Chapter 10
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 10 - The Day of Southern Liberation
In the original work, Count Wilhelm survives until the latter half.
He makes the South, which fell into chaos due to the prince, his own and quietly prepares behind the scenes.
What is he preparing? It is none other than the independence of the South.
Count Wilhelm had the greed to become a king.
Why should he be satisfied with being a Count?
Does he lack ability compared to that weak Emperor and the scoundrel prince?
No, absolutely not. He merely lacked luck.
With such thoughts, he prepared for a long time.
When the empire began to collapse, he intended to join hands with the neighboring Carlos Kingdom, make the South independent, and create his own kingdom.
The one who noticed that was Viscount Riere, and taking a risk, Wilhelm brought his direct knight order and exterminated the Riere household.
Anticipating that such a moment would come, Riere kept a crystal sphere called the 'Tears of the Soul' that could contain the memories of a soul on his person, and left it to Saintess Azelia.
However, in the original work, the Saintess, disappointed in the prince, did not give that evidence, and Wilhelm's conspiracy seems to succeed.
However, a few years later, under the justification of normalizing the empire that fell into chaos due to the prince, the Northern army that joined hands with the barbarians begins to march south.
With that as evidence, Count Wilhelm falls into ruin, and the barbarian king who liberated the South from suffering begins to be officially recognized as the ruler of the empire.
Count Wilhelm, who had such a grand dream, could not distinguish whether what was unfolding before his eyes was reality or a dream.
Only the cold gazes of the Zeruel Knight Order looking at him made him feel that this was reality.
"Th-this can't be! That is a fabrication! How dare someone calling himself a fully authorized deputy frame a noble!"
Wilhelm screamed as if he had come to his senses.
His face was distorted with fear and anger, trembling violently.
He shouted, veins popping in his neck, toward the knights of his family lined up below the podium.
"What are you doing! Cut down these ruffians at once! Protect me! Can you not hear my command!"
Despite his fierce command, the majority of the knights trembled their hands and could not take their hands off their scabbards.
It was because the murderous intent of hundreds and thousands of commoners was directed at them, and they knew that if they mistakenly drew their swords here, they too could get swept up in the crime of treason.
At that moment, Edric's cold voice froze the plaza.
"Those who intend to join the treason, listen carefully. His Highness the Prince trusted the William family, hence he bestowed the current position. Count Wilhelm repaid such favor of His Highness the Prince with the crime of treason."
Edric's words were the truth.
The prince trusted the William family, and therefore tolerated actions such as rallying the Southern nobles.
"Do you think this is something a human would do!? Do you think such a traitor is worth the utmost loyalty of excellent knights like yourselves!?"
However, Count Wilhelm repaid such consideration with the exploitation of the people and treason.
Even if it wasn't a country of Confucianism, it was a world where one received education on at least minimal loyalty.
Even in the eyes of the knights of the William family, this was an action that crossed the line by a mile.
"I, Edric Noel, the Chancellor of His Highness the Prince, swear on the name of god to guarantee the safety of those who do not join the treason. Those who have not yet become traitors, this is my final consideration."
At Edric's warning, hesitation spread among the knights.
And one by one, two by two, they began to discard their swords.
Of course, there were exceptions.
"Wh... what should we do? Commander!"
"What do you mean what! We save the Count!!"
Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!
Count Wilhelm's closest knights, who had directly murdered Viscount Riere, were different.
Whether other knights did or not, they had no way to live except escaping the empire due to the Viscount Riere incident.
To survive, they shouted and charged toward Count Wilhelm.
"Uwaaaaah!!!"
"Kill them!! Save the Count!!"
In front of the Count was the Zeruel Knight Order.
And in front of them was Liesel.
The moment their swords were swung toward the Zeruel Knight Order, Liesel's sword sliced through the air.
Slash — !
At that moment, the dazzling green aura emitting from Liesel's sword raged like a fierce wind.
Just a single swing. The upper and lower bodies of the charging knights were cleanly separated and rolled on the ground.
It was a swordsmanship so perfect and beautiful that not even a single drop of blood splattered.
Sheathing her sword, Liesel muttered coldly.
