บท 27: 27. Hidden Enemies
CHAPTER XXVII: HIDDEN ENEMIES
A lonesome horse drawn carriage continued to pull across the grass plain. At the front of the carriage sat a young woman and a middle aged man, both in heavy metal armour. Their expressions spoke of the turmoil in their minds.
Freya, the young woman was in deep thought of what transpired just a few hours ago. Eto's actions against her and Helena were confusing. She tried to make sense of what happened. Especially Eto's apparent resolve to kill Helena even though his words hinted at something else. She got the feeling he didn't really have a choice in the matter. Like it was something he simply had to do. Maybe he was being forced?
He mentioned something about cancelling a task of sort, but why? Before attacking them he questioned her about their night together.
Only then did she realise the point of that conversation. He was still making up his mind, undecided. He was unsure of whether to go through with it or not. Meaning there was a way he couldn't go through with killing Helena. When he asked Freya if it was possible she could have gotten pregnant, he wanted an excuse to prevent him from killing the princess. When she declared her intention to never have children, it only made up his mind.
"Damn it!" She exclaimed.
"Did he find us!?" Captain Tark quickly asked. Scanning around for signs of Eto.
"No... I was just thinking of what happened with Eto!" She quickly assured him.
She proceeded to explain her thinking process.
"It seems to me that he simply decided the price for not going through with killing the Duchess was too much for a woman who doesn't want any children." Tark suggested.
"How could he simply decide on his own! Assume things about me! Projecting his own thoughts and ideas on me!" Freya snapped.
"It's not that simple sergeant." Tark said.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Like you said, he simply wanted an excuse to not go through with whatever reason he had to kill the Duchess. You having his child was his way of thinking 'I cannot kill a woman who's precious to the mother of my child'. Just to convince himself the price was worth it. Not that he wanted a child right now or specifically from you. Just the possibility was enough to convince himself the price was worth it." An awkward silence ensued as they continued to travel.
Eventually they reached a small wood forest just a few hundred meters wide. Halfway into the forest they found a small open area where nothing grew. Secluded from prying eyes, it was the perfect place to lay low until reinforcements arrived in the morning.
Everyone knew their tasks. What was required of them. Captain Tark and the rest of the guards secured the perimeter of the camp. Making simple traps to buy some time for escaping. They cut down leaves and branches, even trees to make the camp even more secluded.
The remaining servants unpacked the bare essentials to set up camp and food. In total there were 36 people in total but Eto cut down nearly half of them to live only 20 remaining. His fighting also damaged the smaller more expensive carriage. Living only the large cheaper one available for transport. In a little more than a minute they had everything ready. While Freya helped her comrades, Helena quietly watched.
The young Lady Helena, Duchess of Shrewsbury hadn't spoken much since the fights with Eto. She had a lot on her mind. Just a few days prior she lost over a dozen Royal Guards to the ferocious Black Lion. Today she once again lost over a dozen from the man she thought would be her saving grace.
As she sat alone in the empty carriage, she wondered if she was truly worth so many lives. This was not the first time something like this has happened. In the past, due to her dangerous ambitions she lost quite a lot of lives of knights. Her thinking was if it's for the kingdom the number of lives lost don't matter. For the safety and prosperity of the kingdom, she didn't really care how many lives were sacrificed.
How could it? Her father, her brother, most of her family had a similar mindset. To them, they were the safety and prosperity of the kingdom. They always put the kingdom first as it were.
Her doubts started because of the incident a few years prior. A pair of Imperial Magic Knights were simply passing through Rostalio to the coastal Kingdom of Golan. A kingdom with a lot of trading business to the rest of Artaros. Idiotically her father panicked and went against the council's advice. He sent of 16 000. You know how the story went. Nearly 10 000 were killed by 2 men.
The rest of the kingdom went into an uproar by the number of casualties. With the threat of the empire looming, several coup attempts took place. An all out civil war was close to breaking out.
The Crown Prince negotiated. In the end the Royal Family, the Noble Faction and representatives of the People came to an agreement. King Telo IV was executed infront of an audience of over 10 000 friends and family of the men and women that died by the Imperial Magic Knights. His son was crowned as King Claudius IX. Tensions have still been high between the Royal Family and the rest of the kingdom(The Noble Faction and representatives of the People).
Some of the nobles went as far as to cut ties with the Detalia family. One of these been the end of the engagement between Helena and the head of a powerful noble family, the Okutake. As an attempt to gain some control over the situation, the new king sent his sister to become the Duchess of Shrewsbury. Living him as the only full blooded royal in the capital full of enemies.
The only thing that's kept him alive is the threat of the empire. He has earnestly pursuid peace with the empire which many nobles agree with. It seems however that there are those stupid enough to risk an all out war with the Vermilion Empire just to see the Detalia family off the crown. Helena could not wrap her head around the thinking of such people.
The Vermilion Empire has a lot more powerful enemies in the West and South of Artaros. Hence why they have been so tolerant of the actions of a meagre threat such as Rostalio. If they are to prove a worthy nuisance to the empire, the conflict would not be a long drawn out war. A few Magic Knights, maybe 2 or 4, plus a few hundred knights would be enough to wipe out Rostalio in less than a week.
Helena suddenly had an epithony. Whoever is behind all of this might have a way to stave off the empire.
The Vermilion Empire is, by a considerable margin, the most powerful force in Artaros. They have the most resources. The most advanced magic technology. The largest and strongest army. Whoever dared to go against them must have a powerful supporter themselves. Helena continued to ponder the actions and aims of her hidden enemies. Trying to think of who is dumb enough to face the empire.
Eventually her thoughts shifted to a certain Eto Shapan. A feeling of Doom welled up in her stomach, not because of Eto but because of the stranger who showed up. Although she never experienced the awesome might of a Magic Knight, she could somehow estimate their strength from hearing and their fears and abilities. Even at the strongest she could think of them. The strangely handsome man was leagues ahead. Stronger by leaps and bounds. She realised there was a lot of this world she didn't know of.
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