Vol. 2 Chapter 198
Plume
Translated by Raizu
On that day, it was already dusk when a group of the Sylopea family arrived at Newnelly Castle.
As I climbed to the top of the castle’s tallest tower, I had the view of Newnelly imprinted in my eyes as if it was my one last look.
This evening was indescribably sad.
I will be moving to another territory where I don’t know what to do. The feeling of anxiety that slowly and quietly seeped through, it was like ink dripping on paper.
After ten years of reincarnation, my heart seems to have started to feel at home in the Quordenze territory.
The sun, whose face was hidden by the clouds, dyed the city red as if to assert itself, whilst making the black shadows stand out even more.
[…..Young Master. The Sylopea family will be entering the castle soon. It’s about time to move downstairs.]
As I sat on the stone frame of the window, I nodded at Tesh’s words.
[Yeah, I’m coming.]
I turned around, intending to leave.
The darkness of the room stood out even more in my eyes now that they’re accustomed to red. I stopped on the spot and spoke.
[It seems that the Sylopea family has brought their elites.]
In response to my words, Tesh responded in a somewhat unimaginable manner.
[I believe they’re the best warriors in their territory.]
[And the number of the Lord-class is amazing. It seems that even a decent city can be easily conquered with just that group.]
Stretching my head out of the window, I once again confirmed the group of Sylopea family below.
About 300 people were standing neatly in formation, but according to magic detection, around 60 of them were Lord-class.
That is an unimaginably large number of Lord-class soldiers in a single unit. Even a Lord-class leading 1,000 serfs is sometimes considered as special ops in this day and age.
Considering the circumstances of the Sylopea family, whose number of Lord-class decreased due to the strange disease spread by demon beast Yersinia, a considerable number of them were sent to the social gathering in the Royal Capital.
[Considering that they are the escorts of Earl Sylopea and Princess Plume who are going to the Royal Capital, even this number is still small.]
[That’s true, but… What about their territory security now that most of them are here?]
I don’t know the total number of Lord-class personnel that exist in the Sylopea territory, but considering how many have been invested here, there must be very little left behind.
Basically, the organization of Nobles and priests on the Eruo continent is based on the existence of the Lord-class. The Sylopean army that remains in the territory will be greatly reduced in strength like this.
The one who answered my concerns was one of the guards.
[Among the three families, the Sylopea family is in a location that is the least likely to be attacked. I think it’s only natural that they can send out this level of personnel.]
The Sylopean territory shares borders with only the Quordenze and Evenafis territories to the north and south, and is protected by the Levios Kingdom alliance across the river to the east, so it is said that they usually do not spend that much on military power. Rather, it is said that the deployment of the army is mainly to dispatch soldiers who will serve as reinforcements to both the Quordenze and Evenafis families.
In an extreme case, if they only pay attention to the Spierzeig family in the west, they can afford to let their other sides unguarded. I didn’t expect that it’s arranged so well.
The Sylopean army, which stays at home in the Sylopean territory, concentrates most of its strength in the west, with almost zero defense in the north and south, and the remaining strength is deployed around its eastern base, Pennybach City. Most were deployed as escorts.
It seems that the defenses in the west have been solidly built to begin with, and in the short term, even a small number of soldiers should be able to manage.
It goes without saying, but it can be seen that they do not fully trust the Levios kingdom’s agreement.
[As Young Master concerned, it is not hard to imagine that the military officers and civilians who remain in the territory will have a hard time due to the lack of manpower with magical powers. But still, if they can’t protect their masters at all costs, they’ll be left with nothing. Aside from going to Quordenze, which is a neighboring territory and has a long-standing friendship, the next destination is Levios territory far to the east. Also, if it comes to the Royal Capital where many Nobles gather, there is no way you can feel safe with that level of Lord-class soldiers. The knights who remained in the territory must not be at peace.]
The other escort guard chimed in.
[They would’ve preferred to have 10,000 soldiers protecting their lord when he goes to Levios. They must’ve been frustrated too.]
