Empire of Ice

by Hyougetsu

  “What are you saying, Your Highness? That would put you further from the throne.”

  I grinned at the prince. He gave me a bitter smile and scratched his head.

  “I guess. It would be a lie to say I’m completely uninterested in the throne. But I have no complaints with how my uncle has ruled, nor how Ashley is handling things. Naturally, I’d like to serve my country.”

  I was surprised he was divulging his ambitions so casually to me, a person—or rather werewolf—that he’d just met. I guess if he’s willing to talk, I should probably ask.

  “Do you have any interest in fighting for the throne, Your Highness?”

  “Nah, not really. Besides, even if Ashley doesn’t become the next emperor, my dad will. And if not him, my older brother.”

  “It’s not impossible for something to happen to them, though.”

  I probed him lightly, and Prince Woroy instantly frowned.

  “Don’t even go there. I don’t want to think about anything happening to dad, or my brother. If that’s all you want to talk about, then I’m leaving.”

  That’s fine by me. It’s not like I invited you here in the first place. However, I could tell from his sweat that Prince Woroy genuinely didn’t want to have this conversation. At the very least, he wasn’t so much of a monster that he’d kill his own family for the throne. I instantly apologized.

  “My apologies, Your Highness. It seems I misunderstood you.”

  Prince Woroy folded his arms and sighed, “Misunderstood me, huh? Well, I guess I did just spill my ambitions to you five seconds after we met. I’m sorry too.”

  He was a bit overbearing, but still very much a strait-laced guy. Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, he started talking about his dreams. He truly was an overbearing guy.

  “Ashley would make a good emperor. He has the right personality for it, and the smarts to improve our food production. Eleora’s not a bad choice either. She has the technical know-how to advance our country’s technology by a lot.”

  Prince Ashley certainly did know a lot about plants. On the other hand, Eleora was good with magic and engineering. Both were scholars of their respective fields. Prince Woroy seemed like a short-tempered, simple-minded man at first glance, but he had a good head on his shoulders too. So this is what royalty’s like. However, he didn’t forget to add his own two cents.

  “But you know, if it was me, I’d want to make Rolmund into a much bigger empire. First, I’d strengthen the military. Sure, a lot of higher-ranked nobles have large private armies, but the empire itself is lacking in troops. We need a unified, national force under the direct control of the emperor. If we have that, we won’t have to fear monster attacks, invasions, or rebellions. Which means we’ll have a more stable situation at home to focus on domestic affairs. Naturally, I’d protect our allies in Meraldia as well. It’s a pretty good plan, don’t you think?”

  What do you mean, what do I think? You’re clearly a military guy, but I knew that already. What I didn’t understand was why he was telling me all of this. Fortunately, it didn’t take me long until the reason became clear.

  Prince Woroy was extremely interested in the land and people of Meraldia. And I’d come here as Meraldia’s representative. He was thinking that if he won me over, he’d win Meraldia over, along with its fertile fields. After thinking for a few seconds, I said, “At present, I am Lady Eleora’s vassal. While I can discuss trivial matters like duels at my own discretion, I will need her permission to discuss this matter any further.”

  “So you’re saying a life-threatening duel is trivial, huh? I guess hardened warriors really are different! I like you, Veight!”

  Prince Woroy looked quite determined to make me his. I’m kind of scared of this guy now.

  He got to his feet and looked up at Eleora’s manor.

  “Come to think of it, it is proper manners to greet the master of the house first. Alright, I’ll go say hello and ask her to give you to me.”

  I don’t think that’s going to work. While I was still thinking of a reply, Prince Woroy walked off. What a weird prince...

  * * * *

  —Prince Woroy’s tactics—

  It has been a long time since I last saw my cousin Eleora. Granted, our respective positions mean we can’t casually bandy words whenever we feel like it. Fortunately, I have the famous Sword Saint Barnack to guard me for this meeting.

