Vol 5 Chapter 5 (2/2)

It was something that had long been true for the man called Orba that if there were people that he felt he couldn't stomach, many among those people would also find Orba disagreeable and hateful. Lasvius was another such. Orba had originally known little about Helio's circ.u.mstances. But now anger against Greygun was smouldering in his chest and he advocated gathering the best men and having them infiltrate Helio to kill him.

”Quite the hero,” Lasvius sneered, ”but if we do as you say and the operation fails, our survival will be suspected and we'll be destroyed. It seems you're a little overrated.”

”What?”

Blood rushed to Orba's his head and s.h.i.+que, who had gone with him, had to calm him down.

Naturally Lasvius wasn't simply bidding for time. Via his men who had snuck into the city since before the battle at the Coldrin Hills, he was making arrangements for an uprising to be staged within Helio. Things such as where the captured soldiers were being held and how they were being guarded had been thoroughly investigated, and once they had been rescued, they would aim for Greygun.

But the two thousand of Garda's troops stationed there were a problem. First of all, they would need to move those troops out of Helio.

”When the time comes,” Lasvius said while looking sharply at a map of Helio's surroundings, ”we will launch a full surprise attack on Helio and we should be able to draw out the enemy.”

His subordinates nodded, their faces grim and resolved.

Ha, Orba scoffed.

Considering the scale of the enemy numbers, making a surprise attack and luring them out with just three hundred soldiers wasn't worth much. Say they succeeded in retaking Helio, would they be able to defend it against an attack from Garda's army?

Realising that any moment now Orba was going to open his mouth to say something sarcastic, s.h.i.+que had to struggle to hold him in check.

”Don't be childish,” s.h.i.+que said after the war council was over. The nearby Gilliam shrugged,

”Why say that at this point in time? He's always been a brat.”

”No, back when he was prince, he still had a clear head. Whereas the problem with you is that your limbs are just too strong.”

”My limbs?”

”You first start by thoughtlessly sorting things out through brute strength. Unless your hands and feet are bound, not once will you use your head to think.”

Still seething with anger, Orba ignored them.

”What Lasvius said is reasonable. If we attack Greygun from the shadows at this point, Garda's forces won't care. Regardless of how he got the throne or what he is doing now that he has it, Greygun is currently king. If Helio loses its king again, it will be at the mercy of Garda's army. And if that happens, every last person in the city will be as good as already sacrificed.”

”Where are you going, Orba?”

Gilliam asked as...o...b.. suddenly stood up. ”Nowhere,” he answered and walked out of the cavern. Hunger had made Gilliam irritable. Orba's brusque att.i.tude was about to make him sullenly stand up when,

”Wa-Wait.”

”What? You always take his side you b.a.s.t.a.r.d, but this time...”

”Didn't you see his face just now? He's thinking of something. At times like these, don't Orba's eyes truly make you s.h.i.+ver?”

Even he was asked, Gilliam could hardly sympathise. But anyhow, he realised that fighting was a waste of energy and lowered himself back down again.

As for Orba,

”Don't go too far,” while acknowledging the warning from the soldier on guard duty, he walked beneath the night sky.

A king?

It was as s.h.i.+que said. If he cut down Greygun who had become king, other than satisfying his current desire for revenge, it would lead to nothing.

Lead to nothing... For who would it lead to nothing?

He had lost his position as prince, so for who on earth did he need to hesitate for, he wondered. But Orba now remembered the time when they pa.s.sed through the gate on the way to fight.

It had been a proud scene for the soldiers, that moment when they were being seen off by the people. But it had had nothing to do with Orba himself. Helio not being his hometown, he had almost no acquaintances there. Still, among all those there, there had been two faces, those of Kay and Niels... Their eyes had been following him until he was out of sight.

The soldier seen off by his family or lover holds on to that instant as he goes to face death.

It might have been the same for Roan. Perhaps being seen off by the large crowd of villagers – including Orba himself, their mother and Alice – had made him feel just a little proud. Had he thought to himself that he would protect them?

Orba had stopped walking without realising it and stared up defiantly at the night sky. His anger hadn't cooled down. Quite the opposite, it had reached boiling point. But it wasn't his personal feelings towards Greygun. Greygun had betrayed and killed soldiers who had left with the same expression as Roan had, with the same pride at going to protect their city and families.

