A Famous Traitor and Treacherous Genius

111 – Gray Winter (1)

“This is absolutely a historic moment.”

Armand Haverus, a female reporter for the Imperial Newspaper, spoke toward the front while holding a magic tape recorder.

“It’s exactly 500 years ago. A gateway has been built, and the door that had been blocked by blood and hatred for a long time is finally opened.”

Goo goo goo.

“The moment I speak, the final gate of Gibraltar opens!!”

In front of Reporter Armand, on her shoulder, inside the lens of a machine made of magical engineering, there was a door that slowly opened left and right with Reporter Armand.

“The first gateway was opened through deception. The second gateway was opened through war. But at this moment, what is opening the final gateway is not Sangvis, but harmony into the future!!”

Beyond the final gate that opens to the left and right, there is nothing.

“Look, people of the Empire! What awaits us beyond the gate is neither the Sword Master of Gibraltar nor the Knights of Nostrum, but a land of peace!!”

Wide grassland.

We only crossed a few kilometers of canyon and three gates, but the land beyond the last gate was a green meadow.

“It’s a pity that we can’t show you this historic moment in real time, but we hope that this emotion will be conveyed to every corner of your home!”

Swish, swish.

As the man held the lens moved his outstretched hand under the lens, reporter Armand took a seat in front of him, holding the magic recorder.

“May there be peace on the continent! It was Armand Haverus of the Imperial Newspaper!”

As soon as I shout in a cheerful and bright voice, the red light shining on the lens goes out.

“Ha, plague.”

People changed in an instant.

“It sounds like harmony with the future.”

When the lights went out, reporter Armand fiddled with the inside of his coat, as if his personality had changed.

“Editor-in-Chief. You can’t burn that thing carelessly beyond the canyon.”

“Damn. Are you saying this is a smoking-free zone in the entire country?”

“Not in Gibraltar, not anywhere else.”

“Damn. Somehow they all burned it in the bloody wilderness over there.”

Reporter Armand mumbled and put back what he was trying to take out of his coat pocket.

“Since when did the media become the government’s dog?”

“Editor-in-Chief. If you say something like that, you will be caught in the shadows.”

“I have to say what I have to say. Or, should you at least file a complaint?”

“Haha. If the editor-in-chief is caught, I will also be caught on the set. “What should I do?”

Inside the magic machine on his shoulder, young man Peter took out the round magic stone and replaced it with a new magic stone and fiddled with the machine’s buttons.

“How can I get a new recording? I still have a lot of magic stones left for recording.”

“I have to pick it. Even if I’m not allowed to film that…”

Reporter Armand whetted his appetite as he watched the people crossing the wide open gorge to the left and right.

“Queen Carmen and the Habsburg Crown Prince. We should have published that in our newspaper.”

The powerful figures of the two countries cross the gates of Gibraltar on horseback.

Although the King of Nostrum and the Emperor of Thersian are not here, the sight of the actual King and the next Emperor meeting and walking together is truly a painting.

“It would be nice to have a press for the crown prince, really. Get all those paintings exclusively.”

“I listen.”

“I tell you to listen. Damn it. The editorial said something about how pitiful Nostrum was… Ugh.”

Reporter Armand captured historical scenes with his eyes

The Crown Prince has already visited Nostrum several times by ship, but this is officially the first time he has crossed the Gibraltar Gorge.

No, historically it is the first.

After 500 years, all three gates were opened, and the person who took the first step was Habsburg von Tersian.

“It’s all gone. The door isn’t closing?”

“Instead, the knights are standing like that. Look at that.”

Sigh.

As the crown prince and the imperial entourage crossed the gate, the knights in black uniforms who had been hiding beyond the gate took up positions between the gates.

“That is…”

“Hey, take a picture.”

“Huh? I still need to warm up my magic before I can record…”

“I’m telling you to at least take a photo mode. This is that person’s first time appearing in public.”

Reporter Armand made a fuss towards the knights in black uniforms and the tall woman standing in the middle.

From noble mtl dot come

“Mente Rift. A baron who was granted the ‘Canyon’ in Gibraltar as his fiefdom.”

“You said you were a rare ‘Blade’ master in the kingdom, right?”

“Okay.”

Click, click.

“Wow. I really don’t know when and where a hero will emerge from the kingdom.”

