Volume 8 Chapter 2 (2/2)

”There was a long line of people wanting to come and visit you. As per the princess' orders, I sent them all away. And thanks to that, the rumour that your condition was critical and that you are on the verge of death has spread about. It's good that you have woken up, but you are going to have a tough time with all the courtesy calls from here on.”

”And Mephius?”

”Hmm?”

Orba half-raised his body. Bandages were also wrapped around his naked torso. There shouldn't be any injuries from his neck down so this was probably also thanks to the princess or s.h.i.+que, who knew the situation.

”Has Mephius made a move? How long have I been asleep?”

”Ah, the hards.h.i.+ps of being a hero. You have been unconscious this whole time. Your life was certainly in danger and it wouldn't be strange if there was a lingering effect or two remaining. And yet you wake up and immediately start talking about the war.”

Even though he said so, Faisal explained that in the nearly two days that Orba had been in a coma, there had been no conspicuous movements from Mephius' side.

After that, having no doubt been among the first to receive the news, General Bouwen Tedos came to visit.

”They've come fast.” As he took his leave, Faisal whispered quietly, ”He will come to realise how lucky he was to be able to sleep in complete peace these past two days.”

After Faisal had disappeared, Orba bowed his head. ”That you for coming in person, General - I'm sorry about this. I made a poor showing.”

”Don't worry about it. What matters most is that you're well. And besides, I know that you protected me. The fault is mine for not having noticed the presence of an enemy.”

Even though Bouwen was giving a relieved sigh, he was still armed. It seemed there had been no change in the situation and there was still no saying when the enemy might attack.

”Rest up for a bit. There's nothing to worry about. Reinforcements will soon be arriving in Taúlia. According to the information brought by courier, first among them will be Helio's Dragoon Commander Lasvius, who should already be on his way.”

”Lasvius is it?”

”I also owe him a debt of grat.i.tude. Perhaps this time we will fight side-by-side. Well - it's best if something like war doesn't break out though.”

With the betrayal of the mercenary commander Greygun, Bouwen had been seriously wounded at the battle of Coldrin Hills. After that, he had been reliant on Lasvius' unit as they lay concealed in the Belgana Summits and received treatment from them.

At least for now - Although Bouwen's expression was still cautious, perhaps because he felt that they had escaped from a predicament, it had grown a little brighter.

However, a portion of the people from both the west and Mephius were worried that if the battle formations on each side continued to swell, there was a risk that it would no longer be possible to pull pull back. Bouwen also wanted to avoid a long war at this point in time. On top of that, there was a matter that had not left Orba's mind since before the start of his conversation with Bouwen.

”It's been nonstop since the war against Garda, huh. Where does it leave us Zerdian soldiers if a foreigner takes all the glory? Take a break for a while.”

As Bouwen said that with a smile and got up to leave, Orba finally couldn't take it anymore.

”Garbera's princess,” he said, ”h-has there been a messenger to say where Garbera's princess is now?”

Bouwen's smile faded and he remained silent. He mechanically s.h.i.+fted his focus towards the window.

Outside, the sun had descended slightly from its zenith. The weather was dull. Perhaps because of artillery practice, in the distance the roar of cannons sounded once- then twice. Bouwen however did not show concern.

The one who brought us the information wasn't Mephian. It was Garbera's princess, Vileena Owell.

It was Bouwen himself who had told Orba that. In that instant, Orba had been shot by an enemy soldier lying concealed beneath corpses.

”General.”

”The Princess is...” After hesitating a moment, Bouwen spoke, still gazing out from the window. ”At present, she is missing.”

”Eh?”

”Her whereabouts are unknown. After coming to us as a messenger, the Princess said that she would return to Apta. But at that time the enemy had already crossed over the border. The Princess came back to Taúlia's territory and joined up with us who were already marching.”

Naturally, Bouwen had been surprised, but they had to begin their manoeuvres to draw the enemy in at once. The one who had drawn up that tactics had been none other than Orba. Since timing was essential, Bouwen hadn't really been able to take care of the princess. And then -

”According to eyewitness accounts from the soldiers, she used her airs.h.i.+p to interrupt the charge of the enemy soldiers. Honestly... what an impossible princess. When she flew her s.h.i.+p straight at the enemy cavalry, which was hot on our heels, it was enough to make even our Zerdian soldiers flinch, you know.”

That - Orba held his breath and remembered the battlefield.

