Chapter 0249 Against the Imperial Army
-x-X-x-
Wingston, the largest city in the eastern part of the Kingdom.
The city was once the capital of the Shrewsbury Dukedom, but now the main forces of the Imperial Expeditionary Force are stationed there.
There, of course, was Marquis Musel, the commander-in-chief, and his chief deputy, Viscount Kruger, Linus Warner.
"Linus, what's the update on the rebellion of Duke Moorgrund?"
"I heard it's being put down. The Emperor himself has gone to put down the rebellion, accompanied by the Emperor's Magic Division led by Princess Fiona."
"I guess that explains it. Why the Explosive Blaze Magician, who was in Count Gothar's domain, headed for the Imperial mainland…"
"They must be trying to box in the Moorgrund Dukedom from the south."
The expression on Marquis Musel's face was complicated.
As an Imperial noble, the Duke of Moorgrund was his greatest rival.
It'd be good riddance if he was gone.
However, from the perspective of the Emperor, his opposition being the nobles' forces will be significantly reduced.
It's only natural that he couldn't honestly rejoice.
Marquis Musel himself harbored no intention of rebelling against the Emperor.
Certainly, he's a great noble representing the Empire, but to be honest, he is quite content with the status quo.
But he knew that his son was not.
Even more shockingly, his obsession with the throne.
That is why, when he was appointed commander-in-chief of the expedition, he asked the Emperor to allow his son Linus to accompany him on the expedition as chief deputy.
Since there's no telling what kind of mess he'd cause if he were to leave him unattended in the Empire.
Or what kind of mess he might get caught up in.
He felt that he was by no means a fool, but he was still critically lacking in experience to survive in the court…and he knew this as his father.
"Linus, how is that transport coming along?"
"You mean the 'black powder'. The last convoy should be crossing the imperial border right about now. All previous units are confirmed to have reached the mainland."
"I see. Guess that means we've achieved the barest minimum of our objectives. That leaves King Abel…"
Marquis Musel nodded and said.
"Our army, including the rearguard from the marquisate, has a total strength of 28,000 men. The southern army led by King Abel is less than 30,000 strong, so our forces are about the same. And with the same number of forces, no opponent stands a chance against our imperial army."
Linus stated.
That was no exaggeration.
The armies of Central Nations other than the Empire, with the exception of knight orders and magic corps, are augmented with 'militias', but the imperial army is different.
While noble armies like the Marquisate's army have militia, the Imperial Army is made up entirely of professional soldiers.
Even excluding the kingsguard, there is a separate knight order. There is also a separate magic corps.
Apart from these, there is the 'Imperial Army', a group of professional soldiers.
This time, Marquis Musel's command also included 15,000 members of the 8th Imperial Army.
Although this is only a small portion of the total number of the Imperial Army, which is said to be as many as 500,000 strong, it would not be an exaggeration to say that it is a considerable force when pitted against the Kingdom's army.
Along with the 8th Imperial Army and Marquis Musel's Army, the unit that has recently become the core of the expeditionary force was the '7th Imperial Magic Army'.
Although the Emperor's Magic Division led by the Explosive Blaze Magician Oscar had returned to the mainland, the 7th Imperial Magic Army, with its 2,000 magicians capable of using offensive magic, is no doubt a powerful force.
The fact that the commander of this 7th Imperial Magic Army was Count Guther Ostermann, who is also a good friend of Marquis Musel, also reassured Marquis Musel.
Oscar is, no doubt, a powerful magician, and the Emperor's Magic Division, trained by him, is also a formidable group consisting of outstanding magicians, but it is, after all, a magic unit under the direct control of the Emperor.
Officially, Marquis Musel had no authority to give orders, which certainly made things more or less difficult for him.
However, Count Ostermann of the 7th Imperial Magic Army was different.
Frankly, Marquis Musel was looking forward to the decisive battle with King Abel.
"Are you certain that the Explosive Blaze Magician is absent?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. We have confirmed that Baron Oscar Ruska and the Emperor's Magic Division have returned to the mainland and are taking part in the subjugation of the Duke of Moorgrund."
"Too bad…"
The last words were muttered by the water-attribute magician guarding Abel, and those who heard them decided to pretend they didn't.
It's best not to get involved.
The former crown prince's office in the royal castle.
Abel did not want to stay in the King's office chamber because of King Raymond's suicide and the fact that Abel's father, King Stafford IV, is still alive.
In the crown prince's office, the leaders of the Southern army were now gathered to discuss their marching plans.
Reports from Phelps and Marquis Heinlein had given them an almost accurate picture of the Imperial Army's position in Wingston and the Kingdom.
Marquis Heinlein now also holds the position of Minister of Military Affairs of the Kingdom.
He was forced into this position by his predecessor, Marquis Elliot Austin of Wingston, who had been placed under house arrest in the royal capital after his defeat at Desborough Plains and the subsequent twists and turns that ensued.
Elliot himself had expressed his willingness to lead the Knights of his domain in the battle against the Imperial Army, but he directly told Abel when he entered the royal capital that he could not endure the duties of the minister of war and wanted to hand over the position to Marquis Heinlein.
Marquis Heinlein was absolutely mortified when he heard this.
It would seem that certain difficulties come with holding a high position….
"Although the Explosive Blaze Magician is out of the picture, the 7th Imperial Magical Army, two thousand strong, is quite an issue."
"Magic bombardment from two thousand people…is overpowering. They will interfere with each other, so they won't fly as fast as they should, still, two thousand of them is no joke."
Marquis Heinlein pointed out, and his advisor Arthur nodded and said so.
"I guess even Ryo would have a hard time intercepting 2,000 offensive magic…no, not quite. If it's an arrow type, one of them will split into five, so 10,000 artillery bombardments…"
"It's indeed quite…impossible to fire a precision bombing at tens of thousands of fast-moving targets…"
Ryo answered while nodding his head ever so slightly…but then stopped all of a sudden.
"Wait? Perhaps…there might be a water-attribute magic that is just right for it."
"There is?"
Abel was the one who unexpectedly chimed in when Ryo reiterated his statement.
"I've never tried it, so I can't be sure…. I'll give it a try later."
Ryo started mumbling to himself as he said this.
The elderly magician duo, Ilarion and his advisor Arthur, were watching him inquisitively.
And there's Rin, who seemed to be staring at the two of them and Ryo with horror.
Phelps on the other hand was looking at them with amusement.
Abel gave up altogether in the end and quit the staring contest….
"The enemy's main forces this time are the 8th Imperial Army and the 7th Imperial Magic Army. So it's safe to say that their tactical deployment will be the Imperial Army's signature move."
"A simultaneous artillery bombardment by the magic army to tear the battle line to shreds, followed by an assault from the main force in a wedge formation, right?"
Abel answered Marquis Heinlein's words with a nod.
Ryo was surprised to see Abel answer smoothly.
Abel glared at Ryo and said with a dissatisfied look.
"Ryo, right now, you just thought, how could Abel of all people know such a thing, didn't you? "
"H-How could I possibly think of such a profane thing…I was just wondering if there was such a thing among the homework the crown prince gave you."
