Chapter 7

As Gineva was diligently exploring the dungeon with Dandelion and the others, Kwalt, leading the surviving Antalya soldiers, finally managed to reunite with the main force where Garellan II was. Out of the 1,000 soldiers who stayed behind, only about 700 managed to join the main force, which means they suffered more than a 30% casualty rate.

Under normal circumstances, this would be a loss rate equivalent to total annihilation. However, they were the rearguard. It was even anticipated that not a single soldier would return, so in that sense, it could be considered a miraculous survival rate. However, when Kwalt met with Garellan, he bowed deeply with a heavy heart and repeatedly apologized for not bringing Gineva with him.

"Leaving the Crown Prince behind and coming here meekly is all due to my inadequacy... I am prepared for any severe punishment. However, I beg you to be lenient with the soldiers who fought to the death..."

"First, explain the circumstances. Why did you leave Gineva behind?"

When asked by Garellan, Kwalt explained the battle.

- The hastily constructed defensive position was approached by the Lostco army led by Dandelion I.

- Before the Lostco army's offensive began, a large group of monsters appeared behind them, summoned by Stampede.

- To prevent these monsters from invading the Antalya kingdom, Gineva proposed a joint battle to Dandelion I, and the alliance was formed.

- The Antalya army bought time, and the reorganized Lostco army surrounded and annihilated the monster horde.

- After that, to stop the enemy from pursuing the main force, Gineva challenged Dandelion I to a one-on-one duel.

As the staff officers in attendance murmured, Garellan listened to the story without changing his expression.

"So, Gineva's fate is unknown, is that it?"

"I believe he is still alive..."

Kwalt answered, looking pained. He then spoke about how Dandelion I had been relatively friendly. Upon hearing this, Garellan muttered, "I see," with a slight sneer. Then he told Kwalt:

"Step down. The verdict will be given when we return to the capital, Kruşehir."

"Yes, sir."

Kwalt bowed and then left Garellan's presence. Walking alone through the Antalya army camp, Kwalt felt an indescribable unease. Garellan's attitude had been consistently cold throughout.

Had he offended the king in some way? However, Gineva had achieved the best possible outcome in that situation. He had fulfilled his duty as the rearguard, stopping the Lostco army from pursuing the main force, preventing the monsters from invading the kingdom, and ensuring the safe retreat of many allies.

There would be various opinions on the process and methods, but what mattered on the battlefield was the result. Who in this camp could claim to have achieved better results than the Crown Prince? Kwalt wanted to shout this.

(Perhaps...)

Perhaps the king was going to abandon the Crown Prince. The vague unease began to take shape, and Kwalt hurriedly tried to dispel the thought.

(Impossible. Yes, it's impossible...)

Kwalt told himself this. Gineva was the Crown Prince, the future king of Antalya. It was unthinkable to abandon him. The cold and sometimes indifferent attitude of Garellan and Queen Mertem towards Gineva was surely because they were being strict to avoid spoiling the future king.

After all, Gineva was the long-awaited son for the Antalya royal family, and for Garellan and Mertem as well.

Garellan currently has two children: his eldest daughter, Yulisha, and his second son, Gineva. Both are Mertem's children. Incidentally, Yulisha, who is eight years older than Gineva, is 23 this year. Her dazzling platinum blonde hair, which has a slight curl, is inherited from her mother.

However, Garellan had two more children. One was his eldest son, named Erdogan. When Yulisha was three, his birth caused the capital, Kruşehir, to burst into joy.

However, the joy did not last long. Before his first birthday, Erdogan fell ill and died. The grief of Garellan, and especially Queen Mertem, was so deep that her tears dried up, she could not eat, and sleep eluded her. The capital, Kruşehir, mourned the premature death of the prince for 100 days.

After Erdogan's death, Garellan impregnated one of his maids. Although not the queen's child, it was a rare cause for celebration in the Antalya royal palace, which had been shrouded in a dark atmosphere after the death of the first prince.

However, this celebration turned into a tragedy. The maid, who was about a month away from giving birth, suddenly died. She died after vomiting blood, which was undoubtedly a poisoning assassination.

The maid's colleague, suspected to be the direct culprit, was found floating in a waterway on the outskirts of Kruşehir the next day. The crime was attributed to jealousy over the maid's favor with the king, but no one in the palace truly believed this.

The maid who was found in the waterway was only the perpetrator, and there must have been a mastermind who ordered her to commit the crime. Everyone thought this, and an investigation was conducted, but the investigation never reached the mastermind.

In such circumstances, the second prince, Gineva, was born. Apart from him, Garellan has no other sons. Princess Yulisha has already married a noble within the country and has children. As the Crown Prince, Gineva's succession to the throne is almost a foregone conclusion within the country.

Abandoning Gineva would be unthinkable. He is the long-awaited son and officially recognized successor for Garellan, and the real son of Mertem, who endured the pain of childbirth. Garellan would surely save him. There is no other way, logically.

(That's right, there is no other way. There shouldn't be...)

Kwalt told himself this. However, no matter how much he denied it, a vague unease continued to haunt him. In the end, he could not shake off this unease until he returned to the capital.

□ ■ □ ■

On March 19, 635, the Antalya army led by Garellan II returned to the capital, Kruşehir. It was not a victorious return but rather a return after a defeat, though it was not a complete rout. The overall damage was minimal, and the soldiers' faces were filled with the joy of returning home, making it a dignified return.

Upon returning to Kruşehir, Kwalt received a verdict from Garellan. The content was "continue to fulfill your current duties until further notice," which essentially meant that Gineva would not be punished. Moreover, the implication of a promotion was high, and Kwalt felt relieved.

