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[Translator - Jjescus]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 12: Vadio (1)
“Is it true that His Majesty is coming?”
Count Vadio burst into Terdin’s tent.
“I did call an ‘emergency’ meeting, but I didn’t expect him to come in such haste,”
Terdin said, smiling as if accustomed to Vadio’s behavior.
However, his Lieutenant, Aedun, openly glared with displeasure.
“Mind your manners, Count Rill Vadio.”
Vadio ignored him.
Aedun, after all, was merely a sub-knight in rank, while Vadio was a lord commanding at least eighty men of such rank under him.
“When His Majesty arrives, I must be the first to meet him.”
“Do as you please. But do you have a particular reason for that?”
Terdin asked, sounding unconcerned.
Vadio’s anger flared at Terdin’s nonchalant demeanor.
“Because I’m the one who needs the war expenses settled first!”
“The royal family is well aware that no one has made greater sacrifices for this war than you,”
Terdin replied calmly.
Vadio couldn’t stand Terdin’s relaxed attitude.
While Terdin’s rank as army commander put him above Vadio during wartime, in peacetime, he was merely a poor old man living in a small house near the capital with no territory of his own.
The unending war had prolonged his high-ranking status, but that didn’t sit well with Vadio.
It should have been him commanding this army!
As the lord of the northern region of Norallin, Vadio was both its civil administrator during peacetime and the military commander tasked with defending the border in emergencies.
Logically, when a war against the northern Geronians broke out, the overall command of Triton’s forces should have gone to Norallin’s lord.
Vadio was young and strong.
He had fought in numerous battles, skilled in both physical combat and strategic planning.
Yet, the king’s choice had been General Terdin.
Why does His Majesty favor this useless old man so much?
Vadio’s territory lay about 20 miles from the battlefield.
While Norallin’s castle was further south, its proximity meant Vadio had no choice but to handle all supply lines and garrison management for the war.
“There are rumors that the royal treasury is running low and may not be able to pay all the wages, if funds fall short, I must be prioritized. I need you, General, to actively advocate for me.”
Vadio’s tone became outright commanding.
Terdin remained unfazed.
“That’s an important matter. Let’s see—Aedun, how many troops did Count Vadio bring to this war?”
Without even glancing at his notes, Aedun recited,
“The Count brought twenty knights bound to him by fealty, along with their sub-knights, totaling one hundred men. Of these, twelve have been killed, and eleven have withdrawn due to injuries, leaving—”
Vadio impatiently interrupted,
“I’m paying over 100 nobles in wages every month. And that’s a reduced amount, conditional on additional victory bonuses to be paid later.”
“Hmm, Norallin’s tenant fees wouldn’t cover such high wages.”
Norallin was the fifth-largest territory in Triton, but its arable land was limited.
Annual tenant income barely exceeded 500 nobles.
The wages for troops alone far exceeded that, not to mention last winter’s devastating expenses.
“Don’t forget last winter’s garrison costs,”
Vadio emphasized.
When the troops had to retreat from the unbearable cold, Terdin’s army had taken refuge in Norallin’s fortress.
Some soldiers had been sent home and recalled in spring, but over two thousand men had to be fed for three months.
“Didn’t His Majesty send a payment guarantee certificate for that?”
“There’s no certainty I’ll collect it. Rumor has it the royal treasury is already depleted from this war.”
Vadio repeated his concerns to drive them home.
Terdin shrugged.
“A document bearing His Majesty’s seal—how could you not receive payment?”
“If I have to sue His Majesty for it, will you testify on my behalf?”
Terdin chuckled awkwardly.
“Well, if my testimony helps, I’ll do it.”
Vadio grew more anxious.
No lord had ever won a lawsuit against the king in Triton’s history—the king himself presided over such cases. V
adio hesitated for a moment before suddenly shouting,
“Why did you accept their surrender?”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“We won! When we win, we should pillage them! Leave them unable to rise again—slaughter the men, sell the women as slaves!”
“Not this again? That’s a closed matter. Let it go.”
To him, it was just a closed matter.
But not to Vadio.
Other lords and knights, weary from war, had supported Terdin’s decision.
They wanted their victory bonuses and back pay so they could return to their families.
Terdin, pretending to be a magnanimous commander, had peacefully accepted the surrender of the barbarians.
“You accepted their surrender without the king’s consent.”
“That, too, is a settled matter. From the start, His Majesty entrusted me with full authority. I joined this war with the condition that I could decide both victory and defeat as I saw fit.”
“Because of that, I’ve lost any means to recover my losses.”
“For what it’s worth, raiding Geron villages wouldn’t have yielded much. Geron slaves are hard to control and fetch low prices. Their land is barren and poor for farming. This war wasn’t about profit but stopping their raids.”
Vadio knew it as well.
That was why he had to raid even more.
They were raiders.
The land was barren, and instead of diligently farming, they kept pillaging food and valuables from the southern lands.
It was a perfect opportunity to reclaim those stolen goods.
And yet, to let such an opportunity slip away?
‘I should have been the commander.’
Last winter, while Terdin temporarily retreated to his domain, Vadio secretly sent a letter to the royal palace.
