NoveLight ™
Though I had seen Antoine in the game a few times, this was my first time meeting him in person.
Antoine was a slender, elderly man. He was likely close in age to Gerhardt, but unlike the battle-worn Gerhardt, Antoine appeared younger, possibly due to a life spent away from active warfare.
"Pleasure to meet you. I am Viktor, Deputy Commander of the Imperial Army."
"So, you’re the one? Hah. My name is Antoine Clavier."
Like Guillaume, Antoine had been kept in isolation. However, unlike the king, Antoine retained his composure and a sense of calm.
He let out a dry laugh and adjusted his posture.
"You look younger than His Majesty. If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?"
"I’m twenty-seven."
"Twenty-seven?"
His tone and expression carried a trace of disbelief.
"Yes."
Narrowing his eyes, Antoine scrutinized me, as if trying to gauge the truth.
"A deputy commander at your age? Remarkable. No, wait—weren’t you a commander in the Kingdom of Ruthenia?"
"I was, before traitors sold me out."
"Traitors?"
"They later staged a rebellion and assassinated the king."
Antoine’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Impressive."
"You weren’t aware?"
"No, I had heard as much."
After a brief exchange of small talk, he asked the inevitable question.
"So, what business do you have with me?"
"I wanted to show you something, Antoine Clavier, Chancellor of the Kingdom of Brotan, who guided the nation for decades. Additionally, I have one important matter to discuss with you."
His curiosity piqued, he closed his eyes for a moment, seemingly contemplating my words.
"Hmm. Are you here to negotiate with the kingdom?"
Even without any concrete hints, he had partially deduced my intentions.
"And why would you think that?"
"It’s been nearly two weeks since I’ve seen any of you, and now you suddenly visit me with such courtesy. There are only a few reasons for that. The war is over, and now it’s time to negotiate, is it not?"
Feigning surprise, I widened my eyes and gestured for him to continue.
His voice was steady, but I noticed the faint tremor in his gaze.
"Coming to me implies that my voice, my influence, is needed. The negotiations must not be going well."
To me, his demeanor resembled the classic confirmation bias of someone isolated and steeped in insecurity.
"And if that’s the case, what would you do?"
To put him at ease, I humored his assumptions, encouraging him to share his thoughts.
"My apologies, but I have no intention of aiding the Empire."
He ignored the undertone of my question, focusing solely on maintaining his expectations.
"I’ve served this kingdom for over forty years. Go back. Whatever proposal you’ve come to offer, I won’t accept it."
"Is that so?"
His firm refusal seemed to bolster his resolve, as if my calm reaction validated his stance.
"...What is it?"
"..."
"What’s with that smile...!"
"What did I say when we began?"
As he grew agitated, I pulled a copy of the treaty from my coat.
"Please, take a look."
"..."
Antoine snatched the document from my hands.
"Ha. Hah, hah... What nonsense is this?"
He skimmed through the text at lightning speed, then slammed it onto the floor before even reading half of it.
"Why show me this absurdity?"
His voice remained controlled, though his composure was clearly fraying.
"This is the Saint-Toir Accord, a treaty to maintain peace and cooperation between the Dragonia Empire and the Kingdom of Brotan."
"...What?"
I didn’t drop my smile, enunciating each word with deliberate precision.
"What is this...?"
"Do you need further explanation, or shall I give you another chance to read it?"
His trembling hands retrieved the document from the floor. This time, he read it much more slowly, as if weighing every word.
I waited patiently, seated opposite him, watching for his reaction.
After a moment, Antoine lowered the paper and let out a hollow laugh.
"So, you’ve shown me this to shake me, is that it? Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous!"
He shot up from his seat, jabbing a finger at me.
"Shake you? I’m afraid I don’t follow."
"You’re telling me that such a treaty—one that dictates the kingdom’s future—was drafted without the involvement of me, the Chancellor of Brotan? How is that possible?"
"Why would it not be possible? The legitimate authority over Brotan’s decisions lies with His Majesty, Guillaume Châtillon, does it not?"
"Surely not... Guillaume? No, that can’t be. There’s no way..."
His indignant gestures froze as the king’s name brought him to a halt.
"His Majesty has expressed no desire for your return. I confirmed this with him personally, on several occasions."
I drove the final nail into the coffin.
"...Ha."
"You’ll be accompanying us to the Imperial capital of Reinesberg. There, as a representative of Brotan, you’ll engage in discussions with Imperial officials to stabilize the kingdom."
"..."
"There are few who understand Brotan’s internal workings as well as you. You are an ideal candidate for this role."
Antoine, clearly shaken by the revelation of Guillaume’s intentions, slumped into his chair and silently listened.
"As a representative of the kingdom’s collaborating nobles, you’ll receive excellent accommodations and treatment. Servants? Wealth? All will be provided at a satisfactory level. However."
