Chapter 401
(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)
Southern Front ⑰ - The Two Princes
Translator : PolterGlast
At my instruction, each member took their designated
positions, and the flags signaling preparation complete were raised from their
respective Magic Cannons. Receiving this, I had three flags raised from
the main camp to announce the standby for firing. Seeing this, the Third
Prince stood in front of something resembling a megaphone, composed of
several large funnel-like objects tied together, and exchanged a glance with
the woman beside him.
「It was quite an elaborately staged
spectacle, but it seems you are unfit for the role. Do you not think so?」
The words uttered by the Third Prince were amplified
by a Sound Mage, and the soldiers barricaded in the fort raised a battle
cry in unison in response. At the sheer volume and high morale of that voice,
the messenger flinched for a moment.
「W-What did you say! What part of
this is a spectacle!」
「You must have heard the laughter
that erupted in response to the declaration you yourself just spouted, did you
not? Or was your own voice so loud that you have grown hard of hearing, Messenger-dono?」
「I-Insolent!」
「The actor's performance was so
utterly terrible that what should normally inspire awe turned into laughter.
No, I must say that the script itself is too dreadful to begin with.」
「What was that! How dare a stray dog
with no master to rely on say such things against the words of the esteemed personage
who will become Next Emperor!」
The messenger who came to deliver the declaration seemed
highly enraged, his face turning bright red. Somehow... things have gotten
interesting.
※
Upon hearing this exchange, there was someone else besides
the messenger who delivered the declaration who was highly enraged.
「Hey! What is the meaning of this! Is
the declaration not being unilaterally mocked! Why are the
words of that insolent fool reaching our camp!」
At this time, the First Prince (Glorious) had
taken up position in the very front row of his own army, which was deployed at
a distance of 600 m from the fort. In order to ascertain the fort's reaction to
the messenger he had sent by employing his own strategy...
However, it was beginning to head in an unexpected direction. Originally, in
response to the situation where they were struggling against the Third
Prince's retainers who were stubbornly resisting with a mere 20,000, his intention was to accept Harry's strategy,
encircle them with an overwhelming grand army of 70,000,
show off the power to leave the fort completely defenseless, and then recommend
surrender by flaunting the authority of the Empire. He had even prepared
a forged Imperial Edict for that purpose.
「It seems they are accompanied by a Sound
Mage... I believe that is the reason why the enemy's voices are reaching
us.」
「Kuh, are they mocking me? Me, who
will become the supreme existence in the Empire...」
Even as he said this, the words from the fort were echoing
throughout his camp as well.
『The Imperial Edict you
mentioned earlier is also a fake, is it not? Do you not think that Glorious's
delusions, borrowing the authority of Emperor-heika, are somewhat excessive and hard to stomach?』
「Hey, what is the meaning of this!
With his voice echoing so unilaterally, does it not make it sound as if he has
right on his side! Do something about that insolent fool, advance the army and
loose arrows to sew up his disrespectful mouth!」
「Denka, that is impossible. It is 600 m from here to the fort. Our
arrows... will not reach.」
「Then have the troops advance! Bring
the Mages forward, and go quickly silence the mouth of that insolent
fool!」
Responding to these words, the Imperial Army led by
the First Prince advanced just a little. Only up to the very edge of the
firing range from the fort...
※
「Hahaha, it is precisely because you
are an errand boy of such a low level that you cannot recognize my voice that
you could proudly spout such a ridiculous declaration without shame. I could
never do something so embarrassing.」
「Do you not even know courtesy
towards a messenger recommending surrender!」
「I know no courtesy for a small fry
of your level. Glorious, if you have something to say, instead of hiding
behind the soldiers' shadows, why don't you come and proudly state your
declaration yourself? Unlike you, we are not such idiots as to launch an attack
on a messenger.」
「With what mouth do you disparage Denka! Do you not know your place!」
「Hahahaha, what is this 『place』 you speak of? Come to think of it, you said something quite
interesting earlier. Just when did I become the dew of the battlefield? I have
absolutely no memory of it.」
「What did you say! Don't tell me you
are, no way...」
「Earlier you were reprimanding
disrespect toward the Imperial Family, but looking back, what about
yourself? Do you think you can speak on equal terms with me, a member of the Imperial
Family and the Imperial Successor? You insolent fool! A lowly one
like you is unfit for the role, so go back and come again!」
※
「Hey, what is the meaning of this!
