Chapter 54
“That bastard, that Donovan and I were in the same unit under General Ferzen,” Auber said as he chewed off a mouthful of the turkey leg.
“You mean the Sword Demon Ferzen?” As Pahell reacted, Auber grinned with pride.
“Yes, that’s exactly him! The Sword Demon Ferzen! I still consider the fact that I once fought under General Ferzen as an honor. Back then, I was an adjutant in the sixth infantry, and my immediate superior and commander of the infantry was Captain Lumonde, and he was a man who knew what honor meant more than anyone else.”
Pahell and Urich were sitting along the same table as Auber, with Phillion by their side, as well.
“...Urich, can you at least pretend like you’re listening to Auber’s story? It’s rude not to pay attention to what the person who invited you is saying. This is the manner of civilized men,” Pahell whispered as he lightly kicked Urich’s legs.
Urich, who was busy stuffing his face with all the meat on the table, looked up. He then sucked his fingers clean and grinned at Auber.
“Huh? Hmm, yes, honor! Of course! Civilized men sure do know their honors, they really do!” Urich blurted out an overexaggerated exclamation. It made Pahell let out a small chuckle.
“Ehem. Hmm, I’m glad you seem to be enjoying your meal.”
As Auber cleared his throat, Pahell paid his attention to the story again.
“This is a fine supper. I’ve heard the stories of the Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians that happened a decade ago several times. Our kingdom also had many of our knights fighting in that battle,” Pahell responded calmly.
“Captain Lumonde was a valiant knight. The things he did against the barbarians...” Auber stopped mid-sentence to glance at Urich’s expression of his words.
“I don’t care, go ahead. I’ve converted to Solarism, anyway. You see this? Praise be to the sun god Lou, long live the sun!” Urich said as he cleaned up a turkey bone in his mouth before spitting it out. He knew that the sun pendant worked wonders on civilized people.
“Captain Lumonde fearlessly advanced despite the traps of the barbarians, and he claimed just as many achievements. But one day, that ungrateful Donovan incited the captain’s own soldiers against him and persuaded them to go against the captain’s orders. He succeeded, and Captain Lumonde was murdered by Donovan’s sword. He was an ungrateful bastard who killed his superior.”
“But Donovan’s still alive; he got away with only a dishonorable discharge.”
“That was all thanks to the generosity of General Ferzen. He didn’t want to have any executions on the day of the celebration of their victory, so he got to keep his life. I should have had his head cut off with an immediate execution instead of bringing him to trial. I never thought I’d run into him again but seeing him this alive and well boils my blood and makes me want to throw up,” Auber gritted his teeth.
“That’s not the story I heard. Donovan said you begged him for your life, so he spared you,” Urich laughed, and Auber snapped at his words.
“What kind of nonsense is that, Mercenary Leader? Y-you’re believing that man? I’m a knight of the empire!”
“Of course, I believe him more than I believe you—we’re in the same mercenary squad. He was gritting his teeth and saying that he should’ve killed you along with that captain. That captain wasn’t that popular, was he?”
“Do not humiliate me, Mercenary Leader Urich! I’m only letting it slide this time because of the prince.”
Auber angrily got back into his seat. Urich was smiling like a child, and Pahell frowned and kicked his leg again.
“Anyway, I’ve heard that name a decent number of times. That Ferzen guy must be pretty famous, huh?”
Everyone in the room turned their heads to look at the man who had just spoken those words.
“How could you not know the Sword Demon Ferzen? Even the barbarians know him—how far in the outskirts are you mercenaries from?” Auber said as he raised his voice. He intended to embarrass Urich for his own question, but Urich didn’t seem to be bothered at all.
“It’s not embarrassing to ask what you don’t know, and there’s a ton that I don’t know. So, teach me everything, burp.”
Urich chugged the wine in his bronze glass and held it out for more, and the cup was quickly filled by one of the servants.
“The Sword Demon Ferzen! He fought in The Great Unification before he turned twenty years old, was a vanguard general in The Great Conquest, and even fought in The Subjugation of the Remaining Barbarians just ten years ago. He is the Knight of Knights, a man who has lived on the battlefield for half a century and has held a sword since before we were born!”
