Chapter 44: Hidden card - 2
“As long as you are taking the overall command, there's no need for me to guard the command center.”
“Father!”
The moment my eyes met Father's, I felt a chill run down my spine.
In fact, I hadn't fully grasped Father's level yet.
I only speculated that his level would be at least above 7th Star.
But that Father had volunteered to stand at the forefront.
“You could be harmed, Father.”
“Hein, it is a matter of protecting my territory, my people.”
I tried to dissuade him for now, but Father shook his head firmly.
“If so, it is right for me to be at the forefront.”
“......I understand.”
Contrary to showing a solemn expression, I cheered inwardly.
In my past life, the reason why the Reichart family, which suffered severe damage from the Alcala Rebellion, was able to repel the Sub-Dragons without Sherazade was mostly due to Father's contribution.
But now, in a situation incomparably better than my past life, I could even use Father as a chess piece.
“Then I will take my leave now. Father.”
“Yes. See you in three days.”
I left the office after saying goodbye to Father.
And in the hand of Redin, who was left alone, a pendant engraved with an antique pattern was held before anyone knew it.
Redin, who was looking at the pendant with an inscrutable expression, soon stroked the pendant once and opened the lid.
Click.
Inside the opened pendant lid, a black-haired woman resembling Hein was smiling at Redin.
***
Clop clop.
“Hey, what's so good that you're grinning like that?”
“Hehe, do you ask because you don't know? Look over there. Over there.”
Patton, the Squad Leader of the 7th Squad of the Haken Knight Order, reached out and pointed to the very front of the procession even while riding his horse diligently.
Located at the very front of the procession were me, leading the members, and Sherazade, who was sitting behind me and holding onto my waist.
“How can she be so cute even when she can't ride a horse by herself?”
“You're just a guy who dies of happiness whenever you see a pretty woman.”
“Shut up! Tsk, anyway, I wanted to give her a ride.”
“Cut the nonsense. The Commander is right there, so why would the lady ride a horse with you?”
“Would I possibly harbor evil intentions towards the person the Commander brought? I just said that if the Commander finds it troublesome, I could escort her! Hehe, anyway, it's really nice.”
“What's so nice?”
“Anyway, it means the lady over there will help us with our training for the next 3 weeks. I'm very happy just to be with such a beautiful person.”
“Oh my, quite the romanticist is here.”
Early in the morning, on the way to the secret training ground I prepared, the members of the Haken Knight Order were giggling while talking about this and that.
And it wasn't just the members who were talking.
“Master, I just have to sit here and hold your waist, right? It's my first time riding a horse, I'm excited!”
I sighed, recalling Sherazade's bright expression before departure.
“If you plan to live mixed among humans from now on, it would be good to learn at least how to ride a horse.”
“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”
With her nodding diligently behind me, I rode for a while and arrived at the destination.
“Now, this is the place where you will stay for 3 weeks and undergo special training. Everyone is ready, right?”
“Of course. Commander!”
The ‘Anti-Sub-Dragon’ custom tactical training, under my overall command, was scheduled to take place divided between the Inner Castle and this secret training ground.
‘Seems like there are no peeping Toms.’
I, having checked the surroundings using detection magic, nodded.
Since it was necessary to strictly block outside views in the training ground where the hidden card would be prepared, I paid attention repeatedly.
“Then we will start the training in earnest.”
In front of the lined-up members, I clapped my hands. At the same time, Sherazade, who was standing behind me, lightly stepped forward.
“......!”
Under the sunlight pouring down in the clearing of the forest, Sherazade's appearance was like a fairy from a legend.
At that appearance, the members looked at her figure with happy eyes.
Snap!
At that moment, Sherazade smiled and snapped her fingers.
A wind blew and scattered her fine blue hair in all directions.
“Uh, what is this!”
“Commander, Commander! Commander!”
And screams burst out continuously from the mouths of the members who were experiencing something they had never seen before in their lives.
***
“It seems the Family Head has already hardened his resolve to fight.”
“Ha! To make such a foolish choice.......”
Sighs burst out from here and there at Lexton's report.
“Only two thousand. To choose to threaten the peace of the territory because of a number that can be sufficiently covered by war slaves and criminals.......”
“This cannot go on any longer, Grand Madam! The only person who can stop the Family Head's tyranny is you, Grand Madam.”
In the place where the retainers of the Vispon family and the officials who joined Vispon gathered together, condemnations against Redin burst out.
“If you just give the order, I will find two thousand people to offer as a sacrifice right now.”
“Will two thousand be enough? Since that Sub-Dragon Apostle must be angry because the Family Head refused the proposal, twice that amount will be needed to appease his anger. I will contact the merchants who handle war slaves.”
Two thousand territorial citizens.
It was a number worth risking one's life for Redin, but was it not so for them?
Thousands of lives poured out of their mouths as if it were nothing.
“Could you please be quiet for a moment?”
Amidst the outpouring of opinions in confusion, Helkane organized the situation on behalf of Rishu, who had remained silent all along.
“It seems the opinions of those gathered here are consistent. Then what we must do is hurry to gather our will and put it into action.”
“You are right, Young Master!”
“Will you trust me?”
“Of course!”
“Long live Vispon! We only follow the decision of the great Vispon.”
The emergency meeting, which started with condemnations against Redin, ended with pledges of loyalty to Vispon.
And after everyone who had gathered in one place left.
“Foolish people must be truly happy. Since they don't need to do something called thinking.”
Helkane shrugged and looked at Rishu.
“Do they believe that we can bring down Father right now just by gathering here and chatting?”
“I suppose so. For a characteristic shared by all foolish people is that they believe what they want to believe.”
