Volume 1 - CH 10.1

The end of the war and the repercussions

Translated by SoundDestiny

Edited by SoundDestiny

A few days after the battle for Fort Blaine. At the Zain Royal Palace.

“…..I see, Raidorl won?”

“Yes! His Royal Highness fought like in the myth! As the holder of the Holy Sword:Excalibur, he has fought with great distinction and without shame!”

The king of Zain, Granard Zain, covered his face with his right hand when he heard the report of the messenger.

His face is covered with an expression of obvious displeasure, and he has a pout that makes it hard to believe that he is hearing news of a victory in war.

Unaware of such a change in the king’s gloom and depression, the messenger soldier excitedly described the war in detail.

“His Highness caught the thunderbolt fired by the enemy’s Holy Sword:Excalibur Holder with a jet-black slash, and then he struck back with a counterattack. Normally we would have lent to help, But the battle between the two chosen holy swords was so fierce that no one was able to interfere…..”

“……that’s enough.”

“…ha?”

“I said, enough. You can step back now.”

Granard waved his hand as if to chase away a dog and ordered the soldiers to leave.

The messenger looked at him strangely, but they had no choice but to obey their king’s order. He walked out of the throne room, his lips pursed in frustration at not being able to tell Raidorl’s heroic tale to the end.

When the messenger had gone, Lockwood, who had been listening to the report next to the king, opened his mouth.

“The imperial threat has now been repelled for the time being. Your Majesty Granard.”

“Umu, it is truly a great victory.”

The king’s face is contorted in dissatisfaction despite his short reply.

The complicated look on his face shows his joy at the victory of the Royal Army and his sense of inferiority at the success of his estranged younger brother.

“If I were greedy, I would have had nothing to say if that foolish brother had gone head to head with the enemy.”

Granard folded his hands in front of his chest and let out a few genuine words. Lockwood’s lips twitched at the sheer words.

“Your Majesty, that’s not in any way…..”

“I have not said anything wrong. Now that the crisis against the empire is over, that thing is nothing but a danger to us all.”

“I cannot deny that, but……”

Lockwood frowned bitterly at the king’s words, which were no longer mended.

‘Is it….. no longer possible to reconcile?’

Lockwood had hoped that, if it were possible, the two brothers, Granard and Raydor, would make peace and rebuild their war-torn kingdom together.

If Granard and Raidorl could complement each other, with Granard in charge of government and Raidorl in charge of the armed forces, the Kingdom of Zain would surely have achieved further development.

For this to happen, it is essential for Granard to bow down to his brother, even if only formally, and ask for forgiveness…..but from Granard’s current attitude, there is no chance of that.

‘His Highness Raidorl certainly seemed to harbour hatred, but it’s logical. However, he never seemed to be dominated by the revenge crowd. I would have thought that His Majesty would have apologised for his neglect, even if informally or not……’

Granard no longer sees Raidorl as his brother. He sees him only as a political enemy who is after his throne. Lockwood, who knows the once friendly brothers, is left with a sense of regret.

The Prime Minister’s feelings are felt by Granard, who sits on his throne and glares sharply at Lockwood.

“Lockwood. I am the king of this country. And you are the Prime Minister of this country. You know which of us should come first.”

“…. I know that, of course.”

“He even branded me with a curse. Consider him a traitor who threatens the country.”

“Ha….”

The curse is still engraved on Granard’s chest.

All the court magicians are mobilised to try to break the curse, but the formula used by Raidorl is so different from the contractual curses generally used on slaves and criminals. It is difficult for them to even analyse it.

Even the leading court magician, Old Bavarois, with his white beard and moustache, had a troubled look on his face and threw a comment at the king.

“『This curse is probably more than three hundred years old. Most of the literature from that time has been lost due to the witch’s war, and it would take at least half a year to break the spell. I wonder where His Royal Highness obtained such a formula.』”

Old Bavarois still continues to analyse the situation even while he sleeps. This makes Lockwood wonder if the old man will be able to keep up his strength.

“As soon as the curse is lifted, we will strike down Raidorl as a renegade. Make preparations while you still can.”

“……With all due respect, we still don’t know how the Empire will react. There is a possibility that they will send more troops to attack us, so I think it would be premature to dispose of His Royal Highness.”

Lockwood shook his head somberly at Granard’s merciless instructions.

“We have captured the imperial Holy Sword:Excalibur Holder, have we not? Then we can make peace with them, using the Holder as a hostage. As long as we can avoid war, there is no use for that thing.”

“…………”

[Would it work that way?] Lockwood asks himself.

Certainly the fact that the Imperial Princess and Holy Sword:Excalibur holder Celia Von Arslanian is captured alive would be a serious bargaining card. It is not difficult to win peace through negotiation.

‘But will……it really be that easy?’

The man who became emperor a few years ago, Zacharias Von Arslanian, is the undisputed king of the continent.

Would such an ambitious man, who had usurped the imperial throne from his pacifist predecessor and is waging wars across the continent to conquer it, abandon his high road just because they had taken a hostage?

‘Indeed, we can’t just kill His Highness Raidorl in case the worst happens……there are still two Holy Swords of the Empire.’

It would be better if the curse was never broken.

Lockwood held his head as he thought about such an unbecoming thing for a vassal, searching for words to appease his king.

〇　　　　　　　　　〇　　　　　　　　　〇

Meanwhile, around that time. The Arslanian Empire lies far to the east of the kingdom. In the imperial capital at its centre, a political upheaval was about to break out.

The Arslanian Empire is the oldest dynasty on the continent. The history of the Empire, which was born after quickly recovering from the『Great Disaster』 that occurred 300 years ago and in the centre of the capital city there is a line of ancient and venerable buildings.

The place – the Royal Castle of Arslanian – is also one of them.

The massive stone architecture was far removed from the glamorous image of a place where royalty lived, and had the appearance of a fortress built on the front line of a war zone.

However, once inside, the castle is filled with luxurious furniture, furnishings and works of art. Each of them was a famous item collected from all over the continent and was so expensive that an average person could not afford to buy it even if he or she spent a lifetime’s income.

