Chapter 1 – Reinforcement’s Arrival
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「What, there are still more strong people here?」
At the banquet after the mock battle, General Mikhail of Answerer Kingdom learned of Maggot’s absence and groaned with genuine frustration.
「It’s not a matter of strong or weak anymore when it come to that person……even I can’t win against her unless I cheat.」
Baldr recalled his mother who was the very picture of absurdity and laughed with a troubled look.
「As I thought, your highness is still hiding your hand.」
There was no doubt that the mock battle just now was an absurd battle that was worthy to be called a mortal combat.
But although the two who had exchanged fist hadn’t hold back at all, they knew that the other also hadn’t exerted their full strength.
「──You too.」
Baldr also faintly smiled with an expression that was showing resignation somewhere in his heart.
It seemed that Mikhail was also hiding something of a trump card. The two of them grinned fearlessly to each other and clinked their glass with each other before gulping the wine.
「Can I have a bit of your time?」
「──Hou.」
Gina called out to Mikhail. He raised a small voice of admiration when he sensed Gina’s uncommon martial strength.
He saw the magnificent body tempering that Gina had gone through.
Mikhail always said that he would keep fighting in the military for his whole life, but he held a slight doubt whether he would be able to stay as powerful as Gina if he reached her age.
Also, although he didn’t feel like he would lose if he fought Gina right now, he also couldn’t declare that he would absolutely win.
「Gina-sama, do you have a business with the general?」
Baldr felt a light puzzlement at Gina who interrupted their talk and asked her.
「I see, so you are the famed Thunder of Helsing.」
「Right now I’m just a doting grandma that you can find anywhere.」
「No no, it’ll be scary if this kind of grandma can be found anywhere.」
Baldr and Mikhail’s words unexpectedly overlapped with each other. Gina’s thoughtless words were something that picked a fight with the normal grandmas all over the world.
「How rude. Even though I am this harmless and kind……well fine. I want to ask you a little. General Mikhail, where were you born?」
「I was born in Kadiros Kingdom, but what about it?」
「Hou……Kadiros Kingdom is it.」
Kadiros Kingdom was located south of Nedras Kingdom and west of Trystovy Dukedom.
The natural environment there was really harsh. The north and east of the nation’s land were protected by steep mountains, so the country was known as having an exclusive and unique culture.
Its population didn’t even reach thirty percent of Trystovy Dukedom’s population, but mountain people who were greatly familiar with mountain was the majority there and they had a lot of fierce and skilled soldiers.
The country had infertile land that didn’t have any real benefit and military strength that would be troublesome to fight, so until now it had few chances to appear in international stage.
Because of that even Gina’s beastman network didn’t cover that country. It was unknown how many beastman was living in Kadiros Kingdom.
「I got into a bit of dispute with my village and ran away when I was a kid, then I became a mercenary. I don’t really know anything about Kadiros itself. Speaking even further, I don’t even know my father’s face.」
「Then, you don’t know about your own ancestry?」
「I only know that my father was a noble and my mother was a mistress. My mother should be a commoner who could be found anywhere. Though it seemed she was sent to a noble mansion as live-in servant and also learned some pharmacy.」
「If you don’t mind, can you also tell me that noble’s name?」
Baldr guessed that Gina wanted to know something. That was why he didn’t try to stop her even when she asked a question that seemed to be a bit rude.
Mikhail had King’s Gate even though it was imperfect. Beastman blood was definitely mixed into his lineage from somewhere.
「I don’t think you will know it even if I tell you but……it’s Baron Myers. He has a tiny bit of territory at the northwest of the kingdom.」
「──Too bad but I have never heard that name before. Is there a lot of beastman race in Kadiros Kingdom?」
「I wonder? At the very least I never saw even one of them in my village.」
Mikhail shrugged while adding that he had never gone back to that country even once since he became a mercenary.
From Mikhail’s body language it was clear that he didn’t even have the slightest lingering attachment to his birthplace. Gina couldn’t help but feel that she wouldn’t be able to obtain any more information than this.
「Do you have a beastman acquaintance in Kadiros?」
「Well, I’m just thinking that perhaps a distant acquaintance of mine might be there.」
Gina didn’t give up her investigation even while saying that.
In the end, what was King’s Gate?
Gina was harboring such fundamental question. Because of that she couldn’t help but search for clue.
「You fought very impressively, is the way you fought self-taught?」
「Yeah, I taught myself from facing animals and other mercenaries. Unfortunately I never had the leeway to ask someone else for teaching.」
Of course it was like that. A mercenary wouldn’t be able to eat unless they fought, so there was no way Mikhail ever had any leeway to leisurely study sword.
「Gathering herbs and foods in forest every day was my daily life. I almost died when I was attacked by a pack of wolf in the forest. I would have died there if my mother wasn’t a doctor.」
Mikhail laughed heartily after saying that.
He wasn’t abasing himself. He was smiling from a delight that came from the bottom of his heart.
「I don’t want to face you an enemy. Especially a lucky man like you.」
Gina put her hand on her forehead and sighed.
Anyone else who fell into the same environment like Mikhail would definitely die no matter who they were.
A man who surpassed his destiny that should originally be cut short would undoubtedly have the luck to survive from there on. Such luck couldn’t be underestimated in the battlefield.
There was no man more troublesome than a man who had ability, knew carnage, and blessed with luck by the heaven.
Gina seriously began to ponder that perhaps it would be better for Baldr if she killed this man here.
「Even so, this is a great fortune for me. There is nothing more joyful than encountering a strong enemy.」
Mikhail poured wine into his throat with a great mood after learning that there were strong enemies other than Baldr.
An opponent with high individual combat ability was great.
Unfortunately his commanding ability in group combat was mediocre.
In the first place he climbed the rank with only his strength. Mikhail was self-aware that he had a bad habit of only being able to feel alive when defeating a strong enemy.
When he imagined what kind of deathly battle would unfold when he encountered Baldr once more in the battlefield, he became unable to wait until the time came.
「──The beastmen of Nedras Kingdom are quite skilled, but they are no match for you grandma. No, I guess there is one troublesome beastman there.」
「Hou, someone who is considered troublesome by Answerer Kingdom’s demon general huh. That’s interesting.」
Even Gina and Satsuki who had King’s Gate couldn’t guarantee that they would win if they faced this man.
This person who Mikhail claimed to be troublesome must be a formidable opponent, no doubt about it.
「He is a wolf-eared beastman. Rather than calling him strong, he is more of a clever sort that is hard to face. That guy instinctually knows what to do to harass his opponent. I think his name is──Lagunitas(ラグニタス) was it?」
Wolf-eared tribe was rare even among the beastman race. This tribe possessed both the traits of dog-eared tribe and cat-eared tribe.
The number of wolf-eared tribe in the past was about the same with the dog-eared tribe and cat-eared tribe, but because their residence was located in the vicinity of Answerer Kingdom, it was said that they were in the verge of extinction right now.
「I see, so it’s because of him that the resistance in Nedras Kingdom is still continuing even while receiving that much pressure from Answerer Kingdom.」
「I don’t think I will lose if I fight him, but the problem is he won’t ever fight me. He will just run away even if I chase him after all. He is a stressful opponent. I refuse to face him anymore.」
「Now I want to meet with that person……」
Baldr couldn’t help but smile wryly even while saying that.
With Mikhail’s disposition, he didn’t have any interest and ability at all toward political matter.
At present Mikhail’s adjutant was glaring at Mikhail as though he was facing his parent’s killer, but Mikhail himself only treated it like a breeze.
There was a very capable beastman in Nedras Kingdom, and even now he was still fighting.
Mikhail who was the only one able to restrain that person had already left from Nedras.
It was extremely curious how the situation in Nedras was right now.
At the very least it wouldn’t be a loss for Trystovy Kingdom to contact that resistance.
「I have no interest with a cowardly enemy that won’t fight despite being a strong person himself! In regard to that your highness Baldr is wonderful. You even take up your sword and personally fight in the frontline despite being the commander-in-chief. That’s not something that anyone can just do!」
It seemed Mikhail had gotten drunk after drinking so vigorously. He slapped Baldr’s shoulders loudly without any reservation with a red face.
「Wait, general, you are drinking too much!」
「Hm? Why aren’t you drinking? Drink drink! First are these three glasses!」
「Nowaaah! I can’t drin……aguh! Gagabo……」
「Err……the adjutant-san isn’t moving……」
「Then good-!」
How can he call himself a man if he doesn’t drink himself until dead drunk? Don’t you think so? Mikhail asked with a red faced grin. Baldr who was asked that resigned himself that this night was going to be long.
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Gina slowly left the banquet that was growing even more fervent. He stared from afar at Mikhail who was laughing heartily without any pretension.
Even though that man would go back to being their enemy tomorrow, he had a strangely affable personality and even other people than Baldr were already opening up to him. It must be because there wasn’t any hostility and ill will from Mikhail.
He was just a kid who simply liked to fight and aged older to be a man without growing up at all.
The problem was that man was in possession of King’s Gate that was a symbol and trump card of the beastman race.
「What a troubling guy……」
「Gina-sama, are you feeling bad nya?」
Satsuki handed Gina a glass that was filled with chilled apple water. Gina enjoyed the sourness that was mixed with abundant sweetness. It took away her fatigue.
「Sorry to bother you Satsuki-dono. Well, if you are going to become Baldr’s wife then you are also like my great granddaughter now.」
「W-wife? S-stop teasing me nya!」
Satsuki’s face flashed red as though she had been boiled. Even so her body twisted without looking that dissatisfied.
