Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 21 - Chapter Pr

Prologue

Thick clouds hung over the sky, obscuring the sunlight even though it was high noon. One could say the weather accurately reflected the fate of the Kingdom of Rhoadseria. Nobody felt that suffocating realization more keenly than the commoners.

They were the lower classes, the weak peasants oppressed and extorted by the nobility. Despite that, and perhaps because of that, they could instinctively feel the encroaching presence of the giant, two-headed serpent that threatened to swallow their country whole.

Said serpent had already begun consuming several villages and towns. Its cold, lifeless, crimson serpentine gaze fixed on a new prey—the Town of Drusen, the domain of Viscount Rancard. At this very moment, the influential people of Drusen were in the middle of a meeting that would decide their town’s fate.

All of them had gathered in the hall of the mayor’s estate, built in the middle of the town. Such people present were those like the guild master, the bank’s manager, and the heads of firms. Many were undoubtedly commoners as far as the class system was concerned, even if they were close to being nobles in terms of power and wealth.

Their exceptions would usually be dignified, for wherever they went, they knew they were some of the most powerful people in Dursen. But this time, there was no shadow of their usual pride and self-worth, only doubt and distress when facing a question without a correct answer.

“So... What are we going to do?” grumbled the mayor, who managed the room, as he 
looked around the room.
At this rate, the men who had gathered would achieve nothing but glare and growl at each other. If they were going to reach a conclusion, they’d need to discuss it. Regardless of a solution’s viability, the group needed to come up with something, or their discussion wouldn’t even start.

None of them said anything, as they’d have said something if they had a suggestion. The attendees fully knew the predicament Dursen was in but couldn’t devise a miraculous solution that would turn the tables and save them from this terror.

They all had something to say about the situation and might not have had a good suggestion, but they were all tormented by the happenings. Of course, they knew better than to speak to the anger and frustration they felt because the moment they spoke out loud about it, there’d be no stopping their emotions. If they made their decisions based on those raging feelings, they could wipe their town off the map. That fear held them in check, and the mayor could see that.

After all, we’re going up against the Devil ofHeraklion and his army, the mayor thought.

That army routed the northern subjugation army, which boasted over two hundred soldiers and became a gigantic \iper that threatened to consume the entire kingdom. Not a single one could maintain their composure in the face of a threat of that magnitude.

But that wasn’t to say they could just sit idly and wait.

“We’ll never reach a conclusion if you just hold your tongues,” the mayor finally said.

The influential people hung their heads, hoping to avoid his gaze, and were aware that the more they stalled on making a decision, the more they stood to lose. At the same time, no one wanted to take responsibility. They all wished someone other than themselves had gotten the ball rolling so they could all just go along with another’s decision. Perhaps they knew that if the talks didn’t progress, the duty of deciding would fall on the mayor’s shoulders.

Cowards, every one of them only cares about saving their own hides. Scorn and anger bubbled up in the mayor’s heart for a second, but the agitation soon died down. No, I'm trying to save my oum hide just as much as they’re trying to save theirs. And at least they’re here. That alone makes them better than the fools who refused to heed my call for a meeting.

The mayor looked around the room again and sighed as he confirmed the number of empty seats. Less than a third of the influential figures answered his call for a meeting. Nearly half of the people who didn’t attend this meeting had fled the town with their servants and families. Those that remained claimed needed to recover from sudden fevers and stomachaches. No one took their excuses seriously. They were all just afraid of having the responsibility for these choices thrust upon them.

Not that I can fault them for that.

The mayor wished he could throw everything away and flee this town, too, but reality wouldn’t allow him to do something so irresponsible.

Things would have been different if the Rancard Viscounty had issued an evacuation, but if the mayor fled at his own discretion, both he and his entire clan would have faced treason charges. He was not allowed to escape or bear the oppressive atmosphere as time passed.

He had to propose a solution within a time limit, and if he failed, the whole town would be destroyed. That included the nobles and friends living in this town.

How did things come to thisf Just a few months ago, Dursen was promised a wealthy, prosperous future...

This town acted as a relay point between the Rhoadserian capital Pireas and the citadel city of Epirus, the lvnchpin of the country’s northern defenses.

Since Viscount Rancard was a prominent member of the nobles’ faction, his town’s protection led to many caravans passing through it, stimulating business.

