‘It’s noisy.’
The Rinse Kingdom’s current King, Deni Von Rinse, looked at the nobles that filled the grand hall full and frowned.
‘Really, I said I’ve no interested……’
Today as well, his situation was that of attending the meeting against his will at the request of the nobles.
On his face, a tired and bored expression was full.
“Baron Tale’s action is an act that disregards the Rinse Royalty!”
“It’s the same as treason!”
“To dare ignore his majesty the king’s order and enter the fief war! You really can’t help the nature of the lowly things. Tch tch tch.”
Criticizing and censuring sounds rose from here and there.
Most of them were the nobles who supported the Second Prince Tommy Rinse and the Third Prince Kallum Rinse.
“All of you are saying too much!”
“We haven’t grasp the exact truth yet!”
“That is correct. For what reason Baron Tale has entered the fief war, please criticize or censure after checking that first.”
The nobles who supported Simon countered back.
If they simply kept their mouths shut here, the possibility of losing a reliable comrade called Roan Tale was high.
“Your majesty the king! Baron Tale has went against your majesty’s order and has personally entered the fief war! This is something absolutely unforgivable!”
“Please give the summoning order immediately!”
The nobles who were raising their voices suddenly swarmed towards Deni III.
When the nobles supporting Tommy and Kallum uttered their appeals, the nobles supporting Simon too bowed towards Deni III.
“Your majesty, we must precisely question the front and back circumstances for such a heavy and important matter.”
“Since many couriers will soon bring the news, please be deliberate at least until then.”
They were stories and opinions that perfectly oppose each other.
Sharp voices and urgent voices tangled up into one and were noisily heard.
‘Ah…… it’s noisy.’
Deni III shook his head with a completely annoyed expression.
At that instant, his neck felt an almost shocking sharp gaze.
He turned his head and looked at the place the four dukes were standing.
‘Hmm.’
Duke Francis Wilson was looking at him with a fierce light in his eyes.
Deni III uselessly jolted and mumbled his lips.
‘I know. I just need to act a plentily contemplating and contemplating pose.’
He soon scrunched his nose and supported his forehead on his right hand.
In anyone’s eyes, it was a look of delving deep in thought after listening to other nobles.
‘His majesty has delved into contemplation!’
‘We must persuade his majesty!’
Thanks to that, the nobles’ nettling and appeals became much worse.
At that moment.
Boom!
The grand hall’s door, which had been tightly closed, abruptly opened up.
The nobles who were noisily clamoring all closed their mouths and stared at the grand hall’s entrance.
That was also the same for Deni III, who was acting as if having fallen into contemplation, and the three princes and the four dukes, who were quietly watching the scene.
Everyone’s gazes headed towards the door.
“He, he has come.”
The one who opened the door and appeared was the captain of the palace guards, Viscount Dow Fint.
With a greatly panicked look, he was breathing out rough breaths.
It was clear that he had ran urgently.
“He? Just who is he?”
One noble who was closest to the door gruffly asked.
Dow laboriously calmed his breath and urgently opened his mouth.
“The man directly related to the current fief war, I……”
When his words reached about that point, a large shadow set behind Dow.
An old man of a bold built had appeared.
“Huph!”
“Ho, how is he here……?!”
“How is this possible?”
Suddenly, the nobles all widely opened their eyes and made shocked faces.
The old man who was receiving everyone’s gazes alone.
He cheerily smiled and stepped into the grand hall.
“It’s as if I came to a place I cannot.”
His voice was small but powerful.
The old man walked between the nobles and arrived in front of Deni III.
Chk!
He kneeled down on one knee and lowered his head.
A bold presence was felt.
“Vassal Io Lancephil, greets his majesty the king.”
The old man, he was in fact Io Lancephil.
“How, how are you here……?”
Deni III asked with a half dazed expression.
However little he had no interest in domestic politics and state of affairs, he knew well of what kind of circumstances Io was currently in.
