At dawn, the Grand Duchy was quiet.
Torches were burning on the ramparts that stood tall across the plain. However, no soldiers were visible. Iland, riding ahead, looked back at his adjutants, elated at the almost eerie silence.
“Do you think I’m wrong? Melgan’s army? Huh, how ridiculous! They’re probably waiting with their mouths wide open like fools for us to come.”
Iland finally had his adjutants wake up the exhausted soldiers before dawn. The soldiers, exhausted from cold, hunger, and fatigue, had no energy left to argue, so they staggered up and started walking through the barracks, their shoulders hunched like the dead. The adjutants could not have been at ease watching this, but Iland clicked his tongue as if it was a joke and did not hesitate to criticize his soldiers for being lazy.
“When we get close, the gate will be opened. Listen! Blow the trumpet to let them know that the soldiers of Tien have arrived! Even if you are the Grand Duke, you are still the second rank than the King. You should come out to the gate to greet me. Quickly, blow the trumpet!”
At Iland's urging, the adjutant nodded to his subordinate. The soldier lifted the horn he was carrying and blew it with all his might. The heavy and majestic sound spread across the dark plain toward the Grand Duke's walls. Once, twice, three times. And then the sound stopped. Iland and the adjutants' eyes were all turned to the soldier blowing the horn.
“Adjutant, over there...”
The soldier took the trumpet out of his mouth and pointed his finger into the air. At that moment, everyone turned their heads to where he was pointing.
Puck!
A dull sound struck the ears of all those who had been marching silently. The mouth of the large trumpet trembled, and the soldier who had opened his eyes trembled and lowered his head. What he saw was an arrow that had pierced the center of his chest.
“It’s a surprise attack!”
The adjutant of Iland, who was standing closest to the soldier, shouted. At the same time, the sky that had just begun to turn blue became pitch black again. Those who raised their heads in shock soon realized that the entire sky was covered with arrows. However, even if they realized this, there was no chance to escape.
“It’s a surprise attack! There are archers on the walls!”
“Your Majesty, you must take cover!”
The arrows rained down mercilessly, piercing the necks and heads of the Tien soldiers who could not even judge the situation. Most of them fell without even screaming at the attack that no one had expected, or even if they had expected, could not have been prepared for.
The horses neighed and the surviving soldiers began to run wild. They trampled on those who fell while trying to run away, fell down, and then another person trampled on them and ran out. The calm plains became a scene of chaos in an instant.
"Your Majesty!"
Iland sat on his horse, his mouth open as if he had become a statue. One of the adjutants, unable to bear to watch, snatched the reins from his hands and held them instead.
“Your Majesty! Come to your senses! This is a surprise attack! You must evade!”
“This is the flag of the Grand Duchy of Melgan! The soldiers of the Grand Duchy are coming!”
The sun began to rise. A faint light flickered at the edge of the sky, and then a single sparkling thread drew a long line across the air. At the same time, the gates of the Grand Duke's castle opened. What poured out through them was not a procession to welcome Iland. It was the Gods of death, clad in black armor and riding black horses, galloping fiercely to take his life.
“T, this can’t be... this can’t be...”
“Your Majesty! Oh my...!”
Iland turned his head in surprise at the sudden pull of the reins. The body of the adjutant who had been shouting at him to get out of the way was lying on the ground. His neck was nowhere to be seen. He heard the sound of swords clashing. No, the sound was ridiculously small. The only sound he could hear was screaming, only screaming. The horse carrying Iland was startled and started to run around.
“No! No! This can’t be happening! This can’t be happening! What the hell is going on!”
Iland's body, hanging on the reins, shook violently as if he would fall at any moment. He started running recklessly without even considering whether the person in front of him was one of his soldiers or an enemy soldier.
One of Tien's soldiers who was running away was hit by Iland's horse and had his neck broken. Another, who barely managed to survive despite being shot by an arrow, was trampled by hooves and died without making a sound. There was blood everywhere. The blood of Tien's soldiers flowed on the dry plain, forming a small lake.
“Get out of the way! Get out of the way!”
Iland swung his sword, his eyes almost rolled back, screaming. He didn’t know who or where his sword was cutting. All that mattered was that he had to get out of here. Thinking about his next move with a head that couldn’t even judge the situation was impossible in the first place.
He heard the sound of horseshoes following closely behind. Iland ran away, panting. Saliva flowed from his teeth and tears of blood began to flow from his bloodshot eyes, but he did not notice it. He could not hear the sound of the soldiers chasing him simultaneously firing arrows.
“Get out of the way! I’ll kill you all! Get out of the way...!”
