novelraw Chapter 104: Revolution Defense War - Romance
Chapter 104: Revolution Defense War - Romance
Fourth day since the battle ended.
Normally, the cleanup should be finished by now, but a significant number of soldiers, pushed to their limits, had fallen ill, and the sheer scale of the battle meant reorganization was still underway.
During this time, Kroxx's army, after pursuing the Imperial Army and returning to hand over the prisoners, decided to remain and support us, but Kroxx himself chose to return to the Iberian Peninsula.
After Kroxx and I destroyed the supplies from Abyss Corporation and dealt a severe blow to Porto and the allied tribes, the peninsula had entered a lull, but the king's extended absence during a war was still problematic.
No, the fact that Kroxx came all this way himself was astonishing in the first place.
“You came such a long way, yet I couldn’t even host you properly before you had to return. I feel quite sorry.”
As I spoke with gratitude and apology, Kroxx laughed heartily as always and replied.
“Uahaha, isn’t that just how war is! I got to see my Brother’s face while I was here and get acquainted with the humans of Francia, so that’s enough!”
“Thank you for saying so. In any case, I express my gratitude once again. Thanks to you, we achieved victory and overcame the crisis. Beyond the reward the government will provide, I’ll consider this a personal debt.”
I knew he was coming, but the timing was truly perfect.I couldn’t just equate the minor help I gave them on their peninsula with the support of 20,000 troops he brought here.
“Oh, a debt from my Brother? This is quite a good deal for me! I’ll leave the troops with Shandra, so make good use of them.”
“I’ll take special care to ensure they don’t suffer significant losses.”
Kroxx burst into laughter again, finding something amusing in my words.
After laughing for a while, Kroxx closed his mouth and studied my expression.
…That Orc, seemingly molded from equal parts muscle and boisterousness, is studying my expression?
As I was thinking this, Kroxx slowly opened his mouth.
“Hey, Brother. May I ask a question that might be a bit rude?”
“Hm? Since I owe you a debt, ask me anything.”
Kroxx raised a hand, stroked his tusk, and asked again.
“That, uh, woman called Countess Aquitaine. Can she be trusted?”
“Huh?”
Christine? Did he meet her while passing through the capital?
But why this reaction?
“Did my fiancée perhaps make some mistake?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Kroxx immediately denied it.
“On the contrary, she made a good proposal. She said if I allow the construction of a new port in the northern Iberian Peninsula, she’ll invest the necessary funds and teach us shipbuilding techniques, suggesting we discuss it upon her return after providing support.”
Come to think of it, a significant portion of the trade between Kroxx’s brothers and Francia was originally conducted through the Aquitaine Trading Company.
Those living on the Iberian Peninsula mostly lived tribally, so the only proper trading port was Porto at the southern tip.
So far, trade had been conducted overland through the gate in the southern mountains, but building a new trading port would make trade much easier.
“Isn’t that a good proposal?”
“It’s a good proposal, which is why I’m asking. I heard she’s your fiancée, Brother, but from what I know of humans, that marriage doesn’t necessarily mean they’re on the same side or get along well.”
This Orc certainly understands humans well. Perhaps because he lives alongside them.
“That’s true, but as long as I am favorable to you, you can trust her. I guarantee that.”
“Uahaha! If you say so, Brother, then I’ll trust her!”
Kroxx laughed heartily and nodded, but I became curious myself.
“But why did you harbor such doubts?”
Although it involves bringing foreign capital into his territory, it seems quite a good deal given the current relationship between our nations.
By now, the Aquitaine Trading Company must be busy building battleships and other fleet vessels commissioned by the government, so their shipbuilding skills should be considerable.
Since I spoke so highly of Kroxx, there’s no way she would have acted hostile towards him?
“I hope you won’t misunderstand my words, Brother, but it’s her scent.”
“…Scent?”
Christine only smells fragrant.
No, that’s not it.
As I collected myself, Kroxx stroked his tusk again and spoke.
“She acts kindly and looks frail like a human noble, but among all the merchants I’ve met, she reeks of danger as much as, no, even more than my strongest retainers.”
Hoh.