The wealth that has been accumulated through history and development. It is a scene that symbolises the very existence of the empire, the oldest and largest military state on the continent.

Deep within such a royal castle. An avalanche of armed soldiers stormed into the audience chamber where the emperor met with his subjects and emissaries from other countries. The soldiers kicked their way across the carpeted floor with agile, smooth movements, surrounding the throne in just a dozen seconds after their entry.

The spearheads of the soldiers, all with tense faces, are pointed at the man sitting on the throne.

He has red hair like the mane of a lion cub, and a face that is both rugged and fearless. He looks to be over 50 years old and yet his large frame is covered in muscles and he shows no signs of age-related deterioration.

This man is the lord of the castle and king of the empire – Emperor Zacharias Von Arslanian.

“Hou, isn’t this making a lot of noise? What on earth is all this about?”

Zacharias asked curiously, resting his cheek cane on his elbow.

The emperor, who had more than ten spearheads pointed at him, had no fear on his face. He just blinked his eyes in confusion, unsure of the situation.

Curiously, there is not a single soldier in the audience chamber to protect the emperor.

Had the soldiers protecting him had been exterminated by prior arrangements, or was it just sloppy security? 

The Emperor was forced into a situation where it is the epitome of isolation.

Soon, the soldiers surrounding the emperor split in two and a man steps forward to Zacharias.

“…… It has been a long time. Father.”

“Ooo, is it you, Gilbert? It’s been a long time since the New Year’s feast. It has indeed been a long time.”

The first prince, Gilbert Von Arslanian, appeared before Zacharias. He was a young man, the eldest son of the emperor’s more than one hundred children, and at the same time the son of his legitimate wife.

Like Zacharias, the red-haired prince stared at his father with a piercing, shooting gaze. Seeing the sharpness of his twin eyes, Zacharias tilts his head in wonder.

“You have a very frightening look on your face, my son. That’s not the look you’d give your father, is it?”

“….a joke. If you were my father, you would know what I have come for.”

“…… Hmm, you want the imperial throne. I didn’t expect you to make a move. I’m surprised.”

Zacharias cowered in amusement at Gilbert, who glared at him reproachfully.

Zacharias once defeated his father, the previous emperor, and took the imperial throne by force.

Because of this, he thought that one day his children and grandchildren would try to kill him in the same way.

“Still, I really didn’t expect you to try to kill me, did I? I don’t remember doing anything that would warrant you to resent me that much.”

A person’s resentment is something they buy into without knowing it.

Zacharias wonders if his son hates him so much that he  wants to kill him, and wonders if he has a good reason for his rebellion. But no matter how hard he tries to find an answer in his head, he could not find a plausible motive.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a quick answer. I’m afraid I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t.”

“………..”

Gilbert chewed his back teeth audibly at his father’s lack of tension, as if he didn’t understand the situation.

Gilbert had always disliked and liked this kind of antics from his father.

He is annoyed at Zacharias, who has maintained his own pace even now that his son has betrayed him.

“…… Father, I have had the greatest respect for you, sir.”

Gilbert’s face was sombre as he spoke.

“I admired your strength. I have always wanted to be an emperor like you.”

“Umu, I see. Don’t be embarrassed.”

“…… was bitter at your occasional clownish flirtations, but at the same time I felt a certain affinity for you. I was disgusted by your fondness for women. And yet I admired the depth of your love for my mother and the other concubines equally.”

(Chad Zacharias, true harem enjoyer)

“Fumumu…..”

“I loved you……….as a father.”

“I see…..well, I love you too. My dear son. Gilbert.”

“Then why did you do it!”

Gilbert’s voice rumbled bitingly in response to Zacharias.

“Why have you disinherited me from the throne? Why should I, a child born from a legitimate wife and your first-born son, be deposed as a vassal!?”

About a month ago, Gilbert led his army to capture the small kingdom of Shaitan in the north-east of the Empire. (シャイターン)

He reported his victory to the Emperor and waited for his reply with great anticipation, expecting to receive a word of praise. But the messenger who returned from the royal palace had a letter in which wrote: 『You are to leave the imperial family, become a duke, and rule the territory of the Kingdom of Shaitan as a fiefdom.』The letter was a de facto declaration of disinheritance.

Gilbert stood aghast at the unexpected news.

He believed that he was standing closest to the chair of the emperor, but he never dreamed that he would be unilaterally kept away from it.

Gilbert lamented, wept and eventually raised his sword in unreasoned anger.

He decided to strike down Zacharias, the emperor, and usurp the imperial throne by force.

“Father! Please, please answer me!　Why did you remove me!”

Gilbert asked his father, whom he once respected more than anyone else, with tears of blood.

The soldiers who were holding spears to Zacharias were also moved to tears by his grief-stricken appearance and bit their lips.

But—

“Aaa, what? Is that what this is about?”

The cry from Gilbert’s soul did not reach his father at all.

Zacharias was out of step, held out his hands and shook his head lamentingly.

“I didn’t expect you to rebel for such a trivial reason. You impudent son.”

The air in the room froze at Zacharias’s disgusted words.

The soldiers surrounding the emperor on his throne fearfully turn and look at Gilbert’s face. The Prince, who had been hit with a bitter abuse, had lost his expression like a noh mask.

Zacharias looks pityingly at his son, who has fallen silent, and sighs deeply.

“I thought you had a noble cause since you rebelled against me, your emperor, but …… I didn’t realise it was because you were jealous of a trivial cause. It seems I overestimated you. I am disappointed in you, my son.”

“Jealousy, you say …….”

The Prince’s face flushed with rage at his father’s taunting, and he finally managed to squeeze out a few words.

“How do you think I have ever been devoted to you?　You can’t say……with words like jealousy!”

“Hmph…… what is that if not jealousy? It’s a feminine personality, my son.”

“…..!!!”

Gilbert grips the sword at his waist.

His hands trembling with rage, he was about to draw his blade or sheath and chop off his father’s head.

Gilbert often breathes heavily, but eventually regains his composure and slaps Zacharias again with a chiding word.

