Chapter 354
Chapter 354
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 354
Chapter Title: Immortal and Mortal (23)
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It took Fernandez Cerned two months to leave Vulang, traverse the northwestern inland regions of the Empire by land, and reach Guir. It was a short time if considered briefly, but in the context of the rapidly shifting international situation, it was nearly an extravagant waste.
Thus, he had to handle every possible contingency before departing. For instance, coordinating operations with Robert and Pierre in the Great Wilderness alongside the Ironsides, or the Gaimern Dynasty's fleet transporting supplies northward.
If they minimized rest and marched relentlessly, it would take a generous two months to reach Guir. That timeframe was more than enough for the Gaimern Dynasty to arrive at Guir's outer harbor. There were no discrepancies in timing, calculations, or strategy.
So he believed. It was a route meticulously planned after controlling all variables and deliberating as thoroughly as possible.
However, Partak disagreed. Two months was too long.
* * *
"Ppa!"
"Heh heh, young lady. If you say such things, this humble servant will be in great distress."
"Ppu! Ppa!"
"Heh heh heh..."
Partak let out a suppressed sigh as he wiped away the drool Ana had spat out. For the first month, Ana had wailed through nearly every waking moment, and for the following fortnight, she spent half her days in tears.
Every time he saw Ana's eyes swelling up in real time, Partak's heart sank. A cold voice always echoed in his mind.
'Even if Ana accidentally bites her tongue while eating, Partak, she'll call your name.'
He swore he had done his utmost over this past month. He had secured a completely trustworthy wet nurse after meticulous checks on her health and background, and scoured not just Vulang but all neighboring territories for the finest fabrics and toys.
From the moment Ana awoke until she fell asleep, Partak had to attend to his duties right by her side.
No matter how perfectly he controlled the Beastman Union, dissenters were inevitable. What if some scoundrel tried to harm this defenseless child while his attention was elsewhere?
If this child died—or worse, was merely injured? Partak shuddered at the thought that even if it wasn't his fault, his head might roll. He couldn't sleep at night.
Ana was destined to become the Great Chieftain in the near future. The first golden bloodline to continue the Hearttaker lineage. And naturally, there were far more hawkish elders who opposed this than could be counted on two hands.
The result was this. Even giving Ana a sip of water required five attendants to personally taste it first, and ultimately, Partak would ladle out a bit, inspect it with magic, and administer it cautiously.
"Hng... Waaah!!"
"Young lady!! Young lady, stay still... stay still. You mustn't cry!!"
Partak sat Ana down with trembling hands and gently stroked her head. Her eyes were swelling again from bursting into tears. This was bad. He bared his fangs and snarled at the wet nurse.
"What the hell are you doing! Why won't the young lady take your milk!"
"Th-that's... She's not hungry, perhaps..."
"I don't want to hear it! From the looks of it, you're scheming to starve the young lady to death. I see through you now. Whose elder put you up to this?"
"Elder Partak! No, it's not! Sp-spare... spare me! It's truly not!"
"Someone come here! Another assassin has appeared! Uncover this one's backer!"
At his shout, warriors burst in as if smashing the door. They glanced pityingly at the terrified wet nurse for a moment, then awkwardly growled and dragged her away.
Partak let out a deep sigh. There was truly nothing trustworthy in this city. It felt like no one welcomed the Great Chieftain or the young lady. What in the world was going on...
Of course, if assigning blame, Partak bore the greatest fault for filling Vulang with hawk factions and leading the political landscape. But Partak genuinely furrowed his brow, worrying over the Beastman Union's future.
He slowly patted Ana's back.
"Aboop!"
"Heh heh, young lady. No need to worry. This humble servant has chased away that wicked wench. I'll soon procure a new attendant."
"Ppa!"
"My lord will be away for the time being, young lady."
"Ppa!!"
"However... even if you say that, my lord won't come. Please endure just a little longer, young lady."
Partak tilted his head watching Ana repeatedly call for her father. No matter that they were kin, something felt off. Hadn't Ana and Fernandez only spent a few days together? Why seek her father before her mother?
At that moment, a soft knock sounded.
"Elder. Elder Goldentus has come to call."
"Oh, show him in."
Soon the door opened, and a sturdy middle-aged man entered. Partak spoke without even glancing away from Ana.
"You've made a difficult journey, Elder Goldentus?"
"It seemed necessary, Blackfang. You dare to look after the Great Chieftain's child?"
"It is at the Great Chieftain's command."