“A hero…? He looks like that, but they say he’s over 40.”

“You overcame the curse and became a master.”

“…When you talk about Nostrum heroes, don’t you usually mean young people in their late teens or early 20s? People who go beyond common sense and outside the norm.”

“He looks much younger than me, but he’s a hero. Hey.”

Reporter Armand giggled and whispered to Peter.

“Standing solemnly, but listening to everyone?”

“Gasp…!”

“If you want to be the editor-in-chief, you have to support super people like that on a daily basis.”

“Oh, I understand.”

“Keep in mind. The Master is everywhere, and his ears are open everywhere.”

* * *

The road to the royal road, inside the carriage.

“It’s a pity that I can’t stop by the Earl of Gibraltar’s house.”

The Habsburg Crown Prince opened his mouth insinuatingly to Queen Carmen, who was sitting across from him.

“The Count is a place we cannot control.”

Queen Carmen shrugged her shoulders lightly.

“I mean… “

“If you get off the carriage and want to visit separately, I won’t stop you, but I’m not sure if the Count will come out with his sword drawn.”

“Ha, haha…”

The Crown Prince’s words contained various political rhetoric, but Queen Carmen brushed them aside without notice.

“I understand. Just opening the gate to the canyon would have created a huge political burden within the kingdom.”

“…”

“Did you say that several nobles came to the Earl of Gibraltar and protested? How can all three of the canyon gates be opened to the Empire?”

“Although I was soon kicked out of the territory.”

Queen Carmen smiled bitterly and straightened her posture.

“Let’s finish talking about Orosol Academy and the Golden Sun.”

“If it’s about admitted students…”

“To the extent that the successors of both countries will attend school as first-grade students, the sword will reach out to those children.”

“I am sending this with all of that in mind.”

The crown prince smiled and answered.

“Are you afraid?”

“What?”

“What if the people our international students become friends with are heroes who will become the cornerstone of the kingdom?”

“You are openly provoking me. Are you trying to provoke the knights who are following you outside?”

“I’m just telling the truth.”

The crown prince even crossed his legs and showed his composition

“I wish it were so. I hope that the empire’s student and the kingdom’s nobleman will see each other, and that a dramatic love that surpasses the love story of the Crimson Margrave and Countess Charlotte will be achieved.”

“Ha…”

Queen Carmen’s eyebrows rose significantly.

“But I hope that such a story doesn’t become a tragedy, such as breaking someone’s engagement.”

“…”

“Isn’t that a very sad story about someone’s love?”

“You only choose words that are really nice to hear.”

Queen Carmen burst out laughing.

“Someone has already spoken to me in that way, so the Crown Prince doesn’t have to say anything he doesn’t mean.”

“…”

The crown prince uncrossed his legs and corrected his posture.

“Ho. That’s interesting. Who is that?”

“Do I need to tell you?”

“…”

Hehe. Even if you suggest something, I have no intention of telling you. I have no intention of making a fuss by giving you a hint.”

“Is that so? That’s a pity. Okay, let’s finish talking about Orosol Academy.”

The crown prince wiped his smile and asked with an expressionless face.

“Where is Gray Gibraltar now?”

* * *

Click, click.

“Whew. It’s a shame to go back like this. Should I go and interview the employees and customers of this outlet?”

“Iperia Outlet?”

“No. Here.”

Reporter Armand pointed to the surroundings.

“The ‘Morgania Outlet’ opened between Gate 2 and Gate 1.”

“…”

“Let’s find out what the Archduchy of Morgania thinks. Although I doubt whether they will say anything properly.”

Inside the canyon, several buildings lined up on the left and right.

Compared to the items sold at Iperia Outlet, there are many items that can be said to be truly ‘kingdom-style’, but these indigenous items also enjoy a cult-like popularity in the empire.

“That friend will do.”

“You mean the young man carrying the box over there?”

“Yes. From what I saw earlier, even though the imperial prince was passing by, he went about his business without much interest.”

Reporter Armand cleared his throat and walked towards the tall young man wearing a hat and working clothes.

“Hello! I’m Armand Haverus, a reporter for the Imperial Newspaper! I’d like to ask you something about the opening of the canyon. Could I interview you for a moment?”

“…”

Nod.

