Wolves of Hader

Chapter 23

We confronted Doge and his group.

Behind me, the soldiers were lined up, and behind Doge, seven knights from the Syren family stood.

"Young master Roger, you've changed a lot."

"When your mother passes away and her entire family is destroyed, it's impossible to stay the same."

"Ah, that's right. Truly unfortunate."

Doge grinned again, baring his teeth.

He spoke again.

"They said I should deliver the imperial letter here. As the one holding the imperial family's command, I must deliver it directly to Lord Hader. The 'Star of Protection' is Lord Hader—not you, young master Roger."

"Is there really an imperial letter from His Imperial Majesty?"

"What are you implying?"

At Doge's gesture, one of the knights produced an object wrapped in golden cloth.

He didn't remove the cloth. There was probably never an imperial letter there in the first place.

Would the Emperor praise us just for withstanding thirty years of cold snap?

"Then, I suppose we'll just wait here."

I turned my back immediately.

A smirk crept across Doge's lips.

At the very least, they couldn't move during the daytime.

/ / /

I sat face-to-face with the count in the drawing room.

The count sipped his tea and spoke.

"I'd heard that Lord Hader was ill."

"He left for the city to seek treatment."

"Do you happen to know why they came?"

"I do."

"And yet you're so calm?"

The count looked very surprised.

Just one Doge could wipe out every member of our family. He must have found it odd that I wasn't shaken despite knowing this.

"You also know why Urke is here, right?"

"I just came to pay my respects, nothing more."

"You must make your decision here, my lord. We will not fall to them, and we will become stronger than ever before."

"Not fall?"

"We will not be exterminated."

The count set his teacup down.

Then he looked at me quietly.

"So you want us to be honest with each other."

"That's correct."

A sigh escaped the count's lips.

"I don't know what gives you such confidence, but that fellow Doge is famous in the capital for both his skill and his notoriety."

"I know."

"And you believe you can defeat such a person?"

"If they enter the fortress, they will all die."

"With what means?"

Instead of replying, I met the count's gaze.

"My lord, you must have accepted the request from the Syren family because you were sure we would die. You also considered that this might strain your relationship with the Syren family, didn't you?"

The count neither confirmed nor denied it.

I continued.

"Regardless of what you gain from this, Lord Urke, it would be difficult for you to ignore the Syren family's request. It's more than just moving troops, isn't it?"

"Hearing all this makes me uncomfortable."

"I must speak plainly. The Syren family must have needed a witness. As the Eastern Army commander and as the great lord of the East, no one could accuse you of perjury."

"That's enough."

The count gave me a hard stare.

I had laid things out too frankly. There was no need to beat around the bush, as other nobles would. That would just waste time.

"Do you even understand my position?"

"I do, which is why I'm saying this. Not only will we survive, but if we build up our strength here in the East, the Syren family will keep trying to use you. That would inevitably make you our enemy."

The count stared at me dumbfounded.

"Amazing."

"What is?"

"Merchant leader Goose said something similar. He said the Hader family would recover and flourish—and when I pressed him for the reason, he mentioned you. You're only thirteen, he said, but shouldn't be seen as just a thirteen-year-old."

I gave no response.

The count chuckled and said,

"Now I can see why he said that. Still, unless your house survives, none of this means anything. With your current numbers, you can't defeat Doge."

"Trust me. We can win."

The count stroked his beard—

A habit that seemed to surface while he was deliberating.

Only after quite some time did he speak again.

"Let's assume you win. If I give testimony favorable to the Hader family, the Syren family would attack me next. Maybe not with force, but it'd be a nuisance."

"You don't need to testify at all."

"What do you mean?"

"You will have seen nothing, my lord."

The count's eyes widened.

"If you leave this fortress before anything happens, then whatever occurs here has nothing to do with you."

"If I haven't seen anything, that's certainly true."

"By the way, is there a staff officer dispatched here from the Imperial Army?"

"There's a chief of staff. He's not my adjutant, though."

"Is he here now?"

"One of his men is here."

"That's enough. As long as the chief of staff's subordinate sees you leave the fortress, that's good enough. Hundreds of soldiers will also serve as witnesses."

Color returned to the count's cheeks.

He spoke.

"Then I'd better call the chief of staff in here. He doesn't know the situation. If things happen, he'll write a report on what he witnessed and send it to the military. The Syren family won't have time to interfere."

A report from the chief of staff of the Eastern Army.

A way to use that flashed through my mind. I'd prepared various scenarios so far, but the one I just thought up was the best yet.

"You may go now."

The count picked up his coat and asked,

"Are you really confident you can win?"

