Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: The Traitor Has His Uses
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And three days later, Duke Kmel had recovered enough to eat normally and even get up and walk.
Though waste products still remained in his body and he wasn't fully recovered, making wearing armor or fighting out of the question, the mere sight of him standing healthy before his troops was enough to boost morale again. It showed that his reputation as the Empire's greatest knight was not unfounded.
“I truly owe you my life. I was nearly done for if not for you.”
“I did it for the Empire. Now, just make sure to take the medicine I prescribed on time, eat well, and you'll be fully cured once all the spots on your body disappear. Until then, don't drink any alcohol. Well then, I've done what I needed to do, so I'll be on my way. I left the Valderian family in quite a rush, so they must be in an uproar.”
“What? You're leaving just like that?”
“I finished the treatment, so I should go. From the beginning, I didn't save you, Duke, because I wanted something from the Kmel family. I treated you to prevent chaos in the Empire. If there is any credit, I'll pass it to Baron Ravels who trusted me. Then I'll take my leave. Let me say it again, take your medicine regularly.”
Having finished the treatment, Beonald tried to withdraw, but Duke Kmel, who couldn't just let the man who saved his life leave like that, cried out in surprise as he approached him.
It was practically saving the Kmel family, and leaving without receiving any reward was something the family's honor and pride could not tolerate.
“No! Wait a moment! You saved the life of the head of the Kmel family! And you're just going to leave? This is no way to behave! Are you saying my life is worth so little?”
“If you truly wish to repay me, I'd be grateful if you could send word to the Valderian family. Then I'll be off…”
“Hah… really~”
Duke Kmel watched Beonald leave in bewilderment, but for Beonald, it was a hasty escape for his own reasons.
Until now, everyone had been too preoccupied with treating the fallen Duke Kmel, but now that he was almost recovered and they would start to learn about him in earnest, it would become a situation where they couldn't just let him be.
‘Phew~ Luckily, no one recognizes me. It's a million times fortunate that no one saw my face at the Haldeon ruins.’
When coming to the Kmel family, Beonald had not revealed his name, instead presenting himself as a messenger from the Valderian family or a Valderian retainer, keeping things as vague as possible. To the retainers, he had immediately given various instructions for saving Duke Kmel, leaving them no time to think.
Fortunately, even the awakened Duke Kmeml's memory of fighting his son, Lloyd Kmel, at the Haldeon ruins took precedence over the incident involving Beonald, so he wasn't pointed out. But if it became known, it would be quite troublesome, so Beonald had stepped back at an appropriate time.
‘Well, if they find out, they'll be quite angry, but since I saved his life, there's a debt of gratitude that might resolve the Haldeon ruins issue... but I have things to do, you see.’
The possibility of a direct threat to his life was low, but in any case, the priority now was to return to the Valderian army and participate in the surrender negotiation meeting.
Since the other side would have been waiting to confirm Duke Kmel's death, timing-wise, leaving now should be about right.
And as expected, upon returning to the Valderian army camp, Beonald was immediately dragged by Valderian soldiers to kneel before the Count—a predictable outcome.
The Valderian army had already secured control of the battlefield, but the surrender documents were not yet fully signed, so it was still a state of war. Desertion during wartime was a serious crime in any era.
“…Well then, care to explain yourself? What on earth happened?”
“I went to save Duke Kmel and have returned.”
“What?”
“I went to save Duke Kmel, who had collapsed from a Garccan Republic poison, and have returned.”
“Wh-wha-what? Why save him? No, what on earth were you thinking doing such a thing?”
“If Duke Kmel dies now, it will cause great chaos in the Empire. Even though we defeated the Vanilo Earldom in this war, the southern forces are weakened, and Garccan Republic interference is sure to increase. On top of that, if Duke Kmel dies and the Kmel family weakens? The breakwater that safely protects the Empire from the Bolea Kingdom's invasion will shake, immediately becoming a destabilizing factor for the Empire and naturally greatly affecting the opposing side, the Valderian family as well.”
Beonald's words were filled with undeniable logic, leaving Count Valderian with no ground to stand on.
When theory utterly failed him, Count Valderian eventually shifted to the matter of propriety.
“…Then shouldn't you have discussed it before going?”
“It was an extremely urgent matter. If the explanation had dragged on… the golden time to treat that ‘poison’ would have passed. Moreover… the value of the debt incurred by saving Duke Kmel's life is certainly not light.”
“Anyway… you talk a damn good game. Sigh~ Well, fine. Release him. He did come back after all, and putting that bastard Kmel in our debt is certainly not a bad thing……. Just make sure nothing like this happens again!”
“Yes. Understood, Count.”
In the end, Beonald's unauthorized desertion was simply overlooked without any punishment or further discussion.
Even if it hadn't been for the reasons given, he would have likely received some appropriate punishment and that would have been it. But given the justification and the immense practical benefit of putting Duke Kmel in their debt, the Count had nothing more to say.
“Then we should return to the original matter. As you know, while you were gone, the surrender procedures for each territory and the exchanges regarding prisoners and bodies have all been arranged. All that remains now is to proceed with the surrender negotiations with Baron Vanilo and the Garccan Republic forces.”
“I would like to attend that as well. Ah, not as a direct participant in the talks, but merely as an observer. I want to see what expression that cowardly, arrogant ‘Neumel’ Prime Minister makes when his plan fails.”
“Ahh… I see. Hahaha! It's only natural to want to see the look on the face of the one who screwed you over! And to have used such cowardly tricks only to fail! His expression must be terrible. I want to see that too, now. Alright! I'll gladly include you at the meeting.”
“No. Observing from the back in the guise of a soldier is sufficient.”
