Chapter 451
(Kyle Calendar Year 516:
Age 23)
Wedding Ceremony ④ Karma Comes Around
In
the end, our strange combination of six people (me, Emperor, King, Margrave,
Marquis, Knight Commander) ended up entering the detached palace where I was
staying, trailing a large number of soldiers led by Marquis Flame, who
had hurried after us.
「Welcome back. Ah, um... the
preparations for the banquet... are ready. However...」
「Um, Takuhir-sama... well...」
「Takuhir-sama, regarding the matter in the salon...」
Yes,
they came out to welcome me, but if I return suddenly bringing five other
people with me... it's natural that Miseri would be surprised.
Similarly, Yoltia also looked like she had something to say, and her
face was slightly pale. Yuka stopped mid-sentence and kept appealing for
something with her eyes.
「Oh! As expected, your wives are
well-prepared! Let us immediately hold a meeting regarding the upcoming
subjugation, using the 『story we heard today』 as a side dish for our drinks.」
「Fufufu, while calling it a stroll,
the Emperor-heika's true
intention was that, wasn't it? Even in subjugation, I'm a guard, so carrying
out my original intention hasn't changed, though.」
At
the words of these two, Miseri, Yoltia, and Yuka looked
like they had even more to say, but their words were completely sealed. And...
when we were guided by the three who were sending us meaningful glances...
「Fufufu, while you are exasperated by
our accompanying you, aren't you properly prepared as well, Archduke-heika?」
As
my brother laughed and pointed out, before I knew it, the preparations for the
banquet were perfectly arranged, all the drinks and food were prepared on the
table, and maids and male attendants were waiting with their heads bowed. But
you see... I didn't give any such instructions; did the three who returned
earlier act considerately? While feeling such doubts, we took the seats
prepared in a circle. However, there were six of us, but for some reason, there
were nine seats... Are they the seats for Miseri, Yoltia, and Yuka?
「Since we have spare seats, Marquis Flame,
please come here as well. The distinguished guests have taken the trouble to
come here because they want to hear the details of 『today's
story』.」
Saying
so, I half-forcefully welcomed the hesitant Marquis to a seat. Because to begin
with, the conversation wouldn't progress without someone from the Fearalt
Principality who knows the circumstances, and I thought it would be too
pitiable to make my wives keep company with this lineup. In the end, with me as
the starting point, the Emperor and Sieghart sat on my left, King Crajyu
and my brother on my right, leaving one seat empty on both sides, and facing us
sat Knight Commander Gouras and Marquis Flame.
「Then Marquis, I'm sorry, but could
you tell us in detail about the 『southeast Demon Territory』 we heard about at today's banquet? I myself have absolutely
no knowledge about your country's Demon Territorys, other than the water Demon
Territory near Salaam, which is called the northeast Demon Territory in
the Principality.」
Yes,
this is essential preliminary knowledge for capturing a Demon Territory. What
characteristics does that Demon Territory have, and what kinds of monsters
inhabit it? What is the danger level of the inhabiting monsters, their main
means of attack, and methods of evasion? What kinds of monsters should be
targeted for materials, and how can they be utilized? I want to know these
specifics before putting them into action.
『Recently, troublesome monsters have
multiplied too much in the southeast Demon Territory, and we were also
troubled... Hearing that a large-scale subjugation army will be organized with
everyone's arrival this time, we have been relieved...』
To begin with, the story we heard from a certain Principality noble
participating in the earlier banquet was the origin of this. It is also a fact
that I wanted to clarify things on this occasion because I had some concerns
too.
「I want to ask Marquis Flame
anew, why did monsters multiply in the southeast Demon Territory? What is the
impact? What does troublesome mean?」
To
me, the story that monsters have multiplied cannot be ignored. Because that
means, a few years down the line, there is a fear that a plague will be brought
about by rodents (rats) that have multiplied too much as scavengers of the Demon
Territory. Looking at a map of the neighboring countries from a bird's-eye
view, my apprehension lay there. Because the southeast Demon Territory they
speak of and the Demon Territory spreading from the former Demon Territory
Count territory to Marquis Gorman's territory are connected. Across
the great mountain range... that is. The border between the Fearalt
Principality and the Kyle Kingdom is blocked by a great mountain
range said to be impassable. With the sole exception of the gap in the
outskirts of Salaam far to the north, which is the western national
border for the Kyle Kingdom. Although this is a hypothetical story, if
rats bringing plague occur in massive numbers in the southeast Demon Territory
and cross the mountains, there is a possibility that they could bring damage
from the plague via our Demon Territory on the Kyle Kingdom side.
「Yes, to begin with, the origin was
the previous civil war in our country. The eastern side of Feari was the
territory of the main nobles, starting with Marquis Scyria, one of the
ringleaders of the rebel army.」
I
have heard that story too. To begin with, the area around the Royal Capital Feari
was under the influence of the nobles who plotted the rebellion, and the lands
north of it as well. At that time, the King's faction was concentrated south of
Feari, in the part where the territory of the Fearalt Principality
juts out like a peninsula. Conversely, it is no exaggeration to say that the
rest of the national territory was almost entirely under the influence of the
rebel nobles.
