After the revolution succeeded, the empire changed rapidly.
Elze and Shan had not yet officially declared the Targayel Empire. Everything was planned to proceed after Astin and Heyla arrived, asking for their opinions. If all went as planned, Astin would be crowned Emperor. And there would be a grand coronation ceremony to coincide with Heyla and Astin's wedding.
Once the date was set, letters were sent to each country to invite them to the coronation ceremony. The purpose was to enjoy the festivities with the envoys of each country, while also solidifying the presence of the Targayel Empire in front of them.
Elze, who was looking at the documents with Shan, spoke as if she was flipping through the pages.
“Blahar must have heard the news by now, right?”
Shan, who was busy with his work, stopped working and looked at Elze. He smiled and said.
"Of course."
Shan added crookedly, resting his chin on one hand.
“I wish I could cool down a bit.”
Shan, who was saying that, had a face that was so funny that he didn't know what to do. Blahar's misfortune was one of the things Shan really liked. When Elze showed him a look that said she couldn't stop him from smiling broadly, Shan finally started to control his expression a little.
“It looks like Heglatan is going to start a full-scale rebellion against the Prince. I heard Blahar has started to move.”
Elze nodded slowly. She had expected Blahar to move before Targayel could find stability. Shan muttered as he neatly organized the papers he had been looking at.
“Her Highness is also safely evacuated...”
Crown Princess Iarin was declared missing and sent into hiding. She planned to send her out of the country secretly once the situation calmed down. This was in line with Iarin’s wish to escape the palace and enjoy the vast freedom.
Iarin was the wife of Crown Prince Raymond and the younger sister of Duke Seraph. Normally, she would have been in a position where she could not avoid execution.
But instead of benefiting from her position, Iarin suffered more than anyone else. She was locked up in the palace, suffering mental and physical abuse.
Nevertheless, Iarin was brave. The moment when she overcame her fear and stood up for Elze was unforgettable. The moment when she stood in front of Elze despite being trembling with fear...
Elze truly wanted to help her be happy.
"Thank god."
Shan paused for a moment at the short answer and looked at Elze intently.
“...”
A silent silence followed. Elze looked at Shan. He had a serious expression on his face. With no trace of playfulness on his face, Shan asked.
“Duke Seraph and Crown Prince Raymond... What should we do?”
He whispered softly.
“I want to kill them.”
Shan's voice was slightly hoarse. The words that contained murderous intent were like a blood-soaked knife. She had the illusion that she could smell a faint scent of blood flowing from somewhere. Shan jumped up from his seat. He slowly approached Elze and spoke.
“But if you don’t want to, I can put up with it.”
The steps stopped in front of Elze. Shan bent one knee. Elze, who had been looking up at Shan, naturally lowered her gaze. Shan grabbed Elze’s hand and kissed the back of her hand with a soft kiss.
“I will do whatever you say.”
He asked with a pretty smile.
“What do you want to do, Elze?”
Elze could feel it. Now, the lives of Raymond and the Duke of Seraph were in Elze's hands.
If Shan was a sword, then the person holding its handle was Elze.
If Elze tells them to live, they live, and if she tells him to kill, they die.
In the face of the fate of two villains, whose lives were at stake, Elze answered slowly. And Shan smiled after hearing Elze’s answer.
Everything fell apart overnight. Where did it all go wrong? Raymond couldn't figure it out, no matter how hard he thought about it.
Even when they won the Hundred Years' War, Raymond had the world, and Baluar was on a roll as if he could conquer the continent. Everyone bowed their heads at Raymond's feet.
The great Crown Prince who defeated Heglatan and led the Baluar Empire to victory. At that time, Raymond was brimming with confidence. He thought of himself as a shining sun.
But at some point, Raymond lost his light. The longing gazes began to fade, and the people who had been bustling around him began to scatter like grains of sand.
He couldn't understand why. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't understand why he had to suffer like this. Raymond had done nothing wrong. It felt like everything was someone else's fault.
“...I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Raymond's mutterings dispersed in vain. Then a low laughter came from the other end.
"...Ha."
Raymond slowly raised his head at the sound of laughter. He saw blue-gray eyes that glowed faintly even in the darkness. It was the Duke of Seraph.
Raymond and Duke Seraph were locked up facing each other with thick iron bars and a corridor between them.
The Duke of Seraph moved his arm very slowly. A clanking sound followed his movement. The Duke looked down at the massive iron chain hanging from his wrist for a moment. A hint of anger flashed across his eyes.
But Duke Seraph skillfully hid his feelings. He kept his face smooth as always and whispered to Raymond.
“Foolish man.”
Raymond's face twisted. Duke Seraph smiled and asked,
“Did you think you accomplished all that?”
