—32nd Day, 9th Month, 1,546th Year, Continental Calendar.
King Souma's war, which began on this day, came to be called the Three Front
War because the battle took place in three locations at the same time, or the One
Week War due to its brevity.
Because of its incredible importance to both the Elfrieden Kingdom and the
Principality of Amidonia, there are many historical idioms that came from this war.
The expression "Lord of Altomura" was one such historical idiom.
◇ ◇ ◇
It happened in the city of Altomura, in the southwest of the Elfrieden Kingdom.
It was a walled city in the middle of a grain-producing region, but Altomura was
now besieged by a force of 30,000 troops from the Principality of Amidonia.
Altomura had a garrison of only 5,000, and the city would surely fall in a matter of
days if the enemy troops chose to press the attack. Even so, the new king had sent
his forces to fight the rebellious General of the Army, Georg, so he was unable to
send reinforcements.
Everyone must have believed the fall of Altomura was only a matter of time.
However, with the Amidonian force laying siege to the city making no move to
attack, a strange silence fell over the area.
Why had this situation arisen?
This was the work of one man. Right now, that middle-aged man was in the main
camp of the principality's army, bowing and scraping before Prince Gaius VIII. The
man was thin and scrawny, with an easily-cowed look about him.
His name was Weist Garreau.
He was the lord who ruled over Altomura and all of the area around it.
Weist, who had a manor in Altomura, should have been the one heading up the
effort to defend the city, but now, of all things, he was here prostrating himself
before Gaius VIII.
Gaius sat on a camp stool, the Crown Prince Julius at his side. Then, still seated on
his camp stool and glaring down at Weist, Gaius spoke.
"I see... So Altomura will open its gates to us without resisting."
"Y-Yesh! We have no intent of resisting the forces of the Principality of
Amidonia!" Weist answered, the words catching in his throat a little.
Gaius narrowed his eyes. "...Let us hear your reason."
"I don't need a reason. It's impossible to defend against a force as massive as
yours! Altomura is a city built on the plains of a grain-producing region, not terrain
that can be easily defended. Our only defenses are the castle walls anyway, and we
only have a garrison of a few thousand. In a situation where there is no hope of
reinforcements from the capital, if such a massive force were to attack, the city
would fall swiftly and inevitably!"
Gaius glanced to Julius, and Julius responded with a silent nod. He could see no
contradiction between Weist's words and their own understanding of the situation.
Having decided that there were no lies in his words... "Hmm," Gaius grunted.
"And so you say you wish to surrender to us?"
"Y-Yes. If defending ourselves is impossible, we are left with no choice but to
cling to your mercy."
When he heard Weist's words, Gaius grinned wickedly.
For Gaius, Weist's surrender was a godsend. He had dispatched troops to take
advantage of the discord within the kingdom, but if the kingdom were to unify under
either Georg or Souma, the weaker principality would be at a disadvantage. In order
to prepare for a situation like that, Gaius would like nothing more than to take the
city without suffering the loss of any troops.
"Very well," he said. "Then open the gates at once."
"P-Please, wait for a short while."
Gaius's brow twitched with displeasure. "Why?"
"C-Currently, the castle is divided between one faction that doesn't want to fight
and another faction that wants to resist to the bitter end," Weist explained. "There
are those in the resistance faction who say that 'The Amidonians will kill us all even
if we surrender,' and some among the faction that don't want to fight suspect that is
the case, too."
"I see... and are you one of them?" Gaius asked.
"P-Perish the thought! I am here to beg for our lives. I must never doubt the man I
am negotiating with!" Weist hastily explained, breaking into a cold sweat as he did.
"I-I trust you, but it's an opinion that some in the castle hold. That is why, first, I have
come to your camp to hear your thoughts, Your Princely Highness."
Gaius thought deeply about Weist's words. While he saw nothing wrong with
them, still, was it wise to trust this man?
While Gaius was thinking, Julius, who was standing next to him, interjected.
"Even without persuading those in the castle, we can take Altomura at any time."
"Yes. I am already well aware of that," Weist replied to Julius, showing him the
same obsequience. "However, there are many fools who do not understand that.
Surely, His Princely Highness would not wish to lose any of his soldiers due to those
people's foolishness. If you will guarantee us our lives, I will go and bring everyone
in the castle around to the same point of view."
As Weist's head bounced up and down like a grasshopper, Julius felt nothing but
disgust for the man.
Are the nobles of the kingdom all so peace-addled? Julius thought. It must be
because there were no great wars during the reign of the last king. Perhaps it is little
wonder that a fierce general like Georg would give up on this country.
While Julius was thinking that, Gaius slapped his own knee. "...Very well. If you
open the gates, I will guarantee the safety of everyone in the castle. Return inside at
once and convince your people."
When he heard Gaius's words, Weist thanked him as he rubbed his forehead on
the ground. "Th-Thank you! I will excuse myself at once!"
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Weist quickly left the main camp. As
he watched the man scurry away like a mouse, Julius asked Gaius a question.
