Chapter 0235 Drill
-x-X-x-
"The Imperial Army is withdrawing from the royal capital…"
Abel read the report and muttered.
"Perhaps they are heading to the eastern region~"
Ryo was lying on his usual sofa, slovenly, reading a book and replying randomly.
But suddenly he closed the book and stood up.
"W-What is it?"
Even Abel was surprised by Ryo's unusual behavior.
"Abel, I have a suggestion."
"If it's about sending you to the eastern region, you can forget it."
"How did you…?"
Abel was surprised when he suddenly stood up, but quickly regained his composure.
He saw Ryo's so-called suggestion coming from a mile away.
"I bet you just want to mess with the Explosive Blaze Magician a little is all."
"You must be kidding. You mean choke his goddamn life right out of him…"
"My answer is no."
"Ugh…your tyranny this time is over the top, King Abel!"
"Hey, don't you spout whatever you want…"
Ryo gave in to the tyranny of the powers that be, and Abel slumped wearily.
Ryo was also aware of the reasoning.
The reason remains the same as Ryo's previous proposal to infiltrate the royal capital solo and freeze the entire imperial army, which was rejected.
Even if it's impossible to convince all the people, they can only make the move to liberate the country after making most people recognize that 'we must reclaim our country with our hands'.
If this was an operation to invade and conquer an enemy country, it would be ideal in a sense to dispatch a powerful force like Ryo, freeze the entire enemy army, and then invade and win.
That is because the loss of forces would be minimal, and defensive structures such as city walls and the royal castle could be obtained intact.
However, that is ill-suited for a liberation war or a war of independence.
Reason being that the liberation war itself has symbolic significance.
Meaning?
To be precise, it's not about the war itself, but about the need to make the people realize that 'they have participated in reclaiming the country', for the sake of uniting the people effortlessly when the country is restored or becomes independent after the war.
That realization will facilitate national unity and national governance after the liberation war.
That is not a tactical or strategic issue, but a larger, political strategy.
A commander can solve problems at the tactical level.
A general can solve problems at the strategic level.
But when it comes to political strategy…only an 'excellent' politician can solve the problem.
Abel, as a king, already has the mindset of a politician who rules a country…and that was what it was about.
That same morning, Ryo's peaceful retreat was suddenly broken.
The perpetrator was Neville Black, the Knight-Captain of the Rune Frontier City.
"Sir Ryo, we are finally done with the formation for the exercise outside the castle."
Neville came into the office and reported to Ryo.
Ryo was visibly upset when Neville told him.
"L-Listen captain, I have a very crucial task of being Abel's bodyguard…"
"Sure, I understand. But you are not busy while His Majesty is in here, are you? Which is why I've come to take you up on your offer, so please take the knights for a drill outside the castle."
"I-If it's a drill, then the training grounds should be enough…"
"Nah, I'm thinking of something more practical."
Ryo looked to Abel for help.
"Yeah, that doesn't sound that bad every once in a while. You have my permission, have fun."
"Traitor~"
It would appear that there are traitors in various parts of the kingdom…
Though, alas, both claim to be 'Kings'.
After that, Ryo would have to go on a weekly drills outside the castle…
In the afternoon of the same day, Abel's office.
"Phew~ I am so spent~. I want something sweet and coffee please~"
There was a magician who newly occupied the sofa where Ryo usually slouches.
She is a wind-attribute magician and beside her is a powerful and peerless shield-bearer.
"And just when Ryo was put to work, now it's you, Rin…"
Abel took one look, then turned his attention back to the papers again and blurted out.
"Huh? Come to think of it, where's Ryo?"
After sitting on the sofa where Ryo usually lounges lazily, Rin seemed to have taken notice.
How very unusual that Ryo was not there.
"He's conducting a drill outside the mansion."
"Oh…that, so that was Ryo leading them~. The knights looked so happy that I wondered what was going on…that must suck."
Rin prayed for the unfortunate magician as she picked at the snacks that were served.
"Well, while he's in the mansion, he doesn't need to act as a bodyguard, I guess~. It's obvious that he'll be pushed to do other work instead…and Ryo seems to be very popular among the knights too."
"I hear they do mock battles from time to time."
"Right. I heard that Ryo has officially taken up the instructor role that was vacant after Sera went back to the forest." "A magician acting as the swordsmanship instructor of knights…"
Abel had a feeling that it didn't quite sound right, but then when he thought they were talking about Ryo, he dropped it.
The former instructor, Sera, was also an elf who was supposed to be good with the bow, so it's all good.
"Good grief…I wonder what Ryo has got planned with this."
Rin was enjoying her coffee and snacks with a contented look on her face.
Beside her, Warren was drinking coffee silently, but also with a somewhat satisfied atmosphere.
With the exception of the water-attribute magician, the Lords' mansion was peaceful.
The royal capital, on the other hand, was far from peaceful.
However, certain results have been achieved owing to that fact.
"It seems certain that the imperial army will leave the royal capital."
"Yes, sometime next week apparently."
Hector, the swordsman and leader of the C-rank party 'Morning Star' said, and Oriana, the scout, supplemented with the information she had obtained.
The two were now in the 'Rebels'' hideout.
Which was the largest of the several hideouts in the royal capital, the 'southern hideout'.
"Hector, is that true?"
"Yes, Zack, I am sure of it."
Zack Cooler, a former member of the Royal Knight Order, was the one who asked Hector that question.
Of course, Scotty Cobook, also a member of the Royal Knight Order, was beside him.
They, too, had become 'rebels' and joined the resistance activities in the royal capital.
"Finally. Well, sure enough, the 'planner' was right, the imperial army is preparing to withdraw… and I guess this will mark the end of the first phase…"
"The problem now is the second phase."
Zack and Scotty let out a small sigh.
The second phase will be against Raymond's faction, the northern nobles…and the nobles who have been joining them recently and who hold territory around the royal capital.
The opponents will no doubt be desperate to solidify their hold on the royal capital.
It surely won't be easy to drive them out like the Empire.
This was definitely going to be a critical moment for the 'rebels'.
"The second phase has no end in sight. We'll keep at it until King Abel wins…"
Hector's mind was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.
He had once tried to kidnap Abel, even though he didn't know him then.
Of course, now he knows that the 'B-rank adventurer Abel' with whom he was involved at that time, became King Abel.
And that their employer, the Marquis Heinlein, supports King Abel.
And Hector personally, would rather have King Abel rule the kingdom than King Raymond and his faction.
It's just that he felt a little conflicted because of his past.
"Small world, huh."
Oriana, the scout, probably wondering the same thing, said so with a wry expression.
The following week.
That day, the last of the imperial troops that had been occupying the royal capital for so long withdrew from the capital.
The newly formed Royal Guard under King Raymond and the armies of the northern and central nobles were out in full force to see off the imperial troops.
Some rebels watched them in hiding.
"So where are those imperial troops heading to?"
"According to the intel from inside the royal castle, they are heading to Wingston, the largest city in the eastern part of the country."
The scout Oriana replied Hector the swordsman's question.
"So, they're still going to remain in the kingdom…"
"Well, they did bring a good amount of troops and made a good amount of sacrifices, so…I guess they won't leave unless they get what they want from Raymond."
"It won't be funny if it's 'the eastern part of the Kingdom' he's giving the Empire."
Hector said with a frown.
Oriana nodded in agreement.
After sending out the imperial troops, the guards and the nobles' army closed the gates of the royal capital.
These days, it is said that the gates of the royal capital are only opened when supplies are brought in.
But the truth is, no one has been coming to the royal capital to do business, and the lives of the people of the royal capital had been growing worse.
However, today's movement of the guards and nobles' army seemed to be different from usual.
"Hm? Where are the guards and the nobles army headed? Certainly can't be the royal castle and the encampment…right?"
"You're right. Something is wrong."
Hector raised the question and Oriana concurred.
The guards were heading south of the royal capital, while the nobles' army was heading toward the east and west gates.
Incidentally, they were at the top of a certain watchtower, which was provided by a collaborator of the rebels.
