Chapter 121: Upheaval (6)
Chapter 121: Upheaval (6)
“The Steel Legion has planted the flag of the Iron Kingdom within the Six Free Cities.”
Ian Chervil received the victory report while seated upon the Iron Throne. The war of conquest waged by the Steel Legion had been less of a battle and more of a one-sided massacre. Without House Rhapsody and the Freedom Legion, the Six Free Cities were nothing more than mere city-states. It was impossible for a people steeped in long-standing peace to prevail against the Steel Legion—a force forged in the fires of countless wars.
“Congratulations, Your Highness.”
“Future generations will remember this day. This feat will be etched into history for ages to come!”
“We no longer need to worry about resources. We can finally stand tall without bowing our heads in diplomacy!”
A chorus of vassals showered Ian Chervil with praise. They spoke of the glory of the achievement, the valuable spoils the Iron Kingdom had reaped, and shared hopeful visions of the future.
Watching his ministers smile with such smug satisfaction, Ian Chervil spoke coldly.
“Are you satisfied?”
“Pardon? Of course, Your—”
“Do not be satisfied.”
The ministers, who had been grinning at one another, froze the moment Ian Chervil spoke. As the atmosphere turned frigid, the smiles vanished. The boisterous voices fell into a heavy silence. In the stillness, Ian Chervil spoke in a dry, detached tone.
“This is not the end; it is only the beginning.”
How can their vision be so narrow?
Ian Chervil felt a genuine sense of pity for them.
The vassals did not know the real reason he had chosen the Six Free Cities as his first target. Abundant resources? Trade routes? Diplomatic gains? Such trivialities could never be the true catalyst for war. Ian Chervil’s goal was the summit of the world. To achieve that, he had to wage war not for profit, but war for the sake of war itself. A war where everyone joined the fray and raced toward complete destruction. A war to end all things.
Ian Chervil desired an era of absolute chaos. He wanted the Age of War to begin anew.
“Contact the General.”
The occupation of the Six Free Cities was the first button of chaos to be fastened.
The Six Free Cities were the nations that had enjoyed peace for the longest time. The world called them a paradise on earth, the safest lands in existence. Consequently, they were a hub of trade for the entire continent, a place where all seven races lived in harmony, and where travelers from every corner of the globe gathered.
The connections tied to that place were many. Truly, so very many.
“Of the prisoners captured, kill every single one who is not a resident of the Free Cities. There are no exceptions. Whether they are travelers, students seeking knowledge, or beloved artists—slaughter them all.”
There was no better place than this to spread the seeds of chaos throughout the continent.
“So that everyone connected to them may burn with rage.”
*
With Tom’s help, I managed to return to the manor. Even after returning, the mental fog refused to lift. It felt as if my soul and the soul of the sword had been merged into equal halves.
“You need time. You faced a soul far too great for your current self to handle. If you were an ordinary swordsman, your soul would have shattered instantly.”
Audrey explained that part of the reason was the shock of returning to reality while still absorbing the sword’s memories, but the fundamental cause was that the soul contained within 「Ascension」 was simply too powerful. Even in my dazed state, I understood. I had only seen a fragment, but the legend contained within 「Ascension」 was excessively intense.
“If the Heart of Steel hadn't protected you, you would have died right then and there.”
Audrey gave me a stern warning. She explained that the Authority of Steel I used was a type of spiritual ability, and that absorbing another soul in the spiritual world was an extremely dangerous act. While she used terminology I couldn't quite grasp, my Master simply stood there in silence.
“Be careful. I’m serious.”
Audrey left after one last warning. While I was regaining my senses, it was Audrey and Hailyn who stabilized the estate. The two of them calmed the residents' anxieties, won over public sentiment, and handled the administrative duties as acting lords. Sancho took care of the manual labor, while Tom helped him stabilize the territory. Seol-yoon took charge of nursing me by my side.
The many people who came to visit me relayed the events unfolding in rapid succession.
“The Freedom Legion has been disbanded. They say it is the punishment for those who abandoned their duties and violated the laws. The hired mercenaries and Wave Catchers have scattered, and the members of House Rhapsody have been branded with the mark of punishment and escorted to the Winter Fortress.”
The news they brought was all hard to believe.
“The Six Free Cities have been occupied. They say it was the fastest conquest in recent history. The Free Cities have lost their freedom; in place of Rhapsody, a governor dispatched from the Iron Kingdom will rule them. In the Sky Empire, there is a debate over whether House Rhapsody should be stripped of its status among the Great Five Families. After all, Rhapsody failed its duty. Not only did the head leave his post, but he took a precious legion with him. Everyone is saying that if Rhapsody hadn't committed such an act, the Free Cities would never have fallen so easily.”
A nation had vanished. One of the Great Five Families was on the verge of collapse.
“The King of the Iron Kingdom has changed, Descendant of Steel. Everyone in the kingdom is talking about it. They say as soon as the Iron Prince ascended the throne, he conquered the Free Cities, which had enjoyed eternal peace. They say he brought a land flowing with milk and honey to the Iron Kingdom. It’s ridiculous. To shower praise on a madman who not only killed all his siblings but has now slaughtered his own father?”
The King of the Iron Kingdom had changed. The previous king was dead, killed by the hand of his own son. Yet, no one questioned the new king’s lack of filial piety. Instead, they spoke only of his achievements. They praised him until their lips were sore.
