Chapter 162 – 16. Blue Wolf, White Deer (2)
Reception, the eighth day.
It was the end of honeymoon. After enjoying the banquet with the new brides, Rome finally greeted the morning as a full-fledged head of household. In the last few days he had prepared for work before taking care of his official duties, leaving behind his more ardent and promiscuous affair his.
After soaking in his bathtub, he wiped his body with a towel, and his carefully washed hair his was swept back neatly. He refrained from his usual shabby appearance even for the sake of the guests he was about to receive, and wore the formal attire he wore at his wedding to show his dignity.
“Good morning, Baron.”
Marion was, of course, the first to greet him as he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. The head maid, who rose early in the morning to take care of the winter house, shared and directed her work as soon as the other employees went to work.
“Maid.”
The presence of competent middle managers makes everyone above and below them feel at ease. She appeared accompanied by several maids, and Marion, hinting that she was ready to entertain the late guests, opened her words to her. Since the wedding was over and the reception was about to end, she said to be aware of the formality.
“With all due respect, the baron is now the owner of the Ardennes family.”
A family name and reputation do not disappear easily. That’s why her Marquis her, Orianne, lived as a hostess in Le Moang Dongtong, and her title remained the same. But that didn’t stop the fact that she was the new bride of Baron Ardennes.
“From now on, please let me know. After officially marrying the madam, that would be the case.”
“I will do that in public.”
The man who became independent from the central high family was no longer an outsider in the frozen land. Having informed Rome, who had become her employer her, Marion led her to her lord’s office along the handsome corridor. It was a ceremonial move, as she never had to worry about getting lost no matter how spacious the mansion was built.
“What is your schedule for today?”
“I have a meeting with Mr. Edward at 9:00. Starting at noon, they try to blend in naturally with the crowds going out through the great snowfield at the north gate. At 10 o’clock, the Temur chief and at 11 o’clock, the courtier Lenoir will visit in turn, so you can receive them.”
“I heard that the three lords of the northern area visited again.”
“This time, we went through a formal inspection process. Even if you add all the escorts and attendants together, there are only around 10 people. Meet the Count of Poitiers at 2 o’clock, and Brienne and the Baron of Lothringen at 3 o’clock.”
Marion arranged the schedule clearly. She was certainly different, if anything, to a career who had ever accompanied her royalty. Rom opened the door to the office and stepped inside and immediately sat down at the majestic table.
The engineered chair was made so that no matter how long you sit on it, it does not strain your body. The chest of drawers and bookshelf were also attached to it, so it was a structure that could be found by simply reaching out without having to get up.
As a baron in the frozen land, it is an excellent environment to take care of public affairs.
It was just the beginning. Digging through a mountain of papers and sorting through important matters, Romm immediately grabbed his writing implement. As the husband of the lord and the mayor of the city of Ardennes, he scrawled his name in one stroke.
“Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be anything urgent to do right now.”
“It has been since the baron came to our territory. You did most of the work well.”
“It will continue to be so. Please take care of Oriane and the rest of the family so that they don’t get caught up in their work. I’ll let you take care of most of the stuff.”
“If it’s not too much, I’ll do it.”
Showing a sense of responsibility as the head of the household, Rom shook his head. Meanwhile, Marion ordered a light refreshment from the maid who followed her. She thought that the job of a lord or mayor was a battle against boredom, so her job was her as her assistant her was to create the most comfortable environment possible.
“Hey, get some tea from the kitchen.”
“Yes, head maid.”
“They make you bring food. She’ll have a grain biscotti with goat’s milk cheese for breakfast. She ordered it before she got here, so she should be able to get it right away as soon as she goes.”
The two maids who received her nomination nodded and left the office. Then, when I saw a man running up the stairs, I was started and backed away. I looked at him strangely as he was sweating profusely and out of breath despite the gloomy and snowy weather.
“Ah, Baron Ardennes!”
“Chief of the 10th? What are you doing all of a sudden!”
“Urgent news! To the east of the far north limit, Ruth raises an army!”
Everyone present widened their eyes. Her visibly embarrassed Marion turned her head and looked at her rom. His expression her, deep in thought as he rested his chin on her, was extremely cold and solemn. The squirming maids flinched at the spirit of a man who was reputed to be good with people.
“Where does the information come from?”
“The first is the Confederation of the Camag Tribes. The second is Sir Fabian Dupuy, who is in charge of the border around the Great Snowfield.”
“Is there any possibility that this is a false report?”
