[V7C24] Stratagem of the Black Lion

“Your Excellency, His Imperial Majesty has arrived.”

“…Is that so.”

The servant reported to Duke Achenwall with a pale face, and naturally so. The Black Lion Emperor, without any prior notice, had just barged into the mansion with only a handful of guards.

This was more of an ambush than a visit.

After instructing the servant to entertain the Emperor, Duke Achenwall leaned back in his chair.

(…He has probably noticed the assassin I sent after Cecilia.)

Sighing, Duke Achenwall closed his eyes.

The throne of the Schwargard Empire had been alternating between war-loving rulers and war-hating rulers for nearly ten generations.

The emperor who waged war against Ridill about fifty years ago had been bloodthirsty, and his reign of conquest was sometimes called the golden age of the Empire’s prosperity.

However, the next emperor loved art and detested wars for destroying cultural assets. Despite being mocked as weak by those around him, he avoided conflict and focused his attention on protecting art and culture.

That said, an art-loving pacifist did not necessarily make a good emperor. He engaged in much debauchery and was indifferent to politics, casually selling off major territories to settle disputes.

Thus, the Empire enjoyed a prolonged period of lukewarm peace, as the anti-war emperor rode off the profits gained from the previous war.

However, everyone knew that this peace would be short-lived. The central nobility had grown hopelessly corrupt, and the hearts of the local lords were drifting away from the government.

Internal decay combined with invasions from foreign tribes and Eastern nations to drive the Empire to the brink of collapse.

Yet the cowardly emperor still refused all conflict, turning a blind eye to inconveniences so he could continue his hedonistic life in the palace.

That was when he met a sudden death, and the young Emperor Leonhart, also known as the Black Lion, ascended the throne.

The official cause of the late emperor’s death was said to be illness, but Duke Achenwall half-accepted the rumor that he was slain by the Black Lion. That man would not hesitate to bring his blade down on close relatives.

The Black Lion Emperor was renowned for plunging head first into combat with the foreign tribes on the southern grasslands, repelling their advance. Following his ascension to the throne, he purged the central nobility one after another, with similar speed.

Some had their assets confiscated, others had their titles stripped. A few were beheaded by the Black Lion Emperor personally.

But despite the Empire’s tumultuous history, House Achenwall flourished through both the highs and the lows.

This was largely due to their possession of the ancient magical artifact, the Mirror of Bern, which allowed them to become a key figure in the war fifty years ago.

Conversely, if they were to lose the Mirror of Bern, Duke Achenwall would lose every trace of his superiority.

(His Majesty was supposed to be a rational man. I thought he would have agreed to dispose of Cecilia and establish a new Saintess. To think that the fearsome Black Lion had so much affection for his little sister.)

Duke Achenwall’s thoughts were interrupted by the door slamming open, followed by the anxious voices of his servants. He slowly raised his eyelids.

The Black Lion Emperor stood in front of the wide-open door, holding a bundle of cloth in his arms.

His ruggedly handsome face was adorned with a cheerful smile, and his boots clinked with each step he took towards Duke Achenwall’s desk.

Duke Achenwall stood up and performed the greeting befitting his station.

“Your Majesty, how may I——”

“Hmph, I am here today to cut down the traitor who dared to go against my will.”

Speaking the words in an unusually casual tone, the Black Lion Emperor drew the sword at his waist.

Duke Achenwall had expected the Emperor to order a stop to the assassins, but apparently, that estimate was a bit off.

Duke Achenwall offered the deepest bow he could muster.

“Please reconsider, Your Majesty. I made the decision with a heavy heart, considering the future of the Empire.”

This was no lie. Duke Achenwall was more patriotic than the average noble, and he did in fact struggle to order the death of his own granddaughter.

…However, the Emperor saw through his patriotism, which was matched with an equal measure of self-preservation.

“More like the selfish desire to avoid losing the advantage known as the Mirror of Bern. You claim to be acting out of patriotism? How amusing.”