“….. This is the last time, father. I would like you to tell me why you abolished me.”

“Umu.”

Seeing the colour of madness in his son’s eyes, Zacharias also became serious. He then answered Gilbert’s question in a straightforward manner.

“It’s simple. It’s because you weren’t chosen for the Holy Sword.”

“That’s …… no way that’s so simple!!”

“Is that what you’re saying? That’s a strange thing to say.”

The emperor snorted in boredom at Gilbert, whose expression was contorted.

“The Empire is the land of the High King. The emperor’s mission is to unite the continent with military might and bring peace to the world. The emperor’s duty is to protect the peace of mankind by defeating the man-eating demons, the earth-burning evil dragons and the evil witches who blow the doomsday trumpet. Therefore, the one who becomes emperor must be chosen by the Holy Sword, the divine weapon of salvation.”

“…………”

“But, my son. You were never chosen by Claíomh Solas the Thunder, Gjallarhorn the Ice or Durandal the Flame. Therefore, I have disinherited you as being unfit to be emperor. Are you satisfied with this answer?”

“…. Father, do you really judge who will be emperor solely on the basis of whether he is strong or not? Are you saying that knowledge and connections are meaningless for a man to rise above others!?”

“Of course!”

Zacharias replied shortly to his bloodthirsty son’s words.

“In a land of peace in the middle of nowhere, you can be king just for being nice. You can be king just for being clever. But this, this is an empire. This is the land of the High King, the ruler of the continent. A weak man is not qualified to be king. You don’t know how much a weak king who is only popular can cause people to suffer, do you?”

Zacharias own father’s face is in his mind as he repeats the words as if to say them.

The previous emperor was a great benevolent king who was kind-hearted and loved by his people more than anyone else.

However, the meek king did not take a strong attitude towards the outside world, and because of this he was unable to stop the conflicts that erupted in the surrounding countries, which in turn spread the ravages of war.

A king who is loved and respected by his people. That is a wonderful thing. But it is better to have no kindness than to be licked and belittled because he is loved. It is better to be feared and hated to fulfil the role of an emperor.

“The Empire does not need a weak king. No matter how you struggle, I will not let you become the next emperor.”

“……Then? Are you going to abolish me and make that slave boy king?”

Gilbert thought of the face of his half-brother, the holder of the Holy Sword:Excalibur Galalhorn, and asked again.

“You mean Shandra? Well, he could be the one, and Ceilia’s on the shortlist.”

“Celia is a woman! She is not fit to be emperor!”

“Isn’t that good? If this empire lasts long enough, it may even have a female emperor.”

“Father……you would choose that slave-blooded man and that female Celia over me! Rather than me, who has served you and the Empire as the First Prince, you choose those two simply because they are the chosen ones….!?”

Swaying, Gilbert’s body sways from side to side.

The ghostly appearance and lightless eyes were filled with a self-destructive madness.

“Then……I will prove that I am strong enough without the Holy Sword! I will kill the Emperor of the Holy Sword:Excalibur Holder and show you my power!”

Gilbert holds up his hand. The soldiers surrounding the emperor close the distance between them with their spearheads pointed at him.

“Houu! This is interesting! Rebellion is a sign of growth. How delightful!”

“Shut up! You’re a foolish emperor who only knows how to wield power! Go to hell!”

Gilbert drew his sword. At the same time, more than a dozen soldiers simultaneously thrust out the tips of their spears.

One sword and a dozen spears. Inevitable death rushes towards Zacharias , who remains seated on his throne.

“Your ambition. Your ambition is truly admirable!　But ……”

Zacharias  breathed.

He looks at his son, who wields a sword, with a very kind and gentle gaze, as if in pity or mourning.

“Is it regretful that he is powerless? Or lack of strength? After all, the qualities of an emperor is strength and violence”

Zacharias murmured sadly and picked up a sword that was propped up on his throne.

A large sword of antiquity with a ruby on the hilt – Zacharias did not even pull it out of its sheath, but reeled it to his side in a sitting position.

The slash, fired from a sitting position with only the strength of the arm, was so poorly executed that it could not even be called an attack.

“Gyaaaaaaaa?!”

However, the crimson flames erupt from the tip of his sword, cutting down the soldiers like a blade. Their torsos burnt to pieces and cut in two, up and down, crumble into the audience chamber, and the smell of burning flesh fills the room with smoke.

Some of the wreckage was even from the First Prince. Gilbert would not have even realised what had happened to him. He had died in the same angry manner in which he had slashed at him.

“To aim for my life……Parents and children are only alike in ways you don’t want them to be alike.”

“I sympathise with your feelings. Your Majesty the Emperor.”

A wrinkled old man’s voice called out to Zacharias as he looked down at the body of his son.

A grey-robed old man emerges from behind a pillar and steps up to the throne.

“What, old man. You were there?”

“Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t come to your aid. I thought I might have interfered.”

“Aaa, It’s good. It would be churlish to intrude on the last conversation between father and son.”

Zacharias replies with a hawkish wave of his hand.

The name of the bald-headed old man in a robe is Savvy Raza. He is a sorcerer in the service of the royal court and a great wizard who has been given the rank of 『sage』. For Zacharias, he was also his [grandfather], who had been his nurturer.

“Gilbert was a good son. But …… a little too serious.”

Gilbert Von Arslanian was undeniably a member of the royal family with the qualities of a great monarch. Despite being a bit conservative and entrenched in his lineage and position, he would have been a popular and heroic monarch if he had become emperor.

Zacharias also loved his bright and brilliant son, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be killed.

The emperor, known as the 『Golden Lion of the Empire』, has only just begun his path of supremacy, and his mission is to unite the continent and create a world of peace.

“Be that as it may. I am sorry to bother you at a time like this, Your Majesty. I have something to report.”

“Hmm? Fine, go ahead.”

“Ha.”

When the emperor urged him to continue,Savvy  bowed reverently and opened his mouth.

“The Western Invasion Army……led by Lieutenant General Barzen has been destroyed. He is now missing and the army is commanded by his second in command, Colonel Safaris.”