"I don't know what schemes you're hatching, but the Plains faction elders won't stand for it. Hand over her custody, Blackfang. We won't sit idly by while she plays in your clutches."
"That's a shame."
The Plains faction was the new political group formed by the dove tiger clan exiled to the Great Wilderness. In contrast, the hawk tiger clan remaining in the city and dominating politics were now called the 'City faction.'
It was a somewhat derogatory term. To beastmen, the word 'city' evoked prisons or slave markets. It was nearly a slur for those who abandoned tradition to become slaves willingly.
Partak couldn't help but find their alliance laughable. How ridiculous that the dove tiger clan, scraping by in the barren Great Wilderness gathering fruit and raising pigs in poverty, were allowed the word 'pride.'
Partak shrugged and said,
"Ask the Great Chieftain yourself, Goldentus. I have no reason to heed your orders, and handing over the young lady's custody isn't my decision to make."
"What have you done to the Great Chieftain? We heard you dared challenge him to a succession duel."
"Dared? You who claim to respect tradition would ignore a succession duel?"
"Was that respecting tradition? Huh? Since when do we gang up on one person with dozens of warriors in a succession duel?"
"And the Great Chieftain defeated them all alone. Since he's so hale and hearty, I'm at ease managing the politics."
"You bastard...!"
As Goldentus stepped forward and gripped his sword hilt, Partak pointed a finger straight at him.
"Don't come any closer, Goldentus. You're startling the young lady. If she cries again after finally calming down, I might just kill you."
"...Why did you summon me?"
"Because it's time for your Plains faction rabble to return to the city. The Union's structure needs reorganization."
Partak couldn't trust the hawk elders. He'd never felt their idiocy so disgustingly as now. Fools always exceeded expectations in their antics.
They were useful as thoughtless cowards, but now that he had to protect Hearttaker's safety, they felt like an utter threat. He desperately needed the dove clans' power now.
In that sense, Goldentus fit perfectly. Highly respected in the Union, clever, and proven loyal since leading legions with Kirhas in the late Fifty Years' War.
"Ppa!"
Then Ana suddenly shouted upon seeing Goldentus. Partak startled and turned to look at her. Ana was beaming. Something felt fishy, and in that instant, a thought flashed through his mind.
-See that, Blackfang? This one already recognizes me.
'No way.'
Partak wiped the drool from Ana's mouth as he pondered. What if the 'ppa' Ana said wasn't specifically for her father, but a general greeting to anyone she saw? Fernandez, assuming it meant 'daddy' upon hearing it...
'Great Chieftain. You're a frightening one.'
Kirhas, who had never left Ana's side while raising her, surely knew. Partak swallowed hard, recalling the Great Chieftain's innocently smiling face.
Fernandez had somewhat complicated relations with women. Partak was one who knew this well. Excluding the woman called Abel, there were many powerful figures in civilized society with personal affections for him.
What advantage did Kirhas have against such people? Looks aside, not even the Empire's Emperor could be bested by raw power. Thus, her strongest card was surely Ana's existence.
Partak recalled Fernandez's warm smile. Even that icy man cherished his child, and if she exploited the daughter's speech habit to stoke his attachment—
'Indeed, the undefeated.'
She had read the path to victory and played her hand coldly from the very first moment.
* * *
Fernandez thought it oddly felt like he was the only one drinking as he accepted another glass. The banquet that began at midday stretched until sunset, now devolving into a mere drinking party.
No ministers could refuse the Emperor's toasts, so drunken officials were steadily carried out. Fernandez sipped his wine while watching the laughing and chatting Rene.
"Is it alright to drink so heavily from midday?"
"Haha, Duke Cerned. Do you know how long it's been since I last enjoyed a vacation?"
"You must have suffered terribly under the workload."
"Indeed. Ever since someone told me I should become Emperor, I've been toiling without a single day off."
Rene spoke in a singsong voice and laughed. That night in Libye, in a secret talk with then-Prince Robert, Fernandez had said the next throne should go to Rene. It felt like ancient history now, but gazing at the evening sky where the banquet raged, it recalled vividly like yesterday.
Back then, he thought it a malicious joke. Even if the throne wasn't strictly hereditary, discussing succession in front of a healthy prince was near diplomatic insult.
Yet in the blink of an eye, Fernandez's words became reality. Like magic. She murmured blankly, savoring the memory.
"Shouldn't you take responsibility for pushing me this far...?"
"...What do you mean?"
