Gwandan, yang memang telah melihat Asteria secara langsung, telah memastikan wajah mereka identik, tapi mustahil untuk meniru kepribadiannya dengan sempurna. Apalagi, informasi soal kepribadian Asteria saja tidak cukup untuk meniru setengahnya pun.
Kalau begitu, kemungkinan ada orang di Keagungan Matahari Bergemuruh yang tahu kepribadian Asteria itu kecil, tapi tetap ada risiko Amria terbongkar sebagai penipu.
Lagi pula, bahaya sederhana Amria memasang wilayah Keagungan Matahari Bergemuruh sambil mengaku jadi Asteria itu nyata, itulah kenapa Yachiyo dan Fuuko sangat menentang ide itu.
Meskipun Gwandan dan yang lain menemani, ini urusan beda, dan wajar kalau keduanya marah besar melihat Amria dengan sukarela masuk ke gua singa.
Namun, Gwandan, Lynette, dan yang lain, yang sudah putuskan memprioritaskan keinginan Amria dalam tur Kekaisaran ini, diam saja dan hanya menyaksikan Yachiyo dan Fuuko dibujuk Amria.
Keputusan Amria untuk melaksanakan operasi penyamaran Asteria tidak dibatalkan, dan begitu dieksekusi, segalanya berjalan sangat cepat.
Gwandan dan rombongannya sudah tahu ada agen Keagungan Matahari Bergemuruh yang menyamar jadi warga biasa di Uminal, dan di antara mereka, mereka pilih yang keturunannya terhubung ke Regul dan sengaja membiarkan mereka sadar adanya mata-mata Kekaisaran Romal.
Kali ini, mata-mata Kekaisaran Romal itu adalah Asteria palsu yang diperankan Amria, dan tentara kekaisaran palsu yang diperankan Gwandan dan yang lain yang melindunginya.
Rencananya, bawahan Regul menangkap mereka, lalu terungkap kalau yang tertangkap adalah Putri Asteria, dan hal krusial ini disampaikan ke Regul, dan dia datang menemui mereka. Maka tujuan mereka tercapai.
Meski sangat menguntungkan dan cepat, itu karena Gwandan melonggarkan rem pengendalian dirinya drastis untuk memenuhi keinginan Amria, sehingga kali ini segalanya berjalan hampir lucu mudah. Hal-hal tidak selalu mulus begitu.
Pantas ditegur karena bagaimanapun dilihat, konyol dan tidak masuk akal Putri Asteria mengunjungi jantung wilayah pemberontak. Tapi di sinilah reputasi Asteria berguna.
Dia dikenal sebagai wanita adil, jujur, dan cerdas, tapi di sisi lain dikenal karena kecerdikannya dan cara pandang dunia yang tak bisa dimengerti orang biasa, yang kadang bikin dia ambil tindakan yang kelihatannya aneh.
Kelihatannya, apa yang dia lihat sebagai aksi paling efisien dengan usaha minimal sering tak dimengerti orang lain.
Kalau begitu, besar kemungkinan orang di sekitarnya akan mengira dia punya alasan kuat menunjukkan diri di pelukan musuh yang hanya dia yang mengerti dan tak bisa ditebak orang biasa, dan mereka yakin sendiri.
Lagi pula, begitu ketemu Regul, nggak masalah kalau kebongkar dia penipu Asteria. Bahkan kalau dikira orang yang mirip Asteria atau duplikat tubuh yang dibikin mirip, itu justru nggak merugikan Amria dan Gwandan.
Mungkin nanti dapet sindiran satu-dua pas ketemu Asteria aslinya…
Anyway, karena mereka『berhasil ketemu Regul lewat cara ini』operasi Amria sukses.
Beberapa jam setelah keluar kantor asosiasi pedagang Aldam, Amria, yang salah sangka jadi Asteria, berada di ruang terpencil di lapangan latihan di luar Uminal. Dia dikelilingi dua Lionfolk kuat, satu laki-laki satu perempuan, dan di belakangnya, Regul dan tiga pengawalnya duduk di sisi berlawanan meja.
Tidak ada jendela, dan pintu tebal satu-satunya masuk dijaga oleh Leopardese hitam laki-laki, pengawal Regul. Di dalam tidak ada apa-apa selain meja di antara mereka, selain peralatan sihir pencahayaan dan kursi tempat Regul dan Amria duduk.