Even though they were supposed to be talking about the Sylopea family, before they knew it, the guards were talking about themselves. Their tone was heavy, and I could even feel a sort of resentment about things not going their way.
The Quordenze family, like the Sylopea family, cannot afford to take thousands of soldiers with them, so for them it is more than just someone else’s problem.
Considering the nervousness of the guards, it seems that there are more skirmishes between the officials who serve them rather than fights between nobles in the Royal Capital.
But even so, it is difficult to go to the Royal Capital with a large army.
Social gatherings in the Royal Capital are nothing more than friendly meetings between Royal Aristocrats. It will be held under the pretense of [The Levios family and the Milendorva family have reconciled. Peace is the best for everyone!] kind of thing.
If 150,000 Quordenze soldiers rushed to such a nominally friendly party, would they really accept it? First of all, it will definitely lead to a decisive battle in the Royal Capital.
For that reason, there is an unwritten rule that only the minimum number of soldiers that can be posted to guard around the House should be taken.
This seems to not account to the quality of the vassals and soldiers, so most Nobles enter the Royal Capital with a significantly higher proportion of Lord-class than usual, like the Sylopea family.
[By the way, how many soldiers are we planning to bring? I haven’t heard the exact number.]
[500 soldiers, with 100 of them being Lord-class. All of them, including the serf soldiers, were selected from the military officers, so there’s no need to worry about leadership.]
On the other hand, if all the soldiers you take with you are all Lord-class, the other Noble will make fun of you behind the scenes, saying things like, “Are you so scared of being outside?”. It’s like implicitly saying that you don’t trust the Levios Kingdom at all.
A tug-of-war between security and face is going on behind the scenes regarding the composition of the soldiers to take. Considering the example of the Quordente army and the Sylopean army, I think that the ratio of Lord-class soldiers is adjusted to about one-fifth of the total.
…..However, judging from the Sylopea family group, it seems that there are many servants, maids, and civil officers among the escorts.
It may be a no-brainer that they’re not pure combatants, but I feel the actual proportion of the Lord-class that they brought along is much higher than it appears on the surface.
The words “smuggling in plain sight” came to mind, but I didn’t dare to say it. We’ll probably do the same thing.
[Young Master, are you alright?]
Tesh’ tone became a little stiffer.
[I understand. Shall we go soon?]
The Earl of Sylopea, who is visiting Newnelly, along with Plume, the next Head of the family, are coming to say their greetings. Together with my father, I have the role of receiving and welcoming them.
[I’m looking forward to seeing Plume after a long time.]
We continued to exchange letters, but there are no convenient things like photographs on the Eruo continent.
It would be a pure pleasure to be able to confirm how much the girl, who was a glimpse of beauty two years ago, had grown.
Ton, ton, ton, my footsteps as I came down the stairs became strangely rhythmic.
However, there wasn’t a single uncouth person here who would criticize it.
Newnelly Castle has a large room where visitors, such as messengers, are welcomed.
It seems that this room was originally a guest room where high-ranking priests from the Holy City stayed. Since this is the largest room in the castle, excluding warehouses, etc., one can imagine the historical background at the time the castle was built. As Noble diplomacy flourished, it became necessary to have a large welcoming room, so it was unfortunately remodeled.
The refurbishment itself was done nearly 100 years ago, and since then there has been a lot of construction work, so there is not even a trace of its early days left in the large room.
A dark green carpet was laid out on one side, and on the elevated place was my father seated on the throne, and on the wall behind him was a flag with the Quordenze crest on it.
The Sylopea family lined up in a triangular shape, with only Earl of Sylopea and Plume standing at the front, while the other knights and officials on one knee.
When entering the castle, the knight representing the Sylopia family gave a lengthy entrance greeting, so here the Heads of the family suddenly met face to face.
Sitting in the corner of the room, where I could see my father on my left and Earl of Sylopea on my right, I was a little moved by this welcoming scene.
If you do not have a position like the next Head of the family, you will not have the opportunity to participate in such public events. Therefore, Fanny and others are not here.
