The Regressed Tyrant Princess Rewrites Her Dark History - Chapter 1.10

Chapter 3.1

Ariadne and her knights, having entrusted the security of Rosewood to Wilfried’s forces, promptly returned to the royal capital. However, instead of entering the city, they set up a temporary camp outside the gates.

After all, under no circumstances could they risk bringing the plague into the capital.

Despite this precaution, a summons soon arrived from the royal castle. After receiving healing magic to eliminate any possibility of carrying the plague, Ariadne dressed appropriately and made her way to the conference room within the castle.

Gathered there were King Raphael, his sons—Prince Arnold and Prince Siegbert—along with influential nobles and the commanders of the Royal Knights.

They were already engaged in a heated debate. Amidst the discussion, Arnold noticed Ariadne’s arrival, rose from his seat, and walked over to greet her.

“Princess Ariadne, I heard you went to Rosewood to deal with the plague. Has the town stabilized?”

“Yes, the worst has passed. But if you are asking me this, it seems that you were not the one who summoned me, Prince Arnold.”

“Indeed. Though, of course, I was worried about you…”

His eyes conveyed a silent message—he had no intention of hindering her actions. Feeling an unexpected warmth at his words, Ariadne’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she averted her gaze.

Her eyes then met Wilfried’s across the room.

“Why, if it isn’t Princess Ariadne,” Wilfried said with a smirk. “I heard that in Rosewood, you worked tirelessly to maintain order until my knights arrived. I appreciate your efforts.”

Though he spoke words of gratitude, his expression carried a sly amusement. He clearly knew what had transpired in Rosewood.

His words, though indirect, were a thinly veiled insult—Thank you for being my stepping stone.

To those unaware of the situation, it might have sounded like simple courtesy. But everyone present knew that Wilfried would never sincerely thank Ariadne.

All eyes turned to her, waiting to see how she would respond. A hush fell over the room.

Ariadne simply smiled.

“I am relieved.”

“…Relieved?”

Wilfried’s smirk twisted slightly.

“Yes. After all, when I first arrived in Rosewood, the soldiers had abandoned their duties. I even wondered if they were deliberately trying to spread the plague.”

“W-What!?”

“So, I was truly relieved to see that Marquis Wilfried’s knights had managed to bring the situation under control.”

It was a scathing remark—implying that she had initially suspected Wilfried’s relative, the town’s governor, of intentionally spreading the plague, only to later realize that he was merely incompetent.

Wilfried undoubtedly understood her meaning.

But that was not all.

Ariadne had not just criticized him; she had planted a seed of doubt in the minds of those listening.

That seed would take root and spread soon enough.

Turning away from Wilfried, Ariadne curtsied gracefully to the king.

“Ariadne, I appreciate your swift arrival. It was I who summoned you.”

“It has been some time, Your Majesty. If I recall correctly, this meeting concerns military affairs. May I ask why I was called?”

Before her regression, Ariadne had naturally attended military meetings, backed by Carla and acting as Siegbert’s strategist.

Now, however, she had no reason to be included in such discussions.

That meant—

“I suggested it,” Siegbert spoke up. “I thought your insights would be valuable.”

At his words, Ariadne tensed slightly but quickly composed herself. Maintaining a neutral expression, she asked, “May I ask why?”

“Marquis Wilfried seemed troubled.”

So, they had issued the recall order to force her to hand over control—an attempt to put Wilfried in her debt. If that was the case, then her strategy to sow discord might not have been as effective as she had hoped.

Just as she reached this conclusion, Siegbert continued.

“Besides, you were the one who informed Mother that a neighboring country was involved in the recent attack, weren’t you? If so, I assumed you must have already been monitoring their movements.”

At that moment, Ariadne realized—her planted seeds had begun to sprout.

The fact that Siegbert had said a neighboring country was involved rather than only a neighboring country meant that they had found additional evidence—evidence leading back to Wilfried.

(Even so, they’re still trying to keep Wilfried in their favor… How calculating. Was this Queen Carla’s advice?)

It was a possibility.

But one thing was certain—Siegbert was growing more astute.

“As you say, I have gathered some information on the neighboring kingdom.”

Though she remained wary, she answered his question.