Raymond couldn't answer. Duke Seraph slowly shook his head and spoke to Raymond, who was reluctantly insisting.
“You were so proud of yourself, thinking you were shining...”
His eyes looked at Raymond with contempt.
“It’s really disgusting and dirty.”
“...”
The words that were hammered down like nails were crude. But they did not end there.
“You had nothing from the beginning.”
Duke Seraph persistently broke Raymond's heart.
“You were just being arrogant about getting lucky with a hunting dog.”
Raymond couldn't refute him, because everything he said was true. So instead of refuting him, he chose to join in the accusation.
“I never listened to you from the beginning.”
Raymond's eyes flashed with a look of pride that was shattered. It was an eye that truly wanted to kill Duke Seraph. However, Duke Seraph was calm in the face of Raymond's murderous intent. He snickered and said.
“Even if it weren’t for me, you would have abandoned Targayel.”
The Duke of Seraph tilted his head. His messy platinum hair was disheveled. His face, though dull, was still beautiful as he spoke.
“Because he was afraid of the hunting dogs that were becoming stronger and smarter than their masters.”
Suddenly, his heart felt like it was sinking. Raymond blurted out without realizing it.
“...I won’t die.”
But the moment he uttered those words, his fear grew even stronger. Raymond tried to pretend not to know about his future and spoke again.
“The Baluar Dynasty will not fall.”
However, despite his determined words, Raymond's body was trembling slightly. There was no way Duke Seraph could not have known about Raymond's condition.
“Then, Your Highness.”
The Duke's eyes narrowed. He whispered sweetly.
“Would you like to make one last desperate attempt with me?”
“Oh, this is the last struggle..."
Raymond looked at Duke Seraph, groping.
He had already betrayed him once. Trusting the Duke Seraph was like hanging on to a rotten rope.
But Raymond had no other choice. Raymond had no choice but to listen to Duke Seraph. Duke Seraph smiled faintly and opened his mouth.
“The forces of Targayel are not the only ones in Baluar. Many despise the commoners like Shan Cirxus.”
Among the nobles, many despised, if not loathed, Shan Cirxus. Duke Seraph intended to use them.
“I have bribed one of the guards. Send a letter to the Marquis de Geth.”
“To the Marquis of Geth...?”
“Let’s escape from here and go to Heglatan.”
“!!”
Raymond's eyes widened at the word Heglatan. In front of the astonished Raymond, Duke Seraph continued speaking calmly.
“With their help, we will drive out Targayel. Of course, there will be a price to pay, but whatever it is, it will be a price worth paying to reclaim the throne.”
Duke Seraph whispered in a pretended sad voice.
“The throne was yours..."
Then he smiled faintly and asked back.
“Isn’t that so, Your Highness?”
Raymond's heart began to beat faster at the Duke's words. He didn't know what Heglatan would ask for in return. Maybe Baluar would become Heglatan's colony. But whatever it was, it would at least be better than the current situation.
Raymond eventually nodded.
After receiving Raymond's letter, the Marquis of Geth took action immediately. He secretly sought out nobles who would join him in his cause.
There were quite a few nobles who held grudges against Shan. They were arrogant people who would rather die than serve such an ignorant man. They decided to join together out of hatred for Shan Cirxus rather than loyalty to the royal family of Baluar.
The Marquis of Geth gathered his private army together with them. Then, together with his son Adam, he led the soldiers and raided the imperial prison.
The raid went surprisingly smoothly. Targayel was so arrogant that he had no guards. Heaven seemed to be supporting Baluar. Thanks to this, the Marquis of Geth was able to enter the palace prison easily. He quickly found Raymond without much trouble.
"Your Highness!!"
The Marquis of Geth released Raymond and Duke Seraph from their chains. He spoke with a face full of justice.
“Don’t worry now. I will take care of you two.”
Raymond looked almost as if he was about to cry at the sight of the Marquis de Geth. Right now, the Marquis de Geth was like an angel to Raymond.
“Ahh... You are truly a loyal subject... I will never forget what happened today.”
“That is an exaggeration, Your Highness. It is only natural. To me, Your Highness is my only master.”
Duke Seraph coldly urged the two people who were sharing a touching reunion.
“First, we need to get out of here.”
With Marquis Geth in the lead, Duke Seraph, and Raymond followed. They left the prison in perfect order with their private soldiers. They had almost reached the entrance to the prison. Marquis Geth, who was at the very front, stopped in shock.
“Hee, heek...!”
He didn't even have time to save face. He stopped with a reckless sound and pointed ahead without saying anything. Raymond looked ahead to see what was going on, and his face turned pale. And the Duke of Seraph frowned without saying a word.
A low laugh echoed in front of the various reactions. A soft voice was heard with a hint of laughter.
“You must be having a hard time at this hour of the night.”
