Chapter 0658 Announcement
-x-X-x-
The fleets of the Grand Duchy of Atinjo and the nation of Bosuntar made port.
"I hereby transfer command of the fleet of the Grand Duchy of Atinjo to His Majesty the Emperor."
"I hereby transfer command of the fleet of the nation of Bosuntar to His Majesty the Emperor."
The Darwei Emperor received the transfer of command from the commanders of both fleets.
"In the name of the Darwei Emperor, I transfer command of both fleets and the Darwei fleet to Kabui Somal, Lord Protector of the Suje Kingdom."
"I will accept it with humility."
Thus, command of the entire allied fleet in this operation, including Count Bashu's Darwei fleet, was transferred to Kabui Somal.
That is protocol that must be completed before going to the battlefield.
Unify command.
Clarify the chain of command.
Without this, they would be nothing more than a mere rabble.
The land forces would be the imperial expedition led personally by Emperor Tsuin.
The naval forces would be the allied fleet led by Kabui Somal under the name of Emperor Tsuin.
"All that's left is to march north, right?"
Ryo said, sounding pleased.
War is a sad thing, but when faced with large armies and great fleets, it is only natural for spirits to be uplifted.
Moreover, fighting is not necessarily the sole objective.
This movement is to return the great authority of Darwei that had been entrusted away back to Emperor Tsuin.
"A grand show of force, indeed."
Abel said with a wry smile.
"Moving a great army to avoid an actual armed clash… in words alone it really is hard to grasp the meaning, isn't it?"
"It can't be helped; that's how it is."
Ryo and Abel shrugged.
After a short while, Ryo spoke.
"Ruling is difficult."
"What's this all of a sudden?"
Abel tilted his head at Ryo's words.
"Abel, you must be blaming the Emperor in your heart, right?"
"Blaming? Ah… not to that extent, but, well."
Abel seemed to find something in Ryo's remark. He scratched his cheek and continued.
"I think some of the current situation stems from the Emperor going daft after the Crown Prince's death… no, I won't go that far, but it's an indirect cause."
"That is indeed one aspect… but he lost a child, so it's understandable."
"Rulers are not permitted such an excuse."
"Th-that's true, but…"
Abel declared, and Ryo fell silent.
Of course, Ryo understood what Abel was getting at.
A ruler who carries responsibility for the lives of many people cannot be allowed to neglect governance, no matter what happens.
If he did, the people would be made unhappy.
"Abel is too strict."
"I'm not wrong… Ryo should know that too."
"I do understand. I do, but…"
Abel spoke as a king would.
Ryo spoke as an ordinary person.
"Still… I don't think it's a bad thing to recognize that one was daft, to be aware of the mistakes made, and to try to regain what was lost."
"That's right; that's important."
"To press on with governance while holding sorrow in one's heart. How difficult…"
"It certainly is difficult. In ordinary work, one would be allowed time off until one could sort out one's feelings."
"Rulers are not afforded such time."
"Exactly—so long as one lives and holds the position, one is always a ruler."
Both Ryo and Abel shook their heads slightly.
And the next day.
At last, the return of Darwei Emperor Tsuin was announced.
This had to be proclaimed widely to counter the earlier announcement by the Choouchi Empire that he had died.
He was currently in Boago in southern Darwei, and would thereafter head north back to the imperial capital Hanlin.
It was also announced that the lords and neighboring states would accompany him.
For the ordinary people of Darwei, to hear that the Emperor they had been told was dead was, in fact, alive was simply a relief.
They would likely think, "That's good — seems like there won't be any strange confusion."
And for now, that was enough.
This announcement was aimed at the Shitaifu class within Darwei.
"Is he—is he the real thing?"
"They say it was delivered to each city using the 'policy transmission line'…"
"The one commonly called the 'Six-Department Line'? It transmits imperial edicts from the Imperial Palace to the manor houses and magistrate offices across all of Darwei, right? Who can issue that? The Six-Department heads, the Prime Minister, First-Rank Marquises, Imperial Princes, and the Emperor himself. Which means…"
"It should be considered a transmission by the Emperor in person."
Such rumors were spreading through the Imperial Palace.
"Do not be flustered!"
That was the Patrol Corps adjacent to the Imperial Palace.
The Patrol Corps is the office of the patrol troops charged with maintaining order in the capital.
At the Patrol Corps training ground, Hau Gin, First-Rank Marquis and commander of the patrol troops, shouted down his subordinates who were fretting over the rumors.
"Our role is to protect the citizens of the capital. We preserve public order for their peace. Have you forgotten? Whatever happens at the Imperial Palace, leave it be! Attend to your duty!"
"Yes!"
At their master's exhortation, the patrol troops ran out.
Any hesitation had already vanished from their faces.
Hau Gin was over sixty, but did not look it at all.
Standing over 190 centimeters tall, his whole body could be called muscle—a stately physique, a fierce face, and piercing eyes.
All of it gave those who faced him the impression of a rock.
By showing his own unshakable stance, Hau Gin removed doubt from his subordinates… he well understood that.
"Oh ho, your voice carried all the way outside, you know."
Saying that, Secretary Shau of the Censorate entered the Patrol Corps training ground.
"Shau-dono. I do not like shouting either… but if the patrol troops waver, it will inconvenience the citizens of the capital. It cannot be helped."
Hau Gin grimaced but shook his head.
The two entered Hau Gin's office.
"Still, is it all right to parade about so openly?"
"Hmm?"
Hau Gin began.
"You're the one who aided the Emperor's return, aren't you, Shau-dono? And Zhuon-dono of the Inspectorate as well… I've received reports that Li Wu, the regional inspector, has been active. If I have hold of such information, Prince Kouri certainly does as well."
"That may well be."
Secretary Shau sipped his tea in his usual hale manner.
"If such people visit the Patrol Corps, it might be cause for trouble?"
"The Censorate and the patrol troops are both pillars of capital security. If you think cooperation is natural, there should be no issue."
Hau Gin declared firmly.
Both the Censorate and the patrol troops are guardians of the capital's order.
If one were to compare to modern Japan, the Censorate would be close to the prosecutors and the patrol troops close to the police.
However, the division is not that strict, so top officials frequently exchange information, as in this case.
In that sense, it was natural for Secretary Shau, who effectively oversees the Censorate, to visit Hau Gin, commander of the Patrol Corps.
Moreover…
"I am grateful you have been training my foolish sons."
"Gaji, Guza, Gobo, yes. The work of the Censorate is suiting them well."
The three whom Abel had named the Three Colors had, through various circumstances, come to be under the Censorate's custody.
"Those were the third, fourth, and fifth sons, were they not? If I recall, Hau Gin-dono's eldest son is with this Patrol Corps. Your second son is with the Forbidden Army, is he not?"
"Indeed. The second son was trained by Commander Tin."
Hau Gin nodded to Secretary Shau's inquiry.
"Commander Tin of the Forbidden Army is still missing, though."
"He's no longer in the capital."
Hau Gin said that plainly.
"Ohh?"
"Shau-dono, that's theatrical. You were the one who sheltered him in Duke Rondo's mansion, were you not?"
"Well, I wonder what you mean."
Secretary Shau exaggeratedly feigned ignorance.
The patrol troops oversee the capital's security.
Much information about incidents within the capital naturally reaches Hau Gin.
Among that information was the fact that Commander Tin had been sheltered at the Rondo Manor.
"If that was the case, why did you not search the house?"
"Commander Tin had not been accused of a crime. He had not broken the law nor harmed the citizens. There was no cause to apprehend him."
"But I thought the Imperial Palace had issued an order for him to present himself."
"Why would I care for the Imperial Palace?"
Hau Gin said, frowning, and stated it flatly.
"Except when it is the Emperor's personal edict… a mere appearance order from the Ministry of War is not among the orders the patrol troops must obey."
"Well, that's true."
The patrol troops are tasked directly by the Emperor with preserving order in the capital.