"Was that all right? He didn't seem like that important of a person..."
"Hmph. Once he opens the gate, we will be the ones in control." Gaius wore an
evil smile. "I have no use for a little mouse that flatters his enemies. Once he has
outlived his usefulness, I will part his head from his body and use it to decorate the
gates."
"...I see." Julius backed down, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
When Gaius rose from his camp stool, he sent orders to his generals, saying,
"When the gates of Altomura open, enter the castle and occupy it at once."
However, even once the sun had gone down, the castle gates showed no sign of
opening.
"Argh! What is taking Weist so long?!"
Having been left waiting, Gaius was growing irritated.
His generals looked to one another, worried that their wrathful prince's anger
might be turned upon them. Julius was the only one there who was still calmly
analyzing the situation.
"Did he fail to bring around everyone in the castle...?" he wondered. "Or perhaps,
we may have been deceived by Weist."
"Damn! How about we attack them with all of our forces now?" Gaius seemed
ready to launch an all-out attack immediately.
Seeing Gaius like that, Julius offered a word of advice using the calmest tone he
could manage. "Please, wait. If the enemy has been plotting something, there may be
a trap waiting. If we consider the possibility of an ambush under cover of night, I
believe we should tighten our defenses and wait for dawn, then launch the attack at
first light. We can take a city like that in half a day."
When Julius pointed all of that out, Gaius lowered his raised fist. "Urgh... It seems
I have no choice."
Gaius accepted Julius's advice, ordering his generals to attack at dawn. Even as he
was relieved that Gaius had held off on the attack, Julius had a bad feeling about
Altomura, somehow.
The revulsion Julius had felt towards Weist. Had that feeling really come from the
obsequious posture Weist had shown?
When that man was grinding his forehead against the ground and prostrating
himself before us, what expression was he making where we couldn't see? Was he
relieved that we wouldn't attack? Or perhaps...
Was there... something more to it?
Julius felt as if he was being pulled deeper and deeper into the depths. As if he
were being toyed with by someone unseen...
I smell someone other than Weist Garreau here....
As he looked towards Altomura, it was creepily silent.
—1st Day, 10th Month, 1,546th Year, Continental Calendar.
The dawn broke on the next day. The night raid that Julius had feared never
occurred.
Gaius VIII went to order the armies to attack, as planned. That was when it
happened.
"Wooooooooooooooooo!"
A roaring battle cry suddenly rose up from inside the castle at Altomura where
all had been quiet before.
It was a spirited cry, enough so that Gaius hesitated to give the order to attack.
What had happened in Altomura? It had been so quiet up until yesterday.
Reinforcements couldn't have arrived, could they? Various possibilities flashed
through Gaius's mind, but he could make no decision.
Meanwhile, a single horse raced towards the Amidonian camp from Altomura.
Riding atop the horse was Weist Garreau. When Weist dismounted, practically
falling from his horse, he was greeted by an angry Gaius and prostrated himself
before him.
"Weist! You cur, what happened to our agreement to open the gate?!" Gaius
roared.
Weist shrunk into himself even more. "I-I cannot apologize enough! The people in
the castle have given in to desperation. It is taking some time to persuade them."
"Enough! I don't want to hear excuses!" Gaius drew the sword at his hip, pointing
the blade at Weist's neck.
"Eek!"
"I'll lop your head off and send it to those inside the castle as a warning!"
"W-With all due respect, Your Princely Highness. I hesitate to say this, but... we
cannot make rational decisions when surrounded by an army of tens of thousands
like this..." Weist fumbled to explain while clearly in a state of terrible panic. "J-Just
now, the war cry you heard from Altomura was the voices of those saying, 'The
Amidonians will never keep their word, so let's take as many of them with us as we
can.'"
Since Gaius had, in fact, had no intention of keeping his word, he found himself at
a momentary loss for words.
If every soldier in the castle was prepared to die, it was far too risky to force the
attack. Such soldiers were like machines: they would fight to their last breath, taking
as many of the enemy with them as they could manage. In a straight-up fight, his
allies would take major losses. Amidonia's victory was still unshakable, but because
their victory was so unshakable, he didn't want to waste manpower here.
Unable to just watch any longer, Julius spoke up. "Father, fighting death-crazed
soldiers will cause major losses. We should avoid that. Why not make a display of
your magnanimity, then ask Weist to attempt to persuade them once more?"
Weist leapt on Julius's suggestion, as if thinking, My life is saved!
"Th-This time, I'll not fail! I swear, I will convince the people in the castle!" Weist
cried.
Gaius thought for a moment, but ultimately decided to let Weist handle it. "Very
well. Consider this your final chance."
"Y-Yes, sir! Leave it to me."
"Hmph... Still, how am I to show my magnanimity?"
"For that, why not break the siege as soon as I return to the castle?" Weist asked.
Weist's suggestion enraged Gaius. "Break the siege, you say! Do you take me for a
fool?!"
