130 - Atrocity
The town is located about five days' journey west of the royal capital of the Laurel Kingdom. As the largest post town in the vicinity of the royal capital, it is visited by many travelers, including itinerant merchants, the town's name is Siga.
It is a quite lively town, but because of that, it also has a dark side. Where many people gather, evil people also gather. It was not on the scale of the royal capital's slums, but Siga also had districts where the poor and those in illicit trades lived.
Standing in a corner of that district was a house. Though quite large, inside the rather dilapidated house was the figure of the Head.
"...No one is here."
A subordinate who had approached informed him that there was no one inside the house.
"...Any sign of people?"
"At most half a month, or perhaps more recently, there is a possibility that someone was living here."
"It wasn't false information... however..."
The people who should have been there were gone. The Head did not think it was simply a matter of bad luck. Then why had the targets vanished? He should consider that someone had leaked information.
"...I-it wasn't me."
Understanding the Head's thoughts, the subordinate denied being the culprit.
"No one is claiming to be 'me'. But... I am not doubting you."
"Then, who?"
The subordinate felt relieved by the Head's words.
"Not anyone currently present here. No one should know the objective."
The people around them also felt relieved by these words. Unaware that the Head was observing their reactions.
However, it was a fact that the possibility of betrayal was low. Those gathered here were members who had come without being told the objective or where they were going. He did not think they could leak information. To ensure that, for important jobs, he always made sure to inform them of nothing until the very last moment.
In that case, the suspicious one was the person who brought the information that the target was here.
"...If that is the case, then it wasn't a leak. The information itself was a lie."
If they were going to leak information and let them escape, there would be no need to go out of their way to inform him of the target's location. The possibility of the betrayal being discovered would be high. And indeed, the Head strongly suspected betrayal.
"...No, that's not it... then why?"
Providing false information would be the same. It might not necessarily be concluded as betrayal, but it would instill distrust in the Head. Was there a need to go out of their way to do such a thing? If so, what was the reason?
"Could it be? Return to the royal capital immediately! Hurry!"
To lure them away. To pull them away from the royal capital—that was the reason. Something was about to happen in the royal capital. Moreover, something so significant that they didn't care if the betrayal was discovered.
◇◇◇
The person the Head was searching for was in the royal capital. That person was Baldos, the Former Captain of the Royal Guard. Baldos had returned from the Lydia Kingdom. To do what needed to be done.
That was why he had lured the Head away from the royal capital. To prevent his return to the royal capital from being noticed, or to delay the organization's response even if it was noticed.
A pitch-black passage where not even a sliver of light reached. There, Baldos held his breath and timed his move.
"...It's almost time."
Judging that the time had come, Baldos called out to his comrades. Within the narrow passage, tension spread among the comrades who heard his voice.
"...Go."
Following Baldos's order, the comrades dashed through the narrow passage, carrying thick logs. Soon, the sound of a violent impact echoed through the passage.
A faint light appeared at the end of the passage.
"Hurry! Quickly, break in!"
Confirming this, Baldos gave the signal. The man in the lead thrust his hand into the hole opened by the log and unlocked the lock inside. The door opened. The men stormed into the room beyond.
"What—guah...!"
Surprised by the sudden intruders, the favorite page inside tried to scream, but it was stopped by a single swing of an intruder's sword.
"Intruders! Your Highness, please escape!"
The favorite page was not alone. Another favorite page, separate from the one who had been cut, told Crown Prince Neil, who was beside him, to escape.
That favorite page, too, was cut from the back just as he tried to escape to the next room, and collapsed to the floor.
"Don't let him escape! Restrain him quickly!"
Following Baldos's order, the men flooded into the next room. By then, Crown Prince Neil was dashing toward the exit to the corridor.
"Stop them! Don't let them lay a single finger on the Crown Prince!"
The favorite pages stood in the way of the intruders, trying to let Crown Prince Neil escape. However, they did not have the power to defeat the intruders. All they could do was sacrifice themselves to buy a small amount of time. One after another, they took sword strikes to the body and collapsed to the floor. Only one remained at the end.
"...You."
Standing before the door Crown Prince Neil had exited through, he glared at Baldos.
"What is with that look? How insolent for a mere favorite page."
"Do you think you'll get away with this?"
"Hah! That's my line. Do you think you'll get away with targeting my life?"
"...You failed as well."
