297. Growing from the Ruins (1)
297. Growing from the Ruins (1)
- 1 -
The dawn of the small Kingdom of Uland was shrouded in a fog of unease.
The streets of the capital, Wolfsaehir, still glittered with brilliant decorations, but it was like silk laid over a festering wound.
The people knew it too. Just how hollow this splendor truly was.
For this nation had never once properly tasted the word prosperity.
"Is it Astaroth again?"
Amidst this, the council chamber froze with cold tension at the news of yet another monster attack on the eastern coast.
The report said three coastal villages were burning, fishing boats had been destroyed, and the inhabitants had been forced to scatter and flee.
"Your Highness. How will you respond?"
Queen Rizelotte sat upon the throne with a pale face.
Her braided chestnut hair was neat, but the shadows hanging beneath her deeply sunken eyes were traces of the nightmares that visited every night.
Twenty-two.
It had been only three years since the late king passed and the weight of the crown began crushing her shoulders.
The problems before her eyes were striking down her knights one by one, yet she had not even properly learned the rules of the board.
Experience was lacking, and power was scraping rock bottom.
It was despairing, but she steeled her core.
"We must dispatch additional troops to the northeastern coast. However..."
Royal Chancellor Hendrick continued her sentence.
"Our available forces are nearly depleted. Half are deployed to patrol the borders of Kakia and protect the trade routes of Elieniesi in support of the Nodengarde Union, and the remainder are stationed facing Whiscliffe and along the coast."
A heavy atmosphere settled over the council chamber.
Currently, the nobles were seated on either side of the hall, divided into two factions.
To the left were the pro-Kakia faction, and to the right, the Royalist faction.
Rizelotte observed the scene and sighed.
They were those who believed Uland could not survive unless its fate was entrusted to a foreign power. Even those who claimed to be the Royalist faction thought so.
Even though it was that very Kakia which had brought about this situation threatening their own borders.
"We must request additional support from the Union. In this current situation, their share of responsibility is to some degree..."
As the young, almost girlish queen's voice cautiously emerged, the Chancellor let out a sigh.
"We already requested support from the Union just one week ago..."
Chancellor Hendrick rubbed his dim, grey eyes, trailing off.
His knuckles were twisted from the traces of holding a pen for too long.
"Still, the only answer has been 'under review'..."
Even his voice bore the same deep fatigue as the Queen's.
It was a sight that strengthened the rumor he would have retired long ago were it not for the young queen he served as a surrogate father, but it couldn't be helped.
Aging came for everyone.
'Under review, they say... They intend to postpone the answer indefinitely again.'
As the Queen lamented inwardly, the Chancellor continued with an open sigh.
"Uland has little voice within the Union. Kakia is focused on food supplies, and Elieniesi on the coast and the southern borders of Grakheisen, so they say they have no leeway to concern themselves with a small kingdom like ours."
"If so, how about hiring mercenaries? Before the Royal Treasury runs dry..."
At those words, the Count representing the pro-Kakia faction made a displeased face.
"Mercenaries! They are turncoats who will betray us the moment they pocket their pay! We must draw closer to Kakia!"
"No! Is this mess not exactly because those bastards pulled out our soldiers!"
The Duke aligned with the Royalist faction retorted.
"The Kaski bastards have always been like this! Alliance before you, daggers behind you! Better to turn to Elieniesi or Mightia than beg those scoundrels for help!"
Amidst the clashing voices, Queen Rizelotte gazed out the window.
The broadleaf forest visible from the palace was profoundly peaceful, but danger lurked beyond it.
'Must we always hide behind someone else?'
They claimed to be the Royalist faction, but in truth, they were merely the anti-Kakia faction.
Their stance was simply that 'any other nation is better than Kakia, which threatens us despite being a brother nation.'
Whiscliffe in the North had grown quiet now, perhaps due to news of the Union, but Astaroth's invasion from the East continued to escalate. Meanwhile, gaining full support from Kakia in the West was proving difficult.
