Other Character Introduction

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Oka Sanai ………… The previous life of Baldr’s previous life. A stingy general from Warring States era.
Oka Masaharu ………… Baldr’s previous life. A high school student of modern japan.
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Silk …………Baldr’s fiancée. She inherited the blood of Trystovy’s royal family.
Seyruun ………… Baldr’s fiancée. A childhood friend and a maid.
Selina ………… Baldr’s fiancée. Dog eared race. Savaran Company’s president.
Rachel ………… Baldr’s fiancée. Third princess of Mauricia Kingdom.
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Urraca ………… Majorca Kingdom’s navy minister. Nicknamed Tormenta Negra.
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Ignis Cornelius ………… Baldr’s father. A noble at remote region who was famous for his military prowess.
Nigel ………… Baldr’s little brother. Marguerite’s twin.
Marguerite ………… Baldr’s little sister. Nigel’s twin.
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Ramillies ………… Former retainer of Baldr’s grandfather. Maggot’s sword instructor.
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Welkin V ………… Mauricia Kingdom’s king.
William ………… Mauricia Kingdom’s fourth prince. Baldr’s schoolmate.
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Thomas ………… Dowding Company’s vice president. Selina’s business partner.
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Jack Armadio ………… The archduke ruling over Trystovy Dukedom.
Bernardi ………… Jack’s eldest son. The crown prince of the dukedom.
Olten Helcantus ………… The previous commander-in-chief of the dukedom’s military. Ramillies’s comrade-in-arms.
Cesare ………… The dukedom’s army’s commander-in-chief. Hated the very sight of his former superior Olten.
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Augusto Garibaldi ………… A merchant of Trystovy’s maritime guild. Dog-eared tribe.
Valerie Ost ………… The power in the shadow who controlled the dukedom.
Idun ………… Valerie’s wife. Dog-eared tribe who originated from Nordland Empire.
Piaggio Delvecchio ………… The head of the maritime guild Seven Elders.
Barbarino Zanariderri(バルバリーノ・ザナリデッリ) ………… One of the Seven Elders. The commander of the guild’s
armada.
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Martell Blind ………… An intelligence agent of Europa Religion’s special corrective force.
Danilo(ダニーロ) ………… Vice commander of field operative unit of Europa Religion’s special corrective force.
Chapter 1 – The Power of Holy Relic
.

