Chapter 45
**CHAPTER TITLE: The Sword That Cuts the Throne – Chapter 45**
The morning after the victory party, the knights who had been celebrating with Matthias’s group remained completely hungover.
Even Ethan and Ines, who were usually strict with themselves, were suffering from the aftereffects and desperately searching for water.
Only Chastan and Heini, who were still minors and hadn’t even drunk, woke up feeling fine.
Chastan was squatting in a corner of the duke’s garden even in the early morning, admiring the flowers. He gently tapped the tiny petals no bigger than his fingernails and occasionally let out a soft sigh.
“Only he is still conscious?”
Heini, who had been bored and looking for someone to play with, walked over to Chastan. Normally he would have gone to train with Fabian, but Fabian had gone to the dock to see Jeanne off on her journey to the island.
‘Should I challenge him to a duel?’
Heini was about to ask Chastan to play with her, but when she saw him quickly tracing the movement of a flying bee with his fingers, she swallowed the words she was about to say.
‘Uh, no. Back then…’
The first time Heini had properly seen Chastan’s skill had been several days ago, during the duel with Jeanne. Honestly, she hadn’t been able to watch properly because their sword strikes were too fast and blurry. In other words, it was an enormous level of ability.
‘I guess he must be dangerous.’
He had a calm, “please don’t kill me” feeling despite her usual demand for gentleness, but Chastan wasn’t just good at swordsmanship—he radiated an overwhelming danger. The image of a fierce wolf that hunted alongside her in the forest flashed through her mind.
Leaving Chastan behind, Heini stepped out of the garden.
At that moment, Fabian, who had just returned from seeing Jeanne off to L’Horsey, was entering the castle.
“Eh? Uncle! Hahaha!”
Heini ran over to Fabian with sparkling eyes.
The two found a suitable place and prepared their swords for a swordsmanship lesson. However, because Fabian was completely distracted, Heini stopped.
“Uncle. Are you worried?”
Fabian shook his head.
“I failed to break the young lady’s stubbornness, so I must simply wait and believe in her.”
“That’s a good thought.”
“But she seems to have matured too quickly. It feels strange.”
Fabian, who had no children of his own, had treated Jeanne like his own daughter. For the past few months, Jeanne’s sudden change had left him unable to adapt.
“A daughter naturally grows up quickly. The other day I saw her suddenly standing there and thought, ‘Is she even taller than before?’”
“But why do you look like that, Uncle?”
“Tch.”
Heini herself also felt that she hadn’t matured enough, so she simply pouted.
“I have one nephew. I wanted to introduce him to the young lady, but I don’t know when the chance will arise.”
“Oh? In addition to being the young lady’s teacher, you have ambitions to become relatives?”
“He’s a boy. The young lady’s potential marriage partner… if she has to choose, won’t she pick someone herself?”
“That would be the case. Considering the personality of that great knight, it’s obvious. But Uncle, if I hold a sword right now and fight, could I defeat the 2nd Knight Order members over there?”
“Don’t say nonsense.”
“Ugh. I want to become strong quickly. Especially Chastan! He’s younger than me.”
“He may be young, but he’s an exceptionally talented knight, Knight Chastan. He’s on a completely different level even among the 2nd Knight Order, and you won’t be able to catch up easily.”
Even so, Fabian never told her it was impossible. As her teacher, he refused to break a student’s goal. That wasn’t part of his principle.
“Then that’s enough explanation. I’ll focus now. Shall we begin properly?”
“Great! Then let’s go!”
Heini gripped her practice sword and charged at Fabian.
***
A small boat arrived in La Rochelle.
Calen and Fabian waited anxiously at the dock and greeted the returning group.
“I am relieved that everyone is safe.”
The rain had been so heavy that they had worried they might have come too far and something could have gone wrong, but it was fortunate that they had departed at dawn.
As they disembarked, D-Bain spoke to Jeanne.
“You shouldn’t carry that, Lady Jeanne.”
Jeanne placed her hand on the Rosary hidden in her bosom.
“Abandon a great knight’s keepsake?”
“It’s not that you have to throw it away anywhere. You can store it in a warehouse or put it in a museum. The important thing is to stop carrying it. That thing is far too dangerous.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t use it twice again.”
“Have you seen the young lady for less than a year? How can I believe that?”
“You won’t even trust me, yet how are you following me?”
“That’s different from this.”
D-Bain sulked by himself, sighed, and then shouted again.
“Ah, forget it. Do as you please, Lady Jeanne. I clearly warned you.”
D-Bain knew from experience that people with strong wills were like him and would never yield.
After the victory party ended, the La Rochelle military camp returned to normal. The knights, who had danced and drunk themselves silly, resumed training as if the celebration had never happened. Matthias’s strategy was clear: only thorough training would lead to victory and reduce losses among their own forces.
After circling the camp and sighing in admiration, Jeanne decided to stay in La Rochelle for about a day and learn military command and other expertise from him.
Afterward, Jeanne and Matthias began discussing support in earnest.
