Chapter 171
(Kyle
Calendar Year 509: Age 16)
The
Conclusion of the Major Clean-Up
Translator : PolterGlast
"Well now, I know
I've gathered you all in the midst of your busy schedules, but I suppose it's
about time we began."
The Headmaster, a
member of the royal family and now the head of the House of Klein, opened the
proceedings.
In a corner of the
Royal Palace, those who held great responsibility in the Kyle
Kingdom—ministers, the Margraves of the south and east, and the leaders of the
Restorationist faction—had gathered, or rather, had been gathered. It was in
the form of a summons from the King.
"My lords
Marquesses, this recent affair has been a most difficult matter. Today, I wish
to find a resolution. First, shall we hear your explanations?"
Duke Klein began to
speak, looking around at the four opposing marquesses.
"This rebellion
was a matter of which we had no knowledge. To be spoken to in such a manner is,
well..."
Marquis Thorhast, heir
to the clan of thunder, equivocated.
"In the first
place, if you wish to question responsibility for that man's rebellion,
shouldn't you first be questioning the Royal Knights, who are responsible for
the kingdom's order, and the Margrave, who is responsible for the southern
border! Your manner of speaking, Lord Klein, is intolerable!"
In contrast, Marquis
Ignisurt, heir to the clan of fire, became enraged.
"My, my, when did
I say I was questioning responsibility for this rebellion? I am asking for an
explanation for your own actions. That in the face of this national crisis, you
initially sided with that man's ravings, mistook the victim for the
perpetrator, and on top of that, loudly declared and moved to have Baron Solis
and the others detained until the truth was revealed. That is what I am asking
for, is it not?"
"You may say so,
but that is rather unfair of you. We too are of the twelve clans that exist for
the sake of the kingdom. We are well aware of that, but at that point in time,
there was no way of knowing the truth of the matter. Is it not natural, then,
to first detain the parties involved and investigate the truth of the
situation?"
Marquis Cocyst, heir
to the clan of ice, calmly refuted.
"That we should
deal with those who colluded with the Empire and started a rebellion with
severe punishment—on this point, we are of the same opinion and have no
reservations. That man, as a result of being snubbed by us, acted out of
desperation, spread slander, and resorted to such an outrage. Is that not the
case?"
Marquis Aquarato, heir
to the clan of water, spoke dispassionately, as if it were someone else's
problem.
"Hmm, that may be
logical, but is that a judgment for you to make? The judgment is made by His
Majesty the King, and the ones who act are the Royal Knights. Is that not the
law established by the kingdom? You all acted rather hastily and, as a result,
took actions that benefited the rebels. With those overly large mouths of
yours."
All four marquesses'
faces twitched. It was an undeniable fact that they had taken advantage of the
chaos when the rebellion broke out.
"In the course of
our own investigation into the truth, we have already identified the source of
the story. Now, regarding the unsettling rumors about Baron Solis at the
beginning of the year, who was it that was shouting so loudly among the nobles
of the capital about the supervisory responsibility of the Margrave and the
Knight Commander? The supervisory responsibility for a baseless, unknown rumor,
and the supervisory responsibility for a rebellion that actually occurred—which
do you suppose is heavier?"
It was a classic case
of reaping what they sowed. The fact that they had previously been in the
position of pursuing supervisory responsibility only served to expose them to
further disgrace.
"Furthermore, who
was it that believed the false evidence issued by Count Goyoku and advised for
the capture of Baron Solis on his way to the capital? Lured by a fake, does
that mean there were also those who believed a fake royal decree and
participated in the rebellion?"
Duke Klein
relentlessly cornered the marquesses of the Restorationist faction. Slowly, and
without mercy.
"What the Duke
says, I am also of the same opinion. Originally... demotion to count or
viscount, transfer to a domain befitting that rank, and removal from public
office. Something along those lines, perhaps?"
"As Your Majesty
says, but this concerns a rebellion against the kingdom. Revocation of noble
status and confiscation of domains may be more appropriate. As a result, it
would not be an exaggeration to say they are of the same kind as the nobles who
were instigated by Count Goyoku, believed his ravings, and joined the
rebellion."
At Duke Klein's words,
the four marquesses turned pale and began to tremble. The nobles he had called
"of the same kind" had been confirmed to receive the death penalty
for the fact that they had, even if deceived, participated in the rebellion.
"Duke, for my
part, I am reluctant to lose the twelve clans that have supported the kingdom
continuously since its founding. What would be a suitable compromise?"
"Yes, Your
Majesty! I am filled with admiration for your consideration for your subjects.
In that case...