Part 1
Baldr and others entered the harbor of the great commercial city of Trystovy, Mulberry amidst acclamations that
reverberated like heavy thunder.
The kingdom’s flag that was last hoisted more than ten years ago made the citizens recalled the past glorious era
and then were choked with tears while hugging each other.
More than ten years ago, Trystovy rivaled the continent’s superpower Answerer Kingdom in population, economic
strength, and navy power. It was even predicted that Trystovy was going to surpass Answerer.
That was exactly why the nobles feared the increase of the commoner’s strength.
At that time Answerer Kingdom also regarded Trystovy Kingdom’s growth as danger and maneuvered behind the
scene.
Perhaps the break up of Trystovy was unavoidable sooner or later.
However perhaps that glorious days could be regained once more.
Baldr’s entrance made them harbored such hope.
For Mulberry citizens who were completely exhausted due to the sea blockade by the dukedom’s navy, the matter
of Baldr inheriting beastman blood was just a trivial problem.
「Trystovy Kingdom banzai!」
「Margrave Antrim banzai!」
「Maritime guild banzai!」
Mulberry was enveloped in an atmosphere of joy that was never seen before.
.
When the flagship that was boarded by one of the Seven Elders and the leader of pro dukedom faction Gastone
was sunk, the rest of private fleets quickly raised white flag and surrendered.
There were also some people who didn’t take action together with Gastone and so they escaped danger, but at
this point they didn’t even think of opposing Baldr.
They would definitely be ganged up immediately if they did something like that.
「──Even so this thing really is huge.」
The leader of the Seven Elders Piaggio looked up at the giant ship Gigante that had a total length of 300 meters
and total width of 70 meters with an astonished laugh.
He had heard the report, but he didn’t think that the ship could be this big.
He couldn’t even imagine how Balrd could possibly capture this monster ship.
Regardless of what kind of method was used (it was simply because they had monsters that surpassed Gigante),
the fact that Gigante had fallen into their hand was significant.
At the south there was still the first Gigante that was commandeered by the dukedom’s navy first fleet’s
commander Federigo, but if this Gigante was sent to clash with that Gigante, it wouldn’t be difficult to open the sea
blockade.
The maritime guild wasn’t inferior at all against the dukedom’s navy if it was just a simple comparison of sea
power. If the sea blockade was taken down, Mulberry would soon regain its vitality.
Because the Gigante was too big, Baldr and others went to the land using a cutter boat.
「Have we made you wait long, chairman?」
As expected Piaggio frowned at Augusto’s arrogant words.
「It was like my neck would grow longer with how long I’ve been waiting. Your place to return home would be
gone if you came any later.」
「Forgive me then for making you worry like that.」
Augusto laughed brazenly.
Piaggio was certainly a leader and a senior in maritime guild, but he was still a person of common sense that
Augusto could comprehend rather than heroines like Maggot, Gina, or Urraca whose absurdity he had just
witnessed from the front seat.
「Can’t you dispense with the small talk and give me an introduction already? He is the person who will be our
lord.」
Piaggio said that and kneeled.
Augusto coughed solemnly and he too followed along and kneeled reverently.
Ignoring of what his mind actually thought, Augusto too understood that this kind of formality was necessary.
「This personage was tormented with heartache after learning of the danger that threatened Mulberry’s survival
and headed out to the rescue regardless of the danger. Here is the heir to the throne of Trystovy Kingdom,
Margrave Antrim, Baldr-sama.」
Baldr got down from the cutter boat and waved his hand smilingly at the onlookers while speaking to Piaggio
cheerfully.
「 You have done well to endure the dukedom’s tyranny for so long. Rest assured that Mulberry is now out of
danger.」
「Yes my lord!」
Of course there were also people who were watching this with displeasure.
Mulberry was a city that had protected its independence for a long time. They weren’t amused that they had to
bend the knee at this late hour toward Baldr who appeared out of nowhere.
「At the dawn of the kingdom’s revival, I shall welcome the Seven Elders with a treatment that is equal to a duke.
I will never treat everyone here crudely in compensation of your loyalty.」
「We are unworthy for this honor.」
Although this point of compromise had been reached beforehand with Augusto’s intermediation, this conversation
made the citizens’ enthusiasm to reach the peak.
It wasn’t a complete self-government, but a territory that was governed by a duke was almost the same as having
its self-government recognized.
The last king Umberto I who was executed was betrayed by the nobles because he defended the commoners too
much.
The people recalled the memory of that time where the commoners’ right was protected and the economy’s growth
soared high. With Baldr’s words they were convinced that Mulberry would be revived.
「UOOOOOOOOOOH!」
There were also some people among them who thought of Baldr’s existence as questionable. There were also
people who worried that Baldr would be the same like other nobles who only wanted to bleed them dry.
But, nothing would beat having a ruler who could walk the path of prosperity together with them just like Umberto
in the past.
「Trystovy Kingdom banzai!」
「His majesty Baldr banzai!」
「Glory to Margrave Antrim!」
The wave of acclamations that showed no sign of stopping drove Mulberry into a crucible of excitement.
With this enthusiasm it felt like there was already no one here who harbored doubt of Baldr ruling over Trystovy.
.
「This method is a bit sly but, it looks like it’s effective.」
「……To be honest I didn’t expect to be this welcomed.」
Baldr and Piaggio moved to the reception room of the elders. There they smiled wryly at each other.
More than half of the two’s conversation was just acting, but it was a fact that Baldr was presiding over it as
Trystovy King.
And then Baldr proved in the best form there was that he was worthy for that position.
The maritime guild and Baldr had won the bet that they made to each other.
「Allow me to introduce myself once more. This one is called Piaggio Delvecchio. I have the honor of serving the
maritime guild as the chairman of the elder senate.」
「 My name is Barbarino Zanariderri, the commander of maritime guild’s armada. Pleased to make your
acquaintance.」
「I am the legal officer of maritime guild, Pietro Milano. Although insignificant, I shall stake this life to prove my
loyalty to your highness.」
「Your highness?」
「 If we conform to the royal family law of Trystovy Kingdom, Margrave Antrim is the first heir to the throne
although your highness have never been officially as the crown prince. I think that for now I should call your
highness Prince Baldr.」
Pietro held his head high as befitting a legal officer.Baldr only smiled vaguely at that.
He himself also thought that it was too hasty to claim himself as king. He also thought that Pietro’s opinion was
only natural.
Either way it didn’t change that it felt embarrassing for him to be called like that.
I am the finance official of maritime guild, Mario Andreotti(マリオ・アンデレオッティ). I’ll be grateful if your
highness can give me a little bit of your time later to discuss about the war expenditures from here on.]
「──Go easy on me later.」
「Right now one of the Seven Elders, Lambert Colombo( ランベルド・コロンボー) is leading a fleet to the
open sea. While our last member is as your highness aware──」
「The son of Bennett Garibaldi, Augusto Garibaldi. I shall pour my effort for your highness Baldr’s sake in the
place of my father──ouch!」
Augusto spread his hands wide open theatrically in exaggeration, but then Gina’s fist landed on the back of his
head.
「What are you doing!」
「Sorry. I was just reminded of an unpleasant guy for a bit. Tell your father if you have any complaint.」
Bennett at his youth──in other words Valerie was also a person who got carried away easily just like the current
Augusto.
When he was still filled with energy to bring brighter future to Trystovy and talked with Viktor about their dream, he
was truly a youth just like Augusto.
Such fact was painful to Gina.
(Thinking carefully his bad habit with woman is also exactly like his father!)
「……How horrible, it left a bump on my head! Well, because of that best regards.」
Piaggio sent an exasperated gaze at Augusto who didn’t reflect at all before he brought the introduction to the
finish.
「All of us elders swear that we shall spare no effort in order for your highness Baldr to ascend t the throne. I beg
your highness to not forget the faithful service of this maritime guild.」
「I shall engrave this vow into my soul.」
Piaggio confirmed that a certain level of trust and mutual understanding had been formed between both sides and
smiled brightly. He then clapped his hands.
「Then, we will hold a welcoming banquet with all the luxury that Mulberry can offer as the cornerstone of this
continent’s trade! We’re going to assemble delicacies that even your highness has never seen before.」
「──I’m thankful for your generosity but I ask you to continue this talk for now. I’ll look forward to enjoy the wine
for the later.」
「Very well, but what is it that we’re going to talk about?」
Piaggio was a capable man, but he was essentially a civil official.
Only Barbarino who was also an admiral who could barely guess what Baldr was going to say.
「──Of course, we’ll hold a war council.」
.
Part 2
「Just what is our navy doing-!?」
The dukedom’s great general Cesare was puzzled by the loud cheers that suddenly broke out from Mulberry. He
ordered his men to investigate and the report he obtained was nearly the worst.
Gigante that was the navy’s trump card was seized by the guild, in addition his influential insider man Gastone
was executed. Furthermore the one who accomplished all those was that beastman Margrave Antrim who was
aiming for Trystovy’s throne.
In other words not only Mulberry had smoked out the traitors and hardened their unity, they had even received
reinforcement.
It could be said that a great part of the tactic that Cesare drawn had collapsed.
「How can such absurd story happen! Everything was going smoothly until just now!」
If only Gigante could block reinforcement from arriving, Gastone would rally the merchants of Mulberry and
grasped the initiative within the Seven Elders.
If that happened it wouldn’t take long until Mulberry opened its gate without any bloodshed.
With such achievement that would completely shut up that annoying old general Olten, he planned to remove
Olten’s influence from within dukedom military. And yet this happened.
Of course, there was no plan that would go smoothly without any hindrance.
That was why an excellent tactician would prepare more than four countermeasures in case one of his plans went
awry.
But Cesare entrusted everything to just a single plan.
Therefore he was unable to think of even a single plan to recover. He could only vent out his resentment and
disappointment.
Now that things had reached this point, the only thing he could do was to launch an all-out attack to Mulberry.
Cesare couldn’t even imagine who far Mulberry’s morale and defensive strength would increase after obtaining
Baldr’s reinforcement.
「The reinforcement is only 400 troops………only 400 troops. Those fools are simply getting carried away a little
right now.」
If he attacked with a large army without care of loss, even the impregnable Mulberry would definitely fall.
Cesare didn’t notice that it was just a hopeful wish and believed it stubbornly.
No, he had no other path other than believing that.
.
「This is the worst development even among all the possibilities I thought up.」
「It’s pointless to say this at this late, but we should at least attack before this when we could still work together
with the traitors inside.」
Olten was talking with a man at the rear that was far removed from the troop headquarters.
「What is that moron doing right now?」
「Our general is currently in the middle of escaping from reality with all his might. It won’t be strange even if his
brain get filled with flower field like optimistic fool soon.」
「He will even try something stupid like attacking head-on without any scheme at all?」
「I will revise my opinion on him a little if he can think up any other option than that.」
The name of this man at his thirty with prematurely gray hair was Sylva Berlusconi( シルヴァ・ベルルスコー
ニ). He was a man who served as Cesare’s staff officer.
Although Cesare had never listened to his opinion even once until now.
「Won’t he try to use your excellency as bait?」
Cesare’s specialty was to present a sacrifice whose job was to gather the damage onto themselves while he
would come later to profit from that.
But he was also a cowardly man at the same time.
「He will never put me in a position where I might raise achievement.」
Even now there would be some ways to fight if Olten was in command of the troops, but it was unthinkable that
Cesare would allow that.
「It will be the end for the dukedom if this expedition army is annihilated. Whether we lose or receiving aid from
Answerer Kingdom, that will be the end.」
A country that lost its strength to guard itself would be unable to maintain its independence.
The dukedom would be preyed on and disappeared from this land, whether it was by Baldr’s Trystovy Kingdom or
by Answerer Kingdom.
He had to bring back more than half of this expedition army no matter what method he had to use.
In order to do that, Olten wouldn’t hesitate to act no matter what kind of stigma he had to shoulder later.
「I can only have him disappear. If he just die, then there is no doubt I will have the highest rank according to the
military hierarchy.」
The problem was how to hide that fact from being found out by others.
.
Part 3
「Isn’t this too hasty?」
Baldr suddenly declared that he would go into offense. It couldn’t be helped that was the first thing Piaggio said
when he opened his mouth.
Baldr’s arrival and Gigante’s capture had certainly made Mulberry gained momentum.
However the difference in strength with dukedom army was still overwhelmingly disadvantageous for Mulberry.
If by any chance Baldr set out and was defeated, the morale that had finally risen would immediately disperse to
the wind. If that happened then internal struggle would occur within the maritime guild once more.
First they had to harden their defense firmly. And then they would recapture the blockaded sea lane and obtained
new supplies and reinforcement before going out in counterattack.
Piaggio’s thinking was reasonable tactically.
Admiral Barbarino also had the same thinking like Piaggio.
「 Our guild’s armada wish to borrow the strength of the captured Gigante and crush Federigo’s fleet
immediately.」
「Of course, I will hand over Gigante to the guild. You can use it as you please. I’ll leave it to the maritime guild to
arrange the manpower to operate it.」
「──Is that alright?」
「It will only be a waste to leave it in my possession.」
The 400 soldiers that Baldr brought with him were all land troops.
It Urraca’s navy that were steering Gigante until here, but they had their own ship and they couldn’t be in charge of
Gigante forever.
Either way if the maritime guild was accepting their place as Baldr’s retainers, then the realistic decision was to
leave Gigante to them.
「If our Gigante can hold back the enemy’s Gigante, the rest will be decided purely by the ship crews’ skill. The
enemy is inferior with me at this side!」
Urraca powerfully stated that.
「I’m grateful. There will be nothing more reassuring than this if Tormenta Negra is going to cooperate with us.」
Barbarino highly evaluated the navy of Majorca Kingdom precisely because they were once rival. He also believed
in the skill of Urraca who destroyed the superiority of the dukedom’s fleet.
Thanks to Urraca beating the dukedom’s fleet, the maritime guild was able to obtain the control of the South Seas
without much effort.
In that sense, Urraca was also a benefactor of the guild.
「This Mulberry won’t fall as long as the sea lane is in good condition. That fact will be even more certain if there
is more reinforcement that will come from Antrim.」
They shouldn’t make any reckless gamble here.
Baldr nodded at Piaggio’s words while laughing a little.
「You’re speaking correctly if we’re only considering Mulberry’s defense. But, I didn’t come here just to defend
Mulberry.」
「That’s……」
It was here that the elders finally noticed that they were only thinking of the war situation based on their
convenience.
It was an unsightly blunder for Baldr’s retainers. But, even knowing that the risk of Baldr going out into offense
right now was too dangerous.
「It’s just as your highness say, the kingdom’s revival won’t come true if we only defend. But time is at our side
here!」
If it became a protracted battle, the large army would become a burden for the dukedom instead.
The logistics would be a heavy burden to maintain a large army. The bigger an army was, the faster morale would
decrease from lack of supply.
Piaggio was saying that it wouldn’t be too late to attack after waiting for that to happen.
「Piaggio’s opinion is correct. But I have three reasons why I have to fight immediately.」
Baldr said that while raising three fingers.
「First reason, the dukedom isn’t expecting that we will be attacking from our side. No matter the era an army that
cannot prepare itself mentally will be brittle.」
Even so, it was impossible to overturn the difference in strength that was nearly five times with just that.
Piaggio and others couldn’t hide their unconvinced look even while nodding at Baldr.
「 And then the second reason, unfortunately the support I have to inherit Trystovy’s throne is small. It’s partly
caused by the beastman blood flowing inside me but……」
The maritime guild submitted to Baldr because of their special circumstance within Trystovy.
They traded with a lot of countries and on top of that they had the disposition to not hold much stock toward race
prejudice. In addition they also highly evaluated the numerous groundbreaking inventions that Baldr invented.
Besides when they investigated Baldr’s relationship with Savaran Company and Dowding Company, they learned
that Baldr was the ideal lord for merchant.
A lord who wouldn’t betray trust and tried to one-sidedly exploit his subjects, a lord who could build win-win
relationship was very rare.
Also there were a lot of people who missed the old kingdom over the dukedom because of how Umberto I
protected Mulberry in the past.
Of course there was also the realistic situation where it was now very hard for the maritime guild to protect
Mulberry with just its strength from the dukedom that was supported by Answerer Kingdom.
Baldr’s existence was still obscure among Trystovy people outside Mulberry. Even those who knew about Baldr’s
existence didn’t think nicely about him.
「 We also have the choice of gathering a large army, preparing supplies, and wait for the enemy to blunder.
However there is no guarantee that the passing of time will only help us. We don’t know what kind of approach
Answerer Kingdom will take after all.」
If Answerer Kingdom seriously supported the dukedom just like how the maritime guild was supporting Baldr, the
difference in strength would widen even more.
It was clear that it would be their side that got pushed into disadvantage.
「That’s why it’s necessary for me personally to win with a small force in a clear shape that no one can deny. It
needs to be something so clear that even Answerer Kingdom will hesitate to interfere. And also so that the people
can have hope for this civil war to end. And to make the nobles who are dissatisfied toward the dukedom to
waver.」
Setting aside the battle at sea, the maritime guild was always being on the defensive when it came to land battle.
That was why the people in general didn’t even consider something like the maritime guild uniting the country.
They thought that the best the maritime guild could do was only to maintain their autonomy at Mulberry.
That thinking wasn’t actually wrong.
It was the truth that maintaining the status quo was the priority of the elders including Piaggio.
In such situation, even if they obtained reinforcement and prepared a battle strength that equaled the enemy, it
would be impossible for the populace to have hope for the end of the civil war.
Looking objectively, Baldr who only had 400 troops was clearly just a figurehead that the maritime guild elevated.
The general opinion of the society was that this just a method of the maritime guild to obtain justification and
support from other countries.
That wasn’t the case, it was the maritime guild that was under Baldr’s control.
To make that fact became known, the most effective way was for Baldr to directly lead the army and won.
「And then the last reason, it’s a really simple reason.」
Baldr looked around at Piaggio and others and grinned boldly.
「──We will win easily if we fight. There is no army in this world that can defend against King’s Gate owner when
they never fought one before.」
.
As expected they had to spend some time to explain about the King’s Gate.
It was an ability that was last owned by the beast king. The story about this ability was only passed down in the
beast god shrine as a legend.
Actually Europa religion also knew about this ability, but the maritime guild’s elders didn’t know at all about it,
which was only natural.
「I still can’t agree to it! Please don’t act rashly.」
Even so Admiral Barbarino openly spoke words of objection.
He was the one with the most military disposition among the elders. He considered the risk was extremely great
for Baldr to go into attack with just a few number.
The fate of the maritime guild would also end if something happen to Baldr by any chance.
He was completely unable to turn a blind eye to such rash gamble.
「 So you won’t be convinced with just verbal explanation like this. Then can you assemble some people with
skill?」
Baldr spoke with a wry smile. Barbarino replied to him dubiously.
「I don’t think that the dukedom will attack right away, so it’s possible if I’m allowed the time. But what does your
highness plan to do with that?」
「I’m thinking to have you ascertain it with your own eyes if you can’t be convinced with just words.」
.
A runner from the maritime guild immediately went to Mulberry’s land battle commander Gustiniani with a
message after that.
「──A bout? Our morale has finally risen up like this. I don’t want it to crash down again.」
Gustiniani said that with his face grimacing in displeasure.
He had confidence on his own experience and ability. He really didn’t want to be ordered to do some phony match
to make the opponent looked good.
「They said that there is no need to hold back. If possible they want you to beat up the opponent.」
「Aaa? Obviously I can beat them.」
He didn’t know how skilled this Margrave Antrim was, but Gustiniani was someone with the achievement of
protecting this Mulberry until now.
It was the common knowledge that three times the number of the defender was needed to take down a castle, but
as long as he was here, he could protect this city completely even if the enemy’s number was ten times his force.
He was also receiving salary that wasn’t cheap by any means, and that was because he possessed the strength
that was worth that much money. He had such confidence.
Luigi
「Oi adjutant, I’ll leave the command to you for a while. It looks like they need me to babysit a spoiled boy over
there.」
Trying to revive the kingdom was nice and all, but it would be a great mistake if that brat thought that war would
goes just like what he imagined in his childish mind.
The number of mercenary who lost their life because of the adventurous tactic of a young ruler couldn’t be
measured.
Gustiniani silently resolved that he wasn’t going to let this Mulberry that he had protected all this time with his
sweat and tear to be messed around by Baldr.
.
「I brought 200 energetic guys with me. And, how are we going to do this?」
Like this Gustiniani met Baldr for the first time.
He looked like a lady-killer with good upbringing, but he also seemed like a nice youth without any conceit.
Gustiniani couldn’t feel any arrogance of a noble who tended to start attacking recklessly from Baldr. It was
surprising to him.
But even that impression only lasted until the next words that Baldr said.
「I’ll take all of you alone, so do you want to bed how long you all will last?」
*Snap*, vein pulsed on Gustiniani’s forehead.
He wanted to praise himself from not punching Baldr right away. If it was him from ten years ago then there was
no doubt his fist would already fly.
「By that do you mean it’s a bet of how long you’re going to stay standing boy?」
His speech turned a little rough but he paid it no mind.
「No, it’s a bet of how long it will take until all of you become unable to stay on your feet.」
「You have guts. You don’t need us holding anything back right?」
There would be no need for mercy if he looked down on their strength like that. He would beat him up until he was
crawling on the ground crying. If he got fired because of that then he would walk out of here himself.
Piaggio and Barbarino got nervous seeing that Gustiniani had made his decision.
Regardless of everything, the two of them knew that it would be difficult to protect Mulberry until now without
Gustiniani’s skill.
「 Boys, you listening? It’s gonna be the start of a fun class. I don’t know how they are doing shit at the
sophisticated army, but it’ll be over for us if we get underestimated, you all get that?」
「Yeah of course.」
「──You’re pretty vigorous over there, Big Shield Gusti.」
That voice seemed familiar.
He reeled the string of his memory to remember whose voice was it. He needed nearly three seconds until he
recalled.
At the same time a shudder ran through Gustiniani’s back as though there was an icicle pushed into there.
「Silver Light……Maggot?」
「It’s nice to see that both of us are still alive even now. Especially because you were always at the opposite side
before this.」
Cold greasy sweat immediately drenched Gustiniani’s whole body.
When Gustiniani was still just a simple mercenary, Maggot was famous as a disaster that couldn’t be touched.
Maggot always appeared at the battlefield area with fierce fighting. He didn’t know how many of his acquaintances
had been killed by her hand.
Don’t think of that woman as human. Think of her as a battalion of heavy armor knights.
When he learned that Maggot was participating in the battle, Gustiniani would repeatedly warn all his colleagues
like that.
To think that he would be reunited with her in this kind of place.
Could it be that the reason of Baldr’s confidence was because of her existence?
Certainly if Maggot assisted him, the 300 soldiers in this place wouldn’t be of any use.
Let’s run if she is also fighting, Gustiniani made that decision without any care of his reputation or appearance.
「Long time no see. Are you this young master’s bodyguard?」
「Unfortunately he is my son. So be as rough as you can with him.」
「Y-you are joking right?」
Baldr Antrim Cornelius was the heir to the throne who inherited the blood of Trystovy’s royal family.
That meant, Silver Light Maggot was also a princess. No, rather than that Baldr was her son. For someone like her
to send him out with a smile…….
「C-could it be you……train him?」
「Of course I trained him a lot. Aren’t you glad? If you can defeat Baldr, you can proudly claim to be a man who
defeated the Silver Light Maggot you know?」
「Stronger than Silver Light Maggot? You’re joking right? Tell me that it’s a joke!」
Gustiniani turned toward Piaggio with a pale face. His expression was ghastly.
However Piaggio heartlessly shook his head.
For his whole life Gustiniani never regretted his own choice as much as now.
「Sorry but let’s just treat it that this talk never happen……」
「Do it thoroughly! You get it right?」
「I’ll put forth every effort! Okaa-sama!」
「NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!」
Thirty minutes later Baldr’s attack was acknowledged unanimously.
.
Part 4
「As I thought there isn’t any sign of Olten.」
Ramillies who boarded the transport ship along with the 400 elites of Antrim landed on Mulberry slightly later than
Baldr. And then he looked down at the dukedom army from above the rampart.
The number was amazing, but the organization of the troops was rough.
Even so that rough organization didn’t become a fatal mistake because of the experience that the troops had
accumulated from the long war.
The number of mercenary was fewer than expected, but perhaps the dukedom too didn’t have much budget for
military affair.
「I don’t think he is a guy who will quietly retire though……」
The Olten that Ramillies knew was a man who was the very picture of resolute determination.
He wasn’t a man who would let his hands got tied and only waited until the enemy broke down from inside. For
him to not be here, that meant he wasn’t in a position that could interfere with the command of the dukedom army.
The current commander-in-chief of the dukedom army should be the man called Cesare.
Ramillies closed his eyes and followed the memory of his youth, but he had no memory of the man called Cesare
among his subordinates.
Although there wasn’t any need to fear him if he was someone who didn’t have any further plan just because
Gastone’s betrayal failed.
「 Where are you Olten? You definitely must be somewhere in this battlefield. You won’t be my friend Olten if
not.」
Ramillies doubted his ears when he heard that Olten rebelled against the royal family.
It was Olten’s pride of a lifetime to be the sword of his lord.
For someone like him to change lord, Ramillies couldn’t imagine just how much anger and despair that was
needed for Olten to make such decision.
But, there was just one thing that Ramillies understood from observing Olten’s action after that.
Olten wouldn’t betray the dukedom. He wouldn’t change lord anymore.
Olten built the dukedom by throwing his pride as a knight and piled up a mountain of corpses of his former
comrades. The dukedom was his master and also an existence that surpassed even his own biological son.
Most of all, as someone who killed his lord and betrayed his comrades, Olten had the duty to raise the dukedom to
be an ideal homeland. If it was Olten then he was surely thinking like that.
Exactly because of that, there was no way that Olten would relax in his retirement just because he had grown old.
「Now then, it’s the long-cherished desire of a knight to settle things with a long time rival, but it will be a little
bone-breaking to have you as enemy, Olten.」
His old friend who was a reliable ally in the past was now a powerful enemy that couldn’t be underestimated.
As expected it was difficult to fight his fellow knight who he ran around in the battlefield together with while
entrusting their back to each other.
It was especially problematic that both of them knew each other personality and habit very well.
Most likely the majority of his thinking was being discerned by Olten.
「……But, I have something that you don’t have. Perhaps you too have something that I don’t have, but it won’t
be enough to fill the gap that exist between the lords we serve.」
Ramillies’s heart returned to that time when he was just a knight serving Viktor.
He had an absolute lord who he could offer his life for without any hesitation.
In contrast Olten undoubtedly lost himself after changing his lord and shouldered a lot of things on his back.
As a knight and as an old friend, he couldn’t help but feeling pity to Olten’s current situation. Although he didn’t
have any intention to be merciful because of that.
「At least I’ll send you off to that world with my own hand.」
.
Part 5
「──Ramillies is going to attack. That moron Cesare can’t comprehend that.」
While Ramillies was looking down at the dukedom army from the rampart, Olten was also looking up at the
rampart from his tent.
「A night raid?」
The staff officer Sylva asked while observing Olten’s expression.
「That’s possible, but if it’s me then I’ll aim at noon.」
「No way……」
The side with overwhelmingly inferior number often used surprise attack.
Attacking at the enemy’s weak spot to temporarily secure dominance in the field and dealt damage to the enemy.
It was considered as an effective tactic since time immemorial.
「A surprise attack will damage your own force more rather than the enemy if you don’t do it very well. Especially
at a good battlefield with good visibility like this.」
It would be different in urban battle or mountain battle, but there was almost nothing but open field outside of
Mulberry’s rampart.
The road was well maintained because this place was a base for goods distribution, also the farming here was
developed in order to maintain a land that needed great expenditure like Mulberry.
In this battlefield it was impossible to secretly circle around the enemy and attacked from behind, that was why
Sylva reached the conjecture that the opponent would attack at night.
「Unexpectedly attacking at noon can give greater impact because of human’s psychological blind spot. Most of
all it was possible to win even at noon if the opponent is the dukedom army at its current state. I will think like that
if I’m the enemy general.」
As expected Sylva’s expression clouded hearing Olten’s words.
As an active staff officer, putting aside Cesare’s incompetence, he held a degree of confidence to the proficiency
of the dukedom army.
「 Most importantly the staff officers are predicting that the enemy won’t go out and attack at noon. Especially
Cesare, if the enemy attack while he was in the middle of preparing for an all-out attack……what will happen?」
「He will run. There is no doubt that he will do that if he feels that his life is in danger.」
Staff officer had to constantly expect the worst situation. This should be the basic mental attitude for them, and yet
he realized that he had been imprisoned within the framework of common sense before he realized it. Sylva
blushed in shame.
「The frontline will collapse just from the commander-in-chief running away. For good or bad, army is something
like that. The enemy’s surprise attack will likely target Cesare.」
「Then, should I tell those at our side to solidify the frontline?」
In the end number would decide everything as long as the chain of command was safe. If things go well it also
wouldn’t be impossible for them to capture or annihilate the enemy’s surprise attack troops.
If they knew that a surprise attack was coming, it wouldn’t be that difficult to deal with it.
Olten stared at Sylva with eyes that were like the dark bottom of sea.
「 No need. If it’s possible tell them to withdraw to the rear of the frontline. Make them switch with Cesare’s
favorites.」
「W-why is that……?」
Sylva’s back shivered. It was like he was being seen through until the very depth of his mind.
「──Call Cesare to the frontline. Tell him that it’s for increasing the soldier’s morale before the all-out attack.
There is no way Ramillies will overlook that chance if it’s him.」
「You’re telling me to hand over victory to the enemy!」
Sylva was enraged. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. But Olten was still looking at him with a cold gaze
even now.
「 That’s the only way to remove Cesare and regain the command of the army. We don’t have any pawn to
assassinate him after all. The risk is high but, there will be little problem if he died in the battlefield.」
「 I don’t mind if we’re going ot kill Cesare. However I can’t turn a blind eye to something that will enlarge the
damage to our ally like this!」
「This country will be destroyed if that man continue to hold the command! We have to avoid the annihilation of
the army here using any means!」
Olten didn’t raise his voice at all.
However Olten’s calm words overpowered Sylva completely. The difference of experience in struggling through
scenes of carnage didn’t allow him to object more than this.
「You still don’t know the strength of the enemy. Listen to my order for now. If my words are a lie, I’ll give you my
head anytime.」
「Is it that much……is the man called Ramillies really that terrifying?」
From what Sylva knew, the person called Olten was capable and also a fierce general. He wasn’t the type to fear
the enemy too much.
That Olten was this wary toward an opponent. Just what kind of man could it be?
「 Our skill in sword is about equal, but I never won against Ramillies in training where we were leading a
company of troops. If he stayed in the dukedom, he would surely become a great general ahead of me.」
But, Ramillies who abandoned being a knight after he lost his lord now returned to be a knight once more in the
service of Margrave Antrim. He would be even more terrifying than in the past.
Olten just barely swallowed back those words.
It would be stupid if he scare Sylva when he still didn’t have any basis to his words right now. And Olten himself
didn’t want to accept that fact.
Olten had devoted his life for Trystovy Dukedom, but in the end was Jack a lord that was worthy for his sword?
Ramillies and Margrave Antrim reminded him of his doubt that he mustn’t have as a retainer.
「This body is already not the Olten of that time. I’ll teach you Ramillies, just how much someone who has been
reduced into a demon in the service of protecting his country can do.」
There was decisively different point between Ramillies and Olten.
Olten who had continued to be involved with the survival of the dukedom as a great general had immersed his
body into the filt that was political strife and schemes. Exactly because of that, even if he had to kill his ally and
trick his friend, he would at least protect the dukedom’s future.
The knight of integrity Olten had died in the day of that coup d’etat.
「Lend me your help Sylva. No matter what kind of method I have to employ, the dukedom has to survive at all
cost.」
「──If that is what your excellency ask for…」
And then there was another man who sold his soul and became a demon to protect his country.
.
Part 6
Cesare couldn’t hide the expression of anxiety on his face.
He boasted in front of Archduke Jack and went into a campaign with a large army that was entrusted to him, and
yet if he was unable to obtain any result, far from putting the military under his grasp, he would lose his position
and status that he had built up until now instead.
Furthermore it would clearly be problematic if he gave Margrave Antrim who wanted to revive the kingdom the
achievement of repelling the dukedom army.
He had to win. No matter how many soldiers he had to sacrifice.
Fortunately he had learned that the reinforcement that accompanied Margrave Antrim was only a small force of
400 troops.
He also tried to grasp a sliver of hope by searching for the spies that acted together with Gastone, but the result
was pitiful.
More than half of the traitors lost their life in the sea battle. And when Gastone’s death became clear, all the
remaining spies switched side to the maritime guild’s side.
They didn’t actually swear loyalty to the dukedom from the start.
They only wagged their tail to the dukedom because they didn’t want to be on a sinking ship, so it was only natural
for them to turn around if it looked like maritime guild could win.
「──Shit! Those ungrateful bastards!」
Cesare was infuriated because he had spent not a few amount of fund for all the maneuvering.
The strategy that Cesare pictured had completely broken down.
What was left was only to launch all-out attack without any care of appearance. He understood that but, Cesare
didn’t have the solid confidence that he could win an all-out war without any trick.
Until now he had always used some kind of swindling method. He would sacrifice someone and stood on their
corpse to win. For Cesare, fighting without any kind of trick was enough to put him under heavy mental pressure.
He also considered the idea of leaving the command of the frontline to Olten, but Olten might raise a great
achievement if he let him acted freely right now.
Regardless of anything his force was five times bigger than the enemy. The possibility of winning wasn’t low by
any means.
Then should he give Olten a few troops and used him as disposable pawn?
Olten’s existence was too big to be blatantly used as a sacrificial pawn, in addition the subordinates who admired
Olten might interfere unnecessarily.
In the end Cesare didn’t have any other way except to accomplish this with his own capability.
「Your excellency, I ask for permission to offer my opinion.」
「You are permitted.」
Normally Cesare might ignore such request. For Cesare who wanted to monopolize all the accomplishments for
himself, staff officers were just decoration to him. However right now he wanted something to cling to no matter
how small.
「 The enemy’s morale is rising because of Margrave Antrim’s appearance. Perhaps we too should take some
kind of countermeasure.」
「Speak of your idea concretely.」
「First in preparation for the all-out attack, we should place the units with relatively high morale at the frontline.
Furthermore it might good for morale if the headquarters is moved forward and your excellency personally speak
at the front to encourage the soldiers to fight harder.」
Cesare thought that the idea wasn’t bad.
High morale──him personally visiting the protégés under his command and giving them a speech. That would be
quite an impressive scene. He also wouldn’t be endangered if he returned to the headquarters before the start of
the attack.
Cesare never even considered it in his dream that the enemy would intentionally leave the castle when their
number was completely inferior.
「Very well, make the preparation for that.」
Cesare answered in a good mood.
From a glance Sylva’s suggestion would heighten their chance of victory as well as tickling the pompous pride of
Cesare.
.
Baldr immediately detected the sudden movement of the dukedom army.
「First let’s see what you got.」
One way to do this was using the disorder of the enemy troops during their reshuffling, but even if some damage
was dealt to the enemy, it would be meaningless with this much difference of number.
「It will be really helpful if the enemy general is an idiot who nonchalantly show himself at the frontline though.」
「Based on the prisoner’s information, he seems to be a coward with little assertiveness.」
Baldr asked Ramillies who was putting on a grim expression.
「If it’s the previous great general Olten then how will he move?」
「If it’s the Olten who I know, he will stand in front of the troops and attack recklessly. However, if that’s not the
case, then it means the opponent is an Olten who I don’t know. To be honest, I’m scared of that while also looking
forward to it at the same time.」
Ramillies smiled bashfully.
.
「Loyal and brave soldiers of Trystovy Dukedom!」
Cesare raised his voice in front of the soldiers in a good mood.
It wasn’t like the anxiety he felt was gone, but it couldn’t be helped for him to be in high spirit when surrounded by
so many of his troops that looked like a sea of human like this.
「A never seen before glory is waiting in front of all of you gentlemen. The fall of Mulberry that our dukedom has
wished for so many years is now within the reach!」
Troublingly Cesare didn’t simply say that just for heightening the morale but because he believed that from his
heart.
Mulberry would definitely fall if he didn’t care of the loss to his own troops.
It was unfortunate that Gastone was killed, but the information that he managed to obtain from him was still there.
Especially the information about the number of Mulberry’s troops, their positioning, and even the character of the
commander. Those were all useful information to know.
No matter how genius the commander Gustiniani was a genius in defense, he too was just a single human. He
couldn’t continue fighting without sleep or rest.
「I swear that we shall obtain victory! Mulberry is nothing to be afraid of!」
The one who bragged that while hitting his chest powerfully was Cesare’s protégé, a regimental commander
named Wilco.
This man was aiming to be Cesare’s successor. He was planning to obtain even more of Cesare’s favor at this
chance.
Unlike peerage, the position of great general wasn’t something that could be handed over to a descendant.
Of course it would be the king who appointed the great general, but the king wouldn’t ignore the advice of the
previous great general, so it was an extremely big issue whether Cesare liked him or not.
「An admirable spirit.」
Cesare too showed his satisfaction at Wilco’s reaction. Regardless of what ulterior motive there was behind it, a
subordinate who understood his superior’s wish was adorable.
Although Cesare only took a liking to Wilco as nothing but a tool for the sake of his own ambition.
「The filthy pretender beastman only brought mere 400 soldiers together with him. Our superiority hasn’t wavered
at all. Muster up your courage my soldiers, there are surely cordial rewards waiting for all of you!」
Many of the soldiers were relieved that Baldr only brought 400 soldiers.
But the veteran soldiers were throwing exasperated gaze at Cesare.
The greatest reason why Mulberry was impregnable until now was because the sea lanes were in the maritime
guild’s hand.
The cornerstone of Mulberry’s defense was mercenaries. The city’s morale would swiftly lower if the supply of
mercenary was cut off.
Not only their morale would lower, there might even be infighting breaking out.
In order to maintain their morale, food, reward, and then stable supply of reinforcement were indispensable.
Gustiniani was able to display his excellent ability in tactical commanding was only because there was such
foundation.
Baldr’s appearance meant that Gigante had been passed through. In other words it only served as the proof of
Mulberry’s impregnability.
「 ─ ─ Good grief, it’s not bad that we got a lot of allies, but spare me from becoming the sacrifice at the
forefront.」
Most of the ordinary soldiers like them prioritized surviving and returning to their home alive rather than raising
achievements to obtain reward. They had no intention to throw away their life for the sake of Cesare’s vanity no
matter what.
However their commander, the regimental commanders and company commanders got their desire for promotion
to be greatly stimulated.
「Victory to the dukedom!」
「Glory to the dukedom!」
「Destroy Mulberry!」
As Cesare expected, the raising of the morale was a success.
It wasn’t just the commanders, there was also some commoners who wished to grasp success and became
knight.
Cesare nodded in satisfaction and headed to the next regiment.
.
「──We are really underestimated here.」
Baldr listened to the war cry from the dukedom army with a troubled smile from above the rampart.
The enemy was being too open. They had no intention of even trying to hide their next action.
It was like they were declaring that they were going to attack after this after raising the troops’ fervor.
Furthermore the commander-in-chief expressly came out to the front line. He must be really convinced that they
weren’t going to come out attacking.
Of course Baldr wasn’t so kind that he would respect the enemy’s wish.
It was manner to eat up the feast that was served before one’s eye without reservation.
「Now then, let’s go.」
.
The drawbridge that was connecting Mulberry’s huge gate started to be lowered.
This drawbridge that was the cornerstone of the defense had a total length of 30 meters. It needed dozens of
people to operate it using steel chains and a rolling device.
The rumbling sound that was produced during its operation was naturally heard by the dukedom army
immediately.
「Hmph, they want to negotiate after this late?」
Cesare laughed. Those people must have flower field for brain if they thought that they might be able to sign a
peace treaty with advantageous condition after purging Gastone.
Actually it was Cesare who had flower field for brain for still thinking that the enemy wouldn’t come out attacking
even now, but the person himself was busy being elated instead.
Cesare who didn’t doubt his own righteousness at all believed that it was only natural for Mulberry to fold in fear at
his army’s aggressiveness.
If there was something that could be said to defend his honor here, it was that his delusion couldn’t be said as
completely baseless at all if one looked back at the dispute between the dukedom and Mulberry during these ten
years.
「Hmph, drive them away if they are emissaries for negotiation. Tell them that we won’t accept anything else but
surrender.」
Cesare turned around toward his headquarters with a fearless laugh.
Multiple screams suddenly rose from behind him after several dozens of seconds passed since the drawbridge
started to lower.
.
It was Satsuki who was at the forefront.
She was completely useless at the previous sea battle because of seasickness. Because of that she was burning
to get a chance for revenge.
「The title of Gartlake’s shrine maiden princess is referring to me nya!」
At this Trystovy, the nickname of Gartlake’s shrine maiden princess wasn’t as popular as Silver Light Maggot.
Now that the beastman race had obtained Baldr as figurehead, it would be meaningless for her to leave Gartlake
until here if it was only Maggot and Gina whose achievements got talked about.
A definite fact that Gartlake’s cat-eared race was cooperating with Baldr was needed. Even someone indifferent to
politic like Satsuki understood very well about the necessity of it.
The enemy soldiers who were bewildered by the sudden opening of the gate entered her sight.
They weren’t on their guard at all. IT seemed they were thinking that it would be non-combatant who came out
from the gate.
They were a complete failure as soldiers on battlefield.
「Wha──」
The soldier thought that they saw something shaped like human rushing out with an amazing speed, but he was
unable to even finish saying a single word.
Five soldiers’ neck let out pillars of blood while their heads were rotating in the air. It happened in less that several
moments.
The frontline soldiers had the fact of their comrades’ death thrust before them without them understanding what
had just happened. They immediately fell into chaos.
Maggot saw the way Satsuki mowed down the enemy and nodded in admiration.
「──That girl, she is more able than I thought.」
Gina also agreed.
「Speaking of Gartlake’s shrine maiden princess, I have deep ties with the holder of that title. I once got into a
fight with that girl’s mother, but it would be impossible to defeat her in a short time if I didn’t open the King’s Gate
in full power.」
Maggot and Baldr were completely out of the norm that Satsuki didn’t stand out, but her combat strength was
actually at a height that was completely out of the reach of the ordinary human. She didn’t gather respect as shrine
maiden princess just for show.
「 ── But, she is still immature. When facing a group as an individual, one have to think of how to defeat the
enemy.」
Maggot bared his canine tooh fiercely and leaped to the air lightly as though she was gliding.
Her silver hair changed into a streak of light and she was gone.
A lot of soldiers were falling on the path that she passed through.
The number of the death compared to the number of people collapsing was few, but that was because Maggot
intentionally didn’t focus in killing.
She indiscriminately mowed down everything that stood in her way.
She didn’t want her movement speed to fall because she was focused in killing. This was Maggot the former
mercenary going in with all her strength.
Furthermore Maggot used an exquisite tactic by striking at the flank of the group that was concentrating its density
in order to deal with Satsuki’s charge. It was a tactic that was distinctive of her.
「It’s great to be young.」
Although Gina wasn’t as fast as Maggot or Satsuki, she still defeated the enemies casually. She too was cutting
down tons of dukedom soldiers with absurd ease.
If she was at her prime when she was called as The Thunder of Helsing, then she too wouldn’t lose against
Maggot.
But even such Gina only looked like a monstrous demon to the dukedom soldiers.
.
When Cesare heard the sudden screams, he thought that it was the prank of the soldiers who got too high spirited
and smiled wryly.
It was great that they became motivated, but it would be troubling if it caused disorder to the leadership.
Wouldn’t the emissary from Mulberry turned tail and ran back like this?
Cesare thought that perhaps he could make use of that and ordered a charge to enter the city. He turned around.
What entered his sight was the heads of his soldiers flying high in the air.
「──What the!?」
It was here that Cesare finally realized that the drawbridge was lowered in order for the enemy to attack.
How foolish they were. Did the enemy understood the difference of strength here?
At the same time he thought that this might be a great chance to bring down Mulberry.
Most likely the enemy’s plan was to attack once and kill their enthusiasm before retreating.
If his men could chase after the retreating enemy without falling behind, it shouldn’t be impossible to enter inside
Mulberry like that──.
「GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」
The screams sounded closer than before. Cesare’s shoulders shook reflexively.
「Oi oi, don’t tell me just a few enemy can get this far……」
Cesare always placed himself in a safe place at his past battles. The unexpected danger filled him with fear that
paralyzed his body.
「Your excellency! Please run! The enemy is a monster!」
「D-don’t screw with me! Defeat the enemy no matter what! Defeat them!」
Cesare ran away to the rear even while giving such order.
He didn’t have any intention to die at this kind of place at all. Cesare had no interest to anything at all other than
surviving and seizing glory with his hand.
The chaos at the frontline and then the retreat of the main general Cesare.
Because of the army’s excessively large size, once it fell into chaos it was difficult for the army to regain its
composure.
.
Baldr slowly turned his gaze toward Ramillies.
「Now then, let’s go Ramillies.」
「Looks like I’ll be able to have fun after so long.」
Ramillies’s mouth was smiling, but his eyes were searching for his old friend that still hadn’t show up.
He couldn’t imagine that Olten would let the commander-in-chief getting killed just like this without doing anything.
「CHARGEEEEEEEEEEE!」
「OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!」
Baldr rushed out like an arrow that was fired from a bow. Antrim territory’s 400 soldiers under Ramillies’s
command followed behind him.
Ramillies’s strict leadership led his man in perfect coordination. They cut through the dukedom army that
numbered ten times greater than them like a knife cutting through butter.
The vanguard of dukedom army already couldn’t function as an army anymore. That chaos was going to spread
until the middle of the formation.
Cesare ran away with the death music of the battlefield rapidly approaching his back. He was bawling with snot
and tear dirtying his face.
「Shit! Shit! How can something like this happen!」
There was no doubt that the enemy’s number was few.
And yet the one running around in desperation and falling while screaming were only the dukedom soldiers.
It was a scene that was like a nightmare that couldn’t be explained with common sense.
The mercenaries that acted as the core of Mulberry’s force should have no experience in large scale group battle
where the number of troops surpassed ten thousands.
It might be understandable if they adopted guerilla war method like launching night raid, but it was impossible for
them to charge from the front so brazenly like this.
Even if the opponent was Margrave Antrim, Baldr, what could he possibly do against a huge army of 50000 with
just 400 soldiers?
This was a mistake! This reality was absolutely a mistake!
「──Is the one in red clothes over there the general nya?」
It was a bright voice of an adorable girl, but it sounded like the lullaby of death god to Cesare’s ears.
It was a carefree voice that sounded like the owner was still a teenage.
That was exactly why it wasn’t a voice that was good to hear in the battlefield.
「P-protect! Protect me!」
Cesare whipped his horse to hide behind his guards.
He didn’t give a damn to his appearance or reputation anymore. He just wanted to get as far away as possible
from the evil hand of the death god.
「you won’t get away nya!」
Satsuki laughed cheerfully like a cat who had found its prey.
The guards made their mantel flapped and put their body on the line to hide Cesare.
During that time Cesare threw away his gaudy mantel.
「 I’m not gonna die here! At this kind of place! I’ve still only become the great general, my era has only just
started!」
He was going to do anything no matter how unsightly in order to survive. And then one day he would take revenge
that was dozens of times greater than the humiliation of this day.
Cesare continued to run away with only such thought filling his head.
「Good grief, you don’t know when to give up nya.」
For King’s Gate owner like Satsuki, the number of enemy wasn’t that problematic.
It was a match of whether he could find and capture Cesare or not within the time where she could maintain her
King’s Gate.
And then Satsuki had certainly caught sight of Cesare.
Regardless of the knights trying to block her sight or the prey’s attempt to change its appearance and escaped,
those efforts couldn’t deceive the eyes of a natural hunter.
Satsuki’s eyes glinted under the sun and narrowed like a cat.
「You won’t get away nya.」
The knights desperately fight to let Cesare got away somehow. Satsuki cut them down with them unable to even
see her hand’s movement and she pursued Cesare.
With Satsuki’s physical ability, the distance between them could be closed without difficulty.
「Shit! You won’t succeed!」
Satsuki glanced at the knights’ pointless struggle and crouched to leap but──she stiffened in astonishment.
Satsuki’s body completely came to a standstill along with a feeling of exhaustion that she had never felt before.
.
Part 7
Going back to several days before.
The intelligence agent of Europa Religion’s special corrective division Martell Blind entered into Trystovy with a
secret mission from the church.
Even though he was entrusted by the holy relic that was even more precious than any gems and accompanied by
handpicked guards, Martell still felt an enormous mental tension.
「In the end……will we make it?」
No, they had to make it at all cost. No matter what, before that beastman raised the song of victory.
Unfortunately the pope territory was located at the north of Trystovy, while Mulberry was located at the southern
edge of Trystovy.
Even for a skilled agent like Martell, crossing through Trystovy from north to south in secret was a herculean task.
If only the opponent wasn’t Baldr, even Martell wouldn’t feel this much danger.
At the very least if it was the other royalty or nobility that Martell knew, this battle should happen in half more year.
However if it was Baldr, it wouldn’t be strange even if he had entered Mulberry around this time.
No, such thing was impossible right now with the dukedom blockading the sea lane, but Martell’s anxiety still
wouldn’t leave him. After all he knew just how out of the norm someone who possessed King’s Gate was.
Actually around this time Baldr and others had finished fighting Gigante and they were approaching Mulberry.
Faster, faster, even if it was just an hour or a second faster.
That earnest feeling of Martell immediately stumbled due to a single foolish and small man.
.
「Bishop-dono, what a joyous occasion this is. It must be some kind of fate in play that brought us together today.
Please allow me to express my hospitality to you by staying my mansion.」
「I’m thankful for the offer, but we are going to depart right away. My gratitude for your kindness.」
A really troublesome man got his sight set on them.
Viscount Continerri. He was a man who was famous for his deep greed one way or another.
Martell was smiling, but inside he was filled with a murderous intent.
There was a definite number of tyrannical nobles in Trystovy Dukedom. This could be called as the after-effect of
the archduke’s policy to give favorable treatment to the nobles.
「Even if you say that, because of the rebels, even the highway will be dangerous at night. I can’t allow you to
pass through my territory when it’s this late.」
「Wha──!」
Martell turned around in surprise. The gate of the checkpoint was being closed right now.
「Please let us pass! We have to accomplish the mission that his eminence the pope has given us!」
Continerri’s lips twisted in malice at Martell’s reaction.
「Hou! Then that’s all the more reason that you mustn’t go! There was a bandit attack around here just last week.
You should at least restore your energy first in my mansion before departing.」
Continerri sensitively sensed that Martell was entrusted with a very important mission.
Even a foolish man didn’t mean that he was foolish in everything. At the very least his sense of smell for troubles
that could become money was definitely excellent.
Recently the dukedom’s nobles were shaken by the appearance of Baldr as the heir to the throne.
Continerry was holding a hope that he might be able to obtain connection with the church through this for
insurance just in case something happened.
「Viscount Continerry-dono, can’t something be done so that we can immediately depart from here?」
Martell held back his anger by using all the self-control that he had and he bowed his head.
He was wondering in his mind that perhaps he should just kill this man and hurried on ahead, but Martell
understood logically that doing that was difficult in reality.
「Let’s see……I don’t know what I can do. If bishop-dono is harmed within my territory, then I too won’t have any
face to show to his majesty the archduke.」
Continerri was frowning as though he was in pain, but of course everyone there understood that he was just
acting.
How to make them indebted to him? What should he do in order to expose a part of their secret?
Continerri’s thinking was focused on that. At the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of how Martell was
frequently worried about the content of his carriage.
「Bishop-dono, what kind of business you can possibly have that you need to be this hurried?」
「Forgive me but you sir don’t have the authority to know that!」
If it was asked which side was in the right principle here, then it was undoubtedly Martell.
Even for a noble, interfering in the matter of the church was something that shouldn’t be allowed.
But, the nobles of the dukedom had continuously trampled on such natural principle underfoot until this point.
In the first place they were existences that even rebelled against the king that was the absolute authority of this
country.
「 Then I have no choice but to stop you from departing bishop-dono. I too can’t possible bend the law for a
reason that I don’t understand.」
That’s just a law that you made as you pleased!
Martell seriously began to consider eliminating this filthy money obsessed person.
It would be easy to kill him. The problem was the aftermath. If they also had to repel his subordinates too, how
were they going to arrive until Mulberry safely?
As expected if he killed a noble of foreign country, he wouldn’t be able to avoid having pursuer sent after him.
He would still have to go through more than five noble territories after this. As expected it would be impossible for
his group to break through all of them forcefully.
If it was just Martell alone it might be possible, but right now he also had to secure the safety of the holy relic.
「So how about it? Can’t you put your trust in me? Depending on how things goes then I can also send additional
guards to go with your group.」
Depending of the situation he could also kill Martell here and plundered his belongings. Continerry narrowed his
eyes while licking his lip in his heart. He didn’t have any intention of letting this tasty looking prey got away.
Continerry was a man who even weighed the alternative of siding with Baldr or the dukedom.
Martell could already imagine how this man would find fault with him later even if he obediently stayed here.
.
「──Leave it at that.」
A voice interrupted them. The voice was hoarse but filled with a pressure that broke no argument.
Not only Continerri, even Martell became speechless and that place was filled with a strange silence.
「……Y-your excellency Valerie.」
「Continerri-dono, shouldn’t we refrain from doing anything that might incur the displeasure of the church in this
situation where war is genuinely approaching?」
「I-it’s indeed as your excellency say. I-I, I made my suggestion simply because I was worried for bishop-dono’s
wellbeing.」
「Can you please give me some face here and allow bishop-dono to pass through?」
「B-but of course!」
Continerry immediately answered with cold sweat drenching his whole body.
(──This is the man who was called the shadow prime minister……no, perhaps even now he is still……)
In Martell’s knowledge, Valerie was already a man of the past.
He knew that this man absolutely wouldn’t come to the front stage while wielding immense authority behind the
scene.
But he was already more than 80 years old and he had handed over his peerage to his son and retired. But who
could possibly imagine that such person was able to exert this kind of pressure?
Martell believed that there was a need to rethink the political map of the dukedom.
「……Forgive us for taking your time like this. I hope that you will be able to accomplish the mission from his
eminence the pope quickly.」
「Our gratitude for your excellency’s consideration.」
Martell didn’t believe at the slightest that the reason Valerie helped him was just a simple kindness. There was no
doubt that this person was hiding some kind of ulterior motive.
Even so he should thank him right now. He was carrying the holy relic that was the church’s trump card. He
couldn’t keep staying in this territory.
「Be careful on your travel. The battle at the south will begin faster than you think bishop-dono.」
「──I can only pray for the god’s divine protection to be with us.」
What a shrewd fox. As expected he had seen through that their destination was Mulberry.
Martell politely bowed toward Valerie and hurriedly rushed out from the checkpoint.
It felt like that even everything inside his heart would be seen through if he continued this conversation.
Valerie saw off Martell leaving and muttered to no one in particular.
「There isn’t any divine protection of the god in this world.」
What could change the world of human was only powerful will that had strength, regardless whether it was ill will
or good will.
If god really existed, there was no way he would just ignore this world where ill will could throw its weight around
rather than the good will.
His existence that was a lump of ill will was the best proof of that.
「Now then, I wish to have a little talk with you……do you have the time, Continerri-dono?」
Continerri had his countless weaknesses within the grasp of this man before him. He assented to the request
while making an insincere smile that he had never made before.
Even this kind of filthy man could betray the dukedom and changed side to the winning team that was the
dukedom. Scoundrels like this man wouldn’t hesitate to take such action that was completely lacking in integrity.
Valerie never made light of the ill will of such scoundrels.
He had no intention to leave any room for such insignificant scoundrels to run rampant in the new era that Baldr
would build.
He had to make such scoundrels to oppose Baldr until the very end, no, that wasn’t realistic, until the very limit
where they wouldn’t be allowed to continue with the status quo even if they surrendered.
──For that, a mastermind like Valerie was necessary.
.
Part 8
Martell kept rushing throughout the night. He took a nap for three hours at dawn before continuing his travel south
once more.
It wouldn’t be difficult even if he kept going the whole night, but he wanted to avoid his thinking capacity from
getting dulled due to lack of sleep.
And then he arrived at night to Siena that was located 20 km north from Mulberry where his comrades were on
standby. Oddly it was the same day when Baldr also landed on Mulberry.
「My gratitude in the name of Europa.」
「My gratitude in the name of Europa.」
The man who welcomed Martell was the confidant of Archbishop Dantewho supervised Europa Religion in
Trystovy Dukedom. His name was Danilo, the one in command of the church’s activity behind the scene here and
famous as someone sharp and able.
He was also the vice commander of the special corrective force’s field operative unit.
His bald head and his large eyes that seemed to be glaring were memorable. He was known as someone cold-
blooded without a shred of mercy toward heretics.
The putrid smell of a corpse that went bad which was unique to people of the underworld was coiling around his
whole body. Martell used his rational mind to suppress the ghastliness that he felt from Danilo.
「What’s the news about Margrave Antrim?」
「There is still no news that he has entered Mulberry. He still won’t arrive for a while yet no matter what kind of
trick he used.」
「Aa, thank god! Oh god! My heartful gratitude to you!」
The god still hadn’t abandoned him. Martell shed tears because his effort to overcome various obstructions that
started from Continerri had been rewarded.
Danilo frowned dubiously seeing Martell rejoicing in exaggeration like that.
「Bishop Martell, you didn’t have any experience in crossing through sea?」
Based on Danilo’s common sense, it was impossible for Baldr to arrive today or tomorrow.
Martell smiled wryly and shook his head.
「I understand what do you want to say, but there won’t be any need to use holy relic against an opponent that
can be measured logically.」
They were facing an opponent that they had to oppose using god’s power. In other words Martell was carrying the
holy relic until this far because Baldr was in the possession of demonic power.
「──I see, perhaps it’s just as you say.」
It wasn’t as though Danilo was convinced already, but what Martell said was also reasonable.
For Danilo this was also his first time using holy relic for a shadowy mission like this. He should absolutely be on
his guard.
「And, about that holy relic……」
Danilo wiped his sweat on his forehead that came out because of his nervousness. He stared at the relic that was
previously sealed deep inside the pope’s government office.
Even Danilo who had dirtied his hand with numerous assassination and plot only barely knew about the holy relic’s
existence.
Even in Danilo’s memory, this should be the first time the seal of the holy relic was removed throughout the long
history of the church.
「It’s made from mystical steel, so it won’t break so easily but please be careful when carrying it. The usage of
the holy relic is only permitted for those with the rank of bishop and above and only those with considerable
mana.」
「──Understood.」
「 With the amount of mana that we have, we can only use the holy relic once a day. We mustn’t mistake the
timing of its usage.」
「As I thought, using this will drain up all of our mana?」
「I think it’s safer to believe so.」
If that was the case, it was highly possible that Danilo couldn’t be counted as fighting strength after the usage of
the holy relic.
That would be a painful loss for their force that was made up from few elite agents.
「Specifically, what kind of power this holy relic is hiding?」
Was it a hellfire that would roast demon? Or perhaps it was a vacuum blade that could reap a demon’s head?
Depending on the form of its divine power, the tactic they should adopt would differ.
「The power of this holy relic is──」
Just when Martell was opening his mouth.
A scout who was dressed like a merchant arrived with loud footsteps. He was breathing hard.
.
「He came! Margrave Antrim has destroyed the dukedom’s fleet and entered the port of Mulberry with Sanjuan
Kingdom’s fleet! Furthermore the pro-dukedom faction Gastone was purged!」
「Don’t tell me……! All of those happened today?」
Even if the arrival of Margrave Antrim was within his expectation, losing their precious spy Gastone was painful.
With this the plot to conquer Mulberry was crumbling from its foundation.
「Let’s hurry! We have to head there immediately! The demon cannot be measured with our common sense.」
Danilo finally learned the reason why Martell feared Baldr so excessively.
He also realized that Baldr was an opponent that he would have to fight with his life at stake as someone who
controlled the shadowy part of the church.
「We are departing now! You can tell me the detail about the holy relic on the way!」
.
Part 9
Martell and Danilo arrived at the outskirt of Mulberry precisely after Cesare departed for his performance to
increase the soldiers’ morale.
「──It looks like we made it in time.」
Martell confirmed that the dukedom army was still unharmed. He kneeled and offered his thanks to god.
The fact that the dukedom navy’s sea blockade had failed and reinforcement from other country had arrived for the
first time to Mulberry was just that shocking.
It wouldn’t be strange for the dukedom army to immediately retreat after such news if the difference in strength
between two sides wasn’t this overwhelming.
「The commander-in-chief should be the great general Cesare. I’m acquainted with him. For better or worse, he
is a man who will only move for his own convenience.」
Danilo frowned slightly.
Although they had to cooperate with Cesare no matter what, Cesare was still a man who he really didn’t want to
interact with morally speaking.
「So you mean, he is easy to control if there is benefit for him?」
「Well, you can also see it like that, but he isn’t a man who can feel indebted to other you know?」
「There is no problem. The only important thing right now is to defeat that monster.」
Martell didn’t know Cesare like Danilo did, so he could make such businesslike assertion. Objectively speaking
that was the right decision.
Danilo blushed in embarrassment and called one of his subordinates.
「Send a messenger to Cesare. Tell him that Bishop Danilo of Europa Religion is looking to meet him urgently.」
.
Unfortunately Cesare couldn’t be found at the army headquarters when he visited there.
The subordinate was turned away at the gate because Cesare already departed to the frontline. Danilo grimaced
with a bad premonition when he was told that by his subordinate.
Martell also felt a chill at his back.
Going to the frontline in order to heighten the ally’s morale was an effective method in a protracted battle. However
would Baldr just watch that quietly without doing anything?
It was said that demon liked human weakness and sought to take advantage of it, and the greatest weakness of
the dukedom army was exactly the life of its commander which was Cesare.
「──Can’t we call him back?」
「Cesare is an arrogant man. He won’t listen even if we tell him to return. Not to mention he doesn’t know just
how dangerous Lord Antrim is.」
Martell and Danilo stared at each other silently.
They were unable to think up any effective method.
They couldn’t possibly cut through the dukedom army and advanced until Cesare’s location.
It would be great if Cesare would stay safe until he returned to his headquarters.
But that expectation of the two was immediately betrayed.
Mulberry’s castle gate opened and the drawbridge started to be lowered loudly.
As expected Lord Antrim wasn’t a man who would just allow the prey before his eyes to get away.
「Shit! This is the worst!」
Martell cursed. In contrast Danilo was the type of person to calmly wrack his brain when it was time to fight.
Danilo was the leader of the field operative unit of the special corrective force. He knew very well just how
meaningless it was to lament one’s misfortune in the battlefield.
「──We can only move independently like this.」
With them unable to expect the cooperation of the dukedom like this, Danilo’s judgment was to activate the holy
relic.
They could only believe on their own sense to decide the timing. Even so it was impossible for Danilo to hesitate
with his fanatic faith supporting him.
「Cursed mongrels, thoroughly taste the divine punishment of god.」
.
The situation of the battle could be easily seen from a small hill that overlooked the battlefield.
Although Martell and Danilo believed that they had known what King’s Gate was about, they could only watch
open mouthed at the actual display of King’s Gate’s overwhelming might.
They never thought that human moving in a speed that surpassed the limit of visibility was possible in reality.
They even pitied the dukedom army that was helplessly getting killed.
That wasn’t an opponent that could be fought head-on. Even Danilo whose hostility toward Lord Antrim was
blazing immediately switched his feeling.
Indeed, they certainly had to rely on something like the holy relic that surpassed human knowledge to deal with
this.
「──Bishop Martell.」
「What is it?」
「It pain me to ask this to you who is an intelligence agent and not a field operative agent, but I wish to make a
request for you despite my shame. Can you cooperate with us in activating the holy relic?」
The only one in the field operative unit with the qualification to operate the holy relic was only Danilo. He felt a
serious apprehension about that fact.
Originally it was against the rule for Martell who belonged to the intelligence unit to fight together with Danilo.
However it would be a bigger problem if they allowed the monster to spread its infamy by protecting the rule.
Martell slowly nodded at Danilo.
The holy relic was a silver cylinder that emitted dull glimmer. Complicated patterns were engraved on it. Even
Martell and Danilo didn’t understand the meaning of the engraving.
This was the crystallization of inhuman technology that was brought about by god, the holy relic. Even the church
didn’t understand everything about it.
 magical metal
An indescribable majestic aura was emitted from the cold mythril . Martell and Danilo deeply bowed their
head to it.
The two of them then slowly raised their head. They nodded to each other and put their hand above the activation
crest and poured their mana into it.
According to the secret document that was managed by the church, this holy relic had the effect of sealing King’s
Gate and forcing a heavy burden to the target.
The range of the effect would be in proportion to the mana that was poured into it. Even the two didn’t understand
how far the range would be in the end. They couldn’t even do experiment beforehand to test the effect so it
couldn’t be helped.
Baldr and others were cutting through the dukedom army as though they were running through an empty field with
speed that couldn’t be followed completely even when watched from afar.
The dukedom army of more than 40000 were rendered helpless due to the action of mere four people.
At this rate the whole army might collapse if Cesare was taken down too.
The dukedom had greatly forced themselves this time to gather this many troops. If the whole army collapsed, it
was possible that it would gradually lead to the dukedom’s defeat.
That was a future that Europa Religion absolutely wouldn’t accept.
The beastman race was already increasing its influence steadily in countries like Nordland Empire or Gartlake
Kingdom. If a beastman king was born at Trystovy on top of that, there would be no more way to halt the
beastmen from infesting the whole continent.
They had to remove Baldr, all the owner of King’s Gate here no matter what.
Martell and Danilo resolved themselves. It was fine even if they used up all their mana and died.
「──Under the great name of Europa, manifest that power!」
.
Part 10
At the same time when Satsuki stiffened from the sudden feeling of lethargy, Maggot was also assaulted by a
strong weariness.
「──How nasty. You guys really don’t know the way to make advances on woman at all.」
Even for Silver Light Maggot, it was impossible to maintain the speed that surpassed the limit of visibility without
using King’s Gate. The only one who could do that might be just Baldr who could use Over Boost.
Even so, Maggot was still Maggot even when her godspeed was gone.
If Baldr had Over Boost, then Maggot had her innate senses and vast real battle experience.
「Now! She has stopped moving!」
「What, tired already! Give up!」
Relieve spread throughout the dukedom army because they were finally able to see Maggot who they couldn’t
follow by sight at all until now. But even that only lasted for a moment.
「Don’t get high spirited like that just because you can see me now. Who do you think I am?」
Maggot stood with an air of composure. There wasn’t any sign of anxiety from her.
Maggot cut down multiple soldiers elegantly like she was dancing with a tremendous confidence.
If there was anyone who knew about the past war then they would surely recall it. Of how maggot took on the
3000 troops of Marquis Selvi while she was at the late stage of her pregnancy.
At that time Maggot didn’t use the power of King’s Gate at all. She continued to trample Marquis Selvi’s troops in
such state until Baldr arrived.
It was such a monster that was standing before the dukedom army. The danger hadn’t been gone at all just
because the King’s Gate was sealed for some reason.
「How dare you kill my comra……ugoh!」
「She is just a single woman if she stand still……buberah!」
The soldiers who underestimated their opponent as a mere lightly armored female warrior were immediately
forming a mountain of dozens corpses. As expected even the dukedom army realized that Maggot wasn’t an
ordinary woman from that.
Even without the godspeed, Maggot was still equal to a disaster as expected.
「W-what’s with this woman? Don’t let your guard down! Spearmen, tighten your formation and don’t show any
opening!」
「……Hmph, I’ll teach you that it’s just an illusion that a group’s strength can surpass an individual.」
「D-defend! Don’t let that woman get near no matter what!」
The best way to take down an unmanageable beast was by using arrows and magic from afar.
It was a foolish act to challenge a beast like Maggot in a one-on-one battle. Their instinct that feared death made
them hesitated to face this absolute strength.
.
Fortunately Gina who was positioned at the rearmost got affected the least by the holy relic among the four.
Gina had aged past 80 years old. As expected it would be dangerous even for the Thunder of Helsing if her King’s
Gate was completely closed.
Even so there was no way that Gina didn’t feel goosebumps from feeling this lethargy for the first time in her life.
But at the same time there was an emotion that was raging within Gina’s chest.
It was rage. It was lamentation.
The last time she felt negative emotion this strongly was when she lost Viktor.
「……I don’t know who is doing this however, so this is the trick!」
The question that had been bothering her for many years was finally solved right now.
Only someone with King’s Gate could kill another King’s Gate owner. It might be a different story if poison or
ambush while sleeping was used, but there was nobody in this world who could kill King’s Gate owner by fighting.
And yet the beast king Brocas was assassinated right from the front.
Both dog-eared race and cat-eared race couldn’t do something like that. Her thought stopped at the conjecture
that the culprit must have used some cowardly method, but she was unable to deduce the method used to
assassinate the beast king right from the front.
First, it was impossible that hostage was used.
The beast king was unmarried. The beastmen at that time even greatly wished that he would quickly marry
already.
Then perhaps he was taken by surprise by someone he trusted? That was also impossible. The King’s Gate was
called King’s Gate because even taken by surprise the owner would still be able to deal with it.
If there was someone who could kill the beast king, that person would have to be stronger than the beast king.
In the first place, what was the purpose of the killing of the beast king?
After the assassination no successor of the beast king appeared. The beastman race was chased by countries
and lived as object of persecution throughout the continent. It could be said that the whole beastman race tasted
misery because of it.
……If there was this strange method to seal the King’s Gate, even human would be able to kill the beast king
wouldn’t it?
A certain thinking burst inside Gina’s brain when she thought that.
「……Strategist Philiste(ペリシテ)!」
The beast king Brocas was half beastman and half human. He had a little brother from different father who was a
pure human.
As the beast king’s little brother, he was a shrewd strategist who mainly formed strategy and maneuver among the
beastmen who were mostly frank and impulsive people.
After Brocas’s death, while the beastmen were banished by many countries, he was able to stay behind because
he was a human. His whereabouts after that wasn’t known.
He had excellent ingenuity, but there wasn’t any record of him excelling in martial might too. However he should
be quite strong as the little brother of that beast king.
If it was the little brother who shared his blood, even the beast king should relax his guard around him.
If that little brother used mysterious something that sealed the king’s gate and attacked the beast king──.
The reason why discord immediately spread between the dog-eared tribe and cat-eared tribe after the beast king’s
death could also be guessed if the mastermind was Philiste.
In the first place he was a man who served the beast king by making use of his skill in scheming.
Going around instigating the dog-eared tribe and cat-eared tribe to doubt each other by pretending that he knew
something incriminating by chance would be easy for him.
Philiste didn’t have any bond with anyone else other than the beast king, so the two tribes considered him to be a
neutral party. If he made such maneuver, they should believe him without harboring any doubt.
──In other words, it was the cat-eared tribe that assassinated the beast king.
──In other words, it was the dog-eared tribe that assassinated the beast king.
「 Where? Where is the lot who set up this filthy trap? Is it Trystovy? Or Answerer? Or a completely different
faction?」
Gina yelled furiously with her canine bared.
There was no doubt that in the vicinity there was the followers of the one that cornered the beastman race into
their current situation.
The one who chased the beastman race out from their promised country and threw them into endless carnage
where they killed their fellow beastmen was here, someone who she could hate with all her being and it still
wouldn’t be enough.
The color of Gina’s eyes changed and she searched for the suspect. The dukedom army was confused with her
state, but they continued attacking her.
For them Gina was the foe who murdered their comrades, an enemy who should be defeated, so it was only
natural.
Gina whose heyday had long past gone gritted her teeth at her own powerlessness while being forced to take
them on.
.
If there was someone in this battlefield who possessed the eye of god, they would realize that this moment was
the greatest chance for the dukedom army to eradicate the King’s Gate owners all at once.
If the opponent was Baldr and others without using King’s Gate, it should be possible enough to overwhelm them
with endless attacks using number.
Right now Baldr and others were still overwhelming their opponents, but they had already lost the speed
necessary to retreat.
──If Martell and the church agents were able to tell the commander-in-chief Cesare or perhaps Olten about the
King’s Gate and the holy relic before the battle began……
It was a foolish wish for the impossible considering them just being able to make it in time to this battle was
already a miracle, but later on Martell and others would mourn like that from the bottom of their soul.
But it was also a fact that such expectation didn’t even have the value of a scrap of paper for those fighting in this
battlefield right now as their reality.
.
Part 11
In order to accomplish the mission that was imposed on him, the old general Ramillies lead the 400 elites of
Antrim and encroached into the formation of the dukedom army with his skilful command.
The dukedom army that was superior in number was unable to hold back the Antrim army that was completely
fighting as a unit. The opening in their formation kept being widened.
In Ramillies’s opinion this result was only natural.
All of his subordinates were the elites that had been thoroughly trained in Antrim until they vomited blood.
Although their force was small, there was no way a force under the command of an excellent general would lose
against an army whose commander was not present.
If Baldr managed to take down Cesare after this, then the collapse of dukedom army would be unavoidable.
──Although he didn’t think that his best friend would just sit quietly while waiting for that.
As expected, from the flank of the dukedom army that was in chaos, a cavalry unit of around a thousand knights
appeared. This cavalry unit was clearly under an orderly command.
There was the face of his nostalgic rival at the lead of that unit.
「Long spears to the front! Stand by in horizontal formation!」
With a single order from Ramillies, Antrim army swiftly formed five lines with the spearmen at the front. Archers
took position within the formation. Although the formation was hastily made, it was effective toward cavalry that
had low defense.
Olten watched that splendid tactic with a joyful smile that was still filled with composure.
「As expected from Ramillies.」
Olten understood that it was difficult for him to lead this battle to victory with the few soldiers under his command
right now.
However at the same time he judged that the situation was tougher for Antrim army instead. Although the
dukedom army was thrown into chaos by Baldr and others, the number of its casualty still wasn’t that many.
This thinking wasn’t mistaken by any means.
In fact Ramillies was only fighting in a way that exhausted the dukedom army. And most of all Olten didn’t know
that the King’s Gate was being sealed by the holy relic right now.
「……You have changed Olten. You look like a different person.」
「And you haven’t changed at all Ramillies. No, that was why you left this country, so that you won’t change.」
Ramillies and Olten exchanged words while recognizing each other as a formidable enemy that they had to defeat.
No matter how much time had passed and no matter how different their standing had changed, the two of them
were still best friends even now.
「I’m jealous with you Ramillies. You are simply sticking to your loyalty as a knight and you are going to die as a
knight. Even though with your caliber you can become more than a mere knight.」
「You are talking like I ran away from the responsibility that I ought to bear.」
「……I won’t say that you ran. But I’m thinking, that perhaps if it’s you then you might be able to stay the same
even if you shouldered this burden.」
Olten wasn’t the Olten of the past anymore. The Olten that Ramillies knew had been corrupted until his soul from
throwing himself into the cesspool of politic and scheme.
That was exactly why he was using even dirty method that Ramillies never even imagined. The knight Olten of that
time had been lost forever.
──That’s exactly why, that’s exactly why! I can’t allow this country that I had given my whole life to be snatched
by the royal family’s bloodline again at this late hour.
「It’s your lord’s victory today. But don’t think that the result will be the same the next time we meet.」
「The dukedom army that is under your command huh, that will be a tough battle.」
Olten lightly waved his hand and turned around.
He had held back Ramillies’s attack to the dukedom army. There was no need for him to stay any longer here.
There was no need to force himself to fight and win. Olten needed the dukedom army to lose here in order for him
to return to the position as the great general once more.
And then──he also needed Cesare to die while shouldering all the responsibilities of this defeat.
.
Part 12
At the opening of the battle, Baldr was following slightly behind the lively Satsuki.
Even though she was a King’s Gate owner, war was always accompanied by unforeseen happenings.
Baldr knew from experience how hard to notice that while one was immersed in a feeling of omnipotence.
His previous previous life Oka Sanai would definitely bring Baldr to his death in that second Antrim war if Zirco,
Selina, and Seyruun weren’t there.
Satsuki was lacking sense of danger.
Certainly it was next to impossible to defeat Satsuki with her King’s Gate activated, but one had to constantly be
on their guard in the battlefield.
──Baldr’s bad premonition was right on the money.
His King’s Gate completely stopped functioning along with a heavy pressure that felt like both his arms and legs
were chained with heavy chains.
.
Satsuki was staring at the swords that were falling toward her in a daze.
Usually she would be able to counterattack no matter what.
It was possible for her to dodge, parry the attack, or even leaped and twirled above them to pass through.
And yet Satsuki’s body was losing strength and wouldn’t listen to her.
To describe her current state, it was like her was in convalescence where she couldn’t put any strength into it. It
felt like she was shouldering a stone weight that weighted several hundred kg.
「N-no way nya! Something like this……!」
Satsuki was born as the cat-eared tribe’s shrine maiden princess and received the best education from her
mother, but there was just one flaw from her. Because her King’s Gate was discovered early, she ended up relying
too much on the King’s Gate’s strength.
The proof of that was her lack of polished martial skill that could allow her to struggle through unexpected situation
without the power of King’s Gate.
──I don’t wanna die.
She also didn’t want to lose or run away, but Satsuki became aware of unavoidable death for the first time at this
moment.
Her whole body trembled. Her teeth were clattering. She didn’t even have a composure remaining to scream.
There was no more time. She was sure of the approaching death. At the same time the figure of a young man
floated at the back of her mind.
There wasn’t anyone in her generation who could match her.
When she began to overwhelm the strong warriors of her mother’s generation, she also become used to the
respectful gazes that she received from her surrounding.
There was even a period when she believed that she was the strongest in this world.
But even that changed completely when she met Baldr.
Not only Baldr. Other King’s Gate Owners like Maggot and Gina also appeared and Satsuki realized that her
martial skill only ranked fourth at best or perhaps even lower.
However mysteriously she didn’t feel defeated and frustrated.
Far from that, the more she learned Baldr’s strength the more the inside of her chest heated up and throbbed.
She wanted to arrive at that domain one day. No, actually rather than something like that she wanted to be at
Baldr’s side and recognized by him.
The reason why Satsuki was sticking out by herself was largely because she needed social approval for her self-
esteem.
Though it also couldn’t be denied that Satsuki simply wanted to rampage.
「──I’m not going to die in this kind of place nya!」
The discord in Satsuki’s heart finally vanished.
She mustn’t die in this kind of place to survive and chase after Baldr.
Satsuki desperately moved her body that was heavy as though there were weights inside her and got away from
the slashes.
「……Kuh!」
Although she was barely able to get away from lethal wound, several swords definitely hit Satsuki.
The current Satsuki didn’t have the overwhelming physical ability to dodge all the attacks.
In the end she was just buying time. But even knowing that, Satsuki intended to keep struggling without giving up.
「The enemy is wounded! She won’t last that long!」
「Widen the encirclement! First make sure that she won’t run away!」
The knights of the dukedom who chased after Satsuki also weren’t incompetent by any means.
Satsuki was unable to display that astounding physical ability due to some kind of circumstance. And even now
blood was continuing to flow from her wounds. They understood that fact.
The biggest problem here was to allow her to escape from here and she became able to display that power once
more. They should take Satsuki’s life with certainty here even if they had to spend time and loss for it.
(……My body is still heavy-!)
She wondered just what was this pressure that she had never experienced before.
This wasn’t because of wound or bad physical condition.
Now that she had calmed down, Satsuki correctly understood the strangeness that was happening to her.
This was definitely caused by external factor. Perhaps this was caused by magic so she tried chanting Magic
Cancel, but there was no change to the weight that was restraining Satsuki.
What in the world was this if it wasn’t magic──?
「Archers, to the front!」
「──Damn it!」
Satsuki who lost her mobility didn’t have the spare strength to avoid rain of arrow.
The archer unit that was neutralized when Satsuki wracked the inside of the enemy formation in high speed finally
managed to capture Satsuki within their firing range.
Satsuki tried to slip within the enemy crowd to escape from the arrows, but the enemies were also preventing that
with all their strength.
「Don’t let her get near! Form a spear wall!」
「Oooh!」
──There was still four more steps.
Satsuki’s mind recognized that her action would absolutely be slower than the enemy attack.
Then how should she dodge?  Ducking on the ground? Jumping to the air?
None of them would save Satsuki. Either way she wouldn’t be able to avoid the following attack after she dodged
the arrows.
What should she do? What should──.
.
He would be lying if he said that he wasn’t panicking.
However, Baldr was a human who had fought until now without King’s Gate in the first place.
Rather he had piled up effort to defeat that Silver Light Maggot without using King’s Gate.
That was why he was able to react calmly even when the King’s Gate was sealed.
「──Satsuki is in danger.」
Maggot and Gina had the ability to deal with danger in unexpected situation, but today was the first large-scale
battle for Satsuki.
It was highly possible that she would be dumbfounded and became unable to move.
Fortunately Baldr had the secret tricks that he developed to oppose Maggot. He didn’t know who was the one
doing this, but he would teach them that it was be a mistake if they thought that they could win with just this.
「……Over Boost!」
As expected, Satsuki was surrounded by the dukedom army and in the verge of danger. Baldr scattered them with
a speed that couldn’t be followed by eyes and covered Satsuki.
「……Don’t underestimate me who had fought Kaa-san until now without using King’s Gate at all.」
.
「Impossible! There is no way!」
「The holy relic is undoubtedly working. That’s clear from how that woman become unable to move……and yet
why!?」
Martell and Danilo opened their eyes wide and shrieked after witnessing Baldr’s godspeed movement.
The faith that they held toward the holy relic was absolute with the support of their strong religious faith.
This holy relic was the trump card of Europa religion. It was said that it even consigned that legendary beast king
into oblivion. There was no way they could accept that holy relic wasn’t working.
「……It’s working on that woman. There is no way the holy relic isn’t effective!」
「In that case that guy has some other method than the King’s Gate. That’s a problem in its own way!」
The several holy relics under the control of the church currently were all thought to have the power to seal the
King’s Gate and restrain the movement of its owner.
The holy relic that was brought here today was called Valtermy(ヴァルテルミー). It was the King’s Gate sealer
holy relic with effectiveness that was already proven.
It was possible to widen the sealing range depending on the amount of mana poured into it, but in case the target
had other special power than King’s Gate, this holy relic couldn’t do anything about it.
Martell and Danilo had their mana absorbed until the utmost limit that their awareness was hazy. They were in
agony within such state because of the unexpected development.
「……If we can at least kill one of them.」
Even that wish ended up in vain. Both Gina and Maggot showed no sign at all that they would fall.
Rather they could even feel just how unreasonable the existences of those two were now that they could see the
way the two fought while staying in one place.
In the end was it really possible to defeat those monsters?
.
While Martell and Danilo were tormented by their thought, Baldr and others also weren’t as composed as they
looked.
The effect of Over Boost had run out when Baldr finished sweeping the enemies around Satsuki.
It was a skill that he developed in order to surpass Maggot’s speed even just for an instant. He never considered
using it for a long period from the beginning.
「Stand up Satsuki. There is no way Gartlake’s shrine maiden princess will become unable to fight just because
her King’s Gate is sealed isn’t it?」
「──O-of course nya! I was just a bit surprised nya!」
Satsuki forgot where she was right now when Baldr called her without any honorific and her cheeks blushed
briefly.
She immediately stood up and took a stance with her sword, but her chest’s palpitation still showed no sign of
settling down.
「The commander……has escaped huh.」
Cesare’s figure already vanished into the dukedom army’s crowd.
Cesare had discarded his showy crimson mantel and desperately slipped into the crowd. It was nearly impossible
to capture him now.
At the same time Baldr noticed that Ramillies’s troop was charging forward.
The aura that a group radiated could be sensed even from some distance away.
Baldr also had to recognize that the dukedom army rallied back faster than he expected.
「Now then, in that case we don’t need to stay here any longer.」
If Baldr and Satsuki worked together, it wouldn’t be any trouble to scatter the soldiers before them.
However the number of the dukedom army was overwhelming. If the enemy launched attacks in wave when they
were tired, even Baldr couldn’t possibly endure it.
Then he could only retreat graciously. After all at least their victory had been assured when the commander-in-
chief ran away by himself.
「We’re going to join up with Kaa-san and others for now. Follow me.」
「Unyah? B-but, the enemy’s boss is……」
「Do you think we can still make it?」
「I don’t nya……」
Satsuki hanged her head down in disappointment. Now that the King’s Gate’s power was lost, there was no way
they could break through that thick wall of soldiers.
The dukedom army also finally began to rally back from the impact of being overwhelmed by Baldr at this point.
「Don’t let them get away! It’ll be a disgrace for the dukedom if they get away!」
「Shoot the bows! Use high-angle shooting so they won’t get any opening to escape!」
Shooting a bow horizontally had better accuracy, in exchange the arrows would be focused at the target.
In contrast, firing arrows with curving trajectory would cause the arrows to be scattered at the area around the
target.
The lethality would drop but it had the advantage of being hard to dodge.
Unexpectedly it was difficult to dodge an attack that one didn’t know whether it would hit or not.
As expected from the regular army of the dukedom, they were aware of the way of fighting powerful enemy too.
「Well, I never thought that they would meekly let us escape though.」
Baldr smiled bitterly. He took out two iron pipes that glinted silver from his pocket.
Looking closer there was a fuse that dangled from each pipe. Only Baldr and few other people knew what was the
meaning of that.
It was a pipe bomb that was created with very primitive method. When campaign against the Japan-US Security
Treaty became intense, this thing was used in the terrorism activity of the extremists. This thing boasted great
killing and wounding ability at that time. It was also known to be used at the Asama-Sanso incident. (TN: Famous
hostage crisis and police siege in February 1972)
Baldr’s previous life, Oka Masaharu’s father once threw himself into the student movement at the past. He often
boasted to his son how he stood at the frontline and fought for the sake of university autonomy.
Although because of that he had to repeat a year and became greatly indebted to his parents.
It seemed the impetus that made that father quit from the student movement was this pipe bomb.
Masaharu’s father didn’t have the resolve to continue joining the movement until he became a terrorist. The
student movement at that time was also like a rite of passage for the youth, it was ordinary for the students to
completely forget the movement at the same time when they started job hunting.
Only very few people in the extreme sect that went underground and continued the movement, but if Masaharu’s
father chose that path, there was no doubt that Masaharu wouldn’t be born.
「Nya? What’s that?」
Satsuki’s eyes turned round in puzzlement. Baldr showed her a cold smile that was filled with dreadfulness that
was fitting for a mass murderer.
It was the smile of a statesman who condoned mass murder for the sake of his objective and drove the tens of
thousands of Haurelia army to nirvana.
「……It’s a convenient tool to have it easy when you are tired.」
Baldr lit the fuse and threw that faster than the archers could shoot.
*Paan*, there was a flash together with a dry sound of metal. Explosion blast and metal fragments mowed down
the archer squad right after that.
「M-magic?」
「That’s impossible! We have used Magic Cancel properly. There is no way they can use magic with just the two
of them!」
「What is this explosion then!?」
The damage itself wasn’t that great, but the mental influence that the dukedom army received was tremendous.
Even though it was already terrifying how just several people rushed into an army of tens of thousands and
rampaged, if there was also magic that couldn’t be dispelled added into it, it was already nothing but nightmare.
Fear bound their heart and tripped their feet.
「……I don’t have any more of that so we’re going to excuse ourselves now.」
「Funyanya, my ears hurt nya……」
Baldr and Satsuki calmly retreated. There was nobody who tried to chase after them. The enemies could only
watch them with gazes that were filled with fear.
.
「W-what’s that?」
「There is no way that’s magic. The dukedom army’s Magic Cancel is thorough.」
It wasn’t just the dukedom army that was panicked because of the iron pipe bomb.
Martell and Danilo were completely in frenzy because the battle didn’t go as they expected despite investing the
church’s trump card the holy relic already.
It looked like the damage was relatively small despite the showiness of the explosion, but the dukedom army’s
movement was visibly slowing down.
Baldr and Satsuki only glanced at that while retreating smoothly.
As expected the holy relic was affecting them.
If not there would be no reason for them who went into offense to target Cesare to run away at this point.
「I didn’t see it with my own eye but, I heard that Lord Antrim used a mysterious magic tool in his battle against
Haurelia Kingdom. Perhaps what happened just now was from that.」
「A magic tool that cannot be blocked with Magic Cancel. Is something like that really exist in this world?」
「 We can’t possibly deny what happened before our own eyes. I don’t know the principle of it, but what exist
really exist.」
「──Troublesome.」
Magic’s position in battlefield was considered low until now because it could be dispelled easily.
If a magic that couldn’t be dispelled appeared, a revolution would occur in war.
They thought that this would end by simply killing the King’s Gate owners, but if the beastmen obtained such
technology, it might even be possible for the beastman to conquer the continent.
The church absolutely wanted to prevent Baldr’s enthronement, but the problem of the beastman race’s
emergence was even greater than that.
Martell and Danilo looked at each other with the awareness that they had entered into a sticky situation.
「It’s unfortunate but there is nothing more that we can do here.」
「 … … It’s the rule to compensate for a failed mission with our life but……we must not commit the folly of
reducing our fighting strength while facing them. Surely god too will forgive us.」
「 My thanks to the god’s tolerance. I too will be troubled if I have to kill a precious comrade in this kind of
place.」
Far from taking down Baldr, they couldn’t even wound a single one of the King’s Gate owners. It would be a
nightmare to let the vice commander of the field operative unit Danilo died here.
The assassination squad only had few members even in the best of time. There wasn’t that many people who
could serve as its commander.
「──We’re going to be busy from now.」
First of all they had to convince their superiors about this fact. It would be a troublesome labor.
A mysterious power that wasn’t King’s Gate, and then magic that couldn’t be dispelled. This detail would make
others doubted them as lying to hide their failure or that they had gone crazy.
To be honest, Danilo’s existence was also needed for this persuasion.
「Kill. I’ll kill you without fail one day and erase today’s disgrace. Wash your neck and wait until that day arrive
monster.」
Danilo left behind those words and secretly retreated from the battlefield together with Martell.
.
Part 13
Cesare’s heart was beating so hard it felt like it would burst, His lungs felt like they were on fire. Cesare fought the
pain while riding his horse alone fast.
His whereabouts would be discovered if he moved in group. So he left behind his guards to hold back the enemy,
then he discarded his mantel and helm and escaped while pretending to be a mere knight.
Cesare didn’t even try to wipe his sweats that were oozing like waterfall. He looked back to confirm that Satsuki
wasn’t chasing him.
「──They won’t chase until this far.」
Cesare nodded several times. Half of it was to convince himself.
The moment he thought that he was safe, Cesare realized that his position was in a very dangerous place right
now.
He ran away from facing only several opponents despite leading an army this big. This was an unparalleled failure.
He wouldn’t be able to avoid dismissal from his post when this news reached the archduke.
「No good, this is no good……!」
He had finally obtained the position of great general with great pains, and then he should obtain even more of the
promised glory from this campaign. He would never accept losing all his prestige and retiring, never.
He needed a scapegoat. Furthermore the scapegoat had to be an extravagant one that could gloss over this
failure.
Olten
「 That’s right. That dotard sold the information of my location at the frontline to the enemy! That was why I
entered the trap of the enemy!」
Cesare then started to think of how to arrange the eyewitness testimony. It was at that timing,
──*Tosuri*
There was a small impact sound and a small metal stick jutted out from Cesare’s chest.
Cesare was dumbfounded seeing red stain swiftly spreading on his clothes and feeling the intense pain.
Could it be that monster had caught up to him?
「Aa……it’ll be troubling if you survive this.」
「Y-you bastard! Sylva!」
His staff officer Sylva and several of his subordinates were there. They were holding bows that had finished
shooting in their hands.
「Don’t think that you can get away after doing this!」
「The great general Cesare-dono unsightly deserted in the face of the enemy and died in battle due to a stray
arrow. It’s truly a dishonorable way to die but you’re simply reaping what you sow.」
「Don’t screw with me! A mere staff officer dare……to」
*Gofuh* Lump of blood rose through Cesare’s throat and he lost strength from his body. He fell on his knees
limply.
His eyes were darting around unable to accept the reality.
Something like this was impossible. No, it must never happen.
「Save me quickly. What are you doing? I am the great general of the dukedom!」
「 Do you think you can do anything as you please even without accomplishing your duty if you are the great
general?」
Sylva laughed sarcastically.
「You are clinging on the position of great general because that’s exactly what you are thinking though. A position
without any responsibility is nothing more than a decoration.」
「What are you bastard saying?」
Cesare looked like he really didn’t understand Sylva’s words. He shook his head slightly. Sylva felt an
uncontrollable anger seeing that Cesare really didn’t understand what he was saying.
「I have no duty to teach you. Try asking it to the guard in hell.」
「W-wait! Wait!」
「I’ll at least pray for your happiness in the next world.」
Sylva spat that before shooting the finishing arrow at Cesare’s forehead.
.
Part 14
Gustiniani who was watching the battle from above Mulberry’s rampart saw that the dukedom army was starting to
take flight all at once.
He spontaneously whistled in admiration and bumped his fist with his vice commander.
Even though he was watching with his own eyes, he still couldn’t feel that this great victory was a reality.
It couldn’t be helped. Margrave Antrim army was only 400 people including Baldr.
And yet the dukedom army was overwhelmed by a force so small that looked like it could be blown away with a
single breath.
Even amidst that wonder, the battle strength of the King’s Gate was beyond any words. Gustiniani carved into his
soul to never turn them into enemy no matter what.
Strong mature lady like Maggot met his sexual preference (he would definitely be killed if he said it though), but his
instinct as a man, no, as a living creature was telling him that he absolutely must not lay his hand on Maggot.
「Heh, serves you right fuckers.」
Gustiniani recalled his resolve to face defeat before Baldr’s arrival and laughed from his heart seeing this dramatic
reversal.
In front of the dukedom army that brought a great number that was never seen before, the internal strife within the
maritime guild worsened until it was just a step away from a breakdown.
If the commander of the defense troops of Mulberry wasn’t Gustiniani, the mercenaries might have run away in
earlier stage.
That was just how bad the war situation was. Even Gustiniani had resolved himself to die in this place.
That was why it could also be said as a natural reaction as human for him to immerse himself completely in the joy
of victory.
.
「It’s time to rack achievements! You bastards, follow after me!」
A mercenary who was quite famous in Trystovy, Donichio led his subordinates and rushed out of the gate at that
timing.
He was someone under the command of Gustiniani, at the same time he was leading his own mercenary group
that numbered several hundred people.
It was easy for the soldiers who had been exposed to the stress from protecting Mulberry for a long time to lose all
restraint due to the victory.
Gustiniani was a capable commander, but it was also a fact that he let his guard down right now because he was
convinced of the victory.
He was unable to anticipate Donichio’s rashness was largely because of his fatigue as a commander who couldn’t
relax at all for consecutive days.
「Stupid idiot! Call him back even if you have to put a rope around his neck and drag him back!」
「But, Ducati and Folgore also went out because they got provoked seeing Donichio. Calling them back right now
is really……」
「Enough just call them back! No, I’ll go directly!」
「You must not! What are you going to do if something happen by some chance while you go out? I’ll drag back
those guys somehow by myself.」
Gustiniani grudgingly stood down after his vice commander grabbed his shoulder with a furious expression.
「I got it so hurry!」
Attacking a fleeing enemy was a military common sense.
Also any mercenary would surely be aware that the easiest and safest way to obtain achievements was in a
situation where the enemies were showing their back.
More than half of the casualties in battle were produced when the enemies were fleeing.
Even so Gustiniani’s sixth sense was telling him that they absolutely mustn’t give chase.
He would understand the reason for that when he analyzed this situation later. However there was no time for
leisurely analysis in the battlefield where a split-second decision would decide victory or defeat.
Deep knowledge and accumulated experience could allow someone to skip past analysis and obtain a flash of the
conclusion. Gustiniani believed that was what instinct meant.
In fact, the movement of Baldr and others were clearly slow despite the dukedom army’s retreat.
Gustiniani’s instinct was completely correct.
The momentum of mercenaries was like surging waves, but they were starting to move around disorderly. Olten
wasn’t an incompetent general who would allow such mercenaries to do as they pleased.
「You assholes, you all aren’t going to get away after coming this far!」
Donichio was hot on the dukedom army’s heels to vent all his anger until now.
It wasn’t that easy for an army to recover from the perception that they lost the battle. The dukedom army should
need some more time until they recovered their function as an army once more.
No matter how large the army was, a fleeing army wasn’t a threat──although that was only in the case of a
genuine retreat.
「DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!」
Donichio didn’t notice.
He caught up to the dukedom army that was fleeing with all their strength unnaturally fast.
Just when he was about to get his teeth at the back of the dukedom army, the dukedom army split to left and right
in front of Donichio’s eyes.
It was a smooth movement that was impossible unless the enemy had predicted this beforehand.
「W-what?」
It was too late when he noticed. Inside the open and empty space, a cavalry unit had been lying in wait to charge
in arrowhead formation.
「──Trample them.」
The commander of the cavalry unit was Olten’s former subordinate.
He received instruction from Olten about the dukedom army’s retreat and counterattack last night, so he didn’t feel
any shock of defeat at all.
The charging mercenaries who were about to catch up with the dukedom army couldn’t change direction at this
point. They received the cavalry charge right from the front.
Infantry couldn’t stop a cavalry charge as long as they weren’t a spearman unit that had advanced organization.
Donichio was stabbed by a cavalry lance at the initial clash. A lot of the remaining mercenaries were also trampled
by lances and horse hooves.
The mercenary casualties had surpassed 300 in less than a minute after the battle broke out.
「Dammit! That’s why I told you so!」
Gustiniani grinded his teeth seeing his comrade-in-arms being slaughtered from the rampart.
His vice commander led 2000 men as reinforcement, but they would still need a bit more time until they arrived.
But, Gustiniani didn’t know that even that reinforcement of 2000 troops was being targeted.
.
「Fumu, so you aren’t moving. As I thought your battle instinct hasn’t gone rusty Ramillies.」
Olten watched the battle situation from above his horse. He grinned boldly and turned his horse around.
If Ramillies also moved to save the mercenaries, Olten intended to attack the reinforcement of 2000 from the flank,
but it seemed his plan had been seen through.
Olten was happy of that.
「But you don’t understand. You who have been immersing yourself in a lukewarm place like Mauricia as a knight
from your root won’t understand……」
You can sing the victory song right now. But you don’t know that this defeat will benefit the dukedom in the end.
Incompetent ally was a more formidable opponent than a capable enemy. And if that ally was a commander then it
was simply a tragedy.
Now that the incompetent ally Cesare had been removed, Olten would be able to fight as much as he liked after
he put the dukedom army under his control once more without any internal discord obstructing hm.
Of course this victory had a big meaning for both the maritime guild and Margrave Antrim.
The maritime guild that was nothing more than an independent force might become the ruler of the dukedom. The
dukedom’s nobles would surely feel that possibility.
Until now the maritime guild only defended their base Mulberry, they would never try to rule the whole dukedom.
After all they were just merchants and not despot.
But from now on the maritime guild would assertively aim for the revival of Trystovy Kingdom with Margrave Antrim
as their figurehead.
It was the natural trait of noble for them to easily change attitude for their self-preservation if danger approached
them. The dukedom would be troubled with the headache of controlling the nobles from here on.
Even so──.
「Ramillies, the defeat today isn’t my defeat……the one who win, is this me.」
Ramillies was still his lifelong best friend. But at the same time Olten had stopped trying to hide his jealousy and
rivalry to his best friend who continued to maintain a pure soul as a knight even now.
.
Part 15
「──Looks like we win.」
It felt like there was a misstep with the final phase due to some mercenary groups running wild, but Ramillies
sensitively detected Olten’s attempt to counterattack.
The force that was under Olten’s control was unexpectedly small.
If Olten had 5000 more troops under his control, it would be difficult for them to obtain victory in a clear form like
this. However unfortunately for the dukedom army the best they could do was to avoid a total defeat in their
current position.
One day he wanted to try fighting Olten with all his strength when both of them were in perfect form.
Ramillies could think like that with his composure as the winner of this battle.
Even an old general like Ramillies was carried away like that.
Even Baldr who returned back together with Satsuki was generally satisfied with the battle result. Maggot too was
satisfied after rampaging to her heart’s content. Gina had her mind filled with the secret of the beast king’s
assassination.
And then, the citizens of Mulberry who had accumulated stress due to the long besiegement exploded in
happiness.
Since the civil war broke out, the maritime guild had obtained victory many times on the sea, but today was the
first time they obtained victory on land battle.
「Don’t ever come here again!」
「Cursed dogs of dukedom! Return home with your tail between your legs!」
From above the rampart, from the plaza, from the windows of the trading companies, from everywhere the
cheering of ‘Banzai, banzai’ kept bursting up repeatedly.
Even the elders who should be composed merchants were infected by the wild excitement of the unprecedented
victory.
They clearly understood the meaning of the victory today as the central figures of the maritime guild.
In addition as a faction that became Baldr’s vassal earlier than anyone, they would surely be able to occupy an
important position in the new Trystovy Kingdom.
Although they were pressed by the necessity, they still wanted to praise their own foresight for choosing Baldr.
「Open the wine cellar! We’ll welcome the heroes back!」
Piaggio called his own sales clerk and ordered the preparation for the celebration.
In the first place the merchants were sensitive in detecting opportunity.
They should celebrate this moment extravagantly for advertising the maritime guild’s victory to both inside and
outside too.
The short-tempered merchants had already opened their stall and lined up alcohol for sale.
If they just did nothing except watching even though today their sale would definitely break the record since the
beginning of Mulberry, then they wouldn’t be able to call themselves merchant anymore.
「Trystovy Kingdom banzai!」
「Toast to his highness’s victory!」
「Cheers!」
People were rushing to the castle gate in order to welcome Baldr’s triumphal return. There were so many people it
would make one wonder just from where this many people came from.
At the forefront were the figures of the Seven Elders including Piaggio.
When Baldr returned together with the 400 soldiers under Ramillies’s command, the people’s excitement reached
the zenith.
Even the mercenary groups who acted rashly and embarrassed themselves were warmly welcomed for fighting for
Mulberry’s sake.
Gustiniani made a bitter expression when he saw their wounded state, but he was aware that he shouldn’t pour
cold water to the aftertaste of victory right now.
「──Your highness, allow me to express my heartfelt gratitude for your victory this time.」
Piaggio and other elders bowed their head deeply. Baldr magnanimously nodded back at them.
「This isn’t my victory alone. Today’s victory won’t exist without the maritime guild and the people of Mulberry. Let
us share and celebrate this victory together.」
When Baldr said that, loud cheers welled up from the citizens at both sides of the street.
「Trystovy Kingdom banzai!」
「His highness Prince Baldr banzai!」
Baldr smiled and raised his right hand toward the excited people.
The hero who once more made the impossible possible after Antrim had obtained a great trust that was like a
religious faith from Mulberry’s people.
For the beginning of the kingdom’s revival, it could be said that Baldr had obtained the greatest possible result that
he could hope for.
Piaggio also showed a pleased expression and lavish treatment toward the mercenaries who walked in after Baldr
and his troops.
「You all have fought well. We shall distribute consolation money for the wounded so there is no need to worry.
Of course we shall also give extra pay for this victory!」
Piaggio’s promise to give bonus made the mercenaries erupted in joy.
Everyone delighted in the victory and drunk from being able to obtain that result.
.
──It created a blank spot in the consciousness just for an instant where even Baldr and Maggot couldn’t react.
A mercenary who was brought on stretcher looking like he was seriously injured to anyone who see him attacked
Piaggio who was giving his words of appreciation.
The battle was just over. They were finally victorious against the dukedom army.
Even an experienced politician like Piaggio was nothing more than a good-natured old man when facing those two
facts.
The mercenary tackled Piaggio’s thin body and stabbed a short sword into his chest, and then he immediately
swallowed the poison in his mouth.
The Seven Elders’ chairman of maritime guild, Piaggio Delvecchio closed the curtain of his 74 years old life with
his expression frozen in shock.
Ramillies bit his lip till it bleed before this tragedy that occurred when everything was over.
That was because he had obtained the answer why his best friend withdrew the army without trying anything.
「──This must be your doing, Olten! Did you……did you create this country just to do something like this!?」
Chapter 2 – Assassin
.

