Empire of Ice

by Hyougetsu

  “But, Lord. While this may be a somewhat disrespectful question, how in the world did Princess Eleora manage to tame such a ferocious warrior?”

  “There are in fact many ways she could have.” I stow the reports on Lord Veight back into my drawer as I answer Barnack’s question, “No matter how strong he might be, Lord Veight alone cannot stop a full-scale invasion from Rolmund. Likewise, he’s incapable of destroying Rolmund by himself.”

  There’s a limit to how much a single man can achieve, regardless of his abilities, all the more so when he has so much to protect. If Eleora showed him a glimpse of how much economic and military might Rolmund possessed, I could see him coming to the negotiating table. But I find it hard to believe Eleora is such a skilled negotiator.

  “Our biggest problem is whether or not Eleora has managed to put him on a tight leash. So long as he’s working as Eleora’s underling there’s plenty of ways to deal with him, but if he proves too much for her to handle, then...”

  “Then what, Lord?”

  “Then our empire will be destroyed.”

  “Surely not...”

  It does sound impossible. However, no nation is invincible. Both the Rolmund Senate and the three kingdoms were eroded with time.

  During the lull in our conversation there’s a knock at the door and my eldest son, Ivan, enters. He looks distinctly unwell.

  “Father.”

  “What’s wrong, Ivan? Did you have another fit?”

  “No, I’m thankfully in good health today. However, Eleora and Lord Veight are...”

  My eldest son is a worrywart by nature. I took great care to raise him into a cautious man, but I may have perhaps taken my methods too far. In an attempt to calm him down I ask in my gentlest voice, “What’s happened?”

  “Eleora seems to be a completely different person. Unlike before, she’s actively trying to spread her influence and solicit allies. And Lord Veight is tempting people by dangling Meraldian lands as a reward for joining her cause.”

  “How foolish.”

  Now that Meraldia has become a vassal state, only the emperor has the authority to grant its lands to others. If my older brother dies, the next emperor will be Ashley. But my nephew has always been far too soft. I have no doubt that if Eleora or Lord Veight recommended someone, he would grant them sections of Meraldian land without reserve. More importantly though, people believe what they want to believe.

  “It’s possible that the glimmer of hope offered by the possibility of being a landowner has clouded their good sense. And it’s precisely this short-sightedness that condemns these lesser nobles to never be landed.”

  I absently stroke my chin as I think.

  “Still, the fact remains that their solicitations are having an effect. I will need to prepare countermeasures soon.”

  Ivan hurriedly says, “In that case, Father, let me take care of this.”

  “Wait, Ivan. Whatever you do, don’t lay a hand on Eleora or Lord Veight.”

  “Why not, Father? I don’t mean to assassinate them or anything. Just make them pay for...”

  My foolish son. Any attempt to subdue them with might will only backfire. You’ll do nothing more than increase the number of accomplishments Lord Veight has. In fact, if you’re not careful, you might ruin the reputation of the Doneiks faction.

  “The dog that barks at the glacier lynx finds itself devoured. We need to be cautious. There will still be time to take care of Eleora’s faction even after Ashley has taken the throne.”

  “But then Rolmund’s citizens will...”

  “How many times have I told you? Haste leads to ruin. Be patient.”

  After a few seconds of silence, my son bows his head.

  “As you wish, Father.”

  “We’ll talk at length about this incident later. This needs to be handled delicately, both for our family’s sake, and for North Rolmund’s sake.”

  It would seem I still have quite a ways to go before I can retire comfortably and play with my grandchildren. I get up and look out the window. Though the autumn evening is quiet, I can feel the chill seeping through the glass. Winter is coming. My next words are as much a warning to myself as they are to my son, “A wave of bitter cold will soon be upon us, Ivan. A cold the likes of which we have never seen before.”

  * * * *

  I went back to the party and made small talk with Lekomya while I stuffed myself full of food. He wanted to know how I’d met Eleora, so I’d started telling him the abridged version of the story with any incriminating elements cut out.

  “So after that, I panicked and ran out of the villa. In fact, I was panicking so much that I jumped out of the window instead of using the door like a normal person.”

