Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 18 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Bonds of Blood

A woman was seated at the window, looking exhausted. The air about her was dark and oppressing. The moment Chris Morgan, carrying a stack of accounting documents in his hands, opened the door to her office, he gave her a concerned expression.

Breaking the agreement with him is still weighing on her.

The face of Ryoma Mikoshiba, who he’d seen for the first time in a while just the other day, flashed in Chris’s mind. Given the circumstances, Ryoma could have cut Chris down right then and there, but after reading Helena’s letter, Ryoma had said he understood and let Chris go unharmed.

Chris would never forget the expression Helena had made when he told her what had happened. Her features had been stricken with regret and repentance. She’d looked like a sinner faced with the enormity of her sin. Even today, she still seemed tormented by her choice.

I understand that to Lady Helena, it was a painful decision to make...

As Rhoadseria’s general, she’d raced across the battlefield, and in the process, she’d met a hero by the name of Ryoma Mikoshiba and chosen a new path in life. She’d made this choice after a great deal of deliberation—the choice to betray the country she’d defended for so many years.

No matter how inadequate a ruler Lupis Rhoadserians might have been, betraying one’s country was a grave crime. It was only natural Helena would think twice before doing so. Despite this, Helena had chosen Ryoma over her country because she was charmed by his abilities and potential. Nonetheless, in the end, the auspicious revelation of her daughter’s survival had overturned that choice.

Helena had thrown herself into work, exhausting herself and trying to drown out the guilt. Chris could relate to how she felt.

Which choice would have been better?

Chris honestly didn’t know. Given how much Helena had rejoiced upon learning her daughter was still alive, there was no easy answer to that question. It wasn’t just difficult for him either; as the one who’d made that choice, Helena too was tormented by it. If this choice wasn’t such a painful one, it would have cast doubt upon all the suffering she’d felt until now.

But I never would have imagined Lady Saria’s life would have these kinds of consequences.

Chris couldn’t help but feel that since Saria’s presence threw the situation into so much chaos, she might have been better off dead. Of course, he couldn’t say that to Helena. Just the fact that the terrible thought had even crossed his mind felt like it called his basic humanity into question.

Realistically speaking, Saria’s survival had created a number of problems. Most of all, it made Helena change her approach with Akitake Sudou. He was, after all, the one who’d protected her daughter. So long as he didn’t do anything too appalling, Helena couldn’t treat him callously—especially not now, when it turned out that Saria Steiner was an attendant of Princess Radine.

It does feel a little too good to be true...

For the unbiased observer, this suspicion was natural. Her daughter, who was said to have died over a decade ago, had suddenly turned up alive and well with this perfect timing. It wasn’t as though similar things hadn’t happened in the past, though. There were cases where towns were destroyed by gigantic monsters, only for children who were presumed dead to turn up alive and return to their parents’ side a decade later.

Usually, this would be a heartwarming miracle, but Saria Steiner’s survival was simply too good to be true, even with evidence like her physical resemblance to Helena’s daughter and the pendant. Most suspicious of all was the fact that the man who informed Helena of her daughter’s survival was of unknown origins and had somehow managed to slither his way into the palace.

Furio Gelhart may have been demoted from duke to viscount, but he was the leader of the nobles’ faction and the man who backed Princess Radine. Akitake Sudou was his advisor, it seems, so Sudou finding his way into the palace isn’t that surprising.

But even then, it felt like too many coincidences had overlapped to make this reunion possible.

Who even is this Sudou man to begin with? Is he on our side, or is he an enemy? Why is he even allowed to be at the palace at all? How did he not face judgment?

This question probably troubled the minds of many people in Rhoadseria’s court. Formally speaking, Akitake Sudou had no status or official position to speak of. He was, at best, an attendant to Radine Rhoadserians after she’d been officially recognized as a princess, and an assistant dispatched by Viscount Gelhart.

Sudou’s position was far too vague. He wasn’t a knight guarding the princess or viscount, nor was he a chamberlain. It wasn’t even clear if Viscount Gelhart had really ordered him to act. He seemed to hardly ever be at Princess Radine’s or Viscount Gelhart’s side, instead walking around the palace as he pleased. At that point, could he even be considered their attendant?

Nevertheless, no one voiced their discontent or doubts with regards to him. In fact, many of the nobles and knights who had no territory identified with Sudou. Apparently, Mikhail Vanash was especially close with him. They weren’t friends, but Chris’s information network had told him that Mikhail periodically met with Sudou, and recently, Meltina Lecter was a part of those meetings too.

I heard that Sudou was the one who helped Viscount Gelhart swear allegiance to Her Majesty in exchange for freeing Mikhail from captivity.

For a time, Mikhail had been ostracized as a war criminal for his acts during the civil war. While the fault for that did lay with Mikhail, the fact of the matter was that had Akitake Sudou not approached Queen Lupis with that deal, his fate would have been written off as that of a knight who’d died bravely in the line of duty. Instead, House Gelhart had swooped in and requested a deal in exchange for his safe return.

Well, normally, no one would have taken that deal.

Not only would Queen Lupis have destroyed her foes, the nobles’ faction, but she would have also claimed the head of their leader. That would have been the most certain way of ensuring her opposition was permanently eliminated.

What’s more, at the time, Viscount Gelhart had been backed against the wall. His stronghold at the citadel city of Heraklion had failed to conscript the commoners, and many of the nobles affiliated with his faction had begun retreating back to their domains out of fear that the situation would turn unfavorable for their side. Holding a siege under those circumstances would have been impossible for the viscount. The second the battle would have begun, Gelhart’s fate would have been sealed. Be that as it may, Queen Lupis had ended up accepting his oath of fealty in exchange for Mikhail’s safe return.

