Chapter 0243 Departure Ceremony
-x-X-x-
"I think now is the best time to rally our troops."
"I agree. Right now, we can rule out any possibility of reinforcements coming from the imperial mainland."
Abel asked Marquis Heinlein, who agreed with him.
Ryo who was beside them, also nodded his head.
Somehow, Abel could tell that Ryo was only nodding his head to go along with the mood in the room.
Ryo then made a suggestion.
"The departure ceremony will be held in the square, right? Do you want to try flying again? Or…"
"Nah, no flying this time. Though I would prefer if I could make my speech from a higher ground… Maybe construct a platform…"
"In that case, would you like me to create a platform out of ice?"
"Oh, that sounds great!"
The setting of the venue for the departure ceremony was designed between Abel and Ryo.
Marquis Heinlein had no say in the matter.
His initially skeptical evaluation of Ryo had already been replaced with genuine trust.
And also a little bit of resignation.
(Ryo can easily kill anyone, anytime, if he wants to. And no one can really stop him…)
Something like that.
On top of that, he was also relieved to see that King Abel had Ryo firmly on his side, not because of personal interest, but by choice.
Your worst nightmare as an enemy, but no better source of hope as an ally.
"I'll get in touch with Ilarion.
Apparently, they had finished discussing how to set up the venue.
"I suppose I'm going to get busy. To the point that it won't be too much asking to change our once-a-month cake to once-a-week!"
Ryo glanced at Abel as he said that.
"Yeah right, aren't you just going to make the platform on-site on the day of the event? Sounds easy enough for you."
"Wha…"
Ryo was absolutely mortified by Abel's calm point of view. And speechless that he nailed the fact right on the head.
"I-I need to start training my mental image of it now or it will be a disaster on event day if it collapses or something… besides, it's going to use up a ton of my magic power, so I need to start reducing my consumption now…"
Ryo was flustered when his request for more cake was rejected.
"Your cake privilege was settled at once a month."
"Ugh…this is plain tyranny. The stereotypical conduct of an oppressor!"
Ryo was frustrated that his request for more cake had been officially rejected, while Abel was completely unmoved.
Watching the two, Marquis Heinlein chuckled.
The day of the Liberation Army's departure ceremony.
"What a great turnout."
"Damn~ looks like we're a little late."
"Well, that's cause there are adventurers from not just Rune, but Acre as well as Whitnash, and Kyradea attending."
The three D-rank adventurers were surprised by the number of people there, although they were disappointed that they did not get a front-row seat in the square.
They were, of course, Amon, Niels, and Etho, the three from 'Room 10'.
"Look at that beautiful fence set up beyond the front row."
"That's probably, ice…"
"Ryo's handiwork, I guess…"
The ice fence was set up, glistening in the sun with no sign of melting.
"But there's also the possibility that it's the work of Ryo's apprentice…"
"Right…"
Amon's point reminded Niels of something.
When he went to report to the Gecko Trading Company after completing a quest from them, he saw a scene unfolding in their backyard.
There, children who were still minors were playing with
It was not so bloody as a mock battle, but a pleasant atmosphere of young children wielding sticks and imitating knights and swordsmen.
That's right, it was such a cute scene… for those who do not know the truth.
But the three were in the know…that those
Since that very magic belongs to the water-attribute magician they knew so well.
"So you noticed?"
Gecko, the chairman, called out from behind the three of them, smiling.
"Ryo is their teacher."
"I knew it! "
Gecko revealed the truth to the three, and they all shouted in unison.
"Well, I can't deny the possibility that it's the work of Ryo's students, but I believe that is Ryo's ice fence after all."
"I agree. The modeling is very detailed."
"Sometimes, Ryo is very particular about such things."
Niels came up with a hypothesis, Amon affirmed it, and Etho described Ryo's characteristics.
The three of them from 'Room 10' then heard a voice right next to them saying something.
"Look, that's the one, right? Wow, they're really frozen over…"
"Yeah…. There's even some kind of plate embedded with his name on it."
"It says 'Five Dragons Connor', wait, as in Connor the Spear-wielder? Holy shit, Connor, Bruno, and Calvin, all three are trapped in ice."
"While San was defeated in single combat by King Abel. Doesn't that make him the top adventurer in the country, both in name and in reality…damn, he's one hell of a King."
They were not adventurers from Rune, but apparently from other cities.
"Well, Abel…I mean, of course His Majesty the King is strong, but freezing the other three is as impressive as it gets…"
Niels said to Etho and Amon in a hushed voice.
"And now it has become a well-known story that Ryo came to the rescue for Rihya in the showdown between the Five Dragons and the Crimson Sword."
"Nice one, Ryo!"
Amon told the slightly distorted version of the story that had been circulating, and Etho complimented Ryo for rescuing Rihya.
Needless to say, Etho wasn't his usual self, since, sure enough, the subject involved Rihya.
Right behind the three of them, they heard the voices of adventurers from other cities who had finally arrived.
"Thank God, we made it in time…"
"Geez! Thanks to Van insisting that we do one more quest…see now, we barely got here in time!"
"My bad, Ash. But thanks to that, we're now loaded enough to make our stay in Rune more comfortable."
"Speak for yourself, we sisters have always had our rainy day stash."
The last voice was that of a woman who seemed to be the youngest sister.
Hearing such a conversation from behind, the three from Room 10 tilted their heads.
Thinking the voices sound vaguely familiar.
Then all three turned around.
"Six Petals!"
The three of them said in unison.
"Ooh! Room 10! Long time no see!"
The Six Petals leader, Vandash, said happily, and the nine were glad to see each other again.
Room 10 and Six Petals had defeated a wyvern together once before.
Not as official participants in a wyvern subjugation quest, but in an encounter when a village was being attacked.
The tale of the wyvern subjugation with only nine people was still told in many towns and cities.
It elevated the reputation of 'Room 10' and 'Six Petals'.
As proof of this, seeing their happy reunion, the adventurers around them could be heard conversing in low voices.
"Is it just me, or did I just hear them say 'Room 10' and 'Six Petals' just now?"
"Yeah, I heard it too. They're the ones from the rumor, that took down a wyvern with just nine people…"
"I thought it was just a tall tale…"
"No, they sure look strong…maybe it's true."
While Ryo had become famous, the three from 'Room 10' had also become famous in their own right.
As the nine were rekindling old friendships, the departure ceremony finally began.
There were heroic music performances by the Rune city band, introductions of the various captains and so on….
But there was only one thing, or rather person, that all of them there wanted to see.
They had gathered in the square to see that person, to hear his voice.
"Finally."
Only God knows who muttered that.
Probably many of the people there must have muttered the same in their hearts.
Then, that person, King Abel, appeared and climbed the ice platform.
The moment he ascended the platform, the crowd exploded with cheers.
Exactly the kind of cheer that can only be described as 'explosive'…and that cheer was, no doubt, accompanied by pressure….
Then, as at the coronation, the exploding cheers converged into one word.
"Abel! Abel! Abel! Abel! "
All those present in the square…old and young, men and women, no matter their status, job, or anything else, were all united.
Abel was the only one standing on the platform taking in the collective voices.
It was an awe-inspiring spectacle.
The light shining out, reflecting and shimmering, and the King standing alone and unwavering in the midst of it all.
The sight of him stirred the hearts of the people gathered there even more.
The frenzy seemed to last forever.
However, the cheers of the assembled people died down when Abel lightly held his right hand out in front of him…a gesture that seemed to quieten the crowd.
When he was sure they had completely calmed down, Abel began.
"First of all, I want to thank you all for being here. And let me apologize to everyone for one thing. I have been unable to do anything until now and the Kingdom, including the royal capital, has remained overrun."
Abel took a short breath.
Then he continued.
"You all must have been worried. When will Abel stand up to this madness? Does he intend to just watch without fighting back? Will the Kingdom remain divided forever? I heard you, and here's my response. Now is the time. We're going to rise and reclaim our stolen Kingdom!"
Abel said out loud as he raised his right hand, and at the same time, the cheers exploded.
Not only in the square.
Thanks to Ilarion's magic
Two days later, the Southern Army, composed of troops of the Rune Frontier County, the troops of the Marquis of Heinlein, and adventurers, marched toward the royal capital.