The purple eyes glowed brightly in the darkness.
“Thank you for coming all the way here.”
The torch flared up like a dance. The bright light illuminated the man's face.
“Would you like to have a chat with us all?”
He was Shan Cirxus.
What Elze asked of Shan was simple.
"I'll leave it up to you to decide. Just tell them what crime they committed."
The calm blue eyes were a peaceful sleep. However, because they were calm, they were scary, like the calm before a storm.
"I don't expect him to regret it. I just want him to at least understand why this is happening to him."
Elze spoke with extremely calm eyes.
"I'm sure he'll be furious and say he didn't do anything wrong..."
And Elze's prediction was blatantly correct.
Raymond had absolutely no idea why all this had happened. He was busy blaming others. It seemed as if he had firmly established in his mind that he was good and just, and Shan was evil and unjust.
In fact, Raymond's thoughts were not so wrong when he only looked at the outside, but now he was seriously mistaken.
“You...! You don’t know gratitude!!”
Raymond was going crazy. He seemed to have lost his senses when he was pushed to the limit. Raymond was swearing and screaming like a crazy person.
“How did I treat you...!
Shan laughed bitterly at Raymond's loud shouting. The movements of Raymond and Duke Seraph had been reported by his vassals long ago. There was news that the anti-Targayel forces were uniting to escape the palace prison.
Shan left them alone and took advantage of this opportunity to capture them all at once. And while they were busy moving about, filled with the hope of escape, Shan sat back and waited.
Raymond, who was frustrated in front of his eyes, could not handle the despair. He lost his reason and blurted out the words he wanted to say in front of Shan.
“Even if I am defeated here, those who yearn for the House of Baluar will bring down Targayel!”
The Marquis of Geth seemed to have a similar opinion to Raymond. He gritted his teeth and shouted.
“You ignorant fool who only knows how to use a sword, how can you possibly covet the throne!”
Adam, the son of the Marquis of Geth, also shouted.
“You shameless beast of a man!!”
They were people who held on to their pride even in situations where they were on the verge of death. Their shouts echoed through the prison cell. Shan just waited quietly. And only when all the words had ended and silence had settled in did he open his mouth.
“Do you know that?”
Unlike them who were so excited that they didn't know what to do, Shan was calm. Shan spoke slowly.
“If you win, you are a revolutionary and a saint, if you lose, you are a traitor and a tyrant.”
Shan snickered and said in front of them, who valued the pride of a noble family as their lifeblood.
“From the moment Targayel won, it no longer matters whether I am a beast or a man. And you are now traitors.”
The faces of Marquis Geth and Adam hardened at Shan's sarcasm. They were finally awakened to reality as if they had been hit by a cold shower. Shan left the two men and turned his gaze to Raymond.
“Raymond.”
Raymond flinched at Shan's gaze. Raymond had once acted like he would give Shan his liver and gall bladder, saying that they were his brothers.
“How did it come to this?”
Elze and Shan had not yet officially declared the Targayel Empire. Everything was planned to proceed after Astin and Heyla arrived, asking for their opinions. If all went as planned, Astin would be crowned Emperor. And there would be a grand coronation ceremony to coincide with Heyla and Astin's wedding.
Once the date was set, letters were sent to each country to invite them to the coronation ceremony. The purpose was to enjoy the festivities with the envoys of each country, while also solidifying the presence of the Targayel Empire in front of them.
Elze, who was looking at the documents with Shan, spoke as if she was flipping through the pages.
“Blahar must have heard the news by now, right?”
Shan, who was busy with his work, stopped working and looked at Elze. He smiled and said.
"Of course."
Shan added crookedly, resting his chin on one hand.
“I wish I could cool down a bit.”
Shan, who was saying that, had a face that was so funny that he didn't know what to do. Blahar's misfortune was one of the things Shan really liked. When Elze showed him a look that said she couldn't stop him from smiling broadly, Shan finally started to control his expression a little.
“It looks like Heglatan is going to start a full-scale rebellion against the Prince. I heard Blahar has started to move.”
Elze nodded slowly. She had expected Blahar to move before Targayel could find stability. Shan muttered as he neatly organized the papers he had been looking at.
“Her Highness is also safely evacuated...”
Crown Princess Iarin was declared missing and sent into hiding. She planned to send her out of the country secretly once the situation calmed down. This was in line with Iarin’s wish to escape the palace and enjoy the vast freedom.
Iarin was the wife of Crown Prince Raymond and the younger sister of Duke Seraph. Normally, she would have been in a position where she could not avoid execution.
But instead of benefiting from her position, Iarin suffered more than anyone else. She was locked up in the palace, suffering mental and physical abuse.
Nevertheless, Iarin was brave. The moment when she overcame her fear and stood up for Elze was unforgettable. The moment when she stood in front of Elze despite being trembling with fear...