From there, they could see quite a bit of the layout of the royal capital.
As they watched for a while, they heard footsteps hurrying up from below.
From the sound of footsteps, they could tell that it was their party members, the magician Kenzie and the priest Tarlow.
"Hector, Oriana, this is bad. The guards are on their way to the 'southern hideout'."
"What!?"
The 'southern hideout' is one of the rebels' hideouts scattered throughout the royal capital, and is the largest in scale in the capital.
By largest in scale, it meant that the number of people hiding there was also the largest.
"Apparently the guards stationed at the south gate are on their way there as well."
Priest Tarlow added to the information.
"All these the minute the imperial troops left, they act fast!"
At last, the hunt for the rebels has begun.
-x-X-x-
"Dammit, there are quite a lot of them. Hurry up and escape through the third underground passage."
"You hear it, the third! The first and second escape hatches have been found! So go to the third!"
The knights, Zack and Scotty were building defenses in the 'southern hideout' to buy time for their allies to escape through the underground passages.
"I have to admit, these royal guards are good."
"I heard that quite a lot of the guards who used to guard the royal capital are among them. Well, they too have to make a living, I suppose. So, they may have no qualms about serving the 'Traitor King'."
The two men, while having such a conversation, were defending the entrance corridor of the hideout while cutting off the guards who kept coming one after another.
In preparation for this kind of attack, a long and narrow passage was built at the entrance to make it easier to defend.
There is more than one entrance.
Since it's a hideout, there are two direct entrances, one to the north and the other to the south.
However, they were attacked by the guards at the same time, and the southern entrance, in particular, was facing considerable difficulty.
The defense was led by C-rank adventurer Showken.
Showken was one of the skilled adventurers who had been through many ordeals, including taking charge of the adventurers who escorted the diplomatic mission to Twilight Land.
After the diplomatic mission returned to the royal capital, the party he belonged to disbanded, and the other party members moved on to a more comfortable life with the money they had saved up.
Showken, too, had saved up a good amount of money, but he didn't have a hometown to return to, so he remained with the Adventurers' Guild in the royal capital and led a quiet life as a part-time staff…however, everything changed with the fall of the royal capital…and before he knew it, he found himself among the 'rebels'.
The southern entrance was being guarded by former D and E-rank adventurers under Showken's command.
They weren't elite by any means, but they were still putting their bodies on the line to help the rebel members, who were unaccustomed to violence, escape.
"Tsk…, they are not that strong, but there sure are a lot of them."
"No need to defeat them. Just buy time!"
"Hang in there until those scattered all over the royal capital return…"
The rebels desperately guarded the entrance, shouting at the top of their lungs at each other.
Still…they were truly outnumbered.
If there is no significant difference in strength, the one with the greater number will inevitably have the advantage.
"Oh no…we're going to be overrun."
Although they had managed to persevere up to this point, the collapse of the southern entrance was already in sight.
And, sure enough, the guards were preparing to launch an assault to break through the defense.
"Ugh…"
The rebels, led by Showken, were already resolved to be overrun and perish.
Then….
Fire arrows rained down on the attacking guards from the flank.
It was a ranged attack in which a single fire arrow split into five and striked the opponent, and if done well, could pierce several people with a single arrow.
But the fire arrows unleashed in front of them were so masterfully executed that they incapacitated more than a dozen guards.
At the same time, three women jumped into the fray.
The spear wielder swept the crowd away with her spear, the scout launched throwing knives at the enemy's necks, and the swordswoman took the guards down with certainty.
They were truly maidens who sweep through the battlefield…or female warriors who bring death with them….
"The 'Valkyries' are here!"
Showken had fought alongside them during the diplomatic mission. So there was no mistaking them.
The 'Valkyries', a rare C-rank party of five women led by the swordswoman Imogen.
Were a reassuring ally in this situation!
"Come on guys! We're pushing back!"
With Showken's command, the 'rebels' got back on their feet.
In coordination with the 'Valkyries', they succeeded in pushing back the guards that had pushed into the south entrance.
Thus, the southern entrance to the hideout managed to regain its footing.
Meanwhile, the guards were beginning to overwhelm the northern entrance as well.
"Wait, that commander-looking dude glimmering in the back…"
"Yeah. That must be the man we've heard so much about."
"He's the Prime Minister, and yet he's on the front lines hunting rebels…maybe he should have stayed on as Minister of Home Affairs."
Zack looked at him with a bit of sympathy.
The person at the end of their gazes was Count Harold Lawrence, who was responsible for the security of the royal capital as Minister of Home Affairs during the reign of King Stafford IV.
As members of the Royal Knights, the two had heard rumors that Harold Lawrence was an extremely capable man among the ministers.
Although Stafford IV was a king who did not have a prime minister, it was even said that Harold Lawrence would eventually be appointed prime minister.
His future looked bright…in the eyes of the knights.
But….
"The one who betrayed the Kingdom, communicated with Raymond, and even invited the imperial army the day the royal capital fell."
"Yup, according to the rumors going around. And he got the position of prime minister for his trouble…moreover, Raymond didn't give him any authority as prime minister…. And his popularity fell to the ground. What a miserable fellow. I wonder where it all went wrong for him."
Zack quietly denounced him with a look that was more pity than vehemence, and Scotty replied with a look that went beyond pity to sympathy.
"Goddamn it, why do I have to be here!"
A low but sharp mutter escaped Count Harold Lawrence's mouth.
He was undoubtedly the 'Prime Minister' under King Raymond.
The Prime Minister is the head of the administration, the highest position that leads the ministers.
Depending on the situation of the country, he may even have more power than the King…that's the kind of position it is.
And yet Harold Lawrence was presently leading the hunt for rebels….
Of course, since it was a direct order from King Raymond, so to speak, an imperial order, disobeying was not an option.
But still… it would not be the job of a prime minister…
"Destroy them now!"
It was unavoidable that he gave such instructions unintentionally.
He had completely lost his composure.
The atmosphere he once wore… words like important, capable, and intelligent no longer applied.
The stares of the guards at the scene even seemed to contain ridicule.
Immediately after the escort led by Harold Lawrence made several charges, an earthen spear passed right by Harold Lawrence from behind.
The moment Harold Lawrence turned around, several of the last guards fell en masse.
"What's going on?"
He shouted, but no one answered.
They were attacked from behind.
No one could afford to answer, and they didn't have to say to know that they were under attack!
But Harold Lawrence, who never had much experience in the field, didn't understand.
The feeling of impending death right next to you.
And that the enemy was aiming for you as the commander.
Before he knew it, Hector, the swordsman, was approaching from in front …
On that day, Earl Harold Lawrence, who was once touted as the excellent Minister of Interior Affairs, died.
Defeated by an adventurer party called 'Morning Star'.
"It's amazing that he's a C-rank adventurer but have that kind of skill."
"Yeah. That's a sword that has been forged in battle. It's different from a knight's swordsmanship."
Scotty and Zach watched as Hector slashed and Harold Lawrence fell.
At the same time, they pushed out from the hideout and crushed the guards in front of the north entrance at once.
The guards, which besieged the rebels' hideout in the order of a thousand men, withdrew with the death of their commander, facing more than several hundred casualties.
"Alright, we'll be retreating through the third passage."
Although they had defeated the guards, the raided hideout was no longer usable.
Those who remained in hiding until the end and repelled the raid burned the hideout, collapsed the passages, and destroyed all evidence before retreating.
The destination of the evacuation was the ruins of a large workshop near the east gate.
The third passage was connected to the basement of the workshop, which was no longer used because the workshop owner died and the disciples became independent.
Of course, they won't stay there too long.
They only took a break after moving to the next building.
The building next to it is… was a foreign embassy.
-x-X-x-
"Oh, here we are. Food and drinks are being prepared. So, you may rest for a while."
"Thank you, Mister Rodrigo."
Zack said to the butler who welcomed him, went to the back room, and finally took a breather.
The place is the basement of the 'Embassy of the Kingdom of Ju', one of the 'collaborators' helping the rebels from the shadows.
Of course, if King Raymond were to find out about this, it would be a big problem.