Gazing at the room like this reminded me of a Japanese painting that I had seen in a collection of Japanese history materials. Somehow, it seems that even the restoration of imperial rule will start like this.
Of course, what will begin now are the greetings and welcome words for the visitor.
[I am very happy to receive such a welcome. As the ruler of the land of Sylopea, I would like to express my gratitude.]
Saying that, Earl of Sylopea placed one hand on his chest.
He didn’t need to lower his head nor bend his knees, for he, the head of Sylopea family, was meeting the head of Quordenze family. While showing the proper courtesy as a visitor, he does not break his stance of being equal as a Noble.
When Earl of Sylopea greeted him with words of gratitude, my father responded.
[Welcome to the land of Quordenze. It might only be for a short time until tomorrow’s departure, but as the ruler of this land, I welcome this visit.]
I felt that my father’s voice was 30% more dignified than when he greeted me. Maybe I just felt that way because I was sitting in such a pompous place.
After a few greetings, they moved on to small talk. This is because if it ends with just formal exchanges, it may be thought that there is a distance between the parties.
As a Noble, it’s natural to be able to properly show your greetings and gratitude, but more important than that is the conversational ability.
After this, there will be a scene where I will introduce myself, so I have to listen carefully to the conversation here.
It’s something I just talked about, but if you say something like that and you didn’t hear it, it’s literally useless.
[…..I was surprised when I saw the castle town. It was far more lively and lively than the Newnelly that I remember. Is this also a result of Duke Quordenze’s excellent rule? I would like to learn the secret to help advance Pennybach.]
[No need to be humble. Even in this difficult time, I always hear of the good government of Sylopea. Unfortunately, I haven’t been blessed with the opportunity to visit Pennybach in the last few years, but when I think of Duchess Sylopea’s skill, I am more than assured. There is no shadow of doubt that the prosperity you have since the days of our ancestors will continue.]
Earl of Sylopea, the current head of the Sylopea family, is the older sister of the head of the family two generations ago. From Plume’s point of view, she is her grandfather’s older sister.
Originally, she was not in a position to become the head of the family, and on top of being married to a shadow family in another territory, she had already retired. However, a few years ago, due to a strange disease caused by the demon beast Yersinia, the Sylopea family suffered the misfortune of dying out, leaving Plume alone.
Thinking that it would be cruel to let the young Plume carry all of the Sylopea family alone, she returned to the territory to serve as the head of the family until the next generation is ready.
I don’t know about Earl of Sylopea’s ability to govern, but at least if Plume had become the head of the family at that time, there would have been some confusion.
It is very significant that an adult with a certain blood lineage, who was the older sister of the family head two generations ago, was appointed as the head of the family, even if it’s temporarily.
Practical work is basically left to the knights, so to put it in extreme terms, the Nobles simply need to reign and the organization will run well. Unless a mature demon beasts appear.
In that sense, Earl Sylopea was just the right person to act as a weight. The role would be too harsh for Plume, who had not yet completed her education as a Noble. Even the knights of Sylopea must have been grateful that the immature Plume didn’t have to be on the front stage of Noble politics.
As far as I have researched, I have not heard that Earl of Sylopea has excellent domestic affairs skills or leadership. That would be evidence that she is faithfully serving her position as interim head of the family.
A person who correctly understands her bloodline and how to use it. The image of Earl of Sylopea in me concludes so.
[…The last time I visited here was around the time of the marriage ceremony of Duke Quordenze and Lady Merley, so it’s already been about 20 years ago. Time flies so fast…]
It’s a story from my previous life, but when TV news shows the ages of parents and children, wouldn’t you somehow start subtracting them in your brain? Huh, it’s a child I gave birth to when I was XX years old.
Listening to Earl of Sylopea’s words, I was subconsciously subtracting.
By the way, I turned 13 this April.
Assuming that the couple got married 20 years ago, the father and mother have not had a child for seven years. Unless there’s a sad circumstance that I haven’t been informed about.
…..Father, why did it take so long, even though my mother in her young days was at the best she could have been?
