Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Casper's Parricide and the Vulran Threat
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Upon arriving at the academy, I sensed a strange atmosphere.
“What is it? Could the Westerners have made their move?”
As I pondered that, an army officer approached and whispered to me.
“General, do you have a moment?”
“What’s going on?”
“Well, it’s...”
The news was shocking even to me.
“Parricide!?”
My startled exclamation drew glances from the other kids, so I moved to another spot to hear the rest.
“Casper Millias murdered Jozette Millias. Is that confirmed?”
“Yes. Gilbert, who happened to be visiting the Millias Marquisate at the time, caught him red-handed at the scene.”
“Hah...!”
Parricide was the gravest sin among nobles.
It was tied to history itself.
There had been plenty of cases in history where someone killed their father to usurp the throne or seize the family head position, which made parricide the most despised crime.
Getting caught all but guaranteed execution.
‘That madman. Did he kill his father just to become family head and return to the military?’
If he became head, he could return to the military regardless of my dismissal.
The Millias Marquisate commanded a large private army, so he could rejoin as a special forces officer in exchange for providing those troops.
But even so, it was incomprehensible.
Killing his father for something like that? I hadn’t realized he was that insane.
“So, what happened?”
“Several military personnel were with Gilbert at the time.”
“That figures. They were there to discuss military matters.”
“Gilbert tried to arrest him on the spot using those men, but the guy grabbed a weapon and resisted.”
He knew capture meant execution.
“In the struggle, he lost his left arm—a severe injury—but somehow managed to escape.”
“Missing an arm will make for a good marker in the manhunt.”
“Yes, a wanted notice has already gone out. They’re prioritizing inspections of anyone with one arm.”
The downfall of Casper, once hailed as the Kirin Child.
It was the moment his sandcastle of lies came crumbling down.
The news rocked the nobility.
With parricide committed, the Millias Marquisate’s fall was inevitable.
Until Casper faced legal execution and the matter was settled, no new family head could be appointed.
As a result, the Millias lands fell temporarily under national administration.
Gilbert demanded them as reward for capturing the culprit, sparking fierce political infighting between the two factions.
That must have been why.
Why I hadn’t noticed the Westerners’ scheme in time.
After the wanted notice, a massive manhunt for Casper ensued.
Witness sightings poured in everywhere, thanks to his missing arm.
They hadn’t caught him yet, but they had a bead on his movements.
He had crossed the western border into Vulran.
The military sent a formal request to Vulran for cooperation and a wanted notice there.
Vulran had no reason to refuse on a parricide charge; it was only a matter of time before he was caught.
‘He won’t be coming back alive.’
Neither the Helian nor Salleon factions, both eyeing the Millias Marquisate, would welcome Casper’s return.
If he faced justice properly, the matter would settle, and a Millias heir would take over.
So both factions had likely dispatched assassins to kill him quietly.
Even at the academy, rumors swirled like ghost stories.
“Casper’s probably already dead and buried.”
“Killing his own father... Who knew he was that kind of guy...”
“Better if he just dies like that. If they catch him, they might burn him at the stake as an example.”
“That trash got Wade treatment. Ha!”
With talk like that, Casper’s former cronies were keeping their heads down like dead rats.
“Hey, Als.”
Dorothy approached with a gloomy expression.
“Is Casper... really dead?”
She seemed to feel responsible for what happened to him. Being too kind was her weakness.
“He’s probably dead. Even if he’s alive, he’s not coming back to Caliper. So forget about him. You get what I mean, right?”
“Yeah...”
“You don’t get it at all.”
I moved us to the academy garden and scolded her.
‘In this state, I can’t tell her.’
That I’d asked Juras to handle Casper.
Not out of malice toward him, but because he might seek pointless revenge.
I could handle myself, but my family might get dragged in, so I wanted to nip any potential threat.
Juras was ruthless in such matters, so I trusted him with it. No need to worry about Casper anymore.
As I was tending to Dorothy’s morale, several military officers rushed up to me, faces pale as ghosts.
“G-General! Emergency summons! Please come to the conference room in the palace immediately!”
“What is it? Did something go wrong with Casper Millias?”
“Well... It’ll amount to that. Anyway, hurry! And Count Grimwood must attend as well.”
Summoning Dorothy as a count meant a major incident requiring all high nobles.
That’s when I remembered what I’d forgotten.
‘So this is the Westerners’ scheme...!’
Curiosity stirred in me.
How had they manufactured the pretext?
In the end, it was a contrived farce.
Vulran Union had named Caliper as culprits in their king’s assassination.
*
*
*
The palace conference room filled with urgently gathered great nobles and military brass.
Bewilderment etched their faces.
Being fingered for Vulran’s assassination? Unthinkable.
Vulran used it as cause for a declaration of war and began mobilization.
Already boosted by civil war prep, they swiftly assembled a large force.
“How large is the enemy force?”
King Gares asked, his tone somber.
Grand General Altiore replied.
“Estimated at 130,000. But not all Vulran forces are turning swords on us. Some factions advocate caution pending investigation.”
“And if they all join the fray?”
“...Estimated 300,000.”
The room buzzed.
