章節 365: Chapter 524
* * *
From the perspective of the public, life was nothing out of the ordinary just a few days ago.
But now, even they could feel a heavy atmosphere hanging over the entire empire.
Everyone knew that the emperor's sword was not aimed at foreign forces, but at Hairan, which was called the pillar of the empire.
"I know! better than anyone else that the Imperial Sword has been fighting for the Imperial Family and the people for a long time."
In front of the Imperial Palace, the Emperor of the Empire, Amir Vermont, stood on a giant golden platform, overlooking the crowd. The platform was supported by about two hundred condemned criminals dressed in red robes.
The crowd felt puzzled by the unexpected announcement from the Emperor, but dared not express it.
The emperor said that the cause of the purge was treason and civil war.
"You would be curious. What kind of treason did the lord of Sword emperor castle commit? You may also dislike it, but I, too, am well aware that you favor Ron Hairan more than me."
The emperor slowly looked down at the people.
"I, too, as the supreme ruler of the Empire, trusted the most faithful servant Ron Hairan. Also, as a human, I respected and admired him, so there is no way to hide my frustration. However, Ron Hairan, the lord of the sword emperor castle, ignored my orders as well as my earnest requests, putting the empire in danger of terror, war, and destruction."
As the emperor beckoned, two blackened flags torn from the poles on both sides of the platform unfolded. They were the flags of the Empire and Hairan.
"Everyone remembered the day the disaster happened in the sword emperor castle. These flags were destroyed that day, and I will inform the entire populace about the cause of the terrorism that happened that day. It was because of... a single item possessed by Hairan."
The crowd gathered in the square murmured for the first time.
Then, the emperor gave a sideways glance, and a martial artist wearing Hairan armor stepped forward.
He is the second son of Ron Hairan and the flagbearer of Hairan, 'Tion Hairan'.
After the Sword Emperor Castle terror attack, traitors appeared one after another inside Hairan. They were all those who were pushed by Dante and treated as 'non-existent people' by Ron Hairan.
They, who had never imagined betrayal under Ron's majesty, saw a chance when the Imperial Sword suffered an unprecedented blow, coupled with the Imperial Family taking a back seat.
Tion was the first and the one who took the lead in betraying Hairan.
"... there is a white stone in my clan that was passed down only from patriarch to patriarch."
Originally, Tion didn't know about it at all, but the emperor informed him about white stone. And the emperor had no hesitation in revealing the white stone to the public unlike Hairan, who has kept a secret that threatens the world by passing down the patriarch.
The eyes of the crowd watching Tion were stained with contempt.
Unless he was an idiot, it was impossible not to realize that he betrayed his clan and stood in this position to covet the power of Hairan, which would soon pass to Dante.
"It may be hard to believe, but if you can smelt and use that white stone, it has the power to support all the magic equipment of the empire and make the empire many times stronger in an instant."
From the perspective of the crowd, it was an absurd and infuriating story.
Booo-!
Eventually, the crowd booed Tion.
As the emperor said earlier, Hairan is a clan that is loved by the people more than the imperial family. Those gathered in the square wanted to stone him to death at any moment.
"Your majesty."
The leader of the imperial guard, 'Alton Hairan', met the emperor's eyes. It means that if the emperor gives an order, he will immediately suppress the commotion.
However, the Emperor, with a raised corner of his mouth, silently instructed him to leave it alone.
"But isn't it just a little bit of an unpleasant noise? Just let them vent their anger at least a little bit."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Emperor was not giving this speech to chastise Hairan out of fear of public opinion or worry that the people would side with Hairan and rebel.
The first was to expose the secret of Hairan and pressurize them, and the second was simply because he loved the people in his own way.
It means to raise your voice a little, show your dislike, and relieve your anger.
"After all, they have no power to stop me, nor the will to do so. They may like Hairan more than me, but they won't risk their lives for it. I find the foolish and annoying appearance of the people quite cute and lovable."
The emperor was sincere and his eyes were shining as if the public was fascinating.
