Ch.270Chapter 270. What It Means to Become a Sovereign (5)

Think.

Cecile quickly racked her brain on the spot.

Even as she did so—Violet mercilessly pressed her for an answer.

“Please decide quickly. In fact, is there really any reason to hesitate?”

“No, how could there be such a law…”

“If you couldn’t keep the contract, just pay compensation. With the amount we’re offering, you’ll have plenty left over even after paying.”

“Didn’t I tell you! This directly affects trust—”

“State the name of our army.”

“…!!”

Violet looked at Cecile with clear eyes and said.

“I am Violet of the Lunarian army. Use my name and claim I took it from you. These are chaotic times. Having supplies taken during wartime is a common occurrence. Since the responsibility lies with us, it won’t completely damage your side’s credibility.”

“No… so the Lunarian army is like a band of thieves plundering the supplies of domain residents like us?!”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“…!!!”

Cecile was at a loss for words.

So casually… committing plunder? Why?

She had already accepted that Lunarian wasn’t someone who valued trust over practicality as she had thought.

But was the Lunarian she had spent time with… really someone who would act so unreasonably?

Had Metz and many other colleagues followed a woman who was only interested in emptying the guild’s pockets?

That doesn’t make sense.

In fact, Cecile knew.

Why they were making such an offer.

“How strange. If it’s just a piece of cloth anyway, you could just hand it over and take the money… why resist to the end?”

Looking at Violet who asked so firmly, Cecile became even more convinced of her thoughts.

They… know.

That Karelia is attempting to escape.

There’s no way it could have leaked. Only she and Vanessa knew this fact. Vanessa was an extremely cautious person, so she wouldn’t have blabbed about this mission to anyone else.

The soldiers knew I was going out in disguise, but they didn’t know that our lord was hidden in this wagon.

So, the only reason they know despite it not leaking is—

—Vanessa’s strategy has been completely read by someone.

That is, we were… dancing in the palm of someone’s hand?

But even so, the person who could do this…

‘Wait.’

Just now, didn’t the soldier say “as the strategist said”?

As far as Cecile knew, the person currently serving as the national strategist in the Lunarian army was… a man she knew well.

The last chancellor of the United Empire—

‘Ginor Nighthart…!’

She merely started a rebellion, and suddenly a person of Einhart bloodline declared support for her, and a sage who had been the Empire’s chancellor joined her.

During battle, a mercenary group appeared out of nowhere to help her, and even one of her generals achieved awakening as a mage.

What is this?

It’s as if… Karelia is being one-sidedly overwhelmed by something like an invincible fate called Lunarian.

I was just a supporting character too. My role was to be the fool who was stupidly deceived by Lunarian…!

‘What should I do?’

Cecile slowly assessed the situation.

The number of soldiers… we’re outnumbered. From the beginning, we couldn’t mobilize many soldiers since we were disguised as a guild. It would look suspicious.

If we fight now, we’ll definitely lose. But surrender the wagon with our lord to them? That was impossible too.

Unable to choose either option, Cecile couldn’t bring herself to say anything when…

“Everyone, that’s enough.”

“…!!”

From the direction of the wagon, someone walked toward them.

The owner of the voice was the person she and Vanessa had tried so hard to protect… Makana Karelia.

“It seems this is as far as we go.”

“My, my lord…!”

When did our lord regain consciousness?

Vanessa said she would be asleep at least until we left the castle…?

No, more importantly… “as far as we go”?

“I don’t know exactly what’s happening… but it seems you and Vanessa have gone to great trouble.”

“Um… excuse me.”

“Makana Karelia.”

Violet drew her sword and pointed it at Karelia.

“Please refrain from futile resistance. …It won’t do you any good.”

Karelia looked at the person saying this…

Then, with a gentle smile, she said:

“You’re still just a child… I don’t want your blade to be stained with my blood.”

“…”

“Your target is probably me. I won’t resist. I’ll comply with your wishes. I won’t beg for my life. Just guarantee the lives of these people. …That is my last request.”

Karelia pointed to the soldiers behind her.

With these numbers, they couldn’t defeat the Lunarian army anyway. Our army didn’t even have mages.

Violet said nothing for a moment… then slowly nodded.

