Chapter 267: Yearning |
The moon shone brightly in the September night sky.
Probably because of the pitch-black walls, the entire city was illuminated as if it were floating in the darkness.
That city, Jizafork City, is the home of the Marquis Zeldomitra family, one of the five Great Noble families of the Levios Kingdom.
However, it is not a city that has been with them since the founding of the noble family, like Newnelly city for the Quordenze family. Ever since the Zeldomitra family took a major turn toward invasion and expansion under Clad Zeldomitra, they have frequently moved their capital.
In times of war, cities that were suitable as bases for invasion were their strongholds. It can be said that the concept of a home base was weak to begin with.
It was only in recent years that Jizafork City has become recognized as the home of House Zeldomitra. In order to efficiently govern the expanding territory of Zeldomitra, and to build a system capable of launching a war of invasion on a larger scale, the Head of the Zeldomitra family at the time decided to settle down in the territory’s largest city.
There are two symbolic buildings in Jizafork City.
One is the castle where the Zeldomitra family resides, and the other is a huge tower.
The giant tower was originally a religious facility for offering prayers to the great spirit of the sun. It was built from the donation of a noble family that once ruled Jizafork City to show their loyalty to the Holy High Society of Zeth.
As the time passed, and by the time the Zeldomitra family had conquered Jizafork City, the tower had completed its role. This is because, as a result of the expansion of residential areas due to population growth, it eventually became situated at the inner part of the city.
Currently, it is the only facility where you can ring a bell to announce the time.
[Sadin.]
A man appeared on the roof of the tower.
His name is Garrel Zeldomitra. He is the current Head of the Zeldomitra family, Marquis Zeldomitra.
[I knew you’d be here after all.]
The rooftop was built like a roof balcony, using the ceiling of the lower floor as the floor. This created a space that gave the impression of spaciousness.
The person who was called out was Sadin Zeldomitra, Garrel’s nephew and the next head of the family. He leaned back on his chair and whispered.
[I’m looking at the moon.]
When Sadin was thinking deeply about something, he would sometimes climb this tower in the middle of the night. He prefers this place, the closest to the moon in Jizafork.
[Do you mind if uncle joins you?]
A chair was already prepared there. He must have been expecting his uncle’s visit.
Sadin silently nodded and faced Garrel across the table. Garrel suddenly thought that it might have been a long time since he had looked at his nephew’s face so closely.
[What is it?]
[Nothing, I just thought you looked a lot like my brother when he was younger.]
Sadin’s father was the previous Head of the Zeldomitra family, and was also Garrel’s older brother.
[…Especially your voice. When I talk to you in the dark like this, I feel like I’m having a conversation with my brother.]
As the citizens had already completed their daily activities, the light of daily life had also disappeared from the city. Only the moon peeking out from between the clouds and a small amount of lighting magic illuminated the two of them.
Due to the unreliable light source, it was difficult to read his nephew’s expression. Garrel felt nostalgic when he heard a voice coming from beyond the darkness.
[Now that I think about it, my father and uncle often talked together in the middle of the night. Although it’s in a castle.]
[Sometimes it was me, and sometimes it was my brother. We talked about Zeldomitra’s future many times.]
[In that case, would you like to talk with me tonight?]
When Sadin said that, he slightly raised his hand. The civil officers standing nearby confirmed this and activated additional lighting magic. Multiple balls of light suddenly appeared, shaking off the darkness and clearly reflecting the two of them.
As it became brighter, Garrel noticed that there were documents on the table.
[…The Quordenze family?]
The map spread out in the table focuses on the central part of the continent.
[Didn’t uncle come to talk about this?]
Although he already had discussed with Zeldomitra’s knights and high-ranking officials, Sadin felt like he wanted to take a moment to talk with his uncle. And the same goes for Garrel.
[That’s right.]
On top of that map, there were a number of things that looked like coins cut out of wood. There were three types of color: red, blue, and green.
It was apparent that the nephew was considering the war between the Quordenze family and the Spierzeig family.
[What exactly happened on the Voistra Plains…?]
Garrel frowned as he looked at the pile of colored coins.
It all started right after the beginning of September. Unbelievable information arrived at Jizafork City, saying that the Quordenze’s army is besieging Othelloria City.
[Well, these are the words of a commoner. However, considering that the rumor came from Quordenze…]
The person who brought the information to the Zeldomitra family was a peddler operating across territories. His name is Gijotto.
Jizafork City officials who responded initially determined that Gijotto’s tip was a malicious hoax. The reason why the battle to conquer Othelloria started so suddenly was because it was clearly an abnormal situation. Thus, it’s not very reliable.
But, they didn’t do anything to chase Gijotto away. The drama surrounding Operation Serpent’s Fang earlier this year was still fresh in their minds, so they decided to at least listen to the story just in case.
It was by pure chance that Gijotto found out about the movements of the Quordenze’s army. He happened to be in Spierzeig territory, and was visiting a farming village near the city of Dosellan where an acquaintance lived.
After staying for about half a month, he returned to the nearest city, Dosellan, only to find that the city had been occupied by the Quordenze’s army. Suddenly thrown into an extremely incomprehensible situation, he seemed to have half panicked.
However, Gijotto was a man who would not fall for nothing. He had deep ties to Jizafork City, and he thought that this information could be sold at a high price to the Zeldomitra family.
Once the decision was made, the action was quick. He followed the trajectory of the Quordenze’s army while pretending to be a peddler. Since he made his living as a peddler, there was little suspicion of him moving around. In this way, he traveled through several cities, and eventually caught up with the Quordenze’s army, which was attacking Othelloria City.
Gijotto had no way of knowing this, but at this time the Quordenze’s army was focusing more on capturing and suppressing the city area than on chasing down the Spierzeig family who was barricaded in Othelloria Castle.
As expected, in such a situation, it would be impossible for a mere peddler to approach the city. Thus, he quickly gave up, escaped from Spierzeig territory, and hurried to Zeldomitra territory.
[In the end, it was a blessing that we were able to obtain this information so early.]
[That’s right. It’s great that we were able to know these things.]
Sadin lightly poked the red coin on the map with his finger.
[The fall of Dosellan City, the fall of Weldburg City, the fall of Balaika City…and then the attack on Othelloria City.]
The colored coins marked the cities where Gijotto actually saw the presence of the Quordenze’s army.
And in the cities located between Balaika City and Othelloria City, multiple blue coins were placed. These were the cities that Gijotto visited but was unable to confirm the existence of the Quordenze’s army.
[As expected, it’s probably a strong attack on Othelloria using the western part of the Voistra Plains.]
Red and blue coins indicate that the Quordenze’s army has not advanced south from Balaika City. In addition, the Zeldomitra’s knights predict that there will be no invasion to the southern part of the Voistra Plains, based on the movements of the armies of the Sylopea family and the Evenafis family.
Based on these facts, within the Zeldomitra family, the theory of 「Assaulting Othelloria via the west」 was considered to be the most likely theory.
[If this peddler had visited Silknoon City, we would have been able to see a little more about the war situation…]
[According to the rumors that came later, it seems that that place has also fallen.]
Garrel smiled bitterly at Sadin’s lighthearted comment.
[I see. So, that’s the rumor?]
The coins on the map were red, blue, and green. Among them, the green one was the most numerous.
[Commoners quickly inflate their stories. There’s no way we can tell the truth from this.]
Gijotto’s tips were quick. It was just a little too early. Zeldomitra officials interviewed every single person who visited Jizafork City in order to gather evidence, but it was difficult to find anyone who knew about the abnormalities in Voistra Plains.
It was only recently that they heard voices among peddlers and travelers that something had happened in Spierzeig territory. However, all of these stories were just rumors that circulated through people and had no credibility whatsoever.
[That’s a really terrible arrangement.]
Sadin agreed with Garrel and looked down at the map.
The colored coins were spread evenly across the Voistra Plains. This showed information about the fall of the city that they’ve heard from someone other than Gijotto. It is clear that over time, rumors have been exaggerated and the truth has been squashed.
It’s impossible to get a true picture of the war results based on rumors like this. Therefore, the Zeldomitra family assumed that only the testimony of Gijotto, who visited these cities first, was true, and proceeded to consider it.
