444 - Leonardo's Perspective - Giselle and the Outcome in the Imperial Capital
Tina always falls ill after long journeys. The trip from Camille's cave to Augun territory was quite a long one, so we are staying at Augun Castle to keep an eye on her, in case she falls ill again.
Thinking of the soldiers gathered at the border, we cannot afford to take it easy for too long, but I cannot let Tina fall ill either. Unlike me, Tina never had much stamina to begin with, and now she has lost not just her stamina but even her muscle strength. If she came down with a fever out on the road, she would become immobile in no time. Worse still, it could even cost Tina her life. Besides, it is autumn now. As the season grows colder, I cannot afford to overlook any changes in Tina's condition.
...That is what I think, but the problem is that Tina herself wants to move around. What should I do.
The reason Tina wants to move around is simple. She has come to a place she does not know, so she probably wants to search for Kalisa as usual.
"I do not have a fever, you know. I am perfectly healthy."
Tina slaps my hand away in annoyance as I touch her forehead to check her temperature. She must know that if I judge she has a fever, she will be thrown into bed. She is resisting because if that happens, she will not be able to search for Kalisa.
"Hard to say whether you have a fever or your temperature is just up from excitement."
I peer into Tina's blue eyes to confirm whether she really intends to search for Kalisa, and Tina puffs out her thin chest as if to say 'of course'. There are still plenty of places she has not searched for Kalisa, she says.
"If I think of it as Tina building up her stamina, walking all around the castle might not be a bad idea..."
But I honestly tell her I probably cannot keep her company this time. In the cave, there was nothing else to do, so I could walk around with Tina, but it is different now. I plan to set out within a few days for the border with the Divine Kingdom of Quebia. There are things I want to do, things I have to do, during our stay at Augun Castle.
"If you insist, Tina, I could ask Bertrand-dono to accompany you. Even if it is just inside the castle, he can take a walk with his granddaughter, so he would not say no."
"No. If Leo will not come with me, I cannot go search for Kalisa."
Tina puffs out her cheeks and clings to my arm. My little sister's plea for me to come search for Kalisa with her is very cute, but I cannot give in to Tina's begging every time. There is still cleanup to handle everywhere regarding this rescue of Tina.
"I do not have time to walk all around the castle, but I can go to the third floor."
"The third floor... What is there?"
"Carlotta-sama said there are injured people on the third floor, and she asked if you could go visit them and keep them company for a while, remember?"
Giselle, who was brought here from the Imperial capital Tralbach, seems to be recuperating in a guest room on the third floor of Augun Castle. When I saw her at the Sedovara Church, I thought she was done for, but it seems she managed to pull through. She still cannot leave her bed, but her consciousness is clear, and she seems to have the will to live. Apparently her recent catchphrase is that she needs to recover quickly and go search for Tina.
...She is probably the person in Augun Castle who Tina should go see more than anyone, after Carlotta-sama.
Tina probably does not remember, but Giselle was the one who took care of Tina for these past two years. She might not have been useful as a knight, but I think she worked hard as a lady's maid.
"Leonardo-sama! You are safe. Jean-Chack told me the bridge collapsed and that was the last he saw of you..."
Seeing my face as I enter the room, Giselle's eyes widen in surprise. And then she seems to notice the small hand at my waist. Giselle's eyes shine with anticipation, while Tina timidly peeks out from behind me, as if confirming the room's occupant.
"Tina-sama..."
Tina looks up at me, tilting her head as if to say "who?" in response to Giselle calling her. When I tell her it is Giselle, she replies that she has the same name as the Giselle who should be in Grenore. Apparently even with Giselle right in front of her, she does not realize that this Giselle is that Giselle.
"Tina, Giselle is..."
"It is alright, Leonardo-sama. The me who could not protect Christina-sama is in the city of Grenore, after all."
Giselle greets Tina, saying "Nice to meet you, Tina-sama." After hesitating a moment, Tina steps out from behind me and returns the greeting.
"...I am sorry."
"No. Just Christina-sama being healthy is enough for me. I have no other wishes."
Giselle smiles, and I at least escort her to a chair. Giselle, who should be resting, had been standing this whole time. Not so much to welcome me and Tina, but probably to move her body to get back on her feet as soon as possible, just like Aaron. Her clothes were not nightclothes either, but loungewear.
Once I seat Giselle in a chair, Tina seems to judge that I will not be leaving this room for a while. She begins searching for Kalisa without hesitation, peeking behind the curtains and opening drawers.
"...I heard you still need to rest for a while. Is it alright for you to be walking?"
"The wound has closed, so walking a little at a time is fine."
According to the pharmacist, she does not have enough blood, so running or walking long distances is prohibited. The tendons in her cut leg are apparently reconnected too, and she has been practicing walking little by little, but even walking slowly gives her a pulling sensation in her ankle. Hearing this, it sounds like even walking is difficult, let alone running.
...Which means traveling might be even harder for her than for Tina.
