Chapter 372
Chapter 372
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Chapter 372 - EP.77 – 그가 떠난 후(6)
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Translator: crow
Chapter 372: EP. 77 – After He Left (6)
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...From some day on, the kingdom fell eerily silent.
As if the uproar that had raged for days on end had been a lie.
Vainly, like mist at dawn.
"...So the protesters have completely dispersed now?"
"Their goal's gone, so disbanding's the natural course."
"Hm, feels awfully anticlimactic."
"Anticlimactic? I found it downright chilling."
In a pub not far from the royal castle, talk turned to the fire that had broken out there.
Even though some time had passed since the blaze, people were still buzzing about it—a perfectly natural reaction, all things considered.
"What'll become of this country..."
Now that the king... no, the Pendragon Kingdom itself was in turmoil, no one could dismiss it as a minor incident anymore.
The kingdom might not have been a sturdy shield protecting them, but it had at least been a roof to keep out the rain.
Yet now that roof wasn't just leaking—it was on the verge of collapse.
Anxiety was inevitable, especially for the powerless, whose unease and impatience only grew.
"...What's the word on the Traitor King's condition?"
"Condition? As if that wretch deserves to be called a king..."
"He's still the king, isn't he? A modicum of respect is in order."
"...Tch. Word is he's neither dead nor alive. They say he's clinging on, little more than a lump of meat. Fitting punishment for the bastard, though. Worse than a goblin's piss. How could a man lay hands on his own blood kin? Tsk."
"Couldn't agree more."
Traitor King.
The new name—and slur—for Edmund.
A term that dragged the king's honor and authority down to the sewers, but calling him a king at all might be more mercy than he deserved.
Even three-year-olds knew of Edmund's betrayal by now, but the fire had unearthed the incident from twenty years prior...
The [Duchess Assault Incident], and word spread like wildfire that King Edmund had been involved.
No one supported Edmund anymore.
Some feared drawing Duke Galahad's wrath, but Pendragon was the [Kingdom of Knights].
Nobles and commoners alike took pride in that, and it was only natural to despise one who hadn't just abandoned knighthood but committed outright treason.
Just a fortnight ago, some had cursed the knights for assaulting the king and endangering the realm, but now those people were the ones getting thrashed.
...Contempt was contempt, however, and in truth, the Pendragon royals were being systematically dismantled under what amounted to a death sentence, thanks to Duke Galahad's relentless retribution.
The royal family was little more than a name now, and with no center holding it together, the people's anxiety was to be expected.
And so...
"...I'm thinking of closing up the pub."
"What?"
"Heading to Tristan's domain. I know some folks there."
"I... see."
"What about you?"
"Me? Sigh... I'm eyeing Galahad or Mordred."
"Galahad?"
"He's furious now, sure, but he's a benevolent lord. Infinitely merciful to his subjects."
"True enough."
The people were quietly preparing to flee the capital.
Just as birds and ants instinctively sense an incoming storm, the masses sought new shelter from the calamity called civil war...
Harsh as it was, this mattered greatly to the powerless.
A fence for protection, a roof against the fiercest rain.
With trust between people and kingdom shattered, Pendragon was no longer safe.
......Yet even amid this grave atmosphere...
"-Councilor Maxwell, sir. How about we exploit this situation?"
Human greed knew no bounds, even as the roof crumbled.
"What are you on about, Zeke?"
In their mansion in the capital, two noble councilors held a clandestine discussion.
"Simple, sir. You know the Pendragon royals are finished."
"Hey now, watch your mouth."
"No one's around to hear."
"Tsk tsk. A politician should know better—ears are everywhere."
"Enough nagging. Just hear me out."
"...Go on."
"Haha, you'll like it, sir. What if we form a new party?"
"A new party?"
"Yes. Beyond the noble council—a brand-new political party."
"In times like these?"
"Precisely because of these times."
His voice dropped lower.
"Sir, the Pendragon royals are done for. That fool Edmund brought it on himself."
"...Continue."
"Take merchant guilds as an example. Branch managers and guildmasters split the profits. The guildmaster isn't absolute; various investors, including branch heads, share the rights, so no one can run things unilaterally."
"Right."
"The kingdom worked the same: Pendragon royals and great houses pulled the strings. But now the royals have lost power. Someone needs to fill that void, right? The 'southern interests' crumbling before us—we grab them."
"You think that's feasible?"
"It is. Right now."
Crisis made agitation easy, with the masses steeped in anxiety.
"Name the party something bland like [Liberty Party]. Slogans: 'equality' and 'peace' for all, 'human rights protection,' that sort."
"Solid. Perfect for reeling in supporters. ...But you plan to actually uphold those slogans?"
"......"
"Haha, just teasing. Sorry."
"Ahaha! You can't be reined in, sir!"
Maxwell laughed sheepishly at his own question, and Zeke joined in.
Yes, slogans were just slogans.
Means to gather the masses and supporters.
With newspapers and agitators, they'd swarm like bees.
Especially...
'The more unstable the politics, the easier they flock.'
Politics taught you that, true or not: people fell for good agitation.
"But will it go smoothly?"
"It'll be tough. Grabbing interests isn't hard, but the great nobles won't sit idle."
"Then?"
"Strike quick and bail."
"Ho?"
"Peace isn't our goal. Just snag some interests briefly."
The kingdom's peace meant nothing to them.
No—more chaos would be ideal.
Then...
'We'd get even more scraps.'
Civil war was crisis for the weak, paradise for the strong.
"If it gets risky, squeeze donations from supporters upfront. Hoard jewels via merchant guild ties. Send family to safe rural estates ahead."
"Hand out jewels?"
"Civil war's inevitable. No war now would be weirder. So we wait for the post-war world. Building afterward needs fat war chests—and this party will fill ours."
"Heh, already eyeing the future?"
"My generation might not make it, but my grandkids or great-grandkids? 'Great noble' has a ring. ...Your house too, sir."
"That...! Just imagining it excites me!"
Scam? The masses wouldn't know, and if it somehow succeeded, all the better for prestige.
If it failed, the funds were theirs—they'd vanish.
Supporters were essential meat shields too.
"I'm in."
"Need more big names. Can't hog it solo—trouble brews."
"Plenty will bite."
"Haha, perfect!"
"A joyous day. Your insight's opened my eyes."
"No need."
They lavished praise, filling glasses with wine.
Its rich aroma and gleaming hue seemed to herald their future.
Clink!
They toasted, laughing and chattering.
Sketching grand blueprints of ambition—!
"-A total of thirty-two. Noble councilors dead today."
"......"
"......"
"Hm, today's casualties were fairly prominent. Councilors Maxwell and Zeke—both quite capable. Shame they used it to rot the kingdom, not heal it."
...Simon's quiet remark rippled through, making their eyes tremble.
The deaths were shocking enough.
"...Do you perhaps wield the Mystery of Foresight?"
It felt like prophecy fulfilled, leaving them dumbfounded.
But Simon just shrugged lightly.
"Overpraise. Observation, inference, imagination—these three let anyone glimpse it. A minor trick."
"......"
...Doesn't seem like it?