Yang paling penting, tidak ada tanda-tanda Gwandan, tiga saudara pelayan, atau Yachiyo dan Fuuko di sini.
Masih memakai baju sama saat keluar asosiasi pedagang Aldam, Amria berusaha wajah datar sambil mengamati Lionfolk muda yang menatap wajahnya seolah ingin nembak lubang di kepalanya.
Dia tidak menunjukkan kecemasan atau ketakutan meski Gwandan dan yang lain tidak ada.
Regul adalah pemuda tampan garang dengan jubah emas, khas Lionfolk laki-laki. Belum tiga puluh tahun.
Lengan dan kaki Regul tertutup bulu singa. Dia memakai kemeja abu-abu dada terbuka, rompi biru, celana pendek putih sampai lutut, dan jubah merah tua di bahu kiri. Kemeja dan rompi dibordir desain populer di suku mereka.
Bahan pakaiannya semua kualitas tertinggi, layak posisinya, tapi aura tak takut pemuda Lionfolk itu dan kilatan tajam di matanya memberi kesan dia pejuang yang berjuang nyawa.
Pengawal di sekitar menyaksikan hadapan Regul dan Amria tanpa bicara. Seperti harapan Amria dan Gwandan, yang hadir bukan dari faksi Asya atau Leko tapi bawahan langsung Regul.
Regul juga mengamati Asteria, tapi setelah sebentar, dia kelihatannya puas dan menopang pipi kiri sambil bicara. Mata Regul berkilau rasa ingin tahu lebih dari kebencian saat menghadapi pemimpin negara pemberontak musuh.
「Perkenalkan, aku Regul Leonix, kepala Keagungan Matahari Bergemuruh, dan nona muda ini, apakah benar kau Putri Asteria Kekaisaran Romal?
Amria memikirkan saudara perempuannya yang belum pernah ketemu, dan mempertahankan ekspresi, tidak mau kalah dengan tekanan yang datang dari segala arah. Dia menjawab pemuda yang kelihatannya siap menggigit lehernya kapan saja.
「Kau pasti tahu Putri Asteria tidak di sini. Jadi, begitulah.」
「Hmm, begitu. Aku nggak tahu apakah kau ingin pertemuan ini tak resmi, tapi aku anggap saja kau Putri Asteria. Bisa jadi kau duplikat tubuhnya, tapi wajahmu pasti Asteria. Tidak ada tanda sihir ilusi.
Tapi tetap, kalau kau repot-repot menyusup ke wilayah kita lalu ketahuan penyamaranmu, akan sangat bodoh kalau aku terima wajahmu apa adanya. Biasanya aku hanya tertawa lihat kebodohan musuh, tapi kalau Asteria campur tangan, nggak gampang.」
Setelah bilang itu, Regul tetap tersenyum, tapi matanya jadi tajam seperti pedang sambil menatajamkan pandangan ke Amria, mencoba menembus ke lubuk hatinya.
「Kau tidak punya pengawal, tapi berhasil bikin situasi di mana kau hadap-hadapan denganku. Bisa jadi situasi ini memang yang kau inginkan. Wanita Asteria itu begitu cerdik sampai mengganggu.」
「Ya, kelihatannya Putri Asteria sangat dihargai. Aku nggak tahu apakah dia benar layak pujian itu, tapi benar aku mengatur pertemuan seperti ini. Tujuanku bicara denganmu.」
Pengawal Regul sedikit bereaksi pada kata Asteria palsu, tapi Regul melirik mereka, dan mereka tenang. Di sisi lain, tiga orang di belakang Amria tidak bergerak sedikit pun.
「Oh, dan apa yang ingin kau bicarakan, Putri? Kita bangkitkan pasukan untuk menghancurkan kalian. Kita tidak bisa berhenti di tengah jalan. Penghinaan yang kalian paksa pada kita dan nenek moyang kita selama ratusan tahun bukan hal yang mudah dilupakan.」
「Ya, ya, aku mengerti. Tapi yang ingin aku tahu lain. Regul Leonix, di sini hanya bawahan paling kepercayaanmu.
