Chapter 250. Childhood Friend – Cleanup
The dark clouds dispersed.
The Irotashi River, which had been flowing with blood and rainwater, regained its original appearance in less than a day. The victors buried their fallen comrades in front of the destroyed stone bridge.
A melancholic requiem. The solemn beat of the drums consoled both the dead and the living.
They had won, but thirteen thousand men had died. And more would die. The hastily established hospital wards were filled with groaning patients.
Soldiers lined up along the sunlit riverbank. Even the barbarian warriors, usually indifferent to life and death, wore sorrowful expressions as they touched the shrouds covering their comrades’ bodies.
Before the water burial, Lev, dressed in dark clothing found at short notice, ascended the podium. A sad cheer arose. After all, they had won. After a moment of silence, Lev began to speak.
“I remember them from yesterday. They were alive and fought bravely. That’s why we were able to win.”
Lev placed his hand on his chest and bowed his head. The soldiers and warriors followed his gesture, bowing to the bodies.
“Some of you may still not know why we fought yesterday. Some may not know why Marquis Guidan was brutally killed as a traitor.”
Lev’s voice was raw. He slowly added intensity to his calm voice.
“The reason we had to fight after the Marquis’s death lies in the corrupt system of this kingdom. It’s because of the evil laws that enslave the indigenous people who were living peacefully and make debtors into slaves. So! We fought.”
Lev’s voice lowered again.
Originally, he intended to use the death of Marquis Guidan to garner support from the leaderless soldiers. But the pain in his chest made Lev relax his clenched fists and lessen his intensity. He addressed the indigenous warriors.
“…We will not stop. This is just the beginning, and a day will come when all indigenous people will live equally with the kingdom’s people. The only thing I can promise is victory. I promise to spread the banner of indigenous autonomy across the continent. I extend my deepest condolences to Marquis Guidan and all the comrades who have left us.”
– Splash!
Although they were people of the Orun Kingdom, the bodies were wrapped in shrouds bearing the insignia of the Conrad Kingdom and gradually disappeared beneath the water’s surface.
As Lev descended from the podium, he was met by Count Ogerton, Leo Dexter, and Sir Hazen, the commander of the Conrad Kingdom’s Second Knight Order.
Sir Hazen had crossed the river this morning with his knight order, ten thousand Rutina garrison troops, and five mages. Not only did they help monitor the captured nobles and surrendered heavily armed infantry of the Lognum royal family, but they also helped collect the bodies scattered along the riverbank.
– “His Majesty, King Leanne de Yeriel, asked me to assist you. He regrets not being able to come personally.”
Sir Hazen regarded Lev as King Leanne de Yeriel’s benefactor. With a businesslike demeanor, the knight said,
“It was an impressive speech.”
Then he returned to his duties.
Including the dead from Duke Algeo de Lognum’s side, it took a long time to bury the thirty thousand bodies. The soldiers throwing bodies into the river and the slowly flowing river created a solemn scene. Count Ogerton, watching this, asked Lev.
“The speech was different from what we had planned. Why did you change it?”
“…I apologize. I didn’t want to use Marquis Guidan’s death for false propaganda. The Marquis was not interested in abolishing slavery.”
The Marquis was simply looking for a way to maintain his family without marrying his daughter off to the princes. Lev had merely incited him.
Count Ogerton stroked his chin, seemingly surprised.
“Hm. I wouldn’t call that a lie… You have a soft heart. So, what do you plan to do with Marquis Guidan’s soldiers?”
That was the problem.
Despite the losses, many of Marquis Guidan’s private soldiers remained.
Well-armed and rigorously trained, five thousand soldiers.
Lev spoke decisively, despite the undeniable strength of their remaining forces.
“I will send them back.”
“…Understood. But you must have an alternative plan, right? Despite our great victory, we have suffered significant losses, and the Lognum royal family is strong. Executing Prince Algeo might have backfired.”
Leo also had concerns.
Just because Duke Algeo was defeated and they had the support of the Conrad Kingdom didn’t mean the enemy would surrender. On the contrary, the execution of a royal might provoke a fiercer retaliation than before.
Lev shook his head.
“No. Although an unexpected battle occurred, with Prince Algeo dead and the enemy having lost two knight orders, the war is over. Just wait a month. The outcome will become clear.”
His words carried a sense of certainty.
Lev ultimately disbanded Marquis Guidan’s army.
