Whispers of Rescue
The long war between the kingdom and the rebel forces had dragged on for so long that it had naturally reached a stalemate. A prolonged war demanded a completely different strategy than a swift, decisive campaign. When a conflict dragged on, the primary focus shifted from "defeating the enemy first" to "outlasting them."
Supply lines had to be re-evaluated. Military gear worn down by long-term use had to be inspected and replenished. Soldiers whose morale had plummeted after spending too much time on the battlefield needed to be rotated to the rear to rest, while fresh troops took their place on the front lines.
To prevent chaos during these troop rotations, commanders of each unit had to maintain constant communication and initiate movements at precisely coordinated times. This logistical nightmare alone required weeks of endless coordination and planning.
For these reasons, both the Royal Army and the Duke's rebel forces had temporarily halted hostilities to reorganize. Naturally, the powerful figures backing each faction took advantage of this lull to contemplate their next moves.
"Tell me, my friend. How much merit do you think we can actually earn under the Duke's banner?"
"Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"
Two nobles who ruled the kingdom's coastal territories shared this conversation over drinks.
"Think about it. That bastard Colsch has already monopolized the importation of foreign weaponry the Duke needs. On top of that, since the battles are taking place inland, our soldiers—who excel in naval warfare—have absolutely no opportunity to shine."
"Ah, I see what you mean."
In the early stages of the war, the Duke had contacted the coastal nobles, using them to blockade the Royal Army's sea routes. This was done to prevent foreign reinforcements from arriving and to stop the Royal Army from bypassing their lines by sea to strike them from behind.
However, as a result of that thorough preparation, the coastal nobles had nothing left to do but block the royal navy and secure the safe passage of foreign goods. There were no more achievements to be made.
Of course, protecting supply lines—whether by land or sea—was a vital task. It meant guarding the army's lifeline. But it was thankless, invisible work. To outsiders, they were treated like cowards who only did safe jobs in the rear.
Naturally, once the war ended, they were highly likely to receive little to no recognition, severely limiting their share of the spoils.
This anxiety was not unique to them; it plagued everyone involved in this war. Both the Royal Army and the Duke's forces were moving with one eye on the battlefield and the other on the post-war world.
"But... what can we do? If we move our troops without permission in this situation, we'll be branded as traitors."
"Military achievements aren't the only way to earn merit, you know."
The noble who had arranged the meeting smiled, twirling a strand of his long, silky blue hair around his finger.
"Tell me, did you know my second son is an adventurer?"
"Ah, yes. The one who abandoned his noble duties to sail all the seas of the world?"
"Indeed. He sends back the knowledge and experiences he gathers firsthand, which my eldest son and I use to determine our next moves on the sea."
"..."
He knew the story well enough. Whenever his friend had a few drinks, he would inevitably ramble about his "worthless second son" who had run away from home, rather than his eldest son, who worked tirelessly and achieved great things to inherit the estate.
I see. The eldest son's achievements were backed by the second son's intelligence... So, leaving home was the second son's way of preventing a succession feud that would weaken the family?
Judging by the flow of things, the second son seemed far more capable. Had he stayed, the family would have split into factions: those supporting the eldest son out of tradition, and those clamoring for the more brilliant second son to take over.
Then again, seeing how the eldest son utilizes that information, he's no fool either. How enviable. My three children are all utterly useless.
Swirling his wine glass, the blue-haired noble continued with a smile.
"My second son recently sent a letter containing some rather intriguing information."
"Intriguing information?"
"Information regarding the Floating Island."
The Floating Island. The other noble's eyes widened at the name.
"Fishermen in the deep sea spotted what looked like a habitable house on the shores of the Floating Island as it drifted past."
"A habitable house? ...No, surely not!"
"Yes. Exactly."
The Floating Island, and earning merit.
"But does that even make sense? Lady Monia is still alive?"
"Why else would there be clear signs of human habitation on that dreadful, deserted island? Especially when there was absolutely nothing on those shores when Lady Monia was exiled?"
The two nobles fell silent, sipping their wine and drawing from their pipes. Only when the room was thick with smoke, resembling a foggy street at dawn, did one of them speak again.
"Can it be done? Tracking down the Floating Island and rescuing Lady Monia?"
"I have already sent a letter to my son, instructing him to bring Lady Monia back."
Of course, it would take a long time for a letter to reach the other side of the world, just as it had taken months for his son's letter to arrive here.
"But even before my letter reaches him, my son will already be tracking the Floating Island."
