Chapter 84

The Pirate King, leading a vast crowd, moved forward.

Right beside him, General Rafael asked in a cautious voice, “So… what will you do now?”

“What’s with the sudden formality? Speak casually.”

“N…no, it’s just… umm… understood. Then let’s proceed that way.”

Feeling slightly embarrassed, General Rafael corrected his tone. Honestly, recalling the overwhelming presence just moments before—the scene befitting the title of ‘King’—made him feel like he should maintain some decorum.

“Anyway, what’s the plan now? Are you really thinking of storming the Assembly Hall like this?”

“No, that would defeat the purpose of gathering such a large crowd. Rushing into a heavily fortified location with unarmed citizens would only create chaos.”

“Then what are you thinking?”

“First, we need to feed these people and arm them. And for that, the best option is to hit that place first.”

“! You don’t mean…”

General Rafael easily connected the dots at the Pirate King’s words. The place that stored the most weapons and food here in Pare, basically a military supplies warehouse—a massive fortress right in the town center that also served as a prison.

“Bastion Prison…?”

“Exactly. After securing supplies from there, we can pressure them directly. There’s a clear limit to the military force guarding the Assembly Hall, so subduing them shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“I get it now. Impressive… you’re already grasping the internal situation of Pare so thoroughly.”

“Well, this much is basic.”

As he admired this man’s boundless capabilities once more, General Rafael felt a strange sense of rivalry bubbling within him, being one of the very architects of this revolution. In any case, he decided to take a step ahead.

“I’ll guide you. After all, I know the way better, so just follow me.”

“Sounds good.”

The Pirate King accepted this without any resistance. Thus, under General Rafael’s lead, the Pirate King and thousands of citizens headed toward Bastion Prison.

*

“Haha, is that so? So those guys stuck in the tennis court have finally cleared out, huh?”

Duke Ocleang chuckled with delight.

“Yes, that seems to be the case, but… something feels off…”

“What’s there to feel off about? If they’ve retreated, that’s a good thing. Oh, and now that this has happened, we can get rid of the soldiers blocking the entrance; there’s no need to keep them around.”

“N… No?”

“Ah… please, Duke! Just hold off on that!”

Duke Ocleang issued his orders nonchalantly, but his subordinate nobles expressed their dismay and began to object.

“Duke! At least keep the soldiers on standby until the meeting concludes!”

“We can’t relax until we’ve completely eliminated that crafty Rafael. There’s always a chance, so please leave the soldiers in place until the conclusion of the Three Estates Meeting and the approval of the King’s dismissal.”

“…Hmph. If that’s how it is, go ahead. Just keep that bothersome lot out of my sight. They’re not a serious threat anyway. I don’t want to see them lurking around.”

“Y… yes, Duke.”

“Th… thank you… Duke.”

The nobles sighed in relief, having barely avoided the worst-case scenario. However, the lingering unease sparked more questions in their minds. If not here, where were all those people headed? And… what were General Rafael and his subordinates planning?

Meanwhile, leaving those deep in thought behind, Duke Ocleang made his way directly to where King Louis and Queen Louis were.

“Your Majesty. You can rest easy now. The filthy group plotting rebellion has fled, scared off by your loyal forces.”

“Is that so?… What a relief. Then where is General Rafael now?”

“It’s certain he has fled to somewhere, but… his exact whereabouts have yet to be confirmed. However, rest assured. With your signature, there’s nothing to worry about, no matter where he is.”

With that, Duke Ocleang handed over prepared documents, which contained a request for General Rafael’s dismissal. The King, receiving this, began to contemplate.

“But… do we really have to go this far? Honestly, I still can’t believe that Rafael would betray us…”

“I can’t really believe it either. But Your Majesty, didn’t we hear testimonies about him plotting treason? And just moments ago, they were gathering rioters to attack here. If it weren’t for Your loyal army, this place would probably be under their control by now.”

“Hmm…”

King Louis struggled to reach a decision despite Duke Ocleang’s words. After all, General Rafael had been loyal to the royal family since the time of the previous monarch. It was hard to easily accept that such a trusted figure might plot treason, even if it came from his cousin, the Duke.

However…

“Your Majesty. Time is running out. If we let him go, we don’t know what might happen.”

“Hmm…”

Duke Ocleang’s repeated pleas only intensified King Louis’ internal conflict. Seeing her in such turmoil, the Duke felt a sense of urgency and spoke in a hasty tone.

“Your Majesty. You don’t need to deliberate so much. Let’s start by dismissing him to strip him of military authority… Disarm him completely, and then we can investigate. If no charges are found afterward, we can just reinstate him then.”

“Th… that’s… true, I guess… that could be a way…”

“Exactly, Your Majesty. I’m only saying this for the safety of this country and Your Majesty. Surely, I wouldn’t frame General Rafael for a crime he didn’t commit, would I? I can assure you as your courtier that such a thing would never happen.”

“…Haah…”

Duke Ocleang’s words flowed out smoothly as though coated in honey. While everything else might be in chaos, he possessed a natural talent for calming people down. Ultimately…

“…I see. Then… let’s proceed with an investigation…”

“Your mercy is boundless, Your Majesty.”

The Duke managed to sway King Louis. With a deep bow, Duke Ocleang wore a thick smile on his face.

‘Hehe. Good. This is it. With the King’s approval, Rafael, that unlucky fellow is finished! Now all I need to do is capture him on imperial orders and torture him until he confesses…’

Confident that he had achieved a complete victory, Duke Ocleang began contemplating who should fill the vacant position of General.

With this, he would effectively eliminate any threats to his authority. The age of Ocleang would soon begin, and he felt excited as he thought of suitable candidates.

‘Should I choose Roy? No… that dullard should be sent to Bastion as the captain instead, and I might as well take Gilbert who’s currently there…’

*

“What on earth is that?”

Captain Gilbert of Bastion Prison felt a deep unease as he stared at the thousands of people approaching.

It didn’t look like a simple protest; it seemed more like a riot had broken out.

With urgency, he began issuing orders to his soldiers.

“All units, take combat positions! Bring over the ammunition and load the cannons!”

Just then…

“! Captain, look over there!”

“Eh? No way… is that…?”

As they got closer, one familiar face became clearer.

Recognizing him, Captain Gilbert began to hear that familiar voice in his ear.

“Captain Gilbert! I am General Rafael of the Kingdom of Frantz! As the general of this country, I command you to open the gates immediately!”

“General Rafael? No, why is that traitor here?!”

Captain Gilbert, who had heard about today’s Three Estates Meeting from Duke Ocleang, was already aware that General Rafael was to be dismissed soon.

Knowing this, he had no reason to comply with the man’s orders.

“That’s impossible! It appears that you’re attempting to incite a rebellion with this ragtag bunch, but go ahead, do your worst! Today, this will be your grave!”

With that, Captain Gilbert unsheathed his sword with determination.

Though the thousands of citizens behind Rafael were intimidating, he reminded himself they were merely a bunch of untrained civilians after all.

They posed no real threat without proper weapons.

The greatest danger lay with General Rafael in the lead with his elite subordinates. Their combat ability was no joke, and defeating them would undoubtedly scatter the remaining citizens.

With the cannons pointed at Rafael’s group, Captain Gilbert promptly issued an order.

“Fire!!”

– BOOM!!!