Published at 21st of June 2023 6:56 pm

Volume 12, Chapter 3 – Snake Queen, Part 6

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The glowing red sun was breaking through the clouds and covering the land.

Ears of golden wheat danced comfortably in the breeze.

In another moment, the sun would be chased to a corner of the sky, and the golden color of the wheat fields would turn black.

The northern part of the Great Grantz Empire―the black soil area that occupied the southern part―had been designated as a very important land because it was the key to the economy. Therefore, in order to prevent it from being monopolized by certain nobles, this land was supposed to be ruled jointly by the northern nobles. However, this was only the surface, and the real situation was that the northern chief, the House of Scharm, was in charge of the area.

The Scharm family was currently in the midst of a war with the Bromell family, one of the three great families of the region, when the Kingdom of Levering invaded the region. The nobles in the surrounding areas were so fearful of the invasion that they did not fight but hid in the city and gave the heart of the northern region into the hands of the “demon race.”

“It’s a spectacular sight. It would be nice to see a snowy landscape, but it’s a bit hazy when you see such an abundance of land. Seeing such vast wheat fields makes me jealous of the blessed Grantz.”

Claudia, Queen of the Levering Kingdom, held an ear of wheat in her hand and squinted dazzlingly.

“It is indeed as Your Majesty Queen Claudia says. But still, I think it’s long past the time to harvest the wheat… Why is it left unattended?”

“They lost men in the war, then the invasion of the demon race began, and just when they were wondering what to do, the “Spirit Wall” collapsed.”

The city dwellers were confined within the thick walls, while the less well-protected village dwellers fled. That was why the wheat was not harvested and still remained at this time of year.

“If this were our land, we would have defended it very hard. The human race is a soft bunch.”

“It can’t be helped. Up until now, there has been no threat of death, and Grantz is a big place, so there are places to escape to. However, it is not always possible to find happiness in the land one moves to. But even if they wanted to go back, they couldn’t. It’s only after a long time that they understand that.”

Regret―these two words swirl in their minds. People don’t understand until they have lost something.

That something was so important to them that they had to protect it, even at the risk of their own lives.

“The regret of losing something that was so important to them is turned into anger, which is directed at the government. They are putting their own escape on the shelf―but since it was the failure of the government that led to such a crisis, it could be said that they got what they deserved.”

It was up to the leaders to lead the people to happiness or misery. As soon as you let the people choose to run away, you failed as a politician. Claudia, who had a distant look in her eyes, turned around when she noticed a presence approaching behind her.

“Your Majesty Queen Claudia, the nobles in the vicinity have offered their surrender.”

One of her aides placed a box full of parchments at her feet.

“Accept.”

“Very well.”

The aide bowed reverently and left.

The next to appear, as if passing by, were the nobles of the Kingdom of Levering.

“Congratulations on your victory after victory, Your Majesty Queen Claudia.”

‘Yes, you have done well, too. Thanks to you, we were able to seize a vast area of land.”

“From here, I think we can secure more territory to the west. Are you sure you want to head south to the capital of the Empire?”

“Yes, I do. Don’t you want to know who will win, the Faceless King or the Black Dragon King?”

“I would like to know, but I don’t like to go there.”

It was like watching a fight between two ferocious beasts up close. The nobles were understandably uncomfortable.

“Fufu, it’s good, to be honest. But it will probably be over by the time we get there.”

“Still, you think it’s worth the trip?”

“Of course, we have to protect the black soil by reaching into the Central. If the Faceless King wins, we will need a buffer zone, and if Grantz wins, we will have to have a negotiating table. Grantz will have to make significant concessions. We have a lot of good prisoners of war.”

They have captured all those who have turned on them in previous battles. Some of them were because they wanted excellent subordinates, but they were the kind of people who would challenge you even if they were outnumbered, and there was no way they would change their minds.

Then there was no choice but to change course. When the Grantz seized victory, excellent personnel would be needed to restore the exhausted country. At that time, they would have to make effective use of the prisoners of war as bargaining chips. That, too, would depend on the situation, but for now, they would have to see which side would have the upper hand.

“I see, so you have thought that far ahead.”

“There are others, but… that’s about it for the time being.”

“Then I will prepare to leave at once.”

“Yes, please do.”

Claudia watched the nobles leave and squinted at the wheat fields spread out before her.

