19-7
From the Most Spectacular, Ugly, and
Malice-Swirling Palace on this Surface
Translator : PolterGlast
・The
Most Narrow-Minded Prince
The order of the
palace was far too fragile. The order that the previous Emperor (Father) had
continued to protect was a product of compromise, and it had already ceased to
exist the moment the Crown Prince (older brother) drew his blade.
Even so, we placed
ourselves in the palace. This palace is the very core of politics and
conspiracy. If we returned to our territories out of concern for our own
safety, the remaining lot would seize the opportunity to frame us as rebels.
It is rotten, this
palace. These cold floors have continued to suck the lifeblood of people until
today. Countless betrayals and conspiracies have been repeated without end in
this palace.
To the point that it
was no longer salvageable, this place itself was cursed by the hexes and blood
of the defeated.
「If you
don't want to die, you fight too, Julius!!」
「Hahaha,
don't ask for the impossible, Yord. I'm already past 40, you know? If I
swing something like a sword, I'll dislocate my shoulder with one swing!」
We were currently
fleeing through the palace. The time was still early morning, enveloped in
darkness. Into the Blue Dragon Palace, where I was staying alongside Julius,
private soldiers with drawn blades came pouring in.
「Shut
up! If you don't fight, I will abandon you!」
「I'll
repay the favor later, so please, Yord. You are the strongest man in the
Empire, right?」
Driving that guy—Georg—out
of the Imperial Capital was aimed precisely at this. To destroy us,
their political enemies, the enemy chose to dye the palace in blood!
I stood at the
vanguard myself and carved out a path of blood while having the elites of the
Knight Order protect Julius. There is nothing the magic sword of the
Abyss cannot cut. I advanced by cutting down the ruffians, making my way
towards the back gate. Like hell I'd die here. Remember this, you pieces of
trash...!
「What
are you doing, kill them quickly!」
「Absolutely
do not let them escape! If you let them escape, I will have your heads!」
The masterminds were
lying in wait on the single path leading to the back entrance. It was Uncle Morac
and the former Duke of Einbeck, acting as the proxy for the now
critically injured sixth son, Olive. Their intention was likely to kill
us here, and then, waiting for the right moment, oust the Crown Prince and
divide the country
among themselves.
「What's
this, the shitty old geezer Morac and the former Duke Beck.
You've really done it... Mama would surely say this: 'You've shown your true
colors, you dirty old baboons! Beat them to death, my little Julius!!'
she'd say...」
Julius is a
dangerous man... But I believed he was stronger than anyone in political
strife. Wondering if I should abandon him here, I peeked to the rear while
dealing with the miscellaneous soldiers swarming like waves.
「Yord,
you are also a hindrance to these guys. See, we have high rights of succession
to the throne, don't we? To obtain the Empire, we are obstacles that must be
struck down.」
「Wrong.
I was merely hesitating whether I should discard you and escape by myself.」
「You
are so cruel, aren't you!? I'm your big brother, you know~!?」
Julius is
dangerous. But if I
abandon him, I'll be struck down either way. The Imperial civil war had already
begun the moment we were attacked. If I also consider what happens after
surviving... Right now, I have no choice but to keep this madman alive!
「You,
are you really Yord!? It
can't be, what are you bastards doing!?」
「Tch,
let us fall back, Morac-sama... Julius! I speak as the proxy for
the Duke of Einbeck. You are the one who egged the Crown Prince on
against my nephew, aren't you...?」
The northern nobles
and the southern nobles have been opposed to each other since ancient times.
The one who profits from Olive's death would be the leader of the southern
nobles, Julius. But there is no evidence; it's merely speculation, and
the other party is just
trying to trick him into confessing.
「Ahaha,
I don't know anything about that, you know...? But, Mama might say something
like this... 'Olive deserves to die, oh my, he hasn't died yet, I wonder
if he'll drop dead soon! Isn't that right, my beloved little Julius...'
she'd say.」
「Stop
screwing around, you madman! Your mother died a long time ago! Julius,
fall into the same hell as your mother!」
Julius is a
mama's boy. However, no one mocks him for it. His real mother died a long time
ago. The 'Mama' he speaks of could be said to be his other personality...
