He told the prime minister everything he learned about Duke Grindel. The man was one of the five most influential noble families in Rimmel, owning a great deal of fertile lands to the northwest. He was the wealthiest out of the five families, and although his domain’s climate was cold, the land itself was rich. He made most of his money from the crops he grew. In addition, the cloth produced in his domain using a special weaving technique had grown popular throughout the country and abroad as well.

The duke’s name was Morris Grindel. His wife was Lynette Grindel, and they had one son. The duke’s reputation was spotless, and he was a man of integrity. He was known for being dauntless and decisive.

“If his domain is in the northwest, even if an invasion of Tasmeria went well, he’d suffer more casualties and financial setbacks in the battle than the others,” Romello remarked.

“Also, Morris Grindel cares deeply about the citizens. I’m sure he’d want to avoid a needless war. At least that’s what I’ve gathered from the information we’ve gotten about him,” Alf said.

“All right… What about his military force, compared to the other dukes?”

“I believe it’s proportional to his wealth. The most powerful dukes are Grindel, Sligar, Philling, Crowe, and Baskar. If you look at the numbers only, if the hard-liners and moderates were to go to war with each other, the moderates would win. And if you add together the military strength of all five houses, our kingdom’s numbers are a bit larger than Rimmel.”

“I see. In that case, are the hard-liners trying to expand their forces?”

“According to Rimmel’s laws—well, actually, due to a pact among the five houses—they cannot publicly try to grow their armies. Having said that, it seems that Duke Sligar is doing so anyway, in secret.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“But that doesn’t mean they’re just added prepared soldiers to their numbers. They’ll need suitable training, so it will take some time before their new additions are ready to fight. On the other hand, in Duke Grindel’s domain, he has many citizens who are able to fight but are not counted among their military.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The people there are encouraged to learn the traditional martial arts of the area. Now, it’s not a type where they learn to kill—it’s focused on strength and mental training. The men and women there begin to learn it at a very young age.”

That sounded like House Anderson to Romello. Known as the military house of Tasmeria, the citizens there were also encouraged to train themselves in the military arts. The House Anderson guard was known to be the strongest.

“I can see why Duke Sligar would want to amass troops then.”

“Yes. It’s possible that he’s spending a lot of money on military reserves.”

“That might mean he’s even more anxious about funds than the others.”

“Yes, I think that’s quite possible, sir.”

“Have mercenaries been coming and going from Sligar’s duchy regularly?”

“No. The last time they were spotted was probably four or five years ago.”

“Interesting…” Romello pondered this, frowning.

“My lord?” Alf questioned.

“Nothing. Continue, please.” Romello waved his hand, urging him to go on.

Alf continued filling Romello in on the information he had asked for. The next bit was about the third wealthiest duke, Bruno Philling, and his wife, Kellie. Although the marriage was a political match, the couple were close. They had a boy and a girl.

“Do you have any information about Kellie’s family and their connections?”

“She’s the daughter of a count, and her family seems to be close with the Grindels and other hard-liners throughout the country.” Romello nodded, and Alf continued.

For the Phillings, the most famous product in their domain was alcohol fermented from barley. They exported it outside of the country and therefore maintained ties with Tasmeria and Acacia.

The relationship with Tasmeria was simply a business relationship, while their relationship with Acacia was more friendly.

Duke Bruno’s hobby was reading. All of his predecessors were avid readers, and there was a big library within his domain.

“He’s got a reputation of being a very wise and gentle ruler. There won’t be any skeletons in his closet. If that information is true, then he should be against invading Tasmeria, and even if war did break out, he would be loath to sacrifice anyone from his domain. Since his area is large and fertile, he probably won’t think it’s necessary to expand the country’s territory if it means people’s lives need to be sacrificed.”

Romello closed his eyes as if to sort through the information Alf gave him. His butler stood there silently as he was used to this response.

“You’ve given me a lot of great information, Alf. Thank you.” Romello had studied up on basic knowledge of the dukes before he got here, so he knew most of it already. The reason he had Alf repeat it though was so that he could solidify it in his mind and make sure he hadn’t missed out on any new details.

“Of course. Now, regarding the company run by Duke Philling, Staut Corp… We’ll continue gathering information from our spies. And we’ll continue to keep an eye on House Philling as well.”

“I see. Let me know if anything new comes up.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ll be counting on you. Still, you’re certainly as sharp as ever,” Romello said with a smirk.

“I’m not sure about that, my lord. No one can win against the tide of time, after all,” Alf responded with a wry smile.

“Ha ha ha… I suppose I’ve gotten a lot older since you first started working for me. That sure brings back a lot of memories… I can still vividly remember they day we first met, with you standing outside of the Armelia manor.”

“Yes, I remember that day well too.” Alf smiled, staring off fondly into the distance.

“I was even younger than Louis back then, wasn’t I? I suppose time really has flown by. It’s difficult to notice it day to day though.”

“That’s true. But that must mean you live every day to its fullest, no?”

“Ha ha ha. Definitely. I worked and worked and suddenly realized I’m this old! And you’ve certainly done a lot to train the next generation as well.”

“Ah, you mean Berne? Yes, I hope I’ve trained him to serve Lord Louis well.”

“I think he has been. It seems Louis relies on him a great deal already.”

“Ah, do you mean as a spy? I did teach Berne the trade… Are you sure that was for the best?” Alf asked.

Romello let out a sigh. “Growing our personnel is a pressing matter for the kingdom. We needed more people like you, so it couldn’t be avoided. Plus, he seems to be the type of person who would gladly give his all to protect the kingdom. And as the prime minister, having someone like that is extremely valuable.”

“Just like when Master Kreuz said you both are working toward the same goal?”

“Yes, precisely. Are you sure you’re glad you agreed to my request, though? Teaching him your trade. After all, he won’t be returning to our manor. He will be returning to the kingdom instead. Weren’t you worried about his ability to continue fulfilling his duties?”

“I let him in on a few valuable sources of information, plus new ways of collecting additional tidbits. I taught him the basics of how to be a spy, of course. I did not inform my sources about him, though, so there should be no problem.”

“Ah, I see. You’ve been keeping an eye on him, and you think he’s developed his own informant network?”

“It seems that way, yes. That’s why he was able to find out about Duke Baskar’s human trafficking so quickly.”

“Ah, that’s right. It seems Berne is regularly giving Louis information.”

“Well, Lord Louis is the one who took him in, after all. He feels an obligation to him, and I’m sure that’s part of it.”

“Part of? So, what’s the rest?” Romello gave Alf an amused look.

“If he’s prioritizing getting the information to you as quickly as possible, then it’s best to tell Lord Louis first. If he went through the proper channels via the palace, the information would have to funnel through many people to reach Lord Louis, and that would take much more time. I think the greatest reason is that he decided that in this instance, time was of the essence. After all, Lord Louis has been taking care of a lot of your work, so it makes sense to share information with him first. That’s probably why he decided it wouldn’t pose a problem to do so.”

In the end, all information vital to the kingdom would still end up going through Romello. Making decisions at that level was part of his official duties as the prime minister. But, bureaucratically speaking, there were many people standing in the way between Romello and Berne; at least two other people would have to look over any paperwork before it would reach Romello’s desk. That was an advantage when it was information that needed to be shared with everyone, but it was a different story for urgent matters.

“It would take time for the information to get to me, hm? Well, that’s a problem.”

“Yes, quite. As a kingdom, if we need someone such as Berne, we need to reevaluate our system. When it comes to things like that, time is of the essence. We can’t let a delay in delivery to a decision maker adversely affect the outcome.”

“You’re right. And if I’m making a decision based on something that’s outdated, that could cause confusion. It might not even make any sense.”

“Yes, quite.”

“In that case, we certainly need to revise our system. Once things calm down, I’ll have a talk with Gazell about it,” Romello murmured as he looked upward, collecting his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Alf poured some more tea into the man’s empty cup. “Well, my lord, if you’ll excuse me. I am going to go over the security plans with Master Kreuz for the journey to Duke Grindel’s and Duke Philling’s manors tomorrow.”

“Of course. Thank you.”

 

***

 

The following day, Romello went to visit with Duke Grindel. It wasn’t possible from a time standpoint to visit all of their domains, so he had arranged to meet the dukes at their second residences in the capital. Like Tasmeria, Rimmel’s capital was the heart of the country. However, since all the domains in Rimmel were so independent from one another, the capital was more like a buffer zone for the five dukes. They all maintained large second estates in the capital, and all of them gathered there at least once a year to discuss the state of the union.

Romello stared out at the scenery on the carriage ride until he finally arrived at Duke Grindel’s manor.

“Welcome to Rimmel, Lord Romello!” Duke Grindel greeted Romello himself with a genial smile on his face.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Morris. Thank you so much for inviting me here today.” Romello smiled in return as the duke welcomed him inside.

“Why, I can’t think of a greater honor than hosting the famous prime minister of the great kingdom of Tasmeria!”

“Famous? Well, I suppose I’d rather have that reputation than a bad one.”

“Ha ha ha! You’re just being modest. You certainly are the extraordinary and renowned prime minister of Tasmeria!”

“Renowned…? That’s quite the exaggeration.”

Morris gestured for Romello to sit down, and Alf stood behind him.

“Since we’ve been exchanging letters for so long, it doesn’t feel like this is our first meeting!” Morris said with excitement, easing the tension in the air.

“You’re right. I feel the same way.” Suddenly, Romello caught sight of a beautiful piece of cloth hung over the window like a curtain. It was light blue with a detailed floral pattern embroidered on it and was simply gorgeous. “Speaking of famous, isn’t that over there made of the famed Grindel fabric?”

“Yes, it is! Each piece is completely handmade. Even if two pieces look alike, they’re actually slightly different.”

“Ah, I see. This fabric is popular in Tasmeria as well, of course, but it’s hard to come by. It really is beautiful.”

“I’m honored to hear that!” Morris had a satisfied smile on his face. “By the way, Lord Romello, what do you think of our country?”

Romello returned his gaze to Morris. “People work, earn a living, eat, and their lives are all interconnected. The people here live just as they do in Tasmeria.”

“I see…” Morris smiled quietly, seemingly content with Romello’s answer.

“And that’s precisely why we should avoid unnecessary fighting. Don’t you agree?”

“I don’t have such lofty ideals. I simply don’t want my beloved citizens to be hurt. And no matter the outcome, war means they will suffer. I simply don’t understand those who would want to cause such a thing.” Morris rose and walked over to the window. It faced north and looked out toward his domain.

“You love your domain and all the people in it, don’t you?”

“Of course. Don’t you feel the same?”

“Yes, I do. But the people you speak of, those who would want war—they exist right now, within your country.”

Morris’s shoulders visibly dropped. “You’re very honest, aren’t you?” he said after a pause.

“It’s because I believe the same things you do.”

Morris chuckled. “True. If you genuinely love your kingdom and wish to avoid war, then we share the same beliefs. But unfortunately, I trust you more than I do people in my own country.”

“I feel the same way. That’s why I’m talking to you so frankly like this.”

“I see… Then allow me to be frank with you as well.”

Romello chuckled. “I’d appreciate that.”

“What are you going to do with these troublesome people in my country?”

“We’re going to protect a certain general from them. That’s because if anything ever happens to him, your troublesome people will make their moves. I have a personal connection with the general, so it’s possible for me to guide him in a certain direction. I feel that’s the safest thing to do in response to those in your country who feel he is a threat. Plus, I believe that if you and I join forces, we can silence those people.”

Of course, when he spoke of a “certain general,” he meant the general and hero of Tasmeria, General Gazell. The man was also well known in Rimmel.

The land of Rimmel feared Gazell, and as long as he was around, the hard-liners wouldn’t try to force Tasmeria into a war. So, in other words, he stood in the way of their plans. The neutral faction had no opinion on going to war with Tasmeria or not, so they rejected the notion of doing away with the general. He was such a big threat, however, that even the moderates wanted him gone.

On the other hand, there were many nobles in his home of Tasmeria who were jealous of him, plotting to ruin his good name, completely oblivious that there were two factions in Rimmel who wanted the same thing. In other words, Romello was saying that he would use all the means at his disposal as prime minister in order to protect Gazell.

“Interesting…”

“What about you? How would you quiet the troublesome people in your country?”

“At this time of year, all the dukes gather here in the capital. We have meetings and talk about how we want to stop them…”

“So will you?” Romello asked, and the duke fell silent. He continued. “I’d like to ask you something. Even if your opinion was different from the other nobles, are you prepared to remain firm in your resolve to not go to war?”

“You ask a very blunt question.”

“Yes. I want to see how dedicated you are to avoiding war. That’s what I plan to talk to you about.” Romello’s eyes gleamed sharply. He gave off a frighteningly serious aura, which made even Duke Grindel, the most powerful duke in all of Rimmel, break out in a cold sweat.

“Let me ask you the same thing. Are you prepared?”

“Yes, of course.” Romello answered without hesitation.

Morris was shocked. “Well, that was quick.”

“As you know, there was a war after I became the prime minister. And when it broke out, I felt ashamed. A prime minister’s job is to keep order, after all, for the safety of the entire kingdom. To protect the kingdom and its people. And in order to do that, we must seek alliances with other countries in order to maintain a stable government. We must not overlook the seeds of war. We must dig them out before they begin to bud. So, at the time, I cursed my own powerlessness.” A sardonic smile crossed Romello’s face. “I’ll never let another war happen, not on my watch. I’m going to protect my kingdom and our innocent citizens, including our soldiers. Even if it means I get the reputation for being a demon.” That’s my job as the prime minister of Tasmeria, he added silently with a soft chuckle.

“Unfortunately, the thing I pride myself most on is the blood that runs through my veins.” Morris spoke in a calm voice. “The blood of my predecessors, all of whom ruled the domain of Grindel and protected its citizens. Did you know that we have a tradition in Grindel to train our people in martial arts?”

“Yes, I know. You use martial arts to train both body and mind, correct?”

“I had a feeling you already knew about it. Yes, that’s right. It’s how the citizens have protected their land on their own. They love their domain, so they’ve protected it along with their families over the years, to this very day. I want to live up to their expectations and put my citizens first, even if that means it’s not in my best interests as a duke of Rimmel.”

The room fell silent for a while, until Romello spoke up again. “I see. I understand very well now just how prepared you are.” His new calm and gentle voice was a sharp contrast to his curt, serious one from earlier. “Let’s discuss this more, then. Alf, the documents?”

“Yes, my lord.” Alf immediately handed a stack of papers to Romello.

“This here is proof that Duke Baskar is engaged in human trafficking.”

“What?!” exclaimed Morris.

“Human trafficking is illegal in your country, is it not? Am I correct?”

“Of course it is! Why in the world would he be doing such a thing?!” Morris looked over the papers, his hands trembling with anger. It was indeed proof beyond a doubt that his fellow duke was involved in selling people into slavery. Morris stared at the paper with bloodshot eyes so intently that one might think he would burn a hole into it. Once he finished reading it, he let out a deep sigh. A sad smile appeared on his face. “I’d expect nothing less of you, Lord Romello. Your capable subordinates have apparently already exposed the state of affairs in my country.” There was a harshness in his voice, proof of just how shaken Morris was over the matter.

“I’m embarrassed to admit it, but there are the same types of despicable people in my kingdom too.”

“Pardon?”

“As you know, to the east of Baskar is Sligar, and to the west is Crowe. If he wants to leave the kingdom, he has to travel through one of those domains. Yet if he does that, he would be easily tracked.”

Morris seemed to realize what Romello was getting at and lifted his head.

“I’m sure you understand…but Duke Baskar has been using my kingdom, which lies to the south, to traffic his slaves. He’s been paying the lord of that domain a handsome sum to keep quiet as he passes through. We were investigating another matter when we noticed a suspicious flow of money. That’s when we discovered what was going on as detailed in those documents.”

Romello wasn’t telling a lie, but he wasn’t exactly telling the truth either. He did, in fact, learn about this when they noticed the suspicious money trail. But the reason he discovered the human trafficking plot was because he had a very capable spy deep in Rimmel. The reason he didn’t tell Morris that was because he decided there was no need for him to reveal his hand to that degree. And, of course, he didn’t want to jeopardize his relationship with the duke.

If he hadn’t used a spy, he probably never would’ve caught wind of this situation. But now he’d killed two birds with one stone; he received valuable evidence against a duke of Rimmel while rooting out a corrupt noble in his own kingdom.

