WeTried Translations
Translator: Hydrogen B
Editor: Hydrogen B
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Chapter 199: The King's Return (8)
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The lords stepped outside the tent as soon as the meeting ended. The offensive was scheduled to begin after midnight. They needed to prepare the soldiers in advance.
As Kyle had instructed, they handled everything as quietly as possible. Duke Ehrenfeld's soldiers stood watch atop Baldheim's walls, not far from the camp. They could not afford to be discovered already, so Kyle's soldiers ate dinner as usual, then went through the motions of resting, their bodies rigid with tension. The Ash Knights were the complete opposite.
As soon as he left the barracks, Kyle headed for the underground passage leading into Baldheim from outside the city. The passage Walter had used when he left the capital after leaving Yurian behind remained dark and utterly devoid of any presence.
“Here it is. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be blocked.”
At the foot of a low hill a short distance from Baldheim's walls, where the camp had been established, Walter lifted a wooden board hidden beneath the ground amid large rocks and thick bushes. He glanced at the darkness within as he spoke. The stale smell of mold stung their noses. Hermann seemed quite surprised, as though it was his first time seeing the passage.
“I never expected there to be a secret passage in a place like this... I thought the underground waterways near the river were all there was.”
“If it hadn't been for His Highness, I would never have known about it either. To be honest, I never wanted to.”
“But thanks to it, we were able to meet like this. Kyle, you...”
“...”
“No. You must have known already when you became Commander. Like Rowen, you are a member of the Baldrick royal family.”
Seeing Kyle's expression turn cold, Hermann changed the subject. Now that Yurian was dead and the royal family's direct bloodline had ended, only Kyle and Walter likely knew of this passage.
Of course, Kyle was not concerned with that. What mattered was reclaiming Baldheim. He carefully drew upon Prisia's mana and spread it deep into the passage. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, the interior had been abandoned for years.
Has no one entered since Walter last used it?
Then again, Walter and I are the only ones who know about this place, so it makes sense.
“If we follow this underground passage, it connects to the inner castle's food storehouse.”
“Are you certain?”
Unlike Kyle and Walter, Hermann had never seen this passage before, and his suspicion remained clear. Kyle nodded without hesitation.
“However, the passage is too narrow for us to move through in a group.”
“Then...”
“Only we Ash Knights should go in. Security will be tight, but if we act quickly, taking control of the walls won't be impossible. It will come down to speed.”
“Assuming the gates don't open from the inside by the time midnight passes.”
“That's right. Though I hope it doesn't come to that.”
Walter spoke as though it were nothing, but Kyle hoped he would not have to use this passage if at all possible. If the gates did not open, it meant they had failed to rescue the Count of the Royal Court of Ingrahim. And if they had failed the rescue, it meant the Haska knights disguised as Duke Ehrenfeld's knights had been defeated.
“They won't go down that easily. You know how capable House Haska's knights are, Kyle.”
Walter deliberately spoke in a bright voice.
“How about taking Sir Rudolf with us if it comes to it? I mean, in the worst case.”
“Sir Rudolf?”
Kyle asked. Rudolf Alten was one of Count Haska's finest knights. He had accompanied them since Falken Fortress, and his skill rivaled that of an Ash Knight. He was also as dependable as Harald. His excessively rigid personality could be called integrity and steadfastness, if one wanted to put it kindly.
“Not a bad idea.”
“Right?”
“Yes. In the worst case, as you said.”
“...”
“Duke Ehrenfeld and the traitors under him will be enough people to die.”
Kyle said it in a sincere tone. As he rose, the torches of the camp some distance away cast a pale glow in every direction.
Kyle drew upon Prisia's mana once more. His sharpened senses took in Baldheim's towering walls and Duke Ehrenfeld's banner fluttering overhead. Facing the bitter night wind, Kyle fixed all of it in his gaze.
Then he imagined them.
The greatest traitor of all, once an ally, beyond those walls.
And the old man, practically his teacher, imprisoned in the underground prison.
* * *
“I doubled the number of guards, as you ordered.”
