Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 19: Another Approaching War
Leaning against the railing, I looked down at Hamelon's panoramic view.
Traces of war still remained everywhere.
The outer castle side was messy with temporary screens and repair materials, and soldiers were still coming and going near the castle gate.
Nevertheless, the city was alive.
Breath of people flowed instead of smoke, and restoration continued instead of destruction.
...I protected it.
That fact filled one corner of my heart heavily.
But at the same time, another scene overlapped in my head.
Gap of the collapsed castle wall.
Pouring debris.
Storming enemy attacks.
And me standing heavily in front of it.
At that time, I was definitely standing on the battlefield.
As the Summoner of the Dark Night.
I successfully blocked the gap of collapse, and the enemy couldn't take a single step into the inner castle.
However, I felt it at the same time.
That it's still insufficient.
I could no longer deny that this body had talent for Summoning Arts.
Enough to be sure even without a comparison group.
But from some point, I felt growth was slowing down.
Speed of pulling up mana, number of summons maintainable simultaneously, leisure to respond reading the entire battlefield.
Looking back, not one was completely satisfactory.
The thought that I must grow this Summoning Art to achieve a bigger dream began to sprout slowly somewhere in my head.
What I will face in the future won't just be the Northern Alliance Tribes.
When war ends, another fight always begins.
Politics, power, competition with opposing forces due to interests cannot be avoided.
And there is a high possibility I will stand in the middle of it.
Because one harboring ambition fits in the middle.
To protect myself.
And to protect things that became precious.
Summoning Arts had to become stronger.
But I realized through the previous battle that the current level is the limit with simple practice and polishing.
I needed a place to learn for development, but unlike swordsmanship and magic which are revered, Summoning Arts is a despised technique, so there was no suitable place.
Even in the North, a wild land, it is sometimes treated as 'creepy sorcery', so what more need be said.
Naturally, there is no one trying to teach, and I have never seen anyone trying to demonstrate it either.
Records are scattered like fragments, and even finding a lineage transmitted authentically was difficult.
'Why do they despise this efficient technique.'
Summoned beasts are useful.
They can be utilized in various fields such as attack, defense, labor, etc., and sometimes become friends to overcome loneliness.
Regret inevitably remained to be despised just for the reason 'Barbaric things use it!'.
I opened my right hand so the palm faced up.
Blooming weak mana at the tip of my left index finger, I drew a summoning circle on my palm.
It was the most general-purpose and simple summoning circle.
Pop!
Soon, a cute spirit was summoned.
—...?
A palm-sized spirit is flying flapping wings the size of its body.
And after looking around, it looks at me with a sullen expression as if asking why I called.
Smirk.
As I tickled the guy's head with a pointless smile, it tilted its head as if ticklish making a strange sound kyuuung—.
"How cute."
One word of complaint.
A man's complaint that he couldn't understand this society despising Summoning Arts flowed out like that...
At that moment, footsteps were heard from behind.
My body reacted first before even looking back.
Straightened my waist, gathered my feet, and fixed my gaze to the front.
It was a familiar sound of footsteps.
"Captain."
As soon as I felt Erwin approaching, the soldier's posture popped out reflexively.
"...How is your body."
A teacup held in her hand was extended to me.
A subtle and sour scent rose.
A scent I felt like I knew without explanation that it was tea good for restoring energy.
I reached out a beat late and received the cup.
"Thank you for your consideration."
Erwin looked at me for a moment, then exhaled very small.
It was a strange breath, seeming like a sigh, seeming like a breath of relief.
Receiving the teacup, I felt a disparate feeling.
It was strange.
The Erwin I experienced for 1 year was a person far from the word warmth.
She was cool-headed, accurate, and an Engineering Captain prioritizing judgment over emotion.
The fact that such a woman brewed tea herself and handed it like this felt somewhat unreal.
Putting aside thoughts, I drank the tea first.
