Volume 9 Chapter 5 The Noble Sacrifice Of A Loyal Retainer
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Alonsa let out a cool laugh.
She was a decent-looking woman, but I couldn’t quite warm up to her.
Something about her gave off a sickly vibe, but she made a good point, so I decided to agree.
”Understood. Since our subordinate Kondrad is also a skilled fighter, I’ll have him trail closely behind Lord Nokin, ready to take over if he gets tired.”
Just then, a soldier came rushing into the tent.
”Report! Lady Miriallia’s light shot has been launched over the royal castle! The rescue operation appears to be a success!”
At the soldier’s report, I immediately issued Instructions.
”Alright! I’ll call for Letticia’s surrender first! If the enemy is shaken, Lord Nokin, break through the castle gate! Then, charge straight to the royal castle and take down Gilbert! We’ll let the Kingdom army handle the remaining stragglers, so those who surrender will only have their weapons removed and be bound! Time is of the essence! Let’s go!”
”Finally, it’s our turn. Alonsa, let’s take the lead. Have Geronimo get ready with the battering ram to break down the castle gate.”
”It’s already prepared.”
Responding instantly to my Instructions, Nokin and Alonsa dashed out of the tent.
”Lord Kent. I’ll be leaving soon as well. When you call for Letticia’s surrender, please have the Magicians cast a Physical Guard to protect you from archers. If Lord Kent gets hurt, I’ll be strangled to death by Lady Lila and Lady Miriallia.”
”I know, I know. That lecture isn’t just for Kondrad, it’s for me too. I won’t mess up.”
”Understood. Then, I will now focus on commanding the army. Lord Kent, please follow leisurely with your guards.”
After Kondrad gave me a bunch of nagging advice like a scolding aunt, she went off to command the army.
I also set off for the castle gates with my guards to persuade Letticia.
* * *
When we arrived at the castle gates, a voice called down from the castle walls.
”Lord Blackdagger! Don’t come any closer! If you do, I’ll attack you! Stay back!”
Letticia leaned out from behind the wooden shield fixed atop the castle gate, doing her best to stop me.
I faced her, ready to share the news of Velis’s successful rescue.
”Lord Lawrence! Just now, Milly has succeeded in retrieving the hostages! There’s no reason for you to fight anymore! Surrender at once! You can still make excuses to Your Majesty if you do! Surrender and open the castle gate!”
Letticia’s face showed a flicker of confusion as she processed my words.
”To think you would spread such rumors… Lord Blackdagger, how cruel of you…”
”You fool!!! Listen to me! If you don’t, you’ll truly become a traitor who draws their bow against His Majesty Shifa! Trust me!”
”…Is it really true? Sir Velis is truly safe?”
”Yes! I assure you! Hurry and open the castle gate to surrender!”
Just then, a man appeared behind the trembling and conflicted Letticia, restraining her.
”Lord Lawrence has allied with the enemy! Don’t be fooled by their lies! Archers! Shoot that little Blackdagger brat!”
The man bound Letticia and then gave the archers their orders.
A rain of arrows fell near me, but thanks to Kondrad’s advice, I had layered my Physical Guard multiple times, and not a single arrow pierced through.
”Lord Kent, fall back. We’ll break it open!”
Nokin advanced with flair toward the castle gate.
Meanwhile, on the castle walls, Letticia’s soldiers clashed with the coup forces, creating utter chaos.
”Sir Nokin, I leave the rest to you! I’ll show you the fruits of my training!”
A muscular minotaur clad in heavy armor stood next to Nokin, swinging a massive iron hammer high before bringing it down toward the gate.
With a loud crack, the wooden and iron gate shattered under the force.
”I’ll go again.”
He swung the hammer down once more, and this time, a complete hole opened, the bar flew off, and the castle gate began to creak open.
”Geronimo, you did well. I’ve seen the fruits of your training.”
The Nokin forces successfully destroyed the castle gates and began to cut down the confused enemies along the walls.
”My lord Nokin! Let the army of Letticia surrender! Announce to those fighting atop the walls! Those who wish to surrender, drop your weapons! Anyone still armed will be considered part of the coup and will be attacked! Once more, I declare: abandon your weapons and surrender. Those who hold weapons will be treated as part of the coup!”
Realizing the gates had been breached, the coup forces heard my call and began to drop their weapons one after another, surrendering.
The Nokin troops mercilessly took down those who stubbornly refused to surrender their arms.
However, the battle was decided almost immediately.
Standing atop the castle gate, Nokin impaled the face of the man who had bound Letticia on the tip of his greatsword, lifting him high into the air.
…I’ve heard that Nokin excels in bravery, but his strength surpasses the rumors… This man clearly has no intention of ending as just a Kingdom dog like myself.
I need to be careful that his fangs don’t turn my way.
Witnessing a sliver of Nokin’s valor completely transformed my impression of him.
Personally, I don’t believe that individual heroics can decide the outcome of a large-scale conflict, but seeing Nokin’s exceptional prowess made me rethink that maybe such situations are indeed possible.
In fact, the morale of the stationed troops in the Capital City has surged considerably after witnessing Nokin’s strength.
The eastern Garuda Principality may have a weak national power, but they should not be underestimated…
As I passed through the subdued castle gates, I reaffirmed the capabilities of Nokin and his forces.
”Here you go. Lord Lawrence is all secured as you can see. This calls for an increase in the reward.”
Nokin dismounted and tossed the bound Letticia down from the wall.
I caught her before she could hit the ground.
”I understand. I’ll arrange for the increase. Now, let’s charge ahead and carve a path all the way to the royal castle!”
