Winter Field Chapter 27

At that, Rensley hesitated for a moment, then began with a request first. He said absolutely, under no circumstances, should Madam overexert herself to bring it up; if His Highness seemed uncomfortable, she was to pretend the conversation had never happened—only after repeating this several times did he finally broach the main subject.

—The name is Marilyn.

—Oh my. A woman? Surely not a special someone?

Madam Samrit’s voice carried her surprise completely intact. A faint frown also creased Gisel’s brow. Well, yes. Rensley rubbed the back of his neck and answered sheepishly.

—We’ve known each other since we were young, so you’d have to say it’s special, right? We’ve spent many nights together too. He was famous for his outstanding beauty even in the capital of Cornia. Whenever we went out together, I used to feel my shoulders swell with pride.

—Good heavens, you had someone like that, and yet you were sent here in place of that princess? I don’t even know what to say to comfort you… And here I was, unknowingly joking that Rensley suited being the Grand Duchess.

The somber atmosphere transmitted itself even beyond the mirror. The two sat in silence for a moment. The one who broke the conversational dam first was Rensley Malosen. For whatever reason, he burst out laughing with a “Haha.”

—I’m sorry, Madam. Truth is, Marilyn is a mare I took care of since I was young. When I lived in Cornia, I often slept in the stables on days with thunder, so I suppose that’s why I dreamed of Marilyn.

—What did you say?

The startled Madam soon let out a hollow laugh. I truly thought you had left a lover behind. Madam Samrit’s chiding voice seeped out from beyond the mirror. Gisel, who had been resting his chin on the end of his knuckles, shifted his posture slightly.

—It wasn’t a lie that he was a close friend. Since I tended to him myself from a young age, we were far closer than most people. That’s why I tried to bring him all the way to Oldenland. But he was a child who had only ever lived in warm Cornia, so it seems it was hard for him to adapt to the cold northern weather. It looked like he really would fall ill if I pushed him any harder, so we simply parted ways at an inn.

—Ah, the meal has arrived. Over here. Come now, let’s eat. And tell me where the lodging you left Marilyn at is. For something like this, I can send someone to find out without even needing His Highness’s permission.

—Really?

Rensley asked, his face lighting up. Madam replied brightly that such a matter was no trouble at all.

‘Not a person, but a horse?’

Gisel, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, recalled the image of Rensley at dawn, nuzzling his face against his chest and murmuring “Marilyn” as if in delight. He pressed his palm to his own chest a couple of times, then tilted his head quizzically.

“Your Highness, it is nearly time for the morning assembly.”

At that moment, an attendant quietly approached and informed him. When Gisel swept his hand over the mirror once more, the glass with its reflective surface mirrored the scene opposite it, ordinary once again.

Only then did his thoughts reach the fact that he had not been able to read the chosen book at all. There was plenty of time to read, and it wasn’t particularly interesting anyway, so it was of no consequence… Closing the book whose pages had been turning on their own without his knowing, Gisel rose from his seat.

Exiting the library and heading toward the office in the main tower, Gisel paused briefly in his steps. Knight Commander Anton Sorel, who was just lining up his subordinates, offered him a greeting.

“Your Highness the Grand Duke, have you coughed?”

“Anton, come to my office for a moment once the morning training is finished.”

Unless it was an emergency, being summoned by him at such an early hour was a rare occurrence. To the Knight Commander, who was looking at him with a tense expression as if asking what the matter was, Gisel added a brief explanation.

“There is something I wish to ask, so you may come at your ease.”

“Understood.”

Gisel resumed walking the way he had been going. The spirited voices of the knight order members, who had begun training early in the morning, were warming the cold northern air.

∞ ∞ ∞

There were no particularly troublesome reports, but the morning assembly lasted longer than usual as he mediated a conflict that had arisen between the merchants’ guild and the church over the usage hours of Loudkhen’s plaza. About thirty minutes after the assembly ended, the Grand Duke of Oldenland, who was reviewing documents in his office, raised his head at the sound of someone entering.

