Record of Wortenia War: Volume 4

by Ryota Hori

  The cold facts surfaced in Ryoma’s mind one after another. Escaping the O’ltormea Empire was hard, but he’d had a lot of things go in his favor. This time wasn’t like that, though. The conditions were all too different. There was no realistic way for him to escape.

  For starters, my face and name are too well known... And even if I escape this place, Lupis will just reach for the guild, and that’ll screw me over in its own way... If nothing else, I won’t be able to take any work through the guild.

  Lupis’s letter was what made the guild pardon Ryoma’s group, proving their innocence. But put another way, if Lupis were to say ‘I know nothing of this letter’ or ‘I was asked to write a fallacious letter,’ everything could be turned on its head. Any innocence they gained through Lupis’s words could lose its credibility with a single contrasting testimony from her.

  Shit... The royals having all this power just complicates everything...

  Recalling how he rejoiced at having their innocence proven made him sick to his stomach. Maybe that was his just desserts for looking down on the authority of royalty. For better or worse, the strength of a country is vast. It was a power that could just as well allow one to say the sky is green and that grass is blue.

  I should have just bailed from this country as soon as I could... But no, that wouldn’t have been possible. They have knights watching over me 24/7, ready to kill me if I even try to escape... Dammit! I really am one oblivious idiot... I shouldn’t have swallowed Lupis’s stupid words. “I want you to see the moment I’m coronated,” she said! That cheeky, condescending bitch...

  He’d intended to leave the country as soon as the rebellion ended, and that was why Ryoma took every means possible to win. He avoided making any needless connections with the nobles, and admonished anything that went against Lupis’s will without any hesitation. He literally cared nothing for how he looked to everyone around him.

  But the debt for those actions was now hanging over him, and it was a heavy debt indeed. It had now been over a month since the civil war came to an end, and Ryoma remained in the castle even with his vindication to the guild complete. That was all because Queen Lupis pressed him to do so.

  Ryoma’s first hint was just a sign of anxiety, of fear at having to carry the responsibilities of a country. With Mikhail, her confidant, now forced to house arrest, Ryoma thought his staying in the country might alleviate some of her stress. And that small hint of sympathy had come back to bite him viciously.

  It’s been over a month since the rebellion ended... And now I’m entirely on the back foot.

  Ryoma spent most of this month in his room in the castle. He’d feast himself on lavish food, and then work up a sweat by practicing martial arts against Lione or the Malfist sisters. If he was truly left with too much free time, he’d talk to Boltz or Gennou about some trifling topic or another.

  Those were the first days he’d spent since being summoned to this world when his heart was truly at peace.

  But all of that was based on his planning to eventually leave the country. Had Ryoma taken into account he would have to stay in Rhoadseria, he wouldn’t have spent those days so idly.

  Right now, Ryoma needed silence to confront his own heart. Ryoma silently but surely analyzed the situation.

  I never thought she’d break her promise... No, I deliberately ignored that possibility... I guess I underestimated her... Or put another way, overestimated her kindness...

  He could faintly tell that she was scared of him, and that was part of why Ryoma didn’t intend to stay. But that wasn’t enough to do away with Lupis’s fear.

  The Wortenia peninsula... Honestly speaking, it’s one hell of a promotion. But I don’t see Lupis doing that for me right now... After all, making a commoner into a noble would cause a lot of resistance. And Lupis’s right to the throne is unstable, so there’s no way she’d make me a noble now... Unless there was a catch.

  Ryoma was given a noble title and territory. Normally, this would be a great honor, but Ryoma wasn’t foolish enough to simply accept it at face value. Without any warning, Queen Lupis went against her promise and pushed a title and territory onto him. Had she truly wanted Ryoma Mikoshiba to lend her his strength, she wouldn’t have gone about it like this.

  It would have been reasonable to tell him directly that she wanted his strength going forward. But between his own situation, the kingdom of Rhoadseria’s current status and Queen Lupis’s attitude and the way she looked at him, Ryoma could piece together her true intent.

