Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Downfall
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“You say you have a deep connection with our sister?”
One of the five generals, Clark, puffed out his chest with a dignified expression as he replied.
“That’s right. We even lent our strength to the Monestier incident that occurred in the Legion this time. As you know, Sir Berddin, we move for the peace of the continent.”
I felt a flicker of anger at Clark’s brazenness, but then I realized the purpose of their visit and let a smile creep onto my lips.
“I see.”
Wendy, who had followed behind him, was staring directly at the carriage. Inside it were the two assassins we had captured from the previous battle.
Interesting.
This must be why Father was in such a hurry to conquer the continent. If it weren’t for Katarina, the Strange Family wouldn’t have appeared this vulnerable so easily.
“By the way, where are you headed with such a large force?”
Clark glanced at the civilians trailing behind our troops and continued.
“It almost looks like you’re evacuating.”
With so many people hastily packing up and moving, it probably did look like a refugee procession to his eyes.
“You’re right.”
“We are?”
“Yes. We’re about to start a war.”
I feigned ignorance and tested him once.
They existed to maintain the balance of power, so they must have heard everything through the Papal Court.
“With the Glazers?”
As expected, the Glazer name came up immediately. He didn’t seem hostile, given that he wasn’t hiding his own information.
“Yes.”
“And the reason?”
“That’s what we want to ask the Glazers. Why they want to fight us.”
Clark glanced at Wendy before cautiously continuing.
“Are you saying the Glazers are the ones who want war first?”
“Sir Clark, as one of the generals, you must already know all about these incidents, right?”
“……”
“I won’t go into lengthy explanations. But we have no intention of backing down against the Glazers. If they want a fight, we’ll give them one.”
That said, until we could grasp the Rothschilds’ movements, we had to employ the two-faced strategy Kaipa had mentioned.
“If they don’t want it, we can stop preparing for war even now.”
Kaipa, who had been listening to our exchange, cleared his throat and pointed ahead.
“Family Head, we’re approaching the castle outskirts soon.”
His meaning was clear: Were we allowing the general into Strange Family territory?
From here on, there was an unspoken rule that any unpermitted intruders could be cut down without mercy.
“Thank you for letting me know, Sir Kaipa.”
Clark’s eyes darted between Kaipa and me.
“Family Head? Have you, Sir Berddin, become the head of the Strange Family?”
“That’s correct.”
“What about Marquis Roys?”
“He has passed away.”
“What?!”
Was he truly unaware, or hiding his knowledge? He had spoken openly about the Glazers earlier, so it didn’t seem like he was trying to deceive us.
“His death is still confidential.”
“Th-then, the Glazers must have learned of this and are attacking the Strange Family?”
“Probably. There are various circumstances, but it’s hard to explain them all.”
I quickened my pace to put distance between us as I spoke.
Clop, clop, clop.
“You should head back now. We’re busy preparing for war—”
Clark nodded curtly, backing away as he raised his voice.
“I’ll come see you again when there’s a chance!”
“Yes, please relay a message to Lord Albus as well.”
“…?!”
“Tell him that excessive meddling can also be a sin.”
Clark splashed lake water on his face.
“Damn brat, he knew everything and toyed with us completely!”
Wendy fiddled with the flower petals that reached up to her height as she replied.
“Right? That’s why I said we should just fight once and take back Numbers.”
“We could’ve gotten ourselves killed.”
“True, that Kaipa guy was on guard against us.”
“Kaipa? That old man?”
“Yeah. Well, if it came to a fight, we could beat Kaipa. But like you said, Berddin was there too…”
The operation had failed spectacularly.
They had underestimated Berddin too much.
Clark blinked, then ran a hand down his face and took a deep breath.
Hoo—
“I don’t know what to do about those Numbers guys.”
“If we go back like this, it’ll be total humiliation. We lost Cynthia and Alfredo too…”
“That couldn’t be helped. The Five Evening Stars turned their backs on us completely—what could we do?”
“Still—”
“It’s all Albus’s fault. The Five Evening Stars abandoning us, losing Cynthia and Alfredo, Numbers getting captured by Berddin and giving them cause for war—it’s all on him.”
How could they get out of this mess? Clark and Wendy pondered deeply for a long time but found no answer.
Moreover, Berddin had openly warned Albus, so they now had to move even more cautiously.
“Wendy, I’ll stay in the south and monitor the Strange Family’s movements. You head back to the Papal Court and inform Albus.”
Wendy bit her nails anxiously.
“He won’t let it slide if he finds out.”
“No, the Strange Family can’t face all of us at once. They’re missing Gunter and Hysteria, and now Roys is gone too.”
“Clark… Like I said, Valentine is still there in the Strange Family.”
“So?”
“No matter how thoroughly we prepare, we can’t underestimate them.”
Clark slammed his fist into the ground.
Bam!