When he glanced at and immediately signed the agreement Hassan and I brought, I thought Kroxx was just straightforward, but perhaps he’s the type to follow a kind of gut feeling instead.
Indeed, Christine is more aristocratic than any noble, and more dangerously merchant-like than any merchant.
Honestly, even imagining making an enemy of her is terrifying.
As I smiled to myself, Kroxx looked at me with eyes full of concern, as if thinking, ‘Surely my brother isn’t being deceived by a treacherous fiancée?’ which made me laugh involuntarily.
Within Francia, the relationship between Christine and me is firmly established as something one simply shouldn’t interfere with, but Kroxx, unfamiliar with Francia’s internal affairs, has a rather fresh reaction.
“Ah, you don’t need to worry. She is only dangerous to her enemies. Both she and I know enough about each other. The offer she made you surely stems half from goodwill and half from mutual benefit.”
Kroxx looked at me with slightly strange eyes before speaking.
“Alright. Seeing your reaction, there seems to be no need for concern. Sorry for needlessly suspecting your fiancée, Brother.”
“Not at all. It just shows how good your instincts are.”
Christine is fundamentally beautiful and carries an elegant demeanor; she isn't someone who unnecessarily provokes caution unless she deems it necessary.
Given what I told her, she must have treated Kroxx kindly, so it’s this Orc, sensing it through intuition alone and being wary, who is remarkable.
If anything, I’m relieved. I realized this straightforward Brother isn’t an Orc likely to be taken advantage of somewhere.
“Uahaha, is that so? Then I shall gratefully accept the goodwill shown by my Brother’s fiancée!”
If they get a proper port, it will be good for trade, but who knows. Perhaps the day will come when the navies of Francia and the Iberian Brotherhood conduct joint operations.
“Yes, you won’t regret that choice. I too shall make good use of the help you sent.”
I shook Kroxx’s enormous hand and bid farewell to this straightforward Orc whom I hadn’t seen in a long time.
Anyway, speaking of Christine makes me miss her for some reason.
*
One week since the Battle of the Western Plains of Besançon.
Nearly 12,000 Germania Empire Prisoners of War were housed in the empty streets of Besançon, evacuated by the residents.
At first, the Imperial PoWs trembled with fear.
They couldn't help but worry deeply about the treatment awaiting captured invaders.
However, immediately after the battle, the Revolutionary Army was too exhausted to have the energy for anything. By the time the Revolutionary Army had rested even slightly and regained some strength, the Queen's request not to inflict harsh treatment on the prisoners had already been issued.
After a few days, the Imperial PoWs could receive basic first aid, and a few days after that, Francia's Saintess Queen herself began to move around, treating the most severely wounded first.
Of course, there were some who languished and died after being pushed down the priority list, but as a week passed like this, the atmosphere among the Imperial PoWs loosened to the point that truly strange sights were seen.
The sun had already set. In a room lit by a Magic Lamp.
“Hey, move aside when I ask nicely, will ya?”
As the Imperial soldier with a menacing face glared, another soldier who received his stare subtly averted his gaze.
That soldier had a blood-red cloth wrapped around his foot.
“Tsk, not answering and not moving means you want help getting out, right?”
“I, I can’t even walk properly.”
“Hey, you can do anything if you try. It’s this room’s turn today, isn’t it? Look at this shoulder. The stench from this blood-soaked bandage is foul, it feels sticky and stings, I can’t stand it, okay? Do a favor for a pitiful comrade, friend.”
The soldiers who gave the Imperial troops rough first aid divided them into various rooms. Though the Imperials didn't initially understand why, they grasped the situation after a few days.
It seemed they were roughly sorted by the severity of their injuries, and their Saintess Queen would visit the rooms with the most severe cases first, treat them, and leave.
Realizing this led to the absurd situation where someone with a minor shoulder injury was trying to chase away a man who couldn’t even walk due to a severe leg injury, just to get treated first.
The soldier with the injured leg looked around, but unfortunately, there was no one from the same Feudal Lord's domain as him in this room.
Naturally. The menacing soldier had likely targeted someone who was alone and easy prey.
