***Chapter 276 Varkas - The End***

‘This is Krische, my adopted daughter, whom I had to take in due to circumstances. Some of you may recognize her as the granddaughter of Commander Gallen, my respected former superior officer. While it's not yet decided if she'll join the military, I brought her here today for a brief introduction. Krische, please.’

‘...Nice to meet you, Krische.’

The girl bowing her head was just a child.

She was smaller and more delicate than Selene.

She has beautiful silver hair and a young but half-perfected beauty.

She looked like some kind of princess, in a military filled mostly with rough men, she clearly stood out.

Selene was also a beautiful girl, but――there was something instinctively different about Krische.

In a large conference room――everyone from the battalion commander on up is here.

Despite the fact that their eyes were on her, she did not seem nervous or frightened.

Calmly, her cold, purple eyes scanned and returned the stares of the men.

‘And you should know... though I dislike the term, Krische is a girl that can only be described as a genius. Even though she has a gentle disposition and dislikes conflict, she is loved by the God of Valor, she often defeats me in sparring.’

There was a slight stir in the room.

Bogan was known as one of the kingdom's finest warriors.

They couldn't imagine him being bested by a child.

Perhaps that was the unease that Grunmeld felt earlier.

What Grunmeld felt was purely the wariness of a warrior.

His instinct warned him that she was not as she seemed.

‘In that respect, you don't need to treat her as a child. She will understand anything you explain to her immediately. Especially when it comes to academics. She is likely more knowledgeable than anyone here.’

When Selene, who was standing next to her, pouted her lips slightly, Bogan smiled bitterly and put his hand on her head.

‘However, in other respects, she is still very much a child. She is serious and doesn't get jokes, and she's not great at conversation. Selene will be with her most of the time, so if you have any issues, ask Selene. She's very excited about having a new little sister.’

‘Father...’

‘Kuku… well, that's all for now. She'll observe the training, but carry on as usual and show her around. Dismissed.”

The memory of the girl who came to the Christand army when things had stabilized was vivid, though nothing dramatic had happened.

As they left the room, Grunmeld asked his adjutant.

‘Bagil, what do you see?’

‘She is already complete.’

Badil Sandika nodded seriously.

He had been Grunmeld’s adjutant since he became a battalion commander――one could say he was assigned to keep the often reckless Grunmeld in check.

A master of Zain-style swordsmanship, he had risen through the ranks from a common soldier.

His skill as a warrior was second only to Grunmeld in the battalion.

He had many accomplishments in the light infantry, and he was a skilled man who could successfully command a battalion even in a melee if he left the back to him.

‘Even at present she was like that...just imagining her future makes me tremble.’

‘Houh?’

Bagil has trained in orthodox swordsmanship and has a wealth of experience in combat.

His eyes were sometimes more trustworthy than Granmeld's, but

‘Like a fairy, in two years she will be incredibly beautiful. ...To think of another mysterious flower like Lady Selene to bloom in the Christand army. This is something to look forward to, Battalion Commander.’

‘...I was an idiot for asking you.’

His eyes were often clouded.

――Thinking back, it was probably around when he became a battalion commander.

Until then, Grunmeld had been doing whatever he wanted, but the number of troublesome people around him started to increase.

He used to laugh about how Nozan had mellowed out, but he only felt like the nuisance had increased, and was fed up with it.

The fool adjutant was the best example of this.

When Bagil declined the position of Corps Commander’s adjutant to wield a sword under the beautiful princess, Grunnmeld was exasperated but somewhat relieved by his competence.

It was a long time ago that he threw away that idiot along with Fagran, who seemed to like that princess.

"Welcome to our home, Krische-sama, from a long way away.

"It's been a while, Chirp Chirp. Krische brought Woof Woof and Rosine too.""

Once again, Roshine's shoulders shook slightly and she glanced at Grunnmeld.

Rosine was like this every time he was called Woof Woof. He was already fed up with it.

Nozan’s mansion was not far away.

Both of them are near the former capital of Elsren, Linaria, close to the castle.

The castle itself was too large for him, only a noble, to live in and was only used for governance and meetings.

"Yes, everything is ready. Grunnmeld, you should stay over sometimes. It's unfair to have Roshine take you home drunk.”