  Eleora walks into the waiting room, flanked by guards of her own. She has a few members from the 209th mage corps, as well as some... Meraldian women? They look young and fit, with unreadable expressions. Judging by the way they’re standing, they’re probably close-range fighters. Oh, her favorite assistant, Warrant Officer Natalia’s here too. And as usual, she’s glaring at me. The girls’ piercing glares are a bit off-putting, but at least they’re all beauties. Beautiful women are a country’s most important treasure.

  I peel my gaze away from the shougo board in front of me and look out the window. The noble who came from Meraldia’s mingling with the noble ladies down in the garden. Even hardened war veterans find it hard to fend off a group of women. Still, why does he look so unhappy even though he’s surrounded by beauties? Don’t tell me he prefers men? I turn back to the game board and start thinking of how to counter Eleora’s latest move.

  “Looks like things are going well for you, Eleora.”

  “They are indeed, dear cousin.”

  She’s as unsociable as always. It’s a shame, since she was so cute when she was a kid... but I guess it’s mostly my old man’s fault she turned out the way she did. I capture Eleora’s spearman with my archer. With this, my knight has a path forward. At a glance, it seems like I have the advantage.

  “But you hold the tactical advantage, Prince Woroy.”

  “Yeah, for now. But you’re probably scheming something, aren’t you?”

  However, a closer look at Eleora’s board reveals that she’s kept all her strategists safe. And they’re all in a position to pressure me. Smiling faintly, Eleora moves her spy forward. Among the strategist pieces, it’s the one with the most mobility.

  “What gives you that idea? I’m simply doing my job.”

  “Tch, I won’t let you get me that easily.”

  Now that my knight’s been captured, Eleora can use it against me. But I’d been prepared for that possibility, and I take it out with the spearmen I left there for that specific outcome. Still, this means I lost a piece and had to waste a move to maintain my board state. There’s nothing more terrifying than being betrayed by a close comrade. Thanks for the life lesson, Eleora.

  Our game goes back and forth for a while, and we chat to fill the silence.

  “Meraldia sounds like a nice place.”

  “I’m sure you’d like it. But the Meraldians’ values and way of life are different from ours.”

  “There’s plenty of ways to take care of that. You can easily control people through force, or through religion.”

  I send my own spy forward, but Eleora easily deflects my offensive. She then sends out her bishop, which is the strategist with the most close-range threat. That limits my options severely.

  “I was opposed to the southern subjugation campaign from the very start. But if I recall correctly, you approved.”

  Funnily enough, only me and my older brother had supported the emperor’s plan to conquer the south. My dad, Eleora, and even Ashley had been against it.

  “Eventually our barren lands won’t be able to grow enough to feed our people. Also, for someone who opposed the plan, you sure did a good job. But I guess you always do.”

  “No one can escape the role they’re assigned at birth. A spy will never become an emperor... At least, that’s what I used to think.”

  “But not anymore?”

  “Who knows? I certainly don’t.”

  Evading the question, Eleora captures my glacier lynx with her spy, making it hers. The glacier lynx is an odd piece. Its movements and intended strategy are supposed
to symbolize the harshness of winter. And it’s modeled after a mythical monster.

  “I always thought it was weird thematically that you can turn the ‘symbol of winter’ against your opponents somehow.”

  “My guess is the creator of the game was trying to say that clever scouting and intelligence gathering can let you turn your enemy’s tactics against them regardless of how abstract they are. Now then, Prince Woroy, it’s your move. If you don’t do something fast, you’ll be checkmated.”

  “Oh, I know.”

  Shit... I’m totally on the back foot here... Hold on a second, I’ll be mated in seven moves no matter what I do, won’t I? Eleora looks out the window and smiles. Her expression gets a lot more relaxed when she’s not looking at me. Outside, Lord Veight’s sitting on a bench and conferring with his advisors.

  “You seem quite interested in the glacier lynx, Eleora. Even though it’s just a piece on the board.”

  “It’s not just a piece.”

  “Oh, it is. Even the emperor is nothing more than a piece with a set role.”

