The Magic Kingdom of Morian (2)
Before the Barhart Empire forcibly unified the continent as it is now, the four kingdoms that once vied for hegemony—Nahart, which had also been a kingdom in the past—each possessed their own distinct characteristics.
The Barhart Kingdom boasted the continent’s most fertile soil, along with the enormous population and wealth that came with it. The Nahart Kingdom, constantly threatened by monsters pouring out from the Black Mountains and the Eastern Mountains, had produced an abundance of exceptional warriors. The Morian Kingdom had advanced its magical technology thanks to its high mana density and the presence of numerous dungeons. And, uh… well. The Spero Kingdom had been… decent at everything, more or less.
It might seem a bit harsh to single one out like that, but facts are facts. What can you do? Just as the Empire’s Southern Army is treated as the weakest among the five regular armies, and the eastern sea where some pirate boy began his journey is likewise dismissed as the weakest, there will always be those who shine and those who fall short. At least the food is good. That’s something, I suppose.
After Barhart transformed from a kingdom into an empire, it absorbed the strengths of the rival nations it had subjugated as vassal states and employed various measures to govern them smoothly. Nahart’s superior martial techniques and methods for dealing with monsters were used to elevate the quality of the Imperial Army. Spero, which lacked any particularly standout traits but possessed a solid foundation worthy of being called one of the four great nations, became a source of talented individuals and rare resources.
Things had gone relatively smoothly up to that point… but the problem was the Morian Kingdom.
In most wars between nations, kings and royalty don’t usually die on the battlefield. The majority perish during the messy cleanup after the fighting ends. It makes sense— even a supreme military commander who personally charges into the front lines swinging a sword is more likely to be criticized for recklessness than praised for bravery. If the person in charge suddenly drops dead, who’s supposed to deal with the aftermath?
All the more so for a king responsible for an entire nation. Of course, there have been kings who earned fame by fighting on the front lines. The famous Great Emperor himself was one such example. But that should be seen as a matter of personal disposition. The fundamental duty of kings and royalty is not to fight.
Yet the Morian Kingdom was a rather unusual case.
Magic requires an abundance of knowledge. Therefore, those born into environments where they can devote themselves to acquiring that knowledge hold a clear advantage. Mana capacity can be increased through special secret arts, but those arts are monopolized by only a handful of prestigious families. And when it comes to secret techniques, the older and more established the family, the more likely they are to possess superior ones.
On top of that, Morian’s culture placed a higher value on magical prowess than on martial strength or governing ability. As a result, most of the Morian royal family were exceptional mages. And in an era of war, the best place for a mage to shine was the battlefield.
So instead of staying safely in the rear as they should have, the king, his younger brother, the princes, and the princesses all charged into the fray. It would be rude to call that foolish or reckless. After all, with their country on the verge of defeat, they had simply done what they could in their own way.
In the end, the Empire suffered enormous losses, and most of Morian’s royalty became cold corpses on the battlefield. The only direct royal left alive was the king’s youngest daughter, who had been pregnant and thus unable to take the field.
What mattered was that this situation was also extremely troublesome for the Empire. Winning the war and occupying the country was all well and good. But Morian was far too powerful a nation to attempt direct annexation, and absorbing the existing royal house proved equally difficult. There needed to be a suitable royal candidate to marry into the Imperial family and establish as the new ruler, didn’t there?
No matter how much ethics and morality could be set aside during wartime, the Barhart Empire at the time was not so desperate as to forcibly claim the last surviving member of a royal house—who was carrying a child, no less—during the critical period of its own transformation from kingdom to empire, thereby throwing its own honor into the gutter.
Having failed to secure proper justification and legitimacy, the Barhart Empire was forced to adopt a considerably lenient policy toward the Morian Kingdom. Unlike Spero or Nahart, many of those who had fought against the Empire were allowed to retain their original power and positions. In exchange, they had to surrender a significant portion of the magical technology they had passed down for hundreds of years. The child in the princess’s womb would also have to marry an Imperial prince once she came of age. Still, compared to the other two vassal states that had been stripped bare, their situation could be considered far better.
And now, the bloodline of the royal house that had been taken from them had returned to their land.
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
“Long live Princess Lyla!”
“Welcome, Your Highness!”
“May the blood of the Blue Jewel endure forever!”
“Lord Eagle! Lady Hau! We’re so glad you returned safely!”
“Glory to the proud Pendevig family!”
The moment we stepped off the magic train, we were greeted by an enormous crowd filling the entire station area. Pino and Rabaul spoke with clear bewilderment.
