Chapter 220
Chapter 220
There might have been another way.
Had the situation not unfolded so urgently, Logan might have waited quietly.
For the king to effectively surrender and acknowledge his mistakes.
Because the Sword Duke Felix Esperanza's stubbornness wasn't solely directed at his disciple.
This obstinate master still stood by his side, and before a teacher who refused to give up on his convictions, the king's arrogance would eventually crumble.
'Of course, even if that were the case, there's no guarantee I could afford to wait.'
But now, there was no time left to test that possibility.
He had indirectly confirmed the king's resolve not to back down.
In that case, he had no choice but to confront it head-on.
"An urgent matter has arisen in my territory. His Majesty is shaking MacLaine to its core! I must go. Immediately!"
"......I will resolve it for you."
"If you leave your post, His Majesty will seize the chance to have me killed. And if that happens, I won't hold back any longer."
"Then I'll send Esperanza's elite forces—"
"That won't solve anything!"
Red and blue eyes clashed in midair for a long moment.
Finally, the Sword Duke let out a deep sigh and took a step back.
And then—
Crack!
A flash of red light—the prison bars were severed.
He had cut through the iron bars with his aura.
"Are you letting me go?"
"......I'm not letting you go."
The answer, completely at odds with his actions, made Logan pause.
"I'm giving you a choice."
"A choice?"
"I acknowledge there is merit in your words. But I cannot abandon my own stance—that a vassal must uphold his duty."
Logan's gaze shifted to the open cell door.
"I have done my utmost to free you. Even so, if you insist on leaving now... go. But if you walk out like this, Logan, you will truly become a traitor."
His expression indifferent yet pained, the master turned away.
His words, spoken with great difficulty, lingered in the now-empty prison cell for a long time.
Logan, too, couldn't help but feel the weight pressing on his heart.
'I have no choice now, Master.'
The moment golden light flashed from Logan's hands—
The shackles binding his limbs shattered effortlessly.
### Logan MacLaine has escaped from prison!
The news sent waves of tension rippling across the kingdom.
Everyone sensed it—the worst-case scenario they had dreaded was about to unfold.
And sure enough—
"Declare Logan MacLaine a traitor and order his subjugation! All nobles, assemble your forces before the royal palace!"
The king's furious roar echoed through the Grand Hall of the palace.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The newly appointed ministers, forcibly installed by the king, responded in unison, stoking the heated atmosphere.
But the hall soon fell silent—because of one man who did not answer.
The moment the word traitor was uttered, all eyes turned to the Sword Duke, who had shut his eyes tightly.
The king, too, watched him with a chilling smile.
"Grand Duke. The loyal subjects are waiting. Will you stand by and do nothing while a traitor threatens the kingdom?"
Slowly, the Sword Duke opened his eyes.
"There are still many suspicious aspects to this unfortunate incident. The evidence is insufficient. If Your Majesty would show magnanimity and forgive Logan, rebellion could still be avoided."
His words, spoken with hesitation and a quiet sigh, carried a conflicted gaze.
The king met his eyes calmly.
"Logan MacLaine has effectively defied royal command and escaped. He has thrown away any chance to clear his name. Isn't that so?"
"......It is."
Under the king's piercing stare, the Sword Duke reluctantly nodded.
Then—
"And yet, you still defend him? Grand Duke, do you value personal bonds over the authority of the royal family?"
"......How could that be, Your Majesty?"
As the Sword Duke answered with a grave expression, the king smiled triumphantly.
"It is time to restore the royal family's authority, Grand Duke. Think not of personal ties, but of the kingdom's future. If even you turn your back on me, what meaning does this throne—what meaning does the bloodline of Grandia—hold?"
"Your Majesty is the rightful monarch, inheritor of Grandia's true lineage. Such words are difficult to accept."
"No, no. At this moment, you are the only one I can trust."
With those words, the king descended from the throne and approached the Sword Duke.
For a long moment, he stared into the Sword Duke's eyes—then seized his hand.
And bowed his head before him.
"Y-Your Majesty!?"
"What—!?"
The ministers erupted in shock, and even the Sword Duke's gaze wavered.
"I beg of you, Grand Duke. Show the people that the royal family's authority still lives."
Still bowing before his subjects, the king did not release his grip.
"Your Majesty. Please, raise your head."
As he spoke, the Sword Duke dropped to one knee.
Then, with a deep sigh—as if severing something within himself—he spoke, each word deliberate.
"By royal command... I will personally subjugate the traitor."
The nobles in the Grand Hall held their breath.
And as a smile crept onto the king's hardened face—
The Sword Duke's unbelievable decision spread across the kingdom faster than the wind.
### The Sword Duke has personally decided to subjugate MacLaine.
"What—that's ridiculous!"
"What kind of nonsense is this!?"
"It's true!"
The news was so unbelievable that people had to ask two or three times before accepting it.
Only two years after the civil war had ended, the very heroes who had brought it to a close were now igniting a new one.
