Traitors Nailed to the Wall
Two days had passed since the encounter with Heria Isis Failer. Amid atmospheres that were sometimes a bit awkward, sometimes a bit irritating, and sometimes just... vaguely uncomfortable, we pressed on. At last, we arrived at Talia, the capital of the Jeres Kingdom—a realm that had once held such overwhelming dominance people whispered it might birth the continent's second empire—now utterly conquered by the Failer Empire.
"This is just... beyond words. It's a total devastation...."
That was Selina's assessment after she'd zipped around the capital first, thanks to her party's top-tier mobility. Well... even without her scouting, anyone could tell just by glancing around with their own eyes. The once-glorious kingdom had been completely torn apart by the Failer Empire, that lion which had quietly crouched in wait.
Given the circumstances, everyone was bound to be on edge. So we advanced slowly toward the capital's south gate, even muffling the horses' whinnies from the carriage.
Thump, creak.
About three minutes in, with no interruptions, our carriage halted beneath the massive arch of the south gate. Instantly, four knights guarding the entrance surrounded it.
Clad head to toe in thick silver plate armor, they exuded an overwhelming aura that screamed they had no intention of hiding their status as the empire's elite warriors.
Tap tap.
"Halt. We'll need to verify your identities and purpose."
One knight rapped gently on the window with his steel gauntlet, his voice low and intimidating.
Adelin, seated closest to the door, silently opened the window and presented a golden badge emblazoned with the ornate emblem of the Einiss Magic Kingdom.
"E-Einiss...?"
"What brings Princess Adelin Aynis all the way here...?"
The knights collectively faltered at the appearance of such a heavyweight right off the bat. But before they could compose themselves, Selina cautiously displayed her own badge, bearing the symbol of ancient Talia's five primal beastkin.
And finally, Raysilla and I handed over our worn general identity badges, last updated around six years ago, just before the Demon King's subjugation.
"Ahem. It seems you're the famed great ones who slew the Demon King. Even so, procedure demands we cross-check the names."
The scarred-faced man who appeared to be the knights' leader alternated between the documents and badges, murmuring each name in turn.
And when he reached the name on my badge...
Clang!
The heavy clash of plate armor rang out as the scarred man snapped to attention, delivering a perfect salute.
"It is a true honor to meet the great hero!"
His booming declaration prompted the other three knights to swiftly correct their postures and bow in unison.
"Ah... yeah, sure."
"I am Colonel Van der Carden, commander of the Imperial 12th Special Forces Battalion. We are deeply grateful you've come all this way to see His Majesty."
His courtesy bordered on excessive, laced with genuine warmth. "Thank you for your loyalty and welcome," I replied with a light nod.
Colonel Carden glanced cautiously at my companions seated behind me before continuing in a careful tone.
"My apologies, hero, but with the imperial forces on higher alert than ever... unannounced companions cannot enter the throne room where His Majesty and Crown Princess Heria await."
"... "
I turned to the group at the colonel's words, heavy with regret and awkwardness.
But Adelin and Selina just shrugged lightly, as if they'd anticipated this.
"We're fine. We'll wait in the carriage."
"I'll stick right by Raysilla. Go on without worrying."
With their responses, I looked last to Raysilla. She gave a gentle smile, lightly clutching my sleeve as if to say there was nothing to fret over.
"We'll be playing nice with these two... so be careful out there... big brother."
"Yeah, have fun." Confirming that, I turned back and added just one thing to Selina and Adelin. "You two—don't do anything stupid. Behave."
The stark difference in tone didn't faze them; they nodded silently, accustomed to it. I shifted my gaze to Colonel Carden.
"Take good care of them. They're not imperial soldiers, but those two are... well, you get the idea."
"Understood. This way, please."
I stepped down from the carriage and followed Colonel Carden and a few knights inside the walls.
I'd never been here myself, but minstrels' tales painted Jeres's royal palace as rivaling the empire's imperial capital in splendor and beauty.
Yet the sight before me now mocked those tales entirely.
Half-collapsed walls, charred marble pillars, bloodstains not yet scrubbed away. The palace was a horrific ruin incarnate—a stark testament to war's terror and cruelty. I took it all in as I trailed the knights.
Soon, we reached the entrance to the grand throne room, emblazoned with vast emblems: where the continent's sun and its lesser star resided.
Creak—!
Two knights strained to push open the massive doors. As they swung wide, a thick stench of blood assaulted me, and my eyes beheld an unbelievable horror.
"...? What the hell is this...?"
The enormous left wall dominating the throne room's entry.
There, Jeres's king and queen, along with countless royals, slumped against it. Greatswords and spears pierced their chests, shoulders, thighs—nailing them fast like specimens.
Some were dead, but others still clung to life, trembling faintly as blood trickled out. At the wall's base, a lone prince and princess—barely alive, shackled in heavy irons—sat dazed and broken.
'War or not... what the hell is this barbarity?'
Revulsion surged at the grotesque display. Enemy nation or not, humiliating a kingdom's royals—no, fellow humans—like this crossed every line.
"......"
My mood soured; I turned my hardened gaze forward. The first imperial figure I spotted was the man lounging askew on the worn jade throne: Failer Empire's emperor, Harndeia Isis Failer, whom I hadn't seen in ages.
Beside him stood Crown Princess Heria Isis Failer—her frame and presence far more solid than when I'd glimpsed her en route to the capital for imperial aid, though her face remained girlish and youthful.
"...Hoo."
I let out a short sigh and stepped to the foot of the dais, bowing correctly per imperial etiquette.
"I pay respects to the great luminaries of the continent."
With formalities done, I ignored the throne room's thick tension and cut straight to it.
"That said—even as lord of a great empire—isn't displaying foreign royals like that... alive and mounted like trophies... a touch too cruel?"
My words barely landed before the faces of the assembled generals and advisors below the dais flushed crimson.
"Insolent whelp!"
A grizzled veteran was first, hand on his sword hilt, bellowing.
"Princess consort-to-be or not, how dare you spout such drivel at the continent's great sun!"
"The colonel's right! There's a limit to indulgence—shut that arrogant mouth and kneel to His Majesty!"
Angry rebukes poured from all sides.
'Princess consort...?'
Amid the chaos, that absurd title threw me for a loop. I'd half-guessed Heria's intentions, but never imagined everyone would act like it was set in stone without my say.
Regaining composure faster than expected, I clicked my tongue at the shouting and opened my mouth to retort.
That was the moment. Swish.
Emperor Harndeia, silently seated, lightly raised his right hand.
The throne room's dozens of generals and advisors—mid-rise like a swarm—froze, not even breathing.
Chilling, perfect control and obedience.
In the restored silence, the emperor gazed down at me and spoke in a heavy, low voice—just one sentence.
"Those are the ones, Kail, who aided your fall into that false hero stigma from behind the scenes that day..."
"......"
"...and who, for ages now, have supported Harennes Holy Kingdom, worshiping demons—one of humanity's betrayers."
"What did you just—"
Before I could respond to the bombshell, he nodded toward the shackled pair at the wall's base.
"Only those two survivors down there were truly clueless."
"... "
So Jeres's royals had long worshiped demons, aiding the Holy Kingdom to drag me down? Another truth I'd never foreseen. Speechless, I could only stare blankly at the man on the throne.