Because Nabarl, the enemy commander-in-chief, had neutralised their riflemen earlier than expected, and faster than Orba could come rus.h.i.+ng in as reinforcement, the pursuers had almost made it close enough to strike at the tail end of Bouwen's main forces. As they were on the verge of doing so, an airs.h.i.+p had flown straight at the enemy. Orba had frankly admired the courage and piloting skill involved.

Thanks to that charge, Nabarl's pursuit was thrown into confusion, even if only by a little. If it hadn't been for that, they would have paid a heavy cost.

Vileena.

Without realising it, Orba was biting down strongly on his lower lip.

In itself, it was unthinkable for someone in her situation to have informed Taúlia of Mephius' attack. Even though she was a guest from another country, Mephius would not leave the princess unpunished. It also had to be considered that relations with her home country of Garbera would take a sudden turn for the worse.

Why did she do something so stupid - he thought, but the answer was already obvious. It was simply -

Because it's Vileena.

Because it was Vileena, she would not allow a partner with whom they had once made peace be attacked without warning. Because it was Vileena, she would not be able to shut her eyes to it, even if it put her in danger, even if Mephius and her home country vilified her as a traitor because of it.

He felt like shuddering.

The scene from the nightmare he had just had was seared into his brain and wouldn't leave it.

Bouwen's eyes were still turned towards the outside

”There is the possibility that she returned to Mephius, but at any rate, her figure vanished from sight in the middle of the battle.” He sighed softly. ”Of course, I have currently sent people to search in the outskirts of Taúlia. But unfortunately, in this wartime situation, and because we can't openly have anything to do with the princess, we can't mobilise too many people. The princess is the benefactor of all Taúlians and we want to protect her as best we can but...”

”Orba!”

s.h.i.+que burst into the room ahead of the others but the smile that covered his entire face vanished in an instant.

The man who should have been lying flat on the bed was wearing a leather vest and, with his mask on, was in the middle of fixing his clothes.

”H-Hang on, Orba,” s.h.i.+que rushed over to his side. ”You always do things so suddenly that I sometimes wonder if you aren't deliberately trying to startle me. Rest up. There's nothing you need to be in such a hurry over.”

”I'm going to go look for her.”

”Eh?”

”There's no way you don't know, right. That Vileena has gone missing.”

Orba glared at s.h.i.+que from the corner of his eye. Exactly as though he were looking at an enemy. s.h.i.+que was left dumbfounded for a moment but then quickly turned around to Gilliam and the others who were about to enter the room behind him.

”Oi, what's up? What're you trying to pull?”

”There are no visitors allowed.”

”What?”

”Please, everyone out.”

s.h.i.+que didn't have his usual expression. Orba could be seen over his shoulder. Gilliam was about to ask what the trouble was when he suddenly sensed something. If, as he had been thinking earlier, the story about Orba having been the crown prince's body-double was true, there would definitely be one or two conversations that weren't for just anyone else's ears.

Tsk.

Feeling like he was being treated as an outsider, Gilliam turned his large body around. Talcott, who was stepping into the room, banged his nose against the ma.s.sive chest.

”Ow... The h.e.l.l, Jumbo!”

”We're going back for today,” said Gilliam, sounding unamused. ”For the time being, the capt'n has safely woken up. Let's leave him alone for now.”

Catching the protesting Talcott by the scruff of the neck and hauling him by force, he took everyone out. After Gilliam himself had also left the room, s.h.i.+que made sure that the door was shut.

”Orba,” s.h.i.+que once more turned to look at him. ”What's this about the princess' whereabouts being unknown? I truly haven't heard anything about it.”

Pulling on his boots, Orba was about to go searching right then. s.h.i.+que placated him and somehow got him to explain the situation. When he heard about it, he was rendered speechless in spite of himself. Back when he was an Imperial Guard, s.h.i.+que had been unusually supportive of Garbera's Princess Vileena. Upon learning that she was in danger, he naturally couldn't stay calm.

Before him however was a man who was even more about to lose his composure. At a glance, he appeared to be the usual cool and infuriatingly detached Orba, but s.h.i.+que could clearly see the impatience and the worry behind the iron mask.

”It's no good, Orba. What you're saying now won't do.”

”What won't do?”

”Taúlia is currently in the middle of a war. A person in your position, with men under you, can't just do whatever you want. General Bouwen came by earlier but you didn't get permission from him, right?”

”That has -”

”Everything to do with it. You stand out too much. At present, that's true everywhere in western Tauran. Anyone would recognise you at first glance.” Just as...o...b.. had done earlier, s.h.i.+que was shooting glares as though to an enemy. ”If you move around, you'll be suspected of who knows what. It's no good talking about a search.”

”There's nothing to talk about. Move, s.h.i.+que.”

