Chapter 35 - 3-12
Haider Skyner gives people the impression of a well-groomed dog.
Even when silent, he seems intelligent, obedient, and like someone who listens well to others.
His golden hair waves, reflecting the sunlight with a glossy sheen. The smile that always lingers on his lips suggests a pure and virtuous nature.
"Young master."
That is how his attendant addresses him. Haider's attendant is a man nearing sixty named Gabo. Gabo teases his young master whenever an opportunity arises.
"Young master, the letter you've been waiting for has arrived."
At that moment, with a face straining to hold back laughter, Gabo brought the letter.
Haider closed the book he was reading and accepted the letter.
Looking at the sender, his dimples deepened.
"I haven't been waiting."
"Oh, stop it, you were longing for it."
Gabo let out a stifled giggle and left the room.
Haider opened the letter.
—Dearest Brother Haider.
The sender was Freedia Bell, the daughter of a vassal of the Margrave of Belgau, and Haider's fiancée. Freedia was still eight years old.
Haider found the letters from Freedia irresistibly amusing. This child seemed to know roughly how the world worked and unfolded various critiques within her letters. She possessed a respectable level of insight.
According to Freedia, ants were relatively cute, snails were cute only when viewed from a distance, and caterpillars were beyond defense. Snakes showed themselves when one's guard dropped. Black cats were, rather, omens of good luck. The pleats on the sleeves of women's clothing were hateful, and while it looked elegant for married women to tie their hair up, it defied reason. Studying was a hell on earth, and sewing was a waste of time. And so on.
He finished reading with a grin. Haider unfolded a piece of paper and took up a quill.
—Dearest Freede. Your spelling has improved again. I am glad to see it.
You must not say that studying is boring. One does not do it because it is interesting, but because it is necessary. The same goes for sewing. Furthermore, you must not speak ill of others, even regarding their sleeves. Your big brother says this because he is worried about Freede—.
Haider's reply was exceedingly dull. He thought that he was probably a boring person.
However, while he might be a harmless and ordinary man for now,
—No, perhaps I'll end up as an ordinary man in the future too.
Even the landing point of Haider's fantasies did not stray beyond the fence of common sense. However, Haider knew well that if one piled up that common sense, it often led to an uncommon place. His strength lay in his ability to be certain of the correctness of his logical thinking, no matter how eccentric the destination.
It was morning when he wrote the reply to the letter and contemplated his own mediocrity. During the day, he underwent training under Instructor Norbert Kabert. Haider was poor with the bow and arrow, but his swordsmanship was passable. He ate lunch in the lower dining hall of Malfa Castle.
In the afternoon, he sweated through more practice. They would level their spears and run all at once with a shout. They shouted and ran, then shouted again and returned. They were made to do this for many laps.
Once they were exhausted, Instructor Kabert announced the end of training.
Normally, they would dismiss here. That day was different. The gray-haired instructor crossed his arms with a frightening expression and gathered his students.
"Yugis Necrat has been taken into custody by the Royal Army,"
he said solemnly.
"I am telling you all. Do not even think of doing anything foolish. The Royal Army is merciless toward fools. I will negotiate regarding Necrat's person. I cannot guarantee his safety, but I will do what I can. However, remember this: if you all make a fuss, everything will be null and void."
Not a single person changed their expression. Everyone kept their faces tightly composed. Kabert-sensei's training had sunk in, and they did not let their agitation show on the surface.
But their hearts must have been different.
Almost everyone was likely shocked. For Haider, the shock was particularly great.
—I messed up!
That was the thought.
—Is it my fault?
That was the fear.
How had the Royal Army been able to pinpoint Yugis's location?
Just yesterday, Haider had visited Yugis's hiding place.
Could it be that he had been followed?
—I want to bring Yugis back to the world.
Haider was thinking about that. He couldn't keep him hidden forever. The only means he could think of was goudan (T/N: forceful negotiation).
Find the enemy's weakness and bring the Royal Army to a forceful negotiation. Push and push to draw out concessions and secure Yugis's safety. Furthermore, by repeating these forceful negotiations, he would improve the treatment of the attendants. If that succeeded, in the future,
—We will become the face of the East.
Haider's plan included the reorganization of the East. He would have the old faces of the East, such as Marquis Anavis of Ganlord and Marquis Gilmond of Kraff, retire. Old men who thrust themselves forward were a hindrance. This was because his group, with Yugis as their leader, would remain in Malfa City and become a new power representing the interests of their respective home territories. Since they could not defeat the Thora family in military power, they had no choice but to aim for a political victory.
For that, he needed forceful negotiation. As for the leverage, Laicanel Thora, the son of the Royal Army's Commander-in-Chief, seemed like a good target. Rumor had it he was a man blinded by lust. The more they dug, the more scandals would likely emerge.
That should have been the case, but Yugis himself seemed to be opposed to this idea.
