225. Aftermath (2)
Duke Erbe looked down at his vassals with a faint, faded smile. It was the kind of smile that said, “Isn’t this enough already?” His vassals had been raising their voices for over an hour now.
“So what are you trying to say!”
“We should behead the envoy!”
“Point a sword at the royal palace without justification? Great idea! Why don’t you suggest we all bite our swords and fall over while we’re at it!”
“How dare you!”
It went on like this. The grand ambition of ruling a united Ribue, having barely survived the uprising of heretics and assassination threats clearly orchestrated by the royal palace, was turning into foam along with the vassals’ arguments.
“My heart aches.”
Kirhas, sitting lazily beside the Duke, smirked and spoke. As the Duke turned his head, sipping his drink, Kirhas clinked her glass against his.
“Well, it’s not like we’re children. Getting attached just because we fought together would be even more childish.”
“They’re already attached enough to act like that.”
“If they get attached twice, a war might break out.”
“They’re worried about me, Chieftain. That assassination attempt you stopped. They’ve been like this ever since.”
The battle ended in a moment, at the break of dawn. The skeletons crumbled as if they had never existed, and the surviving soldiers cheered.
And in the chaos, the vampire who had rushed right next to the Duke was beheaded by Kirhas’s longsword. From then until their return. After seeing the collapsed palace, ensuring his daughter’s safety, and up until now.
The Duke’s vassals began discussing how Ribue should endure this crisis. Like most discussions, no conclusion was reached on the table.
“What do you want to do, Duke?”
“We must fight.”
The Duke spoke calmly, looking down at his vassals. They had stopped their disputes and were now listening to him.
“If it were just me, I wouldn’t know, but the Emperor has touched my vassals, my family, and my household. Do you think the Emperor won’t do it again? Of course, we must fight back.”
“But, Your Excellency!!”
A knight bowed his head and shouted.
“The territory’s military forces can never match the central legion. If a civil war breaks out, it would be wise to first win over the other dukes to oppose them. Please reconsider this!”
“Do we have evidence! We need proof that the Emperor orchestrated this to persuade the other lords! Your Excellency! We must execute the Empire’s envoy and report this matter to the Church!”
“Do you think the Church will seriously consider our accusation? This isn’t about dealing with a noble from a small country. We’re talking about interrogating the Emperor of the Empire! What Pope of what Church would rashly step forward!”
Yes, that’s the problem. Erbe gave a bitter smile. Circumstantially, all this scheming was the Emperor’s doing. If not him, there’s no one else who could plan and execute such a large-scale operation. But that’s just circumstantial evidence.
Even if we had physical evidence. Even if we secured an order stamped with the Emperor’s seal, the royal palace would dismiss it as fabricated evidence. And the Church wouldn’t attack the Empire’s administrative office by siding with a duke on the brink of ruin.
All the churches of the Temple of the Gods declared complete neutrality in worldly politics. That sacred declaration from the 13th Council of Erelhem has not been violated even once in the 400 years since.
It was a satisfying conclusion for both the Church and the nobles. The Church elevated its authority and gained respect from the powerful. Since then, the Church’s actions of judging or excommunicating the powerful were considered matters of religion, not politics.
And the powerful as well. The nobles of each nation and royal palace also welcomed this decision. Before that, secular society had been in a period of chaos backed by religion. They didn’t want to return to the numerous territorial wars and civil wars fought under the pretext of religion and doctrine.
Since then, 400 years have passed. Religion drew a line with the secular world. And when secular monarchs leaned on religion, the Church measured the balance of political power with astonishingly cold standards.
In such a situation, hoping that the Church would side with Ribue and punish the Emperor was nothing but a vague hope. A monarch must look at reality, not hope, and make a decision. Erbe raised his glass and spoke.
“You are all correct. But hastily executing the envoy is somewhat rash. If an envoy comes, we will treat them with courtesy. We must listen to their words and understand their true intentions. Our future course of action can be decided after that.”
Let’s endure for now. Kirhas frowned as she listened to the Duke’s words. She disliked politicians. Slugs who wouldn’t move until they found justification…
‘I need to go back and get praised.’