Is this because he’s a latecomer, or is it because he prefers grown-up women to hot girls? Even now, if I look at my mother, Merley, my cock will get excited. So if it’s me, I’m confident that I’ll impregnate her within three months of marriage.
This should probably be counted among the Seven Wonders of Quordenze.
[…Certainly, time flies. Before I knew it, I was already old enough to nominate the next head of the family…]
I just thought it was about time. My father directed the flow of the conversation here.
[Wilk. You were quite close to Princess Plume, but this is your first time meeting Earl Sylopea, right?]
[Yes. Father.]
When I replied that way, my father declined to let Earl of Sylopea take a break from the conversation.
Then, following my father’s gaze that told me to “introduce yourself”. I took a step forward.
Because of my father’s preface, everyone turned their bodies to the side and looked at me without hesitation. It attracted a lot of attention.
I wonder how long it has been since the time when I dealt with the Nobles who gathered during the Quordenze Allied Forces that I greeted them as a lower rank.
Keeping my eyes on Earl of Sylopea, I placed my left hand on my waist and my right arm on chest level. If a Japanese were to see it, I’m sure they’ll think it’s the pose of an office worker checking his wristwatch.
Following that, I said the words I had memorized since this morning.
[This is my first time meeting you. I am Wilk Quordenze, the eldest son of the Quordenze family. The other day, I was appointed by my father to be the next generation Head of family to succeed this land.]
Conscious of maintaining dignity, I slowly lowered my hands and returned to a standing posture.
And before connecting to the next words, I decided to make a declaration to confirm one thing.
[Would it be alright if I call you Earl Sylopea in this place?]
In response to that question, the Earl of Sylopea with a faint smile nodded.
[Yes, of course.]
As expected, I felt that smile was closer to relief than joy.
Just as I was about to continue my self-introduction, Earl of Sylopea untied her hands in front of her pelvis and stretched out only one hand with her palm facing downward. It’s a pose that looks like a transparent child is there, stroking his head.
[This is the first time I’ve met you, Wilk-dono. I am the Head of the Sylopea family. I’ve heard about you not only from Duke Quordenze, but also from Plume.]
Her voice, as she spoke quietly while looking directly at me, was very gentle and made me feel calm.
The current Earl of Sylopea is now in her 70s. Judging from her age alone, I’d imagine her as an old crone, but when I saw her in front of me like this, I thought it would be more accurate to describe her as an elegant lady. It’s a bad way to say it, but she ages well.
[I’ve been corresponding with Princess Plume for a while now. I’m glad that only my good points were conveyed well…]
[Oh…fufufu, don’t worry about that. Correspondence with Wilk-dono seems to be very encouraging for the Princess. And now that I’ve laid my eyes at that child who wrote the letter, I can tell what kind of person you are.]
Plume, who was right next to Earl Sylopea, continued to stand on the spot with an expressionless expression even though she was talking about herself. Since she hadn’t introduced herself yet, she probably decided it would be rude to interrupt.
In that case, I think it’s bad manners to continue talking about Plume here.
I casually changed the topic from correspondence to talking about myself, and proceeded with the self-introduction lines waiting in my head.
[…..Well, something like that?]
[Yes. Please let us talk about that more at the dinner party.]
That was when I decided that I was able to safely chat.
By the way, Earl Sylopea smiled as she changed the subject.
[…I have heard of the battle in Nambonan City.]
With those words, she completely changed the atmosphere.
It became cold.
The room was quiet, and the only people talking were me and Earl Sylopea.
And yet, at this moment, the room was painfully silent. It was as if I had the illusion that there had been some noise just a little while ago.
I could clearly see that Earl Sylopea was deliberately suppressing her emotions.
I waited for her next words so as not to be conscious of the coldness on my back, wondering what she’s up to.
[I am overwhelmed with emotion that you have retaliated against the Spierzeig’s fiendish devils… On behalf of my late brother, nephew, and niece-grandchild, I am deeply grateful…]
The Quordenze and Spierzeig families have been at odds for a long time, but the current war started with the assassination of my uncle, Gardacle Quordenze. The Princess of the Sylopea family, who was married to my uncle, was also murdered.
