Episode 82: Captain Zigvolt von Kreving Has Been Killed in Action

　Several hours had already passed since sunset.

　The world was enveloped in silence and darkness—the air thick with the essence of midnight.

“That brat Zigvolt von Kreving is probably a cold corpse by now…”

　Kirchhen Kingdom, Eastern Front Army Headquarters.

　In one of its rooms, the commander’s bedroom—Bertram murmured to himself while pouring wine into a goblet crafted from gold.

“That’s the price for defying me. I can’t wait to hear about his final moments later on.”

　Everything was proceeding exactly as Bertram had anticipated.

　The only miscalculation was that Zigvolt von Kreving had insisted on departing immediately… but he had responded swiftly to that as well, sending a secret messenger to the Serodonia forces.

　He’d managed to get ahead of them successfully.

　By now, it should all be over—.

“—…Is what you just said true!?”

“Urgent report for the commander…!”

　Suddenly, noisy voices echoed from downstairs. Following that, hurried footsteps came rushing up the stairs.

　Then, through the bedroom door, a soldier’s call resounded.

“Commander Bertram!”

　The calling voice was laced with unmistakable urgency, signaling something serious.

　Something had happened. Bertram sensed it immediately.

“What on earth is going on?”

“Y-Yes! Count von Kreving’s forces… they’ve been decimated by an enemy ambush!”

“Oh…!”

　Upon hearing the report, Bertram couldn’t suppress the excitement seeping into his voice as he asked further.

“Where did this information come from?”

“Two survivors from Captain Zigvolt von Kreving’s unit barely escaped with their lives and made it back to the Eastern Front Army.”

“I see…!”

　Bertram stood up, struggling to keep the joy from creeping into his voice.

“Where are those men now!?”

“Sir, they’re currently on the first floor of headquarters, being questioned about the circumstances.”

“Very well. I’ll hear their story personally. Keep them waiting there.”

　Bertram opened the bedroom door and hurried downstairs.

　The destruction of Zigvolt von Kreving’s unit. To hear the truth directly from their mouths.

　For Bertram, there was no more tantalizing development than this.

 

◇

 

　When Bertram descended to the lower floor, soldiers and officers had already gathered on the first floor of headquarters.

　At the center of the circle, he could see the figure of Vice Commander Almants as well.

　And in front of them, two men were kneeling.

　One was a middle-aged knight, the other a young soldier. Their armor was damaged in places, with dried blood clinging to it. It vividly told the tale of a fierce battle.

　The knight introduced himself to Bertram.

“I’m Douglas from Captain Zigvolt von Kreving’s unit… And this is the soldier Robert.”

　But to Bertram, their names meant nothing.

　He was interested in only one thing—the final moments of Zigvolt von Kreving.

“I’ve heard that Zigvolt von Kreving’s unit was annihilated. …What exactly happened?”

“Yes…”

　The middle-aged knight, Douglas, responded.

“Things were going smoothly up to the midpoint. But… on the way to Forssa Fort, around the time we reached the open plains. Suddenly, countless arrows came flying from the side… Before we could even grasp what was happening, the unit fell into chaos. Looking back, there must have been ambushers positioned in a spot overlooking the plains… I think.”

　Following that, the young soldier—Robert—opened his mouth.

“We were at the very rear… Unable to comprehend the situation, we just desperately retreated. As a result, we were lucky enough to survive, but… the chances of any other survivors are extremely low.”

“…I see.”

　Bertram placed a hand over his mouth.

　It was to stifle his laughter.

“And… what became of Captain Zigvolt von Kreving?”

“…”

　Douglas and Robert exchanged pale-faced glances.

　Then, Douglas spoke in a grave, heavy voice.

“Count von Kreving… Captain Zigvolt von Kreving was killed in action. Well, I didn’t see it with my own eyes… but I heard the soldiers shouting it.”

“Fuha!”

　Bertram let out a laugh involuntarily.

　The fact that that arrogant upstart—Zigvolt von Kreving—was dead brought laughter bubbling up uncontrollably.

