Volume 9 Chapter 5 (2/2)

”That kind of opponent tends to be rather easy to deal with.”

Orba was even terser than usual. But when the two generals had all but started to wrap things up, he called their names again.

”General Rogue, General Odyne.”

”Aye,” the two respectfully answered.

”It goes without saying that from here on, the enemy is Mephius.”

”Aye.”

”The ones your swords will be slicing through and your guns will be aimed at will be Mephians.”

Can you do it? He was going to ask.

But no further words were spoken. Not because he had turned timid. With the two before him, he did not think that ne needed to check their resolve at this point in time.

In the end, Orba did not say anything and, with a nod, they left.

s.h.i.+que, from the Imperial Guards, had also been attending the council of war.

”I was expecting you to question them much more thoroughly,” he said after the generals had gone and the two of them were alone. He was not talking about their readiness to fight against their own country, ”usually, you're frantic about gathering information about the enemy.”

”The enemy currently has twice our numbers. There's no point using excessive measures to try and smash them. Thinking about our own procedures is more important right now.”

Orba replied while dropping his eyes to a map. It showed the outskirts of Apta as well as the fortress' interior. Within the forest that stretched out between Apta and Birac, there was a small fortress called Jozu. When he had previously been stationed in Apta, it had been no more than a air carrier supply base. After Taúlia's surprise attack, he had expanded the base out of necessity.

The fortress itself was newly-built, but Orba had the surrounding terrain fixed in his mind, that was because he had intended to gather woodcutters in that area and have them organised as a group. At the time, Orba had entrusted the management of the woodcutters to Kalgan, an administrative official that he had brought with him from Solon.

Kalgan was the third son of the lord of Idoro, Julius. Orba had only recently heard that he had refused his father's insistent invitation to move to Idoro and was currently still in Apta, and had called for him earlier.

”I see, so that means that you've already traced the path to victory in your head.”

”You shouldn't be worrying about me but about your own health. You're still not fit to walk about much, are you?”

”Your concern makes me so happy, I might even cry. But I can't go and sleep when the fighting is so close. I've said it before, but you can't do anything without me.”

”So you say.”

It was the same frivolous exchange as ever, but s.h.i.+que looked as though he still had something to say. He closed his mouth however as though he changed his mind.

Orba's eyes did not move from the map. Although this was the same att.i.tude that he always had before a fight, s.h.i.+que found it difficult to shake his uncomfortable feeling.

During the second council of war, Orba described the strategy that he had drawn up. Gathered there were Rogue, Odyne, s.h.i.+que, Gowen, and several officers with ranks equivalent to vice-commander from each of the military units.

”In the first step of the strategy,” on the map spread out over the desk, Orba pointed to Birac, the city north of Apta, ”we must make Folker's force move from there, where they're currently stationed.”

Everyone was of course well aware that if they waited too long, the enemy's numbers would increase. Which was why Orba had decreed that the first step was to make the enemy troops move. By deliberately drawing the enemy to them, and with enough preparations, they could contrive to ambush them.

”Can we not ask Lord Fedom, the master of Birac, to lend us his a.s.sistance?” Suggested Gowen. He pointed out that Fedom Aulin had once adopted an att.i.tude like that of a guardian towards Crown Prince Gil, ”there is a high chance that gentleman would side with us. May I respectfully suggest secretly getting in touch with him and having him attack the enemy forces from the rear?”

Fedom was the one who had been behind making Orba into a body-double. He had reluctantly put Orba in place to avoid political chaos at a time when the political marriage with the Garberan princess was close at hand - or rather, he had worked out a stratagem to further his personal ambitions.

Since Orba was still alive, Fedom's mind was sure to be in disarray. As far as he was concerned, Orba's existence was nothing more than means to achieve those ambitions, but at the same time, because he knew all of his plans, Orba was also a tricky opponent for him to deal with, and it would not take much threatening for him to speedily agree to cooperate. Since Gowen was aware of this, he was implicitly pointing it out. But -

”My acquaintance with Fedom certainly runs deep. With a single letter from me, he would believe in my continued existence and since he is also a man who previously lamented my father's egotism, he would spare no effort to help us. However, his attacking from the rear won't get us anywhere,” Orba shook his head. ”The defence of that trade city is mainly a.s.sured by the twelve generals or by their a.s.sistants, who take it in turns to do so in yearly units. Even though Fedom is a lord, he is not a military commander. In a crisis, he is in a position to station to take control of all the forces stationed in Birac, but if he were currently to declare that he was going to follow the Prince, Folker and those under his command would not obey. Which means that the troops he can move at will are only those of his private army of about five hundred. Not enough to be effective for a surprise attack from the rear.”