A single groan escaped. Just like the soldier who had blown the trumpet, Iland also lowered his head, shaking his whole body. The blood that had been pooling in his eyes dripped down. Blood also flowed out from his pierced navel, where the sharp arrowhead had pierced him.
“Ugh...”
His last words did not reach anyone's ears. The horse, which had lost its master, ran away across the chaos, swinging its head.
When the sun finally rose fully over the walls, the plains were quiet again. It was a morning with the smell of blood vibrating along the horizon.
The soldiers guarding the Nation Palace all looked bewildered at the sight of Bartholomew riding a horse out of nowhere. He must have come from the Magnus Palace, but it was the first time he had ridden a horse that far. On the other hand, they were worried that the Prince had suffered some kind of emergency.
“Your Highness!”
Everyone ran out in surprise at the loud voice that shook the entire Nation Palace. Cheraan, who was the first to run out, was about to scold him for the commotion, but Judith stopped her and came right up to Bartholomew's nose.
“Have you heard any news?”
Bartholomew took a deep breath. The moment he nodded, Judith urgently put him to sleep.
“What happened?”
“The Grand Duke Solignac and his men swept away all of Tien’s troops. By the way, King Iland did not even reach the southern gates.”
Judith's eyes became strong. She looked at Bartholomew once more. Then suddenly she let out a long sigh as if she was going to collapse. As she staggered, Cheraan quickly supported her.
“Your Highness!”
“It’s okay. I’m... okay, Cheran.”
Although she said so, Judith seemed to have difficulty standing on her own. Bartholomew quickly brought a chair. Judith sat down and bowed her head, remaining silent for a while. Only the tips of her fingers, which were holding the armrests, trembled occasionally.
“...It worked. Right?”
“Yes, Your Highness. As we expected, King Iland thought the soldiers sent by the second Prince were spies and did not take a detour but marched forward.”
“That would be so. That would be so. Brother, no... That man is stupid and greedy. The one we sent in was the one who flattered him and aroused his greed. If it was delayed any longer, he would never be able to take possession of the land of the principality. Those who are jealous of Tien will do whatever it takes to get in the way, so no one should be trusted.”
Judith's words were full of power as if they were being squeezed out. Cheraan was worried that her body was uncomfortable and fidgeted, but it wasn't. Judith's head and body were filled with joy. It was thrilling.
She never forgot that Iland had sold her to Queen Gilsis twice. The second time, she should have been grateful for it, but wasn't this enough? At least she had saved him from being dragged around like a dog in chains and shackles until his throat was cut. Iland should have been grateful to her.
“Bartholomew, go to the lord right now and tell him what I said.”
Judith's expression when she raised her head was incredibly calm. Even a man like Bartholomew would have been startled.
“Speak, Your Highness.”
“With Iland dead, Tien will be in turmoil for a while. Will they perish like this, or will they crown a new King and carry on the name of the country? That is their business, not ours. We must tighten the noose around the neck of the second Prince from now on. We must make him realize that there is no escape and show his teeth and claws.”
“Your Highness, you don’t have to worry about that. Franz... His Highness the Crown Prince has already sent someone to the south.”
“His Highness?”
Bartholomew nodded.
“His Highness intends to use this situation to pressure the Second Prince. It is a well-known fact that the Second Prince has arbitrarily formed an alliance with the King of Tien and has attempted to open the most important border without His Majesty’s permission. King Iland probably said that he had His Majesty’s permission. However, the man who can prove that is already dead.”
“Good. We must make Krald feel as wrong as possible. He cannot stand it more than anything. He must feel that the Crown Prince is insulting him and trying to shake him up. That will make him anxious.”
"He will also convey that he will consider stripping him of his title as Grand Duke to hold him accountable. That should be motivation enough.”
Judith's thoughts moved quickly. It didn't take long for her to rearrange the scattered pieces in her mind, fit them together, and create a complete picture. This was the sketch she had been meticulously drawing for years.
“Send the spy you sent to infiltrate Tien to the Grand Duke. He must spread the rumor that Duke Laetian is trying to steal soldiers to take Krald’s place. However, as you did to Iland, do not tell Krald directly.”
“I will do that.”
Bartholomew left the Nation Palace with the same haste as when he came. Cheraan, who was standing next to Judith, spoke, panting deeply.
“It really went according to plan.”
“Yes, but we must be careful until the end. Duke Laetian must die as soon as he enters the capital.”
“It won’t fail, right?”
Judith's eyes blinked a couple of times. The corners of her lips, which had been trembling slightly, moved faintly.
