Editing Tales of Leo Attiel:Volume1 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 3===


Leo, of course, remembered Hayden. They had met each other at Claude’s mansion and he had heard that Hayden had raised an army in order to attack Conscon Temple. As for Percy, when he had been captured at Claude’s camp, he had heard that the enemy commander was called Hayden.

It was said that man would be visiting Tiwana, the capital of Atall, as an official envoy from Allion.

While it might have been thought that he was, for now, giving up on capturing Conscon, there was also a report that soldiers remained at the fortress. In other words, the commander was personally leaving the headquarters even though the battle front was being maintained. Moreover, according to hearsay, this was not an order from above, but something that Hayden himself had apparently applied for.

''His behaviour isn’t normal'' – Percy and Leo shared the same impression.

It had been the same when Lord Leo escaped into the mountains with Florrie. Even though it happened right after he had sent a great many of his soldiers out from their headquarters, Hayden had been so badly shaken by the news that, even though it meant leaving the camp empty, he had mobilised most of the remaining soldiers to go hunt in the mountains.

On top of that, it was clear that he had given the soldiers orders to ‘secretly kill Lord Leo’.

That was no longer just a case of unusual behaviour: both of them also recognised that – ''There’s something completely off about Hayden himself.''



Needless to say, Sovereign-Prince Magrid Attiel did not turn away an envoy who was right at their gates. 

Atall possessed three air carriers, but all of these ships were sent elsewhere to clear the port so that it could receive the vessel that Hayden was sailing on.

In those days, dragonstone ships were getting larger in size. Up until then, single-seat airships had often been used for messengers or in surprise attacks, but when it came to ships large enough to transport personnel or goods, there was still a lot of work to be done to optimise the engines and their ether consumption. 

At the time this story takes places, technology in each country was starting to show rapid progress. Techniques for refining weightless dragonstone metal or for extracting high-quality ether, or else, basic engine technology… the rate of growth in each of these miraculously coincided, and the various countries were starting to build large-scale ships. Moreover, this, in itself, would influence the fates of both Lord Leo and of the Principality of Atall. From then on, and until the King of Allion took possession of the country, ships would continue to increase in size, but the era during which ships and small-sized crafts would be able to sweep over the battlefield would be very short… – But that is a story of a later time.

At that point in time, it could be said that large ships were still rare, just as they were when Leo and Florrie had gone especially to see one, and that these ships served to showcase new technology and to demonstrate a country’s power. 

This particular ship, which was a size bigger than any that Atall possessed, alighted in the narrow landing space in a superb demonstration of skill at handling a boat.

Sovereign-Prince Magrid of Atall and the envoy, Hayden Swift, immediately sat together in conference.

Hayden went first.

“Your country sought peace with our Allion in the previous war. Yet even so, you sent soldiers to Conscon Temple without any kind of notification to us; this clearly shows your intentions. Supporting the temple which laid curses on Allion’s exalted royal family is essentially the same as pointing a blade towards our king.”

He cut straight into things.

“I find myself greatly amazed,” opposite him, the sovereign-prince held firm, “as there is no such thing. To start with, do you have any clear proof that my country sent soldiers to the temple?”

Hayden did not so much as flinch at the retaliation.

“Both when battle was joined and when we were at camp, we showed considerable mercy towards the soldiers who had surrendered to us. Which is how we received multiple testimonies from the soldiers who came to us. Quite naturally, they did not openly speak of the Principality of Atall, but, well, perhaps you have heard of ‘Lord Shalling’? According to the information we obtained, there is a strange resemblance between him and a certain gentleman of your country, Nauma Laumarl,” he pressed forward.

For the sovereign-prince, Nauma’s name being known to Hayden was the same as having his headquarters come under attack. Nevertheless, the Principality of Atall could not recognise the fact that they had sent reinforcements.

“I am not aware of it.”

“In that case, why not invite Lord Laumarl here? How long would it take for him to arrive? Would he be here this afternoon, or tomorrow? Or would it need about ten days to call him back from the temple?”

The sovereign-prince was being buffeted by the incessant onslaught, but Atall also had an arrow with which to retaliate against Allion.

“Well then, how do you explain that my child, Leo, was going to be executed within Allion’s domains?” he asked, but, of course, Hayden had clearly already prepared an answer beforehand, and his words never faltered.

“Your accusation is completely unfounded. Once Atall’s betrayal became known, there were certainly wild rumours within our territory concerning how to handle Lord Leo, but there is no truth to the tale that we would have dragged the prince to the gallows. With all due respect, it would appear that when the prince heard the rumours, he grew frightened and planned his own escape. It also seems that soldiers from Atall, who had trespassed into our territory, helped him do so.”

