874 – No Country for Two-Eyed – 2

A two-eyed man seen in a country overflowing with one-eyed men. A strong two-eyed man with considerable influence over the Robbens royal family.

Instead of a pitiful double-eyed man like Villar who had to close one eye because he was being beaten by his superiors, a double-eyed man who could confidently protect his own eye appeared. How touching this is.

‘I guess the world doesn’t just have to end.’

There is a saying that a nation on the verge of ruin will always have a great general who will save the nation, and that even a ruined nation will have three loyal subjects. This is not just a ceremonial saying, but a truth proven by actual history. The former is Admiral Yi Sun-sin of a certain sea, and the latter is the three great men of a certain Central Plains dynasty.

Of course, the world is vast and history is long, so there are many countries without a great general or three loyal subjects, but Armenia is a powerful country following the empire. It must boast a huge talent pool, so it is inevitable that there will be loyal subjects and capable subjects who will sigh at the sight of the country going mad.

It would be even more delightful if she were the direct child of the king. The advice of a daughter would be more palatable than the bitter words of a subject.

‘This is normal.’

And he quickly threw away the anxiety he had been secretly harboring in his heart and the rudeness of regarding Princess Salia as a dangerous element like the King of Armenia or Luteus.

How dare you treat such a sensible, righteous, and action-oriented person as the same as those crazy redheads. From now on, Princess Salia’s red flags will be beautiful red flags like Marna’s first father-in-law. Anyway, that’s it.

‘I was really at a loss.’

Finally, I let out a sigh of relief for the umpteenth time.

If someone were to read my mind, they might say, ‘The Emperor and the King of Armenia have already approved it, so why don’t we just cut down the sky and come back?’ If you look at it simply as a justification, it’s not a wrong statement.

However, the human mind does not revolve entirely around justification. While it is true that justification is important, there are times when feelings and history between two countries cannot be completely suppressed even with justification.

Recognizing the superiority of a country that was once considered an enemy, and the symbol of that country, a military man, performing a military act in the sacred ground of his own country? To put it in an extreme metaphor, it would be like Yeonseonggong (nationality: Qing) visiting Joseon, which was spiritually victorious, and giving teachings. And not just any ordinary Seowon, but at the Jongmyo Shrine. And even at the invitation of his own king.

‘If something like that happened in a normal country, it would be at least a coup d’état.’

Most of the warriors, including the King of Armenia, admired and revered the strong, but if such extreme warrior-worship tendencies had been even slightly weaker, there would have been an uproar. Perhaps, they would have raised strong questions and objections to the King, which could have developed into a civil war.

If that happens, I’ll get annoyed because I’m involved with it. No, honestly, even if it’s okay now, I’m scared because I don’t know what the future will be like.

‘If we become competitors again, I’ll get beat up every time I get bored.’

Now, since the relations between the two countries are good, I am treated as a state guest, but if time passes and the relationship between the Empire and Armenia regresses to the past, I will become Armenia’s number one enemy. I will become a traitor who dared to trample on Armenian pride in Armenian sacred ground.

Then, whenever Armenians come into conflict with the Empire, they will raise their hostility by mentioning my name. They will increase the unity of Armenians with internal slogans like ‘Down with Karl Crassius’.

On the other hand, the Empire is sure to mock and oppress Armenians with facts like, “Where is the sound of the sky splitting open?” Either way, I, who just breathe in the mansion, am called by name every time the two countries fight, and that karma is likely to be passed on to my children.

“I too am well aware of the status and nobility of Geommyo. It is truly an honor for me as a foreigner to be able to visit Geommyo, but as a warrior, I feel uneasy about swinging my sword presumptuously.”

That is why he responded positively to Princess Salia.

The reason I’ve been quiet until now is because nothing will change even if I struggle alone. There’s already been an agreement between the Emperor and the King, so what will change if one Imperial Count interferes? Rather, they’ll just say I’m being punished twice for being a traitor.

So I tried to convince myself that peace between the two countries would be solid, and that even if things went wrong, it wouldn’t matter because I was in the Ministry of Inspector General, not the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I prayed that if my children were to become public officials, they would only work domestically.

“If cutting down the sky is of some help to the Armenian knights, I will do it. However, no matter how important the knights’ progress is, it is not more important than the peace of our ancestors.”

“The Count is right.”

Princess Salia’s eyes also sparkled at my strong response. She seemed to be worried that I might be indifferent, or that I might be the type of person who would stage a show of force at the tomb.

It’s just lamentable how vicious and reckless you thought of me, but I also regarded Princess Salia as a disaster, just like that red-haired rich man. Let’s settle this debt with this.

“As an Armenian who also worships the martial arts, I would like to see the martial arts of cutting the sky with a sword. But there is a proper place for everything, right? Just as the coronation of a supreme monarch would not be held in a slum, the celebration of the greatest sword on the continent should be held in a more vibrant and splendid place.”

