Chapter 113: 113 Old Pledges

--That was a long, long time ago. A piece of history that was buried in the flow of time, but certainly existed.

Aah!　If you are the famous "Wise Man of the Forest", then you must be the one!　As I've heard, you have the face of a demon ......!

You've come to sell me a fight, have you!　You're not the only one. Now get the hell out of here!

I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to disparage you. It's just that he was such a brilliant demon.

You're the one picking a fight!　I'll drag you deep into the forest and feed you to the wolves!

I can't let you do that!　If you're going to throw me out, at least do it outside the forest.

He's a stray after all!

No, I'm not lost. I've come to see you. I've come to see you.

I don't have time for fools who pick fights on first meeting. Go away!

No way. ....... I overheard that the sages are not fond of grandiose visits, so I came all this way alone and in light clothing. ......

I'm not sure what to make of that.　It doesn't matter how many people you have or what equipment you have, it's your stupidity that I don't like. Take it, take it, take it!

You're right. It's true I'm an idiot, but ......

What, you're aware of that?

That's why I came to you, to ask for your wisdom. I can't think of anything better to do. ......

Oh, well, that's too bad. Well, give it up.

"I can give up on my own, but if I do, my country will be overrun by other countries in the near future, and my people will suffer. I don't want that to happen if at all possible. ......!

What?

I don't want that to happen if at all possible. I think it's better to be rich than poor, and I think a strong country can protect its people better than a weak country.　But is that something that you have to go to the trouble of doing, even if it means overrunning other countries that are living in peace?

No, no, no, no, no.

Fortunately, we are located on the shore of a lake, and thanks to the abundance of water, all of our people have no trouble eating. We're all laid back and don't have much upward mobility. If we can live peacefully as we are now, that's perfectly fine with me.

That's ...... a good thing.

That's fine.　It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this. Fortunately, we've been able to get along with other countries in our own way. But when the time comes for us to be attacked, there's nothing that our humble army can do about it. ......!

...... I'm sorry to bother you with this, but can I ask you a question?

What is it?

Are you the king of some country, by the sounds of it?

It's a really small country, so even though I'm the king, I'm really just a caretaker for everyone. I rule a country near here by the lake.

I'm not sure what to say. I'm not proud of it, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea.　I'm not proud of it, but this is the Forest of the Lost.

But if there's a wise man there, it's well worth the trip, no matter how many times you get lost!

That wise man is a joke!　You think so until you see the real thing?

"Why?　You have the eyes of infinite wisdom. If you are not a wise man, then there is no wise man in this world.

"...... I have a name too, Lord of the Lake. Come by for a cup of tea.

Oh, yes. What?

What, you've come to borrow my wisdom?　--Let's have a cup of tea and listen to what you just said again in detail.

"...... Well...

"Uh-uh. ......

I don't know what I'm going to do about this.

What's the problem?　That was a great victory!

Yes, it was. It was a great, great, great victory for our army.

It doesn't sound real. The Ergeland Kingdom defeated the Antichrist Kingdom and unified the peninsula. The old man would never have believed it if he heard it.

That's true. At least, it was expected that it would not be settled in our generation, you know.

"But, but... We shouldn't have lost, right?

"Well, if we had lost to the Antichrist, our heads would have been blown off, and most of our people would have been slaves. We shouldn't have lost, that's for sure.

Right?　That's why I fulfilled your request to come up with a plan to avoid losing!

"That being said, who would be stupid enough to launch a series of surprise attacks that fell a few steps short and deploy an intelligence war to destroy the Holy Church from within and win such a huge victory!

I didn't think it would turn out this well either!

I didn't expect it to work out so neatly either! "You're in league with your brother, the war fool, and you make excuses like that?

"Hahaha, don't praise me.

I'm not praising you, I'm putting you down.

Hey, hey, brother, calm down. Calm down, brother. There's no point in arguing about something that's already happened.

...... Yes, that's right. It's a shame that I didn't notice that these idiots were out of control. Now that it's happened, we have to think about the future.

"Well... We're going to unify the peninsula. What are you going to do now?

Now that the war is over, we have to clean up the mess and sort out our internal affairs. The Antichrist's territory will also need to be settled in detail. ......

Brother. I'm sure you're not the only one who can do this.

Sorry. I can do that too. I can do that too. ...... What are you talking about?

No.

No, you can't. The reason we made you king in the first place was because we expected the skirmishes with the Antichrist Kingdom to continue for several more decades. As long as the war continued, it was only natural that the brother who was the most skilled in war among us would become king. ......

