章 76: Save 42 - Cruel Truth
After being rescued by my family, negotiations began after the war.
The commonwealth was defeated, what will happen to them from now on will be horrible. But first I will start with the situation in the kingdom.
As many nobles, aristocrats, knights and ministers fled the kingdom, it was decided in plain and simple words.
"Fuck you idiots and don't come back!"
With my summary of the communiqué that was made via the printers and faxes I gave to the palace before I left to fight. Their relatives still in the capital and other parts of the kingdom were told to get the fuck out as well.
The traitors would not be pardoned or prosecuted.
They were simply threatened that they would be executed without a trial, their property, material goods and money both invested and kept, will pass to the palace.
On the surface it was cruel, but these idiots deserved it since they were trash.
To make it even sweeter for me, the term "aristocrat" was removed from the vocabulary of the kingdom, now there will only be nobles and the royal family.
No matter your court rank or status rank, you are a noble, period.
Those who did not come to the kingdom's call, those who presented excuses and those who said they were on their way, but never arrived. They are being questioned to find out if it is true.
Of course, many did not know how to lie and were punished with demotion in rank and half of their wealth to be given to the kingdom for another 100 years.
It all looks very strict, but it is Mayer-san who is leading this witch hunt.
I don't know why he's doing it, but Ixion told me that the nobles may rise up in retaliation, so the palace is granting new titles to new nobles.
After those who fled like rats, the punished and traitors. The number of nobles has dropped to the point that there are more commoners than them.
The palace was very frightened by this because if they find out; a coup d'état may occur after what happened with the insurrections.
To calm everyone down, it was communicated on a massive level that those who caused all this were the Marquis Balzac and the Kingsfort family, who were executed on the battlefield and burned in the same place.
Regarding the battlefield... I don't know how to explain that, but I will try.
I was informed that in all the borders they saw that Brunhilde was fighting against the strange creature that attacked us. Thanks to that, the enemies fled in terror and refused to return to attack.
Afterwards, many wanted to know what the hell it was that I fought against and even more the strange shields.
I told them the best credible excuse of all.
"It was a secret weapon created by the Kingsfort and the shields are a thing of my lost object, but it went down for good so.... questions answered!"
Many didn't understand what I told them, least of all me, but I didn't know or have any idea how to explain what those things were.
Ixion told me he would talk to me about the huge black thing and a possible explanation about the shields.
I still don't understand how my ring and the shields were related according to a report he gave.
I returned home to rest because of what happened, I mean the harassment of annoying old men, for some reason my mother and the commoners welcomed us with a big feast.
It doesn't make me happy to be welcomed like that, and the reason I cried was because of the tasty food waiting for me!
As usual, Lyle bragging about things he didn't do, Bram backing him up for some reason, my father enjoying the company of young girls while recounting the things I don't think they did, and my mother bashing him for flirting with other women.
It was a good night's rest no doubt, not counting my convulsions from the effects of the drugs I took of course, the next morning I had to go to the palace.
Now it's time to talk about the commonwealth... they got the worst of it.
I was in a meeting room observing something I could not believe, the king of the commonwealth was a little boy.
He looked younger than my sweet angel Pola-chan.
The boy was sitting on a chair listening to various statements dictated by Mayer-san.
I really felt weird, that old man always generated a good vibe of a kind grandfather to me.
But the clauses and deals after the surrender of the commonwealth only made me feel nauseous.
It didn't help that this brat was holding back tears while being surrounded by adults making him sign suspicious documents.
A guy with cyan-colored hair identical to a certain senpai I know was informing me of this.
The remaining relatives of the Kingsfort were executed instantly, they did not want that blood to reoccupy the territory, let alone interact with each other.
The commonwealth will have to pay an economic compensation of 75% of their annual income and 22% tax for the economic losses caused to the capital by those who escaped and the things they stole.
The remaining 1% is the land tax, as the Kingsfort territory will now belong to them, and the commonwealth will be erased to be a territory annexed to the kingdom under the name of the Duchy of Talis.
