4. Obtaining the Crown
1
“Die, Marquis Luke!”
‘Blink magic… no, there’s no time for that!’
Using Blink magic would allow him to evade the enemy’s attack for now. However, if he kept dodging and stalling, he might lose Myers, who was escaping far away.
So, instead of using magic, Luke chose to advance.
The silver Gaius, like an arrow released from a taut bowstring, parried the greatsword swung by the Gigant in front of him and pushed forward fiercely.
Clang!
“Damn it!”
No sooner had the enemy unit fallen backward than Luke thrust his greatsword, destroying the balance device. Then, he immediately reversed and plunged into the midst of three Gigants.
“Got him!”
The greatswords of the enemy Gigants that had rushed from behind seemed to pierce the Gaius. But what they actually pierced was an afterimage.
Luke, who had performed a high-speed maneuver that left an afterimage, drew a sharp golden trajectory, instantly cutting down three Gigants.
‘Ah, that’s the latter part of the Gold Sword!’
Rogers, witnessing the different sword form unfolding from Luke’s greatsword, couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. However, Luke, who had just used the latter part of the Gold Sword for the first time in actual combat, wore a dissatisfied expression.
‘This isn’t it. Why is the power so weak?’
Just now, Luke had unleashed the golden divine sword of the sword line he had seen through Nanda Daesa’s ability of fate insight… no, the latter part of the Gold Sword, exactly as he had seen it. However, it was inferior to what the sword line Yeon Garam had displayed.
He could accept that his swordsmanship was inferior to Yeon Garam’s. After all, there was a clear difference in the length of time they had spent mastering swordsmanship, no matter how naturally talented he was. However, he couldn’t understand why the power of the swordsmanship, amplified by the Gigant’s core engine, was also weaker.
‘It’s weaker than Yeon Garam’s Gold Sword unleashed with his bare hands… what exactly is the problem?’
“Die, Marquis Luke!”
While Luke was lost in thought, enemy Gigants that had approached unnoticed launched their attacks. Snapping back to his senses, Luke unleashed another technique from the latter part, towards the enemy units rushing at him like beasts.
Swish! Crash!
The phoenix’s wings unfolded dazzlingly from the Gaius’s body. At that moment, five Gigants of the Iron Fist Knights simultaneously floated into the air and then crashed to the ground. They hadn’t been cut by the greatsword. They had simply been struck by the wind of Luke’s sword, causing the Gigants to be blown away.
‘This isn’t it either. Did I make some mistake?’
Even after delivering a powerful blow, Luke looked down at his greatsword, tilting his head in confusion. Watching him, the Iron Fist Knights couldn’t help but tremble.
“Ugh! This is the swordsmanship of the hero Rakan!”
“Don’t be intimidated! We are the invincible Iron Fist Knights!”
The Iron Fist Knights bit their lips until they bled, desperately rushing at Luke. Even as Gigants were being cut apart and scattered, they didn’t give up and kept attacking.
Despite the fact that Luke was fighting alone, Rogers and the Rakan Knights didn’t join the fray at all. It wasn’t because they wanted Luke to fall, but because they were captivated by the latter part of the Gold Sword he was unleashing.
‘This is something I’ve never seen before…’
‘So, this is the latter part of the Gold Sword that the Lord mentioned before?’
‘Amazing! It’s several times more amazing than the first part that Commander Rogers unleashed with all his might!’
Luke’s Gaius, leaving golden afterimages and moving like the wind, raised its aura like a tidal wave and then unleashed sword strikes like a downpour. It was truly worthy of being called a golden war god. Every time the war god swung his sword, enemy Gigants were cut apart, torn to shreds, and reduced to scrap metal. There were even those who tried to self-destruct at close range, but Luke first blew away the Gigants’ hands.
“It’s truly amazing! The Lord has single-handedly destroyed 32 of them!”
“And that was in just 5 minutes. It’s like the hero Rakan has been reborn!”
Despite the Rakan Knights’ admiration, Luke was still not satisfied. Even though he had properly applied the techniques that the sword line had displayed to the situation, the power he had seen in his dream hadn’t manifested.