Along the way, they marched northward, rallying the armies of the southern lords and adventurers.
Thus, the battle for the liberation of the Kingdom of Knightley began.
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[List of Southern Army Ranks]
Supreme Commander Abel I (Deputy Ryo)
Kingsguard Captain Phelps A. Heinlein
Kingsguard – composed of adventurers in Rune city with Crimson Sword and White Brigade at its core
Marquis Alexis Heinlein, Commander of the army of Marquis of Heinlein (Deputy Dontan)
Alfonso Spinazola, Commander of the army of the Rune Frontier County (Deputy Neville Black)
Ilarion Baraha, Commander of the Southern Army Magic Corps
Arthur Verasis, Deputy Commander
Hugh McGrath, Commander of the adventurer unit
Landenvia, Deputy Commander
With each territorial army, including volunteer militia, the army total headcount was 20,000 at that point.
Ryo was the only second-in-command to King Abel.
He always followed diagonally behind Abel, escorting him… his duties were more like that of a secret service agent than a deputy.
The Kingsguard Captain and the Kingsguard may be the ones who are supposed to play that role, but they are only the 'Kingsguard on the battlefield'.
On the battlefield, they're to secure Abel's perimeter…but everyone understood.
That even though Abel is the king, he is also an adventurer and a swordsman.
He will probably be the first to rush out when the order is given to charge.
At that time, it would be the Kingsguard and the adventurers of Rune who would charge with Abel.
So, until they arrived at the battlefield, Abel's guard would be Ryo alone.
This was what Abel wanted, and the other leaders understood that.
"Hey, is that him? You know, the…"
"Yeah, the water-attribute guy…"
"He sure doesn't look that strong."
"He's a magician after all…but I heard he's quite a monster."
"It's impossible to trap anyone in ice. And yet he's able to pull it off…"
"More importantly, he does look cute, though."
In the encampment, Abel walked around quite a bit.
Not only among the adventurers and knights he knows, but also actively among those who enlisted from different cities.
In doing so, Ryo always walked behind him.
Fundamentally, no one seemed to be an enemy spy… and the reason they could say 'no one' with certainty even though there were more than 20,000 people gathered was all thanks to the Heinlein family, including Phelps and Alexis.
Be that as it may, Ryo always followed him, as one can never know what might happen.
As he did so, he would hear conversations such as the one mentioned above.
"Looks like you've become quite famous too, Ryo."
"I wonder what will become of me after the war…"
Ryo was worried about whether he would get involved in a power struggle between nobles or be forcibly taken into custody, fears he once had.
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. I've got a few ideas. So, just leave it to me."
Despite the words of His Majesty the King, the pinnacle of authority…the look in Ryo's eyes at Abel couldn't exactly be said to sparkle confidence.
"Hey, what's with that look? Why are you making such a skeptical face when I just told you everything will be fine."
"Well…why don't you put your hand on your chest and think back on what you've done in the past, I believe it'll become clear to you as well."
"In the past…?"
Abel, being such a good sport, honestly puts his hand on his chest and thought…but nothing, in particular, comes to mind.
"Can't think of anything?"
"Back in the dungeon, on the 40th floor, you said you would treat me to a meal for a whole week, but you didn't!"
"Oh…"
"You said I'd get cake privileges once a month, but I can't enjoy those privileges marching to the battlefield now, can I? "
"Oh…"
At this point, Abel also began to scratch his cheek with his right hand.
"To think you'd even deprive me of my monthly cake, that's just too cruel, Abel!"
Ryo dropped to both knees on the ground and let out a cry from the bottom of his heart.
"Listen…at that time, I didn't think we'd have to go off to war so soon."
Abel chuckled as he said that.
But then a woman's voice descended on them.
"Who decided that you can't have your cake and eat it on the battlefield?"
Appearing with the voice were Rin and Warren.
Rin was holding something in her right hand, and Warren was holding a box like some kind of offering.
Rubbing his tear-stained eyes, Ryo looked at what Rin was holding.
"No way…cream puffs…"
His extremely low murmur was not heard by anyone else.
Rin opened her mouth as she got even closer.
"This is the final form of the portable cake, the cream puff, which has only recently been developed."
She then took a bite of the cream puff in her hand.
A single bite…and then more…in the blink of an eye, the cream puff disappeared from her hand.
The expression on her face was one filled with happiness, which could best be described as 'bliss'.
As Ryo gazed at Rin in a daze, Warren bent down and showed him the contents of the box he was holding.
Inside it were cream puffs arranged in an orderly fashion.
"Ooh…. May I have one…?"
Ryo asked Warren, who smiled and nodded.
Ryo put his trembling hands into the box and picked up one of them.
He then took one look at it and quickly brought it to his mouth.
"So yummy…"
The words escaped Ryo's mouth as he took a bite.
Blissful…supreme…truly a supreme treasure.
"Sweet stuffs are the best…"
Ryo, who finished it in no time, muttered that.
And then, all was forgiven.
Even Abel's terrible deeds all became unimportant before the tasty treat.
The great King Solomon once said, "All is vanity"…but that means that everything is vain when compared to the supreme.
Compared to this supreme 'cream puff'…surely, everything in this world, including worldly affairs, is vain….
Ryo felt as if he had been touched by Solomon's wisdom.
When Abel was walking around the encampment, Ryo could always follow him on foot.
However, that wasn't the case during the march.
The leaders of the southern army, including Abel, and the knights marched on horseback.
Since the adventurers and other volunteer militiamen were on foot, the speed of the march was the same as on foot, but they were still on horseback.
Naturally, Ryo, who sticks close to Abel, would also ride alongside him.
"Looks like you've got the hang of it pretty well now, Ryo."
"I've been practicing a lot since back at the mansion after all."
Ryo was riding without any risk of danger.
Ever since Sera left the mansion to defend the western forest and Ryo came to stay at the mansion to guard Abel, Ryo has been working on his horse-riding skills.
At the time, it never would have occurred to him that he'd be riding alongside Abel.
However, it seemed that many of the Rune Knights were pretty much convinced without a doubt that 'Ryo would also ride along to the battlefield'….
Therefore, they took it upon themselves to coach him in his horse-riding practice.
He was not always lying on the sofa in Abel's office!
Back on Earth, Ryo had no experience riding on horseback, but he had at least thought it would be fun to ride a horse.
Since this was realized in 'Phi', he loved the horse-riding practice.
Of course, his buttocks would hurt when he first started, but once he got used to it, it was no longer an issue.
Basically, it's much easier to let a horse run by itself than to let a car drive itself on Earth.
There's a catchphrase that goes along the lines, 'the ideal self-driving car is a horse?', but…not many people on modern Earth actually have any experience riding horses….
In the first place, Ryo was entrusted with taking the knights out on a drill outside the castle because Neville Black, the Knight-Captain, judged that he had become pretty good at horse-riding through practice…and he most certainly traveled on horseback just like the knights did.
And, although they are called 'knights', most of the fighting itself is done dismounted.
When they charge, they charge on horseback, but usually, once they collide, they fight in a dismounted state…even if they remain mounted, they are dragged down by the enemy anyway….
That was not only the case in 'Phi', but also in the history of Earth.
Therefore, on Earth, aside from the single combat culture of medieval knights, the cavalry charge was often used as the final stage of a battle to determine the victor.
On 'Phi', mounted combat is possible because of the saddles and stirrups already invented, but..in the Central Nations, it seemed to be almost impossible.
"The sword won't reach the opponent."
In the mounted state, the body is higher from the ground than one might imagine, so it is quite difficult to launch an effective attack from there.
Therefore, if one were to engage in mounted combat, it would have to be done with a spear.
But then again…it's quite difficult to handle a spear with one hand…since it's long.
In Earth's history, there were 'jousting matches' in which mounted knights thrust their spears at each other, but it was only a sport.
It takes a lot of skill to handle a spear on horseback, as clearly indicated by the difficulty of wielding a spear properly in the first place.
The best they can do is to hold it under the arm and charge as is….
For these various reasons, it was common for knights to dismount from their horses in battle and fight.
"Looks like the battle will take place at Gold Hill…"
The umpteenth lunch break at the encampment.
