Ch.44A Monarch’s Death

Clippity-clop! Clippity-clop!

Ignatz arrived at Elisia’s castle on horseback.

The exterior appeared surprisingly clean for a city in such condition, but upon closer inspection, only the areas visible from windows were polished to a shine. The rest was so filthy that it had become a breeding ground for insects.

“I see… as long as the view from the windows looks good, everything’s fine? What a convenient mindset…”

Though his education had taught him that knights and rulers think differently, seeing the castle in such a dilapidated state still made his heart sink.

Just as there had been commotion below the castle, inside, people who appeared to be servants were bustling about. Their “movement,” however, consisted of frantically wrapping silver and gold tableware, paintings, and other valuable items in patched-up cloths.

They were so focused on their work that they didn’t even pause at the clanking sound of Ignatz’s plate armor as he approached.

“Stop!”

“Gasp!”

Unable to bear the sight any longer, Ignatz shouted loudly for them to cease their activities. Only then did the servants recognize him, letting out startled cries before falling into unanimous silence.

Clang!

They were so shocked that one of them dropped a golden candlestick and couldn’t even pick it up.

“From now on, all items in this castle belong to Amurtat. Put down everything in your hands and leave.”

Whatever their circumstances, the victor has the right to claim their spoils.

Amurtat had won the “war” against Elisia and had the legal authority to take its treasures.

Strictly speaking, the servants’ actions constituted “theft.”

“M-my lord…”

At that moment, an elderly servant approached Ignatz.

Normally, he should have drawn his sword, but seeing the pitiful figure of the man, twisted with age, Ignatz couldn’t bring himself to do so. The old servant knelt at Ignatz’s feet and pleaded.

“We’ve worked for decades without proper wages… This country has now fallen… We need money to survive. Gold and silver, specifically… We don’t want expensive treasures that need to be wrapped in cloths… Please… just consider our situation a little…”

“…”

Ignatz fell into thought.

During his time as a squire, the knight who served as his master had fallen badly during a jousting match and was seriously injured. With his master’s income cut off until recovery, they had gone through a very difficult time.

Just a few months of poverty had made him consider giving up his dream of knighthood, yet these people had served and protected Francesca for decades while waiting for wages that might never come.

Perhaps, then, it would be virtuous as a knight to turn a blind eye to them filling their pockets with some compensation through this looting?

Besides, Tiberius had advised him, “If you can win the people’s hearts, don’t be too concerned about material wealth,” so Ignatz replied:

“Take only what you can carry on your person.”

“Thank you, my lord! Thank you so much!”

At his words, the servants quickly unwrapped their bundles and began stuffing the treasures into their clothes. From pockets to undergarments—so much that Ignatz worried they might collapse under the weight.

While they frantically gathered treasures, the elderly servant spoke to Ignatz.

“Her Highness Francesca… should be in the bedroom on the highest floor of the castle.”

“Are you her servant?”

“I suppose I am. Though not anymore.”

As he spoke, tears streamed endlessly from his eyes.

For decades, he had lived as a servant, and in any other city, his dedication and efforts might have been recognized.

Unfortunately, by the gesture of angels, he was born in Elisia, and despite rising to the glorious and honorable position of a ruler’s servant, he had grown old without any sense of fulfillment.

“Do you have family?”

“I did.”

“I see.”

Could the past tense ever sound so sad?

The elderly servant ended the conversation there. If he continued talking with Ignatz, he might lose his chance to gather any treasures.

“Sigh… The highest floor, he said?”

Ignatz headed upstairs to do what he had to do.

Despite being a knight for over six years and having cut down more than a hundred people, never had his sword felt as heavy as it did today.

*

“Is this it…”

The highest floor of the castle.

Before Ignatz stood a single room with the most ornate decorations and the widest door.

“…”

How should he enter?

Since he had come to kill, there was no need for complex etiquette, but his target was a sovereign ruler. It didn’t seem right to simply swing his sword without a word.

