“Sweet, thanks,” Yuuto replied cheerfully. He and his entourage had gathered at a harbor located far to the east of the Steel Clan’s new home of Tarshish. Every single one of his wives and children were present, with none left behind.
“That was a bold move, though, I must say,” Jörgen said, half-exasperated and half-impressed.
“Well, I figured that setting Babel up as my killer would give him the credibility and approval he needs to make his transition to king easier.” Yuuto grinned mischievously, like a kid up to no good.
In other words, the entire coup d’état had been a ruse from start to finish.
After filling the palace with criminals who were already slated for execution, Yuuto had ordered Babel to storm it. The troops guarding the palace, too, had all received Yuuto’s Chalice and were made up of a select few that Yuuto felt he could trust. Thus the truth of the matter would be hidden within darkness forever, leaving only what the people were able to witness with their own eyes, which was that Babel had felled the demonic tyrant Suoh-Yuuto.
“Sorry to leave you with the cleanup, but be sure to watch over him for me. Make sure he doesn’t use anything from Yggdrasil or make a writing system,” Yuuto said.
“Rest assured, I’ll take care of it. I had to drill the same thing into Gendo, so I’m practically an expert at this point,” Jörgen replied.
“That so? Man... Now that I think about it, ever since becoming the patriarch of the Wolf Clan, I’ve always saddled you with the troublesome stuff, haven’t I? I’m really sorry for that, honestly.” Yuuto bowed his head in apology.
“Ha ha ha, don’t you worry about that.” Jörgen just laughed it off. “I’m proud to be able to support the great Suoh-Yuuto.”
“Well, that makes me feel better. Honestly, I’m proud to be thought of so highly by such an incredible man.”
“Wh-What...?! I don’t deserve that kind of praise! I’ll be taking that compliment with me all the way to Valhalla, I hope you know!” Clearly beside himself with emotion, Jörgen scrunched up his face as if to hold back the tears in his eyes.
“Whoa, whoa, don’t talk like you’re gonna kick the bucket,” Yuuto said hastily. “You’ve still got plenty of life in you, so go on and enjoy yourself for a bunch more years.”
Even though his original role had been to keep an eye on Yuuto, Jörgen had been Yuuto’s companion for nearly twenty years. They’d rarely fought alongside each other on the battlefield, but they had weathered countless battles together within the mystifying world of politics, so Yuuto had always wanted to give Jörgen his due.
“Ha ha, I suppose you’re right. I’ve got to live long enough to gaze upon Lord Nozomu’s child, at least.”
“Please do, by all means.”
“Father...” Jörgen straightened up suddenly and unsheathed the sword at his hip. Pointing the tip of the blade toward the sky, he held the hilt of the sword in front of his chest. It was the Offering of the Sword—one of Yggdrasil’s customary displays of respect, much like a military salute.
“I thank you for your tireless twenty years of service to the Wolf Clan. While you’re still a bit young to say you’ve dedicated your entire life to us, you’ve finally been relieved of duty. I wish you good health and freedom hereafter.” None of Jörgen’s words were mere formalities. He was being completely earnest from the bottom of his heart.
As all the memories of the past flashed through his mind, Yuuto felt his chest grow hot. But he couldn’t cry here. That went against his own creed. Instead, he gave an impish grin and raised his hand in farewell.
“Yeah. You take care too, Jörgen.”
Noah, the flagship galleon that had served as Yuuto’s personal vessel ever since he’d fled Yggdrasil, had ended up being the only possession he’d taken with him after abdicating from his position as the Steel Clan’s reginarch. Officially, it was said to have been set aflame during the coup d’état, but that was merely a lie, fabricated to make the ship’s absence less conspicuous.
Yuuto and his entourage had all gathered in one of the ship’s cabins. Yuuto’s formal wife, Mitsuki, her son, Nozomu, and her daughter, Mirai; Nozomu’s betrothed, Ephelia; Felicia, her son, Rungr, and her daughter, Lia; Sigrún and her daughter, Wiz; Linnea and her son, Arness; Fagrahvél and her son, Sigurd; Ingrid; Albertina; Kristina; Hildegard; and Homura were all present, making for a grand total of nineteen in the room. Ingrid and Albertina had also had children with Yuuto, and several more of his kids were also on the ship, but they were too young to join the meeting and thus were not currently present.
“First off, once again...thank you all for going along with this.” Yuuto began with an apologetic bow. Everyone present was either one of the Steel Clan’s most important members or one of their children. If they’d remained within the Steel Clan, they would’ve no doubt come into great wealth, ensuring they’d be able to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. Yuuto was also initially torn on the decision to relinquish his position as reginarch, wondering if continuing to rule would be more beneficial for his family in the long run, but his desire to be free won out in the end. When all was said and done, he’d already done more than enough for the clan, and those were his honest feelings on the matter.
Though this whole scheme was the height of selfishness, everyone currently present had unequivocally supported Yuuto’s decision, agreeing to join him on this brand-new voyage. He couldn’t be more grateful.
“So, the plan right now is to make our base the island we’re currently heading to, where we’re gonna live at our own pace as merchants. I suspect we’ll have to deal with quite a few hardships before our venture starts to bear fruit, so I’ll need all of your support until then,” Yuuto explained.