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"What?"
"To think you started as a knight. Look at the state of you now. A knight who can't even properly wield a sword."
"What? Does this guy... Does he even know who put you in the position of the First Royal Guard Commander!"
"Who else but His Majesty the King. His Majesty himself struck my shoulder with the Holy Sword when he appointed me."
"Who made that possible! It was I, Duke Miles!"
"Really? Thanks."
Contrary to his words,
The First Royal Guard Commander increasingly pressured Duke Miles, the Military Tribune.
Thud.
The Military Tribune's retreat finally stopped when his back hit the wall of the corridor.
"If you... If you come any closer, I'll really cut you down."
"Cut me down. Let's see how deeply you can cut with that dull sword."
Thump, thump.
The First Royal Guard Commander began to unfasten the clasps of his golden armor top.
"Administrative Tribune Publique Solus. Military Tribune Duke Miles. Financial Tribune Thomas Elias. You've been clinging to the Marino Empire to grow your power."
Administrative Tribune Publique Solus asked, startled,
"W-What are you talking about!"
"Do you really not know? I've been watching your actions all this time, but I remained silent because you were also officials eating the nation's grain for the sake of the kingdom's development."
Before long,
Clang.
The golden armor, emblazoned with a lion, that had been encircling his upper body fell to the floor.
"But. As it turns out. You were trying to endanger His Majesty the King and sell out the country to satisfy your own lust for power."
Military Tribune Duke Miles shouted,
"Don't talk nonsense! You should be finding and punishing those who invaded the Administrative Tribune's mansion..."
Thump, thump.
The First Royal Guard Commander raised his fist and struck his own chest.
"Shut up. Here. Cut me."
"This crazy bastard!"
"I said, cut me! You were once a knight too, Duke Miles. Why, can't you do it?"
"Y-You... Y...! Die!"
Swish!
Duke Miles swung his sword violently.
Whack!
The First Royal Guard Commander didn't retreat, didn't dodge the sword, didn't raise his hand to block it, and stood there.
A deep, dark cut was carved into his chest.
Blood spurted out.
"Y-You... You!"
But the Guard Commander didn't even blink and looked down at the Military Tribune.
It was only natural he looked down, being a head taller.
Today, the Military Tribune's bald head looked particularly pathetic.
'Why... What was I afraid of, that I couldn't dare to look down on such a person until now.'
Power.
The absolute power of the royal family that had replaced the king, who had lost his authority.
The three tribunes.
One was nowhere to be seen.
Another, supposedly from a military background, held a sword with worse posture than a rookie guard.
And the last, the one with the most power, suddenly started running across the corridor.
Pfft.
Is this what they were?
Just.
Just these people had put the Great Alcancia Kingdom in their grasp and manipulated it like a toy?
Turning the King into a scarecrow with foul medicine.
Borrowing the power of the enemy country to increase their own...
Traitorous bastards.
Crack!
The First Royal Guard Commander's fist struck Duke Miles' face.
"Keuheok."
With a short scream.
Military Tribune Duke Miles' head caved into the wall behind him.
His nose and teeth were all broken.
And his brain, impacted by the collision of his head against the wall, seemed to have burst, leaving only white in his eyes.
"You goddamn traitorous bastards. Without even knowing. Without even knowing, I turned a blind eye to your misbehavior, your overreach of authority. I only watched, thinking it was all for the sake of running the kingdom in place of His Majesty the King, who had become weak. I want to tear out my two eyes that couldn't see reality, my two ears that took in the words of the foolish, my mouth that couldn't speak up even when it should have."
The First Royal Guard Commander vented his frustration, but
The Military Tribune, who had died with the back of his head against the wall, could no longer hear the Guard Commander's words.
The Guard Commander turned his head.
Administrative Tribune Publique Solus, running away in the distance.
The distance between them was considerable, but
He could catch him in the blink of an eye.
Publique Solus reached the end of the corridor and disappeared to the right.
'As if you can run...'
Just as he was about to run out to catch Publique,
Thud!
A dull thud was heard from the end of the corridor, and
Administrative Tribune Publique Solus rolled out backward.
And the voice of Marquis Espin Ellaina was heard.
"You traitorous bastard. Where are you running off to in such a hurry?"
The purge operation lasted for three days.
In the process, Sumnia eventually succeeded in breaking through the surveillance and fleeing.
And a few days later.
She was found in the eastern forest of Kanzar City, torn to pieces.
Administrative Tribune Publique Solus's treasonous acts were clearly revealed by the evidence Davian brought.
The Military Tribune was executed on the spot by the First Royal Guard Commander.
Administrative Tribune Publique Solus and Financial Tribune Thomas Elias were executed immediately after the trial.
In addition, the charges against thirty people who had colluded with the Empire and a dozen or so spies were revealed in the purge operation and brought to court.
The sentences were all the same.
Death.
After the purge operation was completed,
Audience chamber.
King Alonso, sitting on the throne, looked down at Davian and Marquis Espin.
