The King's Shadow
“Your Majesty,” Maxim said, offering the bare minimum of courtesy. The King sat with his chin propped on one hand, looking thoroughly exhausted, his posture relaxed and informal. The only thing that hadn’t changed was the captain of his royal guard standing behind him—still wearing that same stern, unchanging expression, hands clasped behind his back.
“Reunions always seem to happen in the most unexpected places, don’t they?”
“It would appear so, Your Majesty.”
“I don’t doubt your strength after what you did to Behemoth. Still, I have a rather unpleasant habit of needing to test things myself. I hope you’ll forgive my earlier rudeness with that generous heart of yours.”
“How could I possibly fault Your Majesty’s caution?”
The King gestured, and the knights who had accompanied Maxim withdrew. They bowed their heads and ascended the stairs, leaving the tavern. “I always had a feeling we would meet again, but I never imagined it would be like this. How embarrassing.”
“Please, Your Majesty, there’s no need to say such things.”
When Maxim spoke in flustered protest, the King merely shrugged. “A king who cannot even protect his own throne has fallen to this state. If I don’t call it embarrassing, what else would you have me call it?”
“It was Your Majesty’s decisive action that saved this kingdom. How can you speak as though it were otherwise?”
“The ones who saved this kingdom were the knights and soldiers who risked their lives in No Man’s Land. You’re the one who cut down that monster. How could I possibly take credit for it?”
The King let out a short sigh. “Well, that’s enough of us painting gold on each other’s faces and tearing ourselves down. It feels like it could go on forever.”
Maxim followed the King’s pointing finger toward a chair. “Sit. This conversation is going to take a while.”
“I am honored.”
Maxim carefully pulled out the chair and sat down. The King spread his arms toward the still-guarded Maxim and began to speak. “Ask whatever you wish. I imagine you have many questions right now.”
“Why did Your Majesty come here in person?”
Maxim asked without hesitation. The King smiled faintly, apparently pleased by the lack of restraint. “To answer that, I suppose I should first tell you where we are.”
The King turned his head, slowly taking in the tavern. Weapons lined one wall. A map of the capital lay spread across the long table where the King rested his elbow, with a single game piece—crowned, like the King himself—placed upon it, ready for the next move. The King playfully flicked the piece with his fingertip. It wobbled but stayed upright, like a roly-poly toy.
“This place is directly connected to the royal palace. A rabbit hole prepared since the previous king’s reign… in case of the unexpected.”
Maxim’s brow furrowed slightly at the King’s casual remark. “…Are you certain it’s all right to tell an outsider about this?”
The King let out a quiet laugh. “The moment you set foot in here, you ceased to be an outsider. We were the ones who proposed not drawing lines, and you accepted.”
The King was no great warrior. Yet the dignity and authority in his words pressed down on Maxim like a weight. The one being pressured didn’t so much as blink.
“Do you regret it?”
The King withdrew the pressure upon realizing it had no effect. If Maxim had been the sort of fish that could be caught with mere intimidation, he would have long since fallen into the Bennings’ grasp. Without shared interests, without a knight loyal to the kingdom, would there even have been a chance to persuade him like this?
The King studied Maxim’s character and met his golden eyes. Maxim answered without wavering. “Not at all.”
Regret? That was absurd. The moment he had resolved to reclaim what he had lost, Maxim had been prepared to side with anyone if it meant surviving this hellscape.
The King exhaled in relief at Maxim’s firm gaze and reply. “This isn’t the only rabbit hole prepared beneath the palace. This one, too, will be abandoned after today.”
The King pointed to the section of the map where the royal palace stood tall. The palace and these back alleys of the capital were quite close in a straight line.
“Does that explain it?”
“…Yes.”
“Even my queen doesn’t know this passage exists. Only I and my loyal guard know of it.”
The King’s voice was bitter as he spoke, but he quickly shook off the melancholy and continued. “I’ve gone on too long with the preamble. There are two reasons I came here in person.”
The King raised his index and middle fingers. “The first is to make contact with the Adventurers’ Guild.” He lowered his middle finger.
“You intend to join hands with the Guild?”
“Preparations are already underway. The Guild has its own conflicts with the Benning regime. They’re well aware that it isn’t the palace pressuring them right now.”
The King narrowed his eyes. “…The one who currently leads the entire Adventurers’ Guild owes a debt of gratitude to the previous king. He’s not without honor, so he should be willing to stand with us. I dislike using the favor the late king bestowed for the sake of protecting my throne, but this is no time to be choosy about methods.”
The King spoke firmly, as if there were no other choice. “The situation at the palace is overwhelming right now. You know that better than anyone. Benning grows bolder with each passing day.”
The King pressed a hand to his forehead. “The most troublesome part is the justification Benning claims.”
“You mean the Second Prince?”
The King answered with silence. “They still have time before they fully stretch their limbs and begin moving in earnest. They haven’t shown any real activity yet. That means they won’t be rushed. Do you understand what that implies?”
