# Ivan Petrovich
Ivan was staring intently at the club room blackboard with a hollow expression.
Yu-jin finished writing on the board and turned around. He had copied down exactly what was displayed in the quest window.
[??? Level Quest, Dark Clouds Looming Over Tilles.]
"Tilles, huh."
Ivan groaned briefly. It was something that happened within the expected range, yet something he had secretly hoped wouldn't happen.
All nations of the United Kingdom carry the risk of civil war.
That was Ivan's tentative conclusion. Perhaps it was inevitable. The demon race could no longer create any kind of "threat" with their power alone.
The Demon King and about half of the Seven Dragon Generals had died in the war, while the remaining Dragon Generals barely managed to gather their subordinates and retreated beyond the border.
They probably wouldn't attempt to seize power again until the Hero Party disappeared with the passage of time. After all, even those who called themselves gods now knew they could die.
Therefore, in this era, the Seven Dragon Generals had to be wary not only of the Hero but also of each other. Now that it was revealed that even Dragon Generals weren't immortal, they were too greedy to simply join hands peacefully.
So for a crisis requiring the "Hero Party" to emerge once again in this era, demons alone wouldn't be enough.
'Both Krasilov and Droan have faced threats of civil war.'
Although it ended too quickly, the Droan rebels had attempted to kidnap Asidis. If they had succeeded, a war would have broken out between Einar and Krasilov.
If the Droan jarls had staged a massive rebellion in the meantime, Krasilov would certainly have attempted to ally with them. Einar was too threatening an opponent to keep as an enemy.
After Einar's death, Droan would split apart again. The current Droan is a unified kingdom held together solely by Einar's powerful charisma. There is no future for the next generation.
'On Krasilov's northern front, dwarves would have risen up alongside necromancers.'
If everything had followed this scenario, Krasilov would have collapsed within 10 years. Just like Droan.
Would it be an exaggeration to assume that such incidents are occurring simultaneously around the world? Probably not.
'It's common sense that you prevent world destruction right before graduating from the academy.'
Sadly, according to the conventions of the academy genre, protagonists can never fully graduate. Since Harry Potter's dropout in his final year until the establishment of academy as a genre, the probability of a protagonist graduating has converged to less than 5%.
[You have detected a conspiracy circulating among the Tilles nobility. The seeds of a long-standing conflict, stretching from the eastern front in the past, are just now igniting.]
The eastern front. Though he hadn't directly participated in that theater, records showed it was a full-scale battle involving orcs and taurus heavy infantry.
Even Tilles' cavalry, considered superior to any other military branch of other countries in mobility and impact, couldn't easily stop the demon army's advance during that time.
It's highly likely that some faction of the demon army from that period and nobles plotting rebellion have joined hands. Just like in this country.
"Well done."
Ivan rose from his seat and spoke briefly.
Not making judgments on his own, confirming the severity of the situation, identifying not just a simple "demon spy" but uncovering a deeper scenario.
All thanks to this guy's competence. Ivan looked at Yu-jin with fresh eyes.
Indeed, the status window is more useful than expected.
"If this is part of the scenario progression as you said, shouldn't we take the protagonists with us?"
"That's right."
"All of them, with the same personnel?"
"That won't be necessary."
Taking the entire Hero Party would be too many, difficult to manage, and meaningless.
Lucia is significantly ahead of the other party members in terms of growth. That's because she's been training under Enrique's previous disciple. Therefore, Lucia is excluded.
She would be the most reliable person for a two-person mission, but conversely, in this kind of group battle, Ivan could more skillfully handle everything Lucia could do.
In other words, their positions overlap. It can't be helped since both learned from Enrique.
And Lundis is a dwarf. While that might not matter in Krasilov, in other countries, dwarves were still considered part of the demon army. Taking Lundis on an expedition to another country would require national-level support.
"You need to come along too."
"...What?"
"We'll need the status window."
