Chapter 69 - The Guardian

Once the negotiations were over, the two armies exchanged prisoners. Shan had captured several times as many of the duke's soldiers, but those were all ordinary infantrymen, whereas the prisoners on his side were squires—prospective knights—and thus worth more per person. They agreed that Duke Morayen would pay a modest ransom to make up the difference. He might have abandoned mere conscripts, but these were all veterans who had followed him from Libert. Every man mattered to him, which gave Shan's side an advantage in the negotiations.

"Biko!"

"Tavera!"

Reunited, the two boys embraced with tears in their eyes.

Their very different backgrounds—an Altoan from the capital and a son of a knightly house in Pales—had originally left them somewhat distant, but this battle had forged a deep bond between them. Such was the bond between comrades who had risked their lives together. Their joyful reunion was brief, however. Catching sight of Shan, Tavera lowered his head, his expression darkening.

"I have no excuse, Sir Shan."

"You're alive. That's what matters. I'd have been sad if you'd died. Your leg doesn't look good. How is it?"

"Yes, sir. My shin was broken, but one of their priests treated it."

"Have our priests look at it again. They've studied medicine as well, so they're skilled at setting bones. In any case, welcome back."

When Shan patted his shoulder in encouragement, Tavera could no longer hold back his tears. He was overwhelmed by the thought that this knight, so close to his own age yet already mightier and greater than anyone in the world, was his lord—and that such a man cared for him.

"Until we meet again, most beautiful of knights!"

While Shan was reuniting with his squire, the duke bade him farewell and led his army away to the south. He would begin with the nearby small towns, gradually expanding his power toward Zerkan. All Shan's side needed to do was leave before then.

Watching the duke's army disappear beyond the horizon, stained red by the sunset, Shan thrust a clenched fist into the air and shouted.

"The fighting is over! We've won!"

Every soldier on the walls cheered. Their first experience of war against fellow humans had subjected them to such tremendous stress that the realization they could now escape it brought equally tremendous joy. Humans were creatures who could find happiness simply in being spared the pain and misery awaiting them.

"We won! We actually won!"

"Fuck, I really thought I was going to die..."

"We can finally go home!"

While everyone celebrated, Shan spoke with Roden. He wanted a fuller explanation of what they had communicated through glances earlier.

"Will the princess be pleased with this agreement?"

"Well, continuing that fight certainly wouldn't have done us any good. I doubt she'll dislike it."

Roden explained various political implications Shan had not considered, including the pressure Conrad would face once the duke established a foothold in northwestern Pendia.

"But that doesn't mean we can relax. Conrad took him in, even if it was to use him in the war, and he betrayed him without a moment's hesitation. If he thinks we've grown weak, he could go straight for Pales."

"I'll have to tell the princess."

"Well, don't you think she already knows?"

That did seem likely. No one distrusted people more than she did. Even months after that conversation, she was still keeping her spider magic a closely guarded secret.

Roden then suggested sending scouts, in case the duke intended to deceive them and launch a surprise attack. Shan agreed and assigned two knights to accompany the scouts. A main force numbering in the hundreds was one thing, but small groups ran a much greater risk of being attacked by monsters.

Once matters were reasonably settled, Shan went to visit Orum, the head of the Society, whose health had suffered during the hurried replacement of the magic stone in the siege. The old man was recuperating in bed in a hastily requisitioned house.

"Are you feeling any better, Your Excellency?"

"I... cannot stand by and watch Pendia's greatest intellect vanish... If only I could attain the wisdom of immortality..."

His eyes were somewhat unfocused and he was talking nonsense, but judging by how freely the words flowed, he did not seem too badly off. Ravana's daughter, Kiri, was looking after him.

That night, apart from a few soldiers taking shifts guarding the walls, everyone slept like the dead in nearby houses or the quarters in the wall towers.

The scouts who had followed Duke Morayen's army did not return until the following afternoon. They reported that the duke's force was now far enough away that it could not easily catch up with them.

Shan remained in Zerkan for another three days or so, as the soldiers badly wounded in battle had not yet recovered enough to march. Fortunately, thanks to the priests' constant care, most could walk reasonably well by around the third day. A few were still in poor condition, but there were few enough to transport in carriages or wagons. The head of the Society had also improved considerably. Walking was still difficult for him, but he could manage a carriage journey.

