Chapter 269: The Corridor |
A small dining party was held after the signing ceremony. One can say it’s lunch albeit a little late.
This was right after peace was established. Naturally, all attendees were expected to behave accordingly. If you keep complaining, your dignity will be questioned.
And there was not a single such idiot among the attendees this time. My father and Romilie were chatting happily throughout the meal. If someone who didn’t know anything about the situation saw it, they would have thought that the Quordenze family and the Spierzeig family were very close noble families.
That’s why the dining party had such a peaceful atmosphere. …As a matter of fact if you put these two words, “terrible” and “peaceful”, together, you won’t be able to understand the taste of the dish.
Despite making some unpleasant discoveries, the dining party ended successfully.
I feel like my mental strength has improved to the next level by overcoming this living hell. Even when the after-dinner chat time started, I didn’t feel put off at all.
[This latest reconciliation can be called truly unconventional.]
The current Head of the Count Nongite family, Tarzast Nongite, continued speaking with a smile on his face.
This old man, who also has deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, is the great-grandfather of the next head of the family, Canan Nongite, who stood next to him. I heard that he is already over 90 years old.
It was around that time that it was said that the Quordenze family and the Spierzeig family would clash at Reisleaf Castle within the next few years. Depending on the progress of the battle between the two families, there must have been tremendous chaos in the central part of the continent. Would it be possible to entrust such an important situation to the young Canan?
The answer is a resounding “No”. Canan seems to be one year younger than me, so he’s 12 years old as of today. Frankly speaking, I can only see a future in which he’s thrown around by the plots of Luxus Quordenze and Magnis Spierzeig and turned into a mess.
The previous head of the family, Tarzast, who survived the era of turmoil and protected the Nongite family, had a solid track record and a certain name value. It can be said that it was an extremely reasonable decision to let him reassume the role as the interim head of the family.
[In any case, I am truly happy that the conflict between Quordenze and Spierzeig has come to an end.]
Count Nongite had a gentle smile on his face, but he didn’t let his guard down at all.
This old man has been making many verbal jabs since a while ago, as if to say, “I’m going to test your abilities”. If I respond poorly, I’ll immediately receive a powerful counter punch. A very heated exchange ensued.
I could see that Canan-kun, who was next to him, was nervous about our pleasant conversation and tongue-lashing.
[I am honored to be congratulated by Count Nongite.]
But now, this exchange doesn’t bother me too much.
I feel more comfortable having a close conversation with an old man than smiling in an unbearable atmosphere. A smile naturally appeared on my face. If I let my guard down, I’d have laughed out loud.
[Umu, it’s good to be proud of. It’s probably Wilk-dono’s accomplishment due to his martial prowess and ambition.]
The Count was watching me from behind the smiling mask. The accent in his voice sounded like there was a lot of pressure.
Is the peace that was described as unconventional due to my martial prowess and ambitions?
It seems like this old man is half convinced that I acted on my own in this case. And by daring to show this, he is probably trying to put pressure on me and questioning my thoughts.
[I was impressed by the preamble that expressed this matter.]
What the Count is concerned about or wary of is the idea of the Nambonan Peace Treaty. To be more specific, it is the thought of Wilk Quordenze, who was deeply involved in the creation of the article.
On the surface, the Nambonan Peace Treaty states the responsibility of being the guardians of the land, and the idea of prioritizing the peace of the territory is preached. However, if you look at each individual article, you will see that it contains many dangerous contents that could be used as fuel for the next war.
Is the person named Wilk Quordenze satisfied with the current territorial ceding indicated by the conclusion of this treaty? Is he planning to start a second round of war that will be the phase of the destruction of the Spierzeig family? Or is he hoping for something even bigger? I think the Count wants to know what I’m looking at.
[Protecting the land is both our pride and our responsibility. As good neighbors who share the same values, Nongite would like to welcome the decision of both families.]
Just follow the words that I wrote in the preamble, don’t have any more territorial ambitions, just stick to what you say, and then the Nongite family can make some concessions to the Quordenze family…I guess that’s the point. Rather than searching for it, it’s more of a reminder using the preamble.
I think that the Count, like the people in Quordenze and Spierzeig, was probably unable to understand the intent and significance of Article 3. On that point, the preamble was full of beautiful rhetoric, and in a sense it was easy to understand, making it easy to use as a starting point for the discussion.
If I were in Count’s position, “I would like the Spierzeig family to continue to survive. I’d want them to be an imaginary enemy of the Quordenze family, a worm inside a lion’s body in the Voistra Plains, and an existence that attracts the attention of snakes”. In the first place, it would be nerve-wracking to start a war in a neighboring territory, so I’ll refrain from doing so.