The Knight Commander, a man of solemn impression with short brown hair, bowed his head deeply in a respectful greeting and walked forward. Though he held the highest position in the order of royal knights, he was at the relatively young age of just entering his mid-thirties. Gisel set down the document he had been reading and received him. After asking a few somewhat perfunctory questions—did the training go well, were there any unusual matters—Gisel soon posed a new question.

“How is the atmosphere in the knight order these days?”

“The new recruits who came in this quarter are spirited, so the atmosphere is good.”

What is this about? Anton was asking with his expression.

Gisel gazed blankly at the mirror, which had now returned to being an ordinary reflector, then shifted his gaze.

“Have you ever raised an animal?”

“Raised… Well, I have tended to my own horse and hunting dogs, but if you mean small animals like cats or birds, I have never raised one.”

“Neither have I. However, I have seen others raise them when I was young.”

“Since a wide variety of animals are kept in the royal palace, that would make sense.”

Even as he answered the questions Gisel posed, Anton could not suppress his curiosity. Since he had been summoned early in the morning with word that there was something to ask, there was surely something to discuss related to official duties, yet his lord, who always preferred to get straight to the point without preamble, was, unusually for today, not bringing up the main topic immediately.

“I have also read in books that the animals of this world are divided into those kept confined and those raised free-range.”

“Hmm. That is so. If you confine those that must be raised free-range for too long, they easily fall ill. Even if they don’t necessarily need to graze, creatures like sheep, goats, or horses must be taken out far afield once in a while, must they not.”

“People would not be so different.”

At that, the Knight Commander shrugged his shoulders as if finding it interesting.

“If we are to compare to animals, a person would certainly be a creature that must be raised free-range. Being trapped somewhere causes such distress that it becomes a punishment, and that is why prisoners are confined. If a person were a creature that could be kept confined, imprisonment would not serve as a penalty.”

“…That is a sound statement.”

Gisel nodded and leaned back into his chair. At his somewhat grave expression, Knight Commander Anton Sorel could not help but inwardly tense up.

Recently, Oldenland had been more peaceful than ever. Gisel Siebendad, who had ascended to the position of Grand Duke at the mere age of sixteen after the previous sovereign passed away, was a youth with unique qualities compared to his uncle who had ruled Oldenland before him—no, compared to all the monarchs of the past.

The previous Grand Duke was a man particularly distinguished in martial feats even among the rulers of Oldenland, a lineage renowned for its belligerence, and his daughter, Princess Frida, also inherited her father’s disposition, venturing beyond the castle walls and wielding her sword without hesitation from a young age. Unlike them, Gisel Siebendad was always quiet, and instead of displaying a fighting spirit, he preferred to shut himself away in the library or his room and read.

There were not many in Oldenland who had predicted that he, who enjoyed studying and researching alone while listening to the stories of scholars and mages rather than achieving military exploits and mingling with people, would become the next sovereign.

Above all else, Oldenland is a place that must focus on defending against the invasion of monsters. Is the monarch suited for this northern nation not Princess Frida?

At that time, many, including Anton, who had not yet risen to the position of Knight Commander, harbored such doubts, and further, dissatisfaction. However, deciding the next leader was a powerful authority vested in the previous sovereign.

The succession to the throne proceeded smoothly without a single conflict, and Gisel Siebendad assumed the position of the new Grand Duke. Afterwards, Princess Frida, stating that she had neither talent for nor interest in politics, had been serving as commander at the northern fortress for the defense of the barrier wall.

However, now, with several years having passed since Gisel Siebendad ascended to the position of Grand Duke, there was no one who questioned the reason he had become the new ruler.

The young Grand Duke, who had a deep interest in academia and magic, caused the magic that, before his rule, had only been used in battles against monsters, to take root in various fields necessary to Oldenland.

Now, Loudkhen exchanged direct communications via magic not only within the royal castle, but also within the fortress capital, and furthermore, even with some of the minor fiefs outside Loudkhen governed by nobles.