Chapter 92: The Eve of the White Whale Subjugation (Patreon)

After long preparation and the expenditure of more manpower and resources than anyone could count, the expedition to subdue the White Whale was finally about to begin. At this tense moment, every combatant had gathered in the broad central courtyard of the Karsten estate. Crusch, fully armed, stood in the middle, ready to give her pre-battle address.

Ferris stood behind her with his chest out and a grave expression, without a trace of his usual cutesy act. Wilhelm stood with Heinkel and Reinhard.

Three generations of the Astrea family still seemed to struggle with how to talk to one another. But to Natsuki Subaru's eyes, the reconciliation between grandfather, father and grandson was only one tiny step away.

Subaru stood at the edge of the grounds with his arms crossed, tugging down his hat brim.

"Hey! Brat!"

Heinkel suddenly waved him over.

Credit where it was due: now that the guy was wearing a Royal Guard uniform, he finally looked something like a vice captain. At least he looked worthy of serving as deputy to a hard case like Marcos. His tone, though, was as grating as ever.

Subaru didn't plan to indulge him. He blinked through the shadows to Heinkel's side and whacked him hard on the shoulder.

"Not bad, old man. You almost look human now. And a word of advice: watch your mouth. I still haven't settled the tab from when I bought you drinks."

"Hey, hey, wasn't that your treat? How did you—"

"You… bought Heinkel—Father—drinks?"

Before Heinkel could finish, Wilhelm and Reinhard, one old and one young, turned to Subaru in unison. Their eyes were full of disbelief, as if asking, "How does a high-quality man like you end up hanging around with a low-quality man like this?" Heinkel squirmed in acute embarrassment.

It got worse, because of what Subaru said next.

"Yeah. It was just a few cups at some rundown tavern on my turf. But I've got to say, the guy can really drink. He put away twenty holy gold coins' worth in one go. At border prices in the kingdom…"

Subaru blinked, wearing a "those who know, know" look. It worked: Heinkel earned the scornful gazes of both the older and younger Astrea. Good grief, Heinkel, you're not young anymore, and you made a kid buy you drinks? Twenty holy gold coins, enough to buy a plot of land on the kingdom's border. Just how much can you drink?

Heinkel felt thoroughly wronged and bitter about it. He wanted to say that the twenty coins were someone else's tab at the tavern, but wouldn't that make him look even worse? Getting so drunk that someone else covered even the tip was like swinging naked on a playground swing: his shame had gone clean past the horizon.

"Cough… Well… I really do have this young fellow to thank. He looked after me a great deal while I was away, and I said some things I shouldn't have. Please forgive me, forgive me…"

Heinkel could only put on a smile uglier than crying and desperately try to cozy up to him. Subaru didn't buy it for a second.

"Save it, old man. I suggest you watch yourself instead. This fight is no joke. If you keep acting as flippant as you did before, you'll lose your life."

"I know, I know… Honestly, you're such a nag, and you're just a brat… Why do you sound like my mother?" Heinkel muttered.

"Hm?"

Subaru suddenly glared at him.

For some reason, one look from those eyes was enough to scare Heinkel out of saying another word. It was worse than when Wilhelm used to catch him misbehaving as a child.

"Subaru, whatever happens, thank you. Truly. Without you, I never imagined I would one day fight that beast alongside my father and my grandfather. I don't know how I could ever repay you."

Reinhard stepped forward as well, smoothing things over for his father and changing the subject. For the sake of his brother, Subaru grudgingly spared the unlucky Heinkel and said seriously:

"Don't celebrate too early, my friend. I've got a feeling this is far from as simple as we think."

"The Witch Cult's lapdogs will definitely be watching our moves and scheming something in the dark. And I have a hunch that the tragedy fifteen years ago might be connected to them too."

"Then let them come."

Reinhard's brow was furrowed, a rare sight, and his right hand gripped the hilt of the Dragon Sword.

"I will make them face the kingdom's justice. I swear by the sword in my hand: in this battle, we will reclaim justice for everything that was taken!"

Subaru nodded to him in acknowledgment. Just then, several veteran soldiers in old-style armor walked in through the courtyard entrance.

"They've finally come," Crusch murmured, looking up. The veteran at the head of the group placed a hand over his chest and saluted. None of them had gone gray yet, but the wrinkles on their faces showed the hardships the years had carved into them. It was, frankly, a full-blown band of old men.

"Oh, my comrades from the Zergev Squadron… It brings back memories."