Part 1
The death of the great leader of the Seven Elders. It was a terrible event that erased the historical victory of
Mulberry.

After the kingdom was destroyed and the maritime guild lost the country that it depended on, it was undoubtedly
Piaggio’s achievement for organizing the maritime guild to be able to oppose the dukedom somehow or other.

He didn’t allow the other elders to catch up with him when it came to connection and financial power. He had
consistently defended the interests of the maritime guild until now. Piaggio was someone with excellent sense of
balance as the leader of the organization.

The fact that he died heavily weighed on the shoulders of the elders and also Baldr.

The members of the Seven Elders had decreased to five people now that Gastone and Piaggio had died.

The problem was that even if one of the remaining five became the new leader, it was impossible to expect a
leadership as skilled as Piaggio.

Augusto was still too young, while Lambert and Barbarino had their duty as the armada commander.

The legal officer Pietro had the tendency to be too inflexible, while the finance official Mario was more capable in
economy rather than politic.

Piaggio had rich life experience and the tolerance to accept temporary financial loss for political need. A leader like
him was difficult to find.

「──I was too naïve for thinking that everything has been settled in the battlefield.」

「The enemy is just that cornered. Because although the effectiveness of assassination is great but its side effect
is also just as great.」

Ramillies consoled Baldr. His expression completely betrayed his words.

During his whole life, the rage that he was feeling right now was only second to the rage he felt when he lost
Viktor.

But the words that he said to Baldr also wasn’t a lie.

Their loss from Piaggio’s assassination was too great, but the dukedom also had great lost from this.
Mulberry was wrapped in deep sadness right now, but once thing calmed down a little, the city would surely burn
with enmity toward the dukedom. There would be no need to worry about another traitor like Gastone appearing
from the maritime guild for several years until the memory of this incident faded.

And then the problem for the dukedom was that by using the method of assassination, no one would consider the
dukedom as negotiation partner that could be trusted anymore.

The dukedom’s dignity and reputation would greatly fall because anyone would worry about the risk of getting
assassinated the moment they entered negotiation with the dukedom.

At the very least with this the option of peace between the maritime guild and the dukedom was now nonexistent.

The maritime guild was also a mutual aid organization of merchants. No matter the world trust was number one in
business, and now the dukedom had completely lost that trust.

The maritime guild had no more choice. They now had to continue fighting the dukedom with Baldr as their
figurehead until they won.

「……First let’s bring the body of Chairman Piaggio to the shrine of Okeanos. I pray that he can at least obtain
peace in the next world.」

「Dam you the cowards of the dukedom! I swear that I will settle this grudge no matter what!」

Admiral Barbarino was especially furious seeing his sworn friend killed right before his eyes.

Piaggio and Barbarino were close in age, and they were already inseparable friends since before they became
elders.

──If only he moved just a bit faster.

If there was anyone who was strong enough to save Piaggio at that time and also within the close distance where
it was possible, then there was only Barbarino. His rage and anguish were very deep because he understood that.

The victory celebration now became a solemn mourning. The people’s feet were walking toward the shrine of the
sea god Okeanos, the spiritual pillar of the men who lived in the sea.

Piaggio’s body that was placed in the shrine would be buried at sea in accordance to the believer’s propriety, but
until then the line of people coming to pray and offer flower for Piaggio never run out for three days and three
nights.

Like this, although Baldr won a complete victory at the stage of large scale battle, he ended up losing a precious
retainer who was more precious than even gems.

.
Part 2
While Mulberry was grieving over Piaggio’s death, Satsuki was also in anguish while lying on her bed.

She felt that she was unbearably pathetic with how powerless she was when she lost her trump card the King’s
Gate.

The figure of the girl who confidently declared that she would measure Baldr’s strength when leaving Gartlake
couldn’t be found anywhere.

Over here was just a normal girl who was scared after feeling the terror of death for the first time.

There were times when she felt that she lost a fight. Her mother in the past served as a wall that she couldn’t
surpass for a long time.

But this was her first time thinking that she would really be killed. Even though she should have experienced the
exchange of lives in the battlefield, she thought that she herself wouldn’t die.

If her luck was just slightly worse, Satsuki would have died.

The proof was her current condition that had wounds all over her body that weren’t shallow at all.

If Baldr arrived just a bit later, Satsuki’s life would have ended at that place.

「How are your wounds?」

「Unyah?」

The person who was in her mind right now came, so Satsuki couldn’t stop herself from letting out a strange voice.

Baldr peered onto Satsuki’s face dubiously. His face was too close that Satsuki reddened more and more.

She was unable to forget that moment when Baldr’s back protected her.

Even though she was trembling from fear that she couldn’t even stand up, Satsuki was certainly delighted at that
moment.

Baldr was the first male to protect Satsuki since she grew to be a maiden in puberty.

It couldn’t be helped. After all there was effectively no man who could defeat Satsuki in Gartlake.

「I-I’m fine nya. They said that the wounds also won’t leave any scar nya.」

Satsuki spontaneously talked with polite language.

「I see, that’s great.」

Baldr smiled in relief. Satsuki’s face heated up once more because of that.
Baldr sat down on a chair to talk face to face with Satsuki. He sensitively guessed Satsuki’s worry.

「──You don’t need to force yourself to fight you know?」

Only those who had faced death could understand.

There was case where fearless fighter who was undefeated in training became completely useless in real battle.

The fear that he might be killed by the opponent made his courage shriveled. In this case it could only be left to the
person himself to conquer this problem.

No matter how strong someone was, they would still be unable to escape the possibility of dying in battlefield.

Baldr who saw Piaggio’s death from nearby was thinking that if Satsuki was wishing for it, then she should be put
far away from such death.

Putting aside exception like Maggot, it was enough for only men to go out to the battlefield by their own choices.

「I don’t want that nya.」

Satsuki shook her head fiercely.

A part that made her said that was because of her fear to recognize her own weakness, but the biggest part of it
was the feeling of lost because she was unneeded by Baldr.

「Small wounds like this aren’t any problem at all nya. I’m still a bit weak right now but, I’ll get right back on my
feet soon nya!」

「Even if you might get into another scary experience?」

「Because, I can’t win against Selina or Seyruun except in fighting nya!」

Satsuki didn’t know the way to devote herself to Baldr in the same way like them. Her fighting prowess that was
beaten into her since her childhood was the only thing that she could rely on here.

Satsuki clung on Baldr’s chest with a serious gaze that was unlike the usual her. Baldr scratched his head with a
slightly troubled look.

「Setting aside whether you are useful or not……I’m thinking of Satsuki as a girl of that age so……」

Baldr smiled shyly. Regardless of her strength, he just didn’t want her to get injured.

Perhaps it was because of that.

Satsuki formed a sentence that her usual self wouldn’t even be able to imagine and absolutely wouldn’t say.

「Then, I want you to comfort me kindly nya.」

She wanted to be spoiled like a girl just for now. Then she would be able to fight again.

