kscans

1

King Wendelland has passed away.

The shocking news spread throughout the capital by the next morning. Along with it came the news that Crown Prince Julelan, with the support of his senior vassals, had immediately declared his succession to the throne.

An urgent summons was sent to Bard. Accompanied by the messenger, Bard, along with Karz and Jurchaga, made their way to the royal palace.

“General Bard Rowen, thank you for coming,” Julelan greeted him in the audience chamber, surrounded by a line of senior vassals. His tone was formal.

“The official coronation ceremony will be held as soon as the priests arrive from the Mercano Temple, but the date of the coronation will be recorded as today. In other words, my words should be heard as those of a king who has already been crowned and officially ascended to the throne. Now, General Bard, I have a task for you. Viscount Lishionel, please explain.”

“Yes. Yesterday, His Majesty Julelan, who was then the Crown Prince, held a meeting with the plenipotentiary ambassadors of both the Goriora Empire and the Gaineria Kingdom, along with several senior vassals. The main topics of discussion were the alliance of the three countries to counter the invasion of the Shinkai Kingdom, and the formation and operation of a joint force to counter the horde of demonic beasts that will soon attack from the east. A terrifying conspiracy was revealed by Count Grismo, who was captured in the recent battle. Namely, the suspicious incidents that have been occurring in our country recently were orchestrated by Shinkai. Shinkai is likely to declare war on all the Central Plains countries and embark on continental domination. In conjunction with this, the demi-humans who control the demonic beasts are forming a large army of demonic beasts, and more than five hundred demonic beasts are about to attack the Central Plains countries from the banks of the Ova River. The Crown Prince had been sending secret envoys to both countries from time to time to convey the information obtained. Among these, I will further explain the matter related to the demonic beasts, which is deeply related to General Bard. General Bard, you successfully repelled the demonic beasts at Corpus Fortress, but it has been confirmed that at least two places, Tugart Fortress and Zeanos Fortress, were destroyed by enemies believed to be demonic beasts around the same time. In the Goriora Empire, four frontier fortresses were also attacked by demonic beasts and almost destroyed. In the Gaineria Kingdom, three fortresses were attacked by demonic beasts, but thanks to the efforts of General Jog Ward, two of the fortresses were defended. At yesterday’s meeting, it was concluded that this abnormal situation, combined with the information obtained from Count Grismo, should be considered as something akin to a military exercise in preparation for a major invasion. And when considering the scale of the enemy and the mobilizable forces of the three countries, it was decided that a joint force must be formed and operated by the three countries in order to counter them. The place of assembly will be Lordvan Castle, and the date will be the fortieth day of October. The details are compiled in this document.”

Viscount Lishionel explained and handed a bundle of parchment to Bard.

“That’s the situation, General Bard. The reason why Count Manoust of the Goriora Empire visited with his niece was for yesterday’s meeting. The ambassador from Gaineria had entered the country a little earlier, disguised as a merchant caravan. Even if we provide information about Shinkai’s invasion, the movements of Thula and Seion are sluggish. They probably won’t move unless their backs are against the wall. In the worst case scenario, they may have made a secret agreement with Shinkai. If Shinkai in the far west starts a war against the entire Central Plains, our country will be the first to be attacked, followed by Thula and Seion. From Gaineria’s perspective, these three countries will serve as a breakwater, so Gaineria is more interested in defending against the horde of demonic beasts. Therefore, Gaineria has agreed to send a disproportionately large force to the joint force considering its national power. The Goriora Empire, which is geographically difficult to invade from Shinkai’s perspective, is also on standby for the time being regarding the continental invasion. They promised to send a powerful knight squad for the extermination of the demonic beasts. As for Shinkai’s invasion, we will call on the lords to prepare for defense, but the priority is to respond to the demonic beasts. Agreement was quickly reached on the formation of a joint force of the three countries, but the problem came after that.”