“It will not fail.”
Torches were burning on the ramparts that stood tall across the plain. However, no soldiers were visible. Iland, riding ahead, looked back at his adjutants, elated at the almost eerie silence.
“Do you think I’m wrong? Melgan’s army? Huh, how ridiculous! They’re probably waiting with their mouths wide open like fools for us to come.”
Iland finally had his adjutants wake up the exhausted soldiers before dawn. The soldiers, exhausted from cold, hunger, and fatigue, had no energy left to argue, so they staggered up and started walking through the barracks, their shoulders hunched like the dead. The adjutants could not have been at ease watching this, but Iland clicked his tongue as if it was a joke and did not hesitate to criticize his soldiers for being lazy.
“When we get close, the gate will be opened. Listen! Blow the trumpet to let them know that the soldiers of Tien have arrived! Even if you are the Grand Duke, you are still the second rank than the King. You should come out to the gate to greet me. Quickly, blow the trumpet!”
At Iland's urging, the adjutant nodded to his subordinate. The soldier lifted the horn he was carrying and blew it with all his might. The heavy and majestic sound spread across the dark plain toward the Grand Duke's walls. Once, twice, three times. And then the sound stopped. Iland and the adjutants' eyes were all turned to the soldier blowing the horn.
“Adjutant, over there...”
The soldier took the trumpet out of his mouth and pointed his finger into the air. At that moment, everyone turned their heads to where he was pointing.
Puck!
A dull sound struck the ears of all those who had been marching silently. The mouth of the large trumpet trembled, and the soldier who had opened his eyes trembled and lowered his head. What he saw was an arrow that had pierced the center of his chest.
“It’s a surprise attack!”
The adjutant of Iland, who was standing closest to the soldier, shouted. At the same time, the sky that had just begun to turn blue became pitch black again. Those who raised their heads in shock soon realized that the entire sky was covered with arrows. However, even if they realized this, there was no chance to escape.
“It’s a surprise attack! There are archers on the walls!”
“Your Majesty, you must take cover!”
The arrows rained down mercilessly, piercing the necks and heads of the Tien soldiers who could not even judge the situation. Most of them fell without even screaming at the attack that no one had expected, or even if they had expected, could not have been prepared for.
The horses neighed and the surviving soldiers began to run wild. They trampled on those who fell while trying to run away, fell down, and then another person trampled on them and ran out. The calm plains became a scene of chaos in an instant.
"Your Majesty!"
Iland sat on his horse, his mouth open as if he had become a statue. One of the adjutants, unable to bear to watch, snatched the reins from his hands and held them instead.
“Your Majesty! Come to your senses! This is a surprise attack! You must evade!”
“This is the flag of the Grand Duchy of Melgan! The soldiers of the Grand Duchy are coming!”
The sun began to rise. A faint light flickered at the edge of the sky, and then a single sparkling thread drew a long line across the air. At the same time, the gates of the Grand Duke's castle opened. What poured out through them was not a procession to welcome Iland. It was the Gods of death, clad in black armor and riding black horses, galloping fiercely to take his life.
“T, this can’t be... this can’t be...”
“Your Majesty! Oh my...!”
Iland turned his head in surprise at the sudden pull of the reins. The body of the adjutant who had been shouting at him to get out of the way was lying on the ground. His neck was nowhere to be seen. He heard the sound of swords clashing. No, the sound was ridiculously small. The only sound he could hear was screaming, only screaming. The horse carrying Iland was startled and started to run around.
“No! No! This can’t be happening! This can’t be happening! What the hell is going on!”
Iland's body, hanging on the reins, shook violently as if he would fall at any moment. He started running recklessly without even considering whether the person in front of him was one of his soldiers or an enemy soldier.
One of Tien's soldiers who was running away was hit by Iland's horse and had his neck broken. Another, who barely managed to survive despite being shot by an arrow, was trampled by hooves and died without making a sound. There was blood everywhere. The blood of Tien's soldiers flowed on the dry plain, forming a small lake.
“Get out of the way! Get out of the way!”
Iland swung his sword, his eyes almost rolled back, screaming. He didn’t know who or where his sword was cutting. All that mattered was that he had to get out of here. Thinking about his next move with a head that couldn’t even judge the situation was impossible in the first place.
He heard the sound of horseshoes following closely behind. Iland ran away, panting. Saliva flowed from his teeth and tears of blood began to flow from his bloodshot eyes, but he did not notice it. He could not hear the sound of the soldiers chasing him simultaneously firing arrows.
“Get out of the way! I’ll kill you all! Get out of the way...!”