Tidak ada Asya, tidak ada Leko, dan tidak ada Leora. Kau tidak perlu peduli perasaan siapa pun, jadi kau bisa bicara kata-katamu sendiri.」
「Oh, jadi kau tahu urusan internal kita. Tapi itu justru bikin perasaanku buruk kalau kau bicara seolah tahu segalanya. Kau pikir aku bersikap pertimbangan dibanding Asya dan Reko? Hah, aku kelihatannya selemah itu?
「Aku nggak pikir mendengar pendapat bawahan itu lemah. Itu keputusan alami dan bijak orang yang tahu kalau cuma berlari di depan barisan saja tidak cukup.」
「Begitu. Senang mendengar aku begitu dihargai Putri Asteria yang terkenal. Kalau kau bukan musuh, aku akan lebih senang.」
Regul mempertahankan nada khusyuknya, mencoba menebak niat asli Amria yang berpura-pura jadi Asteria, tapi ini saja sudah beda dari reputasi yang Amria dengar di Elkeney.
Kalau dia sesuai reputasinya, dia akan coba paksa Asteria menyerah dengan kekuatan atau langsung membunuhnya dalam amarah.
「Aku baru sadar itu setelah ketemu langsung. Dengan informasi yang kumpulkan sampai hari ini, aku salah sangka dan salah menilai.」
「Aku lebih suka kau salah menilai daripada terlalu mengagungkan atau meremehkan. Dalam arti itu, kegagalan bagiku bahwa kau membuatku datang menemui mu sendiri.」
「Mungkin. Tapi aku senang bisa ketemu mu.」
「Kau datang menemui aku, bukan tertangkap? Kau berani bilang itu dalam situasi ini. Apakah kau punya Dua Belas Jenderal Bersayap atau pion setara menunggu di luar?」
「Tidak, tidak ada seperti itu.」
Ya, karena Amria punya sekutu lebih kuat dari Dua Belas Jenderal Bersayap, individu terkuat di Kekaisaran, jawaban itu bukan bohong.
「Regul Leoniz, izinkan aku tanya hal sederhana. Ke mana kau ingin mengakhiri perang ini? Bagaimana kau ingin mengakhirinya? Dan apa yang terjadi setelahnya?」
「Kau ingin tahu tujuan akhir musuh? Agak terlambat, bukan? Kita sudah menyatakan apa yang kita tuju saat menggulingkan kekuasaan Kekaisaran. Seharusnya nggak sulit ditebak.」
「Aku hanya dengar dari orang lain. Aku ingin dengar langsung darimu.」
「Kau keras kepala. Kau tahu apa itu. Kita akan menggulingkan Kekaisaran Romal, mengalahkan siapa pun yang mencoba menguasai Keagungan Matahari Bergemuruh, dan menciptakan dunia di mana kita tidak dikuasai siapa pun selain kita sendiri.」
「Jadi, kau akan menguasai semua orang selain kalian? Dan apa yang akan kalian lakukan pada orang-orang yang dulu bagian dari Kekaisaran Romal? Akan menguasai mereka, atau menghancurkan mereka?」
「Kau cuma bertanya terus. Yah…」
Regul tersenyum kecut pada Amria yang terus bertanya seperti anak kecil, tapi kata-katanya terpotong oleh kata-kata Amria yang terlihat menyela.
「Beritahu aku pemikiranmu sendiri, bukan pendapat siapa pun di sukumu. Aku ingin tahu apa yang dipikirkan Regul Leonix sebagai individu, bukan suara-suara yang menuntut pemusnahan atau penguasaan rakyat Romal.」
Regul berhenti tersenyum pertama kali sejak masuk ruangan, matanya tertuju pada Amria, yang menatap lurus ke matanya.
Gwandan, who had actually seen Asteria, had confirmed that their faces were identical, but it would be impossible to perfectly imitate her personality. In the first place, there was not enough information about Asteria’s personality to even imitate half of it.
In that case, the chances of there being someone in the Roaring Sun’s Majesty who knew Asteria’s personality were low, but it was still a possibility that could lead to Amria being exposed as an impostor.
Furthermore, there was the simple danger of Amria entering The Roaring Sun’s Majesty’s territory while claiming to be Asteria, which was why Yachiyo and Fuuko vehemently voiced their opposition to the idea.
No matter how much Gwandan and the others accompanied her, this was a different matter, and it was understandable why the two were so upset about Amria willingly walking into the lion’s den.
