250. Dark Spring (1)
250. Dark Spring (1)
- 1 -
The weather at the tail end of winter had grown a little milder.
Countless people were gathered in the plaza outside Hylash Royal Castle.
"Is it true the Princess is coming out here today?"
"I heard she has something to say."
Despite the lingering chill of the dawn wind, the crowds that had started gathering early in the morning were already filling the plaza.
These were people who had come to see the hero who had saved the citizens from the monster attack days before—and who had also captured a figure from the enemy nation that had assaulted the royal capital.
"Huu..."
A sigh escaped, cutting through the dawn air.
Yurena's hair, a mix of blonde and black, swayed in the cool breeze.
The nobles' curious gazes, the citizens' expectant eyes, and even Luihardt's proud smile.
The sight of the countless people gathered both on and off the platform made her tremble, but she firmly suppressed it.
"It's alright."
"Sister."
At the voice that came from behind her, she turned and took both hands of 'Philia Elskopf'.
"Please give me courage. Sister..."
"Courage lies within your own heart. You will do well. Your Highness."
Yurena drew comfort and courage from Libertas's low, calm voice and the smile she gave her, then took a deep breath and nodded.
"I'll be back."
"Be strong."
As she slowly ascended the platform, cheers rose up from below.
Voices welcoming the kingdom's new young hero.
Among them, voices comparing Yurena to the Winged General of Ironfield also faintly lingered.
Of course, Elena's battle achievements and fame were far beyond what Yurena currently possessed.
However, depending on the story she was about to tell today, that assessment might be overturned.
"Come forward. Princess Yurena."
The king's voice greeted her.
"In this place, as my youngest daughter, show your loyalty to the royal house and nation of Hysen."
Luihardt's expression was still gentle, but Yurena once again confirmed the cruelty and cold rationality lurking behind his eyes.
An order to swear loyalty to the royal family.
But rather than trembling with fear, Yurena steeled her courage even more.
"Yes. Your Highness."
Yurena slowly raised her head and looked out at the crowd.
"Everyone."
Yurena's voice rang out clearly.
"Today, I intend to reveal to you all the truth I have come to know."
Her voice was small but firm. There was no trembling.
Her voice, amplified by magic, spread to every corner of the crowd.
"Not as the youngest princess, but as one person worried for Hysen's future. As one person seeking to safeguard the fate of humanity."
At that moment, Luihardt's eyes sharpened as he sensed something amiss.
But it was already too late.
She had opened her mouth.
"This matter, involving the royal family of Hysen and the royal family of Kiza Kingdom, began over ten years ago."
A chill settled in Luihardt's eyes, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
He did not move rashly.
Because stopping her words here would be tantamount to admitting they were true.
But that confidence would not last long.
Because the long winter that had surrounded Hylash was beginning to end.
- 2 -
"For a long time in Hysen, experiments have been conducted to add the power of the demon tribe to human bloodlines."
Since experiments involving the demon tribe were originally carried out in secret in every nation, if that had been all Yurena said, the declaration would have been quietly buried.
But that was not all she had said.
"For that purpose, experiments on humans were also perpetrated, and among the subjects were nobles and even the royal family of Kiza Kingdom. Look into where those who came to Hysen to study disappeared."
Human experimentation on nobles and royalty was a story no one could cover up.
"Furthermore, yesterday evening, I secured testimony that the corpse of the executed Han Nation's Prince Yi Jeong was taken into the kennel."
Yurena's declaration and the kennel story immediately spread to every nation through crystal balls.
「You will certainly have to explain this matter. Luihardt Hirasch.」
「If you grant us this right, we may also be able to help.」
The northern nations demanded an expression of intent from Hysen, while the embassies of the Norn Empire and Zenota United Kingdom seized the moment to begin negotiating for dominance over trade routes.
「The will of Saintess Esther Kantes Orpina is the will of the Holy Kingdom.」
The Holy Kingdom remained silent. It was because Esther had already declared her support for Yurena.
Esther bristled at their shameless declaration of support, but she decided to endure it for now.
