Chapter 576 The Fate Of A Traitor
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Kuroumaru’s success in retaking the fort and surrounding area caused much rejoicing in Soukai Country. The great achievement of retaking the land lost in the past great defeat sent the people of the country into a whirlpool of joy, regardless of faction.
The people of the defeated country’s village, who had been treated harshly by Tenshou Country, shed tears as they were freed from the injustice. Although the lives that were lost will not be returned, the scene shows that people can now have hope for the future. People could be seen everywhere hugging young children.
And Garoumaru was the only one in the country to despair. His last resort, the assassination of Kuroumaru, failed. He realized that he had no other means of eliminating Kuroumaru, and he realized that his authority had fallen.
Garoumaru had no idea how Kuroumaru coped. In reality, it was Shinji and Tsubaki who were involved, not Kuroumaru, so there was no way Garoumaru could understand. He saw Tsubaki as a prize to be won along with her title as head of the country, and he didn’t even think that she hated him or that he was interfering in her struggle to become the next head of the country. This can be said to be a blind spot due to being caught up in the ideology of male superiority.
Although it was a disappointing result, Garoumaru had saved up a large amount of money. He has enough assets to last him the rest of his life, and rather than be miserable in his castle, he decides to retire gracefully and use his money to play safe and watch over the country’s affairs.
If Kuromaru conducts good government and enriches the country, it will become a virtue. If his governance does not go well and dissatisfaction grows within the country, he may have another chance to make a comeback. The man who tried to sell his country was brave and flexible in his thinking.
However, Garoumaru’s expectations were completely destroyed at the banquet that took place later.
The turmoil of the battle had subsided, and a large banquet was held to celebrate the success of the operation that staked the fate of the Soukai Country, which began with a surprise attack on Tenshou Country.
Naturally, the host is Iwao, the ruler of the country. Next to him sat Tsubaki, and in the hall sat the main retainers, both military and civil. Shinji, who had been invited, also attended, and only Emily, who acted as a bodyguard, was present. When everyone was there and the appointed time arrived, Iwao stood up.
”Everyone’s hard work saved our country from the brink of destruction. The hated Tenshou Country fell into unprecedented chaos, but we were able to regain our stolen territory. And we also avenged my son. I want to express my gratitude once again… Thank you.”
The lord of the nation couldn’t bow his head, so he gave warm words filled with deep emotions to those present. The loyal vassals, who had shared the bitter times, all understood the lord’s feelings, and some even had tears in their eyes.
Taking a deep breath and regaining his composure, Iwao looked around and beckoned Tsubaki. As she stood up and walked slowly to stand beside Iwao, the entire vassals held their breath, sensing an unusual atmosphere.
”Before we celebrate our victory, I want you to hear something. Since the passing of Take, my son, I haven’t designated the next lord until today. It was simply because the situation was unstable. However, our country has escaped the crisis of destruction. Therefore, I want to publicly announce the person who will become the next lord in this place and celebrate together with our victory.”
The air was filled with tension, and everyone was anticipating one person. And their prediction was correct.
”I believe that a country’s leaders should be strong. It is admirable to see a hero stand on the front lines in a campaign that will risk the survival of the country, defeat the enemy king, and regain the stolen territory. …I will take Kuroumaru as my son-in-law and make him the next head of the country!”
””Ohhhh!””
The hall was filled with excitement at Iwao’s declaration. Shinji eavesdropped on the reactions of those around him and found that most people, especially military officers, had positive reactions. The people who reacted poorly were clever at deceiving them, but Shinji kept a close eye on them to find those who were secretly connected to Garoumaru. Then, Iwao raised his hand and the place became quiet again.
”Even though the crisis is over, I have a big responsibility. Therefore, I plan to hand over the position of the next head of the country to Kuroumaru as soon as I finish my education so that it does not affect national politics, but before I step down, I have another big job for you… catch him!”
The military officials sitting on either side of Garoumaru were quick to react to the intense outburst from Iwao. They grabbed his arms and forcefully dragged him in front of the imposing figure of Iwao.
Caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, the officials loyal to Garoumaru were delayed in their response, hindered by the neutral officials who had been given prior instructions. The festive atmosphere quickly turned into a tense and ominous one, causing the air to chill.
”Iwao-sama! What is the meaning of this!?”
”Oh, you claim to not understand the reason?”
”Of course not. I have no idea what this is about. I have no objections to Kuroumaru-sama being chosen as the next lord.”
Garoumaru lowered his head, showing submission in the face of Iwao’s quietly simmering anger. While he had plenty of clues about what was happening, he remained composed and dignified, knowing that he had left no evidence whatsoever in his residence.
Without evidence, one cannot accuse someone of a crime. It was because he was secretly confident that he was able to perfectly conceal his true intentions, even if it meant enduring humiliation.
However, his facade would soon crumble. A familiar letter slipped into his line of sight as he lowered his head. It was a handwritten letter that Garoumaru was supposed to deliver to Tenshou Country, entrusted to a ninja.
”…!?”
”Are you planning to deny everything with this?”
”…”
The atmosphere changed as Garoumaru, with a pale face and cold sweat, stood there. His retainers understood that this was not an interrogation, but a moment of judgment. The military officials who served under Garoumaru were unaware of his act of treason and were in a state of confusion, not knowing what the contents of the letter were. In place of Garoumaru, who had frozen in thought, Iwao spoke up.
”This letter contains a promise written by Garoumaru to surrender to Tenshou Country once he becomes the ruler. He has been using ninjas to communicate and conspire ever since suffering a major defeat and losing territory!”
Letters other than the one dropped in front of Garoumaru were made public by Iwao. People who read them were angry at Garoumaru.
Not only did Garoumaru do bad things against his country, but his selfishness and bad attitude after losing to Tenshou Country made his soldiers lose trust in him. Some were so upset that they kneeled and bowed to apologize for him.
These pieces of evidence were discovered by Sophira, who had turned into apprentice succubi, and Take in the abandoned mansion of Tenshou Country. Perhaps due to their arrogance as a powerful nation, they left behind letters as evidence, which were found just like that.
Evidence passed from them to Shinji. From Shinji to Tsubaki. The impact of this evidence was so great that they quickly decided to hold a trial during a celebration.
”It’s clear that only Garoumaru himself and the hired ninja committed these despicable acts. And considering Garoumaru’s past achievements and defeats, and the congratulatory message for Tsubaki’s wedding, only he will pay for his crimes. Take him away.”
Normally, betraying one’s country would result in the entire family being punished with death, and even their followers facing penalties. The fact that only Garoumaru himself is punished is surprisingly lenient. The military officials who supported Garoumaru’s faction, expecting severe punishment, were moved to tears but kept their composure.
Part of the reason for this decision was to not lose the talented members of Garoumaru’s faction. Tenshou Country faces threats not only from within but also from other countries. Talented individuals are valuable, so by showing kindness now, they plan to bring his faction to a neutral stance.
(No way… why, why did they find out… why…)
Realizing that there is no way to escape after being caught with evidence, Garoumaru is dragged away in disbelief. Even his blood relatives will not try to help him. The power of Iwao’s pardon is tremendous, completely destroying Garoumaru’s scheme.
(Why… Why is my peaceful life… like this…)
In that moment when the despair of Garoumaru and Shinji, their eyes crossed paths, his instincts told him that it was Shinji’s doing. With the thought that if it were just foolish Kuroumaru, it wouldn’t have come to this, he was forcefully expelled amid Iwao’s loud voice.
”You! It’s because of you that I… aaaaah!!”
”Shut up! You’re so annoying!”
”I’ll curse you, you magician!!”
Shinji calmly brushed off the resentful gaze that seemed to say he could kill someone, and continued to watch Garoumaru’s pathetic display without showing any reaction. His own appearance was not unrelated. Shinji was also a bad magician.
Up until now, and from now on. He reminded himself that every strategy required thorough preparation and coordination, so that no plan would be exposed even in the worst-case scenario. With that in mind, he joined the victory celebration that had just begun.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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