Therefore, their commander is granted the rank of First-Rank Marquis.
Considering that the heads of the Six Departments—the highest officials of those ministries—are only Second-Rank Marquises, the prestige and rank of the commander is significant.
By the way, Zhuon, head of the Inspectorate, is a Second-Rank Marquis.
Secretary Shau, who effectively runs the Censorate, is also a Second-Rank Marquis.
"The one in Boago is the real Emperor."
Suddenly, Secretary Shau declared.
Hau Gin did not flinch.
"I know."
He merely said that.
"You also have intelligence from outside the capital?"
"No. It was because the 'Six-Department Line' was used."
"Ho ho—"
The Six-Department Line is an administrative communication network connecting all of Darwei.
But it is basically receive-only; those who can originate a transmission are the Emperor, Imperial Princes, the Prime Minister, the Six-Department heads, and First-Rank Marquises.
It is said that those who hold this authority can transmit even when not in the capital.
And this time, that was proven.
"I am a First-Rank Marquis. If I inspect the alchemy tool for the Six-Department Line, I can tell who issued the transmission."
"I see. So you confirmed it was a transmission from His Majesty himself."
Secretary Shau nodded at Hau Gin's explanation.
"As expected, the minds of those who topped the central examinations have not decayed. You must have gone to the Imperial Palace straight away to confirm that information received just now, I suppose?"
"My predecessors, the top scorers from ten years before me, were Shau-dono and Zhuon-dono, was it not? It was only you two who argued in the palace exam."
For the first time, Hau Gin showed an exasperated look.
Secretary Shau responded with a wry smile.
"To be told that even after fifty years…"
"It means no one has done such a thing in fifty years."
Every time, more than a hundred thousand sit the Darwei central examinations.
Around two hundred pass, and among them, the top three undergo the Emperor's oral examination, the palace exam.
Those three naturally rise as administrative officials…
Hau Gin, obviously the archetypal military man, had been one of those top scorers forty years ago.
Though born to a long-established family, he had taken the central examinations to test himself and by merit risen to the central administration.
"Well, if Hau Gin-dono understands that the Emperor lives, then I have no role left."
"What?"
"You are one of the Shitaifu-class with a high position yet belong to no faction."
"If you say that, isn't that true of Shau-dono and Zhuon-dono as well?"
"Well, we are… you know."
Secretary Shau only laughed at Hau Gin's remark and said nothing specific.
"Now then… how will the other Shitaifu class members act with this announcement?"
"They will simply attend to their duties."
At Secretary Shau's mutter, Hau Gin said that decisively.
-x-X-x-
"Prince Ryun has come to court."
Those words were received with surprise in the Taiji Hall.
The Taiji Hall inside the Forbidden City of the Darwei Imperial Palace is the center where the morning court is held.
It is there that the Emperor conducts state affairs.
But at present, the master of that hall was absent.
In his stead, governance of the state was being handled by Prince Kouri, the Second Prince.
Repeated requests from Prince Kouri for an audience had been continuously refused by Sixth Prince Ryun on the grounds that he was bedridden with illness.
For someone who had not attended court for over a month to suddenly appear would naturally cause many to be astonished.
"I, Prince Ryun, have recovered from my illness and have come to court."
"I have been waiting."
Prince Ryun made his formal address, and Prince Kouri, seated on the throne, replied.
Normally, if the Emperor were seated on the throne, the next person permitted to speak would be the Emperor.
But…
"I have a matter I wish to ask of my elder brother."
Prince Ryun spoke up.
"Your Highness, that is most discourteous!"
Of course, that voice was not Prince Kouri's.
It came from a young man standing beside the throne.
"Was that voice raised by Count Barfo?"
Prince Ryun asked quietly, deliberately.
Quiet, yet precisely because of that quietness, it conveyed an indescribable pressure.
"Ohh."
Prince Kouri murmured very softly, so faintly that no one else heard.
He was likely the only one present to notice.
The change in Prince Ryun.
"At last, the tiger shows its true nature."
Prince Kouri smiled faintly in his heart.
But regardless of that, the proceedings continued.
"It is true that I raised my voice."
The man called Count Barfo answered.
"I have currently been appointed Assistant Prime Minister, charged with administrative duties."
At first glance, he answered boldly.
But if one looked closely, one could see his fingertips trembling.
Count Barfo, too, was being affected by the overwhelming pressure emanating from Prince Ryun, who had appeared after a long absence.
"That is a strange claim. An Assistant Prime Minister is an aide to the Prime Minister who oversees administration. Only the Emperor himself should be able to confer such a position. Now then, Count Barfo, when did you receive that approval from His Majesty the Emperor?"
"T-The authority was granted by Prince Kouri, who holds the regency."
"Prince Kouri acting as the Emperor's proxy is not established by law, but by past custom. Naturally, the high appointment powers reserved for the Emperor himself should not have been granted. Are you saying Prince Kouri flouted precedent and appointed Count Barfo as Assistant Prime Minister? Impossible."
"I-Impossible?"
Count Barfo was taken aback by Prince Ryun's decisive words.
"Prince Kouri is gifted and well-versed in the law. He would never commit such lawless acts. Naturally, I must declare that what Count Barfo claims is a lie."
"Wha…"
What cheek.
Of course, Prince Kouri was present at this venue.
He was seated on the throne, after all.
Therefore, everyone understood all the more that Prince Ryun did not believe a word of what he himself had just said.
Indeed, though Ryun's words struck at Count Barfo verbally, in effect they were an impeachment of Prince Kouri—all present understood that as well.
"Heh…"
Prince Kouri could not help but laugh on the throne.
It was not a loud laugh, but every pair of eyes turned to him.
"I will speak with Ryun alone for a moment. Everyone else, leave the hall."
At Prince Kouri's single command, everyone except Prince Kouri and Prince Ryun left the Taiji Hall.
All the doors and windows were closed.
"Elder brother, return the regency to His Majesty the Emperor."
Once alone, Prince Ryun broached the matter immediately.
But it was a thing that needed no words.
There is only one Darwei Emperor: Tsuin.
That Emperor had declared his return across all Darwei.
Nothing needs to be changed; things would simply revert to how they were—no ceremony required, simply a return to the previous state.
That is how it should be.
Indeed, the Choouchi Empire had announced the death of Darwei's Emperor throughout the Eastern Countries.
But so what?
Another country proclaiming it does not give that claim legal standing.
If a foreign nation declares "Your ruler is dead!", would the nation so informed simply respond, "Is that so?"
Whether someone is dead is decided by that country's laws.
Nothing else.
Within Darwei, no announcement of the Emperor Tsuin's death had been made.
Such a declaration would be made only just before the accession of a new Emperor.
Otherwise, a power vacuum would result.
Someone announced the Emperor was alive and had returned before any death declaration could be made.
Prince Kouri's faction could insist that the announcement was fake… and they could argue that strongly.
Perhaps anticipating that, Prince Ryun had come to court.
If they pushed that line, the likelihood of military confrontation would naturally increase.
Prince Ryun understood that such a course would benefit no one.
"Do you know, Ryun, why I was not made Crown Prince after Jun's death?"
Jun being the late Crown Prince Jun.
Prince Ryun was at a loss for words at Prince Kouri's sudden question.
Although Kouri's words seemed gentle on the surface, Ryun felt anger beneath them.
He could not answer the question posed.
It was an issue Ryun himself had long wondered about and still could not resolve.
"No."
So that was all he could say.
"Father suspected that I had Jun killed."
"No way…"
Prince Ryun's surprise was genuine.
If Crown Prince Jun died, Prince Kouri would naturally become the next Crown Prince.
Being named Crown Prince leads to the throne.
So the reasoning—that someone had murdered the Crown Prince to open the path… made sense.
But only on that level of reasoning.
In the first place, with the palace so tightly guarded by both personnel and alchemical measures, it was impossible to kill the sleeping Crown Prince.
At least, no one has ever discovered how that crime was committed.
"I don't think Father could steer Darwei."
