kscans

CHAPTER 5 WARS OF NATIONS – Episode 7 Debate (Part 1)

1

Bard thanked Jurchaga and told him to go to sleep for the night. After all, he had run all the way from Lordvan Castle to the capital on his own two feet. Even for a man like him, it must have been exhausting. And yet, he had managed to gather so much information in the middle of the night. Information that was being kept hidden.

But Jurchaga had no intention of going to sleep. He devoured his breakfast with an astonishing appetite and prepared to go out. He applied fragrant oil all over his body, put on white powder on his face, and meticulously styled his hair with oil. This man had a plain face and a slender, unreliable figure, making him look like an ordinary commoner. However, when the time came, his expression would completely change. By adjusting his appearance and putting strength in his eyes, he could transform into a handsome young man of noble birth. He was a man who could change his presentation depending on the situation.

When their ride arrived, Bard and Jurchaga set out with Karz. They were immediately led to a room called the Grand Conference Hall, but Jurchaga insisted on renting a small room to adjust his attire. To their surprise, he took out the first formal dress. It was custom-made for Bard. The general’s ceremonial attire ranged from first class to third class, and there were also informal versions of each class. This was the highest-ranking attire used in the most formal occasions, and it should have been worn during the audience with the general. However, Bard’s appointment as the Grand General had come too suddenly and he hadn’t had a chance to wear it before he returned to the capital. Since he had already stepped down from the position of Grand General, Bard thought it might be inappropriate to wear it, but since Jurchaga had prepared it for him, he decided to put it on. If it didn’t work out, he could just take it off.

Bard undressed and put on the ceremonial attire. The fabric was very comfortable to the touch. He tied the cords on both sides after adjusting the folds, and wrapped the belt around his waist. The belt was wide and adorned with elegant embroidery. On top of that, he put on a robe. The sleeves were ample and it had an old-fashioned design. The decorative cords were tied around the navel area, and the color was a vibrant blue. Normally, only nobles of the rank of duke or higher could use this color in public. The Grand General was treated as a duke in the imperial court hierarchy.

After dressing Bard, Jurchaga quickly changed his own clothes. It was not the attire of a servant by any means. He wore a hat with feathers on the shoulder pads, padded sleeves that bulged at the upper arms, a loose tunic held down by knee-high socks, and luxurious boots with silver decorative buttons instead of spurs. He even wrapped a red-purple sash around his waist as a finishing touch. Using that color for laces and belts was supposed to be reserved for counts or higher. Bard had his doubts about Jurchaga’s sanity, but he decided to go with the flow. It seemed that Karz didn’t need to change clothes.

As expected, the officials guiding them were wide-eyed when they saw the two of them, but they didn’t say anything and walked ahead. After passing through several doors, they saw a huge door in the distance. The wall was red. They used red pyroxene painted with white paint. The Red Room. Only those of noble rank or higher could enter. The Grand Conference Hall referred to this room.

“Only those of high rank may proceed beyond this point. Those accompanying them, please wait in the waiting room next to it.”

The guide said so. Karz walked towards the waiting room, but for some reason, Jurchaga followed Bard. Neither the guide nor the doorkeeper objected. Ah, it must be because of their clothes. Bard realized. Everyone was deceived by the color of Jurchaga’s clothes. The door was pushed open, and Bard and Jurchaga entered.

2

There were a large number of people. As they entered and walked a little further, someone from the upper seats called out.

“Who is the person behind General Bard?”

The voice was stern. Jurchaga placed his hands on his chest without folding his knees and bowed, saying,

“I am Jurchaga, a vassal of Lord Bard Rowen.”

In an even more severe tone, the person said,

“This is not a place for lowly people like you. Leave the room immediately!”

Jurchaga lightly bowed and handed over the golden chain he wore around his neck to a nearby official. There was something like a golden coin attached to it. The official, though suspicious, took it and delivered it to the person in the upper seats.

“Master of Ceremonies, what is this?”

One of the officials who had been standing by the wall stepped forward and examined the coin. “This is proof of the quasi-noble status in the Goriora Empire. It is given to commoners who have made significant contributions to the country, and those who possess it are granted the same rank as a count.”

The people in the room were surprised, and Bard was also taken aback. He had heard that Jurchaga had been given a quasi-noble status, but he didn’t think it was such a big deal. He had thought that being a quasi-noble meant having a status comparable to that of a noble. But that wasn’t the case. The term “quasi-noble” meant “resembling a noble,” and it was a title given to commoners who had achieved accomplishments surpassing even those of nobles, but couldn’t be made into nobles due to certain circumstances. It meant that they were given a high-ranking position in the imperial palace, equivalent to that of an upper-class noble. The Emperor of the Goriora Empire held absolute power, but at the same time, he was constantly at risk of assassination. Therefore, strict social status requirements were set for entering different areas of the imperial palace. However, even if their social status was low, there were times when they had to meet with wealthy magnates or merchants. The quasi-noble status was created as a means to facilitate such meetings. The Emperor could have come up with other ways to allow Jurchaga to tell his heroic tale in the imperial palace, so why did he gave him this special status?

Now, the senior officials who were in charge of this situation were perplexed. They wanted to exclude any unwanted interference. But they also had to respect the social status of another country’s system. Otherwise, their own social status would no longer be respected in other countries. If they had known in advance, they could have come up with a reason to exclude Jurchaga, but since it was sudden, they couldn’t do that. In the end, the senior officials decided to ignore Jurchaga and proceed with their own plans.

