ACT 1
It was early in the summer of Year 218 of the Imperial Era. The epic battle between the Steel Clan and the Flame Clan for total control over Yggdrasil had ended in a painful stalemate for both sides. The Steel Clan had conquered the Flame Clan’s capital of Blíkjanda-Böl and forced the Flame Clan force that had besieged the Holy Capital to retreat, so from a strategic point of view, it had won, but...
“Big Brother, you should rest...”
“Not just yet. Let me work a bit longer.”
Yuuto, the Steel Clan reginarch, had a tense expression upon his face.
It was true that, based on results alone, he had forced the Flame Clan Army to retreat, but when he had made the fateful decision to pursue them, he had fallen right into Nobunaga’s trap and had suffered his first defeat since he had become a patriarch. The fact that Yuuto had lost Skáviðr, a loyal general who had served him since his days as the Wolf Clan’s patriarch and who was also a man that had been one of his most dependable military advisers, was an enormous blow.
They were at war. He had come to terms with the possibility that he’d lose people, but he couldn’t have prepared himself for just how heavy the blow would be when he lost someone close to him. He couldn’t help but play the recent events back in his mind and think of what could have been had he made different decisions. At the very least, he needed to keep working to keep himself distracted.
“...I see.”
Having known him for so long, it seemed Felicia understood Yuuto’s frame of mind, and she asked no further questions. She turned her attention back to the stack of papers in front of her.
“Sorry. I know you’re tired.”
“Oh? To be alone with you is a reward for me, Big Brother.”
“...Thanks.”
Yuuto managed a smile and uttered a word of thanks.
The little act of kindness from Felicia to avoid being a burden upon him gave him a feeling of warmth that he needed in his current pain. It was times like this that Yuuto realized just how blessed he was to have the people surrounding him that he did. Yes, he had risen to the top of Yggdrasil’s hierarchy and become þjóðann, but he didn’t think for a moment that he had gotten to that rank on his own. Many people had helped him along the way.
He had been blessed with the assistance of people who had covered for his failings.
There had been those who had helped him when he was still weak and had no political power, struggling in a darkness of his own making, those who called him out when he was about to go down the wrong path, and those who had taken the hardest tasks upon themselves so he wouldn’t have to. Most importantly, more than one person had lost their lives protecting him.
It was thanks to those people that he had gotten to where he was now. He felt nothing but gratitude for them. He carried their hopes and dreams upon his shoulders. There were certain things he wanted to accomplish to repay them for all they had done. However, even if he put all of that aside, Yuuto’s own precious family was here in Yggdrasil, so he had no time to sit around and wallow in his misery. He had to protect them.
“You wish to conquer the East?!”
The announcement Yuuto made the next day caused a buzz among the assembled generals. It was understandable that they’d be surprised by this revelation. It had been just yesterday that they had managed to lift the two-month-long siege that the Flame Clan had laid upon Glaðsheimr, and what’s more, they had just barely survived their retreat after the field battle against the Flame Clan forces. Their troop numbers were in a bad way, and they were certainly in no condition to conduct a long campaign eastward.
“I understand your concerns. I know I’m asking for a lot, but this is our only opportunity to take the east,” Yuuto stated plainly.
“I see. Then, could you explain your reasoning?”
As though voicing the concerns of the others, Jörgen spoke up.
He was a frightening-looking man. He was bald and had sword scars crisscrossing his features, and—combined with his large physical size—he was a man with an aura that would make any rank-and-file soldier flee in terror. In contrast to his appearance, however, he was someone who paid attention to even the most minute of details and was well-liked by the generals.
It was also worth mentioning that he was a great man who was currently serving as the patriarch of the Wolf Clan, the largest of the Steel Clan’s member clans, and, last but not least, he was also the Assistant Second who served as third-in-command of the Steel Clan itself.
Yuuto responded to his query with a nod.
“I’m sure you realized it with the last battle, but the Flame Clan is a powerful enemy. They’re much stronger than any other opponent we’ve fought to date.”
In terms of individual fighting ability, Steinþórr was undoubtedly much stronger, and when it came to speed, the Panther Clan cavalry under Hveðrungr was superior.
As far as the morale of the soldiers under their command went, they were probably inferior to the berserkers who had fought under Fagrahvél and her rune Gjallarhorn.
When it came to overall strength, however, the Flame Clan under Oda Nobunaga reigned supreme.
“I’m honestly not sure if we can subdue the Flame Clan. Even if we could, I don’t know how long it would take to do so.”
The reason the Steel Clan had been able to so rapidly conquer its rivals was due to the knowledge Yuuto had brought with him and the fact that the clan had an overwhelming advantage in terms of both weaponry and tactics.
That said, after having actually fought against the Flame Clan head-on, Yuuto had to accept that both their level of training and the number of their troops were vastly superior to the Steel Clan’s own. It may have pained him to do so, but he had to nonetheless.
Yes, it was true that Yuuto had been born over four hundred years after Nobunaga, but the knowledge he had as a consequence was, in the end, just words on a page. Nobunaga, on the other hand, possessed hard-won wisdom that he had gained through decades of first-hand experience. The gap between the two was greater than Yuuto had expected, and it wasn’t something that he could fill in a short span of time.
Yuuto could hear several of the generals in the room swallowing nervously. All of them were well aware of just how strong this young man—who also happened to be the youngest person in the room—was on the battlefield. Yuuto’s skill as a tactician was such that they had no choice but to believe in the outrageous stories that he wasn’t human, but rather a servant of the gods.
They couldn’t help but shudder nervously at his admission of the enemy’s strength.
“If I maaaay... If you saaay the enemy is that strooong, then wouldn’t it be better for us to focus on strengthening ooour defenses against the Flaaame Clan, rather than spreaaad ourselves out too thiiin? It would be more sensible for us to hunker dooown for the time being, would it noooot?”
The one who raised her hand and spoke in her languid lilt was none other than Bára, one of the Maidens of the Waves of the Sword Clan. In sharp contrast to her laid-back demeanor, she was a highly-regarded strategist—one of the three most impressive in all of Yggdrasil.
“Your opinion is sound,” Yuuto stated, again nodding his head.
Yuuto himself understood that it was reckless to expend any more of the Steel Clan’s military strength to maintain a campaign in eastern Yggdrasil when they were already at war with a powerful enemy like the Flame Clan. If he didn’t know any better, Yuuto would have probably adopted Bára’s strategy.