  I pull my emperor back a square and smile. Eleora’s right. People can’t escape the roles they’re assigned at birth.

  “I can see why it’s caught your eye though. It’s quite a fascinating piece.”

  “You can, can you?”

  “’Course. He’s the first person who’s managed to keep his cool even after learning who I am. He doesn’t fear the imperial family at all. In fact, it feels like he’s above such mundane concepts as royalty. He’s an interesting guy.”

  Eleora skillfully maneuvers her officer pieces to corner my emperor. Most of the strategist pieces are slow, but they’re good at maneuvering. They’re a slippery lot. Meanwhile, all my warriors are stuck at the far corners of the board, unable to defend my emperor. In fact, they were actively getting in the way of my emperor’s retreat. After considering all my options, I decide to surrender.

  “It’s my loss. You’ve gotten better, Eleora. You’re one hell of a strategist now.”

  “I’m glad you think so, but the game board is a poor substitute for reality. Nothing unexpected occurs on a game board. What you see is all there is. But reality has far too many unknown factors.”

  “True that.”

  Eleora’s changed a lot since her trip to the south. It looks like she had a pretty hard time in Meraldia.

  “You should come visit the Doneiks manor sometimes. No one would try to assassinate you if you came at a prince’s invitation.”

  “I know, but I’m not comfortable there. I lack your boldness, Prince Woroy.”

  “Is that a compliment?”

  “I really do respect that side of your personality.”

  Does that mean she doesn’t respect the other sides of me? That’s rich considering she used to follow me around all the time as a little girl.

  “My dad’s ordered me to stay in the capital for a bit. What’re you going to do?”

  “I return to East Rolmund tomorrow. Preparations need to be made for the coming winter. Besides...”

  “Besides, what?”

  Eleora’s cheeks flush slightly, and she hesitates for a second.

  “My uncle on my father’s side, Lord Kastoniev, is asking for me.”

  “Bahahahahaha!”

  “Don’t laugh!”

  I say my goodbyes and walk into the hallway. I check to make sure no one else is nearby, then turn to Barnack.

  “What do you think of that man who came from Meraldia?”

  “I am but a humble swordsman. I don’t possess the acumen needed to judge people.”

  “Who cares. I want to know how you feel about him.”

  Barnack picked his words carefully.

  “He has very good eyes.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “In a real battle, there are no rules. Meaning it is of the utmost importance to predict your opponent’s actions based on their preliminary movements. But reading those movements takes incredible eyesight. People with eyes like Lord Veight are one in a million.”

  “It’s that rare?”

  I can’t help but smile.

  “But aren’t you also someone blessed with divine eyesight?”

  “I wonder how long that eyesight will last... Though it’s the legs that are the first to go as you age. After that comes eyesight. Finally, even your hands atrophy. At that point, you can no longer fight with a sword,” Barnack sighs. “I’ve noticed my speed has dropped ever so slightly recently. My decline as a swordsman has begun.”

  “You sure say some heavy stuff. Personally, I’d like it if you stay the empire’s strongest swordsman for a while longer. Since you are my teacher and all.”

  “I am unworthy of such praise, young lord. But thank you all the same.”

  There aren’t many people who are both extremely skilled and trustworthy. Barnack’s about the only person who I can always trust to have my back while also assassinating people for me. He looks at me and says, “There is one other thing. Lord Veight has an inhuman level of fortitude. Even in a duel to the death, he appears as calm as if he were lounging by the hearth. No normal human has that kind of nerve.”

  “Oh yeah, that guy’s got guts. It’s like he doesn’t care about his life at all. What kind of path did he walk to become like that?”

  “That I do not know. His life until now must have been tumultuous, to say the least.”

  “Even more tumultuous than yours, huh? And you were willing to kill the crown prince’s favorite and risk getting exiled just because of loyalty.”

  I can’t even imagine what kind of life it took to get to that level. He’s definitely an interesting guy, but if Eleora isn’t willing to give him up, then he’s a threat. A threat to the whole Doneiks family. Still, assassinating a Meraldian diplomat would not be good for Rolmund on the whole.

