Arc 8: Vincent Vollachia
Arc 8, Chapter 33 "Judging Love"
--Gustav Morello, Governor of Ginunhive, the "Gladiator Island".
It is of great significance that he was given this position by the great Emperor of the Holy Vollachia Empire.
In Vollachia, where the teaching that "Imperials must be strong" has been taught since time immemorial, the role expected of an entertainment using gladiators held on a solitary island is especially significant.
This is not for simple amusement, but to keep people's minds too far away from the "struggle" and to keep the fangs of the imperial people from curling up under the reign of the current emperor, who extinguishes even the spark of civil strife with a small fire.
Although not explicitly stated, this is what Gustav saw as his duty to fulfill when he was appointed governor by Emperor Vincent Vollachia.
In fact, accordingly, Gustav has served as governor of the isolated island better than any of his predecessors. --Until today.
"--Gustav Morello, accompanied by the Gladiators of Ginunhive, has joined us."
In front of the emperor, Vincent Vollachia, who was looking down at us, Gustav knelt with all four of his multi-armed arms on the ground and said as much.
--The great civil war that rocked the entire empire, which completely destroyed the premise by the spears of the dead.
In order to escape the raging army of the corpses, the residents of the imperial capital and the surrounding area were evacuated en masse, forcing the warriors to work together to resist the destruction, regardless of whether they were regulars or rebels.
While the dispersed evacuation of the too many evacuees was underway, more than half of the total number of evacuees were still housed in the fortified city of Garkla. Shortly after joining the evacuation assistance of that large group and entering Garkla himself, Gustav was granted an audience with Vincent.
"----"
In a room of the Grand Fortress, next to Gustav, who is kneeling, is Idra Missanga, who looks at a loss.
The outlaw group, the Gladiators, had renamed themselves the Pleiades, with Natsuki Schwarz serving as their leader and Gustav as their chief strategist. Gustav, the chief strategist, chose Idra to assist him in tasks other than rampaging.
Idra, who has a reasonable amount of thoughtfulness and composure among the swordmen who have a particularly close relationship with Schwarz, is very useful in a group full of roughnecks.
Nevertheless, there was no way to showcase that composure in front of His Imperial Highness the Emperor out of the blue.
"I have received reports of your work from Zikr Osman. That kid...... Natsuki Schwarz was also flaunting his achievements."
"Pii-pii...... ah"
Perhaps because she was too nervous, Idra unintentionally uttered this, and her face paled.
Vincent, his dark eyes narrowing, is famous for his caustic nature, despite his graceful and delicate appearance. It is understandable that the people of the empire, who know the emperor only through rumors, would be prepared to die just to have his attention turned to them.
"But," said Gustav, kneeling down and looking up at Vincent,
"Your Excellency Emperor, this one is Idra Missanga. He is one of the gladiators, but he assists his profession with work that others cannot do. Please pardon him as soon as this conflict is over--"
You are unusually outspoken, Gustav Morello. But."
"--uh"
"If you say he is valuable, then he must be so. Work hard at your best. If you are going to talk about the postwar period, leave behind achievements and lives that can be talked about after the war."
"Ha, hahah! Thank God for happiness!"
Idra flattened himself on the spot as hard as he could, hitting his forehead on the floor with so much force.
Idra, who was so deeply moved by the news that he had saved his life that he could not see what was going on around him, was unaware that Vincent, the son of a miller, had just given him an unprecedented offer.
Of course, Gustav thinks he has a contribution to make that can be made, but at the same time, he felt Vincent's change--his generosity toward others.
Vincent was originally a wise emperor and too wise for his own good.
That is why Vincent was cold to the emperor's vision, which was too clear-sighted, and to those with whom he did not share it. This is why those around him had to risk their lives to try to understand the emperor's view.
The emperor who made it a good thing, however, seemed to have ceased to be just that.
"But it's a bold move."
Suddenly, as if to break Gustav's train of thought, Vincent releases his voice.
At the emperor's words, Gustav knelt down, closed his mouth, which was protruding with fangs that he could not close, and waited for Vincent's next words.
Vincent's dark eyes narrowed at Gustav's silence,
"I ordered you to be the Governor of the 'Gladiator Island'. How dare you abandon it in this emergency and then lead the island's gladiators to the Imperial capital in the far east?
Sitting in a large chair, cheekbones resting on the armrest, he heard Idra next to him clearing his throat slightly at Vincent's words.
A situation of extreme disrespect for the emperor and pessimism that an imperial citizen would have given up his life.
"--. May I make a few excuses?"
"I forgive you. But choose your words carefully. Even if you lose two arms, you can still work as well as any man, can't you?"
But Gustav did not sink into pessimism and returned the words to the emperor in awe. Vincent allowed it with a look that could be considered either lecherous or provocative.
In the face of this, Gustav was surprisingly calm, even to himself. Perhaps it was the influence of the boy who was more daring and fearless than anyone else.
"The Emperor says that the I habe relinquished my post as Governor, but that is not true. And the other thing is that it is not I who is leading the gladiators--"
"Not you?"
"--It's the Son of the Emperor."
Gustav will never forget Vincent's reaction the moment he told him so.
"----"
For a moment, Vincent's dark eyes rolled back in their sockets, and he looked terribly stern.
