The Apology Letter from John Nassen
"You think I'll just take this lying down? Not a chance."
"…."
Aias Mentain de Litorio. Master of one of only three grand duchies in the entire Empire.
Even before the Western Kingdom's sudden ambush, he had never lost his composure.
Yet in this single moment, even the Archduke of Litorio could not help but be stunned.
"What is this supposed to be?"
"It was sent by the young lady. According to what is written on the exterior, it is an apology letter from the John Nassen family."
"An apology letter…?"
"Yes, Your Grace. Moreover, it is said the second son of the John Nassen barony wrote it himself."
He doubted his own ears. It was truly bizarre.
Quite some time had already passed since the incident in which his own son had been injured.
It had certainly been an extremely unpleasant affair, yet the original provocation had come from their side.
As the scion of a great noble house, the boy had done something utterly unfitting.
And from the beginning, the John Nassens were not a family that offered apologies.
Thus neither the Archduke himself nor anyone else had expected anything resembling an apology.
Yet now, of all times, an apology letter?
There is something behind this.
When the Archduke held out his hand, the butler presented the letter with respectful care.
The image that sprang to mind at the name John Nassen was always one of pure, unrefined roughness.
Speech, behavior, the entirety of daily life—everything about them was presumed to match that image.
Nearly the entire Empire thought so. The Archduke himself was no exception.
But upon examining the envelope that wrapped the letter, the Archduke let out a short, incredulous laugh.
Even from the outside it gave an impression of remarkable neatness and refinement.
For a moment he wondered whether Elga might have had a hand in it, then dismissed the thought—surely the daughter of a grand duchy would not involve herself in something so trivial.
Then he saw the lines written in an exceedingly elegant hand upon pure white paper.
Every suspicion vanished in an instant, replaced only by a sigh of pure disbelief.
This was truly written by a direct descendant of the John Nassens?
It was not merely the penmanship that was refined. The phrasing itself was every bit as ornate as the script.
There was not a single trace of the monotony or roughness one associated with the name John Nassen.
From the very opening it inquired after his well-being in an extremely deferential tone and lightly praised the grand duchy once.
What followed read like a written form of prostrating oneself in abject apology.
The writer had lowered himself so thoroughly that even the reader felt embarrassed.
He denigrated himself as far as possible while elevating the Litorio Grand Duchy.
Judging by content alone, one could easily believe a vassal of the grand duchy had written it rather than a member of another noble house.
Anyone else reading it would certainly conclude that the author was cowering before the authority of the Litorio Grand Duchy.
Yet the Archduke of Litorio's eyes still held a cold light.
…Fortunately, the merciful young lady of the Litorio Grand Duchy has accepted my apology with a gentle heart, and thus I have been able to lighten the burden upon my mind a little….
Heh.
Just as expected. Yes. This was far more like a John Nassen.
He had appeared to adopt an extremely submissive posture, yet the true meaning had been carefully concealed within.
That he apologized to Elga means Elga presented herself as the representative of Litorio. She cannot have been unaware that there would be opposition within the family, and yet she stepped forward regardless.
Interesting. Very, very interesting. The Archduke smiled.
Though he was the father of three children, he had thrown every one of them into political struggle.
It was a seat that could never be seized without fighting.
Even if one were lucky enough to claim it, it would be snatched away again soon enough.
One had to prove it. Prove that one was more suited to the position than anyone else.
Prove it to this father, to the people of the house, and to oneself.
Because he knew full well how arduous and exhausting the seat of Archduke truly was,
he tested his children while wearing a mask of extreme coldness.
By that measure the eldest had already been eliminated and confined within the castle.
The second had seemed to be doing well, only for everything to tangle mercilessly without warning.
At that exact timing, Elga—who had remained silent until now—stepped onto the main stage.
And not long afterward, that same John Nassen had personally declared his intent to apologize.
Was this mere coincidence? Simply the natural result of Kyle's enrollment?
Surely not. Impossible.
The Archduke of Litorio already sensed that some conversation had taken place between Kyle and his daughter.
That much became immediately clear from the next passage.
I beg that you accept this apology, so that any lingering resentment that might still remain….
Accept the apology so that any lingering resentment might be erased, was it?
For reference, Litorio had decided to remain silent regarding the events of that day.
Even though the legitimate heir of the house had been injured, they had not demanded so much as a single apology.
Even if resentment remained, one must never show it.
The head of the house himself had decided that nothing of the sort had occurred.
And yet a freshman who had not even been enrolled a full month was bringing it up.
What did that mean? It meant the two of them had already spoken.
There are people at the Academy making themselves a nuisance to me. Kindly manage them well. Is that it?
It was arrogance of the purest sort.
To send such a letter not to anyone else, but to the Archduke of Litorio himself.
Had he simply stated his true intentions without concealment, that would have been one thing.
This, however, was nothing less than a provocation: If you can decipher the meaning contained herein, then by all means try.
"Heh heh heh."
A smile bloomed—an irrepressible smile.
To think such an outstanding talent existed. In the world of the John Nassens, that terrifying nest of barely-human creatures so obsessed with their bodies that they had no need for brains—
to think someone capable of writing a letter like this, of thinking like this, would emerge!
