A cloudy sky with not a single star in sight.
　It's as if it hints at the future of this Roserian kingdom.
　A cold north wind roars through the plains, roaring as it runs across the plains.
　The walls of the fortified city of Iphiroth, which rises in the dark night, are illuminated by the moon, which faintly appears through the thick clouds.
''It's a nasty night...''
　Roberto Beltran said, glancing at the blood-stained moon that was momentarily visible through the bars, and then roughly closed the silken curtain.
　The red moon has long been passed down as a sign of a bad omen.
　Indeed, if the normally pale moon is tinted red, you can't help but feel uneasy.
　And moreover, Roberto is a born-and-bred warrior.
　It's not that he's sparing his life, but it's natural that he'd want to take an experience.
　And moreover, the current Roberto is trapped in this room. If I were to say, he's a caged bird.
But........what the hell is going on outside?　I heard the battle ended in a victory for Baron Mikoshiba's side, but...
　Roberto sank deeper into the sofa as he sipped directly at the bottle of brandy on the table and paused to peach it.
　The strong burning sensation of alcohol running through your body.
　It's the rich aroma that spreads in your mouth.
　It's a top quality liquor that even Robert, who has more discernment than an ordinary aristocrat thanks to Count Salzberg's attention, has no doubt about.
　After all, the brandy that Roberto just sipped was definitely worth more than a gold coin, no matter how cheap it was.　　
　Then he throws a piece of cheese from the snack on the table into his mouth.
'Despite the circumstances, the taste is unbearable no matter how many times I drink it...'　
　His family, Baron Bertrand's family, is on the fringes of the aristocracy, but they are not wealthy by any means.
　It would have been different if there was a promising vein of ore, but unfortunately, the main industries of Baron Bertrand's family are mostly agriculture and animal husbandry.
　Since it's near the border with the Zaruda Kingdom, forestry is also done to some extent, but it's only enough to meet the demand of the territory.
　The fiefdoms are occupied with their daily lives.
　Naturally, the lord can only have a reasonable amount of economic power as well.
　Well, he's an aristocrat, even if he's a weak baronial family. There's no shortage of daily food, but it's fair to say that they can hardly afford to spend money on luxury goods.
　Of course, it would be possible to live a lavish life even in Baron Beltran's domain if you were to collect a harsh tax.
　But such an impossibility can't last forever, and a fool who can't understand that won't be able to keep his house.
　Inevitably, Baron Bertrand's family has a tendency to emphasize frugality and frugality.
　However, on the other hand, they can't afford not to maintain their aristocratic appearance to a certain extent.
　You can't ignore the fact that it's also meant to maintain order, although it's a ridiculous amount of vanity.
　And, moreover, Roberto is not the heir of Baron Bertrand's family.
　It's a very easy position to say that it's an easy position to be in, but it's something that has always been discounted in terms of food, clothing and shelter.
　Fortunately, however, Robert was a man of exceptional prowess.
　The Count of Salzberg, for his part, has taken a keen interest in Robert, and as a result, he has become a man with a very discerning palate, despite his status.
　Even from the point of view of Robert, the current situation is too comfortable.
It's truly a paradise, except that you can't see what's going on outside.......the only question is, why are they treating a defeated general like this.......)
　A week had already passed since Roberto was kept in this room.
　This is a room set up in a corner of Iphiroth's castle to keep the nobleman imprisoned.　
　The size of the room is about the size of a luxury hotel suite.
　It's simple, but it's also equipped with a bath, and there's a toilet.
　The bed is soft, the bedding is changed regularly and clean, and the meals are prepared with care by the castle cook.
　Most of the books can be brought from the Count's library if you ask for them, so there's no shortage of things to do to pass the time.
　The only drawback is that the caretakers are not young maids, but fully armed and swarthy knights.
　Perhaps this is because of the possibility that Roberto will try to escape.
(Well, there are several possible reasons...)
　As he popped the bottle of brandy again, Roberto quietly closed his eyes.
　Roberto understood the situation he was in.
　There were several possibilities for keeping the captives alive.
　The most likely of these would be to use it as a card in negotiating something, or to demand a ransom.
　But Roberto is like a boil for Baron Bertrand's family. It's not as bad as his friend Signis, but it's no different in that he is neglected by his family.
　It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get a good deal more out of it.
　To them, Roberto is nothing more than a threat to their status.
　If Mikoshiba Ryoma had taken Roberto as a hostage to demand something from Baron Bertrand, there is no chance that the Bertrand family would accept it.
(They wouldn't pay a single ransom, right?)
　They would be piddling and happy that they could take care of Roberto without getting their hands dirty.
　Such a pitiful picture of his own family came into his mind, and Roberto silently sneered at them.
(Well, there is a possibility that he doesn't know about such a situation, but...)
　However, it is unlikely that a man with such elaborate scheming would be able to cut corners like that.
　After all, it was easy to orchestrate Signis Garbeira, who was far more rational and righteous than he was.
(Then the rest...)
　When Roberto's thoughts had reached that point, there was a light knock on the door of the room.
'Come in. You're welcome to come in.
　Slowly the door to the room opened.
　Roberto slowly got up from the couch when he saw the man standing there.