This time it wouldn’t be for her homeland or for the cat-eared tribe, but for Baldr.

Baldr continued to gently pat the small body of Satsuki that tightly hugged him.

(So small. She might not be that much different from Sey-nee.)

His perception of her as a reliable beastman girl was starting to change into a special girl for him.

「UNYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

When Satsuki became alone and regained her sanity, she hugged her pillow on her chest and rolled around on
her bed in shame. This happened after around one hour passed since then.

.
Part 3
「──Too slow-!」

While Baldr was fighting far away at Trystovy, Silk was losing her temper at the mansion of Marquis Randolph in
Mauricia Kingdom.

Even though she wanted to rush to where Baldr was even just for a second faster, she was forced to house-sit like
this. This was because of her position as the commander of Marquis Randolph’s army as well as the need for her
to welcome the beastman race’s reinforcement as the future queen of Trystovy.

It was scheduled for Antrim army’s second unit and Nordland Empire’s beastman army to link up with her at the
end of the month. Then she would lead a total of ten thousand troops and departed to Trystovy.

But various obstacles started to hinder Silk’s departure during this time.

First regarding the beastman race’s reinforcement, the nobles of Mauricia Kingdom were in opposition to a large
army of 3000 beastmen crossing through their territory even though the army came from an allied country.

Certainly there was a risk that an organization of violence like an army would spread damage just from moving.
Not to mention that naturally there were still nobles who hated beastman because of prejudice.

Because of that, they had to talk to the nobles under the influence of Randolph House or Antrim House behind
closed doors so that the beastman army could move throughout Mauricia Kingdom although there would be a lot
of detour.

At this rate it was highly possible that their arrival would be delayed until next month.

「……Silk-sama.」

「What is it?」

A maid named Chris who had accompanied Silk for many years called out to her. Silk responded back to her in ill
humor. That was because she knew what Chris would say.

「That person is visiting again. What should I tell him?」

「Perhaps it will be alright even if I stop being patience soon.」

「If my lord is present, I think he will have already angrily shout at him before my lady can do it yourself.」

Yes, Alford was heading to the capital since a few days ago.

Although the king had given his private consent, the groundwork still had to be laid beforehand in order to move
the army of Randolph House that was one of the ten great nobles.

「Perhaps it’s already the time to abandon them. For now show him the way to the guest room.」
「As my lady wish.」

For Godfried, one of the refugee nobles from Trystovy, the current situation was a great chance.

For the nobles who flee from Trystovy Kingdom, the recapture of their native land was their dearest wish.

In the battle this time, not only Mauricia Kingdom, even Nordland Empire’s beastman unit and Majorca Kingdom’s
fleet also participated. The chance of victory of this was high.

──But there was a problem. It was that Margrave Antrim, Baldr was trying to inherit the throne of Trystovy.

Godfried who had the self-acknowledgement of descending from a noble bloodline absolutely couldn’t accept such
development.

Thanks to his rival, a fellow refugee noble called Quatuor confining himself indoors because he seemed to fear
something, he was able to reach the highest position among the refugee nobles without much effort and reigned
over them. Things went well to that point.

What was left was to cajole Silk somehow, borrowed the strength of Mauricia Kingdom, recaptured Trystovy
Kingdom, and he would wield the authority as king.

Godfried(ゴドフリート) was drawing such richly colored map of the future. But as though to sneer at him, Baldr
became engaged with Silk and he even began to claim that he was the legitimate heir of the throne.

It was like a bolt out of the blue for Godfried. It was especially a problem when various countries were recognizing
Baldr’s claim.

Silk didn’t have the right to the throne even though she had the blood of Trystovy royalty within her body. She
could be said as a very convenient existence.

It wouldn’t be a dream for him to become a king as long as he had the justification. Godfried’s ambition was a
delusion that was equally shared by the refugee nobles.

But, actually a grandchild of the late King Umberto I was living in Mauricia and her son become a hero who
climbed the rank until he became a margrave.

It was a terrible miscalculation on their part.

The only remaining hope of Godfried was Silk alone.

Baldr was inheriting the dirty blood of beastman. It should be more than enough to be a reason to end the
engagement.

He had to seize Silk’s feeling somehow and took her away from Baldr.

Recently Godfried kept visiting Randolp House was for such thing.
.

「──I should have announced before this that we are currently busy with the preparation for the departure to the
frontline.」

Silk appeared at that timing with an exasperated voice and displeased scowl.

「……Why does Silk-sama need to trouble yourself with such crude tasks personally? I don’t think that Randolph
House is that lacking in manpower.」

Godfried said that while looking genuinely puzzled. Silk’s disappointment to him dropped further into a complete
exasperation.

「Let’s forget about such matter. I have obtained a rare flower recently. It’s an orchid that only bloom at Keltiath
Kingdom at the furthest east of the continent……」

Godfried smiled proudly. Silk’s gaze toward him turned even colder and she said.

「 Do you think that this is the time to leisurely admire flower even though the battle has already started at
Trystovy?」

If he wanted to win Silk’s favor, he should take the initiative to join the battle and used his connection with his
relatives in Trystovy to gather information.

Godfried who had been living for more than ten years by relying completely on other people didn’t understand that.

「If you have time for something like this, why don’t you take sword and stand up to fight? Isn’t Trystovy also your
homeland?」

「H-however the risk of losing the precious few of the kingdom’s nobles is……」

The kingdom’s nobles who succeeded in fleeing to refugee were less than twenty houses.

Godfried was someone who descended from the bloodline of Marquis Piacenza House. So even among all the
refugee nobles he had the most noble bloodline that was at the same level with Quatuor.

「Then are you going to remain a spectator without doing anything just like now? How are you planning to face
the new king later on?」

「But I am a noble of the kingdom from a house with long history!」

Godfried didn’t even want to consider risking his life in the frontline, but he similarly didn’t want to bend his knee
toward Baldr who had beastman blood in him.

In the first place a beastman inheriting the royal bloodline of Trystovy was a mistake in itself wasn’t it?

Now that the royal family had perished, he should be the noblest existence within the kingdom, and yet…….
「 Please look at the reality for a little. Baldr-sama is the person who will become my husband. He is also
someone with great authority in Mauricia Kingdom that can be counted among the top three. Both Mauricia
Kingdom and Sanjuan Kingdom are also supporting his claim to the throne wholeheartedly.」

In other words, no matter what Godfried said, there wasn’t any country anywhere that would support him.

After all Godfried was just a rootless wanderer who sought asylum here. He couldn’t even live by himself without
counting on other people’s help.

This was a fact that was hard to accept for someone with high pride like Godfried.

「 … … Why can’t Silk-sama be the one who sit on the throne? To have a beastman as a king will leave a
dishonor to the country until a thousand years in the future!」

「Shut your mouth!」

Godfried who was yelled at by Silk spontaneously trembled.

「You should prepare yourself to turn Randolph House into your enemy if you dare to insult Baldr-sama in my
presence. That’s if you think you can live even after losing my house’s patronage.」

Godfried who was about to say that Baldr wasn’t worthy for Silk choked.

If Randolph House abandoned him, there was no doubt that he would immediately fall into poverty and he wouldn’t
even know what to do to go through this day. After all he didn’t have anything else in this Mauricia Kingdom that
could be used as the foundation of his life.

「If you don’t have the resolve to stand on the battlefield, you should try to spilt the opposition at the dukedom’s
side at the very least. If you can’t even do that, we also won’t have any reason to keep you under our
patronage.」

「Y-you are saying that you helped us only to make use of us!?」

「Obviously. We have been sheltering all of you until now because we thought that you would be useful for when
we take back Trystovy one day. There is no way we will accept a baggage that is nothing but a burden unless
there is a reason!」

Godfried believed that he was helped because of his noble bloodline from a marquis house, but this declaration
made him felt like the ground under him was collapsing.

The world of politic was made up from lending and owing favors to a greater or lesser extent, but the kingdom was
destroyed when he was young before he could learn the inner working of that.

He believed that his position was equal to Silk because both of them were from marquis house.

But Silk’s merciless and scathing words made him realized that he had been acting like a clown until now.

Godfried who thought that things would go well if he could just cajole Silk into a romantic relationship with him was
stupefied to learn that it was actually him who was a puppet whose strings were manipulated by Silk.
「 If you still don’t have any accomplishments to show when Baldr-sama obtain the kingdom, then prepare
yourself to die a dog’s death. The only thing that will protect your livelihood is only your usefulness.」

Godfried was still mumbling something with hollow eyes. Silk spoke to him to jolt him awake.

「──Do you understand?」

「I, I understand. I shall answer your expectation by all means.」

Godfried immediately left with a pale face. When he was gone from view, Silk let out an exaggerated sigh and
pressed her hand on her forehead.

「I should have done this right from the start. Good grief, what a pathetic man.」

He can’t be compared with Baldr at all ──Silk grumbled while thinking of her beloved fiancée who was far away
from here.

Just like how Baldr had stopped being a boy, there was a woman here who chose to break out from the shell of a
girl and lived as an adult.

.
Part 4
──Meanwhile, Silk wasn’t the only woman who was fighting.

Seyruun was giving her all to take care of the twins at Antrim while Maggot was gone. She was doting the twins
who had the vestiges of Baldr when he was little.

Selina was making great progresses with her business like there was nothing that could stand in her way.

They didn’t have the martial skill to be able to act together with Baldr at the battlefield like Silk or Satsuki.

But they became great help for Baldr more than anyone at the respective field they specialized in.

Recently there was a comrade who joined them in that.

「……Princess, ya don’t really need to force yerself to do this y’know?」

「Please don’t mind me. I too have to do something if I want to be able to face Baldr-sama proudly. Besides I’m
not a princess anymore.」

「I see, I’ll call ya Rachel-han then.」

「Yes, that’s why please work me hard as much as you want, Selina-sama.」

Strictly speaking, Rachel was still a princess even now as an adopted daughter of Nordland’s emperor, but that
was nothing more than a mean for her to become Baldr’s concubine.

At the very least Rachel considered it like that. Then from there it was only natural for her thinking to develop to
her wanting to be useful for Baldr from an equal position.

After thinking hard, Rachel assumed a consultant post at Selina’s Savaran Company.

Rachel’s connection, etiquette lesson, and her deep knowledge about noble society was something that was very
hard to obtain for Savaran Company that was owned by a commoner like Selina.

Regional bond, blood relationship, and work relationship entangled with each other in a complicated mess within
noble society. It wasn’t easy for Selina to learn about such hidden circumstances.

「Honestly ya are a big help……recently the criticisms that are coming to our place is getting’ stronger.」

It was difficult to try something to Dowding Company that was growing in leap and bound right now, but Savaran
Company had smaller scale and less personnel. It was an ideal target for the rival companies.

It was the common knowledge in the business world that there was Savaran Company hiding in the shadow of the
rapidly expanding Dowding Company.

It was no wonder that many were thinking that they might be able to catch up to Dowding Company if Savaran
Company was just gone.
If Selina wasn’t a fiancée of the hero Baldr, she might have been kidnapped, threatened, or harassed in more
indirect way.

Even Selina who was used to snide comment and malicious gossip was deeply wearing out her nerves because of
the malicious obstructions.

No matter what there were still many people who looked down on Selina because she was a beastman.

But Rachel was the biological child of Mauricia’s king Welkin and the adopted daughter of Nordland emperor. At
the very least there wasn’t anybody who had the guts to harass her openly.

In fact, the effect from Rachel’s presence was immediate. It drastically reduced Selina’s burden when attending a
meeting or party with fellow merchants.

Even so it was also a fact that the sabotages were still continuing in tangible and intangible forms.

But what disturbed Selina the most was that these hindrances were also obstructing her from supporting Baldr.

That was why right now Selina decided to take a great challenge.

「……Wait for me, Baldr.」

Even if she wasn’t useful in the battlefield, her heart would always nestle close to him.

If his husband was wielding his sword at Trystovy, Selina resolved herself to fight using money as her weapon in
Mauricia.

The carriage that Selina and Rachel were riding was passing the lake shore of Aleister Lake with rattling sound.

.
Part 5
At the main street of the royal capital Cameron, there was a company with conspicuously large gate built as its
entrance.

It was the remodeled appearance of Dowding Company that had gone beyond the framework of a single country
and right now had become one of the prominent general companies throughout the continent.

From daily necessities like sugar and salt to things like high grade textile or cosmetic, the number of products it
handled reached several thousands. Its customers included a lot of high class nobles and royal families.

Using its overwhelming financial strength and customer amount, Dowding Company was currently ruling as the
strongest and biggest company in Mauricia Kingdom.

Selina and Rachel’s carriage left the entrance of the store that was crowded with a lot of people and passed
through the courtyard to stop at the entrance that was prepared for the guest of honor.

「Welcome!」

The one who welcomed them with wide smile was the vice president of Dowding Company and a shrewd
merchant, Thomas.

He was the one who raised the greatest accomplishment for Dowding Company’s expansion using his many
connections to foreign countries. His authority was said to practically surpass even the company president. Right
now he was at the peak of his popularity as the number one candidate to be the president in the future.

「I’m honored that the vice president personally came down to welcome us.」

「It’s the greatest honor to be able to welcome two beautiful women like this.」

Thomas took the hand that Rachel offered him and deeply bowed from his waist.

Seeing Rachel able to act in high class manner so naturally like this made Selina thought that she really couldn’t
match Rachel who was a born noble.

After Rachel got down from the carriage, Thomas offered his hand to Selina with an excited huff as though he had
been waiting for this.

「Haa……please take this hand!」

「Vice president should lead the way for Rachel-sama!」

The one who bumped at Thomas with her whole body to send him flying was his private secretary Cirrus( シーラ
ス).

Actually the two of them had unexpectedly started a relationship with each other since last year.
Just when it looked like he had been able to rid himself of his unproductive feeling toward Selina, this happened. It
really wasn’t easy for him to be able to make a clean break.

「That was really cruel of you Cirrus. Even though my heart completely belong to you……」

「I’m jealous! A man who does something that make his lover uneasy should get salary cut!」

「Do yer lovers’ quarrel at other place.」

Thinking back these two had known each other for long.

The two of them seemed to be slightly loose at their private life like this, but Selina knew that they were extremely
reliable comrades when it came to business.

Inside the drawing room that Dowding Company was proud of worldwide.

Painting, porcelain, sofa and carpet. Everything inside that entered the eyes was all expensive things.

Even Rachel who should be used to luxury as a royal family member opened her eyes wide seeing the
extravagant room.

(The power balance between commoner and nobles has been overturned in financial aspect. I had heard that from
Selina-sama but this is……)

Rachel now experienced the truth of those words with her own eyes.

Most likely eve just the total assets of the major companies in the capital could rival the nation’s budget.

If the economy developed even more from here on……no, the economy would definitely develop further.

Because when Baldr ascended to Trystovy’s throne, the degree of freedom of the economic circulation of various
countries would dramatically increase.

Recently even the low class bureaucrats had heard that the advance of the wealthy commoners was remarkable.

Perhaps ten years later the commoner’s standing would have been elevated to an incomparable height than now.

「Thanks to us being allowed to monopolize the circulation of Sanjuan Kingdom’s salt, it looks like we will be able
to once more renew the record of our highest profit this year. It looks like the matter that we talked before will also
be able to take shape next year.」

「Ya will gather resentment again after buying up all of them with dirt cheap price.」

「There is no need to pay attention to that. A merchant who envy and blame other people because of their own
blindness is just a second rate or lower in the end.」
「An insignificant company like mine can’t make light of that resentment though.」

Self-responsibility was the principle of merchant.

Someone who blamed their lack of talent as other people’s fault couldn’t possibly become their rival.

What was really scary was someone who never slack in analyzing and reflecting and could even use their loss as
a rare chance to continue having transactions with their rival instead.

「──What is this matter that you talked before?」

Gufufu……Selina and Thomas smiled wickedly at each other. Although Rachel was creeped out by that, she
unconsciously got curious to Thomas’s words.

From the devilish smile that these two sported, they must be hiding a new product that was really promising.

Also from how enthusiastic Selina on the way here, Rachel believed that their outing this time had a significant
reason behind it.

「Does Rachel-sama has diamond accessory?」

「No, it’s not really popular among Maurician so……could it be the matter that you mentioned just now is about
diamond?」

「It’s exactly as you guess. This is a plan to sell diamond to every corner of the continent as the king of jewels!」

Thomas puffed out his chest and spoke passionately. Rachel was incredulous at him.

The market value of diamond wasn’t that high.

Diamond gave the impression of the jewel of the commoner. As a royalty, Rachel was utterly unable to imagine
that diamond could be famous throughout the continent.

「Well, it’s only natural that Rachel-han is thinking like that. I was also taking in this story with a grain of salt when
Baldr told me about it.」

There was a phrase ‘unpolished diamond’.

The world famous cursed hope diamond that was currently displayed in Smithsonian Museum at America was
considered as 112 or 113 carat diamond when it was discovered.

However that diamond was then boldly cut by the statesmen of that time including Louis XIV. Right now that hope
diamond was only 45.5 carat.

No matter how big a diamond was, it wouldn’t worth much unless it had been cut.

The diamonds that were cut at the ancient era were cut colorless and transparent. Its shine was also mediocre
compared to other gems like ruby, agate, or emerald. No one would even look at it.
The history of such diamond was old. Record about it could already be found in India’s literature from 300 BC.

Although the technique to polish it was only developed starting from the middle of 15 th century.

Diamond had to wait until 1919 when Marcel Tolkowsky calculated the brilliant cut before it genuinely became the
king of jewels.

The light’s refractive index of diamond was high compared to crystal or glass. The light that entered from outside
to inside would be reflected complexly and produced three effects.

Scintillation: The light looked sparkling at the surface.

Brilliancy: When the light that entered inside returned outside, the light became even whiter.

Dispersion: Because the light was reflected many times within the diamond, it created rainbow colored brilliance
like prism effect.

This complex and gorgeous radiance was what made a diamond a diamond.

Brilliant cut was a product of the math and geometry of that time. The refractive index and angle of reflection of
light of diamond that was cut to have 58 surfaces had to be accurately calculated.

Selina and Thomas formed an experiment team that was composed of jewelers and mathematicians before they
finally calculated the old mine cut that was the prototype of brilliant cut.

「……This is the diamond that resulted from that.」

Thomas placed a diamond ring on the table. Rachel doubted her eyes when she saw it.

Any jewel had their own unique radiance, but Rachel had never seen a jewel this dazzling with such complicated
shine until now.

If this thing got out into the market, it would definitely become the hot topic of the high society of all countries.

Rachel couldn’t even imagine how high the price of this thing would climb up. Furthermore this thing was made
from processing raw ore that was purchased with dirt cheap price that was almost no different from buying it free
of charge.

It might even be possible that this would produce profit that could purchase a small country.

Furthermore the degree of difficulty of processing diamond was high. Even if other country tried to imitate it, that
wasn’t something that could be done in a short time.

「How shocking. I can guarantee that there won’t be noble woman who doesn’t desire this.」
「That’s not all y’know?」

Selina added with her nose huffing proudly.

「Diamond is the hardest mineral in this world. Gold is popular for marriage ceremony because it’s hard to rust,
but what do ya think will happen if a ring of diamond that has the meaning of the world’s hardest bond come
out?」

「──Everybody will definitely leap at it. The influence that this radiance will give to the maidens is different.」

Even she also wanted it no matter what.

Just from imagining the scene of Baldr presenting her with a diamond ring in their marriage ceremony made the
beating of Rachel’s heart grew uncontrollably.

That would truly be the dream of maiden that held fantasy toward marriage.

「Ain’t that right? I absolutely want this project to be completed in time for our marriage ceremony but, I hope the
marriage ceremony of her highness Margaret will also be able to use this.」

「That’s lovely. Margaret too will surely be happy!」

Rachel thought of her little sister who would marry into Haurelia Kingdom in the future and she broke into a smile.

Her little sister had kindly looked after Rachel when she was wavering with her love toward Baldr. There would be
no greater present than this to celebrate her little sister’s marriage.

Besides VIP from various countries would also be invited to the marriage ceremony. The promotional effect of
such event would be tremendous.

She had known this beforehand but, as expected Selina and Thomas’s business talent was number one even in
Mauricia.

Rachel turned a respectful gaze toward Selina once more.

「──And so, this gonna be a big business, so I’m thinkin’ to ask Dowding Company to absorb Savaran Company
here.」

「What did you say!?」

Thomas who had never heard about this before stood up in shock.

「Isn’t Savaran Company a precious company that you inherited from your father?」

Thomas shook his head in disbelief at Selina’s words.

In the past Dowding Company once tried to buy and absorb Savaran Company.
Selina’s reaction to that was to continue protecting Savaran Company’s independence with firm determination until
now.

Just what kind of change of heart had visited her?

「One of the reasons is simple. In case I entered Trystovy Kingdom’s inner palace as Baldr’s concubine, it would
be effectively impossible for me to manage Savaran Company ain’t it?」

Selina’s eyes were already looking at the future where Baldr was crowned as the king of Trystovy.

If she became a king’s concubine by any chance, although she could still become a company’s patron she would
be unable to become the company’s actual manager.

Rorona was a trusted confidant with excellent management skill, but she was a type who could display her skill as
the number two rather than the one standing on the top as the manager.

「──Even so, it also won’t be impossible to manage the company from the inner palace won’t it?」

If Rorona wasn’t suited to become the top leader, Selina could just search for someone with good lineage to be
the president as a mere decoration while she controlled the company from behind the scene.

Thomas didn’t think that such reason was enough to discard the name of Savaran Company at all.

「Well, I guess I can’t trick Thomas-han with that kinda reason. That’s my reason at the surface y’see.」

Selina lifted up the corner of her lips boldly. Thomas unconsciously felt like there was an icicle that was inserted
into his spine seeing that.

At the same time he felt a violent pressure and sex appeal that was like morning dew trickling down from a moist
flower from that smile.

Selina looked so beautiful that he held his breath and became speechless.

He had been thinking of her as beautiful all this time since they first met, but the current Selina undoubtedly looked
the most beautiful until now.

「From a glance this look like a takeover of Savaran Company, but the true state of affairs ain’t like that at all.
This gonna be a military alliance with Baldr.」

「……I believed that our company already has good partnership with Margrave Antrim though.」

Thomas’s instinct was telling him that he couldn’t reply carelessly here.

Dowding Company had been doing everything it could to accommodate the sale of Antrim’s product and
transporting the materials.

If Baldr wanted to procure war expenditures, Dowding Company was also willing to lend him money with low
interest rate.
And yet, Thomas didn’t understand the reason why Selina was looking for even more cooperation from them.

「It’s not cooperation. I’m sayin’ it’s an alliance. Furthermore it will be a military alliance, so the obligation that has
to be fulfilled here can’t be compared if we are just in a normal alliance. We gonna ask for a lot of things from
Dowding Company.」

──This was a business negotiation.

Thomas suddenly noticed that the battle had already started.

Selina was challenging him with an extremely dangerous business negotiation.

「It will be troubling even if you are looking for such exaggerated thing from a mere merchant like us.」

「 The jealous merchants are gonna cryin’ if you put the supreme Dowding Company in the level of mere
merchant y’know?」

Thomas calmly brushed aside Selina’s bold provocation.

「Till the end we are just a merchant and not a statesman.」

「Naturally. What I’m askin’ ya to do till the end will still be within the limit of merchant’s activity.」

There was no idiot who would ask merchant to do political maneuver or military action.

But merchant had way of fighting that could only be done by merchant.

「If it’s Thomas-han then ya must understand. We merchants actually can kill people easier than soldier can.」

Even though a merchant wanted to buy farmer’s crops with high price based on kindness, they couldn’t do it
because of the market price and distribution route.

They couldn’t do it even if it resulted in the farmer starving to death.

Also the revolutionary products that Baldr invented would render the manufacturers of the traditional products to
be out in the cold together with their family.

If there were people who profited, there were also people who inevitably bore loss out of sight.

That was the cruel reality of business world. Co-existence and co-prosperity, win-win relationship, such things
could only be formed in a very limited period.

Even Selina and Thomas, although they had never personally killed someone with their hand, they had the
awareness that they had indirectly killed people while doing their business.

「That’s right. That’s exactly why we must never be carried away by our emotion.」

That meant they couldn’t support Baldr more than necessary. Thomas believed that.
If they were a merchant, then they mustn’t build a relationship with statesman where they shared their lot with one
another where they would live together and die together.

「I’m also a merchant. I’m not plannin’ to move Dowding Company by just appealing to yer emotion.」

「Then what are you going to offer us?」

「How does being the exclusive purveyor to Trystovy Kingdom sound to ya?」

Selina laughed in amusement when he saw the color of disappointment clearly dwelling in Thomas’s eyes.

「I’m joking. I never thought that Dowding Company is gonna be tempted by somethin’ at that level.」

「Looks like it’s too early for me to feel let down.」

Certainly the profit would be immense if they became the exclusive merchant of a country’s royal family.

However that was a double-edged sword.

There was a risk that they could also get dragged into a political strife if they got closer than necessary to a royal
family. There were also innumerable cases of exclusive merchants who became bankrupt when the generation
changed and the new king or noble decided to stop using their service.

For Dowding Company that boasted tremendous market in multiple countries, the position as exclusive merchant
wasn’t that appealing, rather it was unattractive for them and would only bring them harm.

「Then, let’s get into the main topic.」

Selina said that and changed her expression.

Thomas clearly felt that her aura had become dangerous.

「 The role that Baldr sought Dowding Company to fulfill is tough y’know? Both sides should be equal to each
other because this is an alliance but, Dowding Company will effectively become the subordinate in this relationship
for ten years from now in case ya accept.」

「──Are you telling our company to wag our tail to you like a dog?」

Dowding Company wouldn’t surrender unconditionally even if its opponent was Mauricia king.

Dowding Company was a multinational company. Even if it abandoned Mauricia Kingdom, they had enough power
to continue on despite that.

They could just get out if they were oppressed. In that case, the oppressing country would be the one that was
harmed.

It was only natural for Thomas to be angry.

「This is the only point that I can’t yield. After all the reward to Dowding Company is gonna be fully dependent of
Baldr’s personal power.」

「Margrave Antrim certainly has numerous wonderful ideas, but do you think that we will throw away our freedom
just for that?」

Cosmetics, salt and sugar’s production increase, and in addition even the production method of diamond. Baldr’s
knowledge guaranteed them immense profit. However it wasn’t enough at all for Dowding Company to discard its
position as a free merchant and became a politician’s pet dog.

「Sorry but Thomas-han is underestimatin’ Baldr too much.」

There was no change in Thomas’s expression but inside he was puzzled by Selina’s words.

After all Thomas believed that he was someone who evaluated Baldr highly instead.

「The reward for Dowding Company if it put itself under our umbrella is the economic domination of this continent
by Dowding Company.」

「──You’re joking right?」

Dowding Company was a gigantic company that greatly outdid the other companies in Mauricia Kingdom, but
even such company was just barely approaching the top ten companies in this whole continent.

The difference with the top 5 companies was even more striking than that.

It wouldn’t be enough just to take the top place if one wanted to dominate the continent. They would have to rule
over all the merchants with overwhelming difference in power.

Thomas couldn’t believe at all that there was a method to make such dream come true.

「Baldr can do that. He can grant that. This ain’t an idea but a system, something that can’t be copied.」

「Can I hear the detail?」

「 There is this intelligence agency managing the information that came from Baldr’s subordinates in Antrim
territory and the beastman race from every country that are organized to be an intelligence network.」

It was common knowledge that information was life for merchant.

But it was also common sense that the merchants’ information network was so excellent that it surpassed even
nation in a sense.

To be honest, Thomas couldn’t feel that the information that came from Baldr’s information network could be a
factor to decide the future of Dowding Company.

「Yer face doesn’t look convinced. But what if I tell ya that I can obtain the information of Trystovy today at the
day after tomorrow at the latest?」
「──That’s, you must be joking right?」

Thomas’s voice cracked because he was feeling too excited. The back of his throat felt dry.

If Selina was saying the truth, then Dowding Company certainly would be able to conquer the continent.

That just how important information was to a merchant.

「The experimental communication networks has already entered the practical usage phase. Baldr is the ray of
hope for the beastman race, and the ability of Antrim’s intelligence operatives is also high. There is no way
Thomas-han doesn’t understand what this mean right?」

Globe of sweat oozed out on Thomas’s forehead.

「Dowding Company will be effectively in control of the market price of the whole continent.」

The growing of corps wasn’t uniform in each country. It was possible that a crop that had abundant harvest in
Haurelia Kingdom to have bad harvest in Answerer Kingdom.

For example, what if Dowding Company obtained information about a merchant fleet of a certain country sinking in
ocean faster than anyone else?

They would definitely produce immense profit with no risk.

「……Why isn’t Savaran Company monopolizing this?」

If they had this kind of trump card, pushing up Savaran Company to be the number one company in the continent
wouldn’t be impossible at all.

Thomas didn’t understand the reason why Selina would intentionally toss away that chance.

「What we need is power right at this moment. Baldr is fightin’ right now. He can’t wait for me to leisurely grow
Savaran Company. We need the market and circulation route that Dowding Company has right at this moment.」

Ten more years, if she could wait for ten more years, it would be possible enough to develop Savaran Company to
be the number one company in the continent.

But for Selina such thing didn’t worth to be compared to her future with Baldr.

What Baldr needed in his battle with Trystovy right now wasn’t Savaran Company but Dowding Company. That
was the only important thing.

「Good grief, it’s really a waste.」

If it was Thomas who weighed between the continent conquest by Dowding Company and his lover, he would
never pick the lover.

Even if he was called heartless because of that, merchant was essentially that kind of creature.
Rather it was Selina who was abnormal as a merchant for prioritizing Baldr.

「And what’s yer decision? Are you gonna accept or refuse this proposal?」

A bit of restriction wasn’t any problem at all in front of the bait that was the continent conquest.

Currently Thomas’s position was a vice president, but the president was already distancing himself from the
practical business gradually. There was already nobody who could overturn the decision of Thomas who had
continued to bring immense profit for the company.

Thomas was feeling a hot feeling of exaltation welling up from the core of his body after so long.

It was like the day he first aspired to be a merchant. The heat that was lurking in his heart obtained a definite form
and blazed up.

「 Of course, we will bet everything that Dowding Company has. Anyone who refuse this kind of offer can’t be
called a merchant.」

Thomas declared with a silent confidence.

Even if he was in a subordinate position right now in this alliance, Thomas had the confidence that one day he
would be able to stand as equal or even as the superior in this alliance.

Such long-term persistent ambition could be said as the long cherished desire that made a merchant a merchant.

「Then, the negotiation is concluded with this.」

「It’s a good negotiation.」

The two of them shook hand with wicked smile on their face. Rachel and Cirrus were watching with creeped out
eyes.

They couldn’t help but feel that it was a great mistake for these two to shoulder a part of the world’s fate.

「What do you wish for from us to begin with?」

「The crops at Haurelia are cheap thanks to the disappearance of unnecessary military expense. Let’s buy them
up for now.」

「Are we going to sell them for cheap to Margrave Antrim?」

「No, sell them to the dukedom instead with a price that is slightly cheaper than the market.」

Thomas immediately doubted his ears at Selina’s words that told him to support the enemy.

「Is that alright?」

「No need to worry. Mulberry’s maritime guild isn’t gonna make any blunder with the supply.」
Selina’s large dog ears were flapping in excitement.

「It’s human nature to want to stock a lot of food when war is goin’ on. If there is food that is slightly cheaper than
the market price──」

「They will definitely buy it even if they go over the budget won’t they?」

「But, although food is important, payin’ for the soldiers’ salary and moving the troops also takes lots of money.
The personnel expenses are also gonna go through the roof if they hire guards and horses to transport the food
from us.」

「So this is a tactic to make the dukedom empty their wallet.」

「That’s a part of it.」

Selina stopped talking there and made a smile that looked the most gruesome today.

That smile was filled with cold pressure that looked like it could kill.

「But, I know. Baldr ain’t a man who gonna do something obvious like starving his enemy slowly. We are gonna
sell a lot to them, and then at the end the wallet of the dukedom’s bunch and the food that we sold to them will all
belong to us after Baldr defeat them. Baldr will be able to occupy the country as well as distributin’ those foods to
the commoners for publicity stunt.」

Thomas of all people was at a loss for words at how nasty Selina’s modus operandi was.

Later on Selina would become a strong woman who was known to be scarier than even the first wife if angered.
Right now was when that true character of hers was starting to appear.

Soon after that crops from Haurelia Kingdom began to circulate at the surrounding area of Trystovy Kingdom’s
frontline.

「Buy up all of them while we can. Don’t be stingy with money.」

「Understood.」

When war came, the price of food getting hiked up was a natural phenomenon.

An army consumed a lot more food than ordinary people. The area affected by war would also have drastically
reduced harvest. The transportation cost also jumped up, so it was obvious that people would leap at cheap food
that suddenly appeared.

Even so not all the available food have long preservation period.

Among those foods there were also foods that had to be consumed quickly before they turned rotten. There were
also foods that had to be processed further to preserve it.
The commoners were scrambling to get their hands on those kinds of foods.

Either way, there were a lot of nobles who felt relieved because they had avoided the unresolved food crisis.

It was also unknown how the war would develop in the future, because of that they stocked up more food than
necessary against their better judgment for two or three years worth.

「──The salt’s price is rising you said?」

「It’s not just salt. The price of oil and textile also suddenly began to rise……」

The cheap salt that was suddenly starting to be mass produced at Sanjuan Kingdom caused the decline of the salt
price in each country. It invited the decline of the salt industry in those countries. It was only natural because they
couldn’t sell their salt with a price that was worth the effort needed to produce their salt.

It became a situation where salt industry became a national industry that only produced the minimum amount, so
when the salt from Sanjuan stopped coming, the natural progression was for the salt price to increase explosively.

Many of the salt that should be exported to Trystovy Dukedom was flowing to Nordland Empire and Gartlake
Kingdom through the intermediary of Dowding Company.

Salt was an indispensable necessity for human life, so the impact that the dukedom’s nobles and commoners
received was great.

In addition as though to provoke their anxiety, there was a rumor that the merchants of the maritime guild were
buying up salt in order to take revenge for Piaggio’s assassination.

Strangely it was human nature to want something more when they thought they didn’t have enough of it. Due to
the people who wished to obtain salt no matter what, the price of salt was rising up endlessly.

When they noticed, salt was now sold in a high price that reached ten times the price of last year. There wasn’t
any sign at all of the price going down.

「──Now is the suitable time. Let’s sell our stock all in one go.」

A certain strong woman of Mauricia laughed with a smug face while saying so. But setting that aside, because the
price of salt rapidly decreased this time, the merchants and nobles who bought up salt for speculation fell into a
crisis of bankruptcy.

They already had no money to gather weapon and mercenary.

Trystovy Dukedom that was completely inferior in the information gathering ability was unable to do any effective
countermeasure against this cross-national war that interfered to their economy. This was their first time
experiencing this kind of attack.

「Not yet──yer hell is only just startin’.」

.
Part 6
While Silk and Selina were starting their own battle, Baldr was forced to a standstill.

First he needed to reorganize the maritime guild’s Seven Elders and decided the new leader to replace Piaggio.

「Admiral Barbarino, there is only you. Can you stop refusing and accept it already?」

The elders including Augusto had tried to convince Barbarino for days.

However Barbarino’s dissatisfied expression didn’t change.

「I told you that Pietro can do it! I still have to take command of the guild’s armada!」

Barbarino stroked his beard with a triumphant expression. Augusto rebuked him with an exasperated expression.

「There won’t be any problem if we entrust the armada to Admiral Lambert! It’s not your fault that Piaggio-sama
died. Accept that fact already!」

August knew.

What made Barbarino hesitated in assuming the position of the chairman was because of his guilt that he allowed
Piaggio to be killed even though he was the one standing nearest to him at that time.

Although Barbarino’s field of expertise was slightly leaning to militarism, with his capability and his popularity there
was nobody else who could become the next chairman other than him.

The legal officer Pietro who Barbarino recommended was certainly a very knowledgeable person, but the scale of
his company was regrettably too small.

The chairman sometimes needed to negotiate using hard line and moderate line alternately like making threat or
pressuring the other party. It was important for the chairman to possess a company and capital strength of some
scale.

There was no denying that the guild’s merchants wouldn’t take Pietro seriously.

「──If Pietro is out of the question then how about you do it?」

「Haa?」

Augusto’s eyes widened like saucer when he heard Barbarino’s reply. He wondered just what this person was
saying.

Augusto was the youngest person among the elders, and most of all he was nothing but the proxy of his father.

「 It won’t matter if you just take over the company from your father. The guild’s future also won’t be bad if
someone close to his highness Baldr like you serve as chairman.」
「Please spare me from that……」

Augusto grimaced looking reluctant from the bottom of his heart.

He respected Baldr’s talent and objective, but he felt really itchy if he was told that he was close to Baldr.

The two of them weren’t close friend or anything by any means. They were just cooperators.

Baldr most likely also considered him the same.

「I see, the maritime guild isn’t an independence organization anymore.」

The finance official Mario who had been listening quietly until now nodded and muttered something.

Augusto sensitively felt the place’s atmosphere was disturbed and he felt a bad premonition.

「Please wait. Do you know how old I am? There is no way all those sly old dog merchants will honestly follow
me!」

「They all know that you are a merchant who cannot be underestimated. Especially all those people with good
sensibility.」

「Besides you aren’t someone who will just quietly let off those who oppose you!」

「This is the first time I realize what is everyone thinking about me-!」

In fact the sales amount of Augusto’s Garibaldi Company boasted the third rank within the maritime guild next after
Piaggio and Barbarino.

If it was limited to just profit, Barbarino was suspecting that perhaps Augusto might even surpassed Piaggio as the
number 1 of the guild.

「Lambert and me are going to shut up the idiots who goes against you. Come to think of it you should have a
connection with the president of Savaran Company who is his highness Baldr’s fiancée.」

At first Barbarino only suggested Augusto’s name half-heartedly, but he found that this option unexpectedly wasn’t
that bad and bent forward in excitement.

