Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The Whereabouts of That Child
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Clank-clank-clank—thud!
The pulley made of iron chains unraveled with a deafening racket, and the heavy castle gate swung open roughly. At a single command from the Sarisa Count, who had been taken prisoner, the castle had opened its gates to Lenia and surrendered.
"Check that they've been fully disarmed! Not even a kitchen knife should be left behind!"
The knights and soldiers stripped the remaining forces inside the castle of their weapons, scouring every nook and cranny for hidden arms and confiscating them all before Lenia finally entered the castle alongside the Sarisa Count.
"Ahh... Lord Count..."
The count's retainers groaned at the sight of him riding beside Lenia.
"Urgh! Lord Count!"
Some sobbed, others fainted and had to be supported by soldiers. Defeat was inevitable in the end. All that remained for them now was the humiliation of loss and a massive war indemnity—not the glory of victory.
Lenia looked down at them from horseback. The faces of the defeated. Had they lost the war, she and her father, Cligrove Count, would have worn the same expressions. For that very reason, she offered them no pity.
Her cold gaze swept over the defeated territory folk before she headed straight for the Sarisa Count's mansion. Though there was an inner keep, it was a maze perfect for hiding—better to negotiate the postwar settlement at the mansion to avoid any incidents.
Upon entering the mansion, the Sarisa Count couldn't sit in his own seat; instead, he took the guest's place in the posture of a loser. Lenia's mercy had spared him from being bound, preserving a shred of honor. The count, looking a decade older and stripped of his former vigor, muttered weakly.
"Cligrove Count's proxy... Please show mercy... I'll relinquish the iron mine... and cede part of the territory..."
"We'll negotiate those details from here on. We have plenty of time, don't we?"
He had no retort to her blatant intent to drain him dry; he merely let out a groan. The noble air of a territory lord had long vanished from him.
"First, an apology for starting this senseless war. Kneel before me, Count."
"Urgh..."
"My lord! You can't! Lady Lenia! If you're a noble yourself, you know how vital honor is! How can you demand such a thing?!"
Kneeling before the victor was a humiliation every loser faced, regardless of the era. Yet their reactions were fierce. But there were no heroic figures willing to die in their lord's stead to spare him the shame, like in tales.
In the end, their own lives mattered more than the count's honor. Realizing this, he gave a bitter smile, rose from his seat, and walked toward Lenia.
"Lady Lenia."
"..."
Grind!
"I won't forget this disgrace."
The count spat through gritted teeth, but Lenia didn't so much as blink. It was just the empty words of a defeated man, after all.
"Nothing's as hollow as the voice of the vanquished. This is the victor's right."
The count glared at her murderously before slowly dropping to his knees. The once-noble lord pressed his knee to the ground and bowed his head. His retainers wailed at the sight.
"Now, shall we proceed with the victory negotiations? I'm curious to see your limits."
The talks wrapped up swiftly. With total defeat and no capacity left to continue the war, it was a one-sided extraction by the Cligrove Count's house from the Sarisa Count's.
"Ahh..."
The iron mine at the root of the conflict was formally confirmed as Cligrove's in writing, and the Sarisa Count owed a staggering 30,000 pounds in reparations. On top of that: limits on the number of knights and soldiers, cession of territory portions.
He had hoped this war would advance his domain, but instead, it plunged the Sarisa Count's house into an endless pit.
"I hereby... on this day... considering the circumstances of the war with Cligrove territory... take appropriate measures... I cease all hostilities against Cligrove territory... and as a measure to prevent further casualties among our valiant soldiers and knights in this war... conduct defeat negotiations..."
"Ahh! Lord Count!"
"This can't be! Our territory defeated?! This can't be reality!!"
The news of the territory war's defeat threw the Sarisa residents into chaos. No one left to protect them if Cligrove knights and soldiers came to pillage. They fled like beasts from a wildfire or burst into despairing sobs.
"Commander. Some of Sarisa Count's knights..."
A few knights loyal to the Sarisa Count chose suicide. Overwhelmed by shame for failing their lord and bringing him disgrace through defeat.
An utterly honorable act, yet Lenia frowned in disdain upon hearing it.
"Pointless... No better than a dog's death."
"Commander... Calling the deaths of those who chose honorable ends a dog's death..."
"Understood. I'll mind my words. But you lot—don't do anything like that."
"..."
"I mean, don't create more shame. A struggling territory can't afford to lose valuable fighters like you."
