147 – End of the War (2)

Erich Ronstein. He was alive. Everyone who knew him was astonished. Tetman too.

Tetman was doubly aghast.

“You bedded my daughter?”

“I have no words to offer.”

“Spoken with such brazenness.”

His daughter, whom he hadn’t seen in months, had changed considerably. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say she’d returned to her original self.

Something’s afoot.

Now wasn’t the time to worry about Erich and his daughter. He was on official duty.

“We’ll discuss this later.”

*Thump.*

Tetman stepped forward. As he moved, the Admiral of the United States on the other side mirrored his action.

The two men saluted each other in silence.

And then, they shook hands.

“I am General Gipold, Commander of the Air Force of the Magic Kingdom.”

“I am Admiral Orbon, Commander of the United States’ Grand Ocean Fleet.”

“To be blunt, General Gipold, I’ve heard that you opposed escalating the war, even before the United States joined the conflict, to such an extent that you were at odds with your nation’s President. Is this true?”

“If that’s what you heard, then it’s true.”

“This meaningless war has dragged on, endlessly spilling the blood of our nations’ youth. We believe an armistice must be reached as soon as possible… Ah. This is not merely my own opinion, but also the sentiment of the Elders. Do you concur?”

“In other words, you are suggesting we surrender to the Allied Nations?”

“Indeed.”

Tetman shook his head.

“We too, have our own position. That proposition is difficult for us to accept.”

“I anticipated that you would answer thus.”

Orbon gestured towards the fog beyond.

“I have something to show you.”

“You speak of the secrets of the Tatanku Islands, I presume?”

“Indeed.”

At the point where Orbon gestured, a faint fissure was forming. A magical barrier of the demonic sort, clumsily patched by Elven spirit magic. It was the place from which Erich and his party had escaped. The Allied Forces were meticulously controlling it to ensure safe passage.

“Come, see it with your own eyes.”

“You could be waiting to spring a trap. How can we trust the words of the enemy and simply walk in?”

“You venture deep into enemy territory, yet still crack jokes.”

“Heh heh.”

Truth be told, Tetman wished to end this war as swiftly as possible. More was being lost than gained through fighting. He even doubted whether the Holy Empire had truly launched the initial strike that day.

Tetman was no fool. He was a commander who could quickly synthesize and assess the situation around him. He knew the difference between recklessness and courage.

He could discern the difference, so all that remained was to make a decision.

“Lead the way.”

Now was the time for courage.

His worries, thankfully, proved unfounded. Tetman spent several hours verifying what had occurred within the interdimensional barrier. His officers did the same.

“…It’s difficult to call this a fabrication. A residue of malevolent mana lingers, like a phantom.”

And that wasn’t all. He examined specimens of demons, embalmed alive, and the magical circles on the altar. Documents written in ancient script and records of collusion between the Demon Lord’s army and the Magic Kingdom came spilling out, one after another, like pulling a string of sweet potatoes.

“Hmm.”

“What do you think?”

Tetman didn’t reply. No reply was needed. His mind was already made up. Vile sorcery, living abominations, documents stamped with the Chancellor’s seal.

A simple man believes what he sees, a wise man sees what he believes. And a mage was a group founded on the latter motto.

“Gentlemen.”

Tetman addressed his officers.

“What you have witnessed here today must never, under any circumstances, be spoken of outside these walls. If you are patriots, you will remain silent, forever.”

“What are you saying, sir?”

“It means this cannot be known to the world. If this comes to light, the morale of the entire army will plummet, and we will inevitably suffer defeat.”

Tetman’s words held the answer already. The officers who had witnessed this spectacle had lost their will to fight. Their faces were all somber. Those with weak stomachs were retching.

They could no longer understand what they had been fighting for. As much as they hated the Holy Church, the power held by the Jeriem Oath was far too great.

“Do you understand? No matter what happens, you must not breathe a word of this. If even the slightest rumor spreads within the unit, I will find the one who spoke and punish them according to military law.”

“Sir, with all due respect, that is unacceptable! This is the truth that must be revealed!”

“Sometimes, it is better to keep things buried. The victorious nations will tear our homes and clothes from our backs, do you think you are prepared to face that?”

“Surely, they wouldn’t go that far, would they?”

“You’re all too soft. History belongs to the victors. If we lose this war, Hazkael will suffer a fate beyond imagining. Our economy will be shattered, our territories torn asunder. And if the Holy Church represses magic, you mages, all of you, will climb the gallows.”

“……”

“It is a fine posture, to boldly offer your opinion to a commander, officers. Yes. If you choose to martyr yourselves by the laws of magic, I won’t stop you. Step forward, then. I will personally send you to Jeriem’s side.”

