Gasi

Chapter 1 – The Power of Holy Relic.

Part 1Baldr and others entered the harbor of the great commercial city of Trystovy, Mulberry amidst acclamations that reverberated like heavy thunder.

The kingdom's flag that was last hoisted more than ten years ago made the citizens recalled the past glorious era and then were choked with tears while hugging each other.

More than ten years ago, Trystovy rivaled the continent's superpower Answerer Kingdom in population, economic strength, and navy power. It was even predicted that Trystovy was going to surpass Answerer.

That was exactly why the nobles feared the increase of the commoner's strength.

At that time Answerer Kingdom also regarded Trystovy Kingdom's growth as danger and maneuvered behind the scene.

Perhaps the break up of Trystovy was unavoidable sooner or later.

However perhaps that glorious days could be regained once more.

Baldr's entrance made them harbored such hope.

For Mulberry citizens who were completely exhausted due to the sea blockade by the dukedom's navy, the matter of Baldr inheriting beastman blood was just a trivial problem.

「Trystovy Kingdom banzai!」

「Margrave Antrim banzai!」

「Maritime guild banzai!」

Mulberry was enveloped in an atmosphere of joy that was never seen before.

.

When the flagship that was boarded by one of the Seven Elders and the leader of pro dukedom faction Gastone was sunk, the rest of private fleets quickly raised white flag and surrendered.

There were also some people who didn't take action together with Gastone and so they escaped danger, but at this point they didn't even think of opposing Baldr.

They would definitely be ganged up immediately if they did something like that.

「──Even so this thing really is huge.」

The leader of the Seven Elders Piaggio looked up at the giant ship Gigante that had a total length of 300 meters and total width of 70 meters with an astonished laugh.

He had heard the report, but he didn't think that the ship could be this big.

He couldn't even imagine how Balrd could possibly capture this monster ship.

Regardless of what kind of method was used (it was simply because they had monsters that surpassed Gigante), the fact that Gigante had fallen into their hand was significant.

At the south there was still the first Gigante that was commandeered by the dukedom's navy first fleet's commander Federigo, but if this Gigante was sent to clash with that Gigante, it wouldn't be difficult to open the sea blockade.

The maritime guild wasn't inferior at all against the dukedom's navy if it was just a simple comparison of sea power. If the sea blockade was taken down, Mulberry would soon regain its vitality.

Because the Gigante was too big, Baldr and others went to the land using a cutter boat.

「Have we made you wait long, chairman?」

As expected Piaggio frowned at Augusto's arrogant words.

「It was like my neck would grow longer with how long I've been waiting. Your place to return home would be gone if you came any later.」

「Forgive me then for making you worry like that.」

Augusto laughed brazenly.

Piaggio was certainly a leader and a senior in maritime guild, but he was still a person of common sense that Augusto could comprehend rather than heroines like Maggot, Gina, or Urraca whose absurdity he had just witnessed from the front seat.

「Can't you dispense with the small talk and give me an introduction already? He is the person who will be our lord.」

Piaggio said that and kneeled.

Augusto coughed solemnly and he too followed along and kneeled reverently.

Ignoring of what his mind actually thought, Augusto too understood that this kind of formality was necessary.

「This personage was tormented with heartache after learning of the danger that threatened Mulberry's survival and headed out to the rescue regardless of the danger. Here is the heir to the throne of Trystovy Kingdom, Margrave Antrim, Baldr-sama.」

Baldr got down from the cutter boat and waved his hand smilingly at the onlookers while speaking to Piaggio cheerfully.

「You have done well to endure the dukedom's tyranny for so long. Rest assured that Mulberry is now out of danger.」

「Yes my lord!」

Of course there were also people who were watching this with displeasure.

Mulberry was a city that had protected its independence for a long time. They weren't amused that they had to bend the knee at this late hour toward Baldr who appeared out of nowhere.

