Arc-7 Ch-35
153
Chapter
Discussion
2026
The one explaining the situation to everyone gathered in the room was Jilk, who served in the intelligence agency.
Even when he was younger, he had been an eloquent speaker, so he was often entrusted with the role of moderator and facilitator in settings like this.
Those around him seemed accustomed to it, and no one voiced any complaints while his explanation continued.
“The sole passenger was a soldier from the Bartfort earl family.”
“Hold on a moment. Why is the Bartfort earl involved in the issue occurring in the elves’ village?”
“Ah, right. Brad and Julius weren’t present at that meeting.”
“We were the ones who made the request to him. We said, ‘The elves’ village has an unsettling atmosphere, so please investigate.’”
“I was the one who took the lead. I’ve been keeping watch over the elves’ village for more than a decade.”
The others responded to Brad’s question. In truth, this wasn’t something that only one person had felt suspicious about regarding the elves’ village.
Saintess Olivia had spearheaded policies aimed at reconciliation with subhumans, including elves. Greg was a well-known adventurer in the kingdom army with deep knowledge of domestic dungeons. Jilk himself was deeply familiar with internal affairs through his position in the intelligence agency.
The incident began when these three pooled their information about the elves’ village and judged that some kind of abnormal situation was highly likely.
But there was another reason they had turned their attention to the elves’ village: an event that had occurred nearly twenty years earlier.
No matter how much time passes, some enmities in this world never fade. Even for the Saintess or heroes, that truth remains unchanged.
The accumulated negative legacy had awakened, as if answering some unseen call.
“Let’s return to the main topic. It was two, no, three days ago when he set out from the elves’ village under orders from his lord, the Earl Bartfort.”
“Please wait. The soldier who arrived in the capital was alone?”
“Yes, just him. It wasn’t that others dropped out along the way. From the moment he received the order, he piloted the airship without sleep or rest all the way to the capital.”
“That’s quite reckless. If something had happened midway, there was a high chance he wouldn’t have reached the capital at all, and the report might never have reached us.”
“That only proves how outstanding a soldier he must be if Bartfort trusts him that much. What a shame. He’d be a valuable asset for the kingdom army instead of serving as his subordinate.”
Normally, operating an airship requires several crew members. The larger the vessel, the more specialized crew are needed in proportion.
There are also privately owned airships, and their types vary enormously.
Some are simple models for commoners, little more than small sailing ships fitted with levitation stones. Others are high-performance machines funded by nobles at great expense.
Yet every one of them requires human piloting.
Although the equipment for attitude control and power maintenance on airships has developed remarkably, the technology of this world still hasn’t reached the point where airships can operate in full automation.
The distance from the elves’ village to the royal capital isn’t especially far compared to the frontier, but it certainly isn’t close either.
For a single soldier to pilot that distance without sleep or rest would be extraordinarily reckless. Even within the Holfort Kingdom army, which formed the backbone of national defense, only a few could accomplish such a mission.
It was proof that the level of training among the soldiers retained by the Bartfort Earl family might even surpass that of the kingdom army.
The man named Leon Fou Bartfort had risen from being the second son of a minor noble house that could barely qualify as nobility through recognized military achievements.
He had originally been a mere private in the kingdom army, yet he leveraged his own talent and the backing of his wife’s family, the Redgrave Ducal House. Through that, he became the most successful among feudal nobles. He had also held key positions within the kingdom army and state-run financial institutions.
Was it truly fortunate for the Holfort Kingdom that such a highly regarded man, both domestically and internationally, possessed a formidable private army?
At present, the only one feeling any sense of alarm was Jilk, who had long found Leon difficult to get along with.
“When the kingdom army questioned the soldier who suddenly appeared at the military port, he presented a letter entrusted to him by the Earl. The letter was written in the cipher used exclusively by the kingdom army. After the intelligence department deciphered it, it turned out to be a rescue request sent by Bartfort Count from the elves’ village.”
“By that time, night had already fallen. His Majesty had been enjoying his evening meal when he received the news, and he immediately summoned his close aides. They continued their discussions until late into the night. As everyone knows, the plan now is to hold a meeting with the major nobles currently present in the capital to decide on future policy.”