Elze truly wanted to help her be happy.
"Thank god."
Shan paused for a moment at the short answer and looked at Elze intently.
“...”
A silent silence followed. Elze looked at Shan. He had a serious expression on his face. With no trace of playfulness on his face, Shan asked.
“Duke Seraph and Crown Prince Raymond... What should we do?”
He whispered softly.
“I want to kill them.”
Shan's voice was slightly hoarse. The words that contained murderous intent were like a blood-soaked knife. She had the illusion that she could smell a faint scent of blood flowing from somewhere. Shan jumped up from his seat. He slowly approached Elze and spoke.
“But if you don’t want to, I can put up with it.”
The steps stopped in front of Elze. Shan bent one knee. Elze, who had been looking up at Shan, naturally lowered her gaze. Shan grabbed Elze’s hand and kissed the back of her hand with a soft kiss.
“I will do whatever you say.”
He asked with a pretty smile.
“What do you want to do, Elze?”
Elze could feel it. Now, the lives of Raymond and the Duke of Seraph were in Elze's hands.
If Shan was a sword, then the person holding its handle was Elze.
If Elze tells them to live, they live, and if she tells him to kill, they die.
In the face of the fate of two villains, whose lives were at stake, Elze answered slowly. And Shan smiled after hearing Elze’s answer.
***
Everything fell apart overnight. Where did it all go wrong? Raymond couldn't figure it out, no matter how hard he thought about it.
Even when they won the Hundred Years' War, Raymond had the world, and Baluar was on a roll as if he could conquer the continent. Everyone bowed their heads at Raymond's feet.
The great Crown Prince who defeated Heglatan and led the Baluar Empire to victory. At that time, Raymond was brimming with confidence. He thought of himself as a shining sun.
But at some point, Raymond lost his light. The longing gazes began to fade, and the people who had been bustling around him began to scatter like grains of sand.
He couldn't understand why. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't understand why he had to suffer like this. Raymond had done nothing wrong. It felt like everything was someone else's fault.
“...I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Raymond's mutterings dispersed in vain. Then a low laughter came from the other end.
"...Ha."
Raymond slowly raised his head at the sound of laughter. He saw blue-gray eyes that glowed faintly even in the darkness. It was the Duke of Seraph.
Raymond and Duke Seraph were locked up facing each other with thick iron bars and a corridor between them.
The Duke of Seraph moved his arm very slowly. A clanking sound followed his movement. The Duke looked down at the massive iron chain hanging from his wrist for a moment. A hint of anger flashed across his eyes.
But Duke Seraph skillfully hid his feelings. He kept his face smooth as always and whispered to Raymond.
“Foolish man.”
Raymond's face twisted. Duke Seraph smiled and asked,
“Did you think you accomplished all that?”
Raymond couldn't answer. Duke Seraph slowly shook his head and spoke to Raymond, who was reluctantly insisting.
“You were so proud of yourself, thinking you were shining...”
His eyes looked at Raymond with contempt.
“It’s really disgusting and dirty.”
“...”
The words that were hammered down like nails were crude. But they did not end there.
“You had nothing from the beginning.”
Duke Seraph persistently broke Raymond's heart.
“You were just being arrogant about getting lucky with a hunting dog.”
Raymond couldn't refute him, because everything he said was true. So instead of refuting him, he chose to join in the accusation.
“I never listened to you from the beginning.”
Raymond's eyes flashed with a look of pride that was shattered. It was an eye that truly wanted to kill Duke Seraph. However, Duke Seraph was calm in the face of Raymond's murderous intent. He snickered and said.
“Even if it weren’t for me, you would have abandoned Targayel.”
The Duke of Seraph tilted his head. His messy platinum hair was disheveled. His face, though dull, was still beautiful as he spoke.
“Because he was afraid of the hunting dogs that were becoming stronger and smarter than their masters.”
Suddenly, his heart felt like it was sinking. Raymond blurted out without realizing it.
“...I won’t die.”
But the moment he uttered those words, his fear grew even stronger. Raymond tried to pretend not to know about his future and spoke again.
“The Baluar Dynasty will not fall.”
However, despite his determined words, Raymond's body was trembling slightly. There was no way Duke Seraph could not have known about Raymond's condition.
“Then, Your Highness.”
The Duke's eyes narrowed. He whispered sweetly.
“Would you like to make one last desperate attempt with me?”
“Oh, this is the last struggle..."
Raymond looked at Duke Seraph, groping.
He had already betrayed him once. Trusting the Duke Seraph was like hanging on to a rotten rope.
But Raymond had no other choice. Raymond had no choice but to listen to Duke Seraph. Duke Seraph smiled faintly and opened his mouth.