Satsuki recently had become really girl. It was funny and also adorable.
Putting that aside, when Gina considered what kind of child would be born between two King’s Gate’s owner, the question in her mind reared its head once more.
──How did King’s Gate’s owner first appeared?
King’s Gate’s owner was born from the mixed blood of human and beastman. From her experience until now this hypothesis was almost certainly true. Unfortunately there wasn’t any case King’s Gate’s owner being born from pureblood beastmen.
Until now it was thought that King’s Gate’s owner was born by chance in very low probability that was like a miracle. The appearance of King’s Gate’s owner could be said as the second coming of beast king because not even one might appear in a hundred years.
But at present that fixed idea of Gina was overturned.
It was still within the realm of possibility if it was just Gina and Maggot. However now there were Baldr, Satsuki, and even Mikhail in possession of King’s Gate. It was only natural for her to feel doubtful.
Could it be that King’s Gate wasn’t something that rare?
Gina’s shoulders shook when she arrived at that thought.
It would only be nightmare if King’s Gate’s owner numbered so many they swarmed this continent.
Of course it was pointless to just possess a King’s Gate. King’s Gate couldn’t display its true power unless the owner received the procedure to formally liberate the King’s Gate from the beast god shrine’s priest.
As long as they didn’t do that, even that Maggot would only half-baked King’s Gate, just like Mikhail.
In the end, was it just the beast god shrine’s inability to detect them that made it seemed like King’s Gate’s existence was so rare until now?
Gina suddenly thought of something and talked to Satsuki.
「Come to think of it I have never asked you. Satsuki-dono, how did you learn that you have King’s Gate?」
「I was ten when I learned that I have the King’s Gate nya──」
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Actually when Satsuki was still a little kid, she was a timid and shy girl.
Her habit of adding 「~nya」 at the end of her sentence that still continued even now was largely caused by the psychological trauma she received at that time.
It was unbelievable seeing at the current Satsuki, but when she was a child Satsuki was bullied by the other kids because she didn’t have cat ears.
The girl who inherited the blood of the great priestess didn’t have cat ears that were the symbol of cat-eared tribe.
Satsuki was in anguish of that fact and she couldn’t sleep at night from being tormented by the doubt that perhaps she wasn’t actually the daughter of her mother.
The impetus that made Satsuki got rid of that anguish and changed completely was the cat ears headband her mother Sakuya gave her.
It was just a trifling item from other people’s perspective, but for Satsuki it felt like she could become a true cat-eared tribe just by using that.
Satsuki was liberated from her self-torture that originated from her emotional guilty conscience and she immediately became the leader of the children her age. Her physical ability that she had inherited from Sakuya since the beginning was exceptional and even older bad boy would become like a baby when dealing with Satsuki.
So to speak, Satsuki built an unshakeable position for herself using physical body language.
「Worship me nya!」
「There is a limit even in feeling liberated!」
It couldn’t be helped that her surrounding retorted sharply at her like that.
「As I thought justice will win in the end nya! It’s only natural that the evil that oppose me is annihilated nya!」
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「As expected from Gartlake’s shrine maiden princess.」 It didn’t take long until Satsuki got evaluated like that.
When she became ten, Satsuki’s combat ability was already rivaling the adult warriors. Her rate of growth that was going to surpass even her mother Sakuya before long inevitably heightened the expectation that her surrounding placed on her.
However as the saying of ”Light was usually followed by shadows” went.
Although Satsuki certainly had naturally excellent physical capability, her mental capability was still childish.
Her limit suddenly arrived.
Satsuki who joined in with the adult’s training like it was only natural, one day she suddenly felt that her body wouldn’t move like she wanted it while moving on stairs. It bewildered her, and then at the next moment her body fell through air.
When she asked the doctor later, it seemed to be the backlash from her body reaching the limit and yet she was forcefully making herself moved using her willpower.
In a stroke of bad luck it happened while Satsuki was on stairs and she fell. She broke four bones and her whole body was bruised. She even felt into a critical condition because she hit her head and her consciousness was disturbed.
The commanding officer and other people who were overseeing Satsuki’s training prepared themselves for death. Or rather they themselves were wishing to die because they thought their inattentiveness caused this.
That was just how indispensable Satsuki’s existence for Gartlake’s beastman race was.
Satsuki wandered in the border of life and death for a week. It seemed that when she woke up, the beastman race all over Gartlake was cheering joyfully.
「It was right after that nya. Kaa-sama told me that I have King’s Gate.」
「I see……Baldr was also like that. It’s amazing that everyone is still keeping their lives even today.」
Unlike peasants who lived a normal life, for those who lived with their martial prowess like Gina and Baldr, danger always existed nearby.
Just a bit more and I would have died. Many warriors surely had experienced such moment.
And then, not dying at that moment was destiny.
Human without the right destiny would die just from getting cold or choked from eating egg.
But, human with the experience of wandering between the border of life and death was unexpectedly few in number.
The subjectivity of I’m not gonna die here and the objectivity of I might die were as different as heaven and earth.
There something suddenly flashed at the back of Gina’s mind.
(Is almost dying, or perhaps going until the verge of death the requirement for King’s Gate?)
Thinking back, Gina, Maggot, Baldr, and even Mikhail who she had asked just now, all of them had the experience of just barely surviving a situation where they almost died.
If almost dying was the key for King’s Gate, then certainly it couldn’t be helped that the possibility of someone with it appearing was extremely low.
(Not, but that’s insufficient.)
The King’s Gate didn’t appear at all until now since the beast king.
As expected it wasn’t enough to explain that with just the requirement of being a mixed blood of human and beastman and the experience of almost dying.
Gina was unable to think up the answer of what the insufficient piece could be.
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The next morning, Mikhail was going to depart from Mulberry exultantly.
「Your highness Baldr, I’m looking forward to the next time we meet!」
「We will settle this in the battlefield next time. Though to be honest, it would be best if I can resolve this war without fighting you.」
Gahaha, Mikhail opened his mouth wide and laughed heartily.
「That’s impossible. Even if I’m not a general of Answerer Kingdom, I shall never give up fighting your highness!」
He didn’t even hide that he was going to be Baldr’s enemy from now on.
If Baldr was a person who prioritized the things right before him even just for a bit, or if he judged Mikhail to be a greater threat than he actually was, it wouldn’t be strange even if he killed Mikhail right at this moment.
Currently the adjutant was pressing his hands on his stomach while looking down. Ramillies secretly pitied him. Surely the adjutant was in great stress from always being a step away from death by accompanying this man’s recklessness.
「Good grief, I think there must be some other strong people hiding somewhere in this world though.」
「Unfortunately, I don’t know of any other people as strong as your highness. If possible I also want to request a match with your highness mother who I had heard so much about last night.」
「It will be better if you give up wanting to fight that.」
Even for Baldr, the possibility of beating Maggot was small without using his trump card. Maggot was a warrior race through and through.
Even if it was Mikhail, he would only end up getting trounced unless he used up his hidden card.
Or perhaps it would be better for Baldr if things progressed like that.
「I sincerely ask you to please convey my message to Olten.」
Ramillies faced Mikhail and held his head high while smiling boldly.
「Your highness is blessed with a good knight.」
Even though Mikhail would win hand down in individual combat ability, Ramillies was two or three level above him in commanding army.
Furthermore, this old general had the eyes of a man who knew how to make use of his experience to become a part of his own flesh and blood.
Mikhail knew from experience how troublesome it was to turn this kind of man into enemy.
「He is a knight I’m proud of──to a degree that make me think it’s only natural for a country that throw away such knight to be destroyed.」
「Ga-ha-hah! Certainly! Perhaps I shouldn’t say this but, the dukedom’s crown prince really should take a lesson from your highness!」
Trystovy Dukedom’s crown prince Bernardi was just shrewd, but he couldn’t produce a passing grade in both wisdom and grit. That was the opinion of Answerer Kingdom’s prime minister.
The option of doubting the sly old dog Prime Minister Malat was something that Mikhail didn’t have.
That prime minister was one of the few people that Mikhail couldn’t oppose.
「It seems that I have to give my assistance to that idiot and fight your highness. How very delightful that is. It’s truly a man’s greatest desire!」
Mikhail offered his right hand with a bright smile that contained not a shred of hostility.
He was a troublesome battle junkie in all respects.
However it seemed he was also a colleague of such battle junkie. Baldr also smiled and shook Mikhail’s hand.
The two of them stared at the face of their worthy opponent who would face them with their life on the line in the near future.
The corners of their lips were lifted up almost unconsciously. They both noticed how the desire to fight right now if possible was welling up inside each other.
「I see, so your highness also has the same sickness like mine.」
「I am very much a person with common sense you know? I just hate to lose.」
「Then you must be a real awful sore loser!」
In regard to hating to lose, Mikhail too wasn’t inferior to Baldr at all.
「Then I’ll look forward to see which of us has stronger hate to lose.」
「I accept that challenge.」
And then the troublemaker and battle lover general went back while humming in a good mood.
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「I have really given up on you for sure this time, this time it’s for real! I’ll immediately write my request for transfer! I refuse to go along with the general’s whim anymore!」
The adjutant protested furiously when the figure of Mulberry’s people had finally vanished beyond the horizon.
It was unfortunate in a sense, but the adjutant was also completely in the right.
「Though you say that, there is no way your request for transfer is going to be accepted while the expedition is still ongoing!」
「Gyafun!」
What Mikhail said was also extremely natural.
In peace time, requesting transfer wasn’t that difficult although it would affect that person’s promotion.
