Aslan Territory War - 2
The sleeve of his missing arm fluttered in the wind. Occasionally, he still reached out with the absent limb out of habit, the awkwardness lingering, but after hearing the soft flapping for so long, it no longer bothered him. Avon gazed toward the distant expanse where a cool breeze swept across the land and began reading the letter held in his remaining hand.
"Hmm."
Justification. A principle the Franz family held in high regard. His grandfather, once consumed by war. Avon's father had deliberately shouldered the yoke called justification. Without it, he could never have suppressed the war-madness that had seeped into his blood.
Judging that continuing down that path would turn him into a mindless beast, his father had married a noblewoman from a gentler bloodline, even if her status was slightly lower. The decision had proven effective. Or so he had thought…
"Capable, yet he avoided succession disputes. His relationship with his father and eldest brother remains amicable. Until proper heir training begins, he has spent most of his time within the inner castle, refraining from external activities."
A voice broke through Avon's thoughts. Aidan Franz. Though he had not yet inherited the headship, his eldest son now handled the territory's affairs as acting lord.
"Given that he earned the trust of both houses enough to be entrusted with ruling Müller through the Franz-Boraeng collusion, he appears to be a mild-mannered individual."
In Aidan's hands was an assessment of Leoric that had circulated among the capital's nobles and social circles while Avon's wife stayed in the capital.
"Therefore, granting Leoric Franz a title, a new surname, and suitable rewards to maintain favorable relations would make him a suitable mediator to restrain southern powers. I judge this arrangement acceptable."
"……Hah."
Avon let out a short laugh. Any noble or court official who heard that sound would surely face a harsh reprimand from their superiors.
"Additionally, he remains unmarried. Contrary to typical Franz bloodline tendencies, rumors suggest he favors women. This must be verified through further investigation. If exploitable, deploying a honey trap would not be unwise. …………Why does this line read as though it is harder to believe than the previous statements? Well, it is true, of course."
Aidan offered a wry smile.
In truth, the Franz bloodline's traits resembled those of a declining house. They might have already concluded that the Franz line could end in the near future.
"There will be chaos now."
"Indeed."
Just as Aidan said. The world's turmoil would now accelerate at an exponential rate. At the thought, Avon's remaining fingers trembled slightly.
"Hah."
He watched his fingers quiver without realizing it. If only he were a little younger. The notion brought a smirk to his lips, and he clenched his fist.
Bloodline never truly disappeared. Masked beneath dignity and the duties of nobility, the Franz had always been beasts. His second son, Leoric, was no exception.
"He stirs up this kind of trouble, yet claims to dislike fighting."
"Ahahaha! Still, it's not entirely wrong."
Aidan laughed along with him.
"He probably does dislike it. But that doesn't mean he dislikes fighting or war itself."
"Right. More precisely, he finds it troublesome."
The mindset of the strong, possible only because he was strong. A scale existed within Leoric. When its balance tilted too far in one direction, he moved—just as he had now.
There were many reasons for the scale to tip. The boy claimed no greed for honor, wealth, or power, yet he did not dislike them either. Still, there were things he valued more. His women, for instance. Or anything he considered his own. Leo possessed considerable possessiveness. He had yielded the Franz headship because he had never regarded it as his to begin with.
"Red Blood. They called it Purple, didn't they?"
Contrary to expectations that they would stir up chaos, they remained remarkably quiet. Likely because the hunt for Red Blood in the southern regions had intensified. What they had not anticipated was Leoric's actions. They probably never imagined he would spread the rumors so openly.
Leoric did not particularly fear losses. In short, he believed that even if he were left with nothing, he could rebuild everything from zero—and he possessed the ability to do so. That was why he had dragged them all in. The south. The entire Brahms Kingdom.
"Oh dear. Grace would be shocked if she knew. Should we hide it?"
"No need. It would be better to prepare her in advance. Besides, even if they lose the war, that boy can slip away easily enough on his own."
Whether he would actually do so was another matter.
"Hmm. Then we should inform her once we judge the situation safer."
"Right. As long as we keep the people around us silent, there won't be a problem."
