Chapter 269: Corridor
After the signing ceremony, a small dinner was held.
It was right after the peace had been concluded. Naturally, all attendees were expected to behave accordingly. If they were to complain and complain forever, their dignity would be questioned.
My father and Romilie were chatting happily throughout the meal. Those who knew nothing about the situation must have thought that the Quardenze and Spierzeig families were aristocrats who got along well with each other.
The atmosphere at the dinner party was so convivial. ……It seems that if you put these two words together, “Terribly” And “Harmonious,” You can't taste the food.
The dinner party went off without a hitch, despite my unpleasant discovery.
I even feel as if my mental strength has improved one level by overcoming this living hell. When the after-dinner chatting began, I was not at all put off.
I can say that this is a truly unconventional reconciliation.
Nongaite Terzast, the current head of the Countess Nongaite family, continues to speak with a beaming smile.
This old man with deep wrinkles in the corners of his eyes is the great-grandfather of the next head of the family, Nongaite Canaan, who is standing next to him. He is said to be over ninety years old.
The reason why this old man, who should have retired long ago, is now in the position of the head of the family is related to the death of the then head of the family due to the disaster of Ercenior.
At that time, it was said that the Quardenze and Spierzeig families would clash at the castle of Reischlieff within the next few years. Depending on how the battle between the two families progressed, there would surely have been tremendous turmoil in the central part of the continent. Would the young Canaan be able to handle such an important phase of the war?
The answer is no. Kanan is said to be one year younger than me, so he is 12 years old as of today. To tell the truth, I can only see a future where he will be pushed around and messed up by Quardenze Rouxe and Spiaseik McInnis.
The previous head of the family, Tarzast, who survived the war-torn times and protected the Nongaite family, had a solid track record and a certain name value. As a bridge between the two.
Anyway, I am very happy to see the end of the struggle between the Quardenze and Spierzeig families.
Count Nongaite smiled benignly, but he was not at all careless.
This old man has been giving me verbal jabs as if to say, “I'm going to guess your strength. If we responded in a poor manner, we would immediately be hit with a strong counterpunch. A very intense exchange was going on.
I could see that Mr. Canaan, who was standing next to me, was getting nervous at our pleasantries, or rather, our war of words.
I am honored to have Count Nongaite congratulate me.
But I didn't mind this exchange too much at the moment.
It's still easier to be in a dialogue with a cunning old man than it is to be smiling in the unbearable air. I naturally smile. If I am not careful, I might even laugh out loud.
You should be proud of yourself. Wilk-dono's military prowess and ambition have earned him this honor.
The Count is watching me from behind his smiling maskHis.I could feel the strong pressure in the accent of his voiceHis.
The harmony that he described as unconventional, was it because of my military prowess and ambition?
It seems that this old man is half-convinced that I have acted on my own initiative in this case.And by daring to show it, he is probably trying to put pressure on me and question my thinking of him.
The preamble, which is a manifestation of this, is very impressive.
What the Count is concerned about, or wary of, is the philosophy of the Nambonan Peace Treaty. More specifically, it is the philosophy of Quardenze Wilk, who was deeply involved in the drafting of the articles.
On the surface, the Nambonan Peace Treaty states the duty of the protector of the land, and the idea of prioritizing territorial security. However, if you read through the individual articles, you will find that they contain dangerous content that could be used as a spark for the next war.
I think the Count wants to know whether Quardenze Wilk is satisfied with the cession of territory indicated by the conclusion of this treaty, whether he is planning to start the second round of war, which will be the destruction phase of the Spierzeig family, or whether he is looking toward the third round and beyond, hoping for something greater than that.
It is our pride and our duty to protect the land,” He said. As good neighbors who share the same values, Nongate welcomes the decision of both families.
Don't have any more territorial ambitions according to the words I wrote in the preamble, at least keep what you said, and then the Nongaite family can make some concessions to the Quardenze family …… Or something like that. More of a reminder using the preamble than an exploration.
Perhaps, but I think the Count, like the Quardenze and Spierzeig people, did not understand the intent or significance of Article III. In that respect, the preamble is full of beautiful words and phrases, and in a sense, it was easy to understand and easy to use as a starting point for a conversation.