That is not good at all, despite having a larger territory, they must pay a tax and economic compensation impossible to achieve.
It is like having a capital of 10 gold coins and they want you to pay the tax of 1000 platinum coins in one week, no matter how hard you work, it will be impossible to achieve that.
The kingdom is expressing its resentment against the commonwealth which now no longer possesses its own identity.
By being part of the kingdom they have lost their own freedom, but they will not be citizens of the kingdom, which is to say that they are the same as undocumented people living in a country that not only does not want them, but also requires them to pay them to live there.
And, after learning that this country has famine and very limited harvests, it makes it even more impossible to pay what they are asking for.
It could be said that I condemned thousands or millions of people to live a hell on earth that only death could save them.
I watched without changing my expression as the ministers detailed the deal with the king, then officials of the commonwealth came in to speak.
I don't like at all the happy face that Mayer-san makes and even more with the other problem, the temple.
After what happened with Dixit who passed away, Balzac and the poor idiot Erselica. I found out that Mayer wanted to destroy the temple and have them controlled by the palace.
It was reported that Erselica was an imposter and deceived everyone.
There was a lot of resentment, but it was reported that it was all their fault and the others who escaped.
Currently, the temple is one foot away from destruction as there are no cardinals or anyone in high command left, only one guy who all the low ranking ones nominated as their representative.
It was also decided that the temple would lose not only the position they have in the court, but also the rank dictated by the long time king.
Those who support the temple will not receive any benefits or anything from the kingdom.
They will also lose the funds that the palace gave them, they will have to support themselves with the money of their faithful and what they put from their own pockets.
The most annoying issue of all is her, Erselica. After discovering that she was my cousin from my previous life, I was losing my appetite for what was going to happen to her according to Mayer.
The public execution of the imposter. She hurt me, she wanted to kill me, she is responsible for the rumors about me being a vandal and going into the women's bathroom among other things.
They were going to execute her for impersonating the one this kingdom prayed to.
Was I going to allow it?
Of course... no.
How the hell would I allow that!
Yes, I know that being a reincarnate and so is she, we are no longer related.
But what about the feelings I had for her? What about the good memories I have of her? And most of all, I would feel bad if this idiot who still has to beg me for forgiveness would be eliminated without doing so.
That is why I am here now in the palace, a hall where everyone meets to discuss important things, the place is beautiful and decorated with various flags of the houses to which the ministers belong, the flag of the kingdom and their seats.
There were many empty seats since many were traitors or escaped, now I had to dialogue with the ministers and Mayer about the release and forgiveness of that idiot.
Present false evidence that she was being extorted by Dixit and Balzac.
It was all done by Ixion who presented edited recordings of their conversations that never happened.
We had to delay her execution until almost the end of December to get everything ready.
And now... to save her ass.
"...Rudel-kun. Do you understand what this means?"
Mayer was questioning me because of the evidence I presented. He could tell he was really annoyed, his normally closed eyes were open staring at me.
"Yes. With this evidence, Ms. Reinfield does not need to be executed due to the fact that it was not her decision to get involved in all this, she was being threatened to hurt her late father. So I ask that she not be executed as it would be a crime against an innocent victim."
I could feel how everyone was looking at me and didn't seem to believe me, but it doesn't matter since the(false) evidence is on our side.
"Ru... Viscount Bradford-dono."
Mayer changed his tone with me suddenly.
"I remember you yourself, you told me that she would be executed since she was responsible for accusing you on many false charges among them, that she and the late traitor were in cahoots."
Normally in this situation, I would cringe as it reminded me of when my section chief would ask me why the report wasn't ready; when it wasn't my duty or job to do so, the bastard docked my pay.
I inhaled a little and exhaled before answering.
"I apply the same with the late traitor, I needed proof to see if it was true or not, no matter how much it bothered me, accusing her without proof is very immature of me."
I heard as someone seemed to laugh, it was Siegwald wiping his mouth with a handkerchief.
