Chapter 99: Opening (1)
Chapter 99: Opening (1)
"The flower crown has withered."
Varda greeted Eugene as he returned from scouting the terrain. Her expression, as she held the dried-up flower crown, was full of regret.
-I picked the flowers from the garden myself and wove it stitch by stitch.
It was a flower crown crafted by Aisha, Count Andar's daughter, who had specially selected the prettiest blooms.
Eugene had worn it on his head throughout the first night's banquet, receiving countless toasts and praise.
-A true warrior must be solid both inside and out!
-Knights of Gord! Will you not rise and spare our kingdom further disgrace?
Even as the other knights succumbed to drink and collapsed, Eugene alone remained perfectly sober, and all in the banquet hall cheered for him.
"It was made from fresh flowers, so of course it was bound to wither with time."
"But you have me, do you not?"
"Pardon?"
"I mean, I can preserve it with my magic."
With forest magic, it was possible to maintain the vitality of a flower plucked from its stem semi-permanently.
Since the prize had been gold, this flower crown was practically the only keepsake.
Yet Eugene politely declined Varda's offer to enchant and preserve it.
"This is a memento honoring your first tournament victory. It is too precious to simply fade away."
"Because this was not the flower crown I wanted to receive most of all."
Had it been a tournament in Roman or Barsia, Eugene would have spurred his horse straight toward Varda's seats.
He would have caught the flower crown she tossed down with his lance and raised it like a banner to extol her honor.
But this was Gord, and he had to respect the local customs.
"Your sentiment is an honor beyond measure, but..."
Varda's heart quickened as she watched him accept her scarf instead, bearing himself as the knight who had risen solely for her.
The burning passion and honor she had believed, until only last year, would never have anything to do with her.
It was a heady wine, sweeter and far stronger than any she had ever drunk at the banquets to which she had been invited.
"Still, the care woven into this crown was no ordinary devotion."
As a forest mage and an elf, Varda could read much from flowers.
She could tell that Aisha had poured her heart into making this crown, blessing Eugene's victory.
"Let us leave that topic here. As we roam here and there aboard the Wandering Castle, there will surely be more tournaments to attend."
Eugene placed his hands on Varda's shoulders. The soft touch of her skin filled his palms.
She was a fairy of the forest who had stood at his side as an advisor yet once seemed as distant as a flower blooming on a cliff. At some point, however, this degree of physical contact had become natural between them.
"When that time comes, I'll look forward to the flower crown Varda-nim gives me."
Varda crossed her hands in an X over the backs of Eugene's hands where they rested on her shoulders.
"...I shall prepare a flower crown without equal in this world. Upon my honor as a mage and as an elf."
Varda spoke as though making a vow while gently stroking the backs of Eugene's firm hands.
"There is no need to go quite that far."
"It is my wish."
Eugene was overwhelmed by her intensity. She radiated more force than the Gord knights he had faced in the tournament.
Her golden eyes burned with the strongest stubborn resolve Eugene had seen from her since they met. It delighted him.
Her first impression had been like an ancient tree carved from ice. Just thinking that he was the one who had changed her this much...
Now only one task remained. What would be the first commission they would take on, using the Wandering Castle as their base of operations?
In this age, the means to earn large sums of money were, without a doubt, war and trade.
"Given my situation, war is clearly the better option."
"If this were the old me, I'd tell you to think it over again. But now I have no way to talk you out of it."
Marbas, who sat with them as an advisor, smiled wryly.
As the most experienced among Eugene's circle, he knew that earning money through combat was a poisoned chalice.
Victory meant gaining everything, but defeat meant ruin. The battlefield was full of countless variables, and even the strongest army could collapse for the most absurd reasons.
"Your moving castle can minimize both the cost of battle and its uncertainties, after all."
"Marching, supply lines, a stronghold to retreat to when the odds turn against us. We can solve all those difficult problems in one stroke."
An army incurred far greater costs when on the march than when encamped. In unfavorable circumstances, it would face countless hardships.
But Eugene's army, traveling with its own fortress, could nearly ignore such risks.
Thanks to that, they could consider a multitude of commissions that would normally have been abandoned for various reasons.
"An escort for several dozen wagons."
"Transport escorts are one of the most common ways mercenaries make a living. And this one is fairly large."
Rex offered his advice as Eugene sorted through the most promising commissions.
"War or no war, the flow of goods never stops."
"It is good work for rookie mercenaries to build up stamina and experience safely."
"But transport escort work doesn't pay much, does it?"
"Right. You only get a fixed daily wage, and merchants favor safe routes, so there's much less fighting than you might expect. You practically never get any spoils."
Rex smiled and added an explanation when he saw the look on Eugene's face, as though this seemed too tame for their memorable first commission.
"But that is only when an ordinary mercenary company provides the escort. We can go beyond guarding the cargo and handle the transport itself."
