Chapter 114
(Kyle
Calendar Year 507: Age 14)
Signing the Armistice Agreement
Translator : PolterGlast
After the King's party
visited Teigun, the opposition within the country was overwhelmed, or rather,
given no chance to stir. Decisions were made swiftly. Envoys traveled
frequently between the two nations to conclude the hastily arranged Truce
Agreement. And now, at Southern Gate Fort, the truce agreement between Kyle
Kingdom and the Gryphonia Empire was formally signed, bringing us to the
present.
"Well, I'm glad I
could come here before winter begins. I'm not very good with the cold, you
see."
Everyone present was
taken aback by his nonchalant tone, as if he were heading out for a leisure
trip. This was the first statement made by the Empire's representative at the
negotiation table.
Moreover, the
composition of the Imperial delegation was unusual.
<Kyle Kingdom>
·
Representative: Margrave Hastburg
·
Witness: Count Gouyoku
·
Other attendees: Viscount Kilias, Baron Solis
(Takuhir), others
<Gryphonia
Empire>
·
Representative: Viscount Kämpfer (Baron)
·
Witness: Count Astray
·
Other attendees: Several individuals
The fact that a
Viscount, of lower rank than Count Astray, was the representative, combined
with his un-noble, nonchalant demeanor and words, unsettled everyone. Count
Gouyoku, in particular, overtly displayed his discomfort. This Count Gouyoku
himself was a controversial figure, forcibly sent by the faction opposing the
truce agreement, and had led the First Army of the Noble Coalition last year.
"Then, as per the
prior agreement, let us proceed with the signing and exchange of the truce
agreement."
At the word of Count
Astray, the Empire's witness, the work proceeded calmly.
"The 120
prisoners to be repatriated from Kyle Kingdom will be introduced later by Baron
Solis, who is also present here."
"From the
Gryphonia Empire, we will deliver 1,800 Imperial Gold Coins as ransom, and
sugar equivalent to 30 carriages. Also, families of prisoners who wish to
relocate have been brought here, so they will be presented later..."
Each side confirmed
the terms of the truce agreement.
"Sugar?! Not gold
coins?!" Count Gouyoku erupted in disappointment and anger.
"Yes, sugar. If
we were to pay for all of this with gold coins, there are many frugal
individuals in the Empire who would object... At most, it would have been
around 2,000 Imperial Gold Coins, equivalent to about 4,000 Kingdom Gold Coins.
However, 30 carriages of sugar, with all due respect, are worth at least 3,000
gold coins in Kyle Kingdom. Adding that to the 1,800 Imperial Gold Coins, I
believe both sides benefit from this arrangement. Do you have any objections?"
Sieghart Kämpfer, the
representative, replied calmly, even smiling. Among merchants, the value of
Imperial Gold Coins is nearly double that of Kyle Kingdom's gold coins. This is
probably natural, given not only the national power but also the difference in
coin size and gold content.
"But paying with
sugar is unheard of!" Count Gouyoku persisted, but it was irrelevant to
me. Did he think his share would decrease (become sugar)? In the first place,
he, an uninvited attendee, had no share in any distribution.
In fact, I couldn't
help but inwardly chuckle at his ignorance regarding the value of sugar within
the Kingdom. Perhaps noticing my reaction, the Empire's representative, seated
on the opposite side, smiled at me.
"You are merely a
witness. The negotiations have already decided. It would be wise not to
interject unnecessarily, wouldn't it?"
At the Margrave's
single remark, the Count fell silent. A groan of "Grr..." seemed to
emanate from him, indicating his displeasure.
"Even so, I never
imagined that your side would set the truce duration at five years."
Even in a negotiation
between enemy nations, the Empire's representative was as casual as if engaging
in small talk.
"Oh, a wise man
suggested that 『the Empire would
surely be able to uphold its promise for five years』." The Margrave deliberately played along with
his 'small talk'.
"Is that so?
Well, I suppose that might just work out, perhaps. But that's a remarkably
accurate judgment. I'd almost like to see the face of the person who suggested
it."
Is this person
alright? The representative for the truce negotiation is basically saying
they'll invade again in five years. He was reacting like that. Is he foolishly
honest, or is there something else...? If I hadn't had Raphael's report from
his reconnaissance mission in the Empire, I might have gravely misjudged this
person.
"What, you've
already seen him. Even now."
Saying that, the
Margrave cast his gaze towards me, with a meaningful look. Is he telling me to
play along with this charade?
"I was planning
to introduce myself later, regarding the repatriation of prisoners, but I am
Solis von Takuhir."
"Ah, well met! I
am Sieghart von Kämpfer. So, it was you, the one from Teigun... Indeed, I've
heard a lot about you. I've always wanted to meet you and ask how you repelled
Marquis Bradley's army."
Wait, there's no way
I'm going to talk about that. This person is truly strange.
"No, no, the
pleasure is mine. In the previous battle, when the Imperial forces were in
disarray during the pursuit, you suddenly appeared from our rear, and with only
2,000 troops, you outmaneuvered 10,000 Kingdom soldiers who had the upper hand,
brilliantly leading your allies to retreat. Your talent in military tactics is
astonishing. Baron Kämpfer... forgive me, I should address you as Viscount
Kämpfer now. I have always thought I would like to be taught by Viscount
Kämpfer what military tactics truly entail."
"Oh? You knew?
That's terrifying... I guess you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover,
huh?"
"The feeling is
mutual."