"... Your Majesty, you already ordered my clan to return the white stone to the imperial family long ago. The expression 'return' implies that the stone was originally entrusted to Hairan by the former emperor."
Of course, the imperial family had never entrusted a white stone to Hairan. They are just saying this because the public can't know the truth anyway.
"What a load of crap!"
The booing grew more and more furious.
"But, as you can see, Sword Emperor Ron Hairan is not following Your Majesty's command. Enemies seeking the stone have even carried out terrorism on the lands of the Empire, Sword Emperor Castle."
"Get lost! You filthy traitor!"
"Living golems and unknown giant demonic creatures threatened the empire because of the stone! Yet, Hairan clings to its greed and does not return the stone to the imperial family. As a member of that clan, I know better than anyone else that the lord of the Sword Emperor castle is using that power to plot treason."
Clap!
The emperor clapped his hands, and the angry crowd calmed down at once.
"Tion Hyran's testimony may seem dubious. I also know very well that it will be difficult to accept because it is such a sudden story. But hear me, my people. I am willing to forgive Hairan for instigating civil war and treason if they return the stone even now."
As the speech reached this point, a mixture of curiosity and anger was brewing in the hearts of the crowd.
What in the world is this white stone? Does it really exist? If so, why doesn't Hairan return it to the imperial family? Such questions naturally arose.
"I, Amir Vermont, Emperor of the Empire, declares. I will stop the purge as soon as Hairan returns the stone. However, if they do not seek forgiveness from me until the end, the Sword Emperor Castle will disappear."
* * *
The contents of the Emperor's speech quickly reach the Sword Emperor Castle.
"Emperor, this son of a bitch...! How could he do this to Hairan? White stone? Ridiculous! He is making up such nonsensical stories because he has no justification. And he claims to be the supreme ruler of the Empire!"
"That lunatic will surely pay the price. He acts as if Hairan is powerless and silently enduring, being supported just because he's the Emperor."
"The throne will be stained with his blood. It was Hairan who deserved to sit there from the beginning, not the Vermont family. If it wasn't for Hairan, the empire wouldn't have existed!"
The martial artists gathered in the meeting room were each raising their voices in anger.
Most seemed ready to storm the palace and fight, but there was undoubtedly an undercurrent of unease among them.
Anxiety had already begun even before the emperor's speech.
"We can't just gather here like this; we need to take action first! We must make that kid understand the dignity of the Sword Emperor, the significance of that name."
"We are being framed for treason, but we should show what real treason is. A few traitors switching sides and the Emperor raising an army? As long as Sir Ron is here, those who turned their backs will eventually kneel before our sword!"
They all shouted, looking towards one person seated at the top.
It was Dante Hairan, the young patriarch of Hairan.
Dante was barely managing to hide signs of fatigue on his face. However, the bloodshot eyes and parched lips couldn't be concealed.
"Come out Sir Ron...!"
"Sir Ron...!"
The uneasiness of the martial artists was no different. It was because of Ron Hairan, the man who summoned all the martial artists to this place with just dignity without any action.
It has been several days since the martial artists gathered, but Ron has not yet appeared in front of them even once.
'Grandfather….'
Now even Dante was aware of Ron's condition. Over the past few days, Ron's health had deteriorated so rapidly that it was impossible to conceal.
Ron was currently unconscious.
Dante was in command of the Sword emperor castle on his behalf. As time passed, the gathered knights began to doubt whether the Sword Emperor was truly in good health.
The suspicion was becoming undeniable.
Ron's absence was equal to the absence of the whole of Hairan. While there were still individuals in Hairan without Ron, the outcome of waging war without him was as clear as day.
A sense of pressure, helplessness, and nausea overwhelmed Dante
Dante was dizzy after not being able to sleep for several days, and cramps occurred in various parts of his body if he did not concentrate.
'A weak body makes it hard for me even at times like this....'
Dante gritted his teeth and met the eyes of gathered knights.
