Chapter 121

The war that had broken out happened between two countries. Eventually, it began to spread out to every neighboring land throughout the continent. 

When the leader of the Confederation, who lived in Lovita, declared war against the Berg Empire, who held massive power-up in the north, they were immediately met with an active response. It was almost like they had been waiting for a war to happen.

And it quickly divided the continent into two major factions, actively dividing everyone. 

When the Emperor of Berg made a declaration to mobilize his army, a somber tone befell the Empire. Everyone was worried about the war…

Except one. 

On the day of the declaration, another news made its way to Matthias, and with it, his spirits seemed to rise in response. 

He’d gotten word about the area where Bill Remmer’s relatives had been residing. It was just off the southern border of Lovita, by the coastal city of Sienna. It was as far as they got, but largely eliminated a wide area of his search.

Further investigations were difficult to do ever since the war broke out. This was unfortunate because a large part of his resources and task force to find Leyla had to be reappropriated. 

Still, he found himself satisfied. It will only be a matter of time before he has her again. All that’s left for him to do, is get to Lovita. 

“Captain Herhardt, are you certain about this?” a commander quickly asked him in concern as he stood in front of the Duke. Matthias only nodded, his face full of seriousness. “You’re heading off into another battlefield, Captain.”

“I know.” Matthias replied calmly.

If he truly wanted to, Matthias could always pull some strings and get assigned to the rear supply units in the army. The commander had also suggested it, but Matthias had been insistent. He wanted to be on the front lines.

“I’ll be assigned to Sienna then.” Matthias declared, and the elder general, who’d also been in attendance in their meeting, gave him a tight smile. The general could see that Matthias could not be persuaded to sit out in this war.

If approved, Matthias will be given command over the 6th Army of the Berg Empire. There, they were tasked to break through the western forces occupying Lovita’s main navy. Which made their end goal to reach Sienna. 

Once Berg’s army seized and occupied Sienna, most of the Confederate’s armed forces, as well as Lovita’s army, would be greatly diminished. 

And Matthias would be closer to his goal as well. 

“I won’t stop you if you’re certain you can handle this task.” The general sighed and gave Matthias his stamp of approval. “I will trust you can handle this.” He gave the Duke a pointed glance, “After all, you’re a Herhardt.”

Matthias nodded in affirmation, his hands twitching subtly in excitement. 

The Herhardt name alone carried a lot of credibilities. Time and time again, the Herhardts had always been quick to offer their services whenever the Empire needed them. They were known widely for their loyalty, but also for their honor and glory in victories in the name of the Berg Empire. 

And Matthias certainly seemed to be no different than his predecessors, eager to serve his Empire. 

After the meeting, Matthias couldn’t help but feel elated, his footsteps light as he passed through many nobles who had offered to serve in the war effort as well. Everyone glanced at him as he passed by in a mix of admiration and intimidation.

To the rest, he seemed as though he’d just been to a calming walk, not from the war council. Stirrings amongst the crowd who’d seen him began to talk about his sudden return from his reclusion as soon as he disappeared in front of them.

“I heard he was dying!”

“I heard he’s just exhausted.”

“No, they said he’s gravely ill, he even had to take a break from his duties didn’t he?”

“I don’t think he was that sick.”

“Even so, why does he look so happy? It’s war.”

“Maybe they have a munitions business?”

“I don’t think they do.”

“I bet the Herhardts have everything though.”

“Yeah, I mean, look at him! He looks like he’s going to a picnic instead of being dragged to a battlefield!”

“Maybe he’s just born with good luck? I heard his ancestors weren’t that lucky to avoid gunshots and being stabbed in wars.”

“Hey, come on now, he isn’t our enemy here.”

On and on these conversations took place the more nervous the men in the army became with the ongoing war. Eventually, these heated exchanges managed to calm down after a few hours as soon as everyone got everything out in their chest. 

Soon the silence befell over the camp, and a somber air blanketed the army.

It was an air of quiet fear that remained unbroken.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

“This doesn’t make sense,” low mutterings emitted from the Duchess, her heels clacking in the background, “How could this happen?”

