Final Chapter: War without End
The enemy were wiped out. We were greeted with applause on our return to the capital. My only remaining task was an audience with the king. I couldn’t declare myself independent yet, so there was no way out of it.
A gaudy throne of gleaming gold.
Unlike the declining Runan Kingdom, the throne still sparkled.
It feels almost paradoxical.
I bowed before the king as I took in this sight.
“So you’re Count Eintorian, are you? I was right about you. I knew you would protect the country! Ha ha ha!
The greasy king showered me with words of praise. It was almost like he wanted to say he was the one who’d won this war.
“I certainly defeated our enemies, but I couldn’t possibly say I defended the country. The soldiers were able to fight their hardest because you were here, Your Majesty. This was all thanks to your power!”
Obviously, there was no need to rub him the wrong way right now, so I told the king the words he wanted to hear. He let out a big laugh, pleased with my response.
“Ha ha ha! I like you. Oh, I really do. If you continue to save my country, I wouldn’t even mind giving you the title of duke. I expect great things from you!”
Duke. That’s one of the highest ranks in the nobility. Basically, the king’s trying to ingratiate me to him. But what I want is to be king myself.
I had an opportunity to take over this world, and the system was letting me make it a reality. The system had sent me to this world to “go for glory.” That likely meant something along the lines of, “we’re giving you this system to work with, so go conquer the world.”
If I chose not to strive for glory, whatever that meant, I had no guarantee that my current lifestyle would continue indefinitely. The system might disappear, I might go back to my ordinary life...or I might even die.
That’d be the worst.
I wasn’t about to miss such an exciting opportunity.
Even if there’s no telling when I might die on the battlefield, this is still way better than the monotony of the real world!
I would conquer the world for my own ideals. Even if I failed and died, that was still millions of times better than living an uneventful life.
So, a ducal title in Runan means nothing to me.
“Thank you, Sire. If you call for me, I will come to your aid at once.”
Obviously, I still needed to stay in the king’s good graces for now, so I knelt down and gave him that response. Ronan, among many of the other nobles present, were visibly displeased with what the king had just said to me.
That probably means they’re not going to let their own power be eroded. The only simpleton here’s the king.
“Do you really mean to return? Why not leave your lands to your retainers and stay here in the center of the nation?”
After the audience ended, Ronan began subtly probing me with questions.
He can’t possibly want me staying here to amass power.
“No, I’d still like to see to my domain,” I responded.
“I see. I won’t stop you, in that case. Come to me if you change your mind,” Ronan said blithely with a nod of his head.
But I had no interest in the power struggles of the capital. I needed to develop my own nation.
There’re the countries of the south, and Naruya in the north—powerful enemies abound. I plan to have Runan keep shielding me until Eintorian’s able to build up enough power. If Runan is destroyed in Naruya’s Grand Subjugation, Eintorian will appear on the world stage during the resulting chaos. I just have to bide my time and wait until then.
Of course, when that time came, I would be the lord who started from Eintorian, one small city among many, and went on to unite the entire continent. There were many cities represented by circles and squares on the game’s map, and I was going to start with just one of them.
There’s too much I need to do. I’ve got a year from when I return to Eintorian.
This coming year felt like it was going to be the most important. Everything would start from here. Fortunately, I gained a lot from participating in this war. First of all, Yusen and Gibun. They came of their own volition and knelt before me.
“Will you accept us as your subordinates?”
“What’re you talking about? You already are.”
“I heard you would be leaving the royal army. But how am I to serve at your side if you do that? If you’ll take me as your retainer, I’ll give my life for you!”
“As will I!”
The two of them spoke as one. And they were telling me just what I wanted to hear, of course.
“Are you both serious?”
“Of course!”
“Even if the result is betraying Runan?”
That was the most important bit. When I made that nebulous statement, they both exchanged glances. Then, they answered in unison.
“A retainer of a noble house follows their lord’s commands!”
And so, Yusen and Gibun became my retainers. That made three recruits, including Jint. And it wasn’t just new personnel I gained, but also time and fame. That meant I was right to join in the war.
And with those results, I returned home to Eintorian.
*
Some time earlier, Euracia was watching the war, just like she had been asked to. It was currently dawn on a day in the middle of the battle for Lynon Castle. She’d appeared before Yusen as he ran north to meet Ronan.
That’s because Yusen had run into one of the units of the Royal Naruyan Army scattered around the northern regions. She’d been cutting down Naruyan soldiers one after another.
Runan’s an ally of Rozern, after all. It’s not wrong of me to join the battle.
“Thank you! You really saved me! But who are you?” Yusen asked, but she shook her head.
“I was just asked to do this by Lord Eintorian. Don’t mind me. Carry on and do as you must.”
Euracia spoke impassively as she faced the onrushing soldiers. Yusen hesitated a moment, looking at her, but then hurried on to meet with Ronan. Euracia watched him go before keeping the enemy busy for a little while and then retreating. She found a high hill nearby which she could use to watch the battle at Lynon Castle from a distance. She wasn’t sure why, but watching Erhin fight when he was surrounded by the enemy made her blood boil.
If there had been a man of his will and mental fortitude in Rozern, her father, the king, wouldn’t have died so pitifully. It made her want to test her own strength even more. She wanted to rush to Lynon Castle right away. But by the time she made up her mind, Ronan’s troops were already pushing through the open gates, and Lynon Castle was retaken in no time.
Euracia bit her lip as a cheer went up, celebrating an outcome to the battle that went beyond anything she could have imagined. Because it was proof that what he had said might be true.
The crisis bearing down on Rozern...
As she thought of her young brother, the current king, Euracia raced off towards her homeland. That was to be the spark for another conflict. The one in which, in the game’s history, she was to meet her end.
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