To The Battlefield (16)

Victor Mort could not sleep.

No, it was not as severe as before. His heart did not pound wildly every night, nor did every sensation in his body sharpen. He no longer heard Brother Theon resentfully asking why Victor had failed to protect him, words Theon would never have spoken.

He simply could not fall asleep. Like countless people kept awake by grief and worry.

And the Grand Duke knew why.

“Her Highness’s popularity has been soaring lately.”

One retainer spoke.

The study in the early morning was packed with retainers who had gathered for a meeting for the first time in a while. Bundles of reports lay before them. The reports piled as high as a mountain showed how much Marion had accomplished in only a week since departing.

The others added their own remarks.

“I heard she defeated a Hydra alone and cut down the Urg blocking a food storehouse in only two exchanges?”

“They say she also rescued miners trapped inside a mine after being chased by a Sandworm. I heard it from miners who came to my territory to purchase food.”

“Even that ill-tempered Lord Yulvalt praised her, so she must truly be extraordinary.”

Victor rested his chin on one hand and casually flipped through the reports. He did not particularly enjoy hearing others talk about Amarion, but he liked hearing them praise her, so the Grand Duke allowed them to continue.

A retainer with an impressively groomed beard laughed heartily.

“Did she not even promise a grand banquet after the subjugation? My wife has been making quite a commotion over it.”

“You must inform us before anyone else once the date is decided. We need to commission our outfits from the tailor ahead of everyone else.”

Victor smiled smoothly and nodded.

Most of them were newly appointed retainers who disliked political struggles and had previously refused even to enter Mort Castle. He had gone out of his way to summon these scholars, most of whom had devoted themselves solely to research, because the castle’s administration had nearly ground to a halt.

And they had restored order to the territory faster than expected. Repairing waterways and roofs, maintaining the walls, managing the guard budget, and distributing food. Even the ledgers left in disarray by their predecessors were gradually being organized.

The meeting soon ended. After the retainers departed, Kaltz asked.

“What are you dissatisfied with now, for you to be making that face?”

The Grand Duke glared at his chief of staff. Then he clicked his tongue briefly.

“Why are they all so interested in Marion?”

“She is the lady of our house. Of course they are interested in her.”

Kaltz spoke as though Victor had said something foolish.

“Still, is it not fortunate that this subjugation has improved her reputation?”

The Grand Duke turned his head without answering.

Of course it was fortunate. Because she knew little about domestic administration, even neutral retainers had often maintained an ambiguous attitude toward Amarion.

But she had proven her abilities in another way. At the very least, no one would spout nonsense by taking issue with Marion’s supposed incompetence anymore, so it truly was fortunate.

Above all,

[Your people thanked me. I was happy.]

“……It does not matter, as long as she is happy.”

Victor picked up the paper he had left at one corner of his desk. It had neither pressed flowers attached to it nor the scent of perfume like the love letters exchanged in high society, yet he had reread it dozens of times.

Questions he had no way to ask circled endlessly in his mind.

‘Are you still angry? Or have you recovered enough to write me a letter now? Would I dare write a reply? If I told you that I could not sleep because I was worried about you, would you perhaps return here……?’

A sudden impulse surged through him.

All urgent matters had now been resolved. Kaltz could handle the reports, and most of the patients from the Cattaleang merchant company had fully recovered, giving Dideric some breathing room as well. No guests came seeking the cruel Grand Duke, and even the Emperor had sent no messenger.

And he could not sleep.

In that case.

“The situation in Fidelburg has not been properly reported, correct?”

“Yes. There are so many monsters that even Lord Fidelburg seems unable to grasp the full extent of it.”

“It must be dangerous.”

Realizing something from his lord’s words, Kaltz widened his eyes.

“You cannot, Your Grace. Her Highness specifically ordered us to keep you inside the castle……!”

“I cannot sleep even if I remain here.”

The Grand Duke spat out the words. He placed the letter in his hand inside a drawer and rose from his seat.

The subjugation force had taken a week to travel there, but Fidelburg could be reached in three or four days by changing horses and riding at full speed. His body, blessed with a blessing that was no blessing at all, would endure that long without proper sleep.

The knight quickly realized he could not stop his lord. Kaltz stared at the Grand Duke as though his head were throbbing, then finally said.

“……A man who comes running over a single letter may not seem very attractive.”

“I do not care. She has already seen through everything anyway.”

Victor smiled bitterly and picked up his cloak. At his orders, servants quickly prepared a horse and bags laden with food, essential medicine, and gold coins.

After some thought, he also took the third volume of <The Adventures of Doldopin, the Wandering Knight> from the library and packed it. No one said anything after seeing the tired Grand Duke’s eyes, which nevertheless looked more alive than they had in recent days.

Soon, Dideric bowed at the main gate to see his master off.

“I wish you fortune in battle, Your Grace. Please convey our regards to Her Highness.”

The Grand Duke nodded.

Moments later, a figure wrapped entirely in a pitch-black robe vanished rapidly into the distance from Mort Castle.

