Chapter 824: Act 5 – Wizards, Dragons, and the Empire II
Brendel had thought he would have to prepare the coach himself, but upon arriving in the yard, he found a four-wheeled carriage already waiting on the black-topped road under the shade of the trees. The carriage bore the emblem of the Cold Fir Territory, and as people in the castle seldom used carriages for travel, this one was likely prepared for him. Although he was a bit puzzled about who would know he was going out—could it be Medisa? The Silver Elf Princess, while polite, would never lower herself to such menial tasks. As he walked around to the other side of the carriage, he saw Antinna standing by the door, her eyes cast down, holding a large roll of documents, clearly waiting for his arrival.
“Lord Earl is going to Port Gris, and the carriage has been prepared for you,” Antinna said respectfully, her hands resting crossed over her knees as she stood at the door. “In the drawers of the carriage, there are cookies and pastries that I instructed the kitchen to prepare, because if we leave now, we will miss the meal times. Additionally, there are some recent intelligence reports about the Empire under the table; though not much, I thought they might be useful to you, my lord.”
She continued to chatter, her expression serious as if reciting lines, and a warm feeling surged in Brendel’s heart. He was still wondering who had arranged for the carriage, but who else could it be? Besides Antinna, who else could organize his erratic schedule with such diligence, frowning and lecturing him about maintaining a more orderly life? Who else but this somewhat quiet girl, who somehow made it hard to remember that she once came from a noble family and was a well-educated young lady?
It could only be her.
“Thank you, Antinna,” Brendel said, standing directly opposite his aide. Shi Ta was still behind him sucking on his chubby fingers. He smiled slightly as the last breeze of late summer rustled through the castle’s treetops, creating a gentle sound while birds flitted through the sunlit branches, their flapping wings muffling the whispers of the forest below. Antinna shivered slightly; she raised her head to look at Brendel, her dark eyes shimmering with a complex light before lowering her gaze again.
“It is what I should do,” she said softly with a hint of complaint, “If it were Miss Romaine, I suppose you wouldn’t be so polite as to say thank you to her.”
Brendel was surprised to see her face flush all the way to her neck, as if that comment had taken all her courage.
He pondered the meaning behind her words, the girl’s feelings flowing like a silent song that filled his heart unaware. He reached for the carriage door handle and brushed past his aide, as if they couldn’t see each other. Brendel opened the door and replied, “Indeed, I wouldn’t.” He released his grip, straightened up, and faced Antinna earnestly, saying, “But I wouldn’t say to her, ‘Get in, my aide; let’s go meet the envoy from the Cruz Empire.’”
For a moment, Antinna stood there in shock.
The late summer wind seemed particularly noisy, and the clouds drifted languidly across the deep blue sky, as if time itself had momentarily reversed.
A teasing smile appeared at the corner of Brendel’s mouth: “Do I need to help you into the carriage, my lady?”
“N-No, it’s fine…” the aide murmured, her graceful head bowed low like a swan, feeling the heat rising to her face. “There is still so much to do in the territory, many documents I haven’t dealt with. I… I think I won’t go; I’ll leave it to you, my lord…”
“Don’t you have those documents with you? We can deal with them on the carriage. It will take half a day to get to Port Gris; we have plenty of time. The sights of Toniger in late summer and early autumn are magnificent. I would like to see this land that belongs to us; come along with me.” Brendel interrupted her, pulling open the carriage door. Antinna hesitated a little, but the heavy sweetness in her heart eventually overpowered her reserve, and she sat down, her head bowed.
She finally understood that the lord had sensed her feelings.
That was enough for her. For Antinna, that was enough. The girl’s hands were almost awkwardly placed on her knees, tightly clutching her skirt, her head nearly buried on her chest in shyness. She had never hoped for more; just this was already wonderful. Brendel got into the carriage, and Shi Ta stubbornly squeezed in as well. The three of them fell into silence, the air filled with a faint fragrance, both from the late summer blossoms and the girl’s feelings.
The carriage rolled along, slowly passing through the castle gates, crossing the drawbridge, traversing the bustling streets, and leaving Cold Fir City, gradually transforming into a picturesque rural landscape with rolling hills and fields of vibrant green, distant woods, windmills, and sparkling rivers. The carriage traveled through lush forests and crossed stone bridges made of white stones, painting a coherent picture of Toniger’s scenery.
Brendel sat by the window, silently watching all this, filled with a sense of comfortable warmth.
In this world, he was no longer alone.