I nodded.

"In the future, my lord, you'll look back on this and see it was the best decision of your life. We'll gain great strength here in the east—I sincerely hope we can advance together with you."

"Just where does all this confidence come from?"

It was a genuine question.

"You'll find out in time. I have one request, though."

"Go ahead."

"I ask only that you turn a blind eye to the Hader family's circumstances from now on. Especially, don't let any information about us reach the chief of staff. Would you be able to help with that?"

"There'd be nothing for me to get involved with. The staff officers serve fixed one-year terms; they're not supposed to get close to local lords. I intend to keep my distance from both your house and the Syren family. Merchant leader Goose, will handle blocking any information."

The count met my eyes.

"Stay alive, please."

"Of course."

The count promptly left the drawing room.

I watched him depart.

I had no intention of competing with the count in the east or engaging in a territorial conflict.

It would be a pointless war of attrition. There was plenty of undeveloped land even in the south.

* * *

Count Urke left the Hader family's fortress. His face looked as though a heavy weight had finally been lifted.

He still wondered how that exiled family could survive, but decided to put his faith in them.

He was, in fact, quite surprised.

He thought Merchant leader Goose, had exaggerated when he said Hader family's second son was a genius.

But 'genius' didn't capture the reality.

The gaze, the way of speaking. It was hard to believe he'd been conversing with a mere thirteen-year-old.

It didn't just feel like he was mature or intelligent—it felt like conversing with the experienced head of a noble household.

"If only things go as the young master said..."

Count Urke had not accepted this task out of fear of the Syren family's power.

He simply wanted to avoid awkwardness. With nothing to gain or lose, there was no downside.

He had seen nothing.

And with nothing seen, there was nothing to testify.

What would the Syren family complain about?

Suddenly, Doge appeared in front of the walking count, blocking his way.

Doge, retainer to the Syren family, openly showed hostility toward the count. On seeing that, the count was dumbfounded.

"How dare a mere knight block the path of a lord?"

To this, Doge smirked.

"A mere knight... Even a country lord calls himself a lord and treats the retainer of a great noble house so carelessly."

"Shut your mouth! How dare you speak so rudely!"

"Have you been living as a little king in this backwater and now expect me to treat you like royalty?"

"What did you say?!"

The count roared.

The count's knights, who had been watching, surrounded Doge and his group one by one. Doge didn't even bat an eye.

"Return to the fortress."

"What if I refuse?"

"You must go back. If you leave now, you'd be breaking your promise to your lord. Do you want to be branded as being in cahoots with the Hader family?"

Anger filled the count's face.

He could not believe a mere knight would speak or act like this before him. Was the prestige of the Syren family truly so great?

"Move. My help is finished."

"I told you to go back inside."

"Let's see you try to stop me, then."

When the count tried to leave, Doge blocked him again, and the count's knights all drew their swords at once.

Screeech—

"Stand back! If you approach the lord, we'll cut you down!"

The count's knights surrounded a group of eight.

With the help of his knights, Count Urke exited the encirclement. Doge only watched, smiling.

"You think you can cut us down?"

The count's knights clearly risked death. They too knew of Doge's skill and reputation.

Still, they had to defend their lord, no matter the risk. That was a knight's honor.

Doge snorted.

"How truly pathetic."

"Come! I'll face you as much as you want!"

Doge's gaze shifted to the count.

"Lord Urke. You must remember this. My lord has little interest in the East, but young master Art is different."

The count finally looked at Doge.

He was visibly restraining his anger.

"When young master Art becomes head of house, it'll be someone else who stands as count in this east. Hard to believe, perhaps, but young master Art is that kind of person. That's the depth of his grudge against young master Roger."

The count snorted and spurred his horse.

He was almost glad things were turning out this way. If the Hader family survived, the Syren family would use them endlessly anyway.

* * *

I was observing the count at the fortress gate.

I didn't know what Doge had said to the count, but the count actually looked calmer than before.

Russell, who was watching with me, spoke.

"It seems the Syren family is now distancing themselves."

"Urke made a big decision."

Russell turned his gaze to Doge.

"They'll probably try something tonight."

"There's no need to wait."

"Are you saying we should let them in?"

"They seem prepared for a situation with no witnesses. To sneak into the fortress, they'd have to kill our soldiers. That can't be allowed."

"So what will you do?"

"Let them in now. We'll use what they've prepared against them."

I walked back toward the castle with a smile.

It was exactly as I'd said.

I intended to use their plans against them.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

What did Roger even do to Art to get such hatred?

【「(°ヘ°)?】