“Well then, that’s fine. Now, Lord Bard Rowen, kneel.”

At the back of the room, there was a throne that was three steps higher, and King Julelan was sitting on it. Kneeling was a gesture of respect, and slaves or criminals would kneel on both knees, while knights would kneel on their right knee. However, the Grand General rarely knelt before the king. If that were the case, it would only be during the ceremony of receiving the rank of General. So Bard understood and accepted that this was a gesture to leave the rank of General, and he knelt before the distant throne. Then, the senior officials surrounded Bard, who was kneeling with his head bowed.

This feels as if he’s kneeling before the senior officials.

Bard felt anger. It wasn’t for the sake of his own pride. It was because it undermined the authority of the Grand General, and ultimately, the authority of the king.

“The rank of Grand General Bard has already been revoked, and a new Grand General has been appointed. However, we will discuss the actions and judgments of the Grand General today, so please understand that for now, you are temporarily reinstated as the Grand General.”

Even though he no longer held that position, he was expected to answer and receive criticism as if he still did. It was a very unpleasant way of speaking. One of the senior officials stepped forward from the line and began to speak.

“Ahem*. Grand General Bard. It is said that the Grand General has been leading knights for forty years at the breach of the Great Barrier, fighting against demonic beasts as a seasoned warrior. It can be said that it is thanks to the grace of His Majesty the King that we were able to obtain such an excellent commander as the Middle Army Commander. Now, however, in the recent battle at Lordvan Castle, our frontier knights, in the face of demonic beasts, suffered 26 deaths and 38 injuries out of a total of 69 knights. The overall casualty rate was a staggering 85%.” (t/n: ‘おほん。’ ohon -> not sure what this mean. either he is clearing his throat before speaking, or he’s saying ‘oh wow’ ‘oh my’ in admiration as sarcasm.)

Bard’s heart ached. If he had commanded better, the losses could have been reduced. Those who died could be said to have been killed by Bard himself. If they were asking him to take responsibility for that, Bard thought he would take any responsibility, even if it meant paying with his life.

“Even a great general like Grand General Bard couldn’t avoid this devastating defeat. Doesn’t this indicate that there are significant problems with our country’s military system?”

What? What are they talking about? Military system? Bard was confused. What does the military system have to do with the casualties in the battle against demonic beasts?

“In the past, our frontier knight order was under the discretion of the frontier marquis and freely acted upon the advice and requests of neighboring lords. Additionally, the Royal Direct Army was small in scale, and the lords cooperated with each other in military matters, demonstrating flexibility. Now, we move solely based on the instructions of His Majesty the King. Needless to say, our successive kings have all been noble and courageous, excelling in both wisdom and bravery. There should be no room for error in their command. However, Lordvan Castle is too far away. It takes too long to receive instructions and get a response. It’s not just Lordvan Castle. Under the reign of our great kings for the past few generations, our country has expanded its territory significantly. It may be unreasonable to burden the king alone with all the military-related issues that occur in every corner. If there were problems with the military system, the recent major defeat cannot be solely attributed to General Bard. Could you please let us know the thoughts of the Grand General?”

Now he get it. He understood the intentions of the senior officials. Their target is not Bard. It is King Julelan himself. These senior officials are people who have achieved success in the political world for many years, but behind them, there are often major noble families. The current military system has been built up by the kings of the past few generations with great effort, but the major nobles are resentful of it. If the Royal Direct Army becomes powerful, the position of the royal family against the major nobles will also become stronger. Furthermore, even if the Royal Direct Army becomes the main force and wins in battle, the major nobles will gain little benefit. In fact, although they have captured several influential cities in recent years, there are no powerful nobles who can claim territorial rights, and most of them are treated as close to direct control by the royal family. So now is the opportunity. This is the opportunity when the Royal Direct Army has suffered a severe blow. They are criticizing the king’s mistakes, weakening his position, and trying to make it easier for them to assert their own claims. This is an attempt to weaken the royal authority in politics and strengthen the speaking rights of the major nobles. At the same time, if possible, it is an attempt to restore the military system to its original state and revive the vested interests of the major nobles.

Julelan on the throne must be in a difficult position. There are only a few members of the royal family who are favorable towards Julelan. The half-brothers of the late King Wendelland are still angry that they lost the throne to Wendelland, and they hate Julelan. Many of the children and grandchildren of the previous kings also look at Julelan, who suddenly appeared from the frontier, with cold eyes. It is as if even the senior officials in the isolated court are behaving like this. Even Julelan cannot take a strong stance immediately after the Royal Direct Army he led suffered a major defeat. The Frontier Knight Order, which is the largest in scale as an independent knight order under direct control of the king, also suffered significant losses, making it difficult to replenish human resources.

In this national crisis. At this time when Shinkai may be approaching the capital. In this difficult situation where they cannot overcome it without supporting and cooperating with each other. To do something that hinders the royal family. Do they think that only the Royal Direct Army suffered a major defeat and the knight orders of the major nobles are still intact? Don’t these people understand that only the Royal Direct Army can counter Shinkai’s cavalry? If they continue like this, the country will truly perish. Isn’t it the duty of the senior officials to support the king in times of hardship?

These fools. They won’t get away with it.

With anger in his heart, Bard stood up.