Julelan rubbed his forehead with his fingers. There must have been something troubling him.

“In order for the force to operate effectively, the command must be centralized. However, all three countries insisted that the command should be held by their own knights and would not yield. After much dispute, Count Manoust said this, ‘The hero of the frontier, Lord Bard Rowen, has been appointed as the Grand General in Parzam. If Lord Rowen were to take command of this joint force of the three countries, our knights would be satisfied.’ Then, without missing a beat, the Gaineria ambassador said this, ‘That’s a wonderful idea. Our country’s warriors would also follow Lord Rowen’s orders. However, could you first duel with our General Jog Ward and defeat him to demonstrate your martial prowess?’ I had no choice but to accept this condition. I had promised not to let General Bard command the army, and you had initially accepted the position of general as a temporary stand-in. I regret having to go back on my word, but in order to protect the people of the Central Plains who are threatened by the claws and fangs of the demonic beasts, I ask you to accept this task.”

How could he refuse when the newly crowned Julelan had gone so far as to say this? Bard had no choice but to accept.

2

Bard, who was led to a separate room, received explanations on related matters from several civil officials and read the documents. The documents recorded the terrifying conspiracy that Count Grismo, who had been captured and brought before Julelan, had spoken of with cursed words.

The story goes back fourteen years. About three years ago, in the Karizau Kingdom to the west of Parzam, the royal bloodline had died out, and the era of the two dukes, Fargo and Ezite, jointly ruling the country had begun. Fourteen years ago, in the year 4258, a dispute arose between the Karizau Kingdom and the Parzam Kingdom over the use of the Mordos South Road. The narrow Mordos Southwest Road, which had been used until then, was no longer sufficient to meet the fuel needs of the rapidly developing major cities of Karizau. This dispute led to armed conflict, and the following year the two countries exchanged declarations of war and entered a state of war. The first year saw fierce clashes, with both countries suffering heavy losses.

In the year 4261, when both countries were replenishing their strength while continuing minor skirmishes, General Lugurgoa Geskas of the Shinkai Kingdom visited Viscount Grismo. The two had known each other before, but General Lugurgoa made a surprising proposal. Grismo Castle was in a position that could be considered the throat of Parzam when attacking Fargo and Ezite, so if they pretended to surrender and hid their forces, they could ensure a certain victory for their homeland. Shinkai offered to provide the funds to help with this. After consulting with Dukes Fargo and Ezite, Viscount Grismo offered to surrender to the King of Parzam. For a while after that, Fargo and Ezite hurriedly trained knights, secretly sent surplus forces to Grismo, and the financial aid from Shinkai continued, enriching Grismo’s secret forces and increasing the forces of Fargo and Ezite.

However, the situation changed later. The King of Parzam mobilized powerful lords from the north and west and launched wave-like attacks on Fargo, Ezite, and their surrounding cities. Viscount Grismo decided that it was meaningless to hoard forces in Grismo in this situation and sent more reinforcements to Fargo and Ezite under the guise of sending reinforcements to the King of Parzam. These reinforcements and the increased forces turned the tide of the war gradually in favor of the Karizau Kingdom. Finally, in the year 4269, they defeated the main force of the Parzam army attacking Fargo and killed the commander, the Crown Prince of Parzam. The Parzam army collapsed, and the Karizau Kingdom appeared ready to march on the Parzam capital with the momentum of victory. It was then that Prince Wendelland and General Napara Fujimo seized the opportunity. The two of them, with their brilliant coordination, swiftly defeated Duke Ezite and immediately captured Duke Fargo, reversing the outcome of the war in just one day. Fargo and Ezite surrendered to the Parzam Kingdom, and the Karizau Kingdom was wiped out. This happened three years ago. Although defeated, the two dukes had large forces, so they were recognized as lords of their respective cities and made to submit. In truth, had there been even a small force left in Grismo Castle at this time, they could have struck at the flanks of Prince Wendelland and General Napara Fujimo. Count Grismo would be tormented by regret for his underestimation that led to the downfall of his homeland.

