novelraw Chapter 154
Chapter 154
Chapter 154
The heart of the Aphahiel Empire, the deepest recesses of the Imperial Palace. Gion, who had vacated the throne for once, was receiving a report on the situation in the South from a minister wearing a troubled expression.
“……That is not all. Not only in the South, but similar incidents are occurring all across the empire.”
This was hardly pleasant news for Gion to hear. Even so, the reply that came from him was utterly indifferent.
“So you made such a fuss over something like that?”
“Y-Yes…?”
“At most, they are only a small number. Unless each and every one of them is a powerhouse on the level of the Fifth Prince, such insects cannot influence the overall situation whether there are a hundred of them or a thousand. You know that as well, don’t you?”
“Th-That is….”
Gion’s words left no room for rebuttal, and the minister found himself completely at a loss for words. Then, without even sparing the minister a glance, Gion continued speaking as he busied himself with other matters.
“I don’t know what they are relying on to swarm together like that. Whether it’s bravery… or stupidity… that side is nothing to worry about. They will collapse on their own before we even strike Valaris.”
“This ignorant subordinate cannot possibly fathom Your Majesty’s will. Please, grant your command. Whatever you desire shall surely be achieved—.”
“Enough.”
Annoyed by the grating voice, Gion abruptly turned his gaze toward the minister. Ever since news of Yuwon from the South had begun to creep in, there had been very little that turned out the way Gion desired, yet that answer remained unchanged. Gion’s chilling gaze pierced straight into the minister delivering the report.
“That phrase about ‘being achieved as desired’—is it stuck to your tongues?”
Under Gion’s icy stare, the minister lowered his gaze to the floor as though he were a criminal. He fidgeted, unable to speak.
“Th-That is….”
“That will do. In the first place, what fault could there be in someone like you who merely delivers words? It is the incompetence of those dispatched to the front lines. Is that all I need to know?”
“Y-Yes! That is correct.”
“Then withdraw, and have Marquis Carson brought in.”
“Marquis Carson, did you say?”
Calling for Marquis Carson—who had once been counted among the Fifth Prince’s close aides—at a time like this clearly made no sense to the minister. However, Gion had no intention of explaining his reasons in detail.
“Do not make me repeat myself.”
“Y-Yes! Then I shall go at once and relay the order!”
The minister hurriedly left, and soon Gion was left alone. He pushed aside the document he had been reviewing even while receiving the report and quietly sank into thought.
‘What is that old fox Carson thinking, pretending to follow me….’
Once a veteran of countless battles who had openly styled himself as a powerful ally of Fifth Prince Yurion, Marquis Carson had since shown little overt reaction after Gion seized power, keeping a low profile while subtly aligning himself with Gion’s will.
As someone respected by countless imperial citizens, soldiers, and nobles, Carson would have been quite troublesome to deal with had he openly opposed Gion. Yet the marquis did nothing of the sort. Gion regarded that very fact with even greater suspicion.
‘It looks like he intends to help the Fifth Prince from within somehow, but that will never happen.’
Gion was not someone who trusted others easily, and Marquis Carson was not the sort of man who would so lightly abandon one side and attach himself to another. Even knowing this, Gion still summoned him.
About an hour passed.
Knock knock knock—
“Who is it?”
“This humble one, Carson. Your Majesty.”
Standing outside the door, Carson uttered the word “Your Majesty.”
‘Your Majesty, Your Majesty… since when have I been your “Your Majesty”? What do you want, to call me that so readily….’
Gion stopped what he was doing and allowed him inside.
“Enter.”
With Gion’s permission, Carson opened the door, entered, and paid his respects.
“It is an honor to be summoned like this.”
“I have been waiting.”
Sharp gazes crossed the air, as though each sought to peer through the other’s mind and discern their thoughts. Gion and Marquis Carson. The eyes of the two men met.
Gion and Marquis Carson. After briefly dispensing with unnecessary formalities, the two sat facing each other and went straight to the point.
“……Let us leave the greetings at that and speak frankly of why I summoned you. You know well that I cannot easily trust you.”
“Of course I know. Was I not once so foolish as to actively support the Fifth Prince? Your Majesty’s concerns are only natural.”
Marquis Carson smoothly gave the answer Gion wanted to hear, without even moistening his lips.
“I appreciate your frankness. Then I, too, shall be more honest. I intend to give you an opportunity.”
“An opportunity… you say?”
“Yes, an opportunity. A chance to dispel my suspicions and prove your loyalty.”
“…?”
“I know that you have already withdrawn from the front lines, but in such a chaotic time, is there not a need for a hero? That is why I called you. Colbus is a fine commander in terms of martial might, but having followed me around all his life, it would be difficult for him to quickly lead imperial soldiers and earn their trust. I would like you to take the role instead. I speak of the position of Supreme Commander for the Valaris Subjugation.”
The Valaris Subjugation! Gion spoke the words aloud. His intent was to pit Carson—who had once claimed to be the staunchest ally of the Fifth Prince’s faction—against Valaris.
‘Now then, how will you respond, old fox?’
Beneath his solemn expression, Gion concealed a sly glint in his eyes. Marquis Carson, as though he needed no time to deliberate, promptly replied to Gion’s proposal.
“…That Your Majesty would value this old body so highly—I shall regard your profound intent as an honor and obey.”
“It must have been a difficult decision. I thank you for accepting so readily. Then prepare to head to the battlefield. I will summon you again soon.”
“Yes, I shall wait gladly.”
“I feel as though I have gained a very reliable ally today. You may withdraw for now. We shall meet again shortly.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. This humble one shall take his leave.”
