Special Chapter 6
Prologue to a New World — The One Who Entrusts Their
Hopes
Translator : PolterGlast
It had been
a week since the army, personally led by the King of the Kyle Kingdom, stationed itself at the returned Southern Gate Fort.
By this
time, while the Northern and Western fronts had achieved great victories thanks
to the exploits of the two brothers, the Southern front—under the King's direct
command—remained shrouded in a heavy atmosphere. Although envoys regarding a
temporary ceasefire had come and gone, there was no end in sight, nor even a
clue as to a concrete resolution.
At such a time, an envoy
visited again from the Griffonia Empire, conveying their wish to conduct
post-war negotiations. Moreover, with the information that the Third Prince of
the Empire himself would appear at the negotiation table.
After finishing the audience with the envoy as per formality, King Kyle spoke to the Knight
Commander (Gouras).
"Gouras, what do you think of this negotiation?
Desiring post-war negotiations with the Third Prince himself present, without
withdrawing their army here and now... means the other side must have
extraordinary resolve..."
"Yes, as Your Majesty says. The other party likely sees a way out in direct negotiations with Your Majesty
and intends to settle things at once in a situation where there is no room for
others to intervene. They are displaying their resolve to keep their army in
place depending on the outcome..."
"Hahaha, it seems the Empire thought I would still be
easy to handle, didn't they?"
"N-Not at all. However, those present here are warriors
like myself unfamiliar with negotiations, or heads of noble families who know
only domestic formalities and nothing of foreign lands. There is no one here
who can assist Your Majesty in a battle of wits or diplomacy..."
"Fufufu, I too have no experience in negotiations on
equal footing until now. That is why I recalled the words of the Demon Territory Count—that there is a
sharp-witted fox in the Empire. A raccoon is the fitting opponent for a fox, is
it not?"
"Huh? Then..."
"According to fast horses from each front, both North
and West have pushed back the enemy armies completely. If those brothers are on
their respective fronts, no problems will occur in the future. Judging so, I
have already sent a fast horse to summon the Old Raccoon from the Royal
Capital."
"Then, Your Majesty predicted this?"
"Yes! From the coming and going of envoys so far, there were sufficient signs that it would proceed
to post-war negotiations. Long ago, the first King Kyle likened foxes
and raccoons to bewitching creatures and created a metaphor nonexistent in this
world called 'a game of wits between a
fox and a raccoon.' For that to be realized in my reign... my, my, an
amusing story."
No, far from an amusing story. Gouras thought so in his heart but dared to erase
his expression and followed the King's words.
Normally, post-war negotiations should be conducted after
things have calmed down more. Furthermore, they should be mere formalities where
civil officials meticulously arrange everything in advance, and the leaders
simply ratify the decided content.
But proceeding with talks all at once between the top
leaders of both countries without presenting conditions or prior arrangements
is too abnormal and unheard of. Gouras was getting a headache from the
anxiety welling up in his heart.
With the death of Margrave Hastburg, His Majesty has
changed a little. No, does it mean he has returned to the bold and somewhat
forceful figure from before his succession to the throne, as I heard from
Excellency Klein? He had shown glimpses of it since becoming involved
with the Demon Territory Count, but...
Disregarding such anxieties, the days passed by.
◇
Meanwhile, Duke Klein, the Old Raccoon who received
the express messenger from King Kyle, drafted written orders entrusting
future instructions to each regional army. He then spurred his horse toward the
southern border in a desperate rush.
If post-war negotiations with the Empire were to be
concluded in the King's presence without proper counsel, the consequences would
be disastrous. Should the negotiations settle in an undesirable direction,
the situation would become dire. The mere thought made him too anxious to sit
still.
From that point on, he rode personally, switching horses
repeatedly. At night, he traveled by carriage, moving day and night without
rest. He managed to arrive at Southern
Gate Fort only the day before the scheduled negotiations.
And he immediately visited King Kyle's encampment.
"Your Majesty, when I received your notice in the Royal Capital, it sent a chill down my
spine. Isn't this story too hasty?"
"I have my reasons. I wanted to witness and decide this
negotiation myself no matter what."
Saying so, he smiled with a mischievous expression. Seeing that appearance, old memories revived in Duke Klein
as well.
"It reminds me of the days when I still addressed Your
Majesty as 'Your Highness.' Back then, you would force the mobilization of the Royal Capital Knights or lead troops to
the front lines without permission... It was just like watching a certain
Princess (Clarice) today. Even after that war, you pushed unreasonable demands
decided arbitrarily with the now-late Margrave onto this old man."
