#145. The Pride of a King Differs from That of His Subjects
It was Sharcelle who, having once “gone into hiding on a mission,” had accomplished this monumental feat.
He knelt before her, wiping off little more than dust and sweat.
“As you commanded, we have located the Cartian royal entourage moving from Ilam Province to their villa.”
Blanche had instructed Sharcelle to search Ilam Province with fifty cavalry. She had even drawn the route, confident that the royal party’s destination was certainly the Cartian villa. Finding the royals along that path was hardly a difficult task.
The villa would have a stationed guard, of course, but during their journey, only a minimal escort was present to allow for rapid travel. Sharcelle had used his wits to easily disrupt the escort.
“Well done. Had it not been for your brilliance, we could not have arranged a means of negotiation so quickly. There will be time before the negotiations begin, so let the soldiers rest well.”
Indeed, the generals, who had previously failed to understand Blanche’s actions, now nodded in comprehension. If their plan was to force a surrender by leveraging the royal family, there was no need to occupy every passing region or even to besiege the capital.
With the sense of ease restored, the soldiers indulged in a traditional pastime: disparaging the enemy.
“But to evacuate only one’s own family during wartime… the Cartian king truly does not understand pride,” one remarked.
Soldiers, by nature, had little else to do but insult and criticize their foes, regardless of whether the sun rose or set. Blanche knew this, but she did not intend to leave such trivial amusements unchecked, especially when morale need not be bolstered by battle.
She calmly rebutted her subordinate’s comment.
“No, it was precisely because he understood pride that he evacuated them.”
The general from Lamore, caught completely off guard by a contradiction from someone on their own side—especially a superior—could only gape in surprise.
Blanche ignored the reaction and continued.
“The pride of a king—especially one responsible for an entire nation—differs from that of a subject. If a subject evacuated only their family for personal safety, that could be considered cowardice. But if a king evacuates his family, that is wisdom. Suppose I were to attack and the capital fell. If the king and the heir were all present in the city, Cartia would be finished. By remaining himself and sending the heirs to safety, the king made the right choice. The fact that he did not flee himself proves that the Cartian king understands pride.”
From Blanche’s mouth came a surprisingly high evaluation of the enemy.
A knight, intrigued, asked, “But Your Highness, if the enemy truly understands pride and cares for the nation’s well-being, wouldn’t taking hostages be useless?”
If the king truly evacuated the heirs for the nation’s sake, he should not surrender. After all, he himself remained unharmed in the capital.
Blanche simply nodded.
“An excellent point. You are correct. Ordinarily, a king would not surrender even if his family perished. Between the safety of his family and the well-being of the nation, the latter must naturally take precedence.”
The generals’ faces darkened slightly. Blanche continued, undeterred.
“But there are two more issues here, Lord Hemero.”
“Yes!”
Lord Hemero, surprised that his name was called, straightened and replied.
“Have you solved the task I gave you?”
She referred to the difference between those who chose battle and those who chose surrender along the route.
Hemero hesitated, then answered with effort.
“Those who fought outside were those who had no choice but to risk defeat.”
Blanche gestured for him to explain further.
“In other words, they were relatively loyal to the king. Even if their own lands were trampled in defeat, they could not refuse the king’s command.”
Hemero seemed unsure of himself, but Blanche readily accepted his answer.
“Very good. Now, the difference between those who locked the gates and those who surrendered?”
“Uh…”
Blanche did not scold him for hesitating and continued herself.
“I’ll accept half the answer. The key difference is whether one has something to lose by surrendering.”
She turned her gaze toward the gates of Cartia’s capital, firmly shut.
“In fact, for them, the best choice would have been to simply lock the gates. Whether they surrendered or remained behind locked doors, they could escape unharmed. If we were to lose, though, surrender would be meaningless. So why surrender at all?”
“We believed we would win,” another knight answered.
“Correct,” Blanche said shortly, not averting her gaze.
“We had already overturned a tenfold difference in forces. So those who surrendered believed we would win this war. That leaves only those who chose to defend the city. If they believed we would win, surrendering quickly would yield better terms. If they believed we would lose, they would need to fight us to justify their stance. So why lock the gates? They risk nothing immediately, but gain nothing after the war ends either.”
At that moment, the generals recalled Blanche’s initial summary.
“You mean, because choosing another option risked a loss, they had to forgo potential gain?”
“Exactly. Likely, local lords remain in the capital. If they surrendered, the lord beside the king would be in a very difficult position.”
“So only those less loyal to the king remained along the path we passed?”
“Precisely. Of course, in regions we did not pass, royalists remain—but not all are loyal. This is the first problem.”
Blanche then raised her hand, pointing to the city walls.
“I told you that the king’s choice was rational and for the nation’s sake. But before that explanation, even you thought it cowardly. Naturally, the people inside will think the same. This is the second problem.”
This would sap morale. Even a strong fortress could not withstand a siege without morale, just like castles that voluntarily opened gates despite being able to avoid harm.
“Let’s return to the original point. The king made the best choice. He remained to defend his position, and evacuated the heir as a precaution. By that logic, it is rational for the king not to open the gates. One ruler is enough, whether heir or king. The heir can be reinstated after the war or chosen from another branch.”
Although cruel words for a girl not yet twenty, Blanche’s authority allowed everyone to accept them.
“However, a siege only prevents defeat; to win, reinforcements must arrive. Yet because of the first problem, the king cannot expect aid. After losing troops gathered nationwide, the remaining forces barely suffice to win—and some will not support him. And because of the second problem, the people inside may feel betrayed and angry. Under these circumstances, choosing to sacrifice my own family would be nearly impossible.”
“Even if they wait, they’ll assume defeat is inevitable…”
“Exactly. People usually consider only the worst or the best. Both can occur, but those fearing the worst may forsake even the best options, while those hoping only for the best may accept the worst.”
Blanche, her expression calm, fixed her gaze on the city walls as she concluded.
“Therefore, Cartia will fall within three days.”
Her words sounded almost like a prophecy. And Blanche was always the one to make her proclamations reality.
Indeed, roughly forty hours after the Lamore forces released the hostages, Cartia’s capital opened its gates.
The king stepped down from his throne and bowed before Blanche, not a warrior but a commander.
It was the end of Cartia, a kingdom with a 300-year history.