  Everyone listening burst out in laughter. Lord Peiti, another one of Eleora’s new followers, wiped tears from the corners of his eyes and asked, “But weren’t you on the second floor? Wouldn’t you injure yourself jumping from that height?”

  In truth, I’d clambered onto the roof after that, but a normal panicking human wouldn’t think to attempt such a feat, so I left that detail out.

  “I got lucky and landed on some leaves to break my fall. And I had my mother to thank for blessing me with a thick arse, so I didn’t get hurt.”

  Another round of laughter. I was sure most of them were just laughing because it was expected of them, but I didn’t really care if they were faking it so long as it gave them an excuse to bond.

  A short distance away, Eleora was conversing with members of the Doneiks faction. Unlike before, where she’d silently just taken the verbal abuse they hurled at her, now she was smiling coolly and retorting with cutting remarks of her own.

  “So? What were you doing when you were my age? Hmm?”

  “Well...”

  Eleora was currently arguing with a well-built older gentleman.

  “I can understand being proud of your achievements, but you should pay attention to who you’re talking to before you start bragging.”

  Eleora’s cold smile was pretty intimidating. Good job, Eleora. Don’t let those guys get to you. I wasn’t a fan of that kind of verbal sparring, so I was spending my time raising our allies’ morale.

  “Anyway, I was pretty relieved after finally managing to return the Werewolf Killer to Sir Belken.”

  And that was the story of how I first met Eleora. As I wrapped up my tale, Lord Peitei mentioned, “Werewolf Killers haven’t been crafted for over three hundred years now. I’m surprised the one that made it from Rolmund to Meraldia is still in good shape.”

  Does that mean there’s a bunch of them in Rolmund? A cut from one of those could do serious damage, so I needed to be careful. Another one of the nobles said cheerfully, “But to think you managed to break its enchantment by accident.”

  “Those enchantments were woven to be quite sturdy.”

  “I suppose even legendary blades are nothing to our esteemed Astral Fencer.”

  At least they liked the story. The nobles were laughing for real now, so I decided to laugh with them. I still couldn’t tell what they found funny and what they didn’t.

  Lured in by the laughter, a young boy came over to us. He looked to be in his early teens. But seeing as he was wearing formal clothing, he was an adult in the eyes of Rolmund high society. He’d likely just had his coming of age ceremony.

  “Umm, excuse me. Would you happen to be Lord Veight?”

  “I am indeed. And you are?”

  Blushing slightly, the boy named himself.

  “My name is Ryuunie. I’m, ummm... I haven’t been granted a title yet.”

  He seemed to be floundering, so I bowed and offered him a lifeboat.

  “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Master Ryuunie. What business might you have with me?”

  Boy or not, so long as he was wearing the formal attire of a Rolmund noble at a public event, he deserved to be treated as an adult. Ryuunie’s face instantly lit up and he took a few steps closer.

 
“I want to hear more of that story you were telling before! About how you won that Werewolf Killer in a duel!”

  Well... that duel ended in one attack, so it’s not really all that impressive. There wasn’t really any way to embellish that story further. Feeling the weight of his expectant gaze, I told him the plain truth.

  “I defeated the knight in a single blow, so there isn’t much more to tell, Master Ryuunie.”

  “In one blow!?”

  Ryuunie’s face lit up in excitement. He got even closer.

  “My uncle’s always talking about how he wants to go on the battlefield, and I do too! How do I become as strong as you, Lord Veight!?”

  Reincarnate as a werewolf. Tell your uncle that too.

  “Oi, Ryuunie, what’re you doing?”

  “Ah, uncle!”

  I recognized that voice. I turned around and saw Prince Woroy looking over here with a frown on his face. Hold on, is that his uncle? Doesn’t that mean he’s...

  “Master Ryuunie, are you perhaps Lord Doneiks...”

  “Ah, yes! Lord Doneiks is my grandfather! I’m sorry, I forgot to give my full name. I’m Ryuunie Bolshevik Doneiks Rolmund!”