　But laughing at a subordinate’s death was unbecoming of a commander.

　Even he understood that much.

　—Ahem.

　Bertram cleared his throat and composed his expression.

“—I see. So Captain Zigvolt von Kreving was killed in battle.”

　After uttering those perfunctory words, he added this.

“But as the commander, I’ll say this outright. This was self-inflicted due to Captain Zigvolt von Kreving’s poor judgment… you see. From the start, I believed Forssa Fort shouldn’t be attacked. It appears easy to assault on the surface—but I sensed an immeasurable danger there. That’s why I’ve left that fort untouched for so many years.

　At that, he deliberately directed his gaze toward the vice commander standing nearby.

“Ah, indeed, Vice Commander Almants was also opposed to attacking Forssa Fort, wasn’t he?”

“Yes… just as you say!”

　Almants nodded vigorously, his large head bobbing up and down like a frog’s.

“As expected, for high-ranking commanders like us, we can naturally sense dangerous battle situations even before the fight begins. …Unfortunately, it seems Captain Zigvolt von Kreving couldn’t see that.”

　Bertram let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Well, there’s no point in debating the folly of the dead now. Let’s engrave this incident as a valuable lesson for our army. —I’ll leave the rest to you, Vice Commander Almants.”

“Understood!”

　Delegating the aftermath to Almants, Bertram returned to his bedroom with a satisfied air.

　Once alone, he plopped heavily into his chair. In the next instant, everything he’d been holding back burst forth.

“Fuha… Hahahahaha! That arrogant upstart… This is what happens when you defy me!”

　With his face twisted in glee, Bertram gulped down the wine in one go.

　Truly, the sweet taste of victory—an exceptional flavor.

“If only he’d obeyed me… How foolish, Zigvolt von Kreving…!”

　Bertram slowly scanned the room.

　His gaze fell upon the numerous works of art adorning the space—his prized collection, obtained through backdoor dealings with the Serodonia Kingdom.

“Hehe… In the entire Kirchhen Kingdom, I’m probably the only one with a collection like this.”

　Of course, Bertram’s dealings with Serodonia weren’t solely for the art.

　Rather… there was no need to limit what he acquired from the Serodonia Kingdom to just artwork.

　Magic ores mined only in Serodonia, pelts from magical beasts unique to that land, traditional crafts impossible to replicate elsewhere—Bertram had been secretly procuring such rare items through underground channels.

　In exchange, he supplied them with goods only obtainable in the Kirchhen Kingdom.

　In other words—smuggling.

　The Kirchhen Kingdom and Serodonia Kingdom were currently at war, with all trade severed.

　Under such circumstances, Bertram was in the exceptional position of being the only one able to acquire Serodonia-produced items.

　And he sold them to the nobles of the Kirchhen Kingdom through the black market.

　Goods from Serodonia were rare in the Kirchhen Kingdom. And—precisely because of their rarity, the nobles coveted them.

　Thus, the items Bertram distributed fetched high prices.

“My concern was whether Prime Minister Joachim had caught wind of my smuggling… but by disposing of Zigvolt von Kreving this time, I’ve created a debt with him. My smuggling won’t be questioned.”

　Bertram rose slowly from his chair and reached for a painting displayed in the corner of the room.

　Removing it frame and all, a small slit appeared in the wall. At its center was an engraved magic circle. He touched it.

　—Click.

　With a small metallic creak, the wall quietly opened inward.

　It was a hidden safe that reacted only to Bertram’s magical energy.

　And inside it—coins emitting a dazzling shine were packed tightly.

　Moreover, these weren’t ordinary coins.

　Magic ore gold coins—made using exceptionally rare golden magic ore.

　They held value incomparable to regular gold coins, used only in national-level transactions like port leases or mining rights.

　All of these—had been amassed through smuggling.

“Fuhaha… This fortune I’ve built, this collection of art—it’s proof of my genius. An upstart like Zigvolt von Kreving was never even a match from the start… Kufufu…”

　Bertram was intoxicated. By his complete and utter victory.