“You’re a very astute man, Lord Romello.” Morris’s voice was slightly soft.

Romello smiled. “I’m pleased to hear you think that.”

Morris smiled as well, and his face now wore a gentle expression. “It seems as though I must muster even more nerve than I expected.” In fact, when he said that, there was already noticeable determination in his eyes. “I must be prepared to put an end to Duke Baskar.” He smiled and held out his hand. “Thank you, Lord Romello. My heart is at ease. I’m going to put your information to good use, and I’d like to continue building a good relationship with you.”

Romello immediately took Morris’s hand and shook it. “I feel the same, Lord Morris. If possible, I’d like to build a relationship like ours between our countries as well.”

“Oh, that would be interesting! I’m sure you’re already thinking about what you’d like to do in the future, hm? I’d love to hear more details about it.”

After a firm handshake, the two men began to discuss the non-aggression treaty Romello had put together.

 

***

 

After his meeting with Morris Grindel, Romello went straight to Duke Philling’s residence. It didn’t take long to get there since he also had another estate in the capital.

“Welcome, Lord Romello.” Bruno Philling greeted him with a calm demeanor. A woman stood next to him with a soft smile on her face.

“Thank you for the warm welcome, Lord Bruno.”

The two men exchanged a handshake.

“This is my wife, Kellie.”

“Oh, I even have the honor of meeting your wife! It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Romello Gib Armelia.” He bowed slightly toward the woman.

“The pleasure is all mine. I’m Kellie Philling. It’s an honor to make your acquaintance.” Kellie curtsied gracefully. “Please, come in.”

The manor resembled Duke Grindel’s. It had a warm and welcoming atmosphere inside and was decorated with wooden furniture. The couple led Romello into the parlor.

“How was your journey here?” Bruno asked casually as he took his seat.

“Just fine, thank you,” Romello answered.

Kellie sat down and listened to their conversation, a pleasant smile on her face.

“By the way, Lord Romello. Have you ever had the beer from our domain?” Bruno asked.

“Yes, of course. Your beer is known for being quite delicious.”

“I’m honored you think so. Would you like some? I’ve got a special bottle here.”

“I’d love to.”

“Wonderful! Let me show you to another room, Lord Romello.” Bruno rose to his feet.

At the same time, his wife followed suit. “Well, if you’ll excuse me. I hope you enjoy your stay, Lord Romello. I’d love to see you again if you come to our country another time.”

“Thank you, that would be lovely.” Romello answered. He then followed Bruno to another room, which had bookshelves on every wall, crammed full of tomes. Romello could tell that Bruno was an avid reader.

“Sorry for the clutter in here,” Bruno said sheepishly.

“Not at all! You certainly love reading, don’t you?”

“Yes, I’m often teased for being a bookworm, and I’m afraid I can’t deny it!”

They sat across from each other on sofas which were placed in the middle of the room. They both stared at each other silently for a spell, perhaps searching for what to say next or maybe even to size the other up.

The silence stretched on and on, and there didn’t seem to be any signs of the beer being brought in.

“I assume you brought me in here because you know what I’m here to discuss?” Romello asked.

They both glanced toward the door. Bruno chuckled awkwardly and stood up straighter in his seat. “Yes, that’s right. The beer was just an excuse. I wanted to talk to you in private, although I do have special bottles of beer here.”

“I see. You know, it wouldn’t have been a problem for your wife to be present during the conversation.”

Bruno gave him a questioning look.

“I’m joking. I just meant that it’s nothing that I wouldn’t trust her with.” Romello smiled with chagrin.

“I see. Well, let’s get back to the main topic.”

After that, Romello did the same thing as he had at Duke Grindel’s house; he began to present the evidence that Duke Baskar was engaged in human trafficking, working together with a Tasmerian noble.

The only thing different in his visit with Bruno was that he did not ask the duke if he was prepared to move forward. Too many cooks would spoil the broth, after all, and since Morris had already declared he would make a move, there was no reason to fan the flames. However, he still needed to tell Bruno about it so that Morris could make his move easier. But more importantly, Romello liked to meet someone, carefully observe them, and then choose his words carefully.

Every noble did something like this. They would be careful with what they said depending on the person and place. He’d honed these skills as the prime minister as he dealt with so many other nobles, but he owed most of his talents to his keen sense of observation. That was how the two of them had a peaceful conversation from beginning to end. It seemed as though Morris had already spoken to Duke Grindel, so the man understood what Romello was speaking about.

“Well, Lord Bruno. I’m looking forward to the day when you can come visit Tasmeria.”

“Yes. Once this matter is peacefully resolved, I shall visit. I’m sure you’re a busy man, but I’d love to meet with you and talk some more with you there.”

“Of course. And please, bring Lady Kellie with you. I’m sure my wife would love to meet her.”

“Wonderful.”

They exchanged another handshake, and the meeting concluded.

 

***

 

Bruno watched Romello leave from the window.

“How did it go, darling?” Kellie came up beside him.

“He was very intimidating. No wonder he’s the prime minister of Tasmeria,” he said, continuing to stare out the window.

A half smile crossed his wife’s face. “I’m sure he was. Even when we were just exchanging pleasantries, I was surprised at how knowledgeable he was. It was impressive he could keep up in conversation against such an avid reader like you, but his ability to get information out of both of us so skillfully was quite daunting as well.” She turned her sharp gaze toward Romello as he got farther from the house. There was no sign of the softness she displayed when he had first arrived.

“What’s wrong, Kellie?” Bruno gave her a concerned look, wondering why she had cut off the conversation so abruptly.

“Nothing. I was just wondering why you’re afraid of him.”

“Because I think he figured out that you were the one assessing him, not me.”

“Goodness… No wonder.” Kellie didn’t seem surprised by this and simply accepted it.

Bruno, on the other hand, was surprised. “‘No wonder’? Did you notice that was what was going on?”

“Yes, I wondered that. When we were talking in the salon, he started gradually directing the conversation toward me. At first, I thought he was just being polite, but at some point, it seemed like the things he was saying were designed to test me. He was so good at choosing his words just right that I had to speculate a bit. I thought it was best for me to excuse myself quickly before I dug my own grave.”

“I see. That makes sense. But then why did you acknowledge him?”

“First of all, he went to see Duke Grindel before us. That must mean he discussed the same things with him as he did with you. Lord Morris is a very good judge of character, even if he sometimes has trouble picking up on the subtleties of people’s feelings. If the prime minister tried to use some pretense to advance the conversation, Lord Morris would’ve jumped on it immediately. I know he’d see right through a lie. Anyway, when the prime minister arrived here, he was completely calm and composed. He seemed very confident the whole time we spoke in the salon. I think that’s because he believed that his meeting with you would go smoothly. He had no reason to be aggressive with you. If Duke Grindel is going to do something with that information, then he probably thought all he had to do was just clue you in, and time would do the rest.”

“Is that so? Anything else?”

“As I said before, he’s extremely knowledgeable and observant.”

“I see…”

“I’m sorry, darling. Since he realized what I was doing, I should have just stayed in the room.” Her expression clouded over.

Bruno smiled tenderly at her. “It’s not your fault. You weren’t sure at the time. You did the best you could. There’s no need to be upset. I had no idea that’s what was going on, so I have no right to blame you.”

“Darling…”

“This just makes me even more certain that I need you at my side. After all, I’m nothing but a bookworm. I’m not suited for diplomatic negotiations. I’m only able to stand at the head of House Philling because I have you. Thank you so much.”

Bruno was the head of House Philling, but he performed all of his duties along with his wife. His main hobby was reading, and since he read everything he could get his hands on, he was incredibly knowledgeable. On the other hand, he saw interacting with others as a chore and tended to avoid it. Perhaps that was why he never had much interest in social affairs and wasn’t very good at noticing subtle changes in people’s moods. That made him ill-suited for diplomacy.

However, Kellie was incredibly observant and had filled her head with so much knowledge that even Bruno had to recognize her intelligence. Because of that, he handed over most of the diplomatic duties to her. When there was a diplomatic discussion to be had, she would sit and observe the other party, as she had done with Romello at first, and then she would meet with Bruno later to share her impressions. That was how House Philling governed.

“I respect you so much, darling. Please don’t speak badly of yourself.”

“No, it’s not that. I was just reflecting once again upon how lucky I am to have such a rare woman like you by my side. By the way, Kellie…if we do end up going to Tasmeria, you’ll come with me, won’t you?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Wonderful. Now, how about I share with you everything Lord Romello told me?” They headed toward the parlor where they had first met with Romello to settle in for a long conversation.

 

***

 

Romello had successfully met with Morris Grindel and Bruno Philling, and the moment he got back to his room, he flung himself onto his chair in exhaustion.

“Welcome back, Lord Romello.” Alf was already there, waiting with a hot cup of tea ready for him.

Romello thanked him and slowly took a sip. “Ahh… That hits the spot,” he murmured, then set his cup on the table and looked up.

“You should probably try to get plenty of rest tonight. You have a long day tomorrow,” Alf said.

“You’re right. I think I’ll do just that,” Romello answered quickly, but he didn’t move a muscle. “But first… Alf, we need to discuss my plans for tomorrow, visiting Duke Crowe and Duke Baskar’s manors.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The duchy of Crowe in the southwest part of Rimmel, nestled between Tweil and Tasmeria. The duke’s name was Chester Crowe. His wife had died young, so Chester was incredibly devoted to his two daughters. He considered them as living mementos of his beloved wife.

Because of the location of his domain, he often caught wind of Tweil’s military campaigns, and as such, he was the duke who most feared Gazell.

“What is his relationship with the hard-liners and the moderates?”

“Both sides are eager to use any means at their disposal to get him over to their side. The most commonly used tactic is marriage proposals for his daughters.”

“Ah, his daughters aren’t engaged yet? If he dotes on them as much as you say he does, then he wouldn’t marry them off to just anybody.”

“Correct. I’m sure he’ll eventually marry them off to the best match within one of the factions, but at least one of his daughters will be the loser in the battle for power.”

“True. I’m sure an ordinary noble would resort to such means, though. That just goes to show how much he loves his daughters.”

“I think so too.”

“Hm, so Duke Crowe values family first… What is the state of affairs in his domain?”

“I haven’t heard any specific problems as of yet.”

“I see. And what do you think of Chester, from what you know of his work?”

“This is just my personal opinion from reading the documents, but I think he may be a very unerring person. That is to say, he upholds the tenants his forefathers created and wants to protect them.”

“Hm, so you got that impression too, eh?” Romello tipped his head slightly to look at Alf. “There are some people who would mock men like him, but not me. In fact, I think it’s inspiring. In government, you come up with new policies and implement them. And when you devise these policies, you have to make sure they’re realistic, that there’s not something you’ve overlooked, and you look toward the future. One might think that once you devise a policy, all you need to do then is to enact it, but it’s not always that simple. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan. And other times, you’re just expected to play it by ear, and you’ll have to re-think your policies occasionally. That’s especially so if someone else is the one to actually put your policies into action. You worry that they might not have picked up on all the details. But other times, you’re left amazed at how well they pulled it off.”

“Yes… That is most definitely true.”

“I had so many tough challenges when I first took over the job from my father, but looking back on it now, they all seem like good memories.”

Alf smiled at that.

Romello continued. “You know who else is very impressive, though? Duke Philling’s wife.”

“Kellie Philling, my lord?”

“Yes.” Romello chuckled.

“And what makes you say that? Would you share your impressions of her with me?” It was unusual for Alf to not immediately know what Romello meant, and he looked at him with a searching gaze.

“Well, Bruno certainly is the ultimate decision maker, but I think it’s his wife who does most of his duties.”

“Surely not…!”

“Now, I have no definitive proof of this, but I’m almost positive my hunch is correct,” Romello said with a smile.

“Why do you say that? And why do you look so happy about it?”

“You can just tell some things when you have a conversation with someone. That woman is very used to diplomatic discussions. I think the reason she excused herself so early from the meeting was because she sensed I was on to her. And happy…? I think I’m more amused than happy.”

“Amused, my lord?”

“Yes. She’s very skilled at conversation. If I had let my guard down, she could’ve easily gotten me to reveal my hand. It’s been a long time since I enjoyed myself so much in a conversation. Also, Bruno himself is very knowledgeable. They make a wonderful team.”

“They’re not your allies…but perhaps that’s why you’re so excited? A formidable enemy has shown themselves. You certainly like to be challenged, don’t you, my lord?”

Romello paused for a moment. “I suppose I do,” He had a contemplative, faraway look in his eyes as he considered it. “But I love peace more than anything. After all, I came all the way here to promote it. At the same time, though, I want to challenge myself and see how much I’m capable of. That’s why I went this far. I’m excited to find such strong people in the same line of work as me.”

“I see…” Alf murmured with a smile.

“Why do you look so convinced?”

“Two reasons. One, you have selflessly governed the kingdom; I’ve witnessed this with my own eyes. Honestly, sometimes I wonder how you can work so hard, but I know it is because you aren’t a selfish person. You never put yourself first. So, honestly, I feel relieved to know that you want to challenge yourself.”

“Ah, I see.”

“And the other reason—and I could say the same thing about General Gazell—is that you both have a dauntless nature. Instead of swearing off danger, it seems to excite the both of you. I believe that to be why you are so capable of making measured decisions.”

“Enough analyzing me. Let’s get back to the topic at hand. I have to meet with Duke Baskar next.”

“Pardon me, my lord.” Alf’s smile deepened, and he bowed deeply. A serious expression then crept over his face.

Duke Dennis Baskar. His domain was in the southern part of Rimmel, sitting between Duke Sligar’s and Duke Crowe’s. He divorced his wife more than a decade prior, and they shared one son together.

“As I told you before, the duke’s internal affairs are in dire straits. He was taken in by a moneylending merchant and got involved in the slave trade. At first it was just happening within his own domain, but now it’s spread all over the country. I’m sure it hasn’t been investigated since he’s under the protection of the other dukes, and he probably used that to his advantage. Once Duke Sligar uncovered the plot, the other hard-liners found out. My proof of this is that Duke Sligar isn’t the only one supplying goods.”

“But don’t you think it’s strange that Duke Grindel and Duke Philling haven’t noticed citizens mysteriously disappearing from their own domains? After meeting with them today, I have a hard time believing they’d be oblivious to something like that.”

“I suppose that would be due to how skillful Duke Baskar’s merchant in question is. As long as those who went missing don’t have family who would raise an uproar, word wouldn’t necessarily reach the dukes.”

“I see… I suppose that’s possible.”

“Indeed. Since I already knew about the slave trading, I was able to find out that much. I would imagine investigating would be quite difficult if one didn’t have some information already at hand.”

“Hm, if the case is as you say, then he must really have someone good behind the operation. Any other clues?”

“The identity of the merchant has been hidden very cleverly. It’s possible they are connected to Duke Sligar somehow, behind the scenes.”

Romello laughed out loud. “Ha ha ha! So you mean to say the one pulling the strings behind the curtain this time was probably Duke Sligar! Well, no wonder he ‘uncovered’ Duke Baskar’s actions! That also means it’s possible that Duke Sligar somehow caused Duke Baskar’s dire financial straits himself.”

“I expected you would say that, so I am looking into the possibility.”

“Hrm… And why do you think this person has a connection to Duke Sligar?”

“We were able to find out the merchant’s identity. His real name is Dirk. He was born in the capital, and his father was also a merchant. The father died when Dirk was very young and left him in debt. After that, he went from place to place and ended up working as a lackey for an unsavory organization. He rose in the ranks there and somewhere along the line made a deal with Duke Sligar. However, he was betrayed by a trusted confidant in the organization and fell from grace. As a result, he changed his name and now goes by Nort. He reportedly runs a business that makes and distributes illegal medicines in the capital. His operations have been expanding over the past several years. From his past behavior, we can surmise that Duke Sligar also has a hand in this business, but I am looking into that as well… Unfortunately, it has taken more time than I had expected to get more information. I’m terribly sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. You certainly did your research. Do you know anything about Duke Baskar’s financial affairs?”

“He was never that wealthy to begin with, but his financial situation completely went on the decline due to his ex-wife and son’s wasteful habits. We didn’t see anything suspicious in our previous investigation, so we paused it. Now, we’ve reopened it, trying to see just what was Duke Sligar’s handiwork. So far, we have not found any connection between Duke Baskar’s ex-wife or her family and Duke Sligar, so we’re looking into how they could have been related at the time.”

