Chapter 75
In the southern Imperial town of Bassau stood a small mansion in a city that was among the smaller of the region's many provincial capitals.
There, Count Denis von Sitterheim, the lord who was supposed to rule the village where Linfia and the others lived, found himself in dire straits.
"In other words... Duke Kruger has no intention of helping me?"
"That is correct."
Hearing the words of the messenger sent by Sven von Kruger, Denis made a face as though he had bitten into something bitter.
"Then what am I to do?"
"We would like you to become the mastermind behind the incident. We will make it appear that you arranged everything."
The messenger who said this was smiling.
He was completely certain that Denis would accept.
"For the sake of the south...?"
"That is right. Including you, one-third of the southern nobles are cooperating with Duke Kruger. We need you to become a sacrifice to protect the many southern nobles. There is no longer any way to prevent you from being held responsible."
How had it come to this?
Denis let out a deep sigh.
Denis was thirty-three years old. He had become lord ten years earlier, but now he could only feel ashamed of it.
At first, it had all been his father's dying words.
A year after the emperor declared that refugees were citizens of the Empire, Denis's father died. At the time, he left Denis with the words that, even if refugees were Imperial citizens, they would never be his subjects.
Denis's father had once been injured in the leg by rampaging refugees, and had been unable to walk properly ever since. His words had been born of resentment, and young Denis had accepted them.
Several years later, Duke Kruger discovered what he had done. The duke threatened to strip Denis of his position if the truth came to light, forcing him to assist the kidnapping organization.
By now, the kidnapping organization's headquarters had been established beneath the mansion, and knights connected to Duke Kruger prowled the halls to prevent Denis from betraying him.
Driven into a situation from which there was no turning back, Denis was now being discarded.
"If I obediently comply, will you guarantee the safety of my people?"
"Of course."
The messenger's words sounded like an obvious lie.
Once, Denis had tried to appeal to the emperor out of a sense of conscience. At that time, the southern nobles had subjected the Sitterheim domain to a massive campaign of harassment, obstructing the distribution of crops and destroying farmland. With the crops failing and distribution blocked, the people had no choice but to starve.
Denis had apologized to Duke Kruger and sworn loyalty to him. He had done so to protect his people.
If he tried to betray the duke this time, what would happen to them?
That was why Denis had almost given up.
"Then fine. I will be arrested as the mastermind."
"Thank you. We will never forget that you sacrificed yourself for the sake of the south."
"You can spare me such words. Why not simply say you are doing this for Duke Kruger? He has taken control of most of the south and behaves like a king. What is he thinking?"
"That is none of your concern."
"It is not unrelated to me. I am to become a stepping stone for Duke Kruger, after all. Is he planning a usurpation?"
"Hah... My lord has no such intentions. Let us simply say that everything is for the struggle over the throne."
"I see... When the time comes, he intends to hint at a southern rebellion and place Princess Zandra on the throne. If that happens, the House of Kruger will become the most powerful imperial in-law family. Given the Fifth Consort, she will certainly appoint members of the House of Kruger to positions around her. Indeed, it is not a usurpation. It is a takeover."
The messenger did not flinch at Denis's scathing criticism. Such things were hardly unprecedented in the history of the Empire. However, emperors who favored their in-laws never lasted long. They lost the support of the other nobles.
What did Duke Kruger think about that?
He was the man secretly controlling the kidnapping organization and skillfully bringing the southern nobles into his fold. Surely he had some plan.
But that had nothing to do with Denis. Just as he began to sneer at himself over that fact, a blade suddenly sprouted from the messenger's body.
"Cough..."
"What!?"
"I'm sorry, my lord."
The one who murmured this was a young female knight.
With bright brown hair nearly orange in color, neatly cut at her shoulders, she was no ordinary knight to Denis.
"Rebecca!? What are you doing!?"
"You must not believe these men! They intended to kill you, my lord!"
"What!?"
"They planned to make you write a confession, kill you afterward, and hand you over to Prince Leonart! We have to get out of here, quickly!"
Looking around, Denis saw that several knights besides Rebecca had entered the room.
They were among the few knights remaining in the mansion who had sworn loyalty to the House of Sitterheim.
"Let us go to Prince Leonart and expose the duke's crimes! The prince is such a good man that he did not even abandon people stranded in the Albatro Duchy! Surely he will help us!"
"..."
Denis remained silent for a while after hearing Rebecca's words.
They could probably escape from this town.
But could they really get away?
At such a crucial moment, there was no way Duke Kruger would fail to guard against betrayal. After all, Denis had already tried to betray him once.
There would undoubtedly be an ambush waiting for them on the way to Prince Leonart.
Denis came to that conclusion and let out a deep breath.
Then he laughed at his own foolishness.
"Hahahaha... What a useless man I am."
"My lord?"
"...Knight Rebecca. I have a mission for you."
As he spoke, Denis stepped on the floor in the corner of the room.
A section of the floor sprang open, and a document emerged from within. It was a letter Denis had written, detailing the crimes of the southern nobles, beginning with Duke Kruger.
Denis himself had written it properly and stamped it with a magical blood seal used for special contracts. The seal greatly increased the letter's credibility.
"Take this letter and go to the Imperial Capital."
