As a wedding between count families, the ceremony happened in grand style. Priests and nuns from Mineria came and sang hymns to celebrate us. Of course, I was painfully aware this wasn’t a bond of true love alone, but I still found myself tearing up. The ceremony was amazing. Even if our marriage never ceased to be political, Seraphina and I could surely be happy together for a long time. “Honestly, my darling Alsrod! Heroes don’t cry.” I’d been discovered. “And neither do Saints, I’m sure,” I shot back. Seraphina was crying far more than I was. “But I’m so happy—I can’t help it…” If a historian years from now wrote that our marriage wasn’t happy, because it was political, they’d be sorely mistaken. Lords usually had concubines, especially powerful lords, but that privilege wasn’t extended to noble ladies. A wedding really was a special thing for her, and I was a special man. There were a number of ladies in the kingdom, but unlike their male counterparts, divorcing and remarrying multiple times would only sour their reputation. My soon-to-be father-in-law, Ayles, looked emotional to be seeing his daughter so happy. If you included the children of his mistresses, he had so many sons and daughters that he wasn’t certain of the precise number. Still, it seemed he cared enough to cry for them. After the ceremony was over, I took my new wife, Seraphina, to Nayvil Castle. She really was sharp; instead of anxiously peering around her unfamiliar new home, she immediately began criticizing its layout. “This castle is no good for a man of your rank. It’s a bit too small. You couldn’t even fit a thousand people in here! The moat around the castle town needs to be big enough for a count, too. It’s not just a problem of family status; eventually your enemies are going to be bigger, too.” I stroked her head, even though vassals were present. “You’re absolutely right. I was considering either adding on to the castle or relocating before long.” Nayvil wasn’t a bad place to live. It was my hometown, so I felt some attachment to it. But it was ultimately the castle town of a minor lord governing a county. This far inland, it was hardly convenient; reaching the other areas I controlled took time. Even the castle had been designed to handle only a few hundred enemies. Against thousands, it could be overpowered with brute force. “By the way, Seraphina, if we were to relocate, where would you want to go?” “Well, I was thinking about your territory, and Maust is a good city since it’s on a big river. It’s convenient for trade, and with a good construction plan, you can use the river itself as a moat for the castle’s rear.” I stroked her head again. “I’d have tried to marry you even if you were a commoner’s daughter.” “So you like Maust, too?” “Exactly.” Maust had been the commercial center for the late Viscount of Marle. I’d had my eye on it, too. In particular because Fordoneria Prefecture wasn’t on the sea, meaning it was fastest to get to the ocean by going down the river. “Once I can call myself Count of Fordoneria, I’ll give relocation some serious consideration. First I want to take care of the other forces still in the prefecture.” “True. A hero can only show his strength in war, after all.” A vassal chose that moment to enter and said, with some reservation, “Sir, if you would, we have a number of documents that have yet to be taken care of…” I’d been away from the castle for the wedding, so more work would be awaiting me than usual. There was no way I could personally show Seraphina around the castle and town now. Well, the size of my territory was nothing like before, so the amount of paperwork had risen exponentially, too. And there was a whole range of complaints I had to see to. And my official duties took forever. “Very well. I’m getting back to work. Can someone show my wife around the castle?” I’d rather it be a woman, though… My eyes met with Laviala’s. …Not a good idea. “I wouldn’t mind… I can keep public and private matters separate…,” Laviala had once said. I was happy she had, and I didn’t think she would be unkind to Seraphina. But I was doubtful she was the right person, and there was a more fundamental problem. “That half-elven girl Laviala is your lover, right? As such a master of the bow, she must have such a firm physique.” Seraphina stared at Laviala provocatively. So apparently, Seraphina considered Laviala her rival. I was acquainted with Seraphina’s personality by now; she had a real competitive streak. Maybe it was all those siblings and half-siblings she had through her father. “You’re known for your valor, just like my husband. I hear you’ve felled many enemies with that bow.” “I am honored by your compliments, my lady.” “My chest is bigger than yours, though. It’s at least twice the size.” Laviala blushed out of embarrassment. Her chest was undeniably small, a fact that