Declare War on Britannia (5K) (Continued)

But Kaguya Sumeragi's next words were quite surprising.

"In that case, let's marry my husband. Marrying him as a wife would also be a marriage alliance between the Chinese Federation, the EU, and the Shadow Garden."

Kaguya Sumeragi clapped her little hands and said cheerfully.

She is no longer the little girl manipulated like a puppet by the Kyoto Six Houses. She knows very well that her husband will have many, many women around him.

Although she believed that she was no less beautiful, virtuous, or loyal than anyone else, she was helpless alone, and Jiang Lihua was arguably her best ally.

However, upon hearing this, even Yotsuba Mahiro, who had originally intended to observe from the sidelines, couldn't help but look up at Kaguya Sumeragi standing beside her.

Not to mention, Niu, as the secretary, accidentally snapped the pen in her hand.

Become Mahiro's wife?

Even Alpha hasn't accomplished this yet, so why should this greenhorn girl be able to do it?

As someone who, despite being outside the Seven Shadows, had followed Alpha and the others the longest, including Mahiro, Newe was well aware of the feelings Seven Shadows and Mahiro, especially Alpha's unconditional love.

It is said that she has already consummated her marriage with Mahiro.

However, the two were quite tacit about their status, and neither of them brought it up on their own initiative.

Therefore, Alpha didn't care much about this aspect. She simply calmly observed Kaguya Sumeragi and the soft-looking Jiang Lihua.

"My lord, isn't my suggestion a good one?"

Kaguya Sumeragi's clear voice rang out again, but she ignored the gazes directed at her, focusing solely on Yotsuba Mahiro as she awaited his answer, her eyes sparkling like stars.

But the response she received was a large hand gently stroking her head.

"I think that Xiaolihua should be the one to decide on matters like this."

Although it is a question, it is stated in a declarative tone.

Moreover, he remembered that the matter of Jiang Lihua's second marriage was not something that reporter Diethard Ried should have stirred up, so how did it become Kaguya Sumeragi who held opposing opinions?

He certainly liked Jiang Lihua; she was a typical Chinese woman with white hair and red eyes. But he didn't want to force her; that kind of thing was very tasteless.

He didn't know what the relationship between Jiang Lihua and Li Xingke was like.

Li Xingke was willing to ask me for help regarding Jiang Lihua's marriage to Britannia, so they must have a very good relationship, right?

Thinking about this, he inexplicably became irritable.

The precocious Kaguya Sumeragi could easily see through his thoughts and understand the meaning behind his words, but these words only warmed and sweetened Kaguya Sumeragi's heart.

At the very least, she didn't marry the wrong person; her husband's gentleness was consistent inside and out.

Then she said in a sweet, gentle voice:

"I understand your concerns, my lord. Love is a matter of freedom and should not be tied to interests or turned into a tool. But His Majesty the Emperor loves you, my lord, so there is no need for such concerns."

Kaguya Sumeragi's clear voice was like a spring, extinguishing the fire in his heart and nourishing the parched soul.

However, he still looked directly at the girl in front of him.

The moment Jiang Lihua met his gaze, her fair cheeks flushed crimson, and she gave a barely audible "hmm" and nodded.

After receiving the answer, he looked at Li Xingke, who was following closely behind like a guard but at a distance, with a sense of confusion.

However, the next second, Li Xingke suddenly knelt down on one knee and said:

"Mahiro, you have shown me great favor, while I have only served as a loyal subject by Her Majesty's side, protecting her."

"I see..."

Even he himself didn't notice that when he heard Li Xingke's words, a smile involuntarily appeared on his face, and he slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, my lord, do you agree?"

This time, Mahiro shook his head again, and stood up to say to Jiang Lihua in front of him:

"Lihua, I hope you've thought this through. Following me means giving up everything you have now. Your future belongs to you, so please consider it carefully. I'll come back after the war ends and everything settles down."

After saying that, he didn't give Jiang Lihua a chance to respond and directly led the group onto the airship.

Amidst the raging winds, Jiang Lihua, her skirt swaying, kept her eyes fixed on the airship until it disappeared from sight...

Everything that happened in the Chinese Federation was quickly reported to every corner of the world.

The Shadow Garden, representing the EU, swiftly breached the Zhu Jin Cheng during the Emperor's engagement ceremony, killing all the eunuchs under the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials" and eradicating the eunuch faction's power.

Although the Britannia nobles fled, they had already lost all face.

Just as they were about to retaliate, news broke that the Chinese Federation and the EU had formed a permanent alliance.

The following month, the allied forces of the EU and the Chinese Federation officially declared war on Britannia!

Under the offensive of the Shadow Garden's thirty-man squad, led by Li Xingke and Delta, one of the Seven Shadows, and coupled with the sudden betrayal of Kallen, the governor of Area 11, the former Area 11 of Britannia was completely occupied in just one week.

As a remnant of the Kyoto Six Houses Families, Kaguya Sumeragi also announced to the world that after liberation, Japan would be renamed the 'Japan Special Administrative Region' and join the European Union. She then married Yotsuba Mahiro, the chairman of the EU Supreme Alliance Conference, and the world situation suddenly changed drastically!

These sudden and unexpected news reports threw Britannia into chaos. Emperor Charles did not appear in court, but instead continued to manage the affairs of the empire as Chancellor Schneizel.

With his methods, he quickly quelled the internal chaos.

