Editing Rakuin no Monshou:Volume9 Chapter3 (section)

=== Part 2 ===

Fedom Aulin disembarked in the port of Birac for the first time in several months.

He was the lord of this Mephian trade town but, since the marriage between Crown Prince Gil and the Garberan princess had been decided, he had constantly been away from Birac. First he had often been in Solon, the imperial capital, then, more recently, he helped with the governing of Kilro, which had only just had a change of lord, and finally, he returned after that to Solon to pay a courtesy call on the Emperor.

An incessant drizzle fell on the harbour.

A great many of the moored ships always bore the emblem of the Haman firm, but today they were particularly conspicuous. These were ships which should have been going to trade in the west but because relations with Mephius were once more strained, and although their cargo was loaded, they could not fly off.

Fedom returned to his residence. His mind was fully preoccupied even as he received the greetings from his wife and children.

Needless to say, what he continued to think about was always the same as ever: his too-grand ambition to depose Emperor Guhl Mephius and shoulder the responsibility of steering Mephius himself.

The war with the west was a omen that the country would fall into ruin and, for Fedom, it represented an unparalleled opportunity. He could sense that day by day, dissatisfaction with Guhl was gowing stronger at the court. Thus, he had originally wanted to remain in Solon and increase the number of his collaborators even if only by a single one.

However, he had no choice but to return to Birac when the Emperor directly ordered him to do so.

The first offence corps, led by Nabarl Metti, having been miserably defeated, Guhl had immediately hastened the formation of the second corps.

“In order to make absolutely sure, make preparations for those forces to be stationed in Birac.” It had been that kind of thing.

In addition, Fedom had received a large quantity of war funds. These were for equipment such as swords, guns and armour, as well as for arming the ships.

He had not, however, been granted much time. So he questioned how much he would be able to get done.

''The Emperor is impatient.'' Having returned to his room, Fedom paced around inside it like a beast on the prowl. The best chance to approach Solon would probably be when the large army was dispatched to the west.

The only collaborator he could be sure of at the moment was Indolph, the lord of Kilro. Even if there were a great many people who would take action together if an opportunity arose, what they were currently lacking was a really good opportunity. Nabarl Metti, who had been directly involved in fighting with the west, was in a position to provide such an opportunity and had originally been part of the anti-Emperor faction but, in order to wipe out this disgrace, he was more likely to work for the Emperor than for the Council.

''It’s a shame I wasn’t able to bring Simon to our side while I was in Solon''.

Simon Rodloom was the former president of the Council and was a powerful unifying force at court. He was currently under house arrest. All the elements were there to heighten distrust against the Emperor. However becoming more intimate, not with Simon but with the nobles that he was close to, was not easy. If Fedom could take the time to win some of them over, he would be able to deceive them by issuing an order to save Simon in a time of crisis.

''This is an important crossroads'' – thought Fedom. At the same time, if he made a mistake at this point, there would be no second chance and all that awaited him was ruin.

When he went up to the window, the strength of the rain had increased.

“Eei,” Fedom cursed as though propelled by that strength. He was tired of always having to tread carefully. Thinking about it, Fedom Aulin was not a man blessed with luck. No matter how many times he became enthusiastic about his schemes finally, finally coming to fruition, the situation would change and he would inevitably have to redo all his plans.

On the other side of the window, a single air carrier sailed across the darkened sky. This was not an unusual sight in Birac. Yet it caught Fedom’s attention and he stared intently towards the sky.

The towering mountain range could just be made out to the north. By reckoning the direction from the position of those mountains, that ship was coming from the west. It gradually got closer. On its flank, he could see the symbol indicating that it belonged to the Haman firm.

''Is it a ship returning from Taúlia?''

It would be natural to think so but it would be strange for Taúlia, which had just crossed swords in a battle with Mephius, to deliberately return a ship, even if it was privately-owned.

Fedom was going to send a messenger hurrying off to the port. However, doing that would have resulted in their crossing each other without meeting since, as soon as they alighted, all of those on board barged uninvited into his hall.

