Calm Before the Storm (2)
I added, “I’d like your troops to remain in the rear and secure our supply lines. Our goal is to capture Harmel Castle as quickly as possible before the enemy can unite. If we push too deep into their territory, there’s a real risk the supply route behind us could be cut off.”
“I have no objection to Your Excellency’s thinking, but wouldn’t it be safer to advance methodically, capturing villages one by one?”
“We’re short on food. We have more than enough war funds, but because this conflict erupted so suddenly, we couldn’t stockpile sufficient provisions. And if we move too slowly and waste time, even if the southern lords don’t actively try to reconcile, they’ll naturally band together against the invasion. We cannot give them that time. We must strike hard and fast while they’re still mired in internal strife and confusion. End it quickly.”
While I was speaking with Luzen, a knock sounded at the door and his son Tristan entered. He had come on an errand from his father. He handed over the folder of documents Luzen had forgotten, then turned to leave right away. But the moment he saw Haida and Evynee returning from their outing, he forgot all about leaving and began trailing after Haida like a puppy.
Haida noticed we had a guest and quickly prepared wine glasses, pouring the wine with practiced grace. She was about to bring them to me and Luzen when Tristan suddenly snatched the tray and insisted on carrying it himself. Luzen accepted the glass from his son with an obviously displeased expression, then glanced at Haida.
“Who is that girl? From her appearance, she carries an air of nobility. She can’t be of low birth, can she?”
I turned my head to look at her. In the small pantry-like space prepared in one corner of the office, Tristan was excitedly hovering around her, sticking to her side. Yet it was Evynee who responded to him, while Haida herself offered almost no reply, simply wearing an awkward expression as she focused on her tasks.
“She’s the one who attends to me. Half commoner, half noble blood.”
“Are her parents still alive?”
I picked up my wine glass and shook my head. “Both passed away.”
“She called you ‘Master,’ so her status is…?”
“I bought her and her younger sister at the slave market last year.”
“…A slave, then.”
Luzen’s expression darkened further. “Has she had her first menstruation?”
“A few weeks ago. I’d like to find her a good match soon, but I haven’t seen a suitable husband for her yet.”
Luzen stared intently at Haida, who was preparing fruit at the simple counter, and at Tristan, who was glued to her side like a piece of gum. From the look in his eyes, it was clear he wanted to scold his son on the spot.
I set my glass down and asked quietly, “Are you worried the two of them might cause some kind of accident?”
“Forgive me for speaking ill of Your Excellency’s property, but I find it distasteful for a girl of lowly birth to bear the heir of our family. It’s not good for Tristan, nor for the girl herself. The child would be treated as a bastard, and the mother would live an unfortunate life. As for Tristan, he can simply find another woman.”
I smiled. “That girl is no longer a slave. I destroyed the slave contract some time ago. She’s essentially a commoner now. I’d like to track down the lord who originally designated her as a slave and erase every record, but the distance is too great and the situation doesn’t allow it. Still, what does it matter? If the master who purchased her says she isn’t a slave, then she isn’t. And if she herself denies it, who in this wide world would know she was ever a slave? It’s not as if she has a brand on her forehead.”
Luzen was firm. “Even if she is a commoner, she is not of a station that matches our house. This isn’t a political marriage, and from a father-in-law’s perspective there is no benefit at all. Most importantly, for a family to prosper, a child’s marriage can be an important tool. I don’t want to waste that opportunity. A boy like Tristan could easily lay his hands on the breasts of a lord’s daughter who possesses a small territory. Yet here he is, making a fool of himself. It’s simply pathetic.”
Luzen asked for my permission to lecture the two children. After a brief moment of thought, I nodded. It seemed Haida wasn’t particularly fond of Tristan anyway, so I had little choice.
At once, Luzen rose from his seat, approached the two, and spoke coldly. “Do not associate with a lowly wench. Do you wish to tarnish the family’s honor?”
“F-Father!”
Tristan’s face turned bright red. He was so flustered he didn’t know what to do.
“If you truly want to seduce a girl, seduce the daughter of a prestigious family that can actually help our house. What is this about a plain maid? A maid? Is that all your ability amounts to? You look utterly beneath yourself.”
“I only wanted to become friends with Haida!”
“Be quiet. Get out of here at once.”
Luzen also scolded Haida harshly. “The moment you spread your legs for this boy, you will ruin your life. Never allow him into your heart.”
Haida had done nothing to flirt with or tempt Tristan, yet she was hearing these vulgar words for no reason. Though she must have felt wronged, she didn’t show it. She simply answered “Yes” shortly, then kept her mouth tightly shut and stared at the floor.