However, the outside world is in complete chaos.

First, the rebel forces in the numbered regions, after receiving support from the EU, launched various uprisings again. Unlike the minor skirmishes of the Black Rebellion, they completely seized the Governor's Palace and killed the Governor of Britannia.

However, Schneizel had no time to pay attention to these things, because there were more important matters to attend to.

That means the EU and the Chinese Federation are really marching into Britannia!

"Then this unit is entrusted to you, Miss Leila."

"Yes!"

Inside the office, Yotsuba Mahiro sat at her desk, speaking in a businesslike tone.

Dappled sunlight streamed through the window and into the room, illuminating the fine dust particles in the air.

Sitting against the light, his expression was obscured, but his gentle voice was enough to suggest a tender demeanor. He didn't seem like a general facing war with seriousness, but rather someone strategizing and casually chatting about something insignificant.

The woman standing opposite him, however, was remarkably dashing and heroic.

Her long, beautiful hair cascaded down her back, and her combat uniform made her look heroic and dignified, but the black knee-high boots that accentuated her slender, fair legs added a unique charm to her overall look.

Perhaps that's what it means to be both cool and alluring.

Like Cornelia, she possesses the same princess-like qualities, but unlike Cornelia, she lacks Cornelia's allure and is instead more innocent.

However, when he heard about the mission from Yotsuba Mahiro, his usually serious face became even more tense and cautious.

"Alright, don't be so tense. Just treat it as a simple combat mission."

Mahiro waved his hand, signaling her to relax.

But Lera didn't see it that way. Could a full-scale war against Britannia really be considered a simple combat mission?

Then there's probably nothing difficult in this world.

Mahiro understood, so he didn't dwell on the matter any further. Instead, he gestured for the other person to sit down and continued:

"The purpose of calling you here today is secondary; the main thing is to ask about your future plans."

When Lera, who had just sat down, heard him say that, a look of surprise appeared on her bright face.

"Like I said, relax. I heard you've been on Penglai Island for over half a year now, so you should know that I'll be leaving after this war, right?"

Leila was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then nodded.

Alpha did mention this to her; they would leave after they finished what they needed to do.

"So, I want to ask you, are you willing to accept the current EU?"

"..."

Leila pursed her lips in silence.

She had expected the other person to tell her about this, but she didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

Moreover, frankly, she doesn't think she'd be able to handle taking over the EU.

If it were the old EU, things would be fine, but the current EU, under the governance of the Shadow Garden, is well-organized, and it can even be said that in terms of national strength, it is comparable to Britannia, the country with the largest land area and known as the Britannia on which the sun never sets.

Is it really okay for me to take over such a behemoth?

Leila looked somewhat bewildered.

"It's okay, it's alright if you can't answer right away, I have another option."

His words immediately caught Leila's attention.

"Another option is, would you like to join the Shadow Garden?"

"Hey hey hey? I, I..."

Leila was momentarily panicked, as if she hadn't expected the other person to say such a thing at this moment. Her fair face flushed red instantly, and her heart started beating much faster.

Shadow Garden...

Isn't that the harem garden of the person standing before me?

If I were to join now, wouldn't that mean...?

"What's wrong with you?"

Mahiro tilted his head in confusion.

Leila waved her hand in a panic, saying she was fine, but she didn't look like she was alright at all.

He only wanted Leila to join him because he saw that she was indeed a good trainer, and that she could help with training on Mashima Island in the future.

I guess I do have a bit of a collecting habit.

Little did she know that during the days he was in a coma, Alpha and the others had been constantly telling Leila how great he was.

Beta even showed Leila his meticulously written biography.

Subtly, Leila, who was originally devoted to the army, developed a lot of goodwill towards him, who was unconscious.

During his coma, Leila also took on many tasks to care for him. When she saw his handsome and gentle face, Leila's heart was already captivated.

However, Mahiro was unaware of all this and only thought that the girl in front of him had suddenly fallen ill.

"Is it because you're unwilling?"

"No, I just... Could you please give me some time to think about it?"

After hesitating for a moment, Leila whispered that she was naturally overjoyed to be able to join the Shadow Garden, but in the current turbulent situation, she was unable to make the right choice.

"Alright, I understand. Let's discuss this after we defeat Britannia. I admire your talent."

Leila was initially touched by his understanding, but upon hearing the second half of his sentence, her body suddenly stiffened.

The blush on her cheeks quickly faded, and her slender eyes narrowed slightly.

He asked in a somewhat serious tone:

"May I ask, what is your purpose in having me join the Shadow Garden?"

"Nothing special, I just hope you can help me train my men or something. Nothing special. If you're worried I might harm you, don't worry, I respect everyone and I wouldn't do that to you."

He added this sentence specifically.

As soon as she finished speaking, the atmosphere around Leila gradually became tense.

After saying "Okay, I understand," he slammed the door and left.

Yotsuba Mahiro: "???"

Looking at the tightly closed door, Mahiro was puzzled.

Did I say something wrong?

"Of course you're wrong, and you're so wrong it's astounding, kid."

Another voice in the room picked up where he left off. CC, who had somehow wandered in, was sitting on an inconspicuous sofa in the corner. Seeing Leila leave, she stood up and gracefully approached Yotsuba Mahiro.

There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Wrong? Where did I go wrong? And when did you come in?"

Perhaps he was so engrossed in his conversation with Leila that he didn't even notice this woman.