‘This is strong enough. But to defeat Arsen…!’
Clang!
A powerful blow suddenly flew in. Luke’s Gaius, hastily raising its greatsword to defend, was pushed back. Startled, Luke looked at the Gigant that had just attacked him. It was a Gigant with a body that seemed to be a head taller than the Gaius, with a splendid appearance, adorned with jewel-like armor, a helmet, and a golden crown. However, Luke listened to the noise coming from the opponent’s Gigant’s core engine rather than its appearance.
“Hero-class?”
“Tch, to think he’d block a surprise attack.”
The one who had just attacked Luke was Renold. Having borrowed Myers’ personal unit, Rubira, he had left the Iron Fist Knights to cover his rear, but then he had turned back. He had a feeling that they alone wouldn’t be able to stop the pursuing enemy Gigant forces. His premonition was correct. The Iron Fist Knights were being unilaterally slaughtered by a single silver Gigant.
‘That silver Gigant is the one that Renard mentioned…’
He had heard from his younger brother, Renard. The vanguard had been annihilated because Marquis Luke had appeared with reinforcements. At that time, Marquis Luke had been riding a silver Gigant, and despite not being a hero-class Gigant, they had been unilaterally pushed back.
‘It’s no wonder Renard was defeated. That guy is a monster!’
Seeing Luke, who was unleashing tremendous aura and slaughtering the Iron Fist Knights, he wanted to tear apart all the informants of the Milton Kingdom if he ever met them. ‘To call that monster a mid-to-high-level Sword Master! What were they looking at when they made that judgment!’
Judging that he shouldn’t recklessly attack, he decided to be cowardly and launch a surprise attack. Taking advantage of the noise of the Gigants, the shouts of the riders, and the screams, he approached Luke’s silver Gaius while suppressing his presence. Then, he exploded the core engine’s output and launched a surprise attack.
Kuaaang!
The power of the boomerang, swung with the output of 3,200 fights, as befitting a hero-class Gigant, was tremendous. Yet, Luke had managed to block it by a hair’s breadth. He was disappointed and frustrated, but he couldn’t back down.
“I am Renold Gram, the commander of the Iron Fist Knights! I request a one-on-one duel with Marquis Luke!”
When Renold shouted through the communication device, Rogers rushed out, yelling in anger.
“Shut your mouth, you bastard! After resorting to such a despicable trick, how dare you shamelessly request a one-on-one duel? I know what you’re up to!”
The opponent didn’t want an honorable Gigantic Duel. He was just trying to delay them so that Myers could escape further away. Luke also noticed Renold’s intentions. However, he readily accepted the Gigantic Duel request.
“Commander Rogers, step back. I will handle this one.”
“But…”
“Don’t worry. I can catch Myers anytime.”
Rogers, who was about to continue objecting, sensed the intense fighting spirit emanating from Luke’s Gaius and obediently stepped back. It wasn’t because he thought the Lord would win. The fighting spirit that Luke was exuding now contained not only the desire to fight but also the will to awaken something.
‘Could it be that he has mastered the latter part of the Gold Sword and reached a higher level? If so, I can’t interfere.’
Rogers’ judgment was almost correct. Luke, having seen the divine might of the sword line, was aware that something was wrong with him. However, he hadn’t clearly realized what was wrong or what was lacking. So, he intended to find out through combat with a strong opponent.
“Go ahead and attack.”
As Rogers and the Rakan Knights stepped back, Luke pointed his greatsword at the Rubira that Renold was riding. Renold, who had taken a battle stance in response to his actions, stared at Luke’s Gaius, which was standing still with its greatsword pointed at him. He was planning to rush in and swing his boomerang as soon as an opening appeared, but he couldn’t find even a single gap.
‘Tch, he’s not easy. It wouldn’t matter if I rode a hero-class or a hero-grandfather-class Gigant [A Gigant of exceptional power].’
The silver Gaius that Renold saw looked like a giant mountain of rock. It didn’t seem like he could overcome it no matter what he did.
“Aren’t you coming?”