“I see. Let me know as soon as you find out anything else. Do you think they were plotting an invasion of Tasmeria even back then? Or was it simply part of an internal power struggle within Rimmel at the time?”

“Judging by the time period in which he started working, I’d imagine it was the latter.”

“Hmm… I see. Well, I suppose even the invasion plot is part of the power struggle. It was a way for them to see who was on their side, and if they could just figure out a lawful way to invade us…” Romello trailed off, which was unusual for him.

“What is it, my lord?”

“Ahh, just cursing my own powerlessness.” Suddenly all the expression left Romello’s face, wiping away all emotion and leaving only a harsh coldness. Even his eyes had a cold, piercing glint to them. “You still have one of our men hidden in Count Talbot’s domain, don’t you? The one connected to Baskar.”

“Y-yes.” Alf seemed a bit bewildered at Romello’s reaction but still answered him immediately.

“In that case, I’m going to give the money we were planning on seizing from Count Talbot as part of his punishment to you. Have your spy rewrite his ledger to make an entry at fair market price called ‘Deposit from Duke Baskar.’ I’ll write a letter instructing Louis to cancel the money seizure for that reason. Tell Count Talbot to return that same sum of money to Duke Baskar.”

“All right. When should I do this?”

“Now. It might even be too late. Don’t worry about staying here. Just go get it done.”

“Very well, my lord. But before I go, may I ask why?”

“I have a feeling Duke Sligar came up with the idea to invade Tasmeria as part of the power struggle. If he could find a legitimate reason, then he’d call it ‘justice.’ And if that happened, he would gain more power and influence within this country. At the same time, the more that weaker Dukes like Grindel and Philling oppose him, the worse their positions would be. They’d be suspected to have connections to our kingdom. He predicted that.”

“And for the legitimate reason?”

“He hatched a plot to show that the kingdom of Tasmeria and Duke Baskar were conspiring to kidnap citizens of Rimmel and sell them as slaves. In other words, Duke Baskar was nothing more than a pawn from the very beginning.”

“I see. So that’s why we need to move before Duke Sligar can get his ducks in a row.”

“That’s right. We’ll be a bona fide third party. We approved their entry into the country completely unaware of the situation. That explanation won’t work if Talbot keeps the money. In order to feign ignorance—which is true, by the way, he didn’t know what was going on—it’s essential that Talbot returns it. I’m sure if Duke Baskar is indeed still in dire financial straits, he’ll accept it. Now listen; he must accept the money within five days. It’ll take two days to reach Count Talbot’s manor from here, four total to travel back. So it is possible for Duke Baskar to accept the money within five days.”

“Yes. If I travel through the night without sleeping, I think I can make it there in a day and a half. Since Count Talbot is currently under house arrest and the future count is inexperienced, I think things will proceed smoothly once I use your name. …‌May I have your permission to act upon my own discretion?” There was a suspicious glint in Alf’s eyes.

Romello smiled slightly in response. “Yes, that’s fine. I’m sure you know how to best use fear. You can use it as a collar to put on the new Count Talbot so nothing of this sort ever happens again. By the way, I’ll write the letter to Louis, so please have your spy deliver it.”

“Very well. But, my lord—why must it be within five days?”

“I’d like the plot laid before I finish meeting the rest of the dukes in Rimmel, and especially before I meet with Duke Sligar in particular. If I were to take my time and go back to Tasmeria first, that would make it look like I was conspiring with Grindel and Philling, so that’s why I must visit with Duke Sligar and the others during this visit. It would be a bad move to see them before the money has been returned, though, so I’ll say I’m not feeling well tomorrow. I’ll call off my meetings with Duke Crowe and Duke Baskar to buy me some time. If I’m ill, no one will think twice if I rest here for about a week.”

“Back home, if you were feeling ill, you would have your subordinates do the meetings for you. We should tell Lord Louis about your plans and requests. Then I can schedule a new meeting with Duke Sligar.”

“All right.”

After this meeting, everyone was informed that Romello collapsed from exhaustion due to the long journey and would be resting at the inn for several days. While he waited for Alf to return, he met with no one from Rimmel. Kreuz and the rest of the guards were concerned when they saw how deep in thought he was as he sat in his chair, but they didn’t dare interrupt him. There was a tense mood about the prime minister.

Meanwhile, a strange visitor arrived at the inn, claiming they had a letter for someone lodging there. When the person working at the front desk checked the guestbook, they told the visitor there was no such person staying there.

“Nonsense! They’re here!” the visitor insisted.

The employee had a bad feeling about this visitor and suspected they were up to no good. A guard standing by the entrance notified Kreuz about the situation.

“I’m terribly sorry, but we’re the only ones staying here. Pardon my rudeness, but are you sure you have the right inn?” Kreuz asked. The visitor gave him a suspicious look. “This is the Faboma Inn. Are you sure you haven’t confused it with the Farima Inn?” he continued.

The visitor pondered this for a moment and then nodded. “Perhaps. Sorry for all the commotion. Are you some kind of adventurers?”

“Something like that.”

“I see. I thought you looked pretty muscular. Thanks for your help.” The visitor casually patted Kreuz on the chest and then left.

The owner of the inn apologized to Kreuz.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I almost forgot the name of the inn too.”

“It happens a lot. Two generations ago, a pair of brothers both started inns, and the names were similar. It’s so confusing that I’ve been thinking about changing it, but I’ve gotten so attached to the Faboma name I just can’t do it.”

“Ha ha. I suppose it would be hard to change the name if you like it. Well, if you’ll excuse me.” The moment Kreuz left the lobby, the easy smile vanished from his face. In truth, before Alf left, the man had told Kreuz that a visitor like that might show up, and he told him how to deal with the visitor too. Kreuz had done everything as Alf had told him, and any problems had been avoided.

The issue was now he had to interrupt Romello despite his frightening air in the room and tell him what happened. He couldn’t exactly run away from it, so he decided to just go ahead and do it.

“Excuse me, Lord Romello.”

“What is it? Did someone come?” Romello frowned, not making eye contact with him.

“Y-yes, just as Alf said.”

“I see. Can you give me the item he gave you?”

Alf had planned for someone to come because the visitor was his spy—the one working incognito in Rimmel. He couldn’t deliver his information out in the open, so Alf had told both him and Kreuz his plan to deliver it secretly.

The spy would arrive at the inn, pretending to be looking for a guest who would not be there. Kreuz would deliver a set line that Alf had told him beforehand to confirm the spy’s identity. Everything Kreuz had said to the visitor had been scripted by Alf. In other words, the entire conversation they had was a code.

And when the spy confirmed Kreuz had said the correct response, he would hand over a piece of paper. This exchange had happened when he “casually” patted Kreuz on the chest, using that opportunity to slip him the note.

Romello read the note’s contents. It regarded Duke Sligar, who he was slated to meet with soon. Duke Curtis Sligar’s domain lay in the eastern part of Rimmel and bordered Tasmeria to the south. He was over sixty years old, making him the oldest of the five dukes. He had two sons, with his eldest son, Cordis, having a gentle disposition who enjoyed cultivating medicinal herbs as a hobby. He had strong relationships with merchants who sold the herbs.

His second son, Miles Sligar, was a very willful man who craved the spotlight. The family, including their father, was torn between which young man deserved to be the heir.

The reasons were three-fold. First, they were born only two years apart. Second, the eldest had a weaker constitution, while the second son was healthy and strong. And thirdly, Curtis liked his second son’s personality and doted on him especially.

It was clear to see why he still had not named an heir.

“Lord Romello?” Kreuz said at last, having waited until the man had finished reading.

“Yes?”

“Was there something good written there?” Romello glanced over at Kreuz for a moment. “I just mean…you’ve been smiling as you read it.”

Romello froze for a moment. Smiling? At a time like this? he wondered to himself.

“No, unfortunately there’s nothing good in this report,” he said, “although it will aid me going forward.”

“I see…” Kreuz responded vaguely, perhaps because he didn’t understand what Romello meant. After thinking about it for a moment, he smiled. “So what you mean to say is, although you may not have received a full meal, you did receive top-quality ingredients to make one. But even when you have the ingredients, you need a skilled cook to prepare it, or else it won’t be as delicious as it could. And the opposite goes as well. I’m sure since you’re the one preparing it, it will definitely be delicious. Am I correct, my lord?”

“You certainly have a way of flattering people, Kreuz.”

“Thank you for the compliment.” Kreuz said in a joking tone of voice.

Romello chuckled back.

Two days later—in other words, five days after Romello had started staying at the inn—Alf returned. He had his usual soft smile on his face with no trace of fatigue.

“What happened?”

“He will return the money to Duke Baskar tomorrow.”

“Wonderful! I’m glad you made it happen under such tough circumstances, and in such a short time too.”

“Yes, I’m grateful he agreed to it. It seems Duke Baskar is running quite low on funds. He immediately agreed to a meeting with Count Talbot. An employee will deliver a letter from Talbot along with the money, so it will be returned on the morrow. Of course, I checked the contents of the letter myself. It said, ‘Enclosed is the money paid to us by Duke Baskar from Nort’s company, which acted as a security deposit, proof of identity, and for safe passage of the people who passed through my domain. Since these people passed through without incident, I thought it appropriate to return the money. However, since we never received a request for return of the funds, we apologize for the delay but have enclosed the money you entrusted with us here in full.’”

It certainly wasn’t common, but sometimes powerful merchant families or nobles would pay a deposit—a traveler’s tax, if you will—when entering another domain. It served as a guarantee that the person was who they said they were and as an insurance policy in case they were involved in some kind of trouble. And if there were no such problems, the money would be returned to them upon them leaving the domain.

That system was how Romello had decided to explain the money that Count Talbot would receive.

“I think that’s fine.”

“Thank you. Now, regarding your meeting with Duke Sligar, I’ve rescheduled it for tomorrow. You’ll be seeing Duke Crowe before him as his schedule lined up perfectly.”

“All right. You did well, Alf.”

“Think nothing of it, my lord. That’s all the information I have for you today, so if you’ll excuse me.”

“Of course. Get some good sleep tonight.”

And so the next morning, Romello went to see Duke Crowe. Chester Crowe had a tense look on his face; it was clear he was nervous to be meeting Romello for the first time. But once Romello brought up the topic of a mutual non-aggression pact, that stress melted away, and Crowe agreed to come to Tasmeria to meet with him to speak further about it at a later date.

Now that that was settled, Romello took a bit of a rest and then headed toward Duke Sligar’s residence. It didn’t take long to get there at all.

“How was it?” Alf asked, walking behind Romello.

“It was fine. Let’s go,” Romello chuckled slightly and then started walking again.

Alf didn’t say anything further and continued following him.

“Welcome, Lord Romello!” An elderly man dressed in butler’s clothing greeted Romello and his companions at the door with a welcoming smile and a bow. “The master is waiting. Please, follow me.”

Romello and Alf instinctively knew that this was a person with whom they should not let down their guards. The butler didn’t do anything in particular that was suspicious—in fact, he seemed like a rather friendly person. But when faced with that impeccable smile, both of them became cautious, sensing deep down that the butler was much like Alf.

The elderly butler padded down the red-carpeted hallway. Romello, Alf, and Kreuz and the rest of the guards followed behind them. “Please wait here. Your guards can wait in the next room.”

Romello sat down on the sofa while Alf stood waiting behind him. Soon afterward, the butler knocked on the door and appeared again, this time with the lord of the manor in tow.

Romello rose to his feet.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Curtis Sligar. I’d like to welcome you after such a long journey. Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, I’m so sorry about that,” said Romello. “I’m not used to traveling such long distances, and I think the fatigue just got to me. I’m much better today. Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me.”

Curtis sat down on the opposite couch, and Romello took his seat again.

“Now, Lord Romello. I assume you’re very busy, so what brings you all this way?” Curtis’s voice already had a sarcastic tone to it.

Romello heaved an inward sigh, despite the smile he wore on his face. “Isn’t it the natural thing for a prime minister to want to do? To forge greater ties between nations?”

“Is it now?” Curtis’s mouth turned slightly upward, but his eyes were not smiling at all. “You’re quite the hard worker. My country and yours have never had much in the way of diplomatic relations. Oh, actually—I suppose a portion of my country and a portion of yours did have ties, now that I think about it.”

Romello smiled. I knew he’d allude to that, he thought. “Yes, so I’ve heard that my Count Talbot and your Duke Baskar are friends. In fact, just before I left the inn, a messenger from Count Talbot came and informed me that he would be going to see Duke Baskar today. I’m sure their meeting is already over though.”

Curtis’s expression immediately changed. “Is that right? Well, I hope that will form a strong bridge between our two countries.” He recovered quickly, a sardonic smile returning to his lips.

“Yes, quite. Personally, I’d love to forge even deeper ties.”

“That’s a wonderful thing. Do you have any specific plans?”

“Well, discussions between us are absolutely essential to those agreements, as well as understanding that they’re the foundation of diplomacy. Honestly, I’m not sure if we should have cross-national ties or ties with individual domains. That’s where I’d like to start, anyway.”

“I see, I see… And when do you plan on starting these discussions?”

“I’d like to say anytime, but since I came here in a rush so I could see everyone at once, I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t bring the necessary documents. Now, this is just a suggestion, but I’d like to invite you all to my kingdom for further talks.”

Curtis frowned slightly at that.

Romello pretended not to notice and continued. “It’s the off-season for high society now, and in my kingdom, we’re having many events celebrating the founding of our nation. It would be a wonderful opportunity for you to see our land, but most of all, it would be easy to have a meeting with all five of you and our highest-ranking nobles. I’ve already talked to the other dukes, and they’ve agreed. Now, it’s up to you.”

“Oh? Baskar and Crowe agreed?”

“I understand why you brought up just those two names, but when I said they all agreed, I meant all four of them.”

Even though he hadn’t met with Baskar directly, he’d given Talbot an invitation to pass on to him. If he had sent it through the mail, the duke might not respond. However, once given an invitation in person, he would have to. Romello had received word that Baskar easily agreed to the meeting, perhaps because it was after his money had been returned. Both Talbot’s servant and Alf’s spy had given him the same account, so he knew it was accurate.

Curtis’s cheek twitched at Romello’s response.

“Do you perhaps have a problem with those two houses being invited…?” Romello asked, intentionally painting a worried expression on his face. Once again, Curtis’s cheek twitched at Romello’s reaction. He laughed inwardly, thinking to himself Now, you shouldn’t let your emotions show so easily on your face! In fact, a moment like this was when it was absolutely essential to hide your true feelings and wear a smile.

“No… It’s just they have had negative views on forging diplomatic relations with other countries. I’m surprised they agreed to a meeting.”

“Duke Baskar, not a fan of diplomacy? Perhaps under normal circumstances, yes. But our kingdom is very grateful to Duke Baskar’s merchant. Because thanks to him, Count Talbot was able to forge a relationship with him and that’s why the Duke agreed to the meeting.”

Curtis’s face twisted.

“I digress. Now, if you come all the way to Tasmeria, the most desirable outcome would be if we can arrive at a mutual agreement. My kingdom can prepare a foundation for that.”

Curtis snorted with laughter, as if to say, “Don’t be ridiculous!”

Grindel and Philling were moderates, and even if they had agreed to go to Tasmeria, there was no way Baskar and Crowe would go if he put a stop to it. That was why he laughed. But then he remembered something Romello said previously and froze.

“Should we have cross-national ties or ties with individual domains?”

At first, Curtis thought he meant the man didn’t know which would be most beneficial to Tasmeria, but now he realized there was a different meaning. If Tasmeria entered a treaty with Rimmel, then all five dukes must agree to it. But if they just forged treaties with individual domains, that would be an entirely different story.

Rimmel had been formed when five countries joined together as one principality. And as such, the rulers of those five domains were very powerful. That was why it was certainly possible for each of them to engage in their own treaties with Tasmeria. In other words, Romello was telling him, “Whether the treaty is formed with the principality, or the dukes, is all up to Rimmel. And no matter what, once the dukes come to Tasmeria, that treaty will be enacted…even if some dukes elect not to come.”

It would be a different story if the other dukes were against it, but now that four of them had agreed, Curtis knew it would be very difficult to stop the treaty by himself. And for the same reason, it would be difficult for him to stop them from going to Tasmeria at all. He had no idea how Romello had gotten them all to agree to it, but he must’ve made them somehow believe that it would benefit them to make the trip to the other kingdom.

