Chapter 5
Johannes suddenly grinned, baring his teeth at Leopold. In front of his younger brother, the man known as the hero of the battlefield was nowhere to be found.
“It’s remarkable that the daughter of Bation knows the common tongue of Inacos.”
Leopold, unaware of Johannes’s inner thoughts, simply frowned as if appalled.
“…Have you been on the battlefield for too long that something’s gone wrong?”
“How dare a mere soldier speak so disrespectfully to the commander? You impudent little…”
“I’m not little!”
Leopold, seemingly furious, stomped past his brother.
Johannes laughed openly.
“Just tall, that’s all….”
He was pleased with one thing: being much taller than his peers. After watching his departing brother for a moment, he finally started walking. Then he casually looked back. He could see the sun rising behind the fortress-like castle in the distance.
‘Indeed. I’ve been on the battlefield for too long.’
He glanced down and saw the forest where he had been just a moment ago.
‘To think I’d meet someone in the forest, much less the daughter of Bation…’
Naturally, the woman he had just encountered in the forest came to mind.
Pale, soft, a delicate woman who fit in one hand. He had been so flustered, she felt as if she would crumble with the slightest force. Recalling the still unfamiliar sensation, Johannes unconsciously clenched and unclenched his hand.
He belatedly realized that it was instinctive regret. However, Johannes wasn’t the type to let his lower body rule his mind. He simply dismissed it, thinking he was easily aroused because it had been a while since he’d been with a woman.
‘…So weak, as if she’d die with a single touch.’
Above all, Johannes hated weakness.
“Brother!”
Just then, Leopold broke his train of thought.
“What are you doing? We’re late! You may not care, but I’m in big trouble if I’m late!”
At the loud voice, Johannes finally turned around. Leopold already looked as small as a bean. He was so quick and nimble that recently, even Johannes found it difficult to keep up with him. Everyone agreed that if he grew a little more, he might become a greater warrior than Johannes.
Of course, Johannes had no intention of remaining on the battlefield until then. Shaking off his distracting thoughts about the woman, he started walking again.
It had been eight years since he first set foot on the battlefield. It was by no means a short time.
Twenty-two. Johannes, who had survived the battlefield and become a man, was no longer a powerless boy king.
King Johannes Tennan of Itium, the land of the most powerful warriors. He was considered the greatest warrior among them, and the incarnation of Kona, the god of war.
However, Johannes had been refusing to go to the battlefield for two months now. Returning the princess of Bellares was entirely due to this reason.
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“Where’s Johannes?”
“He’s not in his barracks.”
“That’s ridiculous! It’s a trick!”
“Watch your tongue.”
“But it’s been two months since he last appeared on the battlefield! And he hasn’t attended the commanders’ meetings either!”
A heavy silence fell within the commander’s tent. After a while, someone’s voice broke the silence.
“The soldiers are getting restless. This is a serious problem.”
Everyone present agreed.
“…There’s a rumor among the soldiers that Johannes is gathering the elite troops and returning to Itium, Henrik.”
At those words, everyone’s eyes turned to the man sitting at the head of the long table. It was Henrik Keller of Inodenia, the supreme commander of the Inacos allied forces. He was the king’s younger brother, beloved by the King of Inodenia.
Bright orange-tinged red hair, thick, upturned eyebrows, and a strong, square jaw. Simply put, he had a very stubborn impression. Add to that his naturally muscular physique, and he was a man with a unique presence, not looking at all like a veteran in his forties.
As stubborn as he looked, Henrik remained silent, his lips tightly closed, despite the expectant gazes. In the meantime, the commanders, growing impatient, added their own comments.
“What happened with persuading Johannes?”
“There is no victory without Johannes.”
Johannes, Johannes.
Who doesn’t know that?
“If we can no longer persuade Johannes, perhaps we should stop the war at this point…”
Bang.
“Nonsense!”
Henrik, who had been silent, shouted as if having a seizure. The commanders flinched at his somewhat violent reaction, exchanging glances. But that was only for a moment.
“But Henrik. Wasn’t this war supposed to be shorter? Ten years was not in our plans.”
That’s right, isn’t it? The five commanders, excluding Henrik and Johannes who wasn’t there, nodded their heads. Meanwhile, someone scoffed as if waiting for the opportunity.
“Who knew the noble King of Bellares would act as a pimp? And with his own daughters!”
“Indeed, descendants of Enna, my foot. They are clearly descendants of the devil!”
For a while, such vulgar jokes about Bellares continued. Then, one of the commanders, after glancing at Henrik, finally brought up the main point.
“Let’s negotiate with Bation.”
“Negotiate? What a shameful suggestion!”
“We’ve already gained numerous spoils of war. Treasures, artifacts, grain, slaves. More than enough. And we’ve shown them the power of the people of our Novas continent. That’s enough.”
“Conquest is just around the corner…!”
“Even after conquest, there’s a problem. We may be able to conquer this land, but we don’t have the power to control it.”
The Inacos allied forces had crossed the ocean. Although they had always held the advantage, the war, which had dragged on much longer than expected, had exhausted them.
Continuing the war any longer would result in losses. Henrik was well aware of this fact. But at the same time, he was feeling stubborn.
Henrik had gathered the allied forces under the banner of the pride of the Inacos Peninsula, and further, the Novas continent. However, that was just an excuse, and what he was truly aiming for was Bellares’ territory. The wealth of the Thessarian royal family stemmed from their land. Bellares was not only fertile but also contained an enormous amount of iron ore.
Henrik coveted it immensely.
“Let’s end this war.”
However, as the war dragged on, the atmosphere within the allied forces had become increasingly uneasy like this. If Johannes, a crucial part of their military power, returned in this situation, many would surely withdraw. Henrik stubbornly kept his mouth shut.
“Henrik! This is just greed!”
“It’s iron. There’s iron there! If we just hold on a little longer, it will all fall into our hands!”
“Our? You mean into your hands!”
“What?”
Finally, voices were raised, and everyone’s faces turned red as they banged on the table and stood up from their seats.
Suddenly, various languages intertwined, creating a chaotic uproar.
What stopped the quarrel was a clear ringing of a bell. Everyone’s movements stopped at once.
“What is this every time?”
One of the commanders said, holding up the bell placed in the center of the table and wiping sweat with his other hand.
“Instead of fighting amongst ourselves like this, yes, let’s ask Kona for an answer.”
The Inacos allied forces consisted of warriors from seven nations. They had set foot on the Westel continent with a shared purpose, but their opinions often clashed, and in such cases, they relied on oracles. Henrik frowned, displeased, but he had no choice but to follow the majority opinion.
So, when Kona finally answered their question.
Someone complained that the oracle was vague. And Henrik, trembling, clenched his fist.
“Kona clearly desires our victory, a complete conquest.”
Oracles were absolute, but at the same time, they left enough room for human interpretation. Henrik smiled greedily and ordered his adjutant.
“Invite Commander Johannes to my tent.”
Indeed, the war cannot end like this. To continue, he needed Johannes once again.
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『It would be best to braid your hair up high today.』
『Ah…』
Daphne hesitated at her maid Rhea’s words. Rhea blinked a few times as if wondering why she was acting so strangely.
『Prince Joffrey likes it that way.』
Ah, Joffrey. Daphne managed a faint smile.
『…Then, would you do it that way?』
Even at the slightly delayed response, Rhea didn’t sense anything unusual. She believed that the princess she served was somewhat lacking.