Not punishing Kwalt meant the same for Gineva. Although a ransom would likely be paid, Gineva would not be abandoned. Kwalt finally felt at ease.

On the other hand, the regret of leaving Gineva behind began to scream inside him.

"Please send the surviving soldiers back to their hometowns."

At that time, Gineva had ordered Kwalt to do this. Kwalt had thought that Gineva was trying to persuade him by taking responsibility for the soldiers' lives. While this was indeed the case, Kwalt finally realized that Gineva had included himself among those returning to their hometowns.

(How much he must have cared for the soldiers in that situation...!)

And how could he have left such a person behind? Shouldn't he have brought him back here? The more he thought about it, the more he felt guilty, even about returning to his own home.

"Welcome back, my lord. Oh, I am so glad you returned safely...!"

But even so, when his beloved wife greeted him with tears, he felt grateful to be alive. Seeing his children's safe faces, he felt relieved that he had not died there.

(Ah, what a despicable person I am...)

While savoring his happiness, Kwalt thought this. Then, urged by his family, he entered the house. The surviving soldiers were probably being welcomed by their families as well. Kwalt thought about the value of what Gineva had protected.

"Father, tell us the story!"

His youngest son, Yusuf, pleaded with Kwalt. He smiled and stroked his son's head. Then he thought, Yusuf is thirteen this year, close in age to Gineva. It might be good to have this boy serve Gineva.

It was unclear if it was possible. If he were to serve the Crown Prince, many others would also aim for that position. However, Gineva needed allies. If Kwalt and his family could be allies, it might be a way to repay a debt. Kwalt thought this.

Meanwhile, it seemed that Garellan was gathering the prominent figures of the country in the capital. During the return journey, especially when Kwalt and the others rejoined the main force, orders were sent to various regions, but the gathering was not yet complete.

Gathering the prominent figures of the country in the capital meant that an important announcement would be made. Considering the timing, it was likely related to the expedition to the Lostco Empire or Gineva. Various speculations were flying around, but they were essentially a form of entertainment. Ultimately, the content would not be known until the announcement was made. During the time it took for the gathering to be completed, a relatively peaceful period flowed in the capital.

During this time, many visitors came to Kwalt. They were interested in the heroic tales of the rearguard unit, or rather, Gineva. They wanted to know the situation, the events, the decisions made, and how the battle was fought. They were eager to hear the stories.

Some were so eager that they even came to his workplace. Moreover, these were often people of higher status than Kwalt, making it difficult to refuse. Kwalt had a lot of post-war work to do, but his first task became telling these stories.

If it were about himself, Kwalt would not have told the stories. However, this time, they were interested in Gineva's story. So, Kwalt, feeling both proud and a hint of regret for leaving Gineva behind, responded to their requests. Those who heard Kwalt's stories all expressed admiration.

"Hmm... In a situation where the enemy army and a Stampede occurred, to make such a calm judgment..."

"The Crown Prince's fighting spirit is remarkable. It's no wonder he can explore dungeons alone."

"The courage to stand up to the Flame Emperor. I thought he was a delicate person, but what a grand figure!"

Those who understood the severity of the situation, such as military personnel and nobles with territories on the frontier, were especially favorable. To perfectly fulfill the rearguard duty with a small force and to use the enemy army to quell the Stampede—achieving either would be extremely difficult. The more one could imagine the potential consequences of failure, the more favorable they were.

Of course, not all opinions were positive. There were deep-rooted concerns about the alliance, suggesting it might have benefited the Lostco army.

"By reducing the damage to the Lostco army, it was indeed a pro-enemy act."

"Using the Stampede, the Flame Emperor could have been defeated."

"Moreover, by staying behind himself, it shows a lack of awareness as a Crown Prince."

These opinions were indeed present. However, this did not negate Gineva's achievements. Most of these negative opinions were driven by jealousy or factional dynamics, and few took them seriously. Negative opinions remained a minority.

Those who heard Kwalt's stories told them to others. As the only significant military achievement in a defeat, Gineva's story quickly spread throughout the capital.

As the story spread, it became exaggerated. For the common people, the accuracy of the story was not a major concern.

What mattered to them was that their prince was a fine person. And in the heroic tales, Gineva was indeed a fine person. They rejoiced and were satisfied.

□ ■ □ ■

On March 24, 635, the prominent figures of the country finally gathered in the capital, Kruşehir. The next day, on the 25th, Garellan summoned them to the palace and gathered them in the audience chamber.

"Having gathered so many people, what kind of announcement will His Majesty make?"

"The Stampede occurred in the Lostco Empire. The Flame Emperor must be preoccupied with that."

"Yes, so perhaps he intends to launch a major offensive with the entire Antalya army, taking advantage of this opportunity."

"But, he just returned. Will he really do such a thing...?"

"Hmm, indeed, His Majesty had a strong force. If he had the intention, he could have continued the invasion without returning to the capital..."

The ministers exchanged such conversations with those nearby. As they did, the royal guards announced the entry of the king and queen.

In front of the silent ministers, Garellan and Mertem took their seats on the dais. While it was common for Garellan to appear, it was rare for Queen Mertem to do so. Since the loss of her eldest son, Erdogan, she rarely appeared in public.

The fact that even Queen Mertem was present indicated that the announcement would be significant. The tension among the ministers increased. Finally, Garellan spoke.

He first praised the loyalty of the ministers who had hurried to the capital. However, his voice lacked warmth, making it seem like a routine greeting. The ministers understood this and maintained their tension as they waited for Garellan's next words.

With a smile that seemed to mock the world, Garellan said:

"I have gathered you here for one reason. To introduce to you the true Crown Prince."