Don't laugh at me old man.
I looked at Mayer who didn't seem convinced until Siegwald spoke up.
"This doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Let's have him see if everything he says is true."
I looked at him and asked "what do you mean?". He gave me a terrifying smile as his hands were clasped together wickedly.
"Viscount, you presented infallible evidence no doubt, but the point is that she made a mockery of us whether she was innocent or not. And that is something we will not tolerate."
I don't like the way the conversation is going.
"Viscount, what are you willing to offer to save her?"
He is definitely taking revenge for what I said to him.
Once again, I inhale and exhale looking at him with my most serious face.
"What do you wish?"
His mouth moved to say something I had forgotten. This man is an adult like those who were at the top of a company, their thoughts and discussions are always about getting everything for themselves.
"We desire your island, that includes everything inland, no matter what it is, it will belong that territory to the kingdom."
No one protested or said anything, everyone was silent, I just watched him and his smile of victory that was evident.
I wanted to prove that everything I do to save her is false.
In this situation, I would have to refrain and say that I tried.
I can't bribe them as I have no money anymore, the machine to make money from the rocks was stored in my sunken airship. Do not have any way to get income other than through me island.
Before I gave my answer, I remembered the reason why her execution was postponed, and I used that opportunity to speak to her and, she said something that left me shocked....
◇
I was walking down the stairs to the subway prison of the palace.
There at the bottom, there were four people chained with their arms and legs in shackles.
I greeted the guard and asked him to come out, he listened to me, but he was very scared to see me.
"So, tell me, what the fuck happened up there?"
I was asking that question not to Erselica who was crying, but to the three annoying ones on her left.
They were three colors, three idiots who were beaten no matter who they were.
Those were...
"It's just as you heard Bradford. I will not allow this injustice."
Said the most idiotic color of all, Liam, who had a swollen face as the ministers themselves beat him mercilessly.
"It is as the prince says, it was an injustice."
"Even if they were our enemies, to do that to them is very cruel."
The red ape with its mouth swollen together with the green moss with purple eyes supported him.
"They are imbeciles aren't they, don't try to deny it, stupidity is in their souls."
"Don't try to flatter us, we did real justice." Liam was saying this with a serious and honest look of a very pure protagonist.
"I won't lie, it felt good to do a good deed." Chlust wiped the blood that kept running down his nose as he felt proud.
"No man would stand idly by after hearing those unfair statements." Frey was combing his hair trying to show off.
"What the hell are you two idiots talking about, it's not flattery! You, trio of morons know what you did! Or would you rather I remind you?"
The three of them looked at me as they didn't understand what happened.
To sum it up.
Right after Rafiel signed and the commonwealth officials came in, these three idiots got up from their seats and started beating up the foreign officials.
No matter how crazy it sounds or how many times I remember it, what the hell were they thinking!
The ministers got upset and beat them up since they were generating a bad image for the kingdom, no matter if they were defeated and humiliated enemies.
If the prince of a country proves that he is a barbarian, it means that his kingdom is also a barbarian. Which would mean that future negations with foreign countries would fall apart if this came to light.
They could eliminate the officials to prevent the rumor from spreading, but that would only generate that something happened and make things worse.
That's why everyone ran to beat them up. To make him much more of an idiot than he already is.
The idiot Liam and the other two shouted that they loved Erselica and if they wanted her executed, they would have to execute them too.
I was informed that after locking him up he was once again stripped of his crown prince title and worse, he is no longer a prince; but just another nobleman until he stops being an idiot.
The other two idiots were beaten by their parents, apparently they were saddened by the death of Erselica's father, they cried as they beat their children and disinherited them.
Now the three idiots were just simple nobles.
"I'd like to know how their brains thought for a moment, that something like that would work to help the commonwealth? No, wait, I don't want to know! It sure is an even stupider thing to do than it is!"
These guys scare me, their stupidity is not normal, it scares me to think what the future holds for them.