However at wartime, furthermore when they were in other country, there was no way a soldier could easily request transfer.
「Then please help me with that! General know just how many times I have almost died!」
「You are still alive here.」
「I won’t even be able to complain after I died!」
The adjutant doggedly pressed at Mikhail with tearful eyes.
「I don’t want to do this anymore! Not only you did a mock battle with someone we are going to war with after this, and then you even drank alcohol crazily where it was easy for us to be poisoned to death! Please think of my feeling as someone who get dragged into it!」
「That was why I kept telling you that you don’t need to come with me wasn’t it?」
That was what had been puzzling Mikhail and also the reason why he took a liking to his adjutant.
None of the previous adjutants had the admirable guts to go along with Mikhail’s suicidal acts.
「It can’t be helped! I have my duty as your adjutant after all!」
It seemed he didn’t even consider the option of abandoning his duty to secure his own safety.
In a sense this adjutant could be said as having a personality that was even more clumsy and troublesome than Mikhail.
It was terrifying because he did that even though he didn’t have the natural strength like Mikhail to push through with his unreasonableness.
「As I thought you are the only one able to become my adjutant. Just think of it as your luck is bad and give up.」
「There is no way I’ll give up! What do you think my life is!? I don’t even have any time for marriage interview just from being your adjutant!」
Mikhail was known as the demon of the battlefield who swung his swords and massacred beastmen merrily. As the adjutant of someone like that, people thought that of him as a similar battle junkie like that.
It was an outrageous damage to his reputation.
「……What, so you want to marry?」
「Obviously! I’ll have more than three children and live until 80 with my wife harmoniously, that’s my target!」
「What should I say……sorry.」
Mikhail bowed his head earnestly after hearing his adjutant’s naked desire to live for the first time.
「Then treat your life and mine importantly from here on!」
「Sorry that’s impossible.」
There was no way Mikhail could stay at the rear quietly with wall of soldiers protecting him.
Mikhail had lost the function to withdraw back just like centipede or boar.
「That’s right! I think I’ll be able to help you with marriage you know? Even though I like this I have quite a lot of acquaintances after all. There are also a lot of understanding people among the military officers. They won’t complain if I introduce my adjutant to them.」
Mikhail was certainly a terrifying existence, but there were also some muscle brain military officers who idolized him.
Besides, they wouldn’t be able to serve as military officer if they feared dying in battle. Many women who came from such military family were able to understand such line of thought.
「Then please tell me that faster! Introduce a wife to this me, Smynos Stanley! I request a good natured wife with wide hip for easy childbirth.」
「Huh, adjutant, you have that kind of name?」
Mikhail nodded as though this was his first time hearing the adjutant’s name. The adjutant’s rage blew up once more seeing that.
「As I thought I’ll transfer! I’LL TRANSFER NO MATTER WHATTTTTTT!」
He had accompanied Mikhail for three years and went through the line of death many times because of him, and yet Mikhail didn’t even remember his name. Smynos yelled as loudly as he could knowing that.
However his ardent wish would be heartlessly refused in front of the reality that there was nobody who wanted to become Mikhail’s adjutant──that too was only the natural progression.
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「Good grief, just what are those imbeciles doing!」
Answerer King, Alexei III clicked his tongue in displeasure.
The dukedom had prepared a huge army of 50000 troops, and yet they were defeated by Baldr easily without being able to inflict any damage. Alexei wanted to spit out in rage.
Thanks to that he had to dispatch General Mikhail who was assigned to Nedras Kingdom to reinforce Trystovy Dukedom.
This was also a bitter choice that Answerer Kingdom made.
Alexei was someone who always kept the awareness to act outwardly as a large-hearted lord. It was rare for him to display his displeasure openly like this.
But putting it another way, it was also a proof that there was nobody here except those he trusted.
「It’s truly a miscalculation that the dukedom is actually so feeble to such degree.」
The experienced prime minister Marat lightly turned aside the king’s words and smiled wryly.
Alexei rarely made this kind of complain. It wouldn’t be good for his mental health if the prime minister was also losing his composure here.
「──Even so, it’s not a bad thing for our country that the dukedom came to us on their own initiative and bowed their head asking for reinforcement.」
「Of course there is that. However the dukedom and that brat should fight it between them first until both sides are exhausted. It’s not amazing that this instead become another overwhelming victory for that brat.」
Alexei’s plan was already hindered by Baldr at the war between Mauricia Kingdom and Haurelia Kingdom. He couldn’t bear to watch Baldr snatching away the delicious part once more here.
「In addition──there is this.」
Alexei tossed a report in front of Marat. It seemed he wasn’t just complaining but seriously irritated.
「……A large scale revolt in Nedras Kingdom, is it?」
「What a headache. This happened right after Mikhail is gone. This will affect Answerer Kingdom’s honor.」
「I believe that Mikhail’s successor there Fork is a capable man though.」
「He is capable, but it seems he has a short fuse. Start considering the next candidate to be sent there.」
「By your will.」
The resistance in Nedras Kingdom became active right after Mikhail left.
──The Phantom Lagunitas.
The resistance leader was given that nickname because he would only make a move toward his opponent’s weak point before vanishing as though melting into the air. He took Mikhail’s absence as a good chance and assaulted Answerer Kingdom’s supply unit.
He would only make a move when he could win easily.
Because Answerer Kingdom thought that, they assigned a battalion to guard the supply unit, which was an extraordinary measure, but Lagunitas gathered all of his men and made a gamble.
The supply unit had let their guard down. They were destroyed before the resistance that was filled with fighting spirit as though they wanted to clear up all their frustration until now.
Although the resistance had been keeping up their harassment attacks, it was necessary to launch a large scale attack somewhere in order to change the flow of war.
Lagunitas took advantage of Mikhail’s absence and succeeded in firing the signal fire that the resistance was still going strong in Nedras Kingdom.
The successor general, Fork Katukov(フォーク・カツコフ) was enraged by that.
The resistance had been suppressed since they were beaten hands down by Mikhail. Fork’s reputation was thrown into the mud because they switched into offense after he succeeded Mikhail.
It was the same like the resistance saying that they could win if it was against Fork.
Apparently Fork was a commander who was evaluated as a fierce attacker. He stood at the lead of his army in order to pursue the resistance.
The resistance only kept running until then, but it seemed that they were motivated to fight only at this time.
In that case, this was also a great chance to sweep clean the resistance that even Mikhail was unable to root out. That was Fork’s thinking.
Fork’s thinking was correct when looking at this matter purely from military perspective. It was difficult to root out a resistance that was in hiding, but it wouldn’t be difficult to exterminate them when they were standing at the center stage.
However Fork’s pursuit of the resistance forced a heavy burden to the populace of Nedras Kingdom.
No matter the era, the existence of army always consumed vast amount of resource.
With their status as a vassal state, it was Nedras Kingdom’s populace who was forced to shoulder the burden for that consumption.
For the already exhausted populace, the confiscation of supplies by Fork’s army and the violence from the soldiers who lost their cool were past the limit of their patience.
Judging from the result, Answerer Kingdom had been too hurried in their effort to turn Nedras Kingdom into their vassal state.
If only Answerer Kingdom spent two generations to slowly tighten the noose, the resistance shouldn’t run rampant like this.
It would be a lie if their arrogance as a huge country didn’t play a part in their hurry.
However Alexei III had decided to accept some degree of damage in order to display the power of Answerer Kingdom to the whole continent as the legitimate successor of the unification dynasty.
Therefore Fork too had the leeway to not consider the damage to his ally in order to subjugate the resistance.
There was a difference that was like heaven and earth between both countries’ military strength. Answerer Kingdom wouldn’t even feel itchy even if the resistance inflicted back twice of their loss to them.
Fork obtained the information about the resistance’s headquarters after threatening the populace with sword and raised a blood festival using many innocent people. After that he began his attack.
He didn’t simply believe the information that he got from traitor and torture.
He sent scouts first to get a complete picture of the situation. From there he ascertained that there was really 500 resistance members hiding in the hidden village that was the resistance’s headquarters.
──But even that was within Lagunitas’s scheme.
Lagunitas had dug a tunnel beforehand and escaped from that. He then waited for Fork to charge in before he set the forest surrounding the headquarters in flame.
The troops of Answerer Kingdom were inside an unfamiliar mountain.
This large scale mountain fire made Answerer Kingdom army tasted a massive defeat that cost them sixty percent of their troops.
Fork himself also lost his life by Lagunitas’s hand while he was running around in confusion.
With that Answerer Kingdom army that was stationed in Nedras Kingdom lost its combat force although temporarily. Half of the territory of Nedras Kingdom fell into a state of anarchy.
A considerable military strength and supplies would be needed to suppress the situation once more.
Of course, for a superpower like Answerer Kingdom that burden wasn’t something outside their capability. But in exchange the force that they could split to Trystovy was decreased.
Alexei’s anger was directed toward Fork’s carelessness that dug his own grave at this timing of all time.
「It looks like we will need to prepare a carrot.」
Marat casually made a faint smile.
「I’m not really enthusiastic with that plan though.」
「This method will be the fastest. We can’t take too much time with Nedras Kingdom right now.」
Marat was scheming to divide the resistance.
The result that Lagunitas produced was significant, but at the same time the other forces that wished to grasp the initiative in Nedras Kingdom only considered it an eyesore.
Beastman wasn’t so rare in Nedras Kingdom, but they were nothing more than minority compared to human.
At this rate Lagunitas would stand as the new leader of Nedras Kingdom. They should be able to find many humans who couldn’t tolerate that if they bothered to search.