「As a retainer of his highness Baldr, our biggest priority is to build a relationship with him like in the past with his
majesty Umberto. In that case choosing Augusto for this position is valid.」

Even Pietro was getting onto this idea. Augusto looked around him searching for ally.

If Barbarino, Pietro, Mario, and Augusto were exempted, the only remaining candidate was the taciturn Admiral
Almbert.

Admiral Lambert was known to be even more obstinate than Barbarino. If Augusto could just make him into his
ally……
There was no doubt that the most correct choice here was Barbarino for the sake of the guild too. Where was the
need to make a sink or swim gamble here by making him the chairman?

Augusto stared at Lambert as his last ray of hope, but the words that Lambert said were heartless.

「──I’ll leave it to you.」

「Why?」

「 Barbarino will be a fine choice if we are facing the dukedom to protect our independence. However we are
supporting his highness Baldr to revive the kingdom. The guild will have to weaken its autonomy as the kingdom’s
retainer, at least on the surface. For that someone with few ties of obligation should be the guild’s chairman.」

Normally Lambert would only answer yes or no, but everyone was surprised that he gave such lengthy
explanation. But a beat later all of them understood how right he was.

If Mulberry kept functioning like half independent country even after Trystovy Kingdom had been formed, there
was no doubt that they would be forced into confrontation with the kingdom one day.

It had to be made clear who was superior and who was subordinate because they were in a master-servant
relationship. Naturally the maritime guild wouldn’t be allowed to monopolize the right of Mulberry’s governance.

Barbarino and Mario had too many ties of obligations with the other veteran merchants to be able to carry that out.

Pietro had few ties of obligations, however his company was small and his popularity was also poor.

By the process of elimination only Augusto remained for the position of chairman, but actually this choice didn’t
seem so bad.

And then ignoring Augusto’s protest, they began laying the groundwork to various places to make Augusto as the
chairman.

.
Part 7
Meanwhile, there was a big problem that was giving Baldr and others a headache.

That was of course the matter of King’s Gate’s sealing.

Fortunately, it didn’t cause any fatality this time, but it was only because of luck. Satsuki should have died at that
time.

In the battlefield, having one’s trump card neutralized carried a very large meaning.

If the enemies focused to take Baldr’s life alone without caring of what kind of loss they would have to shoulder,
Baldr might be checkmated at that point.

「First it’s impossible that it was the doing of Trystovy Dukedom. If not, they wouldn’t have any reason to retreat.
」

The enemy’s commander was certainly a foolish man.

However, there was the great general Olten who Ramillies feared hiding in that man’s shadow.

His splendid leadership and retreating battle were so skilled that Baldr was impressed when he watched from afar.
The possibility of such skilled general mistaking the timing of retreat was extremely low.

「Then was it Answerer Kingdom?」

Maggot’s expression was hard. Even someone with inhuman strength like her had limited stamina.

If she kept getting surrounded like that for thirty more minutes, she honestly felt that she would be in danger.

Of course it would be even more dangerous for Gina.

At that time she temporarily entered a state of rampage because of her rage, but when she calmed down she felt
her body aching everywhere.

But she who knew about the hidden affair had one deduction that Baldr and others couldn’t possibly make.

If her deduction was true, there was no doubt that this war would become a highly unpredictable relentless battle.

「──I believe that you also know about the legend of the beast king’s assassination.」

Baldr sensitively guessed at what Gina hinted behind her words.

「Don’t tell me this is the same with that?」

「The beast king wasn’t poisoned or anything. He also wasn’t attacked in his sleep. He was assassinated openly
in broad daylight. Such thing couldn’t possibly be done by both the dog-eared tribe or the cat-eared tribe no matter
what.」
「Do you have any idea of who the traitor could possibly be?」

「Nine out of ten, it must be the strategist Philiste. A man who was the beast king’s little brother from a different
father. But, well the problem isn’t there. If my deduction is correct, the way to seal the King’s Gate is dating back to
even further in the past than the unification dynasty.」

「……In other words most of the countries in this continent can be taken off from the list of suspect?」

「 Of course, just because a country was destroyed doesn’t mean that everything in it is lost. There were also
countries that split with their legitimacy inherited by the countries after them. But there is one organization that had
existed since that time and haven’t changed at all until now, rather this organization has expanded even more.」

Gina was saying that it was suspicious.

Based on what Baldr knew, there was only one force that had such long history and influence.

「Don’t tell me──Europa Religion?」

「Thinking now it’s strange that there is a religion that is discriminatory to the beastman. Perhaps it’s because
they are aware of what beastman race might produce?」

「Do you mean about the King’s Gate that is born from the mixing of human and beastman blood?」

「I don’t have the conclusive evidence to be sure about that though. Although they are rejecting beastman race,
they aren’t particularly advocating that the marriage between human and beastman is a taboo.」

「──I got a bad premonition.」

Maggot interrupted at that timing.

Baldr knew that Maggot’s animalistic instinct at this kind of time often came true. His forehead was sweating from
nervousness.

「If it’s the church that did something in the battle before this, they will realize that both Baldr and me have King’s
Gate.」

This was the first time both Maggot and Baldr opened their King’s Gate fully in war outside of Mauricia.

The culprit might be still half in doubt until now, but from now on it would be different.

*Shiver*, a chill ran through Baldr’s back.

Maggot and Baldr were King’s Gate owner──what would the enemy think after they learned that fact?

Perhaps their relationship with Gina had also been exposed. In that case, there was only one thing that could be
thought of.

This is bad, bad, really bad──!

「Nigel and Marguerite are in danger!」

Maggot and Baldr’s voices coincidentally overlapped.

There was no way the enemy would overlook their extremely dangerous bloodline.

Furthermore Antrim was currently also completely empty.

This could be said as the greatest chance to erase the twins who might develop King’s Gate in the future.

「Sorry Baldr but I’m going home now.」

「 I don’t mind. Rather please hurry. I don’t think that those back home will allow the enemy run rampant
unchecked, but there is still a chance no matter how small it is.」

Maggot also nodded silently without being excessively anxious.

There were still other comrades back in Antrim who Baldr put his complete trust on.

.
Part 8
Right after obtaining the information that Satsuki and Maggot were King’s Gate owner, Europa religion considered
Nigel and Marguerite’s existences as danger.

Not even a single King’s Gate owner had appeared after the beast king’s death, but now it suddenly appeared in
two generations of mother and son.

The church’s upper echelon who thought that only Baldr had the King’s Gate had fallen into a state of fear from
this realization.

They still hadn’t determined Gina’s existence at this point of time, but just from knowing that King’s Gate had
appeared in succession within Maggot and then Baldr made the twins to be a target of erasure that the church had
to remove no matter what.

The permission to use the holy relic that was sealed deep underground the church headquarters was given
because they recognized the threat of King’s Gate.

Fortunately, Nigel and Marguerite were still baby. Even if they had King’s Gate, they didn’t have the strength and
knowledge to use it.

In addition, Baldr and Maggot who were the greatest fighting strength in Antrim and the elites under Ramillies’s
command were leaving in a campaign.

「There is no need to think of anything complicated. We only need to swiftly finish off the god’s enemy. 」

An assassin who belonged to the church’s special corrective force Dwight Eisen( ドワイト・アイゼン) spoke
to his apostles who he personally employed──these apostles were actually his puppet who he singled out from
orphanage and brainwashed──with a cheerful expression.

「Yes Dwight-sama.」

The young men who were still in teenage replied energetically with pure eyes that contained no hesitation at all.

Dwight’s words were absolute for them. Obeying his order was their only method to serve god.

Puppet master Dwight──he was an assassin who killed heretic whose existence stood out conspicuously even in
the special corrective force.

He fundamentally didn’t take action together with his fellow member of the special corrective force. He acted by
leading his personal subordinates who he called as puppets.

His skill was the real thing and he had led numerous assassinations that were thought to be impossible to
success.

This time Dwight was ordered to carry out assassination in Antrim because the orphanage that he managed within
Haurelia Kingdom was relatively near to the destination.
Dwight’s orphanage was known as a place that received a lot of budget from the church and the orphans there
were given complete education.

Orphans in general received cold treatment from the society, but the orphans who were educated by Dwight
skilled and obedient. Their evaluation among the merchants who employed them was high.

In addition Dwight himself would sometimes get summoned to the pope territory, so it was rumored that he was
well connected with the church’s upper echelon. He was treated like a celebrity by the local people.

Dwight always behaved gently with a smile that never left his face. He lived a life of honorable poverty and guided
the orphans to the right path. He was exactly like the picture of true clergyman in everyone’s mind.

However few people knew just what a cruel and cold-blooded person he was when dealing with someone who
was designated as god’s enemy.

After receiving his order, Dwight took several children and immediately departed from Haurelia.

For him an order from the church was something that had to be accomplished with priority above all else.

Even if there was a child dying in front of his eyes, Dwight would still prioritize the mission without a single change
in his expression.

「Those animal heretics. Fall into hell as ugly corpses.」

Dwight was smiling even while saying that.

His smiling face was filled with gentle affection like a water surface with not a single ripple.

.
Part 9
「──How deplorable. This city doesn’t even has a church.」

That was the first thing that Dwight said after he stepped into Antrim.

Antrim was devastated at the first Antrim war nearly twenty years ago. At that time the place was too dangerous to
rebuild the church once more.

After Baldr was appointed as the feudal lord here and the territory regained its vitality, the rebuilding of the church
was finally going to be considered, but right after that there was the beastman declaration from Baldr.

After Baldr publicly admitted that he inherited beastman race’s blood, it was felt to be dogmatically problematic to
put a church in Antrim that Baldr ruled. Because of that there was no church of Europa Religion that was placed
here until the present time.

A church also played an important role to obtain the cooperation of the local believers and to use the building as a
place to lay low. It was problematic for Dwight that there was no such place here in Antrim.

Putting that aside, Dwight stared at the crowded and lively city.

The number of beastman here was fewer than he expected, even so the number was still a lot more than what
was considered normal compared to other territories in Haurelia Kingdom and Mauricia Kingdom. Their expression
was also filled with hope.

It was obvious from a glance just how much expectation for the future they were placing on Baldr.

Dwight himself didn’t know but, Antrim was abandoned by the kingdom until the war against Haurelia was over.

There was nobody who visited this place, and this place also had no specialty product. People with nowhere else
to go simply lived a poor life where they were just scraping along. The second and third son who didn’t need to
succeed their family abandoned their birthplace as though it was only natural. The population of Antrim was
gradually declining.

It was Baldr who completely changed that situation.

He carried out public works at large scale and increased the population although it was mostly centered around
mercenaries and laborers.

The circulation of money and goods improved, the public order also became good, and Antrim was suddenly
boiling up in unexpected prosperous conditions.

The clincher was the crushing of Haurelia Kingdom army at the second Antrim war.

Baldr personally took up his sword and splendidly grasped victory regardless of the despairing difference in
strength. He was like the god of war himself for the populace who once lost everything in the flame of war.
Perhaps it wouldn’t be wrong even if it was said that the populace’s loyalty to Baldr had broken through to the
extreme.

If Baldr’s successor wasn’t Prince William of the royal family, the populace would definitely begin a protest
campaign seeking for the continuation of Baldr’s rule.

Their acceptance of the beastman was supported by their belief that Baldr’s decision couldn’t possibly be a
mistake.

For Dwight who was going to assassinate Baldr’s siblings after this, this situation was something that he didn’t
welcome at all.

「……It can’t be helped.」

Even though there was no church here, there was a company under the control of the church that opened several
shops here.

He had no choice but to use that company as his base for now.

But unlike the church, many of employees who were working there were people of Antrim. It was troublesome that
he would be unable to speak openly there.

Dwight glared at the townscape of Antrim with many thoughts in his mind.

「──Damn heretic, curse you.」

Amadeus Company was a rising company that set up shop around three months ago.

It was said that a new shop would open once a week in Antrim right now, so this company wasn’t that
conspicuous.

The products it handled were mostly folk crafts or sundries. It was hard to call this shop thriving even as flattery.

But the quality of their products was good and they were doing their business steadily, so the amount of its
customer was gradually increasing.

「Excuse me.」

Dwight opened the door of Amadeus Company with a bright smile.

「Welcome.」

Two female employees welcomed Dwight with a smile and deep bow.

The two women had good looks that were wasted for a small company like this.
「I am a merchant called Leon, an old acquaintance of Niklaus-dono. Can I meet him right now?」

「Please wait for a bit over there, I’ll go ask.」

The woman smoothly said that and Dwight sat down on a tasteful guest chair just as he was told.

During that time the other employee went inside to call Niklaus.

The employee walked in a hurry but without breaking her posture. It must be the fruit of Niklaus’s training to his
employees.

(How many years ago it has been since the last time I met Niklaus?)

Dwight recalled the figure of a round faced young man who couldn’t really be said as handsome but possessed
amiability.

Thinking back right now, certainly Nikaous was more suited to be a merchant rather than the church’s apostle.

「Isn’t this Leon-sama? Long time no see.」

「I-it has been a long time isn’t it, Niklaus-dono.」

A portly man appeared with an amiable smile at that timing. Dwight realized that man was actually Niklaus.

Dwight rarely felt surprised, but he was unusually at a loss of words right now.

The Niklaus in Dwight’s memory was a tall and thin man who weighed around 50 kg, but the man before him must
weigh around 100 kg.

Perhaps it was better to describe him as a giant.

「No need to be reserved. There are a lot we have to talk about, so please relax over here. Your companions too,
please take some rest in the guest room.」

Niklaus spoke with a polite tone that flowed fluently. He showed in Dwight who had stood up from his chair.

「Thank you for your consideration. You guys, be grateful to our host and go get some rest.」

「Yes!」

The boys that Dwight brought along replied cheerfully. Dwight nodded to them with a gentle smile.

「──This is appalling.」

Dwight’s expression changed completely when he got into a room alone with Niklaus.
「Is there something wrong?」

「Are you perhaps enjoying being a merchant?」

Amadeus Company till the end was nothing more than one of the church’s branch office.

It just needed to do business moderately so as to not attract suspicion. There was no need to seek profit.

Dwight was displeased by Niklaus’s fat figure and the aura of merchant that had seeped deep into him.

「How could that be the case. This too is solely for the church’s sake.」

「I won’t forgive any falsehood you know?」

「Dwight-sama, I am unable to wield sword and fight like you. What I can do is only to gather information and
money.」

Although, it was also a fact that he felt happy when other people appreciated him as a merchant, but Niklaus
intentionally hid that fact.

「 There is no good natured person who will provide information to a merchant who doesn’t have talent as a
merchant. In order to have them recognize me and exchange information as an equal, I have to show them my
talent first.」

Niklaus boldly spoke without averting his gaze. His attitude should be called magnificent.

It seemed that his capability as a human being had grown at the very least. However Dwight wondered how far he
could trust Niklaus as a church’s apostle…….

Dwight stopped thinking there.

Either way, it would be difficult for him to accomplish his mission without Niklaus’s cooperation.

「Very well. Then prove to me that your talent is the real thing.」

──I’ll just kill you if you can’t do it.

Niklaus sensed that Dwight was harboring a gruesome resolve.

He recalled Dwight’s dangerous personality that could decide to murder someone without any hesitation
underneath his gentle expression. The bottom of his stomach turned heavy from that.

「How is the security of the target?」

「Other than the soldiers who are permanently stationed in the castle, there are only maids.」

「How many?」
「Around 200. There are around 100 more personnel for the shift change.」

It was a strict security for a castle that was absent of its lord.

But it wasn’t that threatening for Dwight who had accumulated many experiences as assassin.

「Is there anyone who I should be wary to?」

「All the famous fighters are going together with the margrave so……but, if I have to name one person」

「──If you have to name one?」

Dwight frowned when he sensed the hesitation in Niklaus’s voice.

「The right-hand man of the margrave Tyros──he is practically acting as the margrave’s prime minister. He too
is the one who organized the security within the castle.」

.
Part 10
Antrim territory had become the rear base for the invasion to Trystovy, but the process of transferring its control to
Princess William as a new royal family territory was ongoing.

The central figure who was smoothing the execution of such complicated work was none other than Tyros.

He was just a commoner and didn’t have any formal noble rank. However there was nobody who was fussy about
that, at least in Antrim.

Tyros was able to talk as an equal with that outrageously beautiful and tyrannical Maggot.

At Antrim and also Cornelius, one had to constantly prepared to risk their life if they wanted to stop Maggot’s
whim. People who could do that were extremely few in number.

Even so the biggest reason of why Antrim’s people respected Tyros wasn’t that.

It was his unparalleled loyalty to his lord Baldr Antrim Cornelius.

This was the greatest source of Tyros’s fame, the greatest cause that pushed him up to be a real cheat who
wasn’t at all inferior to Baldr.

Tyros’s morning started with a greeting to a life-sized portrait of Baldr that was hanged right before his bed in his
bedroom.

「I profess my gratitude that today too I can work for the sake of Baldr-sama with everything I have.」

Shockingly even harsh works that could make even demon to run away barefoot in fear was nothing but reward for
Tyros.

He arranged his appearance and then he gave instructions to each head of department about the plans today.

The fields of works that he took care of were diverse. From the head maid to the head cooks within the castle, until
the troops captain and even Antrim government’s head secretary and finance official, all of them were working
under Tyros’s command.

「How is the progress of the transfer of authority going, Agatha-sama?」

Agatha who was Baldr’s fiancée had been elevated from being the head secretary to be Margrave Antrim’s proxy
on paper. When Tyros came to ask her, she handed him a stamped paperwork with an exasperated face.

「It’s going well. It looks like his highness William is blessed with capable helpers. Though he isn’t as blessed as
our Baldr.」
It was unknown whether that was because of how serious the kingdom was in requisitioning Antrim, or because
William himself had good eyes in choosing people, but the quality of the bureaucrats who were prepared for the
transfer of authority was higher than the average standard.

Even so, a talent at Tyros’s level couldn’t be found that easily.

It would be William’s task from here on to raise a trusted confidant who could even act as his substitute.

「Well, I’m sorry for his highness William but, Antrim won’t be a mountain of treasure that is as great as in the
kingdom’s expectation anymore. After all 60 percent of the vassals here has accepted moving to Trystovy.」

「We managed to gather a lot more than we thought we would. As expected from Baldr-sama’s natural virtue.」

Almost 70 percent of Antrim’s vassals were recruited from among the locals.

Agatha and Tyros had been getting headache with the question of how many of them would agree to leave their
birthplace to come along with Baldr to Trystovy.

At the very least those with the knowledge of important secret had to be brought along to Trystovy no matter what.
In the worst case that such people still refused to come along, it would be necessary to bury them in the darkness.

In that sense, it could be said that it was fortunate that William wasn’t a fiend who wouldn’t hesitate to do anything
it took for his own benefit.

Although from William’s perspective, he might be thinking that it would be better for his own political position and
Antrim’s future if he maintained a long time friendship with Baldr rather than chasing after short-term benefit.

However Tyros ultimately switched his thought and decided that all this was simply because of his lord’s virtue. As
expected from Baldr-sama, he glorified his lord in his mind.

「If there is anything inconvenience then I will do something to deal with it. Please tell me if anything happen.」

Tyros spoke something terrifying without any change in his expression. Agatha who was used to that only
shrugged with a wry smile.

「Consider to reduce your workload a little.」

Next Tyros visited the siblings of his beloved lord.

Right now Maggot was in an expedition to Trystovy. It was Seyruun’s role to take care of the twin.

「Good morning to you, Seyruun-sama.」

「Good morning to you too, Tyros-sama.」

Tyros felt a certain growth as a woman from Seyruun’s bright smile.

Seyruun originally was already someone strong motherhood. Since she was starting to help taking care of the
twins, that aspect of her grew even more and now she was scattering fresh sex appeal like a newly wed wife.

Perhaps Seyruun was also fighting in her own way just like Silk and Selina.

Good morning, Nigel-sama, Marguerite-sama.]

「Dauuuuuuuu」

Nigel and Marguerite reacted to Tyros’s words. They reached out with their hands happily. Tyros allowed their
small hands to grab his index finger.

「They have grown big.」

「Yes, the growth of children at this period is really fast.」

Seyruun cunningly simulated herself when she was the one giving birth.

She imagined of how cute her own child with Baldr would be. At the same time, Seyruun was also madly in love
with the twins who vaguely had the vestiges of Baldr when he was still little.

After confirming the wellbeing of the twin, Tyros finally began his official duties in the many fields.

Tyros was processing the many matters that had to be taken care of with competence and speed that made
everyone wondered just how the inside of this man’s head was working.

「Expansion of the official residence? I have talked about it to the finance official. Please quickly discuss it with
the architect.」

「New people recruitment? It’s impossible at this moment while we are preparing to go to Trystovy unless they
really can be trusted. Leave that matter to his highness William’s subordinate who is in charge of the
employment.」

「The increase in sugar’s production is going well isn’t it? This will be our present for his highness William, so I’ll
leave it to you to pass on the baton properly including the processing technique alright?」

Because Tyros was given a tremendous discretionary power from Baldr, all the department heads often came to
ask Tyros’s opinion.

If Tyros had his own ambition, it wouldn’t be just a dream for him to control Antrim from behind the scene.

Although the person himself had no such intention at all.

「──Head Secretary Tyros-dono.」

「Porco.」
Recently he often met with his childhood friend Porco. Tyros’s expression changed when he saw his friend this
time. He noticed that there was something hidden behind Porco’s amiable smile.

「Let’s change the location. Follow me.」

「Very well, lead on.」

Porco succeeded after his father and became the guard of Margrave Antrim, but unfortunately he wasn’t really
blessed with talent in martial arts.

He himself wanted to wield a sword in the frontline for Baldr’s sake, but his talents lied in a different place from his
wish.

He had round and chubby body with large face that looked amiable. While his personality was ruggedly honest
and plain, Porco was someone tactful in one way or another. He immediately won the citizen’s trust as the
patrolling inspector within Antrim territory.

When someone conversed with Porco, even moody official or sly old merchant would relax their guard around him
before they noticed it.

Of course that was because Porco was a very commonplace person without any ambition to climb up the rank
even if he had to pull down other people for it.

However just because he was someone harmless didn’t mean that he wouldn’t make use of other people.

Especially when it came to matter that was related to Antrim’s safety, Porco never slacked to always report and
consult to Tyros.

Tyros’s office was filled up with a mountain of paperwork. As expected it was also decorated with a life-sized
picture of Baldr. Furthermore the picture was the latest work that reproduced Baldr’s recent appearance.

「Tyros is still a fan of Baldr-sama as always huh.」

「It’s too discourteous to call myself a fan. You should call me a worshipper instead.」

Tyros and Porco temporarily returned to their childhood friend relationship and smiled at each other.

For the two of them who had left their families behind in their birthplace Cornelius, long time friend who they could
trust was an existence that was even more precious than jewels.

「──Let’s hear what you have to say.」

Tyros moistened his throat with freshly brewed tea before questioning Porco once more.

Porco also sensed that the time to act as friend had ended for now.

「Recently, countless people came to this Antrim to obtain information about Baldr-sama but……」

Actually a country that didn’t send their intelligence agent to this Antrim might not exist in this continent.
Baldr Antrim Cornelius was a related party in the struggle for Trystovy’s sovereignty right now, he was a war hero,
and the inventor of new products including cosmetics that became a famous brand in many countries. The degree
of attention that he gathered kept skyrocketing.

Porco too was completely aware of that. That was why during his patrol when he felt like there was something out
of place in someone’s speech or the product they handled, or when he picked a new rumor that spread among the
merchants, he would report it to Tyros.

He could just leave it to Tyros and his staffs to draw the conclusion based on his report.

「Perhaps there is someone troublesome who came here.」

「──I don’t think there is any worth to do sabotage to this Antrim at this point but……troublesome you say?」

Tyros held a certain trust to Porco’s evaluation of other people.

Uncommon people would stand out in the perception of the common people.

This commoner instinct that couldn’t really be explained logically was something that couldn’t really be
underestimated.

For Tyros who had been distanced from the common people’s life for quite a long time, Porco’s opinion was
something that was worth it for him to listen closely to.

「Amadeus Company──its president is quite capable, but ninety percent of its business is with Europa Religion.
The company is famous as a subordinate company of the church.」

「So it’s related with those sham priests who dare to call Baldr-sama as animal?」

Tyros’s eyes glinted darkly.

Europa Religion had quite the number of followers even in Mauricia Kingdom, but it was nothing more than an
unpopular sect in this eastern remote region that was abundant in nature.

When Tyros heard that a mere minor religion like that was disparaging his lord Baldr, it couldn’t be helped that a
Baldr supremacist like him got angry.

「I was talking with a woman who is working in that company. Just the other day, it seems there was a man along
with young boys who seems to be his attendants visiting the company president.」

「Are you saying that they are suspicious?」

「According to that woman, that man felt eerie for some reason, in addition she was surprised that the president
seemed to be really nervous. I’m also acquainted with that president, but the impression I got from him is that he is
an ambitious and bold person.」

「So this visiting man is someone that can make even such person nervous. Furthermore the possibility is high
that this man is someone from the religion.」
Tyros felt that this story was unexpectedly suspicious.

「Do you know how old this man is?」

「At the very least he isn’t more than 50 years old. He must be at his early forty or late thirty.」

「 That man is in a position that outdo a company president at that age……furthermore he came here without
carrying any merchandise and with young boy followers.」

Too suspicious. Even anyone else other than Porco would think of this as strange.

「The reputation of the church is bad at Antrim. I don’t think that there will be many people who will cooperate
with them here.」

「 They can find anyone who will cooperate with them anywhere. The enemy of their enemy will become their
ally.」

Baldr had a lot of political enemies. There was no guarantee that those enemies wouldn’t borrow the religion’s
strength one day.

It seemed that there would be a situation that reduced Tyros’s sleeping time even more.

.
Part 11
At a ground with a size around 400 tsubo that was located slightly out of Antrim’s town, there was a small but
stylish house. (TN: 1 tsubo is approximately 3.31 square meters.)

The design was soft with a vaguely feminine atmosphere. Depending on the watcher they might felt that the owner
of the house had girlish taste.

Tyros took a time out of his harsh schedule to visit a certain person here.

Just as Tyros’s hand reached out to knock at the door of the house’s entrance,

「Zirco, no, walking.」

「Geez, you are really exaggerating Beck.」

Tyros smiled wryly at Zirco’s voice that sounded half exasperated and half fawning.

Since her marriage, Zirco’s image as valiant female mercenary kept crumbling.

Although Tyros himself also wished for the happiness of Zirco who had literally risked her life in order to protect
Antrim.

「Baby, not yet?」

「Ah, oi! Don’t rub my stomach! The baby still won’t move!」

(Even though she said that, why doesn’t your voice sound displeased at all Zirco-san?)

It felt like the husband and wife would continue the talk with sweet love making at this rate, so Tyros reluctantly
knocked on the door.

「Zirco-san, do you have time?」

「UWAAAAAAAAAAH!」

*Gosu-* There was a dull sound and then *zuzun* there was a sound of something heavy falling on the floor.

Tyros guessed that Zirco was surprised and punched his husband Beck to hide her embarrassment.

「Y-ye~~es! …..What, Tyros huh.」

「Hello, forgive me for intruding while you are in the middle of something.」

Tyros averted his gaze slightly to the ground. Seeing his behavior, Zirco realized that he had listened to her
conversation just now and blushed crimson until her neck.
「L-l-lo, long time no see. I-i, is the chief doing well? Well, that big sis is going with him so there is no need to
worry I guess.」

「I came here today because I wish to consult Zirco-san about something.」

For the busy Tyros to expressly show his face here, there might be quite a circumstance behind it.

The embarrassment faded from Zirco’s expression and her eyes returned to her old eyes that were laced with
killing intent just like when she was still standing at the frontline.

「Well, come in. I don’t know whether I’ll be useful or not though.」

The inside of the house was bright because it had a lot of windows. There were a lot of colorful flowers and small
articles decorating the inside. In contrast to her appearance, it seemed that Zirco was a maiden who loved cute
things.

How affectionate she would be with her child after she gave birth──Tyros guessed that she would become a
heavily affectionate mother in the opposite meaning from Maggot.

It had been nearly three or four months since Zirco’s pregnancy was detected, but she still had a lean body as
though she was completely unrelated with the round stomach of pregnancy.

Most likely this was the reason that was tied to Beck’s desire to confirm the life of his child.

「It feels awkward if you stare too much at me like that. I’m thinking to train a bit after things settle down a bit
more while my pregnancy is still young.」

「Still no good. Baby, shocked, no good.」

「I get it so don’t worry. Even I don’t want to put any burden to this child.」

Zirco caressed her stomach lovingly after saying that. Her face was certainly the face of a mother.

It would be great if this child will become a friend for Nigel-sama and Marguerite-sama in the future, Tyros thought
while narrowing his eyes fondly.

「Sorry but I can’t fight anymore you know?」

「I’ll be killed by Baldr-sama if I make Zirco-san do something like that.」

Tyros shook his head theatrically to show that such idea was preposterous.

「Actually someone came to this Antrim who is difficult for me to evaluate. And so I wish to borrow Zirco-san’s
expertise.」

「Difficult to evaluate? This person isn’t an enemy?」

「No, he is an enemy. But I don’t know what is his purpose coming here──this is just my intuition but, I feel that
this person might be someone troublesome.」

It was rare for Tyros to say something like that. Zirco who was aware of that folded her arms and fell silent.

「This person, he isn’t a mercenary isn’t he?」

「Yes……most likely this person is someone with quite a high position within Europa religion.」

Zirco was taken by surprise when Europa religion was mentioned.

That religion was certainly denying Baldr’s right of inheritance, but they didn’t seem like a group that would
proactively plot an assassination.

「Well, I too once heard that there is a hidden side to that religion. Even so, why is this person here in Antrim
while Baldr is gone?」

「──I’m also concerned with that.」

Currently the people who were staying behind in Antrim were only people with low importance compared to Baldr
and Maggot.

Of course if some of those people were lost it would be a serious affair, but it wouldn’t be fatal.

The assassination target might be Tyros himself, but he didn’t understand why they picked Antrim.

This place was a land that would be returned back to the royal family before long.

「……In other words my role is to evaluate that guy?」

「It’s just as you discerned.」

Zirco had put herself on the boundary line between life and death for many years as mercenary. She had the
sharpness to sense the opponent’s strength with her intuition.

Zirco had survived until now despite experiencing many battlefields that produced a lot of casualties. It wasn’t
because of overwhelming might like Maggot, but because she had developed the sense of smell for such thing in
order to survive.

There was no body more suitable than Zirco to gauge the opponent’s danger level.

Tyros didn’t hold the slightest doubt to that thinking.

「……Over there?」
「Yes, we have learned since before that the company is affiliated with the religion. But it’s doing business quite
seriously, so we weren’t that cautious with the company.」

NIklaus of Amadeus Company was plain, but he was known as a steady merchant who sold good products.

Until now the most the company was doing was undoubtedly just information gathering at worst.

But now the company was filled with trepidation after the arrival of an unexpected big shot.

The report that Niklaus’s condition was clearly strange recently had also come from other sources than Porco.

「Tyros, you have a good instinct.」

Zirco’s expression had changed when he noticed.

He found the figure of a veteran mercenary who had crossed the boundary between life and death in many
battlefields there.

That was the proof that Zirco was sensing a menacing atmosphere from Amadeus Company.

「 It’s great that I have retired. The person there definitely would sense me too if I’m here as an active
mercenary.」

What Zirco said was that someone strong was sensitive to the aura of other strong people.

Zirco had grown weak, so it became difficult for the opponent to sense her. It was a principle that Tyros didn’t
really comprehend, but it seemed that it was something like that.

While they were talking about that, a man with short hair came out from Amadeus Company with three children in
tow.

His eyes were gentle and warm. He had short hair and cleanly shaved face that gave him a sense of cleanliness.

He had an expression of affection that would suit a pastor presiding a mass in the church.

But Zirco didn’t miss the madness that was hidden at the bottom of that man’s soul.

In the past she knew a mercenary who was burning with vengeance because his birthplace was destroyed. That
mercenary fought like a demon god.

He immediately died after killing the enemy general who was his target of revenge, but Zirco recalled how that
person was a mild mannered person outside of battle as though his behavior in the battlefield was just a lie.

Sometimes madness was like a calm water surface. That was because that person’s heart couldn’t be shaken
except by the source of his madness.

Zirco felt that the genuine madness in this man’s heart was something terrifying.
「 ─ ─ That man is……a bad news. That kind of man can use his obsession to manage even a situation that
seems impossible in a glance. He has depth in his emotions that cannot be comprehended. That man absolutely
cannot be underestimated.」

She wouldn’t want to turn this man into an enemy if she was still an active mercenary.

That kind of man was secretly hiding something nasty that made him even more dangerous than what his actual
strength suggested.

「……How dangerous is he?」

「 Of course he isn’t as absurd as big sis but, if it’s me then I’ll ambush him using a fully equipped company.
That’s how dangerous he is.」

A single company consisted of nearly 200 troops.

Furthermore Zirco said that he would use that number to ambush the man instead of fighting him head-on.

Zirco judged that the man was an opponent who needed such measure in order to kill him with certainty. It made
Tyros shuddered.

「It’s a famous story that the church has people doing dirty job. I once heard a rumor that among them there is a
skilled assassin who used fanatical children to help his work.」

Why was such terrifying assassin coming to this Antrim?

Rear sabotage? No, even if this place was harassed like that it couldn’t possibly deal fatal damage. That was even
truer now that Mulberry’s maritime guild had allied with Baldr.

「Thank you very much. I’ll face that man with every possible preparation.」

「……You’re hopeless.」

Zirco smiled wryly with twitching expression.

「What do you mean?」

「You don’t notice? Even though I’m telling you that the opponent is a monster that needs a company to deal
with……you are smiling.」

Only after being told that Tyros realized that the corners of his lips were rising up.

For some reason there was an uplifting feeling that welled up from the bottom of his heart.

He was feeling a genuine joy to face n fiend so irredeemable that just killing him would not be satisfying.

If the like of god’s slave dared to try to harm Baldr-sama, then it was his role to crush him like a bug and taught
him his place.
Tyros had no martial skill like Zirco, but there was no need to be a strong warrior in order to win a battle.

「It won’t be that difficult to prepare countermeasure if I understand the enemy’s capability and objective. I’ll teach
him that a battle strength that only worth a company of troops won’t even be able to scratch the protection of this
Antrim.」

Zirco scratched her head and messed up her hair in exasperation.

「I pity the guy who turn someone like this into enemy.」

「──Dwight-sama, is something the matter?」

Dwight sensed that the presence behind him was leaving. At the same time he noticed that it seemed he had been
ignoring the children calling at him.

「Hm? It’s nothing. Rather than something like that look, go buy the candy you like. After all we are going to do an
important work soon.」

The children’s expression brightened and they took Dwight’s arm.

「So we will finally be allowed to work!」

「Yeah. That’s why go eat delicious things without worry. God is watching over your sincerity.」

Dwight watched the high spirited children with a calm smile while muttering lowly.

「Hmph, cursed enemy of god who don’t know their place. If you are going to oppose me with petty tricks, you all
can die in fear of the god’s punishment.」

The watcher was someone who couldn’t even erase their presence. It was funny if they thought that they could
somehow deal with me if they were just at that level.

The enemy of god being on guard against him was a common thing anyway.

Even now Dwight wasn’t worried at the slightest about completing his mission.

──After all he had the divine protection of god with him.

.
Part 12
For the president of Amadeus Company Niklaus, the existence of Dwight who suddenly appeared was nothing but
a disaster.

He was just about to finally spread his roots in this Antrim. Furthermore, he couldn’t understand the reason of
coming here just to kill the siblings of Margrave Antrim while the margrave himself was absent.

What displeased him even further was how Dwight wouldn’t tell him anything despite demanding all kind of
information from him.

Depending on the outcome of Dwight’s mission, Niklaus too would have to abandon this Antrim and run away.

He didn’t have any intention to be sent to the execution platform as someone complicit in assassination.

Niklaus was lacking any potential for advancement as a knight of the church. He was starting to seriously think
that being a merchant was his calling.

And yet──.

「──Knight Niklaus. 」

Niklaus was having wild imagination in indignation that he couldn’t wipe away that perhaps he should just betray
the church, but then Dwight’s voice that felt like it was whispered from empty air frightened him from the bottom of
his heart.

「HIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!」

Niklaus fell on all fours and trembled without any care of his appearance.

He looked like a child who believed that he would get dragged by demon to dark underground if he did something
bad.

「An apostle of god shouldn’t act unsightly like that.」

「 P-p-please don’t surprise me like that! This Niklaus embarrassingly don’t have the ability to detect Dwight-
sama’s presence.」

「You are acting as embarrassment like this because you forget your devotion to our god and dirty your soul with
money.」

Dwight replied curtly.

No matter how surprising Dwight’s sudden appearance was, the way Niklaus got surprised was too exaggerated. It
was clear that he had some kind of guilty conscience.

「……It’s just as Dwight-sama say.」

「Being a merchant is nothing more than a temporary occupation in this transient world. Don’t forget that we are
an apostle of god in the end. Do you understand?」

He would beat him into shape from zero if he was his subordinate, but there was no time for that right now.

Niklaus suppressed his violent desire to punch Dwight before he finally got back on his feet. But then Dwight
shocked him even more.

「This shop is being watched. Are you aware of that?」

「I-is that true?」

Niklaus himself was aware that other than business talent, he had no martial talent at all.

Even so he couldn’t stay calm at all knowing that this shop was being watched.

To say nothing of how Dwight was here to assassinate the siblings of the margrave.

What he feared had become reality. Nikolas felt like he would faint in his panic.

「They have good instinct despite being god’s enemy. It won’t be wise for me to delay the mission for too long.」

There was a choice of pretending to sleep and waited till the opponent let their guard down.

But Dwight had no intention of leisurely waiting for a chance.

