by Ryota Hori
“Damnit! Cran, it’s no good! I think Kevin fainted under there!” Coile shouted upon noticing Kevin wasn’t moving.
“Melissa! Drag Kevin out, hurry!”
“Huh?! W-Wait!” Melissa squeaked in surprise.
“Hurry up already! We can’t keep it up for much longer!”
The boys’ angry shouts jolted Melissa, making her freeze in fright.
“What are you waiting for? Are you trying to get Kevin killed?! Hurry up and get him out of there!” The boys only grew more annoyed at Melissa freezing in place.
Ever since that fateful day four months ago, they lived together as a squad, sharing the good and the bad. Their bonds were tight, and they weren’t trying to be maliciously cruel to Melissa. They were honestly worried for Kevin’s safety.
“I-I’m fine...” A voice suddenly spoke out from the tiger. “I can get out... Can you just... lift it up a bit higher?”
“Kevin!” Coile couldn’t help but shout at the sound of his friend’s voice.
Kevin eventually managed to wiggle his way out from under the corpse.
“Are you hurt?” Coile asked.
“Yeah... My shoulder hurts a bit...” Kevin replied, grabbing onto his left shoulder.
His left arm dangled down limply. When the tiger crashed down on him he probably dislocated a joint, or at worst even crushed his scapula. He could be considered lucky to have gotten away from being attacked by a tiger without being fatally harmed. But the fact their group was now down one battle-capable person meant their overall chances of survival were that much lower.
“We’ll handle lookout, Melissa, so lend Kevin your shoulder, all right?” Cran said, as he gripped his sword and looked around warily.
This was a soldier’s habit, acquired through months of training. Even when concerned for their friends, they kept a careful grasp of their surroundings. Coile nodded wordlessly and kept watch in the opposite direction from Cran.
Melissa, who was still standing around aimlessly, hurriedly rummaged through her backpack and pulled out some medicine. Thankfully, she examined Kevin’s injury and found his shoulder had only been dislocated. She fixed a piece of wood to his shoulder, applying the first-aid skills the mercenaries taught them, and had him drink some medicine. Given a few days, he should be able to move his shoulder normally.
In that regard, their loss of combat potential had been minimized. But that didn’t make Melissa rejoice. She was filled with guilt from the belief that her blunder got Kevin hurt.
“I’m sorry, Kevin...” Melissa said as she bandaged his shoulder.
When the tiger attacked her, she simply froze up. And when Kevin was stuck under the body, she couldn’t bring herself to pull him out. She wanted to apologize to Kevin for all of those things put together.
But her apology only made Kevin’s expression contort in annoyance.
“What are you apologizing for, stupid? We’re friends.” He scolded her bluntly.
And yet, those words were full of affection.
“B-But...”
“Didn’t we tell you already? We’re a team. We live and die together... Right?” Kevin smiled as he gently patted Melissa on the head.
His kindness stemmed from absolute trust and affection.
♱
“Let’s go!” A crimson-haired woman shouted, straddling a horse as she led the convoy, holding a spear up high.
Abiding by her call, the company left the citadel city of Epirus’s north gate and began marching along the road leading into the Wortenia Peninsula. Over 200 men were riding along the highway silently. It was a grave, solemn sight. Upon seeing the convoy, the merchants and farmers walking along the sides of the road stopped in their tracks and fell silent. Not a single one of them dared say a word.
They were all so overwhelmed they couldn’t even so much as raise their voices to cheer. The convoy’s gear was all too strange and drew their gazes. It was black.
Pitch black ebony...
Their leather armor, their shirts and shoes, the scabbards of their swords and their spear handles. Even the armor of their horses. They were all dyed black. The sole exception were the horses themselves, as not all of them were black, but even so, the ensemble as a whole was strange to behold.
The next thing to draw their attention was the banner the convoy was carrying. A black flag with a single sword drawn upon it, with a two-headed serpent with gold and silver scales coiled around it. The serpent’s eyes alone glared menacingly forward with a crimson color.
