Firstborn: Return of the heir

Just like Saulus said, everything was already set in motion before the festivities ended. It wasn’t something uncommon for generals to do; while most of the citizens celebrated the queen’s presence, the last units of the legion continued to pour from the city’s gates.

One company after another was setting off on a short journey to the south, aiming to converge at the trade city of Mengia. With the considerable amount of carriages packed between every unit, anyone could guess that they were leaving for a long time, despite the short distance required to travel.

That was one of the quirks about the eastern plain of northern Retesia, or as it was called by anyone other than its former Patriarch, Burn lands. While Mengia was set at the major crossroads of the two most important trading routes in the lands of Venna’s household, it was Aldo where the greatest concentration of wealth occurred.

Even though it was mostly a traditional element of local society, ever since the trade routes to the north opened up, Saulus was no longer capable of changing this fact. So instead of fighting the inevitable, the young general decided to ride the wave of the extreme amounts of wealth that their neighbors poured into his treasury.

After all, once the civil war was over, those subsidies would amount to pennies out of the profits that their dear neighbors would rack from a free-trade deal!

However at this moment, the mastermind behind nearly everything that was happening within the restored Burn household was silently cursing his fate while moving through the palace corridors.

“The Queen herself summons Sir General before her majesty. You are expected to arrive posthaste, sir.”

In the end, the main event of the festival lasted into the early hours of the next day. With the entire legion already out of the city by that time, the streets were now busy with merchants packing all their belongings and riding south to look for the chance to make a fortune. With the organized supply-lines already set, now it was the time for the private investors to fill the remaining space.

And while all of that was happening, Saulus had no other choice but to return from the outer ring district of the town to the palace.

Just how quick was she to return… Firstborns, give me the strength to keep up with her. Shaking his head in constant disbelief at the actions of this mischievous girl, Saulus arrived at his destination. Standing in front of a set of thick, wooden doors, he raised his hand and knocked a few times.

“Come in!”

Only after receiving the invitation did the young general dare enter. Even though they were close, he was still invading a lady’s room. Keeping to etiquette was second nature for him.

“Just how angry can you be? You know we are on the verge of the war officially erupting…”

Saulus was baffled at how quickly Venna returned to the castle after parting ways with him, once the main event of the inspection ended. Did she rush back with all her speed, tasking someone to carry her, or take a ride on a horseback, or just run on her own two feet? No matter which option she chose, none of them was fitting for her current status.

And that could mean only one thing, reinforcing Saulus’ faith that if this was the level of the current royal mischief, she would most likely end up as a widely loved and respected monarch. If she was using her means to make him waste the time of walking through the entire city, it means she considered this kind of annoyance to be a punishment good enough for angering her. All the while the closest person for comparison, the former patriarch of the Retesian household, was known for even going as far as executing people that infuriated him!

“I know, you don’t need to repeat it every single time you see me.”

Sitting on a comfy chair right beside a huge window in her chamber, Venna didn’t even bother to turn her head around. Staring into the endless darkness of the night on the other side of the glass, her sleepy expression only brought how adorable she was up a notch.

“Then what might be the reason for your summons, your grace?”

As soon as Saulus spoke those words, he realized just where he made the mistake. Even if there was some lingering anger in the girl in front of him for how long he took to finish the job, it was most likely already subsidized by the good news from the south. But as if he was the last possible idiot, he sparked the fires of her anger once again.

“What did you call me here for, Venna?”

Fixing his mistake, Saulus relaxed his posture. Being the general of the rebellion was taking a toll on his mind, slowly forcing him to abandon his true self. To abandon who he was as a butler back in the palace!

“Have a glass of wine with me.”

Taking a moment to scan the entire chamber, Saulus noticed several stacks of papers piling up on a nearby desk. Right now though, they were serving as the special cup holder for the queen. Thankfully, given how they mostly consisted of simple reports on the cheapest possible paper, Saulus didn’t need to worry about some kind of potential ally getting insulted by a letter dirtied with dried-up wine.

“Sure.”

Instead of insisting she answer his question, Saulus followed her request. Grabbing a random stool from the middle of the room and placing it against the wall beside Venna’s seat, Saulus rested on this makeshift chair.

Without any further words, the girl pulled out a huge bottle filled with dark, violet liquid before procuring another cup from a mysterious hideout. Pouring the glass, Venna finally allowed herself to look at Saulus’ face. Her cheeks turned red as she passed the cup to her old friend and supporter.

“Cheers!”

After gently striking one cup against the other, the two of them took a few sips of the expensive liquor. Its rich aroma screamed how costly it had to be, making both of them guilty for just drinking it instead of properly savoring the taste.

“Returning back to your first question, I know about the war. While I play a sweet idiot for the folks, I hope you don’t think that indeed I am one. Here, take a look.”

Turning her head away with a wry smile, Venna once again looked at the stars while handing a piece of paper to Saulus. Quickly scanning the content of the letter, the young general could feel his eyes widening up.

How the heck did this not go through my hands first? That was the only question that appeared in his mind. With how everything was organized, there should be no way for such vital information to be missing from his desk. Unless it was buried somewhere under other, less urgent matters…

“You do realize that this paper…”

Raising his hand and shaking the letter a bit to bring Venna’s attention back to the world of the living, Saulus attempted to calm his face a tiny bit.

“Yes. It means once again you will be going to work, right?”

Hearing the deep sadness in her voice, Saulus looked at the cup in his hand. With the letter announcing that the hostilities at the border had already started, he was needed on the frontlines as soon as possible. He would never forgive himself if his absence there would cause the collapse of the entire rebellion.

Looking at it from another perspective, however…maybe they don’t need me there at all. With that sudden thought appearing in Saulus’ head, he looked at his queen with a wide smile.

“Yes and no. Yes, I need to hurry up to the south to take command of the forces and make sure everything goes according to plan. But no. There is absolutely no reason for me to rush there right now.”

In the end, Saulus’ greatest challenge was to accept his limitations. He couldn’t take care of everything from the frontlines and there was still a lot of important paperwork awaiting in his study.

Right now, his presence alone wouldn’t change a thing at the frontline. With all the forces already deployed and fortified on their positions, it would take a considerable amount of time for either side to change the stalemate. And that meant, he would be better off remaining in the capital for a while.

“So, without further ado… Cheers?”