North x Northwest

As many people had been busy coming and going, the carpet on the stairs was a mess of mud and straw. Lil went into the first room and dipped her face in a basin. Even though the water was cold, she rubbed Ed’s dried blood from her forehead and hair until the water turned faintly red. It was almost as if she was shedding her own blood. When she finally lifted her head, water droplets fell from her chin and nose and fell back into the basin.

Lil stared at the window where she and Ed had kissed just a few hours before.

‘Think… Think, then judge… It’s time to stop saying I don’t know Venua’s purpose. What I need to know is which battlefield he’s engaging on. Once the battle has already begun, anyone who doesn’t know his enemy’s purpose will inevitably lose… It’s clear that his tactical objectives are different from his main goal. His short-term objective might’ve been Ed, but Ed himself isn’t Venua’s true goal. And he overlooked something. My brother, who has never been to war, is so naive that he didn’t understand not to give his all in just the first battle.’

Lil had no intention of letting that one fatal mistake her brother had made go.

Upon stepping outside, she saw Linhardt clearing the ground floor. The soldiers took a rest under his command and the servants busily took care of them. Basins and buckets of water came and went. It wasn’t difficult to intuit that the backyard was mostly turned into a public bathhouse by now.

Going down the stairs, she suddenly became aware of the fact that she was starving. As if they knew about her hunger, a fragrant smell of cooking came from the kitchen and wafted through the air.

Linhardt, who eventually spotted Lil, took a few steps closer before opening his mouth.

“Would you like to join me to go and eat with Edgar? I know it’s currently hectic, but it’s also lunchtime.”

“No, I’ll stay here.”

“You’re not coming with me?”

“I’m busy. I’ll go later in the evening.”

“…You’re busy?”

Lil didn’t know why Linhardt was questioning her.

‘Perhaps it’s surprising to him that I claimed to be busy despite looking so leisurely, or perhaps it surprised him that I seem uninterested in Ed, who had become seriously injured while saving me. In any case, the latter will never be true. Even now, my stomach tightens when thinking back on the sight…’

“I already sent a message to Levi to keep me posted about Edgar’s condition.”

Linhardt’s eyes easily gave his thoughts away. Is that enough for you?

“I might not be worried enough to act all sad and unable to do anything but hold Edgar’s hand, however, I’m worried enough in my own way, so don’t mind me.”

In order to trigger him into further conversation, Lil pulled out the chair opposite Linhardt and sat down. Linhardt, who had been looking down at Lil from a relative height, also took a seat in the end.

“I’ve been thinking…”

“..?”

Lil lifted her body from the backrest and consciously tilted her upper body forward. Her voice lowered.

“…Maxwell, tell him he could be put to death…”

Her opponent wasn’t surprised in the slightest and casually asked back.

“We’ll proceed with a trial?”

“Yes.”

Linhardt changed his posture and rested his chin. His long fingers stroked along the pale skin of his jawbone.

“I’ve thought about that too. But the problem is that he doesn’t seem to be willing to turn against his master.”

“Did you appease him?”

“Of course. But he didn’t pay any attention to the options that captive enemy soldiers usually get to choose from.”

“I think it’s probably because of his family.”

“…Would the Prince Regent go so far? That can’t be. Is Obernyu’s ruler that ruthless to his own subjects?”

“It’s not that they’re locked up in a prison somewhere, but Maxwell’s family and friends are in Obernyu. A single decision from Venua could mean he’ll never see them again. And worse, one word from him could ruin their lives.”

“Is he that merciless?”

Lil shrugged her shoulders.

The waiter from the hotel placed a bowl of soup in front of her. Lil answered while gesturing with her spoon.

“I can’t deny it.”