"Those who do not follow Lord Edric's command... I will judge that you have joined the treason and will condemn you in the name of the Zeruel Knight Order."
"Hee... Eek!!!"
At the green aura blooming from her sword and the sight of their comrades who died right before their eyes, the remaining knights of the William family all lost their will to fight and dropped their swords.
Wilhelm, looking at that scene as if he had lost his mind, thought.
'Why on earth? Why are you trying to ruin me this much! Why on earth!?'
Wilhelm could not understand.
If Edric was a greedy wolf, using this evidence as an excuse to work him like a slave for the rest of his life and suck up the wealth of the South was much more profitable.
Yet, he trampled that sweet fruit entirely.
"Edric Noel... You bastard, what on earth is your scheme! Wasn't it beneficial for you as well to keep me alive!!"
At the question of Wilhelm, who was being dragged away, Edric quietly looked down at him instead of answering.
Seeing that indifferent gaze, Wilhelm reached a spine-chilling conclusion.
'Is that so... could it be... was that it...'
If Edric's goal was a position like his father's, it would be profitable to keep him alive and use him.
But what if... Edric's goal was beyond that?
What if it wasn't just to the extent of becoming the Emperor's right arm like his father and devouring the interests of the South?
What if he was aiming for a higher position and greater power by establishing the massive merit of ruining him and reverting the power of the South to the Imperial Family?
Perhaps... what if he harbored the ambition to put the empire itself under his feet?
'I see... My neck was merely a stepping stone for you to climb to a higher place. The 'fame' gained by killing me had greater value to you than treating me as a slave.'
A sense of despondency washed over Wilhelm at the fact that his own greed was at the level of a pebble compared to Edric's massive ambition.
He began to laugh heartily as if he had lost his mind.
"Uwahahaha! Amazing, Edric Noel! Fine, I will go to the afterlife first and wait for you. It will be fun to watch how you devour this empire! I will watch carefully to see how far your endless thirst drives the empire!"
As his madness-filled laughter faded away, Wilhelm was apprehended and escorted away by the Zeruel Knight Order.
After a bout of commotion, silence fell once again.
Edric stood in front of the sound-amplifying magic tool once again.
In the silence that came after the intense commotion, he solemnly declared.
"With this, I proclaim that the command of His Highness the Prince has been realized! Justice had crumbled but has been rebuilt, and the sinners will pay the price! The time of suffering is now... over!"
The moment Edric's declaration ended...
A shout that seemed like it would burst the plaza rang out.
"Long live His Highness the Prince!"
"Long live Sir Edric!"
Thousands of commoners chanted the names of the prince and Edric with one heart.
Their voices were filled with a sense of liberation and hope.
They thought it was something that could not happen.
They thought that the world taking their side and seeing the nobles who persecuted them being taken away was a story from a fairy tale.
No matter how much the Saintess prayed for them, the bleak future did not brighten.
But today, it became reality.
Wilhelm, who had persecuted them, was taken away, and all the nobles could not raise their heads, trembling in fear of what would happen next.
The long, long time of suffering had finally ended.
"Ah... finally... finally..."
And amidst the rejoicing commoners, Saintess Azelia was also rejoicing.
No, she was shedding tears while collapsed on the ground.
She was glad. She was happy. And she felt relieved.
For a long time, casting aside her identity as an ordinary girl and acting as the Saintess who was everyone's hope, she had been gradually growing exhausted.
Is there no light in the world?
Has god abandoned us?
She even harbored such thoughts insulting god countless times.
However, there was light.
God had not abandoned us.
"My faith was not wrong... He truly saved us."
She looked at Edric, standing aloofly alone amidst the cheering crowd.
The man with the terrifying eyes of a snake.
The man who, amidst the doubts of herself and many people, ultimately saved the people of the South.
Even though she had seen the light of truth in his heart, she doubted and doubted him again.
For that, she felt incredibly sorry and thankful.
"..."
"...!..."
At that moment, Azelia locked eyes with Edric.
Edric gave a light smile and smiled with his eyes at Azelia.
That was absolutely not a terrifying snake, but the benevolent smile of an adult comforting her for her hardships.
That day, the South was liberated from the tyranny of the nobles.