“Houu? The army fighting the Western Invasion is fighting in the Kingdom of Zain, isn’t it? Where is Celia?”

Zacharias’s daughter, Princess Celia Von Arslanian, nominally served as a general in the Western Invasion Army. The actual commander was Gracos Barzen, so she was a near-decorative general.

“Princess Celia was defeated and taken prisoner after a single combat with the enemy general.”

“Ho! There was a warrior in the Kingdom of Zain who could defeat Celia?”

Zacharias slaps his knee and raises his voice.

Although Ceilia was a novice general leading an army, she is the holder of the Holy Sword:Excalibur, the chosen holder of the Holy Sword Claíomh Solas. Her swordsmanship was such that she could defeat an entire army single-handedly.

Who could have defeated such a Celia? Zacharias’s eyes lit up with curiosity.

“Of course!! The enemy must also have a Holy Sword:Excalibur Holder!”

“As you have guessed correctly. The cursed holy sword Dáinsleif……which is said to have vanquished Neimilia, the witch of darkness who once threatened the western part of the continent.”

“Hou! Dáinsleif!”

Zacharias smiled pleasantly, the edges of his mouth hanging up.

The belligerent emperor has a fair preference for the strong, even if they are his enemies. Forgetting the circumstances of his daughter’s capture, his interest was drawn to the as yet unseen hero.

“The Dáinsleif holder is still under investigation. With the loss of Lieutenant General Barzen and Her Imperial Highness Princess Celia, the Western Invasion forces have pulled back to the border fortress of Balmes and are trying to rebuild their forces.”

“Umu……hurry up with the investigation. In some cases, we may have to leave them alive and take them into the Empire!”

The son he had killed had already slipped from Zacharias’s mind. More than that, he was fascinated by the newHoly Sword:Excalibur Holder.

“Your Majesty,……it’s fine to have fun, but if you continue like this,it will hinder the invasion of the West, won’t it?”

“Muu, That’s true…..No,no. I’ve got my blood boiling.”

Zacharias scratched his head at Savvy’s admonition.

If the Western Invasion Army, one of the Empire’s five major armies, were to be destroyed, and if it were to lose one of its Holy Sword:Excalibur holders, the Empire’s war potential would be greatly diminished. If this happens, the ambition to conquer the continent will have to be revised.

The Emperor ponders seriously about future countermeasures.

“……Celia must be taken back at all costs. In some cases, we may even abandon the territories we have taken.”

“Are you sure?　If we continue the offensive, the Kingdom of Zain will fall into the hands of the Empire.”

“It’s good. We have lost Claíomh Solas, haven’t we? We cannot afford to lose the power of the Holy Sword. If the enemy also has an Excalibur Holder, we will have to get serious.”

Zacharias smiles wildly and strokes Durandal’s hilt.

“If I have the time, I’ll even be there. Let me see what the power of the holy sword Dáinsleif can do!”

〇　　　　　　　　　〇　　　　　　　　　〇

The battle for Fortress Blaine was won by the Kingdom of Zain through the power of Raidorl and the holy sword Dáinsleif.

As a result, the western invasion forces of the Arslanian Empire retreated to the Balmes Fortress on the border, and the Zain Kingdom overcame the danger of destruction for the time being.

The Zain Army made a major breakthrough by capturing the Imperial Princess Celia Von Arslanian as a prisoner of war. The information quickly spread throughout the royal capital.

The inhabitants of Royal Capital, who until then had been in a dark and sullen mood of defeat, were now in a state of festive excitement at the news of their unexpected victory.

“Hahaha, Suck it up, Empire!”

“Long live the Kingdom of Zain!　Long live His Majesty Granard!”

“No, no, this is the work of His Highness Raidorl! As expected of the Hero of the Sacred Sword!”

The name of the Holy Sword:Excalibur Holder, Raidorl Zain, was also mentioned by the inhabitants of the Royal City.

When Granard received the report of the Royal Army’s victory, he tried to conceal Raidorl’s existence by issuing an order to hide his brother’s success.

The kingdom’s victory was due to the success of General Bazel Garst and, moreover, to the leadership of his lord, King Granard Zain. They tried to manipulate information in this way.

However, the plot failed, as soldiers who actually fought on the battlefield spread the word of Raidorl’s exploits with their mouths.

The soldiers had witnessed the clash of the two holy swords, Dáinsleif and Claíomh Solas, and there was no way they could hide the living legend they had witnessed, having witnessed the myth come to life.

With such preliminaries as [this is between us] and [don’t tell anyone], Raidorl’s exploits became known throughout the kingdom within a matter of days.

And so, as the whole Royal Capital rejoiced at the arrival of a new hero, the opportunity came again for the two men, Raidorl and Granard, to meet each other.

“…..you have fought well this time, truly brilliantly. I commend you.”

“Ha, I am honoured. Brother.”

Granard, who has a painted face, says to Raidorl, who is kneeling down. Raidorl also responds to his brother’s words with a mocking smile.

“I have already heard of your exploits. I hear you have defeated a large enemy army and even captured a Claíomh Solas’s wielder?”

“Yes, all this is due to your authority. My successes are meagre.”

Both the admiring Granard and the humbled Raidorl look at each other as if they are checking and controlling each other in the opposite way to their words.

Watching them at side was the Prime Minister Lockwood Marcel and General Bazel Garst which sigh in unison.

“These two…..”

“It’s inevitable now. Give up, Lockwood.”

Lockwood, pressing his forehead to stave off a headache, is muttered to by Bazel.

“But …..if this continues, the two will never be able to reconcile, will they? If the two of them could support each other, this country would ……”

“There are currents in the world that you can’t control. If we wanted to reconcile the two of them, we should have acted sooner.”

The two had once been involved in the exile of Raidorl, but they wanted to bring Raidorl back to Royal Capital at some point in time.

When the previous king was on his sickbed, they inevitably had to sacrifice him to avoid a succession struggle, but once Granard’s position as king was secure, there would be no one left to try to support Raidorl.

With his achievements as king, Granard would also be able to put aside his inferiority complex towards Raidorl and treat him as a brother, as he once did.

