***
As predicted by Carlz, an expeditionary force was formed as soon as harvest season was over. However, the size of the expeditionary force was not as large as expected. Because it was organized around the army of the southern provinces, the Emperor didn’t call many knights from other provinces.
Only a few experienced senior knights of Morte decided to enlist.
Those selected were blessed by Mortheon and thrown a campaign ceremony. Victor hoped they returned quickly.
However, the war unexpectedly became global. Once the front lines were formed, neither side wanted to inflict casualties, so they faced off without major battles.
It was easy to push forward on land with the Empire’s numerous soldiers, but the Southern Kingdom was an island. It was not easy to break through their navy, and no commander seemed willing to try.
The situation was sluggish. As it became clear that the Grand Duke would not return for a long time, Morte’s atmosphere became strange. The vassals who noticed began to fight for rights.
From territorial disputes to mining rights to demands to break an engagement for the sake of an alliance.
Mortheon was exhausted after mediating all kinds of requests.
Even Victor got caught up in a strange situation.
“Oh, Little Duke! It’s been a while since I last saw you.”
A group of vassals spoke to Victor in passing. One of them was openly carrying a lot of jewels.
“Did you kill the Orcs on the mountain again? As expected, you are amazing!”
“You must be the only knight who can hunt down such a terrifying monster, alone.”
Victor narrowed his eyes.
He couldn’t understand why people he didn’t even know were giving him such compliments. He asked directly.
“What is the matter?”
The vassal flinched at his tone, which was harder than expected. But he rubbed his hands together and spoke again.
“What? I’m just doing this because I want to get closer to the Little Duke.”
“The vassals are my brother’s servants, so I don’t know why they’re interested in me.”
“How could you say that? We serve the entire Morte family. So, of course, we are also the servants of the Little Duke.”
They smiled and added subtly.
“Besides, Lord Mortheon is not yet the Grand Duke. So you’re good at it, maybe…”
“It is my brother who will become the Grand Duke.”
Victor cut off his words sharply.
He was terribly offended, but he couldn’t say anything more. Considering the future of the Knights, he knew he shouldn’t become an enemy of the vassals.
Victor spoke with as much composure as possible.
“I am a knight, and I am not interested in politics. It’s my brother’s business.”
“Oh my goodness, Little Duke.”
The white-haired vassal shook his head.
Victor knew his name. Gillian? Gillard? Something like that.
With an indecipherable smile, he explained like he would to a child.
“For those who are powerful, power follows even if they don’t want to. That’s what power is.”
Having said that, he bowed deeply and walked away.
Victor stared at their retreating backs in disgust.
***
After a while, Victor figured out the situation. The disquieting voices were coming from vassals who suffered losses due to Mortheon’s ‘intervention’.
A successor had not yet been confirmed, and the second master was very talented. So, they thought, before the Grand Duke returns, let’s create discourse between the two brothers, and, in the process, take care of our own interests.
Victor couldn’t understand why.
So far, he had only been friendly to Mortheon, so why did they think he’d try to take the place of his older brother?
But Leonard said it had nothing to do with Victor.
“The vassals are basically on the side that benefits them. Since the Grand Duke has 2 children, it is natural for opinions to vary.”
Leonard spoke sternly. It was difficult for him to say because he was from the Odo family, a long-time vassal of Morte.
But Victor didn’t have time to think deeply about that. He bit his lip and pondered.
Mortheon had been very busy. It had been more than ten years since he started doing the lord’s duties his father had entrusted to him, but in all that time he had never seen Mortheon so busy. Victor’s stomach twisted at the thought that his very existence might be used to cause his brother pain.
“What a useless thing…”
His friends stopped him from doing anything rash.
“Victor, being aggressive is not the answer, you know.”
“Yeah. It’s a story that will disappear after the war anyway.”
They said that there were already complaints about the war without progress, mostly from the Capital’s aristocrats. That was natural, since they paid an increased tax just to maintain the expeditionary force.
Mortheon didn’t make an official statement, he made it clear that his father being on the front lines was not to his liking. Everyone hoped a ceasefire agreement would begin soon.
So Victor felt a little comfortable.
Things would soon be over, his father would return, and everything would go back to normal. Mortheon would serve as the Duke’s heir, and Victor would prepare to become the knight commander.
As always, he was worried about the supplies to give out in winter or the amount of wheat that had grown, so…
“Little Duke! You must come right now!”
A servant, who rushed in, interrupted Victor’s thoughts. The three knights looked at the servant in surprise. The servant, who was out of breath, was turning blue from overexertion.
They ran after the servant without even thinking about it.
***
Victor watched the scene unfolding blankly.
The auditorium was filled with wails. The vassals wiped their tears with expensive handkerchiefs, while the knights sat down and wept.
A messenger, bearing the Imperial coat of arms, continued.
“…The body will soon reach Morte, and the new Grand Duke is ordering the entire knight force to leave as soon as the funeral is over.”
“Okay.”
At that moment, Victor found Mortheon. Mortheon’s gentle face was contorted in pain. He caught his breath, and stood up. He addressed the room.
“Our father, the Grand Duke, has died.”
‘Ah.’
Victor clenched his fists involuntarily. It was something he knew the moment he entered the room, but hearing from his brother was different.
“It was due to a cowardly surprise attack. Not only our father, but also all the other knights of Morte were killed. I am…”
He struggled to clear his voice.
“I am very sad. They died honorably as knights, but they left behind so many. It was a tragedy that shouldn’t have happened.”
“…”
“I express my regrets for the suffering that this has caused to my family, my servants, and the entirety of Morte. We can’t help but cry. It’s not something a knight would do, nor anyone blessed to wear the Black Lion crest.”
Mortheon slowly descended the altar and received the Emperor’s letter with both hands. He declared.
“According to His Majesty’s orders, all Knights of Morte will leave as soon as the funerals of their companions have finished.”
Wails erupted and filled the room.
Victor looked at Mortheon, not even thinking about his friends. His brother was looking at the letter with sunken eyes.
It was as if he was saying that his childhood was over.
***
The funerals took place a few weeks after the bodies arrived. During the war, it was not possible to collect all corpses, so many were just empty coffins.
Victor moved through the funeral procession thoughtlessly. Standing in front of his father’s grave he felt nothing, but when he faced the graves of his colleagues, tears came to his eyes. Leonard and Carltz were already sobbing in front of the coffins of the knights they were close with.
But Victor didn’t cry.
Because Mortheon didn’t shed a single tear. He was kinder than anyone else, but now he was the Grand Duke of Morte. The Grand Duke was not allowed to sit down in front of his people and cry.
“Victor.”
Mortheon called him in a low voice. As Victor approached, he hugged his brother tightly.
He said quietly.
“…A lot will change.”
“Yes.”
Victor nodded his head.
It was only the two of them left now, after losing their mother, father, and knights, who were like brothers. He had to carry the weight of this family alone.
And before their very eyes, war awaited.
Mortheon asked.
“Remember what we promised when we were little?”
“Yes.”
“Yes. I will make you my knight commander. This is war, so you will be my captain.”
His brother raised his head.
“Help me by my side, Victor.”
Victor closed his eyes tightly and nodded.
From the day Mortheon promised, he had been training. It didn’t matter whether it was a swarm of monsters or a war.
This was his life’s goal.
He would do anything to protect his older brother and Morte.
***