Elond Lorencia
Elond Lorencia. I figured as much. No matter how one looked at her, Tina seemed like a girl who had been pampered and spoiled her entire life. If Luna had been the mastermind behind this scheme, she would never have subjected her own daughter to such an ordeal. Furthermore, Carmel's movements in contacting Luna had been far too blatant. From that perspective, Luna herself was likely just another pawn being used.
"Elond is a man of particularly grand ambitions, even by Lorencia standards," Luna said. "I always sensed he desired far more than merely inheriting the headship of the family, but I never imagined he would commit such treason."
"So you are saying this is a rebellion by a rogue faction within the Lorencia family? What is the stance of the patriarch, Reid Lorencia?" I asked.
"It is highly likely that the patriarch is entirely unaware of this," Luna replied. "He handed over the family's actual power to us long ago and has remained a mere bystander. Besides, a wise man like him would never have agreed to such a reckless plan."
Whether the patriarch approved of it or not might not make much of a difference. I knew that Elond Lorencia currently held the greatest practical power within the family. It was safest to assume that every Lorencia, save for Luna, was my enemy.
"I understand, Luna Lorencia. As one who carries the blood of Luestia, I will tell you this: there is only one way for the Lorencia family to avoid total annihilation. Cooperate with me to purge Elond. Otherwise, the name Lorencia will be erased from the Luestia Kingdom."
Depending on how one looked at it, my words might have sounded laughable. I was currently standing in the middle of enemy territory with nothing more than a handful of escort guards. But that was precisely why I had to carry myself with absolute confidence. No one would ever feel awe or respect for a royal who begged for their life.
Luna bowed politely and spoke. "I shall certainly do so."
"Very well. I shall trust you, Luna Lorencia. What do you think Elond's plan is? What does he stand to gain by killing me?"
"I do not believe he intends to harm you directly, Your Highness," Luna said. "That would bring him far more loss than gain. It is highly likely he intends to take you hostage."
The sole heir to the throne of the Luestie Kingdom. If they held me, the kingdom would be at an extreme disadvantage in any negotiations, including war. Especially given Pehart's weak-willed nature.
"That makes sense. How many imperial soldiers do you estimate have entered Lorencia territory?"
"It cannot be a massive number," Luna replied. "If a large-scale force had entered, it would have caught my eye. However, if they gather their scattered forces, it could be more than we expect. Furthermore, the bigger issue is Elond's personal army. At a conservative estimate, they outnumber the garrison of Senain Castle by at least three to one."
"Three times..." I murmured. "With a castle, we should be able to defend ourselves somehow, but... we must inform my father of this urgent situation as quickly as possible."
"Yes. I will immediately prepare to send a messenger. Gehem!"
A man wearing a leather cap stepped forward. Luna spoke to him.
"Prepare to head to Lurie. The very fate of our family hangs on this, so do not slacken your reins for even a single moment."
"Just in case, we will send one of our own knights with him," I added. "Filgret, please select someone with exceptional stamina and horsemanship."
"Understood," Filgret replied in his rigid, formal tone.
We couldn't afford to move a large group. Attaching a single knight to act as both an escort and a watchdog was the best we could do. I borrowed a pen and paper to draft a letter informing the King of the current situation. Though it lacked the royal seal, my handwriting and signature would be proof enough that it came from me.
Lorencia's messenger and our knight took the sealed letter and immediately set off at a gallop. With this, a single victory condition had been established: I must not fall into enemy hands before they reached Lurie and the King's army arrived.
"Shall we head inside Senain Castle now, then? Lead the way, Luna."
"Yes, Princess Sera." Escorted by the troops Luna had brought, my party and I made our way toward her stronghold, Senain Castle.
A grand banquet had been prepared in the hall of Senain Castle to welcome my arrival. Filgret and I exchanged brief glances, silently confirming that the food was free of poison. It tasted excellent; Lorencia's cuisine had developed along a completely different culinary path than that of the royal court. However, given the circumstances, the atmosphere was far from festive.
Tina, who normally should have been seated beside the castle's lord, Luna, was for some reason sitting much further down the table, right next to William.
"W-William... Baron William, cut this for me..."
Tina slid a plate containing a large cut of meat toward William. Without a word, William deftly sliced it with his knife and handed it back to her. Chewing on the meat he had cut, Tina let out a silly, giddy grin. William stared at her for a moment, let out a soft sigh, and spoke.
"In times like this, you are supposed to say thank you, Tina."
"W-what... do I really have to say it out loud for you to know?"
"Yes."
"Th-thank you..."
"Good."