Garda was plunging the entire west into fear. Following the same path as Alice and his mother, the people were merely being toyed with by power and violence.

He could now understand why he had flared up in anger when s.h.i.+que had informed him about Helio's current situation.

It hadn't only been anger against Greygun. More than anything, Orba was angry at himself.

Why hadn't he been able to see through Greygun's betrayal? He should have foreseen that there might have been a trap. If he had been able to show that it was through definite words or actions, something like that might not have happened.

Ever since defeating Oubary, he had been listless about everything and that Helio - that Kay and Niels might have landed in a fix because of it was something that he had regretted without realising it.

Tsk.

Naturally he didn't believe that he could have turned around that battle at the Coldrins simply through his own conclusions.

He had experience of a number of battlegrounds. That Helio had been forced to rely on a man like Greygun, that Garda's mysterious army was being allowed to run rampant meant that darkness had taken root in the very world of western Tauran.

Betrayal and strife.

As the west was now, that chain continued on. Although those from the same origin were gathered here, all they did was fight in this wide land.

Tauran has no king.

Ax Bazgan insisted that he himself was by blood the successor to the former Zer Tauran. But it was not thought that Taúlia currently had the strength needed to unify the whole land. And so the various powers all believed that they had a chance of becoming king and continued to fight. The mysterious Garda had taken advantage of that...

”Yeah.”

Unexpectedly hearing someone speak, Orba strained his ears. It seemed that the soldiers who had gone out to keep watch were on their way back. So as not to be disturbed while he was thinking, he concealed himself off to one side.

Orba hadn't intended to listen in on their conversation, but as he heard it, he went pale under his mask.

It appeared that Lasvius’ group had summoned those from within the nomadic herders who conducted transactions with the outside for the next day and where intending to exchange weapons and food. But in order to prevent their ident.i.ties and hiding place from leaking out, Lasvius planned to attack them once they had received the food.

The pride of dragoons is great indeed, Orba snickered beneath his mask. Lasvius was someone he couldn't stomach and now that his intuition had been vindicated, he could loathe him to his heart’s content.

Orba blinked suddenly and started to indulge in a different thought.

Orba could feel something welling up within him. It no longer had anything to do with his personal feelings for Lasvius.

It wasn't a change that he himself was conscious of, but as he looked up at the sky, Orba's eyes were the same as when he had worn the 'mask' of Gil Mephius.

Late that night.

News had reached Lasvius from an ally who was keeping watch on Helio. It was not good news.

”Reinforcements for Garda's forces?”

The report stated that reinforcements a thousand strong would soon arrive from Eimen. They were just waiting for a further five hundred rear-guard troops to arrive at Eimen. According to estimates, it would be in about a week's time.

One thousand in reinforcements.

They had probably brought them to invade Taúlia. Even though he guessed that there would be more opportunities for moving his unit than during the deadlock, the increased numbers would no doubt also mean tighter defences in Helio.

Feeling increasingly driven into a corner, Lasvius ground his teeth.

In Taúlia was southeast of Helio. News of the defeat at the Coldrin Hills and of the fall of Helio had of course reached there as well.

”Father !” Upon hearing of it, Esmena had come flying out of the chambers in which she had locked herself and was clinging to her father Ax. ”Is Bouwen... What happened to Bouwen?”

”He's not the kind of man to kick the bucket that easily. Now calm down in case those attacks of yours flare up again.”

Despite his remonstrations to his daughter, Ax Bazgan's own thoughts were anything but calm.

d.a.m.n Cherik, joining forces with that sorcerer.

At about the halfway point between Taúlia and Cherik, an encampment of seven hundred of the latter's army stretched out. As they were right at their border, they couldn't make any careless moves.

”If it comes to that, it will be a short and decisive battle. Can we tear all the way to Cherik in one go?”

”We could do that, however...” Ravan Dol had not relaxed his cautious stance. Indeed, it was because he had foreseen the possibility of Cherik joining forces with Garda that he had until now being urging his lord to act prudently. ”If the enemy withdraws into the town and holds siege, unless we have our entire army, it will cost us time. Taúlia would be completely empty and if Garda's army make their move from Helio at that time, it will fall.”

”Don't answer so seriously and do you take me for a fool? I was just caught up in the mood.”

”Hmm, no wonder since it's you, my lord.”

And here I thought that he'd actually had a good idea... He added the second half in an inaudible voice.

