Chapter 21
The sun in the Northern Region is not warm.
Because the constantly blowing cold wind blocks the sunlight.
A world with only winter.
The only sunlight in this world is Mirne.
“At first, it was annoying.”
The day he advanced alone to the Front Line, killing Demonic Beasts to soothe his solitude.
He accidentally met the isolated Mirne.
He couldn’t understand what she had to be doing in the Maselin Kingdom to end up all the way in the Northern Region.
A smile still spread across the Northern Grand Duke’s lips whenever he thought of that time.
The Crown Princess of a Minor Kingdom and he, the Northern Grand Duke, met outside the Border.
Who would have known that their first meeting would lead to such a long relationship?
“But I felt an unfamiliar warmth in that first meeting, one that cannot be felt in the Northern Region…”
It was an emotion he was feeling for the first time in his life.
The more he conversed with her, who was like sunshine, the more he felt something melting inside his heart.
“Your Highness the Grand Duke is cold, but still warm.”
“Warm, me?”
“Yes, hehe. You don”t seem to know it well, though.'
“What a funny thing to say.”
'It’s the truth.'
This sometimes happens once a week.
This sometimes happens once a month.
Every time he met her, the pale world gradually felt brighter.
And at the same time, greed arose within him.
How could he become closer to her?
What was the way to keep this warmth closer?
“Getting closer to you doesn”t feel bad.'
“Oh, you like it. You”re smiling, Your Highness.'
“Is that not allowed?”
'It’s because I like seeing you smile. Have your worries disappeared a lot lately?'
“My worries are always just thoughts of Demonic Beasts and making the Northern Region warm.”
How long had he pondered over such worries?
“Then you can just do it, right?”
'It’s impossible alone.'
“Then let”s do it together later, when our Kingdom’s situation improves, and Your Highness the Grand Duke’s situation improves too.'
At Mirne’s words, the Northern Grand Duke felt that this was exactly it.
It was the moment a clearer goal formed for the Northern Grand Duke, Freon Vesper.
“If my situation improves, and Mirne”s situation improves… Yes, we will be able to change much more than now.'
So he decided to make the Northern Region independent.
Not a Northern Region that moved according to the decisions of a weak Crown Prince.
But to create a Northern Region that truly moved by its own power.
He wanted to find true warmth together with Mirne.
“…To feel that warmth, the Northern Region must become independent. Our role of Maintaining the Front Line won’t change anyway, so in a way, couldn’t it be considered a benefit for The Center? They can just completely stop paying attention to the Northern Region now, and we will block the Demonic Beasts from crossing over on our own.”
Freon continued speaking, further reinforcing his own justification.
“Although the Northern Region cannot fully stand on its own yet, through what we’ve received from The Center so far, our communication with the Holy Kingdom… and trade with various countries, the Northern Region will quickly become self-reliant.”
The corpses of Demonic Beasts hold immense value in themselves.
Starting from their tough hides, to their bones, and internal organs.
They are Rare Resources with not a single part to throw away.
If the Northern Region were to start trading these in earnest,
It would become wealthy and powerful so quickly that it wouldn’t even think about support from The Center.
When that time comes, they could also return what they had received from The Center.
The plan was perfect.
Thus, to leave no room for any trouble, he even enforced a policy of isolation.
In just a few days, he would leave a message declaring independence from The Center.
And he would be called King Vesper, not the Northern Grand Duke.
He had been having such happy imaginations.
“To think this grand plan had to be moved up because you couldn’t catch a single Wizard.”
“We apologize! We apologize!”
Freon was extremely dissatisfied that the timing of their independence had suddenly been drastically accelerated because they lost a single Wizard.
It wasn’t like he had ordered something difficult, nor was the number of personnel small.
They failed to catch that one person and ultimately allowed the story to leak to The Center.
It was a good thing he had sent a carrier pigeon to the Holy Kingdom in advance to establish contact.
If not for that, he would have had to proceed with the plan without any support whatsoever.
“The Northern Region”s carrier pigeons are incredibly fast, so after it was declared that the Northern Region is no longer part of the Empire… a week later, the Holy Kingdom will come to help.'
Religion holds great power.
It has tremendous influence, especially in terms of legitimacy.
There was no need to even go to the Pope; just having the Saint vouch for him right now would be enough.
From the Empire’s perspective, it wouldn’t be able to think of doing anything to him immediately.
“No, even if they did, the weak-hearted Crown Prince would eventually turn a blind eye to me.”
If that happened, the situation would be over.