And this time—
Master and disciple.
The kingdom's transcendent heroes.
"This... this is really going to be a disaster, isn't it?"
"N-no way!"
"What kind of kingdom has war after war like this...?"
Those who heard the news were too busy worrying about the kingdom's future.
And naturally, the shock was even greater for those directly involved.
The repercussions erupted first from the Sword Duke's estate in the capital.
"Your Grace! This is wrong! This is truly the worst possible decision!"
His adjutant, Louis, shouted with rare intensity, his face twisted in agitation.
"......So you think so too."
"Yes! Absolutely. Anyone in the world would say the same! Why would Sir Logan, a transcendent, attempt to assassinate the king with poison? Unless he's a fool, this is clearly a false accusation!"
"Yes. That must be the case."
"......And yet, knowing that, you still agreed? To subjugate MacLaine?"
"It was unavoidable, Louis."
"How could this possibly be unavoidable!? If Your Grace had opposed it, His Majesty would never have been able to push for war alone! This is a decision that will ruin the kingdom!"
A decision that will ruin the kingdom.
Those painfully sharp words stabbed deep into the Sword Duke's heart.
And as if they had pulled a trigger, the words of his disciple—the root cause of this turmoil—flooded his mind.
—The Empire is preparing for war.
—It's clear His Majesty has played a card he cannot take back!
—There's no time for this now.
'Logan. I understand your thoughts. But your methods were wrong.'
This wasn't simply a matter of the king's authoritarian decree.
He acknowledged that his disciple's words held merit—but they lacked proof.
And for that unsubstantiated reasoning, his disciple had disregarded and undermined the authority of the king and the royal family, upheld for a thousand years.
'After I begged you to wait.'
A heart-wrenching pain.
But in the end, his disciple had chosen his own path.
And the weight of a lifetime spent as the king's sword left him no choice but to stand on the opposite side.
Thus—
"For the sake of the future, the royal family's authority—the heart of the kingdom—must be restored. That is the only path forward."
"Your Grace. The royal family is not the entirety of the kingdom."
"Not the entirety, but its foundation. And so, I must protect that foundation."
"The kingdom belongs to the people, Your Grace, not the royal family!"
"Only when the royal family stands firm can the people find peace!"
"Your Grace......"
Frustrated, Louis let out an involuntary sigh.
In some ways, his revered lord was far too stubborn.
Almost impossible to persuade.
But—
'I have to say this.'
Taking a deep breath, Louis knelt before the man he had served his entire life.
"Sir Logan MacLaine is undeniably the kingdom's hero. Most people believe His Majesty is being unreasonable. Even within the knight order, sentiment is unfavorable. I have followed Your Grace all my life, but this... this is truly wrong. Your Grace—no, my lord. Please reconsider."
Louis spoke those words as if spitting blood.
His plea for reconsideration was no empty gesture.
For the first time since the Esperanza family had risen to ducal status, voices were emerging to criticize the family head's decision.
But even in the face of Louis' desperate appeal, the Sword Duke's response remained impassive.
"So that's how it is."
"My lord? Then—?"
A flicker of hope as Louis looked up.
But his lord only shook his head with a bitter expression.
"Yes. I suppose that's one way to see it. But I have no choice. I have lived my entire life as the king's sword. Moreover, I cannot refuse the command of the very sovereign I helped place upon the throne."
"My lord!! The family will oppose this!"
"Then they may leave."
"......What?"
"This applies not just to you, but to all our vassals."
Louis stared at his lord in confusion.
He couldn't comprehend what he was saying.
But after a long sigh, the Sword Duke spoke words Louis could never have imagined.
"If they believe my decision is wrong, they may depart. They may go to MacLaine—or anywhere else."
"Your Grace! What kind of—!?"
How could a knight abandon his family over differing opinions?
The Sword Duke's words felt like a declaration meant to shut down all opposition.
"I am merely walking the path I believe to be right."
The Sword Duke's heavy voice, filled with anguish, echoed through the room.
With an even heavier expression, Louis could do nothing but leave the office, his lord's back turned to him.
Around the time this scene unfolded in the Sword Duke's household—
Logan had already entered MacLaine Town.
"It's the Grand Prince!!"
"The Grand Prince has returned!"
"W-what!? Really!?"
"Open the gates!!"
Commotion broke out among the knights and soldiers guarding the town's eastern gate.
Logan, for his part, took in the sight of the garrison—several times larger than usual—and once again grasped the urgency of the situation.
"My lord. It's a relief to see you unharmed......"
"Where is my father?"
"H-he's in the administrative office. We've already sent word—"
"No, I'll go myself."
Without waiting for the knight's reply, Logan spurred his horse forward.
Just as he arrived at the town's administrative office—
"Logan!"
"Prince Logan!"
"Grand Prince!!"
A wave of people—his parents, his fiancée, attendants, and other vassals—rushed toward him like lightning.
For a brief moment, even in the midst of this crisis, Logan couldn't help but smile.