I was holding my head trying to understand them until Liam spoke up.
"Bradford, can you tell us what you're doing with that person?"
Liam was referring to the one who had been by my side since I got here.
"I just wanted to see them and ask them the same thing."
That person was Rafiel.
"Just like the viscount, I would like to know what they were thinking to do that? Instead of helping us; they made the situation worse, but for you. The viscount was going to help me anyway."
The three idiots answered in unison the same thing.
"Huh? Really?"
I looked at them while scratching my head due to the emotional stress of hearing them.
"It's impossible for them to be able to pay what they are asking for and be able to eat; so I told Ixion to deliver some artifact for them so they can live off the land and be able to trade it."
I remembered that these three harassed Ixion when they saw him in the secret hangar, he got upset and electrocuted them as he couldn't stand them.
The three were shocked as they watched with their stupid faces how great and benevolent I was.
Seeing Liam's face, I remembered when I told him and Alisa about Klein's death.
I tried to embellish it a bit so they wouldn't think I was a scumbag until the end, even though I was.
Liam seemed to believe it, though he was hesitant at first, Erselica tried to spoil him and it seems the idiot took the opportunity to fall on her flat chest to be spoiled, the other two got jealous.
As for Alisa, she just smiled at me and said "thank you".
I wondered if that smile was a good thing or a bad thing.
Back to these idiots, Erselica was still crying.
I went downstairs and approached her.
She raised her head as I called out to her and she ran to grab my shirt between the bars.
"Onii-chan, please help me, I don't want to die!"
I wanted to yell at her.
(Don't call me like that in front of everyone, they'll think badly!)
But I kept quiet since it would be much worse to answer him, so I'll ignore what he said.
"Even if I wish, your situation is really annoying, thanks to these idiots you have bought yourself extra days of life since the ministers are rewarding and apologizing to the foreign emissaries."
(Your situation is really bad so sorry, I don't think I can do anything for-)
My thought was interrupted by the following he said.
"If you don't help me, I won't tell you about the next danger coming in the second year!"
"Danger... what do you mean?"
I asked quietly since they all looked curious.
"The shitty knight that one is dead, so it must be game over by now."
In the same tone she replied.
"Bandel was a threat, but what's coming next will be much worse than him. We'll all die if we don't stop him, so, if you want to save yourself and those girls, you must save me too!"
◇
(Just remembering that I was extorted by a little pest...makes me really sick).
After remembering why I was doing this, it gave me an anger that was best discarded, so I answered them uninterestedly.
"You want my territory? Have it."
They were all shocked, even Siegwald himself who asked.
I kept telling them to keep more of my stuff.
"You want my family's workshop and shipyard? It's in my father's name, so my brother inherited it and I didn't, so I'm sorry you can't have it."
"Since I'll be demoted soon, why don't they keep my noble title as well? After all, I don't even want to be one. I'll look for a new unexplored island as a commoner, since no one is forbidden to venture out regardless of their status."
Everyone started muttering after that, for some reason, Siegwald just looked at me and his face was serious.
While Mayer...
"Viscount Bradford."
He was giving me a look that clearly showed to be annoyed.
"Do you know what I hate most in this world?"
I replied "no." As he said.
"I hate betrayal and even more so when you stretch out your hand to someone and they bite it without remorse."
I knew what those words meant, but I can't back out now.
"It's a shame really, Mayer."
"Call me Prime Minister Ritzburg, Viscount."
I looked him in the eye when he said that.
"It is a pity and a nuisance indeed to say this. But, the palace will accept as a bargain your island and title in exchange for pardoning the impostor, but, it will be only a sabbatical year that you can be free from her execution!"
So after sacrificing my territory and title she's only guaranteed a year to live, huh?
I turned around and spoke as I walked.
"It's a done deal it seems. In one year I'll bring them a big gift so they won't bother her anymore and... I guess I won't belong to any faction anymore?"
"Believe that I will not allow you to join any."
