The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 94

< Nagore >

One day, as the Empire buzzed with excitement for the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament’s main event.

In a dark room, a blonde man hurled a liquor bottle at the wall.

Clang-!

The shattered glass on the floor glittered in the moonlight.

Still not appeased, the man huffed and stood up from his desk.

“Those bastards… So, they think I’m an easy target? Do the Grand Duke and the Blue Magic Tower Master’s names really carry more weight than mine?”

Simon von Grandia.

Simon, the second prince of the Karmen Empire, was enraged by the news that the nobles who had once supported him had now sided with the second princess.

It was a report he had heard repeated dozens of times.

“Damn it. Damn it…! Uriel…!”

The battle for the throne was a difficult fight from the start.

Even if he ignored the first and second princesses, who had little chance of becoming emperor, defeating the first prince, Damian, who held the claim as the legitimate heir, was a thorny path.

If Simon’s mother hadn’t been from a prominent noble family, he wouldn’t have received the support of the noble alliance and would have been crushed by Damian.

“A woman who can’t do anything even if she increases her power now…! Why is she wasting her time on useless things!”

However, the sudden appearance of the second princess was destroying even that slim possibility.

Uriel, who had luckily gained the Grand Duke’s favor, was suddenly participating in the succession race.

Even Simon, who had joined hands with the noble alliance, found it difficult to overcome Damian. Even if Uriel gathered forces from now on, she had no chance of defeating the first prince, Damian.

“Who would support a princess without legitimacy! How foolish!”

In fact, none of the nobles who supported the first prince moved, and some of the nobles who saw the Grand Duke’s favor towards Uriel left Simon’s forces.

They should have joined forces to check Damian, but Uriel, that foolish woman, was gradually taking away Simon’s power.

“What do you want me to do? Damn it!”

Simon picked up another empty bottle with an angry face.

No matter how many bottles he broke or how much he destroyed the room, his anger was not relieved at all.

Knock knock-.

At that moment, a polite knock was heard.

Someone was visiting.

“…I told you not to let anyone in, who is it!”

Simon frowned and stared at the door.

He didn’t want anyone around when he was relieving stress like this.

He had to maintain at least the minimum dignity as a prince. Even now, he had sent all the servants and knights out and ordered no one to be let in.

So, this guy had ignored his orders.

Creak.

“You bastard! I didn’t even give you permission to come in, how dare you…! Hmm?”

Simon, who was about to shout at the servant who dared to open the door of a royal family without permission, blinked as he saw the face of the man entering.

The man who shouldn’t be here had suddenly visited.

“Gideon, what brings you here?”

Simon put the bottle he was holding on the table.

The visit of the Karmen Knights Commander, the greatest knight in the Empire, made the headache that had been filling his head disappear for a moment.

‘Could it be that the Karmen Knights Commander is trying to support me?’

Traditionally, the Karmen Knights only served the Empire and did not support any individual.

But, didn’t that Blue Magic Tower also support Uriel?

There was no reason why he couldn’t.

Expectations swelled in Simon’s heart.

“Greetings to the Second Prince. I apologize for this informal visit.”

Gideon glanced at the scattered glass shards in the corner and knelt on one knee before Simon.

“Get up and sit down, Commander. What brings you here?”

“I came to ask for a favor.”

“The master of the Karmen Knights asking for a favor. That’s a strange thing.”

Simon gave a bitter smile.

The man in front of him was not a member of the royal family, but he was a force to be reckoned with, possessing power comparable to it.

‘No… maybe even more.’

The Karmen Knights were a knight order that protected the Empire.

They were the strongest knights in the Empire, united by their loyalty to the Empire, and a weapon of force that moved for the development of the Empire.

However, the Karmen Knights currently had a Sword Master [a master of swordsmanship] who was favored by the Emperor.

What would happen if a knight who cherished the Empire and was the strongest in the continent received the Emperor’s blessing?

The man in front of him was giving the answer.

From some point on, he had come to possess absolute power within the Empire.

He had come to possess power equal to or greater than that of the royal family.

‘But… he can be helpful to me now.’

A favor meant that the other party was also in a difficult situation.

Simon was willing to grant the other party’s request if possible.

“So, what is the favor? If it’s a request from the Commander, I will consider it positively…”

“Tonight, the Rein Knights and the Second Princess will move. Please stop them.”

“…What?”

However, Simon heard a request he had never imagined.

“Tell me more details, Commander.”

“It’s not a difficult story. Soon, the Second Princess and her forces will head to District 4. To directly deal with Nagore, black magicians, and demonic forces attacking the commoners in the lower districts.”

“…What? Nagore, and black magicians and demons?”

After thinking for a moment, Simon couldn’t understand Gideon’s words.

He couldn’t understand that they were rampaging in the Empire, but he especially couldn’t understand stopping those who were going to suppress them.

This was an act of directly harming the Empire.

“I don’t understand the Commander’s intentions. If there are such reactionary forces, shouldn’t you be there right now? Besides, even if it’s the Emperor, I can’t stop Uriel from going anywhere. The Commander knows that, too, right?”

Simon was of a higher rank than Uriel, but that didn’t mean he could control her movements.

“This is something the Emperor has permitted.”

“What…?”

Simon’s eyes widened.

The Emperor.

Who was he?

His father was a pathetic human being who enjoyed pleasure, but he cared about the pride of the Karmen Empire.