300,000 meant Caliper staking its future on mass conscription just to match.
Even then, the aftermath would be brutal.
Caliper would languish in postwar slump for years.
King Gares squeezed his eyes shut.
“Why has it come to this? I’d never assassinate Wilfried...!”
As the king fell silent, Duke Helian stepped forward.
“Gilbert! What’s the response? Diplomacy with Vulran and Albad was your purview! And after the last staff meeting, I warned you: watch neighboring diplomacy! Yet here we are!”
Duke Helian had acted on my advice.
The misfortune: the inciting Vulran fell under Gilbert’s watch.
“T-That’s...”
“I know you were desperate for Millias lands. But neglecting your duties doesn’t fly!”
Under Helian’s barrage, Gilbert sweated bullets.
“I-I’ve dispatched numerous diplomats demanding investigation. If we prove the misunderstanding, Vulran will stand down.”
“When? The crisis is irreversible! Malevolent forces targeted us! No time for leisurely probes!”
Helian scanned the nobles and shouted.
“Unless we assassinated King Wilfried Schwarzer, a third party is involved! We must identify them! Only then can we sway Vulran!”
The third party Duke Helian mentioned. The king opened his clenched eyes.
“Regnat, who is this third party?”
“We must pool our heads on that.”
Then, Duke Helian glanced at me, arms crossed quietly.
“General Ilrain. Your thoughts?”
“Me?”
“Many here doubt your abilities. We all know you were an outstanding cadet, but general? Some think not... Show your insight to quell those doubts.”
Duke Helian was being considerate.
As he said, many questioned my skills.
Heading to war like this would breed discord. He wanted me to assert myself here.
Plus, I’d tipped him off that the Westerners were the third party, so he avoided claiming credit.
I nodded and replied.
“This reeks of the Western tribes.”
“The Western tribes? Why?”
“Logically, no one else fits.”
“Common view points to Svenner Kingdom.”
“Svenner’s spies were largely rooted out during the Chimera War’s granary raid and after being named in the assassination. They lack capacity for this.”
“And Tunkai?”
“Tunkai lacks the guts for the backlash. If exposed, they’d face retaliation from Vulran, Crossing, Bekavia, and us Caliper—four nations. Tunkai wouldn’t gamble like that. Albad gains nothing pitting us against Vulran. Leaves one: the Western tribes. They don’t care if caught. No diplomacy, no easy reprisal expedition.”
The room had gone silent. All listened intently, faces grave.
Duke Helian smirked at the sight.
“But why? Why target us?”
“They’re eyeing Crossing more than us.”
“Crossing!?”
“The last war hurt them bad. They crave revenge, weakening Crossing. That’s the motive.”
I stood, pointing at the central map.
“The West wants continental foothold. Their bold northern expedition failed spectacularly. So they pivot south: Vulran. But timing wasn’t ripe for attacking Vulran.”
Vulran teetered on civil war but hadn’t crossed the line.
The first to ignite it risked all fire concentrated on them.
A balloon on the verge of popping, yet holding.
“So they engineered this to force that step. Provoking us into attacking Caliper triggers Vulran’s civil war. They were primed to erupt.”
“But!”
Marquis Geglish of the Salleon faction shot up, barking at me.
“Your logic suggests Western grudge against Crossing. Why us then?”
“Accusing Crossing wouldn’t work. Even Vulran hesitates against them. Charge in, lose, face counterattack? Crossing demonstrated that in the Bekavia War.”
It wouldn’t stick anyway.
True culprit Juras wouldn’t get sloppy enough to get caught. He’d countered such plots.
“So they trapped the softer target: us. Vulran, itching for fight, seized the pretext and struck.”
“Wait!”
Now Marquis Linhart of the Helian faction.
“Your words seem plausible but contradictory. If Vulran fears Crossing, same applies here. Crossing is our ally!”
“Exactly. Vulran won’t prolong war. Once Crossing preps aid, they’ll withdraw, claiming misunderstanding. Shortest span: 20 days. Survive 20, they retreat on their own.”
“W-Wait. Why 20 days for Crossing aid?”
“That’s the key.”
I pointed to Madon’s southern territories held by Crossing.
Bordering Vulran.
“Crossing’s southern defenses are thin now. Declare intervention, Vulran raids and loots them.”
“...!”
“Crossing won’t risk it. They’ll dispatch envoys to Vulran and us for mediation show, while fortifying south. Only then intervene. That takes 20 days.”
“Then after 20! Our united forces invade Vulran? They didn’t account for that?”
“They didn’t. Marquis, if we propose full war on Vulran, would Crossing accept?”
In that scenario, Crossing held no real grudge. They’d balk.
“Then demand their immediate intervention! If Vulran truly fears Crossing, they won’t strike south rashly!”
“Maybe, but Crossing won’t risk it. Fresh off major war months ago. They pinned false charges on us, true—but unproven now, pretext favors Vulran. Crossing jumping in looks like endorsing Caliper’s regicide to others. They won’t want that. Those 20 days include time to clear our name.”
The room fell utterly silent.
“...That concludes my thoughts.”
I bowed to the king and returned to my seat.