Such was the difficult reality of a frontier small kingdom.
'What should I do...'
Bang-bang!
As she agonized, a knock sounded on the council chamber door.
The sound of a door-knocker, deliberately loud to cut through the raised voices inside.
At the gazes drawn to her, the Queen nodded.
"Your Highness."
The chamber door opened, and the Royal Steward entered, bowing to her.
"Count Oscar en Tropos requests an urgent audience."
"Count Oscar? What is the matter?"
The Queen opened her eyes wide in surprise.
For he was the count who controlled the port of Tremilite, the key defensive stronghold on the eastern coast.
Him sending a messenger personally could mean a new crisis.
"He relayed that a mercenary corps from the Duchy of Arilit has arrived at Tremilite Port, and just this morning... he confirmed their performance."
"The Duchy of Arilit, you say?"
A stir spread through the council chamber.
"What reason brings them this far?"
"They came seeking a monster hunting contract. They claim to be subordinates of the famous White Lamia, Countess Echidna en Birka, and that this morning they successfully repelled Astaroth's monsters attacking the coast."
"Countess Echidna's?"
Bewilderment spread through the chamber.
Echidna's fame was known, even if faintly, this far away.
The Lamia known for subjugating powerful monsters and pirates, rallying them into an army, and forming an alliance with the lords of that region to vastly improve the security of the freshwaters and seas of Arilit.
"That monstrous being truly exists as a person?"
"Huh..."
Of course, the tale was so outlandish that many simply dismissed it as false rumor.
The small Kingdom of Uland was situated just below Whiscliffe at the northeastern edge, while the Duchy of Arilit lay west of the Norn Empire, precisely in the south-central part of the Eastern Continent.
Coming from the Norn Empire by sea was not out of the question, so their arrival was possible, but the issue was there was nothing for the people of Arilit here.
At least, there was no precedent.
"According to the Count, the commander of the mercenary corps that performed excellently in the defense wishes to contract with the Royal Family to secure further coastal defense agreements."
At the Steward's words, the nobles exchanged startled glances.
The Count of the pro-Kakia faction snorted dismissively but had no mind to obstruct the immediate matter.
"... We shall adjourn today's meeting here. Chancellor, somehow we must organize a dispatch force, even from the reserves. Please begin preparations."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After encouraging the old surrogate father and Chancellor by tapping his shoulder, the Queen rose from her seat.
"Steward, bring the Count's messenger to the reception room. I must hear it for myself."
Rizelotte made her decision.
'Perhaps... has hope finally arrived?'
She resolved to place her expectations on this unexpected aid from a distant land.
- 2 -
I was watching Sonia's back.
In the laboratory where the flow of mana was visualized like blue threads in the air.
At its center, Sonia's slender and long fingers danced, delicately adjusting the magic circle.
A grey-haired woman with her chin resting on her hand, lost in deliberation.
Whenever the magical symbols cast a blue light on her face, her eyes sparkled like stars.
Along with a wizard's characteristic intellectual beauty, I felt a sense of affection blooming for her.
I had never seen her from the 'past,' yet it felt as if I had witnessed it personally.
Sararak—
Blue mana flowed from Sonia's fingertips like thread.
One strand, two strands, soon dozens of mana-threads were slicing through the lab's air and beginning to weave together.
The wildly swirling mana streams suddenly halted, finally solidifying into a stable form.
That magic circle resembled a galaxy where the starlight of a night sky flowed. One might call it a living artwork, endlessly oscillating yet maintaining perfect balance.
Except for the fact that the substance of that magic was a curse.
'She has come a long way.'
For a human mage to reach this level required considerable time.
Sonia was growing faster and higher than expected.
Perhaps, just like in the 'past.'
"How is it going?"
When I opened my mouth, Sonia spun around in surprise.
That habit of failing to perceive her surroundings when focused was one of her fine talents as a mage.
"Master! How long have you been there?"
"A little while."
Her face flushed with embarrassment.