“I have came to visit his majesty because I have words I need to tell.”
His voice was calm.
From start to finish, Io was relaxed.
It simply wasn’t a look of a man directly involved in the fief war nor that of a protagonist of the disadvantageous situation.
“Sir Count Lancephil, just how did this happen? What did you do with the fief war and come all the way to the capital, Miller? The fief war couldn’t possibly have ended already, could it?”
Simon’s right hand and the one who had close relationship even with Io, Viscount Tio Ruin asked with a stiffly solidified expression.
Many nobles twitched their ears up and awaited Io’s answer.
‘Right, we heard that more than half of the Lancephil County has already fallen into Count Chase Forces’ hands.’
‘Who know if he perhaps didn’t have the strength to endure the fief war and surrendered.’
‘Then are the words he have to tell his majesty the declaration of the end of the war?’
The faces of the nobles supporting Tommy and Kallum became infinitely bright.
On the other hand, the faces of the nobles supporting Simon was greatly dark.
Io looked long at such nobles’ expressions, then spoke in a calm voice.
“The fief war is continuing on.”
It was a short answer.
“Ah……”
Completely different exclamations flowed out from the two sides.
One side was a deep sigh, one side was a breath of relief.
Tio, with a slightly loosen face, carefully asked.
“Then what did you do with the fief war and came here, sir?”
The man who commanded the fief war and give orders to the commanders.
That was the responsibility of the fief’s lord.
But Io had thrown that away and had appeared in the capital, Miller.
Io cheerfully smiled and answered.
“Hasn’t the capital, Miller, sent out an official order with his majesty the king’s name?”
“Yes. It was an order for anyone excluding those directly related to not enter the fief war.”
Tio instantly answered.
Io faintly smiled and nodded his head.
“Because of that order, I too cannot enter the fief war.”
“Eh? What do you……?”
Tio made an expression that said he couldn’t understand.
No, it wasn’t only that.
“Sir Count Lancephil, what do you mean by that?”
“What do you mean?”
“What are you saying?”
From here and there, questions mixed with perplexity poured out.
Io cheerfully smiled, then looked at Deni III.
Deni III too had a completely curious expression.
Io once again kneeled down on one knee and lowered his head.
“Vassal Io Lancephil, has passed Lancephil County together with the title to my successor.”
Boom.
In an instant, an incredible impact struck the inside of the grand hall.
Deni III as well as the three princes and all the nobles fully opened their eyes and made shocked expressions.
Being shocked too much, there was no one who spoke up a word.
After an unknown amount of time.
“Wha, what do you mean?”
“You’ve passed fief and the title?”
Tommy and Kallum asked while creasing their foreheads.
As the heavy silence shattered, questions poured down from here and there.
“What do you mean a successor?”
“You had a successor?”
“Even if you are a count, you passed down the title without the palace’s consent? This is something that goes beyond one’s authority!”
At that moment, Deni III, who was staying still, raised his right hand.
The nobles who were loudly shouting all closed their mouths.
Deni III asked in a quiet voice towards Io.
“Who is the successor you bequeathed the fief and the title to?”
It was the most central question.
Gulp.
All the nobles swallowed dry spit.
Io faintly smiled and answered.
“It is Roan Tale, your highness.”
“Ah……”
Instantly, quiet exclamations flowed out from here and there.
The reason Roan entered the fief war had finally been clearly revealed.
‘It’s a disaster.’
‘That Roan Tale will become a count?’
The light from the faces of the nobles who supported Tommy and Kallum went dark.
Whatever happened, they had to put a brake to this event.
On the other hand, the light from the faces of the nobles who supported Simon, which had been dark throughout, became unrecognizably bright.
‘It’s the case of attaching wings to a tiger.’
‘Hahaha! The work got solved much better instead!’
The mood between the nobles flipped in an instant.
At that moment, Tommy went forwards with a displeased expression.