Isn't drinking what is received from a superior immediately the true duty of a soldier.
Gulp!
Since the amount inside wasn't much, it was emptied in one mouthful, and Erwin, who stared at the empty cup for a moment, retrieved it.
"...Must be hot."
It's f*cking hot.
Enough to know where the esophagus the tea flowed through and the arrived stomach are located.
But I didn't show it.
This was courtesy to a person, not courtesy to a superior.
"It wasn't hot."
"...Okay."
Erwin scans the retrieved teacup with her finger.
It looked somewhat hesitant, and it was a look I saw for the first time.
Then Erwin continued.
"There is an award ceremony soon."
She naturally took a step closer.
And put her hand on the collar of my uniform.
Corrected the part where the angle was slightly off, and organized the position of the epaulet.
The touch was neat like a soldier, but softer and warmer than thought.
At that unfamiliar sensation, I stiffened for a moment.
I was bewildered.
Being cared for this closely, this unconditionally, was the first time since possession.
Calculation, necessity, and purpose were always first; there was no memory of this kind of touch.
Blue Wolf Corps.
Even there.
It was warm.
And strangely, I didn't feel bad.
"Relax."
Erwin said lightly tapping my arm.
A faint but clear smile hung on the corner of her mouth.
Not the usual cool-headed Engineering Captain, but like a person with a different face briefly.
"You are our pride."
I fixed my posture again.
"...Undeserved words."
Erwin nodded instead of answering, and scanning me here and there with a pleased smile, soon turned her steps.
"Please enter!"
I saluted towards her entering the main building, and Erwin just gestured while walking.
That appearance, too, was something seen for the first time.
"...."
A refreshing wind blew.
Entrusting my body to the wind, I looked around the city view again.
A view hard to believe it was a city that waged war just four days ago.
A short while later.
I headed to the Main Castle where the award ceremony would be.
**
One day before Iden woke up.
Northern Grand Duke Eldmonde Wintel was seated in the conference room of the Main Castle in Helon, the capital of the Northern Territory.
A figure overwhelming the venue just by existing, and revealing the dignity of the North.
Although white hair was sparse, his waist was upright, and grey pupils were still sharp at an age where they could become blurry.
He was a seasoned ruler who had experienced both battlefield and politics.
The people of the Northern Territory trusted and respected him rather than fearing him.
If asked the reason they could survive in the harsh North, it was to the extent many recalled his name without hesitation.
The conference room was quiet.
Staff members were seated on both sides of the long table, and at the center sat Eldmonde.
"Start with the tax collection report."
At the calm remark, the finance staff member rose from his seat.
"We have already secured eighty percent of the estimated grain tax preparing for this winter. Agreements with merchant guilds are also proceeding without trouble—"
Eldmonde nodded before the report ended.
Eighty percent of estimated value.
It was a stable figure.
Next was the foreign tribe subjugation report.
He was the one who pulled out the barbarian tribe by its roots using the Northern Barbarian Chief captured alive by the Blue Wolf Corps.
Of course, it was only pulling out one big root among threats to the North, and there were still many assignments to solve.
Therefore.
He was receiving reports, albeit briefly, on small-scale clashes occurred in various places of the North, reconnaissance results, and trends of scattered foreign tribes.
"Alchemy research?"
This time the alchemy person in charge stepped forward.
"Research personnel have been greatly expanded since the last competition. Especially the prominence of Miss Vivienne Elindis, the competition winner, is becoming increasingly distinct."
Eldmonde raised his hand and cut him off.
"Report that separately."
The meeting flowed efficiently focusing on core contents.
And the last report came up.
It was a staff member from the Conflict Management Office.
"The Northern Alliance Tribes attacked the western border city Hamelon but retreated in half a day."
At those words, Eldmonde's gaze moved clearly for the first time.
He already knew.
The fact that foreign tribes of the North, feeling crisis since the Northern Barbarian Chief was captured alive, were uniting and growing their power.