“But we don’t have the time to work so leisurely.”
“You meaaaan the fact that Yggdrasil will soooon sink into the seaaaa, yes?”
“Exactly. The disaster is fast approaching, so we need to start sending our people out of Yggdrasil and to our new homeland. To do that, we need to take control over Jötunheimr and its ports as soon as possible, even if it means doing things that might be particularly risky in the process.”
As Yuuto explained his thinking, the room began to fill with the sound of murmured conversation.
They understood Yuuto’s reasoning. He had already revealed this fact to his trusted generals after the wedding ceremony with Rífa, but it was still such a ridiculous idea that only those from the Wolf Clan truly believed it. Those among them from the other clans, frankly, still had their doubts about his story.
It was fine if it were simply the mad ramblings of the þjóðann (well, it wasn’t technically fine), but it was another thing entirely to plan to move all of the land’s denizens without exception based on such ramblings.
Honestly, it would have been somewhat problematic if they didn’t have their doubts about the wisdom of those plans. They may have taken the Oath of the Chalice and become children of Yuuto, but they still found it difficult to accept the notion of abandoning the lands that they knew so well and participating in Yuuto’s mass migration along with their subjects.
Of course, Yuuto had already accounted for this. Well over six months ago, in fact.
“I’m sure that you all have your reservations regarding my plan, but I have no intention of bending on this matter. This...is a direct command from the þjóðann,” Yuuto declared with a tone that allowed no room for dissent of any sort.
If he had wanted to open a route to the European continent, then, geographically speaking, he should have just ignored Glaðsheimr and immediately focused his efforts toward conquering the eastern regions of Yggdrasil. The fact that he had gone out of his way to take Glaðsheimr and claimed the title of þjóðann wasn’t for Rífa’s sake. Of course, he did want to help her at the time, but as a patriarch, he couldn’t gamble his country for the sake of one woman. Yuuto had taken the title of þjóðann in order to obtain absolute authority, strengthen his power base, and in the worst case, force his children to listen to him.
“Well... If you’re going to go that far...”
“A direct command from the þjóðann, you say? Very well.”
“You need not resort to such measures. We’ve always been ready to march into fire or water on your orders, Father.”
Even the skeptical generals nodded their assent, just as he had expected. It was very likely they still harbored some measure of doubt in their hearts, but he didn’t care so long as they were willing to follow his orders.
“Forgive me. I know I’m asking quite a lot of you. I’m sincerely grateful for your loyalty. I’ve been blessed with wonderful children.”
Yuuto nodded magnanimously and made certain to show his appreciation to his generals.
On this matter, Yuuto was well aware that he was making unreasonable demands, and it was a delicate issue that could very well lead to rebellion if he misplayed his hand. People will never follow a leader who rules only through fear. If his sworn children abandoned him, then his plan would immediately fall to pieces.
That said, people would also never follow a leader who was too forgiving and showed no spine. Striking the right balance between being benevolent and being merciless was the key to the emigration plan’s success, and it was the most difficult problem that he faced when it came to executing the plan. The relief he had felt from the fact that he had somehow managed to strike that very balance today lasted but a moment.
“I understaaaand Your Majesty’s determination to conquer the East. But hooow specifically do you intend to hold baaaack the Flame Clan? Based on the most recent baaattle, they don’t seeeeem the sort to sit back and naaaap while we’re busy in the Eaaast.”
Bára made a sharp observation, one in great contrast to her languid tone. She was completely unconcerned by the fact that the mood throughout the room had lent itself toward enacting Yuuto’s plans to conquer the eastern regions. That was to be expected of one of the most cunning strategists in Yggdrasil, of course.
Even so, Yuuto was happy to deal with the question head-on. If there were holes in his plan, then he wanted Bára to help fill them.
“You’re right. But given that Rún has taken the Flame Clan’s breadbasket, their capital of Blíkjanda-Böl, they won’t be able to conduct large-scale operations due to food supply issues.”
In particular, they had just finished harvesting their winter wheat crop. Yuuto knew it would be difficult to maintain the Flame Clan’s large army without finding a new source of grain. Of course, there was the possibility that Oda Nobunaga, the eccentric genius that he was, would come up with some brilliant solution that Yuuto hadn’t considered, but even Nobunaga couldn’t produce food from nothing.
“The lack of food is certainly an issue, but so is having the enemy occupy their homeland. It’d be quite a blow to their morale. First things first, they’ll focus on taking back their clan capital.”
It’s said that what had finally stopped the conquests of Alexander the Great was not the presence of an external enemy, but his soldiers’ desire to return home.
Even though the Flame Clan’s soldiers were trained so well that it shocked someone like Yuuto—and no matter if their army was made up of elite soldiers that were extremely well-led—if their homeland was being occupied by the enemy, even they would be concerned with their homes and be too distracted to focus on their current campaign. Nobunaga wasn’t so foolish as to send his men out on a long campaign while leaving that issue burning in the backs of their minds.
“As a contingency measure, I’ll be leaving twenty thousand troops here in Glaðsheimr. Jörgen will be placed in overall command with Fagrahvél as his Second, while I’ll also leave you to serve as their tactical adviser.”
“I see. Those two should be moooore than enouuuugh. While my skills are limited, I’ll do my beeeest to protect the capital as well.”
Bára briefly blinked her eyes in thought, then, as though accepting Yuuto’s reasoning, made a show of bowing to him.
Jörgen, as the Assistant Second of the Steel Clan, was well-acquainted with the patriarchs of the other clans, and he was greatly respected by all of them. Fagrahvél had an ace in the hole in the form of her rune, Gjallarhorn, while Bára had excellent abilities as a strategist and could provide support for them in military planning.
Even if Nobunaga attacked while Yuuto wasn’t present, they wouldn’t be caught flat-footed by an army that had supply issues. From Yuuto’s perspective, it was a perfect defensive force.
“So, next I’d like to move on to the specifics of our campaign in the East... Kris, give us the rundown on Jötunheimr.”
With that, Yuuto turned to the girl standing to his left flank. She was a young and delicate girl who looked out of place among the grizzled veteran generals of the Steel Clan. Still, there was no doubt that she’d grow into a great beauty in about five years or so, and her eyes had a coolness and intelligence that belied her age. Her name was Kristina.