There were several recesses throughout. Each time, the sovereign-prince gathered his hereditary retainers and they racked they brains. They could play with words however much they wanted, but the fact was that their national power was far different from Allion’s. It was also true that their position was weakened since they had sent soldiers to an entity which was hostile to Allion, despite their relationship as allies with the kingdom.

If, in the end, the discussion turned incandescent and things developed into Hayden declaring that “we will make you understand through sheer strength,” Atall would not be able to do anything.

They had hoped popular opinion would rise up to oppose the attack on the temple, but, at this point, the smouldering hostility against the temple might well be entirely turned against Atall instead.

''Where can I find an opening to put an end to this?''

While they were exchanging words, the sovereign-prince scrutinised his opponent’s mood, and as he was doing so, he suddenly realised that there was something strange about Hayden Swift.

Simply put, he lacked drive. He had lost the tone of voice, so sharp that it could have sliced through Magrid, that he had when they first met, and his gaze, which had been like a tightly drawn bow ready to release its arrows, was turned downwards. Perhaps he had already used up most of the words that he had prepared beforehand as he tended now to sink into silence.

Faced with the envoy’s wavering attitude, the sovereign-prince put his reasoning to work.

''Does this mean that he never intended to attack Atall from the start – or rather, that Allion hasn’t yet decided what attitude to take towards us? In that case, he might just have come to give us a warning not to interfere anymore with regards to the temple.''

The implicit threat was, of course, still there, but, at the very least, it seemed that they were not at a point where a huge army of several tens of thousands was about to descend upon them with its banners raised high.

Magrid continued to pay close attention to Hayden’s expression.

“It seems as though there is an unfortunate mutual misunderstanding between ourselves and Allion,” he tried a conciliatory approach.

The envoy seemed exhausted from the perfunctory and fruitless argument, and, taking heart from his somewhat relieved expression, Magrid continued,

“Sir Hayden, won’t you do us the honour of staying a while in Atall? I feel sure that as we breathe the same air, eat the same food, and speak together at leisure and at length, the misunderstanding between us will surely vanish.”

“My liege is in no particular hurry to reach a conclusion, either. And he is sincere in wishing to maintain good relations with Atall. I will accept your kind offer.”



The next day, the sovereign-prince announced that “Three days from now, we will hold a banquet in the palace’s great hall.”

It was to be a huge event, to which the retainers with residences in Tiwana were invited as a matter of course, and which would also include the vassal-lords who were currently staying in the capital, as well as many of the leading figures in the city who regularly paid heavy taxes.

The guest of honour would be Hayden Swift, the envoy who had travelled from Allion.

When they heard about it, the retainers, who had been waiting on tenterhooks for the result of the interview between their ruler and the envoy, and the populace who had been worried that their very lives might come under threat at any moment, all heaved the same sigh of relief.

It was clear that the envoy had not come to present a declaration of war. Sovereign-Prince Magrid of Atall had successfully managed to put him off and buy time.

That was what many people, Magrid included, believed, but actually, it was Hayden Swift who had wanted to stall for time.

There were two reasons for this.

Allion had sent spies, whose mission had been to focus on gathering intelligence, even further east than Atall. Among the reports that Hayden had received while at the camp, there was one that he could not afford to overlook.

''There are movements in Dytiann that do not look good.''

The Holy Dytiann Alliance was basically Conscon Temple’s religious bedrock. What Allion feared the most right now was Dytiann getting involved in this fight. Dytiann was regarded as the only power on the continent currently capable of opposing Allion, so if that federation of religious countries took action to assist the temple, Allion would not be able to remain indifferent.

And the country that lay between Allion and Dytiann was none other than Atall.

''Right now, you cannot drive Atall into a corner'', Hayden had received that warning from the king through an attendant.

There was a fear that if Atall decided that it could no longer avoid a conflict with Allion, it might be receptive to Dytiann, who wished to prevent Allion from advancing east, and the two might ally themselves on the pretext of assisting Conscon Temple.

And therefore, during his discussion with the sovereign-prince, Hayden had deliberately displayed a hesitant attitude, which contained the leeway to reach a peaceful agreement. His stay in Atall would also serve as a way of keeping Dytiann in check.

Hayden did not fail to find this irritating. That he, a noble from mighty Allion, needed to pay attention to the mood of an insignificant little country infuriated him. But that would only be for a very short time, and Hayden had one other reason for needing to spend time in Atall.

The next day, Hayden went to pay a visit to Florrie Anglatt’s parlour.