"Elder brother, that is…"
Prince Ryun began, but Kouri stopped him with a raised hand.
"Ryun, you know as well. Father is not foolish, but he does neglect martial matters and is absorbed in the arts."
"That is…"
"That's why ten years ago, when Jun was made Crown Prince and took part in the administration, I felt reassured. With Jun as Emperor, the country would be fine."
Prince Kouri spoke those words plainly, with no anger or doubt at all.
Only a little sadness could be felt by Prince Ryun.
"But five years ago, Jun died."
Prince Kouri shook his head softly.
Then he spoke the shocking words.
"At that time, we had already obtained information suggesting danger from the north."
"What?"
"The matter now called the Choouchi Empire. Back then, we did not even know their name."
"You told others of that…?"
"Of course. I told Father and Jun."
Prince Kouri frowned as he continued.
"Father dismissed it. He may have said it was because he had entrusted all governance to Crown Prince Jun. But Jun moved immediately, as was to be expected."
After shaking his head again, he continued.
"It was soon after that that Jun was assassinated in his bedchamber within the Eastern Palace."
"Could it have been the Choouchi Empire?"
"That I do not know. Even if it was them, penetrating the Starry Veil is no easy matter. The report from the Censorate mentioned that, did it not?"
Prince Kouri referred to the magic circle used to extract the Starry Veil formula from General Yun's body.
If the Starry Veil could be easily breached, they would not have needed such measures to gather intelligence.
"Therefore, I do not know who assassinated Jun, nor which faction."
"…"
"But Father suspected I had done it."
Again, anger bled through his words.
"Suspicion was inevitable. I was the closest to the Crown Prince's position. But if so, a proper investigation should have cleared my name."
"…"
"But no investigation was done… and in these five years, even Bin has been made an imperial prince."
Prince Ryun remained silent.
Honestly, he did not immediately know what to say.
He had not expected Prince Kouri—who had appeared to be comfortably leading the pack toward the next throne—to be in such torment.
After a while, a question came to mind.
"Recently, I too was made an imperial prince."
Ryun wanted to know how Kouri felt about that.
"I expected it would happen someday."
Prince Kouri said in a voice almost gentle.
"Ryun is fit to be an imperial prince. I think so. More so than Churei or Bin.
"…Is that so?"
"Ryun resembles Jun."
Prince Kouri said with a faint smile.
"But that is also troublesome for me becoming Emperor."
"Elder brother…"
"You got married, and it set things in motion."
Prince Kouri laughed plainly.
"If anything happens to me, Ryun should be the next Emperor."
"…What?"
"That is for the sake of Darwei and its people."
"Th-that is not for you or I to decide!"
"No, it is for us to decide."
Prince Kouri declared.
"Father cannot protect this country."
"That is not true! If elder brother and I support him…"
"Why support him? It would be better if Ryun or I became Emperor. That would be better for the country, would it not?"
The terror of a correct argument.
The violence of logic.
"Because Father is still Emperor. If an imperial prince sought to remove him, order would be disrupted, and that would lead to chaos in the country."
"So if Father were to abdicate, there would be no problem?"
"Th-that is…"
Caught by Prince Kouri's direct question, Prince Ryun struggled for an answer.
"Father's army is marching north."
"An army?"
Only the Emperor Tsuin's return had been announced.
Information that the Emperor led an army should not yet have arrived.
That Kouri knew it meant…
"Did you know of this movement beforehand, elder brother?"
"Of course. With something that large moving… forces are coming even from the archipelago regions. It would be strange not to notice."
"You knew and yet did not act? Were you waiting to see how things would move?"
"No. I knew they would gather forces and march north. I arranged forces so that the Darwei main army would not be willing to fight."
Prince Kouri stated that plainly.
"I will also lead an army south."
"…"
"Ryun, you should come along, too."
"… I am welcome to accompany you?"
"Of course. Churei is the Great General of the Northern Campaign so he cannot; Bin's presence would be pointless. But Ryun would be most welcome."
"…I understand."
Ryun agreed.
"As I said earlier, if Father abdicates, there will be no problem. We are agreed on that, yes?"
"That may be, but… I cannot imagine Father agreeing to that."
And so Prince Ryun left the Taiji Hall.
What Prince Kouri murmured afterward could of course not be heard.
"If he dies, it will be forced abdication."
-x-X-x-
The day after Emperor Tsuin's return was announced in Boago.
At the magistrate's office, a man knelt on both knees and wept like a child.
"Tin, thank you for coming."
"Your Majesty…"
The one weeping was Forbidden Army Commander Tin Meu.
Emperor Tsuin took Tin's hands as Tin knelt and sobbed.
"With you here, it's like having a hundred men."
"Uwah… Your Majesty, I failed to protect you…"
Tin could not stop his tears.
"That was unavoidable. I still regret that I rejected your recommendation to strengthen the guard before departure."
"Your Majesty…"
Commander Tin, who had conveyed that Emperor Tsuin was alive and entrusted his rescue to Ryo and Abel, had arrived in Boago with the support of Secretary Shau of the Censorate and Zhuon, Chief of the Inspectorate.
After crying his fill, Commander Tin found Ryo and Abel and clasped his hands together in deep gratitude.
"Duke Rondo, Albert-dono, you rescued His Majesty in good health. I offer my heartfelt thanks."
"No, Tin-san. We did what any guest of the Emperor would do. Please don't trouble yourself."
Ryo said this and returned the alchemy tool used to track Emperor Tsuin.
"I return this to you, Tin-san, who has shown the greatest devotion."
"Thank you."
To devote one's entire loyalty to a single person.
It is no simple thing.
Watching Tin return once more to the Emperor's side to guard him, Ryo nodded repeatedly.
"Abel, in our kingdom, the man equivalent to Tin-san would be Warren, right?"
"Yes. Warren's family has long produced the kingdom's bulwark. You could say they are the lineage that stands closest to protect the king."
When Ryo asked Abel, Abel answered so.
Warren had been the great shield-bearer of the former 'Crimson Sword' and is now Count Carlisle, a leading northern noble who serves as the literal shield of the kingdom against the empire.
"Now that he's Count Carlisle, he can't guard right beside you, can he?"
"Well, yes, that's true…"
Ryo nodded strongly at Abel's words.
Then he continued.
"All the same, it's time for a Warren Golem!"
"Huh?"
"I'll make a Warren Golem of ice and have it act as your shieldbearer."
"…Say what?"
"It'll be fine. The usual golems are about 1.5 meters, but I'll make a custom two-meter Warren Golem. Same build as human Warren, so Abel should feel comfortable."
"No… I don't think anyone would ever get used to a golem."
Abel's muttered objection was ignored by Ryo.
"An Ice Golem won't speak, but then human Warren doesn't either, so it won't feel odd. Yep, it should work."
"…Really?"
The guarded's voice—Abel's—was full of distrust.
"If I research the Flight Ring some more and integrate it into the golem, it might keep up with your flight. An aerial guard corps!"
"That might be pushing it…"
Abel flying with a Flight Ring while a Warren Golem flapped around him.
Perhaps several Warren Golems would take to the air.
"Even without golems, the castle has the Royal Knights and the Royal Guard Regiment to protect the king, you know?"
Abel made an attempt at resistance.
"When you say Royal Knights, you mean Captain Dontan and the like are doing their best. Royal Guard Regiment—did we even have such a unit?"
Ryo tilted his head.
"They stand in front of the doors to rooms in the castle, holding spears, right?"
"Ah! So they're the Royal Guard Regiment."
Even when Ryo sneaks about the castle, they are the sort who will pretend not to see him.
Of course, that's because they know he is Duke Rondo…
"Well, Warren Golems won't be ready right away, so for now let the Royal Guard Regiment and the Royal Knights protect you."
"Yeah, let's do that…"
For the time being, the image of a bulky Ice Golem standing behind King Abel was avoided.
Some time later,
Ryo murmured.
"Abel, I can't help but feel uneasy."