In Abel's tent, a special meeting was being held.
During the meeting, reports from Marquis Heinlein's domestic intelligence network were used to determine the expected point of contact between the two camps.
Nevertheless, in a battle of this scale, the battlefield would be decided by tacit agreement on both sides.
At just the right spot, near the point of contact.
"It's the most open area south of the royal capital. If we're looking for a place that can accommodate a large army, that would be the best spot."
Marquis Heinlein nodded in reply to Abel's murmur.
That area is a series of gently rolling plains, unobstructed by anything that would impede the movement of a large army.
By setting up the main camp on one of the several hills, it would be easy to check the movements of both armies and issue orders accordingly.
As the army moved northward, it rallied the armies of the southern provinces in various regions, and the Southern Army exceeded 30,000 men.
In contrast, Raymond's army, which advanced from the royal capital, was estimated to be 40,000 strong.
Two days later, the two armies finished setting up their formations and commenced the Battle of Gold Hill.
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The morning mist was finally clearing from the battlefield.
Both armies had already finished their preparations and were getting ready to engage.
Everyone there understood that this very day, a battle that would decide the fate of the nation was going to take place.
Normally, there would be some kind of exchange where representatives from each army would come out to assert the righteousness of their cause army and denounce the other's….
But there was no such thing this time around.
After a few messengers came and went, King Abel and King Raymond met in the center of the battlefield, each with one of their men beside them.
Naturally, the scene was visible to both armies, and the soldiers, while raising their wariness, were curious to see what would happen.
"It's been a while, Uncle."
"Yeah it has indeed, Albert."
From Abel's point of view, Raymond, his father's brother, was his uncle.
Since Raymond was never on good terms with his father, they never had a friendly conversation even when Abel was at the royal castle.
In the first place, before Abel was born, Raymond had already retired from the royal castle after becoming the Duke of Flitwick.
"Uncle, will you give up the throne?"
Abel's direct request made Raymond burst out in laughter rather than get angry.
"You already know that it's not going to happen."
"If you relinquish the throne, I will not question the fact that you sent the 'Five Dragons' to assassinate me, and I will recognize the Flitwick Dukedom as your territory as it has always been, Uncle."
"Right…I heard you were attacked by a couple of A-rank adventurers. That's so terrible."
Raymond said in a way that sounded as if it had absolutely nothing to do with him.
"If this were to be one-on-one combat, then I would stand no chance. But in a battle between armies, I can hope for more than just an even fight. If you surrender now, I don't mind giving you some territory."
"Not interested, Uncle."
Abel naturally refused Raymond's proposal.
"I'm sure you know as well as I do, Uncle, that the real enemy is the Empire. They already have the eastern part of the country under their control, and some of the northern parts, like Count Gothar, have also aligned with the Empire."
When Abel said that, Raymond moved his eyebrows only slightly.
Perhaps he did not know that Count Gothar had joined the empire.
"The Empire is after the 'black powder' produced in the eastern part of the Kingdom. This is something that will change the face of warfare going forward. We absolutely cannot let the Empire have it."
"I see. I understand your point. It goes without saying, I do not intend to let the Empire control the eastern part of the Kingdom. But for now, I will make use of the Empire's military strength."
"Uncle…"
Abel said with a sad look on his face.
He was really disappointed … by how naive he was to take the Empire so lightly, he thought.
But at the same time, he also realized that nothing he said was likely to get through.
"Now then, Albert, let's see who among the both of us has the bigger fist."
"…Fine."
The two men parted, leaving behind a conversation that was going nowhere.
Returning to his army, Raymond quickly raised his right hand and lowered it.
In response, Raymond's army, the vanguard 10,000 strong, marched out slowly.
It was a force of militia, adventurers, and archers.
Followed by the middle guard 20,000 strong, also began to march.
The pressure from the 30,000 troops approaching in a flanking maneuver was considerable.
"Here they come!"
The central division of the southern army was made up mainly of adventurers who are good in melee.
And the volunteer militias that would fight in squads of five ….
And the man who would lead the central division, which would fight the longest against the enemy…was Master McGrath, whose popularity among adventurers and militiamen may even rival that of King Abel.
As the hero of the last 'Great War' and the guildmaster of the adventurers' guild in Rune city, representing the South, there was no doubt that he was the best person to lead the central division.
However, even Master McGrath was feeling the pressure of the 30,000 flanking troops.
The battle finally opened with ranged attacks using bows.
Countless arrows from the vanguard of Raymond's army flew toward the Southern Army.
Since the development of the bow and crossbow in all ages, until the appearance of 'gunpowder' on the battlefield, 'arrows' took the greatest number of human lives on the battlefield, according to some researchers.
However, that was not the case on 'Phi'.
"O Wind, rage on fiercely,
The effect was simply billowing wind …but the gusts of wind caused by this wind pressure spell rendered most arrow attacks useless.
Of course, an arrow fired by a first-rate archer could penetrate through the
Although they were tricky opponents as snipers aiming at commanders, they were far from capable of raining down arrows, or so-called suppressive fire….
Thus, the bow and arrow, which had long been one of the mainstays of the battlefield on Earth, was completely reduced to a supporting role on 'Phi'.
"Let's go, boys! Kick 'em apart!"
With Master McGrath's order, adventurers from the central division of the Southern Army rushed toward the approaching Raymond forces.
Leading the charge was a pair of swordsman and shield-bearer.
Vandash, the Six Petals swordsman, and Gorky, the shield-bearer from the same party.
Gorky punctured a hole in the enemy's battle formation with a shield bash using his huge shield, and taking over, Vandash further cut through the enemy on three sides.
For those distracted by it for even a moment, it was the end …they would be decimated by the attacks of the Southern adventurers that came charging behind them.
And inspired by their success, the volunteer militia also fought in groups of five, achieving great results.
Raymond's army, however, wasn't about to take it lying down.
The fighting spirit of the knights and the militiamen who had been recruited was not low.
Since it was the end of the line if they were to lose.
But if they won the battle, they would be spared.
The militiamen had families in each city… and threatened with the fate of their families should they lose… they had no choice but to fight to the death.
Inhumane?
The nature of war itself in the first place, is inhumane, right…?
"Fire!"
A volley of shots from the adventurer magic corps, positioned in the middle guard of Raymond's army, landed on the central division of the Southern Army.
In general, offensive magic has a shorter range than arrow attacks.
However, they have the advantage of being easier to aim than bows and arrows.
It is possible to hit the target accurately…in most cases.
The Southern Army, in turn, fired arrows at the magic corps.
Of course, as mentioned earlier, activating
However, during that time frame, the momentum of the offensive magic is weakened.
Furthermore, by making them use wind pressure, it also ate into their remaining magic power.
That fine game was being played between the two armies.
Ryo, who wasn't accustomed to such things, just couldn't get it.
"I think I should just step in and end all this with a single…"
"No, Ryo, sit down."
Abel retorted with one statement.
"As I said yesterday, we must win with the entire Southern army. If we don't do so, it will hinder our subsequent plan of recapturing the royal capital and pursuing the imperial army, and most importantly, it will cause problems in governing after we regain the entire Kingdom. We all came together to reclaim it…that one simple fact is indispensable."
"I-I know, but still…"
"If you're going to make an appearance, it's going to be right before the final phase. Till then, sit still, Ryo."
"…Fine."
Normally, that was where Ryo would act spoiled, but they were in a battlefield.
And Abel was the supreme commander.
The orders of the supreme commander are absolute. …Otherwise, the organization would not be able to function.
Even Ryo understands that much.
But even so….
Yeah, even so…if he were to step in, the number of casualties in front of him would surely go down…he realized that, and even he though understood the logic in his head, his heart was in agony.
The battlefield was one such place…a place where the heart was tormented.
The battle, which began around nine in the morning, was still in a kind of stalemate before noon, with neither side having the advantage.
Raymond's forces pushing in with the flanking maneuver were being pulled out using hit-and-run tactics, and then whittled down with magic artillery fire from both sides, which they had to react to…and then were pushed back again.
That tactical deployment proved that Master McGrath was not only an A-ranker as an adventurer, but also as a commander.