"What!? You're telling me to escape alone!?"
"You are the daughter of my best friend. To a childless man like me, you were like a daughter... That is why I am entrusting this to you. Please go to the Imperial Capital and deliver this letter to His Imperial Majesty."
"No! I will stay with you, my lord!"
"No. You are young. You should not throw your life away here."
With that, Denis took the sword that had been propped against the wall.
Seeing this, Rebecca realized that Denis intended to die.
For more than a decade, ever since she had lost her parents as a child, her lord had acted as a parent to her. Now he was trying to die.
Rebecca could not accept that.
"I will fight too! I will repay you for raising me!"
"I did not raise you so that you could die! Live... Please, heed this pathetic request of mine."
"No! I won't! At the very least, please escape with me, my lord!"
"I abandoned so many children... I have no intention of clinging to life now. Of course, this will not be an honorable death. My family has no honor left. But at least, in the end, I must fulfill my duty as a noble."
Saying this, Denis looked around at the knights other than Rebecca.
Every one of them wore a face filled with resolve. They had originally intended to let their lord escape even if it cost them their lives. If their lord had something he wished to do at the end, none of them would stop him.
"A noble's duty... Is dying really a noble's duty!?"
"No, it is saving them. The children gathered from across the south are first brought here. Their value is assessed here. There are still many children in this mansion. I have no right to flee. Am I wrong?"
"But... then let me fight as a knight too!"
"A knight's duty is to protect the life of their lord. No more selfishness! Go! Knight Rebecca!"
His tone was so forceful that it left no room for argument.
Upon receiving the order, Rebecca knelt with tears in her eyes and respectfully accepted the letter.
Then they heard footsteps outside.
Hearing them, Denis gave his final instructions.
"Go out through the window. While we fight, spread word throughout the town that there has been a rebellion. Use the confusion to make your way to the Imperial Capital!"
"Yes..."
After receiving her instructions, Rebecca waited beside the window.
Denis then kicked down the door and began fighting the knights connected to Duke Kruger who had come rushing to the scene.
Burning the sight of his back into her memory, Rebecca climbed out through the window.
And then.
"It's a rebellion! A rebellion has broken out at the lord's mansion! Everyone, run!!"
After leaving the mansion, Rebecca began running along the long road to the Imperial Capital, shouting as she went.
■■■
"Uoooooh!!"
Denis cut down one knight and rammed his body into another.
Denis and the others had already entered the mansion's basement.
There were more knights loyal to Denis in the mansion than he had expected. They fought like lions for their lord, cutting down the knights of the House of Kruger who had swaggered through the mansion as though they owned it.
"Eeeek!!??"
"Out of my way!"
The slave traders in the basement lost the strength in their legs, but Denis did not hesitate to behead them.
They were retainers of the House of Kruger who had been selecting children in the mansion's basement.
Denis had no mercy to spare them.
At last, Denis and several knights reached the cell where the children were being held.
Dozens of children wearing collars were huddled inside the dim cell.
Seeing that they were all emaciated in the filthy cell, Denis was overcome with regret that he had not acted sooner.
"It's all right now! We came to save you!"
Saying this, Denis took the key from the guard he had killed and opened the cell.
But the children remained huddled in the corner and would not move.
Seeing this, Denis sheathed his sword and slowly entered the cell.
"It's all right now... I'll get you out of here..."
"Really...?"
A girl whispered.
The girl, who was around ten years old, had eyes of two different colors—odd eyes, one red and one blue.
Denis guessed that she was probably from a refugee village and clenched his lips.
"Yes, really..."
"Can I go back to my village...?"
"Yes, you can go home..."
"Will I be able to see Big Sis Linfia...?"
"Yes, you will. A kind man named Prince Leonart is nearby. He will save you all."
As he spoke, Denis slowly approached the girl.
Then he gently embraced the dirty girl.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
"I want to go home... I want to go home..."
Denis stroked the sobbing girl's hair and nodded deeply.
Denis looked around at the other children and made a declaration.
"I will send every one of you home. I promise."
At his words, smiles appeared on the children's faces.
But.
"That will not be possible."
"Cough..."
A man dressed in black, who had come from behind them, pierced Denis through the chest from behind.
Denis spat blood, but summoned his remaining strength to pull out his sword and slash at the man.
However, the attack did not connect.
The man was an instructor who trained talented children to become assassins. Someone with only a little skill with a sword could never hope to defeat him.
And with his chest pierced and his life hanging by a thread, the outcome was obvious.
But Denis did not give up.
He had no right to give up.
That said.
Even determination alone could not overcome the overwhelming difference in skill.
Denis thrust forward with the resolve to stake his life on the attack.
"Uoooooooooh!!!!"
"How pathetic."
The instructor dodged the thrust and, as they passed each other, cut off Denis's head.
The severed head flew through the air before rolling to a stop at the feet of the odd-eyed girl.
Seeing the severed head of the man who had promised to save them, the girl could not understand what had happened for a moment.
But the instant her eyes met Denis's barely open eyes...
Her faint hope shattered, and fear and despair took control of her heart.
"Nooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!"
The girl's scream rang out high and far.
At the same time, both of the girl's eyes began to glow, and the cell was enveloped in something black.