While Dursen wasn’t large enough to be called a city, even if it was built to stimulate trade, it didn’t boast the same market as central financial hubs like Pireas or Epirus, the largest city in the north. To Viscount Rancard, though, the town of Dursen was akin to a chicken that laid golden eggs.

We're on a crossing of highways that connects to all four corners of the kingdom, and our terrain is ideal for gathering goods and supplies The Rancard Viscounty know this, and that's why they treated this toum well for generations.

That favoritism was clear from how Dursen paid lower taxes unlike other towns and villages in this domain. Among the Rhoadserian nobles, who only saw the commoners as tools to support their own livelihood, the Rancard Viscounty’s political measures were quite unusual. Maximizing tax revenue required a lot of work. Most nobles didn’t bother to do so and instead extorted their commoners, squeezing a fruit as hard as possible to make it yield the most juice.

An example from the Edo period, Haruhide Kamio, who served Yoshimune Tokugawa—known for revitalizing the Tokugawa shogunate’s influence—was famous for reorganizing the government’s finances. He was also known as a ruthless official and had been reported to have said that “Commoners, like sesame oil, yield more the more you press them.”

But perhaps that wasn’t so surprising since “organizing finances” often involved tax increases. Taking taxes from the easiest source was a natural conclusion.

In contrast, the Rancard Viscounty increased the fruit they sought to gain juice from while fostering each fruit to grow larger. To the commoners, this was a favorable treatment that raised the share they got.

This wasn’t to say that the Rancard Viscounty, across its generations, was a merciful noble house. There were other towns and villages across their domain, and they didn’t receive the preferential treatment Dursen did. Instead, they paid the same tax rate other territories in Rhoadseria did, where the lord took seventy percent, and thirty percent remained with the villagers. They only gave Dursen preferential treatment to stimulate trade and draw in merchants. Given that the financial strength they gained allowed them to rise within the ranks of the nobles’ faction, one could say that their tactic was a success. It was a classic case of investing money to make more money.

Thanks to that, Dursen boasted greater financial power than other towns in the viscounty’s domain and stood head and shoulders above its neighboring communities. Even commoners from other neighboring domains looked up to Dursen in admiration.

To most commoners, the land they’re born and raised in and its surrounding toums and milages are their entire world.

Even nobles couldn’t freely travel as they pleased. Since the nobility abhorred new blood tainting their veins, they mostly married among themselves, meaning most noble houses had some familial connection to others. Based on their talents, they were dispatched to the capital to find employment under the royal family. Nobles rarely spent their lives entirely within their own domain, except those too sickly to travel far.

Those born into the lower classes lived much simpler lives, especially as the ones born in agricultural villages lived and died on the land. Some commoners became adventurers or mercenaries or found employment as merchants.

Such commoners traveled the land and even ventured as far as other countries, where they fought in wars as hires. Alternatively, they were hired to explore new lands to be inhabited when monster attacks reduced villages to ashes. But few people went out to journey across the land of their own will, nor were they allowed to, because most governors forbade commoners from freely moving across different domains.

So, to commoners living around Dursen, this town looked like a big city rivaling the capital. The food and sundries they needed for their everyday lives, as well as hoes and other agricultural tools, were all obtained in Dursen.

But this is all a thing of the past.

Over the last few months, this city completely changed its appearance. It all began when Baron Mikoshiba won his war with Count Salzberg, head of the ten houses of the north, and began his hostilities with Queen Lupis.

The highways that were once full of people became empty, and there was no sound of merchants setting up stalls to sell their wares. For a town established as a relay station for trade from all across the country, this was a matter of life and death for Dursen.

Everyone in this room knows this

Once the rooster can no longer lay golden eggs, it has only one fate ahead of it—and they could feel it approaching. Right now, they had to deal with an even bigger problem approaching them, which was why they were trying to find a way to survive.

Amid this silence, one man spoke up.

“If we can’t expect reinforcements for the garrison, I think our only option is to accept the Mikoshiba barony’s call for surrender, is it not?” Everyone’s eyes fixed on the speaker.

“And you are?” asked the mayor, narrowing his eyes.

The speaker was a man in his late twenties, his eyes glinting with firm will. His slender, thin physique and calm demeanor gave him a capable, wise appearance, which came across as slightly neurotic. His neatly combed-back blond hair seemed to support this impression.