The standard transport commission worked like this: merchants and laborers set out with their wagons, and the mercenary company followed alongside to protect them.
In contrast, Eugene could simply bring the merchant company aboard the Wandering Castle and then teleport. That was all.
"Not only can we charge for escort duty, but we can also demand a portion of the transport fees. It will be quite lucrative. Though we will have to negotiate, since no such precedent has ever been set."
"I am most curious to see the faces of the trading company people when they hear our proposed terms."
"Hahaha!"
Apparently, everyone found the idea amusing even just imagining it.
"Sir Knight, whenever you try something new, the basic rule is to start with the standard approach."
"He's right. Why not choose a transport commission?"
Even the tribal warriors, who would normally have scoffed that it was 'no work for a true warrior,' were now actively encouraging him to take it.
'I was planning to get into the trade business anyway.'
Eugene thought it might not be a bad idea to accept such commissions on the side while transporting his own goods, and to build relationships with the trading companies in the process.
But this was still only the first commission he had looked at. He checked the next request.
"Putting down a peasant revolt."
"It is said to have grown quite large. Several men well-versed in the local terrain have reportedly banded together with some wandering knights and are using the forests to their advantage."
"That would be difficult for any single lord to handle on his own."
In the warfare of this land, being well-versed in the terrain conferred an absolute advantage.
Add to that the fact that numbers were power. If knights had joined them to reduce their disorder and provide leadership, a hastily assembled punitive force could even be routed in turn.
But Eugene tore the commission notice in half.
"Bandits, pirates, or even a territorial war—those I might consider. But this is something I have no wish to get involved in."
"I thought you would say that."
The primary causes of peasant revolts were harsh exploitation by the lord or a failed harvest.
Of course, that did not mean peasants who rebelled were always innocent victims. It was common for them to take up plundering and degenerate into bandit gangs.
Even so, Eugene felt an instinctive aversion to turning swords and spears on peasants.
Even from a purely practical standpoint, there would be no spoils or other side income to collect from poor farmers.
"A tour of the Wandering Castle? What is this?"
"The nobles who attended the banquet wish to see the legendary castle for themselves. They offered a rather large sum of money, so I hear."
It was a commission that would earn money without shedding a single drop of blood or a single bead of sweat.
Normally, receiving outside nobles as guests only incurred hospitality expenses for the host. But with a place like the Wandering Castle, they could actually charge money for the privilege.
"Rejected as well. We are not yet prepared to receive guests."
The castle was still being reorganized. Eugene wanted to receive guests only after the interior had been completely put in order.
"New Year Subjugation?"
"This is a proposal from the Count Andar family."
Eugene focused. It was a matter to be treated with greater importance than the other commissions.
"In the south, there are the great Shield Mountains."
The name had been given because they were like a shield of the kingdom, holding back the monsters that seethed in the Demon Forest.
"I know the place. When I left my hometown with Homi, I briefly agonized over whether to cross them and go up into Gord territory."
Though no matter how much he thought about it, it had seemed insane, so he had given up immediately.
"To the west lies the forest known as the Demon Forest."
He had not even considered heading that way in the first place.
"Count Andar's domain is a border territory that touches most of the Shield Mountains and a portion of the Demon Forest. No matter how rugged the mountains are, there are always monsters that manage to break through and descend."
"Is the commission to subjugate those bastards?"
"They say it is an annual event held once every year. That is why they call it the New Year Subjugation."
Since the client was Count Andar, renowned for his wealth, the compensation would be substantial. Moreover, since the quarry was monsters, all manner of byproducts could be claimed as spoils.
"This pleases me the most."
"Hunting monsters that emerge from the Demon Forest is a commission our clan has kept an eye on for a long time."
Rex, evidently of the same mind as Eugene, swallowed hungrily.
"Though until now, we have always had to give it up."
"Why?"
"To handle this commission, we would have to send a large force of elite mounted archers. If something happened to them out on the far edge of the continent, there would be no way for us to help."
The Black Hand Tribe had always operated mainly in the center of the continent except in special circumstances.
They were people who had survived through their individual strength despite having many enemies and few friends. Fighting in a distant foreign land was simply too dangerous.
But from now on, all of that would be a thing of the past.
"Good. Let us go with this one."
"I was waiting for those words!"
Rex and the tribal warriors shook their clenched fists and rejoiced.
They worked as mercenaries now, but their roots were nomadic. Go farther back still and the blood of hunters who roamed the forests ran through them. Hunting beasts and monsters was in their nature.
Eugene personally visited Count Andar to inform him of the commission's acceptance.
"Not only did you raise the tournament's prestige, but now our bond continues like this. I am pleased."
Count Andar felt as though a matter that had been weighing on his mind was already neatly resolved.
