21. The Count's Castle (1)
21. The Count's Castle (1)
First Prince Schubertche ground his teeth.
His standing hadn't been significantly diminished. Yet, there had definitely been a meaningful shift. And it was decidedly not in his favor.
'That goddamn 3rd Seat vampire bastard...!'
He'd charged in on his own despite being told not to, and gotten himself killed outright. Thanks to that, four members of the Imperial Ten Seats, who constituted a major pillar of the Empire's military might, had died by the hand of the God of War Yuma.
"I'm late. I'll be more careful going forward."
At the First Prince's words, Marquis Kairos slowly nodded his head.
"You've arrived, Your Highness the First Prince."
A round table.
People gathered around that table.
They were all nobles at the center of the Astes Empire's power.
Five top-ranking nobles.
Among them, the only one with a personal acquaintance with Yuma was Count Benosetian, the owner of the magic train <Halo>.
Opposite the blond imperial prince, First Prince Schubertche, sat a woman with pure white, long hair and blue eyes.
It was the 1st Princess, Brigitte von Astes.
Marquis Kairos, who was presiding over the meeting, opened his mouth again.
"Today, we have gathered to discuss the man named Yuma, to whom Her Highness the 1st Princess Brigitte has granted the qualification of agent."
Brigitte tilted her head to the side.
"I fail to understand what kind of discussion you intend to have."
Prince Schubertche furrowed his brow sharply at Brigitte's shameless attitude.
"This meeting was arranged to decide the appropriate handling of the agent you appointed. In other words, it was arranged to hold him accountable for the crime of killing four members of the Imperial Ten Seats, the Empire's great assets."
As soon as Schubertche finished speaking, the sound of Count Kederik gulping nervously echoed lowly.
A meeting convened for Yuma's punishment.
For as they recited the details of the case leading to that punishment, a certain question arose.
A man who had single-handedly snuffed out the lives of four of the Astes Empire's Ten Seats.
Even if they decided on a punishment for such a man, could it be carried out as decided?
It was an ambiguous situation to even give orders to the 1st Seat and 2nd Seat, who possessed the greatest martial power. For if things went wrong, they could lose even them.
Brigitte stared at Schubertche with emotionless eyes.
And, looking not at him but scanning the nobles seated on both sides, she opened her mouth again.
Her low, beautiful voice settled over the round table.
"My agent, Yuma, has never once attacked the deceased members of the Imperial Ten Seats first."
Brigitte continued.
"On the second day, those of you who sent people before my castle would know this."
At those words, the eyes of the two nobles who had sent people to the princess's castle, Count Benosetian and Marquis Kairos, widened.
Indeed.
The God of War Yuma. He had never made the 'first strike'...!
Not even once!
"The same goes for the most recent death, the Imperial 3rd Seat Kailon. My agent Yuma was in the County of Rubelt carrying out a task I assigned him. It was clearly Kailon himself who personally traveled all the way to the County of Rubelt to kill my agent."
Schubertche's brow furrowed deeply.
Brigitte continued speaking.
"All instances were merely Yuma using force to protect himself and to uphold a personal request of mine. What that request is, I cannot tell you, as it is a matter between my older brother Schubertche and myself. But what is clear is that the current situation, which has resulted in the loss of half the Imperial Ten Seats, was caused not by me."
Brigitte's blue eyes finally turned toward the First Prince, Schubertche.
"But by you, my brother Schubertche."
Schubertche raised his tightly clenched right fist high. And brought it crashing down.
Kwaaaang!!
A shockwave rippled across the round table.
Schubertche shouted, veins bulging on his neck.
"Ridiculous sophistry! Brigitte! That sword of yours named Yuma! It's you who recklessly swung that sword and inflicted losses on the Empire's military power!"
Brigitte slowly nodded her head.
"You are right, brother. Yuma is my sword. And the Imperial Ten Seats, except for the 1st and 2nd Seats, are your swords, brother Schubertche."
Brigitte's words fell flatly.
"It was simply that my sword was stronger. Brother. Next time, take better care of your swords."
"Wha, what...!"
Leaving Schubertche's groaning behind, Brigitte slowly rose from her seat.
Having taken her eyes off Schubertche, Brigitte scanned the five nobles.
"I have no intention of giving up the Imperial Throne."
The nobles felt overwhelmed by the look in Brigitte's eyes.
"So make the wise choice."
Brigitte opened the door to the conference room.
No one could possibly think of Brigitte's demeanor as arrogant.
The standing of First Prince Schubertche, who had held an overwhelmingly superior position, had begun to slowly waver.
***
Jeobeok.
Yuma stood before the Count of Luvelt's castle again. Yuma was flanked by figures wearing gray robes.
Cloné and Hestia. Also the count family's eldest son Kaisen and the count family's daughter Ruine. And lastly, the missing children who were to serve as witnesses.
Because they had their robes pulled down low, no one had yet recognized their identities.
Soldiers were gathered in front of the castle gate.
Cheolkeong─ Deolkeong─
The cold weapons held in the hands of the soldiers and knights bared their edges.
The number of armed personnel looked to be at least 50.