The greatest reason that the revolt’s scale became big was because the populace became unable to endure the exploitation of Answerer Kingdom. But if Answerer Kingdom mercifully provided them with food, the majority of the people would swiftly draw their support from the resistance.
The carrot that Marat mentioned was support to Lagunitas’s opposition and food assistance to Nedras Kingdom.
That would calm down Nedras Kingdom faster than simply dispatching a large army. Alexei immediately understood that. He understood rationally but, emotionally he couldn’t really accept it.
「I want to behead that bunch who throw mud on my face and display them as example but──」
「Your majesty will be able to behead as many as you wish later. However, it will be after we smoke out those annoying beastmen.」
「Hmph, don’t make me wait too long.」
There was no one better than Marat in using this kind of roundabout method.
A big country had its darkness that was befitting a big country. The prime minister had to be the substitute for the king in receiving that darkness.
「We can’t allow the chaos in Nedras to grow bigger than this. I have no intention of giving Trystovy to that brat.」
「──By your will.」
「Call the military minister. First we have to consider how to take care the pressing matter.」
.
Lagunitas’s silver grey ears pricked up when he heard the approaching footsteps of combat boots.
「Their reaction is faster than I expected. As expected, even Answerer Kingdom can’t afford to take it slow.」
The resistance’s combat force was only like rubbish from Answerer Kingdom’s perspective, but Lagunitas laughed without feeling offended about it at all.
As long as he persisted in his way of fighting that wouldn’t fight a losing battle, he was confident that he could continue fighting for two or three more years.
「We have known this from the beginning but……seeing them coming back like it’s nothing even after we beat them up that severely……」
Answerer Kingdom army showed itself from the other side of the highway in a long line. Lagunitas’s subordinate leaked out a disappointed mutter seeing that.
Answerer Kingdom boasted a recovery power that looked infinite if compared to the resistance. A damage of just several thousand was replaced right away just like this.
That victory was something that the resistance grasped with everything they had. But seeing the enemy shaking it off easily and coming back like this made the feeling of futility inside them to be agitated.
「It’s not as pointless as you made it to be.」
But Lagunitas alone was keeping his fearless grin even in front of the enemy army that was like a flood.
「If you look at the other side of this quick reaction, you can see that Answerer Kingdom want to subjugate the revolt in Nedras Kingdom as quickly as possible.」
That was why Answerer Kingdom was pursuing the most efficient method using all their strength.
Lagunitas silently hardened his resolve knowing that the resistance’s action from here on would be accompanied by great difficulty.
「──But, sorry. I have known only too well about such thing.」
There was a reason why Lagunitas intentionally switched into such grand counterattack before this.
He attracted Answerer Kingdom’s attention like this in order to draw their military strength toward him.
Of course, if he was ignored then he could also make use of it to take over Nedras Kingdom.
No matter how things rolled, there would be no loss for Lagunitas.
「The big country has the big country’s way of fighting but……there is also a case where a lion is killed with a single bite by a snake. You can regret it later for allowing me to buy time like this.」
A fellow beastman descendant Baldr was trying to obtain the hegemony of Trystovy.
The thing that Lagunitas feared the most was if Answerer Kingdom exerted their full strength to conquer Trystovy.
「Can he win against that monster?」
Lagunitas shrugged in respond to his subordinate’s anxious question.
「Oi oi, it’s going to be checkmate for us if he doesn’t win yeah? Our future will only open if that prince win.」
It was vexing that he had to entrust his group’s future to someone else, but that was how wide the gap that existed between Answerer Kingdom and the resistance.
What Lagunitas could do was only giving support fire from the side to make it easier for Baldr to fight.
「This me who won’t fight a losing battle has put everything I own on the line. Don’t you betray my expectation okay?」
.
「──Achooh!」
Baldr’s shoulders shook from the loud sneeze he made.
「The sea breeze is getting cold. How about your highness returns to your room?」
「No, I’ll wait here for a bit more.」
Baldr gestured with his hand to stop the worried servant. He was standing on Mulberry’s rampart while focusing his gaze to the horizon that was wrapped in sunset.
Marquis Randolph army under Silk’s command and Nordland’s beastman unit were scheduled to arrive soon together with the supply ships.
.
「Is Mulberry still not visible yet?」
The ship captain regrettably pulled down his hat to cover his eyes from Silk’s sad gaze.
「Unfortunately the wind is bad. We would be able to ride on the seasonal winds if only we departed half a month quicker but……」
「How truly mortifying!」
Gloomy wrath welled up inside Silk. She then angrily kicked on the deck.
Such act was not befitting a noble lady, but Silk was still unable to suppress her emotion even after that. Her body was shaking.
She should be able to be reunited with Baldr quicker if only she wasn’t obstructed like that.
.
There were reasons why the departure of Marquis Randolph army under Silk’s command was late to this degree.
The greatest reason was that the arrival of Nordland Empire’s beastman force was delayed greatly.
Although the beastman force had no trouble at all camping outside, as expected it was difficult for them to cross another country without drinking water and food.
Although not as bad as in Answerer Kingdom, Mauricia Kingdom was also deeply prejudiced toward beastman race. Furthermore they were a force of another country. Many nobles hated to allow such force to cross their territory.
Of course Alford and Silk had put forth every effort in order to dispel such worry, but the movement of the nobles was slow.
It went without saying that there was the maneuver of anti Baldr faction that was led by Duke Richmond behind it.
For them, Baldr’s recklessness in crossing to Trystovy with only 400 soldiers was a hard to get chance to erase a hindrance.
「I’ll be grateful if he die just like that. Rather, die.」
They halfheartedly agreed with Baldr raising an army to go to Trystovy was because they had the apprehensions that Baldr might succeed Harold as the prime minister in the future.
Baldr was a war hero. He had good relationship with Randolph House. In addition he was also popular among the militarily oriented feudal lord noble starting from Cornelius House.
It would be nightmare for them if someone like that sat at the center of the nation’s government.
And so, it would be better to drive him out of the country rather than allowing him to stay within the country, but it still didn’t change the fact that Baldr’s existence was a hindrance for them.
The new Trystovy king having a political influence to Mauricia Kingdom was also something that they couldn’t accept by any means.
And so, they had to prevent the reinforcement from reaching Baldr’s location no matter what before the battle began.
Their maneuver displayed enough effectiveness. The advance of Nordland Empire army took thrice longer than the first estimation.
But the maneuvers of the anti Baldr faction were only in the form of being non-cooperative. There was no overt hostility done to the beastman unit, so they could only endure it.
──A shocking report then reached those Mauricia nobles.
Baldr Antrim Cornelius repelled dukedom army of 50000 with a small force of 400 troops. It was a report that made them wanted to doubt their ears.
As expected they were unable to believe it right away.
Even the difference of strength of Baldr’s force with Haurelia Kingdom in the second Antrim war wasn’t this absurd. Besides, they also heard that his victory at that time was helped by coincidences that were like godsend.
If among them there was someone who knew the accurate information about King’s Gate abnormal strength and there were four such people in Baldr’s side, they would immediately change their opinion.
However it was unreasonable to tell normal people to comprehend the extreme strength of King’s Gate.
After all was said and done, Baldr still hadn’t awakened King’s Gate in the previous war, and Maggot only fought for a bit at the end.
They couldn’t be blamed for deciding to take wait-and-see approach for the time being.
But as time passed, they learned that apparently Baldr’s victory wasn’t a hoax. And when there was news that the leader of maritime guild Piaggio was assassinated, they panicked.
Antipathy toward the dukedom that removed Piaggio using such cowardly method was spreading within the kingdom. In addition they were realizing that they couldn’t expect much from the possibility of Baldr dying in battlefield anymore.
「Really that cursed monster!」
「……Even though he just need to die quietly!」
Duke Richmond was gritting his teeth because Baldr had easily survived even after he had crossed a dangerous bridge of cooperating with the church.
Now that it had come to this, there was no meaning in his faction obstructing the advance of Nordland’s reinforcement by refusing to provide them with food and horse.
He was extremely unwilling to recognize it but, the possibility of Baldr becoming Trystovy’s king was high like this.
However he didn’t have the option of just standing and watching.
The bureaucrat noble faction that was led by Duke Richmond took the next best plan to whittle Baldr’s influence within the country.
They planned to restrain the monopoly of Dowding Company in the domestic economy and strengthened their influence over Prince William who would replace Baldr as Antrim’s ruler.
Even though Baldr’s father Ignis would still remain within the country, Baldr’s influence should remain minima if they managed to win over William to their side.
As the result of that, Selina’s anger gauge would completely burst from going over the limit and she would drop an unexpected bomb to the capital Cameron, but there was nobody who could predict that.
.
「──What is the meaning of this?」
The merchant who came to buy cheap salt asked with naked bewilderment.
Until just the other day ago, the sales of salt within Mauricia should be monopolized by Dowding Company that hogged the sales route with Sanjuan Kingdom for themselves.
「Yes, at this occasion Dowding Company is performing a division of labor by splitting into four companies. It might be a bother for you dear customer, but please go to the office in charge of the product in question to settle your payment there.」
「T-then, where is this office in charge that I have to go to?」
「For salt, marine product, and maritime transportation, please visit Cornelius Company in Sanjuan Kingdom.」
Thomas said that and grinned.
「Please don’t worry. It’s possible for our Dowding Company to provide you with intermediation to that company.」
「R-right……then please do so.」
「By the way dear customer, how about it? We have new products like diamond for example……」
.
