Chapter 290: Treason If We Fail, Revolution If We Succeed (4)

There were people who watched the Family War between Sefira and Bydent unfold.

“

Hmm.

”

“

Wow...

”

“As expected!”

They exclaimed in admiration, nodded, and even wrote notes into their notebooks. They all wore different attire, and even their races were different.

“It’s over. A crushing victory for Sefira.”

Just as an old man said, Sefira overwhelmed Bydent. There was no room for argument. Bydent’s troops couldn’t even get close to Sefira’s archers. Arrows poured down in bundles, and the hit rate exceeded seventy percent. Moreover, the power of those arrows was strong enough to pierce not only armor, but even shields. The archers were even capable of firing while moving, and Sefira operated a separate unit dedicated to arrow supply.

On the other hand, Bydent’s entire tactic consisted of charging forward with shields and spears. In frustration, they attempted to throw javelins, but the range was at best only twenty to thirty meters. Meanwhile, the arrows of Sefira’s soldiers flew from a minimum of fifty meters up to two-hundred meters. As a result, using javelins to fight the archers wasn’t merely enough.

A priest of the Order of the Sun wearing a robe with a large sun emblem muttered, “Even so, I never expected the Bydent family to be beaten so helplessly.”

He wasn’t talking to himself. It was rather more of a request to strike up a conversation with someone who was also present, and that someone replied back.

“Rather than Bydent being weak, I think they simply underestimated Sefira.”

The priest of the Order of the Sun smiled at the person who had answered him. “

Haha,

I never expected to meet you here, Count Bolognese.”

“I am also honored to have the pleasure of meeting you for the second time, Bishop Reilly.”

The eyes of those who heard both names, Count Bolognese and Bishop Reilly, widened. Both were famous figures recognized across the world.

Count Bolognese was one of the top ten chefs in the gourmand nation of the Belferio Kingdom, and the very person who popularized the dish known as Bolognese pasta, named after himself.

Reilly not only held the rank of bishop, of which there were said to be only ten within the Order of the Sun, but was even more famous for his name Father of the Saints.

Though there were many eyes and ears nearby, the two carried on their conversation without concern.

“It seems not only the two of us, but everyone here has gathered with the same intent... May I ask what was promised to you, Count Bolognese?”

“

Ahaha

, there is nothing to hide. The southern lands here are optimal for farming. Olives, in particular. As you know, there is even a saying that says all cooking begins with olive oil! Sefira offered to lend the southern lands, specifically the most fertile ones, free of charge. That is why I came.”

“Free leasing of farmland?!

Huh

, that is incredibly shocking.”

“And to a foreign noble, at that...!”

Not only Reilly, but the others were taken aback as well. They hadn’t expected Sefira to have invited Bolognese under such extreme terms. However, Bolognese was not the only one who had received such exceptional treatment.

“Since you have spoken so truthfully, I will do the same. They said they would build temples and churches of the Order of the Sun, and have Sefira’s knights protect them. That is why I came here,” Reilly explained.

“Isn’t the Lillian Kingdom a place where the Order of the Sun’s propagation is forbidden?”

“The head of the Sefira family said he did not mind.

Hehe

.”

“

Huh?!

”

As the two boasted of what they had been promised by Sefira, those watching nearby subtly joined the conversation.

“Pardon me. I am Bakadi, dispatched from the Mercenary Association headquarters. From the looks of it, we seem to be in the same situation, so I wished to share information. Sefira said they would build a branch office for our Mercenary Association and grant us protection equivalent to that of their own citizens.”

“As a man, I could not act sly. I have come from the brave and mighty Kingdom of Adeus. Sefira opened their eyes to the greatness of our Adeus Kingdom and requested knight training. In return, they agreed to pay ten thousand gold annually.”

“They told our Blood Cross Academy that they would build a training facility and dormitories in Sefira, and asked us to send our trainees. They said they would provide not only room and board, but even all travel expenses.”

“As for us...”