Rishu, who had been silent all along, looked at Helkane with a benevolent smile unlike her usual self.
“At this point, bringing down Father is impossible. Since the loyalty of the military and public sentiment are still firmly directed towards Father.”
“Yes, I think so too.”
Rishu rested her chin on her beautiful hand and waited for Helkane's next words.
“However, if it is proven this time that Father made a wrong choice, the situation will be different then. If Father's gamble ends in failure, public sentiment will turn its back on Father. And the military offering loyalty to Father will also have its foundation weakened in the aftermath of the battle.”
Whether he thought the Reichart territory ruled by Redin was separate from himself, Helkane's tone speaking of the territory's damage was calm beyond measure.
“Mother once said that Father is someone who has a lot to learn through failure. I believe this choice will be an opportunity for Father to learn a great many things.”
Before anyone knew it, Helkane's gaze was directed toward Redin's quarters located in the center of the Inner Castle.
“Then, as a son, it would be naturally right for me to prepare for after Father learns his lesson. Ah, come to think of it, I heard this war with the Sub-Dragons is being led by Hein.”
“.......”
Rishu's brow furrowed at the mention of Hein's name from Helkane's mouth.
An unidentifiable anxiety struck her upon recalling that name.
“......Have you thought of something?”
Rishu asked Helkane in a heavy voice.
“A letter arrived from the capital just a moment ago.”
Helkane took out an envelope with a smile as bright as Rishu's blonde hair and approached Rishu.
“Mother, you look very tired lately. How about taking a rest in the capital? Ah, of course.......”
A cold smile formed on Rishu's lips as she took the envelope Helkane handed her.
She seemed to finally understand what move her son had prepared.
Helkane whispered in a secretive voice towards his beloved mother.
“Father too, together.”
***
“Oh my, I'm dying.”
“You're not dead yet? I'm already dead.”
Day 3 of training, the Haken members who finished the grueling training were lying down in a sprawl, exhausted and panting roughly.
Although they were confident in their stamina, the training with Sherazade was something of a tremendous hell they had never experienced before.
And not far from where the members had collapsed, Sherazade's happy mealtime was continuing.
The menu she prepared today was sandwiches.
After sizzling the sliced turkey breast and sandwiching it between thick bread with smoked ham, she finished all preparations,
“Aah!”
Opening her mouth wide, she took a bite of the sandwich and smiled a truly happy smile.
“Should I give some to the Master too?”
Thinking that the reason I was looking at her was because of the sandwich in her hand, Sherazade wiped the mustard sauce on her lips with her finger and showed generosity.
“Do you not feel the desire to eat humans?”
But there was another reason why I was watching her eat carefully.
Clack.
As soon as those words ended, Sherazade put down the bread and wiped her mouth.
As if shouting, ‘I was eating deliciously, but you ruined my appetite!’
“What does that question mean?”
“Exactly what the question says.”
“Master, are you thinking that because Kelbes treat humans as livestock, I would do the same?”
Sherazade's fine brow furrowed.
“A guy named Valdano said that Sub-Dragons are superior beings incomparable to humans. And you had the noblest status among them.”
“So?”
“If the sense of superiority he has was spread throughout Sub-Dragons in general, I think there wouldn't be much difference between humans and livestock in that they are inferior beings to yourselves anyway? At least from your point of view.”
Sherazade's gaze lingered for a moment on the sandwich she had put down earlier, then turned back to me.
“I told you. There were humans among those who helped and protected me.”
“You did.”
“Although all Sub-Dragons might look like monsters to the Master, I am not trashy enough to chew on the flesh of my friend.”
Seeing Sherazade's serious expression, I bowed my head slightly.
“It was a rude question. I apologize.”
“Originally, Sub-Dragons are a harmonious race. Except for lunatics like Kelbes, we don't do foolish things like crushing other races. I hope you refrain from such insulting remarks in the future.”
Only after hearing my apology did Sherazade pick up the bread again.
“I won't give it to you even if you ask now!”
And holding the bread, she walked away with quick steps.
Staring blankly at the back of the receding Sherazade, I sat down roughly nearby and closed my eyes. Then,
“Commander, it's a big problem!”
Ismael's urgent voice was heard.
“What is it?”
“Contact came from the castle. They say contact came from the capital just a moment ago. But.......”
“But?”
“They say a rebellion broke out in the capital.”
“Rebellion?”
The news that landed in the Reichart territory just now was that a rebellion had occurred in ‘Abysin’, the capital of Zodiac.
An unidentifiable army raised a rebellion, putting the lives of the current King ‘Alpencius III’ and many others in critical danger, so a royal order was issued for nobles of each region to hurry to the capital and suppress the rebellion.
Smirk.
However, my reaction upon receiving the letter was quite different from Ismael's.
I smiled a cold smile far from flustered and whispered to myself.
“Right, they aren't guys who would stay still. So you're coming out like this?”
I crumpled and threw the letter away.
The letter was crude from beginning to end.
No matter how urgent the situation in the capital was, a letter containing a royal order to suppress a rebellion had to have at least a minimum explanation.
However, there was no explanation in the letter I crumpled.
The scale of the army that raised the rebellion, the commander, the mastermind, the current situation, the movement route of the King who moved to avoid the rebellion, etc.
But all that was in the letter was the stubborn demand that ‘Redin Reichart must lead his knights and come to the capital immediately’.
A rebellion in the capital occurring at a truly coincidental timing and a summon order close to a stubborn demand.
If it were me, I wouldn't believe such a petty letter where the intention was obvious.
But not everyone would be like me.
I picked up the sword I had unbuckled and said.
“Ismael, please take care of this place. I think I need to go to the Inner Castle for a moment.”