"Hell no. There was no such thing among the homework brother gave to me."
"Then how could you of all people have known something like that, Abel? "
"See, I knew it!"
"Dammit! He actually set me up…"
The adults, including Marquis Heinlein, Ilarion, and advisor Arthur, watched their conversation with smiles on their faces.
Normally, they should have chastised Ryo for his disrespect….
But since they know.
That a king is essentially a lonely person.
That was why it was a great pleasure to have someone with whom he could communicate, even if only a little bit.
For Abel, Ryo was one of the few such beings, and he also possessed unparalleled abilities as an individual…they understood that it was miraculous that a being who possessed both of these qualities was close to Abel, and that he was able to communicate with him.
Since that was the case, then a little bit of disrespect was not a huge issue.
-x-X-x-
It was four days after the 'Liberation Festival' ended that the Southern Army led by King Abel left the royal capital.
The number of combatants and their composition had hardly changed from the time of the Battle of Gold Hill.
The additions were at most, Elliot Austin, Marquis of Wiston, leading three hundred knights from his domain to join the battle, and adventurers from the royal capital joining them.
This was because they could not take time to reorganize, so they instead chose to march with the Southern Army.
After the liberation of the royal capital, King Abel requested cooperation from the nobles who offered their support in the form of providing various supplies and the defense of the royal capital itself, rather than going into battle.
That was conversely gratifying to the various nobles, and it was either by calculation or coincidence that King Abel's popularity was further enhanced….
As the Southern Army left the royal capital, the Imperial Army also began to leave Wingston for the city of Stonelake in the west.
The two armies began moving on the Kingdom's Second Highway, which runs from the royal capital to Stonelake, Wingston, and the Kingdom's eastern border, Red Post. From the east and west.
"It's possible the battlefield will be on the Vichy Plain, north of Stonelake."
Phelps had guessed based on information from the Heinlein family.
The journey from the royal capital to Stonelake would take two days on foot.
A distance where they didn't need to hurry at all, and had no need to worry about resupplying.
"The rebellion in the Empire seems to be coming to an end."
"Meaning, we don't have much time either."
Abel replied to Phelps' report with a nod.
Even if Duke Moorgrund's rebellion in the Empire was over, if the situation continued with a large number of imperial troops remaining in the Kingdom…it was impossible to know what kind of measures the Emperor would take.
That said, even if they compared the current forces alone, the imperial forces still had the advantage.
Phelps finished his report and left the tent, and Abel let out a small sigh.
Four people were sitting in the corner of the tent watching Abel.
They are the three members of the Crimson Sword and Ryo.
In their hands, they held portable cake 'cream puffs', which they regularly brought to their mouths.
"Must be hard being a King."
Ryo said while eating the cream puffs and reaching for the coffee on the ice table in front of him.
"The high priest of the Central Temple sometimes looks very troubled too …so it seems that people in high positions have a lot of difficulties, huh."
Rihya replied nodding her head repeatedly, chewing on her cream puffs.
"Well, they have to be getting paid a whole lot, else who would do that."
Rin commented while holding cream puffs in both hands.
Next to her, Warren nodded gravely.
The reason for such a plentiful supply of cream puffs was thanks to the ingredients brought in from the south and the confectionery stores in the royal capital working at full capacity…not quite, but they worked very hard to make them.
As part of the southern army's welfare program, desserts were supplied.
Of course, for those who didn't have sweet tooth, another, spicier dessert was apparently supplied….
Fortunately, the ones here, whether Crimson Sword or Ryo, all love sweet desserts, so a temporary cream puff party was being held in Abel's tent.
And the owner of the tent looked at the four of them with a stern stare.
"Guys…you don't really have to eat here, do you?"
"Abel is saying something strange again. Here we are working so hard without a break while guarding him…I dare say even a little compliment would go a long way."
"People in high positions tend to be so busy that they forget to appreciate those around them…the High Priest used to tell me that, and that I should be very careful."
"I believe sweet stuff relieves stress, so why don't you try some too, Abel."
Abel's resentful words were countered by Ryo, supplemented by Rihya, and Rin invited Abel to join them…and, of course, Warren nodded.
"…Whew. All right, I'll have some too."
Abel said and sat down in a chair near the four of them.
"But we didn't bring any for Abel."
"Hey…"
Poor His Majesty the King.
Abel managed to receive the cream puffs that Warren had secured for him and was finally able to have some.
Of course, the others were chomping down on their second…and Rin on her third.
"Phew…"
Abel gave a small sigh.
"I bet you, Abel will turn into a grandpa soon."
"Right, he's only in his mid-twenties, and all he does is sigh."
Ryo feigned a whisper, and Rin went along with it.
Their voices were clearly at normal volume, so Abel could hear them.
"I can hear you. I'm still getting used to things, you know."
"But, Abel, let's leave the jokes aside, you really should take care of yourself. You are the king now."
Abel complained, and Rihya said, worried about him.
"Yeah…. I know. Thanks Rihya."
Abel answered, a little embarrassed.
Looking at the two of them, Rin, Warren, and Ryo exchanged glances and nodded their heads.
Then they tried to sneak out of the tent.
"Wait a minute, guys, what are you doing…?"
Naturally, Abel and his friends, who were sitting right next to him, couldn't have failed to notice.
"We're just trying to be tactful and give you some space."
"Don't worry, we'll keep guard from outside the tent!"
Ryo and Rin said, and Warren nodded emphatically.
Then the three of them walked out.
Leaving only two people in the tent, with indescribable expressions on their faces.
-x-X-x-
The two armies combined numbered just under 60,000 on the Vichy Plain.
It was quite a spectacle.
The Imperial Army does not justify its cause before a war.
Nor, by the way, do the Union.
Among the great powers in the Central Nations, only the Kingdom does…it had become a tradition to do so at this point.
Nevertheless, Abel, being originally an adventurer, did not like to make a claim of justification, or rather, that kind of appeal, before the start of war.
At the Battle of Gold Hill, he went to talk to King Raymond, who was also his uncle, but in the end, he did not appeal for the justification of his cause.
In many ways, the art of war seems to be changing.
"Your Excellency, Musel, we will now begin."
"Mm."
Commander Ebner, leading the 8th Imperial Army, received permission from the Commander-in-Chief, Marquis Musel, and the Battle of Vichy began.
Thus, the Imperial Army moved first.
The Eighth Army, the vanguard, and the Seventh Magic Corps, the mid-guard, which was approaching within range to attack with magic, began their advance.
However, there was no movement from the Kingdom Army.
"Hmph, as usual, the Kingdom Army is a bunch of cowards. It seems that even after changing their King, they retain their same old cowardly nature."
Count Guther Ostermann, leader of the Seventh Magic Corps, said.
His eyes were full of contempt for the Kingdom Army.
It could be said that he was convinced of his army's superiority.
As a matter of fact, the simultaneous bombardment of the imperial magic corps is extremely powerful.