While she was indeed young, she was the legitimate head of the Vindálfs—also known as the Wind Fairies—the Steel Clan’s intelligence agency, and was also the brilliant young mind that served as Yuuto’s eyes and ears.
“Very well. Currently, Jötunheimr is ruled over by the Armor, Shield, Tiger, and Silk Clans.”
Kristina had her subordinate next to her spread out a large map, and she began pointing to each clan.
“Out of those, the western clans—that is, the Armor and Shield Clans—have indicated their wish to follow the imperial edict issued by His Majesty, and we have received messages to the effect that their patriarchs wish to come to the capital to pay their respects to His Majesty,” Kristina explained. “While they had initially decided to see how our battle with the Flame Clan would play out, no doubt they have finally realized that the winds favor the Steel Clan after observing that we had conquered the Flame Clan capital and forced the Flame Clan Army to retreat from the Holy Capital.”
Jörgen placed his hand over his mouth and let out an amused chuckle.
“It’s been a while, but she’s still got quite the mouth on her. The vixen.”
In Japan, there were sayings to the effect that the walls and doors had ears and that one couldn’t stop rumors from spreading. Given that the Armor and Shield Clans were joining hands with the Steel Clan, it was highly likely that Kristina’s words would reach the ears of members of those two clans. No doubt they’d be displeased to learn of Kristina’s insult. While the Armor and Shield Clans weren’t counted among the Ten Great Clans, they were still powerful, distinguished clans in their own right that were descended from key retainers at the founding of the Holy Ásgarðr Empire. There was a good chance that they’d be given positions of some merit within the Steel Clan, and Kristina wasn’t so foolish as to not understand that fact.
“But it’s true, isn’t it? Had they made their allegiances clear earlier, the most recent battle would have gone much more smoothly, after all.”
Despite that, she was casually making such blunt observations.
It wasn’t just Jörgen who found the observations gratifying. Several of those present also chuckled dryly. Kristina was saying the things that they, in their positions, couldn’t say.
“You were blessed to be born looking nothing like your father, but you completely ruin it with your acerbic wit. You’ll struggle to find a husband, I’d imagine.”
“Oh, but I’m quite certain it’s that ‘acerbic wit’ in particular that Father so values.”
At Jörgen’s pointed comment, Kristina quipped back without so much as batting an eye.
“Well, that’s quite true. Whether or not I’ll take you as a consort is another matter entirely, however,” Yuuto said as he nodded with a shrug of his shoulders.
Many of the reports that others brought in front of Yuuto tended to be full of flattery and devoid of details that were inconvenient to him, whether out of a desire to curry favor with him as the þjóðann and reginarch or out of a desire to protect their own careers or interests. However, as far as Yuuto was concerned, such efforts were unwanted and, if anything, actively harmful. This was due to one very important fact: if he made calculations based on the flawed information they would present him, the results would, obviously, be flawed as well. Contrary to the others, Kristina’s reports were always frank and got straight to the point.
“Oh? You won’t take me as your consort?”
“Even I don’t have the courage to take you as one of mine. Far too frightening.”
“Oh my! If you won’t have me, Father, what am I to do?”
“I’m sure you’ll manage.”
“How cruel! So you’ll do all you want to me and then toss me aside, is that right?”
“You’ll give people the wrong idea. I’m not a pedophile,” Yuuto protested.
“But it’s true that you have me do all sorts of things, isn’t it?”
“In terms of gathering information, yeah!”
“How awful! You made me break down crying two months ago!” Kristina blurted out, further adding to the misunderstandings.
“You’re the one that’s awful!”
“Okay, maybe we should end this little charade now...”
“You think? Sure.”
Yuuto couldn’t keep up with her ever-changing act and just slumped his shoulders, defeated.
Yuuto took back his previous sentiment. When she was teasing people, Kristina was very capable of using flowery language and telling white lies to further her own mischievous ends. Frighteningly so...
What made it worse was that her comments weren’t even technically lies. It would seem that with her older sister off working on naval matters, she’d made Yuuto the new target of her fun and games.
“Ahem. It’s fine that you two are close, but there are others present.”
Jörgen coughed and gestured with his gaze to the room around them.
Yuuto followed Jörgen’s gaze and found several people in the group staring blankly, as though they’d just witnessed something utterly unbelievable.
It was understandable, really. While those among them from the Wolf Clan had seen such scenes play out many times before, for those who hadn’t, they couldn’t see it as anything less than totally bizarre. After all, they were witnessing a child subordinate directing all sorts of lighthearted remarks toward their parent—and not just any parent either. Yuuto was a great hero who held the titles of both reginarch and þjóðann.
“You’re right. Sorry about that. I’ll make sure she learns her lesson,” Yuuto said, apologizing for the inappropriate spectacle that had just unfolded.
“Wai—Father! Ow! That really hurts!”
For now, Yuuto simply grabbed the back of Kristina’s head and squeezed.
While Yuuto no longer felt the need to treat every quip as a slight—and a potential threat to his authority as patriarch—certain limits and etiquette still needed to be respected. There were lines even the closest of his children weren’t allowed to cross in public. It set a bad example for the others, after all.
“Oh, not at all. I should be the one to apologize. This began as a result of my remark.”
“Indeed! The Assistant Second is just as guil—ooooowww!”
“...Let’s get back on topic. Kris, inform us of what you’ve learned about the East.”
After a few moments to allow for things to settle back down, Yuuto let go of Kristina.
“Hmph. Very well.”
Kristina made an exaggerated show of holding the back of her head, but at the end of the day, she was an Einherjar. In all likelihood, it probably didn’t hurt that much, but it seemed she read the mood in the room.
“In the eastern part of Jötunheimr, while the Tiger Clan was very civil, they politely rejected any requests for obedience or an audience,” Kristina stated. “The Silk Clan, however, outright rejected our edict, stating that ‘We have no intention of following the orders of a usurper.’”
The Ash Clan’s patriarch, Douglas, snorted derisively. “Oh? One can forgive the Tiger Clan, but the Silk Clan or whatever are rather pretentious for a mere Jötunheimr clan.”
The Steel Clan already held the Álfheimr and Bifröst regions as well as the northern half of the Ásgarðr region, and they would soon add the Armor, Shield, and Helm Clans to their ranks. Douglas was practically convinced that the Silk Clan was being led by fools who couldn’t truly appreciate the difference in scale between their two clans. After all, no ruler in their right mind would spit in the face of a clan as mighty as the Steel Clan.