In short, instead of causing trouble in a place like a grave, let’s do it in a more normal place. I nodded my head in agreement because I could relate to this so much.

“In fact, I have asked His Majesty the King many times about the location. Is Geommyo really the right place?”

What followed was not a detailed explanation, but a sigh that seemed to contain all the worries of the world.

That was enough. That sigh was kinder and more detailed than any words.

“…But if the Count has doubts about the location, you can persuade His Majesty the King more strongly. It’s not that I won’t do it, but what can I do if the person who will cut the sky says that a different location is more convenient? Knights’ victory or defeat is determined not only by their ability or effort, but also by their physical condition that day. When it comes to cutting the sky, you have to maintain the best body and mind even more.”

Sky Slash can be used anytime, anywhere, but I just nodded. Why would I refuse when the princess knows how to make excuses?

“However, even if I try to persuade His Majesty the Emperor…”

“His Majesty the Emperor has accepted His Majesty the King of Armenia’s request for the sake of the friendship between our two countries. The location is not a very important factor for His Majesty, so His Majesty will agree once His Majesty makes up his mind.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Princess Salia let out a small sigh and drank all the tea left in her teacup in one gulp.

Even though it had all cooled down, there was still quite a lot. For a princess, she looked incredibly cheerful.

“Thank you again, Count, for accepting my sudden request. I will try to bring up a positive topic next time we meet, so please pray for our future, Blessed One.”

“…Oh, yes. Of course. I will work hard.”

I nodded my head in bewilderment at the words of Princess Salia who suddenly came in.

The living blessed. The Emperor often uses this title when teasing, but I doubt the princess meant it with malicious intent. She must be in a desperate situation, sincerely hoping for the blessed’s prayers.

Okay. For the time being, I will pray every morning, noon, and night.

***

When Salia asked to see him in person, I gladly agreed. Since he was a child who worked for the royal family along with his wife, it was hard to see him unless I made time for him. Except for the mealtimes when the whole family gathered, it was hard to see him even once a week, let alone once every two weeks.

A child like that came to me first. As a father, I was happy, but as a monarch, I wondered.

“Even Count Tylglehen finds it burdensome to carry a sword in the tomb.”

‘Hmm.’

And as soon as Salia saw me, she said exactly what I expected—but somewhat surprisingly.

‘Have you met the Count in the meantime?’

I know full well that Salia is reluctant to cut the Sky Sword. Since I told the children about this, she is the only one among them who has tried to change my mind.

I didn’t know that she would go beyond simply persuading me and meet the Count. Even if she did, I thought it would take some time, but whoever her daughter is, she’s really a smart girl.

“He is the one who came all the way to Armenia for the wedding of Luteus, and he is the one who will show off his great power by cutting through the sky. So, as the host who invited him, shouldn’t he comfort his guest’s heart? He was uncomfortable with swinging a sword in the tomb because it disturbs the peace of the deceased.”

Anyway, I saw Salia opening her mouth in a calm and stiff manner like a secretary and I burst out laughing.

“Quick response and good justification. I’ll give it about 70 points.”

“…yes?”

“Just wait a moment.”

I turned my back on Salia, who was blankly looking at me, and searched through the drawers.

“Okay, just read this part.”

After a while, he took out a book that had traces of the passage of time and handed it to Salia, opening it to the part that she should kindly read.

Salia, who received the book with a trembling expression, quietly began to read the part I pointed out.

“Father, Your Majesty?”

He looked at me again with an urgent expression.

“Have you read it all?”

“What, what, what is this…”

“As you can see, this is the will left by His Majesty the First King. He said that humans are weak compared to wild beasts living in nature, but they are beautiful beings because they constantly evolve.”

Salia still looked embarrassed and shook her hand. I gently patted her shoulder.

“That is why he wanted to see with his own eyes the hundreds and thousands of years of history that humanity would build. He buried the kings of Armenia and the great knights who supported Armenia next to his beloved sword so that he could see that sight even after death. That is the origin of the sword tomb.”

Before she knew it, Salia’s pupils began to tremble. As if she had realized that the powerful justification for the repose of the dead had been refuted in an instant.

“So Salia. Those in the tomb will be happy to see the sky cut. If we cut the sky somewhere else, they will be angry and say, ‘How dare you let only your descendants see such a beautiful sight?'”

“…Your Majesty the King.”

“Speak.”

“Why… were you hiding this?”

The stiff tone of speech softened. At the same time, a faint warmth settled in.

“If I had made it public sooner, you would have had a reason to refute this. This father knows very well that his daughter is smart.”

“father!”

Salia screamed at the honest answer.

It may sound like a joke, but I am serious. If we give our daughter enough leeway, I have no doubt that she will come up with the logic and justification to refute the will of His Majesty the First King.

And Salia doesn’t have much room to spare.

‘Perfect.’

Ancestors, this descendant is working hard for you.