Special Chapter
The Beginning of the End ④
The Bell of Ruin Tolls
Translator : PolterGlast
The Royal Capital was
surrounded by the 18,000 cavalry led by Corps Commander Weiss, and its final
hour was approaching. Normally, the city gates would be tightly shut, and they
would wait for the arrival of reinforcements, but the defending force was far
too small.
The force defending
the Royal Capital numbered a mere 2,000 men; their hope, the Royal Knights, was
in the midst of a battle on the distant southern border. Even if they heard of
the capital's crisis and rushed back, it would take several days.
The high-ranking
nobles who knew this fact began to flee, each trying to be the first out,
opening the city gates and using the fleeing citizens as shields.
"Those...
irredeemable fools. The main force of 10,000 will charge through the gates
they've opened and secure the King's person! See that no disrespect is shown to
the king of a nation.
The remaining 8,000
will split into four units and seize the north, south, east, and west gates.
You know your objective, do you not?
No atrocities against
the citizens will be tolerated. Let those who flee, flee. Be careful not to
leave the scars of war on the Royal Capital as much as possible.
As for the nobles...
if they resist, you are permitted to deal with them on the spot, but those who
surrender are to be taken into custody for the time being, for questioning.
Mark my words, do not
ever forget that this land will one day be ruled by His Majesty Grat. All of
you, take my words to heart!"
"Yes, sir! We
have certainly understood!"
Under the command of
Corps Commander Weiss, the various generals led their troops and ran to carry
out their orders. They had been under Weiss's command since the subjugation of
the Sura Duchy and were men who had fought alongside him. For that reason, they
immediately understood the Corps Commander's intentions and moved into action.
※
What Corps Commander
Weiss had predicted soon became a reality. The various city gates were opened,
and a flood of escapees poured out.
"Report! Among
the nobles captured at each gate, four who call themselves marquesses are
requesting to surrender and to speak with Your Excellency. What are your
orders?"
The tide of the battle
had already turned, and victory was assured.
"They flee at a
time like this, and now they want to speak? They are scum, not even worth
meeting, but it is the military law established by His Majesty the Emperor, so
it cannot be helped... Bring them here!"
A short time later,
the four men, bound with ropes over their extravagant clothes, were dragged
before Corps Commander Weiss.
"The battle is
not yet over. The time I can spare for you is also precious, so if you have
something to say, be brief."
Weiss was in an
extremely foul mood. He had also received reports that they had pushed aside
the fleeing citizens and had attempted to escape first, their carriages laden
with wealth.
"We surrender,
and from this moment, we pledge our loyalty to Your Excellency and to His
Majesty Grat. We have come to declare that we promise to cooperate in His
Majesty's governance of this land."
"Oh? And how
exactly do you intend to cooperate?"
Weiss's mood soured
even further. They cowardly attempt to flee, and when captured, now they offer
to cooperate? With what face can they so boldly say such a thing!
However, the four
marquesses, unaware of his inner thoughts, began to speak, their faces lighting
up with joy at having found an opening.
"Yes! Though we
may be unworthy, the four of us have held the ministerial posts of Foreign
Affairs, Military Affairs, Commerce, and Finance in this country, so we are
somewhat familiar with its inner workings. We would be pleased if His Majesty
Grat would utilize our knowledge in his new administration."
"If we persuade
them, the other nobles will also be swayed to the Empire. Please, grant us that
duty."
"We shall also
use the authority of the Minister of Military Affairs to disarm the Royal
Knights, who are foolishly attempting to resist at the border. If we do so,
there will be no one left in this kingdom to resist Your Excellency's
army."
"There is also
wealth hidden secretly within the kingdom. With my authority as the Minister of
Finance, I shall present it to Your Excellency as war funds."
The four of them, as
if a dam had broken, began to speak, each trying to curry favor. Weiss closed
his eyes and let their words wash over him.
"And what do you
desire in return?"
"If it pleases
you... please unbind us. When Your Excellency has achieved your great work, we
ask that you please promise to preserve our family names, our domains, and our
private property. Among the goods we were carrying when we fled, there are
items we would like to present to Your Excellency..."