”I see.”

”Well then,” Orba looked at each of those present in turn, ”first we have to make the enemy move at all cost, and then use every possible to repel them. If we defeat a frontal attack with our own might, it might have the effect of sending a shock throughout the whole of Mephius.”

”Most certainly. However, the difference in our numbers is beyond our control,” Odyne said with such a serious expression that he almost looked gloomy. ”Your Highness, have you then already thought of a plan to bring about victory?”

”Of course.”

Orba laid out the details of his strategy. He took time to explain each procedure. No one spoke. Although the contents were startling, they seemed to generally be accepted.

But when it came to the last step,

”Y-Your Highness!”

Rogue and Odyne both expressed disapproval.

In the final stage of the strategy, Orba - or rather, from their point of view, Crown Prince Gil Mephius - would have to take his sword and fight. Moreover, on the frontline.

”That stage is too dangerous for Your Highness to be involved in.”

”Please, will you not let us take care of it? Unworthy and incompetent though we are, we will show you our best exertions in the face of death and fate.”

”No,” Orba shook his head with a obstinate expression. ”I fully recognise your determination. But whether, once in battle, the soldiers can maintain that level of determination is a different matter. Not only are we outnumbered, our opponents are our fellow countrymen. When they raise their sword, or have their fingers on the trigger, they might have a second's hesitation and confusion. And that second can mean the difference between victory and defeat. At that time, what they need is a banner.”

”With that banner flying above them, not matter how weary they are, they can fight to the full because they can believe that they will have both victory and a future. They can plunge forward, their spirits high, fearing neither their own deaths nor having to kill their opponents. And in this instance, that banner is me.”

Orba spoke with unusual fervour. He was perfectly aware of the danger. He knew what it was to slip past hundreds of bullets and drawn blades to seize victory.

If Gil Mephius' figure was there among them, if he was inhaling the same gun smoke, if he was advancing with them while being showered like them in the blood of their defeated opponents, the soldiers would be roused. For this commander - the figure of Gil Mephius would represent a future worth risking their lives for.

This was how war was since time immemorial. What was originally just a scramble for power between blood relations, or a desire to s.n.a.t.c.h land in the name of national interests, was presented as a great cause which statesmen brandished as banners capable of making the soldiers take action. Put otherwise, an ideal future that was worth dying for and killing for was born simply from the cause that was the banner.

Rogue and Odyne said no more.

At the end, Orba once again looked at each of the warriors in turn, as though to confirm their determination.

”In this fight, we cannot afford to miss any opportunity. That is all. What is most important above everything else is that each and every one has a strong will and resolve. You are, of course, well aware that this is not a battle that we can win without losing soldiers. By all accounts, Folker appears to be an outstanding commander, but negligence is sure to arise since their numbers exceed ours. Go for their throats the moment you see an opportunity. And once you have them by the throat, never let go. Beyond the corpses of the friends we will have to step over, at the target we are charging towards, lies the true Mephius that we long for.”

Lately, not even s.h.i.+que had been able to speak with him. He had only shown his face once then had immediately flown to the west and, since then, he spent so much of his time in councils of war that you might wonder if he had actually come back. The outline of the strategy was set, but in order for it to work in practice, there were a ton of smaller issues that needed to be decided for each part of it; and in three days, Orba had personally taken part in over twenty smaller-scale meetings.

Even so -

At this rate, things are going to get ugly.

Orba's fleeting thought was not about the lack of soldiers or the insufficiency of supplies. As he was walking in the castle early that morning, giving instructions to the soldiers, he had unexpectedly pa.s.sed by Theresia. Noticing it was Gil, she stopped and stood aside with a curtsy; but as he pa.s.sed by her, the glance that the Garberan former head lady's maid flashed his way was as sharp as a blade. He could actually feel it piercing his back.

Thinking back on his actions since being reunited with the princess because of it, he came to that conclusion -

Definitely ugly.

Orba reached a decision and contacted Princess Vileena through his page, Dinn.

”We should have supper together once in awhile.”

And thus, the two of them sat face-to-face in the dining hall that was reserved exclusively for aristocrats. With deep-fried fish from the River Yunos, venison, nuts, goat's cheese and the like lined up along the table, Orba and Vileena went through their meal without speaking.

