The news that Prince Krald had attempted to stage a rebellion during King Jedercayer's funeral spread throughout the country in an instant.
The capital city residents, who had known of his wicked deeds from early on, as well as those who had lived their entire lives in the provinces and had little knowledge of Krald's humanity, were all unable to contain their anger. Not only was the act itself that threw the kingdom into chaos and shook the foundations of the royal family, but the fact that he attempted to murder his brother, the Crown Prince, during his father's funeral was the cause of great public outrage.
Immediately after Judith regained consciousness, Franz could not stay with her for long. After asking the other maids of the Nation Palace, including Cheraan, to take care of Judith’s safety and well-being, he returned straight to the Magnus Palace. Then he called together the Duke of Vergy, Bartholomew, and the nobles of the Privy Council and demanded that the situation be resolved quickly.
The private soldiers that Krald had led were killed by the Comblers and the royal soldiers without exception. Some survived, but they were all destined to be executed, so they were no different. Some of them were quick-witted enough to try to escape early, but they were all killed by the soldiers blocking the gates and the capital city.
"When Krald's soldiers arrive, do as the Queen orders you. Open the door without resisting, but once everyone has entered, close the door and do not let anyone out alive."
"Understood, Your Highness. Leave it to me."
From the gates of the capital to the gates leading into the palace, all the soldiers on guard were those who followed Franz.
They had been relaying Queen Gilsis' secret orders to Franz for some time, and they had even helped Rogero disguise himself as a soldier when Duke Laetian entered the capital secretly. And today, they have finally achieved the feat of blocking the escape route of those who had plotted treason so that none of them could escape.
“Have you heard from Rogero?”
Franz asked as he walked around the soldiers collecting the bodies and surveyed the situation. Duke Vergy and Marquis Ebelta looked at each other with embarrassed expressions after hearing his question. Franz turned his head abruptly.
“Uncle, what’s wrong? Haven’t you heard from him yet?”
“Yes, my lord. Not yet... But wait a little longer. It won’t come that soon.”
“Weren’t there already Imperial troops stationed in the south? Grand Duke Solignac of Melgan was hiding the Empire’s elite soldiers under the pretext of military training for her duchy... It wouldn’t have taken long for them to catch up with the Alliance’s troops. And yet...”
"Your Highness!"
Suddenly, everyone looked over at the sound of someone shouting. The person running over the piled-up corpses of rebels was Neos Bibiyu.
“What's going on?”
“Your Highness, His Highness Prince Rogero of the Delacca Empire has sent cavalry.”
Franz looked back at Duke Vergy. Their eyes, which had met urgently, turned back to Neos.
“What did you say?”
Neos, who had been looking at the faces of the three people one by one, suddenly smiled brightly. His expression was so bright that if his subordinates or Bartholomew were there, they would have flinched.
“It is said that the imperial army led by His Highness the Prince has completely disintegrated the alliance. The number of soldiers that His Highness the Prince brought with him was less than a hundred, but the alliance’s army of hundreds suffered a crushing defeat. His Highness the Prince is said to be on his way to the palace now.”
A sigh escaped his lips. As the tension drained from his tense body, his shoulders slumped and his fingertips began to tingle. Franz unconsciously covered his face with one hand and groaned as if he were in pain.
“I’m so glad...”
“Your Highness, then I will go and help the soldiers.”
Neos disappeared somewhere at a faster pace than when he had arrived. Only when he felt Duke Vergy's hand on his shoulder did Franz raise his head that had been bowed? Perhaps because he felt relieved, even the cold north wind now felt as comforting as a spring breeze.
"I'll go south first. The Second Prince has requested reinforcements from the Alliance, so leave it to me to handle that."
"Are you sure it's okay? You can't tell the Empire about this. You won't be able to bring many soldiers. It would be better to ask Grand Duke Solignac of Melgan..."
"What do you think of me? Even if hundreds or thousands of those rabble gather together, they are no match for me. I will teach them the true value of the nickname, the Green Field of the Empire."
Franz could not let go of his worries until the moment he left, but as Rogero had said, there was no other solution for the Allied Kingdom's soldiers, so he had no choice. However, it was surprising and unbelievable that they had annihilated so many enemies with only a hundred soldiers.
“Your Highness, as you said, Queen Gilsis... has been confined to the palace and placed under surveillance.”
