Oh~, wee back~


    Guinevere was swamped with official documents, but she received Ria in the office.


    She had a tired expression, but her eyes were sparkling. She had been staying up every knight to fiddle with her golems, Ria also heard it from the courtdies.


    You have it tough huh.


    No way. When doing your favorite thing, fatigue is something that gets tossed out the window.


    That might certainly be so.


    Ria was something that trained her swordy to the point of vomiting blood in her previous life. Then there were things such as maintainingw that tired her out.


    I want to talk with you for a bit


    Right, I also wanted to take a little break shall we take a bath together?


    Ah, sounds good.


    Although these two looked like this, they both had hobbies that resembled the others. Loving baths were one of them.


    The two entered into a huge bathtub filled with hot water.


    Sending away the courtdies, the two were the only ones in the room.


    Although Shizuna might feel danger to her body here, Guinevere knew that she wasnt Rias preference.


    Guinevere entered the bath with her hair wrapped in a towel, but Ria drifted in the tub as is.


    So, what did you want to talk about?


    Ca.


    Ria spoke about Ca at Mardass Fortress.


    I see, it does seem like something that girl would do.


    It didnt seem to be anything new for Guinevere.


    With her huge breasts floating in the hot water, she said a strong sentence.


    Do you desire her?


    Ria gulped.


    Guinevere correctly guessed what Ria was thinking. Did she have on such a lustful face?


    If you are serious, not conveying your feelings honestly is useless. Imprudent tactics are useless. However, if you seriously face her


    With her finger, the queen held up some of Rias hair.


    That girl will respond.


    I am a woman.


    It was a littlete to say it, but Ria said it. Meanwhile, the queen simplyughed.


    So what?


    You should understand too as the queen. Even at the best of times, women being together is looked at poorly, and she is a noble.


    With the queen silently urging her to continue, Ria spat out a dreary thought.


    She have an obligation to leave her bloodline. Am I wrong?


    Even if shes called her wife, it would be necessary to part if another person came up. Ria always held this resolution.


    Youre wrong. Youre not wrong, but youre wrong.


    The queen smiled mysteriously. Ria didnt like the attitude from this person that knew Ca the best.


    How am I wrong!?


    Ria unintentionally raised her voice.


    She admitted it.


    She envied this woman.


    This was a woman that knew Ca much better than herself.


    To be that angry, you must really like her


    She warded off Rias intimidation with a simple shrug of her shoulders. This was really rare.


    However, the smile that followed that up was gentle, yet somewhat lonesome. Her next words caused Ria to be speechless.


    Ill tell you that childs secret.


    The queen looked at Ria as though piercing through her. It was a forceful nce. If she looked away, she would surely be scorned.


    That girl cannot bear a child.


    Ria wasnt certain of what happened after that.


    By the time shed realized, she was in her bathrobe with her hair practically not dried at all, sitting on the bed in her room.


    This was the first time that shed been shocked to this extent about a person other than herself.


    She doesnt menstruate. The doctors say it is something natural.


    Something like that was said, but it already didnt matter.


    Ria couldnt be a man.


    Ca couldnt bear children.


    Even without a child, a person can live. She had her own resolution. She even had a previous life.


    However, Cas case was different.


    She, after knowing that she couldnt have children, decided to live for people other than herself.


    That decision was something that only Guinevere had known.


    It was something that she could only tell her best friend. Ria herself hadnt known.


    It was something she probably didnt want to talk about, though.


    Those who held Dragons Bloodline, could they live in perpetuity? This was something that Ria didnt know, however


    Ria?


    There was a knock at the door. She knew who was at the other side of the door.


    Therefore, she didnt answer.


    I heard that youd called for me


    Naturally, Ca entered the room and ced the documents in her hands on the desk. She walked up to Ria, who was still in her bathrobe.


    Your hair is still wet, isnt it.


    Ca took out a handkerchief to start wiping down Rias hair when he arm was suddenly grasped.


    Standing up, Ria restrained Ca, turned her around and pushed her down on to the bed.


    Ria?


    Even in such a situation, Cas eyes didnt waver.