"Ah, yes. We lost many promising souls back then. And
the Margrave, who shared my concerns for this country's future, has gone
ahead of me. We must inherit the future they entrusted to us and pass it
on to the next generation. To that end, I intend to push forward through all
obstacles. Old man, will you be my cane, so that I do not stumble on the path I
must walk?"
"As you will."
Answering briefly, Duke Klein stared into King Kyle's
eyes. Eyes harboring a strong will that made him think he had resolved himself
to something.
"I see, then I shall resolve myself too. However, to be
a cane, I cannot be of use unless I know Your Majesty's inner thoughts. Please,
tell me your intentions."
"Old man, it helps that you're quick on the uptake. In
the negotiations with the Empire this time, I intend to settle on terms that
include the cession of territory. The price is a member of the Imperial
family—one regarded as a potential successor, no less. I will make them pay a
suitable price."
"As you will. However, Imperial territory beyond our
border is difficult for us to defend and easy for the enemy to attack. It could
become a death trap. The Empire might decide to 'lend' it to us, only to
reclaim it once we have fattened it up. Furthermore, given their high pride,
they may not agree to such terms in the first place."
"That is why we shall force an unwanted gift upon
them—one they will detest. With a little extra 'flavor' added by us, of course."
King Kyle said so laughing and presented a certain
sealed letter. Seeing the content written there, Duke Klein almost burst
out laughing.
From an
objective perspective, the First Prince was being treated like the Joker in a
game of Old Maid—not only by the Griffonia
Empire (Third Prince faction) but also by
the Kyle Kingdom as well. It was terrible treatment, hardly befitting
the First Prince of a glorious Empire.
"Hahaha, Your Majesty is quite wicked. You have become
far more cunning than this old raccoon. Being forced to accept such an unwanted
gift will surely trouble the Third Prince greatly."
"Indeed. Actually, this is also a gift I received from the Demon Territory Count. He
entrusted this letter to me before departing for the Western Front. His forces
captured the Empire's big shots—including the First Prince and Duke Harry—alive, without killing them. That
alone could be called a military exploit greater than simply winning the battle."
"Truly. Whether in loyalty to the Kingdom or
contribution to the war effort, his achievements are unparalleled. To the point where
rewarding him seems, conversely, a difficult task..."
"Indeed. That is precisely why I resolved to attend the
negotiations personally. I intend to repay the young man who entrusted me with
this gift by granting him a future worthy of it."
As he spoke, King
Kyle’s eyes seemed to gaze into the distance. He closed
them for a moment, then opened them wide once more.
"I shall act in accordance with the will of our revered
ancestor, the First King Kyle. To
that end, Old Man—as a member of the royal family yourself—I am counting on you."
"Your Majesty, if you put it that way, I have no choice
but to assist you with all my might. My old bones may be weary, but I shall
exert every ounce of strength I have to ensure I do not lose to the Empire’s
fox."
"Then, I will tell you the scenario I thought of. The
final objective is... to [redacted]. Therefore, the settlement point we must
secure in the negotiations at all costs is..."
"..."
"Note that this final objective will be kept hidden for
the time being. Because it's crucial to make it easier to gain the other
party's understanding at the negotiation table. To achieve this, unless we
decide on the cession of about one-third of the former Roland Kingdom
territory, we cannot maintain appearances, and I myself would lose face."
Duke Klein was astonished by King Kyle's
thought and almost lost his words for a moment. However, recalling the secret
confided to him by the King before the war began—as a member of the royal
family—and the secret matter shared only between the Demon Territory Count and the King, his liege’s actions made
perfect sense.
"Hohoho, even so, you thought of something bold.
However, at this point, it is regrettable that we missed the opportunity to
marry off Her Highness."
"Is it not possible to make a move even now?"
"Hmm... She is quite single-minded—I wonder whose
younger self she resembles in that regard... She would absolutely never agree
to usurp the position of legal wife from the husband of someone she holds dear
as a friend."
"Well, if there is a suitor,
at this point, even if she is not the legal wife or the first in rank..."
"That simply will not do! However, to fulfill Your
Majesty’s wishes, Her Highness’s presence will indeed be key. This old man
shall try to maneuver things to find a suitable settlement."
Saying so, he sighed deeply. It was visible that she would object fiercely and become stubborn.
"Well, there is still time for that. Leaving that as a
future issue, first is the current negotiation. Tomorrow's negotiation will effectively
be an exchange between you and the fox of the other party. I'm counting on
you."
"Yes, I shall stake my life on it..."
In truth, both camps were painting a similar picture—albeit
with slight differences in the details—but neither side was aware of this fact.
Thus, the fate surrounding Takuhir was approaching a major turning point. Everything depended on the negotiations the following day, after which his future would begin to race toward a new horizon.
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