Volume 9 Chapter 5 The Noble Sacrifice Of A Loyal Retainer
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The Officer acting as a messenger sprinted down the stairs towards the enemy forces.
”Lord Gilbert… this is the end for you… Kent has come! I’ve learned quite a bit from this whole affair. In that respect, I owe you a debt of gratitude, Lord Gilbert.”
”Ugh, a puppet acting all high and mighty! If it weren’t for Lord Gwain, you’d be eating scraps under the Klaushten family’s rule. Don’t you dare lecture me!”
I was already cornered, with no time even for the formalities towards His Majesty Shifa.
”Lord Gilbert!! To speak to Your Majesty like that… and you call yourself a Kingdom Noble?!”
Velis, a trusted confidant of Shifa, snapped back at my words.
”Shut up, you old geezer!”
I kicked Velis, who was bound and sitting beside Shifa to protect him, right in the side.
”Guhhh!”
”Lord Gilbert! Kent Blackdagger has accepted our surrender. He has also agreed to the terms we proposed. However, he wishes to confirm His Majesty Shifa’s survival and requests to enter with a small escort.”
The Officer I sent as a messenger returned, bringing news of the surrender’s acceptance.
”Very well. Escort will be limited to 5.”
”Yes, sir! I shall relay the message.”
And so, the negotiations concluded, and the messenger, accompanied by 5 guards, entered the throne room to confirm the survival.
Looking at the messenger’s faces, I saw Black Dagger Miriallia of the Dream Demon, a wolf-kin man, a minotaur-kin man, Lord Lawrence, and, to my surprise, Kent Blackdagger himself.
”Lord Gilbert, I’m sorry, but could you allow me to see Your Majesty?”
”I never thought Lord Blackdagger would come… After you took my wife Marietta and Sarah, isn’t this a bit harsh?”
Kent began to speak calmly, without changing his expression.
”I don’t care about the stinking noble families like the Brownings. I only like plain old Marietta and Sarah.”
”How dare you call my house stinking! We’re a family that’s united the east, you know!”
”All that stuff doesn’t matter to me. I just can’t stand you using women like tools, that’s all.”
Kent’s words made my blood boil.
”Then you, must be a man who’s climbed to the top by leeching off women! What’s the difference between us?!”
”I’m not denying what Lord Gilbert says. But I’ve never once treated a woman like a tool. That might be the only difference between you and me.”
”Grrr!! You cheeky upstart, showing off!”
Kent smiles as he watches my fury.
With a snap of his fingers, the guards surge forward all at once.
”Damn it! That’s cowardly! We’ve surrendered!”
”Ah, sure. That’s why you’re getting tied up.”
”You bastard! You tricked us! That’s low!”
I rush over to Shifa, my ace in the hole, to take him as a hostage, but Velis grabs my leg and won’t let go.
”I won’t let you take Your Majesty Shifa as a hostage! This is the end for you, Lord Gilbert!!!”
”Let go! Damn old man!”
I try to break free from Velis’s grip and stab my sword into his back.
”Gaaah! I won’t let go! Lord Blackdagger, please protect His Majesty quickly! Ugh, I can’t hold on much longer!”
”Let go! Let go! Get off meeeeee!!!”
I stab my sword into Velis’s back over and over, but his grip never weakens.
”Lord Velis!!! Gilbert!!! What do you think you’re doing?!”
Letticia approaches us with a look of fury on her face, and I instinctively dodge a sharp thrust with the sword I had been using on Velis.
Looking around, I see figures dressed in black apprehending the nobles one after another.
”Don’t kill them! Surrender! Drop your weapons! Look, I’ve dropped mine!!”
Seeing Letticia’s murderous glare, I chickened out and tossed my sword away, making it clear I was surrendering.
”Bind the ringleader of the rebellion, Gilbert! And get a Healer here, stat!”
Kent barked orders to his subordinates in a panic.
* * *
*Kent’s Perspective
”Lord Blackdagger… I am grateful for your assistance… I will atone for this failure with my life, so I beg you to be lenient with Letticia…”
Before me, Velis, covered in blood, was barely breathing.
”Lord Velis… Don’t speak. The Healer will be here soon, so just… don’t talk…”
”No, I fear your efforts will be in vain… My life is fading. Therefore, I have a request for Lord Blackdagger. First, I want you to continue supporting Your Majesty Shifa, and second, I want to entrust Letticia, the adopted daughter standing there, to you as a concubine… *cough*”
The color drained from Velis’s face.
”Sir Velis!!! Please don’t speak!! I beg you!!”
”My family has been unable to produce an heir due to the political struggles that have repeatedly occurred in the Capital City… Therefore, I have willed that Letticia succeeds the Velis family after I am gone. However, Letticia is still young, and I would like her to have Lord Blackdagger’s support. I am sorry, but would you please grant this request as a dying old man… *cough*”
Velis was a politician who had navigated the world of politics for a long time, but I heard that he had lost his spouse and heir due to political strife.
He confessed that he had made a will to have Letticia, whom he had used as his confidante, succeed the family as his adopted daughter.
”Sir Velis! It’s impossible for me to inherit the Velis family!”
”Letticia… I’m sorry. I had intended to pass it on after training you more, but it seems the day has come sooner than expected. You are intelligent, strong, and have a strong sense of responsibility, and you are a rare Noble who understands the lives of the people. I want someone like that to be near Your Majesty.”
