4
Chapter 4
****
"Hah, so this was a hunting ground?"
I wasn't entirely sure why that damn Argo was attacking Silvia.
One thing was certain, though: he was trying to kill the Hero.
No matter how much of a disaster the Hero was, having them die in my territory would be a headache. I couldn't allow that.
"Frost Gale."
I raised my sword, gathering the freezing cold, and then struck down hard toward the enemy.
Shwaaaaaaa!
The mana sliced sharply through the air.
"Not so fast!"
Whoosh!
He dodged effortlessly and gripped lightning in both hands before striking down at me.
However.
Clang!
"You should try hitting me properly, don't you think?"
I easily deflected the blow with my shield. He was becoming a nuisance in more ways than one.
"Fine, I'll just blow everything away. Requiem!"
There he goes again with that crap. He must be determined to burn down more of my precious hunting ground.
In that case, I don't need to hold back either.
"Frozen Requiem!"
I know how to use Requiem too.
"What?"
It was a technique I had never actually used in real combat.
Soon, the Requiems fired from both sides collided. And then.
Craaaaaaack!
"The mana... froze?"
"Argo! I'll definitely put you on the guillotine! How many Snow Rabbits did you kill?! They were my prey!"
"What... you didn't come here to protect the Hero?"
"As if!"
Argo looked slightly bewildered. He had used Requiem three times, so he was likely out of mana.
On the other hand, I had just arrived and was full of energy. I'd brought plenty of Mana Potions, too.
"Alec! Just you wait. The Demon King will burn this land to the ground one day!"
"Go ahead and try. Do you know how cold the winters in The North are? Everything will just freeze over."
The Demon King, huh. Now I get the gist of it.
That double-damned Argo. He had defected. That's why he attacked Silvia.
"Cowardly brat. He ran away."
Argo vanished in an instant, and Silvia, who had been half-collapsed, slowly stood up.
"Are you alive, Silvia?"
"Did you think I'd die from something like this?"
"Still talking down to me, I see."
Seriously, this girl's pride is far too strong.
I'd be willing to overlook it if she just humbled herself and gave me a proper apology, but she won't. Unbelievable. I'll just stay on strike.
"First of all... thanks."
"Thanks for what?"
"For saving me. From that traitor."
Well, I didn't exactly come here to save the Hero, but I suppose the situation looked that way.
"Fine, whatever. But what about this? My hunting ground!"
"Not my problem."
"Geez. And here I brought you some meat."
Silvia's eyes sparkled.
I tossed a chicken at the feet of the hopeful Silvia.
"Chicken...?"
"Why? You're not going to eat it?"
"What about the venison...?"
"Have you still not come to your senses? I'm on strike, and you're lucky you weren't exiled. I'm only throwing you this chicken so you'll take proper care of the Frost Greatsword."
"What?"
"My Frost Greatsword. If you don't look after it, I'll take it back."
I want to reclaim the Frost Greatsword right this second.
But if I did, this pathetic Hero wouldn't survive in The North.
This is my final act of kindness, and it would be a hassle for me if the Hero died.
After all, Silvia, the chosen Hero, is the only one who can defeat the Demon King.
It's annoying, but that's reality, which is why I've put up with her whims and tantrums until now.
"Well, I'm leaving then?"
"Wa-wait! Alec."
Silvia called out to stop me.
She seemed to be trying to hide her slightly flushed cheeks.
"Thank you. Really. For saving me."
"If you're thankful, just take care of the Frost Greatsword. It's my family heirloom. And don't die. Today is the last time I'll come to save you. Got it?"
"Right. Anyway..."
"I'm done here, so I'm off."
Silvia stared blankly as I rode away on my horse.
Of course, I ignored her and moved on to enjoy the rest of my hunt.
I've only caught six deer so far, and since my hunting ground got torched... I'm feeling pretty stressed.
I plan to hit ten before heading back to Hoistein Castle.
****
- At the same time. The royal capital Gustaburg, Dirsia Kingdom.
Queen Elisa von Dirsia of the Dirsia Kingdom glared at the Chief Attendant with a displeased look.
"Is this true? That the Archduke of the North is on strike and has kicked out the Hero?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. The matter is..."
"That damn Alec Ragnar! Instead of taking proper care of and treating the Hero's party well!"