But, on the other hand, if King Abel seizes control of the entire kingdom, their act as a 'collaborator' would be a way to have him owe them one.
After weighing the two, His Highness Prince Willy, the eighth prince of the Kingdom of Ju, chose to be a 'collaborator'.
In the back room, there were those who had escaped from the 'southern hideout' earlier.
Only one among them was not from there.
"Prince Willy…"
"In person…"
Zack and Scotty hurriedly fell to their knees.
They were indeed members of the Royal Knights. Very unlike the rest of the adventurers.
"Oh, no, you two, this is a shelter. I'd appreciate it if you'd dispense with the formalities."
Prince Willy said with a strained smile.
"There's food and drinks, so please fill your stomachs first."
Prince Willy said and invited them to join him, and also those who came in behind them.
"You must be the members of 'Morning Star' and the…'Valkyries'. Please, come on in, everyone."
The rebels, who were able to finally breathe easy, exchanged information as they ate.
"Is it true that you people defeated Harold Lawrence?"
"Yeah, Hector from Morning Star cut him down with a single slash."
The 'Valkyrie' swordswoman Imogen asked, and Zack told her what he had seen before his very eyes.
"I see, that's why the guards retreated. Nice one, Hector."
"Oh it was nothing…"
Hector's face was beaming as he was praised by Imogen, who is well known as a beautiful swordswoman in the royal capital adventurers' guild.
Oriana, the scout, was looking at him with a stern gaze.
When Hector noticed her gaze, he hurriedly tightened his expression…though it was probably too late in so many ways.
"Don't worry, Oriana. No one in the Valkyrie is into Hector."
Seeing Oriana, Abigail, the scout of the 'Valkyries' said to her with a grin.
"O-Oh no, it's not really my business…"
Oriana hurriedly waved her hands in front of her face.
Seeing this, Abigail continued her words.
"Because the one Imogen truly in love with is King Abel."
"What?"
Many of the rebels who were there shouted in surprise.
Among them was His Highness Prince Willy, who was drinking grape juice because he was still a minor.
"Ms. Imogen, His Majesty Abel's…that is to say, the queen's position?"
Prince Willy's words drifted around with a deeper meaning than he thought.
"Imogen…how ambitious."
"Oh no, hey! You're mistaken!"
Imogen, who must have gotten flustered with C-rank adventurer Showken's mutterings, hurriedly denied it.
But the bond between women is always strong.
"Imogen is the daughter of a viscount, so becoming the first queen might prove a little difficult, but second onward is pretty doable."
The one who said that was the 'Valkyrie' magician Mew, whose father is the Marquis of West Wing.
"I see!"
"What the hell are you seeing?"
The Valkyries were unanimously convinced, but Imogen denied it again.
"Talk about the ladies' man…"
"The role model of our second son union."
Listening to such glamorous talk on the side, Zack and Scotty toasted Abel's rise to the top.
"You two are acquainted with His Majesty Abel, I presume."
His Highness Prince Willy spoke to them as they were toasting.
"Yes. We've known each other since we were young…"
"Him and Zack especially, have been up to no good since way back."
Zack answered seriously, and Scotty mixed it up a little.
"Oh, so you were schoolmates."
Prince Willy nodded his head slightly a few times.
"I heard that His Highness Willy also studied at the integrated 'Royal Academy'."
Due to the many children of the aristocrats and wealthy families who lost their lives in the royal capital uprising, several schools for the middle class and above in the royal capital were merged.
One of them was the 'Royal Academy', a school that students attend until they reach adulthood at the age of eighteen.
Incidentally, beyond that is the so-called 'university', such as the Central University and Magic University.
"I was finally getting used to the 'Royal Academy', only for the royal capital to fall in this war…. Of course, the school is closed now, but I do worry about how everyone is faring."
His Highness Willy is a prince of the Kingdom of Ju, albeit a small kingdom, and since he is inside the embassy which is essentially a sovereign territory, King Raymond and his faction had yet to make any conspicuous move, but he was quite worried about the situation of his schoolmates back in their homes.
"I hope His Majesty Abel takes control of the whole kingdom as soon as possible."
Willy muttered.
Zack and Scotty nodded their heads in agreement.
"Speaking of which…does His Highness know what happened to the Schwarzkopf family?"
Scotty asked, not so much about the family as a whole, but about Natalie Schwarzkopf, with whom he had fought with on the Desborough Plains.
She infiltrated the royal capital with Zack and Scotty and should have made contact with her family.
"Yes, I do actually. The head of the family, Leith, died during the fall of the royal capital, and his daughter, Natalie, succeeded him as head of the family. She led her family and fled to the west."
"Oh Natalie, I didn't know that…"
Zack muttered.
"As I recall, the Hookah* family, the family of the Minister of Finance, who was under house arrest at the time…collaborated with them to escape." (TLN: Changed from 'Fuka' to 'Hookah')
"Both the Hookahs and the Schwarzkopfs are nobles with fiefdoms in the western part of the country, I believe."
"It seems there are quite a few nobles like the two families whose lords are under house arrest in the royal capital."
Prince Willy explained about the Minister of Finance Lord Hookah, Scotty supplemented, and Zack speculated.
"With their lords still in captivity in the royal capital, they can't declare their support for King Abel, I suppose."
Prince Willy said nodding his head.
"The more lords that are freed in this way, the more supporters Abel will have. Then King Raymond will be forced to make some kind of move…"
Scotty muttered, and both Prince Willy and Zack nodded in agreement.
The royal capital, in the newly bestowed mansion to Parker Fletcher, Count of Kirkhouse.
In the living room sat Parker, King Raymond's right-hand man, and four adventurers.
"To have been summoned by the Count personally, this must be a very important request, am I right?"
The party leader, San, the swordsman, cut to the chase.
Normally, it is polite to remain silent until Parker, who holds the higher position of Count and assistant to King Raymond, begins the conversation, but…that didn't seem to mean anything to him.
The four members of the A-rank party 'Five Dragons' were sitting there.
"That's right, it's an extremely important request. There is someone I would like you to eliminate. The reward is 500 million florins for each of you."
"Whoa~"
San muttered quietly, and the other three couldn't hide their surprise.
Even though they're A-rank adventurers, they had never received a request for such a large amount of money.
Five hundred million each means two billion florins for the four of them….
"Fifty million upfront, and four hundred and fifty million when the job is done."
Parker conveyed plainly without changing his expression.
"That's another unusual split. Usually it's half first, half later…. In other words, it's a tricky job. So, who is the assassination target?"
"Oh, how astute of you."
"It's a no-brainer. What else would you have us do? So, who is it? A target that would cost us tooth and nail to kill, I'm guessing the Explosive Blaze Magician?"
"No, don't touch him. The one we are commissioning you for is King Abel."
Parker said without hesitation.
"Makes sense…. assassinating a king who also happens to be an A-rank adventurer…. No doubt, we're the only ones who can pull it off."
The swordsman San smirked.
The other three also smiled wanly.
"As for the method, I leave it to you. The deadline is within a month. King Abel is in the lord's mansion in Rune city. He's been inside the mansion the entire time except for when he went out to the town square for the coronation ceremony, so he's well protected…"
"It doesn't matter. We'll kill anyone who gets in our way. That's okay, right?"
"Sure, no problem. Then, I'll leave it to you."
Parker nodded, and the swordsman San, confirming this, gave several slight nods with a sinister smile on his face.
-x-X-x-
The rain that fell that afternoon had completely lifted by the time the stars came out.
By some coincidence, and by some artificial reasons, the four members of the 'Crimson Sword' were gathered in Abel's office, a rare occurrence.
The final meeting of the units that each of them had trained and organized was taking place.
"The troops of the Rune Frontier County and the troops of the Marquis of Heinlein will serve as the core of the southern army."
Abel explained to Warren, Rihya, and Rin, showing them a map of the kingdom.
"The so-called Kingsguard will be led by Phelps. His 'White Brigade' and Rune's adventurers."
"Never heard of a king who appoints adventurers as his personal guard, though."
