Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Those Who Struggle 

“Sudou... I’m begging you, please help me...” 

As the sunset’s red glow illuminated the room in Heraklion’s castle, Duke Gelhart bowed his head before a man whose face was obscured with a hood. 

“Please raise your head, Sir Duke,” a dignified response came from beneath the hood. “I am not worthy of having someone as lofty as you kowtow before me...” 

That said, any courtesy this man showed was certainly hypocritical. 

“Please! You’re the only one I can turn to!” 

It was an attitude one would never expect out of Duke Gelhart. Sudou was sneering at him from beneath his hood, though, because he knew exactly why Duke Gelhart was maintaining such a modest approach. 

The reason could be traced back to the events of that morning. 

“You’re asking me to hand command of all the nobles’ faction’s military to you? What’s gotten into you, Hodram? Have you gone mad?!” 

Duke Gelhart’s shout echoed through the room as he eyed General Albrecht with bloodshot eyes. And it wasn’t his usual anger, which was often steeped with irony. True wrath, steeped with murderous intent, emanated from the duke’s body like fire. 

That anger was natural, however. General Albrecht’s demand was simply that preposterous. The general, however, showed no sign of impatience. Despite his status as a guest, he grandly demanded Duke Gelhart handed over command of the military, which was very much the core of one’s might and authority, entirely to him, but his eyes were as calm as a still spring. 

“Of course. With your command, we would end up losing a war we should, by all accounts, be winning. Do you not understand this, Duke Gelhart?” 

“You bastard! I sheltered you after you fled, and this is how you repay me?!” 

This meeting was for them to decide their future course of action, but had by now become an arena for the duke and general to vie for the right to lead. 

“But we shall certainly win without a doubt if I take the lead. Sorry to say, but you are not the right man for this role, Duke Gelhart. Diminutive though my skills are, would it not be better if the reins were handed to me?” 

Duke Gelhart initially thought to give him the right to command part of his soldiers, and to make good use of him. General Albrecht, however, saw no point in having someone with no actual experience in the lead to begin with. Taking command on his own would be more efficient. 

Soon after the council began, General Albrecht rejected Duke Gelhart’s proposal, which complicated the meeting. 

“Preposterous drivel! There are plenty of experienced warriors under Duke Gelhart’s command! There’s no need to relinquish command to you, General!” 

“Oh? That’s the first I’ve heard of such experienced warriors. But I have heard of... What was his name again? The one who lost despite having four times the enemy’s numbers...? Oh, yes, Kael. I know him quite well indeed.” 

General Albrecht’s face contorted with mockery. The aide who had called for the General was at a loss for words. It was true that Duke Gelhart didn’t have a commander more skilled than Kael. 

“Th-That’s...” 

“To begin with! I believe that the fact Duke Gelhart has placed such an incompetent commander in charge of his army calls his own abilities into question. Is that not so?” 

“What?!” 

“The nerve!” 

Duke Gelhart and his aides flared up upon hearing General Albrecht’s audacious statement. 

“Oh? I merely speak the truth, and still you grow angry? This only proves how pathetic a man you are, honorable Duke Gelhart!” said General Albrecht, his tone absolutely rife with contempt for the duke. 

Hypocritical courtesy? No... It was nothing more than outright scorn. 

“You bastard... What are you thinking?” Duke Gelhart asked. 

Why? How can he afford to act so confident...? All he has under his command is two thousand knights. I have twenty thousand, though they’re currently in position... Why? 

True, his situation was unfavorable because of Ryoma Mikoshiba’s actions, but he couldn’t see what General Albrecht’s justification for acting so aggressively was. 

“I want to win this war, and I am only doing what is necessary to ensure that outcome.” 

I understand that much... But that can’t be all there is to it! 

Looking at things impartially, General Albrecht’s claims were justified. There was no doubting that, in terms of capability, General Albrecht was the best man for the job. But... 

“I agree with General Albrecht’s opinion!” 

Duke Gelhart’s conflicted thoughts were disturbed by a call from one of the corners of the room. 