[It is also possible that they were exaggerating their war results and spreading false information to other territories. For the sake of blindness. That’s what Marquis Quordenze would do.]
[This is a method typical of Luxus-dono, who is skilled at trickery.]
[The northern half of the Voistra Plains is particularly bad. If you believe the rumors, almost all the cities have fallen. Perhaps this was an attempt to hide the war situation in this area… In any case, this… I can’t read anything.]
The two of them glared at the large amount of green coins and groaned.
It has been arbitrarily attributed to a conspiracy by the Quordenze family, but in reality, it was the result of the lie that Wilk had shouted on the battlefield, [All of northern Voistra has fallen to the Quordenze], spreading. Luxus had no hand there.
[It seems like uncle thinks there’s something going on in that area. There’s some sort of plot involved.]
[The full story is still unknown, but there is no doubt that some kind of plan was in operation behind the scenes. Otherwise, I don’t think the Marquis Quordenze, who values diplomacy, would go so far as to cut short the social gathering and return to his territory.]
Just the other day, Garrel and Sadin went to the Royal Capital again. The purpose was to prepare for the usual social season, gather information and manipulate public opinion. The future invasion policy of the Zeldomitra family will be greatly influenced by the actions of the Levios family after all.
Garrel wanted to avoid taking Sadin, the next head of the family, to the Royal Capital where the priest attack incident had occurred not too long ago. However, due to Sadin’s strong wishes, he had no choice but to grant permission.
There were also benefits. This is because Sadin has a good relationship with Prince Dunkel. Considering that King Lugain Levios was rumored to be lying in bed after the attack, it was more likely that his son Dunkel would appear on the public stage as the representative.
[He left midway? I didn’t really get the impression that he was planning anything.]
Sadin recalled Luxus-dono coming to greet him as he left the capital. No matter how much Sadin thought about it, he couldn’t find an answer to what kind of deception was lurking behind that fearless smile.
[It’s not surprising if you consider that leaving the capital midway was part of the plot. For Marquis Quordenze, he might be just returning home as planned.]
Garrel took a deep breath and continued.
[I’ve heard that the war situation was in Quordenze’s favor, but it seems like things have changed quite a bit now. Are they worried about interference from other families and wanted an early conclusion? That’s a bold thing for Marquis Quordenze to do.]
It was a blunt statement. It’s only natural that Garrel himself didn’t believe in that idea.
Since he has interacted with Luxus before, he understood some of his personality. That’s why he felt that the Quordenze family’s move this time was strange.
The reason why Garrel went out of his way to say it out loud was to convince himself. But, the fact is, something is happening in the Voistra Plains.
[We know they moved. …..but still unsure who incited the move.]
Garrel turned his attention to his nephew who was making suggestive remarks.
[Wilk Quordenze, huh.]
Sadin smiled slightly, as if affirming that answer.
[Uncle, you say something about interference from other families, but the Levios family isn’t in that situation right now. Even if there is interference, isn’t it still a long way off?]
[That’s right… Of course, I would guess that it’s the Marquis Quordenze.]
[In that case, wouldn’t Luxus-dono think of crushing Spierzeig in a big decisive battle while maintaining his advantage in the battle situation? There is no point in rushing the battle now, and there is no need to gamble. I’m sure for certain Duke Galfis agrees with me.]
This is what Sadin has been claiming for some time. He may not know what the real plan was, but he doesn’t think there is anyone other than Wilk Quordenze who would make such a mysterious and big move.
Sadin’s smile deepened.
[Although it was a small amount, I was able to deepen my friendship with Wilk-dono at the May social gathering. At the evening party, I felt his strong will to overthrow the Spierzeig.]
The Zeldomitra family interacted with the Quordenze family at the Royal Capital social event held in May. For this reason, Garrel also had a conversation with Wilk. However, at that time, it had not been long since the intimidation battle between Wilk and Orshian, so they were only able to have a casual conversation so as not to provoke anything strange.
On the other hand, Sadin attended the meeting of next heads that was held during the evening party, so he was able to have a more in-depth conversation with Wilk.
[I’ve heard that many times. Apparently, he was determined to defeat Spierzeig with his own hands.]
[Yes. Wilk-dono didn’t really agree with our proposal.]
The proposal is an invasion of Saint Navenpos led by the Zeldomitra and Levios families.
The plan is to destroy the independent noble houses of the Umon Islands that are a hindrance to the Zeldomitra family, and open the road to the Holy City of Maguaose by amassing the Kingdom’s noble forces. In return for agreeing to this proposal, the Quordenze family was offered a system of cooperation against the Spierzeig.
[There was no ground to attach to.]
Then, Sadin’s fake smile broke and he started laughing at the memory.
At the next family head meeting, Sadin and Dunkel raised the topic of invading the Holy City several times, but Wilk-dono remained in the opposite position until the end. Although he had shown some understanding of Dunkel’s proposal, from Sadin’s perspective it seemed like a courtesy to the person who was hosting the meeting, and just a token agreement.
[Don’t think too much, do what you want on your own, don’t involve Quordenze… To me, it felt like he was saying that. I didn’t expect him to be against the idea so much]
Since his behavior as a nobleman was impeccable, his stubbornness was even more conspicuous.
However, Sadin did not have a particularly bad impression. In fact, he felt a slight sense of kinship with Wilk-dono, who was acting like a nobleman without hesitation, and was able to see the expression of human emotions.
[I think Wilk-dono is more than just an obedient son to Luxus-dono.]
[It is true that his father, Marquis Quordenze, is positive about invading the Holy City… no, he is positive about involving us, Zeldomitra and the Levios family. This is different from the will expressed by Wilk-dono.]
Sadin nodded, thinking that was true.
[Luxus-dono’ policy is to completely crush the Spierzeig’s army in a decisive battle. Considering the centipede’s legs, this is necessary, but considering the scale of Quordenze and Spierzeig, the damage left on the territory will also be large…]
The big decisive battle is an all-out battle that will decide the fate of the noble family. This is a unique opportunity to annihilate the opposing knight forces at once and nip the budding guerrillas that will emerge after the war. However, on the other hand, it also becomes a place where both sides will lose a large number of territorial militia regardless of the winner.
[Besides, I don’t think the cornered Spierzeig’s army will be defeated so easily. I heard that during Operation Serpent’s Fang, they captured Reisleaf Castle in an almost surprise attack. Some people thought that Spierzeig’s forces were still strong. Depending on the progress of the battle, it is quite possible that the Quordenze’s army will struggle, suffer a narrow victory with heavy losses, or even be defeated. In any case, it is impossible to win unscathed. There’s no way that will happen.]
The Quordenze family and the Spierzeig family are unparalleled Great Nobles in the central continent. The scale of the clashing armies would be incomparable to the independent noble houses of the Free Cities.
How many soldiers will gather and scatter on the battlefield? Sadin even felt a kind of excitement imagining the sheer size of the numbers.
[The Quordenze’s army will be wounded, and the vast Voistra Plains will be devastated to some extent. It will be difficult to completely annex the territory.]
Thinking about what happened after the war, the people of the former Spierzeig territory were in a state where their assets were squeezed out in preparation for the big battle, and they lost the men who would work for them. The military power is essential to contain this dissatisfaction and realize reconstruction. To be more specific, it’s the power of the Lord-class soldiers. Under the strong guidance of the Lord-class subordinates, who are clearly superior, the serfs would accept servitude.
However, the Voistra Plain is wide. Many people will be required to control it. The Zeldomitra family expected that even if the Quordenze’s army was in perfect condition, it would still be an overwhelming task.
[What remains after the war is a snake unable to move after devouring its gigantic prey called Voistra.]
A snake that swallows something so big that it becomes round and fat will have difficulty defending itself from predators. Sadin added that if it doesn’t do things right, the prey inside its belly might come back to life and tear out its internal organs.
[If you think about it, invading the Holy City is a bargain. If they can get a guarantee that Zeldomitra and Levios will not become their enemies, then the only place they need to look at is the west. The reason Luxus-dono was so positive about our proposal is that It may be a completely natural conclusion.]