“What happened to the Bartfort Earl family’s soldier who delivered the message?”
“He must’ve been exhausted. After handing over the letter, he collapsed on the spot as if he’d fallen asleep. He’s currently under protection in the palace infirmary.”
“Understood. After the meeting, I’ll visit him to gather information and offer treatment at the same time.”
“If it’s just ordinary exhaustion, my healing magic should be enough for a full recovery. There’s no need for Olivia-sama to personally pay him a visit.”
“No, that won’t do. Failing to show sincere gratitude for his meritorious service would only contribute to disorder in the world.”
Even toward a mere commoner soldier who might be treated as disposable by those in power, or toward starving people who could potentially destabilize society, the Saintess treated each person impartially as an individual human being.
That attitude never changed whether the other party was a legitimate royal or an unknown slave of unclear origin.
It was precisely Olivia’s conduct like this that had earned the trust of the people and gathered support that even surpassed the king’s.
“According to the deciphered cipher text, Bartfort visited the elves’ village accompanied by his wife and children.”
“…Wait a second. His wife is Angelica, right? The former young lady of the Redgrave Ducal House?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“…We asked Bartfort to ‘investigate the elves’ village,’ correct?”
“No mistake. I heard it clearly myself.”
“Then why the hell did he bring his wife and kids along?”
“I wouldn’t know that. Anyway, that’s exactly what the cipher text says.”
Everyone present in the room was bewildered. Where in the world would a scout bring his wife and children along to an investigation site?
Only a complete fool who never considered the possibility of putting his own family in danger, or an arrogant fool convinced he could complete the mission without any trouble, would do something like that.
It might even be both.
However, anyone who knew Leon Fou Bartfort even slightly understood that he wasn’t that kind of person.
That was exactly why his intentions were impossible to read. No one could have imagined that a man elevated to the rank of Earl would secretly intend to combine the mission with something like a family outing or helping his son and daughter with homework.
“Let us continue. It appears the incident began when elves who harbor ill will toward humans gathered inside a dungeon facility and used it to control monsters in order to attack humans.”
“Monsters. You mean those things? The ones that attacked us when we visited the elves’ village?”
“Most likely. According to the report, several adventurers who visited the dungeon were attacked and suffered injuries ranging from minor to severe. Among those caught up in the attack were Angelica and the Bartfort children.”
“See? I told you so. You don’t bring your family to a place that dangerous.”
“I thought he was a smarter man than that… It seems I overestimated him.”
“Who was the one who first suggested sending him anyway?”
“It couldn’t be helped. As a scout or operative, he’s extraordinarily capable. If he hadn’t been ennobled, I would’ve wanted him in the intelligence agency as a subordinate. Of course, unless he fixes that personality of his, promotion would be out of the question.”
Everyone in this room possessed some of the highest combat abilities in the Holfort Kingdom or wielded rare forms of magic.
If Leon Fou Bartfort had been present here, the evaluation of him would likely have been divided.
In terms of raw numerical measures such as physical ability, intelligence, swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and magic, he would never have ranked at the absolute bottom. However, he would never have taken first place either.
Yet in real combat, where there were no restrictions on testing methods or rules, he would undoubtedly have ranked near the very top.
His natural talent for accurately identifying the method that inflicted the greatest damage upon the enemy was truly a gift from heaven. As an opponent, no man could have been more troublesome or terrifying.
If he had not convinced himself that he was merely ordinary, behaved with humility, and cherished a quiet and peaceful life, the number of upheavals threatening the Holfort Kingdom from the previous wars to the present would surely have increased by one or two more.
The only saving grace was that Leon Fou Bartfort harbored absolutely no political ambition.
Despite being recognized for his talents by previous kings, marrying into the leading feudal noble house of the Redgrave Ducal family, and being appointed to numerous key positions, he showed not the slightest interest in political power.
He was the kind of man who, even after obtaining a status envied by every noble, still declared that he simply wanted to live quietly in his territory surrounded by his wife and children.
