Ernest, chewing on the inside of his mouth as if reproaching himself, gave the order.
“Declare a state of emergency within the fortress immediately, and prepare all those who can fight. Also, prepare to evacuate women, children, and the elderly first.”
"All right!"
Even if they had passed Merta, the road to get here was a narrow, single-track road. Because of this, it was not easy for a large number of troops to attack the fortress without caution.
However, it was somewhat difficult to just fight a defensive battle inside the fortress.
The current food supply for self-sufficiency in the fortress is only enough for about a month.
'Unless we can secure food from outside, we will have no choice but to surrender at some point.'
Although there were underground passages to avoid the barbarians, it was not easy to obtain large quantities of food through them.
It was truly a dilemma.
The rebels will also know this fact, and their march will be unstoppable.
'We must abandon the fortress.'
But inside the fortress, there were not only soldiers but also children and the elderly. It would take time to escape with them.
Ernest was biting his lip because he couldn't come up with a good idea no matter how hard he thought about it.
Upon hearing the news, one of the knights gathered in the Crown Prince's room stepped forward.
“How about using the barbarians?”
“Barbarians?”
“Yes. You will understand why the barbarians have not attacked Cuenca until now.”
He brought the son of the leader of the barbarians here using his power. He then offered him as a hostage and suggested that they not invade Cuenca. If they did, he would release the hostage. Thanks to this, Cuenca enjoyed a brief period of peace.
But the words that followed from the face meant more than just shattering the peace.
“Kill the barbarian’s son. Hang his head on the wall so that the barbarians can invade this place.”
“So let’s make the rebels and the barbarians fight each other?”
“Yes. While they are fighting each other with their swords, we will escape from here using the underground passage.”
The passage leading under the fortress was connected to Merta.
Even if there are still some rebels left in Merta, most of their forces will be concentrated in Cuenta, so they should be easy to deal with.
Ernest, who was stroking his chin at the faceter's suggestion, said.
It wasn't bad. But how could they make the barbarians and rebels fight, and how could they escape in the meantime?
Ernest asked, not yet having heard an answer to this.
“If we want to make the rebels and the barbarians fight each other, we first need to tie them down in the fortress... Do you have a plan in mind?”
“You can use that woman.”
"...What?"
If it's that woman...
Ernest froze at the unexpected words of the knight.
“Let’s pretend to fight an all-out war and lead the soldiers to meet the rebels. Then, when the odds are against us, we can retreat into the fortress and lure them out. At the same time, if we tie up the woman to the stake and set her on fire, they won’t even think about pursuing us and the fire will go out. Then, how about we face the invading barbarians?”
“...The cremation site.”
It couldn't have been a more cruel plan.
When Ernest hesitated, feeling Ellie's figure, Fasher drove the wedge in.
“Didn’t you say that she can no longer use her powers anyway? She is now useless and we can’t carry around a sick woman like a burden.”
“Fasher!”
Cullen, unable to stand watching, urged him to stop.
No matter how much she betrayed him, Ellie was once someone Ernest cherished.
Giving Ernest the choice to directly drive Ellie to death.
At that moment, Cullen, who was worried about Ernest, who was suffering more than anyone else, was about to suggest another alternative.
Ernest, who had been staring blankly into space, answered.
“Yes. Let’s proceed according to Fasher’s plan.”
"Your Highness...!"
And no one was more surprised by his decision than Cullen.
“For now, that’s the best we can do.”
Anyway, Elizabeth. No, that woman is a traitor.
She must pay the price in this way.
That's what Ernest thought.
“Your Highness! But...!”
“We don’t have time to stay here like this. Gather the soldiers who have finished arming themselves in front of the entrance right now.”
Although Cullen desperately tried to dissuade Ernest, he ignored him and gave another order.
“Yes, I understand!”
“I’m glad that my proposal has been accepted,” Fasher replied loudly.
“Cullen, you help me arm myself. If you’re going to say anything weird, get out.”
“...I will help you.”
Cullen, who had bitten the soldiers, helped Ernest arm himself with a distraught expression.