The Nongite family’s honest desire is to refrain from any more fighting. I feel like it’s a little too cautious to say that the only price you get in return is being a good neighbor.
Well, for the Nongite family, who have maintained a policy of non-interference up until now, they are showing some compromise. It seems that they have decided that it is not a good idea to completely ignore the current Quordenze, which is excited by the victory of the war.
[Thank you for your understanding, Count.]
I have no territorial ambitions, so I’ll start by affirming that. However, I should be careful so the other party won’t misinterpret it.
I dared to smile deeper.
[The Nambonan Peace Treaty was created by examining every word of it, so to speak, it is my belief. To deviate from the agreement would be to go against my own will and pride. That cannot be said to be the behavior of a nobleman.]
At this point, the Spierzeig family will have no choice but to cede the Nijo territory, but it is unknown whether they will obediently hand over the Sanjo territory. It’s even more so since the contents of Article 3 are difficult for Eruo continent nobles to understand.
However, no matter what the reason is, a promise is a promise, so I will press for the cession. This is a component that can never be violated, just like the spirit of protecting the land mentioned in the preamble.
Denying each individual article is equivalent to denying the pride of nobility declared in the preamble. Therefore, I cannot accept anyone who breaks the treaty as a noble. In other words, it will become necessary to destroy the noble family called Spierzeig from this earth. Of course, this is just a fight to protect dignity and has nothing to do with territorial ambitions.
The Nongite family should understand this well.
[I see.]
[I intend to embody my belief in protecting the land in Quordenze. I hope you will come and see it from the land of Nongite.]
The minimum would be the plan indicated by the Nambonan Peace Treaty, and the maximum would be the destruction of Spierzeig and the annexation of the entire Voistra Plains. There is no ambition for a Kingdom or Empire beyond the framework of Quordenze. We have no plans for an invasion war against the Nongite family, so please watch with confidence.
[…Fumu.]
Did I convey my point correctly to the Count? This old man’s smiling face is so thick that it is impossible to read his inner thoughts.
For the time being, I decided to proceed with the conversation assuming that he had agreed.
[Let me show you what I am not ashamed of as a great guardian who has protected the land inherited from my ancestors.]
The Spierzeig family will definitely resist in order to maintain their ancestral land, but I have said that I will understand this and carry it out.
[I hope we can be good neighbors from now on.]
After saying that, I smiled again.
Don’t do anything unnecessary. If you get in the way, the Nongite family might lose their ancestral land, while threatening them.
The Count and I faced each other in silence, for only about ten seconds.
The Count was the first to speak.
[…When I talk to Wilk-dono, I am reminded of Duchess Cassia. Not just your eyes, but your demeanor. There is a resemblance. It’s nostalgic.]
The tone of his voice changed slightly when he said the last word. The tension that had been building up eased a little.
[My grandmother?]
[Hmm. Do you know about the Kyborv Corridor?]
The range of mountains extending from the northwest to the central part of the continent is called the Kyborv Mountains. This natural fortress separates the western and northern parts of the continent, allowing the peoples of the Empire to live without facing the threat of the Mist lands.
There are plains that run along this long mountain range, and these areas were also called the Kyborv Corridor. The name comes from the fact that it looks like a corridor protected by the roof of the Kyborv Mountains.
Of course, I knew this from knowledge, so I nodded obediently. This is just a prelude, otherwise the story won’t move forward.
[This is a story from before the founding of the Empire. After a long wandering, the First Emperor gathered together a group of factions and made a bold move to pacify the western world.]
Emperor Zinkaen was born as the third son of a small noble family, but he was expelled from his parents’ home before he became an adult. According to the story of the founding of the Empire, he was given only one sword and went on a journey, but I don’t know how true that legend is. There is no doubt that he left my parents’ house at that time.
In folktales of heroism, Emperor Zinkaen wanders around the western continent after leaving his home, defeating evil nobles in order to help the people suffering from the ravages of war, and meeting heroes who later become patriots for the founding of the nation. …Well, in reality, he was said to have been acting like a bandit to earn a living and sustenance, and was rampaging on the battlefield as a mercenary.
Even so, just thinking about a Highlord acting like bandits and mercenaries is terrifying. It seems to convey the feel of the end of the century in the western part of the continent at the time.
While rampaging here and there, Emperor Zinkaen’s number of comrades increased. There are founders with similar circumstances, and there are remnants of knight families who lost their Master families and were searching for a new way of life. Before they knew it, they had grown into a powerful clique that could trample on the armies of weak noble families.
