BXBX NOVEL Chapter 22: Peace Conference
「Thank you, father.」
Today, my father had finally arrived at Nambonan. The reason that the Allied Army had been standing by here was that they were waiting for Marquis Quordentz\'s arrival. When grandfather and I had left from Nyuneri, it took us around a week before we arrived since we also joined up with the army midway. My busy father said that he arrived in around two days because he hurried with a small force.
「Let\'s get down to business and tell them our demands. Are you ready?」
Father didn\'t have the slightest intention to negotiate, and he intended to end it by pushing our demands unilaterally. It was a very noble-like response.
The preparations for the peace conference seemed to have been finished, and the civil officers who had been working in the main camp until now began explaining to father. As a result, they had immediately prepared the place for the negotiations. A messenger hurried inside the city to notify Nambonan\'s council.
「I\'ll enter the city after this. Wilk, you\'re coming too.」
「I understand.」
As I was wondering why I was going too, father continued.
「I heard that you are studying hard about Nambonan\'s situation and the council. Viscount Galliana told me that it might be good to have you attend today\'s conference.」
「I see.」
「Don\'t worry. In the conference, Viscount Galliana will be the one to talk to them, for the most part. Just show a firm attitude and glare at them.」
Apparently, Viscount Galliana was in charge to speak at the conference. It would be undignified for a Marquis to speak too much to commoners, so leaving the task to him, who was known as Nambonan\'s star, would be appropriate.
While I was thinking of that, the guards had gathered around us.
「Master. The guards are all ready.」
「Then, let\'s go.」
Father was riding on a horse, so I was also riding one today. Surrounded by guards, we passed through the city gates and entered inside the city.
When we drew near the Y intersection, the person leading the way proceeded to the right side. I unconsciously looked towards the left road. That was the direction of Anna\'s bar. I hadn\'t been able to have sex with her today yet.
「Wilk, what\'s the matter? Is there anything in that direction?」
Father, who had noticed my look, asked. While I was thinking how to cover up the matter, grandfather spoke while laughing.
「Lukes, dont ask your son! A girl he likes is in that direction.」
Gahaha, with a laugh, grandfather said loudly.
Anyone under the Quordentz already knew that I had been having sex with Anna these past few days, but it was still embarrassing to hear someone say it.
「Hoh, I see. Having sex with a woman inside an occupied territory… That\'s just like my brother. It brings back memories. 」
Father\'s eyes as he looked at me was neither one that was happy about his child\'s growth nor was it an old geezer enjoying dirty talk. It was the eyes of a person looking at something nostalgic, someone he cared about.
「I felt the same too. Wilk is similar to Gardakul. The residence will probably be crowded with women again.」
Then, they\'d begun talking about my father\'s brother, in other words, my uncle. My uncle died before I was born, so I\'d never met him. He was originally going to succeed the Quordentz family, but because he died in a war, father was the one who succeeded. Hearing father talked about the past I understood that he loved and respected uncle. I only had the image that brothers of noble birth would fight each other for succession, so it was unexpected for me.
Speaking of the residence where I raped Eve, it was apparently a residence built to keep my uncle\'s woman, a lovemaking residence. It seemed like I\'d been using it correctly.
As the horses moved forward, we had arrived at the castle in the middle of the city. The castle was known as Nambonan Castle, but its appearance was only like a small fort. Unlike Nyuneri Castle\'s European-style appearance, Nambonan Castle appeared very shabby. According to Anna, they\'d just turned the former lord\'s castle into the council\'s office, so it naturally maintained its appearance. As the buildings surrounding the castle were splendid, it seemed to reveal Nambonan\'s poor condition back then.
After the guard standing in front of the castle lowered his head down, the gate was opened.
「This is our demand—no, decision.」
The conference began with us meeting with the ten councilors face-to-face. It had started quickly and also ended quickly. There was no room for negotiation.