"Definitely a feat only Abel could pull off, for sure."
Abel's explanation surprised both Rin and Rihya, but they got the gist.
Phelps is the son of Marquis Alexis Heinlein and at the same time a B-rank adventurer in Rune city.
The 'White Brigade' led by him has forty members, which by itself is the size of a 'battalion', if not a 'brigade'.
In addition, all of the adventurers in Rune are acquaintances of Abel's, and he trusts them with his life.
Abel's popularity among them is unrivaled.
And if absorbed by the Empire, the 'surplus gold' they have saved and deposited in the guild may be taken away.
In other words, those who, out of both emotion and reason, want Abel to regain control of the kingdom are the adventurers.
"Guilmas has been working on the coordination all along while holed up in the guild. Rin, how are the magician forces looking?"
"Well, they're very well-trained originally. Of note, they possess a considerable amount of magic power, so they can hold out for a long time in combat. Enough to cast a ton of spells. They are currently doing a lot of mock battles and gaining more experience in antipersonnel combat. So, they're ready anytime."
Abel's question was answered by Rin as she nibbed on her snacks.
The four of them had been talking the whole time while nibbling on snacks instead of having supper, so they were pretty famished.
"The Knights have even gone so far as to go on a drill outside the castle…which means we are pretty much good to go."
Organizing an army takes more time than one might imagine.
Also, if one is to take on an entirely different assignment and a different opponent, it's only right to want to be as proficient as possible before going into battle.
Else, only death awaits.
And these preparations were made through the efforts of people whose names do not remain in history… those whose names appear in history books are not the only ones who worked hard.
The four of them were talking about such things.
When they all stopped talking, Abel suddenly felt a sense of discomfort.
At first, he didn't know why.
But he soon realized.
It's too quiet…"
Indeed, it was already nighttime.
But even so, a good number of people worked in the mansion, and soldiers patrolled the grounds.
The mansion is usually filled with the sounds of people talking, walking around, and many other noises that one normally isn't aware of.
Now, they weren't hearing any of it.
Which was unusual.
Then Abel felt a gaze and looked out the window onto a large balcony.
At the far end of the balcony, on the railing, he saw four men.
And the man in the middle lightly raised his hand…with a daunting smile on his face.
"They're finally here…"
Abel muttered and picked up his sword.
The other three may have guessed who the four on the balcony were, so they each grabbed their weapons and headed for the balcony with Abel.
The balcony outside the office was large. As large as a school playground.
It's also connected to the hall, and this balcony alone is large enough to hold a party.
In fact, it was from this balcony that the frontier count gave the order to the knights lined up in the front yard for the expedition ceremony.
Four men were standing side by side on the railing of that spacious balcony.
All four must have been a little over thirty years old.
A swordsman, a magician, a spear-wielder, and a scout and archer.
They were the 'Five Dragons', one of only two A-rank parties in the Kingdom.
As Abel and the others stepped out onto the balcony, San, the leader and swordsman, opened his mouth.
"Oh, thank goodness. We were starting to get lonely, thinking we would remain out here a while without getting noticed."
Such condescending and provocative words…but, he was a man with the strength to back it up.
"You must be San of the 'Five Dragons'."
"Hey, I'm not gonna ask that you call me lord, but at least call me Sir San. I'm still your senior as an A-rank adventurer, for what it's worth?"
San replied Abel's words, feigning hurt.
"I have no respect for traitors."
"Looks like the adventurer king is a hard man."
Abel said, and Connor, the spear-wielder, retorted with a quip.
The Five Dragons were leaning against the railing, and San was sitting nimbly on the railing, but they were still completely guarded.
Abel was thinking of cutting them down in one go if they were to drop their guard, but there was no such chance whatsoever.
"It sounds silly asking you this in this situation, but I suppose I should still ask for the sake of it. You're here to kill me, correct?"
Abel asked as he looked at San.
"I guess there's no point hiding it. That's right. If we kill you, Abel, the A-rank adventurer and proclaimed king, the four of us will get two billion florins. So, would you mind giving us your head?"
Without any ill will, and showing no sign of remorse, San acknowledged Abel's question.
"Two billion huh…what a bargain."
"No, no, no, how's that a bargain."
Abel muttered, and Connor, the spear-wielder, chimed in.
"Even with A-rank commissions, you don't get that kind of pay."
Connor shrugged his shoulders with open arms, expressing the improbability.
"Now then, as I'm sure the wise King Abel and his friends understand that after all this time, no one's coming, right? I can assure you, you won't be seeing reinforcements anytime soon."
"Tsk."
San said, and Abel clicked his tongue a little.
Abel was indeed talking at length because he was slightly hoping that someone would notice the commotion and come to his rescue.
But at the same time, it's also true that it's hard to believe that these A-rank adventurers would commit such an oversight.
"What did you do to the people in the mansion?"
"Oh, don't worry about them. They're just having a really deep sleep. I could have killed them, but the only prize is your head, Abel. Kind right, I know?"
"Did you put everyone in the mansion to sleep?"
Abel was honestly surprised.
They may have drugged them, but there must have been over a hundred people. It's certainly not an easy feat…
"I put them all to sleep."
Calvin, the scout and archer, who had not uttered a word up to that point, said.
"He's an A-rank scout, you know? When it comes to stuff like that he's a freak."
San said, a little proudly.
In fact, not many scouts in the history of adventurers have ever made it to A-rank.
The fact that the other A-rank party, the 'Crimson Sword', don't have a scout…spoke volume about it.
Nevertheless, when Abel heard the words "put them all to sleep", he was relieved.
Since it was a piece of much better information than "killed them all".
"Okay then, I think it's time we ended this exchange of information, don't you think? So, Abel, we'll be claiming your life now."
San said and climbed down from the railing.
"I only have one question. What happened to your fifth member Priest Henning?"
Abel asked the question he had been wondering since the report on the Five Dragons had come around.
"That's…none of your business."
San said these words with a blank expression…but Abel sensed just a hint of sadness and regret in them.
Parties have different circumstances…that others should not step into.
"I see, my bad."
Even if the A-rank adventurers before him are those who, for whatever reason, have strayed from the right path, there are certain questions that others should not ask.
Abel's question was of that sort.
So Abel apologized in all candor.
Thus, the curtain lifted on the battle between the 'Five Dragons' and the 'Crimson Sword', the only two A-rank parties of the Kingdom.
-x-X-x-
The clash of swords between San and Abel began abruptly. In the center of the balcony.
There was no probing for the right moment, no reading of each other's breathing.
San took the initiative and attacked.
He thrust, and thrust, followed by a reverse sweep, which he had switched to in the blink of an eye, and then a thrust from close distance with a dagger in his left hand, which he had unsheathed discreetly….
"Ugh."
Abel was tossed about by the movement and flow of the sword, which was far from conventional swordsmanship.
In reality, such small tricks as reverse hand and dual-wielding could easily be crushed by a swordsman of Abel's caliber.
However, San was not such an easy opponent.
The reason why his small tricks did not fall into the category of small tricks was because of his footwork.
With his fine steps, he easily eroded Abel's space, and to compliment it, he switched sword-handling patterns at will.
If he were to be hit at the moment of switching handling patterns, he would lose his grip on his sword and it'll all be over, but he wouldn't allow that to happen.
Many adventurers learn to use swords in their own way, and Abel had seen all kinds of swordsmanship, but San's was different from all of them.
Even with his experience, it was the first of its kind Abel had ever seen.
(Dammit, how cumbersome! Is it because of the variation in his patterns and reach? It becomes such a nasty piece of sword arts once he takes the initiative…)
Abel continued to deal with it carefully while thinking.
The Hume Style sword arts, which Abel trained in, is also a school that has a fair amount of footwork to advance and fall back, but not as extreme as those of San's in front of him.
Surprisingly, just that alone causes the rapid changes in distances between them which made it so difficult for him to grasp their clashes.
As expected of two A-rank adventurers who are both excellent with the sword, the swordfight continued, with no one knowing which way it would turn.
On Abel's right, at the edge of the balcony, a similar but completely different stalemate ensued between Connor the spear-wielder and Warren the shield-bearer.
