Chapter 41: The Prodigy Daughter of the Fairchild Family

Kingdom Year 487 (Imperial Year 202), September 9th. The battle over the Kabachi Plains that had dragged on for more than a month ended in victory for the Tolmakia Empire. The Holy Felcis Kingdom had mobilized a total force of fifty thousand, suffering roughly sixteen thousand dead, seven thousand heavily wounded, and twenty-seven thousand remaining. It was the single greatest loss in a single engagement in the kingdom’s history.

The Empire’s sacrifices were also severe. From a total mobilized force of thirty-five thousand, they had eleven thousand dead, four thousand heavily wounded, and twenty thousand remaining. Especially damaging was the fact that in May of this year the Second Prince Noias had already suffered a painful defeat, so on a national scale the depletion of manpower was staggering.

“Over thirty percent dead…”

Austro Tolmakia closed his eyes. He had never expected an easy win, but when he considered the casualties, even the words “hard-fought victory” felt too mild. It shook the plan to improve the cannon and attack Valihart Fortress next summer.

“We may have to postpone next year’s campaign…”

“Your Highness, General Schwaik has returned.”

At Partina Sircury’s voice, Austro straightened his expression. Victory was victory. The supreme commander could not afford to look defeated.

“Schwaik, you did well. Without your efforts our army might have collapsed.”

“I am honored. It must have been the blessing of Goddess Velos. It seems rain fell upstream on the Arus River and the water level rose. Thanks to that we were able to land much closer.”

They nodded to each other and looked at the soldiers. Every face was exhausted. Some men lay flat on their backs on the ground. Normally their captains would have scolded them, but even the unit commanders were resting.

“It was a brutal fight…”

“Yeah… Sorry to ask, but could I have your three thousand take over garrison duty? The main force is completely spent. I want to let them rest if possible.”

“I already have hundred-man squads on watch. Just in case, I also sent scouts toward Valihart Grand Fortress. Please rest as well, Your Highness.”

Austro nodded and headed for his tent. Sleepiness hit him so hard he wanted to collapse, but he somehow kept his dignity until he stepped inside. That was the last thing Austro remembered.

The Kingdom Army led by Belgarad Phalanx entered Valihart Fortress at the southern edge of the Kabachi Plains on September 12th. They had lost over thirty percent of their men; excluding the heavily wounded, only half remained combat-capable. It was the bare minimum needed to defend the fortress. They had thrown every last soldier at the Empire to stop their southward advance across the Kabachi Plains and failed. It was a complete and utter defeat.

“The responsibility for this defeat lies entirely with me. I have already sent a messenger to the royal capital. Sooner or later His Majesty will summon me. When I think of the soldiers who died, a mere reprimand will not suffice. By the end of this year I will likely part ways with this fortress.”

Back inside the fortress, Phalanx laid out his outlook for the staff officers. Every eye brimmed with sorrow. Several could not hold back and trembled.

“General! You must appeal directly to the military ministry in the capital—no, to His Majesty! Who else can protect this place if not you?!”

“This battle proves it! Only General Phalanx could have fought this far! If only we had reinforcements… just a little more reinforcements and we would have won!”

Some shouted in rage. Belgarad Phalanx had climbed to his current position through sheer military merit. Compared to his fame and achievements, his fief was small and his treatment far from generous. One reason was that Phalanx himself had refused to rely on the backing of great nobles. Within the kingdom, Phalanx stood alone. While he kept winning, that was fine. The moment he showed a single crack, the vultures would swarm to drag him down. That was the nature of noble society.

“Even without me, things will be fine for the time being. The Empire also lost a great many soldiers in this battle. They will stay quiet for a while to recover. You will all continue to protect this land with everything you have.”

Everything was his responsibility; he would not place any burden on his subordinates. That was Phalanx’s pride. Not only the staff officers but every man he had raised shed tears of frustration.

Some time later, the news that “Phalanx has been defeated” reached the royal capital of Istaloon. Minister of Military Affairs Zumana Lujandor twisted his greasy, pockmarked face and laughed so hard his fat belly shook.

