Chapter 77: The Kingdom’s Crisis

The morning sunlight streamed through the pillars adorned with blue jasper, creating a stately atmosphere within the royal council chamber.

This meeting room was my most cherished space.

Countless important decisions had been made here, and discussions that determined the kingdom’s future had taken place within these walls.

However, the news the Count delivered today was starkly at odds with the chamber’s peaceful ambiance.

“I understand that Rowen, the former commander of the 2nd Knight Order, along with Count Walter, Count Birdan, and several other nobles, were followers of an evil god.

I also understand that Sir Edgar, who survived the Sia Kalt expedition three years ago, tracked them with Duke Crosby, which ultimately led to the Duke’s death.”

Chancellor Valerius spoke slowly.

His gray beard trembled slightly with each word.

The doubt in Valerius’s eyes was palpable.

He had been my most trusted advisor throughout my reign.

He was a cool-headed man who was never swayed by fanciful tales.

“But are you saying that the one who subdued them was the very flower that was the target of that expedition?

That this flower transformed into a human and even killed a demon using the divine power of an Apostle of Mikel?”

Valerius asked, his tone dripping with disbelief.

His voice was laced with clear ridicule.

I sympathized with his reaction.

The story I had just heard was more preposterous than any folktale or legend.

“Your Majesty, it is the absolute truth.”

Count Hind said with a grave expression.

His eyes were filled with desperation.

“I swear on my honor, there is not a single falsehood. I too found it hard to believe at first, but I witnessed it with my own eyes.”

Edgar chimed in, supporting his father’s words.

Edgar’s face was as unwavering as a cleric’s.

I looked back and forth between the two men.

Count Hind had served me with unwavering loyalty throughout my reign, and his son, Edgar, was a valiant knight.

But as the Chancellor said, the story was simply too absurd.

How could a flower turn into a person?

And that flower was an Apostle of Mikel?

If such a thing could happen, then this world was a far stranger place than I knew.

It would be more plausible to assume they had fallen under some mind-control magic from the evil god’s followers.

But the Hind family had always been devout, and they had no reason to lie.

This was what I found most perplexing.

“Count, I know well that you are a brave and loyal subject. But as you yourself admit, this story is difficult to believe.

I specifically summoned all individuals related to the incident. Why did you not come with this… flower… no, this person? How can I believe you based on words alone?”

The Count seemed to choose his words for a moment.

A look of trouble crossed his eyes.

“Your Majesty, Lady Licorice needed to rest…”

The moment he began to speak, Valerius cut him off, enraged.

The old Chancellor’s face flushed red with anger.

“What! How can you treat His Majesty’s command so lightly!

Count, you forget your duty to the crown! And calling her ‘Lady Licorice,’ speaking as if you worship this being!”

“Valerius, calm yourself.”

I raised a hand to placate the Chancellor.

Count Hind bowed his head.

“Your Majesty, I was disrespectful. But Lady Licorice… she is no ordinary being. Her power is beyond imagination. And…”

“And?”

“Her personality… is somewhat unpredictable. If I had brought her here, I feared what might…”

Before the Count could finish his sentence, a sudden commotion erupted.

With the clatter of armor, several knights rushed into the council chamber.

Their armor was caked with dirt and dust, and their faces were filled with terror.

“What is this disturbance!”

The Chancellor immediately rose to his feet and demanded.

“Your Majesty! An intruder has appeared! A small girl with insectoid monsters is overpowering the knights and destroying the castle!”

The Captain of the Guard reported breathlessly.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

“A girl? Insectoid monsters?”

My gaze automatically shifted to Count Hind and Edgar.

Seeing their faces suddenly turn pale, it was clear they knew what was happening.

“I believe it is her…”

Edgar said in a small voice.

Anxiety was laced in his tone.

“What in the world is going on? Are you saying that flower from your preposterous story has actually appeared?

Your Majesty, there must be some trickery at play!”

Valerius exclaimed with a look of bewilderment.

Fear and disbelief were mixed in his eyes.

“It is absolutely not a trick!”

Count Hind said firmly.

“We do not know why she has come either! I swear on my life…”

“If you do not know, then it is all the more serious.”

Valerius cut in.

“An uncontrollable being has entered the royal castle. This is a threat to the entire kingdom!”

“Enough!”

I raised my hand to stop their bickering.

This was not the time for debate.

“Count Hind, is the girl the Captain of the Guard just mentioned truly the ‘flower’ you spoke of?”

