dobelyuwai
patreon
Mobuseka Volume 11 Chapter 11
🕑 Added 2023-03-13 02:44:27 +0000 UTCThis is MTL. So, I cannot guarantee that the translation 100% contextually accurate or appropriate.
.
Chapter 11 "Roland's Secret Plan"
.
Part 1
When the battle was over, all the flying battleships on the Raschel side had their engines shut down and were floated on the lake.
Armor is lined up on the deck and soldiers are evacuating.
In order to prevent any unnecessary resistance, Brad was in his armor and watching vigilantly from the sky.
However, for some reason, the people of the castle town are praying fervently for that figure.
Do they mistake the purple armor for something divine?
One would have thought that the revered Brad, being the narcissist that he is, would be pleased with the situation, but not so.
"—— Everyone worships me. What should I do? I don't understand it one bit."
Brad also seems confused.
I knew they felt grateful because he had helped the people who lived in the castle town. Sometimes, on the contrary, they would resent him, but anyway, it turned out not to be the worst situation.
The people of Raschel —— if the people don't like us, it will be troublesome to talk to them in the future.
I hear Brad's confused voice coming from the communicator, but I ignore it and get on with my work.
The only work I do is to participate in the discussions.
Licorne conference room.
After getting dressed, I entered the room and was met with the eyes of those who had been waiting for me.
The Holy King and one other person from Raschel are participating, and from the Kingdom of Horfalt, Ange and I are participating, led by Milene-san.
The other one is scheduled to arrive late.
Ange worries about me.
"You're early. Why don't you get some more rest?"
I reply after taking my seat.
"I thought I'd wrap it up and get some rest. So, how far have you gotten with His Majesty the Great?"
The Holy King, who had been released from restraints, was looking at me with his arms crossed in dissatisfaction.
Because of how condescending his attitude was, my first impression of the Holy King became the worst.
"You are the Fiend knight? This little boy is a hero of the country, which shows the level of the kingdom of Horfalt."
I snicker.
"I heard that there is a king who was defeated by such a hero, but who was it?"
When I deliberately ask him a question, the Holy King's face turns red.
This is why I have a problem with people with low tolerance.
It's pathetic that he starts a fight himself and then gets angry when someone gets back at him.
If you get angry, you lose.
Then, a little later than I entered, Julius came in.
Julius, who saw the Holy King, looked at me with a face that sensed something.
"Did you say something again?"
"It's small talk."
Julius looked like he wanted to say something, but just went and sat down.
Next to the Holy King, who had lost but did not change his attitude, stood a high-ranking nobleman who had injured his right hand and was wearing an arm sling.
He looked very nervous.
"——Is this all of them?"
Milene-san replies with a smile.
"Yes, that's right, Prime Minister. Then, let us discuss the postwar settlement"
War does not end with victory.
What awaits after that is the postwar process.
If we lose, there will be bitter negotiations, but the winner is the side of the Kingdom of Horfalt.
Perhaps the reason why Milene-san also looks somewhat happy is because she dragged the Holy King to this place where she had won a victory over an avenging enemy?
But the Holy King, who should be in a difficult position, smiled fearlessly.
"Celebrate your victories now. But the real winners are those who win in the end. Don't think you're above me just because you won once."
Milene-san smiled and narrowed her eyes.
I guess she doesn't like the Holy King's attitude.
Ange, sitting next to me, likewise shows her dissatisfaction with the Holy King's attitude.
"I think there's a certain attitude a loser should have, don't you?"
The Holy King did not listen to Ange's words.
"The Kingdom of Horfalt was once founded by defeated people who fled from Raschel. Where is the need to be respectful to the people of such a country"
Next to the Holy King, who looks down on us to no end, the Prime Minister has a pale face.
Still, since he has not admonished the Holy King, he must be looking down on us, too.
Creare, who is floating near my left shoulder, is looking at the Holy King with interest.
[Interesting. Do you think you can fix this situation in the historical past? The current situation is a complete defeat and a victory for the Master's Kingdom. I would be very interested to see if this can be overturned with the glory of the past. I'd love to see what kind of winners you would be, instead of the losers clinging to past glories.]
She may have been interested, but her words seemed to have offended the Holy King.
He remains silent, his face red with resentment.
Then Luxion, floating near my right shoulder, admonishes Creare.
[If he could win the war using his past glory, he would have no trouble. He is now running away from reality. He lacks responsibility and is a poor negotiator. Why don't we have someone else to represent him?]
Pretending to admonish her, but he stirred him up.
These guys can't help but remember all these things.
Whose influence?