He truly is a
dangerous man for the Kingdom. I reaffirmed that perception. He showed no sign
of being flustered by my provocation, and his nonchalant demeanor remained
unchanged.
"By the way,
regarding the repatriation of prisoners and the acceptance of their
families..." I spoke up to this point, then looked at the Margrave,
confirming his nod (to proceed).
"There should be
no mistake with the prisoners being repatriated, as Baron Durul of the Imperial
army is leading them. However, regarding the acceptance of prisoner families,
if there were any 【mistake】, it would cause trouble for both the families and the
prisoners awaiting their arrival. My civil officials, after verifying against
the list, wish to bring them back themselves."
"Indeed. Marquis
Bradley's house has been abolished, and the territory is in chaos. There is a
possibility that various 【mistake】 might occur, so
please ensure there are no unfortunate errors."
Upon his reply,
Claire, who was waiting as a civil official, rose from her seat.
Simultaneously, the person who seemed to be the Imperial escort also rose. For
some reason, Count Gouyoku also eagerly stood up.
"Then, the truce
agreement is concluded! All members of the Imperial army will remain here for a
little longer until verification is complete, but please enjoy your stay."
The meeting concluded
with the Margrave's words.
※
"That hyena! He
scurried off to scavenge for his share!" The Margrave cursed Count
Gouyoku.
"Well, if it's
about 100 Imperial Gold Coins, it can't be helped, rather than having him stir
up unnecessary trouble."
"Are you alright
with that? As per the prior agreement, 1,000 Imperial Gold Coins and 10
carriages of sugar. The wages and expenses paid to the prisoners so far alone
probably amount to 3,000 Kingdom Gold Coins, don't they?"
"Yes, that is
quite sufficient. The rest can be distributed by His Majesty and everyone
else."
That's right, the
sugar I originally wanted – ten carriage loads of it – would have been enough.
With this, there was even change left over, making up for what Bart and the
others couldn't buy.
"Even so, if I
hadn't received your report beforehand, I would have misjudged him as well.
Everyone else, except us, probably had their judgment clouded by what was on
the surface."
"Yes, he is a
dangerous man; my impression of that has only deepened."
"Even so, the
number of soldiers wishing to return has increased beyond your
prediction."
"Yes, when we
told them they could call their families, about 50 people initially wished to
return, but when we told them their destination would be under the Third
Imperial Prince's command, the number suddenly exceeded 100. I think this is
something we cannot ignore."
"I see, so the
Third Imperial Prince commands more loyalty from the soldiers..."
"Well, that's not
the only reason, but that element is probably significant."
Indeed, if they were
to return to the First Imperial Prince's command, the next time there was a
conflict, they, knowing the internal affairs of Teigun, would undoubtedly be
deployed to this front line. However, they intimately knew the terror of the
Teigun invasion. They must have also heard about the fate of their other
comrades.
But if it's a truce
between the Kingdom and the Empire, and they are entrusted to the Third
Imperial Prince, that's a different story. Every Imperial soldier knows that
the Third Imperial Prince's main offensive is directed at the Principality of
Sura to the south. And the Third Imperial Prince is highly popular among the
populace; this probably decided their choice.
"So, the thing
you predicted, will it really happen?"
"Yes, probably.
But we also have preparations here. By now, the civil officials (Claire) we
brought from Teigun should be exposing their true colors."
After the meeting with
the Margrave, I moved to the tent where the prisoner repatriation and family
acceptance procedures were being handled.
※
"Claire, how's it
going? As expected?"
"Yes, a portion
of them are definitely sending fakes."
"Just as I
thought. Then, for any families confirmed as fakes, please politely return them
to the other side as a 【mistake】 each time."
Yes, this was
anticipated. We had taken countermeasures, knowing that not all of them would
send genuine families; some would keep real families as hostages in the Empire
and send spies disguised as family members.
"You'll be able
to see your husband soon. I am from the administrative office and will be
guiding you all. Your husband is also looking forward to your home cooking,
which he hasn't had in a long time. Oh? What was your husband's favorite
home-cooked dish again...?"
"..."
"Your husband
will also be very happy to see how much your child has grown, I'm sure. I also
heard from your husband that your child's name was... oh? Um, after whom was
the child named?"
"..."
Yes, we had secretly
gathered information from each prisoner beforehand—secrets that only their real
families would know, but outsiders wouldn't. The fake families, who were spies,
couldn't answer.
In the Imperial camp,
there was a commotion as families were successively sent back as 【mistakes】. This was because the 10 groups of Kingdom civil officials met with
each family, and for some reason, only those sent as spies were sent back to
the Imperial side.
However, even within
the Imperial army, some individuals viewed the unfolding events as if they were
someone else's problem.
"Just as I
thought... That's why I hated such obvious tricks. Well, since they're being
considerate and sending them back as 【mistakes】, just say, 'There
were multiple people with the same name, so we brought them all just in case,'
and swap them out with the real ones."
Saying that, he gave
instructions with a slightly annoyed air, then sighed and muttered, "Even
so, we can't let our guard down. If we think of him as a mere child, we'll be
in for a rude awakening. It's tiresome and unpleasant to fight against the army
he commands. Well, I probably won't lose, but... We've also got a five-year
reprieve, so I need to come up with countermeasures, otherwise, my Lord will be
noisy."
Viscount Kämpfer
muttered that, then, with a sharp gaze completely different from before, he
stared at the map of the border area.
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