Chapter 286: After the War (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 286: After the War (2)
Henderson's wife.
Chloe stared at the photograph on the desk, tears welling in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any second.
"…You cruel man."
Henderson and Chloe had been ordinary commoners.
Born in Lawrence, Henderson lived a life no different from anyone else. Like the other children his age, he naturally helped with the farming from a young age. His marriage to Chloe was just as ordinary. Rather than a passionate romance, they had met through the recommendation of his parents, who simply wanted him to settle down quickly.
And so, they accepted each other.
They had a child.
They built a home.
Like water slowly coming to a boil, their feelings for one another deepened over time.
Occasionally, Henderson would make absurd remarks about wanting to become a 'soldier' instead of a farmer. Chloe hadn't thought much of it, assuming everything would be fine as long as he remained content with their reality. Then, the conflict between Lawrence and Barco erupted. The prevailing atmosphere demanded they answer the conscription call for Lawrence's survival. Swept up in that tide, Henderson took up a crude weapon and marched out into the streets alongside his friends.
If only she had stopped him then.
Would Henderson still be alive?
She had replayed the past countless times in her mind, yet Chloe couldn't bring herself to believe Henderson had made the wrong choice.
‘You looked truly happy.’
The recruitment of private soldiers.
When Henderson unexpectedly passed the selection to become a private soldier of Dmitry, he returned home on his first leave a completely different man. His once-innocent face had grown sharp. His hands, previously calloused from farm work, now bore new, hardened callouses from gripping a sword. That day, Henderson rambled endlessly about how happy his new life in Dmitry was. The pay was incomparably higher than what he made from farming. Though he had struggled at first due to the gap in skill between him and the others, he found genuine joy in training with the sword.
It was a wonderful sight.
His bright, beaming smile revealed his true feelings.
He was genuinely happy.
Having her husband away from home so often was undoubtedly difficult, but Henderson was always devoted to her and their only son whenever he returned. In the meantime, Dmitry's prestige soared. After defeating Barco and achieving great feats on the Southern Front, Henderson eventually became a minor celebrity in the neighboring villages.
"Chloe. I truly respect Lord Roman Dmitry. He is someone who will never abandon us, no matter the circumstances. Even if we die on the battlefield, he is not the type of man to treat our deaths lightly. That's why I want to become stronger. For him, and for our family."
That was her last memory of Henderson before his death.
Henderson had cut back on his sleep to devote himself to training. He had indeed grown strong, but that very strength ultimately led to his death. Some people said that Henderson, despite being born a farmer, had lived a truly valuable life. When even the Duke of Dmitry personally visited to share in her grief over losing her husband, she had wept uncontrollably.
On the desk sat the only photograph of the two of them.
Henderson holding their child, with Chloe's arm linked affectionately through his.
Since capturing an image through magic was a significant expense for commoners, they had only made the bold decision to visit a photographer after Henderson received a bonus. Regret lingered bitterly in her heart. If she had known her husband would leave her side so suddenly, she would have captured many more images of him rather than just this single one.
It was then.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Lady Chloe, are you there?"
It was a familiar voice.
Leaving her sleeping child, Chloe opened the door to find Chris standing on the other side.
*
It was an awkward situation.
Though Chris was known among Dmitry's soldiers for being cold and level-headed, he drank his tea with a stiff expression as he sat across from Chloe. She had met him a few times alongside Henderson. However, with Henderson now dead, facing his widow was bound to be emotionally uncomfortable.
He looked around the room.
Traces of Henderson remained everywhere.
Although the memorial service had already been held, it was clear Chloe was not yet ready to let him go.
Clack.
Setting down his teacup, Chris spoke in a slightly subdued voice.
"…Henderson was a good friend. He was the link that connected everyone among Dmitry's soldiers. If not for his sacrifice, many more would have died the day the Kronos Empire attacked Dmitry. I do not take Henderson's death for granted. I simply wanted to tell you how valuable he was, and what his sacrifice has left behind for us."
"Is that so?"
Chloe offered a faint smile.
She was a deeply considerate person. To put Chris at ease, she knew exactly what she needed to do.
"Actually, the reason I came to see you, Lady Chloe, is to register Henderson as a Person of National Merit."
"…A Person of National Merit?"
It was an unfamiliar term.
She understood the literal meaning of the words, but she had never heard of such a system existing on the Salamander Continent.
"Yes. The National Merit system is a policy decided during our recent meeting. It is a national system that registers those who dedicated themselves to Dmitry as Persons of National Merit, promising them appropriate compensation and guaranteeing the livelihood of their surviving families for the rest of their lives. Henderson was a brave man. What he accomplished deserves nothing less than this treatment."
In that moment, Chloe's face filled with bewilderment.
She had tried so hard to force a smile, but Chris's words made her feel as though she would burst into tears.
It wasn't about the compensation.
Just the fact that Dmitry did not treat Henderson's death lightly—that they were officially registering him as a Person of National Merit—sent a surge of overwhelming emotion through her. Henderson had been right. Roman Dmitry was a man worthy of their loyalty. He was not the kind of lord to leave a family that had lost its breadwinner to drown in sorrow.
She bowed her head.
With tears streaming endlessly down her face, she could not bring herself to look up at Chris.
‘Only an attitude that refuses to treat a person's death lightly, coupled with clear and definitive compensation, can truly console their grief.’
Those had been the words of Roman Dmitry.
Looking at Chloe, Chris recalled the heated debate among Dmitry's leadership just a day ago as they discussed the war compensation.