Then, maybe they couldn't hold back their laughter, I heard Ange's and —— Milene-san's giggles.
Perhaps because he couldn't forgive the women for laughing at him, the Holy King swung his fist down on the table.
"?! ......What are you laughing at? It's a fact that you are the losers of history."
Perhaps the swinging fist hurt, but the Holy King's momentum weakened.
The Prime Minister can't stand it either and interjects.
"Isn't it rude to laugh?"
I would like to discuss which of us was rude, but there is no time, so Milene-san apologizes and moves on with the conversation.
"Yes, you're right. I beg your pardon. Well, let's get this discussion over with. ——First, I'm going to ask Raschel to break off this military alliance."
When Milene makes her conditions, both the Holy King and the Prime Minister listen in silence.
"Next, we will ask you to pay reparations. Then, we will place restrictions on your military power"
Since it was an overwhelming victory, Milene-san also set out one condition after another.
But the Prime Minister just smiled with the corners of his mouth turned up.
Milene raises her eyebrows at the sight.
"Do you have any complaints?"
"No, I really doubted that this was the feared "Black-hearted Princess" Milene-dono. Oops, now it was the queen."
Black-hearted Princess is quite a way to say it.
Milene-san smiled, but her eyes were not smiling.
"Are you trying to say I'm a fake?"
"You are narrow-minded and do not see the bigger picture. Rather, we seek reparations from the Kingdom of Horfalt."
"——Excuse me?"
I was surprised too, because I didn't think the Raschel side would ask for compensation.
The Prime Minister continues.
"Your attack has devastated our capital city, which was once known as the White City. What a terrible state our White Castle is in. Be prepared for the amount of reparations to be astronomical."
The Holy King, pleased with his Prime Minister's attitude, nodded deeply and repeatedly as he folded his arms.
"Well said"
Milene-san is stunned.
"You don't understand the position."
The Holy King grins and speaks to Milene-san as if he were lecturing her.
"Indeed, you were strong. But that strength creates a greater enemy. You seem to be so focused on the immediate that you cannot see the bigger picture. We are not the only ones who feel threatened by your excessive victories."
He looked at me as if to say, "Do you understand if I tell you this much?" I deliberately tilted my head.
Ange whispered in amazement, "You..."
"Who knows?"
"I knew you were just a strong little boy. Let me tell you. The Holy Magic Empire of Voldenowa, a superpower that has a long friendship with the Holy Kingdom of Raschel."
"Fu~n"
I shrugged my shoulders and saw the Holy King gritting his teeth.
"You still don't know anything, do you? If the Empire, a superpower, makes a move, the Kingdom of Horfalt has no chance. The empire has collected various Lost Items throughout its long history. Its military power is unknown."
Having said all that, the Holy King rests his body against the backrest and puffs out his chest.
"How's that? Do you understand who should pay the compensation? If you offend me, it is you who will lose."
Creare tells me.
[This guy thinks he's going to win with just the name of the Empire. Isn't he amazing that he can be so arrogant, forgetting that he lost so badly?]
Then, perhaps unable to hold back, Ange blurts it out.
"That's a problem"
Both the Holy King and the Prime Minister wondered when Ange said that with a laugh.
Julius, who is giving a broad smile, agrees with Ange.
"Indeed, if the Empire would have come out, it would have been our defeat."
And finally, Milene-san covered her mouth —— and sneered at the Holy King and the Prime Minister.
"You didn't know what would happen if the Empire moved. But it would be foolish of you to think that we haven't taken that into account."
Shortly after, a man enters the conference room.
Diagonally behind him is Finn, who, perhaps sensing his place, is acting as a man's bodyguard, as if he were a knight.
The man who takes off his hat and puts it on his chest —— Karl-san looks at the Holy King and calls out to him.
"You've quite a swagger. Negotiating in the name of another country, you're still a cunning little man as usual."
Seeing Karl like that, the Holy King looked displeased.
"Who is this shabby man? Keep him away from the noble me"
We had been giggling earlier, but now we all had straight faces.
——Is this guy serious? According to Karl-san's story, they must have met each other many times.
Karl-san's cheeks are drawn back, too.
Finn, who was standing diagonally behind him, gives advice to Karl-san.
"Your Majesty, why don't you have a look that even the Holy King would recognize? Because this one seems to be oblivious to Your Majesty's prestige."
Then Karl-san put his hat on the table and took off his glasses.
"You're right. This guy was bound to care about appearances."
With that said, he tapped the floor with the stone stick of his cane, and a light enveloped Karl-san for a moment.
As if in a scene from a magical girl's transformation, the elderly man changed his outfit right in front of our eyes.
