Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Surrender
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Surrender.
It felt a bit premature to hear those words at this point.
Aranju Dolan’s declaration surprised even Basen Rak Oran, but he soon nodded in agreement.
The Black Scale Army confirmed the Dan Yeom Army’s disarmament and entered Daimerit.
As they marched into Daimerit, Basen’s adjutant Suheon spoke up.
"There are no soldiers on the walls, and everyone’s unarmed. Doesn’t look like a trap."
"Even if it is one, it’s too late now."
"Did you know this was coming?"
Basen shook his head.
"I heard about it ahead of time, but I didn’t think things would go this smoothly."
"You heard about it..."
"Yeah. His Majesty mentioned it."
Soon enough, the Black Scale Army rounded up the entire disarmed Dan Yeom Army under guard while leading their elites straight into the inner citadel.
At the gates of the inner citadel, Aranju—who had been standing in silence—turned to Basen and said,
"General Basen. The inner citadel of Daimerit is currently in disarray and hasn’t been sorted out. I hope the Black Scales can overlook this."
"Of course."
Since Aranju had openly declared herself queen, Basen had no choice but to show the deference due to a monarch.
But what does she mean by ‘not sorted out’?
Basen wondered as he stepped into the inner citadel.
In that instant, the stench of corpses assaulted his nose, and he clapped a hand over it.
Satyros Prime Minister Babika Tolro thought his chance had come the moment Rakrak killed the king.
This is my opportunity.
Babika could hardly believe he’d harbored such ambitions until just before the king’s death.
He’d always enjoyed scheming and wielding power, but once he became prime minister, he’d reined it in.
He’d assumed a commoner like him could never become king.
Babika’s competence had kept him alive, unlike those who let their desires run wild and plotted rebellions.
But when that king actually died, his dormant ambitions stirred.
Babika mobilized all his influence, envisioning countless ways to install the fourth prince on the throne and rule the kingdom by proxy.
It’s not impossible. In fact, it’s easy. Passing this up would be foolish.
With the king dead and most of Daimerit’s defenders and generals off at Dilfa Gorge, the path was clear.
Babika believed his skills made it feasible—and he was right.
The war won’t last long anyway. Even if Yacheon killed the king, the Black Scales can’t beat the Five Alliance. It’s just a matter of how the new order forms.
Babika swiftly seized the inner citadel, summoning his supporters to form a private guard and purge the opposition.
Once the fourth prince was enthroned, he finally caught his breath.
But it wasn’t over.
Great General Yubaem Dolan had suffered a crushing defeat at Dilfa Gorge.
Seizing the capital was one thing, but handing it intact to the Black Scale Army was another.
If Daimerit fell to the Black Scales, the king—as royalty—might escape blame, but a prime minister like Babika? That was a different story.
Even the nobles loyal to him in Daimerit might turn.
Can’t let that happen.
He couldn’t back down now and abandon everything.
Showing weakness would only disappoint his followers.
It’s do or die. Either perish, or take it all.
To prevent his supporters from wavering, Babika decided he needed to bolster his power.
But as the de facto highest authority in Dan Yeom, there were no higher seats to claim—so that power would have to come from force.
His noble guards and the city’s defenders had their limits, though.
Only one option left.
Steal it from someone else.
Sorry, Yubaem Dolan.
Babika was surprised Yubaem had brought back more soldiers than expected.
But Yubaem naively obeyed every order issued in the new king’s name.
Whether it was dispersing troops to delay reorganization or nitpicking merits and faults amid ongoing war to keep Yubaem in line—he followed them all.
Had Yubaem been savvier politically, he might have sensed the suspicion in those orders, surrounded the citadel with his forces, and captured Babika.
In fact, Yubaem had been warned multiple times by his subordinate general—and daughter—Aranju Dolan.
But Yubaem snapped at her instead.
"You fool...! No, General Aranju! With the Black Scale Army at our gates, we can’t afford royal infighting. I know Prime Minister Babika Tolro well—he’s wise and just. He won’t chase petty power. Don’t worry."
That turned out to be their last conversation.
Babika summoned Yubaem to the inner citadel under the pretext of rallying him in the king’s name.
Yubaem arrived with only a handful of guards, utterly unsuspecting.
It took less than half a day for Babika to accuse him of treason and execute him.
Babika thought it had all gone off without a hitch.
He believed winning over Yubaem’s generals would be simple.
He was wrong.
