132 - The Last Bit of Pride
The Laurel Kingdom Army had suffered an unexpected defeat, but they had no intention of letting it end there. Now that Fumiya's betrayal had come to light, they would simply take the corresponding countermeasures. Beyond the expeditionary force, there were still armies several times larger.
Sieg continued his retreat. It was truly impressive how he maintained control and kept the army from collapsing even while under pursuit.
However, a further trial awaited Sieg.
"...The Commander has returned to the home country?"
Sieg was not merely retreating. He had intended to launch a counteroffensive once he merged with the Main Army led by the Commander of the Royal Knights. To coordinate this, he had sent messengers to the Commander of the Royal Knights multiple times, but this was the answer that came back.
"Of course, I have sent messengers to convey the current situation. However, I do not know when they will arrive, nor what judgment the Commander will make."
"...Are you saying there is a possibility he will not return?"
Sieg thought such a thing was absurd. If Fumiya's rebellion was not suppressed, they would lose the Kingdom of Lydia and the Kingdom of Aria. The Laurel Kingdom's conquest of the continent would stumble greatly. Furthermore, there was a possibility that Fumiya might even invade the Laurel Kingdom.
"...I was told to tell this only to Myriad General Sieg."
The messenger lowered his voice so those around them could not hear.
"...I understand."
Hearing it was a confidential matter, Sieg leaned in close to the messenger's ear.
"His Majesty has passed away."
"W-what?"
Struck by the unexpected shock, he could not keep his voice of surprise down. Seeing Sieg's reaction, a stir spread among those around them.
"The messenger from the home country came to deliver a return order to Myriad General Sieg, but..."
Why Sieg, and not himself, the Commander of the Royal Knights? Having pondered this, the Commander of the Royal Knights decided to ignore the home country's designation and return himself.
"...Even so, he could have at least left half the army behind."
Sieg felt it was inevitable that the Commander would return. However, there was no need to take almost the entire Main Army with him.
"The Commander likely never imagined the Hero would start a rebellion."
This was a fact. Had he known of the Hero's rebellion, he surely would not have taken so many troops. Because he believed the expedition was going smoothly, the Commander of the Royal Knights had taken more power than necessary to strengthen his own influence. The power of military force.
"...Why? Was it an illness?"
"I am told it was regicide by the intelligence organization."
"The organization directly under His Majesty? Is that a fact?"
Like the Prime Minister, Sieg harbored doubts about this information. An intelligence organization exists and is trusted only because there is a King. Killing the King was the same as erasing the organization's own reason for existence.
"I am only relaying what I was told."
Even if asked if it were a fact, the messenger had no way to answer. He was simply speaking the information he had been given.
"...The timing is too perfect."
"Yes. I thought so as well."
The King was murdered in the home country, and as if in coordination, the Hero started a rebellion. They were actually coordinating.
"At this rate, winning will be difficult."
"...Is the Hero truly that strong?"
The messenger was surprised that Sieg claimed they could not win. Much like the previous Sieg, he did not value Fumiya as a commander.
"He is strong. Not in terms of individual martial prowess, but it is when leading soldiers that the Hero truly manifests his power."
"...I will convey this information to the Commander as well."
The Commander of the Royal Knights' evaluation of Fumiya was the same. Conversely, he evaluated Sieg so highly that he felt his own position was threatened. The messenger considered the possibility that this might lead the Commander of the Royal Knights to underestimate the situation.
"Right. Tell him quickly."
"Anything else?"
"Nothing from my end. Regardless, I want the Commander to lead the troops and return. Otherwise, the Kingdom of Lydia and the Kingdom of Aria might submit to the Hero. If that happens, a re-invasion will be quite difficult."
"Understood. I shall depart immediately."
"Yeah, I'm counting on you."
No matter how much the messenger hurried, the Commander of the Royal Knights could not lead the army back in a few days. Would it take half a month, a month, or perhaps more? Until then, Sieg would have to endure with his current forces. Even if he allowed the Kingdom of Aria to submit to Fumiya by enduring, he had to prevent an invasion of the Laurel Kingdom.
