Vol 1 Chapter 6 (2/2)

Her face was as white as paper, but her eyes at least were filled with life as she stared his way.

His heart was struck by a nostalgic feeling. They had met each other a year ago when they were pledged to engage, but Ryucown was reminded of a time before even that – when Vileena had still been nine years old.

Coming to her aid when she’d been taken hostage during the rebellion that was caused by Bateaux, Ryucown had slipped into the castle with a scouting party in order to defeat Bateaux. The one who had guided them had been none other than the princess herself. Although she was still a child, she had proven to be quick-witted, and Ryucown had admired her courageous actions.

Then, the hero who had taken Bateaux’s head had been invited to kneel before the princess and received a kiss on the cheek.

It had been about four, five years since then. Naturally, her body had matured all this time. She still hadn’t lost her girlishness yet, but within three years, she would be a beauty that would likely cause trouble not only in Garbera or its surrounding countries, but even in the world across the seas.

Ryucown gave her a respectful bow.

“It has been a while, your highness.”

“General Ryucown. You—”

Vileena fired the first shot, as if trying to let the vigour in her words mask the hesitation.

It was as if her heart was in disarray. It looked to him like a small wooden boat with the sails hoisted too high as it rose over tall whitecaps, so that even the helmsman couldn’t predict where it was going.

About ten minutes before they’d opened hostilities, a man in the guise of a page had suddenly arrived at her private quarters in Dhum and called himself a person ‘from the Garberan camp’. He’d said that a part of Garbera, in concert with Ryucown, had planned to make a surprise attack on Dhum.

Princess, I will guide you to Lord Ryucown from here.

Vileena had turned pale and foolishly stood up in order to warn the prince.

Forgive me.

Whether or not he had expected this reaction, the soldier had been quick to respond. Several soldiers who had waited in the back stopped her from making a sound or move, restraining her mouth, arms and legs. While she tried to resist, she slowly felt her consciousness slipping away and figured they’d probably diluted the cloth covering her mouth with a sleeping drug.

When she came to, she was at Zaim Fortress – the flames were rising up over the soldiers below.

“You—”

“I know full well what you want me to do,” Ryucown gently interrupted Vileena’s words.

The usual vigour wasn’t there in Vileena’s eyes as she stared at him. Her emotions were raging like fire, but for some reason it didn’t come to the outside. Even for her, as had been the case for Ryucown, certain strong emotions were reawakened from over a distance of time.

One year ago, the two had met when they were pledged to engage. In contrast to the many battles he had faced head-on, he didn’t seem able to look her in the eyes even once when he was her fiancé.

Now, his handsome features had gotten a little thin, and he wore exhaustion and sorrow on his face, which might have chafed away at his urban refinement, or maybe he’d just gotten an even wilder taste instead. The ash silver armour he wore had been given to him by the king himself when he’d been bestowed as a full-fledged knight.

“However, I have to stick to my own beliefs. With all due respect, the people no longer follow the current royal family. I agree that lineage is important, but if we rely only on that, the country will be on the way of decline.”

“But a civil war will ruin the country instead. Why would you let such a useless battle drag on?”

“I’m not letting it drag on. Actually, the opening of this battle will end in a major victory for us. And our victory will have a huge, lasting impact. Garbera will fear more rebels rising up against them in their country, and it will become impossible to move a huge force. In order to protect their honour, Mephius too will have no choice but to take to the field. Once they realise that they can’t easily win, they will make it their reason to immediately pull back their forces. And when that happens, only one last thorough strike will be needed to finish things off.”

Outside of the fortress, the battle continued to wage on.

As the fires of war continued to light up all over the place, defying the darkness of the night, Vileena clenched her tender fists. She did not want to see this. It was exactly because of this that she’d steeled herself and decided to marry into Mephius.

“I intend to become a martyr to place the foundations for peace,” Ryucown said, showing her his black mantle with red lining. “Please, I want you to entrust that life to me.”

Further outside, twice, thrice – they could hear the sound of cannon fire.

Part 3

Driving on the momentum, Ryucown’s forces were pressing hard on the Mephian army.

As they were struck by a surprise attack, and hadn’t expected that it would be coordinated with a group of turncloaks from Garbera, the Mephian forces were scattered about all over the place.