Vileena's manner was aloof from start to end.

Even though you were the one who invited me - she thought. After their initial greetings, Gil Mephius had remained silent.

Observing him anew, his way of eating was coa.r.s.e. She had thought that this might be the Mephian style, but having had a number of occasions to eat with the country's leading n.o.bles, their manners were clearly different from his. It was, so to speak, 'the Prince's style'.

It was hardly surprising as...o...b..'s table manners had been terrible since his days as a gladiator. With a book open at his side, he would not eat unless he was reading. Because of that habit, he still sat with his back hunched during meals. Vileena was seized with the urge to stick behind the Prince and instruct him in the etiquette for dining.

Meanwhile, Orba, who was eating cheese that he had picked up with his hand, was wondering bewilderedly - what can I talk about?

On the whole, he was a man who was not good at making small talk. His interests and concerns were mostly directed towards military matters, and you could say that he did not know anything about anything else. Additionally, since he was acting as Mephius' crown prince, he naturally could not talk about the things he usually had with the gladiators and mercenaries.

Even so, as he was definitely finding the silence uncomfortable, he decided to speak.

”Princess.”

Vileena lifted her head. She was making a show to the Prince of eating 'modestly'.

”What is it?”

”You said that you spent a while in Taúlia, was there any food there that you liked? Apta is the only place to have resumed trade with the west. If there's something you like, I can have it ordered for you.”

”Well,” Vileena's gaze fell as she continued her meal. ”I was there for a specific reason, so I did not eat at the castle. Oh, but, when I was in the villagers' care, I was given grilled green rabbit meat. In spite of its appearance, it was delicious.”

”Yeah, I've tried it too. Although there's not much of a distance, it seems that green rabbits are rare animals in Apta. I'll have it ordered later.”

To Vileena's utter amazement, Orba seemed satisfied with their conversation. Feeling that he had achieved results just from their actually having talked to one another once, he continued eating.

What a strange person - the princess thought to herself.

She could not exactly say that she herself was used to conversing with members of the opposite s.e.x of around the same age as her, but the Prince was even worse. Still, Vileena felt that this situation called for tactics.

”Prince”

Since the meal was almost over, it was practically a surprise attack.

”W-What is it?”

Convinced that he fulfilled his quota, Orba had been utterly at ease and, as per the princess' intention, had been unprepared for the a.s.sault, almost dropping his knife.

Vileena observed the Prince intently through almost half-closed eyes.

”Next month, I will be turning fifteen,” she said. ”It will be my first birthday in Mephius. I will be looking forward to my present.”

”R-Right,” Orba recovered himself. ”Is there something you want? Given that it's you, Princess, I guess you might like an airs.h.i.+p, or maybe even a large carrier? If it's clothes or some kind of accessory… that's difficult, I don't know anything about them. s.h.i.+que's more knowledgeable about that sort of thing. I'll get him on it, so just say whatever it is you want and…”

”It is not a thing,” the princess decisively interrupted Orba. ”If possible, I feel that I would like to return to Garbera next month,” she said, as though declaring their separation.

”Princess”

”Of course, it would only be temporary. And I would definitely like you to come with me, Prince.”

”Me?”

”Yes. I would like you to meet my grandfather. Don't you think it would be beneficial for someone like you to receive a scolding from Grandfather at least once?”

Orba had no comeback to that.

Vileena finished her meal, aloof to the end. However, just as she was about to leave her chair -

”The battle this time around,” her voice dropped, ”… I will not say anything more. My being wilful will only cause trouble to others again. So please think only of yourself as you wage war. I'm happy for your solicitude in inviting me for a meal like this, but it is perfectly fine for you to forget about me.”

”Your victory is…”

”My victory?”

”I knew from the start that since it is you, Prince, there was a good chance that you would take it at face value, but my saying that I wanted us to go to Garbera together was simply a joke. What I truly wish for is your victory. If you win, Prince, the ties of friends.h.i.+p and peace with my native country, Garbera, will remain unbroken.”

”I get it.”

”You say that so easily. When it comes to something like this, you are able to answer straight away,” Vileena unintentionally burst out laughing. ”Very well, please let me see what you are capable of. As I said just now, I have absolutely no intention of doing anything unnecessary or of disregarding your wishes, Prince. I just want to watch.”