Well over ten people exchanged information with one another. All of them were either members of organizations renowned throughout the world, or powerful figures. Moreover, all of them had come here, tempted by Sefira’s shocking conditions. Whether Sefira was a place worth such treatment, or whether they were even capable of all of that, had effectively been proven through this war with Bydent. Sefira was more than strong enough, and they had an abundant amount of land to spare.

“Listening to all this, a question comes to mind. Was Sefira always such a wealthy family?”

Someone raised a reasonable doubt. Sefira had offered to provide nearly everything free of charge, and it wasn't just one or two people. Accepting everyone would require spending tens, even hundreds of thousands of gold. Of course, there would be profit for Sefira afterward, but where had they obtained the money in the first place?

“It seems you haven’t heard the rumor yet. The Ultima Trading Company belongs to Sefira.”

When a noble of the Baen Kingdom let that slip, only then did the others wear expressions that they understood.

“If it’s the Ultima Trading Company, then they could certainly afford such a fortune.”

The Ultima Trading Company possessed a broad range of customers, from the impoverished to royalty. Recently, it had even expanded into the empire, steadily solidifying its position. The foremost trading company in the Lillian Kingdom was, in name and reality, the Ultima Trading Company.

Everyone there was presented with extreme conditions, but they all still hesitated over whether to accept Sefira’s invitations because it was certain that all of this was Sefira’s unilateral decision, made without receiving royal approval. If Sefira sought to grow its power beyond royal control, would the Lillian royal family really stand idly by? However, they had all realized something through this Family War.

Queen Lillian is absent.

The claim that Sefira was the weakest of the noble families was nothing more than a rumor.

If not only us, but renowned figures from every nation all settle in Sefira, no one would be able to touch us so easily, even if it were the royal family.

I don’t know whose head this plan came from, but it’s remarkable. To invite those who are practically enemies and turn them into allies... amazing.

There will be massive expenses and trouble over security in the short term, but in the long run...

Those gathered here speculated what Sefira’s true intentions might be, and soon enough, everyone arrived at a single hypothesis.

Is Sefira dreaming of independence from the Lillian Kingdom?!

It wasn’t entirely impossible. Queen Lillian was absent, and the princes were currently in conflict with one another. If Sefira, having devoured Bydent, expanded its forces, and absorbed the remaining two renowned Masters of Swordsmanship families of the south with that influence, Sefira would become the ruler of the south. Of course, there was the towering obstacle known as the Lord of the South.

The fact that the Lord of the South supports Keter is an open secret.

Even the Lord of the South was on Sefira’s side.

Everyone felt chills run down their spines.

Sefira, so you’ve been scheming such a big plan, huh?

The independence of Sefira, no, of the south, wasn’t an absurd dream. Those gathered here thought that riding this wave wouldn’t result in any loss for them. After all, Sefira had said they would take responsibility for all the risks. If something went wrong while staying in Sefira, they could quietly slip away since it wasn’t a relationship bound by contract. Sefira had taken that point into consideration, so that they would feel no burden.

Bishop Reilly broke the ice. “It seems everyone is thinking the same thing

, hehe

.”

Though no one expressed it outwardly, all of them seemed to be in agreement.

“Since we are all gathered here anyway, how about we go together to meet the head of the Sefira family? After all, the only ones we have seen are Keter and his strategist, the boy called Daat.”

They had received invitations from Keter or Daat, but hadn’t actually met the head of the Sefira family in person.

“That is a fair point. We should see the ambitions of Sefira’s head for ourselves before deciding for certain.”

“It would also be discourteous to keep troubling a head of the family who must already be busy by visiting one by one, so it would be better for us to go together.”

“Then let’s get going!”

With that, renowned figures recognized across the world and high-ranking nobles from various nations came together and headed toward Sefira’s main estate.

***

The first night of the Family War, which was so full of tension, had passed. The busiest place in Sefira the next morning was the infirmary.

“Hey! I told you to send anyone who isn’t going to die right away to the outdoor treatment area!”

“He says he’s going to die though!”

