Chapter 44 - <10>
Edward regained consciousness to a sharp pain that felt like a burning heat, only to realize that both of his hands were in manacles. After Laria's dark magic had knocked him out, he had been crucified against the wall, just as Stewart had wished.
"You're a pathetic sight, Edward."
He lifted his head at the sound of the hoarse yet cheerful voice and saw Stewart tipping a wineglass filled with a crimson liquid.
On the table was a platter of assorted cheeses on a beautifully arranged silver plate and a bottle of red wine. Next to them were a water pitcher and a fruit basket.
Whether he had a servant bring it or the two with him had, it was clear he was reveling in his own satisfaction, with the unconscious Edward as his prize.
To hold the power of life and death over an Edward who had never once bowed before him must have been the ultimate pleasure.
He was likely waiting to see Edward beg for his life, but Edward was not so kind as to grant that wish.
Even if he were to lose his life, he would never lose his pride as king. For the sake of those who died in the civil war, he had to hold his head high, no matter the circumstances.
But his body felt terribly heavy. He mocked himself for getting old. Still, Edward stared straight back at Stewart without looking away.
This was the entrance hall from before.
Stewart had crucified the fallen Edward to a nearby wall and had a table and chair, which he'd no doubt made Raven carry, placed before him so he could enjoy this moment of torture.
All Edward could see was the sight of Stewart before him and the gaudily patterned red carpet at his feet. Where had those two from the Clan of Darkness gone?
And how much time had passed? The uncertainty of it all made him faintly anxious. If a significant amount of time had passed since he lost consciousness, Ritz and the others should have returned by now.
He quickly scanned his surroundings, but there was no sign of Ritz's group having been brought into the room.
Stewart had said he would kill them in front of Edward, so if they weren't here, they were likely still alive in that basement.
It was a good thing I came out, even if it was reckless. I probably bought them some time.
"Are you even listening, Edward?!"
He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by a shout. Looking up, he saw his brother's completely white eyebrows twitching in irritation.
"Ah, was that you, brother? My apologies. I wasn't listening."
As he answered in a deliberately magnanimous tone to fuel the man's irritation, Stewart's eyes widened.
"Y-You!"
"What seems to be the matter, brother?"
"Y-You… You!"
"Ah. Is it because I wasn't listening?"
For some time now, Stewart had been spewing all sorts of violence and verbal abuse in an attempt to wipe the smile from Edward's face.
Edward, who had no intention of listening, had simply tuned it out and had been lost in thought.
In the first place, Edward was not the type to fall for simple provocations.
"How dare you mock me!"
Stewart slammed his wineglass down on the table. The overflowing wine spilled from the glass, spreading into a stain as red as blood.
"You are not permitted to… to make a fool of me!"
Stewart, drunk, stood up on unsteady legs. As Edward watched without averting his gaze, the man raised his withered fist before the defenseless king.
"Someone of your base birth has no right to laugh at me!"
Even if he was a frail old man, it was more than possible for him to injure a completely helpless Edward.
The fist slammed into the side of his face, cutting the inside of his mouth and filling it with the metallic taste of blood. But Edward remained completely unfazed and spat the blood pooling in his mouth onto the floor.
For some reason, it was Stewart, the one who had thrown the punch, who let out a groan, clutching his fist as he staggered and collapsed back into his chair.
There was nothing to be done if the one doing the hitting was hurting his own hand. Edward gave a small laugh, and this time, Stewart began to hurl insults.
"Your companions trapped in that 'Infinite Nightmare' will never return. You must feel so helpless, don't you?"
He had always been a man skilled at choosing words that tormented others. A nostalgic hatred welled up, and Edward let out a small sigh. Even after all this time, has his true nature not changed at all?
Seeking to torment Edward further, Stewart added another layer of words.
"They are not even royalty, you know? They may lose their lives for being caught up with you. You must be so helpless, so anxious! How does it feel? Isn't it painful?"
"I'm not helpless in the least."
