03. Aran

“What is that…?”

 

There was a strange nuance, but I didn’t think much of it.

 

 

“Are you asking because you don’t know? It’s not like you’re a virgin, nor does it wear out, so you can prove it with your body.”

“….”

“If the Duke becomes Aran’s concubine, I, and Mother, will believe you.”

 

Crunch.

 

The Duke gritted her teeth.

 

 

“So, coming here in the middle of the night to say…that’s all you want?”

“It’s a very important matter. The fate of the Ainu Grand Duchy depends on it.”

“Hahahahaha…. Your Highness the Princess. Do you really think I would listen to such nonsense?”

“Why? Didn’t you call yourself a loyal subject?”

“What king of any country treats a loyal subject like this!”

“Well, don’t do it if you don’t want to.”

“….”

 

 

Now fire was burning in the Duke’s eyes.

I had no idea what she was trying to pull.

 

 

“Then now you’re a commoner.”

“What…did you say?”

 

Iliana took out a scroll from her bosom and held it out in front of her.

 

 

“This is an official order. As of this moment, you are stripped of all titles and authority, and your assets are confiscated and returned to the national treasury.”

“…….”

 

 

She unfolded the scroll with a blank expression.

Inside, in Cornelia’s unique handwriting, was written her dismissal from office.

 

 

Looking at the date, it was already a month ago.

 

 

“Haha…..”

 

 

So, from the beginning, the reason the imperial family visited was to subjugate.

 

‘That’s why I hate these bitches.’

 

The Duke scoffed and tore up the scroll.

 

“I was going to put up with it if I could, but I can’t take it anymore. Really.”

 

She stared at the two men and women watching her like a wild beast.

 

 

“A green little bitch like you? Telling me to offer my body? What a fucking joke.”

“You have quite the nerve. To say such things in front of me.”

“Why, do you think being a princess is such a great position?”

“No, not that.”

 

 

Iliana’s body moved like a flash of lightning.

 

She stood up from the chair, stepped on the table, and jumped.

Then she went over the Duke’s head and landed behind her.

 

 

All this in 0.05 seconds.

It’s almost the speed of teleportation.

 

 

 

With a follow-up movement, she grabbed the former Duke’s head and pulled her back, and covered her mouth with her remaining hand.

 

 

 

 

“!!”

“You think you can handle me?”

 

It was truly instantaneous.

She was also a Tier 4 knight, but she couldn’t even see the start of the movement.

 

 

‘Is the difference really this big…!’

 

 

She was horrified.

 

A Tier 4 knight is a knight who can make a name for themselves in a country, but to be caught so easily. If we had met on the battlefield, her head would have already been cut off.

 

Iliana declared to the shaking eyes.

 

 

“Your history ends here. From now on, be aware that you are a slave and serve with all your heart along with your daughter.”

 

 

Iliana held out the ring on her right ring finger to her face.

A small light came out of the golden ring and drew a sentence around the ring.

 

 

“Ugh!!”

 

 

I’ve heard of it.

The artifact that Cornelia obtained after the battle with the dragon.

 

 

Named ‘Absolute Ring’

 

 

A terrifying artifact that can bind the soul of a PC user only once a year.

 

 

“Ah, don’t worry. I won’t use it on you. I’m going to use it on your second daughter.”

 

The former Duke struggled desperately.

But Iliana didn’t budge.

 

“It would be good to use it on you, but it would be more painful for you, who has such great love for your daughter.”

 

 

She glared. As if she would kill her if she touched her daughter.

 

 

Iliana laughed at her and raised mana in her finger.

A needle-thin type of mana appeared at the tip of her finger.

 

 

She stabbed it into the former Duke’s neck, and she trembled and froze.

 

 

 

Kwajik!!

 

 

 

 

“Your Highness!!!”

 

 

At the right time, the knight who was outside the door broke down the door and entered.

 

 

“Hoo?”

“…What are you doing!!”

“I see. It’s set up so that if there’s something wrong with your body, it’s immediately reported. Well. That’s somewhat safe.”

 

She threw the Duke’s body to the floor.

She was only paralyzed, so she couldn’t move, but she could feel all five senses.

 

“…Please explain. Your Highness the Princess!!”

“You’re arrogant. Knight. Do you really think you’re in a position to demand an explanation from me?”

“….”

“And Your Highness…. You’re all very cute. Your Highness to the Duke. Why didn’t you just call her Your Majesty?”

 

 

One knight quickly ran out the door. Probably to call for support.

 

 

“You think you can handle me alone?”

“….”

 

The knight silently pointed her sword.

 

“That decides your fate.”

 

 

An invisible blade swept through the room once.

 

 

Peogeok.

 

 

“…Huh…?”

 

I didn’t see anything, but before I knew it, a red line was drawn on the knight’s body and she was divided into five parts.