Securing a safe break time after meals can be said to be a big benefit for Quordenze. Of course, they can’t let their guard down completely, but basically they’ll only need to keep an eye on the Empire.
Garrel had no complaints about Sadin’s reasoning. He had no complaints, so he shook his head.
[That’s why Wilk-dono’s words at the evening party are completely untrustworthy.]
Garrel praised Wilk as being serious, talented, and a noble boy who always looked after his father. This is because Wilk’s behavior at the exchange meeting was very similar to Luxus-dono’s. He could immediately tell that he was striving to be like his father, Luxus-dono.
[I see that he has the ability to be the next Head of the Great Noble Quordenze. Then, he should understand the benefits of invading the Holy City. We should think that there was some kind of intention behind his denying that.]
Although it is a night party, the meeting where the next heads of the five Great Noble families of the Kingdom gather together is still a highly political occasion. It could be said to be the frontline of next-generation diplomacy.
There must be some ulterior motive behind opposing a proposal that is beneficial to one’s family in such a place.
[Then, uncle, what do you think Wilk-dono’s intentions were in taking the opposite position?]
[…..The Marquis Quordenze is positive about invading the Holy City. However, depending on the future situation, it may be more convenient to renege on that idea. However, because the next generation is strongly against it, he can’t support the invasion of the Holy City.]
It’s insurance, so to speak. The hypothesis is that the Quordenze family had a meeting in advance, and that Wilk acted accordingly at the meeting.
[Do you really think Luxus-dono can devise such a roundabout plan?]
[…..no, I don’t think so.]
In the first place, there is no need to prepare an excuse called Wilk if he would just refuse the proposal. Even though Luxus-dono was positive about it, he never takes his word for it, and he always maintains a state where he can say, [I’ve done it after all!]. It was not insurance that one had to go through the trouble of acting to spread discord between the current generation and the next generation.
Garrel himself, the one who said it, understood best that that was nonsense.
[Wilk-dono was dissatisfied with the idea of invading the Holy City. Wouldn’t it be better to just take it that way now?]
He wanted to argue, but was unable to find any other good interpretation. Garrel grunted in agreement.
[I wonder what he didn’t like about it. Perhaps Wilk-dono actually has some kind of dissatisfaction with Luxus-dono as well.]
[That’s a bit of an over-the-top opinion. It’s clear that Wilk-dono’s behavior when the Demon Beast Clamitis approached the Royal Castle was an act of support for his father, who was in charge of diplomacy. There should be no discord, or if there is, it will be small.]
Wilk was preaching about his duty as the protector of the land, but Garrel knew that his aim was to engage in noble diplomacy after the turmoil ended. In fact, Wilk’s actions have given Luxus a situation in which he can take various measures.
If the Quordenze family was really on bad terms, Wilk would have personally come to the Royal Capital during the recent social gathering and tried to take control, in order to make the most of his hand. However, Luxus was the only one who showed up for the pre-season preview. It probably wouldn’t have come out even in a social event. That means that he trusts his father and entrusts him with foreign affairs. The fact that Luxus Quordenze and his son are basically facing the same direction is conveyed.
However, if he said this, it would turn into a question of [So, what about Zeldomitra?], which could cause tension between uncle and nephew. Therefore, Garrel did not put everything into words.
[I think Wilk-dono is so smart that even if there is a backlash against Luxus-dono, he suppresses it with rationality. The only thing that is overflowing to the surface is probably his dissatisfaction with the plan to invade the Holy City.]
At the next heads of family meeting, Wilk took a strange interest in Sadin and Dunkel, who showed a rebellious attitude towards their guardians. That may have left a strong impression on him.
Perhaps that’s why, as Sadin continued to consider things on his own, he ended up thinking, “Maybe Wilk also has some sort of dissatisfaction with his guardian?”. Given the current lack of information, it was inevitable to be swayed by images.
[That’s just my imagination.]
Garrel, on the other hand, doesn’t have that impression of Wilk.
At the social gathering, he displayed his dexterity, and when a demon beast approached, he immediately advocated for a suitable cause and prepared for the upcoming diplomatic battle. The image of Wilk drawn inside Garrel was something like Luxus 2.0.
If Wilk is indeed Luxus 2.0, he should be trying to proceed with things in a thoughtful and deliberate way, and he won’t act for a simple reason such as rebelling against the head of the family. There must be a deep intention behind his actions… If he’s left alone… Garrel’s thoughts drifted more and more towards the strategy side.
[…in the end, all we can do is make assumptions based on the account of another person.]
Garrel shook his head several times, trying to break away from that thought. In the end, both himself and his nephew were simply being swayed by impressions.
[It’s probably best not to use your imagination to gauge other people’s inner feelings. If you have unnecessary preconceptions, you’ll be entangled with snakes.]
There was a conflict of opinion between Garrel and Sadin regarding the plan to invade the Holy City.
The ideas of the next head of the family are being hindered by the policies of the current head of the family… Garrel thought that his nephew’s attempt to paint such a picture on Quordenze was largely a reflection of his own current situation. Because of this, the story tends to be impressionistic.
[…I understand. Well, it’s possible that their parent-child relationship is good, like Uncle said.]
Sadin exhaled deliberately.
[In that case, Luxus-dono would have left it to Wilk-dono.]
One could tell from his eyes that he has a point. Garrel moved his chin slightly, prompting him to continue speaking.
[It’s a long time ago, but my father and uncle said that the Quordenze offensive would stop at Reisleaf Castle, because the Levios family would intervene and stop it.]
The Levios family does not want the birth of a huge noble family. The Zeldomitra family had predicted that they would definitely plan a cease-fire before the battle to capture Reisleaf began as a way to bring the conflict in the central region of the continent to a stalemate.
Garrel also remembered this, so he immediately nodded.
[However, the Great Shield was broken by Operation Serpent’s Fang. Normally, the current invasion of the Quordenze’s army could be said to be a smooth advance that would have been impossible… Now, at this time, Wilk decided to take a different policy and carry out his own military operation. If I were to say it, how would Luxus-dono react?]
If there is discord between parent and child, they may decide that it is dangerous to bestow further military feats on their son. But, what if the relationship is good? Sadin continued his theory.
[Because he supports Wilk-dono diplomatically, pushing him to do a great job. He wants Wilk-dono to fly freely on the battlefield like his grandfather, Duke Galfis. We can also guess the reason why Luxus-dono came to the Royal Capital. It was to support the strategy that Wilk-dono devised. In order to lure the Spierzeig family to let their guard down, they wanted to reconfirm the current situation in the Royal Capital before carrying out the strategy. There are many possibilities after all.]
Garrel didn’t think he meant it seriously, Sadin spoke in a way that sounded like an extension of the joke.
Furthermore, the idea that Wilk devised the strategy was not a complete delusion, but there was some basis for it. Among Gijotto’s testimonies, there was also a rumor that the Voistra Liberation Army, led by Wilk Quordenze, was very active during this war.
[It makes sense, but it just sounds like you’re forcing things.]
Garrel saw this as a form of self-assertion using the cushion called Quordenze. It just sounded like he was saying that if he trusted his nephew, he should give him more authority.
[Hahaha, that must be an interesting theory.]
[That’s right. My brother and I used to talk about wild nonsense too.]
Garrel sometimes talked with his brother, the previous head of the family, about the future of the Zeldomitra family. Rather than a serious discussion, it is more like a brainstorming session in which people exchange their intuitions, impressions, imaginations, delusions, desires, and dreams to come up with ideas. The bold hypothesis that Sadin had just spoken reminded him of the night that he and his brother talked about it.
[Please take this opportunity to respond to nonsense with nonsense.]
[I’d like to do that, but even if there was such a plan, how would I summarize the story? The purpose and content would be messed up. The military’s movements are so… it’s insane.]
[Uncle, what kind of movements do you think the Quordenze’s army has made?]
Garrel thought about that question for a little while, then sat down with his back pressed against the back of the chair.
[It’s such a ridiculous story. I can’t figure out the reason or purpose.]
[Don’t say that, just let me hear it. Now, the moon and the clouds will be on the other side, and all the nonsense will disappear into the darkness.]
Garrel didn’t notice it, but before he knew it, clouds had covered the moon.