Undoubtedly, that was made possible thanks to the flawless bombardment command of Landenvia, the guildmaster of Acre, who led the adventurer magicians.
Of the adventurer magicians who joined the Southern Army, those with fire and earth attributes were under Landenvia's command.
Wind-attribute magicians were stationed at various locations for
Master McGrath, who had been on the front lines for nearly three hours without any rest at all, commanding and sometimes attacking the enemy himself, was indeed beginning to show signs of fatigue, even for a former A-ranker.
"Ahh damn it. This is what happens when you do nothing but paperwork…guess I've lost my touch."
Master McGrath blurted out, and a ceramic container was presented in front of him.
"Here, Master McGrath, it's a special recovery potion to relieve your fatigue."
"Oh, thanks. Don't mind if I do."
Landenvia, the one leading the magicians, offered it to McGrath.
Master McGrath accepted it without hesitation and drank it in one gulp.
"Hoo~! Tastes pretty neat, too! It was made on purpose for this battle, wasn't it? I hope they keep producing it all the time…I can feel it melting away my fatigue."
"It takes more effort than ordinary healing potions…so it might prove a little difficult to produce unless during a time of war like this."
Landenvia responded to Master McGrath's rather serious request with a wry smile.
As Master McGrath works hard every day, exhausted from all the paperwork, he would love to have this fatigue-relieving wonder at his fingertips.
"Mm…"
He kept his eyes on the front lines despite his disgruntled face.
Since he knew from his vast experience.
If there were going to be any surprises, it should be about time.
Hence the reason he continued to command the front line.
That's when it happened.
Boom.
Several barrels came flying from the middle or perhaps rear guard of Raymond's army.
The 'barrels' landed a little further back in the Southern Army from the front line and suddenly exploded.
Yup, they 'exploded'.
With a roaring sound, the people and a big chunk of the ground at the point of impact were blown away.
"What the hell…"
"…"
The sight startled Master McGrath and made Landenvia exclaim.
They had no clue about 'black powder', one of the Kingdom's top secrets.
"I knew it, they already had some in possession."
Ilarion Baraha, at the central command post on top of the hill, said with a bitter look on his face when he saw the 'barrels' explode.
He and Abel had pursued the matter of 'black powder' stored in the royal capital being diverted to Carlisle, the capital of Flitwick Dukedom, in the mess that occurred before the chaos in the royal capital.
They heard that the younger brothers of Lord Hookah, the Minister of Finance were involved, replacing the contents of the black powder being diverted to prevent it from ending up in Carlisle, but it appears they were not able to prevent it entirely.
Come to think of it…Raymond had joined forces with Lord Aubrey of the Union at the time, and now he's joined forces with the Empire…and doing something that could be called traitorous rather than sugarcoating it as unconventional.
Ilarion let out a small sigh.
Now wasn't the time to think about it.
He activated
"This is a direct order to all magicians in the southern army. Shoot down every last one of those incoming barrels."
Ilarion gave orders to the entire army from the central command post using
That was an exceptional tool for an army that has no choice but to issue instructions either by hand signals or expensive alchemy tools.
Normally, under chaotic conditions such as those on the battlefield,
It was only made possible because the user was Ilarion, and because it was a special
Fire-attribute offensive magic was also fired from Ilarion's side toward the new batch of incoming barrels.
The caster was Arthur Verasis, deputy commander of the Southern Army Magic Corps.
All magicians except adventurers were under the command of Ilarion and Arthur.
The barrel exploded on the spot when Arthur's magic hit it.
"Sounds deafening even when destroyed mid-air, doesn't it?"
Arthur blurted out.
"It's a lot better than on the ground, where it could engulf our allies."
"Indeed."
Arthur agreed with Ilarion's lighthearted remark.
Having seen so many deaths, both friend and foe, the two of them may have reached a certain point of enlightenment.
To live a long life is to see many deaths.
In the end, the attack with 'black powder', which was a drastic or rather desperate measure, failed to shake the Southern Army.
"I guess it's about time."
Abel checked the battle situation from the central command post on the hill and looked at his pocket watch.
"Ilarion, Ryo, if you'd please."
"Understood."
Abel said, and Ilarion answered. Ryo nodded his head and left the central command center, heading for the front line.
Ilarion announced to the entire Southern Army using
"The water-attribute magician is on his way. All troops evacuate. I repeat. The water-attribute magician is on his way. All troops evacuate."
Master McGrath, who had been on the front line of the battle, raised his head as if he had been hit by a bullet at the sound of Ilarion's voice.
"Ryo's coming!"
He then looked around and shouted.
"Everyone fall back!"
Having said that, in a state where they were currently engaged with the enemy, they weren't able to break off so easily.
For the time being, he began restraining enemies keeping his allies from escaping by throwing knives at them as they pulled away.
In the end, they somehow managed to retreat together.
Needless to say, the enemies gave chase, but more importantly, they didn't seem to understand what was happening.
If an opponent who had been fighting on even grounds suddenly started retreating, it would be confusing.
The front-line commanders would think it was a trap.
Taking advantage of such confusion, the Southern Army's front line succeeded in pulling back to some extent.
Master McGrath was at the tail end of the withdrawal from the front line.
And he could see Ryo standing alone at the end of the line where he was headed.
"Come to think of it, this is the first time I'll be seeing Ryo work his magic."
He mumbled but kept running without stopping.
Then his eyes met Ryo's.
Ryo gave a small nod and chanted.
At that moment, in Master McGrath's eyes, Ryo's sheath seemed to glow just a little.
A slight leak…a faint light, only for a brief moment, as the alchemy was activated.
Then, sixteen magic circles floated up around Ryo.
"What the hell…is that…?"
Master McGrath muttered as he continued running.
When those who were running with him stopped in their tracks, he patted them on the back, urging them to keep running.
They were all surprised.
Although they were running hastily, they were still within Ryo's magic range…Master McGrath could feel it.
Then he looked at Ryo.
Ryo must have understood.
He smiled a little and floated up.
Along with the sixteen magic circles floating around him, Ryo floated into the sky.
And as he stood still in the air, he heard Ryo's voice chanting.
"
At that moment, hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of ice lances were launched from Ryo and those magic circles.
From the sky, countless ice lances could be seen flying in an unfolded fan shape, with Ryo at the center.
They shimmered beautifully, reflecting the rays of the falling sun.
Many of Raymond's frontline commanders wondered at the sudden retreat of the Southern troops.
Most of them recognized that it was a "trap".
But, the problem was what came after.
If it's a trap, how do they proceed?
The answer they had was, "we do nothing".
To be precise, it was "nothing we can do", but at that point, it was pretty much the same either way.
From the Southern Army's point of view, or more precisely, from Ryo's point of view, they were immobile targets.
The ice lances, faster than the speed of sound, bit into the battle lines of Raymond's army and completely disintegrated it.
The lances, fired in a fan shape, were not only fired as a single volley.
With each simultaneous shot, Ryo increased his altitude a little more, and gradually fired at 'targets' farther and farther away.
From above, the ice fans expanded in area with time….
"Abel's order is to neutralize the enemy. Though it'd be easier to kill them …. But, they are also fellow citizens of the Kingdom. After the war, they'll become valuable assets to be incorporated into the Kingdom's army. So all I'm doing is just destroying their weapons and rendering them helpless."
Tens of thousands of ice lances destroyed the weapons held by Raymond's soldiers, knocked over their horses…and took away their will to fight.
Drawing his sword, King Abel swung down his right hand and, through Ilarion's
"All troops charge!"
It was indeed, a long-awaited order.
The Rune Frontier County troops, positioned on the far right flank of the Southern Army, began to charge toward Raymond's army in the front under the command of Alfonso Spinazola, the next lord of the Rune Frontier.
And the troops of the Marquis of Heinlein, positioned on the far left flank of the Southern Army, led by Marquis Alexis Heinlein, their lord, launched a cavalry charge with the knights against Raymond's army in the front.
And in the center.
New adventurers charged forward in place of those who had just retreated.
Adventurers from Rune.
Leading the charge were a swordsman and a shield-bearer.
Close behind were a spear-wielder, a magic swordswoman, a dual swordsman, and a scout.
And two swordsmen.
The leading swordsman was Abel, the King…and the shield-bearer was Warren.
