Chapter 82 - The Traitor
The next morning. Connally and his men were thrown into a panic, finding themselves surrounded by the King’s army. The rebel forces they had stationed in the nearby villages were also caught off guard by the sudden appearance of royal troops and had no choice but to surrender.
"Wh-what, why is that woman over there!? Julian! Where is Julian!?"
Connally, realizing Opal was standing next to Claude, shrieked in astonishment, but Julian was nowhere to be seen. Cole, with his heavy frame, paced back and forth, frantically searching for an escape route.
"Could it be… Rousel is really here… He wasn’t dead…?"
"That’s what I told you!"
"Like I could believe a word you say! And what’s with all these soldiers!? We destroyed the railway, didn’t we!?"
Cole shouted back at Connally’s bewildered muttering. But Connally immediately yelled back, and all Cole could say was, "Julian…" At that point, Claude, as if fed up with their confused exchange, interjected.
"My plan with Opal is to connect the Lead Mine and other mines to Pasma Port by rail. The preparations are already complete, and ships carrying not only materials but also engineers have been on standby off the coast of Pasma Port. The repairs to the tracks from the explosion are finished as well. Besides, we also had horses on the ships."
"B-but… this many royal soldiers… no, the reinforcements…"
"Did you really think you could win against His Majesty with the same trick as before? Even though you failed last time?"
Claude spoke mockingly to the mumbling Cole, then turned to face Connally, who was glaring at him with hatred. Claude and his men must have followed Opal on horseback, while the infantry arrived after the tracks were repaired. They probably stopped the train somewhere the sound of the engine could not be heard and proceeded on foot from there.
"Let me tell you, no reinforcements are coming. The rebels who rose up in the Royal Capital have already surrendered, long before we even took control of Pasma Port. Now that we’ve seized the Lead Mine and cut off your source of funds, you don’t think anyone would bother trying to help you, do you?"
"The L-Lead Mine is…!"
"A mountain of treasure that produces more gold than lead, isn’t it? The reason the previous Duke harbored ill will toward His Majesty Alessandro and started a conflict was because he discovered a vein of gold, right? And it seems you were smuggling it out from a port not on any map, but how long did you think you could hide something that large?"
"N-no…"
Cole collapsed to the ground as if all his strength had left him. Even Opal had suspected the existence of a secret port and the strangeness of the Lead Mine just by looking at the map, so it seemed Claude and his men had seen through it all long ago. They were likely just waiting for the right moment to make their move. Connally glared resentfully at Cole, who had completely lost his will to fight now that his prized gold mine had been seized.
"His Majesty had troops move ahead into the mountainous region as well. According to a report that came in yesterday, the remaining soldiers who fled there have also been captured. All that’s left are the troops around this duchy’s estate. Only you."
"How… How did you know!?"
"Just as there was a traitor among us, there was one among you. Or perhaps I should say a spy?"
Claude delivered this devastating news as if it were nothing of consequence. Connally, who still looked as though he could not believe it, was startled by Claude’s reply. Then, through teeth clenched so hard they seemed to grind, he spat out words of hatred.
"Julian… It was Julian, wasn’t it!?"
"Julian? Ah, the man Opal supposedly eloped with."
Claude tilted his head at the name Julian, and upon realizing who it was, he burst out laughing. He was not clutching his stomach, but the reaction was just as Opal had expected, and she found it funny too.
"I’m glad you find it amusing."
"Wh-what! What are you laughing at! Dammit!"
Seeing Opal and Claude laughing so inappropriately for the situation, Connally took several steps back in frustration. He bumped into some soldiers and spun around.
"What are you all doing!? Don’t just stand there gawking, go and attack them!"
"Y-yes! Come on, fight! What do you think you’re here for!?"
Cole, brought back to his senses by Connally’s command, joined in, but no one moved. The rebel soldiers had no particular loyalty to Connally or Cole. In fact, they probably had no grievance with King Alessandro either. Connally and his cohort simply lacked the ability to command the soldiers, having only ended up in a position of leadership by happenstance.
"The crime of rebellion is extremely grave. However, we will take into consideration those of you who do not turn your swords against us here and now. I promise that if you lay down your weapons and surrender immediately, you will not be judged as arch-criminals. The choice is yours. You do not need to follow their orders. Now, what will you do?"
Claude’s clear voice seemed to reach the hearts of all present. It was not just Opal’s bias, Claude truly had a way of captivating people. Even Connally and Cole, who had been shouting moments before, fell silent, and the soldiers, without so much as a glance at each other, began to drop their weapons.
"Good. We will have to detain you for now, but I promise we will not treat you poorly. So don’t try to run, alright?"
Claude’s warning was directed more at Connally and Cole than at the soldiers, and just as he expected, the two of them made a run for it. Despite there being no chance of escape in this situation, they pushed their own soldiers aside and tried to get inside the manor.
"Get out of the way! You useless lot!"
"You cowards!"
Shouting insults, Connally and Cole reached the manor and threw open the main doors. Just then, Dog Claude burst out from inside, knocking them both down with a magnificent body slam. In the end, the two were apprehended by the royal soldiers who had pursued them.
"Claude! That was brilliant, you did so well!"
Opal hugged and praised Dog Claude, who leaped happily into her arms. He licked her face, his tail wagging furiously.
"That’s odd. I think I did pretty well too, but I don’t seem to be getting any praise."
As if his previous dignified demeanor had been a lie, the human Claude grumbled. Opal handed Dog Claude to a footman who had approached timidly, then placed her hands on her hips and glared at the human Claude.
"You can ask His Majesty for that."
"How cold."
"Claude, I’m still angry. With His Majesty, and with you. So let’s end this commotion quickly, shall we?"
"You’re right. I’ll be sure to accept my scolding later."
Claude replied in his usual tone, but his expression was very serious. A single night had been far too short for explanations. But for now, they both still had many things they needed to do.
"Opal, can I leave the manor to you?"
"Yes, of course."
"Then, take some guards with you."
Claude called over a nearby knight and ordered him to select about five guards for Opal, then began issuing a rapid stream of other commands. In that moment, he was once again filled with a commanding presence, one that even Opal found a little difficult to approach. This was a part of Claude that she did not know.
Opal watched him intently, as if studying him, before heading toward the manor with the assembled guards. The inside of the building was surely in chaos as well. With Connally captured, she could think of only one person who could manage not just the manor, but the entire fief. With Dog Claude and her guards in tow, Opal stepped into the estate to search for Duncan.