No army has ever been able to survive such a barrage and not be shaken by it.
It's only natural for them to believe in the superiority of their own army.
"Sir, we are in range."
"Good, I will end this war with a single blow."
Guther grinned at his subordinate's report and said.
Every one of them had already finished chanting.
All that was left was to say the trigger word.
"Fire! "
With Guther's command, two thousand offensive magic were released.
The majority were the fire-attributed Fire Arrows, with some wind-attributed Sonic Blade and earth-attributed Stone Arrow, all of which split up after launch and were designed to neutralize the enemy.
They split up along the way, eventually becoming ten thousand-strong offensive magic bombardments.
As he declared, he intended to rip the Kingdom army to shreds with a single blow.
However….
The magic released from the Imperial army just before it reached the Kingdom army….
The entire array of offensive magic vanished.
"W-What happened…?"
The scene was clear even to Guther, who was watching with anticipation to see how effective it would be.
All of the offensive magic emitted mutual annihilation particles and disappeared, as if they had been hit with magic of equal power.
But after splitting up, the number of offensive magic could be as many as ten thousand.
To annihilate them all…is theoretically possible with two thousand magicians…but there was no country in the Central Nations that can gather that many magicians on the battlefield, except for the Empire.
So what the hell just happened….
Guther didn't get it, but decided to fire once more.
It could be some kind of trap or alchemy that Guther was unaware of.
But if it was alchemy of that magnitude, it should definitely be a one-time use.
Thinking so, Guther tried another magic bombardment.
The result was…
Exactly the same as before.
The whole array of magic spells disappeared.
"This can't be…"
The Imperial army's signature move had been fundamentally broken.
"What you see there is called, the
"Oh right…as I recall, it's a magic that automatically freezes unusual monsters or groups of people when they enter within its zone…"
"What the hell, yikes."
Ryo explained on the intercepted magic, Abel tried recalling the subject from memory, and Rin shuddered.
"Yeah. That was the case back then, during the diplomatic mission, but this time, it's more like freezing the opponent's magic…well, if the magic is equally powerful, freezing it will cause both to disintegrate from mutual annihilation. Something like that."
Although he had conducted so many experiments, he had not been able to test it against ten thousand magic spells, and that was the only thing he was worried about, but it seemed to work just fine.
"The enemy seems to have given up bombarding us. Ryo, that's our cue."
"It's dispelled. You can go ahead."
As soon as Ryo informed Ilarion of the deactivation, Ilarion used his
The Southern Army's bombardment inflicted damage on the Imperial Army.
However, the bombardment was inevitably fewer in number than those from the Empire.
And therefore wasn't saturated enough to disrupt the Imperial Army.
"The dynamic steam mines react not only to enemy magic, but also to friendly magic, so it is a bit troublesome to have to 'dispel' them every time we need to carry out our bombardment. I wonder how interesting it would be if I could incorporate something like enemy/allied force identification into a magic formula and link it with alchemy or something like that…"
"Okay, now that would be something outrageous, so I think we should just make do with this, for now?"
Ryo was about to get absorbed in his alchemy world, so Abel hurriedly pulled him out.
The battle had only just begun, so he needed Ryo to concentrate on the battlefield.
"For the time being, I think we've crushed the Empire's momentum."
Advisor Arthur said with a single broad nod.
Whether it is a group battle or an individual battle, the same is true if you crush the enemy's first move, you stand to gain an overwhelming advantage in the battle.
In Japan, the word would be a preemptive strike, and in the West, the word would be counterattack.
Their connotation is slightly different, but it doesn't matter.
Ryo was thinking about that.
If the enemy makes the first move, then completely crushing that first move…was the idea, so to speak.
"The whole array of magic, just gone like that…how is that even possible?"
Ebner, the leader of the 8th Imperial Army, muttered to himself.
Although he said 'is that even possible', there was no denying what just transpired right before his eyes.
Moreover….
"Gghh!"
"Gohoo!"
The magic from the Kingdom army flew over just fine.
Although not fatal, more than a hundred people were injured.
"We're shifting to melee battle. Charge the enemy and prevent their bombardments."
If the offensive magic is invoked by only a few people the size of a party, magicians of a certain caliber would be able to hit their intended target.
However, if there are hundreds or even thousands of magicians, their magic will interfere with each other, and the offensive magic will deviate from the intended target.
Naturally, the magic will travel to the 'approximate location', which from the enemy's point of view, is still a threat.
Because of that, shifting to melee combat is an effective way to prevent the opponent's magic bombardment.
The main Imperial army retreated to a distance where the magic of the Kingdom's army could not reach them, and assault troops of five hundred men each came out. Thirty companies, a total of fifteen thousand men.
Each of these assault troops would form a wedge formation, or simply put, a triangle, and charge at the enemy to break through the battle lines…and then bombardment from the magic corps would follow suit on the already broken battle lines, effectively rendering a devastating blow.
Ordinarily.
But this time, the magic bombardment was ineffective.
On top of that, the two territorial forces that formed the core of the Southern Army, met this assault force head-on.
"Without their overpowering magic bombardment, they're nothing to fear!"
Marquis Alexis Heinlein exclaimed.
The Marquis of Heinlein's army does not have the position of 'Knight Captain'.
That is because the Marquis himself is a Knight Captain.
A man who once served as Captain of the Kingdom's Knight Order, led them to victory in the previous 'Great War', and was called 'the Demon'…there's just no way the knights led by him and his territorial army with the addition of volunteer militia could possibly be weak.
They firmly stopped several wedged assault units of the Imperial army in their tracks.
The troops that had lost their mobility were bombarded by magicians, and then counterattacked by the knights.
Whether it is a wedge formation, a bee-arrow formation, or a V-shape formation…if it loses the ability to charge forward, it becomes terribly vulnerable.
Moreover, if it's stopped and then attacked from the flanks, it will crumble.
Since there is no such thing as a perfect formation, it is only natural that they are strong in one situation and weak in another…so they can only be used aptly.
But neither Marquis Musel, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial army, nor Linus, the chief deputy, nor the commander of the Eighth Army, Ebner, understood that.
That was because their wedged formation assault charge had never been stopped before.
The Marquis of Heinlein's army was able to stop them…and the other main force of the Southern Army, the Rune Frontier County troops, was no less formidable.
As the name 'Frontier Count' suggests, it is a title that is associated with the frontier of a country and is assumed to have a certain level of powerful military force.
As is the case on Earth, its rank is higher than that of a regular 'Count' and is equivalent to that of a Marquis.
Currently the only 'Frontier Count' in the Kingdom, the army of the Rune Frontier Count was unrivaled in its wealth of actual battle experience.
Although many of their enemies were monsters, that only goes to show that they are always in constant danger during their drill exercises outside the castle… there was no way such a group would be greenhorns.
Also in the castle, they have been trained by a swordsmanship instructor who boasts of strength beyond that of a human…so first of all, they are never 'frightened' no matter who they face.
