Chapter 104 – Encounter in the Western Imperial Capital

We arrived at our destination, the Imperial Capital, and stayed there for two days.

We didn’t go as far as the noble district, but even so, we were able to gather more than enough information.

“It’s livelier than I expected… the Imperial Capital.”

“It is the largest city on the continent, after all.”

According to Karan-san, public order had stabilized over the past five years or so, and economic activity had become more vigorous. That said, opinions among the populace regarding the Emperor were mixed.

As expected, the people of the Imperial Capital also believed that the current state of the Empire—having fallen into a three-way civil war—was the result of the reigning Emperor Creyval’s misrule.

On the other hand, there was also one point that received consistent praise. Namely, his appointment of Arloston as Knight Commander.

Well, there was probably some degree of information control at work. Arloston was regarded as the man who had brought the Royal State under the Empire’s umbrella and transformed the Imperial Army into a formidable fighting force.

Yes… from the perspective of the capital’s citizens, the subjugation of the Royal State symbolized the revival of a strong Empire.

Past expansionist policies likely played a role as well, but people seemed to view the acquisition of new territories in a positive light.

Of course, for someone like me, who had resolved to live as a warrior of the Royal State, this was a rather complicated matter.

From the Imperial Capital’s point of view, the Royal State lay on the frontier, and they probably had little interest in what kind of battles were fought there, or how it was currently being governed.

The simple fact that the Empire had defeated a nation renowned for its warriors—that alone was enough for the people of the capital to take pride in their country.

“But it didn’t seem like they cared much about Ruudo.”

“It’s not that they’re completely indifferent, I suppose… they may just see it as the birth of a leader for the Territorial Lords Alliance.”

Half a year had passed since the declaration of the founding of the Northern Empire, yet among the populace there was little sense that a new nation had been born. They likely regarded it simply as the former Territorial Lords Alliance having been brought together under a single framework.

As for my name, it tended to come up more often in stories related to the Battle of the Schleitocker Road.

The exaggerated rumors had grown into claims like『a force of twenty thousand defeated an Imperial army of one hundred thousand』and supposedly a man named Vilgard was twice the height of an ordinary adult, capable of mowing down a hundred men with a single swing of his gigantic club.

“It gave me the impression that the older folk view Prince Vilgard’s rise in a positive light.”

“They’re the generation that remembers… the Imperial Capital when it was in decline. As long as the current Emperor remains, they’re probably worried about when the Empire might fall into chaos again.”

At the time the civil war broke out, I’d heard that even the Imperial Capital had suffered from severe deterioration in public order. With the finances already strained back then, life could not have been easy.

In that sense as well, Arloston, who had stabilized the finances to this extent while reorganizing the Imperial Army into an elite fighting force, was probably held in reasonably high regard by both the nobility and the common people…

“Well then…Ruudo. Reconnaissance around here should be enough. It’s about time we head back.”

“…Yeah. But there’s one last place I want to see.”

“And where would that be?”

“The western part of the Imperial Capital.”

If we were to march an army south from Clostova, we’d already been able to identify several areas likely to become battlefields.

But what if the enemy refrained from an aggressive offensive and instead concentrated their forces around the outskirts of the Imperial Capital?

In that case, there was a strong possibility that hostilities would break out either to the north or east of the capital. From the Imperial Capital’s perspective, Clostova lay to the northeast.

The area around the Imperial Capital was spread with open plains, and if troops were positioned skillfully, it would be possible to construct defensive positions that could envelop the Northern Empire’s army advancing from the northeast, striking from the south and west.

Of course, there was no intention of honestly starting a war under such conditions… but if a massive force truly relied on sheer numbers to establish a vast defensive perimeter, then a route that looped around to the west would become necessary.

In other words, securing a position from which to strike the enemy’s flank and rear would be crucial.

“We’ll return after checking the western side of the Imperial Capital. We’ve come this far, there’s no way we’re leaving without seeing the west.”

