Chapter 70 : Chapter 70
Chapter 70. Under the Banner of Cadmus (2)
She was alone.
She survived alone, lived alone, and was sitting alone.
Many people were surrounding her, but that didn’t change the fact that she was alone.
Because they were looking at the crown of Quiesco, which no longer existed, on her head.
However, the black-haired man sitting in front of her now was different.
“I know well what feelings Princess has lived. Because I also went through the same experience.”
It wasn’t obvious words of comfort.
Baron Blanc Cadmus.
A knight who rose from ashes.
He was a man qualified to dare say he understood in front of her.
“Please help me. I will help you.”
The boy who rose from ashes had brushed off dirty ashes with his own strength before anyone knew and was shining brilliantly.
The ashen princess stared blankly at the hand Blanc extended.
It felt as if black ashes created while Quiesco was burning were still sticking to her hair and stinging.
***
Quiesco was the head of the city-state union opposing Gartaria.
And it was also the nation that resisted until the very last.
Considering only history, they were older than Gartaria, and since they were a people not easily absorbed whoever looked at them, Gartaria decided to kick them out of the border.
It was the moment the harsh refugee life of Quiesco people began.
“300 troops correspond to the entire military force we have. We cannot give them up recklessly.”
And the brown-haired woman saying no in front of Blanc’s eyes was Isabella Blotan, the only royalty of Quiesco.
Ironically, the shining fame of Quiesco Cavalry holding the broken banner was created at the moment their nation fell.
Their heroic act of breaking through Gartaria’s surrounding networks layer upon layer holding the young princess in arms was something talked about among people even now, over ten years later.
“…….”
Blanc saw the appearance of someone familiar overlapping in the Princess of the ruined nation in front of his eyes.
Although the only similar thing was abundant brown hair, Blanc couldn’t know why the appearance of someone he cherished in the last life was overlapping.
However, Blanc was not a person to ruin work due to simple déjà vu.
“My enemies are the 3 families of Gartaria. Aren’t they families that participated in the Quiesco invasion too?”
Princess Isabella possessing a haughty impression like a cat.
Her eyes rose sharply.
“Not only them, but all families existing in Gartaria rushed in like a pack of jackals.”
“Couldn’t the enemy of an enemy be called a friend. Princess.”
Blanc persuaded her saying that him borrowing Isabella’s troops was no different from taking revenge for Quiesco.
“Of course, I do not intend to borrow Princess' precious troops just with justification.”
Blanc said he had funds worthy of hiring 300 troops and would pay a generous price to them.
However, Princess Isabella showed a lukewarm reaction even when money stories came out and wasn’t reacting to Blanc’s proposal.
‘Who would think that Princess is seventeen years old.’
Blanc admired Princess Isabella, who was still emitting charisma as royalty although ruined.
Probably because a heavy burden was placed on her shoulders just like Blanc.
“I can give 200 troops. However, the Quiesco Cavalry is impossible.”
“I need the cavalry, the core of Quiesco troops, more than 200 troops. Princess. I want to borrow their strong breakthrough power and unbending will.”
Quiesco’s infantry were also excellent resources, but what Blanc needed was cavalry.
Blanc had to take the determination of those who broke through Gartaria’s encirclement by all means.
“Cavalry is our main power. If we lose them, Quiesco’s reconstruction will become foam.”
Isabella made a cold expression and looked down at Blanc.
“I cannot send those precious people to a battlefield with low odds.”
Isabella also viewed Blanc’s winning possibility low.
Isabella spoke to Blanc with a cold voice.
“They are not people who can be easily given up for mere money. Do not forget that they are soldiers of Quiesco, not mercenaries, Baron Blanc.”
“If not money, with what can I move Princess' heart?”
Princess Isabella showed a smile for the first time during the conversation with Blanc.
However, that smile was something like a sneer coming not from goodwill.
“Well. If you give at least half of Norington, I could think deeply……”
“I will give it.”
Blanc answered without a shred of hesitation to the Princess' proposal.
“……Pardon?”
“If you give Quiesco’s troops, I will give half of Norington.”
It was an unconventional condition enough that even the Princess, who had maintained a cool attitude so far, had to make a sound of wind escaping.
However, giving up Norington’s land was one of the negotiation cards Blanc had thought of.
“Of course, since I am giving half the territory, naturally you must not engage with the attitude of mercenaries.”
Maybe giving up land was a better method.
If it became so, those holding the broken banner of Quiesco would become allies sharing destiny, not simply in the position of employees.
Plus, he could embrace not only 300 soldiers but also refugees who wanted to chew up Gartaria.
Their anger would become an excellent power source for Blanc in operating the territory.
“Princess.”
Blanc looked at Isabella with unwavering eyes.
“What is this……”
“I know well why Princess leaked such a proposal.”
Refugees of Quiesco.
Those shivering clinging to the castle walls without a single building to properly block wind even in cold winter.
Poor refugees of Quiesco and Isabella’s people.
The proposal Isabella leaked like a passing joke was actually like a desperate wish hidden deep in her heart.
There were no lords to accept the refugee group expelled by Gartaria.
For the people with nowhere to go, Isabella sought sympathy in Moirai and barely managed to obtain land for them to set foot on.
However, that land was land with a limit on usable time.
That limit was until before next winter started.
Therefore, Princess Isabella was desperately looking for a place where her people could settle before next winter came.