  There’s a saying my old man’s really fond of. “A shallow schemer will fall into his own traps.” If I want to deal with Lord Veight, I’m gonna need a proper strategy. Plus, if we can win him over instead of eliminating him, we’ll have a powerful trump card on our side. We’ll be able to parcel out Meraldia’s land to other people. All the landless nobles and even some of the landed nobles who’re tired of managing the northernmost reaches of the empire will jump at the chance to serve under us, since we’ll have land to spare. On top of that, Veight himself is a pretty capable guy. He seems quiet, but he’s strong and he’s got courage. Eventually, I’m gonna make him mine.

  * * * *

  I was currently facing my biggest crisis since coming to Rolmund.

  “Honorary Count Veight Gerun Friedensrichter, may I sit next to you?”

  “My name is Inunso. I am Baron Mikhaila’s second daughter. May I simply call you Master Veight?”

  “I’ve heard that you’re a master not only of the sword, but of all things involving warfare, Master Veight. Would you mind sharing some stories with me?”

  I was surrounded by a dozen noble ladies. Honestly, I couldn’t fathom why they were all so interested in a country bumpkin like me.

  “Master Veight, how did you end up meeting Princess Eleora?”

  “Come now, Lady Kviche. That’s far too personal a question.”

  “I suppose so, fufufu.”

  The ladies brought their heads together and giggled to each other. Even though they were nobles, they were acting like teenage schoolgirls. Sure, there was a little more refinement to their speech, but otherwise, they were no different. After reincarnating, most of my time was spent with someone who’d lived for over a hundred years, so these ladies’ youthfulness threw me off. It made dealing with them kind of awkward too. I wanted to chase them away, but my trustworthy bouncer Kite was currently being held up by another crowd of noble girls.

  Looks like he’s got six on his end. Good luck stopping them, my reliable vice-commander. I’ve got my hands full here, so I can’t help you.

  “My apologies, but all these duels have tired me out.”

 
“My, we simply cannot have that. Allow me to call over my family’s physician.”

  I don’t need one. If I really was tired, I could just use magic to erase my exhaustion. Man, what a pain. As I was lamenting my fate, a single young noble made their way over to me. One of the ladies went up to greet him, and he grabbed her by the arm and whispered something into her ear. Because of how loud the people around me were, I couldn’t make out what he said. Her face flushed, and she signaled to the other ladies hovering around me.

  “My apologies, Master Veight, but I must take my leave. Hopefully I can see you another day.”

  “We’re sorry for disturbing you while you’re tired. We’ll leave you to enjoy yourself.”

  Enjoy myself? With what? Half the ladies practically ran away while the other half reluctantly walked off. The only person left in the garden was the grinning nobleman. What kind of magic had he used to get rid of everyone?

  “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Ser Lekomya Hinokentus Wikran, a knight.”

  That name rang a bell. Oh yeah. He’s the other guy I was supposed to duel today. I’d completely forgotten thanks to Prince Woroy’s visit.

  “My apologies for making you wait, Ser Lekomya. I’ll prepare the dueling grounds immediately.”

  “No, that won’t be necessary. I’ve completed my objective for today.”

  What objective?

  “All I wanted was an opportunity to speak alone with you.”

  I gave him a skeptical look and offered him a chair. He sat down and I instantly asked him the question foremost in my mind.

  “How did you manage to chase away all those noble ladies?”

  “It was simple. I told them you were a raging homosexual.”

  Oi, hold on. I’m not letting this stand. As I was thinking of how best to socially eviscerate Lekomya, he casually waved his hand and said with a smile, “Fear not, homosexuality is a common practice among nobles. I happen to be one myself.”

  Looks like I can’t annihilate him socially. So, murder it is.

  “Ah, but my interest in you is purely platonic, Lord Veight. If anything, your vice-commander over there is much more to my tastes.”

  Kite, watch out. There’s a sexual predator after you. Lekomya’s smile grew wider.