Berg Harkin

“This report - is it accurate?”

The outskirts of the capital city Urones…
Among the mansions gathered in a corner where only the wealthy reside, there stands a mansion boasting its overwhelming size…
Lifting the parchment in his inherited office, Berg Harkin asked the knight reporting to him.

“Unfortunately… is it the truth.”

The knight, kneeling on the other side of the desk, spoke with bitterness and restraint, clearly conveying his reluctance to accept this report as the truth.

“I see…”

There was a creaking sound…
I leaned back in the chair.
The chair, which had borne the weight of the head of the margrave territory for generations, seemed to handle the weight of the current head just fine. Unfortunately, there was no sign of it offering solutions to the issues he was currently burdened with.

“…Understood.
I will have tea served, so please wait a moment.
I will use this time to organize my thoughts.”

“Haha!”

As the knight lowers his head, he simultaneously rings the bell to summon the maid.
Leaving the study guided by the maid, the knight, heavy silence fills the room.

“What should I do…”

I mutter to myself while looking up at the ceiling.
In my mid-twenties…
Not yet married, every time I attend a ball, my handsome face that used to attract admiring glances from women is now contorted with bitterness.

Some things must be done… Things that should be done are clear.
However, this is…

“We lack the military strength.”

At that moment…
A light night breeze blew in from behind, brushing against Berg’s hair.

Simultaneously, a familiar voice resounded through the otherwise empty room.

“Is something troubling you?
The charming man here to help, isn’t he?”

It was a voice that was not supposed to be heard anymore…
It was the voice of someone who should have already departed from this world…

However, strangely, there was no doubt when the voice was heard.
Because…
In such trying moments, rushing in and helping each other…
That is what friendship is all about.

“Asuru Lombard.”

Therefore, without looking back, I murmured his name.

“Wrong guess.
For now, I am not in a position to bear the Lombard surname.”

Upon hearing the words spoken with a wry smile, I stood up and finally turned around.
And there, indeed…

He, a friend who, though slightly more rugged than five years ago, remained fundamentally unchanged, was looking at me from a chair by the window.

…On a side note, this is the third floor.
From smoothly evading the eyes of security, the adeptness of his skills seems unchanged.

“That’s right, Mad Prince Lunatic, isn’t it?”

Approaching the shelf, I take out wine and two silver cups from there.
Pouring wine into the silver cups, my old friend unabashedly lifts one of them.

“Unfortunately, that’s also off the mark.
I have successfully proven that I am not the Mad Prince Lunatic.”

Tilting the silver cup… he drank it up, looking incredibly pleased.
At that moment, the confidence of a man who fulfilled a great ambition filled his figure, making even the most absurd words seem true by intuition.

“Surprising.
Were your grand delusions genuine?”

I retort sarcastically while savoring my wine.
Though I said that, I noticed a part of me quietly agreeing.

Stretching to the north of the Harkin Margrave lies the Land of Death…
Where the terrifying artifacts of an ancient civilization lay dormant…

People denied it as the ravings of the Mad Prince Lunatic.
However, as someone who knows well Asuru’s character and depth of knowledge, I somehow thought it must be true…

“No matter how absurd the idea may be, if after carefully removing all other possibilities only it remains, there is no doubt it is the truth…
Even though my father and the others couldn’t understand.”

Pouring another refill casually, Asuru smiles slightly, looking a bit lonely.
And with that, Berg had an inkling.
That this friend has no intention of returning to the royal family…

“Regarding the power of the anticipated relics, I heard about it from you five years ago…
From the way you speak, does it mean that it exceeded expectations?”

“Let’s just say it was beyond what you had imagined and far superior to what you had thought.”

“Wow, really…”

Whether it was due to the nostalgic conversation with a friend or the astonishing content, my cup was mysteriously refilled.
As I was left empty-handed, my friend poured wine into my cup from above.

“By now, you must have figured it out, right?
Once I achieve success and return, the country will be divided for that purpose.”

“But does that mean you have no intention of discarding those results?”

“Yes, I have a duty to utilize that power for the people.”

I sip the wine poured by my friend and let out a sigh.

“So, rather than rising as an independent force, you plan to establish a new nation, huh?
If the relic, said to possess even greater power than what you mentioned five years ago, can be found in the Land of Death, isn’t it possible to achieve that there?

“Impressive. You get to the point quickly.”

I gaze intently at my friend’s face.
However, despite my friend already finishing their second drink, I couldn’t sense any signs of intoxication…
Instead, a glimmer of rationality that seemed impossible for someone branded with the stamp of the Mad Prince Lunatic was dwelling in his eyes.

“So, what is needed are the people who’ll make it up…
You, did you come all the way here seeking that?”

“Exactly.
My friend is good at understanding, which is helpful.”

“Well, as a perceptive friend, helping you out is not out of the question.
Knowing you, you won’t overlook the compensation and the future plans, right?”

“Oh, I have prepared ample compensation for now.
Regarding the future, let’s promise the further development of the Harkin Margrave territory.”

Sitting on an ancestral desk instead of a chair, the friend showcases a daring smile.

This man means business.

Everything he says will come true.
For that reason, one should betray the royal family and help oneself.
If you accomplish that, he promises to provide you with a substantial share.

In that case, there is only one answer…

“I’m in.”

“Alright, I’m counting on you.”

With a conversation light enough that it doesn’t seem like a matter of great national importance, they make the decision.
Surprisingly, it may be that historical turning points are determined with such ease.

“About the slaves… let’s see. Though a hundred may be tough, we should be able to gather around fifty of them immediately.
Exactly, there is a trader who just recently acquired some lively folks.”

“Hmm, that’s convenient.
But well, even looking back in history, winning battles always involves such things.”

My friend chirped while tilting a silver cup.

“So, about the compensation…”

“Would gems be acceptable?”

“No, I would like to be paid with work.”

At those words, the friend abruptly stopped his hand from drinking.

“So, this is related to a dilemma of some sort?”

“A friend with good intuition is truly a lifesaver.”

Feeling a sense of accomplishment, I, too, raise my sake cup.

“With the power of the remarkable relic you discovered, perhaps the issue I’m facing could be resolved.”

“Well, as long as it’s not about finding a wife for you, I should be able to manage somehow.”

“Easy for you to say, a single man.”

“Unfortunately, I am a married man.”

“Really? I’m more surprised by that than you finding an ancient artifact.”

Although I am eager to celebrate my friend who seems to have gotten married unbeknownst to me…
After steeling myself, I speak about the problematic issue on my mind.

“The problem I’m dealing with…
It’s the major monster outbreak that attacked the Elf Autonomous Zone.”

“…Not exactly easy, huh?”

Contrary to my words, my friend was laughing.