Valletta was delighted by the news she had just heard from the soldier.
They're going to tie that woman up and burn her at the stake!
It was Valletta who was anxious because Cullen caught her doing something to that woman this morning.
So, she was afraid that the reason she was called was to punish her.
"You're using that woman as bait?"
"Yes. If she's lucky, she might survive. Even if she does survive, she won’t be able to avoid the terrible burns, and even if she does escape the crisis for a moment, she’ll be torn to pieces by the barbarians."
It has been said that the strength of the barbarians is like the strength of beasts.
Dying to a barbarian with such a cruel disposition would probably be the most painful death.
That woman's fate was either to be burned to death or torn to pieces.
It would be a death so painful that it would be difficult to give in even a little.
“I hope she's unlucky.”
If possible, she would like to experience both the pain of being burned to death and the pain of being torn apart.
Because that would be the death that suits her best.
Valletta hummed a tune as she entered the Crown Prince's room, unlike the tension that was permeating the fortress.
It was to pack the Crown Prince's luggage while he was busy preparing for battle.
As Valletta was roughly packing up his things that seemed necessary, something caught his eye.
“This is...”
A single shiny gold piece lying between the dresser and the bed.
Valletta, who was looking at it, let out a breath of pure admiration.
"Pretty..."
It was a gold necklace with a sparkling red ruby.
'His Highness the Crown Prince must have dropped it by mistake?'
It's definitely a valuable item, so she has to be careful not to lose it.
Valletta, who was anxious about putting such a precious thing in the luggage compartment, hung it around her neck.
Thinking that it would be safer to keep what she had.
As Valletta was packing her bags and heading towards the place where people were gathered, her steps suddenly stopped.
Then Valletta, looking at the pyre erected high in the middle of the fortress, smiled wryly.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to tell her how she’ll die in the end.”
It wouldn't be a bad thing to make her wait in fear about what her end will be.
After thinking about it, Valletta turned her steps towards the warehouse where Ellie was instead of going down to the basement.
“Lord Carsis. That is the fortress of Cuenca.”
Carsis turned his head in the direction Jason's finger was pointing.
Then a fortress built on top of a rock came into view.
Although it was very old, it still boasted its grandeur as befitting an important strategic location from long ago.
“Something feels off. There should have been a barbarian raid by now before we got there, but it’s so quiet... It’s unsettling.”
“The reason the barbarians couldn’t touch the fortress must be inside there.”
"Yes?"
When Jason asked back as if he didn't understand what he meant.
The tightly shut gate opened and soldiers poured out of the fortress.
Jason, who was watching it, wiggled his eyebrows.
“That’s unexpected. I thought you knew how to play defense.”
The Crown Prince's army was greatly outnumbered.
Even if you estimate, the number of troops they led was only about a hundred.
On the other hand, behind Carsis there were about a thousand soldiers.
“Are you really planning to start an all-out war with those numbers?”
“There must be some other ulterior motive.”
The Crown Prince wouldn't be that empty-headed.
As soon as he finished speaking, the frontman rode forward on his horse.
A man appeared with his familiar golden hair shining.
“Ernest.”
He was the Crown Prince.
Carsis dissuaded those preparing to attack from behind and then went forward alone to greet the Crown Prince.
The distance between the two people who had become close before they knew it was only fifty steps.
It was close enough that they could have a conversation with each other.
“...Carsis.”
A heavy air hung between the two men who stood on the saddle and faced each other in silence.
And the first one to break that silence was Carsis.
“It’s been a while, Your Highness the Crown Prince. No...”
Carsis's head tilted slightly as he smiled bitterly at him.
"Older brother."
"...Older brother?"
He's my brother.
Ernest's eyebrows furrowed involuntarily as if he found the title quite shocking.
Carsis must have known from the beginning.
That he was of Clepius' bloodline.
How much must he have mocked me inside while looking at me?
He must have laughed at him behind his back, not knowing that Elizabeth's heart and body were all his.