......

But, by no means, the strategy of the talented 'black-robed military strategist' was a total hit, and in less than a decade, instead of a few decades, the unification of the peninsula was accomplished.

"Ugh. ......

It's a known fact not only in our country but in the whole peninsula that you are a war fool. It is a fact that your brother is a war fool, and it is widely known not only in our country but in the whole peninsula. If we were to go into the work of preparing the country, it is already obvious that garbage insects would spring up all over the place to take advantage of the situation.

"Ugh~......!

You know. I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of people who'll be able to help you out. If the war is over and my brother's place is in the royal palace, then the non-noble warlord will disappear somewhere and I can use him to my heart's content, he's probably already doing the math.

It's not good!

It's so sudden. I haven't said anything yet.

You don't have to say anything. You want me to be a nobleman!　Absolutely, positively, positively, positively not!

"Hmm. So you're saying that as long as the war is over, you don't care what happens to this country?

Well, that's...

In the future, we'll be holding His Majesty the King, who has no practical ability, and we'll be doing our best to ensure the peace of the nation, while struggling not to show our rags and chasing away the trash insects. It's clear as daylight that my brothers and I are not enough to help.

"Because...

You can say that the families of the lake and the forest have been building a friendship that transcends their positions. When the lake has taken the top of the country, there is no way to visit the depths of the forest. However, the forest is not a nobleman, so they would never casually come to the castle.

But...

In the first place, the wisdom of the forest played a significant role in the lake taking the top of the country, right?　That's all the credit to the wise men that continue to this day, isn't it?

...... What are you trying to say?

"Oh. You're not very perceptive, are you?

Who's to blame for the unification of the peninsula?　Who's to blame for the unification of the peninsula?

Whoa, that's insolent ......!

Fortunately, you've been around as a military strategist since your brother ascended to the throne and you're well known. There's no problem for you to be knighted.

"Yes!

The territory should be the place where the forest people live now, right? It's as if the Sage family is actually ruling it.

Are you listening to me?

What should we name the house? I think we'll call it "Crester" from the name of the estate.

It's just a name, though. It's not a bad name, though, is it?

Hey, I said no!　Let's listen to what older people have to say!

"............ older?

In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the internet, please do not hesitate to contact us. We all know that the country won't last for fifty years if the "Strategist in Kuro" is not restrained. Whose fault is it that we had to go through all the trouble we didn't have to? If you are older, be older and take responsibility with grace!

...... I'm sorry about those guys.

That's enough. In fact, I'm pretty sure you're catastrophically unfit to rule.

"Hmmm. I could see the enemy's movements on the battlefield.

Teaming up with you on the battlefield wasn't bad. Now it's just a matter of moving it into the palace. That's what I've come to think of .......

I've decided that's what I want. When you become a nobleman, you can't be free from the annoying customs. When you become a nobleman, you will not be able to pursue knowledge as freely as you used to.

"Status and place have nothing to do with the pursuit of knowledge. It doesn't matter where you are or where you've been in your quest for knowledge, as long as you have an insatiable appetite for exploration and curiosity, you can be proud to be a descendant of the Wise Men.

"......, but it's cramped.

That's true. I'm not sure what to make of this. If you're a nobleman, ...... you can be sure that you'll be told that you've fallen victim to black magic.

It is a fact that whether it is black magic or demons, your brain has unified this country and the peninsula. Nobody's going to complain.

"No one is complaining, but they'll think so. ....... I think that's a good start.

What do you mean?

What do you mean?" "If I enter the court of the Kingdom of Ergeland as such a creepy, frightening being. People with something in their stomachs will react in a certain way. They'll run away, they'll swear. There might even be people who want to use my black magic against me.

You're going to be a 'trial run' for the ...... nobles.

You're a war fool, but that's a good thing because you have a good idea of what a fight is. --Yes, this is a continuation of the war. You're a war fool, but that's why you know so much about fighting. We'll fight in the new palace to find the enemy that could eat this country from the inside out.

"But!　But that's not what you're in.

Ast.

That's why I want you to swear to me right here, right now. I'll be knighted, and on the surface I'll be your vassal. But that will never be an issue between us and our descendants. Ours will be a friendship of lakes and forests. We, the Cresta, have no allegiance to the Elgrand, but only follow our friendship and help our friends as our heart desires.

"So if, in the distant future. "If, in the distant future, this friendship should be lost...

"Crester will be the first to abandon the Kingdom of Elgrand. Be prepared for that, okay?

