The Second Sun
The roads in Muller were never going to be properly maintained. Larger cities like Franz had at least paved their main routes for the sake of trade, but everywhere else was predictably rough. The carriage jolted violently over the uneven ground.
I frowned at the discomfort, but there was nothing to be done about it. Outside the window stretched endless mountain ranges and dense forests. At first the scenery had been novel enough to hold my interest, but that novelty had long since worn off. Now it was just tedious.
“Lord Leoric. Please focus.”
“Ah, sorry.”
At Chloe’s reminder I turned my attention back to the documents in my hands. Lately I’d been finding it difficult to look up from my work at all. Even now—
“Hmm… This part will need to be confirmed after we arrive.”
“Understood. We should also recheck the tax rates.”
Chloe and Zeke were working diligently even on the road to Muller. Their dedication showed in the dark circles beneath their eyes. Their clothes were clean—new outfits for the formal entry—but their complexions were exhausted. I almost felt guilty just watching them.
“We really are short on people. I still can’t bring myself to trust Muller’s locals with anything important.”
“Isabel said she’d come, so things should improve then. Still, it’ll be rough until she arrives.”
I’d already informed them about Isabel’s eventual arrival, but she couldn’t come immediately. The decision had been sudden, and she needed to appoint a successor as guildmaster first. Grace was also unavailable right now. She was in the extremely delicate early stages of pregnancy. While some women went about their lives unaware they were pregnant without issue, caution was still essential—especially since the child she carried would one day become the head of the Franz family.
By the time Grace could travel to Muller, I would probably already be heading back to Franz. Meeting her here seemed unlikely.
“So, what needs to be done the moment we arrive?”
I set aside my wandering thoughts and looked at the two of them. Both stopped speaking and turned toward me.
“We must first secure the military unit responsible for public order.”
“We need to establish a proper internal administration, especially the inspection system.”
One answer from a knight’s perspective, the other from a civil official’s. I turned to Chloe first.
She met my gaze and began to explain.
“The Steel Knight Order that once commanded Muller’s military forces has been disbanded, but the basic armed units remain.”
“The ones under old man Hans’s management?”
Chloe shook her head.
“No matter how capable Sir Hans is, there are limits. His current role in Muller is solely to monitor for any signs of armed uprising. In Muller’s current state, showing weakness to Franz personnel would be unwise.”
Of course, I didn’t believe Muller would be foolish enough to rebel, but people sometimes made stupid choices anyway. I’d seen enough accidents and incidents back in the modern world to know better. If something like that happened here, it wouldn’t end quietly—I was certain of that.
“Fair point. Neighboring lords might try to stir up trouble. So those armed units are basically the security forces?”
“Yes. The castle guard.”
Guards were essential, especially now that the war was over.
“There was a letter saying Sir Hans has been looking into the situation to some extent, but even he would have difficulty getting detailed information on foreign troops. That’s why securing the guard unit responsible for public order must be our first priority upon arrival.”
“Public order is important.”
“If someone from Muller who harbors resentment toward Franz takes that position, it’ll become a headache. That’s how critical security is.”
The captain of the castle guard might sound like a minor post, but the position actually carried considerable authority, especially in emergencies.
“Then after we enter the castle, are you planning to take the captain’s post yourself, Chloe?”
“I considered that possibility, but I believe it would be better for Sir Hans to assume the role.”
“Old man Hans will probably have to return to Franz right away. We no longer have the luxury of supporting Muller from the outside.”
“What do you mean…?”
“Nothing major has happened yet, but we can’t keep relying on Franz’s help forever.”
There was also Aidan’s succession issue and the need to protect Grace. Once Franz grew busy, we wouldn’t have the capacity to extend our reach outward. Well, we could if we really wanted to, but—
“We can’t drag old man Hans into that. And if we send someone lower in rank instead, they won’t have the necessary authority.”
“I see. Then I suppose I have no choice but to—”
“No. Who was that again? Muller’s daughter.”
I couldn’t remember her name. It started with Tri—Tri-something.
“Triana Müller.”
“Ah, right. Give it to her.”
“Are you certain that’s wise?”
Chloe’s expression grew troubled.
“Appointing a direct descendant of Muller to such an important position…”
“Her goal is to reclaim the Müller name and the Müller lands. And for me, the one who will rule those lands, that’s hardly a comfortable position. But Father already gave his permission. As long as she stays alive in Muller, she has to work.”
“There’s a saying: those who do not work shall not eat.”
“Is there really such a saying?”
“Yeah. I read it in a book.”
“Oh? Fascinating.”
I ignored Zeke’s oddly impressed reaction and continued.
“If she tries to harm her own people, she’s not worth keeping alive. If she works hard and does well, that’s enough.”
“Is that so?”
Chloe still looked unconvinced. She clearly didn’t like the idea of employing Muller’s people. As long as someone competent kept them in check from below, I saw no need to interfere directly. Still, if problems arose—
“We’ll just purge them.”
“Pardon?”
