
Author’s Note : This chapter contains mature content.
Area 15 — Sub-Saharan East Africa
Viceroy’s Office, Kampala
On the night the detailed agreements following the Atlantic War peace treaty were ratified by the monarchs of all three powers—Britannia, the Chinese Federation, and the 'Senatus Populusque Romanus'—
I was hooking up with my lover, my former secret intelligence officer, and the current Viceroy of Area 15, Caroline.
“Your Highness… a little slower…”
Caroline lay face down on the table, gasping.
Her long brown hair clung to the back of her neck with sweat.
I grabbed her waist and pulled her closer, panting for breath.
“I… I’m coming, Caroline!”
Thump. Thump. Thump.
With every shake of the table, a pile of documents slid onto the floor.
And outside the door, in the hallway—
“…!”
A silver-haired, blue-eyed beauty stood frozen with her face burning red.
Millirze Altheim.
She clutched a bundle of documents tightly in her hands.
Today was the day she had been recommended as Caroline’s successor for the position of my secret intelligence officer.
It was also her first visit to this office.
'Th-this is… Prince Lysander and Officer Caroline…?'
'What if I’m next…?'
The moment I saw her, what came to mind was that infamous propaganda flyer from last year’s Pampas raid by the SPQR.
『All hail Athenes, Her Excellency Leila, Megas Domestikos!』
『We will not stop until Charles himself crawls to Rome and Constantinople on all fours, begging for mercy!』
It had depicted the “Witch” in a purple dress, punching Charles - who looked at least thirty years older - in the gut.
That flyer had caused an uproar across the entire Empire.
After all, it had been less than a month since I, Lysander de Britannia, Fourth Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, had taken full responsibility for the disaster on the Old Continent and stepped down from the post of Grand Marshal.
After the appearance of the “Witch,” I had barely managed to retrieve the coffins of the two previous Emperors of the Old Britannian Empire—Eduardo I and Ricardo I — at the cost of Knight of Eight, Eleven, and Thirteen, while losing almost all occupied territories on the Old Continent.
And then Renato el, uncle of Schneizel el Britannia and Grand Master of the Knighthood of the Pampas, who led the Britannia military, had his own territory raided by the Senatus Populusque Romanus.
Of course, it had also been I who stabilized Sakuradite supplies after capturing Area 11 and was appointed Grand Marshal in the first place, so Charles had no choice but to reinstate me.
Anyway —
Taking advantage of that opportunity, Millirze, daughter of a professor of fine arts at Imperial Pendragon University, picked up her pen in rage.
Her mother then refined the painting for distribution to the front lines.
The title was:
『The Romans Will Eat You Alive! Resist! Britannia Stands With You!』
In a beautiful home, a blonde, blue-eyed woman in a purple dress had blood at the corners of her mouth.
Skulls lay scattered around her.
With that single illustration, Millirze earned the nickname “the Dean’s Daughter.”
And now, that same Millirze stood right outside the door, watching the Fourth Prince—the man who had defeated the “Witch” she once painted—and his former secret intelligence officer, now the Viceroy of Area 15, in the midst of passionate lovemaking.
“Hah… Your Highness… that was so good…”
Caroline let out one last cry and collapsed onto the desk.
The door opened slightly.
“…Your Highness, I apologize.”
Millirze squeezed her eyes shut and lowered her head.
I straightened my pants and smiled.
“Come in, Miss Millirze.”
“Caroline strongly recommended you as her successor.”
Caroline fixed her disheveled clothes and smiled.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Millirze.”
“Is your mother doing well?”
Millirze’s mother had publicly stated, as a safety measure, that she had painted the poster entirely on her own.
Even now, several soldiers from my 95th Rifle Knightmare Squad were stationed in front of her classroom.
Millirze’s face was still red.
“Th-th-that… She says she is not afraid of the ‘Ravens’ at all.”
“But the students and the other professors seem intimidated, so she says it has become a bit of a burden!”
I extended my hand.
“I’ll be counting on you from now on, Miss Millirze Altheim.”
“My new secret intelligence officer.”
Just as she tried to shake my hand with trembling fingers—
The office door flew open.
“Your Highness! It’s urgent!”
Bedivere, deputy commander of the 95th Rifle Knightmare Squad and my adjutant, rushed in, panting.
“His Majesty is delivering a direct imperial address!”
“All royalty, high-ranking generals and officers, and the chairmen of Area 1’s county autonomy councils are required to attend!”
I raised an eyebrow.
'Isn’t this the famous speech he gave after Clovis’ death?'
'Since Clovis is still alive, he’s using it now?'
A few hours later.
Pendragon Square.
Hundreds of members of the imperial family, thousands of generals, officials, and nobles stood gathered in the square.
A giant hologram of Emperor Charles zi Britannia appeared above them.
[Humans are not equal!]
The entire square held its breath.
[From birth, from talent, from effort — equality does not exist!]
[And precisely because equality does not exist, humans fight. They compete. They struggle. And through that struggle, they progress!]
[And what of the so-called “Republic of the Senate and People of Rome”—the SPQR—which claimed to divide rights equally?]
[Was it truly equal?]
[That false republic, which only filled the bellies of nobles and senators, never even reached Britannia’s toes!]
“Woooooooh!”
[And the moral distribution of wealth in the Chinese Federation?]
[There, only lazy pigs remain!]
[Even the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers are proof that Britannia continues to evolve!]
[The weak are discarded. Only the strong survive!]
Charles spread his arms wide.
[Therefore, I declare!]
[From this day forth, all former SPQR colonies shall be integrated into Britannia as new Areas!]
[You, my children!]
[Fight on! Conquer! Evolve!]
[All hail Britannia!]
[All hail Britannia!]
[All hail Britannia!]
I smiled quietly.
'Father…'
'What you call evolution is basically your children devouring one another, isn’t it?'
'Still, after hiding yourself away for so long, you finally decided to make an announcement like this…'
'So you do have at least some political instinct left.'
'Since we barely managed a pyrrhic victory against the Senatus Populusque Romanus, even you must have felt the need to provide the Empire with at least a minimum boost to morale.'
At that moment, Caroline, standing beside me, whispered into my ear.
“I’m leaving, Your Highness.”
“I’ll be waiting for you in Area 15.”
'Ting.'
From afar, Millirze looked at me, her ears bright red, and gave a small nod.
This is not the end.
It is only the beginning of the real hell.
p.s.
Area 15 : Britannia’s colony in sub-Saharan East Africa.