Looking at it this way, Sir Mikhail wasn’t entirely responsible.

Yet people would often bend common sense if it let them pin the blame on someone, so even though Mikhail didn’t willingly or intentionally give Viscount Gelhart the golden chance he needed, people still coldly faulted him for enabling it.

But I guess you can’t say he wasn’t responsible either. He did abandon his reconnaissance mission to go after his rival, charged his forces into the enemy, and got himself captured.

Regardless of if Mikhail’s failings were the result of his own foolishness, the fact remained that Akitake Sudou had made the chance for his return possible to begin with.

Hearing that Sudou and Mikhail are in cahoots does strike me as a bit odd. 

The circumstances being what they had been, if Chris had been in Mikhail’s shoes, he couldn’t have remained composed around Sudou. True, he might not have regarded Sudou as an enemy, but he would’ve certainly felt reserved around him and would have avoided interacting with him. If nothing else, he certainly wouldn’t have chosen to actively associate with him.

Yes, not unless I had a very good reason...

All sorts of reasons could have pushed Mikhail to associate with Sudou, but the problem was that as a result, Queen Lupis had let a latent threat sneak into her regime.

That said, right now I have this problem to deal with. 

He placed the papers on the spot for documents requiring Helena’s attention and, despite feeling like it might be forward of him, spoke to his respected superior.

“I think you’re dwelling on this too much. I know you stayed up late last night, but if you keep this up, you’ll damage your health.”

Chris glanced at the pile of documents on the desk.

Handling this many on her own is too much.

A small mountain of documents was stacked on the desk in front of Helena. It would take an ordinary person days to go through all of them, and sadly, nothing could make this pile of papers disappear on its own. The more documents that were processed, the more that would have to come through Helena for approval.

Having been reinstated as Rhoadseria’s general, Helena Steiner was to aid Queen Lupis, the commander of the upcoming northern subjugation. This gave her management of the royal guard and the monarch’s guard, as well as the armies of the nobles who’d boasted about how they would slay Baron Mikoshiba. Consequently, Helena was swamped with work.

At this point, working through the night was a daily affair for her. If she forced herself to go to bed, she’d just have to wake up an hour later. Her meals were also relegated to the short breaks between work. Even with martial thaumaturgy and a physique much healthier than her age might suggest, this was still taxing on Helena’s aging body. However, no matter how much Chris admonished her for it, Helena didn’t have any intention of changing her ways. It was like she was trying to punish herself.

Not that I don’t understand why.

Helena ignored Chris’s concern. “Yes, thank you. I’ll be careful,” she muttered. She didn’t seem annoyed with Chris, yet despite her compliant words, her hands moved just the same. They’d had this conversation time and again already.

With nothing else to say, Chris heaved a deep sigh, bowed, and left the room.

Walking quickly through the palace corridors, Chris made for his room as he thought back to what he’d just seen—the mountain of documents lined up before Helena.

It really does seem that establishing and training the new knight orders is weighing heavily on Lady Helena.

Normally, someone else would handle this kind of work, but since Queen Lupis requested that this be handled perfectly, Helena had taken over it herself.

Since Queen Lupis wants to increase her authority as sovereign, reinforcing the knight orders is a matter of great urgency for her.

Despite claiming to be a centralized authoritarian monarchy, Rhoadseria’s political system was closer to feudalism. Some nobles with roles in the palace didn’t own land, and although their high positions did support the administration, most of Rhoadseria’s aristocracy was made up of governors who ruled the country’s territories. They maintained their own armies, collected taxes from their domains, and swayed the law within their territories with their discretionary power.

They’re like kings ruling small countries.

They didn’t have the authority to negotiate with other countries, but even that wasn’t fully controlled by the royal house. For example, Viscount Winzer, who ruled the southern border city of Galatia, had significant authority over military and diplomatic affairs.

In a world where long-distance communication was limited to carrier pigeons, the palace couldn’t properly manage the border regions itself. At worst, if the Kingdom of Tarja were to suddenly declare war, it would take too long for a runner to reach the capital and return with instructions. If Count Winzer had to wait for permission to engage in defensive combat, the invaders would have encroached too deep to be stopped by the time he received it. Due to this delay, Rhoadseria’s rulers had no choice but to give frontier governors the right to maintain an army, like they had done for generations.

But that could create an opportunity for a rebellion.

That wouldn’t happen if the royal house had the power to keep those governors in check, but over Rhoadseria’s five hundred years of history, the royal house’s authority had gradually dwindled.

In that regard, Queen Lupis was correct to order Helena to swiftly organize the new units. The problem was the intent behind her order.

Queen Lupis is testing Lady Helena’s loyalty. Lady Helena was close to Baron Mikoshiba, so I can understand Her Majesty’s misgivings, but still. She’s mistreating Lady Helena.

Chris could only shake his head at this absurd test, but that didn’t mean he or Lady Helena could just ignore the queen’s instructions. Forming new knight orders was an important task, one which would determine Rhoadseria’s future; that much was for certain.

The royal house is weak, though. No governor is going to obey a queen who lost all her authority.

The weak were at fault for their weaknesses, no matter how strong they might have once been. The governing nobles only served Rhoadseria and obeyed its ruler because they stood to profit from it. But what kind of profit did they seek?

Safety and stability. No noble would serve a king that can’t guarantee those.

There were exceptions to every rule, of course. Some nobles had given up their lives and the lives of their commoners for the kingdom in pursuit of glory and family honor, but those were few and far between. As a knight, Chris respected those capable of such loyalty.

But realistically speaking...

Chris thought back to his own grandfather, who was laying in bed and awaiting death to claim to him. Seeing such a loyal man die, abandoned by his country, made it hard for him to speak of loyalty.