"I’ll take you up on that."

Chirp Chirp, Woof Woof.

The servant, who seemed to have only recently entered, looked at him and Nozan in confusion, then turned to Krische.

It was doubly a nuisance that he was already used to being looked at like this.

"Ah, Chirp Chirp. This is Kreschenta’s letter. Apart from Selene, it seems that Kreschenta has written some things that she wants Chirp Chirp to do."

“..I have certainly received it.”

Despite being called Chirp Chirp, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Army, who had a fine beard and was wearing fine formal attire, respectfully accepted it.

She calmly called the Queen and the Marshal using their name, and called her subordinates with nicknames that could only be seen as making fun of them, yet there was no malice in it, so it was just her bad nature.

It would probably be better if she didn't come in an apron dress.

"Let’s stop the idle talk here. Please come this way, Krische-sama. We have prepared the finest ingredients and had the chefs use their abilities to the fullest. I’m sure you’ll be satisfied."

"Ehehe, yes. ...The food at Chirp Chirp place is really delicious, so Krische is looking forward to it."

――Just like Bogan Christand called her a genius, she eclipsed even Nozan.

Grunmeld never challenged children to a match, but her abilities quickly became known.

It was said that Fagan was completely destroyed, and within a year, even Kolkis, the best spear user in the kingdom, could not hold his own against her.

A combination of moves that would not cause injury to each other――it was different from actual combat.

Although it was a disadvantage for a person who specialized in wielding heavy weapons and armor, that was no excuse when the opponent was a child as tall as his waist.

When he actually saw it on the battlefield, he was able to understand it.

Her figure of cutting into the Elsren army from behind.

At that moment, Grunmeld was once again captivated.

The sight of her slashing into the battle line alone, far away from the Fourth Corps and Selene's squad, was the complete opposite of wild.

Efficient slaughter to the bare minimum, carried out only to destroy morale.

A lone surprise attack in the middle of a swarm of enemies, without raising one's voice proudly.

There was probably no other person who could do something like that without any hesitation.

The enemy didn't know what was going on, and their ranks collapsed one after another, and by the time Grunnmeld crossed the river, the line of battle was no more.

She didn't enjoy killing, nor did she like it.

She just did her job relentlessly, meticulously, and unobtrusively.

With a curved sword that wasn't even useful for self-defense.

In a sense, Grunnmeld, who enjoyed 'killing each other', still saw humans as humans.

To this girl, it was just mowing the grass.

Thinking about it, Gallen had also been a pure soldier, but Krische took this purity to an extreme——she was a soldier through and through, from the moment of her first battle.

A truly complete soldier was no longer human.

Compared to her, Grunnmeld felt he was still very much a human.

"Ehehe, Woof Woof is the same as Gururun. He's been eating only meat since a while ago."

"...I don't like being lumped in with Suiko."

She briefly talked about the central area of the kingdom as Selene told her, and drank a drink that tastes like juice.

Krische’s face turned red and she gleefully tasted the delicious food spread out on the table.

The living legend Alberinea——an unprecedented hero.

The servants who saw her for the first time were confused by her appearance, which was completely unimaginable given her great accomplishments, but they quickly got used to her and took care of her as if she were some kind of young lady.

It seems strange that she always thanked them every time they refilled a glass or served food.

The atmosphere at the dinner was bright and cheerful.

It was peaceful.

It was hard to imagine that this beautiful and adorable girl was actually a monster, and it's hard to imagine that she could calmly slaughter hundreds of people while smiling like she does now.

The smile on her face while thanking them wouldn’t change even if someone's guts were gouged out.

If it was for the purpose, one should do everything in their power, no matter what the means.

There were a lot of people who talked about such things in a big way, but the fact was that this girl was the only person in the world who could do that.

She didn’t care what other people thought of her, and moved purely for the sake of her own purpose.

If it was for what she desired, she could kill everyone in the world and still be smiling.

That was what purity is, and that was what it means to be a madman.

In the first place, people were a mass of impurities, and even if they yearned for something pure, they would never be able to purge themselves of it.

For whatever reason, this girl's purity had been lost, but there was no doubt that she was essentially a madman.