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Behind the bars. I'm not sure what to make of this. The first question he asked with conviction was very, very gentle.

Even though I almost despaired at the number of words that were thrown at me, somewhere deep inside I wanted to believe, and I believed, and I could finally think that my waiting was not a mistake.

He smiled softly and shook his head at the eyes of the lake frozen in the winter sun, which were colored with concern for Deanna.

He smiled and shook his head, "What is there to be bitter about? The life of Crester itself is our pride. The infamy is the proof of our walk. --Now I know that from the bottom of my heart.

"...... is your way of life.

The breath he took in front of me was bitter.

"I've got records, I've got documents. I went back as far as I could and looked up Clester.

Why are you researching my family now?

"Why ......?

The king in front of him - Juke has a faraway look in his eyes.

"I'm not sure myself. It's just .......

"Just?

I was worried about your recklessness at the feast when I came to your room. When I came to your room, worried about your recklessness at the feast, a maid named Rita got really angry with me.

I'm sorry to hear that .......

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to be doing. I can understand Rita's anger, and I can imagine her actually losing her temper, but that's not good for the King.

When Diana bows her head, Juke says, "Don't apologize.

Your handmaiden was right. I was so focused on the immediate future that I almost lost your heart.

"I thank you for your generosity.

There is no such thing as generosity. I think you're the ones being generous. --You never abandon a king as foolish as this one, and you always show him the way, quietly.

"...... show us the way?

Juke nodded slowly.

"Your handmaiden, Rita, told me. It's a good thing that you're not the only one. ...... You're absolutely right.

It is true that you were short-sighted in the past. But that was because you were forced to have a one-sided view. His Majesty is aware of this and is making an effort to break it of his own free will. It's not something that everyone can do.

I'm not trying to be a missionary. It's not like I'm striving to be one out of a sense of duty.

I'm not trying to be a missionary." "Oh, really?　Then ...... why?

It's fun to think about ...... why, isn't it?

Deanna's eyes fluttered at the unexpected words.

"Fun, huh?

For me, the answer was obvious from the start. For me, the answer has always been obvious from the start: I do what the ministers tell me to do. It's a world where there's no hesitation, where it's easy, where there's nothing for me to do. ...... It's like a black and white landscape on a thin sheet of white paper. You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few things to do.

When told, Diana imagines. A world of black and white, a straight road. A world of two colors, black and white.

Sure, it's easy. No need to get lost.

...... But such a world is...

It's ...... boring, isn't it?

Yeah. I've been involved with the palace, and everyone has told me to think. At first, I didn't understand what was going on, and it just made me angry, but little by little, every time I was told, I started to think for myself.

--So, what do you think?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the world was a better place.

The more I thought about it, the fuzzier the world became. The more I think about it, the fuzzier the world gets. The lines that used to be clear are blurred, the paths I used to walk are gone. --Beyond that, there was a new landscape, full of color.

What Juke had seen so far was a black and white world of "fiction" imposed by others.

He opened his eyes, which had been closed, and his ears, which had been blocked. --Let go of the thoughts that had been tied up.

Diana could swallow that he was moved by the world as he felt it to be.

To be lost in an uncertain world is indeed painful. I'm sure it's painful to be lost in an uncertain world. ...... But, Red Rose. I'm even enjoying it right now.

"Your Majesty ......

I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not. Only simple anger, simple joy, and simple sorrow are drawn on the line. It is close to impulse and far from the complexities of the human heart.

Thinking about it, Diana had never seen Juke look back at himself so quietly. Deanna smiles at him as he continues with just a movement of his eyes.

It was a black-and-white world, driven by make-believe emotions. It's truly horrifying to think that I've spent more than twenty years comfortably immersed in that world. Then, no matter how hard it is to get lost, no matter how hard it is to be troubled. The more I think about it, the more colors I see, the more sounds I hear, the deeper and higher and wider I reach. ...... The world as it is now makes me feel much more alive.

...... "Yes, it does.

The more I know, the more vividly I see it.

The more you know, the more vivid and lively it becomes. The more you know, the more vivid and lively it becomes.

It's something that has captured Deanna's heart since before she could remember.

Juke smiles for a moment at Deanna's words, but then his expression quickly turns bitter.

Before you can tilt your head, Juke sighs deeply.

It's ....... I thought I never wanted to go back to that black and white world, but now I've done it again.

"Well... Is that the one where you were worried about me after the party?