 

 

Puwak!!

 

 

Blood splattered belatedly.

 

 

“Keuheok…!”

 

 

The knight’s head, who couldn’t even withstand one attack, fell on the carpet.

 

 

Gulgeok.

 

Aran, who saw the scene, swallowed hard.

 

Aran saw all of her movements.

 

 

Iliana drew the sword from its scabbard and swung it exactly three times.

 

 

She swung it once to cut off her left arm and leg, once to cut off her right arm and leg, and once to cut off her neck.

 

 

And putting it neatly into the scabbard, all happened at the same time.

 

 

“Did you see it, Aran.”

“Y-yes?”

“Did you see this sister’s movements?”

“…Yes. I saw it.”

“How much did you see?”

“Everything…I saw everything.”

 

 

Iliana smiled with satisfaction.

 

 

“You can become a Tier 6 knight.”

 

 

 

“Your Highness!!”

 

 

Knights rushed in.

 

 

“What the hell…!”

 

They were horrified to see the corpses lying around.

It hasn’t even been a minute, but they’re dead so tragically.

 

 

“Are you also going to rebel against the home country?”

“….”

 

Iliana picked up a piece of the torn order with a relaxed gesture.

 

 

“Can you see it? This is His Majesty’s order. The Duke you serve is no longer a Duke, but a commoner, or even less than that. She has been stripped of her rank for treason.”

“Stripped of her rank…!”

 

Considering the crime of treason, this is a very lenient punishment.

Usually, the nine generations are exterminated, but she only gets stripped of her rank, confiscated her property, and ends up as a slave.

Of course, we’ll have to wait and see if it ends like this.

 

 

“Do you want to get involved? Do you really want your rabbit-like husbands and children to have their arms and legs torn off? If so, I’ll gladly do it for you.”

“Ugh…”

 

The knights were conflicted.

 

 

“…Once loyalty, always loyalty!”

 

Some of them rushed at Iliana.

 

And as they rushed in, their necks, arms, and legs were cut off.

The carpet was stained with red blood.

 

“Good. Loyalty. A glorious death. Even though your family’s lives will be lost.”

 

 

 

Iliana points her sword, which is not stained with a single drop of blood.

The knights at the end of the sword stepped back to the left and right.

 

 

And knelt down.

 

 

“Hehe. Yes. I like loyalty, but I like those who seek a way to survive appropriately even more.”

 

As she sheathed her sword, the knights turned around.

 

 

“You know what to do, right? Bring all the former Duke’s family members!”

 

The knights moved quickly.

 

 

 

“……Something was easier than I thought…was handled…?”

 

 

Aran said with a blank expression.

 

 

“Easy? At least 10 people’s blood was shed, what’s easy about that?”

“Th…that’s true, but still, how should I put it? Compared to the name of Grand Duke, it ended anticlimactically…. And there was an ending from the beginning, right? There was even an order….”

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m taking care of it while I’m there.”

“…….”

“And, bland is good. For everything.”

 

She brushed her fallen hair behind her ear and sat on the bed.

 

 

“Hmm…even if you’re a pervert, Aran, you can’t violate me in a place like this, right?”

“I’m not a pervert.”

“I guess I’ll have to have a hot night with the Duke when I get back.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

The next day.

 

The knights who surrendered to Iliana caused a rebellion from within, and the lord’s army of Buksamdo, which had been captured long ago, pressured the territory from the outside.

 

Since the Duke was already captured, many people surrendered, and in the process, those who did not surrender until the end were implicated in the crime of rebellion and their heads were cut off.

 

 

 

“But why doesn’t the Duke’s family exterminate the nine generations? If you think about it, shouldn’t they be punished the most severely?”

 

 

Aran asked on the way back.

 

The Duke’s family did not receive any other punishment except for being stripped of their rank, confiscating their property, and becoming slaves for the entire family.

Rather, her subjects were punished with the extermination of the nine generations until the end.

 

 

“Didn’t I exterminate them? Making them all slaves is the same as exterminating the nine generations. In some cases, it may be more miserable.”

“Still….”

“If you find out what kind of labor those bitches will be doing, you’ll know that it’s better to die.”

“…I, is it that hard labor?”

“You’ll find out later.”

“…….”

 

 

 

 

.

.

.

 

 

 

 

I didn’t stay in Ainu territory for long, but I felt like I had been there for a long time.

 

“Your face is very tanned. Did you enjoy your vacation after all?”

“It’s winter there. Mother.”

 

Maybe it’s because I already feel the imperial palace is my hometown.

 

 

“As promised, I’ll give the Duke to you, Aran. Be grateful.”

“…Thank you.”

“Oh! What’s wrong with you not nagging for once?! Did the sun rise in the west?!”

“The sun always rises in the east.”