Chapter 256
Let's go back a little in time.
Trau and the others had passed through the passage before Fiene and the others, and had quickly slipped through the second encirclement.
Wendy was the reason. Using her illusion magic, Trau and the others had evaded the soldiers' eyes and swiftly broken through the second encirclement.
They were steadily making their way toward the first encirclement.
There had been only one miscalculation.
Thinking of the burden it placed on Wendy, Trau had used illusion magic to divert the soldiers' attention rather than make themselves invisible. However, that meant they could not fool watchers in the sky.
"Once we get through this main street, we're almost to the eastern gate. There will probably be another enemy encirclement, but we'll act as decoys there."
"Please go through with Princess Christa, Your Highness."
"I'm counting on you."
Trau nodded at the Lifeisen brothers' proposal.
He did not believe it was only natural for subjects to sacrifice themselves for the imperial family, but he understood that this was the only option available to them now.
It was easy to throw a tantrum and refuse this or that, but if he insisted on getting his way, he would lose the ability to protect the things he truly could not give up.
If he had the power to protect those things without yielding, it would be different, but Trau did not rate himself that highly.
"Everyone, we're almost there. Can you keep going?"
"I'm all right..."
"Rita can keep going too!"
"I'm... all right too."
Christa, Rita, and Wendy answered Trau. Wendy alone looked somewhat tired. She had used illusion magic repeatedly throughout the day.
Relying on her any further might be dangerous. If she lost concentration while using illusion magic, the enemy would notice their presence. Thinking that, Trau instructed them to cross the main street.
Trau's keen observation had already confirmed that no enemy was watching them from anywhere nearby.
It seemed like the perfect opportunity.
However, the distinctive sound of wind being cut from above told them that he had been wrong.
"Your Highness!"
Markus, the elder of the Lifeisen brothers, drew his sword and knocked away a javelin thrown at Trau.
"Battle formation!"
The order came swiftly.
A defensive formation took shape around Trau and the others.
Dragon Knights slowly descended before them.
"To think the famed Lifeisen brothers would be here... It seems my instincts haven't failed me yet."
The speaker was a man riding a red dragon.
He had slightly reddish blond hair and reddish-purple eyes.
His finely chiseled features were handsome, yet he also possessed a certain wildness, making him a peculiar man.
His name was William van Drummond.
He was the second prince of the United Kingdom, known by the nickname Dragon Prince.
"So you're the United Kingdom's Dragon Prince... I heard you were a warrior brimming with chivalry, but by joining such a cowardly rebellion, you've dragged the United Kingdom's chivalry into the mud."
"Harsh, but I have no answer to that. I will accept your words. Yes, I am a coward. But I am doing this for my homeland. Is that not also why you, who lost your master and left the front lines, have returned here?"
"We returned only for Prince Traugott. Not for the Empire. We are here out of personal loyalty."
At Manuel's words, William narrowed his eyes.
Then he drew the sword at his waist.
"How enviable. It seems you've been blessed with good retainers. Prince Traugott."
"Exactly. They're far too good for me. And Prince William, may I add my own head to your list of martial achievements?"
"Don't be so modest, Prince. You are the Crown Prince's younger brother by the same mother, which puts you in a unique position. You are outside the castle even now, accompanied by guards. Did you carry something out of the castle? Perhaps the Commander of the Imperial Guard entrusted you with a Rainbow Celestial Orb?"
William's eyes settled on the bag hanging from Trau's waist.
William and the Dragon Knights under his command had originally been waiting at the castle. They had believed that the rebellion was Gordon's affair, nothing more.
It was William's father, the king of the United Kingdom, who had decided to side with Gordon. William himself had opposed the decision. He had come to the Empire because of his personal friendship with Gordon, but William had wanted Gordon to take the throne without resorting to something like a rebellion.
If the current Emperor had clearly failed in his duties, it would have been another matter, but there had been no obvious fault in Johannes's reign. The military's rebellion was purely for the military's own benefit. Peace was good for the people, and it was also the result of successful diplomacy.