Orba's voice grew louder and he was about to push s.h.i.+que's shoulder out of the way but -

”I will not move. Have you forgotten, Orba? You are Mephian. And right now, the enemy fighting Taúlia is Mephius.”

Orba stopped moving as that was pointed out.

”In the current circ.u.mstances, what will happen if you move however you please? You'll be suspected of being connected to Mephius. And not just you, all of us - all of us in the unit who follow you, who move according to your orders and act as your s.h.i.+eld and spear - would be denounced as traitors and imprisoned.

”There's no choice but to leave the princess to General Bouwen for now. I'll try to gather information as well. There might be some clue to be found in the incoming reports...”

”Shut up,” Orba shouted angrily and swung his arm. s.h.i.+que thought that it would hit him on the cheek but the fist was flung not at his face but at the wall beside it.

”Get out!”

With a serious expression, s.h.i.+que looked in turn at Orba and at the fist; then, when he had made sure that Orba had turned his back and returned to the bed, he took out something that was tucked at his breast. He placed it on top of a shelf near the bed which was used for water pitchers and the like, then calmly left the room.

There was the sound of the door opening and closing then, a dozen or so seconds later -

”s.h.i.+t!”

Orba struck hard at the wall once more.

What s.h.i.+que was saying was something he knew all too well. In truth, Orba's resentment was directed more towards himself then the current situation; as, even though he was aware of it, he had still been unable to keep his emotions under control. To start with, it was the same reason that had caused him to be injured and lose consciousness for two days.

During a war, he had forgotten himself.

Be it in the arena or on the battlefield, when death was lurking, those who could not a.s.sess and control themselves died one after another. Orba had watched such scenes innumerable times.

Two days. Two days?

Because of his own mess, he had wasted time.

If the princess had not returned to Mephius, then the risk rose drastically. If things went badly - even if he tried not to think about it, Orba's heart tightened painfully.

Is it too late?

That thought suddenly crossed his mind.

And at that thought, his mind and body froze completely. Orba had known the regret of being ”too late” once already. When he had seen the gravestone for his brother, Roan. At that time, feeling that he had been too slow to go to Apta, that his actions had been too sluggish, Orba had fallen to his knees sobbing.

”It's not too late.”

Orba said, clenching his teeth. If he had wasted time then he had to work hard to quickly make up for it. There was no time to think about it anymore.

A moment pa.s.sed and he noticed what s.h.i.+que had put on the shelf beside the bed.

It was a sc.r.a.p of paper. When they were officially admitted into Taúlia's army, as part of their pay as non-commissioned officers, Orba and several of the soldiers under him were allocated a few high-quality everyday articles for daily use. One of these was a sheaf of paper.

His eyes caught by the whiteness of the paper, Orba picked it up then stared at it fixedly.

The news that Orba had woken up had not only reached Bouwen, s.h.i.+que, and the others.

However, in this case the news did not arrive through an official messenger from the doctor. There was a report from men keeping watch on the area that 'General Bouwen visited the medical office' and so it was determined that Orba had regained consciousness.

The one who received the report was the commander of the Sixth Army Corps, Natokk.

With his swarthy skin and his slender, hawk-like face, he was a soldier whose appearance was typically Zerdian. At the time of the surprise attack on Apta, Ax had entrusted him with the command of the first a.s.sault troops.

”Reinforce the watch,” Natokk ordered. ”Not only on Orba, but on each of his men who are Mephian as well. Report each of their actions, even the most trivial... What is it?”

His reason for asking that was the expression which crossed the face of the subordinate he had given the order to. The man lowered his head as though to apologise for his rudeness. Natokk's glance grew sharp.

”I understand. He is the hero who saved the west. I don't want to do this either. However, if there is nothing, even if he is Mephian, we will have no reason to doubt him anymore. That is why I'm giving you this task. Do you understand?”

”Yes!” His subordinate stood at attention.

After having made sure that the man had left, Natokk, now alone, wore an expression as complicated as his subordinate's had just been.

But on the night of the day after he had received that report, a commotion suddenly erupted in the barracks of the Sixth Army Corps...

It was midnight when Orba summoned s.h.i.+que. Not to the medical office but to the private room allocated to him as a captain of the Fifth Army Corps. He had apparently been difficult and had forcibly ended his medical treatment.

Even though he has only just woken up.

Although he understood that his feelings were unsettled because of the princess and the war with Mephius, being unreasonable at this point in time could lead to the irreparable damage. Although he didn't want to get into another quarrel, s.h.i.+que made up his mind to give him a scolding and opened the door.