If I were in the position of the Count, I would want the Spierzeig family to continue to survive in the future.As a virtual enemy of the Quardenze family, I want them to be the lion's share of the lion's den on the Vojstra Plain, and I want them to attract the eye of the snake. I don't want them to start a war in a neighboring territory because it would be nerve-wracking to start a war in the first place.
It is the Nongite family's honest desire to refrain from further conflict. It seems a little too prudent to say that the price for this is just to be a good neighbor.
Well, for the Nongaite family, which has maintained non-interference up to now, they are showing some compromise. It seems that they have decided that it is not a good idea to completely ignore the Quordenze, who are now celebrating their victory in the war.
I thank you for your understanding, Count.
I have no territorial ambition, so I will first affirm that. However, I also remember to nail him to the wall so that he does not interpret my words in a strange way.
I dared to show him a deepened smile.
The Nambonan Peace Treaty is my belief, so to speak, that I have carefully examined every word of it. To violate the agreement would be to violate my will and my pride. That is not the behavior of a nobleman.”
The Spierzeig family will have no choice but to cede the Article II lands at this point, but it is unknown whether they will be open and honest about the Article III lands. This is even more so because the contents of Article III are difficult for the Eluo continental nobility to understand.
However, a promise is a promise, no matter what the reason, so I will press for cession. It is an inalienable component of the spirit of preservation of the land, the same as the spirit of preservation of the land mentioned in the preamble.
Rejecting each article is synonymous with denying the nobility's pride, which the preamble declares. This is a fight for dignity and has nothing to do with territorial ambition.
That is all, and the Nongaites should be well aware of that.
I see.”
I intend to embody my belief in the protection of the land in Kuordentse.
At the very least, it would be up to the territory indicated by the Treaty of Nambonan, and at the most, it would stop with the destruction of Spierzeig and the annexation of the entire Vojstra Plain. There is no ambition for a kingdom or empire beyond the borders of the Quardenze. There are no plans for a war of aggression against the Nongites, so just sit back and watch.
……Hmm.”
I wonder if my point was conveyed correctly to the Count.The mask of this old man's smile is so thick that you can n't read his inner thoughts at all.
For the time being, I decided to proceed with the story as if I had agreed to it.
Let me show you that I am not ashamed of being the great guardian who has protected the land of my fathers.
The Spierzeiks will resist unreservedly in order to maintain the land that has been handed down to them from their fathers, but I say that I understand and will carry out my part of the agreement.
May we henceforth be good neighbors.”
I smiled at him again.
I said, “Don't do anything unnecessary, or the Nongaite family may lose their ancestral lands.
We faced each other silently for what seemed like a mere dozen seconds.
It was the Count who spoke first.
When I talk to you, I am reminded of Lord Cassia, “He said. Not only his eyes his, but also his behavior his. It's a long time ago. It brings back memories.
The tone of his voice his changed slightly at the last word.The tension that had been building up in me eased a little.
Is she your grandmother?
She was a little more relaxed. Have you ever heard of the Keebolf Corridor?
The mountains that stretch from the northwestern to the central part of the continent are known as the Keebolf Mountains. .
Along this long mountain range are a series of plains, also known as the Keebolf Corridor, which are protected by the roof of the Keebolf Mountains.
Of course, I nodded my head in agreement, knowing what I was talking about. This was just a preface, otherwise I would not have been able to proceed.
It was before the founding of the empire. The previous emperor, who had united the factions after a long period of wandering, was making heroic efforts to pacify the western part of the country.
Emperor Jingkaen was born the third son of a weak aristocratic family, but he was thrown out of his family before he came of age. According to the story of the founding of the empire, he was given only a sword and set out on a journey , but we do not know how much of this tradition is true.At any rate, there is no doubt that he left his parents' home.
According to folk tales, after leaving home, Emperor Jingkaen wandered around the western part of the continent, defeating bad nobles to help the war-torn people and meeting heroes who would later become the founding fathers of the nation. Bandit, earning his living as a bandit, or a mercenary, fighting on the battlefield.
The idea of the ancestors being bandits or mercenaries is frightening. It seems to convey the fin-de-siècle atmosphere of the western part of the continent at that time.
As he rampaged here and there, the number of his friends increased. Some of them were in similar circumstances, while others were remnants of knightly families that had lost their main families and were searching for a new way of life. They had grown into a powerful clique that was no match for the armies of the weak and inferior noble families.