None of the aspects of this design were exceptional in and of themselves. Swords and serpents were commonly used in banners. But anyone who looked at the banner carried by this convoy felt as if a fist had clenched down on their hearts. It left a vivid, lasting impression on people — as if they’d gazed into a darkness that bellowed up from the bottoms of the earth.
“So that’s one of that man’s associates...” A white-haired old man whispered, overlooking the convoy from a lookout tower set along Epirus’s ramparts. “Her name is Lione, I believe? I hear she’s an experienced mercenary... Yes, I see. I’d like to say she’s nothing more than a mere woman, but... She’s impressive.”
The old man gave off a mild demeanor, and he was visibly quite wealthy. He wore clothes made of silk and wore rings set with gemstones, and his corpulent stomach seemed to exclaim the fact he was very well-fed.
“You’re as prone to concern as Yulia is, father-in-law...” Count Salzberg, who stood next to the old man, replied with a tone that bordered on exasperation. “I’m sure they’re all capable, but I doubt we need to be so wary of Mikoshiba and his lackeys.”
In truth, he was quite fed up with the old man’s assessment. Lady Yulia had prodded him time and again, urging him to exercise caution regarding Ryoma. Some of the mercenaries Ryoma hired in Epirus were under Count Salzberg’s service, and he’d only resorted to that because Lady Yulia suggested it.
The Count himself believed there was no need to be so roundabout about the matter, and if he truly wanted to handle Ryoma they might as well mobilize their army and kill him. Lady Yulia, however, didn’t accept that. She was so cautious of the prospect of antagonizing the young Baron it almost felt like she was terrified of him.
But from Count Salzberg’s perspective, Ryoma’s influence was as good as trash. He didn’t even have a stronghold of his own. The Count had no intention of doubting his wife’s skills, but he truly couldn’t understand why she was so cautious about this man. That doubt turned to displeasure, which filled his heart with ugly pride.
The old man, however, shook his head silently.
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that. That convoy’s soldiers were all originally unskilled slaves. But do the soldiers of that organized file of troops strike you as untrained slaves? It’s only been a handful of months since Baron Mikoshiba purchased those slaves and began educating them, but they’re already so disciplined... Count Salzberg, I will be honest. I fear this man.”
The old man was confident in his discerning gaze. He took the Mystel Company, which at the time was by no means influential in Epirus, and made it into the most successful business in the northern reaches of Rhoadseria. The fact the Mystel Company became the head of the merchant’s union was the result of his talents.
And it was these achievements that granted him this confidence. And he could confidently say that from his perspective, this convoy heading north was a threat.
“Absurd,” Count Salzberg turned a glance full of scorn toward the old man. “The gear he bought from you is of fine quality, I’m sure, but the forces using it are glorified mercenaries and slaves. They won’t amount to very much. The way they feign unity using that black-dyed attire is a fine bluff, though; I will grant them that. I suppose it’s more than good enough to plant fear in your heart, father-in-law, given your lack of combat experience.”
This was his wife’s father, and normally he’d speak to him with due respect. And yet, Count Salzberg regarded him with scorn. Perh
aps part of it stemmed from his own self-dignity. Of course, if the old man were to demand his due respect as a father-in-law, Count Salzberg didn’t have to pay any attention to it. And still, he treated his son-in-law with an overtly reserved attitude.
From the information Lady Yulia gathered, the slaves he bought and the mercenaries he gathered in Epirus amount to less than five hundred people. As a military force, they were moderately large, but it was formed by mercenaries and child slaves. Neither Count Salzberg nor any other noble would see them as particularly threatening.
The only thing he could honestly praise was that they dyed their gear black. But even then, he regarded it as nothing more than a surface level bluff that didn’t reflect their strength as an army. It was perhaps natural his attitude toward this man would be so chilly, given that he couldn’t even discern that much.