General Albrecht was the one who prevented us from getting medicine for his Carrion disease. Because of him, grandfather is dying in agony, when all of this could have been avoided.

His condition hadn’t needed to progress to the level it had. While lethal, Carrion disease was a treatable affliction. Nonetheless, whenever Chris’s family had tried to buy the nostrums to treat his grandfather’s disease, the former General Albrecht had interfered with their efforts, preventing them from purchasing them. As a result, Frank Morgan’s illness had progressed to its terminal state, and he had become bedridden. The doctor’s diagnosis was that he had a month or two left to live.

He probably won’t live to see the end of the northern subjugation.

Although Chris was as close to his grandfather as he was to his own parents, he would likely not be there to see his passing. This filled him with regret, guilt, and shame, but as Helena’s right-hand man, he had a duty to support her as she commanded Rhoadseria’s army. No matter how close he was to his grandfather, he couldn’t attend his grandfather’s final moments with the situation being what it was.

His grandfather was currently taking intense, narcotic-based painkillers that allowed him to keep his wits about him, but once those wore off, the rotting flesh eating away at his body would cause him agonizing pain. Seeing his grandfather convulse and froth at the mouth from that would crush Chris’s heart.

Nevertheless, Chris couldn’t lay all the blame all on General Albrecht.

Grandfather was loyal to Lady Helena, as he should have been.

Chris would not deny that, but in the end, this was what had led to Frank Morgan’s current fate. The many misfortunes Chris had been put through could be traced back to Frank’s stubbornness too.

Maybe the fact that I think he should have been smarter in how he acted is proof that I’m just not loyal enough.

Chris’s heart trembled with irritation. Was this because of the age gap between him and his grandfather, or were their personalities just that different? Either way, Chris was torn between his self-interest and his loyalty to Helena, but only because Helena was also wavering.

Having returned to his office, Chris sank into his chair and looked up at the ceiling, wondering which path he should take in the coming war.

♱

Northeast of Rhoadseria’s capital, in a bay halfway into the Wortenia Peninsula, was a city nestled deep within the undeveloped no-man’s-land. The man who built it had named it Sirius. The name was derived from the Greek language, meaning “the brightest” or “that which burns hardest,” and it was the name given to the star that shone brightest in the winter sky. Ryoma Mikoshiba had christened his city with this name, filling it with all of his resolve.

On the same night that Chris started realizing his doubts, two men sat together, enjoying a drink at Baron Mikoshiba’s estate, built in the heart of Sirius. One of them was Baron Mikoshiba, who had returned just the day prior from his meeting with the Kingdom of Myest. The other was an old man, his mane of white hair tied into a ponytail—Koichiro.

Both were seated by the window. The moonlight shone down on them as they tipped liquor into their cups on the table between them. Standing by the wall were the twins, Sara and Laura Malfist, dressed in maid uniforms. They were likely there as attendants and bodyguards.

Ryoma trusted Koichiro completely, but given his position, he still had to be careful to some extent, even in the presence of a relative. In a sense, the fact that he was speaking to someone who shouldn’t even be here was all the more reason to be careful.

Their glasses contained ice, produced by verbal thaumaturgy, and an amber-colored liquid. Every so often, the melting ice would break, producing a satisfying click.

The old man gazed at his glass and slowly brought it to his nose. “This is good.” Words of honest praise leaked from his lips. “Even when it’s cold, I can smell how refined it is. It’s fine liquor, made by the hands of a master.”

“Thanks. I’m glad you like it,” Ryoma replied. “It was worth asking Simone to order it from the central continent.”

As far as Ryoma knew, the method for producing wine in this world was no different from his home world’s. After wine made from grapes was distilled, it was stored in wooden barrels to ripen. However, perhaps due to the climate where the white wine, the base for this liquor, was distilled, the drink’s aroma was exceptionally and distinctively strong.

This costs three times a commoner’s annual salary. If he didn’t like it, it’d be like I got conned, Ryoma thought to himself, directing a reproachful gaze at the bottle sitting on the table.

People had their preferences when it came to alcohol, but Ryoma doubted anyone would say this liquor tasted bad. He’d served this to the nobles during his dinner party in Pireas too. To show off the Mikoshiba barony’s financial might, he’d bought all types of liquor, from red wine to white wine, and all of them were the finest money could buy. The food, the alcohol, the orchestra... All of those expenses cost more than any baron or viscount in Rhoadseria could reasonably afford. Not even a powerful count could frivolously spend this much. Ryoma had spared no expense to gather all manner of delicacies.

Not that I got to enjoy any of it back then.

The evening party’s objective was strictly to show off the Mikoshiba barony’s financial blessings and apply pressure to any nobles who considered opposing him. He hadn’t had the time or leisure to nibble on fine cuisine and sip on wine. He did have a few sips during the party, but that was the extent of his enjoyment.

It’s my first time tasting this brandy, but it’s not bad. Not sure if it’s worth the price tag, though. If nothing else, I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy this, Ryoma thought as he sipped on his drink again.

The rich aroma tickled his nostrils as the intense taste of alcohol burned his throat. The ice should have curbed the heat somewhat, but it was a strong drink. It wasn’t bad by any means, and if Ryoma were asked about the taste, he would answer that it was good. But was it three-times-a-commoner’s-yearly-salary good? Ryoma was inclined to say no. Since market prices were different in this world, it was difficult to convert the value of products into his home world’s currency, but by his calculations, this brandy’s price was equivalent to ten million yen.

That’s excessive for a bottle of brandy, but I guess these kinds of premium products at auctions can go over one hundred million yen. In those cases, the price gets inflated not because of the alcohol, but because the bottles are decorated with diamonds. If I consider the cost of ferrying this bottle from the central continent as about the same price as a premium bottle, I guess it evens out.

