Chapter 101 – Bread and Salt (1)

Due to being a fortress built to defend against the dragons, Beldeve had thick and hard walls.

Sina looked at the steep cliff below the wall and the bubbles from the surging waves underneath the cliff. The cliff was so high that Sina had a feeling that even a dragon wouldn’t be able to survive if it fell off.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting for a long time.”

Hela brought out some bread and salt on a plate and approached Juan and Sina. She handed over the plate to Juan first, and Juan dipped the bread in salt before taking a bite. Then, Hela offered the bread and salt to Sina as well.

Sina hesitated; she couldn’t understand the purpose of such an action, but soon imitated Juan and ate the bread as well.

“Now that you have both consumed bread and salt, you are officially my guests. I will be a good host, so I hope that the two of you will also behave as good guests should. Especially you, black-haired fellow,” Hela said.

“If I wasn’t going to behave, I wouldn’t have asked for bread and salt in the first place,” Juan answered.

“Fair enough. I had to mention it just in case; after all, the only things you get more of as you get older are gray hair and suspicions.”

Hela then placed the empty plate on the floor and sat down.

“Ms. Knight can feel free to go downstairs now,” Hela said as she took a glance at Sina.

“But, Your Grace…”

“It’s fine. Centurion Horhell will be in charge of security. Or are you confident that you’ll do a better job than Horhell and his dragon?”

Sina hesitated for a moment, but soon bit her lips and bowed her head before leaving the room.

Hela shook her head as she watched Sina walk out of the room.

“Jeez. Young people these days know nothing about traditions or taboos,” Hela said.

“Sina Solvane is from the southern territory of the empire,” Juan explained.

“Well, you don’t look like you’re from the east either. I haven’t seen such dark black hair in quite a long time. Ah… as you get older, each and every tradition feels more and more lovely and important.” Hela giggled. “Anyway. Did you say that your name is Juan? Let’s stop the small talk and get straight to the point. The reason why I asked Horhell to capture you is that I intend on selling you out.”

“You sent quite the hunter, huh?”

“That’s right. There are no other hunters like Horhell. Hey, I was told that you’ve made quite the fuss in the southern territory! I also heard another story about you being seen in Hiveden. Other than that, all the equipment you have on you… none of it is ordinary. But whatever, none of that matters—it’s only fair that such an extraordinary person appears once or twice in a century. “

“I’m flattered,” Juan said.

“It’s not a compliment—especially considering the fact that the empire is currently full of lunatics like the ones from the Church. You should have moved more discreetly if you valued your own life.”

“Why? Because of the Church?”

“No. Because of Barth Baltic.” Hela looked at Juan with serious eyes. “Pavan, that cheeky bastard dared to try and deceive me, but he will be in the palm of my hand no matter how hard he tries. So tell me something. The Church can freak out and send out the Templars at any time whenever someone does anything that stands out; after all, it’s full of crazy people in the first place. But the Regent is different. While I hate that son of a bitch, I have to respect his eye as a commander and a swordsman. At the same time, I also know that he’s been like a hibernating bear ever since His Majesty’s death, doing absolutely nothing. Then what’s so special about you that he’s taken an interest in you?”

‘Barth Baltic has taken an interest in me?

’

Hela’s question was one that Juan wanted to ask her instead. Although Juan had no idea about this, he felt that it would only be natural for Barth Baltic to take an interest in him, since he had been making a fuss everywhere he went.

“He has only taken an interest in me? I heard that he chased the traitors who were involved with the assassination of the emperor. Apparently, there was a huge purge throughout the empire during that time,” Juan asked.

“Nope. That was all done by the Church. It was the Church that gave birth to the Order of the White Crow in order to capture the Order of Huginn, and it is also the Church that sends the Templars to trample on anyone if they are found to be involved with the apostates in any manner. Barth Baltic even gave the Templars the rights to draft so that they could move the Imperial Army if they wanted. This is why the imperial command system is such a huge mess,” Hela explained.

Juan had also felt that the Imperial Army’s command system was a complete mess. Nevertheless, no big issues had happened so far because of two reasons. First, during his time as the emperor, Juan had not only swept away all the enemies of the empire, but he had also developed the power of the Imperial Army. Secondly, the Church had been freely using the emperor’s 'Grace’ as much as they needed.

“Barth Baltic even allowed Ras to go back without doing anything when Ras tried to assassinate him. If he had even the slightest urge to avenge His Majesty or if he had a selfish desire for a high position within the empire, he would have immediately turned the Laus Mountains into flatlands. He certainly has the ability to do so, you know. More than anything, the reason why I don’t think he is interested in His Majesty’s assassin is that…” Hela pointed to the red land toward the northeast with her upper arm—her right forearm had been cut off at the elbow. “Because he is neglecting the treason of the bastards in the northeast! Those assholes are the real problems!”