What was this? The suspension bridge effect? Under the extreme stress of her very first crisis, Tina seemed to have fallen head over heels for a boy her own age. The real question was how much William would be able to discipline and educate that spoiled brat.
Luna, too, kept her eyes fixed on the pair throughout the entire meal. I always thought this, but her gaze was fundamentally terrifying. I hoped it was just my imagination. From the perspective of a high noble like Luna, there was no way she could be pleased with William—a man of commoner origin who had been demoted to a mere baron. Yet, the only reason she wasn't raising a storm was because of the current crisis. This was no time to put on the haughty airs of a ducal house.
Once the banquet—which had been a pleasure only for the palate—came to an end, I secured another opportunity to speak with Luna in private. The lord's chambers were located at the highest point of the castle, overlooking the outer walls.
"Did the food suit your palate, Your Highness?" Luna asked.
"Yes, it was wonderful. Thank you for your hospitality, Luna Lorencia."
"It is still far from enough to make amends for the transgressions my kin, Elond, has committed against you," Luna said. "I only pray that this crisis is resolved swiftly and that His Majesty the King will show us mercy."
"I intend to convey your cooperation clearly to His Majesty," I replied. "Of course, that is assuming we return safely."
Luna likely knew this all too well. The situation was already incredibly grave. Once word of this reached Lurie, a decline in the Lorencia family's standing would be inevitable. However, this was also an opportunity for Luna. According to the information I had gathered, the succession struggle within the Lorencia family had been overwhelmingly in Elond's favor. If Elond fell due to treason, then even if the overall influence of the Lorencia family shrank slightly, the outcome would not be bad for Luna. Her cooperative attitude toward me was undoubtedly to seize this very opportunity. Luna, too, was now riding a tiger she could not dismount.
"If they ride at full speed, they should reach Lurie in three days," Luna calculated. "It will take about seven days for reinforcements to arrive... Though Elond's forces are strong, we can easily hold out for a week."
"It certainly seems so."
From what I had observed upon entering, the defenses of Senain Castle were quite solid. The walls were high, and the moat was dug deep. The condition of the soldiers also seemed decent. To maintain this level of readiness when there was no explicit enemy nearby meant they were well-prepared. Or perhaps she had already been keeping a potential civil war with Elond in mind.
"Yes, it was the teaching of my father... Reid Lorencia," Luna said. "He taught us that no matter how much wealth you amass, it is utterly meaningless if you lack the power to protect it. It seems Elond understood that lesson in a slightly different way, however."
"It seems you do not get along with Elond Lorencia. Or are you simply trying to draw a clear line between you?"
"You can be quite direct at times, Your Highness," Luna replied with a faint, wry smile. "It is true that we do not get along, and it is also true that I am trying to draw a line. Only then can Tina and I survive."
When she spoke Tina's name, a slight crack appeared in Luna's otherwise icy expression. Was she remembering her daughter's bruised and battered feet?
"You have spoken with Tina, so you must already know," Luna continued. "That child has a somewhat twisted side to her. Perhaps it is because she grew up receiving nothing but affection, or perhaps it is the Lorencia blood... She is so very different from you, Your Highness, who are hailed as an angel reborn. If she has committed any discourtesy toward you, I apologize once more as her mother."
"No, it was nothing so bothersome that it warrants an apology."
Besides, every time she said something problematic, William would end up smacking her even harder anyway.
"Thank you for your generosity," Luna said softly. "That child is the last hope I have left. If anything were to happen to her... I do not even wish to imagine it."
Casting a heavy gaze toward a corner of the room, Luna eventually turned her eyes back to me. With a faint, slightly embarrassed smile, she spoke.
"How strange. To find myself feeling so sentimental in such a dire situation. Perhaps it is because I have not had the chance to truly open my heart to anyone since becoming the lord of this castle."
Luna smiled softly. So she was capable of making such an expression. I had assumed she was a human forged entirely of iron and ice.
"If you do not mind me asking, what of Tina's father?"
"He is dead," Luna replied flatly. "He was a sickly man."
Her voice was completely calm, as if those memories had long been buried deep in the past.
It was then. A sudden commotion erupted from the direction of the outer walls. Looking out the window, I could see soldiers running in a panic. What was happening?
Soon, a frantic knock rattled the door. When Luna granted entry, one of her vassals rushed in, his face pale and distorted with distress.
"What is it?" Luna demanded.
"W-we just received a report that something was thrown over the outer walls..." the vassal stammered. "When we went to investigate... we found human heads. Two of them..."
Two heads. A dark, ominous premonition seized me.
"Could it be..."
"Yes... They were the heads of Gehem and the knight who accompanied him."