「Then... you're saying the cause is
the disappearance of the main nobles who managed the Demon Territory?」
Indeed,
my brother's point also has some truth to it. Because if monsters are not
thinned out regularly, their numbers increase, and they begin to threaten human
settlements.
「I believe it is safe to say so.
However, the root cause lies elsewhere. In addition to the three hundred Mages
belonging to the Magic Corps held by those nobles, there were also three
hundred lower-ranking Mages, inferior in ability but secretly held by
each noble. A total of six hundred Mages disappeared all at once...」
「I see, you're talking about what we
call the western front. I hear that the rebel army that invaded the Kyle
Kingdom touched the reverse scale of a 『terrifying
person』, and as a result, an army of tens
of thousands was annihilated all at once. Of course, including the Mages
belonging to it...」
Hey!
Who is the 『terrifying person』 my brother is talking about? To begin with, it wasn't that
they 『touched my reverse scale』, but they 『unleashed』
an attack that could be called a one-sided massacre, so I merely 『returned fire』! Besides, I didn't participate in
the first battle where three hundred Mages were defeated. I just gave
strategies to Denka, Gordo, and the others.
「What a troublesome thing.」
My
brother, the Emperor, and Sieghart were grinning saying so, King Crajyu
was slightly put off, and the Knight Commander looked bewildered, but still...
it wasn't my fault to begin with, you know. However, as a byproduct of history,
karma comes around even to us who won the battle, and it wouldn't be strange if
the malice of history was prepared like a time bomb. Given how things have been
up until now... I couldn't help but let out a big sigh.
「I see, the Mages who
participated in the rebel army greatly reduced in number, and as a result, your
country also faced hindrances in managing the Demon Territory. Is that it?」
Does
that mean I indirectly created the current situation, so the cause of this Demon
Territory expedition commotion is also me? I can't deny that, though.
『That is exactly why you shouldn't
put on airs and take the initiative to lead us.』
From my brother who looked nonchalant, I felt like I could hear an unspoken
wish directed at me. Could it be... my brother is enjoying this situation?
「Hahaha, things don't go easily, do
they. If the numbers of those who hunt are greatly reduced, it stands to reason
that the hunted will increase. That is precisely why we can partake in the meal
Takuhir-dono has set up, isn't
it.」
No!
I want to deny the Emperor's words with a loud voice. I have no intention of
setting up any meals! I just got dragged into it. That's what I want to say,
but...
「Returning to the topic, I heard the
inhabiting monsters are also troublesome?」
I
forcibly changed the topic. There's no need to subject myself to further
fruitless 『teasing』.
「Yes, many of the monsters inhabiting
the southeast Demon Territory unleash attacks utilizing fire magic. Therefore,
magic attacks by our country's Magic Corps, which is mostly comprised of
Fire Mages, are at a disadvantage, and if the First Royal Guard
Division, our main force, engages in close combat...」
Does
that mean they are subjected to one-sided magic attacks from out of range? To
begin with, there is also the inherent danger of being engulfed in fire inside
a forest.
「And among them, which are considered
formidable enemies?」
「Speaking in terms of numbers and
their elusive nature, the Fire Fox (Kako); the Cassowary (Hikuitori),
which cannot be underestimated in speed and close combat; for individual
strength, the Red Tiger (Sekko); and although it rarely appears, the
Fire Dragon (Karyu), which is said to be impossible to subjugate.」
No...
just hearing the names, the Red Tiger and Fire Dragon are quite dangerous.
Hearing "dragon", I felt a momentary thrill, but of course, I'd like
to refrain from fighting one. The Red Tiger sounds like a stronger version of
the Demon Wolf from our Demon Territory, plus it likely shoots fire, so I think
it's quite tough. The Fire Dragon, true to its name, sounds hard and I feel
close combat would be useless against it, and if approached carelessly, one
could be burned to a crisp.
「Then what are effective means of
attack against the Red Tiger and Fire Dragon?」
「There are none. If I had to say,
water magic, ice magic, and lightning magic, but how far they will work... The
Red Tiger is an agile existence that not only dodges magic attacks but is also
troublesome in close combat, and it breathes fire from a distance. Dragon
species basically have resistance to magic attacks, and their scales and skin
are hard, so swords and spears don't work...」
Isn't
that what the general public calls a 『checkmate』?
How are we supposed to defeat it!
「In our country, the Klimt in
the northwest and the Fire Dragon in the southeast are both said to be 『physically impossible to subjugate』,
and have caused massive casualties and been feared over many years.」
「「「「「......」」」」」
See... didn't I tell you. Klimt had the weakness of being vulnerable to fire-attribute magic even if physical attacks were useless. But a Fire Dragon has magic resistance too, right? The five of them are dumbfounded and silent, but that's exactly why you shouldn't underestimate a Demon Territory. Now then... what should we do? We have to rethink our strategy anew, and we absolutely have to face this by combining our total strength. My head hurts. However, at this time, I still didn't know that an event that would make me hold my head even more was waiting right after this.
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