However, ‘disbanded’ was not entirely accurate. Marquis Guidan’s private soldiers were not merely subjects to be dismissed. Yet, ‘sent back’ wasn’t quite right either.
Lev, the barbarian warriors, Leo Dexter, Count Ogerton and his soldiers, and Sir Hazen’s Conrad Kingdom troops accompanied them back to Marquis Guidan’s territory.
The heavily armed infantry and knights of the surrendered Lognum royal family, along with captured nobles, were entrusted to Count Gideon Ropero of the Conrad Kingdom’s western border until the war’s end.
Dozens of small boats left by pirates proved useful in various ways.
Lev’s prophecy came true.
When Leo Dexter arrived at Marquis Guidan’s territory, he greeted his wife, Lena, by playfully pulling her cheek.
“Oh dear~ My wife, how have you been without me? Have your cooking skills improved?”
At that moment, a synis (a type of eagle) flew from the southwestern sky and perched on Lev’s shoulder.
Lev smiled gently.
Attached to the synis’s leg was a note from Caesar stating that the Lognum royal family had fallen.
* * *
The downfall of the Lognum royal family was orchestrated by Prince Aeton de Lognum’s right-hand man, Count Taradin Amus.
After sending his rival, Count Geogis Jermin, to Duke Algeo de Lognum, Count Amus, who had stayed in Nevis to rally nobles to his cause, received shocking news.
Prince Algeo had been reported dead.
At first, he thought it was fortunate he hadn’t gone to war with the Conrad Kingdom, but the situation became dire.
The Conrad Kingdom hadn’t killed Prince Algeo. It was Lev, a swordmaster who had emerged last year in the Holy Kingdom of Jerome, who had risen in rebellion under the banner of indigenous liberation.
This alone wouldn’t have posed such a significant issue; the army could have crushed the rebellion. But the fact that the swordmaster had allied with Marquis Guidan and that Conrad Kingdom’s forces had crossed the border spread like wildfire, even reaching the citizens of Nevis.
To make matters worse, Marquis Ebeny Drageen of the northern border began marching south with a large army. The capital of the Orun Kingdom, Nevis, was gripped with anxiety. There were fears that the Holy Kingdom of Jerome was using the swordmaster to conquer the Orun Kingdom.
The Holy Kingdom had always strictly prohibited slavery, and with the recent independent actions of the Frederick royal family, these fears seemed plausible.
“Count Amus, you must make a decision.”
“…”
“From the north, Marquis Drageen’s army is advancing, and from the east, Marquis Guidan, the Swordmaster, and the Conrad Kingdom’s forces are approaching. Unless you plan to abandon everything and seek exile, you must break ties with the Lognum royal family.”
Caesar’s whisper shook Count Amus. For someone whose only possession was land, he didn’t have many options.
“If I surrender… will they accept me? There’s no one in this country who owns more slaves than I do.”
“Of course, it would be difficult.”
Nobles like Marquis Drageen or Marquis Guidan, who had territories on the borders, didn’t keep many slaves.
Trade with other kingdoms brought in enough revenue, and more importantly, the geography of the Orun Kingdom determined this.
Along the southwestern coast of the Orun Kingdom, there is the towering Lognum Mountain Range.
Rich in minerals, the mountains gradually lower as they move away from the coast, becoming plains near the kingdom’s border (except towards the Conrad Kingdom, where the elevation drops sharply, almost as if someone had ‘flattened’ it). This means that nobles with territories inside the Orun Kingdom often run mines.
Mines require many slaves.
Count Amus had hoped that surrendering would be acceptable, but Caesar quickly shattered that hope, continuing before Amus could object.
“They executed even the royalty. So, simple surrender won’t do. You need to show sincerity.”
“Sincerity?”
Caesar subtly shifted the topic.
“I heard many royal knights have been dispatched. Two knight orders were sent out, but I wonder what happened to them.”
Count Amus wasn’t a fool. Understanding Caesar’s implication, he groaned.
Rebellion. I have to start a rebellion too.
There wasn’t much force left in Nevis to protect the royal family. Only the Royal Guard, the palace guards, and the First Knight Order that hadn’t been deployed remained.
Even those forces were stretched thin, as the startled royal family sent out dispatches to raise an army and recruited soldiers everywhere, with royal guards collecting troops. There was a chance of victory… there was.
Most of the nobles in Nevis were in the same position as him. With his long-time rival, Count Geogis Jermin, gone, Amus had already consolidated his faction.
However, what made him hesitate was how smoothly things were falling into place. Could the country really collapse this easily? Why did such a critical decision fall into my hands now?
