Leona Will Win
Meanwhile, Henrik von Setia, lord of the Torgenberg Duchy, summoned his two sons.
Henrik’s two sons: Andeln von Setia and Adel von Setia. Henrik thought to himself. The eldest was full of ambition and worked hard, yet lacked talent. The second son possessed talent, but unfortunately had no will to learn.
If only he could combine the eldest’s drive with the second’s gift. Sadly, no technique had ever been discovered for merging only the best qualities of two people.
With such thoughts, Henrik asked,
“Civil strife has broken out in the Kruzenstein family.”
“Yes, Father.”
Andeln answered vigorously, while Adel merely averted his eyes in silence.
“Which of them do you think will win?”
At those words Andeln sprang to his feet. He called a servant to fetch the map he had prepared, pinned it to the wall, and declared,
“The red marks the faction supporting the eldest daughter, Leona. The blue marks those supporting the second daughter, Clozel. And as you can see…”
On the map of the Kruzenstein Duchy, blue overwhelmingly dominated.
“The faction supporting Clozel is overwhelming.”
“Clozel will win?”
“Yes.”
“Then this father of yours need only trust his eldest son and support Clozel, is that it?”
“That is…”
Andeln broke out in a cold sweat. He had confidently offered his opinion based on information gathered by the nobles who followed him, yet the thought that his father would actually decide according to it filled him with crushing pressure.
“Why no answer? Should we support Clozel?”
“Y-yes.”
“Is that so?”
Henrik smiled at his son. Andeln took it as a positive sign.
“Adel. What about you?”
“I-I think the same as my brother!”
“Get out.”
“What?”
“Both of you, get out. You two have no right to be here.”
“…Why all of a sudden, Father?”
“Can’t you leave? Guards!”
Only after the soldiers entered did Andeln and Adel, still failing to grasp the situation properly, have no choice but to leave the conference room.
Not a single proper one among them.
The thought that he would eventually have to pass the family to one of those two filled him with despair. Andeln was seventeen. Henrik thought back to what he himself had been like at seventeen. Back then life had been war. He had swung his sword every day simply to survive, and sometimes ambushed innocent people just to obtain his daily bread.
Is the problem that they’ve been too well-fed…?
They had clearly received his blood, so why could their abilities never match his? Perhaps it was because he had raised them without any want. Such was Henrik’s thought.
“Summon Georg.”
When one’s children disappoint, it is good to call a friend. Georg von Meyer was Henrik’s vassal, friend, and strategist. To Henrik he was a rather special existence.
When Georg entered shortly afterward, Henrik abruptly asked,
“What do you think?”
It was an abrupt question, yet Georg bowed in greeting and answered as naturally as if he were long accustomed to it.
“Leona will win.”
“Leona? Looking at this map, Clozel’s faction seems overwhelming.”
“That is precisely why Leona will win.”
“Explain in detail.”
“Kruzenstein is powerful. They possess greater national strength than the Setia family. What my lord desires is not for either side to easily end the civil war and pacify Kruzenstein, but for the civil war to expand and drag on, buying the Setia family time to rebuild its strength. Therefore my lord will support the disadvantaged side. That is…”
“Leona von Kruzenstein. But there is no guarantee that Leona will win just because I support her, is there?”
“The answer lies in the borders. The north of Kruzenstein is controlled by Clozel’s faction, and the south by Leona’s—even if only a portion of the south. Clozel shares a border with our Setia family, so she will always have to live with eyes in the back of her head. But the family to Leona’s south is a toothless tiger with no capacity to invade another house.”
“Indeed. The old saying goes, strike the near and befriend the far.”
“Yes. That is correct. Doing so naturally creates a two-front war. Once my lord’s support equalizes the strength of Leona and Clozel, the geopolitically disadvantaged Clozel will inevitably lose.”
“So that means Leona will win.”
“Yes.”
Henrik’s foul mood lifted of its own accord. Had there ever been someone in the past who understood his heart so well? There had not. Georg von Meyer was truly an outstanding strategist. Without him the Setia family would never have grown so large.
Above all, speaking with him completely cleared the frustration in his chest. To Henrik, Georg von Meyer was an outstanding strategist and the only friend who truly understood him.
“Georg.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“At tomorrow’s strategy council, explain that point well to the vassals.”
“Ah, about that. Tomorrow I plan to argue that we should support Clozel.”
“What? Already wagging your tail for the heir instead of me?”
“What? No. That’s…”
Georg informed his lord of the stratagem he had heard from Franz Meyer a few days prior. At that, Henrik laughed heartily.
“What? Deliberately standing on the opposite side to manipulate the Four Great Houses? Hahaha! Georg! Your schemes have improved while I wasn’t looking!”
“Ah, actually it is not my scheme.”
“Then whose scheme is it?”
“My son told me. To do it this way.”
“…Is that so?”
Henrik’s heart grew heavy. His own sons were of no help at all, yet his friend’s son was this outstanding?
Come to think of it, he distinguished himself in battle last time as well…
Perhaps because he was young there was a somewhat soft quality to him, but the boy was good material. One who would become steel if forged.
Franz’s talent is clearly above Andeln’s.
That meant that someday, when he himself died, would Franz Meyer not threaten Andeln’s position?
“The faction of Clozel von Kruzenstein is overwhelming! Our side must support Clozel, not Leona!”
At Georg Meyer’s single statement, the heads of the Four Great Houses each spoke up.
“With whose money? You speak as if our lord’s money is your own.”
“Our side is also weakened from long wars! Support in such a situation? What support?”
“Hmph, you’ve struck it rich.”
“Did you take a bribe from Clozel?”
The heads of the Four Great Houses each had their say. Seizing that moment, their lord Henrik interjected.
“Then what do you all think we should do?”
“Th-that is…”
“Speak. Surely you are not saying we should simply let this timely opportunity pass?”
“That is…”
“Clozel? Or Leona?”
“…Leona!”
When one spoke, the remaining three also clamored for Leona. Thus the matter of supporting Leona passed simply, without opposition from the retainers.
The next day, news that the Meyer family had lost face at the military council spread everywhere. It was mainly rumors sown by the Four Great Houses, yet Georg Meyer made no particular effort to deny them, and so the rumors spread even further.
Though the Four Great Houses had not distinguished themselves in battle, they still surpassed the Meyer family in power. They remained the mainstream faction. Such talk grew louder and louder.
This was also what Georg Meyer was aiming for. The Four Great Houses regarded Georg Meyer as a rival, but Georg did not particularly think of them as enemies or rivals. They were simply beings to be skillfully coaxed and used. That was why he had bowed to them once even at the cost of his own face—for the balance of the entire faction, not just the Meyer family.
And since he had scored points by helping his lord, from Georg’s perspective there was nothing lost.
Lately everything has been going well.
Just a few years ago every day had been fraught with anxiety. But recently everything had begun to go smoothly.
Since when did it start going well?
Georg Meyer thought for a while, and after a moment’s reflection he slapped his knee.
It was after Franz woke up!
Franz Meyer. Ever since his eldest son had awakened, everything had begun to go well.
“Hahaha!”
Georg Meyer laughed. At the sudden laughter the servant and escort knight glanced at each other and took their cues, but neither knew the reason either.
But the next moment—
“Cough!”
Georg Meyer coughed, and that cough was stained with blood.
Seeing the blood on his hand, Georg Meyer slumped and collapsed.