Volume 8 Chapter 2 Part 1

Chapter 2: Awakening

The town of Dawson is located in the center of the vast and fertile country of Allonne. This gigantic city of over 100,000 people and the surrounding villages are the Marquisdom of Dawson, and Bernard Duram was the 23rd head of the Marquis Dawson family.

A regular banquet is being held at a mansion in the heart of Dawson. A large number of Lords who supported Bernard had gathered there to attend it.

「I have a report for all of you, my esteemed Lords! 」

When the party was in full swing, Bernard stood on the podium and called out to the participants in a lively voice.

People gathered in the main hall of the mansion, applauding and paying attention to what Bernard was going to say.

「Two days ago, Kurt Gallas, the Earl of Leclerc lost his life in a battle against the Heavy Knights of Waldrind! 」

The expressions of the people who had been staring at the host of the banquet with smiles changed completely, and the hall was consumed by a chaotic commotion.

「Now, now, be quiet please! 」

Bernard claps his hand twice and asked the attending Lords to be silent.

「The Earl of Leclerc led a mercenary group he organized by deceiving the nobles and other allied Lords into giving him funds for his campaign, all so that he could further expand his own territory and the sphere of influence. 」

Raising his right hand, Bernard made a fist near his chest and swung it down as if he was trying to hit an insect that landed on his desk.

「The shameless fool has brought destruction upon himself. 」

Bernard shrugged his shoulders in a grand manner, trying to get a laugh out of his listeners. However, although several Lords did smile, no one spoke in agreement with him, and many of the participants have in fact had very serious looks on their faces.

「Because of Count Leclerc’s unnecessary escapade, Sandrone, Vanberg and Rumford, which were originally divided into alliances and confederations of minor Lords who fought against each other will now be controlled by solely by Waldrind. 」

When Bernard called out as such, a sigh escaped from the participants’ lips

「Will Waldrind finally invade Allonne with this? 」

「Even in Bretland, the local Lords who resisted the Nords are being destroyed one after another. It’s only a matter of time before they are conquered, and we’re going to be next! 」

The Lords started to voice their concerns one after another.

「Unfortunately…! 」

Bernard yelled to get the attention of the banquet’s participants once more.

「With the failure of the Earl of Leclerc, the defeat of the Fantasia Union is all by certain! And if things continue the way they’ve been going thus far, then the savage and cruel Nords will be the ones who’ll conquer us! We will be overrun by Eric the Ocean King, and I think we all know what happens to those who get conquered by the Nords, do we not?! 」

「…The Lords and their entire families are going to be exterminated, the people of their territories are going to be turned into slaves, and their culture is going to be lost forever! 」

One of the Lords who was looking at Bernard answered in a hoarse voice.
「That’s right… 」

Bernard nodded at that Lord, and he was about to continue on with his speech, but before he could do that, he was cut off by another voice.

「That is precisely why we should’ve supported Lord Kurt in his campaign. 」

Bernard frowned as he looked at the owner of the voice.

It was Gwendal, a Baron of Soisson. He is about fifty years old. He was a slim man with gray hair and a well-kept beard just below his nose. He was wearing formal clothes with few decorations on them. He was standing in the corner of the hall, away from all the other Lords.

The Baron is one of the lords of northeastern Allonne, and rules over a small town. Although his rank was low, he came from a prestigious family.

Although he married one of his daughters into the Gallas family, he has long been friends with the Duram family, and everyone around him knew that he was also a supporter of making peace with the Factory Alliance. However, his attitude changed when Vilar Constance was defeated by Waldrind and lost his life in battle.

When that happened, he changed from the supporter of making peace with the Factory Alliance into someone who was fully in favor of going to war with them.

(I heard that Kurt divorced his wife and left her his children and returned them all to her parents’ home to completely focused on the war effort…)

Therefore, he believed that the Baron held a grudge against the Earl of Leclerc. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have invited him to this party.

「Even if you say it now, it won’t change anything. 」

A nearby Lord tried to placate the baron, but Gwendal continued his remarks as he approached the podium.
「It was the same with Lord Vilar. You left him to fight the Factory Alliance all on his own without giving him any sort of support, and he lost his life as a result. So tell me, which one of us are you planning to kill next? 」

「Sir, calm down… 」

Although feeling frustrated about this whole situation, Bernard did allow Gwendal to step onto the podium and speak.

“Because I was continuing the peace negotiations with the Factory Alliance, I was unable to move my army. And the reason why the negotiations failed was because of the actions of the Lords who wanted war with the Alliance such as Vilar Constance or the Earl of Leclerc, Kurt Gallas. These Lords were shakin their swords at the Factory Alliance all the time, and nobody would want to shake hands with Lords like that without believing that they’d break their word the very next day. 」

「But now the Lords who wanted to go to war with the Factory Alliance are gone. So, Marquis Dawson, do you believe that now the Factory Alliance will stop fighting and choose to make peace with the Fantasia Union? 」

Gwendal questioned Barnard relentlessly.

「I believe that such an idealistic outcome is impossible for us to achieve now. However, Marine Kraische, the leader of the Factory Alliance has promised to welcome me as an Elector, and I am willing to accept that offer of hers, but not because of my personal interests, but because I want to save my fellow Lords of the Union. 」

「What do you mean by that? 」

The expression on Gwendal’s face changed drastically, and unrest started to spread throughout the hall as well.

「Does this mean that the Marquis will defect to the Factory Alliance? 」

「If things continue like they are now, isn’t it obvious that the Fantasia Union will be conquered by the Nords? However, if you submit to me, you will be able to avoid that dreadful fate. When I will become one of the Electors, I will vote to choose Marine Kraische as the Emperor instead of Eric the Ocean King. After all, Marine Kraische is committed to rule her territories in accordance with their laws, so her subjects are not going to be enslaved, and the culture of their countries is not going to be lost. 」

「Do you really think that she’s going to keep such a promise? No matter how you look at it, it sounds too good to be true! 」

「I think she’s going to keep her word. Because now that Milza Kuches, the Viceroy of Dartania has died, Marine Kraische will have no choice but to take in a new Lord to replace Milza as the Elector in order for her to become an Emperor. 」

「Eric the Ocean King will definitely not approve of it. 」

Gwendal said admonishingly.

「At that time, all we have to do is cooperate with Waldrind and destroy the Nords. 」

「Why don’t you just stop talking about your fantasies and focus on reality that’s right in front of you? 」

Gwendal sighed.

「And who says it isn’t alright to dream? You? 」

Bernard asked while pointing his finger at Gwendal.

「What’s the point of us subjugating ourselves to you? You’re nothing but a filthy traitor! 」

Gwendal thrust his finger back at him and cried out in retaliation.
「Certainly, the Fantasia Union is as good as finished now. However, I would rather die than submit myself to you! 」

「You fools who can’t see the direction in which the future is heading are the worst! May you suffer the same fate as the Earl of Artuk Vilar Constance and Kurt Gallas, the Earl of Leclerc! 」