Crushing the Protagonist, Purging the North

The fake Leonhart Pantheon lurking behind the throne had blond hair and blue eyes. He was draped in a tattered cloak, but the noble air hidden beneath it couldn't be concealed.

So he really is the protagonist, huh?

Even in dire straits, his beauty didn't fade. That was the dignity of a protagonist.

"What a shame, young master."

I lazily pointed my sword tip at the protagonist.

"Your Grand Duke is a bit busy right now. Spoiling me and all."

"What?"

He looked up at the ramparts. Elina was gazing down at us with a pale face.

With desperate eyes, he shouted,

"Grand Duke! I am Leonhart Pantheon of the Pantheon family! I came here solely to meet you, inspired by your noble conduct! Please believe in my sincerity!"

Another heartfelt confession poured out. In any normal novel, this would be the moment the heroine's heart wavered.

"Shut up."

Elina's response was ice-cold. To her ears, Leonhart's confession probably sounded like it was poking at her trauma.

Because I'd gaslit her that way.

"Sigurd… deal with him. That look in his eyes… it's disgusting."

Unable to hold back, Elina bellowed the order again. At her command, I grinned wickedly and turned to Leonhart.

"Hear that? She's disgusted."

"You bastard…! What have you done to the Grand Duke?!"

Leonhart gritted his teeth and drew his sword. He was furious.

Seeing the Northern Grand Duke he'd heard about—and longed for—broken like this. A blue aura ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠enveloped his blade.

It was impressive momentum. But to my eyes, it looked like a child's toy.

"What have I done? Just catching a rat, as my lord desires."

I lightly gripped Gram, pulled from my Inventory, in one hand.

"Come at me, young master."

"Shut your mouth!"

Leonhart kicked off the ground and charged. A swift strike slicing through the snow-covered plain.

No killing intent in the blade. Even now, he swung it to prove himself.

Classic protagonist.

This dimension's protagonist seemed to be the upright, righteous type. His sword whipped through the air rapidly.

But.

Light.

I stood in place.

Clang—!

I just flicked my sword up.

A dull metallic clang rang out, and Leonhart's sword bounced away.

"Urk…!"

Leonhart winced, his wrist numb, and retreated. His eyes shook.

He couldn't believe I'd blocked his full-force strike like swatting a fly.

"That's all you got?"

I taunted him with a yawn.

"Pantheon bloodline, huh? All that talk about admiration, and your skills are pathetic."

"Not… over yet!"

Leonhart reset his stance. Aura exploded from his body like a burst.

He had talent. Protagonists were protagonists, after all.

"Haaah!"

He lunged like a beast, unleashing a barrage. Overhead, low sweeps, thrusts. Flashy, textbook swordsmanship.

I dodged or parried every attack with minimal movement.

Clang—! Chink! Kang!

"Slow."

Thud—!

My kick slammed into his gut.

"Gahk!"

Leonhart tumbled across the snow, vomiting blood. Crimson sprayed across the white expanse.

"Is this the proof you talked about?"

I approached him slowly. My shadow engulfed him.

"Admiration? Don't make me laugh. You just ran away. A coward fleeing your family's abuse, hiding in the easygoing North."

"N-No… I…!"

"No? You tried to use Elina. 'She's a bastard too, so she'll accept me'—that lazy assumption."

My fact-bombing—no, gaslighting—twisted Leonhart's face.

The moment his pure motives were tainted.

"Get up. You're not dead yet."

I grabbed his hair and yanked him to his feet, then pointed to the ramparts.

"Take a good look."

Up on the wall, Elina watched us. Relief and disgust mixed on her face.

She felt pleasure seeing the one who touched her shame crushed.

"The one you admire so much is laughing at you getting beaten?"

"Grand Duke…?"

Leonhart wailed. But Elina turned away.

To her, he was no longer a 'kindred spirit.' Just an impurity threatening her position, to be removed.

"Let's end this."

I raised Gram high.

"Raaagh!"

Leonhart swung with his last strength. But my sword was faster.

Crack—!

Gram's pommel struck his solar plexus precisely. I didn't slash to avoid another trial.

Go there again, and I might actually get killed.

Leonhart's eyes rolled back. He collapsed into the snow without ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even a death rattle.

Perfect defeat. Before our overwhelming power gap, the protagonist's pride shattered.

"Intruder captured alive!"

As I hoisted Leonhart like luggage and shouted, cheers erupted from the ramparts. But I didn't stop.

Central noble material. And my reputation.

Time to flip the board with this. Northerners resentful of the center.

Bastard but Central noble: Leonhart Pantheon.

Combine those, and…

Perfect timing to end the game for Northern king.

"Hear me, shields of the North!"

I infused mana into my voice, booming it out.

"This man is a spy from the Central Pantheon Duke family! Sent to undermine our lord, Elina Veronica Grand Duke's position and hand the North to Central's grasp!"

At 'Pantheon,' the soldiers murmured.

"And… there are 'internal traitors' who let this Central dog into our gates."

My gaze turned to the distant old men who'd watched my fight as entertainment.

"They'll pay once the investigation concludes. Take him away!"

Soldiers took Leonhart and dragged him off.

Underground Dungeon, interrogation room. I sat in a chair, filling out paperwork.