That’s what Lockwood thought…….

“That was also wiped out by the imperial invasion. Everything is ruined…..”

The imperial invasion forced them to recall Raidorl and unilaterally order him to fight without any reconciliation.

As a result, the rift between the two is now so obvious that they will never be able to return to being close brothers.

“It can’t be helped. The two of them will have to fight sooner or later……You, too, must be prepared.”

“….General Garst, you are not planning to join His Highness Raidorl, are you?”

Lockwood asked the general, who looked strangely enlightened, with suspicion.

Bazel nodded [hmm] while crossing his arms with a mysterious look on his face.

“Whichever of those two wins, I will remain loyal as a warrior. However, if His Highness Raidorl wins, I will leave the guardianship to my son…….”

“… Isn’t a warrior’s loyalty something offered to the king?”

“It pains my ears to hear you say that.”

Bazel laughed and shook his head.

“During peacetime it would be fine. I don’t think the Empire will give up after one defeat. To avoid loss of forces, our army will not meddle in political disputes.”

“………..”

“Don’t look at me like that. The die has already been cast. There is not much I or you can do.”

Turning away from Lockwood, who glared at him sideways, Bazel turned his attention to the king before him.

“There is no need to be modest. Everyone will agree that you, chosen by the Holy Sword, are only good in battle.”

“Such as you brother, would be very well suited to the throne, wouldn’t you say? It would be easy to topple an empire just by you sitting there and doing nothing. No, not at all. It’s a good thing you’re the king, you don’t have to do anything for your country.”

The two royals are still exchanging sarcasms with a Noh-like expression on their faces.

The general gently closed his eyes after watching the exchange, which was too insidious and childish to be called a sibling fight.

In the meantime, the discussion moved on to the next stage. Soon the topic of conversation turned to the captive imperial princess.

“Well, Raidorl,……where is Princess Celia Von Arslanian? Why have you not brought her here?”

Granard asked quizzically, looking down at his brother from his throne. Raidorl’s lips lift up as if he has finally asked, and he answers proudly.

“If you were a beautiful princess, I’d have you relax in my house, wouldn’t I? It’s an honour to have a princess from another country as the first guest in the house I’ve been given.”

“Fool! How dare you capture the enemy’s royalty and not hand them over to me, your king! You have reneged on your promise to fight for your country!”

“You, too, agreed in our oath that the treasure I took and the prisoners I captured would be mine. Have you forgotten that?”

“Wha…… you can’t possibly have made those terms for that……!”

Granard’s face is red with anger and he is about to say more, but he swallows his words.

If he tried to make a scene here, the curse of the oath engraved in Granard’s chest would be triggered.

Gritting his back teeth, he glares at his brother, who smiles fearlessly, in the shape of a demon.

“You’re going to start negotiating a peace treaty with the Empire anyway, aren’t you? Until the negotiations are finished, I will provide Princess Celia with hospitality. Don’t worry, I’ll release her when the negotiations are safely concluded.”

“…..What’s your purpose? What’s the point of you keeping the princess in your custody?”

“Purpose, eh? Well, perhaps I’d like some time to woo the lovely and beautiful Princess?”

“……you don’t seem to intend to answer seriously.”

Granard’s eyes grew even more grim and he stomped his heels irritably. He rests his cheek on the elbow rest,  and then sighs in resignation.

“…… Fine, I’ll leave Princess Celia and the Holy Sword in your care.”

“Very well, I thank you for your mercy.”

“But don’t think you can stay on your toes forever! The court magician will eventually lift the curse you have placed on me. You’d better think of something to beg for your life while you still can!!”

Granard points to the curse seal inscribed on his chest over his clothes and dismisses it evasively.

Remember this when the curse is lifted – clearly and verbally threatened, Raidorl raises his hands in surrender.

“Don’t threaten me too much. It’s scary.”

“……Our talk is over. Get out quickly!”

“Yes…….Oh, and make sure you send the aid money to the frontier cities, okay? If you make a mistake on your promise…..”

“Get the fuck out of here!　Don’t make me say it again!”

“Yes, yes. I understand.”

Cowering his shoulders at his brother king, who was finally angry, Raidorl left the throne room.

Granard stared for a moment at the door through which his brother had disappeared.

“Lockwood, make peace with the Empire as soon as possible and take back the territories stolen from us! And don’t forget to roast the traitors within the court! Garst, fortify the fortress until the peace is concluded!”

“Ha!”

“As you wish.”

Upon receiving a royal command from their king, the prime minister and the general immediately bowed.

Granard’s expression was still distorted as he spat angrily at the two men who had taken the vassal’s bow.

“Do not give that foolish brother time for his mad schemes! Finish the war with the Empire as soon as possible and get rid of him! This time he will not be banished to the frontier for casting a curse on me……. At the very least, I will imprison him in a prison cell, and in some cases, I will cut off his head!”

“……….”

“……….”

Lockwood and Garst both fell silent, their expressions indescribably delicate at the sight of the king shouting at them in a sword-fighting display.

〇　　　　　　　　　〇　　　　　　　　　〇

Meanwhile, after his audience with his brother, Raidorl walks down the corridor towards the main entrance of the royal palace.

On the way, he passes nobles and knights working in the royal palace, but the way they look at Raidorl is different from before, with a feeling of respect in their eyes.

When he came to this place before the war, the people in the royal palace gave off an atmosphere of blatant avoidance, afraid to get involved with the exiled prince.

Now, however, such a stiff atmosphere has softened, and some of those staring at Raidorl from afar are even looking for the right moment to talk to him, hoping to somehow get close to the hero.

‘……How can you change your attitude so much just because you’ve won a war? Humans are odd creatures.’

It feels good to be revered and celebrated as a warrior who has won a fierce battle.

However, a few of them may be plotting to take up arms against Raidorl, who have risen from the frontier to the limelight and become a hero, and use him to line their pockets.

He understands that he has to deal with such people in order to make a breakthrough in Royal Capital, but Raidorl is not in such a mood at the moment.