Yesterday evening, Haider had visited the brothel where Yugis was. Of course, he intended to be cautious beyond caution. He behaved discreetly, confirmed there were no suspicious figures, and went up to the second floor pretending to be there to buy a woman.
Yugis looked healthy. When Haider spoke of his plan,
"Laicanel Thora is a bad idea," he said, shaking his head.
In a room of the brothel, atop a bed, Yugis was eating bread indiscriminately.
"Why?"
"The Third Army is permitted to be reckless. You were the one who said that. If you linger around Laicanel, someone will surely get hurt. Besides, if we strike Laicanel, this time Sedias Thora will be unable to back down. If he can't protect his family, it would affect his prestige."
"I see." He was convinced on that point. "But the Third Army must be brought down someday."
"I agree. We can't let them have their way forever. But for now, it's better to see how the Royal Army moves. Honestly, I don't quite know the right measure. How far we can go."
"I understand. Let's watch the situation for a while—the princess is unrelated, right?"
It would be problematic in the future if they refrained from attacking Laicanel Thora simply because they didn't want to make Princess Lucy sad.
Yugis stopped the hand holding the bread.
"Give me a break," he said, showing a smile. "I feel that the princess, that lady, wouldn't be flustered by something like her fiancé's scandals."
—I was followed then.
He should have known. If the positions were reversed, he himself would have hired a master of tailing to watch over anyone suspected of being a comrade. Haider had underestimated the Royal Army. He hadn't expected them to move like this.
He had thought the Royal Army would first capture either Haider or Cloden and interrogate them. He thought they might persistently ask for Yugis's location and not hesitate to use torture. He had been prepared for that.
However, the Royal Army was cautious. Even Haider was, despite everything, the child of a noble. They seemed to have judged that they could not torture him without evidence. Even if they interrogated him, there was no guarantee they could extract a confession. Even if a tavern that had bought up his debts had mentioned Haider's name, if Haider played dumb, the Royal Army could not lay a hand on him.
But if they followed Haider and reached Yugis, the story was different.
Haider could not escape the blame.
—It's over now.
It was the agreement to gather at the 'Tavern of the Withered Leaf Slope' in case of an emergency.
Haider Skyner returned to his lodgings once and left a note on the desk in his room. He wrote detailed instructions for his attendant, Gabo, in case he disappeared. He thought it might become a suicide note. On the desk was a half-finished letter to Freedia. As if shaking it off, Haider left the room.
This latest matter was the work of the attendants. The Royal Army had known that for some time. Even so, those people did not lay a hand on them. The eyes of the citizens were upon them. The citizens knew that it was clearly the Royal Army who had committed the misdeeds.
However, Yugis was a different case. He was the mastermind. If found, the Royal Army would likely kill him. 'If we are attacked, we strike back'—they must believe that the country cannot be protected unless this is shown.
If Yugis died, the unity of the attendant group would collapse.
Conversely, as long as Yugis remained, the bond would not break even if one or two comrades died.
If it weren't for Yugis, a grand maneuver against the Royal Army like the last one would not have been possible. That trust had spread among the comrades over these three months.
—Yugis is...
Haider had known Yugis's foresight and the sharpness of his judgment since childhood. But it wasn't just that. Yugis possessed something like a magnetic force that became more incomprehensible the more one thought about it.
"That person, Yugis, is scary," Udoh Renne had said.
That conversation had come up while he was teaching Udoh spelling.
"Is that so? I don't think he's scary."
"But that man makes us do such dangerous things while he's smiling. When I think about it, he's scary."
Yugis's ability likely lay around there.
Even if he had to force his way in, he would take him back.
If that were achieved, a comeback would be possible.
On the road of the Withered Leaf Slope, where dried leaves made a crunching sound as the name suggested, there was an attendant. He was peering through the window of the tavern. When called out to,
"Haider,"
Raslaf Dravar let out a high-pitched voice.
"What happened?"
He peered inside through the open window. There was a sight he had never seen before. The 'Tavern of the Withered Leaf Slope' was full. There were even customers standing. Looking closely, those standing were Cloden, Kashu Coil, the Mengel brothers... the attendants. Filling the seats were youths with lazy attitudes.
"The Third Army?"
Raslaf nodded.
"Let's go in."
He wondered if he would follow, but Raslaf did. Counting after entering the shop, all the Eastern attendants except Yugis were there. It seemed not a single one had fled.
"It's quite prosperous today," Haider said, lining up next to Cloden, who had his hands on his hips.
Cloden showed his teeth. "The proprietor must be happy. Unlike some people, these folks actually pay their money."
"Of course we'll pay."
A spirited voice rang out.
At the head of the large table was a youth with brown eyes and sand-colored hair. He had a vivacious expression. He had handsome features and possessed a strange sex appeal. He was looking at Haider with sparkling eyes.
