Chapter: 77
The ongoing war had been gnawing away at the Empire’s prestige and national power for two full years, in real-time. As the war dragged on, the Northern Expeditionary Forces’ leadership found themselves increasingly mired in a quagmire, battling the urge to bite their tongues in frustration.
The Northern nomadic tribes had never established a unified force before. They were merely targets for the Empire to trample whenever it felt like it. Yet, in a reality twist, they had been taking solid hits for two long years. In fact, one lone nomadic warrior shattered the Empire’s proud military in plain sight.
How powerful Kagan was and how terrifying the united nomadic forces could be were hardly considerations. All that the continent would remember was simply, “The Empire couldn’t even beat some measly nomads.”
“If we lose here, the Empire is finished.”
A single statement from the Invincible Duke. One could argue that his words were disloyal and despairing, but no one could refute him. Yes, if they lost this war, it would spell the end of the Empire. Even if Kefellofen survived, the Empire would still be toast.
If we failed to stop the self-proclaimed Kagan, the Empire would lose its claim to rule over the continent. Allowing a new Empire to rise because we couldn’t defeat mere nomads would only lead to questions about our national strength.
Of course, other nations were aware of Kagan’s ferocity, but what did that matter? The Empire that formerly dominated them was now on the brink of collapse; it was time for them to prepare to feast on their fallen foe.
“The traitor was injured in the last battle.”
A battle against Kagan had occurred just a few days ago, where we managed to inflict some meaningful wounds on him. For that, the key personnel, including the 4th Division head, had to be transferred back for treatment; they were injured badly enough to require it. Luckily, they weren’t dead.
“Carl Krasius.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Do you think you can do it?”
“I will make sure of it!”
And so the Invincible Duke seized that opportunity without hesitation. No, he simply could not afford to let it slip. This was the first time in two years that the perpetually invincible Kagan had sustained an injury. When would the next shot come? Certainly not while the Empire still stood intact.
So now was the time. We had to deploy every available force from the Empire against Kagan, and that included me and the heads of the 4th Division. We realized from previous encounters that conventional tactics were utterly pointless against Kagan.
“Here’s a teleportation scroll. The Mage Duchess worked hard to make this.”
We would use that scroll to send Kagan straight to where the suicide squad was waiting. Of course, it wouldn’t be a walk in the park, but at least it was easier than trying to kill Kagan outright. Once we got close enough, sending him off with the teleport would be a piece of cake.
“Gentlemen, the Empire’s fate rests on your shoulders.”
Fortunately, we managed to successfully separate Kagan from his forces, and the team leaders of the 4th Division waiting in ambush did manage to take him down.
Though five out of the seven collapsed and never got back up, it was nothing short of miraculous that two had survived.
But perhaps that miracle was meant for only one person.
“I’m sorry, Carl.”
As Hecate made her return to the capital, she followed the other five.
In the end, I was the only one from the suicide squad sent to kill Kagan who returned alive.
*
Reflecting back this far was challenging enough, but the memories just kept coming flooding back.
‘I can’t just erase these memories.’
Unfortunately, memories are not something you can control at will. Things you desperately don’t want to remember suddenly resurface, and when you try to push them aside, they resist stubbornly.
Perhaps it was because I inadvertently scraped old wounds or maybe because the anniversary of certain events was just around the corner. While sitting by the beach, I was overwhelmed by a tide of nostalgia.
Thank goodness my companions didn’t inquire about my well-being, so I must not have looked too gloomy. Given enough time, I’ve learned to mask my feelings better than before.
“It was fun!”
Louise chirped cheerfully as she boarded the carriage back to the resort. Although she claimed she would just take a short break before heading back in, she never actually moved from her spot on the mat. As a result, the other group members slithered out of the sea, leaving the mat packed.
At least Louise emerged from the water a few times. Marghetta, however, never even dipped her toes in. She acted as though she didn’t mind. Regardless, I nodded in response to Louise’s enthusiasm.
“Exactly! We had a blast until the very end!”
Of course, I was talking about Louise, not myself. The official schedule for our school trip didn’t end until tomorrow, but we’d be heading back to the Academy right after breakfast, making today essentially our last day. We truly enjoyed every bit of it.
“Can we come back again next year?”
“Probably. I’d hate for it to end in just one year.”
Marghetta, who sat next to me, seemed to flinch at that, but I deliberately diverted my gaze from her. The sad truth of school trips is that there are those who enjoy and those who sweat it out.
“Perhaps next year, we might go to a different duchy, or even the capital!”
Lather jokingly suggested this, receiving generally positive reactions. Honestly, a change of scenery wouldn’t be a bad idea, and the capital’s vibrancy was hard to put into words.