Even when Shan and his army finally left the city, Zerkan's walls still reeked of blood dried black and rotting entrails.

* * *

Fortunately, the return journey to Pales was fairly peaceful. The mere presence of nearly five hundred armed troops kept monsters at bay, and an occasional heavily laden wagon creaking to a halt with a broken wheel could be taken as an amusing commotion.

One particularly welcome benefit was the steady supply of fresh meat and vegetables made possible by the magical devices they had brought from Pales. As they cooked meals with ingredients preserved in the cold-emitting devices, Roden insisted that they needed enough of them to store food for every soldier in the future.

"I've always known it, but nothing matters more than eating well and enjoying your food. The side with full bellies wins the fight."

Since good food alone visibly raised the soldiers' morale, he argued that this should take priority over mass-producing combat devices of no great effectiveness. Shan liked good food, but could fight perfectly well on hastily thrown-together meals, so he did not quite understand. Still, Roden was probably right about this sort of thing.

And so, after ten days and another four—nearly twice as long as the outward journey—the slow-moving army finally reached the Tessel River on the border of Pales. Sir Norman, the elderly knight guarding the fortress, welcomed them.

"You've endured much in foreign lands, Sir Shan! Though you've returned considerably sooner than the schedule I was given."

"Yes. Things just worked out that way. Has it been a little over a month?"

"It feels as though you left in the depths of winter, yet spring is already upon us."

Had they besieged several cities as originally planned, the expedition would have taken at least two or three months. They had brought ample provisions with that in mind. But the swift fall of their first target, Zerkan, had frightened the other cities into opening their gates one after another, allowing them to return far sooner than expected. Duke Morayen had briefly delayed them along the way, but that had hardly been a major setback.

After hearing a rough account of their adventures, Sir Norman gaped in astonishment. From climbing down a cliff to capture a lord to nearly taking the enemy commander in a cavalry charge with only a few dozen riders, every part of the tale strained belief.

"It's all true. Not a word of exaggeration."

"Exactly. From now on, I'm calling Sir Shan the Knight of Thunder, the Goddess's Wrath!"

With knights he knew well, who had grown up in the same domain, telling him this with such excited faces, Norman could hardly disbelieve them. The knights who had joined the expedition were so enthralled by the idea that they had taken part in a scene from legend that they could not tolerate anyone belittling Shan's achievements. That would make their own part in those deeds insignificant too. Without intending to, Shan had acquired followers.

As the returning expedition members regaled the fortress's occupants with tales of their exploits, proof appeared at the rear of the column: dozens of wagons and carriages, every one laden with enormous quantities of supplies.

"Good heavens, is all that...?"

"Yes. The proceeds of our expedition."

There were a dozen or more magic stones, strategic supplies including vast quantities of iron ingots and small amounts of rare metals, as well as gold, silver, jewels, and spices. Pales was effectively self-sufficient in every resource except magic stones, but the more resources brought in from outside, the better—especially now, with trade restricted and a time of heavy expenditure ahead.

There was so much cargo that, even using every boat along the riverbank, it took nearly half a day to get everyone into Pales. Some soldiers must have sorely missed the homeland to which they had finally returned, for they wept and kissed the ground.

"Home at last!"

"I swear I never want to leave again..."

Marching along the main road from the port to the city of Pales, the army soon encountered a welcoming crowd. Sherin must have made arrangements in advance. Young women scattered flowers on every side while crowds waved to welcome the returning troops.

"Well done, all of you!"

"Thank you, brave warriors!"

"You're the pride of Pales!"

Planted cheerleaders shouted the lines they had been coached to deliver at the approaching soldiers. The welcome dispelled the shadows of the battlefield lingering in their hearts and filled them with pride. Such gestures might seem trivial, but each could sometimes accomplish more than any material reward. It was the sort of thing Sherin, with her skill at handling people's emotions, would think of.

At the end of the road, amid the boisterous welcome, Shan dismounted from Arwin and knelt on one knee. Sherin stood there with Count Pales and the domain's leading figures.

"Shan Barendil has returned after subduing the rebels, in accordance with the commands of Your Highness, Princess of Pendia and Duchess of Rainel."

"I never doubted that you would acquit yourself splendidly, my knight. Welcome home."

Offering her praise, Sherin accepted the axe that symbolized his command and personally helped Shan to his feet. Then her eyes widened at the sight of her knight standing before her.