Connor attacked with his spear, and Warren blocked with his shield.
Their exchanges were pretty much that exact same pattern.
If he was close enough, Warren could attack using shield bash, where he slams the shield into his opponent, or a fist strike with his thick arms.
However, with a spear-wielder as an opponent, both were impossible, as the battle was fought at a greater distance than with a sword.
At times like these, Warren was in no hurry.
He observes his opponent's movements and assesses their various moves, timing, and habits.
This time, however, his opponent was Connor the spear-wielder, an A-ranker.
Naturally, he realized that Warren was observing him.
Yet, he continued to attack.
"Got to give it to you, you're a paragon among shield-bearers. You're undoubtedly a role model for all shield-bearers in the Kingdom."
Connor's tone was bitter, but there was a hint of admiration in it.
To be able to consistently stave off relentless attacks…is more nerve-wracking than you think.
Connor had been through such experiences many times before.
So he's very familiar with the mental stress that it causes.
That's why he admired the shield-bearer in front of him, who took it all like a rock and kept on fighting.
The battle between Bruno, the fire-attribute magician, and Rin, the wind-attribute magician, began with an exchange of spells.
And they weren't flashy moves either….
"O wind, by your will, be the blade that cuts through my enemies,
"O fire, thou art the form that destroys all,
Offensive magic that focuses on speed and aims for the enemy's throat.
That is the common form of combat between magicians, in which the throat is crushed to make it impossible to chant.
What was uncommon, however, was the chanting speed and the number of magic moves unleashed without interruption.
Chanting speed that is difficult to discern even for those with good hearing, the highest level of combat skill that magicians in the Central Nations strive for.
And if there is no difference in speed…it naturally comes down to a contest of the number of moves.
But….
(Oh god, he's fast! His magic activation speed is on par with master's.)
Rin was speechless by Bruno's chanting speed and series of moves.
Evidently, the opponent was an A-ranker.
And, without a doubt, she knew that he wasn't going to be an easy opponent…as one of the top fire-attribute magicians in the kingdom.
She already knew, but…his strength turned out to be one she feared most.
Even in a mid-range magic battle, there are times when both sides need to catch their breath to start afresh.
"Nothing less from one of the best wind-attribute magicians in the Kingdom…Ilarion's favorite disciple is impressive indeed."
Bruno muttered as he caught his breath.
"You too."
Rin replied.
Rin remembered the days when she was trained by her master, Ilarion.
Ilarion boasted a chanting speed unmatched in the Kingdom…but the man in front of her was well on par.
(At this rate…whoever runs out of magic power first loses…)
Rin thought.
(I better conserve my magic power…)
Bruno thought the same too.
The magic battle between the two also turned into one with no end in sight.
The three groups so far were, in a sense, engaged in a well-matched battle.
But the fourth and final pair, on the opposite end of the balcony from Warren and the others, not so much.
It was a battle between Calvin, the archer and scout, and Rihya, the 'priest'.
Calvin is a scout and his weapon was a dagger, as he was obviously not at a distance where he could use his bow.
In contrast, the priest Rihya … is a rearguard and a healer.
The light-attribute magic she could use to attack was, at best, light javelin…and although it consumes a lot of magic power, its attack power is low and the damage it can inflict on humans and monsters is not too great.
But since the other three were all rather engaged in a desperate battle, she too was forced to fight at close quarters.
Although her opponent is a scout with low offensive capability, he's still an A-rank adventurer.
In close-quarters combat, an average C-rank swordsman wouldn't stand a chance against him.
Against such an opponent, Rihya was fighting with her staff.
"Color me surprised."
Calvin the scout muttered briefly, with no change in expression at all, and with an expression that did not look at all surprised.
Frankly, he doesn't like fighting.
Yet, in all his life, he has never skimped on his combat training.
As a result, he is not inferior to swordsman San in terms of speed in melee combat, and when on the defensive, he's not so easily defeated, even against San.
That was how well-trained Calvin was in close combat, but even from his point of view, the female priest in front of him was well worth appreciating for her staff technique.
The 'Saint Rihya' is a well-known figure in the royal capital, and Calvin had heard of her since he was a kid.
Later, he found out that she was active as an adventurer in the south.
However, he never once heard anything about that saint being capable of fighting at close quarters.
That's why he was so impressed by Rihya's skillful staff technique.
Of course, Calvin knew that there was a group of vanguards called 'Monks' in the temple.
And the staff techniques performed by Rihya were probably derived from the Monks.
He wondered if everyone from the temple was trained in that art, but then…he remembered priest Henning from the 'Five Dragons' and shook his head.
Henning was an adventurer who had risen to A-rank, but he had no combat skills whatsoever.
He knew that well since it was Calvin who had kept him safe during such melee combats.
Since that's the case, it could only mean one thing, that the priest in front of him, Rihya, had acquired such great staff skills through hard work after becoming an adventurer.
The majority of the 'Five Dragons', led by their leader, San, are of broken character.
But they respect the strong.
And Calvin, while not broken in character, was a man with great respect for the strong.
That's why, after roughly gauging Rihya's ability and discerning the right moment to end the match, he did so without hesitation.
As Rihya thrust her staff at him, he invaded the space between them while rotating his body, and with the same rotating motion, he slammed the hilt of his dagger into her gut.
"Ugh."
Rihya fainted and collapsed to the ground.
-x-X-x-
"Rihya!"
Abel, who was fighting in the center of the balcony, noticed that Rihya had been knocked down.
"I only knocked her unconscious."
Calvin's voice was not loud, but Abel could hear it clearly.
It also reached San, who was engaged in a swordfight with Abel.
"Okay, now you're just being naive."
San spat out.
"She's going to become much stronger than this. The strength she displayed was worthy of letting her live. Besides, only King Abel's head is worth its weight in gold*." (TLN: No pun intended ^ ^;)(ED: That's a heavy head lol)
Calvin's unusually long sentence startled not only San but also Connor, the spear-wielder fighting Warren, who muttered in surprise.
"This is the first time I've heard Calvin utter such a long sentence in five years."
Calvin, while heeding the voices in the background, laid Rihya down in a corner of the balcony and decided not to join in the battle, but to watch the other battles while leaning against the railing.
"Calvin, are you willing to assist me in defeating this shield-bearer?"
"Nope."
Calvin replied curtly to Connor the spear-wielder.
"That's what I thought."
While saying this, Connor the spear-wielder launched dozens of spear attacks, thrusting, cleaving, or smashing…but Warren's shield remained unshaken.
The battle of brawns, that is, the battle between the swordsmen and the battle between the spear-wielder and shield-bearer was in a state where the outcome could go either way.
However, the battle between the magicians was gradually coming to a close.
Due to their 'residual magic power', a factor unique to magicians.
The battle between the swordsmen, and one between the spear-wielder and shield-bearer became more intense, perhaps because of this.
To prevent any kind of intervention in the battle between the magicians.
The amount of magic power originally possessed by Bruno of the 'Five Dragons' and Rin of the 'Crimson Sword' was probably not that different.
Let alone C-rank adventurers, even the few B-rank adventurers, there's a world of difference between them and these two…that's how advanced they are as magicians.
However, the difference in the slightest loss, complexity, or degree of optimization when performing each magic spell ultimately decided the showdown between the two.
"Ugh."
Finally, Rin dropped to one knee.
Her residual magic power was almost gone.
She was barely able to stay conscious.
Her eyes were blurry and she could barely see.
"I have to admit, your reputation as one of the best wind-attribute magicians in the Kingdom is well deserved. That said…"
Then Bruno grinned.
"You're no match for me."
Then he pointed his staff at Rin.
"Surrender. Do that, and I'll spare your life. If you don't, I will kill you. Make no mistake about it, I'm not Calvin."
Hearing Bruno's ultimatum, Rin looked up.
Then she glared back at Bruno and said.
"In your dreams! For what it's worth, I am still a disciple of Ilarion Baraha. I'd rather die than bend over to those who have strayed from the path and trying to kill their King!"