“““What?!””” 

All eyes in the room focused on one man. 

“Did you not hear me? Then I shall say it again! I concur that all rights of command should go to General Albrecht!” 

The conference room went completely silent. No one could find the words to respond to what had just happened. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Duke Gelhart growled in a cold, quiet voice. “Are you betraying me... Kael?!” 

Of all people, it was Kael, the one who had given Albrecht the pretext to delegitimize the duke, who spoke up in the general’s favor. It was impossible for Duke Gelhart to suppress his anger. 

“What are you saying, milord? I am simply acting to see that my duties are fulfilled in the best manner possible!” 

“What...?” Duke Gelhart was taken aback by Kael’s borderline aggressive words. 

“To begin with, you only accepted me because you respected my talent for command, and I’m not acting out my role of ensuring you win this war, milord!” 

Kael then paused, looking around the nobles sitting in the conference room. 

“So, if we’re to beat an enemy even I couldn’t defeat, we’ve no choice but to hand command over to a general more experienced than myself!” 

“K-Kael... How dare you!” Duke Gelhart realized Kael’s intentions. 

The bastard is trying to strike while the iron’s hot and get in Hodram’s favor! I’ve been had... I shouldn’t have let him attend this meeting! 

He’d realized Duke Gelhart didn’t trust him after his earlier defeat and acted out of self-preservation. 

This was truly a careless mistake. Duke Gelhart decided to give up on Kael upon learning of his defeat, but he didn’t imagine Kael would be aware of that. The duke’s tendency to get as much use out of him as possible granted Kael a chance to turn things in his favor. 

Blast it all! Why did I call Kael here?! 

Duke Gelhart’s gaze bored into the aide sitting beside him. But this was the duke’s fault, after all. When his aide proposed to punish Kael, he said he would deal with him later on, but he never gave the order to withdraw his authority. And what became of that? 

Despite being treated as having been punished, he was given the same treatment as before, in which case he would naturally be present in an important discussion with General Albrecht regarding their future policy. 

“Oh! So you’re Sir Kael...! My, I suppose one shouldn’t rely on rumors after all. I never expected you’d have such clear ability to assess the situation!” 

“Your kind words are not worthy of being bestowed upon me.” 

General Albrecht had done nothing but mock Kael earlier, but now his tone was the direct opposite of that, and despite having heard the general speak foul of him, Kael didn’t seem to mind. 

“I see... If Sir Kael says so, I have no option but to concur with his words.” 

“What!” 

“What is this foolishness... Count Adelheit! What are you saying?!” 

Yet another one of Duke Gelhart’s men spoke in approval of General Albrecht’s taking command of the military. 

His aide’s face turned white. Hardly surprising. Count Adelheit was the second most important man in the nobles’ faction. In other words, the man who served as Duke Gelhart’s right-hand man for years approved of General Albrecht’s opinion. 

“My apologies. Duke Gelhart... Please, do not think ill of us over this. We are responsible for our vassals... We cannot afford to sit idly by and let death claim us.” 

His tone made it clear it was a grave choice he had to bitterly make, but it did nothing to silence Duke Gelhart. The man had leeched off Rhoadseria for decades. Responsibility for his vassals? Duke Gelhart knew full well Adelheit felt nothing of the sort. 

But him appearing to be a kind-hearted, apologetic old man who made a pained decision certainly did silence everyone around them. 

This is... already done for... 

While his heart was seething with enmity and rage, his mind clearly perceived the situation. With the second most-powerful man in the nobles’ faction being in favor of General Albrecht, the duke’s opinion wasn’t worth anything. 

And indeed, the other members of the faction were rushing to support the general, as if a dam had broken. 

“It seems we’re in agreement, then. I will take command of our troops!” General Albrecht concluded the meeting with those words, leaving Duke Gelhart seated in his chair all alone in a state of utter shock.

“Please, Sudou...! You’re the only one I can trust! I beg of you!” 