It was truly a reaction that can only be described as being caught flat-footed. For Vincent, it was a sign that both the speaker and the content were unexpected.
A momentary expression, which Vincent quickly drowned out with a hand over his mouth,
"I appreciated your loyalty to your duties and your lack of composure."
"I also agree. However, if things had remained as His Imperial Highness the Emperor and I thought they should be, we would have had no choice but to watch from the far west for a major Imperial event."
If Schwarz had not caused the outburst of taking over the "Gladiator Island", Gustav would have remained on the isolated island and immersed himself in the role of managing the gladiators, even though this was an important part of the Empire.
Did he think that no matter what happened to Vincent in the imperial capital, he was obedient to the duties he was ordered to perform, and that he was a viatican with no track record to evaluate?
He is relieved from the bottom of his heart that he didn't have to be, that he didn't have to leave himself like that.
Even if this was the result of being inspired by Schwarz to interpret the emperor's orders in his own way, and to rush to the imperial capital by abusing his own judgment to the maximum extent possible in the event of an "emergency".
"--And the emperor would have died along with the capital, which would have been a good use of your time."
"Your Excellency?"
Contrary to Gustav, who thought he could affirm his own judgment, whether or not it was correct, Vincent's words sounded like they were filled with another kind of speculation.
But Vincent would not let the blotched speculation touch him.
Instead, Vincent shook his head,
"I'll let you talk me into it. In a situation where the very survival of the empire is at stake, you can try to win your own amnesty and the pardon of the gladiators. --Now, back off."
"Yes sir. I will crush their bodies with all the skill of my profession."
An agreement is reached between Gustav and Vincent on the handling of the "emergency" directive.
Whether Gustav has done anything out of line with his duties as Governor of the "Gladiator Island" will be proven from here on out by Gustav himself and the work of the Pleiades group.
There was no certainty that he would always be able to pull it off. But at this point, Gustav thought he could at least avoid regretting Schwarz's instigation.
Yes, that was when Gustav slightly twisted the edges of his mouth and was about to leave from the presence of the emperor.
"I-I am afraid I have to ask you, Your Excellency......"
Gustav gasped when Idra suddenly opened his mouth while rubbing his forehead on the floor.
Idra said this to Vincent in a trembling, awe-struck voice, dexterously turning his head upward in a flattened position, his eyes now teary-eyed, looking at the emperor.
Idra's gallantry was admirable, as he showed in "Sparka" on the Gladiator Island, but to bite back at the emperor who ordered him to back off was indeed too much of an outburst to spare his life.
However--,
"--What?"
Vincent's response, which he did not expect, again astonishes Gustav.
Idra, who could reach out at an opportune moment without hesitation, did not miss that opportunity. Using his intuition, which is typical of a gladiator working on the brink of death, Idra moved his dry lips and asked the question that prompted him.
It is--,
"What do you intend to do with your son...... Prince Schwarz after this battle?"
"Missanga?!"
It was an off-the-wall, in-the-moment question that only the bravest person in the empire could ask.
The rumors of the "black-haired prince" that rose in various places are inseparable from the great civil war in the history of the empire, before the circumstances were rewritten as a battle between the living and the dead.
The Pleiades group was originally launched when Schwarz was ready to clash with Vincent, and that is the main goal of the group.
Therefore, it was natural for Idra to want that answer from Vincent.
The problem, though, was that Idra was too nervous to realize that this was the ultimate form of disrespect that could threaten his life.
"----"
In response to the silence created, Gustav is aware of a turmoil that he rarely feels.
Looking back, every upset he can remember in the last while has been sent out by Schwarz or Cecilus, and the addition of Idra to that list is an event that should make the world a better place.
Without thinking so, even Gustav almost escaped from the reality of the situation at hand,
"--Idra Missanga."
Vincent's lips called Idra's name.
In response, Idra as well as Gustav blinked and swallowed spit. In front of them, the emperor recrossed his long legs and continued.
"It is not up to me to decide whether he should go or not."
Vincent's answer, which did not quite make sense.
It is not satisfying to be told that Vincent, who stands at the top of this empire, does not have the right to decide on Schwarz's future.
But he couldn't let Idra bite off any more than he had to.
"Step back while your neck and torso are still connected. --Any more would be impious."
Gustav hastened to trigger Idra, lifting him up with two arms and covering his mouth with the other two, as he clearly stated the line the emperor had drawn.
With Idra, who was probably the luckiest person in the fortified city or in the empire tonight, held up, Gustav bowed deeply to Vincent.
And then--,
"I beg your pardon for Prince Schwarz's position."
He took advantage of Idra's good fortune and let Gustav's one word, which was so flighty, be the final word to settle the one act of his defense for leaving the "Gladiator Island".
△▼△▼△▼△
"I was surprised to hear him say that about Gustav Morello. He's a hard man to read."
Holding Idra like a sinner, Gustav added one last unspoken word and walked away. Vincent watched his back and sighed quietly.
The fact that he not only unexpectedly flew to the "Gladiator Island", but also made all the gladiators there and that Gustav, who was foolishly loyal to his duties, bend his mind is astonishing.
Frankly, no matter how much he denies it, it seems to him that it would make more sense not to be a "Stargazer".
In any case--,
"The city's defenses are far from solid, even if they have been added to the city's defenses. We can't afford to be sloppy in our selection of attackers to the Imperial City......"