This was the birth of the Zinkaen Party, the organization that would become the predecessor of the Zinkaen Empire. My grandmother, who was a runaway daughter at that time, was also very involved in its establishment. Therefore, I knew roughly what the Count was talking about.
[The Zinkaen party, which defeated the Frieres family and took control of Arpeo, finally set its sights on the north. One of the messengers who visited the corridor at this time was the young Duchess Cassia.]
At that point of time, the western part of the continent was controlled by noble families, with Frieres in the west and Spierzeig in the east. To be more precise, it’s the Duchy of Arpeo in the west and the Kingdom of Voistra in the east.
It seems that the Kyborv Corridor’s people were shocked by the power of the Zinkaen Party, which attacked and destroyed the Frieres family, one of the two strongest families.
[I thought she would be a dreamy little girl who is meant to be used by someone who pursues supremacy, but…]
Tarzast laughed lightly. It seemed like a little bit of his true face was peeking out from behind the mask of a noble that he’s wearing now. It may not be such a bad memory for this old man.
[She was an upstanding person who understood the principles of a noble family.]
Emperor Zinkaen and his subordinates were fighting with the goal of ending the turbulent times. Apparently, the Count expected that since Cassia came as their envoy, she would demand surrender and subjugation based on that assumption. In fact, there were many members of the Zinkaen Party who were so infatuated with the cause that they blindly followed it.
However, it is said that the first theme that my grandmother insisted on when she came to Nongite territory was “continuation of the family”. It seems that the Count was impressed by this.
The important thing for the Count is to preserve the lineage of his ancestors that has been passed down by Nongite, and to protect his home and territory. He couldn’t just buy into the idea that the ending of turbulent times, something fluffy and elusive that could be interpreted in any way people wanted. It is not known what kind of disadvantages will be imposed on them in the name of a good cause.
Although the Nongite family did not immediately decide to become a vassal on the spot, they were left with a strong impression that there was “a noble who we could communicate with” named Cassia Quordenze in the leading group of the Zinkaen Party.
[She always puts reality and Quordenze first. No wonder she would be able to accomplish the great unification of the Five Territories.]
There must be a reason why we talked about such old stories. There’s no such thing as just being nostalgic feeling. It’s clear from our interactions so far that he’s not that carefree old man.
The Count said that my grandmother and I look alike. The Count, who has met not only my grandfather but also Emperor Zinkaen many times, has purposely chosen only my grandmother. It is safe to assume that there is some kind of argument lurking here.
Well, it’s not that difficult to interpret it.
My grandmother has a somewhat harsh image, but since she started taking charge as the Head of the Quordenze family, she has become relatively calm. After she purged our collateral relatives, she had never involved herself in a foreign war. In order to rebuild the Quordenze territory, she was fully devoted to domestic affairs.
After going on a rampage as one of the founding patriots, she established good government in her territory as a ruler. It’s a truly fulfilling life.
It may not be as colorful as the heroic tales of her youth. However, her accomplishments in quickly reuniting the divided territories and establishing centralized power under the head family are immeasurable. Without a doubt, it was my grandmother who raised the Quordenze family to become one of the leading figures in the central continent.
[The Count’s words are a great encouragement to me, as I wish to be like my grandmother.]
I think the Count probably guessed through this friendly chat that I had no ambitions other than for the Spierzeig territory. Of course, I’m not sure at this point, it might just be a vague impression of “Right now, I don’t think you have ambitions like Emperor Zinkaen. I want you to take a break after this big victory, and from now on, like Duchess Cassia, you can work hard on domestic affairs”. He said that I resembled my grandmother. That must have been his intention.
[Fumu. I hope so, truly.]
The Count smiled with satisfaction and introduced his great-grandson who was standing next to him.
The greeting and chat with Canan went off without a hitch, with nothing particularly noteworthy. This is because, unlike his grandfather, this great-grandson only gave routine greetings and formal conversations.
Canan seemed a little nervous, but his manners weren’t too bad.
If it were a hostile noblehouse, I would have shaken him up and brought out his gaffes and blunders, but the Nongite family is a noble house that I would like to be friends with in the future. I felt like I had done enough after chatting with the Count, and since there was no reason for me to attack him, I just left it alone.
If it was a cute girl, I might have been a little mean to her and enjoyed her reaction, but there’s nothing funny about messing with a boy.
[…I hope that Nongite and Quordenze will have a good future together.]
To sum up, it’s not a failing grade for the behavior of a noble boy of this age, but it’s a delicate line that leaves me worried to call it a passing grade.
The Quordenze family had also done some research on Canan in advance. Last year, after we conquered Nambonan City, my civil officer visited Nongite territory to say hello, and apparently he had an audience with the Count and Canan.
