Chapter 409
(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)
Southern Front ㉕ - Sieghart's Secret
Plan
Translator : PolterGlast
Exactly as Sieghart said, the Eral Knight Kingdom
was welcomed as an allied force. Like me, many in the Third Prince's
camp felt a sense of incongruity, but following his instructions, they welcomed
the visitors into the fort. At that time, they brought along a great number of
prisoners covered in wounds, the officers and soldiers of the First Prince's
camp who had fled. After taking them in, the audience with the prisoners
immediately began within the fort.
「Then shall we begin at once? Once
all preparations are complete, drag him out first.」
At the Third Prince's voice, a partition was lowered
in the audience chamber and some sort of preparation took place, after which
the First Prince, whose entire body was bound with ropes, was dragged
out. His body, tied up like a criminal, was stained with mud and blood, and his
expression was full of humiliation.
「Glorious... it's been a while. Though I didn't want to meet you in a
form like this.」
「Who do you think you are! Do you
think such an outrage will be forgiven! Are you trying to mock me?」
「Mock you or whatever... you are a
rebel. Isn't your current appearance fitting as the end for that?」
「I merely tried to return the Empire
to its righteous flow. A lowly bloodline
like you succeeding the imperial throne? Setting me, who possesses the
legitimate imperial bloodline, aside, there's no way such a thing could be
permitted!」
Oho, even at this point, he says that proudly? To be this
obsessed with bloodline, it's pitiful... One can only say that the First
Prince is already possessed by the delusion of power.
「Hahaha, I didn't think you had a
taste for self-deprecation? Since we're on the subject, I'll say it in
accordance with your style: certainly, my mother is from a weak noble house
that has now fallen into ruin. But even so, they are a distinguished family
with an unbroken history from the time the Empire was still a small
country.」
I see... so they lack power but are a distinguished family?
That's a bit surprising. Hearing they were popular with the commoners, I had
completely thought...
「Looking back, what about you? No
matter how much she was a Princess of the Roland Kingdom, isn't she from
a country with absolutely no connection to the Empire? Isn't it clearer
than looking at a fire which one of us draws more of the imperial bloodline?」
This is also an ironic story. Certainly, in terms of
bloodline, one could say the Third Prince is of a purer imperial
bloodline. If it's a story limited strictly to the imperial bloodline...
though.
「I am talking about a noble
bloodline. Moreover, I am the First Prince born between him and his
legitimate wife! You are nothing more than an illegitimate child born from one
of his many concubines! I am the one fitting for the imperial throne!」
「Kukuku, it seems you don't even
understand the traditions of the Empire? And you call that the righteous
flow, how laughable!」
「Don't spout nonsense! What is it
that you claim I don't understand?」
「I recall that the current Emperor-heika, our father, was originally not
the First Prince born from the legitimate wife either? The succession
candidate who raises the greatest achievements succeeds the imperial throne; I
believe this is the law of the Empire and a custom passed down for many
years, what do you say?」
「Even by that custom, I was
originally scheduled to be nominated! I merely had my legs pulled by the
blunders of my subordinates and wasn't blessed with luck!」
「Luck? The blunders of your
subordinates? All of those things are your responsibility, aren't they! You
started a useless war out of personal greed and self-interest, ultimately lost,
and forfeited that qualification. Furthermore, unable to accept that, you sold
off pieces of the Empire's territory, harbored unruly plots, caused a
rebellion, and lost again. To think you were such a fool that you couldn't even
understand a fact like this.」
「I was always scheduled to win as I
should have won. If only unnecessary interference hadn't occurred every time...」
Saying so, the First Prince swung his gaze left and
right, and seemed to have found the man (me) who caused unnecessary
interference every time, waiting in the back left of the Third Prince.
And then he glared at me with raised corners of his eyes.
「Brat! It was you after all! To begin
with, why are you here! Why do you always interfere with me! If only you
weren't here, I would have already taken this fort by now...」
「You madman! You are being
disrespectful toward Archduke-heika!」
The First Prince's words were interrupted by Sieghart's
angry voice. However... even if he's a criminal, he's merciless too. To dare
call the First Prince, a member of the Imperial Family, a 『madman』 without hesitation. Doing so, the First Prince
changed the target of his sharp tongue this time.
