The Great Purge (1)
The sun in the North is never warm. The ever-blowing cold winds always block out the sunlight. A world of eternal winter. In this world, the only ray of sunshine was Mirne.
"At first, it was annoying."
The days he pushed forward alone, slaying monsters at the front lines to soothe his loneliness. He had stumbled upon Mirne, who was inexplicably isolated. He couldn't fathom how a princess from the weak Maselin Kingdom had made it all the way to the North.
The Northern Grand Duke still smiled at the memory. A princess from a minor kingdom beyond the borders, meeting the Northern Grand Duke himself. Who could have known that first encounter would stretch on this long?
"But from that first meeting, I felt a warmth I'd never known in the North..."
An emotion he'd never felt before in his life. The more he talked with her, like sunlight itself, the more something inside him melted away.
'Your Grace is cold, but still warm.'
'Warm? Me?'
'Yes, hehe. You don't seem to realize it.'
'What nonsense.'
'It's true.'
Sometimes once a week. Sometimes once a month. Each time he met her, his pale world grew a little brighter. And with it came greed. How could he grow closer to her? What way was there to keep that warmth nearer?
'Getting close to you doesn't feel bad.'
'Eh, you're smiling, Your Grace.'
'Is that a problem?'
'I like it when you smile. Have your worries eased lately?'
'My only worries are the monsters and warming the North.'
How long had he pondered such things?
'Then just do it.'
'I can't alone.'
'Then do it with me later. Once my kingdom's situation improves, and yours does too.'
At Mirne's words, the Northern Grand Duke knew this was it. That was the moment a clearer goal emerged for Northern Grand Duke Freon Vesper.
'Once my situation improves, and Mirne's does... Yes, we can change even more than now.'
So he decided to make the North independent. Not a North that moved at the whims of the feeble Crown Prince. A North that moved by its own power. To find true warmth together with Mirne.
"...To feel that warmth, the North must become independent. Our role of holding the front lines won't change, so in a way, the center profits. They can stop caring about the North entirely—we'll block the monsters ourselves."
Freon continued, bolstering his own justification.
"Though the North can't fully stand alone yet, with what we've received from the center, our communications with the Holy Kingdom... and trade with various nations, we'll achieve self-sufficiency quickly."
Monster corpses held immense value in themselves. From their tough hides to bones and organs—nothing was wasted, all rare resources. If the North started trading them in earnest? They'd grow rich and strong so fast, they'd forget about central aid. Then they could even repay what they'd received. The plan was perfect.
To leave no loose ends, he even enforced isolation. In a few days, he'd send a message to the center declaring independence. He'd no longer be the Northern Grand Duke, but King Vesper.
He indulged in such happy imaginings.
"To advance the grand plan early over failing to catch one mere mage."
"Forgive me! Forgive me!"
Letting one mage escape had forced the independence timeline forward abruptly, and Freon was deeply dissatisfied. It wasn't a tough task, nor were they short on men. Yet they'd bungled it, letting word leak to the center.
Good thing he'd sent a messenger bird to the Holy Kingdom ahead of time. Otherwise, they'd have proceeded without any support.
'The North's messenger birds are swift. We'll declare the North no longer part of the Empire... and in a week, the Holy Kingdom will arrive to help.'
Religion held great power. Especially in legitimacy. He didn't even need the Pope—a saint vouching for him would stop the Empire from acting rashly.
'No, even if they try, the weak-hearted Crown Prince will turn a blind eye.'
That would end it. They'd even prepared troops expecting war. The Crown Prince, averse to blood, would surely negotiate peacefully.
"All forces, to the center."
"As you command."
He had no real intent to fight. Just the gesture would suffice. The laughable Crown Prince would comply without a word.
The Empire was rotten now. He had no interest in fixing it alongside them. When its doom was obvious, why not jump ship?
"...Your Grace, what if an unavoidable situation arises?"
Right before departing to carry out orders, the knight commander raised the one-in-a-million possibility.
"If blood must be shed, then shed it."
For Northern independence, unavoidable sacrifices were inevitable. He couldn't keep dodging forever.
"When that time comes, strike first."
As he issued such orders one by one.
Screeeeeeeeech!
Freon's hyper-attuned senses caught something.
"Everyone! Down! Now!"
The moment he sensed it, Freon ordered those around him to drop low. He himself flattened to the ground instantly.
BOOOOOOM!
The instant Freon hit the deck, a massive explosion roared. When he came to, the Grand Duke's castle ceiling had been ripped clean off.
"Wh-what the hell...?"
As all fell into shock.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Unfamiliar footsteps echoed.
"Well, at least you know to grovel at the sight of imperial blood. The Northern Grand Duke has some basic manners, after all."
A being who absolutely should not appear here revealed himself.
"Cr-Crown Prince...?"
The Crown Prince of the Bellos Empire, Bellon Bellos.
"Where'd you pawn off your 'Your Highness'?"
He had appeared in the Grand Duke's castle.
"Want to become a turtle?"
The moment I sent the letter announcing a major cleanup in the center, I realized I no longer needed to leisurely stroll from the North.
"Do you know the way to the Grand Duke's castle?"