“Wow, so how old does that make him?” Urich was intrigued. He rested his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his hand.
“He is seventy-two this year.”
“So, you’re saying that he is the strongest man in the entire civilization?”
“That I can’t say for sure, but I can definitely say that he is the most famous knight; no one even comes close, and no one ever will,” Auber nodded at his own comment.
Urich looked at Pahell with the corners of his mouth twitching.
“Pahell, can we meet this Ferzen guy when we get to the capital?”
“We’ll be staying in the capital for at least a couple of months, so if we’re lucky, I don’t see why not.”
“There’s another reason for me to go there, then. This is great,” Urich laughed out loud as he slapped his knee.
‘A mere mercenary leader wants to see the face of General Ferzen? Hah, as if.’
Auber kept his smirk to himself.
‘Prince Varca also lets this barbarian treat him with no respect. After all, he is only a royalty of a small kingdom.’
The seven vassalage kingdoms were becoming weaker and weaker while the power of the empire only grew by the day. The great nobles of the empire held as much power as the royalty. Independence for the kingdoms was a long shot.
‘To be exiled from your own kingdom because of your own uncle hunting for you and seeking asylum from the empire. I feel for him, but at the same time, it’s a little pathetic.’
Auber stared at Pahell for a moment, then took his eyes off him. Even if he was only from a small kingdom, a royalty was still a royalty. Nothing good would come out of getting out of favor with them.
“I’ve sent a messenger to the empire, so you’ll have an escort coming for you.”
“Thank you, Sir Auber.”
“I do hope you remember my courtesy when you arrive at the capital,” Auber said with a grin.
“I will spread the word of your kindness, Sir Auber.”
Pahell knew exactly what Auber was asking for. He wanted Pahell to spread his name among the powerful men in the capital of the empire.
‘Auber may not be a man that I enjoy, but at least he’s showing his kindness to me.’
One shouldn’t treat someone poorly just because they don’t like them. Pahell was slowly learning his ways.
‘Don’t make any rash decisions, Varca Aneu Porcana,’ Pahell reminded himself.
‘I cannot earn my respect standing on the battlefields like uncle and father. Those days are long gone, and even if they weren’t I have no gift for fighting. I must become strong in politics.’
Pahell tried his best to mask his emotions. He didn’t react to everything as emotionally as he used to.
‘Think twice before you speak.’
Pahell’s hard work was paying off. Auber was spilling all sorts of things on his mind to Pahell.
“If only that Donovan hadn’t done what he did back then... I would have joined Captain Lumonde in The Order of Imperial Steel. Captain Lumonde was quite fond of me. That goddamn Donovan.”
It seemed like the alcohol was beginning to get to Auber as he began to let some inappropriate words slip out. Pahell cleared his throat.
“Ehem, hmm.”
“Ah, my apologies, Prince Varca, my emotions are running high.”
“I understand, Sir Auber.”
“Prince Varca, you are very mature for your age. The nobles and the young royalties these days... They are arrogant and immature; perhaps because they have never been through a war. Those young men who had never killed a man with their own sword... acting as if the achievements that their fathers and forefathers have achieved were theirs.”
Auber said everything that was on his mind. Pahell flinched, as until not too long ago, he wasn’t an exception to the young men that Auber was talking about.
Knock, knock.
Someone entered the dining room. It was Bachman, and he was looking for Urich.
“Eh? Bachman? You wanna join us and eat?”
Urich offered with a smile, but Bachman shook his head with a pale look.
“Urich, Donovan got attacked. He must’ve been ambushed when he was leaving the red-light district. He’s still alive, but he won’t be able to move around for a while,” Bachman said with caution.
Crunch.
The armrests of the chair that Urich was sitting in crumbled in his hands. Their shattered pieces fell from his grip. The people in the dining room were stunned, as the chair was not of cheap quality and shouldn’t have broken that easily. It spoke volumes about Urich’s terrifying strength.
“Hmm, yeah? Donovan got beaten to a pulp? That’s why I told you guys to be careful.” Urich said in a low tone as he tried to mask his boiling emotions.
