Chapter 50

In a location about ten kilometers west of the capital city of Drain in the Kingdom of Eldorado, there is a garrison of the Great Empire of Subarokia. For each vassal state, there is at least one such garrison. In the case of a small country like the Kingdom of Eldorado, there is often only one garrison.

And in this garrison, a military corps led by an S-rank magic knight was stationed.

"General Pierre. A letter from the capital city of Drain."

"Who is the sender?"

"It's from the First Prince, Your Highness."

"Hmph. A petty person wearing the skin of a wise man."

Currently, the garrison is occupied by a unit called the Shadow Corps. Its commander, the S-rank magic knight General Kruger Pierre, who was granted the emblem of the Golden Lion, snorted as he took the letter from his subordinate.

He tore open the envelope with a paper knife and read the contents.

"..."

"How is it, General?"

"The letter says to send reinforcements. It states that the eastern half of the country has been taken by the revolutionary army, and even includes the location of the revolutionary army's base and its leader."

"I see. I couldn't believe it at first, but it seems our gathered information was correct."

"It seems so. I'll give the intelligence unit a special bonus later."

Kruger put the letter back in the envelope and burned it with magic.

His subordinate, who watched this, asked:

"Will reinforcements be sent?"

"There's no way I'll send them."

"Even though it's a request from the royal family, even if it's a vassal state, is that alright?"

"It doesn't matter."

Kruger, who said this, stood up and pointed to a country outlined in a thick red line on the map hanging on the wall.

"This is the country of our Emperor, the Great Empire of Subarokia. And around it are many vassal states. Sixteen vassal states in total."

"I know that."

"And the Kingdom of Eldorado is a weak country that borders the vassal state of our enemy, the Holy Grinia. The king is old and has become a weak-willed puppet. It's inevitable that a country ruled by such a king would be exploited by the enemy. We should intervene early with the Great Empire of Subarokia."

"Will you set up a puppet king?"

"Exactly. We should make full use of the revolutionary army as a stage prop."

This general, also known as 'Shadow,' is not only skilled as a magic knight but also excels in strategy. He had already devised a strategy to strengthen the weak Kingdom of Eldorado under the Emperor's rule.

"Our Shadow Corps will not hesitate to aid the Kingdom of Eldorado. However, we won't do anything until they are truly in dire straits. We'll help them at the last possible moment."

"You're a cruel man, General."

"All for the Emperor. Not just the Kingdom of Eldorado, but it seems that those who harbor rebellious thoughts against the Great Empire in the surrounding areas are becoming more active. They won't give up until their spirits are broken. It's better to crush them when they see a glimmer of hope in the revolution. This will make their despair even greater. They will realize that it's impossible to stand against the Great Empire."

It's a rather harsh story.

But if this is the fate of a vassal state, so be it.

"Then, General, what will be the official reason for refusing? We need to respond to the messenger who brought the letter, right?"

"If it's an external enemy, it's one thing, but a civil unrest should be suppressed by you. That's the response."

"Understood. I'll say that."

The subordinate left the room.

◆◆◆

"Reinforcements were refused? What does that mean?"

"I apologize, Your Highness. They insist that internal unrest should be resolved by ourselves..."

"Ridiculous. That's what the garrison is for. We have abandoned the ownership of the army and entrusted the protection to the Great Empire. We even pay a significant tribute. What are they supposed to do if they don't act in times like this!"

"The Great Empire's army is there to protect the country from external enemies. They say that's the only reason."

"Nonsense! ...No, it's not your fault. I'm sorry."

In a room in the royal castle of the Kingdom of Eldorado, it was the office of the First Prince, Lotus. The king is already old, and more than half of the royal duties are handled by Lotus. This suggests that the next king will be Lotus.

There is also the Fourth Prince, Medline, as a candidate, but he is still in the process of studying governance and has not yet put it into practice.

"Can we only use the guard to suppress the revolutionary army?"

"We can also request the help of magic knights who belong to guilds."

"But guilds are civilian organizations. They might turn to the other side if the pay is good. They control the eastern half of our country and have considerable wealth and popular support. It's a troublesome situation."

"Yes... If it were just a band of thieves, we could have relied on the Great Empire. Thieves can be considered external enemies. However, the leader of the revolutionary army, the former Third Prince Rainvald, has been publicly revealed, which is a blow."

"Exactly. My brother is causing trouble."

The revolutionary army, in controlling the eastern half of the Kingdom of Eldorado, revealed the identity of its leader to the public. His name is Rainvald Cain Rihart, the Third Prince of the Kingdom of Eldorado and a legitimate heir.

