novelraw Chapter 252
Chapter 252
251. Childhood Friend - Callus
In the 43rd year of King Abram de Lognum’s reign.
The citizens of Nevis were witnessing a historic moment.
A massive execution platform was set up in the plaza in front of the royal palace. It was elevated significantly to prevent mobs from rioting and to ensure that everyone gathered in the plaza could clearly see the proceedings.
The platform, made entirely of wood, measured 40 meters in both width and length, with a height of 1.5 meters, resembling more of a grand stage than an execution scaffold.
The citizens of Nevis could hardly believe their eyes. The king of the Orun Kingdom, Abram de Lognum, along with members of the royal family—who were considered nearly divine—were bound with ropes around their necks. The ropes connected the necks of dozens of royals, resembling the scene of a slave auction, leaving the citizens in shock.
The execution began. A spokesperson for Marquis Drazhin ascended the platform and began to expose the crimes of the Lognum royal family.
He accused them of enjoying power as the ruling family of the Orun Kingdom while failing to fulfill their responsibilities. They were blamed for oppressing innocent natives, imposing heavy taxes on both nobles and commoners, and living in luxury at the people's expense. No opportunity for Revuttal was given.
The spokesperson for Marquis Drazhin, who was known to have led the reform publicly, announced:
"In the name of Marquis Evni Drazhin, also the Warden of the Northern Marches, Count Soarel Demetri Ogleton, also the Arcane Enforcer, Chief Justice Bocali, Chamberlain Rothschild, Treasurer Guanin... (omitted) ...and Count Saphia, Commander of Nevis’ defenses, and Representative and General of the natives, Rev Bizaine, Supreme Commander of the war, we hereby execute King Abram de Lognum, Prince Athon de Lognum, and all other members of the Lognum royal family."Blood sprayed into the air over the stunned citizens. The aged king's head fell.
The same fate befell Prince Athon de Lognum, who had fought in Akine the previous year, but a gruesome mishap occurred. The executioner, who had cleanly beheaded the king, handed over the task to another executioner for a break.
A scream tore through the crowd. The new executioner's axe missed its mark and cleaved into the prince's shoulder.
Executing a royal, especially a prince, was no small matter.
In full view of the horrified citizens of Nevis, the clumsy executioner lifted the trembling axe again. After five brutal swings, the prince’s head finally separated from his body. Some of the royals standing behind, including children, soiled themselves in fear.
There were quite a few royals bearing the name of Lognum. Since many had married off or established their own branches, it was necessary to determine how far this purge should extend.
Rev, who had emerged as the practical leader of the reformists, mercifully declared:
"We will only execute those male royals residing in the palace or those within eight degrees of kinship to the king. Women married into domestic noble families will be spared, but their respective families must vouch for them. The same applies to those married abroad. Children under the age of twelve who are within six degrees of kinship to King Abram de Lognum will not be executed. Fortunately, there is only one child under the age of four... It would be best for that child to be adopted by a noble family. As for those over 65, regardless of gender, they shall be spared if they reside in the palace. We will arrange a small estate outside the city for them, with guards for protection and surveillance."
He spared a significant number of royals.
While eradicating the entire royal line might have been more effective for consolidating power, he believed such extreme measures were unnecessary.
Killing those too distantly related could alienate the noble families connected to them, and sparing the elderly and children was necessary to maintain public sentiment. However, children too closely related to the king could not be allowed to live.
Even with these exceptions, over a hundred were executed. The wood of the execution platform in front of the royal castle was stained red.
Nobles who supported Princes Athon and Elzeor de Lognum also could not escape execution.
Many nobles who sided with the prince, including Count Georgis Germain, were executed.
Some of the nobles who Rebelled in Nevis and later surrendered were also executed, among them Count Taradin Amus, who had led the Rebellion.
These were nobles who had excessively oppressed the native slaves. While not all could be executed, a few were chosen as examples after thorough investigation.
Once again, Rev showed leniency.
Only the heads of the noble families and their heirs were executed, while the rest of their households were spared. In the past, they would have been sold as slaves, but there could be no slaves in the Orun Kingdom from now on. Their properties were confiscated, and they were exiled from Nevis.