Dowding Company changed its organization to be a federation that was made from four companies.──the impact that was produced from that fact was immeasurable.
For the first time in this world, Dowding Company switched to the form of a holding that controlled independent companies.
The president of Cornelius Company that was newly established in Sanjuan Kingdom was naturally Selina.
Sanjuan Kingdom was already communicating to Mauricia Kingdom that they were completely welcoming this development.
And then in Nordland there was Mardon Company that was in charge of the business there, while in Trystovy Kingdom there was Garibaldi Company that was acting as a proxy to take part in this.
This was an overseas transfer of the company’s headquarters function. For the bureaucrat nobles of Mauricia who were scheming to control the economy within the country, this was a situation that couldn’t be overlooked by any means.
The tax that was levied to merchant was ten percent of their income. This rate was the same with the income tax that Napoleon of France introduced for the first time to the world in order to procure war expenditures.
Other than that there were also business taxes for each kind of trade like oil, salt, market, water transport, etc. But of course the taxes were levied by the country where the company’s headquarters was located.
If the businesses of salt and water transport were transferred from Dowding Company to a company in other country, the tax revenue of Mauricia Kingdom would also decrease by that much with certainty.
「Shouldn’t we take away Dowding Company’s right to do business here?」
「The tax revenue will be seriously affected if we allow something like this you know?」
「That’s right! It’s outrageous that a mere merchant like them dare to be this conceited!」
「──Then who will carry it out?」
One of the bureaucrat nobles, Baron Lorenz Walsingham aksed that. His comrades all tilted their head together. Those words seemed vaguely ominous to them.
「I-it doesn’t matter who will carry it out. We can tell the undersecretary of the Ministry of Popular Affairs……」
「That person is a relative of Marquis Randolph. I don’t think that he will easily agree.」
「Why are you mentioning Marquis Randolph’s name there!?」
「The president of Cornelius Company that is established this time is a concubine of Margrave Antrim you know? With the marquis’s daughter Silk marrying the margrave, shouldn’t we consider them as belonging within the same faction?」
「Even so, we are just dealing with a single company……」
「The problem isn’t limited to just a single company anymore. Sanjuan royal family and Nordland imperial family are already informing his majesty about their intention to welcome this split up. If we punish Dowding Company here, Sanjuan royal family, Nordland imperial family, and Mauricia royal family’s honor will be besmirched. I’m asking who in the world will take the risk to punish Dowding Company.」
Walsingham’s words made his colleagues turned pale and fell silent.
Their authority was certainly immense, but in the end that was only when it came to a matter within the range of their occupation. The moment they stepped out of their field, they were immediately reduced to be a powerless sheep.
「H-however if it’s his excellency Duke Richmond……」
「Certainly, the only one who might be able to do this is only his excellency. However I can’t imagine that his excellency want to punish Dowding Company so much that he will turn Marquis Randolph into an enemy openly. Most of all even if we punish Dowding Company, the effect won’t be as effective as we hoped for.」
「What do you mean by that? Not effective?」
「Why do you think those guys split up their businesses like this? It’s to abandon Mauricia in the worst case so that they won’t be harmed fatally.」
「──That’s absurd!」
Walsingham’s reply caught his colleagues by surprise.
Until this point, they never even considered the possibility of a company in their country would dare to leave.
The large scale companies would at least have sales route to other country, but a case never happened when a company moved their headquarters to other country.
This conception of them was also influenced with how each country had ruthlessly competed with each other as rival and developed their own economy since the breakup of the unification dynasty.
Even the major companies of Answerer Kingdom that surpassed Dowding Company in scale would never think of moving their headquarters to other country and left the protection of their own country.
It could be said that this choice of Dowding Company could only be made because the relationships between Mauricia, Haurelia, Sanjuan, Nordland, Gartlake, and Trystovy were improving with Baldr at the center of it.
The biggest problem here was how they didn’t have any way to obstruct this.
If they carelessly increased the tax to Dowding Company, the company would surely reduce the scale of their businesses here and moved the core of their company to other country. On the other hand if they wanted to crush Dowding Company, the company’s backers were too great for that and they might face a barrage of criticism from other countries.
The bureaucrat nobles finally realized that a rule that they didn’t know had gone overlooked without them realizing it until a place that was beyond their reach.
「How did it become like this……」
There was no more word that followed after Walsingham’s mutter. The punishment for Dowding Company wasn’t discussed anymore with heavy silence enveloping the room.
.
After that when not even a month had passed, the price of salt that was circulating within Mauricia had rose until nearly ten percent, while the tax that Dowding Company was paying had sharply decreased until around sixty percent of the previous amount.
「This is the punishment for underestimatin’ us! I’m not gonna hold back if ya made us enemy!」
Selina laughed proudly.
Selina already had the vision for this when she heard from Baldr, or more accurately from Baldr’s previous life Oka Masaharu about the multinational corporation in the form of holdings.
A company could easily be suppressed if it only had a single head in one country. However that couldn’t be done if the company had several heads placed in multiple countries.
Furthermore they had enough pretext to justify this split.
After all Selina was going to become a concubine of Trystovy king in the future. At her side there was Rachel who previously was a princess of Mauricia Kingdom.
In addition because Nordland’s economy wasn’t as flourishing as Mauricia, Dowding Company’s decision to set up shop there was a windfall for them.
Most of all, doing this would make those bureaucrat nobles who were sabotaging Baldr to be in tears, so there wasn’t any reason for Selina to hesitate.
Selina obtained the acceptance of the Vice President Thomas who was essentially controlling Dowding Company right now and wrote this plan.
Of course, being able to obtain the cooperation of Sanjuan Kingdom was also big. Their help was necessary to launch the marine transport business that Dowding Company was lacking until now.
「Dowding Company is gonna conquer the continent with commerce. I too can’t possibly break my promise with Thomas.」
They absolutely needed even more economic power and trust in order to win an economic war against a major nation like Answerer Kingdom.
──The effect from taking one step toward that direction was extensive.
.
「Long time no see, your highness William.」
The oldest son of Duke Richmond, August visited William who was inheriting Margrave Antrim territory from Baldr.
「Indeed, long time no see. Unfortunately I have no free time to go to party and the like since I came to this Antrim.」
William smiled wryly with a brazen look. Seeing that August felt like that William had grown up a lot as a man. Perhaps it was the work of the royal blood flowing inside him.
From the beginning William had been evaluated as someone charismatic.
However with his position as the fourth son, William had the tendency to underestimate his own strength. He thought that one day he would be sent out to other noble to be adopted and lived idly there without doing anything significant.
The fourth son’s right of inheriting the throne was low ranked. He was just a spare of a spare. He couldn’t expect to live a glorious life unless something major occurred.
He wanted to distinguish himself as a knight was his meager resistance toward such future.
He swore to grasp a position even if his strength was only meager──that mettle of William hadn’t changed even now when he was entrusted with abundant territory like Antrim due to fate’s mischief.
As long as they had the will, a turbulent one year was sufficient to make a man grew up significantly.
To be honest, August would prefer if William stayed as a stupid prince who was easy to manipulate.
But Baldr’s existence had greatly influenced William’s growth. As expected, August could only think of Baldr as a god of pestilence who brought him misfortune.
「Come to think of it, I see that Baldr-dono’s troops had departed.」
The figure of a few thousand soldiers who were doing nothing but training and patrolling inside the territory until just the other day couldn’t be seen anywhere. Their absence was enough to make the place seemed deserted.
「No, they are still leaving behind some soldiers for the security inside the territory. Though I plan to recruit them if they wish for it.」
August felt some discomfort from hearing the tone of William’s words.
「……Your highness is planning to make them your immediate follower?」
Strictly speaking William was ruling Antrim as a prefectural governor who represented King Welkin.
Because of that, if William recruited subordinates in his position as prefectural governor, then their position would be as the kingdom’s government official. William shouldn’t be recruiting them as his personal retainer.
However William’s tone made August got the impression that he would recruit people to work as his personal retainer instead as the kingdom’s government official.
「This is still a confidential matter but──」
William lightly laughed as though the matter wasn’t actually confidential at all.
「I received an unofficial announcement from father that my name would be removed from the royal family’s register and he will grant me the title of Duke Antrim.」
「Truly!?」
There was already a conjecture that this would happen, but even so this was too fast.
William had no real experience of being a feudal lord. August was thinking that first he would be made to accumulate experience as a prefectural governor for around five years.
「Well, I understand your worry, but I’m hurt that this news shock you that much.」
William laughed teasingly. It made August’s face reddened and he tried making an excuse.
「No! I don’t have any intention to offend your highness at all……but, if that’s how it’s going to be then my Richmond House will be ready anytime to cooperate with your highness!」
William only had very few personal retainers. Welkin was also providing him some help with that, even so the number should be still lacking to govern Antrim territory.
Antrim territory became vast as the result of the second Antrim war. It became a strategic point for Mauricia Kingdom with how it was bordered with Haurelia and Nordland.
The amount of manpower needed to maintain such territory was huge. Antrim was also turning into a big commerce area. It wasn’t a territory that could be managed just by relying on quantity of personnel.
「I’m thankful for your offer. But it’s not like I’m being troubled at the present time. After all Baldr has left behind the required personnel to some degree.」
「──Your highness must be joking right?」
Baldr was going to rule over Trystovy Kingdom after this. August couldn’t believe that he would leave behind his retainers that he had raised with much trouble until now here.
In order to manage such a large country that rivaled even Mauricia Kingdom, Baldr should be lacking manpower right now no matter how many people he had with him.
