kscans

Chapter 96 - Julius's Shadow and a Father's Decision

Darius removed the base-use bracelet Ariel had prepared for him and teleported to Adrian’s townhouse for the first time in a while.

In truth, it was Adrian who had sheltered Darius when he was being pursued by the king. To an outsider, Darius of the king’s faction and Adrian of the noble faction must have seemed like bitter rivals. However, no one knew of the unseen friendship they shared through Ariel.

This time, he had come to see Adrian to discuss the date of the coup d’état and the current situation.

The request from Supreme Commander Julius for permission to explore the Tree Sea and subjugate monsters seemed to have been made with the expectation that "contact with Leonhard is impossible" from the very beginning.

If they continued to ignore him, the Mage Order might forcibly enter the base and wreak havoc in the Tree Sea.

And so, the response Leonhard proposed was this.

"Due to injuries sustained during monster subjugation, we have been waiting to recover while consuming our stock of Potions, but our condition has not yet stabilized. We have secured a certain number of water-attributed magic cores and plan to deliver them to the Magic Furnace in X days. We are currently investigating the monster situation within the Tree Sea, and unauthorized subjugation or exploration cannot be permitted."

...For the moment, the plan was to stall them.

Leonhard had suggested that the coup d’état take place the night before the X day, or on the night of that day itself.

On the day the Defense Force was scheduled to arrive at the Magic Furnace, security from the mages would likely be tighter than usual. And their response would surely change the moment they saw the cheat-level fur-lined armor of the Defense Force soldiers. If they acted the night before or the night of, security would be reduced, as more personnel would be allocated for the daytime, and they would be off their guard.

With the Night Vision Lenses, it would be easier to capture the remaining mages, and the squad members' equipment would be hidden by the darkness.

"It would be helpful if you could decide on a date for the coup d’état."

After updating Adrian on the base’s progress, it was decided that he would seek his father’s judgment on the date of the coup.

But even though he had asked his father for help with the coup back then, he honestly hadn't expected him to cooperate.

His father had never once approved of his relationship with Ariel. He simply "couldn’t stop it."

From his father’s perspective, a romance between the second son of a ducal house and a girl below the rank of a commoner who was bought by the state (outwardly, the daughter of an alchemy shop owner) was beyond scandalous. At best, he should have made her a mistress and taken a proper wife. That must have been what his father thought.

The only reason he wasn't forced into an arranged marriage was to avoid provoking Ariel, a living weapon.

(If you just explain things to her properly, she’s not a dangerous woman at all. She’s not someone who acts out of self-interest. She was just a pure child who would happily lick a piece of candy and smile.)

During the report, Adrian heard about Julius’s movements and grimaced.

"Julius is... almost certainly guilty. That’s why we need to handle him with caution. However, his situation is the same as Kyle’s."

"He’s being threatened?"

"Yes. It’s a rumor, but... apparently he was the Queen’s plaything for a long time."

"..."

Darius’s expression also soured.

"With the recent personnel changes, Leonhard, a commoner, was demoted. In contrast, Julius, from a marquis house, was promoted. But what’s strange is what happened right before that. Immediately after Ariel’s disappearance, the Imperial Guard he commanded was dispatched to the Tree Sea for just one week. Many of his subordinates died, and he himself was nearly killed. He failed to complete the mission, yet for some reason, he was promoted..."

Leonhard had been able to avoid the Queen’s clutches because Darius, as his direct superior, had always been aware of any potential contact between the First Knight Order and the Queen. But the Imperial Guard reported directly to the king. Only the king could know the situation. That was why Darius couldn’t intervene.

(That Morse code signal... is it a mix of a guilty conscience and orders from the king? Even so, to Leonhard, Julius is nothing but an enemy...)

Adrian continued, his voice pained.

"Also... this is difficult to say, but a decision has been made. In this coup, even if something were to happen to Ariel... the king’s punishment will be limited to ‘confinement.’"

"...What did you say?" Darius couldn’t help but raise his voice.

"Ariel might have suffered terribly! No... she may have already!"

"I know... but executing the king would expose the coup d’état and give other countries a pretext to attack. Therefore, he will be confined in a building with a strong magic barrier and tight security. That is the limit."

...In the end, even if the coup succeeded. The King and Queen would live on as if nothing had happened.

No matter how much Ariel had been hurt. Even if she were already dead.

All Darius could do was grit his teeth in frustration.