Chapter 423: Great People

When Richard returned to the commander’s office in the barracks, the first thing he did was write down something on the parchment.

Usually, he wouldn’t use something as luxurious as parchment to write his will, but he couldn’t just do it verbally.

After a while, a shadow suddenly appeared at the edge of Richard’s field of vision as he skillfully wrote letters with his one arm. He could tell that someone was looking intensely at him and the parchment.

As Richard continued to smear the ink without even looking up, the figure spoke with a heated tone.

「Battalion Commander! How did that talk go? Of course, you forced the other party to make concessions! 」

Adjutant Neymar. Her voice was strong, and it seemed like she was demanding an answer. How many lieutenants would speak like this to their superiors? At least Richard didn’t know anyone other than Neymar.

But Richard nodded and answered without paying attention.

「Yeah, everything has fallen into place. There’s nothing much left to do. But I’ve made up my mind. 」

Richard said in a similar tone. Neymar heard those words, relaxed her cheeks, and clenched her hands. Then, she let out a proud voice and bounced the sword at her waist.

It seemed like Neymar was praising Richard. She actually did praise him, but Richard knew there was a misunderstanding.

Apparently, Neymar mistakenly thought that he, as the battalion commander, had argued with the Heraldic Order over the capital’s territorial rights, and had won on that matter.

But that couldn’t be helped. Richard hadn’t told Neymar, or even any of his soldiers, what was inside his head.

And now Neymar would hear his thoughts for the first time.

Richard finished writing on his parchment, then called out Neymar’s name. Her braided hair caressed her shoulders.

「Neymar…I’ve made up my mind. I will join forces with the Heraldic Order and support that princess. 」

After summarizing and relaying what he had thought to Lugis, Richard gave instructions to gather his unit soldiers. He handed over that instruction to Neymar.

For a few moments, there was a deep silence in the room. It was as if all the sounds had been absorbed by the death snow.

But then, with an eruption of fury, Neymar opened her mouth wide. Her words were so strong that her eyes rose with a light that resembled flames.

「Are you kidding me, Commander? There are good jokes, but there are disgusting jokes that will rot your lips! Do you know what you just said? 」

Perhaps because of her youth, Neymar wasn’t sure how to express the anger that was currently raging inside her, even though she was shouting loudly.

Should she just express it in words, or should she express it in actions?

What was the most appropriate way to respond to Richard’s words? Neymar’s thoughts spiraled into confusion.

So she decided to follow her own instincts. Her left-hand fell on the sword at her waist. Richard had his one arm hanging on his desk. Normally, she wouldn’t be able to compete with him, but if it was only for this moment, she would be superior in sword speed. She could surpass him.

Neymar made up her mind. If Richard made a careless move, then she would’ve to stop him, even if it meant hurting him. It was unforgivable the amount of crap that came out of his mouth. He was going against the Gharast Kingdom now.

Neymar’s birth house, the Gloria Family, was a humble house comprised of local aristocrats without much wealth. Still, they were still proud people who pledged loyalty to the Kingdom, whose territory was in jeopardy. It would be fine if it was a dispute between other nobles, but there was no way they would rebel against the King.

Without realizing it, Neymar found herself pressing her teeth so much that her lips were about to bleed. She hoped in her heart that Richard’s words weren’t true.

Richard opened his mouth and sighed slowly.

「Do you know how Gharast was created? 」

「…Ex…Excuse me? 」

Of the several answers Neymar had in mind, none of them were correct. The breath that had been building up in her mouth leaked out through the gap between her teeth.

Neymar raised her eyebrows as she heard her teeth scraping together.

「It’s obvious. The capital of the Altia Unified Empire is how the Gharast Kingdom came to be, and it’s the proof that we are descendants of the greatest empire. 」

It was once created by the founder Altia, and humans enjoyed its glory to the fullest.

From Elizard in the south, to the Bolvat dynasty in the east, to the countries in the west. They were all part of a unified empire, and this royal capital had been the center of the world.

That’s why the people of Gharast Kingdom still dreamed of the largest version. Believing that they were the descendants of the greatest empire.

