Great Game
###
Kiruna.
A city in western Germania [modern-day Germany].
This city was built along the river that runs through the western region.
Thanks to the river, which provided fertile soil and logistical advantages, the city had never lost its position as the largest city in the western region since its establishment.
Under Duke Seredet and Svein, the population reached 800,000, and as he wielded power comparable to that of the King of Germania, it also gained the nickname of the kingdom’s second capital.
The city’s hustle and bustle, where six gates were open day and night and a constant stream of people passed through, came to a halt for a moment at noon when the sun was at its zenith.
Ding— Ding—
The bells rang throughout the city.
“The Duke has returned!”
A soldier on the watchtower shouted.
He then raised a blue flag and waved it vigorously.
The bell ringer checked the flag from the spire and rang the large bell.
It was a resounding sound announcing the return of the city’s master, and a resounding sound welcoming the city’s master.
“Clear the roads!”
“Anyone who doesn’t have anything to do, go up to the roof and scatter flower petals!”
“Where are we going to get flower petals?”
The golden eagle of Seredet [the Duke’s family crest] fluttered on the horizon.
An army of 50,000 men marched into the city in formation.
The city’s garrison laid down their arms and bustled about.
They had to welcome their master home.
“Go to another gate!”
“Open the way, the Duke is coming!”
The garrison cleared the gate in the direction the army was approaching.
They struggled to drive away the long line at the gate.
The line was pushed aside by the garrison’s coercion.
Boo-ooo———
The sound of a horn announced the arrival of Duke Seredet.
The Duke left the army far from the city and led the Knights.
Thousands of knights passed through the empty road with the Duke.
“Congratulations on the Duke’s victory!”
“Congratulations!”
The garrison knelt, followed by the passersby.
“······.”
Duke Svein nodded briefly.
He led the way, slowly riding his horse through the gate.
The moment he entered the city center, flower petals were scattered over his head.
Dong, Dong, Dong——
Boo——
The sound of drums and trumpets followed.
“Long live the master of Seredet, Duke Svein!”
“Long live!”
“Long live Seredet, the true master of Germania!”
“Long live!”
The citizens cheered and shouted.
The Duke raised his hand to acknowledge the cheers, a gesture of genuine welcome.
Seeing this, some citizens grabbed their foreheads and bowed deeply.
The citizens of Kiruna were proud to live in the best city in the country.
To them, the Duke was not just a lord.
He was a great leader, second only to Shin Horbid [a legendary hero or figure of great importance].
“Horbid, protect our king!”
“Allow us to praise our noble king!”
But none of them knew what Duke Seredet was thinking.
That his expression was not solemn but stiff.
The citizens were just praising their leader.
“Haral is here too!”
The crowd saw two people following right behind the Duke.
One of them was the Duke’s second son, Haral Seredet.
“Haral! Look over here!”
The young women cheered at the sight of Haral.
A young, talented, and noble-blooded knight.
He was like a prince in a fairy tale.
“Haral-niiiiim!”
Haral ignored them with a sullen expression, then awkwardly raised his left hand at the Duke’s gesture.
He was about to raise his bandaged right hand without thinking but lowered it and hid it.
“Who is that person?”
“I can’t see his face.”
“But he must be someone important, right?”
“Yeah, he’s with Haral.”
The crowd, who had been cheering for the Duke and then Haral, tilted their heads.
The next in line was a man standing parallel to Haral, but his face was covered.
He was a man who had covered his face with a hood, even under the warm summer sunlight.
His position was also noteworthy, but he was taller than Haral, so they couldn’t help but notice him.
As the number of curious onlookers increased,
He slowly lowered his hood.
“······!”
The cheering subsided.
The crowd who had not seen him continued to cheer.
But the crowd who saw him stopped cheering.
Instead of cheers, there was a collective gasp.
“Duke?”
Someone muttered unconsciously.
That mutter echoed what everyone in the crowd was thinking.
The face revealed after taking off the hood resembled Duke Seredet.
If the Duke were younger, he would look just like that man.
No, could that man *be* the young Duke?
That’s how much they resembled each other.
“······.”
As he looked around at the crowd, the crowd flinched when their eyes met his.
At that reaction, the man, Edar, smiled.
And at that reaction, Haral frowned, and
The Duke’s stiff expression became even stiffer.
“Oh…”
But their emotions were nothing.
Compared to her surprise, it was insignificant.
At the end of the triumphal return, at the gate of the mansion, Duchess Ibella, who had been waiting to greet the Duke, took a step back when she saw Edar arriving side by side with the Duke and her son.
“Oh, how…?”
Edar smiled with satisfaction at her reaction.
“I came as the eldest son, Mother.”
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