There was a chance that his targets would be moved to somewhere while he was taking his time.

「I’ll carry out the mission tonight. I won’t move from here today so they won’t suspect anything.」

「 H-h-however what should I do? If this shop is being watched then when Dwight-sama takes action I too will
be……」

If the mission was carried out, he would be the first one to get suspected and captured.

Niklaus had no intention of dying in this kind of place.

He was going to use the church as his backer and attained greatness as successful merchant. For that he couldn’t
accept dying in this place.

「Run. You will die if you are unable to run. In that case god will praise the loyalty of the knight Niklaus.」

「Please wait! Even if you suddenly tell me to run……」

He didn’t have extraordinary strength like Dwight. That was exactly why he gave up being a knight and put on the
transient mask of a merchant.

「I’ll simply kill you if you don’t conform to the will of god. I don’t mind if you wish to die by my hand.」
That was undoubtedly a threat.

He would kill him if he got in his way. He would kill without hesitation even though they were fellow apostle of god.

Niklaus remembered that Dwight was that kind of person.

「Hiiiih! F-forgive me! I will make my getaway somehow and swear to be useful to the church without fail!」

「Never forget those words.」

Good grief, this was why apostle who lacked devotion to god was beyond help.

Dwight wanted to spit seeing the disgraceful behavior that Niklaus displayed, but at the same time he also
understood of the benefit that Niklaus’s business talent could bring to the church.

It would be fine if Niklaus could escape and safely reached their comrade. But if he was a fool who couldn’t even
kill himself when captured, he would just go to kill Niklaus himself.

「──Then I pray that god’s blessing is with you.」

Even Niklaus could only resolve himself now that things had reached this point.

「I also pray from the bottom of my heart so that god’s blessing will accompany Dwight-sama.」

Yes, Niklaus too hoped that Dwight would at least throw Antrim into chaos to help him in his escape.

.
Part 13
──Late at night.
There were two silhouettes watching over Amadeus Company.
「It’s time to change shift. Has there been anything strange?」
「 I wish I can tell you that everything is normal, but there are too many employees coming in and out from
there.」
That was because Niklaus was preparing to escape.
The preparation could be finished without using anyone. He sent people out with the awareness that it would make
him look suspicious.
「The guest hasn’t moved at all since he went shopping with the children. To be honest, what is a gentle looking
man like that going to do?」
「Idiot. Don’t judge people by their appearance. Our lord is a good example for that.」
「It will be a disaster if that kind of monster can be found anywhere.」
The two of them looked at each other and smiled.
Recently the two of them had been distanced from fighting scene. They didn’t doubt that they were the watcher
who grasped their opponent’s movement.
They didn’t notice that they were actually the side that was being watched.
「Now then, it will be boring too tonight……」
*Hyun*, the man fell silent after there was such sound of something slicing through the air.
「Oi, what’s……」
The other man also choked and fell silent. A bit of time passed before the two of them fell on the ground face first
with a thud.
「──Cursed heretics, reflect upon god’s punishment. 」
.
「Err……」
A guard of Gawain Castle’s gate tilted his head seeing a young boy approaching with an apologetic look.
It was because the time was really late for a child to walk outside.
「What’s wrong? Your mother will be worried that you are outside like this. 」
「I’m sorry. But I can’t return home to mother. 」
Tears began to gather in the child’s eyes and he sobbed. The guard put his hand on the child’s shoulder to
console him.
「Don’t cry kid. Uncle will call my friend now so──」
It was the guard’s misfortune that he bent forward and crouched down.
The guard expired wordlessly after the child stabbed his throat deeply with a short sword while he was completely
defenseless.
Even the other guard who didn’t comprehend what was going on for a moment was shot in the throat by a single
arrow that flew from who know where.
「──I can’t go home until I erase god’s enemy. 」
.
It was a splendid performance. Their technique that didn’t allow the enemy to even scream deserved praise.
The boys’ infiltration would have succeeded if this was a normal castle.
However Gawain Castle wasn’t normal in various senses.
In addition Tyros didn’t entrust the lookout to just the gate guards because he was on guard against assassin’s
attack.
The night watch at the spire blew his whistle at the same time when the gate guards fell powerlessly.
The soldiers on duty jumped to their feet and formed a formation while rushing to the gate. There they found the
gate guards lying on pool of blood and five young boys.
「──Don’t move!」
Children were unexpectedly difficult opponent to face.
They had to be captured alive.
Children could be tricked easily. These children were definitely just being used by the real culprit.
Killing the children would only make the mastermind laughed in delight.
Besides, it was difficult even for experienced soldiers to direct killing intent toward children who still had some
innocence left inside them.
「Surrender quietly and allow yourself to be tied! You understand?」
However although the opponents were children, they were soldier who had gone through training that was beyond
the imagination.
At the same time they were also fanatic whose soul had been engraved with absolutely loyalty to god.
There was no way those children would obediently allow themselves to be captured.
「P-please save us! We are being threatened……」
The soldiers’ hostility was blown away after hearing such words from crying children.
The soldiers approached just to do their work in apprehending the children. But one of them was skewered
instantly by a one handed sword that was specialized for thrusting.
「You……!」
The soldiers finally put up their guard again, even so it didn’t change the fact that it was difficult to fight children.
There would be no problem if they didn’t hold back and kill the children, but as expected a part of their brain was
still thinking that there was someone instigating these children. Although these children had killed their colleagues,
it was difficult to hold genuine resentment toward children.
「They are just kids. Hold on until they run out of stamina!」
Like this the soldiers were spending more time and manpower than necessary to take care of the children.
.
Dwight slipped through that opening and successfully infiltrated inside the castle.
He used the children were bait.
He had no guilt at all about it. After all they would receive salvation from god.
The children would surely rejoice from their heart to be able to die for god’s sake.
After all Dwight gathered children from tragic environment only for this.
「Now then, all of you should also go.」
「We are going director!」
No matter how many times he had seen this, he was never able to hold back his tears seeing children of pure faith
running toward martyrdom.
Their figures were truly sacred.
Tears were flooding out from Dwight’s eyes, even so he never considered that his thinking might be broken.
The war cries of young boys rose within the castle once more.
Their fighting strength was weak, and yet the security of Gawain Castle was thrown into complete chaos.
For Dwight who excelled in detecting human presence, taking advantage of this chaos to advance deeper inside
was no different than a child’s play.
.
「──Don’t move.」
「Hiih!」
A young maid had her mouth covered by Dwight from behind. She raised a wordless scream.
She had heard that there were bandits attacking, but she never even dreamed that the bandits would have already
arrived as far as the quarter where she was.
「Margrave Antrim’s siblings, Nigel and Marguerite, where are they?」
*Twitch*, the maid shook.
She finally understood the bandit’s objective.
It was thought that this attack was a terrorism action toward Baldr who had many enemies, but it wasn’t something
like that. The bandit’s aim was the assassination of King’s Gate’s bloodline.
「What’s wrong? If you won’t talk then I’ll just kill you and ask someone else.」
The maid felt the cold texture of a blade pressed on her neck and felt death approaching. Something warm was
spreading between her legs.
──I don’t want to die.
The beating of her heart was growing so intense she was going to hyperventilate.
Just when she was about to faint because of fear that surpassed the limit──.
*DOGOOOOOOO-!*
A thunderous sound that was accompanied with a tremor roared. The castle shook as though there was a quake.
The maid witnessed something that was like a fire pillar rising at the area around the castle gate that was visible
from the window.
Dwight hmphed with a grin and said.
「──Do you think that you are the only one who can use the relic (gunpowder)?」
.
Explosive was wrapped around the boys’ stomach. They didn’t harbor any hesitation about exploding themselves
to death.
「Disperse! There is no more need to force yourself to capture them alive! Shoot them with arrow!」
「Don’t think of the opponent as children! They are monster!」
There was no more leeway to capture the children and interrogate them now that things had reached this point.
The boys were able to explode themselves anytime.
In other words, it had become impossible to do close-quarter combat.
The soldiers could only surround the boys from afar until the archer finished surrounding the boys.
The boys were already finishing their objective to buy time. What was left was only to die without leaving any
evidence behind. That was their remaining mission.
「Die and be rewarded with the god’s grace! Now is the time to pay back our debt to the director!」
Death wasn’t something to fear for the boys.
In the beginning they were all just orphans who didn’t have any way of knowing the warmth of family until Dwight
picked them up.
And then they were repeatedly taught in the mass that they attended every day that they would receive salvation
by going to god’s place after death. It was impossible for them to hesitate.
Some more time would pass until all the boys who didn’t fear death offered every last drop of their blood to god.
.
The unexpected explosion was more than enough to create gaps in the security of Gawain Castle.
「My children, stay well until the day I can see all of you again in heaven.」
Dwight really thought of the boys as his own children, and yet he didn’t hesitate at all to use them as tool. That
was the reason why he was called the puppet master.
Dwigth was instead laughing joyfully with a feeling of a parent celebrating his adorable children leaving home to
start a new life.
「Now then──time for divine punishment to the heretic.」
The information that Dwight received from Niklaus was more accurate than he expected.
Thinking carefully, Gawain Castle was originally just a small castle of a remote region. The successive generations
of feudal lords here was also a powerful local clan of this region, so their sense of distance with the commoner
was also close.
Also more than half of the servants working in Gawain Castle were related with the local residents, so it was easy
for Niklaus to obtain information.
──Just a bit more. The soldiers won’t make it even if they run here from the gate from now.
On the way here Dwight had consigned eight soldiers to oblivion without letting them making any voice. For him
the mission was already as good as done at this point.
Dwight was also feeling unbearable pleasure for being able to destroy a part of the bloodline of the animals who
were mocking the god. With this those animals wouldn’t be able to strut around on this world anymore as though
they owned the place.
.
「──Good grief, a dog of god is it? You are so ugly I can’t bear to look at you.」
「What, who is there!?」
Dwight had accomplished numerous assassinations until now and he never felt even the slightest fear. He didn’t
remember how many years it had been since the last time he felt this flustered.
That was how bewildered Dwight felt right now.
He had absolute confidence in his presence concealment technique and trap detection technique that he had
polished for many years.
Actually his presence was never detected even once until he reached this point.
Was detection magic used from somewhere? If that was the case it was strange that there was still no sign of
attack to him.
He didn’t fear the enemy, but as expected even Dwight couldn’t help but feel mentally pressured with him being
unable to read the enemy’s intention.
「Aa, this isn’t magic. The traps that I had prepared were also easily passed through. Now I have no face to meet
Baldr-sama anymore.」
「Hmph, calling something of that level a trap is simply a joke.」
「I too still have a lot to learn. I shall endeavor to exercise my ingenuity even more.」
Although Dwight was showing a composed expression and voice, it was impossible for him to stay calm in his
heart.
Someone of his skill level was still unable to sense the presence of the voice’s owner.
He felt that something was out of place, as though the voice was sent to him from afar using wind magic. However
even though he had used Magic Cancel, the voice kept talking without any change.
「People who pretend to be god is not needed in the world that Baldr-sama will rule. I shall have you exit the
stage immediately.」
「──That composure is unpleasant!」
Dwight was equally looking down on everyone who wasn’t god’s apostle as heretic. For someone like him, being
looked down by a heretic instead was something that he absolutely couldn’t accept.
「Kill. I swear I’ll show you hell of extreme pain that will make anyone want to cover their eye from how gruesome
it is! Wash your neck while waiting for me!」
「It’s simply pitiable watching someone making an oath that they can’t possibly fulfill. Won’t it also be a bother to
the god you believe in if you swear a lie to him?」
Dwight didn’t reply and slashed with all his strength to the direction of the voice.
Although he didn’t feel any human presence, he immediately detect from where the voice came from. The wall that
he slashed crumbled with a clattering sound.
「Good grief, even though you already know that I’m not there. Are you venting your rage impotently?」
「──Damned bastard!」
The voice came from the opposite direction this time. Dwight believed that there was already no way for him to get
away from the surveillance.
.
「──Even so, he is a dangerous old man. I’ll look stupid if I face him head-on.」
Tyros separated his mouth from the speaking tube and wiped the sweat on his forehead.
Dwight was even more terrifying than he thought.
It would be difficult to win against him even if Zirco in her heyday was here.
Perhaps it was a stroke of luck that Zirco was pregnant and unable to move. Her life would be in danger if she
carelessly got motivated to face this old man.
「Well, I don’t have any intention of losing though.」
Tyros said that and laughed fearlessly.
For him, protecting the siblings that Baldr entrusted to him was already a fixed future.
It wouldn’t change even if his opponent was the church or one of the five best assassins in the world.
「Engine room , begin.」
Tyros began the last preparation just in case while giving an order with shockingly cold voice.
.
「Damn heretics! Damn heretics! Damn heretics!」
Dwight sped up his legs with indignation that he couldn’t clear away from his mind.
He understood that losing composure like this would hinder his mission.
He was also aware that the owner of the voice was provoking him with such intention, but a fanatic like him
couldn’t tolerate any affront to god.
The room where the babies were kept was located at the end of the east castle tower.
He didn’t think that the babies were already evacuated.
There was only one escape route for this quarter. He was going up through that one escape route, so the
possibility was low that that Dwight would miss them in their escape.
「──!」
Instantly, Dwight dived down to the floor.
There was *Chiriri* sound and several arrows passed above his head.
「Don’t think that you can defeat me with cheap trick like this!」
It still didn’t change that the trap was troublesome although he yelled like that.
The biggest problem was that the trap functioned using a mechanical mechanism.
Dwight wouldn’t miss the killing intent if there was human who operated the trap, but an attack from emotionless
machine was difficult to detect.
But even with that Dwight continued to avoid being lethally wounded. It was a feat that was accomplished by his
exceptional combat sense. Dwight’s experience and instinct was terrifying with how he got away with only light
wounds and his combat capability intact while facing arrow traps and spears that stabbed out from walls.
(It’s not far! I’ll kill you right after this!)
Surely this voice’s owner was together with his targets. Dwight was convinced of that.
It could be said that Dwight’s instinct was sensing a similar scent like himself, the smell of a blindly loyal dog from
this voice’s owner──Tyros.
There was no way that Tyros would run away while abandoning Nigel and Marguerite who were entrusted to him
by his lord.
Protecting his lord’s pack even if he had to throw away his life was the correct nature of a dog.
Dwight felt his hatred and killing intent overflowing while believing in only that.
.
Tyros let out a deep sigh while holding Nigel and Marguerite on his arms.
The door was opened hard. The excessive strength destroyed even the door’s hinge and the door couldn’t be
closed anymore.
「──This is why I don’t want to deal with a fanatic.」
「The malicious traps of heretic cannot defeat the god’s divine protection!」
To put it mildly, it was Dwight who was wounded all over his body.
He had countless scratches with arrows sticking out from his side and left arm. Even so his face was still sparkling
with delight and exaltation.
It was clear that he was still mostly combat capable.
「I thought only someone like Maggot-sama would be able to break through all those traps……」
「Don’t make me laugh. Your sleight of hand is only at that level!」
「No no, I still have this and that remaining.」
While saying that, a huge metal railing fell between Tyros and Dwight.
That metal railing was like several layers of prison bars. They fell with a thunderous sound before Dwight could
reach Tyros’s location.
「──I’m telling you this is naïve! This is the furthest a heretic’s wit can bring him!」
Dwight scoffed at Tyros’s useless struggle and took out from his pocket a hidden relic of the church that he gave
to the children──the gunpowder.
The gunpowder wasn’t a weapon that was only owned by Baldr alone.
Dwight haughtily looked down at the inside of the room that was turned into atrocious rubbles after a flash that
blinded the eye and explosive sound roared.
And then he kicked away the iron railings that were turned over by the explosion blast.
It felt like everywhere in his body was scorched, but Dwight paid it no mind and he started searching for the
corpses of Tyros and the twin.
「──Not here?」
A cold chill ran through his back. No, this should be impossible.
Tryos’s presence was definitely here until just a moment ago.
No matter what kind of magic was used, it shouldn’t be able to meddle with human’s presence.
And yet, the figures of Tyros and the twin weren’t here in reality. Dwight was bewildered.
His eyes snapped wide open at the faint presence that he felt at that instant.
「──Outside!」
Dwight kicked open the door to the balcony and found Tyros there worrying about Nigel and Marguerite’s condition
while dripping with cold sweat.
「That was dangerous! How are you going to apologize if something happened to Nigel-sama and Marguerite-
sama?」
「Shit! So you have been outside since the start!」
The figures of Tyros and the twin inside the room were made by magic.
Dwight was negligent in checking with Magic Cancel because he could feel their presence. It was truly a
carelessness that was beyond saving for him.
「I praise you for making me sweat nervously for a moment there. Repent to god in the world over there.」
「You are saying that I won’t be able to answer Baldr-sama’s expectation? Hahahaha! I won’t let a mere fanatic
like you to get in Baldr-sama’s way!」
「Still not going to accept your defeat huh! You cursed heretic!」
Tyros and the twin were floating unsteadily within the darkness.
They were definitely using flying magic. There was no way human could float in the air, so that was the only
possibility that he could think of.
「Magic Cancel!」
If they fell from this height that was nearly the highest point of the castle, they would die instantly.
It was regretful that he couldn’t directly finish them off with his hands, but the completion of the mission was his
highest priority.
But Dwight’s expectation ended in vain. Tyros and the twin’s figures were starting to become more distant rapidly
from the balcony.
There wasn’t any sign of them falling down.
Such thing was impossible. Did that heretic has wings on his back!?
「UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!」
Dwight roared to brush away his primitive fear toward something that was beyond his comprehension.
He threw his last remaining sword with all his strength toward Tyros.
The sword flew through the air and accurately stabbed Tyros’s face──that was how it looked like.
*Crack!*
The false image cracked into piece of glasses with a dry sound.
And then Tyros who had taken distance until his voice only barely reached Dwight yelled triumphantly.
「How does it feel to be completely tricked by a heretic?」
「DAMMIIIIIIIIIIITT!」
「Then sayonara, adieu, forever.」
At the next moment, crimson flame rose up from under Dwight.
Tyros who was being suspended from a jet black balloon continued to laugh like he was going mad at the last
moment of the religious fanatic who tried to wrong Baldr.
「Aaaha-ha-! That way of dying is really suitable for a fanatic who try to oppose Baldr-sama!」
.
「──Seiza.」
「My deepest apologies!」
The next day, the figure of Tyros doing dogeza to Agatha who scolded him from overdoing it could be seen.
Chapter 3 – The Dukedom’s Ghost
.

