Chapter 118

“Sa… save me! Please! Please save…!!”

– Bang!!!

“You… you scoundrels! How could you…!!”

– Bang!!

The cries, anger, and fear…

The nobles met their end at the guillotine in a surprisingly colorful spectacle.

Those who usually strutted about in their splendid clothes and held their heads high now faced a fate both absurd and tragic.

As the citizens watched, they displayed a variety of reactions.

Some cheered loudly,

while others turned their eyes away from the gruesome scene.

And yet, some simply revealed their bitterness out of sheer pity.

However…

Despite all these diverse emotions, one fact was crystal clear to the countless citizens present.

Noble bodies…

bore red blood just like everyone else’s…

Not the blue blood they’d heard about…

but the same red blood flowing through their own veins.

Still, when the queen had once stood at the guillotine, many had felt a sense of awe at her composed demeanor even in the face of death.

The presence of the queen in this nation was something different from themselves,

an extraordinary being that commanded reverence.

But before the dying nobles, that kind of demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

And through this, they realized.

Unlike the king, these nobles were,

just like them, afraid of death, crying out and screaming…

They too were merely ordinary humans who meet death when their necks fall.

Feeling a profound shock at this truth,

experiencing a sensation as if the logic of social status they had held throughout their lives was crumbling,

the citizens gazed upon the ever-increasing corpses of the nobles.

Once they ruled this country, now reduced to mere heaps of meat…

*

“Ah… ah…”

Watching the scene before her,

as the heads of those who once bowed before her fell in real-time,

she…

the monarch of the Kingdom of Frantz,

Queen Louis felt deep shock and fear etched onto her face.

“How… how could this…”

Having almost faced execution herself, she had pondered the possibility of something similar happening.

However, seeing so many people executed without trial in broad daylight, she couldn’t help but shiver at this icy reality and their brutality.

At that moment,

a voice began to reach the trembling ears of Queen Louis.

“Don’t just stand there dazed, hurry up and go; getting involved with us would just be a nuisance.”

“! O-Okay…”

A person urging her with no trace of agitation in their voice in such a situation.

Cheshire, a woman clad in black holding a large axe,

with the news of ‘join the main squad’ from the Pirate King,

Queen Louis, turning her back on the ongoing executions, moved to exit Pare.

Though it was shocking and heart-wrenching, she too understood the reality.

She had no power to stop it now…

That reaching out would only risk her own life.

“But… what if it were that person instead of me…? What would the Pirate King have done… perhaps even this situation…?”

Once again, feeling the difference between herself and that person…

and the profound longing and frustration towards her own powerlessness stemming from that difference.

Carrying such feelings in her heart, Queen Louis once again wished that the Pirate King were here as she made her way out.

*

“What? The pirates?”

“Yes, their hideout was completely empty, and there was a letter left behind about moving for battle.”

The report from Maraang indicated that the pirates left behind in Pare had vanished…

In other words, they all moved to the battlefield where the Pirate King was.

At this, Robes Fiora asked with a voice filled with bewilderment.

“Then… what about the queen? What happened to Queen Louis?”

“Queen Louis was also nowhere to be seen.”

“Perhaps… she too has left. Ultimately, her safety was entrusted to the Pirate King.”

“Dammit… we are one step too late…”

Clenching her teeth at the words of Charlotte and Maraang, Robes Fiora couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

At first glance, it seemed similar to the escape attempt with Duke Ocleang, but the nature of the situation was entirely different.

The Pirate King, who, under his contract with General Rafael, had been granted the freedom of movement,

No one in the Kingdom of Frantz could object to him moving his subordinates for strategic reasons.

Moreover, formally speaking, Queen Louis was under his command, and accompanying her during troop movement posed no formal issues.

And this fact caused Robes Fiora to feel intense annoyance,

as she intended to execute Queen Louis after capturing her while slaughtering nobles.