Compared to the strength of their 'Elf' swordsmanship instructor and their 'Magician' swordsmanship instructor…it's rather doubtful that they will ever meet a stronger opponent than her or him…in their lifetime.
In any case, the two well-trained territorial forces took on the seemingly half-hearted Empire army assault perfectly.
Stopped at the center.
Then, what about the flanks?
Naturally, the left and right wings of the Kingdom army began to advance.
More like charge rather than advance.
This time, both the left and right wings were fielded by adventurers, except for those from Rune.
The right wing was led by Master McGrath, and the left wing by Landenvia and 'Six Petals'.
The Imperial army charged into the center, increasing the distance between the main force and the vanguard, leaving the flank wide open.
Then, adventurers positioned on both wings of the Kingdom army attacked from the flanks.
The wedged assault had been stopped in its tracks, and the adventurers were attacking from the flanks…needless to say, the leaders of the Imperial army were aware of the danger.
"This isn't good."
Marquis Musel, the commander-in-chief, muttered involuntarily.
In a corner of the tent, Mel, the captain of his guard detail, handed an urgent report to the chief deputy, Linus.
"This just came in."
Linus sensed a slight tremor in Mel's voice, which was usually indifferent.
But after reading it, he understood why.
"Rebellion in Wingston and Stonelake…and further invasion by troops believed to be Kingdom forces from the outside, and the fall of the cities…"
Wingston is the largest city in the eastern part of the Kingdom and where the Imperial Army was based.
Stonelake is also a city near the Vichy Plain….
"This means our army can't remain in the Eastern region of the Kingdom…"
Even Linus, a confident man, understood the seriousness of the implications of the report.
The front line had collapsed, so it would be better to retreat temporarily in this situation…and they just lost the place they could retreat to and regroup.
Little did they know that behind the rebellion lies the shadow of the 'Professor', or 'Schemer' as they call him.
Those who invaded Wingston and Stonelake from the outside were the remnants of the Kingdom's First Army, once defeated and crushed at Death Valley, led by Natalie Schwarzkopf, and the brothers of the former finance minister Hookah.
The intermediary between them was Phelps A. Heinlein.
The 'Schemer', Phelps, Natalie, and the Hookah family, all of whom probably barely knew each other, worked together miraculously to regain Wingston and Stonelake for the Kingdom.
"Your Majesty, the operation in Wingston and Stonelake is a success."
Phelps' voice was somewhat upbeat.
That was very unusual.
Phelps also knew that the method employed to recapture these two cities had a very low chance of success.
Yet, they succeeded.
They took back the eastern region of the Kingdom.
"So we've taken it back. Good job!"
Abel must have understood how low the chances were. As he was quite pleased.
"It's all thanks to Natalie, the Hookah family, and the 'Schemer'."
"Prince Willy told me about the 'Schemer'…well, the person in question apparently doesn't wish to be known, so I'll leave him be. Natalie is firmly established as the new head of the Schwarzkopf family. And as for Hookah and his brothers…well, it's quite unlikely he'd be able to return to the position of Minister of Finance, but I'm sure I can find one or two positions for his younger brothers."
Abel was thinking about the merits and rewards.
If he screwed this part up, he would fail from the very beginning of his reign…winning isn't the end of the story…the difficulty of governing a nation….
"All in all, I can always deal with these after defeating the enemy in front of me."
Abel regained his composure.
Ryo looked at him from behind, crossed his arms, and nodded his head in a pompous manner.
Abel noticed that, but did not dare to say anything.
Because behind Ryo, Rin and Rihya were nodding in the same way….
Such an atmosphere in the command center could at least be considered a sign that the Southern army was advancing with the upper hand.
The attack by the adventurers on both flanks was beginning to yield results.
"It's about time."
Abel muttered as he watched the situation, and announced to Ilarion beside him.
"All troops, charge."
"Aye sir."
Ilarion said, and announced to all the troops using
"All troops, charge!"
With that order, the two defending territorial armies, as well as the Kingsguard, led by Abel himself, began to charge from the center.
Unable to hold their ground, the Imperial troops soon began to rout.
"Our losses are minimal. We are in pursuit of the Imperial army."
"There is some sporadic resistance from the Imperial army, but the entire force has been decimated."
Abel's main camp was also following the pursuit and moving north.
Then, a change suddenly occurred.
It was as if a stone was thrown from nowhere into a pool of water that hadn't a single wave on the surface….
As if a ripple suddenly formed on the surface of the water without any warning….
That's what Ryo discerned using
And, he had experienced it before.
(This is how the Princess and that guy showed up back when we went to rescue the Duke of Inbury.)
And this time…two hundred reactions popped up, and among them were the aforementioned two.
"Not good!"
Ryo muttered quietly and leaped to the forefront with his
"
Ryo chanted at the same time as 1,000 offensive magic attacks hit the front line of the Southern Army.
Two hundred members of the Emperor's Magic Division, Princess Fiona, and Oscar, the Explosive Flame Magician, appeared before the Southern Army.
Author's note:
At last, we will see Ryo vs Oscar in the next chapter.
-x-X-x-
It was as if time came to a standstill.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The front line forces of the Southern Army stood still, some of them hunched over, after facing a volley of artillery fire from the opponent.
Well, that was natural.
Just when they thought they were a goner after facing a thousand magic bombardments, an invisible wall of ice appeared in front of them and repelled everything.
The magicians of the Emperor's Magic Division were also surprised inwardly, although none of them uttered a sound.
Their bombardments had been repelled by a single wall of ice.
Although, there were about four who were not surprised.
What broke the situation, where no one could move, was the sound of multiple footsteps coming from behind Ryo.
And a couple of voices.
"Is that Baron Hagen Benda's
"Most likely. However, even in our family's information network, we have never received a report that a group of people can be teleported. As expected of the Empire. They must have kept the information thoroughly hidden."
It's the conversation between Abel and Phelps.
The two stood beside Ryo while having that exchange.
Baron Hagen Venda.
He is a 'Baron assigned to the Imperial Army', which was a very strange position.
He is the only man in the Central Nations who can use what is called 'Space-time magic'.
Known magic are
Both are extremely useful magic for the military, so he 'constantly' moves with the Imperial Army.
What makes his 'Space-time magic' special is also how he came to be able to use it.
His father, the previous Baron Venda, was also able to use 'Space-time magic'.
While his predecessor was able to use Space-time magic, the current Baron Hagen Venda was unable to use Space-time magic.
And the moment his predecessor died, Baron Hagen Venda was able to use Space-time magic… as if he had inherited the family curse.
While Abel and the others were talking about this, two figures from the Emperor's Magic Division came forward.
Sure enough, it was Princess Fiona, the leader of the group, and Oscar, the second-in-command and known as the 'Explosive Blaze Magician'.
"Are they…trying to have a representative match?"
"I guess so."
Ryo asked and Abel answered.
"But you're going to have a tough time dealing with those two…"
Abel said this with a frown, and Phelps added.
