Chapter 234
Why is Liese in the imperial capital!? What happened to the Eastern Border!?
I had invited her to the imperial capital in secret as a guard. She said she would arrange a suitable replacement for the Eastern Border herself.
Franz said quietly.
Franz and Liese had exchanged letters only once, in utmost secrecy.
Franz explained the situation and asked her to come to the imperial capital as a guard, and Liese agreed.
They had exchanged no unnecessary messages, since any extra communication might leak information. As a result, even Franz did not know who was currently guarding the Eastern Border.
He had suggested several candidates, but Liese said she would handle matters herself and would not let him interfere any further.
Since Liese had flawlessly defended the Eastern Border for so long, Franz did not think she would make a mistake in selecting someone. What mattered was getting her to the imperial capital without anyone finding out.
As long as Liese was there, the Holy Kingdom would never make a move. That was Franz's assessment—and it had proved correct.
"I said I'd leave everything to you, but what do you mean by bringing the linchpin of our border defenses to the imperial capital!? More importantly, why does she never come when I summon her, yet comes when you call!?"
Franz sighed. Was that really the point that angered Johannes?
As Franz hesitated over what to say, Erik interjected from behind him.
"Father, let's discuss this somewhere else. We're drawing attention here."
"His Highness Erik is right. Let's move."
"Grr..."
With Johannes looking thoroughly dissatisfied, Franz more or less dragged him toward the rear of Liese's group.
There, Franz explained the plan from here on.
"Your Majesty, first we should escape through the East Gate."
"Escape? You mean abandon the imperial capital?"
"More generals have sided with Prince Gordon than we expected. The Duke of Valor has already made preparations. Let us join him and deal with them later."
At Franz's words, Johannes glanced toward Imperial Sword Castle.
Many of his consorts and children were still there.
But Johannes quickly looked away.
Abandoning the imperial capital, even temporarily, meant abandoning its people. As emperor, this was no time to worry about the safety of his consorts and children.
Beside Johannes, Orihime spoke.
"Do not worry, Your Majesty. Arnolt is already taking action inside the castle. He is good at moving about unnoticed, so he will manage somehow."
"I am somewhat uneasy, but let us trust him."
Reassured by Orihime's words, Johannes's expression softened slightly.
Then he turned his gaze toward Franz.
"I understand your thinking. However, it will be troublesome if they hole up in the imperial capital. Gordon could activate the Firmament Kugel as long as he is there."
"It cannot be helped. I have instructed the captains of the Imperial Guard stationed in the castle to flee with the Rainbow Sky Orbs if necessary. The Firmament Kugel cannot be activated unless all three are assembled, and if need be, we can have the Duke of Valor use the Holy Sword."
"I would rather not resort to that."
"We cannot afford to be choosy. The fact that the key figures from the United Kingdom and the vassal state happened to be absent from the arena makes it highly likely that they are cooperating with Prince Gordon. In addition, if the Saintess incident was a diversion, the Kingdom may be involved as well. The longer we delay dealing with Prince Gordon, the more dangerous the borders become."
Johannes clicked his tongue at Franz's words.
The problem became vastly more serious if other countries were involved, not just Gordon.
Other countries feared the Empire because they saw it as a great power that could not be shaken. But this rebellion had created one of the few openings ever to appear in the Empire's otherwise impregnable defenses.
There might be even greater turmoil ahead than the chaos caused by the Crown Prince's death three years ago.
Johannes had not thought Gordon foolish enough to cause such turmoil.
Even if he somehow defeated Johannes and seized control of the Empire, what awaited a weakened Empire was war with other countries, all eyeing it with predatory hunger.
The countries that had cooperated with him would make unreasonable demands, while the Holy Kingdom would refuse to recognize Gordon as emperor. The southern duchies might use this opportunity to advance into the heart of the continent.
It was the war Gordon had longed for, but clearly an all-out war in which the Empire was at a disadvantage.