“So Phalanx lost. And a crushing defeat at that…”

Lujandor cleared the room and his expression turned thoughtful. A hint of regret showed there. He had expected Phalanx to win. Normally he played the part of a greedy, petty man who matched his appearance, but that was only one side of him. As the second son of a baronial house and born ugly, the only reason he had risen to one of the kingdom’s highest offices was that while acting the fool he had wielded every political trick and seized credit at every key moment. He tolerated corruption within the military yet still entrusted the north to Phalanx and protected the kingdom from foreign enemies. “Swallowing both the pure and the foul” was Lujandor.

“Making Phalanx take responsibility is easy, but the real question is how. Execution is obviously out of the question. On the other hand, if we let him off with a reprimand the Javall Ducal House won’t stay quiet. They’re working with the Luftvan Trading Company to eye the northern interests…”

He sipped tea heavy with honey. The kingdom’s power structure was complicated. On the surface he maintained good relations with Prime Minister Rubin Verstein, but compared to the conservative Verstein he considered himself a reformer. In fact, in the twelve years since he had become Minister of Military Affairs, corruption had slowly but steadily decreased.

The kingdom had a longer history than the Empire. That meant all kinds of vested interests had accumulated like sediment. Radical reforms that cut through everything at once would create unfortunate victims even among the uninvolved. The only way was to move forward little by little.

“For now I must consult His Majesty…”

Lujandor rose from his chair. He was short with comically stubby legs. Precisely because he looked incapable of even riding a horse, others underestimated him and let down their guard. Waddling along, Lujandor headed for the royal palace.

Naturally the news from the north also reached the Royal Knight Academy. Normally it would have come through the military ministry, but Phalanx had sent a personal letter under the pretext that his daughter was there. When Headmistress Lilia showed her the letter, Elsa cried—from relief that he was safe and anxiety that her father now stood in a difficult position.

“Kaito. What is your assessment?”

“General Phalanx’s letter states the facts plainly, so the battle situation was easy to picture. But there is something this letter does not mention.”

“What is it?”

“How they could have won. The cause of this defeat was not the general. It lies with the military ministry in the capital.”

“They didn’t send reinforcements…”

“Exactly. If I were Minister of Military Affairs I would have instantly dispatched the largest force we could mobilize. At the very least twenty or thirty thousand. With that many we could have achieved an overwhelming victory through encirclement and annihilation. No—we wouldn’t even have needed to fight. Austro Tolmakia would have retreated immediately. All that blood would never have been spilled. Just what the hell was the Minister of Military Affairs doing?”

Angry flames burned in Kaito’s eyes. No matter how excellent the people on the front lines were, a rotten center left them powerless. Belgarad Phalanx had lost an eye and still fought to the very end to protect them. What had the military ministry in the capital been doing the whole time? Drinking and laughing at court banquets?

“Your opinion is correct, Kaito. But it is also wrong.”

Yet Headmistress Lilia shook her head. Kaito’s brow stayed furrowed as he narrowed his eyes. Had she not been his master he would have pressed closer.

“You are clever. Your mind is every bit as sharp as my late husband Paul Shurisupu’s. That is exactly why I want you to understand. This country is complicated. The nobles each hold their own lands and bear the burden of running the kingdom. Even within the military, the minister does not decide everything alone. There is a general staff that debates and decides, then presents the military’s will to the palace. And that general staff is influenced by the various noble houses…”

“So a gathering of scum. If it were me I’d kill them all.”

Lilia sighed. The biggest difference between her “lazy” late husband and the disciple before her was precisely this “intensity.” Because he was so sharp, Kaito tended to reach hasty conclusions and brand things as absolute.

“It certainly looks corrupt. But the truth is that it also functions as a kind of balancing mechanism. For example, when building ships for the navy we contact three different guilds. They adjust prices and rotate the work. One could argue we should simply get it as cheap as possible since we’re using tax money, but by colluding they avoid cutthroat competition and distribute profits so everyone is happy. From the taxpayers’ perspective it looks like corruption, but when you look at the kingdom as a whole it is not necessarily a bad thing.”

“But what does that have to do with not sending reinforcements to the general?”

“Kaito. I understand you’re angry, but you must not take it out on Lilia-sensei.”

Elfina’s gentle rebuke made Kaito straighten and apologize. He still was not convinced. Everyone had their own claims. Kaito’s was simple. Anyone who made his woman cry was “evil.” And the cause this time lay with the military headquarters. That was enough.

“Eventually you will see it too. Do not assume the range you can see and understand is everything. For now just accept that much.”