”What?” Ax said irritably. Without his war fan, he was unable to calm down. ”If you want to say something, say it. I hear you've sent out a number of spies so do you have a plan? At this rate, we're going to be encircled by every power in Tauran.”

”Leave it to me. My lord, you most uphold appearances and calmly remain the lord that the people and soldiers rely on.”

”Remain calm,” said Ax, half in despair. It was of course not in his nature to helplessly wait for ruin. Be it soldiers, dragons or bullets, his preparations were flawless and he had purchased a large new air carrier equipped for handling major combat. Although their existence hadn't been made public, he had hired a number of people skilled at handling s.h.i.+ps. When the time came, he would have soldiers loaded into the new s.h.i.+p to attack the enemy from behind.

Taúlia was tense with the strain of constantly wondering if war was finally at hand.

”They weren't able to finish Bouwen off?”

A man asked upon hearing that there were no reports from the battlefield about that one person.

Raswan Bazgan.

”Well, fine. All he can do now is a die a dog's death in the wilds he escaped to. All according to plan. Next is to not make any mistakes with the preparations here,” he muttered, turning his dark eyes to what was outside the window.

Several years ago, there had been a skirmish with a clan of nomads living in Taúlia and, without his uncle's permission, he had captured and slaughtered about thirty of them within their own territory. Raswan had been in command during that fight, but as his numerous services had otherwise been distinguished, Ax had given him a severe reprimand then forgotten all about it. Despite the appearance of merit, there were no women within the castle to lavish praise on him as his dark eyes seemed to say that he had not carried that ma.s.sacre out against his will but had done so calmly, on a whim.

And so, while the matter of the candidates to be Taúlia's next successor had yet to be settled, there were very few voices raised in favour of Raswan.

”Our numbers are increasing. Next will be our turn. Whatever you do, don't make any mistakes.”

”No.”

The voice that responded to Raswan’s mutter was like the threatening hiss of a snake.

Part 4

It's unavoidable, Lasvius was filled with a grim determination, when they clash with Taúlia, that's when we'll make our move.

A repeat of the Coldrins was not something he felt he could accept. That time, he wasn't intending to move before receiving detailed reports of the battle situation. And as a result, Greygun's insurrection had occurred and they missed their chance. Although certainly, as Lasvius had not seen through the situation, had they have moved recklessly, there was the fear that they would have been annihilated.

Better that than to wait until it is too late and be driven into a corner from which we can't escape. Better to fight and risk death than to die slowly, starved and weakened.

Lasvius was not loath to die if it were for a just cause. But to starve with their bones exposed to nothing but depressing cliff walls on all sides was not to be contemplated.

We might as well die leaving our names behind.

That would be the best for defeated soldiers. Lasvius smoothly stroked his skin. Even in this situation, he still conscientiously shaved every day using a knife. Not because he was fastidious. Not only his slanted eyes but his facial features were strangely sharp. His face was slender and his nose and lips were thin, giving it an angular impression. Lasvius hated that his face tended to look feminine. Therefore in the past, he had grown an impressive beard and flaunted his masculinity. Shaving it off had been a sort of vow to himself. Until Rogier was placed upon the throne of Helio, he would endure the disgrace and shave his beard.

Even under pain of death, I will not break this oath, Lasvius had been bent on that thought as he had shaved that morning.

Now, when he was finally ready to discuss his resolve with his men, he received a strange report. The group who had left early in the morning to trade with the nomads had returned but had not been able to attack them as...o...b.. had his forced his way into coming along.

”You d.a.m.n fools,” Lasvius eyes narrowed still further as he yelled, ”you should have just killed him if he was getting in the way!”

”N-No, that...” Sweat appeared on the soldiers’ brows as they justified themselves. Ostensibly, Orba and the others hadn't done anything and had simply accompanied them to watch. ”He brought Lord Rogier with him, we couldn't kill the nomads in front of the prince!”

Whatever his intention had been, Orba had apparently placed the prince onto a horse. And afterwards he had been in deep conversation with the nomads about something.

”What were Lord Rogier's attendants doing! If they're not careful, the prince might be kidnapped by the mercenaries!”

”We wouldn’t' do that.”

That voice seemed to reverberate throughout the cave and when he turned around, there was the masked man. For a moment, Lasvius seemed about to give in to emotion but held himself in check.