"The intel on the Explosive Blaze Magician is that he is unequaled in close-quarters combat. In a previous Imperial martial arts tournament, he left some pretty impressive records. Also, Princess Fiona is reputed to be more skilled than any other magician in history in using the treasured sword Raven, which she wears on her waist."
"Are there that many magicians roaming about who are also good in melee combat…?"
Abel let out such words with a small sigh.
"I'm not surprised. I mean, if they can close in on their opponent, it's all over, isn't that kinda badass."
"Yeah, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Abel denied Ryo's words completely.
"Well, jokes aside. Before calling yourself a magician or anything like that, I believe that as a single individual, you should be able to fight in close quarters as part of your self-defense…that's all I'm saying."
"…I wish the other magicians could hear this."
"Rin has Warren, and Rihya has you, Abel, right? To protect them."
"And you have…Sera, huh?"
"Nah, I will be the one protecting her."
"I-I see…so you're going to be better than Sera…in close quarters…"
It's a degree of magnitude that even Abel could not fathom at all….
Ryo took a step forward and chanted.
"
A body clone appeared.
As expected, the sight startled even the Imperial master-disciple duo.
Ryo thought he could hear their gasps.
Then he dared to say in a loud voice so that they could hear him.
"I'm more than enough to deal with these two."
"Wait, Ryo!"
Understandably, Abel must have thought that it was a bad idea. And called out to stop Ryo.
"You understand that I can't allow you to take the stage right? If by some stupid mistake you were to be taken out…"
"I'm still an A-rank swordsman, you know. And I'm sure you also know that there's no reason for anyone but me to step forward in this situation. The Emperor's daughter versus the new King, seems fitting, don't you think?"
His Majesty the King was full of motivation.
That's right, he was undoubtedly an adventurer and a swordsman before he was a King.
Ryo deactivated his
"Please try not to die."
"You too."
Saying this, Ryo and Abel fist-bumped each other.
They didn't need to exchange words with each other.
The battle, divided into two pairs, began abruptly.
Swordsman versus swordsman.
Abel uses a large, two-handed sword that can be used as both a two-handed sword and a one-handed sword, a type of sword known as a Bastard Sword.
The slender Princess Fiona wields the treasured sword Raven, which is a bit shorter than Abel's sword.
The effect of the treasured sword Raven puts Fiona in a pseudo-haste state, making her faster than usual, which is abnormal, to say the least, but Abel was able to handle it.
He refrained from making large swings, but adjusted the angle of his sword slightly and let it flow. He dodged using footwork. He even mixed in some feints using his vision.
By harmoniously combining everything, he negated the difference in sword speed.
In addition, his attacks were not all defensive but were timed appropriately to prevent Fiona from activating her offensive magic.
The same melee magic combat during a sword fight that had once put even the Hero Roman at a disadvantage in a mock battle, was now being completely restrained by Abel.
(An A-rank swordsman indeed. He is superior in everything but speed…. The only other person I have struggled this much against was master.)
Fiona's expression did not change at all.
But she was quite bewildered in her mind.
It wasn't that she had underestimated him by any means.
But she honestly thought that with the pseudo-haste buff from the treasured sword Raven, it shouldn't be that difficult to outperform him.
But as it turns out…
(I don't think I stand a chance of defeating him…)
(Her swordsmanship definitely lives up to the rumors…)
Abel was astonished.
Of course, he had heard that Princess Fiona's swordsmanship was great.
And had also read the reports before.
But there was a big difference between reading about it and experiencing it.
He was well aware that the difference in speed is critical in sword fights.
But even so, he honestly thought that he could make do with his superior skills.
But as it turns out…
(I may have made a fatal mistake when I decided to step forward…)
The sword fight between Abel and Fiona proceeded to a sort of stalemate.
The other pair…while both drew their swords, somehow opened the fight with a magic showdown.
The cause, of course, was a remark that Ryo made.
He said.
"Freezing the princess and displaying her in the royal capital should make for a very good exhibition."
Robbing your opponent of their cool is the very basic of the basics.
"You bastard!"
Oscar shouted and immediately chanted.
"
Naturally, Ryo intercepted it.
"
Thick ice lances intercepted the rain of flaming rocks that poured down from above.
Repeatedly annihilating each other in mid-air, all the flaming rocks disappear.
But that wasn't the end of it.
"
Flame lances suddenly appeared all around Ryo, and flew toward him.
"
Ryo then in turn intercepted them not with ice walls but with steam mines.
That was because the light generated at the time of spell mutual annihilation is dazzling.
In other words, a smokescreen of sorts.
And after setting off the smokescreen, an attack would obviously follow!
Ryo rushed in with his Murasame at the ready.
However…
"
Oscar attacked, with a waterfall of flames flowing sideways.
He had seen through Ryo's move to transition to close combat using the smokescreen.
"
The Flame Falls was more powerful than expected.
Ryo, who judged that an ordinary ice wall wouldn't do, chose the laminated ice wall.
Moreover, he moved backward with water jet.
The flames were powerful enough to devour more than half of the stacked ice walls.
Ryo was frankly surprised at the incomparable power of this fire compared to that during Whitnash.
(Isn't this…as strong as the Hell Fire Akuma Leonor used back then? I'm surprised that even a human can become so strong in such a short time.)
Ryo muttered to himself in his mind.
As if to mask himself with them, Oscar chanted softly.
"
At that moment, hundreds of needles of white flame were generated all around Ryo and swooped down on him.
Since
"Dream on!
1024 water jets were generated, orbiting Ryo in a random orbit.
Then, they struck the white flame needles accordingly, and the mutual annihilation occurred with them as well.
The exact opposite of his usual position, like when he was blocked by 'Hassan' and Leonor.
Similarly, Ryo could see that Oscar, who was currently being blocked, was astounded.
The moment when the largest amount of annihilation particles formed between them, Ryo charged toward Oscar.
A purely head-on charge with no tricks. With the fastest Men* Uchi. (TLN: Head strike: One of the five strikes in Kendo)
"
Oscar put up
But….
Zshhhh.
Ryo's Murasame sliced through Oscar's barrier as if it were butter.
"What the…"
Oscar's surprised voice leaked out of his mouth as he dodged Murasame's blade which cut through the barrier and approached him unceasingly.
It was only natural.
Even Roman's holy sword Astaroth was repelled by this
No way he could have imagined that it could be so easily cut through!
"
With Oscar's muttering, the entire ground within a five-meter radius melted like lava.
Except for where Oscar was standing.
"Ugh."
Ryo backed away, creating distance.
And close combat was no longer an option.
He could use
Then Ryo came up with a good idea.
"Then, how about this?
At that moment, a shower solidified the lava under his feet, and at the same time, a wall of ice enveloped Oscar…in all directions.
A spell in which the thickness of the ice wall increases from the walls towards Oscar in the center.
A skill once used against Akuma Leonor, and Bruno, an A-ranker.
"Child's play!
As Oscar shouted, dozens of flame lances were generated around him, spinning and orbiting around Oscar, continuously cleaving the ice walls approaching from all directions one after another, eventually breaking through them.
Breaking them down was, of course, within Ryo's expectations.