If the light ball of lighting magic were turned off, will it feel like he’s having a conversation with his older brother like in the past? While thinking about this, Garrel casually picked up a pointer that was placed in the corner of the table.
[I’m going to tell you something stupid.]
After a moment of silence, Garrel opened his mouth.
[The rumors about the northern half of the Voistra Plain are too suspicious.]
Since it was a topic that had been touched on earlier, Sadin just nodded silently. The pointer taps the green coins that crowded the Voistra Plains.
[It is also possible that this is a plan by the Marquis Quordenze to hide the actual results of the war. It’s a bit unnatural that the story is being exaggerated to this extent at this point. This suggests that there may be some kind of hidden intention.]
Of course, Garrel said that there is a possibility that the entire northern half of Voistra Plains has been completely conquered. However, that was a more unlikely story. He laughed to himself, saying that the invasion speed is probably too fast.
[Then, what part of the northern half of Voistra are they trying to hide? …That must be the fall of Weldburg City.]
Then, Garrel pointed his pointer at the red coin. If Gijotto’s information is to be believed, it is a city occupied by the Quordenze’s army.
[Weldburg, Dosellan, and Balaika. The fall of these three cities is extremely incomprehensible. Therefore, it seems that this is the crux of this military action.]
[If you compare it with the hypothesis that they attacked Othelloria via the west, it’s clearly unnatural.]
[Ah, that’s right. Considering that they will be passing through the western plains, it will be enough to drop around Meiziode City or Torsa City and hold it down. As for the Balaika City, it seems to be moving a little too far ahead, and a big battle will probably break out somewhere before they get here.]
The pointer rhythmically tapped the city name on the map.
Although he now holds the position of Marquis Zeldomitra, until recently Garrel was one of the Generals who served under the previous head of the family. Military talk was his cup of tea.
[Weldburg, Dosellan, and Balaika are unnecessary for the assault on Othelloria. They shouldn’t have time to take down cities like this.]
However, there were red coins placed in those cities indicating that these cities had fallen.
[In other words, we need to change our perspective. The fall of Weldburg, Dosellan, and Balaika must be related to the assault on Othelloria.]
It wasn’t a question, it was just a confirmation.
[That’s right. This area is in the Quordenze territory… it’s called the Arknoa Contaminated Area, and it’s probably where they made landfall on the Spierzeig territory and launched a surprise attack.]
While saying this, Garrel almost laughed. No matter how you look at it, it’s an extremely reckless action. There’s no way the eldest son with those intelligent eyes would do something like that. He thought it was not courage, but just barbarity.
[With a small group of elite soldiers consisting only of knights and Lord-class soldiers, it would be possible to forcibly break through in the shortest distance without worrying about corrupted soil. In fact, Wilk-dono did something similar in Operation Serpent’s Fang.]
[It was a relief effort for Nambonan City. Thanks to their quick actions, they succeeded in killing the eldest son of the Spierzeig family.]
The tip of the pointer moves as if tracing the Amelia River.
[With this strong force, they destroyed the coastal defense facilities on the opposite shore, the Spierzeig side, all at once. After that, they used relatively uncontaminated land to allow the territorial militia to cross the river…]
[I have heard that the Arknoa Contaminated Area is a place that is very difficult for people to pass through, but in reality the contaminated area may not be that large? If you take a detour and take some time, it should be already naturally purified to the point that even the territory’s militia can pass through. I’m sure he’s doing it.]
There is little point in knowing about contaminated areas in other territories located far away, and gathering information is also lax. The Zeldomitra family underestimated the Arknoa Contaminated Area.
[That won’t happen. When Luxus-dono went to the capital, Spierzeig’s eyes would naturally turn to Galfis. Wilk, who was waiting in Newnelly City, can take advantage of that gap.]
Then, Sadin expressed an opinion.
[According to that peddler’s testimony, a large number of Quordenze’s soldiers entered Weldburg. I think many ships would be needed to transport these soldiers…]
[Is that so? Is there something you’re concerned about?]
[Wilk-dono may have brought a large number of ships to the crossing point of the Amelia River. Ships on the Obieto River, ships used on the rivers in the territory, and perhaps warships owned by the Evenafis family. They might have brought them in. They need numbers to send in a large army.]
In preparation for the invasion of the Holy City, the Umon Islands need to be captured. The key to this strategy was bringing in ships from other regions. The idea was to bring the large number of warships owned by the Evenafis family and the Levios family into Lake Umon by hand, and take control of the islands at once through the violence of numbers.
[…Did he use this strategy?]
The idea has already been communicated to the Quordenze family.
[Although I had to consult Quordenze about it, it was used very well.]
[Are you really going to say that hearing that story was the trigger for this strategy?]
[There’s a possibility. The topic came up at the evening meeting. Apparently, a similar strategy is written down in a strange book. It’s even in the scriptures. Both are failure stories, though.]
Sadin remembered the book that Kalmia Adellahan spoke about. He had instructed his aides to get it after returning to Jizafork City, but he still hadn’t gotten it.
[Wilk-dono may have thought that bringing in a ship was an unrealistic plan. However, after hearing the plan to capture the islands from Zeldomitra and Levios, he understood that it was a feasible plan. He might have wondered if it could be used to conquer Spierzeig, and came up with this strategy…what do you think?]
[That’s a shrewd thing to do. However, when you think about it, we can see why Luxus-dono wanted to keep it a secret. The Quordenze family, one of the five Great Nobles of the Kingdom, carried out a surprise attack using a ship… If such cases become widespread, there will be a hindrance to the capture of the Umon Islands. After all, we, the Zeldomitra family are also part, one of the five Great Noble families in the Kingdom.]
If there was a precedent, they would be wary. Since the Zeldomitra family has a relatively good relationship with the Quordenze family, they would think that there is a high possibility that they would carry out a similar operation.
[Our Zeldomitra’s plan was stolen, so it is inevitable that we will have a bad impression of Quordenze. I see, then it is no wonder that Luxus-dono is secretive about it.]
Seeing his nephew nodding, Garrel burst out laughing. It was simply interesting how the silly stories were connected in an unexpected way.
[However, this military operation is brazen and meaningless. Even if the surprise attack across Arknoa were successful, I don’t think it would lead to the capture of Othelloria.]
[Well, that’s true. If they could make Weldburg City a beachhead, it would dilute the strategic value of Reisleaf Castle…but in the first place, Quordenze has already conquered the castle.]
Before Operation Serpent’s Fang, Operation Weldburg would have been a move that would drastically change the course of the war. However, in reality, Voistra’s Great Shield is already cracked. In fact, it seemed like a bad move that would only unnecessarily expand the battlefield.
[The most important thing is to crush the Spierzeig’s army head-on in a major battle. It is clearly abnormal to throw the next head of the family into enemy territory in order to gain control of Weldburg City, which is far from the front lines.]
That’s too little return compared to the risk. Even if Luxus-dono wanted to bestow military feats on his son, he would not allow such a dangerous attack. It would be much better to have him perform brilliantly in a big battle without having to use any strange strategies.
[From Weldburg, they aim for the front line where Galfis is waiting, and attack the enemy commander in a pincer attack. This is also a plan, but it is unlikely to be possible.]
If there was anything else they could aim for, it would be the head of their enemy.
However, there is no way they could rob a city like a burglar. Normally, it would take a certain amount of time to take down one city. Garrel declared that the Spierzeig’s army, the master of the Voistra Plains, would not just stay idle against a pincer attack.
[Come to think of it, rumor has it that Magnis and the previous head of the family, Kindlor, were also killed in battle.]
[If the current generation and the previous generation were to be defeated at the same time, it would either be in a major battle or in the battle to capture Othelloria. It’s not worth believing.]
By the way, that rumor has also been passed down from Gijotto’s mouth. However, the content was something he had heard through someone else, and Gijotto himself had not confirmed it. In the first place, there is no way for a mere peddler to confirm whether the Highlord is alive or dead.
Furthermore, Gijotto’s information is from before the fall of Othelloria City. Naturally, the Zeldomitra family does not think that both the current generation and the previous generation were killed in battle at that point. They concluded that the commoners were spreading the rumors because they were excited by the impact of the siege of Othelloria.