'How did he grow so quickly...?'

When he had left, he had been about her height, or perhaps a little taller. Yet in just over a month he had shot up so much that she now had to look slightly upward at him. His body had grown markedly sturdier too. Even among the ordinary male soldiers around him, he no longer seemed particularly small.

Quickly recovering from her surprise, Sherin composed her expression and smiled as she praised those behind him.

"I have heard of your outstanding deeds. Each shall be duly assessed, and your efforts amply rewarded. This I pledge in the name of my father, His Majesty the King."

Her voice, though not particularly loud, was amplified by a magical device and carried to the hundreds of soldiers. No one had ever disliked the promise of money, and they all burst into cheers, praising their benevolent princess.

* * *

While the soldiers merrily ate and drank the food and ale prepared for them, their betters held a welcoming celebration of their own. Naturally, the venue was the banquet hall in the count's castle. There, Sherin first welcomed her teacher and the head of the Magic Society, Orum, Count Palatine Tenon.

"It took some time, but I'm glad you've arrived safely, Master."

"I too have eagerly awaited the day we would meet again, Your Highness. I see you've chosen to set the world ablaze rather than wither away pointlessly as a flower in the palace. Just as I'd hoped."

As usual, it was difficult to tell whether Orum's remarks were compliments. He chuckled and took a drink.

"That aside, I'd heard the reports, but matters do seem to be progressing rather poorly given how much you've undertaken."

"I'll be needing a great deal of help from you, Master."

"Must you work these old bones so cruelly? Very well, it cannot be helped. But as agreed, you must assist with my research later too."

"As long as I can find the time."

"Didn't you say that last time before running off? You can't keep making excuses."

Orum used respectful forms of address, but otherwise treated Sherin not as a princess to be revered, but as his pupil or a business partner. Sherin found nothing strange in this and bantered cheerfully in return. Considering that the title of Count Palatine Tenon had originally belonged to an adviser to the King of Pendia, it was understandable.

"So what exactly happened to keep you from coming sooner?"

"A great many things indeed."

Pressed by Sherin, Orum gave a small sigh and explained.

When Conrad seized the capital, Orum had been engaged in important research and had strictly forbidden anyone from entering his laboratory on the top floor. The problem was that, amid the chaos, no one had informed the head of the Society about the evacuation. More precisely, the lack of proper procedures had led everyone to pass the task to someone else until responsibility for it simply vanished. As a result, when he finally began to feel hungry and thirsty after several days and went downstairs for something to eat, he found the Magic Society deserted.

"The money left in my laboratory was hardly enough to hire mercenaries to escort me to Pales. And even if I had hired them, I couldn't have trusted them. So I fled with some traveling merchants in their wagons. Unfortunately, they were heading west."

Thus Orum arrived in Ovilos, a small city west of the capital, Hasra—the very city where Shan had once hunted a man-eating troll. Concealing his identity, he earned a modest living through magic while looking for an opportunity to leave. Then he met Ravana's company, newly returned from the civil war in Libert, and set off with them for Pales, only to end up in that predicament.

Having heard the story, Sherin turned her gaze toward Ravana, whose expression was rigid. Perhaps it was because she was surrounded by so many exalted people she had never expected to meet in her life, but her stiffly upright rabbit ears alone made her nervousness plain.

Indeed, before coming to the banquet hall, Ravana had persistently questioned Shan, over and over, about what sort of person Sherin was and what she liked and disliked. She said she did not want to give the person she would be serving any reason to find fault with her. Even when Shan assured her that Sherin was not particularly difficult to please, she seemed unconvinced.

"Well, Ravana... I have heard much of your reputation. I once tried to invite you here, but unfortunately the timing did not work out."

"M-my apologies, Your Highness."

"There is nothing to apologize for. My knight's report told me of your many accomplishments. You were instrumental in bringing my teacher here, and distinguished yourself in the defense of the city as well, I understand?"

In fact, Roden rather than Shan had written almost all of the report, but she saw no reason to mention that. Ravana's face brightened as she realized her contributions had not been overlooked, and Sherin smiled.

"Well, we must assess merits and distribute rewards in any case. Let us begin now. Sir Shan, would you say this woman rendered great service?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Exactly as reported."