Seeing his expression of anguish reminded me of my own betrayal in Ruthenia—a memory that momentarily softened my resolve.
"You will never set foot in Brotan again."
I continued in a calm, polite tone.
"Life in Reinesberg comes with its quirks. You might return to your quarters to find the arrangement of your belongings altered, or feel the sensation of unseen eyes following you. But does any of that truly matter?"
"...What are you talking about?"
He tried to interject, but I ignored him, determined to finish.
"You’ll become a symbol of cooperation between the kingdom and the Empire. We’ll ensure you participate in regular meetings, and your proposals will be carefully reviewed. You’ll live in unparalleled luxury until the day you die—forever in Reinesberg."
"..."
"This was the important matter I wanted to discuss. Do you have any questions?"
He slowly lifted his head, his voice trembling with a mix of disbelief and despair.
"Viktor, Deputy Commander."
"Yes."
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"...Why did you cling so desperately to the Kingdom of Brotan?"
"...What?"
Now was the time to see what kind of man Antoine truly was.
I recounted the numbers in my head:
I would not absolve myself of responsibility. I would not rationalize their deaths as inevitable or dismiss them as the cost of war.
But I would remember their sacrifices and use them to ensure my decisions moving forward were the best they could be.
"You were the one person who could have stopped the king’s disastrous decisions, the one who could have saved those young men from bleeding rivers on the battlefield. The king may have been beyond reason, but you weren’t."
Would Antoine acknowledge his role, his responsibility? Or would he be like Guillaume, whining about inevitabilities?
"Thirty thousand young men died at Baldua, fifteen thousand more were wounded. You could have stopped this. At the very least, you should have sought a treaty after Montpieu, Anyak, and Saint-Toir fell."
I felt my voice rising but made no effort to suppress it.
"And if that was impossible, you should have prevented Guillaume’s campaign. It was your role to restrain his recklessness. So why did you knowingly send those soldiers to their deaths?"
I wanted him to be someone who agonized over his choices as I did.
"That’s..."
"Can’t you see it?"
I seized his trembling hands and lifted them to his eye level.
"Their blood, staining your hands, the sticky, sickening sensation—don’t you feel it?"
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
He refused to look.
"Can’t you hear their screams, calling out for mothers they left behind, the names of comrades who fell beside them? Don’t their voices reach you?"
"What are you talking about?!"
He wasn’t capable of facing it.
I felt a pang of regret. There was no guilt or remorse in his expression, only confusion and irritation.
"Do you ignore it because it’s inconvenient? Because they were mere commoners? Do you truly believe it’s not your concern?"
"I didn’t command the soldiers! Why are you blaming me for this?"
His response echoed Guillaume’s—a pitiful attempt to justify his indifference.
I let out a cold sigh, my mind settling.
If he had shown even a hint of guilt, I might have reconsidered his treatment.
"Of course."
I released his hands and stepped back.
"I see now that my decision wasn’t excessive."
"What are you saying?"
"It means I was right. The Saint-Toir Accord, and your treatment specifically, were crafted with utmost care by me. I took great pains to ensure both you and His Majesty would endure as much suffering as possible. Judging by your expression, I’d say my efforts have paid off."
"Viktor!" he roared, his voice trembling with fury.
"Until we meet again in Reinesberg."
Most nobles and officers I had encountered, particularly those of noble birth, never entertained such thoughts.
The game had painted Antoine as a wise and honorable figure. For a moment, I’d foolishly allowed myself to hope.
If he’d shown even a sliver of remorse, I might have considered affording him a more dignified life in his remaining years.
But now, that idea was entirely discarded.
I exited the room, the sound of the door slamming shut behind me echoing through the hallway.
"Antoine Clavier is to remain under strict supervision. He will be transported to Reinesberg soon, so ensure there is no chance of escape."
"Understood!"
I now felt no hesitation in being as merciless as needed toward both Antoine and the remnants of Brotan.
Stepping into the corridor, I took a deep breath.
"...That’s done."
The confrontation had left me with a strange sense of relief.
I pushed those uncomfortable thoughts aside as I made my way to the banquet hall.
"Deputy Commander. You’ve just made it in time."
"You were cutting it awfully close, so I made sure to hurry him along," Anna said, her tone teasing.
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Haha, I’m always grateful for Anna’s efforts."
For the first time in a while, my mood felt lighter. I joined the banquet with a weight lifted from my shoulders.
"Deputy Commander, you’re finally here!"
"If you hadn’t shown up, I would’ve left early!"
"Really now?"
"Ah, Commander, I didn’t mean..."
"Hahaha! It’s fine. If Viktor hadn’t come, I would have personally dragged him here."
Watching the officers laughing and conversing without a shadow of worry, I felt it keenly—this war had already concluded in triumph.
The time for victory parades and celebrations was all that remained.