Chapter 233
The eastern border of the Empire.
A gigantic structure towered there like a wall.
The cornerstone of the Empire's eastern border defenses.
Its name was Eisenwand Fortress.
It was the headquarters of the Imperial Eastern Border Defense Army and the front line against the Holy Kingdom.
"Goodness, when was the last time I reached my destination without getting lost?"
"If you run while ignoring your surroundings like that, of course you'll get lost..."
A pair who ordinarily had no business being there had arrived.
An elderly dwarf and a young elf girl.
A thoroughly mismatched pair.
They were Egor and Sonia.
At Silver's request, Egor immediately set out for the eastern border with Sonia. During the journey, Sonia came to understand why Egor got lost.
Egor moved at a speed beyond that of ordinary people. Even while carrying Sonia, he could race across the land in an instant, casually passing places where he was supposed to turn.
If Sonia had not told him to stop and checked their situation, Egor would have ended up at the northern border instead of the eastern border.
"I'll have to be more careful next time."
"You haven't managed to fix that in hundreds of years, have you? You'll probably never cure your tendency to get lost."
Sonia muttered in exasperation.
He was called the Lost Sword Saint, after all. It was practically his trademark by now.
There were only two ways to deal with it: have someone control him from beside him, or stop him from traveling on his own.
This time had been the former, but Sonia never wanted to go through it again.
Traveling while being carried by Egor had been utterly beyond common sense for Sonia.
When she realized they had already crossed a mountain, it was enough to make her dizzy.
Still, thanks to that, they reached the eastern border early.
"So how are you planning to bring the Dwarf King back?"
"I did not come here to bring him back. As long as I remain here, the Holy Kingdom will never attack. Stopping that stubborn dwarf would be difficult, so Silver must have decided it would be better to prevent a battle from breaking out."
"If that's all, I don't think you're needed, old man."
Sonia muttered as she walked through the fortress.
They had already mentioned Egor's name and obtained permission to meet the Dwarf King.
The soldier who guided them told them that the room was straight down the corridor, then hurried back to his duties.
Sonia wondered if they were so short-handed that he had to return in such a hurry.
The eastern border could be called the Empire's most important border.
That was why rumors claimed that the Eastern Border Defense Army stationed there was the strongest in the Empire.
"It is led by Imperial Marshal Lieselotte Reeks Adler, the First Imperial Princess and the strongest general in the imperial family. The Holy Kingdom has never launched a military operation since she took charge of the eastern border defenses. That's how feared she is, and I think the Holy Kingdom wouldn't attack even if you weren't here, old man."
"I said the same thing, but Silver called in a favor. I couldn't very well refuse, could I?"
"Would Silver really waste a favor?"
As Sonia muttered, she cleared her throat outside the room.
Inside were the Dwarf King and the Imperial Marshal.
She tidied her appearance so as not to be disrespectful, but Egor had already opened the door and entered.
"Excuse me~"
"Wait!? Old man!?"
He had entered as casually as if he were visiting a friend, without knocking.
Startled, Sonia immediately bowed and apologized.
"I-I'm terribly sorry! This old man has gone senile!"
"Bwahahaha!! The great old Egor is being called senile by a young elf girl! How amusing!!"
The one laughing so boisterously was a bearded dwarf.
He drained the liquor in the enormous tankard in his hand as if it were water, soaking his thick beard, and repeatedly exclaimed how amusing it was.
Sonia realized that this must be the Dwarf King.
She had seen scenes like this countless times while living among dwarves, but this was the most boisterous example yet. Part of her thought that it was only fitting for him to be king, while another part almost wondered whether dwarves chose their king based on drinking prowess.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty. My name is Sonia Raspede. At present, I serve more or less as Elder Egor's attendant."
"I know. Anyone permitted to enter my autonomous territory is reported to me without fail. The old men were reluctant to let an elf in, but I told them I was delighted! It's more pleasant when there are more young women around!"
Laughing, the dwarf poured himself more liquor and drank it down.
The pace was so fast that Sonia began to worry he might drink all the liquor in the fortress.
"Your Majesty. Here."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Your beard is wet. You should take care in front of a lady. It would be a shame to ruin your handsome looks."
"Oh! Is that so? Thank you, Duke!"
Saying that, the Dwarf King wiped the liquor from his beard, straightened his disordered clothing, and introduced himself to Sonia in a dignified voice.
"Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself yet. My apologies. My name is Makar. I am the Dwarf King. I've known that old man since we were children, so don't worry about formalities."
"No, no, now that you've become king, I must show proper courtesy. By the way, that liquor—it's good stuff, isn't it? I want some too."
What did "courtesy" even mean?
Sonia reflexively put a hand to her forehead and wondered what courtesy even was.
The man beside Makar addressed Sonia.