It was the birth of the Jinkaen Party, the forerunner of the Jinkaen Empire. My grandmother, who was a runaway daughter, had a great deal to do with the formation of this party. Therefore, I knew most of what the Count was talking about .
After defeating the Hurriyelles and winning control of Alpeo, the Zinkaen party finally turned its attention to the north. One of the emissaries who visited the cloister at this time was the young Prince Cassia.
At that time, the western part of the continent was dominated by the aristocratic houses of Friaeres in the west and Spiaseik in the east. To be precise, the Duchy of Alpeo in the west and the Kingdom of Vojstra in the east.
The Kiebolf corridor was apparently shaken by the strength of the Jinkaanen party, which had attacked and destroyed the Friaeres, one half of the two powerful families.
The Tartherst laughs lightly.
The emperor Jingkaan and his men had been fighting under the banner of ending the turbulent world. The Count apparently anticipated that if he came as an emissary, he would naturally assume this and press for surrender and vassalage. In fact, many members of the Zinkaanen Party were so enthralled by their cause that they blindly obeyed them.
However, when his grandmother arrived in Nongaite territory, the first thing she insisted on was the “Survival of the family. The count liked this.
What was important to the Count was to preserve the lineage of the main ancestors that Nongaite had inherited, and to protect his house and domain. He could not afford to fall prey to such fluffy, elusive, and arbitrarily interpretable tricks as an end to the turbulent times. There was no telling what kind of disadvantages would be imposed on them in the name of the cause.
The Nongites did not make an immediate decision to join the vassalage, but they were strongly impressed by the presence of a “Talkative nobleman” Named Quordentse Cassia in the leadership of the Zinkaen party.
He always put reality and Quordenze first. That is why he was able to achieve the unification of the five domains.
There must be a reason why he has been telling us such an old story.It cannot be that he was just nostalgic.It was clear from our previous exchanges that he was not such a carefree old man.
The Count said that my grandmother and I were similar. The Count, who has met my grandfather as well as Emperor Jingkaen many times, dares to pick out only my grandmother. It is safe to assume that there is some kind of claim lurking here.
Well, it is not so difficult to understand.
The grandmother has an image of being somewhat harsh, but since she took charge as the head of the Kuordenze family, she has become relatively calm. After purging her relatives on the side of the family, she has never fought a foreign war. Been working hard on domestic affairs in order to rebuild the Kuordenze territory.
After running rampant as one of the founding fathers of the nation, he has been a good government official and has been laying down good policies for his territory.His life is indeed full and varied.
Compared to the heroic tales of his youth, it may not be as spectacular. However, his achievements in quickly reuniting the divided territories and establishing centralization in the main family are immeasurable. It was undoubtedly my grandmother who raised the Quardenze family to become the leading family in the central part of the continent.
As I wish to be like my grandmother, the Count's words are a great encouragement to me.
I think the Count probably guessed through this pleasant talk that I have no ambitions outside of Spierzeig. Of course, I am not certain at this point, but it is just an impression. I hope that after this great victory, he will make a break in his ambition and work hard in domestic affairs like Lord Cassia,” He said, as if he resembled his grandmother.
He must have intended to say that she resembled his grandmother.
The Count smiled with satisfaction and introduced his great-grandson, who was waiting next to him.
The greeting and pleasantries with Canaan went off without any particular highlights.Unlike his grandfather, this great-grandson had only given theclichédgreetings and formal conversation.
Canaan seemed a little nervous, but the etiquette itself was not so bad.
If it were a rival noble family, I would have shaken them up and pulled out their gaffes and blunders, but the Nongaites are a noble family that I would like to get along with in the future. My chat with the Count, and there was no reason for me to hit him, so I just let it go.
If it had been a pretty girl, I might have been a little mean to her and enjoyed her reaction her, but there is nothing funny about teasing a boy.
I hope that …… Nongate and Quardenze have a good future together.”
In general, this is not a failing grade for the behavior of an aristocratic boy of this age, but it is a fine line that leaves one feeling uneasy about calling it a passing grade.
The Quardenze family had done some preliminary research on Canaan. Last year, after conquering the city of Nambonan, our civil official visited the Nongaite territory to give his greetings, and at that time, he had an audience with the Count and the two Canaanites.
