The same evening, just before midnight, at the gates of the palace…

A horse-drawn wagon arrives to the gate in a rapid gallop. The plumed guards walk in front it before the familiar adventurers jump out of its back.

「Thank you!…」

Will shouts towards the driver and adjusts his glasses as he runs for the gate. Greaves is rushing behind him, while Lian is following in a calm and unrushed step. Alicia bows politely to the driver before hurrying after them as well. Recognizing the party, the guards return back to their posts, allowing the three to run to the door. Will pulls it open, and his head perks up in surprise as he stands in the door, holding it.

「I was waiting for you.」

Straf declares as he's sitting on a metal folding chair at the end of the entrance hallway, arms crossed. The relatively low light and bizarre situation give the sight an eerie quality.

「…You were?」

Will adjusts his glasses while watching Straf fold the chair up, throw it into his [Portable Storage], and approach them.

「Yeah. So… Did you collect evidence?」

Looking at Greaves and Will, he asks, hands in his pockets. Lian catches up to the group in a leisurely pace, and they enter the hallway proper.

「We did… There's nothing left of that village. Here's these things…」

Will pulls the stack of photos from beneath his robes and holds it out for Straf. He takes it, and grins while shuffling the photos in his hands.

「Yeah, that's great-」

「Great?」

Will furrows his brows in confusion.

「I mean, that's terrible. Good job, I couldn't have done this without you.」

Straf nods, grinning, and throws the photos into the purple vortex as well.

「Yeah, right… You're just lazy and didn't want to take the trip.」

Greaves scoffs, crossing his arms.

「True… But it was also absolutely vital that you do it instead, so…」

Straf shrugs, grimacing a little with a tilt of his head as he agrees.

「Aren't you going to show them to the queen and tell her what happened?」

Will adjusts his glasses as he asks.

「I am, but she's asleep. She'll end up a hag if she doesn't get good sleep and live a stress-free life. That whole thing with that usurper asshole slid the wall closer to 50 for her.」

He shrugs with his hands, grinning slightly. Alicia tilts her head.

「The wall?…」

She asks quietly, blinking at him with confused eyes.

「You don't need to worry about that for quite some time…」

He replies, smirking at her before turning his eyes back to Will and Greaves.

「…You get some sleep, I'll handle the rest. If anyone asks what happened, tell them in full detail. Maybe add some, too.」

Straf nods at them both, and walks past. Lian reluctantly makes way, glaring at his smug face with cold eyes.

「Are you not going to sleep?」

Will furrows his brows, staring with mildly confused grimace at Straf's back as he walks outside.

「I take reward naps.」

He shrugs, placing his hands back in his pockets as he shuts the door behind himself.

Thud.

The adventurers exchange glances, then shrug as well and head towards the end of the hallway…

…

The next morning, in one of the guest rooms in the palace…

Sir Vinis arrives to the room with Greaves and his party. They find Straf already waiting, sitting in one of the chairs near then table.

「Where's Lia?」

He asks when Lian shuts the door behind herself, being the last one to enter.

「Her majesty said she's coming. She should be here shortly…」

Sir Vinis replies as he takes a seat in the chair across while the adventurers sit down on the couches beside it.

「…I've heard a summary from the adventurers here, but they said there are photos? Pictures of still moments that show exactly what had happened?」

He adds, raising one brow as he looks at Will and Greaves.

「Yup. Read 'em and weep.」

Straf nods with a smirk, and throws the photos across the table towards the magnate. He leans forward and looks at each of them with a pensive stare.

「…That's unbelievable. And you are sure this is exactly what you saw?」

Sir Vinis remarks, then turns his eyes to Will.

「Yeah, I took 'em myself. There were dead soldiers everywhere.」

Greaves replies with his arms crossed. Sir Vinis nods, and wordlessly returns his gaze to the photos.

「This indeed is heraldry of King Telas, but…」

He remarks, rubbing his chin with brows furrowed.

「…But why would he do this? We trade with them a lot. Even I was there once on a business trip. We may still be recovering from the plot, but that doesn't mean we're defenseless.」

The magnate spreads his hands as his gaze rises up to Straf's smug face. The door opens again, and Cycelia enters.

「Good morning!… Sorry for the wait.」

She says as she closes the door behind herself and hops up to one of the couches in a conscious effort to not disturb the conversation.

「…Well, it looks like they're calling bullshit on that, and want to test it.」

Straf shrugs, and the two turn their gazes to Cycelia.

「Your majesty, you need to look at these.」

「This is?…」

Sir Vinis slides the photos closer to her, and she blinks her green eyes at the photos, taking them into her dainty hands.

「Photos, your highness. Still moments that capture what had happened in Hohenplatz. As you can see, those are men bearing heraldry of King Telas.」

He explains while Cycelia looks at the dead men in tabards lying beside a road, then shuffles through the photos to the next one.

「The adventurers here can confirm this is exactly what they saw.」

Her brows furrow in worry as she looks at a scorched field, then a discarded flag on the ground with a white eagle on brown background, the symbol of Telas Kingdom.

