Chapter 261: The Conclusion and for the Future

【Van】

“O-oh…”

I couldn’t help but let out a gasp.

Panamera and Stradale’s forces, who attacked like a raging inferno, quickly seized the top of the castle wall and neutralized the artillery. The Kingdom of Yelenetta’s Knight Order had apparently decided to retreat the moment the gate was breached, and were now fleeing, abandoning the fortress city.

In that state, the morale of the Shelvia Confederation had sunk lower than the absolute minimum.

When things quieted down, I cautiously slipped through the collapsed gate and entered the fortress city in my large carriage, where I saw knights sitting down in the main street with their weapons placed on the ground.

A middle-aged man with a beard was at the front, with Panamera and Stradale standing before him.

“Oh, boy. We won safely… though the commander of the Kingdom of Yelenetta ran away,” Panamera muttered unhappily.

Stradale folded his arms and tucked his chin. He was probably frustrated that the target for avenging Jarpa, who had suffered terribly from the artillery, had escaped, and he didn’t know where to direct his fist.

Looking past the two of them, I addressed the knight who looked like he held the highest rank.

“So, is that old man a noble from the Shelvia Confederation?”

When I asked, the middle-aged knight looked at me with a start.

“…Could you be Baron Van Ney Fertio?”

“Eh? You know me?” I asked back in surprise at being called by name suddenly.

The knight nodded slightly and scrutinized my face.

“…You truly are still a young boy. My name is Towncar Pillars, a Count of the Shelvia Confederation. I’ve heard the details of the situation from His Highness Cosworth of the Kingdom of Yelenetta. He said that a boy named Van is dominating the battlefield with terrifying construction magic…”

“Ehh? That’s not true at all. Hehe, you’re making me blush.”

I meant to be modest at Towncar’s words, but I couldn’t resist when he said I was dominating the battlefield. I replied with a self-conscious laugh. Towncar nodded with a solemn face.

“I hear that geniuses are often eccentrics, but I see…” he said, stating a peculiar thought with a look of understanding.

What do you mean ‘eccentric,’ you bearded knight. I was happy thinking I was being praised.

As I glared at Towncar with a pouting expression, Panamera snorted and spoke.

“That doesn’t matter. First, is the disposition of the Shelvia Confederation, which antagonized the Kingdom of Scuderia. His Majesty is a severe man. Are you prepared?”

She asked with a fierce grin, and Towncar pulled back his chin with a stern face.

“…We are conquered men. We have no right to speak. However, if possible, I request that you consider an audience with my King and the conclusion of an alliance under appropriate conditions. We were forced to follow the terrifying power of the Kingdom of Yelenetta’s artillery, but now it is deeply ingrained in me that the Kingdom of Scuderia is more suitable for an alliance. I swear I will persuade the King and become a force for the Kingdom of Scuderia.”

When Towncar said that, Panamera furrowed her brow in displeasure.

“Boring. If you had challenged us with the spirit of fighting to the last soldier, I would have finally received my own territory…” Panamera muttered a small, unsettling line, and Towncar wore a look of astonishment.

“Are you saying you would fight the Kingdom of Yelenetta, a great power, and try to destroy the Shelvia Confederation? Surely that would be reckless. The King of Scuderia must want to concentrate on the war with the Kingdom of Yelenetta. To independently choose to fight the Shelvia Confederation here…”

Towncar was trying to use a long speech to persuade her, but Panamera waved one hand dismissively.

“Ah, fine, fine. I will pass the matter on to Marquis Fertio. You send a fast rider from your side. Let me be clear, this fortress city and your persons are now in my custody. Know that this will not be overturned. It would be best to tell your King that the Shelvia Confederation will not get off lightly unless they present the maximum favorable conditions.”

After uttering a threat in a low tone, Panamera glared at Towncar and his men. Towncar nodded solemnly and accepted the terms.

Once the discussion was largely complete, we decided to return to Centena for the time being. Since the Shelvia Confederation knights will dedicate personnel to repair the fortress city, we will leave everything to them. Lord Van is exhausted from overworking. Overwork is not good. This is the age of work-life balance.

As I thought this, I noticed Arte looking crestfallen.

The truth was, due to the mass deployment of black metal bombs by the Kingdom of Yelenetta, Arte’s two dolls had been heavily damaged. Parts of their armor were missing, and their bodies were covered in scratches. Arte was extremely down because she had realized this.

“I’m sorry, Lord Van… The dolls you so kindly made for me…”

Since Arte apologized tearfully immediately after the discovery, I couldn’t possibly be angry.

“It’s alright. They can be fully repaired, so I’ll fix them up nicely. Thanks to you, we were able to breach the gate, so don’t worry too much about it.”

I told her that as gently as possible, but Arte sadly denied my words.

“…If I had followed your words and not pushed them so hard, the dolls wouldn’t have gotten so beat up. I’m truly sorry…”

She continued to regret the moment they were nearly destroyed by the massive black metal explosion. Losing the dolls seemed to have shocked her greatly, and a little encouragement had absolutely no effect. I kept wondering how I could cheer her up…

【Istana】

The situation has become the worst possible. Because of Cosworth, we are heading toward the most dreadful future imaginable.

No, the fault definitely lies with everyone in the Kingdom of Yelenetta, including His Majesty, who were intoxicated by the power of the black metal and the artillery. But the biggest problem is that Cosworth, who commanded on the front line, continued the fight until the very end.

He should have realized defeat somewhere along the way. We should have sued for peace while the Kingdom of Scuderia still considered the Kingdom of Yelenetta a formidable foe. But now, everything is too late.

Given the temperament of the King of Scuderia, nothing we say will make them sheath their swords. No matter what terms we offer, since their overwhelming superiority is now decided, they will not stop until they have taken everything from the Kingdom of Yelenetta. If only they would recognize our country’s continued existence, even as a vassal state, we might have had a chance to survive.

“Gu-uuh…”

As my thoughts spiraled, I heard a muffled cry from inside the carriage. I looked over and saw Cosworth, who had been burned on half of his body, groaning painfully.

Am I going to die because of this man?

The thought made me want to punch him right now, but that wouldn’t solve anything.

“Lord Istana! We’re passing through the city of Shelvia, is that alright!?”

“We retreated and left Count Towncar’s men behind! If a fast rider comes, the Shelvia Confederation might turn against us! Return to the Kingdom of Yelenetta without slowing down as much as possible!”

“Y-yes, sir!”

I am leading about fifteen thousand of our country’s knights, including Cosworth’s private soldiers, but even that feels precarious. No, I am convinced that we absolutely cannot win.

We joined the war with thirty thousand soldiers, and half of them have been whittled down in just two clashes. The Shelvia Confederation knights are in a similar state. Considering that the enemy only had about ten thousand in total, I cannot feel safe simply because we have a large number of soldiers.

“I must return to the Royal Capital as quickly as possible and persuade His Majesty! If we continue to fight, we will only be crushed miserably!”

Dignity is meaningless now. For the survival of the country and the royal family, I cannot afford to be concerned with appearances.