Episode 73: Eastern Front Army

At the eastern edge of the Kirchhen Kingdom stretches a rugged mountainous region, its natural barrier forming the border with the neighboring Serodonia Kingdom.

In the hilly area where that mountain range breaks—there, the Eastern Front Army’s encampment had been set up.

No, calling it an “encampment” might be a bit of an understatement.

Countless tents stood in orderly rows, and even wooden temporary residences had been constructed.

Its scale was such that it wouldn’t be out of place to call it a makeshift “town.” The perimeter of the encampment was surrounded by wooden fences, equipped with defensive features as well.

Furthermore, inside the encampment, several small forts had been built, and among them, one located on the southern side functioned as the headquarters for the Eastern Front Army.

“Hmm…”

Nighttime.

On the second floor of the Eastern Front Army headquarters, in the commander’s bedroom—a single man sat deeply in his chair, elegantly tilting a golden wine glass.

The room was adorned with art pieces like vases and paintings. Among them, many had been collected through illegal means.

But to the owner of these art pieces, such matters were of no concern.

For him, savoring wine while gazing at such artworks was the greatest pleasure of all.

He appeared to be in his forties. A slender build, white hair tinged with purple extending to his shoulders, clad in luxurious noble attire woven from the fur of rare magical beasts.

He was none other than—the commander of the Eastern Front Army and one of the five great nobles of the Kirchhen Kingdom.

Duke Bertram von Drexel Ernstheim.

“C-Commander Bertram…”

From outside the door, a voice called out in a slightly hesitant tone.

With irritation at having his enjoyment interrupted seeping into his voice, Bertram responded.

“…What is it?”

“Count Siegvolt von Kreving has arrived for his assignment…”

“Ah, from the Kreving count family… And? What about it?”

Bertram had already heard that Siegvolt was due to arrive soon.

“If he’s arrived, just have him come for greetings tomorrow. Is this something worth reporting at this hour, you?”

“Y-Yes…! You’re absolutely right, sir. However… a somewhat unexpected situation has arisen…”

“Hmm… What is it?”

“He reported that he killed Count Gregor von Albes, who is under our army’s command…”

“…What!?”

 

◇

 

Upon receiving the report, Bertram headed to the entrance hall on the first floor.

There, a tense atmosphere hung in the air.

Several soldiers faced a young man with strained expressions.

That young man had silver hair shining like the moon and blue eyes reminiscent of an abyss.

At his side stood a female knight with fiery red hair and a tall young man with tanned skin.

“You’re Count Siegvolt von Kreving, I take it…”

As Bertram spoke quietly, a waiting high-ranking officer immediately opened his mouth.

“This is the Eastern Front Army commander, Duke Bertram von Drexel Ernstheim.”

“Pleased to meet you, Commander Bertram.”

Siegvolt placed his hand on his left chest and performed an elegant bow befitting a noble.

Though in his heart he thought such courtesies were pointless, he executed them perfectly for the sake of his villainous performance.

Following his lead, Beatrice and Leon also bowed deeply.

“…I’ve heard the report, Count Kreving. You killed Battalion Leader Gregor, it seems.”

In the Eastern Front Army, Gregor held the position of battalion leader.

Therefore, Commander Bertram referred to him with that title.

“You’ve done something outrageous, Count Kreving.”

“Oh… outrageous, you say?”

“Yes. Battalion Leader Gregor is a senior commanding officer in the Eastern Front Army. To kill him without my permission… that’s the height of overstepping authority…!”

Anger seeped into Bertram’s tone.

Sensing that, the surrounding soldiers tensed up, readying their spears and swords, pointing the tips toward Siegvolt.

If Bertram gave the order—they were poised to strike immediately.

That said, to Bertram, Gregor’s life meant nothing.

However, having a commander under his jurisdiction killed without permission affected his prestige as a commander.

“If you have any words of explanation, I’ll hear them, Count Kreving.”

“Explanation… you say. I don’t have any in particular.”

“What…!?”

“I discovered someone clearly violating kingdom law, so I reprimanded him. But the other party flew into a rage and attacked. I simply turned the tables on him—that’s all there is to it. …What’s the problem with that?”

“Count Kreving…”

Bertram glared at Siegvolt, his brows twitching slightly in anger.

“I’ve heard about you. You just graduated from the officers’ academy, right? Didn’t you learn there? In the military, you must obey the orders of your superiors—and that’s that.”

“Yes. Indeed, that’s what I was taught.”

“Then why didn’t you follow it? Battalion Leader Gregor is your superior. To kill him without permission from me, the commander…”

“I hadn’t officially reported for duty yet.”

Siegvolt replied calmly.

“What…!?”

“I hadn’t yet arrived at the Eastern Front Army. Meaning, I wasn’t under your command—that’s how it is, Commander Bertram.”

Siegvolt continued calmly, smiling gently.

“According to kingdom law—units in transit under the king’s orders are directly under the king. We were merely operating as His Majesty’s forces.”

In other words, until he formally reported to the Eastern Front Army, Siegvolt wasn’t under Bertram’s control—that was the logic.

“A unit directly under His Majesty the King reprimanded improper conduct by a unit under the Eastern Front Army’s command and issued a warning. However, the other party became enraged, drew their sword, and attacked. We eliminated the threat—that’s the full picture of this incident.”

“You’re quite the one for twisting logic, aren’t you…!”

Clear irritation appeared on Bertram’s face.

Indeed, Siegvolt’s argument made sense.

But—that wasn’t the issue.

What Bertram found unforgivable was that a mere count family head had arbitrarily killed a subordinate of his, one of the five great nobles.

—However. Before Bertram could respond, Siegvolt spoke up.

“Ah, that’s right. Regarding this matter, I’ve sent a messenger from my side to report to His Majesty the King.”

“What…!?”

“I was under His Majesty the King’s command. It’s only natural to report an incident that occurred en route to His Majesty, isn’t it?”

—With this, Bertram could no longer act recklessly.

Since Siegvolt had reported to the king, the final judgment on this matter would come from King Luverios himself.

“…You’ve really done it.”

Bertram’s eyes narrowed.

Unable to hide his displeasure and irritation, he glared at Siegvolt.

But—Siegvolt responded with a bright, utterly refreshing smile.

“I’m honored by your praise, Commander Bertram.”

“What…?”

“Oh? Was that not a word of commendation for me?”

Siegvolt tilted his head, putting on an exaggeratedly puzzled expression.

“Gregor, who was violating kingdom law by conducting forced requisitions, was a stain on the Eastern Front Army. And for you, the commander who allowed it to happen, it was likewise a shame. —By exposing it, I’ve essentially protected the honor of the Eastern Front Army. I’m a meritorious contributor, naturally. I thought those were words praising my efforts… Was I wrong?”