I've been feeling a sense of incongruity since earlier, but isn't that the
voice of that guy (Grat)! Why is he alive!」
「We also heard from the Sura Principality
that he was certainly slain...」
「He is right there in that place, is
he not!」
At this point, the First Prince (Glorious)
became greatly flustered. If the Third Prince (Grat) was alive,
the very premise of everything would go wildly awry. Amidst that, perhaps because
the messenger was deemed unfit for the role, the voice of the Third Prince
(Grat) began to be directed right at him.
「Glorious, you are listening, are you not? You should know who I am.
I won't let you say you've forgotten this voice. Among Harry, the staff
officers, and the Royal Guard Army, there must be those who recognize my
voice, right? If you have something to say, instead of just hiding behind the
soldiers, why don't you proudly come forward?」
「Kuh...」
「Come to think of it, besides your habit
of having delusions, you were a coward. I am not a coward who would strike down
an opponent who came out to converse. I will not attack, so you may rest
assured and come forward. If I felt like it, you lot would have been dead long
ago.」
「It's a bluff! There's no way you can
do such a thing!」
No matter how loudly he denied it, there is a limit to the
vocal volume a human naturally possesses. Glorious's voice echoed
emptily only to his immediate surroundings, and to almost all of the thirty
thousand soldiers, only the voice of the Third Prince (Grat)
reached them.
「It's you we're talking about,
anyway. You're probably putting up a false front by saying things like 『It's a bluff』. However, reality is not as easy as you think.」
「......」
Having been hit spectacularly right on the mark, the First
Prince (Glorious) had no choice but to fall silent. And then... as
if dealing a further blow, the voice echoed far and wide.
「I announce to the Imperial
Soldiers who are now gathered under Glorious. Among you, there must
be those who came all this way having been told it was for the defense of the Empire.
But what is the reality?」
Certainly, a portion of the Imperial Soldiers had
been feeling suspicious. To begin with, they had been summoned under the just
cause of defending the national territory, but upon arriving here, the
situation was clearly different.
「The soldiers should have the right
to know their charges beforehand. Glorious is a traitor and a rebel who
plots to overturn the already established imperial succession by selling off Imperial
Territory.」
「W... What are you saying! You
madman!」
The First Prince was already incapable of doing
anything but briefly retorting like that. Because the words spoken by the Third
Prince were all facts.
「Hearing this, you must have turned
your face red with anger, no, you must be turning pale and panicking from being
told the truth. If that were not the case, why would someone cooperate with the
invading Sura Principality Army right here and try to attack the same Imperial
Army? Why attack and seize Ende, which I govern? All those who
sympathize with Glorious, who has raised the flag of rebellion against
the Next Emperor, shall be punished as rebels.」
「Eei, do not listen to his nonsense!
We will win here, and I shall become the Emperor! With that, everything
will be settled!」
Saying so, the First Prince rode his horse back and
forth, shouting out to the soldiers. However, even among the soldiers, there
were those who were staring at him with cold eyes. For those people had been
told false facts.
・ The Third Prince was defeated in battle and killed in
action, and the First Prince became the Imperial Successor
・ Even though the Empire decided to sign a peace treaty
with the Sura Principality, the
remnants of the Third Prince are not obeying orders and are resorting to
reckless actions
・ We must punish the rebels who disparage the peace agreement
established by the Imperial Edict of Emperor-heika
「Right now, I must make a bitter
decision. Soldiers, as the one in the position of the Next Emperor, I
must punish the rebel and his party. Right now, I possess the power to
completely annihilate all of you in the rebel army. However, to those who
listened to false information and joined the rebel's army, I wish to grant an opportunity
to correct your path.」
Saying so, the Third Prince paused for a beat, then
raised his right hand high. Seeing that, I reacted immediately.
「Magic Cannons, prepare to fire in sequence starting from number one!」
In response to my words, the color of all the raised flags
changed.
「This is what signifies my words, a
warning to display the majesty of my status as the Imperial Emperor.
Those who pledge unchanging loyalty to the Empire shall be granted
amnesty, and I will make it so your crimes this time never happened. Those who
wish to show that intent, throw down your weapons right there and advance while
remaining defenseless.」
Right after the Third Prince said that, he swung his
hand down broadly.
「Now! Magic Cannon number one,
ready..., fire! Following that, number two, ready..., fire! Next number three,
ready..., fire!」
Following my command, hundreds of metal spheres cleaved the wind and took flight. In order to mow down everything, and leave deep claw marks upon the earth...
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