However, Gwandan, Lynette, and the others, who had decided to put Amria’s wishes first on this Empire tour, remained silent and simply watched as Yachiyo and Fuuko were persuaded by Amria.
Amria’s decision to launch the operation of Asteria impersonation was not overturned, and once it was carried out, things unfolded very quickly.
Gwandan and his group were already aware of the existence of The Roaring Sun’s Majesty agents disguised as ordinary citizens in Uminal, and among them, they selected those whose lineage was connected to Regul’s and deliberately allowed them to be aware of the existence of Romal Empire’s spies.
In this case, the spies of the Romal Empire were the fake Asteria, played by Amria, and the fake imperial soldiers, played by Gwandan and others who protect her.
The plan was for Regul’s underlings to capture them, and then it would be revealed that the one captured was none other than Princess Asteria, and that this critical matter was conveyed to Regul, and he came to see them. They then would have achieved our goal.
While it was a very convenient and quick turn of events, it was because Gwandan drastically loosened the shackles of his self-restraint to fulfill Amria’s wish that things proceeded almost jokingly easily this time. Things didn’t always go so smoothly.
It would have been laughable because no matter how you looked at it, it was reckless and implausible that Princess Asteria would visit the heart of the rebel territory. However, this was where Asteria’s reputation came in handy.
She was known as a fair, upright, and brilliant woman, but at the same time, she was known for her quick wit and her ability to see the world in a way that ordinary people could not understand, which sometimes led her to take seemingly erratic actions.
Apparently, what she saw as the most efficient action with the least amount of effort was often incomprehensible to others.
If that was the case, then it was highly likely that those around her would assume that she had a solid reason for showing herself in the bosom of a hostile force that only she could understand and that ordinary people could not guess, and they would be convinced on their own accord.
Besides, once they had met with Regul, it would not matter if it was discovered that she was an imposter of Asteria. Even if they were mistaken for someone who looked like Asteria or a bodydouble who had been made to look like her, that would not be a bad thing for Amria and Gwandan.
They may get a sarcastic remark or two when they eventually had the blessing of meeting the real Asteria…
Anyway, since they had『managed to meet Regul this way』Amria’s operation had been a success.
A few hours after leaving the office of the Aldam merchant’s association, Amria, who was mistakenly identified as Asteria, was in a secluded room of the training ground outside Uminal. She was surrounded by two strong Lionfolk, one male and one female, and behind her, Regul and his three guards were sitting across from her at a table.
There were no windows, and the thick door, which was the only entrance, was guarded by a male black Leopardese, Regul’s escort. Inside, there was nothing but a table placed between them, besides the magical equipment for lighting and the chair on which Regul and Amria were sitting.
Most importantly, there was no sign of Gwandan, the three maid sisters, or Yachiyo and Fuuko here.
Still wearing the same clothes she had worn when she left Aldam’s merchant association, Amria tried to keep her face expressionless as she observed the young Lionfolk who were staring at her face who was staring at her as if he wanted to bore a hole in her head.
She showed no signs of anxiety or fear in the absence of Gwandan and the others.
Regul was a fierce-looking young man with a golden mane, as was typical of male Lionfolk. He was not yet thirty years old.
Regul’s arms and legs were covered in lion fur. He was wearing a gray shirt with a wide open chest, a blue vest, white knee-length shorts, and a deep crimson cloak over his left shoulder. The shirt and vest were embroidered with designs that were popular among his tribe.
The materials used for his clothes were all of the highest quality, befitting his position, but the fearless atmosphere of the young Lionfolk man and the fierce gleam in his eyes gave the impression that he was a warrior who would fight for his life.
The guards around watched the confrontation between Regul and Amria without uttering a word. As Amria and Gwandan had hoped, those present were not from Asya’s or Leko’s faction but those who were Regul’s direct subordinates.
Regul was also observing Asteria, but after a while, he seemed satisfied and rested his cheek on his left hand as he spoke. Regul’s eyes shone with more curiosity than hatred when dealing with the head of a rebellious enemy nation.
「Let me introduce myself. I am Regul Leonix, head of The Roaring Sun’s Majesty, and you, young lady, are you sure you are the Princess Asteria of the Romal Empire?
Amria thought about her sister, whom she had never met, and maintained her expression, not wanting to give in to the pressure that was coming at her from all sides. She answered the young man, who looked like he might bite her throat at any moment.
