CH 90

“And so, the court of the public is in session!”

As though he were an actor on a stage, Salas dramatically declares that court to be in session. My father and I were both in formal wear with our hands tied behind our backs. The reason we had been given formal wear and not rags, was likely to further spur the commoners’ hatred.

“Dor François and Claire François who stand here before you today are both nobles who have abused their status and exploited you all!”

Salas spoke as though he had never once done anything to be guilty of. I internally accepted that I was dying so that the commoners could welcome a new age, but I did feel frustrated that this man would be leading it.

“And that’s not all! Behind the backs of the royal palace, they made use of our kingdom for their own personal profits! They bear heavy sins!”

Salas’ words fanned the flames of the commoners’ anger. I did not think the commoners were heartless. Considering how the nobility had treated the commoners, this much was to be expected. I knew that, and I had prepared myself for it.

The trial continued. Salas read off the charges against my father and I, one by one, declaring us guilty of all of them. At the end, he asked my father if he had any objections.

“None. I have always lived for the kingdom. If the kingdom should perish, so should I, along with it.”

My father chose to play the jester to the very end. If his name were to be recorded into history, those records would likely not reflect well on him. Someone like my father, who truly loved the kingdom so much, may be recorded as one of history’s greatest villains. When I considered that, it all just seemed to be too much.

“The sinner admits to their guilt! We will proceed to the execution!”

At Salas’ command, his soldiers approached. It was finally time.

Somehow, it felt both long but also short. I suppose that was the life I’ve lived. My life had its ups and downs, but now they were all but memories. For some reason my fun memories flashed before my eyes.

“Do you have any last words?”

As the executioner prepared, that’s what they asked.

“No. I have no regrets. Go on.”

“… For the people’s justice.”

Without looking, I could tell the executioner had raised their sword. Closing my eyes, I internally spoke my final words within my heart.

―Farewell, Rei.

Just at that moment―

“OBJECTION!”

There was no way. A voice I shouldn’t be able to hear, a voice I should never have heard again… Echoed through the area.

“!?”

Snapping to attention, I turned to face the direction the voice had come from. There I saw one frail girl, without a worry for appearances, climbing over the fence. There was no mistaking it. That was Rei.

“Guards, toss her out.”

“Wait.”

When Salas pushed on with the execution, one man spoke up to stop him.

“That person has made great contributions to the revolutionaries. I will not accept any cruelty toward her.”

“You say that, but Lambert…”

I had not at all realized until now, but that man was Lambert who should have long been exiled from the kingdom. I was surprised by how much he had changed. Though his appearance hadn’t changed very much, the way he carried himself made him look reliable and sturdy, like a huge tree. Despite my confusion, the situation continued to develop.

“I have an objection! The one who exploited this kingdom’s people and brought forth disaster is not Dor-sama, it’s someone else!”

Rei raised her voice as loud as she could. I thought I’d never have a chance to hear it again. Her beautiful voice that resounded as clear and beautiful as a bell. Just hearing it made my chest feel tight.

“What a foolish thing to say. If not Duke François, who else is there to bear this sin?”

“We will reveal that now… Lene!”

“Yes.”

In response to Rei’s call, Lene appeared. Why? First Rei, then Lambert, and then Lene. None of these people should be here, and yet they kept appearing one after the next.

“Dor François-sama did not betray our kingdom, in fact he is a real patriot.”

Leading with that, Lene gave a detailed account of all of the things that my father accomplished politically, as well as his contributions to the revolutionaries themselves.

“For example, Claire-sama, Rei Taylor and Cardinal Lily went around arresting corrupt nobles. Behind the scenes, Dor-sama offered them support and direction.”

Lene spoke boldly and confidently, starkly different from the Lene I once knew. Just what had she been through for these few months that we’d been apart?

“Regarding the contributions to the revolutionaries, they were done under the name XX and began around the time the group first came together as the resistance.”

No, that wasn’t the point. What I wanted to know was, why was Lene here and what had she come to do. The scene before me continued to unfold, everything was happening so quickly, so suddenly and I was having trouble keeping up.

“In truth, Dor-sama is a true patriot. He had always worried for this kingdom’s future.”

“Absolute rubbish! Even if he had done those things, he’s the one who went behind the palace’s back to form the provisional government!”

“You sure are one to talk, Salas.”

A very clear alto voice cut off Salas’ pedantics.

“Yuu-sama… Why are you here…?”

“I’ll return those words to you, Salas. You’re the true culprit.”

Yuu-sama’s declaration spurred the crowd.

“Salas-sama? The culprit?”

“Just as I’d heard, Yuu-sama must have gone mad!”