—— It probably helps that there were no service scenes.
What appeared was a gorgeous, glittering costume, decorated with jewels, gold and silver, but so gorgeous that I wanted to ask how much it would cost for one more piece of clothing.
The red cape is also dressed in white fur and looks a bit rough.
"Should I have asked him if he had forgotten my face?"
Karl-san —— the Emperor strokes his own chin while interjecting a small joke that goes through the reincarnated people.
Seeing his appearance, for the first time, the Holy King and the Prime Minister both gaped at him.
The Holy King's voice is trembling.
"Emperor Karl? W-Why are you in a place like this?"
Then Karl-san raised his eyebrows and glared at the Holy King.
"—— To see with my own eyes the man who was called the "Fiend Knight". And while I was at it, I also got to see you in action. You seem to be using the name of my Empire as you please."
Finn's eyes, standing diagonally behind him, seem to say, "Liar. It's just a side trip to see Mia, isn't it."
I think so too.
The Prime Minister shakily tells the Holy King that Karl-san may be a fake.
"Holy King, there is no guarantee that this man is the real His Imperial Majesty."
"I-I see!"
But Karl-san didn't miss anything either.
He snickers at them both.
"Then you can quickly send a letter to the Empire complaining of your plight. See if the Empire would move or not. Most likely."
When Karl-san approached the Holy King, he looked down at him with cold eyes.
"I intend to make sure that you who have behaved as you please in the name of the Empire will receive appropriate retribution. In addition, it seems that you have lost the magic equipment that the Empire gave you in the past. Do you understand what it means to treat a token of friendship between our two countries so roughly?"
The Holy King and the Prime Minister were trembling, their earlier tough attitude is gone.
Is he real or fake?
They seemed to be very concerned about it.
Karl-san says.
"——It looks like they're here."
Looking out the window, there was an airship approaching Licorne with the Empire's coat of arms painted on it.
Apparently, Karl-san had been running his hands around.
As the Holy King and the Prime Minister slump to the floor, Finn looks at me and winks.
I am sure he is pleased with the "success" we have had.
I raise my hand and reply with a small thank you, and Karl-san looks at me.
"It's a little —— no, quite rough, but I'll give it a passing grade."
"Thank you very much."
As I stood up and thanked him, the Holy King, who was alternately looking at me and Karl-san's face, seemed to realize with a gasp.
"Don't tell me, you were behind all this!"
It's not so much that I pull the strings, but I smile at the Holy King.
Consciously smiling, as if the mastermind.
"It's only natural that we do our best to win, isn't it?"
'You guys were so conceited and did nothing', I didn't put it into words, but I'm sure they understood.
The Holy King was trembling.
"B-Brat, you just look like Roland——Hmm?"
When Roland's name comes up and I get upset, the Holy King looks at me sullenly.
I glared at him because I didn't feel good about it, and the Holy King nodded deeply as if he was convinced.
"——Ha?"
"That wicked move, and the foul mouth —— You must be Roland's illegitimate son!"
At first, I didn't understand what was being said.
Roland's illegitimate child? Me? That would mean that my father is that Roland. That's the only thing that's impossible.
But the Holy King was convinced and believed on his own.
"I thought it was strange. When you got an achievement, it was so unnatural that you rose to the rank of Duke. Besides, it would make sense if you were an illegitimate son that the royal family appointed you commander-in-chief so many times. I never thought I was defeated by the son of that crooked Roland——"
As the Holy King was saying arbitrary things, I was indignant and tried to deny it, but——.
"D-Don't kid——"
"No way —— Leon was my big brother!?"
——Julius, who was beside me, got up from his seat and looked at me with a serious expression.
What's this guy even saying?
I can't take it anymore and yell at Julius.
"Why are you so convinced without questioning it? Why did you call me big brother in the first place? Are you really that stupid?"
I approach Julius and stick my index finger on his chest.
A flustered Julius excuses himself while stepping back from me.
"W-Well, because it sounds like something my Father would have done."
"It's obviously wrong!"
"But you see, if you're my big brother, you're the prince, right? That means you could be the next king. Wouldn't it be better if you were my big brother, even if this is a lie?"
"It ain't good! Because it's not a statement you, the prince, should be making in the first place!"
"I thought it was a good idea."
I strongly deny it, but there was clearly an odd atmosphere in the room.
Karl-san and Finn are looking at each other and talking.
"What do you think? I think Roland could have done it, right?"
"Leon is innocent, but it's about that king."
Since the conversation is proceeding under the assumption that I am Roland's illegitimate son, I turn and look at Ange.
"Ange, say something——A-Ange?"