「At the dawn of the kingdom's revival, I shall welcome the Seven Elders with a treatment that is equal to a duke. I will never treat everyone here crudely in compensation of your loyalty.」

「We are unworthy for this honor.」

Although this point of compromise had been reached beforehand with Augusto's intermediation, this conversation made the citizens' enthusiasm to reach the peak.

It wasn't a complete self-government, but a territory that was governed by a duke was almost the same as having its self-government recognized.

The last king Umberto I who was executed was betrayed by the nobles because he defended the commoners too much.

The people recalled the memory of that time where the commoners' right was protected and the economy's growth soared high. With Baldr's words they were convinced that Mulberry would be revived.

「UOOOOOOOOOOH!」

There were also some people among them who thought of Baldr's existence as questionable. There were also people who worried that Baldr would be the same like other nobles who only wanted to bleed them dry.

But, nothing would beat having a ruler who could walk the path of prosperity together with them just like Umberto in the past.

「Trystovy Kingdom banzai!」

「His majesty Baldr banzai!」

「Glory to Margrave Antrim!」

The wave of acclamations that showed no sign of stopping drove Mulberry into a crucible of excitement.

With this enthusiasm it felt like there was already no one here who harbored doubt of Baldr ruling over Trystovy.

.

「This method is a bit sly but, it looks like it's effective.」

「...To be honest I didn't expect to be this welcomed.」

Baldr and Piaggio moved to the reception room of the elders. There they smiled wryly at each other.

More than half of the two's conversation was just acting, but it was a fact that Baldr was presiding over it as Trystovy King.

And then Baldr proved in the best form there was that he was worthy for that position.

The maritime guild and Baldr had won the bet that they made to each other.

「Allow me to introduce myself once more. This one is called Piaggio Delvecchio. I have the honor of serving the maritime guild as the chairman of the elder senate.」

「My name is Barbarino Zanariderri, the commander of maritime guild's armada. Pleased to make your acquaintance.」

「I am the legal officer of maritime guild, Pietro Milano. Although insignificant, I shall stake this life to prove my loyalty to your highness.」

「Your highness?」

「If we conform to the royal family law of Trystovy Kingdom, Margrave Antrim is the first heir to the throne although your highness have never been officially as the crown prince. I think that for now I should call your highness Prince Baldr.」

Pietro held his head high as befitting a legal officer.Baldr only smiled vaguely at that.

He himself also thought that it was too hasty to claim himself as king. He also thought that Pietro's opinion was only natural.

Either way it didn't change that it felt embarrassing for him to be called like that.

I am the finance official of maritime guild, Mario Andreotti(マリオ・アンデレオッティ). I'll be grateful if your highness can give me a little bit of your time later to discuss about the war expenditures from here on.]

「──Go easy on me later.」

「Right now one of the Seven Elders, Lambert Colombo(ランベルド・コロンボー) is leading a fleet to the open sea. While our last member is as your highness aware──」

「The son of Bennett Garibaldi, Augusto Garibaldi. I shall pour my effort for your highness Baldr's sake in the place of my father──ouch!」

Augusto spread his hands wide open theatrically in exaggeration, but then Gina's fist landed on the back of his head.

「What are you doing!」

「Sorry. I was just reminded of an unpleasant guy for a bit. Tell your father if you have any complaint.」

Bennett at his youth──in other words Valerie was also a person who got carried away easily just like the current Augusto.

When he was still filled with energy to bring brighter future to Trystovy and talked with Viktor about their dream, he was truly a youth just like Augusto.

Such fact was painful to Gina.

(Thinking carefully his bad habit with woman is also exactly like his father!)

「...How horrible, it left a bump on my head! Well, because of that best regards.」

Piaggio sent an exasperated gaze at Augusto who didn't reflect at all before he brought the introduction to the finish.

「All of us elders swear that we shall spare no effort in order for your highness Baldr to ascend t the throne. I beg your highness to not forget the faithful service of this maritime guild.」

「I shall engrave this vow into my soul.」

Piaggio confirmed that a certain level of trust and mutual understanding had been formed between both sides and smiled brightly. He then clapped his hands.

