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A few hours later.
Gregory Garrett, commander of the Second Royal Guard, came to find Espin.
"You are summoned to the audience chamber."
"Now?"
"Yes, sir."
Espin surveyed Gregory Garrett's golden armor.
It was probably polished frequently by the royal blacksmith, but it was covered in fine scratches.
Looking closely, he could see some dents.
"Who did you fight?"
"Oh, there were just some knights blocking my way."
"Knights of the Regent?"
"......Yes."
"The Regent's knights dared to block the commander of the Royal Guard?"
"As you know... the situation in the royal palace is a mess, Marquis."
"Did you kill them?"
"It could have caused problems, so I just beat them up a bit."
"I will kill them."
"......"
Gregory Garrett looked Espin straight in the eye.
A moment later.
He knelt on his left knee and bowed his head.
The knight's oath posture.
"What are you doing?"
"The Third Royal Guard has been ordered to bring all the soldiers in the palace and drive you out, Marquis."
Ha.
Espin Elaina scoffed.
"It must be an order from the Regents?"
"......Yes. But His Majesty the King has allowed your audience, which has made it difficult for the Royal Guard to move for the time being. Now is the only chance."
"What chance?"
"Please... please resolve this through dialogue with His Majesty the King. If a war breaks out here, an irreversible disaster will befall the entire capital. Knights and soldiers who know nothing, and innocent citizens who haven't been able to evacuate yet..."
"Enough."
"Marquis... sir."
"I understand your intentions. I don't want innocent people to be sacrificed either."
Gregory Garrett bowed his head deeply.
"Thank you."
"However, all of this depends on the King and the three Regents. If I determine that the current situation cannot be resolved through dialogue, I cannot just stand by and watch the Kingdom of Alcancia collapse. You also know that Dominic's death was terribly wrong, don't you?"
"......"
"When that time comes, stand by my side. Gregory Garrett. That is the only way to reduce innocent sacrifices."
Blatant treason.
The role of the Second Royal Guard is to guard the royal palace.
Marquis Espin Elaina was telling the commander of the Second Royal Guard, which was in charge of guarding the palace, to join forces with the Marquis's army surrounding the palace.
"......Yes. Sir Espin."
"Thank you, Gregory."
At the entrance to the audience chamber.
Marquis Espin, his adjutant Colin, Davian, Mons, and Sarah were together.
Sarah, who had no justification or status, had no place here.
But that didn't matter anymore.
Even if Sarah could recognize a spy staying by the King's side, it would be a huge gain.
Creak.
The huge door of the audience chamber opened.
In front was a high staircase, and King Alonso Alcancia was sitting on top of the staircase.
Below the staircase were the three Regents and the commander of the First Royal Guard.
On both sides of the path covered with red carpet leading to the staircase, dozens of elite knights of the First Royal Guard were lined up.
Davian, who was walking on the red carpet, raised his head for a moment.
'What?'
He had an audience with the King last fall.
Not even a year had passed yet.
He had become noticeably emaciated.
He was wearing splendid and large clothes, but his sunken cheeks were enough to show how much weight the King had lost.
If his face was like that, his arms and legs would be pitifully thin.
Dark circles were heavily drawn under his eyes.
The shrewd and sharp eyes of the past had also become dim.
When Davian and his party went to the bottom of the staircase and knelt down, the Administrative Regent, Publique Solus, opened his mouth.
"It is very regrettable, Marquis Espin Elaina. To bring troops to the King's doorstep. It would be right to arrest you immediately and hold you accountable for treason, but His Majesty the King has given you a final chance to explain yourself, considering your old friendship."
Publique Solus looked at Espin Elaina, who was kneeling.
'Provoke him moderately, but not enough to make him rampage right now.'
The plan was to provoke Espin moderately to make him move his troops.
However, if he rampaged here now, he could not guarantee his safety, no matter how many elite Royal Guardsmen and the commander of the First Royal Guard were present.
'I'll provoke you a lot. Espin Elaina. Enough to make you go back and order an attack on the palace immediately.'
At that time.
Even though there was no order from the King to get up yet.
Marquis Espin Elaina got up.
"Shut up."
"Wh-what?"
"I didn't come here to talk to the likes of you. I'm here to have an audience with His Majesty the King. Shut your mouth, Administrative Regent."
He was trying to provoke Espin a lot.
Rather, it was Publique who was provoked.
"Such impudence! I am the Administrative Regent of the kingdom! I have the right to make decisions on all administrative powers of Alcancia, and when His Majesty the King is not present, I am the one who..."
"He is here."
"What?"
"His Majesty the King is up there, isn't he? So shut up. Before I grab that neck of yours, which looks weaker than a willow leaf, and twist it off."
The commander of the First Royal Guard put his hand on his sword hilt.
Espin raised his finger and pointed at the commander of the First Royal Guard.
"You. What is the role of the First Royal Guard?"
"To protect His Majesty the King."
"Is His Majesty the King's safety in danger right now?"
"......"