Just thinking about it made Ernest's stomach turn.
“Declare a state of emergency within the fortress immediately, and prepare all those who can fight. Also, prepare to evacuate women, children, and the elderly first.”
"All right!"
Even if they had passed Merta, the road to get here was a narrow, single-track road. Because of this, it was not easy for a large number of troops to attack the fortress without caution.
However, it was somewhat difficult to just fight a defensive battle inside the fortress.
The current food supply for self-sufficiency in the fortress is only enough for about a month.
'Unless we can secure food from outside, we will have no choice but to surrender at some point.'
Although there were underground passages to avoid the barbarians, it was not easy to obtain large quantities of food through them.
It was truly a dilemma.
The rebels will also know this fact, and their march will be unstoppable.
'We must abandon the fortress.'
But inside the fortress, there were not only soldiers but also children and the elderly. It would take time to escape with them.
Ernest was biting his lip because he couldn't come up with a good idea no matter how hard he thought about it.
Upon hearing the news, one of the knights gathered in the Crown Prince's room stepped forward.
“How about using the barbarians?”
“Barbarians?”
“Yes. You will understand why the barbarians have not attacked Cuenca until now.”
He brought the son of the leader of the barbarians here using his power. He then offered him as a hostage and suggested that they not invade Cuenca. If they did, he would release the hostage. Thanks to this, Cuenca enjoyed a brief period of peace.
But the words that followed from the face meant more than just shattering the peace.
“Kill the barbarian’s son. Hang his head on the wall so that the barbarians can invade this place.”
“So let’s make the rebels and the barbarians fight each other?”
“Yes. While they are fighting each other with their swords, we will escape from here using the underground passage.”
The passage leading under the fortress was connected to Merta.
Even if there are still some rebels left in Merta, most of their forces will be concentrated in Cuenta, so they should be easy to deal with.
Ernest, who was stroking his chin at the faceter's suggestion, said.
It wasn't bad. But how could they make the barbarians and rebels fight, and how could they escape in the meantime?
Ernest asked, not yet having heard an answer to this.
“If we want to make the rebels and the barbarians fight each other, we first need to tie them down in the fortress... Do you have a plan in mind?”
“You can use that woman.”
"...What?"
If it's that woman...
Ernest froze at the unexpected words of the knight.
“Let’s pretend to fight an all-out war and lead the soldiers to meet the rebels. Then, when the odds are against us, we can retreat into the fortress and lure them out. At the same time, if we tie up the woman to the stake and set her on fire, they won’t even think about pursuing us and the fire will go out. Then, how about we face the invading barbarians?”
“...The cremation site.”
It couldn't have been a more cruel plan.
When Ernest hesitated, feeling Ellie's figure, Fasher drove the wedge in.
“Didn’t you say that she can no longer use her powers anyway? She is now useless and we can’t carry around a sick woman like a burden.”
“Fasher!”
Cullen, unable to stand watching, urged him to stop.
No matter how much she betrayed him, Ellie was once someone Ernest cherished.
Giving Ernest the choice to directly drive Ellie to death.
At that moment, Cullen, who was worried about Ernest, who was suffering more than anyone else, was about to suggest another alternative.
Ernest, who had been staring blankly into space, answered.
“Yes. Let’s proceed according to Fasher’s plan.”
"Your Highness...!"
And no one was more surprised by his decision than Cullen.
“For now, that’s the best we can do.”
Anyway, Elizabeth. No, that woman is a traitor.
She must pay the price in this way.
That's what Ernest thought.
“Your Highness! But...!”
“We don’t have time to stay here like this. Gather the soldiers who have finished arming themselves in front of the entrance right now.”
Although Cullen desperately tried to dissuade Ernest, he ignored him and gave another order.
“Yes, I understand!”
“I’m glad that my proposal has been accepted,” Fasher replied loudly.
“Cullen, you help me arm myself. If you’re going to say anything weird, get out.”
“...I will help you.”
Cullen, who had bitten the soldiers, helped Ernest arm himself with a distraught expression.