“Douglas, it’s best not to underestimate them.”
“Oh? I find it difficult to believe they have the forces to oppose us.”
Upon hearing what Yuuto had to say on the matter, Douglas turned a curious gaze to him.
Looking upon the map, it was true that the Silk Clan’s territories were only about as large as the Sword Clan’s. Sure, it was impressive that they had realms comparable to the Sword Clan, known as one of the Ten Great Clans, but even the Sword Clan was just one clan among many.
The Steel Clan was able to beat back a simultaneous invasion from not only that very Sword Clan, but also the combined forces of six other clans in tandem. Even Yuuto couldn’t hold back a certain amount of anticlimactic disappointment at the size of the enemy. However—
“If wars were determined by the size of the clan’s territory, the Wolf Clan would have ceased to exist a long time ago.”
“...It is as you say, Father, but the Wolf Clan only survived because they had a remarkable individual like you as their patriarch.”
“There’s certainly a possibility that the Silk Clan has someone like that in their ranks themselves. After all, there are examples like the Flame Clan’s Oda Nobunaga and the Lightning Clan’s Steinþórr.”
“Y-Yes, that is very true, Father...” Douglas said, a groan escaping his lips.
“All I’m trying to say is that you shouldn’t let your guard down. As I learned from bitter experience the other day, you never know what’ll happen in war,” Yuuto said as he shrugged his shoulders and let slip a dry laugh.
Though Yuuto had largely intended the comment to serve as a warning to Douglas and the others present about not allowing themselves to become overconfident, it also served as a reminder to himself to not repeat past mistakes.
“At the very least, the Silk Clan has something that the other clans don’t. If you form your opinions based solely on what you see on the map, you’ll misread their strength.”
“They have something other clans don’t? Not even the Steel Clan?” Jörgen asked skeptically.
In Jörgen’s eyes, Yuuto’s knowledge was far beyond that of the norm in Yggdrasil. It seemed that he was finding it hard to grasp the concept that another clan, one that wasn’t even as technologically advanced as their own, would have something that the Steel Clan, led by someone like Yuuto, didn’t.
“That they do. It would seem, as their name suggests, that they know how to manufacture silk.”
“I see. Then we can’t underestimate them.”
Jörgen’s expression tensed.
Jörgen was a man who had a great wealth of experience in clan governance—initially as the Second of the Wolf Clan, and then as the Assistant Second of the Steel Clan. He knew well that silk was a luxury commodity that was traded at prices well above that of the glass that the Steel Clan had effectively monopolized. From there, it was quite easy for Jörgen to imagine just how much wealth that silk would be generating for the Silk Clan.
“Since it was a far-off clan that we have had no prior interaction with until now, even I don’t have a good grasp of their internal situation,” Kristina continued. “However, according to the spies I’ve sent there, their people are well-fed and appear to be rather healthy. Their standard of living is quite high, and their capital city is very prosperous. It seems safe to consider them an extremely wealthy clan.”
“Seems like they’re well-governed.” Jörgen crossed his arms and nodded.
“While their patriarch is still only seventeen years of age, it would appear that, based upon her reputation with her people, she’s quite the skilled leader.”
“What an interesting coincidence. She’s the same age as Father.”
“That’s not quite true. Since age is counted by the calendar year in Yggdrasil and starts at one, she’s actually two years younger than I am.”
“Either way, she’s quite young.” Jörgen furrowed his brow in thought.
Yggdrasil’s patriarch successors were generally not hereditary but were selected based on their skill. If she had managed to climb to the top at that age, having pushed aside all sorts of experienced and skilled veterans, then it must have meant that she was immensely talented. It certainly didn’t take someone with Jörgen’s knowledge and experience to understand that the Silk Clan’s patriarch wasn’t someone that should be dismissed.
“Her name is Utgarda. She became patriarch three years ago. She’s the daughter of the previous patriarch, Loki.”
“Ah, a hereditary ruler. While I won’t dismiss that as folly... What is she actually like?”
There were plenty of examples of rulers making their beloved children their successors despite their lack of ability, but this was a ruthless age where only the strong survived. In most cases, clans suffered under the rule of such hereditary patriarchs.
“As I mentioned earlier, she’s quite skilled. Since the succession was forced upon them, the Second at the time didn’t accept her ascension to the throne as patriarch, which resulted in a civil war that split the clan in two, but she quickly quelled the rebellion. Soon after, she decimated the Tiger Clan Army that had opportunistically invaded the Silk Clan.”
“Well... It would seem that she’s quite the tactician, then.”
“As far as her ability to govern goes, she made quick work of the bureaucrats who were engaging in corruption, as well as making her city more peaceful by setting harsher punishments for various crimes. Most people agreed that the country had become a better place to live under her reign.”
“Hmm... She sounds like quite the competent ruler. Can’t underestimate her despite her youth. Are there any bad rumors about her?” Jörgen asked as though in confirmation.
A commonly employed tactic was to exploit an enemy’s weakness before ultimately bringing them down. While he was known as an agreeable and calm man, as the patriarch of a clan, Jörgen had a more Machiavellian side.
“It seems she’s not well regarded by her children. She’s quite feared by them for her extreme stance of ‘liquidating’ anyone who she doesn’t like. In the Silk Clan, it’s considered to effectively be a death sentence to curry her displeasure.”
“I see. But that’s not really a weakness. Excess ruthlessness may be a problem, but a certain level of harshness is necessary for a patriarch.”
“That strikes a bit close to home.”
As he listened to Jörgen speak, Yuuto let out a dry laugh. After all, there was the matter earlier with Kristina. Yuuto was well aware that he was a bit too forgiving as a ruler. It was something he struggled with.
“Pardon? I don’t know anyone quite as frightening as you, Father,” Jörgen replied with a blank look of confusion.
“Indeed. You’re the one man I don’t want as my enemy.”
Botvid nodded intently in agreement.
“Yes. Even my Maidens of the Waves, who have faced down countless battles, say they felt their blood run cold when they first came face to face with you, Father,” Fagrahvél of the Sword Clan said, as though it had stirred a memory.
“I’ve sworn never to anger you, Father. There’s no creature in existence with enough lives to survive that,” Bruno, the head elder of the Wolf Clan, said with a tremor in voice, his features pale. The others in the room nodded along with him in agreement.
