Chapter 108. Gathering Shining Flags in Norington (3)
“What do you think about building a new temple in Norington?”
The day after Aselheit’s torch was lit.
Trez finished preparations to leave for Moirai after firmly sealing those stained by the Void whom Blanc had captured alive.
“If the Goddesses’ benevolent touch can reach the wounded Norington, nothing could be better.”
Trez’s proposal was a proposal with nothing bad at all for Blanc.
Although Goddess Religion temples existed in various cities besides Moirai, they were mainly constructed only in important large cities or base cities.
What ordinary lords could not easily attract no matter how hard they tried was exactly the Goddess Religion temple.
However, in the current case, since the Religion side proposed first, one could guess Blanc’s status within the Religion.
Trez nodded as if satisfied hearing Blanc’s words.
“I have something to give you.”
Trez took out two letters and handed them to Blanc.
One was from Bartomyu, and the other was from Iselin.
“The person who first proposed building a temple in Norington was Lord Bartomyu.”
“…….”
At Trez’s words, Blanc lifted his head and looked at him.
Bartomyu Tolome.
The White Lion creating a new force in the Goddess Religion with the Saintess named Iselin on his back.
He had already drawn the Vice-Commander of the Paladin Order into his embrace and sent him to Blanc.
“Please convey my regards to the Count on behalf of his unworthy grandson.”
Blanc bowed his head and expressed gratitude to Trez.
That greeting was gratitude to the noble Paladin following the Goddess' will, and gratitude to his grandfather caring for him even in distant Moirai.
“I will convey the Baron’s will to the Pope.”
Blanc wanted to take a step forward regarding the Void.
Trez delivered Bartomyu’s message and embarked on the road to Moirai carrying Blanc’s wish.
“Thanks for the candy.”
Behind him, Antonio followed with cheeks fully puffed.
Two glorious flags left Norington receiving the Black Wolf’s send-off.
However, what they left remained in Cadmus.
“Let’s go back.”
Blanc turned back to the lord’s manor embracing the two letters in his bosom.
His knights followed behind such Blanc.
The torch stand, standing proudly beside the fluttering Black Wolf flag, gleamed in the sunlight.
If you want it more poetic or more straightforward, I can tweak it.
***
Their flag was broken.
From when they escaped the burning castle, from when they wandered aimlessly losing their country.
They had never properly unfurled the broken flag even once.
However, now, ten-odd years after the flag was broken, their flag was fluttering with glorious flags at the highest place of Norington.
Princess Isabella of the ruined country entered Norington proudly holding the flag of Quiesco.
“It is indeed better for us to receive the intact territory of Monshau than taking half of Norington.”
She was sharing the spoils with the Black Wolf in front of her eyes to enjoy the winner’s rights.
The two monarchs, who had already roughly matched conditions through Magnus, were facing each other leaving only the definite decision.
‘Being a lord is good indeed.’
Isabella was sitting in front of Blanc in an outfit much more dressed up than when she first met Blanc.
At her appearance like a picture, Blanc felt his position had greatly changed from when he was in Moirai.
Because he knew Princess Isabella cared about her outfit for the face of himself who became a lord.
“We also have bitter memories of losing territory. Therefore, things worked out so well while we fully understood the feelings of Baron Blanc who offered to give up half of Norington, so we also have no reason to refuse the territory of Monshau.”
From Quiesco’s perspective too, there was no reason to split Blanc’s territory, Norington, in half instead of the intact Monshau.
Half land was land, but there was no need to provoke the mood of Blanc who was basing himself on it.
“Instead, if we possess Monshau, there are parts we worry about as we directly border Gartaria.”
“I understand.”
Isabella’s worry was valid.
No matter that Gartaria would have no time to care about Quiesco due to the start of the Prince’s Rebellion, worldly affairs are always unpredictable.
For Quiesco, which had the experience of losing the country once already, they would be anxious even if they laid out double, triple defenses against it.
“As an ally, if Quiesco falls into danger, I will run there anytime.”
Isabella quietly looked at Blanc saying he could even notarize that.
