Chapter 152 - Chapter 14: "I'm Going to Let Loose!"
Good day to you! It is I, Violia Nico Fortesia!
I have decided. I shall become the Queen of this country!
I won't chase after justice! Because I myself am justice!
Now that I've decided, I won't hesitate anymore! Because I am a villain, after all! Ohohohohoho!
And so, I shall immediately begin the invasion without hesitation!
Since I've decided to 'burn the castle,' I must perfectly pave the way leading up to that fire!
The royalty finally has nowhere to run and is huddled up inside the castle. With no horses and no dragons, they cannot go into exile unless help arrives.
But to be safe, I will thoroughly crush every escape route the royalty has!
First, I had Carol from the Cathedral issue a statement.
The fact that the royalty tried to kill the Saint. Their methods. Their wickedness in trying to seize the Cathedral for themselves to use in the war against the Revolutionary Army.
After exposing all of that, Carol... finally announced it.
'The Cathedral supports the Revolutionary Army and all the people!'
With this, all the wavering citizens joined the side of the Revolutionary Army. Since the judgment of God has been handed down—that the Revolutionary Army is justice and the royalty is evil.
Now, not only in the cities but even in rural villages, there is no one who supports the royalty. The people are all united in their wish for the revolution of this country.
...By the way, the royalty sent a letter of protest to Carol after receiving this, but isn't it quite brazen to send a protest to someone you tried to kill? When Carol made that protest letter public as well, the anti-royal sentiment grew even stronger. For the royalty, it was like throwing oil on a fire. Ohohoho.
Next, to prevent them from crossing the sea, I will monitor the port of Elsemarin.
Every ship leaving Elsemarin will be subject to strict inspection to ensure no one can secretly leave the country. And the entrance to Elsemarin will be guarded by the Guild.
This is as good as the Elsemarin Guild saying they are on our side, but for now, the Guild's official reason is 'cracking down on the Revolutionary Army.' Ohohoho.
...I also monitored or crushed Poaris and other ports. Now, no royal can leave by sea.
Then, I took away the land routes. Not only did I surround the royal castle with the Revolutionary Army, but I also crushed every road they might use to flee to other countries. Specifically, with rockslides and fissures... Yes, if you set a large amount of gunpowder and go 'bang,' it's surprisingly easy. Ohohohoho.
...Well, even with all this, they could still force their way through mountain paths. No matter how hard I try, I can't respond if they go where there are no roads.
Therefore, I deployed bandits in the mountains.
I don't need to deploy them in every single mountain. I just need to spread information that 'bandits have appeared' and have them occasionally attack a noble to cause actual damage. If I spread rumors that bandits have appeared even in mountains where I haven't deployed them, it's almost the same as having deployed them!
That way, the only mountains the royalty would choose for exile are those where no bandits have appeared. After that, I just need to hire bandits with money and have them quietly watch those mountains!
...And finally, I considered the possibility that the royalty might be keeping other dragons.
Yes. I'm going to crush the air routes too. I shall show no mercy.
The method is simple. I just need to let the dragons we keep roam free near the castle. It comes with the bonus of scaring the royal lot when they see the dragons flying about.
Dragons are very clever, so if another dragon flies out from the royal castle, they will swarm and thoroughly crush it! If anything, they'll surely use their breath to deter any group dressed in noble attire trying to sneak out of the castle!
As a bonus, if I occasionally rotate the dragons to let them rest or have someone from our side fly on them, it will be a sufficient deterrent.
...And so, the royalty finally became unable to escape. Of course, I don't know if the royalty is aware of this.
They surely can't have missed the dragons, but they probably don't think the land and sea routes are also blocked.
...And a few days later, as expected, we were able to capture the Fifth Prince and Fourth Prince, who had sneaked out of the castle and been caught by bandits in the mountains, as well as a noble family trying to head to sea and the Sixth Princess who had apparently followed them!
I decided to set up a special cage in the plaza in front of the royal castle and put the captured princes and princess in it.
...Yes. A luxurious cage made entirely of glass! It's the same cage from the Saint Vote! However, this one is a special version! After all, it's equipped with food, a bath, and a toilet so they can live in it for several days! Well, those are also made entirely of glass, though! Ohohohoho!
The foolish royals who tried to escape so clumsily can become a spectacle for the people and suffer while being teased!
...While I was doing such things, the royalty naturally became exhausted.
The number of people surrounding the royal castle finally increased, and the angry shouts directed at the royalty also turned into something stronger.
Having lost their escape routes and seeing the limits of their siege, the royalty's side, now heavily favored to lose... finally began to lose their allies.
It started with something simple. I made a call.