Renold was sweating profusely at Luke’s chilling voice. He was different from the Iron Fist Knights who were fighting with all their might. Having reached the level of a mid-level Sword Master, he could tell how strong the opponent in front of him was.
“Then I’ll go.”
After speaking, Luke changed his stance in an instant. Renold noticed the gap that had appeared in that instant and rushed in.
“Kuaaaah! Die, Marquis Luke!”
Renold had no intention of dragging out this fight. He squeezed the core engine output beyond its limit, putting all his strength into this one blow. He felt a slight dizziness due to the sudden depletion of aura, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.
Faaang!
The Rubira cut through the air with a sonic boom and charged towards the silver Gaius. It looked like a wolf running through the wilderness like a gale. The moment the wolf’s fangs were about to reach its target, the crouching phoenix once again unfolded its golden wings.
Clang!
A high-pitched, sharp noise rang out, and the positions of the two Gigants were reversed. A diagonal line was drawn on the chest armor of the Rubira, which had arrived at the spot where the silver Gaius had been standing. Shortly after, the upper body of the Gigant, cut along that diagonal line, fell to the ground with a thud.
“H-h-huh!”
Exposed to the cold outside air, Renold trembled like an aspen leaf. If the greatsword that Luke had just swung had come in a little lower, his head would have been cut off instead of the upper part of the cockpit. On the other hand, Luke’s silver Gaius was unscathed.
“I-I lost.”
As Luke’s Gaius approached, Renold got out of the Rubira and knelt down. He knew that Marquis Luke had deliberately spared his life. Luke, who had opened the hatch of the cockpit, looked down at him and spoke.
“You have great skills. If it were the me from a while ago, I might have been killed by you.”
Even though he had failed, Renold’s attack just now was impressive. For a moment, it had unleashed an impact aura comparable to that of a high-level Sword Master, no, a hyper aura of a Sword Sage. If Luke hadn’t improved his skills by fighting with Guigokja and Arsen in the Southern Continent, he wouldn’t have been able to win. Of course, this was only when considering swordsmanship. If Luke had used black magic and the abilities of the demon race from the beginning, the Rubira would have been smashed before it could even get close to him.
“You’re too good of a talent for Myers. How about it? Do you have any thoughts of defecting?”
Renold was startled by the unexpected offer. However, he shook his head.
“I cannot. My brother and I have a contract with King Myers. Even if it means death, we must fulfill that contract.”
Renold and Renard, who were Lycanthrope hybrids, had been working as mercenaries for a long time, but they had never broken or abandoned a contract in the middle. They had pride in being different from humans who lied and betrayed as if it were second nature. If they had broken contracts and failed to build trust as mercenaries, they wouldn’t have reached their current position or skill level.
“You’re a stubborn man.”
Luke gave a faint smile, a hint of regret in his expression.
Both the Iron Fist Knights from before and Renold now seemed like such a waste.
“Go back. I’ll hand over your surviving subordinates, so take them with you.”
Renold, who had been wide-eyed at the unexpected offer, bowed repeatedly in gratitude.
“I will never forget your grace, Marquis.”
Shortly after, Renold left with the Iron Fist Knights who had been rescued from the destroyed Gigantes.
There were fewer casualties than expected.
This was because Luke had prioritized subduing them rather than killing them.
Rogers, watching them leave, wore a displeased expression.
“I don’t think there was any need to let them go.”
“There’s no guarantee they’d be on our side even if we kept them.”
Luke was more disappointed and frustrated that he hadn’t fully mastered the latter half of the Gold Sword technique than he was about Renold.
He had thought that fighting a strong opponent might reveal something, but it seemed that even Renold’s level was insufficient.
He felt frustrated and impatient, but he didn’t have the time to dwell on it.
“Finish the battle. If there are any enemy soldiers still resisting, advise them to surrender.”
“Understood, Lord.”
The large-scale night raid that day ended in a great victory for the Rakan Territory army.
Although the war was not completely over, the tide had now turned irrevocably in favor of the Rakan March.
2
The Milton Kingdom army, defeated in the night raid by the Rakan Territory army, fled north.