Though Haider was wary internally, he did not let his smile fade.
"Lord Laicanel Thora. It is the first time we meet. I am Haider Skyner of Belgau."
"I'd like to offer you a seat, but I won't. Stay standing. We will sit. Since you seem to have forgotten, I'll tell you: that is the relationship between you and us. Is everyone here?"
"Yes. Everyone except Yugis."
"As for that Yugis Necrat... that's a shame."
"What do you mean by a shame?"
"He will likely be secretly assassinated."
Haider locked eyes with Cloden, then looked back at the comrades behind him.
Everyone showed various expressions.
Haider returned his gaze to Laicanel and spoke in a cheerful voice.
"It's a hasty conclusion by the Royal Army. Yugis knows nothing. I am the mastermind."
"You aren't of that caliber."
"Yugis is innocent. If you would tell your father that, Yugis would be spared from being killed."
"That's impossible."
"Then, for what purpose are you in this shop?"
"I wanted to try talking with you all."
"Talking is pointless."
In the dimness at the back of the shop, a large shadow stood up.
The shadow approached, its upper body swaying.
Laicanel Thora sighed. "Ness..."
Ness? That Ness? Haider gasped.
The Ness he had met before had shown the elegance and dignified attitude expected of the son of the Syllabus family, the great nobles of Karnain. The man now approaching looked like a drunkard, with a slouch, disheveled hair, and a grim expression.
With lightning speed, Zeal Androsh lined up next to Haider. Zeal placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, but his movement stopped there.
The tip of a sword was before Haider's eyes.
Moving his gaze as if tracing the blade, he looked at the owner of the sword. There was the dull and dark expression of Ness de Syllabus. There was no light in Ness's eyes.
"We've met somewhere," Ness said.
"Indeed, I have met you here," Haider replied.
"I certainly met you somewhere. I remember your face. Where was it?"
"As I said..."
"Ness!"
Laicanel Thora stood up. The Third Army students sitting near Laicanel also stood up one after another.
"Zeal, please step back. Step back."
Zeal Androsh did not budge.
Moreover, the tall Udoh Renne stepped forward and drew his sword.
The reaction was great. The Third Army members in the shop stood up all at once, taking stances and gripping their sword hilts.
"Udoh, please sheathe your sword."
"But..."
"I'll be fine, Udoh."
Udoh Renne hesitated.
Ness did not move an inch. He stared at Haider. "Somewhere..."
"Cloden. Udoh..."
Haider looked toward Cloden. Cloden was not there; instead, there was a man with a swollen face whom he didn't recognize. The area around his eyes was reddish-black. The area around his cheekbones was swollen purple and glossy. The boy with the swollen face seemed unable to walk properly and was leaning on the shoulder of a chubby boy. The chubby boy was Dash. Dash also had the area around his eyes swollen red, but this was likely not from being hit. He had probably cried a lot.
"Sorry for making you worry, Haider,"
Yugis said with a different pronunciation than usual, likely because the inside of his mouth was also swollen.
"Welcome back."
Yugis nodded and turned his eyes toward Ness.
Ness broke into a wide grin.
"Yugis Necrat. It seems you've had a terrible time."
"Yeah. Ness, my people are frightened."
"Oops."
Ness Syllabus returned his sword to its scabbard with a graceful motion. He did not remember Haider, but he seemed to recognize Yugis.
"Yugis, just why..." Haider could not continue. He felt tears streaming down his cheeks.
"I made a deal with the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Army," Yugis said indistinctly.
Haider strained his ears. Everyone in the shop was concentrating on Yugis's words.
"Well, it might be a trap, but since I was beaten quite a bit, my head was fuzzy, and I ended up accepting it."
"What did you accept?" Laicanel Thora asked.
"We, the Eastern Attendant Corps, are promoted to the Eastern Regional Army starting today. That's why, Lord Laicanel, everyone, I look forward to working with you. Everyone, it seems seats have opened up, so for now, let's sit. In any case, let me have a drink."
The attendant Dash, sobbing, led his master to the head of the large table.
"Old man, wine," Cloden's voice sounded from somewhere.
From the back of the shop, the proprietor poked his face out with a timid air,
"Right away, sir,"
then pulled his face back in.
Laicanel Thora remained silent for a while. Because he was such a handsome man, his standing figure looked like a painting.
"Let's go."
In the end, he walked toward the exit without saying anything special. Ness Syllabus, with a sleepy face, followed him, and the youths of the Third Army left the shop one after another. They surely had not yet fully grasped the situation. Every single one of them had a gloomy look on their face.
When the last person closed the door, a cheer erupted. After an hour had passed, the cheers, tinged with the scent of alcohol, were still continuing. Two hours, three hours passed, and though they became intermittent, the cheers remained. The lights of the Tavern of the Withered Leaf Slope did not go out until midnight that day.