“Sir Count Lancephil, successor selection and the bequeathment of the fief as well as the title is not something you can decide on alone. Unless it is a viscount house or a baron house, upper nobles of and above count house must receive the royal family’s consent.”
Numerous nobles nodded their heads.
Io made a cheerful smile.
“I know of that, your highness Prince Tommy.”
He continued his words as he looked long through Simon, Kalum, and Deni III.
“For selecting the successor of and above count house, one needs his majesty the king and the three princes’ consent.”
When his words continued to about that point, Simon cutted in.
“To be exact, one only needs more than two people’s consent amongst the four people.”
His look was very cautious.
It wasn’t a very good situation.
‘Even if I were to support Sir Count Lancephil……’
Tommy and Kallum would set down a wedge.
In the end, they had to be able to persuade the one card left, Deni III.
If the approval and disapproval were to be split 2 to 2, the nobles’ vote followed.
‘It’s subtle, but the number of nobles supporting me is greater.’
If it just went to the nobles’ vote, the possibility of concluding according to Simon and Io’s will was high.
‘Sir Count Lancephil, do you have the confidence?’
Simon looked at Io, who was leisurely throughout, and exhaled a short sigh.
Knowing or perhaps not knowing Simon’s such feeling, Io lowered his head towards Deni III along with a leisurely smile.
“Baron Roan Tale is an individual who has no lacking as my successor. If it is him, he will lead the Lancephil County well. Please consent the transfer of the fief and the title.”
Finally, the main topic was thrown.
Now, only Deni III, Simon, Tommy, and Kallum’s decisions were left.
Tommy went a step ahead and spoke in a resolute voice.
“I disapprove. The title of a count is not something that could be transferred so carelessly. We must take time and thoroughly check.”
At those words, the nobles who supported Tommy clapped.
“That is correct!”
“We must go through a thorough checking procedure.”
The inside of the hall momentarily became loud.
Tommy had disapproved and went up, but Io’s expression was still relaxed.
The one who went up next was Simon.
There was a need to change the mood.
“I approve. There is no one as suitable as Roan Tale anywhere else.”
As soon as his words finished, the nobles supporting Simon exploded out cheers.
“Waaaah! Right! Exactly right!”
“If it’s the hero of the expedition and the one who suppressed Elton Coat’s rebellion, Baron Roan Tale, he is more than enough to lead the county.”
Thunderous voices shook the grand hall.
Now, the ones left were Deni III and Kallum.
‘We have to secure one person’s support here.’
Kallum’s support was illogical.
In the end, they must capture Deni III’s heart.
About the moment Simon’s thoughts became complicated.
Io, who had been staying quiet, stared softly at Deni III.
“Your majesty the king.”
“Speak.”
Deni III leaned his body on the throne and shook his hand.
In truth, he wasn’t particularly satisfied with the current situation.
‘County’s successor? It doesn’t matter who it becomes.’
He merely wished to quickly end this uncomfortable and boring place.
If Francis wasn’t there, he would already had jumped and stood up from the seat.
“Vassal Io Lancephil is an old general who has roamed the battlefields since the time of the previous majesty the king. I have carried out big and small wars with the Byron Kingdom and the Istel Kingdom as well as even the Estia Empire. And after the kingdom had entered the era of peace later on, I have retired to the current Lancephil County and have given my one life to border defense. This was all an action for the prosperity of our kingdom.”
“I know well of your hard work.”
Deni III slowly nodded his head.
Io was a veteran general of hundred battlefields who had been active ever since the time he was the crown prince.
‘The previous king truly valued him.’
The king of the previous generation and the man who was Deni III’s father, Marubel Rinse was a very belligerent man.
Although he slightly lacked in politics, his strength was so outstanding that he was even called with an nickname of war king in the continent’s Northeast.
War King Marubel.
He was a true monarch of war who did not fear even the war with the Estia, which was a great empire.
