WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ Ode of the Brave ◈
Chapter 151
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Anyone could talk easily. But if asked to do it themselves, hardly anyone could.
It was easy to mock and laugh at someone else's failure. But those who had failed went on to succeed, while those who only mocked others spent their whole lives doing just that, then died having lived wretchedly.
So perhaps success depended less on whether one was clever or foolish, and more on whether one had the nerve to throw oneself into it.
Ricart had that nerve. King Leonar did not. That was the greatest difference between them, and perhaps the tragedy.
No one had ever crossed the Empire from one side to the other. Marching across it with an army was even more absurd.
This was not some journey where they could simply take the shortest route.
They had virtually no supplies, places for the army to rest were limited, and many of the Empire's rulers were hostile toward the Knights.
The Steel Knights had a total force of six thousand. If each soldier ate two meals a day, they needed twelve thousand meals every day. The food they had bought after selling off the Knights' property had already been consumed.
They had replenished their food by raiding wineries in Mareng, but one failure to secure provisions could put them in a desperate situation.
Each soldier could carry enough food for four or five meals. They could ration it, but that would sap their strength. And that meant a loss in fighting power.
In the end, they had no choice but to procure supplies locally. In other words, plunder. But Ricart's absolute principle was that he would rather die than starve or slaughter innocent commoners.
Then what should they do? There was only one answer.
They had to fleece kings.
They had enough justification. They would raise the banner of revenge. Ricart had no real desire for revenge, but he intended to make it look that way to outsiders.
Using revenge as justification had two effects. First, it concealed their strategic objective. Second, it made it easy to tell who their enemies were.
To the people of the Empire, it would be hard to imagine that Ricart intended to go to Adelorne. It was too unreasonable.
Second, from Ricart's perspective, crossing the Empire in secret with this many troops was impossible anyway. In that case, it was better to establish their presence from the very beginning. Let everyone see what happened when they came after them.
Any king or lord who still chose to resist was an enemy. If they were frightened and stayed put, the Knights could simply pass through their lands quickly.
Thus, Leonar, King of the Basque Kingdom, was a sacrifice. His demand that the king come outside the capital and kneel to apologize was deliberately impossible to accept.
Of course, whether anyone in the royal court had the insight to see that intention, whether they had the courage to voice it, and whether the king had the capacity to hear and accept such an opinion was their problem.
King Leonar held his head, his face deeply furrowed as if he were ill and might collapse from the slightest touch.
“It isn't too late even now. The enemy doesn't have enough troops to surround the entire capital. Send people out and issue a call to arms.”
The military commander spoke. But perhaps the two did not get along, because the treasurer frowned and refuted them.
“Your idea of what is and isn't too late changes whenever it suits you, Military Commander. Before, you said it was already too late and that we should do this. Now you say it isn't too late. It's difficult to accept that as reasonable.”
“So what do you suggest? Treasurer, are you saying we should shove His Majesty into the enemy's jaws?”
“That isn't what I mean. It's too late to issue a call to arms to the vassals. We would be better off asking the Capet Kingdom for aid.”
“Have you gone mad!?”
At the treasurer's words, the military commander widened their eyes and shouted.
The Basque Kingdom and the Capet Kingdom had been bitter enemies since their founding. Yet both were collateral branches that had split from the same family.
Long ago, the Basque Kingdom and Capet Kingdom had been one country under the House of Robert. But after dividing into two and remaining so for many years, the division had become fixed.
“I have not gone mad. I am asking that we look at the current situation. The King of Capet is, in any case, Your Majesty's distant relative. If we fall, they will be in danger as well. Our bloodlines are connected and our interests align. Why would joining hands be so difficult?”
“Traitor!”
The military commander sprang to their feet and pointed at the treasurer. But no member of the advisory council agreed with them. The situation was urgent. It was only natural for various opinions to arise.
“Lower your voice, Military Commander.”
The chancellor, who had remained silent the entire time, spoke to them. Perhaps having briefly forgotten that they stood before the king, the military commander cleared their throat and sat back down. But they continued glaring at the treasurer.
King Leonar groaned once, then raised his head.
“It is too late to issue a call to arms to the vassals. But if we speak to the King of Capet, what will he demand?”
“Could we not negotiate by offering to fund the war and marry the Princess to him? Once this matter is settled, we can gather our own forces and pretend ignorance. We may even be able to use the enemy's hand to strike another enemy.”
