The Amber Sword

TL: So there’s a WIP of that armor I was talking about back then when you click the read more button.

There’s also something about the TLing of my version to another language.

And the current update situation is still going to continue at a one chapter per week, because I’m going to be really busy with finishing my assignments.

Chapter 34 – The meeting with Marden again

TL: I saw there’s a request to TL my version of The Amber Sword to another language, and I need to respond properly to this and future requests.

I can’t really say yes to that.

The problem is that I have edited the original raws quite a bit. There are small events in my version that did not happen in the raws (the most recent example is the battle against Boss Ebdon, some stuff isn’t there at all.), and there are stuff that I cut out completely from the raws due to various reasons. I do believe that my edits to TAS’s events to be better but my version clearly strays from the original, and TLing my version to another language makes me feel uncomfortable.

That being said, I won’t stop you from using my TLed stuff to another language, just that I feel that you should take the raws rather than use my version to respect the author as much as possible.

Some time after that, Mackey informed him that Bretton was severely depressed over the guilt of losing his companions and blamed himself for the past month, and only became a little better until recently. Brendel again fell into silence for a moment upon listening, secretly impressed with Bretton’s character.

When their reunion party was approaching its end, a group of young Silver Winged cavalry soldiers even came in to their room to join the party. Brendel exchanged glances with Batum when they saw them.

[It seems that my plan to distribute the glory amongst the mercenaries also helped out by winning some people over. If all the glory went to me alone, something like this wouldn’t happen at all as I would appear to be someone out of reach.]

Once the celebration was over, Marden came to him in private to inquire on the matters about the nobles. Brendel made Freya stay behind and said:

“Captain Marden, the truth is the situation has already been decided. The representatives of the White-Mane Army will make contact with us very soon and tell us of their decisions. But there’s no need to worry about this. Whatever decisions they made has nothing to do with us, and the only thing we need to do is to simply accept whatever rewards they want to give.”

“Can you explain?” Marden asked.

“The situation is basically like this. They need people to be heroes, someone like you or Freya who performed admirably. They want people from the guards or the militia so that the citizens are able to link them to the regional forces. Since you led the Bucce’s villagers to safety successfully, and you represent the formal army of Aouine, your glory can be considered to be part of the nobles as well.”

Brendel rubbed his forehead.

“But a group of mercenaries leading two thousand refugees out from Madara’s army that is comprised of tens of thousands of undead? That’s a problem for the White-Mane army. If they handle this situation badly, they would become a laughing stock. Since the rumors have already spread throughout the southern region of Grinoires, they have no choice but to admit this event took place. Their main concern is how to handle this delicate situation.”

“I see, we’re actually a guise for the real people who are going to receive the rewards?” Batum suddenly said.

Brendel nodded: “The nobles have their eyes on Freya because she was part of the army that led Fortress Riedon’s refugees out.”

“Me?” Freya was engrossed in the discussion, but she suddenly woke up once she heard her name: “Brendel, I —“

“Freya, listen to what I have to say first.” Brendel interrupted her. She paused for a moment before nodding.

Marden was quiet after listening to Brendel’s analysis. He found it difficult to accept that the nobles looked at this war like the only thing that mattered was their appearance in the public, instead of finding a solution to the undead blight.

[What exactly are we fighting for…?]

Brendel continued: “The Silver Winged cavalry have their own principals. They dislike to work with the mercenaries because they think that they are full of greed, and to fight in a war just for money was not something they can accept.”

Batum scoffed and his face was full of displeasure.

Brendel looked at him and smiled: “However, when times demand for it, they would still send someone privately to contact them—“

“Hypocrites.” Batum’s beard seemed to bristle.

“You can describe them that way, or you can say that their vanity is the reason for their attitude.”

“But are these nobles not short-sighted to think this way?” Marden still found it hard to believe that the high nobles would be so shallow.

“Short-sighted?” Brendel shook his head.

[The nobles are no fools and certainly not short-sighted. If anything they understand the soldiers in the army better than they understood themselves. No, these nobles are brilliant, but the greed and vanity that they have are the reasons why they chose to do things in this manner.

If they have power and the army behind them, these nobles would be able to become independent and disregard the royal crown. Even if Madara invaded their territory, they would be fine with it because Madara will retreat at some point. And in the case where something was to go horribly wrong, their collected wealth would allow them to settle in another country in the continent without any problems at all.

The only people who are going to suffer is the lowest denominator. If that’s the case, why would the nobles care other than vying for more power?]

Brendel continued: “No, they don’t care because they know that Madara is going to retreat soon. What is important is how they appear in the public. And when Madara’s undead retreat, they would want to choose someone from the militia to be decorated as a hero. When the citizens look at that hero, they would immediately think of Aouine’s formal army instead of the mercenaries.”

“But, isn’t Gaspard a better choice? He’s the captain in charge of Fortress Riedon’s public security, isn’t he a better choice?” Freya restrained herself from talking about Taron. (TL: Taron is from the Fortress Riedon’s white mane army.)

Brendel shook his head. “No, that’s the worst choice for the superiors of the White-Mane Army. The cavalry in Fortress Riedon belongs to the nobles, a private army created to curb the power of the White-Mane Army’s infantry. Do you really think that the military nobles of the White Mane Army is going to allow this to happen?”

Everyone realized that Freya seemed like the best choice after Brendel explained to them, and even Freya found herself unable to argue with Brendel.