Therefore, even if additional rumors of a death were received later on, they were treated as derivatives of the rumors that Gijotto had heard, and were hardly believed.
[There was a similar rumor that Galfis had developed a magic malfunction. Considering his age, it’s not surprising, but…]
Garrel said in an exasperated voice. When Sadin heard that, he picked up another pointer that was on the desk.
[The fact that Weldburg, Dosellan, and Balaika are under the occupation of Quordenze means that there must be an army, including the Highlord, at least in the northern part of Voistra. Otherwise, it would be difficult to take control of the cities. Similarly, Highlords are essential to conquering Othelloria, the home base of the Spierzeig family. Considering that, it is reasonable to think that Duke Galfis and Wilk-dono are marching in two groups.]
Since Luxus had gone to the capital, the two Highlords would be the ones to attack. No other General in the Quordenze’s army has played a major role in recent years.
It is not possible to determine which side is attacking Othelloria City and which is holding its ground in northern Voistra, but in any case, Galfis’s magic power malfunction must be fake news.
[Theoretically, that’s the case. However, I seriously doubt that an assault via the west would be possible so easily. Obviously, the knights of Spierzeig will be waiting in the cities along the route. There’s no way they’ll let the enemy pass through it, and thus there’s no way they’ll be able to reach Othelloria that easily. First of all, Duke Galfis won’t want such a conclusion.]
[You never know how far they will be able to cut down Spierzeig’s soldiers if they capture their home base using a surprise attack. After the war, they’ll most likely have to deal with centipede legs.]
[…As expected, I don’t understand. I can’t see the reason for carrying out this operation, or the final goal. This is just an absurd operation.]
There, Garrel closed his eyes once and thought about it. Then, he forced himself to create a story.
[For some purpose, a force led by Wilk-dono assaulted Weldburg City. Originally, the operation was supposed to end here. …However, at this point, the Spierzeig’s army on the front line would be sandwiched between them from both the Reisleaf and Weldburg directions. Surprised by the sudden surprise attack, Spierzeig’s army abandoned the front line and returned to Othelloria City. This was an unexpected move, but Wilk-dono decided to take advantage of this opportunity and keep advancing, attacking Dosellan and Balaika, thus preventing the Spierzeig’s army from coming forward to the front lines again. Duke Galfis, who was on the front line, carried out a forceful attack from the western part of the plain while his grandson covered the Voistra Plains. Then as a result, the western part was less protected than they expected, and somehow they luckily made it to Othelloria…]
At the end, the voice became quieter.
[It’s more messed up than I imagined. The issue of the soldiers still remains unresolved. Also, according to the peddler’s testimony, Wilk-dono should be the Commander-in-Chief of the Quordenze’s army surrounding Othelloria.]
Garrel silently placed his pointer on the corner of the table, as if conceding. It was so incoherent that he didn’t feel like continuing the conversation any further.
[…Indeed, commoners can say whatever they want. We need to send an emissary to the Quordenze family as soon as possible. As it stands now, we have no idea. We have to check the situation with the eyes of someone we trust…]
The selection of the knight who will serve as the messenger has already been completed, but the response from the high-ranked officer of the Quordenze family has not been positive. They continue to evade accepting the Zeldomitra’s messengers.
The Zeldomitra family is considering sending their Lord-class vassals as spies, but it has been reported that the Quordenze territory is currently on high alert against Lord-class individuals entering and leaving the area. If someone sneaks in and gets exposed, it will give a bad impression. As the current situation was uncertain, it was necessary to proceed with caution.
[I need to know more about Wilk-dono than ever before. He was already very active at the May social gathering, but…]
Sadin couldn’t help but laugh at the way he said it.
[If Wilk-dono hears about it, he’ll be angry, uncle. Most likely the cause is Princess Orshian.]
The intimidation battle was initiated by Orshian, and it was also the same Orshian who was also provided the opportunity to participate in the battle to subjugate the Demon Beast Calamitis. Sadin thought that those are basically the result of Orshian’s recklessness. Although he does think that Wilk responded in a strange way, which caused unnecessary fuss.
[I don’t understand his relationship with Princess Orshian. Why were they able to talk so calmly even though they clashed with such murderous intent… I was with those two at the evening meeting. When I heard about that incident, I thought my heart was going to stop.]
Threatening using magic power is like a declaration of hostility among the Highlords. Normally, it means conflict and separation. The nobles of the surrounding Kingdom also understood this matter, which is why they were wary and fearful of Wilk and Orshian approaching. They can’t imagine what kind of damage would be caused to the surrounding area if those two with implausible amounts of magic power started fighting against each other.
In truth, the miraculous meeting was only possible because Wilk was slightly out-of-touch with his sense of nobility, and Orshian who did not have such a sense in the first place.
[I was surprised too. Moreover, for some reason, Princess Orshian showed up at the meeting and showed a favorable attitude toward Wilk-dono from the beginning. It was really strange.]
Sadin, who didn’t know the situation, had no idea why the two’s attitudes had changed so drastically in the interim of the threat battle and the evening party.
[Also, Wilk-dono had kind of accepted it. Normally, it wouldn’t be strange for him to protest against Princess Orshian’s rude attitude and against Kilorde, who callously allowed her to be with him. Prince Dunkel and I both have a bad feeling about it.]
[At the evening party, he also danced with Princess Romilie of the Spierzeig family. At that time, the people around were terrified.]
Two children who were in close proximity to each other, holding hands and dancing. The nobles who were watching could not feel any romance at all, and were just chilling, fearing that the waves of murderous intent that they had shown during the intimidating battle with Orshian would be emitted from close range.
[Wilk-dono moved steadily in formal situations, but he also seemed to be acting aggressive in a strange way. I feel like the people watching will do something wrong from the stress.]
[Maybe he was in a good mood at the night party?]
Sadin said this jokingly, but Garrel’s expression became extremely grim.
[If Quordenze manages to swallow Spierzeig, what does that young eldest son want next? No, that’s a horrifying story. We could be swayed even more than we are now.]
[You’ve been warned a lot.]
[My brother and I grew up listening to the threat of the Zinkaen Empire from the older generation like our father and grandfather. We were told over and over again that the ruler of the West would one day advance his troops to the eastern and southern parts of the continent.]
As far as Sadin could remember, when the Third Emperor Ferolt was ascend on his throne, and the Quordenze family was already interfering with the noble families in the eastern part of the Empire. Therefore, he had never felt the threat of the Zinkaen Empire.
[Wilk-dono is the son of Marquis Quordenze, but he is also the grandson of Duchess Cassia and Duke Galfis. This must have had some influence on his thoughts. He may eventually consider embarking on a hegemony like Emperor Zinkaen.]
Sadin thought that this is a far-fetched opinion, but he also knew that there are quite a few people among the Kingdom’s nobles who try to link Wilk and Emperor Zinkaen.
[I don’t think so. I think Wilk-dono is a person with a realistic way of thinking. He doesn’t have much of a childlike side… Ah, although I felt that his way of thinking about commoners was kind of childish.]
At the meeting, Sadin felt that Wilk was overconfident in the abilities of commoners. This is a relatively common tendency among young nobles, and is not very rare.
[Maybe that’s because he started getting involved in the governance of Nambonan City around this time last year. He’s probably too excited because his father left him in charge of the city. Besides, if he were to rule directly, he’d surely feel good about it.]
[He’ll soon realize that being a commoner is no big deal.]
[That’s true, but there’s no need to hate it that much.]
[I just think it’s stupid. But, I don’t hate it. Thanks to that stupidity, my Zeldomitra is prospering.]
There are many industries in Zeldomitra territory, but the most profitable one is the buying and selling of slaves. Furthermore, the slaves referred to here are the commoner slaves for the lord and above buyers, and do not include any other special cases.
The main source of slaves is the battlefield, but now the only ones fighting foreign wars within the Levios Kingdom are the Quordenze’s faction and the Zeldomitra’s faction. The Levios family and its faction families captured the natives on an expedition to the Mist Land called the Great Northern Expedition, but other Royal Nobles have almost no means of acquiring them.
