Chapter 37
It was the day Elic wandered through a terrible nightmare.
It was also the day Tyria’s fever had completely broken and she returned to work in the office.
And, in another sense, it was the day new reports arrived from the western battlefield.
Taken together, it was a day that signaled the year’s end was drawing rapidly near.
“Three more kingdoms have fallen.”
Tyria spoke as she read the Western Monthly.
As she said, within that short span of time, three additional kingdoms had met their downfall.
All of them had lacked one of the Seven Great Powers, and now the battlefield had become a struggle between only five kingdoms and a single empire.
“Do you think the situation is beginning to stabilize?”
At her question, Elic replied sharply.
“No. It will become even more violent.”
“Pardon?”
“Ah…”
Only then did Elic come back to his senses.
Perhaps because of the nightmare, his mood was unusually irritable.
He had thought these episodes had become less frequent lately, yet here they were again, stirring up his mind and disrupting his daily life.
Smiling awkwardly, he elaborated.
“My apologies. I meant that the easy wars are over. From now on, the wars will become much fiercer as the remaining powers tear at each other’s throats.”
“Easy… wars?”
“Indeed. The kingdoms that have fallen so far were the ones without powerful champions, were they not? Now that those are gone, only the strong remain. Naturally, the battlefield will become more brutal.”
“Can individuals really have that much influence over a war?”
“Just look at the Knight of Blazing Flame Igret. In the end, battlefields are shaped according to the will of a handful of powerful individuals.”
It sounded absurd.
Yet it was true.
When gunpowder and steam technology were first invented and studied, scholars predicted that personal martial strength would no longer be capable of controlling a battlefield.
But what had the Western War actually shown?
The battlefield was still ruled by a single spell inscribed upon a staff or a single sword strike delivered by a superhuman warrior.
That was why everything up until now had been the easy wars.
Fighting nations that lacked powerful champions was closer to a one-sided massacre than a true war.
Tyria still looked unconvinced.
Her response reflected that skepticism.
“Even if that’s true, shouldn’t powerful individuals become more cautious when facing one another? I find it difficult to imagine things becoming more desperate than they already are.”
It was a reasonable question.
Though it was far from the correct answer.
“Because of compatibility.”
On this topic, Elic understood more than anyone.
After all, he himself occupied one of the Seven Great Powers.
“Blazing Flame cannot break through Heavenly Wings. Heavenly Wings cannot overcome the Demon King. The Demon King cannot defeat the Saint. The Saint cannot defeat the Golden Duke.”
When he mentioned the Golden Duke, Elic unconsciously rubbed his knee.
A bitter smile accompanied the gesture.
“In the end, it’s like a line of dominoes. If even one person disrupts the balance, the battlefield will descend into an irreversible state almost instantly.”
For example, if two of the great powers formed a temporary alliance and eliminated one of the others, the war would effectively be over.
The remaining conflict would not last even a single season before one side achieved decisive victory.
A ceasefire was impossible.
The war would not stop until only one nation remained in the western lands.
The hatred accumulated over twenty years of conflict had long surpassed the point where compromise was possible.
After finishing his explanation, Elic rubbed his neck.
Hm. Did I show off my knowledge too much?
The thought occurred to him belatedly.
He cautiously observed Tyria’s reaction.
She sat silently in thought before asking:
“What about Sword Ghost Kasha?”
Elic’s fingertips twitched.
“S-Sword Ghost?”
“Yes. If what you say is true, then shouldn’t Sword Ghost also have favorable and unfavorable matchups?”
“Haha…”
No matter how he answered, it would end up sounding like he was praising himself.
Feeling the awkwardness rise all the way to the top of his head, Elic replied:
“…No.”
“Excuse me?”
“Sword Ghost has no such compatibility. He concerns himself with circumstances instead. The difference in military strength, the weather, the terrain, and countless other factors determine victory or defeat. Do you understand?”
His injured knee was a result of exactly that.
An overwhelming disadvantage in numbers.
A situation where he had to hold back thousands of soldiers alone.
Weapons forged under the influence of the Golden Duke.
Enemies charging down from higher ground.
Even the wind had favored them that day.
How could anyone have emerged from such a battle unscathed?
Frankly, the fact that he had survived at all was a miracle.
Even if he returned to that moment, Elic wasn’t confident he could defend the position any better than he had then.
“Regardless, it’s not worth discussing. Sword Ghost no longer appears on battlefields.”
Just as he tried to change the subject, Elic realized Tyria was staring at him with an intensity that felt as though she could see straight through him.
His heart skipped a beat.
Did I give something away?
No.
If someone became suspicious merely because he mentioned Kasha’s disappearance, then the suspicious party was the one indulging in wild fantasies.
