The girls' idea was definitely a good one, but they were still far too naive to get even with him on this kind of matter.
It was true that he had succumbed to a mundane cold. But his supernatural stamina and Authorities were all still perfectly intact. With absolutely no need to worry about his physical energy, and with the assistance of his Plundered shared-perception abilities, dealing with an ambush from his wives was effortless.
After thoroughly 'dealing' with the girls, Regulus didn't even know when he had eventually drifted off to sleep.
However, when he woke up the next morning, his condition had completely returned to normal. The throbbing headache and weakness were gone. Although the medicine Carol gave him certainly played a part, the main reason for such a miraculously quick recovery was most likely his robust, Authority-enhanced physical constitution.
He checked on the exhausted girls sprawled beside him and found no signs of them catching a fever. Thus, the short-lived cold epidemic was officially over.
He left his bedroom, stretching his arms.
"Regulus-sama."
"Sphinx, you're back."
"Mm."
Sphinx, who had been waiting in the hallway, stepped forward and lifted her head. Her petite figure, delicate face, and adorable, seemingly innocent expression truly made one want to hold her in their arms and dote on her.
Before Regulus could act on that impulse...
"I have something to report to you," she stated flatly.
"What is it?"
"It regards the whereabouts of the Demi-Human general, Valga Cromwell, and his subsequent military plans."
"Oh? For the details, let's talk as we walk."
As he spoke, Regulus effortlessly bent down and picked Sphinx up into his arms, carrying her like a princess. Next stop: the kitchen. After being 'attacked' by the girls last night, and the massive amount of energy consumed by his body's rapid recovery, his stomach had long been rumbling.
As Sphinx mechanically recounted the situation along the way, Regulus quickly grasped the specific circumstances of the enemy camp.
To be honest... it was a little troublesome.
The brutal death of Libre Fermi, combined with the total loss of their food supplies, had not only agitated the surviving Demi-Human soldiers but had also greatly stimulated General Cromwell.
As a general, Cromwell had completely lost his cool.
Lacking sufficient provisions to maintain a prolonged siege, Cromwell actually wanted to make a desperate, last-ditch effort. He planned to throw all the remaining Demi-Human soldiers into a suicidal direct counterattack against the Royal Army. If the counterattack somehow succeeded, they would get a chance to continue the standoff. If it failed, it didn't really matter.
Because Cromwell had already prepared to use his own people's slaughter as a distraction. Taking advantage of the army attracting the Kingdom's absolute attention, the giant intended to directly head to the Royal Capital and attempt a decapitation sneak attack.
'Should it be called reckless, or just a desperate gamble?' Regulus mused.
But no matter what it was, he had no standing to judge the giant's decision. Because only at this moment did he truly realize the Demi-Human race's terrifying persistence and absolute dedication to this war.
They knew better than anyone that it was mathematically impossible to overthrow the Kingdom of Lugnica now. The war would not end in their victory. So what they wanted was not victory, but simply to make the humans of the Kingdom feel profound pain, even if this pain was built upon their own total annihilation.
This was truly a headache-inducing situation.
Fortunately, the demi-human side still had Sphinx, which meant there was still a highly viable possibility of resolving the problem cleanly.
If someone could become a bridge between the Demi-Humans and the Kingdom, allowing both sides to sit down and talk properly, then the situation would surely take a turn for the better.
As for why he was so certain the humans would agree...
The King of Lugnica surely wouldn't want to see this internal strife continue to the bitter end, leading to more futile consumption of resources, would he?
As the saying goes, 'when the cannons roar, gold flows like water.' This was no joke; even in this fantasy world predominantly reliant on cold weapons and magic, the logistical cost of war was an astonishing figure.
What was even more frustrating for the nobles was that war usually brought business opportunities. But this specific war brought no external benefits at all. It was purely an internal conflict, with their own citizens fighting their own citizens. Where could plunder or new territory come from in an internal civil war?
In addition to that... Carol, who was relatively well-informed of military intelligence, had recently brought up another piece of news that was very unfavorable to the Kingdom of Lugnica.
While Lugnica was violently embroiled in internal strife, the Holy Vollachia Empire to the south—which had always been a "good neighbor"—had started making some thought-provoking small moves along the border.
For the Vollachia Empire, the current situation looked like this: their rich neighbor suddenly caught fire, and the fire was burning quite fiercely. Yet, the Divine Dragon Volcanica, who had always been Lugnica's legendary protector, showed not even the slightest movement to intervene.
Did this mean that the ancient covenant between the Kingdom of Lugnica and the Divine Dragon had undergone some unknown changes?
Similarly, despite such a major civil war, the Kingdom's ultimate weapon, the Sword Saint, was also surprisingly inactive on the front lines.
With such a golden opportunity, even if the Vollachian Emperor still had some misgivings about the Dragon, a slight military probe across the border would certainly be permissible. If the Dragon's contract was still active, large-scale invasions would be suicide. But if large actions were out, taking advantage of the chaos to snatch a few border territories and resources should still be fine.
After all, both sides were 'good neighbors', weren't they? Don't take too much, just a little. In this chaotic situation, Lugnica would have to just turn a blind eye to avoid a two-front war.
If it really came to that, it was definitely not what the King of Lugnica wanted to see.
However... to get both sides to sit down and sign a peace treaty, Sphinx alone wasn't enough. She needed to gain sufficient political influence to single-handedly lead the Demi-Human side's decisions.
Therefore, that giant fellow, Valga Cromwell, seemed somewhat superfluous to Regulus's plans.
In terms of popularity and morale alone, Cromwell was infinitely higher than Sphinx, even though Sphinx's actual combat role was clearly more significant. If Cromwell was alive, the demi-humans would never listen to Sphinx's order to surrender.
"Where is Cromwell now?" Regulus asked, snapping out of his political musings.
"He set off first and is already well on his way to the Royal Capital," Sphinx answered blankly.
"He's already left?"
'He is certainly decisive,' Regulus thought. 'But if he wasn't decisive enough, he wouldn't have been able to become a top general.'
Regulus, having made up his mind, continued walking towards the kitchen.
There was no need to rush things. The time Cromwell would need to stealthily traverse the Kingdom and reach the Royal Capital would definitely not be short, and preparations for a one-man siege would also take time. Compared to frantically rushing out to find him, filling his stomach was the immediate priority.
And it wasn't just about filling his stomach.
They say a day's plan begins in the morning. Having just woken up fully cured, Regulus's mental and physical state was exceptionally good.
Coincidentally, he also had a very cute, petite girl in his arms.
At a time like this, how could he do nothing?
But there was a slight problem. Don't let Sphinx's iconic black robe fool you; she was actually wearing several layers of practical clothes underneath. While this wouldn't be an issue when she used flying magic in combat, it was quite inconvenient for Regulus's current mood.
Sphinx, sensing the sudden shift in Regulus's gaze and the subtle change in his grip, blinked her large eyes.
Though she lacked a normal emotional spectrum and didn't quite understand the nuances of romance, her sharp intellect made her certain of one absolute fact: her new master was currently up to no good.
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