“Do not leave your posts for even a moment. At regular intervals, station knights and mages together in pairs, and report directly to me if anything happens. If they show any sign of making a move, sound the alarm immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What has become of the Count of the Royal Court of Ingrahim?”
Duke Ehrenfeld asked as if the thought had just occurred to him. The knight hesitated briefly, then answered cautiously.
“There has been no particular change so far. However, he has refused all meals since yesterday.”
“He refused food?”
“Yes. He is not even drinking water. It may be a silent protest...”
“That mad old fool. He's gone completely senile with age.”
Duke Ehrenfeld let out a mocking laugh. The count seemed to believe he was making some sort of protest, but from the duke's perspective, it was utterly laughable.
“What should we do?”
“Just ignore him and bring him food later. When he is truly near death, he will eat on his own.”
“Yes, sir.”
The knight bowed sharply and left the room. Left alone, Duke Ehrenfeld sat by the window of his chamber and looked down over Baldheim's nightscape.
Until just a few years ago, it had been a city he would not have dared to covet. Yet now it lay beneath his feet. The hundred thousand citizens living in Baldheim were no different. They might be dissatisfied for now, but once the entire north knelt before him, they would gradually change their minds. After all, he was the savior who had protected the north, which had nearly vanished from history, from the Empire.
From that perspective, Kyle Baldrick, who had occupied the area outside the city, and the rabble who had joined him were no different from rebels. They had been given a chance, yet had thrown it away themselves. It was truly foolish.
They are probably holding a meeting right now, wondering how to get over the walls.
Nothing but meaningless speculation will come of it.
Duke Ehrenfeld picked up the bottle on the table and filled his glass again. He was not usually much of a drinker, but for some reason, tonight he wanted to get thoroughly drunk. Otherwise, he did not think he would be able to sleep.
They will never get over the walls anyway.
Waging a siege against Baldheim's walls would be utterly foolish.
The gates were the same. Along with Solirium, Lunarium was the most precious rare metal after star iron. The entire enormous gate had been made from that metal, so even the sharp Sword Aura of a knight or the powerful magic of a master mage could not break through it. In fact, throughout Baldheim's history of over a thousand years, the city had fallen only once, when Cassius Mortein, Commander of the Celestial Knights, personally led more than ten wyvern knights against it.
A secret passage?
All underground waterways connected to the city had already been sealed off or guarded. He had bought up most of the food carried by trading convoys traveling through the north for some time now, and the storehouses were overflowing with grain. They could endure a prolonged battle without difficulty.
The only variables are that man and the Ash Knights.
Duke Ehrenfeld recalled what he had seen earlier that day. Kyle Baldrick, who had supposedly died, standing alive and well before him. And Deputy Commander Hermann Hagenwald standing right behind him as though in attendance.
With both the Commander and Deputy Commander gathered together, it was safe to assume there were more surviving Ash Knights. Duke Ehrenfeld had fought alongside them on the battlefield, and he knew better than anyone why the Knights of Ash were called the strongest on the continent. If not for the mobility of the Wyverns ridden by the Empire's Celestial Knights, Hailen might not have fallen.
But that man is cursed and cannot even use a proper handful of mana.
“And he expects me to bow before him? And he'll spare my whole family?”
Muttering to himself, Duke Ehrenfeld gave a dry laugh. As the hollow sound echoed through the quiet room, he gripped the wineglass before him.
“Fool. I will not be the one who dies. You will.”
Even in the worst case, we will perish together.
If that happened, Kyle Baldrick's dream of standing against the Empire would crumble. It was not the best outcome for Duke Ehrenfeld, but it was the second best.
With a satisfied expression, he repeatedly raised the glass to his lips. As the alcohol took hold, the view of Baldheim beyond the window blurred as though bleeding into water. Duke Ehrenfeld sat by the window for a long time, staring blankly at it all. His thoughts grew hazy, and an endless languor settled over him.
* * *
The dusty floor was as cold as ice.
Oswin Ingrahim curled up instinctively as the chill seeped into his bones.
How many days has it been?
With a mind that barely functioned, he tried to recall everything that had happened. But it did not come easily. When he had first been imprisoned in the underground prison for offending Duke Ehrenfeld, his meals had been modest but served on time. That was no longer the case.