「Shall
we escape, Yord...」
「It
helps that you stay calm. Hmph, I'll definitely make these ruffians regret
this.」
「Mama
is not dead... Mama wouldn't abandon me... Mama says that those who tell such
cruel lies must be executed...」
Just imagining what
comes after is terrifying. Julius will surely make a bloodbath out of
these guys. To protect the illusion residing in his diseased head.
「Julius-sama,
are you safe!?」
「Yord-sama,
this way!」
The Knight Order and
Julius's private soldiers had gathered at the back gate of the palace. He's
crazy in the head, but he's a shrewd man...
「This
is bad, don't let them escape!」
「Damn
you, Yord...! Kill them without fail, I don't care what methods you use!
Absolutely kill Julius, no matter what!!」
Using the
reinforcements as a shield against the pursuit, I stood at the vanguard myself
and forcefully broke through the Imperial Capital. What I feared was the
regular army led by Georg... If those guys encamped in the outskirts of
the Imperial Capital moved, we would end up being caught in a pincer attack.
However, he didn't move. I already knew, but it seems he wasn't complicit in
this time's conspiracy.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
「Hey, Georg.
It seems orders haven't come from above to beat us to death, have they?」
「Yeah...
for the time being.」
The regular army merely
monitored us fleeing from a distance. However, Georg appeared before us,
riding his horse alone. He was deeply agonizing over whether he should kill us
here. I agonized too. The man I had always wanted to kill appeared right in
front of my eyes without bringing any subordinates. I gripped my magic sword,
wondering if I should kill him.
「Hey, Georg,
it might go against your principles, but... if you let us go here, I think
it'll turn into a civil war, you know?」
「I
know. But the only one who can give me orders is the Emperor. I am not
permitted to act on my own authority.」
My blood boiled at
being let go by my lifelong enemy. While grinding my teeth, I suppressed my
magic sword, which was screaming to kill Georg. If I killed him here, we
would be crushed by the Imperial Army...
「Ahahahahaha,
if you had been willing, Father might have chosen you again to be the Crown
Prince. You should live regretting that you let us go. You will surely come to
think, 'I should have killed them back then'.」
Georg didn't
say anything; he merely held up a dull-colored sword, showed it to me, and then
left the spot. It seems he had prepared a ridiculous masterpiece of a blade to
counter my sword. I'll let him go for now too. But the next time we meet, I'll
tear him to pieces along with that piece of junk...
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
When we put a
sufficient distance from the Imperial Capital, the world had already become
bright. We found a forest that was just right for hiding and resting, so we
concealed ourselves there and decided to part ways. Julius will head
south, and I will return west to the Knight Order's territory.
「Thanks
for taking care of me, Yord. Even I would have died without being able
to escape if you weren't by my side. And if Georg wasn't that kind of
stubborn guy, both you and I would have died after all.」
「Hmph...
Born as a male of the Emperor's family, yet you are a pathetic guy...」
「Right,
right. When you get back over there, gather the Knight Order and make it so
that you can start a war at any time, okay.」
「Naturally.
If you and I join hands, those guys are no match for us.」
My concern is Georg.
If that guy turns into an enemy, the situation will completely change into a
harsh one. He is still fine, but the other generals will probably start moving
as they please too.
「It's
fine. Because I already possess the strongest army that surpasses the First
Army led by Georg. There is no victory for them. There is only being
trampled underfoot...」
「...Could
it be, does that have something to do with that book you received from that
White Knight of the Abyss?」
「That's
right. Actually, the method to produce an army from the Age of the Gods was
recorded in it, you see.」
Saying only that, the guy was satisfied and left for the south, leading his army. From here on, the civil war begins. All the sparks that the Emperor had suppressed until today have erupted all at once, and the long-awaited era of warriors will arrive.
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