From what they said, because of the recent battle near the border, they had for a while been forced to stay in Taúlia but, just the other day – which was not five days after Nabarl had gone scurrying back to Apta – they had received permission to return to their own country.

Among them there was one person with small build. At first Fedom thought it must be a woman but, when that person stepped forward, the expression on the lord of Birac’s face changed completely.
 


While Fedom Aulin was still on the road heading back to Birac, Emperor Guhl Mephius chose the three generals for the second offence against Taúlia.

The commander of the Black Steel Sword Division, Folker Baran.

The commander of the Bow of Gathering Clouds Division, Yuriah Mattah.

The commander of the Spear of Flames Division, Zaas Sidious.

First, Folker Baran of the Black Steel Sword Division. Among Mephius' twelve generals, he was comparatively well-known even outside of the country.

During the war against Garbera, he had not suffered a single crushing defeat. He was an extremely tenacious man, unusual among the Mephian generals, even when the signs indicated that they were sure to lose.
He was forty-five years old. With his tall stature and handsome features, he looked good in armour, but in actual fact, Folker was not personally proficient in the martial arts. He himself was well aware of this and so always commanded from the rear. In these times however, if a general did not sally out to the front and join swords with the enemy, it was difficult for them to earn trust and respect. Perhaps because of that, and even though Folker was recognised for his wisdom, he was very often tasked with cleaning up after a defeat and was, so to speak, a general of misfortune.

Next was Yuriah Mattah.

His Bow of Gathering Clouds Division mainly made use of air carriers. Yuriah himself was, of course, a Winged Dragon officer and had graduated at the top of the Officer Training Academy. At thirty years old, he was the second youngest among the twelve generals. He could well be called baby-faced. Let alone in his twenties, he looked like he was in the latter half of his teens. He himself was bothered by this and had several times grown a beard but, as it really did not suit him in the slightest, he had shaved it off every time.

Finally, leading the Spear of Flames Division, was Zaas Sidious.

At twenty-four years old, he was even younger than Yuriah so, in other words, he was the youngest of the twelve generals. However, he boasted an imposing dignity in both build and expression so that – in a completely different sense from Yuriah – he too was someone whose age you would not believe upon first meeting him.

He had directly inherited the Spear of Flames Division from his father, who had been killed in action during the war against Garbera. His father, Mirandola Sidious, had been a harsh commander, feared by friend and foe alike as ‘battle mad’ and when Zaas had taken part in his first campaign, not even three years earlier, he too already displayed the same tendency. With that said, from the platoon leaders to the battalion commanders, every officer among his troops had been in the same position since his father's time. Although they looked favourably upon him and worked hard for the division, they were a bit too much for the young Zaas to handle.

Thus, the composition of the second Taúlia capture force gathered together the veteran Folker along with the youth, talent, and strength of the other two generals.

That day, shortly before they were to depart for the frontlines, the three of them were summoned to the grand hall of the imperial palace.

"As I have said before, this is a war of retribution for Crown Prince Gil Mephius." Holding a staff adorned with crystal at the tip, Guhl Mephius gazed down at the three generals. "The enemy excels in cunning. Be thoroughly prepared so that you do not follow in Nabarl's footsteps and underestimate your opponent."
[[Image:Rakuin no Monshou v09 099.jpg|thumb]]
A small dinner celebration, serving as the commencement ceremony for the military campaign, was held in the great hall.

Empress Melissa and her daughters Ineli and Flora were also present, which was rare for this kind of occasion. Naturally, the Crown Prince's seat was empty. It seemed that until this war, which was being positioned as a battle of revenge for Gil Mephius, was over, Guhl intended to make a point of displaying this ownerless chair.

Crowds of people hailed the generals, as much was expected of them in the war. Folker was popular with the men while Yuriah was surrounded by the women. Perhaps because he was young, after a period of peace, energy was surging from Zaas' entire body and he had a presence which did not readily encourage other people to approach.

Yet of the people who kept smiling, how many truly wanted this war?