“Do you really think he’ll die from breaking a toe? Even a guy with his arm cut off went to the outdoor treatment area!”

Sefira had achieved a great victory, so why were there so many patients? It was because not all of the patients were Sefira’s soldiers. Of course, there were some wounded from Sefira as well, but most of them had only minor injuries. Those who were seriously wounded were all soldiers from Bydent’s side. Sefira was treating Bydent’s soldiers.

Already burdened by a small infirmary and a shortage of doctors, Sefira was having a hard time. Defeating Bydent was good, but they had never expected the aftermath to become a problem.

“Bydent, those crazy bastards. They just ran away and abandoned their own soldiers.”

“We pulled back just so they could take them, but they said they couldn’t know if it was a betrayal or not, so they didn’t take them.”

“That’s ridiculous. We didn’t even hold them for an hour, what betrayal?”

Bydent had retreated after abandoning their wounded or straggling soldiers. As a result, Sefira ended up taking responsibility for those soldiers. The soldiers abandoned by their main force were discouraged. There were even knights mixed in among them. Kind-hearted as Sefira was, they couldn’t bring themselves to simply leave such soldiers.

“

Uh oh

, potion! No, elixir! This one’s about to stop breathing!”

At that moment, a critical patient appeared. It was a Bydent knight with an arrow embedded near his heart.

“You want to use a precious elixir on an enemy knight? That’s a bit much.”

“There’s an arrow lodged near his heart. Even if we use an elixir, there’s no guarantee he’ll survive.”

“We’ve already done our part just by bringing him here.”

The doctor let out a sigh and instead grabbed a handful of anesthetic powder. It was to send him off without pain at the very least. Just as he was about to sprinkle the anesthetic powder onto the wound, someone grabbed the doctor’s wrist.

Startled, the doctor shouted, “Who is it?! Do you even know how expensive anesthetic powder is? If I spill it—

huh?!

L-Lord?”

The one holding the doctor's wrist was the family head, Hissop. He had heavy dark circles under his eyes, but his gaze alone was clear. He pulled a glass bottle from within his robes. The moment the stopper came off, a refreshing scent could be smelt. It was unmistakably the unique fragrance of an elixir.

Hissop poured the elixir onto the knight’s chest without hesitation. At once, the arrowhead rose up on its own and was pulled out from the open wound. Flesh filled in, and it was naturally expelled.

The doctor couldn’t close his mouth. With recovery like that, it was at least a high-grade elixir.

“H-how could you use such a precious thing on an enemy knight...?!”

At the doctor’s question, Hissop replied as if it were only natural. “If we are victorious over Bydent, won’t he become a knight of Sefira from now on?”

The doctor couldn’t say anything in shock.

“And even if that’s not the case, we are citizens of the same kingdom. Though we pointed weapons at each other, that was merely for the sake of ambition. Once he has surrendered, he is no longer an enemy. He is a fellow citizen.”

At Hissop’s merciful words, the first to shed tears weren’t Sefira’s doctors, but Bydent’s soldiers.

“

Snff!

Lord Hissop! Thank you! Truly, thank you for taking us in!”

“I’m sick to death of Bydent! Please accept me as a soldier of Sefira!”

Even the soldiers groaning in pain got on their knees and bowed before Hissop.

Hissop lifted them up one by one and said, “Everyone, calm yourselves. The Family War is not yet over. Even if Bydent should emerge victorious, you will be sent back to your hometowns safely.”

“

Oh

, what a saint. You are so merciful!”

Hissop didn’t stop there. He went to Sefira’s soldiers as well, meeting each of them face to face and checking their conditions, despite his exhaustion from having been unable to sleep properly for a long time.

“Spare no resources for the surrendered soldiers. Food, fire, and treatment. Provide all of it in abundance. This is an order.”

After giving his final instructions to the doctors, Hissop left the infirmary. When he left, there was a group of people waiting for him.

Among them, a middle-aged man wearing red cross earrings took Hissop’s hand and spoke in an emotion-filled voice.