If they used military force to depose him, resistance was inevitable.
The lords throughout the Empire would refuse to recognize him as Emperor, and the candidates for the throne would raise their banners in rebellion across the land. If that happened, the Empire would descend into a massive civil war.
The United Kingdom, the vassal states, and the kingdoms all wanted that.
The Empire, which reigned over the center of the continent, had long been an insurmountable wall for other nations. Whenever they tried to expand their territories, the Empire stood in their way. They were repelled whenever they invaded, and counterinvasions were hardly uncommon.
However, William did not think such a method was desirable. Even if they seized territory from a country in turmoil, its people would not follow them. It would be like taking on an enormous debt.
Resentment would remain for centuries. Unless they could take the Empire whole, the nations would fight over it, creating even more wars.
The continent was entering an age of upheaval. William had urged his father, who had decided to support Gordon so as not to be left behind, to wait and see, but his advice had not been heeded.
The United Kingdom was an island nation. Its geographical position allowed it to wait and observe.
Even now, William's opinion had not changed. He was certain that joining this war had been a foolish policy.
However, the foolish policy had already been put into action. William believed it was his duty to turn it into a wise one.
For that reason, Gordon's rebellion had to succeed without fail.
That was why, as soon as William learned that the Commander of the Imperial Guard was protecting a Rainbow Celestial Orb in the throne room, he began watching from above. There had to be an escape route leading outside from the throne room.
At first glance, the situation appeared overwhelmingly favorable to Gordon, but with only three Rainbow Celestial Orbs, there was a high chance the Sacred Sword would break through them.
The rebellion would fail unless they obtained the fourth one. They could kill the Emperor after acquiring it.
The fourth Rainbow Celestial Orb was the one they needed to target.
With his exceptional strategic insight, William had accurately read the situation and appeared before Trau and the others.
"What are you talking about?"
"Go on pretending. I'll find out by force."
With that, William and his men attacked Trau and the others.
Dragon Knights were formidable.
Even small dragons were still dragons. They possessed strength beyond the ability of ordinary soldiers to handle.
Even Trau's guards, who were made up of the Crown Prince's close retainers, could not avoid a difficult battle.
They had to dodge the dragons' teeth and claws while also watching out for the Dragon Knights' swords and spears.
The battle was evenly matched. However, that was exactly what William wanted.
"As expected of the Crown Prince's two wings. Even after leaving the front lines, you can still cross swords with me."
"You say that with such a relaxed expression while fighting two against one."
William was fighting the Lifeisen brothers, yet he did not give so much as a single step of ground.
Seeing that, Trau was impressed that the nickname Dragon Prince was no exaggeration.
However, his admiration soon turned into caution.
A faint smile crossed William's face.
Sensing danger in that smile, Trau instinctively looked up at the sky.
"You have good instincts, Prince."
"Damn!"
Looking up, Trau saw several new Dragon Knights descending.
It was a staggered attack. William had drawn the guards' attention and waited for the moment when Trau's protection became lax.
The diving Dragon Knights targeted Trau with javelins.
There were three javelins.
Trau knocked two away, but with the third he could do no more than deflect its trajectory.
"Guh!?"
The javelin grazed Trau's left flank.
Trau grimaced from the pain.
However, he did not double over in pain. He had no time for that.
The bag at his waist had been knocked loose by that blow.
Trau followed it with his eyes as it fell onto the road.
Seeing Trau prioritize it over his own safety, William became certain.
"Take that bag! It's a Rainbow Celestial Orb!"
At William's shout, the Dragon Knights all sprang into action.
The guards moved to stop them.
Their formation collapsed, and the battle became a melee.
Amid it all, a terrible sound reached them.
The sound of cavalry.
Trau glanced toward the direction of the approaching hoofbeats.