“Oh my, there are many vagrants in this neighborhood—you must be careful, Mercenary Leader Urich. Those of unverified identity lurk outside the gates,” Auber said as he sipped on his wine as if it was in a toast. Urich stared at him.
“...Reeaally? Thanks for the advice, captain of the gates. If they were just vagrants, I assume you wouldn’t have any problems with me beating the shit out of them, would you?”
“Of course not.”
Auber nodded as he wiped the corners of his mouth. Urich got up with a cold smile.
“Remember what you said, Sir Auber. There’s been an incident with the mercenary squad, so you’ll have to excuse me.”
Urich walked out of the room as he plucked out of the pieces of the chair that he broke from his palms.
There were only Pahell, Phillion, and Auber left in the dining room. The servants continued to serve them with drinks and water.
“Prince Varca, you seem like you keep a close relationship with that barbarian.”
“Is there something wrong with that, Sir Auber? I believe that even the empire is strongly implementing the Barbarian Inclusion Policy.”
There was a sudden sharpness in Pahell’s tone.
‘Auber was probably the one who ordered the attack on Donovan.’
Given the circumstances, there was no one else who would have done it but Auber. It was hard to believe that Donovan was just an unlucky victim of a regular robbery because everything that Auber had been saying fell into place.
‘I never liked Donovan but still... this does not feel good.’
Pahell still remembered the threats that Donovan made to him, such as putting a knife against his tongue and threatening to cut it out. But nonetheless, Donovan was still one of the mercenaries who had been fighting for him. Although it was for the reward, he still fought bravely.
“There’s nothing wrong with it, but young people like you, Prince Varca, tend to keep barbarians around themselves without knowing everything about them. Barbarians are called so because they are uneducated. Unless that barbarian around you is a Sun Warrior, I’d recommend getting rid of that barbarian mercenary as soon as possible before you go any further.”
Pahell’s eyes narrowed at Auber’s words.
“Thank you for your advice, Sir Auber.”
The dinner was over. Pahell and Phillion got up from their seats and left the room.
“I didn’t like that man,” Pahell said to Phillion after walking out into the hallway.
“Well done, Your Highness. Holding yourself together like that in front of a person that you dislike is a good thing.”
Phillion was proud of Pahell. Although the prince was going against his advice when he saved the farmers, he did so under his own judgment. And this time, he successfully hid his negative emotions in front of a man that he clearly did not favor.
‘What a drastic change in him in a couple of months since he left the kingdom... the way he was brought up in the kingdom was the wrong way. Prince Varca truly is a royalty.’
Pahell stopped in his tracks as he was making his way to the quarters that Auber had arranged for him.
“Sir Phillion, I want you to join the mercenaries and keep an eye on Urich. Make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. I know Urich will think of what’s best for me, but at the end of the day, he’s still just a young man my age. He might let his emotions get the best of him and make a mistake. I want you to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Pahell’s level of thinking had reached that level. Now, not only was he thinking about himself, but he was considering the people and situation surrounding him.
“I will follow your orders.”
Phillion lightly nodded. He left the guards in charge of Pahell’s escort and rejoined the mercenaries.
Pahell went into his room, and the guards took turns being on watch. They were loyal knights.
‘I have to do well.’
Pahell thought as he laid in his bed. He lightly bit on his thumb as the tilted moon softly shone into his room. Pahell’s blue eyes shone along as they soaked up the moonlight.
‘So far, my knights and mercenaries have done really well, well worth the money.’
Pahell was truly grateful to not only his knights but also the mercenaries. He once despised the mercenaries, but all those hard feelings had dissolved.
‘From now on, it’s the territory of politics, not swords. Whether I can get the help of the empire is up to me; I have to watch every word that I say and every move that I make. I can’t be the one to let all the blood that’s been spilled by the knights and mercenaries go to waste.’
Pahell closed his eyes.
‘If only my sister Damia were here with me now.’
He thought of his twin sister. Even though they were twins, Pahell had always looked up to Damia as if she were several years older than him.
‘My beautiful sister. With royal blood flowing thick in her veins, giving her the most golden hair and the clearest blue eyes... my sister.’
Pahell quickly fell asleep with his mind racing until the moment he did. The only sound in the room was the sound of his soft breathing.
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