That’s right, Richard answered Neymar in a hoarse voice. That voice didn’t sound like his usual tone. To Neymar, it sounded like a tired man’s voice without a single core of strength.

But then Richard spoke, with an even deeper tone than usual.

「…Then why did the King, who is a descendent of that mighty empire, sweat like a child, wrap his tail in fear, and run away? 」

His voice showed a dark color with an embedded strong emotion that seemed to spurt from the depths of the earth. Neymar forgot how angry she was and sweat dripped down the nape of her neck.

Her superior, who was always a bit carefree and never tried to show his secret side, was now clearly showing his emotions, and exhaling them without restrain. His tone was somehow more serious than usual.

「…It’s because of His Majesty’s sudden change to protect the nation. It can’t be helped. 」

Absurd words were coming out of Neymar’s mouth before she knew it. She couldn’t stand still unless she said something. However, the air itself became tense, and something heavy weighed down on Neymar’s shoulders and back.

「Protect the nation? You talk in your sleep. You don’t have to force yourself to justify the King’s actions. 」

Richard had a mocking look on his face and cleared his throat deliberately. It seemed like he was cursing someone with a self-deprecating tone to it.

「There’s no future for a country whose capital has fallen. And it’s not like the city walls were on fire. The King and his army escaped to the north without a fight. Think about it, Neymar. The people of the capital will never cheer for King Ameraitz again. 」

Even so, what if King Ameraitz personally commanded a large army and recaptured the royal capital from the still roaming demonic beings? Any amount of recovery would be possible.

That would be much smarter than scattering yourself in a battle you couldn’t win. The voices of resentment remained deep-rooted, but everything would become hazy before the light of victory and glory.

That was how victory and glory were. All impurity, irrationality, and treachery would win. No matter how much injustice and uncertainty there were, every doubt would disappear in the face of a victory.

There were some kings who once lost most of their land and were filled with shame, but over time they were able to recover their lost land and leave their names for posterity.

However, the situation was completely different now. Richard wondered if he could hope for such recovery.

The magical devilish being who invaded the royal capital was killed by a hero, and the people were liberated by his hand. No matter what his background was, the fable of a young hero who defeated a powerful demonic being and an old King who fled to the north would gain wings of its own. Which side would the people of the capital really take?

There was no need to ask anymore.

Richard sat deeper in his chair and let out a sigh. It felt like the emotions welling up from the bottom of his stomach were emerging from there.

Richard was well aware that the decision he had made wouldn’t be easily accepted by Neymar. This student, unlike the other one, was brutally honest. She was difficult to bend.

Actually, he would never have thought of rebelling against the royal family. Come to think of it, there was a time when Richard thought exactly like Neymar.

A time when he believed in the nation and thought of the royal family as great beings. That was until he learned that everything was nothing more than a pile of dirt.

Richard pulled out another piece of parchment and threw it at Neymar. Neymar opened her eyes for a moment but took it. Her will to wield the sword had disappeared somewhere.

Neymar’s mouth distorted while Richard continued his words.

「This country is already dead. But its fine with me if you don’t want to abandon its corpse. 」

It was a document written to Valerie about the details of the incident. Neymar would put a good use to that document.

Richard was no longer in charge. He didn’t know if there was a big storm waiting for him or if the depths of the earth would swallow him. However, Richard had no intention of accompanying Neymar on such a reckless journey of defiance.

Maybe he was the insane one.

But he believed it was worth the gamble, even if he was left alone. Someone had to do it. There were too few allies around him.

What if everything he thought was wrong? His compatriot Valerie Brightness and the Lord Roymetz Fomor would crush him without mercy.

There were always more paths to reach one’s goal. Richard narrowed his eyes and rested his one arm on his desk.

Right in front of him, Neymar took the parchment in her hands and looked at him. She looked back at the parchment and at her superior’s face several times over. Then, she opened her mouth.

「What is your purpose, Battalion Commander? Why would you rebel against the King… 」

Richard said as if it was nothing. His white hair swayed slightly in the dark.

「…The person who becomes my Lord should at least be greater than me. Does that answer your question? 」

Previous | Next

Neymar is quite bold…but even her boldness can’t compete with Richard’s cunning persona.

—————–

Support us on Patreon and get access to early chapters