With gray eyes under the hat, the young man nodded lightly.

“You are fluent in the Kingdom.”

“Oh…”

Armand swallowed his saliva without realizing it at the young man’s voice.

“You have a nice voice. Hoho. What is your name?”

“It’s Grizzly.”

“What is your age and occupation?”

“…I am 27 years old, and my job is to manage and transport export goods at the Morgania upper level.”

“At the top… Ah. Ho-ho. Yes, that’s right.”

27 years old. Armand was a young man younger than himself, and his lips seemed to be constantly dry.

“The gates of Gibraltar have been opened for the first time in 500 years. It looks like there will be active exchanges between Nostrum and Thersian in the future. What do you think about this?”

“Will anything change? We’ll just be in peace without war.”

The young grizzly shrugged his shoulders indifferently.

“No matter what happens, the Earl of Gibraltar will take care of everything in the end.”

“Ah, that’s right. Count of Gibraltar…”

Armand blushed with a red face.

“Hmm! Mr. Grizzly, how did you feel while working here and mainly interacting with the upper level of the empire?”

“I thought it was really convenient for the people of the empire to work. There were a lot of interesting things.”

The young grizzly pointed to the magic machine that Peter was holding.

“Is that a camera? It’s huge?”

“Oh, this is called a camera. It records not only photos but also videos.”

“Video…?”

The young grizzly tilted his head, but Armand just smiled slightly and nodded.

“You will find out little by little. Are you interested in the academy [OroSol] In the kingdom this time?”

“Hmm… “

“Apart from the 17-year age limit for new students proposed by the empire, I heard that the kingdom selects various talents regardless of status, age, occupation, and talent.”

“Isn’t this all about getting nobles to enroll in the end?”

The kingdom youth grizzly twitched the corners of his mouth with a self-deprecating sneer.

“People like me just say, ‘Oh, that’s right.’ Oh, I’m curious about that.”

“What are you curious about?”

“I heard that among the 10 people from the Empire who are coming to study abroad this time, the granddaughter of Astacia is so pretty. I would like to meet her.”

“Oh, yes.”

Armand suddenly felt as if her heart had been pounding, had cooled down.

“She is a very beautiful woman.”

“Why are you doing that?”

“Um, no. Just, whatever.”

You are the same. Armand barely swallowed the words that were about to come out.

“Thank you for agreeing to the interview.”

“Nothing much to say. Then I’ll go back to work…”

The young grizzly left, carrying his box with both hands.

The stocky physique must have come from moving boxes for a long time.

“Haa…”

“Why? What did you try to do by seducing an innocent young man in the kingdom? Are you disappointed that it failed?”

“No. Just.”

Reporter Armand quenched his appetite as he looked at the wide open gate.

“The door opened like that, but I wondered if people’s hearts would also open like that.”

“You will find out as time passes. Where is there not a war? All the main fighters were exiled to the western part of the continent.”

“Yes. They are exiled to the farthest place from the kingdom, so if they came here for no reason, the gate over there would be closed again. Yes.”

Reporter Armand scratched his head.

“But how does that door open?”

“Isn’t it magic?”

“There are no people or machines?”

“It’s magic because you don’t need it, right?”

“Is that so…? Well, I guess so.”

Click, click.

“Rumor has it that only the blood of Gibraltar can open it… Who came and went?”

“I don’t know. Ah, maybe it’s that boy?”

“Noir Gibraltar? The successor to Gibraltar, who was said to be specially admitted as a first-year academy student?”

“Yes. Isn’t it an attempt to establish a connection with international students from the Empire?”

Armand tilted his head.

“In that case, just who is he?…”

“Ray Gibraltar.”

“… I don’t think his name was Ray.”

“Grey Gibraltar. Gibraltar who lost the position of’next sword’to his younger brother.”

“Ah, yes. He is the eldest son, but he said to have lost the family heirloom sword to his younger brother.”

Armand clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“It’s a pity. There is no talent for swords in a famous family of sword masters.”

“Excuse me, I’m passing by.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

A young grizzly passed by again carrying a box.

“A hard-working friend, really.”

Armand cast a wistful gaze at the young grizzly carrying three boxes.

“Anyway, Peter, keep in mind. There are many Masters in Gibraltar, and you never know where a Master will be in the kingdom. Do you understand?”