「Then, we will hold a welcoming banquet with all the luxury that Mulberry can offer as the cornerstone of this continent's trade! We're going to assemble delicacies that even your highness has never seen before.」

「──I'm thankful for your generosity but I ask you to continue this talk for now. I'll look forward to enjoy the wine for the later.」

「Very well, but what is it that we're going to talk about?」

Piaggio was a capable man, but he was essentially a civil official.

Only Barbarino who was also an admiral who could barely guess what Baldr was going to say.

「──Of course, we'll hold a war council.」

.

Part 2「Just what is our navy doing-!?」

The dukedom's great general Cesare was puzzled by the loud cheers that suddenly broke out from Mulberry. He ordered his men to investigate and the report he obtained was nearly the worst.

Gigante that was the navy's trump card was seized by the guild, in addition his influential insider man Gastone was executed. Furthermore the one who accomplished all those was that beastman Margrave Antrim who was aiming for Trystovy's throne.

In other words not only Mulberry had smoked out the traitors and hardened their unity, they had even received reinforcement.

It could be said that a great part of the tactic that Cesare drawn had collapsed.

「How can such absurd story happen! Everything was going smoothly until just now!」

If only Gigante could block reinforcement from arriving, Gastone would rally the merchants of Mulberry and grasped the initiative within the Seven Elders.

If that happened it wouldn't take long until Mulberry opened its gate without any bloodshed.

With such achievement that would completely shut up that annoying old general Olten, he planned to remove Olten's influence from within dukedom military. And yet this happened.

Of course, there was no plan that would go smoothly without any hindrance.

That was why an excellent tactician would prepare more than four countermeasures in case one of his plans went awry.

But Cesare entrusted everything to just a single plan.

Therefore he was unable to think of even a single plan to recover. He could only vent out his resentment and disappointment.

Now that things had reached this point, the only thing he could do was to launch an all-out attack to Mulberry.

Cesare couldn't even imagine who far Mulberry's morale and defensive strength would increase after obtaining Baldr's reinforcement.

「The reinforcement is only 400 troops...…only 400 troops. Those fools are simply getting carried away a little right now.」

If he attacked with a large army without care of loss, even the impregnable Mulberry would definitely fall.

Cesare didn't notice that it was just a hopeful wish and believed it stubbornly.

No, he had no other path other than believing that.

.

「This is the worst development even among all the possibilities I thought up.」

「It's pointless to say this at this late, but we should at least attack before this when we could still work together with the traitors inside.」

Olten was talking with a man at the rear that was far removed from the troop headquarters.

「What is that moron doing right now?」

「Our general is currently in the middle of escaping from reality with all his might. It won't be strange even if his brain get filled with flower field like optimistic fool soon.」

「He will even try something stupid like attacking head-on without any scheme at all?」

「I will revise my opinion on him a little if he can think up any other option than that.」

The name of this man at his thirty with prematurely gray hair was Sylva Berlusconi(シルヴァ・ベルルスコーニ). He was a man who served as Cesare's staff officer.

Although Cesare had never listened to his opinion even once until now.

「Won't he try to use your excellency as bait?」

Cesare's specialty was to present a sacrifice whose job was to gather the damage onto themselves while he would come later to profit from that.

But he was also a cowardly man at the same time.

「He will never put me in a position where I might raise achievement.」

Even now there would be some ways to fight if Olten was in command of the troops, but it was unthinkable that Cesare would allow that.

「It will be the end for the dukedom if this expedition army is annihilated. Whether we lose or receiving aid from Answerer Kingdom, that will be the end.」

A country that lost its strength to guard itself would be unable to maintain its independence.

The dukedom would be preyed on and disappeared from this land, whether it was by Baldr's Trystovy Kingdom or by Answerer Kingdom.

He had to bring back more than half of this expedition army no matter what method he had to use.

In order to do that, Olten wouldn't hesitate to act no matter what kind of stigma he had to shoulder later.

「I can only have him disappear. If he just die, then there is no doubt I will have the highest rank according to the military hierarchy.」

The problem was how to hide that fact from being found out by others.