Major Cleanup (3)
Crackkkk!
"Gaaahhh!"
"From the letter, it looks like you were trying to contact the Holy Kingdom. How the hell does your messenger bird know the Holy Kingdom's location?"
"Huuuuh, huuugh... Haaahhh!"
"Even a highly trained messenger bird shouldn't be able to fly to a country it's never been to... which means there must have been some kind of exchange."
To exchange between the north and south, you inevitably have to pass through the center. Even if not, the moment northern personnel leave the north, it should be reported to the center.
Yet the north just sends a single messenger bird to the south—to the Holy Kingdom—without a single report?
"That means you have a collaborator, and it seems like they're in the west."
The puzzle pieces snapped together like magnets.
"Mirne—that woman—did she help you? Bridge the gap to the Holy Kingdom?"
In truth, there was only one suspect. One of the guys in the south, in the Holy Kingdom, had to be the male lead of Jupeba.
The male leads must have somehow connected, and Mirne was definitely involved in that 'somehow' process.
It was too obvious.
The circumstantial evidence was perfect.
But the problem was...
"She has nothing to do with this. Everything was my sole decision."
The guy was thoroughly denying any connection to Mirne.
Even amid that, he kept harping on "she, she," which was impressive.
But...
"It doesn't matter how much you deny it. Even if you do... the Empire won't just let this slide."
Would that make the Maselin Kingdom safe from the Empire?
Doubtful.
Taking this northern rebellion as the starting point, the Empire would go after the Maselin Kingdom first, then the Holy Kingdom. To resolve these suspicions, we'd spare no means or methods.
"She did nothing wrong! It was all my decision alone!"
"Got it, got it—how many times do I have to hear this?"
Was he playing a recording?
The moment I spoke, Freon spat out his response like a seizure.
But it wasn't what I wanted to hear, so I decided to stop toying with him.
"Even if you strain in a state where your heart method is sealed, how much resistance can you really muster?"
It wasn't just his heart method that was sealed.
His spine was completely severed, so he couldn't move properly.
His ribs were shattered, so he couldn't even lift his arms.
He couldn't expect any support either.
We couldn't leave alive those who dared join the rebellion.
The only reason the Northern Archduke was still breathing was because I wanted him to admit the suspicions about Mirne.
But he denied it to the end.
'Can you fall this deeply in love in such a short time? They're not even engaged or anything—how can just a few meetings make you this hooked?'
He seemed utterly smitten.
Honestly, I couldn't relate much.
Just look at Estella flinching behind me at this sight.
She was far more beautiful than the Mirne on the Jupeba cover.
21st-century modern guy's seduction techniques apparently worked even in a sword-and-magic fantasy world.
The Northern Archduke was done in by advanced female psychology and political maneuvering.
Or maybe there was some backstory he couldn't speak of already built up.
With those thoughts...
"Farewell."
I decided to personally behead him.
Slice.
The first time gripping a sword since possessing this body.
The moment I held it, I knew.
'Crown Prince... you used a sword originally?'
The original crown prince was an extreme sword hater.
And not just any sword—a zweihänder user.
But the reason he never used it was simple.
'Because he might accidentally kill someone.'
How considerate.
Refusing to use a sword lest he kill an enemy by mistake.
Truly a pushover worthy of the "nice guy" label.
'Insanely kind.'
With that mutter...
Slash!
The instant I severed the Northern Archduke's neck.
The Northern Archduke does not die easily.
Final struggle begins.
"What?"
With that absurd message.
Thud!
An immense power erupted from Freon's body, shoving away everyone except me.
And at the same time, the Northern Archduke's appearance changed.
A form on another level from what we'd seen.
Like he'd grown 5 to 10 years older...
'Ah.'
The moment I saw it, I realized.
'Right, that exists too.'
Some romance fantasy novels start from babyhood.
Covers starting with a baby, growing through teen years to adult.
Mention of an academy suggested his grown form was scheduled for the future.
So this final struggle reflected his future self.
'Is this for real? What nonsense.'
What happens if you kill the male lead?
Good to resolve that question here.
"Final struggle pattern starts, huh."
Sorry, but I'm not the type to politely wait for your transformation.
Sol Bellos.
Fierce, flame-like aura enveloped my body, then the sword.
Without hesitation, it fell toward the transforming Northern Archduke's neck.
"Crown Prince, I told you—I'd convince you with strength!"
The suddenly grown Northern Archduke swung his sword to block mine.
Using one final struggle pattern on death's door, his broken body not only fully restored but grew stronger than before. And suddenly a sword that screamed "expensive" appeared in his hand.
What the hell was this?
In reality...
"Raaahhh!"
Freon, full of momentum, bellowed a spirited shout just before our swords clashed.
I matched it, unleashing the crown prince's full power for the first time.
Or rather, trying to.
Slash!
"Guh, heuk... Huuk..."
Before I could fully unleash it.
My blade had already perfectly bisected the Northern Archduke diagonally.
Northern Archduke has been completely killed.
However, he met death without sufficient narrative buildup.
Thus, the Northern Archduke's narrative transfers to another.