“Huh? You know you don’t need to flatter me, right? I keep telling you I don’t like that sort of thing.”
Yuuto shook his head and waved his hand dismissively.
It was a moment where he felt the isolation of being a ruler. No one would dare speak the truth to him. And yet, through all of that, Felicia gazed in at Yuuto’s pouty expression and chuckled.
“What is it?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. You haven’t changed despite becoming þjóðann, Big Brother.”
Yuuto couldn’t grasp what she meant and merely blinked in confusion.
“Well, damn, things are certainly getting complicated.”
The Tiger Clan patriarch, Menglød, let out a bitter sigh as he looked down upon the army spread out below him.
Menglød was thirty-seven years old. It had been three years since he’d ascended to the throne as the Tiger Clan’s patriarch. While he had dealt with some minor issues during that time, he had been able to govern his clan without any major issues, but recent events had left the fate of his clan somewhat murky.
Two weeks earlier, the Silk Clan had suddenly invaded the Tiger Clan’s territory.
“Tch! Where the hell had she been hiding this many soldiers?” Menglød murmured as he furrowed his brow.
Against a giant invading army numbering over twenty thousand, the fortresses on the Silk-Tiger Clan border had fallen quickly. The Silk Clan Army had now surrounded the Tiger Clan capital of Gastropnir, and the outlook for Menglød and the Tiger Clan was, to put it mildly, grim.
“Father! We should move out and fight them head-on!”
“I agree! Let’s wipe them out and show them the true strength of the Tiger Clan!”
The two retainers had gotten themselves riled up and were insisting he take action—their emotions clear as day thanks to the aggressive glint he could spy in their eyes. In their youth, they certainly had the privilege of being able to act recklessly, but...
“Enough of that. First of all, take a good look at the difference in our numbers,” Menglød pointed out in an effort to talk them down as he let slip a dry chuckle.
The remaining Tiger Clan forces stationed in and around the capital of Gastropnir numbered roughly five thousand. This amounted to a mere quarter of the number that their enemy could field. Trying to take on a force four times their size would do nothing more than make those warriors into martyrs.
“You’re the one who’s always said that wars aren’t decided by numbers, Father!”
Struggling for an answer after the men’s critique, Menglød scratched at his head for a moment.
“Well... About that...”
Certainly, he recalled saying that a lot.
He had done so because he wanted his men to face off against their enemies without cowering and to have the strength to never give up even when the odds were against them. It wasn’t just for that reason, though. It was also to avoid having them grow overconfident when they had the advantage of superior numbers.
“It’s always a matter of time and circumstances. Against that venomous snake, we’re not gonna be able to overcome a gap in numbers as large as this.”
“They took our last patriarch’s life, what’s there to be so afraid of?! Aren’t you angry that you have to turn tail and run against a woman?!”
“Of course I’m angry! Feelings alone don’t win wars, though!”
“We won’t know until we try!”
“We already do! You’d know for yourself if you’d taken part in the battle three years ago...”
When the Tiger Clan had invaded the Silk Clan in an attempt to take advantage of the civil war that had been unfolding within their lands, Menglød had been part of that invasion force and had seen for himself just how mighty a force the Silk Clan patriarch, Utgarda, was on the battlefield.
The Tiger Clan had attacked with superior numbers against an opponent whose forces were very much depleted by the effects of their recent civil war. It should have been a winnable fight.
Despite everything being in their favor, the result was a disaster. The Tiger Clan had fallen for the enemy’s numerous surprise tactics, and they had lost Menglød’s beloved Father, the previous patriarch, and the Second who had been tapped to become the next patriarch. The Tiger Clan forces could do little more than crawl home, merely the tattered remnants of a once-large army. It was the most bitter ordeal that Menglød had experienced in his life so far.
“The only real option we have at the moment is to hole up and defend. There shouldn’t be anything to worry about. Even that snake doesn’t have a force powerful enough to conquer Gastropnir.”
Menglød quirked his lips up into a confident smile.
The Tiger Clan capital of Gastropnir had a long history, predating the rise of the Holy Ásgarðr Empire, and its walls had been steadily reinforced over the generations.
While the scale of the city proper could barely hold a candle to Glaðsheimr, its walls—both in terms of their height and thickness—easily rivaled, and possibly even surpassed, the walls that enveloped the Holy Capital. It was highly unlikely that even an army twenty-thousand strong led by the cunning Utgarda would be able to breach its defenses.
“Even so, with pretty much no chance of reinforcements showing up, wouldn’t holing up inside the city merely be delaying the inevitable?”
In general, hunkering down like that was done with the expectation of eventually being relieved by reinforcements. Of course, there were examples of the enemy having no way to breach the defenses, which would result in them giving up and retreating, but they couldn’t rely upon that outcome this time around.
The Silk Clan had enough food to feed even the lowliest members of their clan. That meant they could maintain a siege for a year or two if they so desired. No matter how one looked at it, it was obvious that the Tiger Clan would be the one forced to surrender from a lack of supplies.
“In that case, isn’t it better to charge out there and cling to the slight chance that we can pull off a miracle?”
“We’ve got a chance though. A chance of being reinforced, that is.”
At Menglød’s answer, his bodyguard let out a surprised, “Huh?” in response.
He was likely having trouble thinking of who the reinforcements that Menglød referred to could possibly be. After all, the Tiger Clan currently had no allied clans with whom they’d exchanged the Oath of the Chalice.
“We’re gonna rely on His Majesty the þjóðann,” Menglød said and winked.
It was a heartening gesture when done by this man who looked very much the part of the patriarch of the Tiger Clan.
“Do you think he’ll send help in a timely enough manner...?” the bodyguard asked and skeptically furrowed his brow.
His reaction was understandable. After all, the Tiger Clan had essentially had no interaction with the Steel Clan. They had also politely but firmly rejected the demand for the Tiger Clan to come to pay tribute to it. No doubt the bodyguard was wondering just how Menglød was planning to ask for that help.
“He’ll come,” Menglød said with total certainty.
The edict that he had received had banned conflicts between the various clans. It further went on to say that those who disobeyed that edict would be harshly punished by the empire.
And what, precisely, was currently unfolding right in front of them?
“If he won’t follow through on something he’s declared so publicly, his authority as þjóðann will take a pretty hard hit. He has no choice but to come to our aid. I’ve already dispatched a messenger to inform them. Waiting for those reinforcements is our best shot of getting out of this mess.”