Furthermore, this side had been preparing Troops with the intention of even going to war.
The Crown Prince would definitely want to avoid bloodshed and just end the matter by reaching a mutual compromise.
“All Troops, to The Center.”
“We will follow your command.”
He had no intention of fighting a real war.
He just needed to make the motion.
With just that, the Crown Prince, who only ever smiled, would silently grant his wishes.
The Empire is wrong right now.
He had no intention of correcting what was wrong together with them.
When it was obvious the ship was going to sink, shouldn’t one naturally get off?
“…Your Highness the Grand Duke, what should we do if a truly unavoidable situation arises?”
Right before leaving to follow the order.
The Knight Commander asked a question about a one-in-a-million scenario.
“If we must see blood, then we have no choice but to see it, do we not?”
If it was for the independence of the Northern Region.
If there were unavoidable sacrifices, if it was inevitable, they couldn’t keep avoiding it.
“When that time comes, we strike first.”
He is giving instructions one by one at the moment.
Swooooosh!
Freon’s senses, developed to the extreme, caught onto something.
“Everyone! Get down! Right now!”
As soon as he felt the presence, Freon ordered those around him to lower their bodies flat.
He himself also immediately dropped to the floor.
KABOOOOOM!
A deafening roar was heard the moment Freon dropped to the floor.
By the time he came to his senses, the ceiling of the Grand Duke’s Castle had been completely ripped off.
“W-what in the world is…?”
Everyone was in a state of shock.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Unfamiliar footsteps were heard.
“Right, if you see the Imperial Family, you should know to bow down on your own. At least the Northern Grand Duke has some minimum manners.”
An entity that absolutely should not have appeared in this situation revealed himself.
“C-Crown Prince…?”
The Crown Prince of the Bellos Empire is Bellon Bellos.
“I don’t know where you sold off the “Your Highness” part.”
He had appeared at the Grand Duke’s Castle.
“Do you wish to cower?”
+++++
The moment I sent the letter to The Center containing the message that a great cleanup was needed,
I realized I no longer needed to take a leisurely stroll through the Northern Region.
“Do you know the way to the Grand Duke’s Castle?”
“Y-yes?”
“I’m asking if you know a shortcut.”
“A-ah, I know one.”
After briefly taking in the sight of Estella, who was stiff with tension, he paused.
“We’ll go on ahead, so follow slowly.”
As soon as we heard about the shortcut, Pavan and I immediately launched ourselves forward.
There was no need to take a stroll like we did in the Eastern Region.
The fastest way to stop a rebellion wasn’t cleaning up the surroundings.
It was simply finishing off the ringleader.
“Just how much did he prepare to plot such a ridiculous thing?”
“Prepare, you ask?”
“Yes. He must have prepared thoroughly to do something this crazy.”
There would easily be dozens of Sword Masters, and the Northern Grand Duke would at least be at the level of a Grand Master.
It made no sense to build a wall facing The Center without at least that much power.
In the absolute worst-case scenario of going to war with the Empire.
He must have judged that he could inflict meaningful damage, which was why he built the wall and prepared for rebellion.
I was truly curious about what incredible things he had set up to dare raise a banner of revolt against the Empire.
[That aside.]
As I headed toward where the Northern Grand Duke was, I briefly glanced at Pavan, who was following right beside me.
[What in the world is the Covenant?]
Given the message that it was passed down from the Great Prophet, it must be a story about the First Emperor.
From what I briefly looked into, the First Emperor possessed a level of martial prowess that couldn’t be called Human.
[To begin with, a person who swallowed one of the Two Suns that used to exist…]
Is that even Human? Furthermore, no one even thought of this as a myth.
[I said I remembered it earlier, but.]
Even so, I couldn’t just not ask about it at all.
So I opened my mouth to get at least a few clues.
“I remember the Covenant, but I wonder if all the Executioners remember it. It was a very long time ago.”
“You are correct. In truth, not everyone remembers. In my case, I have forgotten.”
“Forgotten?”
“Yes, I have forgotten.”
All the rest remember, but Pavan has forgotten.
[Come to think of it, what is Pavan’s Race?]
A height of over 3 meters and physical abilities at a level that couldn’t be seen as Human.
This was a level that absolutely couldn’t be called Human.
“For reference, I am a Giant.”
At that moment, Pavan’s words followed with perfect timing, as if he had read my thoughts.
“Allow me to formally introduce myself once again. I am the Descendant of Giants, Pavan.”
“Are you also the one who made the Covenant with the Great Prophet?”
“That is not the case. I am the Oath Inheritor.”