“I know well that Quiesco is a country that cannot stand on its own two feet yet.”
Isabella continued speaking looking straight at Blanc.
“Just as the Baron cultivated strength in the embrace of Tolome and Neudorf, I hope you give us time to cultivate strength in the embrace of Cadmus as well.”
Isabella’s brown pupils contained Blanc’s blue eyes fully.
“Mmm…….”
Blanc rolled his head incessantly to grasp the true meaning Isabella’s words implied.
“In what form do you wish to possess Monshau?”
At Blanc’s question, Isabella drank tea and said.
“Rather than raising the flag of Quiesco right now, I wish to stand under the flag of Cadmus. No need to give Gartaria a justification, right?”
Isabella wished to belong to the Cadmus Barony for the time being rather than making Monshau independent immediately.
“Of course, after we cultivate enough strength, we will proudly raise our flag. We cannot continue to burden Cadmus forever.”
Since Quiesco was rebelling frontally against Gartaria, the moment they raised their flag, it was a situation giving any lord of Gartaria a justification to invade Quiesco.
Isabella wanted to hide under the flag of Cadmus for a while to prevent such a situation.
It was like ‘covering eyes and saying meow’, but justification sometimes starts from such petty and shallow things.
“Hmm…….”
However, since Isabella’s proposal was an act burdening Cadmus anyway, Blanc could not easily answer.
Isabella looking at such Blanc had her shoulders trembling thinly.
It was an opportunity barely caught through the blood of Quiesco soldiers.
Her people were still wandering homeless under the walls of Moirai.
And soon the bitter cold of the north wind would rage fiercely at them.
However, the initiative when giving out troops was with Isabella, but the initiative when giving out land was with Blanc.
Isabella had no choice but to sit calmly hiding her anxious heart and wait for his answer.
“……Alright. Instead, there is a condition.”
“Please speak.”
The Black Wolf revealed his inner thoughts to the Princess of the ruined country.
“I wish for us to take the Gorge Where Even Tears Dried Up belonging to Monshau and the wastelands around it.”
Blanc brought his finger to the map and drew the location of the land he would take.
Isabella looked carefully at the location Blanc pointed and repeated deliberation.
“You do not have to answer right now. After sufficiently discussing with retainers…….”
“No. I will give it.”
Isabella answered Blanc’s proposal immediately.
Because if Isabella did not answer right now, Blanc would also not answer immediately.
Time always changes reality.
Isabella did not want to include such variables.
Moreover, even looking at it after finishing the investigation on Monshau, the lands Blanc wanted to take now were abandoned lands impossible to use.
If it were land with even a little value, there was no way Baron Vicious, the owner of Monshau, would not have used it in the first place.
“Good.”
Blanc leaned his back against the chair and relaxed.
“May the friendship of Cadmus and Quiesco continue in the future…….”
“Baron.”
Just as Blanc was preparing to conclude the negotiations and extend a hand, Isabella cut him off.
“Disregarding shame, I wish to ask one more favor.”
As strange tension flowed from Isabella, Blanc pulled his body forward again and looked at her.
“Please speak.”
Isabella hesitated unable to speak easily even at Blanc’s words, but soon opened her mouth as if she solidified her resolve.
“To show the evidence of the solid alliance of Quiesco and Cadmus, there is something I want to propose.”
Blanc looked at her with a puzzled gaze feeling Isabella’s complexion flushing red.
“I want to spread a rumor.”
“What rumor?”
Blanc pulled his body further forward looking at her at Isabella’s voice getting smaller.
At the urge in Blanc’s gaze, Isabella opened her mouth as if decided.
“To show the solidity of our alliance to the outside, my thought is that it would be good to show that the relationship between us two is also intimate in a somewhat private aspect.”
‘Oh my…….’
Looking at Isabella trying to show her charm with clumsy gestures, only then did Blanc realize that the flush on her face was created by shame, not shyness.
Princess Isabella who put many things on her shoulders included even her reputation in the transaction object.
