The Conqueror from a Dying Kingdom: Volume 7, page 1
Table of Contents
Cover
Color Illustrations
Jnovels
Chapter 1 — Breaking Away
Chapter 2 — The Battle for Sibiak
Chapter 3 — The Last Sabbath
Chapter 4 — The Next War
Intermission — A Meeting in Andahl
Chapter 5 — Survivors and the Dead
Final Chapter — A Girl’s Days
Afterword
About J-Novel Club
Copyright
Chapter 1 — Breaking Away
I
White Sunset plunged straight down on a collision course with the ground.
After we’d descended about three meters, I gave the reins a strong pull. White Sunset calmly spread his wings wide, catching the slower-moving air around us.
Rook had handpicked this eagle. After giving up his career as a rancher, he’d continued to raise birds out of pure passion, rather than for profit. His birds had been trained as thoroughly as ever.
White Sunset’s wings smoothly redirected our vertical momentum, such that our flight path became horizontal. We swiftly passed over the heads of the soldiers outside as we glided away from the royal castle.
But despite being exceptional, White Sunset suffered from the same limitations as all living creatures. He had to beat his wings faster than most eagles could’ve managed in order to support the two riders on his back, but those efforts produced less than half the ordinary lift. We were too heavy. White Sunset’s angle of descent was unusually steep, because even gliding was a challenge. The ground was slowly getting closer.
Most nights, Sibiak was eerily dark. Although the royal castle was dotted with bright lights, there were no electric lamps to illuminate the streets. On moonless nights, the outline of the streets was impossible to make out at all from just the faint light that leaked from the windows of people’s homes.
But this was no ordinary night. The streets were uncharacteristically bright because of the flaming torches held by soldiers patrolling the royal capital. Their pinpricks of light were visible all across the city. If those soldiers were enforcing a sort of martial law, it might prevent chaos from erupting in the streets.
The Ho residence came into view while we still had enough altitude. It looked like we were going to make it.
We’d been in the air less than five minutes, but the early-spring Sibiak winds had already chilled me through my light clothing.
From the air, I saw that soldiers of the royal guard were still gathered outside the residence’s main gate, suggesting that the building hadn’t fallen yet. I couldn’t be sure what was going on, but at least the situation looked favorable. As long as we could land somewhere controlled by our allies, I’d consider myself lucky.
We needed to land without being noticed, so I deliberately changed our heading midair, taking us closer to the rear garden, where we’d be less obvious.
White Sunset spread his wings wide as he beat them in preparation for landing, but it didn’t slow us down as much as I’d hoped. We were falling too fast.
I couldn’t jump clear of the eagle while holding Carol, so we simply had to brace ourselves as we rushed toward the ground. It was nothing like the graceful landing of a small bird stopping on a branch—White Sunset touched down so hard that I worried his chest would hit the dirt.
Still, our landing was successful. I was worried that White Sunset might’ve been injured, but fortunately, he appeared unharmed. I was relieved to know I hadn’t lost such a fine eagle.
“Carol? Are you okay?”
“I’m f-fine...” Carol mumbled, trembling slightly, probably in response to the cold.
As I was undoing my harness, some soldiers rushed over and surrounded us. I recognized the head guard among them.
“Lord Yuri! Lord Yuri, is that you?!” he cried.
“Yeah. And this is Princess Carol. Help me lower her down.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
“She’s sick. You’ll have to support her.”
“Sorry,” Carol said. “I just need a shoulder for support.”
I undid the rope that bound us together before slowly passing Carol down to the head guard. Next, I climbed down myself.
“We can’t stay here,” I said. “Get Princess Carol into a carriage. And give her a thick blanket too—the flight left her cold.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Oh, and make sure the soldiers out front don’t see her—especially her hair.”
For reasons unknown, they hadn’t attacked the residence. It was possible they hoped to avoid an open conflict with the Ho family.
If Rook and I had both died according to plan, it would’ve taken some time for a new head to assume control and take command of our army. Perhaps the witches thought they had a chance of placating the Ho family in the meantime. They might’ve begun by making a statement like, “The family head perished along with his wife and heir in a tragic, unexpected accident. You have our deepest sympathies.”
If that was their plan, then a direct assault on our residence would be a mistake. The raid would guarantee a war, because the people here couldn’t be killed in a sealed room with no witnesses like in the castle. The witches might’ve prepared for an all-out war, but they wouldn’t necessarily plunge right into one. The two approaches had much in common, but the differences were significant.
Another factor was that the plot had been carried out in such secrecy that neither the royal swords nor Myalo had gotten wind of it. Even within the second order of the royal guard, it was likely only a handful of officers who knew the truth. The rest had probably been mobilized without warning after the poison had taken effect—or, more precisely, after Carla had given the signal.