*
"…Are you truly serious, my Lord?"
Viscount Conrad doubted his own ears.
Roman Dmitry's declaration had flustered not only him but everyone else present at the meeting.
"War compensation. Very well. We were also considering it, but the amount you mentioned, my Lord, is a staggering one million gold. That is an amount even Dmitry's immense wealth cannot easily bear. Wouldn't it be better to reduce it to 500,000 gold? I believe a more realistic approach would be to negotiate with the Cairo Kingdom and use the reparations received from the Kronos Empire entirely as our war compensation."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
One million gold.
Just hearing the figure was enough to take one's breath away.
The Redford Kingdom had nearly collapsed due to a debt of 100,000 gold. No matter how wealthy Dmitry was, handing out such a massive sum as war compensation would inevitably strain their finances. Usually, they followed Roman Dmitry's decisions unconditionally. But right now, a voice of opposition was necessary.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"You are correct. One million gold is a burdensome amount even for Dmitry, but that is precisely why it holds meaning as war compensation. The Kronos Empire offered 500,000 gold as reparations for the ceasefire. If we were to hand out only the exact amount we received from them as compensation, how do you think the people would feel?"
"…They would be grateful, of course."
"They might express gratitude for the immediate compensation, but they would inevitably conclude that the rewards of war are directly tied to the spoils of victory. Not a single silver of our own money is included in that 500,000 gold. Through this war compensation, I intend to instill a firm belief in our people: sacrifice for Dmitry will always be met with a corresponding reward."
The price of the ceasefire.
Roman Dmitry had intentionally demanded 500,000 gold.
While it was an excessive amount for Baron Charlton to accept on his own authority, it was not a burdensome sum given the sheer scale of the Kronos Empire. The reason Roman had set that specific amount was with this subsequent war compensation in mind. He intended for Dmitry to match the amount extracted from Kronos with its own funds. Thus, 500,000 gold was the perfect figure to carry out his future plans.
In the first place, the reparations from Kronos held a highly symbolic meaning.
The mere fact that they had extracted reparations as a condition for the ceasefire meant Dmitry had gained a tremendous victory from this war.
"This war compensation is only the beginning. From this moment on, Dmitry will introduce the Person of National Merit system. While we will provide sufficient compensation to all casualties of the war, individuals who achieved distinguished feats like Henderson will have their names remembered as Persons of National Merit and receive elevated rewards. This is not merely about differentiation. It is to prove that distinguished service in battle is met with fitting glory. I have already concluded discussions with Cairo regarding this matter. Cairo has agreed to use the entire 500,000 gold for war compensation and has expressed their willingness to bear a portion of the remaining 500,000 gold."
No one objected.
A nation remembering the sacrifice of an individual.
In truth, even the leaders attending the meeting knew that they, too, might one day be that very individual.
"We have lost much in this war. In particular, with the restrictions placed on our trade with the Kronos Empire, we will inevitably face financial difficulties for the time being. However, we must show those who follow Dmitry that the greatest loss we feel is the loss of our people. I am not speaking of some armchair theory about building a nation for the people. A true powerhouse originates from the ordinary people who form its backbone. If the people of Dmitry truly desire its prosperity, any temporary instability will soon be resolved, leading Dmitry in a new direction."
His voice was resolute.
Roman Dmitry had experienced a past life.
He knew that his methods, and the Dmitry he envisioned, would ultimately develop in an ideal direction—just as he had once brought about an era of great peace in the Murim.
"We have won the war. To ensure that no one in Dmitry is left drowning in sorrow, unable to enjoy the joy of victory, we will focus on caring for the livelihoods of our people from this moment on."
"We receive your command!"
"We receive your command!"
Everyone raised their voices.
At this very moment, even Viscount Conrad, who had previously voiced doubts, accepted the command with a booming voice, his heart swelling with overwhelming emotion.
*
After Chris left, Chloe wept uncontrollably.
[Person of National Merit, Henderson]
It was a small medal.
The fact that Dmitry remembered Henderson, and that they did not turn a blind eye to the grief of his bereaved family, brought endless tears to her eyes. When she first heard of Henderson's death, she had briefly resented Roman Dmitry. But now, she felt a profound sense of relief that his sacrifice had been for a place like Dmitry.
The life of a commoner was harsh.
Usually, even if they were conscripted and died, it was extremely rare for a noble to properly compensate their families.
It was often a meaningless sacrifice.
Whenever a war broke out in ordinary territories, the mere fact of being conscripted made families weep as if their world had collapsed. The probability of returning in one piece was far too low. They would inevitably return either dead or severely crippled. Meanwhile, the nobles who preached about the 'duty of conscription' would busy themselves throwing private parties if they won, or raising taxes in the aftermath of the war if they lost.
"Sob, hic …"
Her weeping would not stop.
Even with Dmitry's recompense, the grief of losing Henderson did not vanish.
Grief could not be erased by any worldly means, but at least resentment would not fester to make the sorrow even heavier.
How long had she cried?
After weeping for a long while, Chloe's eyes fell upon the box Chris had left behind.
'This is the compensation given to the families of the Persons of National Merit. Please check it later.'
Compensation.
It was a sorrowful word.
But Chloe had to live in reality, having now become a widow who had lost her husband.
She reached out and opened the box.
"……"
In an instant, she was lost for words.
Inside the box, piles of gold coins—wealth that commoners would never lay eyes on in their entire lives—gleamed with a brilliant, radiant luster.