In point of fact, Vileena's promise was destined to be broken in the not-too-distant future. But setting that future aside, at the time, she truly did not intend to do more than watch the Prince fight.

She was not optimistic. She did not know much about war, but she could well imagine that this fight would be harsher than any the Prince had experienced so far.

Furthermore...

Family - the opponent the Prince had to fight was his own father.

The soldiers would have to turn their guns and swords on the comrades who had once stood alongside them on the battlefield.

Vileena had always been asking herself about the meaning and duty of royalty. Her heart could feel no joy over a country being torn apart and blood relatives crossing blades.

Since being informed that a punitive force had been dispatched from Solon, she had spent more than one sleepless night worrying over the problem of - is there no way other than fighting?

Every time, as the morning sun washed over her through the c.h.i.n.k between the curtains, she reached the same conclusion: the Prince has already made his decision.

Even though Gil Mephius was a despicable liar, he was by no means a thoughtless fool. Despite being incapable of thinking about people's feelings, he was a man who was surprisingly considerate of the people and of the oppressed slaves.

And that prince had decided to fight.

Which means that there is no way to avoid this battle.

And since Gil Mephius had decided to fight, that meant -

That there is a chance of victory.

Vileena Owell could not help finding it strange. Although he had betrayed her so many times, she felt a certain trust towards the prince.

Orba, meanwhile, naturally did not know the intricacies of the princess' heart. However, he was no dullard lacking in perception. He realised that the princess did not have only one or two things she wanted to tell him, but rather fifty or a hundred. Military strategies aside, how did the prince intend to act from now on - specifically, what were his intentions regarding his relations.h.i.+p with herself and with Garbera?

Yet Vileena purposely remained silent. In a way, it resembled how he had deliberately refrained himself from asking Rogue and the others ”can you fight your fellow countrymen?”

And so Orba had stopped trying to line up the right words to explain himself. In terms of determination, Vileena held the same resolve in her small chest as Rogue and Odyne did.

When the meal was over, the two of them turned to leave the dining hall at the same time. Both their attendants were waiting by the door. Dinn seemed to be doing so a little impatiently and just before Orba reached him, he held out a napkin to him. Realising from that that he had sauce stuck around his mouth, Orba wiped it away with a sour expression.

d.a.m.n it Princess, you couldn't even tell me - he glanced towards Vileena.

And in doing so realised that Theresia was not the only lady's maid waiting for her. There was a young woman beside her.

”Who's that?” Orba asked with no real interest, to which Vileena answered -

”She is someone who has recently started working for me.”

”I am called Layla,” the woman bowed her head.

Maybe it was because she was nervous about meeting the crown prince face to face, but she did not look well.

”Layla?”

As...o...b.. repeated it, there was something that was bothering him. He had heard that name. Also, he remembered the woman's face.

Vileena clapped her hands together as though having remembered something.

”Oh, yes. Prince, would you please let her meet with Orba one of these days? He saved her father and she has been saying for some time that she would like to thank him.”

”R-Right”

At that, Orba finally remembered. He had seen the woman in the Taúlian village that he had rushed into to save Vileena. If he remembered correctly, she had been clinging to her father who had been stabbed in the abdomen.

”I heard about it from Orba. Is your father well?”

”I-I am grateful for your concern. Thanks to the princess and to your Highness, he will be able to continue to live long.”

Layla kept her head bowed. Vileena tilted her head -

”Speaking of being saved by Orba, I was too. Wanting to thank him, I have looked all around Apta for him, but I have not seen him since then. Where is he at the moment?”

”Working out of sight,” Orba replied with a sullen face. He had thought that he had gotten out of a tough spot by having a meal arranged, but now the things he needed to do had just increased.

After that, Vileena, Theresia and Layla took their leave.

Layla - Layla?

Even though he remembered the woman, he seemed to recall having heard the name 'Layla' some other time in some other place. The two memories did not coincide.

”Your Highness? Is there a problem?”

”No”

”Are you planning something? You are not going to come out with something outrageous again, are you?” Dinn spoke resentfully. The boy had gone to a certain place on Orba's orders, and had only just returned to Apta the day before.

”Now I get it. Well done, Dinn.”

”W-What?”

”Don't worry. I'm not sending you anywhere. There's somewhere I'll be heading myself tonight. I need you to get things ready immediately.”

Orba smiled enigmatically. From his manner of speaking, it was just as though he were going for a long ride in the area, but with 'that', he was going to make his opening move against Folker's army.

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