Many people probably didn’t even realize that it was even more unnatural for this girl to be eating happily like this than for Grunnmeld to be eating in such a gorgeous place.

Although it was freer than anyone else, it was a beast that liked to enter human’s cages.

Grunnmeld could only feel strange about it.

After finishing their meal, Krische and Rosine were called by Nozan’s wives and headed there, while Grunmeld and the others headed to Nozan’ office.

“...How’s the letter?”

"The usual list. Areas where there is a risk of unnatural distribution of weapons or falsification of reports...Her Majesty has the economy of the entire continent in her mind."

Reports from each region on the financial status of the managed territories were sent to Albeneria every season.

Queen Crescenta scrutinizes the huge amount of information she has collected to its morbid detail, and when she discovers an ‘unnatural flow’, she sends Krische or her subordinates――former Black Flag Special Force run and sends it to Nozan as a list.

Krische's visit wasn't solely to deliver a message about military matters from Selene or to hand over the Queen's letter to Nozan.

She came to arrest someone with her subordinates stationed in the east.

"It seems that Krische-sama will be working in Birsinsane in the northeast. She will take the suspects to the center of the kingdom, so please dispose of them appropriately so there is no confusion. ...I can't stand the two of you."

“Is that where it said it was suspicious?”

"Ah. Looks like it’s already tracked down."

Kurofuyo-squad is an organization that solves various problems in a jiffy and swoosh manner――commonly known as Kuroshutan.

It was a stupid name that everyone would be exasperated at, but in reality it is an extremely advanced special task force.

They prevented rebellions in all regions and even detected them in an instant, and after the war, they hid in various parts of the continent and repeatedly carried out espionage and arrests.

It appears that they possessed a transmitter/receiver equipped with a top-secret formula that allowed exchange of information from even the most remote locations, and commands from one end of the continent to the other with no time lag.

It was an invention that would change the battlefield itself if it were put to military use, but ‘Alberinea’s invention’ has always been like that.

From the War of the Five Great Powers, when she began to create something, to the unification of the continent, the time it took from the start of the war to the end of the war was less than two years.

He has not heard the details because of the nature of the content, only a small part of it.

She was probably making a number of other espionage tools as well.

Moreover, the Black Flag Special Forces Company could be said to be a gathering of Krische Christand’s worshippers, and were a unit of magic possessors honed on the battlefield.

They're used to dangerous situations, easily capturing or arresting one or two nobles, and if that girl was involved, no one in the world could escape.

This was the mechanism that allowed them to control most of the vast land of the continent without any notable rebellions.

It must have been an unbelievable feeling for the enemy too, as they were grabbed by the neck just as they were about to start a rebellion.

Even at the edge of the continent, which was normally invisible, was being monitored as if it was the royal capital.

The people worship Queen Kreschenta as a protector of the people who were full of love for the weak, but no one would think that the reality was an absolute surveillance society.

In any case, it was a disappointment for Grunnmeld, who was expecting a battle.

The world was rapidly moving toward peace, without the rebellion that was sure to occur.

"I thought I had stabilized Elsren to some extent, but it's still a long way off. Looks like I'll be a little busy again. I don't think you'll be able to move, though.”

“That’s a shame.…I thought it would be a way to get rid of boredom.”

"Rosine will be pleased. She's a good wife. Enjoy your daily life to the fullest."

"...What do you mean enjoy it?"

Grunnmeld said exasperated.

"I'm not a ladies' man with multiple wives like you. Every day is the same."

Nozan smiled bitterly.

One legal wife and three concubines――Nozan was a noble.

He looks like a gentleman, and on top of that, his military accomplishments and abilities also make him popular in society, like a prince on a white horse.

When he was unmarried, he just needed to stand still and women would come up to him with a sparkle in their eyes.

In contrast to Bogan, who married a fallen noble's daughter and took no concubines, Nozan’s marriages had political significance, connecting the north and central regions' noble families.

However Grunmeld, who hesitated over marrying even one wife, found this hard to understand.

"Don't say that. In fact, I'm jealous of you. ...In the past they used to come to me saying Nozan-sama~, but now I even feel left out. I'm glad that the women are on good terms, but once we have children, they won't even look at me.”

