What Was Bound to Come
What was bound to come had finally arrived… but wasn’t this a little too soon?
John Nassen was heading west. That was certainly the word that reached the Emperor’s ears.
Yet the Emperor’s mind—and his reason—simply could not properly accept it.
It was far too sudden. And something he had never once anticipated.
“…My good man. What did you just say? That you mean to go west?”
“Yes. We wish to go and express our regret over the recent incident.”
At Lear’s reply, the Emperor said nothing.
No—more precisely, it was not that he gave no answer, but that he could not.
His head was spinning so madly that no reply could even form.
Heading west. West… Does that not mean they intend to join the war?
Six full legions were already being prepared to sweep the Western Kingdom Alliance aside in a single stroke.
The Grand Ducal House of Schrelitz, which wielded enormous influence over the military, would take the field in person.
A full mage corps of battle mages had been added, along with rear-support casters.
That was the scale the Ministry of War had settled on after weighing the forbidden acts the Alliance had already shown itself willing to commit.
With forces of that size, even if every last member of the Alliance resorted to mana-burst, the Empire could still fight them to a standstill.
Casualties would of course be unavoidable, but reserve units stood ready to fill the gaps.
And yet… if one weighs that scale against the combat power of John Nassen and considers their participation…
There was nothing to discuss. The latter was superior in every way. John Nassen joining the fight would be far more advantageous.
Leaving pure strength aside, the decisive factor was that Imperial lives would not be spent.
John Nassen were, after all, subjects of the Empire and counted among its nobility.
Yet they were so difficult to control that one could never truly command them—and what one cannot command cannot be counted as part of one’s forces.
For such people to step forward of their own accord… what could be more welcome than that?
“…With what intention are you doing this?”
But the Emperor was no fool who would reveal his true feelings so readily.
Instead he deliberately let a faint air of suspicion show.
These were people who had never once concerned themselves with Imperial affairs.
Why, then, would they suddenly volunteer for the Empire’s war? That was the question he seemed to be asking.
“As I have already said, it is simply to express our regret over this unfortunate affair.”
“Is the Academy incident the reason? Because of your younger brother?”
That was the most plausible explanation. Kyle John Nassen—direct blood of the John Nassen line.
If that young man had been exposed to the Alliance’s surprise attack, a reaction like this was understandable.
Whether he had been harmed or not, the mere fact itself was grounds enough for them to take issue.
Yet the answer that came back was nothing he had expected.
“Did Kyle get hurt?”
At Lea’s question the Emperor paused a moment, then shook his head.
According to the reports, not a single Academy student had been injured.
Every casualty had been among the knights and soldiers assigned to the Academy’s outer perimeter.
“If he had been hurt it might be different, but since he is perfectly fine, that cannot be the reason, Your Majesty.”
“Then why is John Nassen stepping forward? Why so suddenly…?”
“Because they grew strong without right.”
The words that followed from Lear carried a murderous intent so sharp it raised the hair on the skin.
“Without training. Without effort. By unjust means.”
To dare radiate killing intent before the Emperor was grounds for immediate execution, and they would have had no right to complain.
Yet the Emperor focused less on that than on the true reason for the fury of the two standing before him.
“So… because those people used mana-burst. Because they simply became strong without any effort of their own…”
“Yes, Your Majesty. That is exactly why. That is why we intend to act.”
“….”
He had forgotten. These were John Nassen. People who thought differently from ordinary folk.
People who would never tolerate the denial of what they held sacred!
“Hmm.”
The Emperor slowly nodded, confirming that they harbored no hidden designs whatsoever.
And having come this far, he reached a simple conclusion: give them what they wanted.
If John Nassen truly took the field, this war would be won before it even began.
“If you are willing to step forward, I would be grateful. Most grateful.”
For the Alliance it would be an unprecedented catastrophe—but that was none of his concern.
They had started it. They had called the disaster down upon themselves.
He had neither the leisure nor the reason to worry about them that far.
And any criticism that followed would likely fall more heavily on John Nassen than on the Empire itself.
John Nassen cared nothing for such things anyway, so there was no problem.
From the Empire’s standpoint the arrangement even offered considerable advantages in managing public sentiment. It was something to welcome.
“However, we have one request.”
“What is it? Do you need support troops to cover your rear?”
“No. We simply wish to take our youngest with us, but he is at the Academy.”
“And the Academy has a rather important grading system called ‘attendance.’”
At the John Nassen siblings’ words the Emperor immediately understood what they were asking.
“You want me to settle young Kyle’s attendance problem, is that it?”
“Yes.”
“That will be no difficulty. The Academy exists ultimately to raise outstanding talent for the Empire. If those who serve the Empire in such circumstances have a few attendance marks adjusted, what possible issue could there be?”