There is much for Vincent to consider about how to differentiate between the two.
The selection of personnel from the allied kingdoms was left to the experts on the other side, but they would have to play their cards right. They would have to leave Berstetz and Serena in the fortified city, and Goz would be more than enough for the military.
In terms of simple strength, the lack of personnel to incorporate into a raid team is painful--,
"The people who are good at large-scale military operations are irreplaceable. That point would be more valuable than having a ton of Cecilus left. ......That ton is nothing but a nightmare, but have you seen something curious in the Imperial City that explains why he hasn't joined yet? I hope we don't have to let that destroy our country."
The danger of the 'stone block' and the concern shared by all who know Cecilus's humanity. The massacre of the dead by Cecilus and the resulting depletion of the Great Spirit's mana.
Like Halibel, who held the black dragon at bay with the dragon carriage, it was unlikely that Cecilus would fall behind the corpse, even if his limbs were shortened, but not falling behind was the problem.
"If the country dies, it will be Chisha's fault for picking it up that day. It would be a nice thing for him to get off on the wrong foot......"
He's not crazy enough to laugh at it as hilarious, and it's unclear if there is enough pause to laugh at it as hilarious.
Yes, when Vincent reaffirmed in himself the reason for his haste--,
"--Wait a minute! I was told not to let you in, Your Highness!"
"That is why! I haven't said yes yet!"
An unexpected loud voice was heard through the door, and Vincent's thoughts were laced with a miscellaneous taste.
The door to the room was opened with a mighty bang as Vincent looked up at the sound of a loud, high-pitched yell.
"Abel-chan! Give me your face!"
"I won't."
A tall woman with long blonde hair danced in the doorway. With two barbarian swords strapped to her hips, she marched before the emperor, an act that seemed insane, but was done without hesitation.
Behind the medium, Jamal Aurelie, who had left him standing in front of the door, peeks out a pitiful face, which Vincent pierces with a cold stare.
"I ordered you to let through what I told you to let through, didn't I?"
"Y-yes, of course, but when...... the opponent is the queen, a lowly soldier like me doesn't know what to do......ngh"
"Then, would you be powerless if a 'general' of a higher rank than you appeared with the intention of rebelling?"
"Yes! No, sir! If it's your honor and the 'general', your honor is definitely better than the general. But I'm not sure about the position of the queen...... sir!"
Jamal chose his words carefully, even though they were rough around the edges. Vincent gave up on that response and looked at Medium, who was standing in front of him.
Medium, who came on board with a snorting nose, looked very different from what he had heard.
"I heard you were holed up in your room, sobbing your eyes out."
"Who said anything about sobbing? That's not like me at all! Well, I might have cried...... a little bit, but......!"
"Your brother, Flop O'Connell."
"An-chan! An-chan! Why would you say that~?!"
"It's easy, my sister. Of course, it is so that the Emperor, will take a strong interest in and protect Medium in preparation for the coming battle for the queen!"
Medium looks back with gusto, and when she turns her water on him, it is the blithe-faced Flop who grudgingly confesses his plan.
He had no time to say anything to Jamal, who also let him pass by, but he didn't have time to stay with them if they started a quarrel.
"I told Jamal, but I don't agree with him! I don't dislike Abel, but I don't know what he will do to the queen!"
"I see. But sis, you are my sister. But did you become my sister because you knew what a sister should do, or because you didn't know anything about it? You could be my sister without knowing anything in particular...... am I wrong?"
"What? Huh, if you ask me, that might be......"
"If it were, it wouldn't matter if you knew how to be something or not. What matters is the desire to become it and the environment around you. My sister and the queen have the same roots!"
"Oh~! I see, that's great, An-chan...... I won't be fooled, An-chan?!"
Medium, which was about to be swept away for a moment, bit at him furiously, and Flop put his hand on his own forehead with a flustered look on his face, saying, "There is no way, huh?"
Apparently, though, it was not an outbreak of sibling rivalry.
"Don't bring before me a story that has not come together among you. I'm busy. Jamal, get these guys out of here."
"Oh, Wait, wait! I don't care now if I'm the queen or not! That's not what I wanted to borrow Abel's face......"
"What do you want?"
"I want you to take me to the capital too!"
With a bang, Medium slapped herself on the chest with her hand and stated her demand clearly.
Vincent frowns at the nature of the request. Then, beside the brave-faced Medium, "Okay?" And Flop holds up one finger,
"I know I've probably surprised you with my out of the blue remark, but it wasn't just an idea that my sister brought up. It was the last thing I saw in that dragon carriage just before we arrived in town."
"--Balleroy Temeglyph?"
"Yes, it is."
When Flop nodded without surprise, Vincent recalled the last attack on the dragon carriage.
When Subaru had the little girl, whom he had come to call Spica, do something to her, resulting in the incomplete revival of the corpseed Lamia, Vincent thrust the blade with his own hand.
And it was Balleroy Temeglyph, the "Magical Sharpshooter", who took her dying sister away again, this time to carry on the dead flying dragon.
There, he saw Balleroy, and sure enough, Medium said.
"Bal-bro......"
The weak and thin Medium mutters.
She turned her voice inside out and called Balleroy, who was moving away from her, many times.