Edward believed in the luck of those three. If it were just Ritz, he might have worried, but somehow, he felt that with Anna and Franz around, his friend couldn't possibly die.
"They will get out. I'm sorry to disappoint you, brother, but of this I am certain."
Edward gave his brother a confident smile. He had already prepared himself for death and had left the capital with no lingering concerns. Nothing Stewart could say now would bother him.
Stewart clicked his tongue in frustration.
After confirming that Stewart's gaze had shifted from him to the platter of cheese, Edward let out a faint breath to release the pain.
In truth, his situation was no laughing matter. His body was likely near its limit. His feet were on the floor, but they were shackled, and he couldn't move.
Both his arms were chained above his head to the wall. He was starting to lose feeling in them.
It seemed his brother's claim of killing him slowly was not entirely a lie.
"This is your fault, Edward. If only you hadn't usurped the throne from me and Richard, I could have granted you the rank of duke and let you live."
Stewart muttered this as if to himself, speared a piece of cheese with a silver pick, and then brought the wine to his lips.
His eyes, which expressed nothing but a stagnant hatred, held not a single spark of a living person.
"It is your mother's fault. For a mere commoner to receive Father's favor… that is unforgivable…"
These rambling words were the same ones the nobles had thrown at him time and again during the civil war. Edward was used to them.
Edward had originally been born the child of a concubine. To keep him hidden from another concubine who was poisoning potential heirs left and right, his very birth had been carried out in absolute secrecy at a royal villa.
Afterward, he had spent less than a month with his mother before being entrusted to her best friend's family, the Sabatieris, and was raised as their son, unaware of his true identity.
The one born into this family later was Shasta, the current Prime Minister. At that point, Edward should have been the furthest from the throne.
But in the end, it was not the child of the queen consort but Edward who ascended to the throne.
He learned he had royal blood at the age of twelve. The former king was still alive back then, and the country was stable, so he had never even considered desiring the throne.
But then the king lost consciousness and became bedridden, and the country fell into turmoil. In the chaos, Edward's mother was assassinated by the other concubine, who then declared herself queen. The king was later poisoned by the same woman.
That woman's children were Stewart and Richard, who lost his life in the civil war.
And so, for Stewart, who was imprisoned at the end of the war, Edward was the root of all evil.
"…Brother, there is something I wish to discuss."
Edward cut in, his breathing strained.
"If you're going to ask me to let you down, I will not listen."
"No. It's the reason you could not become king."
At Edward's provocative words, Stewart looked up from his wineglass with a displeased expression.
"That would be your fault, Edward. Because you started a civil war."
Still crucified, Edward let out a faint laugh.
"You were not a man who should have become king, brother. That is why the people followed me. Do you understand what that means?"
Stewart's eyes flew open. It seemed a rage was welling up from the very depths of his soul.
"I do not! And I have no desire to!"
Stewart, furious, threw his wineglass at Edward. Unable to dodge, the glass struck Edward's face and shattered.
The sweet aroma of wine mingled with the metallic scent of blood reached Edward's nose. Stewart, his hair disheveled, possessed no dignity or nobility whatsoever.
Even after being driven from the throne, he couldn't fully become a commoner, clinging to his royal status while lacking even a single fragment of his former brilliance.
Even though he was his brother by blood, he was a fool. No, beyond that, his ignorance was pitiful.
"Why? Why, even in such a state, are you so full of confidence?! You are about to die!"
Edward's composure was severely agitating Stewart. Facing his cornered brother, Edward continued to spin his words.
"It is because I carry the people on my back…"
"Carry them?"
"That's right. Their despair, their hopes, their lives… because I carry it all, I can be confident."
He didn't expect to be understood. He just wanted to throw his own beliefs at Stewart… that was his sole desire.
He understood that saying anything to this man was truly pointless. But he couldn't stop himself from telling this foolish, self-centered, and pitiful man.
"You knew too little of the people, brother. You never tried to know them."
"I have no desire to know the thoughts of base commoners!"
"Base commoners, you say?"
"That's right. The common folk could never understand my thoughts. What part of you is right? I am the legitimate one. Why do they not revere me?"