”We are not a bunch of self-serving mercenaries who only act to suit themselves. I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from behaviour that disrupts discipline.”

”How long can you maintain discipline like that,” Orba said, completely unconcerned by Lasvius' scowl. ”If you order your men to attack treacherously, their mood will just keep getting uglier.”

”What!” This time Lasvius shouted in rage. Then his expression was wiped away and he seemed to gulp. Orba completely changed the subject.

”So it seems that reinforcements from Garda's side will be heading to Helio.”

”So what? Do you still think that you can march into Helio and strike Greygun down?”

”No,” Orba glanced at Lasvius through his mask then looked at the nearby soldiers around whom a dangerous mood was starting to cling. ”Call a council of war,” he said. Lasvius and the others looked disappointed. ”I'll be taking part as the representative for the Taúlian general, Bouwen Tedos. Sir Bouwen has of course given a blood seal.”

The place used for the council of war was inside the caves. There were only a few cracks in the roof through which narrow beams of daylight poured down. The various platoon leaders scattered around the base of the mountain, not to mention Lasvius and his close aides, were gathered there. Accordingly, Lasvius started out by talking about his intentions. He had not needed Orba to tell him to summon a council of war as he had from the start intended to do so and to convey his resolution to his men.

The commanders of the small cavalry units shed tears. One day, they would kill the usurper king Jallah and triumphantly return to Helio with Rogier as king - with nothing but that ideal to hold on to, those warriors had been able to endure to their circ.u.mstances and surroundings. And then suddenly, Jallah had died and a scoundrel like Greygun had claimed the t.i.tle of king of Helio and had opened the gates to usher in Garda's army.

This matter was no longer Helio's problem alone. In a week's time, the country would be filled with twice, three times the number of soldiers now stationed in Helio and they would commence their march on Taúlia.

”This is our last chance,” said Lasvius, trying to hide the quiver in his voice. ”While the enemy is fighting Taúlia, our soldiers on the inside will rise up as one and occupy Helio.”

Everyone there listened, deeply impressed by Lasvius' declaration then, one by one, they rose from their seats.

”Let's go.”

”We will fight this holy crusade together.”

In that moment, the iron bonds that tied Lasvius' unit together stood firm. Emotions that he could not suppress welled within him and, with ardent eyes, he was clasping each in turn by the hand when,

”As expected,” one person poured cold water over the proceedings. Orba, the only one still sitting, nodded. ”You have resolve.”

Humph.

Lasvius felt disdainful of Orba. It seemed to him that despite his earlier stance that ”If you order your men to attack treacherously, their mood will just keep getting uglier,” he would not be able to do otherwise than to recognise their solidarity. Looking convinced, Orba however said something strange.

”It's just as General Bouwen said.”

”Sir Bouwen? What do you mean?”

”The general said that Sir Lasvius had whispered a secret plan to him to turn the situation around. He said that before opening your heart to your men however, you would first test the soldiers' resolve. Indeed. As you have three hundred patriots resolute unto death, your secret plan is sure to bear results.”

”A secret plan?”

”Sir, is this true?”

Lasvius couldn't rein in his subordinates as they all spoke in unison. And he himself had no idea what this was about.

Orba continued on serenely,

”A moment ago, Sir Lasvius said that he would wait for the enemy reinforcements and move once they had started attacking Taúlia, but in practice, that would be tantamount to your soldiers dying in vain. That Garda's forces will swell means that the garrison at Helio will increase.”

”W-What do you mean, 'dying in vain'?”

They looked as though cold water had been dashed on their desperate resolve and one of the captains went red in the face. Something similar could be said of Lasvius too, but in his case,

It can't be that he is...

He felt a violent trepidation. Could it be that he was planning to divulge his own plan by pretending that it had been thought up by the commander of the unit, Lasvius himself?

”It's fine, Orba. Continue.”

Lasvius brought his agitated men under control. A part of him was also thinking that this was interesting. Lasvius couldn't stand Orba but mingled within him was also the thought that he was somehow different from others. And so, by way of experiment, he intended to let him speak. If what he said was ridiculous, he could always laugh and brush it aside.

Orba nodded once then,

”...At any rate, in this fight, you have to take care of things before Garda's reinforcements arrive. Attract the attention of the enemies currently within Helio towards the outside and use that chance to have the soldiers within the city rise to action.”

What?

