Dragona Empire.

A powerful nation boasting immense national strength alongside the Sacred Empire, known as the headquarters of witches, sorcerers, and demon races. The people of this country have served one single ruler for over 160 years.

Mina Rozebeta Dragona Emperor.

The most powerful witch in existence who controls the power of the Dragona Empire with one hand. For the past 160 years, she has reigned as emperor, handling numerous matters inside and outside the empire by herself.

And at this very moment…

Empress Rozebeta was deeply contemplating as she looked over the letters placed before her.

Two letters spread out on her desk.

One was sent by the lord of the Rhapsody Region, which neighbors the Dragona Empire. The other was from a young princess of Castle Sophia, one of the major territories within the empire.

These two regions were quite far apart in distance.

However… the content contained within the two letters, despite being from different senders and locations, was almost identical.

Aside from minor rhetorical differences, the central claim of both letters was a request for support regarding…

Bohemia and the Heretic Alliance.

Currently, Bohemia was gathering strength after instigating a massive rebellion within the Sacred Empire. Their initial victory had already showcased their power, and even at this moment, they were fiercely confronting the emperor of the Sacred Empire, tirelessly solidifying their might.

If the Dragona Empire were to provide even a little assistance without directly intervening, the already shaky Sacred Empire would find itself in a major crisis. This could serve as an excellent opportunity for the Dragona Empire to gain the upper hand, which had been engaged in a power struggle with the Sacred Empire for a long time.

Thus, the letters were making practical appeals for assistance to Empress Rozebeta.

However…

As she read them, Empress Rozebeta knew that this was not a decision to be made lightly.

Certainly, the recent turmoil in the Sacred Empire was seen as a welcome occurrence for her and the Dragona Empire in many ways.

At this moment, the Dragona Empire was actively pursuing an eastern expansion policy, having completely cut off its interest in the west. The swift territorial expansion and consequent strengthening of national power could not be ignored, especially due to the internal chaos affecting the Sacred Empire in the west and the Turk Empire located to the south.

While the somewhat friendly Turk Empire could be set aside, the rise of Heretic Forces within the Sacred Empire left them distracted from external matters for over a century. The Dragona Empire had significantly benefited from this, allowing them to focus entirely on expanding their power eastward.

However…

Despite these clear advantages, Empress Rozebeta was well aware of the potential side effects should they engage in this war.

‘We could very well be poking a hornet’s nest.’

Honestly, despite labels like “heretic,” at their core, they were still individuals following the church’s doctrines.

They were fundamentally different from the Dragona Empire, which carried the title of “heretic.”

If the Dragona Empire were to clumsily extend a hand in this situation, there was a possibility that they might rally together, claiming that heretics were invading their territory.

She knew very well that humans tend to unite when faced with a common crisis.

‘But it’s true that it seems wasteful to let this opportunity slip away.’

They weren’t merely a group causing a disturbance; these were lords of Bohemia and the Heretic Alliance who had boldly rebelled against the Sacred Empire.

They had even managed to defeat the Emperor’s Army in a battle and successfully absorbed about a quarter of the empire into their ranks.

‘If handled well… we could tear the Sacred Empire to shreds. The character of this Sijip person means there will be no compromise. If this situation continues to unfold, we could turn that massive Sacred Empire into rags.’

If the eyesore known as the Sacred Empire were to fall, the Dragona Empire could expand eastward without a care in the world, even faster than before.

Even when considering the aforementioned risks, this was an undeniably attractive scenario.

And more than that, beyond the interests of the nation, personal grudges of Empress Rozebeta existed as well.

‘The church’s influence. Perhaps I could finally settle the score from 180 years ago. The price for the massacre of countless witches, including my mentor, might be exacted at this opportunity…’

Though she had established a great empire, sacrificing national interests for personal grudges went against her principles.

However, that grudge had not disappeared, and she had been sharpening her metaphorical knife, waiting for an opportune moment.

And this situation was…

An exceptionally suitable opportunity for her.

If managed well, it would greatly benefit the national interest, and given the special circumstance of internal division, even in failure, they could still deal a heavy blow to the Sacred Empire.

‘Above all, if the Sacred Empire collapses, the authority of the church nestled within it will also be annihilated. There will be no more interference in politics by those pompous popes through their ecclesiastical powers. And… that damned Paladin Order will also be shattered into pieces.’

Thus, considering the risks to a certain degree, Empress Rozebeta decided to agree to the plan for ‘the benefit of the nation.’

Of course, underneath it all, her personal grudge against the church’s power loomed larger.

*

“… So… you mean to say the emperor of the Dragona Empire has agreed to my request?”

“Yes. It is clearly stated in the letter His Majesty sent. The Dragona Empire will provide assistance on the condition that the fact of their involvement remains confidential.”

The letter stamped with Empress Rozebeta’s seal contained information that would surely make both Estelle and Santana happy.

Though unofficial, it was a pledge from the great emperor to assist them.

This was news as refreshing as rain to a Heretic Alliance in desperate need of an ally.

However…

Apart from that fact, Estelle and Santana were plunged into deep confusion at this moment.

‘Wait… does this mean what we thought isn’t happening?’

‘If this is the case… Does this mean Dragona Empire wasn’t the culprit? Then who kidnapped the princess?’

In relation to the princess’s kidnapping, it felt like their major premise was being flipped upside down.

Thus, the two could hardly shake the feeling that their tenuous grasp on the situation was slipping back into murky darkness.

‘There’s no way the emperor who allowed a secret alliance could have kidnapped an ally’s daughter…’

‘Then could it be… that all of this was orchestrated by the emperor of the Sacred Empire? To deliberately pit us against the Dragona Empire for his gain… No, even so, there’s no way the emperor would mobilize witches whom the church hates.’

As countless thoughts swirled in their heads, their minds were in turmoil. Eventually, they decided to focus on the matter at hand: the envoy from the Dragona Empire right before them.

They concluded that solving the urgent issue in front of them was a far better strategy than grappling with a problem that their minds simply couldn’t resolve currently.