From this day, preparations for revenge began. Quietly receiving financial aid from the Shinkai nation, Fargo and Ezite nurtured their forces and sent them to Grismo Castle. Even in times of peace, the mass movement of knights would attract attention. They disguised them as merchant caravans, used bandit extermination patrols, and one by one, the knights were packed into Grismo Castle. After two years, the preparations were finally complete, and the day came when Fargo and Ezite instigated a rebellion and set out to annihilate the royal army that would likely be dispatched from Casse. If such a rebellion occurred, the Parzam army would be led by the king himself or the prince. This was because they could not demonstrate the prestige of the royal family otherwise, and they could not discuss the terms of the agreement after the war. And the weakness of Parzam was that the king had only one son, the prince, and the prince did not even have a wife.

The flame of resentment burning in Count Grismo’s chest demanded further revenge. By this time, Count Grismo had come to understand that Shinkai’s true aim was continental domination. Count Grismo requested General Lugurgoa’s cooperation in his revenge against the Parzam royal family. The conditions were the assassination of King Wendelland and General Napara Fujimo, and to make Prince Julelan taste despair before killing him. In return, after the revenge was achieved, Grismo and the regions subordinate to Grismo would become vassals of the Shinkai nation. This would be a betrayal to Fargo and Ezite, who wished for the restoration of the Karizau nation, but Count Grismo had his own urgent circumstances. Due to old age and illness, he did not have much time left.

General Lugurgoa agreed to this. At that time, General Lugurgoa revealed a truly bizarre conspiracy to Count Grismo. Now, on the banks of the Ova River, Manuno and his group were preparing an army of demonic beasts. It was a terrifying horde of over five hundred. They were training while attacking the fort placed near Ova. Soon, the Shinkai nation would start moving to proclaim supremacy in the Central Plains. Around the same time, the large army of demonic beasts would threaten the various nations, he said.

Eventually, Count Grismo learned from the spies he had sent to the royal capital that King Wendelland was seriously ill. He also learned that General Napara Fujimo would soon die. He did not know how the condition of making Julelan taste despair would be fulfilled, but if he came leading the army himself, he could deliver the final blow.

Speaking the truth in this way, Count Grismo finally said this. “Prince Julelan, General Lugurgoa will fulfill his promise. Wendelland will die soon. So will Napara Fujimo. And you will die in despair.”

Having read the report up to this point, Bard asked the civil servants several questions.

First, he asked what the aim of the Shinkai nation was. The civil servants said that their opinions were not unified on this. After all, Shinkai was a nation that had never allowed invasions from other countries, nor had it ever invaded the territories of other countries. Although the internal situation was unknown, there was no doubt that the country was rich, and there was no reason to invade other countries now. It sounds good to proclaim supremacy on the continent, but in this world, inside the Great Barrier, there are countless countries. It goes without saying that governance becomes difficult as the territory expands, and even if you forcibly seize distant lands, the cost of maintenance only increases. Therefore, it was difficult to predict the range that would be targeted for invasion, but currently, it was expected that they would invade the areas excluding the Mercano Temple Autonomous Region among the countries that are mentioned as major powers in the Central Plains. In other words, the countries of Parzam, Thula, Seion, Gaineria, and Goriora.

Next, he asked whether General Lugurgoa Geskas mentioned in the report was the same person who was once called the General of Greed. The civil servants said that their opinions were not settled on this either. If he was the same person, he should be over a hundred years old. It is natural to think that someone else has inherited the name. However, Count Grismo himself believes that he is the same person. Even if he is a different person, there is no doubt that he has the same level of power and influence as his predecessor.