"That's unusual—what's the matter?"
Despite the earlier talk of Warren Golems, Ryo frowning and speaking negatively was rare, so Abel asked.
"I feel a strong sense of déjà vu about the current situation."
"Déjà vu?"
"A scene I've seen somewhere before?"
"Ah… in Rune, right."
"Yes. Before Abel stood as king and moved to retake the capital, when we were in Rune."
Perhaps Abel had been thinking of it too.
The words came smoothly when Ryo mentioned it.
"Do you remember what happened then?"
"Let's see? I only remember Ryo sprawled on the sofa in my room, reading an alchemy book, hehe."
"N-Not that! Please erase that malicious memory!"
"Well, jokes aside. You mean the 'Five Dragons' attack?"
"Yes. They were sent to assassinate Abel, weren't they?"
Back then, two of the kingdom's strongest parties clashed.
The A-rank party 'Five Dragons', acting on the request of the king's younger brother Raymond, attacked King Abel in Rune city.
The A-rank party 'Crimson Sword', led by Abel, engaged in a fierce battle.
"Assassination is an abhorrent means. Utterly indefensible. Yet history shows how many heroes fell to the assassin's blade. It's shockingly cost-effective."
"If you kill one person, the opponent's force might collapse. I can understand why someone would choose that method."
Ryo shook his head sadly, and Abel shrugged.
Both agreed assassination was wrong, but their instinctive revulsion differed.
"Didn't you say something like that before, Ryo?"
"What do you mean?"
"That if the emperor of the Debuhi Empire needed assassinating, to let you know."
"Th-that was a joke! If Abel asked me to do such a thing, I'd cry 'Abel has fallen to the dark side!' and denounce him."
"Yeah, that attitude sounds dark-side enough."
Joking like that is a sign of closeness…
"If you're so uneasy, shouldn't you have gone with the land forces instead of the fleet?"
"Hmm… When Kabui Somar-san asked me, I did think I was needed there. But once the thought of the Emperor's assassination entered my head, I wavered. Ah, but I have taken measures in this case too, you know?"
"Oh? If you've taken measures, then that's fine, isn't it?"
"Commander Tin of the Forbidden Army is here, so I think we're okay…"
And so the Emperor's army departed Boago.
The reason the Emperor's main force deliberately proceeded by land;
was to account for the lords who, unable to judge the situation, would flock to join once they saw the movement.
Of course, for safety, there was a suggestion that the Emperor remain with the fleet.
But Emperor Tsuin himself refused that suggestion.
He said he had to personally take the hands of the lords who rushed to join him.
That courtesy would bind their hearts.
Hearing that, Abel inwardly nodded.
Ryo spoke aloud.
"Emperor Tsuin is a genuinely good ruler, isn't he?"
"That must be his true nature. The death of the Crown Prince led him astray…"
Abel agreed with Ryo's assessment.
But a problem occurred in the next town, Bant.
-x-X-x-
Bant was a port town, but compared to Boago its harbor was not large.
For that reason, the allied fleet was anchored offshore.
The emperor's main headquarters in Bant had been set up at the magistrate's residence.
The expeditionary forces were deployed around the magistrate's residence.
They were by no means letting their guard down.
In front of the magistrate's bedroom at the residence, Commander Tin of the Imperial Guard was keeping watch through the night.
Of course, even while moving during the daytime, he had been riding beside Emperor Tsuin's carriage on horseback… in short, he had not slept.
But that was by his own choice.
To eliminate sleepiness, he had obtained what was necessary.
It was something called the 'kako fruit', which had an awakening stimulant effect.
It was not illegal, of course.
Unlike some synthetic drugs from other worlds, it was ultimately broken down and expelled from the body, and had no addictive properties.
However, it was expensive.
It could only be harvested in southern Darwei, and only in limited quantities.
When there was work that absolutely had to be done—when failure meant you'd be fired—central bureaucrats resorted to this last measure.
A single pellet kept you awake for twelve hours.
Strictly speaking, micro-sleeps of a few seconds or fractions of a second would repeat, so the damage to the body was less than staying awake continuously.
Naturally, it still built up fatigue compared to normal sleep…
Tin had obtained forty of them.
The kako fruit was known to be produced in southern Darwei.
He had negotiated directly with Count Barrow.
Needless to say, Count Barrow was Fu Ten, who had recently returned to office.
When Fu Ten heard of the request, he immediately procured them from his territory.
Tin expressed his gratitude and promised to pay when he returned to the capital.
But Fu Ten shook his head.
"No payment is necessary. Carry out your duty with it."
Having said only that, he returned to his work.
Fu Ten understood.
He knew there might be attempts on Emperor Tsuin's life.
He understood that Commander Tin intended to prevent that and, even at the cost of his life, defend the emperor to the end.
Tin had once failed.
So this time, he would not.
Fu Ten felt that resolve keenly.
Because he had been through the same thing himself.
He could never forget the matter of the crown prince he had failed to protect.
That was why he wanted Tin to succeed.
Commander Tin took a kako fruit at eight o'clock in the evening.
Sleep would not come until eight the next morning.
It should not have come… but—
"Am I feeling drowsy? That's impossible."
If the fruit had been obtained from anyone other than Fu Ten, he might have suspected it was not genuine.
But there was no doubt where Fu Ten was concerned.
Until the crown prince's assassination five years ago, Count Fu Ten had performed many duties at the Imperial Palace.
His honesty and seriousness, combined with excellent problem-solving ability, had earned the trust of not only the crown prince but the emperor as well.
So Tin knew.
Fu Ten was trustworthy.
If so, there must be another reason he felt drowsy.
Tin peered quietly from the corridor into the garden.
Soldiers should have been patrolling there…
"Are they all asleep?"
He muttered before he could help it; it was an unbelievable sight.
Yet it was the truth, unfolding right before his eyes.
They were obviously not simply tired and dozing off, nor were they slackening their patrols to nap… that was impossible.
If not that, then…
They had been forced to sleep by some artificial means.
As a cause, he first considered whether something had been mixed into dinner.
"No—I did not eat."
Tin had only drunk from the canteen he always carried.
He had consumed only water and the kako fruit.
So it was strange that sleepiness would overtake him as well.
"Could it be an incense that induces drowsiness?"
But there was no sign of such a thing.
He could not smell anything.
"This is not ideal, but there's no choice."
Tin said that to himself and swallowed another kako fruit.
Overdose was not recommended.
But he also knew how effective they were.
As expected, the drowsiness completely vanished.
That made something clear.
"Something that acts directly on the mind."
That was what was inducing sleep.
Tin was a pureborn soldier, a warrior, and a guardian of the emperor.
To protect the emperor, he possessed a great deal of knowledge.
Among that was, naturally, knowledge related to magic.
"Dark-attribute magic."
Even in vast Darwei, dark-attribute magicians were not many.
Tin knew that.
But they did exist.
"To put the guards to sleep… the aim is only one thing… His Majesty's life."
Tin murmured quietly.
"Hey, there's someone awake there, right? Come out. You're probably the only one awake anyway."
A voice called, and three figures appeared in the garden.
They called out, knowing that Tin had not been put to sleep by dark magic.
Tin hesitated.
There was a lord to protect sleeping inside this building.
If the corridor became a battlefield and the lord were caught up in it, that would be a disaster.
That was the thing he most wanted to avoid.
He had no choice,
but to fight in the garden.
Tin put on his gauntlets, drew his blade, and stepped into the garden.
"I see. So you are Commander Tin Meu of the Imperial Guard. Barda, you lose. The commander did not fall asleep."
Saying that, the man who had been talking continuously laughed heartily.
The short man beside him, his hood drawn deep, exhaled in displeasure.
The slender figure on the right shrugged in silence.
Tin's information was limited.
But now decisive information had surfaced.
The dark-attribute magician's name was Barda?
"Special-rank adventurer, Barda? You guys, could you be the Six Saints?"
"Oops, someone let that slip."