It seemed like he had to reveal the truth.
"... My grandfather is ill at the moment, and he is unconscious."
At Dante's words, the knights' angry voices died down. Those who had already noticed were not too shocked, but those who did not know were struck by a thunderclap.
"Sir Ron... unconscious? Could it be that the injuries he suffered that day have worsened?"
"Why are you telling us that now?"
"Without Sir Ron, war...!"
As Dante was about to reply, an old knight opened his mouth, clicking his tongue.
"If Sir Ron is absent, are you saying you won't fight with Hairan? You're talking nonsense. Without Sir Ron, are the rest of you just a bunch of rank-file soldiers? We came here to fight against the tyranny of the Emperor, to protect the friendship with Hairan. We didn't come to overthrow the Empire with Sir Ron leading the charge."
His name was Shuras Helter, the patriarch of the Helter clan.
Dante avoided giving an uncomfortable response to Shuras's words, but as long as Ron remained in bed, Dante had no means to dispel their anxiety.
They were facing opponents that would be difficult to handle even if they solidly united. Yet, a significant number of knights couldn't help but contemplate the crack created by Ron's absence.
'Without Sir Ron, the war is lost.'
'If we lose the fight against the emperor, not only will we die, but all of our blood and kin will be brutally murdered....'
Moreover, once they learned of Ron's illness, thoughts like these crossed their minds.
'The white stone the emperor spoke of... What if it really exists?'
'If the emperor's speech is true, it is best to return the stone and resolve the situation. Should I hope that his absurd story is real...!?'
A tense silence fell.
Just as someone was about to bring up the question of whether the Emperor's speech was true, urgent footsteps were heard from outside. It was the sound of commanders rushing in.
"Young patriarch! Movement of the Emperor's forces confirmed. The vanguard will arrive at the Sword Emperor Castle within three hours...!"
章節 366: Chapter 525
"... The scale of the Imperial Army vanguard?"
"One thousand knights, one hundred mages and five dragons, the commander is Kevin Perral of the Dragon King Knights. Notable Knights include Scott Harlow of the Central Knights, Marvin Pan, and Gloria Cenderer of the White Knights. The commander of the mages is Loya Lilista, mainly composed of the 2nd division of the Lilista Magic Corps."
"Fifty lion-class cannons, three red dragon-class cannons, and a number of barrier amplification artifacts have been confirmed as war artifacts."
Even with just that, there weren't many nations in the world that couldn't be conquered. Excluding the major factions, it was overwhelming for a single nation or clan to handle.
Besides, the lists recited by commanders are only the vanguard. The size of the main force that arrived later was incomparable.
"The scale of the main force hasn't been determined yet, but it's estimated to be at least ten times larger."
The atmosphere in the conference room became heavy.
Those who guessed Ron's condition renewed their resolve once more, and those who did not continued to think of the white stone.
"Three hours, faster than expected. The Emperor must be aware that Ron is in no condition to fight. That's probably why they are rushing here. The main force will likely arrive within a couple of hours after the vanguard."
It was as Shuras said.
Crack-! Suddenly, Shuras split the long table of the conference room in half and walked between them to stand in front of Dante.
Then he got down on one knee and lowered himself.
"I, Shuras Helter, the patriarch of the Helter clan. My knights, who are under my control, and I will share the same fate as Hairam."
As Shuras swore, the other knights fell to their knees as well.
"The Sellington clan will fight alongside Hairan, too!"
"Lofermo clan would have perished in ancient times if not for Hairan. It's weak, but it will help."
"The Traga clan will stand by Hairan."
"Ackle clan...."
Thirty representatives of each clan in the conference room swore to Dante and Hairan.
Then there were seven people left. They were the ones who were most shaken by the news that Ron had lost consciousness.
After Dante solemnly placed a sword on the shoulders of those who had sworn allegiance and responded, he silently gazed at them.
"Kingzel clan, Felicie clan, Metin clan, Baizerin clan, Pane clan, Mitro clan, Genion clan."