With his formal speech and dignified bow, the man whose white hair gleamed like a snow-covered blade—Marquis Carson—departed.
Step, step—
After leaving Gion and exiting the palace alone, the marquis’s expression quickly grew grave.
‘Damn it….’
When he had first heard that Gion was looking for him, the marquis thought that at last an opportunity had arrived.
An ideal chance to twist Gion’s neck and kill him, even at the cost of his own life. Yet matters did not unfold according to the marquis’s plan. Instead, he had merely returned after making an utterly absurd promise before Gion.
‘There is no way that cunning brat Gion would meet me alone without guards. And yet… I did not sense even the slightest presence.’
Colbus—the guardian knight of Gion—was rumored to have purged all opposing nobles in a single stroke.
If the marquis had sensed Colbus’s presence and been able to even slightly gauge his strength, he would have carried out his plan without hesitation.
‘But I could not sense even a trace… how is it that such out-of-spec monsters are springing up overnight like bamboo shoots after rain….’
As far as Marquis Carson knew, the only out-of-spec powerhouses had been the late Emperor Yulaios Aphahiel, his guardian Ipalim, and Marquis Bradman—and that had been the case for a very long time. Yet now, as though the world itself had entered an upheaval, the marquis’s long-held common sense was shattered.
‘Starting with the unbelievable achievements of the Fifth Prince at such a young age, and now a powerhouse whose presence I cannot even sense… just what in the world is happening, that such a tyrant has been handed such a blade….’
The complexion of Marquis Carson as he left the palace was dark. And at the same time.
“Colbus.”
Gion, left alone in his office, called for his guardian knight, Colbus.
“Yes. You called for me.”
Immediately after Gion’s call, a faint, small shadow wriggled behind his shoulder. From there emerged Colbus, whose presence one could not tell had been there from when.
“You heard everything, I assume?”
“If you refer to the conversation with Marquis Carson, then yes.”
“Good. I will have you take charge of him.”
“…If I leave my post, would that not place my lord in danger?”
It was a sincere, loyal concern. To some, Gion was a tyrant worthy of rebellion, but to Colbus, he was the one and only lord he would protect with his life.
“Do not worry. While you are away, I will have those children you raised protect me.”
“Ah… if it is those children, then… I can be at ease.”
When Gion mentioned the secret guardian unit he had truly poured his heart into raising—rather than the failed products he had used up indiscriminately—Colbus nodded in agreement.
“You will soon go to war. Even that hunting dog Ipalim, formidable in martial might, failed, so there is no one but you. Can I entrust this to you?”
“I am my lord’s sword. Please wield me as you desire.”
Colbus’s dependable low voice brought a smile to Gion’s lips. The words “It will go as you desire,” which mediocre men uttered as empty flattery, carried an entirely different weight when spoken by Colbus.
“Then I leave the aftermath to you. The final objective is the Fifth Prince, but first… that old fox.”
Gion nodded toward the door through which Marquis Carson had come and gone.
“You mean Marquis Carson?”
“Yes. If he shows even a hint of suspicious behavior—no, there is no need even for that. Once he leaves the capital and approaches the South, kill him immediately and seize command. As for the culprit, simply pin it on assassins from the South.”
“…Marquis Carson is a man who offers many advantages if kept alive and used as Your Majesty’s subordinate. Are you truly certain?”
“Heh, that fox doing something beneficial for me? That will never happen. Rather, if left alive, that old fox will surely stab me in the back someday. Strike without hesitation. Understood?”
“…Yes, understood. I will handle it as ordered.”
Colbus’s reliable reply steadied Gion’s heart.
‘With Colbus handling this, failure is impossible. In that case….’
Count Valaris and Marquis Carson—both staunch allies of Yuwon. From the start, Gion’s plan had been to kill them both.
‘Yurion Aphahiel… I do not know what you were thinking when you allowed Valaris to scheme such things, but you will regret it. Before you can even rise, I will break both your wings.’
Gion’s gaze turned toward the southern sky, and the evening glow—now fully settled—reflected in his eyes. Tinged with crimson, Gion’s gaze flashed with chilling killing intent.
Around the same time, far below in the Great Jungle of the South.
“Is someone cursing me?”
Yuwon scratched at his itchy ear, then burned the letter he had been busily reading until moments ago.
‘So that is the situation in Valaris… At this point, there is no time to wait for Bernid’s training to finish. If things turn out even half as well as Kahaad boasted, it would be a great help in the siege….’
However, if he waited for Bernid to reach the seventh circle and then joined up, Valaris Castle would be reduced to nothing but rubble. Adjusting to the enemy’s accelerated movements, Yuwon hastened his plans.
‘There will be no letter from Hastings. He will arrive faster than any letter… In that case, Renania’s safety should already be secured. Then only one thing remains….’
All that remained for Yuwon now was a discussion with the orc horde, one of the pillars of the Great Jungle.
As the most troublesome counterpart, he had postponed it as long as possible while handling other urgent matters first. But now there was nothing left to delay, nor any excuse to put it off.
“Tsk, it’ll work out somehow.”
So far, discussions had gone smoothly and he had secured cooperation, but the orcs were different. Even so, he could not continue fighting the empire while leaving the orcs as enemies. Yuwon steeled himself.
‘If it comes to it, I will have to subdue them by force.’
Now that he knew what needed to be done and had made up his mind, there was no reason to hesitate.
“Shall we go?”
Whoosh—! Fwooom—!
As Yuwon’s foot struck the ground, a streak of fierce wind tore through the Great Jungle.
The negotiation between the King of the River and Mukwiam, the Great Orc Chieftain. The first chapter Yuwon prepared before the coming war— the Unification of the Great Jungle—moved toward its final destination.