Chapter 46
Chapter 46
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Framed for Treason
-----------------------------------------------------------------
<―>
Sefir chatted with Sion about all sorts of things.
He mostly peppered him with questions about the war in Nudia, and Sion responded with a straight face he was trying hard to maintain, though he couldn't quite hide his excitement.
"...And that's how the enemy forces retreated completely.
You should've seen how ridiculous they looked."
"Haha!
Well, I'll be. Young Lord Sion, you're even more impressive than the rumors suggested.
The kingdom's future looks brighter than ever!"
"You're too kind."
Even as he said it, Sion wore a faint smile that betrayed how pleased he was deep down.
Watching this, Sefir thought to himself, *Kids these days.*
No matter how hard he tried to play it cool, it was all written on his face. Clearly, he was still just a young man who'd barely reached adulthood—someone who hadn't seen the full breadth of the world yet.
"More than that, the capital really has all sorts of wonders."
"Is that so?"
"I never thought about it before, but when I get back to my territory, I might actually miss the palace a little."
*Youth is unstoppable,* Sefir mused, before replying in a subtly encouraging tone.
"If you ever feel cooped up, you're welcome to visit the capital now and then.
I'm sure Margrave Lichten would approve."
"Well... ahem. Don't nobles have duties to fulfill?
As the son of Klauzen, guardian of the marches, I can't neglect mine."
"Of course you can't.
My mistake.
Forgive me, Young Lord Sion."
"Not at all.
I know you didn't mean it that way."
They spent a suitable amount of time trading small talk like this, and by the end, Sefir had formed his assessment of Sion Klauzen.
He was capable enough, contrary to the rumors, and had a decent head on his shoulders—but he was still green as they came. Utterly clueless about the ways of the world, especially when it came to politics.
"Oh, Count Sefir.
Do you happen to know what this is?
I picked it up at the market on a whim—it looked interesting."
What Sion held out was a glass vial filled with some liquid.
Sefir eyed it for a moment, then nodded as if he knew exactly what it was just from the bottle.
"It's that digestive aid the common folk use sometimes."
"A digestive aid?
This liquid?"
"They say it gives you a refreshing chill when you drink it, so that's the common name.
I don't know about the actual effects, but the sensation is real enough, apparently. That's why the people use it to some extent."
"Ah, got it.
We don't have anything like this in Klauzen."
"It's a new medicine that's only just starting to spread from the capital.
I've tried it myself once, and yeah, it really clears out your gut."
"Oh, then would you like one as a gift?
I hitched a ride on your carriage, so I should pay something for it. But anything too valuable might stir up unnecessary talk."
"Sure, why not?
I had some drinks last night that are still sitting heavy. Could use it."
With that, Sefir took the vial Sion offered.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!
My lord Count.
We've arrived at the palace."
"Ah, good work.
Young Lord Sion.
Let's go."
Sefir stepped out of the carriage first.
Sion followed, and the soldiers guarding the palace gates snapped to attention with salutes.
"Count Sefir Kashugar.
Young Lord Sion Klauzen.
Welcome."
"Good work, men."
"We'll need to inspect you briefly.
If you could hand over all your possessions?"
It was the same stuff as yesterday, nothing changed except for the liquid digestive aid from Sion.
When Sefir pulled the vial from his pocket, one of the soldiers tilted his head curiously.
"My lord Count?
What's that?"
"Ah, this is..."
It's just a medicine the commoners use sometimes. I just received it as a gift.
But Sefir's words never made it past his lips.
Kieeeeng!
"Huh?"
"What's with that light...?"
A bluish glow suddenly burst from the vial in Sefir's hand.
And that light soon turned into a massive explosion that engulfed them all.
As everyone stared in stunned horror, Sion raised both hands and shouted inwardly.
*Shit, raspberry!*
Kwaaaaaang!—.
:
:
*Ugh...*
His head and vision were both a blinding white.