Oh.

The words he had prepared however vanished the instant he stepped into the room. Orba was alone inside it. But the atmosphere surrounding him was clearly different from when they had seen each other in the infirmary.

Without any preface, Orba took a letter from the desk in front of him.

”I want you to deliver this to Apta,” he said.

s.h.i.+que gaped. Apta was, of course, within Mephian territory and, needless to say, was currently an enemy land.

”Can I read it?”

”Sure.”

Orba gave permission while still looking the other way. He didn't seem to want to look the subordinate he had called over at midnight in the eye. Realising why, s.h.i.+que unintentionally broke into a grin, but when he read the contents, his desire to poke fun at Orba was blown away in one go.

This is -

After reading it once, he returned once again to the start of the doc.u.ment. Orba, who was being kept waiting, uncrossed and re-crossed his legs and looked about him restlessly but s.h.i.+que deliberately took his time rereading. Then -

”The contents are pretty unexpected.”

”Yeah. But he's in Apta...”

”You're saying to deliver this to General Rogue Saian, right?”

Correct - Orba seemed to say as he nodded wordlessly.

General Rogue Saian was in Apta. The one who had brought that information to Orba was none other than s.h.i.+que. While Orba was in a coma, he had probed around for information about Mephius' side. Lodging in Taúlia as a trader who was on an errand for the wealthy Birac merchant, Zaj Haman.

”Because of this sudden war, it's not easy to get back home,” he had grumbled as he sat in a tavern.

By plying that merchant with drink, s.h.i.+que had gotten the information that generals Rogue and Odyne had gone to Apta. s.h.i.+que had summarised the information on paper and had intended to give a verbal explanation of it, but as it didn't seem like Orba was inclined to lend him an ear, he had left the memo for him.

s.h.i.+que once more gave a cursory look at the contents of the letter that Orba had handed over to him. The sender's name was not Orba. The signature read -

Imperial Crown Prince Gil Mephius.

That could only mean one thing.

Orba was going to revive ”Gil Mephius” whom he was supposed to have buried.

After announcing that Gil was living on in Taúlia, the letter explained that -

Having learned about General Oubary's plan to a.s.sa.s.sinate me, I deliberately made myself disappear and went over to Taúlia.

In short, the letter denounced Emperor's Guhl's declaration that Taúlia was behind Gil's death as nothing more than a fabricated charge, then continued -

Who within Mephius' military currently wants war with Taúlia? There is only one person who wishes for it, my father Guhl Mephius. Do not make the mistake of going against your heart. If you are commanders who truly love Mephius and whose duty it is to protect its people, you should know what you have to do.

With that said, Rogue and the others could not be expected to believe in Prince Gil's survival simply on the basis of a single letter. Because of that, Orba concluded the doc.u.ment saying he would personally appear in Apta three days after the letter had reached them.

”Three days...” s.h.i.+que murmured in a low voice.

The three-day deferment also gave Rogue and Odyne a delay in which to make a decision. In other words, in the time it gave them to wait for verification on whether or not Prince Gil was still alive, they would also have time to consider how they should act in the event that it was true.

To ignore Emperor Guhl's - to ignore Mephius' orders, was to defy him, which meant treason against their country. No matter how little the retainers might like the emperor's words and deeds, it was not an easy decision to make.

But what if the crown prince, who had undeniably inherited the same imperial blood, stood behind them?

”Orba”

”Yeah”

Orba looked s.h.i.+que in the eyes for the first time. s.h.i.+que had a hundred things he wanted to say but, as they stared at each other, those were cleared away in an instant.

To head towards Apta as Gil was equivalent to throwing away his current position as the hero whose praises were sung throughout the west. To appear as Gil was to throw away the carefully fabricated fact of his death and to cast himself once more into the great vortex at the forefront of history.

”Don't regret it, okay.”

”Yeah.”

s.h.i.+que was seized by the urge to soliloquy at length. To prevent war between the two countries - that was not a simple decision leading to a single result. To use a slightly exaggerated expression, it could probably be called a turning point in history.

However, while inwardly thinking one thing, s.h.i.+que said another.

”You're somewhat lacking in with words, Orba.”

”Words?”

”We're currently quarrelling. Oh, did you forget? When I was making a reasonable point, who was it now who yelled 'Get out'? Only summoning the other at your convenience, giving out orders without listening to what they have to say, surely it's not as if you want to play the part of the callous prince?”

Even though n.o.body could know what Orba's expression was behind the mask, he understood it perfectly. But that was enough for s.h.i.+que. Just as he was about to burst out with ”That was a joke”, Orba spoke.