“Without Maxwell’s cooperation, it will be challenging to prove the accusations addressed at the Prince Regent…”

“…”

‘That’s true… In general, noble families have the privilege of full or partial immunity, so the person who presides over lawsuits between them is the Emperor himself. During the kingdom era, there were bloody feuds between families, but since the founding of the Empire, the custom of concluding a trial by shedding blood has disappeared… However, the Emperor might reign under the law in writing, he actually conducts above the law in reality. Once the Emperor makes a ruling, the judges closest to him will simply find the corresponding and most convenient law and apply it, making his ruling quite arbitrary. So, in today’s period of frequent conflict, people have no choice but to look at the Emperor with one mind.’

“…In addition, the Prince Regent is even the current Emperor’s nephew. And between an admiral who had no success in the southern expedition and the Emperor’s nephew, public opinion won’t be of any help either… It will be easy to pin it all solely on Maxwell during the trial, but I cannot help but think of a way to truly make the most of Maxwell’s use… Should I go out of my way to get his family out…”

“I’ll try to persuade him.”

“…How?”

“I’ve known Maxwell since I was young.”

“Well, the royal guard isn’t a position that requires only one or two years of service, so it makes sense he’s been serving your family for quite some time…”

Even though he said that, Linhardt didn’t seem to trust her very much, and judging from the way he only stirred the content of his bowl with his spoon, unlike Lil who eagerly ate the soup, he seemed to be thinking about another way.

“Where’s Maxwell by the way?”

“At the official’s residence.”

“With the others?”

“…”

Just when Linhardt finally took a spoonful before nodding his head, the main dish was served in front of them, giving off a savoury smell.

‘Looks like a pork dish flavoured with spices and herbs..!’

Lil asked because something came to mind upon seeing the food.

“…How is this meat here? I thought it was all robbed, did you get it back? If that’s the case, did you catch the bandits?”

“Yes. They were mixed with people whose affiliations are still unclear. There’s no benefit for them if they’d lie, and they claimed that there were about three people whom they didn’t recognise.”

“Maxwell may not be the only one from the royal guards then. Or those guys could be mercenaries hired by Venua.”

“That’s right. The puzzle was completed the moment I put Obernyu in as the final piece. There were at least four people, including that man Maxwell, who had infiltrated the bandits. Those were also the ones attacking civilians to lure out Edgar.”

“So… this sounds a bit strange, but did the bandits become collateral damage because of the mercenaries?”

“You could say so.”

“And did they hide the stolen items within the village as Edgar suggested?”

“Yes. I later heard that Maxwell had passed through the village by disguising himself as a merchant.”

“Then can we say he made a deal with the Imperial Army?”

“..?”

Linhardt raised his head and looked at Lil.

“Didn’t you mention it was difficult to bring in the Imperial Army and ask for help to catch a group of bandits? Because bandits are supposedly under the Imperial Army’s jurisdiction to begin with.”

“…That’s right.”

Linhardt put his spoon down again and stroked his chin out of habit.

“His Majesty isn’t pleased with Roahn’s rising status. That’s why we’re refraining from intervening as much as possible in matters or events under the imperial family’s jurisdiction. But because of our reputation and influence, people keep seeking for Roahn’s help whenever something adverse happens on the Great Trade Route.”

Lil thought to herself.

‘I can see the friction. Ed might not care, but the Emperor is clearly fighting a cold war with him.’

“Even if Roahn’s soldiers had defeated the bandits, we would only have looked arrogant… as if we had overstepped our bounds… At least this way, everything turned out okay, right?”

“Why do you seem so wary of Sesbron?”

“I’m different from Edgar. I’m sure you haven’t forgotten that I’m a governor appointed by the Imperial Family. Of course, it was an inevitable choice since I was the only one who could stop Edgar from going too far without causing friction within our family. But at the same time, I was willing to step into the role for practicality’s sake.”

“For the sake of practicality?”

“I don’t want the Empire’s trade with the Northern Continent to be cut off.”

Lil nodded her head in understanding.

‘It isn’t my intention to dig deeper and find out the complex circumstances within their family. The reason Ed can afford to do things his way is because he’s Eichendorff’s heir. But of course, other people would’ve to accumulate wealth through trade.’

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