“This is really all I’ve got,” she replied.
“Pardon me, I forgot to introduce myself. You seem to know me, but I’m Faust von Polidoro. May I ask for your name?”
After a moment of hesitation, the woman introduced herself. “My name is Yue. The name means ‘moon’ in my language.”
“Pardon me, but may I ask what your family name might be?”
“I…” Yue looked a touch sorrowful as she was lost in her thoughts. She bit her lip and finally answered. “I threw away my family name when my nation fell to ruin. I failed to protect my household, after all.”
“Do excuse me. I did overhear you mention something like that.”
Lady Nina also mentioned that a nation fell into ruin. But why? I haven’t a clue about nations far away, at the end of the Silk Road.
“Please excuse my crassness,” I said. “But may I ask why your nation fell to ruin?”
“The nomadic tribes…” Yue trailed off and gazed into the distance. “No, more precisely, the nomadic empire destroyed my country.”
“A nomadic empire?”
It can’t be. This world differed quite a bit from my previous world. If a woman gave birth to ten kids, nine would be girls while only one would be a boy. I’d reincarnated into an idiotic world where men were outnumbered nine to one. If there was a God out there, I had a word or two to say about their taste. This world also had magic and miracles—there was no shortage of legends either.
However, I’d be hard-pressed to deny that this world bore some striking similarities to my previous world. I lived in a region that resembled Europe during the Middle Ages with a sprinkling of fantasy-esque elements. The Holy Gusten Empire was clearly an imitation of the Holy Roman Empire, and Anhalt and Villendorf were two households among the seven princess-electors.
The two kingdoms were troubled by the pillaging nomads of the north. The great grassy plains there weren’t suited for any intensive farming. It allowed livestock to graze, but that was all; the arid region wouldn’t permit people to settle there for long.
So, I couldn’t help but draw parallels to a certain empire that I knew very well. It can’t be, right?
“This nomadic empire… Would you say that they’re an empire comprised of cavalry tribes?” I asked.
“An empire comprised of cavalry tribes…” Yue parroted. “Yes, I suppose you can call it that. Everyone in these nomadic tribes, from young to old, can expertly control their horses. But that’s not all. They’re not just mobile; they have the skills and methodology to siege fortress cities. My nation was at a loss and promptly fell into their hands.”
That was a stupid question to ask. I’d simply changed my phrasing and failed to precisely pose my question. Luckily, I received just the response that I was looking for. Stay calm, Faust von Polidoro. From the scant information I could piece together, a hypothesis filled my mind. I did my best to maintain my composure, even if all the clues led to one enemy—the Mongol Empire. I didn’t even want to begin to imagine fighting against them; did this world really have tribes similar to the Mongolians?
There were no guarantees that they’d head due west. Even if they did, it’d be decades into the future. No, jumping to conclusions here is nothing short of idiocy. I need more information. I need information to relay to those wiser and more powerful than me. Queen Liesenlotte, Crown Princess Anastasia, and Duke Astarte came to mind.
But even if I asked Lady Yue for more details, I was certain that I’d be told a name and dynasty that differed from what I was familiar with. Back in my past world, how many years did it take for the Mongol Empire to conquer the Jin Dynasty and raid Germany and Poland? No, I doubt that information will be useful to me now. What do I do?
I turned to Lady Nina to pose one more question. “Is this a celebration of sorts for successfully negotiating peace? Is this a gift, perhaps? Did Queen Catalina leave you with any orders?”
“I cannot answer that,” Lady Nina replied.
But that in itself was an answer. Queen Catalina was suggesting that we form a united front and fight against the nomadic cavalry empire should they begin their invasion. Lady Yue and I had been put up in the Reckenbell manor so that we could cross paths and prepare for future battles. Is the threat of these nomads that close to us? Was this the queen’s way of relaying that information?
I suspected that the Holy Gusten Empire had information about nations far away, at the end of the Silk Road—I just didn’t know anything about it. As princess-elector nations, both Anhalt and Villendorf must’ve received some sort of message from the empire. However, Anhalt likely had no idea that warlords from fallen dynasties had made their way over here. The urgency and seriousness of the threat hadn’t sunk in. I was in a position where I could directly advise the royal family, and Queen Catalina wanted to use me as the messenger. So far, it all made sense.
“Sir Polidoro, if you have any dissatisfaction with how Anhalt treats you, feel free to come to Villendorf whenever you wish,” Lady Yue said. “I can fight alongside you.”
If I read between the lines, she implied that if Anhalt dawdled on handling the situation, I should abandon them and flee over to Villendorf. I heard Queen Catalina’s invitation loud and clear, but I couldn’t desert my fief and run.
“Your thoughts are more than enough,” I said. “Could you tell me more details about this empire of cavalry tribes?”
“Very well,” Lady Yue agreed.
A gust of wind blew through the area, causing her long hair to flutter. Now then, how much information can I gain, and how useful will it be? But I have to tell them everything I know. What are the top three women of Anhalt doing right now? I began to wonder, but I knew that I’d head home soon anyway. I stopped my meaningless worrying and decided to focus on the matter at hand. Another person needed to be present for this discussion.
“Where’s Princess Valiele?” I asked.
“I guided her into my villa, but she hasn’t come out yet,” Lady Nina replied.
“I’ll go fetch her,” I whispered. “I think this conversation should be shared with her too.”
“Will she be of any use? At the negotiations, she was practically a jester meant to stir up a laugh.”
She was skeptical of Princess Valiele’s abilities. Uh, I was the one who forced her to undertake that role. Sorry.
“We need her,” I replied firmly. “At the very least, she will be with me when we report back to Queen Liesenlotte. I’m a weak lord knight with only three hundred people to my name.”
As Her Highness’s advisor, I had the right to personally speak with Queen Liesenlotte, but I could only do so with Princess Valiele by my side. If she wasn’t there, or if Queen Liesenlotte didn’t give me her express approval, I had no right to speak my mind.
“Anhalt sure is troublesome,” Lady Nina remarked. “This is one of the reasons why I dislike your kingdom. Here in Villendorf, it matters not if you’re a commoner. A man of your combat prowess and status will be allowed to directly speak with the royal family.”
“Each kingdom has its own history,” I replied.
Every nation had its upsides and downsides. Admittedly, as a person with extraordinary powers, I would’ve had an easier time living in Villendorf. But a life where everything went my way was a boring one. As I continued to compare the two kingdoms, Lady Nina led the way and the three of us headed for the villa. I wonder what Princess Valiele’s up to.
“I order you to lynch Zabine,” Her Highness said.
She stood in the garden of House Reckenbell’s villa as she ordered her corps to lynch Lady Zabine.
“What?!” Zabine shouted. “What did I do wrong?”
“You told me to marry Faust!” Princess Valiele roared. “Are you completely out of your mind?! And you dare request to become his second wife?”
“I haven’t lost my mind at all, Your Highness,” Zabine replied. “It’s very logical. I said what I said after I weighed all our options.”
What in the world are they talking about? We can’t have Lady Nina and Lady Yue lay eyes upon such a wretched sight.
“You’re a princess I respect and admire! So after much thought, I concluded it would be best if you, Sir Polidoro, and I had some fun in bed!” Zabine shouted. “I thought the three of us could enjoy a pleasurable time!”
All right, I’ll let them be. It sounds like Lady Zabine said something that’s worthy of punishment. Even after her first battle, she still acts like a chimp. My assessment of Zabine lowered a fair bit. I was aware that Zabine’s perky tits still made me think much more highly of her than I would have otherwise.