Part 1
Around the time while the maritime guild was in argument of who to appoint as the successor of the chairman,
Trystovy Kingdom was shaken by a severe impact that surpassed that.
They had prepared an army with overwhelming number. The sea was also blockaded by Gigante. The invasion
was carried out when the time was ripe.
And yet the dukedom received a crushing blow where even the great general died in battle.
Luckily the maritime guild’s Piaggio also died from assassination, so a short peace visited the war front, but it was
clear to anyone’s eye that it wouldn’t last long.
The dukedom’s nobles whose territory was close to Mulberry were panicking.
Even though it was already a great problem that the battle was lost, the dukedom even assassinated the leader of
the maritime guild. The grudge of the maritime guild would be directed at them first.
In the first place could the dukedom win against that Margrave Antrim?
Margrave Antrim destroyed Haurelia Kingdom almost on his own effort. In addition, just the other day he led a
small force from Antrim and made the dukedom’s large army to take flight. There were a lot of dukedom nobles
who whined in front of the heavy pressure from Margrave Antrim’s existence.
Shouldn’t they surrender to secure their own safety?
They originally betrayed Trystovy Kingdom for the sake of their own interests. One ore betrayal at this point
wouldn’t weigh their conscience by much. The problem was whether the maritime guild would accept their
surrender or not.
Viscount Orlando Rossi whose territory was not far off from Mulberry was also one of such nobles.
「──This isn’t funny!」
His territory was like the national border whether such term was accurate for it or not. This place was the boundary
where the force of both sides would meet, and yet the dukedom army didn’t station any soldier here and retreat
until the capital. It made Orlando wanted to spit.
In every era, fundamentally there would be two-sided contractual relationship between the lord and the retainer
where the lord provided his favor to the retainer and the retainer fulfilled his duty to his lord.
If that contract was one-sidedly breached, it couldn’t be helped even if the wronged party took it as a declaration of
intent to void the contract.
Orland perceived the current situation as a fact that the dukedom had abandoned its duty to protect Rossi territory.
「Furthermore they even assassinated Piaggio of all people……those cursed incompetent fools! 」
Orlando didn’t immediately decide to switch side because he felt a strong uneasiness that he might just poke the
hornet nest even if he lowered his head to the maritime guild that was still angry with Piaggio’s assassination.
If possible he wanted to enter negotiation as an equal and served Baldr who would become the new king
intimately with the condition that his right to rule his territory was assured.
As expected even Orlando didn’t have any intention to surrender unconditionally and entrusted his fate to the
decision of the maritime guild.
「Anyone is fine. Connect me with the other side. Depending on the condition I’ll──」
「My lord, there is a guest……」
「At this kind of emergency! Who in the world is it!?」
He had no free time to have a leisurely talk while Rossi House’s survival was in danger. Orlando yelled angrily at
the butler, but he immediately noticed how the butler was looking pale and shaking.
「That’s, the guest is Count Ost, Valerie-sama. 」
「What did you say? 」
It was the name of a big shot who he didn’t expect at all. Orland was stunned with his mouth staying open.
Anyone who participated in that coup d’etat knew about the existence of the shadowy mastermind Valerie.
After that Valerie lived a secluded life without clinging to social status, so he wasn’t really known among the young
nobles, but for those who knew about the actual state of affairs to some degree, Valerie was someone who they
absolutely didn’t want to turn into enemy.
There was only one possible reason for a key figure of the dukedom like Valerie to visit here.
「 ─It can’t be helped. I also can’t possibly turn him away. 」
Even Orlando who had half turned his back on the dukedom didn’t even consider being completely hostile to the
dukedom at this point.
Even if he was secretly plotting to betray the dukedom, he should act submissive for now. However, that was only
as long as the dukedom didn’t force him to shoulder unnecessary burden.
But the man called Count Valerie Ost wasn’t an existence that Orlando could oppose in every sense.
.
「Hey, I’ve been waiting Orlando. 」
Valerie was sitting down deeply on the sofa and smiled at him with a very friendly look.
It was an act that was lacking decorum as a noble, but Orlando felt a pressure as though his heart was being
tightly grasped. The words he was going to say was choked in his throat.
Even though Valerie’s age should have passed 80, he looked like he was still in his 60. And then there was his
rough dominating aura that was characteristic of a former military.
Orlando right now was facing a monster that could control his life and death of the like of him with a single finger.
「I-it’s, an honor, that y-you, bring yourself, to a place that is, out of nowhere like this.」
Orlando just barely put up a smile and replied stutteringly.
His anger before this had gone to somewhere. Now he was like a frog that was being glared by a snake.
「It looks like the situation has gone slightly to the worse for you sir.」
Valerie lowered his head apologetically without removing his bright smile.
It was clear that Valerie was referring to the dukedom army’s retreat, but it was incomprehensible why Valerie
expressly came here to apologize for that.
「I’m thankful for your words, but why……?」
「 Truly, it’s astonishing just how worthless the army is. Their opposition to the kingdom in the past only has
meaning by protecting the interests of us nobles, and yet this happened. Don’t you think that this is pathetic?」
「Haa……」
He didn’t get it. He really didn’t get what Valerie wanted to say.
Orlando was aware that he was thinking too much that his thought was going in circles.
It was as though his head was covered with a thick mist that made him unable to even look at his fingertip.
Cold sweat flowed all over his body like waterfall. Orlando had excellent survival instinct because he was a
coward. His instinct sensed that a careless remark here would invite his death.
「You see, I’m thinking that it can’t be helped if you sir surrender to the maritime guild for the sake of surviving.」
Valerie spoke something terrifying with a friendly tone like a parent who smiled wryly seeing that a child breaking
an important glass thinking that it couldn’t be helped.
Don’t tell me this person is going to rebel against the dukedom this time?
The dukedom’s unfavorable situation wouldn’t recover if an authority of the dukedom like Valerie switched side to
the maritime guild.
Perhaps it would cause a lot of nobles to immediately switch side following him.
「……You must be, joking right?」
「Can this really be called a joke? As a feudal lord and as a noble, it’s only natural to prioritize one’s own people
and bloodline isn’t it?」
Valerie continued still with the same smile.
But to Orlando that smile looked like it belonged to a devil that was inviting him to hell.
He had no proof but, his instinct was telling him that he shouldn’t agree with Valerie.
「The dukedom still hasn’t lost by any means. I believe that we should refrain from saying something careless.」
「──The dukedom can’t win this. The dukedom’s strength is too weak to be an opponent against that monster
Margrave Antrim.」
「What?」
Orlando’s eyes widened at the statement of Valerie that he couldn’t object to regardless of how blasphemous it
was.
But Orlando didn’t miss how there was a trace of mischievousness in those words.
「……However Count Valerie, it seems that you have a plan to win this?」
Orland made an all or nothing bet.
It was just his instinct that was telling him that Valerie wasn’t abandoning the dukedom, but he couldn’t imagine
that this old man would accept defeat so easily.
「Ha-ha-ha-! I too have grown old if you my good sir can see through me so easily!」
Valerie laughed loudly. It proved that Orlando’s instinct was correct.
Valerie discarded his attitude just now that vaguely seemed unduly distant and tapped Orlando’s shoulder like a
good friend.
「Forgiv eme. The dukedom is in a crisis right now. We can’t allow any chance of betrayal.」
「Do you have any idea of who might turn traitor, count?」
「it’s my job to smoke them out. The aftermath of the war will be dangerous if the dukedom isn’t united.」
「The aftermath, of the war……?」
There was a saying to not count one’s chickens before they had hatched. Did the current dukedom really have the
leeway to think about the aftermath of the war already? Orland couldn’t help but question that.
Shouldn’t the prioritize thinking about winning against the kingdom first above all else?
Valerie shrugged as though to say that he understood about such worry since the start.
「You don’t understand? I’m saying that the intervention of Answerer Kingdom is getting up speed.」
If a country became indebted to the strongest country in the continent Answerer Kingdom, that country might end
up getting hijacked by Answerer Kingdom.
Intervention from other country was always a double-edged sword for a country.
There were too many countries in history to count that got their territory devastated because it was used as a
convenient stage for proxy war.
Answerer Kingdom only limited itself to supply assistance until now, but now it was going to intervene directly.
Orlando felt relieved from the bottom of his heart about his decision just now to not choose to betray the dukedom.
The like of maritime guild didn’t even have a one in million chance to win against the combined army of the
dukedom and Answerer Kingdom.
「Even so, how many soldiers they are planning to send?」
There was also the possibility that perhaps the reinforcement sent here would just be a token effort.
That worry of Orlando ended up as a mere needless anxiety.
「General Mikhail Kalashnikov( ミハイル・カラシニコフ ) who is in charge of subjugating the uprising in
Nedras Kingdom right now will lead 20000 soldiers here.」
「The Death God Mikhail!」
When speaking about General Mikhail of Answerer Kingdom, it referred to the trump card of Answerer Kingdom
who was famous as invincible and undefeated general.
The dispatch of him to the dukedom could be seen as the proof that Answerer Kingdom was regarding the
dukedom as important.
No matter how militarily capable Margrave Antrim was, it was unthinkable that he would be a match against
Mikhail.
(──Thank god I didn’t switch side!)
Orlando gave a heartfelt thanks to his own instinct.
He couldn’t imagine taking on that Death God Mikhail as an opponent.
Any people of Trystovy Dukedom knew about the battle of Mikhail against the conflict in Nedras Kingdom at the
past.
Mikhail’s leadership ability wasn’t that high, but he was a monster who specialized in using his own unshakeable
valor to heighten the morale of his soldiers and attacked the enemy like a tsunami──he was known as
Arkhangelsk’s Thousand Slayer. Orlando absolutely wish to avoid turning such person into enemy.
Seeing relieve radiating from Orlando’s whole body, Valerie laughed from the bottom of his heart scornfully.
(I’ll be troubled if a shallow termite like you surrender. A termite should perish together with the house it is nesting
in as befitting a termite.)
For that he didn’t care how many of the innocent populace had to die.
Only after the land had been destroyed and burned to ash to reduce everything into pure nothing that there was
something new that could bud.
The relic of old era that was covered in sin should die to become nourishment for the new era. That should be their
only duty as determined by history.
.
Part 2
「Fuwaa……I’m bored.」
Mikhail yawned while farting. The adjutant sighed for who knew how many time it was seeing his superior acting
unbridled like that.
「 The rebels are still waiting vigilantly for a chance to target you even though they have been quiet recently!
Please be a bit more vigilant.」
「Those guys won’t aim at me. The most they can do is targeting supply convoy or official with weak security as
harassment. Those guys are really gutless.」
Mikhail spat out in displeasure, but then he felt that his fart was smellier than he expected and he hurriedly fanned
his nose with his right hand.
Nedras Kingdom had become Answerer Kingdom’s vassal state in reality using political marriage. It resulted in a
large scale insurrection. More than one year had passed since them.
At first, Answerer Kingdom was forced into hard battle due to the beastman race in Nedras Kingdom cooperating
with the uprising.
Although not to the degree of Nordland and Gartlake, Nedras Kingdom was also known as a country that was
tolerant to beastman. The number of beastman living in this country was also a lot.
Beastmen had excellent physical ability and specialized in guerilla war. Answerer Kingdom became irritated by
their resistance and dispatched the unparalleled general Mikhail Kalashnikov to here.
Mikhail’s existence itself was specialized for individual valor. The compatibility of beastman who specialized in
assassination and subversive activities against Mikhail was too disadvantageous.
Mikhail had been attacked more than ten times. The number of beastmen who he cut down had been over several
hundreds.
The beastmen had cut down many military commanders until then. But in front of Mikhail’s inhuman might, even
they were unable to inflict a single scratch on him.
In the end, after a serious setback they were forced to give up attacking Mikhail himself with a feeling of defeat.
Even when Mikhail was patrolling around the city with only his adjutant like this, he couldn’t feel any sign of
assassination attempt to himself.
For Mikhail whose only talent was fighting, the present situation was extremely boring for him.
「Perhaps I should march with just my underwear to lure them.」
「Please stop, that will be a disgrace for Answerer Kingdom.」
The adjutant was at his wits’ end seeing Mikhail’s stress was starting to accumulate.
Even without being stressed Mikhail was already a man who misplaced his shame and common sense
somewhere.
A horse rider was approaching with a message at that timing.
「 With all due respect, there is an order from his majesty to his excellency the general of the right Mikhail
Kalashnikov!」
The messenger didn’t even wipe his dripping sweat. He dismounted from his horse and bowed until his forehead
hit the ground.
Mikhail grinned like a kid who saw a snack. He then urged the messenger to continue with his message cheerfully.
「Umu, what is his majesty wished for from this Mikhail?」
「His majesty’s royal wish is for your excellency to lead 20000 men to Trystovy Dukedom and render judgment to
the beastman Margrave Antrim!」
「Very well. I have certainly received his majesty’s order!」
.
Part 3
「This isn’t a joke, good grief!」
Augusto threw his body heavily on a sofa with a bad manner. He landed on two soft hills while facing the ceiling.
「My, thank you for your hard work today, young master.」
Augusto’s favorite mistress Catherine smiled alluringly and embraced him. Augusto buried his head into her chest
and enjoyed the softness.
No matter the time, woman’s chest was a place of supreme bliss that granted peace of mind to man.
Augusto inhaled the faint scent of lily and he deeply immersed himself into Catherine’s large breasts as though he
was sinking into a bottomless marsh.
「……Someone like me should just stay as a mere young master. A position like chairman should be taken by
an old geezer with a single foot in their coffin. Isn’t that right?」
「That’s not true-!」
A small girl with blazing red hair that was tied into side tail──Laura flared up at Augusto’s comment.
「Caliber, talent, charisma. There is no one among the elders right now who can possibly match Augusto-sama in
any of those!」
「 Many times age and accomplishment are more needed in an organization rather than caliber, talent, or
charisma.」
Although if Admiral Barbarino and Legal Officer Pietro gave their full support to him, then he had quite the
confidence that he would be able to do a good job with it.
However before talking about feeling confident, Augusto’s true feeling was that position was troublesome.
The merchants of Mulberry undoubtedly would feel displeased if a young man like Augusto was ordering them
around. Their emotion instead of their logic would make them do that.
Augusto’s position in his company was only as the proxy of his father Bennett.
The position of chairman would make his shoulder a heavy responsibility, furthermore he would also feel ashamed
to hold such position. Augusto considered it as nothing but torture.
But the perception of Augusto’s subordinates starting from Laura were different.
The one who developed Garibaldi Company until this big wasn’t Bennett but Augusto. Such thinking was strong
among them.
In fact Bennett was building his fortune using his political strength. His accomplishment as merchant was nothing
to speak of.
In contrast Augusto had the business talent to stand at the peak of Mulberry. Laura didn’t doubt at the slightest.
Rather she thought that now was the time for Augusto to shoulder the future of the maritime guild.
Of course there was also her bias toward the man she loved was affecting her judgment here, but it was also a
fact that all who worked for Augusto was thinking like that too.
「No no, that position will be nothing but burden. Rather than doing something like that I prefer spending my time
peacefully with Catherine and Laura like this……」
He said that while rubbing his face into Catherine’s chest. A bewitching coquettish voice 「Ahn!」 leaked out
from Catherine’s lips.
「Geez! Perverted thing is forbidden!」
Laura was enraged and desperately tried to tear Augusto away from Catherine, but unfortunately the small Laura
was too weak for that.
For Laura who had declared that she was aiming for the seat of Augusto’s wife, Catherine whose association with
Augusto was only because of a contract was her enemy.
She hated her own childish appearance that had to yield to Catherine as a woman.
.
「 My my, I wonder who are you taking after? Even though Angelica-chan too is going to come here from
Nordland before long.」
「Eeeeeeh? K-kaa-san?」
A woman with eyes that were filled with unyielding spirit and large dog ears was there while folding her hands and
head held high.
For August, this person was someone who he couldn’t oppose even more than Valerie in a sense.
「Errr, when did Kaa-san arrive here?」
「Only just now. It seems Gina-sama is also here. This isn’t the time for you to dawdle around here!」
「……I’m just thinking that I shouldn’t disturb Gina-sama’s time together with her great grandson.」
「I’m telling you that I want to meet her you know?」
「I’ll arrange it immediately!」
No matter the world, man couldn’t oppose his mother after all, but in Augusto’s case, he also couldn’t go against
his mother physically.
After all Augusto’s mother was also his martial art instructor.
He was trained by his uncle Gitze at Nordland, but the one who trained Augusto hard at Tyrstovy was nobody else
than his mother Idunn.
Idunn was going to cross the barrier of old age soon at her 60 years old age, but her thoroughly trained young-
looking body could still be passed off as someone in her early forty.
It wasn’t just for show that she came from Nordland’s famous military family Mannerheim House.
Even his father Valerie was clearly not Idunn’s match if they got into a husband-wife quarrel.
If Valerie had a chance to talk with Cornelius’s Red Studhorse Ignis, they might be able to have a lively
conversation with each other about their difficulty with their wife.
Although Augusto didn’t feel any feeling of empathy with Baldr at all.
At the very least in Augusto’s perspective, he didn’t have any memory of being abused by his mother to Baldr’s
degree.
「You are acting like this even though Angelica will soon come here to be your wife. Don’t you have any intention
to be a little bit more ambitious soon?」
「No, that’s……about her being my wife……I think that perhaps I’ll need to discuss it further with uncle.」
「Your path of escape has been closed already so stop with that unsightly attitude!」
「Of course it is~~」
Augusto’s shoulders dropped in dejection.
He wanted to play around a bit more. He wanted to have three or four more mistresses other than Catherine and
had fun.
He didn’t hate Angelica, but that girl’s earnest affection felt heavy for Augusto.
However this matter wasn’t Augusto’s personal matter anymore. This was becoming the problem of the famous
Mannerheim House of Nordland Empire and Garibaldi House that was one of the Seven Elders.
In addition with Gitze and Idunn giving their complete approval, the choice of refusing it selfishly was already gone
for Augusto.
If Angelica arrived here from Nordland with reinforcement, his surrounding would definitely start taking action to
make the two of them married. This was becoming one of the sources of Augusto’s despondency.
「Besides you will be thirty years old soon. Don’t screw around by staying single without any heir like this! Learn
from his highness Baldr a little!」
「 He is just drawing women toward himself because of him going along with the flow of event due to his
indecisiveness.」
「It’s a problem of the resolve to take responsibility. Even that child won’t go as far as trying to steal a country if
not for Marquis Randolph’s daughter.」
「……Even that is because of him getting carried by the flow of event.」
August’s cheeks puffed out in dissatisfaction. It was a childish act that he would only show before his family.
Come to think of it, Augusto noticed that apparently Idunn had heard about the situation from Valerie. Perhaps his
mother knew about Baldr’s situation even more than him.
「Good grief, are you a little kid?」
A child would always be a child to a mother no matter how much time had passed, but as expected Augusto’s
attitude was still too childish. It made Idunn scowled.
「It’s also the same with the elders. You yourself must have noticed it.」
「What is Kaa-san talking about?」
Augusto’s voice lacked his usual sharpness.
That was because he knew that he wouldn’t be able to trick Idunn no matter how much he tried to play stupid.
The necessary arrangements for Augusto’s appointment had been taken care of. What was left was for the person
himself to resolve himself.
All the elders had agreed and their lord Baldr had acknowledged it. At that point Augusto understood that he would
have to accept the position before long.
But even with that understanding, taking responsibility for a huge organization like the maritime guild and the
various frictions that would result because of his age were still troublesome. So he was going to run away from it
as long as he could.
Augusto didn’t have heaviness in his presence like Valerie that came from the condensation of his life experience.
Augusto’s presence was light like he was just a finely crafted miniature of Valerie.
Idunn didn’t hide her irritation at the annoying attitude of her son. Her index finger was tapping impatiently on her
upper arm.
「Haa……to be honest I really don’t want to do this.」
Idunn closed her eyes and sighed with a frustration that could be vaguely seen from her expression.
She was proud of her extremely intelligent son, but she was vexed how that man was able to predict that her son
would be in this state of affairs.
As expected, perhaps a mother really couldn’t understand a son as much as a father could.
Idunn decided to stop hesitating and accept the demand from that man.
「 We are going to Halil Forest tonight so prepare at once. I don’t care what kind of plan you have made for
tonight, I’ll drg you there even if I have to put a rope around your neck!」
mother-in-law
「 Okaa-sama , I’ll also──」
Laura immediately tried to butter up Idunn, but Idunn shut her up with just her gaze.
「We will go alone but there is no need to worry. Twenty or thirty people won’t be able to match us if my stupid
son and me are together.」
「Eh, w-wait……」
「A-Augusto-samaaa!」
Without understanding what was going on, Augusto was hurried on by Idunn and when he realized it he was
already riding a horse in bewilderment.
There was no problem because he didn’t have any plan of meeting anyone tonight, but Augusto was feeling that
something was out of place for Idunn to act this forcefully.
When the lines of the mountain ridge was getting dyed by the sunset color and they arrived at Halil Forest, he
immediately understood why he was feeling that something was out of place.
.
「──As expected won’t it be bad if we met secretly at this timing, father?」
Augusto smiled wryly and shrugged his shoulders pretentiously. Valerie stared at his son coldly.
He should call Augusto as a good son.
Valerie had five sons, but Augusto was the only one who Valerie told his true plan to.
His eldest son who succeeded Ost House was a mediocre person, while his sons who he sent out to other noble
houses to be adopted all inherited the disposition of traditional noble.
No, it was Valerie himself who raised them to be like that.
He had decided from the start that he would use all of his children as tool for his ambition.
It wasn’t that he didn’t harbor any love for his son, but Valerie wasn’t someone so shallow that he would waver due
to affection.
Augusto was continuing to produce result that was in line with Valerie’s expectation.
But, it was already insufficient with just that.
「Augusto, you don’t need to listen to your father’s words anymore.」
「──Father?」
Augusto of all people couldn’t do anything except asking back with a befuddled face.
His father, the man called Valerie was a selfish man who was the very picture of arrogance.
It had been engraved into his body that death would be waiting for him if he opposed his father.
It wasn’t just two or three times that Augusto almost died.
When someone was pushed from a ship’s deck into the sea, they could get eaten by shark before they could be
saved if they had bad luck. After experiencing something like that several times, Augusto naturally became unable
to oppose his father despite his own feeling.
That tendency grew even stronger since Augusto grew up and learned just how monstrous his father really was.
Perhaps because of that without realizing it he had grown to be someone who felt satisfied to be his father’s
excellent pawn rather than holding his own ambition.
Augusto was someone with superior capability, but he was lazy and profligate. It was Valerie himself who raised
him to be like that, but he had to change from here on.
After all──.
「From now on both of us are enemy. Try defeating me seriously if you don’t want to die!」
「……What are……what are you saying?」
「You still don’t understand? Or are you pretending to not understand?」
「Even if you tell me something like that……」
Augusto was really unable to comprehend the meaning of Valerie’s words.
But, for some reason he was sensing that there would be something terrifying when he understood it.
「I’ll tell you then if you don’t understand. From here on I will become your enemy. If you believe that you can win
against me while treating it like somebody else’s problem then do so.」
「Becoming enemy──that’s the plan from the start isn’t it!?」
Augusto was bewildered.
Valerie had been secretly maneuvering within Trystovy and prolonged the battle with the maritime guild to make
the feeling of war-weariness spread throughout the populace.
And now that Baldr had made his entrance when the time was ripe, he would put an end to the battle and Baldr
would revive the kingdom as a hero. That was Valerie’s plot.
The populace had been suffering because of the nobles’ tyranny and the burden from the heavy tax and
conscription due to the endless war. They were harboring hope that perhaps Baldr would sever this negative spiral
for them.
Things had been mostly moving along as Valerie envisioned except for the death of Piaggio.
And yet he was saying this now.
──Actually, somewhere inside his mind Augusto had understood the meaning of Valerie’s words. He just didn’t
want to recognize it and sealed his thought.
「 At this rate, this war will end up with only Margrave Antrim replacing the archduke. That will be insufficient.
That’s not what I risked my life and fight until now.」
He had to make the opportunism nobles to continue to oppose Baldr and fight until the very end into their certain
destruction.
To do that, someone to guide them from the shadow was absolutely necessary.
Someone with the power and political strength and accomplishments to make the nobles harbored the illusion of
hope that they would be victorious.
「All the relics of the past should be gone. The bud of the new ideal should be raised from a pure wasteland after
anything and everything has vanished. To make that happen, I have arranged to take on all the evils in the
dukedom.」
「So that is your intention from the start!」
Valerie would control the dukedom as the shadowy fixer in order to revive Trystovy.
That was what Augusto was told by Valerie. He didn’t hold any doubt about what he was told.
However Valerie had been resolved since the start to share the fate of the dukedom.
「You don’t have any duty to intentionally commit suicide like that. Baldr is a disgusting bastard, but he isn’t so
incompetent that he will allow the dukedom’s nobles to do as they please. You don’t need to accompany the
dukedom to the end!」
Augusto tried to persuade his father for the first time since he was born.
It was clear that those incompetent dukedom nobles who had nothing but strong sense of privilege would collapse
by themselves even if they were left alone.
There wasn’t any need for Valerie to become a human sacrifice just to lead them to certain destruction.
However Valerie was furious to Augusto’s pleading words.
「Have you forgotten my teaching that a rotten fruit will rot all the fruits within the box? Besides Margrave Antrim
is a hero but as a person he is too virtuous. Though that too is a disposition that is hard to be found in a king.」
The nobles would immediately go to Baldr and wagged their tail when the dukedom became disadvantaged for the
dukedom.
Baldr couldn’t kill his heart and brought himself to slaughter such people.
As the result, dissatisfaction would remain both among the nobles and among the commoners. Even if those
nobles got their lives saved, if their privilege was taken away then it was in their nature to hold deep grudge.
There was no doubt that they would go into hiding and concealed themselves for many years. Then when the
kingdom finally became used to the peace, this time bomb would explode. After all the time when the crops started
to bear fruit was exactly the time when vermin and parasite took action.
If Baldr couldn’t kill them, then someone else had to do it.
A demon who wouldn’t care what kind of critic or lamentation or vilification he received and push the whole family
and followers including even the women and children to hell while laughing joyfully. Such demon had to do it.
It was clear that Valerie intended to be such demon.
「That’s too selfish of you! Why do you have to go that far!?」
「Because I have decided so.」
In order to make the ideal that he dreamed together with his late friend became reality, Valerie had destroyed the
royal family and massacred the nobles and merchants who supported them.
In the dukedom where the nobles took over the country, the right of the commoner was limited and uncountable
people were gasping in misery.
Valerie was standing above thousands, tens of thousands of corpses.
Even so, there was something that he couldn’t give up, something that he had to accomplish no matter what he
had to sacrifice.
Valerie understood the best than anyone that there was no place for an unforgivable sinner like him in the new
era. No, he had decided that such man must not remain alive.
「Now go live on your own.」
「Don’t screw with me! You want to push me away at this point-?」
Augusto who had been working until now in order to realize Valerie’s plot knew what had to be done with Trystovy,
however he didn’t have the sense of mission to accomplish that at all cost.
The stage where he was standing was too different from Valerie who created the present situation with his will of
steel.
That was why he was feeling nothing but fear when he was told to decide his own ideal, formulate his own policy,
and bore the responsibly for everything by himself.
「……At worst you can get off from the stage here, but even if you do that there won’t be any major change to
the script. Though the number of sacrifice might increase because of that.」
「You……-!」
Augusto’s sight turned red from rage and he moved to punch Valerie, but an unshakeable old and thin arm held
him back.
「──Good grief, you haven’t changed since the past how you always use too few words. You should honestly tell
your son that you don’t want to push your negative inheritance to your son.」
「You have become really old huh, Gina.」
「I don’t want to hear that from you-!」
Speaking of growing old, it was Valerie who had aged greatly in appearance. Gina spontaneously pondered to
punch Valerie in Augusto’s place.
「Gina-san, how……」
「Idunn told me. This guy and me also has a rotten relationship between us.」
「Hmph, I still haven’t forgiven you by any means.」
Valerie scowled with a loathing look and glared at Gina.
Actually Valerie couldn’t forgive Gina’s betrayal for abandoning Viktor and having a child with another man.
If Gina married with Viktor, if it was known that her daughter Dahlia inherited the blood of beastman, then the king
too shouldn’t give any attention to Dahlia.
There might be a future where Viktor wasn’t executed though the possibility of that happening was low with how
Viktor was leading the reformist.
Valerie was holding a grudge toward Gina knowing that it was unreasonable and self-centered of him.
「Only that person can forgive me. I never think about asking forgiveness from you.」
「Certainly, that’s true.」
They were talking about that best friend of his. He must not hold even a sliver of resentment toward Gina, but if
there was anyone who had the right to forgive her, then it could only be Viktor.
「Even so the depth of your obsession is also really something. I can’t believe that you haven’t given up your
ideal with that person even at this age.」
「Give up? What reason is there to give up? To give up is to accept that something is impossible isn’t it? I have
never accepted that even once.」
「──You are just that kind of person.」
He used the setback that he tasted in his youth as source of encouragement instead with his will of steel that
wouldn’t give up no matter what, at the same time he also acquired knowledge like an owl as he grew old.
The passing of time had transformed Valerie into a terrifying conspirator that gave her a vague fear.
Perhaps it was exactly because of that she should say it.
She didn’t want to let that negative resentment that made him fell to be a monster like this to remain behind.
「You always decide everything by yourself without telling anyone else like this. That person told me you know?
『Even though that guy will help me even without me saying anything to him, unless that guy ask me for help then
I won’t even notice that he need help』 He said.」
「What, stupid thing you are……」
Valerie who was like an unshakeable rock was suddenly wavering greatly.
「He is different from me who only has cleverness, he grant courage to everyone just by being there. Viktor, it’s
me who was saved by you. And yet! I didn’t know anything until the day you were executed! I wasn’t of any use at
all!」
When Valerie who was in other country learned about the incident, Viktor’s execution was already over. In the first
place it was Viktor who made the request so that Valerie wouldn’t know because he knew that Valerie would
surely risk his life to do something reckless to save him.
Certainly if Viktor was still alive when Valerie heard the news at that time, he might led soldiers to attack the
capital.
Viktor knew about his best friend’s temperament very well in that respect.
But from the perspective of Valerie who was left behind, such consideration was nothing but needless meddling for
him.
「Why didn’t that guy say anything to ask me to fight together with him? I’d die gladly for him if only he said just a
single word!」
「There is obviously just one answer for that──he wanted you to live.」
「I too wanted him to live!」
「Well, of course you are. About that, for some reason there was a letter that is addressed to you that came to my
place instead. Sorry that I’m giving it to you this late.」
「──What?」
「『I guess it’s impossible to ask you to not be angry. Even I will be angry if I’m at your position. You can be as
angry as you can, so live on and be happy. 』 That man is really selfish and won’t think of other people’s
circumstance.」
「 You……that damn moron Viktor! You bastard are always like that! You always───a damn good-natured
person who only think about other people!」
It was impossible to directly meet and talk with Viktor anymore, but Valerie understood very well like the back of
his own hand how Viktor was feeling, how he was thinking when he left behind these words.
Even so, he wanted Viktor to live and said those words directly to him.
「 Even between best friends that are profoundly compatible with each other, there are things that can’t be
conveyed unless you put them into words. You too shouldn’t be stingy with words at this late in the game.」
「──That is a needless meddling.」
Valerie made a sullen face in a bad mood, but his expression was bright as though the thing that had haunted him
was gone.
「Augusto!」
「Yes-!」
「Answerer Kingdom is finally putting their serious effort in interfering with Tyrstovy. It’s a rare opportunity that I’m
using to bring together the fence-sitters nobles and instigate them to fight his highness Baldr resolutely.」
It was a job that could only be done by Valerie.
If it was the old general Olten, he might cut down his incompetent ally.
In fact, the nobles betraying the dukedom and surrendering to Baldr would almost certainly give a negative
influence to the invasion.
Valerie wouldn’t allow them to do that. He would show them the illusion of victory and made them accompany the
dukedom until its destruction. Great political power and negotiation ability was necessary for that.
「As a traitor of the kingdom and the one who is in charge of the dukedom’s dark side, my name is quite famous.
Even you must have understood that me switching side at this point won’t earn my any pardon due to my position.
There should also be a lot of commoners in Mulberry who had their parents and siblings killed in the civil war and
escaped to there.」
Valerie was one of the ringleader of the kingdom’s destruction that was equal to Olten.
He was in a position where he should shoulder the responsibility for the slaughter and mayhem that happened due
to the kingdom’s destruction.
Baldr would have to build a just rule as the new ruler of Trystovy. He would be forced to judge Valerie’s sin
regardless of his own wish.
No, he had to do that no matter what.
「I don’t want to leave behind even a single old fetter of obligation at the beginning of the new era. I shall risk my
little remaining life for that sake. And then I will boast to Viktor in that world about the new future of Trystovy.」
Augusto realized that Valerie didn’t have any regret.
「──Farewell, my son.」
Those unshakable words were filled with a flood of feelings.
Augusto stifled his voice and wiped his overflowing tears.
「I’m not a serious person like you, so I’ll go live in a world where I can where I have more freedom.」
「Also hurry and make a child. It’s unfortunate that I won’t be able to see my grandchild’s face but, you can just
tell your child that their grandpa and grandma were strong people and lovey dovey with each other.」
The voice came from someone completely unexpected.
Even someone like Valerie froze with his mouth wide open from the shock.
「What? Do you plan to leave behind your dear wife and go alone?」
「Idunn, weren’t you listening? I──」
「 I want to die together with you. I won’t let you say that you didn’t know how passionate beastman is you
know?」
Idunn’s arm was already hugging Valerie’s right arm when she said that.
It was clear that she had no intention of yielding here no matter what.
「You won’t have any parent who will look after you anymore, so it won’t be manly if you can’t properly stand on
your own you know? You inherited the blood of my husband and me. So you should be someone with great
potential.」
His mother’s casual words that really weren’t suitable for the last farewell in this life made Augusto realized that he
had completely lost the protection of his parents.
From now on he would have to live with his own strength.
「Stay healthy! When Angelina come, tell her that I’m sorry I won’t be able to see her in wedding gown.」
「I’ll prepare an extravagant wedding dress for her so that Kaa-san will regret it that you can’t see it.」
Valerie looked up the sky while scratching his head because he had been outwitted. Idunn snuggled up to him and
clasped the hand that Gina held out to her.
「I’ll look after your grandchild.」
「Well, Gina-sama looks like you will still live long even if you are leave alone.」
Everyone here knew that they would never meet anymore, but the two women were smiling calmly to the end.
「I’m jealous to you as a woman.」
「Yes, dying together with their husband is an honor for a beastwoman.」
Their hand let go of each other.
That acted as the signal for the two of them to turn their back on each other without any prompting.
Valerie and Augusto were also turning their back on each other after the women. Then they began to walk their
own path.
「Good grief, this is the last advice from your father. If you’re going to receive a beastman wife then you better be
careful in treating her.」
「I wish you would tell me that earlier. Now I have no confidence in reining in Angelica.」
Valerie and Augusto smiled wryle as fellow man with similar worry.
Valerie didn’t even need to look to feel sure that Augusto was making a brazen and determined smile of a man
who was growing dazzlingly. A feeling of wanting to cry ran through Valerie.
「Farewell, son.」
「Sayonara father, Kaa-san.」
.
Part 4
The next day Augusto assumed the position of Garibaldi Company’s president and sent a message to the elders
that he accepted his appointment as the chairman of maritime guild.
Barbarino and others were puzzled by Augusto’s sudden change of mind, but there was no denying that this was a
good news.
With the full cooperation of the other elders, Augusto was appointed as the 24 th chairman of the maritime guild.
Of course, this appointment aroused criticism.
There were also senior merchants who hinted that they withdraw from the guild rather than obeying a youngster
like Augusto, but Augusto approved their withdrawal from the guild without any mercy.
「 Very well, then leave and don’t come back.」
They were only intending to make a threat but they never expected for Augusto to accept it immediately like that
and felt bewildered.
The kingdom administration under the control of Margrave Antrim was already in control of the South Seas
including Marmara Sea.
Now the maritime guild had joined force with Sanjuan Kingdom and Majorca Kingdom into an allied navy. There
was not a single country in this continent that could oppose such force with their own strength.
There was no merchant that could do his business right in the midst of a different sea force.
Withdrawing from the maritime guild meant the destruction of their business.
The maritime guild was now a subordinate organization of Baldr’s kingdom administration. If they withdrew from
there then they wouldn’t be able to receive the protection of the kingdom administration.
They only noticed that for the first time after they were expulsed.
──The cost of opposing the guild was high.
They clung on the sleeve of the maritime guild begging to be allowed to return without caring about shame or
respectability. It made them indebted to Augusto to be allowed to return and they were unable to oppose him
anymore.
There wasn’t any trace of the easygoing and unconcerned Augusto there anymore. After that there was nobody
who raised objection of him being the leader of maritime guild anymore.
.
「Good grief, have you been holding back all this time?」
「It’s their fault for making me went through such needless hardship in this half month.」
「If only you were like this from the start.」
.
The elders all grumbled and glared reproachfully to Augusto. As expected he felt awkward from that and scratched
his head.
「Well, please don’t bully me like this.」
This situation was also unexpected for him.
Augusto had never thought of becoming the maritime guild’s chairman even once in his life plan.
Even now Augusto would still continue running away from the responsibility if not for his meeting with Valerie.
「 I had various reasons but, it seems that my leeway for playing around is also running out, so it can’t be
helped.」
「……Hou?」
The elders weren’t stupid people who wouldn’t notice the meaning behind Augusto’s words.
The eyes of Admiral Barbarino who had especially sharp sense of smell for danger were filled with terribly
dangerous color.
「What do you mean by that?」
Baldr who was completely estranged from the internal situation of Trystovy asked.
「Answerer Kingdom is sending reinforcement.」
An invisible electric shock ran through everyone when they heard those words.
The biggest and strongest country in the continent, Answerer Kingdom was getting serious.
That was a situation that Baldr and others, the Trystovy Kingdom government feared the most.
Until now Answerer Kingdom was already giving the dukedom military assistances. For example the huge
battleships that they lent to the dukedom.
However from their experience with Nedras Kingdom where they were racking their brain due to the muddy
guerilla war there after their overt intervention, Answerer Kingdom continued to take policy of indirect intervention
and exploitation, by making the dukedom taking the brunt of the damage from the war.
Answerer Kingdom changing their policy here had a tremendous meaning.
「……So the dukedom is too disappointing for them.」
Baldr and Augusto nodded at Barbarino’s words.
At this rate Trystovy would be united by Baldr’s hand before long. Answerer Kingdom undoubtedly couldn’t just
watch that happened, so they reluctantly used brute force approach like this.
If Baldr ascended to the throne of Trystovy Kingdom and formed a grand alliance with Sanjuan Kingdom, Majorca
Kingdom, and Mauricia Kingdom, it would become a great force that even the strongest country in the continent
Answerer Kingdom couldn’t easily oppose.
Even if their intervention like this wouldn’t bring them any benefit, they were politically forced to take this option.
「I wished we could make one more push before this happen. Now that it has come to this we can’t expect the
nobles to betray the dukedom anymore.」
「Ah, there won’t be any problem with that.」
Baldr replied to the words of the finance official Mario with a tone that broke no argument.
「It’s better that we now don’t need to take in uncertain factor who we don’t know when they will betray us. After
all we have no position to give those guys who would turn traitor at this late in the game.」
「Indeed. It will be more convenient for the kingdom in the future if that kind of idiots is destroyed in one go.」
「……You can really talk now.」
Augusto’s scathing words made Mario slightly taken aback and his face turned pale.
He even wondered if Augusto’s somewhat slovenly attitude until just yesterday was just acting.
「And? How is Answerer Kingdom going to move?」
Baldr asked provocatively. Augusto renewed his feeling that he hated this guy as expected while bowing from his
waist courteously.
「 It seems they are giving up bringing Nedras Kingdom under their control for the moment. They will send
General Mikhail Kalashnikov and an expedition army that numbered 20000 men to Trystovy.」
「They’re sending that battle junkie?」
「The Arkhangelsk’s Thousand Slayer huh.」
「It looks like even Answerer Kingdom has fewer capable personnel than we thought.」
The elders each spoke their impression, but they shared one thought. It was that Mikhail was a troublesome and
formidable enemy.
He was a man who was in the top five of this continent’s general that you didn’t want to encounter in the
battlefield.
Their impression didn’t change even after they had seen how Baldr and Maggot fought the other day.
Answerer Kingdom was a country that followed traditional convention in both good and bad senses. Mikhail had
climbed into the rank of the general of the right of such country, which was the position for the number 3 of the
military. And he did it with only his fighting skill. He was an enemy that could be underestimated by any means.
If he was dispatched to Trystovy, it was even possible for him to crush the opposition in one go.
Even the beastman force of Nedras Kingdom that was highly evaluated for their fighting prowess was cornered in
a short time to the point that now they could only carry out guerilla war just to harass the enemy force. All of that
was done by Mikhail alone.
「 Please hurry with the information gathering as fast as possible. His personality, hobby, or even his taste in
woman, anything is fine. It will be best if we can understand his disposition.」
Their strongest fighter Maggot had returned home right now. They could make as many countermeasure as
possible and it still wouldn’t be too excessive.
But at this time nobody expected that they would meet with Mikhail unexpectedly quickly.
.
Part 5
The expedition army of Answerer Kingdom in Nedras Kingdom was ordered to move to Trystovy. They departed in
perfect order──there was no way that could be the case.
To put it mildly, there was only the bare minimum order in the army. Many of the soldiers were tired from fighting in
other country for a long time.
「Is the situation in Nedras really that bad?」
Olten who led his force to welcome them frowned.
Looking at the military force comparison, a small country like Nedras shouldn’t be able to give any trouble to
Answerer Kingdom.
And yet the army of Answerer Kingdom was exhausted to this degree. It was thanks to the populace of the whole
country cooperating with the rebels.
It seemed that Answerer Kingdom’s presence there was really despised.
As expected it was a bad move to slaughter the beastman race of that country indiscriminately.
Being calculating and lenient was also necessary for governing. Nobody would have it hard if just winning the
battle before one’s eyes was enough to take care of everything.
It was important to consider what could be gained by fighting and winning. Even if it was a victory, if one didn’t get
anything from it and it only increased the loss instead, then such victory was meaningless.
Olten was calmly considering that, but the general of the right of Answerer Kingdom, Mikhail was most likely not
someone who considered such thing at the slightest.
He was famous for loving to fight and joined military just for that.
「I hope his appearance here won’t become a disaster for our country……」
The dukedom’s prince, Bernardi ignored that worry of Olten and watched the reinforcement in great delight.
Even just from a glance it was clear that in Bernardi’s eyes he was only seeing that a reassuring ally had come to
their help. Olten felt dispirited at such shallowness.
The direct intervention of Answerer Kingdom was like a powerful medicine. Who knew what kind of effect it would
bring to Trystovy Dukedom.
They would be greatly indebted to Answerer Kingdom because of this. The commoners would also not have any
nice thought seeing their land trampled by soldiers of another country. But Bernardi’s expression showed that he
didn’t comprehend any of that.
As expected it seemed the archduke Jack understood it, but Cesare’s crushing defeat was so shocking that he
was forced to turn a blind eye toward the aforementioned risks.
Olten couldn’t help but feel ashamed because this was the result of him causing the chaos within the army that
Cesare led.
If he thought about it, losing the war would only mean death for the archduke and others.
Their position was different from the commoners to whom this war was only to decide who would rule over them.
But even so, Olten wished that they would still display their dignity in order to protect this country.
「──Strange.」
「Is something the matter?」
Olten suddenly tilted his head in puzzlement. His staff officer Sylva asked him.
「 I can’t find General Mikhail’s figure anywhere. There is no way that a man with reputation like his will be
someone unassuming that I can’t sense from here.」
A valorous general would radiate a presence that couldn’t be hidden even from afar.
But for some reason Olten couldn’t feel such present from the Answerer Kingdom army that numbered 20000.
Even though they weren’t in the middle of battle right now, Olten didn’t think that he would overlook someone like
Mikhail.
The man at the head of the army who seemed to be a commissioned officer kneeled in front of Bernardi who was
here to greet the reinforcement.
「 It’s our greatest honor that your highness personally come here to receive us. However! Right now we are
already at times of war. I have with me a message from our commander the general of the right Mikhail
Kalashnikov!」
「A, message?」
「Yes! It is our mission to offer victory to the dukedom. Therefore even knowing how impolite this might be to your
highness, I decided to ascertain the rebel army at Mulberry with my own eyes──that is all!」
*Gakun* Bernardi’s jaw fell. It felt like Olten could almost hear the sound of his jaw being dislocated.
Was this person seriously saying that the general personally went out by himself to act like a scout?
This really wasn’t funny at all.
If by any chance, by any chance Mikhail was killed by the kingdom’s side, the 20000 troops of Answerer Kingdom
would immediately be turned into disorderly brigands.
The officer who gave them the message was sweating like waterfall. It told them that Mikhail’s action wasn’t
something intentional from Answerer army.
「D-drag him back! We can’t possibly lose the general here!」
Bernardi lost his self-control. The officer endured it with a bitter expression and hung his head in dejection.
「There isn’t anybody in our army who can stop that person!」
They would have stopped him from the start if they could.
There was no subordinate who wouldn’t stop their commander’s suicidal act. But Mikhail was Mikhail because he
couldn’t be stopped with common sense.
Chapter 4 – Two Eccentrics
.