It was nonsense. Or rather, it sounded plausible, but it was not realistic.
“What does the Chancellor think?”
The king asked. The elderly chancellor slowly opened their mouth.
“Would it not be proper to first understand his true intentions? Let us send someone to hear what the Knight Commander has to say.”
“His true intentions?”
“Is he truly doing this for revenge? He may have made such unreasonable demands from the beginning because he has another aim. I hear that his valor is unmatched. Valiant people are usually ambitious and fond of women.”
None of them knew Ricart nearly well enough. They had gathered various bits of information, but tended to interpret them however they pleased.
They had seen through the fact that he did not seem to be acting out of revenge. But beyond that, they were completely wrong.
“What do you mean?”
“He is valiant and highly capable, but from what I have learned, the Calderbern family is somewhat humble. They do not appear particularly distinguished. Offer him a marriage proposal. If you send the youngest Princess personally, it will show your sincerity. What if we use that as a pretext to buy time? Besides, with his ability, there would be nothing wrong with accepting him as a son-in-law. What I mean is, we can gather troops on one hand while watching how matters proceed on the other, then perhaps accept him as a son-in-law.”
The more King Leonar heard, the more it sounded like a plausible plan. Thinking it an excellent move, his eyes brightened.
“As expected of the Chancellor. Why did you wait so long to offer such wise counsel?”
“You flatter me.”
“But would offering a Princess from the start not be too much?”
King Leonar said this as though he were slightly reluctant. That was precisely the problem. Whether right or wrong, he could not make a decision at a critical moment. He lacked the nerve.
Though he had been given several opportunities, matters had become this dire because of his indecisiveness.
The chancellor looked at the king as if they found him pathetic, then hid the expression and calmly replied.
“Would they not be tempted only if the offer is excessive?”
“Ah, I understand. We should first test the waters. I will send my youngest daughter. At the same time, Treasurer, go to the Capet Kingdom and sound them out for negotiations.”
“Me?”
“You were the one who suggested it.”
“...”
The treasurer looked flustered, while the military commander watched them with a grin that said it served them right. This was the level of the advisory council.
The chancellor spoke to the king.
“Do not worry too much. They cannot cross the walls with that force anyway. We may suffer somewhat, but if we drag things out, we will surely have the advantage. Is that not right, Military Commander?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
Normally, that was true. But the chancellor had their own problem in placing too much faith in the walls. The Knights had fought sieges even against the fortresses of Sinatria, which were beyond imagination.
No matter how intelligent someone was, their thoughts could only reach as far as the world they had lived in.
In any case, King Leonar felt relieved by the plausible plan and immediately ordered preparations for his youngest daughter.
Ricart was looking over the farmland around the capital. The green wheat was ripening into gold. A little farther north, it would be harvest season around this time.
What mattered was timing. If the timing was right, things might proceed smoothly. If not, it could become exhausting.
Ricart's intermediate goal was to make the King of Capet panic and hurriedly gather an army.
During that time, they would sweep through fertile territories and secure a large amount of food, then take the paved roads and march far east in one push.
Therefore, timing was critical. The fate of Ricart and the Knights rested on when and how much the wheat ripened.
The wind blew, and the wheat fields rippled. The army had encamped north of the capital, while the farmers watched in curiosity even as they went about their work.
All of it was strange. Any other army would have begun plundering long ago and caused chaos.
Discipline was alive within the Knights. Their greatest difference from other armies was that they obeyed Ricart's orders without question, unlike others who worked themselves to the bone just to make their troops listen.
There were few competent military commanders in the world, but even taking command of an army was no easy task.
“Commander. An envoy has arrived.”
Raimund spoke to Ricart as he watched the wheat fields.
“Didn't I say that if an envoy came, we should kill them and hang their head from a pole?”
“But it is a Princess, so...”
“A Princess?”
“Yes. Shall we hang her head?”
“...No. Bring her here.”
He might be pretending to be a ruthless avenger, but there were still limits.
Ricart did not want to lose the people's support over something like that. Killing a Princess could shock ordinary people more than killing a king.
It was not simply that he wanted to look good to the people out of morality. It would be difficult to travel such a long road without the cooperation of the local residents. He had to manage his reputation in his own way.
