Editing Rakuin no Monshou:Volume3 Chapter7 (section)

===Part 3===
Things flow on without pause. Even if the same event were to happen to two people, one might blow past like the wind while another might find himself swallowed like a wave and sent to some unexpected place.

As for whether these should be called their individual fates or the simple flow of time, that would be for the people of the future to decide.



Noue Salzantes had received the following notice in the lands of Garbera.

Gil Mephius not only repelled Ax Bazgan’s forces which had marched their way into Apta but formed an alliance with them two days later.

“Fufu.”

“Lord Noue, you look happy.”

Roger, commander of the calvary, said to him. They were busy preparing for the war. Currently, the Garberan roads were filled with travelling groups of cavalrymen and infantry, and items necessary for the upcoming war.

“Not particularly. Just that with this, it has become easier to move.”

Noue smiled and left the library, exiting the living quarters. Soon the seasonal winds would blow across the Garberan lands. Now that he remembered, Ryucown did enjoy viewing the bending grass fields as he took a leisure stroll on his horse.

''Gil Mephius. I had thought he resembled Ryucown, but ''that'' is something different.''

What Ryucown possessed that Gil did not was ‘charm’. He was overflowing with intelligence and wit, but there was something of a gap to it. That gap of his was what fascinated others. Something that made others think, ‘He would be hopeless if I wasn’t there for him’. This was what drove them to want to gain his trust, and to exhibit their abilities greater than they normally would.

''However, Gil most likely does not have that leisure.''

Being watched by those eyes was unnerving. He could not tell what the man was scheming under those eyes. There was no charismatic aspect that fervidly won over his men, but it did make Noue think that he did not want him as an enemy.

''I can’t deny I’ve felt that myself on more than one occasion. But in these warring times I can’t tell how far we take this path of cooperation with Mephius. I shall make the most of it and <!--have him assist me in-->fully gauge<!--ing--> his capabilities while he remains an ally.''

That, to Noue, was the greatest enjoyment of all.



At the same time in the territory of Mephius, a battalion of men rode towards Apta.

At the helm, leading these 500 soldiers was Oubary Bilan. Having successfully quelled the slaves’ rebellion, he had been ordered by the emperor to head for Apta without any time to rest.

It was when he drew near Apta, a day’s travel away, that he discovered an alliance had been formed with Taulia.

“He joined hands with the foul Bazgans? Ha!” Oubary sneered, taking residence in one of the more luxurious inns in town for their rest stop. On the floor were several female slaves waiting on him that he had bought from the nearby Kiluro.

“He’s finally overstepped his line. Let him pray he hasn’t earned the emperor’s wrath.”

The decade-long war that continued with Garbera had been brought to a close through a political marriage and next, just when he thought he could deal with their lifelong enemy, the Bazgans, he found that an alliance had also been formed with them. For one such as Oubary who raised his name through battles and found that it was only through battles that he could satiate himself, 

“Things are getting less and less amusing.”

-those were his wholehearted feelings.



And in the imperial capital, Solon.

Similarly to Orba who had made his way to Apta, Fedom Aulin was swamped with a busyness enough to shave away at his lifespan.	‘Support the prince and the should the situation require it rise against the emperor’—operating under this agenda Fedom had at long last acquired an adequate number of supporters; just as he was at the point where could think this, he heard from others talk of the alliance formed with Taulia.

“I can’t tolerate this any more.”

He furiously rode his horse for his mansion located in Solon.

It was the talk of the nobles in the palace, and the majority took this as Gil’s ''defeat''. It was widely known that his thwarting Ax’s first attacked owed mainly to Garbera’s reinforcements and that in the second battle, Apta fortress had been so much as half destroyed.

Most likely, there was some ongoing situation in the Tauran provinces that he needed to turn his attention to, so he attacked Apta and threatened Gil into an alliance in order to subdue Mephius for the meanwhile. That the imperial crown prince Gil Mephius had unconcernedly come to Apta with only a handful of troops must have been like a godsend to Ax.

“It seems the prince’s grace ends here.”