She had done her best. She thwarted the assassination attempt and won the battle. As per Fernandez’s orders! But when she returned, the Duke’s daughter unexpectedly opposed her entering the palace.
‘Your Excellency… If my concubine is unwell… If she’s sick, shouldn’t I be there?’
‘Are you skilled in medicine, Chieftain?’
‘…No?’
‘Ribue has many excellent doctors and pharmacists. Please don’t worry and attend the meeting with my father.’
‘Uh…’
‘Or do you have a physician among your household who is more skilled than Ribue’s doctors?’
The tribes of the Great Wilderness almost equated medicine with shamanism. While studying at the Inquisition Office, she learned how much modern medicine had advanced. The beastmen’s medicine was nothing but folk beliefs!
Recalling the tribal shaman who would grind darae and animal bones, mix them with water, and add animal bile, she weakly shook her head.
‘It might… not be entirely ineffective.’
‘Then please leave it to our doctors, who are certainly effective, and join the military meeting, Chieftain. Isn’t that the way for Ribue and the Federation of Nobles?’
At those words, Kirhas returned dejected. Could Diemonica be sick? Didn’t Your Excellency just resurrect? No, is it even possible for Your Excellency to be sick?
But even in this situation, not being sought out… Could it be that Your Excellency has another plan?
These kinds of thoughts tangled in her mind. If Fernandez really needed her, he would have been on the frontline, not in a sickbed. That’s the kind of person he is. If he’s sitting still, it must be because he’s working on another plan.
And if he needed her for that plan, he would have sought her out. So, the fact that Your Excellency isn’t looking for her now must mean he wants her to attend the meeting.
Hmm.
“Ugh… Your Excellency. I really hate this kind of situation.”
Kirhas let her tail droop and picked up a wine glass. With a cold expression, she tried to look as lazy as possible. The beastman warriors in the meeting hall watched her with admiration, as always.
As expected of the chieftain, standing firm even in this chaos!
Haha, isn’t that the demeanor of a true strong one? A chieftain of the wilderness should have that kind of presence!
Along with the wine glasses, such conversations flowed back and forth. Following the beastmen’s tradition, the meeting was no different from a banquet. At least, in this place, only they were fully enjoying the feast.
* * *
Meanwhile, Fernandez was lying on a bed. He had been confined to the sickbed for almost a full day.
“I’m fine now.”
“I saw you coughing up blood. Do you think I’d believe that? Don’t worry. The territory’s pharmacists are very, very capable. Here, drink this…”
“A mixture of frostwort, hadam grass, and pasras. This is a fever reducer and relaxant. Lady, if we’re being precise, the correct prescription would be a medicine for internal injuries, and among them, an anti-inflammatory would be appropriate.”
“Uh… Are you close with our pharmacist…?”
“I could tell by the smell.”
“You analyzed the medicinal ingredients by smell?”
Even a dog couldn’t do that… Rene muttered in slight panic. Fernandez chuckled and sat up slightly. It hasn’t been proven whether Diemonica’s sense of smell is superior to a dog’s, but when it comes to detecting specific traces, it’s not lacking.
One of the basic skills of a dark mage is alchemy and pharmaceutical techniques. Due to the work environment where most reagents have to be made alone in the field, a dark mage needs pharmaceutical knowledge comparable to that of a decent pharmacist.
Fernandez has spent half his life in Wildcast. He often disguised himself as a pharmacist when sneaking into villages. Like when he first met Aria.
“There’s really nothing you can’t do.”
“There’s a lot.”
“I’m curious. Sir Sernerd, what are you least confident about?”
Rene laughed softly and sat on the bed. Fernandez took a fruit plate from Rene’s hand and picked up a piece.
“Resting like this.”
“Seems like you can’t stay calm. Surprisingly, you have a cute side.”
“Answering such questions.”
“Being reserved is a very attractive trait. I like it.”
“Straying from the topic.”
“Always getting to the heart of the matter. Very progressive. I like it.”
“……”
“Ahaha.”
Fernandez chewed on the fruit without a word. The late spring strawberries were very sweet. Rene brushed her hair and spoke softly.
“I washed those myself.”
