Episode 189
-?
-Yes?
-You said to kill him?
-Episode -Complete-
-Anti-state forces
gain a huge advantage. The weight of the words tossed so lightly was immense.
Zenith glared straight into the King's eyes and said,
"Yes. This kind of trashy human was the King I knew."
The Vice-Captain of the Royal Guard standing behind him.
The defensive magical artifact likely hidden somewhere on his body.
The Black Dragon, the adventurer who arranged this meeting.
These were the elements that would stand in his way if he attempted to kill the King.
"Stop your empty words as if you are atoning for your sins. Even if you deceive the whole people, it won't work on me."
"This really hurts."
The King responded to those blunt words with a calm voice.
Of course, about half of it was staged.
He had foreseen this situation.
Leon, who had received the royal command long ago, also did not adopt an overly defensive stance. This
was likely possible only because he had trust in the Black Dragon in the first place.
“Zenith, a strategist for the anti-state forces and a victim who lost his family to an incompetent sword. No, I, who stood by knowing him, must also be an accomplice.”
The King casually recited the information about Zenith that he had been briefed on beforehand.
It was devoid of any emotion, closer to an explanation merely clarifying the situation.
“I heard you have a question. That was the purpose of this gathering, so I will not waste your time. Please make yourself comfortable.”
Ding-
[Main Quest #1 completed.]
[Progress increases.]
[Main Quest #2: Private Audience]
The meeting between Zenith and the King has come to pass.
How will the story of the past events and the anti-state forces unfold?
Objective: Participate in the conversation and observe the situation.
Reward: 500,000 Gold, 1,000,000 Experience, 3 Stat Points
*Current Progress: 1 percent
A message appeared accompanied by the King’s gesture.
Everyone found their seats and took their chairs.
“So, what do you wish to hear?”
The King looked at Zenith and asked.
She met his gaze with a composed posture and spoke.
“The incompetent sword Lakmos. A man who has committed countless sins leads a peaceful life simply because he belongs to the House of Artua. What are they to you, Your Majesty?”
“They are the family of the founding heroes. They have taken deep roots throughout Raven. From the perspective of the King’s office, they are beings with whom one must never antagonize.”
“Is that why you condone all their tyranny and crimes?”
A sharp emotion filled Zenith’s voice.
At that reaction, the King looked down at the ring on his finger and said,
“Do you know why my surname is not Raven?”
“Because the Raven family all died over 200 years ago. Wasn’t it your House of Caldior that resolved the chaos and vacuum of that time?”
“Yes, that is how it is known. That is history recorded by the victors.”
The King recounted the past with a wry smile.
The Raven family, known to have lost their lives to a genetic disease, had actually been executed by the House of Caldior.
It was not a case of resolving a crisis, but a meticulously planned usurpation of the throne.
And the accomplice who made it possible was none other than the House of Artois.
“The Caldior family is a puppet woven together over 200 years. This means Raven is under Artois’s power in every way. In a sense, my only true subject might be the Vice-Commander standing behind me right now.”
All the nobles working for state affairs were members of established families.
Since they were all part of the Artois faction, it would not be an exaggeration to say that none of them genuinely followed the royal family.
Consequently, the King began to obsess over things of himself, by himself, and for himself,
while habitually staging political shows to win over public sentiment.
"-Huh?
" "-Usurpation of the throne?
" "-So Artois was the real power;
" "-A figurehead, shudder."
An unexpected story from the past.
Hearing this, Janice frowned and asked.
“Even if your royal authority is unstable, that does not serve as an indulgence to condone tyranny. You surely know that the King is the very law of the Kingdom.”
“Indeed. If I were to issue an order in accordance with justice, I could execute a single knight of the House of Artois who committed a crime. However, the result would have been countless deaths. It would have wiped out everything connected to your village, not just me.”
“That is…”
“Then I would have executed those who committed tyranny again, and a similar massacre would have followed under the orders of the House of Artois. The end of that conflict would have culminated in a civil war, piling up mountains of innocent corpses in the Kingdom.”
The King poured out his words in a detached manner.
These were situations and outcomes he had agonized over and predicted countless times in the past.
Listening with her lip bitten, Janice raised a single question.
“I understand the possibility of that tragedy. But why didn’t the Artois family ascend the throne themselves? There would have been no reason to help another family ascend to the throne.”
“It is because of the blood pact signed by the first head of the Artois family. His descendants cannot become royalty of Raven.”
“…I see.”
Zenith quietly closed her eyes,
seemingly trying to collect her thoughts for a moment.
In the meantime, Hanbit asked a question.
“I heard that the incompetent sword… Lakmos was expelled from the Royal Guard by Leon. Was there no repercussions from this?”
“It was not without repercussions. However, he was a troublesome presence even within the Artois family. That is why we stopped at simply cutting him off.”
Lakmos, who had been causing all sorts of trouble, was unpopular with the public in many ways.
Since he was of Artois blood, he could not be subjected to severe punishment, but considering the family’s honor and public sentiment, he was forced to step down from his key position.
Of course, this was also made possible thanks to Leon’s resolve, who did not consider political factors.
“The incident in your village was also added to the charges against that fellow. However, seeing him living such a life of luxury offers no comfort whatsoever.”
“I do not seek comfort at this point. Rather, I am relieved that the task at hand is now clearly visible.”
Having sorted out his thoughts, Zenith’s expression had completely changed.
Watching this, the King spoke.
“If you were not in the crucial position of strategist for the anti-state forces, I would not have granted you an audience. I hope you can demonstrate your worth. I will not sow the seeds of war in Raven.”
“I, too, expect a judgment befitting the status of a king.” As
the two exchanged these words, their objectives had somehow aligned.
Zenith took a map from his bag and spread it out on the table.
It was a map marking the Kingdom of Raven and the neighboring countries.
“The one who led the anti-state forces is the exiled Crown Prince Emeter. His base is here in the north.”
“…Is it really my brother?”
Emeter is a brother who was banished more than a decade ago for committing grave crimes.
Everyone thought he was dead, but the King was not.
The craving for power and dominance harbored beneath his timid exterior—
it was so strong, almost hideously so, that it did not seem likely he would die easily.
“Emeter is borrowing the power of the Northern Lore Alliance and the Holy Kingdom. They have allied with the single objective of dominating Raven.”
“Why did you go out of your way to gather criminals from the East? With the help of the Alliance and the Holy Kingdom, one might consider an all-out war.”
“It was because I wanted to take possession of Raven in a relatively intact state. Furthermore, I intended to use the criminals as the cornerstone of anti-state forces to weaken the Kingdom’s army. After all, no one would feel pity for the death of a criminal.”
“…I see.”
The King slowly nodded at the explanation.
Throwing fugitive criminals to whittle down the enemy's forces.
It was indeed an economical method.
“The problem concerns Artua. According to the Black Dragon, Emeter’s former fiancé is in that family.”
“There is a strange woman named Eliza. Her neurotic nature suited you perfectly, Brother. However, it was a relationship where both families were bound to oppose it.”
-A strange woman?
-Do you have a terrible temper?
-Birds of
a feather -Trash synergy, wow
-To think they oppose this.
Hanbit agreed with this scathing assessment.
If the two were to marry and become King and Queen, the future of Raven would be hell.
However, the reason for this forbidden love was clear.
“I don’t know if that is the reason, but I heard that the Artua family intends to aid anti-state forces. They say they dream of becoming King and Queen.”
“…What?”
The King looked at Hanbit with a puzzled expression.
It wasn’t strange for Artua to aid anti-state forces. After all,
they were starting to feel dissatisfied with him, the current King.
But dreaming of becoming King and Queen made no sense.
“The blood pact left by the first head of the Artua clan is still valid. As it is an absolute promise, Eliza cannot become royalty. That is also the reason why her engagement was not recognized in the past.”
“I am aware. It is likely a contract utilizing ancient magic. However, an object capable of breaking the chain of that power exists. You are well aware of this, Your Majesty, aren’t you?”
Hanbit nodded and glanced at the exit of the room and the tavern beyond.
The King, following his gaze, immediately understood the meaning.
“…An artifact?”
“Yes. I believe the possibility is quite high. After all, the Holy Kingdom is with us.”
An artifact capable of twisting the providence of the world.
What Emeter currently possesses is an object capable of nullifying the contract.
Of course, as this information has not yet been publicly disclosed, he could not speak with certainty.
“This… will be difficult.”
The King, his expression grave, predicted future scenarios.
Raven in the timeline where Artua had betrayed him.
No matter how he looked at it, he could see nothing but a tragic ending.
“If Artua turns her back, it is safe to say the Kingdom’s army will be nonexistent. Vice-Commander Leon, what do you think?”
“…We have troops we can mobilize, but they are ridiculously few compared to the numbers under Artua’s influence. If a clash breaks out, it will be difficult to hold out for even a few hours.”
“Yes, that is likely.”
The confirmation from the only subject he could trust.
As this grim atmosphere persisted, Zenith broke the silence.
“My objective is to eliminate the incompetent Sword Lakmos and the Artua family. And to rectify the wrongs of the past, even if belatedly. If you promise this, I will assist in stopping the anti-state forces.”
“If you have joined the rebellion, I, too, desire the elimination of Artua. But do you believe there is a way to resolve the current situation?”
“I did my best to obey Emeter’s orders. Foolishly, I believed that he would become the new king and expose the crimes of the House of Artois.”
She spoke, pointing toward the north and center of the continent.
Although her words were a rebuke for her past self, her eyes blazed with rage.
“The administrators dealt with by the Black Dragon are key members of the Lore Alliance, the Holy Kingdom, and Emeter. Once they realize their deaths, the operation will change completely. After all, I, who was to serve as the strategist, have also withdrawn from the field.”
“He intends to usurp the throne without resorting to tricks. It is something he could do right now if Artois makes a move.”
“He won’t be satisfied with that anymore. Especially since he must have deeply wounded the Holy Kingdom’s pride. I predict he will deploy an additional force three times the current size for this operation.”
“…Three times?”
The King furrowed his brows and frowned.
In this utterly hopeless situation, the only future envisioned was defeat.
The thought of his own head being hanged and displayed as a public display made his stomach churn.
Moreover, the families would not be able to meet a peaceful death either.
“Even though it is desperate, we will not just passively accept defeat. The power of the Black Dragon and his comrades defies common sense, and we still have troops available.”
Zenith moved her finger on the map toward Temosha.
Then, with a determined expression, she said,
“I will regroup the criminal group. I will offer them a carrot and make them side with Raven.”