The large man in the center laughed theatrically.
Nearly 190 centimeters tall, muscular to the bone… he wore a sword at his side.
If they were the Six Saints, he would rank among the Six Swords…
"Fire-attribute magician Buon…"
"Right on! As expected of the Commander of the Imperial Guard—you remember the names of dangerous people."
Tin forced the words out, and Buon smiled broadly, relaxed.
That contrast reflected the overwhelming difference in strength between the two.
"You understand, right? Three of the Six Saints have come to take the emperor's life. Commander Tin, we know you are strong. But that strength is among humans."
"…"
"The Six Saints are nonhuman. Even one of us can easily defeat you. But that is not part of the contract. The contract is just the emperor's life. And while we've been permitted to eliminate anyone who interferes, to be honest, we don't want to do it. So don't get in the way."
"Are you saying I should stand by and watch the lord I serve be murdered?"
Tin's voice, squeezed out, trembled.
Not out of fear.
Out of anger.
"I once failed. My lord pardoned me. Do you think I would hand my lord over to be killed to save my own skin?"
Tin shook with anger, his whole body trembling.
"Impossible! That can never happen!"
"You'll die, you know?"
"Kill me if you must! Even if I trade this life, I will protect my lord! I will not fail twice. Even if my lord forgives me, I cannot forgive myself!"
Having declared that, Tin's trembling disappeared.
The anger contained within him seemed to restore a certain calm.
"All right. I'll take you on."
Buon, the fire-attribute magician, drew his sword and faced him.
(I can tell just by their presence—they're too strong.)
Tin thought inwardly.
He knew he had no chance.
He knew it even if he didn't want to.
But…
(I cannot afford to lose!)
Tin was the one to open the fight.
He knew they were strong.
Precisely because of that, he moved first, seeking life in the midst of death!
Clang.
His sword was knocked aside.
"Ugh."
He was pierced through the abdomen by a sword, then driven through from the back with another.
Tin could not understand what had happened to him at all.
There was only one thing he understood.
He had lost.
The match was decided in a single exchange.
"Impossi…ble…"
"Good spirit, though. But this is the difference between you and me."
Tin collapsed to the ground as Buon stated the fact nonchalantly.
"Commander Tin Meu, watch as your lord is killed there."
Buon spoke not with triumph but with solemn composure, as if to perform his duty quietly.
"Again… I… fail…"
Tin's voice was barely audible.
Regretful tears formed.
The three special-rank adventurers left Tin in the garden and began to enter the building.
But five blue lights attacked them from the side.
"Huh?"
All three raised barriers to defend.
The five blue lights stood between the trio and the building.
"Puppets?"
"Golems."
"Ice golems."
Buon tilted his head, Leo Lin—the wind-attribute—murmured, and Barda—the dark-attribute—stated it plainly.
Standing between the three were five ice golems, spears at their hips.
"Ice, huh? Is that the duke in question? That duke?"
"Definitely Duke Rondo."
In response to Buon's question, Barda answered.
"But Duke Rondo is with the fleet, right? Anchored offshore…"
"He probably anticipated an attack on the emperor and positioned forces accordingly."
"I see. Then there's only one thing to do."
Buon grinned and began to chant.
"
At that instant, dozens of pillars of flame rose from beneath the golems' feet.
But they did not move.
The golems melted or shattered.
Given the power of the magic unleashed, they should have been able to avoid it…yet they did not move.
It was as if, by holding their ground, they were preventing an intrusion… sacrificing their bodies to keep the way closed.
But the pillars of flame, merciless, continued to strike and burn them… and the five golems were destroyed.
"Hmph, futile."
Buon spoke the words, just then…
The air changed.
All three felt it at once.
They quickly scanned their surroundings.
Only the sleeping guards on the ground and the barely breathing Commander Tin lay there.
"What is this…"
"Above! "
At Buon's mutter, Barda shouted.
Two figures were in the sky.
One was a red-haired man wearing a black cloak.
The other was a black-haired man in a white robe, filled with rage.
-x-X-x-
The two men who had been in the sky descended.
One was a red-haired man wearing a black cloak, and the other was a black-haired man in a white robe.
The three were nearly crushed by the oppressive presence radiating from the white-robed man.
The three were special-rank adventurers.
They were the pinnacle of Darwei adventurers, beings even said to transcend humanity.
Yet even such people felt as if they were about to be crushed.
"They were the golems I placed to buy time until we arrived."
Those words were spoken from the mouth of the white-robed man.
They sounded calm… very calm… but that was misleading.
Abel, who stood beside him and was used to hearing his voice, understood.
It was a calm that concealed astonishing anger with the force of will.
With the slightest shock, that will would snap, and the anger would explode.
"You are adventurers. So you accepted the request to assassinate the Emperor and came to carry it out. That is fine. On your way, you cut down Tin… and you destroyed my golems."
His voice trembled slightly.
"That I can accept. My golems put their bodies on the line to buy time— they fulfilled their roles admirably. But, you—!"
Ryo pointed at the fire-attribute magician Buon.
"You said this: that it was nothing more than a trifle."
Ryo's pointing finger began to tremble.
"A trifle? They fulfilled their duty admirably. Their role was to buy time until we arrived! No one has the right to insult them with such contempt!"
He lashed out clearly and fiercely.
"I will not forgive you for insulting my golems!"
Faced with Ryo, full of rage, the three special-rank adventurers were silent.
Then, finally, one spoke.
"So what will you do, Duke Rondo?"
The speaker was Buon.
He had not introduced himself.
But it was obvious the man before him was the rumored Duke Rondo.
Such pressure… aside from Lord Rowon, this was a first for him.
"I will defeat you with sword and magic and avenge my golems' grievance."
Ryo said that, drew Murasame, and produced the blade.
Beside him, Abel also drew his magic sword.
But he seemed a little flustered.
"Ryo… um, you're fighting that fire-type magician, right?"
"Yes. He burned my golems. Abel, I leave the rest to you. Do as you like."
"O-okay…"
Ryo looked at Abel with complete trust and entrusted everything to him.
Faced with that level of trust, Abel could not say no.
He could not say, "Am I to face two special-rank adventurers?"…
"Well, fine."
From Abel's mutter, the battle began.
"Haha… as expected of the famed Duke Rondo, that pressure is unreal."
The fire-attribute magician Buon murmured as he took a stance with his sword.
"I'm also an adventurer in the kingdom. So I understand."
"Huh?"
"When a person in power commissions you, it's difficult to refuse."
"…"
"But even so, there must be requests one should not accept."
"A difference of opinion in principle, huh."
Buon curled one corner of his mouth in response to Ryo's words.
"I think requests that stray from the path of humanity are precisely the ones to accept as much as possible."
"Excuse me?"
"Think about it. They pay high fees to adventurers because others won't take the job. Of course, you refuse a job that would cost you your life, but if it doesn't, then you should accept it, I think."
"And even if that means you can't stay in Darwei?"
"If the new Emperor issues a pardon, it'll be fine. Until then, I'll go abroad."
Prince Kouri had apparently promised a pardon after his accession.
"Sadly, we're at an impasse."
"Seems so."
Ryo nodded slightly, and Buon shrugged.
"I have something I want to ask you."
"Ask away. Although I don't feel obliged to answer."
"If you answer, I will spare your life."
"…Is that so. Duke Rondo, you're confident, aren't you."
Ryo said with an expression of course, and Buon—who had never been spoken to so bluntly face to face—was surprised.
Of course.
He was a terrifying special-rank adventurer.
No one would tell such a person they would be spared if they answered questions…
"What I want to ask is about Lord Rowon."
"Old man Rowon? What about him?"
"Lord Rowon is an alchemist, is he not? How capable is he?"
"How capable? How capable… how capable is he?"
"You are one of Darwei's top-rank adventurers. Someone who reaches the top in any field sees things differently from others. Their recognition of top people in other fields differs too. Given that, I ask how capable Lord Rowon's alchemy is."