“Absolutely not! House Achenwall has always been devoted to the further prosperity of the Empire! Have you forgotten what I did for the country in the war fifty years ago?”

Duke Achenwall pleaded with a tone of grandiose sorrow, but the Black Lion Emperor simply scoffed. He seemed truly bored, as if someone had told him an uninteresting joke.

“And what might that be? It was the Saintess who sacrificed her life to protect the country. What does the man who sent his sister to death have to be proud of?”

“…What?”

“The Mirror of Bern did not reject Cecilia. It rejected you, Duke Achenwall.”

Duke Achenwall’s face, which carried a hint of arrogance until now, turned red with shame and humiliation.

This insult was coming from the Black Lion Emperor, who knew nothing of the war fifty years ago. Though many nobles feared the young emperor, they simultaneously looked down on him for his youth. Duke Achenwall was no exception.

However, in return, the Black Lion mocked the arrogance of such elders with an even greater arrogance.

“Are you also going to call me a ‘youngster who knows nothing about the past’? Well then, do you know? While you and your ilk were living comfortably, what happened to the continuous invasions from the south? What about the fate of our brethren mutilated by the barbarian tribes? I could even reproduce it here if you’d prefer.”

Indeed, the casualties on the southern front and fate of the barbarian tribes were horrendous tales heard only in rumors.

Sweat began to form on Duke Achenwall’s pale face, as the Black Lion Emperor seemingly came up with an idea.

“Right, let me rephrase the words I once said to a chief from the tribes.”

An unsheathed blade brushed against Duke Achenwall’s neck.

“Withdraw your hand from Cecilia.”

The young emperor mercilessly stared down the old duke, who gasped at the coldness of the blade.

“Refuse me and you die. Now choose, surrender or death.”

There was only one choice. For Duke Achenwall, the top priority was always his own life.

“…What do you desire from me, Your Majesty?”

“Send troops to suppress the eastern front. Also, use your authority to deal with the temple agents who are noisy about land development. Mention the name of House Achenwall, the descendants of the high priest, and they will finally shut up. Additionally, there are movements toward independence in the border areas of the western region. Move to investigate there as well. Oh, yes, and about raising the minimum wheat imports and arranging engineers for the mining excavations…”

As the Emperor listed a number of challenging tasks, Duke Achenwall’s throat made a croaking sound, similar to a frog.

“S-Surely you must be joking, yes?”

“Well then, I shall write down that joke and send it formally in writing. Should be a cheap way to keep that head of yours attached, no? Hahaha!”

The Emperor laughed cheerfully, but Duke Achenwall was hardly breathing at this point.

If only this tyrant could leave as soon as possible. Those were Duke Achenwall’s only thoughts as said tyrant gave him another scrutinizing look.

“In the past few generations, the throne has alternated between emperors who love war and those who hate it. The late emperor hated war, so many assume that I am a fan…”

The Black Lion Emperor scoffed as he sheathed his sword.

“If necessary, I will wage war. If not, I won’t. It is as simple as that. I will lay the groundwork for war while avoiding it as much as possible. Cecilia’s marriage is another stratagem for that purpose.”

The Black Lion Emperor placed the bundle he had been holding on the table, then began unwrapping it.

Contained within was a mirror adorned with beautiful decorations. A round mirror with a gold-decorated rim——the splitting image of the Mirror of Bern.

However, Duke Achenwall knew the truth. The real Mirror of Bern was stained in black, incapable of reflecting anything, hidden in the basement of this very mansion.

“I had this replica made by a craftsman I favor. Feel free to use it as a substitute for the real one. The dignity of House Achenwall will be preserved to some extent, I suppose?”

“…This is splendid craftsmanship. Almost indistinguishable from the real artifact.”

This was no flattery; the replica was genuinely well-made. Despite having dealt with the Mirror of Bern for many years, Duke Achenwall could find no differences.

“The genius who made it is likely doing her other job as we speak.”

“…?”