Lasvius' disappointment came from the fact that this was a plan anyone could come up with. In fact, one of his men burst out laughing.

”With our numbers, not even the most drastic measures would be enough to draw the enemy outside. And the same holds true for there being an opportunity in which they would leave Helio. b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you were lying about this plan of the commander's, weren't...”

”It's not about our numbers. Because we won't be moving Garda's forces, Taúlia will.”

”What?”

”If Taúlia pushes through to the front lines, given their impressive numbers, the enemy will have to consider making their own move. Will they launch a counter-offensive through the gate or will they rely on their support, close the gate and fight a defensive war? In the former case, your soldiers within Helio will find it easy to move around, and in the latter case, if those inside light fires to provoke chaos, it will be easy for Taúlia to invade.”

”Absurd. As long as Garda's forces don't move, Taúlia won't either. Cherik has struck up camp to threaten them.”

”They will move,” Orba a.s.serted, ”if we convey this plan to them. Without a doubt. Compared to Garda, Cherik is an insignificant force. If it becomes clear that Taúlia is serious in attacking Garda's army, then they'll be scared of being next. By remaining near Taúlia, Cherik is instead growing arrogant.”

I see...

In front of his subordinates, who were agitatedly exchanging looks, Lasvius folded his arms. Orba's plan was certainly forcible, and a single miscalculation would render the chances of success extremely low. But Lasvius had from the start been preparing himself for a desperate fight.

This guy... interesting.

It wasn't a plan worked out through minute calculations and was somewhat crude, but as a military man, it set his blood coursing.

”Here,” Orba placed a sheathed dagger and a letter on the damp ground, ”this is a dagger proving Sir Bouwen's position and a letter in his own handwriting. We can send this to Taúlia to urge them to go to take to the battlefield.”

”B-But,” a cavalry captain interposed. His face showed his confusion. He was starting to wonder if it might not really be a plan from his commander, Lasvius. ”The road to Taúlia is blockaded. The mountain fortress that Helio holds here in the Belgana summits which is along the way to Taúlia has been turned into a temporary checkpoint. Even if we send a messenger, it will be impossible for him to avoid getting noticed.”

”It will be easy to get through the checkpoint by pretending to be an ordinary civilian. In this situation, the enemy will be more vigilant against Zerdians.”

”Are you saying that you'll go?”

Realising Orba's intention, the various commanders showed disapproval. He was not a comrade tied to them with bonds of steel and they didn't trust the outsiders that were the mercenaries.

Since earlier, Orba's detached tone had remained completely unshaken.

”I'll become a hostage and stay here. The journey to Taúlia should take about three days, I think, so if there is no movement after those three days, you can do whatever you want with me.”

”But,”

”Fine,” the one who spoke was Lasvius. He stood up in front of the commanders who swallowed back their words. ”I intend to bet on that plan. How about everyone else? You are the self-same warriors who were willing to challenge death just a while ago. If you object to this, I will think of you neither as cowards nor as traitors. Say what is on your mind.”

With him having said so, it was difficult for them to show opposition. Therefore, they agreed to wait three days. Having left the council of war, Orba went ahead along the winding path.

”I can't stand you,” his shoulder was clapped from behind. It was Lasvius. ”Everything is going the way you want, so are you satisfied?”

”Well.”

”I wouldn't be surprised to learn that there's someone famous beneath that mask of yours. But as I said earlier, this is a bet. A bet using your life as security.”

”I'm used to it.”

The answer and the tone of voice used were so provoking that Lasvius gave a low laugh instead. Up until now, he truly hadn't been able to stomach him, but now he felt entirely comfortable.

”Let's see how things go. A battle in which we face nothing but death has become just a little more interesting.”

That's a military man for you, Lasvius' way of speaking got on Orba's nerves. That he couldn't stand him was because, be it his convictions or his pride as a soldier, he closely resembled a man who had been the embodiment of chivalry and that Orba had once faced off against at Zaim Fortress.

That man even pointed a sword at his lord's daughter for the sake of his beliefs. And this guy too, to recover Helio, he was willing to murder nomads who had nothing to do with anything. That might be a splendid att.i.tude, but from an outsider's perspective, it's sickening.

Even though he thought so, or rather, because Lasvius was a soldier, Orba also thought to place trust in him. In short, because Lasvius himself had relaxed his ill will towards him, Orba calculated that it would be advantageous to do the same.

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