The Place I Must Go (5)
The title of Lord of Steel seized everyone's ears in an iron grip.
The words he uttered were a common belief that everyone had come to accept after witnessing incompetence amid the chaos of war. However, in the current situation of the North, it was nothing more than an outdated delusion that had long lost its power to be accepted.
“Finally… the Lord of Steel, who had kept his mouth shut until now, has stepped forward…”
“…Which means—”
“The Karalin faction has finally come to an end.”
Coincidentally, every single person gathered here knew exactly what had happened to those who had dared to voice such words until now.
They knew all too well how terrifying the absolute power wielded by Shagalor, who had stolen the king’s heart, truly was. In a grand duchy that operated as an absolute monarchy, there was no one who could escape her gaze. They all knew that those who spoke like this had been reduced to nothing but a handful of ashes scattered to the wind.
And the reason Yohan had been able to survive this long and remain at the Grand Duke’s daughter’s side was fundamentally rooted in the safety that came from keeping unnecessary words to himself.
Therefore, everyone cautiously predicted that the end of this matter would not be pleasant in the slightest.
It was then that a lone, aged figure—exactly the size of Rexas—could be seen stealthily peering outside through a window treated with shading to block proper sunlight. No one knew exactly why, but after the banquet, the king had claimed illness and refused to handle state affairs. He had even delegated the regency to Crown Prince Abel, whom he had previously dismissed as inadequate, before vanishing entirely.
Since he had always been a man of capricious moods throughout his long reign, everyone had simply assumed there must be a reason and tried to accommodate him. But it seemed that even the stubborn Tiger of the North could not ignore the Lord of Steel’s resounding outcry.
In any case, Rexas, who had declared he would not see Yohan again, appeared to have some intention of observing the current situation.
And Yohan, seeing that the king had moved, offered his gratitude in his heart to Gorgo, who had successfully drawn attention as he had wished. With that, he simply poured out the emotions he had no idea how to unravel before the king.
“…As you already know, from the moment I was taken in by Lady Karalin, I have devoted my entire being to serving her. I have poured every ounce of my strength into burning myself for this nation that she embodies—and for Your Majesty, who is this nation itself.”
Well, everyone present already knew that story well.
The Lord of Steel. While many evaluated him differently depending on which faction they belonged to, there was one fact no one could deny: the loyalty he displayed was undeniably genuine.
There was no one who did not know the sight of him standing firm, ready to face death at any moment. Therefore, there was no falsehood in the Lord of Steel’s words.
“The reason I have acted this way is simple. I originally possessed nothing. All I held in my hands was a single piece of pitiful, filthy flesh and sorrow.”
But someone had given him so much.
“Yet only the young lady accepted someone as empty as me. It was a miracle that can only be explained as fate. That very fact is what has justified everything I have done until now.”
That was the background from which the Lord of Steel had been forged.
It would have been easy to simply accept it as natural and move on. But he had not done so. Because—
“Grace and enmity must be repaid in equal measure. Wasn’t that the lesson Your Majesty Rexas taught me? The teaching that doing what one ought to do is the driving force that allows a person to live like a human being. I have lived by that principle without fail.”
At those words, the silhouette that appeared to be Rexas unconsciously reached for the window—only to stop. Something seemed to hold him back. He simply gripped the handle and remained motionless.
The Lord of Steel continued.
“That is why Your Majesty has highly valued me for striving to stand by the young lady’s side and has shown me such favor.”
As he spoke, he tapped the armor he wore.
“…This black armor bestowed by Your Majesty, which symbolizes me. And the special title of Lord of Steel that you granted me upon coming of age. I believe these are the very proofs that I have been favored.”
Thinking back, how much opposition had there been when such things were granted? How many had cried out that it was absurd to give them to a mere green boy? And of course, Shagalor, who loathed Yohan for constantly hovering around Karalin, had been at the forefront of that opposition. She may well have been its leader.
Yet all of it had come to pass because Rexas had stubbornly insisted.
Moreover, though he did not speak of it, there was one more thing: preventing Karalin’s marriage arrangements had also been his doing. Had Yohan not proven all complaints with his achievements and ability, he would never have been in a position to stand here now, veins bulging in his neck as he shouted.
Rexas had made that decision. As was fitting for a man whose inner thoughts were impossible to read, even Yohan did not know the reason.
But after receiving such gifts, had the path he walked been smooth? The answer was a resounding no.
“However, the path I walked with these two things was a road paved with blood. Instead of the kind-hearted and capable young lady to whom I wished to devote my loyalty, Your Majesty chose the Crown Prince and changed the successor.”
At that calm yet shocking statement, the Tiger’s Corridor, which had been watching, stirred once more.
