A Famous Traitor and Treacherous Genius

347 – Golden Sun, Silver Moon (2)

When I was young.

So, on Treason Day, before I turned 10.

For me, who returned, it was already a long time ago, that is, before Noir and Letard were even born.

-Father. Why do we have to protect the canyon?

When I was very young, I asked my father.

-Because that is Gibraltar’s role.

At the time, my father said it differently.

It was a child’s question, but it was because you learned that from your father.

-You can go somewhere together for a day or a week, right?

Just a 4-year-old child with no understanding of his position as a guardian or complex political relationships-

Ah.

Correction.

Now that I think about it, it wasn’t until I was 4 years old.

Noir wasn’t there, but he was probably asleep in the crib, so he was probably around 6 or 7 years old.

-Grey, that is.

-Father and mother can also travel with knights.

-That’s right.

My father answered calmly.

-The reason is that Gibraltar must always be on the front line.

-The front line?

-Maybe the day will come when you, too, will understand.

My father postponed the answer until later.

Guardian of Gibraltar, Nostrum postponed his duties and responsibilities, which bordered on gaslighting, to a distant future, something he had done over 100 times over the past 500 years.

-Grey.

My mother said.

-Just as our ancestors have protected Gibraltar for generations, the Count is also trying to protect Gibraltar.

Everyone in Gibraltar has been like that.

The child had a question.

Just because everyone, including our ancestors, does that, is there a need for us, the contemporaries, to do the same?

That would have been a question that everyone in Gibraltar had, and only those who did not have that question would have remained in Gibraltar and become the Margrave.

-Grey.

My father said.

-Someday, let’s go on a trip together.

Was it to stop the child’s constant barrage of questions, or was it because he really wanted it?

-If there comes a day when Gibraltar no longer needs to go to Gibraltar, then let’s all go on a trip together.

Probably my father didn’t know at the time.

There are promises that parents should not make.

So.

This is not my memory.

A fabricated memory I created when I was drunk on silver.

-Grey Gibraltar.

My father didn’t say that.

-Gibraltar’s duty is to protect the canyon.

Just as previous Gibraltarians had said, all they could say was to fulfill Gibraltar’s duty.

-As those who lead the people of the territory, we must do the best that Gibraltar can do to be able to eat the grains and vegetables they offer.

Even before Treason Day, and even after Treason Day, my father was a model of nobility.

-We are knights. He is the one who protects.

The father said.

-Sometimes you have to give up something to protect something precious. Gibraltar is only giving up a little bit of freedom for the safety of the entire kingdom.

My father’s words were full of pride.

Perhaps it was because of his sense of responsibility as the Margrave of Gibraltar at the time, or the responsibilities of the Margrave handed down from his ancestors to his, but it was probably also because of his father’s personal disposition his.

-Remember, Gray.

Before Treason Day.

At that time, my father was like a nobleman of Nostrum.

-Protecting Gibraltar is the same as protecting the most precious thing.

At that time, the father only said things that the young child could not understand.

Do you understand now?

I don’t know.

Now that the gateway has been taken away, the canyon has been taken away, my father’s arm has been cut off, and my mother is missing.

Does protecting Gibraltar really mean the same thing as protecting something precious?

There is no one to ask.

But I know the answer.

Perhaps now that we have reached an extreme situation, we can vaguely understand the reason.

Protecting Gibraltar means protecting the most precious thing.

To protect what I love, I go to the forefront.

Even if Gibraltar is in ruins and all its citizens have disappeared.

In this land, I am.

Here, there is one Gibraltar.

So this is the front line.

Gibraltar is a canyon.

I become the front line against the enemy.

To protect the precious things I love.

* * *

Dawn.

Five days have passed since the canyon was taken over by the empire.

Should I say five days from the day my mother went missing, or four days from the day I arrived at the Old County of Gibraltar?

Perhaps many people in Nostrum think so.

[Surrender. Crimson Gibraltar was defeated. The Empire occupied the Gibraltar Gorge.]

Hey, the content of the sounds of airships floating in the sky talking using voice amplification magic tools – it would be correct to say it is ‘the fifth day since the defeat of Crimson Gibraltar’.

Yes.

Five days after the defeat of Crimson Gibraltar.

The Empire flies airships in the skies of each region of Nostrum and advertises Father’s defeat during the day.

It is not just propaganda using airships.

Although he was a non-combatant, he used the shadows that had already infiltrated various parts of Nostrum to spread rumors, and even included the information by sending a surrender document to the castle where he was staging a sit-in with the door locked.

It would be great if we could understand it in real time, but perhaps nobles all over the kingdom are surrendering by the minute.

‘We’ll all die anyway.’

The empire and the emperor are thorough beings.

They are the ones who destroyed all of the County of Sirene and are trying to kill all of Nostrum, but are still using existing strategies.

He took Empress Erwin hostage and forced her elf to sit down.

Airships are sent to various parts of Nostrum to infiltrate small units and engage in guerrilla warfare.

Dragon knights even flew on flying dragons to raid airships floating in the sky, but there was only a magic engine for flight and a recorded propaganda voice device to shout in all directions.

How can someone who uses such tactics not use ‘false surrender’?

‘Perhaps only the nobles have been cut off in various places, and the peasants are comfortably occupied by the imperial soldiers.’

Using the common sense of the existing Nostrum people.