“I am deeply moved by your mercy, Lord Hissop, who cherishes and embraces even the lives of enemy soldiers. The Blood Cross will accept Sefira’s proposal.”

Hissop wondered what was going on.

Who are these people? And if they are the Blood Cross, aren’t they the medical group famous for treating patients regardless of status or payment? Have I ever made any proposal to them?

No matter how tired he was, Hissop never couldn’t recall a memory. But no matter how many times he thought about it, he had no recollection of ever contacting the Blood Cross.

“

Ahem

, Lord Hissop. I am Reilly, a bishop of the Order of the Sun. All of us here have come to hear your proposals once more.”

Just then, Daat caught Hissop’s eye. “Please wait a moment... Sir Daat?”

Since it had been Daat who brought them here in the first place, it was impossible not to notice him. Then, Daat approached Hissop and held out a note as if he had been waiting to do so.

“What is this?”

“A message from Big Brother Keter. He told me to deliver it to you at this time.”

“Keter’s...”

Hissop thought, as expected, that this was Keter’s doing. After all, who else in Sefira could pull something like this besides Keter? Even so, it felt excessive. How could he make such important proposals, ones tied to Sefira’s future, to so many people without even consulting or mentioning it to him first?

Hissop was just starting to feel a bit hurt, when he saw the first line of the note and let out a hollow laugh.

—It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Reading the second sentence, he naturally shook his head.

—You can refuse, if you don’t like it.

Though it was only two sentences, Hissop understood the entire situation.

Keter, you prepared for what would come even after the Family War.

Hissop had also been in contemplation. Even if Sefira won this Family War against Bydent, it was certain that the princes wouldn’t leave them alone. However, he had been postponing those concerns because he needed to focus on the immediate Family War, and now Keter had presented a solution.

Namely, using external forces. By inviting numerous powers to Sefira and having them stay, the princes wouldn’t be able to interfere. What kind of terms had been used to entice all of these people was something he would have to hear to know, but Hissop was certain they weren’t ordinary conditions.

To make people of this caliber stay with Sefira, even with the risk involved, we would have to pay an appropriate price. And for Sefira to get into conflict with the princes means...

The independence of Sefira. That phrase passed through Hissop’s mind. It was a topic he had never considered, and it was far too sudden. Yet in the end, it seemed that was where things would lead. Unless the princes forgave Sefira, Sefira would inevitably remain an outsider forever. In that case, Sefira’s only option would be independence.

It wasn’t what I hoped for, but...

If that was the only solution, if the only alternative was the annihilation of the family...

Resolve settled into Hissop’s gaze.

There’s nothing I wouldn’t do if it’s to protect Sefira. Even if that means independence.

Hissop made up his mind. Watching him, Daat felt relieved.

As if he had been waiting for this moment, Hissop said to the guests, “My apologies for the late introduction. Though I may not be the best, I am Sefira’s acting head of the family, Hissop El Sefira.”

At Hissop’s courteous yet charismatic greeting, the guests from various nations also took courteous attitudes and introduced themselves.

Upon hearing their affiliations, Hissop couldn’t help but feel nervous. He could only admire inwardly at how Keter had even known of them, let alone invited them. As he guided them all to the reception room, Hissop suddenly thought of Keter.

Keter, you must be alive, of course... but I’m worried.

Keter, who had saved and nurtured Sefira, also lured five Grandmasters, and then vanished without a trace. Not only Hissop, but everyone was worried about Keter.

Meanwhile, the very Keter who caused all that worry was having a great time, beating the captured Grandmasters under the pretense of sparring.

“Hey, Jordic! Why would you turn around there? You could clearly tell the attack is coming from behind. That’s when you should attack instead!”

“Tesla! You shouldn't counterattack right away. Instead, you should’ve staggered once. Make them think they got you, then counterattack. You could’ve taken at least one arm then! Do you not even know something this basic?”

“

Oh?

Dodging,

huh?

Try dodging this.”

“

Aaaagh!

”