Before this signing ceremony, I checked the report on Canan, and found that he had been given a very disappointing evaluation, calling him “hopeless”. He has a lot of careless words and actions, he lacks a sense of crisis as the next head of the family, he has a strong admiration for bravery and cannot see the reality, and if he becomes the head of the family, the Nongite territory will become unstable.
However, looking at his behavior today, I feel like he has grown quite a bit. Compared to the image that I had of Canan in my head after reading the report, the reality was much better.
The Count must have probably noticed that the Quordenze side evaluated Canan as “hopeless”. I wonder if they started re-education in a hurry after that.
Well, if he has changed so much in about a year, we can expect future growth… I see, this may be one of the reasons why Canan, despite his delicate quality, was brought to Nambonan City. It’s like an interim report saying, “We’re currently educating them to become a proper noble, so please don’t worry about the Nongite family”.
[Let’s work together as the next generation to take charge of the territory, Canan-dono.]
When I encouraged him to continue working hard and growing, our conversation got better. I motion to the Count and Canan to relax and talk.
Merely engaging in heated exchanges or having template-like conversations will not leave a good impression on both parties. That’s too barren. It is necessary to set aside time for friendship.
Both of them were aware of this, so the proposal was accepted immediately.
[I heard that Wilk-dono entered the Voistra Plains by himself. I heard it was called Operation Snake’s Jaw. What kind of mindset did you have in mind?]
Canan’s eyes were sparkling.
This was the moment we moved into casual chat, and I guess he had been dying to hear it for a long time.
[I’ll do what needs to be done, that’s all. Besides, my grandfather was there in Voistra Plains, and my collaborators from Quordenze were also waiting for me. I can’t boast that I went alone.]
There was a grandfather who had malfunctioning magic, but I won’t say anything about that.
A rough summary of the Quordenze family’s official statement is that a detached force led by Wilk launched a surprise attack while the energetic General Galfis was drawing the attention of the Spierzeig army to Reisleaf Castle. It’s all a snake trap.
If you examine the details carefully, you will find a story full of contradictions, but on the Eruo continent, where the means of transmitting information are limited, it is not possible to accurately capture all the elements. It is difficult to say with certainty that the content is false.
The only possibility that this would be pointed out would be if there were discrepancies in the testimony of those involved in Quordenze. In order to avoid making that mistake, I spoke to Canan while ignoring the parts that were not in the official statement.
[Right now we’re still celebrating, so I’m afraid to talk too much about it.]
After we had talked for a while, I turned my attention to Spierzeg’s side and ended the conversation. Romilie seemed to be having a pleasant chat with Count Evenafis now.
I’m not naive enough to go into detail about Magnis and Kindlor’s final moments here, even if it’s just a summary of Operation Jaw. If I talked about it proudly, the Spierzeig side would probably feel bad too.
[You’re paying close attention to detail.]
The Count also put a stop to Canan. However, instead, he asked some serious questions about my consideration for Spierzeig. In particular, the issue of returning the bodies of Magnis and Kindlor was explored in depth. This behavior is probably incomprehensible to the Eruo continent nobles.
This is a question and answer that was anticipated in the simulation beforehand. I said something like I returned it out of desperation for the peace of the territory.
[As for what I was saying earlier, did the Count take admiration towards my grandmother? Your family had to lose the independence you had up until then…]
If things continue like this, people will just dig into me, so I decided to ask the Count and Canan some questions as well.
For now, the topic is about my grandmother, which I just mentioned. Canan also seemed interested, so it would be a safe choice.
The Nongite family defended their home and maintained their independence during the long and violent wars in the western part of the continent. They did not immediately surrender to Emperor Zinkaen, who had conquered the Arpeo region. It must have been a difficult decision to become a vassal. I wanted to hear about it.
The Count stared at me silently for a while. The next moment, he nodded several times as if he had understood something, and then burst into laughter.
[That’s probably a way of thinking that leans towards eastern countries. The independence of a noble family is, after all, just one way to protect the family. If you destroy your family to protect your independence, you’re missing the point.]
The nobles who belong to the Levios Kingdom place importance on independence. It seems that my question was an image of “the Noble family of the Levios Kingdom, the Marquis Quordenze family”. For this old man, the Quordenze family had a strong image of “the Noble family of Zinkaen Empire, the Duke Quordenze family”, and it seems that the gap between the two views was interesting.
I don’t really understand the tricks of laughter in the elderly, but I can kind of understand why it becomes difficult to update the images in your brain as you get older.