The voyage from the central continent to the western continent was a long one. The weather and the wind influenced how many days it took, but a one-way trip typically took several months. A round trip could take years, depending on different factors.

In addition, the waters were full of sea monsters in search of prey, which made the voyage even more dangerous than traveling by land. There was nowhere to run in the vast sea. Due to this, sailing between continents was both a chance to get rich quickly and a dangerous journey that teetered on the razor’s edge between life and death.

I guess when I consider the many hardships it took for this bottle to get to me, I shouldn’t complain, Ryoma thought as he rotated the glass in his hands and watched the liquid swirl inside it. The cubes of ice that still retained their shape made a satisfying clicking sound.

And I’m supposed to drink this without ice, I suppose.

The melting ice dampened his spirits a bit, but it did make the taste and aroma a bit more mild.

Not that I’m a connoisseur or some kind of liquor-tasting judge. I’ll just drink it however I see fit.

It was an insult to the brewer to put ice in liquor of this quality. Moreover, adding needless fluids to the drink made it harder to appraise fairly. But when it came to enjoying the drink, was there an objectively correct way of doing so? For example, if someone were to write a guidebook on how to drink liquor, Ryoma believed they would suggest different ways of consuming it, such as diluting it in cold water, hot water, or carbonated water. Cocktails and coke highballs were other ways of enjoying a drink too. It was all a matter of taste, and Ryoma and Koichiro liked their drink served in water on the rocks.

Hell, you can put ice in your beer if that’s what floats your boat.

The Japanese didn’t generally respect this, and Ryoma himself wasn’t one for cooling his beer with ice, but some countries in the world did so. In southeast Asia, in Thailand and Vietnam, it was customary to put ice in beer. Ryoma had just happened to read that online back when he was still in Japan, but even years down the line he could recall the culture shock it had given him.

The different ways of enjoying a drink only became an issue when one forced these questions of taste onto other people.

And getting that distinction wrong can result in bloodshed.

It was just a trivial question, but for how insignificant it was, it could end up costing lives sometimes, especially with people like Koichiro Mikoshiba.

Getting on his bad side can be more trouble than it’s worth.

Having lived with Koichiro for over a decade and a half, Ryoma knew this all too well. Koichiro was his closest relative, and Ryoma had lived with him the longest, so Ryoma was confident that he understood his grandfather. He was his flesh and blood.

But I guess there were things about him even I didn’t know.

Ryoma looked at Koichiro, who was tilting his glass to his lips. Normally, Ryoma would have questioned him by now. After all, he shouldn’t be in this world. Koichiro did tell him a fair bit on the night before the Battle of the Cannat Plains, and he’d let a few more details slip by in later conversations, but he hadn’t dropped all pretenses and told Ryoma the whole story yet. Tonight was one of the few chances Ryoma had to ask him personal questions before the war with Queen Lupis started in earnest.

Perhaps sensing Ryoma’s curiosity, Koichiro lifted his gaze from his glass and whispered, “Well? What do you want to ask?”

“Okay, then...” Ryoma tilted his head in thought for a moment, then sighed deeply. There were too many questions he wanted answered. Why did Koichiro, a resident of Rearth, come to this side? What’s more, it seemed as if Koichiro had spent years in this world since being summoned.

I could understand if he didn’t know I was here...

That wasn’t the case, though. When Koichiro appeared before Ryoma after Ryoma’s escape from Pireas, he had told Ryoma that he’d been informed about his situation long beforehand. It seemed unthinkable he would choose not to approach Ryoma before.

Plus, those people who were with him...the Chinese man, Zheng Motoku and the Russian woman, Veronica Kozlova. Who are they?

The way they conducted themselves made it clear that there was more to them than met the eye. They had the unique air of those who’d taken the lives of others.

And many lives, at that.

They must have killed at least a dozen people each. Perhaps they had the blood of hundreds on their hands. Ryoma had no proof to back this, of course. After Koichiro told him about the ambush units, Koichiro’s companions had exchanged simple greetings with Ryoma, but he hadn’t spoken to them since. Their only communication was the occasional nod when he passed them in the estate’s corridors. Ryoma couldn’t even call them acquaintances. The only tenuous connection he had with them was that they were, at best, acquaintances of his grandfather’s. But that was enough for Ryoma to pick up on things.

You don’t have that kind of air about you from just plain old practicing.

Ryoma sensed an off-putting atmosphere around them that he couldn’t quite explain, and he knew he wasn’t just imagining things. Police officers often walked around town out of uniform, yet fellow officers could recognize them as colleagues at a glance. It was evident in the habits they’d picked up from their rigorous training—the way they walked, the way they observed their surroundings—countless little gestures that one usually wouldn’t even notice.

This could be said of killers too. Ryoma felt the same discomfort one would feel when spotting a predator walking among herbivores. Maybe he just picked up on the fragrance of blood on them—a killer catching the scent of other killers.

From how stiff and straitlaced they seem, I’d say they’re soldiers. The Chinese one, Zheng, seems particularly experienced, so I assume he was in some special forces unit. Compared to him, the woman, Veronica... If I had to say, she looks less like the sort to raise havoc on the field and more the commander type, the kind that watches over things from headquarters. That makes her an even nastier opponent.

Killing someone with your own hands and ordering others to do it were two different things, yet they were the same acts at heart. The only difference was if one gripped the weapon themselves, versus someone else doing it for them.

I don’t know if they became killers back in our world or if it happened after they got called to this shithole of a place.

This was the answer Ryoma came to by using his keen ability to sense the scents of others. Maybe it was intuition, but Ryoma was confident he was right in his analysis of Zheng Motoku and Veronica Kozlova.