Sudou regarded Duke Gelhart’s entreaty with cold eyes, and the duke clung to him, thinking his request was being ignored. 

Was it Kael’s idea, or General Albrecht’s? Whoever thought of this plot, the end result was that Duke Gelhart’s control over his faction had been snatched away. He was already at his wit’s end over Princess Lupis’s imminent arrival with her forces. 

To think this used to be Rhoadseria’s prime minister... He’s nothing but trash who lost in a power struggle... 

Sudou regarded Duke Gelhart with scorn. 

Any influential person is but a mere man once they fall from power... I suppose that’s true of any politician, though... 

But Sudou couldn’t abandon Duke Gelhart if he was to accomplish his goal. At least for now. 

According to the empire’s orders, the invasion of Xarooda will only start in half a year... I suppose so long as I keep him alive, I still have some leeway to take measures... 

“Rest assured, Duke Gelhart. I will help you.” 

Sudou kindly placed his hands over Duke Gelhart’s own, which were gripping at his robe. 

“Oh! Truly? Will you really help me...?! But... My current situation is...” 

There wasn’t a hint of his usual overbearing attitude. He was so servile, Sudou suspected the duke would lick his boots if he demanded it. 

“Do not worry, I have a plan.” 

“Really! You think you can break through this situation?” 

But Duke Gelhart’s tone returned to its normal haughtiness within moments. He may have acted abject and unoppressive, but it was just acting. Sudou didn’t mind, though. 

“Well, it would require you to take on a considerable burden, my lord.” 

Duke Gelhart’s expression darkened at Sudou’s words. 

“A burden, you say... Do you mean money? Authority...? You don’t mean my head, do you?” 

This man... Even at this point in the game, he’s as rapacious as ever... 

Sudou couldn’t help but feel downcast at how greedy and coarse nobles could be. 

“You don’t have to worry about your head. However, I’m afraid you have no choice but to give up on your money and authority.” 

“Nonsense...! What’s the point, then?!” 

“No, no, you misunderstand. You may have to give up on those, but that’s not to say it can’t be dealt with.” 

“What do you mean?” The duke’s expression changed. 

“At the moment, there are very few options available to you. General Albrecht wrested control over the soldiers from you, after all.” 

“I know that much! Don’t state the obvious!” Duke Gelhart raised his voice at Sudou, as if the man was rubbing salt in his wound. 

“But that’s a stroke of luck in its own way.” 

“What? What do you mean?! How is Hodram taking over my army a stroke of luck?!” 

“Bluntly speaking, the enemy commander is extremely sharp. Frankly, I don’t think you stand much of a chance.” 

“What?! How dare you!” If looks could kill, Duke Gelhart’s glare would have struck Sudou dead on the spot. 

“Please. I insist that you hear me out,” but Sudou’s voice did not waver. 

And yet, the atmosphere behind his words was completely different. A cold, sharp, powerful fog of murderous intent filled the air, and faced with that pressure, Duke Gelhart’s heart sunk back into calmness. 

“I-I’m sorry...” words of apology slipped from his lips. 

“I will continue my explanation, then. I could hardly believe it myself, but the flooding attack that defeated Sir Kael was quite impressive. And the way they manipulated the spread of information afterwards was precise, as well.” 

“Spread of information...? Are you talking about those certain rumors?” 

“Yes. There is no mistaking that the rumors were the work of the enemy commander himself.” 

“So it really was him...” Duke Gelhart seemed to have realized that. 

“Do you think General Albrecht would be able to defeat a person capable of such exact planning...? This is only speculation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the enemy still has more tricks up his sleeve.” 

“You truly believe so?!” 

“Yes. At the very least, I would press the advantage if I were him.” 

Duke Gelhart had a feeling that Sudou was smiling behind his hood. 

“Then what do we do? Should we warn Hodram?!” Duke Gelhart made a suggestion that anyone else could have thought of. 

Thinking about it logically, one would come to conclude that doing so would do next to nothing in terms of improving Duke Gelhart’s standing, but evidently, he hadn’t thought that far ahead. 

