CH 32

The next day, after an audience with his brother, Granard, and the return of his holy sword, Raidorl immediately set off for Blaine Fortress, the scene of the battle against the Empire.

Accompanying Raidorl, as they had done when he arrived in the capital, was Darren Garst, the Thousand Horsemen, and his men.

Granard did not even come out to see him off but remained in the castle.

“That’s as it should be. After all that happened yesterday.”

“Maybe, but …… I think it’s the king’s duty to keep up appearances, even if they’re lies.”

Raidorl was on his way to the battlefield today, meeting Darren in the carriage. 

As he was going off to war, he should have ridden a fast horse instead of riding in a carriage, but apparently Granard objected to this.

It seems that Granard wants to keep Raidorl out of the public eye as much as possible now that he is the holder of the holy sword in both name and reality.

“You don’t have to be so scared. It’s crazy how scared he is.”

“You’ve been calling the king that again…….”

Darren frowned at Raidorl’s outburst and shook his head, realizing that there was nothing he could say.

“His Majesty, ……, is very fond of the Founding King. I’m sure he takes the power of the holy sword very seriously.” 

“Hmph. …… He even banished his brother for it. I’m sure he takes it very seriously.” 

“……By the way, why do you have a maid with you again today? I think it’s a bit dangerous, don’t you?” 

Perhaps wanting to change the subject, Darren turned to Neimilia, who was sitting next to Raidorl.

Raidorl is dressed in chainmail and armour, as he is going to war, while Neimilia is in her maid’s uniform, as she was yesterday. 

“An apron dress is a maid’s battle dress! If you’re going into battle, there’s no better outfit!”

“No, I’m not asking what you’re wearing, I’m asking why you’re here in the first place. ……”

“Don’t worry about Neimilia. Let’s talk about the war.”

Raidorl interrupted the useless conversation and cut to the chase.

“I’m not sure what to make of it. I’ve heard that they’re being cornered by the Empire, but how much of a strength gap is there exactly?”

“Hurmm……first, the strength of the Royal Army There are 10,000 soldiers in the Blaine fortress. It is commanded by my father, Bazel Garst.”

“………….”

At the mention of the name Bazel Garst, one of Raidorl’s eyebrows twitched. It was one of the men who had once banished him.

Darren had noticed the change on Raidorl’s face, but decided not to poke around in the bushes, where he knew the snake was lurking. 

“There are 50,000 imperial troops against us. All this, 20,000 are directed at suppressing the nobles who hold lands in the east, so there are 30,000 soldiers attacking the fortress. The difference in strength is three times.”

“I see. …… This is even worse than I thought, isn’t it?” 

It’s a nightmare for the soldiers in the fortress to be forced into a siege against a force three times their size with no hope of reinforcements.

If the situation is that dire, it is not surprising that Raidorl, who was sent to the frontier to be neglected, was brought back.

“But I don’t understand. Why doesn’t Granard move when he’s by the scruff of the neck? Why does he just stay in the Royal Capital instead of going into battle?”

It was a question Raidorl had been asking himself for some time.

It seemed obvious that the king should stay in a safe place and not go into dangerous warfare. This may seem like a natural thing to do, but with the country on the brink of destruction, it was a bad idea. 

If the king goes to the front line, the morale of the soldiers will go up, and the king’s bodyguard can be mobilized, so the strength of the war will be much higher.

It’s a matter of time before the Royal Capital is overtaken if the Blaine Fortress is overtaken anyway. 

“Shouldn’t we be throwing our forces into the fray at once and not saving them for later? “

“That’s….”

Darren’s words were slurred by Raidorl’s question. It was obvious from the hesitant look on his face that the young Thousand Horsemen had the same idea. 

Darren was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say, but when Raidorl and Neimilia looked at him, he gave up and opened his mouth. 

“….. The King is not a coward. But he is extremely afraid of the holy sword.” 

“What?”

“When the fortress of Blaine was under siege, His Majesty Granard proposed to go there himself. However, when he heard that the enemy had the Holy Sword, he decided not to go and stayed in the palace.”

“I don’t know anything about this war, but isn’t it the duty of a king to do what’s best for his country, no matter what the enemy is?”

“…………”

Neimilia tilted her head and asked, and Darren turned his face down.

“……He is haunted by the shadow of the Holy Sword. Because he was not chosen for the sword, he has an extreme fear and enmity towards the holder of the sword.”

“….that’s absurd. What can this holy sword even be able to do?” 

Raidorl’s lips twist in a cynical smile as he spits.

It is because he became the enemy of the Holy Sword due to him throwing his own brother, and because of it he is afraid that the sword will not go into battle.

It seems that when the holy sword is involved, Granard becomes a very pitiful king.

“How can he joke about abandoning his brother to protect his country and then not doing everything in his power to protect it? Do you really think that qualifies him to sit on the throne?” 

“His Majesty the King is a …… capable man. At least when it comes to politics.” 

Darren tries to make any excuses, but it was for naught.

There is no point in making further accusations against a knight who is desperate to make a statement. Raidorl stared out of the carriage window with a frown on his face. 

“The holy sword is beyond the power of man. It is right for people to be afraid of it. But ……”

Raidorl reached out and touched the hilt of the jet-black sword he wore at his waist.

Perhaps sensing the approaching battlefield, the Dáinsleif was radiating heat like it was on fire.

“You don’t become a king because you were chosen by the sword. You should be a king, and the holy sword will answer to that. Granard……, if you are truly a kingly man, Dáinsleif would have chosen you from the start.” 

In Raidorl’s hand, the jet-black holy sword affirmed with a small pulsation.