Chapter 71: Rolling Cart

It’s a bit unsettling, but either way, Rememver is an undeniably excellent butler.

I gathered the luggage that the butler had discreetly and quickly prepared, threw on a travel robe, and descended the mansion stairs.

Arriving on the first floor, Rememver, who was waiting at the entrance holding the horse’s reins, handed me a bow and arrows with rubber tips instead of arrowheads, along with the reins. I accepted them silently.

Why a bow and arrows all of a sudden? Because we’re about to cause a bit of chaos.

Just as I mounted the horse, as expected,

“Count!”

“You’re leaving? You’re abandoning us?!”

“To leave without even saying goodbye, how could you?!”

“No, more importantly, His Majesty said he’s taking us back! Couldn’t you at least stop that?!”

From afar, a group of guys wearing white knight uniforms came rushing over.

……Let’s run.

They’re like mad dogs. I really don’t want to get bitten by mad dogs.

I quickly kicked the horse’s belly. Thanks to the main gate already being open, escaping wasn’t too difficult. Thanks, Rememver!

But they’re not the kind to give up here.

Just as I was smoothly leaving the city and galloping across the open field, sure enough, I began to hear the sound of multiple horses’ hooves behind me.

“Couuuunt!”

“Stop right there!”

“If you stop peacefully now, there won’t be any bloodshed!”

“Catch him!!”

“Damn it, get lost, you lunatics!!”

A cloud of dust billowed behind me. At the sight resembling a cumulus cloud, I screamed inwardly.

Those crazy bastards! Where’s Lien? Your lord is in danger right now!

“You lot! Won’t you stop right now?!”

“……Ah.”

So she was there. They just weren’t listening.

Confirming the terrifyingly fast horse chasing from a short distance behind the group of horses rushing towards me, I reached behind me with a look of dread.

I felt the quiver of arrows I had packed a little while ago. I took out an arrow from it.

I nocked the arrow on the bowstring and, without slowing down, twisted my upper body to aim at the head of the horse running in the lead.

Since it has a rubber ball instead of an arrowhead, there shouldn’t be any major problems. The guy on top might fall off the horse, but considering how monstrous they were, it doesn’t seem that dangerous.

He’ll either avoid the danger himself, or the others will take care of him.

“Count!! I hate the former Emperor, no, the Imperial Palace! His Majesty too, and the General too, they’re scary, eek!”

Who is that guy trying to take down with him!

‘Oops, my bad!’

I aimed for the horse’s head, but hit the guy’s forehead!

His head snapped back as if repelled, narrowly avoiding the charge of insulting the Imperial Family. The hand gripping the reins loosened for a moment, and his body slid to the side.

It was a perilous situation where he could have been trampled by the hooves of the horse coming right behind him, but there was a hand that scooped him up before he hit the ground.

“Whoa! Got him!”

“Oh, nice!”

“Haha…….”

“Ha…….”

“……Aren’t you going to get off? You’re disgusting.”

“Do you think I like being on your lap?! Get off! I’ll grab the reins!”

While one side was having a lovely (question mark) romantic moment, the other side was in chaos.

The path of the riderless horse became tangled with the other horses.

It cut in front of a perfectly fine horse running straight, and then collided with another horse and fell over, so it was only natural that the other horses following behind would fall over too.

“Ugyaaaaah!!”

“Phew! Dodged it!”

“Did you see that? My landing skills?”

On the ground, the guys who had managed to land safely were boasting while dodging the guys who were falling on top of them,

“Idiots, I’m going ahead!”

“Hyah!”

The other guys holding the reins jumped over those guys and continued to chase after me.

If they were the guys I knew, the moment one person fell, they wouldn’t have even thought of another way and would have all fallen together, but they can even handle this…?!

Of course, it’s only some of them, but still. What exactly are they teaching in the Imperial Palace?

It’s a good thing Rememver packed plenty of arrows.

Sending praise to the butler’s excellent preparedness, I drew the bow again.

***

Deon Hart secretly left the Count’s estate under the Emperor’s orders.