"Whoa, you sure know how to run your mouth. I will kill you, and then I'll kill Ilarion. Then I will become the best magician in the Kingdom, both in name and in reality. I'll also kill the man who pretends to be King while at it."
When Rin refused to surrender, Bruno smiled ominously and declared that he would eventually kill Ilarion as well.
But the moment she heard those words, Rin burst out laughing.
A laugh so out of the ordinary that the word 'shrill' would better describe it.
"What's so funny?"
That's right, there could be no better question to ask this female magician laughing so wildly.
But even her answer was incomprehensible to Bruno.
"The best in the Kingdom? Did you just say you'll be the best magician in the Kingdom? Hahahahahaha…. That's very funny…nah, more like crazy…I'd say, I guess ignorance truly is bliss. Let me educate you, you pitiful, ignorant fire-attribute magician, the best magician in the Kingdom is not Master Ilarion. Nor is it me, obviously. The best magician in the Kingdom is a water-attribute magician in Rune."
After saying that, Rin laughed again.
She truly found it comical from the bottom of her heart, deep in her gut…and her laughter showed it.
"A water-attribute magician? What are you even talking about? Have you gone insane from staring death in the face? No, I bet you're just trying to cheat your way out of this situation, right? Dumb bitch, it's over."
"You're the fool. If you kill us, you will be hunted for the rest of your pitiful lives. Hunted till you die. You'll be hunted even if you flee to the ends of the earth. I'm sure you're thinking, by who? Well, by that very water-attribute magician, of course."
Rin glared back at Bruno one last time.
"Interesting! Let him come after us then. This water-attribute magician fellow. I sure would love to meet him."
Bruno said with a wicked smile on his face.
In that moment, the air changed.
San and Abel, who were engaged in a fierce sword fight, also felt the change.
They both jumped backward at the same time and looked around to see what had happened.
"After getting drenched while conducting drills under that bone-chilling rain…I finally return to the mansion only to find that there's no hot meal?"
The seven people felt as if the air around them had frozen over.
"Then, at least, I thought I'd take a bath and get a good night's sleep…lo and behold, I find deadly battles being carried out on top of the balcony of the office?"
Instinctive fear…some of them experienced it for the first time right at that moment.
"Are you trying to piss me off? Is that it? Do you understand the consequences of doing that? Or maybe you do, yet still chose to test my patience? Yeah, okay, then I suppose I better make you understand the gravity of your sins as avidly as possible so that you won't consider doing something so dumb ever again."
"Ryo… has snapped…"
That little mutter of Abel's, fortunately, did not reach someone's ears.
As if to put a face to the voice, the office window opened and the angry water-attribute magician stepped out onto the balcony.
"
Responding to Ryo's words, sixteen magic circles floated up around him.
Completely overwhelmed, no one could move, but there was only one person who moved…no, tried to move.
It was Calvin the scout, the person to whom the magic circle was directed.
But Calvin could not move.
His legs were already frozen in place.
"
With those words, chanted slowly and deliberately against an opponent who could not escape, tens or even hundreds of extremely thin ice lances shot out from each of the sixteen magic circles, piercing Calvin's body.
"Oof!"
Despite being unable to move his legs, Calvin was able to dodge a considerable number of ice spears with just the dagger in his hand and the movement of his body, which kind of portrayed his ability to be indeed an A-rank adventurer.
However, he was unable to dodge all of them, and his figure, pierced by dozens of ice spears, was…horrible.
Moreover, all the spears deliberately missed his vital points….
"
The scout, skewered by dozens of ice spears, was then encased in ice.
Ryo turned to Bruno next, who had frozen up, unable to grasp the situation, with his staff still pointed at Rin.
He must have discerned that Bruno was a fire-attribute magician from the scorched marks in the area.
"For a pathetic fire-attribute magician, this should be enough.
At that moment, walls of ice surrounded Bruno…in all directions.
The thickness of the ice walls started increasing from the walls toward the center.
The same magic that Ryo once used against the Akuma Leonor.
At that time, Leonor brute forced it from the inside and cracked it with
"What the hell, is this…"
With those last words, Bruno was frozen.
Good grief, he could at least attempt to resist….
The third person Ryo turned to was Connor the Spear-wielder.
"
Ryo chanted, and clones appeared on his left and right. Ryo then held up Murasame.
"What the hell is that …"
Conner's mutterings was heard by no one.
"
Countless ice lances shot out from three Ryo, including his main body, toward the spear-wielder Connor, and at the same time, water which could be described as minute spurted out from the backs of the three Ryo, rushing in at the same speed as the ice lances.
The landing of the ice lances and the slashes from the three Ryo occurred instantly and converged at the same time.
All that remained was Connor the spear-wielder, who had been pierced by countless ice lances and had both arms and legs slashed off.
"Hi, hie, gyaaaahh."
"Oh shush.
Ryo encased Connor, who was screaming, in ice without wasting time.
"What the…what the fuck are you…"
Swordsman San's voice was hoarse and trembling.
"Isn't it polite to identify yourself first."
Ryo replied seriously, but San did not seem to hear him.
Instead, Abel answered.
"This is Swordsman San from the A-rank party 'Five Dragons'."
"Oh, the one you mentioned before…. Not bad, for a human, he seems fairly strong."
Abel was inwardly relieved because Ryo's manner of speaking had become somewhat more normal.
To be honest, with the way he was snapping when he showed up, Abel was a little afraid that the whole city of Rune might freeze over.
"Now, Abel, what would you like to do? This San dude or whatever he's called is commiting high treason by aiming for the King's life, right? Want me to take care of him? Or…"
"No, please leave him to me."
Abel said, and then he readied his weapon again and turned to San.
"Hmm…if that's what you want, then I'll leave it to you. The situation is now under control, so you can take your time now, no pressure."
Ryo then handed Rin, who was on the verge of running out of magic power, a magic potion and walked over to Rihya, who was lying on the edge of the balcony.
"Who the hell is…that guy…"
San, still unable to regain his composure, muttered.
"That's Ryo, a C-rank adventurer from Rune."
Abel told him politely.
"C-rank? Yeah right!"
"I know right~"
San shouted angrily, and Abel nodded in agreement.
"But it's true."
When Abel said this, San opened his eyes wide and looked at Ryo once.
He then quickly turned his gaze back to Abel.
"It just goes to show that there are some people in this world who can't be measured by their adventurer rank…quite a lot actually."
Abel said.
San closed his eyes.
He took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and readied his sword once again.
The distraught look he had on his face up to now was gone.
He's indeed an A-rank adventurer in that regard.
Abel was honestly impressed.
(To suddenly witness someone like Ryo, who destroys all manner of common sense, and yet still able to regain composure with a single deep breath while having all his friends frozen…gotta give it to him.)
Then again, he didn't intend to lose either.
"Okay, let's do this."
Saying that, Abel took the initiative and attacked first.
Once again, the sword fight between Abel and San began.
-x-X-x-
From Ryo's perspective, there appeared to be little difference between Abel and San.
Their speed and power are almost equal.
In terms of technique, San appeared to be slightly superior, but…there seemed to be a significant difference only in terms of mental fortitude.
That may be the result of the difference between having all your friends frozen and having all your friends watching over you.
Realistically, even if he won, San probably didn't think he'll be able to escape unscathed.
He had witnessed his three companions defeated so easily, and all of them were frozen in ice.
Even now, he sees them buried in ice.
No matter how optimistic he is, he cannot hope to escape from that place in one piece.
Since that's the case…he probably didn't have the mentality to want to 'win at all costs'.
In mortal combat, the so-called mental strength accounts for an astonishingly large proportion of the outcome.
It is no exaggeration to say that the ability to fully demonstrate speed, power, and technique…depends on one's mental strength.
Sometimes, people who do not understand human nature at all say things like 'work like a professional', focusing only on reason.
"Don't let your emotions get in the way of your work."
"I'm not feeling up to it, but as a professional, I'll be sure to do a proper job of it."
"You can't do a professional job while being all buddy-buddy."
Whenever he heard such talk, Ryo's father would wear a pitying look on his face.