And those two treat my grandfather with a great deal of respect for some reason.

The way Zheng and Veronica behaved around Koichiro was, simply put, like the way servants acted around their master. Zheng conducted himself like a butler of some sorts, and Veronica acted like a secretary. Ryoma didn’t think that was a bad thing in and of itself, but what sequence of events led to his grandfather having a Chinese butler and a gorgeous Russian secretary at his beck and call? Ryoma couldn’t even hazard a guess.

And then there’s Asuka...

Ryoma’s childhood friend and cousin had also been called into this world. Koichiro had told Ryoma that she was safe, so Ryoma had put off questioning him about it, but his patience was wearing thin.

He said she’s safe, but there’s no such thing as safe here.

He wasn’t concerned out of romantic affection for her, but apart from Koichiro, Asuka was his closest relative. He had the war with Queen Lupis coming up, but he could arrange for a few Igasaki ninjas to go to Asuka’s aid.

Besides, unlike me, she’s too kind and naive for this world.

Asuka Kiryuu was a normal girl, for better or worse. She was a good student, and she had been in the archery club during middle school. She was even fairly talented at it and had won a few tournaments. Most people would agree that she was a pretty girl, graced with both beauty and intellect. She even had a talent for martial arts, and her grandfather Koichiro had taught her a few techniques. If it came down to it, Asuka did have the means to defend herself and even kill if the situation called for it.

Despite that, Asuka Kiryuu was still a normal girl with a kind heart and a lack of malicious intent. Even if she was in danger, she’d sooner run away than pick up a weapon. By no means did she have the resolve necessary to kill someone; she’d rather get hurt herself than be forced to hurt another person.

A sword that lacks the blade called malice... That was the essence of Asuka Kiryuu.

And if this were Japan, that would be fine.

Ryoma wasn’t criticizing or trying to disparage Asuka, but in this barbaric, ruthless world, her inherent kindness was nothing but ignorance and weakness.

Countless images crossed Ryoma’s mind as silence hung between him and Koichiro, but he eventually said, “Well, I kind of want to ask you about everything.” This was really the only question he had. No matter what he asked, he wouldn’t be able to make any decisions without a full grasp of the situation.

Koichiro looked at Ryoma with surprise. He then glanced over his shoulder at Laura and Sara, who stood by the wall.

“Are you sure you want those lovely young ladies to hear it too?” he asked.

Koichiro’s doubt was a given. This conversation would go into the smallest of details, and Koichiro hadn’t brought Zheng or Veronica with him, despite them always being at his side.

“It’s fine,” Ryoma said with a nod. His words were firm.

Koichiro directed a questioning look at Ryoma, then smirked. “Is that right? I see you were lucky.”

“Lucky?” Ryoma scoffed at his comment. “If I were lucky, would I have been summoned here?”

This was perhaps a predictable reply. Ryoma didn’t think of himself as lucky in any way whatsoever. Koichiro, however, disagreed.

“No, if you were able to happen upon people you can trust completely even in a world like this, then you must be a lucky man,” he said with palpable emotion.

The weight behind Koichiro’s words rendered Ryoma speechless for a moment. “I honestly don’t know what to say to that,” he replied with a sardonic smile.

No matter how one tried to spin it, being summoned to this world wasn’t a fortunate twist of fate. There was no shortage of reasons to dislike this place—the lack of public safety, for one, and the monsters that threatened the lives of people. Not to mention, most of the people summoned here from Rearth were merely disposable pawns to serve as soldiers on the battlefield.

It was impossible for a person from a modern society to lead a normal life here. The hardest part was that the culture and standard of living were too different. Modern Japan wasn’t a utopia by any means, but compared to the hell that was this harsh, ruthless world, it was heaven.

Ryoma had been summoned by Gaius Valkland, the court thaumaturgist of the O’ltormea Empire, but he’d been promoted to the rank of baron in Rhoadseria and become the governor of the Wortenia Peninsula. He had achieved far more than most people in his situation had.

Even so, a world without gas or electricity was limited. Back in Japan, taking a bath was as simple as flipping a switch to heat the water, but in this world, it took a great deal of effort to achieve the same thing.

One could put up with these inconveniences, though. A man of Ryoma’s status could order his servants to prepare him a bath if need be. He was dissatisfied with the old style, premodern toilets, but he’d used them before during mountain climbing, so he could even tolerate that. The different culture, on the other hand, and mostly the lack of pastimes, was particularly devastating to him.

I can imagine why Count Salzberg was so obsessed with fine cuisine and women. There’s hardly anything else to enjoy.

For example, reading was one of the first hobbies that came to his mind. Back when he was in Japan, Ryoma engaged in all sorts of hobbies, but reading books took up much of his time. Nonetheless, ever since he’d been called to this world, Ryoma had never once read a book purely for enjoyment. That wasn’t to say that there were no books or texts, but one couldn’t just walk into an urban book store to buy them.

Plus, if I want to buy books, I’d have to ask a big supplier like Simone or the Mystel Company.

And even then, he wouldn’t receive them as soon as he placed the order. He’d have to wait for at least a month for the books to be purchased, and in some cases it could take years to obtain them. Books were expensive, and while prices could fluctuate quite a bit, the more expensive ones could cost as much as that bottle of brandy.

The reason books were so expensive was that very few of them were produced; that was all there was to it. There was some partial printing technology available, but most books were manuscripts written by hand.

As a result, the literacy rate was very low. Most people knew how to write their names, but only those in relevant professions could read and write fluently. Because of that, few people read books, which inevitably meant there was little demand, so books were in short supply.

Maybe this was a chicken-and-egg problem, but the end result was that books were luxury items. Most books sold by bookstores were technical manuals, and books written for pure enjoyment weren’t a thing. What few existed were picture books made for educating noble infants.