probably bothered her, too. “If I may add, my lady…as I am an Archer, I am merely restraining my chest that it does not get in the way…” Laviala always made that excuse in public. I knew the truth all too well, but I used my better judgment and kept my mouth shut… “So she says, but you know how big her chest is, don’t you, my darling? What’s the truth?” “Don’t ask me that!” I answered. I realized her intentions from her mischievous expression. She already knew the answer… Apparently, Seraphina really was a wild child. “Ah, I understand. There are other vassals around, and I shouldn’t embarrass your friend. You truly appreciate your position as count.” The other vassals present couldn’t hold back their snickering. Even the elven vassals, who were close to Laviala, were laughing; it was obviously very common knowledge that Laviala was worried about her chest. But I was impressed by something a bit different. With this exchange, Seraphina had instantly endeared herself to my vassals. Even as my wife, she was a daughter of Mineria, a sworn enemy we’d been fighting again and again. There may have been people who’d lost their parents in the war with them, and the political marriage was suggested by Mineria. Suspicion would be a natural reaction. However, with her banter, Seraphina had effortlessly eased tensions and earned herself recognition as the count’s witty wife. Seraphina glanced in my direction, as if to say, What do you think? I managed that rather well, wouldn’t you say? My wife may have been more talented than I’d realized. And since some lords are too small-minded and incompetent to appreciate such a quick-witted girl, Ayles must have had trouble finding a good partner for her. Meanwhile, Laviala was bright red. As far as she was concerned, she’d been sacrificed for Seraphina’s reputation. “My lady… I wonder if you could perhaps not think of your position a bit more when choosing your words…” “No need to be so formal. Call me by my name: Seraphina. I can’t deny that you know my husband much better than I do, after all.” Laviala’s expression softened into something kinder. “You’ve helped my husband so many times; I know and admit that much. Please keep it up.” “Understood… Lady Seraphina…” Rather than staying on top, Seraphina had let her opponent have the victory. She was good at winning people over. So good it was a bit scary. “Well then, I hope we can be good friends, Miss Laviala.” Seraphina suddenly extended her hand, which Laviala cautiously shook. I looked at Seraphina’s smiling face and thought: If I don’t watch out, too, she could kill me in my sleep. Of course. A wild goose never laid a tame egg. My profession said what I guessed was a proverb, like “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” or something. Back to the question of who should show Seraphina around—someone other than Laviala would be better, after all. It was strange to ask your lover to give your wife a tour, though that was more of an excuse; in reality, I had too much work to do. Laviala was someone I trusted, so when I was busy, she was invariably busy, too. But just then, the perfect person for the job arrived. “I can show her around the castle, Brother.” Altia sauntered into the room. She was much healthier than she used to be, and she’d even been well enough to attend our wedding. I could never have imagined such a recovery back when I was a puny, title-less lord with half a village. Indeed, considering Seraphina had married into the Nayvil family, she and Altia were now relatives. There was nothing odd about Altia giving her a tour of the place. “All right. If you would, then.” “Yes, Brother. I wanted to talk with Seraphina about some things anyway.” “Thanks, Miss Altia.” Seraphina bowed her head politely. Since Altia didn’t have a lot of friends anyway, it’d be nice if she and Seraphina got along. “Miss Altia, are there any saints of fertility enshrined around here?” “Oh… Fertility…? There should be something…” Hearing their exchange, some vassals laughed again. It was embarrassing to hear it said so plainly… I’d be in trouble if I didn’t have kids, though… “L-let’s, um, recollect ourselves and get back to work…” Laviala was a bit rattled, too. Pretty sure she meant “collect” ourselves. What are we supposed to recollect? “Yeah, you’re right,” I agreed. Laviala then said in a low voice so only I could hear, “I want to have your baby, too…” “You will. No need to rush…” To be sure, a count needed an heir. But, well, there was only so much one could do. It really was down to luck, which was exactly why there were things like shrines to pray to. I really did focus on my duties. Having reduced my pile of work, I held a war council in the evening to decide where to attack next. I invited not only Laviala and Kivik to attend, but my new wife, Seraphina, too. Spreading a map out on the table, I