While the leg-injured soldier wore an aggrieved expression amidst everyone’s indifference, the menacing soldier became even more emboldened, leaning in close and speaking with foul breath.
“Hey, friend. We’re fellow Imperial soldiers, let’s do something good for each other. Do I really have to get rough before you move?”
Even though everyone's eyes were focused on the two, none of the Imperial soldiers bothered to step in and get involved in troublesome matters.
After all, the people in this room were generally those with rather serious injuries.
“Seeing you force a fellow Imperial soldier to do a good deed, perhaps you need a rough lesson instead of treatment.”
Instead, the voice that intervened belonged to a woman, quite beautiful despite the fatigue and irritation lacing it.
“Huh?”
“Gasp!”
“S-Saintess Queen.”
The target of the startled Imperial soldiers' gazes, Eris, strode into the room, her long silver hair flowing. Her unique violet eyes met the eyes of the menacing man who had been threatening his comrade just moments ago.
“Ah, this is, uh, m-misunder-”
“Please subdue him.”
“Kuk!”
Before Eris’s words even finished, Sir Frederic De Beaumont moved like lightning and brought the menacing Imperial soldier down.
“Th-this- Agh!”
The menacing man, instinctively trying to resist out of spite, attempted to lift his head only to have it stomped down onto the cold floor by Sir Beaumont’s foot.
“Mmph, mmphh-!”
Amidst the silence, Eris spoke with a deliberately gentle smile.
“I trust there won’t be any more like him. Since I can tell everything just by looking, if there is such a person, would you please leave voluntarily? …If you don’t want to get hurt.”
As silence fell, Eris swept her gaze over the injured Imperial soldiers in the room once, nodded, and smiled brightly.
“Good. Then, let’s begin. Ah, before that.”
Eris looked down with cold eyes at the man squirming under Sir Beaumont’s foot and said,
“Sir Fran- no, Sir Beaumont, could you please remove him?”
“As you command, Your Majesty.”
“Th-this! Let go- Ah, no, please let go- Uwaah-!”
As the man who had been acting tough just moments ago was dragged away helplessly before Sir Beaumont's overwhelming strength, Eris quietly knelt down and closed her eyes.
While the injured Imperial soldiers watched blankly, light emanated from Eris, enveloping the entire room.
Every injured soldier in the room vividly felt the sensation of their wounds tingling, the pain disappearing, and a measure of vitality returning to their bodies.
The injured soldiers, unable to tear their eyes away from the dreamlike sight of Eris’s hair rippling like waves dyed gold in the brilliant light before returning to silver, reacted a moment too late.
“Oh, oooh…!”
“A miracle…”
“S-Saintess…”
Watching the scene of the now-healed Imperial soldiers bowing their heads, one after another, Eris stood up as if accustomed to it, dusted off her robe, and spoke.
“Even if you feel fine, you might relapse if you don’t rest properly. Don’t overexert yourselves, and don’t fight. Well then.”
“W-Wait a moment…!”
As Eris was about to leave the room, the man who had been threatened by the menacing soldier moments ago called out to her and shouted something.
At his words, Eris’s eyes widened, and she managed a smile despite her fatigue.
*
“It’s alright now.”
As soon as Eris’s words fell, Sir Beaumont stepped aside, and the man pressing his head against the cold, dirty corridor floor quickly bowed his head and chattered obsequiously.
“I-I was wrong, Your Majesty. It was truly a trivial misunder-”
“Yes, I’ve heard enough.”
“Yes, yes?”
The man inadvertently lifted his head, horrified to see Eris holding a whip made of light, pulling it taut with a snap.
“First, let’s have a little beating.”
“W-Wha, I, I am a wounded sol- Ugh!”
“I know! This is treatment!”
“Ack! What kind of treatment is-”
“Your mind needs treatment more urgently than your body, so this method is more effective!”
“What on earth does that mean, ugh!”
For a while, the refreshing sound of the whip cutting the air, the sharp slapping sound, and choked groans echoed.
“Aargh! I was wrong! I was wrong! Please forgive me! I’ll never do such a thing again!”