That was precisely why continued vigilance toward the Bartfort Count family was necessary. The current Holfort Kingdom maintained its stability through a delicate balance among its various factions.
If a man whose thinking was utterly unpredictable yet whose abilities were outstanding were added to that balance, political chaos would be unavoidable.
The only one unaware that Earl Leon Fou Bartfort had been assigned key positions in order to keep him within observable range for monitoring was Leon himself.
“The rest of the report contains statements like ‘Fortunately, Angelica and the children are unharmed’ and ‘Requesting rescue from the capital.’”
“‘Unharmed’ means they weren’t injured?”
“I never thought Bartfort would be so reckless…”
“Still, if he hadn’t gone to the elves’ village, the situation certainly wouldn’t have progressed this far. We should at least give him credit for that.”
“But we never intended for the situation to escalate this dramatically. All we needed was for him to bring back some physical evidence or information as part of the investigation.”
With each new detail in the situation report, voices of astonishment and exasperation rose around the room. This was exactly why Earl Bartfort was treated like a troublesome blister by every faction.
He didn’t act according to noble logic. No one could predict what might anger him. He took actions that lay completely outside common sense, yet he still produced results.
If he became an ally, he was difficult to handle. If he became an enemy, he was an insurmountable nuisance. That was Leon Fou Bartfort.
The matter of the elves’ village was entangled with numerous complicated issues within the Holfort Kingdom. The Saintess had been carefully arranging to deal with it as secretly as possible.
Policies aimed at reconciliation with subhumans including elves, autonomous zones separate from royal direct territories or noble domains, and the ancient civilization ruins located on floating islands.
None of these matters could be resolved simply or directly. Attempting to address them openly would require an enormous amount of time.
“It can’t be helped. As the one who initiated the reconciliation policy, I’ll attend the meeting.”
“Are you planning to defend the elves, Olivia-sama?”
“Yes. I undoubtedly bear part of the responsibility for the cause.”
“His Majesty and his close aides, who do not think well of you, will surely press that point.”
“It’s a cruel situation. Olivia-sama wishes to protect this country purely out of goodwill, without any personal gain.”
“No matter how firmly one believes their actions are good, not everyone will understand. Having one’s helping hand slapped away is something we’ve grown accustomed to.”
“The irony is that the very fame your actions have earned is exactly what His Majesty desperately desires but can never obtain.”
The current king had reigned for only a few years, whereas Olivia had served as the Saint for nearly twenty.
The fame built upon accumulated achievements overwhelmingly favored the Saint over the king. Countless citizens preferred to offer donations to the temple rather than pay taxes to the kingdom.
Many people found this situation frustrating. This was particularly true for the majority of those serving within the palace, who felt threatened by the Saintess’s existence.
It was inevitable that some would view the current incident in the elves’ village as an opportunity. This was especially true of the current king’s faction, who could not be trusted.
The policies promoting reconciliation with subhumans including elves had been spearheaded by Saintess Olivia and Queen Dowager Mylene. One was the revered Saint, while the other was the previous king’s legitimate queen from another country who still wielded influence in national affairs.
For the newly ascended king, who had been born to a side consort, this presented the perfect chance to attack the blemishes of these inconvenient figures.
In palace political struggles, even those who were personally blameless often had past mistakes dragged into the light and were driven from power. It was a den of demons where being in the right did not necessarily mean one possessed virtue.
“I’d like to hear from the Royal Guard knight who was eavesdropping nearby what His Majesty and his close aides’ policy is.”
“You lot should already understand it without needing to be told. Suppressing the elf rebellion is a foregone conclusion for His Majesty. After all, neither the court nobles, the feudal nobles, nor the temple would ever tolerate a rebellion.”
“The real issues are who will take the lead, what method will be used to suppress the rebellion, and what treatment the elves will receive afterward.”
“His Majesty himself will take the lead. There’s no one else. He surely sees this incident as the perfect opportunity to display his own military might.”
“Wait a second. You’re saying His Majesty intends to lead the expedition personally?”
“It’s unclear, but I’d say the odds are about fifty-fifty.”