Ange puts her hand on her chin and seems to be thinking seriously.
She is muttering to herself.
"It is possible. And, considering His Majesty's response, is it too early to assume it is a lie? No way, just to make Leon's position more secure?"
The possibility is not zero, she said something outrageous.
"Wake up, Ange! My father is a rural baron, Barkas! There's no way I'm an illegitimate child. Moreover, I would never want to be Roland's son!"
Even if they tell me that Roland is my father, I will never admit it.
When I looked at Milene-san, she seemed to be crying, covering her face with her hands.
"——No way, I can't believe Leon-kun was that bastard's kid."
"Milene-samaaaa! Please come to your senses. My mom is not the kind of person who would cheat on a guy like that!"
To my mother's honor, I wanted to deny it completely here.
Luxion and Creare are operating normally.
[A genetic test would be a good idea.]
[But I can't wait to see the look on Roland's face when he hears this.]
These useless AI!
Do a little work to clear the suspicion that's been placed on me.
When I was fussing alone, the Holy King said.
"Damn you, Roland. He's a troublemaker no matter where he is. I didn't think his illegitimate child was his trump card."
Apparently, the Holy King had decided that I was Roland's illegitimate son.
I approached the Holy King and raised my fist in the air, expressionless.
.
Part 2
A few weeks later.
In the royal palace of the Kingdom of Horfalt, nobles gathered.
It was to hear the details of the battle that took place in the Holy Kingdom of Raschel.
In the audience chamber, Duke Vince Redgrave is also present.
At this point, it was known to the nobles that Leon had raided the capital of Raschel and captured the Holy King.
However, the details have not been made known.
Roland sits on his throne and watches the nobles.
Some are relieved, others anxious.
Those who look anxious are surely those who have communicated with the enemy.
They never imagined that Leon could bring down Raschel just as they were preparing to switch sides.
(That dung brat, I didn't think he would bring out the Emperor. Only this time, I was saved by him, so I will praise him honestly.)
He never expected that he would bring out Emperor Karl and eliminate the seeds of the Empire's entry into the war that Raschel was hoping for.
Roland was unusually honest in his assessment of Leon.
During the audience, a bureaucrat who had been investigating the details in Raschel entered the room.
As he kneels in front of Roland, his voice is loud with excitement at the idea of delivering the happy news.
"Rejoice, Your Majesty! Duke Bartfalt has defeated the Holy Kingdom of Raschel, and has broken the military alliance against the Kingdom of Horfalt. Milene-sama has also informed me that there is no possibility for the Empire to enter the war."
Hearing that, the nobles voice their admiration.
"Ooh, as expected of Duke Bartfalt."
"And this one's a big achievement, too."
"Since there is no more promotion, so I guess he'll be rewarded for it."
The nobles murmur lines of their own accord, but Vince looks somewhat uninterested.
It must be a complicated feeling to see someone that he has cut ties with play an active role.
Roland stands up and claps.
"To Duke Bartfalt, who has done a wonderful job, let me say a word of gratitude, shall we? That said, his accomplishments have been unparalleled in the kingdom. I think we have no choice but to bestow upon him the rank of Grand Duke, don't you?"
The rank of Grand Duke was once given to the Duke Fannos —— a time when they called themselves the Grand Duke Fannos until they separated from the Kingdom of Horfalt.
The Grand Duke did not arise for a long time after that, but to reward Leon's achievements, Roland offered to grant him the rank of Grand Duke.
(I'll honestly appreciate you this time. But that's that, and this is this —— let's give you a well-deserved promotion for your efforts.)
Chuckling inwardly, Roland was happy to imagine the look on Leon's face when he heard this story.
Surely Leon would hate it with all his heart.
Roland is, in a certain sense, the one who understands Leon best.
Then the bureaucrat who had finished his report looked at Roland unnerved.
Roland sees through it.
"What's wrong? You still have something to report?"
"N-No, this is not the kind of information that His Majesty would hear."
Based on the bureaucrat's reaction, 'Perhaps it has to do with somebody else's scandal?' Roland speculates.
Possibly, it would be Leon and Milene.
(That little brat, don't tell me, did he lay his hands on Milene? Oi oi, this is information worth teasing, isn't it? I knew that guy was going to do it someday, but this is perfect timing.)
The Queen and the Duke having a secret affair is the stuff of executions.
But Roland had an idea.
(I would be in trouble if the little brat was executed, so I would show them how mature I am by quieting down the nobles who are fussing about executing him here. My reputation will be damaged a little, but it won't hurt me if I can get a hold of the little brat's weakness.)
