Ch.213Chapter 213. Return of the King (7)

Upon arriving at the audience chamber with my hands bound under Metz’s direction-

“General…!”

“You’ve arrived, General Gail…”

“Seria…? Even Duke Mügeldorf…”

All the generals who had led troops together were kneeling with their hands bound, still in their nightclothes.

Gail instinctively realized that the empty space among them was meant for him. He approached, sat down, and turned to look at Metz.

“What is the meaning of this, Metz?”

“Look around you. Then you’ll understand the situation.”

Following those words, he finally surveyed his surroundings-

Armed officers from Castle Tepello were glaring at them.

This atmosphere. Those eyes looking at them.

‘It can’t be…!’

Just as Gail was about to realize something.

From beyond them – Lord Lunarian slowly walked toward them.

“Everyone is gathered now.”

“…Lord Luna! What is the meaning of this?!”

In response to Gail’s words, Luna looked down at them with an extremely cold expression and said:

“General Gail. General Seria. And General Mügendorf. I apologize to the three of you, but I’m afraid you’ll need to remain quiet for the time being. If you cooperate well, your lives will be spared, so I hope you can set aside your anger.”

“No, after suddenly binding us, now you’re asking for our continued cooperation…!”

At that moment.

Something dawned on Gail, and he looked at Luna’s face with a trembling voice.

“Don’t tell me, Lord Luna… are you staging a rebellion?”

“…”

“Answer me! Do you intend to stab our lord in the back despite being an outsider who our lord trusted firmly without personal bias?! If no one else, at least you shouldn’t betray our lord like this!”

Luna gave no answer to Gail’s words.

Her ruby-red eyes seemed particularly cold today.

“Our lord, Lady Karelia… Lady Makana Karelia is not suitable to conquer this chaotic era. For true peace to take root, I simply believe our current lord’s methods are not appropriate. That’s all there is to it.”

“How can you say such things…!! From your own mouth, of all people…!”

Gail shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with rage.

“The advisor was… Vanessa was right! You were never someone to be trusted!”

“Mind your words, General Gail! Vanessa, that person-!”

“Metz.”

At Luna’s words, Metz immediately closed his mouth.

It wasn’t difficult to notice that she meant he shouldn’t mention out loud that he had been betrayed first.

“Francis. Help Metz detain these people in the underground prison until the situation is resolved.”

“Yes, sir!”

“This cannot be! Lord Luna! You’ll regret this! This rebellion will never succeed-“

Thud!

Metz struck Gail hard near the nape of his neck.

With that, Gail, who had been continuing to make noise, suddenly fell silent.

Metz let out a short sigh and then spoke to Seria and Mügendorf on either side:

“I’ve only knocked him unconscious. If you cooperate well, we have no intention of treating you violently. Once the situation is resolved, we will release you, so please remain quiet for the time being.”

“…”

Seria and Mügendorf couldn’t say anything.

After all, there was nothing they could do in this situation.

After the three generals who had commanded the troops were escorted to the underground prison under Metz’s supervision.

Left alone, Luna approached Francis and asked in a serious tone:

“What is the status of the lieutenants who accompanied the generals?”

“I’ve ordered all of them to be bound and brought in… but wouldn’t there be some among them we could persuade to follow us?”

At Francis’s words, Luna firmly shook her head.

“No. While those who worked inside Castle Tepello might be different, it’s better to imprison all officers who came from outside the castle. As General Gail said, rebellion has a low chance of success, so I think it’s correct to trust only those we can completely rely on.”

One could deliberate until making a decision, but once the decision was made, one had to be more cold-hearted than anyone else.

Francis was once again impressed by Luna’s demeanor and bowed his head.

“…I understand. My thinking was shortsighted.”

To the bowing Francis, Luna finally relaxed her expression and said with a bitter smile:

“No. The rest… I’ll leave to you, Francis. Can you handle it?”

At Luna’s words, Francis blushed slightly, then answered loudly and spiritedly:

“Yes! I will ensure they are all bound and imprisoned. I will take responsibility and handle it, so please don’t worry.”

After even Francis departed with troops loyal to her.

In the now quiet audience chamber, Luna finally let out a long, deep sigh.

Her body had been trembling continuously since earlier.

She felt like she might collapse at any moment from her legs giving out.

Honestly, when Gail looked at her with those devouring eyes, she didn’t know how to respond.

Because what he said was right. Even if Vanessa had planned such a thing, it was still just at the planning stage-

What Luna was doing now, from a third party’s perspective, was morally very wrong since nothing had actually happened yet.