  I get it... She wants to keep me pinned down, to seal me.

  It made no sense for someone who was so afraid of him to make him a noble. In which case, if she were to make him a noble, it was likely she’d place some kind of limitation on him.

  The first thing that comes to mind is the Wortenia peninsula itself... There’s a good chance the place itself is problematic, somehow. Like, it could be bordering another country, so it’s in constant strife, or something like that... But since they want to push it onto me, I can’t just say no. I’ll need a reason to refuse... A legitimate reason... So how do I find one?

  He’d need a very good reason to refuse a title and plot of land given to him by a queen in a way that wouldn’t tarnish her honor. Refusing for no reason would drag her name through the mud. Naturally, Ryoma didn’t care in the slightest for Lupis’s dignity at this point, but what would happen if he did that anyway? Lupis would simply have him killed out of spite.

  Whether he accepted the offer or rejected it, all that awaited Ryoma would be hell.

  “In the end, I’m just... weak.” Words of self-derision escaped Ryoma’s lips.

  Ryoma was being crushed by the overwhelming authority of a country. He could beat her as an individual, but he couldn’t defy her orders. Even if he were to try, it wouldn’t do him any good. And that just meant Ryoma was weaker than Lupis.

  What was he to do, then?

  The only thing that can match a country... is another country.

  An idea popped up in Ryoma’s mind.

  “You seem concerned, milord.” Someone’s voice drew Ryoma from his thoughts.

  Ryoma rose from his bed swiftly and glared at the voice’s owner.

  “How did you get in here, Gennou?”

  “From that door over yonder...” Gennou replied calmly. “I suppose I did neglect to knock first.”

  “What’s the big idea? I didn’t call for you.”

  “Come now, no need to be like that, milord.” Shrugging away Ryoma’s words, Gennou sat on a chair. “I’ve taken the liberty of confirming the situation for myself. The Wortenia peninsula... You’ve had quite the troublesome plot of land forced upon you...”

  “How do you know that?” Ryoma’s eyes narrowed.

  He hadn’t even told the sisters about it, and yet this old man knew.

  “The cloak and dagger are my livelihood, milord. Seeking out information like this is child’s play for me.”

  “Yeah... I suppose that’s right.” Ryoma nodded.

  They were a clan of shinobi. Spying out information was second nature to them.

  “Do not dwell on it... The twin lasses asked this of me. Said that your demeanor today is odd, they did, and asked that Sakuya and I look into it.”

  “The twins asked you to do that?”

  Gennou nodded deeply. In all likelihood, the Malfist sisters had picked up on the change in Ryoma’s expression and asked Gennou for help. Their attention and consideration were praiseworthy.

  “Then you understand the situation?” Ryoma asked, sighing all the while.

  “Aye...” Gennou stroked his mustache. “’Tis a bothersome conundrum, indeed. But in a way, it is also a stroke of luck.”

  “Luck? You call this luck?!” Ryoma raised his voice despite himself.

  Lupis’s plot here was obvious, and he was anxious about the land he was being forced to accept. Every single factor in this entire business was shrouded in uncertainty. But Gennou shook his head silent
ly.

  “Milord... Take Lupis up on her offer, ulterior motives and all. And then use it to build up your strength.”

  Ryoma couldn’t easily accept Gennou’s words. He himself considered that idea, but there was one factor Ryoma had absolutely no control over on his own.

  “Do you not trust us?” Gennou’s words cut to the heart of the matter, as if he’d read Ryoma’s feelings from his expression. “Our wills are already decided. Lione and Boltz, and of course the lasses and us...”

  With those words, the room’s door swung open, and Lione, Boltz, Sakuya and the twins entered the room.

  “Ya heard him... Why didn’t you ask me to come along, boy?”

  “We’ll follow you through thick and thin, lad!”

  Like Gennou said, it seemed that they had already steeled their collective resolve. Ryoma felt his expression slacken.