"Medium and I have known Balleroy for a long time. We used to work for High Countess Dracroy. I met Balleroy there...... and never expected to see him again in such a way."
"It would be somewhat ironic to call it a reunion."
To Vincent's words, Flop replies in an unusually somber voice, "Yes."
Medium and Flop, it was understandable that they would have mixed feelings toward the corpseed Balleroy, and that it would be heartbreaking to see their close friend appear in a different form than they had been in life.
However--,
"----"
Vincent never said that he had any idea what he was going through.
At least he had given his sister back to life with his own hands.
"So how does your sibling's connection to Balleroy connect to my earlier request?"
"Abel, you're a smart guy, you know exactly what I'm talking about. But you shouldn't talk like that, it makes you sound really bad."
"----"
"I want to see him and talk to him. Even though he's like that and I don't know what he's thinking, I want to talk to him. Because..."
At first vigorously, but gradually faltering, she chose her words to convey her heart correctly, and Medium who did so once broke off her speech.
Take it seriously so that she can choose the most important words most correctly,
"Because I wanted to be your wife, Bal-bro."
"--. That's just emotionalism."
In response to Medium's teary-eyed plea, Vincent looked toward Flop.
Medium was about to start crying, and it was Flop who recommended her as one of the queens. His true intention was probably more concerned for her safety than ambition.
"You will not stop your sister from going to her death?"
"I'm sure you don't realize how much my sister and I value dialogue on a regular basis. Of course, by the time we got here, I had tried to stop her many times, only to have her forcefully shake me off and rewrap the bandages!"
"In other words, he was pushed aside by force. I'm surprised you could ignore my brother's suggestion."
"I love you, and you are always right. But you and I are different people, and sometimes I want to do different things. That's the case now."
When neither force nor words could stop her, Medium regained the tension in her voice.
Vincent often ponders this powerful appeal.
In terms of simple, competence, Medium's competence is only a hair above that of a soldier in the Imperial Guard.
Jamal, who is unable to follow simple instructions, is probably superior in swordsmanship. It is hard to imagine that taking him along would dramatically contribute to the war situation.
But that means, on the contrary, that her presence does not affect the war situation.
"--Do what you want."
"--! Are you sure? Abel-chin."
"Do not be suspicious when your demands are granted. Your presence or absence will not affect the outcome of the war. But you will have to bear the burden because of it."
"That's......"
Surprised by the response, Medium blinks at Vincent's subsequent words. At Medium's appearance, Flop interrupted, "I mean,"
"You have to protect yourself. There is no room left over to protect Medium."
"Yes. Without that resolve, jumping into the thick of battle is......"
"I'll be fine, then! You have to protect yourself, that's what I and An-chan have been doing all along our journey."
"----"
Vincent's intentions were quickly thwarted by Medium herself when he tried to tell her that she was being misguided if she intended to be protected on the grounds that she was a candidate for the queen.
Medium, who was anxious to say what she was going to say, was relieved and patted her chest as if she had been given a light condition.
"Man~, I was so nervous about what he was going to say to me. But I'm glad Abel was not at all meaner than I was afraid he would be."
Almost exactly what he expected to hear, Vincent's lips are slightly discouraged.
In any case, Medium put her demands into words and declared that she would swallow the risks involved in doing so.
Then Vincent has nothing to add.
"Tomorrow morning."
"Huh?"
"Tomorrow morning, I will take the chosen personnel to the Imperial Capital. Make sure you are ready."
He tells them briefly, and then Vincent looks at Flop.
"Did I say I was gonig to accompany you? I'm telling you, I'm not going to discuss whether or not a suicidal man who can't protect himself is allowed to do so."
"Thank you for your concern. I'm not going to die myself, as you'd expect. I don't want to be a burden to my sister. ......I'll leave the whole Balleroy thing to Medium."
"An-chan......"
"Well, I'm not sure I can see him. Not that I'm sure we'll ever meet."
He has no opinion on Flop's decision, and Vincent mentions the possibility that his wishes may not be fulfilled.
But Flop smiled at Vincent's words.
"Don't worry, you'll meet him."
"Why do you think so?"
"I believe in fate. That it should be mean, but not tactless."
It is as persuasive as Medium's emotionalism.
But Vincent avoided mentioning it. He knew that if he said anything, the siblings would probably double down on Vincent.
Besides, he knows they know that they don't have to tell him.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Abel! If you don't get a good night's sleep, you'll have dark bags in your eyes!"
With a big wave of her hand, Medium turns away gallantly.
There is not a trace of the tearful aftermath of her earlier tears on her stretched out back. If she wasn't crying in disguise, she felt once again that she was a busy emotional girl.
Then Flop, which should have followed behind the outgoing Medium, suddenly stopped,
"Thank you, Your Excellency."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"I'd like to thank you for taking Medium's...... I mean, for taking our feelings into consideration. And for not blaming Medium for liking Balleroy, even though she's a potential queen. She's a potential queen."
The corners of his eyes lowered and Flop put his hand to his own head in such a tone.
So Vincent responds by snickering at what Flop is saying.
He was thinking about the feelings of Medium's desire to see Balleroy, and his gratitude that he did not condemn her for it.
"Punish love? It would be more miserable to do such a tactless thing."
Vincent was annoyed to see Flop smile so happily at his answer.
