“No. You don’t need to know that far.”
“What?”
Leo sprang to his feet. He had lived his life thinking that his brother died immediately after taking the poison that day. It was the first time he heard that his brother had left something like a will to Schuden. Leo clung as close as he could to Schuden as if grabbing him by the collar even with his broken arms.
“Tell me the whole story! What did he say?”
“Oh, shut up.”
Schuden replied coldly.
With their military boots studded in iron, Schuden kicked Leo hard in his leg. Leo flopped down with a groan at the unexpected blow, now having broken his leg. Schuden did not stop there. He stripped away Leo’s helmet with a merciless touch.
As it so happens, the shape of a soldier’s helmet varies depending on class. Leo’s helmet was of a unique shape even among the leaders of the Eastern Kingdoms Union. This was because he was the leading commander equivalent to the commander-in-chief. Stripping away his helmet meant that, though the results of the match were already perfectly decided, killing him would be held off for a while, a gesture similar to raising his head on the barracks.
“Leading commander Leo Canute.”
Holding the enemy’s helmet in his hand, Schuden straightened up.
One of Leo’s legs and both of his arms were all broken. His face had swelled up and became a mess after having been struck by Schuden’s fist. It would be worth seeing his good-looking face badly bruised.
Schuden looked down at Leo and said.
“As of this time, I would like to inform you that you are being taken prisoner by the Gel Empire.”
Immediately afterward, firecrackers burst over their heads. Ones that were usually used for emergency communications on the battlefield. After sending the signal to Shaun, Schuden waited for the knights and soldiers with a blank face.
“My liege!”
“Your Grace!”
Within a few minutes, Gel’s soldiers, including Shaun, rushed over. They quickly realized the situation after seeing Leo Canute on the ground with broken limbs and Schuden Garth holding Leo’s helmet.
Schuden said.
“We have secured Leo Canute. Lead him to the barracks. Treat him as a prisoner of the highest rank and send the instrument of surrender to the East at once.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Our commander-in-chief has captured Leo Canute alive!”
“Whoaaahhh!”
Now the head of the Eastern land was captured by Gel, it would not be remiss to say that the long war would end. When he saw the knights collect Leo like a piece of baggage, Schuden turned his back.
A set of black armor, a blue cloak hanging over his shoulder fluttering long, and a silvery-gray emblem embroidered on said blue cloak. The wind blew from behind Schuden’s back. There was a brief moment when his cloak rose and sank. At that same moment, Schuden caught vivid imagery of silvery-gray in his eyes. There was a voice that rose faintly, like dandelion seeds that would soon be scattered.
[I want my brothers to be happy.]
End of war.
Even if blood was scattered on the ground, the sun in the sky was ever warm still. Suddenly, Schuden missed the sunflower field where he spent his childhood with his brothers.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
The final battle between Gel and the East had happened, and the result was the defeat of Leo Canute. Because their head had been captured, the troops of the Eastern Kingdoms Union lost their fighting spirit. Willpower was the most important thing in war. Having lost its momentum, the army of the East gave up fighting. And already under pressure from the noble elders, the King eventually sent a negotiation team to the Rief Plain. To put it into the right words, it was more like the surrender of the East rather than a negotiation.
“The handover of Leo Canute?”
“Yes, Your Grace. The letter even said that the East is willing to pay as much as we want.”
“Interesting.”
Schuden ruffled through the documents. Leo’s protection and handover were at the top of the terms of negotiations first presented by the King of the East in writing. The adjustments would be done at the negotiating table.
“The King of the East seems to be more fond of Viscount Leo Canute than we initially thought.”
“It is the virtue of a monarch to prioritize talent.”
Schuden replied flatly. The second-in-command who came to report said with a concerned face.
“Your Grace, what if the King of the East has still not given up his ambition? If he takes away Leo Canute and invades us again…”
“He can’t do that without ousting all the elders. It will take ten years to do so again.”