From the point of view of Earl Sylopea, this Princess was the granddaughter of her younger brother who was the head of the family two generations ago, and the daughter of the nephew who was the head of the previous generation.
From my preliminary research, I know that Earl Sylopea was very fond of her younger brother and nephew.
I expected her to hold a grudge against the Spierzeig family, who killed her nephew’s precious daughter. But, it seems that her hatred is deeper than I thought.
Generally speaking, when most people talk about Operation Serpent’s Fang, they would say [Battle at Reisleaf Castle]. But she said, [Battle in Nambonan City] instead, which implied that she put a lot more importance in me putting an end to Verett Spierzeig’s life.
In her words, I could see the intense joy of the fact that the retaliation was successful, as well as the smoldering flames of hatred behind it.
[As an individual, I would like to show the joy that overflows in my heart even more than now.]
That’s really bad.
I replied quickly so that the conversation wouldn’t proceed any further.
[No, no need to go that far.]
Earl Sylopea showed her gratitude by simply pinching her dress with both hands, spreading it a little, bending her knees a little and saying thank you.
This is a gesture of deep gratitude to an equal partner, or a qualitative thank you to a superior.
For the current Head of the family to do that to the next Head of another family on an official occasion would lower the status of the Sylopea family. Well, honestly, it doesn’t matter.
The problem is that if I accept this, my father and I may end up on the same level from the Sylopea point of view. In other words, it could lead to the perception that I’m trying to one-up my father.
What is required here is to clarify my position in the Quordenze family and eliminate any room for misunderstanding.
[I am very happy to receive the words from Earl Sylopea. With this, I have received praise from both the heads of Quordenze and Sylopea, so I can boast of my military exploits without worrying about my late uncle.]
That way, I showed that a simple thank you from the Head of the Sylopea family was enough, and that I respected my father as the current Head of the family despite me having been chosen as the next Head. This should be the right action for this matter.
And then, as I was conscious of the problem and the answer, I noticed. This is similar to the conversationalist surprise test that my father sometimes throws at me.
For a moment, I glanced at my father and immediately noticed his grin… Ah, this may have already been discussed behind the scenes.
If you think about what Earl Sylopea was trying to do would be very disrespectful to my father, and it would make more sense if it was a prearranged action.
[Is that so? …..It seems that there is a very excellent next generation in Quordenze, and I am happy as if it was my own. I can understand why Duke Quordenze is really proud of you.]
[Me? This is actually a problem. I’m sure there are many tea parties in the Royal Capital, but it’ll be a little embarrassing to hear my son bragging next to me over and over again.]
Then, my father interjected into our conversation with a cheerful tone.
[Only Earl Sylopea or Earl Evenafis will hear such boasts. Rest assured.]
[That’s good. There’s nothing wrong with that.]
When my father hit the punch line, I felt the air in the room soften.
I think that my response and my father’s words probably fulfilled the matters that Earl Sylopea wanted to confirm.
As the Head of the Sylopea family, she wanted to assert that she has no animosity towards the Quordenze family and that she would like to continue the friendly relationship. And at the same time, she should have wanted to confirm whether the next generation of Quordenze is decent, whether the relationship with the current generation is good, and whether it is possible to maintain the alliance of the three families in the future.
Although it would be possible to infer the situation to some extent through the exchange of letters, it would be impossible to conclude everything based on the information contained therein. There are things that you can’t confirm unless you actually talk face-to-face after all.
But, this is surprisingly difficult. Questions like [We’re still friends, aren’t we? Can we still get along? Also, isn’t the relationship between parent and child not bad? The next generation will have the same perception as the current generation, right?] or something like that will earn you a bad impression if you ask straight ahead. So…why would you bother to ask such a question?
First of all, Earl Sylopea called my father [Duke Quordenze].
Since we are heading to the Royal Capital, we should be naturally aware of our position as a Royal Noble
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