Luna was not a bold person. She was rather timid.

She wasn’t cunning either. Rather, she was the type who would be devoured by such people. She could be considered a herbivore-like human.

Although she had decided to stage a rebellion, she had no idea how to go about it. After all, she had lived her life without even thinking about rebellion.

Nevertheless – she had a guide. Someone who had been with her for a short time, who always maintained composure, who stood at the opposite end of the spectrum from her.

‘If it were Lord Swen… he would have said this.’

She had a definite compass – Swen.

Hadn’t she followed the answers derived from the question “What would Lord Swen do?” when deciding not to rebel, and then deciding to rebel again?

The judgment to imprison all outsiders and stage the rebellion only with insiders was also made because she thought that’s what Swen would have said.

Of course, even if she had used him as her advisor, the period wasn’t long, and since he was inevitably a separate person, it was nearly impossible to perfectly read his mind-

But just by thinking and acting that way, nothing seemed frightening anymore.

Although he wasn’t physically present, it felt like his heart was always with her.

I’m not afraid because Lord Swen is here.

I can do anything because Lord Swen is here.

Swen’s existence played the most significant role in enabling the timid Luna to command this situation from a cold perspective.

‘…I can do this. I must do this. I… absolutely cannot miss this opportunity.’

Thus, Luna threw herself into the raging currents of chaos, willingly plunging her snow-white hands into waves full of filthy sewage.

All to keep her promise with Swen.

At this point, Swen’s existence had grown far larger in her heart than when he was actually by her side, intensely occupying a corner of her mind.

* * *

After the situation had been somewhat settled.

Late at night in the audience chamber, those known as the “Lunarian faction” were all gathered without exception, standing on either side of Luna, who sat in the lord’s seat.

And not long after-

Two men approached, knelt, and spoke:

“We have returned, Lady Luna.”

“Everyone has been imprisoned without exception.”

Luna bowed her head to Metz and Francis, who had acted first.

“Thank you both for your hard work.”

At that moment.

Violet, who had been quietly listening beside her, carefully spoke up.

“Lady Luna. You’ve forgotten to issue an important order.”

“An order?”

“Regarding the treatment of those imprisoned if they show no signs of subduing their rebellious spirit and attempt to overturn the situation.”

“…”

Luna, understanding the true meaning of Violet’s words, bowed her head deeply.

Even though she knew there was no turning back once she had taken action…

Facing the responsibility that had to be shouldered was difficult.

“Please make your decision, Lady Luna.”

That’s right.

What was there to hesitate about now?

To be able to face Lord Swen with dignity, she had to take responsibility for everything here.

“Lord Metz. You are in charge of managing the underground prison, correct?”

“That is correct.”

“If the prisoners show suspicious behavior while incarcerated, or if there seems to be no sign of their rebellious spirit dying down… I give you the authority to execute them on the spot. I will take all responsibility.”

At Luna’s words, Metz bowed his head deeply and answered loudly:

“Yes!”

Once she had decided to betray, she couldn’t show weakness in any aspect.

Being neither here nor there would only result in being devoured.

Having finally made her decision, Luna… slowly rose from the lord’s seat.

And then.

At this moment, she looked at the people who followed her.

Her childhood friend Tifa, who had always been by her side.

And Cain, who had come to her country at some point and provided much help.

The three young bloods that Cain had brought and was raising – Francis, Charlotte, and Violet.

Including Metz and the other officers who had come to the Karelia army and ended up following her.

“Everyone.”

Luna engraved each of their faces in her heart.

And, although he wasn’t present here now – she once again recalled the face of the man who would someday become her advisor.

“From now on, I intend to leave the Karelia army and establish a new nation at Castle Tepello. Can you all leave Karelia’s side and follow me as your sovereign?”

“Yes!”

After once again deeply cherishing everyone’s resolute voices-

She drew the sword at her waist and held it forward.

She couldn’t entrust the world to Serpina, nor to Lynn.

And… she couldn’t entrust the world to Karelia either.

Still holding onto that thought-

She carefully parted her lips.

“I, Lunarian Ineanne, hereby declare the establishment of the new Lunarian army from today! Our capital will be here at Castle Tepello. Please help me. I promise to end this chaotic era and usher in an era of peace for the many people suffering in misery!”

The Lunarian army, which had once displayed its ambitions at Castle Zealand but had exited the stage of history all too easily-

After a long time, it was the moment when it once again revealed itself in the southern continent.