Arc 8, Chapter 33 "Judging Love"
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--Gustav Morello, Governor of Ginunhive, the "Gladiator Island".
It is of great significance that he was given this position by the great Emperor of the Holy Vollachia Empire.
In Vollachia, where the teaching that "Imperials must be strong" has been taught since time immemorial, the role expected of an entertainment using gladiators held on a solitary island is especially significant.
This is not for simple amusement, but to keep people's minds too far away from the "struggle" and to keep the fangs of the imperial people from curling up under the reign of the current emperor, who extinguishes even the spark of civil strife with a small fire.
Although not explicitly stated, this is what Gustav saw as his duty to fulfill when he was appointed governor by Emperor Vincent Vollachia.
In fact, accordingly, Gustav has served as governor of the isolated island better than any of his predecessors. --Until today.
"--Gustav Morello, accompanied by the Gladiators of Ginunhive, has joined us."
In front of the emperor, Vincent Vollachia, who was looking down at us, Gustav knelt with all four of his multi-armed arms on the ground and said as much.
--The great civil war that rocked the entire empire, which completely destroyed the premise by the spears of the dead.
In order to escape the raging army of the corpses, the residents of the imperial capital and the surrounding area were evacuated en masse, forcing the warriors to work together to resist the destruction, regardless of whether they were regulars or rebels.
While the dispersed evacuation of the too many evacuees was underway, more than half of the total number of evacuees were still housed in the fortified city of Garkla. Shortly after joining the evacuation assistance of that large group and entering Garkla himself, Gustav was granted an audience with Vincent.
"----"
In a room of the Grand Fortress, next to Gustav, who is kneeling, is Idra Missanga, who looks at a loss.
The outlaw group, the Gladiators, had renamed themselves the Pleiades, with Natsuki Schwarz serving as their leader and Gustav as their chief strategist. Gustav, the chief strategist, chose Idra to assist him in tasks other than rampaging.
Idra, who has a reasonable amount of thoughtfulness and composure among the swordmen who have a particularly close relationship with Schwarz, is very useful in a group full of roughnecks.
Nevertheless, there was no way to showcase that composure in front of His Imperial Highness the Emperor out of the blue.
"I have received reports of your work from Zikr Osman. That kid...... Natsuki Schwarz was also flaunting his achievements."
"Pii-pii...... ah"
Perhaps because she was too nervous, Idra unintentionally uttered this, and her face paled.
Vincent, his dark eyes narrowing, is famous for his caustic nature, despite his graceful and delicate appearance. It is understandable that the people of the empire, who know the emperor only through rumors, would be prepared to die just to have his attention turned to them.
"But," said Gustav, kneeling down and looking up at Vincent,
"Your Excellency Emperor, this one is Idra Missanga. He is one of the gladiators, but he assists his profession with work that others cannot do. Please pardon him as soon as this conflict is over--"
You are unusually outspoken, Gustav Morello. But."
"--uh"
"If you say he is valuable, then he must be so. Work hard at your best. If you are going to talk about the postwar period, leave behind achievements and lives that can be talked about after the war."
"Ha, hahah! Thank God for happiness!"
Idra flattened himself on the spot as hard as he could, hitting his forehead on the floor with so much force.
Idra, who was so deeply moved by the news that he had saved his life that he could not see what was going on around him, was unaware that Vincent, the son of a miller, had just given him an unprecedented offer.
Of course, Gustav thinks he has a contribution to make that can be made, but at the same time, he felt Vincent's change--his generosity toward others.
Vincent was originally a wise emperor and too wise for his own good.
That is why Vincent was cold to the emperor's vision, which was too clear-sighted, and to those with whom he did not share it. This is why those around him had to risk their lives to try to understand the emperor's view.
The emperor who made it a good thing, however, seemed to have ceased to be just that.
"But it's a bold move."
Suddenly, as if to break Gustav's train of thought, Vincent releases his voice.
At the emperor's words, Gustav knelt down, closed his mouth, which was protruding with fangs that he could not close, and waited for Vincent's next words.
Vincent's dark eyes narrowed at Gustav's silence,
"I ordered you to be the Governor of the 'Gladiator Island'. How dare you abandon it in this emergency and then lead the island's gladiators to the Imperial capital in the far east?
Sitting in a large chair, cheekbones resting on the armrest, he heard Idra next to him clearing his throat slightly at Vincent's words.
A situation of extreme disrespect for the emperor and pessimism that an imperial citizen would have given up his life.
"--. May I make a few excuses?"
"I forgive you. But choose your words carefully. Even if you lose two arms, you can still work as well as any man, can't you?"
But Gustav did not sink into pessimism and returned the words to the emperor in awe. Vincent allowed it with a look that could be considered either lecherous or provocative.
In the face of this, Gustav was surprisingly calm, even to himself. Perhaps it was the influence of the boy who was more daring and fearless than anyone else.
"The Emperor says that the I habe relinquished my post as Governor, but that is not true. And the other thing is that it is not I who is leading the gladiators--"
"Not you?"
"--It's the Son of the Emperor."
Gustav will never forget Vincent's reaction the moment he told him so.
"----"
For a moment, Vincent's dark eyes rolled back in their sockets, and he looked terribly stern.
