Princess Shu

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“Has His Grace ever come to see this place in person?”

“With all due respect, no, he never has.”

“Is that so? When will the sunflowers be in full bloom? I wonder how it will look when the flowers are in bloom.”

The gardener gave a gentle smile peculiar to the plant lover.

“All these flowers are in full bloom in summer. The weather is particularly warm here, so even in early summer, fresh energy is already coming up. When the sunflowers are in full bloom, they will all turn into a golden color. It looks really beautiful, Madam. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed when I look at it.”

“It must be very beautiful.”

“Yes, Madam. You can look forward to it.”

Valia nodded. She told him that she would hire more gardeners and asked him to take good care of the field.

‘Summer…’

In the past, she heard that this hegemony war ended around summer.

‘Did he stop by the Marquisate back then?’

This time Schuden would stop by the Marquisate. However, Valia was unsure whether he would come to this place—the field that seemed to have a story behind it. She did not have any intentions to urge or ask him to come with her. After all, anything related to the former Marquess would be a bad memory for Schuden.

Still, she was curious about the overwhelmingly beautiful scene that the gardener promised her. Valia looked around the field a little more before going back to the castle.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

At the same time, in the Gel Empire’s barracks headquarters, Marquess Schuden Garth, the commander-in-chief, was sitting at the top of the conference table. The deputy commanders were seated according to their ranks one after the other. Schuden was the only one with an indifferent expression on the table, all the commanders under his command were ranting and raving.

It had been three months since the war was declared. The battle between Gel and the East continued day by day.

The battle they had was not one where the outcome could be seen in a short period of time. The moment the Eastern Kingdoms Union defeated the Gel Empire, the hegemony of the continent would be changed. The records of all history books would be reversed and each country would begin to form a new pecking order. It was clear that Gel would be demoted and that the East would declare the birth of a new Emperor. Go big or go home. The Eastern Kingdoms Union risked their lives in this war.

This war was a war of such great scale. Its meaning, too, was of the utmost importance. Adding to that, the Gel Empire’s army, especially the army led by Schuden Garth, was never an easy opponent to take on. Because of this, the East went for a careful approach. They did not go all out right away from the start of the war. Instead, they stayed on their guard for three months, concentrating and responding with all their nerves.

The same went for Gel. Under the control of the composed and calm commander-in-chief, Gel’s soldiers only responded appropriately. Their wariness for each other meant that they did not go deep. 

However, there was a commander who broke this rule. He was a knight of Gel, and one of Schuden’s second-in-commands.

His vigorousness matched the cautiousness of the soldiers of the East. And his reckless determination to make a contribution and raise his name were the reason for his defeat.

The commander alone led his troops, and the result was a crushing defeat. Though he managed to survive, the loss was huge. He was also guilty of ignoring the commander-in-chief’s orders and making a lone misjudgment.

The second-in-command, who returned alive, was executed by beheading that day. And the subject of the debate stemmed from that.

Blood temperatures rose and the battlefield grew tense. There were several commanders who wanted to overturn the lame daily fight. Since the East kept on lying down flat, the commanders suggested teaching them a lesson first by active engagement. 

It had been months since the exhausting response. Of course, there was also opposition to the decision. They questioned whether it was necessary to take such a risk, thus prolonging their heated debate on considering the gains and losses.

“The East won’t last long.”

The commanders went silent when they heard the low voice, so did some knights who even had blood vessels around their necks because of raising their voices. It was as if they had planned to keep quiet in advance. 

They turned to Schuden, sitting at the top seat.

The commander-in-chief, who easily calmed down the atmosphere of the barracks with just one sentence, asked with a blank face.

“Where did you think the East got the money to fund a war with such large a scale as this?”  

“Pardon?”

It was a random question, but the commanders calmly thought of an answer.

“Wasn’t it from the royal treasury?”

“Primarily, yes. So then, how did they fill the royal’s treasury?”

“Tax, isn’t it? The East is a place where commerce is active, so there must be a lot of wealthy merchants. I heard that the nobles there are also very rich because of their trade business. With just the taxes collected from them… Oh, wait, no. I heard that the East does not collect taxes from the nobles.”

“To be exact, the King suggested not to collect taxes.”

As the King of the East planned to devour the North, he crashed into the noble elders. Even without war, the East was already a country rich in trade. The elders argued that there was no need to engage in such a big thing as a war. Though ambitious as he may be, the young King could not ignore the will of the noble elders, the ones who had laid the foundation of the country for many years.

And so, the King took a carrot and stick approach. He offered tax exemption to the elders and proposed to the feudal lords a plan to not collect taxes for the next ten years after the end of the war with the North. It was only possible because of the wealthy merchants in the country and the rich national treasury. In addition, if the North was conquered as planned, the value in gaining the mines in the occupied area would truly be enormous. It was never a losing business.

“The King made a hasty judgment. He must have wanted to keep the momentum and beat Gel. And since they had won the victory in the North and returned in triumph, the elders would not have room for opposition.”

The Northern kingdoms had several diamond mines as well as excellent quality iron mines. The mines could provide the kingdom with plenty of prosperity for the next few decades.