Duke Starbe Illuster, who received this news from an informant while in conversation, glanced at his companion.

He deliberately received the information in front of him. If his prediction was correct, he should be reacting by now…….

“Deon Hart, you say? This is an opportunity to find out where he’s going.”

Exactly.

“Yes, we should send someone to follow him.”

“We cannot trouble Your Excellency. We have been in your debt for a long time, so this time, we will send someone from our side.”

The Duke’s eyes curved at the intended reaction. Sinister purple eyes hid behind his eyelids.

“In debt? I don’t recall doing anything that warrants such a statement.”

“Since you say so, there’s nothing more to be said. By the way… I’ve been wondering since a little while ago, but how did you get that wound on your neck? May I ask?”

“Ah.”

He reflexively touched the bandaged neck.

“It’s nothing much. Just a child who’s a bit too feisty.”

“You have a nephew?”

“Well, about the story we were just discussing.”

There was no reason to continue with a meaningless topic. The Duke blatantly changed the subject.

The other party also wasn’t particularly interested, so he willingly followed the changed topic.

“Ah, you were talking about the Emperor declaring the conquest of the continent? It’s not that I doubt Your Excellency, but I still have to ask for the reason.”

“…….”

“Why are you telling us not to move?”

The man sitting across from the Duke adjusted his posture as if to listen intently if he explained the reason.

Perhaps it was because he was the leader of the Revolutionary Army, but a unique, weighty atmosphere of one who leads people filled the room.

The same atmosphere that he had often seen from the Emperor.

The Duke, whose eyes narrowed at the very atmosphere he could never possess no matter how hard he tried, soon smiled and opened his mouth with a soft voice.

As if to reclaim the lost initiative, the Duke’s unique atmosphere gradually began to permeate the entire room.

“The Revolutionary Army must not make any serious moves until the Emperor has taken half of the continent.”

“So, why on earth…!”

“When the war is ripe. When the Emperor can no longer stop the war as he pleases, that’s the right time.”

The one in the position of the leader of the Revolutionary Army couldn’t be stupid. The man, Daniel, closed his mouth.

By the time the Empire has taken half of the continent, the other kingdoms will already be moving. Even if they are late to the judgment and remain still, they will start to move when the situation reaches that point.

Because they would feel threatened. There’s no way they’d just let this situation slide. It means that even if the Emperor is satisfied and wants to withdraw, he won’t be able to easily.

To replenish the lost forces from the previous wars, the Emperor will pull most of the forces from all over the Empire, including the Imperial Palace, except for the minimum forces to protect those places.

When that happens, even if the Revolutionary Army rampages within the Empire, they won’t be easily suppressed. Because there will be a shortage of personnel to stop them.

“……As expected of the Duke. Forgive my rudeness.”

Daniel, having understood, stepped back, and Starbe moved immediately.

By now, a member of the Revolutionary Army would be following Deon Hart. It would be good if things ended well like this, but there’s no way the Emperor is that easy to deal with.

[You said he departed just now. As expected, flies will cling to him. Take care of them and return. You must return after dealing with only the flies, without chasing after Honorary Count Hart.]

It wasn’t for nothing that he had induced the Revolutionary Army to move. The Revolutionary Army member following Deon Hart will soon die.

He felt sorry for the Revolutionary Army member who would die soon, but there wasn’t a grand reason for doing this meaningless act.

What he was aiming for was none other than messing with the Emperor himself.

‘He’ll be quite frustrated if the person he sent for cleanup doesn’t return.’

Whether he’s dead or alive. If he’s alive, it means he betrayed him, but even if he’s dead, did he finish the job before dying, or did he die before that, and so on.

Thinking of the Emperor who would be quite frustrated, the Duke smiled and gave an order to Cruel.

[If you follow the trail of the Revolutionary Army, you will find someone who is watching Deon Hart’s back on the Emperor’s orders. Kill that person. And if you have the opportunity to chase Deon Hart, find out where he is going and report back.]

Thwack!