After fleeing for two days in a daze, they finally reached the vicinity of the Milton Kingdom border, where they set up camp and rested.
“Haa, how on earth did this happen?”
“I know, it was like we were possessed by ghosts.”
“Damn it! How could we not know until the Gigantes were right in our camp!”
The nobles of the Milton Kingdom gathered in small groups, recalling the night raid two days prior.
The attack had been so sudden.
It wasn’t a small thing; a massive Gigantes [giant war machine] had suddenly appeared before their eyes.
The disaster began then.
Belatedly, allied riders tried to engage by boarding the Gigantes, but enemy units that had penetrated deep into the camp interfered, and more than half of the Gigantes were destroyed without even putting up a proper fight.
When the Gigantes force was quickly broken, the outcome of the battle was decided.
“Damn it, this is all because of the negligence of those who were on guard!”
“We must punish all the knights and soldiers who were on guard!”
Harsh opinions formed among the nobles, blaming each other for the defeat.
However, even if they wanted to punish them, none of those who had been on guard duty that day were present.
They had either died in the surprise attack or had fled.
Not only them, but a significant number of knights and soldiers had not joined them.
Some had been killed or captured, but many had simply deserted.
The only good news was that Renold had brought the survivors of the Iron Fist Knights.
His younger brother, Renard, also joined them, dragging the battered Anubis along.
“We need to cut off the heads of all the intelligence department bastards, not just the guards! If they had properly grasped the enemy’s strength, we wouldn’t have suffered such a miserable defeat.”
Renard, who had barely escaped after fighting Philip on par, vented his anger.
His brother, Renold, nodded in agreement.
If Marquis Luke had not shown mercy, he and the Iron Fist Knights would have been annihilated.
The knights of the Rakan Territory were that strong.
The intelligence department nobles were sweating profusely under the fierce pressure from the two Sword Masters and the generals who had suffered heavy losses.
“W-well, shouldn’t we go back to the capital to figure that out? Whether the intelligence agents were negligent or the enemy used trickery.”
“That’s right. And it’s not something we can decide among ourselves. His Majesty is the one who will ultimately decide the punishment.”
Renold frowned at their excuses and evasions.
“What is His Majesty doing right now?”
“Huu, he went to his chambers early. He was extremely exhausted from fleeing for two days and nights. So, as soon as we set up camp here, he collapsed as if he had fainted.”
No sooner had Count Lao finished speaking than a commotion broke out outside the headquarters tent.
‘Could it be the enemy’s pursuit force?’
There was a saying in the Southern Continent that a person who was startled by a turtle would be startled by a pot lid [meaning someone is easily frightened].
That was exactly how they felt now.
The nobles, their hearts pounding, rushed outside.
Fortunately, it wasn’t the enemy who had appeared, but the royal guards were in a state of panic.
King Myers, who had been sleeping, had rushed out of the tent.
Myers, who had fallen into a deep sleep due to the shock of the defeat and the fatigue of fleeing.
But he could not have a peaceful sleep.
The nightmare he thought was over had begun again.
– Your Majestyyyy! I am wronged! Why did you kill me!
Bajo, covered in blood, knelt before him and wailed.
The chilling wails pierced his eardrums like needles, making his already aching head throb even more.
“I don’t know anything about it. Didn’t I say I don’t know anything!”
– What do you mean you don’t know, Your Majesty! Didn’t Your Majesty send your subordinates to kill me and my party on our way back home!
In reality, Myers had sent the Aegis fairies [magical beings] to kill Bajo.
The reason he used Aegis for the assassination was that almost no one except him knew about their existence.
Aslan was there, but he had been given the title of Count after the founding of the kingdom and had been dispatched as the commander of a fortress in the Variand Mountains, so he knew nothing about this matter.
– I am wrongeddddd! How could you do this to meeeeee!
“Ughhh!”
Even if it’s the same thing, hearing it repeatedly is bound to be tiresome and annoying.
Even a good song would be like that, let alone the grievances of a ghost, which were undoubtedly tiresome.