Curtis did not have the power to stop the principality from entering a treaty, nor to stop his fellow dukes. And even if he tried to force them to halt, Grindel and Philling would jump on that immediately and try to take advantage of it.

“Is there a seat for me at the table?” Curtis asked after much thought. It pained him to do so, but he put a smile on his face.

“Yes, of course. I’d like everyone to be there, if possible.”

“I see. Well, then. I’ll certainly consider it.”

“Well, well. Thank you! I’m looking forward to seeing you all there.” Romello bade Curtis goodbye and left the room. He followed the elderly butler through the hallway.

“Oh…!”

On his way out, Romello and his party ran into a slender man.

“Welcome home, Lord Cordis. This is the prime minister of Tasmeria, Romello Gib Armelia. He was just meeting with your father. Lord Romello, this is Lord Curtis’s eldest son, Lord Cordis.”

“Romello Gib Armelia…? The famous prime minister of Tasmeria!”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Lord Cordis. Yes, I am Romello Gib Armelia, although I’m not sure about the famous part. However, I’ve heard that you’re very knowledgeable about medicinal herbs—is that true?”

Cordis laughed. “I’d expect nothing less of you, Lord Romello. Would you happen to have some time to spare?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Please, come this way.” Cordis led him in the opposite direction of the parlor where he had met with Curtis. On the way there, they passed through a room decorated with portraits that Romello guessed were the previous dukes of Sligar. The frames were elaborate and gilded, and Romello and Alf stared at them with deep interest. Alf appeared casual, but he was trying very intently to commit the details of these paintings to memory. The man always had his eyes and ears peeled in order to note things that may be important later, so of course he couldn’t ignore such a room.

After they walked through it, Cordis led them out to the courtyard. Not only were the grounds designed to entertain guests, but useful plants were growing here and there throughout the garden.

“It might not be very interesting to our visitors, but I am very proud of this garden.”

“Ah… You tend to this garden yourself, Lord Cordis? That’s very impressive.” Romello looked around with great interest. Suddenly his gaze stopped on a certain plant that he recognized. It was a type of flower that, although it was very beautiful, possessed a powerful poison that could kill a person in an instant. The more that he looked around, the more he realized that many of the plants here resembled common flowers or plants, and to the untrained eye, might appear to be merely medicinal herbs. However, they were in fact frighteningly fearful poisonous plants.

“You certainly do love medicinal herbs, don’t you? I can tell you tend to this garden very carefully. But…why have you brought me here?” Romello turned his gaze back over to Cordis.

“Oh, just to boast. My family has no interest in it…although I do someday hope that they’ll come around and see just how wonderful it is.”

“Do you mean the garden…or you?”

“That’s a good question. Both, I suppose.” Cordis smiled faintly.

His expression sent chills up Romello’s spine. “I see. Well, well. Why would you share such a thing with a stranger like me?”

“Hm, I wonder? Because you seem interesting, perhaps? I can tell that you’re an intelligent man, and it’s exciting to talk with someone like you,” Cordis said in a gentle tone of voice.

Meanwhile, Alf realized that the information his spy had supplied to him had been correct, indeed. Cordis was a gentle man, yes, but through their conversation, Alf could tell that wasn’t all he was. The young man wasn’t just handsome and kind.

“Am I interesting? Perhaps that’s because you’re even more intrepid than your father. I hope that one day he realizes how useful your medicinal herbs are. Well, Lord Cordis, I must be getting to my next appointment. If you’ll excuse me.”

“Yes, of course. Forgive me for keeping you. I’m looking forward to when I might see you again.” Cordis turned to the elderly butler. “Please see Lord Romello and his party out, if you would.”

“Hm? Who are these people?” A man was coming into the manor just as they were leaving. Unlike Cordis, he was strong and muscular, and wore a sword at his hip.

“They are your father’s guests,” remarked the butler. “This is Romello Gib Armelia. Lord Romello, this is the master’s second son, Lord Miles Sligar.”

“Armelia… Where have I heard that name before…?”

The butler frowned. It was incredibly rude for the master’s son to basically say, “I don’t know who you are,” in front of Romello, as he was a guest in their house. Not only that, but he was the prime minister of a neighboring kingdom.

Miles had just revealed that he was woefully uneducated. If he had said such a thing in private, the butler would have surely scolded him.

“That’s…”

“It’s fine. Even if you tell me, I’m sure I’m not interested, and I won’t remember it either. Well, whoever you are—if you’ll excuse me.” Miles interrupted the butler and walked away.

“Please forgive his rudeness, Lord Romello,” the butler apologized.

“I’m not bothered. Thank you for showing us out.” He truly didn’t mind. In fact, he was grateful to know firsthand that the intel he’d received about the second son was true.

They left the Sligar manor and returned to the inn.

“You did wonderfully,” Alf said to Romello after they went back to his room to rest. Alf set a cup of tea in front of the prime minister.

“Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without all of your help.”

“Not at all. Well, I must make the preparations for the journey home, so I’ll go ahead and get started.”

“Yes…” Romello had a thoughtful look on his face and stared absently into space.

“Is…something the matter?” From time to time, Alf would glance over at Romello, and he noticed the man’s mind was elsewhere.

“Hm? Ah, just thinking about Duke Sligar’s eldest son.”

“Cordis Sligar?” Alf asked. Romello nodded. “I see. I’ll investigate him more, but would you tell me why?”

“Aren’t you curious? He showed us that garden with all those poisonous plants and then said he wanted his family to know how wonderful they were. It’s obvious what he wants to do. It was like he was testing me to see if I noticed the poison…almost as if he were showing them off. It was evil.”

“Yes. It’s clear that the duke much prefers the second son as well.”

“So it is. Alf, send out the orders. Once we get back, tell Louis to start preparing for the meeting with the dukes of Rimmel. I’d like you to help him too.”

“Yes, my lord. I’ll do so right away after we finish preparing for the journey back.”

Romello and his party returned to Tasmeria later that day.

Curious, I left the balcony and headed down to the garden. On the way there, I stopped by an empty room and slipped off the bustle meant to add volume to my skirt. I removed my petticoat and overcoat as well. I then grabbed a pair of scissors and snipped the ribbons off of the bustle. There was also a tablecloth in the room, so I draped it over my head and secured it with the ribbons.

I took off my shoes and hid them in a corner, and then picked up a cloth that was draped over the back of a sofa. I ripped it in half to tie over both my feet as makeshift slippers. Lastly, I took out the dagger I had hidden in my shoe.

Now that I was disguised and it would be much easier to move, I slipped through the night to the garden.

“How was it?”

“Fine. Plans one through five were carried out successfully.”

There were two guards wearing army uniforms, but I didn’t recognize them. They were not supposed to be down here at all. On top of that, their conversation was very suspicious. I didn’t want to be mistaken, so I decided to knock one of them out and question the other. However, it would be difficult since I didn’t have the usual reach of my sword, but this was no time to complain.

I made up my mind and approached them, hitting one of them in the back of the head with the hilt of my dagger, knocking him out cold. While the other was surprised, I grabbed him from behind and held my dagger at his throat.

“No strange movements or I’ll kill you. Don’t move a muscle.” My voice was so low and hostile I could hardly believe it was my own.

“Who are you…?”

The man trembled at my question. “Who are you?!”

“Shh! Be quiet!” I pressed the dagger harder into his neck, and a crimson line dripped down his skin. “Now, tell me who you are. I know you’re not a soldier. There should be no guards out here.”

“How do you know that? I’m a soldier from the first regiment of the royal army! Kreuz told me to guard this place yesterday!”

“I see. Thank you.” I cut the man without hesitation. Kreuz had told me just this morning all the guards’ positions. He reported them to my father, and I had gotten special permission as Mer to hear the information. In other words, this man was lying. Also, a soldier from the army wouldn’t ever come guard the castle. That was the job for knights, not for soldiers. Kreuz had told us where all the knights would be as well.

Not only that, but the first regiment was completely made up of men my father had trained, so I knew all of them personally. I had trained with them myself at House Anderson as Mer, after all. I covered the man’s mouth to suppress his scream as he crumpled into a heap.

“Unfortunately for you, I’m in the first regiment. So? Why are you here?”

“As if I’d tell you…”

“That’s a shame. Should I see how long you can hold to that?” My mind raced as I tried to figure out how to get him to talk. Unfortunately, torture was out of my wheelhouse. I had to scare him somehow. I had to frighten him out of his mind first, and then once he was relieved, it would be easier to get him to talk. I knelt down and glared at him at eye-level. He was still trembling. I could see the fear in his eyes. What had I done to frighten him? I wondered, but this was a good time to try again.

“Who. Are. You.”

He seemed to be mulling over his answer. Maybe if I assured him his life wouldn’t be in danger, he’d talk. But I didn’t want to lie either. I never had any intention of letting him walk. “I’m going to ask you one more time. Who are you?”

His lips were sealed. Even though he was my enemy, I had to hand it to him. But, after all, I wasn’t suited to be an interrogator. Just as I killed the man, the one I knocked out first was starting to come to. The moment he regained consciousness, he surmised what was going on and opened his mouth to scream.

I quickly slapped my hand over his mouth. “You’ll tell me why you’re here, won’t you?”

He nodded several times.

“So? What is your mission?”

“T-to kill the people from Rimmel.”

I expected him to say that, but I felt my brain freeze with anger. Lord Romello and Louis had worked so hard to arrange everything today, and here these men were trying to ruin it all.

“Is that so. All of them?”

“Y-yes.”

“Who hired you?”

“I-I don’t know…” I glared at him, and he said, “I-I swear!”

“How many of you are there?”

“Thirty…”

Too many, I thought. It was possible I’d come across them at someone’s party before or that they were even people who regularly came here. While I was distracted by this, the man grabbed his sword again and tried to attack me. I cursed myself for letting down my guard and killed him without hesitation. I let out a deep sigh as I looked down at the two men, lying dead on the ground.

I would not let this happen. This party was the first step toward stronger ties between Rimmel and Tasmeria. And this attempted attack was an insult against Lord Romello, who believed in peace. Even if whoever was behind this plot thought they were doing it for the good of the kingdom, they were sorely mistaken. Violence was not the answer, and it would not lead to a peaceful solution. It was pulling the trigger to start a war.

My anger surged inside of me once again when I looked at the men’s bodies, and I sprang into action. Where were the others hiding? I stayed as far away from the party as I could as I searched. I found three men wearing soldier’s uniforms in another place where there were not supposed to be any guards stationed. Were they really soldiers, or were they enemies? I snuck up behind the group and whacked one of them in the temple with the hilt of my dagger.

I punched the second one in the gut. But as I turned around to knock the third one unconscious, I saw someone had beat me to it. And then that someone lunged toward me. I gripped my dagger and reflexively countered his attack. He was strong. I could tell with just that one blow, and I grimaced. Under normal circumstances, I’d welcome a strong opponent like this, but right now, he was too dangerous.

Then, I caught a glimpse of the man’s face, and I suddenly froze with shock.

“Wait, are you Ab—”

He quickly placed a finger over his lips to shush me, then realized that he recognized my voice. “What are you doing here, Mer?!” He hissed at me quietly.

“That’s what I wanna know! I thought you were supposed to be doing desk work? No matter how strong you are, there’s no way they’d put someone with a desk job here tonight! It doesn’t make any sense. And why are you dressed like that?!”

He wasn’t wearing a military uniform. He was dressed all in black. He honestly looked even more suspicious than the enemies. Wait, is Abel…

He realized I was suspicious of him and let out a deep sigh. “You probably won’t believe this, but I’ll tell you later. I can’t have Tasmeria attacking Rimmel either, so will you please let me take care of it?”

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t listen to someone acting so suspicious. But it was true that he had knocked out one of my enemies. I imagined we had the same goal. Still…

“No.” I refused, and I watched his gaze grow sharper in response. Ever since we had crossed swords, his entire demeanor was so intense, a far cry from the gentle personality he’d shown while we trained together. Or perhaps he’d only shown me a fragment of his true nature back then. Still, he seemed like a totally different person…and it was so amusing that I laughed.

But my excitement cooled in an instant, replaced by another emotion. “Did you really think I’d withdraw?”

Abel’s face tensed up slightly.

“I’m mad. I’m mad at the people who tried to ruin this party. And now that I know they’re here, there’s no way I’m backing down.” I glared back at Abel, and he stared back at me.

We just silently stared at each other, but he was the one who backed down first. He let out a deep sigh and gave me a sheepish smile. “Unfortunately, I just don’t know how to convince you otherwise. I’d rather cooperate with you than have you get in my way. I’d appreciate your help.”

“Of course. I was just thinking it would be difficult for me to take care of all the enemies who snuck in the palace on my own. It was a good thing we ran into each other. You can tell me why you don’t want Rimmel attacked later, but since we have the same goal, I’ll trust you. That doesn’t change the fact that I’m suspicious of you, though. And if you don’t tell me once this is all over, I’ll arrest you and take you to my father.”

“I know you won’t keep quiet about meeting me here, so let’s share the information we have about the situation with each other.”

We went ahead and did that. I told him where I killed the other men and what I had found out. He told me where the others were and how many of them were in each place. He said the enemies all had the top two buttons of their uniform unbuttoned to distinguish each other from legitimate guards. But they were fools, because like I said, there would be no occasion where the royal army would ever come guard the castle, so if we saw anyone wearing that uniform, we could attack them without question.

After we were done talking, we went our separate ways to hunt our targets. I snuck toward the first location Abel had told me about, careful not to draw attention to myself. It seemed they were stationed in these locations and weren’t moving.

I approached them, confirmed that their top two buttons were undone, and attacked. One fell to the ground while the other two lunged at me. I dodged and took both of them out. They were weak. I should’ve been relieved, but I was surprised that they fell so easily. Abel said he’d take care of the bodies later, so I headed toward my next goal.

I went after the enemies in that manner and checked all the locations Abel had told me about. Once I was finished, I returned to the spot we had promised to meet.

“I finished that up faster than I expected, thanks to your help. I’ll take care of the rest,” said Abel.

“Excuse me? Where’s my explanation?”

“I’ll be returning to the Anderson manor to train in three days. Will you let me have until then?”

Honestly, I wanted to know what was going on right that instant. But since the army must know his true identity, if he didn’t show up when he promised, they wouldn’t be able to tell me they didn’t know who he was. I also couldn’t stay here for much longer. I slipped away from the party without telling anyone, so I had to get back soon. It was best for me to withdraw for now, so we agreed to meet again in three days.

“Fine. But if you don’t show up, I’ll spring into action immediately.”

“I know.”

We went our separate ways and I returned to the room where I had changed. I put my dagger away, took off the tablecloth, and put my shoes back on. I grabbed my coat and petticoat and gave them to Anna who was waiting in my dressing room and then returned to the party. I had been gone for a very long time. I could tell by the mood inside the castle that I had made the right decision by not mending my bustle.

Since I wasn’t wearing my coat or petticoat anymore, it revealed my empire waistline dress. Anna had given me a stole to wear over it though. However, it was a drastically different look than when I had left. I coincidentally ran into Louis on the way back.

“Are you all right?” I could tell he was worried by his tone of voice and the look on his face. I felt bad about it, and I cursed my own powerlessness and carelessness. But at the same time, it made me happy that he cared so much.

“Yes. I just wanted to clean up a bit.”

Louis immediately realized that I wasn’t talking about changing my dress or fixing my makeup. His face clouded over, but then he smiled. “You look beautiful. That dress looks wonderful on you.”

I smiled, wondering how he knew what I meant. I slipped my arm through his, and we returned to the party together. The guests all noticed I had changed outfits, so I went around and chatted with them some more. At the end, I stayed behind to say goodbye to the dukes from Rimmel.

 

***

 

The party ended without incident, and thankfully no one tried to attack anyone in the palace. It was as if nothing had ever happened. The festival-like excitement lingered in the air, and the next three days passed quickly.

I dressed as Mer, waiting for Abel to show. I was supposed to have tea with Morris and Lynette later that afternoon. I was afraid that I’d be too amped up from training when I met with them, so I decided not to participate. Instead, I watched Anna and Enarene train from my room. I looked for Abel, but I didn’t see him. Did he run away? I wondered, but I just kept standing there, waiting.

The morning’s training session ended. Everyone began cleaning up and then left the training grounds. At that time, Abel finally showed up at the manor, wearing his uniform. I probably wouldn’t have been able to find him if I hadn’t been looking for him; that’s how well he blended in. He went to the front door without anyone noticing. I was just about to go see him when suddenly Anna came and told me, “Lord Louis is here to see you, my lady.”