The old man still seemed to think otherwise, though.
“You may think so, milord... But don’t you think the convoy is quite orderly?”
True enough, they marched in a perfect formation. Of course, their unit only numbered several hundred, so the commander’s orders traveled easily. But the old man still felt that a group of people who were completely inexperienced a few months ago could not achieve such an orderly march.
“Well, I’d imagine that given a few months they would be able to at least march properly.” Count Salzberg shrugged.
He himself commanded an army, and was gripped by the prejudice that soldiers couldn’t improve that much within just a few months. The convoy walked down the highway in an orderly march, but teaching a complete amateur how to do even that took a great deal of effort.
In fact, when people were conscripted for an oncoming war, they were first taught how to march in column, and most couldn’t manage it easily. And yet, anyone who was incapable of learning that had no place standing as part of a formation on the battlefield. At best they’d be good for charging headfirst into the enemy.
And perhaps one couldn’t fault them for it, since they never had to learn how to move with that level of coordination. They were mostly commoners, after all. And yet, Ryoma had trained slave children. They were more obedient than adults, perhaps, but slaves were closer to being living corpses. Trying to teach them anything was very much a hassle. And that just made the idea of this small army being in any way worthy of merit all the more unthinkable.
I understand the Count’s reservations, and yet I still can’t help but...
The old man had no military experience, and even he realized the Count’s reasoning. But the troubling thing was that despite understanding this much, he couldn’t shake off the inexplicable anxiety.
But he didn’t want to sour the Count’s mood any more than he already had. He realized that no explanations would change his mind.
“But these are just a layman’s ramblings. Pay me no heed, milord.”
“Then I’ll take my leave,” Count Salzberg nodded lightly and turned around. “I’m a busy man... Oh, but do come visit our estate the next time you can. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind having dinner with Yulia from time to time?”
“Of course, milord. Next time...”
Count Salzberg smiled at the old man’s words and began to climb down the staircase leading down from the lookout tower.
“Such a bothersome man...” The moment Count Salzberg left, the old man whispered to himself after confirming he was alone. “He is skilled, but his judgment is lacking when it comes down to it. And he looks down on commoners and slaves too much. But I suppose he’s better than most other nobles. Nothing would be worse for us than if this man were to fall to ruin...”
The old man’s expression changed just then. When he spoke to Count Salzberg, he had a mild, almost helpless air to him. He spoke to his son-in-law with almost distant courtesy, and didn’t seem to insist on anything. But if Count Salzberg were to see his face now, he’d completely change his perception of his father-in-law.
His eyes were now severe, and had a glint to them that seemed to reject the very prospect of carelessness.
“We mustn’t ignore that army... Not when they were able to perfect their military drills this quickly. But Yulia is right. At this stage, it would be wisest to simply keep an eye on them. Provoking them into opposing us could result in a great deal of trouble.”
The old man concluded his soliloquy, but his mind was still deep in fervent thought as he glared at the convoy marching north...
“May I, Father?”
The old man, who had fallen asleep while lying over the table, jolted awake at the sound of a voice speaking to him. Apparently he’d fallen asleep before he knew it. Last he remembered, it was still noon, but now pale moonlight was shining in through the window to his office, which was otherwise only lit by the light of a single candle. It seems he’d fallen sound asleep.
“Yulia...”
The candle she was carrying illuminated the woman’s face, making her features clear to him. She was clad in a black robe and hood, and it was hard to tell at a glance that this was indeed Count Salzberg’s wife. She looked far more plain and ordinary than one could ever imagine after seeing her usual attire.
“Yes. I’ve been told you called for me... Is this a bad time?”
She’d probably assumed it was urgent business.
“No, pardon me for calling you over on such short notice. There’s something we must discuss quickly... You’ve sent everyone away, yes?” He asked her with a tired voice.