“That doesn’t seem like something the Duke’s daughter should be doing.”
“The attendants are busy with palace affairs right now. Isn’t this the duty of a noble (Noblesse oblige)?”
“Good attitude, but I’d like to talk about something else.”
“I’m also very curious about many things. Shall we take turns?”
“I’ll go first. What do you desire?”
Fernandez put down the bowl and spoke. Rene made a slightly flustered expression before smiling mischievously.
“Talking like that to a maiden, how disappointing.”
“We’re in the same boat.”
“That’s nice to hear. So?”
“So, showing me favor won’t get you much in return for the time invested. I’m already a recruited figure.”
“…That’s a bit cold. Alright. If that’s the case, then what?”
“Therefore, the way you’re treating me isn’t appropriate. Whether it’s simple affection or the authority of the church. Either way, neither will lead to a good outcome.”
Rene’s expression stiffened momentarily at Fernandez’s indirect refusal. She quickly coughed and turned her gaze to the window.
“Shall we start with why it’s hard to gain the church’s authority?”
“The church can’t directly intervene in this matter. Especially the Vaitas Church, as they’re already too preoccupied with the current situation in the Eastern Kingdom. If you’re hoping for the church’s support, you should abandon that thought. To seriously conduct the imperial heresy investigation, you need a foundation to bear the risks.”
“Are you saying we should oppose the imperial palace without the church’s support?”
“Buy time.”
“Time… you say?”
Fernandez stroked his brow and continued. Rene found herself unable to look away from his face.
“If we use the chieftain’s legion to make Ribue a base city, we can withstand the pressure from at least three dukes simultaneously.”
“But isn’t the chieftain’s legion currently split in two, fighting a civil war? I thought they came to our territory for rear support.”
“The civil war and rebels in the wilderness can be resolved with enough time. We can get support from elsewhere. But it will take time and resolve. Duke Erbe won’t be pleased with the remaining proposal.”
“What is it?”
“The Sultan’s support.”
Fernandez removed his hand from his brow and looked at Rene. At his words, Rene stiffened like a stone. Duke Erbe had done his best as the supreme commander during the last war with the Sultan.
That he did his best means, from the Sultan’s perspective, he’s an enemy leader they’d want to tear apart. And now, the Sultan’s support?
“Lavirata is hostile to external forces, and the Sultan wants to improve new trade routes. The entire western continent beyond the wasteland is already under the Sultan’s authority. The only direction he can expand is the Great Wilderness and beyond.”
“Do you think the Sultan will help Ribue?”
Externally, the current Sultan, Al’Hashir, is a warmonger. The western unification war inherited from the previous Sultan was concluded in his reign, and Al’Hashir desired even more territory.
The only force capable of opposing his expansion is the Empire. The Empire has clashed with the Sultan’s conquest ambitions in the wasteland for the past 50 years.
Now, suggesting to the former supreme commander of the 50-year war to seek the Sultan’s support would be the ultimate insult. It would mean betraying his entire past life, and the Empire’s public opinion would treat him as nothing less than a traitor.
“If we attack the imperial palace with external forces, even if we succeed, there’s no future. I thought you’d know that much…”
“You said the church needs a foundation to bear the risks to support the Duke against the imperial palace.”
“Are you saying the Sultan… would be the church’s foundation?”
“The Sultan’s Immortal Legion, the warlords of the Great Wilderness. If they join, we can fight the entire Empire. The military strength is sufficient, and all that’s left is justification…”
Fernandez smiled grimly.
“Justification battles and public opinion wars are not the church’s forte.”
A chilling wind blew. Rene felt goosebumps as she stared at the young man before her. A young, noble appearance, and a body full of scars that didn’t match it. To anyone, he was nothing more or less than a capable knight.
But those eyes… Those blue eyes that had caught her attention from the first meeting… Rene averted her gaze and turned her head.
“You gave two reasons. I got one answer.”
“Two reasons?”
“Two reasons why you can’t accept the Duke’s daughter’s favor. What’s the first reason? Why can’t it just be simple affection? Am I not attractive enough?”
“I have a son.”
At those words, Rene dropped the teacup she was holding.
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