STGB Episode 495

Declaration of War(6)

A declaration of war that had been held back for over ten years.

“……!!”

“……!!”

Whether it was the mages, the citizens filling the square, or the knights of Mozlan, everyone’s jaws dropped and eyes widened.

The kind of faces that said, “Did I really just hear that?”

The old mage, who had been wearing a similar expression, finally managed to gather his wits and spoke.

“This is too serious to be a joke.”

Joke…?

Well, it’s true that when people are confronted with something shocking, denial is the first reaction.

I decided not to answer and waited a moment.

The barbarians needed time to process this too.

About three seconds, maybe.

“…Wa-war!!”

One warrior shouted, and that was the spark.

A fierce roar followed.

“It’s war!!”

“Everyone, draw your weapons!!”

“Bethel—raaaaaaa!!”

As over a thousand warriors roared in unison, the group of mages guarding the front of the Mage Tower visibly flinched.

I could understand why.

It’s absurd to compare the combat power of mages and warriors based on their size alone, but…….

The visual effect was undeniable.

“Uwaaaaaa!”

“U! U! U! U! U! U! U!”

The average height of these muscular barbarians is around two meters ten, and seeing them form a massive troop as if they might charge at any moment is enough to make anyone shrink back.

“Old man.”

I took a large step towards the group of over a hundred mages and asked.

“Does it still sound like a joke to you?”

“……”

The old mage didn’t answer, his face blank, as if he were dreaming.

Hey, people are talking.

Thud.

Just as I was about to take another step.

“H-hey, Baron Jandel! Y-you can’t do this!”

A knight of Mozlan rushed over, clearly panicked.

He had been momentarily stunned by the barbarians’ frenzied energy, but it seemed he had finally remembered his role.

“W-war, you say? Let’s all calm down and talk this through, shall we? For the sake of the royal family…!”

For someone who was flustered, his phrasing wasn’t bad.

If he had tried to threaten me by implying the royal family wouldn’t stand idly by, the atmosphere would have turned even uglier.

“Dialogue, huh…”

“Y-yes! Surely, we can find common ground through dialogue! Both the Mage Tower and the barbarians are pillars supporting this city, aren’t they? For the sake of the city, please…!”

The knight tried desperately to buy time, and I pretended to think before nodding.

“Alright!”

“Really?”

Yes, the show of force should be enough by now.

I had no intention of actually storming the wizard’s tower.

The attention of the entire city had been drawn sufficiently.

If we stormed in now, only the barbarians would be seen as the villains.

Yes, well…

“Lewin Pastolm of the Egatil School!”

I began to call out names one by one.

“Lurendel Rungonerd of the Hulbent School! Odwik Bertef of the Alterse School! Elenel Dwaynain of the Galatir School!”
As I called out the names of the mages affiliated with the Mage Tower, the citizens listened intently, wondering what was happening.

“Ebound School’s Tols Ellin! Ornstalt School’s Ucla Tragzig! Wilton School’s….”

After listing a total of 21 mage names, I turned to the old mage.

“Old man, do you know who these people are?”

“Of course. They are mostly young and talented mages who will lead the next generation.”

“No, you’re wrong.”

“These are the mages who have commissioned the traitors of the black market to seek the hearts of the barbarians!”

Every war needs a justification.

“Ah! So that’s why the barbarians were in the Mage’ Tower…”

“They rescued slaves from the black market, and that’s when they got such information!”

The onlookiers finally understood why I came to the mage tower and nodded. They agreed that they would have protested too if they were in my shoes.

But…

If I was going to end it with just that, I wouldn’t even have come.

An appetizer is still just an appetizer—it can’t be the main course.

“Master of the Triten School, Lurendel Gallinbarret.”

I called out one more name and asked, “Do you know who this is?”

“……”

The old mage said nothing, like someone who’d been advised by a lawyer to keep quiet.

Well, staying silent won’t change the truth.

“He is the one who made a commission to the black market’s rebels. Specifically, for my heart.”

I dropped the bomb without the slightest hesitation.

“……!!”

“……!!”

This was a completely different matter from simply ordering the hearts of barbarians.

The heart of a specific, living person.

This order was essentially a request for assassination.

“…Sir Guirn, if these words are true, not only will that man’s head be on the line, but the Mage Tower will also have to take responsibility.”

Even the Mozlan knight, who had been trying to figure out how to stop me, changed his expression and pressured the old mage.

After all, Mozlan wasn’t the knights of the mages.

Mozlan was created to uphold the authority of the nobility.

“…Nothing is confirmed yet. But I promise you this: if such a thing did occur, it will be strictly investigated under the principles of the Mage Tower.”