“Did you truly think marrying Cecilia off was the end goal? As I said, I’ve also laid the groundwork for war if the time comes.”

＊　＊　＊

“Waha! Wow, everything is just so amazing!”

In the treasure vault of the Ridill Kingdom, a girl who appeared to be in her mid-teens was shouting for joy. Her black hair was tied into a large bun at the back of her head, and her slightly drooping eyes gave her a somewhat friendly, cat-like appearance.

The elderly man in charge of managing Ridill’s treasure vault enjoyed her reaction as if she was his own granddaughter. The girl was Karina Barr, the envoy from the Empire.

They were about to undergo the process of storing the Empire’s gifts within the vault. The main item was a top-grade veil of Kollwitz Lace.

Incorporating intricate magical patterns, the lace was not only a top-grade magical tool but also a wearable masterpiece.

For the past few days, it had been showcased to the king, queen, and other high-ranking nobles. Now, the Kollwitz Lace would be stored in the treasure vault. However, handling magical tools with high artistic value came with challenges.

Karina, the technician girl accompanying the imperial envoy, was here to assist in managing the Kollwitz Lace.

“But aren’t you a technician? Why are you dressed like a maid?”

“Well, you know, my boss told me to put it on. It’s less conspicuous this way, or something.”

“Hmm, I’m not sure I really understand what they meant.”

“Me too.”

While holding the box with the Kollwitz Lace, Karina innocently tilted her head.

The vault manager cast a sidelong glance at the soldiers accompanying them. One was carrying a wide and flat box containing a glass case.

It was mandated by law that several soldiers must accompany foreign technicians whenever they enter the treasure vault. And currently, Karina was surrounded by three men.

The job of these soldiers was to keep an eye on foreigners, ensuring that they would not mess around with any of the valuable items contained within the vault. However, since the visitor was only an innocent-looking girl, the stern atmosphere all but disappeared. One of the soldiers even started carrying Karina’s tools for her.

“By the way, is this glass case also custom-made?”

“Yep! I made that one! It’s designed to prevent the lace from yellowing and even has magic-blocking enchantments. Oh, and it’s super sturdy!”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

Even the glass case used for storing Kollwitz Lace had to be a magical tool.

The vault manager was actually more impressed by Karina’s ability to make such impressive items, but apparently, Karina took the comment as admiration for how well-protected the lace was.

“The guy who wove this lace, Kollwitz-san, is incredibly eccentric, selfish, and quick-tempered! He was all like ‘Just try to soil or distort the stitches of my lace! I’ll weave your hair into a knot that won’t ever come undone again!’”

“That sounds pretty frightening.”

“I know right! So I had to work hard on making a magical tool to keep it safe.”

The two exchanged a casual conversation as they walked toward the depths of the treasure vault.

Their destination was the room of the vault for storing magical tools. Since Kollwitz Lace was also classified as a magical tool, it would be placed in the same room.

Walking at a leisurely pace to match Karina’s stride, the vault manager made a casual comment.

“By the way, I heard Princess Cecilia’s stay got extended. Must be tough for you guys. All of her servants are running around all over the place.”

“Yeah, I know! That surprised me too! I wonder what happened.”

The sudden decision to extend Cecilia’s stay caused a lot of fuss in the castle. As a result, Karina’s job in storing the lace was also delayed.

“Oh, but I’m actually a bit happy about the extension. I just made a friend in this country, and I want to do some sightseeing here too. If only I could visit the magical tool workshops of Ambard. I wonder if that’s possible.”

“I see. I hope you get some time to enjoy the sights.”

“Yeah!”

The vault manager smiled at the nodding Karina, then stopped in front of the door to the room. The door had been securely sealed by the Barrier Mage, Louis Miller, and a special magical key was required to open it.

Taking out the key, the elderly man unlocked the door, then slowly pushed it open.

“Here we have the storage room exclusively for magical tools.”

Karina widened her cat-like eyes and exclaimed, “Waha!” in awe.

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