Aranju Dolan had repeatedly warned her fellow generals that her father Yubaem was in danger.
When those warnings came true, Aranju and the generals were furious.
"This isn’t just about avenging my father. That damned prime minister is playing political games while we bleed and risk our lives defending the nation. Are you all just going to stand by?"
No one said they would.
Apart from a few conservative old generals, Aranju rallied the others and stormed the inner citadel.
Even without a large force—for the sake of stealth—the citadel guards were mediocre and lax on watch.
Aranju and her generals seized control and captured Babika and his cronies mid-feast inside.
Babika spat in rage.
"You ignorant bitch! Think this makes you queen?"
One general drew his sword to strike, but Aranju raised a hand to stop him.
"What do you mean?"
"What’ll you do after killing me and the other nobles?"
"What do you mean, ‘what’? Once we wipe out you filthy nobles..."
"You think everything’ll just fall into place? That you can bend it all to your will? Don’t be stupid. Do you think royalty’s only here in the citadel? My supporters are scattered across the provinces."
"...Hmm."
"Your plan’s obvious. Crush everything by force. But procedure matters. You call me a traitor, but I’ve never plotted illegally. You’re the rebels, marching troops into the citadel and spilling blood. Procedure is legitimacy. You won’t last."
Aranju realized Babika was right.
She had no plan.
She couldn’t rule like Babika if she took his place.
"Then... what should we do?"
But his next words snapped her awake.
"First, release me and spare my life..."
Aranju slashed her own throat with her hand in demonstration.
"Kill him."
Babika’s head flew.
Blood splattered Aranju’s face, but she didn’t wipe it off.
Another general spoke.
"Hate to admit it, but Babika had a point. What’s your plan?"
"Now it’s do or die."
"Do or die?"
Aranju spat out the blood trickling into her mouth from Babika’s and said,
"Either perish, or take it all."
Aranju’s thinking was straightforward.
If procedure created legitimacy, then shatter both.
That dawn, Aranju Dolan hunted down and killed every royal and maternal noble in the inner citadel and across Daimerit.
A new royal line was born in Dan Yeom.
Aranju knew her soldiers’ morale couldn’t sustain more fighting.
To save her own neck, she had one choice.
She chose surrender.
Kramphus saw the whole affair unfold like dominoes.
How do I stop this?
It all started with Rakrak’s ambush.
That was unavoidable.
Did it begin with Rakrak’s raid? No, not really.
Kramphus knew Prime Minister Babika Tolro’s history well.
His ‘Ambition’ stat—or ‘Power Lust’ as players called it—was exceptionally high, making rebellion possible if conditions aligned.
But Babika was competent.
That very Ambition had propelled him to his position and let him wield his talents.
In Lost World, stats weren’t simply good or bad—you judged them by situational utility.
Babika’s Ambition was a boon in that regard.
But when Rakrak absurdly assassinated the king, it turned into a double-edged sword.
Still, Kramphus had no reason to stop Babika.
In this mess, he might even be useful.
With the king dead, Dan Yeom needed strong charisma to quell chaos.
A firm chain of command would boost their chances in battle.
But Kramphus’s defeat at Seong-un’s hands changed everything.
Babika sensed crisis and had to eliminate Yubaem Dolan.
Kramphus watched that unfold too.
Babika’s not wrong. Leaving Yubaem alive risks his followers wavering and internal strife.
But he couldn’t foresee the wildcard yet.
Aranju Dolan was a character Kramphus had overlooked.
Her stats weren’t impressive, and her bond with her father seemed unremarkable.
Nobles following their fathers into military or civil service was commonplace.
Yet Aranju turned her father’s death into her opportunity.
By the time she convinced her fellow generals and stormed the citadel, Kramphus was too late again.
With the king’s assassination by Rakrak and the Dilfa Gorge defeat spreading chaos across Dan Yeom, Kramphus was swamped.
When Aranju finally killed Babika, Kramphus clutched his head.
We’re screwed.
Babika Tolro, Yubaem Dolan, Aranju Dolan—they’d all played their best hands from their positions.
But the result? The Black Scales entered Daimerit bloodlessly.
Where did it go wrong?
If he worried about division, he’d first think of rifts among players.
He never imagined such swift turmoil within a unified royal house of the same race.
And they were all devout followers of Mujin to boot.
No intervention from Nebula, either.
Someone initiated a video call.
Kramphus checked the screen and sighed.
"What?"
Seong-un said,
"Thinking of surrendering?"