The capital city residents, who had known of his wicked deeds from early on, as well as those who had lived their entire lives in the provinces and had little knowledge of Krald's humanity, were all unable to contain their anger. Not only was the act itself that threw the kingdom into chaos and shook the foundations of the royal family, but the fact that he attempted to murder his brother, the Crown Prince, during his father's funeral was the cause of great public outrage.
Immediately after Judith regained consciousness, Franz could not stay with her for long. After asking the other maids of the Nation Palace, including Cheraan, to take care of Judith’s safety and well-being, he returned straight to the Magnus Palace. Then he called together the Duke of Vergy, Bartholomew, and the nobles of the Privy Council and demanded that the situation be resolved quickly.
The private soldiers that Krald had led were killed by the Comblers and the royal soldiers without exception. Some survived, but they were all destined to be executed, so they were no different. Some of them were quick-witted enough to try to escape early, but they were all killed by the soldiers blocking the gates and the capital city.
"When Krald's soldiers arrive, do as the Queen orders you. Open the door without resisting, but once everyone has entered, close the door and do not let anyone out alive."
"Understood, Your Highness. Leave it to me."
From the gates of the capital to the gates leading into the palace, all the soldiers on guard were those who followed Franz.
They had been relaying Queen Gilsis' secret orders to Franz for some time, and they had even helped Rogero disguise himself as a soldier when Duke Laetian entered the capital secretly. And today, they have finally achieved the feat of blocking the escape route of those who had plotted treason so that none of them could escape.
“Have you heard from Rogero?”
Franz asked as he walked around the soldiers collecting the bodies and surveyed the situation. Duke Vergy and Marquis Ebelta looked at each other with embarrassed expressions after hearing his question. Franz turned his head abruptly.
“Uncle, what’s wrong? Haven’t you heard from him yet?”
“Yes, my lord. Not yet... But wait a little longer. It won’t come that soon.”
“Weren’t there already Imperial troops stationed in the south? Grand Duke Solignac of Melgan was hiding the Empire’s elite soldiers under the pretext of military training for her duchy... It wouldn’t have taken long for them to catch up with the Alliance’s troops. And yet...”
"Your Highness!"
Suddenly, everyone looked over at the sound of someone shouting. The person running over the piled-up corpses of rebels was Neos Bibiyu.
“What's going on?”
“Your Highness, His Highness Prince Rogero of the Delacca Empire has sent cavalry.”
Franz looked back at Duke Vergy. Their eyes, which had met urgently, turned back to Neos.
“What did you say?”
Neos, who had been looking at the faces of the three people one by one, suddenly smiled brightly. His expression was so bright that if his subordinates or Bartholomew were there, they would have flinched.
“It is said that the imperial army led by His Highness the Prince has completely disintegrated the alliance. The number of soldiers that His Highness the Prince brought with him was less than a hundred, but the alliance’s army of hundreds suffered a crushing defeat. His Highness the Prince is said to be on his way to the palace now.”
A sigh escaped his lips. As the tension drained from his tense body, his shoulders slumped and his fingertips began to tingle. Franz unconsciously covered his face with one hand and groaned as if he were in pain.
“I’m so glad...”
“Your Highness, then I will go and help the soldiers.”
Neos disappeared somewhere at a faster pace than when he had arrived. Only when he felt Duke Vergy's hand on his shoulder did Franz raise his head that had been bowed? Perhaps because he felt relieved, even the cold north wind now felt as comforting as a spring breeze.
"I'll go south first. The Second Prince has requested reinforcements from the Alliance, so leave it to me to handle that."
"Are you sure it's okay? You can't tell the Empire about this. You won't be able to bring many soldiers. It would be better to ask Grand Duke Solignac of Melgan..."
"What do you think of me? Even if hundreds or thousands of those rabble gather together, they are no match for me. I will teach them the true value of the nickname, the Green Field of the Empire."
Franz could not let go of his worries until the moment he left, but as Rogero had said, there was no other solution for the Allied Kingdom's soldiers, so he had no choice. However, it was surprising and unbelievable that they had annihilated so many enemies with only a hundred soldiers.
“Your Highness, as you said, Queen Gilsis... has been confined to the palace and placed under surveillance.”
Duke Vergy said. Franz nodded, his expression quickly becoming heavy.
“Let’s discuss the matter of the Queen after Father’s funeral.”
“What do you plan to do with Prince Krald?”
“Krald...”