"Y-yes?"
"I mean the shortcut."
"Ah, yes, I do."
I briefly took in Estella's tense, rigid form.
"We'll go ahead. Follow slowly."
The instant I heard about the shortcut, Pavan and I launched ourselves.
No need to stroll like in the East. The fastest way to quash rebellion wasn't cleaning up the surroundings.
It was ending the ringleader.
"How much preparation did they do to attempt something this insane?"
"Preparation, Your Highness?"
"Yeah. With thorough prep, they dare this madness."
Swordmasters probably dozens at least, and the Northern Grand Duke at minimum Grand Master level. Without that, erecting a barrier against the center was absurd.
They must have judged they could inflict meaningful damage even in worst-case war with the Empire. Hence the barrier and rebellion prep.
I was dying to know what monumental setup let them defy the Empire.
'And that aside.'
As I headed for the Northern Grand Duke, I glanced at Pavan keeping pace beside me.
'What the hell is this covenant?'
The message from the great prophet suggested it involved the founding Emperor.
From a quick look, the founding Emperor had power beyond human limits.
'Swallowing one of two suns, from the start...'
Was that even human? And no one treated it as myth.
'He said he remembered earlier.'
Still, I couldn't not ask. To glean any clues, I spoke up.
"I remember the covenant, but I doubt all Executioners do. It's too ancient."
"Quite right, Your Highness. Not everyone remembers. I forgot."
"You forgot?"
"Yes, I did."
Everyone else remembers, but Pavan forgot.
'Come to think of it, what race is Pavan?'
Over 3 meters tall, physical prowess inhuman. Definitely not human.
"For reference, I'm a giant."
As if reading my mind, Pavan continued seamlessly.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself formally. Pavan, descendant of the giants."
"Did you make the covenant with the great prophet?"
"No. I'm the one who upholds it."
If only I could see his expression. Armored head to toe, not even his eyes were visible.
'Can't ask him to lift the visor now.'
What covenant passed down generations? The deeper I probed, the more mysterious it grew.
I wanted to ask more, but when I snapped to, the Grand Duke's castle was in sight.
"Pavan."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"The castle's taller than the imperial palace."
"I'll lower it immediately."
Whoosh.
With that, Pavan leaped skyward.
Grasping his greatsword with both hands.
"Hup."
A light breath.
Slash!
One swing ripped the Grand Duke's castle roof clean off.
'Just how strong is he?'
He didn't even seem to strain. If that's a casual swing, and such power dooms the Empire later...
With that thought, I leaped toward the castle too.
Inside the roofless Grand Duke's castle.
At its center stood the Northern Grand Duke, Freon.
"Well, at least you know to grovel at the sight of imperial blood. The Northern Grand Duke has some basic manners, after all."
They'd dropped low on their own, so credit for manners.
"Cr-Crown Prince...?"
But the instant he saw me, Freon dropped all honorifics, revealing his true thoughts.
"Where'd you pawn off your 'Your Highness'?"
The Eastern Grand Duke was just purely stupid.
This one?
"Want to become a turtle?"
No room for remorse. Advertising open rebellion?
Seeing me, Freon rose with murderous intent.
"Crown Prince, I declare here: the North severs from the Empire."
Skipping all procedure, straight to the point.
Axe in one hand, sword in the other. Aura slowly cloaking his weapons.
Pure white aura, infused with the North's chill, swirled through the castle.
"If I don't allow it?"
"I'll make you accept by force."
At Freon's words, the knights who'd crouched began rising, auras flaring.
As expected, Northern Grand Duke was Grand Master level.
One Grand Master backed by many Swordmasters. With the roof gone, troops were converging real-time.
Freon's lips curled, confident in numerical superiority.
"Resist, and die. Abandon the North and return to the Empire. It's no longer yours."
"Think I'll fear that?"
My words barely out.
Thud!
Pavan landed beside me like he'd been waiting.
"...Executioner?"
"Oh, you know of us?"
"I thought you were Empire fabrications..."
"Now you speak like you're not Empire at all."
"Not anymore."
Freon swelled his aura further. Male lead vibes clear. Martial specialist, maybe eyeing beyond Grand Master.
"Crown Prince, it's not too late. Last chance."
Give up. Seeing my silence as fear, Freon offered mercy.
"This is hilarious."
I barely held back laughter.
"Modern battles don't need soldiers clashing."
Truth was, I had tons of questions.
"What the hell are you on about?"
"Kill the leadership, war ends. Why raise armies?"
From what killing the male lead does.
To what Executioners are, their exact strength.
"What nonsense is this?!"
How big a butterfly effect could I cause in a novel I only read the early parts of? Time to experiment.
So.
Screeeeeeeeech!
I summoned them all.
Swish.
I pointed to the sky.
Freon naturally followed my finger upward.
"...Wh-what."
The moment he looked, eyes bulged.
By now, his view held.
"I don't give last chances."
Four plummeting Executioners at ferocious speed.
"Rebellion means certain death."
And the Imperial Guard Knights.
"No mercy."
The Empire's top forces.
Time to gauge their level for sure.
"Major cleanup time."