Published: July 4, 2025
After the summit meeting between the Eastern Kingdom and the Western Alliance.
In the Duke's residence annex of Wingston, the largest city in the Eastern Kingdom. A new lord's office.
There, sat the head of the House of Duke Shrewsbury, Irwin Ortiz, who had begun to learn governance as a lord, although the authorities of the duke were still held by the royal family.
His appearance was appropriate for a thirteen-year-old, but...
While he looked like Irwin Ortiz on the outside...
In this world, appearances and inner essence do not always align...
“Why! It's already been six days, so why hasn’t war started!”
A figure resembling Irwin shouted.
“Lord Garwin. It’s a bit early for me to say this, but isn’t it just a tad bit too soon? Maybe we should wait a little longer... until Lord Garwin's power is completely restored...”
“Shut up, Orenju! I’m already about eighty percent restored! But for the last twenty percent... for that, a lot of people's blood needs to flow in this East!”
“Indeed, King Richard’s shackles are troublesome.”
“Silence, Orenju! Don’t mention that guy!”
The boy, called Garwin, who resembled Irwin, shouted back.
Orenju, the man who was shouted at... was a giant who seemed to embody the images of being boisterous, rough, and crude.
His long, thick orange hair and matching colored eyes stood out even more than his massive body.
“Izolda, do you have any strategies?”
Garwin yelled towards one side of the room.
On the sofa he was shouting toward sat a woman with long black hair, leisurely sipping tea.
After taking a sip, she spoke slowly.
“First of all, I previously mentioned. That kind of strategy will not start a war. It has turned out just as I said.”
“Ugh...”
With a composed expression, the woman called Izolda stated firmly.
Garwin was left speechless in response.
After a moment of silence, still frowning, he began to weave his words.
“...I admit it. I was wrong. I should have followed your advice.”
Garwin straightforwardly acknowledged his mistake.
Though not exceptionally intelligent, Garwin was self-aware and had little resistance to admitting his errors.
In response, Izolda nodded once and continued.
“First, the replenishment of Lord Garwin’s last twenty percent 'power' is very difficult. Gathering magical power from the kin called Jaya, which humans refer to as 'demon insects', is ineffective. Realistically, the only possibilities are magical power usurpation from very special species or large-scale collection of 'fragments of god' through human deaths.”
Izolda paused for a moment, taking another sip of her tea.
Garwin waited silently for her to continue.
“Perhaps it was Lord Finn, who was sealed in the south, who completely broke free before Lord Garwin. However, this involves a great deal of luck. Therefore, if we want to do it deliberately, the latter option is preferred. And the most effective way to achieve that is through war…”
“Ah, yes.”
Garwin nodded in agreement with Izolda’s words.
“However, wars between nations do not start that easily. So, I believe it would be better for us to take action.”
“Take action from our side?”
“Yes. We can kill humans without letting the nations fight each other.”
“Certainly.”
Garwin nodded vigorously in agreement with Izolda's proposal.
“However, there is one point you need to be cautious about.”
“Hmm?”
“That is, Lord Garwin's 'body' is located in the basement of this Lord's Manor.”
“That is... true, but... even if they find it, humans would ultimately be unable to do anything, right? I cannot die...”
Garwin frowned and questioned in response to Izolda's remark.
“Of course, no one can kill Lord Garwin... however, if your body is destroyed in the current state of being devoid of soul, it would take considerable time to revive.”
“How long specifically?”
“Probably about five hundred years.”
“...That is long.”
Garwin remained in a frown while contemplating.
After about thirty seconds of thought, he opened his mouth.