“That’s out of the question. If he does that, all it’ll accomplish is making His Majesty’s pettiness known not only within the country but to foreign nations as well.”
“Through the reconciliation policy, the elves are recognized as subjects of the royal family. A king who attacks his own people would inevitably be branded a foolish or tyrannical ruler.”
“His Majesty is panicking. He’s worried about whether he’s truly fit to be king, or whether Julius, who should’ve renounced his claim, might aim for the throne again.”
“Have none of his close aides even tried to remonstrate with him?”
“Of course they have. But there are also those fanning the flames. Even some within the Royal Guard Knights agree with him.”
“What’s their purpose in doing that?”
“The ones loudly insisting on His Majesty leading the expedition are the court nobles. They seem unable to stomach the fact that, since the end of the war, feudal nobles and commoners have been rising.”
“Ah, those old men who unilaterally hate Olivia-sama and the rest of us.”
The core bureaucrats serving in the palace were mostly court nobles in their thirties and forties. They were the generation that had personally experienced the era when the royal family wielded overwhelming power and corrupt nobles ran rampant committing atrocities.
They were the eggs left behind by those parasites who insisted that obtaining office through bloodline and connections alone, clinging to privileges, and indulging in luxury was the proper duty of nobles. Those same parasites had corrupted the nation in the process.
For those who couldn’t abandon such values, the rise of the feudal nobles and commoners they had once despised was utterly unacceptable.
They had desperately kept a low profile, avoiding the eyes of the Saintess and the heroes while waiting for their opportunity. Now that the newly ascended king still had an unstable political foundation, they intended to ingratiate themselves with him.
Unfortunately, such behavior couldn’t be permitted. The peace the Holfort Kingdom currently enjoyed rested upon an enormous pile of blood, tears, and corpses.
If it meant preventing that sacrifice from being wasted, they were prepared to accept being disliked by the king.
“First of all, the premise is wrong. The Royal Guard Knights’ mission is to protect the king. They’ve no need to compete for military merit with the army or the feudal nobles.”
“Exactly. Of course. The Royal Guard Knights have many members from noble backgrounds, especially court noble families, so the environment was fertile for noble-supremacist ideology to spread. I’ve already consulted with the commander, and we plan to carry out a thorough disciplinary purge on this occasion.”
“Leave the Royal Guard Knights to Chris. What about the current state of the kingdom army?”
“They’re behaving themselves and awaiting orders. As long as certain high-and-mighty figures don’t get overly eager for glory, there won’t be any problems.”
“The issue is the scale of the forces to be mobilized. Stopping His Majesty’s personal expedition is also partly meant to avoid provoking the feudal nobles.”
“I’ve heard that the feudal nobles also support suppressing the elf rebellion?”
“Even so, we want to minimize casualties on both the kingdom army’s side and the elves’ side as much as possible. If the elf leaders hand over the rebels, we can treat it as a matter of proper governance, with only a tiny extremist faction responsible for the uprising.”
“On the other hand, if a large army is deployed for sweeping arrests and armor is even brought in, the feudal nobles won’t stay quiet.”
“It’s only natural they’d suspect a return to the days of the female-supremacy policies from over twenty years ago, when they experienced bitter hardship.”
“Moreover, the representative from the feudal nobles attending the meeting is from the Redgrave Ducal House. This could get messy.”
“Olivia-sama, since it’s such a hassle, why not just dispatch the temple’s troops?”
“That won’t do. If we did that, it would establish a bad precedent in which the temple carried out military intervention while ignoring the royal family. The temple will remain focused on seeking a way to avoid casualties on either side.”
More than ten years earlier, the Holfort Kingdom had come close to splitting in two.
The engagement between the first prince and a ducal daughter had been broken off. With the backing of the royal family, the opposing faction had grown arrogant, and the Redgrave Ducal House had attempted to usurp the throne.
The royal family had been exhausted from the war against the former Fanoss Duchy, leaving them with few options to counter the situation. Many who understood the circumstances spent anxious days believing that the emergence of a Redgrave dynasty was highly likely and that civil war would be unavoidable.