Many of the nobles decidedly agreed on this. But to generals like Rogue Saian, his defeat wasn’t unreasonable.

“The prince deserves to be praised for defending with a force that small. Damn it to hell, If I had known Ax would really attack us at full force I would have pushed these old bones of mine and ran to his aid, even at the expense of rousing the emperor’s anger.”

It was the prince’s first time facing a defensive battle. In addition, there were no experienced commanders there to support him. Amongst the generals, voices of sympathy were predominant.

When the emperor received the news, he made a scornful and disbelieving sort of mutter. ''And he said he would take Ax’s head...''

“Now then let me ask you, men. What kind of letter shall I deliver to my foolish son Gil? A fatherly one of gratitude? Or a rebuke to the fool who fell behind the Bazgans, our long-time enemy?”


On the other hand Fedom Aulin, through the page Dinn, was given a more detailed report on the situation than what the other nobles had received. Included was how Orba was the one to corner Ax, and how it was by his own judgment that he decided on the alliance. He could no longer tolerate turning a blind eye to Orb’s behaviour.

''Isn’t there some sort of handy magic that Hermann can use? Something like those often found in legends and lore, that can easily control someone?''

One the one hand, Fedom was nearly about to lose himself in his anger, but this event also sprouted a response favourable for Fedom. It was because the emperor’s outrageous treatment towards his own son had prompted frowns from many of the aristocrats.

''I’ll start everything once Orba returns to Solon. Then I’ll introduce all the supporters to him. That is when my battle truly begins.''

And for that cause, he first needed to bend Orba to his will. Fedom arrived at his mansion, dropped down from his horse, loudly pushed open his door and called out Hermann’s name.

But it was his page who had come to inform him a guest was waiting. He frowned and asked who it was.

“Good day, Lord Aulin.”

Giving a glance at the young girl who smiled at him in the main room, he quickly adopted a courteous attitude.

“If this isn’t Princess Ineli. I’m deeply obliged by you specially coming.”

It had been a while since he had seen Ineli in person, ever since Zaat’s rebellion. Her already fair white skin seemed to have paled a bit more and perhaps due to her exhaustion, her eyes seemed bigger than usual. Still, Ineli released a bewitching smile that did not match her age.

“I had something to ask Lord Aulin so I took the opportunity to wait here.”

“To ask me? Well, I’m not sure if I know anything that might interest the princess.”

“It’s about my brother.”

Fedom’s forced smile momentarily turned stiff. At his reaction, Ineli turned her eyes up and asked questioningly, 

“Somehow, the relationship between you and my brother has suddenly turned good. There are even a bunch of rumors spreading in the palace. How you are raising the prince, whom no one paid a glance at, and might be building a force against the emperor.”

“Truly an interesting joke.”

“Isn’t it also around that time that brother changed, I wonder.”

Ineli continued smiling. Feeling sweat overtaking him, Fedom called a page over and ordered him to prepare some tea.

“Changed….he has changed, you say?”

“Yes. Many have said that it is as if the person himself has changed, no? He saved Princess Vileena at Seirin Valley, defeated Ryucown on his first campaign, and just recently, predicted Zaat’s rebellion and prevented it before it could take place.”

“Men are creatures that can grow into a different person in the blink of three days. This holds especially for the imperials who spend their days aware of the mission and responsibility entrusted to them through their noble blood...”

“I would also like to think that,” Ineli said softly, interrupting Fedom’s words.

“But don’t you think the change is a bit too severe? That time, when I was about to be taken away by Zaat in particular. Brother chased after me on an airship and even after being shot by Zaat, he triumphed. They were things I heard of from the time at Seirin Valley and the time he fought Ryucown as well, but it was at this moment that I came to see the ‘changed’ prince.”

“As I was saying, that is...”

As Fedom was about to send a laugh,

“Yes. Allow me to jump to the point.”

Ineli elegantly lifted up the cup of tea the page brought over, pursed her lips, and took a sip.

Ineli spoke the words like a whisper. “The current Gil Mephius—isn’t he perhaps an impostor?” 


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