Logically she was right. Kaito accepted it and nodded.

“So… Phalanx lost, did he?”

Auguste Javall, head of the kingdom’s foremost great noble house—the Javall Ducal House—raised his wine glass upon hearing the report. As long as Belgarad Phalanx remained in the north, the Javall family had gained nothing. The Luftvan Trading Company, the kingdom’s largest merchant guild, was under their protection and contributed to the Javall family’s prosperity. But in the north the Iris Trading Company—close to the Fairchild Ducal House—and the recently rising Grupp Trading Company were competing fiercely. Purchase prices for weapons and grain were harsh, and profits were tiny compared to the volume of trade.

“Father. At last the north falls into our hands. We should simply put that detestable Phalanx on the guillotine.”

His eldest son Damian Javall smiled happily. Auguste took a sip of wine and admonished his son.

“Do not speak so lightly. Our glorious kingdom has been defeated by northern barbarians. As subjects we should feel shame when we think of His Majesty’s distress.”

“Y-yes… as you say, Father.”

“Besides, we are not the only ones aiming for Phalanx’s successor. I am curious how the Fairchild family will move. And that pig will surely be scheming in the shadows. We must quickly name a candidate and push him forward.”

“You mean Minister of Military Affairs Lujandor? He belongs in a pigsty—why is a man like that in charge of the military…”

Auguste said nothing. He stood and gazed out the window. The Javall family was an ancient house dating back to the kingdom’s founding. Successive heads had poured their efforts into building marriage alliances and had secured an unshakable position. But the Fairchild Ducal House had done the same. If they seized the northern interests they would leave the Fairchilds far behind and become the greatest noble house in both name and reality. They could not let this chance slip.

(The Fairchilds are strong at sea and weak on land. That gives us the advantage. Besides, the current head Elcure is spineless and indecisive. If we press hard he may back down. But the real problem is who to install as the successor…)

“Why don’t you go yourself, Damian?”

“Huh?”

The eldest son of the great noble house stared blankly at his father.

“Phalanx lost, did he… What about the navy?”

“Yes. For now the sea remains in a standoff. The port at Rhoda remains peaceful.”

Duke Elcure Fairchild nodded. The Fairchild family held the kingdom’s “sea.” They possessed many shipwrights and had deep ties to many naval generals. This matter concerned the “land.” Elcure hesitated over whether the Fairchilds should move.

“My lord… the young lady has returned.”

“What? Flora? What about the knight academy?”

“This is more important, Father…”

Without waiting for the butler’s announcement, his daughter entered. Flora Fairchild, eldest daughter of the Fairchild family, was a beautiful girl with short golden-brown hair and hazel eyes, but she wore practical men’s clothing and looked almost boyish.

“Flora. Second year has only just begun—what are you doing here?”

Flora was a second-year administrative officer candidate at the Royal Knight Academy. At her age it would not have been strange for her to have an arranged fiancé and be training to be a bride. But common sense did not apply to this energetic daughter.

“Father, you must contact Minister of Military Affairs Lujandor immediately. As the Fairchild family we should recommend a successor to General Phalanx.”

Elcure sighed. His lively and intelligent daughter spoke of politics like a man. Worse, her foresight and opinions were always accurate and flawless. He had lost count of how many times he had wished she had been born a son.

“Flora, that is a decision for me, the head of the family, to make. It is not for you to meddle in.”

“I apologize, Father. But if the Fairchild family does not act, the successor will be the general recommended by the Javall Ducal House. If that happens, the kingdom will soon face crisis.”

“What do you mean? Tell me your prediction.”

Her father reluctantly prompted her opinion. As head of the family it was complicated, but he had made many decisions based on his daughter’s views. This time too he decided to listen.

Flora sat in the reception chair and began to speak.

“To put it plainly, the successor to General Belgarad Phalanx must be General Belgarad Phalanx himself. Is there any other general in this kingdom more suited to guarding the north?”

“I understand that. But there must be accountability. The scale of the sacrifice in this defeat is far too great to end with a reprimand. At the very least removal from command cannot be avoided. The general himself surely thinks the same.”

“That is true. Even if our house moves and manages to limit it to a reprimand, General Phalanx will refuse. He is a noble soldier. He cannot forgive himself unless he takes responsibility. Therefore we simply need to create a logic and path for him to take that responsibility.”