“Good heavens, what is all this?”
“There’s no end to them.”
But the Pendevig twins looked rather disappointed instead.
“Hmm. Fewer people than I expected.”
“If it were just us, maybe, but with Princess Lyla here too, isn’t this welcome a bit lacking?”
With this many people, we could already film a zombie movie if they just put on some makeup. How many more did these siblings want to gather? Were they planning to bring out an elephant to do tricks or set off fireworks in broad daylight before they’d be satisfied?
“Haha, what would we do if we gathered people recklessly and an accident occurred? I told you so many times to refrain from indulging in pointless vanity.”
At that moment, a middle-aged man with an impressive beard emerged from between the soldiers who were holding the crowd back. Eagle and Hau Pendevig bowed their heads.
“It is good to see you in good health, Patriarch.”
“We greet you, Father.”
“Yes, I’m relieved to see you both safe.”
After receiving their greetings, the man approached Princess Lyla and politely knelt on one knee.
“Darius Pendevig, head of the Pendevig family, offers his respects to Her Highness the Princess.”
The deliberate choice to call her “Princess” rather than “Imperial Princess” must have been their own form of stubborn pride. Princess Lyla shook her head.
“I am currently nothing more than an ordinary student. Such excessive courtesy is difficult for me to accept, so please refrain, Sir Darius.”
“However…”
“As a father who has given advice to his children, should you not set an example?”
At those words, Darius’s eyes widened for a moment before he gave a bitter smile. He had essentially been called out for indulging in performative vanity. It must have stung quite a bit.
Darius rose to his feet, and the crowd—who hadn’t caught the content of their conversation—burst into another round of cheers.
“Ahem!”
At that moment, the young man who had been standing awkwardly behind us—Valkius—stepped forward in front of Darius.
“I am Valkius Andex, Court Mage of the Barhart Empire.”
“I am Darius Pendevig, Margrave of the Morian Kingdom. Welcome to my domain.”
“Thank you for the warm welcome. I believe you received advance notice regarding this request…”
Darius the Margrave waved his hand dismissively.
“Of course I am aware. However, the Lake of Wisdom is a dangerous place. Proper preparations are necessary even for the journey there. Would you not consider staying at my residence for the time being? Though it may appear shabby and outdated compared to the towering buildings of the Empire, which gather the continent’s wealth, it still possesses its own long-standing charm.”
“Haha, your words are most gracious, but this is not merely a personal matter—it is also a mission of the ‘Imperial Special Forces.’ It would be difficult for me to decide on accommodations so freely. Moreover, Her Highness the Princess is with us.”
“That is precisely why I insist. Would it not be better to send word in advance to the lords of the territories you must pass through? Should any unfortunate incident occur, it would truly be a great misfortune for both nations.”
Pino poked me in the side and whispered.
“What does that mean?”
I activated the translator in my head and answered.
“Even if you build tall buildings with the resources you plundered from the continent, you can never match our history and culture. Oh, is that so? But we’re moving under the name of the Imperial Special Forces, and one of our members is the Princess? What are you going to do about it? If I don’t send advance cooperation requests, your movements will become extremely inconvenient. Just imagine if something happens to the Princess—I’ll show you what that would mean. Something like that?”
“Wow, I really don’t want to get involved with him. This is the worst.”
Pino looked thoroughly disgusted. Rabaul whispered beside her.
“Isn’t that interpretation a bit too distorted? They are conversing so politely and with such dignity.”
Well, I’m more worried about that knot in your brain, Rabaul.
I glanced toward Princess Lyla.
This looks like it’ll become a headache if Her Highness doesn’t step in.
She met my gaze for a moment, then let out a small sigh and stepped between the two men.
“Sir Valkius, since you have entrusted us with escort duty, I would appreciate it if you would allow me to make the decision this time for the sake of ensuring a safe journey. And Sir Darius, while I deeply appreciate your hospitality, we have not come to enjoy sightseeing. We are here to obtain information from the Lake of Wisdom as quickly as possible and resolve the incident. I hope you understand.”
Valkius hurriedly shouted, “Y-yes! I leave it to you!” and tucked his tail between his legs. Margrave Darius, apparently unwilling to argue any further in front of her, obediently took a step back.
“Understood. However, it is an undeniable fact that approaching the Lake of Wisdom requires certain procedures. For that reason, could you not spare at least one day?”
“…In that case, we will trouble you for one day.”
A dramatic compromise had been reached. Princess Lyla and her entourage reluctantly followed along to the first stage—the Margrave’s residence.
Alright then—
First, I should have a proper talk with the important princess.