Part 1
「Those guys must be going pale around this time.」
「General, you surely won’t die in a decent way.」
The adjutant glared with a scathing expression at Mikhail who was stretching his body on his horse.
Even he wasn’t accompanying this suicidal person because he liked it.
「I have no intention at all to die peacefully on bed. But even like this it’s really hard for me to die. That’s why just
follow me with the feeling of safety like you’re boarding a large ship!」
「I’m praying that the ship isn’t a ship made from mud.」
Two horses were running straight to the south of Trystovy like arrow. The farmers who didn’t understand anything
were watching them while trembling as though they had seen a demon king.
.
「This country is really gloomy.」
「Well of course. It will be scary if a country that has been embroiled in civil war for more than ten years is filled
with cheerful people!」
「Well, that might be true but still……」
The two of them were showered with fearful gazes at the village that they stopped by at along the way. Mikhail
smiled wryly as he recalled the shabby meal that was provided to them.
Shouldn’t people smile brightly exactly because they had been pushed down to the very bottom?
Exactly because they had nothing more to lose that they could make an attempt freely without any calculation or
prospect of victory weighing them down.
They should fight rather than lamenting and exert themselves to accomplish something in their life.
Perhaps Mikhail was able to think like that because he was strong since he was born.
──Since he was born, Mikhail never considered avoiding battle even once.
.
Part 2
When Mikhail grew up enough to become aware of his surrounding, he would enter the forest to help her mother
who was living at the outskirt of the village mixing herbs to make a living.
His mother was kind, but the right half of her face was hideously burned. She extremely disliked to meet with other
people.
Before he realized it, it became Mikhail’s job to interact with other people. He also became the one in charge of
procuring or buying medicine ingredients.
Mikhail was seven years old when he learned that the one who hurt his mother’s face was the legal wife of the
noble who took his mother as a mistress.
At that age, even Mikhail noticed that they were treated like cancer by the village.
It seemed the noble gave his mother money and land as apology.
A part of that money was given to the village, so the villagers were also unable to openly treat his mother badly.
Also only few people in the village had knowledge about medicine. The medicine that his mother mixed was
something that was hard to come by in the village.
──But children didn’t have the capacity to make consideration for such adult circumstance.
Mikhail didn’t have a father and he also had to work to help his mother. He was a suitable target of harassment for
the village’s children.
「Don’t act cheeky when you don’t even have a father!」
「Get out of this village with your ugly mother!」
Ignoring their insult about his father, Mikhail wasn’t a mild-mannered boy who could stay quiet when his mother
was insulted.
Normally this would only end as a silly quarrel between children. But it was simply a case of bad luck.
Mikhail already had strength that was disproportionate for his age since he was little.
That was why he was able to enter the forest and gathered materials there even though such work should be too
hard for a normal child.
Mikhail punched but without putting his full effort into it, however his fist broke the ribs of the boy who acted as the
children’s leader.
In a further stroke of bad luck, there was an epidemic at the winter of that time. The injured boy caught it and
easily died.
Since then Mikhail and his mother was openly treated as nuisance by the village.
The villagers doubled the price of food and daily necessities that they sold to the mother and children. Mikhail’s
family that was already poor became even poorer. Gradually his mother often felt unwell and his physical condition
deteriorated.
When Mikhail desperately begged the villagers to return their price to normal, all the villagers didn’t even try to
hide their cold expression and said this.
「You still have the consolation money from the feudal lord right!? Stop being stingy and use that money!」
Mikhail said that there wasn’t any money like that in his house, but naturally the villagers ignored him.
Even when he asked his sick mother the location of the money, his mother kept repeating that they had no such
money.
What Mikhail could do was only hunting animal and gathering edible wild plants in the forest to feed his mother.
The villagers who thought that the mother and son still had money and the greatly frustrated Mikhail never made
up with each other in the end.
When Mikhail was eleven, his mother died quietly in her sleep.
When his mother sensed that her death was approaching, she told Mikhail that his true father wasn’t the feudal
lord but a knight who was the lord’s friend, and that his father was sleeping in a grave deep inside the forest, and
that she was hiding a present for Mikhail in that grave. She then closed her eyes quietly after telling Mikhail that.
His mother’s life since coming to this village was like a long night right after the sun set.
Perhaps his mother’s sun had set completely when his father died.
There was only a faint glow on sunlight remaining for her.
That night, Mikhail cried loudly for the first time.
The next morning, Mikhail left his house before the first chirp of the bird and headed to the forest where his father
was buried.
At eleven, Mikhail’s height was 160 cm, while his weight was more than 60 kg. He wouldn’t be found lacking even
if he was compared with an adult.
Furthermore his physical strength far surpassed his appearance. He looked abnormal even by untrained eyes.
It could be said that what the villagers feared was that abnormal strength of Mikhail.
Mikhail weaved his way through the forest that he was familiar with since his childhood and after two hours
running he found the grave at the side of a small spring.
From a glance, Mikhail understood that this was the grave of the man that his mother loved.
Just as his mother’s last words said, there was a small hidden shutter behind the relief. Inside it there was a long
sword that looked splendid even in a child’s eye.
It was too big for a kid to carry, but when Mikhail drew it out, the sword was strangely fitting in his hand.
This sword was something that his mother bought using the enormous consolation money that the feudal lord
gave to her.
──It was just as his mother said, they almost had no money at all. That was because his mother changed the
money into a sword because she wanted Mikhail to walk the path of knight just like his father when he became
adult.
Unconsciously Mikhail held up the sword with both hands and kneeled.
And then he swore in his heart that he would definitely become a knight that his mother and father wouldn’t be
ashamed of.
.
But that wish immediately became impossible to achieve.
What Mikhail saw when he went home was the villagers searching the house to take the consolation money from
the feudal lord with his mother’s corpse set aside carelessly.
Mikhail felt like the body in his blood was boiling.
──His mother was dirtied.
In fact, he could see the sign that his mother corpse had been groped around when the villagers searched for a
clue.
Mikhail learned for the first time that human could fall that low for the sake of money.
「Oi, you shitty brat! Where’s the money!」
「 The tax reduction to the village is going to stop now that this woman is dead. The dead doesn’t need that
money you’re hiding!」
「Good grief, just what was she planning to do to keep that money so zealously until she die like this……」
.
「Is that everything you want to say?」
Mikhail laughed in amusement.
It seemed that when his rage reached the peak, he would feel amused instead.
It made him disgusted that he was breathing the same air with these guys. In that case he should just erase them.
「What? You got a nice sword there.」
The man who approached careless got his head flying in the air without him knowing what had happened to him.
「Don’t touch it as you please. Well, looks like you can’t hear anymore even if I tell you that.」
「HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH!」
Their comrade died.
Mikhail killed him without the slightest hesitation. The men who were there shuddered.
「D-don’t think that you can get away after doing something like this!」
「Who is the one who should be worried here about getting away?」
It seemed the men still didn’t understand who was the strong and the weak here. It was truly an unforgivable
insolence.
Another man lost his head.
「Mi-mi, Mikhail is mad!」
「Hurry! Call the soldiers here!」
「Hee? So you don’t mind even if I report to them that you were trying to snatch the consolation money from the
lord and you were groping the corpse of his mistress.」
The men froze when Mikhail said that.
They couldn’t let that be known. There was no way they could. What the villagers had done were clearly a
traitorous act toward the feudal lord.
If they were rebuked because they didn’t do their duty even though they had been given tax reduction, they might
be asked to pay the amount of the tax reduction until now.
The villagers finally realized that they were the one hunted in this situation.
Even if they wanted to seal Mikhail’s mouth, they didn’t feel like they could win against him who was carrying a
sword.
Only the soldiers of the feudal lord could possibly win against him, but that would be the same as telling the feudal
lord about the truth of the situation.
This is absurd, thought the men. They were aghast by the unreasonable situation they found themselves in.
Like this with two people already killed they would only meet loss.
「Now then, do you understand your own position now?」
They were filled with fear that they might be killed here. They screamed and broke into a run while leaving behind
their friends’ bodies.
「I’m sorry Kaa-san. You can rest for eternity with Tou-san from here on.」
Mikhail carried his mother’s unspeaking body on his back and set fire on his house before heading to the grave
inside the forest once more.
And then he never returned to his birthplace anymore.
.
Part 3
Mikhail than traveled through many battlefields as a mercenary. By a strange coincidence he ended up entering
the service of Answerer Kingdom and he finally climbed up until the position of general.
In a sense his mother’s wish for him to become a knight could be said as coming true in an even greater form.
But Mikhail’s harsh childhood in the village had taken away the general desire that any man should have. He didn’t
have any particular worldly desire.
Alcohol, woman, promotion, none of them could fill Mikhail’s heart.
It was only when he reconfirmed his strength amidst battle that Mikhail’s parched soul could be moistened.
After granting his mother’s wish for him to become a knight, Mikhail didn’t have the slightest intention to suppress
his own desire.
Mikhail Kalashnikov would continue to run through battlefield and make flowers of blood bloomed until he died in
the battlefield as the strongest warrior.
He wished that the enemy’s general Baldr would be a worthy man who he could compete together with.
.
Part 4
「Who are you!? Speak your name! 」
A soldier pointed his spear with hostility/. Mikhail roared his reply from on top the horse proudly.
「¡I am the general of the right of Answerer Kingdom, Mikhail Kalashnikov! I came here in order to ascertain his
highness Baldr’s manliness! I ask you to tell his highness my desire to have an audience with him!」
Beside him his adjutant was groaning Aa~aa and looked up to the sky with a grimace.
Depending on the situation, the other side couldn’t be blamed even if they considered Mikhail’s reckless words as
a challenge for an all-out confrontation.
But Mikhail easily decided that if he died here then in the end he was only a man of that level, and if Baldr tried to
kill him then Baldr too was just someone of that level.
However unexpectedly death often avoided a warrior the more they were resolved to accept death.
A man who was loved by the heaven as warrior couldn’t die just because they wanted to die.
He was fine dying anytime, but he didn’t want to die in a way that he would regret. That might be the one thing that
the man named Mikhail truly feared the most.
The soldier who was overwhelmed by Mikhail’s uncommon pressure also had his hostility blown away to
somewhere. He hurried ran to contact his superior.
The report reached Baldr around half an hour after that.
「 Y-your highness crown prince! General Mikhail of Answerer Kingdom has come alone asking for an
audience!」
「 WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATT!? No no no no no, what the hell is that? He isn’t leading his troops or
anything?」
「He is accompanied by only an adjutant.」
「Does he want to die? Don’t tell me he is dreaming to defeat this kingdom’s government on his lonesome?」
Barbarino was feeling indignation and hit the table.
Mikhail’s action certainly looked like he was looking down on Mulberry’s troops. If there was someone smart in the
dukedom that knew of this, they would definitely proclaim that.
But──.
「 We also can’t possibly kill him. Although we will get into battle with him in the near future, we still haven’t
officially get into a war with Answerer Kingdom.」
If they rashly killed Mikhail here, they would give an excuse for Answerer Kingdom and the neutral countries to join
the war.
If the man named Mikhail had calculated until that far, then he might actually be a capable tactician despite his
muscle-brain appearance.
Baldr’s frown deepened in bewilderment.
「──Should we turn him back?」
Baldr slowly shook his head at the finance official Mario’s question.
「We can’t let ourselves look cowardly here. The enemy might advertise that we are scared of them.」
The advantage lied with the enemy no matter how the dice rolled.
The only thing that Baldr could do was just to keep the damage at minimum.
If it was asked why there was nobody else who ever did something like this if it was so advantageous, then it was
simply because there was no eccentric who would throw away his life by riding alone into the middle of enemy
base.
And the possibility of that person getting killed depending on the opponent’s mood wouldn’t be low at all, after all
the opponent might stop caring if they would suffer loss no matter what anyway.
A human who could make such gamble could only be thought as someone whose defensive instinct as a human
had been paralyzed somewhere.
『Ka-ka-ka! So even this world hath its share of eccentric.』
Sanai laughed in delight inside Baldr.
(Sanai-dono, do you have an idea of what is this about?)
『It’s pointless to rack yer brain. It wouldst be a waste of time to try to guess what goes in the head of a man
runnin’ to his death.』
(──Running to his death?)
『 Well, how should I explain it……he is talking about those people who think that throwing away their life
immediately for their obsession is a virtue, I think?』
It was Masaharu who answered Baldr’s question.
It was hard to express the view that such eccentric had for life and death in words. Masaharu’s explanation in the
end was just something makeshift that he threw together from his memory of manga and light novel.
In the closing years of the Warring States period where the price of life was cheap, there were men who
intentionally treated their life even more cheaply to obtain the brief radiance of life.
『 The dead wouldst not play. But, the eccentric wouldst play. Enjoying even death art the style of the
eccentrics.』
Sanai who said that was also an eccentric himself.
While his colleagues were busily preparing for battle, he would only glance at them while calmly drinking sake and
enjoying noh theatre. Then at the battlefield he would wear a battle surcoat with showy embroidery of gold thread
and went into a rampage.
Actually this wasn’t something was really well known, but there were few people who wore flashy outfit in the
battlefield.
Even that Date Masamune who was known to like being flashy would wear plain armor and helmet so that he
wouldn’t stand out in the battlefield.
When Sanai encountered Masamune in the Battle of Matsukawa and dueled him one-on-one, he never even
thought that the warrior with plain armor and helmet was actually Masamune.
If for example Masamune wore something like dazzling western armor, then at that time Sanai would definitely
give everything he had to take Masamune down even if he had to die in his attempt.
In the battlefield, standing out would lead directly to death.
That was why those who stood above other would wear plain armor and helmet though they would still be forged
by skilled craftsman.
And yet Sanai dressed to stand out instead at that time. That was what made him an eccentric, but there was
other man who far surpassed Sanai in being an eccentric.
As everyone knew, it was that nice guy Maeda Keijirou Toshimasu.
The time that Sanai spent with Keijirou as comrade was unexpectedly short.
That was because while Sanai was fighting Date army at Fukushima together with Honjou Shigenaga, Keijirou
was in a campaign to Yamagata together with his best friend Naoe Kanetsugu.
Even so Keijirou’s eccentricity reached Sanai’s ear.
Or rather Keijirou was truly a distinctive existence as a war comrade of the same generation.
Although Sanai was an eccentric, his loyalty to his lord was unwavering. It could be seen from how he presented
all the fortunes he had saved to Uesugi Kagekatsu for war fund in preparation for Sekigahara.
But Keijirou sometimes would even play prank on his lord without any compunction.
He wouldn’t take any notice even if his lord became exposed to danger because of that. He coolly decided that if
his lord died because of his prank then in the end his lord was only someone of that level.
In the past Keijirou once served Maeda Toshiie.
Keijirou was entrusted with the role to be Toshiie’s body double and wore beautiful armor.
But Keijirou charged into the enemy with his spear and yelled 「I am the body double of Maeda Toshiie!」 very
loudly.
There was no meaning in being a body double at all if the body double yelled out of his lung to the enemy that he
was a body double.
Thanks to that the real Toshiie was found out and the enemy immediately focused their attack on him. He ended
up being cornered until he almost died.
He didn’t just use his life, he even gambled with his lord’s life to have fun.
Trying to understand such ephemeral train of thought was a mistake in itself. That was what Sanai said.
『Well, I guess there wouldst not a monster like Keijirou here.』
If someone lived in the same way like Keijirou, then nine out of ten, no, ninety nine out of a hundred that person
would die.
To live like those eccentrics, one needed fortune and power to live that overwhelmed others.
That person would definitely die if they lacked either one.
It was only natural that one would need abnormal strength to live in an abnormal way.
As expected even Sanai didn’t think that Mikhail would be an eccentric at Keijirou’s level.
.
Part 5
「──Please this way.」
「Umu, much obliged.」
When a chamberlain guided Mikhail to inside Mulberry, Mikhail laughed cheerfully without showing any timidity.
His smile was innocent like a child who received a reward. It made the chamberlain slightly wide eyed.
Human would lose this kind of innocent expression as they aged.
The chamberlain just barely masked his expression in a display of professionalism and continued heading toward
the estate where Baldr set up his office.
Of course there was a slight chance that this was a trap.
In case this would be an assassination attempt, two hundred of the elites under Ramillies’s command were lined
up orderly at the left and right of the path leading to the crown prince’s office to welcome Mikhail and his adjutant.
They were chosen elite force who had fought together with Baldr at the second Antrim war.
With Ramillies on the lead, the loyalty that they offered to Baldr was unshakeable like rock.
Killing intent was radiated from the left and right. It was so thick it felt like the killing intent was materialized
physically. But to Mikhail it only felt like a pleasant breeze.
「Umu, what a splendid command! Now I’m looking forward even more to the meeting!」
「You aren’t even thinking about what a bother you are to your surrounding.」
The adjutant stared at Mikhail resentfully with a face of resignation.
Mikhail was in high spirits as though he was a kid. It made the murderous Antrim soldiers to be taken aback and
lost their hostility.
They didn’t know just how mighty Mikhail actually was, but any decent human would shrink back if he was
showered with the killing intent of 200 people in the middle of enemy base. That was the self-defense instinct of a
living creature.
Someone who didn’t feel fear when facing a group who wanted to kill him meant that person had something vital
as a human completely broken inside him.
(──It might be possible to defeat this man, if all two hundred of us rush him without regard of our life.)
While his subordinates were taken aback, Ramillies was the only one who calmly analyzed Mikhai’s fighting
strength.
The world was really vast.
He never thought that there would be someone like Baldr and Maggot among the enemy.
There was no doubt that Mikhail was a man who was similarly inhuman like Maggot and the others.
「Oh? You’re really strong aren’t you old man!」
Mikhail casually patted Ramillies’s shoulder with a gaze as though he had found a treasure.
「Well, I’m certainly an old man, but you yourself also isn’t that young right?」
「Ka-kah! A man is in their prime only after they aged pass forty years old!」
Surely this man would still boast that his current self was in his prime even after he aged passed fifty or sixty years
old.
Ramillies unconsciously smiled wryly when he noticed that Mikhail wasn’t bluffing but saying that seriously.
This man had a candidness that made Ramillies envied him.
Ramillies wondered just how fun his life would be if he could live as he pleased just like this man. Even Ramillies
whose loyalty was devoted to Baldr and Viktor couldn’t help but have such thought after facing this man.
「By the way, can I entrust you with a message for Olten when you return to the dukedom?」
「Olten……? Aa, you mean the new great general of the dukedom. Is he your acquaintance old man?」
「Yeah. He was a colleague at my youth.」
「I don’t know whether it is you old men who are amazing or it is the youngsters who are lazy, I wonder which is
it?」
Even Mikhail held some doubt toward the case of Olten who had retired in the past getting appointed to be the
new great general.
However after ascertaining the resolve and might of the old general Ramillies from this close, he couldn’t help but
accept that he was a really tough old man.
Although there was no way he would lose when facing him one on one, as expected even Mikhail wouldn’t be able
to avoid death if he fought with the two hundred men under Ramillies’s command right now.
「I won’t mind doing a little favor like that for you if I can return back alive──what should I tell him?」
「I have no intention to condemn your reason for falling so low. However I will use my whole body and soul to
crush everything that you bastard want to protect. Tell him that.」
「Good grief, you’re really one extreme old man.」
Ramillies couldn’t forgive Olten’s scheme that assassinated Piaggio at the slightest.
There wouldn’t be any time for them to exchange words leisurely if they encountered each other in the battlefield.
He would simply bisect Olten into two if they met.
That was why Ramillies entrusted a message through Mikhail. So to speak this was his declaration to his old friend
that he was breaking off their relations.
However Mikhail felt that Ramillies’s straightforward manliness was praiseworthy.
「──I have heard your message loud and clear!」
He was curious of how would Ramillies and Olten’s fight went, but as expected a battle was still fun even taking
this kind of bonds into account.
He had already found enough reason for fighting, but Mikhail felt his expectation toward Baldr was still rapidly
increasing.
There was no way the caliber of the lord who obtained the loyalty of an old general of this level would be
mediocre.
Perhaps he would be a man who would grant Mikhail the most exhilarating battle in his life.
Aa, he wanted to meet him quickly. And then he wanted to fight him!
.
「His highness the crown prince shall grant you an audience. I sincerely ask you to be in your best behavior.」
「Umu, leave it to me!」
The adjutant clung on Mikhail with a pale face because of Mikhail’s reply that didn’t make his worry abated at all.
「Are you listening general? Don’t acting rashly, don’t acting rashly by any means all right?」
「Ha-ha-hah! I’m better at behaving impudently you know?」
「Don’t talk like that’s a good thing!」
The door of fate was finally opened while the adjutant’s stomachache was getting even worse.
.
A chill ran through Baldr’s spine the moment the door was opened.
It wasn’t because of killing intent or fighting spirit. If he had to put it into words, it was because of the presence of
someone strong.
Baldr’s body was intimately familiar with a similar sensation like this.
(Please don’t tell me that this person is the same kind like Kaa-san……)
Mikhail walked forward with his huge body swaying with an air of composure.
The elders starting from Barbarino and Pietro glared murderously at how brazen and composed Mikhail was
behaving. From their perspective Mikhail was simply mocking them.
Mikhail had no such intention.
He was just feeling excited, but by no means he was looking down at them. But perhaps such attitude was even
nastier than simply looking down on others.
There were a distance of 30 meters between them.
Mikhail finally saw Baldr’s figure from nearby.
While Baldr’s looks was like a graceful noble, he felt an overwhelming aura that couldn’t be hidden from him.
A caliber to know enough about the joy and weight of taking away other’s life while drenched in blood and mud
and sweat, but having the ability to control it.
People called those with such caliber as hero since time immemorial.
Mikhail was unable to become a hero due to the disposition he was born with or perhaps because of the way he
was raised.
There was a domain that couldn’t be reached by just being strong.
The number of man Mikhail killed with his hand surpassed Baldr by a great amount. But he couldn’t become a
hero with the way he was.
He might be able to become the strongest using a sword that he wielded only for his own sake, but he would never
become a hero.
「──This is great!」
That was the first thing Mikhail said with satisfaction in his tone.
All the top brasses who were present here snapped with pulsing blood vein on their forehead.
「Enough screwing around. I told you to not act rashly just now, ou」
The adjutant elbowed Mikhail’s side. Mikhail groaned Oufu and bent forward before he kneeled in front of Baldr.
「 Allow me to introduce myself once more, I am the general of the right of Answerer Kingdom, Mikhail
Kalashnikov. I’m struck with great awe for this honor of being able to see your highness’s countenance.」
「R-right……」
Baldr didn’t know what kind of face he should make in this kind of time and he unconsciously recalled the heroine
of a certain anime that Masaharu liked.
He really couldn’t judge whether he should laugh or be angry here.
「You have done well journeying from afar to arrive here, is that what I should say?」
Baldr rethought it. As expected he could only laugh here.
「I can’t thank your highness enough for granting my extremely rude request for audience. As expected from the
hero whose name spread far and wide in Antrim, I am truly in awe.」
Mikhail spoke from the bottom of his heart with his eyes shining in delight like a boy.
He would be able to fight against such hero. This was a miraculous good luck for him. Not all warriors could
experience such thing no matter how much they wished for it.
「By the way, there is a matter that I wish to ask you sir. I hope that you can answer me.」
「I shall answer anything if it’s something that I can answer.」
Mikhail replied lightheartedly. Baldr’s blue eyes glinted like the color of darkened blood.
Mikhail’s boldness was impressive, but it would be nothing more than idiocy if he went too far with it.
「Is it the truth that Answerer Kingdom is joining this war in Trystovy Dukedom’s side?」
「Of course, 20000 troops has been dispatched from Nedras Kingdom and arrived here in order to be an ally for
the dukedom.
It seemed this man was a real idiot.
Hearing Mikhail brazenly answered like that, Barbarino’s hand moved toward the handle of his sword and he
yelled angrily.
「Don’t screw with us! You bastard, what the hell is your intention!」
It couldn’t be helped that Barbarino was enraged. It was like Mikhail was saying, I’ll attack your country after this
so best regards. There was no way anyone would really give him their best regards when they were told that.
Was this man had bottomless stupidity, or perhaps──.
『Youngster, I told ye to not think about it!』
Sanai scolded Baldr. Even so Sanai couldn’t hide his joy completely.
An eccentric knew another eccentric. It was an unbelievable coincidence that he was able to encounter a similar
eccentric like him in this other world.
No, perhaps this was an inevitability.
(E-even if you tell me to not think about it……)
『An eccentric wouldst say that even death is fun you know? That guy art having fun watching your reaction.』
(……Eccentric……)
Baldr felt dizzy facing someone who was this lacking in common sense.
In other words, Mikhail was enjoying Baldr’s reaction, what he was feeling after he knew that Mikhail was an
enemy and how he was treating him after that.
It seemed that he wasn’t caring at all that he might be killed here as the result of that.
He had to risk his life exactly because it was for fun. And then the more dangerous and risky it was the funnier it
would be.
Baldr was still a person of common sense regardless of how abnormal he was. There was no way he could
comprehend Mikhail’s pattern of thinking.
But even so, he understood that he was unable to understand this man.
At the very least for Mikhail it was the first time someone showed such reaction to him.
「Well now, could it be that your highness is also someone who like to play prank?」
「Can you not group me together with you? Let’s see, it’s simply that I know of another troublesome man who
love to play prank just like you in this world.」
『Indeed, indeed.』
There was a lot of this kind of eccentric person at the closing years of the Warring States era when Sanai was
alive.
Like Sai Douji, Kuruma Tanba, and Kitadzume Daigaku who fought together with Date Masamune……they were
people who truly loved fighting from the bottom of their heart.
They delighted in it. They would risk their life even in just a contest of skill.
Even if they lost their life because of that, they would die in satisfaction without even a word of complaint.
They were that kind of men.
「──I see, I wish to see such man with my own eyes at least once.」
Mikhail suddenly leaned forward because his interest was attracted.
Although his life was his own and he only had that one life, he played around with it to enjoy himself. Mikhail had
never seen someone else that was similar like him until now.
「──You want to meet him?」
「This Mikhail has already been like this since I was born. And I have never met anyone who is as mischievous
as myself until now.」
He had encountered warriors who he could respect.
He had also encountered man with might that rivaled him. He had also met general with leading ability that
surpassed him.
But, he had never met a man with the same disposition like him.
That was only natural. No human wanted to die.
The men who went to the battlefield had various reasons for doing so. Some wanted to protect their family, some
wanted to protect their country and birthplace, some fought for their ambition to reach success in life, and above
all else they all fought to survive.
There was no way a human fought just for playing around and having fun, searching for a place to die.
「──Very well. I’ll let you meet him.」
Baldr said. Then he nastily asked with a mischievous smile.
「But, what will you provide as compensation for that?」
Baldr already knew what Mikhail’s answer would be.
Mikhail too realized that among the warriors in this Mulberry, Baldr was the only one who knew how he would
answer.
「──Of course, I will compensate with this life.」
.
『I asked ye for an unreasonable favor.』
(Well……it’s my thanks for all of Sanai-dono’s helps until now.)
Sanai noticed that Baldr was preparing a place for Mikhail and him to fight.
It would be too regrettable to overlook this kind of miraculous encounter.
Sanai’s blood as an eccentric was seething hotly as though it was boiling inside.
「 You have taken the trouble to come this far. Let me give you a welcome with my sword. We can also talk
through our sword exchange.」
「I’m thankful. As I thought the aforementioned person is your highness himself!」
「Well, you can say that, but that’s also not really the case. But enough for now, it will be too boorish to continue
talking with only our words from here.」
「P-please wait! If by any chance something happen to your highness-!」
「That’s right! How about leaving it to Ramillies-dono to take care of that insolent person?」
Barbarino and Pietro tried to stop Baldr’s reckless action.
In the worst case they could just overwhelm Mikhail with number and killed him. However they wouldn’t be able to
recover if Baldr died.
「Don’t worry. This is just a spar.」
He still would risk his life, but this wasn’t a battle. Both Baldr and Mikhail understood that.
This was just a game regardless of how it looked.
「I don’t intend to stop this fight, but never make the mistake of underestimating your opponent.」
Gina made a tense expression and let out a deep sigh.
Gina who knew about Baldr’s true strength with his King’s Gate was speaking like that. It made Baldr renewed his
vigilance toward Mikhail as a fearsome opponent.
「Good grief, what an unbelievable era. This is really not a joke.」
Gina scratched her head in irritation and brought her lips near Baldr’s ear to whisper this.
「──Be careful. That man is the same like Maggot, he is a natural owner of King’s Gate.」
「You are joking right?」
Baldr spontaneously froze. It couldn’t be helped.
In the first place King’s Gate should be an extremely rare talent that resulted from the mix of beastman and human
blood.
Of course, there was no doubt that there also had been people who didn’t even know that they had King’s Gate
and ended their life as someone mediocre.
But, now they found the fifth person with the great talent that should only appear once every several hundred
years. It would be stranger if they weren’t confused.
「Perhaps there is a fundamental mistake in my understanding until now……」
It seemed that Gina too was feeling a sense of discomfort.
「 Well, anyway, that man’s King’s Gate is incomplete. Most likely he forcefully opened his King’s Gate
unconsciously just like Maggot. Though I almost couldn’t smell any scent of beastman from that man, so it will be
impossible to open it completely.」
「If you said that she is like Kaa-san, I have nothing but bad premonition……」
『It’s fine, that wouldst make this even more interesting instead.』
Sanai was happily cheering when he knew that Mikhail was apparently an owner of King’s Gate.
The stronger the enemy was, the more worthwhile it was to fight them.
A battle was always more fun the harder and despairing it was──that was the true nature of eccentric like them.
medium-ranked councilor
Besides Sanai was a man who chose to serve the chuunagon Uesugi Kagekatsu knowing that they
would be fighting against the force of the mogul Tokugawa Ieyasu.
There was no way he would be intimidated by Mikhail alone at this point.
(I’ll leave it to you, Sanai-dono.)
This man would become their enemy in the battle from here on. Unsightly defeat wasn’t allowed.
Currently Baldr was treated like a war god by the people around him. If his charisma was marred by defeat here,
his kingdom’s governance would be in jeopardy.
What gave Baldr the power to unify the people of Trystovy despite his beastman blood wasn’t just because the
populace was tired of the civil war. Above all else it was his reputation as war hero.
But even with such risk, Baldr had no intention at all to deprive Sanai from this battle.
In this world it was none other than Baldr who knew the best how terrifyingly strong Sanai was.
There was no way Sanai would lose against the likes of a man who was resting on his laurel using King’s Gate’s
strength.
If Sanai seriously fought to the death, even that Maggot would be in danger. Baldr seriously believed that.
『Mine blood is seething. How long it hast been.』
Although Sanai didn’t know anything that Baldr held such impression toward him.
Sanai wasn’t completely estranged from the political circumstance of someone standing on the top, but he
prioritized his fun above all else, especially when it came to a battle with his life on the line.
Eccentric was that kind of creature for good or bad.
They arrived at a spacious training ground that was usually used by several hundred soldiers practicing group
combat in formation. The place was crowded with more than a thousand soldiers and the authorities of Baldr’s
government.
In case Baldr got into danger, they would protect Baldr’s life no matter what method they had to use. Everyone
there was filled with such firm determination.
──They have amazing spirits. They will be a satisfying opponent if I fight them in the battlefield.
From the bottom of his heart Mikhail thanked the god of fate whether such god really existed or not.
Thank you for bringing this man to Trystovy.
「In this fight, there will be no killing. We will also use practice sword, Are you fine with that?」
「Of course, I accept the conditions.」
In reality it didn’t really matter for Baldr and Mikhail whether they used real sword or practice sword.
They possessed physical strength that could easily kill human with their bare hand. Although the practice swords
had their edge blunted, they were still made from a lump of iron. There was no way anyone who was hit by that
would be unscathed.
It would depend on their skill whether they would keep their life or not in their fight.
Even so those conditions had to be said to keep up appearance. If not the big shots would never allow this fight
from happening, so it couldn’t be helped.
「In case something happen just leave it to this me nya!」
「Yeah, but don’t disturb the fight no matter what unless it looks really dangerous okay?」
Even though Baldr was gently caressing Satsuki’s head, Satsuki felt a chill and intimidating air. She became
flustered and bit her tongue.
「Ye, yhess?」
「Right, it’s fine. There is no way I’ll lose.」
Satsuki couldn’t say anything back if Baldr said that.
Since the battle the other day, Satsuki realized that she was behind Baldr by one or two steps.
Even so, if there was anyone here who could possibly get between Baldr and Mikhail’s fight, it would only be Gina
and Satsuki.
That role would be impossible for anyone else, even for a veteran warrior like Ramillies.
「──I believe in you nya.」
「Thank you Satsuki.」
Satsuki pressed her hands on her flushed cheeks and saw Baldr off with a bright smile.
Her mother Sakuya once told her of the words 「propping up man as a woman」 that she was never able to truly
understand until now, but if it was now she felt like she could understand it a little.
.
There was a reason why this fight wasn’t done indoor but this spacious practice ground instead.
At Mikhail and Baldr’s level, just moving around could be lethal enough for their surrounding. That was why it was
desirable to have margin for their fighting space.
Mikhail arrogantly ignored the spectators who were watching from afar and slowly advanced toward Baldr who
was waiting at the center.
「Are you listening general? Please don’t win even by mistake! If by any chance the crown prince die, we will end
up being torn limb to limb in this place, you understand that right?」
「That’s, how should I say it, sorry.」
「Just saying sorry won’t be enough at all! No way no way no way, I don’t wanna die! Much less dying for the
sake of this battle junkie!」
「You’ve really stopped holding back huh.」
「You’re just going to go wild even more if I give you any consideration!」
No, that’s not really right, this guy will still run wild even if I try to stop him. Aa, my life is really transient…… those
words corssed the adjutant’s mind and he sat down on the spot. There he began to draw circles on the ground.
「I’ll try to ask so they spare your life at least.」
「Do you think I’ll be able to go back leisurely by myself after letting the general died on my watch huuuuuhhhh」
「……You are really in a pitiable position.」
Someone with serious personality like him felt nothing but trouble to be Mikhail’s adjutant. But he was picked for
the position exactly because of that personality. Even so as expected Mikhail felt pity toward him.
「Don’t worry that much. Sometimes it’s really hard for human to die even when they think that they are going to
die.」
Of course, Mikhail would still continue with this fight even though he pitied his adjutant. The adjutant too
understood that was just how Mikhail was.
「Haa……though I too can’t imagine how someone like you can die.」
.
Part 6
「……Your highness’s atmosphere is different. Could it be that is your highness’s true self?」
Mikhail felt how Baldr’s atmosphere changed right after he faced him.
He didn’t even consider that this change was caused by another personality inside Baldr that was Sanai.
Mikhail knew that there was also warrior who could fight just like a demon in the battlefield and yet acted like a
mild-mannered gentleman outside it.
Mikhail only thought that perhaps Baldr too was that kind of man.
『Ye art really similar with him.』
Although it wasn’t an exact resemblance, Mikhail was very similar with Maeda Keijirou.
It wasn’t resemblance of height or looks.
Mikhail was an eccentric who risked his life for the sake of having fun. There was also a vague feeling of
desolation somewhere inside his heart that made him searching for a place to die. Those aspects were really
similar with Keijirou.
『If it’s like this, it wouldst be rude of me if I go easy on ye.』
「──Interesting. Very interesting.」
Although Baldr was a hero, Mikhail thought that he would be a youth with shallow experience, and yet right now he
could feel vast amount of battle experience that far surpassed even him from Baldr.
Baldr’s bearing and vigor also wasn’t energetic like a youth. Rather they felt like the bearing and vigor of an old
warrior.
He was extremely curious of how Baldr was able to reach such state of mind in his age, but right now there was
something else that he wanted to ascertain rather than that.
「Answerer Kingdom’s general of the right, Mikhail Kalashnikov, here I come!」
『Oka Echigo no Kami Sadatoshi──here I am!』
The two men took the stance of holding their sword above their head almost at the same time.
Their lips twisted. Indescribable pleasure welled up from their spine in the form of a shudder. They couldn’t stop
their face from forming a grin.
Both of them were happy that the other was a similar incorrigible battle junkie like themselves.
What was left was to swing their sword──.
The life or death of the kingdom, the serious and worrywart adjutant, and the soldiers watching the battle with
bated breath were already erased from the two’s consciousness.
There was only the obstinacy of eccentric and irresistible craving for battle inside them now.
*Bikiri* Right now the two’s swords clashed with each other with a blunt sound that was uncharacteristic for metal.
Baldr’s body that was in the middle of its growth period had been trained to a degree that couldn’t be compared
anymore with himself when he was still living in Cornelius.
However as expected Mikhail’s huge body wasn’t at all inferior.
Baldr’s body was flicked backward together with the sword collision. First the winner was Mikhail in the contest of
strength.
But, the weight of Mikhail’s attack was still within Sanai’s expectation.
After all Sanai was a general from the Warring States era. He had fought with many warriors who wore heavy
armor that weighed nearly 30 kg.
The armored warrior in the Warring States era made it their principle to have hard and solid armor and helmet.
The impact just now felt light compared to the impact when such armored warrior tackled him with momentum
behind their body.
「UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!」
Mikhail moved in pursuit to deal additional blow with a roar that was like a beast.
His movement wasn’t polished, but it was a movement that was made from thorough knowledge of one’s own
physical capability.
Even that way of fighting was similar to that Keijirou, Sanai thought. He unconsciously made a complacent smile.
『I also didst not hath any chance to fight ye seriously huh Keijirou.』
The two of them had been colleagues for a long time. They were both in Oda camp for a long time, and then at
Sekigahara too they were both serving Uesugi Clan. A chance to fight Keijirou had never come to Sanai.
The world was truly playful to allow him to encounter this kind of battle junkie again.
On the other hand, Mikhail’s pleasure was increasingly growing stronger after seeing Sanai lightly blocking his full
powered swing and handling the follow up with unshakeable composure even though he was pushed back by
brute strength.

──I can’t see the bottom of this man’s strength.

When Mikhail’s life was targeted by the beastmen of Nedras Kingdom, he had also encountered some warriors
with considerable fighting prowess.
Beastman’s close quarter combat ability was already high from the start. That was why beastmen occupied
important positions in the military of Nordland and Gartlake.
However there was no opponent whose strength Mikhail couldn’t see through to the bottom of it.
Or rather, since Mikhail climbed up to the position of the strong, there was never a case where he encountered an
opponent that made him felt unsure whether he could win or not.
Thrilling shivers ran from his spine until his brain. Then Mikhail laughed unintentionally.
As he thought, a game was interesting because you didn’t know whether you would win or lose.
Using his advantage in strength, Mikhail attempted to challenge Sanai with a sword-locking contest, but Sanai
instead leaped into his bosom faster than he could do that.

「──Whaat?」

The person with smaller body and weaker physical strength was challenging him into a test of strength instead.
It was impossible logically. Certainly a smaller person could make use of their maneuverability if they entered the
bosom of the opponent, but Mikhail wasn’t so green that he would allow that.
When Sanai had closed the distance enough, Mikhail swung down his sword from overhead powerfully.
Because the distance was too close, Sanai was unable to dodge that sword and blocked it from below.
At this point their difference in size clearly decided everything.
The instant Mikhail thought that, Sanai’s knee moved forward while he was locking sword with Mikhail. That knee
pushed on Mikhail’s thigh.
It was possible for human to brace themselves so they wouldn’t step back. Human could also brace themselves so
they wouldn’t sway to left or right. But, it was difficult to keep their balance if they were pushed from inside to
outside.
This was Mikhail’s first time experiencing his balance broken in this way, but far from feeling bewildered, he
instead cheerfully rotated his body like a spinning top and withdrew.
Furthermore, he also launched a kick while spinning.
Mikhail didn’t know any martial art. His strength was in displaying his wild instinct ──his sixth sense that was like a
beast detecting approaching danger instinctually to the maximum.
Far from feeling disheartened because the trap that he set up was torn apart, Sanai’s expression brightened
joyfully instead.
In the end both of them were battle junkie of the same level.

「──Not bad. 」

『The way ye move like an animal art also similar with him. 』

Skill was something that was polished in order to hunt beast.

Looking at Mikhail it made one comprehended that a tiger was indeed born naturally strong. Even without
accumulating training and effort, a tiger possessed strength that surpassed human simply because it was a tiger.
However, the creature called human had played with many methods to hunt even that tiger.
Mikhail’s innate talent was astounding, but it was impossible for him to defeat Sanai with just that.

『……Cometh.』

The sea breeze blew through the grass. The two’s sleeves were flapping from the wind.
It was as though the heaven let out an admiring sigh to reward the way the two fought with a pleasant wind.
Although the fierceness of the spirit that was bursting out from inside the two’s bodies made even the soldiers
watching the battle while holding their breath to be unable to resume breathing. They had no composure at all to
enjoy the pleasant wind.
Like this there was no way at all they would be able to cut in between the two’s battle. (……His beastman blood is
extremely thin. Perhaps he has a beastman ancestor from so long time ago that even he himself isn’t aware of it.)

Gina judged that Mikhail’s condition was a king of atavism. By spending the majority of his life in battle, Mikhail
pried open his King’s Gate half instinctually.

Unlike Maggot, Mikhail was already at the middle of his forty. Gina didn’t think that it would be possible to open his
King’s Gate any wider, but even so he was already a great enough treat as he was right now.

In the end Gina didn’t know whether she would be able to win against him even if she opened her King’s Gate.
She had the confidence that the advantage would belong to her at first, but if the battle was dragging on, it was
unknown who would come out as the winner in the end. Mikhail was an opponent of such level.

「It’s fine, Baldr-sama won’t lose nya.」

Satsuki felt goosebumps from Mikhail’s aura that pierced her skin, even so she pressed her lips together into a
thin line and believed on Baldr’s victory.
For Satsuki, Baldr’s existence was her aspiration that she wanted to catch up to someday. Above all else, she
couldn’t betray her own words that said she believed on him.

He wouldn’t lose. She didn’t remember entrusting this feeling inside her that was budding for the first time in her
life to a man who would lose here.

「Umu, a real man won’t betray a woman’s expectation on him.」

Baldr, don’t you dare end up like Viktor. Although the women around you won’t let you end up like that I guess.

Gina focused her mind toward Baldr and Mikhail’s fight once more.

It was unknown whether Satsuki and Gina’s feeling reached him or not, but Sanai switched into offense.

『Here I cometh.』

Sanai took a forward bent posture with his left half of his body at the front, then he stepped hard on the ground.
Sanai’s sword looked like lighting that was going to pierce Mikhail.

「Kuh……!」

Mikhail immediately twisted his body.

However even though Sanai was clearly in the posture of thrusting with his right hand gripping his sword handle
and his left hand propping his sword pommel, his sword changed trajectory into a sharp slash from the right.
Mikhail took a long leap backward to escape the completely unexpected swordsmanship. That was the only he
was he could escape.
『──Hiken, Tsurumaki』

It was a technique that couldn’t be used for the second time after it was showed once. Secret Sword was
fundamentally a technique that would catch its target by surprise when seeing it for the first time and they would
die. But Mikhail dodged it despite this was his first time seeing such technique. As expected he wasn’t a normal
person.

However unlike in a sword dojo, battle action wouldn’t end simply because an attack had been dodged.
Sanai threw his sheath as though he had predicted Mikhail’s action right from the beginning.

Mikhail couldn’t possibly evade it while he was midair. He used his left hand to strongly hit that sheath. Even so it
was amazing how he instantly used his non-dominant left hand to block the sheath like that.

However even that was within Sanai’s calculation.

Sanai focused his attack on Mikhail’s left side while Mikhail’s left hand was temporarily numb. Attacking the
opponent’s weak point was the basic of basics in close quarter combat tactic.

Someone who thought of that as cowardly wasn’t a warrior.

An upward slash from below that was difficult to parry with sword, and then it was followed by a horizontal slash
while the sword was rising up──Mikhail was reaching his limit of dealing all those attacks with just his right hand
holding his one-handed sword.

Mikhail was finally unable to block an attack and it landed on his left shoulder. There was a dull sound.

It was the sound of bone creaking.

There was no doubt that the shoulder blade was broken or cracked. With this Mikhail couldn’t use his left hand
anymore even if the numbness was gone.

「……I can’t believe it. To think that general is pushed back like that…」

Mikhail was truly an inhuman monster who had defeated all his opponent hands down.
He had cut down a thousand people in one battle. It was a fact and not just an exaggeration. It was this Mikhail
Kalashnikov who had achieved such feat and nobody else. The adjutant met with Mikhail for the first time was right
in the Battle of Arkhangelsk where Mikhail achieved that feat of thousand killing.

At that battle Mikhail fought like a literal war ogre. He cut down the enemy soldiers who swarmed him by himself
like cutting straw. Since then the adjutant had never seen Mikhail having a hard battle. And so although he was
surprised by how the fight was going, the thought of Mikhail being defeated didn’t cross his mind at the slightest.

Mikhail couldn’t use one hand? If he was the kind of human who would be troubled by such handicap and common
sense, the adjutant wouldn’t be in this much stress at this time.

「Rather please just lose like this. For my sake.」

Although the adjutant wasn’t praying for the victory of his side like Satsuki and Gina.

A pain that was like electric shock pierced through his muscle until his fingertip when he tried to move his left
hand.
(Fumu, it can’t still be used somewhat.)

Any warrior knew how to ignore the pain they felt. No matter how painful it was, there was no problem if it could be
moved. But with his arm’s state, exerting 40% of his usual strength would be the best it could do.

「How amusing this is. It looks like I’m going to lose.」

Mikhail had never lost.

To lose meant to die. That was why Mikhail had been alive like this because he had kept winning.

He had done countless reckless acts. But today was his first time he resolved himself that he might lose in the
truest meaning.

『Gahaha, there art no battle as fun as a losing battle.』

Warrior fought for the sake of victory. Any method no matter how cowardly was tolerated in order to win.
「A warrior is a dog, and also a beast, to win is everything for them. 」 This saying of Asakura Souteki was the
truth.

But at the same time, warrior was also an existence that was searching for a place to die.

They wanted a place that was as brilliant as possible where they expended all the strength they had and died in a
way that would leave an impression in the heart of the future generation.

Nine out of ten, such place to die could be found in a losing battle.

That was why warriors like Keijirou and Sanai enjoyed losing battle.

Mikhail too had finally discovered the joy of fighting a losing battle. Sanai sensitively noticed that.

Mikhail’s shoulders were shaking in even more delight.

「Ha-ha-hah! This must be what the saying of some things can be learned from the young meant. However I still
can’t lose yet as the older one here.」

Although warrior was looking for a place to die, that didn’t mean they wanted to lose. They wanted to win. There
was no warrior who didn’t hate to lose. Such contradictory and incorrigible man was what a warrior was.

Mikhail too didn’t have the slightest intention of allowing himself to be defeated by Baldr here.

「──Here I come」

『Ou!』

Mikhail’s body leaned forward like a feline animal leaping toward its prey. In contrast Sanai was letting both his
hands dangling limply beside him while waiting for Mikhail to close the distance looking seemingly unprepared.

What could stop Mikhail’s godspeed rush was only sword drawing slash with similar godspeed.
Sanai who was also a user of Hayashizaki dream style knew that the deepest level of sword drawing art was harsh
training to a degree that worn out the body and composed presence of mind. It was by maintaining the tranquility
of the heart to keep one’s presence of mind that one could display the maximum result of one’s daily training.

──Sure enough.

Mikhail kicked on the ground.

It was truly a godspeed. Although that speed was still inferior compared to Maggot, it definitely surpassed Gina
and Satsuki.

Gina and Satsuki who realized that fact gasped for an instant.

That meant that they were already unable to interfere with the match between these two.

Sanai unsheathed his sword at the same time when Mikhail kicked on the ground.

He was using a fake sword that was created for training. Furthermore this fake sword had the shape of katana with
length of 2 shaku and 8 sun for the use of iai . It left behind an instantaneous flash and looked as though it
bisected Mikhail.

「──I’m lucky it’s just a blunt sword.」

Mikhail sacrificed his injured left hand to slip through that slash.

His left hand was now bending to a wrong direction, but he paid it no mind and he used his body to look over
Baldr.
If they used real sword, Mikhail would have been bisected into two.

However such “what if” had no worth at all in battlefield.

A warrior would simply fight with the weapon that they were given.

──But the real surprise started from here.

Sanai looked like he was dragged down by Mikhail’s huge body, however he swiftly grabbed Mikhail’s collar and
constricted his neck.

In aikido this move was called Ato Katate Kubishime. No matter how much human trained their body, they would
never be able to train their trachea and blood vessel. If the blood flow to the brain was stopped, anyone would faint
no matter how much of a master they were.

Everyone was convinced of Baldr’s victory when they saw that, but Mikhail quickly lifted up right hand before he
could faint. Although he wasn’t holding a sword, Mikhail’s bare fist was powerful enough to kill a human.

Would Mikhail faint first, or would Sanai get beaten to death first?

Satsuki had rushed forward in panic, even so Mikhail’s fist stopped just an inch from Sanai’s face.

Sanai also similarly let go of Mikhail’s collar, releasing the constriction.

「Fuu, how long it has been since the last time I almost fainted?」

『Kakakah! It’s pathetic that I was about to get punched likest that.』

They had no intention of killing their opponent here from the beginning.

It was a very fun time, but a warrior’s long cherished desire could only be found in the battlefield.

If they were going to kill then they would do it in the battlefield. If they encountered each other once more in the
battlefield, they would surely be able to enjoy even greater pleasure than today.

──They had seen something noteworthy.

「Then your highness, let’s meet again in the battlefield next time.」

『I hath finished playing here. The boy (Baldr) art going to be even tougher than me ye know?』

.
This battle between the crown prince Baldr and the general of the right Mikhail that originally shouldn’t possibly
happen would end up being talked down until far in the future of the later generations as a famous duel.
And then the battle that surrounded the throne of Trystovy was finally going to start in full──.