Ryo chanted something shortly in his mind, readied Murasame, and plunged at Oscar again with
Naturally, Oscar did not let his guard down, even right after breaking through the looming ice walls.
Needless to say, he expected Ryo to attack him as a follow-up.
And sure enough, he dove in.
It was an attack at the speed of sound with
He readjusted his drawn sword, widened his stance, and planted his feet on the ground to be ready for anything…or at least tried to….
"…"
An inarticulate expression escaped Oscar's mouth.
His feet, as he tried to plant himself, was frozen.
And so, Oscar lost balance as he could not hold his ground.
Then, Ryo charged in at a speed exceeding that of sound.
A single flash of Murasame.
Oscar's left arm was cut off.
Ryo was aiming for the neck, but missed.
Moreover….
Dogonn.
"Ughoo."
Ryo was hit by an explosion. The left arm that he slashed off exploded!
Without even the slightest flow of magic power, the left arm suddenly exploded.
Oscar had cast delay magic on his own body…an extraordinary one that explodes when a limb is cut off.
Even Ryo didn't keep track of the left arm he severed in his mind.
So, the explosion from it was completely unexpected.
Both of them stepped back to keep their distance.
The din of battle around them was completely gone.
At this point, the sword fight between Fiona and Abel had already stopped.
Neither of them was winning…so they naturally stopped as they realized that the showdown between the strongest magicians, not theirs, was the one to determine the outcome of the battle….
Ryo suffered burns around his right eye and lost half his eyesight as a result of the explosion.
Oscar lost his left arm after being cut with Murasame.
Even so, the two men's will to fight had not waned in the slightest.
Ryo was trying to heal his burns with a slight coating of ice over his right eye.
Oscar cauterized the section of his arm that was cut off to stop the bleeding.
Ryo held Murasame in a middle stance. (TLN: Another Kendo stance, sword held in front at waist height pointed at the opponent's eye)
Then he chanted.
"
Murasame's sheath glowed just slightly, and his clones emerged.
With that setup, the following skills were pretty obvious.
"
Numerous ice lances were shot out toward Oscar, and at the same time, fine sprays of water shot out from the backs of the three Ryo, driving them at the same speed as the ice lances.
The impact of the ice lances and the slashes from the three Ryo, which occurred in an instant, converged at once.
However….
At the point of convergence, Oscar was nowhere to be found.
In imitation of what he had seen, he 'flew' by emitting his flames.
Imitating Ryo's
Inherently, it was not something one can imitate just because they have seen it.
But Oscar flew.
Naturally, as it was his first time, he failed in his landing.
And tumbled to the ground.
But he nimbly softened his fall and rolled up on one knee, ready to fight back at any moment.
The moment he took the stance…Oscar realized that he had failed.
Where the clones should have converged, they were not there.
No one was there.
Not the main body….
Be it a coincidence that Oscar held up his right hand, or was it due to his unusual childhood experience.
Ryo descended directly from above.
Oscar's right arm was held up, causing the sword to shift slightly.
Slashing Oscar's right arm and right shoulder, not his head.
The moment Oscar realized he had failed, he abandoned the right half of his body.
Amidst the plume of blood that erupted….
Without thinking, he unleashed his magic on Ryo, who descended in front of him.
"
A surprisingly thick piercing fire was generated and pierced Ryo.
Ryo was stabbed in the stomach with a pillar of white flame.
Oscar's left arm was cut off, and he also lost his right shoulder and beyond.
The two of them were within a hair's breadth of each other.
If they reached out their hands, they could reach each other immediately.
But neither of them could move.
It was all they could do to hold on to their consciousness….
Even though just the smallest of movements would have decided the outcome!
-x-X-x-
Ryo and Oscar, things were beginning to progress in a way that had nothing to do with the two of them.
"Abe…Your Majesty, a force of 50,000 men has appeared in the enemy's rear."
Ilarion, who unintentionally almost called him like he used to, reported.
The occurrence of a situation that made even Ilarion anxious.
Once again,
"Call in all the troops. The enemy has made a new move!"
In response to Abel's order, Ilarion called for all the troops to assemble via
The Southern Army, which had been watching the battle between Ryo and Oscar, almost like an unconcerned third-party, regained their wits at the sound of the message.
However, the 50,000-strong reinforcements who had been teleported remained motionless, and only two mounted figures advanced from there.
"Is that, no way…"
Even Abel couldn't believe his eyes when he saw one of the two figures.
"Yeah, it's the Emperor."
Ilarion beside him nodded and said.
It was Rupert VI, Emperor of the Debuhi Empire in the flesh.
"I suppose I'll have to go."
Abel said and stepped forward.
"Then, I will accompany you. And, Rihya, please tend to Ryo."
Ilarion followed Abel, and Rihya followed suit to tend to Ryo.
"Fiona, heal Oscar."
"Rihya, I leave Ryo to you."
Rupert and Abel turned to face each other after giving their instructions.
"I am Rupert VI, Emperor of the Debuhi Empire. Pleased to meet you, King Abel. Oh, and congratulations on your accession to the throne."
"Thank you for your cordial greeting. I am King Abel I of the Kingdom of Knightley. I'd also like to thank you for all your troubles, Emperor Rupert."
They greeted each other.
"Well, I don't recall ever helping you though."
"But you did help Raymond in his rebellion, isn't that right?"
"No, no, I helped Raymond because I believed that he was the rightful heir to the throne, but it turned out to be a grave misunderstanding on my part."
Rupert said, in a manner that couldn't be any more shameless.
"I suppose it is safe to say that since you just congratulated me on my accession to the throne, there will be no more such problems in the future?"
"Yes, I suppose so."
Abel received his assurance.
Rupert gave his word, understanding the implications.
That was the moment when the Empire officially recognized Abel as King of the Kingdom of Knightley.
"Now then, Your Majesty Abel. I recognize your accession to the throne, but before your accession, an agreement was reached between the Kingdom and the Empire."
"An agreement?"
"Yes. The agreement cedes control of the eastern region of the Kingdom and a portion of the northern region to the Empire."
"Bullshit."
Abel dismissed Rupert's words.
No matter how stupid Raymond was, he would never cede territory to the Empire…because he knew that once taken, there was no getting it back.
If it was with the Union, now that's a different story….
You don't give up control of land, even temporarily, to an exceedingly enormous opponent … the same logic goes for countries and individuals.
"What do you mean bullshit…. We did not send our troops out for charity either. If you don't hand them over, it's just going to spell unnecessary trouble."
"Is that a threat?"
"Not at all, just a friendly advice. But you know, some commanders in our army are quite violent…and with 50,000 men, well, you never know what will happen."
That was what negotiation was all about.
At the end of the day, "settlement through negotiation" has to be based on 'force'.
Within the country, settling disputes through trials, settlements, and other forms of negotiations are 'discussions' that are only possible because of the power of the judiciary.
In discussions between countries, there is no such judicial power.
The force that each country has, centered on its military power, becomes important.
On Earth, economic power backed by military power became that 'force' but in the end, territorial disputes could never be resolved.