◇◇◇
Baldos and his cohorts' schemes were still ongoing. Their goal was to seize the actual power of the Laurel Kingdom for themselves. To that end, there were still people who had to be eliminated.
One of them was the Prime Minister. Excluding the King, he was the highest authority in national administration. The Laurel Kingdom's bureaucratic organization was not structured to allow the Prime Minister to monopolize power, but the authority of the Prime Minister as the head of the civil servants was still great.
And above all, the Prime Minister had hammered down many protruding nails until now. Many of Baldos's companions hated the Prime Minister. It was almost fair to say that one of their goals was revenge against him.
"I am glad we could finally meet."
The Prime Minister was in high spirits, having finally been granted an audience with Crown Prince Neil. Or rather, he was merely behaving as if he were in high spirits.
"Ah... since my father passed away, I have not been feeling well. I apologize for the inconvenience."
Crown Prince Neil was meeting the Prime Minister in the private office used by the King. It was deep within the castle, surrounded by the Imperial Guard Knights. For Crown Prince Neil, who believed—or had been led to believe—that all the Imperial Guard Knights were traitors, this was not a situation where he could speak the truth.
"...If that is how you feel, I believe you should force yourself to attend to national affairs. Your subjects hope that Your Highness the Crown Prince can settle this chaos."
Even if Crown Prince Neil were the mastermind behind the King's assassination, he was the only one who could do something about the current situation where a significant portion of national administration had stopped.
"I would like to, but... my body will not do as I wish."
A pause occurred in the middle of the sentence. It was a pause to gauge the reaction of the Imperial Guard Knights. Crown Prince Neil did this while averting his gaze from the Prime Minister. When it came to that extent, even the Prime Minister thought it was strange.
"I see... Your Highness the Crown Prince is the sole heir to the throne of the Laurel Kingdom. If your health is that poor, I cannot insist. However, at the very least, please make a few decisions here."
"...What would those be?"
"First, Your Highness's accession. I believe waiting until the mourning period for the late His Majesty ends is unwise in the current situation. What do you think? While the ceremonies can wait until after the mourning period, why not proceed with the accession itself first?"
"I suppose... that would be fine."
Crown Prince Neil checked for reactions again. The Prime Minister casually confirmed the direction of his gaze. He could not confirm exactly who he was looking at. To do that, he would have had to turn around.
"Then, I shall proceed with the formalities. Next is regarding the period after the accession. There are those who will retire in conjunction with the accession. I am one of them, and since I have borne the heavy responsibility of Prime Minister, I believe a proper handover is necessary."
"Ah. That's true."
"Who are you considering as the next Prime Minister? I wish to begin the handover with that person immediately."
"...I haven't decided yet. I'll think about it."
This was the answer the Prime Minister had expected. Unless he suspected the Prime Minister, Crown Prince Neil was not the mastermind of the assassination. The Prime Minister concluded that the ringleader was someone else.
If Crown Prince Neil were the mastermind, he should have at least thought about the system after the assassination. To prevent an investigation into the truth of the incident, he would have immediately placed a subordinate who would absolutely not betray him in the seat of the Prime Minister.
"I do not believe it is my place to say, but would an increase in the number of Imperial Guard Knights not be necessary? There have been quite a few casualties."
"...That... I'll think about that too."
"I see."
No conclusion was reached regarding the increase of the Imperial Guard Knights. This was unexpected for the Prime Minister and a reaction that gave him a bit of hope.
"What does the Captain of the Royal Guard think? I apologize if this is seen as unnecessary interference."
"No, I also believe I would like to request an increase."
"Then please consult with Your Highness the Crown Prince. I leave this matter to you."
"Understood."
Crown Prince Neil's answer and the Captain of the Royal Guard's answer differed. With this result, the Prime Minister judged that his thinking was not wrong. He did not have absolute confidence. But it was impossible to demand that much in the current situation. He did not have the luxury of time to wait until he could have that confidence.
"One more thing. This may also be presumptuous, but how about moving Her Majesty the Queen to some quiet land?"
"Mother?"
"I believe it must be painful to live in this place where His Majesty passed away in such a manner. I think it would be better for her to leave the royal capital and spend time in a place of recuperation until her feelings settle."
