Volume 2 Chapter 17 (1/2)
Editor: Tan.
Chapter 2 Episode 17
(Wavering People 6)
Day 137 after being summoned to another world.
Ten years ago, Elena Steiner was a general of Rozeria Kingdom.
From an unknown farmer to a knight, and eventually to a general.
Her ability and achievement pushed her to the highest position in the military.
People in the Rozeria Kingdom idolize her.
However, within the crowd stood a man who envies her.
Whenever there's light, there will always be a shadow.
And that person’s name is Hodram Ahrenberg.
He's someone blessed with good physique.
He also possesses the military skills necessary to become a top knight.
And he's also from a prestigious family which has always produce great knights from generation to generation.
He was undoubtedly a perfect knight one could ever wish for.
Not to mention he also has high discipline.
For the sake of surpa.s.sing everyone, he never settles for being the second best.
He keeps aiming for higher positions even when he's already in the position of a captain, a position that many regarded as the finest role a knight could ever dream of.
The top position in the Rozeria Kingdom army is the general.
There are six chivalric orders in the Rozeria Kingdom. The first two are the royal guards who serve directly under the King to ensure his safety within the palace and the Royal defence that acts as the King’s private army. The other four orders, under the command of the General, work to protect and maintain the peace within the kingdom.
Although one needs to be appointed by the king to get the position, usually the predecessor General will recommend and nominate a successor to the king.
However, at the time when the previous General was about to retire, he asked for anyone who wishes to apply for the position to nominate themselves.
As a result, the one who was chosen as the successor was Elena.
Her ability and fame for being 「Rozeria's white G.o.ddess of war」 was the final deciding factor.
It even can be said that it was natural for her predecessor to nominate Elena.
However, Hodram did not give up.
His pride would not allow someone who was a former farmer to take the job.
Hodram then proceeded to make several moves behind the scene in an attempt to take Elena down.
From fabricating corruption to the point of considering an a.s.sa.s.sination.
However, she was able to prevail through all of that.
Her friends within the chivalric order also helped her.
Ultimately, his frustration exploded to the point that Hodram’s fangs reached her family.
That day, when she finally returned home after two months away suppressing a group of rebellious n.o.bles.
However, no one came out to welcome her even after she opened the door.
Despite being a former farmer, she's a general.
Her house is a medium size mansion, and there's also servants.
She also couldn’t see the figure of her ten years old daughter who would usually jumps out to welcome her when she comes home.
Feeling that something is not right, she rushed over to the living room where her family often gather.
When she opened the door...
”I found my husband's head...”
At the time she opened the door, what reflected on Elena's eyes was her dead husband's head.
His expression was as if he had been tortured before his death.
At that time, Elena's brain halted immediately, unable to accept reality.
It was not until several days later she woke up in a bed of her colleague's house and came to her sense.
Being a general is not an easy task.
Even after she returned from the expedition, she could only relax at home for a brief moment.
And the next day, a mountain of works such as preparing report awaits her in the office.
Thus it was fortunate that her colleague visited her house since she did not show up on the next day.
When he found her, she was still sitting in the living room, holding her husband's head in her arms.
Her friend then took Elena to his house and returned to Elena's mansion.
”There was a letter. The letter said that her daughter is alive... and if she wants her back, the condition is for her to retire...”
She must have been holding an unbelievable rage within her.
After all, even Ryouma could feel the rage from her tone of voice alone.
”You see I... I made an effort to progress from a mere peasant to becoming a General... Being a knight is never an easy task. After all, it is a job that is usually done by a man...”
It was considered more of a typical problem rather than s.e.x discrimination.
After all, in term of muscular strength, women are visibly lagging behind men.
As a matter of fact, Elena has seen it first hand of how compet.i.tive it is to be among a group of men.
However, she was still able to show her full ability by maximizing her femininity.
And that is the power of cooperation rather than a skill of an individual.
When a knight fight, he puts his pride on a one-on-one fight.
They would show disgust when they surround one person with multiple people.