Elysee von Herhardt had been pacing back and forth muttering and fretting over the recent events as she struggled to hold back tears, before finally bursting into frantic sobs. A few short moments later, she managed to calm down and addressed her son.

“How could such war happen in such a prosperous era?” She asked him worriedly, “Matthias, what do you know?!” 

Her red rimmed eyes stared worriedly and frighteningly at her son. There wasn’t a single dry eye in the room from the ladies, including the old matriarch Duchess, Lady Norma. 

Except for Matthias. He was looking as indifferent as ever, despite knowing he had to participate in the war soon. He was calm, even as he received news of the war. Instead, he only had a pleasant smile in response to their worries. 

“Well, there’s nothing much to worry about,” he began to say with a placating smile, “Most of the battle will be isolated in the Borders between Berg and Lovita, there’s no reason why it would even reach Arvis.” He helpfully supplied.

He proceeded to explain that while it may have seemed so sudden for such a war to break out, it wasn’t as though it had been unexpected. The war clouds between the two regions had been there for years, which was why the military from both sides had been so ready, as such they were all sufficiently prepared with the right countermeasures.

“Also it wouldn’t affect many of our businesses,” Matthias added thoughtfully, still in a completely calm voice, “I doubt the war would reach overseas even and affect our oil fields. So our profits won’t be lessened considerably. Although the plans in Carlsbar needed to be put on hold, I suppose it’ll be resumed as soon as the war is over.” He finished confidently.

It was one of the first things Matthias did as soon as word of the war finally happening reached him. He immediately began to check their stocks, and reappropriate their assets in a way their loss would be greatly mitigated. In such chaotic times, it was beneficial to keep a cool head. 

It was also the first time Matthias revealed himself to society after the war had officially begun. In the midst of clear panic, Matthias was visibly fine, despite his pale complexion. He was all calm and grace, actively preparing his part for the war.

He was thinner, yes, and maybe less pristine than before, but he was a far cry from the image of a lethargic, sick man. Which led many to believe he was finally beginning to recover. 

“Every company that Herhardt owns has its own system, so my absence won’t have much impact. We have a new system in place.” He finally surmised, looking at them expectantly as if that was all that encompassed their concern.

Elysee was quick to follow up on what really concerned her the most. 

“Our companies are important, yes, but I’d like to know what you plan on doing? If you’re headed off to war, shouldn’t you and Claudine just move up your marriage and finally get it done already?” His mother fretted, and Norma released a loud sigh as she finally decided to take part in the discussion.

“It’ll be hectic to hold a wedding in such grievous times,” the old Duchess began, “But I do agree with your mother’s sentiments.” She looked at her grandson with great worry, “If a wedding should still happen, it must happen before you go to war.”

“Is it succession you’re worried about?” Matthias hummed thoughtfully, his eyes raking over his predecessors’ paintings on the drawing-room walls, “I don’t think it would be proper to marry anyone that quickly.”

He proceeded to explain that even if he were to marry before he’d go to war and copulate with his wife, there would be no guarantee his seed would have taken quick enough to ensure their line continues on even if he were to die in this war. It was simply not rational to do. 

“But Matthias-” Elysee began to protest, but he quickly cut his mother off.

“Besides, even if I were to die, that would only leave Lady Brandt as my widow. I don’t think that’ll be an entirely good name to leave with Claudine, and the Brandt family.” Matthias finished quickly. 

Even as he mentioned dying, Matthias appeared to be completely unbothered by the prospect. He truly was the face of the perfect and responsible Duke of Arvis. 

As if sensing their resistance to the idea of him not returning, he decided to retract his statement.

“Besides, you both don’t need to worry about me not returning.” Matthias told them with a pleasant smile, “As a Herhardt, I will make it my mission to return to Arvis safely. Still, it doesn’t help to be prepared, so maybe we should look to our living relatives as to who would be most fit to be next in line as Duke should I pass on.”

Both Duchesses fell silent, listening to Matthias rattle off about his many countermeasures in case he did in fact, never return to them. And for the first time, when Elysee looked at her son in a long time, there was a sudden sharp pang in her chest.