"True. I think that would be best. As for the location... may I leave it to you?"
"...Yes. Please leave it to me."
Without checking anyone's reaction, Crown Prince Neil reached a conclusion immediately. The Prime Minister judged that the pretense of hesitating over the location was not to check for reactions, but because he could not put it into words.
"Then, as I am concerned about Your Highness's health, that will be all for today. Thank you for your time."
"Ah... I leave the rest to you."
"Understood."
Giving a deep bow to Crown Prince Neil, the Prime Minister left the office. Imperial Guard Knights walked before and behind the Prime Minister. As a measure for someone who normally had no right to enter the inner sanctum, it was a natural procedure, but the Prime Minister was not someone without that right. Under the deceased King, he had entered and exited the very office where he had just spoken with Crown Prince Neil.
However, the Prime Minister had no intention of complaining about the current situation. There was no point in doing so. It was a matter of enduring until he left the royal residential area.
Once he left the residential area, the Prime Minister headed for his own office. There were various things he needed to do. He had to settle them quickly.
Entering the room, he first gave instructions to his subordinate.
"Call the Captain of the Royal Guard."
He told him to call the Captain of the Royal Guard, whom he had just parted with.
"The matter is regarding Her Majesty the Queen's recuperation. Her Majesty will be going to recuperate. Begin preparations immediately."
"When is the scheduled departure date?"
"Immediately, as soon as preparations are complete."
"Immediately?"
Is it alright to set such a rushed schedule for royalty leaving the royal capital? The subordinate wondered.
"I said immediately, so it's immediately! Arrange it so she can depart as early as tomorrow!"
"T-tomorrow. That's surely too—"
"I mean with the utmost urgency! Just get to work immediately!"
"Y-yes!"
Even when angry, the Prime Minister's usual way was to criticize persistently. The subordinate was surprised to be suddenly shouted at by the Prime Minister and hurriedly set to work. That said, it started with listing out what needed to be done first.
After confirming the subordinate's state, the Prime Minister headed to his own executive desk. Not the desk in this office where the subordinates were, but the desk in the room further back where he could be alone.
Taking several sheets of paper from a drawer, he wrote sentences while thinking. Once he finished one, he moved to the next.
After finishing three letters, the Prime Minister took a seal from the back of the drawer and pressed it onto the letters. He then placed them in envelopes, dripped wax, and applied the seal.
Just as he finished, there was a knock at the door.
"The Captain of the Royal Guard has arrived."
"Ah, let him in."
"Ah, yes."
The subordinate was bewildered by the Prime Minister's response. It was almost unheard of to let someone into the inner room. It only happened when the deceased King had visited on a whim.
"Please. This way."
Opening the door, he urged the Captain of the Royal Guard to enter.
"If you had business, you could have just told me earlier."
This was the first thing the Captain of the Royal Guard said upon entering. He was dissatisfied with being summoned in the midst of his busy schedule.
"I wanted to speak regarding Her Majesty the Queen's recuperation."
"I've heard about that. Isn't that what you just spoke about with Your Highness the Crown Prince?"
You should have spoken about it then. The Captain of the Royal Guard's dissatisfaction remained unchanged.
"It was something that could not be discussed in that setting."
"...What is the matter?"
"Please ensure that the Queen's guards, even if few in number, consist only of knights who can be absolutely trusted."
"...Why such an instruction? There is no need to go out of your way to reduce the guards."
The Imperial Guard Knights are absolutely trustworthy. Based on this premise, the Captain of the Royal Guard complained only about the point of reducing the numbers.
"Because it is safer that way."
"There is a necessary number for guards. And we do not engage in the act of needlessly increasing the number of guards."
"Captain of the Royal Guard. I am saying this. I want you to attach only Imperial Guard Knights who can be absolutely trusted as guards."
To the Captain of the Royal Guard, who was slow to understand, the Prime Minister rephrased so his intention would be clear.
"...C-could it be?"
Finally, the Captain of the Royal Guard understood what the Prime Minister wanted to convey.
"Select the guards quickly. We likely do not have time."
"...To weed out the suspicious ones."