There were some soldiers who tried to escape the flames by jumping on the battles.h.i.+p as it was still trying to gain speed and alt.i.tude, and there were those who tried to leave the s.h.i.+p and escape on their own. It was the role of the leader to enhance each individual’s strengths and bravery in a war. But the Mephian soldiers that showed such disgraceful behaviour had actually all gone through the ten-year war with Garbera. There should even be many among them who had been heralded with distinguished service.

If they’d been blessed with a good leader, there would probably be ten among every hundred men who would choose this place to die in order to let their leader escape. But unfortunately, the prince who was supposed to bear that duty hadn’t given any orders, and it was clear to all that the s.h.i.+p’s captain, Oubary, had lost his composure, and that panic had infected even the common ranks.

“This won’t do.”

The great general Rogue who came out on deck had grasped the situation and was thinking of whether or not they ought to leave. When he looked at the battle situation calmly, they were still greater in number. However, that such a difference could be swallowed up by the moment in the blink of an eye was part of battle.

Oubary was by no means a bad commander. If he had the momentum at his side, he had a unifying power to him that could turn even the most hesitant soldier into a hero. However, in the exact same sense, if he was under adverse circ.u.mstances the people around him became ready to flee the scene.

They needed someone here with a backbone. A person who played an active, vigorous role.

“There’s no way I’m going to have my bones buried in Garberan lands,” Rogue muttered to himself – a grunt that came from the bottom of his heart.

There shouldn’t be any general who wished for a certain place or a certain way to die. But it fell to him to protect the prince in battle, or at least let it be a n.o.ble death.

He was reminded of the family that he’d left back in his country. And as he thought this, Mephian soldiers came running over as they turned their backs to the enemy, bullets piercing through their heads before they dropped to the ground. Their armour was painted with blood like on a children’s drawing, and Rogue placed a helmet over his head.

Exposing this miserable figure here, shames me as a general. But to prepare myself for death in this place, is a general’s honour.

He drew his sword with a spark, and started for the tail end of the dragonstone s.h.i.+p, shouting in a loud voice.

“Welcome, thou Garberan traitors! If you want to take another step, you have to step across this man’s – Rogue Saian’s – corpse! But this old croak will not die alone! He will take a hundred, nay, a thousand people along with him! Whoever wishes to take me on, should think of his family one last time!!”

While the enemy’s gunfire showered below without cease, Rogue jumped down from the s.h.i.+p that was just about to gain alt.i.tude. Several soldiers who had their fighting spirit invoked, gathered around the old general. The enemy came surging down on them from the front like an avalanche. One bullet grazed Rogue’s left cheek. Another completely dug into the jaw of a soldier to his right, who fell down on his back. Then, just when Rogue was about to charge into them with death’s smile on his face,

“Fire!!”

A pleasant to hear, loud scream reached his ears.

It didn’t come from the enemy. Rogue realized that the voice came from a hill’s wooded area, which was right next to the approaching Ryucown forces. From that very same place came the continuous sound of rapid gunfire.

In the wake of the leading horse-rider being struck down along with his horse, one after another men, horses, and dragons collapsed in spurts of blood.

When the gunfire ended, next came the single command,

“Charge!!”

And swordsmen came jumping out of the bushes. They all took s.h.i.+ning swords from either their back or waist, and prepared to cut into the enemy ranks. Those people definitely had dauntless courage. Rogue stared as blood sprayed all over the place, and heads and limbs flew through the air – fading into the darkness of the night.

“Ohh…”

He stared at the scene, letting a single breath of admiration go as the ground rumbled and dragons came into sight from the back where the enemy forces gathered. They were several medium-sized dragons, guided by dragoons riding on smaller sized ones.

“Go, go!!”

“Make way! Or else you’ll get trampled!”

Those dragons must have been lying low ever since sunset, biding their time in the grove on the other side of the river. Ryucown’s forces and even Rogue himself hadn’t seen that coming.

It appeared to be a trick the one girl named Hou Ran had taught them that made this possible. It was hard to believe a person on the battlefield could make such a difference as she did.

Having fallen into such a sudden pincer attack, Ryucown’s troops fell into chaos.

Rogue couldn’t bear to wait any longer and also rushed in for the attack. With a single blow, he cut off the arm of one soldier who tried to hoist himself onto the s.h.i.+p, probably because he was in a hurry to get away from the enemy, or maybe because he wanted put the head of the prince who was aboard the s.h.i.+p on top of a spike.