”Ah, and make sure to convey this to Lord Kondrad, so he doesn’t fall behind!”
Nokin mounted his horse once more, rallying the soldiers of the Garuda Principality, and they set off toward the third-tier gates.
”Alright, let’s clear the third layer in one go!”
Nokin dashed forward, and Konrad, not wanting to be left behind, led 5 hundred soldiers in pursuit.
Left behind were a hundred of Letticia’s surrendered soldiers, a hundred from the coup army, and 5 hundred from the Capital City garrison left to guard the city.
I untied the Bind holding Letticia captive.
”Lord Blackdagger… I’m so sorry. I drew my bow against His Majesty Shifa. I have no face to meet Lord Velis. Perhaps it would be merciful to just kill me here…”
”I can’t make that call. Look, I’m short on troops, so Lawrence, bring your men to the palace siege. Fix your own mistakes. Also, Velis is safe. Milly protected him.”
Letticia’s expression changed instantly at my words, as if she understood what a soldier was supposed to do.
”I was weak, I admit it! I’ll rectify my mistake! Lord Blackdagger! We’ll be the first to reach the palace!”
”Then you should have your men regroup and rearm right away. Lord Nokin is always impatient, you know. I doubt he’ll wait. If we don’t hurry, we’ll lose our chance to turn things around.”
”My apologies! I’ll do it immediately. Could you return the weapons to my men?”
”Certainly.”
Letticia immediately had her hundred men rearm and took off at a run to catch up to Nokin.
* * *
Nokin and his forces were advancing rapidly, breaking through the gates of each level with ease and successfully infiltrating the palace.
The coup army, scattered across the palace by the diversionary operation conducted by Milly and the others, seemed unable to hold back Nokin’s advance.
They were losing ground to Nokin, Konrad, and Letticia’s forces, with Bindings being placed on them left and right.
”We’ll be at the throne room, where His Majesty is, soon.”
In front of the royal castle, where my guards had set up camp, a messenger from Kondrad and his group arrived.
They had informed Letticia that Velis was freed, but Milly had mentioned that Velis’s name was absent from the list of the rescued members, revealing that he was instead taken to the throne room by Gilbert.
Upon relaying this news to Letticia, she hurriedly advanced the army toward the throne room.
”I see… Send a surrender proposal to Gilbert. Tell him that if His Majesty and the others are safely released, they will only be exiled.”
I couldn’t allow Velis to be a hostage and possibly killed after saying we had managed to free him and Letticia.
So, I decided to devise a plan.
”Is that truly all it takes to be forgiven? They are traitors, after all.”
The officer who had come as a messenger questioned this.
”Yes, I only promise that I will let them go with an exile from the South District Margrave. I have no say in what His Majesty Shifa will decide to do. Also, please keep this confidential. It would be troublesome if it turned into an issue later, so just convey to Gilbert as I said: ‘If His Majesty and the others are safely released, they will only be exiled.’”
”…Sir Kent, you’re surprisingly crafty.”
”Well, I suppose this is just a sign of growth.”
”Still, it’s a bit troublesome when the lord we serve is too soft-hearted, so perhaps we should be glad he’s learned a bit of craftiness.”
The officer chuckled slightly as he returned to Kondrad’s side.
With this, I thought Gilbert would likely see the futility of the coup and surrender.
I could only hope this internal conflict would end with this upheaval; I felt deeply the need to avoid such strife within our ranks again.
Maybe I’ll go to the hot springs in the Brandiya territory when I get back… Ah, I’ve also postponed the temple’s completion ceremony, and I still need to inspect the ranch.
Aurelia must be feeling extremely stressed out by now, so I need to help her release that tension…
I wrapped up the aftermath of this political upheaval quickly and began contemplating the unfinished business back home.
* * *
*Gilbert’s Perspective
”Why?! How did things go so wrong?! Where is Lord Sven?!”
All my carefully laid plans went awry.
The situation spiraled downward with terrifying speed.
First, Arbalest and the other political enemies I had imprisoned were freed by some unknown force.
Then, Lord Sven, who had been secretly backing the coup, vanished without a trace, leaving no way to contact him.
I immediately ordered the defenses to be reinforced, but when the 4th layer’s gate, guarded by General Letticia, was breached, the enemy swept through like wildfire, overwhelming the palace.
The coup’s soldiers were either killed or forced to surrender.
But fate wasn’t completely against me.
I still had 2 aces up my sleeve: Demon Lord Shifa: Secundadi and Minister Belt Velis.
”Sir Gilbert! A surrender proposal from Kent Blackdagger has arrived.”
”What’s the content?”
”His Majesty Shifa will be released unharmed, and in exchange, all of you will be exiled from the kingdom!”
The dwindling number of nobles who participated in the coup began to murmur.
Most of the palace had already been seized by the Capital City garrison, and we were cornered in the throne room.
”…Lord Gilbert… Perhaps accepting the surrender proposal and restarting under Lord Gwain’s rule would be the best course of action?”
A plump, sweating noble advocated for surrender.
He was one of the nobles who had lost power due to Arbalest’s reorganization.
”Do you really think Kent will truly grant us exile?”
”That man is known throughout the kingdom as a man who keeps his promises. If he says he’ll grant us exile, then it will be so. Perhaps this is the end of our coup.”
More and more nobles began to agree with the plump noble and voiced their support for surrender.
If we resisted, reinforcements wouldn’t arrive for a long time… Perhaps preserving our lives was the priority…
”Alright… Tell them we accept surrender. But, as a condition, we will keep His Majesty’s safety until we are allowed to leave the country.”
”Yes, sir!”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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