“W-wait a moment! What is the Lord of Steel saying?!”
“Shouldn’t we shut his mouth…?”
“…Shut up, you sycophants. He hasn’t even begun yet.”
But the Lord of Steel paid them no heed.
“Nevertheless, I deeply respected the will of Your Majesty, who made that decision. Therefore, I burned everything I had in an effort to lighten the young lady’s burden even more…”
And for a brief moment, the glance he cast toward Shagalor, who was looking down at the corridor from above, was surely no illusion.
“…Even when the lonely young lady, without a single ally, went to study at the academy, I displayed an obsessive determination to escort her side alone. And even in the distant empire, the young lady’s excellence was proven. She awakened the hero of the North who had been suffering in another world, befriended outstanding classmates… and has only now returned for a short while.”
The calm recollection turned into a roar immediately after.
“Yet what price did Lady Karalin receive upon returning to the North?! To put it bluntly, was it anything more than being prayed for to die by an arrow—?!”
With that, he pulled something from his chest. It was the very arrow that had pierced the young lady. Since he had pulled it out at the scene and healed her himself, it was not strange for him to possess it.
“That after enduring all those terrible times, the price was to be stabbed by an arrow and die… I… I…”
Overcome with too much emotion, he panted as if out of breath, but slowly continued.
“At the very least, I believe such a fate is unacceptable!”
And that was not all.
“It was later revealed that snake venom had even been applied to the arrowhead. Had it not been for the healing power I released, she would have died shortly after.”
“S-snake venom?”
“It really was an assassination attempt. No doubt about it… Even if the queen mother spouts sophistry, the one with the strongest circumstantial evidence is none other than her.”
“Therefore, at this moment, I dare to stake my life and ask Your Majesty this: Why must the young lady—who has already suffered enough—my precious young lady… despite so much sorrow, now also face assassination attempts? Where is the reason in that—?!”
In truth, when one thought about it, there was no particular reason for Karalin to endure such sorrow and pain. The reason she received such treatment was simply that she had once been in the position of successor, only to have that position stolen from her. Because she had become a dangerous existence that Shagalor could not easily dispose of, she was merely being checked. She had no flaws.
Unlike Abel.
“My young lady—that beautiful soul—does not deserve to be treated this way and die here. Did she not overcome the pain of being eliminated from the line of succession and come all the way here to comfort the citizens who had suffered through war?”
Yet the North had given her disappointing treatment.
“Nevertheless, the North where she was born and raised… tried to swallow her up as if she had never existed.”
Therefore, the only thing Yohan could say was this.
“…And the most likely assassination suspect, as revealed through Lady Gorgo’s interrogation, is the young lady’s stepmother—Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Shagalor.”
“S-silence—! You bastard! How dare you spout such nonsense at the queen mother—?!”
Shagalor, who had been quietly watching until now, suddenly screamed in a voice close to a shriek when her name was mentioned. But—
“Your Majesty the Queen Mother, please calm yourself.”
“His Majesty the King is listening to the Lord of Steel’s words.”
“Ugh………”
The ministers calmed her, saying the king was listening. In truth, it was probably because she was simply too loud, and they wanted to hear what the Lord of Steel had to say.
Yohan ignored Shagalor’s furious roar and continued.
“But even if Her Majesty the Queen Mother did such a thing, I understand that it cannot be helped. Because Lady Karalin is no longer the successor. I feel as though I can guess how the respected King will judge this matter.”
With that, Yohan suddenly began to remove his armor, piece by piece.
“Therefore… I can no longer remain a knight of the royal family who makes such judgments.”
He neatly arranged the armor he had removed and began to present it before the king’s gaze.
“…I, Yohan, shall now return to being the young lady’s servant rather than a knight of the royal house. With that meaning, today I intend to lay down everything I received from Your Majesty. The title of Lord of Steel, and this armor that symbolizes me as well.”
Although he had shared his thoughts with her, the situation had been so urgent that even Gorgo had not heard this part. Therefore…
“…Yohan—”
Matching the sighs let out by everyone, she too could only exhale his name in a sigh.
What he was saying was that he would return to the wilds. In simple terms, he was telling the king:
If you do not properly punish those who have done this to the young lady, I will not remain in the royal family.
A typical vassal might have looked at him as if he were an insect and flicked him away with a finger, telling him to get lost. And Rexas would certainly have done exactly that.
However, Yohan was different. He was the favored vassal to whom Rexas had subtly poured out all manner of affection—though it had been said while drunk—thinking of him as more like a son than his own. For the difficult Northern Grand Duke to have shown such warmth to this vassal was a rare instance of benevolence.
Yet now, Yohan himself was directly declaring that he would refuse it and step down. Even if Rexas appeared mentally precarious, it was inevitable that he would be shaken.
