136 - Death Etched into the Heart
The bad reputation of the new King Neil was spreading throughout the Laurel Kingdom. The relentless purges of loyal subjects who served the previous king. Rumors that he was indulging in carnal pleasures while neglecting state affairs. If it had ended there, it would have been better for the citizens. However, once that maladministration reached matters that affected the nobility and the common people, such as increases in taxes and corvée labor, anxiety toward the new king spread instantly. It was exactly as Hansmann and the others had intended. However, they had a miscalculation. Baldos, who was supposed to have gone to slay Princess Ekaterina in perfect readiness, had failed. Furthermore, Baldos himself was missing. It was a crushing defeat, with only a small number of knights returning to the royal capital.
"...Have you obtained any information since then?"
At the meeting. The person Hansmann directed his question to was the Commander of the Royal Knights. The Commander of the Royal Knights had a weak sense of having joined Hansmann and the others. He had simply chosen to obey the new King Neil.
"According to the testimony of the knights who returned, there are approximately three thousand troops in Anfang."
"Three thousand... Where did such a number gather from?"
The presence of such a force in Anfang was unexpected. He was quite curious about which army it was.
"Most likely the Nordende Garrison. Or rather, the Northern Garrison now. It is that force."
"From Nordende to Anfang... Why would they take such action?"
The Northern Garrison was a unit for fighting the Demon Race. For them to leave the land of battle and move to another location was normally unthinkable. Hansmann suspected that someone was pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
"I do not know. One possibility is that they responded to a request from Her Highness the Princess."
"Do you believe Her Highness the Princess had read our movements?"
If that were the case, Princess Ekaterina was an opponent who could not be underestimated. Hansmann thought that the next move would need to be decided with more caution.
"It is also possible that Sieg thought of it."
"...And did you find out why that Sieg-dono was in Anfang?"
Sieg was also in Anfang. He had already heard that, but the reason for his presence in Anfang was similarly unknown.
"As I mentioned before. I have no inkling as to the reason."
"I see..."
The person who sent Sieg to Anfang is the mastermind. This is what Hansmann believed. He did not imagine at all that the mastermind had already become a dead person.
"The number is a bit over three thousand. However, the ones leading them are Sieg and Geel. We cannot let our guard down."
"...By Geel, do you mean Geel-dono, who is called the Mad Sword?"
Here, new information emerged for Hansmann.
"That is correct. Geel is the commander of the Northern Garrison."
"Two of the Three Pillar Knights are in Anfang..."
The content of the conversation was becoming increasingly grim. Even though he said two of the Three Pillar Knights, the remaining one, Alfred, had already passed away, so they were all siding with Anfang. This was inconvenient for Hansmann and the others. It was not their ability as generals that was the problem, but the fame that had spread among the citizens.
"They are troublesome as generals, but as a military force, it is only a bit over three thousand. If we gather the numbers, subjugation is possible."
The Commander of the Royal Knights' evaluation of the two was strictly based on how they were as soldiers. Since the Commander of the Royal Knights' job was military, it was only natural.
"...What is the reputation of Her Highness the Princess like now?"
Hansmann was different. He was concerned about how the fact that two of the Three Pillar Knights sided with Princess Ekaterina would be perceived by the kingdom's subjects and citizens. It would be problematic if support gathered for Princess Ekaterina.
"You are asking the wrong person. You should ask the intelligence organization about such things."
"That intelligence organization is not functioning."
The intelligence organization had fallen apart. Many subordinates were faithfully acting on the final order issued by the chief. Those continuing to operate as members of the intelligence organization were only the traitors who did not obey that order. They were few in number.
"Ah, that was right... We should hurry the reorganization. We cannot even wage war without eyes and ears."
Intelligence is necessary even in war. There are organizations for that within the military, but their role is mostly reconnaissance missions. There is much information that cannot be obtained through that alone.
"Indeed. Let us hurry."
That said, reorganizing the intelligence organization was not easy. First, it was necessary to recall personnel, but Hansmann did not know how to do that. All he knew was that, currently, they likely did not recognize Neil as king.
"May I proceed with preparations for a second attack?"
"Yes. Please proceed with preparations. The date of departure and such will be decided after consulting with His Majesty."
"I see... Understood. Then I shall do so."
The Commander of the Royal Knights also wondered to what extent consultations were actually being made with King Neil. However, there was no point in pursuing that. If one looked back into the past, there were many examples of subordinates holding actual power. His role was to command the army. Deciding that for himself, the Commander of the Royal Knights left the meeting room to fulfill his responsibility.
"...I will partially change the plan."
Once the Commander of the Royal Knights was gone, Hansmann announced the change in plan. Now, only his original comrades remained in the meeting room.
"Specifically, what?"
The one who answered was Baldwin. He had also returned from the Kingdom of Lydia.
"Stop several orders. We will prevent the new king's bad reputation from spreading."
"Is it because of Her Highness the Princess...?"
"If the new king's reputation worsens, voices expecting something from Her Highness the Princess might emerge. We cannot allow that."