Speaking of a Knight's pride, while it is not necessary a bad thing, the efficiency is poor.
That's why Elena proposed a cooperation between Knights.
The Knights who were initially against her proposal began to understand thanks to her personality and its practicality in actual combat.
And the outcome of her effort is...
”Do you understand, how it feels to throw away all of that?”
Ryouma shook his head.
Although he's able to imagine it...,
Only people who have been been through the same situation as hers can truly understand it.
”However, for my daughter, even if it costs me my rank... if she can return home safely, then...”
Her daughter was born when she was 40 years old.
Elena who got married after the age of 30 had given up hope on having her own child.
Since the medical technology in this world is lagging behind present-day j.a.pan, it was hard to give birth at later age.
That's why Elena was very happy when she found out that she was pregnant.
Because she was finally able to understand the happiness of being a woman.
”Therefore, despite my friends’ objections, I retired from the order... I know it was a weak judgment; however, I don't see any choice other than that...”
”She did not come back to you huh...”
Elena nodded her head towards Ryouma's words.
”I was forced to keep this matter to myself. I can’t afford to put my daughter’s life at risk by displeasing those criminals any further. However, one month pa.s.sed, two months... My daughter never came back even after one year... Meanwhile, Hodram got the position of general. ”
Since the victim chose not to publicise the crime, it was natural for this matter to end up not spreading to the general populace.
However, Ryouma felt that something is not right.
”What's going on? I thought the general position is handed down by recommendation of the predecessor?”
”Normally, that is so... but because I left without appointing a successor, and in the case of the predecessor died in action... then in those cases, it will be decided by a vote among the captains of each chivalric orders.”
It seems like Elena was unable to do anything since she was worried about her daughter.
Under such circ.u.mstance, for Elena to recommend a successor has become impossible.
”Five years pa.s.sed since I come home, waiting for my daughter... In my mind, I had given up... Even if I wanted to hunt down the criminal; I was unable to find out anything. There was not a single clue of my daughter’s whereabout... and living has become painful ever since. ”
That is natural.
After all, for parents, a child is their treasure.
It is not an exaggeration to say that a child is their life.
”Do you remember? Five years ago, a slave trader got sentenced to death due to secret maneuvers?”
Elena directed her question towards Meltina.
”Eh!? Y-Yes!...”
Slave trading in itself is not illegal.
However, usually they only deal with prisoner of war or the family of criminals.
It is unforgivable no matter where, for example, to capture a fellow townsman and make them slaves deliberately.
Despite this being a feudal lord system, they, of course, won't recommend slave hunting.
If they were to do so, people would escape from their territory.
However, no matter what ages, there will always be foolish people.
Thinking they could get away with doing it in a small scale, they commit the crime.
And the slave trader who got beheaded five years ago was such merchant.
”You see, he was someone who would buy any kind of man as long he can make profits. No matter where they came from, even taking as far as the townsman of the royal capital. ”
That slave trader was beheaded after attempting to deprive a n.o.ble’s relative.
Who was also related to the royal family.
The slave trader’s confidence seems to have come from how easy it is to bribe the officials in the kingdom. However, if you were to anger the ones with higher authority than those who back you up, your life will be over.
”And the one who was tasked to arrest that person is the chivalric order. In fact, because that person commanded a very large private army... The chivalric order needed the help of The Garrison guard to arrest him. ”
”So, did you find out where your daughter is?”
”Indeed... there were a lot of rumors after the order tortured him. ”
Elena's answer to Ryouma was quiet. However, the content was pretty gruesome.
”And then, during the torture, he admitted that he was the one who a.s.sa.s.sinated my family...”
It seems like he was the intermediate that gathered the a.s.sa.s.sins, but for Elena everything is the same.
”I was able to meet the man directly, because after all, the one in charge of the torture is a former subordinate of mine. ”
To put it simply, she took the risk.
After all, even if she's a retired general, it has been five years since her retirement.
She was just an ordinary person back then, yet she took the risk to meet him.