If only a few of the enemy’s officers understood the full situation, the soldiers positioned outside of the Ho residence were probably too confused to confidently attack an ally’s property. The situation would change rapidly, however—now that Carol and I were sheltering here, it wouldn’t be long until they stormed the grounds.
As I pondered over possibilities, I moved to the front of the building.
Sham and Lilly were the first ones to greet me. “Yuri!” they both cried.
“You’re both all right?!” I asked them.
Sham rushed over and embraced me. “We’re more concerned about you! You’ve no idea how worried we were!”
“Hah,” Lilly laughed. “I knew you’d be just fine, but that’s some state you’re in.”
I realized that I was wearing nothing more than a shirt and underwear resembling boxer shorts.
“Did you run here from the dorm?” I asked.
“Myalo fetched us from our room and had us follow her,” Lilly explained.
Myalo... I was more thankful than ever to have her in my service. I couldn’t have asked for more.
Next, the head maid appeared and dashed over to me. “Put some clothes on before you do anything else, little one,” she said.
It was as though her primary responsibility was to ensure I was properly dressed at all times. Then again, I wasn’t eager to start issuing orders in my underwear, so I’d be glad to put on whatever clothes she had prepared.
“Sham, let go of me.”
“Okay.” Sham stopped pressing her face against my stomach and stepped back.
As I followed the head maid into the residence, I told her, “I need armor too, but nothing heavy. Leather would be enough.”
“I’ll prepare it for you at once.”
Several sets of clothing had already been laid out for me in the room closest to the front entrance. They’d clearly been put there in advance so that whoever might escape the castle could change soon after arriving.
The head maid swiftly set to work helping me get dressed. She removed my thin shirt and held up another of thicker material, then she helped me put my head through some jangling chain mail. When she began tying the cord on my left side, I began tying the one on the right.
“You’ll have to stop calling me ‘little one.’ Father has...passed away.”
The head maid’s hands came to a stop. She remained perfectly still for about two seconds before she resumed her work. “Very well...my lord.”
Once I’d donned the armor, I concealed my dagger in my pocket, picked up a spear, and went back outside.
Over at the front gate, I could hear two groups of soldiers yelling at each other, seemingly on the verge of a fight.
In the garden, there were about twenty noncombatants, including a few fearful maids and several of the employees who’d been working in Ho Company’s office across the street. Caph was part of the group, as was his wife-to-be, Beaule. Company procedures dictated that employees should take refuge in the residence in the event of an attack on the office—it had proved a wise decision. The pair had been planning to get married next month, but those arrangements looked unrealistic now.
Near Caph, there was a shallow hole in the ground containing various burning objects. I assumed they were secret documents he’d brought here from the office. That said, we’d known the office was likely to be raided at some point, so documents in the royal capital pertaining to secret technologies or the new continent were always scant on details. Whatever he was burning couldn’t have been particularly sensitive.
“Everyone gather round!” I ordered.
A surprisingly high number of soldiers came over to me. I estimated that there were abou
Among them, I spotted Soim. He appeared to have taken charge for the time being. Before stepping away from the main gate, he’d stopped to instruct the bare minimum number of soldiers to remain there since we couldn’t just leave it undefended.
I kept myself positioned behind in the shadow of an entrance pillar where I wouldn’t be visible from the gate as I addressed the soldiers.
“First, I’d like to give you all a brief summary of our situation. That is, the reason we’re currently surrounded. You may have heard rumors already, but my mother and my father were invited to the royal castle today to discuss my marriage. We were served poisoned wine with our meal. Through good fortune, I escaped unharmed. Sadly, the poison took my parents’ lives.”
I couldn’t be sure they were dead, but saying so was the best way to encourage the soldiers to fight. They initially reacted to my words with expressions of disbelief. Then, as the significance of what I’d said sunk in, their emotions turned to anger.
“But this act was not committed by the royal family. I’m sure of it—Her Majesty Queen Shimoné and Her Highness Princess Carol also consumed the poison. That is to say, a sinister plot is underway that—in a single night—was intended to kill our queen, the crown princess, the man who was to marry the princess and become her prince consort, the lord-supreme who ruled the Ho family, and his wife. At this very moment, the plot has ensnared you all as well. These callous, cowardly murders were the work of Carla Flue Shaltl. But I’m sure many of you have heard the things people say about her. The girl is such a fool that the planning involved is far beyond her capabilities. The plot was devised, suggested to her, and then also proposed to the second order of the royal guard by the witches who infest this city.”
As I made it clear who we were fighting against, I studied the faces of the many soldiers. There were no signs of doubt among them. Each soldier appeared determined as they established their enemy.
“Come what may, I will eradicate this foe upon my return. I will show no mercy to those who conceived this plan, poisoned my parents, and assassinated Her Majesty. I swear to you, on the graves of my mother and father, that someday, I will kill them all. Unfortunately, such a feat is beyond me while I have only the soldiers before me. That, too, was part of the witches’ plan.”
The soldiers listened to my words attentively.
