Chapter 881: Act 58 – Departure!
In the last few days of the Frostfall Month, the weather outside had become cold enough to make one’s teeth chatter. The deciduous forests around Mintai and Schafflund were unable to escape the desolate scenery, the tree trunks began to look bare, and since autumn’s end, a thick layer of fallen leaves had covered the ground, resembling a grayish, faded carpet laid thickly throughout the woods. In areas slightly further north, there had even been a few small snowfalls; while it was not yet fully draped in white, it at least signified the coming of winter in the year of the sword.
This was the least favorable time in a year to start a war, yet ironically, the Holy War was set to commence. History always plays by its own rules, sometimes more fantastic than the stories told.
In Cold Fir Territory, amidst a somber atmosphere of war, only the black pine forest outside the Baron Castle remained tall and evergreen. However, the canopy leaked a dim inkiness, as if an ominous creature were hovering overhead. When the cold wind howled through the tips of the pine trees, it produced eerie noises that raised the hair on the back of one’s neck. Duke Toniger’s guests stomped their feet and rubbed their hands under the trees in the courtyard, grumbling about the dreadful weather. Most of them were dressed extravagantly, exuding behaviors characteristic of those from large cities, making them appear unlike the local inhabitants. A dozen carriages parked side by side outside the courtyard bore dark bodies decorated with various crests, each representing a family’s illustrious history. These nobles hailed from different regions of Erluin, many visiting the impoverished Duke Toniger for the first time.
Their purpose for coming here was singular: to send envoys to Cruz.
This was also a rare moment of bustle for Cold Fir Castle, whether its owner welcomed these guests or not.
Although the envoy to the Cruz Empire was nominally headed by Brendel, who had the authority to select accompanying members, an ancient tradition mandated that certain fixed personnel positions must be included in the delegation—positions that Brendel was unable to assign. One was the representative of the royal family, Prince Haruze, who would represent the Corvado family, and he could select two maidens, a servant, and a knight to accompany him. Initially, the list included Lady Windsor and Lady Sigyn, both of whom had served as wet nurses for His Highness during their time at Winterclaw Castle, but Haruze temporarily requested Brendel to replace Lady Windsor with Medusalaisimeka, leading Brendel to suspect that the prince was reaching an age where romantic feelings could stir.
As for his servant, it was a young man from Corvado whom Brendel had not heard of before, presumably a member of the royal family, while the accompanying knight was undoubtedly Princess Nemeses’s most trusted choice.
In addition to the Corvado royal family, according to the Temple’s agreement, the former royal family of Erluin, the Siphai royal family, was also supposed to dispatch a representative. However, this representative could not possibly travel a thousand miles across Ampere Seale to meet them here; the Princess’s brother had previously written to inform them that he had selected a candidate, and that envoy along with his attendants would meet them in Greystone Territory, so they should not worry about his sister or the Count.
Then, the four dukes—Vieiro, Golan-Elsen, Lantonrand, and Karasu—along with three earls—Yanilasu, Yan Fortress Earl, and Greystone Earl, plus one Marquis Baltar, would each have a representative. There were supposed to be representatives from Anlek and Rendener, but those two territories had been absorbed into the royal domain and merged into Toniger. The Anlek family was now virtually extinct after the Ampere Seale battle, while Count Rendener and his family were still languishing in the dungeons of Magitan, making it impossible for them to send any representatives.
Among the four dukes, Duke Vieiro sent his youngest daughter, the duke’s envoy from Lantonrand was Aike, and Duke Karasu sent a chubby child reportedly his second son, while Duke Golan-Elsen also dispatched a daughter, but one who was still a small girl of seven or eight years old. Earl Yanilasu, a follower of the Silver Lion order, had no wife and therefore no offspring; he sent a promising officer, a hardworking young man, while the envoy for Greystone Earl had not arrived at Toniger and was likewise waiting to meet them alongside the envoy from Siphai.
Lastly, there was a minor setback with the envoy representing Yan Fortress, as the Yan Fortress Earl had been missing for some time. In the middle of Frostfall Month, Baron Dale personally sent an envoy, who was angrily sent back by the Princess. Eventually, Dierphir decided to take on the role of envoy for Yan Fortress herself, both to impress the Temple of Fire regarding her potential as the future heir of Yan Fortress and to thwart Baron Dale’s schemes. Brendel, considering her physical condition, arranged for her to have a slightly larger carriage.