Creak—
The window opened and closed rapidly. It was only for the briefest of moments. But in that instant, everyone gathered in the Tiger’s Corridor saw it: the fearful gleam in Rexas’s eyes, the confused gleam, the sorrowful gleam.
But Yohan did not flinch. He proudly extended one arm. Then, holding the arrow in his other hand, he raised it high into the air…
“And finally. For the young lady who would have died had I not been the Lord of Steel. And for the will of the Queen Mother, who wished for my disappearance……”
Crunch—
He drove the arrow into his own arm. Exactly the same spot where Karalin had been wounded.
“I will feel the pain that she should have endured.”
At that, Rexas burst out, flung the window open, and shouted.
“No, Yohan—! Yohan—!! Don’t do it—! I’m sorry. I’m sorry—!!”
“This is… the only way for me, who has discarded the title, to bear her pain…”
When Rexas saw Yohan collapse, his skin turning deathly pale from the snake venom, his own face turned equally ashen. He whipped his head toward the officials watching the scene and roared.
“Call the royal physician—!! Save him no matter what! There is a snake venom specialist, so of course he can be saved! Save him no matter what, you sons of bitches—!!”
This was precisely the suicide show by Yohan that the drunken king had feared most.
Whether in the capital or the North, it seemed to be remarkably effective.
Fortunately, Yohan’s prognosis was good. Most of the snake venom on the arrow had entered Karalin’s body and then vanished along with Azero. A considerable amount had also dissipated during the forensic examination, so it had not been that lethal. With a bit of rest, he would be able to return to daily life without issue.
That was what Rexas heard.
And what Rexas chose after hearing this was none other than to head to the Tiger’s Corridor, where they were still working to clean up the situation even in the dead of night.
Thud— Thud— Thud— Thud—
“His Majesty the King is entering—!”
His appearance was extremely sudden. Everyone simply displayed confused expressions, as if they had not anticipated the arrival of the man who had claimed to be ill and was supposedly languishing in despair. In truth, he was not that sick at all. It would be more accurate to say he was perfectly healthy.
The reason he had fallen into despair and come out like this was simply that after Karalin briefly returned home and held a private meeting with his servant Yohan, he had begun to feel, just a little, that he had been doing the wrong things all this time.
But his pride and dignity—which had boasted of never making a single mistake in his entire life—would not allow him to believe that fact.
Therefore, the moment Abel took over the regency… he had chosen to observe what Shagalor would do. Perhaps that would change his heart somewhat. That was why he had done it.
But the level of what had occurred was now being shown to everyone.
Even though he might be the vassal he favored most, the favored knight with whom he had entered a love-hate relationship because he would not follow his will had expressed regret he had never shown before as a bundle of rage. And then, abandoning everything… to say he would leave his side…
It was something the eccentric old man, who had lived his entire life in loneliness and still lived in loneliness, truly did not want to imagine or even think about.
“F-father…! Father—!”
Thus, Rexas walked forward with furious steps. He carefully pushed aside Abel, who was hovering and blocking his path, then—
Whoosh—
He swept aside the silk curtain and glared at Shagalor.
She had been anxiously biting her nails inside, but the moment she saw Rexas, her expression filled with horror.
“Y-Your Majesty—”
But Rexas had no intention of accepting such a pleading tone.
Slap—!!
He simply struck her across the cheek.
“You bitch…”
For a moment, Shagalor seemed dazed. She staggered as she rose from the floor and, tears streaming down her face, clung to his trouser leg.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty… This girl has done nothing wrong—! You know this, don’t you? How much loyalty… how much I have devoted to serving you…”
“…Bullshit. Make an excuse that’ll actually work, you— You fucking—”
Rexas’s face flushed red and blue as he panted, unable to contain his fury, but soon he spoke.
“…Shagalor. For the time being, return to your homeland and focus on recuperation.”
“Your Majesty—!”
“Did you not hear me?”
Flash—
The moment Shagalor saw Rexas make that decision, it felt as if the world had collapsed. As she had always done, she spoke rudely.
“Y-Your Majesty as well… has no right to—”
Slap—!!
“Ugh—”
For the first time in his life, Rexas did not indulge her beauty.
“Get out of the royal palace.”
Treating his own queen this way in front of everyone could never look good. Moreover, it was hardly befitting of a king’s dignity. Yet because the one who did it was Rexas, everyone could understand it to some extent.
Rexas gave only a single glance to Abel, who stood there with a blank mind, unable to do anything, then quietly ascended the throne and spoke as he always had.
“I will handle the situation, so clear the area around the throne. Take the fainted queen somewhere else.”
His words were heavier than ever before.