War in Nostrum is basically seen as fighting honorably and then surrendering, like a territorial war, or planting a flag in the enemy’s center.

I don’t think of it as a scorched-earth annihilation war.

Since the Empire is also human, it kills nobles and soldiers who resist, and does not think of killing commoners.

They may be civilians, but they think the Empire will not kill civilians carelessly.

If it were me, I would do that.

Only.

‘No matter what happens in other territories, the direction has already been decided.’

I cannot interfere with that now.

All I can do is stand in Gibraltar.

Standing still, holding the Sword of Gibraltar, on top of the walls of Gibraltar’s lordly castle, in the direction of the canyon.

“Master.”

Lord Mente is approaching.

Although he was wearing a knight’s uniform rather than armor, I had no intention of pointing that out.

That was Lord Mente’s ‘battle uniform’.

“I have taken care of everything you instructed me to do.”

“You’re a master.”

About the title of Lord Mente, I laughed for a moment.

“It may sound like an old man, but aren’t you past the age where you can be called a master? Sir Mente?”

“What title do you want me to call you, now?”

“If you are trying to comfort me as a child and disciple, I will postpone that consideration until later. For now… Let’s roughly call it ‘marginal bag’.”

“Change… Back?”

Sir Mente tilts his head.

“Isn’t it a bit absurd to say that?”

“The Margrave is not simply an earl who protects the border. The person who protects Gibraltar is the Margrave.”

“…”

“In that sense, Lord Mente can also be called a margrave.”

“Ha.”

Sir Mente chuckles.

From noble mtl dot come

“My own Lyft is enough for me.”

“Oh. Don’t you want to become Count Rift?”

“It’s quite attractive, but not really.”

“Is that so?”

“Young master!!”

Sir Carlos, wearing black armor, approaches.

“All members of the Cavalry Division are ready. We can respond as you instructed.”

“Here too, master.”

“Well, that is.”

“It’s okay.”

I smiled lightly and nodded towards Sir Carlos.

“I really like that title now.”

“Yes…?”

“As a protector, you have to be the Margrave, but you don’t have to be called the Margrave to activate the magic that protects Gibraltar Castle.”

I lightly shrugged my shoulders.

“It’s the title ‘Master.’ It may be somewhat awkward for a 20-year-old young man to hear, but I guess that means it’s stuck in everyone’s mouths.”

“That… “

“Young master!!”

A familiar voice heard from far away.

“You’re here.”

“Huh, oh oh…!”

“Thank you for your hard work, Sir Robert.”

“Well, that is…”

After taking his father to the rear, Sir Robert returned to Gibraltar.

“I was just waiting for you.”

“Yes…?”

“To be exact, I was waiting for them to gather.”

I pointed to the people gathered behind me inside Gibraltar Castle.

“Even where the people of the territory have left and only burnt ruins remain, aren’t knights gathering here to protect Gibraltar?”

“Well, that is…”

Knights of Gibraltar.

Orphans in an orphanage.

The Vampire Hunters of the Rift Spirit.

“There are people who came here under orders, but there are also people who came here on their own even though no orders were given.”

And the Knights of Gibraltar from Barcelona.

“You were the last, Sir Robert.”

“Yes, yes…?”

“I won’t ask what happened to my father.”

I turned my head towards the canyon.

“The Marquis is missing. The Marquis is defeated. When he returns to Gibraltar, the safety of Gibraltar will be secured, and then it can be resolved.”

“…”

“Sir Robert. Do I look cold?”

“…Yes.”

Everyone swallows their saliva at Robert’s assertion.

“That makes me feel even more reassured.”

“Why?”

“…It’s like the master’s usual self, not being easily swayed by anything.”

“I see.”

I lightly tapped the sword of Gibraltar I was holding.

“I’m just a 20-year-old brat?”

“In front of me… “

Sir Robert pounds his breastplate loudly with his fist.

“There is none other than the Margrave and Guardian of Gibraltar, our hope, and my master.”

“…”

“Order.”

“Ha.”

Dawn.

“Let me make a confession.”

The time when the darkness of the night gradually recedes and the morning sunlight begins to rise.

“Actually, I’m not good at giving speeches.”

I confessed one thing in front of everyone.

“There’s nothing I’m worse at than saying things I don’t mean to. Except for that one thing, I can say that I’m above average, or even at a master level.”

Climb up onto the railing of the castle wall.

“So, when it is recorded in the history books later, one of you will take care of making it look more believable.”

Turn your body and look down at the knights.

“At a time when everyone is gathered in the royal capital, those who are here in Gibraltar are Gibraltar.”

The knights correct their posture.

“What.”

Only.

“I’m not trying to say that.”

That’s something my father was good at.

“The reason we gathered together is to protect our families and Gibraltar.”

I just need to take charge of what I do best.

“Sir Robert. What is the best defense?”

“You said it was an attack.”

“Okay.”

Being able to be proud of what you do better than others in the world.

“Gentlemen.”

Also as Gibraltar.

“From now on, we are no longer guardians. We are invaders.”

Even as gray.

“All of us gathered here together.”

No matter what history judges in the future.

“Break through the canyon, advance to the empire, and occupy the imperial capital.”

With this, the 500-year history of Nostrum and Gibraltar will come to an end.

“From now on, I am going to kill the emperor.”