Gasi

The report from Brooks reached the official residence of the crown prince when it was late at night.

Even so it could be said that the report could arrive in less than a day thanks to the radio.

If the information was sent by a messenger, it would definitely take around two days.

In the crown prince's residence, Baldr, Silk, and then the chairman of the Seven Elders Augusto and the representative of the military Ramillies were gathered.

「It seems that Marquis Fiorentina was suspected of colluding with us and got executed. It's good and all that they dealt with it so quickly, if only not for how stupid that decision was.」

Baldr laughed because either way the situation didn't bring any disadvantage for him.

Right now the dukedom was applying a reign of terror in order to prevent betrayal, but it was rousing a new betrayal instead.

The concern of the dukedom nobles was just one.

Would Baldr take revenge to the nobles who rebelled against the kingdom in the past? That was their only fear.

If Baldr guaranteed that they would keep their privileges, there was no doubt the nobles would swarm him to change side.

But it would be troubling for Baldr if such self-centered nobles were to remain in his new country.

And then it would spare him much effort if they escaped to another country rather than him needing to exterminate them. Baldr's side was maneuvering to make that happened.

「However the dukedom can't endure anymore with this. After all there is no man more loyal than Marquis Fiorentina in that country.」

Augusto judged that the dukedom's destruction was unavoidable.

If Marquis Fiorentina was a traitor, then it wouldn't be strange for anybody to be traitor. Their paranoia to everyone around them would make them arrive at the decision to turn their back on the dukedom in the end.

It could be imagined that from here on the number of noble trying to contact the kingdom's government would increase.

「The skill of great general Olten hasn't declined. I want to settle this before Answerer Kingdom can make any unnecessary interference.」

「By your will.」

Baldr's head was still wrapped in bandage that made it painful to look at him.

As expected the duel against Mikhail was leaving behind a serious wound even for Baldr. If he made just one wrong step, no, even if it was just a millimeter of mistake, only death would await him.

Even so Baldr would lose against Mikhail there if he feared to get wounded.

That was why Baldr also didn't feel bothered about his injury.

Far from that, now that his injury didn't hinder his daily life anymore, he was thinking that he could depart with the troops anytime.

Although Silk's chilling gaze was stopping him from doing that.

「And? There is no way they are only asking to surrender. What kind of condition Mauritz-dono is presenting to us?」

Did he ask for the safety of his territory? Or perhaps a position at the center of the government?

Either way, Baldr had no intention to accept him if he was greedy.

「About that...he only wish to take revenge against the dukedom. He seems motivated to serve as the vanguard of our army anytime if he is ordered to do so.」

「That's truly a grand resolve.」

A strong force of will was necessary to turn a side that was an ally until just yesterday to be enemy. Not to mention it was a noted family like Fiorentina House abandoning their previous status──.

「It seems he is holding a very big grudge.」

「I think it's only natural. After all Fiorentina House and the archduke's house had gotten along just like family before this.」

Silk who was knowledgeable about the noble connections in Trystovy nodded in understanding.

「In fact Marquis Fiorentina was a loyal vassal who racked his brain due to his worry for the archduke's wellbeing. Of course his son is enraged that such good is repaid with evil.」

Mauritz had seen directly from his father's side just how loyal Spinoza had been to Jack, so of course the anger that accumulated inside him was far greater compared to other people.

Augusto shrugged with an insolent and malicious smile.

Seeing his expression, Ramillies's eyebrow shot up because he thought Augusto was making fun of someone's loyalty even if that someone was an enemy.

「Oops, please don't take offense General Ramillies. I too am feeling really complicated in regard to this matter just so you know.」

Ramillies didn't know what kind of complication Augusto was feeling, but he was deeply aware that the youth before him wasn't a simple frivolous man like his appearance suggested.

Also he wouldn't be able to serve as Baldr's staff officer if he couldn't do at least that much.

「There is nothing more damaging to the army's morale than being attack by a former ally. If Mauritz-dono attack the dukedom, the nobles will immediately lose their will to fight back. There we will only need to give them a posh to run away to another country.」

Ramillies knew that in a battlefield where it was killed or to be killed, the soldier's fighting spirit wouldn't rose without any clear killing intent. In that sense, Mauritz's addition to their force was a very enticing prospect.

「Well, it will also be troublesome if he asked for a pardon.」

No matter how much achievements Mauritz obtained for the kingdom's sake, Baldr didn't have any intention to welcome an incompetent noble.

Especially nobles who were involved with a massacre of commoners. Even if they surrendered, he intended to put them to trial and punished them severely.

Other than then the very few decent nobles who were currently treated coldly by the dukedom, he would only spare their life at best. There should be no noble who would be able to maintain status quo.

That was why those nobles were still unable to resolutely betray the dukedom.

「Well, we also won't chase them away. Besides even Brooks took a liking to him, so he must be a capable man to some degree.」

「If the rumor is true, he is an elite who is accomplished in both the literary and military arts with bright future awaiting him, as expected from the heir of Marquis Fiorentina.」

Baldr nodded at Silk's words.

「...For now let's try meeting him.」

.

Mauritz arrived at Mulberry with only dozens of his retainers accompanying him five days after that.

「It's an honor to be allowed at your presence, your highness.」

Indeed, it was just as Brooks said. This was a man with caliber.

His large and thick body was the proof that he never slackened in his daily training. Baldr sensitively sensed that this man must be quite skilled as a warrior too.

「It was unfortunate about what happened to your father.」

「I'm grateful for your highness's words. My late father must be rejoicing too at that world to hear that.」

Although Marquis Fiorentina was executed by Jack, there was no way he would feel any gratitude toward Baldr, but this was just what people called diplomatic language.

