“Now we know where they are weak,” Shaola said. “My next question for you, Lord Lion, is if we have any chance of victory against these inhuman creatures?”
“As to that, I have no idea,” Lion replied bluntly.
The lord of the First City looked pained. “We need you to know.”
What was Lion supposed to say to that? After much experimentation he had ascertained the ghouls’ weak point, yes, but he would not still be so cautious if that alone were enough to win. He would have given Shaola all the guarantees of victory he wanted, if such guarantees were possible, but they were facing a foe that dealt with neither words nor reason.
This was why he was rushing to complete the vessel—his secret weapon.
“Maybe we should submit to the empire...” This came from the lord of the Tenth City. He had not, it seemed, intended to say it out loud—when he realized that all eyes in the room were now fixed on him, he hastily added, “I-I mean, to be precise, that we pretend to submit to the empire. Once we see the ghouls have withdrawn, we sweep in to invade them. Just another idea...”
Lion didn’t let his exasperation show as he replied. “Schemes and intrigue are all very well, but we can’t hope that Darmés will be easily deceived. Rest assured that if we offer vassalage, he’ll come back with some sort of demand—ordering that we disarm ourselves, for example. He’ll likely also ask for hostages. He’ll never call back his army of ghouls until he is sure beyond a doubt that all our will to fight is gone. We must set aside any starry-eyed fantasies.”
The lord of the Tenth City shrank back so far it was as though he wanted to dive under the table. In his place, Lord Nelson Freesia of the Eleventh City spoke up.
“Doesn’t that leave us with no choice but vassalage, then? Lady Luciana has my most heartfelt sympathies for the loss of Rue Shalla, but this empire is not the empire we know. I don’t love the idea of licking Darmés’s boots, but I’d take it over being torn apart by ghouls any day.”
“Rolling over to show your belly without so much as a fight!” Leisenheimer burst out. “Tell me, when did you become the empire’s dog?!”
Nelson huffed through his nose. “I commend your courage, that you still want to fight after what we saw, but I am simply looking at the reality of the situation. If we lose, we will have lost everything. Instead of letting your feelings govern you, I suggest you try and use your head.”
“You dare!” Leisenheimer seemed as though he might fly at Nelson then and there, but Lion quelled him with a look.
“Casting ballots will take time we do not have. If any other agrees with Lord Nelson that we ought to surrender to the empire, I ask you here and now to raise your hand.”
Nelson thrust his arm up with undisguised insolence. A few moments later, Cassandra, leaning on Drake’s arm to climb back into her chair, also raised a trembling hand. There was another pause, then the lord of the Tenth City joined them, his face turned down. The last hand belonged to the lord of the Ninth City.
“Four of you...” Leisenheimer fumed. “Have you, the rulers of Sutherland, no pride?!”
“Can’t say I do,” Nelson replied without a hint of embarrassment. The others, afraid of further trouble, all looked elsewhere.
“Very well, the four of you who raised your hands shall henceforth be deemed enemies of Sutherland. Not a problem, I trust?” Lion said matter-of-factly. Nelson’s smirk disappeared.
“Wha—?!” he exclaimed, gaping. “How did it come to that all of a sudden? Besides, you have no right to decide any such thing!”
“A majority support fighting the empire. I’m not about to invoke the Charter of the Thirteen now, but you did choose vassalage under the empire. One naturally assumes that you were ready to face the consequences.”
“Don’t give me that! My choice to accept vassalage to the empire is a highly political one, and nothing else. Even if we are reduced entirely to a vassal state, so long as Sutherland endures, sooner or later an opportunity will arise. Like I said, this is a highly political decision.”
“How incredibly naive you are. So, what? You won’t join the fight against the empire, but you don’t want to leave Sutherland either—is that it?”
“That’s right.”
A bang echoed through the room as a powerful blow struck the long table.
“You’d best start taking me seriously,” Lion said softly. There was an intake of breath from the others. Only Julius’s face remained impassive as he observed his lord’s transformation from his place behind his chair.
Lion ran a careless hand through his golden hair, then went on. “The fate of Sutherland is riding on this battle. My patience for your prattle, you self-enamored fools immediately rushing to save your own skins, will only stretch so far.”
“C-Come now, Lord Lion—”
“I’ve heard enough.” Lion clicked his fingers, and Julius’s melodious voice rang out.
“Guards!”
The door to the adjoining room flew open, and soldiers in full armor began to pour forth. Now, while the other lords and ladies sat stunned by the sudden development, it was Lion who called out. His voice then, as Julius would later describe it, cut like a naked blade.
“Arrest the lords of the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Cities immediately!”
The guards moved swiftly. Lion was satisfied to see that before the four could so much as rise from their chairs, the guards had them in custody. The only one who had given him pause was Drake, but though his fingers reached the hilt of his sword, he immediately raised his hands to show he did not mean to resist.
“You will not lay your common soldier’s hands on my noble skin! Aurion Gravis Drake! Do something about this!”
“Nothing I can do.”
“Drake!”
“Lord Shaola!” Nelson called. “Please, put a stop to this madness of Lord Lion’s!”
In contrast to the lack of resistance from the lords of the Ninth and Tenth Cities, Cassandra and Nelson went on desperately calling for aid even as their faces were pressed into the table.
At Nelson’s words, Shaola turned to Lion with a tortured look. “Isn’t this going a little far?”
“This is an urgent situation—an infant child could see that. I will not show mercy to fools who turn a blind eye to reality.”
“Hrmm...” Shaola considered. “I suppose it must be done...”
“Lord Shaola?! You condone this outrage?!”
As though to avoid Nelson’s frantic pleading, Shaola looked down at the table and began to fiddle with his beard.