It didn’t even take a few minutes for the man to beg profusely, shedding tears and snot.
Eris caught her ragged breath and retracted the whip.
“Huu, huu. See? It works well.”
The man, shedding tears and snot at the Queen’s incomprehensible words, suddenly touched his shoulder.
“I-It’s healed?”
“Return to your original room, and spread the word. Tell them not to do what you did, or they’ll receive treatment like this.”
“Ah, ah, I understand!”
As the man quickly fled, Sir Beaumont spoke.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine. Despite appearances, this is a method proven by a certain wicked Marquis, you know.”
“Isn’t it just stress relief?”
Eris turned her back at the sudden interjection, covering her mouth with her hand as she smiled.
“You caught me.”
The interjector, Pierre de Lafayette, let out a small sigh.
“Look at your complexion. That’s enough for today, Your Majesty, don’t you think?”
“I was planning to stop anyway.”
Eris hummed lightly as she approached Pierre and asked.
“Did you come just to say that?”
Pierre held up a document that looked like a report and waved it.
“Because this is rather absurd. Treating hundreds a day? Your Majesty, you are not a god. I couldn’t simply stop you regarding the Revolutionary Army, but must you go this far treating the Imperial Army as well?”
Eris walked slowly until she reached Pierre, looked up at him, and said,
“Wounds that can be healed somehow now will become lifelong disabilities if left for just a few weeks.”
“They are still the enemy. They are paying the price for their invasion.”
Eris smiled faintly and asked back,
“Marquis, did they decide on this war?”
“…No, they did not.”
“Then, how many among them came to the battlefield of their own free will?”
“……”
“While rulers decide on war, most who bleed on the battlefield are merely the ruled. I think they are victims too, Marquis.”
“The Revolutionary Army is what it is because they refused to endure the tyranny of oppressors and rose up, Your Majesty. Unlike those who obey.”
“And in Francia, unlike elsewhere, the ideology allowing a revolution spread, and conditions were ripe for the Revolutionary Army to win. That’s the only difference between them and us.”
Pierre paused for a moment and then said.
“You are the Queen of the Francian people, Your Majesty.”
“That’s right, Marquis. My top priority is Francia. However, if I can save people simply by reaching out my hand, I don’t think I’d deserve to be called a Saintess if I just stood by.”
Pierre let out a light sigh.
“I am worried about your health. Have you rested properly at all since the battle?”
“There isn’t much left now, so I’ll rest deeply once I’m done. Ah, right.”
Eris smiled, took out a sheet of paper densely covered in writing from her robe, and handed it to Pierre.
“What is this, Your Majesty?”
“Those who wish to defect.”
Pierre flipped through the list quickly and replied.
“…Defection. This? All of them? There seem to be a thousand.”
Eris smiled and nodded.
“Those sold into the battlefield because they have no ties, those who came because they’re third or fourth sons with nothing to gain back home, those sick and tired of fighting the Revolutionary Army, and, um…”
Eris glanced around and added.
“From those who wish to serve me, to those who find the treatment they receive as Revolutionary Army prisoners better than that as Imperial soldiers. They all say they’ll join the Revolutionary Army.”
“…Hah.”
Eris tilted her head slightly and smiled.
“What do you think? Don’t you think they could do the same things as us if given the chance?”
“…Prisoners might just want to survive for now, or seek comfort, or… Hmm, they could be spies.”
Eris frowned slightly and said with a sulky face.
“You petty, suspicious man.”
“That is my duty. I am the commander, and they are the enemy I must suspect and deal with efficiently. Still…”
Pierre smirked and added.
“Very well, Your Majesty. Since you’ve said this much, I will reconsider my thoughts.”
“That they are people just like us?”
“…Well, it seems they could be utilized to destabilize the Imperial Army.”
Eris finally gave a bitter smile.
“You have no romance.”
Pierre also smiled bitterly and extended his hand.
“I shall leave that to Your Majesty. For now, I must escort Your Majesty to a place of rest. Of course, you have no choice in the matter.”
Eris chuckled softly, placed her hand in Pierre’s, and replied.
“Yes, then I’ll leave that to you.”