That's what it sounds like. Your handmaiden shouted at me, and I realized I was being dragged back to my old self, and I was terrified. When I reflected on ...... the fact that I had hated and despised Deanna Crester, who had saved me from so much grief by creating so much grief without questioning the black and white world, it suddenly occurred to me. It's a good idea to take a look at the actual website to see if you can find anything that might help you.

That was back when I was in the black and white world. There is only one answer.

It's because I'm a daughter born and raised in a family known as the "underworld emperors who control the evil of the kingdom.

"When I came back from the palace, I thought. When I returned from the palace, I thought about it. "The Rose Princess of Ice and Fire" was just a rumor, a line in my black and white world. --But what about the Evil Lord, who I could tell from the outside that he cared for her very much? I wondered if her parents and brother, who were raising such a kind-hearted girl like you, were as evil as they said they were.

The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't stop. Then, Juke tilted his head lightly.

In the first place, the Crester family is said to be full of bad people, but I've never read the record of the family's arbitration. Even if they are acquitted in the end, that should be a teaching tool to think about the holes in the law. In fact, the "educators" dealt with such cases. There is no reason to avoid the Crester family.

If there is any other reason why the Crester family's mediation records cannot be used as a teaching tool. ...... is a possible reason.

...... If there was no lawsuit and no mediation in the first place, then... No wonder we can't use it as a teaching tool.

So you're going to do some research?

Yeah. I didn't want to be disturbed, so I went into hiding. I had Alford bring in all the files and documents.

I'm sure Commander Soo-woon would have found something that would answer your question.

As expected, Alford was not so lenient. He brought me materials, but he didn't help me find what I needed to know. They simply said, "You have to study by yourself, right? That's what he simply said to me.

I don't think he meant to be so strict. I've heard that studying in the Swoon household means facing a mountain of books from an early age, and not just metaphorically.

"I see. That was Alford's daily life. I suppose I should be indulged that he brought me a certain amount of it.

Juke chuckles.

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Then he looked at Deanna with a serious face.

"I've read the records of the Bureau of Arbitration, of course. I also looked at the reports on the assets of the Cresters maintained by the Ministry of Finance, the reports on the administration of the estates submitted by the Cresters to the Royal Court kept at the Ministry of the Interior, and the genealogical records of the Cresters and their estates.

Aside from the asset reports and genealogical records, there must have been quite a few ...... estate management reports, right?

Yeah. That's why I mainly looked at the Zehra region, the newest of the Crestor territories.

Crestor's Zehra. It was granted to the Counts of Crestor about thirty years ago, and is also an important agricultural and cattle region of the kingdom.

Diana was familiar with this land, as it had been her domain since before she was born. However, the majority of the nobles in the kingdom do not know that the area that is so important that it is called the 'granary of the kingdom' is in Crester's territory, and because of this, there was a bit of a mess last spring.

Deanna tilted her head and asked.

"Did you find out anything about Zehra?

"Oh, yeah. Yes, I've learned so much that it hurts my head. I'd like to start at the beginning and see what ...... has to offer.

Juke's voice tightened. The change in quality of his voice made Deanna's spine straighten.

I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not.

"From the beginning, you mean?

"From the beginning, Count Crestor. The genealogy says 'Porast'. In the genealogy, he was named 'Porast'. The royal family gave him the name 'Crestor' and the title 'Count'. The knighthood was granted in the year one hundred and two of the kingdom's history, 'in honor of his services in the unification of the peninsula.'

Yeah. That's how our family came to be.

That's how our family was founded. - And yet, it's strange. In the history of the Peninsular Unification War, the name 'Porast' is never mentioned. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who's had a bad experience.

At Juke's words, Diana softly smiled, not letting him read anything.

--In the four hundred years of the Kingdom of Elgrand, the first hundred years have been a history of war. It is generally referred to as the "History of the Peninsular War" as Juke calls it.

When the Kingdom of Ergeland was founded. The peninsula was divided into four major countries.

The Antichrist, the great power of the west.

The Gialma Empire in the north.

The Confederacy of Bram, a collective nation to the south.

And to the east, the Kingdom of Ergland.

Of the four kingdoms, the Kingdom of Ergeland was the smallest in size and had the lowest fighting spirit. While the other three kingdoms were engaged in repeated skirmishes to expand their territories and unify the peninsula, the Kingdom of Ergeland was united in a strange way, from nobles to commoners, under the motto of "If we are attacked, we will beat them, but we will not attack ourselves. Its border defense was the best in Shikoku, but when it came to 'offensive warfare,' it was a complete amateur.