However, the owner of the territory had changed. The King of the East was not such a foolish monarch as to persecute the people of the occupied territories. However, if the war was prolonged and the national treasury ran out, he would immediately need to find a way to get money. The first place to squeeze out was, of course, the occupied northern lands.

“But then again… If the taxes go up and exploitation gets worse, complaints will come out immediately. They also can’t ignore the appearance of the resistance activists.”

“That’s right. They can’t ask the people of the North for patriotism and loyalty to the Eastern Kingdom, can they? They are people who have just lost their country.”

The commanders were convinced. Schuden said as he looked at the topography of the Rief Plain spread out on the table.

“They still have quite a few soldiers stationed in the North. It’s on a scale that can prevent exhausting resistance. However, once the rebellion begins in earnest, the soldiers here cannot help but retreat. They can’t lose the fish they have caught just to catch a new fish.”

“But, Your Grace, would the Eastern King wage war without even expecting that? I’m sure he has reinforcements and a cash cow he believes in.”

“Yes, of course, he had.”

Schuden raised his head. He looked around slowly at the commanders. Every time the blood-red eyes brushed against them, they felt strange goosebumps as if they were in front of a beast.

“I have just received a quick report. Duke Ronald of the Eastern Kingdom died a week ago.”

Duke Ronald was the top representative supporter of the Eastern King. He practically raised the King from an early age and was like the godfather of the King. Perhaps that was the reason the Duke’s biological son was rumored to not be very close to the King. It was only a few days ago that this rumor became a reality.

“The new Duke Ronald has officially announced his intention to join the noble elders. The King has lost his greatest support.”

The cost that was generously paid under the full support of Duke Ronald would also be completely withdrawn within a few months. The King had nowhere else to retreat. The side of the war that could not wait any longer was the East, and the one that had to see the result first was also the East.

“The East will be the one who runs out of patience first. All we have to do is wait. If you have any objections, tell me now. Any subsequent protest will result in decapitation.”

The red eyes sank in a cool manner. Any resistance in the army, and especially on the battlefield, was to be executed promptly. Besides, Schuden Garth was a ruthless man. He had no hesitation in cutting the throat of his disobedient subordinates. The commanders expressed their obedience without any protest.

Four more months had passed since then. It was as Schuden had expected. Reconnaissance came in saying that the Eastern Kingdoms Union was preparing for an all-out attack. Schuden opened his mouth after hearing the urgent report from his second-in-command.

“Call in all units in five minutes.”

It was already early summer.

The day had finally come when he would return to her.    

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

“Your Grace, it’s ready.”

Said the servant who had fixed Schuden’s helmet. It was a black helmet that matched the armor that he was wearing. Countless liters of human blood had splashed on the helmet, but thanks to the thorough cleaning and management of Schuden’s subordinates, there was no contamination.

Schuden shook his neck from side to side and checked the helmet. The blue cloak embroidered with a silvery-gray emblem fluttered behind his back as he moved.

It had been a long time since he had worn a cloak during the battle. The knight’s cloak had a strong meaning in its protocol when worn, so it was usually only worn in the first battle. The fact that Schuden, the commander-in-chief, wore a cloak meant that the battle that day would be different from others.

Schuden did not go straight out. He stopped for a moment, then he checked his left wrist. A pouch as small as a thumb was tied to his firm wrist. Schuden raised his head indifferently and went out immediately.

Shaun was waiting for him outside the barracks. He was also wearing a blue cloak that symbolized the Knights of Garth. Shaun bowed his head with discipline and opened his mouth.

“Your Grace, all units have been deployed as you have instructed. All the troops were sent, except one.”

“What about the East?”

“According to the reconnaissance report, they had the largest number of units in history. Also, their headquarters is said to be having a ceremony.”

“They act fast.”

Schuden murmured. The East’s headquarters having a ceremony was an expression of the continental knights, they intended to cut off the head of the enemy’s leader. Gel wanted Leo’s neck and the East wanted Schuden’s neck. A draw might happen in some wars, but not this war. It was a fight that would only end when one was defeated. Today’s battle would be the final showdown that would determine the outcome of this war.”

“All troops march forward!”

“Aaaarrgghhhhh!”

There was a loud beating of the drums. Along with that, soldiers from both sides poured in. The blood-stained plain was filled with soldiers in an instant. Then, the sharp sound of blade and blade clashing struck eardrums. With every blink of an eye, blood was sprinkled in the air and on the floor. Limbs that had lost their owners rolled on the ground.

“Die!”

An Eastern knight rushed after the legs of the horse Schuden was riding, but alas, he had died without even getting to go near. His chest was penetrated with a spear by another knight.

It was Shaun. As the leader of the Knights of Garth, he prioritized the protection of his liege over the victory or defeat of the war. His usual solemn and somber atmosphere had long since disappeared. With his bloodshot eyes, Shaun pierced the necks of the soldiers who rushed at Schuden. Red blood was scattered on the cheeks of the Knight Commander, who had already killed more than seven.