But Francesca had no sense of guilt. Since becoming ruler, she had never left the castle and had never recognized what “butterfly effect” her “mercy” had caused.

Could he kill her while maintaining the dignity befitting a ruler?

Ignatz thought it impossible.

Even though he was eliminating a tyrant, a ruler was still a ruler—a being beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Rulers were living deities who had descended to earth, whose minds and bodies would not deteriorate even after hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of years, and who protected their people from external threats by wielding the power of the land.

Francesca, by her mere existence, was at least fulfilling the minimal purpose of protecting her people.

Of course, now there were no people left for her to protect, no city—everything had crumbled.

Creeeeak…

Ignatz opened the door and entered.

Huff… huff…

A faint breath, so slight it could barely be heard without concentration, reached his ears.

Ignatz approached the bed and looked down at Francesca, who slept like a baby without a care in the world.

Beautiful, pure features, and attractive red hair that framed her face.

If she had been born as a daughter of an ordinary family rather than a ruler, she might have enjoyed wealth and prosperity based on her appearance alone. But she happened to be of royal lineage, capable of forming contracts with the earth’s core, and Elisia had slowly suffocated to death under her neglect and indifference.

Thinking about it that way, her beautiful appearance began to seem like a witch’s spell.

Shing!

Ignatz deliberately drew his sword loudly.

He was curious about how she would react if she woke up.

But she kept her eyes closed, sleeping peacefully as if without a worry in the world.

Thunk!

And that’s how she went.

For the main culprit who had sickened Elisia for hundreds of years, it was truly a humane end.

Wooooong… Groooooan…

As she died, a strange sound swept across Elisia, announcing the ruler’s death and the earth core’s slumber.

Soon, demons and monsters would swarm in and devastate this land, so they needed to leave as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, there was still some time before the barrier completely disappeared.

*

“How many said they would come?”

Ignatz, returning with Francesca’s corpse loaded on his horse, asked his knights.

“Two hundred thousand have raised their hands, sir.”

“And the other hundred thousand?”

“They say they’ll die here.”

The knight spoke calmly. He could speak so dispassionately about death on the scale of a hundred thousand because twice that number had chosen life.

“There’s still time before the barrier completely disappears. Gather all the carts, livestock, food, and treasures. We’re taking everything to Amurtat.”

“Understood. Anything else?”

“Nothing for now. I’ll communicate with His Majesty. If you have questions, find me in two hours.”

“Yes, sir.”

Typically, it takes a week for an earth core to completely cease activity. The barrier itself continues to weaken, but what remains until the very end is the perception-reducing barrier.

Ignatz picked up the communication orb, gazed at it with both eyes, and recited an incantation.

[Ignatz. Is it done?]

“Yes, Your Majesty. Now we’re gathering the city’s treasures and food, and we’ll cremate Francesca’s remains to extract the earth core fragment.”

[Good. Don’t worry about the return journey. I’ve already made arrangements with Fahrenheit.]

“With Fahrenheit?”

[Yes. We’ve agreed to increase the steel sales quota by nearly tenfold to merchants affiliated with Fahrenheit. In exchange, they’ve promised to secure the extracted earth core and safely escort the Elisian refugees you’ll be leading. Messengers have already been exchanged, and the contract has been established through the Adventurers’ Guild.]

“I see… That’s fortunate.”

[So return quickly. My city needs its Knight Commander.]

“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll see you again in Amurtat.”

The conversation between Ignatz and Tiberius continued, with Tiberius sharing his expertise on how to handle the procession of 200,000 refugees and how to distribute food.

It wasn’t particularly complicated, but they would be leading 200,000 malnourished refugees with depleted strength on a month-long journey over unpaved dirt roads, while fending off monsters and beasts lurking from all directions.

It was a difficult task, but certainly not impossible.

After the communication ended, Ignatz watched the carts returning from the castle loaded with treasures.

Soon, everything in this city would belong to Amurtat.