He went to the trouble of defeating the Imperial Holy Sword:Excalibur Holder, and furthermore, he was able to punish his brother King, who had alienated him.

Raidorl would have liked to have drunk a little more of the pleasant wine of victory. The plotting and scheming could be done afterwards.

Before the nobles around him could speak to him, Raidorl left the palace quickly.

“I will escort you to the residence. Your Highness Raidorl.”

Darren Garst, who was waiting outside, bowed reverently to Raidorl as he left the royal palace.

Darren took the trouble to open the carriage door and welcome Raidorl inside. He and Darren sit opposite each other in the carriage, as they did sometime ago. What is different from that time is that Neimilia is not there.

“Speaking of which,……are you glad that I didn’t have to give my brother a dusting greeting.”

The most successful player in this war was Raidorl, who defeated and captured Celia. The second was General Bazel Garst, who was in overall command of the army.

And if one were to venture to name a third person of merit, it would undoubtedly be Darren, who was in command of the front line.

Darren could have followed him to an audience with Granard, but this man, the commander of the Thousand Horsemen, never set foot in the royal palace, but stayed in his carriage out front, waiting for his return.

“Yes, because now I have no face to present to His Majesty the King.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“I no longer wish to be His Majesty’s subject. Therefore, there is no way I can show my face before His Majesty.”

Darren said in a calm,unhesitating tone and turned his serious gaze on Raidorl.

“Your Highness,once said. Do I intend to betray His Majesty Granard and follow you ……?”

“I feel like I’ve said that……. Maybe.”

Raidorl replied in a vague, ambiguous tone as he dug up his memories.

Perhaps it was when he was in the carriage from the frontier city to the royal capital. 

“I will answer that question now. I – Darren Garst – now pledge my allegiance to His Highness Raidorl. I will walk with you on your high road and fight as your sword and shield.”

“Oi,oi,oi……you can’t be serious.”

As Darren puts his hand on his chest and bows deeply, Raidorl murmurs with more dismay than surprise.

Darren knows that Raidorl is at odds with Granard. The fact that he is aware of this and has declared that he will join Raidorl is effectively breaking from Granard ranks.

“Even your father……Bazel Garst only declared his neutrality, he didn’t say he was taking my side, did he? You, the commander of the kingdom, is going to stand on my side, the one the king hates?”

“Of course, a knight’s word is never two words. If the courtesy of a vassal is required, I will kneel down as much as I can after I get out of the carriage.”

“That’s not what I meant, but…..what’s with the sudden change of heart?”

“………”

Darren’s mouth is closed in response to Raidorl’s question. Rather than hesitating to voice words of betrayal to the king, he seemed to be gathering his thoughts.

“……I have become aware of this after taking part in this war. From now on, the monarch this country needs is not His Majesty Granard, but His Highness Raidorl.”

Darren was silent for a few dozen seconds, but eventually spoke up in a cheerful tone.

“The Kingdom of Zain has successfully repelled the imperial invasion, but I don’t think this is the end of the war. The Empire still has the two Holy Swords, and they have enough troops. If their Emperor decides to abandon the hostage Princess Celia, the kingdom will once again be engulfed in war.”

“And it is not His Majesty Granard, who would not step up during a national crisis, who can face such a crisis. It is His Highness Raidorl, who can stand at the front line and fight with his soldiers by the sword, who is the only one who can save this country.”

The look in Darren’s eyes as he praises Raidorl is one of deep admiration and awe.

Having witnessed first-hand the power of Raidorl and Dáinsleif at Fortress Blaine, Darren’s ideal image of a king seems to have been drastically altered.

“The necessary quality for a king is to protect the country. No matter how skilled he is in politics or how justified he is in assuming the throne as the eldest son, he is not qualified to be king if he does not have the will to face up to national challenges himself. In this country, faced with an enemy called the Empire, only His Highness Raidorl is qualified to be king.”

“…………”

“Therefore, I will do everything in my power to ensure that His Highness Raidorl becomes the next king. To this end, I am willing to turn the tables on His Majesty Granard.”

“…… I see. If that is the case, then I will accept your loyalty.”

Raidorl laughed with a sly and amused smile.

He thought Darren Garst was a more calm and smart man. He is a man who cannot measure things by courtesy, cadence and regularity.

However, it appears that he was mistaken. Darren seems to be dumber than Raidorl thinks he is.

‘But it’s interesting because it’s ……. this kind of person I like to have by my side’

Clever person. A stupid person – if asked which is better, most people would say the former.

But it is always the stupid dreamer who achieves great things that no one else can.

Only those who can follow their own will without fear of risk can see what no one else has seen.

“Alright. I’m keeping my right hand with Neimilia, and I’m giving you my left hand. You’ll be my one arm, and you’ll work for me!”

“Ha, I will. My king!”

In the carriage, which drives through the sunset city of Royal Capital, Raidorl and Darren exchange vows of loyalty.

It was the moment that marked the beginning of many battles for the two men, who were to fight together in the years to come.

〇　　　　　　　　　〇　　　　　　　　　〇

Eventually, the carriage carrying Raidorl arrived at the mansion in the noble district.

Raidorl gets off the carriage and leaves Darren, who bows his head, and enters the mansion alone.

At the beginning of the war against the Empire, he was alone with his maid Neimilia in the vast mansion in the middle of the noble town, but now a third person has taken up residence.

“Hey,Onii-san! Where have you been?”

“……Isn’t that out of the blue for a returning lord of the house? Princess Celia?”

Raidorl gives an annoyed smile to the girl who shouted at him as soon as he entered the mansion.

A beautiful, blonde-haired girl came up to Raidorl. She is Celia Von Arslanian, Imperial Princess and holder of the Holy Sword:Excalibur,Claíomh Solas.

She was brought to the house as a prisoner of war, and now wears neither a military uniform nor a mithril armour suit, but a simple white blouse and navy blue skirt.

Although Celia is living in this mansion as a prisoner of war, she is not particularly tied up, and is allowed to roam freely within the mansion.

Even without going to the trouble of putting a collar on her, there is no way that Celia could escape – Raidorl is convinced of that.

