Chapter 75: Izel Ryurik (4)

Approximately 200,000 troops had gathered on the Eden Plain. People swarmed everywhere as far as the eye could see.

This was the first time Kalin had seen such a crowd. It was a grand and imposing sight, one that seemed invincible.

He understood what it felt like to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

From a distance, it was hard to distinguish the formations, but upon closer inspection, the organization was clearly well-established.

'Indeed, the Empire is the Empire.'

The Duchess Ryurik did not respond until the day of departure. She was not seen here either.

After meeting the First Prince, Kalin heard that the Emperor had granted the Duke Ryurik freedom. This meant that he did not have to join the war immediately but could participate when additional troops were needed.

Some nobles were in the same situation. It was an unusual occurrence, so Kalin naturally assumed there was a reason.

'It must have been the Emperor's will.'

On the surface, it was a choice, but the probability was high that subtle pressure would be applied later to ensure their participation.

If the plan was to intentionally exhaust the troops of the prince faction nobles who sought personal gain early on, while allowing the nobles loyal to the Empire to earn merit later, it made sense.

In other words, it was about securing loyal nobles who would maintain their positions no matter who became the Emperor.

In practice, they could be considered nobles of the Emperor's faction.

The Emperor must have asked them to show loyalty to the Empire rather than seek personal gain, even after his death.

While feigning anger, they would ultimately use the Prince Rohalak's proposal to their advantage.

Of course, that anger was not entirely feigned.

'Even so, she should have contacted us.'

Kalin was certain that the Duke Ryurik was not the type to commit such a rudeness.

The time for correspondence was tight, but he would have made a judgment considering that.

Was someone intercepted in the middle? The sudden doubt crossed his mind, but Kalin shook his head.

The possibility was low. They would have used someone they trusted.

"..."

The princess looked south with a composed face. Following her gaze, all that could be seen was the mountain peak at the horizon.

Kalin could not read any emotion from the princess, despite the potential for anxiety or disappointment.

"Shurtafen."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Should we interpret his absence until now as a refusal?"

Her indifferent blue-green eyes turned to Kalin. The reason she looked south was clear.

The Duke might have started a bit late after much deliberation. It was a fitting reason for the lack of a response.

Kalin had not been able to contact Haisen since leaving the capital, so he did not know the situation.

However, Kalin personally felt that the Duke was on his way. It was more of an intuition, and there were a few reasons that fit.

'This situation itself might be the test the Duke Ryurik said he would observe.'

But he was hesitant to tell the princess. It was a positive speculation on his part.

The princess was 16 years old. Despite her calm exterior, the burden she carried must have been significant.

Either way, if the Duke did not come, the situation would be serious...

He was worried that false hope might lead to greater disappointment.

What should he do? Kalin quickly deliberated for a short time and reached a conclusion.

It would be beneficial to discuss the various possibilities.

"You think he will come."

But the perceptive princess spoke first, having read his brief deliberation.

"It's just one possibility."

"Tell me, I'm curious about your thoughts."

The princess's eyes looked quite resolute.

"It's fine. For some reason, I also think the Duke Ryurik will come."

They had similar thoughts. Kalin felt more confident after hearing the princess's words. It seemed he didn't need to worry.

"Yes, I think so too."

The princess smiled faintly, perhaps encouraged by the shared belief.

"The time was tight, but the Duke Ryurik is not the type to miss a reply. Especially in the case of a refusal. He must have started late after deliberating positively."

"Is that your hope, or do you truly believe it?"

"Both."

Kalin thought the princess wanted to confirm her own intuition.

The princess looked into Kalin's eyes for a moment.

"I hope our thoughts are correct, even if not today..."

"Should we wait a little longer?"

"Here?"

"Yes."

It was a puzzling statement for the princess, as the 200,000 troops were about to move.

"The departure is imminent."

"Can we wait separately and then depart?"

"Hmm."

That seemed acceptable. After all, it was still the Empire's territory, and the border was still far away.

"There's no harm in it."

"No harm?"

"Without the Duke Ryurik's help in this war..."

"Alright."

The princess interrupted Kalin.

"We'll do it that way."

"Without hearing the reason?"

"I trust you."

It was a straightforward statement.

"As you say, I've never suffered a loss by following your advice."

"..."

"Let's go. We need to talk."

The princess walked confidently toward where Luedern was, and Kalin quickly followed to offer advice.

Soon, Luedern, who was discussing with the advisor sent by the Emperor, bowed to the princess.

"Your Highness."

"Sir, when is the departure?"

"In 15 minutes. I just sent someone, but it seems we missed each other."

"Can we delay it a bit?"

Luedern furrowed his brow and tilted his head.

"Is it because of the Duke Ryurik?"

"Yes. I haven't received a reply to my letter, so I want to wait a little longer."

The middle-aged Swordmaster was silent for a moment, his eyes filled with pity for the princess.