"Dwarves don't concern themselves with the little things. That's their charm. They're generous, always larger than life, and have no hidden side. I like them for that, but what do you think?"
"I agree with the Duke."
Saying so, Sonia immediately bowed.
The man not only spoke familiarly with the Dwarf King but was also addressed as a duke.
From what she knew, Sonia surmised that he was Duke Reinfelt.
Judging by his build alone, he resembled a dwarf, but perhaps because he had been raised as an Imperial noble, Jurgen had an unmistakable air of refinement and calm about him.
He gave the impression of a successful merchant.
And that impression was not wrong.
Duke Reinfelt was a noble who held lands in the southeastern Empire, but his influence extended into the eastern Empire as well.
The current Duke Reinfelt was a gifted businessman with a broad mind. He had extended a hand to many nobles and was highly respected both as a duke and as a person.
"Ah, I was late introducing myself too. I'm Jurgen von Reinfelt. Technically, I'm a duke of the Empire, but don't worry about that. Being Elder Egor's attendant is far more impressive, after all."
"N-no, it's nothing like that..."
"Bwahahaha!! Just as the Duke says! No one has managed to serve as attendant to this lost old man for hundreds of years! Quite an achievement!"
Makar shouted about how amusing it was as he drank, while Egor had somehow begun drinking as well.
Jurgen watched the two of them with an affectionate smile.
This wasn't what she had heard.
Sonia thought so, then asked Jurgen a question.
"Duke, forgive me if I'm mistaken... Could the Dwarf King's decision to invade the Holy Kingdom perhaps have been an act?"
"Excellent. That's exactly right."
Jurgen openly acknowledged that Sonia was correct.
Then Jurgen quietly looked at the desk at the back of the room.
That was where the marshal, the fortress's commander, normally sat.
But it was empty now.
"This is all part of her plan. The Dwarf King came to the border to reinforce our forces. Since I am not dependable enough to hold the eastern border in her place, she made the arrangements."
"In her place...? Don't tell me the marshal isn't here!?"
"Yes. She's somewhere else. I would have liked to go with her, but when she told me that only I could be entrusted with this, I had no choice but to accept as a man."
"Bwahahaha!! What a fool you are, Duke! If this information got out, the Holy Kingdom would come charging in with its eyes gleaming! Certain death! Even if you were lucky enough to survive, you wouldn't escape punishment! A perfect fool!"
"Isn't Your Majesty much the same?"
"What are you talking about! We dwarves are indebted to the Empire! And that princess has helped us time and again! She asked me to look after you! If I refused, the name of Dwarf King would be disgraced!"
Makar continued drinking more and more.
His expression made it seem as though nothing could be more enjoyable.
"I love fools! The imperial family of this country is nothing but fools! It's wonderful! Like father, like daughter! They entrusted an important border to a merchant-minded duke of all people! And that duke is a first-rate fool too! He accepted despite having nothing to gain!"
"I'm only here to fill the post. If it comes to a battle, I'll leave it to Your Majesty and the soldiers of this fortress. My sole role is to take responsibility."
"So that's why Silver sent the old man here... Then the marshal is in the imperial capital now?"
"If nothing happens, it will be a long-overdue reunion between father and daughter. If something does happen, she'll be reinforcements that neither the enemy nor our allies notice. Either way, His Majesty the Emperor is in for a surprise."
With that, Jurgen smiled softly.
■■■
The moment Gordon raised his sword,
a clear, ringing voice echoed through the imperial capital.
"Fire."
At the same moment, countless arrows assailed Gordon and his men as they surrounded the arena.
The Chancellor, standing beside the Emperor, apologized once again as he watched the scene.
"Please forgive me. She was the only person in the military I could trust without reservation."
"No way..."
Johannes's eyes widened as he looked at the group that had attacked Gordon and his men.
Everyone had their hoods pulled low, but glimpses of military uniforms showed beneath them.
A woman in a blue cloak strode out from among the hooded group.
Only the three Imperial Marshals could wear blue cloaks over their military uniforms.
And only one of them was a woman.
Her long golden hair fluttered in the wind. Seeing her, Gordon muttered as if groaning.
"Why are you here!?"
"Is it truly so surprising that an Imperial Marshal would come to protect the Emperor? Or is it surprising that I would come to protect my father?"
With a faint smile, she watched as the hooded soldiers all removed their hoods at once.
The elite soldiers of the Imperial Eastern Border Defense Army stood there.
"You should be ashamed of your ignorance, Gordon. I am a more dutiful daughter than you think."
"Prepare to charge! Kill that woman!"
"That's our line! Everyone, draw your swords!! By order of Imperial Marshal Lieselotte Reeks Adler!! Strike down the traitors!!"
And so, the Imperial Army clashed within the imperial capital.