“What? Already? He wasn’t supposed to come until this afternoon.”

Anna looked a bit bewildered at my reaction. “Yes, that’s true… What should we do? You’re not ready…”

“I can’t keep Duke Grindel waiting. I should get dressed.”

“Ah, no—your appointment with Duke Grindel is still this afternoon. Lord Louis says he wishes to speak with you before then, so he came early. He’s talking to General Gazell right now.”

“Is he? I can go dressed like this then.”

“Are you sure it’s all right to see him like that, my lady?”

“He knows that I’m Mer. Plus, and I’m sorry to say this, but my first priority right now is meeting with Abel. There’s something I simply must speak to him about.”

“Very well. Forgive me for not telling you sooner, but Abel is currently speaking with General Gazell as well. Shall I show him to the parlor once he’s done?”

“He’s here to see my father?”

“Yes. I’m sure it’s fine for you to go see him there, if you wish.”

“All right. I’ll go now, then. It’ll be easier to see Louis and Abel together.”

I stood up and headed to my father’s study. I knocked on the door and went inside. Just as Anna said, Louis, Abel, and my father were already there.

“Ah, so there you are, Lady Merellis,” Abel had an amused look on his face, and I froze. I wondered why—how—he knew that.

“Wh-what did you just say?” I finally said.

Louis and my father exchanged glances and laughed.

“I’m sorry. To be honest, I already knew that you were Mer.” Abel gave me a guilty look, and I heaved a sigh.

I told myself to calm down. My father and Louis were smiling, so I supposed it was fine that he knew. “Fine. So? You’re going to tell me, aren’t you?” I glared at him. I didn’t know if it was because I still thought him suspicious or that I was annoyed at the two who were smiling.

“Yes. That’s why I asked Lord Louis to come here.”

“Huh?”

I glanced over at Louis, and he nodded with a sheepish smile.

“First of all, General Gazell. Thank you so much for making time for me on such short notice. This is the only place all three of us can speak without raising suspicions.”

“Don’t worry about it. I have a feeling I’m about to hear a very interesting story because of it,” my father said.

“Lady Merellis, please allow me to apologize. Can you please tell me what you saw that day? That will explain the situation to General Gazell as well.”

“That’s true. Three days ago, at the party, I went to get some air on the balcony. I happened to see some suspicious-looking people in the garden. They were wearing royal army uniforms and claimed to be in the first regiment. I didn’t recognize them, however, and no one was supposed to be stationed in that position. So, I took care of them. I learned they had been ordered to kill the dukes from Rimmel and that there were thirty of them, so I began searching for them throughout the palace. That’s when I ran into Abel, who was also hunting for them.”

“They disguised themselves as soldiers?”

“Yes.”

My father’s face turned serious, and then I realized he had no idea all of this had been going on.

“Lord Louis. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I had to be very careful because it involved your own regiment. I wanted to wait until I had enough evidence, which Merellis and Abel have provided.”

Father let out a deep sigh and stared at me. “Merellis, continue, please.”

“There’s not much else to say. I cooperated with Abel, and we killed the rest of them. That’s all I know.”

“I see.”

“Will you please explain, Abel? Who are you, and how did you know they were going to attack that night?” I turned my gaze from my father to Abel. There was no panic or anxiousness in his eyes. In fact, I didn’t see an ounce of any emotion. They were just quiet and calm.

“I am a spy for the royal army. Right now, I am stationed out of Rimmel with the purpose of gathering information.”

“I can vouch for his identity. He used to work at my house,” Louis said.

Father looked at Louis with interest and then back at Abel. “I see… You worked for the Armelias.”

“Yes. My parents lived in a village where there was battle against Tweil. The village suffered great damage, and besides my parents, my entire family was killed. They had no one else to turn to, so they left, got married in the capital, and had me. My father died in an accident at work, and my mother passed away not long after from overwork. I was homeless and had nowhere to go, but one day, Lord Louis picked me up off the streets and gave me a place to work. I learned the art of espionage and joined the army. Since I have no living relatives, there’s no concern of anyone recognizing my face or knowing where I came from. Sometimes I go by different names, and I live in different places all the time.”

“Why did you join the army?” Father’s face clouded over for a moment. I wondered if he was blaming himself for not being able to help him.

“Why?”

“Your parents probably distrusted the army since they were unable to protect their village. Why would you want to serve your kingdom?”

For some reason Abel smiled. “It’s the opposite, in fact. It’s true that my parents lost all their relatives in the war. However, they would’ve died too if you hadn’t come to save them. You may not have been able to save everyone, but if you hadn’t come, more people would’ve perished. They were grateful toward you for saving their lives and their village. They spoke of you as a true hero and told me stories of how you fought to protect as many as you could. I’ve admired you all my life.”

“I see…” I knew Abel’s words wouldn’t be enough to lessen Father’s guilt. That was just the kind of person the man was. He’d suffered great losses, and he wouldn’t forget them. He held them all as his own burden. That was why he still looked upset, like he didn’t want to accept it.

“But at the same time…I felt badly that I had been so fortunate. There are many people who were in my same situation, but I had been lucky enough to be taken in by Lord Louis. Most people continued to suffer, so that’s why I joined the army. I didn’t want any other child to have to suffer as I did. No one else should have to know the pain of losing someone or be afraid to lose someone they loved.”

“I see…”

I was speechless. I could tell by the passion in his voice that he was telling the truth.

“During my mission in Rimmel, I could tell something was going on. I hate to admit it, but I raced here on horseback and traveled without rest or sleep… In fact, I got here so quickly, I beat the dukes here. I snuck into the party, found the suspicious people, and then ran into Lady Merellis.”

“So, Abel, who planned this?”

“Unfortunately, our enemies didn’t know who bankrolled them. I’m currently investigating how they were able to acquire army uniforms.”

“I see…” Father let out a deep sigh. I knew he wanted to know the answers right away, because the fact that they had so many uniforms meant there was a possibility whoever plotted this had ties to the army.

“Was anyone involved on Rimmel’s side?”

Abel looked troubled for a moment in response to Louis’s question. “I don’t have any solid evidence yet, but I believe it was Duke Sligar.”

“Wait…the Duke Sligar that’s here right now? He hired someone to kill himself?” I blurted out to no one in particular.

“I don’t want to limit our possibilities, but there are only two situations I can think of… The first is that if he was publicly seen being attacked at the same time as the other dukes, they wouldn’t suspect him. He probably had some kind of plan in place to rescue his family.”

“And the other?”

“That it wasn’t him masterminding the entire thing, but his eldest son, Cordis Sligar. He didn’t come to Tasmeria, in fact.”

“You mean he hired someone to kill his own father and brother?” Louis asked.

“This is all just conjecture, but it’s possible, right? It’s not as if it’s the first time someone plotted to kill their own relatives because of some goal they…” I trailed off. That was exactly right. After all, it had happened to me. It came to light that a relative had killed my mother. My father must have been thinking the same thing because a heavy sadness filled the air.

“Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Louis apologized, realizing what we were thinking about.

“It’s fine. You’re right. We can’t exclude it from the realm of possibilities.”

Louis bowed his head. “Abel, I want you to investigate these two points. General Gazell, I’m sorry to ask, but…”

“Of course you have my full cooperation. I’ll use my resources to investigate the enemy’s identity.”

“I’ll do just that, Lord Louis. And thank you for your cooperation, General Gazell. I should be going now. If I stay any longer, it will look suspicious.”

“That’s true. Good luck, Abel.”

“Thank you, General Gazell.”

“Ah, I should be going too. I have plans after this,” I excused myself from Father’s study as Abel was leaving. “Thank you for today,” I said to him, truly meaning it. It was only natural that I had suspected him after meeting him in the palace under such circumstances, but now I realized I had put him into a tough position. He was a spy in the middle of a mission, after all.

“Not at all. And thank you again for your cooperation that day.” He seemed completely casual about the whole thing.

“Um, Abel? Can I ask you a question? What’s your real name?”

“Excuse me?” He stared at me, not expecting that.

It was so unusual to see him taken off guard that I had to laugh. “You said before that you change your name to go undercover. I was wondering, is Abel a fake name?”

“Ah… I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you my real name. The fewer people who know, the better.”

“I thought you might say that.” I sighed with disappointment.

“I have a favor to ask of you, actually.”

“What is it?”

“Right now, Lord Louis is probably already asking General Gazell for permission, but…I want Enarene.”

“What?” I knew that he had gotten quite close to the girls during their training, but I had never expected he’d ask to marry one of them.

“It’s not what you’re thinking. I want Enarene to work for me.”

“What? O-oh, you want her as a spy? I’m sure my father will tell Louis the same thing, but that’s up to her. If that’s what she wants, I won’t say no. I’ll go ask her. But what about Anna?”

“Honestly, I think Enarene is better suited for it. But if she wants Anna to come too, I won’t mind.”

“I see…”

If that were to happen, it would make their dreams of joining the army come true. But at the same time, it wasn’t exactly the job they were hoping for. They admired my father and wanted to be like him. Plus, being a spy was very dangerous. Of course, being a soldier was dangerous too. Because of all that, it had to be their own decision.

I called Enarene and Anna to my room and told them an offer had come for them to be spies for the army. I didn’t tell them who had asked to recruit them, just in case they said no. Enarene accepted without a second thought and was so thrilled that she decided to leave with Abel right away. Anna and Abel chatted together while Enarene was getting ready. I quietly watched over them, thinking how nice they looked together. I spotted Abel smiling softly at Anna, something that was quite rare for him. She had a pretty smile on her face too. I decided to excuse myself so that I could leave the two of them alone. I waited by myself in the parlor for a while, and then Abel entered the room.

“Abel?”

“Yes?”

“This might be none of my business, but are you engaged to anyone?”

He gave me a surprised look in response.

“I’m just curious.”

Abel smiled at me. Perhaps it was none of my business. “Unfortunately not. And I don’t think I will be either.”

“Why?”

“Because the fewer people who know about me, the better, due to my job. Also…I’ve decided to devote my life to the kingdom. What woman would want a man like that?”

I couldn’t answer, even though I wanted to ask why he was so willing to sacrifice his own happiness. I stopped myself though, knowing that was a line I shouldn’t cross. When Enarene and Anna returned, Abel and Enarene left the mansion together.

“Are you sure?” I asked Anna as we watched them go.

Surprisingly, Anna had said no to his offer and said she wanted to stay with me.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Are you sure you want to stay here?”

She smiled and said that she did. “Do you remember when you told me that you realized joining the army was just a means to an end but not actually your dream? I’ve realized the same thing for myself. I vowed to serve you, and that is my way of protecting the kingdom. I’m the only one who can do it. I want to devote my life to both you and General Gazell. You both saved my life, so I want to repay the two of you.”

Honestly, I wanted to ask, “Are you sure you didn’t want to go be with Abel?” But she was looking at me with such determination in her eyes that I couldn’t do it.

“If that’s what you want.”

“Thank you! By the way, Lady Merellis, we should be getting ready for your appointment!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, that’s right. Let’s get started then, Anna.”

We went back inside to prepare for my meeting with Duke Grindel.

“Listen to me. I don’t want you making a commotion about this. Because if you do, Romello will find out. He’s in the midst of doing some very important things right now. He doesn’t have time to worry about me. I’m much too proud as the duchess of Armelia to interrupt him. And you have work to do too. Now, don’t worry about me, and you go rest. You have to get up early tomorrow, isn’t that right?”

She would not relent. She seemed very clearheaded. It was hard to believe she had been unconscious shortly before.

Aurelia and Louis stared at each other for a while.

“All right. But promise me you’ll have the doctor take a look at you tomorrow? I’ll send him to your room.” Louis said with a sigh.

“As I said, there’s no need for you to worry. But yes, I promise.” She took his hand and stood up.

“What are you doing here alone, anyway?” he asked.

“Everyone here is so concerned, and they won’t let me out of bed. But when I lie in bed all day, I can’t get to sleep at night. I snuck out and came here to the library.”

“Everyone is worried about you… Do others know about your condition too?”

Aurelia didn’t answer him right away. Finally, she let out a sigh. “Yes. I haven’t been well at all lately.”

“But why didn’t…”

“I forbid them from telling anyone else.”

“I know you don’t want to worry Father or me, but you’re my mother, and I love you. If anything ever happened to you, Father and I would be devastated!”

“You’re so sweet. But…yes, I’m sure Romello is worried about me…”

“Then…”

“This is what I want. If he knew what was going on, he would be worried sick that he couldn’t come be by my side. There are so many people who need him right now. He can’t spare the time worrying for me.”

“How do you know that, Mother?”

Neither Romello nor Louis had told her about the attempted murder of the Rimmel dukes, but it almost sounded as if she knew.

“I don’t know any details of what’s going on, of course…but I can tell that there’s something very serious afoot, just by watching you and your father.” She sounded so sure that Louis couldn’t help but let out a wry chuckle. “I gave my heart to Romello. That’s more than enough for me. But right now, there are people who need him, and it is my duty as duchess of Armelia to let him do his job.”

“I see. Then please, at the very least, promise me you won’t sneak out alone anymore.” Louis let out a sigh, sensing that his mother was not going to relent. He didn’t think his father would agree with this choice, but how could he say no to his mother when she was looking at him with such strong resolve in her eyes?

“You sound just like the servants,” she laughed.

“Of course I do. Everyone’s worried about you, Mother. So please just take better care of yourself.”

“Yes, all right… I’ll do that. Please forget what you saw tonight, however.”

Louis escorted his mother back to her room and stayed by her side until she got safely back in bed. He then returned to his own room.

 

***

 

“Wels’s daughter?”

“Yes. I examined the receipt for the military uniforms that Lord Louis found, and the trail led back to her.”

“That’s right, I forgot Wels even had a daughter…” Romello murmured, searching his memory.

“Yes. She’s twenty-two, older than Lord Louis. Her name is Salome, Salome Bella Anderson. Since Wels is still the head of household and under house arrest, she lives by herself.”

“All by herself? What about her other relatives?”

“Wels is estranged from his wife, and she has since left the mansion. Salome isn’t married yet either.”

“I see… I had a feeling it was someone close to him who bought those uniforms, but I suspected it was a subordinate. It was his daughter all along, eh? That’s surprising.”

“Why did you think it was a subordinate?”

“Even though Wels is under house arrest, he and Nort are still in communication. There are guards that watch every single person who comes and goes from that house, so it would be very difficult for someone on Nort’s side to sneak in. I figured that there must be an intermediary between the two of them. I assumed a subordinate would be more likely to do that than his daughter… So, what actually happened?” Romello asked Alf.

If Alf already knew who was responsible, he must have known more; or at least, that’s what Romello suspected. Alf had followed his orders to begin separating Nort and Wels, so his spy must already have the information.

“As you said, Wels and Nort are still connected. We confirmed that when my spy was working on cutting off contact between them. At that time, we discovered that one of Wels’s trusted employees named Ammos acted as the intermediary between him and Nort.”

“I see…”

“During the investigation, I thought something seemed strange. I realized that the acquisition of the military uniforms was actually quite sloppy compared to other cover-ups. What I mean by that is it was extremely simple to trace back the invoice to Salome. If he planned the attack after he was arrested, could he have secured those uniforms beforehand?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Louis answered Alf’s question. “The only reason the dignitaries came to Tasmeria was because of Father’s negotiations. It was all decided directly in person. Regardless of if it was Nort’s or Cordis’s idea to get the uniforms, they wouldn’t have been able to get them in advance.”

“I see. It does make sense that there would’ve been no way for them to do that.”

“Yes. I believe Salome must’ve somehow discovered Wels’s link to Nort and went rogue, or perhaps Nort contacted her directly. I don’t see how it could have been possible otherwise. Either way, Alf’s right—the cover-up was sloppy, so that means it’s very likely Salome went rogue. Anyway, how are the efforts to cut contact between Nort and Wels?”

“They don’t regularly send letters to each other as it’s only occurred a few times, but things are proceeding smoothly. We’ve confirmed where the letter exchanges take place. You can check those reports when you have time.”

“All right.”

“It will be in the report for you to read later, but we have secured a letter proving that General Gazell has no involvement. I’ve also received information from several other spies embedded there confirming this.”

“And what about the ore?”

“We’ve confirmed its current location. A portion of it was funneled to Duke Sligar’s domain in Rimmel…”

“I figured as much. There’s nothing to be done about it now, though. Have you gotten any definitive evidence from Nort’s or Cordis’s sides proving that Wels was involved?”