The Saints and the Queen Dowager worked behind the scenes to resolve the crisis. Among those who cooperated with them, the individuals who played the greatest role were Count Leon Fou Bartfort and his wife, the former ducal daughter Angelica Fou Bartfort.
In the end, the previous Duke Redgrave was persuaded by his daughters, and the crisis was averted. Since then, the Bartfort Earl family had continued to receive strong favor from the royal family up to the present day.
“…If Duke Redgrave learns that Earl Bartfort and Angelica-sama are currently staying in the elves’ village, won’t that be a problem?”
“Exactly. He might very well dispatch troops himself to rescue his sister and her family.”
“If they had simply been caught up while on a family trip, it wouldn’t be such a major issue. But the Duke is well aware that Bartfort is an exceptional warrior.”
“Think about it. In the elves’ village, the site of the rebellion, Earl Bartfort, a renowned warrior, has already been staying there for several days. No one would believe that was mere coincidence.”
“Indeed, we did request that Earl Bartfort investigate the elves’ village. It’s going to be difficult to talk our way out of this.”
“…Why is it that the man is so capable, yet he always manages to create the single most troublesome situation imaginable?”
The image of a foul-mouthed, sharp-eyed man floated into everyone’s mind. Several people silently vowed that they would punch him hard the next time they met him.
No further pursuit of the matter was made. Everyone present had experience on the battlefield or had faced life-threatening situations.
No matter how perfect a plan appeared on paper, once it was put into action things rarely went smoothly. More often than not, they didn’t. They understood this through experience.
Entrusting someone because you believed in their ability meant exactly that. If they failed, the responsibility lay with the one who had chosen to trust them.
And precisely because they understood the danger of becoming obsessed with assigning blame, they were able to continue discussing effective measures for the future.
“I’ll take responsibility for contacting Duke Redgrave.”
“Are you sure about that, Jilk? The Duke’s house hates you, doesn’t it?”
“Whether one or two more reasons are added to why they hate me won’t change anything at this point.”
“Our policy here is to handle things as peacefully as possible. The elves’ village was designated as the kingdom’s first subhuman autonomous zone, and because of that it was prohibited from possessing military power, but…”
“Even so, port labor inevitably requires manpower. In order to prevent backlash from the elves and to serve as a safety net for those who fell into ruin after the previous war, we deliberately kept the regulations loose. It seems that decision has backfired.”
“Correcting injustice in the world is an endlessly long and difficult path. This too must be a trial imposed by God.”
The circumstances under which the elves’ village became a subhuman autonomous zone were not entirely pure or upright.
During the war with the former Fanoss Duchy, among the exclusive servants employed by nobles, those whose loyalty was weak betrayed their masters in large numbers and sold information to the duchy.
After the war ended, subhuman criminals were punished according to their crimes, and laws were enacted prohibiting the employment of subhumans as exclusive servants.
While the guilty certainly deserved punishment, even law-abiding subhumans were summarily dismissed from their employment. As a result, resentment toward the kingdom steadily grew.
At that time, the Holfort Kingdom had only recently annexed the Fanoss Duchy as the victorious nation. Numerous sparks of war and rebellion were still smoldering, placing the country in a precarious situation.
In the midst of this, the kingdom’s upper leadership conceived a plan. They would concentrate the subhumans in one location to make monitoring easier, grant them citizenship and household registration in exchange for taxation, and thereby replenish the national treasury that had been depleted by war.
Olivia sincerely desired reconciliation with subhumans from the bottom of her heart. Even though she knew the kingdom would use her activities as a convenient pretext, she deliberately agreed to the proposal.
She believed that one day humans and subhumans would truly come to understand one another.
As time passed and the elves’ village developed, people of uncertain origins gradually began gathering there.
Many of them were individuals who struggled to obtain legitimate employment. They were people whom society had not been able to fully save.
Although it was dangerous for those harboring grievances to gather together, it was impossible for the state and the faith alone to resolve every problem.
Thus, as long as taxes were paid without delay, the state chose to overlook the smoldering seeds of unrest. The temple also could not intervene further if it judged the individuals to be unproblematic.
The result of leaving those sparks unattended amid the busyness of everyday life had finally become the current situation.