The four marquesses
showed smiles tinged with the implication that they were prepared to offer
bribes, the words of their representative. They did not realize that this was
what Weiss despised most, and that they had just sealed their own fate.
What disgusting
faces... just looking at them is unpleasant. Thinking this, he let out a deep
sigh, looked down on them with a contemptuous gaze, and slowly began to speak.
"I understand
perfectly. I shall give you all a reward."
After saying this, he
signaled to his subordinates with his eyes.
The soldiers,
understanding the Corps Commander's intent, seized the four marquesses, whose
faces were lit with joy, and forced their heads to the ground.
"With your words
and actions just now, you have made your crimes clear!
Not only are you
high-ranking nobles, but you held great responsibilities of state, yet you have
lost your pride and abandoned your duties. To abandon the king you should have
protected with your lives, and even your citizens, simply to save your own
skins, is unforgivable.
Knowledge of
incompetent politics that bankrupted the country through tyranny and
exploitation? The cooperation of traitors who fled in a disgraceful manner?
High-ranking nobles who have received the kingdom's favor for generations, who
should be showing loyalty and setting an example, abandoning the king and
citizens they should protect, and ending up like this?
His Majesty Grat's new
era has no need for such things! I have no pity to spare for you.
To allow you dogs to
die in service to your kingdom—that is the only mercy I can show to protect your
honor. I will reward you with a sword. Execute them at once!"
For a moment, they
could not comprehend the words Weiss had spat out. Then, as they twisted their
restrained bodies, they each began to protest.
"Wha-! How rude!
We are the heads of the glorious twelve clans, which have continued since the
founding of the kingdom! Is this Imperial etiquette!"
"Please! Please
have mercy on us! At least, we beg you to plead our case to His Majesty
Grat!"
"Unhand me! For
those of low birth to... how discourteous!"
"We beg you, we
beg you! At least, grant us a fair trial!"
Their disgraceful
begging for their lives, their words still clinging to their status, unable to
understand their situation, only served to further irritate Weiss.
"What are you
doing? Finish it, quickly."
At the Corps
Commander's low, single command, the soldiers dragged the wailing men out of
the tent. And then, their voices were quickly silenced, and it became quiet
once again.
"We must lay
their heads before the graves of those who fell in Teigoon. Only by passing
down the story of their valiant fight, of what loyalty means in this country,
will we be able to repay them for their deaths.
Still, to think that
those men were responsible for the affairs of state in this country... I cannot
help but feel some pity for the King of Kyle. Will it all... be over
soon?"
In the silence, Weiss
muttered to himself.
※
As dusk approached,
the Royal Capital had been completely suppressed, from the second district to
the third, with the exception of the first district where the Royal Palace was
located. Even so, the first district alone kept its gates firmly shut,
stubbornly resisting and refusing the invaders entry.
"Your Majesty! It
is regrettable, but please prepare to withdraw. The Imperial army's attacks are
growing ever fiercer... it will likely be over this very night."
"When was the
last time I saw you in armor, old man? It must have been decades ago. There is
no need to whip your old body any further. You, too, should flee first."
"Your
Majesty!"
"I am the King of
this country. It is disgraceful to abandon my citizens and seek my own safety.
What's more, even if Gouras and the others return, if I become a hindrance, the
rebuilding of the kingdom will not be possible.
The tunnel... was it?
Go, with the princes, through the secret passage left by the first King Kyle,
and strive to rebuild the kingdom."
"Then, Your Majesty,
you must come with us!"
"I must take
responsibility as king. For allowing the affairs of state to be usurped, and
for being powerless to prevent the calamity of this war. And to the soldiers
who are protecting the Royal Palace, even in this desperate situation."
"Your Majesty, if
you do this, the future of the kingdom..."
The King of Kyle cut
off Duke Klein, who had begun to speak.
"Duke Klein, this
is my final royal command!
Take the Queen, the
Prince, and the Princess, and escape the Royal Capital at once. After you
escape, if the Royal Knights are still intact, join them. If you cannot, seek
out the Chancellor of the Fearart Duchy to the west, the former First Prince,
and ask for his protection.