How did such a country achieve the unification of the peninsula? I'll spare you the details, but I'll just say that the Kingdom of Ergeland absorbed the Bram Confederacy and the Gialma Empire, and eventually entered into a standoff with the Antichrist Kingdom called the Fifty Years War. --The war ended in the year 102 of the Kingdom's history.

As Juke says, it is unusual that the activities of a man who was given the rank of Count immediately after the war ended are not recorded in the History of the Peninsular War. Of course, the work of the Porast is well documented in the history of the war.

So, I thought about it the other way around. "So I thought about it the other way around. Is there anyone who appears frequently in the history of the war but never appears in postwar history?

Was there such a person?

Yes, of course there were. It is said that the "Strategist in Kuro", whose name is not even mentioned, was always close to the king, and that he trusted him so much that they had a friendship that transcended their positions.

Quietly, Diana closes her eyes.

--She waits. Once her hopes were dashed and she thought she should give up. But deep down, she couldn't give up.

I waited and waited and waited.

The next time she opened her eyes.

Deanna was looking straight at Juke with infinite wisdom in her eyes.

The next time she opened her eyes, Deanna was looking straight at Juke with infinite wisdom in her eyes.

"So, you're saying that the 'Strategist in Kuro' is Porast?

"It's almost a process of elimination. It's not surprising that the Kuro Cloak Master was given the title of Count. Some historians believe that without his brains, the Unification War would have lasted another fifty years.

That's not enough to prove anything, sir.

I doubt it. I don't know. He was given the title of Count and called Paulus Crestor, but he seems to have been a disliked figure in the royal court from that time on. The records of the old Conciliation Office are piled high with testimonies from the guilty, saying that it was Krester's fault and that Krester had deceived them. But at the same time, a large percentage of Paulast's innocence was proven by the king himself, which alone shows that there was a solid bond between the king and Paulast.

The Mediation Bureau has records from three hundred years ago, doesn't it?

It was more of a historical document than a record. ...... There are other things worth noting. Porast never refused to be named by the wrongdoers, and even seemed to be waiting for them. When he was asked to testify, he admitted his involvement with the criminals, saying, "I have had this relationship with them," but then pleaded his innocence, saying, "But I had nothing to do with those crimes. If you want to show that you had nothing to do with the crime, you don't need to testify about your relationship with the criminal.

This is the consistent stance that the Countess of Crestor has taken when asked to testify before the Mediation Bureau for the past three hundred years, from the first generation to the present.

Deanna smiles and dodges Juke's pursuit.

It's a fact that we had an affair. There is no need to hide it.

"...... Your attitude is... I'm sure your attitude has contributed to the notoriety of the Cresta family: "Let the minions do the bad work, and we'll keep our hands clean," and "Cut off the perpetrators when their crimes are about to be exposed.

I can't deny that.

Personally, I don't understand why there are still people who are willing to rub elbows with a house that is rumored to be capable of pulling off such a 'lizard's tail'. Either they have an unfounded confidence that they are safe, or they are just waiting to be ruined. If it was the latter, I would have smiled and introduced them to someone else.

Juke lets out a deep breath for the first time and looks at Deanna.

"Paulast and his supposed friend, the king of the time, Ast. If we look at the history again, we can see how the two of them used the notoriety of Paulast and Crester to expose the discontents in the kingdom. The newly united kingdom would have been unstable, and there would have been many more people who would have thought ill of the kingdom and its problems. However, since Porast was thoroughly disliked in the royal court at the beginning, King Ast could more easily gauge the true state of the nobles from their attitude toward him. As a result, the Kingdom of Ergeland was able to establish a solid foundation for governance in King Ast's stead. ......

In the history of the world, King Asto, who led the war of unification to victory and laid the foundation for a peaceful reign that followed without extreme tyranny, while keeping the entire peninsula under his control, is renowned as the wisest of the wise kings, with excellent literary and military skills. In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can call us at our own web site.

Deanna smiled lazily.

"Our ancestor Porast and King Asto have teamed up. "Our ancestor Paulast and King Asto worked together to make Cresta evil in order to expose dissenters?

"I've heard that your ancestors have always had a very evil look about them. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can contact us at the following web site: .......　If the person who knows the rumor about him does not deny the rumor, people around him will think that the rumor is true.

We don't deny the misunderstandings and misconceptions that come from our appearance.

They did this for three hundred years, generation after generation.

The result is "the king of the underworld, who controls the evil of the kingdom.

Juke's reasoning was said so quietly that it was drowned out by the sound of burning candles.