There is no other solution than to demand cessions backed by force…or to buy them off with money.
And in this situation, Abel had no intention of offering money.
"Ilarion, make the call."
"Yes sir."
Abel said to Ilarion, who was standing right behind him, and Ilarion made a call with magic similar to
"Do you really think that the Kingdom has the strength to stand up to 50,000 of my imperial troops?"
"I think you'll have to see it for yourself."
"Whoa!"
As soon as Abel finished his statement, startled voices began to rise from the rear of the Kingdom's army.
The reason for this was immediately apparent.
There appeared a huge ship floating in the air.
"It is the Golden Hind, the pride of our nation."
"An aerial battleship…"
Even Emperor Rupert did not see that coming.
It was a very sophisticated and beautiful ship, streamlined…like a trimaran, floating in the sky.
"That is… an amazing piece of work you've made."
Count Hans Kirchhoff, who was standing right behind Rupert, said.
Rupert said nothing, but was inwardly beginning to become quite alarmed.
No doubt, the Empire also has a flying ship, called an aerial battleship.
But it's a legacy from ancient times, and even if they were to build another one now, they would not be able to do so.
There are technical problems, sure, but more than that, there is the problem of the 'magic stone' that powers it.
The magic stone for the Imperial aerial battleship is something that can never be obtained again…so it's impossible to build a second ship.
But the Kingdom's ship before them was built in the modern age…which means that it's able to fly in the sky with materials available today.
It would be strange not to be alarmed by that.
But….
"I admit that I'm a little surprised, but whether it's a match for our army of 50,000…"
"Sir Rupert, look over there, the top of that mountain."
Abel then pointed to a mountain a short distance away from the battlefield.
Then he nodded to Ilarion.
Twenty seconds later, a green light flashed from the Golden Hind, and the peak of the mountain he pointed to "popped".
"…"
This left even Rupert speechless, this time around.
He knew what the green light was, as a matter of fact.
It was 'Vaedra'.
After all, it was Rupert who had the former Minister of Home Affairs Harold Lawrence interfere with the project, knowing that it would pose a threat once it was completed.
It was totally unexpected that it had been completed and even loaded onto an aerial battleship.
Seeing the look on his face, Abel cheered in his mind.
Rupert knew about Vaedra.
As well as its destructive power.
Since that's the case, the negotiations were going to be quite favorable.
"Now then, Sir Rupert. The Kingdom wants only one thing. And that is for the entire Imperial army to return to Imperial territory."
Thus ended the war between the Kingdom and the Empire.
A formal treaty would be signed at a later date.
"Looks like the Imperial Army will finally retreat."
Hugh McGrath, who had joined them, said in a state of exhaustion.
"The Empire got quite the deal, wouldn't you say. During this war, they crushed the Duke of Moorgrund, and who knows, maybe Marquis Musel will also be taken down. I heard that the 'black powder' stored in the eastern part of the Kingdom has been brought into Imperial territory."
"So they had no intention of bringing the eastern and northern parts of the Kingdom under their control from the beginning. Otherwise, they would not have transported it to Imperial territory."
Abel sighed as Phelps explained.
Moreover, the fact that they were able to learn about the Kingdom's new secret weapons, the Golden Hind and Vaedra, would be an achievement for the Empire in this war.
Although for the Kingdom, these two will continue to be effective as a deterrent in the future, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
It would show that the Kingdom has enough newly acquired might to compensate for the fall in the Kingdom's national power that resulted from this war.
Showing military deterrence to avoid a major war.
It may seem contradictory, but it is also the truth of history, as it has been for thousands of years, in all parts of the world, in all ages and cultures.
"My deepest apologies, Your Majesty."
"Hmm?"
Emperor Rupert VI tilted his head as he looked at Princess Fiona and Oscar kneeling before him.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I couldn't defeat that water-attribute magician."
It was Oscar who said that. (ED: Is it me or my image of this is a man with no arms kneeling before the Emperor. I can understand healing to stop his bleeding .. but it was said only very few are capable of restoring limbs .. The Empire is big though so maybe they have a dedicated one on standby for Oscar since he's important.)
His body seemed to erupt with anger.
"Don't worry about it. What's more important is that you two are all right. The Empire gained a lot in this war. We lost the 8th Army, but it was more than worth it…wait, the 20th Army was also annihilated. We'll have to negotiate after the war to get back those of the 20th Army who remain captured. I ordered them to suppress and keep those pesky elves from coming out to the front lines, but…engaging with them was a big mistake."
And after saying that, Rupert frowned for the first time.
The annihilation of the 20th Army in the Elven 'Western Forest' was more damaging than expected.
However, a significant number of them were said to have been kept alive and captured. As long as they're alive, they could do something about it.
They would have to give an arm and a leg to get them back though, but as the saying goes, capable individuals are indispensable….
"Oh well. Anyway, Oscar, I heard that you made the northern nobles betray the Kingdom in the last battle and conquered several cities, including Wingston. Well done."
"It is a great honor to receive your compliments."
Rupert praised him, and Oscar bowed his head even more.
"You should be pleased to know that you'll be going up in ranks once we return to the Imperial capital."
"Huh?"
"You'll be going up two ranks. I'll make you a Count in one go."
Rupert said, and then he excused them.
The only person standing by his side was his right-hand man Count Hans Kirchhoff.
"Sir Oscar sure didn't disappoint, and delivered as planned."
"Yeah. It was worth keeping Fiona by his side and sending only him to the battlefield."
Rupert smirked faintly.
"Once he becomes a Count, it won't be a problem being the husband of a duchess."
"Husband to Princess Fiona, I suppose?"
"It goes without saying. If I try to hook him up with anyone else, Fiona will burn me alive."
Rupert laughed louder than before.
"There aren't that many nobles left in the country anyway. And there is no real need to use her for a political marriage. Then, why not just welcome Oscar as a son-in-law? With such an extraordinary magician's blood close to the Imperial family, who knows, it may be in the direct lineage in a few generations?"
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0254 Epilogue
-x-X-x-
"Quite a lot happened this time around."
"That's a little unusual coming from you, Ryo."
Abel said this to Ryo, who was standing beside him.
The former crown prince's office in the royal castle.
In the end, Abel decided to make it his new royal office.
There were several ostensible reasons, but the real reason was that it has an escape path both in and out of the royal capital, making it convenient in many ways.
In the new royal office, Abel was still doing paperwork, assisted by Marquis Heinlein, and Ryo was sitting properly on the sofa talking.
The reason why he was sitting properly was, of course, because there was coffee in front of him.
If not, he would have been… loafing around~…
"Well, I did get a burn around my right eye and a huge hole in my gut. I guess it was my blunder for having my robe open after I landed at that time. But hey, I cut off both of his arms and didn't pass out. So, in a way, it was my victory!"
"O-Okay…"
Abel acknowledged Ryo's claim for the time being.
Since he couldn't be bothered to engage him.