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[Translator - Jjescus]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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It was full of lengthy greetings, a drawn-out introduction, and flowery language, but the main point was simple:
‘Leave the war against the Geron to me, the lord of Norallin.
Norallin’s northern region borders Geron’s lands.
Even so, my domain hasn’t suffered much direct damage from their raids.
That’s because I’ve been defending it well.
So, if there’s going to be a war, I’ll handle it better.
Give me the chance now!’
Vadio’s border guards weren’t directly fighting off the barbarians.
The Geron avoided their land partly due to two massive fortresses in the north and because they preferred raiding coastal villages by sea.
Still, the fact was that the defenses were holding up well.
A few weeks later, a secret reply came from the royal palace.
The content was brief:
‘If Terdin is defeated or killed, proceed as you wish.’
Vadio took this as permission.
‘Perfect! This is as good as being told to become the supreme commander. After all the effort I’ve put in, I deserve this much.’
Vadio had regularly visited the royal palace to assist the king, attended royal trials, and consistently bribed King Gallant.
He made excessive donations to the sanctuary of Archbishop Acop, the chancellor.
He had provided women and men.
He had done everything to prove his value.
So, this short response was the rightful reward for his hard work.
‘If this war isn’t finished by winter, Terdin’s fate is sealed. I’ll tell him to retire and spend his days fishing. The 3,000 soldiers I fed this winter will be my army next year!’
Vadio waited for winter to end and for the next one to approach.
Two weeks ago, when the battle over the Tettar ferry ended inconclusively, Vadio finally saw his chance.
Terdin’s army had lost all momentum.
Having lived on the battlefield himself, Vadio could read the tide of war.
No matter how much Terdin was praised as a god of war, there was no way out this time.
‘Adian Mantum for the win! Terdin is finished!’
But then, unexpectedly, Mantum was killed, and the war ended abruptly.
Now, in the allied camp, a child claiming to be Adian Mantum’s heir was held captive.
“Fine, that’s that. But why is this so-called child of Adian being kept here?”
Vadio demanded.
Terdin responded with a look that seemed to ask if he really needed to explain.
“He’s a hostage for the surrender negotiations. Apparently, he speaks our language, so it’ll be easier to discuss matters like prisoner exchanges or the war reparations you’re hoping for.”
“What I’m saying is, he could be a spy.”
“A spy?”
“He could be pretending to surrender, only to launch a surprise attack. At the very least, he might uncover our military secrets. I’ve never heard of barbarians keeping their promises.”
‘Yes, and that spy could very well be you, Terdin. It’s suspicious enough that this so-called god of war suddenly died.’
Vadio had seen Mantum’s severed head but couldn’t confirm its authenticity.
It was already decomposing, and he had never seen Mantum up close before.
He had only gone along with it because the other knights claimed it was him.
“There’s no need to worry about that, the soldiers may be celebrating our victory, but discipline hasn’t slipped, and patrols are more frequent than ever.”
Terdin’s Lieutenant, who had been nervously watching the exchange, chimed in,
“The enemy’s camp has already been dismantled. It’s true that the seven tribes have scattered. Even the three tribes that declared surrender have retreated to the rear. For them to launch a surprise attack, they’d have to travel at least two days, and even if they tried, our cavalry could counter them immediately, given the open terrain here.”
Vadio wanted to snap, “I know that, idiot!” It was a pointless statement, and there was nothing more to say.
Still, he couldn’t bring himself to leave easily.
If he walked out now, it would look like he’d come here just to demand his money.
He wanted to appear like he was hiding a more significant purpose.
“That boy who’s always around—he’s not here today?”
Vadio asked, glancing past Terdin.
“My shadow, you mean?”
“Yes. That boy who’s been trailing behind you, even during the barbarian chieftain’s surrender.”
Vadio sneered inwardly.
‘A shadow? How ridiculous. Didn’t the ancient kings call their invisible protectors ‘shadows’? I thought this man didn’t believe in superstition or magic, but it seems no one’s immune.’
At the same time, he envied Terdin.
He wished he had a bodyguard he could trust completely.
While he had plenty of sworn vassals, none were reliable enough to entrust his life to.
Vadio didn’t trust anyone.
He was so paranoid that before heading to war, he divided the keys to his treasury among his wife, son, and head steward.
“If you mean that boy, he’s been assigned to attend to the Geron chieftain.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean?”
“How can a low-ranking soldier deal with a chieftain, even a captive one?”
“Because he speaks the Geron language and has no other duties.”
Terdin replied without hesitation, as if he’d anticipated the question.
‘Suspicious. This sudden victory—it feels like this cunning snake is hiding something.’
“There are other officers who speak the Geron language.”
“If you mean Knight Jenavin,”
Terdin said, his irritation becoming apparent,
“He was reassigned to another task because His Majesty arrived.”
“Fair enough. Ah, one more thing!”
Vadio turned to leave but then came up with a brilliant excuse.
It perfectly tied back to his earlier point.
“When His Majesty arrives, I’ll be at the forefront to greet him. I have that right.”
Terdin, clearly relieved that Vadio was finally leaving, replied,
“Of course.”
As Vadio exited the tent, he growled inwardly,
‘One day, I’ll crush this old fox!’
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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