He had observed the conversation between the Duke and the Emperor and thought the Duke would not come.

Kalin's confidence in his speculation grew from that look. It was only a matter of words.

The princess continued.

"I'm not asking to delay the entire army's departure. Can we just start a bit later?"

The princess followed Kalin's advice, knowing that mentioning the bigger issue first would make the smaller one seem trivial.

Luedern pondered.

"Raymond, is it alright?"

Luedern asked the advisor sent by the Emperor.

He was nominally the overall commander, but considering the actual combat, Raymond was the de facto commander.

"Yes. Since it's still the Empire's territory, there shouldn't be any major issues. However, you should depart within two hours after we leave."

Luedern nodded.

"It seems possible if you depart within two hours."

"Thank you, Sir."

The additional two hours were not a long time, but it was a beneficial situation in any case.

* * *

Exactly 15 minutes later, 190,000 troops began their march.

Since our numbers were small, we were assigned to the rear, so there was no need to reorganize the formation.

However, Kalin did not like the gazes of the princes passing by.

They clearly showed derision, having heard the story.

The First Prince was relatively better, his expression closer to pity for the foolish.

Relatively, that is.

The remaining 13,000 troops also murmured, but the situation was the same.

The Empire's soldiers were not fools. They had a general understanding of the situation where they were left behind.

'It's fine. Morale can't get any worse.'

Morale was already low. It wasn't just because of the poor quality of the soldiers they received this time.

The Empire often distributed a lot of spoils to the soldiers.

Joining the princess, who had fewer opportunities to earn merit, meant a higher chance of losing their lives rather than receiving rewards.

People are swayed more by emotion than reason. The princess was not at fault, but the resentment and dissatisfaction were directed at her.

Therefore, the current murmurs did not matter. The situation wouldn't have been different even if they had departed first.

'The soldiers are one thing, but those guys are really annoying.'

Kalin glared at the sullen-faced nobles and knights. Unlike the soldiers, they had chosen to be here.

Their hearts were not pure.

Ignorant fools who didn't understand the difference between imagination and reality.

They had bet on the princess becoming the Emperor, but now they saw it differently.

Kalin had anticipated such issues, which was why he had hesitated to speak. But it was a risk worth taking.

Kalin glanced at the princess.

The princess, looking south, endured the wait with a cold and resolute gaze.

She seemed much better than he had expected. Perhaps he had worried too much.

A long time passed in the wait. About 1 hour and 40 minutes. The soldiers rested as ordered.

Emmet approached.

"Your Highness, we should start preparing now."

"..."

"Very well."

Soon, the resting soldiers began to form ranks. Muttering could be heard, but only faintly, thanks to Kalin's ability to hear the wind.

The royal authority still held, so they couldn't openly complain. They would lose their heads.

The remaining 20 minutes were for preparing the march. The horizon remained calm until the given time ended.

The princess looked away and mounted her horse. The weight of hope and disappointment was the same, and her regret was deep.

At that moment, Kalin sensed a wind current at the edge of his senses. The leading cavalry and fluttering flags.

It was the Duke Ryurik.

The distance was still considerable. Just before the march, Kalin hurriedly headed toward Erendil.

Before he could speak, the princess was already looking at him.

"Your Highness."

"Shurtafen, can we wait a little longer?"

Surprised, Kalin opened his mouth and smiled involuntarily.

"Yes. We can increase the marching speed a bit."

The sudden wait. Nobles, knights, and soldiers alike had sullen faces.

The princess looked south again.

The waiting moment was anxious but not regretful. She had truly believed he would come.

Only a lingering regret remained.

'Was it the right decision?'

The princess wondered if she was wasting more time due to her lingering hope.

A wind blew from the south, brushing against the princess's hair.

She tilted her head in familiarity. She had enjoyed the wind in the palace recently, but she hadn't expected it here.

It felt like things would go well.

Another 15 minutes passed.

15 minutes was enough to slightly diminish the princess's hope.

As the gazes of the nobles standing beside her became more intense, the princess sighed and turned her head.

In that moment, something caught her eye as she turned. She quickly turned back.

And there, in the distance.

A flag fluttered above the horizon, gradually rising higher.

"Huh?"

A dumbfounded exclamation escaped from the troops.

One flag had become a dozen, and the forms of cavalry appeared on the horizon.

A low, long horn sounded from the distance, majestic and urging them to speed up.

Four riders galloped from the front. It was the Duke.

The Duke dismounted in front of the princess and knelt on one knee.

"Your Highness."

"Your Grace."

"I apologize. Circumstances caused a delay."

The Duke subtly raised his head, his eyes suggesting it was not the right place to speak.

The princess smiled, as if it didn't matter.

"It's fine. I'm very glad to see you."

"I didn't expect you to wait."

"For some reason, I felt you would come."

The Duke blinked, his eyes wide, looking at the princess. Kalin could read a positive vibe from his gaze.