"P-Perish the thought! Of course, it only needs to be for a short time! If you could
break the siege until at least noon, I will use that as a show of Your Princely
Highness's magnanimity and persuade the people in the castle."
"Hmph," Gaius snorted, "...Very well. From now until noon, we will lift the siege.
Should the gates not open by then, we will take them by force. Is that acceptable?"
"Y-Yes! I swear, I swear I will convince the people in the castle!"
Once Weist left, as frantic as he had come, Gaius immediately moved his troops to
break the siege of Altomura. Of course, he took measures to ensure he could capture
any unit that tried to take this chance to escape. He placed a highly mobile unit
under the command of Julius and positioned them at the front.
Hmph, Altomura has but half a day to live...
Gaius looked at Altomura with a gaze full of rage.
◇ ◇ ◇
Meanwhile, at the other end of Gaius's gaze...
In Weist Garreau's manor in Altomura, besieged by the forces of Amidonia, right
now, there was a woman making herself at home and relaxing.
Despite being in a city besieged by a force of 30,000, the woman was elegantly
enjoying a spot of tea. Having returned from the principality's camp, Weist explained
how the negotiations had gone.
He held a wry grin at the woman's boldness, which no one would have
anticipated from her appearance. His expression showed no hint of the pathetic
display he had been putting on in the Amidonian war camp earlier.
"Was that good enough, ma'am... no, Duchess Excel?" he asked.
"Yes. Well done," she said. "You've learned how to pull off a psychological act.
You're such a good little boy, Weist."
The woman sipping black tea was the Admiral of the Elfrieden Navy, Excel
Walter. Even if she looked to be in her mid-twenties, this woman was actually a sea
serpent who had lived for over five hundred years. Fifty-year-old Weist was still a
child to her.
"Duchess... would it be too much to ask that you finally stop treating me like a
child?" he asked.
"From my perspective, all of my marines are children," she said.
"I'm not attached to the Navy anymore, though, you know?"
"Hee hee! No matter how high you are promoted, for as long as I live, you will be
my subordinate and child."
He sighed. "It looks like I'm going to be treated as a child for the rest of my life,
then."
Even once the human Weist was old and grey, Excel would probably still be
youthful and treating him this way. Weist could already see that likely future.
"Still... our new king must be terrifying if he can send you to be his errand girl," he
said.
"His Majesty does run his people ragged," she agreed. "I know I've made it clear
I'm at his service from the beginning, but, still, he suddenly told me, 'Take a Jewel
Voice Broadcast jewel and a simple receiver and get your butt to Altomura,' you
know?"
During Souma's ultimatum two days prior, Excel had not been listening from the
Walter Duchy, but from here in Altomura. The broadcast could only show so much of
the scenery around her, so as long as she was in a room indoors, no one would be
able to tell exactly where she was.
When Amidonia's spies had reported that the ultimatum had been issued, they
should have assumed Excel was in the Walter Duchy. Souma had suggested they take
advantage of that to secretly bring Excel to Altomura.
Her mission was to delay the armies of the principality.
It had been anticipated that the armies of the principality would first occupy
Altomura, the central city of the grain-producing region, then sweep all enemies
from the surrounding area to entrench their de facto control of the territory. So, with
the kingdom lacking the leeway to dispatch reinforcements, the only way to prevent
losses was to hold on tenaciously at Altomura, and to do so in a way that avoided
battles as much as possible. In other words, it was a job for the sly old serpent, Excel.
"Gaius would never imagine that Duchess Excel is here, of all places," Weist said.
"It's three days' travel from Lagoon City to get here, after all," Excel agreed. "I've
been here for the last five days, though... Honestly, His Majesty and the others are
working this poor old woman far too hard."
"Please, don't play the old woman only when it suits you," Weist complained.
"It's fine for me to be self-deprecating," she said. "I won't stand for anyone else
saying it, though."
Only Vargas would be so reckless! was what he wanted to cry out, but he tucked
the words away inside his chest. He may have been over fifty, but he didn't want to
die just yet.
"By the way, Duchess Excel," he said, "I've only bought time until noon. Was that
good enough? Don't I need to buy a little more time according to the plan?"
"It's fine. If they break the siege until noon, it will take time to fully encircle us
again. Even if they begin an all-out attack, that would surely take until close to
evening."
"I see," he said. "Well, then, I think my job is done here."
"Yes. Well done, Weist. Please, relax and leave the rest to me." Excel gave him a
motherly smile.
Weist had been run ragged by Souma, Hakuya, and Excel, but he could only laugh
at himself for thinking that her smile alone made him want to forgive everything.
Elfrieden Historical Idiom Lessons: Number 1
"Lord of Altomura"
Type: Idiomatic Expression
Meaning: A person who makes promises they can't keep.
Origin: During the One Week War, Weist Garreau, the Lord of Altomura, which
was being attacked by Gaius VIII of the Principality of Amidonia, made an empty
promise to Gaius that he "would have the gates opened," in order to buy time.
Usage: That person's a Lord of Altomura. You shouldn't trust him.