Even if we could put her on a cart, taking Giselle in her current condition would be difficult. Even ordinary travel would be hard, but this journey involves circling around the Erath mountain range and going nearly halfway around the continent. And we will be hiding from and fleeing from soldiers searching for Tina. We are planning to cross through the lightly guarded border on the Divine Kingdom of Quebia side, but bringing Giselle, who can barely walk on her own, would be extremely difficult.
Tina's situation is similar when it comes to fleeing travel being difficult, but the difference between having one person who needs watching versus two is significant. If we could meet up with Jean-Jacques before departing, the situation would change, but we definitely need someone to hold the reins of the cart and someone to watch over Tina. We could increase the number of passengers to have someone care for Giselle in Jean-Jacques's place, but then more people would cause different problems. If we want to return with Giselle, it would be better to delay our departure and wait for Giselle's full recovery. In that case, Carlotta would be pleased that Tina's stay at Augun Castle would be extended.
...The problem is whether the Emperor will give up searching for Tina, who remains unfound.
"That is unlikely, I would say. Emperor Edeltroute is a short-sighted man, but perhaps due to his age, he is also quite tenacious."
'Tenacious' is just putting a good spin on it. In bad terms, I think it becomes 'vindictive'.
After visiting Giselle, wondering if there was some way to bring her back, I went to see Carlotta, who was in the sunroom, and received that insight. The Emperor of the Zugall Empire has a short temper and is vindictive, and with no corpse found, there is no way he will give up searching for Tina. Carlotta even predicted that the soldiers would be forced to keep searching for Tina endlessly, and that eventually someone trying to earn merit would prepare a corpse of similar build. I do not think they could prepare a corpse resembling Tina so easily, but the people of the Zugall Empire are clever enough to prepare a decomposed body so that the lie would not be exposed if the Emperor demanded to examine the remains. If they could not manage that much ingenuity, they would not be able to serve in the Imperial court.
Occasionally hearing my own name in the conversation between me and Carlotta, Tina looks up from her bobbin lace pattern. Carlotta strokes Tina's head, saying it is nothing, and Tina lowers her gaze back to the pattern.
Tina, who wears the mask of a lady in front of Carlotta, is well-behaved even in the sunroom. In Giselle's guest room, she started searching for Kalisa without permission, but here she does not suddenly start searching for Kalisa. She even approached Carlotta, who was staring at a bobbin lace guidebook, asking where she did not understand. Tina and Carlotta seem to get along well.
"I would love for Christina to stay forever, but if we consider safety, it is better for you to leave the country now. Even in my Empire, there are occasionally hardworking and excellent soldiers."
It is better to leave the Empire before being carelessly discovered by such soldiers. Do not worry about Giselle, Carlotta says. If we cannot forcibly take her anyway, we might as well leave her here at Augun Castle. Giselle is a girl with a fairly level head. She is aware of her own condition, and if explained to, she will not think she has been abandoned.
"I will take responsibility for looking after her until she is fully recovered. If she says she does not want to return home in that condition and wants to start a new life, I can let her live in Augun territory or even hire her here at the castle."
"Giselle was supposed to be her family's heir. She cannot just stay here like this."
"Oh, what a pity."
The fact that she says 'pity' means Carlotta had taken a liking to Giselle too. Even as a knight, her fighting ability was completely useless, but she is an honest girl who tackles everything earnestly. It is no wonder Carlotta finds her favorable.
"Then, how about this?"
Cody is a traveling merchant, so he will keep coming to the Zugall Empire. He should be able to visit Augun territory as well. We can have Cody do his part again this time.
"Once Giselle recovers, let us have him escort her to the Kingdom of Ivizia."
"...That really does seem like the safest option."
We know Cody's character reasonably well. There is no one more reliable to entrust Giselle to. Giselle has also met him once in the capital. In that sense too, she should feel at ease.
During the several days of our stay at Augun Castle, Tina spent most of her time with Carlotta. I think it is because I told her I could not accompany her searching for Kalisa, and that if she absolutely had to search the castle, she should do so with Bertrand, but Tina was glued to Carlotta. However, that was precisely because I was intentionally showing up in Carlotta's office. I knew Carlotta wanted to spend time with Tina, and I owe Carlotta an incalculable debt for everything that happened. Additionally, the lord of Augun territory is Carlotta. The place where the most information in the territory gathers is Carlotta's office. In other words, as a small repayment to Carlotta, I brought Tina to her office, and I was allowed to look through the information that came into the office. It was a highly rational action that benefited both sides.
...So Edgar's uncle inherited his house, did he.
I read through the report that concisely summarized the outcome of the commotion in the Imperial capital. From the suspension bridge collapse, being saved by the Divine King, realizing a month had passed, and then hiding in Camille's cave. I had few opportunities to learn what happened in the Imperial capital after that commotion, so this was a good chance.
The preparations for the trip were basically just loading food for me and Tina onto the cart, so they were already done. Now I just needed to use the time I was spending watching for Tina's health to gather information and clean up the aftermath.