It was an extremely natural development that he, as a guest, should go and check up on a young lady from his country who was being taken care of in Atall. For Atall, it was also a way of proving that they had not treated her roughly, so permission was granted readily for the two of them to meet.

“We seem to share a strange fate, Miss Florrie. Since meeting you in your home, I have found it painful to be separated from you, but to think we would meet beyond the border, in Atall.” Hayden tactfully opened the conversation. “I would very much like to hear you sing again.”

“I do not feel like doing so at the moment.”

Florrie’s behaviour had changed completely from that of the innocent young girl at the Anglatt manor, and when she answered him, the expression on her face and the tone of her voice was exactly those of an adult woman. Her very caution, however, proved that she was still a young girl.

Hayden did not lose his smile. “Your father must certainly be worried. A few days from now, I will be returning to Allion. Won’t you ride back with me on the air carrier and give your family peace of mind?”

Even though he urged her to return home in the proper manner, Florrie did not nod in consent.

That day, Hayden left after no more than a few minutes.

The way he saw it, ''this will need time''. If he tried to hurry things too much, it would end in failure. Which was why he felt the need for a lengthy stay in Atall. He had judged that it would take at least ten days, but, by the second day, his self-control was already reaching its limits.

Florrie Anglatt, whom he had pictured in his mind even when he was in a military camp, was now right in front of him. And not as an illusion. He could feel her body temperature close by. Her voice reached his eardrums. If he stretched out his hand, he would be able to touch her black hair. He could draw her body, which had never been polluted by anybody’s hands, to him.

The passion that had long remained dormant within Hayden had converged to flow towards one single point. It was only by keeping a tight grip on his self-control that he just barely managed to maintain outward appearances. If Florrie were to sense his intense interest in her, her caution against him would increase noticeably.

Hayden’s abilities in every area far surpassed that of the average person, yet the one thing that he could not handle was his own passion.

Florrie’s caution did not abate by the second day. That was expected. Today, he intended simply to chat, without urging her to return to their home country. He would start with asking her if she was not bored in Atall, then tomorrow, he would present her with the poetry anthologies and illustration books that he had purposefully brought with him from Allion. That was the plan.

But even though it was expected, Hayden could not endure Florrie’s obstinate attitude. Why didn’t she immediately show him a smile? Why wouldn’t she sing like she had before - but this time only for him? Even though there was no future for Florrie Anglatt other than one in his arms!

Hayden wanted to make Florrie realise that she should never, not even for a second, take her gaze away from him. It was a feeling close to hatred.

“Enough, Florrie.”

His strict tone had Florrie turn a startled gaze towards him.

“Although your father might be master of a castle, at the end of the day, he’s just an upstart come from nowhere. You don’t seem to understand your own position.”

“A-Are you insulting my father?”

Even though up until a moment ago, she wouldn’t meet his eyes, now Florrie was scowling straight at him as hard as she could. Hayden’s blood boiled as it pounded in his ears. Urged on by that heat, he chose the most dangerous of the weapons that he had at hand.

“You’re just like a child, and you know nothing: neither about your dear father, nor about anything else. You are aware that I can mobilise the army, right? And even a child like yourself should be able to understand what kind of situation Atall is in right now. Not only did it betray Allion and send soldiers to our opponent, but Lord Leo, who was a hostage, used you as a shield and escaped from the country. That’s more than enough provocation. Right – the fate of a tiny country like Atall rests entirely in my hands.”

The blood rapidly drained from Florrie’s face. After which, colour violently returned to it and her large eyes filled with tears.

“A-Are you threatening me?” she asked in a stiff voice.

Hayden’s heart ached painfully. Yet even so, that pain still felt sweet as it had been given to him by his beloved lady.

“I merely stated the facts. Whether the nobles and people of Atall, as well as its prince, will be able to continue to happily live their lives tomorrow, or whether those lives will be swallowed up in a sea of flames in an instant, and all of their happiness be reduced to ashes… that all depends entirely on your attitude.”

He could only laugh sardonically. At times like these, there was no choice but to stray from one’s real feelings and choose words that would shake the other person. He was putting into practice what Percy Leegan had called to mind a few days earlier.

Something other than tears also welled up within Florrie’s eyes. Vehement anger.

“You coward!” She shouted.

In that instant, Hayden felt her anger pierce through his chest like an arrow. Florrie was sweetness itself, yet it felt as though her emotions were thrusting his heart into the burning agony of the hellfire that was spoken of at temples.

''What am I doing?''

For the first time in his life, he felt something like self-reproach. Everything he handled had always gone according to his expectations, so he had lived life without knowing remorse. Hayden was as overwhelmed as a child by the fact that he could show off neither these first emotions of his, nor his own talents as much as he would have wanted to.