The old mage made a vague promise, and the Mozlan Knight could say no more.

They acknowledged the seriousness of the matter, but without the authority to make judgments on the spot, they had to step back.

Of course, I had no such limitations.

“The Mage Tower is suspected of colluding with the traitors of the black market. Therefore, your investigation cannot be trusted.”

“…Regardless of the Baron’s trust, this is within our authority. Moreover, there is no evidence yet.”

“Evidence, huh…”

Yeah, I expected that kind of response.

I pulled out an ancient barbarian secret technique.

“I swear.”

“……?”

“As the chief of the barbarians and the son of Jandel, Baron of the Kingdom of Raphdonia, Bjorn swear in the name of the tribe and the kingdom! All the words I have spoken here today are true!”

Just a hollow oath.

But that was enough.

To convince every crowd present.

“To declare in front of everyone, you must be quite confident.”

“Then, would the Baron lie?”

“You filthy mages! How dare you plot against Baron Jandel!”

“Bring the culprits forth for punishment!”

The heroic deeds I’ve accomplished, the weight of my name, the stubborn impression and goodwill I’ve left on the city, and the justification I’ve laid out—all of it combined to sway public opinion.

“Sir Guirn, since the Baron has gone this far, you must also provide an explanation.”

“I’ve told you. We will conduct the investigation ourselves.”

“You are free to do that, but do you really want to? Just calling them and asking would end it.”

“……”

“By tonight, Mozlan will likely have the authority to investigate the mages of the mage tower. A conspiracy to assassinate nobility is a grave matter. Do you really wish for that?”

The moment the Mozlans received investigative authority, the mage tower would be thoroughly examined by the state power.

There would be many rotten parts.

But the old mage refused.

“I appreciate the concern, but we will handle that ourselves, so there’s no need to worry.”

“You’re choosing a difficult path. Just call them out and question them—it’s that simple, yet you refuse.”

“……”

The old mage exercised his right to remain silent, and with that, public opinion was sealed.

Silence can sometimes be the clearest answer.

“You filthy Mage Tower scum! I knew it!”

“Are they really going to protect the ones who tried to harm our Baron?”

The narrative was clear: the Mage Tower was an evil force, and the barbarians’ anger was justified.

Had the old man promised to summon and punish the mages I’d named, this might never have gone so far. But…

‘He must be thinking that if they can just get through today, they’ll find some way to smooth things over—whether by lobbying or whatever else.’

And thanks to that approach, I was able to go one step further.

“Listen, proud citizens of this city who believe in fair opportunities and pursue justice!”

As I shouted at the top of my lungs, the crowd, which had been hurling insults at the Magie Tower, fell silent.

The perfect moment for incitement.

“The corrupt mages of the Mage Tower have no intention of admitting their crimes! They’re too busy protecting their own! All they need to do is call out those resting in their labs and verify the truth, but they refuse to do even that simple task! Isn’t that right?”

“That’s right!”

I reinforced the idea that we were on the side of justice.

“They’ll probably go back, destroy the evidence, and shamelessly return with fabricated results. It’s obvious. We’ve seen this too many times. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s right—!!”

I stirred up the anger that the common people naturally harbored.

And at the same time, I told them that I would no longer stand by and watch such crimes helplessly.

That I, Bjorn, son of Jandel, would carry that long-buried anger and move forward on their behalf.

“I, Bjorn, son of Jandel!”

Swearing on my name—

“I promise you! The justice of this city, established under the sacred laws of Raphdonia, will be restored today!”

As soon as I made the oath, the already heated crowd erupted into cheers.

“Wooooooah!!”

Okay, the mood is ripe now.

With the civilians mixed in, the mages won’t be able to react properly.

Yeah, the stage is set.

So…

“Huuuu…”

I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and then shouted with all my might.

“Chaaaaaarge!!”

After the war with the fairies, we’ve held back and endured.

It’s time to remind this city, which has forgotten what kind of race the barbarians are, of our true nature.

“Bethel—raaaaaaa!!”

We don’t settle things with words.
***
Alex Halo, the deputy commander of the 3rd Mage Battalion.

After finishing his daily report, he glanced at his superior before leaving the office.

The neatly pressed uniform despite the overwhelming workload.

The tired but sharp blue eyes.

The small hand holding a pen…

“What are you doing? Aren’t you leaving?”

Startled by his superior’s words, he quickly opened his mouth to explain.

“I, I noticed you’ve been reading the newspapers a lot lately.”

“Ah… this?”

Indeed, on his superior’s desk, there were stacks of newspapers from various companies.

However, when he pointed it out, his usually confident superior averted his eyes.