"Sir Dante, we…."
"You have betrayed your trust with Hairan. You forgot that my clan, my grandfather and ancestors fought for your well-being."
The representatives of the seven clans couldn't lift their heads at Dante's words.
The knights who were still bowing were ready to cut their throats at any moment if Dante gave an order.
"But I don't want to believe that you abandoned the faith of Hairan simply out of fear for your life and the survival of your clan. I will assume that you chose to keep loyalty to the Empire rather than loyalty to Hairan. So, before you leave, there is something you must do for the Empire."
"Speak... please."
"Help evacuate the people of Sword emperor Castle. If you are not even willing to do that, it means you have not chosen loyalty, and I have no reason to spare you."
The seven knights who did not swear allegiance bowed their heads and left the meeting room.
"Sir Golo."
"Yes, my lord!"
"Evacuate all non-combatant vassals and subjects. If the seven clans do not assist in the process, you can cut their throat immediately."
"I will do as you command."
"Also, all rank-file soldiers must be evacuated."
The rank-file soldiers were mainly responsible for equipment operation and supply, as well as maintaining guard and post-battle control.
If rank-file soldiers are absent, the lower-ranking knights would have to operate equipment such as cannons themselves, so there would be some power loss, but Dante didn't want to make them take too harsh a responsibility.
If the war is lost, they will have their whole family killed just for standing on the walls.
After the evacuation only remaining personnel in the castle were 3,000 lower-ranking knights, 1,000 high-ranking knights, and 50 commander-level knights, including Dante.
They could handle a vanguard force, but it was woefully insufficient to face the entire empire.
Dante and his commanders climbed the walls.
Restoration has been ongoing since the last terrorist attack, but sword emperor castle has yet to regain its original appearance.
Cracks were left everywhere on the walls, and there are many empty places.
It was not a fight for defense anyway. All the rank-file soldiers were sent out, and more than half of the war equipments were damaged during the terror, so they couldn't hold the fortress for long.
Regardless of the outcome of the war, today marked the end for the sword emperor castle.
Dante simply wanted to capture this scene in his eyes one last time.
-I know what you mean. Then, what if the imperial family chooses Zipfel and decides to end Hairan with us?
-You stop that on your own.
-I'm not the patriarch of Zipfel, but the next patriarch. I don't have that much authority.
-I'm just kidding, Runcandel will join Hairan at that time.
Dante suddenly remembered the conversation of his friends as he watched the tents set up under the walls being pulled down and people evacuating at the command of the commanders.
When he and Jin asked Veradin to urge Zipfel to press Hairan even more.
The three assumed the possibility of an all-out war of this kind to some degree.
However, it was completely unexpected for Ron to lose consciousness and for the emperor to reveal Hairan's secret to the whole world.
Who would have imagined that Ron would be unable to fight.
Ron's injuries during the terror attack were by no means this severe. It should have been a normal injury that would take at most a week or a month to recover.
Dante didn't know why Ron's injury had gotten so bad.
'My grandfather can't wake up, and it seems unlikely that we can win this war now, even if Jin were to come.'
Dante thought that getting Jin's help would be like dragging a friend into a quagmire.
Jin was not yet the patriarch of Runcandel. And, when evaluated objectively, Hairan without Ron had no value for Runcandel to stand up against the Empire.
Dante received paper and pen from the commander standing beside him. It was to send a letter to Jin, requesting him not to come to their aid.
"Send this to Tikan immediately."
The commander received the letter and went down the wall.
If Jin were to come, there was a high probability that Dante could survive. As Jin had mentioned during his conversation with Veradin, even if he couldn't bring the entire Runcandel with him, he would certainly bring enough troops to rescue Dante.
But Dante was convinced that he would rather die fighting together than choose to escape from here and survive alone.
Thousands of martial artists risked their lives for Hairan and rebelled. It was never possible for him to prioritize his survival as the lord of the sword emperor castle.
