Dungeon Defense (WN)

Chapter 377: Encounter of Two Heroes (5)

* * *

The news of the Marquis’ death was urgently delivered to me.

High treason, coveting the royal throne, blasphemy against the divine……. Among all of the crimes that one human could accuse another of, only the most heinous ones were applied here. Is this the fate of loyalty? What a terrible joke.

Furthermore, the royal family of Sardinia must’ve not been content with a conventional execution, as they opted for capital punishment instead.

You could probably tell by looking at Jeremi and Daisy, but this world’s capital punishment and torture systems were developed to a sickening degree. The Marquis was skinned and his veins and muscles were all mutilated. His bones were shattered into small pieces and given to dogs as fodder.

According to their statement, the Marquis had been communicating with our imperial army in secret. The Marquis was the one who leaked the Duke of Milano and the Grand Duke of Florence’s plans to us, and he was also the culprit who tricked the royal family into giving us money. It was a well-built story, and also a well-built sacrificial lamb.

I know who the culprit is.

The Marquis had urgently sent me a letter before he walked into his demise. The following was written in the letter:

‘Esteemed Count Palatine, I extend my sincerest regards to you. It brings me great joy to know that I will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. As you are well aware, our journey entails traversing two formidable mountains. Remarkably, I successfully crossed the initial range in Venice with relative ease. Now, I am poised to conquer the second mountain.’

‘I am sending this letter in hopes that you will acknowledge my effort. I am aware that you are a man who is strict about keeping promises. However, there are times when the border between strictness and cruelty becomes blurred. Crossing that line determines whether others will be sacrificed…….’

‘I will attach my ring to this letter. This ring represents my family and position.’

‘This heirloom was personally bestowed upon me by His Highness the King, embodying the pride and heritage of my lineage. Of course, I am sure you are not interested in abstract notions like this, so I will include that this ring serves as the sole key to unlock the vault within my home. In truth, it constitutes my entire fortune. Now, would you place your trust in me? I jest, of course.’

‘Count Palatine, I beseech you to exercise patience for a mere three days. Just three days. It is imperative that we do not allow others or innocent souls to be sacrificed on account of our pledge. Once I have successfully traversed this second mountain, I shall personally come to reclaim my ring… Ascanio Junio de Rudy.’

There was unmistakenly a gold ring attached to the letter.

It was a dull and old ring. The color was so worn out that I couldn’t tell if it was gold or rust. There probably wasn’t even a single expensive item in the Marquis’ vault.

I smiled as I felt the ring in my hand.

“You were wrong, Marquis. I actually adore abstract things very much…….”

I’m saying it again, but I know who the culprit is. It’s me.

Elizabeth didn’t want to stay enclosed in Venice. However, the republican army was nothing more than foreign mercenaries. If they wanted to move, then they needed a decent cause. The Marquis was ideal for this.

I knew that the Marquis would go to Elizabeth and that Elizabeth would recognize the Marquis’ value……. In other words, Elizabeth wasn’t the one who pushed the Marquis to his demise, I was.

“Lord, we received news that the republican army has moved from Venice.”

Laura entered my quarters. She must have been lightly practicing her swordsmanship as her body was covered in sweat.

“They have approximately twelve thousand to fifteen thousand soldiers. With the recent recruitment of additional mercenaries by the Grand Duke of Florence, which has bolstered his army to fifteen thousand, their combined strength would amount to roughly thirty thousand troops. It is imperative that we take swift action before they can unite their forces…….”

“How much leeway do we have?”

“Hmm.”

Laura tossed aside her mantle and breastplate. The maids quickly rushed to Laura. The three maids used the towels they had soaked in warm water beforehand to wipe Laura’s entire body. These maids were all deaf and mute, so there was nothing to worry about.

“It would be best to move quickly. But if we compact things together, then we’ll have a leeway of about four days.”

“Would it be fine to wait two days?”

“…….”

Laura looked at my face.

“Since you are not using a commanding tone, this must be a personal reason.”

“Indeed. A very, very personal matter.”

“Very well, then. We will depart in two days.”

Laura nodded her head readily. She didn’t even ask why.

While we waited those two days, the Habsburg Empire criticized the Republic’s involvement.

The surrounding nations also couldn’t keep their mouths shut anymore since things had come this far. They had intentionally been staying quiet until now; however, the Republic chose to get involved in another nation’s war. To make matters worse, it was also an incredibly personal war that involved the ‘restoration of a duke family’.

The Republic’s overstepping of its boundaries was evident to anyone. Surrounding nations, such as Frankia, Teuton, Polish-Lithuania, and Kalmar, voiced their criticism one by one. They demanded the Republic immediately ceased its involvement in a foreign nation’s affairs.

Emperor Rudolf gave the final warning.

– This is our final warning to the Kingdom of Sardinia and the traitorous group calling themselves the Republic. We have extended numerous opportunities for peaceful resolution, urging you to embrace diplomacy instead of resorting to violence. Henceforth, I will no longer entertain any compromise or concessions. I shall now express my position without wavering.

– The Milano Duchy and the Piacenza-Parma Duchy shall be included in House Farnese’s territory. Adding to this, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the traitorous group must cease all exchange of human and material resources. If these conditions are not met, then you will learn that humans cannot act arrogantly before death.

The two days went by quickly as these diplomatic battles took place.

Since the promised time had passed, Laura moved our army. Leaving the bare minimum troops behind to defend Piacenza-Parma, our imperial army marched south to the center of Sardinia. Our destination was the Grand Duke of Florence’s city.

“We definitely waited three days.”

Our army of twenty five thousand stood in a wide formation as they marched. I watched them from atop a hill. The ring left behind by the Marquis was adorned on my left hand.

“I kept my promise.”