If they were to seriously get involved with the west now, there was no telling to what extent that would affect the national interests. And also –

''Hopefully it won't turn out like the time with Garbera''.

Folker Baran did not fail to see that unease was plastered on the faces of those in positions of authority. That war had continued in part because the Emperor had grown stubborn, and it had slowly dragged on, causing many needless sacrifices within the country.

''Garbera, huh?''

Folker suddenly remembered the girl that he had seen several times at court. Fourteen years old, exactly the same age as his daughter. There were rumours within the court that Princess Vileena had supported Taúlia and that her whereabouts had since been unknown. The Emperor had made a statement acknowledging that fact. Ever since however, the topic of the princess had absolutely not been broached.

''At this rate, we might be at war with Garbera again before long''.

Folker worriedly tilted his wine cup. For some time now, the alcohol had not tasted of wine. It was like cooled molten steel.

"General Baran."

Zaas came up to him. As he drew closer, you could almost smell the fervour rising from his skin. Although he was clad in formal dress fit for being in the presence of the Emperor, it was so tight that it seemed as though at any moment, the cloth would burst open from within and expose his honed body. It was not only a problem of size, he looked like a man who would be more at ease clad in a breastplate and chainmail, prowling like a beast in a bloodstained wasteland strewn with severed heads, rather than behaving like a civilized person who lived surrounded by four stone walls.

“This will be the first time I cross swords with an enemy other than Garbera. General Baran, you’ve attacked Taúlia before, haven’t you?”

“That was more than ten years ago. Crossing the border was easy and we even seized Taúlia at one point, only to immediately be besieged by western troops. If we intend to fight Taúlia, we need to be prepared for it to turn into a war with the west itself.”

Folker spoke lightly, every bit the military man. Zaas’ breathing on the other hand was rough and excited.

“That’s what I’m hoping for. I’ve been suffering anguish from not being able to dip my sword in blood recently. With the west as the opponent, I should be submerged up to my ankles in a sea of gore.”

“You are very like your father, Zaas.”

Folker did not smile and his tone held neither praise nor condemnation. “Dipping your sword in blood is a warrior’s desire” was a favourite phrase of Zaas’ father, ‘Battle Mad’ Mirandola. Incidentally, Mirandola had not taken part in the attack on Taúlia ten years ago. This was because he had been assigned to defending the borders in the east; but his son, Zaas, seemed to think that not participating in that important war was a stain on the family’s honour, and he appeared eager to restore their reputation.

''So I’m going to have those two youngsters for company on the march, huh?'' Thought Folker as he watched Yuriah perform impromptu dances in the distance with the ladies. ''Well at any rate, they’re skilled. But just skill doesn’t mean either brains or experience. In which case, their use will certainly be invaluable.''

Folker was not entirely enthusiastic about war with the west but, as so far he had almost only ever cleaned up for someone else’s lost battle, this was a chance to show off his own ability to his heart’s content. As neither Yuriah nor Zaas suffered from an abundance of wit, they would meekly follow Folker’s directions.

He was normally known as man of iron nerves but, just this time, ardour was simmering within Folker’s breast.

When the small party was nearing its end, a man came rushing from one end of the hall, his back bent forward. It was one of the Emperor’s chamberlains. When he reached Guhl’s side, he whispered something in his ear.

''Oh?'' Guhl’s expression changed. His face seemed to indicate that, while he had been getting tired of the banquet, something of interest was suddenly about to start.

Guhl abruptly clapped his hands loudly.

“Everyone, our amiable General Nabarl has returned from the land of Apta.”

''Heh?'' The banquet was filled with a different kind of commotion from the one so far.

Naturally everyone there had heard the report of how General Nabarl had lost the first battle against Taúlia. But after that, he had remained in Apta and should have had a duty to protect the border along with Rogue Saian and Odyne Lorgo until the arrival of the second offence force – the troops under Folker and the others – that the Emperor was to send.

“Naturally, I did not order his return to the capital. According to the messenger, he seems to have something to tell me privately.” Guhl let out a chuckle, as though he had just heard a joke from a close friend. “But what kind of secret that no one else can hear could this man possibly have at this point? I’m thinking of summoning the man immediately and in front of everyone here. Folker, Zaas, Yuriah.”