“Although everyone except me consumed the poison, Princess Carol was also fortunate enough to escape relatively unharmed due to the small amount she drank. I had to leave the royal castle and part with my parents as they were coughing up blood, all so that I could come here with Princess Carol—the only righteous survivor of the royal lineage. I must get her to a safe place. That can only mean Ho Province. But, to do that, I must break through the heavy siege that surrounds us. In other words, we need to break through the rabble that stands outside that gate and escape the royal capital. Lace up your boots and find your spears. Those with a bird, mount it at once. Those who can’t fight, board a carriage. It’s only in battle that we show our true power! Now, get moving!”
When I clapped my hands together, the soldiers moved as swiftly as fish dropped back into a river. Captains instantly took charge of their squads and began to give orders.
Soim stepped forward. He was dressed more lightly than me. With just a few narrow strips of metal offering him protection, his armor could’ve passed for ordinary clothing. He also wore a piece of headgear that was like a cross between a helmet and an iron headband. It only covered the front of his head. On his feet, however, were the sturdy boots worn by plainrunner riders. As minimal as his gear appeared, he was dressed for actual combat—a rider’s legs were the parts most likely to be attacked. In his hand, he held an armored mask with a fearsome design similar to a Japanese men-yoroi’s. It looked like some decorative piece that he’d brought out from the residence.
“That was a splendid speech to give before a battle, Young Master. Or should I call you ‘Your Excellency’?”
“Not now.”
“Please allow me to offer you my spear. A few words will suffice.”
To accept his spear would mean accepting a vow of allegiance, but now wasn’t the time—I’d just told him we needed to hurry.
“Just to be sure,” I said, “you’re not planning on dying here, are you?”
Soim grinned in response. He wasn’t putting on an act, just showing his genuine happiness. “It fills me with the utmost joy to think that these old bones might yet be laid to rest before they’ve decayed.”
“I’d...really prefer it if you survived.” Komimi Culotte would feel the same way.
“To fall on the battlefield would be the greatest honor. I beg you.”
Soim sounded determined to have his way. Or perhaps determination was the wrong word—for him, this wasn’t even a decision. If he died here, he’d simply be obeying his nature. If I stood in his way, unable to bear the loss, I’d be refusing to respect the life he’d chosen.
“Soim, you’ve already given me your spear. It lives within me as lessons taught by a one-of-a-kind teacher. You’re offering me something you’ve already given me.”
“Then the honor will be mine all the more. What do you say?” Soim dropped to one knee before me and held out his spear flat.
I lowered my own weapon, rested it against the wall, and took his instead. “Soim Hao. Do you vow to serve as my spear?”
“I do.”
“Then my spear you shall be from this moment forth. You are a true spear. Remain ever sharp, ready to pierce my foes at my command.”
I handed his weapon back to him. He’d said a few words would be enough, so I hoped my short speech was enough to satisfy him.
“Now I can go forth into battle free from regrets,” Soim said.
With the ritual over, he got to his feet looking oddly refreshed. It was like some of his youth had returned to him.
“I, Soim, having served the Ho family for four generations, long regretted my failure to give my life during the reign of Lord Gok...but now, fate has given me another chance. I thought I was too old to be filled with such joy. As your first retainer, I must serve you well enough to be worthy of this honor, Young Master.”
“Why’s a vow of servitude so important to you?” There had to be some significance to this ritual beyond choosing where to die.
Soim looked stunned by the question. “Must I say it? If I fall in battle without pledging my allegiance, it will be the death of a bloodthirsty killer. Knights who die in service of a vow do so honorably. It will be something I boast of to my friends in the netherworld.”
“Is that right?”
Soim had lost all of his sons to war during Gok’s time, but I’d never expected that he’d be in a hurry to follow them since he seemed to enjoy his life.
“I, Soim, vow to achieve a feat in battle so great that it will be spoken of for seven generations. Rest assured, your rear guard is safe in my hands.”
“Heh. Well, if you fall in battle as the rear guard that protected both your master and Princess Carol—or rather, your queen—I can see a song or two being written about that.”
The last time I’d met Soim, he’d told me that he’d only grow weaker with time. If he deteriorated to the point that he couldn’t fight well, the battlefield wouldn’t offer him a graceful death, nor would his fight go on long enough to become a story. For someone like him, this might have been a gift from fate—a final chance to show the world his true worth.
After my conversation with Soim, I looked around the garden and saw that our preparations were more or less complete. I walked over to the captain of the cavalry, who was mounted on a plainrunner.
“Lord Yuri, I am truly—”
“There’s no time for that. Prepare a plainrunner for me.”
“What?! You intend to ride?”
That should’ve been obvious. I wasn’t just some company director who could sit and watch from inside a carriage.
“Of course. Can’t you see the spear I’m holding? I’ll be giving orders at the front.”
“It’s too dangerous. A carriage is—”