Sefir barely dragged his leaden body upright and looked around.
Part of the sturdy palace wall had crumbled, and mages and royal knights were rushing about in chaos around it.
*What the fuck is going on?*
The words rose unbidden to his lips amid the sheer absurdity.
Staggering to his feet with a hand on the ground, Sefir spotted knights charging toward him. He waved frantically to signal that he was fine.
"You treasonous scum!"
Pwaak!
The blow landed so hard he couldn't even scream.
Or perhaps the shock of it all left no room for one.
"Bind him now!"
"Careful—he might have other mana devices, like the mage said!"
*What the hell is this nonsense?*
Why were royal knights surrounding and beating him—the head of a great noble house?
Why were they rummaging through his things like madmen?
Sefir couldn't make sense of any of it.
Finally, he forced his mouth open to stop them.
"Wh-what the hell are you doing!
To me, Sefir, lord of the Kashugar Count family..."
"Shut your mouth!
One more word, and I'll rip it off!"
"Wh-what?
Even as royal knights, how dare you speak like—!
I..."
"I said shut it!"
Slaap!
The knight's ornate gauntlet whipped Sefir's face around.
A slap from a man—no, from a noble's perspective, a slap period!
"Do you know what this is?!"
One knight thrust something in front of Sefir's eyes.
The vial was shattered, its contents spilled everywhere—but it was familiar to him.
"That's... that's the bottle for the commoners' digestive aid..."
"We figured you'd say that!
The bottle might be, sure.
But not the contents!"
"Wh-what are you..."
"The palace mages have already confirmed it!
It was packed with highly concentrated mana that vibrates nearby mana to trigger an explosion!
Thanks to you activating the mana bomb you planted in the wall ahead of time!
And in the chaos, intruders breached the palace!
Clear enough for you?
Kashugar, you pompous noble about to be erased from kingdom history?"
It was all gibberish.
Mana bomb? Wall explosion? Intruders?
Confusion piled on confusion, leaving him with a head full of words but no way to speak them.
Meanwhile, the knight spun his detective yarn with relish.
"Your threats forced the Haines Guildmaster to go along with your plot, but when he risked everything to confess to His Majesty the King, you jumped the gun on your plan.
If he'd been even a little slower, we'd have let you waltz in none the wiser!"
"That's ridiculous—utter nonsense!
Why the hell would I do something like that?!"
"Oh, the Haines Guildmaster will explain that.
Right?"
*And why the hell is the Haines Guildmaster involved?*
The only connection he had was Sion Klauzen, who'd ridden in the carriage with him...
"W-wait!
Hold on!
I have something to say.
It's important!
That vial you mentioned!
The contents!
It wasn't mine.
Young Lord Sion—that man—gave it to me!
I don't know what's going on, but one thing's certain.
I'm innocent!
I just took the damn bottle!
If you're investigating, look at Sion Klauzen—that man—instead of..."
"Ah, so that's why you insisted on giving me a ride in your carriage."
A voice devoid of emotion—chillingly cold—reached Sefir's ears.
There stood a young man, supported by a female knight, covered in scrapes and bruises.
"I thought it was suspicious from the moment you handed me that vial.
It felt just like offering poisoned wine."
His voice strained, hands trembling with apparent shock, but his eyes gleamed with icy sharpness.
Paired with his handsome features, he looked every bit the angel descended through trials and tribulations.
"Wh-what are you saying, Young Lord Sion!
You—you gave it to me!
You did!"
"Outrageous.
Why on earth would I do such a thing?
After risking my life in the war with Nudia, after defending Hispania—now betray Hispania?"
The knights nodded at his words.
The Klauzen Margrave Territory had long been renowned for its loyalty to the kingdom and crown. And in this very war, hadn't the family heir fought on the front lines?
A sudden palace bombing? It just didn't fit.
"I don't know—I swear!
But you gave me that vial!"
"Sefir Kashugar.