"Oh, if that's the case, it's simple. Old man Rowon's alchemy is the highest in Darwei."
"I thought so…"
At Buon's words, Ryo nodded broadly as he had expected.
It was something he had to hear, something he wanted confirmed by someone else.
"Besides Lord Rowon, are there any water-attribute magicians in the Imperial Palace?"
"Huh? I don't know. Rowon was in the military, the Ministry of War… there aren't water magicians above general rank."
"In the special-rank adventurers—any water magicians?"
"Ah… none there either. Probably none in the advanced hall either. Water magicians are valuable in commerce; in travel, water is always needed, so you don't have to become a dangerous adventurer for that kind of work."
"So that's how it is."
One mystery in Ryo's mind was solved.
Logically, there was only that conclusion.
"One more thing I want to confirm."
"You think I'll answer that too…"
"Who is stronger, you or Lord Rowon?"
"…What?"
Buon's gaze took on a deadly look.
But…
"Answer honestly."
Ryo said that and released the pressure he had been compressing to its maximum.
"Sunn…ava…bitch!"
It was tremendous, so much so that even a special-rank adventurer felt physical oppression.
Ryo's pressure was taught by Dragon King Ruwin and praised by former king Robert Pirlo.
"You monster… Yeah, that's right, Old man Rowon is a monster too! He's stronger than me."
"I see."
"The six saints are said to be nonhuman, but that old man is in a class of his own—a genuine monster."
"I understand well now."
Ryo nodded once and released his pressure.
"Damn it…"
"You destroyed my golems and spat abuse. A little answering questions doesn't atone for that."
"That's enough!"
Buon shouted and began to chant.
"
"
Nothing happened.
"Impossible!"
Buon cried in surprise.
In his mind, the magic had been constructed and activated.
He perceived it as such.
From the ground beneath Duke Rondo's feet, dozens of flames should have surged up.
Looking closely at the ground, something was laid there.
"Ice?"
"Yes. I made it an ice floor. That was the same magic you used earlier to burn my golems, wasn't it? The same spell won't work twice."
At that moment, Ryo's anger burst forth.
At least to Buon, that was what it looked like.
"
Ryo, brandishing Murasame, manifested two more versions of himself.
"What is that…"
Buon involuntarily muttered.
"You skewered my golems with many flames, didn't you?"
The words were spun out quietly.
"I will do the same to you.
From the three Ryo figures—including Ryo himself—countless ice spears shot toward Buon.
At the same time, a fine spray of water burst from the rear of each Ryo and surged forward at the same speed as the ice spears.
The impact of the ice spears and the slashes from the three Ryo converged in an instant.
What remained afterward was Buon, pierced by countless ice spears and impaled through the abdomen by three blades.
"Ugh…"
"As promised, I will not take your life."
Ryo said this, dispelled the avatars, and cast.
"
Buon was frozen solid.
Beside that, a fight continued: one swordsman against two magicians.
The magicians tried to keep a distance, and the swordsman tried to close it.
A basic form of combat between the two, it seemed.
When Abel tried to close on the wind-attribute magician Leo Lin, the dark-attribute magician Barda generated a
When Abel tried to close on Barda, Leo Lin generated a
It repeated like that.
Meanwhile, Leo Lin launched offensive wind-attribute magic at Abel.
But all of those attacks were deflected by Abel.
Many wind-attribute offensive spells are invisible, but not completely so.
The air distorts slightly, and a swordsman of Abel's calibre can slice it accurately.
Thus, he suffered almost no damage.
However, he also failed to land a decisive blow.
In truth, Abel was troubled about how to break the stalemate.
Then…
"Buon has frozen solid!"
"What…!"
In the adjacent fight, the fire-attribute magician had been sealed in an ice coffin by Ryo.
Barda and Leo Lin were astonished.
But true to their status as special-rank adventurers.
They had no opening in their timing.
Even someone as skilled as Abel could not take advantage…
However, circumstances would not wait.
"Abel, thanks for buying time. I'm finished here, so you can go finish them off."
A water-attribute magician somewhere called out words like that.
"Hey…"
Abel let out a small sigh.
It wasn't that he had been merely buying time until Ryo was done.
He simply didn't know how to defeat them.
Ryo's words reached not only Abel.
They reached the ears of the two special-rank adventurers fighting Abel.
"Buying time?"
"I've never been insulted like this before."
Both Barda and Leo Lin—
"Of course that makes you angry."
Abel understood their anger.
Ryo may not have intended to provoke, but…
"No, is it possible? He always says that— robbing the opponent of composure is the very basics of PvP…"
In truth, the two were raging.
It was obvious they had lost their composure.
"Dark-attribute magic barely has any effect I see!"
"Why—do you have to taunt more…"
Abel was convinced.
It was deliberate.
Ryo's heckling must have been heard.
He could tell Barda's expression had hardened.
"Sorry, my companion's mouth is foul. Don't mind him."
"…I will not forgive you."
Abel apologized, but Barda only grew angrier than before.
"It seems Abel's talent for provocation surpasses mine."
A water-attribute magician muttered that, but no one heard it…
Despite their exchange, Barda inwardly scowled.
From the start of the battle, he had been trying to put the swordsman to sleep.
It should have been several times more powerful than the magic cast across the magistrate's office.
Yet it had no effect.
"Damn, why?"
Barda spat and then made a decision.
"I will unleash everything at maximum."
"Huh?"
Leo Lin was surprised at Barda's words.
"Hey, wait—"
Leo Lin resisted the spell that was cast.
He resisted the
But it was not the same performance as before.
His head spun, his footing wavered, and his spatial awareness blurred.
Of course, it recovered in an instant.
But for the swordsman before him, even an instant was too long.
Leo Lin received a blow to the back of the head and lost consciousness.
"Huh?"
Barda was likely the most surprised.
He had expected to affect Leo Lin's performance.
He had thought that, in exchange, he could render the swordsman unconscious.
And that would be fine.
But the swordsman continued to move as before… while Leo Lin was knocked out.
And Barda too—
"
He was sealed in an ice coffin.
-x-X-x-
"Abel, the main event would be Lord Rowon."
"Huh?"
After placing the three ice coffins at the magistrate's office and explaining to the Emperor and the others, Ryo and Abel returned to the fleet.
They flew back just like how they arrived.
There, Ryo said it plainly.
Abel, not quite understanding, tilted his head.
"Lord Rowon—you mean that one. A water-attribute magician, an alchemist, and Captain Lu Yao's master."
"Yes, that's the one."
"Why is that Lord Rowon the main event? By 'main event' you mean the actual battle, right?"
"Yes. He was the root cause of everything."
For a moment, Abel thought it was one of Ryo's usual wild remarks, but this time it seemed different.
"Well, I don't really understand Lord Rowon, but isn't the real main event somewhere else?"
"Huh? The real main event?"
At Abel's words, Ryo tilted his head.
"The real main event is the Phantom King, right?"
"Ah…"
"They're heading to the Central Countries, after all. For whatever reason."
"True. We have to stop them. It'll probably be for some worthless reason."
"Whether it's worthless or not, depending on the details, we may have to stop them by force. That thing is powerful… about as strong as a Djinn."
"Lots of problems to deal with."
The two sighed.
Last night, there had been an uproar, but as planned, the Emperor's army set out.
The fleet was moving northward in step with it.
"As if nothing happened…"
"If the army's departure were delayed, it would spark all sorts of rumors."
"My golems were sacrificed…"
"That's certainly a sad thing, but they bought us time to get from the ship to the magistrate's office, right? We should praise them."
"That's true! They did their best!"
Ryo said that and raised the teacup in his right hand high.
A toast—a salute to the five ice golems who had fulfilled their duty with devotion.
The two were drinking tea as usual on the first deck of the Lone Dark.
As if it were a familiar place.
Captain Gorick, First Officer Lena, Chief Engineer Gunno, First Navigator Mostara, and others had carried the two from the archipelago region to the autonomous city of Kwebasa and had transported them during the 'Blue Island' incident as well.