“The forces of Targayel are not the only ones in Baluar. Many despise the commoners like Shan Cirxus.”
Among the nobles, many despised, if not loathed, Shan Cirxus. Duke Seraph intended to use them.
“I have bribed one of the guards. Send a letter to the Marquis de Geth.”
“To the Marquis of Geth...?”
“Let’s escape from here and go to Heglatan.”
“!!”
Raymond's eyes widened at the word Heglatan. In front of the astonished Raymond, Duke Seraph continued speaking calmly.
“With their help, we will drive out Targayel. Of course, there will be a price to pay, but whatever it is, it will be a price worth paying to reclaim the throne.”
Duke Seraph whispered in a pretended sad voice.
“The throne was yours..."
Then he smiled faintly and asked back.
“Isn’t that so, Your Highness?”
Raymond's heart began to beat faster at the Duke's words. He didn't know what Heglatan would ask for in return. Maybe Baluar would become Heglatan's colony. But whatever it was, it would at least be better than the current situation.
Raymond eventually nodded.
***
After receiving Raymond's letter, the Marquis of Geth took action immediately. He secretly sought out nobles who would join him in his cause.
There were quite a few nobles who held grudges against Shan. They were arrogant people who would rather die than serve such an ignorant man. They decided to join together out of hatred for Shan Cirxus rather than loyalty to the royal family of Baluar.
The Marquis of Geth gathered his private army together with them. Then, together with his son Adam, he led the soldiers and raided the imperial prison.
The raid went surprisingly smoothly. Targayel was so arrogant that he had no guards. Heaven seemed to be supporting Baluar. Thanks to this, the Marquis of Geth was able to enter the palace prison easily. He quickly found Raymond without much trouble.
"Your Highness!!"
The Marquis of Geth released Raymond and Duke Seraph from their chains. He spoke with a face full of justice.
“Don’t worry now. I will take care of you two.”
Raymond looked almost as if he was about to cry at the sight of the Marquis de Geth. Right now, the Marquis de Geth was like an angel to Raymond.
“Ahh... You are truly a loyal subject... I will never forget what happened today.”
“That is an exaggeration, Your Highness. It is only natural. To me, Your Highness is my only master.”
Duke Seraph coldly urged the two people who were sharing a touching reunion.
“First, we need to get out of here.”
With Marquis Geth in the lead, Duke Seraph, and Raymond followed. They left the prison in perfect order with their private soldiers. They had almost reached the entrance to the prison. Marquis Geth, who was at the very front, stopped in shock.
“Hee, heek...!”
He didn't even have time to save face. He stopped with a reckless sound and pointed ahead without saying anything. Raymond looked ahead to see what was going on, and his face turned pale. And the Duke of Seraph frowned without saying a word.
A low laugh echoed in front of the various reactions. A soft voice was heard with a hint of laughter.
“You must be having a hard time at this hour of the night.”
The purple eyes glowed brightly in the darkness.
“Thank you for coming all the way here.”
The torch flared up like a dance. The bright light illuminated the man's face.
“Would you like to have a chat with us all?”
He was Shan Cirxus.
***
What Elze asked of Shan was simple.
"I'll leave it up to you to decide. Just tell them what crime they committed."
The calm blue eyes were a peaceful sleep. However, because they were calm, they were scary, like the calm before a storm.
"I don't expect him to regret it. I just want him to at least understand why this is happening to him."
Elze spoke with extremely calm eyes.
"I'm sure he'll be furious and say he didn't do anything wrong..."
And Elze's prediction was blatantly correct.
Raymond had absolutely no idea why all this had happened. He was busy blaming others. It seemed as if he had firmly established in his mind that he was good and just, and Shan was evil and unjust.
In fact, Raymond's thoughts were not so wrong when he only looked at the outside, but now he was seriously mistaken.
“You...! You don’t know gratitude!!”
Raymond was going crazy. He seemed to have lost his senses when he was pushed to the limit. Raymond was swearing and screaming like a crazy person.
“How did I treat you...!
Shan laughed bitterly at Raymond's loud shouting. The movements of Raymond and Duke Seraph had been reported by his vassals long ago. There was news that the anti-Targayel forces were uniting to escape the palace prison.
Shan left them alone and took advantage of this opportunity to capture them all at once. And while they were busy moving about, filled with the hope of escape, Shan sat back and waited.
Raymond, who was frustrated in front of his eyes, could not handle the despair. He lost his reason and blurted out the words he wanted to say in front of Shan.
“Even if I am defeated here, those who yearn for the House of Baluar will bring down Targayel!”
The Marquis of Geth seemed to have a similar opinion to Raymond. He gritted his teeth and shouted.
“You ignorant fool who only knows how to use a sword, how can you possibly covet the throne!”
Adam, the son of the Marquis of Geth, also shouted.