  Seriously? Prince Woroy casually interposed himself between me and Ryuunie and shied him away from me.

  “Sorry. This kid’s my brother’s only son. He’s the future heir of the Doneiks family so I need to keep an eye on him.”

  I see, so he’s Prince Ivan’s son. Meaning in the future, he’d be pretty high up there in the line of succession for the throne. Since Kite wasn’t here to tell me everything, I hadn’t been able to recognize who he was by name. I screwed up. Should I have tried to flatter him more?

  Prince Woroy affectionately ruffled Ryuunie’s hair, then said loud enough for me to hear, “This is Meraldia’s strongest warrior. And he’s staying with Eleora. Do you understand what that means?”

  “Yes. He’s a political enemy.”

  You don’t have to put it so bluntly. Also, if I’m a political enemy, why’re you acting like you idolize me? Ryuunie tried to get closer to me, but was blocked by Prince Woroy. Undaunted, he tried to go around his uncle. He was like a little puppy.

  “Lord Veight, please tell me more about your battles! What other armies have you commanded?”

  “Ah, now that’s something I’m interested in too. Lord Veight, do you mind telling us about a few? Of course, you don’t have to reveal any sensitive information.”

  Now even Prince Woroy was asking to hear my stories. Aren’t you supposed to be stopping him? Oh well.

  I ended up telling Ryuunie and Woroy a few of my war stories. First, I told them about how I conquered Ryunheit by sneaking in as a whistle seller, then occupying the viceroy’s manor with 56 of my elites. I then talked about my battle with Thuvan’s mounted archers. And the battle for Thuvan that happened after.

  I couldn’t go into details without divulging military secrets, or talking about demons, so I kept details vague. As a result, most of the stories ended up sounding boring, but I had no other choice. For some reason, even those basic stories seemed to capture the hearts of Woroy and Ryuunie.

  “I can’t believe you’re able to be so calm about all these amazing achievements, Lord Veight! You’re so cool!”

  “Can’t you go into any more detail, Lord Veight?”

  I really can’t.

  As we were talking, Prince Ivan showed up.

  “Ryuunie, Woroy. What are you two doing?”

  “Ah, Brother.”

  The moment Woroy saw his brother’s face, he grimaced. Prince Ivan smiled wryly at his younger brother.

  “Father’s summoned us. Also, he’s asked for a meal to be brought up to him and Barnack.”

  “Alright, I’ll get something from the kitchens. The servants probably have their hands full so I’ll do it myself.”

  Prince Ivan furrowed his brows.

  “Are you still doing things beneath your station? How long will it take for you to realize you can’t act like this? Besides, what if Father punishes the servants for making you do such menial tasks?”

  “I’ll talk to him, so that won’t be a problem. Sorry, but I need to go, Lord Veight. I’ll see you later.”

  Prince Woroy took advantage of the moment to escape from his older brother. Prince Ivan then turned to me and bowed.

  “Thank you for entertaining my son. He’s still young and foolish, so please forgive any rudeness on his part.”

  “Not at all. I had a lot of fun talking to him.”

  I had an opportunity to speak to Prince Ivan again, so I decided to politely chase Ryuunie away.

  “Master Ryuunie, I would love to tell you more about my battles next time.”

  Sensing that story time was over, Ryuunie hung his head.

  “Ah... okay. I’m sorry for bothering you for so long. The stories were really fun!”

  Sorry, kid. But I’ve got business with your dad. Prince Ivan and I both watched Ryuunie bow, then run off. Prince Ivan then turned to me.

  “Knowing you, you’re likely already aware that I haven’t remarried since my late wife passed away, correct?”

  Wait, really? I guess Ryuunie’s like a memento of your dead wife then. Don’t worry, I’m not planning on using him or anything.

  “Ryuunie has only just had his coming of age ceremony. Even for Rolmund, holding the ceremony at age twelve is unusually early. But Lord Doneiks wished for him to have it soon. For all his talk about haste leading to ruin, he sure seems to be rushing his grandson.”

  For a moment, Prince Ivan looked like nothing more than a father worried about his son. Honestly, I much preferred him like this.