The current Hero Party doesn't have a priest. Although Yu-jin doesn't have many types of blessings he can use, the existence of the status window more than compensates for all those shortcomings.
That means the party members will be Isabelle, Elfihera, Oskar, Asidis, and Yu-jin.
Yu-ri can be substituted for Oskar, and Oswald can replace Elfihera in the same role, but Oskar will definitely be needed for this mission.
Having roughly completed his planning, Ivan tidied up his place and stood.
"Gather the personnel and complete preparations for departure."
"What about you?"
"Report."
This scenario goes beyond his jurisdiction. Moreover, since Tilles was not even a potential enemy but an allied nation, there were issues with him operating freely there.
It could potentially trigger a serious diplomatic issue. Even for the Annihilation Squad, in this situation, prior authorization was necessary.
Fortunately, it shouldn't be too difficult. Just as he trusts Elizabeta, she also trusts him.
# Permission
After reading the report to the end, Elizabeta buried herself deep in her chair and sighed. She pressed her brow firmly for a moment before opening her mouth in a small voice.
"I will not grant permission."
"...Your Majesty."
"I'm not saying I'm rejecting it, Vanka. I will not grant permission."
She opened her eyes, concluding firmly. Her sharp eyes, always piercing, seemed even more fierce today.
"I will discard this report. Do not resubmit it."
"Your Majesty."
"Am I still your sovereign?"
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
"And in the future?"
"I will remain so forever, Your Majesty."
"Then obey."
As if to say she would not allow any further argument, Elizabeta answered with a sharp voice.
Ivan, prostrated before her eyes, still did not rise. As always.
He was a man who, when he had a purpose, would definitely achieve it, and when he received an order, would definitely carry it out. That's how he had lived, and he knew no other way—single-minded to a fault.
She loved such a man. In this ever-changing world, in this frigid country, he was the only one who had always remained in the same place, just as he was at the beginning.
So Elizabeta could not drive him away. Even if he misunderstood her intentions and carried out operations on his own, she did not blame him. Because she knew that, from his perspective, everything he did was ultimately for her.
Only loyalty, only duty, only for the country.
He had lived such a life, and even if only death remained at the end, he would walk that path. In fact, he never objected even when ordered to fight and die. He simply marched forward.
Therefore, in this world, she alone cannot hate him. She cannot drive him away or treat him harshly. Because she owes him a debt greater than what this country owes him.
But how should she convince this stubborn man? If she sends him off like this, it's obvious he'll rush out saying he'll handle it himself.
"Ivan. Raise your head."
"..."
At her finally tired voice, Ivan quietly raised his head. With the magnificent interior of the chancellor's office behind her and the setting sun flowing outside the window, Elizabeta looked down at him with a tired face.
"It's too dangerous."
"It has never been otherwise."
"But in those days, you did not advance alone."
A foreign rebel force and demon activity. Why should Krasilov solve this? Does that country have no capable people? No army? Isn't Tilles a powerful nation with two members of the Hero Party still active?
There was no need to say such things. Elizabeta never says things like "Nice weather today, isn't it?" There's no need to share obvious facts. All the questions she had thought of, Ivan had already considered, and he would be prepared to refute them.
She cannot persuade him with such arguments.
"I... I... What I wanted from you was only one thing. To be by my side. That alone."
"Your Majesty."
"Enough. Listen to me."
She omits honorifics. She has no intention of standing on ceremony.
Elizabeta walked lightly to stand before Ivan. Her silver hair flowed ash-gray in the darkening room. Like the remains of something burned, tragically.
She stood quietly, looking down at Ivan.
"When your will aligned with mine, I was happy, and when your will differed from mine, I was pleased. There were times when your actions frustrated me, but your resolve never faded. That is who you are to me."
"Your Majesty."
"So I smiled even when you went against my wishes. No, I was rather glad. Because absolute power inevitably corrupts. I could be reassured that there was at least one person in this country whose actions were not according to my will."
Her hair fell over Ivan's head with a rustle.