Yulia nodded silently and used her hand to close the office’s door shut. She knew why she was called to this office, and didn’t need to be told to keep this matter private.
“What did you do? I thought we weren’t to contact each other outside of our regular correspondence so as to not draw his suspicion.”
“Yes, my apologies... But there is something we need to discuss immediately.”
“Ryoma Mikoshiba... Right?” Yulia asked with a hint of anxiety as she stood still in front of his desk.
The old man gave a slow, solemn nod. This alone told Yulia all she needed to know about her father’s mental state. She herself felt this unease, and now so did her father — the man who held control over Epirus’s economy.
“You think he’s dangerous too, don’t you?”
“He is...” The old man sighed. “I can’t quite tell to whom he poses danger to, but... He’s certainly a threat to Count Salzberg. I’d felt hints of it a few days ago, when Baron Mikoshiba spoke to me with regards to a delivery of rations. But when I saw his convoy today, I felt it so much more strongly.”
If a third party were to ask them just what it was they felt, the pair wouldn’t be able to come up with a tangible answer. But their intuition as merchants was warning them, alerting them that letting things continue as they were was dangerous.
“My husband did grumble about you... He said you’re as much of a coward as I am.”
Count Salzberg likely told her of his exchange with the old man atop the lookout tower. The old man cracked a bitter smile.
“Count Salzberg has a tendency to only acknowledge finance and military power as strength...” He said.
“Perhaps one could call him realistic.”
“Yes, I understand that much. He is by no means an incompetent man. If he was, I would not have allowed him to marry you... I would not have needed you to marry him.”
The old man clasped both hands together tightly and brought them before his face.
Yes, if Thomas Salzberg was an incompetent man, I never would have let a man like him marry my darling daughter.
This man was in control of Epirus’s economy, and so he knew painfully well just how vile Count Salzberg’s temperament could be. He was a philanderer, dealt with dirty money and was an arrogant noble. None of those were traits a father would find to be desirable in his daughter’s groom.
But there was one reason that pushed him to allow for the marriage. He simply had to do it. But on the other hand, he never wanted to see her marr
y him. And if that man was about to sink into trouble, he had no intention of sinking along with him.
After all, any trouble that befell this man would also fall upon his daughter, Yulia.
“It should be all right for the time being,” The old man said. “The Wortenia Peninsula is known for being a cursed territory. Developing it would take him a long time. Ryoma Mikoshiba won’t be able to make his move for some time, and I’ve sent a number of spies to mingle among his people. You’ve done the same, haven’t you?”
“Yes, I’ve pushed a few of our estate’s maids onto him. They’ll be sending me letters every so often. They’re not spies so I don’t think they’ll be able to actually steal any substantial secrets, but they should be able to pick up on something.”
She’d prepared the girls in secret ever since Ryoma visited Count Salzberg’s estate a few days ago. Their families were living in territories and villages under Count Salzberg’s jurisdiction, so they were unlikely to betray them. They would do as spies.
“Yes, opposing him openly right now would be a poor play... But we can’t leave him as is, either. We’ll have to keep an eye on him and gather as much information as possible. The question of how his side will handle the girls’ letters should give us some idea of what they intend to do.”
They didn’t expect them to expose any major secrets. What they wanted from them was information like whether they had enough food or water, the peninsula’s climate and weather, who Ryoma Mikoshiba met with. That kind of simple, day-to-day news.
But when properly arranged, that banal information could be priceless in the hands of those who knew how to make use of it. And if Ryoma were to do something to stop the girls from sending their letters, that would be one way of telling he was hostile toward Epirus.
Whichever way things turned out, they’d gain something.
Relieved by her father’s calm judgment, Yulia put an anxiety she had left unsaid so far to words. A secret she’d kept hidden for as long as she was Count Salzberg’s wife.
“If Ryoma Mikoshiba’s intentions are what we think they are...” Yulia directed a probing glance at him. “Father, if that happens...”