The parchment that Viscount Galliana presented had been handed over to the councilor in the rightmost side and then given to the councilor beside him after he had finished reading it. His eyes opened widely before placing his hand to cover his face, and then he handed it to the counsilor beside him as if he was giving something revolting.
However, only the first five councilors reacted that way.
「Oh?」
As if he was feeling disappointed for preparing himself since he saw the other five councilors\' discouraged behavior, that councilor let out a voice. He sometimes looked dissatisfied, but it was much better than the first five councilors. He passed the parchment to another councilor, and that councilor also made the same reaction.
After being passed around, they gave the parchment to me.
「Hmm.」
The details were simple.
Maintain the current status. Nambonan would become a territory of the Quordentz, but they would be allowed to run the city as they did up until now. However, an organization with higher authority than the council would be established, and people under the Quordentz would take the post.
All of the city\'s walls protecting it from rebellion would belong to the Quordentz, and it would be demolished. Nambonan would be responsible for the cost of demolishing it. The councilors who had caused the war would have all their properties confiscated, and their status reduced to a slave. Additionally, Nambonan City would have to pay reparations to Quordentz. They could pay in installments.
The volunteer army wouldn\'t be questioned for their crime as long as they disarmed. Anyone who refused to obey this order would be executed. Depending on the situation, their families would be executed alongside them.
As I continued on reading, the execution list was in the last, and names were written in it. All names included in the list would be executed without any questions.
「Please wait!」
「Kill him.」
The councilor sitting first in the right stood up and was beheaded by the guard upon receiving the order from father. Fresh blood scattered inside the assembly hall.
「That person rebelled. Therefore, his family will be executed too.」
As though telling a fact, father said indifferently. The councilors, including me, felt fear upon hearing his emotionless voice.
This was a noble.
「Although he was scheduled to be executed, his family would\'ve been pardoned if he stayed quiet…」
Viscount Galliana said regretfully, so that the councilors could hear it. I see. So the person a while ago was included in the execution list. No wonder he was desparate.
「Decide.」
Father said mercilessly. There wasn\'t a single councilor who opposed.
Just like that, the peace conference had come to a smooth end.
The next day.
Father had returned to Nyuneri early in the morning. It seemed that the remaining instructions from now on would be sent through letters.
I\'d come to the residence of one of the councilors. As for what I came here to do, I was here to confiscate their properties. A civil officer expert on these matters would perform the job, but since this was the residence of one of Nambonan\'s representatives, there was a need to prevent them from doing anything on their own.
Therefore, I was asked to watch over the place while they confiscated the properties. The rumor about the blue demon seemed to have spread in a more exaggerated way, making the councilors tremble the whole time.
Entering the residence which looked more splendid than Nambonan Castle, the soldiers were taking the properties under orders from the civil officer. They were moving a large number of gold coins, bundles of something that looked like a certificate of title, and several fine arts. Nambonan seemed to have been really making money.
The residence looked great, and its location was good too. Above all, it was wonderful that it had a bath. I thought about sneaking there to take a bath later.
While I was looking at the empty house after everything with value had been taken away, I noticed someone standing in a daze. A servant?
「Kohali, our father has avoided execution. Stay strong!」
「Brother…? Even so, we\'ve lost everything.… The servants… No one\'s here anymore… Father has been reduced into a slave… Ah… How could this happen…」
The man who appeared to be the girl\'s brother consoled the young girl called Kohali, who was muttering incoherently. While I was looking at them, a civil officer nearby approached me with the soldiers.
「Young Master. The confiscation has been completed. We will be heading to another councilor\'s residence. What will Young Master do now?」
「Go ahead. I\'ve found something that hasn\'t been collected yet.」
Misunderstanding it that I had pointed out his mistake, the civil officer paled and stood straight. I grinned and pointed at that property. The civil officer made an understanding look and then left the residence after giving a bow.
Confirming that the soldiers had left, I stood in front of the remaining two.
「Oh? So there\'s still a remaining property in here.」
I felt blood going down my lower-half.