Abel is without a doubt an adventurer and a swordsman through and through before he is a King, for him to take the lead charging ahead of the assault order he had personally commanded.
Running behind them were Phelps, the leader of the White Brigade, his deputy Sheena, as well as Blair, the dual swordsman, and Lorenzo, the scout.
The two D-rank swordsmen from 'Room 10', Niels and Amon, managed to keep up with the A and B-rank parties.
Although they are D-rankers, 'Room 10', who have become known as 'wyvern slayers', have come to be respected not only by adventurers in Rune city, but also by adventurers in other cities.
But they were followed by hundreds of other adventurers.
All of Rune's adventurers specializing in melee charged as King Abel's Kingsguard.
Ahead of the southern army's assault, the chain of command of Raymond's army was already in tatters.
Ryo's ice lances had destroyed their weapons. Resistance was impossible.
The knights, magicians, adventurers, and the conscripted militiamen….
What would happen if the Rune Knights and the Heinlein Knights came charging at them with all their might…they would have no choice but to flee as fast as their legs could carry them.
The aim of those two knight orders was not to drive Raymond's army away.
Both knight orders finished breaking through all the outer edges of the vanguard and middle guard of Raymond's army, and against the rear guard units, they began to break through diagonally and toward the center.
From the sky, their trajectory was like closing the mouth of a sack.
While blocking and encircling the rear, they were on course to hit King Raymond, who was in the center of the rear guard, in other words, at the highest command post.
But….
"Damn it, he's not here?"
"He already fled…"
"He abandoned his allies and left just like that?"
The highest command post that both knights hit was already empty….
They did not know at what point he escaped, but the capture of King Raymond was unsuccessful.
However, the battle between King Abel and King Raymond ended that day with King Abel's victory.
-x-X-x-
Three days after the Battle of Gold Hill.
The Southern Army had surrounded the royal capital.
Through the annihilation at Gold Hill, the main forces of Raymond's army were finally surrounded, and most of them surrendered.
Therefore, few forces were able to return to the royal capital, and the defensive forces originally stationed there were not sizeable…but though not sizeable….
"Conquering the royal capital won't be easy."
In the Southern Army command tent, the leaders of the Southern Army gathered together to discuss the strategy for capturing the royal capital.
In the midst of all this, Abel reiterated this.
Marquis Heinlein, Ilarion Baraha, Arthur Verasis, Landenvia, Rin, and Rihya nodded to his words.
Except for Marquis Heinlein, all of them were magicians representing their generation.
However, Ryo, a magician who made his name through the Battle of Gold Hill, was tilting his head because of his lack of knowledge of the royal capital.
"The walls and gates of the royal capital can repel all magic attacks."
"Whoa…"
Ryo was truly surprised at Abel's explanation.
Is that even possible…the castle walls and gates, that meant, it had to do with alchemy.
Somehow, that made him want to know how the mechanism worked….
Regardless of whether or not he's able to digest it, Ryo's curiosity began to pique.
"Ryo, just to let you know, no one understands the details of how the mechanism works."
"Okay…"
"You're already dead set on finding out how it works, aren't you?"
"How~did~you~know~that~"
Ryo went on his knees while holding his head after Abel called him out so spot on.
"I heard that Kenneth and Frank de Verde, two of the leading alchemists in the Central Nations today, did an analysis previously, but they couldn't quite figure it out in the end."
"Kenneth did…. And Frank de Verde is the one who created the artificial golem, right? I can't believe even those two couldn't figure it out…"
As far as Ryo knows, those two are among the top five alchemists.
The others would be 'Hassan' and the Lord Progenitor?
Anyway, he couldn't believe that even two such amazing people couldn't figure it out….
"Does that mean the one who created that mechanism is the founder of the Kingdom…"
"Yes. It was King Richard."
The founder of the Kingdom of Knightley, said to have mastered magic of all attributes and reached the pinnacle of alchemy.
He created the 'Hall of Heroes' in the depths of the royal castle treasury, and also seemed to have left behind something that far surpasses the capability of modern alchemists with the walls and gates of the royal capital.
"I-I would like to give it a try…"
"No!"
Ryo's wish was immediately rejected by Abel.
"I know how you feel, Ryo, but you shouldn't do it."
Ilarion Baraha understood Ryo's feelings.
"Lord Ilarion? Don't tell me…"
"Yes, obviously, I also gave it a try a long time ago."
"Hey!"
Ryo probed him, and Ilarion came out clean. And Abel involuntarily reacted.
"The air slash bounced back beautifully and cut off my left arm."
Ilarion laughed hilariously as he said that.
"I moved as soon as I released the shot, but it ricocheted back to where I moved… that enchantment is dangerous."
"Lord Ilarion left arm too … it hurts to have your arm cut off, doesn't it?"
"Wait, you've lost an arm before too?"
"Yes, I was forced to sacrifice my left arm to protect my neck…"
For some reason, they started talking about the defense mechanism of the castle wall and then got into a lively conversation about how they both got their left arm cut off….
The other leaders watched on in a daze.
Pang-pang.
Abel clapped his hands, and the atmosphere changed.
The conversation of the two about their left arms was over, and those who had been staring blankly came back to their senses.
"For now, let's get back to discussing the capture of the royal capital."
"Oh, my bad."
Ryo bowed his head.
"Magic gets bounced back and physical attacks like using bows and arrows are also warded off. It's as if the walls themselves are covered with some kind of layer, so we can't hit the castle walls directly. As such, it's impractical to try conquering the royal capital head-on."
"That explains why the Imperial Army had the gates opened from the inside."
"That's right, using the betrayer Harold Lawrence to do so."
Rin said, and Ilarion Baraha answered with a bitter look on his face.
So the slightest suspicion he had previously was right, but for Ilarion, it was only a bitter memory.
"There are several underground passages from outside the royal capital that could have been used before…"
"Well, if you're talking about the royal underground passages, Duke Flitwick knows all about them and has probably sealed them off by now. He's a former prince after all."
Abel said, and Marquis Heinlein nodded and added.
"New underground passages that pass under the walls, that is, those connecting into the royal capital from the outside will collapse on their own after a certain time."
"Please don't tell me that's also the work of King Richard…"
"You said it."
What an extraordinary mechanism…Ryo was stunned.
Just the fact that it is a mechanism that continues to operate even after hundreds of years is amazing, but to automatically detect and destroy even new underground passageways….
"But it doesn't destroy underground passages related to the royal family. Due to a magic formula incorporated into the special alchemy. Apart from the king and the crown prince, only the elves of the Western Forest, who were said to have developed alchemy together with King Richard, know this magic formula."
"The Elves of the Western Forest…"
Ryo muttered involuntarily at Abel's explanation.
Needless to say, what was going through his mind was the image of Sera who had gone to the rescue of the Western Forest.
"And a letter arrived a few days ago from the western forest. Long story short, it says there's an underground passage that won't be crushed by the walls."
"Whoa…"
Marquis Heinlein and Ilarion Baraha were the first to express their surprise.
The others, however, were equally astonished.
"I suppose they're telling us to use it, but frankly, it doesn't look good…"
Marquis Heinlein, while understanding the usefulness of that underground passageway at the moment, pointed out that it would be bad to have an underground passageway connecting inside the royal capital from the outside that was unknown to the members of the royal family.
Abel nodded and handed the letter from the western forest to Marquis Heinlein.
Marquis Heinlein received the letter and quickly looked it over.
"Is this…"
"Yeah. It's the underground passage the elves of the Autonomous Authority used to evacuate the royal capital before the royal capital fell. However, it is now sealed and no one can pass through it from inside or outside. Not even the elves can pass through. Except one person."
Saying that, Abel took a silver key out of his pocket.
"Only one person can use this key to pass through. I have to say elven alchemy is impressive. Their technology is still way ahead of ours."
Ilarion Baraha and Arthur Verasis, who had probably seen elven alchemy before, nodded repeatedly.
Ryo, who had been taught alchemy by Sera, nodded in the same way.
Abel looked at Ryo nodding like that and said.
"Ryo is the only one who can use this key."
"Pardon?"
Abel's words drew everyone's attention to Ryo, who let out a frantic voice as he himself didn't understand what was going on.