But that said, he's awfully young... He was certainly an adult man but still younger than everyone else here. Something about him felt off to the mayor, though. Hmm? I feel like I might have seen his face before... WTio is this?

Since he was present here, he clearly wasn’t an average young man from the town. It was evident he came from a wealthy family based on his high-class silk clothes. Yet, his age made it appear like he wasn’t one of the town’s influential people.

His disposition could have influenced things as some people were talented enough to be given authority and status, even at a young age. Ryoma Mikoshiba, the cause of their current predicament, was one such example. People like that had a certain air to them since one’s station and experience fostered dignity as well as confidence in such people.

But that's not the case with this man.

He could sense talent in this young man, but he felt less like someone who occupied the top and more like one who assisted those who were. Besides, if there were someone that young and influential, the mayor would have known him.

But I do remember him from somewhere.

The mayor tried to sift through his memories after becoming frustrated with his inability to recall who he was. Then, the deputy mayor, seated next to him, whispered into his ear.

“This is the representative of the Dursen branch.”

“The representative? Oh, you mean the bank’s branch?” responded the mayor. At that moment, he remembered the young man’s identity. Now that he mentions it, it is him I thought I saw his face, but that's the young man who's always around the branch manager.

A bank branch had been set up in Dursen because it was the central hub of the surrounding towns and villages. So long as one wasn’t making illegal deals, most people didn’t carry their money on them since it would be dangerous. This was especially relevant since people here dealt with money using coins, which were much heavier and cumbersome than paper money.

Paper money was much more portable and convenient, so utilizing it would have been a much better option. Sadly, the decision to issue paper bills needed to be backed by significant national power.

In this world where countries rose and fell, no nation had the reliability and stability to ensure their bills had any value. If one couldn’t prove their bills were worth more than paper scraps, they wouldn’t be able to adopt paper currency, no matter how better of a system it may be. Gold and silver coins had inherent value since they were made from rare metals, but paper money was worth nothing.

Most royalty and nobility ruled through hereditary monarchies, and their regimes had great authority and power. If a country were dead set on putting a paper money system into effect, they would have been able to force it. Doing that would be meaningless. As long as merchants didn’t acknowledge the value of that money, they would only be printing a large amount of useless tissue paper.

A few decades ago, banks began exerting considerable influence over this world. At first, they were only seen as moneylenders that allowed people to borrow money for collateral. But they began working in tandem with the guild the adventurers and mercenaries worked for, rapidly increasing the banks’ growth.

Not every city and town had its own branch, and villages far from the highways still had to barter in goods instead of coins. No one would see the value in building a bank branch at places like that, as all it would do was draw in bandits. But in a town built for trade, like Dursen, only relying on cash to trade would be difficult, so a guild and bank were built there.

Everyone in this room had bank accounts and used them every day, meaning the branch manager would have more influence than most of the people present. The only ones who could match or exceed his authority would be the governor, Viscount Rancard, the mayor, and the manager of the local guild branch.

That's why I invited him to this meeting.

But he didn’t arrive, instead sending a representative. If he truly were sick and tried to attend the meeting regardless, he wouldn’t be able to come up with any good suggestions. In that regard, maybe it didn’t matter who was here.

But this young man is his representative? I heard he urn unwell, so I doubt he's feigning illness like the others Still, isn't this man a bit too young for this? He did stimulate this stagnant meeting.

Many of the gazes fixed on this young man had an air of contempt, making it clear they made light of him. The mayor couldn’t fault them for having this impression. It was an unexpected suggestion from an unexpected person. Kicking off a discussion was more than good enough, but it didn’t mean the mayor agreed with his suggestion.

Surrendering to Baron Mikoshiba? I suppose it is a realistic suggestion, if nothing else.

Everyone could see the young man’s words were quite grounded and pragmatic, but they also understood the drawbacks and price they would have to pay.

“You say we should capitulate to him, but that’s easier said than done. Have you considered what might happen after we surrender?” questioned the mayor.

“Indeed. Yes, in the immediate sense, we could surrender to Baron Mikoshiba and ask for his protection, but that would mean revolting against the Rancard Viscounty,” declared the young man.

“No, it’d be more than just betraying the viscounty. If Queen Lupis wins the war, we’d be branded as traitors against the kingdom and executed.”

“To begin with, are you really willing to disgrace yourself by accepting that upstart’s rule?”

