Volume 8 Chapter 1 Part 6

「I don’t want luxury. I don’t care if you lose your territory. As long as I can live together with my family, I don’t need anything else, so… 」

After saying that, Patricia hesitated for a while before continuing with her words.

「… so even if you won’t be able to win the battle, please come back to us alive. No matter what hardships you may face, we want to be by your side. 」

Just with those words, Klute felt like his lost strength was on the rise again. He also thought that he was really glad that he has chosen this woman from among all the others to be his wife.

「I won’t lose… 」

He said with determination in his voice.

「Milza Kuches, the Viceroy of Dartania who killed his own father to usurp his position and defected to the factory Alliance was finally defeated by the Lords of the Artuk Treaty. The treaty then recaptured Artuk from the hands of Dartania, which puts them in a position where they can invade Waldrind pretty much anytime they want. Theo Cornero, the new leader of the Artuk Treaty, is the kind of ideal Lord that Vilar envisioned, and his name is known throughout the continent where he’s hailed as a hero. He is a skilled warrior who has defeated Waldrind’s large army many times, and is also fierce enough to have defeated Milza, the Viceroy of Dartania, who was rumored to be the strongest on the continent, in a duel. With someone like him being a major player in the war, the situation is definitely going to change. 」

Kurt had implicitly told his wife that he would win this battle and come back to her and their children, and Patricia must have understood what he was trying to say, but she was apparently still feeling nervous about it.

Then she lowered her face, trying not to show that her expression had deteriorated.

「… I wish you good luck then. 」

He didn’t respond to her words, but not because he didn’t want to. He simply couldn’t find anything appropriate to say. Then she stands up and Patricia rushed out of her room, hurrying her children who wanted to stay with their father along with her.

Benedict, Kurt’s contracted Mage then came in to replace her.

「You look much more refreshed than before. 」

He took one look at Kurt and smiled at him.

「I’ve decided! 」

Kurt snorted back at him.

「What have you decided, my Lord? 」

「I will take this opportunity to go to Artuk as the stalemate continues. We cannot rely on the Fantasia Union to help us anymore, so from now on, we will fight together with the Artuk Treaty and attack Waldrind from the north and south! 」

「I think that’s a good idea. Then I will contact Siluca Meletes about your plans as soon as possible. Do you want me to accompany you? 」
「No, I’m going alone because I intend to break through the enemy lines to get there as soon as possible. In the meantime, I’m going to ask you to stay here and govern the things on my behalf, since I still need someone to handle the funding from the Lords of the Fantasia Union and negotiations with Elam to extend the deadline for debt repayment. 」

「I understand. Please be careful on your way there. 」

* * *
Juzel Rossini has gone to Stark. After the Norse people left, this place was left in great turmoil.

It has already been half a month since he came to Stark, and his new daily routine became walking around the area in order to check and monitor the situation.

He is currently hiding in a small cave by the sea, west of Stark. At low tide, you could walk to the cave, but at high tide, the cave was halfway submerged in the sea, which meant that the access to it was not all that easy.

At the moment, Juzel and the young Mage were sitting around a bonfire in the deepest part of the cave.

「It was a terrible situation… 」

Repart Aias, who was accompanying him as a liaison, says with a bewildered expression. He has now fully graduated from the Magic University and became a full-fledged member of Theo Cornero’s Magic Division.

「Exactly. Now, Mr. Mage, what should we do? 」

Juzel asked while letting out a chuckle.

「Hmm, let me think… we have to crack down on the people who’re engaging in looting and rioting. 」

The massive riots have erupted all across Stark, and its people have turned into little more than angry mobsters.

「Are we the only ones here? Are there no soldiers? 」

「If you want soldiers, then why didn’t you bring some of them with you? 」

Repart said, clearly dissatisfied. Before Juzel headed out to Stark, he warned him that he’d need at least 2000 soldiers for such a venture. However, Juzel rejected his proposal and didn’t bring a single soldier together with him.

「Northern Stark is a territory that’s subordinate to Waldrind. If they found out that the forces related to the Artuk Treaty have entered their country and started taking action against them, that could give them a cause to invade, right? 」

Juzel answered quietly. After thinking for a moment, Repart reluctantly nodded his head in affirmation.

「Then there’s nothing we can do about it.

「You’re an excellent magician chosen by Siluca, aren’t you? 」
Of course, Juzel was perfectly aware that Repart was incorporated into Theo Cornero’s Magic Division by forceful means thanks to Siluca Meletes’ scheming.

「Please make sure to keep training so that you could become even better than you are now.」

That’s what Siluca has entrusted him with before he left.

「I thought I have acquired the knowledge necessary to be a contracted Mage, but I never could have imagined this unusual situation we’re now in. 」

「That’s just life for you. Nothing is fixed in it, but it’s the contracted Mages’s job to prevent them from happening in the first place. 」

「Yes, I… I guess you’re right. 」

「Unfortunately, this is the situation in front of us. Think you can do something about it? 」

Asked Repart while laughing.

「I think that you already have an idea what to do yourself, right Lord Juzel? 」

「Yes, I do, but I would like to hear another’s opinion before going through with it. 」

Repart frowned, realizing he was being tested. However, as he looked at the bonfire, he started to think seriously.
「…There are riots because there is no Lord who would calm things down and keep the people in line. That is why we need to choose a new Lord as soon as possible, and we have to support that Lord to restore the public order as soon as possible. 」

「I see. 」

Juzel nodded his head.

「Then, who do you think should be made the Lord? 」

「That is… 」

Repart was at a loss for words in regards to this problem.

「Personally, I think it should be one of the relatives of the former Lord. 」

「That would be fine if the times were different. 」

Juzel said as he added more wood to the bonfire.

「Do you think it’s going to be different now? 」

「Probably. 」

「Then what kind of person would be the right one? 」
Repart asked.

「A bad person. 」

Juzel said quietly. At that moment, the bonfire exploded, and a crackling sound echoed through the cave, causing sparks to fly up high.

「A bad person? 」

Repart was stunned by what he heard just now.

「There are many kinds of bad people. Most of them are just petty thugs who participate in riots and commit looting. However, there are some real bad people out there in the world. These kinds of bad people are cunning, gather together petty thugs to work under them, and steadily takes over land and property for themselves. 」

「There certainly are people like that. 」

Repart nodded. Now that they’ve been all over Stark, he could say with absolute certainty that what Juzel Rossini was saying was right.

「What do you think the bad guys will do if they get land or property? 」

「Aren’t they going to trying to increase the amount of their possessions even more because they’re going to get greedy? 」

「Either that, or they’re going to try to protect what they already have. In order to increase it, they’d need to battle more, and in order to protect it, they’d need order. Eventually, the territory will be settled and the Lord will be decided… 」

「So you want to say that all we can do now is to just sit and wait to how the situation is going to develop? 」