”Sir Velis…”
”Velis! I don’t mean to kill you! Kent, where’s the healer? Velis is losing too much blood!”
”My healing magic can’t replace lost blood… Please hold on just a little longer!”
I’m chanting [Heal], trying to close Velis’s wounds, but I couldn’t restore him with so much blood already lost.
”Letticia… I beg of you! Your Majesty Shifa needs your guidance to leave a name in the annals of history. Aldo is a decent noble, but… he must not shatter the noble’s shell… Please help Your Majesty with Lord Blackdagger… This old man’s final wish…”
Watching Letticia cling to the gradually cooling Velis, crying out, one might have thought she was her own daughter.
”Sir Velis! Stay with us! Keep holding on!”
In the fading light of consciousness, Velis reaches out to grasp my hand.
”Lord Blackdagger… Please take care of Letticia and Your Majesty Shifa… I entrust them to you… Gugh!”
Velis hacks up a mouthful of blood, then seems to lose strength, her head lolling forward limply.
”Velis! I still have so much to learn from you! Wake up! Please wake up!!!”
”Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Lord Velis has passed away. Your subjects are watching. Please keep calm. The death of Lord Velis is due to my misjudgment. I am ready to accept any reprimand, so please compose yourself.”
I mobilized Milly and Sebastian to gain a numerical advantage and put an end to the coup in one fell swoop, but my impatience led to Velis becoming a casualty, losing a vital talent for the Kingdom.
”Kent… I am powerless… I couldn’t resist this coup at all. Because of this, I’ve lost a valuable loyal subject. Perhaps I am not fit to rule this kingdom… If I continue to govern the Kingdom, I will lose more loyal subjects…”
”Your Majesty… permit me to speak out of turn. Your Majesty’s words now would send Sir Velis to a dog’s death! Your Majesty must not let this position defeat you! If you are such a weak Demon Lord, you should abdicate at once!”
Letticia, who had been crying on her knees, stood up and rebuked Shifa.
Her tone was harsh, filled with a love that had transferred to Velis, strict and self-loving words.
”Letticia… what should I do?”
Wiping away her tears, Letticia donned a cold, Noh-mask-like expression.
”Your Majesty Shifa, I suggest you pass judgment on the nobles who participated in this coup. I ask that you judge all relatives of the noble families that took part. The sentence is for Your Majesty to decide. You should now understand the true nature of the nobles.”
”Must I pass judgment myself… won’t you advise me, Letticia?”
”I cannot say anything as I was part of the participating side. I have committed such a grave crime that execution would not be surprising, and I must show prudence. After the mourning for my foster father Velis, I will resume my service. Until then, please consult with Chancellor Aldo, Lord Arbalest, and Lord Blackdagger… I humbly request this.”
Troubled, Shifa turned her gaze to me.
”Your Majesty… I believe that even my foster father pushed matters too far this time, contributing to the coup. I too intend to help with the aftermath of the coup.”
With a resolved expression, Shifa began to speak.
”Understood. Now, I shall announce the fate of Letticia Lawrence. You are to promptly inherit the estate of Velis and change your name to Letticia Velis. Additionally, prepare for the state funeral of your adoptive father, Belt Velis. Once the mourning period has ended, you will serve under my banner without delay. That is my command. Letticia, do you have any objections?”
”Y-Yes, Your Majesty! I humbly accept this duty! I will begin preparations at once!”
Letticia offered a salute in the Kingdom’s style, then called over her soldiers to respectfully begin carrying out the remains of the late Velis.
With deep respect for the man whose unwavering loyalty sacrificed his life to save the faltering Kingdom and the young Demon Lord, she removed her own mantle and wrapped it around his lifeless form.
Then, I called out to the soldiers stationed in the Capital City who were present in the room.
”To the most loyal vassal of Your Majesty the Demon Lord, salute!”
The soldiers saluted in the Kingdom’s style one after another, directed toward Velis, as Letticia’s group carried him away.
”Kent… I have learned of the fragility of my position as king through this incident… It seems that Letticia has left me with the task of taming the Nobles who participated in this coup. Velis taught me that it is necessary not only to forgive them but also to be strict. Truly, a difficult challenge has been set before me…”
Shifa appears to be grappling with how to deal with the punishment of the Noble families involved in this coup, but it seems he already has some answers in mind, so I intend to simply watch over him.
I plan to keep my promise to support Shifa, made as Velis lay dying.
If he chooses a path that leads him into danger, I may need to throw myself into harm’s way to stop him.
As for the matter of Letticia’s concubine, since she is in mourning, I will shelf it until the mourning period concludes.
However, I will continue to lend my support, so I will relay to Valid, who remains in the Capital City, not to hesitate in providing assistance.
Thus, the coup d’état set against the backdrop of the Capital City came to an end, but for me, it was an altogether unsatisfactory conclusion.
~New magic~
”Mind Communication” Telepathic Spell: “Gathered mana! Transform into waves of thought and deliver them to the Dream Demon’s kin!”
Attribute: None
Target: Allows mental conversation with the Dream Demon Clan within a hundred-meter range through a previously established mental link.
The connection lasts for about one hour.
While active, other magic can still be used.
~New Skill~
[Air Wave Palm]… A Fighting Spirit Technique that gathers energy in the palm and strikes distant foes. 20% increase in punch power, consumes 10 Skill Points. Requires Combat Skill [Fighting Spirit Technique].
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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