As Stewart said this with a satisfied look, his gaze wandering, Edward could only sigh.
"The king exists to protect the people. You should have known that, brother. Those who exist only to oppress the people are destined for ruin."
"Foolishness… The people exist to protect the king. That is what a country is!"
Stewart declared this, puffing out his chest as he had in the old days, his withered body trembling.
He truly hadn't changed at all. Not in thirty-five long years.
Stewart knew far too little of the world outside the royal palace. Perhaps that wasn't his fault. From the moment he was born, his world had revolved around him, and others had always revered and obeyed him faithfully.
It was natural for him that others existed for his sake. Those who defied him should not exist in this world. That was his idea of how this country should be.
But he couldn't even make his own younger brother, connected by blood though from a different mother, obey him. That dilemma tormented him.
Edward, at the very least, wanted to shatter the ideal country in his head and force reality upon him. But as Ritz had said, that was likely a reckless endeavor.
"You may not understand, brother, having been raised in the royal palace. But I know it well. That is precisely why I started the civil war—to prevent you from becoming king."
"Silence, Edward!"
But Edward did not fall silent.
"You are a tiny parasite, brother, clinging to the great tree of power."
"Wh-…"
"After you have sucked everything dry, what is left for the people? Is it not only hatred and conflict? You can never earn their respect."
Edward stared straight at the man who was once his brother. Stewart stood up and staggered a step back.
Why can't I win? Why can't I defeat the son of a concubine? …His face clearly spelled it out.
"Brother…"
"Silence!"
"You are a man this country no longer needs."
"Silence, silence, you thief! If you hadn't stolen the throne, I would have been king! No one would have dared complain!"
As Stewart began to scream, Edward roared back.
"Are you still lost in your own dreams, brother?!"
Stewart's whole body trembled violently as he let out a strange cry, his face frozen and contorted as he struck Edward.
"Why do you look at me?!"
But Edward immediately raised his head and met Stewart's gaze.
"Why do you look at me?!"
Realizing his power and authority had no effect, Stewart began to fear his immobilized, crucified opponent. He repeatedly struck him while shouting for help.
"Raven, Raven! Kill him, kill this insolent man!"
Edward glared fiercely at the shrieking Stewart.
"You can't do anything yourself, can you, brother?"
"W-What did you say?!"
Stewart retorted in a strangely high-pitched voice, but Edward paid him no heed.
He looked straight into Stewart's eyes and declared to his brother with the tone of one passing judgment on a criminal.
"That is the biggest reason the people did not choose you as their king!"
"Don't you dare say iiiit!"
As Stewart continued to beat Edward, Raven appeared. He held that same sword in his hand. This time, it was truly a desperate situation.
Edward prepared himself. It seemed his brother no longer had any intention of letting him live.
His remaining time was truly running out, but Ritz and the others had yet to emerge from the labyrinth. The trial could not be overcome overnight, it seemed.
To lose his life in a place like this felt pathetic. If only I could have seen Ritz and Shasta one more time, he muttered in his heart.
Especially Ritz. It hadn't been long since they were reunited. There were so many things he wanted to talk about.
For him, Ritz was the one and only friend with whom he could truly open his heart. He was an irreplaceable friend who had walked beside Edward on the blood-soaked path before and after the civil war.
Even if there had been no word from him for over thirty years…
"Well, Your Majesty, it is time to say farewell. Do you have any last words?"
Raven before him spoke calmly as he drew his sword. He had tan skin and sharp, black eyes. The characteristics of the Clan of Darkness.
Come to think of it, half of his friend's blood was from this dark clan, he suddenly remembered.
Still, for him, who had also been famed for his martial prowess, to be cut down without being able to offer any resistance was utterly pathetic.
Words suddenly escaped his lips.
"What of my companions?"
Raven laughed, amused.
"His Highness over there didn't want to be alone with you, you see. Unfortunately, we haven't disposed of them. We'll deal with them immediately after we kill you."