“Ah! What a great plan, Father! So you’ve already taken steps.”
“’Course I did.”
Menglød let out a confident snort.
By any measure, Menglød’s judgment was sound, and he had acted quickly. This made for a good showcase of his skills as a patriarch. However—
“Father! They’ve broken through the gate! Enemy troops are pouring in!”
“What?!”
As one of his child subordinates dashed in to make their report, Menglød’s eyes widened in shock.
This was impossible. As previously mentioned, Gastropnir’s defenses were among the toughest in Yggdrasil. It shouldn’t have been possible for an enemy to break through them in the space of a single day.
“How in the blazes did that happen?!”
“Uncle Þjazi—No, that bastard Þjazi betrayed us and let the enemy in!”
“Wha...?!”
Menglød had finally been struck dumb with shock.
Þjazi served as the clan’s Leader of Subordinates and was one of the most important members of the Tiger Clan. He was a dear comrade who had taken the chalice with the clan’s previous patriarch at about the same time as Menglød. They had shared the highs and lows of those years, trusting one another implicitly on the battlefield.
Menglød simply couldn’t believe it. He didn’t want to believe it, in fact, but...
“Ahhhh!”
“Guh!”
“Eeeep!”
As he heard the wave of shouts and cries echoing from the gates, Menglød had to accept the reality of what was currently unfolding around him. The Tiger Clan’s soldiers were all caught completely off guard by the sudden flood of enemy soldiers. They were in total disarray. The situation was extremely grim.
“Dammit. We’ll head to the gate. The only real plan of action we have is to push them back and close...”
Just as Menglød was about to climb down from the watchtower, he noticed the silhouette blocking the exit. The face of the person standing there was one he knew very well.
“Tsk tsk. Not so fast, Big Bro.”
It all made sense now. Þjazi would have known he was here.
“Hah. There’s no point in trying to resist. Even you won’t be able to win against a force this large.”
jazi’s expression quickly shifted into a malicious smile. Behind him stood a hundred grizzled veterans.
“Looks like it... But I can still kill you, at least.”
With that comment, Menglød drew the sword on his hip and slashed at Þjazi. Menglød was an Einherjar who was reputed to be the greatest warrior in the Tiger Clan. He struck out with a lightning-quick slash.
“Heh.”
However, Þjazi was a warrior who matched him in strength. He was able to respond to Menglød’s attack in kind. Their swords clashed, and...
“Wha?!”
Menglød was the one who let out a shocked cry, and with good cause. The beloved sword that he had trusted his life to had snapped in half from a single blow.
“Looks like I win.”
“Grr!”
With Þjazi’s blade held right against his throat, Menglød clenched his teeth. However, he was less concerned with the fact that he had lost. Rather, he was fixated solely on the thing that had just caught his attention.
“That shimmer...”
“Yes, it’s steel. The Silk Clan has discovered the secrets of iron smelting.”
jazi smirked.
A quick glance around told Menglød that the men behind Þjazi were all armed with the same weaponry. The star-metal that came from meteors was an extremely rare and valuable material. It was difficult to believe, but it wouldn’t have been possible to gather enough material to arm this many soldiers with weapons like those if they didn’t have a way to make iron, as Þjazi had said.
With the Silk Clan’s men being fully outfitted with steel weapons, it was only a matter of time before the clan capital fell. The quality of their weaponry was simply far too impressive by comparison.
“The Tiger Clan never had a chance to start with.”
“Hrmph, so you betrayed your clan and got in with the winning side, eh? You’re a coward and a traitor!”
Menglød spat at Þjazi. He effortlessly avoided it and smiled triumphantly.
“All the better than to be slaughtered during some futile attempt at resistance. Heh, rest easy. I’ll protect the Tiger Clan as its patriarch once you’re gone, with Utgarda by my side.”
“Letting that snake of a woman seduce you into breaking your oath... You’ve fallen as far as you can fall.”
“Hah! Say whatever you want. I never wanted to take your chalice to begin with.”
jazi spat on the ground.
Menglød and Þjazi were of the same age and were rivals of equal skill. When the previous patriarch had died in battle, Menglød had been chosen to succeed him, but many pushed for Þjazi to instead bear that torch. The gap between the two in terms of support had been small. Þjazi himself had probably never come to terms with it. It had likely been eating away at him all this time.
The Silk Clan’s Utgarda had recognized Þjazi’s ambition and had used sweet words to take advantage of him.
“Frightening bitch, that one...” Menglød said with a sigh and gazed up at the sky.
Even the toughest fortification was brittle if undermined from within. It was easy enough to understand how it had happened, but what had truly shocked Menglød to his core was that a girl who was still in her teens had been the one to pull it off. It took less than two hours after Menglød’s defeat for Silk Clan banners to go up all around Gastropnir.
“Ah, there you are. It’s thanks to you that I’m able to sit on this throne. I appreciate it.”
jazi lounged on the throne and welcomed the girl into the palace. He carried himself as though he was now the rightful patriarch of the Tiger Clan. His expression was filled with confidence and the satisfaction of accomplishing a long-cherished goal.
This was probably the best day of Þjazi’s life.
“We see. Glad to hear it.”
In stark contrast, the girl spoke with little emotion noticeable in her voice at all.
jazi felt something was off with the girl’s attitude, but he’d heard that women had a time of the month when they were moody. He figured it was something to do with that and didn’t give it much further thought. He had more pressing things on his mind at the moment, after all.
“So, when’s the wedding?” Þjazi asked directly.
This was the secret agreement that Þjazi had entered into with the girl—with Utgarda.
Many of the people of the Tiger Clan would no doubt brand him a traitor who’d sold out the clan to their enemy, but from Þjazi’s point of view, he was a true patriot who was willing to take on the dishonorable title of traitor to protect the Tiger Clan.
Just as this recent war had shown, the Silk Clan was substantially more powerful than the Tiger Clan. Even if Þjazi hadn’t betrayed the Tiger Clan, it would have only been a matter of time before the clan had been destroyed. Þjazi had been the one who’d kept that from happening.
Though the Tiger Clan would temporarily be a vassal of the Silk Clan, it would also be the clan of its patriarch’s husband. They wouldn’t treat the Tiger Clan too poorly.