Moreover, Myers, who was in a state of extreme resentment after being completely ruined by the recent defeat, stopped denying it and shouted angrily.
“Yes, I killed you. How could I do that? Are you that wronged? You, who enjoyed all sorts of wealth and honor under me!”
– Your Majesty, I devoted my body and soul to serve you and fulfill your dreams…….
“Yes! I killed you because you were such a loyal subject! I needed a pretext to invade the Rakan March!”
At Myers’ shout, Bajo narrowed his eyes and asked.
– Was that pretext more important than me?
“Of course! Whether you devoted your body and soul, or served me for a long time, you are just one of the many subjects under me! You die if I tell you to!”
With that, Myers grabbed Bajo by the collar and shouted.
“I am the nation! I am the absolute being who decides the lives of all people! If you were truly loyal, you shouldn’t be wailing like this, but rather be happy and proud to have become the foundation for my great ambition! Even if you fall into hell!”
– Do you really think so? Do you think the other nobles will agree with your thoughts?
“Hmph, what does it matter whether they agree or not? If necessary, I can use the same method anytime. After all, nobles and soldiers are just pawns in my game.”
– Hahahahahah!
Suddenly, Bajo burst into laughter.
He transformed from a blood-soaked figure to a clean one, shook off Myers’ hand that was grabbing his collar, and sneered.
– Indeed, Your Majesty, you are a person without blood or tears. I understand. I won’t bother you anymore. There’s no need to anymore.
“What? What do you mean……?”
– Hehehe. Take good care of the nobles, Your Majesty. If you don’t want to see the country fall apart.
Just as Myers, puzzled by Bajo’s last words, was about to ask again, he suddenly disappeared.
And in the blink of an eye, the surrounding scenery changed.
‘No, this is outside the tent, but why……?’
He had clearly fallen asleep in his tent, but he was outside in his pajamas.
Not only that, but Renold and many other nobles were lined up around him.
The problem was that their gazes were not normal.
They were filled with a mixture of bewilderment, disappointment, contempt, and anger.
In the case of Renold and Renard, they were quite cold and sharp.
If they could kill a person with their eyes, they would have torn Myers into a thousand pieces.
‘Could it be that they heard the conversation I had with Bajo in my dream just now?’
Myers remembered the time he had killed the royal guard who had been guarding his tent.
It seemed that he had fallen into Bajo’s(?) trap again this time.
“Your Majesty, did you really kill Count Bajo? Did you make him a sacrifice to build a pretext for war?”
Marquis Volant asked with a disbelieving face.
“W-well, that’s…….”
“And is it really your true intention that you can discard us like pawns on a chessboard whenever necessary?”
Myers hesitated and did not answer Marquis Volant’s question.
If he admitted it was true, he would obviously face strong opposition from the nobles.
But he couldn’t lie clumsily because of what he had already said.
‘Damn it, what should I do…….’
While he was hesitating and unable to answer, the nobles’ eyes grew even colder.
3
Bang! Pop pop pop!
Just as Myers and the nobles were confronting each other, a cannon fire suddenly rang out.
Flash bombs with light magic circles engraved on them lit up the sky, revealing the camp clearly.
“W-what is it?”
“Who fired the flash bombs?”
The bewildered nobles looked around.
Waaaaa!
The banners of the Rakan Territory army appeared densely, accompanied by loud shouts.
“It’s the enemy! The enemy has pursued us!”
“Oh no, why now…….”
They had thought they had barely shaken them off, but they had caught up before they even crossed the border.
“We must retreat immediately!”
“Who doesn’t know that? But there’s no way to escape!”
The Rakan Territory army was surrounding the Milton Kingdom army from all directions.
There was no other way but to break through, but it was impossible with the Milton Kingdom army’s strength, which consisted of thousands of stragglers and a few broken Gigantes.
It was then, when Myers and the nobles were at a loss, that it happened.
Thump thump thump!
A sleek silver Gigantes walked out of the enemy camp and shouted loudly through the communication device.
“I am Luke de Rakan, the lord of the Rakan March!”
“Ugh! It’s that Luke bastard?”
