Chapter 11: Ludwig the Talent Scout

"I apologize for troubling you to come here at such an hour, Captain Dion."

"Not at all, Your Highness. As common soldiers, it is our duty to obey your wishes, no matter the time or place."

Dion lowered himself to one knee and bowed his head to the princess who'd saved the lives of his men. It was, for him, a rare display of respect, but the cynical air he always carried about him made it seem just short of fully sincere.

"I-Is that so? Well, all right then. It's a little creepy to hear that from you, but..." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and leaning warily away from him before clearing her throat. "Anyway. There's something I need to do, and I'd like to ask for your help."

After hearing her explain her intentions, he frowned.

"You want to go back to the forest... to find your hairpin?"

Is it really valuable or something? So far, she hasn't seemed like the kind of person to get hung up about stuff like that, though... Maybe it's a present from someone special?

Despite postulating a number of possibilities in his head, her ensuing answer only confused him further.

"...It's something you received from a beggar child?"

Sure, it might be an heirloom from the kid's mother, but he couldn't understand why she wanted it back badly enough that she'd go all the way back to the forest.

"I'm aware that it's a selfish request, and you may have reservations..."

"Sure. Let's go, I don't mind."

"...Eh?"

"Your Highness did me a great favor by creating an opportunity for me to withdraw the troops. The least I can do is indulge a couple of selfish requests."

Besides, there's more to it than just selfishness, right?

Though he left the latter part unsaid, he displayed no hesitation in agreeing to her request.

"That said, I can't move the troops, so if you don't mind, I'll bring you there myself."

"Y-You mean... Just the two of us?!" Mia's face went a few shades whiter before she managed to squeeze out a few more words. "I-I suppose... that will have to do..."

Her voice trembled as if she were on the verge of tears.

"Captain Dion."

A voice stopped Dion as he stepped out of the room.

"Ah, Mr. Ludwig."

He looked over to discover Mia's close aide waiting for him.

"If I could also ask you a favor... Please do everything in your power to ensure Her Highness returns safely. The empire needs her. Both now... and in the future."

"As you wish. I'm a man who pays his debts, and I owe Her Highness a big one. I'll try my best." He casually saluted Ludwig and turned to go.

"One more thing. If I could make just one more request..."

Dion stopped and glanced back, seeing a sense of resolve in Ludwig's eyes. Dion tensed.

"Yes? What else can I do for you, Mr. Ludwig?"

"Once this incident is fully concluded, I'd like you to join our cause and become one of Her Highness's allies."

"Join your cause, you say? Those aren't words to throw around lightly. I was under the impression that your dear princess isn't very fond of me, but..."

Considering this invitation was coming from one of her most trusted aides, he must have misjudged what she thought of him.

"Also, you're not giving me much to work with here. What exactly is this going to entail? Am I supposed to join the imperial guards and do the whole serve and protect thing? Not that I wouldn't, mind you. Hell, that doesn't sound half bad."

"That is indeed a tempting proposal. Considering your skill with the sword, Her Highness will probably be safer with you than any other guard. But," he continued with a shake of his head, "that's not it."

Even Dion wasn't ready for what he said next.

"My request... is for you to become a general."

"Huh? You want me to do what? A general? You mean of the army?" He stared at Ludwig in shock.

"You see, I have strings I can pull in the Golden Moon Ministry and other departments that handle domestic affairs. But I have no connections in the Ebony Moon Ministry, and therefore, no influence over military affairs. In order for Her Highness to do as she plans, she'll need more than just office types like me. She needs allies in the military, and not just any allies. She needs someone who both understands what she's working towards and has the capability to help her get there."

"So you want me to claw my way to the top and help her from there?"

What Ludwig was asking of him was arguably even tougher than putting his life on the line to protect Mia as an imperial guard. For someone like him, who had no desire for titles or prestige, politics was nothing but a pain. Promotions were the last thing he was interested in.

"You know, that sounds like... it might be fun."

Which was why he was surprised to hear the words that came out of his own mouth. However, the more he thought about it, the less strange it seemed. For soldiers, putting their lives on the line was part and parcel of the job. If he was going to die in the line of duty, it did seem better to do so serving Mia than to get sent to his death under the braindead orders of some noble.

"Either way, that's all just wishful thinking. There's no guarantee we're even going to make it out of that forest alive, never mind resolving this conflict peacef— What's so funny?"

He cocked an eyebrow at Ludwig, who was chuckling at him.

"Oh, don't mind me. I just find all this rather amusing."

"What? You think I'm wasting my time worrying because you're sure that Her Highness'll find a way to fix this mess?"

"That's part of it, yes, but what I find most amusing is that you, Captain Dion, seem to think so as well."

Dion froze. Slowly, he looked down at his hand, which rested on the hilt of his sword. It was true that he wasn't actually worried, but he'd thought it was because of his confidence in his own ability.

Was I also thinking that so long as I leave it to the princess, things will turn out okay?

He snorted. The thought was both amusing and terribly vexing.

The secret talks that took place this evening would later become a renowned piece of history, appearing in numerous textbooks and papers. They featured two prominent characters. The first was the famed chancellor Ludwig, who would eventually come to be known as one of Mia's Band of Four. The second — also one of the Four — was the great general Dion Alaia. As both allies and friends, the two men devoted themselves to Mia's cause. The bond they shared was forged through a lifetime of shared adversity, but it all began on that fateful night of secret talks.