Grimgal of Ashes and Illusion - Volume 16 - Chapter 14

14. The Savior of Those Who Believe

To bottom line it, Mogado Gwagajin expressed an interest in Hiyo’s, which was to say Jin Mogis’s, offer.

We will save reflecting on what happened after that for later. The point is, after a series of events that required the utmost caution, Haruhiro and the others were able to leave Damuro.

Incidentally, Haruhiro got his stuff back, but his clothes were a torn and bloody mess. Damn it. But he couldn’t borrow a new outfit from the goblins, and couldn’t very well walk around naked, so he was forced to wear them.

When they arrived back in Alterna before sunset, the general called for a celebratory feast. Or so it was called, but all they did was gather in the dining hall for a dinner that, while they were eating better than the common soldiers, was not in any way fit to be called a feast. There was alcohol, too, but Haruhiro was in no mood to touch it. Aside from Hiyo constantly babbling, and the general tolerantly indulging her, there was no real conversation to be had.

Haruhiro and his party had done their job. So maybe they ought to be on guard against poisoning. But by the time Haruhiro hit on that thought, the meal was already half over. How could he have been so careless? Sensing his shock, Setora said, “It’s fine.”

Unlike Haruhiro, who had let exhaustion and everything else that was happening dull his judgment, Setora was alert. He saw Kiichi at Setora’s feet, eating the same things as his master. Kiichi wasn’t so dumb as to let himself be poisoned.

Haruhiro and his team could still be of use. That was the general’s reading of the situation, it seemed.

It looked like it was entirely possible that he would get his alliance with the goblins.

They were going to return the hi’irogane weapons that they had captured. That work would be carried out in the coming days.

At the same time, the general would dismantle the Expeditionary Force, and reorganize them as the Frontier Army. It was just a change in label, but the general planned to withdraw from the Kingdom of Arabakia, prepare a new war flag, and declare himself the Commander of the Frontier Army.

Then, Commander of the Frontier Army Jin Mogis and the goblin mogado Gwagajin would exchange a pledge of mutual non-aggression. Commander Mogis would go to Damuro in person, and Mogado Gwagajin would leave the New City to meet somewhere suitable in the Old City of Damuro.

This was what the pledge would state:

The Frontier Army would recognize Damuro and the area around it as the domain of the goblins, and would not violate it.

Further, the Frontier Army would have Alterna and the area around it as their domain. The goblins would not violate it.

This much Haruhiro and his party had been told in advance. What they weren’t informed of was the next bit.

The Frontier Army would aim to secure the Free City of Vele. Once Vele was taken, the Frontier Army would return Alterna and the area around it to the goblins. From then on, the Frontier Army would recognize everything south of Damuro as the goblins’ domain, and would not violate it.

South of Damuro included Alterna, of course, but the Tenryu Mountains were also south of there. The mainland of the Kingdom of Arabakia lay beyond the Tenryu Mountains. Did the goblins have the means to cross the Tenryus and take the mainland? No, obviously not. However, Jin Mogis suggested they would have the right to do it.

The more of Hiyo’s explanation that Mogado Gwagajin heard through his ugoth interpreter, the happier he seemed. The goblin mogado even looked giddy to Haruhiro.

The goblins likely felt a major inferiority complex when it came to the other races. They likely feared them, too. But it’s not like we’re evil or anything. It was only human to want to think that. Goblins weren’t human, but they did possess some degree of intelligence, so one could understand if they felt the same way. They had their own culture, and their own civilization. They had their mogado, and their own society. They would get angry about people looking down on it, and if others recognized them, and showed due respect, they would be pleased, too.

The No-Life King had once treated the goblins as equal partners in his alliance. But perhaps the orcs and other races hadn’t felt the same way.

In the orcish clans’ and the undead’s recent advance south, the goblins and kobolds attacked at the same time. Though the goblins received Alterna, and the kobolds gained Riverside Iron Fortress, the orcs and undead had largely packed up and left.

Ultimately, as far as the orcs and undead were concerned, the goblins and kobolds might have been no more than convenient tools.

Had Gwagajin, the mogado of the goblins, sensed that? That the orcs and undead were no friends of theirs? That they looked down on, and took advantage of, them? That they weren’t allies at all?

It seemed that Jin Mogis had succeeded in flattering Mogado Gwagajin and winning his favor for now. Next would be the two of them meeting, and seeing where things went from there. There wasn’t really any basis to think this, but Haruhiro suspected that the man seeking to become king of the frontier and the mogado of the goblins might, somewhat surprisingly, find they had a lot in common. He couldn’t help but feel that way.

“Haruhiro,” Kuzaku, who was sitting next to him, leaned in and whispered. “Uh, hey. Shouldn’t we, y’know... bring up Shihoru-san soon?”

“Yeah.”

Haruhiro knew that. He didn’t need Kuzaku to remind him. Haruhiro had already been looking for the right time to broach the issue.

“Yes?”

The general’s rusty eyes were fixed on Haruhiro. They seemed inorganic, without a shred of humanity. Those eyes made Haruhiro uneasy. That wasn’t good.

“...I wanted to talk about something. Is that all right?”

“I don’t mind.”

The general wiped the area around his mouth with a napkin, then folded his hands on the dining table.

There was a ring on the index finger of his left hand. That blue stone. With the three-leaf pattern in it. That had to be a relic. What power did it hide?

“Say whatever you wish.”