Leonhart, chained to the opposite wall, had barely regained consciousness and glared at me.

"Awake, young master?"

"…What the hell are you? Why are you blinding the Grand Duke?!"

"Me? A loyal retainer. A damn good one."

I showed him the document I'd been writing. Titled 'Self-Confession Statement', it contained shocking content.

"What… is this?! I… I just admired the Grand Duke…! I only fled my family!"

"I know. You're pure. That's why you're so easy to use."

I twirled the quill and smirked.

"Think about it. Blood of the Center's top nobles, the Pantheon, shows up right when Northern nobles are pressuring Elina? Coincidence?"

"It is! I really…!"

"You think Elina sees it that way?"

Leonhart shut his mouth at my words.

"To Elina, you're a 'political rival' sharing her bastard weakness, backed by Central power. Perfect puppet for the old men."

"N-No… I never intended…!"

"Your intent doesn't matter. What matters is the 'circumstances' of the old men using you."

I stood. No need for a signature. Claim torture mangled his hands for proxy writing.

This guy's existence was the guillotine for the old men's necks.

"Stay put. The one you admire will start her bloody purge herself. The disaster you brought."

I tossed a communication artifact in the corner and left the interrogation room.

Elina stood by the window, staring out. Her back trembled faintly.

The massive Pantheon family's involvement. Her paranoia peaked.

"Sigurd… you're here."

She turned. Haggard face.

But her eyes on me burned with desperate savior-like faith.

"Yes, my lord. Interrogation complete."

I placed the fabricated confession on the desk.

"As expected. He was summoned by Kallion Baron in a backroom deal with the Central Pantheon family. Plot to depose you, install this bastard as puppet lord, seize real power."

"…!"

Elina snatched the papers. Lies throughout.

But her brainwashed mind accepted it as sole truth.

"Kallion… that old snake… daring to drag in the Center?!"

She gnashed her teeth. Her grip whitened the paper.

"Sigurd. Mobilize the knights. Now."

Killing intent flashed in her eyes.

"Round up Kallion and all involved in this collusion. Slash them on the spot if they resist."

Purge order with some justification. The moment I'd waited for. But still 2% short.

"Elina, they're deep-rooted Northern nobles. Moving knights on just a prisoner's confession without hard evidence will spark backlash. And I'm just 'proxy'—knights might not obey me…."

Pressure for power. I'll handle the dirty work you can't, so hand over the hilt.

She hesitated, then removed her ring. The Northern Grand Duke's seal ring.

Symbol of absolute military and administrative command.

"Take it."

She placed it in my hand.

"The bearer's word is mine. No one dares object. Get those old bastards… out of my sight."

Cold metal touched my palm. No mere ring. This was the North itself.

"No regrets?"

"Regrets? No. You're the only one I trust now. You're my sword, my shield. So… protect me."

She entrusted everything to me. Power, judgment, her safety.

"As you command, my Elina."

I kissed her hand—or her lips. Hiding my smile.

That night, a bloodwind howled through the North. The seal ring's authority.

Leading knights with the fabricated confession upfront, I raided the nobles' estates.

"What is this outrage?! I'm innocent!"

"Commoner scum! Using the Pantheon as excuse to frame us? You're blinding the Grand Duke and usurping the realm!"

Kallion bellowed as dragged out, but I severed his neck mercilessly.

Slash—!

"No need to hear traitors colluding with the Center."

Leonhart's 'Pantheon' name was perfect justification. To Northerners, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Central collusion was unforgivable betrayal.

As old men's heads rolled one by one, my power solidified. The screams echoing to the dungeon's Leonhart.

Despair at his pure intent birthing catastrophe. The sound of me devouring the North.

Purge ended, I headed to Elina's bedroom reeking of blood.

"…."

Elina sat on the bed, knees hugged, blocking out the distant clamor and screams.

The broken Elina was no cold Northern Grand Duke—just a scared girl fretting her safety.

"It's over, Elina."

She looked up as I entered. Blood on my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠armor.

She felt no disgust. Only relief.

Proof her threats were gone.

"All… dead?"

"Yes. Everything threatening you is handled."

I shed my bloodied armor and approached. She rose, entranced, and clung to me.

I lifted her chin. Kissed her with blood-tainted lips.

"Mmph…!"

She trembled at the blood taste but didn't push away.

Instead, she clung tighter to my neck. To her ruler, her protector.

I activated the communication artifact on the nightstand. To let dungeon-bound Leonhart hear this victory.

"Elina, tonight we raise a toast."

"A toast…?"

"Yes. The day your throne solidified. And the day I became your true master."

I pushed her onto the bed. She didn't resist. From handing over the ring, she'd surrendered all control.

"Hold me… Sigurd. Make my mind go blank…."

"Of course. Drown out the dying rats outside with your moans."

I spread her legs, grinning wickedly.

Hear that, Leonhart?

The North you admired is in my palm. The Grand Duke you served is my bedroom doll.

And thanks to your 'Pantheon' name, I profited without lifting a finger.

"Sigurd…! Ah, aaah!"

Elina's moans erupted. Not mere pleasure.

A declaration of defeat, surrendering everything to me. Fanfare for my coronation. The Northern night was long.

And my power had only just begun.