"Listen well, those of you currently in the royal castle!"
When I raised my voice, the Revolutionary Army surrounding the castle fell silent, taking care to ensure my words reached the castle. They are very well-trained...
"I shall wait for twenty-four hours from now! To those who abandon the wicked House of Orchesta within that time and swear loyalty to the newly born country, I shall grant mercy!"
My words echoed into the royal castle... and created a stir.
"Surrender. Do you understand? I will only wait for twenty-four hours! ...Those who do not come out by then should not complain about what happens to them!"
Now, stir and worry to your heart's content... and then, make your decision! To come over to our side!
Hearing my words, the servants first began to flee the castle.
Since we, the Revolutionary Army, are surrounding the castle, we can immediately tell when servants have surrendered.
There, once it was confirmed that the fleeing servants had neither weapons nor hostility, we accepted them and made them members of the Revolutionary Army.
Well, there's no reason to reject people who aren't royalty, nor even the legitimate children of nobles. If they decided to come over here of their own will, I welcome that.
Next, civil officials and mages fled.
Yes. I welcomed and protected them. Civil officials, mages, and all kinds of scholars are precious. If we are to develop the country from here on, their existence is indispensable. A country cannot be built without them.
I promised them good treatment and made sure their hearts were directed here. ...If I give them expectations, research funds, a generous heart, plenty of time, and my own interest and curiosity, they will produce many wonderful things. Yes. I can have high hopes for the future of the country!
Next, the soldiers also fled.
Rather than a fool who throws himself into a hopeless battle and loses his life, someone who tries to switch to the winning side has a bit more salvation.
Yes. I decided to have them become part of the Revolutionary Army's military force as well. I don't think the possibility of betrayal is zero, but... more than that, it's more interesting to make the royalty think that 'even the soldiers have defected'!
...And then, nobles other than the royalty who were staying in the castle also fled.
For example, because some members of House Clarino are related to the royalty by marriage, several of them were staying in the castle; there were also local nobles who had brought reports or petitions regarding their territories; and there were also noble hangers-on of the princes and princesses who were holding small-scale social gatherings.
There was even a fool who said, 'I came to the castle for paperwork and then couldn't leave because the Revolutionary Army surrounded it.' Honestly, aren't you a bit of an idiot for coming to the castle at a time like this...?
...As for them, I can't just accept them unconditionally. Yes. The privileged class is the enemy of the commoners.
Therefore, I'll put them on hold for now. I won't kill them, but there will surely be many who won't get off scot-free. Yes.
So, to make it simple, I'll just throw them into a roughly made cage. If they say they will discard their noble status and build a new country together, then I will welcome them.
...And then.
Twenty-three hours passed.
"Only the royalty remains, then."
"Well, it seems some soldiers and some nobles haven't come out either, but that can't be helped."
We watched the state of the castle while surrounding it.
...Once twenty-four hours have passed, all the royalty will be captured by us as we storm the castle and will be executed in this plaza. So, for the royalty, it is the final hour.
They aren't coming out, are they...
It is certain that the scoundrels who came to suppress the capital were clearly visible to those in the royal family.
Us gathered in the plaza, the slaves and other collaborators following us. And the castle servants and soldiers who betrayed the royalty and joined us. We, the 'Revolutionary Army,' are raising our voices to denounce the royalty from the plaza in front of the castle. There's no way this hasn't reached the King and the others.
...I wonder how this looks from the royalty's perspective? Are they lamenting the citizens and subjects who betrayed them?? Or are they beyond that, with their own deaths finally before them?
Or... are they aiming for a last-ditch reversal?
"Ah, here they come!"
Now then. With the front of the castle suppressed, the royalty has finally sent out soldiers!
Yes. Soldiers who are so devoted and full of loyalty that it's almost tear-inducing, trying to side with the royalty even at this stage!
Their numbers aren't much, but I'm quite impressed by their spirit...
Is this the royalty's final resistance? The remaining soldiers began shooting arrows from the castle walls or drawing their swords to attack.
I see. To come at us even though they have no chance of winning—how impressive.
...But, allow us to show you this and have you shut up!
"Ready!"
Suddenly, Onii-sama's voice echoed through the plaza. And, having prepared them at some point, Onii-sama gave instructions while fluttering the flag of the Revolutionary Army.
"Fire!"
A roar that tore through the air of the plaza resounded.
And in the next moment, the castle walls were magnificently crumbling.
"Fuhahaha! How is that! This is the power of the latest weapon developed by Fortesia!"
Yes! The cannons Onii-sama prepared spat fire, and the walls protecting the royal castle were brilliantly destroyed! Ohohohohoho!