"This Lone Dark ship is amazing, isn't it? Going back and forth between the archipelago region and Darwei. It must be the warship that sailed the longest distance this year."
"I don't know if it's the absolute longest, but it's certainly sailed quite a distance."
Abel agreed almost completely with Ryo's impression.
Ryo suddenly thought of something and spoke up.
"We drove off those three who attacked us yesterday."
"Huh?"
"As Prince Kouri's camp, they failed in the attack with the special-rank adventurers, so what are they thinking? Will this affect future operations?"
"No, I don't think so."
Abel answered immediately to Ryo's question.
Ryo looked a little surprised.
He continued speaking.
"I also think it'll likely change nothing, but I can't be as quick to answer as Abel."
"Really? An attack on enemy leadership by a small force—if it succeeds, it's just lucky, right? That's normal."
"Well, yes, perhaps…"
When you're already moving a large army, that kind of view tends to prevail.
Planners assume those raid operations usually won't work out.
The main effort is the large army already in motion.
That becomes the axis of thought.
Because many people are involved.
Because a lot of money is at stake.
Which means if that fails, the damage is huge.
"No harm in trying it at least. I think it was just that level of move."
"Even special-rank adventurers are disposable…"
Ryo sighed while shaking his head slightly at Abel's words.
"Harsh phrasing, but that may be the correct perception."
Abel shrugged.
He still wore a troubled expression.
Abel is both a king and an adventurer.
Thus, he understands both the planners' intentions and the adventurers' position as the ones used.
That was why he kept a grim face.
"So that means the troops Prince Kouri can move will be heading south, right?"
"Probably. Whether they clash or hold talks, they won't want this Emperor's army to enter the capital as is. The moment they enter, it will become public that the Emperor still wields power and has returned… and regained authority."
"The position of Prince Kouri, who was the 'leading successor to the Emperor', will be shaken. As one who opposed the Emperor."
"Right… the Shitaifu class will drift away. That's exactly why they won't want him to enter the capital."
"Surely this isn't exactly what Prince Kouri planned. He's supposed to have calculated… where did he miscalculate?"
"That's undoubtedly because of that Phantomkin called Marie."
Abel answered Ryo's question immediately again.
"Marie-san?"
"Not only her, but… Prince Kouri probably didn't expect the Choouchi Empire to let the Emperor go alive."
"Ah… that's true."
Prince Kouri must have thought Emperor Tsuin would never return alive.
That assumption was reasonable.
A nation that declared invasion had abducted the supreme leader and even announced his death publicly.
They would not have expected him to return alive.
"No matter how good you are at calculating, you make mistakes. At the very end—before you submit—review it once more."
"I don't get it."
Ryo spoke of memories of tests; Abel shrugged, not understanding.
Perhaps the former prince Abel hadn't had to fight through fierce exam competition.
"That remark proves Abel grew up too cozily!"
"Why am I being criticized…"
As a commoner, Premier Duke Ryo may not be able to imagine the difficulties in growing up as a prince.
Though the unbridgeable gap between the premier duke and the king remained, both of them hoped to avoid armed conflict if possible.
After all, the troops on both sides are, in principle, armies for Darwei.
But soldiers follow orders—if ordered to fight, they will.
"Will the day ever come when wars disappear?"
"I doubt that."
That night.
The party arrived at the town of Noros.
It's not as large as Boago, but compared to yesterday's Bant, it has a considerably larger port.
For that reason, the Lone Dark and the tenth public vessel entered the harbor while the other ships anchored offshore.
Only those two ships entered because a summit meeting was held at the Noros magistrate's office.
Ryo and Abel were invited to the summit.
"Prince Kouri's army set out from the capital two days ago and is moving south along the coast."
"If they keep this pace, they'll collide with us in ten days."
Count Bashu Roche Ten and Count Barrow Fu Ten reported.
"How about the fleet?"
"Sorry, we haven't been able to locate them at all. Since leaving the capital three weeks ago, we don't know where they are…"
When Emperor Tsuin asked, Roche Ten answered with a frown.
"Previously, we received a report that a high-speed gunship was at the northern port from La Wu?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. At Shunboul, we were attacked by twenty-two high-speed gunships of the Beifanhei type. They have likely now rejoined the main force…"
The attack on Captain La Wu when he headed north to rescue the Emperor had already been reported.
Emperor Tsuin and everyone were deep in thought.
They couldn't locate the enemy fleet… meaning they didn't know when or where it might strike, or even whether it would strike at all.
The combined fleet led by Kabui Somar was sailing relatively close to land to coordinate with Emperor Tsuin and the land forces.
That means if something happens, the land could interfere with the fleet's deployment.
Of course, this had been considered from the start, and they still chose that route…
In the end, the meeting concluded to proceed cautiously as before, and the meeting broke up.
Ryo and Abel did not return to the fleet; lodgings had been prepared in the town of Noros.
"Lots of difficulties. One problem after another."
"War… well, since we're marching, of course."
Abel answered Ryo's grumble.
"Even before we left Boago, we gathered a lot of information and held countermeasure meetings."
"Because it's war. The opponent tries to outmaneuver us, so we move, then they try to counter that… it's a cat-and-mouse chase, so we must keep up with changes."
"That sounds tiring."
"Of course it's tiring."
Ryo shook his head slightly, and Abel gave a wry smile at Ryo's very common-sense remark.
Lives are at stake, so this isn't merely about being tired or not…
"I really hate war."
"That's undeniable."
They sighed at the world's injustices.
While they were drinking tea and talking in the dining hall, a man approached them.
"Please rest on land tonight."
It was Captain La Wu of the tenth ship, smiling gently as he spoke.
"Yes. I appreciate the room… but tonight?"
"That sounded suggestive."
Both Ryo and Abel tilted their heads.
"Ah, sorry. No ulterior motive. It's just that tomorrow night you'll need to rest on the ship."
"Come to think of it… that sea area tomorrow has sheer cliffs on the land side, so there aren't any ports, right?"
"Yes. It's a difficult sea with many islands, so progress will be slow. Even the Darwei fleet slows down; for foreign fleets unfamiliar with it, all the more so."
"Indeed."
Ryo nodded at Captain La Wu's explanation.
Yes—this fleet is multinational.
Just navigating an unfamiliar sea area is hard; passing through a stretch that even the home navy's captains find difficult leaves no time to relax.
Ryo became curious about something and asked.
"How do you usually maintain contact between the fleet and the land forces?"
"The tenth ship carries what's called the Darwei army communication box. Only the larger Darwei ships carry them, but they use them to keep in contact with the land…"
"But?"
"The land-side equipment is large too, and it's usually set up during rests or at night when the march is halted for exchanges."
"I see."
Ryo nodded at Captain La Wu's explanation. Interpreting it as a sort of radio.
Whether communication can be maintained during a march or operation is a vital point in modern warfare.
That point doesn't change in this 'Phi'.
In the Knightley Kingdom, Ilarion's
Of course, the wind-attribute
Hundreds of magicians could probably perform it.
But few can do so on a battlefield.
"So rather than magic, you tried to solve it with alchemy."
"That's true even in the kingdom… but distance is the issue."
Ryo muttered, and Abel answered in a murmur.
Their thoughts converged… perhaps not identical, but across east and west, people inevitably follow similar lines of thought.
"Oh, by the way, I don't think communication with land will be possible in tomorrow's sea area."
"Really? Is that so?"
"The land route the troops take is quite far from the coastline. If we anchor at night, it might be possible, but…"
After that conversation, Captain La Wu left the dining hall.
"Sailors have it tough."
"No way I could do it."
Ryo felt for the crew's hardships, and Abel shrugged.
"But you once boarded a ship and drifted to Rondo Forest, Abel."
"I snuck onto a smuggler's ship. And because they left earlier than planned, I couldn't get off…"
"And we got attacked by a kraken on the way."
"The sea is scary."