These noble offspring usually brought their attendants, with at least one and at most three per person, resulting in a cumbersome convoy of around twenty individuals and five or six carriages. But if one thought this convoy was already sufficiently large, they were sorely mistaken. Brendel soon discovered unexpected guests among the party, one of whom was Princess Margadale. As a princess of Antobraw, she was warranted to represent her principality in the mission to Cruz—a fact the Empire had assumed she perished in the battle at Ampere Seale, so messages were conveyed to her principality urging them to send another envoy to Cruz. Somehow, that information reached this nun princess, who insisted on being the envoy for Antobraw to the Empire, and even secretly corresponded with the royal family of Antobraw, thus Brendel could not stop her.
After all, this princess was in Toniger to recuperate, not under house arrest, and he had no reason to restrict her freedom to contact the outside world.
As for another uninvited guest, she was currently standing before Brendel.
Brendel was glaring sourly at the merchant lady standing before him, dressed in a thick fur coat, wearing high boots, gloves, wrapped in a scarf, and sporting a bearskin hat, her small face revealing almost only a pair of bright, dark eyes. She tugged at a large box of luggage, finally unable to restrain himself from asking, “Alright, now you can tell me, what on earth are you doing here?”
“To go to the Empire with Brendel, of course! I’ve never been there before,” Little Romain tilted her chin up, revealing her small mouth under the scarf as she puffed out a white mist and answered as if it were a matter of course.
Brendel rolled his eyes. “Of course, I understand that, but I’ve already said the envoy team has no vacancies. Besides, it seems you’ve forgotten; I told you to stay in Toniger and keep yourself in a safer place, don’t make me worry, understood?” He could not help but rub his forehead. This kid had clearly promised just yesterday to obey and stay in the territory to assist Antinna; she had sworn she wouldn’t occupy a spot in the envoy team.
Wait, Brendel suddenly froze, realizing, glaring at the young lady, “Oh, damn it, you’re playing word games with me again!”
“No, I’m not,” Little Romain puffed out a breath of white mist onto her hands, smiling cheerfully, “I’m entirely justified, you know.”
“Justified, my foot,” Brendel pinched her face. “You listen well; stay in Toniger and don’t go anywhere.”
“Wah wah wah,” Little Romain had not been pinched like this by Brendel for a long time, and it hurt enough to make her blink rapidly. “I I I really… Brendel, you you you let go…”
Brendel held onto the merchant lady’s face for quite a while, but seeing her repeatedly waving her hands, trying to escape, while her lips remained sealed, made him somewhat skeptical—this was not in line with the young lady’s temperament. He finally released her, puzzled, and asked, “Alright, tell me, what exactly are you planning to do in the Empire?”
Little Romain rubbed her reddened cheeks, displaying a fierce expression. “I am invited by the Temple of Fire to represent the Seven Seas Chamber of Commerce, as a distinguished guest of the Temple of Fire, to attend the ceremony for the Holy War in Cruz.”
She deliberately emphasized the term ‘distinguished guest,’ then handed the invitation to Brendel. Upon opening the parchment, he almost blacked out and collapsed to the ground. The Temple of Fire indeed invites famous merchants, poets, and artists for significant ceremonies such as large celebrations or the mobilization for the opening of the Holy War, but he never expected his somewhat scatterbrained fiancée would appear on that list.
He could not help but turn the letter over several times, and after confirming that the magical wax seal on it was indeed the Temple’s emblem, he had to admit that it appeared genuine.
He looked up at Romain, as if seeing an alien. “When did your business become this big?”
“A long time ago. The Temple of Fire invited me during this year’s Harvest Festival, but that was for Ampere Seale; I’ve already been there and didn’t want to go again—it wasn’t fun at all,” Little Romain replied casually, as if the Temple’s invitation was merely a travel request, depending solely on her mood. Brendel almost shouted “Young lady, I’m on my knees for you!” The tradition of inviting prominent figures by the Temple had existed throughout the game, where in Erluin, some famous merchant associations and their wealthy sponsors competed fiercely for such letters, at times even nearly inciting trade wars—he had witnessed it happen several times.
Indeed, people have extreme capabilities; Brendel scrutinized his powerful fiancée, feeling convinced that there was some extraordinary advantage behind it