Avon spoke while retrieving another letter from his desk and beginning to read.
"Is it Leo's letter?"
"Yes."
Leo's letter briefly outlined the incident and his future plans.
"I've already sent a reply. It's not unfavorable for us either."
"Indeed."
"Rather, isn't he demanding too much? Does that boy even have any money left?"
Aidan himself had some grasp of Müller's internal affairs. Though time had passed, rough estimates were still possible.
"Hmph. We require this much compensation for me or Boraeng to intervene. It's rather insufficient."
"Well, that's…… Still, he's your son."
"He is now a fellow Count. We stand as equals among nobles. Had the letter appealed to sentiment, I would have refused."
"Very like you, Father."
If they won as promised, there would be no need to worry about funds for some time.
"Anyway, as agreed, increase the patrols. Handle the planning yourself."
"Understood."
Aidan nodded and rose from his seat. Watching him leave, Avon turned his gaze back to the scenery beyond the window.
-Crack!
With strength behind his fist, the fruit burst with a wet sound, its round form exploding. Count Tot wiped the red blood and brain matter from his hand as he stared at the remains.
"Filthy."
Taking a cigarette from his pocket and placing it between his lips, Count Tot turned his head. The scent of burning ash mingled with the smell of blood, carried on the wind.
"Is this the end?"
Hmm. Clearly……
Count Tot clicked his tongue.
"After all the effort to claim the village, wiping it out like this. A loss. Such a waste."
He had halted the war to attend the southern nobles' meeting held immediately after the coming-of-age ceremony, managing to seize only a handful of villages at best. He had intended to resume hostilities right after the meeting, but……
"My lord."
-Clank!
A knight in full armor approached and knelt before Count Tot. The corpse sprawled on the ground was crushed beneath the knight's knee, yet no one paid it any mind.
"As expected, Red Blood members were present, but no credible research materials were found."
"Hoo."
Count Tot frowned at the report. After the meeting, realizing Red Blood's technology had advanced further than anticipated, he had immediately suspended his invasion campaigns. Invasion could wait; first, his territory needed cleansing. And, if he were honest, he had half-expected to find research materials.
"Well, the odds of finding nothing were always higher."
"……Yes. What shall we do now?"
The knight's gaze shifted behind him. It had not been a city, but a village with a respectable population. Now it burned without a trace.
Count Tot's eyes swept over the rising dust, smoke, and flames.
"Well, do as you please."
Watching soldiers and knights slaughter screaming commoners with indifferent eyes, Count Tot turned away.
"Are you returning?"
"Yes. I need to rearrange the schedule."
Count Tot's lips curled upward. The image of the Müller lord he had met before surfaced in his mind. He had never intended to underestimate the man, yet the fellow had moved faster than expected. He had known Müller was no ordinary opponent, but……
"I received reports that the Müller lord has declared war. I should hear the details at the castle."
"Hmm. The Müller lord……"
Count Tot's aide furrowed his brow. The reason his territory waged aggressive invasion wars stemmed partly from his own temperament, but there was calculation behind it as well. In this southernmost land, central authority naturally held little sway. Not only the Tot family, but neighboring houses as well, operated as virtually independent powers. Still, the Müller territory's location should have remained within the capital's sphere of influence.
"The details can wait until we return, but this should prove entertaining."
Count Tot burst into cheerful laughter. The capital's peace-addled nobles would finally begin to stir, and the dull south would grow lively once more.
"Let the rest play as they like, but make sure the cleanup is thorough. Return to the castle immediately afterward. We need to start moving as well."
"Understood."
The Red Blood purge was sufficiently complete. Having chosen to erase entire suspicious villages, Count Tot left the screams and stench of blood behind and rose to his feet. Tremendous magic power resided within his body. Pure blue magic. It gathered and accumulated in his sturdy frame.
"I'll go ahead."
-Kuuuung!
As he kicked off the ground, the knight beside him staggered. The impact left a massive crater, and using the recoil, Count Tot soared skyward, cutting through the air like a missile as he hurtled toward the city.