"Your contributions are great. We were able to identify a considerable number of those who were colluding with the enemy country, though there are still some left. And..."
King Alonso took a deep breath and looked around the audience chamber.
Hoo.
He slowly exhaled the deeply inhaled breath.
"I've been sleeping comfortably these past few days. I don't know how many years it's been since I woke up in the morning without nightmares."
His still haggard appearance remained the same, but
His voice was more stable.
After Administrative Tribune Publique Solus brought Sumnia in as the King's maid,
She manipulated the memories of the King and those around him using dreams.
And after that, she gave the King nightmares every day.
The Royal Medical Director prescribed medicine for his increasingly emaciated state, but
It was Sumnia who delivered the medicine to the King.
The King and those around him remembered Sumnia having served the King since she was young, so no one suspected her.
It goes without saying that Sumnia was able to switch the pills very comfortably and easily.
Like that.
After dreaming every day of being betrayed or killed without fail,
King Alonso's mental state became terribly worn out.
Finally, after about a year and a half of work,
The King had become a weak scarecrow who only worried about his own safety.
As the King lost interest in state affairs, power naturally concentrated on the three tribunes.
In that way, the Alcancia Kingdom was being devoured from its heart by the Marino Empire.
"I am ashamed to see you. To think that I, as the king of a nation, was being played with by spies and traitors."
Marquis Espin replied,
"No, Your Majesty. Even the strongest person in the world would inevitably become mentally weak if they dreamed such dreams every day. Now that you have escaped the cunning tricks of the spies, you will return to the dignified and intelligent King you once were."
King Alonso chuckled and shook his head.
"No. I'm still far from regaining my former position. I've been too distant from the Tribunes all this time."
"Your Majesty..."
"One by one, I will start again. For our Alcancia. I will become a strong ruler again."
Tears began to fall from Espin Ellaina's burly eyes.
That image.
Wasn't it to see that image of the King again that he had led his troops to this faraway place?
"Marquis Espin."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Will you protect our ruined palace?"
"..."
"I am asking if you would remain here and become my Royal Guard Commander."
"I will do so. However, there is a condition."
Davian clicked his tongue inwardly.
Marquis Espin was Marquis Espin.
No matter how weak he may have become,
To dare to attach conditions to the order of the King, who had now returned to a complete ruler...
The King laughed heartily.
"Yes, I remember. Marquis Espin, you have always been so bold. You haven't changed. What is that condition?"
"I cannot take on the position of First Royal Guard Commander. Above all, the First Royal Guard Commander standing there is the most suitable person..."
The surprised First Royal Guard Commander looked at Espin.
Espin met his eyes once and then opened his mouth again.
This time, he looked at Davian standing next to him.
"It is because I have a promise with this friend here. I cannot take on the First Royal Guard, as I cannot leave His Majesty's side."
King Alonso asked with interest,
"Really? Then how about the Second Royal Guard?"
"I cannot take on the Second Royal Guard either, as it must remain here to guard the palace."
The Alcancia Kingdom's Royal Guard consists of a total of five units.
Each Royal Guard has a different role, and the missions of each Royal Guard are determined as follows.
The First Royal Guard protects the King.
The Second Royal Guard guards the palace.
The Third Royal Guard is responsible for the security and defense of the capital and supports the war.
The Fourth Royal Guard checks the local noble powers.
The Fifth Royal Guard is the reserve force.
"Then. Which Royal Guard will you take on? You said you would grant my request to become my Royal Guard Commander."
"I was wondering if I could take on the Fifth Royal Guard."
"The Fifth Royal Guard? The Gorilla Guard, you mean?"
"Yes."
"And that is because of Davian Naone standing next to you?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I apologize."
"May I ask what that promise is?"
The positions of the three Tribunes, which have become vacant, are no longer in the audience chamber.
Including the First Royal Guard Commander, there are only a few people who can be reliably trusted here now.
They were all here before Espin left the palace, and they are also people with strong convictions.
Espin, who had been contemplating for a while, opened his mouth.
"No one knows how the Marino Empire will invade our kingdom in the future. Perhaps it will not be the traditional method of launching a large fleet and pushing into the port cities."
King Alonso nodded.
"Considering what those bastards have been doing so far, that is probably right, Marquis."
"So, I have promised with this friend here to join forces to punish the Marino Empire bastards who threaten our continent. There are quite a few forces that have agreed to join us in this. In order to do that, Davian Naone here must be able to rush to help with elite knights whenever he asks for help."
"Hmm..."
"All the other Royal Guards have assigned roles. If you entrust the Fifth Royal Guard to me, I will keep it by Your Majesty's side and develop it into a unit that can be immediately deployed in the fight against the Empire in case of emergency."
King Alonso stared intently at Davian.
"This boy... Is he the person that Marquis Espin has chosen? In order to protect our kingdom."
The person chosen by Marquis Espin Ellaina to protect the kingdom is
An 18-year-old academy student, not the king.
"I apologize. I only have the heart to care for Alcancia, so please withhold your anger."
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