Io’s words continued.
“Perhaps because he had looked kindly at such me, the previous majesty the king had left to this vassal a small present.”
“A small present?”
Deni III creased his forehead.
The other nobles were also the same.
Io did not mind and took out a blue silk about a size of a palm from his bosom.
“What could that be?”
“What is it?”
The whispering voices gradually became bigger.
Io carefully untied and opened the silk.
Within the silk, a small box made of wood was inside.
Click.
When he opened the lid, a ring embedded with a five-colored gem showed itself.
“Ah……”
Quiet gasps flowed out from here and there.
There was almost no one amongst the nobles within the grand hall who had personally seen that ring.
But everyone knew of the ring’s identity.
The object that one could not absolutely not know of if one was the Rinse Kingdom’s royalty or a noble.
“The War King’s ring!”
Deni III shouted with a completely shocked expression.
The War King’s Ring was the ring the previous king Marubel Rinse had made right before he died, and was known to be a total of five.
Marubel had shared those five rings with the retainers he trusted and valued, but had actually kept thoroughly and completely silent of the identities of the retainers who received the rings.
But, in the case of the owner of the ring were to appear, he had separately left a will before he died to absolutely accept the ring owner’s request unless the request was of making the royal family and the kingdom’s fate perilous.
Additionally, he left together even a will to treat the ring’s owner as the senior of the royal family.
“Yes, the War King’s Ring is correct.”
Io faintly smiled and lowered his head.
In an instant, a silence fell inside the grand hall.
‘Th, the War King’s Ring……’
‘So one of those five retainers was Count Lancephil!’
‘Ah…… this is something completely unexpected.’
The nobles were half-dazed out of their minds.
That was also the same for Edwin Voisa, Bradley Webster, Liss Kowan, and Francis Wilson.
‘Hohoho, the War King’s Ring…… finally, that damned object has revealed itself.’
‘Anyhow, has one of the ring’s owner revealed himself……’
‘With things done like this, would this matter flow according to Io’s will? No, even if his majesty approves, it is a 2 against 2 situation. If it goes to the nobles’ votes, we can place a wedge once again.’
‘The War King’s Ring……’
The each’s different and complicated thoughts tangled and entwined.
That was also the same for Deni III.
‘To see the War King’s Ring again…… because of King father who passed on, my head hurts just simply too much.’
Even without that, he already knew one of the ring owner.
A very tiring and painful ring owner.
For some reason, he felt like he was feeling a sharp gaze.
With a false cough, Deni III slowly nodded his head.
“Count Io Lancephil, I haven’t expected for you to have the War King’s Ring.”
Io merely smiled and did not say any word.
Deni III exhaled out a short sigh.
“You probably plan to request me to approve the fief and the title’s transfer with that, right? But it isn’t as if the transfer will be decided just because I approved.”
If Kallum disapproves and step up, the approval and the disapproval would become 2 against 2.
Even after using the War King’s Ring, he couldn’t certainly finish the matter.
“I know, your majesty.”
Io answered with a composed voice.
In the first place, he planned to contend for the victory in the nobles’ vote.
‘If we just get to the nobles’ vote, there is a plenty chance to win.’
Deni III creased his brows.
“You will use the War King’s Ring even while knowing that? Wouldn’t it be better to request to stop the fief war instead? If so, I could make Count Chase fall back with my authority.”
That was a truth.
Unlike the fief and title transfer, stopping the fief war or making Count Jonathan Chase fall back was something Deni III could decide even alone.
But Io shook his head.
“I cannot use the War King’s Ring on such a petty matter.”
Because of his own lacking, his retainers betrayed him and attached themselves to Count Chase Forces.
It was a truly embarrassing thing even with just that.
But he couldn’t request to pull away the enemies because it was difficult to fight them.
It was Io, the man amongst men and a veteran of hundred battles’ last pride.
“Hohoho, a petty matter is it……”
Deni III exploded out a hearty laugh.