When the Emperor learned that Tina had been taken from the Imperial palace, he apparently used soldiers to start searching for Tina. In the process of searching around the Imperial palace first, Edgar's body was discovered at the bottom of the ravine. Upon hearing the news of their master's body being found, the servants working at Edgar's residence acted quickly. They apparently took jewelry, ornaments, and salable furniture and fled outside the city that very day.
...This part is very Zugall Empire-like.
A mansion being ransacked after its master's death is not that unusual. Normally, the master's spouse or heir quickly controls the servants, but depending on the quality of the servants, it could happen even in the Kingdom of Ivizia. In many cases, servants who touch the mansion's belongings are found out and receive appropriate punishment. Most of the servants at Edgar's residence were apparently caught and received appropriate punishment as well.
"The ring of the house head is missing and causing a big uproar... Is that it? The ring with the crest."
"That ring, yes. When you return to your country, could you tell the person keeping the ring? Tell them they could use that ring to seek damages for this incident."
Since it has been passed down through each house as the lord's ring for a long time, they would pay a considerable amount to get it back. The lives lost because of Tina's kidnapping will not return, but at least some money could be left for the bereaved families, she said.
"Oh, if you are going to negotiate, I think you should move quickly. I think the Emperor's spear will soon turn toward Uhlenfurt territory, and if their house is dissolved, there will not be any damages to collect."
If you have connections in the Divine Kingdom of Quebia, involving the Sopdejania Temple of Law and Order would speed things up, Carlotta said, shrugging. You could rely on the Sopdejania churches scattered across various regions, but the temple would be faster and more effective than the churches.
...In the Imperial palace, more people were killed afterward than during the incident.
To infiltrate the Imperial palace, we needed to incapacitate the soldiers. But we hardly did any of that. It is only in hindsight, but Jasper had already done it for us. That night at the Imperial palace, we hardly needed to take any soldiers' lives.
Despite that, the death reports from the Imperial palace are numerous. After dawn broke and they realized Tina had been taken, first the jailers had their heads cut off by the Emperor's order. Then the jailers who had been stationed as shift replacements also had their heads cut off. Next were twelve watch soldiers. Several gatekeepers also had their heads cut off and were thrown outside the castle walls.
...As for the bandits, Jean-Jacques took them apart first.
There are countless other things I should learn rather than counting the dead in the Imperial palace. After finishing reading about the situation in the Imperial capital, I then heard about the outcome from the perspectives of Carlotta and the elderly gentleman.
The bandits we brought along during Tina's rescue were disbanded by Jean-Jacques, who sent them back to their respective towns and villages. And he even gave them instructions to gather information on their way back and send it to Augun Castle. That is Jean-Jacques for you. Among the information gathered at Augun Castle were the locations of checkpoints the bandits found on their way home and the number of soldiers. The slightly unfortunate part is that the bandits' hometowns are along the route I have already traveled. Information about the Divine Kingdom of Quebia, which we will need going forward, is a bit sparse.
"Can you pass a message to those following Jean-Jacques who have nowhere to go, telling them to come to me?"
If they are willing to give up banditry and work honestly, I can arrange employment for them. Even if they do not want to give up banditry, once they come to me, I intend to make them go straight. What awaits them after that is, as I said, honest work.
"If there are children willing to work honestly, I would be happy to hire them too."
"...I will leave that up to their own intentions."
No matter how much they have nowhere to go, being suddenly told to abandon their country and follow me would give them pause. In that regard, Augun territory would not require them to abandon their country, and the reputation of the lord Carlotta is good. The rehabilitation of the bandits should be entirely possible.
After discussing the handling of the bandits with Carlotta and gathering information about the Divine Kingdom of Quebia area, even on the day of our departure, Jean-Jacques did not show his face at Augun Castle. He went out searching for me and Tina, but just how far has he gone?
"We could not talk very leisurely. When you get home safely, send me a letter."
"Yes."
Tina replies to Carlotta with properly ladylike word choices, but her expression is completely no good. At parting from Carlotta, a friend of Aurelia's and someone Tina herself had grown fond of, Tina's face was on the verge of tears. The only reason she managed to hold back without crying is probably Hermine-sensei's ingrained education. I think Hermine-sensei taught Tina something like 'a lady does not easily disturb her emotions'. Thanks to Hermine-sensei's lady-like education, Tina did not cling to Carlotta's waist and refuse to let go.
...And as for Bertrand-dono seeing us off, she remains as distant as ever.
Bertrand, who was also staying at Augun Castle, came out to see us off, but Tina's response was not just distant. It was cold. Tina should not have any aversion to Bertrand now, but her parting behavior was poles apart from how she treated Carlotta and Camille.
She cheerfully waves her hand saying 'bye-bye', but does not show even a hint of a sad expression.
...What could be the cause?
It is a question, but thinking about it now will not help, so I push it to the corner of my mind. I can talk with Tina about her feelings slowly once she has recovered.
I finish my farewell with Carlotta, leave a message for Jean-Jacques, and board the cart. Tina, who had been placed in the cart before me, immediately hugs my waist.
The trip is not over until you are home. Now, let us make our way back with all speed.
Will fix typos and errors at a later date.