Indeed, perhaps the sea is not a place people should enter… at least in this 'Phi'.
-x-X-x-
The next day.
The allied fleet had entered a difficult stretch of sea.
The continental side was a sheer cliff, and this was a zone where coordination with land forces was impossible.
"The crew is more tense than usual."
"Rightly so. Captain La Wu said last night, it's a tricky passage."
At the head of the fleet steamed the relatively experienced Tenth Ship.
Directly behind it rode the flagship Lone Dark, carrying the two of them, and after that came the navy of the Suje Kingdom, the fleet of Count Bashu, the Bosuntar nation's navy, the Komakyuta Principality navy, and finally the navy of the Atinjo Navy at the rear.
Between the ships, flags were being waved and detailed signals exchanged.
Of course, the two of them didn't know the details—so they couldn't make heads or tails of it…
"They might be discussing whether to remove a dangerous swordsman aboard the Lone Dark."
"I think it's more like removing a dangerous magician aboard the Lone Dark."
That Ryo and Abel could trade such silly guesses without worry was because they trusted the lead Tenth Ship and the Lone Dark completely.
At three in the afternoon, the allied fleet finally seemed to have cleared the hazard.
"There are still many islands ahead, and the continent side is still a cliff face, but there's no longer the danger of grounding."
Captain Gorick of the Lone Dark explained to the two of them.
"That's a relief."
"The crew of the Lone Dark is seasoned, but they're pretty exhausted."
"They've been on edge the whole time."
Ryo breathed out in relief, Abel looked a little worried, and Captain Gorick gave a wry smile.
It was then.
"Ship sighted ahead!"
A crewman cried from the mast.
At the same time, the Tenth Ship sent the message by flag to the following vessels, including the Lone Dark.
"According to the Tenth Ship's report, it's likely a Darwei fleet."
"How many?"
"Unknown."
"Understood."
Captain Gorick said that, then ran to the bow and lifted his spyglass.
"They chose this spot to strike."
"We've just passed the hazard, fatigue is at its peak, and we can't coordinate with land. They must have hidden ships in the shadows of the islands ahead—pretty calculated."
Neither Ryo nor Abel showed panic.
After all, they were on a ship; there was nothing they could do from there.
"Lord Protector Kabui Somar is on the Tenth Ship, right?"
"Yes. He said this morning that, since the Tenth Ship would clearly be leading today, he—the commander—would be aboard her."
"Do you think… he guessed this ambush…?"
"Possibly…"
He might have deliberately not told Ryo and Abel to avoid stirring up anxiety.
If there had been no ambush, that would have been best of all.
"After all, he's the ever-victorious admiral in the archipelago region."
"Listening to Captain La Wu, he must have judged this would be the ambush point. If so, impressive."
"Abel, if you're going to lead the kingdom's navy and conquer the seven seas, you'll have to be this sharp."
"Yeah~. I'll leave that to the professionals."
"What a lack of ambition…"
Ryo shrugged theatrically, but the truth was that if Abel suddenly got fired up and declared world conquest, it would be inconvenient.
Still, that didn't seem likely.
"Report from the Tenth Ship! Fleet size approximately two hundred—confirmed flagship Feidoshin of the Kouri royal fleet. The flags raised are the Darwei national flag and the banner of Prince Kouri."
"Prince Kouri himself has come out? Here, not on land?"
Startled by the report, the thought slipped from the mouth of Captain La Wu.
The report and that muttered remark reached the ears of the two— who had come up to the bow and were watching with naked eyes— Ryo and Abel.
"They said they hadn't detected the Darwei fleet, but before we knew it, the enemy commander had boarded and came to strike us first."
"The Darwei ships, with artillery capability and strong defensive
"In other words… they don't want to talk?"
"Exactly— because they don't want to negotiate, they waited in a place where it's hard to contact the emperor on land."
Abel answered in a bitter tone.
"Kouri fleet, deploying left and right!"
A shout came down from the mast like a roar.
"The high-speed bombardment ship that fired on the Tenth Ship earlier—they fired from the broadside, right?"
"Yeah. From the ship's side."
Abel nodded at Ryo's confirmation.
On Earth, when cannons were mounted on sailing ships and ended boarding-era combat, one of the high points of that era was the Battle of Trafalgar.
Admiral Nelson, leading the British Royal Navy, utterly crushed the French navy at Trafalgar.
As a result, Napoleon gave up on seizing Britain by force and turned to the continental blockade, attempting to force Britain into submission economically.
But when Russia broke that blockade and sent supplies to Britain, Napoleon launched the Russian campaign to punish them… and was disastrously defeated, beginning Napoleon's downfall.
At Trafalgar, the 'ship of the line' played a central role.
These ships mounted dozens of cannons along their sides—the broadsides.
So when the ship presented its flank to the enemy, it could fire many guns.
Thus, ships formed lines to fight… hence 'ship of the line'.
If one considers the Darwei ships as carrying alchemy devices that perform magic bombardment instead of cannon, their basic employment would also be that of ships of the line.
"This is…"
No sooner had Ryo spoken than,
Twenty magic bombardments were launched from the forward Kouri fleet.
"They have long range!"
It was Abel who shouted.
The bombardment from the high-speed ship they'd experienced before would not yet have reached them at that distance…
But…
All the attacks were deflected.
By a wall of ice.
"Ryo?"
"No greeting of 'good day' and suddenly a bombardment… how un-gentlemanly!"
"What is that—"
Ryo had cast
"If there are two hundred ships but only twenty shots, it means only the vessels equipped with long-range alchemy devices fired."
"I see."
Ryo thought for a moment and then spoke to Captain Gorick, who stood at the bow of the same Lone Dark.
"Captain, I'm going to the Tenth Ship."
"Understood."
Captain Gorick answered Ryo's words without the slightest delay.
He must have thought it the right move as well.
"Let's go, Abel."
"Got it."
Ryo used
"It was Duke Rondo who made that defense just now, right?"
The questioner who asked with certainty was the fleet commander, the Suje Kingdom Lord Protector Kabui Somar.
"Yes. Twenty or so bombardments would probably be repelled by the Tenth Ship's own
Ryo said this while looking at Captain La Wu standing beside Kabui Somar.
Captain La Wu nodded in agreement.
Naturally, a
"It's unpleasant for sailors to just be sitting there taking hits."
Kabui Somar grinned.
"In our country, we call it a celebratory cannon return."
Captain La Wu replied with a grin as well.
Then he shouted an order in a roar:
"Lin Shin, fire the four bow-guns!"
By that command, four streams of fire raced from the bow toward the Kouri fleet.
For reference, Lin Shin is the public vessel combat commander of the Tenth Ship.
"Our range is long too."
Ryo was surprised by the range.
"Our public vessels carry the latest equipment."
Captain La Wu laughed.
The four magic bombardments reached the Kouri fleet.
They reached it, but…
"They were deflected."
"Hmm."
Ryo could not help but say that, and Captain La Wu tilted his head.
"Captain?"
Seeing that, Kabui Somar called out.
"No, being deflected is expected, but the way they were deflected is strange."
"Strange how?"
"It feels like they were deflected by something other than the
Captain La Wu answered.
Kabui Somar said nothing in response.
As is natural, even during such an exchange of fire, the allied fleet pressed forward.
Because the Kouri fleet had deployed left and right and not moved south, and because the allied fleet was advancing, the distance between the two sides was steadily shrinking.
In other words, they were not only moving into range of long-range guns but into the range of all two hundred ships.
"There is no hope for us in an artillery duel to begin with."
Kabui Somar said that plainly.
Captain La Wu nodded.
Aside from the Tenth Ship, the allied fleet only had the ten ships of Count Bashu's fleet that could match the Darwei ships.
The rest were foreign vessels suited for boarding warfare.
"If they opened fire without warning, that means they don't intend to negotiate. Then there is only one thing to do."
After looking at Captain La Wu and Ryo, Kabui Somar said,
"We ram."