「Apparently over there the maritime guild has plentiful of personnel. Besides many of Baldr’s retainers in Antrim are originally the local people here who served the previous Viscount Antrim. It’s only natural for them to want to stay in their homeland.」
They wanted to bury their bones in their homeland that had finally become prosperous. It was a fact that many were harboring such feeling.
Because of that Baldr was instead endorsing for the Antrim people among his retainers to stay behind in Antrim. Although this act wasn’t purely because of Baldr’s good intentions.
「Given the situation I was right to enroll into the knight academy in the past. My acquaintances from there accepted my offer to become my knights for leading my elite guards, and Dowding Company also introduced to me people for working in the accounting division here.」
「──Dowding Company your highness say?」
The unexpected name that came out from William’s mouth made August’s expression grimaced noticeably.
It was the name that he didn’t want to hear the most right now.
「I can’t really admire your highness decision. After all they are just lowly merchants. Although they are good with counting money, we can’t expect them to be loyal to the kingdom.」
After all it was exactly because of that Dowding Company dispersed the function of their headquarters to other countries.
「Sure enough I too don’t expect them to be so loyal to the country that they will gladly die for it. But, I can trust them as much as the amount of salary I paid them. Those guys fundamentally only bare their fang when other people are shoving their hand into their wallet.」
「That’s──」
Isn’t that why that kind of people is problematic?
In the end what was important for merchant was their business and wallet. If those two things were violated, they would bare their fang even toward their homeland. The control that August wished for would never come true if those merchants were allowed to act like that.
「Besides, for me who had been living without care until now as a mere fourth son, I find it easier to use people who don’t really scheme. Don’t think badly of me.」
Don’t meddle too much with things here, August felt like William was giving him such warning. He took another look at William’s appearance.
William had no interest to anything other than martial arts until several years ago. He was the bratty youngest son of the royal family. No one at that time would ever imagine him managing a territory this vast even at their wildest dream.
Even August was still in the middle of learning right now compared to his father. If he was suddenly told to manage a territory, he would surely feel bewildered and made a lot of mess at the beginning.
How was William able to be this imperturbable at his current position?
Perhaps William was also a monster like Baldr? August had such thought and he unconsciously gulped.
「……Your highness has really changed.」
Those words that unconsciously slipped out from August’s mouth was his honest feeling.
「Is that so? So I’ve changed. I’m happy to hear that. I can’t stay as I was before……especially for myself.」
William showed a smile that vaguely looked relieved.
When her big sister Rachel was locked up, he was unable to become any help and could only rely on Baldr. William had never forgotten that sense of powerlessness even for a moment.
He refused to taste such feeling of powerlessness again.
He swore that he would obtain a strength that even his father Welkin couldn’t ignore without fail.
It couldn’t be just strength in the form of mere position or authority, it had to be William’s strength as an individual too. He learned that from Baldr.
And then above all else, Baldr was his irreplaceable close friend. That friend was fighting to stand up as a king. How could he stay immature forever in that case.
William had worked so hard till he bleed throughout this one year. Even Welkin was astonished by his effort. It was the perfect example of what would happen if a human with ability got serious and worked hard.
August’s scheme to make William indebted to him by helping with the management of his new territory was thoroughly falling apart.
It was painful for August that he lost the mean that he thought would be useful for this negotiation. But the option of going home empty handed at this point wasn’t available for August.
(Shit! As expected from the son of that king, looks like he can’t be treated so lightly……)
August pulled his senses together and let out a long sigh.
「Actually I visited here today because there is a matter that I wish to ask for your highness’s cooperation.」
「……Hou, do I look like I have that much free time?」
William was succeeding Antrim that was a distinguished strategic point in Mauricia Kingdom. Everyday William was working hard that even his body was starting to waste away. From his perspective, August’s request only sounded like a snide comment.]
「N-no, that’s not what I mean at all……」
August bowed his head in panic.
There was nothing more awkward than this. He thought that William wasn’t someone who would use abusive language and pressured other people like this, but it seemed he was wrong.
「But this is a matter that I have to ask your highness no matter what. It’s a matter that affect this country’s interest!」
「You are using some disquieting words there. I am not Baldr you know?」
Unfortunately William still didn’t have an influence that could be compared to Baldr. He was still working to obtain the influence that could affect this country in the future.
「──The previous Margrave Antrim’s strong opposition has been keeping it hidden, but I hope your highness can lend your strength to publicize Antrim’s hidden technology. Of course I’m not asking your highness to do this for free, I shall prepare a sufficient compensation for your highness’s cooperation!」
This was something that could only be done by William. After all August’s side didn’t have any intention to negotiate with Baldr right from the start.
「This technology will be a waste if it’s used only for a small land like Antrim. The country will only truly benefit by spreading the technology nationally with the full support of the country!」
「I see, certainly there are various technologies in this Antrim that cannot be found anywhere else. The nation’s power will more than double if these technologies are spreading to the whole Mauricia.」
「So your highness understand!」
August shouted in high spirit. But William held him back with his hand and grinned maliciously.
「You mentioned something about sufficient compensation just now.」
「Yes. I intend to repay your highness’s favor as much as I can.」
「You said sufficient, but I’ll be troubled if you undervalued the meaning of this word. If these technologies spread to the whole Mauricia, then naturally Antrim’s income will decrease. How are you planning to compensate me for that? More importantly, technology is something that can be copied. I want you to make it clear, who is the one who will take responsibility in case the technologies are leaked to other country?」
「Even if your highness ask me something like that……」
August didn’t have the authority to give the answer for William’s question. Furthermore, there was no way he had the leeway to accept William’s proposition.]
Anyone would want to get the benefit but they wouldn’t want to take responsibility or anything.
Even if he consulted this to his father Duke Richmond, he would only enrage William and ended up getting refused.
「This will be for the benefit of Mauricia Kingdom though?」
「That’s exactly why it has to be made clear who will be responsible for it. After all it’s clear it will be to the country’s detriment if the technologies leak out to other country.」
August couldn’t say anything back.
His mind was only filled with the thinking of obtaining vast amount of profit if he could just expose Antrim’s technology to light.
However it would be impossible to conceal the technologies if it was used in large scale. Richmond House also couldn’t possibly monopolize the technologies for themselves, so August became even more unable to answer.
「However allowing Antrim alone to keep monopolizing the benefits like this will be harmful to the kingdom’s order isn’t it? I believe if it’s your highness then you should understand that.」
Allowing just one noble to monopolize something was like allowing a separate small kingdom to appear within the kingdom.
To centrally manage the whole land of the kingdom, such authority of the feudal lord had to be curtailed. That should also be necessary in order to heighten the royal family’s authority.
「How troubling. Right now I am a member of the royal family, but I’m also someone who will leave the royal family soon to become a feudal lord. I also have the duty to think about the future of my own territory.」
「However, when comparing the prosperity of the whole kingdom and a single territory, isn’t it naturally clear which one is it that has to be prioritized?」
Someone in the position as a prefectural governor of the kingdom had to prioritize the interest of the kingdom.
That was the only argument left that August could make.
William smiled wryly and fended off the pressure from August who wouldn’t back off.
For William who had experienced the pressure from his father Welkin and Baldr, August’s pressure only felt like a kid that was trying to act big.
「──This is just my personal conjecture」
William talked with a calm voice as though to dodge August’s question. August was daunted by how composed William was.
「Yes……」
「The ideal of centralization of power by bureaucrat is good. But it’s too ambiguous when it comes to the matter of taking responsibility that the ideal cannot keep up with reality. It even make me unable to erase the doubt in my mind, that perhaps the bureaucrats will push all the responsibilities to the king when push comes to shove?」
「How can your highness say that!」
August snapped and stood up emotionally.
「However you sir couldn’t answer me when I asked who will take responsibility in case the kingdom took loss. Who will take responsibility and in what form when the system reform that you wished for cause some kind of loss? Or are you saying that you want to do whatevery you like but you don’t want to take responsibility for it?」
The one at the top would take the responsibility. That was something that August couldn’t say even if his mouth got ripped open.
It would be lese majeste if he said that the king should take responsibility, and if he said that the one at the top of the bureaucrat, which was the prime minister or the financial affairs minister should take responsibility, it might bring trouble to his father Duke Richmond if they learned that he said something like that.
In the first place bureaucrat organization had the tendency to disperse the responsibility to many people. August himself didn’t feel like taking responsibility for the reform at all.
Why should he take responsibility even though this would also benefit the royal family?
William who had directly witnessed Welkin’s distress because of the bureaucrats completely holding him back during the long period of Mauricia Kingdom’s hostility with Haurelia was able to accurately discern August’s dissatisfaction.
「Well, this is only my personal opinion in the end. However although his majesty told me accommodate the convenience of Margrave Antrim as much as possible, his majesty didn’t tell me to obtain Antrim’s technology.」
Why was that?
Of course a part of it was because Welkin didn’t want to turn Baldr into enemy. But Baldr too had taken into consideration that the technology would leak out to some degree. That was why he endorsed for William to succeed Antrim after him.
「You sir should think about the reason of why is that. Either way as long as his majesty doesn’t order me himself, my demand for your request is the clarification of what kind of compensation I will be given and who will take responsibility in case there is a problem. There is nothing to talk about unless those things are made clear.」
「……I understand.」
August desperately stiffened his expression so that his dissatisfaction wouldn’t come out on his face while standing up.
(……My role is as an insurance when you guys run wild. Preventing the rampage of the bureaucrats by making use of external pressure and me. You are still black-hearted as usual father.)
