Chapter 79 – The conditions set by Elfilia

“Lantis-dono’s… relative?”

The way he put it… it doesn’t seem to be his daughter. However, Karan-san hadn’t mentioned any other candidates.

I glanced at Karan-san but he shook his head.

“There is more to the earlier story. Although we sent reinforcements to Mardkrald, we were no match for the mercenaries under Seazak’s command. However, at the request of the Mardkrald lord and his wife, we managed to rescue their young daughter.”

“…”

So, she is Lantis’s niece. The soldiers he dispatched were able to rescue the daughter of the Mardkrald family.

I turned my gaze to Elfilia, who was seated next to Lantis.

“I see. So, she is Lantis-dono’s niece.”

“…! As expected, you figured it out.”

“Yes. When the conversation turned to Seazak, she clearly reacted. Also, since Karan-san wasn’t aware of this, it means that Elfilia-dono’s lineage was kept hidden. The reason being…you didn’t want Seazak to know that a member of the Mardkrald bloodline was still alive, correct?”

“Indeed…”

I had experienced something similar. When I was in the imperial capital, I hid my identity by wearing an eyepatch over my left eye.

Not knowing where risks would arise if my survival became known, I understood why Elfilia would do the same.

However, agreeing to marry me, even with conditions, means she’s willing to reveal her lineage. That means she has made up her mind.

“You mentioned conditions. Let’s hear them, Elfilia-dono.”

Elfilia met my gaze. While this could be postponed, it would be best to resolve it now if possible.

Seeing Elfilia up close again, I noticed her exceptional beauty. Her porcelain-white skin, large eyes, and beautiful light green hair gave her an almost fairy-like charm. Simply put, she was very much to my liking.

“My conditions are threefold. First, bring me Seazak’s head. Second, restore the Mardkrald territory. Third, demonstrate your prowess to me in a one-on-one duel. That’s all.”

Quite intriguing…and straightforward. It’s reminiscent of my vow to Mayo.

“Mardkrald family is part of the lord’s alliance… more specifically, it’s directly connected to the Diltrack family. If I’m to marry Lantis-dono’s niece, naturally, there must be some benefit to the Mardkrald family.”

If Elfilia were a member of the Diltrack family, our marriage would benefit them directly. However, as things stand, the only ones who would gain are me, the Diltrack family and the nobles of the old lord’s alliance. Elfilia herself would gain nothing.

“The first condition is a personal vendetta, and the second is a natural desire for someone of the Mardkrald lineage. But the third?”

“Seizak specialises in ambushes and guerrilla warfare, utilising personal strength rather than large-scale battles. While you may have the talent to lead an army on the battlefield, what about your personal skills?”

“You’re considering the possibility of a direct confrontation with Seazak, should it come to that. If I lead the charge, I must be capable of defeating Seazak in single combat…”

She wants to test my strength with her own sword. A bold woman, but her straightforward approach is something I appreciate.

Despite the brief interaction, I was already starting to like Elfilia.

“I need to confirm something. If we make it known that you’re Lantis-dono’s niece and Seazak uses your possibly surviving relatives as leverage, what will you do?”

“… I hope you can rescue them. But… if I don’t marry you and the Mardkrald territory is liberated, what will you do with the lordship?”

“I’d likely divide it into several mid-sized territories and appoint different lords, similar to Katzbarie.”

This isn’t unique to Mardkrald; leaderless lands have many uses. They can serve as a pretext to exile troublesome individuals or reward loyal nobles with land.

Several surviving former lords and captured noble soldiers from the previous war need land. There can never be too much land.

“I understand your point. Whether the Empire or I liberate Mardkrald, the territory will not be restored. You’ve decided to ensure Mardkrald’s revival, even if you’re uncertain about your parents’ fate.”

Elfilia must have wrestled with this decision. Seazak might use her parents as hostages if they’re alive. But there’s also the chance they’re already dead.

Instead of stalling and preventing the territory’s revival, she chose a certain way to preserve her family. Given her position, she couldn’t ask the Empire for help.

“I can’t be certain…”

“It’s certain. I will unify the Empire.”

Therefore, since Elfilia will become my wife, the restoration of the Mardkrald territory is practically guaranteed. I stood up from my chair.

“Let’s start the one-on-one immediately.”

All three of them widened their eyes at my words. Lantis let out a flustered voice.

“R-right now!?”

“Yes. I said, didn’t I? I’ll leave here tomorrow. I want to settle this as soon as possible. Besides… I’ve decided to take Elfilia with me when I leave the capital tomorrow.”