declared, “We should attack Sanctum County to the south next. There’s a group there called the Knights of the Sanctum who have another county. For them, captain is basically a hereditary position, so the current one holds the authority.” “Sanctum County… Ah, right, where the Fordoneria Cathedral is.” Seraphina was correct. Since ancient times it’d been called Sanctum County for its cathedral, the greatest temple in all of Fordoneria. It had also been the political center of Fordoneria forever. In Nayvil there was the First Temple, which managed the rituals in the county, but this cathedral was where the rituals in the prefecture were managed. “If we can take it, the unification of Fordoneria will be one step away. I’ll bring them to their knees no matter what it takes.” “There will be absolutely no problem as far as how many troops we can muster. I’m sure of it,” Laviala said confidently. “In the experience of these old bones, there’s nothing to fear, either,” Kivik agreed. Exactly. Wipe them out posthaste. Anyone who fails to put even so much as a decent effort into diplomacy after your domain has grown so much can’t be strong to begin with. They can barely even grasp concept of fighting against large enemies. Oda Nobunaga’s words made sense. Whether it be joining forces with others or scheming to form an alliance with us, there were things they should be doing. They were a group who’d never even considered they might face great powers. For centuries, the pride of protecting the cathedral was the only thing that had sustained them. “We’re superior in both numbers and capability. However, there’s one little thing bothering me.” Everyone stared at me with worry, as if I’d said something ominous. “Ah, not that there’s even the slightest chance we’d ever lose. I just need to be particular about the way we’re going to win. I’m no wildfire or storm; I’m a count. I want to ensure something will be left after the fight.” “I’m sure we’ve been forbidding the men from pillaging. And I’ve kept a close watch on my elves,” said Laviala. “Ah, that’s not what I mean. I have a plan. I’ll take care of it on my own. With that, our total victory will be sealed.” After the war council, I consulted individually with someone else about strategy. The secrecy of this was important, so I did my best to hide it. I see, so you’re going to use rappas as well. My inner voice said something strange. Rappas? What are they wrapping? No, no. The people you intend to use for this are called rappas. Good on you for lining some up. The more cards you have in hand, the better. Can’t argue with that. Pushing through with brute force could cause a lot of problems. For the time being, I wanted to expand my forces more efficiently. I first sent a letter to the Knights of the Sanctum, asking them to come pay their respects to me, the count. They were treated like nobility themselves, with the captain considered to be like a viscount. Thus, they were below a count. If they were to pledge fealty, they needed to come bow before me. They weren’t thinking of coming to do anything like that, though. The Knights of the Sanctum ignored the letter. As old-fashioned as they were, they didn’t know how to deal with an upstart count. Besides, if they submitted to me, their vested interests in Fordoneria Cathedral might be taken away. They certainly couldn’t allow that. I advanced into Sanctum County with seven hundred troops. To be honest, it wasn’t very many for a count, or someone with as much territory. I could’ve gone with double that. Some had insisted I use more men even if I risk my dignity. However, there was a reason I needed to deliberately stop at seven hundred. One goal this time was to test the Red Bears and White Eagles. How impactful could well-led units be? I’d find out what differentiated them from regular soldiers. And those elites and the units following them still barely numbered seven hundred at most. Oda Nobunaga had also said his elite units had numbered about seven or eight hundred when he had half a prefecture, so that meant I’d also brought about the right amount. The results couldn’t have been better. A small battle played out on the flatland of Sanctum County, and the Red Bears and White Eagles—both with no more than fifty actual members—and their accompanying units of three hundred apiece mostly destroyed a force twice their size. The enemy was powerless against them. We could have pursued them then, but overextending with a smaller force would have been a bad idea. Deciding to advance slowly, we made camp nearby for that day. In the camp, Laviala, who kept ready beside me, listened gleefully to the battle report. “They aren’t even a bit coordinated. They fight in the old way, as chivalrous individual warriors, but their technique isn’t even worthy of the descriptions.” “The Knights are actually a confederation of