Chapter 85

When we returned to the capital of the elves, we were greeted with cheers. Since elves love plants, there were no bouquets or garlands, but being praised by the beautiful elves was still a pleasant experience.

Moreover, it was a great honor to be welcomed to the edge of the capital by the queen herself, who praised our martial exploits.

...I do wonder, though, if it’s appropriate for a queen to hug us so openly in public.

Perhaps it was out of concern for the queen’s behavior, but Aneome, the queen’s twin sister and the commander of the elf warriors, cleared her throat modestly and said,

"Your Majesty, there are people watching."

Queen Ferret turned to her real sister and replied,

"It’s fine. Aneome, didn’t you get to see Lord Ike’s bravery on the battlefield? Let me have this moment in the capital."

With that, she hugged me tightly again.

She’s quite an unusual queen.

I don’t mind, but the intense gaze of Lilith and Saty’s cheerful smile are starting to make me nervous, so I asked her to let go. Besides, everything wasn’t over yet.

As we headed to the elf palace, I explained the situation to the queen. Ferret summarized what I had said.

"In other words, we successfully captured the enemy’s mage, but the enemy army is still very much intact, correct?"

"That’s right."

When I answered, Ferret continued,

"Then the war isn’t over yet, is it?"

She sighed. She seems to really dislike war.

"Can’t we use the guerrilla tactics from earlier to bring about peace?"

I replied that it wasn’t possible.

"Even if we don’t want to fight, they do. They were outmaneuvered by a small number of soldiers and their precious mage was captured. They’ll likely attack in a rage."

"Can’t we drive them back with guerrilla tactics again?"

"That’s unlikely. They’ll learn from their previous failure and come in a more organized force this time."

"I see, so it will come down to a direct confrontation."

"Yes, tricks won’t work anymore."

However, I added,

"The enemy will likely feel threatened after the last battle. Their advance will be slow, even slower than last time."

"What do you mean?"

Ferret asked in her graceful voice.

"As I mentioned before, our demon lord’s forces are heading this way. If everything goes well, we might be able to encircle the enemy army."

"Encircle?"

Ferret looked puzzled. It seems she knows nothing about military matters. Aneome, unable to bear it, explained to her sister,

"Basically, we can attack the enemy from both sides, Your Majesty."

Ferret murmured, "I see," but I doubt she really understood.

She looked like she was thinking, "Is encircling something delicious?"

I was exasperated by her expression, but Aneome whispered an apology to me.

"I’m sorry, Lord Ike. My sister is quite skilled in domestic affairs, but she has no knowledge of military matters. She’s probably never even held a bow."

I replied in a low voice,

"It’s better than having someone with half-baked knowledge interfere. Besides, it’s good that the sisters complement each other’s weaknesses. The sister handles domestic affairs, and the younger sister handles military matters. It’s a good balance."

Aneome bowed her head and said, "I’m honored."

It seems she has come to trust me completely after the last battle. She listens to me more than Lilith does, which is a great help.

Perhaps she noticed my thoughts, or maybe she didn’t like the idea of me and the elf princess having a private conversation, but Lilith came over uninvited.

"What are you two whispering about?"

She’s still a jealous girl, but she doesn’t seem to have any ill intentions.

"You’re still talking about the war even after just returning from the battlefield? You’ll exhaust yourself if you keep this up."

"I’m an undead, so I don’t get tired,"

I wanted to say, but Lilith was right.

The elf queen and Saty had prepared a meal to restore the spirits of the elf warriors who had returned from the battlefield. Apparently, the queen herself had cooked in the kitchen.

It was a great honor for the queen of a nation to go to such lengths. I decided to attend the feast with gratitude.

I was about to follow Lilith to the feast when Aneome quietly warned me,

"It might be best not to eat anything the queen made."

Apparently, it’s not something that can be eaten.

While she’s bad at war, diplomacy, and is a bit air-headed, her cooking is particularly terrible.

"...Indeed, she has many flaws."

I thought, but I still had to taste the food she offered. It was a matter of diplomatic etiquette and personal courtesy.

With that in mind, I headed to the feast.