The four marquesses,
as senior statesmen of the kingdom, were pained by this civil war, and as
pillars of the kingdom, they have shown their resolve.
They themselves have
offered to reward those with distinguished military service, and each has put
forth 100,000 gold coins to praise those with merit. Furthermore, deeply pained
by the rebellion of a former subordinate, they have set an example by
voluntarily resigning from their public offices. Moreover, to strengthen the
kingdom's army, they have offered 10 of the finest mages from each of their
houses to Your Majesty, that is, to the Royal Knights.
To support Your
Majesty's policies, they have acted splendidly, in a manner not shameful to the
name of nobles who carry the blood of the twelve clans. How does something like
this sound?"
"I see! So you,
who are the most powerful and respected among the clans, will proactively set
an example. Is that it? You think of interesting things. As expected of you,
old man. What say you all? Do you have any objections?"
"As you
command..."
"We are
grateful..."
"...As you
wish."
"...Understood."
Inwardly, they
thought, 『Isn't this just a
farce following a pre-written script! 』But they had no choice but to obey.
One hundred thousand
gold coins was certainly a significant blow, but with their power, they could
eventually regain that amount. The same went for the mages. They were
individuals they had deliberately deemed useless. There was no substantial
damage.
Resigning from public
office meant losing their faction's influence for the time being and being
distanced from various interests. In reality, this was the biggest blow, but it
could not be exchanged for their titles, family names, and domains.
After these
calculations, they replied that they would comply and bowed their heads.
"Well now, have
we managed to finish a little of our homework? I hope we get a good
grade."
The King finished
speaking and laughed heartily. News of this action (punishment) taken against
the leaders of the Restorationist faction spread like wildfire among the
nobility.
From then on, there
was no end to those who hastily came to the Royal Palace to follow their
example. Many of them were the very people who, until just the other day, had
been strutting about the Royal Palace and high society as members of the
Restorationist faction.
To save their own
skins, they offered to make donations, even going into debt to do so, as a
source for rewards, and thus patched up their own positions.
※
After the four
marquesses had withdrawn, Viscount Solis and Viscount Gorman, who had come to
the Royal Capital for the conferment of honors scheduled for a later date, were
summoned from the waiting room.
"You two have
done a great service in suppressing this civil war. Before the conferment of
honors the day after tomorrow, there is something I wish to inform you of in
advance."
At the personal
summons from His Majesty the King, the two, who had been restless in the
waiting room wondering what was to happen, raised their heads.
"First, Viscount
Solis, your son who is engaged to the Margrave's daughter—once they are
formally wed, I want you to give him up to be the Margrave's heir. You still
have enough sons to succeed you. This is also the Margrave's earnest
wish."
"It is an honor
greater than we deserve. Neither I nor Darek have any objection
whatsoever."
"Good. And
Viscount Gorman, this may be a rather painful matter for you. Your main house,
the House of Goyoku, will be abolished, and the punishment will extend to the
direct family line.
The House of Gorman,
having military merit, will receive a reward, but your wife and children are of
the direct line of the Goyoku family. They cannot go entirely unpunished, nor
can their crimes be offset by your military merit. Please understand this
point.
In lieu of punishment,
your wife and children will be stripped of their noble status. Therefore, your
children will lose the qualification to inherit the viscountcy. With one
exception."
At this, Viscount Gorman,
who had been deeply bowing his head, looked up.
"Your eldest
daughter was born with no connection to the Goyoku clan. Therefore, your heir
will be your eldest daughter. I hear she is engaged to Baron Solis, so in
effect, Baron Solis will become the heir. What are your thoughts on this
matter? Speak your mind freely."
"Yes, Your
Majesty! First, I am endlessly grateful for the special consideration you have
shown my house. I myself saw the potential in Baron Solis and wished for him to
be my daughter's husband; there is no possibility of any objection.
However, though I know
it is the way of the nobility, I feel pity for my wife and children who carry
the blood of the Goyoku. Even if they lose their noble status, may I have your
permission to treat them without shame as my legitimate wife and
children?"
"I do not mind.
Though they cannot be your heirs, you should see to it that they can make their
own way in the future."
"Gratefully... I
gratefully accept your words."
Tears streamed from
the eyes of the prostrating Viscount Gorman.
"At the
conferment of honors, Baron Solis of course, but both of your houses will also
receive new domains. And all of that will eventually be inherited by Baron
Solis.
The eldest and second
sons will eventually become the cornerstones of the border's defense. The
territory these two will inherit will be vaster than any other in the kingdom.
The three fathers, including the Margrave, should support them."
And so, the future
path for the brothers, Darek and Takuhir, was solidified in a place they did
not know.
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