Deanna, too, asked quietly.

"...... Why would we bother with such a thing?

"Honestly. That's what I was thinking when I came up with this reasoning. I thought, "I've been searching ...... from the old days to the new, literature, records, documents.

What did you find?

What I found was a record of a mediation at the Mediation Bureau from one hundred and fifty-four years ago.

There was a brief, piercing glint in Juke's eye.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what's going on in your life. In addition, only one of these cases even led to mediation. In addition, only one of these cases ever went to arbitration: ...... 154 years ago, the eldest son of the then Earl of Clester had disrespected the King.

"...... What about the settlement of the arbitration?　Was there any record of it?

No. Because--

Because during the mediation.

The reason is because during the mediation, the Azure Civil War broke out, which is still talked about as "the biggest civil war in the kingdom".

The civil war lasted for about ten years, and when it was all over, the king, who was said to have been disrespected by the eldest son of the then Earl of Crestor, was no longer a king. This is why the record of the mediation is so unique: the fact that he was sued and that the mediation was held is recorded, but its outcome is unknown. --In the royal palace before the Azure Civil War, the corruption among the nobles was so severe that those who wanted to undermine their political opponents were filing appeals to the Mediation Bureau day and night. It's not just the Crester family.

However, Jukes did not seem to be distracted by such theories. He got right to the point.

In other words, the "king" who tried to punish "Crestor" was forced out of his position by the civil war and could no longer be king. --The new king is treating the Countess of Crestor the same as before.

You don't think that's a coincidence?

He tried to execute Crestor's heir for no good reason, and then held a mediation to make an example out of him. In the middle of the mediation, which was so harmonious that it was written in the opinion that it would take less than a week, the rebels from the land near the Crestar territory (Azure) rose up by chance?

...... That's quite a feat, considering how little material is left from that era. By piecing together the limited information available and verifying it, Juke is desperately trying to get closer to the truth.

Shaking his head just once, Juke continued.

But it's true that we couldn't find out enough about the Azure Rebellion to be sure. That's why I went through the research records of other cases where the Cresta family was sued.

But the others were sued but not arbitrated, were they?

Oh. --In every case, the other party who sued Crestar was found guilty in the middle of the investigation, and the house was demolished without the need for mediation, and the investigation was over.

What a snake! I didn't expect Juke to have looked that far into it. Alford and Keith's support is not a bad thing.

Deanna shrugged her shoulders and turned away.

I'm sorry to hear that.

"A particular masterpiece was thirty-three years ago. Your grandfather, the former Earl of Crestor, was accused of human trafficking.

That's quite a new case, isn't it?

Yeah, it's a new case. I've learned a lot from it.

Deanna's grandfather, in short, Dualis' father. He's quite old now, but he's still going strong and flying around the kingdom. --Incidentally, he's also a hardcore bad guy who can still act as a bandit chieftain when he dresses like a ruffian and carries a spear.

My grandfather has loved me since I was a baby, but I've never heard such a story. Deanna nodded sullenly.

"Well, with his face like that, he looks like he'd be kidnapping children and selling them off.

As usual, the misunderstanding was not cleared up. ...... so the 'enemy' got carried away.

What happened to the grandfather who was accused?

"The record of the Bureau of Arbitration's investigation was, until halfway through, half-judgmental about the former Earl of Crester as the ringleader of human trafficking. But at some point, the content of the document changed drastically. -- "First of all, the handwriting.

This is why Count Crestor has nothing to do with this case.

This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing.

Juke seems to have investigated this 33-year-old complaint in great depth, using a wealth of material.

If the handwriting has changed, it means that the person in charge of the investigation has changed. I looked up the name of his predecessor to find out what happened to him, but somehow, in the middle of the former Earl of Crester's interrogation, his embezzlement and bribery fraud came to light, and he was no longer able to be a mediator or even a nobleman.

Oh, dear.

...... Basically, mediation will continue in one form or another unless the complainant withdraws the complaint. If the former Earl of Crestor was acquitted without waiting for mediation, it is likely that there was something wrong with those who sued him. So I looked into it.

What did you find?

"This was a masterpiece. Under the guise of providing jobs for the poor, he handed them over to employers who paid them next to nothing and pocketed a large sum of money as a 'placement fee. The charity work seems to have awakened him, and he even went so far as to separate young children from their parents, protect them, and then bring in those who wanted to be his foster parents, and also receive a reward.

Isn't that slavery, fraud, child abduction, and human trafficking?　These are all crimes that are strictly prohibited by our laws.