In preparation for this signing ceremony, I checked the report on Canaan and found that he had a very unfortunate reputation as a “Dimwitted” Person. There were a parade of bad things said about him, such as that he often says and does things in a careless manner, that he lacks a sense of crisis as the next head of the family, that he has a strong yearning for bravery and is blind to reality, and that the Nongaite territory will become unstable if he becomes the head of the family.
However, judging from his behavior today, I feel that he has grown in his own way.Compared to the image of Canaan that I had in my mind after reading the report, the actual one is much better.
The Count must have probably guessed that the Quardenze side evaluated Canaan as dim. He probably started re-educating Canaan in a hurry.
Well, if he can change so much in about a year, we can expect him to grow in the future……. Well, this may be one of the reasons why he brought this delicately made Canaan to the city of Nambonan It's like an interim report: “We are currently educating him to become a proper nobleman, so please don't be anxious about the Nongayit family.
Let us work hard together as the next generation to take charge of the territory, Lord Canaan.
Keep up the good work and grow up,” I said, and that was the end of the conversation. I signaled to the Count and Canaan to relax and talk.
I signaled to the Count and Canaan that we should relax and have a conversation. It is too sterile. It is necessary to set aside time for friendship.
They both knew this, so the proposal was immediately accepted.
I heard that Wilk-dono went into the Voestra Plain by himself. I heard that he called it Operation Snake Jaw. What in the world were you prepared for?”
Canaan's eyes sparkled.
He must have been eager to hear this for a long time.
I do what I have to do, that's all. And I had my grandfather on the Voestra Plain, and my collaborators in Kuordenze were waiting for me.
So there was a grandfather with magical insufficiency, but I won't say anything about that.
Roughly summarizing the Quardenze family's official view, a separate force led by Wilk launched a surprise attack while the energetic General Gulfis was drawing Spierzeig's army to the castle of Reishlieff. So it was all a snake trap.
However, it is impossible to accurately capture all the elements on the Eluo continent, where the means of information transmission is limited.
The only time I might be pointed out is when there is a discrepancy in the testimonies of those involved with Quardenze. Official opinion.
I was afraid to talk too much because it was an auspicious occasion,” He said.
After some discussion, I turned my gaze to Spierzeig's side and broke off the conversation. Romilie is apparently having a pleasant chat with Count Evenapis right now.
I'm not insensitive enough to talk in detail about the last days of McInnis and Kindroa here, even if it's just a summary of the jaw operation.
You are very attentive to detail.”
The Count also put a stop to Canaan. But instead, he was now asked about his attentiveness to Spierzeik. In particular, he dug deep into the matter of returning the bodies of McInnis and Kindroa. I guess the behavior in this area is still incomprehensible to the Eluo continental aristocracy.
This was a question that had been anticipated in the preliminary simulation. I told them that I had returned the body out of a sense of resignation for the sake of the peace and quiet of the territory, or something along those lines.
I asked, “As I was saying, did the Count have any feelings about his grandmother's? So you've lost your independence up to that point…….
I decided to ask the Count and Canaan some questions from me as well, since they would only dig at me if I kept on like this.
The topic for now was the grandmother story that I had just mentioned. Canaan seemed to be interested in it, so it was probably a safe choice.
The Nongaites had defended their house to the death and maintained their independence during the long and fierce warfare in the western part of the continent. They did not immediately surrender to Emperor Zin Kaen, who conquered the Alpeo region. His vassalage must have been a painful I wanted to hear and see what he had to say about that.
The Count stared at me silently for a few moments. The next moment, he nodded his head several times as if he was convinced of something, and then laughed.
He nodded several times and laughed. The independence of a noble family is, after all, only one of the means to protect the family. It would be a complete reversal if we destroy our houses in order to protect our independence.
Nobles belonging to the Kingdom of Levios place importance on independence and self-reliance. It seems that my question was typical of the “Marquise of Quardenze, a noble family in the Kingdom of Levioth. To this old man, the Quardenze family has a strong image of “The Dukes of Quardenze, nobility of the Zinkaen Empire,” And the gap between the two was apparently amusing to him.
I don't quite understand the point of old people's laughter, but I can understand that it is difficult to update the image in our brains as we age.
In the kingdom side, I feel that the spirit of independence and self-reliance is not simply a means of survival of the aristocratic family, but is deeply connected to the anti-priestly ideology. That may be the difference between East and West.