I don’t know the logic behind it, but somehow I was able to read the Questions and Replies between Emperor Taizong of Tang and Li Weigong in Chinese. I’m grateful for that much.

Being able to read the book in its original language was wonderful, of course, so in that regard, being summoned to this world wasn’t all bad, but a strategy manual was hardly light reading.

You only read strategy manuals as a means to survive.

Ryoma’s idea of a wealthy, bountiful life was one where he could spend as much time as he wanted doing whatever he wanted. Reading books wasn’t enough; he wanted to read books he would enjoy.

Comics or light novels would be nice. And maybe whodunits and historical novels.

But Ryoma couldn’t hope for books like that. No one in this cutthroat, war-torn world would even think to write such books. Pleasure and leisure could only occupy one’s mind when they had the free time to indulge in them.

Books sometimes got caught up in people being summoned from the other world, so trade companies did sell some books originating from Rearth. The original Questions and Replies between Emperor Taizong of Tang and Li Weigong manuscript Ryoma read he’d found in a company that handled old books, where it had collected dust for years. Ryoma might have been able to find the comics or light novels he longed for so much, but it was doubtful that he could find the entire series for sale, and that would just give his enjoyment a frustrating aftertaste.

All of this might feel like a very trifling issue, and some might even mock him for it, but to Ryoma, books from his world held more weight and value than the lives of other people, in a sense. If Ryoma were told that he could receive every volume of his favorite comic series in exchange for Lupis Rhoadserians’s head, he’d gladly kill the queen to do it.

Ryoma would never say he was lucky to have been summoned to this world, but at the same time, denying Koichiro’s claim would needlessly hurt the Malfist sisters. He couldn’t say anything that implied they were unworthy of his trust. After all, the fact that Ryoma allowed them to be present for this conversation was proof of how strongly he felt for them.

I guess I should properly say it...

But Ryoma felt that doing that would be far too awkward. Instead, he looked at his glass and took a sip.

Koichiro narrowed his eyes and laughed. “Well, if you say that, I won’t try to deny it.” Then he teasingly dropped a bombshell. “So which one are you thinking of marrying?”

Ryoma choked on the drink he was sipping on, and they both heard the girls gasp.

Seeing their reactions, Koichiro gleefully continued his questioning. “Don’t tell me that... You’re not thinking of marrying them both, are you? I suppose polygamy isn’t frowned upon in this world, but are you sure you’ve got the stamina to keep it up?”

Ryoma was barely able to keep himself from spitting out his drink, and he started coughing from the shock. The sound of his coughing filled the room, but it eventually died down. Ryoma raised his head and glared at Koichiro while wiping his mouth with a handkerchief.

“You’ve got attitude problems, you know that, grandpa? Even after coming here, you’re still every bit the contrarian you’ve always been.”

Koichiro didn’t seem the slightest bit fazed by his grandson’s criticism. He simply cocked his head at Ryoma’s evasive attitude.

“Hm... But you don’t dislike them, do you? I mean, you wouldn’t have them stay here if you didn’t trust them.”

Ryoma couldn’t help but avert his gaze from Koichiro.

Damn old man! He’s messing with me!

His own grandfather had pointed out his emotions for the twins to hear, and the only way Ryoma could oppose him was by remaining quiet. Sara’s lips parted, and she looked as if she had something to say, but Laura, who stood beside her, raised a hand to silence her.

The two girls’ emotions were evident on their faces. They were happy to learn how the master they’d served for many years felt about them. No doubt they wanted to hear it directly from his lips, but while Sara was genuinely happy, Laura was more reserved and knew to silence her sister out of respect for their beloved master’s dignity.

Koichiro laughed pleasantly. This was the first real smile Ryoma had seen from his grandfather in a long time.

Koichiro then bowed his head to Ryoma. “Ah, pardon me. I didn’t mean to tease you. I thought I’d lighten up the atmosphere, but I ended up getting carried away. Forgive me.”

Ryoma couldn’t say much else in the face of this honest apology. For a moment, silence settled over the room, but eventually Ryoma heaved a deep sigh and shrugged, smiling sarcastically.

I guess this topic works as an icebreaker.

Since Ryoma never knew his parents, Koichiro was both a grandfather and a father figure to him. Although the affection Koichiro showed him didn’t necessarily match what society would consider proper fatherly love, Koichiro was still one of his few living relatives.

Sadly, Ryoma had no time to spare for romance, so he had to get the derailed conversation back on track and put his doubts into words.

“Okay, fine. Let’s get back to the topic at hand.”

The relaxed atmosphere once again tensed. The young man before them, who up until just seconds ago wasn’t willing to speak about his true emotions, had changed his attitude. Koichiro only saw the man he’d raised into a warrior.

“So, what are you doing in this world, grandpa? And who are these people, Zheng Motoku and Veronica Kozlova? Where did you meet them?”

Koichiro took a swig of his brandy before he began explaining his past—the long, long tale of a man who was coincidentally beckoned into this world and managed to return home through a trick of fate. It took some time for him to tell it, long enough for the new candle Ryoma had lit when he entered to melt into half its size.

“Really...” Ryoma muttered, leaning his back against the sofa and gazing up at the ceiling. “You were a returner who was summoned and managed to find your way back...”

But based on what he said, going back to Japan that way is basically impossible.

Ryoma had once investigated ways to return home, and his search had led him to a woman called Annamaria, otherwise known as the Hermit of Mireish. At the time, Annamaria told Ryoma there was no way back, and though Ryoma hadn’t been satisfied with her answer, what Koichiro just told him allowed him to fill in the blanks in her reasoning.