He also asked if it was possible for Manuno and his group to control a herd of demonic beasts. There was no clear answer to this either. It is widely believed that Manuno has strange and evil powers. It is said that prey stared at by Manuno’s eyes cannot move at all. But it is not known whether this power extends to demonic beasts, and there is no record of them being able to control them freely. They don’t hear stories of Manuno attacking humans unless they invade Manuno’s territory. However, when General Jog Ward of Gaineria repelled a herd of demonic beasts, his subordinates witnessed several Manunos. It was no coincidence that the story of Manuno controlling the demonic beasts came from Count Grismo’s mouth.

Bard thought that Count Grismo would not lie. If one out of ten words is known to be a lie, the other nine are likely to be lies as well. Since Count Grismo’s aim is to terrify Julelan, his words must be true. However, it is possible that Count Grismo’s own knowledge is incorrect. Anyway, Bard ordered the civil servants to compile what they knew about Manuno’s characteristics and abilities. At that time, a messenger entered the room and conveyed a message from the king.

“This morning, General Napara Fujimo passed away. It was found that the general’s decline and death were due to poison, and the steward who had served him faithfully for many years was arrested as the culprit.”

3

The report also included an investigation report on the incident. For the treatment of the deteriorating King, the knowledgeable Zenospinen was called back to the royal capital. Zenospinen noticed that among the prescribed medicines, there was one that would become toxic if used regularly, and as a result of the investigation, the attending physician was identified as the culprit. However, the condition had already progressed to an incurable state, and there was nothing Zenospinen could do.

Strangely enough, the attending physician seemed to have not abandoned his loyalty to the country and the royal family. He also said that he still had respect and affection for the king himself. Yet he had a strong conviction that he had to kill the king. But there was no reason to be found. There was no grudge, no problem. The thought of killing the king and the memories associated with it were completely disconnected from the rest of his sane thoughts and memories.

Due to the emergence of a conspiracy against General Napara Fujimo, an investigator was urgently dispatched. The investigation revealed a strong suspicion that General Napara’s ill health was due to poison, and the investigation is currently underway, according to the report. Unfortunately, it seems that this investigation did not make it in time.

Also, in the case of Count Zenburji, who attacked Julelan, he thought he had to kill Julelan, but he didn’t know why. He didn’t find it strange that he didn’t know, he just strongly felt that he had to kill him. The count’s subordinates, too, were taken aback by the sudden order, but they obeyed out of gratitude to the count and belief in the count’s justice. No wonder they weren’t prepared with poison.

The royal guard who attacked Julelan at the same time was surprisingly not in collusion with the count. He just became obsessed with the idea that he had to kill Julelan at some point, and that day just happened to be the day.

In any case, the actions of each perpetrator must be described as bizarre. There is no reason or context, just will. It’s as if someone somewhere had implanted thoughts in them.

4

Next, Bard read the record of the tripartite representative meeting.

First, as for Shinkai’s invasion of the Central Plains, none of the countries have a clear policy at the moment. This is because the mere fact that Count Grismo said so does not provide a basis for taking concrete measures. However, all the countries felt something fishy about Shinkai in recent years, and they agreed that they should jointly deal with the situation in case of war.

In any case, if Shinkai tries to dominate the Central Plains, it is believed that the first to confront them will be Parzam. The fact that they incited the various cities of old Karizau to inflict damage on the Parzam royal army could be consistent if it was part of the preparation. If it is a fact, it is an outrageous act that cannot be forgiven, but the assassination of the king and the grand general is extremely effective in reducing Parzam’s national power.

At this point, Parzam had no choice but to mobilize most of its available defense capabilities in preparation for Shinkai. Despite this, Julelan made the decision to deploy the entire Frontier Knights to the demonic beast unit. As Parzam withstands Shinkai’s invasion, the key to successful defense lies in how they involve Thula and Seion. Depending on the situation, early participation from Gaineria or reinforcements from the Goriora Empire might be expected. Therefore, it is necessary to synchronize the three countries and successfully defend against the demonic beasts.