New male lead 'Northern Warrior' scheduled to appear.
Since he hasn't met the protagonist 'Mirne' yet, cannot specify who the 'Northern Warrior' will be.
'Northern Warrior' keywords revealed: #Growth #Barbarian #Straightforward #Charge
The messages appeared right after killing Freon.
"Ha."
My immediate thought:
'If there are annoying guys in the Empire, I can just kill them even if they're male leads.'
For anyone inside the Empire, no hesitation needed in killing.
The story wouldn't change, Empire doom probability wouldn't rise.
And a male lead who likes the protagonist appearing outside the Empire actually reduced worries.
'But a Northern Warrior will probably invade the Empire again.'
Still, an external enemy was better than an internal tumor.
By the time the new male lead targets the Empire, it would be much more normalized.
He'd probably end up as Northern Archduke again and die the same way.
"Your Highness!"
"Your Highness!"
"Are you alright?!"
"Wh-what the hell just happened?!"
The executioners, Grand Marshal, and Imperial Guard Knights rushed over late after the situation ended.
"I'm fine, fine. Just a brief commotion."
"Still, just in case, proper treatment—"
"I'm really fine. Focus on cleaning up. Knights not involved in the rebellion need to maintain the front lines."
"Understood."
As expected from a final struggle pattern, others couldn't intervene until it fully ended.
Otherwise, no explanation for why the Grand Marshal and executioners were flung away.
'Wait, so if I were weak, I'd have just gotten wrecked?'
What kind of insane privilege was this?
But it resolved well in the end, so not bad.
Northern Archduke completely erased from the Empire.
Empire's doom probability decreases.
Current Empire doom probability: 80%
Status summary: The Empire has a very high chance of collapse within 5 years.
Plus, doom probability dropped 10% immediately.
'Similar to when I shattered the Eastern Archduke's heart method.'
Probably the influence of the future Northern Warrior.
As various possibilities came to mind.
The messages continued, as if it wasn't over.
Clue to the Blood Oath provided.
The Blood Oath is the promise the five executioners made with the Great Prophet.
They swore loyalty to the Bellos Empire in exchange for fulfilling their deficiencies.
But unable at the time, the Great Prophet set the fulfillment far in the future.
And that distant future is now.
Noble Princess Arbeda's Blood Oath is to find her true name.
You must find her name.
'Wait, so it's on installment plan?'
The Great Prophet, lauded in history as amazing.
According to the message, just a shopaholic who bought five luxury items upfront and shoved the bill to descendants.
Don't buy executioners if you can't pay cash. Why hit installments and make us pay now?
Wanted to ask, but he was long dead.
The first Blood Oath hint amid cursing ancestors.
'Name? True name?'
So Arbeda's current name is an alias?
That moment, I instantly understood the Blood Oath's form.
'Everyone's forgetting something.'
If unsolved, the Empire falls.
Within 5 years.
'Then after 5 years, executioners destroy the Empire... and head to Maselin?'
Not certain, but high possibility.
As countless variables arose.
"Most swordmasters dead, even one grandmaster lost... We'll have to kidnap talent somewhere."
Wrapping up lightly, I realized the Empire was in a very precarious state.
Too many high-level talents dead.
No matter how resource-rich and talent-diverse the Empire was.
Dozens of swordmasters and one grandmaster don't fall from the sky.
And northern monsters wouldn't wait, naturally.
To hold the northern front, needed quick reinforcements.
'Can hold for now, but ultimately need steady high-level talent.'
But the chaotic Empire lately had no spare forces to dispatch.
Many northern nobles would die soon, eastern ones already had.
Only one way left.
"Return to the imperial palace for now."
"Yes, sir!"
Time to politely ask those around.
I put the ongoing messages on hold.
And handled immediate priorities first.
+++++
I'd heard the Empire recently underwent massive upheaval.
But no details.
A revelation warned against meddling—lest I get caught in great disaster.
So I used only a tiny bit of manpower.
Screeeeech!!!
"...What the hell is that beast?"
Holy Palace, Pope's chamber.
At the window perch, an unprecedented red bird let out a startling cry.
Screeeeech!
Not content breaking through the window.
What kind of bird had blood dripping from its beak?
'Can a bird hunt something bloody enough to drip like that...?'
Doubt brief.
"Uh, um...?"
The Pope's gaze finally caught the letter tied to the red bird's leg.
The red bird—no, blood parrot—noticed too.
Screeech!
Ptoo.
The blood parrot eyed the Pope, neatly extracted the letter with its beak, spat it on the floor.
Then flapped away, business done.
"Huh."
What in the world?
Flustered, the Pope still picked up the letter.
Wondering what earth-shattering content warranted this delivery, he opened it.
"Valerian!!!"
The Pope bellowed his son's name.
The letter was polite, simple, and destructive.
Summarizing the three-page content:
[Empire Northern Rebellion, Holy Kingdom of Romper Suspected, Demand Resolution of Doubts and Compensation]
May no obstacle stand before the Empire.
The crown prince's will properly conveyed to the Pope.