Crown Prince Neil had escaped. Just as they had failed in the assassination of Baldos, Baldos had also failed. The favorite page thought so, but...
"No. So far, things are going smoothly."
"His Highness is...! Wh... ngh...!"
He could not utter the words "he escaped." Because of the intense pain he felt in his right leg. Unable to bear the pain, the favorite page collapsed on the spot.
"Ran!"
"No way...?"
The favorite page called Ran was shaken, knowing whose voice was calling his name. While still collapsed on the floor, Ran looked up, and the figure of Crown Prince Neil being carried by a Royal Guard was reflected in his eyes.
Why had he come back? This favorite page's question was immediately answered. By Baldos.
"Larc, is it? It's been a while. How is it going?"
Baldos asked the Royal Guard about the progress. He was dressed as a Royal Guard, and he actually was a Royal Guard, but he was one of the comrades.
"Things are going smoothly here so far."
"Then let us proceed."
"Understood."
The Royal Guard threw Crown Prince Neil onto the floor and left the room.
"Intruders! Someone has broken in!"
Immediately, voices announcing the intrusion could be heard from the corridor. Furthermore, voices responding to them. Crown Prince Neil was safe. The intruders had escaped deeper inside. No, they headed for the main gate. Such confused exchanges continued.
"Now, I shall go as well. I leave the rest to you."
Once things had quieted down, Baldos began to move.
"Baldos... you..."
Crown Prince Neil glared at Baldos as he attempted to leave the room.
"If you do not wish to die, if you do not wish for that favorite page to be killed, then stay quiet. If you do, I will do nothing. No, I shall cherish you as I did in the past."
"You!"
"Gwaaaaaah!"
The one who reacted to Crown Prince Neil's shout was Ran. A sword was thrust further into the wound in his leg, and he screamed.
"Stop it!"
"As I just said, if you stay quiet, I will do nothing. Or shall I make you like those rolling around over there?"
"...S-stop... please stop!"
The favorite pages lying on the floor. Toward the favorite pages who were still moving slightly, the men mercilessly thrust their swords. Everyone except Ran was about to be killed.
"If you do not wish to increase the number of corpses any further, listen to what I say. For now, the only requirement is that you stay still."
"............"
"Your answer?"
"...I understand."
Crown Prince Neil accepted Baldos's demand. He had no other choice. He did not have the power to break through this situation.
"If anyone comes, turn them away. If the opponent does not listen, leave it to the Crown Prince. He should be willing to help."
"Understood."
"Then, I am off."
Baldos left the room, leaving his comrades behind. The remaining men carried the favorite pages, regardless of whether they were alive or dead, into the next room. Ran was with them.
"You understand what will happen to the favorite pages next door if you try anything strange, don't you?"
"...Yes, I understand."
◇◇◇
Baldos's actions did not end with revenge against Crown Prince Neil and his favorite pages, who had tried to assassinate him. Beyond Baldos's personal emotions, things were beginning to move. Things that were originally scheduled to be realized under Crown Prince Neil's administration.
"...Captain!? Ah, no, Former Captain?"
A Royal Guard was bewildered by the sudden appearance of Baldos.
"My title does not matter. Is His Majesty safe?"
"...Could it be?"
This Royal Guard naturally knew about the intruders. Orders had been passed to absolutely not allow intrusion into the King's residential area.
"I am the one who passed the information about the conspiracy. Be grateful rather than suspicious."
"No, but..."
Could he believe Baldos's words? The Royal Guard looked toward the other knights. He disliked making a judgment on his own.
"Even if you are the Former Captain, I cannot let you pass through here."
Receiving that look, another Royal Guard told this to Baldos. He did not conclude that he was an intruder, but he fulfilled his duty properly. That was the choice.
"I know. That is why I asked. Whether His Majesty is safe."
"...He is safe."
"That is not what I meant. I am telling you to confirm it properly. The ones involved in the conspiracy are the King's direct intelligence organization. They may know passages that we do not."
"That, no way...?"
The intelligence organization was an existence that swore absolute loyalty to the King. Even if they did not know the entity of the organization, they knew that.
"I am telling you to go and confirm it!"
"Then, I will!"
Another knight stepped forward and ran toward the room where the King was supposed to be.
"...Where is Chaos?"
"The Captain is leading the search for the intruders."
"I am asking where he is... well, fine. I entrust you with a message. Restrain all the servants in the back. Most likely, members of the organization are mixed in."
"...Understood."