“Purge them and be done with it. Did we come here to do charity work? If they won’t listen, we’ll make them kneel once.”
A purge. Plain and simple.
……
……
I’d spoken casually while flipping through documents, but when I looked up, both of them were staring at me strangely.
What?
“Understood. Then regarding the inspection corps…”
“Zeke will handle that. We’re not planning to completely exclude Muller’s people anyway, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“You’ll take charge, tighten things where needed, loosen them where appropriate, and train them yourself.”
“Understood.”
Zeke nodded.
“Hmm. So the only direct descendant left in Muller is Triana?”
“Yes. Tirson Müller’s entire family was executed at the time. Tirus Müller has no other children besides Triana Müller.”
“What about his wife?”
“She passed away during Triana Müller’s birth.”
“I see.”
Childbirth really was dangerous. Grace had Lena and other specialists on hand, so she should be fine, right?
“Once Isabel arrives, she’ll probably be able to handle both internal affairs and military matters. We’ll finally be able to breathe then.”
“Understood. We’ll proceed accordingly.”
“Good.”
And then—
“When we arrive, I’ll enter first.”
“Pardon?”
Both of them stared at me with wide eyes. I chuckled.
“Those at the top are supposed to put on a good performance.”
Besides, I had an ability that made quite the impression. Might as well use what I had.
“My lady, everything is ready.”
“Good. Thank you.”
The maid’s hands carefully arranged Triana Müller’s long, dark-blue hair, smooth as fine silk. Her father’s voice, once praising how much she resembled her mother, had already grown faint in her memory. Not much time had passed, yet the recollection was slowly fading, and tears threatened to spill. But she had to hold them back.
Triana Müller thought this as she gazed out the window. The damage from the war hadn’t been severe. Beneath the overcast sky, the city looked much as it always had. Yet an oppressive atmosphere hung over the entire city, one even she couldn’t ignore.
“It’s today, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
The maid who had served her since childhood wore a worried expression. During the war, Count Avon Franz had seized this castle. He had been terrifying, yet he was the most noble aristocrat she had ever encountered—strict not only with others but with himself as well. Aidan Franz, who had ruled alongside him, maintained that same strictness beneath his gentle appearance. Thanks to them, the chaos in the land had been swiftly quelled, and at least on the surface, peace had been restored.
“What kind of person do you think he’ll be…? Do you suppose he’ll be frightening?”
But then Aidan Franz had suddenly returned to Franz. Now the rightful ruler of this land was coming—Leoric Franz, the second son of the Franz family. A noble who had rarely shown himself outside Franz Castle, giving rise to countless rumors. He had only appeared at events hosted by the Beauleng family or in the capital, and even then he would vanish shortly after. Was it because of succession disputes, or was he someone who couldn’t be shown to the public? Rumors were inevitable. The position of second son in the Franz family was exactly that sort of seat.
And now that same man had suddenly begun to act. The cause was Muller, though the war had made it impossible to gather reliable information.
“One thing is certain—he’s no ordinary person.”
The maid’s concern was understandable. And though Triana maintained a calm front before her, she herself was worried. If he were an ordinary man, perhaps she could have seduced him somehow. But she knew better than to think someone from the Franz family would fall so easily. And Count Avon would never have sent such a person.
Triana Müller suppressed a sigh and waited for the second son who would arrive today.
—Shiver!
“Huh?”
Something. There was something.
“My lady?”
The maid looked at her in confusion, but before Triana could answer, she rushed out onto the terrace. The view was the same peaceful Muller she always saw.
“Something… there’s something there.”
Triana sharpened her magically enhanced senses. They spread across the city—through sight, through sound. She even extended them beyond the city walls, but felt nothing. Beneath the clear sky, the city appeared perfectly peaceful.
“My lady? Could it have been your imagination? I don’t sense anything…”
“……Perhaps.”
At the maid’s words, Triana wondered if it really had been a trick of the mind. But what was this chilling sensation?
Standing on the terrace and gazing at the city, Triana lifted her head, unsettled by the strange feeling.
“……What was the weather like a moment ago?”
The sky above was bright and clear. The bizarre sensation left her disoriented.
“Pardon? Ah, it was a bit cloudy earlier, wasn’t it? But not enough for rain. Oh my—now that you mention it, the sky has cleared up.”
Cleared up? Triana’s face went pale. Unlike the maid who was simply looking around, Triana—who had sensed something amiss—raised her eyes to the sky. And there it was.
She had noticed too late.
In that instant, every person in Muller lifted their heads. Not because they had heard a voice, but because before this overwhelming presence, they could do nothing else. Permission had been granted, and so they could raise their heads. Their eyes took in the dazzling light.
“My name is Leoric Franz.”
A second sun hung in the sky. Golden radiance bloomed from the figure. No—from the being. Was that truly human?
His voice resonated throughout the city.
“I am the ruler of this land.”
The Sun of Leoric. Looking down upon the city with indifferent golden eyes, he appeared. Before a god, humans kneel. And so everyone knelt. As silence reigned over the city, Leoric Franz had arrived.