Technically speaking, returning to Japan wasn’t impossible, but if he were to do what the Organization did and use the counter-summoning ritual to return home without taking any precautions, it would lead to a tragic outcome.

Not only would it get more people involved for no reason, there’s a good chance I’d end up lost in the interstice between dimensions too.

Honestly speaking, Ryoma wasn’t unwilling to sacrifice others to achieve his goals. He wasn’t going to be a hypocrite and claim he was above taking lives at this point, but he was only willing to go that far if his safety was guaranteed. Even if he was willing to put his life on the line despite that, Koichiro’s story made it clear the odds wouldn’t be in his favor. Still, this was the first hint he’d heard about a chance to return home. He couldn’t give up that easily.

“For the time being, let’s put this matter on the back burner,” Ryoma whispered and looked back at Koichiro. “So Zheng and Kozlova are serving you under orders from that old friend of yours, Liu Daijin?”

“Zheng serves under Liu, yes. As for Miss Nika, I didn’t look into her reasons, but she is still accommodating and is willing to help me. But yes, in the end, both of them help me as a favor from my connections within the Organization.”

Ryoma cracked a wry smile. “That’s some pretty friendship you’ve got going there. You know, if you’d have told me you have connections in the underworld, I’d have believed it, but you being friends with a major member of a continent-spanning conspiracy? That’s rich.”

During the expedition to Xarooda, King Julianus I had hinted at the existence of a massive organization that was manipulating the western continent behind the scenes. Ryoma had concluded that it was possible this Organization was the force that seemed to be impeding his efforts at every turn. But Koichiro’s involvement convinced him that he would have to change his approach and refrain from hostile action against them.

Still, there’s no telling if they’re on my side.

The Organization was made up of people summoned from Rearth and their descendants. Their objective was apparently to create “a better tomorrow,” but the means they stooped to in order to achieve that tomorrow was a problem.

It seems they have a pretty big grudge against this world.

As victims torn away from their peaceful lives and forced to serve in this harsh environment, the Organization’s operatives greatly loathed this world and wouldn’t show anyone from it any mercy. This was perhaps the fundamental reason the Organization mongered war all across the western continent.

Emotionally speaking, their contempt is maybe similar to how white supremacists regard other races. 

Indeed, given the cultural standards here, the people from Ryoma’s world likely saw this world’s people as uncultured barbarians. It might come across as discriminatory, but there was no other conclusion considering the difference in their respective cultures’ maturity. Added to that was their feelings as victims who’d been forcibly summoned here. For a person from modern society, where human rights were highly valued and a person’s principal rights were always respected on some level, the summoning ritual was nothing short of abduction.

On top of that, as soon as someone was summoned, a seal of obedience was placed on them and they were sent to the battlefield. For those who’d gone through that, the thought of accepting their life here was sickening.

Well, I killed Gaius and made my escape, so I’m not exactly one for playing nice with the locals either.

Ryoma had been able to escape before he endured any real harm, but most people weren’t so lucky. The very premise with which they viewed this world was different from his, and it wasn’t a difference that was simple to bridge.

Not that I can’t relate to the people in the Organization.

Ryoma too had been forced into this world against his will. Countless people had bent his life out of shape. He would be justified in feeling angry, and it would be understandable if he wished to exact revenge. That didn’t mean Ryoma agreed with the Organization’s ideals, though. People could be good or bad, regardless of what world they were in. The important thing was how one chose to reconcile their emotions.

I have Laura, Sara, Lione, Boltz, and the other Crimson Lion mercenaries. I also have the Igasaki clan, as well as Robert and Signus. Plus, Simone handles trade.

Losing any one of them would be a painful blow to the Mikoshiba barony, and not just in terms of profit. They were comrades who’d stood through trials and tribulations with him, and Ryoma wasn’t ruthless enough to discard them after all this time.

At minimum, I have to ensure my comrades’ and my citizens’ safety. 

Ryoma could only join forces with the Organization once he’d ensured he could do that.

Perhaps sensing Ryoma’s mixed feelings, Koichiro earnestly said, “I do understand your position, and I agree with your way of thinking. There’s no need to completely discard your grudges, but that doesn’t mean you need to obsess over those grudges either.”

Ryoma nodded. “I’m glad to hear you say that. Truthfully, changing plans at this point would have been difficult. So that just leaves Asuka...”

Koichiro grimaced in what was probably a show of guilt. “Forgive me, Ryoma. This is all my fault.”

“No, grandpa, it’s not actually your fault, is it?” Ryoma smiled at Koichiro and shrugged. “I mean, there’s probably a connection, but that doesn’t make it anyone’s fault in particular. If anyone’s guilty here, it’s the gods who made this world.”

Ryoma truly believed this, but hearing it did little to raise Koichiro’s spirits.

“But your parents...” That sight was still burned into Koichiro’s mind. It was a moment he would never forget—the day his son and his bride entrusted their baby with Koichiro and fell into the dark abyss.

Grandpa really shouldn’t feel responsible for that.

No matter how much Ryoma insisted it wasn’t his fault, it wouldn’t stop Koichiro from blaming himself for the rest of his days. In the end, it came down to whether he could forgive himself.

The two men fell silent, and as they sat there in quiet contemplation, Ryoma tried to make sense of the situation.

“We can figure that out later. The bigger question is what are we going to do about the Church of Meneos protecting Asuka?” Ideally, they would rescue her before the war with Queen Lupis began. “We have to consider Rodney Mackenna and Menea Norberg too. You acknowledged their skills, and if people on their level or higher are protecting Asuka, extracting her could be tricky.”

Koichiro nodded. Ryoma had heard about their attack on Count Winzer’s estate and, based on that, concluded that Rodney and Menea were equal to the likes of Robert and Signus.