Even if Utgarda was skilled in both political and military strategy, she was still a sheltered seventeen-year-old girl. Þjazi could use the techniques that he’d gained through his countless dalliances over the years to make her a slave to him and eventually grasp power for himself.
There was more to leading than just fighting. He would be known as the savior of the Tiger Clan—
“Wedding? What are you talking about?”
“...What?” Þjazi asked with a tremor in his voice.
Utgarda’s cold tone completely pulled Þjazi out of his self-indulgent thoughts and back to reality. The worst-case scenario had begun playing out in his head.
“H-Hey... Hey now! That was the promise, wasn’t it?”
“We don’t recall making such a promise.”
“D-Don’t be ridiculous! We...”
“It seems that you jumped to conclusions. We only said that We would consider it. That it could be a solution to keep your people’s rebellion to a minimum,” Utgarda said casually while fanning herself with peacock feathers.
jazi felt the blood rush to his face in anger.
“Y-You bitch! Did you lie to me?!”
“How rude. You were the one who presumed to know Our intentions.”
“Grrr...”
“Besides, what value do you have for Us now? Even if we two ruled jointly, who among your people would follow a traitor? As for Us and the people of the Silk Clan, how can you—a man who betrayed his chalice oath—possibly be trusted? We see no value in a man whom We cannot trust. Given that you have no tangible value, why should We marry you at this point?”
Utgarda made her disdain clear as she let out a grim chuckle. It was at this late moment that Þjazi finally realized that he’d simply been dancing to her tune. He was little more than some cheap puppet. The gazes she’d directed at him as though she was interested in him, her attitude, even her words that implied she saw something in him, were all lies to get him to move as she intended.
jazi felt a chill as the blood drained from his face before he felt a flash of white-hot anger bubble up from within him like a lava flow.
“D...D...Daaaaammit!”
With a mad roar, Þjazi drew the sword on his hip and lunged at Utgarda. It was an impressive display of speed that reflected his power as an Einherjar, but—
Clang!
One of Utgarda’s retainers stepped in to protect her and blocked Þjazi’s sword with his own. It was a move worthy of a patriarch’s retainer. That single exchange was enough for Þjazi to realize that his opponent was quite skilled. His instincts as a warrior were telling him as much. Then, just as Þjazi turned to face the skilled opponent...
“Guh?!”
Seeking to take advantage of the opening, Utgarda swiftly stepped into Þjazi’s range and struck her elbow into his solar plexus. The pain of the strike left him winded, and Þjazi quickly collapsed to his knees. It was a blow of such force that he couldn’t believe it had come from the girl.
Utgarda immediately issued orders to the soldiers behind her.
“Arrest them all.”
jazi’s force was completely outnumbered. As Silk Clan soldiers filed into the room, his men were immediately subdued.
“Urk.”
jazi himself was also pinned to the ground by three soldiers. Utgarda gazed arrogantly down at him and spoke.
“Rejoice. We are a just and merciful ruler. Typically, drawing your sword upon Us would be considered a sacrilegious act worthy of being executed ten times over. Your countless acts of disrespect toward Us cannot be ignored either. However, in light of your valuable contributions to our conquest of Gastropnir, We shall make an exception and let you live.”
In contrast to her words, Utgarda’s lips had quirked up in a cruel smirk, and her voice was filled with malice. Þjazi felt a shudder run up his spine as he imagined the worst. However, it was soon revealed that even his most morbid considerations hadn’t accounted for Utgarda’s cruelty.
“Gather the people of Gastropnir in the square. We shall conduct a public execution of the Tiger Clan leadership.”
“Wha?!”
The color drained from Þjazi’s face.
“That’s not what we agreed to! You promised that you’d show mercy if we swore fealty to the Silk Clan!”
“We had already come to this realization, but you really are a fool. Don’t make Us repeat ourselves. How can We place Our trust in those who swear fealty to two lords? Such loyalty is but a facade.”
“Ngh... No...”
jazi had been fooled on every front. Out of sheer frustration, Þjazi began to weep as he let out grunts of pain.
jazi had sworn, as a man, that he’d never let anyone see him cry, but despite that principle, the situation he was in had become so dire that he couldn’t hold back his tears. Upon seeing him weep, Utgarda’s lips twisted from a smirk into a malicious grin.
“Hah! Wonderful! That’s the expression We wanted to see on your face! The sight of a confident man who was so certain of his strength bemoaning his lack of power and, finally, bursting out sobbing in public... There’s nothing quite so entertaining! Truly brilliant!”
Utgarda cackled in heartfelt amusement.
jazi felt nothing but shame. He had been fooled by this woman’s beauty and sweet words, and in doing so, had let the Silk Clan into the city. As a result, he had become the direct cause for the downfall of his clan and the deaths of his sworn siblings and children. Regret flooded like a torrent into his heart.
“Y-You can do anything you want to me! I’ll take any torture you dish out! So please... Please don’t kill them!”
He couldn’t stop himself from senselessly shouting out to her—pleading with her to stop. If he could save the lives of his sworn siblings and children, he didn’t care what happened to him. He would willingly take any punishment if it meant he could protect them.
“My, such an admirable sentiment.”
Utgarda nodded as though impressed by Þjazi’s plea.
“Th-Then...”
“That cannot be done, however. They all must die. We must teach the people of the Tiger Clan that they have new rulers, and We must show them the cost of disobedience.”
She showed not a trace of pity as she voiced her rejection.
“Please... No!”
jazi knew it had been in vain. He knew what sort of woman Utgarda was, but he still had to cling to the possibility of her granting them some form of mercy. In the end, though, his hopes had been dashed. Utgarda was reveling in his despair.
jazi bit through his lip in anger and tasted the iron tang of blood.
“Ah, though that may be the case, We shall honor your sentiment by allowing you to watch the proceedings. We shall even grant you a place at the front. Such a lovely gift, is it not?”
Utgarda looked down upon Þjazi with a thoroughly wicked smirk as she delivered that coup de grâce. Þjazi shuddered at the sight of the demonic woman staring down at him. No, not even a demon would be this cruel. He would be forced to watch as the sworn siblings and children he had grown up with stared at him with hatred in the face of their impending deaths. Just imagining the scene was enough to drive him mad.
jazi could do nothing to change what was about to happen, however. This woman would force him to witness the executions for no reason other than to grant herself some form of sadistic gratification. Þjazi was about to be thrust into a hell that was far worse than death.