“I-I just saw it myself. During the reception, I was free, so I lightly followed along to practice riding a horse so I wouldn’t be an annoyance to the baron…”
Captain Antoine was originally a soldier even before he met Rome. He was mobilized for all sorts of military duties, but he was not stupid enough to report heoturu.
In short, it is certain that Ruth’s giant army broke out.
But why at this point? Rom, who raised his hand against his confused crowd and calmed it down, pressed his temples. Then, in a calm tone, he exchanged questions and answers with Antoine.
“How big is it?”
“It was the Legion itself. Roughly 50,000 people…”
“A great army…”
Considering the scale of the empire, 50,000 people is insignificant to call it an all-out war. However, the cold of the extreme north is a polar region that is even colder than the frozen land here, so if you are a small unit, you must be accompanied by expensive cold-weather gear to command that many troops.
“Did you have any information about the vanguard?”
“Yeah, the twisted little finger pattern was on the front flag.”
“Viktor Chernikov?”
Rom furrowed his brow. He had no choice but to do so. The old man, who is considered the right hand of the Empress, has been called the best spearman on the continent for decades. Above all, he was the one who co-destroyed himself. He was a master who could never be ignored no matter how much he led an overwhelming army and was in a disadvantageous position.
“Do you know who it is?”
“He is a master commander who commanded the battle against Sarhu in the Far East until a few years ago.”
The old spearman is Ruth’s last bastion. The reason he went to war in his previous life was because a certain knight defeated the enormous army of the empire. In other words, they have a reason for deciding to invade with troops comparable to an all-out war in any country.
“Captain, you said the first source of information was the Camag Tribal Alliance, right?”
“That’s right. Actually, I happened to meet the envoys there yesterday and had a drink. However, a friend of mine said that Ruth’s momentum is not very good these days, so they also periodically send advance troops.”
“It wasn’t just a day or two that Ruth was aiming for the land of Gaul. However, in order for them to attack the Marquis, they always had to jump over the warriors of the great snow. In short, Tamir, the Great Warrior, was both an enemy and a breakwater for a greater enemy.”
After Tamir’s death, his son, Temur, despite his young age, mobilized almost all forces without much opposition. And now that the frozen land has formed an alliance with the great snowfield, Rus’ war of conquest should enter a period of stagnation.
At least in this area.
“It must be a rebellion.”
“… Yes?”
“The Great Snowfield Alliance, centered on the Camag tribe, must have collapsed. It must have been raised by one of the chieftains. The most likely are the four tribes that have not yet joined Temur.”
Ruth had the conviction that this was the right time. And when all the cases are counted, there is only rebellion left. If Temur betrayed him, the reason why he still stays here is not explained.
Above all, the answer to frozen land and great snowfields is peace, not war.
It is the pioneering of the snowfield trade route that will be built from it.
“He must have been friendly with Ruth, or made some kind of contract instead of letting the troops through. If the great general of the empire personally led a large army to invade, the rebellion must have already entered the stage of success.”
Rom was fed up. The Empire’s 50,000 troops are surprising but not frightening. If the environment of the frozen land is prepared as it is now, it can be stopped even if an army twice as large as it is attacked. Military funds overflowed and the morale of all soldiers skyrocketed.
Above all, Baron Ardennes was an invincible knight of Lumiere.
The problem is the revival of this land. If a war breaks out, it means that the dream of pioneering a trade route will come to naught. If that happens, his gambling capital his, which has been delighted to rebuild the frozen land, will naturally return as a self-sufficient water.
“Maid, please go downstairs and ask for my sister’s pardon, and call for Nanny Anais.”
“You mean Mr. Anais?”
“Yes, and Captain Ten, muster his subordinates immediately.”
“Even so, I called you to the mansion on the way.”
“It’s good that you talk quickly. By all means, you might as well tell them all to keep their heads up.”
“Okay, please order!”
Feeling sympathetic, Rome recited to Antoine a list of people to bring to his office. At the same time, he ordered a few more to keep the quasi wartime regime.
“First, call Temur and Edward into the office. The courtier of Renoir and the three neighboring lords must be guarded so they don’t do anything stupid. Also, summon all the knights in the citadel to the barracks in the name of Oriane, Madame Lemoang.”
“I will take care of it in half an hour.”
A knight’s existence shines only when he is on the battlefield. After all, he was a knight before he was a baron. Although he was born as an illegitimate son of a famous family and suffered all kinds of persecution, he was a man who reached today with a sword in his hand.
“It’s a fight where the fate of Ardennes is at stake.”
Slowly, Rom pulled the chair back and stood up from his seat.
“But, gentlemen, these Romuald promises you need not be afraid.”
Who seeks peace.
“Here I am.”
Prepare for the coming war!