After about a week of purges, the royal administrative officials who had been unable to work resumed their duties. Various positions were distributed among the reformist nobles, and the Orun Kingdom began preparations to establish a new dynasty.
There was a mountain of work to be done.
Drawing on his experience with the beggar siblings from the previous chapter, Rev appropriately delegated tasks. He entrusted minor matters to Baron Guanin, Viscount Bocali, Count Saphia, and Baron Rothschild, while he himself focused on securing military power, the most crucial task. He also ensured that the Lognum family’s assets were seized.
But not everything went smoothly.
Unlike Lean de Yeriel, a royal with firm legitimacy, Rev faced significant resistance due to his commoner status.
Even within the reformist faction, opinions were divided. Most nobles initially treated the idea of Rev ascending to the throne as a mere joke, but eventually, they were both surprised and displeased.
“Wasn’t Marquis Drazhin supposed to ascend the throne?”
Overwhelmed by the many tasks at hand and the growing discontent among the nobles who were supposed to govern the country, Marquis Drazhin suggested to Rev, whom he deemed suitable for the throne:
"Rev, it seems your status is becoming a stumbling block. I have a good idea. Why don't you resolve this by becoming a noble first?"
"...But there is no king right now. Who could possibly make me a noble?"
"There’s another way," Marquis Drazhin continued.
"You could marry Lady Harie Guidan. She's staying at the Guidan Marquisate, so you must have met her already. A couple of years ago, she went through a tough time and isn’t fully sound of mind, but she was a kind and beautiful child. I believe that if you treat her with care, she will recover her senses soon."
Marquis Drazhin’s suggestion likely stemmed from a genuine wish for Rev to take care of the family of his deceased friend. With the death of Marquis Guidan, the family was currently managed by Sierra, the Guidan Marchioness.
But this arrangement could not last forever.
Although Sierra Guidan’s last name changed with marriage, she was originally from another noble family. However, Harie, who stared blankly out the window, could not inherit the family. Her intended successor, Harvny Guidan, had died long ago.
Thus, if Rev were to marry Harie and ascend the throne, and if Harie could bear him two sons...
One would inherit the throne, and the other would become the Marquis of Guidan. Since he would be royalty, the Guidan Marquisate might even be elevated to a duchy.
It was an ideal solution for everyone. But Rev tightly shut his eyes, struggling to breathe.
She ended up like this because of me.
Marquis Guidan died after being ensnared by my schemes to aid me.
Rev was at a loss for words, overwhelmed by the karma that had returned like a boomerang.
Yet, Drazhin’s suggestion had some merit...
[Achievement: The Man Who Melted Harie Guidan’s Heart - You have gained a faint affection from Harie Guidan.]
- “I believe that if you treat her with care, she will recover her senses soon.”
There really was a possibility. After all, merely meeting Rev during negotiations with Marquis Guidan had allowed Harie, who had been completely withdrawn, to move about.
Oh, God. Please...
Rev hesitated to answer. He couldn’t help it. “I’ve already spoken with the Marchioness. She seems to like you quite a bit,” the persuasive Marquis Drazhin had said, to which Rev responded that he would consider it.
On his way back to the Guidan Marquisate, riding in a dazzling carriage, Rev was tormented. It felt as if the golden decorations were whispering to him.
- Are you happy now that you've succeeded?
- You've really made it, Rev Bizaine. A pretty, foolish wife will bring you the throne. That's right.
Rev abruptly stopped the carriage. After retching, he returned to the mansion, but contrary to his hopes, the place was bustling.
“Ah, if it isn’t Vanne Bizaine. I’m Reuben…”
“Don’t. I’m serious right now.”
“Why?”
“I can’t find my dad. The villagers said he’s already left…”
“Haha, don’t worry too much. He’s not the only one who hasn’t joined yet. He’ll be here soon.”
“…Right? Ah! Commander, welcome back!”
It was Vanne and Reuben Bizaine. Rev’s disciples, now knights by title, saluted him energetically.