“Do I seem like I’m underestimating them?”
“…When did I say that? I’m just warning you in case. Geez—calm that temper.”
“Shut up and go tell Albus quickly. And… don’t forget to emphasize that we absolutely need that guy this time.”
“That guy?”
“The one who became a general after me. He shows up so rarely, his name’s slipping my mind.”
“Ah!”
“Tell him to join us no matter what. He ignores us, but he listens to Albus.”
Between the central and northern regions of the continent lay Midgard, the path to the heavens.
And atop it, a nation accessible only through the massive tree called Yggdrasil.
Ragnarok.
A palace built on land formed by using the branches of Yggdrasil, stretching out in all directions above the clouds.
The Strange Family’s delegation had arrived in Rothschild territory. They had sent only a minimal group of lightly armed knights.
“The Rothschilds will receive the Strange Family’s delegation according to custom.”
A knight bearing the Rothschild emblem of a golden lion on his chest snorted derisively.
“Custom? How dare unpermitted intruders speak of custom in Ragnarok.”
“Unpermitted? I clearly stated we are the Strange Family’s delegation. What procedures are you talking about?”
“Even the Strange Family must observe the proper rites when coming to meet the children of god.”
“……”
“You invoke custom, yet ignore our rites?”
When the Strange Family envoy faltered in the verbal sparring, the Rothschild guard captain who had been listening stepped in to assist.
“How about this: Everyone except the envoy waits here. If you enter the palace alone, I’ll grant permission to let you through.”
The knight serving as the Strange Family envoy hesitated. The white fortress before him looked far too dangerous to enter alone into enemy territory.
“Understood.”
There was no other choice.
He had to deliver the letter from the Family Head, after all.
Having concluded the discussion, they headed straight to the Rothschild palace. Knights in white armor emblazoned with golden lions lined the path, spears at the ready.
Any misstep, and they would die on the spot—that much was clear from their actions, without need for words.
“Even as an outsider, I don’t think you need to be this guarded.”
“Please understand. We had an assassin intrusion recently.”
“Assassin?”
“Yes. And—one more thing before entering the palace. Make sure you know this.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a lack of ability if an envoy arrives without knowing the other party’s status.”
“……”
“Once inside the palace, there will be no one beneath you in rank, so show proper respect to whomever you meet.”
The Strange Family envoy nodded curtly. As a noble of the Strange Family, he had never received such treatment anywhere on the continent.
To be disrespected like this.
He found the Rothschild treatment absurd, but his mind changed the moment he entered the palace.
“I-isn’t that Count Gerard?!”
Not as grand as the Strange Family, but still a knightly house renowned in the west for spearmanship, wielding considerable influence.
Count Gerard was crawling on all fours in shabby, slave-like attire.
A leash around his neck like a dog, dragged along as if he were a pet.
“Walk straight, you bastard!”
A red-haired boy kicked Count Gerard in the rear.
Thwack!
“Krrk!”
“I heard this toy was decent, so I brought it along. Can’t even walk properly after less than a week?”
The Strange Family envoy swallowed hard with a stiff expression. Who was this boy to treat Count Gerard like that?
The guard captain bowed deeply to him.
“Lord Asabragg, a delegation from the Strange Family has arrived.”
The boy called Asabragg scowled fiercely, then spotted the Strange Family envoy and broke into a wide smile.
“Strange Family?”
“Yes, they say they’ve come to deliver a letter written by the Family Head himself.”
“A letter? To me?”
“That’s what they claim.”
The moment the Strange Family envoy met Asabragg’s eyes, he involuntarily dropped to one knee.
Thud.
“I see Lord Asabragg.”
To become the Rothschild Family Head at such a young age. The envoy couldn’t help comparing him to Berddin in his mind.
“So, Berddin sent me a letter?”
Berddin’s name, not Roys’s. Did that mean Asabragg knew everything about the Strange Family’s situation?
The envoy’s mind raced, but he replied with a composed expression.
“Yes.”
“Hand it over.”
“…Pardon?”
“The letter. I said give it.”
Asabragg extended his hand.
The envoy carefully pulled the letter from his bosom, and the guard captain took it, reading its contents aloud.
“‘Two suns cannot exist under the same sky, so one is unnecessary on this land…’ is what it says.”
Asabragg raised an eyebrow.
“Interesting. Very interesting. You’re saying Berddin sent this?”
The Strange Family envoy nodded cautiously.
“Yes.”
“We all know what’s going on anyway—did he need to be so grandiose about it?”
“……”
“Go tell Berddin I heard him loud and clear. And that soon—”
Shing—
Asabragg drew the sword at his waist.
“I’ll prove the power and worth of the Rothschilds by turning this boring world upside down.”
Splurt!
He severed Count Gerard’s head.
“Soon, the entire continent will sing my praises. Tell the Emperor to wash his neck and wait.”