Myers, enraged by Luke’s shout, tried to rush forward.
His royal guards stepped in to stop him.
Whether Myers was going crazy or not, Luke continued to speak.
“Listen, you invaders of the Milton Kingdom army. You are all surrounded. There is nowhere to run, so surrender. If you surrender, I will spare your lives!”
Luke’s declaration caused a great stir in the Milton Kingdom camp.
They had already been badly defeated and were barely escaping with their lives, but they had been surrounded before they even crossed the border.
“Damn it, what do we do now?”
“His Majesty doesn’t seem like he’ll surrender…….”
“Do we have to fight? We have absolutely no chance of winning!”
The soldiers were greatly agitated.
They had experienced the ferocity of the Rakan Territory army firsthand while struggling in the Baterun village.
Moreover, their morale had plummeted after their defeat in the previous night raid.
“Don’t waver!”
“It’s a lie to divide our forces! If we surrender, they will kill us all or throw us to the monsters!”
Some knights and officers tried to rally the soldiers, but the effect was minimal.
“Surrender quickly! Marquis Luke is not one to break his promises!”
“You promised to send us home!” Miltan Kingdom prisoners, captured by the Rakan Territory army, came forward, urging their comrades to surrender. The sight of them unarmed and unbound shook not only the soldiers but also the officers and knights. Among the prisoners were even high-ranking nobles.
“Damn it, what are the higher-ups doing?” one soldier muttered.
“Should we just surrender on our own?” another questioned.
As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, a flustered King Myers began to berate the nobles who were standing idly by.
“What are you doing! Prepare for battle at once!” he roared.
“Your Majesty, prepare for battle?” a noble asked, incredulous.
“Are you asking because you don’t know? We must break through the encirclement and escape! Immediately have the Iron Fist Knights lead the charge!” Myers insisted.
“Hah, after the last battle, more than half of them were killed or injured. Do you think that’s even possible?” Leonard sneered at the king’s desperate prodding.
“And why fight? If we just surrender, it’ll end cleanly without bloodshed,” he added.
“What nonsense are you spouting! If we surrender, they’ll kill us all…” Myers sputtered.
“Your Majesty, didn’t Marquis Luke say he would spare us?” Count Lao interrupted, surprisingly. He continued with a cold gaze, “Of course, we’ll be prisoners, but I believe we can be released if we negotiate and make significant concessions.”
Unless Luke was absolutely determined to destroy the Miltan Kingdom, he would release the prisoners after receiving some compensation. Of course, it was uncertain whether King Myers would be among them, but the nobles had a high chance of being released.
When he, a leading pro-war figure, suggested surrender, the tide decisively turned towards surrender. At this, Myers was going out of his mind.
‘Are these guys trying to betray me?’ he thought, his mind racing.
There was a reason for the nobles’ sudden change in attitude. In the feudal system, the king and nobles were in a vassalage relationship [a system where nobles pledge loyalty to a king in exchange for land and protection]. The king had the duty to guarantee the nobles’ titles and territories, and the nobles had to pledge loyalty to the king. However, King Myers had broken that trust first. For his own ambition, he had sacrificed his subjects without their consent. And those were their lives, more precious than any title or territory. No noble felt like they should remain loyal to such a king, not even the pro-war faction.
“If you give me full authority, I will go to the enemy camp and negotiate…” Count Lao offered.
“Shut your mouth, you! What are the Royal Knights doing? Drag Count Lao out and behead him at once!” Myers roared.
“Yes, Your Majesty!” The Royal Knights drew their swords. They were also wavering, but as the king’s loyal retainers, they had a unique sense of duty. However, that loyalty was not enough to overcome the wall that was a Sword Master [a master swordsman]. When Renold and Leonard blocked their path, the Royal Knights froze in place as if they had been petrified. At that sight, Myers’s face turned crimson.
“You traitors… !” he screamed.
“Your Majesty, please calm down and make a wise decision,” Renold said calmly.