“You shameless beast of a man!!”
They were people who held on to their pride even in situations where they were on the verge of death. Their shouts echoed through the prison cell. Shan just waited quietly. And only when all the words had ended and silence had settled in did he open his mouth.
“Do you know that?”
Unlike them who were so excited that they didn't know what to do, Shan was calm. Shan spoke slowly.
“If you win, you are a revolutionary and a saint, if you lose, you are a traitor and a tyrant.”
Shan snickered and said in front of them, who valued the pride of a noble family as their lifeblood.
“From the moment Targayel won, it no longer matters whether I am a beast or a man. And you are now traitors.”
The faces of Marquis Geth and Adam hardened at Shan's sarcasm. They were finally awakened to reality as if they had been hit by a cold shower. Shan left the two men and turned his gaze to Raymond.
“Raymond.”
Raymond flinched at Shan's gaze. Raymond had once acted like he would give Shan his liver and gall bladder, saying that they were his brothers.
“How did it come to this?”
Shan sighed and told him.
“Don’t you remember how you treated your veterans after the Hundred Years’ War?”
“...”
“When you no longer need something, throw it away without mercy. That’s what you do best.”
After the war, the Baluar royal family only rewarded and rewarded the nobles.
Because of the tight finances, the soldiers were given a simple apology and that was the end of it. The soldiers had to endure the scars of war without any proper compensation.
Among them, there were quite a few who became thieves because they were struggling with the hardships of life. One such case was the band of thieves he met in the forest of Renando near the Kingdom of Britain. Fortunately, Renando's band of thieves met Targayel and his party. Thanks to this, they were able to settle in Hemov, Elze's territory.
But except for a few lucky cases, most were miserable. They suffered from the aftereffects of the war and groaned. Baluar may have looked splendid on the outside, but on the inside, it was slowly rotting away.
Moreover, it wasn't just the soldiers that Raymond was trying to get rid of. In the early days of the war, Raymond had ordered Shan to eliminate the Elijah mercenary group.
At that time, Shan refused the order and took Elijah into Targayel's private army to protect them from Raymond. If Shan had not acted quickly at that time, Elijah's safety would not have been guaranteed.
And most recently, Raymond even attempted to clean up Targayel.
He was always merciless. He would cut off even the most loyal subordinates without hesitation if they seemed to cause him even the slightest harm.
“That, that...”
Shan said calmly to the flustered Raymond.
“You should have been more grateful.”
“...”
“It is the failure to see far ahead, simply by following practical interests. That is the cause of the failure, Raymond.”
Raymond said nothing. Shan grinned in front of Raymond.
“Well... Anyway, thanks to that, we can now deal with the forces opposing Targayel in one go.”
He whispered angrily.
“Shouldn’t I at least offer my thanks for this?”
Raymond's face turned red. He looked helpless with shame and anger. And while all this chaos was going on, there was one quiet person.
Duke Seraph was expressionless. He just watched silently, as if he had known this would happen from the beginning.
Shan, who had roughly sorted out Raymond and Geth, looked back at Duke Seraph. If he had anything to say, he should say it now. Duke Seraph smiled slightly at Shan’s gaze.
“I knew it was a futile effort.”
Raymond and Geth both looked at him with shocked expressions at his remark.
They had done all this by trusting only in Duke Seraph. But now that the person in question is acting like that, they were hit hard in the back of the head. Duke Seraph ignored their betrayed gazes and continued to speak softly.
“If I succeed through my struggles, that’s great, but even if I don’t, I still gain something.”
Shan frowned at his remark. Duke Seraph had done what he did, knowing that he could not escape.
What exactly is the harvest he is getting? Shan pondered for a while but was soon able to get the answer.
“...Elze.”
Duke Seraph smiled quietly at the words Shan had brought out. And just in time, a clear voice that did not fit in with the damp and gloomy prison was heard.
“Shan.”
Shan turned around with a jerk. Elze was standing at the entrance to the prison. Elze’s appearance brought joy to Duke Seraph’s face.
In fact, the Duke knew it too. Shan Cirxus was a clever man. It was obvious that even if he made a last-ditch effort, there was a very high chance of failure.
Moreover, even if he succeeded, it was uncertain whether Heglatan would accept Duke Seraph. Crown Prince Raymond had symbolic significance, so Heglatan could keep him. However, Duke Seraph was of little use except for obtaining some information.
Nevertheless, he did it anyway. If it worked out well, that would be great, and if not, it would at least allow him to fulfill one last wish.
To see Erzenes Targayel. That was Duke Seraph's last wish.
Duke Seraph brought in Marquis Geth to create a commotion in the palace. He took advantage of the confusion to contact Erzenes. He was sure that she would come out if he could get in touch with her.