Despite her appearance, there’s no doubt she possesses great skill. I also sense a strong-willed nature in her.

Well, I’ve felt the same with Rina and Mayo.

Elfilia, with her gentle eyes, now had a strong will shining in her pupils.

“Then, to the courtyard. I will change into more suitable attire.”

With that, she left the room.

The third condition…was to demonstrate my ability to Elfilia. I wasn’t told to win, but… if I’m to take her as my wife, I can’t show her an unworthy side as her husband.

“Your Highness…Elfilia is…”

“Ah, she’s quite strong, isn’t she? I sensed it the moment I saw her.”

I understand she’s been through her share of trials. But so have I. Perhaps it’s time to fully unleash the power of my crest after a long while.

■

Elfilia was reminiscing about her past as she changed her clothes. When she was still a child, Elfilia was raised as the daughter of a lord.

“『El, you will become very beautiful in the future』.”

Her mother always said that. She had kind parents and lived a life without any discomfort. She thought she was very fortunate. However…

‘That day… that man took everything from me…!’

The mercenary demon king, Seazak. As soon as he entered the territory, he plundered everywhere and killed the inhabitants.

He trampled into her territory with dirty feet and rampaged as he pleased. Naturally, the lord and all who served him were furious.

But the dispatched subjugation army was thoroughly defeated, and eventually, Seazak closed in on the vicinity of the territorial capital.

Elfilia herself fled to the neighbouring territory with the soldiers of Diltrack.

“『El, I will definitely come to get you』.”

Her parents said that. But the Mardkrald territory completely fell into Seazak’s hands.

At that time, she realised. 『Ah, even if I become beautiful, it means nothing. Without power, no wish can be fulfilled』.

Fortunately, Elfilia’s crest was strong and greatly enhanced her physical abilities. Thus began her life of taking up the sword and devoting herself to training.

‘Until the day I achieve my cherished desire, I decided not to let my hair grow long.’

The hair that her mother praised, she always trims at shoulder length. She vowed to let it grow longer only when she took back the Mardkrald territory from Seazak.

The bandits under Seazak’s control often infiltrated the Diltrack territory. The grown-up Elfilia cut down any bandits she came across.

There were times when she faced danger. There were times when soldiers died beside her.

But she continued to fight, always feeling the sensation of tearing through the flesh and breaking the bones of her enemies.

‘I don’t need a happy marriage. If I can get Seazak’s head and reclaim the Mardkrald land… I won’t ask for more.’

Over more than ten years, the three factions maintained a strange stalemate.

But during that time, the Empire had been gathering strength and just as it seemed ready to take the initiative, Vilgard appeared.

He dramatically disrupted the existing balance and ultimately brought the entire northern land under his control.

‘This is probably the last chance to reclaim my homeland… If marrying the prince allows me to set foot on the Mardkrald land again, that’s enough. But… I need to test his strength or I won’t be satisfied.’

Her hatred for Seazak, combined with the power of her crest, greatly enhanced Elfilia’s sword skills.

Now, ordinary soldiers were no match for her. She had gained plenty of battle experience and was confident in her abilities.

From Elfilia’s perspective, marrying someone with only average skills was out of the question.

She understood that Vilgard was a capable individual. But that was one thing; this was another.

Even if she understood the benefits of marriage in her mind, she needed to settle her feelings about it.

“You’ve come.”

Calming her mind, she stepped into the courtyard. There, Vilgard was already waiting.

However, he was still in his regular clothes, without any armour.

“Are you planning to fight like that?”

“Yes.”

Vilgard was holding a curved sword, but it remained sheathed.

Feeling underestimated because she was a woman, Elfilia’s voice carried her irritation.

“If you die dressed like that, it’ll be a problem for me.”

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of embarrassing myself in front of a woman who might become my wife. Forgive me, but I will use my crest.”

“Go ahead. I’ll also use min…what?”

In the next instant, Vilgard’s left eye shone brightly and his hands were covered by black gauntlets.

The gauntlets rapidly extended, eventually covering his entire body.

“Wha… what?”

In an instant, Vilgard was entirely covered in what looked like black armour. His head was also encased in a full-face helmet, leaving no part of his body visible.

Though his entire body was encased in black armour, there were red lines running through it. On closer inspection, these lines seemed to shimmer, as if the armour itself was alive.

“This is my crest technique. Now… shall we begin?”

“…!!”

At that moment, a powerful aura emanated from the black knight before her.