episode_0311

* * *

At a time when the Aesir Army still existed as a nation on the continent.

In the southern continent, just as in the central and northern parts, time was flowing the same way.

The new capital of the newly formed Lunarian Army, Madlan Castle.

“My lord, all the prisoners except three were successfully recruited into our army.”

Luna, who was sitting in her office concentrating on her duties as a monarch, nodded slowly without looking at Jinor who was speaking to her.

“Thank you for your hard work. What about those people?”

“I don’t feel any will to surrender at all.”

“How many months has it been since you captured it?”

“It’s been a little over 3 months now.”

“Then it would be about 100 days.”

After Luna said that, she spoke in a nonchalant tone, as if she was talking about the menu for dinner tonight.

“Execute all three of them.”

“Can I execute you?”

“Yes. Oh, and here it is.”

Jinor accepted what Luna offered.

“This is a ‘city policy’ that compiles the suggestions of the people of the territory. Please pass it on to the lords of each territory. There will be no national meeting, so please handle it so that this policy can be maintained until there is no other discussion.”

“… … .”

“Do you have anything else to report?”

Jinor, who had received the documents, thought for a moment, then looked her in the eye cautiously and asked.

“Instead of executing everyone, there is also the option of liberating them.”

“Are you talking about liberation?”

“Yes. If you are not going to engage in Vanessa-style politics of fear, there is nothing wrong with creating an image of showing mercy to the enemy.”

Especially if the predecessor of this place is actually the Karelian Army.

That’s it. For example, even if the warriors of the Bran’s Army or Serpina Army execute enemy warriors as if it were a meal, the warriors under their command will not waver or anything.

However, Karelia was different. The fact that they gave up the easy way and came under Karelia in these troubled times meant that they had seen the ideal she pursued.

In fact, Karelia was famous for not executing a single captive, even a monarch. The only person she publicly said she would defeat was Serpina, a woman close to absolute evil.

However, Zinor did not give direct advice, saying, ‘There are many armed men belonging to the Karelian army, and it has not been long since they were subjugated, so it is better to keep an eye on them, even if it is for fear of a rebellion.’

This was Lunalian County. Whatever his predecessor was, at this moment, only that was the truth. In other words, not saying anything was a sign of respect and consideration for Luna’s authority as the monarch.

however-

“Are you warning me to follow Karelia’s way?”

Luna smiled and brought out the meaning that Jinor had been trying to hide.

Although his spine felt a chill for a moment, he didn’t feel any nuance of threatening or insulting, so Jinor slowly lowered his head without panicking.

“Please consider it not a question of right and wrong, but a question of what is beneficial and what is not. ”

Luna smiled brightly at Jinor.

It was no different from the smile she often showed on a regular basis, the smile that brought peace to people.

“Okay, I’ll follow your advice, Genor. But there’s one thing I want to keep in mind.”

“Please speak.”

“In your opinion, which of the three people do you think stands out as more talented?”

Talent.

None of them were all that great – but at least one of them, Jinor, knew the name.

“Badien Sellog is known for his insight into strategy. Haven’t you heard of it, my lord?”

“Ahh… … That’s what Badian said. Of course I know!”

Luna said with a smile that seemed delighted. It was a very bright, sunny smile.

“When I first came to the Karelia Army, you were a great person who helped me adjust along with Cecil. When I first came in, most of the generals didn’t like me, and Kyle and Tifa were sent far away to Tepelo, so it was really hard. It seems like only yesterday that you advised me not to lose courage, and that if I did well, everyone would recognize it.”

Luna was talking about happy old memories, but soon her expression suddenly turned sad.

“So… …Badien-nim, did you say you couldn’t work under me?”

“Yes. No matter what happens, it seems like he won’t surrender even if a knife is put to his throat. He seems to have a pretty strong personality. ”

“That can’t be… … .”

Luna said something as if she felt sorry –

“What about the other two?”

“If it’s the other two… …it doesn’t seem like they left such a big mark. It seems like they just lived their lives making small contributions.”

“You mean they’re not that great?”

There’s nothing much to see… … .

Although it was a bit of an extreme wording, strictly speaking it wasn’t wrong, since both of them were names I was hearing for the first time.

If we really have to be specific, the very act of showing the spirit of never giving up even when things have gotten to this point is a dramatic moment in their lives.

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

Luna turned her head and went back to working on her paperwork.

And then he said it casually, as if it were nothing.

“Execute Badian and release the other two.”

“… … Are you executing me?”