Since it wasn't yet a force to move the eyes of the North, he was only watching, but if they attempted invasion of a border city, the story changes.
A thorn that must be removed someday for the peace of the Northern Territory, and a blade will be sharpened slowly to achieve the family's long-cherished desire.
Eldmonde, deciding so, showed interest.
"War situation."
The reporter chose words for a moment and answered.
"Hamelon Engineering Unit configured traps and siege response devices matching the Alliance Tribes' habits and strategies, and thanks to that, the Alliance Tribes couldn't penetrate even the outer castle, and Hamelon's damage is reported to be minor."
Eldmonde stroked his beard with a face deep in thought.
A face as if returning to those days dominating the battlefield and gauging the war situation.
Alliance Tribes who couldn't penetrate even the outer castle.
Battle ended in half a day.
In those words, he read intention, not coincidence.
"Seems there is a capable Engineering Captain in Hamelon."
Behind the words muttered low, he commanded towards the Conflict Management staff.
"Keep a close watch on the Alliance Tribes' future trends. This retreat won't be the end."
The meeting concluded like that.
Eldmonde, returned to the office, was organizing documents alone for a moment.
At that time, an aide carefully opened the door and entered.
"Your Highness Grand Duke. There is one letter to deliver."
Eldmonde raised his head.
"I must have told the Aide's Office to process directly."
"Yes. But this... I thought you should see it directly. The attached document is...."
The envelope the aide held out was stamped with the Vermir Count family seal, and was opened.
Eldmonde received the envelope and took out the letter inside.
Most letters are processed autonomously by the Aide's Office.
Since if he listened to all appeals of the Northern Territory, one body wouldn't remain.
Exceptions were limited to His Majesty the King and the family's relatives, so a strange sign shone in Eldmonde's pupils.
And.
Reading the first page, his eyebrows furrowed very subtly.
Actual situation of Hamelon Engineering Unit.
Budget cut, personnel shortage, vulnerability of outer castle defense.
The gap with the reported war situation was considerably large.
It was an agenda he understood as 'Capable Engineering Captain protected Hamelon's outer castle by constructing siege response devices matching foreign tribes' singularity'.
Contents written in the letter were completely overturning that.
Eldmonde quietly turned to the next page.
At that moment, his hand stopped.
On the back page of the letter, a single document was attached without separate content.
And that document was familiar to his eyes.
Official Recommendation Letter of the Wintel Family.
Since all recommendation letters staking the family name went through his hands, it was a document he couldn't not know, and he remembered every single name.
The family's recommendation letter was awarded only to those who established distinguished merit for the Northern Territory, and since the standard of that 'distinguished merit' was solely his judgment, it was natural to remember the recipient's name.
However, the moment he read the name written there.
A very faint smile rose on Eldmonde's lips, and interest was drawn on his furrowed glabella.
Iden.
Member of the Blue Wolf Corps.
Number one contributor to capturing the Northern Barbarian Chief alive.
That name was being heard again from the letter arrived from Hamelon.
This time as 'Engineering Unit Senior Adjutant who established monumental merit in blocking Alliance Tribes' air raid'.
"...Interesting."
The aide, examining the Grand Duke's mood, asked carefully.
"Shall we send an inspector to check?"
Eldmonde, contemplating for a moment, shook his head.
"It is done."
He slowly rose from his seat.
"I will check directly."
A Summoner who defeated the Northern Barbarian Chief single-handedly.
A man who bothered to become a border city Engineering Unit Senior Adjutant even though he possessed a recommendation letter guaranteeing a comfortable life.
And a man said to have established monumental merit in blocking the Northern Alliance Tribes there.
Also.
A bold man daring to summon him utilizing the Official Wintel Recommendation Letter.
That man's name was emerging as a new interest in Northern Grand Duke Eldmonde's dull old age, and calling him to the border city he wouldn't usually visit.