All three countries have had their fortresses attacked by demonic beasts in the past few months, and the abnormal number and behavior of these beasts have heightened their sense of crisis. Regardless of whether they believe Count Grismo’s claim of five hundred beasts, there is no doubt that there are many groups of demonic beasts that seem to be controlled. This is a threat that cannot be ignored for the safety of the eastern cities of each country, and they need to be subjugated early. However, they cannot place their knights under the command of knights from other countries. This would cause dissatisfaction among their own knights and they might be the first to be exhausted. They do not trust each other that much.

So why was Bard’s name mentioned? After the meeting, a senior official directly asked Count Manoust, the plenipotentiary ambassador of the Goriora Empire, about this. Apparently, in the imperial capital recently, the story of Lord Bard Rowen, who helped a knight of Goriora and successfully embarked on a heroic adventure, has been widely spread among the nobles and the public, and is extremely popular. Many bards sing and tell his adventure tale, and murals are carved in the square in front of the palace. Above all, several influential knights who are candidates for dispatch this time are praising Lord Rowen’s bravery and character.

As for Gaineria, another situation has been revealed. In April of this year, during the Frontier Martial Arts Tournament held at Lordvan Castle, a messenger from the King of Gaineria came. The messenger proposed a duel between Lord Bard Rowen, who was supposed to be in the castle, and General Jog Ward of their country, who have had a long-standing feud. Upon hearing this, Julelan replied that Lord Rowen was currently being invited as a guest of the king from his contributions to the Parzam royal family, and he could not agree to such a plan at this time. Although Gaineria backed down at that time, it seems that the king himself was moved by General Jog Ward’s ambition and strongly wished to have the two confront each other, and his subjects seemed to be influenced by the king’s wish. After the end of the Frontier Martial Arts Tournament, when Julelan’s party tried to visit several cities located northeast of Parzam, they encountered a patrol led by General Jog Ward, who demanded a toll. The accompanying high officials were outraged by this rude request, but Julelan calmly paid the money, borrowed a large number of subordinates from General Jog Ward, and had them escort him to the city, saying that since he had paid the toll, they should escort him. It is believed that there is such a background to this proposal. It is a proposal that prioritizes personal feelings over diplomatic and defensive perspectives, but it is in line with chivalry. Moreover, if General Jog Ward wins and gains command of the coalition forces, it will also serve the national interest, so it can be said that he made a good proposal for personal reasons. Of course, neither the king of Gaineria nor the diplomats believe that the Storm General Jog Ward would lose to an old knight over sixty.

5 (t/n: a mixed of inner monologue and story-telling)

“Even so, Jules,” Bard called out in his heart. You are carrying a heavy burden. Many people must have envied you when they found out that you were the eldest son of a great king and were welcomed to Parzam. A lucky man. But the comfort of the chair you are sitting in now is not good at all. One difficult problem after another comes down, and you can’t throw it away and run away.

But hey, Jules. It was fortunate for the people of this country that you were the one sitting in that chair. I may not be qualified to say this because I left my hometown and went on a journey.

Endure, Jules. Eventually, those who will walk with you will appear. They will surely appear. They are the ones who are attracted by the virtue born from your own patience and gather. They will truly support you.

At this point, it doesn’t matter whether you can command the army of the Central Plains or not. If you have to do it, just do it.

Even so, Jog. Do you want to fight me that much? Do you want to kill me? You’ve prepared quite a grand stage. Alright. This time I will really beat you down from the front. Don’t think that I am the same as I was two years ago.

Exactly two years ago in October, Bard’s right arm stopped moving in the middle of a duel, and he knelt before Jog. When he think back, it makes his blood boil. At that time, Jog spared Bard, who he could have killed if he wanted to.

That’s right. Me. Bard Rowen. That sniveling boy Jog spared me.

Revenge? The one to return the favor is me. Wait for me, Jog Ward. I will kill you.

(End of Chapter 4 “Dark Clouds in the Central Plains”)