After Luzen dragged his son out of the office, I approached Haida, who was clearing away the empty wine glasses, and gently stroked her hair.
“Did that hurt you?”
“Master…”
Haida and Evynee were children who knew only me. Neither they nor I had any blood relatives left in this world. We were beings who had to rely on one another to survive. The two girls were incredibly precious to me. Perhaps the reason I had allowed Luzen to speak so harshly to Haida was that, as a father with a daughter of his own, I secretly wanted to chase Tristan away. Tristan wasn’t a bad person, but still… a father’s heart… I suppose the feeling of not wanting to lose a daughter he had cherished and raised was simply too strong.
“Don’t take it to heart. I consider you and Evynee as my own daughters, and I will always be on your side. The place I send you to be married won’t be somewhere small like the Langdal family. I intend to send you to a much larger and better house. What do you think?”
“I will only follow whatever Master commands. To me, Master is like a father.”
“Good. Thank you for thinking that way.”
In his bedchamber, Lord Cain was in the middle of rutting with a maid in broad daylight when one of his vassals came looking for him.
“An urgent message has arrived from the McKinley family, who guard the south.”
“What is it?”
“They say it has already been three days since Lord Richard invaded our territory. All the vassals are waiting for you in the conference hall because of this.”
Lord Cain narrowed his brows. This was the first he was hearing of Lord Richard’s invasion. The same was true for every vassal inside Harmel Castle. Only now, with fire licking at their feet, were they hurriedly gathering in the conference hall.
“I’ll be there soon.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Once the vassal closed the door and left, Lord Cain gave the naked maid’s ass one last fierce thrust, then pulled out his glistening cock and shoved it into her mouth.
“Ugh!”
After ejaculating refreshingly down her throat, he left the room.
About ten vassals were seated around the table in the conference hall located at the top of the tower. Every one of them looked anxious and restless, and the air in the room was so heavy it felt difficult to breathe.
The moment Lord Cain sat at the head of the table, the vassals began speaking as if they had been waiting.
“Two villages have already been taken. Chain Lake surrendered to the enemy of their own accord early on, and although the residents of Wanderbrick fought desperately, the enemy’s numbers were simply too great and they were ultimately defeated. Lord McKinley, who sent us this news, is currently being held captive. His son, who managed to escape the battle safely, delivered the message in his stead.”
Another vassal continued. “According to the soldiers’ reports, Lord Richard has split his army into two. The unit marching toward our Harmel Castle is being led by Lord Richard himself, while the unit attacking the villages from the rear is commanded by Luzen, the Lord of Langdal.”
Yet another vassal picked up the thread. “Time is of the essence. Lord Richard is expected to appear before us the day after tomorrow, and Luzen is currently attacking the third village. Their movements in this war are remarkably swift, well above average. We are losing territory at an alarming pace.”
“See? This is exactly what I told you.”
Lord Cain looked down at the map spread across the center of the table and let out a snort. In the span of a single day, a full third of the territory had fallen into Richard’s hands.
“While such a horrific thing is happening in the south, where are all those family heads who refused to budge no matter how loudly I shouted for war? Hm? The southern bastards are getting beaten so badly they can’t even speak, but what about the ones in the north, east, and west? Where the hell have they gone? What are those bastards doing right now? And what about all of you? Is sitting here groaning and suffering like you’re trying to shit out a rock all you can do? You should have listened to me from the beginning! Why don’t you trust me! Why!”
When Lord Cain suddenly flew into a rage and slammed his fist on the table, the vassals jumped in fright and flinched.
At that exact moment, the conference hall door opened. A knight entered, knelt before Lord Cain, and bowed his head.
“The Barklan of the Treewood family has sent a letter saying he is coming to Harmel Castle with seventy troops, including mercenaries, along with military supplies. In addition, the lords of various villages such as Vant, Ferguson, and Memab have informed us that they will gather at Harmel Castle for the war.”
Lord Cain sneered at them. “Those who called me a madman have all turned into cowards. Go and tell them I will welcome them with open arms, so they should hurry.”
“Understood.”
After the knight left the conference hall, Lord Cain shrugged his shoulders.
“With this, war is now certain.”
Not a single vassal seated around the round table could deny those words. They had been invaded. If they wanted to survive, they had to fight back.
Lord Cain slowly looked over the vassals, who had opposed war so fiercely only to fall completely silent in an instant, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
“See? It ended up exactly like I said.”
“N-Now is not the time to be pleased, my lord. Barklan may be coming after being persuaded by the surrounding lords out of resentment for his sister’s death, but most of the lords who follow Lord Eidan will not participate in the war unless he takes personal command. Please go and persuade Lord Eidan at once. Only then will lords from across the land come to our aid.”