It would be nice if I could at least see his expression at times like this.
Pavan was armed with full-body armor, so I couldn’t even see his eyes, let alone his expression.
[I can’t exactly ask him to lift his visor in this situation either.]
Just what kind of Covenant is it that it’s passed down from generation to generation?
The more I dug into it, the more questions about the unknown Covenant continued to pile up.
I wanted to ask more if I could, but by the time I came to my senses, the Grand Duke’s Castle had already entered my line of sight.
“Pavan.”
“Yes, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
“The height of the castle seems to be greater than that of the Imperial Palace.”
“I will lower it immediately.”
Swish.
With those words, Pavan leaped high into the sky.
Then, he grabbed his greatsword with both hands.
“Hup.”
With a light breath.
Slash!
With just a single swing, he completely blew away the roof of the Grand Duke’s Castle.
[Just how strong is he?]
It didn’t even look like he put much strength into it.
That was just his basic attack level, and that level of martial prowess is what destroys the Empire later on, huh?
With those thoughts, I also leaped toward the Grand Duke’s Castle.
Inside the Grand Duke’s Castle, where the ceiling had been completely ripped off.
In The Center of it, the Northern Grand Duke, Freon, could be seen.
Since he was lowering his body on his own, should I look favorably upon him for showing manners?
“C-Crown Prince…?”
I thought so, but to the point where it was immediately obvious what he usually thought of me.
Freon didn’t use honorifics as soon as he saw me.
“I don’t know where you sold off the “Your Highness” part.”
The Grand Duke of the East was just purely stupid.
But this guy.
“Do you want to become a turtle?”
He didn’t seem to have any room for reflection.
As if he were openly advertising that he was going to commit treason.
As soon as he saw me, Freon stood up, exuding a fierce Aura.
“Crown Prince, I declare it right here. The Northern Region will now break away from the Empire.”
As soon as Freon saw me, he skipped all formalities and got straight to the point.
An axe in one hand, a sword in the other.
Aura slowly imbued the weapons he held in his hands.
Pure white Aura, a power containing the cold energy of the Northern Region, swirled through the Grand Duke’s Castle.
“And if I don’t permit it?”
“I have no choice but to convince you with force.”
At Freon’s words, the knights who had been keeping their bodies low stood up one by one.
And similarly, they flared up their Auras.
As expected, the Northern Grand Duke’s level was identified as Grand Master.
There was a combination of multiple Sword Masters centered around one Grand Master.
Furthermore, since the roof of the Grand Duke’s Castle had been ripped off, Troops are gathering here without delay.
Thinking he had secured a clear numerical advantage, Freon’s mouth curled up.
“If you resist, I might kill you. Give up on the Northern Region and return to the Empire. The Northern Region is no longer the Empire’s.”
“Do you think I’d be scared by those words?”
As soon as my words ended
Thud!
Pavan landed beside me as if he had been waiting.
“…An Executioner?”
“Oh, you know of them?”
“I thought they were beings made up by the Empire…”
“Now you’re talking as if you’re not an Imperial Citizen at all.”
“Not anymore.”
Freon raised his momentum even further.
It was definitely obvious that he was a Male Lead.
And a position in charge of martial prowess at that. Perhaps he was even looking beyond Grand Master.
“Crown Prince, it’s not too late even now. This is your last chance.”
Give up.
Taking my silence as proof of anxiety, Freon spoke to me as if doing me a favor.
“This is so funny it’s driving me crazy.”
I barely held back my laughter and continued speaking.
“Modern warfare no longer requires clashes between soldiers.”
Actually, I had a lot of things I was curious about.
“What are you suddenly talking about?”
“The war ends if you just kill the High Command, so why bother raising an army?”
Starting from what happens if you kill a Male Lead.
To what the Executioners are, and exactly how strong they are, etc.
“I asked what the hell you were talking about!”
I wondered just how much of a Butterfly Effect I could cause in a novel where I had only read the beginning.
I wanted to test it out at least once.
So.
Swoooooosh!
I called them all.
Swish.
I pointed my finger at the sky.
Freon naturally followed my finger and raised his gaze upwards.
“…H-huh.”
As soon as he looked at the sky, Freon’s eyes widened.
By now, in his line of sight.
“I don’t give things like last chances.”
The four Executioners were falling at a fierce speed.
“Treason is unconditional death.”
The Imperial Guard Knights must have been captured.
“There is no leniency.”
The Empire’s Elite Force.
It was time to clearly grasp just what level they were at.
“It’s time for the great cleanup.”