Considering the numerous incidents entangled between Erzenes and Duke Seraph, she could not send him away like this.
As Shan Cirxus said, whether he died with his limbs torn off, or escaped after a successful struggle... whatever was fine. At the very least, he wanted to show Elze his end. So that he could occupy even a small space in her memory.
“Why did you come?”
Shan softly nudged Elze. Elze took a deep breath. Then she looked at Duke Seraph and said.
“To see his end.”
Duke Seraph smiled with utmost delight. He looked at Elze with eager eyes. Shan's eyebrows furrowed.
He hated that gaze. That’s why he wanted to handle it quietly, away from Elze as much as possible. Duke Seraph probably knew that too. If he had just been locked up, he wouldn’t have seen Elze until the moment his head was blown off. Given Shan’s personality, he would have dragged him to a quiet place, secretly cut off his head, and only belatedly told Elze.
“Erzenes.”
Duke Seraph called Elze, but Elze was cold.
“I didn’t come to talk to you, I just came to watch the end.”
Despite the cold air rushing in, Duke Seraph smiled. He spoke as if he was simply enjoying himself.
“Anything is fine.”
At those words, Shan's face distorted and he said,
“You pervert.”
At Shan's words, Duke Seraph let out a long sigh.
“Do you think I’m finished?”
Shan's eyes narrowed. The Duke spoke to Shan.
“Shan Cirxus. You know, don’t you? She attracts people like us.”
“...”
“Someday, something like this will happen again. Even after I am gone.”
His eyes shone brightly, then slowly became cloudy. At first glance, they looked like they were wet with water. As if he had said everything he wanted to say, Duke Seraph’s face became light.
“It was good to see you one last time, Erzenes.”
He looked down at his hands for a moment. His hands, which had always been neatly gloved in white gloves, were now a dirty mess. The Duke looked back at Elze and said,
“I won’t say sorry or ask for forgiveness. I don’t mean it.”
It was a shameless remark. But it was a remark very typical of Enoch Seraph. He smiled the prettiest smile he could muster.
“But my last...”
And whispered in the most beautiful voice.
“May it remain in your mind for a lifetime.”
Everything happened in an instant.
With those words, the Duke of Seraph reached out to the Marquis of Geth, who was standing next to him. He snatched the sword from his hand. Without hesitation, the Duke stabbed himself in the stomach with the sword.
“!!”
But Duke Seraph's attempt was blocked in vain. Shan ran quickly and grabbed Duke Seraph's forearm. Tendons rose on the back of Shan's hand. A fierce force pressed down hard on his forearm. Duke Seraph dropped the sword he was holding.
The sword fell to the cold stone floor of the prison. A sharp jingle rang out, like a fine teacup breaking.
“...”
Duke Seraph slowly looked at Shan, who was holding his forearm. Their eyes met.
“Where are you going to die nicely?”
Shan whispered, laughing fiercely.
“I’m the one who’s going to kill you.”
“Don’t you remember how you treated your veterans after the Hundred Years’ War?”
“...”
“When you no longer need something, throw it away without mercy. That’s what you do best.”
After the war, the Baluar royal family only rewarded and rewarded the nobles.
Because of the tight finances, the soldiers were given a simple apology and that was the end of it. The soldiers had to endure the scars of war without any proper compensation.
Among them, there were quite a few who became thieves because they were struggling with the hardships of life. One such case was the band of thieves he met in the forest of Renando near the Kingdom of Britain. Fortunately, Renando's band of thieves met Targayel and his party. Thanks to this, they were able to settle in Hemov, Elze's territory.
But except for a few lucky cases, most were miserable. They suffered from the aftereffects of the war and groaned. Baluar may have looked splendid on the outside, but on the inside, it was slowly rotting away.
Moreover, it wasn't just the soldiers that Raymond was trying to get rid of. In the early days of the war, Raymond had ordered Shan to eliminate the Elijah mercenary group.
At that time, Shan refused the order and took Elijah into Targayel's private army to protect them from Raymond. If Shan had not acted quickly at that time, Elijah's safety would not have been guaranteed.
And most recently, Raymond even attempted to clean up Targayel.
He was always merciless. He would cut off even the most loyal subordinates without hesitation if they seemed to cause him even the slightest harm.
“That, that...”
Shan said calmly to the flustered Raymond.
“You should have been more grateful.”
“...”
“It is the failure to see far ahead, simply by following practical interests. That is the cause of the failure, Raymond.”
Raymond said nothing. Shan grinned in front of Raymond.
“Well... Anyway, thanks to that, we can now deal with the forces opposing Targayel in one go.”
He whispered angrily.
“Shouldn’t I at least offer my thanks for this?”
Raymond's face turned red. He looked helpless with shame and anger. And while all this chaos was going on, there was one quiet person.