Franz trailed off. He was already dead, but according to Rotair’s law, the heads of those who had plotted treason were to be hung on the walls. But there were too many involved in this. Hanging dozens or hundreds of heads on the walls would be a terrible nightmare for all the people of the capital.
“...The crime of plotting a rebellion and attempting to disrupt the kingdom by involving the Alliance Kingdoms is something I will never forgive, even if he is a royal. I will decapitate him and throw his body into the field. I will not allow you to build a grave or erect a tombstone.”
“I understand, Your Highness.”
“Once things are somewhat sorted out, we’ll start with the funeral. We’ll discuss the rest later.”
The two men following Franz nodded at the same time. The always neat front yard of Magnus Palace was filled with the smell of blood, and no matter how frantically the servants cleaned up, there was still blood everywhere on the road. It seemed like the snow that had fallen all winter would melt again and disappear after several winds.
The funeral of King Jedercayer, which had been temporarily halted due to the intrusion of the rebels, was finally completed the next day. As the coffin carrying the King's body was paraded to the royal tomb, the people dressed in black followed behind and wept incessantly. When the King's coffin was finally buried in the ground, countless flowers and ribbons were thrown over the coffin, praying for his soul to rest in peace.
Could the soul of the King, who had to rest in a place where the blood of his son and those he had brought had not yet dried, be at peace?
“Let’s discuss the matter of the Queen after Father’s funeral.”
“What do you plan to do with Prince Krald?”
“Krald...”
Franz trailed off. He was already dead, but according to Rotair’s law, the heads of those who had plotted treason were to be hung on the walls. But there were too many involved in this. Hanging dozens or hundreds of heads on the walls would be a terrible nightmare for all the people of the capital.
“...The crime of plotting a rebellion and attempting to disrupt the kingdom by involving the Alliance Kingdoms is something I will never forgive, even if he is a royal. I will decapitate him and throw his body into the field. I will not allow you to build a grave or erect a tombstone.”
“I understand, Your Highness.”
“Once things are somewhat sorted out, we’ll start with the funeral. We’ll discuss the rest later.”
The two men following Franz nodded at the same time. The always neat front yard of Magnus Palace was filled with the smell of blood, and no matter how frantically the servants cleaned up, there was still blood everywhere on the road. It seemed like the snow that had fallen all winter would melt again and disappear after several winds.
***
The funeral of King Jedercayer, which had been temporarily halted due to the intrusion of the rebels, was finally completed the next day. As the coffin carrying the King's body was paraded to the royal tomb, the people dressed in black followed behind and wept incessantly. When the King's coffin was finally buried in the ground, countless flowers and ribbons were thrown over the coffin, praying for his soul to rest in peace.
Could the soul of the King, who had to rest in a place where the blood of his son and those he had brought had not yet dried, be at peace?
It was a questionable matter, but Franz tried hard to shake off the thought. Judith and he leaned on each other's shoulders and quietly shed tears. The last ceremony of seeing the King off was solemn and sorrowful.
After everyone left, Franz stood in front of the tomb for a long time. Judith had already returned to the Nation Palace because Cheraan had warned her not to expose herself to the cold wind.
In the empty, deserted place, only the elaborately constructed fence was staring at Franz. Franz felt as if he could sense his father’s gaze through the gap, so he could not leave the place. It was then.
“Franz.”
Suddenly, someone's arm wrapped around Franz's shoulder. Franz, who had been startled, bent down and only opened his mouth in a daze when he saw Rogero's face looking at him.
“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”
“Rogero, you... when on earth...”
“I just got there, and the coffin was coming out. So I followed it in a hurry. I know I’m dressed like this, but you won’t scold me, right?”
Rogero, who was smiling and spreading his arms, was still wearing his armor. Blood had splattered and dried here and there, leaving dark marks. His hair and face were also a mess.
“Still, I’m glad I could say goodbye one last time. Your father was very kind to me.”
Rogero looked back at the grave with a bitter smile and let out a long sigh. It wasn't because of worry or sadness. It was just a sigh close to relief that everything was finally over. Franz, who had been watching him silently, hugged Rogero's body tightly.
“Thank you. I don’t know how to express my gratitude to you.”
“Oh, what’s wrong? It was nothing. I told you.”
Rogero smiled shyly but did not push Franz away. The two bodies that had been holding each other for a long time finally parted. Rogero patted Franz on the back and said.