“N-No, that.... That was just an example,” the voice that spilled from his lips also sounded like a child’s. “That wasn’t what I really meant. I just wanted to explain to you how dangerous your position is, and…”

With the sudden change in Hayden, Florrie forgot her anger and was left astounded. She did not, by nature, have a violent personality. On the contrary, she had lived a life unrelated to hatred and anger. As anger receded, something like pity for this man welled up within her in its place.

In a sense, that too – let us purposely write down the words, despite knowing that tedious repetition is inelegant –  was proof of how young Florrie was.

Her showing compassion for the man who had threatened her did not only stem for her natural kindness. Florrie naturally knew that after spending just one night at the Anglatt manor, Hayden had approached her father to say that he wanted to take her back to the royal capital. What was the roundabout meaning behind it?

This man liked her. He saw her as a woman. That fact made her feel so embarrassed that she wanted to just vanish, but, at the same time, it made her feel just a little bit happy and encouraged. Because Florrie was at that age to be interested in love and to long for it.

It could not be said, however, that she had much experience with it. If she had dealt with it, even just once or twice, she might have dealt with the situation better, pushing Hayden by the shoulders while telling him, “at any rate, please go back. I will pretend that I never heard what you just said.”

At that moment, she found herself in a dominant emotional position towards a man who was considerably older than her. Therefore, she pitied him and, just like Hayden, she did not know how to handle emotions that she was encountering for the first time.

“If there is something you want, you are the kind of gentleman who will do anything to get it,” Florrie continued to attack the already despairing man. “I don’t know about other people – but my feelings will never be stirred by a man like you!”

In a way, Florrie was almost in rapture, and her words sent Hayden Swift’s feelings into upheaval again. He drew up towards her with a look of fury. Without giving her time to make a sound, Hayden seized her by the shoulders then twisted one of her arms behind her.

“How fragile,” Hayden growled. “It feels like I just need to put some strength into it to snap it off. Little girl, were you just making fun of a man from the House of Swift?”

“L-Let go – Let me go!”

Florrie struggled desperately and, in doing so, her free hand struck Hayden’s chin. The next second, a slap flew across her cheek.

Florrie had never received that kind of treatment before, not even from her parents. It was an extremely light blow, but the shock it caused her was more than sufficient.

The dark presence of violence swirled next to her. And its unexpected appearance made her remember the scene in the mountains when she had witnessed someone being killed for the first time. Swords and spears gleamed, there was the sound of flesh and bone being torn, screams of pain, sprays of dark blood flying…

Florrie’s entire body trembled and her teeth chattered.

Hayden stared down intently at the girl who had stopped resisting.

''The sight of a damaged flower is also nice…'' the blood inside him was pounding loudly.

Sensing Florrie’s terrified gaze on him, he himself had the impression that his was an existence which towered over everyone, so much so that his early weakness seemed unreal.

He released Florrie’s arm and took hold of her dainty chin instead.

“Don’t go too far in bothering adults, Florrie. Never speak like that in front of me again.”

With her chin still in his grasp, Florrie indicated her consent.

“You will also be attending tomorrow’s banquet. And there, you will announce that you will be returning with me. If you do not, Atall will be engulfed in the flames of hell, and will perish within a single night. I am ready to use whatever power is needed to make that happen. Do you understand?” he whispered into her rose-tinted ear.

Florrie nodded again. Large teardrops spilled from her eyes. As though entranced by the way they shimmered, Hayden once more brought his face next to hers, moving to suck on Florrie’s lips.

She shuddered violently. For a moment, it seemed as though she wouldn’t react but then, at the very last moment, just as their lips were about to touch, she weakly shook her head.

Hayden had seemed about take them by force, but Florrie’s compliance allowed the heat of his blood to abate. He released her after having only brushed his lips against her cheek and ear.

When he left the room, his chest seemed about to burst with joy.

All that he had done had almost been for naught, but, in the end, it had turned out well.

He had held the girl he loved in his own arms; not an illusion or a pretence, but her actual flesh-and-blood body. He even felt that there had been awe in her gaze as she looked at him.

The excitement of having treated her harshly provoked a new feeling of arousal within him. As far as Hayden was concerned, that warped arousal did not contradict the love he had for Florrie: if she was going to be hurt, then of course it had to be at his own hands.

''Once I have Florrie, this tiny country will have no more use. Once I’m done with the temple, I’ll find some excuse to level it to the ground.''

He had that power.

Hayden Swift felt that the long time during which he had almost lost all enthusiasm for anything was more than made up for by the force with which it had come sweeping back to him in this short space of time.



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