"…I see. In that case, throw me in that hole with my partner."
"Heh heh. Your Majesty truly seems to cherish your partner."
"Yes. He is my other half, after all."
During the civil war, they had fought together as partners. For Edward, Ritz's existence was truly irreplaceable.
Ritz probably had no idea how Edward felt. After all, he was such a dyed-in-the-wool slacker that he hadn't even replied to a single letter in thirty-five years.
"Is there anything else?"
He still clung to life, but he had no regrets. This was all a path he had chosen himself.
And so he put on a particularly bright smile.
"Come to think of it, there's some paperwork I haven't finished back in my office in the capital. I'd quite like to get that done."
At those words, Raven's sharp eyes narrowed like a new moon, and he skillfully curled one side of his mouth into a small sneer.
"Do you still intend to live, Your Majesty?"
"One can hope…"
Edward let out a small sigh. This was truly the end. The curtain of life closes more abruptly and unexpectedly than one thinks.
"Well now, that's quite admirable. Just as expected of one who became king."
Raven said as he readied his sword.
He approached slowly, sword in one hand. Raven's expression clearly showed the pleasure of tormenting the weak.
To eliminate the most powerful man in this country with his own hands. There was likely no greater joy for this man.
It was at that moment.
"Hold it right there!"
A candlestick flew past Edward's face. It was followed by a sphere of fire that grazed by him. Raven quickly leaped back from his position.
"W-What?!"
In an instant, a large back carrying a greatsword stood protectively in front of Edward. It was, without a doubt, his friend, Ritz.
Ritz stood between Raven and him, calling out cheerfully to the assassin.
"Looks like you're having a good time. Not getting an invitation to the main event is a real drag. Let me in on the fun!"
As he let out a sigh of relief at Ritz's presence, someone's hand touched his forehead. The hand emitted a cool, blue light.
"I'll heal you right away!"
It was Anna. She was tending to Edward's wounds with a sincere expression.
And a step behind Ritz was Franz, spear at the ready, launching fireballs at Raven.
"How…"
Stewart groaned in a voice that seemed to crack with astonishment. It was only natural to be surprised when people he thought were trapped in the 'Infinite Nightmare' suddenly appeared.
But Edward had believed they would come. He smiled at Stewart, whose face had gone pale.
"Didn't I tell you, brother? That they would surely get out."
"Impossible!"
Ritz glanced at the flustered Stewart, then turned to look at Edward. After a brief frown and a grimace, he slowly placed both hands on Edward's shoulders and let out a deep sigh of relief.
This impeccable timing brought a smile to his face.
"You made it just in time, Ritz."
"Looks like it was a close call, though."
But it must be human nature to want to complain a little once you feel relieved. Just like in the old days, Ritz got right up in his face and yelled at Edward from point-blank range.
"You! Why would you go off alone when you knew this would happen?!"
Ritz stared intently at Edward with an angry look on his face. But it wasn't a look of anger; it was one of genuine concern.
He knew that much from their long years of friendship. If they were alone, he'd probably be pouting like a child, yelling, 'Don't make me worry, you idiot!'
He thought Ritz had grown up, but he hadn't changed at all. Relieved by this, Edward smiled at his friend.
"I'll hear your complaints later. Get me out of this."
"Yeah, yeah."
Still scowling, Ritz drew his greatsword and forcefully struck the chains on the wall, destroying them.
Once all four chains were severed, Edward's body was finally free. But his body wouldn't obey him, and he slid down the wall, slumping to the floor.
He seemed to have expended a great deal of stamina. His legs were unsteady.
Ritz turned to face forward, shielding Edward with his back. In his line of sight were two men. Stewart and Raven.
"…Hey, who's that?"
Ritz pointed at Raven, who stood stunned with his dagger still drawn.
"The butler of this mansion."
"Cut the crap, he was an old man!"
"It's not a lie. He's from the Clan of Darkness."
Ritz stared at Raven. He seemed to have noticed the familiar dagger.
"So this guy was the leader of those bandits, too!"
"You got it."
