Chapter 288
(Kyle Calendar Year 513: Age 20)
The Final Loyalty
Translator : PolterGlast
The day after reading the letter from the Margrave, I
decided to leave the Royal Capital Kylar and return to Teigoon. I
heard that post-war negotiations with the surrounding four countries were not
entirely finished, and details were still being worked out with some countries.
Above all, there were mountains of things to do in my territory.
For the time being, it was scheduled that all nobles in the
Kingdom and those with military exploits would be summoned again in a few
weeks, and more than anything, I didn't want to get involved in any more
trouble regarding Her Highness by staying in the Royal Capital... Judging so, I
set out on the return journey to Teigoon early.
Passing through the highway from the Royal Capital to Teigoon
that I had become accustomed to traveling, just when I finally arrived at the
city gate of Teigoon, Miseri rushed over looking flustered.
"Takuhir-sama, I apologize. There is a letter I wish to hand to you
urgently."
"Hmm? Miseri, who is it from?"
"Um... given the nature of the matter..."
"..., understood, I will head to the government office
immediately."
The fact that Miseri dared to mumble her words, and
that she waited in front of the gate to inform me first; I could understand
there was a corresponding reason for this.
Then, in a room of the government office, the lord's office,
I received that letter and opened the contents.
The sender was the traitor, former Viscount Kyrias!
"Tch! That bastard. Don't go trying to act cool over
something like that!"
That was the word I unintentionally uttered while reading
through the letter.
Written inside was the story of how he was instigated by darkness and
fell, and words of remorse. And words of apology to those who died and to Margrave
Hastburg.
Furthermore, attached were a letter of divorce to his wife
and letters severing ties with his relatives, all backdated to before the
outbreak of the war. Added to that were words stating that he wished to entrust
the remaining members of the Kyrias family and their futures to me...
Furthermore, information on those maneuvering in the
darkness, the hideouts acting as their bases, and everything else he had
managed to learn up to this point was recorded.
However, the end of the letter was the problem...
『Due
to my own foolishness, I strayed from the path of humanity, the path of a
Kingdom noble, and the path of a warrior.
To take responsibility for that, and to show my final loyalty, I intend to
judge myself. Taking the malice that threatens this country and maneuvers in
the darkness down with me.』
It was written so.
"Damn it! We might not make it in time, but send an express messenger to Brother Darek at the Southern
Gate Fort! Tell him the situation and ask him to dispatch Baron Copper,
who is familiar with the geography, with the utmost urgency."
Shouting so that Miseri waiting outside could hear, I
stood up.
Facing her who hurriedly entered the room, I continued
further.
"Also, share this
information with the relevant
parties: Count Solis, Count Gorman, Barons Kreitz, Bold,
and Herald! Don't forget to send an express messenger to Duke Klein
in the Royal Capital!"
Yes, this is not a matter I can resolve alone. I judged it necessary to hurriedly provide
information to the relevant parties.
"Miseri, duplicate the letter with the content I
dictate now and have each messenger carry it. However, only my close associates
are to be involved in the duplication. Treat the information as top secret.
Please split up and proceed with the response immediately."
Perhaps sensing the situation, Anne, Claire, Yoltia,
and Yuka had also gathered.
"Anne, head to the Commander in Aegis now
and contact him to lead elites—500 cavalry is fine—and move north from the Ishtar
side. Yuka, go to your father's place! Raphael,
Bart, Claire, Yoltia, Leia, Shannon, come with me. We will lead 100 fast elite cavalry from Teigoon
and head to the Viscount Cornell territory. We will send a messenger to
the Viscount on the way. We move with haste!"
Yes, I can understand Viscount Kyrias's feelings of
trying to bring the curtain down himself. But what happens if he fails to
strike them down? Their conspiracy will continue from here on out, and his
honor will be forever sealed.
"That damn show-off! Instead of turning himself in,
being bound, and taking his punishment, why didn't he rely on us! Even assuming
he dies showing loyalty, if he fails to bring the curtain down, it defeats the
whole purpose!"
Spitting that out, I started running. His letter described
things close to answers regarding the inexplicable events the Old Raccoon and I
had been continuously investigating all
this time.
- The
feud between the first King Kyle and the Clan of Darkness.
- The
distorted brainwashing they had been subjecting the noble society to.
- Their
schemes against the Clan of Light and Clan of Gravity.
- Numerous
schemes to weaken the southern frontier nobles.
- The
scheme to incite other countries and destroy the Kyle Kingdom once.
Everything had started 500 years ago...
And they had been spinning schemes
to weaken the Kyle Kingdom, tripped up opposing nobles (clans), and
extended their demonic hands to the southern frontier region.