And then, another one. A Royal Guard left the scene. Even so, there were still ten. It was the corridor leading to the King's chambers. The number had been increased immediately after the report of intruders.
"It's terrible! Please come quickly!"
The knight who had gone to check on the King's condition just now was shouting. Hearing that, the knights rushed toward the back in a panic. Baldos was running with them, but no knight had the leeway to notice it. They also did not notice that several more knights were following behind him.
"What happened!?"
"That... just a bit..."
"I can't understand 'just a bit'! Clearly—"
The voice of the knight who was about to complain stopped. The other knights tried to peer into the face of that knight to see what happened. Astonishment floated on their faces.
The sword of the knight who had been complained to was piercing that knight's chest.
"...W-what are you...?"
A strained voice. The answer that returned to it was...
"Gaah!"
"Guah!"
"Y-you bastardsaaaaah!"
It was the groans and screams of their comrades. Those clad in Royal Guard armor and helmets were swinging their swords at their comrades.
"No way... ba..."
The knight who had been surprised by the scene was also stabbed in the back with a sword and collapsed to the floor. By then, Baldos had already left the spot and moved forward.
He had not yet fulfilled his objective. Cutting down the Royal Guards standing before the next room, Baldos opened the doors lining the corridor one by one and checked the conditions inside. In several rooms, he finally found the target person, the King.
"...I see... it is you."
Seeing Baldos's face, the King uttered this. He had noticed that something unusual was happening.
"Luck has favored us, has it not?"
"Luck?"
"I was considering the possibility that you might escape."
"Yes. I intended to do so. Though I was not in time... why?"
He thought Baldos resented Crown Prince Neil. However, the King had not predicted that he would cause an incident of this magnitude.
"It is not a personal grudge against Your Majesty. I simply believe that I want to change this country."
"...Was there a need to change it?"
His administration was being denied. That is what the King thought.
"Those who truly have ability cannot take key positions. If that continues, the country will be ruined."
"...As long as one has ability, any person can take a key position. Do you not think that is more problematic?"
The King also admitted that the facts Baldos spoke of existed. But was it alright to decide everything by ability alone? The King did not think that was correct.
"...A difference in perspective, then."
"I cannot accept being killed for that."
"I sincerely apologize for that. However, it is for the sake of this country. Please serve the country until the end as a King."
"...Still, I cannot accept it."
"You are being stubborn!"
Baldos knew that the King was trying to buy time. He intended to allow it to some extent, but he could not hand over the initiative. Holding his sword high, he swung it down toward the King.
A high-pitched metallic sound echoed in the room. Baldos's sword was blocked by the sword of the Head standing before the King.
"...As I thought, luck favored us."
"What?"
Baldos, whose sword had been blocked, rejoiced in the luck. The Head wondered about the reason. However, he had no leeway to think about it carefully. Baldos would not allow it.
"You die for the sake of the country as well!"
Baldos swung his sword toward the Head. This situation was disadvantageous for the Head. In a frontal sword fight, there was no way the Head could match Baldos, who had served as the Captain of the Royal Guard.
Even if the Head tried to use a tactic he was skilled in, with the constraint that he had to protect the King, things did not go as he wished. He ended up constantly exposing himself to Baldos.
"Your Majesty! Please escape!"
Winning was impossible. Thinking so, the Head decided to think only of letting the King escape.
"Do you think I will allow that!?"
If the King tried to escape, Baldos's sword would turn toward the King. That would create an opening, but unless he had absolute confidence, he could not use the King as a decoy. He blocked from the front and waited for the next opportunity. The Head repeated this.
However, the time spent waiting for an opportunity did not favor the Head. If there was a goddess of luck, that goddess stayed by Baldos's side until the end.
"Gu... ga... a, aaaaah!"
The swords of Baldos's comrades, who had arrived late, pierced the Head's body. Even so, the Head desperately swung his sword, trying to create an opening for the King to escape.
"Do not let him interfere! Finish him off quickly!"
"L-let me... aaaaaah!"
The Head charged toward Baldos, who was about to swing his sword at the King. However, his footsteps were unsteady.
"Guh... ngh..."
Swords were thrust at the Head from all directions. His entire body was dyed bright red with spurting blood. Even so, the Head did not stop his feet.
"U, uoooooh!"
Squeezing out his last strength, regardless of skill or anything else, the Head simply swung his sword recklessly. However, that final resistance also ended in vain.