“Heheh, did you see it? The haggard look on Þjazi’s face! Even his tears had run dry! Did you hear him? The screams each time his comrades were put to the sword?! Simply wonderful!”
On Gastropnir’s throne, Utgarda broke into manic laughter, pattering her arms and legs in amusement. She looked much like an innocent child delighting in something pleasant, but her words were malignant in the extreme.
“My, what fun that was! It has been quite a while since We’ve laughed so much!”
Wiping away the tears in her eyes, Utgarda finally calmed herself down and took a breath. She immediately burst out into laughter again, however, as though triggered by a memory. It seemed that the “show” had been to her liking. She continued to laugh, thoroughly basking in the afterglow.
The people of the Silk Clan all considered her a tyrant. But she wasn’t just a tyrant. She was an extremely skilled tyrant.
First of all, she was extremely strong. While she herself was a nearly peerless warrior, she was also an enormously gifted tactician, and because of her twisted personality, she was extraordinarily skilled at setting traps and schemes that caught her opponents by surprise. In the civil war and during the Tiger Clan invasion that had followed, she had easily overcome overwhelming odds, and now she had easily accomplished the conquest of the Tiger Clan.
To describe her using a single word, she was invincible. Completely overwhelming. That impression had been thoroughly ingrained in the minds of the Silk Clan’s people. No one dared oppose her. They couldn’t. Even criticizing her was out of the question.
Despite that, the clan didn’t merely survive but thrived. In the last three years, she had liquidated everyone who had opposed her, but the result had been a massive decrease in corruption within the clan. Not only had the corrupt bureaucrats been slain, but the remaining bureaucrats also dared not engage in corruption out of fear of the consequences.
Furthermore, the fear that she inspired in her subjects had made the people of the Silk Clan dedicated and studious and had massively improved the peace and productivity of the clan. Her tantrums had made the clan’s artisans desperate for her approval and had resulted in several major breakthroughs. She had simply acted according to her whims, but the result had brought prosperity to the clan.
Such was the reality of the unreasonable woman that was Utgarda, Þrymr of the Silk Clan.
“We are in a very good mood. We shall provide the soldiers with a reward. We shall permit them to spend the next three days looting and pillaging Gastropnir. Let them have their fill.”
Utgarda sat back magnanimously on the throne and issued the order to her subordinate. She basked in the sheer generosity she was bestowing upon her subjects as their ruler. Surely there were few rulers quite so generous.
“Heheh. Our next prey shall be the þjóðann, Suoh-Yuuto.”
Utgarda smiled like a snake and licked her lips.
Considering the contents of the imperial edict, the conquest of the Tiger Clan would invite retribution from the þjóðann.
Suoh-Yuuto was a man who had taken control of a minor clan in Bifröst and had quickly ascended through the ranks to finally become þjóðann of the whole of Yggdrasil in the blink of an eye. No doubt he was a strong man with the intense aura of a conqueror.
To bring down such a man, to force him to his knees in front of her and see his face crumple in despair... Why, just thinking about it sent a bolt of pleasure through Utgarda’s body. She basked in the warmth of that sweet tingle, her expression one of utter fulfillment. She let slip a sigh of pleasure.
“We are looking forward to it immensely...”
Mímir. It was the city that had once been the capital of the Spear Clan. It was now serving as the frontline base for the Flame Clan’s campaign against the Holy Capital. Having been the home city of Hárbarth, the High Priest and effective ruler of the Holy Ásgarðr Empire, it was a prosperous city that was among the five greatest in Yggdrasil.
In the palace that loomed in the center of Mímir, a black-haired, black-eyed man—an extremely rare sight in Yggdrasil—sat in thought as he lounged on the throne. The numerous scars carved into his body were a silent testament to the countless battles he had seen and survived in his lifetime. This man was none other than Oda Nobunaga.
He was a decorated hero of historical legend, the man who had started the effort to bring an end to the hundred years of civil war that was Japan’s Warring States Period and who had supposedly fallen at the hands of a treacherous retainer when his goal of unifying the country was finally within reach. He was also the man who, after arriving in Yggdrasil through some twist of fate, had taken control of the Flame Clan, and had chosen to continue his quest to conquer the known world.
“So, what to do...”
“With all respect, Great Lord. Our current situation is hardly one we could describe as advantageous.”
“In...deed.”
Nobunaga nodded his agreement at the words of his Second, Ran.
While it was true that, when viewed solely from the results achieved on the battlefield, he had defeated the pursuing Steel Clan Army with his Flame Clan forces and had forced them into a desperate retreat, that had only been a tactical victory.
In the end, he hadn’t been able to conquer the all-important Holy Capital, and worse, he had lost a key piece in his supply chain—his clan’s capital, Blíkjanda-Böl—forcing him to retreat to Mímir. Anyone could see that it had ended in a strategic defeat for the Flame Clan.
“News of our retreat from the Holy Capital and the loss of Blíkjanda-Böl will spread quickly to the clans of Ásgarðr. The Steel Clan will likely proclaim it at the top of their lungs as well.”
“Yes. It’s probably safe to say that the clans that had been watching to see which way the balance would shift will side with the Steel Clan.”
“Yes. In which case we’ll be surrounded by the Steel Clan to the north, the Helm Clan to the west, and the Shield and Armor Clans to the east. We’ve also lost our key supply center—our clan capital—to the south. We are quite literally surrounded on all sides! Hah!”
Nobunaga laughed off the desperate situation that he found himself in. To him, this was nothing new. He had already experienced being surrounded by an alliance of his enemies twice before. In both cases, he’d crushed both encirclements. It wasn’t a particularly big problem. In fact—
“I should be old enough to know better, but I find all this so very exciting.”
Nobunaga bared his fangs and emitted a fighting aura from his body. This aura was so intense that even Ran, who had served him for years and was used to his presence, found it intimidating.
“Our first objective is to retake Blíkjanda-Böl. Shiba!”
“M’lord?”
Upon hearing Nobunaga’s thunderous summons, a man stepped forward from the gathered generals. The man appeared to be in his mid-thirties, well-built, and bore a head of faded ashen hair.
Typically, even the greatest of warriors would tense anxiously in Nobunaga’s presence, but this man appeared unaffected and had an air and aura completely different from the others.
His name was Shiba. He was a great man who was considered to be the most capable general in the great Flame Clan.
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