「…This cannot go unanswered. The people responsible need to be executed.」「Uh…」

Saddened, furious, confused, Cycelia looks at the photos of corpses on the background of ruins, and of the smoldering ruins themselves with a mixture of feelings in her emerald eyes.

Snap.

「Yeah, exactly, Lia! Which is why I just need one, maybe two words from you, and their shitty little kingdom will cease to exist-」

Straf snaps his fingers, grinning as he points at her. She shakes her chestnut head.

「No, Straf. I want answers, but we can't act rash. I'm going to send a horse messenger and demand an envoy back. If King Telas refuses… It will mean war…」

She cuts in, interrupting Straf with a serious face. He throws his head back in frustration and sighs. His smug face fades into a bored, tight-lipped grimace while he listens.

「…We still don't know if it's not a rogue commander, or a bout of drunken military banditry. If it really was his doing, then war is the only option.」

Cycelia adds, turning her emerald gaze to Sir Vinis.

「Understood, your highness. I will send one right away, they should return by evening if he doesn't spare the horse.」

He nods, bowing slightly in his seat.

「…Send two, have one of them wait partway so it can rest. I still feel bad about that one horse I stole.」

She replies with her gaze lowered, then turns it to Straf. He throws his hands up in frustration.

「Fine. But I still should tell the people about this, right?」

Straf asks as he stands up.

「Yes. They should be gathering outside the balcony now, let's not keep them waiting.」

Cycelia nods and joins Straf's side as he slinks past the furniture. Sir Vinis and the adventurer party stand up as well.

Straf reaches into his [Portable Storage] and pulls out his trench coat. Will furrows his brows.

「…What's with the coat?」

He asks, pointing at it as Straf slips his arms into its sleeves. He looks over his shoulder at Will.

「It's a vital element of the speech… Let's go, Lia.」

Straf replies, then gestures Cycelia towards the door with his head. They leave, and the rest heads for the door as well…

…

Less than fifteen minutes later, in the room connected to the address balcony…

「…I'll speak to the people, you just stand there so that they know you approve of the message.」

With his hands in his trench coat's pockets, Straf is standing in front of the balcony entrance with a smug smirk on his face.

「Are you sure you don't want me to say something?」

She asks, tilting her head. His eyes snap to hers, and he rapidly shakes his head.

「Come.」

Straf says as he enters the balcony through the tall glass doors. Cycelia joins his side.

「Ah. What is she doing over there?」

Cycelia looks at Straf while pointing at Stripe below.

「Thank you, master… Khrhkkk…」

Standing by a table with stacks of photo magazines and dressed in a skimpy maid uniform, Stripe bows as she hands a man the number 2 issue, then clenches her teeth in dismay.

「Thanks… Can I touch your tail?-」

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「No!」

He asks, and she immediately shuts him down with a shout, her striped tail sweeping violently left and right behind her.

A little disappointed, the man returns to the crowd as he opens his magazine and flips through the pages.

「…She's doing her part, Lia. Don't worry about it.」

Straf turns his eyes away from Stripe to Cycelia's confused face as she's leaning over the balustrade.

「I see…」

She nods, furrowing her brows. Straf steps closer to the edge, and leans onto it as well while Cycelia straightens out and takes a step back.

「Ahem!… I am Straf Katastrof Vindict, the queen's Minister of War!…」

He says loudly towards the crowd, as if he was clearing his throat. The people below raise their eyes from their open magazines up to the balcony.

「Citizens of the kingdom! A terrible tragedy occurred!… Which you can read about in the photo magazine for sale for the price of just five silver coins! It's a special edition!…」

Straf announces, and points his finger down at Stripe and the table with a few stacks remaining on the table. She looks up at him, canines bared in dismayed frustration.

「…If you don't have it yet, buy it from the stand over there! The front pages are the citizen's informational dedicated to the terrible tragedy at!… Uh…」

He exclaims, holding his index finger out before abruptly pausing his speech. Straf activates [Contextual Time Perception] then reaches into the purple vortex.

His fingers grip onto a small slip of paper and pull it out of his inventory. He unfolds it, and takes second to read through it, nodding.

《…Right. I knew I'd forget.》

Straf thinks as he folds his notes and throws them back into the vortex, closing it. He reassumes his pose, then deactivates his ability.

「…At Hohenplatz! Hohenplatz was a small farming village by the border of the kingdom, until it was razed to the ground! You can read more about it in the magazine!…」

As if nothing happened, Straf resumes his speech.

「…Also in the magazine is a segment dedicated to a cat girl slave's feet! What would you do with a girl that's unable to say no!?…」

Straf asks with his index finger extended and his free hand in a fist on his coat-covered hip. A large portion of the men shuffle through the crowd towards Stripe's stand.

「…Straf?」

Cycelia tilts her head, greatly furrowing her brows with eyes full of concern.

「…Unfortunately, the armpits segment had to make way for Hohenplatz, but there is a bonus!…」

He adds, spreading his raised arms. The crowd's attention is entirely captured on him, aside from the men swarming around the magazine stand.