Ritz slowly raised his greatsword and faced the two men. Seeing the sudden increase in enemies, Stewart, who had been standing there stunned, was once again thrown into turmoil.
In the tension-filled hall, Anna suddenly asked in a clear, resonant voice.
"Which one is the former Crown Prince?"
Of course, the man himself did not answer Anna's question.
So, Franz pointed at Stewart. Stewart, who never expected to be pointed at like an exhibit, was rendered speechless.
"This one was the butler, so it's that one."
And he'd just referred to the former Crown Prince as 'that one.' Edward, who was listening, found it amusing. This was undoubtedly more effective than any of Edward's own rebukes.
Anna nodded and glared at Stewart with her honest eyes.
"Why did you do bad things when you were the Crown Prince? If there's a war, lots of people will die, and lots of people will be in trouble! That's definitely a bad thing!"
Stewart was taken aback for a moment, but then he answered Anna, trembling with rage as he shrieked.
"What are you talking about?! The one standing right there, Edward, is the one who started the civil war!"
Anna silently turned to look at Edward. Unbelievable, was written all over her honest face.
"Is that true?"
She asked timidly, and he gave a quiet nod in return.
"It's true."
"No…"
He smiled and explained to the speechless Anna.
"If that man had become king, this country would have fallen into chaos, and many would have died. It was a war of necessity. You may not understand now, but I'm sure you will someday."
Anna was silent for a while, but eventually, she looked up.
"Starting a war is a bad thing, and I'm not smart, so I don't get it. But…"
Anna looked at Stewart again.
"You know, I saw something in the labyrinth. When a bad king ruled the country, everyone suffered and had a hard time. So I think everyone is happier if Ed-san is the king."
With that, Anna quietly approached Edward. What had she seen in that labyrinth? He didn't know.
But it seemed that the current Anna had come to understand, in her own way, why Edward sought to become king.
"I think someone who bullies a helpless person is a really, really bad person. I think it's absolutely wrong for someone like that to become king."
Saying so, Anna sat down beside Edward and held her hand over him. The coldness of the shimmering water gradually turned to warmth.
"O Water Spirit, heal these wounds."
Anna healed Edward's wounds with a look of determination. Her straightforward gaze brought a smile to Edward's face.
This child's presence will surely change Ritz, who is always with her. This child possesses something that Ritz is decisively lacking.
That's why, someday, he will surely have to tell her everything. That might not be my role, but rather the job of Ritz, her guardian.
Someday, even after she knows the truth of it, if those eyes do not cloud over, she may become a light that illuminates her guardian, Ritz.
Because, like Ritz, she has a longer lifespan than I do.
"Anna. I'll tell you all about it later, okay?"
Ritz, oblivious to Edward's thoughts, said this to Anna.
For some reason, that seemed to be enough to convince her. Anna nodded at Ritz's words, then smiled and moved away from Edward.
His wounds had almost vanished, and while his stamina wasn't fully restored, it had recovered. At this rate, Edward could fight too.
Franz, who had been standing silently beside him, let out a sigh. He, too, had a right to know.
Does Ritz understand that's what it means to be companions?
But first, surviving this place was the top priority.
"Franz, could you lend me that rapier?"
Edward's own weapon had been taken and was not here. Franz drew the rapier from his hip and offered it to Edward. He already had his spear at the ready.
Having almost fully prepared for battle, the four of them stared at Stewart and Raven.
"It's been a while, Your Highness, Crown Prince Stewart."
At Ritz's deeply sarcastic words, Stewart's face twisted.
"You… Edward's dog!"
"Oh? I'm honored you remember me."
An image from the past was likely resurfacing in Stewart's mind.
The image of Ritz from over thirty years ago, who was always by Edward's side, boasting of his invincibility.
Ritz stood before him, looking almost exactly the same. In all those years, he had aged only a few.
The only things that had changed were that the weapon he carried was no longer a regular sword but a rather large greatsword, and that he had acquired an air of brazenness and strength.
"You know, back then, I really should have finished you off, even if Ed told me not to."