    As though she could ept anything, such was her strengthor perhaps her negligence.


    I heard it from Guinevere She said that you cant have children.


    Even she knew that her voice was awfully cold.


    Yes. Thats why I did not marry.


    Indeed, she was an eternal maiden.


    She was the ideal goddess for a crooked man.


    Beautiful, never growing old, infinitely overflowing with love, and conducts herself fairly.


    The water dripping from Rias hair wet Cas face, who was still pinned down on the bed.


    You are my wife.


    With a trailing note, Ria separated her lips from Cas.


    A string of saliva connected the two.


    Some day


    Ria moaned. As though in deration.


    Some day, your body and mind will be mine. I will make it so that you cannot live without me. So that you think of no one but me.


    Saying it like a curse, Ria let go of her.


    Ca remained lying in the bed for a while, but when she got up a momentter, she simply straightened her untidy hair.


    And, still sitting on the bed, arranged Rias bathrobe that had be disheveled.


    Just barely, the tip of her finger came into contact with Rias skin.


    Of course it may have been a coincidence, but nevertheless Rias body shook from the delicately pleasant feeling.


    I live for my country and my people.


    Ca announced.


    And now, for you who lead them.


    Though it isnt what she expected, it was, as far as Ca was concerned, a confession.


    Some day, Ill allow you to captivate me.


    Bowing to Ria with what seemed like a parting threat, Ca left the room.


    Ria didnt know.


    Just how intensely did Cas heart beat by her body being under Rias?


    Ria didnt know.


    Just how much did Ca ruminate over the sweetness of Rias lips against her own?


    Ria didnt know.


    Just how much Ca already loved Ria.


    Ria didnt know.


    A few days passed since then.


    There was a report that the fortress stationed at the southern tip of Cordova that would be their bridgehead being attacked by arge army of Cordovan troops.


    Ria, with just the ogre and Casalia armies that were at hand under her g, set forth to rescue it.


    Of course, Ca followed.


    The enemys strength is around five military corps. Because it valued speed, their siege weapons and supply convoys are likely at a minimum.


    Fios report was brought by the beastkin from the Cordovan territory.


    As they werent part of Cordova even around ten years ago and were being treated as a race entirely inferior to humans, they instantly offered theirplete cooperation with Ogress.


    Ria also responded to them by admitting each tribes head as a formal noble. As for how session rights were handled among the tribes, Ria wasnt going to look into that.


    When Cordovas army learned that troops that exceeded theirs wereing, they immediately retreated.


    Although they didnt know who itsmander was, it was a wise judgement. At any rate, there were double their amount of soldiers. Moreover, 30,000 ogres.


    They should have already understood from their current fight that they wouldnt be able to win in a head-on collision.


    Itll get a little troublesome from here on huh.


    Ria muttered that, but Fio sent out a lifeboat from an unexpected direction.


    But Ria-sama, ording to Cordovas military doctrine, in the case of meeting enemy troops, so long as there is no huge reason, they will definitely be punished for retreating without doing at least a single battle.


    Interesting.


    Instinctively checking a document, Riaughed. In a sneer.


    Cordova is causing systemic fatigue.[1]


    Systemic fatigue? Whats that?


    It seemed that Fio didnt understand what it meant that well, but Ria was able to sense it clearly.


    When thinking about it, the Cordovan armys movements and rules were being upheld, but theycked the suitable military forces for it.


    War was literally a fight for blood, by blood. It was a mistake to assumeplete order and human reasoning.


    Ria felt that this war might end unexpectedly early.


    In the case of war, the quickest way to end it was to catch the statesmen.


    In addition to the beastkin, increase the human reconnaissance units as well. Moreover, spread rumors as much as possible in towns where humans reside.


    Cordova was simply a nation that had rapidly increased its territorial bounds, however, that didnt necessarily mean that it had also seized its new territories public opinions.


    Because of their oppression, if the previous feudal lords that left for the army returned, she felt that there was argepossibility of a rebellion urring.


    This time, Ria decided to end the fighting with Cordova quickly.