And from what he knew, Tyria was not the type for such delusions.
“W-Why do you ask…?”
he inquired carefully.
Tyria answered:
“You didn’t mention any situational disadvantages regarding him. He is one of the Seven Great Powers as well.”
“Ah! Ahaha!”
Relief flooded Elic’s face.
“That’s because no one can judge his compatibility with circumstances! Didn’t he disappear into silence after starting the war twenty years ago? Since he’s never fought the other Great Powers, it’s impossible to make a proper assessment!”
The former Emperor of the Empire.
The very man responsible for starting the war.
Less than three months after the conflict began, he withdrew from the frontlines and had remained absent from public affairs ever since.
Naturally, Elic couldn’t know.
After all, he himself had only begun fighting on the battlefield ten years ago and had gained fame as a powerhouse less than five years ago.
“A-Anyway!”
Elic quickly moved on.
“What does any of this have to do with us? The war is happening on the opposite side of the continent, isn’t it?”
“…True enough. Trade between us has already ceased as well.”
Tyria nodded readily.
Only then could Elic finally relax.
Honestly, I need to be more careful with my mouth.
Just because the topic was familiar, he had ended up speaking too knowledgeably.
If he wasn’t careful, he might plant seeds of suspicion.
He would have to remain vigilant.
* * *
It was during one of those peaceful days.
Wibin was so tranquil that unless people were arguing about news from the battlefield, the biggest headline was something like a local farmer’s cow giving birth to five calves.
The relationship between Elic and Tyria was much the same.
Whenever they were dealing with work, they could speak to one another normally.
But whenever silence settled between them, a strange, ticklish feeling lingered, making conversation difficult to continue.
It was an awkward silence.
Yet not an unpleasant one.
And today, that peculiar silence once again filled the office.
“There’s a letter from the royal capital.”
The one who broke the quiet was Aldio, carrying a letter.
The white envelope bore the royal seal, and Aldio presented it with utmost respect.
Elic tilted his head.
“From the royal capital?”
“Ah, it’s probably regarding the New Year’s Banquet.”
At Tyria’s explanation, Elic looked toward her.
“A banquet?”
“The new year is almost upon us, isn’t it? Since it’s a celebration marking the beginning of the year, all nobles are encouraged to attend.”
Only then did Elic nod in understanding.
Still, one question remained.
“Must we attend?”
He really wasn’t enthusiastic about it.
It wasn’t that he feared being recognized.
Ferdin was a minor kingdom far removed from the western battlefield.
However, if every noble in the kingdom gathered together, it would be easy to become entangled in petty disputes.
And if he happened to lose his temper, he might attract unwanted attention.
Someone might investigate his background and eventually stumble upon the name Kasha.
If possible, he wanted to avoid the event entirely.
Unfortunately—
“That’s not possible. While it’s phrased as a recommendation, it is effectively an order.”
Tyria was firm.
“Although it’s presented as a banquet, it’s essentially an attendance event meant to test one’s loyalty to the royal family. Skipping it would likely place you in the Crown’s bad graces.”
“Hmmm…”
“If you truly refuse, I’ll have no choice but to attend alone.”
Elic’s shoulders twitched.
Come to think of it…
“…What did you do last year?”
“I attended alone. Since it was the first banquet after the previous family head passed away, it attracted quite a bit of attention.”
Why did that feel like pressure?
No.
Elic knew exactly why.
More than guilt, he simply disliked the idea of her going to the capital alone.
The attention she would receive bothered him.
He didn’t even fully understand the reason himself.
“…We’ll go.”
The words slipped out in a burst of emotion.
Tyria immediately nodded.
“A wise decision. Then we’ll need to prepare a carriage and pack our luggage.”
“Hm? We’re not taking the train?”
“Pardon?”
The two exchanged puzzled looks.
When Elic tilted his head, Tyria replied:
“…Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”
The concern was written plainly across her face.
Elic let out a sigh.
He suddenly remembered something Elvers Graham had once said.
“Have you ever met someone who suffers from a fear of modern technology? The sort who becomes anxious about every advancement civilization produces. I met someone exactly like that recently. They said trains make them nervous because they’re too fast to jump off safely during an emergency.”
“Ah, so those people really do exist.”
The realization that such a person was much closer than he’d expected made Elic look at her strangely.
“We should take a carriage. If something happens aboard a train, we may not be able to respond in time. Furthermore, trains cannot accommodate many guards. They’re not ideal for ensuring one’s safety.”
Should he call her a true country noble?
She spoke calmly and rationally, but somehow she looked utterly terrified.
Living in old-fashioned Wibin had hidden that side of her until now.
At last, Elic was seeing a completely new facet of Tyria.
And it was surprisingly fascinating.
To be continued…