There are many parents in the Kingdom who abandon their children due to hardships in their lives, but adult men in their prime of life are rarely caught. This is because the workers have to sell themselves at the very end. It can be said that the supply is far from stable.
Not even a noble can suddenly enslave the people for no reason and ship them off. That sounds awful.
For the Zeldomitra family, The Free Cities were like farms where slaves would grow on their own. Since there are few competitors, they are able to make enough money just from simple sales profits.
And the slave market itself was also generating large profits. The territory of Zeldomitra has a system regarding slaves that is more carefully developed than other territories, and it also has military power that is considered one of the five Great Nobles of the Kingdom. As a result of slave traders coming from all over the continent in search of safe and stable trading, the market is filled with more slaves than those who were captured by Zeldomitra’s army, and they are bought and sold every day. In addition to toll taxes at checkpoints and brokerage fees in the market, the profits brought in by slavery fees are enormous.
The structure in which those who built the platform made a lot of money was the same on both Earth and the Eruo continent.
[I’m sure Wilk-dono feels the same way as you. The slave market in Newnelly City seems to have prospered over the past ten years, but it’s still small compared to Jizafork. In the first place, there is no system like in Zeldomitra on Quordenze’s territory. Because they are fundamentally different.]
Most noble territories do not distinguish between citizens and slaves. This is because both are thought to be essentially the same being, as they are both descendants of serfs.
Even if they were slaves, they would be taxed as citizens of the territory, and if they were conscripted, they would be taken as part of the territory’s militia. It costs more to manage than you think. Unless you are a noble or knightly family that is exploiting this system, you cannot own the slaves without limit.
Care must be taken when handling it. If you abuse someone blatantly and kill the slaves, you may be punished by the higher-ups. However, it cannot be considered that a slave owner can’t have the right to have s*x, torture, or take away the life of his or her own slaves. If you properly report their status as a slave, the higher-ups will give you some degree of leniency, but if it’s too severe, you’ll be punished. In the end, from the Highlord’s perspective, it boils down to the fact that the Lord killed a serf.
Also, slaves may run away if they are treated too harshly. If the animal had escaped, the owner would have had to find it on their own and bring it back on their own. The higher-ups will not cooperate at all. There is no public service that can catch fugitive slaves even if they are wandering around the city. They are shut out based on the logic that “you bring it upon yourself since you can’t manage it”. The owner will have no choice but to cry himself to sleep.
On the other hand, the Zeldomitra territory has a well-developed system regarding slaves.
The system that can be said to be a symbol of this is the division between the first and second fiefdoms. The ordinary citizens of other territories are the first people, and the slaves are the second people. Taxes and military conscription were handled differently between the First and Second-class Citizens, creating an environment in which it was relatively easy for the Territory Citizens to own slaves.
Measures have also been taken to prevent escape. Escaped slaves are immediately captured at checkpoints within Zeldomitra territory and returned to their owners. Although a service fee was charged, it was much cheaper considering that the people of the territory would be able to bring them back on their own.
Because of these systems, the slave ownership rate among the people of Zeldomitra is higher than in other territories. If it were on Earth, a slave revolt would come to mind, but it would not occur in Zeldomitra territory. This is because there is no way that the serf slaves can defeat the ruling class of the Lords and Highlords. At most, murders occur between masters and slaves.
And the fact that it is easy to own slaves also means that it is easy to use labor. Even in small villages, it was relatively easy to secure labor, so it was easy to cultivate land in Zeldomitra territory.
It can be said that efficient investment is being made at the private level. Even if we left them alone, they would invest in themselves and grow, which the Zeldomitra family was grateful for. They’re sure the people of the territory would also appreciate this, as it would help reduce the tax burden.
There are many commoners who are attracted to Zeldomitra’s reign and immigrate there. For the Zeldomitra family, which has many areas contaminated with corrupted soil and must use land efficiently, securing a population and intensively investing labor force were its lifelines. One of the successive heads of the clan even left behind a saying: “Without the people, there is no land to protect”.
However, there are few territories that have introduced a system like Zeldomitra’s. As far as Wilk researched, the only one with a large force enforcing it was the Zeldomitra family.
There are various theories as to why this system is not accepted, but the one that Wilk thought was the most likely was the emotional theory of “I don’t like it for some reason”.
A serf is a serf no matter how far you go. From the point of view of the rulers, they “somehow don’t like” the system that creates a pseudo-upper and lower-class within the framework of the serfs of the first and second fiefdoms.
In the first place, other territories do not have as large a supply of slaves as Zeldomitra, so there is a practical problem that the performance is not worth the cost of introducing the system.
[I think the nature of commoners is the same everywhere.]
And Sadin despised the commoners of Zeldomitra, who were at the mercy of this system and were absorbed in a faux class game.
Even though both of them were after all weak people who were serfs, he couldn’t help but see the sight of them discriminating against each other, calling one the first-class citizen and the other the second-class citizen, which seemed foolish, pitiful, and ugly.
Serfs should be equal, without hierarchy, and they should only be subordinate to their master Highlord and subordinate Lords. He still thinks so. This may be the example of “I don’t like it for some reason”.
However, since Sadin understood that Zeldomitra’s system was working effectively, he had no intention of reforming it. It can be said that there was no enthusiasm to engage with the commoners that much.
[…I used to have dreams of being a commoner, too.]
There was a time when Sadin thought that there was no discrimination between serfs in other territories.
In particular, he had high hopes for the territory militia of the Free Cities, which had many opportunities to engage with Zeldomitra’s army. He thought that if they were citizens of a small, scattered territory, everyone would live together and cooperate without discrimination.
Of course, that was just a fantasy imagined by a boy who didn’t know anything about the world, and it was quickly destroyed.
[Also, although uncle is cautious, I still don’t understand the fear of the Zinkaen Empire. There is no way a system where the Highlords submit to another Highlord can continue for a long time. I think it is inevitable that it has become stagnant.]
Those who have the same strength should not submit to those who have the same strength… This was the idea that Sadin finally reached.
Although the Levios family can be recognized as the leader of the noble family federation, unlike Emperor Zinkaen, they should not be worshiped as an absolute lord. Sadin believes that kind of pseudo-master-servant relationship between the Highlords is essentially a foolish act which is no different from the class play of commoners.
The Highlord is the Highlord, and one should not submit to another Highlord. There is no cause for a Highlord to stand above other Highlords. The Highlord has the right to be independent and to freely develop his or her power.
That’s why Sadin wanted to make the Zeldomitra family stronger and bigger. In order to continue to reign as a Great Noble even after the era of war has come to an end, in order to embody his beliefs, he craves more power than he currently has.
And if possible, he wanted his uncle to regain his former courage. Sadin admired his father and his uncle, who invaded The Free Cities and were proud of their bravery.
[…I see. So what do you think about Princess Orshian? She’s probably the legendary bloodline, the progenitor. Can she be worshiped as a superior?]
Garrel knows Sadin’s principles. He knew that if they talked about that, a conflict of opinion would start, so he purposely changed the topic.
Garrel was half-convinced that Orshian’s true identity was the progenitor. This is because he intuitively understood that the quality of her magic power was a foreign magic power that did not belong to the Highlords. There’s no logic to it.
According to Sadin’s way of thinking, the progenitor should be a proper individual who stands above even the Highlords.
[No way.]
He made an exasperated gesture.
[Even if Princess Orshian is the progenitor, it would be meaningless if her blood didn’t continue. As it is now, she’s just a Great Highlord.]
The method of transmitting the progenitor’s bloodline is unknown. After all, the only person who seems to be a precedent for the progenitor is Zeth, the founder of the Zeth religion.
[I don’t know how accurate the scriptures are, but all of Zeth’s children were Great Highlords. Even if Princess Orshian had a child, it would probably just be a Great Highlord at most. It’s foolish to worship that child. History has proven it. In the end, what happened when we labeled a lineage that was nothing more than the progenitor’s lineage as the ruler family… People say that we haven’t learned anything from the 200 years of war.]
A power that lasts only for one generation is only a temporary power after all. Sadin asserted that one is only qualified to be a ruler if one can inherit great power in a stable manner.
[That’s right. I agree.]