"If you can do that, then fine. However, if you fail, you will not be able to remain in your current position. Rather than acting precipitously, should you not wait for the right time?"
Wipe out the traitors within the Imperial Guard Knights. If that could be done, he wanted them to do it. But if they failed, conversely, the Imperial Guard Knights would be dyed entirely in the color of traitors.
The Prime Minister wanted the Captain of the Royal Guard to remain as he was until Sieg returned leading the army. Even if strong measures were to be taken, it was better to have collaborators within the Imperial Guard Knights.
"...Why would the Imperial Guard Knights... no, I see."
"Do you have an inkling?"
"There is talk that the former Commander has returned."
"What did you say?"
He had not heard such a thing. Had he heard it, the Prime Minister would have noticed the abnormality in the Imperial Guard Knights much sooner.
"He was carrying a secret order from His Majesty. Therefore, it was said that the fact he was alive must not be leaked outside the order at all."
"Did you hear that he was investigating suspicions of treason?"
"...That is correct."
He had been completely deceived. Knowing this, the Captain of the Royal Guard shrank in embarrassment.
"Even so, this was not something prepared yesterday or today. I see, the underground organization was for this day. But Crown Prince Neil is..."
The Prime Minister finally felt the pieces connected. Why had the Captain of the Royal Guard harbored disgraced knights? He had thought it was for Crown Prince Neil. But he had not known what was being attempted for Crown Prince Neil's sake. The attempted assassination of Princess Ekaterina was an accidental occurrence. The goal must have been something else.
It was not for Crown Prince Neil. Crown Prince Neil had merely been used. And he was still being used.
"First, ensure that Her Majesty the Queen's recuperation proceeds safely. I leave this to you."
"...Understood."
The Prime Minister opened the door and guided the Captain of the Royal Guard to the hallway.
"Then, I apologize for summoning you. I have business to attend to, so I shall take my leave."
"Y-yes."
Showing some bewilderment, the Captain of the Royal Guard turned around and walked down the hallway. The remaining Prime Minister also began to walk. It was true that he had business.
Walking fast down the hallway without looking aside, the Prime Minister eventually went outside the castle. Even so, his pace did not slacken.
The destination he hurried toward was a general store near the castle.
"Hello there. What can I help you with today?"
Seeing the Prime Minister, the shopkeeper called out.
"Have any good paper or pens come in?"
"...Yes, they have arrived. Please wait a moment."
Saying so, the shopkeeper took paper from one of the shelves lined up behind the counter and a pen from another shelf, and presented them to the Prime Minister.
"Let's see."
The Prime Minister wrote something fluently on the presented paper. To an observer, it looked as if he were merely doing a test write.
"How is it?"
"It's good. I'll take them. How much?"
"For three sheets."
"That's expensive."
"That is because the customer only accepts high-quality items. It is your own responsibility."
"True. Is this just enough?"
Taking a pouch from his bosom, the Prime Minister handed it to the shopkeeper. It was a pouch slightly too large for just containing money.
"...Yes, received. Shall I wrap them?"
"No, as they are is fine."
Leaving the paper he had used for the test write, the Prime Minister took the remaining paper and pen and left the store. His feet did not turn toward the castle, but walked further toward the shopping district.
The shopkeeper watched his back as he went, stepping out to the storefront.
"...Is this the last time I'll see him?"
Muttering this, the shopkeeper returned inside the store. With a slightly hurried appearance, he headed to the kitchen in the back, set fire to the paper the Prime Minister had used for the test write, and threw it into the furnace. After confirming it had burned away, he took a large leather pouch rolling in the corner of the kitchen and went outside through the back door.
"The final job. I absolutely cannot fail."
The shopkeeper was a private subordinate of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister also had an underground organization, though far smaller than that of the Captain of the Royal Guard.
It was not due to excessive ambition. There were jobs the Prime Minister could not make public. Solving the King's private problems was one such thing. For such work, Prime Ministers of each generation kept people in the shadows. Those shadow subordinates took the entrusted letters and left the royal capital within the day. It was the final job for them.
The announcement of the Prime Minister's dismissal was made the following day. And the announcement that the Prime Minister had followed in death in grief over the King's death was made two days after that.