Chapter 78

Viscount Oigist entered a room deep within the manor, accompanied by a servant. Two soldiers stood guard on either side of the door. Upon seeing the viscount’s face, they bowed their heads.

"How is Jace?"

"Young master is spending his days as usual. He is eating well and there is nothing unusual!"

The soldier, responding to his lord’s inquiry, straightened his back. The viscount nodded and instructed the soldier to open the door. As soon as the soldier unlocked and opened the door, a wave of heat rushed out from the room.

"Huff, huff, huff, huff, huff, huff, huff, huff, huff!"

Inside the room, a man was visible. The man, bare-chested, was repeatedly performing pull-ups, gripping a simple chandelier hanging from the ceiling with both hands. How long had he been doing this? Sweat from his body had formed puddles on the floor, and the room’s temperature was much higher than the corridor due to the heat emanating from his flushed body.

Viscount Oigist frowned at the heat and called out to the man hanging from the ceiling.

"Jace! I’m going to disturb you!"

"Huh...?"

The man’s arms, which had been performing pull-ups, stopped. He looked down at the viscount from the ceiling and spoke.

"Oh, it’s Father. It’s been a while."

The man let go of the chandelier with a casual flick of his hand and landed on the floor, causing the puddles of sweat to splash.

"It’s been a month since I last saw you. I thought you had cut ties with me because you never came to see me."

"Ugh..."

The viscount swallowed hard. The man’s words were flat, but to the viscount, who had a guilty conscience, they felt like a sharp blade.

The man, who had been training bare-chested, was named Jace Oigist. He was the viscount’s son and the heir to the Oigist family, who would have inherited the viscountcy if nothing had happened.

Jace had been under house arrest in one of the manor’s rooms for a month, forbidden from going outside.

"That’s... no, I’m sorry. I have no excuse."

"It’s fine. I wasn’t trying to be sarcastic. So... what brings you here today?"

"..."

Jace, wiping the sweat from his body with a damp cloth, asked while running his hand through his sweat-soaked hair. The viscount, without answering the question, fell into thought.

(What should I say...?)

The reason the viscount had his son confined in this place was the invasion by the Arslane Empire. The empire had captured the border fortress of Balmes, and the nobles who held territories on the eastern border were forced to make a decision—submission or resistance.

The viscount had chosen submission. He had surrendered to the empire without a fight, securing the safety of his territory in exchange for providing food and other resources.

However, his son Jace had strongly opposed this decision. Jace had insisted on thorough resistance and had refused to back down, advocating for cooperation with the Abeil and Ilkas families to fight.

Their discussions had always been at odds, and in the end, Jace, who refused to change his stance, was placed under house arrest in one of the manor’s rooms.

(If... at that time, I had followed Jace’s advice and fought to the end, would the current situation be different?)

The viscount knew it was pointless to think about it now, but he couldn’t help but consider such futile thoughts. No matter how much he regretted it, he had made the decision. Therefore, he had to take responsibility for it.

"Jace, I need you to listen. Our Oigist family is now in danger of extinction."

In the end, the viscount decided to tell the truth.

The imperial army attacking the Breen fortress had been repelled. The royal family had sent troops to the eastern border to purge traitors. The Ulphart family had been exterminated by the royal army, and the Oigist family was next in line for the purge.

Without holding back, the viscount shared all the information he knew with his son.

"..."

Jace listened to his father’s words without interrupting, wiping the sweat from his body with a damp cloth.

When the viscount finished speaking, Jace finally spoke.

"So... what do you want, Father?"

Jace, whose body had finally cooled down, put on a robe. He then picked up the glasses on the table and put them on.

With the glasses on, Jace looked like a rational civil servant. However, his body below the neck was covered in muscles, making him look like two different people.

"If you value your life, Father, it’s best to flee. Take all your wealth and seek asylum in the empire. If you value the lives of your subjects, it’s best to surrender to the royal army and hand over your territory. Although the territory is now part of the empire, it was originally part of the kingdom, so they shouldn’t treat you too harshly."

"That’s..."

The viscount was speechless, unable to respond to his son’s reasonable words. He knew it, but he couldn’t make a decision.

If he considered his role as a lord first, he should surrender and seek the safety of his subjects. He had done so when the empire demanded his surrender. However, in that case, the Oigist family and their relatives would be purged. The royal family couldn’t afford to let a traitor live, as it would undermine their authority. They would surely make an example of them.

(If only I were the only one to be executed, it would be fine. I made the decision, and the responsibility is mine.)

However, the punishment for treason would affect the entire family. Not only the viscount but also his wife and children would be sent to the executioner’s block. This was an unacceptable future for the viscount.

"... If we flee, what will happen to our subjects?"

"Even though a ceasefire is in place, we are still at war. The security of the territory is already deteriorating. If the lord flees, the situation will worsen. Soldiers and mercenaries, having lost their employer, will become bandits, and the people, in their confusion, will fight over money and food. Even the good people of the town might break into shops and loot them."

"..."

If he thought about his subjects, he couldn’t flee. He should govern the town responsibly until he handed over the territory to the royal army.

Subjects and family. Torn between these two important things, Viscount Oigist couldn’t make a decision and bowed his head.

"Hmm..."

Seeing his father’s bowed head, a look of pity appeared in Jace’s eyes. Although Viscount Oigist and Jace had clashed due to their differing opinions, they were still father and son. To Jace, the viscount was still a beloved father. Moreover, Jace didn’t think the viscount’s decision to submit to the empire was entirely wrong. That’s why he had accepted his confinement quietly.

"Father... let’s propose an alternative plan."

Therefore, Jace decided to offer a solution to his father’s dilemma.

"An alternative plan...?"

"Yes. Father, you should leave the kingdom with Mother and the younger ones and seek asylum in the empire. And I will stay in the Oigist territory and maintain order until the royal army arrives in town."

"What... No! That would mean...!"

The viscount’s eyes widened in shock. He couldn’t let his son take on such a sacrificial role.

"I will stay in the town! You should flee to the empire!"

"That would make the younger ones sad. Children need their father."

Jace firmly rejected his father’s insistence.

"Moreover, the royal army will never forgive you for turning to the empire. However, if I, who opposed the submission and was even confined, stay, the royal army might grant me clemency."

"That’s..."

"Many soldiers know that I opposed Father. It’s a rumor in town, and if it reaches the responsible person in the royal army, there’s a good chance they will let me off."

"..."

It was a hopeful assumption. However, seeing the clear resolve in his son’s eyes, the viscount couldn’t say anything more. He bit his lip in sorrow and clenched his fists in frustration.

"Don’t make that face. It’s not like I’m going to die for sure."

Jace adjusted his glasses.

"If it’s Emperor Granade, I will be sent to the executioner’s block, but if it’s Prince Raidol, there might be room for negotiation. Especially if the rumors are true and he has Sven Abeil as his vassal."

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