The guests in attendance all brought up opinions to the contrary. Considering how they all held their tongues so far, this was quite a change for the better.

Regardless, the young man carried on while ignoring the angry gazes thrown his way. Despite being young enough to be called a boy, he had nerve and courage. Or perhaps he was driven by some conviction. Either way, he didn’t seem to flinch in the face of their anger and spoke up.

“Of course, I feel the same way as all of you. I hate nothing more than having to bend the knee to that upstart. This war isn’t over yet, and it’s possible Queen Lupis might be able to turn things around.”

Hearing this, the mayor crossed his arms and nodded, thinking, Yes... The chances of that are slim, but its still possible.

Queen Lupis’s northern subjugation failed as the Mikoshiba barony’s army marched on the capital, making the war seem in their favor. The kingdom appeared almost guaranteed to lose when looking at the state of the war impartially.

But the war wasn’t over yet. On the off chance Queen Lupis won, anyone who sided with Baron Mikoshiba would be punished.

“As long as we can’t dispel that chance, accepting the Mikoshiba barony’s offer of surrender is dangerous.”

The other people in the room all hummed in agreement.

“Indeed. If Queen Lupis were to win, they would brand us traitors who sided with a rebel. At worst, we’d be sentenced to death.”

“Knowing how merciful Queen Lupis is said to be, she could take the fact we were coerced to do so into account, but we cannot rely on that. Even if we avoid the death penalty, we would not be treated as we were until now.”

“If nothing else, we’d be expected to pay a hefty sum in reparations.”

Their concerns were justified—even if they had to take a lighter punishment, they would lose the prosperity they enjoyed until now. The young man knew they would react this way and let his voice be heard once more.

“However, we cannot reach our governor, Viscount Rancard. In that regard, the viscounty already abandoned this town to its fate.”

The others exchanged concerned looks and spoke up.

“Well... Yes, that’s true...”

“Can we say for sure they abandoned the town, though?”

“I think the fact they haven’t contacted us for so long is all the confirmation we need,” said the young man, shaking his head.

Everyone present had suspected as such. The governor would have given instructions—be it an order to surrender or to mount a do-or-die resistance at all costs. This was especially true for Dursen, since it was Viscount Rancard’s financial lynchpin.

So if he hasn't given us any ordets, it can only mean one thing.

Everyone, the mayor included, harbored this doubt. The young man carried on, reaching the heart of the matter.

“There’s no definitive proof yet, but... According to my information, Viscount Rancard has already fallen in battle.”

All the anger and emotion that filled the room until now instantly turned to silence, followed by confused murmuring.

“It can’t be...”

“No, but he’s right. If the viscounty isn’t contacting us, it might not be a lie...”

“But without proof...”

“No, considering how the northern subjugation army passed the town by the other day, it seems likely...”

“If that’s true, we can’t wait for orders from the viscounty...”

The young man’s words were only unconfirmed news, it might be true, but they also didn’t want to believe it. Anyhow, the young man kept their expected reactions in mind and unleashed his second blow.

“The people I sent in reported back, saying that during the open battle the other day, he died when the enemy charged into the queen’s forces. The viscounty is currently in a state of confusion. And the reason is...”

At that point, the young man trailed off for dramatic effect and looked around. If Viscount Rancard really died in battle, it would be a believable reason for why the viscounty didn’t send a messenger to Dursen.

The mayor sighed and gravely said, “If what you say is true and the viscount is dead... His first and second sons are probably squabbling over his inheritance. I can only presume that’s what happened, but given the situation, it seems likely.”

All the others clicked their tongues or sighed, none of them denying his words. Succession feuds were among the most likely reasons nobles died in Rhoadseria. In other words, conflicts arose when the choice of a noble’s successor resulted in family feuds.

The viscount should have been faster to make his choice, thought the mayor, also clicking his tongue.

Viscount Rancard had a wife and three concubines, including several other concubines who lived in a second residence. That was an above-average number of women than most Rhoadserian nobles. His financial strength made it unsurprising, some even saying he was limiting himself to so few women. Many in his position would lay hands on commoner girls or be vile enough to steal the wives of their subordinates. Compared to that, there was no ethical dispute about how many mistresses Viscount Rancard had.

Since nobles placed great importance on keeping their bloodline alive, having multiple wives was a natural conclusion. However, this was also often the cause of unpleasant disputes among their relatives.