“…Being impatient in a rebellion means lacking both power and justification. But the Count’s attitude remains relaxed…”
Maxim looked to the King as if seeking confirmation. The King nodded for him to continue. “There’s no doubt they’ve secured their power. So does that mean supporting the Second Prince gives them sufficient justification?”
Correct. The King thought so internally, but there was still one final step. “I’ll explain the details after I tell you the second reason I came here myself.”
The King lowered his index finger. In that instant, the atmosphere surrounding the King shifted. It was no longer harsh or oppressive, but the natural bearing of a ruler addressing his subordinate. Before Maxim could fully process his confusion, the King spoke.
“Maxim Apparte, eldest son of House Apparte and knight of the Raven Order.”
Maxim rose from his chair and knelt as his body remembered. The King nodded in satisfaction and murmured quietly. Passed. No—more than passed. It was worth coming in person. The King silently thanked his loyal captain of the guard, who had insisted he come.
“I hereby release you from your current position. At the same time, I reassign you to the First Royal Guard and—”
The King’s eyes gleamed. “—issue you a secret order.”
The King spoke in a firm, resolute voice. Those words were both the horn that would signal the start of war and the judgment that would punish the lawless. “Become my hands and feet. Become my eyes. Become the shadow of the royal family and sharpen that keen blade.”
And then: “Become the sword that cuts down the wicked who disturb the royal family and the kingdom.”
“I, Maxim Apparte, accept Your Majesty’s command.”
Maxim did not hesitate for a moment. The King’s words lit the fuse leading to the revenge Maxim had been holding onto. “Raise your head and sit again. It’s rather absurd for a king to confer a position outside the palace.”
The King sighed. “Once everything is over, I’ll announce this title and position officially at the palace, in front of everyone—along with praise for your achievements in No Man’s Land.”
“I am deeply honored.”
The imposing aura vanished in an instant. The King once again became a hunched hermit. “…I’m sorry to say this, but I looked into your past a little.”
Maxim’s body trembled slightly. “There were many incidents at the Knight Academy. A promising talent was sent to some worthless post, and his field evaluations were strangely low.”
“…It was because of my own shortcomings.”
The King shook his head, denying it. “It didn’t take long to discover that the Benning family had pulled strings. However, I still don’t know exactly what they did to reduce you to such a state.”
The King clicked his tongue, remarking that they must have handled things far more secretly than expected. “That I failed to notice it is due to my own incompetence and the dullness of my eyes and ears. So, shamelessly, I intend to ask you now. Will you tell me?”
What had happened. Maxim stared at the King’s unreadable face. If only he’d had this opportunity sooner—if only he could have confessed everything, even at the cost of being leashed. If only he hadn’t deliberately pushed Theodora away. Was it resentment? Maxim forced down the painful throb in a corner of his heart and organized his words. He drew a deep breath and began to speak.
“I was cursed.”
From the final exam at the Academy, through the knight orders he had passed through, to being demoted to the Raven Knight Order, up to the present—Maxim carefully separated what could be told from what could not as he recounted everything. While Maxim spoke in a calm, steady voice, the King and the captain of the guard listened intently, as if they would not miss a single word. Their eyes occasionally flashed at the mention of the illegal methods the Bennings had employed.
“…I see. An Aura seal.”
“It seems that if it fully activates, it will destroy both my body and my memories.”
“He doesn’t want to marry off his daughter, doesn’t want you as an enemy, yet covets your skill and wants you under his command. Quite the greedy man.”
The captain of the royal guard spoke for the first time. At his scathing assessment, the King nodded in agreement. “A curse, black magic research at the Magic Tower, involvement of the Academy. Thanks to you, I’ve learned many things. I should say thank you.”
“Not at all. If my disgrace can be of help to Your Majesty and the kingdom, how could I not speak?”
“You truly have a way with words.”
The King looked at the knight’s unbroken face. No—someone who had been broken many times yet risen again. “The formalities are over. You are now officially assigned to the First Royal Guard and will operate inside and outside the palace while concealing your name and face.”
“I will serve with utmost loyalty.”
Now then. The King clapped his hands together. For some reason, Maxim felt a chill when he saw the faint trace of mischief in the King’s eyes. It reminded him of the No Man’s Land knights when they were contemplating what hardship to put him through next.
“There are quite a few things I’ve wanted to have you do ever since I recruited you like this.”
Maxim unconsciously lifted his head. The captain of the guard gave him a look that said he had expected this, silently urging him to do his best. “We need to lay the groundwork for bringing down Count Benning’s house. However, the pieces I’m currently looking at are all far to the east.”
The King’s gaze grew serious once more. Realizing that the King’s ever-changing demeanor was a way of seizing the initiative, Maxim straightened his own posture. “While I hold the line at the palace, head east—to No Man’s Land.”
East. No Man’s Land. Maxim’s eyes lit up as he listened. “Meet Count Argon and the Margrave and tell them the current situation. And—”
The King finished with evident satisfaction at Maxim’s newly proactive attitude. “Tell them of my proposal—whether they would join us in driving out the ruffians currently pressuring the royal family.”