There was no truce.

The war that had gone silent for almost a month was now recommencing.

* * *

Sardinia’s army had a total of three supreme commanders. The Grand Duke of Florence, the Duke of Milano, and Consul Elizabeth.

On paper, it was expected that the Grand Duke of Florence, serving as the King’s acting general, would assume military authority. However, the Duke of Milano wasn’t someone who would follow the Grand Duke’s orders and Consul Elizabeth was the ruler of another nation entirely. Neither of them proved to be individuals who would meekly obey orders.

“…….”

The Grand Duke pressed his forehead with his right hand. Due to the recent amount of excessive stress, he had been suffering from gastritis almost on a daily basis. Three generals of the rank of supreme commanders for a single army? It would be laughable if it were a joke, but in reality, he couldn’t even force a smile.

The three individuals were currently in a meeting through magic spheres, engaging in what could hardly be called a meeting. “Greetings,” “Nice to meet you,” and “Your reputation precedes you,” only three lines had been uttered since the meeting started. The Grand Duke’s insides boiled with frustration.

At that moment, an adjutant entered the room.

“Your Highness, the Empire has moved.”

“Finally…….”

The Grand Duke unconsciously lamented. This seemed to attract the attention of both the Duke and Consul as they turned to look at the adjutant.

“Where are they heading?”

“They are going south along the Tarus River.”

“Tarus, is it……. I see. So they are coming to Genova.”

The Grand Duke furrowed his brows. If they wanted to reach Genova from Parma, then they would have to march along the Tarus River. Furthermore, Genova was where the Grand Duke was currently residing. The imperial army’s next target was the Grand Duke himself…….

“There is a possibility that they could be going to La Spezia.”

The Duke of Milano who had been unresponsive all this time slowly moved his mouth. His white mustache would bounce every time his lips moved.

“If they follow the Tarus River and go west, then their destination would be Genova. However, if they turn east, then they would be heading to La Spezia. There is no guarantee that their goal is Genova.”

“La Spezia? What could the Empire gain by going there?”

The Grand Duke felt displeased by the Duke’s rebuttal, but he didn’t let it show. In truth, he was grateful that the Duke even opened his mouth. Thanks to this, the Grand Duke naturally become the chairperson of this meeting.

“Marquis Rody……. Pardon me. Was La Spezia not the territory of the traitor Ascanio?”

“……I see. Ascanio was renowned for being an exemplary ruler. I am sure he was loved by his people.”

The Grand Duke slowly nodded his head.

“It is highly likely that the people of La Spezia are currently filled with anger after learning that Ascanio was executed for treason.”

“Indeed. There is a possibility that the imperial army could form an alliance with them and incite a rebellion. In fact, it is possible that the Empire and La Spezia are already engaged in secret negotiations.”

“A bloodless victory, is it……?”

It was the Duke of Milano’s turn to nod this time. Although the two parties were wary of and disliked one another, they acknowledged each other’s wit. That was the mood they gave off.

“Then would it be wise to defend the direction toward La Spezia?”

“That is what I believe. However, if you vacate Genova, then the imperial army could change its mind at any time to advance upon your city. I will not deny that this is a gamble.”

“Hmm.”

Will it be Genova or La Spezia?

There was also the option of fighting them out in the open before they can choose either direction. The issue was the fact that the Grand Duke only had an army of thirteen thousand strong. On the other hand, the imperial army had approximately thirty thousand.

He had lost in the Battle of the Trebia against the Empire even though he had more troops. Not only did he have fewer troops now, but it was only half of what the enemy had. He wasn’t confident that he could win by engaging them in an open battle…….

The Duke of Milano let out a sigh.

“……We should not have killed Ascanio so hastily.”

“Duke!”

The Grand Duke of Florence shouted in surprise. The Marquis had officially become a criminal of high treason. The same charge of treason was applied to anyone who took the Marquis’ side. It was dangerous to utter such words.

“Grand Duke, do not try to muffle me. Wise old men tend to become bold when before death.”

“…….”

“I sought a political compromise, not for the Marquis to take all responsibility and be sacrificed. The Marquis was loyal to this nation and the throne. You should be well aware of this as well, Grand Duke.”

The Grand Duke held back his words.

Both the Grand Duke and the Duke were aware that Marquis Rody was not a man inclined to plot treason. The three of them engaged in constant political warfare, oscillating between hostility and reconciliation. However, despite their conflicts, they all remained loyal to Sardinia in their own unique ways.

The Duke let out another sigh.

“Ascanio contacted me before he was executed.”

“He contacted you?”

“It was a plea to relinquish the Milano Duchy. He offered his own land in exchange for me surrendering my duchy, all in the name of securing peace for Sardinia.”

This was the first time the Grand Duke had heard about this. The Grand Duke carefully opened his mouth.

“Did you accept?”

“I naturally declined. Milano does not belong to me alone. It contains my family’s history. I thought of it as an utterly insolent request and quickly shouted at him to get lost. The very next day, Ascanio was captured for treason…….”

“…….”

“I do not know where things went wrong…….”

Where things had gone wrong. That was something the Grand Duke didn’t know the answer to either.

Was it since the moment discord started between him and the Duke of Milano? Was it since the moment they were tricked by the Empire and marched to Trebia River? Or, perhaps, was it since the moment they fell the Farnese House and sold a girl to slavery……?

It felt like a ghost of the past was haunting them. His body felt heavy and each step felt like he was in a mire. A heavy silence fell over the room…….

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. I’m genuinely sorry for releasing this chapter so late. I got so caught up in work and just my general daily life that I kept forgetting to upload this chapter. It’s not like I even stopped translating. I just forgot to upload it. The next chapter will be out tomorrow at the earliest.

I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.

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