Since he was currently killing Revolutionary Army members, finding the ‘man watching his back’ wasn’t difficult. Cruel, having killed the masked man as ordered by the Duke, lifted his head.

Because of that, the blood that had splashed on his cheek rolled down his jawline and dropped to the floor with a thud, but his gaze remained fixed on one place.

In the distance, Deon could be seen sending his horse back and walking into the forest.

Could it be to avoid leaving traces?

Cruel stared at his retreating figure for a while before stepping into the forest just before Deon disappeared between the trees.

Keeping a distance just enough to keep Deon in sight, Cruel also disappeared between the trees of the forest.

How much time has passed since then?

‘…….’

Cruel came out of the forest.

His attitude and expression were the same as usual. His green eyes, which were impossible to read, stared blankly at the forest he had just emerged from.

Only for a moment, Cruel turned his body. He found the horse he had tethered a short distance away, mounted it, and rode towards the place he needed to return to.

Perhaps because autumn had arrived, the sharpened wind fiercely lashed at him.

…….

“You’re back. Was the task handled well?”

“Yes.”

“Then, did you find out where Deon Hart went?”

“…….”

“…….”

“……By the time I finished the task, Deon Hart had already left. I apologize.”

***

“He left.”

“Yeah.”

“He’s gone.”

“Leaving us behind.”

“I even have a bruise on my forehead!”

“Seems like you have energy to spare, since you’re talking so much. Add ten laps around the training grounds.”

“Ah, Captain!!”

“We’re going to die!”

“Quiet! I’ll add ten laps every time you keep talking, so shut up and run!”

Lien, who had silenced the knight order members with a fierce scolding, sighed and looked up at the gloomy sky.

The dark sky, as if it would rain at any moment, felt like a representation of her own heart, making her feel even more depressed.

Lien sighed deeply once more and lowered her head. Her clear eyes, as if she had never felt down, shone resolutely with determination.

The reason her lord left without a word of farewell was because I was unreliable.

Therefore…….

‘I will become a more trustworthy knight by the time we meet again.’

The firm pledge of a knight, which no one could hear, scattered silently into the air.

***

The Salvation Church had fallen. There was no salvation.

Sia sat down blankly in front of the vacant lot where the Salvation Church used to be, now nothing but remnants. Her eyes were clouded, as if drawing the Salvation Church as it was in its prime.

Drip. Drip-drip.

Cold raindrops tapped against her body. The rain that had been falling in single drops soon turned into a downpour as if to snap her out of it, striking her whole body violently.

Even in the deluge of rain, Sia couldn’t easily come to her senses. The Salvation Church was supposed to be her first and last sanctuary.

A world that consistently provided warm bread and clean water, where she didn’t have to be wary of those around her, actually existed.

It felt like she had a brief, warm dream. If only it had been a dream, if it had been, it would have been better. The remnants before her eyes told her that it wasn’t a dream, making Sia even more desperate.

Now, she couldn’t even dream.

She didn’t want to do anything.

She just wanted to die like this.

Into the vision of a child who had let go of everything, someone’s legs stopped.

“Sia.”

“…….”

“How long are you going to stay like this?”

“…….”

“……Please, Sia.”

Just give me an answer.

A voice that sounded like it was being squeezed out flowed out pleadingly.

Seeing Sia still silent, Paul gripped and released the collar of his clothes near his thigh with a dark expression.

Overwhelming regret washed over him. He shouldn’t have introduced her to the Salvation Church back then.

Maybe it would have been best to just live as they always had, as it was. Such meaningless assumptions circled in his head countless times.

‘……No, no.’

Those Killer Knights bastards, no, Deon Hart, no, the Emperor…!

Yes, if it weren’t for the Emperor. If he hadn’t meddled unnecessarily, this situation wouldn’t have happened.

In the end, the Emperor is the problem.

The high-ranking officials who don’t know anything about the slums and meddle clumsily are the problem.

Anger flickered in Paul’s eyes. The emotion of anger intensified and turned into fierce hatred, and it soon hardened coldly with a sense of mission.

“I joined the Revolutionary Army.”