Garrel can understand that idea. The civilization of the Eruo continent has flourished to this extent precisely because the Manipulators of old “discovered” the inheritance of their Highlord’s blood in ancient times. If you think about it only in terms of the inheritance of power, the lineage of a progenitor can only be seen as unstable.
However, it was true that he had high hopes for the blood that would flow through Orshian, perhaps because the values of the Eruo continent tended to be attracted to strong power. Even more so since he had the chance to actually feel that magic power nearby. Garrel couldn’t say the same with Sadin.
[Even the progenitor cannot do anything by themself. Wilk-dono’s magical power was frightening, but I felt it was the quality of the Highlord. I didn’t feel the quality of the progenitor, which was different like Princess Orshian’s. Isn’t it the same for you, uncle?]
Garrel nodded. If Wilk had the progenitor’s bloodline, then that inheritance may also be possible. But, they knew intuitively that this was impossible.
[Wilk-dono’s magical power may not be different from ours, but it’s abnormal nonetheless. With that much magic power, no wonder he didn’t hesitate to fight against monsters.]
Compared to the Highlord battle, where magic residue can occur, the hurdles for the monster battle are lower. However, Garrel was surprised to find that he was quite active in charging to exterminate monsters in other territories. Although Wilk’s plan was based on diplomacy, Garrel thought that Wilk would not have made the move if he did not have confidence in his magic powers.
[Maybe the fight against the Demon Beast Calamitis wasn’t just about diplomacy. I think it was also intended to gain Princess Orshian’s attention?]
[Does that mean you’re concerned?]
The love affairs of young nobles are an important element in diplomacy. Sadin hadn’t said anything like that in the previous report, so Garrel asked in a slightly accusatory tone.
Because the two of them had a serious battle with each other with full-throated murderous intent, the word “love” seems far away from the two of them. However, considering their age, it was quite possible.
[Perhaps so. Princess Orshian is just like you said, a storm-like person. If you have her as an enemy, she’s terrifying, but if you have her as your ally, she’s reliable, isn’t she?]
During the May social gathering, they saw Archduke Milendorva having a lot of trouble, so Garrel couldn’t really agree with that. A storm is a storm because it stirs things up regardless of friend or foe. Even when he looked back on her actions in the Royal Capital, Orshian seemed like nothing more than a disaster.
Perhaps aware that he had silenced Garrel with his strange analogy, Sadin continued as if to make amends.
[In other words, I think that Wilk-dono sought friendship with Princess Orshian as a check against the Levios family.]
Sadin thought that there must be some reason why Wilk was approaching a rough girl like Orshian. And if anything, he could only think of either love or military power.
[…That may certainly be an effective move. Princess Orshian has been winning consecutive battles against the Levios’ army. In the future, when Levios stands in front of Wilk-dono and the Quordenze, it is a strategic move to attack them from behind. At least Levios will be wary of it.]
Regardless of whether or not they can actually move, if there is information that they are on good terms, the opposition will probably be wary.
[I heard that the two of them were in a good mood.]
Garrel said what Sadin had previously reported.
[The eldest son of a prestigious noble family, and the progenitor who was born in the middle of nowhere. You wouldn’t think they would be able to talk to each other, but they seemed to get along strangely.]
[Quordenze and Milendorva, if they are also progenitors, wouldn’t they be given away in marriage?]
[I didn’t sense any subtleties of gender between the two of them. Princess Orshian’s behavior was strange, but her appearance was stunningly beautiful. Despite that, he didn’t seem particularly attracted to her. I guess Wilk isn’t very energetic about women. I got the impression that they were a good match, rather than a good atmosphere. At least, it’s better than Kilorde-dono, who has become obsessed with her… oops.]
It was obvious from the sidelines that Kilorde was obsessed with Orshian. Other nobles have also taken notice that Kilorde was struggling to gain her attention.
[From what I’ve heard from the meeting, it seems that Wilk-dono is a little obsessed with the Princess of Sylopea family. I heard that they have been close friends since childhood. If Yersinia’s disaster hadn’t happened, their families would have probably planned to marry them with each other.]
There are many sightings of Wilk and Plume enjoying a night party. Most people testified that the atmosphere was intimate.
[Maybe he’s similar to Duke Galfis in that respect. He seems to have danced with other Princesses, so it might not be so much a case of favoritism.]
[In any case, Marquis Quordenze will have a hard time finding his son a legal wife. In today’s world, it’s hard to find a young princess suitable for Quordenze.]
Then, Sadin showed a blatant fake smile.
[There is only one person who is just right. Princess Romilie of the Spierzeig family.]
“That’s preposterous”, Garrel blurted out. He looked at his nephew, stunned by his joke. However, Sadin’s expression had already changed to a serious one.
[Going back to the topic, it seems that Wilk-dono is thinking about destroying Spierzeig. However, he is against the idea of invading the Holy City. If that were the case, they wouldn’t be able to get the cooperation of Zeldomitra and Levios, and things would become unstable after the war.]
[Indeed. I don’t think they would make that choice.]
[So, let’s consider what if Wilk takes Princess Romilie as his legal wife. It’s a cease-fire agreement. What do you think? Don’t you think post-war governance will be stable that way?]
Garrel thought about it for a moment, but immediately shook his head.
[Quordenze’s blood wouldn’t allow that. After they finally bit the Voistra Plain deeply, they wouldn’t go out of their way to let their prey escape.]
In this case, the war would end in a very unfinished state. Only part of the Voistra Plains will become Quordenze territory, and the Spierzeig family will continue to remain.
[However, there is no fear after the war. Centipede legs will not occur in the first place, and the territory they will acquire is only a part of the Voistra Plains, so there will be no problems with the deployment of personnel.]
[But, that won’t be enough to destroy Spierzeig.]
At that, Sadin smiled mockingly.
[Uncle, you say as if he is in a rush. As you may know, Wilk-dono is only 13 years old. Wouldn’t it be better to destroy them 30 years later or 60 years later?]
According to Garrel, he could not believe that the Spierzeig family would be destroyed silently. It was once a Great Noble family with a proven track record, having founded the Kingdom of Voistra and being recognized as the hero of the central region of the continent.
However, there is a generation gap in awareness in this area. Many of the older generations speak highly of the Spierzeig family. The generation of Garrel and others who had been taught various things by the elders also had an image of the Spierzeig family as a strong family, but the younger generation did not view them as so special.
From Sadin’s point of view, the Spierzeig family was just one of many Great Nobles. As far as he remembered, the Quordenze family was running rampant against the Spierzeig, so he had the impression that they were more just like a “strong noble”.
[The true strength of the Spierzeig family lies in the Voistra Plains, right? Although Quordenze has already eroded part of it to that extent, no matter how hard they try, it will never be in perfect condition.]
And saying that, Sadin pointed his pointer at the outside of Quordenze territory.
[This is a former noble territory in the eastern part of the Empire, but the Quordenze family’s control over this area is still shallow. I think it is time to review the system once. During the ceasefire, they will suppress these areas and rebuild them. And all they have to do is build a base to serve as a future invasion base in the new territory that they gained in the Voistra Plains. Do you not think that in a few decades, the gap between Quordenze and Spierzeig will be even wider than it is now?]
[He’s taking Princess Romilie as my legal wife. It would be too unsightly to attack her family.]
[No one will be able to complain if they attack with a good excuse. A few decades from now, are there any forces nearby that can complain about Quordenze, which will probably be even bigger than it is now? Wilk-dono is probably good at raising such good causes.]
Because it is difficult to imagine the future situation of the Kingdom and Empire, Garrel could not answer immediately.
[Now, I think it’s a much safer plan than defeating the Spierzeig family in a decisive battle and annexing the entire Voistra Plains.]
It certainly was. Garrel still believed that swallowing Voistra Plains whole is a high risk.
It’s just a hypothetical, but if the Quordenze family powered-up after the ceasefire, it wouldn’t be that difficult to devour the remaining Spierzeig territory. Snakes are getting bigger while their prey is getting smaller.
However, there was a big reason why Garrel could not honestly agree with Sadin.
[However, welcoming the Princess of the Spierzeig family… This story is reminiscent of the former Princess Asliza. Aren’t they not afraid to fall into the same trap?]