small independent lords, after all. It’s impossible for them to move as one.” Ah, like the rural warrior lords of Iga. Oda Nobunaga was saying something to me—was Iga some kind of place name? The Iga lot were more of a pain than I’d imagined, but your foes don’t have that kind of tenacity. They’re just a collection of weaklings, more like the samurai lords of Yamashiro. We’d had the upper hand in the first battle. I’d just keep up the attack. I went on to batter the Knights of the Sanctum bit by bit. Having decided they couldn’t take us head-on, they tried holing up in small hill forts, but we steadily destroyed their forts one by one. Having made camp in a village, I called the captains of the Red Bears and White Eagles and showered them with praise. The captain of the Red Bears was Orcus Bright. With his red face and red hair, he looked like a barbarian—a perfect match for the name Red Bears. The captain of the White Eagles was an elven soldier named Leon Milcolaia. He had originally been a mercenary for almost thirty years and had come to serve me when I was lord of three villages. This man also had a fierce look in his eyes, like an eagle. “Thanks to you, the battle is going very well. Stay on your guard and keep earning those medals.” “Sir! You are too kind! We will bring you victory no matter what!” Orcus replied. His sonorous voice made everything he said sound louder. “We will fight to the end, so as not to sully the name of the White Eagles,” added Leon, the more soft-spoken of the two captains. “Ah, by the way, my lord, there’s something I don’t understand,” Orcus inquired frankly. Leon grimaced. You watch your mouth around the count, he seemed to be saying. “Of course, Orcus. Go right ahead.” “Yessir. Why is financial officer Fanneria on the battlefield? I can’t imagine a merchant would have much to do in a war camp.” True, Fanneria had indeed come along. His smile remained in place, even when his name was mentioned. “Fanneria is a vassal, too. What’s wrong with a vassal being here? Besides, there were plenty of merchants with their own troops in the past.” “Yessir, I am aware. But Fanneria isn’t one of those bandit-type merchants, is he?” “Do you have anything to say to that, Fanneria?” Fanneria nodded. “Large-scale wars have always brought merchants with them. In a prolonged face-off, soldiers need to buy things, too. Merchants even arrange for prostitutes and entertainers—and that’s why I’m here.” “Yes, I know that much. For that kind of work, I thought a lower-ranking merchant would be enough, not an official serving the count like you, but I don’t mind your involvement, if that is what you want.” Orcus didn’t seem to like Fanneria too well, but that was what happened when people had different positions. To tell the truth, Fanneria had a critical mission, but I couldn’t really divulge that. If we could win without him having to fulfill it, that would be well enough. But just then, a scout came in. “Reporting! There is movement from the Knights of the Sanctum!” “Ha! We’ll squash them no matter where they attack us!” Orcus declared theatrically. Leon again appeared to think Orcus was being improper. I’d purposely appointed captains with different personalities. Competing against each other here and there acted as an incentive. “Well… They’ve barricaded themselves in…,” the scout said despondently. “Which fort? The Red Bears will crush ’em in one fell swoop!” “…It’s not a fort. It’s the cathedral… Fordoneria Cathedral…” Both Orcus and Leon were taken aback. “I thought they might try such a tactic. I suppose they’re no longer able to care about appearances.” I sighed. I’d expected as much, but it was definitely still a headache. “They’re daring us to burn Fordoneria Cathedral to the ground. If the cathedral gets damaged during the attack, people will wonder if we have what it takes to rule the prefecture.” “If they want to protect the cathedral, what’re they doin’ hidin’ out in it?! They’re more worried about themselves than they are about the cathedral! Petty scum!” Orcus was exactly right. If they really cared about the cathedral, they should fight out front. They were basically holding it hostage. Hmm, so this “Knights” lot can use their heads at times. Oda Nobunaga actually seemed to be happy about their way of doing things. Enemies who schemed must have been more amusing for him. Personally, I’d rather burn them all alive, but it’s a bit too early for you to rush into making a bad name for yourself. Lowering your reputation would delay your efforts to take over the country. Don’t worry; I’ve got a cleaner way of dealing with this. “My lord, how should we go about this…? The White Eagles are prepared to break into the cathedral if need be… Our loyalty to you is more important than any faith…” Leon sounded like a true captain. My guard troops had already done more than