"The letter says 'Only Ryo, who can activate the fairy elements', can activate this key."
"Oh…"
One of the most important of the various 'mystery words' surrounding Ryo, 'fairy elements'.
Something that they still don't have any clue about whatsoever….
"That thing that offers absolutely no benefit to humans or me personally…"
"Yeah, you were told so…"
Ryo said in a slightly depressed tone, and Abel agreed with him trying to console him.
The Southern Army leaders around them judged from their moods that it was not a very good thing.
"Well, for now, just try holding it."
Abel said and handed the key to Ryo.
The moment it touched Ryo's hand, it began to emit a faint glow.
"Ryo, did you do something?"
"No, I haven't done anything. Is this what happens when it's activated?"
Ryo answered Ilarion's question, shaking his head.
"That settles it, I guess you'll be joining us for the raid this time too, Ryo."
Ryo could not refuse Abel's decision.
"Got it."
-x-X-x-
As the activated and faintly glowing key was inserted into the keyhole, a clicking sound was heard and the door in front of them opened.
At the same time, several clicking sounds could be heard from the back of the passage, as if some unseen locks had also been opened.
"All right, let's go."
With these words from Master McGrath, leading the raiding party composed mostly of adventurers, they began to advance through the elven underground passage.
With Master McGrath in overall command, the elite adventurers entered the royal capital through the underground passage to open the gates.
However, since the Empire also conquered the gates by pretending to be a garrison last time, they'd received intel that a considerable force had been sent to defend each gate so as not to repeat the same mistake.
Hence, the elite squad of adventurers.
They planned to carry out this attack in coordination with the rebels in the royal capital.
The royal capital has huge gates in the east, west, south, and north, but there are also several smaller gates.
This time, since the southern army was moving north from the south, the largest defense force was allocated to the southern gate…then next is the northern gate, which is closer to the royal castle.
Therefore, the raiding force will aim for the west gate, avoiding the north and south.
The exit of the elven underground passage into the royal capital was, obviously, the Autonomous Region.
Their choice to target the west gate was because the Autonomous Region is located in the northwestern part of the royal capital, and therefore the west gate is not too far away.
With the royal capital under martial law, a good number of adventurers moving about at night would surely draw attention.
It's only natural that they'd want the trip from the Autonomous Region to be as short as possible.
In addition to the raiding party led by Master McGrath, others were given a different mission.
The team, led by Dontan, former company commander of the Royal Knights and now second in command to Marquis Heinlein, was assigned to infiltrate the royal castle.
Their objective was to secure Abel's father, King Stafford IV.
Abel had already received intel concerning his capture during the fall of the royal capital and that the Imperial Army had tried to use him to open the 'Hall of Heroes'.
Along with intel stating they failed.
However, the intel didn't contain what happened to him after that.
Worst case scenario, he may be dead, but he is one of the most effective hostages to use…along with other royalty.
The difference with the other royal members is that, if a decree were to be proclaimed as an 'Edict of Stafford IV', things would get tricky.
Abel was indeed enthroned as king, but it wasn't done by King Stafford IV ceding the throne to him.
Nor does he possess the three sacred treasures.
Looking from another angle, the situation could be called usurpation.
If King Stafford IV were to issue a decree against King Abel, saying that 'he would not recognize his accession to the throne'…there would be all kinds of trouble.
King Abel, King Raymond, and King Stafford IV…three kings opposing one another…the very authority of the king would collapse.
To prevent such a ridiculous situation, it was necessary to take King Stafford IV into custody.
The infiltration team also included Ryo, who would have no other task once the underground passage was opened.
That was also Abel's wish.
"Oh, so it's Zack and Scotty. Guess that makes you guys our guides, huh?"
"Huh? Captain Dontan?"
The raiding party and the infiltration team rendezvous with the rebels in the royal capital outside the Autonomous Region after passing through the elven underground passage.
Dontan, the leader of the infiltration team, was surprised to see the faces of the 'rebels' who would be infiltrating the royal castle with them.
They were familiar faces, Zack and Scotty, members of the Royal Knights, who he had fought alongside during the mission where they escorted the delegation to Twilight Land.
Zack and Scotty were surprised to see that the leader of the seemingly reckless infiltration team into the royal castle was Dontan, who was their captain at that time.
They were even more surprised when they saw the last person that was included in the infiltration team.
"You are…the water-attribute magician from back then."
"I believe his name is, Ryo."
Zack sounded surprised and jealous, and Scotty said the name he remembered.
"Ryo was personally appointed by His Majesty Abel."
Dontan explained briefly to the astonished pair.
"Hello again."
Ryo wasn't quite sure why they were surprised, but bowed his head anyway.
That is the art of getting along, a life skill of a former Japanese citizen.
The raiding party was joined by the rebels, 'Morning Star' and 'Valkyries'.
"Well, Sir Dontan, see you later."
"Good luck, Master McGrath."
The captains of the raiding and infiltration teams shook hands firmly, and the two teams parted ways.
Thirty minutes later…Ryo was wandering alone in the castle for some reason.
(I've lost sight of them…)
According to Ryo's memory, they were supposed to have split up into a group of three to search, with him moving in between Zack and Scotty.
"I'm pretty sure we were together, with me in the middle, so…where the heck did they run off to all of a sudden…?"
Ryo tried to recall, but nothing came to mind.
"Wait a minute, could it be the work of some alchemy contraption that distorts space-time!?"
Nope.
"Or, perhaps some dark-attribute magic that interferes with one's memories!?"
Nope.
For reasons unknown, Ryo was alone and wandering around the royal castle.
Every once in a while, he would meet soldiers, who he would entrap in ice in an
He thought that if he did this, their infiltration would be discovered, but he couldn't think of a better way, so he just went along with it.
They would be discovered sooner or later anyway, so it doesn't matter … which was what he thought….
After wandering around for a while, Ryo stepped into a corner of the castle that was much quieter than the previous areas.
"I couldn't have…chanced upon the place where the former king is locked up or something, right…"
The go-to place to put a captive king is the dungeon or the top floor of a tower.
No way he would be locked up in a place with such a solemn atmosphere, that could easily be taken for a nobles' abode….
He thought, but as he was about to leave….
"You!?"
Strangely enough, there seemed to be a magician, and he noticed Ryo.
"O Wind…ughh."
The magician must have been of the wind attribute, and as he began to chant, Ryo froze him.
In addition, the two guards at the door where the magician was were also frozen.
So far, Ryo had yet to come across guards standing in front of a door in any of the places he had wandered past.
That door was the first.
He knew right then that it was going to spell trouble.
He knew that he shouldn't open that door and go inside.
But… damn his curiosity….
And as the famous saying goes, curiosity kills the cat.
Pretty sure Schrödinger would agree.
He opened the door without saying anything, thinking why bother to knock now.
But somehow, as he entered the room, he ended up saying.
"Excuse me."
Being polite is a virtue…on a normal day.
Two pairs of gazes gathered on Ryo.
There were two men inside.
One of them must be over sixty years old. His gray hair was neatly trimmed and he was sitting quietly on one of the couches.
The other was in his mid-forties. His brown hair was carefully coiffed, but his whole body, not just his face, was overflowing with a sense of fatigue or weariness.
Ryo was impressed by the luxurious clothes and jewelry he was wearing.
"Have you come to kill me?"
The man in his forties opened his mouth and said so.
Ryo then recalled. He was the man who met and spoke with Abel before the Battle of Gold Hill.
The man in front of him was Abel's uncle, Raymond.
The one who proclaimed himself king.
"Killing you wasn't in the plan though."
Ryo answered honestly.
"It's fine. It'd probably do the Kingdom good to die here."
Just as Raymond said that, a loud explosion came from the outside.
The man in his sixties stood up, looked out the window, and said.
"There's smoke rising from the west gate. It must have been breached."
He simply straightforwardly stated the facts, with no hint of regret or bitterness.
"So be it."
(Are you Nobunaga!?)
Ryo involuntarily quipped at Raymond's words in his mind.
To Ryo, 'so be it' and 'very well' were 'Nobunaga's expressions' used by Oda Nobunaga.
Raymond's next words immediately brought Ryo's mind back to the present.