"What a very extravagant problem."

He sipped his wine, eyeing the label. Elsren wines were often superior to those from Albeneria.

"You should be more honest. ... It's not a bad feeling to be loved by a good woman like Rosine, is it?"

"I agree she's a good wife, but her taste in men is terrible. I feel itchy every day."

"Kuku, I've been thinking this for a while, but guess it's true that you're a serious man that doesn't suit your face."

"what……?"

Nozan laughed and took a sip of his wine, thinking that he was being too sincere.

"Without any thought that she came to the wolf of her own accord. You want to make Rosine happy, don't you? That's very kind of you."

When Grunmeld glared, Northern's eyes softened, indicating he wasn't mocking him.

"You pretend to be a roughneck, but you're actually a sincere man who dislikes injustice. I like that about you. ... And Rosine probably saw that you'd make her happy."

‘Though I was surprised by myself too’, he looked at the wall of the room.

Rosine must be somewhere beyond the wall lined with furniture.

"There aren't many women in this world who can see your virtue, which is hard to understand if they just casually interact with you. You should honestly rejoice in your good fortune, Grunnmeld... These boring days we have now is"

Then, Nozan said happily and teasingly.

"...the Varkas you’ve finally found."

As he was lying on the sofa in the guest room drinking wine, the door opened.

"Oh, you're back early. Already in the room."

Her cheeks were bright red as she had been drinking a lot.

Her words were clear, but her footing was a little precarious.

Grunmeld scratched his head, got up, and carried her to the couch, where she sat down with a smile, taking his arm.

"Fufu, I'm sorry. The wine was delicious, so I drank too much."

"Seems like you had a lot of fun."

"And you, Dear? You look more serious than usual."

Touching his cheeks, she was clearly drunk.

When he said ‘hell if I know’, she giggled and snuggled into his arm.

"Really, Fille-sama asked so many questions about our life together. It was terrible, when I kept quiet, they made me drink more."

“Fell right into their trap, I see."

"Yes, but they soon turned their interest to Alberinea. I always thought she was lovely, but she truly is. It might be rude to say that about someone older and from Alberinea, though.”

"The only people who think that way are those who don't know what she looks like on the battlefield."

He said exasperated.

"She might look like a child playing with butterflies in a flower field, but she's a monster who crushes enemies like insects and takes down enemy generals like kicking stones. I'm no match for her."

"She doesn't look like it, though."

"That's fortunate. You probably won't see it in the future."

Rosine looked up at him, her brown hair swaying gently.

"That might be true, but that's not the whole truth. Even though she looked like a child playing with butterflies in a flower field, I don't think that in and of itself is wrong."

"...?"

"That’s how she is in daily life. No one who meets her in everyday life would speak ill of her. She talks happily about flowers blooming in the garden or cooking. That's the kind of person she is."

Rosine stroked Granmeld’s cheek.

"I love my husband not as the great wolf Grunmeld Varkas with brilliant war achievements, but as the kind man who looked troubled when Alberinea called him Woof Woof."

Looking at her loving eyes, moist from the alcohol.

"...Drunkard, go to sleep now."

“Fufu, please forgive me.”

Rosine giggled happily.

Though she often nagged when sober, she was a troublesome woman when drunk.

“That's what I thought when I was asked why I fell in love with Dear. When I was a child, I used to always be selfish and cause trouble for Dear, but even though you always looked fed up with it, you always stayed with me.''

"I owed your father. It's not that I liked children."

"Even when I said I wanted to marry you as a child, you said 'I understand, I understand' with an annoyed expression, and when I asked you to marry me, it was the same. Whether you like children or not, the fact that my husband is a kind person remains unchanged."

"Ahh... yes, yes, that's right. Good for you, I'm a kind husband."

Tired of playing along, he picked her up again, and Rosine looked happy.

She lovingly puts her hand around his neck, obediently being carried to the bed.

After he roughly placed her on the bed and took off her shoes, he looked at her, frozen for a moment.

“Dear, fufu, are you embarrassed?”

"...Does it look like that?"

"It does."

"You’re really tiring."

Usually serious, Rosine softened her expression, finding some amusement.