"Yes, ma'am..."
And so the victory negotiations concluded, ending the war on paper and in reality. Leaving only the countless corpses on the plains behind. Cligrove's fallen were retrieved by the army, but Sarisa's losers were left in the fields as beast fodder.
Lenia and the knights and soldiers, fresh from the negotiations, passed through Cligrove city amid grand cheers. The mercenaries, of course, were excluded.
"Goddamn it. Anyone'd think we didn't fight a war at all."
"What the hell's wrong with you mercenaries? Always bitching? Didn't see this coming?"
The mercenaries, still awaiting their victory spoils, were killing time pounding drinks at the city taverns.
"Drink up!"
They hadn't gotten their triumph bonuses yet, but their pay was already secured, pockets fat. They grumbled but splurged wildly on pricey food and booze day after day.
I was no different, chugging brandy like water just to get a decent buzz.
Thud!
As the mercenaries wasted time in futility, the tavern door burst open. Soldiers pouring in drew cheers from the lot. It meant victory bonuses were coming.
How much would they get? They snickered in anticipation, but my gut twisted. That prisoner embezzlement mess at the end had me nailed. Surely they wouldn't stiff us completely?
"Cutter!"
"Yes, sir!"
"You earned quite the merits in this war. Well done. Here's your victory bonus."
"Much obliged!"
From one gold coin on the low end to five or six for the high rollers. Depending on experience and feats, the mercenaries snatched their payouts amid grins and cleared out of the tavern they'd haunted for days.
"Kyle!"
My name came last. After Cutter and every other merc had left. The officer doling out cash greeted me warmly.
"Haha! Our war hero! What a beast of a build. No wonder she's taken an interest."
"Pardon? What do you...?"
Before I could make sense of it, a bolt from the blue hit from the officer's mouth.
"But... there's no bonus for you."
"What? No bonus?"
"Don't know the details, but the top brass said bring you instead of paying out. She wants to meet you."
"The count...?"
"No, the Lady wishes to see you. Come along."
She wanted to meet me personally? Why? To offer that vanguard swordsman captain spot? Or finally lop off my head? The former seemed likelier, but the latter wasn't impossible.
"Let me think a bit more..."
"If you need to... but it didn't feel like a bad vibe. Might be worth it—could mean an even better reward."
He spoke without knowing I'd skimmed prisoners. And I knew nobles well: sweet one second, raging the next over some mood swing.
But I had no choice. After all that hell turning the tide, I couldn't walk away empty-handed. By the time I'd rationalized it, I was already at the count's mansion.
"At attention!"
Soldiers standing rigid guard out front snapped salutes. I followed the officer inside.
The garden alone was a cut above. Topiaries trimmed in every shape lined the path of spotless gravel—not a speck of sand anywhere.
"You're one lucky bastard. Her interest? Probably offering vanguard or elite swordsman. Since she proposed it herself, you could be captain in ten years flat."
This guy yapping ahead of me had it wrong. Wonder how he'd react knowing it was vanguard captain, not just swordsman.
The mansion of the family ruling Cligrove city wasn't for just any noble. Only those with rank or major feats got in.
A commoner like me stepping foot here? Bragging rights for generations. If I were a normal isekai schlub, anyway.
As we progressed through the mansion halls, a uniformed man awaited. Big, though not like me. He glanced over with a beaming smile and approached.
"Haha! Who's this? Our war hero!"
"Too kind, sir."
My noble radar pinged again. This guy was 100% noble. Uniform aside, his whole vibe screamed it.
I bowed my head; he laughed heartily and grabbed my hand.
"No need to bow so quick. Follow me—no worries. The Lady's been waiting eagerly for you!"
"An honor, but... why would she want someone like me...?"
"Humble too! Haha! First time she's shown this much interest in anyone. Honestly, I'm jealous."
His words had an edge; I resolved to watch my step. No pissing off a knight. Trailing him through the mansion, I scanned around. The count's place— that kid had to be somewhere.
The girl I'd looked after as a child. Word was she'd caught Cligrove Count's eye and come to the mansion. Maybe squiring, even if not a knight. Plus, those gray locks and eyes weren't common—I'd spot her instantly.
But no gray-haired girl in sight along the way.
"Um... sir...?"
I cautiously addressed the knight ahead.
"Something to say?"
"Nothing major... but I'm looking for a girl named Ren. Supposed to have come here... plain-looking kid with gray hair and eyes."