Chapter 460: Ticking Time

Breisburg, which I was visiting for the first time in a while, was as lively as ever, and plenty of people were still out and about despite the winter. In Rosenheim, by contrast, people barely left their homes because of the cold.

Even though this winter was colder than last year’s, Breisburg felt like a whole different world. Citizens who heard that the Gale Knight had entered the city came flocking in droves. I waved back at them.

"It’s the Gale Knight!"

"Wooooow!"

Hmm, I feel like I’ve become a celebrity.

And yet I’d heard that in Basel, crying children fell silent at the mere mention of my name.

The Gale Knights marched proudly with their chests puffed out. Viktor rode on my right, and Barosi on my left. Barosi’s standing had risen to second only to Viktor’s, and he was clearly very proud of it.

Drek, who had served as Viktor’s adjutant, waved like a hometown hero returning in glory. Anton and the other adjutants weren’t particularly moved, but for Drek this was a huge step up in the world, so he probably wanted to savor the moment.

Then a woman approached Drek.

Judging by their demeanor, the two seemed to know each other well.

With the help of his retainers (from the Drek family), Drek seated the young lady in front of him on his horse. Hmm, I used to seat Hilda in front of me every time I returned in triumph, too. I could see admiration in the young lady’s eyes as she looked at Drek.

Viktor watched the scene with a satisfied smile.

"Looks like Demeter’s spring has come for Sir Drek."

"The clergy would hate that expression, but you’re right."

Christianity had relegated Greek mythology to the status of pagan myth, but its influence remained alive and well in southern Europe. The same was true of Germanic mythology, which had spread widely, with the Norse tradition at its center.

"Welcome back, my lord."

Rosengarden was my second home, and its rose garden was full of memories. Whatever else I let slide, I had given strict orders that the rose garden be maintained, so it was still in pristine condition.

I was relaxing over a cup of rose tea, having shaken off the fatigue of the journey, when the head butler who managed Rosengarden announced a visitor. I wondered who it could be; it turned out to be Bodo Werner, now heir to the Elsheimer viscountcy.

"Hahaha, well, look who it is! I barely recognized you!"

"And you, Mas— I mean, Baron, you haven’t changed a bit."

Bodo, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, had filled out considerably. His face reminded me of a plump yellowtail. His appearance had changed a great deal from what I remembered; he finally looked like a proper son of a noble house.

Bodo pulled a long face and started complaining.

"Study, study, study! My whole life is nothing but studying! Whenever I sneak out to have some fun, that damn Brenner (the butler) somehow finds out, comes running as fast as an alley cat, and drags me back!"

"Of course you have to study if you’re going to inherit the Elsheimer viscountcy. Did you think managing all those tax collectors would be easy? Study harder, and don’t give your political enemies any openings."

"Ugh, now I’m getting nagged here too. By the way, how’s Nora doing?"

Nora was the miller’s daughter, the girl Bodo had been seeing back when he was a retainer. He had asked me to find her a good match, but rather than being married off, she had been chosen as a handmaid at the Feuzen government office and was kept busy with work every day.

"Ah, those were the good old days. The golden age of Bodo Werner."

"Isn’t now better? You’ve become a high-ranking noble, after all."

"What’s so great about having a scary big sister and a scary fiancée?"

The scary big sister was Ariel, and the scary fiancée was Angela.

To me, they just looked like cute young ladies, but apparently Bodo saw them differently.

"I was really scared back then. Count Euz, who had come back with His Highness, suddenly showed up and asked me all sorts of things, and I can’t even remember how I answered. He looked so displeased that I figured the political marriage was dead in the water, but then, out of nowhere, he sent me engagement gifts."

"You’re not exactly his dream son-in-law, but I suppose staying on good terms with the people backing you mattered more to him."

Taking the illegitimate son of a noble house as a son-in-law hurts one’s reputation. But if that illegitimate son has a powerful war hero next door backing him, it’s a different story. Not a perfect score, but maybe 80 out of 100?

By now, there wasn’t a soul in the west or in Breisburg who didn’t know about the conflict between Rosenheim and Basel. The outcome had come as a huge shock to many nobles. To think Basel had been left in ruins by a mere 150 light cavalry!

The Count of Basel had been a mighty prince representing the south, but he had crumbled pathetically under Rosenheim’s offensive. Count Euz must have taken all of that into account when he accepted Bodo as his son-in-law.

"Is that because you crushed the Count of Basel so mercilessly, Baron?"

"Friendship can’t last forever. By the same token, neither can hostility. But ties of marriage are different. Count Euz wants to secure a lasting friendship with me through you."

"Hmm, but it’s not as if we’re forming a blood alliance, is it?"

"I see it as a pact on par with one."

Bodo blinked, then smiled bashfully. And since Angela was Lily’s handmaid, she gave Count Euz yet another connection to me. The count had taken every one of these factors into account.

"When will you be back from Austria?"

"No idea. If I’m unlucky, I might end up spending the winter there."

"Aw, that’s no good. I think I’ll officially become viscount around the harvest festival, so you absolutely have to be back by then!"

"Hey, do you think that’s up to me? This is a critical moment in our diplomacy with the Habsburgs."

With so many ticking time bombs around us, Habsburg support was essential. A clash between the Bavarian Wittelsbachs and the Palatinate Wittelsbachs was already anticipated, and three factions had already come to blows in Strasbourg.

On top of that, the civil war between France and Burgundy was slowly heading toward its final act. Rumors were circulating that the Burgundian army was marching on Paris, and the war was expected to end within about two years.

And to make matters worse, there was the Swiss Confederation, eyeing Basel.

For the Duchy of Beren, the margraviate on the western edge of the Empire, time was running short.

"I’ve only heard rumors, but apparently Ungarn (Hungary) has advanced all the way to the outskirts of Vienna?"

"That’s exactly the problem. It would be a disaster if support for the Duchy of Beren got put on the back burner."

"Heh heh heh, what if you suddenly end up fighting the King of Ungarn?"

"Don’t jinx it. Do you really think they’d ask a lowly ducal prince to fight the King of Ungarn? That would be like dragging the pride of the imperial princes through the mud."

"You never know. They might, if the imperial princes all get crushed by Ungarn."

Bodo laughed, making the prediction as if it were a sure thing. Now that he was a viscount’s heir, I couldn’t even smack him upside the head. What an annoying little brat. Common sense said I would never have to fight the King of Ungarn. It had better stay that way!

Imperial princes were the highest-ranking nobles, holding their territories as vassals of the emperor. Grand Duke Karlus could also be counted among the imperial princes, a distinguished rank whose power rivaled that of a king.

Mátyás, who was also King of Bohemia, could therefore be considered a vassal of the emperor as well. As a result, the Hungarian invasion was regarded not as a foreign invasion but as a rebellion. Either way, things were a huge mess for the Habsburgs.

Amid all that, I was a little worried that I’d be given the cold shoulder after escorting the Duke of Altringen, formerly the Duke of Radensdorf, to Austria. Still, at least I was on good terms with the imperial crown prince.

"Young master, it’s time to head back now."

"Ah, already? I’m just going to spend the night here. You go back first."

"But if the head of the family finds out, she’ll be furious."

"Fine, I’m going! I said I’m going! Damn it, you sly fox."

Tsk, tsk, tsk. He couldn’t do a thing against his big sister. Bodo reluctantly headed back. To me, he looked like a piglet being dragged to the slaughterhouse. Anyway, do your best.

"Someone has come from the royal palace."

"They certainly summoned me quickly."

The royal palace hadn’t changed one bit.

Well, the one change, if you could call it that, was the artillery corps now stationed on the palace walls.