Unless he understood that, even August would be nothing more than a clown who was toyed around by Welkin.
The wall that William had to surpass in order to be able to stand equal to his good friend was just too big.
.
The enormous lighthouse that was the pride of Mulberry could be seen far away at the horizon.
Silk’s chest tightened so much it surprised even herself. She desperately held back the tears that threatened to ooze out from her eyes.
It was the land of Trystovy that she yearned so much. She felt a strong feeling that made her wanted to yell when she thought that her beloved Baldr was there.
Thinking back, it was also for the sake of Trystovy’s subjugation when she was about to give up on Baldr who she loved.
However now both her wishes were going to come to fruition. No, they were already coming to fruition before her eyes.
All of those were possible because of Baldr.
If Silk was trying to shoulder Trystovy on her shoulders alone, she would only become a puppet figurehead who couldn’t do anything and ended up following after her mother in death.
Silk didn’t really wish for Trystovy’s throne. Her dream came from her mother’s ideal to liberate the oppressed people of Trystovy.
But right now there was a feeling within her that had become even bigger than that.
「──Baldr.」
Being together with Baldr had become Silk’s most important thing.
.
「I was worried because you are later by two days than planned.」
Baldr went until the pier to welcome the reinforcement’s arrival. Silk’s face broke into a smile when she saw him and she broke running.
「Baldr! I wanted to meet you!」
Silk was normally a shy person, but conversely the things that she was piling up inside himself could explode all at once and she would take a bold action. Just like right now.
Her whole body tackled at Baldr just like when she was reunited with him at Antrim, then she sucked at Baldr’s lips greedily.
「Unyah!」
Satsuki witnessed that ardent kiss and she reflexively turned her red face with both her hands.
She also did the cliché of timidly staring from the gaps of her fingers.
Although Baldr blushed with a troubled look, he caught Silk firmly and he himself also covered Silk’s small lips to seek deeper kiss.
「……They’re really young.」
「Isn’t it because of your blood? My father once said that those who watched your tryst with Viktor-sama would vomit sugar from their mouth……」
Even though Gina was watching the growth of her great grandson warmly, a counter from Augusto flew from the side and Gina got panicked in a display that didn’t befit her age.
「Even I had time when I was still young! Being in heat all the time like that idiot is far more nastier compared to that!」
「Well, it’s problematic that you‘re comparing it with that though……」
「Hmph! Victor was someone devoted to me alone so it’s fine!」
「If you say that then it’s hard to say that Baldr-sama is devoted. Is that because of his father’s blood?」
.
「Achoo!」
「My lord, are you alright?」
「──Someone must be talking about me.」
Ignis recalled about the many women who he had made a mistake with in the past. His eyes seemed distant.
.
The two who were watched by the surrounding with warm gazes for a while finally returned to their senses and their lips separated. They jumped away from each other as though an unseen force was repelling them.
「Haha, how passionate. I’m really jealous seeing that.」
「Kyah!」
Silk covered her face with both hands in embarrassment at Augusto’s teasing.
「Welcome to Mulberry! The maritime guild welcomes the reinforcement’s arrival wholeheartedly.」
Augusto bowed with a theatrical gesture. Baldr glanced at him with a cold gaze before his gaze moved toward the man behind Silk who was wagging his tail in excitement.
「You’re really late Gitze.」
「M-master! It was truly my greatest blunder to be unable to participate in the first battle!」
When Gina called that name, Baldr realized that the person before him was Gitze Mannerheim, the cavalry inspector general of Nordland Empire.
He had dog ears that were shaped like bat’s wings which looked similar with greyhound. His thin tail that was like a whip was wagging restlessly. It seemed he was excited by this meeting in his own way.
「I’m thankful that you gentlemen has come from so far to lend me your help.」
Baldr held out his hand while speaking his gratitude. Gitze pressed his forehead on that hand as though he was being presented with a treasure.
「──I have been dreaming for the day to speak these words to arrive. I swear that these fangs shall bring down all enemies that threaten you, my king.」
Without any prompting the beastman race behind Gitze broke into shout of joys that sounded like dog’s howling.
For them Baldr was Gina’s great grandson and one of their Kahaui. Furthermore Baldr was a beastman king that they had earnestly wished for all this time.
They were dreaming for the day they could see Baldr while being tormented by the sea sickness from the ship travel that they weren’t used to. Their feeling wasn’t at all inferior compared to Silk.
──Their history was a history of long, long servile submission.
If the unification dynasty stayed stable and still existed even now, then perhaps the beastman race’s number wouldn’t even be 10% of their current number with the level of persecution that they faced at that time.
There was a period of great escape when beastman race wandered through the continent in their search for nations with prejudice that was as small as possible.
Even now at this era, the beastman race of Nedras Kingdom was in the verge of extinction.
In their effort to create a country where they could rest without any fear of persecution, they sacrificed their lives and proved their usefulness to Nordland Empire to obtain their current position there.
Even so somewhere in their heart, they were searching for a country that was ruled by beastman……the promised land where they wouldn’t have to worry to be treated as disposable pawn.
Strictly speaking, the country that Baldr ruled wasn’t a country that was ruled by beastman.
However he inherited the beastman blood in him, took a beastman wife, and confessed on his own that he was a beastman. There was a world of difference to them between a king like that existing and not existing.
That became more than enough reason for them to risk their life.
「──I swear my loyalty until my fangs reached the enemy’s throat.」
「I shall entrust my head to thy fang.」
It was a ritual of loyalty that was well-known among Nordland’s dog-eared tribe. Gitze’s expression was filled with color of deep emotion that he couldn’t suppress because Baldr wasn’t ignorant of it.
(Euftace. I won’t waste all your efforts!)
.
The selection for the one who would lead Nordland’s expedition army was fraught with conflicts.
Despite everything Gitze was the proud cavalry inspector general of Nordland Empire. He was extolled as the best in Nordland when it came to controlling cavalry skillfully.
There were many people who felt anxious about Gitze leaving the country.
Fortunately for Gitze, the crown prince Gustav and the great general Euftace were giving him their full support.
Even his best friend Aaron wished to leave the country and hastened to join Baldr.
But as expected, there was a limit in how much they could weaken their fighting force even though currently there was peace between Nordland and Gartlake.
While the applicants for this expedition kept increased in number, Gitze was able to win through the extremely severe competition largely because he had connection with the maritime guild through Augusto.
He ended up needing to duel Aaron under the pretense of a match for the right to depart to the front, but even that was a good memory now.
However Gitze knew that Euftace too actually wished to hasten to Baldr even more than Aaron.
As an authority of the military with his position as the great general and as the representative of the beastmen who stayed behind in Nordland, Euftace suppressed his personal desire and switched to support Gitze. He could bow his head to his best friend and thanked him thousands of times and it still wouldn’t be enough to repay this favor.
「The beastman race volunteer army of Nordland, our number is 3000 strong. We will stay at our king’s side from here on.」
A beastman could match three humans when it came to close-quarter combat. The elites of those beastmen had become Baldr’s possession along with their absolute loyalty.
There were also the four thousand strong reinforcement from Randolph House and two thousand strong troops of Margrave Antrim. With that, Mulberry had obtained the vanguard to recapture the kingdom at this moment.
.
「Mulberry has a lot of variety of tea leaves. You must be tired right? This tea has honey in it.」
「Thank you Baldr.」
Silk was shown inside Baldr’s office and tasted a personal time where they were alone with each other after so long.
.
「Unfair nya! You must be planning something strange nya!」
「Just shut up and come over here!」
Baldr should be thankful that he had such a considerate great grandma.
.
「……Delicious.」
Silk should have been familiar with expensive tea leaves as the young lady of Randolph House. Even so the taste of this tea surprised her.
「I was told that this tea seems to be the first pick of tea leaves produced in Horntbeck Kingdom. I too never tasted it before coming to Mulberry.」
Horntbeck Kingdom was an island country located far at the sea west from Trystovy. It was a maritime nation that was twice the scale of Majorca Kingdom.
An inland country like Mauricia Kingdom never really had a chance to interact with them. It was also located slightly far from the continent, so it was a country that didn’t leave much impression.
「I’m glad that you are safe.」
Baldr looked like he had grown up even more dazzling compared to when he departed from Mauricia. Silk’s eyes squinted fondly seeing that.
Just how much she had thought of simply abandoning everything and heading to where Baldr was right away? She had lost count of how many times she had been driven by the temptation of wanting to cut down the bureaucrat nobles who kept continuing doing their underhanded obstruction.
That was the only time Silk had ever cursed the weight of her status. Because of that the refugee nobles from Trystovy got put under pressure from Silk who was venting her fury at them.
.
「This is bad……this is really bad! No matter how many of the dukedom nobles I contacted, not even one of them agreed to switch side.」
「Me too……what in the world are they doing being this devoted to the dukedom!?」
「I-is it really true? That we will be banished if we don’t prove our worth?」
「This isn’t funny! Even though Trystovy is finally going to be taken back, how can they make light of nobles from prestigious house like us!」
──*DON!*
「HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH!」
「I’ll murder the hell out of all of you useless craps.」
「W-who was it, the guy who said that she is a mild-mannered and graceful young lady……」
.
It was said that three of the refugee nobles were pitifully getting balder day by day until Silk departed from Mauricia.
But such ignoble sacrifice never graced Silk’s thought for even a second. Silk glared at Baldr sulkily.
「That was because I was really worried!」
Somehow it felt unfair that she was the only one who was feeling that worried and anxious.
