Just as Jean predicted, various forces began to converge on the Kingdom of Amuria. However, since all of them were former members of the Amuria Federation, it was difficult to determine who were allies and who were enemies.

“It’s great that both allies and enemies are gathering, but what do we do next, Jean?”

“First, we’ll have President Ranelle make an announcement. We’ll assess the situation based on how they respond.”

“What exactly should I say?”

Ranelle, unsure of Jean’s intentions, asked with a puzzled expression.

“Let’s see… Something like, ‘All loyal members of the Amuria Federation, gather in the southern part of the castle town.’ That should do.”

“I see, so those who gather without hesitation are our allies, right?”

“You idiot, it’s not that simple. The enemy’s goal is to take Ranelle’s life. Of course, they’ll pretend to be allies and try to get close.”

“Then what’s the point of the announcement?”

“I told you, we’re watching their reactions. Listen, those who truly care about President Ranelle won’t overthink it. They’ll just follow the instructions and move quickly. The ones pretending to be allies will take a moment to scheme, so they’ll start moving slightly later.”

Jean’s reasoning always impressed others, and Ranelle nodded in agreement.

Preparations were quickly made, and Ranelle’s message was broadcasted with extended external output so that all forces could hear it. The response of the forces was carefully observed. The first to move were the forces on the western side, followed by those stationed in the northeast. These two forces showed no hesitation. However, the other forces did not move immediately. As Jean had predicted, it seemed they were contemplating something after hearing Ranelle’s words.

After a brief delay, some of the other forces also began to move. Although their actions appeared decisive, Jean noticed something suspicious.

“That unit’s movements seem suspicious…”

Following Jean’s comment, Amuria pointed out, “It looks like some of them have no intention of disarming. You can even see the tension from here, as if they’re heading into enemy territory.”

On the surface, there shouldn’t be any enemies among the gathered forces, yet some units were still in combat mode. They were clearly maintaining a state of readiness with their weapons, and there was a noticeable unease in their movements, indicating they felt some kind of pressure.

Apart from the units pretending to be allies, there were also forces that were openly hostile. These forces did not gather at the designated point and instead prepared for battle. Although they could attack at any moment, they hadn’t yet made a move, possibly waiting to gauge the situation.

“Those must be the coup forces. By not hiding their hostility, they aim to divert attention away from the units they’ve infiltrated with.”

“Then maybe it’s time for us to prepare for battle as well.”

“No, not yet. If we move now, we’ll only make our allied forces more suspicious. Let’s wait a bit longer until they all gather at the meeting point.”

“But if they attack suddenly, won’t we be at a disadvantage?”

“Even if we’re at a disadvantage, this Yamato won’t go down so easily. As long as Ranelle is on this ship, we’re safe.”

I’ve heard that Yamato’s armor and durability are more than five times that of Fugaku, so we should be fine. But the thought of being caught off guard and taking concentrated fire doesn’t sit well with me.