"Now Assassin, you may have the credit for taking my head."
"I don't really want to though…"
Ryo answered Raymond's words honestly.
Ryo infiltrated the royal castle not to kill Raymond, but to secure the custody of Stafford IV.
"I see. Then that leaves me with the potion."
"It is customary for a man of noble blood to commit suicide without shedding his blood."
The man in his sixties, whose name Ryo doesn't know, Parker turned to Ryo and told him so.
Ryo nodded, because he remembered coming across such stories in Earth's history.
But then he decided to ask him directly.
"Before that, may I ask you just one thing."
"Sure, I'll listen to your request. What is it?"
Raymond nodded his head in a maganimous manner and let him continue.
"Could you tell me where His Majesty King Stafford IV, the former king, is?"
When Ryo said that, both Raymond and Parker seemed a little surprised.
"Wait, you thought my brother was here?"
Stafford IV was Raymond's older brother.
"My brother is not here in the royal castle. He is in extremely poor health and is being attended to by the priests in the central temple. However, it seems that even
Raymond's face was distinctly sad.
There certainly may have been a feud between the two brothers, but they may not have proactively hated each other.
"The central temple…"
Ryo was at a loss for words.
If that was true, then Dontan and the rest of the infiltration team were wasting their time.
He wanted to inform them immediately…but the man presumed to be king was about to commit suicide right in front of him…it would be a bad idea to just leave like that.
Raymond tilted a small crystal bottle he had retrieved out of nowhere and poured a tiny red liquid into the wine in his hand.
Then he uttered a single statement.
"Parker, I forbid you to follow me into death."
"Your Majesty!?"
Parker was dismayed.
"Got it? This is one order that you must abide by."
"That's just not…"
Parker did not nod at Raymond's order.
"With all due respect King Raymond, if you would permit me to offer a suggestion."
"Granted. Let me hear it."
Ryo suddenly offered a proposal, and Raymond nodded, urging him on.
"How about passing on something that represents King Raymond to Sir Parker…a keepsake, and entrust him with the task of delivering it to King Abel…"
"Oh, I see. By entrusting him with such a task, Parker won't have to die."
"Wha…!"
At Ryo's suggestion, Raymond nodded in satisfaction, and Parker exclaimed.
Raymond handed Parker the necklace he had been wearing around his neck.
"Parker, I'm entrusting you to give this to Albert. Okay?"
"…Understood, Your Majesty."
Parker got down on one knee and received the necklace.
Raymond sipped the poisoned wine in his hand for a moment, then muttered quietly.
"Glory to the Kingdom of Knightley."
Then he downed the wine.
-x-X-x-
It was an hour after the west gate was breached that Abel, leading the 'Crimson Sword' and the 'White Brigade', arrived at the entrance of the royal castle.
Not long after the breach, the surrender of Raymond's army in the royal capital spread in the name of Parker Fletcher, Count of Kirkhouse, and that was the reason for the lack of resistance.
Ryo and Parker were waiting for Abel at the entrance to the royal castle.
"Ryo and…Count Kirkhouse? I see, my uncle is…"
With just the two of them, Abel seemed to have guessed the situation.
Those in high positions are more accountable for their responsibilities. The higher the position, the more severe.
This fact is the same in any world and any era.
The representative of a country…will have to put his life on the line…that's just the way it is.
"This is King Raymond's keepsake."
Parker said and handed Raymond's necklace to Phelps.
Then Phelps handed it to Abel.
"Ah…I know this necklace. It's a pair and my father and uncle both had one …. I see, turns out uncle still wore it."
Abel closed his eyes for a moment as he said that.
Perhaps he was mourning the loss of Raymond.
Abel opened his eyes and looked at Ryo.
Ryo nodded and opened his mouth.
"His Majesty King Stafford IV is in the central temple. Captain Dontan is leading a party to the temple to secure him."
He explained in a polite tone since Parker and others were present.
"I see."
Abel smiled only slightly.
"Just…"
Ryo said just that and looked at Parker next to him.
Parker nodded and opened his mouth.
"I'll take it from there. His Majesty Stafford has been poisoned by the hands of the Empire for the past several years. After the Empire seized the royal capital, he seemed to have stopped taking the poison, but maybe due to having consumed the poison for so long, it's proving difficult for him to recover, even with the full might of the temple."
"Even with light magic…
Abel asked, and Parker nodded with a bitter look on his face.
"
Priest Rihya explained about Cure.
Her face, too, was somewhat sad.
"I see…"
Abel simply muttered that.
After confirming Raymond's death in the office chamber, Abel headed to the central temple.
Accompanying him were the 'Crimson Sword', the 'White Brigade', and Ryo.
Abel, who had been in a heavy mood since they departed, smiled a little when he was greeted by High Priest Gabriel at the central temple.
They had fought together in the underground tombs during the royal capital chaos.
The four of the Crimson Sword and Ryo entered the room where Stafford IV lay.
The White Brigade remained at the door as guards.
It was White Brigade leader Phelps' idea that it would be better for the king to avoid exposing his poisoned visage to many.
The members of the Crimson Sword entered because they were originally Abel's bodyguards.
Ryo entered because he was Abel's bodyguard.
Stafford IV's eyes were slightly open.
Abel stood at his bedside and gave a small nod.
"Father…"
Abel's voice was low and feeble.
Even though he had prepared himself after learning that he was poisoned…his heart still ached seeing it with his eyes.
After that, Abel gave a one-sided explanation of the current situation.
It was unclear whether Stafford IV was listening or not, but his eyes were closed.
Finally, Abel told him.
"I will assume the position of king and drive out the Empire. I ask for your blessing."
Upon hearing this, Stafford IV opened his eyes, looked at Abel, and smiled just slightly.
Then he nodded.
Thus, the throne of the Kingdom of Knightley was officially handed over from King Stafford IV to King Abel I.
The day after King Abel entered the royal capital, the 'Liberation Festival' was held in the capital.
Although it was called a 'festival', there were no special performances or events.
However, the gates of the royal capital, which had been closed since the invasion of the imperial army, were opened and food and other provisions brought in from outside were served free of charge.
These foods were brought from the south and were brought in by merchant Gecko, who approached other merchant associations in Rune, as well as Acre and others through the Rune Frontier Count.
Of course, payment had already been made by the Rune Frontier Count and Marquis Heinlein.
Abel planned to give a portion of the assets he confiscate from the nobles he was going to crush as a result of the current turmoil to the Rune Frontier Count and Marquis Heinlein.
Even though the imperial army still occupies the eastern and northern parts of the country, the Southern Army following him must also be given rest.
Furthermore, it was necessary to show the oppressed people of the royal capital that 'King Abel is different from Raymond'.
The solution to these problems was the 'Liberation Festival'.
For safety reasons, Hugh McGrath and others initially frowned upon it but eventually accepted it.
Ryo's relentless badgering of his doctrine, "Don't work so hard that you get tired", and "Once you get tired, you're bound to make mistakes", may have been effective…or not, either way, he caved in.
To the people of the royal capital, the 'Liberation Festival' was carried out by Gecko and others, including the merchants of the royal capital, on their own.
For Abel had instructed them to say so.
The problem was the 'Liberation Festival' in the royal castle.
The 'Liberation Festival' in the royal castle was an event to show that King Abel was the lord of the royal castle.
At the same time, it was to show that there was no problem with the capabilities of the Kingdom government.
After this, supplies and additional forces will be needed for the decisive battle against the imperial army.
It was also meant to make each noble produce said supplies.
Something along the lines of, the new king is already powerful, and it'd be wise to bet on the winning horse.
In response, the nobles of the Kingdom would gather.
Nobles who have not made their stance clear until now…
Nobles who have been imprisoned in the royal capital….
Or the nobles who followed King Abel and fought alongside him….
All the nobles regardless of affiliation understood that it would be a bad idea to miss this opportunity to establish a new relationship with the new king.
On the third day of the Royal Capital's 'Liberation Festival', it was announced that a Liberation Festival ball for nobles would be held in the Royal Castle, and the nobles who were not yet in the Royal Capital had to hurry to the capital….
The Liberation Festival Ball at the Royal Castle.