As the six members of Yuma's party advanced forward, about 50 troops surrounded Yuma's party in a circle.
Hestia and Cloné calmly tried to take their respective positions.
The two people beside Yuma, their robes pulled down deeply over their heads, flinched and drew back in fear.
An explosive situation.
Yuma, standing at the head of his group, was silently confronting them for the moment. This was because a single knight from behind them was approaching, emitting a ferocious aura from his entire body.
"I am Haiman, Knight Commander of the County of Luvelt."
Yuma stared fixedly at the being who had begun to speak.
[Lv.101] Haiman
"It is the order of His Excellency the Count of Luvelt. Orders have been given not to let any of you into the count's castle. It is an urgent matter within the castle. Therefore, even if you are the agent of Her Highness the Princess, you cannot enter here."
The rigid gaze of the blond, middle-aged knight, Haiman, fixed on Yuma.
Why, unlike yesterday, were they blocking entry immediately?
Sweeping the prison had been done last night.
And today was just the following morning. It was difficult to see this as a countermeasure devised after completely figuring out the prison situation.
Yuma could predict the reason without much difficulty.
'That gatekeeper who died yesterday.'
Morton.
That guy's body had definitely been infused with dragon's blood.
'Even if they don't know the situation of what happened to the prison, the probability is high that they sensed his death. Is their intention to completely block out any unnecessary variables?'
A dragon was capable of sensing the life signals of beings it had granted its blood to.
It must have felt Morton's death last night.
And so, they were taking such a hardline stance with troops. Because clearly, something had gone wrong with the prison.
Yuma had no particular thoughts. He simply decided to carry out what he had planned last night.
Yuma slowly opened his mouth.
"How convenient that the count's soldiers are all gathered in one place. There's one thing I have to tell you all."
It was cold.
Scanning the soldiers and knights surrounding Yuma's party in a circle, he continued speaking.
"I say this staking my title as the Princess's agent."
Even as spears and swords reeking of the acrid smell of steel rose up from all sides, he carried on calmly.
"The current count, Count Luvelt, has committed a crime."
He dared to declare the lord of this land a criminal.
Yuma's right hand carefully pulled off the robe of the young boy standing to his left.
The face of a youthful boy with brown hair appeared.
"This young boy is a child named Yoren, who went missing within the county a week ago. I found him in an unidentified prison located inside Yuto Forest, on the right side of the county. And those standing guard at that prison were unmistakably soldiers of the county."
And the young girl next to the young boy also took off her robe. The young girl slowly opened her dry lips.
"I'm Halen... I am. I haven't committed any crime. I was born poor and lived alone caring for my sick mother, but I've never even stolen a piece of bread."
A faint sense of resentment could be felt in the young girl's cracked voice.
"Then suddenly, several people barged into my house, kidnapped me, covered my face with something like a leather bag, and... dragged me somewhere. That place is the prison in Yuto Forest that His Excellency the Princess's agent spoke of."
Out of the 26 people freed from the prison, these were the only two brought here.
The rest were being protected by Knight Murphy and the count's youngest daughter, Ruine, at a safe mansion.
Yuma had stated he needed people to testify before the count. It was these two, a young boy and a young girl, who had volunteered.
The soldiers who heard Halen's words began to stir. Among them, it seemed some were acquainted with Halen; there was a soldier who even unintentionally shouted Halen's name loudly.
Ku─uung!
Someone stamped the ground fiercely with steel combat boots.
It was Knight Commander Haiman.
"It is nothing but nonsense. This is the land of His Excellency Count Luvelt. On this land, His Excellency the Count cannot be a criminal."
Haiman's eyes glared at Halen.
"Did you say your name was Halen? If you were taken by the county's soldiers and imprisoned, then you are clearly guilty of something. Do not deceive yourself."
Halen's short black hair shook violently.
"My... crime. I do have a crime."
Red veins had burst in her black eyes.
"Before coming here, I was barely able to reach my home. And I saw my mother, who had already stopped breathing. My mother, with a clear knife wound carved into her abdomen. My dead mother. That is my crime. That I couldn't protect my mother."
Haiman's brow furrowed deeply.
"...You're not worth listening to any further."
Seureung!
Haiman drew his sword.
A blue flame bloomed from the blade.
"Step aside. If you spew any more nonsense, you will be cut down. All units, raise your weapons."
Right after Haiman finished speaking.
Seureuk....
Another person beside Yuma threw off their robe.
"Knight Commander Haiman, this young girl's words are no lie."
A dead silence fell.
The eyes of all the soldiers and knights grew wide and round. The same went for the Knight Commander.
"...Young Master Kaisen."
Having revealed his identity, Kaisen continued speaking.
"I too was imprisoned in the same jail where this young boy and young girl were held. And I too have committed no crime."
The count's eldest son. The blond young boy, Kaisen, calmly scanned the knights and soldiers of the count's family.
"I dare to seek to hold my father, Count Luvelt, accountable for the crime of defiling the county."
Silence descended.
"Those of you willing to believe this Kaisen, just once, clear the path. Those who will stop me, raise your swords against me."