About half of a person is made up of emotions.
One cannot control emotions with reason.
The best you can do is suppress your emotions…and that will only result in a half-hearted display of power, where you do without the power that emotions provide.
It is obvious, but the state in which a person exerts the power of reason and also exerts the power of emotion…is the state in which the person is most capable of exerting their abilities.
Such is logic that even a high school student can understand.
For example, when a team has to accomplish something, the better the team members get along with each other, the better the results will be…it's a matter of course.
This is because they are creating a situation where they can use not only the power of reason but also the power of emotion.
That is what real professionals do.
Based on this, the sword fight between San and Abel became so intense that even an amateur could see the tide of the battle was beginning to shift.
It could be said that the difference in mental strength, or in other words, the difference in emotion, began to outweigh the slight difference in technique.
The two fighters understood this better than anyone else.
They couldn't not notice.
"Dammit."
San muttered quietly.
Once words like that are uttered, the end was near.
The moment San switched from his backhand grip to overhand, Abel's sword tip struck San's sword.
Clang.
The sword flew out of San's right hand.
However, just as everyone's eyes turned in that direction, San pulled a dagger out from his back with his left hand.
And then he thrust it directly at Abel in front of him.
…Just before it pierced Abel's body, San's left hand fluttered about in the air.
Abel severed it from the tip of his elbow.
"Ughhaa!"
A muffled cry escaped from San's mouth.
Then, Abel repositioned himself without breaking the momentum of his sword and executed a side cleave…and the next thing that went flying was…San's head and a plume of blood.
Abel remained motionless retaining his posture as he bathed in the blood gushing out.
"Nicely done."
Ryo muttered quietly, and perhaps hearing his voice, Abel finally released his posture, turned to Ryo, and nodded his head.
Thus, the attack on King Abel by the Five Dragons was completely crushed.
The ensuing clamor was no joke.
As Calvin the scout had said, everyone in the mansion was put to sleep.
Sleeping pills had been put in dinner and, to be even more thorough, sleeping incense had been burned in some of the rooms.
Only the four people in Abel's office seemed to have been spared because they were having a meeting without eating dinner.
The knights, who had returned from the drill outside the castle with Ryo, went around waking them up, and eventually they all awoke, marking the beginning of the uproar.
When the awakened guards came to the office to check on the safety of the King, they found the King covered in blood, the members of the Crimson Sword exhausted, and the water-attribute magician mindlessly picking at the leftovers of the snacks.
On the balcony were three ice coffins and the headless corpse of a swordsman.
Soon after, the Adventurers' Guild was dispatched, and the guildmaster, Hugh McGrath, arrived, adding to the clamor.
By then, however, Abel had indeed taken a bath and was no longer covered in blood.
The other three members of the Crimson Sword had also been driven to their respective beds by Abel.
For some reason, Ryo was the only one sitting on the sofa…and the food had been reheated and laid out in front of him.
"Please, I leave my security to you."
When you're told so by the King, who has just been attacked, you cannot refuse….
Even for Ryo.
No matter how much he would like to take a bath.
No matter…how badly he would like to crawl into bed.
"I am terribly sorry, Your Majesty."
After a series of explanations and mutual status reports, Neville Black, the captain of the Rune Knight Order, suddenly got down on one knee and began apologizing to Abel.
"Why, Knight-Captain?"
Abel asked, not understanding the meaning of his apology.
The others present, including Ryo, Hugh, and Marquis Heinlein, were also a little lost.
King Abel had just made it clear that no one would be blamed for not preventing the traitors from entering the mansion, because of their abilities….
"If I hadn't asked Sir Ryo to conduct the drill exercises outside the castle for the knights, this wouldn't have happened…"
"Oh…"
Hearing Neville's explanation, Ryo muttered.
"Sir Ryo, please accept my apology as well. The lord personally asked Sir Ryo to guard His Majesty…If I hadn't asked you to take part in the drills outside the castle, you would have been by His Majesty's side, and this situation could have been handled before it endangered His Majesty's life…and for that, I am truly sorry…"
"Oh no, that's…the knights' drills and mock battles are something I undertake as a swordsmanship instructor…so, it's not really…"
When Ryo was to go on the drill exercise outside the castle, he unintentionally shouted "traitor" at Abel, who permitted him to go, but he felt uncomfortable when he was being apologized to in public like this…perhaps it's a Japanese trait.
"Knight-Captain, as Ryo just said, he is my bodyguard, but at the same time, he is also the swordsmanship instructor of the Rune Knights. Considering that drills are part of the job, I don't think the Knight-Captain is responsible for this matter."
Abel said so, dismissing his responsibility.
However, he instructed them to go without Ryo for subsequent drills outside the castle.
Ryo did a little fist pump after hearing that.
Although Abel's eyes caught that fist pump and he gave a small shake of his head.
It was around 3:00 a.m. when those who had gathered in the office left for their respective designations.
"It's so peaceful tonight~"
"…Huh?"
Ryo unintentionally muttered with coffee in one hand, and Abel, who was doing paperwork as usual, looked up in shock.
"Well, although there was a raid event, the assailants were human. If it had been a dragon or a group of Akuma or some other force that couldn't be dealt with, it would have been a different story."
"Okay, you say some really weird stuff at times, Ryo. First of all, dragons are legendary creatures. Forget about restoring the country, the continent as we know it would perish."
Abel said while letting out a sigh.
Ryo was a little irritated by such a reaction from Abel.
So he decided to be honest with him.
"Abel, this is between you and me, so don't tell anyone else. Dragons are, in fact, real."
"Hmm?"
'There is a tall mountain to the east of the Rondo Forest, and at the top of it are dragons. In fact, I spoke…or rather, had a conversation with them via telepathy."
"What??"
"I'm telling you this so that when you eventually become a great king, you won't consider launching an expedition or something to Rondo, because dragons live there."
"…Ehh."
Abel ruminated over Ryo's words in his head, then again, and one more time, before it finally settled in.
"Dragons are…real…and they are living in Rondo Forest."
"That's right. So you'd better steer clear of the south side of Devil's Mountain, okay?"
"Oh…right…and I'll leave a will to my heirs not to mess with them too…"
Ryo was relieved that King Abel, who had yet to marry, decided to leave that in his will.
Satisfied, Ryo nodded repeatedly with a smile.
-x-X-x-
"Deputy Chief, King Raymond's attack on King Abel failed."
The place was Catlow, the capital of Count Gothar's domain in the northern part of the Kingdom.
Count Gothar is one of the most important members of the northern nobles, who follow King Raymond. The Count's territory is located on the northeastern edge of the Kingdom, bordering the Empire.
As such, it has had powerful knight orders and magic corps for generations.
On the map, the Count's territory borders the Union to the east, but there is a huge canyon called the 'Rift' between the two.
The 'rift' narrows to some extent to the south, and several bridges have been built across it, but the canyon near Count Gothar is not of a scale that can be bridged.
In addition, the river flowing at the bottom of the canyon is too swift to be crossed by boat, and no military invasion across this 'rift' has ever taken place in the past.
Nevertheless, it remains a strategic point for the Kingdom.
And Count Gothar had already chosen to leave the Kingdom and join the Empire.
"By attack on King Abel, you're talking about the top-secret mission, where the 'Five Dragons' were dispatched, right? The King himself is certainly strong since he's an A-rank adventurer, but…all five members, or rather all four of them were present, and yet still failed. Are there any reports of him being wounded or anything like that?"
"No…but it says Swordsman San was slain by King Abel with a single strike. And the other three were captured."
Jurgen, the adjutant reported.
Having made the report, he still looked somewhat unsettled.
Oscar, who had known him for a reasonably long time, recognized the look.
"Jurgen, do you have anything else to add to your report?"
"Uh…my apologies. Apparently, the three were caught because they were frozen in ice."
The moment Jurgen reported this, Oscar's mood changed.
It was an atmosphere that even Jurgen didn't like to experience…to be honest, as if ice were sliding down his spine.
"It's that magician."
After saying that, Jurgen could see that he was clenching his molars tightly.
