.jpg)
This was thanks to the fact that it took exactly six months to reach the Liligius Strait from the Grand Duchy.
The strait that crossed between the continent of Foldenbach and Til Nebe Cedric.
Quite a few lords participated in the expedition led by Grand Duke Lacheize and blessed by Archbishop Victor.
The place where their armies were to gather was the Liligius Strait. It took a year and a half for all those lords to assemble.
However, just because they had all gathered didn't mean they could immediately head to Til Nebe Cedric.
The problem was the ships. There were many issues in trying to secure ships that could carry about 20,000 soldiers in the vicinity.
The opposing region was a continent of unbelievers, and it wasn't a place where one could travel back and forth comfortably like with merchant ships.
The local lords were unwilling to give up their ships for an expedition from which they might never get them back.
Even if Rahan went personally and threatened them to 'remember the oath of loyalty to the Emperor and the baptism received from the Church of Eridrahan,' they would barely give up one or two ships.
Repeating that process, the boy was suddenly sixteen. Yet, even after wasting two years, the ships did not gather easily.
The Grand Duke said, 'I am looking at fifteen years for this expedition, so it doesn't matter,' but everyone couldn't help but grow anxious.
The soldiers who had left their hometowns became lazy or escaped under the cover of night.
'How about we disband?'
The first person to bring it up was the Lord of Arca, whose territory was located right in front of the Liligius Strait.
He was a man who didn't get along well with Rahan, and for good reason—if one looked closely, he was a political appointee of Marquess Karacal, who supported Prince Elio.
There was no reason for him to join an expedition started by Grand Duke Lacheize to aim for the throne, but since Arca happened to be the territory holding the Liligius Strait, he was eventually mobilized for the expedition.
Nominally, it was an expedition to spread the glory of the Emperor of Foldenbach to Til Nebe Cedric, so it was inevitable as long as he had sworn loyalty to the Emperor.
'That's absurd! We've already wasted two years...'
'I am saying this because we wasted two years. I have tied up fifty of my ships for this expedition, but the support from other lords is meager, and the expedition is distant, is it not?'
Despite the opposition of others, the Lord of Arca scoffed.
'From the start, this was an expedition that should have begun after properly receiving signatures from the lords. It is not too late even now, so I request that everyone return, plan for the future, and start over from the production of the signature boards.'
'And then more years will be wasted.'
It was Rahan who stood against the Lord of Arca.
'I agree with the Lord of Arca that progress is sluggish. However, if we scatter like this, the lords will be even less likely to sign. No one will spend money again on an expedition that has already failed once.'
'It is not a failure, brat.'
Rahan ground his teeth. That was precisely why he didn't get along with the man.
Being an appointee of Marquess Karacal wasn't much of a problem. The Lord of Arca had always looked down on Rahan for being young.
'How many times must I tell you that I am Sir Norwich? Has the Lord of Arca fallen into a delirium?'
'Those who are scarred by their age tend to want to scar others' ages as well. Unfortunately, you are not yet at that age.'
'Lord of Arca!'
At that time, Rahan was young and easily excited.
'The Grand Duke looked fifteen years ahead for this expedition! Two years are not a big problem! It's not as if we lack gold, so why do you wish to retreat using time as an excuse?'
The Lord of Arca sighed as he looked at Rahan.
'...I see why Grand Duke Lacheize sent Sir Norwich.'
'What?'
If it weren't for the bystanders urging them to stop, a fight would have broken out that day as it always did.
The table talk that had continued for two years did not reach a particularly good conclusion that day either.
Normally, Rahan would have returned to his tent huffing and puffing, falling asleep while cursing the Lord of Arca.
But for some reason, on that day, he strangely wanted to hold onto the Lord of Arca and ask him.
'What did you mean by that earlier?'
So, Rahan caught the departing Lord of Arca and asked. The Lord of Arca looked down at him with a stiff face and let out a shallow sigh.
'I have no intention of explaining kindly to Sir Norwich.'
'...'
'But I suddenly feel like talking to myself.'
What is he talking about? Leaving Rahan, who was staring at him with a blank face, the Lord of Arca walked with his hands behind his back.
The field where the expedition had pitched their tents had long since become desolate because of the 20,000 people who had settled there for two years.
On that desolate field, facing the dusty wind, how much time had passed since he followed the lord?
The Lord of Arca muttered as if talking to himself.
'I hate Grand Duke Lacheize, who thinks of fifteen years while sending a fourteen-year-old boy.'
'...'
'A fourteen-year-old boy will not retreat using time as an excuse. But will the day ever come when that boy safely turns thirty?'
'That is insulting! I will not die—'
'Ah, a dog is barking while I'm talking to myself.'
Rahan shut his mouth. The Lord of Arca gave a small laugh.
'I think an expedition led by a child is fine even if it fails. Especially if that child is one who has no home or family, and is bound to be shunned by others.'
There were so many things Rahan wanted to retort to those words.
At fourteen, Rahan was already the strongest among Grand Duke Lacheize's knights.
Grand Duke Lacheize had seen through the fact that he was a quite capable commander and personally taught Rahan the art of mercenary tactics. In fact, Rahan had not lost a single battle through the several engagements he faced until he arrived at the Liligius Strait.
And to him, Grand Duke Lacheize was family. He had never once thought that she had used him in such a manner...
...Though to an outsider, that was the only logical conclusion.
'I wonder if Grand Duke Lacheize has ever thought about the time of the twenty thousand men who have been wasting two years here.'
'....'
'If my ten-year-old son were among adults, prattling on about "Call me Sir Arca," I'd give him a flick on the forehead and yell at him to wash his feet and go to sleep.'
One thing was certain. While the Lord of Arca obstructed Rahan at every turn, he was not a bad person.
He truly believed this expedition was a waste of time. And for some reason, Rahan felt as if he had been caught off guard, leaving him speechless.
Hundreds of rebuttals flashed through his mind, but not a single word escaped his lips.
When Rahan trudged back to his tent in that state, the creature was there.
* * *
A panting axolotl.
At first, he thought, I can't believe there's a pink lizard here.
He didn't know where it had been injured, but the lizard, which was practically in a dying state, was sprawled across Rahan's bed. Black stains were smeared all around it, making him instinctively grimace.
He found out later that those black stains were the axolotl's blood. It had been a demon.
Had Rahan noticed sooner, he would never have let the lizard live.
But for some reason, the words the Lord of Arca had spoken that day echoed in his ears.
'If my ten-year-old son were among adults, prattling on about "Call me Sir Arca," I'd give him a flick on the forehead and yell at him to wash his feet and go to sleep.'
Rahan picked up the lizard and placed it inside his helmet. He also added a piece of leftover bread that had been rolling around the tent.
The lizard remained motionless, wheezing, before flicking its tongue out to swallow the scrap of bread. Thinking, It eats well, Rahan crumbled the bread further, and the creature soon devoured it all.
"Hey, you brat! That's mine!"
"Give me a break, you got proof?"
"You son of a bitch! You wanna die?"
"Ack! This guy's actually hitting me!"
Outside the tent, as always, a trivial fight had broken out between the soldiers.
After twenty thousand men had endured two years in a garrison, all sorts of things had happened; that level of noise was no longer even amusing.
Rahan indifferently rummaged through his pocket and pulled out more dried bread scraps.
The lizard, seemingly having regained some strength, was looking at Rahan, flicking its tongue.
I wonder if it'll survive.
Thinking that, Rahan left the lizard and the bread inside the helmet and fell asleep.
[Howww commendableee, was it youuu who tended to this bodyyy?]
.jpg)