Grandpa did cut off one of Rodney’s hands, but that’s probably because Rodney was thrown off guard by the surprise attack. He likely wouldn’t be able to exhibit his full abilities at a time like that. It’d be wise not to underestimate either of them.

Still, no matter how strong Rodney and Menea were, if Ryoma were to make killing them his goal, it wouldn’t be too difficult to achieve. However, rescuing Asuka from enemy territory after that would be that much harder.

Koichiro had kept a close eye on Asuka and her entourage’s movements, keenly awaiting a chance to retrieve her. He had waited because he knew that if they went about this recklessly, Asuka could end up in danger too.

This was an uncharacteristic display of caution from his typically broad-minded grandfather, but Ryoma didn’t find fault with Koichiro’s judgment this time. Given Asuka’s lighthearted and fundamentally kind personality, it was unlikely she’d just accept them killing Rodney, a man whom she had spent years in this world with and grown close to. Asuka would never want someone else to get hurt because of her. Therefore, proceeding without caution could leave a lasting emotional scar on Asuka’s psyche, one from which she might not ever recover.

In addition, they had to keep in mind that Rodney’s protection was what kept Asuka safe within the Church of Meneos. Ryoma could easily imagine what would happen to Asuka if Rodney wasn’t there to keep her under his wing. An attractive commoner girl was the kind of toy people in power actively sought out.

She’d end up living through hell.

Ryoma owed Rodney a debt of gratitude for protecting his own flesh and blood. Of course, Ryoma didn’t assume that Rodney acted out of altruism, but it didn’t change the fact that Rodney had sheltered Asuka when she’d been thrown into this world. Because of that, Ryoma honestly didn’t want to eliminate Rodney and Menea if he could help it, and though Koichiro hadn’t given a clear answer about it, Ryoma assumed that was the same reason he hadn’t killed Rodney during the attack on Count Winzer’s estate.

Besides, attacking an inn in the capital is dangerous, so our only option is to rescue her in the midst of the northern subjugation.

Nonetheless, relying on force to rescue her would be a dangerous gamble. It wasn’t impossible, but many of the Church of Meneos’s knights would be stationed at the inn, and whenever Asuka would go out, she’d be accompanied by guards. This made safely retrieving her very perilous.

Things would be radically different if Rodney and his group joined the northern subjugation. Ryoma had no way of knowing whether Rodney would take Asuka with him to the battlefield, but even if Asuka were to remain in the capital, the security around her would be much weaker, meaning they would have more opportunities to rescue her.

Who knows, we might even be able to draw Rodney and his people over to our side.

The safest and most ideal solution would be for Rodney to willingly hand Asuka over to them. Asuka wouldn’t have to be tormented by guilt that way. However, as long as Ryoma didn’t fully know what Rodney’s circumstances and objectives were, this would be difficult to arrange.

Whichever option we go with, it’ll be quite the tightrope for Gennou and Sakuya.

When it came to sneaking into enemy territory, the Igasaki ninjas’ skills would be imperative, and if they wanted to separate Rodney’s group from Asuka, their information-gathering abilities would be necessary as well.

I’ll have to raise their wages for this.

A ninja’s job was dangerous and demanding, and to make matters worse, most governors looked down upon people who engaged in that kind of dirty work. As a result, most of their tasks were both difficult and unappreciated. That was exactly why Ryoma treated Gennou and his people well. If he mistreated them on top of asking them to do demanding work, it would only be a matter of time before they turned on him.

“I know it will be a burden,” Koichiro said as he hung his head, “but please, save her. Save Asuka.” It was his most earnest wish.

Ryoma nodded. “Yeah, I’ll figure it out. Thankfully, I have people I can trust. That said, I will be relying on you to move things along too. You don’t mind, do you?”

“If you have need of my skills, just say the word. I’ll do whatever I can to help,” Koichiro said with a smile as he reached for his sword, which sat on the sofa’s armrest. He believed that doing this was his one chance at atoning for his crimes.

A peaceful air hung between the two of them. Most importantly, the color seemed to return to Koichiro’s features. For a while, the two of them simply sipped on their drinks, but eventually, Koichiro brought up the final question on his mind.

“Speaking of... I see you’ve been through a lot since being called into this world. I raised you the way I did because I suspected a time like this might come, but I never expected you to rise up and become a governor.”

Koichiro seemed genuinely surprised.

“Well, let’s just say I didn’t become a governor because I wanted to,” Ryoma replied, a bitter smile on his lips.

Ryoma had never actively sought to rise to power here. He’d only killed his summoner, Gaius Valkland, out of self-defense. Meeting Laura and Sara had been sheer luck, and getting involved in Rhoadseria’s civil war had also been a product of coincidence. The capricious whims of fate seemed to cling to him at every turn.

“So, how are you planning to take care of this?” Koichiro asked. “Lupis Rhoadserians wants you dead. I don’t see them ever letting you walk away from this unscathed. Do you have any chance of winning?”

Ryoma’s options for facing the subjugation army, which was said to consist of two hundred thousand troops gathered from across the country, were very limited. He would either utterly crush the Rhoadserian military or be crushed by them instead.

“That goes without saying at this point,” Ryoma answered. “I made all sorts of preparations to make sure I win.”

“Are you going to destroy this country?”

“You’re the one who taught me not to leave threats unaccounted for,” Ryoma said with a vicious smile. “I’ll take this chance to be thorough. I’ll probably leave the country’s name as is, though.”

Ryoma’s cruel smile offered a glimpse into his intentions.

“I see. If you are that resolved, then there’s no place for me to tell you what to do,” Koichiro said, then picked up the bottle from the table. He poured the amber-colored alcohol into his cup and gulped it down in a show of respect for his grandson’s determination.