Meanwhile, inside the Mage Tower, in the Academy Office.
Rosa, who had already ascended the throne, still conducted her business here, overseeing both the Kingdom and the Academy.
Wearing a crown and a magnificent queen's robe, she sat opposite Roland.
Her crown was set with the enormous pearls and gemstones for which Lainer World was famous. Their dazzling brilliance illuminated her delicate, satin-smooth skin. Her royal robe, an enchanted garment woven from gold thread and silk, lent an increasingly regal elegance to her maturing figure and bearing.
Yet a trace of distress lingered on her lovely face. She showed none of the peaceful ease of the "flower nurtured in worldly splendor" Roland had once described.
Her Majesty had her own little troubles, too.
During the period when they welcomed Jados and Sakari, her army had fought more than a dozen battles against Feilie's Rebels, with victories and defeats on both sides.
Although reports from the front indicated that casualties were not particularly heavy, spending on supplies and equipment flowed like water, nearly draining the treasury dry.
Bandits ran rampant throughout the land, disasters and famine struck one after another, and the Lainer Kingdom also had to bear part of the cost of hunting down demons.
Even an experienced ruler who had reigned for years would have felt the strain of such a burden, let alone a novice who had suddenly been forced to shoulder it.
"The Detonation Talismans have been very successful. Several of our major victories lately came from frontline troops making proper use of them.
"But he's spent years fighting on the border, and many of the warriors under him are battle-hardened. Our newly recruited soldiers simply can't compare to them overall.
"There are also nonhuman races like Bearman and trolls among them, as well as barbarians from