“I wonder if it’s because of the demon race that I want more when I have such a beautiful sight.”

As Claudia began to walk, the elite guards quietly followed her, keeping a steady distance.

She was headed for the hut where the captured Grantz nobles were being held.

When the guards opened the door, she saw many of the Grantz nobles tied up with ropes. They were all brave warriors who had resisted Claudia. They all glared at Claudia with hatred.

“What do you want from us, Queen of the Demon Race? Have you come to laugh at us?”

The one who spat out the question was the first one who was captured by Claudia, the Grantz noble who showed an impressive fight in a small group.

“I believe your name was… Dartorf?”

“What if it was?”

“Are you willing to surrender to the Kingdom of Levering, where I would like to have a good subordinate like you?”

“No.”

Dartorf answered immediately, and Claudia nodded without anger.

“I understand. May I ask why?”

“Pride as a Grantz nobleman―I would rather die than betray my country.”

“What is the value of that pride when you are being attacked from all sides? If the Grantz perishes, it will be the end.”

“If the Grantz perishes, then I must die too.”

“If you have such loyalty to your nation, why do you join the Bromell family?”

“Because I am in their debt.”

Claudia laughed at his short answer.

“You are too foolish. You are so honest and so earnest that it even irritates me.”

Claudia raised her hand.

“Very well. Let me put it to you, take this man outside.”

Claudia’s order was faithfully carried out. The guards forced the resisting Dartorf to his feet and dragged him outside. The other prisoners of war cry out, but Claudia refused to listen.

“Throw him in the wheat field. If he can die in the midst of such beautiful scenery, he must be happy.”

Without any further ado, Dartorf is thrown into the wheat field and made to sit down by the soldiers.

“…Thank you. If I can die in my hometown, I can get to the Heroes’ Palace faster.”

“Are you ready?”

Dartorf stared straight at Claudia, unafraid of the blade against his neck.

“Whenever you want, you can cut off my head. I’ve been ready for it since the moment I was taken prisoner.”

“Passed.”

Claudia raised her sword and brought it down.

With a light clang,

“…..”

The rope that had bound Dartorf was cut.

He looked at the rope on the ground with a dazed look on his face, but then he looked up and looked at Claudia suspiciously.

“What does it mean?”

Claudia, without answering his questioning look, held out a letter to him.

“Deliver this letter for me.”

“What?”

“Go to the Black Dragon King. And hand this letter to him.”

Claudia crouched down in the wheat field and pressed the letter to Dartorf’s chest. The guard hid her figure from view.

“You are not very perceptive, are you? You should go quickly before someone sees you.”

“I don’t understand. Why would you write to the Black Dragon King?”

“The demon race was born of the Faceless King.”

Claudia smiled as she said that, checked her surroundings, and then explained to Dartorf.

Then his eyes widened, and a look of astonishment came over his face.

＊＊＊＊＊

While the situation was changing rapidly around the world, another change was taking place in the north.

The rebel army, led by the Bromell family, and the regular army, led by the Scharm family, were approaching the “White Silver Castle” and had set up a negotiating table.

In a simple tent built in the center of the two armies that were staring at each other, there was a strange atmosphere that even a third party would find strange. This was because the heads of the two families were not present.

At the negotiating table were Helma, the next head of the Heimdall family, and his younger sister, Proditos.

And sitting in front of them with a bitter expression on his face was a man called Zeicht, a distant relative of the Bromell family, who had come as a proxy.

“Lord Zeicht, is the head of the Bromell family not present?”

To Helma’s words, Zeicht answered while wiping his forehead, which was covered in greasy sweat.

“I apologize. I do not know where the head of the family….. Tupaeus-sama is… But it seems that the Second Prince Selene is not present either?”

“He is not here. He’s dealing with the real enemy.”

“The real enemy?”

It’s no wonder that Zeicht was looking at him with suspicion. But not wanting to explain at length, Helma immediately put the letter delivered this morning on the desk.

“It arrived from Selene-sama earlier in the morning. What do you think it said?”

‘…How was I supposed to know?”

The letter was delivered this morning from Selene.

“It says here that the head of the Bromell family was an impostor.”

“…What nonsense are you talking about? That can’t be true!”

Zeicht’s anger swelled, and he took the letter as if to snatch it away from Helma and began to look through it.