It was truly a reaction that can only be described as being caught flat-footed. For Vincent, it was a sign that both the speaker and the content were unexpected.
A momentary expression, which Vincent quickly drowned out with a hand over his mouth,
"I appreciated your loyalty to your duties and your lack of composure."
"I also agree. However, if things had remained as His Imperial Highness the Emperor and I thought they should be, we would have had no choice but to watch from the far west for a major Imperial event."
If Schwarz had not caused the outburst of taking over the "Gladiator Island", Gustav would have remained on the isolated island and immersed himself in the role of managing the gladiators, even though this was an important part of the Empire.
Did he think that no matter what happened to Vincent in the imperial capital, he was obedient to the duties he was ordered to perform, and that he was a viatican with no track record to evaluate?
He is relieved from the bottom of his heart that he didn't have to be, that he didn't have to leave himself like that.
Even if this was the result of being inspired by Schwarz to interpret the emperor's orders in his own way, and to rush to the imperial capital by abusing his own judgment to the maximum extent possible in the event of an "emergency".
"--And the emperor would have died along with the capital, which would have been a good use of your time."
"Your Excellency?"
Contrary to Gustav, who thought he could affirm his own judgment, whether or not it was correct, Vincent's words sounded like they were filled with another kind of speculation.
But Vincent would not let the blotched speculation touch him.
Instead, Vincent shook his head,
"I'll let you talk me into it. In a situation where the very survival of the empire is at stake, you can try to win your own amnesty and the pardon of the gladiators. --Now, back off."
"Yes sir. I will crush their bodies with all the skill of my profession."
An agreement is reached between Gustav and Vincent on the handling of the "emergency" directive.
Whether Gustav has done anything out of line with his duties as Governor of the "Gladiator Island" will be proven from here on out by Gustav himself and the work of the Pleiades group.
There was no certainty that he would always be able to pull it off. But at this point, Gustav thought he could at least avoid regretting Schwarz's instigation.
Yes, that was when Gustav slightly twisted the edges of his mouth and was about to leave from the presence of the emperor.
"I-I am afraid I have to ask you, Your Excellency......"
Gustav gasped when Idra suddenly opened his mouth while rubbing his forehead on the floor.
Idra said this to Vincent in a trembling, awe-struck voice, dexterously turning his head upward in a flattened position, his eyes now teary-eyed, looking at the emperor.
Idra's gallantry was admirable, as he showed in "Sparka" on the Gladiator Island, but to bite back at the emperor who ordered him to back off was indeed too much of an outburst to spare his life.
However--,
"--What?"
Vincent's response, which he did not expect, again astonishes Gustav.
Idra, who could reach out at an opportune moment without hesitation, did not miss that opportunity. Using his intuition, which is typical of a gladiator working on the brink of death, Idra moved his dry lips and asked the question that prompted him.
It is--,
"What do you intend to do with your son...... Prince Schwarz after this battle?"
"Missanga?!"
It was an off-the-wall, in-the-moment question that only the bravest person in the empire could ask.
The rumors of the "black-haired prince" that rose in various places are inseparable from the great civil war in the history of the empire, before the circumstances were rewritten as a battle between the living and the dead.
The Pleiades group was originally launched when Schwarz was ready to clash with Vincent, and that is the main goal of the group.
Therefore, it was natural for Idra to want that answer from Vincent.
The problem, though, was that Idra was too nervous to realize that this was the ultimate form of disrespect that could threaten his life.
"----"
In response to the silence created, Gustav is aware of a turmoil that he rarely feels.
Looking back, every upset he can remember in the last while has been sent out by Schwarz or Cecilus, and the addition of Idra to that list is an event that should make the world a better place.
Without thinking so, even Gustav almost escaped from the reality of the situation at hand,
"--Idra Missanga."
Vincent's lips called Idra's name.
In response, Idra as well as Gustav blinked and swallowed spit. In front of them, the emperor recrossed his long legs and continued.
"It is not up to me to decide whether he should go or not."
Vincent's answer, which did not quite make sense.
It is not satisfying to be told that Vincent, who stands at the top of this empire, does not have the right to decide on Schwarz's future.
But he couldn't let Idra bite off any more than he had to.
"Step back while your neck and torso are still connected. --Any more would be impious."
Gustav hastened to trigger Idra, lifting him up with two arms and covering his mouth with the other two, as he clearly stated the line the emperor had drawn.
With Idra, who was probably the luckiest person in the fortified city or in the empire tonight, held up, Gustav bowed deeply to Vincent.
And then--,
"I beg your pardon for Prince Schwarz's position."
He took advantage of Idra's good fortune and let Gustav's one word, which was so flighty, be the final word to settle the one act of his defense for leaving the "Gladiator Island".
△▼△▼△▼△
"I was surprised to hear him say that about Gustav Morello. He's a hard man to read."
Holding Idra like a sinner, Gustav added one last unspoken word and walked away. Vincent watched his back and sighed quietly.
The fact that he not only unexpectedly flew to the "Gladiator Island", but also made all the gladiators there and that Gustav, who was foolishly loyal to his duties, bend his mind is astonishing.
Frankly, no matter how much he denies it, it seems to him that it would make more sense not to be a "Stargazer".
In any case--,
"The city's defenses are far from solid, even if they have been added to the city's defenses. We can't afford to be sloppy in our selection of attackers to the Imperial City......"