"And there's also the teleportation event where the enemy's leader appeared via
"I'm not exactly sure what you mean by teleportation event, but, you're right, that certainly caught me by surprise."
Ryo said and Abel agreed.
Then Marquis Heinlein supplemented the information.
"That mass teleportation is not something that can be used very often, and every time it is used, Baron Hagen Venda's health suffers. Perhaps it's magic activated using one's life force. And as a matter of fact, he teleported the Emperor's Magic Division, and soon after that, he teleported the Emperor and 50,000 others, all the while vomiting blood. Apparently, he still hasn't gotten up even after returning to the Imperial capital."
"What spectacular magic that even Heal doesn't work…"
"So that's how far the Emperor had to go to show up there."
Both Ryo and Abel felt a tinge of sympathy for Baron Venda's situation.
No doubt, the magic put them in harm's way, but the way the Baron was used was so unfortunate.
"Well, the fact that it's not so convenient to use at will is good news for us. It won't be funny if they were to suddenly send a large army to the royal capital with it."
Abel stopped writing and said so.
In that moment, Marquis Heinlein said to Abel.
"Your Majesty, I have already informed Marquis Hope and the Rune Count about that matter concerning Sir Ryo."
"I see. Was there any problem?"
"No. They were both very delighted. And were like, with that much power, it would be a big problem if some noble were to win him over."
"Excuse me?"
Marquis Heinlein shot a meaningful glance at Ryo, and Ryo tilted his head and asked.
"Nothing, it's just a plan to make Ryo a noble with your achievement in this last campaign."
"A noble…"
Abel said, and Ryo asked with a raised eyebrow.
Because he didn't have a very good impression of the word.
"The royal palace politics where the greedy and selfish assemble…days plagued by the rebellion of the people…harassment by neighboring lords…"
"Hey, what failed state are you citing?"
Abel interrupted Ryo's muttering.
The Kingdom is a nation governed by law, and there are laws that even nobles must abide by.
They are, of course, more lenient than those for commoners, but this depends on the relationship with the royal family of the time.
Or more precisely, it depends on the power of the royal family itself.
If the royal family is strong, the nobles will obey it strictly, and if the royal family is weak, the nobles will act more brazenly.
Then, which spectrum does King Abel belong to?
Although it is still in the early days, he has the support of Marquis Heinlein, the Rune Frontier Count, and Marquis Hope, the great nobles of the south and west, as well as adventurers from all over the Kingdom, and is very popular with the people of the Kingdom because of his history.
Moreover, in the recent war, the territories of the nobles that had joined Raymond's camp were taken over and were now under the control of the royal family.
Going forward, it is up to King Abel to decide which of the existing nobles will be given those territories, or whether a new noble family will be established…or whether the territories will remain under the direct control of the royal family.
It all depends on King Abel.
In other words, it was clear to everyone that King Abel's power was going to be quite tremendous.
"The Flitwick Dukedom will be dissolved and a new dukedom established. Ryo, you will be the head of that dukedom."
"…Come again?"
Ryo tilted his head at Abel's explanation.
He very much understood what was said.
Just failed to grasp the underlying meaning.
Something that happens quite often in the human brain.
"So…what do you think of the Duke of Rondo? Ryo Mihara, Duke of Rondo. Your territory will be in the Rondo Forest. It's an uninhabited area anyway, no one else would be able to rule it, and since there's no one there, there's no need to rule it. It's just in name only."
"And the Duke of Rondo will also be the premier Duke, since it's a house established after dissolving the Flitwick Dukedom. In other words, you will also be a leading noble."
Abel appointed him Duke of Rondo, and Marquis Heinlein explained the position of the Duke of Rondo.
"A leading noble…"
Ryo couldn't think straight.
"As a leading noble, no noble would be foolish enough to think of taking you under their command. I told you didn't I? I've thought it through."
Abel knew that Ryo didn't want to be taken in by the nobles and get tangled up with them, and he said that he had thought of a plan to deal with it.
This was the said plan.
Well, one would say it's over the top.
"No, no, no, wait a minute…you could have gone with something like, Lord Marquis Heinlein here, that would have sufficed, wouldn't it? What's with suddenly making me a leading noble…"
"Sure, could have. But, I suggested this instead. You are the supreme power of the country. Your status will show that you're directly subordinate to the King in name and reality, and that you're not one whom other nobles can control."
"It's not like you have to do anything in particular in the royal castle. On a normal day, you don't even need to go up to the castle… since nothing is compelling you to do so, like say, an event where all the nobles in the country gather together or something like that. Take the Marquis of Hope, for instance, he hasn't been to the royal capital for more than a decade. Well, should a war like the previous one break out, I would like you to help out, but other than that, you can live your life as you like. You can live in the royal capital, or in Rune, you can even choose to stay in Rondo Forest, which is your territory."
Abel nodded repeatedly as he said this.
He would be given an honorary position as the 'premier duke' or 'the leading noble', but would not be able to assume any authority or duties of a real national leader.
And Ryo, certainly, does not want any of that, and is grateful for it, but then…this must have been the train of thought of Marquis Heinlein, who happens to be a pragmatist.
"Well…if it's an honorary title, then sure, I'll accept it…"
"Great! Very good. I was wondering what I would do if you said something like, it's a pain in the ass…but, I'm glad it turned out all right."
Abel smiled happily and said so.
Marquis Heinlein also smiled delightfully.
"I'll prepare a mansion for you in the royal capital, so you can use it as you like. Oh, and if you don't use it regularly, some managers can take care of it for you. Well, I guess we'll see how it goes."
Abel said cheerfully.
He must have been very happy that Ryo had agreed to become the Duke of Rondo.
"Oh right, we will of course inform the nobles that Ryo will become Duke of Rondo, but not the general public. So you can continue your activities as an adventurer as usual."
"Ah, that's great to hear."
"The government will give you a 'plate' to show your status in due course, so be sure to keep it well. It has a lot of uses. For instance, you can enter the 'forbidden library' of the Royal Capital Library with it."
Ryo reacted to these words by springing up.
"The forbidden library is a great incentive! I've seen someone with that plate around Prince Willy before. Some random patrol was checking it with some kind of alchemy tool."
Ryo recalled the incident on his way to the royal capital.
Being able to enter the forbidden library of the Royal Capital Library seemed to have been highly evaluated by Ryo.
Although the summit of alchemy was still far away…for instance, there might be alchemy-related books left by King Richard not only in the royal capital library, but also in the forbidden library of the royal castle….
"Abel, is there perhaps, a 'Forbidden Library' in the royal castle as well?"
"Er…is there?"
Abel, apparently unsure of his memory, asked Marquis Heinlein beside him.
"Yes, there is. The regulations are quite strict, so even Baron Kenneth Hayward, the chief of the alchemy workshop, would not have been allowed in…but, entering won't be a problem for the Premier Duke I suppose."
"Yay~"
Ryo made a series of little fist pump gestures at Marquis Heinlein's explanation.
Abel watched on with a wry smile.
At last, peace was restored to the Kingdom.
Volume 1: The Central Countries Arc – End