Volume 9 Chapter 4 Coup Suppression
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
*Kent’s POV
After Binding the soldiers and servants holed up in Lucy’s mansion, we piled into carriages and raced back to the detached palace on the outskirts of Capital City.
It was already past noon, and the time for the city gates to close was fast approaching.
But, probably because of the coup, I didn’t see any guards around to close them.
Thanks to that, we managed to escape to the detached palace without a hitch.
When we arrived, Kondrad had already finished mobilizing the Capital City garrison and completed battle preparations, thanks to instructions from Milly, who had arrived earlier.
”Lord Kent, it’s good to see you’re safe. Lady Miriallia and the Dream Demon Intelligence organization are currently scrambling to understand the situation with the coup.”
Kondrad, decked out in full armor, rushed towards me as I got out of the carriage.
”As expected of you, Kondrad, you’re efficient. Oh, right. Sorry to ask, but I brought the noble ladies who were being held captive and the people who were helping with the coup. Could you take care of them? Let’s have them relax in the rooms in the detached palace. Except for Lucy, of course.”
”Yes, I’ve already received details from Lady Miriallia. We’ve already prepared rooms for them, so let’s get them moved in right away.”
Ophelia and the others, who had been given clothes to wear at Lucy’s mansion, started to get out of the carriages one after another.
”Lady Blackdagger… I appreciate your consideration. I will definitely repay you for this.”
Ophelia hurried towards the detached palace with her daughter, Lumis.
”Let me go! I am the head of the Blackberry family~! Ahh! Don’t look! You may be enjoying humiliating me, but you will be destroyed as traitors by the Kingdom army soon enough!”
Lucy, who was suspected of providing financial aid for this coup, was dragged out of the carriage n*ked, wearing a prisoner’s collar and bound by ropes.
The soldiers started to buzz at the sight of Lucy’s n*ked body.
Lucy was there, tears streaming down her cheeks, too embarrassed to show her n*kedness, but I couldn’t help but feel a twisted sense of sadism at her plight.
”Heh, even stripped down to your birthday suit with your nipples all Plap-plap sunken in, Lucy-Lucy’s putting up a brave front. Then again, aren’t you embarrassed? Showing off your birthday suit to a crowd of soldiers like that.”
At my words, Lucy’s face flushed bright red, and she started to tremble with a Pull-pull.
It seemed like she was finally comprehending the situation she was in.
”…Nobody likes being forced into these kinds of situations~… To be seen n*ked by the likes of you, I’d rather die…”
Seeing Lucy hanging her head in disgrace without even trying to cover up, I sensed danger and hurriedly gave instructions to my mother-in-law.
”Mother-in-law! She’s a key witness to the coup. Get a bridle on her before she does something drastic!”
My mother-in-law, who was nearby with a rope, promptly forced a bridle between Lucy’s lips.
”Mmph! Mmmph──!”
Humiliated beyond measure, paraded n*ked before the crowd, Lucy bit down in an attempt to end it all.
But even that was thwarted, and it seemed she had given up everything.
Large droplets fell from her eyes to the ground.
”Ah, don’t cry! I have no intention of bullying you further. But you’ll have to face the consequences once the coup is suppressed.”
I dressed Lucy and urged her to be taken to the VIP prison, and she disappeared from sight, carried away by the soldiers to the separate palace.
”My, my, how kind of you. I bet it’s because of Mr. Kent that you’re thinking of breeding that girl, aren’t you?”
My Mother-in-law peered into my eyes, trying to gauge my intentions.
”…I won’t deny it. But first and foremost, we must suppress the coup. If His Majesty is killed, the Kingdom will fall into ruin.”
”Indeed. Pleasures can wait; for now, rounding up those useless nobles in the Capital City is our priority.”
Konrad, who had been silently observing the proceedings, cut into the conversation.
”Then, may I give a situation report?”
”Ah, please do. I’m still pretty lost on the details.”
”Yes, sir, then I’ll report. As of now, Lord Arbalest and Lord Quenelra have been Bind-ed, and even Lord Velis has been Bind-ed. Lord Aldo is missing. Furthermore, the coup forces have advanced to the Royal Palace, and it seems only a matter of time before Your Majesty Shifa falls into their hands. Currently, the coup forces have only taken control of the third layer, and they have even abandoned the gate defenses of the 4th layer.”
According to Kondrad’s report, the enemy coup forces seem to be prioritizing the capture of the Royal Palace, not the entire Capital City, and their forces don’t appear to be that numerous.
”Abandoning the defenses… Are they planning to push their troops all the way to the 4th layer?”
Considering the current battle situation, I asked Kondrad for his opinion.
It’s already been proven that it’s more efficient and smoother to leave troop movements to Kondrad, who is the field commander.
”Indeed. If we just sit here and waste time, there’s no guarantee that no Kingdom soldiers will side with the coup forces. We should aim to liberate Lords Arbalest and the others and crush the coup as quickly as possible.”
A 2-pronged attack… We might not have enough troops…
”Do we have the manpower to accomplish both?”
At my question, Kondrad began to ponder deeply.
He’s probably realized that we’re lacking…
Just then, a soldier who had been guarding the annex rushed in.