“That would be meaningless,” Sudou shook his head in denial. “Rather, you should view it as an opportunity.” 

“Opportunity? What do you mean?” 

“I am saying, breathe not a word to General Albrecht and allow him to lose to Princess Lupis.” 

“Are you insane?! That would spell the end of everything!” 

He may have had Princess Radine as a just cause, but from Princess Lupis’s point of view, this was nothing more than an attempted insurrection, and Duke Gelhart was its ringleader. If he lost the war to Princess Lupis, he would no doubt be held responsible. 

But Sudou shook his head again. 

“That will be fine. All the responsibility will fall onto General Albrecht.” 

“What?!” 

“He stole away your right to lead, after all, so why not use these circumstances to your advantage as much as you are able to?” 

Duke Gelhart could practically feel the cruel smile on Sudou’s face. 

“But is that even possible? Even if you tell me to push the responsibility onto him, I’m still the one who mobilized the army. That fact won’t change...” 

“Yes, but if you play your hand right, you can minimize your responsibility. Someone will have to be executed as the ringleader. Under normal circumstances it would have to be you, but...” 

“That’s it! Now it would be Hodram!” 

“Precisely. If there are two people to execute as the ringleader, one’s life may be spared depending on how the negotiations go.” 

“But... Do I have a bargaining chip that would convince Princess Lupis to spare my life?” 

Few things would make one inclined to spare a rebellion’s ringleader, and it was impossible for Duke Gelhart to capture General Albrecht and hand him over to the princess. But in contrast to the duke’s concerns, Sudou answered easily. 

“Are you sure you don’t have a bargaining chip? Have you checked your dungeon?” 

“My dungeon... Dungeon... The dungeon!” 

Sudou’s words reminded Duke Gelhart of a certain someone. 

“But... Is there really that much value to them?” 

True, he realized what kind of bargaining chip Sudou had implied, but Duke Gelhart doubted there was enough value in it to merit his life being spared. 

“Oh, don’t worry.” He could hear Sudou stifle a chuckle behind his hood. “Princess Lupis will respond to your negotiations... Without a doubt.” 

Still gripped with faint anxiety, Duke Gelhart had no choice but to nod. He was now in a critical situation, with his life hanging in the balance. 

The day of the decisive battle was fast approaching, and no one could know how it would end...

The sun finally rose on the seventh day—the promised date of Princess Lupis’s arrival. Ryoma’s group stood on the banks of the Thebes, their gaze fixated on the glimmering spear’s edge on the opposite shore. 

On the other side of the river was the first formation led by Helena, which had begun crossing the river. 

“Nothing happened in the end...” 

“Yeah. I thought we might be attacked during the night, but...” Ryoma nodded at Sara’s comment. “Duke Gelhart never pressed on us, for whatever reason.” 

They had anticipated that Duke Gelhart would personally march on them following Kael’s defeat, but the enemy’s main force never showed itself, and Princess Lupis eventually arrived with reinforcements. 

They kept their security poised in the empty moat the night before the promised date, suspecting they might be raided then. 

“Perhaps the rumors you spread were effective?” 

“I don’t doubt they did, but they wouldn’t diminish the enemy’s numbers to zero. I think it would cut their numbers down by thirty percent at best.” 

Just as Sara pointed out, the rumors Ryoma spread sowed unrest among the peasants, but that wasn’t to say he could prevent all of them from being conscripted. 

The duke could threaten them with violence or buy them off with money. If he used that sort of might after issuing his order, some of the commoners would have no choice but to join, like it or not. 

It would bite into his numbers, but Ryoma didn’t think it was possible that absolutely no one heeded the duke’s call to arms. He didn’t doubt the success of his plot, but at the same time, he didn’t overestimate its effectiveness. 

“Still no movement from Heraklion?” 

“Yes, the scouts are still keeping an eye on the city. If the enemy makes a move, they will let us know at once.” 