A man who had his wife cheated on him would be laughed at in upper-class, noble society.
If this was a baron or a viscount, it was commonplace not long ago.
But Roland is a King.
If Roland's name is tarnished, the prestige of the country will be damaged.
Surely the nobles will advise him to execute Leon for having a secret affair with the Queen.
Roland imagines it in his head.
(Fufu, now that brat won't be able to raise his head against me for the rest of his life. I wonder if he is in a scene of carnage with his fiancée now? I'm so excited to see them back)
And if rumors spread that he had made a move on Milene, surely Ange and the others would not keep quiet about it.
Imagining a scene where Leon's affair with a woman had developed into a scene of carnage, Roland's mind was very happy.
(Ah~, I just want to call him up right now and laugh at his misery)
Roland tells the bureaucrat.
"I'm curious. Report it without concealment."
The bureaucrat wanders his gaze and says that he can't go against the king's order.
"T-This information is not verified. It is only a rumor spreading in the surrounding area. We hope you will take this into consideration."
He didn't want to say too much, so the introduction was long.
"Just say it."
(It was probably just a rumor about an affair between the little brat and Milene, anyway, right? It doesn't matter at this point whether they did or didn't. What's important is that the rumor spreads on the spot.)
He wants to hear the story of their affair from the mouth of the bureaucrat now.
The bureaucrat says something unexpected to Roland.
"Well then, I apologize for the rudeness! In the Holy Kingdom of Raschel, rumors are spreading that Duke Bartfalt is His Majesty's illegitimate son!"
Roland assumed it was about cheating anyway, and nodded his head while crossing his arms.
"Yes, my illegitimate child —— Eh?"
When he raises his head, the nobles are momentarily stunned and the audience chamber falls silent.
The bureaucrat gave Roland an anxious look.
"I-It is a rumor with no proof, but it is spreading in Raschel as if it were true. In fact, it is said that Duke Bartfalt became furious when the Holy King mentioned it during negotiations in the area, and beat him up."
The bureaucrat's gesture was, "Perhaps he was offended because it was right on the mark?".
In Raschel, it was assumed that Leon was Roland's illegitimate son.
Roland breaks out in a cold sweat and then starts shaking.
"A, A-A-A, Are you kidding me? That man is my illegitimate child? That's not even funny! Who said that? The Holy King? Bring him before me immediately. I will cut off the Holy King's head and display it in the capital of Raschel!"
Roland had been the subject of many rumors, but this was the first time in his life that he had ever been so agitated.
Because he exposed himself in such a manner in front of the nobles, there was whispering around him——.
"I didn't think he'd be that upset."
"Duke Bartfalt is the same age as His Highness Julius."
"Is that a reason to hide it?"
——At that time, the first child of Milene, who was the legal wife, was recognized as the Crown Prince.
At such a time, the appearance of an illegitimate child would have caused no small amount of upheaval in the royal court.
There must have been people who wanted to support Leon.
In other words, there existed a reason for Roland to hide him —— or so it was thought.
Roland shakes his head helplessly.
"T-That's wrong. You guys think about it? Do you think he and I look alike?"
Roland denied it, but sadly, his faint voice reached no one.
Vince and Minister Bernard are talking in a whisper.
Their faces are serious.
"Minister Bernard, is it true about the illegitimate child? Surely you didn't know about it?"
"N-No way."
"No, you were working to get Duke Bartfalt promoted when he was a Baron."
"That was because I thought that if he rose a little higher in the court, he would be a suitable partner for my daughter. I have no other intention than that. In the first place, isn't the Duke the same?"
"U-Umu. Sure, we were pushing back then."
What they are talking about is the time when Leon exterminated sky pirates in the second semester of his first year.
Minister Barnard appreciated Leon for giving his daughter Claris the opportunity to recover from a broken heart.
For that reason, he somewhat forced his promotion, which apparently made it seem to Vince as if he knew that he was Roland's illegitimate son.
Vince puts his hand on his chin.
"If you didn't know, then it must be an illegitimate child?"
'Is it wrong?' Minister Bernard, being asked such a question, replies while wiping his gushing sweat with a white handkerchief.
"I can't say for sure that it's wrong."
"What?"
"Since that time, His Majesty has repeatedly played with women, and it is impossible to say for sure that he never did. Besides, he had been to the frontier on several occasions when he escaped from the palace."
Vince gives Roland an indescribable look.
His face was as if to say, "Which one is it?".
The people around him were beginning to make a fuss about it, saying, "It's possible!".
Roland shouted to the sky.
"That brat, you spread unnecessary rumoooors!!"
Roland's screams echoed through the audience chamber.