This revolution was seen not as a rebellion but as a just punishment by a legitimate heir against a corrupt government.

The Great Empire of Subarokia, however, classified the revolutionary army's activities as a civil unrest.

"...The revolutionary army's base is in the city of Irista, right?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Can we send spies to that city? Can we gather information and assassinate Rain... no, the traitor Rainvald?"

"An ordinary assassin would be impossible. It seems that nobles from our faction have already sent spies, but they have achieved nothing. In fact, I've heard that several nobles have been assassinated in return."

"What? I haven't heard that."

"The information just came in. It seems that the bodies were discovered this morning. The Viscount Palm and the Earl Gerric."

"Those guys... Well, it doesn't matter if they're dead. I'm on good terms with their heirs, so it's not a significant loss."

"Yes, so I thought I would report it later."

Lotus, saying it was fine, sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Well, it's fine. If I think of those stubborn old men being gone, it's a big benefit for me. If only someone could bring me the head of the nagging Duke Colons. Hahaha."

"Your Highness, that's a bit too much."

The subordinate, who shrugged his shoulders in front of Lotus, is his childhood friend. And the current king's brother, Duke Colons, who is Lotus's uncle, is a harmful old man who wants to grasp power. For both of them, it would be a great help if he were dead.

The two laughed, almost seriously, thinking no one was listening.

However, there was one person who heard it.

"---What an interesting story."

Lotus froze at the voice that came from the window. His childhood friend, the subordinate, immediately drew his sword and moved to protect Lotus.

Looking at the window, a man was sitting there.

His face was hidden by a hood, and he had a leather bag on his shoulder. The aura he exuded was not that of an ordinary person.

"Who are you!"

Lotus, standing up, drew his sword. His sword skills were mediocre, but it was better than nothing. He tried to call for the guards, but the man sitting at the window moved first.

"Sorry, but I can't let you make a fuss."

Lotus was surprised when a magic array unfolded without incantation. But he didn't have time to be surprised and raised his voice.

"Someone! There's a thief!"

But no one entered the room despite his shouting. There were two guards stationed in front of the office, and a few more in the adjacent room. They should have heard it.

"It's useless. I've blocked the sound with magic."

"Your Highness! Please step back."

"...Brave, your subordinate is."

The man sitting at the window showed the bag on his shoulder ostentatiously and spoke again.

"This is a gift."

Saying that, he threw the bag, which landed on the carpet with a dull thud. It seemed to contain something heavy. From the way it moved, it looked like a spherical object.

(What is it...?)

Lotus observed the bag that fell on the carpet. Then, due to the impact, objects rolled out of the bag. They looked like white balls of fur and emitted a foul smell. Upon closer inspection, they were human heads.

"Th... This is Duke Colons' head!?"

"Your Highness, it really is... It really seems to be."

The childhood friend, who heard this shocking news, turned to look back from the window. Upon confirmation, it was indeed Duke Colons' head.

The duke, being a royal relative, was protected by considerable security. The fact that he was easily assassinated suggests that the man sitting at the window was a formidable assassin. Realizing this, the subordinate turned back quickly, thinking it was a mistake to take his eyes off even for a moment.

However, there was no sign of anyone at the window.

"He's gone...? No, is the prince alright?"

"I'm fine. But..."

Lotus looked at Duke Colons' head on the carpet.

It was clearly a real head, and upon closer inspection, it had a peaceful expression. He must have been killed instantly, without the duke or the guards noticing.

Seeing the skills of such an assassin, Lotus was terrified.

"Oh... There's something else in the bag."

Here, the childhood friend noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the bag. It was stained with blood, but he picked it up without hesitation and read the words written on it. The crudely written civil script was enough to make him pale.

Seeing this, Lotus asked him.

"What does it say?"

The subordinate, his voice trembling, answered.

"It says, 'Foolish duke, disposed of as requested. The Reaper.'"

"The Reaper... The Reaper of the Black Cat!"

"Most likely."

The world's best assassin, known for his infamy even in the Great Empire, is a member of the dark organization, the Black Cat. Those targeted by him invariably meet their end.

It is also believed that the Second Prince Linvold, the First Princess Rushana, and the Second Princess Virus were killed by the Reaper. Lotus suddenly felt terrified.

For the Reaper, the security of a weak country is almost non-existent.

He could be targeted at any time.

"...I want to stay indoors."

"You're showing your true colors, Your Highness."

Perhaps the general who called Lotus a petty person was not wrong.