Countless people lived because of him, and he lived because of countless others. The interdependence of people sustained civilization, and warmth, love, and family ties were like an unceasing voice in the bloodline, resonating in every person’s heart. It ultimately endured, stretching endlessly. Milos and Kehua had once asked a similar question: What is the true meaning of this dark, ignorant, and humble civilization and order? It was neither as glorious as the ancient times nor as magnificent and unyielding as the Silver Age, but perhaps the answer lay within.
Because of kindness.
And hope.
……
Port Gris was no longer what it used to be; nostalgic people would find it hard to recapture the flavor of the past here, but there was no uproar; the harbor now had fifteen white piers extending deep into the blue bay. The shoreline had been dug deeper to accommodate large ships with snow-white sails. Neatly paved cobblestone streets crisscrossed in every direction, carrying heavily laden carts that divided this burgeoning port into orderly quadrants. Much like Cold Fir City, the dilapidated sheds had been dismantled, replaced by beautiful permanent structures, with red-tiled roofs now symbolizing the city. Only in the northernmost area near the woods could traces of the past fishing village still be found.
Buche’s shepherd’s inn, operated by Romaine’s trading company, could be said to be the only inn with official status in Port Gris. However, this inn, located in a bustling urban area, was not as crowded as others, as only merchants who had obtained permission from the Earl of Toniger could stay there. Occasionally, when Medisa, Antinna, or others from the castle came to this port, they would also take lodging here, making this inn less a commercial establishment and more of a stopping place with official ties to the Toniger domain.
But the inn had seen quite a few guests lately, though these guests differed from those in the past. Most were blond-haired and blue-eyed; while they remained polite, there lingered a hint of arrogance. The Erluin people found it difficult to accept the Cruz residents’ haughty attitude towards foreigners. Although this attitude sometimes did not stem from their true feelings, it represented a habit formed over years of pride.
However, according to the owner of the inn—a veteran from the Bronzesteeldragon mercenary group—he was fed up with it. This unusually irritable owner had declared himself ill, leaving all matters of the inn to his servants, and it had been over a week since he last made an appearance.
When Brendel’s carriage pulled up to the inn, this was the scene that greeted him.
At the entrance, he spotted Shi Do, the scholarly lady, sketching with a board by the roadside. She seemed fascinated by everything around her; the scenery of Toniger certainly provided her with a different perspective. Especially after hearing that not long ago this was just a desolate fishing village with only a few hundred people, where the residents would rarely see well-dressed noble knights, most of whom were tax collectors from the Cold Fir Territory, such descriptions weren’t surprising to her. What was written about Erluin was all like this.
But the Earl of Toniger had given her a different story about this kingdom.
A few young knights volunteered as her escorts, most of them recognizing Brendel, although they were closer to Nemeses and Freya. They all came over to greet him. For Cruz residents, such an attitude was quite rare; if the inn’s owner were present, he would surely have his eyes popping out in admiration for the lord, perhaps even prostrating himself in awe.
Brendel smiled and inquired, while Antinna followed behind him. She was somewhat surprised by her lord’s reputation among the Cruz people, but she understood a bit more than those beneath her, so it wasn’t too bewildering. Shi Do, upon seeing Brendel, set down her brush, stood up, and respectfully greeted him. Brendel hesitated because he noticed that the scholarly lady was offering a form of salute a student would give to a teacher; while the young knights of the Broken Sword Order could be seen as courteous through shared combat, this gesture felt somewhat overly formal.
He couldn’t help but look at Shi Do.
Thinking he understood her intent, she explained sincerely, “My mentor said that a virtuous person is a guide for others, and the conduct of Lord Earl serves as a model for our nobility. This time, as I return to Cruz, I will certainly convey all your deeds to my teachers. At least I’ve understood now that the former glory of the ancient nobility has not vanished from this land; the kind Eke’s legacy, which he took from the Empire and protected, still takes root and flourishes in this soil.”
Brendel could see the serious light in her determined gaze and couldn’t help but smile with a wry shake of his head. This noble lady remained as innocent as ever, which made it hard for anyone to be angry with her. Moreover, he felt a bit embarrassed; such words were somewhat flattering.
While he enjoyed seeing all of this, the events taking place on this land were not entirely due to his intentions. In moments of impulse and anger, he had never considered such long-term ramifications.
He shook his head, and at that moment, Rainwright appeared at the curved staircase leading down from the second floor of the inn. He looked over at this side, as taciturn as ever, but Brendel understood that this was likely Veronica’s intention. The only ones who could stay by the female commander’s side at this time were probably this prince and maybe Shi Do, but the scholar didn’t seem the type who could easily sit still. He quickly bid farewell to the others and followed.