“Young Master Arhan, you likely remember the last sight you saw at the entrance of the estate. The duel between the two Swordmasters. That duel, which was closer to myth than reality, ended more one-sidedly than expected. Hugo Rhapsody did not resist White’s sword. He surrendered quietly in exchange for a promise not to harm his children. Hugo Rhapsody was an eccentric man, but in the end, he was a father.”
“……”
“Hugo Rhapsody gave up his right arm and left with his two sons without even receiving treatment. The Grand Duke of the North did not pursue him further. The right arm of a Swordmaster was more than enough to pay for the lives of the Watchers. Their whereabouts are currently unknown.”
A Swordmaster had willingly given up his right arm. He had surrendered a part of his body as vital as life itself to a swordsman. One could say the spirit of the Great Idler had been broken.
The major events passed like that.
The Watchers of the White Family and the Steel Legion left, taking the disbanded Rhapsody legion with them. The Dragon, which had appeared with such overwhelming presence, did nothing. It simply watched the events unfold and then vanished along with the Steel Legion. Like the wind.
It seemed all the uninvited guests who had visited the Caravan estate had withdrawn. Audrey and Hailyn reassured the residents so they would no longer tremble in fear, and they began to actively interact with surrounding villages, absorbing them into our fold. The fact that a legion of a Great Family and the Steel Legion had visited now acted as an advantage. Audrey and Hailyn used the fact that our estate remained intact despite such events to entice the neighboring villages. The uneducated peasants were all too easily enchanted by the words of a wizard.
Thus, the Caravan estate slowly began to take the shape of a city. However, I couldn't shake a certain sense of unease. An unease that had never been wrong.
“...Young Master, you mentioned before that the Iron Prince would stir up a whirlwind.”
“Yes.”
“It seems the whirlwind is still blowing.”
By the time my body was almost fully recovered, Tom confirmed that my unease was not misplaced.
“They say the Steel Legion executed all the prisoners from the Free Cities. Not only did they execute them, but they also impaled their heads on pikes and lined them up along the beach as decoration. This is unprecedented. It is dishonorable, ignoble, and violates the most solemn laws of war. To kill prisoners who have no will to fight in such a gruesome manner...”
Tom spoke with a trembling voice.
“This is incomparable to anything that has happened so far, Young Master. Among the executed prisoners were young Elves, high-ranking Demonkin on vacation, Dwarf craftsmen who had come for technical exchange, and Beastkin laborers. Furthermore, most of the gold coins circulating in the Free Cities were lent and invested by the 「Red Bank」 of the Black Archipelago. Everything I’ve just said is only a fraction of it. The Sky Empire and even the Great Land are all entangled in this.”
“……”
“If the current conflict escalates... I fear the Age of War is truly returning.”
Nothing could escape the whirlwind Ian Chervil had stirred. His claim that he would drag in the entire continent and all seven races was true. I was honestly terrified that this was only the beginning.
*
While the continent was in upheaval because of Ian Chervil, the Caravan estate, located in a remote corner of the Iron Kingdom, remained quiet. This was because the land was too humble to be swept up in such a violent storm.
However.
“Lord Arhan Caravan.”
Though this land might be humble, I was no longer a humble swordsman.
“A fighter who made a name for himself in the 「Arena」, and a swordsman who understands romanticism, having defeated Sir Meken—a knight who reached the level of 「Sword Runner」 while still a 「Sword Walker」—in a duel of honor. A man of excellent skill who recently caught the eye of Sir Edan Rhapsody, one of the continent’s top experts.”
Yes. The things I had achieved were now quite famous.
“The Chervil Iron Kingdom is currently preparing for an important war. We need as many swords as possible. We especially have a desperate need for someone of your caliber.”
A renowned sword in the Iron Kingdom cannot remain free. This was a country structured such that it would collapse if it did not wage war. In this mad nation, swordsmen were always subject to conscription. At this moment, conscription was beginning once again. And this time, I was the target.
To summarize:
“Respond to the call of your nation, citizen of the Iron Kingdom.”
The army was calling for me.
「Young descendant.」
A call that no man of the Iron Kingdom could avoid. The duty of national defense.
However.
「It is just as you said.」
There was no way I hadn't thought of this.
「That habit of yours, doubting everything—it does come in handy sometimes. As does that habit of not letting even small connections slip away.」
The whirlwind stirred by the Iron Prince was plunging the world into chaos. As Tom said, the winds of the Age of War were blowing again, and the seven races were already entangled in his schemes. This was not something that the lord of a backwater land could stop.
There is an old saying: If you can't avoid it, enjoy it.
“I am not subject to conscription.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“There is a law within the codes of the Iron Kingdom. A man of the Iron Kingdom over the age of fifteen cannot refuse conscription. He must respond to the call of the nation. This is the duty of an Iron Kingdom citizen. But are there not exceptions?”
A whirlwind that no one could stop and no one could avoid. If I was going to be swept away anyway, I would rather ride it.
“...Lord Caravan, are you saying you fall under an exception?”
A reversal in a disadvantageous situation? I’d already done it once.
“Yes. Do you wish for me to prove it here and now?”
What the hell. Let’s do it one more time.