For the time of vengeance that would come later.
"Do you still not understand?!"
Of course, the one that reacted most violently was the Kiza Kingdom, Hysen's traditional 'elder brother nation' that had been fated to integrate with Hysen through a magnanimous decision.
From early morning, fierce debates among nobles and bureaucrats continued in the royal palace.
The grandees gathered in the palace conference room, doubting the royal family's purity, began exchanging heated arguments.
"We cannot let this matter pass as it is! Does this not mean that the elder dragon of the two great dragons was in truth nothing more than a slave?!"
The chancellor's roar echoed through the conference room.
His voice, normally so deferential before the royal family's authority, was bold today.
"This afternoon, the mages' mental examination will be carried out. Because we cannot trust internal figures, we have invited distinguished external figures, so know that this is the case."
The chancellor of Kiza Kingdom declared.
The royal family tried to hold out, but in the end, they yielded to the pressure of the bureaucrats.
It was proof that the royal family's authority was already wavering.
Meanwhile, in the streets of Hysen, another rumor was spreading.
"They say Princess Yurena has been confined."
A rumor that had started in the back alleys where servants of noble houses gathered instantly blanketed the market streets.
The whispers that flowed from the mouths of merchants selling vegetables soon became the topic of conversation for nobles inside carriages traveling along the main thoroughfares.
"It couldn't be helped. From the royal family's standpoint, isn't it treason?"
"Hey, this fellow! How could revealing the truth be treason?"
And then a new rumor was added.
"Isn't Count Rastain standing with his blade drawn against the Royal Guard Knight Order?"
"His Excellency Rastain?"
"They said he changed a great deal after Lady Regina's death... I see."
In an instant, the city began to seethe.
The story of a hero who drew his sword for the truth ignited a fire in people's hearts.
"They say the border margraves' armies are moving. From Ironfield, they've already headed for the royal capital, I hear."
"There's also talk that Margrave Frederick himself is taking action."
As rumors of the border margraves' advance circulated, anxiety also began to hover over the royal capital.
"They say the western seeds are unreliable people. That they tried to take the lands of the Zenota United Kingdom for themselves last time..."
"Wasn't that, in truth, land Viscount Elena seized alone?"
"It's the first I've heard of it."
"Look over there! It's the royal army!"
That anxiety soon deepened as all military forces in the royal direct dominion began concentrating around the royal capital, but...
"We will hold the north gate and east gate."
They could not completely block off the surroundings of the royal capital.
Because of Daniel and his mercenary group.
"You secure the south gate and west gate. We are dividing responsibility."
"How can we trust you...!"
"Are you doubting Her Highness Princess Yurena, who appointed us?"
"Keuk...!"
It was because the Twilight Hunter Mercenary Group and the forces they had recruited as royal direct mercenaries were confronting the royal army.
They were so numerous that there seemed to be no end to them.
A faint scent of death wafted among them, but no one noticed it.
"This won't do."
The people who had begun gathering one by one due to that anxiety soon formed a great wave and headed for the royal castle.
The crowd, which had started as only a few hundred, swelled to thousands in an instant.
"Release our Crystal Princess!"
The name someone started shouting soon spread to everyone's lips.
A princess with a soul as clear as crystal.
They began calling Yurena the 'Crystal Princess'—and the more fervent among them called her the 'Crystal Queen.'
"The Crystal Queen shall bring us salvation!"
Their cries spread to every corner of the city.
They reached the ears of the nobles as well.
At first, even the nobles hesitated. But soon, they too began to move one by one.
"It is precisely Her Highness Yurena who will set Hysen right."
"Indeed. Under Her Highness's banner, we..."
It was because Libertas's nobles, already mixed among them, raised their voices in agitation, and the nobles who had not been corrupted began flocking to Yurena.
Those who indulged in hunting humans and cannibalism could not act, because they had been under the protection of the Hylash royal family.
But all those who had been unable to adapt to such a culture and had stood by idly now flocked to Yurena.
"Move for honor. Knights!!"
The military also began to fracture.