For instance, Viscount Rancard’s son from his legal wife was a foolish, lazy man, and his second son, born from his mistress, was a knight of irreproachable conduct, regarded as the preferred candidate. This terrible situation created a truly tragic situation, where the legal wife considered the mistress and her child threats to her pride and position.

No, its more than just viewing them as a threat. She’d actively try to eliminate them.

Although the legal wife was a very tolerant and accepting woman, those around her wouldn’t let her disregard the mistress and her son. From the perspective of the viscount’s vassals and distant relatives, this would be a chance to act on their ambition. If the two children had an age gap of a decade or two, things might have been different, but the two sons were born mere days apart. This dispute had been ongoing for as long as the two have lived.

And if that rumor is true...

It might be true that the second son was born first, but they rewrote the time of his birth to ensure the legal wife could save face and keep her position. There was no way of confirming that, but since the commoners found out a few years ago that the elder son was a dimwitted oaf, those rumors became rampant.

With all that in mind, possible discord slumbering in the Rancard Viscounty wasn’t denied. Now, disputes erupted at the worst possible time.

None of us expected the viscount would die in battle.

One would usually expect for the inept son to be disinherited and the second son to be named successor. That would protect the family name and ensure the domain was passed onto the right hands in the next generation.

But a parent uvuldn't necessarily think poorly of their less successful son.

As a father of three, the mayor knew this well enough, and this was why the viscount stalled on naming his official successor. But his fatherly love put them all in a terrible predicament.

“Dammit! This is horrible!”

“What are we to do, then?!”

“It’s all his fault! The Devil of Heraklion! He brought catastrophe upon us!”

The men all raised their voices in sorrow, realizing the magnitude of their dilemma. It had forced them to look into reality, against their will, but the young man didn’t stop there. He spoke up again, twisting the knife further.

“That said, we shouldn’t expect any orders from the viscounty. Not anytime soon, at least.” The young man cast his gaze out the window. “This leaves us with the question of how to deal with the Mikoshiba barony army camped outside town. When the viscount joined the northern subjugation army, he left the city’s garrison at less than a third of its size. We only have a hundred or so troops in town right now. Arming every man in town could increase that number to a few thousands or even over ten thousand if we include the women and children. But they’ll only make for an unorganized mass. Even if we fought back against the Mikoshiba barony, we’d lose within a day or two.”

With this, he thrust the last, decisive words into their hearts.

“Then what are we to do? Accept their call for surrender and let them enter the town? Or raise our army to fight, even if it costs us our lives? If we fight, the Devil will almost certainly order his men to massacre us all. I hear that he’s lenient toward commoners but merciless against his foes.”

A few of the men screamed upon hearing this. Baron Mikoshiba’s rule benefitted the commoners, making it easy for them to live. He did not demand high taxes that forced people to sell off their family members to slavery, nor did he abduct people’s wives or daughters to make them into his playthings. If nothing else, his regime was much better than the tyranny of the average Rhoadserian noble.

However, accepting his rule meant that they needed to obey his laws. He didn’t treat commoners well, in particular, but protected his subjects for as long as they complied and cut down everyone else.

If we oppose him, hell reduce our city to ashes. They heard the rumors of what became of the towns and villages that rejected his reign. There's no guarantee it won’t happen to us too.

If they ever opposed him, the Devil of Heraklion would spare them no mercy. Noting how he exterminated the Ten Houses of the North, he wouldn’t hesitate to turn to cruel tactics if needed.

We have no choice but to brace ourselves..

The moment he realized this, something within the mayor changed. All the indignation he felt for the Rancard Viscounty and the Mikoshiba barony, the feeling of a man scrambling to save himself, cleared away. What he found instead was, perhaps, the resolve to gamble his own survival to protect the people of this town.

“I understand what you’re trying to say. Your view of the situation is probably correct,” said the mayor to the young man as he came to his final decision.

“What will you do, then?” the young man asked.

“Well, fighting that army would be suicide. We have no choice but to accept their offer for surrender.”

The choice had decided the town’s fate, yet they still couldn’t see where this would lead them. Few people in this entire world could possibly know that. In the end, the weak could only play out the scenario drawn out by the strong.

On that day, the town of Dursen joined the Mikoshiba barony's banner. The two-headed serpent now coiled around a blade with its gold and silver scales, slowly continuing to slither ahead as it consumed the kingdom.