「…Candid photos of The Ministry of Security's cute interrogator's day off! Could you really resist confessing everything to her!?」

Straf shouts, pointing at the crowd. More and more men swarm the table.

「S- Straf?… What candid photos? What is that magazine?…」

Cycelia asks with a tight-lipped grimace on her face as she looks at the horde of men surrounding Stripe and her rapidly depleting stock of magazines.

「Lia, since we're not doing any interest rate magic yet, this is our only shield against inflation… At least until I open Strafsteelworks.」

He explains with a tight-lipped grimace while the clamorous crowd below fights for the last copies of the photo magazines.

「Strafsteelworks? Huh?」

「You'll see, Lia. It's genius, really.」

Straf shrugs and turns his attention back to the crowd.

「…Now! Returning to Hohenplatz!… A great tragedy indeed! Innocent people were displaced from their homes! But the queen's watchful eye sees them!…」

He continues shouting, flapping his trench coat sleeves as his arms wave around wildly.

「…Hohenplatz massacre survivors will be eligible housing stipends and for priority work at a new consumer goods factory in the capital!」

「Consumer goods factory?… What's that?」

Cycelia chimes in quietly, blinking at him with her emerald eyes.

「You'll see, Lia, let me finish…」

「Sorry…」

She nods, apologetically lowering her head.

「…And why was Hohenplatz razed!? Because of Telas Kingdom and their uncontrolled, unrestrained, and unprovoked aggression!…」

Straf shouts, spreading his arms. Cycelia quietly watches on with the concern on her face growing.

「…Citizens! If we remain silent, it won't be long before another village burns! Then the next! Maybe yours! Then the cities, then the capital!…」

He leans onto the balustrade, watching the crowd get visibly more and more upset.

「…I ask you, good people!… Do you want your home to burn!?」

Straf asks, and the crowd remains silent with angry frowns on their faces. He nods in an exaggerated manner that can be easily seen from below.

「Silence!? Then you are fine with it!? You will wait obediently for King Telas to slaughter you like fat cattle!?…」

「No!」「No!」「No!」

He straightens out, spreading his arms out and challenging the crowd. The angry men below shout back.

「Then you want to fight back!?」

「Yes!」「Yea!」「Yeah!」

「But fighting back means war! Are you prepared for war!?」

Straf shouts back to the crowd, grinning. With her brows furrowed in worry, she extends her thin, dainty index finger.

「Straf we still don't know- I wouldn't go that far…」

She chimes in, but he ignores her.

「Yeah!」「War!」「Yeah!」

The crowd shouts back, louder than before.

「Citizens, are you aware of what you are saying!? You are saying that you want war! Do you want to strike back at Telas Kingdom!?…」

「Aye!」「Yes!」「Yeeaah!」

The men below shout louder and louder.

「…Do you want a war that will let the world know that we will not be trifled with!?」

「Yeah!」 「Yeaah!」 「Yeeaah!」

The men raise their fists into the air, screaming back at Straf.

「Do you want a war so fierce, a war so savage, a war so destructive that it will wipe Telas Kingdom off the map and shut up those who would say ill of us once and for all!?」

「War!! War!! War!!」「War!! War!! War!!」「War!! War!! War!!」

The crowd screams throwing their fists up while Cycelia looks on with a concerned grimace.

「Straf, I don't think that's the direction-」

「Lia, the people have spoken. The will of the people, remember? Now you don't need to make excuses before anyone, it's the will of the people.」

He grins, pointing his hand at the crowd jumping and screaming below.

「Nnhh…」

She lowers her emerald eyes with a discomforted groan.

《Man, I love democracy.》

Straf thinks with his fists on his coat-covered hips as he turns his grinning face to the roused rabble. He raises his hands, and waits for the crowd to slowly quiet down.

「The queen will not remain idle!… But as she is kind-hearted and merciful, she sent a messenger to Telas Kingdom demanding their immediate surrender!…」

He declares, pointing his hand at Cycelia. Her head perks up in shock.

「What? Straf! That's not true at all! That's a lie, in fact!-」

「Ssh.」

She exclaims with her brows furrowed and eyes widened, but Straf hushes her with his index finger in front of his lips.

「It's not a lie if you make it real, Lia. Simple as that.」

He shrugs and leans onto the balustrade again.

「Citizens! We will need able-bodied men! You've seen the posters! Head to the local fortress, and demand to be a part of the punitive force! It is your right! That's all!…」

With a smug grin on his face, he straightens out.

「…Hail to Queen Cycelia, the rightful heir of the throne!」「Eh?」

「Hail to Queen Cycelia!」「Hail to Queen Cycelia!」「Hail to Queen Cycelia!」

Still grinning, Straf points his hand at Cycelia. Her head perks up again, and the dispersing crowd shouts cheers.

「Hail!」「Hail!」「Hail!」「Hail!」

In their pursuit for an efficient crowd fervor, the crowd once again shortens their cheers to a single word, waving their hands towards Cycelia up at the balcony while he waves back…