While the blood dribbled from the point of his blade, the old general hurried over to the warrior who had given those orders earlier.

It was a man with white hair and brown skin. He didn’t look very much far apart from Rogue’s own age.

“An ally? But with all due respect, I don’t think I’ve ever seen your face before.”

“Ah, well,” the white-haired commander – Gowen – gave an awkward smile. “We are Prince Gil Mephius-sama’s Imperial Guard. But until recently we’ve held the status of gladiators.”

“What?”

Rogue was taken aback in all sense of the word. He had heard about the prince having employed mere gladiators as his personal guard. At the time, he had thought nothing more of it that another one of the ‘fool’ prince’s capricious whims.

However, the men before him had mettle that was worthy of flying colours and marching banners. With a surging spirit, they levelled Ryucown’s forces with a splendid use of swords, axes, spears and guns.

This was exactly the reason Orba had brought them in as a trump card. He didn’t place any trust in their individual characteristics at all. On the contrary, he had known how unprepared the gladiators were. They fully relied on their instincts. But as the prince, Orba had made them a promise. Those who brought back the enemy heads at this fight would get a reward the more heads they brought back in, not even excepting their freedom.

Among the rewards they ever got from killing others, this day was the first time that they could win back their own life. For freedom, the kind of freedom where they could earn themselves gold, they wouldn’t miss out on any danger. For them, having to face a thousand enemy blades and a storm of bombs raining down on them was nothing.

“Be that as it may, that’s quite a feat. To lay down an ambush and stall the enemy’s march in this kind of emergency.”

“No, no. This was all the prince’s idea. It wasn’t someone like me[3] at all.”

Gowen unintentionally used an old way of speaking in front of the Mephian military commander, thinking he ought to somehow keep a dignified tone as an imperial guard.

“Realizing there were signs of treachery in the Garberan camp, the prince considered that would also be when Ryucown’s forces would attack and had us place an ambush on their advance route beforehand. He examined this terrain during the day and— artillery, aim for the enemy airs.h.i.+p!”

He broke his explanation to give new orders.

“What?” Rogue muttered once more.

As issued, on the other side, the ground shook from the bombardment and a medium-sized Goll dragon roared and fell to its side.

“But, we didn’t receive any orders.”

“Well… The likes of us aren’t able to read Gil-sama’s thoughts at all times,” Gowen said solemnly. “But if the prince read beforehand that there would be a betrayal among the Garberans, in a situation where he didn’t know who was friend or foe, couldn’t he just have been afraid of leaking important information?”

“If you want to deceive your enemy… right?”

He sighed, looking up at the skies, but Rogue soon put back the face of a military commander and gave a long look at the soldiers ahead of him. Even more enemy reinforcements were approaching them.

“General, we still need to retreat for now,” Gowen said. “We need to join the flags.h.i.+p, and make an end to this chase.”

“Agreed.”

The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder as if they were old comrades in arms and, with matching breaths, they both issued orders to their own troops.

As their soldiers pulled back, Gowen glanced over to see the enemy reinforcements closing in with even more vigour.

Their morale won’t fall so easily after all.

Although he didn’t say it out loud, Gowen didn’t have any reason to get excited just because of their short victory a moment ago. To stop the enemy chase, and to a.s.sist in the flags.h.i.+p’s evacuation – that wasn’t his purpose right now. He had to keep the main body of Ryucown's forces stationary at all costs.

But it’s good that it has gone as predicted so far, Orba. Otherwise, you’d be the one in the most danger.

At that time, a cold feeling pa.s.sed through him as a cannonball hit a nearby tree and scattered wood and fire in all directions. He stooped forward to protect himself and continued running for the flags.h.i.+p, Dhum. The old blood in this body that had stood on the battlefield before was being revived.

“The gladiators?”

Simon received the news and was at a loss for words. Of course, it was hard to suddenly believe. But, it was true that the enemy’s pursuit had weakened.

At that time, the page Dinn and several imperial guards entered the bridge.

“I have orders from the prince.”

“What?”

Oubary bared his teeth, being as much surprised as Simon.

“After all of this, what kind of ‘orders’ does our quivering crown prince have?”

“Please watch your language!” Dinn said, causing the agitation to show on his face. “It was the prince’s decision to invest his own personal guard.”

