Rakuin no Monshou:Volume1 Chapter5

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Chapter 5: Princess Vileena

Part 1

Zaim was known for being an impregnable fortress. To the north, steep cliffs touched the border of Ende, and to the south an unobstructed view of plains spread out. If Mephius actually wanted to cross the border and invade, Zaim Fortress was considered to be their biggest hurdle.

Ryucown had made it surrender in the blink of an eye and turned it into his own stronghold. It could be he had the help of traitors, but it could also be that the people at Zaim Fortress never intended to turn their blades toward Ryucown, because he was a Garberan to begin with.

And besides…

Maybe he secretly got assistance from the Principality of Ende.

This assumption was shared by both Mephius and Garbera. If not, he wouldn’t last on any supplies like food, water, and ammunition. And for Ende, right now, they’d conveniently split the Garberan territory in two. In that way, it was good that Ryucown’s tactics hadn’t forcibly placed neighbouring villages under his control, or he would’ve received the enmity of its people.

“Our current Garbera has lost sight of adhering to pride above all!” Ryucown shouted with a loud voice. “Even if we bear the shame of a traitor for the moment, we inherit Garbera’s true pride. Disloyalty shames a knight, but we cannot stay devoted to obeying any senseless ruler. We must consider once again for what cause we should spill our blue blood. Do not mind bearing shame. We will open this fort’s gates and welcome all true knights that dedicate their bodies only for true loyalty.”

Ryucown cut off the heads of all the messengers, not even depending on the counsel from his own home country Garbera. And not only that. He also conducted a surprise attack with his airship on an advance party marching to recapture the fort, before taking flight again.

Within the Garberan royal court, it was the firm opinion that they should quickly send in a whole army to make Zaim surrender in order to protect the royal family’s dignity. But what they feared most of all was that Ende would participate in the war.

At the moment they were still keeping quiet, but if the Principality of Ende publicly admitted to having a collaborative relationship with Ryucown, it was feared Zaim Fortress would become a stronghold for Ende when they challenged Garbera. And with Garbera throwing aside an alliance with them, Ende also had a just cause to do so.

Hence, Garbera had no qualms against Mephius’s request.

Namely, they allowed the Mephian army to cross the Garbera’s national border, making it possible for them to line up formations and attack Zaim Fortress from the west .

It was about a week after the surprise attack at Seirin Valley.

As time went flying by, the situation was also littered with various apprehensions. The Mephian group led by Prince Gil immediately started heading for Idoro. It lay closest to the borders of Ende and Garbera, and was a fortress city that had often been at the forefront during the war with Garbera.

A group of sword slaves from the Tarkas Group was also forced to travel along the journey. Their weapons and dragons confiscated, and moving at a distance while being surrounded by military guards, they were no doubt suffering from stress regarding the dispiriting anxiety for their future. However, thanks to Gowen’s skilfulness, they quietly obeyed for the time being.

Although it might have been the same day-to-day feeling for those living under Tarkas, the situation was more complicated than that because of the Garberran party. In any case, because the ceremony had been interrupted, the marriage between Prince Gil and Princess Vileena had not been concluded. However, wilfully going back home at this point would be a disgrace for the both of them.

“I will go to Idoro as well,” Vileena had told her own country’s delegation, and had gone travelling along to Idoro with Theresia. For the Mephian side it also gave them the impression they were keeping her as a hostage, but, naturally, Vileena herself had already taken that all into account.

The army moved while the goods were carried by dragon carts. The cavalry, and the dragonriders atop the small-sized dragons guarded all directions, while in the centre, surrounded by the soldiers on foot, the imperial and royal family members moved in coaches.

“I suppose this will be Prince Gil’s first battle,” Orba said, with Fedom siting opposite him inside the coach.

“But am I not the one behind the scenes? Aren’t you being much too overprotective, no matter how you look at it?”

“Shut it,” Fedom called back, irritated. “There’s no need for someone like you to learn the imperial family’s methods of raising a good emperor. You should just do as you’re told.”

“So I’m to command when I’m told, order friends to die when I’m told, and kill the enemy when I’m told?”

“That would be splendid.”

Orba, no less irritated, still felt the traces from his quarrel with Vileena.

“Now stop talking. We don’t know who could be listening.”

And that was the ulterior motive Fedom had. Originally, the written letters had urged him to return to his homeland, Birac. Simon alone had been assigned to be the prince’s support. However, Simon knew the prince’s nature very well. So, because he suspected there were concerns about the prince being a fake at the current campaign, other ‘support’ was necessary.