“Well, I suppose so. You’re right, Your Grace.”
The second-in-command nodded. Schuden covered the documents. Putting aside other causal backgrounds, the King’s attitude was honestly interesting. No matter how remarkable a deed Leo accomplished in the Northeast War, he was still a mere mercenary-turned-noble. At a time when it was certain that no further conquest would be possible due to the internal situation, it was interesting for the King to readily pay that much money for Leo. Schuden thought there must be something more than that. But it was none of his business from there.
“What about Leo Canute’s treatment?”
“Three medical officers are put in charge of him.”
“Did he not refuse treatment?”
“At first, he strongly protested, saying he didn’t need any treatment. So as per your orders, they knocked him out and treated him after.”
“Tell the medical officers to do all the treatment they can now. It will be hard to knock him out after his limbs are healed.”
“Yes, sir.”
The second-in-command bowed his head. Schuden asked casually.
“What about Marquess Joan?”
“The last message arrived ten minutes ago. He will be here in about an hour.”
“Tell all the commanders, we will get into the meeting as soon as the Marquess arrives.”
“Yes, sir.”
Thinking that it was enough, Schuden looked back at the documents. After an hour, a knight jumped into the silent barracks.
“Your Grace! Marquess Joan has arrived!”
Schuden wondered why the knight was making such a fuss. He replied without raising his head.
“Escort him to the barracks.”
“B, but the flag is a little…”
“Flag?”
“His Imperial Majesty’s flag is here.”
Schuden’s golden eyebrows rose slightly. He got up from his seat. Almost at the same time, the second-in-command rushed in with unusual excitement and disturbance. Schuden intuitively predicted what he would say.
“Your Grace! Imperial decree, an Imperial decree is here!”
“Let’s go out.”
Schuden walked straight outside. The servants and the second-in-command rushed out. Schuden was staying at the barracks of the commander-in-chief located at the center of the camp. There was only one entrance to the camp, which was arranged in a circle. A long procession with a golden flag flying about was coming through the only doorway guarded by the soldiers. After entering the camp, Marquess Joan got off the horse. He walked in front of Schuden.
“It’s been a while, Your Grace.”
“Indeed, Marquess Joan.”
Marquess Joan smiled. Soon he spoke solemnly.
“Schuden Garth, accept the order of the Emperor.”
All the soldiers outside the barracks knelt down. Schuden also knelt according to etiquette. Marquess Joan unfolded the Imperial decree in front of him.
“This is the order of Edgar VII, the monarch of Gel and the lord of the nine walls, the Emperor who has the duty of defending the glory of Lagerlöf and is worshiped by the ninety-nine families.”
The only castle in the capital of the Gel Empire.
Exactly nine walls soared from the golden gate to the Emperor’s main palace. The owner of the palace was, of course, the Emperor. The ninety-nine families were symbolic, it referred to the nobles and commoners of Gel. And the number ninety-nine was combined with the Emperor’s family, Lagerlöf, to become a perfect number of 100.
“As Marquess Schuden Garth is loyal and distinguished in battle, I, who inherits the will of Fabelion I, the founder of the country, confer you as Duke Garth.”
“I, Schuden Garth, accept the order of the Emperor.”
“Here you are, Your Grace. This is the Imperial decree.”
“Inscrutable are the Emperor’s favors.”
After receiving the Imperial decree from Marquess Joan, Schuden got up.
Marquess Joan smiled.
“Congratulations, Your Grace. You’re now a Duke.”
“Thank you. I didn’t expect you to come with the Imperial decree.”
“It was the Emperor’s order. He said that it would take time to officially declare the end of the war after the negotiations and that we should just hurry up with the conferment first.”
The Emperor’s plan to do the important work of conferring a country’s Duke first was very impressive. Both Schuden and Marquess Joan thought so despite not dropping a word on it.
“But Your Grace, are you really going to hand over all the negotiating power to me?”