enough, though. Going forward, I had something else in mind. “Attacking right away wouldn’t be so wise. For now, let’s stall by issuing a call to surrender. I’d be mortified to be seen as a cathedral attacker.” I dismissed everyone there for the time being, then went on to call Fanneria to the residence where I was staying. “I can see how the Knights have made it this long.” According to the history books, the Knights of the Sanctum had used similar strategies to force enemy retreat about three times in the past. The most recent example was about a hundred years ago, so they didn’t seem to want to use this method a lot, but they didn’t have a choice now. “Fighting for beliefs is all talk, of course. They’re nothing more than lords themselves. They show their true colors when cornered,” Fanneria said. For a merchant, he seemed familiar with the inner workings of the political world. He must’ve seen much of people’s dark sides when he was still doing business. “I want to put you-know-who to use. Are they ready?” “Yes, of course. That’s why I’m here, too. By the way…” Fanneria trailed off. The next part didn’t seem important to me, either. “What shall we call them? It would be nice for them to have a name. I’ve just been calling them the shadowy ones.” I had a moment of inspiration. “Let’s call them rappas.” “Rappas?” “They’re here to wrap up all the most difficult jobs and loose ends, wouldn’t you say? They live to strike fear into the enemy.” Oda Nobunaga was probably laughing just listening to me. “All right, rappas it is. Rappas, come in.” In the blink of an eye, three werewolves had swiftly lined up next to Fanneria, prostrating themselves before me. This was my secret weapon. “When a merchant becomes successful, more than a few attempts on his life are made. To put it in extreme terms, good merchants are those who get wealthy without getting killed, and bad merchants are the ones killed halfway there.” “So you hired special forces to protect yourself.” “No, technically it’s the other way around. I was originally one of the shadow dwellers myself. When you spend so much time collecting information in secret, you start to know what places need what. It’s a law of nature that you’ll make money taking things to where they’re needed. Besides, the older you get, the harder it becomes to serve as a frontline shadow.” “I see. That’s true.” It wasn’t that uncommon for merchants to have some kind of military muscle; Fanneria was nothing unusual. Some employed mercenaries at all times as a de facto army. Otherwise, their property might get seized by some wicked lord. Still, there surely weren’t many merchants who had a group of assassins steeped in backdoor work, like Fanneria did. Huh, so this world has its own sort of shinobi. The human mind works in the same ways no matter where it may be. My inner voice’s world was no different, apparently. It was harder to imagine a world without assassins. “Listen. The Knights’ leadership is holed up inside the cathedral. I want each of you to kill two or more of them. Then they’ll be down at least six. If they lose that many, they’ll be entirely unable to function.” The Knights of the Sanctum, by principle, decided matters with a knights’ council. Their captain had authority, but not so much that he could order around everyone as he liked. There were about twenty member knights; their respective clans made up the rest. Thus, if six of them disappeared, the rest should give up. Most likely, they’d be too scared to even consider defending the cathedral. “And when should it be done?” Fanneria replied. The rappas didn’t speak a word. “I’d like to say right away, but let’s try bargaining a little longer. If we can divorce them from the cathedral by talks, that works, too.” For my part, I just wanted the Knights of the Sanctum gone, so there was no meaning in taking away the cathedral’s assets. The cathedral itself had no military, so its people couldn’t openly defy me. The next day, I sent them a letter with the following message: • I ask that any fighting take place outside of the cathedral, as it would be unsavory to sully the cathedral by hiding within its walls. • As count, I will contribute necessary funds for the operation and preservation of Fordoneria Cathedral. • You will be subject to divine punishment for the blasphemous act of attempting to wage war in the cathedral. • Any knights who surrender will be treated with leniency. We received no particular response. My goal was to repeatedly let them know that I had no intention to harm the cathedral and that I wanted good relations with its people. Sanctum County was practically already established as my territory, so I wanted an amiable relationship with them. Thus, the deadlock went on about another week. During that time, I received news about the goings-on inside the cathedral. As I’d thought, seven