Following Dante and the commanders' orders, knights were deployed throughout the castle. The eyes of the knights were heavily stained with the resolution of a desperate fight.
All that was left was to wait for the enemies to come.
* * *
"A white stone? Is he planning to eliminate the Sword Emperor Castle with such a justification?"
Rosa, examining the report, raised an eyebrow.
"We have never obtained any information about this White Stone. It could be a lie created for a justification."
"It might be true. However, that's not important. The fact that the Emperor is making such a move indicates his confidence in defeating Ron's sword emperor castle."
"After the Sword emperor castle terrorist attack, Ron Hairan almost stopped his external activities. And he hasn't been active at all for the last 15 days."
"It could be that he can't fight, as I predicted before... Seeing no response even though the Emperor has raised an army is almost certain."
"There is no full-fledged movement yet, but Zipfel may be looking after the emperor."
"If the white stone is worth as much as the emperor said, Zipfel will surely back him up."
"Should I prepare the knights?"
Rosa thought for a moment about her youngest son, instead of answering the scribe's words.
"What about the 12th flagbearer?"
"It is certain that he is inside Tikan, but the detailed internal situation is unknown due to the order of the patriarch."
"That child will definitely go to the sword emperor castle. I think the fourth flagbearer's sudden request for vacation has something to do with it."
"To lead the knights of Runcandel and go to the Sword Emperor Castle without permission from the acting matriarch...…."
"You're making quite an absurd statement. When did the youngest act with that kind of self-consciousness? Besides, even if the youngest does not have the knights of the clan, he has a solid force of his own."
The scribe bowed his head.
'I don't know exactly what kind of white stone Hairan is holding, but there's nothing wrong with having it, seeing as the emperor is so anxious about it.'
However, it was burdensome to step forward without any information or justification. If, by any chance, the White Stone held no special value, Runcandel would be interfering in the Empire's civil war with no gains.
"For now, let's observe how the youngest handles the situation. However, if we detect a situation in which Zipfel or Kinzelo are actively stepping out, we will move accordingly. Keep a close eye on their movements. Also, make a statement that Runcandel has nothing to do with the civil war in Hairan."
This way, if Jin's actions led to unfavorable results, they could naturally position it as not representing the entire Runcandel's judgment. On the other hand, if it ended well, it would highlight the capabilities and tenacity of the 12th flagbearer of Runcandel once again.
"Yes, Acting matriarch."
* * *
The emperor's vanguard army arrived at the plains of sword emperor castle.
Dante stood in the middle of the wall at the gate and watched them.
Five dragons, a thousand knights, a hundred mages, fifty-three cannons and barrier equipment pointed to the main gate of the sword emperor castle. The back gate and the side gate seemed to be surrounded by the main force anyway, so there was no need to pay attention.
"I am Kevin Perral, Vanguard Commander of the Civil War Suppression Army under His Majesty, the great Emperor Amir Vermont! Ron Hairan, the lord of the Sword Emperor castle, come forth now and receive His Majesty's edict!"
Kevin Perral shouted as he looked down at Sword emperor castle while riding on the red dragon.
Dante and the commanders didn't respond to his words. Kevin, feeling a bit ignored, raised his voice even louder. He had listened to the Emperor beforehand, but he had just seen with his own eyes that Ron couldn't fight.
"Is Ron Hairan absent? If so, the young patriarch, Dante Hairan, heed His Majesty's edict and obey...!"
Swoosh!
Before he could finish his sentence, Kevin felt a chilling sensation like the wind entering his chest.
"Uh...?"
A hole appeared in his chest.
Kevin was completely unaware of that moment, but it happened right after something flashed on the walls of the sword emperor castle.
The light came from Dante's sword. The sword that had pierced Kevin's chest had already gone back into the scabbard, and only a few people were aware of its speed.
As Kevin began to fall from the dragon's back, Dante spoke.
"No one dares to look down on the Sword Emperor Castle in the Empire, not even the Emperor. So, if anyone wishes to convey the Emperor's will, they must defeat me and speak."
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