Her son had always been exceptional; she knew that. He had all the power and influence only a good name could buy. 

But as the pang in her chest persisted, she couldn’t help but wonder. 

Was he truly satisfied with his life?

Tears pin prick in her eyes once more, building up more and more as she struggled to keep the composure of a strong mother for a strong Duke. Unable to listen more to Matthias countermeasures, she immediately got up on her feet and strode even closer to her son, reaching up, to grasp him by the shoulders tightly.

Matthias fell silent as he looked indifferently at his mother, blinking owlishly down at her.

“Do you really have to go to war?” She tearfully asked him. This wasn’t the first Herhardt she had to see go to war. 

“Your grandfather, my husband, had been willing to give their life up for the war, for the Empire.” Norma suddenly said, as she too looked at Matthias earnestly.

“Your father, my son, had been just the same too.” She added with a despondent smile on her face, as though she remembered a nostalgic memory. “I know the importance of reputation, of honor…” She trailed off.

Herhardts had died in the name of the Empire. Every Herhardt before Matthias had been proud to bear the weight of the duty in service to their country. It was what made their house great. It was what the Herhardts had been known for in generations. 

“I am proud of them, proud to be a Herhardt, don’t mistake it for anything else.” Norma continued with a shaky breath, before determination went back in her eyes as she recalled receiving the news her son had died. 

“But I hope with everything, you, Matthias, would be the one to break that cycle, and grow old and gray, and have a portrait of you, all silver-haired, placed inside these walls.” 

Norma’s eyes raked over the many young and dark haired Herhardts. All of them died young, barely into the peaks of their lives before tragically being ripped away from life during battle. It had been painful to see her husband join them.

It had been hell to see her son follow in suit as well.

A gentle yet firm grip on her shoulder alerted her that someone was near. And when Norma looked up, she could see Elysee smiling gratefully at her for wording out what she couldn’t bear to say to her son. Norma smiled back, before gesturing for her grandson to draw close.

Matthias looked to both his grandmother and mother skeptically before doing so, and sat beside his grandmother. Norma smiled at him, sighing as she glanced on her grandson’s hair, before running a wrinkled hand over his dark locks.

Not even a gray hair in sight.

“I completely forbid you to die like this, you hear me?” Norma huffed out authoritatively, “Your hair should be as gray as mine before you even begin to entertain thoughts of you dying.”

Matthias glanced at his mother and grandmother simultaneously, before smiling genuinely at them. 

‘I understand grandmother,” He looked to Elysee, “And mother.” 

His smile widened subtly after a moment, completely unbeknownst to the two duchesses.

“I’ll do just that.”

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

“You must be so happy, having avoided marriage completely without further questions.” Claudine smiled sarcastically towards him as soon as her family left the two of them alone in the drawing-room. 

Though the engagement wasn’t completely broken off, only postponed until further notice. Suffice to say, it wasn’t as if Claudine insisted on having the wedding anyway despite the plausible reasons Matthias gave her family and his. 

Still, with the countermeasure Matthias had put in place, even if she was to marry him now, and she did, in fact, become his widow, the title of Duke would be passed on to his next living cousin.

So she’d still be powerless, which was entirely the point of their marriage.

And so Count Brandt accepted having the wedding postponed until the war was over. No one even had the heart to complain about the sudden situation and the impending disgrace Claudine would suffer if her husband were to die in war prematurely. 

And of course, Matthias played it off that postponing the marriage was more inconvenient to the Herhardt family, seeing as they were leaving the house with no secure way to leave behind a successor. He even went as far as to say it was a decision made out of respect for the Brandts and Claudine’s situation. 

Claudine couldn’t help but scoff at his wording. Respect?

“Ah well, what a tragedy the war truly is, my Lady.” Matthias responded to her with a pleasant smile of his own.

He still looked half as crazy as he did when he expressed his intention to break off their engagement. Outwardly though, he had resumed his usual image of the perfect Duke Herhardt, but Claudine was hardly blind to the underlying madness in her still fiance.