"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness, Grand Duke of Schwarhan. I am Cher Cezanta, Chancellor of Roaquin. And the one behind me is my escort, Fenril."
Cher, a middle-aged man with streaks of grey in his hair, greeted Cabelenus first with proper courtesy.
Cabelenus grasped Cher’s extended hand and accepted his greeting without hesitation.
"You must have had a long and tiring journey."
"Your Highness offered a great opportunity — how could I possibly refuse?"
"That will depend on how our conversation unfolds from here."
"Do not worry. The people of Roaquin give as much as they receive. Trust is the pride of Roaquin."
Cher placed a hand on the left side of his chest and smiled faintly.
“If that's the case, there's no need to delay. I don’t like wasting time on pointless chatter."
"That’s the same for me."
At Cabelenus’s gesture, Cher took the seat that had been prepared for him.
They had already confirmed each other’s intentions, albeit vaguely, through their letters.
Now, all that remained was to make their respective gains clear.
"It’s not difficult for us to pretend to side with the Emperor and stir up public sentiment in the empire. The real problem comes after that."
"After that?"
"Roaquin is a kind of confederation formed by the union of various tribes. Unless the chief lord holds absolute power, internal strife among the vassals is inevitable."
"Since Roaquin isn’t a land of abundance, it would be even more so."
Cabelenus tilted his head to one side.
If Schwarhan was a frozen land, Roaquin was a barren one.
Under the blazing sun and across the parched desert land, life struggled just the same.
"Your Highness seems to know Roaquin well."
"Schwarhan has faced similar hardships as well."
"Similar, but the outcomes were different. Schwarhan overcame them admirably, while Roaquin did not."
"So, you’re asking me to share some magic?"
"Even if I wanted it, you wouldn’t give it to me, would you?"
Cher let out a hearty laugh.
"What if I could give it to you?"
"…Are you serious?"
"Of course. However, the magic you receive will vary depending on how much you satisfy me with your results."
Cabelenus smiled arrogantly.
"My, my. It seems Your Highness is quite eager to join forces with us."
"I want to end this fight as quickly and cleanly as possible. There’s no need to shed more blood than necessary."
"That doesn’t sound like something the Wolf of Schwarhan would say."
"Even without Roaquin, my prey is plentiful enough."
Cabelenus leisurely stroked his chin.
The man, without changing a single expression, looked more than calm — he appeared downright confident.
"If Your Highness says it like that, then we have no reason to hesitate either."
"I’m glad the discussion seems like it will end quickly."
"However, what we seek is not magic."
"It’s not magic? Then what is it?"
"Do you remember Weizen? The land Your Highness conquered eight years ago."
There was no way he could forget that land.
Cabelenus’s eyes twitched slightly.
The land was now called Weizen, but Cabelenus knew it by a name far more familiar to him.
"…Are you talking about Neustein?"
"I presumed Your Highness wouldn’t like it if the old name was mentioned."
"The name doesn’t matter. What matters is Roaquin ’s true intentions."
Magic wasn’t a power that could be easily acquired, and the magic of Schwarhan was particularly special.
There were many survival-oriented magics adapted to the harsh environment, making it an ideal condition for Roaquin.
"There’s no hidden agenda."
"Then why do you need Neustein?"
"Because Roaquin is my homeland."
Cher placed a hand over his chest.
"What do you mean?"
"If we keep the future in mind, choosing magic would be the right choice. But the current Roaquin doesn’t even have the strength to move toward the future."
“...”
"If magic that can’t even be properly handled is introduced in the current situation, it would only stir the vassals’ greed and become a seed of discord."
"So, you’re saying you want to prioritise the present over the future?"
Cabelenus’s eyes narrowed.
While it was the ruler's duty to look farther ahead when everyone else saw only the moment, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable given Roaquin‘s current situation.
Roaquin’s current ruler barely managed to suppress the vassals’ long-standing feuds and just barely succeeded in unifying them — but that was exactly as far as he got.
The chief lord was already struggling just to mediate the power struggles among the vassals.
It was only natural to avoid causing conflict until one had properly built up the strength to fight.