”Your Excellency Kent! It’s a dire situation! Lord Nokin from the Eastern Garuda Principality has arrived! He urgently requests an audience with you!”
”Lord Nokin?! Why is he here? He should be keeping a close eye on Gwain…”
My Mother-in-law, who was standing next to me, gasped at the soldier’s words.
”Lord Nokin… Ah, the General of the former Demon God Emperor’s army, right? Why is he in the Capital City?”
”I don’t know either. But, Lord Nokin has Alonsa, the Wisdom Bag, by his side. If we follow her instructions, being here is probably…correct, I think.”
Well, let’s just go meet them.
So I decided to meet the Nokin people I had arrived to see.
* * *
*Nokin’s POV
Guided by Alonsa’s instructions, our 2 hundred guards arrived at the Capital City in a few days.
And just as we neared the Capital City, Alonsa told us to head to the former Imperial Palace, which was now the embassy of the South District Margrave, changing our destination.
When we arrived at the former Imperial Palace, a tense atmosphere emanated from everywhere, with fully armed soldiers moving about.
”Hey, you! What army are those guys from! Show your army flags! This is the embassy of the South District Margrave!”
A soldier guarding the former palace spotted us approaching without raising their flag.
”Oh, my apologies. I am Nokin, the chieftain of the Eastern Garuda Principality. I wish to meet Lord Kondrad, the commander stationed here.”
The soldier’s face turned pale.
It seems he knew something about me.
”Oh dear me! My deepest apologies! I’ll escort you immediately, please wait a moment!”
”Sorry about that. I’ll have my men rest here.”
I gave my men instructions to rest.
”Nokin. It seems Kent Blackdagger is here. There’s a group of Ogre wearing Scarlet armor over there. Only Kent Blackdagger would bring such a flamboyant bodyguard.”
Alonsa, who was riding behind me, whispered to me.
”Huh? Didn’t Kent retreat to South District? Why is he here?”
”Maybe Miriallia’s intelligence network got wind of the coup. He might seem nonchalant about power, but I believe he’s a pretty cunning strategist. There’s no way he could become king with autonomy in such a short time otherwise.”
”If Alonsa thinks so, then he probably is.”
”Exactly. That’s why I’m going to ally with him. Looking over the Demon Continent, it’s clear our country is the weakest. And the Kingdom is weakening, so we can’t even keep our country afloat without a lot of financial aid from Kent Blackdagger.”
”Hmm, so are you basically planning to become mercenaries for South District Margrave country?”
”You could say that. Mercenary might be the most fitting term. But it won’t be forever. It’s a temporary mercenary job until our national power recovers. With our current state, even if we conquer territory, it won’t bring wealth to the country.It’s much more beneficial for the country to receive support from the Kingdom and South District Margrave as mercenaries, and it’ll be good training for you.”
Alonsa knows me well, she knows I can’t satisfy my fighting urge without actual combat.
This time, her actions were also considering that, and it was a visit to the Capital City as a courtesy call.
”That’s a relief. I can’t stand not fighting. Only by facing battles can my skills truly be honed. I believe that fighting is my destiny.”
”That’s why you’re the perfect partner for me in life.”
Alonsa chuckled softly.
Soon, the earlier soldier returned and announced that they were to meet the King, Kent·Blackdagger.
I followed the soldier, along with Alonsa, to the garden of the villa.
* * *
”You must be Mr. Nokin. I’m Kent Blackdagger. Nice to meet you.”
When we arrived in the garden, we found a short Majin Clan youth waiting for us.
His appearance was unlike the rumors circulating in the world.
He lacked any charisma or talent, possessing a mundane, even below-average, face.
This man rules over South District, a land where monsters roam freely…
”Nice to meet you. I’m Nokin. I’m the chieftain of the Garuda Principality. Consider me a barbarian who doesn’t know any manners. So, please excuse my rough speech.”
I heard the guy in front of me was a commoner just a year ago, so I decided to talk to him casually.
If he was the type to get offended by that, I figured he wouldn’t be worth associating with anyway.
”No problem at all. I only know the bare minimum of etiquette myself. Besides, I find it easier to talk when you speak like that.”
Kent didn’t seem to be the type to care about formalities.
”Good to hear.”
Kent’s eyes, hidden behind his glasses, were sizing me up.
That gaze sent a shiver down my spine.
The man in front of me was the one who’d taken down Gertroud, my former master.
He was known around town as a rare master of war.
”By the way, Mr. Nokin, what are you doing in the Capital City? I thought you were ordered by His Majesty to quickly pacify the eastern region, right? Isn’t it a problem for Mr. Nokin, who’s been given such a big task, to be in the Capital City with his troops?”
”I came to the Capital City to pay my respects and thank His Majesty Shifa… But it seems he’s busy?”
To avoid Kent’s probing gaze, I told him the reason for being in the Capital City that Alonsa had instructed me to say beforehand.
”…Mother-in-law. Let’s have Mr. Nokin help us out. We don’t have enough soldiers anyway. And he’s a ruler of a country that also acknowledges the same Kingdom as its suzerain.”
Kent was talking to Lila, who was standing beside him.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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