Duke Seraph was expressionless. He just watched silently, as if he had known this would happen from the beginning.
Shan, who had roughly sorted out Raymond and Geth, looked back at Duke Seraph. If he had anything to say, he should say it now. Duke Seraph smiled slightly at Shan’s gaze.
“I knew it was a futile effort.”
Raymond and Geth both looked at him with shocked expressions at his remark.
They had done all this by trusting only in Duke Seraph. But now that the person in question is acting like that, they were hit hard in the back of the head. Duke Seraph ignored their betrayed gazes and continued to speak softly.
“If I succeed through my struggles, that’s great, but even if I don’t, I still gain something.”
Shan frowned at his remark. Duke Seraph had done what he did, knowing that he could not escape.
What exactly is the harvest he is getting? Shan pondered for a while but was soon able to get the answer.
“...Elze.”
Duke Seraph smiled quietly at the words Shan had brought out. And just in time, a clear voice that did not fit in with the damp and gloomy prison was heard.
“Shan.”
Shan turned around with a jerk. Elze was standing at the entrance to the prison. Elze’s appearance brought joy to Duke Seraph’s face.
In fact, the Duke knew it too. Shan Cirxus was a clever man. It was obvious that even if he made a last-ditch effort, there was a very high chance of failure.
Moreover, even if he succeeded, it was uncertain whether Heglatan would accept Duke Seraph. Crown Prince Raymond had symbolic significance, so Heglatan could keep him. However, Duke Seraph was of little use except for obtaining some information.
Nevertheless, he did it anyway. If it worked out well, that would be great, and if not, it would at least allow him to fulfill one last wish.
To see Erzenes Targayel. That was Duke Seraph's last wish.
Duke Seraph brought in Marquis Geth to create a commotion in the palace. He took advantage of the confusion to contact Erzenes. He was sure that she would come out if he could get in touch with her.
Considering the numerous incidents entangled between Erzenes and Duke Seraph, she could not send him away like this.
As Shan Cirxus said, whether he died with his limbs torn off, or escaped after a successful struggle... whatever was fine. At the very least, he wanted to show Elze his end. So that he could occupy even a small space in her memory.
“Why did you come?”
Shan softly nudged Elze. Elze took a deep breath. Then she looked at Duke Seraph and said.
“To see his end.”
Duke Seraph smiled with utmost delight. He looked at Elze with eager eyes. Shan's eyebrows furrowed.
He hated that gaze. That’s why he wanted to handle it quietly, away from Elze as much as possible. Duke Seraph probably knew that too. If he had just been locked up, he wouldn’t have seen Elze until the moment his head was blown off. Given Shan’s personality, he would have dragged him to a quiet place, secretly cut off his head, and only belatedly told Elze.
“Erzenes.”
Duke Seraph called Elze, but Elze was cold.
“I didn’t come to talk to you, I just came to watch the end.”
Despite the cold air rushing in, Duke Seraph smiled. He spoke as if he was simply enjoying himself.
“Anything is fine.”
At those words, Shan's face distorted and he said,
“You pervert.”
At Shan's words, Duke Seraph let out a long sigh.
“Do you think I’m finished?”
Shan's eyes narrowed. The Duke spoke to Shan.
“Shan Cirxus. You know, don’t you? She attracts people like us.”
“...”
“Someday, something like this will happen again. Even after I am gone.”
His eyes shone brightly, then slowly became cloudy. At first glance, they looked like they were wet with water. As if he had said everything he wanted to say, Duke Seraph’s face became light.
“It was good to see you one last time, Erzenes.”
He looked down at his hands for a moment. His hands, which had always been neatly gloved in white gloves, were now a dirty mess. The Duke looked back at Elze and said,
“I won’t say sorry or ask for forgiveness. I don’t mean it.”
It was a shameless remark. But it was a remark very typical of Enoch Seraph. He smiled the prettiest smile he could muster.
“But my last...”
And whispered in the most beautiful voice.
“May it remain in your mind for a lifetime.”
Everything happened in an instant.
With those words, the Duke of Seraph reached out to the Marquis of Geth, who was standing next to him. He snatched the sword from his hand. Without hesitation, the Duke stabbed himself in the stomach with the sword.
“!!”
But Duke Seraph's attempt was blocked in vain. Shan ran quickly and grabbed Duke Seraph's forearm. Tendons rose on the back of Shan's hand. A fierce force pressed down hard on his forearm. Duke Seraph dropped the sword he was holding.
The sword fell to the cold stone floor of the prison. A sharp jingle rang out, like a fine teacup breaking.
“...”
Duke Seraph slowly looked at Shan, who was holding his forearm. Their eyes met.
“Where are you going to die nicely?”
Shan whispered, laughing fiercely.
“I’m the one who’s going to kill you.”
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