  “Incidentally, Lord Veight, I hear you have yet to marry.”

  I hadn’t even married in my past life. Marriage was a completely alien concept to me. On Earth, my parents hadn’t had a very good relationship, and here, my dad had died while I was still a baby, so I didn’t even know what a happy couple looked like. That was probably part of why I hadn’t bothered looking for a wife. However, in Rolmund high society, being a bachelor was looked down upon. In fact, it led to people thinking you were gay. I wanted to avoid that, so I decided to tell a little white lie.

  “The truth is, I have a fiancée back in Ryunheit.”

  “I see. Is she a Meraldian noble?”

  “She is.”

  For a second, Airia’s face popped into my mind. Sorry, but this is for the sake of diplomacy. It wasn’t like she’d ever find out, so I figured I may as well borrow her name.

  “She’s Ryunheit’s viceroy, and a member of the Aindorf family.”

  “I have heard that name before. They’re one of the families that came to Meraldia from the south, correct?”

  “You’re well-informed.”

  The last thing I wanted to do was continue this line of conversation, so I hurriedly changed the topic.

  “By the way, Your Highness, do you have no intention of remarrying at all?”

  He was Lord Doneiks’ eldest son. It was practically his duty to sire more children. Especially since Woroy was still single. Prince Ivan smiled sadly and said, “I actually would love to, but my tastes in women are... eclectic. I’m having a hard time finding someone as suitable for me as my late wife was.”

  I looked down and saw Prince Ivan was still wearing his wedding ring. It seemed to me like he’d just loved his old wife so much he couldn’t let go of her. I feel bad for asking now.

  “Lord Veight. As unfortunate as it is, we stand on opposite sides. Thus, I cannot let my debt to you go unpaid.”

  What do you mean, debt?

  “I wish to thank you for looking after my son.”

  “Oh, that’s fine. I didn’t do anything much.”

  Besides, the only “thanks” I could see coming from a member of the Doneiks faction was an assassin. Prince Ivan walked to the balcony and beckoned me over.

  “There’s nothing to fear. I just want to show you something.”

  He pulled a
book from a nearby bookshelf. The paper looked new, but the binding was old and worn. It reminded me of Eleora’s Blast Grimoire. Wait, that isn’t a Blast Grimoire, is it? Though even if it was, Prince Ivan wouldn’t be able to kill me with it. I pushed down on my burgeoning fear and walked as casually as I could toward the balcony.

  The night breeze was pretty cold, and I wished I had a coat as I stepped onto the balcony. I downed a strong alcoholic cocktail designed to warm you up, then turned to face Prince Ivan.

  “Take a look at this, Lord Veight.”

  The book he held out to me was titled “Northern Agriculture.”

  “This contains every scrap of information the Doneiks family has been able to collect on farming in cold climates. It’s not something we’re meant to share with others, but I imagine you will find this more valuable than gold or silver.”

  He wasn’t wrong, but I hadn’t expected him to offer something like this. This was a perfect opportunity to get a better idea of Rolmund’s agricultural situation. I decided to take Prince Ivan up on his offer. Let’s see just how good Prince Ivan is at managing his lands.

  I skimmed through the book and almost instantly I could tell that Prince Ivan was a master of data gathering. His practices were unbelievably modern for this world. Furthermore, all the information he’d gathered had been meticulously vetted and quantified. For example, yearly yields weren’t recorded using vague terms like good harvest, but rather had specific numbers. Last year, Darmarl village’s 540 shuka of white wheat fields had yielded 1200 torka of grain. And that was 2.2 times the usual. The year before that, it had produced twice as much as usual.

  All the information had been organized neatly into charts as well. In a world without computers, all of this had to have been written down by hand. It must have taken an enormous amount of effort. I wanted to show this to Kite, but he was currently busy making sure I wasn’t swarmed by noble ladies. With his magic, he would have been able to memorize the contents of this book with a single glance.

  Reeling at the sheer amount of numbers I had to go through, I nevertheless attempted to draw some meaningful conclusions from this data.