He loved the title of the Thousand-Year Empire Karmen, and if anyone trampled on the Empire’s pride, he would never forgive them, even if they were insignificant creatures.

A tyrant with the Thousand-Year Empire Karmen on his back.

That was the current Emperor.

He would leave the reactionary forces rampaging inside the Empire alone?

“It’s the work of Nagore, black magicians, and demons. The Karmen Knights must step forward to stop them. But… it’s a dark night now. No matter how skilled the knights are, there’s no need to fall into the traps the enemies have set.”

“Commander. You don’t mean…”

Simon looked at the Commander as if he were seeing a ghost.

“Yes. The Karmen Knights will not move until dawn. To suppress the enemies while preserving the Empire’s power as much as possible. That is the imperial order.”

“…”

“You have a lot on your mind. Prince Simon, you must push this matter through no matter what.”

Step. Step.

Gideon slowly walked towards Simon.

“…What are you saying? Commander.”

Simon unconsciously took a few steps back.

He was a member of the royal family, and no one could touch him in this empire.

The same was true of the Karmen Knights Commander in front of him.

But even though he knew that, his body didn’t listen to him.

The unidentified aura emanating from him made even the royal family feel fear.

“Princess Uriel has been a headache for Prince Simon lately.”

“You bastard! How dare you say such a thing in front of the royal family!”

“Princess Uriel truly cares for the commoners. Perhaps, she may disobey the imperial order and go to save the commoners. If that happens… other nobles will not be able to support Princess Uriel.”

In the Empire, the imperial order was like a god.

If Uriel disobeyed the imperial order… she would no longer be able to continue the succession race.

“…”

Gideon.

Simon closed his mouth at the faint madness he felt from him.

Gideon’s eyes were wide open, and his mouth did not stop.

“No, it doesn’t matter even if that doesn’t happen. In this matter, Prince Simon will move with the Karmen Knights. Prince Simon will stop Princess Uriel with the imperial order. Wouldn’t that be a good thing for you?”

Simon stared at Gideon intently, then carefully opened his mouth.

“Commander. Even if everything you said is true… doesn’t that mean the lives of the commoners are being thrown away?”

Simon felt goosebumps all over his body for some reason.

He also knew Gideon Garcia’s purpose to some extent.

Gideon’s purpose was to make the Empire peaceful.

He was terribly obsessed with the peace of the Empire.

And at the center of it was always the Karmen Knights.

But why was he stopping the same royal family and exposing the Empire’s commoners to danger?

Simon couldn’t understand his intentions.

“Prince Simon.”

Gideon bowed lightly.

“The weight of life is not the same. Nobles are more important than commoners. And the royal family is more important than nobles. It’s a natural thing.”

“…”

“I know that many nobles who support you have recently decreased. There is only one thing you need to do. It is to grant my request.”

“The nobles…”

“Yes. The Empress must also have high expectations for Prince Simon.”

“M, Mother.”

Simon’s eyes wavered.

His mother’s disappointed eyes looking at her incompetent son came to mind.

Uriel.

It’s all because of that woman.

His power was cut down, and his mother was disappointed.

It was all because of Uriel, who was running wild without knowing her place.

“You… can trust the sword that protects the Empire. I will never betray the Empire.”

Gideon Garcia of the Karmen Knights.

He gave a small smile.

*

A night with a deep moonlight.

Many people gathered inside the reception room.

And Grand Duke Eric frowned as he listened to Rael’s words.

“Rael, is that true? Nagore is working with black magicians to kidnap commoners?”

“Yes. Even demons are involved. These are all facts I have confirmed.”

At Rael’s words, not only the Grand Duke but also Yuri and Rein’s commander widened their eyes.

“Why aren’t the Karmen Knights moving?”

“I don’t know. But, it’s 100 children in just one night. This is also an estimate, and there may be more. I’ve taken some precautions at the orphanage just in case, but I can’t imagine how much damage will be done if this continues. We have to stop it now.”

“…I understand. Rein!”

When Eric raised his hand, Rein put his hand on his sword with a disciplined posture.

“I will prepare the Rein Knights immediately. Kier. Prepare.”

“Yes!”

After Rein left the reception room.

Yuri, who was sitting next to the Grand Duke, stood up.

“I will go with you, Ms. Rael.”

“…Yes. Thank you, Princess Uriel.”

Rael also got up from her seat right away.

The Rein Knights, as befitting the Grand Duke’s Knights, quickly finished their preparations and headed straight to District 4.

“I have summoned all the knights on standby, Grand Duke.”

“Did you send a messenger to the Karmen Knights?”

“Yes. I told them it was an emergency. But we should move first as it is urgent. Rael, have you identified the hideout of those guys?”

“If you go to District 4, my acquaintance will come from Begus.”

Clara the Fighter.

She would have identified the hideout of those guys.

“The problem is the power of those guys… Hmm?”

Rael, who was talking to Rein, turned her head and stared straight ahead.

A tremendous energy was felt in front.

“…There’s someone in front.”

The same was true of Rein.

He stopped, looking straight ahead.

“You cannot pass beyond this point.”

Chuck-

A wall of knights blocking the way to District 4.

Rein frowned as he looked at their armor.

The emblem of the Empire clearly engraved on their chest.

It was the Karmen Knights to whom he had just sent a messenger.

They were standing on the way to District 4.