[Indeed.]
In response to that point, Sadin beamed with joy, as if he had earned the answer that he wanted.
[Everyone will think like Uncle. Princess Romilie will become the second Princess Asliza. So everyone lets their guard down. Quordenze would be shaken sooner or later, and would be thrown into confusion by Spierzeig’s comeback. I’m sure the old generation that highly values the Spierzeig family will think so.]
A pointer was thrust into the map.
[I think that’s strange. Think about it calmly. If you look at the territory, it’s clear that Quordenze has the upper hand. Who would benefit more from a ceasefire? No matter how you look at it, it’s Quordenze. Normally, we would be in a situation where we should be wary of the Quordenze family becoming so large.]
Many believe that Emperor Zinkaen’s hegemony came to a halt because he tripped over a pebble during the invasion of the Voistra Kingdom. And that pebble is Asliza Spierzeig, who was married to Emperor Arginis.
In a sense, this can be said to be an event that changed the history of the continent. That’s a huge precedent. When anyone heard that a Princess would be marrying from the Spierzeig family to the Quordenze family, it was natural that my image would be drawn to that side.
[…However, Luxus-dono and Duke Galfis will probably feel the same way. If Wilk-dono were to be engaged with Princess Romilie, as long as that was a concern, they would never give her a marriage agreement.]
[Didn’t he hold her hand at the evening party to confirm that? It is said that Emperor Arginis fell in love with Princess Asliza the moment he laid eyes on her. Wilk-dono might’ve wanted to check himself to see if something similar would happen. Maybe that’s why he invited Princess Romilie to dance?]
He dared to contact her to see if he could control himself. His careful movements match the image of Wilk depicted in Garrel’s mind.
[Wilk-dono also said this. Now is the time to accumulate strength.]
Wilk told the next head of the Kingdom’s five Great Noble families to think about their own growth instead of thinking about invading the Holy City. Of course, this is a story that Sadin has already reported, and Garrel also remembered it.
[Storing-up power… huh?]
Considering the flow of what Sadin had said up to this point, the statement sounded quite meaningful. The fact that he contacted Romilie right after the gathering of the next head seems to be a way of saying, “I will do what I say”.
[When you think about it, you can see the intention behind this sudden military action. They were planning to carve out as much territory as they could manage in the current Quordenze. Even if they decided for a truce, it will be more convenient in the future if they decided to move deeper into the Voistra Plains. Weldburg City was also an affordable place to increase the number of entry points in case of future attacks, and that’s all.]
[What about the siege of Othelloria City?]
[I don’t know. Maybe it was because the surprise attack went better than expected, or maybe Duke Galfis, angry that he couldn’t settle the matter on his own, took a gamble and moved forward…]
So, Sadin placed the pointer that he had been holding in his hand on the desk. Garrel understood that this is probably the entire idea he came up with.
[In other words, does this mean that the end point of this turmoil is a ceasefire?]
That kind of thing won’t happen, the voice oozes with that feeling. That was too bold a hypothesis.
Considering the actions of the Quordenze family up until now, this is a completely unconvincing story. However, since there was a precedent for Operation Serpent’s Fang, they could not completely deny it. Garrel cannot imagine how a being named Wilk Quordenze would move.
[That’s right… Well, Wilk-dono isn’t old enough to get married yet, so the marriage proposal might not come out.]
Sadin predicted that it might take some time for the current battle to calm down, but once it calmed down, there would be a cease-fire.
[I see. Let’s keep this in mind as a hypothesis.]
[If this prediction comes true, how would you rate Wilk-dono?]
Father’s salvation.
Garrel suddenly thought about that.
Luxus was originally not in a position to inherit the family headship.
And the same goes for Garrel. He often struggles with the fact that he has become the head of the family on behalf of someone else.
He is no longer able to make decisions as boldly as he was when he invaded independent noble territories as a military general. The more he thinks that he must protect Zeldomitra, who was entrusted to him by his older brother, and Sadin who is his brother’s scion, the more conservative his decisions become.
He sometimes wondered if Luxus was having the same problem.
Protecting the Quordenze family and destroying the Spierzeig family are contradictory goals.
If the priority was to protect the Quordenze family, they should have finished it off by capturing Reisleaf Castle. As soon as they annexed the eastern noble territory of the Empire, they would become the top of the central region of the continent, so anything beyond that would only aggravate the other families’ sense of crisis. They should have ended this by asking the Spierzeig family for a ceasefire. It would be too risky for the Quordenze family to annex the entire Voistra Plains.
However, Luxus, who lost his brother to the Spierzeig family and was elevated to the position of head of the family in his place, was probably unable to stop. He may have been torn between protecting the Quordenze family and fulfilling the grudges of his family.
If Wilk acted according to what Sadin said, it would be a relief to his father.
He showed his bravery by taking Reisleaf Castle and cutting into the Voistra Plains. He might have suggested that he would accomplish the destruction of the Spierzeig family, so leave the rest to him, and there would be no need for Luxus to suffer any longer.
[Hmph…]
Garrel scoffed mockingly at himself.
That’s too sentimental a delusion. But, stupid stories are also good.
Maybe his heart was shaken by nostalgia after coming face to face with a voice that resembled his brother.
Of course, he couldn’t bring himself to say such naive thoughts.
In order to protect the Zeldomitra family, he has to admonish his nephew, the next head of the family, who wants to take adventurous actions. Garrel took a deep breath and warned himself.
[…Yes, if that prediction is correct, I think Wilk-dono has extremely realistic ideas.]
[Yes. He is trying to steadily grow the Quordenze family. He wouldn’t want to be at the mercy of the blood that grudges Spierzeig. That is an admirable thing.]
Then, Sadin looked up at the sky.
The clouds were moving and the moon was about to peek out again.
[…I would like to say is it okay if we cooperate with Wilk-dono? With the Quordenze family?]
Sadin said, after prefacing that he hoped his prediction was correct.
[Cooperate?]
[This summer was a poor harvest. This fall must have been a lonely harvest festival everywhere.]
The annual schedule for wheat cultivation in Zeldomitra territory is to sow seeds from autumn to winter, harvest around summer of the following year, and hold a harvest festival to collect taxes.
From around spring, it was predicted that crops would fail in the southern part of the continent. That prediction was correct, and this year’s Zeldomitra territory would harvest less than usual.
[I’ve heard from civil officers that the price of wheat is rising. It seems like The Free Cities are trying desperately to scrape together something.]
The crops in Zeldomitra territory were poor, but it wasn’t so bad that the people of the territory would starve any time soon. Therefore, securing wheat is not an urgent issue.
The Zeldomitra family is a large family and has good governance, so there are many immigrants. Moreover, since there are more slaves than other territories, the population of the territory as a whole is quite large. However, as there is little agricultural land relative to the population, food shortages have always been an issue that must be taken into consideration. No matter if you are a first-class citizen or a second-class citizen, if you are hungry, you eat bread. Since the lives of the people of the territory depended on the existence of the second-class citizen, they could not be starved to death as their owner pleased just because they were slaves.
[This will be a good opportunity to attack the hungry and weakened southern region. If Quordenze can provide us with food, we can move as we wish.]
Preparing food is necessary for large-scale military operations. For this reason, the Zeldomitra family’s policy was not to make any major moves from this year to next.
[Quordenze must be in a bit of a mess. By actively taking sides, we can repay our favor.]
Sadin was a little bit dissatisfied with that.
It is difficult for the Zeldomitra family to move, but the independent noble houses of The Free Cities are even more difficult to move. If that was the case, Sadin thought they should receive food supplies from the Quordenze family and attack all at once and increase their territory.
[We can’t grow Zeldomitra by just waiting for the Levios family to make a move. If we don’t make a move ourselves, we won’t be able to accumulate power.]
As if in response to that voice, light falls from the sky.
[Wilk-dono has shown me the way.]
The moon and stars illuminated Sadin.
The image of his nephew, his eyes shining with bloody ambition, appeared in the darkness.
The Quordenze and Spierzeig families concluded the war with a peace agreement in Nambonan City.
It was soon after that that a special news that shook the whole continent came in.