"You know them, Old Man Wil?" Subaru asked, curious.

Wilhelm nodded and explained:

"Forty years ago, we all fought together in the Demi-Human War. Like me, they lost family to the White Whale's rampage, and they have been waiting all this time for a chance at revenge."

There was one thing Wilhelm didn't mention, or rather was a little too embarrassed to mention: like him, these men had all belonged to the Zergev Squadron. They had all once been soldiers under Bordeaux Zergev, the bald old man Subaru had scolded unconscious in the throne hall as a "traitorous minister."

If Subaru had known what Wilhelm was thinking, he would surely have marveled, "You, with your terrible emotional intelligence, actually had such a considerate thought?" It had to be said that Wilhelm's emotional intelligence in dealing with people swung wildly. In the past, he probably wouldn't have considered anyone else's feelings at all, Theresia excepted.

"Lord Wilhelm, we are ready."

The lead veteran stepped forward. His gaze lingered on Wilhelm for a moment, then turned to Subaru beside him, and his eyes grew complicated.

"So… is this the young man?"

"Yes. This is the boy."

Having received Wilhelm's confirmation, the veteran struggled to contain his emotion. He placed both hands on Subaru's shoulders and spoke earnestly.

"Thank you, young man! Thanks to you, we old bones can finally fulfill the wish we've held all these years. Nothing could make us happier. Truly, thank you!"

When he finished, the other veterans behind him bowed to Subaru as well. In the veteran's eyes, the boy before him was undoubtedly someone worthy of respect. But when he thought of what had happened a few days earlier, a flicker of conflict crossed his eyes.

"Gratitude is gratitude, but… there is still a knot in our hearts. We would like an explanation from you."

Hearing this, Crusch frowned slightly and walked over from the center of the courtyard, ready to say something to bail Subaru out. Wilhelm stopped her with a look.

"Fair enough. I've offended quite a few people. Go ahead."

Subaru dropped the smile from his face and looked at the veteran seriously.

The veteran drew a deep breath and spoke slowly, word by word.

"During the Demi-Human War, we followed Lord Bordeaux and fought for our lives against the demi-humans on the front lines. Lord Bordeaux has a hot temper, but he bled for this kingdom, and he took wounds protecting us, his men. He is a true soldier."

"Yet in the throne hall a few days ago, you denounced and humiliated Lord Bordeaux without mercy, in front of everyone."

There was a note of suppressed anger and bitterness in the veteran's voice.

"We know Lord Bordeaux is extreme when it comes to half-elves. But your rebuke did not only condemn what he does now. It denied every sacrifice he made for this kingdom in the past! It chills the hearts of us veterans who bled and sacrificed beside him!"

Subaru looked at the old soldiers. He wasn't angry, and he didn't argue back. He simply listened.

He could feel these veterans' loyalty and respect for Bordeaux, and he could understand their bitterness. After all, what he'd said about Bordeaux at the time hadn't exactly been polite. If anything, it was almost too calm of these old gentlemen to come ask him for an explanation so peacefully.

Still, it surprised Subaru that the bald old man commanded such respect in the kingdom. Why were Lugnica's loyal and virtuous men each more bizarre than the last?

At the very least, it explained why he hadn't been replaced by the Witch Cult. The old man was old, but in his youth he'd had some real fighting skill, so he wasn't easy to impersonate.

Just as Subaru was pondering how to answer, an aged but commanding voice suddenly rang out from the courtyard entrance.

"In this matter, the one who should apologize is me!"

Everyone froze and turned their heads instinctively.

Miklotov, with his long white beard, was leading a hulking old man into the courtyard. One look at the thick brows and bald head was enough to know this was Bordeaux Zergev, the man Subaru had scolded unconscious in front of everyone.

At the sight of Bordeaux, the veterans shuddered, and disbelief spread across their faces.

"Lord Bordeaux?!"

"How could you…"

Bordeaux ignored his men's cries. With heavy steps, he walked up to Subaru one step at a time.

Before the astonished eyes of everyone present, the man who had once been arrogant, stubborn, and deeply prejudiced against half-elves slowly bent his proud back and bowed deeply to Subaru.

"Lord Subaru."

Bordeaux's voice trembled slightly, but it echoed through the courtyard with perfect clarity.

"I have come to apologize to you, and to Lady Emilia, for the words I misspoke in the throne hall and for my foolish arrogance these past decades."

The entire courtyard fell into dead silence.