A shadow stretched long, blocking the indoor light.
"As proof that I have not ruled alone, that I am still faithful to this country, that I have not sought power solely for my own desires. That is the meaning you hold for me. A subject who does not bend to my will, who opposes me, yet remains eternally on my side."
Her white fingers traced down Ivan's cheek and rested on his chin.
"So just this once, follow my words. It's dangerous. Everything that happens in this country is now in my hands, so whatever you do, I can take responsibility and cover for it. If you head into danger, I can support you with all the power granted to me by the Lord. But once you leave this country, you are just an ordinary soldier."
"Your Majesty. I do not overestimate my abilities."
"But you are confident in them. I too trust your abilities. I know what you can do and how far you can go. That's why I'm more worried."
Just as she believes in him, he believes in himself, so it's obvious he will push himself to the quantitative limits of his abilities.
What remains after harshly driving his body to succeed in a mission? Who can help him? In this country, Elizabeta could use all her political capital to mobilize three legions, but she cannot do so in Tilles.
There is no way to retrieve a fallen Ivan and return him to his homeland. Yet it's obvious he will be involved in such an incident.
If it were an ordinary matter, something Tilles could resolve with its own strength, Ivan wouldn't have planned to participate by directly going against her wishes.
So for her, who understands Ivan too well, she cannot send him.
In a country where members of the Hero Party are still active, how dangerous must a battlefield be if this man judges that "it's dangerous unless I go"?
"Stand up."
"..."
Ivan rose without answering. Elizabeta's gaze slowly rose. He was at least a hand span taller than her. His broad shoulders and solid muscles cast a shadow that seemed to embrace her.
His deep blue eyes looked straight down at her.
"Remove your top."
"..."
He still didn't answer. He received an order, so he follows it. Only such emotion was evident in his attitude. Swish, swish. His coat and shirt fell away, guided by his hands.
There was no sexual tension whatsoever. He was a man who treated his own body merely as a part of his arsenal, and she was the sovereign who ordered such a man to show his body.
His upper body, without a trace of fat, showing only hard muscles, tendons, and veins, was revealed under the magical light.
"You have new scars I haven't seen before."
"I got them during the last operation."
His body was like a canvas distorted by countless scars. As if a child had scribbled all over it. Old, faint, yet deep scars were densely connected like cracks in broken glass.
Lacerations, penetrating wounds, cutting marks, tears, burns, abrasions, stab wounds. Traces of every kind of injury a person could experience.
It is itself a history of struggle, medals from past military service. Among them, several distorted scars were of a kind she had never seen before.
A deep burn mark near his heart. In the shape of fingers.
"Were you struck in the heart?"
"I lost."
"Was that battle absolutely necessary?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Didn't it hurt?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Were you not troubled, nor sad, nor afraid?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Elizabeta placed her hand on his chest and smiled mournfully.
"I am sad. I am troubled, I am afraid, I am in pain. Ivan... Your body is that of a human. When used roughly, it breaks, shatters, and scatters. It is that of an ordinary person."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Knowing this, must you still go?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The answer was always the same. Yes, Your Majesty.
But in all those answers, Elizabeta could understand the intentions of this inarticulate man.
I know it is that of an ordinary person.
I know that I will die someday.
But there are things that must be done despite knowing this.
So please, Your Majesty, grant me permission.
In all those answers, there was no intention of returning safely. As always.
"Ivan."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Call me as you used to. Like in those days."
"..."
Ivan closed his mouth without answering. Elizabeta looked up into his eyes for a moment, meeting his gaze, then dropped her head again.
Soon, a low voice reached her ear.
"Elize. Trust me."
"Lord Ivan Petrovich..."
She buried her head against Ivan's chest and trembled for a moment.
After a few seconds of silence, she pushed Ivan's body away with trembling hands and turned around.
"I grant your request."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Go. And return."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Ivan silently dressed himself properly, bowed deeply, and left.
The moisture that had soaked into his chest dried quickly. As it always had.