‘The Pirate King… that scoundrel is messing things up again…’

Furious and gritting her teeth, Robes Fiora.

However, in this situation, there was nothing she could do.

She already knew better than anyone.

Touching the Grade 12 Grand Warrior like the Pirate King and his powerful subordinates in such unfavorable circumstances was tantamount to signing a death warrant.

Of course, she could send a message requesting the queen’s return at this point, but the Pirate King would never comply,

and above all, Napoleon was there, holding the only authority that could stop Robes Fiora.

Even if they responded with,

“Yes, but we’re in the middle of a war and it’s chaotic, so I’ll hand her over to Napoleon over there,”

it would leave her utterly speechless.

So… once again…

feeling painfully aware that she could do absolutely nothing against the Pirate King with her power,

Robes Fiora could only chew over her frustration and powerlessness, resigning to abandon this matter.

“…For now, we’ll wrap things up here.”

“Yes, Lady Fiora.”

“Understood.”

Facing her words, Charlotte showed a slight expression of relief, while Maraang bore a somewhat disappointed look.

Watching them, Robes Fiora said in a serious voice.

“Now that we’ve dealt with the immediate threats, let’s focus on recruitment and maintaining order. We must defeat the invaders by any means when the Holy Empire Army arrives.”

“Understood, Lady Fiora.”

With her commands acknowledged, the two left the room.

Now that she had roughly sorted out the inside matters, Robes Fiora’s gaze turned to the map in front of her.

There, she could see…

the Holy Empire Army rapidly approaching Pare.

And…

the forces of the Pirate King and Napoleona, who were set to clash with them soon.

With her main army annihilated, these remained the only regular troops left in the Kingdom of Frantz.

If they couldn’t weaken the enemy’s power significantly, Robes Fiora wouldn’t have any options left.

Thus, while politically, they appeared to be in conflict,

Robes Fiora could only hope that somehow, they would achieve victory.

*

“Is this all there is?”

“Yes… I’m sorry, Admiral Napoleona.”

“No, it’s quite a remarkable achievement that you’ve accomplished this much. You’ve worked hard; take a moment to rest.”

“Yes, Admiral.”

With fatigued expressions, her subordinate Janglan moved forward.

Behind him were the 6,000 troops of the Kingdom of Frantz he had managed to gather over the past few days.

Barely managing to rally the scattered remnants from the last battle.

Thanks to that, the allied forces that were just over 20,000 approached nearly 30,000, but even so, the situation hardly changed.

The enemy still had at least 60,000 troops left.

More than twice the number of their own, and among them was Chancellor Senel, the Grade 12 monster.

Additionally, there was one more concern…

The presence of ‘that’ which led to General Rafael’s overwhelming defeat in the last war.

Napoleona could hardly come up with a simple solution to bridge this gap, yet…

Still, she believed they still had a sufficient chance of victory.

“With this, we have gathered as many troops as possible.”

“Good. Then let’s commence the operation now. Prepare thoroughly.”

“Understood, Pirate King.”

His unfaltering words as always.

In response, Napoleona, harboring firm belief, promptly moved into action.

*

“What? The enemy has appeared?”

“Yes, according to the scouts’ report, they are camped on the hill east from here.”

Commander Wallenstein, hearing these reports from his subordinate.

Despite being in high spirits from their prior decisive victory,

he couldn’t help but show a slight frown at the subsequent report from his subordinate.

“The enemy commander… could it be that Napoleona?”

“Yes, it was stated as such on their flag.”

“Napoleona… the very one who ruined our first scheme.”

“Sir, please send a captain.”

“No, send a captain. I shall take vengeance for General Murriol.”

With General Rafael defeated, this was the most dangerous presence remaining in the Kingdom of Frantz.

Considering this, Commander Wallenstein began to carefully contemplate.

Whether to take a slight risk, hoard this delectable prey that had appeared before him,

or to seek safety.

And… the conclusion he arrived at regarding this matter was…

“Bring Chancellor Senel…”