“Well, that is an interesting story.
Generally speaking, the western part of the continent is said to be the place where turbulent times were the most intense and explosive. The actual fact is that the smaller noble families are not as big as those in the eastern part of the continent.
As a matter of fact, more small aristocratic families survived in the eastern part of the continent.
The noble families in the corridor were suffering from endless strife and were exhausted. They are in a state of exhaustion, not knowing when they will be burnt to the ground.
My grandfather told me that it was a difficult time.
The Count let out a great sigh.
The Count then let out a great sigh, “I can only be grateful to the Emperor before me, …… However great his ambition were, for he opened a path to hell and brought the war to an end. Now, I am.”
He did not share Emperor Jingkaan's ideology, but he felt indebted to him for the results he brought about.
He said, “Lord Gulfis knows the joys and sorrows of that era. You should cherish his teachings of him.
Yes.
When I replied, I unconsciously looked at Canaan.
Since we started chatting, he has been very interested in the chin maneuver. I can't say he was rude, but he was excited to the point of being slightly noticeable.
Perhaps it is inevitable for a boy of his age, but he has a strong yearning for tales of heroism and heroic deeds. .
I thought to myself, “Why don't you tell your own son about your war experience before lecturing to a legitimate son of another family about it? I didn't mean to be sarcastic.
No matter how much sadness there is in the war, it seems to become an accessory to the heroic drama as time goes by. At my age, I have made a new discovery, and these days I am only too keenly aware of the heartlessness of it all.
The Count muttered to himself in self-mockery.
I am sure that your acquaintances in the cloister are suffering from the same problem.It is very painful for an old man to look back on a past filled with suffering.But I must tell you again.What it is like to protect one's home. ……
It seems that this is a concern shared not only by the Nongaite family, but also by all the aristocratic families in the Keebolf Corridor. There are probably many old people who dare not talk about it or do not want to remember it because it is a painful memories.
And since Emperor Zinkaan's hegemony is widely covered in the empire, it seems that the younger generation tends to yearn for heroic tales. Maybe the whole empire is like this. It's too disgusting.
“We need to look back on the war and think about peace. Today's signing ceremony will be a good opportunity to do so.”
The Nongaites will share some information about the signing ceremony in Nambonan with the aristocratic families in the Keevorff Corridor at a later date.
The majority of the forces known as the nobility of the northern part of the empire are the aristocratic families of the corridor. I am afraid that if there are more heads of families with a temperament like Canaan's, the hurdles to starting a war will be lowered I wanted the counts and the old nobles of the cloister to pass on the memory of the war to their children.
Only an all-out war with the Jinkaen Empire must be avoided.
Considering this, the current state of the head of the Nongaite family is the most convenient. He felt secure that he would not confront the Quardenze family head-on unless there was a major incident.
The Nongite territory is located in the easternmost part of the Keebolf Corridor and could be the gateway to the Quardenze territory. In the event of war with the Empire, the Nongite territory would undoubtedly suffer the ravages of war and face a disastrous end. In mind, the Quardenze family will take a stand against war as long as they are still alive and well.
The only problem is his age and appearance his, as if he could die of old age tomorrow.This is literally a fatal cause for concern, but there is nothing we can do about it.I hope he will hurry to educate his great- grandchildren.
I hope they will hurry up to educate their great-grandchildren. The end of the war will be an opportunity. …… Everything will not be the same as before.
He is probably referring to the aristocracy of the southern and western parts of the empire.
So far, many of them had supported the Quardenzes mainly because they disliked the Spierzeig family, but now that they had reached a peace agreement, how would they react? Issues that needed to be discussed face to face with my father and grandfather.
It is fair to say that the aristocracy of the eastern part of the empire no longer exists. This is because the Quardenze family has crushed all of them over the past 20 years. Among the remaining aristocrats in the eastern part of the empire, the Spierzeig family is the only one that can be called a real power.
What kind of changes do you expect, Count? I am afraid I am not familiar with the situation in the empire.
…… Now and then, southern logic is difficult to understand in the north.
It is not a way to shun.
It was a tone of voice that said, “I don't know, so I can't answer.
We knew this, but the impact of the Spierzeik family's knee-jerk reaction seems to have been significant.