“It’s not for me to say, but….if you’re a woman of a high status, I’d expect you to behave with a bit more decency.”

“That’s right. Miss Celia lacks the composure of a lady!”

“…..I’m done with you, really.”

Raidorl turns his dismayed words to Neimilia, who comes out from behind Celia.

In the war with the Empire, Neimilia won the gold star for capturing the enemy general Gracos Barzen alive, but from her fawning expression she does not look as if she has achieved such a feat.

Neimilia, who usually wears a maid’s uniform, was dressed a little differently today. She was dressed as usual in an apron dress like a maid, but the hem of her skirt was extremely short and her bosom was boldly open. Rather than a servant, she looked more like a prostitute standing in an alleyway, inviting customers to come and see her.

“……Neimilia, what’s wrong with your clothes?”

Raidorl asked fearfully, with a certain sense of foreboding.

“Of course, I’m dressed to serve my master! Today I made you a feast to celebrate winning the war!”

“………….”

When Neimilia confidently puffed out her chest, Raidorl pulled a face.

Looking at her overexposed attire, it was clear that the [feast] included Neimilia herself. Raidorl had no idea what she was going to do to him.

“Aa–..that’s…”

Raidorl slurred his words, searching for words to somehow restrain the erotic maid who stood in front of him. However, it was difficult to come up with a way to get through the situation.

In the first place, when Raidorl ordered the capture of Gracos Barzen, he promised to give Neimilia a [reward]. If that is brought up, he cannot reject it strongly.

‘I’ll think twice about rewarding this girl again, but I have to fool her around with this somehow. I don’t know what kind of perverted behaviour I’ll be forced into…..!’

Raidorl’s head twisted as he endured a headache, but then help came from an unexpected source.

“Hey, hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Celia intervenes between them, ranting and raving in a high-pitched voice.

The woman who came closer to him had a neat, childlike face, but her eyebrows were lifted and her eyes were stern, and she was clearly angry.

“More importantly, Onii-san! Give me back my Claíomh Solas! The war is already over, so why won’t you!”

Celia complained in a desperate manner about her beloved sword. Raidorl tilted his head with a curious look on his face.

“If it’s about……Claíomh Solas, you’d have it in your room. I didn’t take it away from you, did I?”

“That’s not what I mean!　How come I can’t talk to Claíomh Solas anymore!　I swear Onii-san did something to it! Fess up!”

Currently, Claíomh Solas, the Holy Sword of Thunder, is kept in the mansion, in the room given to Celia.

The sword is now in a state where even its owner, Celia, cannot hold it, although it was an impossible treatment not to confiscate weapons from prisoners of war.

“Heee..What makes you think I did something?”

Raidorl asked back in a fond tone of voice. Celia’s eyes become even angrier, and she bares her double teeth in an angry voice.

“No one but Onii-san could do this! It’s not possible to seal the power of the Holy Sword unless it’s from the same……Holy Sword!”

“….Umu. Well, you’re right. Very correct.”

Raidorl affirmed Celia’s answer.

The reason why Raidorl have not confiscated weapons from the captive Celia is because the holy sword is a weapon with power comparable to an army.

“As you can see, I put a curse on you while you were unconscious that severed your connection to the Holy Sword…….Here, here it is.”

“Hyah!!!”

Raidorl grabbed the collar of the blouse that Celia was wearing and mercilessly opened her chest.

The woman’s gently swelling breasts are marked with a black imprint just above the heart.

Much like the one engraved on Granard’s chest, it is a [sealing curse] attached by the cursed holy sword, the Dáinsleif.

“It is an application of a curse……that my ancestors once used to seal a single witch. No matter how powerful Dáinsleif is, it cannot contain the power of Claíomh Solas, a holy sword of the same rank. Still, it is at least possible to seal the power of its Holder and temporarily separate them.”

“Hi……a……a……”

“It’s only a temporary curse, so you’ll eventually break free from it and…….what’s wrong?”

Whether she is listening to the explanation or not, Celia is looking down at her bare chest.

Raidorl tilted his head, wondering if she was that shocked to have the curse engraved on her.

“Don’t worry, the engraving will disappear once the curse is lifted……”

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

“Uwoooo!?”

A high-pitched scream was released from Celia’s mouth. Receiving the eardrum-piercing scream at point-blank range, Raidorl’s body was thrown broadly back.

“Get off me! Don’t touch me!”

“O–i, oi,what’s wrong…..?”

“No! No, no, no, no!”

“O–i,oi, if you pull too hard, you’ll…..be in big trouble!”

Celia clutched her own chest and tried to distance herself from Raidorl. However, Raidorl still held onto her blouse.

The screams startled Raidorl and his posture collapsed, and he was pushed by Celia, who fell forward and fell into the ground.

“Ghu…..!”

“Hi…..!”

Raidorl and Celia fold over and fall to the floor. The impact causes a bang sound and the remaining buttons are torn off.

The white princess’s skin is exposed from her neck to her navel in one fell swoop, exposing her two unclothed breasts.

In the blink of an eye, Celia is naked, is pushed down by Raidorl. Naturally, this is the first time she, an imperial princess, has been subjected to such tyranny.

“Aa,aaa…..”

“Ouch…..that’s dangerous, what’s with the sudden outburst?”

“No…..I don’t like this.  I don’t want to do this. …… ugh, egh, egh..”

“Haa…?”

She is stripped of her blouse and pushed down by a man, ….and the threads of tension that had been broken. Celia cries out [ehh, ehh] like a young child.

She knew what enemy soldiers do to female soldiers who are taken prisoner, she was aware of this.

She lost the war, was captured by the enemy, and the power of the holy sword she relied on was blocked. In addition, she was stripped of her clothes and pushed down.

That was more than enough to push the teenage princess to her limits, no matter how chosen she was by the Holy Sword.

“Um, …… what?’”

“Aaa, you made her cry.”

Meanwhile, Raidorl was still in the position in which he had pushed down Celia. From the side, Neimilia interrupts with a ridiculously teasing voice.