  “I mean, I can’t promise anything... I’m just a commoner who doesn’t have the first idea about how to govern a province.”

  Gennou nodded silently. They still believed in Ryoma Mikoshiba in spite of that.

  “Still! To think she’s treating ya like this after all the help you gave her...” Lione said, reflecting the thoughts of everyone present. “I swear, nobles are all a bunch of real shitheads!”

  They then all huddled around the table, beginning to plan their next step. The highest priority at the moment was the answer to Lupis tomorrow. The deadline was tomorrow at noon. Until then, Ryoma would need to decide if he were to accept the title and land. They would probably need to stay up all night to come up with a countermeasure.

  “I guess she has her position to consider,” Ryoma said with a certain coldness to his voice.

  He could afford to let his anger show a little more.

  “Doesn’t it piss ya off?” Lione turned a probing glance at Ryoma.

  “Well, yeah... I was pissed at first. But if they’re going to be like this, I don’t have to show them any mercy, either,” Ryoma smirked.

  The moment Lione saw that smile, she felt something cold slither down her spine. That was a demon’s smile. A smile of malice and hatred... Born of a deep darkness, full of ambition.

  I get where you’re coming from, Lupis... But you betrayed me... So I’ll make sure you pay the price! And then...

  In this world, only the strong survived. And countries were one of the strongest forces in this world. One could be as skilled and witty as they wished, but there was no opposing the might of a country. Only a country could defeat another country, but making another country like the ones that already exist in this world would be meaningless.

  Ryoma’s image of what an ideal country would be was still hazy, and its form was far from fleshed out.

  But with these guys by my side...

  On that night, the lantern lighting up the room wasn’t put out until the break of dawn.

  “And that’s all... Do you understand, Your Highness?” Sudou asked Princess Shardina, who sat in the chair opposite his.

  The place was Shardina’s office in O’ltormea’s capital. Placed on her desk was Sudou’s interim report detailing his infiltration of Rhoadseria.

  “I see, so everything is going smoothly overall for now... There have been quite a few unpredictable factors, but it looks like weakening Rhoadseria won’t be a problem... Did anything stand out to you in this conversation, Saitou?”

  Shardina turned to Saitou, who stood at her side.

  “Well, thanks to Mr. Sudou we managed to move along with minimal revisions to the plan. Had Duke Gelhart died, Princess Radine, whom he backed, would also be disposed of as a rebel. So the fact that you managed to get out of that situation with both of them alive... I can only applaud you, as always. Gelhart aside, Radine was one marionette that cost us a good deal of money.”

  “No, no, it wasn’t all my efforts.” Sudou smiled at the praise he’d just received. “That princess... Well, I suppose she’s a queen now. It all comes down to her being foolish. As close an aide as he may be, placing that much value on the life of a single knight is truly an act of stupidity.”

  Sudou spoke modestly, but his eyes glinted with confidence at the effectiveness of his ploys. Perhaps this was a show of that particular form of restraint so characteristic of the Japanese, even if it was only a surface-level facade.

  Shardina knew full well that Sudou was a confident and haughty man. His arrogant attitude right now stood as a symbol of that.

  “She’s intelligent enough, but lacking in decisiveness... Put simply, she’s a kind, foolish person.”

  Sudou’s appraisal of Lupis was merciless. He scorned her from the bottom of his heart.

  “Yes, I’ve looked over the report... Really, what was she thinking...? Though I suppose the enemy being foolish is good for us.” Shardina shrugged with a smirk. “Though if she becomes too stupid, facing her would become boring.”

  Sudou nodded at Shardina’s words, while Saitou grimaced before parting his lips to speak.

  “I would think an opponent that resists too much is troublesome in its own way, no?”

  “You mean him... Yes... I swear! That man always finds a way of meddling in our plans. I’m getting sick of him!” Recalling that largish, mature-faced man, Shardina shook her head in annoyance.

  She could hardly be faulted for it. That man was the one topic she wished would never be brought up before her.