To think that the strongest knight he knew and the Black Hand Mercenary Company, one of the foremost companies on the continent, would fight for him.
Even before the monster extermination, the very fact that he could place these mighty warriors temporarily under his command was a great pleasure in itself.
"First, I must return to Bonyard. I will prepare the army and supplies there and set out immediately."
"When you say immediately, I suppose you mean you will arrive the moment you depart—with that castle of yours, that is."
"That is correct."
Eugene smiled awkwardly at the count, whose eyes were sparkling like a boy's despite his age.
Seen off by the others, Eugene left Gord and arrived at the entrance to the forest north of Bonyard.
Close to a hundred personnel were encamped there waiting, composed of tribal warriors, servants, maids, and slaves.
They spotted Eugene's party, quickly rushed over, and paid their respects.
"We are an additional support unit sent by Chieftain Alessa. We have come under orders to assist with the castle's defense and maintenance."
"The term new residents pleases me more than support unit."
"We are glad to hear you say so."
"Thanks for coming, everyone. The place felt far too much like a barracks as it was. Now it might finally start to feel lived in."
The tribe members laughed at Eugene's words. Their chieftain had been right: Sir Knight deserved respect, but there was no need to be overly tense around him.
"Members of my tribe will continue to visit the castle frequently."
Rex gave a quiet heads-up.
"We will be constantly moving. Will they be able to locate us?"
"We stay in regular contact with them. You do not need to worry about that."
When they all entered the forest together, the Wandering Castle greeted its master in its unchanging form.
Beyond the castle gate, which stood wide open in welcome of Eugene, the immaculately tidied hall revealed its magnificent presence.
"Welcome back, Lord of the Castle! There were no abnormalities during your absence!"
The dwarves guarding the hall entrance raised their axes and rendered a military salute.
The open castle gate was not the only one. There was also a castle gate leading to the stables where livestock such as horses and cattle were kept.
"Allow me to guide them!"
"You did it last time when the merchants came, didn't you? It's my turn this time!"
The new residents could not understand the dwarves making a great fuss to be the one to guide them through the stables, which seemed nothing more than a menial task.
However, the moment the massive castle gate opened, they immediately understood why. Within the tidy stalls that stretched endlessly to the left and right of the gate, horses were resting.
"Warhorses take priority, so if space runs short, slaughter the pigs or cattle."
"Filling a place this vast would be difficult even if our whole tribe joined together. I have never heard of, let alone seen, such a gigantic stable inside a castle."
"It is an absurd scale indeed."
The dwarf guard wore a proud expression. The greatness of the castle they guarded was no different from their own pride, after all.
Generally, a stable referred to a small-scale structure in the form of a lean-to in an open area. Even the castles of considerable grand nobles were no exception.
A stable like this, capable of stationing hundreds of warhorses in an isolated safe zone? If one spoke of it outside, they would be scoffed at and told to stop talking nonsense.
"The animals can drink from the water lines here."
The guard pointed to water pipes installed at regular intervals.
"Finally! No more hauling water every single day."
"With this castle, we could even conquer the desert!"
The tribal horse masters buzzed with great excitement.
A horse drank more than ten times as much water as a person. That made cavalry difficult to maintain, and the need for water naturally made their routes of advance predictable.
But with this castle, even that common sense would crumble.
However, one decisive element still remained.
A long feeding trough that cut across the center of the vast space that felt almost embarrassing to call a stable. Inside it, a unique yellow crop grew densely.
Snap.
A dwarf guard plucked a stalk and held it out to a horse a tribe member had led over.
"It's grass inedible to humans, but the livestock absolutely go mad for it."
Sniff, sniff.
The horse had been looking around nervously in the unfamiliar surroundings, but its nose reacted at once. It cautiously took the stalk into its mouth and bit down.
Prrrff!
The fear in the horse's expression vanished in an instant. Its eyes widened with sheer delight at the taste of the feed.
'It isn't stored here—it actually grows inside the trough?'
It wasn't cut hay stacked in piles, but living stalks standing upright in the trough. Everyone had heard the distinct snap when the dwarf guard tore one free.
"Even if it's all eaten up, it grows back to this level overnight. Truly, is magic not magnificent?"
"Good heavens!"
The tribe members let out screams filled with joy as they realized what kind of place they would be living in.
'This is why I can't resist giving people the stable tour!'
The merchants before them had reacted the same way. Every guest who visited was left marveling at one surprise after another.
It was the reason the guards scrambled among themselves to be the one to guide guests through the stables.
"They're all so energetic."
"Is it not a good sight? The fact that mercenaries step forward to do such tasks even without extra pay is something to take pride in as the lord of the castle."
Varda and Homi watched the spectacle with satisfaction.
This was an honor that could not be enjoyed no matter how much money one had, no matter how much authority one wielded, unless one had been chosen by fate.