[In the realm of the Kingdom, I feel that the spirit of independence is not only a simple means of survival for noble families, but is also deeply connected to anti-priest ideology. That may be the difference between East and West.]
[Well, that’s an interesting story.]
In general, the western part of the continent is said to be the place where the turbulence was most intense and the area exploded into flames. The family’s life and death were probably so close that he couldn’t even afford to talk about things like independence for the noble family.
The fact is that more small noble families survive in the eastern part of the continent.
[The Corridor’s noble families were suffering from endless conflicts and were completely exhausted. They didn’t know when or when they would be consumed. The disaster created by humans is truly terrifying.]
[I also heard from my grandfather that it was a difficult time.]
The Count let out a big sigh.
[…No matter how ambitious I may have been, I can only be grateful to the Emperor who opened a bloody path through that hell and brought the war to an end. Even right now.]
Although he did not sympathize with Emperor Zinkaen’s ideology, he seems to feel indebted to the Emperor for the results that he brought about.
[I’m sure Duke Galfis knows the joys and sorrows of that era. I hope his lessons will be cherished.]
[Yes.]
When I answered, I unconsciously looked at Canan.
Ever since we started chatting, he has been very interested in the jaw strategy. I wouldn’t say he was rude, but he was a little excited to the point that it was noticeable.
It may be inevitable for a boy of this age, but he has a strong admiration for stories of heroism and bravery. This is as per the previous report. It seems that he has strange expectations for me, who crushed Spierzeig’s army.
I thought to myself, “Before you tell the eldest son of another family about your war experience, you should tell it to your own son”. I didn’t mean to be sarcastic here.
[No matter how much sadness there is, as time passes, it’ll become an accessory to a heroic drama. At this age, I was able to make new discoveries, and recently I have only been made to realize how heartless it is.]
The Count muttered as if deriding himself.
[I’m sure my acquaintances in the Corridor have the same troubles. Looking back on a past full of suffering is hard for an old person to bear. However, I must convey this message once again. What does it mean to protect one’s home…?]
It seems that this is a common problem not only for the Nongite family, but for all the noble families in the Kyborv Corridor. There are probably many elderly people who don’t talk about their memories or don’t want to remember them because they are painful memories.
And since Emperor Zinkaen’s hegemony is widely talked about within the Empire, it seems that the younger generation tends to admire the heroic stories. Maybe the whole Empire is like this. I don’t like it too much.
[We’ll look back on the war and think about peace. I think today’s signing ceremony will be a good opportunity for that.]
At a later date, the Nongite family will share a considerable amount of information about the signing ceremony in Nambonan City with the noble families of the Kyborv Corridor. At the same time, I would like them to think carefully about peace.
The majority of the forces called the northern nobility of the Empire are The Corridor’s noble families. I’m afraid that if the number of family heads with a temperament like Canan increases, the hurdles for starting a war will lower. I wanted the Counts and the old nobles in the Corridor to pass on the memories of the war to their children and grandchildren.
All-out war with the Zinkaen Empire must be avoided at all costs.
Considering that, the current situation is most convenient for the Head of the Nongite family. There is a sense of security that he won’t come into direct conflict with the Quordenze family unless there’s something really wrong.
Nongite territory is the easternmost part of the Kyborv Corridor, and is located in a position that could serve as the gateway to Quordenze territory. If war broke out with the Empire, the Nongite territory would definitely suffer from the ravages of war and meet a tragic end. Considering that, as long as the Quordenze family is alive and well, I’m sure they will take a stand against war.
The only problem is his age and appearance, which makes him look like he’s going to die of old age tomorrow. It’s literally a fatal anxiety factor, but there’s nothing we can do about it. I want his great-grandchildren to be educated as soon as possible.
[The end of the war will be an opportunity. …Everything will not be the same as before. Big changes will occur in the south and west as well.]
I’m guessing he’s talking about the nobles in the southern part of the Empire and in the western part of the Empire.
Until now, many of these people supported the Quordenze family mainly because they disliked the Spierzeig family, but now that peace has been reached, what will they do? This was one of the issues I had to discuss face-to-face with my father and grandfather.
Furthermore, it can be said that the power of the nobles in the eastern part of the Empire no longer exists. This is because the Quordenze family has completely destroyed it over the past 20 years. Among the remaining nobles in the eastern part of the Empire, the only one that can properly be called a force is the Spierzeig family.
[What kind of changes do you think will occur, Count? Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the situation in the Empire.]
[…The logic of the South is difficult to understand in the North, both now and in the past.]
He didn’t mean to push it away.
He said he couldn’t answer because he didn’t know.
As I knew, the impact of the Spierzeig family bending their knees seemed to be significant.