“This is…….”

“Fidelburg, my lady.”

After such an arduous ride, we finally reached Fidelburg.

Fidelburg was a far bleaker land than I had expected. The castle built between rocky mountains resembled a fortress, and it was even surrounded by a moat, making passage in and out impossible unless the drawbridge was lowered. It had probably been constructed during an age when wars raged across the continent.

With defenses like these, it seemed capable of repelling even an attack by Urgs.

Nevertheless, security was extremely tight. As though they were fighting a war, they had not even lit torches, and only moonlight faintly illuminated the soldiers’ helmets.

We passed through the dark night and approached the castle gate. A guard shouted.

“State your affiliation!”

“We are the subjugation force sent by the Grand Duke! Thirty senior knights, one healer, and Her Highness the Grand Duchess of Mort are with us!”

“That voice—is that Sir Leonard?”

Someone suddenly interrupted. Recognizing the voice, Leonard raised his head.

“Lord Ulan?”

“It is you! I nearly thought some Banshee that could imitate human voices had attached itself to us.”

An older man loudly gave an order.

“Lower the gate!”

The drawbridge was soon lowered.

Was he someone Leonard knew?

Though surprised, I quickly entered the castle first.

People wearing light armor soon approached. They seemed to be the castle guards. The man at the front removed his helmet and warmly clasped Leonard’s hand.

“How long has it been, Sir Leonard? I nearly forgot your face.”

“My apologies. I should have visited more often.”

Leonard lowered his head apologetically. But the man waved his hands vigorously.

“Why are you apologizing to me? The young lady will be delighted as well.”

“I hope so.”

Leonard smiled stiffly and introduced the man to us.

“This is Lord Ulan, captain of the Fidelburg guard. He has been responsible for maintaining order here since I was a child.”

“Greetings, knights. It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”

The captain of the guard bowed respectfully. He looked like a cheerful, round-faced middle-aged gentleman, but his posture was disciplined.

I returned his greeting.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Ulan. I look forward to working with you.”

“Yes! I will do my utmost to be of even the slightest assistance! Then I shall escort you directly to the lord.”

After speaking, the captain mounted his horse. We followed him toward the lord’s castle.

The road there was unbearably eerie. Even though almost no monster should have been able to cross those walls, everyone kept silent, and hardly any lights were lit. Even the markets and taverns did not seem to be operating properly.

Why was that? As I looked around, Ulan explained.

“It is because of the Griffins. At night, they fly toward any light they see, and there are so many that we advise everyone to extinguish their lamps whenever possible.”

“Are there so many that even the guards have difficulty dealing with them?”

Griffins were common throughout Mort, so the guards should at least have known how to handle them. Moreover, I had heard that Fidelburg’s guards were exceptionally skilled.

The captain sighed.

“You will understand when you see them tomorrow. Ah, this way.”

Before long, the lord’s castle stood before us. We dismounted and entered the silent castle, which resembled a mass of black stone.

The lord of the castle, Count Fidelburg, was waiting in the lobby.

According to Leonard, he had been a close aide of the Grand Duke two generations ago and a retainer with exceptional administrative abilities. He had also guarded the east, one of Mort’s harshest regions, for many years, so he still wielded considerable influence. Recently, however, he had not visited Mort Castle at all.

True to his reputation, the Count was a dignified gentleman with graying hair swept back. He looked at me through his monocle and bowed politely.

“I greet Her Highness. Please forgive my discourtesy in failing to meet you outside the gate.”

“It is all right, Count. You must have endured many hardships.”

“You honor me.”

The Count shifted his piercing, icy gray eyes to the side. Leonard immediately bowed in greeting.

“It has been a long time, Lord Fidelburg.”

The Count did not answer for quite some time.

Hm?

I blinked and looked between the Count and Leonard. I could see Leonard’s Adam’s apple move up and down. On the opposite side, the knights wore sympathetic expressions.

“You must have endured much hardship coming all this way, Sir Leonard.”

“……Yes.”

“Your Highness, sleeping quarters have been prepared, so please rest and recover from your journey for now. I will deliver my report tomorrow morning.”

Count Fidelburg spoke in a cold tone and disappeared. His attitude was courteous, but clearly distant.

Was he angry? Before I could dwell on the question, Raul clicked his tongue.

“I knew this would happen. Of course he would act that way after you left his precious daughter alone for so long.”

“The Count is famous for cherishing his daughter……. I heard all the nobles of Mort were whispering because her fiancé had spent years wandering from one battlefield to another.”

“Even so, our young lady has remained entirely devoted to him.”

At Ulan’s words, Leonard abruptly raised his head. Seeing hope appear on his impassive face, the captain quickly continued.

“The young lady should be asleep now. She has been very tired lately.”

“Her health—is it……?”

“She is not ill. You should visit her tomorrow.”

Leonard nodded with a short sigh.

The castle servants soon approached. We entrusted the injured to them and headed toward our quarters.