"In the end, they blended them together and put them on ships to 'export' them to foreign countries, regardless of whether they were adults or children.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information on this in the future. I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information on this topic in the coming weeks.

You're right. You're right.

Juke huffed, his breath catching.

After all, the former Count of Crester's allegations were a vicious fabrication of charges by the nobleman who filed the suit and the arbitrator who received the suit. The former Earl of Crestor wanted to get into the human trafficking business in earnest, and the Crestor family was his business enemy. As for the mediator, if he could expose the crimes of the infamous Earl of Clester, he would be able to reach the top of the arbitration bureau. The interests of both sides were aligned, and it was good until they made up evidence and sued the former Earl of Clester. ......

"Just listening to you, it's an amazing self-destruction. I'm sure you'll be glad to know that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. You don't need to introduce yourself so gracefully.

I'm not sure what to make of this. I'm sure you'll be able to understand why. In the end, those who had been 'recruited' by him filed lawsuits one after another, and the royal court was in an uproar.

Naturally, the house, which had been piling up crimes upon crimes, was immediately demolished. The head of the family, who was the main culprit, was confined to a monastery for the rest of his life, and his wealth was used to help the victims. The royal family, which had treated the criminals as nobles, made a full apology and compensation, and the case was finally settled.

--and.

And of course, the royal family recovered the lands that had been given to the family and redistributed them among the nobles. One of those territories is Zehra, which is now part of Cresta.

"Zehra?

He couldn't help but return to his original question. My grandfather was accused thirty-three years ago, and it was right around that time that Zehra became Crestor's territory. The timing is certainly right. ...... But you don't mean...

I'm sure you're not the only one.

I'm sure you're right about the timing and the situation at the time. The Zephra region is a token of our apology to Cresta.

Deanna secretly wondered why such a rich, scenic, and highly useful land, both as a farming and tourist destination, would be home to a family synonymous with evil. It's wise for your mental health not to know," she was told.

"I'll wager... I bet your grandfather would have refused at all costs.

With all that wealth?

The richer the land, the more difficult it is to manage.

The richer the land, the more difficult it is to maintain. Moreover, if the previous lord was a human trafficker, it was obvious that the land that was supposed to be rich was being eaten up.

My grandfather was a man with a bold appearance, but when it came to managing his domain, he was a steady man who did what he could, one step at a time, making steady efforts rather than adventuring, and working hard, one day at a time. I can't imagine that such a person would welcome being given a territory that would require a lot of manpower and effort to rebuild. But I refuse! I can see my grandfather daring the king or the vizier.

Juke laughed at Deanna's words.

There is no other family in the kingdom that would refuse a land as large as Zephra's, except for the Cresta family. In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the site, please contact us at ....... If I'm to believe you, the former Earl of Crester kept arguing for two weeks?

I'm not sure if I'm being irresponsible or not, because I didn't hear about it from my father. But as someone who knew my grandfather, I have to say that it's very possible.

He is that grandfather. It would not be surprising if he got bored with the racketeering and ran away from the palace to stage a great escape. His riding skills were the best in the family, and even in his old age, only Sirius could stop him when he got serious.

Juke's smile deepened.

"The king gave you a fiefdom, and you can refuse it, even for two weeks. The relationship between your grandfather and my grandfather, the king at the time. --And you, who can actively affirm that relationship without even looking. With all this, am I so stupid that I can't guess the history of your "Cresta" and our "Elgrand"?

There is an unshakable, confident look in his eyes.

--Two thousand years old and unchanged. It was the eyes of a lake, clear enough to be believed.

The last "question" Diana asks.

"So... what is this 'we' you've found?

There is no hesitation in Juke's answer.

Quiet, yet heavy. His "answer" is...

The "Crester" has been a constant friend of the "Elgrand" since long before it had a name of its own. The generations have changed, the times have changed, and even though they have become vassals in form, their friendship has remained unchanged. Elgrand believes in Crester, and Crester believes in Elgrand, and Crester responds to Elgrand's heart, and watches for disruptors in the kingdom with his presence. If they try to avenge the kingdom, we will be able to move immediately.

--But that's not all. Juke's words did not stop.

You can see it before and after the Azure Civil War. The king at the time of the civil war was a 'king' who would have tormented his people, laid waste to them, and destroyed the country. You can see that many nobles defected and joined the civil war because the Crester family dared to trigger the civil war - you have also played a role in restraining the king from running amok for generations, haven't you?　When a king who cannot feel friendship and is not in the best interest of his people stands up, he should be able to show his 'kingly qualities' by his actions and inform the nobles at heart.