“They’re working on it. It’s a difficult thing to prove, but they’re taking the steps to do so. Berne is taking care of it, so please don’t worry.”

“I’m very confident we’ll come out victorious knowing that you and Berne are working on this together. Please continue with your efforts to cut Nort and Wels off from each other and collect additional evidence. And make sure not to leave behind any proof on Wels’s side about the attack. We also need to ensure that no reinforcements are coming from Nort and Cordis. The thing to fear most right now is another attack. If Wels makes a move, that would mean Cordis wasn’t far behind, and an attack on Rimmel right now would be disastrous.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now that we’ve cleared the general of suspicion, we can go ahead and share the information with him. We’ll have him and the Anderson House guard take care of the matter of the ore.”

“Isn’t that the job of the army?” Alf asked.

Romello frowned slightly. “If we involve the army, word will get out. Now, I’m not familiar with fighting, but if for some reason the guard isn’t able to take care of it, we’ll have to figure out how we can mobilize the troops. Honestly, I don’t want it to come to that, though.”

“I see… And how do you want to deal with Cordis?”

“We should leave matters involving Rimmel for Rimmel to take care of. But honestly…I’m torn on the matter. Although we can see they cooperated with each other, it doesn’t necessarily mean they worked completely hand in hand. Since they’re so far away from each other, there would be a delay in message delivery. And with that delay, it would be very difficult to work in sync. Even if something were to happen in our country, it’s not clear if we have the right to deal with it.”

“So in other words, the problem is who has the authority to deal with the issue. But, ultimately, Rimmel should deal with their own problems. We’re out to protect two different things, and because of that, we can’t hand over the right to command. Even if they seem willing to cooperate, we might not have time for that. And if something happens when we’re negotiating, we could lose the initiative and be unable to force the issue forward. Worse comes to worst, if they all moved independently, there’s a chance we could be defeated.”

“Ah, I see…”

“So, there’s no need to force them to cooperate? If the situation would worsen if they all act independently, we should avoid that. But on the other hand, it’ll damage their trust in us if we take care of the situation without notifying them at all… What if we share the information with Duke Grindel while still taking care of things on our end?”

“Yes, that’s probably the best course of action. But how should we deal with Cordis? It’ll be hard to make that decision and carry it out on our own.”

Silence once again fell on the room. Both Romello and Louis seemed lost in their own thoughts as Alf watched on. For the first time, the butler noticed both father and son had dark circles under their eyes that they could not conceal. They must have been working tirelessly while he was away; their clothes looked rumpled, which was highly unusual for them, and they both looked a little thin.

Alf wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Romello finally broke the silence.

“I can only think of one thing to do.” The prime minister spoke quietly, but the sound was enough to echo through the room. “Alf. You can get in contact with Berne, can’t you?”

“Yes, of course.”

Romello turned toward Alf to look at him directly. His gaze was both serious and filled with great resolve. “In that case, I want you to give him the orders to eliminate Curtis and Cordis and install Miles as the next Duke of Sligar. The prime minister of Tasmeria, Romello Gib Armelia, will take all responsibility for the fallout. And, if necessary, I shall put my private seal on the orders.”

Alf stared at his master. It was highly unusual for him to not immediately acquiesce. Romello didn’t seem uncomfortable to be watched with such a testing gaze and just took it quietly.

“I think perhaps Curtis has a comparable number of guards to you, my lord. Taking that into account, surely you can understand that it would be exceedingly hard to eliminate either him or Cordis.”

“Yes, I know, but you and Berne are the only ones I know who are capable of doing it. I’ll give you all the personnel and money you need to get it done. I’ll take full responsibility for whatever happens, no matter what the result. Is there anything else you need to confirm about the order?”

“No, I think that’s all,” Alf laughed. The sound of it was so good-natured it would surely easy anyone’s heart.

“All right.” Romello nodded, the serious look returning to his face.

“Berne and I shall get to work. I’ll also continue the efforts to cut off communication between Wels and Cordis, of course. I’ll leave my work here to trusted subordinates.”

“Very well. Take care.”

“Thank you. I can arrange for anything I need myself, but I shall contact you if something else arises.”

“All right. Louis?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll do everything I can to support him.”

“Thank you, Lord Louis.”

And so Alf departed for Rimmel.

“I’m not the kind of person who would find fault with someone who genuinely cares for their friend,” he said. “It’s just interesting to me, that’s all.”

I tried to say, “I see,” but the worlds died in my throat. I stayed silent instead.

It seemed that he had no intention of discussing the matter further, because the conversation ended there. He resumed browsing the shelves.

“If you’ll excuse me, Your Highness.”

“Of course.”

I just happened to find the book I was searching for at that moment, so I took it and left the room.

 

***

 

Meanwhile, at the Anderson manor, Gazell’s study was filled with tension.

“I see… So it was Wels…”

Romello had just finished telling Gazell everything. The general hung his head, a dejected look on his face.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let the army get involved in this. I can have them on standby in case something bad happens, of course, but if this turns into a war, it’s going to be more than just Wels’s problem,” Romello told his old friend.

“Even though we said we’d give up our lives for the kingdom? Otherwise, how is it logical?”

“Are you serious right now?”

“Yes. I can’t face my soldiers again after this. How can I be the general and act like nothing ever happened when I think of those who have given their lives fighting for this kingdom?”

“I understand what you’re saying, Father. But first we must focus on the battle at hand,” Pax cut in. “It’s best to try to avoid deploying the army before the situation gets any bigger, because that will give Tweil an opportunity to strike. Plus, if they find out that there’s internal strife within House Anderson, there’s no telling when they could attack. If it gets to that point, we’d have no choice but to mobilize the soldiers that are in the capital. Then, people will find out what’s going on if we move too many of them. That’s why I think the most ideal outcome here would be to take care of it using just the Anderson guard.”

Gazell looked over at his son and nodded. “You’re right, Pax. We’ll take care of it on our own. Since it was someone from House Anderson who started this mess, it should be House Anderson who cleans it up. Romello, Louis, you know where the ore is?”

“Y-yes, of course.” Romello said.

Gazell looked over at his son. “Pax.”

“All right. Lord Romello, Lord Louis, would you share that information with me? I’d also like to discuss the matter of supplies with you,” said Pax.

“S-sure. Louis. You go with him.”

“Yes, Father.” Louis and Pax left the room together.

“Gazell?”

“What?”

“I’m sure I can guess the answer, but I’m going to ask you anyway. What will you do about Merellis?”

“What do you mean? Will I have her participate in the operation? Do you want to call off the engagement?” Gazell asked. He turned a gaze on Romello that was cold but not angry. Romello was angry enough for the both of them.

“Don’t be ridiculous! That’s not what Louis wants. He’s working to make sure he doesn’t lose her!”

Gazell let out a sigh of relief. “You sure have a good son. But regarding whether or not I’ll allow her to participate, of course I won’t.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. She’s my precious daughter. I can’t let her. And she belongs to House Armelia now. If she participates, the sparks will spread to the Armelias, won’t it?”

“Well…”

“I can’t ask her to do that.”

“…All right.” Romello didn’t press his friend any further. Gazell could tell that the topic was now closed.

“Still, are you sure you have time to be here? And Louis?”

“What do you mean?”

“Time, I’m talking about time! Pax is long-winded. He’s probably already starting to suggest plan after plan to Louis after hearing what we had to say. Who knows how long it’ll be till they finish talking?”

“Then I’ll go on home. Let Louis stay here, would you? I don’t know when else they’ll have the time to decide things. This is their chance.”

“All right. Thanks.”

And so Romello left Louis in the care of House Anderson and went on home.

Meanwhile, Louis didn’t emerge from Pax’s study for three days. Pax, Louis, and two members of the guard were inside the study the entire time. The four of them used Louis’s intel to formulate a plan to move forward. From time to time, maids would bring them food and take away dirty dishes, but otherwise, the men remained inside the room.

Finally, as the third day was drawing to a close, a haggard-looking Louis, Pax, and the two guards emerged and went to Gazell’s study.

“Did you come up with something good?”

“Yes. Father, this is our plan. Please read over it and let me know if you have any questions.”

“All right… Good work, everyone. I’m sorry you had to stay for so long to do this, Lord Louis. Please rest up here and return to your home tomorrow.”

“Thank you for the kind offer, but there’s no need. My home is close, so I can return there. Please forgive me for excusing myself so abruptly.” Louis turned down Gazell’s offer and excused himself from the room. The general knew he had a lot of work to do since he had taken over Romello’s responsibilities, so he didn’t try to stop the young man.

“Think he’s going to go straight to work when he gets home?” Gazell muttered absently as he watched Louis’ carriage depart.

“Perhaps,” Pax answered as he watched by his side.

“He sure works hard. I could learn a thing or two from him. Although I’m getting too old to work as much as he does now,” remarked Gazell.

“I can learn a lot from him too.” Pax moved away from the window and took a seat on the sofa.

“Pax?”

“Yes?”

“I know what Romello and Lord Louis said, but I still think that I need to atone for this incident.”

“Since I am the heir, then I should have to as well, by that logic.”

“No, but you…”

“Why should I be the only one unscathed in this matter?” Pax’s voice was completely calm yet firm and without hesitation. His eyes were filled with resolve.

“No…you’re right. This is the end for House Anderson. Let’s go into this battle with the mindset of it being our last.” He had a faint smile on his face. It was the kind of smile that could only be described with a word he never used—fleeting.

“What will you do about Merellis?” Pax asked his father.

“She belongs to House Armelia now,” he replied. “I want her to live there happily. That’s enough for me.”

“I agree…” Pax nodded, a similar, fleeting smile on his own face.

Two days later, Romello gathered up all the guards who were training on the grounds.

“Atten-tion!” Gallia, the commander of the house guard, called out when Romello arrived. All the guards immediately stood at attention. Gazell stood in front of them, inspecting them.

“You are the fangs of House Anderson,” the general started. “The pride of House Anderson. Your sacred duty is not just to protect my life but to obey my commands and annihilate any enemies that threaten to do House Anderson harm.”

The air crackled with tension. No one dared to speak a word. Even the guards who stood in the very back of the line could hear the general clearly, as if there were no others standing between him and them.

Even the sound of them swallowing nervously sounded loud in the silence.

“And now, we have discovered our enemy is Wels. The man I used to call my little brother.” Gazell looked down for a moment. The guard could feel his hesitation, bewildering them. “However…” he murmured, and once he looked up, all traces of reservation had vanished from his face. “Don’t hesitate! Do not be afraid! I will not hesitate. I will not falter. Let us cut down every enemy who stands in our path! Strike fear into the hearts of those who dare cross us! You are the fangs of House Anderson! Bite into our enemies and follow me! Join with me and let us destroy our enemies together!”

His passion was enough to wipe away any fragment of uncertainty the soldiers had. Everyone present was pulled into his intensity, and his words stoked the fires of their fighting spirits.

“Onward!” The guard raised their swords to the sky.

And so Gazell took the first step forward to fight his own brother in a final, fateful battle.

 

***

 

Two weeks had passed since the day I talked to Prince Edgar in the library, and I still hadn’t seen Louis. It felt like ages since the last time we had met. It wasn’t as if this was the first time we’d gone this long without seeing each other, but for some reason, I felt very down and depressed over it. I tried putting my energy into my training, hoping it would make me feel better.

I was all alone, the only sound that of my sword swinging through the air. Once I was finished, I got ready in my room and headed toward class.

“Huh?” On the way there, I saw Louis. He must’ve spotted me as he was gradually making his way toward me.

“Hello, Louis. How have you been?” Since there were other students in the corridor, I had to speak as politely as I could.

“Merellis. Could I talk to you?” We had just a little time before class, but the anxious look in his eyes and deadly serious expression on his face was one I couldn’t refuse.

“Y-yes, of course.”

He took me by the hand and led me to the school gates.

“W-wait, where are we going?” I asked as he urged me into a waiting carriage.

“We found out who was behind it all.”

“The attack on the Rimmel dukes? Or the attack on Tasmeria?”

“Both.”

“Well, that’s good. Who was it?”

“I’ll tell you more details when we arrive at the Armelia manor. We can’t let anyone else hear this.”

“O-okay…” A heavy mood filled the carriage as it continued on. The moment we got to the Armelia manor, he showed me to one of the studies. Curiously, Romello was not there.

“Take a seat. This is going to be a long story.”

I did as he said and sat down in one of the chairs. “So? Who plotted to kill the dukes of Rimmel? And who cooperated with them?”

“The eldest son of Duke Sligar, Cordis Sligar. He plotted the whole thing.”

“Cordis Sligar? The one who didn’t attend the party, correct?”

“I’ll tell you everything, starting from the beginning. Just listen.” Louis began to explain everything he and Romello had discovered to me. Romello had gone to see all of the dukes and to negotiate with them after learning of Count Talbot’s betrayal.

“Ah, so that’s why Lord Romello went to Rimmel?”

“Yes.”

Louis continued and said that while Romello was there attending to the business with the dukes, Louis had taken over back home and was looking further into the matter with House Anderson. He also discovered the location of the ores Uncle Wels had diverted.

“So it was my uncle who diverted the ore… Don’t tell me he was using them to make weapons?”

“He was.”

I suddenly felt weak at Louis’s admission. My uncle was amassing a great deal of weapons in secret—and that could only mean he was planning one thing.

“And that has to do…with the story you’re telling me right now?” I had to laugh nervously in the middle of my sentence.

Louis frowned for a moment at my reaction. “Yes. Cordis Sligar was orchestrating everything.”

“Everything?”

“Everything. He was the one who sent the merchant that encouraged Duke Baskar to get involved in human trafficking. He was also the one who planned to murder the dukes of Rimmel while they were in Tasmeria. Wels conspired with him, but Cordis was behind everything.”

“I see… So a portion of the ore went to Rimmel. Does that mean the remaining ore is still in the possession of House Anderson?”

“Yes, that’s right. I know where it’s hidden too.”

“In other words, my uncle is trying to overthrow the head of House Anderson—no, not just that—he’s trying to usurp the Tasmerian throne in cooperation with Rimmel… Is that right?” I asked, and Louis nodded without hesitation. “Does my father know about this?”

“Yes, my father told General Gazell previously.”

“I see… Knowing my father, I’m sure he’s going to try to deal with his relative’s shameful actions himself.”

I had a feeling he would try to act on his own, without utilizing the army—even if that meant he would be outnumbered. In fact, he probably decided to mobilize the guard the moment he found out he would be at a disadvantage.

“I’m sorry, Louis.” I stood up and embraced him. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back.

“For what, Merry?”

Even if my father was outnumbered, I knew he wouldn’t seek outside help. And I could not abandon him either. House Anderson’s name and reputation were on the line here, even if Father was able to drive back my uncle and his faction. Since I was going to be Louis’s wife, and the future duchess of House Armelia, what I was about to do was not proper of me.

“I’m going back to the march. Father needs all the help he can get.”

“No.” Louis refused, startling me. “General Gazell has already made his move.”

I froze. “When did Lord Romello tell my father about this, Louis?”

“Two weeks ago,” he responded after a pause.

“That long ago?! Why didn’t you come and tell me then?”

“General Gazell told us not to. He said he didn’t want to involve you since you were going to be married into House Armelia.”

“He just wants me to watch from afar when House Anderson is in trouble? While people who are important to me go off to battle, without me? Why would he do this…?” I asked, hanging my head.

Deep down, I knew why Father had done it. He didn’t want me to have to pay for the sins of the Anderson family. He knew it would pain me, though. Of course it would.

I shed tears of frustration. I was too late. People who were precious to me were fighting at that very moment, and I had just been carrying on with my life as normal, not knowing a thing. It was a very kind thought from my father and brother to leave me out of it, but I cursed myself for my own powerlessness while everyone else was working hard. But most of all, I was worried about them.

Louis reached over and gently touched my cheek. I let him wipe away my tears, and then I looked up at him. “Why did you tell me this now?” I asked. He looked down. “Did…something happen?”

I stared at him. At first, he wouldn’t make eye contact with me, but he eventually let out a little sigh and met my gaze.

“Nort has made his move.”

“In cooperation with my uncle?”

“No, if he’d done that, he would’ve sprang into action a while ago. And even if he were, it would be too late for us to do anything. But General Gazell is already attacking Wels. It would be too late to save him. According to the information I received from Abel, I think that Nort has gone rogue.”