The veterans gaped, their eyes full of shock and confusion. They never would have imagined that Lord Bordeaux, who had held his neck stiff all his life and never bowed to anyone, would lower his head to a young man today and admit his fault of his own accord.

"Lord Bordeaux! You don't need to do this!" The lead veteran rushed forward to help him up.

"Stand back!"

Bordeaux barked in a low voice, with an authority that brooked no argument. He straightened and looked at Subaru. In those slightly clouded eyes shone a clarity that had never been there before.

"Lord Subaru, your rebuke in the hall struck like a heavy hammer and smashed awake this old man who was only pretending to sleep."

"Because I lost so many comrades in the Demi-Human War, and because I feared the Witch, I piled all my hatred and prejudice onto Lady Emilia."

It was the truth. After Subaru had scolded him unconscious that day, he had indeed sunk into gloom for quite some time. Then his old friend Miklotov came to visit and told him everything that had happened in the meantime. He learned that the Witch Cult had infiltrated the entire kingdom, that Subaru had exposed the cultists disguised as Council of Wise Men members in the throne hall, and that Emilia and Anastasia, the two royal candidates, were running ceaselessly to purge the Witch Cult from the royal capital.

Only then did Bordeaux finally wake up.

In a sense, everything Subaru had said to him was right. Such a vicious plot had unfolded right under his nose, and the royal family's mysterious illness might even be connected to it. How laughable that he had once run all over trying to find a cure, never realizing that the real culprit was hiding right beside him, among his colleagues on the Council of Wise Men.

He had been so reckless and so foolish!

Every time he thought of this, Bordeaux could not suppress his guilt and self-reproach.

"I used 'for the sake of the kingdom' as a high-sounding reason to cover my own cowardice and selfishness. I never saw that I myself had nearly destroyed this kingdom through arrogance and incompetence, and almost ruined the efforts of the young people who truly wanted to save it."

Bordeaux turned his head and looked at the veterans.

"Brothers, this is all my fault. It has been proven that I cannot spend my whole life in the shadows of the past, using old hatreds to hold the present future hostage. That is not honor. It is a shackle."

He looked back at Subaru, and a somewhat relieved smile spread across his face.

"Now the Council of Wise Men has become history. Just as the chaos and suffering of the Demi-Human War will one day become history too."

Bordeaux exchanged a glance with Miklotov beside him, drew a deep breath, and turned to face the expeditionary soldiers standing ready. His voice suddenly turned loud and fierce, as though he had become again the general who once charged across battlefields.

"And from this day on, the Mabeast White Whale, which has ravaged the world for four hundred years and taken the lives of countless family and comrades, will also become history!!"

"Ooooooh——!!"

The entire courtyard instantly erupted in thunderous cheers.

The soldiers raised their weapons high, faces flushed, roaring wildly. The veterans' eyes reddened too. They looked at Bordeaux, then at Subaru, and the grudge in their hearts vanished in an instant, replaced by a fighting spirit and a release they had never felt before.

Subaru watched the scene, the corners of his mouth rising slightly. He walked up to Bordeaux and held out his right hand.

"Old man Bordeaux, we got off on the wrong foot, but I have to admit, you're an old hero after all. What I said about you before may have been unfair. My apologies!"

Bordeaux stared at the outstretched hand, startled, then burst into hearty laughter. He extended his broad, callused palm and gripped Subaru's tightly.

"Ha! To knock sense into this rusty head of mine, nothing less than a drastic measure would have done. You're a good kid. Go! Bring me back that monster's head!"

"No problem. Leave it to me!"

Subaru nodded firmly, his eyes shining with resolve.

—Ah, how touching. You're playing along with these mortals' dull little drama again.

Deathwing's mocking whisper suddenly sounded in his mind.

—You know perfectly well that with our power, we could easily destroy that creation of the Witch and take its strength for ourselves. We could even make these mortals worship us. Why bother with all this trouble?

—You don't really believe a mortal's burning blood can defeat the White Whale, do you? You'll soon learn that power is everything!

With that, without giving Subaru any chance to retort, Deathwing slipped back into the depths of his consciousness. It was like someone running up, slapping you across the face, and bolting before you could hit back.

He had to admit, that dragon was getting better and better at being disgusting.

"We'll see about that, mad dragon."

Subaru pulled his hat brim lower and muttered to himself.

"If you think you can tempt me, you're about a hundred thousand years short."

In the night sky, magic lamps flickered, lighting up faces full of resolve and hope.

This night was destined to be the night when mortals rewrote history with their own hands!