No matter how strict a professor might be, a single word from the Emperor—“Mark him present”—would settle everything.
Nobles meddling was one thing; the Emperor’s involvement was an entirely different matter.
There was no need even to argue. One simply said “Understood” and obeyed. That was an imperial command.
“Then… is that all? Do you truly want nothing more?”
“That is all.”
“Truly? You may well have to fight battles in the Empire’s name.”
“If no battle occurs, there is no reason for John Nassen to step forward.”
At Lear’s answer the Emperor let out a hollow laugh, as though he had asked a foolish question.
Yes—if there were no battle, they would never have come seeking an audience like this in the first place.
They had caught the scent of something, and that was why they stood before him now.
And not just anyone—two direct heirs of the family head, no less.
“Very well. Then when do the John Nassen forces intend to depart? Since they must join you and move together, timing will be critical. I shall send a messenger to the north in advance…”
“Ah. For reference, the people back home will not be moving.”
“…What?”
He thought he must have misheard. After all, they had clearly said John Nassen was taking the field.
They would go themselves, they said, to express their regret and confront the Alliance in person.
And now, all of a sudden, the people of their homeland would not move?
Were they attempting some childish wordplay in front of the Emperor?
“We are going. Myself, my younger sister, and our youngest. The three of us.”
“What…?”
“Three will be enough, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor considered the Alliance’s total current strength.
They had been driven west, and yes, they were crumbling relics of the past.
Yet they had endured for a very long time for a reason. They still possessed clear strengths.
They could still field large numbers of soldiers, knights, and mages.
Fewer than the Empire’s, certainly—but never to be taken lightly.
And this time they had shown themselves willing to use mana-burst without the slightest hesitation.
Even the Empire could not feel entirely secure under such circumstances.
That was precisely why six legions, the mage corps, and even the Grand Ducal House of Schrelitz were being committed…
And now, not the whole of John Nassen, but three green youngsters meant to go alone?
The Emperor’s reason was shouting that even a joke had its limits.
And yet… why on earth…
Why was his instinct—the Emperor’s instinct—whispering that it might just be possible?
“If you find me and my siblings unreliable, you need not accept John Nassen’s participation at all.”
“The decision rests entirely with Your Majesty.”
As though they had sensed his inner conflict, the brother and sister placed the choice squarely in his hands.
John Nassen would move, but only the three direct heirs.
If that made him uneasy, then refuse their participation and let the Empire advance alone.
They would quietly abide by whatever the Emperor decided.
“….”
The Emperor stared at the siblings for a long moment.
Inwardly he let out several breathless, incredulous laughs.
They speak as though they will leave the choice to me, yet they fully intend to go west and settle the score regardless.
It was he himself who had first proposed peaceful coexistence with John Nassen.
He knew them well—far too well, if anything.
Someone had obtained power by unjust means and become strong? They would chase that person down at once.
Whether they beat them to a pulp, cut them clean in half, or buried them alive, they would do it.
If he told people like that not to intervene in this matter, would they truly stay put?
Not a chance. They would act no matter what. They would go west and do whatever they pleased.
Trying to stop them here would only diminish the Emperor’s own prestige.
And if he attempted to punish John Nassen for insolence, he might well find himself the one being judged instead.
Above all, the terms they offered were far too generous. They would handle everything themselves.
They had even volunteered to act under the appearance of carrying out an imperial command.
The conditions were so favorable that, as Emperor, he simply could not refuse.
I thought they were merely people who pursued strength for its own sake, who loved only the process…
It seemed they also knew how to play the board with some skill.
That made them even more unsettling as subjects of the Empire, yet he had no real means of cutting them out.
And if he did cut them out, he suspected he would regret the loss in more ways than one.
“People of the John Nassen baronial house, hear me.”
At the imperial command, Lear and Lea rose from their seats.
“I grant you leave to proceed west together with your younger brother. Everything that follows shall be done by my command; therefore no one in the Empire shall have the right to interfere with you. Grand Chamberlain.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Arrange quarters for them for the night, and contact the Palace Ministry so that they may be issued the authority to execute imperial commands.”
For the Emperor it was excellent theater: publicly he could claim to have put John Nassen to use.
For John Nassen it meant they could travel and “educate” with complete legality. Both sides gained.
Since the Emperor had never for a moment intended to actually control John Nassen, the greater advantage still lay with them.
“I pray that you achieve whatever you desire and return home safely.”
“We shall never forget Your Majesty’s grace. And we shall deliver the Empire’s share of the message to the west as well.”
“You had better. That is precisely why I am sending you.”
For this one day, the Emperor felt genuine, heartfelt pity for the Alliance.