Even if Earl Bartfort had never visited the elves’ village, trouble would eventually have erupted sooner or later.
“If I’m to be reprimanded for the failures of the reconciliation policy, I’ll accept it humbly. I bear responsibility without question.”
“No way! Olivia-sama has no need to feel guilty!”
“It’s the elves who repay kindness with hostility who are at fault!”
“Both of you. If you lump all elves together like that, Kyle-kun will be saddened.”
“Ah…”
“I’m sorry, Kyle-kun.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Unlike the awkward expressions worn by the ladies-in-waiting, the half-elf youth remained completely calm.
The years he had spent living away from his homeland already exceeded those he had spent there.
Although he had returned several times, he felt no particular homesickness or nostalgia. Strangely enough, none at all.
He might be called heartless, but no matter how far he searched through his memories, Kyle could find no pleasant recollections of his homeland.
He could never regard as kin the elves who had persecuted his mixed-blood mother and who had looked down upon him as a half-breed.
“Kyle-kun, do you have any particular wishes regarding the village or the elves?”
“Nothing in particular, except…”
“Except?”
“I just don’t want the elves or other subhumans to be enslaved.”
He didn’t particularly care who governed the village. The long-lived elves would continue living at their slow and gentle pace regardless.
His only real concern was his mother, Yumelia.
His kind-hearted, conflict-averse, and timid mother had suffered the tragedy of becoming pregnant while employed by a human noble.
He could hardly imagine the hardships she must have endured while defying the fierce opposition of those around her simply to give birth to him.
That was why he wanted to make her happy. In order to rescue his impoverished mother, he had sold himself to a slave merchant.
As a result, he encountered the Saint and now held a position connected to national affairs. Life truly was unpredictable. Those who had once mocked him as a half-elf would surely grind their teeth in frustration if they saw him now.
No matter how many times he might be reborn, no life could surpass the one he was living now. Even if he were to scatter his life here while protecting the Saint, he would be able to die with honor.
If he had one wish, it was for a world where his gentle mother could continue living peacefully even after his death.
For that reason, he had long been prepared to cut down any elves from his homeland who might need to be stopped. He would not hesitate.
“Thank you for sharing such a valuable opinion. I’ll do my best to make it happen.”
“No, I’m the one who’s honored to be of service.”
“Still, we don’t yet know how the meeting will unfold.”
“That’s exactly why we should hammer out the details until the very last moment. Everyone, please speak your minds freely.”
“It looks like the actual meeting is going to drag on as well.”
“Do you think Bartfort, who’s requesting reinforcements, will end up resenting us?”
Battle does not always take place on the battlefield. Political struggle is also a form of combat.
Their discussion continued until the hands of the clock reached the very moment when the meeting was scheduled to begin.
Saintess Olivia arrived at the meeting room last among the attendees, with only the king arriving after her. Her presence alone radiated an overwhelming dignity that caused the assembled nobles to feel overawed.
The meeting that day progressed smoothly despite the many different opinions that were voiced. Later records would note that Olivia succeeded in fulfilling nearly all of her wishes.
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Author’s Note
┻━━━━━━━━━━┻
This part tells the story of Olivia and the others in the capital.
Now that they are in their thirties, Olivia and her companions have accumulated considerable experience. As a result, they are far more politically skilled than they were during the events covered in parts two through six.
The current king feels that the rising status of territorial nobles and commoners has relatively diminished the authority of the royal family, which leaves him feeling anxious.
He tries his best because he worries about the fame enjoyed by Olivia and the five heroes. Unfortunately, his efforts tend to backfire, and the court nobles take advantage of his weaknesses.
Although he is younger than Olivia and the others and therefore lacks experience, he is by no means a villain or a foolish king.
The next chapter returns to Leon’s perspective. From that point onward, battles will take center stage for a while.
P.S.: At the request of the person who asked for it, an illustration that was previously received has been posted on pixiv.
Thank you very much.
9430-sama Pixiv
I would greatly appreciate any opinions or impressions you may have. They would be a tremendous source of encouragement moving forward.
~~~End~~~