"If you want to handle this on your own, then you have my permission."
King Selibirt spoke without the slightest hesitation. At that point, he had great confidence in Leon's abilities, both in war strategies and in protecting the kingdom. The councilors also agreed without raising any objections. Normero simply nodded before handing Leon a letter.
"This letter contains all the information we've gathered so far about the suspicious individuals."
"Thank you, Councilor Normero."
With a simple nod, the meeting continued. Although that matter had been resolved, it did not change the fact that the attacks in the western region remained a huge problem. Even if the enemy's true plan was to invade Senial, there was still the possibility that other cities could become targets. After hearing a few more reports about the enemy knights and mages, Selibirt made a decision immediately.
"I've decided that, to resolve the problems in the west, we'll send one Elemental, four Rank Nine mages, and one of the councilors to accompany them. For now, that will be enough. Little by little, without weakening our main forces, I'll send more knights to reinforce the defensive line."
The Elemental chosen for the mission was Darius Grom, the Earth Elemental. Among the Five Elementals, he undoubtedly possessed the greatest defensive power. Upon hearing his name, he simply raised his hand in a casual gesture.
"I'll do a good job, Your Majesty."
"Excellent. As for the cities that may be invaded, I'll send messages to each city's leader so they can discreetly investigate any suspicious activity. Aeron, you'll be responsible for delivering that information."
"I'll be quick, sir."
Aeron raised his hand with an enthusiastic smile. He was the youngest among the Five Elementals and possessed wind-enhanced speed capable of surpassing even Kae's. His green hair was always messy, and in the original story, he had become one of the reincarnated protagonist's most loyal followers.
'Well... they haven't even met yet.'
"As for the remaining councilors and Elementals, continue protecting your respective regions. The next three days will be extremely important because my son, Chief Councilor Normero, and I are preparing a strategy against the enemy kingdom. Hold back all attacks until then and await my orders. Understood?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Aeron was the first to disappear from the meeting room. Lyren merely let out a sigh as she watched the young man's enthusiasm. It was impressive how he managed to remain so energetic even after having participated in a war.
'The worst part is that, with all that enthusiasm, he's the perfect assassin.'
She turned her gaze toward Leon with a clearly displeased expression. A few moments later, Darius appeared beside her wearing the exact same irritated look. Before Leon could ask what was wrong, Kae, who had already reached the door, looked over his shoulder and decided to answer.
"They're upset because you managed to get a wife before either of them found a romantic partner."
"Who asked you to butt in, idiot?"
"I expected nothing less from someone so cold when it comes to romance."
The two of them turned their faces away, annoyed by the comment, but the Lightning Elemental simply ignored them and continued walking toward the exit. At that moment, Alistair calmly stood up from the table and motioned for Leon and Kae.
"I need to talk to both of you."
Both Leon and Kae nodded and began following the prince. Before leaving the room completely, Leon cast one last glance over his shoulder, wearing a small arrogant smile.
"Don't be sad. I'll invite you to the wedding."
Veins bulged on both of their foreheads as they seemed to explode with rage at that very moment. Selibirt and Normero watched the scene as though they were looking at two children arguing over something trivial.
"Damn it... I'll challenge that guy to a duel right now and tear his head off!"
"I'll help you, Miss Lyren! We can't let that arrogance go unpunished! That bastard..."
Hearing the shouting coming from the room, Leon, Kae, and Alistair covered their ears and continued walking, completely ignoring all the insults the two of them kept yelling. Only after they had reached a safe distance did they remove their hands from their ears, preserving the peace—and the purity—of their hearing.
[When I read the story of how the three of them became so resentful toward one another, I sometimes even forget they were friends since childhood.]
'That's true.'
Before Alistair met Leon, he was already friends with Kae. When he introduced his savior to his childhood friend, the three of them began spending time together and eventually grew close. However, Leon never considered either of them a true friend, and Kae felt the same way. To both of them, they were simply very close acquaintances who got along well. The only one who genuinely viewed that relationship as a friendship was Alistair. Even so, at that moment, the person the prince trusted the most was Leon.
"You can sit down. I want to talk about something serious."
Alistair sat at the table with a neutral expression. Both Leon and Kae became curious upon seeing him like that. If he was being so serious, then the subject truly had to be important. Calmly taking their seats, both of them focused their full attention on the prince, who looked to the side while maintaining his serene and naturally handsome expression.
[He's so handsome.]
'Why don't you keep your thoughts inside your own head instead of saying them in mine?'
[Never. I'll always be like this.]
As the System was being irritating as always, Leon began paying closer attention to Alistair's expression. It looked as though he wanted to let out a sigh but was holding himself back for some reason.
'It's as if he's...'
"You know, I need your opinion. Lately, I've become interested in a girl."
Kae's and Leon's expressions turned bewildered for a brief moment before both of them returned to normal. The two picked up the cups of coffee that had been served a few moments earlier by a butler. In the middle of a war, that topic seemed completely irrelevant to Leon. Of course, he had managed to get a wife, but his situation was completely different.
"I'm surprised... but I have to admit that I'm interested in a girl too."
The coffee cup in Leon's hand trembled slightly when he heard Kae's words. As far as he knew, the two of them should have been starting to fall in love with the reincarnated protagonist. That was exactly what had happened in the original story and what would eventually become the main reason for the rivalry between them. Before the reincarnated protagonist appeared, the chosen one should have been Elara, but since her place had been taken, that would no longer happen.
'If the two of them had fallen in love with Elara, I'd kill both of them right now.'
[Calm down. Remember, you're Enrico, not Leon.]
'Right... Thanks for bringing me back.'
Leon took a deep breath, mentally wiping away the sweat he had almost imagined running down his forehead after allowing a bit of his irritation to slip through his expression. Then he took a sip of coffee to calm himself while the prince continued speaking.
"Really? We already know who Leon likes, so I'll reveal the girl I'm interested in."
'Seriously? I wanted to finish this conversation quickly so I could carry out my mission...'
"Her name is Daniela Bonis."
The instant he heard those words, Leon spilled part of his coffee onto the table and immediately turned his head toward Kae. The expression of the man who was supposed to be the reincarnated protagonist's romantic partner remained completely neutral, but what truly caught Leon's attention was the cup in his hand. It had shattered under the force of his fingers. Leon was still able to hide his own reaction very well, while the System went completely crazy inside his mind.
[Wait... Alistair never liked Daniela]
'What the hell is happening to this story?'