There is much for Vincent to consider about how to differentiate between the two.
The selection of personnel from the allied kingdoms was left to the experts on the other side, but they would have to play their cards right. They would have to leave Berstetz and Serena in the fortified city, and Goz would be more than enough for the military.
In terms of simple strength, the lack of personnel to incorporate into a raid team is painful--,
"The people who are good at large-scale military operations are irreplaceable. That point would be more valuable than having a ton of Cecilus left. ......That ton is nothing but a nightmare, but have you seen something curious in the Imperial City that explains why he hasn't joined yet? I hope we don't have to let that destroy our country."
The danger of the 'stone block' and the concern shared by all who know Cecilus's humanity. The massacre of the dead by Cecilus and the resulting depletion of the Great Spirit's mana.
Like Halibel, who held the black dragon at bay with the dragon carriage, it was unlikely that Cecilus would fall behind the corpse, even if his limbs were shortened, but not falling behind was the problem.
"If the country dies, it will be Chisha's fault for picking it up that day. It would be a nice thing for him to get off on the wrong foot......"
He's not crazy enough to laugh at it as hilarious, and it's unclear if there is enough pause to laugh at it as hilarious.
Yes, when Vincent reaffirmed in himself the reason for his haste--,
"--Wait a minute! I was told not to let you in, Your Highness!"
"That is why! I haven't said yes yet!"
An unexpected loud voice was heard through the door, and Vincent's thoughts were laced with a miscellaneous taste.
The door to the room was opened with a mighty bang as Vincent looked up at the sound of a loud, high-pitched yell.
"Abel-chan! Give me your face!"
"I won't."
A tall woman with long blonde hair danced in the doorway. With two barbarian swords strapped to her hips, she marched before the emperor, an act that seemed insane, but was done without hesitation.
Behind the medium, Jamal Aurelie, who had left him standing in front of the door, peeks out a pitiful face, which Vincent pierces with a cold stare.
"I ordered you to let through what I told you to let through, didn't I?"
"Y-yes, of course, but when...... the opponent is the queen, a lowly soldier like me doesn't know what to do......ngh"
"Then, would you be powerless if a 'general' of a higher rank than you appeared with the intention of rebelling?"
"Yes! No, sir! If it's your honor and the 'general', your honor is definitely better than the general. But I'm not sure about the position of the queen...... sir!"
Jamal chose his words carefully, even though they were rough around the edges. Vincent gave up on that response and looked at Medium, who was standing in front of him.
Medium, who came on board with a snorting nose, looked very different from what he had heard.
"I heard you were holed up in your room, sobbing your eyes out."
"Who said anything about sobbing? That's not like me at all! Well, I might have cried...... a little bit, but......!"
"Your brother, Flop O'Connell."
"An-chan! An-chan! Why would you say that~?!"
"It's easy, my sister. Of course, it is so that the Emperor, will take a strong interest in and protect Medium in preparation for the coming battle for the queen!"
Medium looks back with gusto, and when she turns her water on him, it is the blithe-faced Flop who grudgingly confesses his plan.
He had no time to say anything to Jamal, who also let him pass by, but he didn't have time to stay with them if they started a quarrel.
"I told Jamal, but I don't agree with him! I don't dislike Abel, but I don't know what he will do to the queen!"
"I see. But sis, you are my sister. But did you become my sister because you knew what a sister should do, or because you didn't know anything about it? You could be my sister without knowing anything in particular...... am I wrong?"
"What? Huh, if you ask me, that might be......"
"If it were, it wouldn't matter if you knew how to be something or not. What matters is the desire to become it and the environment around you. My sister and the queen have the same roots!"
"Oh~! I see, that's great, An-chan...... I won't be fooled, An-chan?!"
Medium, which was about to be swept away for a moment, bit at him furiously, and Flop put his hand on his own forehead with a flustered look on his face, saying, "There is no way, huh?"
Apparently, though, it was not an outbreak of sibling rivalry.
"Don't bring before me a story that has not come together among you. I'm busy. Jamal, get these guys out of here."
"Oh, Wait, wait! I don't care now if I'm the queen or not! That's not what I wanted to borrow Abel's face......"
"What do you want?"
"I want you to take me to the capital too!"
With a bang, Medium slapped herself on the chest with her hand and stated her demand clearly.
Vincent frowns at the nature of the request. Then, beside the brave-faced Medium, "Okay?" And Flop holds up one finger,
"I know I've probably surprised you with my out of the blue remark, but it wasn't just an idea that my sister brought up. It was the last thing I saw in that dragon carriage just before we arrived in town."
"--Balleroy Temeglyph?"
"Yes, it is."
When Flop nodded without surprise, Vincent recalled the last attack on the dragon carriage.
When Subaru had the little girl, whom he had come to call Spica, do something to her, resulting in the incomplete revival of the corpseed Lamia, Vincent thrust the blade with his own hand.
And it was Balleroy Temeglyph, the "Magical Sharpshooter", who took her dying sister away again, this time to carry on the dead flying dragon.
There, he saw Balleroy, and sure enough, Medium said.
"Bal-bro......"
The weak and thin Medium mutters.
She turned her voice inside out and called Balleroy, who was moving away from her, many times.