  “Judging by Mr. Sudou’s report, that man was mixed up in this whole incident by coincidence...” Saitou said. “He didn’t take part in it with the intent of meddling in the Empire’s plans...”

  “And that’s what irritates me all the more!” Shardina raised her voice. “I was wondering where he’d run off to, only to find out he’s taking part in the Rhoadserian civil war! And by coincidence, at that! He almost tore our plans into shambles without even knowing it! What is that man, some kind of curse cast against us?!”

  “Perhaps you could call it fate...” Sudou said with a meaningful smile. “The man who killed Gaius ended up getting in the way of the plan Gaius proposed...”

  “Fate, eh...” Shardina heaved a sigh.

  The Rhoadserian Civil War was part of O’ltormea’s plan to conquer the eastern regions, originally planned by the late Gaius. The Empire governed over the central regions of the western continent, and the north was under the control of the Kingdom of Helnesgoula. The west was under the control of the Holy Qwiltantia Empire. Currently, O’ltormea was plotting to invade the east while facing pressure from the two other countries.

  This three-way war had lasted for some twenty years by now, and when two countries broke into a state of war, the remaining one would surely profit. That much was obvious to all, and so the tension between the three knew no end. They glared at each other from across their border, vigilantly waiting for an opening to present itself. It was obvious that a third country could possibly interfere.

  And so Gaius, who was court thaumaturgist and a strategist for the empire, proposed a certain plot to break through this situation. Neither of the two other countries had the power to defeat O’ltormea, but allying with one of them to attack the other wasn’t realistic. The three countries had long-standing grudges and complicated webs of vested interests to hold any chance of an alliance back.

  And so, Gaius turned his gaze to the eastern regions of the continent. Whoever invaded and conquered the east would gain a lead in national power over the other two countries. So Gaius used his intelligence network to set his sights on the eastern regions. The southern regions were hotly contested, and divided between fifteen small countries. Those countries’ soldiers were well-trained and organized thanks to constant, repeating skirmishes.

  But compared to that, the eastern regions were ruled by the three countries of Myest, Rhoadseria and Xarooda. All three had long rules, but relatively little experience in war.

  To top it off, the class system was especially harsh in those countries, and the nobles’ influence reached far. They tended to exploit the
commoners. This meant that upon occupying their lands, a tax reduction would be all that would be necessary to satisfy the commoners.

  Gaius’s plan was immediately approved and ordered by the emperor. And the first step toward it was this strategy employed against Rhoadseria, which bordered on Xarooda. The fact they didn’t begin immediately acting against their direct number, Xarooda, was a stroke of brilliance on Gaius’s behalf.

  Each of the three eastern countries’ strength was insignificant compared to O’ltormea, but if they were to join forces, even the empire wouldn’t be able to easily beat them. And so, to keep the countries divided, they decided to spark the rebellion in Rhoadseria.

  “It was two years ago that Sudou found Radine on Gaius’s order,” Shardina said. “We then gradually weakened the last king, Pharst II, with poison, making it seem like he was dying out of illness. And then that man showed up, just as we were ready... Thanks to him, Gaius died and this plot was nearly driven into the ground... I suppose you could call that fate...”

  Gaius summoning Ryoma Mikoshiba threw all their plans out of order.

  “Indeed...” Saitou nodded deeply.

  “And? What became of him?”

  “Ryoma Mikoshiba, yes... That man is a real tricky one... Looking at it from just the conclusion, you could say everything turned out as we planned, but...” Sudou’s words trailed off.

  His expression made it clear he was doubting the choices he made.

  “What? You forced the Wortenia peninsula onto him, right?”

  “I did... That much went as I intended, but that man... He began bringing up extra conditions at the eleventh hour.”

  “What do you mean?” Shardina asked with surprise. “He received the title of baron and the land of the Wortenia peninsula... What other conditions did he attach?”

  “That was another display of his abilities.” Sudou nodded with a serious expression. “The way he spoke truly gouged at her weaknesses, leaving Lupis with no choice but to agree...”