Chapter 8: Episode 8

“…Master, please take me with you….”

Seraphie’s request, despite her expressionless face, seemed somehow desperate.

Her voice was desperation itself.

‘…What choice should I make?’

The answer I arrived at after much deliberation was.

“Alright. Let’s go together.”

It was to take Seraphie to the war.

‘As expected, she probably wants to witness the outcome with her own eyes.’

I could roughly understand the feelings Seraphie harbored.

Vengeance.

Wasn’t Count Pigmain the very enemy of the Esnor family?

It was clear she wanted to confirm the result of her revenge with her own eyes.

Honestly.

War is dangerous.

It would be right not to take Seraphie, in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Still.

The best preventative measure against corruption is not to create sources of stress.

In other words, there was a possibility that simply witnessing Count Pigmain’s downfall with her own eyes would prevent Seraphie from succumbing to corruption.

I decided to bet on that possibility.

And this choice, perhaps, would prove to be correct.

****

“Mother… are you saying this to deliberately provoke me?”

“Everything I’ve said so far is the truth.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“If you don’t believe it… you will never truly reach the pinnacle.”

The former Sword Maiden, Helna Varcelen.

She spoke strongly to her daughter, telling her not to rest on her laurels where she was.

That there was someone with greater talent than her.

Her daughter, Rie Varcelen, denied that fact.

It was natural.

She was a genius. A genius who became a Saintess at fifteen and was on the verge of reaching the Master’s wall at twenty.

A genius who would appear once every thousand, or even ten thousand years.

Even by objective evaluation, it was clear that Rie was a genius transcending eras.

Therefore, she couldn’t accept it, nor could she believe her mother’s words.

Someone with greater talent than herself?

How on earth was she supposed to believe that?

“You’re clearly saying all this to provoke me!”

“Provoke? Why would I need to provoke you?”

“Well…!”

Rie fell silent.

She could have stated the reason immediately, but it would have been like exposing her own vulnerability.

“Anyway, nothing will change just because you say things like that!”

In the end, she changed the subject.

Helna muttered, ‘If you can’t believe it…’, then with a smile, she proposed.

“Then will you go see it with your own two eyes?”

“Huh?”

“Someone with talent surpassing yours. And someone with effort that simply overwhelms yours.”

“…”

“Rie, do you know what I even said to that person?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t know….”

“I asked for some of that person’s ‘seed’ for my daughter.”

Instantly.

Rie’s face flushed, and she shouted.

“Wh-wh-what exactly are you saying right now!!!”

“It’s true.”

“….”

She knew her mother was headstrong, but to say something like that without hesitation…

She hadn’t known.

Rie calmed her anger for a moment and made a decision.

“…Alright.”

In a short time, she made a firm resolution.

“I’ll just go see for myself!”

If her mother’s words were true, and if what her mother said to that person was also true…

‘…That person might be frustrated, but I’ll have to ask them to pretend they didn’t hear it.’

A warning was needed for them not to even think about taking her.

And.

Helna, upon hearing this.

“That works out perfectly. It just so happens to be a suitable situation for you to go see.”

She seemed somehow pleased.

Also.

She didn’t forget.

“And if you happen to think it’s alright, bring back some ‘seed’.”

“MOTHER!!!”

****

War!

Traditionally, in war, declarations of war are usually made after the first battle has commenced.

Someone might call this cowardly.

But!

What if it’s a bit cowardly? It’s better than suffering the humiliation of losing a war.

That’s how war had to be fought—cowardly and underhandedly.

However, even if it’s war, if everything proceeds in the same manner, there’s no humanity left.

Unlike ordinary battles, there are battles with principles.

Namely.

“…Count Pigmain has thoroughly prepared.”

“Indeed, Father.”

It was a territory war.

Just because people lived in the same country and ate the same food didn’t mean there were no disputes.

Disputes were inevitable. They simply had to exist.

Therefore.

In wars between nobles serving the same liege—that is, territory wars—there existed a certain decorum and rules.

A declaration of war was mandatory.

If one cowardly sent troops to an enemy territory without a declaration of war, they would be unable to set foot in aristocratic society ever again.

Is that all?

Imperial sanctions would follow.

That’s why my Father, Count Orden Garcia, specifically declared war on Count Pigmain, and thus we were able to face Count Pigmain’s thoroughly prepared army.

“This is your first war. How do you feel?”

Father’s question.

I surveyed the battle situation.

As a war between two merchant families, the number of knights was very small.

But.

The number of regular soldiers was countless, to the point where one could say there was no answer to sheer numbers.

Both sides seemed to have over a thousand troops.

“Honestly… I think it’s a waste.”

To employ nearly two thousand soldiers and mercenaries for a war between just two counts.

It was a waste of money.

Furthermore, both armies lacked any proper system, their discipline akin to a “Tang Dynasty army” (a term for a disorganized army).

“You’re right. I agree as well.”

The reason why I thought this army was a wasteful battle.

It was simple.