of the Knights’ most influential members were inside the cathedral, and the rest were commanding troops, keeping watch around it. It’s time. I gave Fanneria the order. “Do it.” “Yes, my lord.” Fanneria nodded, and before I knew it, three wolves were lined up next to him. “We’ve already ascertained the enemy’s positions.” “All right, I’ll expect a good report.” Part of me still didn’t fully believe it would go well, but as it turned out, the swift results were even more incredible than I’d imagined. Around dawn, I had visitors at my quarters; I got up right away. The three rappas were lined up, and Fanneria was with them. “Seven knights are dead, including the captain. It seems the cathedral was stained with blood somewhat, but that much can be forgiven.” “How anticlimactic. Is infiltration such a simple thing to do?” “This sort of thing is impossible without being sure of success. We only made a move because I judged there to be no way the rappas could fail with their skill. Actually, you could say prior investigation is eighty percent of a rappa’s job.” Since the rappas did not speak, Fanneria had much to say. A merchant has to talk himself up to make sales, after all; no merchant believes in action without words. Now there was no way the remaining knights would band together to fight. They’d fear being the next target. Some of them would offer to surrender, so it’d be impossible for them to band together. “Good work. I’ll send another letter in the morning. I’m sure their reaction will be different from last time.” There was a stir well before that, however; priests and other associates came to me looking for protection. The head priest said they’d been all but completely detained by the Knights, so when they realized most of them were dead, they just ran out without looking back. The Knights of the Sanctum could no longer justify their existence. They couldn’t even say they were defending the cathedral anymore. In the end, some of the remaining knights fled, and those who stayed till the end gave themselves up. Due to their defiance of my call to surrender, as well as their disrespectful treatment of the priests, I stripped them of all their territory and gave some to the cathedral. Thus, Sanctum County, as well as the other county the Knights had held, came under my control. Nine of the twelve counties in Fordoneria Prefecture were now in my domain, and control of the entire prefecture was in sight. Furthermore, I cited the official reason for the Knights’ deaths as “divine punishment resulting in their mysterious demise.” With the Knights being eliminated, nobody came out to object anyway. Naturally there were people who weren’t satisfied with that explanation, however. I returned to Sanctum County for a few days to oversee my new territory. One night, when Laviala and I were alone, she asked me, “Lord Alsrod, when did you hire assassins?” Guess she knows it wasn’t divine intervention. “Oh, a little while ago—and by that I mean I can’t afford to let the public ever find out.” “You’re not even going to tell me?” She sounded so sad; it kind of made me want to tell her, but… “You just want to know everything about me, don’t you? But you’re my vassal, and that’s not your decision to make.” “Oh, that’s true…” Leave your feelings out of this, then. “This is to make up for not telling you.” I drew her body close as I kissed her. Yet another benefit came from capturing the cathedral with cunning rather than with force. I was invited into the cathedral by the head priest the day before I was set to leave Sanctum County. I entered the cathedral, taking just a few attendants, including the two captains of the guard. Even if there were assassins present, I had more than enough vassals at my side to fight them off. The people of the temple, including the head priest, assembled to meet me. “You have our utmost gratitude for saving us from the temple knights the other day. And we cannot thank you enough for enduring patiently to the end and choosing not to attack the temple itself.” The head priest was a man named Tenny. Apparently, he was the third son of a high-ranking official from nearby the royal capital. Tenny had entered the priesthood at a young age and worked at temples all over for more than fifty years before coming to serve as head priest of Fordoneria Cathedral after turning sixty. “No, I just did what a count ought to do. I’ve been using the title Count of Nayvil, but I’ve always dreamed of all of Fordoneria being at peace.” “Your energy has already reached the farthest corners of the prefecture. There is nothing stopping you from taking the title of Count of Fordoneria.” Tenny’s response did reek a bit of bootlicking, but it was true my forces were almost big enough to go after the whole prefecture. All that was left were the three counties in the northeast part of the prefecture. Those