His words were cold and cutting, I put my hands in my pockets and gave my last words.
"See you at the demotion ceremony. I'll start looking for where I can get a new place to live."
I opened the door and walked out of there, never to enter again. And just like that, that's how I destroyed my future and my best ally by saving her ass.
◇
I walked quietly down the corridor, the sunset was beautiful.
No doubt this beautiful day, she never imagined it would end in this horrible way.
"Is this right?"
Who was asking that question was Ixion who has been hiding all this time hearing everything.
"What are you talking about?"
I asked him.
"Handing over the island that you painstakingly found, and that I worked hard for the future resort it was supposed to become, now vanished."
"...Are you upset?"
"You make my processor overheat, so I will no longer try to think about your crazy thoughts."
"Sorry."
I offered my sincerest apology.
"But... where will you live now?"
"Well, I don't think we have to worry about that for now after what I heard, since soon-"
I heard footsteps approaching, Ixion disappeared as I turned to see who it was, I observed her, the Queen. coming along with some maidservants.
"Good afternoon, Hero of the Realm."
"Good afternoon my Queen, I don't deserve to be called that."
I bowed respectfully to greet her.
As always, she is radiant and beautiful.
"Did you just come out of a meeting with the ministers?"
"Yes, just now I was closing a deal with them. And you, where were you headed?"
"I was also to talk to them about what will happen from now on to inform Her Majesty."
"..."
"Is something wrong?"
I asked since she suddenly lost her smile.
"Viscount- Rudel-kun. could I take some of your time? There's something I'd like to tell you."
I was speechless from what I heard, but, that means that's it, right?
By "that" I mean "it"!
"I have all the time in the world if you want it!"
I unwittingly agreed in a way that made me sound like a weirdo.
◇
We entered a private room without her maids.
This made me feel more anxious. I never expected that I was really going to have "it" happen in my life.
But, if she asks me in a private room, it had to be important.
After serving her tea that I prepared, she started talking.
"Rudel-kun, do you know why the Kingsfort did all this?"
Something that wasn't what I expected, my disappointment didn't show on my face, but life is cruel to me and I must get used to it.
"No. They wanted the crown since they were bastards, wasn't that supposed to be the reason for starting the war?"
She looked at me and spoke something shocking.
"Let me tell you a secret that no one but me and my husband know. This not even Mayer knows, not even the other dukes."
"It all started when the Saint named the royal family before she died. The kingdom needed land, that's where the first family of dukes came from, the Talis."
I had heard from Ixion that Rafiel's family originated from the kingdom, but to hear that this Saint was no fairy tale... and even more so after learning from Erselica that Airi would become the next female Saint... it was astounding.
"The Talis had gained much of the territories, noble titles started to spread all over the world, my land also went through a great change as the system was different back then."
Who knew, the Queen is a foreigner.
"Right after marrying them off to a daughter of the king from several generations ago, that's where they came in, the Kingsfort."
The thing seems to be more serious now.
"They came directly from royal blood, they were considered stand-ins in case the main branch fell. Sometime later, another branch came along, but of less clean blood, the Belmont's."
I've heard that surname a lot, but who are they?
"The Belmont's locked themselves in their territory to protect our borders. The kingdom was already growing larger and that's where that happened."
"That?"
"What do you mean by that?" I wanted to ask her, but she answered me before ask.
"Do you know the origin of our middle name and the reason for having it?"
"Yes. It's the first thing I was taught to know the difference in status and how you can move up."
"Right. That's all a lie."
"...Huh? My Queen, what are you talking about, a lie?"
What did I just hear?
She stared at me as she spoke.
"You must know about the king's younger brother they called 'van' right?"
I replied a little fearfully, "yes...".
"That younger brother was actually the chief of that time of the Kingsfort, they were exiled due to trying to get their hands on that, the legacy of the Saint to the royal family."
He listened intently to the cruel truth that increased in level.
"They tried to take over that ship, Liebe was it not? But they couldn't, the king decided to punish them and his punishment was exile and creating a line that separated those who held power and those who served them."