Seeing Marghetta bow her head in silence tugged at my heartstrings. Was she imagining planning a trip to the bustling capital? Maybe next year, we’d even see Marghetta ditch the Student Council entirely.
‘I wouldn’t like going to the capital either.’
The thought of the travel destination being my workplace was downright absurd. If someone told me that, I might even slap them! But Lather was royalty, so I had to hold my tongue.
Thus, the carriage rolled into the resort, with contrasting responses to future travel destination discussions hanging in the air. I figured it was best to rest in our room before dinner.
“Executive Manager.”
If only the front desk staff hadn’t called for me, I could’ve had a moment to relax.
Rushed by the unexpected summons, I sent the kids up first and made my way to the front desk, where a politely bowing employee placed a box on the counter.
“It’s a package sent by His Grace the Duke.”
“His Grace?”
“Yes. He mentioned it was something you needed.”
Did he really need to send something? After all, I’d instructed him to send the money directly to the Prosecutor’s Office, so it felt like there’d be nothing left. But since he claimed it was something I needed, I hoped he hadn’t sent anything too strange under the guise of secret orders.
‘Ah.’
Opening the box, I found six bottles of wine from a familiar brand. It was Boyar wine, one of their flagship products.
Wow, he remembered this time!
“Please let His Grace know I’m grateful.”
“Yes, understood.”
I closed the box and cautiously took it with me. I had already received a lavish reward for my efforts, and now this too! What a pleasant surprise!
‘His ability to manage relationships is truly impressive.’
It was no wonder that the Gold Duke’s influence extended so far.
Since I unexpectedly received something from an unexpected source, I felt it necessary to inform someone.
— Who is this? Are you just lounging around by the sea all alone?
“Well, I’ve been working hard, so why shouldn’t I enjoy myself a bit?”
I contacted the Minister for a routine report and he answered almost immediately, suggesting he must be on a break.
“I got some wine, so you don’t need to buy it separately.”
I showcased the wine given to me by the Gold Duke. Originally, the Minister was supposed to fetch it for me, but now that I had procured it myself, it wasn’t necessary.
The Minister was silent for a moment before holding up a basket to the crystal.
“Ah.”
— I got some today too.
Inside the basket were six bottles of wine tucked neatly away. It was Boyar wine, exactly like the ones the Gold Duke had sent me.
— I even went out of my way to get these.
“Isn’t two bottles per person a bit excessive?”
— If they drink that much, they’ll be too drunk to get back to their heavenly abode. How much do you intend to make them drink?
I fiddled with the wine bottles, feeling awkward by the Minister’s teasing words. I thought it wise to not burden him with purchasing more expensive wine, so how unfortunate the timing turned out to be.
— By the way, where did you obtain those?
“They were a gift from His Grace the Gold Duke.”
— Wow. Did he remember last year’s debacle?
I nodded silently, thinking that must be the case.
Last year, we also tried to acquire Boyar wine around this time. However, due to various issues, the production was low, and all the available stock had already been taken, leaving me with no options.
In a dire situation, I reached out to the Gold Duke for help. Initially, he was hesitant, but after I explained why I needed it…
“Alcohol for a ceremony? You should’ve mentioned that right away!”
He immediately provided it. I hadn’t expected him to remember this year and send some again.
— Thank goodness, I won’t have to scramble at the last minute like I did last year.
“Agreed!”
— It was quite a sight seeing the person who said they’d handle it flounder to get it until the very end.
With that embarrassing revelation, I was left speechless. Honestly, I never knew Boyar wine was that precious. I merely thought of it as a pricey bottle.
— I’ll send a magician to the main building, so don’t forget it.
“Don’t worry. If we’re discussing forgetfulness, you should be more concerned about your own memory than mine.”
— You scoundrel.
We finished the conversation off with that playful exchange.
‘So, he’s sending a magician.’
I was planning to request one, but it looks like he beat me to it. Talk about convenient!
As I gazed at the communication crystal that had gone dark, I carefully set the wine down. Each bottle was valuable; they deserved to be handled with care.
“I hear Boyar wine is quite delicious. I’ll make sure to try it when we get to the capital.”
“A glass probably costs a month’s wages. What’s with the extravagance? Did you sense some kinship with that deep red hue, like your own blood?”
“You bastard!”
I never anticipated that a casual remark with Ger would lead to this level of trouble. The nerve of him, drinking only Boyar wine when any cheap swill would have sufficed. Why make it so challenging?
Thanks to him, I find myself in this predicament during their memorial days. I wonder if they even know the hardships I’m enduring.
Gerard, you drunken brat. If your spirit still lingers, at least make an appearance in my dreams. I went through all this trouble to get these, and we can’t even share a drink together.
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