three were divided up among eight small lords. “I’ll think about taking the title Count of Fordoneria after I get back to my castle; I still don’t control the entire prefecture, after all. So what was it you called me here for?” “Your military prowess is well known, even to us servants of the gods. I thought maybe we could give you something to go along with your bravery.” The head priest signaled to an aide with his gaze, and the aide immediately brought over a long, narrow wooden box. “What could this be?” “Please open it. It is our present to you, my lord.” When I opened it, there was a single extremely long spear inside. The spear was shining so brilliantly, the light seemed to be coming from the metal itself. I could tell just by looking at it that this was a very finely made weapon. It was common for influential families to make an offering of a weapon, to represent the defeat of evil or victory in battle. It wasn’t strange at all for the cathedral to have a weapon of the highest quality. Still, this had been made for a god to hold, so it was too long for a normal person to wield. “For me to take something that was offered to the gods…” “You need not worry about that; by all means, try holding it. A count needs a symbol of power worthy of himself.” Reckoning maybe it did suit me, I took the spear as suggested. It felt perfect in my hand and strangely familiar somehow. Ah! Now this here is a weapon made for a conqueror! It makes one want to start a war just to try it out! You know about weapons, too, Oda Nobunaga? No warrior doesn’t find them fascinating. Still, when it came to collecting, I preferred tea utensils—they’re more interesting. Tea utensils? Not exactly a hobby for a conqueror. I beg to differ. Actually, tea might be the best symbol of peace. No king is coronated wearing armor. A conqueror has to cast his weapons away sometimes, you know. If you do nothing but fight, then you’re not a conqueror yet. I knew what he meant, but it was a bit sad, too. Fighting was fun in its own right. But enough of that; Oda Nobunaga had said something that intrigued me. You consider this a weapon? What a strange question. This is clearly a spear. No way—this thing’s too long. Have this world’s prejudices gone to your head? The longer, the better, as far as I’m concerned. With that, I finally understood the spear’s true value. Oda Nobunaga was right—I’d let my own silly prejudices get in the way. Best to get rid of those sorts of things. “May I accept this, truly?” “Yes. Actually, if the knights in the cathedral hadn’t died when they did, they might have run off with precious weapons like this. We’re just not able to protect the cathedral’s things. If that’s the case, I would rather we presented it to you, the Count of Fordoneria.” “I happily accept.” I respectfully gave thanks. This spear was more than just a keepsake, for it wasn’t the spear that was valuable; it was the idea it gave me. I made my triumphant return to Nayvil Castle. I’d expected a warm, happy welcome from Seraphina when I returned, but she was actually in tears. “Honestly, darling! Don’t leave me all alone for so long… I was so, so lonely, I didn’t know what to do!” Running into my arms, Seraphina pounded lightly on my chest. She wasn’t angry; she really was as lonely as she had said. It almost felt as if I had another little sister instead of a wife. Seeing the count and his wife so in love, the people nearby looked on warmly. Being unemotional was perfect for war, but in front of my wife, even I wanted to be kind. “War is my job. What do you want me to do?” “But…you took your soldier girl Laviala with you… I’m sure you had lots of fun together…” This seemed like trouble. I looked over at Laviala, and sure enough, she’d turned red. “That… Well, once the war cooled down, just a bit…,” I admitted. “I knew it. I’m your actual wife, you know, darling.” My sister Altia showed up just then, looking a bit annoyed. “While you were gone, Seraphina was praying for your safety, you know. You should be more appreciative of her.” “Right, fair enough…” My sister and my wife seemed to have bonded considerably. They were close in age, after all. A few days later, with the spear I’d gotten from the cathedral in hand, I stood in front of all my vassals. “Up to now, I have called myself the Count of Nayvil. However, the head priest suggested I assume the name of the prefecture. Therefore, from this day forth, I shall take my place as Count of Fordoneria.” Not a person objected. I nodded my head magnanimously. “And so I’d like to perform my first duty as Count of Fordoneria.” Some of them shouted, “At last, it’s time to unify the prefecture!” To make a long story short, no. I could do that later. “I’m going to move my castle from Nayvil to the river-port town of Maust.”
Chapter 13
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