Why, despite a lifetime of struggle, was this opportunity coming to me now?
‘Because of him.’
Count Amus, realizing something, spoke in a low tone.
“There’s a reason most of the mercenaries in Caesar’s mercenary band are barbarians.”
“…!”
“I will start the rebellion. Not because you suggested it, but of my own volition. I trust you have a plan to ensure safety. Oh, and there’s this.”
Watching the startled Caesar, Count Amus stood up, opened a cabinet, and hooked a pair of items with his index and middle fingers.
Shoes.
They were shoes he had gifted to Lady Taralin Amus. Caesar felt a lump in his throat.
“I seem to have found a match for my grown daughter. I’ll leave it to you then.”
The count left the room.
Caesar, left alone with the shoes, trembled, newly realizing the fearsome nature of nobility.
It was a mistake to think that a mere commoner could manipulate a count with a few words. While Caesar moved the count, the count was also observing him.
If Master Lev hadn’t handled things well outside, what would have happened to me?
Caressing the goosebumps on his upper arm, Caesar walked out. He considered returning the shoes to Lady Taralin Amus but decided to wait until after the task was completed. Not long after, Count Amus turned the palace upside down.
* * *
Caesar met Lev a month later. Lev had entered Nevis without bloodshed, leading barbarian warriors and the Conrad Kingdom’s army. Nevis had already been taken by Marquis Drageen, who had arrived earlier.
Caesar was elated to have completed his assigned mission and rushed to request the safety of Count Amus and Lady Amus from his master.
However, his master called him not to Marquis Guidan’s usual residence, but to a desolate stable.
It was the former branch of the now-destroyed Dorf family.
Curious about what business his master had there, Caesar stood before Lev for the first time in a long while. Lev, seeming immersed in thought, silently looked around the abandoned stable before finally speaking in a warehouse.
“Caesar.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve worked hard. Thanks to you, things went smoothly.”
“No, I merely followed your orders. I did nothing on my own.”
“Thank you for saying that. But… I have another mission for you.”
“What is it? Please, command me.”
Lev unsheathed his sword with a shing. To Caesar’s shock, he was forced to make a painful choice.
“I’m sorry, but to carry out this mission, you must lose an arm. It’s not compulsory. You can refuse if you wish.”
“What? Wh-what kind of task…”
“I can’t tell you yet. It’s a top-secret mission. Can you do it?”
[Achievement: Master-Servant Relationship.2v – ‘9112’, Those who swear loyalty to Leo never betray him.]
Without an arm…
A whirlwind of thoughts and emotions surged through Caesar.
The first thought was, ‘Will Lady Taralin Amus still like me if I lose an arm?’ Probably not. No one in the world would love a crippled man.
[Achievement: Master-Servant Relationship.2v – ‘9112’, Those who swear loyalty to Leo never betray him.]
Still, he didn’t want to disobey his master’s order. Caesar asked politely,
“What is it? I will not speak of it anywhere. I’ll look for another way if possible.”
Lev shook his head, speaking kindly, which hurt even more.
“You seem to need time to think. I’ll give you a few days. Take your time and give me your answer.”
[Achievement: Master-Servant Relationship.2v – ‘9112’, Those who swear loyalty to Leo never betray him.]
Caesar gritted his teeth.
He couldn’t betray his master’s expectations. It was surely an extremely important task meant only for him, and he didn’t want to disappoint. Caesar, trembling, raised his left arm. Cruelly, his master said,
“It’s your right arm that’s needed.”
Demanding even more. With a pale face, Caesar stammered, “H-here it is…” The moment he moved his right hand, swish! Lev’s sword sliced off his elbow.
“Argh!”
His arm fell limply to the hay-strewn ground. Caesar screamed, clutching his bleeding stump.
Despite his resolve, the pain was excruciating. Biting his tongue and the inside of his mouth, writhing in agony, Caesar asked,
“Agh… Now, what should I…”
Caesar looked up and froze.
His master was smiling coldly, almost appearing pleased. Lev spoke slowly,
“There is no mission. I just wanted to cut off an arm. May I… cut off the other one too?”
The traitor who made me kill my sister. Lev didn’t move until Caesar made his own decision.
Not until Caesar begged for death. Until even his absolute pledge of loyalty shattered, Lev would torment and mutilate him.
Lev stayed in the warehouse for a long time. Only Caesar’s long-time companion, the orange-haired Sinesis, circled the horrific scene.
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