Chapter 58: Blood-Stained Soil

Long live His Majesty the King, long live King Cassandros.

With thunderous cheers in the background, Cassandros returned to the large tent. Following him, King Rathbald and his people looked like nothing more than followers.

That is how shocking the unveiling of the sword was.

The cursed sword, which squeezes the power out of its wielder, has been given the attribute of light to share its power as a champion and to mesmerize those who see it.

In the sense of fascinating people, the effect is similar to that of the ” Camellia” katana. It does not have the same coercive power as the camellia, but its range of effect is much wider.

It did not work on the artisans, who were less interested in the king’s authority and war, or the nobles of the kingdom, who were hostile to him, but the soldiers of his own country and those who were easily inspired among the soldiers of the kingdom were completely fascinated.

A sword that gives its owner a bit of charisma. It was of no great significance if held by an individual, but in the hands of a king, it was immensely effective.

Every time he wields his sword in front of the soldiers and the people, the desire to obey the king and be of service to him spreads.

It’s a very rough and random image, but if you say it’s a sword that raises your approval rating by 30% just by holding it, will you be able to convey its dreadfulness?

The Marquis of the Kingdom, Beowulf Eldenberger, glared abhorrently at the back of the cassandros. And in his heart, he cursed the craftsmen.

…… those idiots, who told them to go that far!

All they had to do was satisfy the requirement of five letters with a light attribute. The craftsmen, however, were so motivated that they created something insane, something that could be called a sacred artifact.

If we gave them such a thing, it would only make the barbarians take advantage of us. The craftsmen did not understand this, and clapped their hands in delight at having produced a good product.

…… Yay, you idiot!

The king raises his treasured sword and his soldiers kneel in unison. The scene would become legendary, and would soon be broadcast throughout the continent. There was no reason for them not to advertise it.

In mythology, the kingdom is a perfect foil.

Even though Beowulf wasn’t fascinated by it, he was annoyed that he had found the king of the enemy a bit cool. He spat all kinds of curses at Cassandros and the artisans in his brain and finally regained his composure.

The louder the praise for Cassandros, the bigger the bomb he holds. Now let’s wait and enjoy it. A dark smile appeared on Beowulf’s mouth.

“Craftsmen, what is the name of this sword?”

Cassandros listened in a good mood, and Gerhard stepped forward.

“I named it Amaterasu.”

“Amaterasu…? That’s a strange name, but it’s not bad.”

It was a legend from the East that Lutz had heard from his father a long time ago, a story he had told Claudia from hazy recollection. Claudia remembered that time and gave it the name of the sun god.

Even in the Allied countries, there are religions that sustain the hearts and minds of the people. It was a mischievous and rascally act on Claudia’s part to go to the trouble of giving the sword the name of a god believed in on the far side of the sea.

……. So much for the fun time.

Seeing that it was about time, Beowulf puffed out his chest and said in a loud voice.

“I’m glad you liked it. Now then, what can I get as a gift?”

Gift diplomacy still continues. The giant jewel, the Eye of the High King, was returned in a different form, so there was no deduction. The Coalition side was obliged to return the sword and the technical fee for the enchantment spell.

“Your Majesty…”

Arsames turns his anxious gaze to his father, the king.

To be ready for anything that might happen, a number of treasures were prepared in the wagons. Beautiful stone statues, necklaces encrusted with gold, silver, and precious stones, swords of pure silver, and so on. But none of them seemed to fit the bill.

Amateru was a miraculous treasure sword, and Cassandros himself had proved it. He could not have said that it was of no great value, considering the spectacle of the soldiers all kneeling at the same time. That would be to deny the myth himself.

Silence. Everyone was waiting for Cassandros’ next words.

“I’ll give you this land.”

“Huh?”

A dumb voice escaped Beowulf’s mouth. Ignoring him, Cassandros spoke to the shadowy, silent observer.

“This way you have nothing to complain about, right?”

“There have been plenty of examples of exchanging castles for treasure since ancient times. If we gave them the rear fort and the surrounding land, I think it would be enough to cover the cost.”

The onlooker spoke indifferently with the same sleepy face.

“… and what about the rest of you, how about it?”

Cassandros asked Rathbald.

The cession of border lands that had been disputed for more than a decade was exactly what the kingdom had been waiting for. The war had not been in vain, and the government could explain to the rest of the country that it had achieved a certain level of success.

It was too good to drool over. That’s why it was so eerie. It means that Cassandros found more value in Amaterasu than its territory.

Is it okay if I give him Amaterasu? What happens as a result?

It bothers me, but in the end, not accepting the land here is not an option.

Rathbald and Beowulf looked at each other and nodded.

“I have no objection.”

Even before hearing those words, the witness had already started preparing the documents. The transfer of the famous sword Amaterasu, and the transfer of land on the border. The deal was formally made, and the peace talks ended.

Without knowing who the true winner is.

The coalition began to prepare to withdraw, and just as Cassandros was about to get into his carriage, he was approached from behind.

“Father!”

The second prince, Arsames, approaches with great strides, not hiding his irritation.

Don’t call him father in public, don’t let your emotions out. That’s what he always taught me, but I seem to have forgotten everything.

“Are you serious about surrendering this land? No, are you insane!?”

Cassandros chuckled at the terrible things he was being told. His relaxed expression irritated Alsames even more.

“We couldn’t provide a return gift, so we gave them the land. That’s the way this fight has been fought from the beginning.”

I will give you great treasures, and if you have nothing to give me, I will take land or hostages. This was a war of cultural blows. If we had started the war and lost, Cassandro thought, it was only natural that we should cede the land.

“……they will make a public announcement that they have won this battle.”

“Let me at least give them an excuse for domestic use. We have the sun, and there will be no more victories.”

Cassandros proudly tapped the sheath of the sword at his waist.

“Father, this is the land that our warriors have worked so hard to protect for over a decade. It is soil soaked with their blood. How can you say that the blood shed by these warriors is worth nothing, or that it can be thrown away as easily as rotten fruit!?”

Arsames shrugged his shoulders and shouted. He may have been crying, it was a torrent of emotions that even Arsames himself did not quite understand.

“The blood spilled is worth nothing.”

“Father……?”

“We are only responsible for the blood that has been spilled.”

Arsames stood dumbfounded. Nothing of value, the words kept spinning around in his head.

“The monkeys of the kingdom will not be able to touch us for five years, according to the terms of the agreement. We will fortify the country in the meantime. We can’t keep letting the great clans fuss about autonomy and rights.”

An attack during the ceasefire period would invite the intervention of neighboring countries. Unless the king is really stupid, he shouldn’t do such troublesome things.

And from the impression I got from actually meeting him, King Rathbald wasn’t a hero, but he wasn’t stupid either. I’m sure he fully understands the meaning of making the witnesses present.

The reason why the skirmishes continued for ten years was also due to the lack of unity within the country.

The unification of the country, and the king’s authority to do so. If we accomplish this, the coalition will be much stronger than it is now. We can give them as many desolate lands as they want.

Cassandros chuckled and climbed into the carriage.

Arsames looked away with emotionless eyes as the carriage left in a cloud of dust.

It seemed as if the great father king had sold his land for a sword and betrayed his warriors. Wasn’t it my father himself who taught me that the land is the foundation of a nation?

“You’re a traitor…”

The murmur was scattered in the wind without reaching anyone’s ears.

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