Luna answered Genor’s words in an innocent, childlike tone, as if asking why he was asking such a thing.

“Huh? Well, since you haven’t surrendered yet, you must be the ones who can’t accept me as a person. If you don’t have the ability, I wouldn’t mind letting you go… … But if you’re even a little bit more outstanding, there’s a high chance that you’ll go under another lord and hinder us until the end. So―”

-Isn’t killing them the most efficient?

“… … .”

“Am I wrong? If I am wrong, I will follow your opinion, Jinor.”

Jinor nodded silently and said.

“If you think about efficiency, that’s a reasonable opinion.”

“Then I think you can handle it like that. Is there anything else you would like to report?”

“None.”

Luna said again with her usual sunny smile

“Good! Thank you for your hard work. I will take care of the requests you asked for.”

After leaving the office like that.

Jinor let out a short sigh after confirming that no one was there.

‘Something… … It feels like the person himself has changed.’

If the conversation had continued in the form of Luna hesitating and herself urging him to execute Badian after he had said that it would be okay for her to do so in the normal case-

Now, it felt like Luna was avoiding the blood that needed to be buried.

In fact, this side was much closer to the ideal monarch.

Of course, the ideal here is based on the premise that he is ‘qualified as a unified monarch.’

Luna, who I first met after hearing Swen’s words, honestly seemed so weak that I worried whether she would be able to properly serve as the lord of a city, let alone a monarch.

Still, it was possible for her to serve him because she trusted Swen rather than Luna.

However, if the Luna I first met had been like this recently, I don’t think there would have been any need to question it.

She always made amazingly rational decisions.

She also has no stubbornness. Luna’s habitual saying is, ‘Is it okay if I ask for your opinion, Jinor?’

Jinor also knew very well that this meant, ‘If you think your ideas are ineffective, tell me anytime, I will listen.’

A monarch who always chooses the most efficient method without hesitation.

However, she does not push through her own will and always listens to what others say. What is important to her is not her own will, but ‘how effective this decision is.’

That was, at least in Genor’s opinion, the most important of the virtues in a man who would become a unified monarch.

Doesn’t he know all too well the sleeping dragon who, stuck in his own stubbornness and not listening to others, has lost everything he had in his hands, not to mention what he could have gained?

If that’s the case, then I should be satisfied with the current situation, but why am I-

‘Are you feeling anxious?’

Is it because I suddenly felt like the person had changed a bit?

Or… … Could it be that he was mindful of what Violet had said to him a while ago?

okay.

It was after Violet had returned to Madlan Castle from an external mission following the destruction of the Karelian Army that she brought up the subject to Ginor.

* * *

“Are you claiming that the lord has become strange?”

“Yes. No matter how I look at it… … something feels strange. I can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t the Luna I knew.”

According to Violet, Luna seemed to be repeating the act of scribbling in the air with a quill pen that had nothing on it.

“What do you mean by the same thing?”

“No, rather than the same thing… …I saw it myself so I’m sure.”

“I guess you must have complicated feelings since you killed Karelia, who was like a benefactor to you, with your own hands. Besides, I know that you are taking care of the state affairs quite well.”

“But… … .”

“Violet. It is our duty to prevent the monarch from going down the wrong path, but it is not the duty of a subject to shake up every little problem of the monarch and threaten his position.”

“… … .”

Violet said nothing, but then began to speak cautiously with an anxious expression.

that-

* * *

‘I was saying that it seemed like Swen was involved.’

Violet said that Luna, who was always fine, would suddenly shake whenever the name Swen was mentioned.

Not only that, he added that just being associated with that person made him become a completely different person.

The sight of her pupils trembling with fear as she asked, “What kind of person was Swen that he could shake his lord like this?” was something that would surely remain in her memory for a long time.

‘… … .’

Ginor assessed the current situation with cool judgment.

If it was true that Luna was shaken by Swen as Violet said, it would have been wise to keep Swen’s presence out of her sight as much as possible.

However, there was no need to change the current tone. No matter how it changed, at least in Jinor’s eyes, a monarch should have the same decisiveness as Luna now.

She wasn’t the type to act recklessly, and she listened to what I said quite well, so I was confident that I could control her at any time.

It could be said that this was somewhat optimistic thinking – but in fact, there was some basis for Genor to be so optimistic.

And a few days later, again―

“Is that true?”

“Yes! I’ve checked it over and over again… … I’m sure!”

―Once again, another ‘reason’ began to be added that made him optimistic about Luna’s future.