“Aye”

“Listen well. Perhaps General Nabarl will tell us about Taúlia’s secret weapon. Otherwise he surely wouldn’t be scurrying back after an ignominious defeat, and without even permission to do so.”

“Aye, aye!”

While it was an unexpected development, if ordered by the Emperor himself, even Folker could only stand at attention.

Soon after, Nabarl Metti entered the hall. Pierced by a multitude of gazes, he walked a little unsteadily towards the Emperor and fell to one knee before him.

''His Majesty has a terrible personality.'' As he watched expressionlessly, Folker inwardly pitied the man who had only just risen to the position of general.

Even though Nabarl was being summoned in front of a crowd, he had not warned the feudal lords beforehand of his return. Of course, when coming back to the imperial capital, Nabarl should have stopped at the major cities on the way so that preliminary announcements would reach the Emperor.

At the centre of the collective attention, Nabarl spoke while down on one knee. “H-Having a matter to report to Your Majesty, I have endured the shame of returning in this way to Solon.”

“You have something to report.”

“A-Aye!”

“How very interesting,” the Emperor opened his eyes affectedly wide. “Myself of course included, everyone here is extraordinarily interested in hearing about what you saw in Taúlia and about what you have conveyed to Solon. Do tell.”

With his head bowed so low that it could not have gone lower, Nabarl first explained that the defeat against Taúlia’s army was due to the betrayal of Garbera’s Princess Vileena.

As mentioned previously however, the Emperor currently had no liking for this topic.

As Guhl displayed a complete lack of surprise, the retainers exchanged whispered comments.

''Dear me...''

''What does he think he’s saying with that air of importance?''

People simply thought that Nabarl was trying to gloss over his own failure by presenting out-dated information as something extremely shocking.

“I’ve already heard this,” with a few choice words, the Emperor interrupted Nabarl’s excuses when it looked like he was going to continue with them. “I do not remember giving you the order to return to Solon. State your reason for kneeling before me in this way instead of remaining in Apta and awaiting the arrival of the second wave of troops.”

“T-That is…” Nabarl Metti’s forehead was covered in sweat. With his back still curbed, he lifted his head a fraction and ran his eyes repeatedly over his surroundings. The audience’s snickering grew louder at his manner that seemed to silently be asking for help.

“Y-Your Majesty, perhaps clearing out the people here…” he said, but the Emperor stubbornly refused to nod.

“I ordered you to speak now.”

“Yes.”

Nabarl looked down once more. He loudly cleared his large throat a few times.

''Oh?'' The audience once again spoke among themselves with relish.

''Everyone, it looks like there’s still something to come.''

''What kind of hidden card will he pull out? This time, will it be a survivor of the Ryuujin tribe who helped Taúlia?''

“A-A certain distinguished person…”

For those who were openly jeering as they watched, the words that were stuck in Nabarl’s throat were certainly completely beyond the range of their expectations.

“A certain distinguished person unexpectedly came to Apta and gave me the role of messenger. He wishes to suggest to His Majesty the Emperor that any further attacks on Taúlia be abandoned... That is why I gave up on getting revenge on Taúlia and returned thus to Solon.”

“A certain person?” Guhl’s brows were drawn together in a deep crease. Recognising a sign of anger, the retainers held their breath. “At this point, what are you still hiding? And in the first place, do you serve any lord other than I, Guhl Mephius? Do you have a lord who is higher than the Emperor of Mephius and whose orders you will comply with at all cost?”

“P-Please do not be absurd! I, Nabarl Metti, have pledged my life and loyalty to none but the imperial family of Mephius.”

“And yet you have shamelessly returned. How do you explain this?”

“I-I will do so,” Nabarl’s forehead was already pressed against the floor. He cried out in a trembling voice, “it was His Imperial Highness Gil. The one who gave me the order was none other than a member of the imperial family of Mephius, Imperial Crown Prince Gil Mephius!”