In King Abel's address, it was explained that he had formally assumed the throne from his predecessor King Stafford IV.
Naturally, it was declared by Gabriel, the High Priest of the Central Temple, that Raymond had simply proclaimed himself king, and did not formally ascend the throne.
The nobles in attendance then proceeded to address the new king, King Abel.
King Abel said a few words to each of them.
Seeing Abel flanked on his left and right by Rihya and Rin, with Warren behind him on his left, Ryo thought from the bottom of his heart.
(What a perilous thing it is to be king!)
Incidentally, Ryo himself was standing right behind Abel…although merely standing there was already agonizing enough for him, since he was nominated by Abel, he didn't have much choice.
The greeting began with Marquis Heinlein, followed by Alfonso Spinazola, Acting Rune Frontier Count, and then Marquis Hope.
All of them were the great nobles who supported Abel's accession to the throne at the very beginning of his reign.
It stands to reason, King Abel gave them the highest praise.
"Sir Ignis, you did very well persuading your father. I thank you."
"You're too kind, Your Majesty. My father and brother both knew that King Abel was the rightful king without me having to persuade them."
Ignis Hagrit, the second son of the Marquis of Hope, also attended the gathering with his father, Marquis Hope, and gave his greetings.
The fact that not only Marquis Heinlein and the Rune Frontier Count in the south, but also the Marquis of Hope, a great noble family in the west, supported Abel had a great impact on the trend of the entire kingdom.
Abel conveyed his extremely high regard for their support.
Next to Marquis Hope came Marquis Westwing, another great western noble, and his daughter, as well as Viscount Comrie and his daughter from a neighboring fiefdom.
"It's been a while, Lady Miu, Lady Imogen."
"Since our last mission to Twilight Land, my lord."
"…M-My lord."
After addressing the Marquis and Viscount personally, Abel called out to each of their daughters.
They weren't strangers to each other.
They are Miu and Imogen, members of the 'Valkyries', a C-rank party in the royal capital.
Both of them had been sabotaging the Imperial Army and Raymond's Army as 'rebels' in the royal capital, and their respective families had expressed their support for King Abel at a very early stage.
Miu answered Abel's question without any problems, while Imogen's face turned red from adoration and she could hardly say anything.
Viscount Comrie was quite surprised to see his daughter Imogen, who had always been a tomboy, in such a state for the first time.
Marquis Westwing, next to him, nodded his head several times, as if he had realized something.
Rin's family, Count Shook, and Warren's family, Baron Harome, also came to offer their greetings.
Both had estates in the suburbs of the royal capital and had been under house arrest since the fall of the royal capital by the Imperial Army.
Rin is the second daughter of Count Shook, so there is almost no chance that she will inherit the countship, but Warren is the legitimate son of Baron Harome, and since he has no other sons, he will inherit the baron house unless something goes wrong.
For generations, the Barony of Harome has been known as a family that has been entrusted with the king's protection, and has produced many 'royal shield-bearers'.
In his younger days, the current Baron Harrome also served the royal family as a shield to protect King Stafford IV when he was a crown prince.
"I hope my incompetent son has been of some use to you, Your Majesty."
Baron Harome has an imposing physique that rivals Warren's, but his personality is more than gentle, it's almost delicate.
It was also evident in his words.
"Very much so, Baron. Warren has saved my life more times than I can remember. He has without a doubt grown to be the best shield-bearer in the Kingdom."
"Oh…what a kind and gracious thing to say. It brings nothing but glory to the Harome name."
Baron Harome began to cry softly as he said this, and Warren, who was standing behind Abel, continued to stand at attention, although his face was bright red.
Ryo, next to him, looked at Warren and Baron Harome alternately, nodding slightly repeatedly and muttering with a self-satisfied look.
"In any world, parents are happy when their children are praised."
More greetings followed from nobles of all ranks…and it wasn't until two hours later that it finally ended.
But then, there were two awestruck knights on one knee in front of Abel.
"Do you have something to say, Zack, Scotty?"
"There is someone we would like to introduce to you, Your Majesty. He was one of our earliest supporters as 'rebels' and is from the Kingdom of Ju…"
Ryo unintentionally muttered in the middle of Zack's speech.
"Prince Willy?"
"Master* Ryo!" (TLN: Sensei)
Prince Willy smiled happily at Ryo, who was standing behind Abel.
"…Master?"
Abel muttered softly.
"I see, so you were already supporting Abel early on…"
"Yes. We could have chosen to remain neutral, but…as a weak country, we must take bold actions, or else our position within the Kingdom will remain weak."
Prince Willy answered, smiling awkwardly.
"That was a good decision on your part. I read in a book back home that says, 'if you remain neutral, you will not only become an enemy to the victor, but also to the loser, who will see you as an enemy because you did not help them'. More often than not, remaining neutral puts one in a more difficult position thereafter. So, I think Your Highness made the right decision and acted properly. I am sure that King Abel will appreciate it."
Ryo turned to Abel as he said this.
"S-Sure…of course. Prince Willy, the Kingdom expresses its deepest respect and gratitude for the actions and position your country has taken."
"Thank you Your Majesty, those words mean a lot."
Abel expressed his gratitude, and Prince Willy was visibly excited, to say the least.
"Though I have to say I'm surprised to hear the prince of the Kingdom of Ju call you master, Ryo. And listening to what you just said earlier, do you dabble in imperial studies too?"
Abel turned to Ryo and said.
"Imperial studies? I don't think that's actually the name for it, it was another academic discipline though…. Earlier, what I mentioned was Machiavelli's…Oh, I guess you could call it so since it is based in terms of the mindset of an emperor. The book title is 'The Prince', after all. But back in my hometown, it's a very common book that can be found in any city library."
"What kind of place is your hometown, Ryo, that a book on imperialism can be found in a city library?"
Ryo's explanation was met with an exasperated mutter from Rin.
"That's beside the point, the most crucial thing I told Prince Willy is that food is the domain of royalty."
"Yes, that's right! The hamburger steak we had that time…it was very impressive, I guess that's to be expected from the cuisine of a major power."
"Your Highness, there is also a restaurant in the royal capital that serves decent hamburgers. And I would also like you to try their curry and rice. Once the imperial army has been shooed away, what do you say we stop by there for a bit."
"Please, by all means!"
Abel was watching from the side as Ryo and Prince Willy were having a lively conversation about food.
The only people who could hear Abel's little mutterings were Rihya and Rin, who were standing beside him.
"Once the imperial army has been shooed away…huh. He makes it sound like we're driving away flies…when we all know what we're up against."
"Professor, are you really okay with that?"
"As in?"
"You were the 'brains' behind them, weren't you? The rebels in the royal capital were able to move effectively because of your plans and instructions. If you were to inform King Abel about this, I am sure he would appreciate it."
"Your Highness…when you put it like that to my face, it's quite difficult to say anything back."
The 'professor' said with a wry smile.
"I have no desire for glory. I just want to do my research here without being restricted by anyone. For that reason, I would like to be the president of the university…that's all. But the thing about giving instructions to the rebels and whatnot, I don't know what you're talking about."
Saying this, he bowed his head lightly and turned to enter his laboratory.
But then he stopped and opened his mouth again.
"Besides, we're not done yet."
"Huh? What do you mean by that…?"
"I mean, there are cities in the eastern part of the Kingdom that are still occupied, right? There is also the Eastern Institute of our Magic University, and there are students who happened to return home only to be captured by the Empire, too."
With that, the professor walked into the laboratory.
"The eastern part of the Kingdom…. I believe even if you don't do anything in particular, the position of the president of Magic University is yours, with just your achievements in the Rune dungeon alone…. But you're pretty shrewd yourself…I'm not sure how much of what you say I can take at face value."
Prince Willy chuckled and stared at the door of the laboratory where the 'professor' had entered.
'Chief Professor Christopher Bratt.'
Author's note:
Eh? Who?
You know, there were three executives among the investigation team for the Rune Great Tidal Bore, right?
Magic Advisor Arthur, Commander Clive Staples who died on the 40th floor, and Magic University Chief Professor Christopher Bratt.
That's him.
He'll likely play an active role in the second and third volumes.
He's a character that has been set up quite finely.
He looks like British actor Tom Hiddleston.