And the next day, with Duke Kmel's recovery confirmed and all hope extinguished, the Garccan Republic forces began complying with the surrender procedures.
Though called a surrender, the form was closer to a ‘ceasefire agreement.’ They were not disarmed, and the talks were set to be held in a tent in front of Baron Vanilo's castle, not within it.
It meant there was essentially none of the humiliation that a surrendering side typically endures.
Having received Duke Kmel's letter in the early morning to come sign the surrender agreement, the Valderian side ate an early breakfast and hurriedly set out, arriving at the tent in front of Baron Vanilo's castle around afternoon.
“We've arrived. You just follow along pretending to be a soldier.”
“Yes. I've disguised myself thoroughly. It would be troublesome if the Kmel family people recognize me.”
If the man who just returned yesterday appeared again at today's negotiation site, it would surely cause confusion, so Beonald decided to hide himself well.
Anyway, once the Valderian side arrived, the surrender agreement talks began immediately.
Inside the tent, with only minimal guards from each side present, four people gathered: Prime Minister Neumel, Duke Kmel, Count Valderian, and Sir Ional, commander of the Imperial Capital Guard.
“Then let us first review the draft agreements each side has prepared.”
They began reading each other's draft agreements, adjusting the terms of the surrender. As expected, differences in position arose, and voices were raised as arguments broke out.
“No! How does this make any sense? Garccan Republic troops continuing to be stationed in Baron Vanilo's territory? It's absurd for a foreign army to leave troops in the Empire. Get out at once!”
“However, the command structure of Baron Vanilo's territory is currently unstable. Moreover, we must provide compensation for the grain we strategically burned, so for that procedure and process, the stationing of Garccan Republic troops is justified. Issues with transport, distribution, quantity verification, etc… there's more than one or two things that need to be guaranteed. But you know, it's not that I have nothing to say. This amount of reparations—are you in your right mind?”
“Then was using poison on a knight in your right mind?”
“Unfortunately, I am not a knight, and I have no such thing as a warrior's pride~ Hohohoh.”
Amidst the fierce arguments, threats and shouts were exchanged to shift the agreement's contents even slightly in their favor.
They would likely continue fighting like this for hours, perhaps even spending days here.
Meanwhile, Beonald, finally seeing Prime Minister Neumel in person, was trembling in shock. To hide his agitation, he had no choice but to tense his entire body and endure.
‘I almost didn't recognize her. The resemblance… it's faintly there, so I barely managed. To think that child… was the Neumel Prime Minister.’
‘I wish for a world where Lara can live in peace!’
Beonald recalled the face of his daughter, which was unimaginable from the enchanting and seasoned appearance of Prime Minister Neumel sitting there.
Lara von Neumel. The daughter born from his union with a High Elf, so intelligent that knowing one thing meant knowing ten, a child Beonald cherished immensely.
But ultimately, being a half-elf, she couldn't be the family heir. It was planned that after his death, she would return to the elves' forest or city to work for her people. To create as many memories as possible with Beonald, whose lifespan was short by elven standards, it was decided she would stay and be raised by him until his death.
‘…This is utterly unbelievable. Of all people… that Lara has become like that…….’
The shock doubled as he saw the child who was the gentlest and warmest-hearted, whom he had worried might not be able to make harsh or difficult decisions in the future, now appearing in a grown form much like his own.
Yet, he tried to imagine what could have happened over 500 years to change her so drastically, but it wasn't easy to guess.
‘…This is difficult. I'm confused about how to process this. Anyway… she is indeed a descendant of Neumel.’
Finally discovering the long-awaited identity of Prime Minister Neumel only served to deepen Beonald's confusion.
His cherished, innocent daughter had become the image of a ruler who had clearly weathered all storms—hard enough to accept on its own. But with no clear idea of what to do about that daughter, his mind grew even more tangled.
‘To begin with, I don't even know what feelings she might have about me now.’
‘Lara, you know, when I grow up, I want to marry Daddy~’
‘…Daddy won't live as long as Lara, though?’
‘Then let's do it now.’
‘Haha, that's impossible.’
“Let's drop this compensation for some strange sense of honor that knights neither use nor uphold. Besides, even if you were hit by ‘poison,’ you didn't die, did you? Heheh, I don't know who did it or where they are… but I absolutely won't let it go.”
‘…It's questionable whether revealing my identity would make her an ally. No, proving it itself would be difficult…’
Beonald could perceive the hatred and anger burning fiercely in the eyes of the Lara before him—no, Prime Minister Neumel.
Amidst the predictable reality that nothing good had happened over 500 years, the conflict grew within him—whether revealing his identity would be good or bad for her.
‘First, she would be suspicious too… and even if I somehow proved it, if she doesn't have good feelings toward me, it could be a great crisis… On the other hand, if, *if* she is on my side, then working from now on would become incredibly easy…’
The fact that she was currently the Prime Minister of the Garccan Republic, and that he needed someone who knew and believed he was Beonald to work with, was also true.
If she became an ally, it would be truly solid support. Rather than serving as a retainer here, he could even cross over to the Garccan Republic and conquer the continent together—not a bad idea at all… but that was only if things went well in his imagination.
‘But… what if she resents me?’
To her, he was certainly a good father.
But he couldn't guarantee that feeling would last 500 years into the future.
The twists and turns of life that changed her. If his death and existence were clearly involved in creating those, it wouldn't be strange for her to harbor hatred and resentment toward him.
If that happened, he would essentially have gained an unbearable, worst enemy.
‘…High risk, high return, is it? Hoo~’
Sweating coldly inside his helmet, Beonald constantly weighed the pros and cons in his mind, endlessly debating whether to reveal his identity to Lara or not, and which choice would be better.