"...Y-Your Majesty."
Receiving Baldos's sword, the King collapsed on his back. Seeing that figure, the Head collapsed to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
"The finishing blow should be your sword, after all."
Baldos snatched the sword from the hand of the Head, who had lost the strength to resist. Baldos thrust that sword deep into the King's chest, delivering the finishing blow.
"...Your final service. Good work."
Furthermore, Baldos thrust his own sword into the Head's chest. The Head stopped moving entirely. After confirming that, Baldos moved to his next action.
"The culprit who committed regicide is the head of the intelligence organization. Tell Chaos that the man himself has been slain, but remnants should still remain."
"Understood."
"I will hide my presence for a while. They have not come to this room. Understood?"
"I understand."
Baldos left the room while giving instructions to his comrades. Two remained. They stood before the door, just like ordinary Royal Guards. Their attire was that of a Royal Guard. They too were traitors. Since they killed the King of their own country, whether they were real Royal Guards or just pretending, they were all traitors.
"...Head... Head?"
Approaching the Head by crawling on the floor so as not to be seen by the knights was the remnant Baldos spoke of. The Head's subordinate.
"...R-run... away."
The Head responded to the subordinate's call.
"Is that alright?"
"I... don't... know... who... is... betraying..."
There were traitors even within the organization. In a situation where he did not know who they were, if he stayed in the royal capital, there was a possibility that the organization would be annihilated. The Head was trying to avoid that.
"Understood. And after that?"
"...Pr-Princess... Ekaterina."
After thinking for a moment, the Head uttered this.
"...What should I tell her?"
"T-take care... of the... Crown Prince..."
Take care of Princess Ekaterina. The Head could not utter these words, which he wanted to tell Rei, until the end. With his eyes wide open, the Head stopped moving.
"...Understood. I will certainly, certainly fulfill your orders."
The subordinate spoke his final words to the Head. He did not shed tears of sadness. As a spy, that was not permitted to him.
However, he could not suppress his violently shaking heart.
"Who is it!?"
The voice that should have been hidden had been heard by the men standing guard.
The Head's subordinate tried to escape from the spot. He could not use the ceiling space he had used to enter the room. The men would not allow him the leeway to climb up there.
Taking a gamble, he slipped past the men and leaped into the corridor. He felt intense pain in his arm and back, but he could not afford to care about that.
"Wait!!"
The men pursued him. Although he could endure the pain of his injuries, his body would not move as he wished. He was not optimistic enough to hope for the luck of an ally appearing. Even if he were to hope for the same luck.
He threw himself against the window of a room he had jumped into. Just like that, the Head's subordinate's body flew out into the air.
"...Did he give up and kill himself?"
This was the fourth floor. It was unthinkable that he would survive jumping from there.
"No... I should confirm it."
The other one was considering the possibility of survival. The one who escaped was a spy of the intelligence organization. He did not know what abilities a spy possessed, but that was precisely why he thought confirmation was necessary. However...
"How?"
"...It's impossible for now."
A Royal Guard who could move around the royal family's residential space with some freedom would, if he left that area, conversely be questioned about what he was doing away from his workplace. Especially in this situation.
For now, he could not afford to be suspected.
◇◇◇
Almost at the same time that Baldos and his gang were committing their atrocity in the capital of the Laurel Kingdom, tensions were rising near the border between the Aria Kingdom and the Lydia Kingdom. Stationed to the north was the Laurel Kingdom army led by Sieg. And facing them was the multinational allied forces of the Aria Kingdom and the Lydia Kingdom led by Fumiya—though that was not accurate; correctly, it was an army where Fumiya led the soldiers of the Aria Kingdom and the Lydia Kingdom.
"Are you really going to be alright?"
"Of course. The numbers are almost equal. There's no way I'll lose."
Fumiya showed absolute confidence in response to Hansmann's anxious words.
"...There is also the strategy of prolonging the battle to make the opponent withdraw."
Hansmann could not believe him with words alone. He told Fumiya a method he believed to be more certain.
"That's just postponing it. Besides, if we win here, the momentum will shift to us all at once, right?"
Victory over the Laurel Kingdom led by Sieg. Fumiya sought that achievement. Personally, and for the achievement of the overall objective.
"Yes. I will make it so."
"Then, leave this to me."
"...Yes, I leave it to you."
Though he had anxieties, Hansmann had no choice but to bet on Fumiya. For the die had already been cast.