However, what lord would accept a refugee group openly raising a flag of revolt against Gartaria.
“You are mocking me.”
Isabella rather refused Blanc’s proposal with a cold tone.
“Do you think there were no people who tried to use our soldiers with such flattering words until now?”
Isabella bit her lip and expressed her anger.
“Trying to shake me with poor people of Quiesco who lost their place to go as bait! The fame of Aselheit’s Knight is wasted!”
As Isabella said, there were people who tried to use her and Quiesco’s forces as they pleased.
They lured Isabella with sweet words and then cast them away as if spitting out bitter water once they achieved their interests.
Isabella had seen such lords numerous times and was hurt in her heart as much as she had seen.
However, Blanc in front of her eyes was not a person in the same category as such lords.
Blanc’s external goal was to retake Norington, but the true goal buried deep in his heart was something bigger.
That was why he could make a proposal like now.
“If you wish, I can notarize it not just with words coming out of mouth. Just in time, since this is Moirai, it would be easy to receive notarization through the Goddess Order.”
“……Baron. Do you speak knowing what meaning the words you are saying now hold?”
Territory was like the soul to nobles.
They were people called nobles who didn’t hesitate to fight to the death in the final battle staking their territory even if they could run away from war.
But isn’t Baron Blanc saying he would give half of what is like his soul?
Isabella’s heart pounded at Blanc’s sincere action.
Because if he really received even the Goddess Order’s notarization, Blanc’s words would become an irreversible affirmation.
If it became so, what Isabella desperately wished for would come true.
Blanc sent his sincerity unsparingly into Isabella’s continuously shaking eyes.
“Princess, I am the person who understands Princess best in this world. And I think Princess is also the person who understands my situation best.”
Blanc told the scene when Cadmus' white mansion burned up.
That matched many things with the scene where Quiesco’s castle walls burned up.
“Princess and I lost the place where we were born and are still wandering aimlessly. We are comrades having the same enemy.”
Blanc spoke to Isabella containing sincerity.
“I know well how lonely and also how painful Princess must have been. So please help me.”
Blanc reached out to Princess Isabella.
“I will help you too.”
Princess Isabella stared blankly at the hand Blanc extended.
Then she answered.
“I……”
***
“It is regrettable.”
Hansen wiped the sweat flowing on his forehead and said to Blanc.
“She has excellent retainers. Because there were such retainers, she must have endured even though broken.”
Princess Isabella, captivated by Blanc’s sincere words, tried to grab the hand he extended, but retainers who came to their senses first dissuaded her and turned back her mind.
“Still, since it is not a refusal, let’s wait and watch.”
Princess Isabella asked for time to make a decision.
Since the proposal Blanc suggested was suggesting an alliance relationship, not simply hiring troops, there would be a need to review carefully.
And anyway, Blanc still had work to do staying in Moirai.
Therefore, he could wait sufficiently for the time the Princess worried.
“By the way…… Do you really intend to give half of Norington?”
Hansen asked Blanc’s sincerity carefully.
Of course, Norington was Blanc’s, but it was also true that it became land that couldn’t be called solely his.
That Blanc could rise like now was because there was Tolome’s support after all.
And Tolome supported Blanc calculating even the value for Norington, not simply due to affection of flesh and blood.
Because of that, Blanc’s decision saying he would give half of Norington was a matter that should be at least discussed with Tolome.
“Of course, I intend to give.”
Because Hansen knew the internal circumstances of Tolome and Cadmus well, it was a matter he could worry about.
Blanc told the inner thoughts he held before the old knight aged more due to worry about him.
“What they want is not Norington, but precisely land where they can settle. If they insist on Norington, I will cut half and give it, but I intend to recommend other land too.”
“Other land?”
At Hansen’s question, Blanc smiled brightly and answered.
“Is it acceptable to just receive back what was stolen from those who stole my land? I intend to return the pain and disgrace I received to them too.”
Hansen realized the intention of words Blanc said.
“But Baron. Since Baron is the legitimate successor of Norington, there would be no problem in retaking Norington, but invading land of other families might cause problems. Moreover, they are nobles of Gartaria, not the Kingdom of Felix.”
As Hansen said, although Blanc had overflowing justification for regaining Norington, invading land of the 3 families of Gartaria was unreasonable with just that justification.
“Isn’t there already a precedent where the Cadmus family was invaded by another nation? I have the justification of a legitimate avenger for that.”
“But occupying even territory with just that is unreasonable.”
It might be justification to strike off the heads of the 3 families’ heads, but occupying even territory was unreasonable as Hansen said.
“Justification is something to be made, and I know well the place that makes that justification.”
As Blanc and Hansen arrived at the inn exchanging this and that word, Billy came out to meet them.
“Baron. A reply came from the Goddess Order.”
Blanc received the letter sent by the Order and looked at Hansen.
“Even a pack of jackals like Langketa, Vicious, Kamora did it, so there is no law saying Cadmus cannot do it.”
“Baron……”
Hansen realized that Blanc didn’t stop by the Order simply to receive the title of a pilgrim following the holy path.
“Wouldn't the land of Norington alone be insufficient to satisfy all of Tolome, Quiesco, and Cadmus?”
He came here to buy justification.
Justification to conquer his enemies.
“Isn’t it proper to repay grace like a lake and grudge like an ocean. Sir Hansen?”
A dark blue ocean was waving deep in Blanc’s eyes.