"Medium and I have known Balleroy for a long time. We used to work for High Countess Dracroy. I met Balleroy there...... and never expected to see him again in such a way."
"It would be somewhat ironic to call it a reunion."
To Vincent's words, Flop replies in an unusually somber voice, "Yes."
Medium and Flop, it was understandable that they would have mixed feelings toward the corpseed Balleroy, and that it would be heartbreaking to see their close friend appear in a different form than they had been in life.
However--,
"----"
Vincent never said that he had any idea what he was going through.
At least he had given his sister back to life with his own hands.
"So how does your sibling's connection to Balleroy connect to my earlier request?"
"Abel, you're a smart guy, you know exactly what I'm talking about. But you shouldn't talk like that, it makes you sound really bad."
"----"
"I want to see him and talk to him. Even though he's like that and I don't know what he's thinking, I want to talk to him. Because..."
At first vigorously, but gradually faltering, she chose her words to convey her heart correctly, and Medium who did so once broke off her speech.
Take it seriously so that she can choose the most important words most correctly,
"Because I wanted to be your wife, Bal-bro."
"--. That's just emotionalism."
In response to Medium's teary-eyed plea, Vincent looked toward Flop.
Medium was about to start crying, and it was Flop who recommended her as one of the queens. His true intention was probably more concerned for her safety than ambition.
"You will not stop your sister from going to her death?"
"I'm sure you don't realize how much my sister and I value dialogue on a regular basis. Of course, by the time we got here, I had tried to stop her many times, only to have her forcefully shake me off and rewrap the bandages!"
"In other words, he was pushed aside by force. I'm surprised you could ignore my brother's suggestion."
"I love you, and you are always right. But you and I are different people, and sometimes I want to do different things. That's the case now."
When neither force nor words could stop her, Medium regained the tension in her voice.
Vincent often ponders this powerful appeal.
In terms of simple, competence, Medium's competence is only a hair above that of a soldier in the Imperial Guard.
Jamal, who is unable to follow simple instructions, is probably superior in swordsmanship. It is hard to imagine that taking him along would dramatically contribute to the war situation.
But that means, on the contrary, that her presence does not affect the war situation.
"--Do what you want."
"--! Are you sure? Abel-chin."
"Do not be suspicious when your demands are granted. Your presence or absence will not affect the outcome of the war. But you will have to bear the burden because of it."
"That's......"
Surprised by the response, Medium blinks at Vincent's subsequent words. At Medium's appearance, Flop interrupted, "I mean,"
"You have to protect yourself. There is no room left over to protect Medium."
"Yes. Without that resolve, jumping into the thick of battle is......"
"I'll be fine, then! You have to protect yourself, that's what I and An-chan have been doing all along our journey."
"----"
Vincent's intentions were quickly thwarted by Medium herself when he tried to tell her that she was being misguided if she intended to be protected on the grounds that she was a candidate for the queen.
Medium, who was anxious to say what she was going to say, was relieved and patted her chest as if she had been given a light condition.
"Man~, I was so nervous about what he was going to say to me. But I'm glad Abel was not at all meaner than I was afraid he would be."
Almost exactly what he expected to hear, Vincent's lips are slightly discouraged.
In any case, Medium put her demands into words and declared that she would swallow the risks involved in doing so.
Then Vincent has nothing to add.
"Tomorrow morning."
"Huh?"
"Tomorrow morning, I will take the chosen personnel to the Imperial Capital. Make sure you are ready."
He tells them briefly, and then Vincent looks at Flop.
"Did I say I was gonig to accompany you? I'm telling you, I'm not going to discuss whether or not a suicidal man who can't protect himself is allowed to do so."
"Thank you for your concern. I'm not going to die myself, as you'd expect. I don't want to be a burden to my sister. ......I'll leave the whole Balleroy thing to Medium."
"An-chan......"
"Well, I'm not sure I can see him. Not that I'm sure we'll ever meet."
He has no opinion on Flop's decision, and Vincent mentions the possibility that his wishes may not be fulfilled.
But Flop smiled at Vincent's words.
"Don't worry, you'll meet him."
"Why do you think so?"
"I believe in fate. That it should be mean, but not tactless."
It is as persuasive as Medium's emotionalism.
But Vincent avoided mentioning it. He knew that if he said anything, the siblings would probably double down on Vincent.
Besides, he knows they know that they don't have to tell him.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Abel! If you don't get a good night's sleep, you'll have dark bags in your eyes!"
With a big wave of her hand, Medium turns away gallantly.
There is not a trace of the tearful aftermath of her earlier tears on her stretched out back. If she wasn't crying in disguise, she felt once again that she was a busy emotional girl.
Then Flop, which should have followed behind the outgoing Medium, suddenly stopped,
"Thank you, Your Excellency."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"I'd like to thank you for taking Medium's...... I mean, for taking our feelings into consideration. And for not blaming Medium for liking Balleroy, even though she's a potential queen. She's a potential queen."
The corners of his eyes lowered and Flop put his hand to his own head in such a tone.
So Vincent responds by snickering at what Flop is saying.
He was thinking about the feelings of Medium's desire to see Balleroy, and his gratitude that he did not condemn her for it.
"Punish love? It would be more miserable to do such a tactless thing."
Vincent was annoyed to see Flop smile so happily at his answer.