Tetman drew a pistol from his hip. The momentum of the motion sent shivers down the spines of officers and soldiers alike.

Viewed coldly, there was truth in his words. What was the relationship between the Holy Nation and the Magic Nation? More accurately, what was the relationship between the Holy Church and the mages?

They were mutually exclusive. They loathed one another. The Holy Church refused to acknowledge the accomplishments and history forged by the mages centuries ago. The mages, too, had extended a hand to the Holy Church several times, only to realize reason was impossible, and turned their backs entirely.

In such circumstances, would the Holy Nation deal leniently with the Magic Nation after the war’s end?

It was a tale too good to be true.

Nevertheless, despite Tetman’s stark pronouncements, one stepped forward.

“Shoot me.”

It was Erich.

“Major Ronstein, do you desire death?”

“I cannot bear to see this war continue. I would rather embrace martyrdom according to the Covenant than witness my seniors, subordinates, and comrades continue to die as prisoners.”

“You have a bold spirit.”

Tetman’s gun muzzle pressed against Erich’s forehead. Soldiers of the United Republic also took aim at Tetman. In an instant, the situation became volatile. A lonely breeze blew, bringing with it a heavy silence.

“What is patriotism?”

Erich spoke.

“True patriotism is speaking bitter truths when the nation heads down the wrong path.”

He expressed his opinion softly, in a measured tone.

“If the Magic Nation surrenders, there is still hope. At least innocent youths will not all die. Consider it rationally. The Holy Nation still despises magic, but does it still conduct witch hunts as it did centuries ago?”

“……”

“If we continue the war, the opposite will occur. Youths from the Holy Nation, the Magic Nation, the United Republic, all nations, will perish. Far more than now.”

“Major Ronstein, step aside.”

“Perhaps I, too, will die. All of you here, His Excellency as well, will be chosen one by one, like numbers drawn at random, and bid farewell to this world until the war ends. If that is to be, I would rather embrace a righteous death here, decisively.”

Adora clicked her tongue. A smile played on her lips as she moved to stand beside Erich. Tetman’s eyes widened.

“Adora?”

“If he dies, I die with him, Papa.”

The miracle began there. As the two stood side-by-side, the wavering soldiers and officers of the Magic Nation surged forward.

Some, inspired by their nobility.

Some were swept along by the current.

Others assessed the situation with cold precision.

Though the motives differed, the result was the same.

“…All of you desire an end to the war, then.”

“Yes.”

“You desire surrender?”

“No.”

Erich spoke.

“We desire struggle.”

To know the true enemy threatening the fatherland, and to correct the wavering nation. To cease this meaningless endeavor, even now, so as not to shame history.

Tettmann met Erich’s gaze. For a moment, he saw the founder of the Magic Kingdom in this unwavering youth. It was as if Jeriem himself lived, and felt like this.

“A collection of fools, all of you. My daughter, my son-in-law, my subordinates. All of them.”

Tettmann chuckled softly. He lowered his pistol, and replied,

“Myself included, yes.”

*

Tettmann refused the Allied Nations’ offer. For the moment, he did.

For the Magic Kingdom to remain an independent nation, a revolution from within was essential. To that end, Tettmann took photos and videos of the sites where the Magic Kingdom’s war crimes had been committed, and disseminated them widely.

It was an attempt to shatter the eyes of the nation, which had been blinded, with a hammer—no. An anvil.

Even if they disliked the Holy Light Church, the Magic Kingdom’s citizens were raised to uphold Jeriem’s covenant. It was a universal understanding. Such an understanding could not precede the hatred of other religious orders.

Of course, there were exceptions, but at least the higher-ranking mages and the intellectuals began to openly express their dissatisfaction with the cabinet led by the President.

And, as a result…

“President, sir. The Southern Fleet… has unilaterally concluded a ceasefire agreement with the enemy.”

“General Wagner is driving tanks this way! He says he’s going to blow our heads off!”

“Rallies condemning the President are being held at universities throughout the country! There are many skilled mages among the protesters, and even the police and the Septem soldiers can’t control them!”

“Sir! The Minister of Magical Science has opened the main building and fled! Right now, mages of the first rank and above are gathering, declaring they will summarily execute you, President!”

Hoo-ooo, the President inhaled deeply, drawing on his cigarette. He let out a sigh that seemed to shake the very ground, and muttered like a fool,

“…I’m the fool, I was the fool. I should have launched the war *after* making it impossible for the high-ranking mages to exercise their right to summary execution.”

“We could still prohibit it, sir.”