The succession situation was already growing chaotic, and the mood among the vassals was unsettled as well.
He had deliberately remained silent in order to select a more capable successor.
Apparently some of them had misinterpreted that as the Archduke withdrawing.
What he wanted was the future heir, not the Archduke of the present moment.
If they kept jumping the gun, who on earth would sit quietly and watch?
"Butler."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Tomorrow we shall hold a modest little party."
"A party, Your Grace. May I inquire as to the theme?"
The Archduke of Litorio carefully folded the letter and parted his lips.
"A party to offer some consolation to the vassals. And while we are at it, I would like to hear a few things about the children. How they are faring at the Academy, what they are up to—I find myself curious."
The time to clean house among the vassals had arrived, the Archduke of Litorio decided.
"Your Highness. Are you truly all right with this?"
"Why? Scared?"
"Of course I'm scared. How many of those lunatics are going to stare us down this time?"
Logan Stefan of the Imperial 10 Strongest clicked his tongue and quickened his pace.
His stomach was still twisting from the teleportation circle, but there was no time to rest.
Only a few hours earlier he had been quietly resting at home, or so he remembered.
Somehow he now found himself standing on the cold, desolate soil of the North.
It had not been the usual messenger delivering an imperial command.
He had been summoned to the Imperial Palace, granted an audience with the Emperor himself, and given the order in person.
"Logan Stefan. You will accompany the Fifth Princess and depart for the North at once."
"Your Majesty?"
"The teleportation circle is already prepared. Leave immediately."
A sudden imperial command. Whatever it might be, he had no choice but to obey.
He had sworn loyalty to the Empire and pledged to serve the Imperial House.
No matter how base the task, no matter how dangerous—he would see it done.
So thinking, Logan heard the full details from the Minister of the Palace.
"The western kingdoms have formed an alliance? And they are trying to suborn Imperial nobles?"
"That is correct, Sir Logan."
"Those kingdom fleas are practically begging to die."
That at least made the Emperor's sudden order understandable.
Between himself and the Fifth Princess Yulika, erasing a single traitorous house would be nothing.
They would make the traitors understand, bone-deep, exactly why the Imperial 10 Strongest were called the Imperial 10 Strongest….
"For reference, Sir Logan, your destination is the John Nassen barony."
"…Pardon? Hold on a moment. What did you just say? Where am I going?"
"The John Nassen barony."
"…."
Had he somehow committed an act of disloyalty toward His Majesty? He racked his brains.
There was no other reason the Emperor would send a member of the Imperial 10 Strongest to the John Nassen barony.
The moment they arrived those people would light up with excitement and charge straight at them, shouting for a match.
They would bellow about wanting to see just how powerful a member of the Imperial 10 Strongest truly was!
Logan was confident in his own martial strength. He possessed the pride of a man who would not lose to anyone.
But the John Nassen barony was a gathering of absolute maniacs who surpassed even that.
If he went, he would either lose and die, or win only to keep fighting until he collapsed from exhaustion and died. One of the two.
"Wait—before that, are you telling me those kingdom fleas actually managed to suborn the John Nassen barony?"
"That is precisely what the two of you are going there to ascertain."
"Why us? Why not simply send a messenger?"
"Because only then will they open the gates of the territory and let you in at once."
He had no rebuttal. That was exactly what the John Nassens would do.
Announce that two members of the Imperial 10 Strongest had arrived, and they would fling the gates open without even informing the family head.
Then they would all gather round to examine them. Are they truly strong?!
"Your Highness. What if the John Nassens have been suborned? What then?"
"Don't ask obvious questions. Not worth answering."
True. It was an obvious question. If they had been suborned, it would not be combat—it would be escape.
At least with the two of them, they could coordinate and look for an opening to break free.
In pure speed, both ranked among the very best even within the Imperial 10 Strongest.
The Emperor had likely chosen the princess and himself with exactly that in mind.
Everything afterward proceeded with startling swiftness.
They arrived before the barony, declared their status as members of the Imperial 10 Strongest, and the gates opened.
The moment they stepped inside, gazes from every direction stabbed into them.
Most of those eyes said either I want to fight or They must be strong, right? I'm dying of curiosity. Absolutely dying.
Damn it. These people really are monsters.
Outside of the other members of the 10 Strongest, the number of people in the Empire who could match him could be counted on one hand.
Yet here, even a common guard—no, even an ordinary village resident—felt threatening.
If it came to a fight Logan would still be favored to win, but his body would not come out of it unscathed.
"This way, members of the 10 Strongest."
Names and origins meant nothing to the eyes of these battle-obsessed people.
The only thing that mattered—the sole criterion that governed their judgment—was whether or not you were strong.
"They're coming."
At Yulika's words Logan glanced upward.
Then he muttered, "Shit," and slammed his gaze back down to the floor.
Thud. Thud.
From the top of the stairs, the master of this tiny territory was descending.
In each hand he carried a pair of dumbbells that looked horrifyingly heavy—not one pair, but two.