“Isn’t that the reason why I personally sent a messenger to His Imperial Majesty?”
“To be honest, I was half in doubt while coming here.”
Schuden did not just call Marquess Joan for nothing. He directly asked the Emperor to delegate all the powers of the negotiator. It was quite unusual for Schuden to ask another noble to negotiate. The young knight had always personally sat at the negotiating table.
As for the reason why he did that, Schuden was most comfortable if he was involved directly in the negotiation. When the other nobles did the negotiations, he always found one or two points that he did not like. He never considered killing on the battlefield arduous, but it was a victory accomplished by him anyway. It would only be right if the negotiations were led as he wanted. Marquess Joan knew little of Schuden’s nature, therefore, he was all the more curious.
‘What’s wrong with Marquess… I mean, Duke Garth?’
When Marquess Joan tried to ask in more detail in hopes of understanding Schuden’s intentions, the second-in-command approached them and bowed his head.
“Your Grace, the negotiation team from the East has just arrived.”
“The flag color?”
“It’s white.”
“Lead them to the barracks.”
The Eastern Kingdoms Union sent the negotiation team flying a white flag. It was a way to clearly and visually acknowledge that they were in the position of the defeated. Schuden entered the barracks of the commander-in-chief with Marquess Joan first. As soon as he came in, Marquess Joan requested to read the report on the negotiation team. After he finished reading, he frowned. The representative of the negotiation team was an unexpected figure.
“Isn’t Rudbeckia Odile Graun the younger sister of the current King of the East?”
“That’s right.”
“This is also unexpected. Of course, her status is nothing short of perfect… Well, it’s actually more than perfect…”
Negotiations between countries must be handled by nobles of a certain status or higher. The case of sending the royal family directly meant that they would show respect for the negotiations. If one side won unilaterally, it often demanded that the defeated country send its immediate royal family member as a negotiator.
“Oh, by any chance Your Grace, did you demand the King of the East to send a member of their royal family?”
“No. You don’t need to know that far.”
“What?”
Leo sprang to his feet. He had lived his life thinking that his brother died immediately after taking the poison that day. It was the first time he heard that his brother had left something like a will to Schuden. Leo clung as close as he could to Schuden as if grabbing him by the collar even with his broken arms.
“Tell me the whole story! What did he say?”
“Oh, shut up.”
Schuden replied coldly.
With their military boots studded in iron, Schuden kicked Leo hard in his leg. Leo flopped down with a groan at the unexpected blow, now having broken his leg. Schuden did not stop there. He stripped away Leo’s helmet with a merciless touch.
As it so happens, the shape of a soldier’s helmet varies depending on class. Leo’s helmet was of a unique shape even among the leaders of the Eastern Kingdoms Union. This was because he was the leading commander equivalent to the commander-in-chief. Stripping away his helmet meant that, though the results of the match were already perfectly decided, killing him would be held off for a while, a gesture similar to raising his head on the barracks.
“Leading commander Leo Canute.”
Holding the enemy’s helmet in his hand, Schuden straightened up.
One of Leo’s legs and both of his arms were all broken. His face had swelled up and became a mess after having been struck by Schuden’s fist. It would be worth seeing his good-looking face badly bruised.
Schuden looked down at Leo and said.
“As of this time, I would like to inform you that you are being taken prisoner by the Gel Empire.”
Immediately afterward, firecrackers burst over their heads. Ones that were usually used for emergency communications on the battlefield. After sending the signal to Shaun, Schuden waited for the knights and soldiers with a blank face.
“My liege!”
“Your Grace!”
Within a few minutes, Gel’s soldiers, including Shaun, rushed over. They quickly realized the situation after seeing Leo Canute on the ground with broken limbs and Schuden Garth holding Leo’s helmet.
Schuden said.
“We have secured Leo Canute. Lead him to the barracks. Treat him as a prisoner of the highest rank and send the instrument of surrender to the East at once.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Our commander-in-chief has captured Leo Canute alive!”