“It’s a shameful thing to admit, but the current Roaquin is not in a position to take the initiative in leading the alliance.”
"So, you’re asking for Neustein instead?"
"To be precise, we want liberation from being a vassal state of the empire, as well as the eastern lands of Neustein, Beltein."
For a moment, the green eyes glimmered between the wrinkled eyelids.
Cabelenus, expressionless as usual, rested his chin on his hand.
"Is Beltein really enough?"
"It’s not enough, but it’s not bad either. Beltein is a land adjacent to Roaquin and boasts abundant grain fields. Even that alone is a benefit for Roaquin."
Cher spread his arms wide and straightened his chest.
It was a gesture as if to prove that he himself was harmless.
"Of course, it benefits Your Highness as well."
Seeing no particular reaction from Cabelenus, Cher quietly folded his outstretched arms.
With no reaction of approval or disapproval, and his chin resting on his hand, Cabelenus was completely unreadable.
"I’ll give it some thought."
"…You’ll give it some thought?"
"No matter how urgent it is, we can’t keep a guest who has travelled a long way waiting for too long."
Cabelenus rose from his seat leisurely, like a predator preparing to hunt, and smiled.
In fact, his gaze wasn’t on Cher, but on the young man standing behind him.
・・・・・
“He’s a formidable opponent.”
"Maybe he’s figured out what you’re scheming.”
Cher shot him a displeased look.
At some point, Cabelenus had naturally started conversing not with Cher but with the person behind him.
He had realised which of the two truly held the authority.
“What’s wrong with my scheme?”
“What ’s wrong?! Your schemes are always pitch-black — brutally so."
“You’re the one who brought along this pitch-black bastard.”
"At least you’re acting for Roaquin’s sake."
“You flatter me.”
Cher openly frowned at the young man’s cheeky gesture.
He had brought him along, thinking he would be helpful, but his casual attitude still didn’t sit well with him.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“The Grand Duke seemed to know everything.”
“It doesn’t matter. After all, the name was given so he’d notice. Fenrir. Fenril. It’s just a pronunciation difference between Roaquin and Blanche — who wouldn’t notice?”
Fenrir chuckled as he traced letters in the air with his finger.
“Did you do it knowing you’d get caught? You told me there was no way he’d find out!”
“I was curious about how much the Wolf of Schwarhan really knew about Roaquin.”
“That was your goal?”
“Yep. That was the whole point.”
Fenrir playfully tapped at the curtain.
No matter how much he looked around, the view outside the window was nothing but snow-covered fields, yet Schwarhan was standing strong, self-reliant without anyone’s help.
What was like a dream to Roaquin was reality to Schwarhan.
“Why did you do such a pointless thing?”
"I was curious what kind of man the Wolf of Schwarhan really is — whether he’s just a blood-crazed killer who only knows how to swing a sword, or a powerful figure with a brain."
“Does that matter to us?”
"It matters."
Everyone whispered that whoever took the throne would be better than Zerpheus, but Fenrir’s opinion was different.
Depending on the circumstances, Cabelenus could easily become a far more ruthless emperor than Zerpheus.
"The current emperor isn't recognised as legitimate, but the Grand Duke of Schwarhan is different. His legitimacy and the power acknowledged through countless victories will unite the empire."
"Are you saying the empire could become even more powerful than it is now?"
"If the Grand Duke is ambitious, he might even set his sights on unifying the entire continent."
Fenrir spoke as if joking, but Cher didn’t laugh.
It was because he knew those words weren’t just a joke.
“That means it could be worse for us. We might not end up just a vassal state like we are now.”
“I’m here to make sure it doesn’t turn out that way.”
Fenrir turned around and proudly straightened his chest.
His eyes sparkled with the green that was Roaquin’s pride.
“So, what exactly do you plan to do?”
“The Grand Duke I saw seemed smarter than I expected. If he were truly the bloodthirsty man the rumours say he is, he wouldn’t have noticed the difference in my name.”
"What does that mean for us?"
“It means a lot. You and I, Sir — we’re not like those blinded by revenge, are we?”