“Why hasten the end of my days?”

The Allied Nations were still far from invading the capital. The front lines themselves were thick.

Yet, with the legions entrusted to those front lines splintering or betraying their cause, the Führer and the Paladins found themselves in dire straits.

“It seems there is no other way.”

[“Why, planning a burnt offering, perhaps?”]

“Aye. Though it cost me my very being, I shall drag a shard of the Demon God into this world. It will not last long, but it will suffice to quell the rebels…”

The Führer’s muttering ceased abruptly, cut short by a premonition. He and his inner circle, all within the office, turned as one.

A woman sat by the window.

She was draped in a black robe. Her hair was as white as cobwebs, her jawline sharp and defined. The voluminous garment concealed her form, rendering even an estimation of her height impossible.

But the Führer knew her.

[“You…!”]

[“The Arrow (射).”]

Within seconds, none lived within the Führer’s office. Only a single curtain, caught by the breeze, wept in desolate solitude.

*Thud, thud.*

Salbira stumbled through the back alleys, her legs still unaccustomed to their purpose. She gazed at the sky, and a sigh escaped her lips.

[“…Forgive me, disciple. It seems this master cannot escape the chains of the demonic arts.”]

Killing proved easier than saving. It was the way etched into her bones, honed by centuries of slaughter. Whether such an act had been righteous in the face of their dire predicament was an enigma, but one thing she knew with certainty.

It was the optimal choice.

Had she not, at the last moment, averted a nightmare from once again consuming the capital of Hazkael? That, in itself, was a triumph.

This would plunge the leadership of the Magocracy into temporary chaos. But that was acceptable. They would recover swiftly. Just as flesh fills the void after the extraction of a wisdom tooth, Hazkael, rid of the Paladin cancers, would once more thrive.

As Salbira had foreseen, the Magocracy weathered the profound shock and established a new cabinet.

*

The war had ended. The newly formed provisional government signed the peace treaty, bringing the long and tragic conflict to its close.

Simultaneously, prisoner exchanges commenced. After a little over three months of captivity, Adora and I were repatriated to our homeland.

Yet, it was not truly over.

Complete freedom remained distant. All of us, especially the officers of significant rank, were confined to mansions, held under watchful eyes.

I, due to the de facto marital bond I shared with Adora, resided within the Giphold family manor.

The accommodations, thanks to my wife, were lavish. However, it came at the price of enduring my father-in-law’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Ronstein, no. May I call you Erich for ease?”

“Yes, Father-in-Law.”

“I have yet to acknowledge you as my son-in-law.”

“Yes, Father.”

Tetman, who had almost fallen back, straightened his posture. He may speak like this, but he holds me in decent regard to some degree. Otherwise, why would he insist on my presence at every meal?

It signified that I was receiving special treatment within the Gifford family, where premarital purity was the principle.

In any case, while being confined, I couldn’t return home or synthesize maseok. With nothing to do, I found myself sitting around playing cards with my father-in-law.

“It’s not yet time to relax your guard.”

“I am aware.”

“As you know, the Magic Kingdom has entered into an accord with the Allied Nations. Those executives complicit with the Palyeong Society will be brought to trial without exception.”

“The Holy Nation seems to have gone even further. According to my contacts, the clergy is in a frenzy, talking about submerging all the top-tier mages.”

“Are they at it again? They never tire of trying to tear people apart. One should know when to show some leniency…”

“It appears your daughter and I will be standing in that dock together.”

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“No, because I have many cards to play.”

“Cards?”

My father-in-law snorted derisively.

*Thud, thud, thud, thud.*

Cards fell onto the floor in unison. A row of ‘4’ cards, each bearing a distinct pattern, lay in a line. It was a rare arrangement.

“What a pity. ‘Four Cards’. A fair number of rounds end here. Unless you hold a better hand, my victory is assured.”

“Perhaps not.”

I smirked. Mimicking his action, I drew four cards and placed them down. All queens.

*Swish, swish, swish, swish.*

“I have ‘Four Wives’.”

Adora, who was acting as referee, muttered.

“What a load of crap.”

“Adora, mind your language. Cards are like life. It’s exceedingly rare for fortune to favour one’s desires.”

“No, Papa. That’s not it. I think I’ll just say it now, at this point.”

Adora caressed her lower abdomen as she spoke.

“First of all, I’m pregnant.”

“……”

“And, this guy has already impregnated three other women besides me.”

“……”

“He literally has four wives.”

My esteemed father-in-law fixed me with a stare.

[‘Just accept that what was inevitable has arrived.’]

And just like that, I was thoroughly screwed.