“Whoaaahhh!”
Now the head of the Eastern land was captured by Gel, it would not be remiss to say that the long war would end. When he saw the knights collect Leo like a piece of baggage, Schuden turned his back.
A set of black armor, a blue cloak hanging over his shoulder fluttering long, and a silvery-gray emblem embroidered on said blue cloak. The wind blew from behind Schuden’s back. There was a brief moment when his cloak rose and sank. At that same moment, Schuden caught vivid imagery of silvery-gray in his eyes. There was a voice that rose faintly, like dandelion seeds that would soon be scattered.
[I want my brothers to be happy.]
End of war.
Even if blood was scattered on the ground, the sun in the sky was ever warm still. Suddenly, Schuden missed the sunflower field where he spent his childhood with his brothers.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
The final battle between Gel and the East had happened, and the result was the defeat of Leo Canute. Because their head had been captured, the troops of the Eastern Kingdoms Union lost their fighting spirit. Willpower was the most important thing in war. Having lost its momentum, the army of the East gave up fighting. And already under pressure from the noble elders, the King eventually sent a negotiation team to the Rief Plain. To put it into the right words, it was more like the surrender of the East rather than a negotiation.
“The handover of Leo Canute?”
“Yes, Your Grace. The letter even said that the East is willing to pay as much as we want.”
“Interesting.”
Schuden ruffled through the documents. Leo’s protection and handover were at the top of the terms of negotiations first presented by the King of the East in writing. The adjustments would be done at the negotiating table.
“The King of the East seems to be more fond of Viscount Leo Canute than we initially thought.”
“It is the virtue of a monarch to prioritize talent.”
Schuden replied flatly. The second-in-command who came to report said with a concerned face.
“Your Grace, what if the King of the East has still not given up his ambition? If he takes away Leo Canute and invades us again…”
“He can’t do that without ousting all the elders. It will take ten years to do so again.”
“Well, I suppose so. You’re right, Your Grace.”
The second-in-command nodded. Schuden covered the documents. Putting aside other causal backgrounds, the King’s attitude was honestly interesting. No matter how remarkable a deed Leo accomplished in the Northeast War, he was still a mere mercenary-turned-noble. At a time when it was certain that no further conquest would be possible due to the internal situation, it was interesting for the King to readily pay that much money for Leo. Schuden thought there must be something more than that. But it was none of his business from there.
“What about Leo Canute’s treatment?”
“Three medical officers are put in charge of him.”
“Did he not refuse treatment?”
“At first, he strongly protested, saying he didn’t need any treatment. So as per your orders, they knocked him out and treated him after.”
“Tell the medical officers to do all the treatment they can now. It will be hard to knock him out after his limbs are healed.”
“Yes, sir.”
The second-in-command bowed his head. Schuden asked casually.
“What about Marquess Joan?”
“The last message arrived ten minutes ago. He will be here in about an hour.”
“Tell all the commanders, we will get into the meeting as soon as the Marquess arrives.”
“Yes, sir.”
Thinking that it was enough, Schuden looked back at the documents. After an hour, a knight jumped into the silent barracks.
“Your Grace! Marquess Joan has arrived!”
Schuden wondered why the knight was making such a fuss. He replied without raising his head.
“Escort him to the barracks.”
“B, but the flag is a little…”
“Flag?”
“His Imperial Majesty’s flag is here.”
Schuden’s golden eyebrows rose slightly. He got up from his seat. Almost at the same time, the second-in-command rushed in with unusual excitement and disturbance. Schuden intuitively predicted what he would say.
“Your Grace! Imperial decree, an Imperial decree is here!”
“Let’s go out.”
Schuden walked straight outside. The servants and the second-in-command rushed out. Schuden was staying at the barracks of the commander-in-chief located at the center of the camp. There was only one entrance to the camp, which was arranged in a circle. A long procession with a golden flag flying about was coming through the only doorway guarded by the soldiers. After entering the camp, Marquess Joan got off the horse. He walked in front of Schuden.