"No, isn't it fair to compensate someone who was content living as a duke's daughter, marrying strategically, managing a territory, and raising heirs, only to be worked to death like this?"
Life returned to Rene's eyes. She poured wine into Fernandez's glass and continued rapidly.
"Thinking about it, I feel wronged? Like my happiness was stolen? You know? I've been so miserable lately? No vacations, no friends, no family, no fulfillment. The treasury's empty, the economy's in ruins so I can't raise taxes, and it's not even from my extravagance or pleasures—that's the most unhappy part."
The Emperor, enduring the poorest era among all predecessors, began grumbling. The Empire's long history wasn't without poverty.
But in all those times, the imperial family had never been poor. Most were always wealthy. Inheriting the throne meant being a grand lord of vast territories and an elector, doubly plundering the imperial and family treasuries—a position impossible to be poor in.
Yet the Carbellier family was impoverished nobility even as grand dukes, and Libye was half-ruined after the Fifty Years' War. Amid civil wars and defensive fronts draining military funds, now restoring the devastated lands emptied the treasury further.
Of course, the imperial poverty stemmed from Rene's diligence, but conversely, realizing her diligence impoverished herself made her feel profoundly unjust.
'I could've hoarded wealth sloppily, indulged a bit, then handed off the throne and returned to Libye comfortably.'
Fernandez chuckled at her. In his past life and this era, Rene was the Empire's finest Emperor.
"Amusing now, is it?"
"Do you regret it?"
"Regret? Hmm... Uhmm... Well. What do you think, Duke? Should I regret it?"
"You should be proud."
"As expected? Hehe."
Rene clinked glasses with Fernandez and laughed. She downed a sip, then refilled his glass.
"In your eyes, was I a daughter my father could be proud of?"
"Without question."
"To this nation's people as well?"
"Of course."
"...To you too?"
"Yes."
At his words, Rene fidgeted with her glass hesitantly. Was it the alcohol? Her cheeks flushed pink. She slowly dragged her chair closer to Fernandez.
"Perhaps a little..."
"Wait a moment, Your Majesty. I'm worried about my lord. Benefactor, come now. You must think of Ana. Drinking like this will ruin your health."
Kirhas interposed between Fernandez and Rene. She snatched the glass from his hand and continued swiftly.
"You..."
"Ah, Your Majesty. Did you hear? Ana is my daughter's name. I was going to ask if the Regent-Elector position is hereditary. It's ambiguous since I named her 'Cerned' after her father."
"Minister of Justice!!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!!"
Rene's expression turned terrifying. The impression of a duke's daughter lost in memories moments ago instantly shifted to that of an iron-blooded Empress. At her shout, a noble dozing drunk in the banquet hall's corner jolted awake.
"Is the regency hereditary!"
"No, Your Majesty!!"
"So there you have it, Great Chieftain. Regency is limited to one generation per noble. A pity. If you have no more questions, withdraw. Even if not, consult the Minister of Justice."
Rene glared at Kirhas as if to kill, then whipped her head away. Even the half-drunk nobles froze at her cry. She scanned the hall, then let out a long sigh.
"The mood's ruined. My apologies to you all. Those who wish to enjoy, do so fully and rest today. I plan to retire to my chambers with the state documents—"
-BOOOM!!
As she naturally continued, a tearing cannon roar echoed from the distant coast. Guarding knights outside panicked and rushed to the windows; nobles clutched their heads and crouched.
The banquet hall erupted in chaos instantly. Protect Her Majesty! What's happening! Report! Fully sobered nobles began dashing about in alarm.
Soon, the door flew open as Guir's guards rushed in and prostrated.
"Your Majesty, forgive us! An elven fleet has appeared at the harbor and is firing salutes!!"
"...Salutes...?"
"Yes, Your Majesty! Have no fear. It's just noise—they're firing blanks. They always pull this stunt when entering inland ports!"
Fernandez clutched his forehead and sighed. Ah, Leia. Please. Even Rene, forewarned of her arrival, stared blankly at the report.
As he said, the cannon fire soon ceased. Nobles decried the barbaric rudeness, while ministers sighed in relief. Rene spoke quietly, hands trembling.
"Lord Tremulle, Court Chamberlain."
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"If we went to war against them, any chance of victory?"
"No, Your Majesty. None. No one but elves can claim superiority over an elven fleet at sea."
Especially now with the Elven Triarchy unified. Everys replied with a grin. Rene stared at his face and bowed her head deeply.
"I don't want to be Emperor anymore. For real.