Chapter 17 - We can destroy it, but what should we do?
"That power was Eddie's magic, right...?"
"That's the Princess' power. I was just supporting her with magic. More importantly..."
As I was unconscious, I looked at the dragon people and the guards who were fast asleep.
Everyone here was stretched out except for me and the Princess.
Now. What should I do?
"I'll take this letter."
The Princess put the secret letter that the guards had inside her armor.
If I want to stop the war, I need to use the time I've gained to think of my next move.
As I was thinking, I asked the Princess how she felt.
"Princess, do you have any wishes or hopes?"
"Y-yes? Um... Eddie. I..."
"Tell me if there's anything you want to try."
The Princess shifted her gaze in a hesitant manner, then began to speak hesitantly.
"--If the werewolves and dragonmen clash and end up destroying each other, it will not only cause damage to our country but also to the humans."
"Yes, that's true."
"As the princess of the country of Maylie, I must stop the war at all costs."
The princess's strong will was evident in her last words.
As the princess of the country of Maylie, she had no intention of abandoning her responsibilities and running away.
In that case, I have to get involved too.
In this situation, I can't be the only one to ignore it.
"But with human power, I can't compete with the dragonmen or werewolves. My magic is limited by the amount of magic I have. In fact, I only have 180 magic left. What should we do?"
"Well, that's... if we talk to the demons..."
"Both races look down on humans. I don't think they'll listen to what I have to say."
Even though it's true, it's a bit mean-spirited.
I was relieved to see that the strength in the Princess's eyes was unwavering.
She was not the kind of person to be broken down by something like that.
"Even if the other side won't listen, I want to use force as a last resort. First, I would like to use this letter to set up a place for discussion."
The Princess pressed the secret letter in her pocket over her armor.
"I think your idea is wonderful, Princess. However, right now we have no bargaining material, right? Talking without any chance of winning won't stop the war."
"You can't negotiate unless you know what the other side wants and what they want to avoid. In order to stop the war, we must first discuss the dragon people's wishes."
She was still pale and trembling.
But her eyes were serious.
If she chose that method based on unwavering conviction, I would go along with her idea.
"...That's right. I agree with that line as well."
"Lord Eddie..."
"Princess, you could destroy them, wouldn't you?"
"What?! Destroy them?!"
"Yeah. If we're willing to do whatever it takes, then all I have to do is fire a spell at them like I did with the Demon King, and destroy them. But if we did that, it would be seen as a declaration of war against the demons by the humans. The actions we take to stop the war would end up starting a world war."
"That's not good...!"
"Destroy the demons..." If we do that, we can think of it as a safe world for humans only."
"No. It's not decided that demons are dangerous. There are many different ways of thinking among humans, and it's the same for demons. That's why I think we should talk to each other and understand each other, rather than trying to dominate others through fighting."
"Just as you would expect from the daughter of a king who seeks world peace!"
"Do you think world peace is just a fantasy...?"
I smiled with an innocent childlike face and tilted my head.
"I don't understand difficult things. But I'm sure you can do it, princess."
I knew I'd said something quite irresponsible.
But strangely enough, Princess Clarice seemed to be encouraged by it for some reason.
"Yes! If you say so, Eddie-sama, then I'm worth a hundred men!"
The princess' smile was so dazzling that I couldn't help but feel startled.
“If I say so…”
“I have only just met you, but you are always right. If you trust me, then I have nothing to fear!”
The princess’s straightforward words made me feel embarrassed.
“…That’s strange, princess. With a child like me.”
“Haha, that’s true. But for some reason, I can’t treat you like a child.”
Princess Clarice blushed a little and laughed.
You are a strange princess, after all.
You seem absent-minded, yet somehow sharp.
--At that moment, one of the dragonmen let out a groan.
It was the most powerful man, who had been acting like the leader.
“Uh…”
Have you woken up?
The princess looked at me, nodded, and walked towards the dragon-man.
Her body was no longer trembling.
“…Wh, what was that…that attack…! "
The dragon man was completely silent.
The princess's sword was pointed at his throat.
"Bring your master here within the hour. I will only allow a minimum of guards. If you do not comply, I will guarantee the lives of the other companions."
"Damn... A human like you is ordering the dragon man...?"
"Now, make a decision quickly. Before your head is chopped off."
"Ugh..."
The dragon man gritted his teeth, but got on his horse and rode off in the direction he came from.
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