He continued to listen without making a sound.
"My land and the kingdom were allies back then, they decided to call 'van' those who are disposable puppets for the 'von', those who rule. In the ancient language of my land, van is a mule and von is its rider."
My mouth was trying to open at what I heard.
(So all this time we have been a mockery to the kingdom!)
"The palace of that time decided to have on their side those who are loyal to them and those they can keep in check. It was there that they implemented the court ranks and two false noble titles. The earl and margrave, so the low nobles could feel important having a false title that was erased from the whole world beforehand."
"Because of that, the barons and viscounts were the useless, country nobles who protect the frontier and can be replaced, the important ones were the burgesses and adventurers of high caliber who became earls with their found riches. But even they were not spared from the royal family who took great pleasure in mocking others. A change was made in history and education, the academy was created and gradually grew from one educational institution to three. Thanks to the fact that the barons to margraves were peons, the van; and the counts to marquises the von; they were allowed to use the name that only the royal family used, it was because there was nonconformity for that time where the Temple was born and it was no longer a simple temple to pray, its power and influence terrified several nobles and even the palace itself."
She rested her throat for a moment and drank tea to refresh herself.
"Because of that, the dukes demanded to also be called von, the royal family agreed as the dukes had a lot of power. Sometime later, the First World War broke out. The kingdom wanted to use that opportunity to gain more territories, but they were defeated by a foreign force that did not stop them from passing. That same force asked to join the kingdom, their reasons were unknown, but the king at the time cared more about his neck and wanted to have powerful allies."
She paused for a moment to look at me.
"Do you know what was the name of that family that became part of the kingdom?"
I couldn't speak, so I just turned my head and she gave a strange smile.
"It was a family with long golden blonde hair as golden as the sun, they used powerful fire magic that could burn airships and beautiful intense red eyes, that family married a princess and ascended to be a house of a grand duke, a title that of course, was false, they refused the last name that was to be given to them as they possessed one of their own and would not change it, they were called the Bismarck's."
I had just heard the story of Alisa and her family, but my head was too weirded out to want to ask certain things.
"At that time, the kingdom had the four great families protecting the borders of the kingdom. An era of change was supposed to come for the better... but that's when the Kingsfort decided to take over the kingdom."
"The chieftain at the time, Klein's great-grandfather, had deceived Liam's great-grandfather, about the Talis wanting to stage a coup along with the newly established republic. The king, of course believed him, gave the newly created position of supreme commander to him and together with his strongest knights, House Nosferatu and the other dukes invaded the duchy of Talis and drove them out."
My hands began to shake, this is not something you tell someone like me who will be demoted.
"Klein's great-grandfather returned in triumph with a conquered land to expand his territory, he expected a reward, to rise in rank to an official title that was created at that time, a duke."
Stop, stop, why are you telling me all this? I'm just a peasant.
"To his surprise, not only him, but the other two were also promoted and that's how the three lords of the kingdom were born."
What's in it for me knowing this? Stop.
"Some time later two misfortunes befell the kingdom; the first was the destruction of its most loyal and strongest house of knights, the Nosferatu. Alisa's father who had no political influence as he was young, was secretly contacted by Klein's grandfather. This is something we found out later, according to the details Siegwald wrote, he said it was a mistake what happened, he only regretted not having eliminated that child who escaped. There were more secret reports from butlers that said that child was not sane, since his childhood he showed violent and destructive behavior, several years later the second world war happened and that's where our greatest fear was born, the bloody knight."
Please shut up! Why are you telling me this as if I were someone important? You are terrifying me as this is bigger than a state secret.
"After that, the dukes were informed that we might be attacked and that we had an ace in case the capital was attacked. That was our biggest mistake as Franz, was able to confirm that we were hiding something and his plan to have his son get information out of Liam was getting stronger. I am not proud of what I will say, but I also used him, my son, the fruit of my womb to spy on Klein.... But Liam turned out to be a terrible pain in the ass and you saw what happened."