At most…

If the prince did do an outstanding job here, this time nobles would turn up believing the prince held unifying qualities. If Fedom was able to gather up those people and have them back the prince, it might be possible to create a completely new political power in the next era. Besides, the Prince Gil in question was the same as a puppet that did anything Fedom told him to. On behalf of the corrupted imperial family, he himself could advocate supremacy in these current troubles times – just thinking of it, made Fedom’s heart pound with boyish excitement as blood rushed to his head.

Meanwhile,

“Prince.”

Simon Rodloom, who called from outside of the coach, naturally had his misgivings.

“What is it?” Fedom’s face appeared instead.

Simon, who had gone to the battlefield himself in his younger days, was, to be expected, skilful with handling his horse. Matching the coach’s speed, he tried to peek inside. The prince was resting his cheek against the window on the opposite side.

“These past few days, I’ve hardly seen your face. Although I do hope you’re not doing that to bear the shock received from what happened at Seirin Valley. It might also place a gap on the tale of your first battle. So—”

“The prince is in good health,” Fedom said smiling. “Even now, we were exchanging several views and opinions concerning the capture of Zaim Fortress. Later on, we’d also like to listen to your views on the matter, Master Simon. Oh… Your Highness, is it a little too bright? Please forgive me.”

Fedom acted as if the prince had talked to him and quickly closed the carriage’s curtains.

That is strange.

Spurring on his horse, Simon rubbed his chin. Fedom’s sudden intimacy and the prince’s change of heart in these last few days… It wouldn’t be such a miracle if the prince he knew so well, experiencing such an uproar during the ceremony, had lost himself amongst the public. However, from what he’d heard, it seemed the prince had given orders to the knights, and held the enemy at bay before they could kidnap Vileena. Although, as a substitute guardian, he was supposed to be pleased with the prince’s growth, this was far from being human, and he couldn’t simply accept it.

Be that as it may, I haven’t seen the boy for three days.

And, at a distance of fifty metres behind, Vileena and Thersia were rocking about in a similarly heavily escorted coach.

The whole time, Vileena had been silent. She was lost in thought, as she looked out at the scenery flying by outside the window. Theresia had her eyes fixed on the side of her mistress’ face.

At a glance, she was a beautiful girl in her puberty and whatnot, even if she was now grown up. Thinking it was surely important for people to look at oneself, something seemed to trouble her heart. The eyelashes covering her eyes were dark, and the bridge of her nose was a thin line. Her petal-like lips were slightly wet, and her skin nearly crystalline white.

In case an honest boy around the same age saw the girl staring off into the distance from her carriage’s window, on his way home from work on the farm, he’d be inexplicably bound only with a single glance. But looking at himself, after having gone through some hundred nights passionately yearning for her despite the issue of social differences, he would eventually marry some village girl and get children. But even if he’d be reading a book by the fireplace surrounded by grandchildren, undoubtedly, he would never be able to forget that one pubertal afterimage of only a single glance until the day he died…

Theresia, quite touched by her own fabrications, gently wiped away a tear with her hand. This was youth. And, when a voice called out “Theresia”, she looked up as if nothing had happened.

“Yes, what is it, your highness?”

“Theresia, how old are you now?”

“Well… when you reach the latter half of your forties, you eventually stop counting. Then it’s natural to look forward to continue on at that age forever.”

“I see,” Vileena said, as she rested her chin in her hand. “That’s quite convenient.”

“Of course, in the meantime, there were various encounters and farewells. Also many men. Speaking about love, there have also been several marriage proposals.”

“I would love to hear about that someday,” Vileena said with a little smile.

“Don’t say someday, but right now. It’s obvious your highness can use this little as a reference.”

“I didn’t say I wanted to hear such things. Cease your suspicious behaviour.”

With an angry frown, Vileena turned away.

Oh my…

Although Theresia thought she was cute, that naturally didn’t come out of her mouth. But it was worth teasing her. So, because she would otherwise be bored daydreaming again, her slightly mischievous side came to surface.

“This Prince Gil has one utterly curious side to him, doesn’t he?” Theresia said, feigning ignorance. She didn’t seem to notice Vileena glaring her way, either.

“I really haven’t decided what to think of him,” she continued. “Strangely enough, he has the attitude of someone who knows the world, but unbecoming of royal family he – how to say this correctly – sometimes still seems to speak like a child. Oddly, it’s something I worry about. Whether or not he will become a good husband, I’m certain he’s not the type that would fit into the Garberan court, right?”

“I guess he’s just a fool. Judging from all the rumours I’ve heard, it’s not such a big surprise,” Vileena said curtly. “As an enemy, he’s manageable. But it’s true I have to know a lot more details. They say that, in a battle, intelligence is everything, or so grandfather told me.”

“A battle?”

“Yes, a battle so that no more blood will be shed.”

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