Whether he had failed to foresee that future or believed he could somehow overcome it, Johannes could think of no other word for him than fool.
Then Johannes saw Liese and Gordon facing each other in the very center of the battlefield.
Daughter and son facing one another.
Children who had once competed while standing shoulder to shoulder.
His hesitation lasted only a moment. Then Johannes shouted so loudly that his voice rang across the entire battlefield.
"Imperial Marshal Lieselotte! You may kill him! Teach him how foolish it is to defy the Empire!!"
After issuing that order, Johannes turned on his heel and headed for the East Gate.
■■■
In the center of the battlefield, Gordon snorted when he heard Johannes's command.
"Hmph! So he thinks defying the Empire is foolish!? Father has grown weak! If he still had his former strength, I never would have rebelled!"
"You make it sound as though Father is to blame for driving you to rebellion."
"Of course he is! If he were the father he once was, he would have realized at once that the Empire needed a strong emperor! It is absurd that I should have to compete with the feeble Erik or a spoiled brat like Leonart! The Empire needs a strong emperor! In other words, I am the one who should become emperor!! I rebelled only because he was unable to realize that!!"
As Gordon sought to justify himself, Liese quietly raised her sword.
Gordon raised the greatsword in his hand, realizing that she meant to attack, but Liese's sword slipped past it and came for his neck.
"Tch!"
He reflexively leaned backward, preventing his head from being severed, but a faint cut appeared on his neck.
"I thought you were a fool, but it seems you are far more foolish than I imagined... If you are truly that confident in yourself, all you had to do was win the struggle for the throne. By launching a rebellion here, you admitted that you could not defeat Erik or Leo. Understand that resorting to rebellion was a sign of your weakness. That is why you could not even attain the position of Imperial Marshal."
"I am not weak! The succession struggle is no way to measure my strength! Roundabout shadow wars are battles for the weak! The very framework of the succession struggle is wrong for me!!"
"Is resorting to underhanded tricks and launching a rebellion not a shadow war? Everything you do is contradictory. The imperial family exists for the sake of the Empire. You have even forgotten that, and by spreading disaster throughout the Empire, you have disqualified yourself both as a member of the imperial family and as a general. Your father must have suffered terribly having a son like you."
"Don't mock me! What could you possibly understand, having holed up at the border without even entering the struggle for the throne!?"
With that, Gordon poured magical power into the greatsword in his hand.
The greatsword began to shine, enveloping Gordon in light.
"You managed to obtain a rather fine magic sword. Are you really so lacking in confidence in your own strength?"
"Hmph! I will not tolerate any further insults! I will crush you!!"
"Then come at me. In the name of the Imperial Marshal, I will cut off your head."
Gordon swung his sword down with all his might.
Liese stepped backward to evade it, but the blow left a huge crater in the ground.
"A magic sword that enhances physical abilities. Very much like you, I suppose."
"This is my power! You have no chance of winning!! I will hurl your head at Father!"
Liese fell silent at Gordon's words.
Ignoring that, Gordon pressed his attack.
A sweeping horizontal blow.
Liese caught the blow.
And then.
"I came all the way from the border because I did not want Father to be the one to defeat you. After losing my older brother, Father was deeply wounded. Even so, if you rebelled, Father would strike you down. That is why I came. I do not want Father to suffer any more..."
"How soft! Have you become so sentimental after hiding away at the border!?"
"Say what you like... The crime of forcing Father to order the death of his own son is a grave one. How dare you make him say that? You will pay for that unfilial act—with your head!! Gordon!!"
As she spoke, Liese knocked Gordon's sword aside.
Then the two began a fierce exchange of blows, neither moving a single step.
Their stormlike clash began sweeping even the soldiers nearby into it.
It seemed their swords would not stop until one of them died.
Just as the soldiers around them began to think that might be the case.
Suddenly, the enormous barrier known as the Firmament Kugel enveloped the imperial capital.