The worse King Neil's reputation became, the higher Princess Ekaterina's evaluation became relatively. It would be problematic if expectations grew that Princess Ekaterina should be the king.
"It is unfortunate that the order was disrupted. If only Princess Ekaterina were gone, the problem would be solved."
All that remained was to lower King Neil's reputation as much as possible and create voices calling for the birth of a new king. If there was no person worthy of that in the current royal family, then someone else. That was Fumiya.
"Do we have no choice but to hurry the attack on Anfang?"
"Indeed. Shall we hope for the Commander of the Royal Knights' skill?"
They were far superior in numbers. They should settle it all at once before any strange movements arise among the nobles. Hansmann and the others decided to hurry the conquest of Anfang and the capture or killing of Princess Ekaterina.
"And then there is the intelligence organization... As for an organization that could serve as a replacement, where would it be?"
"...Perhaps the National Security Agency?"
The National Security Agency was an organization that cracked down on acts of treason against the kingdom, even if they were attempted. It was an organization that mainly monitored the movements of noble houses. Much of its activity took the form of conducting investigations based on information gathered by the intelligence organization, which was a shadow organization, and making the crimes public, but it was not without investigative functions.
"May I entrust the head of that place to you?"
"Me? I specialize in finance, though?"
"I know. But there is no one else I can entrust it to."
"...If only Al were alive. Even if it was to gain the Hero's trust, was the sacrifice not too great?"
Al was the person who acted as a messenger and tried to assassinate Fumiya. Though that assassination was also a play.
"It could not be helped. Their ambition was too strong. There was a possibility of betrayal."
"...He was a man who did not show his true heart."
Because he was such a person, he thought he was suited to be the head of the National Security Agency, but mourning the dead would not solve anything.
"I will issue the appointment order. Come to think of it, have you found someone suitable as the successor to the Magic Corps Commander?"
The Magic Corps Commander had also resigned, rather than being dismissed. It was said that he followed the custom where the heads of each department change when the king changes, but regarding the Magic Corps Commander, it was not just that. He had not quit being a magic user itself.
"Not easily. Before even confirming their ideology or whatever, there are no people who wish to become the Magic Corps Commander."
"As I thought."
Few magic users desired the position of Magic Corps Commander, which took time away from the research of magic. People with lower abilities were more likely to accept it, but few people admitted that themselves, and even if they did, magic users would not listen to such a person.
"I think it is best to let the Mage Corps do as they please. They have no interest in politics."
"True. It will be fine if we place an ordinary person there. Now... I would like to demand hostages, but..."
"Hostages?"
"I was thinking of taking hostages from the noble houses. In terms of making them swear allegiance, the necessity for that has increased."
"...Will dissatisfaction also increase? As for whether we should do that now, it is a difficult point."
If they demanded hostages, the dissatisfaction of the noble houses would increase. Originally, that was fine. It was a strategy to fade their loyalty to King Neil while simultaneously being able to use them as hostages after starting the incident. However, if they did that while Princess Ekaterina was surviving, there was a possibility that the support of the noble houses would tilt toward her all at once. On the other hand, there was also the thought that they should take hostages to prevent that from happening.
"...Let us stop forcing it. Anyway, it is enough if we can kill Her Highness the Princess."
In the end, this was everything. If they removed the cause that disrupted the plan, that would be enough. However, at this point, they still did not know. That the opponent also had people who could think of and execute schemes. That there was a person who would take cold and ruthless means no less than their own, they would soon come to realize.
◇◇◇
Where King Neil was under house arrest was the king's living space. There were many rooms, and the area was quite large. Within that living space, he could move around freely, but King Neil had no reason to do so. Even if he could move freely, guards always followed him. If that were the case, it was better to stay cooped up in one room. Especially since Baldos, who came to inflict pain, had not shown his face lately.
King Neil, just lying on the sofa and blankly staring at the ceiling.
"...Eh?"
Amidst the days where nothing happened, an event that moved his heart occurred for the first time in a while. A man peeking his face through a hole in the ceiling, Ray.
"...Amazing. You can sneak in this far."
Neil let out a mutter of admiration. The living space in the deepest part of the castle. Neil was also surprised by Ray, who had intruded there. He thought that if such a thing were easily permitted, the king of the Laurel Kingdom would not be able to sleep peacefully.
Ray descended along a rope suspended from the ceiling.
"...Because I lived here for a while."
Neil's mutter had reached Ray's ears.
"But, that was Big Sister's place, right?"
Where Ray had lived was Princess Ekaterina's living space. Even if it was the living space of the same royalty, it was a place relatively far from here.
"They are connected, aren't they?"
"Ah, as I thought, that is how it is."
King Neil also knew that hidden passages existed. However, the one he knew was the one in his own living space from his time as the crown prince. He had no knowledge regarding Princess Ekaterina's living place, nor the king's.
"They are usually closed, but well, that is..."
He opened it on his own. Ray had the ability to do that.