As if embarrassed.

“It’s just… a hobby. Being cooped up here every day is suffocating, you know? I need to know what’s happening in the world.”

“…I see.”

But the newspapers on his superior’s desk always had the same content. No, more accurately, the subject of the articles was always the same.

“I hear there has been a lot of noise lately. Baron Jandel’s name has been added to the Stone of Honour, right?”

“That’s right. When we first met, it was just a joke, but now he’s truly become a ‘great warrior.'”

There was a hint of loneliness in her voice.

Alex tilted his head in confusion.

“Aren’t you happy? Baron Jandel was also your former colleague.”

“Former colleague… yes…”

“Ah……”

Realizing his mistake too late, Alex held his tongue.

As he watched his superior gaze out the window with a distant look, he felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest.

Incompetent subordinates like himself.

He could never produce such an expression.

“……”

“……”

As if remembering the past, his superior silently cupped her chin and looked out the window, while Alex stared blankly at his profile.

How long did that last?

“Deputy commander! There’s an emergency deployment order……!”

The office door burst open, and a member of the unit rushed in.

Their commander, as if snapping out of a daze, quickly stood up and grabbed her coat

She had no choice.

The 3rd Mage Corps wasn’t part of the Public Safety Bureau or Mozlan, which handled public order. An emergency deployment order from the royal military meant something far more serious than a simple riot was unfolding in the city.

“Explain in detail.”

As she made her way to the parade ground where the troops were assembling, she questioned her subordinate and quickly grasped the situation, which could be summarized in a single sentence.

Baron Jandel was leading his tribe towards the Mage Tower.

“There have been no clashes yet, but reports confirm that they are definitely heading for the Mage Tower.”

“Why? There must be a reason for him to take such action.”

“We are still confirming. However, with an armed group of over a thousand on the move, it seems that the Public Security Bureau has requested military support.”

“I see…”

True to the military’s efficiency, within minutes of the emergency call, the entire corps had gathered at the training ground. They immediately boarded carriages and headed for the military transport platform.

“Commander, this seems like a really big deal. It doesn’t look like our corps is the only one getting deployment orders.”

Aside from their corps, numerous military carriages were lined up along the route to the transport platform.

Despite Alex’s words, the commander remained silent.

She just nervously bit her nails, something she never did under normal circumstances.

“That man… what kind of trouble is he trying to cause this time…?”

Seeing her evident anxiety, Alex tried to offer words of reassurance.

Baron Jandel is a smart man.

And with so much at stake, he must be heading to the Mage Tower just to stage a show of force.

There’s no need to worry too much.

It wasn’t just empty words; he really believed what he was saying. But the Commander’s anxious expression showed no sign of easing.

“……Alex. I think you’re misunderstanding something. Right now, I’m not worried about Baron Jandel.”

“Huh…? But still, it’s the Mage Tower we’re talking about.”

Alex couldn’t understand.

As a former member of the Mage Tower himself, he knew better than anyone the power and authority it held.

So why was she so worried?

As he pondered, his Commander spoke again.

“Do you remember what happened to the Explorer’s Guild because of him?”

“Ah, you mean that false accusation incident…”

“Yes. Back then, a massive escape occurred, and the entire guild branch was destroyed. The regional manager was held accountable and lost the next election because of it.”

“Still… the guild and the Magie Tower are different.”

Even if you consider the entire Explorer’s Guild, it’s nothing compared to the Mage Tower.

But…

“I… used to think that way too… That the guild and the Mage Tower were fundamentally different. That the Mage Tower wasn’t the kind of organization that could be swayed by a single barbarian…”

“Are you saying… that’s not the case anymore?”

Raven nodded without hesitation.

“Yes. Because now, he’s not just a single barbarian anymore. When he single-handedly turned things upside down back then, he was just a barbarian who had barely been an adult for two months. But what about now?”

Alex couldn’t find the words to respond.

Years had passed since then, and now he was the leader of his race and a baron of the kingdom.

“More than anything… I know him well.”

“……?”

“Alex, trust me. If he’s done something, no matter how reckless it seems, it’s not really reckless.”

Even with her words, Alex still couldn’t fully understand. But it wasn’t appropriate to argue with his commander, so he held his tongue.

Rumble, rumble.

As the carriage sped down the road, they soon arrived at the military transport platform.

Bzzt, bzzt—!

A new message came through the communication stone.

[Clash, a clash has occurred! Baron Jandel and the barbarian warriors have entered the Mage Tower! Please send reinforcements immediately!]

Even with this shocking report, the commander simply let out a long sigh.

As if she had been preparing herself for this moment all along.

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