”I'm sorry.”

s.h.i.+que was flabbergasted. Orba spoke again -

”You're the only one I can ask. Please, s.h.i.+que. Take this letter to Apta.”

”I-I get it. I get it,” as a way of hiding his embarra.s.sment, s.h.i.+que deliberately laughed proudly. ”You're going to say to leave at once, right? I get it, the great s.h.i.+que will carry it off perfectly. Because you just can't do anything without me.”

After s.h.i.+que left, Orba turned the light off in the room.

He crawled into bed but didn't close his eyes.

Something separated itself from the shadows.

When he stared hard at the darkness, something which looked vaguely like a ghost took shape and came into sight.

No, wouldn't it actually be a ghost?

A person with the same face as him - Gil Mephius.

A person that he should have once buried with his own hands. A ghost that he was now going to resurrect from the grave with those same hands.

Of course, there were a number of paths that had led to that decision.

As he had told s.h.i.+que, his mind was made up and he believed that he would not regret it. But be that as it may, he felt a strange uncertainty. Hadn't he rushed too fast down the paths that led to his decision? In other words, did he miss any crucial elements needed for the future he envisioned to become reality?

Stupid.

Orba glared at Gil's pallid face. New shapes appeared and flickered indistinctly behind him, those of Guhl Mephius and of the flames of war encircling all of the west.

It wasn't too late yet.

So there was no need to rush too quickly either.

Orba closed his eyes. Within seconds, he was engulfed in the complete darkness.

From under the window, there was a roar like a beast howling.

Gunshot.

His eyes suddenly wrenched open.

What had come back to him was the very moment when he had been shot on the battlefield. At that time when Orba had lost sight of himself on the battleground. Just now, Orba had felt again the feeling of having lost himself, of being helpless, of hesitating when detected by the ”enemy,” and of having been shot in the head.

An hour after leaving Orba's room, s.h.i.+que was on horseback.

He had given the old soldier on guard duty at the stables a small amount of the alcohol that was served in the barracks, claiming it was ”refreshments,” and had then listened to his long, boastful war stories. When the soldier grew careless and began to doze against the wall, s.h.i.+que quietly left him and went to choose a horse for himself.

Throwing himself onto the saddle, he proceeded through the still and silent barracks.

He waved at the sentries standing on the way from the barracks to the castle gate as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Wow, it's s.h.i.+que from Orba's unit.

These soldiers were the complete opposite from the one at the stables, both from their obvious youth and the gazes they sent filled with aspiration towards the former gladiator.

He pa.s.sed out of the castle gate.

The lamp s.h.i.+que held up faintly illuminated the darkness and, while patting the neck of his nervous horse, he followed the road to the east. Once he had safely left Taúlia, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Still, I was surprised.

Orba had honestly apologised. He kept going over that scene in his mind. Actually, it couldn't be said that he was happy from the bottom of his heart about it.

It's not like him. He has more of the charm of childhood when he keeps complaining and cursing. Well, although I admit that he's adorable when he is being honest.

The letter that Orba had written was, of course, tucked at his breast. By nature, Orba's penmans.h.i.+p was terrible; but before, when he was still a body-double, he had referenced available notes written by Gil Mephius in order to imitated his handwriting. Such as when he had written a letter incorporating s.h.i.+que and the other former gladiators into his own Imperial Guards.

As he remembered how desperately Orba had been back then, trying to memorise that penmans.h.i.+p while writing, s.h.i.+que couldn't help but also find that adorable.

That Orba was going to return to the front stage of history again.

s.h.i.+que had deliberately avoided questioning him too deeply about it. After he had been released from vengeance, it had seemed as though Orba's true face had steadily started to show through, but it was probable that not even he himself knew what to expect if he once more put on the ”mask” of Gil.

The world of the aristocracy was nothing more than a h.e.l.l of never-ending strife.

Every kind of desire, in every shape and form, lurked behind the rows of smiling faces and the sequences of flowery words.

s.h.i.+que had no way of knowing the deepest recesses of that world, but he had actually come into contact with one small part of it. And from just that small part, the indelible scars on his heart had turned into a brand that had been seared into him.

They're the flames of Laskeid. Remembering that old legend as he rode forward, s.h.i.+que felt like s.h.i.+vering.

Then -

”Wait”

A voice came from in front of him. No, the same thing was coming from behind him.

When s.h.i.+que swiftly swept his gaze around, he had already been surrounded.

In every direction, the light from his lamp illuminated Zerdian faces.

And in their hands, they warily held up swords and guns.

.

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