Looking at Isabella shouldering too big a burden for a woman only eighteen now to bear, Blanc fully understood her feelings.
“…….”
Isabella waiting for Blanc’s answer with a face flushed red.
“Lady Isabella.”
As Blanc stood up from his seat and approached her, Isabella ended up flustered.
Although she intended it, she did not know Blanc would react this quickly.
However, the situation Isabella expected, or prepared for, did not happen.
“True alliance would not be something created by affection between man and woman or intercourse between bodies.”
Blanc bent his waist meeting eyes with Isabella and said.
Isabella felt her tension releasing at the low voice coming from Blanc.
Because Blanc’s voice was that clear and felt like considerate of her.
“We share the same wound, raised flags towards the same enemy, and are in a relationship to nest in the same territory soon.”
Blanc’s blue eyes were looking at Isabella.
Looking at Isabella, the eighteen-year-old woman, not the Princess of Quiesco.
Isabella saw Blanc’s hand patting her shoulder.
“If there are worries or difficulties in the future, I would appreciate it if you tell me leaving aside status or situation.”
Blanc’s hand was large like a man, and the veins protruding on it revealed his strong masculinity.
“Even without spreading rumors or such, I will do my best so the outside does not doubt our alliance which is like one body.”
Isabella, who had grown up only among retainers supporting her with heavy burdens since escaping the burning castle wall, had no one meeting eyes with her at an equal position like now.
“Sorry for showing an unsightly appearance. Baron.”
However, meeting a person with a similar wound at an equal position for the first time in a long while and sharing sincere stories, Isabella felt like she was liberated for a moment from the burden weighing down her shoulders all this time.
Isabella looked at Blanc’s hand offering a handshake.
“The alliance of Quiesco and Cadmus will be solid.”
Holding Blanc’s solid hand, there was something like relief felt.
“Please take care of us in the future.”
Monshau, which was Vicious' territory.
That territory lost its old name and became Cadmus Barony Quiesco from the moment Blanc and Isabella held hands.
Because everything in this world is decided by the winner.
***
Evening after parting with Isabella.
Blanc opened the two letters Trez delivered in the office.
On the first letter, a seal with three blue stars symbolizing the Goddess Religion was stamped.
-My heart is greatly saddened as my young bird, to whom I was giving my heart in a strange place, flew to Norington and is not returning. I wish Baron Blanc would bring that bird safely to me. ‘Personally’.
“Grown a lot.”
Blanc smiled gratifyingly looking at Iselin’s letter trying to be polite with her best effort.
-P.S. Mint candies ran out, so I would appreciate it if you replenish that and come.
Blanc threw Iselin’s letter and picked up the next letter.
On that letter, the lion symbol of the Tolome family was drawn.
-I pay respect to Baron Blanc who became the new Lord of Norington.
From the handwriting, the heaviness Bartomyu possessed was conveyed.
However, the content following was heavier than the heaviness of handwriting Bartomyu possessed.
-I heard traces of unusual Evil were discovered during Norington capture. I could not suppress shock at the behavior of the three Baron families who thrust Evil at Baron Blanc, the Seeker of the Blue Star. Therefore, I intend to excommunicate them through the Inquisition on these three families, so I hope Baron Blanc stands at the vanguard subjugating them.
Reading all of Bartomyu’s letter, Blanc stood up from his seat and looked out the window.
“He lays out the board.”
Blanc had the right to effectively rule the territories of the three Baron families through the justification of a righteous avenger, but did not have the right to completely possess them.
Even if it was a territory actually ruled like Blanc’s case, if a person with more legitimate justification appeared later as time passed, he had no choice but to accept the challenge like the case of the three Barons.
However, if Bartomyu excommunicated Langketa and Vicious in the name of the Goddess, all legitimate justifications they had built up would be destroyed.
Bartomyu was trying to create a legitimate justification for Blanc to completely possess the territories of the three families through this.
Although not written in Bartomyu’s letter, Blanc guessed his inner thoughts.
Blanc and Bartomyu.
Both were people with no intention of leaving the Cadmus family just at the position of Baron.