“Those guys, it seems like they came out with a lot of determination. Thanks to that, I was able to save myself from unnecessary trouble. If I had left the leftovers behind, it would have caused more trouble later.”
“Who led the Alliance forces?”
“King Hibs. That pig-like bastard, he squealed and ran away after stepping on the heads of his men at the end. I hate that kind of guy. If he dared to tell me to kill him, you know? I would have wanted to let him live because I was capricious. But I couldn’t stand seeing him run away so shamelessly, so I cut off his head.”
“I was worried. I had heard rumors that King Hibs was very good at war. He destroyed Catania and took all the leaders of the alliance under his wing.”
“The Duchy of Catania was going to be a mess anyway. The leaders of the alliance... well, some fought well enough that I thought I should let them live and persuade them to join my subordinates. But... to do that, they would have to defeat me first, and only then would they be able to prove their abilities, right? Unfortunately, not a single one of them passed the test.”
As he spoke, Rogero's face took on a truly regretful expression, and Franz couldn't help but burst into laughter. Whether it was because he was laughing or because the excitement of victory hadn't subsided, Rogero giggled as if he had been drinking.
“Before coming here, I had Lambdark look into the situation of the Grand Duke. As you know, the King’s niece was there.”
“Ah... yeah, that’s right.”
Franz nodded as if he had just remembered. Judith had also told him the story of how Libencia Montfort, who had almost lost her life to that woman, had returned to the capital while hiding in the Duke of Laetian's carriage and almost died.
“What happened to that woman?”
After everyone left, Franz stood in front of the tomb for a long time. Judith had already returned to the Nation Palace because Cheraan had warned her not to expose herself to the cold wind.
In the empty, deserted place, only the elaborately constructed fence was staring at Franz. Franz felt as if he could sense his father’s gaze through the gap, so he could not leave the place. It was then.
“Franz.”
Suddenly, someone's arm wrapped around Franz's shoulder. Franz, who had been startled, bent down and only opened his mouth in a daze when he saw Rogero's face looking at him.
“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”
“Rogero, you... when on earth...”
“I just got there, and the coffin was coming out. So I followed it in a hurry. I know I’m dressed like this, but you won’t scold me, right?”
Rogero, who was smiling and spreading his arms, was still wearing his armor. Blood had splattered and dried here and there, leaving dark marks. His hair and face were also a mess.
“Still, I’m glad I could say goodbye one last time. Your father was very kind to me.”
Rogero looked back at the grave with a bitter smile and let out a long sigh. It wasn't because of worry or sadness. It was just a sigh close to relief that everything was finally over. Franz, who had been watching him silently, hugged Rogero's body tightly.
“Thank you. I don’t know how to express my gratitude to you.”
“Oh, what’s wrong? It was nothing. I told you.”
Rogero smiled shyly but did not push Franz away. The two bodies that had been holding each other for a long time finally parted. Rogero patted Franz on the back and said.
“Those guys, it seems like they came out with a lot of determination. Thanks to that, I was able to save myself from unnecessary trouble. If I had left the leftovers behind, it would have caused more trouble later.”
“Who led the Alliance forces?”
“King Hibs. That pig-like bastard, he squealed and ran away after stepping on the heads of his men at the end. I hate that kind of guy. If he dared to tell me to kill him, you know? I would have wanted to let him live because I was capricious. But I couldn’t stand seeing him run away so shamelessly, so I cut off his head.”
“I was worried. I had heard rumors that King Hibs was very good at war. He destroyed Catania and took all the leaders of the alliance under his wing.”
“The Duchy of Catania was going to be a mess anyway. The leaders of the alliance... well, some fought well enough that I thought I should let them live and persuade them to join my subordinates. But... to do that, they would have to defeat me first, and only then would they be able to prove their abilities, right? Unfortunately, not a single one of them passed the test.”
As he spoke, Rogero's face took on a truly regretful expression, and Franz couldn't help but burst into laughter. Whether it was because he was laughing or because the excitement of victory hadn't subsided, Rogero giggled as if he had been drinking.
“Before coming here, I had Lambdark look into the situation of the Grand Duke. As you know, the King’s niece was there.”
“Ah... yeah, that’s right.”
Franz nodded as if he had just remembered. Judith had also told him the story of how Libencia Montfort, who had almost lost her life to that woman, had returned to the capital while hiding in the Duke of Laetian's carriage and almost died.
“What happened to that woman?”
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment