CH 132

Incidents in the capital

Translated by SoundDestiny

Edited by Zil

When the messenger from the Prime Minisiter arrived at Raidorl, there was a disturbance in the palace. The cause of the disturbance was, of course, the king, Granard Zain.

The royal capital of Zain. The throne room. There were two people inside.

One is Granard, the lord of the castle and the king. He used to be a wise and mighty monarch, trusted by his people, but the achievement, achieved by Raidorl had driven him mad, and now he has become an apostle of witchcraft.

The other was the king’s confidant, the Prime Minister Lockwood Marcell. As Granard’s loyal servant, he supported his reign and was deeply involved in the banishment of Raidorl. 

The large throne room is empty except for the two men. The attendants and even the soldiers of the guard are kept away by order of the Prime Minister, and are waiting outside the room.

It was an act of evacuation to prevent the king from spreading his turbulence and unsettling people’s minds, and to prevent any damage from his outbursts.

When Granard acquired the magic sword a few days ago, more than a dozen knights were slain as if he were testing his powers. Lockwood couldn’t afford to make any more unnecessary sacrifices.

“Is……Raidorl coming yet?　Shouldn’t he be here by now?”

Granard murmured impatiently as he sat on his throne.

His arms were folded, his feet were tapping on the floor, and he was clicking his tongue in annoyance.

Looking up at his lord in a kneeling position, the prime minister, Lockwood Marcell, replied with a sigh.

“…Your Majesty, we sent a messenger to summon His Highness Raidorl about three days ago. They haven’t even reached the eastern border where His Highness is.”

“Mmm……Is that so….. Mm…..”

Granard frowned at Lockwood’s words and increased the speed of his foot tapping on the floor.

Lockwood sighs quietly at the sight of his lord, who looks like a child who has been deprived of his favourite treat.

“He’s being impatient again. There was no way Raidorl could have made it back in such a short time.”

But Lockwood didn’t know, even before Salawin, who was sent as a messenger, reached the city, Raidorl had already sensed Granard unbecoming and sent his army close to the capital.

It will arrive in less than two days, Granard also does not know that, and he can not stand it, he repeatedly shakes his head and occasionally scratches his head.

Since being possessed by the witch’s sword, Granard has become very mentally unstable.

He would sit quietly on his throne and then suddenly burst out laughing.

Sometimes he shouts at those around him, sometimes he scratches his face with the nails of his hands.

He looked like a serious drug addict, and there was no telling what he might do. Lockwood tried not to leave Granard’s side, keeping a close eye on his every move.

“Yes! I’ve got an idea!”

“Yes, how can I help you, Your Majesty?”

Granard suddenly stood up and shouted.

Granard’s expression changes from annoyed to a glowing face, and Lockwood asks with a sense of foreboding.

“There are two hostage girls right? Then, there’s nothing wrong with killing one of them! I’ll torture them a bit to pass the time until Raidorl gets here!”

“Wha-!!”

Currently Granard is holding two women as prisoners.

Neimilia, a maid, and Célia Von Althlein, the Imperial Princess. Both were close friends of Raidorl.

The two women have had their weapons taken away and are under house arrest in a room in the palace. They are not kept in the dungeons, which is a result of Lockwood’s concern for Raidorl.

If they do anything to hurt the hostages. Especially Célia, Raidorl of course will not be happy. The Arsline Empire would not be quiet. There is a danger that the war will be restarted and this time the Kingdom of Zain will be destroyed.

“You-Your Majesty! The two of them are valuable hostages to lure His Highness Raidorl! Didn’t you want to execute them and make them suffer in front of His Highness when he arrived in the Royal Capital?”

“That’s why I say we’ll keep one. We don’t need two hostages.”

“..but…”

“You’re being a pain in the ass! Or do you have a problem with what I, the King of Zain…do?”

“…..!”

A bright light shines from behind Granard.

In the halo of the rising light, Lockwood is as immobile as if he were in a golden bind.

From the void emerges the magic sword Brionac, given to Granard. Granard grasped the shining sword and pointed the tip towards Lockwood.

“Answer me, Prime Minister. Who is your sovereign?”

“…… Granard Zain, Your Majesty.”

“I see. Then you’ll understand……. Tell me you understand!”

“….. Yes,Your Majesty.”

Lockwood bowed his head to hide his reluctance.

Granard will not listen to the Prime Minister’s remonstrance now that it has come to this. If he continued his defence, Lockwood would be cut down and nothing would change.

“……Your Highness Raidorl. I’m sorry.”

Lockwood did the maths in his head to work out which of the two hostages should be sacrificed. The answer came quickly. To avoid any conflict with the Empire, he could not let the Imperial Princess, Célia, be killed. The maid is the one to be sacrificed.

“I understand. Then take the hostages to…….”

“Your Majesty, I beg your pardon!”

The Prime Minister had no choice but to bring in Neimilia, but before he could do so, a knight burst into the throne room.

The knight was horrified at the sight of the king holding his sword against the Prime Minister but quickly knelt down on the spot.

Granard frowned when he was suddenly interrupted. Lockwood hastens to speak, lest the king’s anger should be directed at the innocent knight.

“How rude of you, all of a sudden. What’s the matter with you?”

“We’ve just had an intruder in the castle and we’ve captured him. It seems that they have come to rescue the hostages who are being held!”

“Who the hell is……trying to save the hostages?”

Lockwood furrowed his brow.

It is too early for Raidorl to be here. Who had broken into the castle, he wondered.

Unknown to Lockwood, the castle had been broken into by a man hired by the Lord Advocate, Ave Macbeth.

Macbeth was a traitor who had turned to support Raidorl, and had been informing the Empire for decades.

Macbeth attempted to rescue the hostages on his own, for the sake of the Empire or for Raidorl, but his plan seems to have failed.

“Wait! This……this is the chance I need!”

Although Macbeth’s rescue plan was not fruitful, it was not in vain. It did give Lockwood an idea of how to keep the hostages from being killed.

“Your Majesty, Granard! If you could spare your time on your hands, why don’t you interrogate the intruder you’ve captured first?”

“Isn’t it a lowly job to interrogate intruders?　It’s not something I, as king, would do.”

“But the intruder may be connected to His Highness Raidorl! His Highness will be very disappointed if the assassin he has sent fails!”

“Hohoho, I see!”

Granard’s lips lifted in amusement at Lockwood’s words. He seemed to like Lockwood’s suggestion.

“Well, well! Well then, let’s start with Raidorl’s men! Kukkuk…..The rescue was a failure. I’m sure that stupid brother will be stomping his feet in frustration!　Hahahaha, what fun this is!”

“…………”

“What’s the matter, Prime Minister? Enjoy yourself!”

“H-ha……Yes, Your Majesty. Then bring the intruder to me. His Majesty the King will interrogate him personally.”

“Ha!”

The knight leaves the room as soon as the Prime Minister, his face contorted with bitterness, gives the order.

In this way, the two hostages were saved by the narrowest of margins.

By a series of coincidences, and at the suggestion of the Prime Minister, Lockwood, the two hostages are saved, not only for Raidorl, but for the future of the Kingdom of Zain.

Two days later. More than a week earlier than Lockwood expected, the army led by Raidorl arrived at the royal capital.

The fate of the Kingdom of Zain would be decided in the “Brotherly Fight”. The time for the decisive battle was steadily approaching.

TL(few more chapters, will be released. still editing phase..i’ve messed up my schedule)