It is as if the woman crying like a child in front of him and the Holy Sword:Excalibur holder who once fought him on the battlefield do not overlap.

Raidorl stared at Celia’s crying face and eventually came to one fact.

“Aa……I remember. Normal women don’t like to be seen naked, do they?….”

“Master is out of his depth, isn’t he? By the way, are you planning to do ‘three’ tonight?”

“You shut up! You’ll complicate things!”

Shutting Neimilia, who for some reason had an excited look on her face, Raidorl covered Celia’s naked body with her own jacket.

Celia continued to cry for half an hour, but eventually she realised that Raidorl was not going to assault her and stopped crying.

“I won’t forgive……this humiliation. I will never forgive you……!”

“Haa…..don’t be so angry.”

Hiding her body with a thick layer of Raidorl’s jacket, Celia glared at the man in front of her with intense hatred.

The imperial princess’s blue eyes still have teardrops on the edges of them, and the area around her eyes is red from crying and swelling.

Receiving such a fiery gaze, Raidorl scratched his head in trouble and looked at the woman who was sitting on the floor with a floppy face.

“I feel bad. No, I didn’t mean to offend you. I didn’t think you’d hate it that much……”

“Of course I don’t like it! Aa–seeing my breasts like that…..”

Celia’s face was flushed red and her fists were clenched, as if she was about to strike him.

Having realised that she was not going to be raped and humiliated, Celia had regained her composure. Instead, what emerged was intense anger and shame. She let her emotions take over and hurled abusive words at Raidorl.

“Nasty! How can a prince of a country do this to a girl? ……Beast! Animals! Wan-chan!”

(a dog)

“Is wan-chan a swear word?”

Raidorl continues to receive Celia’s abuse in a mature and docile manner.

Incidentally, although Raidorl made Celia’s breasts bare, he did not really want to humiliate the Imperial Princess or have any malicious intentions.

From the bottom of his heart, he did not believe that Celia would be that reluctant to have her breasts looked at.

A man called Raidorl Zain was expelled from the royal capital at the age of 13 and sent to a frontier city.

There are no girls of his age in the frontier city, which is full of immigrants for some reason, and Raidorl has spent his most opposite-sex-conscious, impressionable years with almost no contact with women.

The only women who come into contact with Raidorl are female adventurers who don’t give a damn about the male gaze, elderly women that Raidorl can’t see as a woman, and the prostitutes who has drifted down to the frontier cities.

The exception is an erotic maid who has been freed from a 200-year seal, but she, too, thinks nothing of being seen naked by Raidorl. In fact, she is a lascivious woman who tries to undress whenever the opportunity arises.

Having spent his adolescence in such an environment, Raidorl has no understanding of how women feel when they are seen naked and do not like it.

“No more! I’m getting out of this house!”

“Oh, that’s not a good idea…….”

“Yup, yup..we won’t be able to do our threesome.”

“Shut up, you erotic maid!”

After giving a hand-chopped Neimilia on the head for saying something unnecessary, Raidorl’s shoulders slumped with a [hah].

“….. that’s why I said I’m sorry. You’re a prisoner of war and I need you to stay here until the negotiations with the Empire are over. And …..I hate to tell you this, but if you run away, you’ll be killing your General Grandpa, you know? I don’t know how much further the negotiation will go, and I don’t want to take the life of an old man either.”

“General…… no way Grandpa Barzen!?”

Celia’s eyes widened at Raidorl’s words.

In the Battle of Blaine Fortress, Neimilia took advantage of the confusion caused by the surprise attack on the imperial position to kidnap the enemy general Gracos Barzen.

Barzen was imprisoned in a certain place, and Granard and Bazel were not informed that the old general had fallen into the hands of the Raidorl.

‘I had ordered Neimilia to increase the material for negotiating with the Empire, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it would also be an effective card against Her Royal Highness……’

Raidorl learnt that Celia cares for Barzen as if he were her own grandfather, otherwise he would have had to resort to more violent measures to hold the Princess down.

“…… Is Granpa alright!? Is he not hurt?!”

“He’s not. I’ve put him under house arrest in a certain place and I’ve given him three meals and two blankets to sleep on. He is being treated so well that I wouldn’t say he is treated as a prisoner of war in an enemy country.”

“You won’t let me see him……will you?”

Celia asks with an upward glance. Raidorl chuckled at the cute face.

“Don’t worry, You’ll meet him once the negotiations with the Empire are over. I promise.”

“…………”

At Raidorl’s words, Celia’s eyes looked doubtful, and her shoulders eventually slumped without effort.

It appears that she has given up on the idea of escaping. She slowly opens her mouth with a dejected expression.

“…..What does Onii–san’s brother want? Just catching me and Grandpa should be enough credit. What does he want with all this far-fetched stuff?”

“It’s not about the kingdom negotiating with the empire. It’s about me holding the material for negotiations with the empire.”

Raidorl twisted his lips into a scornful smile.

It is not his brother King Granard who holds the initiative in negotiations with the Empire, but his brother Raidorl. This is his trump card in ousting his brother.

“You can rest and recuperate in the Mansion. If you want, you can go sightseeing. There’s even a beautiful lake near here. I’ll show you around later.”

“…………”

Celia becomes silent with a resentful look on her face. 

Instead, [Yes, yes!] Neimilia raised her right hand.

“Aaah!!! If it’s a date, I want to go too! It’s not fair that you’re the only one who wants to go!”

“All right, all right……I’ll take you to a very special place too. You’ll get your reward for that.”

“Eeeee? Isn’t a reward supposed to be naughty!?”

“Ugh……why am I in this…..mess?”

Neimilia exclaims in frustration while Celia sits down dejectedly.

Maid and Princess. A witch and a Holy Sword:Excalibur holder. Looking alternately at the two beautiful girls of different types and positions, Raidorl felt his head filled with more troublesome things.

Thus -Raidorl won against the Arslanian Empire and the Imperial Princess Celia fell into the hands of the young royal brother.

What consequences will this have for the future of the Kingdom of Zain? What impact will it have on the struggle between the king’s brother Raidorl and King Granard?

It is a future that no one knows yet.