“Gone rogue…”

“Yes. It seems as if Cordis grew suspicious of our actions to cut off communications between Nort and Wels, and he tried to cut Nort out of the plan. As a result, Nort made his own move. He’s using Sligar’s personal guard and marching troops toward Tasmeria, pretending it’s under Curtis’s orders. They’re working with his mercenaries that he assembled in secret. Together, his forces are enough to form a proper army.”

“And Father is spending all of his energy in the march attacking my uncle… Where’s my brother?”

“After I let him know about the ore, he helped me formulate a plan to control the flow information. Right now, he’s leading the overall command from the back while General Gazell fights on the front lines.”

Suddenly, I understood why Louis was telling me all this now. The fewer people from outside House Anderson to get involved with this fight, the better. But most of all, we could not let the army march toward Rimmel. The moment we did would be the start of a war.

And that was why Father and Louis had made the decisions they had. They wouldn’t send the army to Rimmel. They would send me.

“Don’t be afraid,” I said, even though I was actually afraid myself. I was sure we’d win…we had to. The fate of House Anderson depended on it. But even if I survived, even if we won—who could say if I would be able to return to Louis? House Anderson’s reputation might fall with Wels.

And if that happened, I couldn’t return to Louis. I would be nothing but an obstacle to him. No matter how much I wished, no matter how much I loved him…that would be a wall we could not overcome. And that frightened me more than I could say.

“I promise I’ll survive and come home to my future husband. You’re the only place I could come home to.” I was terrified, but that’s why I had to say it out loud. Saying it to Louis was the same thing as telling it to myself. I would not let anyone else have him. He was mine. This was my home.

“Of course you will. I’ll never let you go.” He must’ve sensed how I was feeling as he said that to me.

“Louis…”

“I can’t go with you physically, but my heart will be with you. I’ll share the burden which you cannot bear alone. I’ll protect you for any obstacles in your path. So go, and let me take care of the rest.”

“You will?”

“Yes.”

“You’re lying…”

“Why would I?” he replied. “If there’s a burden you need to shoulder, then we’ll do it together. If there is an obstacle blocking your path, I’ll use my power to remove it. If walls stand in the way of us being together, I’ll destroy them. But in exchange, you will be mine and belong only to me.”

I embraced him again. My heart felt so full that tears flowed down my cheeks. I felt so grateful that I loved him, and that he loved me in return.

“Don’t give up,” he told me. “Don’t give up on coming home to me…or walking this path together with me.”

I tightened my grip around him, to feel his presence. So that I wouldn’t forget this feeling in my heart.

“I’ll be back,” I said with a smile, and then I bade him farewell.

I mounted my horse and immediately led the guard away from the capital. I followed the road my brother had indicated we take. Under normal circumstances, I would need special permission to march these many soldiers across the borders. That was because of a custom put in place to avoid needless wars between domain lords. However, we already had gotten special permission to take the guard across the border and back and forth to the march.

Many domains sat between Rimmel and the capital, so I thought it would be equally difficult to cross the border there. I wondered just how we had gotten permission from so many domain lords, but we had.

We took as few breaks as we could and rushed toward Rimmel as fast as possible. We took our final rest right before we crossed the border. We were traveling on a trail in a forest that was a short distance away from the main road so we didn’t attract attention. I remembered how I stopped in areas like this when I chased after my brother that time when I was younger and let out an inward chuckle.

“Shrey. The map, please,” I said, quickly switching gears.

“Here it is.”

I spread out the paper, and we looked at it together. “Just to confirm, the enemy is using this route to travel south, yes? So that means Pax and Louis were correct?”

“Yes. Do you have doubts about it?”

“Thanks to everyone’s cooperation, we got here faster than my brother and Louis thought we would. I think we have a good chance of meeting the enemy within Rimmel’s lands.”

“I agree. Under normal circumstances, we’d wait here to ambush them, but we might be a day or two ahead of them.”

“Or they might be ahead of us… Do you think it’s safe to say Pax and Louis thought they’d be here sooner than they actually are?”

“I do,” Shrey agreed. I closed my eyes and thought for a moment. I tried to figure out if my hunch was possible, based on the roads and the speed at which we’d traveled. Of course I trusted in my brother’s and Louis’ plan, but we had gotten here so quickly we had quite a lot of time on our hands.

“Are you sure the enemy has all their troops together, and that they’re all moving as one?”

“Yes. We sent a horse ahead to make sure. They’re moving at the speed we expected.”

Another messenger raced up to me and said the same thing. That settled it for me. I tapped a spot on the map.

“There?” Shrey asked.

“Yes. We’re going to go here before the enemy arrives. Do we have a scout? I want information on their formation before they get here.”

“Yes, over there.”

“Good. Once we’re done here, dispatch them immediately. I want everyone to get ready.”

“Yes, my lady!”

I watched everyone move according to my orders and then followed the guide. After I got done speaking with the scout, I immersed myself in thoughts again, picturing the enemy’s formation and deciding upon a battle plan.

“Lady Merellis?” I heard a familiar voice, and it pulled me back to reality.

“Yes, Anna?” She had accompanied me here as my attendant. I didn’t have time to argue with her, so I had just let her come along. After all, she had trained with the guard long enough to call herself a member.

“I’ve received word that we’re ready to depart.”

I closed my eyes again, feeling the weight of my decision and my responsibility. “All right. I expected nothing less from everyone. Let’s go.”

“Yes, my lady.”

We got back on our horses and off we went, in the direction of the battlefield.

 

***

 

We had secretly traveled from Tasmeria to Rimmel. A long, narrow road stretched out before us, and it was sandwiched by high cliffs on both sides. As we stood there, I tried to calm my racing heart.

“We’re here,” I said in a quiet voice. I could hear hoofbeats gradually approaching us from in the distance.

I felt the tension rising among the guards behind me. I swallowed hard.

“Our prey has arrived, everyone,” I started. I could hear everyone else gulping too. “I hate fighting. I hate taking lives. But that’s why we can’t allow these people to win, because they’ll do the same to us.” As I spoke, the enemy kept coming closer, but I kept on talking. “Now, everyone, let’s strike fear in their hearts. Let them tremble at the very sound of the Anderson name, frightening them so much they do not dare to make enemies of us again. Kill them! Destroy them! Annihilate any enemy who raises their swords to you! Onward!”

I could feel the guard’s enthusiasm rising as they waited behind me. This was precisely the mood I wanted them to have. Because when the enemy came into sight…I saw that they had us vastly outnumbered.

I grabbed the reins and urged my horse forward. For a moment, the enemy seemed frightened by our sudden appearance, but once they saw how few of us there were, they charged forward without hesitation. I raised my hand just before they reached us, and arrows rained down upon them. The arrows were heading right toward our enemies, trying to take their lives. Our attackers didn’t even have enough time to be surprised. The arrows just kept flying by, and each time they landed, my vision was filled with a shower of crimson.

“Lady Merellis!” Anna happily cried my name as she waited behind me. I couldn’t blame her—the plan had worked, after all. But…why didn’t I feel happy? I had watched things work out as planned, feeling something very close to relief. Finally, the enemy began to retreat in an attempt to regroup. Once again, I raised my hand, and then I charged forward on horseback.

The barrage of arrows stopped immediately. My horse leapt over piles of dead enemies, chasing after the ones who were still alive and fleeing. I reached the first one and killed him in an instant. The guard followed close behind me. My men shooting arrows from atop the cliffs climbed down and joined us. They raised their swords one after the other and cut down our enemies. Kill as many as you can. I want to get rid of as many of them as possible in preparation for the battles ahead. That’s what I had told the guard before this fight. They faithfully obeyed, taking out the enemies who were left on the field. Everything was stained in crimson. The metallic tang of blood stung my nostrils.

The enemy could no longer fight here, and their survivors retreated. As soon as they disappeared from the narrow road, I heard the guards cheer behind me. We had won the first battle. I breathed a sigh of relief as I dismounted from my horse. The guard’s members had looks of joy on their faces as they cheered. I simply raised my hand in response.

 

***

 

Meanwhile…

Gazell was engaged in a battle at the Anderson march against the mercenaries. Pax had plotted a strategy from the information he’d received from Alf, and Gazell had gone along with a small number of the Anderson guard to carry it out.

They moved swiftly so as not to be discovered, striking down each mercenary as they found them.

“Almost there?”

“Yes. The next one is the last.”

“Let’s hurry up.”

At this time, Gazell knew that Nort had made a move in Rimmel, and that was why he was so anxious. He brought everyone to the final ambush location, which was a certain building within the march. He stationed guards at the entrance and exit, and then charged in himself. He ran through the building, clearing room after room. He opened the door to the final room and found ten men inside.

“There, that’s Nort!” Alf’s subordinate pointed to one of the men.

“What?” Gazell was baffled; the information he had received beforehand said that Nort was in Rimmel, raising up troops. However, Alf’s man had dealt with Nort directly, so he wouldn’t mistake someone else for him. If that was the case, who was back in Rimmel, raising the troops?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. I am indeed called Nort.”

Since he went ahead and introduced himself, Gazell figured it must’ve been true.

“I see. So you’re the one behind all this?” Gazell muttered. He then attacked Nort, and the other man dodged him at the last second and pulled back. Meanwhile, the guards killed the remaining nine men.

“W-wait, let’s talk about this!” cried Nort.

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know! If I tell you, will you let me go?”

“Who in their right mind would let you go? You just want an excuse to talk.” Gazell mercilessly swung his sword. Nort wasn’t able to dodge this time, and the man’s sword was knocked out of his hand. Gazell slashed him so that he couldn’t run away. It was a serious wound, just deep enough that it could be healed…or not.

“What do you have to say?” Gazell kneeled down in front of Nort, his sword dripping with the man’s blood. His eyes were unusually cold—cold enough to make a man tremble with fear. Even his own guardsmen behind him silently broke out in a cold sweat at the sight. “If I were you, I’d start talking, for your own sake.” Gazell glared at him again.

Nort’s body shook as he opened his mouth to speak. “How… How long do you think I’ve been in cahoots with Lord Cordis?”

“Hrm. Since Wels started diverting the ores, no?” Gazell answered.

Nort laughed. “Of course not. We joined forces much earlier than that. Ever since the war against Tweil ended.”

“What…?”

“Lord Cordis hired me to present Tweil with weapons. Unfortunately, someone saw me do it. Your wife. She saw me handing over the weapons.”

“Merelda…?”

“That’s right. We sent weapons to Tweil thinking they would win the war. We never expected them to lose. But after they did, we didn’t want our connection to be exposed, so we withdrew. However, I just couldn’t find the girl who had witnessed me. I searched and searched, and imagine my surprise when I discovered she was your wife…”

What he hadn’t realized was that the kingdom officially changed her parentage right after the Tweil war. They didn’t want anyone knowing she was the daughter of Count Ceyzan, so she was adopted by a baron. She lived a quiet life so no one would discover the truth, staying away from social gatherings as much as possible and devoting her life to raising Pax and Merellis.

“I only realized it when I saw her at a party once. I spent an entire year investigating her…and then I found out about Wels’s secret little ambition. Thanks to him, I didn’t have to dirty my own hands. I’m quite grateful to him, in fact. Oh yes, that little tidbit helped me negotiate.”

“I see. So you didn’t harm Merelda directly.” Gazell spoke so quietly no one could hear him. “But you were the one who put Wels up to it, and I can’t overlook that.”

And with that, Gazell killed Nort.

“Pax!” Gazell called.

“Yes, Father?”

“If Nort’s here, that means someone else is commanding the troops in Rimmel! Take the guard there to Merellis at once!” he barked.

“Yes, Father!”

Gazell looked back down at Nort’s body. “Were you just used by Cordis, or…? Well, either way, you picked a fight with us. That’s all,” he muttered and then left the building.

 

***

 

We had earned our first shiny gold star of victory on the battlefield in Rimmel, and now we sat waiting for the enemy again.

Even though we’d claimed a win in the first battle, we hadn’t completely eliminated our enemies. I hoped they wouldn’t come back, and I wished this could just be the end of it. But no matter how much I wanted that, I knew it wouldn’t work out that way. The plan was I had to deal with things here in my father’s place since he couldn’t leave the kingdom, not until my brother finished dealing with my uncle Wels and arrived here as my backup.

If the enemy made a move before my brother arrived, it would put us in an overwhelmingly unfavorable position. Even so, we knew we couldn’t retreat, because if we did, the enemy would easily be able to continue on and invade Tasmeria.

That was why we kept waiting here. We had to buy time before my brother showed up, to keep watch and keep them in check. Camping outside night after night was rough, but we were able to survive thanks to the supplies that Louis had sent along. Even though we came here very swiftly ourselves, I couldn’t believe how fast Louis had gotten all this to us. My fiancé was such a dependable, amazing person. I was reminded of that even more as I looked down at the supplies.

“Lady Merellis!”

I had a feeling about what was happening by the panicked tone in Anna’s voice, but I fought to maintain my composure. “What is it?”

“A message from our scout. The enemy has regrouped and has started to move again.”

I let out an inward sigh. I’d been afraid of this, and now it had actually happened.

“What about the relief squad from my brother?”

“Nothing yet…”

“I see… Fetch me a map, please.”

Someone else brought a map and briefed me on the situation at the same time—they explained the enemies’ numbers, their current location, and their projected route. As I listened, I visualized it all in my head. Since my brother hadn’t arrived, our best bet would be to either charge or to ambush them. We wouldn’t be able to use that narrow road again with the cliffs because the enemy would be cautious of that path due to the last battle. The scout said they were currently taking a route through a wide-open plain. We didn’t have enough time to lay a trap there. What should we do? Isn’t there anything we can do?

We were outnumbered, but surely there had to be some way for us to drive them back. We could not let them get to Tasmeria. If they did, the Tasmerian government and the royal army would get involved. How would that affect our relationship with Rimmel? We were currently in a cease-fire with Tweil, but would they break it and make a move? What would happen to the peace my father had worked so hard to obtain?

“You all fought well. Much better than anyone would expect from a domain’s guard.”

I just couldn’t think of anything that would do anything except buy time, but I couldn’t bring myself to say the words. To tell them they needed to retreat. My voice was trembling. Just hurry up and do it. Tell them to get away from here.

“If we retreat, the enemy will reach Tasmeria. Right?” Shrey said before I could say anything else. “We can’t allow dishonor to fall upon our master’s name. And we can’t afford to go to war with either Rimmel or Tweil. There’s only one path for us to follow, my lady.”

“I can’t tell you to march to your deaths.”

“And yet you have no intention of retreating yourself, no?” He asked sharply. I couldn’t say anything in response. He continued. “I see only one choice. We stay with you until the end.” He got down on one knee and bowed his head to me. One after another, the other members of the guard followed suit.

My heart hurt. Their loyalty made me so happy, but at the same time, I cursed myself for allowing them to come down this road with me.

“I’ll allow it,” I said. “Stay with me until the end, then.”

“It would be our pleasure.”

I closed my eyes for a moment so I wouldn’t shed tears in front of them. Crying could wait until everything was over.

“Once we get home alive, we’re going to book Madame Caluis’s place for a private party!”

Everyone cheered.

“That sounds good! Kreuz is gonna get a lot of attention!”

“M-maybe I’ll finally get up the courage to confess to Lurulia!”

Everyone laughed and started teasing each other. I could tell they were all just pretending to be in high spirits, but of course no one would admit it. No matter how cheerful they sounded right now, we all knew that wouldn’t change our situation.

We spent the night in that strange mood, pretending that everything was fine.

 

***

 

When the scout returned the next morning, the mood was quiet and serious. The men were all calm, with a strong resolve in their eyes. The chilly morning seemed suitable for the quiet tension that ran through the air.

“Good morning, Lady Merellis.” Shrey finished getting ready and went to greet her.

“Good morning, Shrey.” Ever since Merellis had left the capital, she’d had a tense sharpness about her, but today, she seemed eerily calm.

“Let’s do our best today.”

Merellis chuckled softly in response. “A casual greeting for such an important day. But yes, let’s.” She turned on her heel and went to talk to the rest of the guards. It seemed like she wanted to cherish her conversations with each one of them, imprinting them upon her memory.

“I’m honored to fight with you all,” she said with a small smile as they all gathered around. Her smile vanished the next moment. “Follow me, everyone.” That was all she said, as if to say there was no reason to be anxious. Strangely, those simple words were enough to make the warrior spirits of the guard quietly burn anew.