However, the one who reacted was not Siegbert, but Wilfried.

“Hmph. If it’s only some information, we’ve already looked into it. The Avellia Theocracy has gathered around 3,000 troops along the border. Their forces consist of knights, mages, and soldiers in a mixed formation. Hardly a threat to Granheim.”

His tone was arrogant.

Hearing this, Ariadne bowed her head slightly.

“My apologies for underestimating your knowledge.”

Then, a small smile played on her lips.

“It seems, however, that there is a significant gap between what I consider ‘some’ information and what you do, Marquis Wilfried.”

“What did you say!?”

Wilfried’s voice rose in anger as he took a step toward her.

Before he could approach, Siegbert blocked his path. Though Wilfried shot him a look of frustration, Siegbert ignored him and gestured for Ariadne to continue.

“The Avellia Theocracy is a religious nation. As the birthplace of the First Saint, faith runs deep among its people. As such, even commoners possess the ability to use healing magic.”

“You mean… even their knights can use healing magic?”

“Even their foot soldiers.”

Healing magic, for most, was limited to treating minor wounds.

However, in a world where medical advancements were lacking, even that small ability made a significant difference.

Before her regression, the war between Granheim and Avellia had shown a stark contrast in the recovery rate of wounded soldiers.

“The Avellian knight order is heavily armored and lacks mobility. However, the border region consists of wooded hills. They will likely use the terrain to their advantage. Additionally, they possess an elite mage unit. If we engage them head-on, we will face a difficult battle.”

The Avellia Theocracy’s signature strategy involved using the terrain to hinder enemy mobility while launching magical assaults on their rear lines.

Before her regression, Granheim had been unaware of this tactic and suffered greatly as a result.

“Given our national strength and military power, victory is assured as long as we prepare a proper strategy. However, if we rush into war without countermeasures, we will suffer severe losses.”

Ariadne’s expression was grim as she spoke.

In the initial battle, the enemy had gained momentum, devastating the towns and villages along the border. Refugees fleeing the destruction had spread disease, which eventually reached the Granheim army as well.

It was a bitter defeat—Ariadne’s first taste of true failure.

Of course, in the end, they had won.

Under Carla’s guidance, a series of carefully devised strategies had restrained the enemy, eventually allowing them to invade the Avellia Theocracy’s royal capital.

As a result, both Siegbert and Ariadne had earned great renown.

However, the cost had been high. The losses suffered by their own forces, combined with the spread of disease, had led to a prolonged decline in the nation’s strength.

For Ariadne, it was a debut battle filled with regret.

As she conveyed the threat posed by the enemy based on her past experience, the detailed assessment of Avellia’s military capabilities left the room in silence. Before long, Raphael cleared his throat.

“…I see. A formidable opponent indeed. However, Ariadne, you seem to be speaking as though the Avellia Theocracy is certain to invade Granheim.”

“Yes. That is my prediction.”

“Their intentions have not yet been confirmed. Do you have any concrete information?”

“Some of my reasoning is based on conjecture… but may I share it nonetheless?”

At her question, Raphael gave a firm nod.

Ariadne then presented what she knew.

The fall of the Restoul Empire had disrupted the balance of power, but she was not foolish enough to mention that here.

Instead, she simply stated the crucial fact—the king of Avellia had fallen.

“The King of Avellia has fallen?”

Raphael’s expression turned to one of shock, and he glanced at the others in the room for confirmation.

Yet, not a single person nodded.

Even in her previous life, Ariadne had only learned of this after the fact. It was no surprise that no one in Granheim had knowledge of it at this stage.

Before anyone could question the credibility of her claim, she continued.

“This is only speculation, but I have heard that the First Prince of Avellia is extremely aggressive. I suspect he is trying to gain the upper hand in the succession struggle against his younger brother.”

Launching a war against a neighboring nation to build a military record—an absurd notion from the perspective of commoners, but one that made perfect sense to those involved in governance.

Still, Raphael pressed further.

“Ariadne, do you have any concrete evidence to support this theory?”

“It was Avellia’s agents who orchestrated the attack on Queen Carla and me.”

She met Raphael’s gaze as she declared this.

