Shinwa Densetsu no Eiyuu no Isekaitan - Volume 5 - Chapter SS3

A Message for My Brother

How many months had passed since Hiro had left Aletia, Artheus could not tell. After his brother’s departure, he had ceased to count the days.

“Are you well, I wonder?” he mused.

In a chamber that none but the emperor were permitted to enter, he stood alone. A few steps toward the window and he looked down over the rose garden, tended so carefully by the gardeners. These were the times when his heart wavered.

“The empire has grown too large for its own good, Schwartz. We attained more strength than we needed, and this is the result.”

That did not mean that he would turn his back on it. Many had given their lives to see this nation raised. He had hardened his heart and fought on as his loved ones died around him, and this was his prize.

“Of all the souls who gave me their loyalty on that day, I could count on one hand the number that remain.”

The first archpriestess was gone. Hiro was gone. His retainers had stepped down from the stage one by one. Yet despite it all, those whom Hiro had left in his service remained among his most steadfast subordinates.

“Even now that you are gone, you support me.”

Still, peace was a long way away. As a nation expanded, it ran into new quandaries. The fires of war swept across the continent time and again. With the Grantzian Empire bordering so many other nations, conflict never ceased.

“There truly are no limits to human greed. What possesses us to make these troubles for ourselves?”

The nation bowed to him now. There was nothing to stop him letting his ego swell if he was so inclined. But when all others left him and he was by himself, he was reminded anew that he was alone.

A voice issued from beyond the door. “Your Majesty, Lord Lacerta of the Kingdom of Eidechse requests an audience.”

Artheus swiveled and walked toward the door. “And how is he?” he asked as he passed into the corridor.

The nobleman bowed his head. He was a faithful retainer who had served Artheus since the Grantzian Empire had been only a kingdom. “Pointedly unruffled, Your Majesty. He seems to expect that he will face no consequences.”

“Then he underestimates me.”

“Naturally. Our strength is concentrated in the west at present.” The retainer’s voice dropped a notch, and a shadow came over his face. “And Lord Schwartz is...indisposed.”

To avoid unnecessary disruption, Artheus had avoided telling the people about Hiro’s departure, instead blaming his absence on an injury from which he needed time to recover. As time dragged on, however, rumors had naturally begun to spread that his death was being concealed. Now the lie had become a liability, spawning more and more doubts as to the empire’s integrity.

“So my brother is the lynchpin keeping my nation together.” Artheus chuckled. “I suppose I should be proud.”

The Grantzian Empire’s enemies had only grown more numerous after Hiro’s departure. That was one of the reasons its forces were currently heading west—the Kingdom of Eidechse was attacking Baum.

“Lord Schwartz is beloved by all, Your Majesty, both within the empire and without.”

He certainly possessed an uncanny charm, that much was true. Despite his soft features, he was a rock in times of crisis. At a word, men who were usually at loggerheads would band together to fight beneath his banner.

Artheus stopped. Silence fell over the hallway.

His retainer looked back, frowning. “Your Majesty? Is something amiss?”

Artheus gave no answer. He only gazed absently through the circular windows on the right-hand wall.

Schwartz... Or Hiro, I should say...

He had never tried to count how many days had passed since Hiro’s departure. The more he dwelled on the passage of time, the more despondent he became, and the more distant those golden years seemed to grow.

Someday, this world will call on you again.

That was a certainty. An inescapable fate.

I doubt I’ll still be here when that day comes. I won’t be able to save you when you need it most. But there is no need to fear.

His will would endure. He would make certain of it. He would leave behind strength enough to save his brother.

You are not alone, Hiro. My soul will walk with you, always.

He might very well be bound for a lonely end, but he would fight on even so—until his bones were dust.