Chapter 77 – Meeting with Lord Diltrack and Lantis

I washed off the sweat in the prepared bath. Then, I changed clothes and was guided to the reception room.

Inside the room were just four people: me, Karan-san, Lantis and the female knight acting as his bodyguard. Garshin and the others were being treated to dinner in another room.

“Thank you for waiting. These dishes are made with vegetables and livestock from my territory. Please, enjoy them to your heart’s content.”

“Thank you. I will.”

We started our meal. As expected, whether due to personality or not, there was no extravagance in the tableware or the interior of the mansion.

In the lord’s mansion in Clostova, vases and paintings were displayed here and there.

While eating, I observed the woman sitting next to Lantis. I had confirmed with Karan-san earlier and as expected, she was Lantis’s bodyguard knight.

Her appearance was calm and graceful but anyone seeing her for the first time would never guess she was a swordswoman.

‘But for Lantis to bring her along, he must trust her greatly.’

Or is she a mistress…?

No, I heard Lantis has a daughter. His wife, born in the mountainous region, is currently there with their daughter.

It would look bad to always have a mistress around in the wife’s absence. Besides, Lantis doesn’t seem like the type to take such risks.

Well, if I don’t understand, I can just ask directly.

“Lantis-dono, who is this woman…?”

“Ah, I apologise for the late introduction. Her name is Elfilia. She serves as my bodyguard knight.”

“…Prince Virgard, nice to meet you.”

Elfilia met my gaze and bowed slightly.

Hmm…she indeed doesn’t have the atmosphere of a mistress. There’s no such vibe.

While continuing my meal, I also continued my conversation with Lantis.

“How long will the Prince be staying here?”

“I plan to leave tomorrow.”

“What!? You just arrived…”

“Yes. As I said, I came here to greet you, Lantis-dono. If I stay too long, it will take up your time as a lord, which is not what I wish given the current situation.”

I also have matters that require my attention back in Clostova. I don’t have the time to stay here leisurely.

“I see… I was hoping to hear more about your journey so far…”

“If there’s anything you’d like to know, let’s discuss it now. I also wish to deepen my friendship with you, Lantis-dono.”

“Oh…! Well then… I heard some from Karan-dono, but I’d like to hear about the battles leading up to today…”

Karan-san had already briefed Lantis on my behalf.

Lantis wanted to hear from my own lips how I left the capital and made it to this day.

*

“No, no, Prince Vilgard, you truly possess military talent…! In such a short time, you’ve united the lords and driven the Imperial Knights from Kamurakku territory…!”

“That was also thanks to you, Lantis-dono. By mobilising your troops, the Silver Spear Knights couldn’t muster their full strength against my forces.”

Bandred couldn’t send all his elite units against us. Dividing his attention between the east and west left the south under-defended.

Thanks to that, Ondyle was able to capture the fortress without much effort.

Having finished my story to some extent, I decided to turn the conversation in another direction. I had thought to ask tomorrow but the atmosphere was good, so I decided to ask now.

“Lantis-dono, do you know anything about the west?”

This region has long been adjacent to the western bandits. I’ve heard they frequently invade and plunder the territories and there have been numerous battles against them.

On the other hand, Muga traders find it difficult to penetrate the west, so there’s little detailed information.

Currently, the west is a lower priority than the empire, but it’s a territory we will definitely conquer in the future. I’d like to know anything, even small details.

“…To be honest, we’ve never launched an invasion from this side. So, the information we have is what we’ve gathered over the years of repelling the bandits…”

“That’s fine. Tell me anything you know.”

“Well then…”

Elfilia seems particularly interested in this topic. She must have participated in the bandit suppression efforts.

“As you know, the western part of the empire has become a lawless land infested with bandits. It all started with an invasion by another country…”

I had heard this story from my master before. A neighbouring country, on bad terms with the empire, took advantage of an internal conflict and sent their army.

They occupied several territories but in the midst of this, the mercenary group they had hired betrayed them. As a result, the dispatched knights were decimated, and the western land is now overrun by mercenaries and bandits.

“The mercenary group that betrayed the invading army is called 【Targanzes】. Every member of this group has engraved marks and they are one of the top mercenary bands on the continent.”

“Targanzes…?”

I recalled reading that name in a book in a dark cave. It was one of the countries Gnochein had fought against.

“Their leader is the Mercenary Demon King, Seazak. He is effectively the ruler of the western lands.”

“Acting as a ruler in a lawless land…”

Seazak and his followers are said to possess impressive armour and weapons. They are also skilled in ambush tactics, as demonstrated when they wiped out the invading knights.

“Several territories have fallen under his control and now they border the Diltrack territory. This situation arose because the imperial government at the time, preoccupied with internal strife and our alliance of lords were slow to respond. Additionally, Seazak wisely chose not to risk his army by crossing the mountains to occupy Diltrack.”

Crossing the mountains with an army requires substantial preparation and carries significant risks.

If the enemy got wind of their mountain crossing, they could attack while the troops were exhausted and unprepared for battle.

However, the mountains also serve as a natural barrier for Seazak. He must have weighed the risks and rewards of crossing the mountains versus not crossing them.

“The largest territory to the west of here was the Mardkrald territory. It is the neighbouring territory… When Seizak was approaching, I sent reinforcements.”

“I see…”

At that time, the conflict between the imperial government and the alliance of lords had just begun, and skirmishes were frequent across the land.

Amidst this, Lantis had his forces cross the mountains to provide aid.

“Mardkrald was also an anti-emperor territory, correct?”

“Yes, that’s part of the reason. Moreover, being adjacent, we had a long-standing relationship. My sister was married to the lord of Mardkrald.”

“I see…”

I understand now. Lantis had compelling reasons as both a lord and a brother to send reinforcements to Mardkrald.

However, now that territory is under Seazak’s control. And given that I haven’t seen the lord of Mardkrald or Lantis’s sister since I arrived here, it means…

“Prince Vilgard, I’ve heard you are looking for a wife from a family deeply connected to the former alliance of lords…”

“Ah, Karan-san mentioned that to you as well. Yes, ideally, someone from a family with close ties to you, Lantis-dono, would have been suitable… But it seems difficult, so I plan to put that matter on hold for now.”

“On hold?”

“Yes. I don’t intend to marry anyone from the Linzent-related families and I have other matters to attend to. It’s not a pressing issue.”

Marriage is indeed a straightforward way to consolidate influence and convey my intentions, but it’s not the only method.

By nurturing individuals within the military who could become central figures and by emphasising their importance, I can demonstrate that I don’t intend to disregard the old alliance of lords.

Well, having children through marriage would certainly expedite things.

“I’ve heard that you have a daughter, Lantis-dono but I have no intention of forcing anything. Please, don’t worry about it.”

“…No, in order to unite as the Northern Empire, it is indeed necessary for the prince’s consort to be from the local nobility.”

Lantis’s expression hardened slightly as he said this. However, if he intended to offer his daughter, I was ready to refuse.

But then, Lantis said something unexpected.

“In fact, there is one person among my relatives whom I can introduce. This person has stated that, under certain conditions, she would be willing to marry you, Prince.”