“Shut up! You are no longer the commander of the Iron Fist Knights! If you want to surrender, do it alone!” At the sudden dismissal, not only Renold but also the other nobles looked dumbfounded. Regardless, Myers, completely enraged, pointed his finger and hurled insults at the Gram brothers.
“I shouldn’t have reached out to you dirty mercenaries in the first place. You useless mongrels! Are you even Sword Masters? Did you only learn how to tuck your tails in front of the enemy?”
“Kuh! What did you say?” Leonard’s eyes were bloodshot. As a Lycanthrope hybrid [a person with the ability to transform into a wolf-like creature], there was no term he hated more than being called a mongrel.
“Hah, you seem to have some shame, don’t you? You’re just a mongrel, not even human…” Myers continued to taunt him.
“You bastard! I’ll kill you!” Enraged, Leonard pushed past the Royal Knights and charged at Myers. Or rather, he tried to. Renold, who had moved faster than his brother, swung his sword at the king. Thwack! The blade, flashing with impact aura, pierced through Myers’s mouth and out the back of his head.
“Unbelievable. To destroy a country built with your silver tongue with that same tongue,” Renold said, his voice devoid of emotion.
“Kek… Krrk… !” Myers gurgled, blood pouring from his mouth.
“Don’t hold any grudges. You’re the one who abandoned us,” Renold said, throwing Myers, who was twitching with a sword through him, to the ground.
“… !” Unlike his rebellious brother, Renold had always shown loyalty to Myers. The nobles were shocked to see him assassinate the king without hesitation. But for Renold, it was only natural. Myers had broken their contract first by dismissing him from the Iron Fist Knights, and once the contract was broken, there was no reason to remain loyal.
Renold asked the nobles, who were staring at the king’s bloodied corpse with wide eyes, “I think it’ll be much easier to make a decision now, wouldn’t you say?”
No one answered. Or rather, they couldn’t. If they opposed, they would be beheaded on the spot. And frankly, there were hardly any nobles who wanted to oppose.
“Then let’s end the bloodshed here,” Renold said, having secured a silent agreement, and made the final decision.
Luke, who had surrounded the Miltan Kingdom army, was leisurely observing the situation. He hadn’t set a specific time limit, but he judged that they wouldn’t last long. And as expected, it wasn’t long before a surrender envoy came from the Miltan Kingdom camp, waving a white flag. The representative of the surrender envoy was Renold Gram, whom he had fought before.
“We meet again,” Luke said.
“Yes, it has come to pass,” Renold replied with a bitter smile.
“But King Myers managed to make a decision. He must have had a great deal of pride, being the kind of person who could build a country,” Luke commented.
“His Majesty has taken his own life,” Renold stated.
“He took his own life?” Luke asked, surprised.
“Yes, unfortunately…” Renold confirmed.
Surprised by the unexpected news, Luke looked at the faces of the nobles who had come as surrender envoys. Looking at their complex expressions, he had a feeling that Myers hadn’t taken his own life. ‘Well, it’s none of my business,’ he thought. He had expected internal strife and had entrusted the matter to the incubus Sebastian. Whether Myers had committed suicide or been murdered, as long as the result was good, it was fine.
“From this moment on, the Miltan Kingdom army unconditionally surrenders to the Rakan Territory army. And…” Renold began.
“What is this?” Luke asked when Count Lao presented a wooden box with gold trim. Luke carefully opened the lid. He had checked with magic in case there was any malicious intent, but no dangerous substances like poison or gunpowder, nor any magic circles, were detected. Instead, inside the box was something that made his eyes widen. It was a crown with an antique yet ornate design, and the jewel embedded in the center of the forehead was emitting light on its own.
“Isn’t this a crown?” Luke asked.
“It is a treasure passed down since the days of the old Miltan Duchy,” Count Lao explained. If it was a treasure passed down since the days of the Miltan Duchy, it would have almost the same value as an imperial seal.
“Why are you giving this to me? Could it be that the reason for giving this is…?” Luke began to question.
The moment Luke raised the question, the nobles of the Miltan Kingdom knelt before him. “Please become the new king of the Miltan Kingdom. And please, take us under your wing!” they pleaded.