The Empire invasion
too, in the end, they were pulling the strings from behind! Both the previous and
the current world, the root of all evil lay with them; is that it...
The malice of history I know; a part of it—no, most of it—was spun by them.
And this is not the end.
Although their ambitions were crushed as a result this time
too, their power has not yet perished.
To protect my family, comrades, and this country too, we must confront them and emerge
victorious.
Leading the hastily assembled army, we passed through Deimos
from Gaia and entered the Viscount Cornell territory.
The mountains connecting to the territorial border with Margrave
Hastburg from the central part of the former Viscount Hiyorimi
territory to the east; although not very high, steep rocky mountains continued
endlessly, and except for a few narrow bypaths, completely separated the two
territorial borders.
Because barren land unsuitable for farming spread throughout
the surrounding area and human settlements were far away, few knew of this
bypath itself, and it is said that even those who knew of its existence rarely
passed through it.
Of course, Viscount Cornell, who came to govern this
land as the new lord, does not know the existence of this bypath either. But
now, there were about 100 mounted men proceeding through this bypath without
hesitation.
Their destination was a corner of the rocky mountain ahead
where people did not enter, an underground labyrinth built deep inside a cave.
"Even so, Your Excellency, why such a place?"
"Hmph, because I was brought here once before. Otherwise,
we could never reach such a place. So, you
have been leaving markers at various points, I presume? "
"Yes, sir! Without fail..."
"I see..."
Answering briefly, Kyrias silently stared at the
subordinates following behind him and closed his eyes.
I ended up involving them all the way to a place like
this... the 1,400 subordinates I had before
the war started are already down to 100 mounts. They are loyal ones who followed me this far, but due to
my foolishness, I forced a path of hardship upon them. But they have an
important role. To take my head and return to the Kingdom...
"Your Excellency, I can see something like a cave
ahead!"
"We finally arrived. Then 80 men stand by here! I will
lead 20 men and infiltrate inside. Listen well! If I do not return, light a
fire at this entrance, fill the inside with smoke using Wind Mages, and
smoke out those lurking inside! Strike down everyone who comes out, leaving not
a single one, without letting them speak."
"Your Excellency, please take me with you by all
means!"
Saying so and offering to follow him to the very end was one
of the two close aides who had followed him this far. A person who had traveled
battlefields with him for many years and was granted a knighthood.
"No! Aiyar, you have the role of commanding the
remaining soldiers and connecting their futures!"
Kyrias had
conveyed a portion of the circumstances leading up to now, as well as the
post-incident processing he envisioned, and entrusted them only to these two
close aides. And he had briefed them in advance that he would enter inside
accompanied by only one of them.
"To someone like me... you followed me well until now.
After a while, the army led by the Demon Territory Count will likely
arrive. If it's you, the Demon Territory Count also knows your face.
Listen well, absolutely do not fight... Well then, I am off!"
"Y-Your Excellency!"
"Aiyar, sorry but I entrust the rest to you.
When I have achieved my long-cherished desire... farewell!"
Aiyar saw Kyrias
off while crying. By the way, the other close aide accompanying him was
entrusted with the harsh mission of taking his head after he achieved his
objective.
The 80 waiting outside, perhaps sensing the circumstances to
some extent, uniformly saw off the 20 entering the cave while crying.
In a room of the underground labyrinth secretly built inside
the rocky mountain cave where Kyrias and his men infiltrated, four
men—the masterminds who spun the conspiracy involving the surrounding
nations—were gathered.
Inside the dim underground room with only a small
candelabra, the surroundings could only be seen vaguely. And they uniformly
wore hoods deeply, and in a situation where even faces couldn't be
distinguished, they continued talking in low, small voices.
"Even so, Lugner, I fundamentally agree with
your proposal. I think there are points worth considering. However, the
difficulty in execution is undeniable. The war is already over, after
all."
"Indeed. As Sir Azel
says, his surroundings are fortified by experts, and he shows very few
openings. Furthermore, I hear he himself is quite an
expert. What are your thoughts on that?"
"Serpens, if there are no openings, we just have
to create them. There are countless methods. Even if his guard is solid, what
about his wives? What about his daughter? With our power, it would be easy to
kidnap the people of the mansion and infiltrate. Once we enter the mansion,
it's as good as succeeded."
"Heh heh heh, are you all still obsessing over trivial
matters out of hatred for the brat? What good does killing him do at this point?
The war is already over, you know?"
"But, Master..."
"Lugner, disposing of the brat remains
unchanged. But, we must do so at the most effective time. Rather than that,
shouldn't we be thinking about the course of action for the one we will prop up
in the future now?"