“If their idea is to attack while the forces are crossing the river, they’d need to send out their forces right about now or they won’t make it in time...” Ryoma cocked his head. 

“In which case... Perhaps they want to hold a decisive battle on the plains?” 

“A decisive battle, eh...?” 

There was woodland and plains standing between Ryoma’s camp along the Thebes and Duke Gelhart’s stronghold at Heraklion. The plains in particular boasted a large surface area, with spanning farmlands producing wheat and other things, thanks to the Thebes’s branches streaming in water. Heraklion was a fairly bountiful region, even within Rhoadseria. But if that land were to become a battlefield, it would all be reduced to ashes. 

Still, if their analysis of the situation was correct, Duke Gelhart’s aim was to hold a final battle— he could have no other intentions if he relinquished the precious chance to attack them during the river crossing. 

The plains were prime terrain for mobilizing a large army, and so the idea was by no means a foolish one, but it would cause great damage when thinking about the idea of maintaining Rhoadseria in the future. The whole matter didn’t seem right to Ryoma. 

Isn’t something fishy about this whole thing? I’m definitely getting weird vibes from this... It’s like someone’s behind the scenes, pulling the strings of this war... 

Ryoma felt someone’s will was at play here, as he tried to piece the situation together. 

But... It doesn’t feel like they’re trying to get Duke Gelhart to win... No, it’s like they’re trying to get him to lose... How would that make sense? 

“Master Ryoma?” Sara said, peeking at Ryoma’s face. 

“Oh... Sorry. Just caught up in my thoughts...” 

“I could leave if I am interfering, then.” 

“Nah, it’s nothing to fuss over... But Sara, have you considered the possibility of a siege battle?” Ryoma said, as if to change the subject. 

Not much point in dwelling on this right now, is there... I can leave it be so long as we’re not placed at a disadvantage... 

Mentally convincing himself of that, Ryoma worked to hide his feelings and returned to the question he asked Sara. 

“A siege battle...? I think that’s extremely unlikely.” 

Ryoma couldn’t help but smile at Sara’s answer. Incidentally, he didn’t even consider the chance that Duke Gelhart might try holing up himself in Heraklion, the reason being that considering Heraklion’s scale as a city, it likely didn’t have the provisions to support many thousands of soldiers in addition to its own citizens. 

In other words, even if the enemy gathered their soldiers, they didn’t have the capacity to maintain them over a prolonged period. Ryoma estimated them to only be able to support their army for half a month at best. 

“If they try to fortify themselves in Heraklion with their usual forces, it’s doubtful they’d be able to push back Princess Lupis’s forces, and if they gather enough forces to defend the city, they’d run out of provisions within a month.” 

In the end, they didn’t have enough for one option or the other. If they didn’t gather all their forces, they wouldn’t be able to withstand a siege, but if they did, their provisions wouldn’t last. 

After all, Duke Gelhart’s only option was to opt for a clash with Princess Lupis over a short period of time using all of his forces. The same held true for Princess Lupis, though. 

Ryoma nodded deeply at Sara’s answer. The Malfist sisters’ eye for tactics had improved over the last few months, which Ryoma was quite pleased with. It meant his chances of survival were improving. 

“Sir Ryoma! Three thousand knights under Lady Helena’s command have crossed the river!” 

“Understood. Guide Helena to my tent, then prepare tents for the rest of the soldiers and let them rest.” Ryoma instructed the knight who gave him the report, and then returned to his tent with Sara by his side. 

The moment of truth was rapidly closing in.

“This is impressive...” Helena voiced her surprise at Ryoma. “To have secured a bridgehead like this...” 

“It’s not that big of a deal.” 

“Modesty can come off as condescending at times, you know. If nothing else, you don’t fool me. I’m sure Her Majesty will be impressed with your achievements when she arrives.” 

Even as Ryoma shrugged it all off modestly, Helena showered him with praise. 

“Personally, I’m worried she’ll scold me instead...” 

Helena looked surprised at Ryoma’s words. She didn’t understand where one was to find fault with Ryoma. Ryoma did have a matter in mind, however—Mikhail Vanash’s fate. 

