Chapter 10:
Romello’s Battle
THE FOLLOWING EVENTS occurred just before Merellis started school at the academy…
Romello visited the principality of Rimmel with a small number of personal bodyguards in tow. The visit was quite divisive. There were three factions of nobles in Rimmel: the hard-liners, the moderates, and those who were neutral. After the war with Tweil, Tasmeria’s national power was on the decline. The hard-liners wanted Rimmel to invade the kingdom in order to expand their territory. The moderates, however, wanted to avoid war at all costs. That left the neutrals faction who naturally didn’t want to get involved at all.
The intense battle for power among these factions was a reflection of the battle for authority among five influential noble families in Rimmel. Those included the houses of Duke Philling, Duke Grindel, Duke Sligar, Duke Baskar, and Duke Crowe.
The reason for Romello’s visit was to get the support of the moderate and neutral factions, and together, they would plot against the hard-liners. If the hard-liners had their way and launched a war against Tasmeria, the kingdom simply would not hold. The kingdom’s coffers were already in the red, thanks to the last war with Tweil. Even if they could pull off a victory, sacrifices would be unavoidable. Since the war with Tweil wasn’t so long ago, it would be incredibly damaging to the nation’s spirit and the people’s confidence in the kingdom’s leadership.
If war broke out, it was near certain that Tasmeria would be destroyed from the inside out. And if the war was with the land of Rimmel, Tweil would jump on that opportunity, violate the cease-fire agreement, and jump into the fray.
And so, Romello had gone on an unofficial visit to Rimmel in order to avoid that very scenario.
Once his entourage was finally at the inn, Romello sat down and looked around at his guards; he could see the fatigue on their faces. He knew his own face must look the same. It was no wonder; Romello was incredibly busy, so they had to make haste on their journey.
“I’m sure you all must be exhausted. It’s thanks to you that I arrived here safely. Unfortunately, from here on is where things will get serious. Please continue to do your jobs to the best of your ability.”
His guards all stood at attention. Yes, they were tired, but they were not defeated. However, Romello knew that if they continued to be on such high alert for an extended period of time, it would impact their mental health. He put a great deal of responsibility on each member of his guard, demanding the utmost flexibility and confidentiality on the journey here.
But, as Romello said, this is where it would start to get serious.
If he got injured in another country, the non-aggression pact he was pursuing would be little more than a pipe dream. In fact, it might even be used as a pretense for war.
“Yes, my lord!”
These bodyguards were elite soldiers, handpicked by Gazell. They were both physically and mentally tough. Not one of them were weak enough to turn their eyes from battle. They all stood at attention, regarding Romello with confident gazes.
“I’m sorry I have to put you through all this,” Romello said with a smile, seeing how prepared they were.
“It’s an honor, my lord.” The one who spoke was Kreuz, Gazell’s vice-commander. The fact that he was part of the group made it clear how selective Gazell had been with this contingent.
“I can see the fire in your eyes. I like it.”
“Thank you, my lord. May I tell you something?”
“What is it?”
“That fire is simply our determination not to lose, not under any circumstances. The kingdom’s future and fates of its citizens depend on this diplomatic tour. Seeing you bear such a responsibility would make it impossible for any of us to not perform to the best of our abilities.”
“I’m merely the right person for the job, but unfortunately, I cannot protect myself.”
“Well, if you could, then we would all be out of a job.”
“Ha ha ha! Even if I were to grow strong, nothing would change. I would lose when it came to quality. You know, only the best soldiers are allowed into the guard.”
“I see.”
Both of them immediately thought of two people: Gazell and Merellis.
Romello would never utter her name in such a situation, though. Kreuz was not aware that the Mer he knew was Merellis, and Romello was not supposed to know of Mer’s existence either. Neither of them spoke the name of the person they thought of, but the fact that they both thought of that pair meant their presences were fresh on their minds.
“Plus, refusing to lose is part of being ready,” said Romello. “Preparedness can’t be given to you; you have to recognize it and nurture it in your own heart. I greatly admire that determination because it shows how serious you take the responsibility of your job.” Although Romello was speaking as the prime minister, his expression was softer than usual.
“The general says the same thing.”
“Gazell does?”
“Yes. Before the war with Tweil, he came before the soldiers and said, ‘Do you know what being prepared means? It’s a vow you make to yourself. And once you make a vow to yourself, you can’t make excuses. Readiness comes from your own willpower. And those who are prepared are strong. They’re here because of their own will.’”
“I see… I understand that. Being prepared means that you’ve accepted the responsibility of your job.”
“It surprised me, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized civil officials had a lot in common with military officials,” remarked Kreuz.
“Of course they do. Although we have different statuses, we’re both working to protect the same things,” Romello said firmly.
Kreuz smiled. “I suppose that’s true. And that’s precisely why I would give my life to protect yours. You share the same values. I place my trust in you because you want to protect what we want to protect.”
“It must be the utmost trust, hm? Thank you for the encouragement. Let’s all work as hard to achieve the most desirable outcome we can.”
“Well, we’ll be excusing ourselves now.” Kreuz and the guards stood at attention one last time and then left the room.
Now that Romello was alone, he went over to the window. The scenery he saw there was completely different from that of Tasmeria. Back home, the buildings were all made of gleaming white marble except for the churches, but here the buildings were made of brown brick. They gave off a solemn and imposing atmosphere. He stared at the view for a while, as if to etch it into his brain.
Suddenly, a knock at the door broke the silence. The Armelia family butler, Alf, stepped into the room.
“How is it?” Romello asked.
“There’s no problem, my lord. The inn is safe and secure.”
Romello looked visibly relieved. “I see. I knew I could rely on you.”
“Why, it is my job to provide a comfortable environment for you, sir.” Alf bowed his head obediently.
Romello chuckled. “I suppose checking all the food in the inn to make sure it’s not poisoned does provide a comfortable environment.”
Alf didn’t deny that. Instead, he wore a calm smile on his face. Romello relaxed seeing this reaction. “Thanks to you, I can finally rest. I’m grateful, Alf.”
“I am only doing my job, my lord.”
“Well, I admire your dedication to it. Now, I know you must be very tired, but would you make me a cup of tea?”
“Yes, of course.”
Romello walked away from the window and sat down while Alf brewed the tea.
“I thought you had quite a serious look on your face as you looked out the window. Are you thinking of home?”
“I just wanted to burn the view into my mind, thinking about what the people I’m about to meet are shouldering. I want to learn as much about them as I can before our meeting.”
“Is that right, sir?”
“I’m worried about the kingdom, of course, but I’m sure Louis can take care of things in my stead. I have my other subordinates as well. And Aurelia will have no problem taking care of the household.”
Alf gently handed him a cup of warm tea. Romello picked it up without hesitation and sipped. “Mm, delicious.” Alf smiled even deeper. “Tomorrow I’m visiting Duke Grindel and Duke Philling, was it? Alf?”
Romello’s gaze grew sharp. Alf nodded, understanding what he meant immediately.
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.