Therefore, sending the letter was merely the first step. Both the family here and the second son abroad would act dynamically, adjusting their plans to the passage of time and the shifting political landscape.
The second son, who kept a close eye on the kingdom's affairs and the progress of the war, would undoubtedly realize what must be done to elevate his family in a situation where conventional military achievements were out of reach.
He had absolute faith in his second son.
"So the moment the letter arrives, the rescue will begin... I think I understand why you brought this to me."
The noble he was speaking to was notorious for smuggling illicit goods—items banned by the kingdom or deemed morally abhorrent—amassing a fortune of dirty money to enrich his house.
"Yes. I need your expertise. My family lacks anyone reliable in those darker circles."
"I thought you had a few men for that?"
"I had to execute them. They tried to skim off our military supplies."
"My word. Traitors?"
"No, just greedy rats looking to line their own pockets. It seemed they planned to siphon off the goods and sell them elsewhere."
"Very well. Once Lady Monia is rescued, I shall lend you my strength."
"Thank you."
Nobles who were not in the Duke's inner circle did not know the truth: that Monia was merely a convenient pretext to start the war.
This was because the Duke had put on a flawless, deeply moving performance during his speech rallying the nobility to war.
As a result, many nobles genuinely believed this war was waged by a grieving father, a Duke driven to fury by the royal family's sacrifice of his beloved daughter. The two men sitting here were no exception.
"Well, since you've shared such splendid news, let me tell you something in return. Have you heard?"
"Heard what?"
"I have eyes and ears planted inside the royal palace. They tell me the prince who vanished has suddenly reappeared."
"...! Is that true?"
"Yes. And he has a faction of supporters backing him. From what I gather, the capital is in absolute chaos over the succession."
"Could that be the real reason the war has ground to a halt?"
"Indeed. The royal family is far too distracted by their internal power struggle to focus on the front lines."
"Then we cannot afford to waste time! Why haven't you reported this to the Duke? We should seize this opportunity to strike!"
"No, no, you misunderstand."
What was the easiest way to unite a faction crumbling from within? An external threat. Not a weak or mediocre enemy, but an overwhelmingly powerful one.
The moment an unstoppable foe appeared, even the most fractured factions would put aside their differences and unite to survive.
"I, along with several other nobles who have informants, have already advised the Duke on this matter. Do you know what he said?"
"I... I have no idea."
"He said he wants to let the kingdom bleed itself dry."
Right now, it was mere chaos, but once the dust settled, the Royal Army would be severely weakened. Whether the King or the Prince emerged victorious, deep fractures would remain among the nobles who chose sides.
The Duke merely had to wait for that moment, resting his weary forces in the meantime.
"My word. I had no idea."
"Now that you know, use this information to your advantage as you see fit."
"Thank you."
"Think nothing of it. I shall pray for your second son's success. May he bring Lady Monia back safely."
With those words, the two raised their glasses, offering a toast of loyalty and blessing using the moniker given to the Duke during the war.
"To the Blue Dragon."
"To the Blue Dragon."
"Hah!"
Thwack! Struck by the club Monia swung, a blue snake writhed before collapsing limply to the ground.
"A blue snake... I've never seen one before."
"Me neither."
"Really? ...By the way, how do you like it? The clothes I made."
"Yeah. I like it. I was looking forward to it when you said you'd make it, but it turned out even better than I expected."
"Y-You were looking forward to it?"
"Of course. Because you were the one making it."
"Hehehe."
Monia grinned foolishly at Chester's praise, picking up the blue snake with its crushed head. Meanwhile, Chester adjusted the clothes she had crafted for him.
"How is your leg?"
"It's gotten a lot better with some rest. It's still a bit uncomfortable, but if it heals completely while misaligned, I'll never be able to fix it properly. That's why we need to find a real cure now."
As water flows downstream, it filters out what is mixed into it, yet simultaneously becomes dirtier. It sounded contradictory to say it was filtered yet dirtier, but that was simply how nature worked.
"So, the water flowing from the upper reaches, above the waterfall, should contain a much stronger concentration of the island's special power."
The magical force that allowed plants to grow with overflowing vitality, kept Chester and Monia's hair and skin in pristine condition without any grooming, and healed wounds at an incredible speed. They were searching for the source where that power was most concentrated.
"By the way, can you climb the waterfall? There's really nothing but a rope there. I could climb up first and lower a ladder for you."
"I can climb it!"
"Is that so? Alright, shall we go?"
Chester and Monia set off toward the Upper Tier of the island.