You vile trash, trying to frame someone else for your crimes.
Unfortunately..."
Sion limped toward Sefir.
He looked ragged from his injuries, yet somehow he still dominated the scene.
"There's one thing you didn't know.
A secret I wanted to keep forever."
"What bullshit is this!
You..."
"You explain it."
Sion coolly deferred to the knight beside him.
"Yes, Young Lord.
Listen up!
The liquid in that vial is designed to ignite only when infused with a certain amount of mana.
You already knew that, of course!
That's why, the moment the guards started checking possessions, you held it and poured in your mana—igniting the mana bomb you'd planted in the wall."
"Impossible!
I didn't even know what it was!
This is..."
"And then you tried to frame Young Lord Sion to sow confusion among us royal knights and mages.
But too bad, Count Sefir!
Young Lord Sion revealed it himself.
Or rather, your shameless plot forced his hand!"
The knight pounded his plate mail furiously, as if he were the one wronged.
"Young Lord Sion cannot wield mana.
Do you grasp what that means?
Even if he died and came back, he couldn't use the ignition device you prepared!
Who in their right mind would hand a mana ignition device to someone who can't even use mana?!"
"Uh... wha...?"
Oblivious to his predicament, Sefir instinctively turned to stare at Sion.
The heir of a great noble house, afflicted with an inability to handle mana—a near-incurable disease on the continent, the ultimate weakness. Something that must never be revealed!
*And because of you, he had to reveal it with a flourish.
A weakness that had to stay hidden at all costs.
So, in everyone's eyes, who's the one who committed the mortal sin?*
It looked like another delightful party today.
Here, and inside where the intruders had finally broken through.
―
The original plan called for striking at late evening, when all the nobles had gathered in the banquet hall and the party was in full swing—that was prime time.
Breach a section of the wall and slip through to the hall.
Then assault those inside.
No need for kills.
Just the intrusion and threat would suffice.
That was the raiders' orders.
Even with things going sideways, they pressed on methodically.
As the mighty wall crumbled and everyone in the palace panicked, they accomplished what no one ever had.
"Intruders!"
Of course, the royal knights weren't pushovers.
They sensed the suspicious presence and sprang into action.
The areas housing the king and royal family went into maximum alert first, then they swept the entire palace.
But the targets weren't the king, princes, or princesses.
Too high a chance of failure.
A successful hit might topple the kingdom itself, but the risks were enormous.
*No greed.
Our goal is chaos and division in noble society.*
They aimed for the relatively less guarded banquet hall.
Knights were posted, but with party time approaching, over a hundred nobles were clustered there.
Impossible to protect them all perfectly—the knights' priorities made sense.
The raiders ran and ran.
They sacrificed designated decoys to any knights in the way and pushed forward.
At last, the banquet hall came into view.
Swing some swords through that door, and the mission was done.
Wooong!—.
The wind stirred, and steel sang.
The charging raiders were bisected in an instant, blood spraying everywhere.
*What?*
The fairy who'd brainwashed these skilled humans to lead them this far reeled in shock.
Even brainwashed, their senses weren't dead—and neither she nor they had sensed the sword strike coming.
"Young Lord Sion was right."
Step.
A man with a chilling aura emerged.
Radiating menace, his blade gleaming with cold intent.
The novel's protagonist, 'Kim Yu-hyun,' leveled it at the 'enemy' before him.
*Strong!*
The fairy blanched at the opponent's mana.
A man far stronger than her blocked the path.
Just one, but his presence threatened more than hundreds or thousands.
"In my old world, this kind of tactic was everywhere.
Preaching grand ideals up front while stabbing in the back.
That's why I despise scum like you."
Wooooo—.
Was it the sword wailing, or the mana gathering at its tip?
Impossible to tell, but one thing was clear.
"You aren't passing through here."
It was over.
Ah, damn it. We're screwed.
[Author's Note] Recommendations are always right...
Sweet ones, come~~~!