The revelation sent a wave of shock through the room, but Ariadne did not avert her eyes.

As their gazes remained locked, Siegbert suddenly spoke.

“Father, we have also verified this matter on our end.”

“…Oh? So you support Ariadne’s claim?”

His tone was probing.

Siegbert shook his head slowly.

“I cannot vouch for the accuracy of all her information. However, there are undeniable traces of Avellia’s involvement. Moreover, it is a fact that their military has begun to move.”

“Then we must make preparations.”

Regardless of the details, the necessity of deploying the military was now undeniable.

At that moment, Wilfried was the first to speak up.

“Indeed, King Raphael and Prince Siegbert are correct. In that case, it would be most appropriate for Prince Siegbert to take command.”

Wilfried framed his statement as a logical conclusion based on Raphael and Siegbert’s stance.

But in reality, it was a maneuver—a calculated move to ensure that Siegbert, the favored heir of the Second Prince faction, would lead, thereby blocking any political advantage for the First Prince faction.

As expected, the nobles supporting the Second Prince quickly voiced their agreement.

This was exactly how it had unfolded in her previous life.

If things proceeded as before, Raphael would approve the decision, and Siegbert would lead the knights to battle.

But Ariadne could not accept that outcome.

She could not allow Granheim to suffer heavy losses again.

Nor could she allow Siegbert to claim another victory and solidify his position in the royal succession.

And so—she met Arnold’s gaze.

He understood her intent immediately and raised his voice.

“Your Majesty, I also wish to lead troops into battle.”

“What!? Are you implying that Prince Siegbert alone is not enough!?”

Wilfried feigned outrage.

But Arnold remained composed.

“If Princess Ariadne’s words are true, then this is no foe to be underestimated. Should we not take every precaution?”

His words carried an unspoken warning—if the Second Prince faction refused cooperation and the war ended in disaster, would they be prepared to bear the consequences?

No one wanted Arnold to have an opportunity to distinguish himself.

Yet, opposing him outright meant shouldering the full risk of failure.

Unwilling to take responsibility, the Second Prince’s faction fell silent, hoping someone else would speak against him.

It was Raphael who finally broke the silence.

“Arnold’s reasoning is sound. However, there is a risk in sending both heirs to war at the same time. Siegbert, what do you think?”

Murmurs spread among the assembled factions.

The Second Prince’s supporters were uneasy—by consulting Siegbert, Raphael was making him personally responsible for the decision.

Meanwhile, the First Prince’s supporters were unsettled because Raphael had granted Siegbert the authority to decide.

Under their watchful gazes, Siegbert finally spoke.

“The border where Avellia has amassed its forces falls within the territory of my supporters. Therefore, I believe it is only natural that I should lead the army.”

“Hmm. That is a fair point. Then, do you reject Arnold’s involvement?”

Siegbert hesitated.

If he rejected Arnold outright and the battle went poorly, he would bear full responsibility.

Moreover, Ariadne had already warned them that the enemy was far more formidable than they had anticipated.

Yet, he also suspected that Ariadne was manipulating the situation.

Thus, he could not give a straightforward answer.

Instead—

“…Prince Arnold may oversee the supply lines.”

His response was deliberately ambiguous.

It allowed Arnold to participate while ensuring he had no opportunity for glory.

The Second Prince’s faction murmured in approval, while the First Prince’s supporters scowled.

Arnold, too, likely found this development frustrating.

Or so Ariadne thought—until she noticed that he remained remarkably composed.

Then, he turned to her and asked, “What do you think, Princess Ariadne?”

(Does he realize my intentions? No… that’s impossible. Then why…?)

Ariadne was momentarily bewildered.

But as Arnold gazed at her with quiet confidence, she understood—he was placing his trust in her.

Her amethyst eyes trembled slightly before she spoke, as if to mask her emotions.

“Logistics are a crucial factor in determining the outcome of war. I am certain that Prince Arnold will fulfill his role admirably.”

By publicly supporting his position, she subtly strengthened his authority.

The First Prince’s faction showed faint signs of displeasure, but Arnold readily accepted the decision.

Thus, the roles in the coming war were set.

Whether they would receive praise or scorn when it was over, even Ariadne could not yet say.