In addition even though they hadn’t met only just for a bit, it seemed that the distance between Baldr and Satsuki had decreased by a lot. As expected the feeling of solidarity from fighting together in the battlefield couldn’t be underestimated.
「I was also lonely without Silk at my side.」
On the other hand Baldr too was unable to be as calm as Silk thought he was.
Since the time he welcomed Silk at the pier, his heart had been throbbing hard as though he was a young boy who had only known about first love.
──She had become pretty.
He had been attracted by her dignified bearing since the first time they met.
But the current Silk possessed inviolable elegance and mettle that surpassed her past self. She also had a fresh seductiveness of a woman who knew the man she loved.
The two of them naturally gravitated to each other without any prompting. Then Baldr spontaneously embraced Silk’s dainty body so tightly it was painful.
「You’re warm.」
「Yes.」
If Maggot was here, she might triumphantly say that as expected her son was looking for the vestige of his mother in his lover.
Silk was wrapped in a dignified atmosphere like a single flower. In addition her expression was also vaguely giddy from the excitement of finally arriving at the homeland where she was born at. It couldn’t be denied that there were some parts of her that were similar to Maggot.
Although Baldr would never admit that he had mother complex even under torture.
Both of them exchanged a kiss. Then Silk quietly took Baldr’s right arm and her head leaned on his reliable shoulder.
When they first met, there was almost no difference in height between them, but now she felt indescribably happy that Baldr was a head taller than her.
But it was sad. Even though Silk was hugging Baldr’s arm, there wasn’t any alluring softness that was unique to woman that could be felt from there.
It’s touching! Such words couldn’t be said to Silk in this scene.
「What could you possibly think about right now?」
*Giriri* Silk pinched on Baldr’s stomach with her fingers while showing a disquieting smile.
「I don’t have any breast anyway! My breast is inferior even when compared with Satsuki-san who has childish figure……nnh!」
Baldr strongly covered Silk’s lips and physically stopped her words.
A sweet numbness was spreading from the area around her hips just from Baldr devouring her lips greedily.
「Nnh! Afuh!」
Silk’s thought became hazy with pink mist after Baldr sought her so passionately and caressed her head. Her anger just now had vanished completely to somewhere.
「As I thought the kiss is better when I did it from my end isn’t it?」
「……Stupid-!」
As expected Ignis’s blood had been thickly passed into Baldr it seemed.
.
While Baldr and Silk were acting lovey dovey at the terrace while looking down to the sea, Augusto was tormented by a severe stomachache.
「──And, where is Idunn? Idunn isn’t coming here today?」
Augusto racked his brain pondering of how in the world he was going to explain about his mother to his uncle who was afflicted by the incurable illness of being a siscon. Even Augusto was unable to find the right words.
(I really resent you──Kaa-san.)
Augusto closed his eyes and the satisfied smile of his mother who decided to offer her everything for love floated in his mind.
No matter what he did, this wasn’t something that he would be able to keep hiding from Gitze forever.
Augusto let out a deep sigh and resolved himself. He sat down heavily on the sofa and spoke resolutely to Gitze.
「Kaa-san is──uncle’s little sister is not in Mulberry anymore.」
「What, so she is going out……」
Gitze displayed his disappointment clearly and hung his head down.
「Kaa-san went to the dukedom the other day. She won’t return back anymore.」
「You, what did you say just now?」
Gitze couldn’t ignore that sentence even if it was a joke.
The dukedom was currently an enemy country that was at war with them. Visiting there would be nothing but suicide.
Gitze absolutely couldn’t turn a blind eye to the fact that his adorable little sister was in such place.
「……That’s Kaa-san’s will. Uncle surely understand that no one will be able to stop that person once she has decided something right?」
Idunn was also a young lady of a prestigious family. She was expected to marry with another prestigious noble of Nordland in the future.
And yet she married with Bennett (Valerie) in a way that was no different from elopement. It was a feat that was made possible by her transcendental ability to take action and willpower of steel.
Gitze too knew that very well after experiencing being drugged by her and finding her already escaping to other country when he woke up.
「──Why?」
He would recognize that there was no way Augusto could have stopped Idunn. But why did she have to go to the dukedom?
Gitze just barely stopped his hand that was reaching toward the sword on his waist. But if Augusto gave him an answer that he couldn’t accept, he had no intention to hesitate in pulling out his sword.
「Can uncle swear on the beast god Zoras that you will keep the secret?」
「If that is something that doesn’t go against the will of the beast god Zoras.」
「I can’t promise that. However Kaa-san believes in what she is doing. Can uncle keep this secret?」
Augusto’s tone was filled with a firm will like a freezing ice. Gitze felt a bad premonition flashed at the back of his mind.
「Don’t tell me, you aren’t keeping this a secret from even his highness Baldr too aren’t you?」
「It’s exactly like uncle suspect. I’ll also have uncle bring this secret to your grave too.」
「You bastard! You are making a mockery of the new beast king!」
Baldr wasn’t just a mere lord for him.
Baldr was a sacred existence that would shoulder the dearest wish of the beastman race──or to be more accurate a person who could possibly become such an existence.
As one of the beastman race who swore loyalty to the beast king, he couldn’t possibly accept Augusto’s statement by any means.
「──Calm down. It was me who told him to keep the circumstance a secret.」
「M-master? Why did master……」
Gina appeared and interrupted with a sentence that he had never even expected. Gitze was bewildered.
Gitze was certainly a disciple of Gina, but Idunn and Gina should be just a mere acquaintance with each other.
「This is the product of the madness of a man. But there is no doubting that madness will be beneficial for Baldr’s sake. Carelessly bringing it to light will only be a loss for Baldr.」
「To be honest that’s really appalling. I won’t let you say that you don’t know just how significant the side effect that would result from madness and mania.」
「I would have stopped it if I knew from the start. This thing has started since a long time ago. What’s left is only to welcome its end now. The only thing we can do is to at least make use of it.」
Valerie’s madness destroyed the kingdom in the past. However it couldn’t be denied that the new dynasty that Baldr would build was only possible because of the kingdom’s destruction.
If it was discovered that everything here was all due to the plots that Valerie devised, it would only bring bad influence for Baldr.
Gitze definitely saw the color of sadness that was mixed in Gina’s eyes. He groaned and leaned on the back of the sofa with his face looking up to the ceiling.
「──Talk.」
Gitze bitterly said that. It was unbecoming for a retainer to hold a secret from his lord, but he understood that there was a reason that forced them to do that.
「I’ll keep the secret in deference to master.」
.
Gitze listened to the long tale in shock.
It was a far-reaching story that he was unable to believe right away. It was really unbelievable that there was the madness of just a single man writhing behind the destruction of Trystovy Kingdom.
Furthermore his little sister was seriously in love with that man.
「It’s the nature of the women of beastman race. You aren’t going to deny it aren’t you?」
Gitze awkwardly scratched his head when Gina asserted that.
「Idunn is my cute little sister, but I won’t do anything to make her bend her own way of life you know?」
「You locked her up when you opposed her marriage with Bennett!」
「T-that was because I judged that she was tricked by a suspicious man from other country! And it turned out I was right that he was really a suspicious man.」
No matter what, it was impossible to see through that someone who should be just a merchant was actually a count who was manipulating a country from behind the scene.
「You are calmer than I thought you would be. I thought uncle might even run off alone to chase after Kaa-san after hearing this.」
Augusto theatrically wiped the sweat on his forehead. Gitze scoffed and glared at him.
「Idunn will just commit suicide if I try to bring her back forcefully. I can at least understand that each person has something that they absolutely will never give up on.」
(Although, I can’t wipe away this feeling of desolation that she won’t rely on me……)
Although he understood that there was nothing that could be done, even though a part of him wanted to praise his little sister how praiseworthy she was, he couldn’t erase the feeling of emptiness inside him before this eternal separation from his little sister.
His memories of his little sister since she was a child were resurrected in his mind like a revolving lantern. Gitze desperately shook them off. At this rate he was going to break out crying shamefully in front of Augusto and Gina.
「Alcohol! Bring me alcohol!」
「Uncle, it’s still afternoon you know?」
「It’s a celebration for Idunn’s new life. It should be fine for me to drink alcohol from noon at least for today.」
「Give up and keep him company. Alcohol is necessary for this kind of day.」
「……I’m not a strong drinker at uncle’s level though.」
In the end Augusto was made to accompany Gitze until late at night. The next day he was tormented by a horrible hangover.
And yet even though Gitze should have drank thrice the amount of alcohol than Augusto, he could be found inspecting the troops the next day with an unconcerned face.
.
「……It’s unreasonable.」
「Augusto-sama, are you alright?」
Augusto was groaning on his bed. Angelica who came here by taking advantage of Gitze’s position looked like she was in a good mood.
「How about drinking a cold water?」
「Yeah, I’ll drink it. Even so……I’m amazed that uncle allowed you to come.」
It was very unexpected for Augusto that Gitze would bring the pretty daughter he greatly doted on to a battlefield where their side was at disadvantage.
Angelica’s eyes turned round at Augusto’s words and she laughed.
「──I have been taught the way to fight as a woman of the beastman race. Then how can I just quietly watch from the side line while my husband is fighting? I won’t accept being away from your side when you die.」
Augusto involuntarily felt a cold breeze between his legs.
He had obtained a reputation as philanderer among many women until now, but Angelica had a different kind of obsession from the women he knew.
「After all it’s an honor for beastwoman to die together with her husband ─」
Angelica spoke the same words like his mother without any hesitation. It was at that moment Augusto realized the depth of passion of beastwoman.
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