Ritz said this in the same casual tone he always used for jokes as he readied his greatsword.
"What are you saying…"
Stewart took a few frightened steps back. But perhaps his pride wouldn't allow it, for he didn't fully turn to flee.
He desperately raised his head, his glaring figure overlapping with the one from decades ago.
This man's survival became the seed of this incident. So, let's end it here.
It was Ritz, too, who had cornered this man in the previous civil war. But circumstances had stopped Ritz from delivering the final blow.
Through some strange and bizarre twist of fate, Ritz once again stood in this man's way.
"You fiend! I was the king of this country. And you… you!"
Ritz offered a confident smile to the enraged Stewart.
"I'm from the Ciedena Special Autonomous Region, you know?"
"Guh…"
It seemed Anna and the others didn't understand the meaning of Ritz's words. But his next sentence seemed to clear things up.
"Even the king of this country isn't supposed to be able to exercise his authority there. That's been decided since ancient times."
The Ciedena Special Autonomous Region was, for all intents and purposes, a completely independent nation. It was an old promise dating back to the founding of the Yuresla Kingdom.
He'd heard that the Special Autonomous Region Law, whose origins were unknown, existed in every country on the continent. Therefore, to make any kind of deal with the Clan of Light, one had to negotiate with their designated representative.
That negotiator was Ritz's father.
So, to control Ciedena, and by extension, to command the Clan of Light, was something no one could do, not even the king.
Ritz was a major exception, but even so, he was not in a master-servant relationship with Edward. For Edward, he was more like his one and only best friend, and at times, a troublesome younger brother.
"Ritz does not obey even the king of this country. Looking at me should make that obvious."
Edward interjected without letting his guard down, and Ritz complained with a displeased look on his face.
"You think so? I think I live a pretty respectable life."
Stewart, who had been biting his lip and glaring at the four of them, finally seemed to snap and let out a shriek.
"Are you insulting me?!"
Ritz's reply was honest, but incredibly malicious.
"Insult you? I'm just ignoring you."
Stewart trembled. He lacked the courage to challenge them himself, yet his pride was immense. Driven solely by that rage, he commanded Raven, who stood beside him.
"Kill every last one of them."
Raven, though exasperated by the situation, finally seemed to compose himself and drew his sword.
"Hah. As Your Highness wishes…"
While readying himself against Raven, Ritz asked a question.
"Ed, what's the plan?"
At Ritz's question, Edward smiled faintly.
"Capture them if you can. It seems there's still more to this incident."
"Got it. I'll do my best."
Having overheard their conversation, Raven let out a booming laugh. He was provoking Ritz.
"Now, can you really do that?"
In response to his opponent's provocation, Ritz gave a confident smile and laughed back, completely unfazed.
"We'll find that out when we fight, won't we?"
Satisfied at the appearance of a worthy opponent, Raven turned back with a pleased look.
"Your Majesty, please stand back."
Calling out to Stewart, Raven laughed cheerfully and raised his voice.
"Laria, it's your turn!"
"I was getting tired of waiting, Raven."
As if seeping out of the darkness itself, Laria appeared. At the sight of her attire, Ritz and Franz were surprised, while Anna clapped her hands together.
"Right, right, that's much easier to move in! That other outfit looked so constricting."
Anna said this with a refreshed look on her face, her smile completely out of place.
Anna must have sensed that Laria's movements had been awkward because she was wearing unfamiliar clothes.
But she hadn't been able to express it well.
"…I see. You're surprisingly sharp, Anna."
Ritz glanced at Laria and nodded in admiration. Perhaps women just noticed different things. But this was no time to be thinking about that.
"Be careful. That woman is a user of dark spirits."
At Edward's warning, having fought her once, Anna and Franz froze. Come to think of it, neither of them, besides Ritz, had ever experienced a real battle.
"Thank you for the introduction. Saves me the trouble."
Laria gave a bewitching nod at Edward's words and glanced at Franz and Anna. Amidst the finally restored tension, a truly harsh battle was about to begin.