“Please take us under your wing!” the others echoed.
At their request, Luke’s retainers, including Rogers, wore dumbfounded expressions. Even if they were surrendering, there was no need to offer the country itself. However, Luke roughly understood the situation. But, hiding his true feelings, he asked them about their intentions.
“Why are you entrusting the crown to me? Doesn’t Myers have children?” he inquired.
“Of course, he does, but the late king’s children are not skilled enough to handle the current troubles within the country and the threat of the Baroque Empire,” Count Lao explained.
That was true. Luke had investigated the Miltan royal family through Argos’s informants in advance, but he hadn’t found anyone who was particularly threatening or noteworthy. ‘But that’s not the reason, is it? It’s because you don’t want to bear the responsibility for the defeat and the political blunder of the king’s death,’ Luke thought inwardly. In fact, if the nobles were to become prisoners and then be released, it was obvious that Myers’s sons would be furious, blaming them for the defeat and the king’s death. However, there was another reason why the Miltan Kingdom nobles wanted him to be king. ‘If we entrust the throne to Myers’s greedy bloodline, there’s a high chance we’ll lose our territories entirely.’ ‘It’s better for Marquis Luke to become king. He has a good lineage, is virtuous enough to release prisoners and encourage surrender, and is a powerful warrior…’ In this way, the Miltan Kingdom nobles had also made their decision after considering various factors.
Luke spoke to them, “Alright. Let’s say I accept. But can you here really represent the Miltan Kingdom? Surely there will be those who oppose it?”
Then Count Lao quickly replied, “We will persuade them. After all, the nobles of the Miltan Kingdom have no other choice.”
The southern noble faction, which had helped Myers establish the Miltan Kingdom, was in the bad graces of Emperor Rudolf. They couldn’t go back now, and even if they were accepted, the stigma of treason and betrayal would continue to follow them. Of course, there were options to defect or surrender to another country, but it was not easy to abandon all their foundations and start anew in a foreign land. Luke also agreed that they had no other choice. However, he did not completely trust the Miltan Kingdom nobles. ‘They’re desperate. They’re hell-bent on protecting their vested interests,’ he thought. This was not an unfamiliar sight. He had witnessed it in the past when he had defeated Count Monarch. At that time, the count’s retainers and lords had desperately tried to curry favor with Luke and his close aides, pledging their loyalty in order to avoid losing their lands and titles. It had taken time to tame them and make them loyal subjects, but it was not impossible.
‘Well, it’s sudden, but it’s a good opportunity. If I can absorb the Miltan Kingdom as it is, my power will become even stronger.’ That power would be helpful in the fight against Emperor Rudolf and Arsen, who was likely lurking somewhere. Of course, there was the task of stabilizing the Miltan Kingdom, but for Luke, who was actually the main cause of the chaos, it was not a difficult problem. Just stopping the monsters’ activities would secure public order.
“Please accept, Your Excellency. We know well the grudge that the Marquis holds against the Baroque Imperial Family,” Count Lao said.
“That’s right. From now on, we will be the swords and spears that fight against the Baroque Empire!” another noble added.
As the nobles of the Miltan Kingdom repeatedly asked for submission, Luke’s retainers, who had been watching with dumbfounded expressions, chimed in. “Lord, accept them,” Rogers urged.
“I think it’s time to abandon the title given by the Baroque Imperial Family!” another retainer said.
“That’s right. Complete independence this time!” another agreed.
Even with his retainers joining in, Luke did not open his mouth easily. He had already made his decision. But making them anxious was the way to make their hearts more earnest. Of course, it was not good to delay too much. Luke, who had been pretending to be deep in thought, revealed his intentions at just the right moment.
“I understand. I will accept your wishes,” he said.
“Thank you, Your Excellency. No, Your Majesty!” the nobles exclaimed.
“We will serve you with all our hearts!” they pledged.
The Miltan nobles, who had been prostrating, bowed their heads and pledged their loyalty. The war with the Miltan Kingdom ended like this, and Luke acquired the crown, a tremendous prize of war. This was a new beginning for him, and a signal of a turning point.