Ryoma reported everything to Helena without hiding the facts, thinking any attempt to obfuscate things would just harm her trust. 

“I see... So Mikhail...” 

“Yeah, we haven’t confirmed if he was killed in battle or not, but there was no sign of him after the scouting mission failed. Not of him, or his body... It’s clear he violated orders, but he was still a close aide to the princess...” 

Helena heaved a sigh, which could be read as one of either exhaustion or exasperation. 

What a bother... This really is something of a problem... 

Once Ryoma had honestly filled her in on what happened, she realized his apprehensions. Mikhail was Ryoma’s subordinate, but at the same time, he was placed to watch over him. This was a necessary role to play, as Ryoma was a newcomer shouldering an important duty. Princess Lupis couldn’t afford for him to betray her in the middle of the war after she granted him command over her soldiers. 

And so Princess Lupis sent Mikhail, the retainer that was second only to Meltina in terms of loyalty towards her, to keep an eye on him. That stood as a testament to just how much she trusted the man. 

And then, even if it was his just desserts for defying orders, he died under Ryoma’s command. His survival was uncertain, but judging by the situation, he was likely dead. So from Princess Lupis’s perspective, she had lost a precious retainer because of Ryoma. 

If she understood he died in battle, Ryoma would have been better off. At worst, she could come to believe Ryoma arranged for his death. 

“Do you believe I’m overthinking this?” 

Helena was hard-pressed for an answer to Ryoma’s doubts. It was easy to laugh it off as him overthinking the matter, but considering things realistically, one couldn’t easily shrug off his concerns. 

“No... But you have to report it either way, right?” 

“Right... That’s actually why I spoke to you about it first.” 

If Ryoma baited Mikhail into a trap, the 1500 knights present wouldn’t follow Ryoma’s orders. From Helena’s position, the fact that Ryoma had established this bridgehead and was able to wait for reinforcements to arrive alone proved his innocence. 

But whether that would convince Princess Lupis was a gamble. Both Ryoma and Helena hadn’t interacted with the princess very much, and the princess only saw them as retainers. They only attended meetings with her. And just as she sent Mikhail to keep an eye on him, he didn’t trust her either. 

“Well, it’s fine... I’ll have to be the one to give her the report...” Helena resolved to be the one to take the brunt of that blow. 

While there was a perfectly reasonable explanation to the matter, it could easily come off as a lie if the person involved was tasked with explaining it. But if Helena were to break the news, Princess Lupis would be less prone to react in an emotional manner. 

“Sorry to drop this on you, Lady Helena. Thank you.” 

Swiftly realizing her intent, Ryoma let her handle everything. 

“It’s fine, letting you go down here would just cause problems for me... Right. You should prioritize reorganizing your formations for the time being,” Helena allotted Ryoma a task. “Someone would need to do that anyway... I’ll talk to her about it after dinner today.” 

That task was to make up a reason for Ryoma to not need to break the news himself. She hadn’t served all those years as Rhoadseria’s general for naught. 

“Understood... I’ll be off, then.” 

Ryoma bowed and left the tent, with Helena heaving a sigh as she watched him leave. 

“Now then... How do I break the news...? Maybe it’d be better to tell Meltina first instead of Her Majesty...” 

It wasn’t directly related to the war, but if she handled the situation wrongly and made Princess Lupis suspicious, it could influence Ryoma’s command. 

“Yes, reporting it to Meltina would be wisest...” Concluding as such, Helena headed for the wharf, where the second wave of reinforcements, led by Meltina, was to arrive.

“Aaaaah...” A mixture of a sigh and a moan of lamentation escaped Meltina’s lips. 

“Like I said, this wasn’t Ryoma’s mistake in particular.” 

“No, I understand that much... It’s just...” 

“Just what?” Helena’s tone became stronger upon repeating Meltina’s vague response. 

“Sir Mikhail had been Her Majesty’s escort and bodyguard since she was a child... Truth be told, Her Majesty’s bond with him runs deeper than my bond with her...” 