His eyes flashed and shone a light.
“Alright, the ring’s value really is just that great. Then, is transferring the fief and the title to Roan Tale something suitable to the ring’s value?”
As soon as the question ended, Io answered in a brave and powerful voice.
“The value of Roan Tale is beyond that of the War King’s Ring.”
Boom.
Once again, a great impact stormed within the grand hall.
Roan’s value is higher than that of the War King’s Ring the previous king Marubel had left?
If not careful, it could be heard like a statement insulting the royal family.
“Hohoho.”
Deni III popped out a hearty laugh once again.
‘As expected, Io is Io, is it? He is enough to have received King Father’s ring.’
He looked straight into Io’s eyes and nodded his head.
“Good. The will of the his majesty the previous king’s will is held within the War King’s Ring. I take on the previous king’s will and approve the transfer of Count Lancephil’s fief and the title.”
Finally, Deni III made the difficult decision.
With this, the ones who approved the transfer were two, and the one who disapproved was one.
Simon and Io inwardly shouted and cheered.
‘Alright. Even if Kallum says to disapprove, we can go all the way to the nobles’ vote.’
‘Thankfully, the matter is resolving in the way we desired.’
Bright smiles hung even on the faces of the nobles who supported Simon.
Of course, they weren’t being unguarded.
The vote was literally a vote.
Until the result came out, they could never relax.
The nobles supporting Tommy and Kallum gritted their teeth.
‘Right, it’s still too soon to give up.’
‘How much we persuade the neutral faction nobles is important.’
‘The victory and loss hasn’t been decided yet.’
At that moment.
“Kallu, now only you are left.”
Deni III gestured towards Kallum.
Kallum, who had been silently watching the situation, went forwards.
Already, Simon, Tommy, and the nobles who followed them were raising plans to how to set the vote that would follow.
There was no one who gave any attention to Kallum.
Kallum looked long around at them and spoke up with a low voice.
“I, of Sir Count Lancephil’s transfer of the fief and the title……”
The end of his voice slightly trembled.
His expression too was dark.
However, there was no one who noticed this.
No one had any interest in Kallum’s words.
It was because they thought that he would disapprove anyway.
Finally, Kallum gave his decision.
“I, of Sir Count Lancephil’s transfer of the fief and the title…… approve it.”
Boom.
An incredible impact greater than any impact until now stormed through the great hall.
Simon, Tommy, and the many nobles who were preparing the nobles’ vote completely opened their eyes and made shocked expressions.
Deni III and Io as well as the kingdom’s four dukes’ expressions were that of having completely not expected.
“Ka, Kallum!”
“Prince! What are you saying!”
“Wha, what do you mean approve!”
Tommy and the nobles rushed up towards Kallum like a swarm of bees.
Deni III, who took a hold of his mind a moment late, asked once again.
“Wha, what did you say? You will approve? Is that true?”
At the repeated question, the people focused on Kallum’s answer.
Kallum, while feeling the gazes pouring down on him, slowly nodded his head.
“Yes. I approve the transfer of the fief and the title.”
It was an answer like the before.
“Ah……”
“Ju, just how did this……”
Tommy and the nobles who supported him were of course, and even the nobles supporting Kallum threw up deep moans.
Simon and the nobles who supported him did not carelessly delight at it and observed Kallum’s movements.
‘What are you scheming, Kallum.’
With sharp eyes, Simon glared at Kallum’s eyes.
Kallum quietly stared at that gaze and made a bitter smile.
‘Roan Tale, you truly are a horrifying man.’
He thought up the event that happened last winter.
‘It was right after he came back as Pershion Kingdom’s secret envoy.’
The day the diplomatic relation between the Rinse Kingdom and the Pershion Kingdom, which had been cut off, was connected once again.
That night, Roan came to his mansion.
Carrying stories that were difficult to bear.
< Enter the War (2) > End.