“Northeast? What’s wrong with the northeast?”

“The Thornbush Priest Organization, who are the followers of the Crack, is behind the rebels in the northeast, and the Thornbush Priest Organization is under the command of Gerard Gain!”

“Gerard Gain is behind the Thornbush Priest Organization?” Juan asked with a stern look.

“Of course… While I’ve never seen it in person and I don’t have evidence, I have heard quite a few stories when I was interrogating some bastards. The black weapon that is known to have been used by Gerard Gain to stab His Majesty is a product of the Crack. I didn’t try to look too closely into it, since the power of the Crack was starting to encroach on my mind the more I tried to look into it. But the Thornbush Priest Organization is the only group within the empire that follows the Crack, and the rebels in the northeast are the survivors from Arbalde, which has been contaminated by the Crack. Then it’s only obvious, isn’t it?”

‘Arbalde.’

Juan’s face stiffened slightly as soon as this name came out of Hela’s mouth. Hela noticed the change in Juan’s expression, but she continued shouting as if she was angry while pretending not to notice.

“Barth Baltic is not interested in avenging His Majesty at all! Damn it! Okay, let’s just say that part is fine. Because of that reason, I wouldn’t have said anything if he had decided to take the throne for himself. Although I hate that son of a bitch, I acknowledge that there’s currently no one in the empire who’s more suited to be the emperor other than him. If Barth became the emperor, he would come to cut off the heads of the rebels himself,” Hela said as she banged the desk with her hand. “But he’s not doing that either! That asshole has power, but he is doing absolutely nothing! That’s why trifles like the Pope and the captain of the Order of the Capital are bossing everyone around!”

Hela’s words were true—Barth Baltic did absolutely nothing. He left the control of all the forces and making of the rules to the Church and only occasionally gave orders to the captain of the Order of the Capital.

.

Even Juan could see that the empire was being run precariously while taking dangerous risks.

“That’s why you’re important, Juan,” Hela said as she glared at Juan. “I need to find out what about you is so special to Barth… I need to know your value before I sell you out. I’ve already been promised a specific price, but seeing you in person makes me want to change my mind. No matter how much I think about it, I feel like Pavan was trying to pull the wool over my eyes.”

“Hm.”

“I don’t have much time. I’ve been hiding the fact that I have captured you as much as I can, but the Order of the Capital will find out about it soon enough. No—maybe they have already found out, since the Order of the Evil Snake witnessed you being captured. They’ll find out even faster because Horhell mentioned Barth Baltic’s name to them,” Hela continued as she looked back at Horhell. “I’m not blaming you, Horhell. If you hadn’t mentioned that asshole’s name, those lunatics would have been even more persistent. The problem could have become much more complicated if any blood was shed.”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Horhell said.

“So Juan,” Hela leaned toward Juan. “I don’t think your value is only worth ten thousand soldiers or ten thousand gold pieces. That would be your worth if Barth Baltic took you away from me, but I want you to set your own price yourself. Maybe…”

Hela continued with a serious look on her face. “Maybe the price tag might even say that you are worth the entire empire.”

***

Juan was offered to stay in one of the rooms located within the walls. There was a guard standing outside Juan’s room to keep an eye on him, but the guard was no match for Juan considering Juan’s skills.

Juan didn’t intend on running away when he had been served bread and salt. Those who received bread and salt in the east were treated as guests, and the guests had to abide by the rules of the host. One of the rules prevented the guest from crossing the window frame, which was a figurative expression saying that guests shouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.

It was an old tradition that had almost gone extinct now, but Juan didn’t intend to go against the tradition when he had voluntarily asked to be Hela’s guest.

‘I was worried that she had become a granny, but she still has a bold temper.’

As Hela said, the only thing that remained were traditions. Juan had a bitter expression.

‘I didn’t expect to meet Hayla’s daughter here.’

Juan overlapped the face of the current Hela who was in her seventies with the face of the young Hela in her twenties, the daughter of a noble that he had seen in the past. Hela now had an aged face, gray hair, hazy eyes and had lost an arm. Her personality had become more like a mature war veteran rather than a sophisticated noble.

Hela had once been secretly chosen as Gerard Gain’s fiancee, but the current Hela looked nothing like the bright noble of the past.

1. Welcoming guests with bread and salt is a tradition in Northern and Eastern Europe, as well as in the Middle East.