"What nonsense... the puppets within the Kingdom are
already... Besides, that one is now in our hands..."
"Not that one; someone much greater. He will eventually
become a spark that causes a great fire. It would have been difficult to rope
him in before, but now that it has come to this, isn't there an opportunity? Because
it's a seed we planted over a long time. Although the person himself probably
has no awareness of it."
"Then Master..."
"Have I not told you countless times? One must lay
plans two and three layers deep. Our schemes have not perished yet. The wedge
driven in over a long time has finally borne fruit. We have no choice but to
make a new flower bloom, do we not?"
"Then what shall we do with the puppet you picked up
from the northern battlefield? His wounds have finally healed to the point
where he can move, but... shall we dispose of him?"
"Since Serpens took the trouble to pull him up
from the battlefield. Keeping his head preserved while he is alive is best, is
it not? So that we can offer him up whenever needed, to whomever needed. Heh
heh heh."
"As the Master says. Even so, to take advantage of
their softness in treating even enemy soldiers once a battle ends—that was
quite resourceful action on Serpens's
part as well. Their Holy Mages probably never thought they treated the
ringleader of the enemy army either."
While they were talking so, there was a small clattering
sound, and a low voice came from outside the door.
"Pardon the interruption during your conversation. Sir Kyrias has just returned. What shall we
do? 'Preparations for drinks and snacks' are complete, but..."
"Oh? That fellow was still alive too? It seems we have
gained another head to preserve alive with this. But as for the other one... it
seems we will have to salt it."
"As the Master says, that fellow no longer has value as
mistletoe, after all."
" Indeed. I
believe flushing away the filth immediately is best..."
"Lugner, Azel, it is time for the
'preparations for drinks and snacks'. It seems he wishes to join as well."
Receiving those words, Azel moved and covered the
candelabra with a container, so the inside of the room became almost pitch
dark. Confirming that, Serpens opened the door and told something to the
person who reported earlier.
After a short while, one man was invited into the room.
Kyrias entered
the room he was invited into, proceeded a little in the darkness, and there the
cover of the candelabra was removed again.
The dim room was in a state where he could barely overlook
the surroundings, but he advanced quietly to the center of the room and knelt
facing forward.
"I, Kyrias,
have just returned. Having failed to fulfill my great role, I have no
face to show."
"Heh heh heh, letting the big fish escape is the same
for these three too. No need to be so ashamed."
Receiving the words of the old man wearing a deep hood, Kyrias
slowly looked around again.
Naturally, he knows Lugner by sight. But in this
dimness, even faces are hard to distinguish. In the room, the ringleader old
man in front of him, two men at a distance on the left and right, and... one at
the entrance.
Tch, they are standing diagonally as if to surround me.
Things will not go my way like this. One is probably the man called Azel.
But there is another one, so which is Azel, right or left? And besides them, the man at the entrance behind me, is
he the one who was in charge of the East, the Imperial Kingdom?
"Even so, I am glad above all else that you are all
safe. How should we move from here on out? Though I am a defeated man, I have
returned to seek your instructions."
"We were just talking about that. Because preparations
to attack the Demon Territory Count's domain and slaughter his family have
just been completed."
Lugner,
seemingly standing on his left, announced loudly the plan that was supposed to
have been rejected earlier.
Do these guys only think of destroying this country through
their own selfish schemes? Thinking so, Kyrias felt a strong surge of anger.
The one most skilled with a sword among them is likely Lugner. In that case, I will first seal
him with a lightning strike, charge forward simultaneously, strike down the
ringleader, turn right, and slash the two in succession... can I do it?
Thinking so, with a casual motion, he moved his left hand
toward Lugner's direction, touched the sheath with his right hand so he
could draw his sword anytime, and lowered his center of gravity slightly to
move instantly.
It was at that time.
"Gah!"
Kyrias, who
raised a voice unintentionally, had his movement sealed there. A sensation like
scorching heat pierced through his back to his chest, and from his chest, a
thin spear tip emitted a dull color and protruded.
"Wh-! You..."
When Kyrias looked back, the subordinate who
was supposed to watch over his final moments had pierced him with a spear,
wearing a cold, ice-like expression.
"Hahaha, did you think we would keep a dog running
loose! Not even knowing this one was attached to you as a watcher, you were
merely dancing in the palms of our hands! Fool."
Lugner's loud
laughter echoed in the room.
"Kuh, so I was a clown until the very end... but... at
least one stroke..."
Kyrias raised a
final, voiceless sound resembling a prayer.
And after this, squeezing out his final ounce of strength, he took action
beyond their imagination in order to achieve his long-cherished desire.
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