The knights following Rastain grew steadily in number, and the Royal Guard Knight Order could no longer control the entire royal castle.
"The current royal family must be purified!!"
As even the clerics set in motion by the Saintess began raising their voices together, every eye in Hysen was now turned toward the royal castle.
Everyone could sense that one era was fading and a new era was coming.
"Things cannot remain as they are."
Luihardt, as always, made a cruel decision.
"Summon the kennel master."
His cold voice rang out. It was time to draw his final card.
Sometimes, overwhelming power could cover up all truths.
The time had come to use the power he had perfected in his laboratory.
But he did not know.
That his decision would bring Hysen's winter to an eternal end.
- 3 -
In the garden of Narcissus Palace, two Hysen armies stood facing each other.
The Royal Guard and the Defense Guard.
The most elite forces of the Hysen royal family, and their commanders, aimed their blades at each other.
A scene that anyone with strong loyalty to Hysen would consider a tragedy.
"Why are you standing over there?"
"It had to be this way, Adrian."
The two knights looked at each other with regret, but Rastain's face contorted as he saw Luihardt appear, cutting through the ranks of the Defense Guard.
"Rastain. Stand down."
"I cannot, Your Highness."
Luihardt stood at the front, and the prince and princess, who had always only confronted each other, stood behind him.
It was no different from a scene of great political unity, but Adrian's feelings upon seeing it were not pride, but contempt for something vile.
Because he had become certain that their glory stemmed from falsehood.
"Was your oath of fealty false?"
Thus, even though Luihardt's roar reached him, Rastain's face remained cold.
Shaking his head once, he spoke firmly.
"My loyalty is directed not toward Your Highness the King personally, but toward Hysen and Hylash. My heart tells me this is right, so my loyalty is still true."
"... Regrettable."
Luihardt was genuinely regretful.
But it was fine. Once his plan was complete, there would be no need to eliminate another hero of Hysen with his own hands.
His plan was perfect.
The princess seemed to have noticed something and was not coming out of this palace at all.
But he only had to go there himself and reactivate the magic that was already affecting Yurena's mind.
She was acting out of 'loyalty to Hysen,' so once he switched that to 'loyalty to the royal family,' everything would be over.
Once he suppressed the disgraceful ones surging toward the royal capital through her, and even the impious ones outside...
Everything would be over.
"Advance! Subjugate the Royal Guard who are detaining the princess!"
"Your Highness... to go this far...!"
Rastain's face contorted even further as he saw the Defense Guard and the royal army moving, branding him and the Royal Guard as traitors.
"You have thought wrongly, Rastain."
The army began to move.
Luihardt smiled with satisfaction.
Soon everything would be resolved. The magic he had perfected in his laboratory was absolute.
Any resistance was meaningless.
And then...
"... Hm?"
When Luihardt opened his eyes again, he was sitting in the chair in his office.
Beyond the window, the evening sun was already setting, and there was not a single sign of anyone around.
Luihardt blinked.
"... Chief Chamberlain? Head Lady-in-waiting? Royal Guard Knight Commander?"
His voice, calling for his close aides, echoed chillingly and darkly through the king's private chamber.
He instinctively realized that something had gone wrong.
"You're awake."
Before him, a woman appeared without the slightest presence.
"You are... how are you here...?"
An unfamiliar voice. But the face was familiar.
The beauty who had recently been the talk of the royal capital, Philia Elskopf.
It was Libertas.
"You seemed to be having a nice dream. Louis."
Libertas's voice was soft and gentle. As always.
"If you wish to destroy, you must first seize their reason—that is the law."
Libertas murmured those words and smiled.
"But since you have already lost your reason, I can only say that destroying you was far too easy."
Because Luihardt's arrogance had ultimately brought about his defeat.
The violet eyes looking down upon him blazed with mana in the shadows.
The power of the demon tribe.
Sensing it, a chill ran down Luihardt's spine.
Only then did he realize.
That all the confidence and plans he had harbored were nothing more than a dream that had played out in the palm of someone's hand.