It is intentional. They are deliberately serving meals at irregular times.
As an elderly palace noble with long experience, Oswin knew that when one's internal clock broke down, a person became endlessly lethargic.
This was an underground prison. Naturally, no sunlight reached it. There was no faint moonlight either. All there was were the sounds of small insects crawling, field mice, and the dim reddish glow of Magic Stone Lamps flickering beyond the bars.
There was no way his body could be normal. It was even worse because Oswin had entered old age. Without proper nutrition, he had no strength in his body. Without sunlight, his mind was hazy, as though shrouded in fog. He could not think properly.
How lamentable. If only I were ten years younger.
Unlike in his youth, when he had not spared his life in speaking frankly, Oswin had grown far too old. At some point, without realizing it, he had become more conservative. More precisely, he had developed a tendency to avoid risks whenever possible.
What about this time?
When Crown Prince Yurian died and the royal line ended. When even Kyle, the last Commander, disappeared.
In a state of utter despair, he had handed Baldheim over to Duke Ehrenfeld. Outwardly, he had remained defiant, but inwardly, he knew. He had surrendered. He had repeated to himself the cowardly excuse that compromise had been unavoidable to prevent the north's destruction.
So at least in the end.
At least in the end, if I can stop running and end my life by my own will.
Oswin let out a faint breath and looked up at the blackened ceiling. As time passed, he could feel his body weakening, yet memories of the past became strangely clear.
Prince Yurian.
And Kyle...
As Oswin slowly closed his eyes, familiar footsteps echoed through the hard stone corridor beyond the iron bars of the underground prison. They stopped directly in front of Oswin's cell.
“Your Excellency, Count of the Royal Court of Ingrahim.”
“...”
“It is dinner. Please eat.”
A familiar voice. Familiar words. The knight crouched down and pushed food through the bars.
Is it evening already?
Oswin slowly opened his eyes. Turning his gaze slightly, he saw the dim reddish light of the lamp and soup and bread in a rough wooden bowl. It was a sight he had seen so often that it stirred not the slightest interest.
No, time has no meaning. They deliberately serve meals at different times. It may be past midnight, or it may be early morning.
“Will you starve yourself again this time?”
The knight openly clicked his tongue.
“I do not understand. The only one suffering from this is you, Your Excellency. Why are you being so stubborn?”
The knight spoke as though scolding Oswin.
“The duke...”
“...”
“He must be quite desperate. Is that why he still has not killed me? Or is he afraid of public opinion?”
Oswin weakly raised the corners of his mouth. The knight's face twisted in displeasure.
“You will regret this. Sometimes, there is pain worse than death.”
“...Is that so?”
“Yes. You inflexible old fool. Your stubbornness is unbearable.”
Ptui.
When Oswin did not move, the knight rose and spat on the floor. After signaling to the knight acting as guard, he left the underground prison with heavy steps.
Has he gone?
It did not take long for the corridor to fall silent again. All that remained was the old man lying on the cell floor and one knight taking a turn guarding the cell.
And then.
Clang, clang, clang...
A faint metallic sound rang out from somewhere. Then came a short death cry, followed by the sound of something collapsing.
What was that?
Oswin reflexively sharpened his hearing. He was not the only one who sensed something wrong. The knight standing guard looked around warily. Slowly, the knight moved a hand to the hilt at his waist. Amid the light of the lamps lining the prison corridor, someone's shadow stretched long across the floor.
“Who is there?”
“...”
“Identify yourself. Otherwise...”
The moment the knight before the cell tried to draw his sword, two shadows rushed straight down the corridor.
Squelch!
Two crossing blue flashes pierced the knight's body in an instant. The knight could not even react properly. When the swords wrapped in Sword Aura were pulled free, his bloodied body crumpled to the ground. Oswin blankly stared at the sight.
“Your Excellency.”
“You are...?”
The two figures who had cleared the prison in the blink of an eye had vaguely familiar faces. One of the men glanced toward the corridor before speaking to Oswin.
“The Commander is waiting for you.”
“...”
“You must leave this place quickly. Right now.”
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