Helma sniffed unhappily at the messy handling of his lord’s letter, but Zeicht didn’t seem to notice. However, as he read the letter, Zeicht’s expression gradually turned pale, which made Helma’s stomach ache also subside.

“I-it’s definitely a lie!”

Slamming the letter down on the desk, Zeicht shook his head repeatedly in dismay.

“I-it can’t be true. I have dined with Tupaeus-sama many times!”

Zeicht was talking with spit flying, but Helma looked at him with doubtful eyes.

“According to Selene-sama’s letter, he’s a completely different person….. Didn’t you notice that?”

“T-that can’t be true…..”

He gulped down the words in an attempt to deny them, either because his own memory was in doubt or because he didn’t trust the words of Helma, who was his enemy. Either way, there would no longer be any will left in the Bromell family to fight.

“I’m sorry that you are confused, but I’m going to ask the Bromell family to withdraw from this battle. Do you have any objection to that?”

“Yeah… that would be better for us. We cannot continue to fight in the absence of the head of the family.”

As Zeicht’s shoulders slump, Helma smiles as if in triumph.

“It seems that they no longer have any allies.”

When the two armies were at a stalemate, Helma spread the word about the absence of the head of the Bromell family to the surrounding areas to create a separation between the two sides. The nobles on the Bromell side, who had originally been weak in their will to fight, sent messengers one after another to the Second Prince Selene. Then, he had his sister, disguised as Selene, act on his behalf and accept the nobles’ apology. Then, as if by an avalanche, many of them turned to the Scharm family, and Zeicht, on behalf of the Bromell family, asked for a seat at the negotiating table.

“So what does the Second Prince Selene have to say about the Bromell family?”

“He said he would not charge them with any crime. He regrets that he has caused the Northern nobles to suffer as a result of his own inability.”

“I-I see…..”

As Zeicht breathed a sigh of relief, Helma opened his mouth, suppressing his anger.

“There will be no next time. If you ever betray Selene-sama, I will cut off your head without even setting up a negotiating table.”

“I-I know. In the first place, even if the Second Prince Selene forgives us, the Bromell family has finished.”

Zeicht covered his face with his hands, and as expected, Helma felt sympathy for him.

The head of the family was missing while there was no one on his side, having defied the main family and failed to add any flowers to the battle.

Although they rebelled in high spirits, they were unable to win the hearts and minds of the people. The fate that awaited the Bromell family after this would be cruel. Then Helma remembered.

There were actually two copies of Selene’s letter. The other letter, which he kept hidden because he thought there was no need to show it, reminded him of what was written in it.

“Lord Zeicht….. have you ever heard of the ‘Lion King’s eye’?”

The topic changed abruptly, and Zeicht raised an eyebrow, but after a small nod, he opened his mouth.

“It is one of the three most secret eyes in the world, said to have been owned by the First Emperor’s Majesty… which any Grantz person would know. But such stories are fairy tales. If such a thing existed, the Great Grantz Empire would have ceased to exist by now, or someone else would have taken the place of the Grantz Imperial Family and ruled the Empire.”

“That was the problem. It is highly possible that the lion king’s eye has made you think that the person you are in contact with is Tupaeus-dono, but it is actually the Faceless King.”

“Huh? The Five Heavenly Kings?”

When confronted with this astonishing fact, Zeicht was speechless and stared at Helma with a silly expression with his mouth half-open. Helma shrugged his shoulders.

“It does not change the fact that you turned your blade against Selene-sama, but you don’t have to feel that much responsibility. If there is, it is for the soldiers. We must make amends to the soldiers, including you and us, who have died needlessly in these battles.”

“…I will provide the greatest possible support to the bereaved families.”

“That is good. Then this battle is over.”

“I apologize. I will visit Selene-sama again at a later date.”

After bowing deeply, Zeicht raised his head and noticed that Helma was holding out his hand. He squeezed his hand back but was pulled by a powerful force.

“The battle is over, but there is still work to be done.”

Zeicht’s body trembled as he cowered by the serious look in his eyes that were so close that the tips of their noses were almost touching.

“W-what is it?”

“You know that the “Spirit Wall” has collapsed, and the “monsters” are pouring into the north. We must save the refugees. We need your help to do so.”

“I understand. I will cooperate with you as much――”

Zeicht tried to reply, but Helma had already moved away and showed his back.

“It’s a race against time from here on. Let’s go, Proditos, to our lord.”

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