“It’s been a while, Your Grace.”
“Indeed, Marquess Joan.”
Marquess Joan smiled. Soon he spoke solemnly.
“Schuden Garth, accept the order of the Emperor.”
All the soldiers outside the barracks knelt down. Schuden also knelt according to etiquette. Marquess Joan unfolded the Imperial decree in front of him.
“This is the order of Edgar VII, the monarch of Gel and the lord of the nine walls, the Emperor who has the duty of defending the glory of Lagerlöf and is worshiped by the ninety-nine families.”
The only castle in the capital of the Gel Empire.
Exactly nine walls soared from the golden gate to the Emperor’s main palace. The owner of the palace was, of course, the Emperor. The ninety-nine families were symbolic, it referred to the nobles and commoners of Gel. And the number ninety-nine was combined with the Emperor’s family, Lagerlöf, to become a perfect number of 100.
“As Marquess Schuden Garth is loyal and distinguished in battle, I, who inherits the will of Fabelion I, the founder of the country, confer you as Duke Garth.”
“I, Schuden Garth, accept the order of the Emperor.”
“Here you are, Your Grace. This is the Imperial decree.”
“Inscrutable are the Emperor’s favors.”
After receiving the Imperial decree from Marquess Joan, Schuden got up.
Marquess Joan smiled.
“Congratulations, Your Grace. You’re now a Duke.”
“Thank you. I didn’t expect you to come with the Imperial decree.”
“It was the Emperor’s order. He said that it would take time to officially declare the end of the war after the negotiations and that we should just hurry up with the conferment first.”
The Emperor’s plan to do the important work of conferring a country’s Duke first was very impressive. Both Schuden and Marquess Joan thought so despite not dropping a word on it.
“But Your Grace, are you really going to hand over all the negotiating power to me?”
“Isn’t that the reason why I personally sent a messenger to His Imperial Majesty?”
“To be honest, I was half in doubt while coming here.”
Schuden did not just call Marquess Joan for nothing. He directly asked the Emperor to delegate all the powers of the negotiator. It was quite unusual for Schuden to ask another noble to negotiate. The young knight had always personally sat at the negotiating table.
As for the reason why he did that, Schuden was most comfortable if he was involved directly in the negotiation. When the other nobles did the negotiations, he always found one or two points that he did not like. He never considered killing on the battlefield arduous, but it was a victory accomplished by him anyway. It would only be right if the negotiations were led as he wanted. Marquess Joan knew little of Schuden’s nature, therefore, he was all the more curious.
‘What’s wrong with Marquess… I mean, Duke Garth?’
When Marquess Joan tried to ask in more detail in hopes of understanding Schuden’s intentions, the second-in-command approached them and bowed his head.
“Your Grace, the negotiation team from the East has just arrived.”
“The flag color?”
“It’s white.”
“Lead them to the barracks.”
The Eastern Kingdoms Union sent the negotiation team flying a white flag. It was a way to clearly and visually acknowledge that they were in the position of the defeated. Schuden entered the barracks of the commander-in-chief with Marquess Joan first. As soon as he came in, Marquess Joan requested to read the report on the negotiation team. After he finished reading, he frowned. The representative of the negotiation team was an unexpected figure.
“Isn’t Rudbeckia Odile Graun the younger sister of the current King of the East?”
“That’s right.”
“This is also unexpected. Of course, her status is nothing short of perfect… Well, it’s actually more than perfect…”
Negotiations between countries must be handled by nobles of a certain status or higher. The case of sending the royal family directly meant that they would show respect for the negotiations. If one side won unilaterally, it often demanded that the defeated country send its immediate royal family member as a negotiator.
“Oh, by any chance Your Grace, did you demand the King of the East to send a member of their royal family?”