"Why are you putting your hand on your sword hilt? It's just a dispute between a border lord from the provinces and a Regent who handles miscellaneous matters on behalf of His Majesty the King."
"......This is His Majesty the King's audience chamber. No kind of violence is allowed."
"Violence? You, the commander of the First Royal Guard, know better than anyone else. I am not using any internal energy right now. Rather, your subordinates lined up on the left and right are not maintaining their composure and are emitting killing intent. Train them properly. If there is anyone who emits killing intent at me like that again, I will separate their head from their body on the spot."
Sarah, who was kneeling, whispered to Mons.
"Mons, the Marquis is really something else, isn't he?"
"Be quiet and stay still. Don't be rash just because you're scared."
"Scared? Who? That's not what I meant... he's so cool. Marquis Espin."
The commander of the First Royal Guard was about to say something again.
Espin showed the palm of his hand and then bowed down again, looking at King Alonso.
"There was a slight commotion because an official who only handles miscellaneous affairs of the country impudently intervened. I'm sorry, Your Majesty."
The face of the Administrative Regent, Publique Solus, turned red, but Espin did not see it.
Finally.
King Alonso opened his mouth.
"It's been a while, Marquis Espin."
"I'm sorry that I've come to see you after so long."
"You may raise your heads."
The five people who came to have an audience with the King, including Davian, raised their heads.
Espin and Davian straightened their knees and stood up.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Marquis Espin. But why are you trying to harm me?"
Espin Elaina answered calmly.
"I have only come to have a conversation with Your Majesty. And now I want to protect Your Majesty in the capital."
"But why did you bring all your troops here? Are you not trying to harm me?"
"No. I have only brought those who have sworn to follow me until they die."
"For a border lord to leave the border empty and besiege the royal palace. You would have nothing to say even if I executed you for treason right now."
"......I dare to think that His Majesty the King, who is wise, knows my intentions and will not do that."
The King turned his head and looked at the back of the head of the commander of the First Royal Guard.
"Royal Guard Commander."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Can you capture Espin Elaina with the troops here?"
The commander of the First Royal Guard's head spun quickly.
It would come with a great sacrifice.
But it was not impossible.
He didn't know how much Espin's power had increased while he was suppressing pirates in the border regions.
But he didn't just get the position of the First Royal Guard Commander of the kingdom for nothing.
The same was true for the elite Royal Guardsmen here.
Of course, there were variables.
Davian Naone.
He wasn't afraid of the skills of that young student.
But the fact that he could summon Glacius if necessary was a variable.
But.
Variables are just variables.
He could not tell the King that it was impossible.
"Just give the order."
"Then......"
At that time.
A small door behind the throne opened and a maid came in.
She had a very small frame and a naive-looking face.
"Your Majesty... it's time for your medicine."
On the plate that the maid was carrying, there was a glass of water in a silver cup and a pill.
Espin Elaina became furious.
"Who is this! Can't you see that we are having an audience with His Majesty the King right now? How disorganized is the royal palace that a maid can come and go as she pleases in the audience chamber!"
The surprised maid hunched her shoulders.
The King silently swallowed the pill that the maid handed him and then drank the water.
"I have developed several illnesses and must take my medicine on time, so I hope Marquis Espin will understand."
"......Yes, Your Majesty."
The maid, who had been frozen, hurried out through the small door.
"Now, let's talk again. The commander of the First Royal Guard said that he can capture the Marquis right now. Now tell me why I should let the Marquis go like this."
Only Espin and Davian were standing up and facing the King.
Espin's adjutant Colin, Davian's attendant Mons, and Sarah were still kneeling with their heads raised, not daring to get up.
Sarah whispered.
"Mons, what should we do? What should we do?"
"What's wrong again? Is the Marquis too cool for you? In this situation?"
"That's not it. That maid... we have to catch her. Is it okay to get up now, what should we do? Should I say something or not?"
"Maid?"
"Yeah. She's some kind of kid born from a herbalist dad and a witch mom, and she's a spy for the Marino Empire. I met her when I went to another branch. She's super famous."
"Just stay still for now. It's nothing to catch a maid. Let's talk after we get out of here safely."
"No... she looked at me."
"You had plastic surgery so no one can recognize you, right?"
"I should have... but she definitely looked straight into my eyes for a moment. She's a terrifying person who can read and manipulate people's minds. She seems to have recognized me, so she might run away now."
"Manipulate people's minds?"
"That's what the Marquis and Davian said, right? That His Majesty the King wasn't always this cowardly. It's probably all because of that maid."
They were whispering as quietly as possible.
But there was no way that Espin and Davian, who had heightened senses and were standing right next to them, wouldn't hear Sarah and Mons' conversation.
Espin turned his head to Sarah and asked.
"Is it true? Are you sure?"
"Huh? Yes, yes... I definitely remember her face."
"Manipulate people's minds?"
"Yes, yes... she's a gifted person who can manipulate other people's dreams as she pleases."
Espin fell into thought for a moment.
But that thought did not last long.
"If you're wrong, we'll all die here."
"I couldn't have been wron
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