Gordon and what appeared to be his escort of mounted soldiers emerged from an alley.
"This is bad!"
Trau shouted and rushed toward the bag.
A Dragon Knight attacked him from the side.
A spear pierced Trau's shoulder.
Seeing this, the Dragon Knight shifted his gaze to the bag.
That distraction would cost him his life.
"Don't underestimate me!"
With the spear still piercing his shoulder, Trau swung his sword with his other arm and cut down the Dragon Knight.
He somehow reached for the bag, but the pain made his vision swim, and he dropped to one knee.
Regretting the price he was paying for not training regularly, Trau ordered his legs to move.
However, his legs would not respond. Meanwhile, the enemy was closing in.
The bag. He had to hurry. As Trau desperately reached out, someone picked it up within his field of vision.
It was a familiar small hand.
"Leave it to me...!"
"No! Christa!"
It was Christa who had picked up the bag.
The Dragon Knights thrust their spears at Christa, but Rita knocked them away.
"Keep going through the street, Kuu-chan!"
"Yeah...!"
Once they entered the area lined with houses, the Dragon Knights would not be able to move freely.
Gordon's group was mounted as well. If the nimble child ran circles around them, they would have trouble pursuing her.
It was the right call.
That was precisely why William gave the order in his strongest voice yet.
"Don't let her escape!"
He gave the order while charging after her himself.
As everyone targeted Christa, Rupert stood frozen beneath Gordon's glare.
What should he do?
Should he confront him or flee?
Rupert had to choose one, yet his feet would not move.
Rupert had chosen the one option he absolutely should not have: standing there frozen.
Rupert himself knew it was wrong.
Even so, his body would not move as he wished. His heart had gone cold, and fear had taken control.
To Rupert, his older siblings were symbols of fear. Gordon was especially frightening, even among them.
But Alois's voice beside him broke Rupert out of his paralysis.
"Your Highness! Your Highness! I'm right here with you! It's all right!"
"Alo...is...?"
Alois grabbed Rupert's hand. Rupert's face was deathly pale, and his hand was frighteningly cold.
That was how cornered Rupert was.
Nevertheless, he had to make a decision.
Whether to go help them or flee.
Gordon had stopped between Rupert's group and Christa's group.
He intended to stop them if Rupert's group moved to help.
"Your Highness, make your decision!"
"My decision..."
Prompted by Alois, Rupert looked past Gordon and saw Christa being pursued.
He wanted to help her. At the very least, he had to send Alois and the others to help her.
But if he did that, Rupert himself would be unable to move.
With the first encirclement still ahead, they needed enough fighting strength to break through it.
If he helped her, he could not reach the eastern gate.
However, he was the decoy. Since the real item was over there, protecting it was only natural.
That was why Rupert thought of sending all his guards to the rescue.
"To help her..."
Just as he murmured that,
Al's words flashed through his mind.
"Even if someone right in front of you is in danger, don't go help them, okay?"
Going to help would reveal that he was the decoy.
If that happened, the enemy would concentrate all its forces on him.
If his role was to confuse them, he could not go to help now.
Fleeing also took courage.
Rupert felt the full weight of Fiene's words.
He did not want to abandon Christa. He wanted to help her.
He had never imagined it would be this painful to suppress those feelings.
But Rupert clenched his teeth, tears streaming down his face, and made his decision.
"Let's run... We'll draw that cavalry unit away."
"Your Highness... Understood!"
Alois shielded Rupert as they crossed the main street and headed toward the eastern gate.
Seeing that, Gordon snorted.
"Hmph. What a coward. It disgusts me to think that such a spineless weakling is my brother."
"Are you letting him go?"
"You lot, pursue him for now. There's no way a coward like that is carrying the Rainbow Celestial Orb. Traugott is the real target. I'll go over there."
"Understood. After him!"
The cavalry unit pursued Rupert.
Gordon, left behind, slowly made his way toward Trau and the others.
There, William had already captured Christa.