(No more I beg you!)
(Are you making fun of me!)
(Is this my punishment for stalking her and looking at her breasts and imagining doing things to them?!?!?)
(I'm sorry, I'll never do it again! But please don't do it anymore!)
(I think they're going to kill me for telling me something as important as this!)
(Uwaahh, Ixion, they're going to kill me!)
I was busy shaking and thinking horrible things to happen to me when she was done talking.
"And, that's it, this is the cruel and horrible truth that not only the kingdom, but also the royal family was hiding. I'm sorry to bother you with things that were none of your business, but this I did because of what happened. How our most loyal nobles, ministers and knights abandoned us at the first opportunity and how you criticized us as if you knew that deep down we were trash who deserved it. Truly viscount, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving us and I ask forgiveness for all you have suffered for this country."
The Queen leaned back in her seat, her breasts jiggled a little, but I decided not to look at them as I was terrified.
As she rose, she saw me tremble.
"You need not worry about anything, I guarantee this will not be known to my husband or anyone else, consider it a secret from the Queen to the hero."
She winked at me as she said it, that sentence must have given me a lot of happiness, as it seemed to be taken out of some immoral book. But my panic over what he said was bigger than my follies.
"D-d-don't worry. I-I-I-I understand you were just venting to me."
I grabbed my teacup and it was wobbling a bit.
"Let's change the subject to a more pleasant one before I go to the meeting."
She said this as she clasped her hands together while her mature face flashed a pure teenage smile.
How do you wish I wouldn't bother you when you look so charming?
"I would like our relationship, of Queen and hero to start from scratch. I'm willing to erase all the bad things you said during this time if it's okay with you."
This was an opportunity to remove all my harassment of her and have a healthy adult relationship.
"O-of course, I also wish to have a better friendly relationship with you!"
(Now that Mayer has turned his back on me after what I did, only the Queen is my only ally in the palace and I can't lose her).
I didn't notice, that the queen turned red for some reason. Don't tell me I unknowingly harassed her again?
"Well... what she said was a surprise, about wanting to be friends."
"...Huh?"
I don't understand the flow of this conversation now.
"The thing is... I'm not someone who possesses many friends, rather... the only person I talked to when I came to this country was Alisa's mother since we had something in common. And, even the maids don't want to have a casual conversation with me."
Please stop acting cute! Her fingers awkwardly touching each other, her legs rubbing together in embarrassment and her wet eyes staring at the floor do nothing to help me not enjoy teasing her.
Someone tell this mature woman that her destructive power of tenderness reaches radioactive levels!
"That's why...I was a little glad you want to be friends with an old woman like me."
When you call yourself old, it only makes my dark desires increase! Stop, I beg you!
"Not at all! I am someone that the only company I have by my side are two female friends nothing more, I would like to get along with the Queen since, from our previous conversations you can tell that she is a woman who really enjoys dialoguing. I'm sure we can have a healthy conversation between two people."
I was trying to calm her down as her cuteness was destroying me inside.
Suddenly, she stopped and looked down at the table.
"So at this point you're still treating them as friends..."
"Sorry?"
"Nothing, I'm sorry, I'm not one to meddle in teenage relationships and problems, let alone my son and second daughter's nonsense."
(Why is she talking so weird? I know Liam is a jerk, but second daughter? ...oh, that's right, I remember Alisa said she considered the queen a second mother so it's normal for the queen to treat her like a daughter, although I think she was wrong to say second instead of just daughter).
She slapped her palms to change the conversation to a better one than it already was.
"More importantly, Rudel-kun, what do you plan to do from now on? The academy will take a while to open, so I don't see a problem with you wishing to complete your studies after your demotion."
I gave her a smile since this is not known to anyone, but I can't lie to those rosy cheeks and glowing blue eyes.
"I was thinking about it, and I think the best thing I can do now is this. I'll go study abroad."