A single groan escaped. Just like the soldier who had blown the trumpet, Iland also lowered his head, shaking his whole body. The blood that had been pooling in his eyes dripped down. Blood also flowed out from his pierced navel, where the sharp arrowhead had pierced him.
“Ugh...”
His last words did not reach anyone's ears. The horse, which had lost its master, ran away across the chaos, swinging its head.
When the sun finally rose fully over the walls, the plains were quiet again. It was a morning with the smell of blood vibrating along the horizon.
***
The soldiers guarding the Nation Palace all looked bewildered at the sight of Bartholomew riding a horse out of nowhere. He must have come from the Magnus Palace, but it was the first time he had ridden a horse that far. On the other hand, they were worried that the Prince had suffered some kind of emergency.
“Your Highness!”
Everyone ran out in surprise at the loud voice that shook the entire Nation Palace. Cheraan, who was the first to run out, was about to scold him for the commotion, but Judith stopped her and came right up to Bartholomew's nose.
“Have you heard any news?”
Bartholomew took a deep breath. The moment he nodded, Judith urgently put him to sleep.
“What happened?”
“The Grand Duke Solignac and his men swept away all of Tien’s troops. By the way, King Iland did not even reach the southern gates.”
Judith's eyes became strong. She looked at Bartholomew once more. Then suddenly she let out a long sigh as if she was going to collapse. As she staggered, Cheraan quickly supported her.
“Your Highness!”
“It’s okay. I’m... okay, Cheran.”
Although she said so, Judith seemed to have difficulty standing on her own. Bartholomew quickly brought a chair. Judith sat down and bowed her head, remaining silent for a while. Only the tips of her fingers, which were holding the armrests, trembled occasionally.
“...It worked. Right?”
“Yes, Your Highness. As we expected, King Iland thought the soldiers sent by the second Prince were spies and did not take a detour but marched forward.”
“That would be so. That would be so. Brother, no... That man is stupid and greedy. The one we sent in was the one who flattered him and aroused his greed. If it was delayed any longer, he would never be able to take possession of the land of the principality. Those who are jealous of Tien will do whatever it takes to get in the way, so no one should be trusted.”
Judith's words were full of power as if they were being squeezed out. Cheraan was worried that her body was uncomfortable and fidgeted, but it wasn't. Judith's head and body were filled with joy. It was thrilling.
She never forgot that Iland had sold her to Queen Gilsis twice. The second time, she should have been grateful for it, but wasn't this enough? At least she had saved him from being dragged around like a dog in chains and shackles until his throat was cut. Iland should have been grateful to her.
“Bartholomew, go to the lord right now and tell him what I said.”
Judith's expression when she raised her head was incredibly calm. Even a man like Bartholomew would have been startled.
“Speak, Your Highness.”
“With Iland dead, Tien will be in turmoil for a while. Will they perish like this, or will they crown a new King and carry on the name of the country? That is their business, not ours. We must tighten the noose around the neck of the second Prince from now on. We must make him realize that there is no escape and show his teeth and claws.”
“Your Highness, you don’t have to worry about that. Franz... His Highness the Crown Prince has already sent someone to the south.”
“His Highness?”
Bartholomew nodded.
“His Highness intends to use this situation to pressure the Second Prince. It is a well-known fact that the Second Prince has arbitrarily formed an alliance with the King of Tien and has attempted to open the most important border without His Majesty’s permission. King Iland probably said that he had His Majesty’s permission. However, the man who can prove that is already dead.”
“Good. We must make Krald feel as wrong as possible. He cannot stand it more than anything. He must feel that the Crown Prince is insulting him and trying to shake him up. That will make him anxious.”
"He will also convey that he will consider stripping him of his title as Grand Duke to hold him accountable. That should be motivation enough.”
Judith's thoughts moved quickly. It didn't take long for her to rearrange the scattered pieces in her mind, fit them together, and create a complete picture. This was the sketch she had been meticulously drawing for years.
“Send the spy you sent to infiltrate Tien to the Grand Duke. He must spread the rumor that Duke Laetian is trying to steal soldiers to take Krald’s place. However, as you did to Iland, do not tell Krald directly.”
“I will do that.”
Bartholomew left the Nation Palace with the same haste as when he came. Cheraan, who was standing next to Judith, spoke, panting deeply.
“It really went according to plan.”
“Yes, but we must be careful until the end. Duke Laetian must die as soon as he enters the capital.”
“It won’t fail, right?”
Judith's eyes blinked a couple of times. The corners of her lips, which had been trembling slightly, moved faintly.
“It will not fail.”
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