Rainwright said nothing as he led the way, guiding him to Veronica’s room. When the door opened, Brendel was startled because there was another person in the room besides Veronica.
And he recognized this person—the bald, bearded one-eyed man was too distinct—this was Mangolov, the commander of the Black Legion, the marshal from the Empire’s side during the Third Holy War. Brendel nearly cursed, wondering what his scouts were doing, allowing this big fish to slip into his territory unbeknownst to him. He had not realized at all that one of the Empire’s four legion commanders, a figure whose power could be said to surpass even Veronica’s, second only to his teacher Mephistopheles, was here. Such a person in the Empire was like a nuclear weapon, and now this nuclear weapon had unknowingly slipped under his nose while he was completely unaware.
He couldn’t help but glance back; Antinna’s face showed a bit of pale shock, clearly recognizing the other person, which indicated she had received no warning either.
“Brendel, you’re here,” Veronica finally noticed Brendel and his aide. She and Mangolov were seated at a low table, the latter puffing on a pipe, its light flickering as he exhaled smoke, making the room feel hazy. Brendel frowned but quickly understood the situation. A person like Veronica, who had a slight case of obsessive cleanliness, was able to tolerate this because, firstly, Mangolov was indeed her senior, and secondly, there was likely something more important that had drawn her interest, causing her not to mind such trivial matters.
Veronica seemed to notice Brendel’s expression and quickly realized what he was thinking. She gestured for the Crown Prince to close the door, leaving only Brendel, Antinna, and the two legion commanders in the small room. Brendel felt the door click shut behind him and couldn’t help but wonder what event had led to such secrecy that even Rainwright couldn’t be present to listen. The situation felt more serious than he had imagined, and he calmed his thoughts, waiting for Veronica to speak first.
“Brendel, this is—oh well, you’ve figured it out already, so I won’t elaborate,” the female commander sighed halfway through, feeling a bit helpless about Brendel’s wariness. She looked deeply at him and said, “I’ve always felt that you are very concerned about the Empire, very aware of the need for defense, although I don’t know why. However, this time you can rest assured; Mangolov has come here through some special means, even avoiding the Temple of Fire, so it’s quite reasonable that you didn’t notice.”
Brendel looked at Mangolov, who was still focused on the map of Cruz spread out on the low table and hadn’t even glanced in their direction. This fit the typical behavior of Cruz nobility, especially someone of his stature; he certainly wouldn’t be inclined to treat an Earl of Erluin with any kindness. Brendel glanced at Veronica again; her explanation eased his mind somewhat. After all, if the Temple of Fire had been deceived, then his eyes and ears weren’t anything to be overly concerned about; he could hardly be arrogant enough to believe his scouts could outmaneuver the Temple’s surveillance network.
However, Veronica’s words hinted at a heavy sense of crisis.
Mangolov was an important representative of the military faction within the Cruz Empire. What major event could be occurring within the Empire that would compel such a figure to take such great risks to come to Toniger to meet Veronica, even keeping the Temple of Fire in the dark? Brendel’s mind was thrown into chaos, and he first wondered if the religious faction was at war with the royal faction? Was the Cruz Empire on the brink of civil war?
That would be tremendously fortunate; for Erluin, it would be a golden opportunity. The weaker Cruz became, the less pressure Erluin would face; that was an undeniable fact.
However, Brendel shook his head, thinking that there couldn’t possibly be such a windfall in this world. The Cruz Empire had only taken back its voice from the religious faction with the help of the chancellor less than a hundred years ago; the royal faction’s position was still quite stable. Furthermore, the Temple of Fire did not seem like a shortsighted entity capable of such overt rebellion. That was the state religion covering the entirety of the Cruz cultural territory. Even if there were a few boneheaded individuals within the upper echelons, most would likely remain clear-headed. Besides, Brendel remembered that the person at the peak of the Temple’s power was still the ‘Wise Varla,’ whose words certainly could not allow his subordinates to create such blunders.
It could be the female emperor.
Brendel didn’t know much about that Cruz emperor; honestly, he was more familiar with Rainwright—this prince destined to be a brilliant emperor. The female emperor, while known for her hard-handedness, was somewhat too willful in her style. However, historically, she would be in power for only a couple of years. Once Rainwright returned, he would soon become the true crown prince and ascend, leading the Cruz Empire into a prolonged period of advancement, marking the beginning of Erluin’s tragic era.
So what was happening now?
Brendel looked at the two historically significant figures before him and suddenly felt as if the entire history were amiss.
……
(PS: This is the second chapter for this weekend. I hope everyone has a pleasant weekend, and by the way, I am rolling in for more monthly votes~)