“It’s no use trying to flatter me all of a sudden.”
Cher smiled, but there was a trace of bitterness in his expression.
The empire’s influence played a large part in driving Roaquin to the brink.
Even the merchants they traded with turned their backs, wary of the empire. And when they barely managed to bring in goods, the prices were several times higher than in other regions, making them suffer every time.
No matter how much he tried to set aside his feelings, asking for the empire’s help at this point wasn’t exactly a pleasant thought.
“I’m not trying to flatter you; I’m trying to ask for a favour”
“A favour? What kind of favour?”
“What I mean is that at least we should put aside our pride. Instead of acting like my foolish brothers who are driven by emotion, we should try everything for Roaquin — even if it means we have to humble ourselves.”
"What?"
Cher shot Fenrir a look of disbelief, but the younger man just kept smiling cheerfully.
"Still, the good news is that the Grand Duke was willing to endure more loss than we expected. In other words, he's likely to agree to most of our demands."
“But didn’t it feel like he was drawing a line?”
"What if there’s a reason for that?"
“What reason?”
"When Neustein was mentioned, the Grand Duke’s expression changed — just subtly."
Cabelenus wasn’t a man of many expressions.
Unless one paid close attention, it was hard to notice any change in his expression.
But in someone like that, even a rare flicker of emotion felt magnified.
Being able to keenly detect subtle changes gave a clear advantage in assessing the situation.
"The Grand Duke’s expression changed? When? I didn’t see it."
“Well, you know, Sir is getting older—”
"What? I’ve had just about enough of you, you little punk!"
"Wait! Wait! Please calm down and listen! What comes next is really important!"
Fenrir hurriedly calmed Cher down and guided him back to his seat.
Like an angry bear, Cher glared with wide, furious eyes and huffed, ready to swipe a paw the moment Fenrir said something he didn’t like.
“What are you trying to say?”
"I’m saying the Grand Duke is acting suspicious."
“Suspicious?”
"Isn’t it strange? Why does the Grand Duke care so much about Neustein?"
"Well, Neustein handles the food supply—"
"Schwarhan is capable of producing its own food. There's no need to go out of the way to source it from distant Neustein."
Fenrir cautiously stepped back, keeping a wary eye on the now-calmer Cher.
“...Your point is?”
"Schwarhan has the sea to its north, so unlike us, they don’t need to target a port — and they’re not particularly interested in trade, either."
“Tell me more.”
Cher beckoned Fenrir with a flick of his finger.
Only then did Fenrir smile brightly again and continue speaking.
"Besides, the Grand Duke has always been generous toward Neustein. Apart from aiding in post-war recovery, he has never been deeply involved in their affairs."
“...”
"At first, I thought he just didn’t care much because he saw Neustein as merely a gateway to Roaquin…"
"So you're saying that might not be the case?"
"Yes. That’s highly likely."
"Alright, I understand what you're trying to say. But is that really something we need to worry about?"
"Of course it's something we should be concerned about."
Fenrir nodded vigorously.
"If Neustein holds special meaning for the Grand Duke, we might not be able to get what we want."
“Could it really be that serious? Honestly, it’d be better to just give up a bit of land than resort to magic."
"That's just our judgment; it might not be the Grand Duke's stance."
"Damn it. I really can’t stand it when things get complicated."
Cher let out a deep sigh and rubbed his forehead.
"So, what I’m saying is we should look into it before things get more complicated."
"If we poke around for no reason, it could just make things worse."
"No need to worry. When have I ever disappointed you, Sir?"
Fenrir leisurely unfastened the button at his collar.
He held himself back in front of the Grand Duke, but as expected, he absolutely hated the feeling of being restrained.
"Don’t get cocky. Even a seasoned camel can lose its way in the desert."
“Even if it loses its way, a seasoned camel knows how to find the path again. That’s what experience is.”
“Anyway, you sure know how to talk.”
“I’m good with words — and I’ll be just as good at the task.”
“Soon, I’ll bring the Grand Duke’s secret before you, Sir.”
Both corners of Fenrir's lips curled upward in quiet confidence.
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