This show of lament from Darmés, as the new emperor continued to scribble away with pen in hand, struck Schwarz as blatantly false. So as not to expose his feelings, he deliberately kept his tone flat as he declared, “I shall continue to give my full efforts to the search for the Azure Knights.”
“Regarding that,” Darmés replied, “I thought we might assign Rosenmarie to carry out the search—and suppress their rebellion, while she is at it.”
“Eh? Lady Berlietta?”
“What, pray tell, do you find so strange about the idea?”
The Azure Knights were renowned as the mightiest soldiers in the imperial army. Schwarz himself was as far from a military man as it was possible to be, but he knew no ordinary army would be a match for them. As Rosenmarie was now in command of both the Crimson Knights and provisional commander of the Helios Knights, she was the natural choice for the task of subduing them. Schwarz did not disagree with this, but...
“Have you forgotten, Your Majesty? Lady Berlietta is presently engaged in battle with the Royal Army at Kier Fortress.”
For a split second, Darmés’s hand froze. Then he spoke, his pen already moving again.
“That’s right. She is, isn’t she? In that case, please send her word both that I am now emperor, and that she is to wrap things up there with all speed.”
Schwarz felt a slow twisting sensation in his gut as he realized that Darmés had not changed his mind at all.
“Forgive me, great Emperor, but I must protest. Of course I shall see that Lady Berlietta is informed that the coronation took place. But as I said, she is at this very moment in the middle of a battle. I humbly suggest that even if we tell her to wrap things up, she is hardly in a position to take on the subjugation of the Azure Knights, not so long as the Royal Army does not withdraw.”
At this, Darmés looked up for the first time and met Schwarz’s gaze. “The siege of Kier Fortress was no more than a farce designed to draw our eyes away from the invasion of the empire. Now that the Royal Army’s attempt to take Olsted has ended in failure, I imagine it will not be long before they retreat.”
“So that’s how it was...” Schwarz replied. “Very well. I shall include that in my missive to Lady Berlietta.”
“That will not be necessary,” Darmés said dismissively. So casual was the rebuff that for a moment, Schwarz thought he had misheard.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty, but why is that?”
“A thing like that, Rosenmarie will pick up on somehow or other.” Darmés stroked his unhealthily sunken cheek. “But then, we can’t rule out the possibility that they alter course to attempt to topple the fortress...” he mused. “Perhaps best to send reinforcements, just in case. Schwarz, you are to make this your first priority.”
Schwarz took the document Darmés proffered. What was written there made him balk.
“Something wrong?” Darmés’s question felt like icy water dripping down his spine. He started to mop the sweat on his brow at even shorter intervals.
“No, nothing at all. I shall see to it at once, Your Majesty.”
The high nobles, at first surprised by Darmés’s inheritance of Emperor Ramza’s throne, had, as the days went by, begun to give voice to a variety of grievances. What had sparked these grievances was Darmés’s origins as a noble of low rank. More than a few had harbored discontent during his stint as chancellor, but because of the absolute trust the emperor had placed in him, no one had ever spoken of it in public.
But the difference in the power held by the chancellor and that held by the emperor was vast. When the houses of Ludis and Titan made their dissatisfaction public, what had been smoldering embers burst fully into flame. Even the emperor could not ignore the two great houses who had laid the foundations for the founding of their nation and still hope to govern effectively. The whole of the nobility had looked on, waiting to see how Emperor Darmés would act...
His Imperial Majesty didn’t so much as hesitate. He ordered the arrest of the heads of both houses for high treason as though he did it every day. After seeing their wives and children slaughtered before their eyes, the pair of them lost their minds and died. I never knew anything so dreadful.
The deaths of both lords had been announced immediately. The extreme harshness of their new emperor’s justice had horrified the nobles, and public expressions of displeasure had rapidly subsided. The document Schwarz now held was Darmés’s closing words on his great purge.
But then, perhaps those who died in ignorance were the lucky ones. Just the memory of that horror makes me tremble... Schwarz’s throat was dry, but he was too preoccupied even to swallow.
“By the by, has there been a response from Sutherland?”
“There has, Your Majesty, only...” Schwarz trailed off.
“Then there is no need for preamble.” Darmés’s voice was perfectly even. “Tell me their answer, and make it concise.”
“Very well. They do not intend to acquiesce to our demands. In addition, they say that if the empire means to unilaterally violate the nonaggression pact, they will not hesitate to go to war.”
Darmés chuckled. “Even that herd of sheep without a shepherd still hold on to their pride as a great nation, I suppose.”
“Our analysis division’s calculations indicate they can field an army of over two hundred thousand soldiers.”
“Yes, well, they are only neutral in name. A force of that size is to be expected.”
“I am no expert in matters of war, but by no means does that seem like a number to sneer at...”
“Yes, if one were to base one’s argument purely on the difference in troop numbers, I suppose our imperial army would be at a disadvantage,” Darmés replied. But even as he said it, it was plain from the smile playing about his cracked lips that he was not remotely concerned. He practically radiated confidence, and Schwarz knew why.
Even now, the ghastly, soul-chilling wails and hideous figures were indelibly burned into his mind’s eye. When Darmés had first shown him those soldiers, like the heralds of hell itself, he had been so terrified that he had soiled himself. The memory was as fresh as if it had happened the previous day. How Darmés controlled his army of hell, Schwarz had still not been able to ask.
“You intend to send them against Sutherland, Your Majesty?”
“Oh, yes. They cost us nothing, after all, and they will win the empire tremendous victories on the battlefield. I wonder if they might not reconsider after we destroy, say, a city.” Darmés’s eyes narrowed as a low laugh escaped his throat. Schwarz had never before seen the madness he now perceived so strongly in Darmés. There was nothing he could do for Sutherland, about to be overrun by the army of hell, but to pity them with all his heart.
“You know, I have been wondering,” Darmés remarked. “Is it so very hot today? I find the cold quite chills me to the bone, myself.” He smirked. Schwarz clenched his handkerchief tight, so drenched with sweat it had changed color, and forced himself to smile. For the entire time it took him to hurry from the room, Darmés’s smile never wavered.