Chapter 105
Chapter: 105
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 105
>Chapter Title: Ortona Civil War (4)
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Republican martyr.
It was a slightly extreme expression to utter before the republicans' final sword. No matter how hard they tried, it laid bare the conviction that the republican camp would ultimately lose.
Startled by the boy's sudden remark, Justin flinched and glanced at him instead.
But Gael smiled bitterly rather than getting angry. In the end, the boy's words had pierced the flow of events perfectly.
After the republican government was established in central Ortona, there had been some initial chaos, but Ortona had quickly regained stability.
For about two years, the new regime had successfully managed state affairs, and their appeasement of the local nobles had gone remarkably smoothly. There was no way a civil war would have erupted so easily from the royalist remnants merely poking around half-heartedly.
Ortona's civil war involved the intervention of some invisible hand that desired the republicans' downfall.
A colossal hand capable of manipulating the continent's power and capital.
No matter how much a single outstanding swordmaster rampaged now, it wouldn't change the outcome. It was no wonder the brilliant Prince Benicio had fallen into deep despair, wasting his days in drink.
"Formally, the Brittany army intervened at the request of Ortona's king."
Gael listened silently to the boy's calm, resonant voice.
As he said, after the republican government was established, Ortona's king—who had fled to Brittany—had promised them a portion of the western territories. The old lands they had ceded to Ortona a century ago.
It was pretext enough for the Brittany royal family to step in.
"But it was the Holy Emperor of Delcros who mediated that territorial cession a century ago. There's a high chance they intervened in this return as well."
And that wasn't all. Ortona's merchant alliance was also supporting the royalists with vast capital.
With the royalists' tacit approval, they planned to declare parts of southern Ortona, including the capital, as independent free trade zones. Of course, those zones would border Delcros.
"As appearances go, it's the merchant alliance centered around Duke Asen, but Asen is ultimately just a third party who must maneuver with Delcros in between. There's no need for them to act so aggressively unless it's the Empire."
Gael's face had hardened rigidly before he knew it. Toward him, the boy calmly spat out the truth he absolutely did not want to know.
"Behind all this is the Delcros Empire, General."
The Millennium Holy Kingdom, Delcros.
The land ruled by the continent's most powerful absolute monarch, and the place that viewed Ortona's republican government as more of an eyesore than anyone.
The invisible hand shaping the continent's current of events itself, which Gael could never defy no matter how hard he tried.
That was why the boy called it a meaningless fight. If Delcros had decided to eradicate the republic, the outcome was already unchangeable.
Having his vague suspicions confirmed by this unexpected person strangely calmed Gael's mind.
"...A mere child possesses such keen insight."
How long would he keep fighting?
Until Prince Benicio—the leader and spiritual pillar of the republican remnants—made his decision.
Would he become a republican martyr?
Of course. He was the republicans' final sword. He had to become their complete symbol.
So that the Empire would believe the republicans had utterly collapsed with his death.
"It may seem to you like pointless flailing. But sometimes, even knowing the truth, one must simply endure in silence."
Gael already knew well how his end would come. Seeing the faint smile spread across his face, the boy's eyes wavered briefly.
"Come now, how about we call it a day? You've had a hard day, General. You should head back and rest."
Unable to bear the increasingly heavy atmosphere, Justin jumped in between them with exaggerated fussing.
"And tomorrow, we meet with refreshed spirits to renegotiate that hazard pay from earlier."
Gael blinked.
Hazard pay? Hadn't he already given up on that?
Justin's endlessly carefree face turned serious for a moment.
"You're saying the Holy Empire is backing the royalists? That doubles the danger, so naturally, the pay needs to be renegotiated from square one."
Is that so? Gael tilted his head with a bemused expression, and the boy shot a cold glare at Captain Justin.
"Whether someone intervened or not changes the result? What makes it 'natural'? You can't just spout nonsense and call it reason."
"Hey? Ya... aren't you going too far? Even if it's temporary, you're with the Astros Mercenary Corps now! Why do you always take the General's side?"
Gael unwittingly backed him up, as Justin seemed genuinely aggrieved.
"Indeed. On second thought, the captain has a point. At least he spoke sincerely. So let's discuss it properly tomorrow."
But the boy was firm.
"Do you believe that man's sincerity? He's the type who can twist even his own memories and emotions for his goals."
"Whoa... Bart, you really doing this?"
Justin trembled with betrayal.
Gael watched the two bicker helplessly for a while, and only after unexpectedly receiving holy power from the boy could he finally return to his tent.
"Bart, aren't you acting totally out of character lately?"
After Gael left the mercenary tent, Justin stared in his direction for a while before turning to the boy.
"......"
The boy didn't reply, merely furrowing his brow slightly.
He was aware that lately, he had been acting very differently from his usual self.
Normally, he would have stopped at lending the mercenaries some moderate support, but he had never expected to step forward and take the enemy commander's head himself. Moreover, he had even used holy power in front of others—something he rarely did—simply because General Gael looked utterly exhausted.
Above all, what business was it of his to question and meddle in whatever became of General Gael?
Yet for some reason, the boy couldn't stop worrying about him.