From the moment they had first met him, Jin Mogis had seemed superhuman, as if nothing frightened him. Was there anything that could move this man? Even if he saw his own friends and family die before his eyes, he probably wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow. If he was threatened personally, well, he’d likely panic a little, but he wouldn’t completely lose his head. Maybe it was just an act. But even if he was simply playing the role of Jin Mogis the Unflappable, that was impressive in and of itself. If he never broke character, it was no different from the real thing.

It has to be just an act, Haruhiro thought.

He wouldn’t say the man was a paper tiger, but he was definitely putting up a strong front. Probably because he felt he couldn’t afford to show any weakness. It wasn’t like he was really as composed as he seemed.

As Haruhiro figured, the general certainly was a battle-hardened warrior, an experienced commander, so he could no doubt wield a sword better than most.

But Kuzaku was pretty good in a sword fight, too. He was blessed with the right physique for it, and didn’t scare easily. On top of that, he could do more than just swing his large katana around with nothing but brute force. He might not have been what you would call clever, but if you considered how many enemies he took on by himself, he had to be good at keeping an eye on multiple things at the same time. Also, each swing of Kuzaku’s large katana threatened his opponents with lethal damage.

If Kuzaku and the general fought in single combat, who would win? Obviously, there was no way to know without seeing it, but it was hard to imagine Kuzaku would go down easily. He’d make it a close fight, at the very least.

The rest of the party would be there, too. Kuzaku wouldn’t have to fight alone. It might be cowardly, sure, but if they all ganged up on the general, it would probably be over in no time.

This was a dangerous topic, but they could kill the general if they decided to. But the general wasn’t an idiot, either, so he had to know that. When the time came, Haruhiro and the others might refuse to heed his orders. That’s why he took Shihoru hostage as a threat.

“It’s about our comrade.”

Once Haruhiro had said that much, the general snorted, his expression not changing in the slightest.

If you piss us off, you do know what will happen, right? We could end you. We did what you asked. We did it. Now you do what you ought to. Or else.

“Our comrade who isn’t here.”

“You mean your old comrades in the Volunteer Soldier Corps, perhaps?”

He wants to play dumb, huh? I want to start shouting. But no. I have to hold back. Now’s not the time.

“No. Not them.”

The general used his left index finger, which bore the ring, to tap his right hand twice, then cocked his head to the side.

“Who, then?”

Neal chuckled. Hiyo shrugged her shoulders. Damn them. The blood raced to Haruhiro’s head.

He heard someone click their tongue. Looking over, he saw Kuzaku’s face was turned downward, contorted with emotion. Merry looked pale. Hiyo was glaring at them.

Setora leaned down. He wondered what she was about to do, but she just stroked Kiichi’s head. She was even smiling, as if she was totally unconcerned.

Haruhiro looked back to the general, who was, as always, unfazed.

Was this man really putting up a strong front? Or was he just unbelievably dense? Was it possible the man had reached some sort of enlightenment after all the hell he had been through?

“We did our part. I think you should do yours, too. If you can’t pay our price, we can’t work.”

“Let me give you whatever ranks and honors you desire.”

When Haruhiro shook his head, the general’s brow furrowed faintly.

“How unambitious. What do you want instead? I know. We’ve been struggling to open the Yorozu Deposit Company’s treasure vault. Do you want to take a crack at it? They say it’s overflowing with incredible riches. I’ll give you a share.”

“We don’t need that junk.”

He did his best not to raise his voice. Was that out of pride? His way of opposing the general? He didn’t even know anymore.

“We just want you to return what’s ours.”

“You need a debt repaid? I’ll reward your efforts. I believe that’s what I’ve been saying this whole time.”

“Oh, come on...!” Kuzaku slammed his palms down on the table. It was pretty loud, but the general didn’t even glance in his direction. His eyes were set on Haruhiro.

“I have not, to my recollection, taken anything of yours. But let’s suppose I did. What would I gain by returning it to you?”

“What...?”

“There are a number of things that I can give to you. You may be too greedy to be satisfied with them, but I find it quite offensive when I have been trying to find some way to show my sincerity to you. If you seek more from me, how will you respond? What can you give me? What will be the price?”

“The price...” Haruhiro hung his head.

What? He’s not getting it. What the hell?

Was it all in vain? Had they just been made to work for free? Did the general have no intention of returning Shihoru from the beginning?

Or was there no way for him to return her?

Shihoru had been abducted, and was being held somewhere. Was that really it?

Or could it be something else?

Like she was already — already what?

Haruhiro didn’t want to think about it. He was trying to avoid the thought. Wasn’t the general taking advantage of that?

He didn’t want to consider the worst possibility. So, since that couldn’t be it, since that couldn’t have happened, Haruhiro had to listen to the general. Had to obey him. He could only cling to what little hope there was.

Even if it didn’t really exist.

Yes, there might have been no hope to begin with.

“I value you people,” the general said, then, considering for a moment, “I value you highly,” he corrected himself. “It will be young people like yourselves who open the way to the future in this frontier. It goes without saying that I need your strength. You people don’t know me. There is likely some misunderstanding here. However, if I were to offer a word of advice to you young people, it would be that even if you can’t accept the way things are at present, you should take the long view. The thick fog that hangs in the air now may have cleared come tomorrow.”

Haruhiro raised his face, and looked the general directly in the eye once more.

“Why don’t you be a little more direct? So we can understand.”

“I would ask that you put your trust in me.” The general smiled.

Unbelievably, it seemed full of benevolence, like the sort of smile a father might direct at his children.

“You’ll not be mistreated. I’m thinking of all of you when I say this. It would run against my wishes to see flowers nipped in the bud.”