That man is young but
sensible, and he has the power to be relied upon. He will surely be a strength
to the Prince and Princess. There is also a bond between our royal family and
the duchy. I beg you, the children need a guide. Please, endure."
After forcing the
weeping Duke Klein to depart, the King of Kyle returned to the throne room
alone. There, he closed his eyes in meditation for a time, then summoned one of
his subordinate soldiers.
"The gates will
fall shortly, will they not? In the midst of this difficult battle, your
valiant efforts were truly magnificent. Please convey my thanks to the soldiers
as well.
This is a royal
command! From this moment, all soldiers are relieved of their duties.
Henceforth, the soldiers are to focus only on protecting their own lives and
are to escape as they see fit. As you escape, set fire to the Royal Palace.
Leave nothing behind!"
After unilaterally
giving the command, he dismissed that soldier as well. Then, he descended from
the throne, and before the throne he had just been sitting on, he knelt and
bowed.
"To all the
successive Kings of Kyle, I say this. The Royal Palace that you all built up
through the long ages will be reduced to ashes this very night. I could not
bear to watch this palace, with its 500-odd years of history, be trampled under
the invaders' muddy boots. For my own worthlessness, I humbly apologize. I
shall accept your reprimands in full when I join you all."
As he finished
speaking, the bell of the Central Church in a corner of the capital rang out.
As if in response, fires rose from various parts of the Royal Palace, dyeing
the night sky red.
"The sound of
that bell... it is as if it laments the end of the Kyle Kingdom, which has
continued for over 500 years, and is bidding it farewell. I myself never
thought it would end so anticlimactically..."
As the King muttered
this, the flames began to spread to the throne room where he was, and the
magnificent hall was engulfed in fire.
※
Around the time the
Royal Palace in the capital was being engulfed in flames, there was another who
was meeting his end in the town of Est.
Takuhir, who had been
under house arrest in a corner of the mansion since morning, receiving attentive
nursing care, had been dragged out by soldiers who had stormed in and was
thrown into a jail cell.
A green-haired woman,
who had clung to the soldiers who had suddenly burst in and pleaded
desperately, had in turn been surrounded by vicious blades and was on the verge
of being cut down, but a red-haired maid who had leaped out saved her with a
ferocious display of skill. After the lord was taken away, the two of them
somehow managed to escape the mansion and flee.
And as night fell,
Takuhir was taken from the jail and placed on an execution block that had been
set up in the town's central plaza. By this time, as a result of the rough
treatment he had received since morning, his wounds had reopened, and his
consciousness was hazy from the pain of the arrow wounds.
"From this
moment, the execution of the lord of this Estol domain, Baron Solis Takuhir,
shall commence! Furthermore, this execution shall be carried out in accordance
with the following pact concluded between Corps Commander Weiss of the Gryphonia
Imperial Northern Expeditionary Force and Baron Solis:
Baron Solis shall bear
all responsibility for the war and be publicly executed. In exchange for the
Baron handing over all his provisions and property, the Empire shall guarantee
the safety of the lives and property of all his citizens.
Thus, Marquis Bradley,
as the representative of His Majesty the Emperor, declares the execution of the
one responsible for not submitting to the authority of His Majesty the Emperor
and for bringing numerous calamities upon the Estol domain!"
The sound of a bell,
rung by someone, echoed throughout the town. Hearing the bell, Takuhir returned
from his hazy consciousness and finally realized that he was about to be
executed.
"Everyone who
fought with me in Teigoon... I'm finally... on my way. I'm a little late, but I
hope you'll forgive me.
Anne, Miseri, you were
safe? That's good. Rosa, Claire... everyone in this town is safe too, that's
good... thank you for your prayers. With a somewhat, clear... feeling..."
No one heard his final
mutterings. The sound of the bell, tolling a never-ending funeral, enveloped
the entire area.
In that moment, his
body was engulfed in the rising flames. It was at almost the exact same time
that the King of this country was engulfed in flames in his Royal Palace.
Suddenly, Takuhir's
body was enveloped in a mysterious light. The world lost its color, and
everything stopped. To re-spin a new future (a new past)...
History, the world,
would turn back time and begin a new journey.
In a new world, they
would live a different history, and a new destiny would be woven.
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