「You must know that Princess Asteria is not here. So, that’s what it is.」
「Hmm, I see. I don’t know if you want to keep this meeting unofficial, but I’ll just assume that you’re Princess Asteria. It’s entirely possible that you’re her body double, but your face is definitely Asteria’s. There’s no sign of illusion magic.
But still, if you went to all the trouble of infiltrating our territory and then got caught with your disguise, it would be incredibly stupid if I took you at face value. Normally, I would just laugh at how stupid our enemies are, but when Asteria is involved, it’s not that simple.」
After saying this, Regul kept the smile on his face, but his eyes turned as sharp as blades as he glared at Amria, trying to see through her to the bottom of her heart.
「You don’t have any guards with you, but you’ve managed to get yourself in a situation where you’re face to face with me. It’s entirely possible that this situation is exactly what you wanted. That Asteria woman is so clever that it pisses me off.」
「Yes, it seems that Princess Asteria is highly regarded. I don’t know if she really deserves such praise, but it’s true that I made arrangements to meet you like this. My purpose is to talk to you.」
Regul’s guards reacted slightly to the fake Asteria’s words, but Regul glanced at them, and they calmed down. On the other hand, the three people behind Amria didn’t move a muscle.
「Oh, and what do you want to talk to me about, Princess? We’ve raised an army to crush you guys. We can’t just stop halfway. The humiliation that you’ve forced on us and our ancestors for hundreds of years is not something that can be easily forgotten.」
「Yes, yes, I understand that. However, what I want to know is something else. Regul Leonix, you have only your most trusted followers here.
There are no Asya’s, no Leko’s, and no Leora’s here. You don’t have to worry about anyone’s feelings, so you can tell me your own words.」
「Oh, so you know about our internal affairs. But it only makes me feel bad when you talk about it like you know everything. You think I’m being considerate compared to Asya and Reko? Hah, do I look that weak to you?」
「No, I don’t think it’s weak to listen to your vassals. It is a natural and wise decision of the one who knows that it is not good enough to just run at the front of the pack.」
「I see. I’m glad to hear that I’m so highly regarded by the famous Princess Asteria. If you weren’t our enemy, I would have been more happy.」
Regulus maintained his evangelistic tone, trying to figure out Amria’s true intentions, who was pretending to be Asteria, but this alone was different from the reputation that Amria had heard about him in Elkeney.
If he had been as his reputation suggested, he would have tried to force Asteria into submission with his power or simply killed her in a fit of rage.
「I only realized that after meeting you in person. With the information I had gathered up until today, I had misunderstood you and made the wrong judgment.」
「I’d rather you misjudge me than overestimate or underestimate me. In that sense, it was a fail for me that you make me come and see you in person.」
「Maybe so. But I’m glad I got to meet you.」
「You came to meet me, not that you were caught? You’re brave to say that in this situation. Do you have the Twelve Winged Generals or some other pawns comparable to them waiting outside?」
「No, nothing like that.」
Yes, since Amria had allies who were more powerful than the Twelve Winged Generals, the strongest individuals in the Empire, this answer was not a lie.
「Regul Leonix, let me ask you something simple. Where do you intend to end this war? How do you intend to end it? And what will happen after it’s over?」
「You want to know the enemy’s ultimate goal? It’s a little late for that, isn’t it? We’ve already declared what we’re aiming for when we overthrow the Empire’s rule. It shouldn’t be hard to figure out.」
「I’ve only heard about it from other people. I want to hear it from you directly.」
「You’re stubborn. You know what it is. We will overthrow the Romal Empire, defeat anyone who tries to control The Roaring Sun’s Majesty, and create a world where we are not ruled by anyone but ourselves.」
「So, will you rule over everyone else besides yourselves? And what will you do to the people who used to belong to the Romal Empire? Will you rule over them, or will you destroy them?」
「All you do is ask questions. Well…”
Regul smiled wryly at Amria, who kept asking him questions like a child, but his words were cut off by Amria’s words, which she spoke as if to interrupt him.
「Tell me your own thoughts, not the opinions of anyone in your tribe. I want to know what Regul Leonix, as a person, thinks, not what the voices calling for the extermination or domination of the Romal people think.」
Regulus stopped smiling for the first time since he had entered the room, his eyes fixed on Amria’s, who was looking straight at him.
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