"Still, you knew the location of the hidden passage so well?"
Even if they were connected, one first had to know the location of the hidden passage. Knowing that was abnormal.
"Because I investigated it with time and effort."
"...I will leave it at that."
Even if he spent time investigating, it should not be something found so easily. He thought so, but he did not think Ray would answer even if he pursued it.
"For now, I will tell you. Anfang, where Her Highness the Princess is, was attacked by the army."
"...I see."
"Did you know? Since your signature is necessary to create the order sheets, I thought perhaps that was the case."
"Since they are making fakes, the signature could be a fake too, though."
Despite that, Hansmann and the others demanded a signature from King Neil. King Neil believed it was harassment, intended to make him suffer by purposely informing him of the contents of the orders.
"It seems the signature needs to be real."
"...Why?"
But Ray spoke as if there were another reason.
"To push all the responsibility onto you. You have become quite the rumor as an evil king who makes the people suffer."
"I see..."
He had no intention of becoming such a king. He had always maintained a sense of responsibility as a member of the Laurel Kingdom's royalty.
"Thanks to that, Her Highness the Princess's popularity might increase."
"Eh...?"
"Her Highness the Princess has made the decision to rise. As the legitimate king of the Laurel Kingdom."
"I see... Big Sister. In other words, I am a nuisance, right?"
If he remained alive, the number of people who would recognize Princess Ekaterina's legitimacy would decrease. After all, Neil had been the crown prince.
"You have two choices. Escape from this place, or die here."
"What about Ran and the others?"
"It is difficult to let them escape. Guards are always by their side."
"Even so, could you not do it?"
He knew that the pages had guards. That if he showed any strange movement, he would be killed immediately. That was why Neil could neither escape nor die.
"To put it simply, they are a hindrance. Would you be satisfied if I only took the people who have the energy to escape?"
"...You are right."
There were pages who could not walk properly. It was impossible to let everyone escape. And if he were prepared to sacrifice someone, Neil would not be alive like this now.
"The only one who can be let escape is you. What will you do?"
"Is there no option to go back without doing anything?"
If only he escaped, the pages would be killed. Then there would be no meaning to everything he had endured until now. However, this was Neil's convenience.
"There is none. I did not come here for your sake."
"I see..."
It was not to save him. He had come to eliminate the factors that would be obstacles for Princess Ekaterina. Even though he had known it, hearing it from Ray's mouth made Neil feel a little lonely.
"Make your choice."
"...I will not escape."
Neil decided that he would not escape leaving the pages behind. He knew it was the wrong choice as a member of royalty. However, the duties as royalty would be fulfilled by his older sister, Princess Ekaterina. He decided to rely on that.
"Understood. By the way, do you know the names of the people involved in the rebellion? Aside from the former Commander of the Imperial Guard."
"...I know that the Royal Guard Knights are involved, but as for the others. They never show their faces."
"I see. Understood."
There was no information to be gained from Neil. Since he had not expected much, he was not disappointed.
"...I wonder if I can remain in your heart?"
"Eh?"
Ray could not understand the meaning of the question Neil suddenly uttered.
"It is impossible... I am not an important existence to you, after all."
Neil took Ray's reaction as a denial. He was different from the women who remained in Ray's heart. That was obvious. He was different from his sister too. To Ray, he was just a nuisance.
"...As long as they were not enemies, I do not forget the people I have killed, whoever they may be."
Ray understood the meaning of the question with Neil's following words. This was the answer that came after thinking for a bit.
"...Again, platitudes. As I thought, you are kind. I am glad I came to like you."
"Eh...?"
"I admired you. You were supposed to be more restricted than anyone. But you shook off the chains that bound you with your own power and became free."
"............"
That was not the case. Ray knew that he was not free in the true sense. Ray could not choose a life of living as a family, throwing everything away. However, there was no need to speak of those feelings now.
"I wanted to be like you too. I wanted to be free."
He wanted to throw away his royal status and live as he was, without worrying about the eyes of those around him. However, that dream would not come true.
"...At least at the end. I wonder if I can become free at the moment of death?"
"Surely."
Neil, who had come right in front of him. To that question, Ray could do nothing other than answer this way.
"I see... I am glad I could love you. I am glad you were here at the end of my life."
Neil brought his own lips to Ray's. Ray did not feel like rejecting it. He thought that he should accept Neil's—her—final feelings, whatever they were. Overlapping lips. It was for a brief moment.
"...Please take care of Big Sister."
"Yes."
The Magic Sword Kamui appeared between Ray and Neil. The jet-black blade pierced Neil's body. There was no ability to steal. He just somehow thought that killing with the Magic Sword Kamui was the polite thing to do. Neil, losing strength, collapsed into Ray's chest. Ray carried Neil's body and laid it on the bed.
(...Having died like this, there is no way I could forget, right?)
He did not love her. Neither as a woman nor as family. Even so, the memory of Neil would be etched into Ray's heart. Neil had managed to die in such a way.