That, my dear, is the reasoning. It would have taken an unimaginable amount of courage and determination to put that reasoning directly to Diana, who was a direct descendant of Crester and had seen King Juke from the summer.

Probably, Juke. Perhaps Juke is asking Deanna this question with the intention of accepting even the "worst possible outcome".

--300 years ago.

"I swear it, my friend. The only thing between the Elgrand and the Crester is, as their names suggest, the friendship between the King of the Lake and the Wise Man of the Forest. I ask that you keep that friendship alive and support and watch over us so that we can continue to be kings for our people. --If the day should ever come when the descendants of Elgrand should violate this vow. If the day comes when the descendants of Elgrand violate this oath, please destroy the Kingdom of Elgrand with your own hands and protect the well-being of the people who live here.

These are the words of the united king, Ast, passed down in Cresta. --An ancient oath.

More than 2,000 years ago. The meeting between the Lake King and the Sage of the Forest that started it all, and the friendship they made and forged. Each of their descendants has passed on the supremacy of the other, slowly but surely. The names "Elgrand" and "Crester" are remnants of this.

The ancient word for lake is "Legrand". King is "Edl". In rhyme, the "King of the Lake" was called "Legrand la Edre" - the word changed as time went by, and "Legrand" remained as the name of the country and the name of the royal family.

In the same way, the ancient word for forest was "rest". The wise man is called "Clay. People respectfully called the family that lived deep in the forest and united the people of the forest with their knowledge and brains the "Wise Men of the Forest" - "Lester la Craye", and eventually the forest where the wise men lived was called "Craye la Lester"... In time, the forest where the wise man lived came to be called "Crester". In time, it became the name of a large area of land that included the forest.

Three hundred years ago, it was given to Porast, a descendant of the Wise Men, as his family name and domain.

As a descendant of the King of the Lake, Asto knew the Sage of the Forest and his soul well. As a descendant of the Lake King, Asto knew the Sage of the Forest and his soul very well, and he respected his dignified way of life and his somewhat clumsy and gentle heart that cared for life.

He knew that he could not truly make the Wise Man, the proud chief of the Forest People who did not like servitude, his vassal.

Even so, I became his vassal, even if only in form, and told my friend that I would continue to be by his side. To that heart that tried to support me even though it had to bear the "evil" itself.

Asto... I think he wanted to respond with the same amount of heart.

The ancient pledge between the Elgrand and the Crester.

The details of that tradition are known only to those who are chosen to inherit a family whose ancient name remains as the family name.

Still, those who take the history seriously... Those who see through the eyes of the Cresta. --They know that they are always by the King's side, supporting the country with their presence.

The one and only in the kingdom. They are the only ones in the kingdom who are not constrained by their position, who protect the king, who support him, and who sometimes even judge him and wield his ruthless blade.

The few who know them are limited to a few. The descendants of the Sages are referred to with respect and awe.

"The royal touchstone.

--A strong wind blowing in through the skylight suddenly flickered the candle flame. Juke's shoulders jumped at the loud sound of a whizzing sound.

Slowly, you move your foot in front of the bars and close the distance between you and Juke.

Juke, still staring straight at you, did not look away from Deanna.

Deanna smiles at the look of determination in his eyes. --I'm glad you made it this far.

You've made it this far.

"Did I make it to ......?

You're just ...... shy of it. Anyway, let's get you home now.

There's a darkness above this prison. He's been listening to every word between Juke and Deanna.

Juke's resolve. His determination, his courage. The Darkness above must have heard.

Report to the master immediately. Tell him that you have reached the bond between the lake and the forest, and the role that the forest has played in your power.

The Darkness replied that the signs had disappeared. It's not that the Darkness knows all the details of the Pledge, but they know its general framework and essence.

Juke was unfazed by Deanna's abrupt words. Suddenly, he looked up.

"Was there someone at ......?

"Yes. I'll explain it to my father if he'd like.

"Will Count Crestor ...... forgive me?

I think you should be more worried about your brother than your father. Whether he forgives you or not, be prepared to take a few blows.

"......, Edward Crester?

He may look like a nice guy who makes women cry, but inside he's just a brawler and a brainiac.

I'm sorry, but you guys don't look the same on the outside as you do on the inside. ......

Deanna laughs at Juke's words.

She vowed to the King, who had pulled out a huge upset at the last minute, that she would turn things around from here.

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