The most urgent issue was the northern fortress Ilean. Because there was no river connecting Ilean to the sea, direct delivery was difficult.
They decided to deliver supplies by ship to Aquitaine, located further north than Ilean, and then transport them overland from Aquitaine to Ilean.
Matthias would send a detailed report on the Tracq naval battle they had just fought. It contained nothing but facts, without boasting about his own achievements, and even mentioned Jeanne’s assistance.
“What will you do from now on, Lady Jeanne?”
“For now, I’ll go to Mount Yver as the priest of Lann suggested.”
Having a priest in a war is a great help. Their medical system is in ruins, and their knowledge will be far more useful than their military strength.
“After that, I plan to gather militias. The country’s regular army has suffered heavy losses, and to face the enemy’s military, we need more military strength on our side as well.”
“I wonder if militias will really be of much help.”
“Right now is not the time to debate. We need every hand, even a cat’s paw. Moreover, the people of Bluisol have considerable strength.”
Jeanne thought of the militias who, unlike regular troops and knights, had taken up arms. Red-bearded Yanis Cormier. Though his fame had not yet spread, he was the man who had fought and defeated Rotinzel’s troops head-on.
In addition, militias had risen up across the entire country. Most had been defeated by the Rotinzel army, but Jeanne’s goal was to gather their strength so they would not suffer the same fate this time.
“I will clean this sea completely clean until you return.”
“If you do that, I will be truly grateful.”
“And…”
Matthias paused briefly as if he was about to say something. Jeanne looked at him with a questioning gaze. After deciding, Matthias spoke.
“Supporting Bluisol with supplies is something every citizen of this country should do. Separately, if the chancellor needs my strength, please request it whenever you wish. I, Matthias of La Rochelle, will help you.”
The La Rochelle duke adding his strength was an enormous help. Not only in the war, but perhaps even in determining the next king afterward.
“I will receive it with gratitude as well.”
Jeanne accepted his help this time, whereas she had refused it a year ago.
In just a few days, Jeanne had learned what kind of person Matthias was, and Matthias had learned what kind of person Jeanne was. A short time, but enough to glimpse the person’s true nature.
***
Jeanne’s group departed La Rochelle.
Matthias generously prepared portable rations including dried meat and other necessary supplies for their journey.
D-Bain appeared, jingling a single pouch. A clinking sound came from inside.
Nael was the first to react, even before Jeanne and Matthias.
“What is that?”
“Sugar candy.”
“Sugar candy? Not for kids, why?”
“There’s no rule that only children eat sugar candy. Would you like some, Knight Nael?”
D-Bain took out a yellow candy from the pouch and offered it to Nael.
“No thanks. I don’t like sweet things much.”
“Unexpected. You seem like you’d love it if I looked at your mental age.”
“Hey, you lost your position as foreign minister. Then do you need my respect?”
“I’m the chancellor, though. The chancellor of Lady Jeanne.”
“Hah.”
Leaving Nael’s dumbfounded expression behind, D-Bain popped the candy into his own mouth.
“Hmm, sweet.”
Candy was not produced in Bluisol, so it had to be imported entirely. Sugar-based candy was a very rare dessert. Even the highest nobles and D-Bain, who had served as chancellor for years, rarely enjoyed it.
The La Rochelle duke’s mansion had it on hand to serve as a rare guest, but D-Bain had brought the entire bag.
“You brought it over here? Did the duke say it was okay?”
“Mm? It’s mine, so I don’t need permission from Matthias.”
Nael clicked his tongue. D-Bain was putting the pouch full of candy into his luggage when an intense gaze came from nearby.
“…Knight Chastan?”
“Yes?”
“Would you like one?”
“Ah, no. I’m fine…”
Chastan swallowed. His body was honest unlike his appearance.
‘He’s still just a kid.’
He was only a year younger than Jeanne, yet Chastan looked so young.
‘Right. Thinking about it, our young lady is really an old soul.’
The Jeanne of the past might have matured early, but not to this extent. However, the current Jeanne had survived a war and reached twenty-four years old, so she was far more mature than her peers. Others didn’t know her history, so they often forgot she was only eighteen.
“Eat as much as you want. I brought plenty.”
“Thank you!”
D-Bain smiled kindly and gave Chastan one candy. Chastan’s eyes sparkled as he received it with both hands. His expression brightened noticeably.
Chastan enjoyed the candy to the fullest, popping it into his mouth and sucking on it.
D-Bain stared at Chastan for a moment, lost in thought.
‘He’s still young. Such a kid will be killing enemies on the battlefield and dying himself.’
On the battlefield, he is a terrifying knight, but in peacetime, Chastan is nothing but a pure boy.
He wasn’t just looking at Chastan; he projected onto him and thought of a young soldier of his own age or younger. Because the country’s situation was bad, even children and old men who would never have joined the army in peacetime were serving. His mouth felt bitter.
Then their eyes met. D-Bain erased the previous thought and gave Chastan a bright expression that said to eat it deliciously.
**END OF TRANSLATION**