When I told her that, for some reason her smile faded and her blue eyes turned black as they stared at me.
◇◇◇
Just after Rudel came out of the ministers' meeting room, this happened.
"Prime Minister, this is really bad!"
"We were hoping he would back down, but this got out of our hands!"
"Didn't we imagine that your relationship with that girl is the same as the prince's!?"
"At this rate the kingdom will indeed be lost! After all, if we lose the hero who struck fear into our enemies, the country will be overrun since there will be no one who can defend us!"
The ministers were frightened because of what Rudel told them.
"We propagandized to the neighboring kingdoms and spread the word that he was the one who finished off that man, his demotion was supposed to be just a lie for his promotion to an Earl!"
"If Viscount Bradford really is leaving, what guarantees us to have him tied up kingdom!!!?"
Rudel's name and what he did was spreading by Mayer's own order, they wanted to tell the whole world. That the Altfode Kingdom was their worst threat and enemy, as they possessed the ruthless hero who killed the bloodthirsty knight.
All this was planned by Mayer after meeting Rudel.
He was sitting with both hands on his head as he looked at the documents Rudel presented.
Ministers were shouting at his desk that how could he have allowed that approval.
(If he hadn't, that boy would have realized there was more to it than just wanting that girl's execution, at this rate, what me and Leonis talked about will go down the drain. Must there be something I can do to change his mind?)
Everyone was elated.
"We can't threaten to take away his land or title since he gave it to us willingly!"
"We really need to reconsider a renegotiation with him without him thinking there is something fishy going on."
"What can we do to make him not want to leave and stay in the kingdom?"
Mayer thought as all the ministers looked anxious.
(I really wanted to help you and for you to have a happy and peaceful life, but I am the prime minister of the kingdom, much of the King's responsibility falls on me. That's why I used you, so you can help me lighten the burden and eliminate the pests from the country, you were going to work as a soldier only at specific times and live in tranquility in your territory, but why did you do all this Rudel-kun?)
A voice was raised among the shouts of the ministers, it was Siegwald who was sitting in his chair without moving.
"Gentlemen, you forget there is one thing you forgot."
They all turned to look at him.
"What did we forget?" one minister asked and Siegwald flashed a triumphant smile.
"What do you think is the best way to tie a man to a country and take legal steps to keep him from leaving?"
Mayer lifted his face to look at him and muttered before Siegwald himself answered.
"Bismarck, don't tell me this is what you were looking for?"
Smiling, the duke told them all.
"Compromise. There is nothing and no one in any country that can escape it, so it only remains for us to select your future wife so that she will not run away."
Everyone raised their voices at that simple, yet chaotic answer.
"Engagement is an excellent option, but he has turned down many letters about invitations, hasn't he?"
"The problem here is not looking for a house loyal to the kingdom, but how to get the viscount to accept that girl!"
"We should look for the most beautiful young ladies in the kingdom so he can get him interested in them."
"That boy has turned down many invitations! Even from my daughter, as a father I recognize that her beauty is high, but if Count Roseblaire's daughter is treated casually, what makes you think he would accept a girl he doesn't know?"
"Then whom do you propose for it?"
A mouth was about to open, but it was shut as someone came with heavy footsteps into the room.
It was Lecia who was sweating from running.
"Mayer, we're in trouble!"
"...What now Your Majesty?"
Lecia's mouth dropped a bomb because of what she said.
"Rudel-kun... Viscount Bradford, he's planning to escape overseas!"
The commotion started up again as her suspicions got worse, Mayer dropped his head on the desk while Siegwald....
"Viscount- ...no, Rudel-dono, thank you for making things easier for me."
He smiled as if he had already won.
クリエイターの想い 
Siegburn
Siegburn Now that it's all over, the Kingdom should be at peace... but Erselica, Alisa's father and Rudel himself will have statements that no one could guess.
That's right, that's why there are "van" and "von", if someday I do another version of this story, I would put different names but without a doubt what would change the most would be Rudel's cowardice with women!
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