「Madman, you say? What are you, who
was nothing more than a mere Baron! The only reason I am resigning myself to a
position like this now is because a fox and a brat interfered with my path to
supremacy. Normally, I would have won! Those mercenaries are the same. In the
end, Grat, there is nothing but a motley crew lacking in loyalty around
you!」
「How pitiful... Sieghart's
words are not disrespectful in the slightest. No matter how much you put up a
false front, you are now a criminal of high treason. You have been stripped of
your status and are inferior even to a single private. To think you don't understand
that. It seems you didn't have a single person you could call a friend. That
is... a story you, who can only call friends a motley crew, will never be able
to understand, huh.」
Being told that, the First Prince puffed out his
chest while trembling and began to assert himself further.
「At the very least, I did not lose to
the likes of you. I merely lost to the cowardly schemes of those who betrayed
their allies and are inferior in loyalty. You'd best be careful not to have
your legs swept out from under you by those who would betray a contract.」
Hm? Is that about the Eral Knight Kingdom? Their
actions are certainly incomprehensible, but...
「Ahahaha, they betrayed, you say? It
seems Glorious-denka is making a huge misunderstanding, but the Eral Knight Kingdom
hasn't betrayed anyone from the very beginning.」
Here, Sieghart cut in once more. They haven't
betrayed from the very beginning... what does that mean?
「What are you saying! They are
actively betraying us right now! What part of this is 『a contract once signed is never overturned』. Are they not cowards who easily
flip their hands depending on the situation!」
「That's why I'm telling you. A
contract once signed is not overturned. It seems the Great Tanuki (Harry)-san
made contact after I did, but at that time, a contract had already been signed,
you see.」
「「N-No way.」」
It wasn't only the First Prince who raised a voice of
surprise. The Third Prince, who had been watching the exchange with Sieghart
with a cool face, also raised a voice of astonishment.
「I requested them to dispatch ten
thousand cavalry as reinforcements in preparation for an emergency. I merely
added a small condition at that time. 『In the event a request for troop dispatch comes from them,
please charge them a high price at best, pretend to comply, and send out troops』.」
「Haa, I didn't hear about this!」
In place of the First Prince, who was silently
opening and closing his mouth in sheer surprise, the Third Prince, who
similarly didn't know the circumstances, raised his voice again. In response, Sieghart
continued his words with a 'good grief' expression.
「Before this battle began, I told
you, Denka. With that, I
obtained permission to use two hundred thousand Imperial Gold Coins from
the reserve funds. Although... that was post-approval.」
Saying so, Sieghart laughed and stuck out his tongue.
I see, to deceive the enemy, start with your allies... is that what it means?
「Ah, no... I didn't say you could use
it for such a purpose!」
「At that time, I intended to explain
if asked. However, Denka
laughed, saying 『You're
probably thinking of something no good anyway, right?』, and deliberately didn't ask for the details.」
「......」
The Commander and I, who were present in this place,
were desperate to suppress our welling laughter. He certainly was thinking of 『something no good』. That deduction was correct. In the
end, the Third Prince was probably also guided by Sieghart and
only gave his word. Does that mean Sieghart kept the trump card hidden
until the very end so that his allies wouldn't become complacent?
「Originally, my worst-case scenario
was that Archduke-heika's
arrival wouldn't make it in time, or a situation where reinforcements couldn't
be sent. In that case, the gentlemen from the Eral Knight Kingdom were
scheduled to feign being allies and break the enemy army apart, but with the
arrival of reliable allies, that plan became unnecessary.」
So that's how it is... Sieghart was expecting our reinforcements. However, he had also prepared a countermeasure in case that didn't come true. There must have been some unexpected things, but it means he had laid down moves to ultimately transition to a counterattack. A formidable opponent who formulates a breakthrough plan no matter the situation and lays down moves beforehand. Is this the true worth of Sieghart... I myself was one of the people deceived, but strangely, I felt no anger. Rather, I was enveloped in a terrifying awe and a sense of relief that he was an ally. And then, the audience with the prisoners reached its climax from here.
-----
Thank you for my Patrons !!
[Platinum]
-
[Gold]
B random
Nepheos
[Silver]
Corey Hicks
Creris
Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon
Jake Seagraves
Matthew Fraser
Tbaum56
Xavier O'Donoghue
Anton Lim
Baelee
Christopher Feliciano
Ctdela
Curious Panda
nick nasca
SD Fox
Sébastien Dionne
Z
Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon
-----