***
Valletta was delighted by the news she had just heard from the soldier.
They're going to tie that woman up and burn her at the stake!
It was Valletta who was anxious because Cullen caught her doing something to that woman this morning.
So, she was afraid that the reason she was called was to punish her.
"You're using that woman as bait?"
"Yes. If she's lucky, she might survive. Even if she does survive, she won’t be able to avoid the terrible burns, and even if she does escape the crisis for a moment, she’ll be torn to pieces by the barbarians."
It has been said that the strength of the barbarians is like the strength of beasts.
Dying to a barbarian with such a cruel disposition would probably be the most painful death.
That woman's fate was either to be burned to death or torn to pieces.
It would be a death so painful that it would be difficult to give in even a little.
“I hope she's unlucky.”
If possible, she would like to experience both the pain of being burned to death and the pain of being torn apart.
Because that would be the death that suits her best.
Valletta hummed a tune as she entered the Crown Prince's room, unlike the tension that was permeating the fortress.
It was to pack the Crown Prince's luggage while he was busy preparing for battle.
As Valletta was roughly packing up his things that seemed necessary, something caught his eye.
“This is...”
A single shiny gold piece lying between the dresser and the bed.
Valletta, who was looking at it, let out a breath of pure admiration.
"Pretty..."
It was a gold necklace with a sparkling red ruby.
'His Highness the Crown Prince must have dropped it by mistake?'
It's definitely a valuable item, so she has to be careful not to lose it.
Valletta, who was anxious about putting such a precious thing in the luggage compartment, hung it around her neck.
Thinking that it would be safer to keep what she had.
As Valletta was packing her bags and heading towards the place where people were gathered, her steps suddenly stopped.
Then Valletta, looking at the pyre erected high in the middle of the fortress, smiled wryly.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to tell her how she’ll die in the end.”
It wouldn't be a bad thing to make her wait in fear about what her end will be.
After thinking about it, Valletta turned her steps towards the warehouse where Ellie was instead of going down to the basement.
***
“Lord Carsis. That is the fortress of Cuenca.”
Carsis turned his head in the direction Jason's finger was pointing.
Then a fortress built on top of a rock came into view.
Although it was very old, it still boasted its grandeur as befitting an important strategic location from long ago.
“Something feels off. There should have been a barbarian raid by now before we got there, but it’s so quiet... It’s unsettling.”
“The reason the barbarians couldn’t touch the fortress must be inside there.”
"Yes?"
When Jason asked back as if he didn't understand what he meant.
The tightly shut gate opened and soldiers poured out of the fortress.
Jason, who was watching it, wiggled his eyebrows.
“That’s unexpected. I thought you knew how to play defense.”
The Crown Prince's army was greatly outnumbered.
Even if you estimate, the number of troops they led was only about a hundred.
On the other hand, behind Carsis there were about a thousand soldiers.
“Are you really planning to start an all-out war with those numbers?”
“There must be some other ulterior motive.”
The Crown Prince wouldn't be that empty-headed.
As soon as he finished speaking, the frontman rode forward on his horse.
A man appeared with his familiar golden hair shining.
“Ernest.”
He was the Crown Prince.
Carsis dissuaded those preparing to attack from behind and then went forward alone to greet the Crown Prince.
The distance between the two people who had become close before they knew it was only fifty steps.
It was close enough that they could have a conversation with each other.
“...Carsis.”
A heavy air hung between the two men who stood on the saddle and faced each other in silence.
And the first one to break that silence was Carsis.
“It’s been a while, Your Highness the Crown Prince. No...”
Carsis's head tilted slightly as he smiled bitterly at him.
"Older brother."
"...Older brother?"
He's my brother.
Ernest's eyebrows furrowed involuntarily as if he found the title quite shocking.
Carsis must have known from the beginning.
That he was of Clepius' bloodline.
How much must he have mocked me inside while looking at me?
He must have laughed at him behind his back, not knowing that Elizabeth's heart and body were all his.
Just thinking about it made Ernest's stomach turn.
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