Frankly, he didn't want to see that….
The fact that Oscar would never forgive the water-attribute magician who said that he would bury his beloved princess Fiona in ice…Jurgen understood that, for better or worse.
After a minute or so, Oscar's mood suddenly changed.
He returned to his usual state, so to speak.
"In Whitnash, King Abel said they were adventurers from Rune city…so I guess this means that he stays close to King Abel."
He was still talking about the water-attribute magician, but the way he said it was like his usual self.
"What's his name again, uh Ryo, I believe?"
"Yes."
Jurgen asked, and Oscar affirmed simply.
But then he continued.
"Jurgen, King Abel is our enemy at the moment. We will likely confront each other at some point. When that time comes and you see that magician on the battlefield, I want you to have everyone retreat."
"Understood."
"I can't stress this enough, be sure to retreat. Since you guys won't even serve as a warm-up for him. I will take him on alone. I don't believe my victory is assured, but I'll at least aim for mutually assured destruction."
"D-Deputy Chief…"
Oscar's determination was so fierce that Jurgen was unable to continue.
"I guess he's that formidable."
"Hate to admit it, but I'm afraid so. Even so, I will kill him."
The last part was so faint, so quiet …that even Jurgen could just barely hear it.
But because of that, Jurgen felt the will that was contained in it.
(A water-attribute magician who can defeat even A-rank adventurers… truly a monster. But then again, so is the Deputy Chief.)
"Did you just say…they failed…?"
In his office in the royal castle, King Raymond was squeezing the words out of his mouth.
An assassination mission involving four A-rank adventurers…failed?
A-rank adventurers stand at the pinnacle of mankind. In some cases, you might even call them monsters.
Raymond could not believe that four such men, even if their target was a King and an A-rank swordsman, could fail to assassinate a single person.
"Could it be that they betrayed us and abandoned the commission?"
King Raymond looked at Parker with suspicion.
"No …the news of Swordsman San's decapitated body has been released, the other three are still on public display as well, frozen, in the town square…"
"How is such a ridiculous thing possible…?"
Raymond paced around the room, moaning over and over.
Parker simply watched and said nothing.
He knew from long years of experience that talking to Raymond at a time like this would cause him to become agitated.
He'd just have to remain quiet and wait.
For more than five minutes, Raymond paced around the room.
Parker was used to this and waited patiently.
Finally, Raymond looked at Parker and spoke.
"Parker, guess I'll just have to crush him head-on."
"Understood."
"But the problem is the imperial army. What are they up to?"
Raymond feared that the imperial army would attack him from the rear while he was confronting King Abel's army in battle.
Logically speaking, there was no way that the Imperial Army would side with King Abel, but at this juncture, Raymond was feeling pretty skeptical…and it goes without saying that the failure of the five dragons was the reason for that.
"According to the present status of the imperial army, Marquis Musel and the main troops seem to be stationed at Wingston, and a garrison of a few hundred men at Stonelake and Slanzewi."
"Those imperials… seriously, what exactly is their objective?"
The agreement that Raymond made with Emperor Rupert VI before the war included a clause that all cities taken by the Imperial Army shall be transferred to King Raymond after the war.
There's no way that subordinates and vassals would disregard an agreement made in the name of their absolute monarch, the Emperor of their Empire.
Raymond could not understand the current actions of the imperial army at all.
"The biggest question is how the Empire will respond."
Abel muttered.
Abel and Ryo were the only ones in the office.
Ryo was lying on his usual sofa, reading a book on alchemy that he had borrowed from the library.
"Abel…there's no need for that theatrics screaming, hey I'm working here…"
"The hell I am!"
Ryo was like, oh dear, here we go again, shrugging his shoulders, and Abel yelled back.
"It's just easier to put together in my head when I say it out loud."
In fact, Abel was doing his job.
He announced to all the Central Nations that the 'Five Dragons' had attacked him, that he had perfectly repelled the attack, and that he had personally defeated and slain the leader, Swordsman San.
Although no country or noble in the Kingdom publicly reacted to the announcement, many citizens knew that it has become a hot topic of conversation in various lands.
And the three frozen perpetrators still sit in the square in Rune. Alive.
Of course, San's head and corpse were not on public display because that would just be too much.
"I'm really grateful to you, Ryo. This time, you saved not only my life but the lives of my friends as well."
"Aww, you're making me blush…but if you're really grateful, grant me a privilege, a real privilege."
"Privilege? You mean like, a noble's?"
Ryo made a rare request other than requesting a treat, and since it was a 'request for privilege', Abel asked, a little skeptical.
"I'd like the privilege of having cake with my coffee break at least once a week! "
"Cake…"
"Yeah…if, if that's too hard, once every two weeks then…or even…you know what, fine! Make it once a month!"
Ryo demanded coffee with cake once a month with a look of bitterness on his face…which was probably the result of compromising on the proposal after much worrying.
"Once a month…"
"J-Just so you know, I won't compromise any further! I firmly demand a monthly cake privilege!"
"Okay…fair enough."
"Yay~"
Ryo literally jumped up and did a fist pump pose. Over and over again.
It seems that Ryo hasn't changed after all…Abel was relieved.
Abel's office was peaceful again today.
But, in that peaceful office, came news that was anything but.
It was brought by Marquis Heinlein.
"Your Majesty, I have urgent news from the North."
Marquis Alexis Heinlein handed a piece of paper to King Abel.
"A rebellion of nobles in the Empire? The ringleader is the Duke of Moorgrund…"
"Duke Moorgrund?"
Ryo asked, tilting his head at Abel's involuntarily muttered words.
Marquis Heinlein took over the explanation.
"Duke Moorgrund is the most prestigious of the upper-class nobles, with a fiefdom in the southeastern part of the Empire. The current Emperor, His Imperial Majesty Emperor Rupert VI has purged quite a few nobles since his accession to the throne, but the one who has even been called the 'last great power' is Duke Moorgrund. It is no exaggeration to say that he is one of the most powerful noble in the Empire, a match for Marquis Musel, who is currently the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force against the Kingdom."
"Oh, quite a bigshot indeed~"
That was the extent of Ryo's impression, as someone unfamiliar with the aristocratic society.
"I see, so this was all in the cards from the beginning…"
Ryo heard Abel mutter that quietly.
Marquis Heinlein also seemed to have heard it and responded.
"I'd agree. I think it may have been within His Majesty Rupert's expectation that a rebellion would break out and he would have to put it down."
"What do you mean?"
"Whenever Rupert VI conquers another country, he always leads his army into the country himself. The so-called Emperor's conquest. He did the same thing when he attacked the small countries to the north and west. However, this expedition to the Kingdom was different…even though it was an expedition against a power as great as the Kingdom. In other words, he had no intention of attacking and destroying the Kingdom from the beginning…but to get Marquis Musel out of the country, and once he had divided the power of the imperial nobility, he would move to destroy Duke Moorgrund, who is a thorn in his side, as the ringleader of the rebellion. If Marquis Musel were to fail in his expedition, he would be forced to take responsibility for it and suffer the same fate. Effectively wiping out the last remaining pesky nobles in the Empire."
"That's amazing…talk about ingenious scheming…"
Hearing Abel's explanation, Ryo honestly thought it was amazing.
Of course, if the expedition to the Kingdom succeeded and brought the Kingdom under his control, it was all good.
There were no downsides for the empire…he must have made such calculations.
"The relationship between Emperor and nobles…is so complicated~. I wonder if the Kingdom is going to be okay…"
Marquis Heinlein and Abel looked at each other involuntarily after hearing Ryo's muttering.
Since the two were precisely in a 'king and noble' relationship.
"Oh, but don't worry, Abel. I'm on your side."
Ryo said emphatically, turning to Abel and nodding broadly.
"…What if Marquis Heinlein says he'll give you cake with your coffee every week?"
"I guess there's no helping it in that case. I'm sorry, Abel. But I'm going to have to side with the nobles."
"Yup, thought as much…"
Alas, how tragic, the King was sold out for a slice of cake…
What a tough world he lives in.