Helena went pale at Meltina’s words. This was exactly what Ryoma had feared. 

“Do you think she’ll suspect Ryoma after all?” 

“No, I don’t think that would be the case...” Meltina denied Helena’s concerns. “If you explain the situation clearly, no matter how saddened she may be, her anger won’t turn to Sir Mikoshiba...” 

Meltina didn’t want for Princess Lupis to grow suspicious of Ryoma at this point, either. The princess’s faction owed all its superiority to his plots, after all. 

“Then could you handle reporting it to Her Highness instead of me?” 

“Yes, I’ll handle giving her the report.” Meltina nodded. 

Come nightfall, the 23,000 troops led by Princess Lupis had crossed the Thebes. Tents were added to the camp at Ryoma’s command to accommodate the newcomers. And in one of those newly erected tents was Princess Lupis. 

“Mikhail...” 

Sitting on her bed, too modest for royalty to sleep in, she spoke Mikhail’s name. 

“Mikhail... Did you not say you’d always protect me...?” 

Having heard from Meltina that his fate was unknown, Princess Lupis thought back to the days she spent with the knight in her youth. Pearl-like tears slid down her cheeks. 

Upon hearing the report from Meltina, Princess Lupis had to suppress the anger that overcame her. Her responsibility as a princess forbade her from blaming Ryoma. 

As a ruler, she had to judge things fairly, in which case, there was no fault with Ryoma’s command. The one at fault was Mikhail, who had defied orders and cost five hundred men their lives. 

She understood that much. At least, her mind did. But as a person, her heart denied that rational judgment. 

As a result, Princess Lupis retreated to her tent after a quick dinner, where she shut herself away. She was aware that if she stayed there, she might have found fault with Ryoma. 

“Aaah, Mikhail... Once upon a time, you said you’d make me your bride...” 

A royal like Princess Lupis couldn’t wed a simple knight, and she didn’t truly wish for that. It was nothing more than a whimsical verbal promise made when she was a child. But memories like this one, which were usually banished to the back of one’s mind and out of recollection’s reach, seemed to rise to the surface one after another now. 

“You said you would always keep me safe...” 

For Princess Lupis, Mikhail was her most loyal retainer, with only Meltina being able to match him on that front. It was he who advised her to oppose General Albrecht’s tyranny. If Meltina, a fellow woman, was a sister to her, Mikhail was akin to a brother or father to her. 

The sorrow of losing him was even deeper than what she’d felt when her actual father, Pharst the Second, passed away. While they weren’t estranged, they were king and princess of the country before they were father and daughter, and so they could never quite build up that sort of affection. 

“Oh,” a man’s voice suddenly spoke up behind Princess Lupis. “I see you’re as grief-stricken as I thought you would be, Your Highness.” 

“Who are you?! An assassin...?!” Princess Lupis made the split-second decision to scream. “Someone! Come quickly!” 

She didn’t know how this intruder had entered her tent, but there were knights standing guard nearby. Her scream should have made them come at once. 

But wait though she did, not a single knight entered her tent. 

“You’re wasting your breath, Your Highness. My thaumaturgy has put them to sleep for a while.” 

The man’s words made the situation clear to her. She drew the sword leaning against the bed. 

“You’re no assassin... What are you here for?” 

Her words and actions felt a bit mismatched and awkward, but Princess Lupis was serious. No assassin would speak up like that, but that wasn’t to say he didn’t mean her any harm. She had no intention of letting down her guard until the man’s objective became clear. 

“What am I here for, you ask... Right, fair enough. We’re short on time, so I’ll cut right to the heart of the matter. I’ve come to offer you a deal.” 

The princess relaxed slightly at his answer. 

“What do you mean? To start with, who are you? How did you get here?” 

To answer Princess Lupis’s question, the man revealed his face from under the hood. 

“I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. The name is Sudou. Akitake Sudou.” 

Sudou bowed his head, in a gesture of non-hostility.