“Specifically?”

“The Phalanx family’s lands lie southwest of Valihart Grand Fortress. We confiscate those lands, dissolve the Phalanx house, and make the general himself an honorary noble.”

“That… is quite a harsh punishment.”

“There is more. The confiscated lands must of course be governed by someone. That will be our Fairchild family. Naturally we will keep the Phalanx retainers and stewards in their posts. The mansion will remain and the general may continue to use it.”

“In other words, a dissolution in name only?”

“General Phalanx is a famous general. He will surely continue to achieve military feats. We can use those to restore his honor and return the lands to him.”

“But what logic allows the Fairchild family to step in? What is the justification?”

“Logistics. Without General Phalanx, Valihart Fortress is nothing more than an empty shell. No matter how sturdy the fortress, it will fall easily without people to defend it. If Valihart Fortress falls, the kingdom’s north will face crisis. The naval port at Rhoda will be isolated and the kingdom will be attacked from the sea as well. If that happens the kingdom will…”

Elcure raised his hand and cut his daughter off. How could this girl’s mind work so smoothly?

“Since this is all hypothetical, the logic is weak. That is why we need the cooperation of the Minister of Military Affairs…”

“I do not evaluate Minister Lujandor as lowly as others do. In this case, the reason he did not send reinforcements may have been to avoid conflict with the Javall Ducal House, but I believe there was also genuine hope that General Phalanx would win.”

“Meaning?”

“If General Phalanx had won without relying on reinforcements, his influence within the military would have grown even further. That would promote purification inside the military and lead to a stronger kingdom. Minister Lujandor swallows both the pure and the foul, but I do not believe he himself is corrupt.”

“I understand. I will speak with the Minister of Military Affairs as you suggest. By the way, how are your second-year classes?”

“Still as boring as ever. But I have found one interesting person. A Hero Chevalier candidate who for some reason is taking administrative officer classes. Rumor says he was involved in the recent battle up north as well…”

Flora Fairchild, top second-year administrative officer candidate, sipped the tea the butler had brought.

On September 25th, Kingdom Year 487, the punishment for Belgarad Phalanx was decided. His noble status would be reduced to honorary noble for one generation only. His lands would be confiscated and placed under Fairchild family governance. His rank as general would remain unchanged and he would continue guarding Valihart Fortress. On the surface it was by no means a light punishment. The Javall Ducal House still applied pressure on the military ministry, but Minister of Military Affairs Lujandor wobbled his comical figure and replied:

“I see. Indeed, your esteemed son Master Damian is skilled in both politics and war. However, in terms of actual achievements he falls short of General Phalanx by one step. If you wish to recommend someone, please name a general whose military record can rival Belgarad Phalanx’s.”

There was no such general in the kingdom. Once the severe measure of land confiscation had been decided, the rest was simply a matter of internal military personnel affairs. And when considering personnel purely on merit, only one man was suited to guard the north.

“Nff… How troublesome. That little piglet really wants me to keep working, doesn’t he? I was thinking of spending my remaining years relaxing at my villa on Lake Pluj…”

Looking down at the war-game board while stroking his beard, Phalanx moved a piece with a stick.

“You jest… Dying of old age in bed does not suit you, General. Even now your heart is burning with thoughts of how to defeat the cannon, is it not?”

Kaito moved the “cannon” piece. Phalanx silently moved a cavalry piece in reply.

“Valihart Grand Fortress is impregnable only because you are there. Honestly, I do not believe the cannon alone can bring victory.”

Phalanx and Kaito were running a war-game simulation of the defense of Valihart Grand Fortress. Phalanx played the Kingdom side, Kaito the Empire. Behind Phalanx, his daughter Elsa watched happily and cheered for her father. Kaito gave a wry smile but said nothing.

“Shelling of the fortress cannot be avoided. But we can prevent a second and third shot. For example…”

A Saint Knight piece approached the artillery. Once engaged in close combat the gunners could do nothing. Kaito had no choice but to commit his own Saint Knights. But the numbers were too different.

“The Saint Knights outnumber us overwhelmingly. And there is even that freak Chevalier who somehow commands four of them at once. I cannot even imagine what would happen if the Saint Knights unleashed their collective power…”

The artillery was wiped out in an instant. Kaito shrugged and acknowledged his loss.