「Let me be frank, I can't accept the current system of the dukedom. I believe that surrendering to me will bring a harsh condition for you as a noble.」

「There is no way that is the case. I'm not so shameless as to forget that all of us were a traitorous retainers who betrayed the kingdom in the past. However it will be enough for me as long as I can take revenge to the archduke who has killed my father and also has harmed Trystovy with his incompetence.」

His attitude to immediately abandon his own privilege without even a shred of hesitation was truly upright and splendid.

An old type of general like Ramillies kept nodding repeatedly in admiration hearing Mauritz's declaration.

A capable man who was burning desire of revenge. Mauritz would surely become a fighting strength that was hard to come by for the kingdom.

「──Your highness, please allow me to speak.」

Baldr nodded wordlessly at Augusto's gaze.

With that permission, Augusto walked forward from Baldr's right side and addressed Mauritz with an amicable tone.

「Allow me to express my condolence for Lord Fiorentina's last moment. He was none other than the most loyal servant of the dukedom. I respect his noble loyalty from the bottom of my heart.」

「...I thank Augusto-dono for your kind words.」

「But I also greatly respect your loyalty. As much as I respect your honorable father.」

In other words he was doubting Mauritz. Augusto was saying that.

「Then please give me any order. It doesn't matter even if it's Fiorentina or Genova, I will risk this life and conquer them without fail!」

He didn't need any reinforcement. No matter how much sacrifices he had to pay, he would crush the dukedom army for the kingdom's sake.

Mauritz made such boast. But Augusto slowly shook his head.

「I have no doubt that you will seriously fight the dukedom. Surely you will even do so with your life on the line. With your skill I'm sure that you will also raise many achievements.」

「Then why?」

Mauritz didn't understand the meaning of Augusto's words.

「Because you will deal a fatal wound to the kingdom from the side at the timing where it will prove most effective.」

「Wha-!」

At Augusto's words, not only Mauritz, even Ramillies and Barbarino and other auhtorities here were turned speechless.

His father was killed, his homeland taken away, and he ran away to enemy territory with total exhaustion. In addition he offered to kill his ally as proof of his loyalty.

There was no way there was even greater way to show one's loyalty other than this. But Augusto completely denied that.

「As I said just now, I greatly acknowledged the loyalty of Marquis Fiorentina. If it was him, he would happily die if the archduke tells him to die. There is no way he will have any thought of taking revenge to the dukedom.」

「But my father who was loyal to such degree was killed! That's why I──」

「You are saying that you aren't inheriting your father's loyalty? Well normally that would be the case but, annoyingly I happen to know the most blackhearted man in this world.」

He had felt a discomfort since the start.

The execution of Marquis Fiorentina that was carried out too quickly. And then his resolution that was unnaturally detached.

Marquis Fiorentina didn't really betray the dukedom for real with harmful intend. If he genuinely explained that to the archduke and asked for forgiveness, would he really get executed that easily in the end?

More than that, could it be there was that man's scheme at work here?

Augusto alone had seen through Valerie's plan that was overflowing with malice and had gone off the proper path of human by so many twists and turns.

「The one who wrote the scenario here was the prime minister of the dukedom, Marquis Valerie Ost. He know that the dukedom can't win using the normal practice, so he hatched a plot to overturn the situation in one shot using Marquis Fiorentina's life as ingredient. Isn't that the case?」

「W-with what kind of basis you are saying something like...」

Mauritz's voice was shaking when he replied.

It couldn't be helped. Normally it would be stranger that someone could imagine such fiendish plot was going on.

At present nobody than August was aware of such possibility.

Mauritz was a capable man, but he never even imagined that this kind of malicious plan that would make anyone vomit could be so easily seen through like this.

「──Perhaps there is nobody else in this world other than me who know better about how treacherous Marquis Valerie Ost's schemes are.」

Augusto smiled cynically.

「If you are asking me for a basis then that's my only basis. That's why I'm not going to go as far as asking for your imprisonment. However I will ask you to surrender your right of command of your troops and fight under the command of General Ramillies as a mere knight. Will that be alright with you?」

You would be troubled if you were asked to do that right?

It was clear that Augusto was explicitly asking that.

In fact, Mauritz's action would all become pointless if that was done to him. His father's death would also....

「Cursed demon!」

Mauritz yelled impulsively.

「I'm aware. It's only a demon who can see through another demon's plot.」

Augusto shrugged casually without looking guilty at all. Mauritz's anger exploded seeing that.

「Then-! There won't be another human who can see through the demon's plan if I can kill you here!」

Mauritz pulled out something that looked like a huge needle with length around 80 cm. It was a sharp rapier that he had been hiding somewhere in his body.

「Uwah!」

He moved without any hesitation at all and with agility that was unimaginable for such large body.

The knights who were on standby at the left and right immediately reacted, but it didn't look like they would make it in time. They were focused in guarding Baldr, not Augusto.

「Unyah!」

Satsuki had soundlessly sneaked behind Mauritz, but Baldr activated his King's Gate and his sword flashed faster than that.

「I don't like this man but, he is still a necessary talent. I can't let you kill him here.」

「Your highness, there is a needless part in your sentence there.」

「Da, mn, you...」

Mauritz who shouldered the burden of his plot alone distorted his expression in regret. His blood spurted out and he expired without letting out any voice.

(Don't underestimate me father. I won't let you do as you please!)

Augusto's expression twisted bitterly even after seeing through Valerie's scheme.