Oubary glared at the small boy. He was flanked by ruffian-like men to his left and right. But even now, he thought this had to be some kind of joke.

It was then that Dinn conveyed the message from the prince to those on the bridge. The soldiers below had to put in such a formation to meet with Ryucown’s forces, for it wouldn’t be long for the main Garberan force to join into the fray…

“He said, ‘A squad of both the cavalry and the infantry will join up with the imperial guard until there is relief from Garbera, so that they can attack the betrayers from both sides. The main force will centre around the flags.h.i.+p Dhum so that it can fire at the attack forces from the fort.’ ”

The inside of the flags.h.i.+p turned into a strained silence when they realized they weren’t going away from the fray of battle.

Well, Simon thought, stroking his chin. Is the ‘current’ prince the same prince that I’ve come to know?

“Idiocy,” Oubary said in a low growl. “Won’t we only suffer losses if we reposition our troops in the midst of battle?”

“No, the number of enemies isn’t that much.”

“General Rogue!”

The old general Rogue Saian had appeared on the bridge, gasping for breath. His helmet and armour were bathed in enemy blood, rising up like steam. However, the smile on his face had a blood-curling intensity to it.

“Thanks to the actions of the imperial guard, we have recovered our troops’ morale. At a time like this, Sir Oubary, one must issue forth an appeal.”

But his gaze implied,

Didn’t you say we needed to attack the enemy just a moment ago?

As it was hinted to Oubary like that, there wasn’t much he could say in return.

“Exactly.” This time it was Dinn who pitched in. “The prince too, encourages everybody from atop the bridge… Can’t you hear him?”

Certainly, over the bridge, hoisting the national flag high on a pole, a man was raising a loud voice aimed at the many soldiers surrounding it.

His face entirely covered with a helmet, clad in a silver armour, the ‘prince’ reprimanded the soldiers who continued to escape the turmoil, encouraging them to once more file back into their ranks.

“Please, prince.”

Even though the ‘prince’ raised his voice, he was shaking underneath all that armour. His physique and height were the same as...o...b..’s – or rather Gil’s, considering the people here – but it was the gladiator Kain instead.

“I have but a poor vocabulary. I can’t just repeat what has been said to me – so go... fight! You are soldiers who carry the pride of Mephius. Got it? Just end this quickly!”

Ryucown and Vileena were still standing face to face with the colours of fire behind them.

“What do you mean, entrusting my life?”

“I want you to become my wife.”

Ryucown’s proposal was straight to the point and Vileena felt as if her breath stopped for a moment. She once more tightened her small hands and immediately regained the strength of her resolve.

“And, what do you plan after that?”

“I’ll declare a new king has ascended the Garberan throne.”

He pulled out the sword slung over his back and made his announcement as if he’d thought of it just then.

“What do you think you can achieve with just one fortress?”

“If we rout the Mephian army today, many officers and men will come to me. Revolts will rise all over Garbera, hastening the preparations for my plans.”

“And all of this is will eventually help out Ende. If you put this through, sooner or later all of Garbera will be subjugated by Ende.”

“I’m not that big of a fool. Ende has put its attention on Mephius. All they want is to grab a foothold to the west. All the better if Garbera is in disorder, so they don’t have to worry about it. That’s why they haven’t come out into the open and sent any men – I wouldn’t either. Even if we don’t pull through here, we will have catered to their plan to raise hostilities with Mephius again. Although it will be difficult to truly rely on such a halfhearted alliance, it is much better than the humiliation of joining hands with Mephius.”

“Both make little difference,” Vileena loudly confessed with all the vigour she’d been holding in. “It makes little difference to our citizens. Just how many thousands of people will become the victim of your single-minded plans, thoughts, and pride?”

Vileena didn’t even realize those were the exact same words Prince Gil had used against her before. Ryucown, on the other hand, showed no quarter.

“Isn’t your royal family raised from a pile of corpses? Let’s end this childish argument. Having the true pride of Garbera, I took action only because I want to make a nation of true knights. Look at the world, princess. This is a conflict that will end a government of treachery, oppression and double-crossing. It’s only pure-minded knights who can truly save this world.”

“......”