“But, you know, it doesn’t really look like that―”

The crowd was clearly perplexed. But strangely Yuu-sama’s voice somehow echoed through their confused clamor clearly.

“He―Salas Lillium―is the one who really betrayed our kingdom, selling it out to the Naa Empire, and trying to claim the kingdom for his own!”

Yuu-sama’s criticism sharply pierced Salas, putting the crowd in quite a stir.

“Just what are you saying, Yuu-sama. I see, so you have gone mad after all. Please, return to the monastery where you may rest at ease.”

“We already have evidence… Rei.”

“Yes.”

In response to Yuu-sama, Rei took something in the shape of a card out of her pocket.

“We have Salas’ secret agreement with the empire recorded here! Listen everyone! You mustn’t let Salas fool you!”

Using Misha’s wind magic to amplify the recorded audio as much as possible, Salas’ crimes were exposed to the public.

“… In that case I suppose I have no choice.”

Salas retrieved a whistle from his chest pocket and blew loudly. The sharp noise broke through the crowd’s clamor, and a group of men answered his call. They were likely Salas’ personal hires.

“Suppress them.”

Salas gave them his order―and right after he did so,

“No way we’d let you just have your way.”

Alongside those intimidating words, an explosion cut off the private soldier’s advance.

“Guess I’m just a little late, but you know, the hero always arrives late.”

With a stereotypical manly grin, Rodd-sama, who was previously thought to have been missing, made his appearance. His right arm was missing, but the grand way in which he carried himself as royalty had not changed at all.

“Hey, Salas, quit your pointless struggle. Most of your men have already submitted to me. Just call it a difference in our charisma.”

“Gr… You’d really defy death just to get in my way…”

Salas gave Rodd-sama a glare, but Rodd-sama simply laughed at him.

“It’s not over yet! This won’t be where I meet my end, Lily!”

“Ahー, so it does turn out this way in the end, huh.”

As though she had given the shadows in a dark corner of the court shape, Alter emerged. She wore her daggers on her hip with black armor that seemed to be made of leather, and a black cloak on top.

“Kill Dor, Claire, and the princes! So long as they aren’t here to get in my way, I’ll be able to force things my way!”

“Ya really make it sound so simple… But well, I’ll do it~”

Though she made her displeasure clear, Alter brandished her daggers all the same. I could see the poison dripping from the daggers’ dark gray tips. Her strength was not to be underestimated, but perhaps in the current chaos―just as I had that thought gallantly rushing in was of course―

“To think that you’d force something so cruel upon just a girl… You should be ashamed, Salas. Spell Breaker!”

Manaria-onee-sama. She now stood blocking Alter’s path.

“Stop! Don’t come out! It’s not ‘your’ body, this is mine!”

The anguished cries sounded as though Alter and Cardinal Lily were fighting for control.

“Lily-sama, come back to us!”

“Rei…sa… ‘STOP IT!’”

With her knives in her hands, she rushed forward and made it just in front of Rei. Just as I prepared myself for the worst and was about to close my eyes, right before me, Rei was the one to take a step forward and hug Cardinal Lily. Cardinal Lily’s body spasmed wildly before she collapsed like a marionette who’s strings had been cut.

“Lily… Did her best…”

Leaving only those words, Cardinal Lily lost consciousness.

“Lily-sama has abandoned you too. This is where it ends, Salas!”

“Gr… Damn you, damn you…!”

Rei pointed her wand toward Salas.

“Rei Taylor! Look into my eyes!”

Salas had not yet given up. Casting his Suggestion on Rei, he tried to control her like he did Alter.

“Muahaha, I’ll make you my second Lily―”

“Like I’d let you.”

The one who spoke was Onee-sama. When I looked, Rei had returned to normal as well.

“I wouldn’t fail to dispel a spell that I’d already seen twice. Don’t underestimate me.”

This time, it was Onee-sama who pointed her wand at Salas.

“This time, it really is over for you, Salas Lillium.”

“~~~!”

It had finally come time for Salas to pay his dues. He was arrested by the very soldiers that were under his command.

“… What? So wait, what happened?”

“Who was wrong, who was in the right?”

“Just who should we be executing?”

Unrest spread like wildfire through the crowd. It started as small grumbles, but it quickly grew into a rumble.

“QUIET!!!”

One voice, far louder than the rumble of the crowd echoed through the area. In just a moment, silence returned.

“I see, so it looks like Salas really was a crook. But you know?”

The one who spoke was Arla Manuel.

“Even if that’s true, that doesn’t mean we’ll just act like our revolution hadn’t ever happened.”

The woman who stood as the symbol of the revolution.

Translator Note: Uh, I think what people say these days is, rip bozo?

Though we unfortunately know Salas gets out and makes a return…