“The three representatives of the Garcia family, come to the center!”

The mediator from the Imperial family.

It was what the observer of the territory war shouted.

“Then, I’ll go now.”

“Don’t overdo it.”

“Yes.”

Three representatives from each side.

The observer called a total of six people, including me, to the center for a ‘duel’.

That’s right.

Usually, even in territory wars, victory and defeat were often decided by the outcome of a ‘duel’.

In reality, there would be no casualties among the troops.

The current troops were only necessary for an all-out war if the results of the duel were not accepted.

However, usually if it came to that point, both sides would suffer immense damage, leading to mutual destruction.

However.

There was almost no chance that the opposing side, having lost a crucial force in the duel, would continue to struggle.

In other words, in a territory war, the duel was paramount.

I rode my horse towards the center.

Three of us, including myself.

Two were renowned mercenaries and knights.

Bilharn, a highly respected knight among the Free Knights, spoke to me.

“…I will take the first turn. As discussed beforehand.”

“Then I suppose I’ll be second.”

Genua, the rising star of the mercenary world.

At Bilharn’s words about taking the first turn, she immediately stated she would be second.

Then I would be third.

There was a reason why they took the turns before me.

“We will make sure it doesn’t even get to Sir Yuren’s turn.”

“Don’t worry, young master. We’ll win cleanly with a winning streak.”

Seeing the confident demeanor of the two, I had no doubt about victory.

Those two.

They were certainly strong enough to earn their reputations.

The first battle.

“Sir Bilharn of the Garcia side, please step forward.”

Riding his horse, Bilharn shouted to the opposing side with the dignity of a noble knight.

“Who dares to face me!”

Simultaneously with his words.

“Lord Harun of the Pigmain side, please step forward.”

Somehow, an old man with short, stubby legs walked forward, not even riding a horse.

“…What is this supposed to be?”

Usually in a duel, it was customary and a rule to ride a horse to the front.

The old man had violated this.

“Hehe, forgive me, but this humble one doesn’t know how to ride a horse. So, Sir Knight, please forgive my impropriety.”

“….”

An old man in shabby attire.

Seeing the sight of these two, an ominous premonition suddenly came to me.

‘No way…?’

It can’t be. It surely can’t be.

However.

My ominous premonition did not miss.

“Now, begin!”

“I—-surrender!!! I humbly surrender!!!”

The man named Harun surrendered immediately after the duel began, an act that completely abandoned honor.

Instantly.

Bilharn, with a stiff face, looked at Harun.

“What… what is this supposed to be?”

“Hehe, this humble one is merely an old man who begs in Pigmain territory. How could I possibly fight a knight?”

“…A sacrificial pawn, then.”

“Hehe, simply put, yes!”

A sacrificial pawn.

Instantly, I turned back to check Father’s expression, and Father was looking at Count Pigmain with a bewildered expression.

‘A sacrificial pawn… Is Count Pigmain out of his mind?’

Setting aside the abandonment of honor, wasn’t this a strategy to win two duels in a row by putting a sacrificial pawn first?

It was unbelievable.

I had no idea Count Pigmain would adopt such a foolish and dangerous strategy.

To choose a disadvantageous situation instead.

“Just trust me. Against punks like them, I’m confident I can win against anyone.”

Genua was self-assured.

“…I’m counting on you.”

I had hoped to participate myself and was confident in my skills, but if I didn’t have to step forward, that choice was preferable.

I asked Genua for victory.

Genua, with a confident expression that seemed to say ‘You’ve heard of my skill, haven’t you?’, drew two curved swords from her back.

Not doing the same as Harun, Genua moved awkwardly towards the battlefield.

Upon reaching the front, she dismounted her horse.

Genua chose to fight without riding a horse.

“This is Lord Genua of the Garcia side. And from the Pigmain side… Lord Laisha!!!”

A person hooded in a robe was called Laisha and simultaneously threw back their robe to reveal their appearance.

At the same time, Genua visibly started to panic.

“Eh…? Why? Here?”

“…Stop talking and let’s begin.”

Laisha, he was a man who used two curved swords, just like Genua.

At face value, Laisha seemed superior.

‘What’s their relationship that Genua is so flustered?’

Could he be an ex-boyfriend?

Genua’s reaction is strange for that.

First, since Genua had boasted confidently, I decided to trust her.

“I’ll see how much you’ve grown.”

Laisha’s curved swords wildly aimed for Genua.

Holding curved swords in both hands, he attacked indiscriminately as if there were no rules.

Genua could only barely deflect.

She couldn’t switch to offense.

“Tsk… What a useless disciple. You haven’t grown at all.”

Huh?

Although he was far away, Laisha’s murmur reached my ears as if it were piercing them.

What did that mean?

A useless disciple…?

…No way?

“No, why!!! Why are you here, Master!!!”

Genua’s resentful cry.

And that became Genua’s final cry.

Genua.

She was defeated.

And that meant.

“…Is it my turn to step forward?”

Now, the outcome of this territory war rested entirely on me.