“Knighthood is a wonderful thing. The elected are imposed with a self-discipline to their duty, always wanting to have a pure spirit. Those are the right kind of people to carry out our politics. It’s good that peasants rely on someone named as king or emperor in troubled times, but the country is only engaged in a b.l.o.o.d.y war due to simple greed. As it is, Garbera, the country of knights, has lost its ideal of pride. So, first I will have to change Garbera – no, I must return it to its roots. Garbera, as a true country of knights.”

“I commend your patriotism. But if that’s so, what do you need with a body sworn the Mephian royal family?”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that this body has already exchanged its wedding vows.”[4]

It was a lie, and obviously Vileena couldn’t help but feel repulsed inside. However, she didn’t hesitate in the least. She wanted to completely crush this Ryucown, who seemed to be utterly possessed by something.

“You lie, your highness. You know the subtleties of a man and woman. Such an act isn’t possible.”

“You only say that because you do not want to accept it. Now, if I’ve lost this purity you speak of, and if I’ve already been held by this ‘filthy existence’ of a Mephian, you should stab me with that sword right now. Isn’t that your ideal?”

Vileena spoke in tears, pinching the point of the sword with her fingers and pressing it against her neck.

Ryucown opened his eyes wide. Further in the distance, the sound of artillery roared again like thunder. The Garberan warrior holding the sword and the princess praised as the flower of Garbera stared at each other.

“Were you that pleased with Mephius?”

“If we simply brand them as barbarians, we can only be accused of being ignorant. Besides, the country doesn’t have any blood ties. It is just like you said. The royal family is not a cornerstone, the sense of pride for their va.s.sals and their people is the same – you can find the same light in that nation. Just who on earth will follow a man that can decide all by himself what this pride is?”

“You’ve thrown away your pride and your country, princess,” Ryucown decided. “Or maybe we can conclude that the young Princess Vileena has grown up. You hold the spirit of a soldier. However… because of that, you will be a hindrance to our cause. If you live and cannot recognize our views—”

He suddenly pulled back his sword. However, he looked quite grand as he placed it on his shoulder.

“—I at least want you to protect the Garberan royal family’s pride by dying.”

“What?”

“Alas, to retaliate for Garbera’s betrayal of their alliance, our princess Vileena has been killed by the hand of the Mephian prince.”

“If that happens,” Vileena said, sounding hoa.r.s.e. “Won’t Garbera unite under a single cause?”

“The situation can only improve from here on.”

Vileena s.h.i.+fted her eyes away from the point of the sword. There she saw Ryucown’s eyes, as calm as ever. What was so different about him from the youth that had snuck into a castle with only a few men five years ago? Was it like back then? This was the action of a man who sincerely believed in the burning ideals he had as a youth and hadn’t let those ideals grow old.

“Farewell, princess. The first decoration I’ve ever received in my life, was your childlike kiss.”

His sword drew a glimmering arc. The princess only blinked once during that time. A tear dropped the instant she lowered her eyelids, reflecting the approaching sword.

Vileena was crying. She was frustrated at her own powerlessness while she’d truly believed that she could come to terms with him if they came face to face. This act of violence caused by Ryucown’s ‘purity’ disheartened her. For the first time since she was born, Vileena felt despair, and she was fated to have her life end immediately after.

Then, the glimmer of the sword was dropped down toward Vileena’s slender neck.

Cling!

An exquisite ring interrupted the sword’s arc just before it reached her. It was a dirk that was suddenly thrown, and Ryucown had changed the trajectory of his sword to intercept it.

“Who are you?”

He turned his gaze towards the entrance where one swordsman stepped out from between the pillars. Although he was clad in Garberan armour, Ryucown didn’t recognize that face. Or rather, he couldn’t discern the man’s face.

The swordsman who stepped forward, carrying a sword in his right hand, had his face covered by an iron mask.

References and Translation Notes

Jump up↑ Orba just spoke in the way he normally talks, using おれ (ore) for ”I”. When he’s with n.o.bles though, he uses 我 (ware) or another more dignified way of saying ‘I’.

Jump up↑ This has a double meaning, as ”feelings” 思い (omoi) can also mean ”weight” 重い (omoi).

Jump up↑ Gowen uses それがし 'soregas.h.i.+' which is an old, very humble way of saying 'this person'.

Jump up↑ What she means is that she already has s.e.xual intercourse. The term for 'exchange wedding vows' (夫婦の契り) can also mean 'have s.e.x as a husband and wife'.

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