The Count nodded his head.

“Yes, Your Majesty. It is undoubtedly Lady Licorice.”

I quickly assessed the situation.

What I had considered an unbelievable story just moments ago seemed to have suddenly become reality.

But as king, I had to maintain my composure.

“Subdue her and bring her to me at once.”

The knights looked at each other, and finally, the Captain of the Guard shook his head.

“About that… Your Majesty, she… is too strong. Dozens of knights have already been taken down. She is no simple mage. She summons roots from the floor to shatter the castle walls and scatters a powder that paralyzes the knights.”

“There are nearly a hundred knights in the castle, and you say you are no match for her?”

My voice rose.

Anger and fear filled my chest simultaneously.

“What is the 1st Knight Order doing? What about the guard garrisons?”

“They have all been neutralized, Your Majesty. She is like… a calamity.”

The Captain of the Guard bowed his head.

“We will go.”

Count Hind and Edgar stood up at the same time.

Fear was etched in their eyes, but so was a resolute will.

“Count, can you and your son stop her?”

The Count hesitated for a moment.

“We cannot stop her, Your Majesty. But we might be able to calm her down. She will recognize us.”

Valerius quickly grabbed my arm.

“Your Majesty, it would be best to evacuate for now. This is clearly a rebellion. Or perhaps an invasion by an external force. In any case, Your Majesty’s safety is the top priority!”

I considered this for a moment.

My pride would not allow me to flee.

As king, I had to personally witness and control what was happening in my own castle.

But I also knew that as king, I could not act recklessly.

In the end, however, curiosity and responsibility overcame fear.

“No, I must see this for myself.”

I said firmly.

“If this being that was once a flower is as powerful as the Count says, then there is no use in hiding. It would be better to meet her and speak with her directly.”

Valerius tried to object, but seeing my resolve, he fell silent.

I summoned additional honor guards and headed with Count Hind, Edgar, and Valerius toward the source of the commotion.

As we passed through the palace corridors and down the marble staircases, the signs of destruction became more and more apparent.

Cracks ran along the walls, and marble fragments had fallen from the ceiling.

Several chandeliers lay shattered on the floor.

This castle was a symbol of royal authority, built two hundred years ago during our kingdom’s golden age.

It was a place imbued with the glory and authority of the royal family, passed down through generations, and a testament to stability and prosperity for our people.

The greatest masons and artisans had dedicated their lives to completing this magnificent structure; it was our kingdom’s history itself.

And now, all that history and tradition was crumbling at the hands of a single girl.

When we arrived at the Grand Hall, I was shocked by the scene before me.

Parts of the castle were shattered, entwined by massive black roots, and dozens of knights lay on the ground, frozen like statues.

The splendid chandeliers, once the pride of the castle, were shattered on the floor.

The pillars of the Grand Hall were half-demolished, and cracks had formed in the floor, with black roots sprouting through them.

‘What in the world is this…’

And in the center of it all stood a single girl.

With her red eyes, she looked like a young child, but her presence was immense.

She wore a black dress, and her red irises were the color of blood.

Around her floated a giant ice hornet, a red butterfly and a blue butterfly, and a strangely shaped metal sphere.

The giant hornet was already leaning against a wall as if lying down, and one of the butterflies was staring at me oddly.

Far behind her, a young man who appeared to be a mage and another girl stood in an awkward posture.

The girl’s gaze turned to me.

Her eyes held a mixture of curiosity and arrogance.

‘Is this being truly a flower?’

“Hmm? So it is you. The monarch who presides over this country. With the Count and Edgar also present, I welcome you all the more.”

The girl spoke in an elegant yet haughty voice.

Her tone and movements were like those of a high noble from the Empire.

But her words were clearly laced with contempt.

I blinked.

No one had ever addressed me in such a condescending manner.

“Lady Licorice! What is the meaning of this!”

Count Hind shouted.

His voice was mixed with bewilderment.

“Is it not obvious? I am delivering punishment. Through a judgment of blood and slaughter, the goddess of vengeance shall bring down her blade.”

Her calm, elegant voice echoed throughout the hall.

In that moment, it felt as if everything in the castle had come to a standstill.

I couldn’t even hear the breathing of my honor guards; no one dared to move.

Before the judgment delivered by the red-eyed girl, the kingdom that had boasted a hundred years of history trembled like a single falling leaf.

The fate of the kingdom now rested in the hands of a flower.