That man was the strongest sword in the East. He was undoubtedly the strongest adult of all, but strangely, the boy kept feeling this vague urge to help him. He couldn't explain why.
Well, days like this—when he felt such odd emotions—weren't far off from ending.
"The civil war is dragging on longer than expected. Even the merchant alliance will start scaling back their investments soon."
Justin widened his eyes and asked back.
"You mean...?"
"Time to look for other jobs."
The boy waved his hand dismissively and turned toward the back of the tent.
Ortona's territory had already ripened sufficiently.
All that remained was to tear into that soft flesh and divide it up.
Not long after, the boy's prediction came true.
Count Milo, who had been sponsoring and employing the Astros Mercenary Corps, suddenly decided to terminate the contract. With the front lines holding more evenly than anticipated, Duke Asen—Count Milo's backer—must have pressured him.
They received word that another mercenary group would be sent soon, but to Gael, it seemed there would be no further support from him.
And the day before the Astros Mercenary Corps withdrew, Captain Justin visited Gael and handed him a small box.
"It was an honor serving alongside you, General. This is a little gift we give only to our special clients."
Inside the box was a gem the size of a fingernail.
It looked like a nameless trinket, but pure and white, it emitted a fairly iridescent glow in the sunlight.
"...What’s this for?"
"A charm for good luck. They say carrying it relieves fatigue."
"......?"
It sounded like something a heathen from somewhere would say.
Gael brushed it off without much thought, but less than a day later, he learned the captain's words were true. After absentmindedly slipping the box into his pocket, the chronic fatigue that had built up began to noticeably fade.
Sensitive to auras and ambient energies, Gael could feel the effect truly came from the charm. It even felt similar to receiving holy power.
Soon, the gem found a place at the tip of Arjuna's scabbard, which he always carried.
The Astros Mercenary Corps departed the front lines like the wind, just as they had arrived.
Afterward, Gael held the line alone without further mercenary reinforcements for another six months or so.
* * *
He blocked incoming arrows and parried swords.
He dodged thrusting spears and slashed the enemies before him in succession.
Arjuna, no longer flowing with aura, had dulled to the point where it no longer cut—it tore at the enemies' flesh.
His vision blurred for a moment, then recovered.
Pull yourself together!
His aura had depleted long ago. Without even a moment to breathe, Gael swung his barely responsive arm by force.
He never imagined the day would come when this hand would find Arjuna heavy.
Parry. Dodge. Thrust. Slash.
The motions repeated like an eternally prolonged moment.
Then, suddenly, the arrow rain ceased. Noticing the quiet battlefield, Gael paused and looked around.
Before he knew it, he was the only one left standing in the republican camp.
Several knights in full plate armor encircled him.
They appeared to be an elite spear unit, their long shields and sharply honed spears held with uncommon menace. With his dulled blade and no aura left, he probably couldn't break through their formation or pierce their armor.
Gael sensed his end.
"As expected of the East's greatest sword—your reputation is well-deserved, General Gael."
The apparent leader stepped forward and addressed him. Taller than the other burly knights by a head.
"We salute you. Even with the royalist coalition's full might, it took five days..."
Five days. He'd held out longer than expected.
By now, the group he'd smuggled away should have plenty of time to cross the border and flee far.
Only then did Gael relax his body and lower the arm holding his sword.
"...And you are?"
"I am Silas Agen, Captain of the 3rd Knight Order of the Millennium Holy Kingdom Delcros's Imperial Guard. I was specially dispatched here just for you. It's a great pity to take your life this way."
He had thought the man was no ordinary foe, and indeed, he was a knight order captain.
The unfamiliar style of his armor and spear made sense now—he hadn't expected Delcros to reveal themselves so directly.
And soon, spears flew at Gael from all directions.
He reflexively moved, but couldn't evade them all.
Crunch.
The flesh-rending sound of the spears piercing his vitals rang enormously, as if right in his ear.
His utterly depleted body rapidly spilled its remaining life.
Catching Arjuna as it slipped from Gael's hand, Silas Agen whispered to him.
"I will remember your prowess. Rest in peace."
Thus, the republicans' final sword, Gael, met his death on the Andros Plains.
As he slowly closed his eyes, he thought he heard a cracking sound in his mind.
He didn't remember completely what happened after.
Only that, right after death, his departing soul was enveloped in dazzling white light, which felt exceedingly warm and comforting.
Someone seemed to stroke his head gently, as if he were a child.
[Did you really need to hold on so stubbornly?]
A question that sounded a bit reproachful.
Gael inexplicably felt sorry toward this unknown entity.
But what could he do? He knew no other way to live than this, without any cunning.
With a sigh-like presence, the voice finally said to him.
[You did well, my son.]
My son?
Before he could puzzle over it, his consciousness flickered and faded to darkness.
* * *
He thought everything had ended there.
But who would have thought he would be reborn as a Delcrosian.
As the 1st Crown Prince of the Delcros Holy Imperial Family, no less—the very culprits behind it all.
‘...Now, how am I supposed to live from now on?’
Deep anguish clouded the neat face of the young child.