He roughly patted her head and forcibly pushed her into bed, pressing her head onto the pillow.

When he told her to sleep, she replied with a yes, and with a sigh, Grunnmeld moved back to the sofa.

Pouring himself some wine, he glanced at the bed to find Rosine still smiling at him.

"Good night, Dear."

"Yeah, go to sleep now."

As he replied, she laughed again and finally closed her eyes, intoxicated.

He watched her and sighed, downing his wine and sinking into the sofa.

Since when did he become like this, being swayed by others?

He should have been seeking freedom, but he was always bound by something.

As he gets older, the troubles only increase.

‘――It's a word derived from an old northern language. It means a group or a pack, but in actual meaning, it’s more like family."

"Ha……? ”

‘...Kuku, it's a very fitting name for a lone wolf with no weaknesses, isn't it’

――It's precisely because he didn’t know that it was an ironic and fateful name.

What meaning did the small time thug Krarze put into those words?

It was probably some trivial, human-like wish befitting a petty criminal.

Grunnmeld, who was supposed to have gained freedom, suddenly found himself in a cage of such words.

It was truly an indescribable irony.

He got up and left the room looking for some snacks.

"Ah, Woof Woof."

He meets a girl in the hallway who seems to have just taken a bath.

Her face flushed, either from the bath or intoxication, being led by a servant, gazing sleepily at him.

"Is Rosine okay? She seemed quite drunk."

"… As you said, I've already put her to bed. Quite a drunkard, she is."

As he spoke with an annoyed expression, Alberinea’s expression suddenly turned serious.

Pointing a finger at him proudly, she began to speak.

"Right right, Krische heard from Rosine. Woof Woof has been throwing laundry all over the place, ditching work and going drinking, and walking on the carpet with her muddy shoes..."

The second good for nothing drunkard.

She went on and on, almost like a supervisor, endlessly recounting Granmeld’s usual behavior.

The servant, guiding her to the room, looked around troubled.

While Grunmeld felt a headache.

It seemed even Alberinea was losing track of what she was saying, her lecture looping for nearly half a koku.

“Anyway, while relaxing in the mansion is fine, don't cause too much trouble for Rosine. Even if Woof Woof is Woof Woof to other people Woof Woof is a splendid noble Woof Woof, so Woof Woof should be a role model for other Woof Woof...no, to the people.”

"Ah... Okay. I'll keep that in mind... Can I go now?"

"If Woof Woof understands, then it's fine. My, Krische didn't intend to give such a long lecture."

Grunmeld scratched his head at those words and sighed, thinking it's finally over.

The lecture had been long enough, with endless repetitions of 'woof-woof,' far beyond mere annoyance.

He wondered which mouth of hers spoke of nobility, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

Dealing with drunkards was pointless.

"But...Ehehe, Rosine, said Woof Woof is a very kind and wonderful husband and that she is happy. That's a very good thing."

“...Well, thank you for that.”

“Now that the war has ended and we are at peace, Woof Woof should take better care of his family from now on and make Rosine happy as well.”

As if she had finally said what she wanted to say, she nodded with a satisfied look on her face.

Looking sleepy, she went into her room, saying she had an early morning.

He was a selfish creature through and through.

A dependable monster reliable on the battlefield but a troublesome child in everyday life.

Though she was more free than anyone else, she willingly entered the human society's cage, caring even for people's wives and lecturing them.

A truly peculiar monster, he thought――or perhaps, he was also similar.

In the end, he was no different, an idiot who gave up his freedom as a stray dog and entered the cage willingly.

Losing his desire to fetch snacks, he returned to his room, took off his shoes, and crawled into bed.

Rosine, still asleep, snuggled up to him, resting her head on his arm.

Listening to her peaceful breathing, he sighed.

Even his strong arm, which had silenced any opponent on the battlefield, was now just a pillow.

Despite seeking freedom, he ended up so constrained.

If the stray dog he once saw was now, what would he say?

What would Krarze think if he saw him now?

‘――From today, this is your home, and I'm your big brother.’

Feeling thinking was annoying,

‘...Welcome to Varkas, Grunnmeld.’

Suddenly, he burst into laughter.