They mounted their horses and followed behind her, heading to the plains where the enemy would arrive. Shrey and Merellis hid in the glen to one side of the field. They waited there quietly, unmoving, until the right moment.

They heard the sound of the wind rustling the leaves and the grass. The smell of fresh green tickled their nostrils, calming their hearts. Finally, they heard the distant drumming of hoofbeats that were gradually coming their way. A wave of tension spread through the captains as they hid.

And then, Merellis opened her eyes. Without saying a word, she got back on her horse and quietly charged forward. Shrey and the other members of the guard followed after her. Even though their forces were vastly outnumbered by the enemy, there was no fear in anyone’s eyes. An image of Merellis, powerfully charging forward, was reflected in their gazes.

Before the enemy could react to them charging from the glen, Merellis used her sword to cut a path through them, swiftly and quietly. She took enemies’ lives with a ferocious intensity. Every time her sword slashed through the air, the field was filled with the scent of fresh blood and was covered in crimson splatters beneath her feet.

She slowly, slowly made her way to the center of the enemies, eventually all the way to their commander. Seeing her back as she charged into battle, sitting tall and strong, gave her men confidence. Although she was a dear comrade, the sight of her slicing through enemies and taking lives so swiftly was somewhat frightening to them. She almost looked like a goddess of death. But at the same time, the Anderson guard was mesmerized by her. No matter what the odds looked like, there was no option for them to stop.

As her forces gradually got closer, more guards were injured. Some collapsed. Even yet, the group did not stop. They trusted Merellis and kept charging toward the enemy commander. More than a few of their number had lost their lives by the time the remaining guard had the commander surrounded.

“A-a woman?” a thin man in the center murmured with surprise when he saw Merellis leading the fight.

“You are the commander, are you not? Your blood will become no more than rust on my sword!” Merellis said as she charged at him.

“Lord Cordis! Run away!” The commander’s guards tried to stand in between him and Merellis.

“Get out of my way!” She cut the men down one by one and kept making her way toward the man.

“Ahh… Ahhh!” She looked to be death incarnate, and his knees buckled at the sight as she finally approached.

She mercilessly ran him through with her sword, and the man slowly fell from his horse. The thud of his body hitting the ground echoed throughout the plains.

“Wh-why?!” The man laid in a pool of his own blood as he screamed. Although he wasn’t as loud as other noises from the battle, everyone heard it.

The combatants stopped in their tracks.

Merellis looked calmly down at Lord Cordis, her eyes ice-cold. “Why what?”

“Why? Why, when I finally almost had it…?!” Blood sprayed from his mouth as he spoke. It was plain to see that it was too late for him. “How could it slip from my hands, when I finally came this far? Why could I never get the things I truly wanted…?” He reached a trembling hand out, but it was not in the direction of Tasmeria, as one would expect. Instead, he reached toward the north, toward the duchy of Sligar. “My father never had one good thing to say about me. I just wanted him…to be proud…” His voice became faint and delirious, and his eyes grew vacant. He no longer saw anything, but he reached out with trembling hands, nonetheless.

The captain of the guard thought Lord Cordis looked like a lost little child—like a young boy never loved or accepted by his father. All the warm feelings the man had wanted went to his younger brother instead. He grew up without knowing what it was like to be loved and forgot that it even existed.

Every Tasmerian, including Merellis, stood there on the battlefield watching, and had no idea when things went wrong for him. Perhaps he had hated everything. Perhaps he thought if he could never get the affection he wanted, he might as well destroy everything.

Merellis quietly stared at the betrayed man. Meanwhile, the first of Cordis’s injured bodyguards rose up and charged at her. She didn’t even blink as she whirled around and stabbed the man. But while she did this, another man rose up and charged at her from behind.

“Lady Merellis, watch out!” Anna was the first one to notice the attack. She slid between the bodyguard’s sword and Merellis at the very last minute…taking the blow through her body instead.

“No! Anna!!!” Merellis screamed, stopping time for everyone for a moment. “Anna! Anna?!” She called the young woman’s name over and over again through her tears. The wound was obviously fatal, and she was slipping away, fast.

“Lady Merellis, let’s go!” Shrey quickly swept Anna up into his arms and galloped away on his horse. Another captain picked up Cordis and slung him over his own steed. Even though the enemy’s commander had fallen, his forces still had them surrounded. The more time they spent here, the more dangerous it would become.

Merellis realized she was being left behind. She quickly climbed up onto her own horse and sped away. The guard took off in a straight line through the enemy, running their horses as fast as they could. Despite the force at which they ran, Merellis seemed to have lost her luster. The guard, too, were all battered and bruised.

Don’t move! Please don’t move! The guard silently chanted that within their minds. It would be much too hard to take on the enemy now that their numbers were even fewer. That was why Merellis had decided to charge from the side and the front in the first place. Her idea had led them to a hard-fought success, and they had killed the enemy commander.

But they hadn’t killed all of them. The brute force attack had worked, but there was no telling if they could make it out of the enemy’s territory alive.

Knowing this, the enemy suddenly pulled the trigger. Even though they lacked a commander now, the enemy forces began charging at the line of Merellis and her men.

“Argh!” The captains were approaching their limits. They were almost overcome by the waves of people, but everyone frantically swung their swords to protect Merellis, who rode in the lead. They were determined not to give up.

Where are they? When will the others get here? Has no one heard from our reinforcements?

They all fought through their impatience, swinging their blades as they followed behind Shrey and Merellis, hoping against hope.

One after another, men sank into the crimson sea.

The reality of the situation weighed on the guard so heavily it was stifling.

Then, it happened.

A strange feeling ran through the enemy troops, and they started to flee. The guard began to wonder what had happened, but they couldn’t allow themselves to get distracted. Merellis’s men kept focusing on running through the enemy lines.

When they had just barely made it through, Merellis realized what happened.

“Brother!” she yelled.

The reinforcements they’d been hoping for had finally arrived. Pax, the heir to House Anderson and Merellis’s brother, calmly and mercilessly led his troops through the enemy lines, cutting them down one by one. They were strong even without a commander, but Pax led his troops so efficiently it didn’t take long for them to lay waste to them.

“You can relax now,” Merellis said quietly as they reached the edge of the plains. Despite being so quiet, everyone heard her. Their breaths caught in their throats. “That’s right. Just you hang on. I promise I’ll save you.”

Anna slightly opened her eyes in response to Merellis.

“Anna!” she screamed, taking her hand.

“Lady Merellis… I was the luckiest girl in the world to serve you. Thank…you…” Anna stared vacantly up at Merellis…and smiled.

“No, Anna! Don’t talk like that! You’re making it sound like this is goodbye… No! No, please!!! Don’t give up on the future!” Tears flowed from Merellis’s eyes and fell onto Anna’s cheeks. The droplets made it look like they were Anna’s own tears.

“A life for…a life. I am giving mine to save yours, Lady Merellis. I’m so happy…I was able to…help you in the end. I only wish I could…be around to see you grow… And to see the peaceful future…you’ll build…”

“Stop! Anna! Don’t say these are your last moments. Please, don’t say that! You’ve helped me so many times! I need you to stay with me, Anna!!!”

Anna’s eyes widened slightly with surprise, then softened as tears shined in them, and she smiled. “Thank you. Please forgive my rudeness, leaving first… Give Abel and Enarene…my regards…”

“Anna…? Anna!!!” Merellis frantically yelled Anna’s name, trying to clutch onto her life force. She screamed it over and over again.

However, Anna could no longer respond. Instead, the young woman quietly fell into an eternal sleep from which she would never wake, a peaceful look on her face.

“Oh, Anna…” Tears streamed down Merellis’s face.

A painful silence loomed over the place.

“There you are, Merellis.” Pax suddenly appeared with several guards, breaking the silence at last.

“Brother…”

“Is Anna…?”

“Yes. And not just her. Many of our precious comrades gave their lives… As soon as your troops are done fighting, we must go get them.” The vitality had disappeared from Merellis’s eyes as she stared back at the battlefield. A deep sadness enveloped her.

“I’m sorry… You dealt with a very tough battle.” A pained expression crossed Pax’s face.

“This is the decision that I made. There’s no reason for you to feel responsible, Brother. I’m just ashamed of my own powerlessness.” Merellis unsteadily rose to her feet. “I defeated Cordis, but I couldn’t find the merchant. We should start searching for him at once.”

“Nort was hiding in the march. Father already took care of him.”

“Nort took over the operation without knowing what was going on with the Sligars… Is that why Cordis went rogue?” Merellis asked.

A captain of the guard dragged Cordis’s body over to show Pax, and the young man’s eyes opened wide with surprise.

“But that’s impossible…” Pax started. “Abel and his men were supposed to be watching over Cordis!”

“Abel?”

“Yes. Abel was working undercover inside the Cordis household. His responsibility was to keep watch over Curtis and Cordis. I wonder if Miles discovered Lord Romello’s plot and sprang into action instead?”

“It’s possible. If the operation at the Sligar manor succeeded and Cordis was removed from his position as heir, his actions today would make sense. Did you receive any clues from Abel that Cordis was going to be involved with this battle?”

Merellis was doing her best to suppress her emotions and remain calm. Pax and everyone else watched her with aching hearts.

“No, I didn’t.”

Merellis suddenly jumped on her horse.

“What is it, Merellis?”

“Something’s bothering me, and I have to go check it out,” she said.

“Wait!” Pax frantically tried to stop her. “Let us take care of this. You need to rest!”

“No, I can’t! Anna’s last wish was that I give her regards to Abel and Enarene. I need him to come back home to Tasmeria safely! He must be in such a dire situation that he couldn’t send the information about Cordis… That means he’s in trouble! I know you can’t leave here, so I must!” Merellis refused to listen to Pax and spurred on her horse.

While everyone was stunned as they watched Merellis go, Shrey came back to himself and jumped on his own horse, starting to follow. “I’ll go with her!”

Merellis showed no signs of fatigue as she raced north toward the Sligar manor. The sun was beginning to set, and a reddish-orange light spread throughout the sky from the west. As they neared the town, Merellis’s mood became cold and sharp. Shrey could sense as much even as he followed behind her. The closer they came to the town, the more impatient and frantic the mood in the air became. It seemed like something had happened in town. The two of them silently surveyed the scene, watching to see what was going on.

Finally, the sun fell beneath the horizon, and everything grew dark.

As darkness fell, the feeling in the air changed completely.

“Something’s coming,” Merellis said quietly, showing a slight reaction.

“What? Lady Merellis…?”

They heard a small noise, and suddenly, Alf and Abel appeared from the shadows. Abel had been severely wounded, and Alf was dragging him along.

“Alf, this way! Shrey, you help Abel!”

“Yes, my lady!”

Merellis stood in front of them protectively. She drew her sword and turned toward the other sounds she heard. Even though they were covered in darkness, she could still perfectly read her enemies’ movements, and she cut them down one by one. Alf skillfully backed her up without getting in her way.

“I think that’s all of them…” Merellis shook the blood from her blade when she no longer heard anyone else coming. “Are you two all right?”

“Th-thank you, Lady Merellis…” Abel said just as he collapsed.

“H-hey?!” She reached out and grabbed him as he fell. Thick, warm blood stained her hands. The metallic scent of it hung in the air. Seeing blood on her hands again so soon after what she had just gone through with Anna was too much for her. Her entire body began to tremble at the sight. “Abel…? Abel!!!”

“Please move, Lady Merellis.” Shrey ripped some fabric from his clothes and tried to perform first aid on Abel, but it was too dark for him to see what he was doing.

“Alf! Get a light! Shrey, get the first aid kit!” Merellis barked out orders, but Abel reached up with a bloody hand to stop her.

“I’m…sorry. Made a mistake earlier… Alf somehow got me here…”

“Don’t talk. You’ll be fine! We’ll patch up your wounds and you’ll be fine!”

“We can’t use light… The rest will see us… Please… Leave me here…and go.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! We can’t do that!”

“Here…” Abel took a bundle of papers from his pocket and handed them to Merellis. They were spotted with blood.

“These…”

The papers contained proof of the connection between Wels and Cordis. Other letters showing Cordis was connected with other nobles were included in the bundle as well.

“Show no mercy to those who tried…to overthrow House Anderson. Tell General Gazell. We need him…to protect the kingdom. Because of him, the knights and the army finally work…together. Because of Gazell…Tweil will not rise against us. Other kingdoms too. Tasmeria…can’t lose him… So, take…”

Merellis hesitantly took the letters.

“I’m sure General Gazell and Lord Pax… They won’t take this easily. Tell them… Don’t let my death…be in vain.” Straining himself to talk so much, blood gushed from his mouth.

“Tell them yourself! Tell them not to let your efforts to have been in vain!”

“I know my body better than anyone else…” Abel gave her a confident smile, so much so it was hard to believe he was a man on the verge of death.

“Why? Why…?” She asked with frustration.

“I don’t take my life…lightly. I have so many…” He paused, choking. “Many things left to live for, but I can’t…” He coughed painfully. Blood splattered and flowed everywhere. When the fit finished, he began to wheeze. “But I can entrust…this kingdom…to capable hands. I can die…peaceful…”

He must have already lost his sense of sight because he couldn’t make eye contact with Merellis any longer. The flame of his life was about to burn out.

She grabbed his hand. “You can’t just say that! It’s too heavy. That’s not something I can just promise!” She smiled at him through her tears. “But…I will. I will vow to myself to protect this kingdom’s peace.”

“That’s…reassuring.” He smiled. His pale face twisted with pain, but even so, the corners of his mouth tugged up weakly.

“And…Anna’s waiting for you. She told me to give you her regards, but…I think she can tell you herself now.”

Abel’s eyes widened with shock, but he slowly smiled again. “Ah… I’ll…let her. Thank you…Lady Mer…ellis. And Lord Louis…”

Then, he quietly closed his eyes. As he did, Merellis doubled over, quietly sobbing.

Rain began to slowly fall from the sky like tears. The droplets gradually picked up their pace until there was a proper rain falling down over them. The cold drops pounded upon the group, almost as if to wash away the blood from the ground…and reflecting the young woman’s sadness.

Shrey and Alf had been silently watching over Merellis as she mourned her friend. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but eventually, she quietly stood up.

“Let’s go. Shrey, take Alf on your horse. I’ll… I’ll take Abel.”

“We’re taking him with us?” Alf looked surprised.

Merellis stared at him blankly. “Yes. I want to bury him in his own kingdom.”

“But if there are more enemies and we have him with us…” He let the rest unspoken—his body would just get in the way and weigh them down.

“Then I will simply kill them all.” She had said that so calmly with a beautiful expression on her face that Shrey and Alf felt cold sweat run down their backs. The young woman’s smile was so full of malice that they found it hard to breathe. All the two men could hear was their hearts pounding hard in their ears.

“And that’s why I’m going to take him with us. I won’t hear any arguments about it. Let’s go.” The tense atmosphere dissipated as she started to move.

“Of course you didn’t. Mother never shows it, except in front of Father.”

“But why?”

“Because she carries a very heavy responsibility. And because that’s how much she loves Father,” explained Elpis.

“I don’t get it.”

“It just means Mother loves Father a lot!”

“Well I get that! But what about us?” asked Luce.

“Of course Mother loves us too. She loves us so much that’s why she doesn’t show when she’s tired.”

“I…really don’t get it after all.”

“That’s okay. You’ll understand someday.”

“Will I?” Luce frowned.

“Yes, you will.” Elpis lightly patted her head.

Luce’s eyes softened with happiness. “Will I understand tomorrow?” she asked.

A hesitant smile formed on Elpis’s face. “Probably not. You’ll understand once you get to be Mother’s age though.”

“I won’t understand until that long?”

“That’s right. And until then, you have to work really hard.”

“You mean like at training?”

“Hmm… Yes, but also at the etiquette lessons Mother takes you to.”

“Ugh, I’m bad at those!”

“It’s okay. No one’s great at it at first. But it’ll become more fun as you practice, and you’ll get better at it.”

“Is that how it was for you, Brother?”

“Yes, of course. With lots of things too. I just made sure nobody noticed I wasn’t good at it.”

“Oh, so I’m not the only one!” Luce smiled. “I’ll do my best!”

“That’s the spirit. Let’s go back to our room.”

“Okay!” Luce took Elpis’s hand. He chuckled a little bit and then squeezed her hand in return as the servants looked warmly upon the children.