Armies would face armies, and he would fight kings and lords. Ordinary people would not be harmed. That was Ricart's way of waging war, and no one in history had ever done so.
It was noble and lofty, but without the ability to support it, it would have been madness.
In any case, a Princess accompanied by two attendants approached Ricart as he looked out over the wheat fields. The nearby knights watched with curiosity, but did not guard against her with particular hostility.
Still, they were so strongly built and their gazes so sharp that simply watching in silence was threatening.
The Princess was short, and a veil covered most of her face. Two attendants stood beside her, trembling. In truth, it was unusual for a Princess to come as an envoy.
“Greetings, Princess. I am Ricart.”
Ricart spoke deliberately briefly and stiffly. They were enemies, after all. It was not as though they would exchange pleasantries. He was only observing the bare minimum of courtesy.
When Ricart greeted her first, the Princess removed her veil. As she revealed her face, Ricart was startled.
What? She's a child?
The Princess was not short. She was actually rather tall. She looked to be around ten years old.
“Greetings, Knight Commander. I am Ainea, the fifth Princess of the Basque Kingdom. It is an honor to meet you.”
“...The king sent a Princess?”
“Yes.”
“What message have you brought?”
At Ricart's question, Princess Ainea cleared her throat briefly before speaking.
“I have been healthy since birth and have never suffered from any notable illnesses. My teeth are straight, and I have no cavities. Furthermore, among the women of both my father's family and my mother's family, there has not been one who could not bear a son. This is God's blessing upon families destined to prosper. I have inherited only good blood from my parents, so if the Commander and I are joined in engagement and you wait just a little, then once I become an adult, I will surely produce many, many healthy sons for you, Commander.”
“...”
Ricart was speechless, his face twisting strangely.
What is she talking about?
Stunned by the unexpected situation, Ricart could not speak. The Princess turned to the attendants and asked, “I did well, right? I did, right?”
Ricart suddenly came to his senses.
Ah. These bastards were trying to buy time with an engagement.
But using a child for this left a bad taste in his mouth. Even if they had sent a prince, he would have treated him with sufficient courtesy.
Thinking back, it seemed less like the Princess was saying what she wanted and more like she was reciting something she had memorized. She did not seem to understand what she had said or what it meant.
Was she simply accepting it because marriages among nobles were decided by the heads of their families, and royal families were no different?
“There will be no engagement, Princess. Go back.”
“What? Why?”
“There is no ‘why.’ Go back.”
“Why?”
“...Do you truly want to know the answer?”
“If you tell me, I shall listen carefully.”
Ricart quietly looked at the Princess, who was highborn but no more than a young girl, then casually threw out a single sentence.
“Because I will kill your father.”
“...What? Kings do not die. Unless God takes them away.”
“Unfortunately, it seems God intends to take him away.”
“Why?”
Ricart let out a sigh before answering.
“Whew... I heard God's words the other day. God commanded me to kill the King of Basque. Go and tell him that.”
Princess Ainea's face showed great shock. Soon, she became tearful and moved her mouth soundlessly. Then she burst into tears.
“Waaahhh!”
Ricart glared at the attendants.
“If you do not want to die, hurry and take the Princess away.”
The attendants hurriedly picked up the Princess, tucked her under their arms, and ran off in a panic. The sight was somewhat ridiculous.
As he watched them leave, Raimund approached and spoke.
“It would have been better to take her hostage.”
“No. There is no need. Now I know for certain what level they are at.”
Perhaps because Ricart had crossed many regions and civilizations, seeing all kinds of powerful enemies and many kings worthy of admiration, he felt somewhat deflated.
King Sancho and the Sultan of Mayub came naturally to mind. They were men of sharp insight and bold courage. Ruthless at times, merciful at times, they were men of great generosity.
He also thought of the Green Dragon brothers, Tauso and Tiuso, Sultan Yusuf's army, and Bilter.
In the end, Ricart had overlooked something as well. Not all the kings of the world were like them.
Whether right or wrong, they held ambitions, honed themselves, were valiant on the battlefield, and risked their lives pursuing what they wished to achieve.
But the people of the Basque Kingdom had no ambition, did not hone themselves, were not valiant, and would not risk their lives for what they wished to achieve.
Just as they did not know Ricart well, Ricart did not know them well either. Only now did he realize it.
Ah. This was all they amounted to.
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