It was an honest cuteness.
"It was an experiment to draw mana from the core to create an independent barrier. It's still incomplete..."
"It is sufficiently splendid. I am pleased with your rate of progress."
Sonia blushed deeper and bowed her head.
This image was the same as when I first met her, yet also different.
Outwardly the same, but the emotion contained within was different.
"Sonia. I wish to entrust you with a mission. What do you think?"
"What kind... of mission? If you would only entrust it to me..."
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity and a touch of anxiety.
She was someone who did not believe in herself well.
But, my subordinates had told me once. That in the first round, Sonia remained loyal to me until the end and died.
Just those words made a corner of my heart feel warm.
I had always trusted her, but now I trusted her from the depths of my soul.
"It involves traveling to the North. Have you ever heard of the small Kingdom of Uland?"
Sonia's eyes sparkled. Exactly the image of a disciple hoping to be praised for her knowledge by her master.
"It's the small country east of Kakia, right? I know the name. Suffering frequent monster invasions..."
"Right."
I showed her a map of Uland through the mirror.
The small nation bordering the sea, attached to the east of Kakia.
"Currently, that place is suffering from attacks by Astaroth's marine monsters. And this..."
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and whispered.
"Can be an opportunity for us."
Sonia tilted her head to the side. Her hair touched my hand.
"An opportunity..."
"One of our immediate goals is to restrict Dantalion's movements. You know his Demon Realm is located in the North?"
"Ah, yes."
Sonia placed her hands near her chest, a serious look in her eyes. Because this was a discussion about me and my enemy.
"The more unstable the Northern Alliance, the more freely Dantalion can move. Conversely, if the North stabilizes, his actions become constrained. Especially if his subordinate Wepar is cooperating with them from within, even more so."
Whiscliffe, north of this country, was one of the two representative barbarian nations of the Eastern Continent.
While the other, Jake-Crossian, contributed to the fight against Dantalion and received treatment befitting a great power, this place was treated as truly savage, constantly raiding Uland and Kakia.
So much so that even monsters left them alone without invading.
It was a courtesy to let them torment other humans well(?) enough.
"And that support is said to be growing larger. We must stabilize Uland before that support takes effect."
"Then, what I must do is..."
As if guessing what she had to do, Sonia's eyes filled with tension.
"Yes. You will go to Uland as the representative of the mercenary corps chosen by Echidna, and conclude the coastal defense contract by proxy."
"If it is Lady Echidna's mercenary corps... aren't they part of Arilit?"
I nodded.
The Arilit Archduchy was a vassal state of the Norn Empire. So, she was likely questioning if my help would just end up helping someone else.
But there was a realistic limitation here.
"Kakia is checking my Grakheisen. So, for now, there is no choice but to exploit the psychology that they must seek help from the 'enemy of my enemy.'"
"I see..."
Sonia, who had been nodding, began to voice her own thoughts.
"You mean that if we help Uland, the Nodengarde Union, with its eastern flank stabilized, can pay more attention to Dantalion? But... is there no possibility they might attack us instead?"
Seeing my disciple's eyes sparkling with wisdom, my hand rose involuntarily, filled with pride.
I answered, stroking her hair.
"Of course, that could happen. But once they realize expanding their influence southward is impossible, they will have no choice but to focus more on recovering from the Demon Realm."
"... I suppose so. After all, Master is on this side."
Watching her accept the logic instantly, I snapped my fingers and summoned a small jewelry box.
"Take this with you."
As Sonia carefully opened the box, inside it lay a pendant shaped like a black petal.
"This is..."
"One spoonful won't fill the belly. But if the contract with the Royal Family is established, deliver it to the Queen of Uland. I will speak with her directly."
I placed a hand on her shoulder.
"My beloved disciple. I trust and cherish you. Take care of yourself and return safely."
"Yes, Master."
I pressed my lips once to her forehead.
Sonia's face was shining with embarrassment and resolve.
This was the reason she headed to Uland.