Their skills were far from deserving of knighthood, falling well short of the mark.
But under the guise of expanding the knightly ranks, Rev had made them knights of the Third Order, and his disciples were genuinely delighted.
In this world, that was not a fault.
In this era of moderate corruption, integrity was seen as inflexibility. The ability to take care of those around you was considered a skill, a necessity. Rev nodded and returned their salute, but as he entered the mansion, his torment only deepened.
“Try this. Aunt Sierra taught me how to make it… How is it?”
Lena Ainar was feeding a crumbled cookie to Leo Dexter. Watching Lena, who was twice as strong as the disciples outside, attempting to cook was unbearable in his current state of mind.
Even those guys have become knights…
“Hey! Where are you going? Come here and try some too.”
Everything was a mess.
The cookie, and the current situation.
Rev forced a smile (Leo Dexter was glaring at him from behind) and shoved the cookie, with its mix of bitter and burnt flavors, into his mouth. Despite knowing that Rev was to become king, Lena still treated him the same way.
“All thanks to my husband, right?”
Rev’s expression remained unchanged as he went to meet the Marchioness.
It wasn’t to complain about the cookie that had salt instead of sugar, though. After waiting for the Marchioness, who was caring for Harie, he finally spoke.
“…Forgive my intrusion, but I’ve heard from Marquis Drazhin.”
“…The Marquis spoke out of turn, I see. You’re talking about marrying my daughter, correct? It was a casual conversation; don’t let it bother you. Besides…”
The Marchioness trailed off.
In truth, she had never considered this young man as a potential son-in-law. Although he was an extraordinary young man destined to become king, and someone who had awoken both her and her daughter from their slumber, she regarded Rev more like a son.
[Achievement: The Man Who Melted Sierra Guidan’s Heart - You have gained a faint affection from Sierra Guidan.]
If her son were still alive, he would be just Rev’s age. They even resembled each other in appearance and build, though her son would have been taller, like his father. Rev’s moderate height reminded her of her son as a child.
At that moment, Rev spoke.
“This may not be the same, but… Marchioness, would it be alright if I became your daughter’s brother?”
Adoption. It was the only solution Rev could think of. It wouldn’t be the Bizaine Dynasty but the Guidan Dynasty, but the name didn’t matter.
Harie Guidan.
He would remain by her side as her brother. He would live to alleviate, even slightly, the tragedy that stared blankly at him from behind the door.
This seemed like the only way he could protect his feelings for Lena, complete the childhood friend scenario as king, and atone for his sins.
Marchioness Sierra Guidan smiled warmly. “Well… But I do have a father and mother,” she said, pulling him into a tight embrace.
Would this be a heartwarming conclusion?
From then on, Rev Guidan alternated between his mother’s estate and the royal palace, preparing for his coronation. The end was near. Occasionally, as promised with Count Ogleton, he also visited the Count’s estate to serve as a test subject for the Aura Blade research.
The experiments themselves were simple. He just had to activate and deactivate the Aura Blade repeatedly.
Count Ogleton had become obsessed, believing this research would open a new horizon for magic, neglecting even his six-year-old son.
Thus, day by day, time passed.
Then one morning, when autumn had just arrived, on an ordinary day no different from any other…
“Ta-da~! It’s egg pudding!”
“Oooh! Our Lena is finally making desserts. Looks delicious. Hey, have you finished your meal yet? Huh? What’s wrong?”
“It’s a bit runny, isn’t it? The weather isn’t cold enough yet, so I couldn’t get the texture just right. But it should taste fine.”
As he looked at the table and the disastrous pudding, a message appeared before Rev’s eyes. He forgot to breathe as he looked up at Lena Ainar in despair.
[Congratulations!]
[Lena’s dream has come true.]
[True Ending 1/2: Receive Lena’s Blessing!]
The egg pudding that Lena had brought was more liquid than pudding.
The sweet sugar and nutritious milk should have solidified it firmly, but instead, it was filled with salt. She hadn’t even slowly cooked it over low heat, leaving it completely ruined, yet Lena Ainar presented it with a cheerful smile.
With hands now free of calluses.
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