Shan gave Sherin a clear, measured account of how he had met Ravana, how they had become enemies and then comrades, and what she had accomplished. Sherin listened quietly, then asked several more questions of the others nearby. After hearing their answers, she addressed Ravana, who stood as stiffly as a new recruit.

"Would you be willing to receive knighthood from me and pledge your loyalty? If so, I shall give both you and your followers positions of importance. I hear they are all warriors hardened in the civil war in Libert."

"Yes, that's right! They're all loyal to Pendia and Your Highness!"

"Good. Then there is no obstacle."

Though it was only a verbal promise, the assurance of knighthood filled Ravana's face with rapture. As if unable to tell dream from reality, she audaciously slapped her own cheek in Sherin's presence, then started in alarm and apologized for her impropriety.

In truth, hers was close to the natural reaction for an Altoan receiving knighthood. Something she had failed to attain through nearly twenty years of wandering battlefields, ever since she first went to war at fifteen, had suddenly fallen into her hands. By comparison, Shan had gained his knighthood rather too easily for the effort involved, and had been less moved by it. Of course, slaying the cockatrice had been more than sufficient achievement to earn the title.

"Ahem."

A few nobles looked uncomfortable at Ravana's impending knighthood, but none could object. A precedent had already broken the unwritten rule, and she truly had rendered service worthy of the honor. Above all, with Shan standing right there, they could hardly object on the grounds that she was Altoan.

"We shall choose an auspicious day for the investiture and oath of fealty, and hold them together. Now... I suppose it is Sir Shan's turn, as the greatest contributor to this expedition."

Sherin gave Shan a playful smile.

"Your deeds against Duke Morayen's army truly exceeded my expectations. The negotiations afterward were excellent as well. However... for a mere knight to grant Pendian territory to a foreigner, even temporarily, is a clear overstepping of authority. We cannot allow this to stand as a precedent."

As the praise gave way to a chilling conclusion, those in the banquet hall exchanged bewildered looks. The atmosphere had been so pleasant a moment ago. Why this sudden turn? Everyone who had been there agreed that they could hardly have kept fighting to the death in those circumstances.

Having silenced the banquet hall in an instant, Sherin continued. Only then did they realize that her earlier rebuke had merely laid the groundwork for what followed.

"Thus, to prevent this from happening again, I believe he requires greater authority. Unfortunately, I have no barony at my disposal with which to reward his achievements."

A noble title, as a rule, went hand in hand with a territory its holder could govern. Sherin, however, currently had neither a fief nor a title she could bestow. Every barony within the lands of her maternal uncle, Count Pales, already had a lawful owner. She could hardly strip an innocent baronial family of its title to give it to someone else. Promising land she did not actually control would be equally hollow.

"Therefore, in place of a noble title, I intend to appoint Sir Shan as my Lord Guardian, so that he may exercise his own judgment in such circumstances in the future."

Those around her widened their eyes at the declaration. Lord Guardian was an office a step beyond the chief knight commonly retained by a territorial lord. Its holder had the authority to unilaterally alter the domain's military policy, assume direct command when the lord was absent or otherwise unable to give orders, and even summarily execute those who rebelled against the lord.

The powers were so extensive that most lords left the office vacant. Its national equivalent was Lord Protector, the famous office held by Marquis Abel. Considering that Abel had given his brother-in-law Conrad—his younger sister's husband—authority over the royal knights, allowing him to gain the upper hand in the civil war, the appointment effectively granted more power than most baronies. The public standing that would prevent even titled nobles from daring to treat him as an inferior was an added benefit.

"Your Highness, surely that is a little..."

"He is more than worthy, certainly!"

"Indeed! No one is better suited to be Lord Guardian than Sir Shan. I swear it upon my name!"

Several local nobles who had remained in Pales tried to object with uneasy expressions, but their voices were drowned out by the fervent approval of Shan's followers from the expedition. Such was the difference between those who had personally witnessed his fearsome exploits and those who had merely read reports. Anyone who had seen that almost transcendent spectacle could hardly claim that the office of Lord Guardian was beyond him.

After a moment, Sherin raised a hand to quiet them, then turned to Shan with a beguiling smile.

"Good. With ample support among the domain's leaders, there is no reason to hesitate. Congratulations, Shan Barendil, my Lord Guardian."

And so Shan Barendil, the first Altoan knight, broke new ground once more as the first Altoan Lord Guardian.