Leaving the Imperial Capital early in the morning, we rode our horses through the western districts, checking the terrain as we went. Karan-san kept records of water sources and routes that could likely be used for troop movement.

Then, when the sun had sunk considerably, Shamia, who had been scouting the surroundings, came back.

“Ruudo! I saw a suspicious carriage heading west up ahead!”

“…A suspicious carriage?”

“Yeah. It was a carriage used by high-ranking nobles, but… it was being forced to run hard with horses that weren’t very big. If they keep pushing them like that, the horses will collapse pretty quickly.”

“I see… that is suspicious.”

There are several differences between an ordinary carriage and one used by nobles. To begin with, they aren’t built for transporting cargo, but are designed with an emphasis on carrying people.

And rather than having the horses pull them quickly, they are usually drawn at a leisurely pace over long periods of time.

Even if the highways were well maintained, forcing a carriage to move quickly would cause it to shake violently.

Because of that, the horses used to pull such carriages were not warhorses, but ordinary ones. They were meant to pull the carriage at a steady pace, transporting people to their destination.

Yet the carriage Shamia had seen was pushing its horses hard as it traveled along the road.

If one continued westward from the Imperial Capital, there was the Carmanda Territory and towns along the way… but a noble rushing along at this hour felt distinctly unnatural.

“Could it be an emergency?”

“Did something happen in the capital… hmm…”

However, if something had occurred in the Imperial Capital and they were fleeing in haste, they would have chosen their horses more carefully. At the very least, they should have selected horses with greater stamina and speed.

But that wasn’t the case. No matter how urgent the situation, ruining the horses would defeat the purpose.

From these points alone, it was only natural that Shamia judged the carriage to be suspicious.

“At that rate, I don’t think the horses will last until they reach Carmanda.”

“…Shall we go take a look?”

“Ruudo?”

“If it’s nothing, then fine. But that carriage… it still bothers me.”

■

And so, we spurred our horses westward to pursue the carriage Shamia had spotted.

As a precaution, I had Shamia, Karan-san, and Girei watch our rear, while Lizua and I moved ahead. With her vision enhanced by the engraved mark, Lizua accurately reported what was happening up ahead.

Facing three knights were a man holding a young child hostage, and a single woman. Two of the knights were instantly rendered helpless by the knives wielded by the woman.

“Lizua, we’re going to help them.”

“Oh my… the other party is most likely Imperial nobility, you know? Are you sure about this?”

“Of course I am. Can you truly take pride in calling someone your king if he ignores a child in mortal danger right in front of him?”

“I think you’re being naive… but very well.”

If I were facing them on the battlefield, I would cut down my enemies without hesitation. But just because they were hostile nobles did not mean I would abandon a child to die.

To begin with, what sin could a child possibly bear? The moment someone takes an innocent child as a hostage, before they’ve even steeled their resolve, it becomes something that cannot be overlooked.

Lizua nocked her bow while still on horseback. True to her Muria Tribe heritage, her skill with the bow was exceptional, and her posture was rock steady.

From straight ahead came the man’s shrill scream. Taking that as her cue, at the very instant the horse’s hooves left the ground—

Lizua released the arrow.

The released arrow flew forth at terrifying speed, piercing straight into the forehead of the man who had been holding the hostage, without the slightest deviation.

All nomads were skilled with the bow, but under these conditions—darkness with the sun nearly set, and while riding atop a swaying horse—only a handful could manage such precise shooting.

I had no intention of showing my face to Imperial nobles. While Lizua prepared her second shot, I activated the engraved technique and clad my entire body in black armor.

“Hah!”

Lizua loosed another arrow. This one, however, was knocked aside by the woman’s swinging knife.

Even so, it served as a powerful deterrent, and the woman leapt sharply to the side, her movements wary.

Seizing that opening, we finally reached the scene.

“Black… armor…!? Who the hell are you…!?”

The woman glared fiercely at us… but more than that, when I looked at the face of the man lying on the ground and the one still standing, my thoughts froze completely.

‘Roglainn… a-and no way… Arloston…!?’