“I’ll do that.”

“Thank you.”

“My lord!”

Karelia stared at Cecile, who cried out pitifully, then smiled that smile again and said:

“You… I don’t recognize your face. I’m sorry. You must be someone working for me…”

“…??”

Even with the disguise, considering that anyone who knew Cecile even slightly would easily notice her…

There was no way her lord wouldn’t recognize her.

She was so shocked that she couldn’t even disguise her voice, right?

But the fact that she was saying that meant…

‘Is my lord… lying right now?’

Cecile was quite perceptive.

The reason for the lie.

Probably because if they found out she was “Cecile Lohengrin,” the Lunarian army wouldn’t let her go…?

“Anyway, take these soldiers to a safe place. …I’m counting on you.”

“I, I can’t possibly…”

Karelia approached Violet again without answering Cecile.

“Come. Take me. I won’t resist.”

“…Bind this person.”

“Yes!”

And so, Karelia herself, the last hope of Karelia’s forces, was finally escorted away by Violet.

Cecile… said nothing, blankly watching her disappear.

‘My lord…!’

That final lie… was to save me.

Just thinking about it made her feel like her heart would break, but if she truly cared for Karelia, she couldn’t indulge in sentiment.

At the very least, she had to carry out her final order… to take these people to safety.

“…Let’s go, everyone.”

“Y-yes…!”

The soldiers, who never expected the ruler to appear, followed Cecile in bewilderment.

Anyway—looking at the result, at least one person was able to escape this chaos.

* * *

“The gate has been breached! Charge!”

“Go in! Go in and engage!”

“Focus your attacks on the archers on the castle walls!”

Despite the fierce resistance of Karelia’s forces, the gate was breached too easily.

The overwhelming difference in military power, and the morale gap between the two armies as vast as heaven and earth—the will to fight.

The watchtower guarding Madlan Castle, once the most peaceful in the south, was blazing brightly, illuminating the dark night.

‘It’s over…’

As Luna was sorting through her complicated feelings, Ginor approached her and spoke.

“My lord.”

“Speak.”

“Now, the times will change. A new history will be written in the southern continent. Many will bleed because of your decisions. The idea that we should never harm the domain residents… it might be very idealistic. But look over there.”

Ginor pointed to the burning Madlan Castle.

“Ideals may be noble in themselves, but these are chaotic times. Vague ideals not backed by the power to protect them are likely to lead everyone to ruin. Don’t forget the sight of that Madlan Castle before your eyes. To avoid bloodshed, we must inevitably stain our swords with blood in this era. If we don’t, the blood on the swords will be our own, not theirs.”

In Ginor’s view, although those who had previously followed Karelia might not want to admit it, Lunarian was a ruler who resembled Karelia so much that she could be called her successor.

That is, he thought the reason Karelia had now fallen could apply to Luna as well.

Of course, he was confident she wouldn’t fall since Swen had chosen her… but still, he felt he had to say it.

Ginor gave a bitter smile at the thought that even his thinking this way and offering advice might all be within Swen’s calculations.

“When you have to make any decisions in the future, please don’t forget this point. Not being swayed by your beliefs, but wielding them yourself—at some point, that will feel very natural. And that moment… is precisely when you become a true ruler.”

“Lord Ginor…”

“This old man has said too much. Nevertheless, I wanted you to understand. You are the only one who can establish peace on the continent.”

Luna clenched her fist and looked again at the burning Madlan Castle.

Karelia… perhaps had plenty of opportunities to suppress our rebellion.

If she had employed cruel methods a little earlier, perhaps we would have been the ones to perish, not her.

But she couldn’t do that. So now… she was finally in a position to be driven out of the flow of history.

Don’t forget.

Even to repay the debt to Lord Swen… I vow not to be complacent.

—Back then.

The novice lord who couldn’t even properly handle soldiers in a small domain was gradually becoming a conquering ruler.

* * *

And not long after—

A flag rises on the royal castle of Madlan Castle.

Fluttering in the sky is not the deep green flag symbolizing Karelia’s forces, but a pure white flag of surrender.

—Waaaaaaaaah!!!!

It was the moment when Karelia’s capital, Madlan, fell.