Elisa glared at the Chief Attendant with a hysterical expression. She was a young queen of twenty-five.
The territory left by the previous king was immense, but that was exactly why Elisa was so stressed.
It was too difficult to manage. Rebellions broke out frequently in the western deserts, and the southern nobles subtly looked down on the young queen.
The North was the only place she could truly trust. Archduke Alec of the North was a vassal with strong military power and had never rebelled against the kingdom.
He paid his tributes faithfully, and above all.
"Alec... why are you doing this to me?"
Elisa harbored a hidden romantic interest in Alec. Her strategy was to tie the North completely to the Dirsia Kingdom through marriage.
If that succeeded, she could easily gain control of the North's powerful military. However.
"Archduke Alec says he will not pay tribute until further notice."
"Damn it, Alec! Why on earth are you doing this to me!"
Crash!
The Chief Attendant skillfully dodged the glass plate Elisa had thrown. This was a common occurrence.
"Where is the Court Mage, Argo?"
"There has been no word from him for several days."
"Sigh, this is becoming problematic."
The Archduke of the North going on strike was never good news.
If the Archduke acted this way, the rebels in the west would see it as a sign and erupt in chaos.
She had to force the Archduke of the North to end his strike, even if it meant using force.
"Chief Attendant! Summon the knights. We are going to the North."
"What? Your Majesty, you know well that the Frost Knights of the North are not an easy opponent. You... surely aren't planning to start a war, are you?"
"I'll suppress them if necessary. Also, hire about a thousand mercenaries. Find a suitable mercenary group."
The Chief Attendant rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache, but he nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will make the preparations."
"And I need to send a letter to Archduke Alec. It will be an ultimatum."
****
The next day. Archduke Alec's hunting ground.
Swish! Thwack!
"Nice shot, Your Highness!"
"Just one more and I'm heading home!"
I've been focused on hunting for three days now. The hunting ground is a bit ruined, but... it'll recover eventually.
Once I return to Hoistein Castle, I'll finally be able to eat as much delicious venison as I want.
I'll share some with my subordinates and have a craftsman make me a decent coat from the hides.
Flutter.
"Hmm? A carrier pigeon?"
"Archduke Alec! An urgent report!"
The subordinate who took the pigeon looked at me with a panicked expression.
"Urgent?"
"An ultimatum has arrived from the Dirsia Kingdom! It seems they're mobilizing troops and coming to the North themselves!"
The time has finally come. Our perpetually hysterical Queen has finally made her move.
In the first place, it would've been weirder if she hadn't said anything.
"Give me the letter. I'll read it myself."
Let's see...
Oh, I see. She's currently scraping together soldiers to head North, and if I don't bring the Hero to Hoistein Castle immediately, I should be prepared for war.
And why haven't I paid the tribute? Pay it back immediately as usual, or she'll really wipe out the North.
In short, she's telling me to end the strike. But like I give a damn.
The fact that my Frost Knights are powerful is a well-known secret within the Dirsia Kingdom.
Of course, the Frost Knights are even more powerful than the rumors suggest. But she wants to clash? Just because of a strike?
"Hahahahaha! Elisa, that crazy bitch."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, is calling Her Majesty a bitch a bit much? Anyway, the crazy Queen is currently invading the North."
"Which means..."
"Which means what! Nine are enough. It's a shame, but we have to head back to the castle. And summon the Frost Knights immediately. Scrape together every last squire and gather them at Hoistein Castle."
"Yes, Archduke."
Will there be a bloodbath for the first time in a while? Or will we just face each other and talk under the guise of negotiation?
I really can't figure her out. Two years ago, she sent me a marriage proposal and visited Hoistein Castle, doing everything possible to flirt and push for a marriage alliance.
And now she's bringing knights and mercenaries just to suppress me!
"Archduke, why are you laughing?"
"Oh, the situation is just too funny."
"War is right before our eyes, yet you seem far too relaxed, Archduke."
"I have every reason to be. You all know how relentless the Frost Knights are."
This should be entertaining. A showdown with the hysterical Queen.
One thing's for sure: if we do go to war this time, I plan to just declare independence.
How much longer do I have to stick with the title of Archduke? I could just declare the North its own kingdom.
"Now then! Let's go get ready to welcome the Queen's Army!"