Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 22 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Moment Suspicion Buds

Dawn arrived early in Pireas as of late.

Although this didn’t apply to the sunrise every day, people woke up and began working promptly in the capital. It had been a week since the Mikoshiba barony’s battle over Pireas began. The attacks occurred day and night, and the Rhoadserian army’s garrison had put up a good fight.

That wasn’t to say fortune had come without a price, as those who lived in this castle paid the price.

Before dawn, guards operated their stations in all the key positions in the castle. All of these activities happened after 2 a.m. when most animals and people were sleeping.

Unlike modern society with its switch-activated light bulb, illuminating the night was not easy in this world. Some lamps used fish or vegetable oil or tools made with endowed thaumaturgy, though they were costly methods.

While the castle was on high alert and prepared for emergencies, people could not easily stay up all night for these situations. In this world, they woke up at dawn and returned home to sleep at sunset.

Despite that, the castle was alive with activity at this late hour since more soldiers performed guard duty at night than usual. One maid watched the soldiers moving about as she pushed a cart through the corridors. Based on the direction she came from, she was returning from delivering a night meal.

Did the head maid order it? I don’t know who asked her to do this, but poor thing. Having to work at this time of night... thought a soldier on patrol as he passed the maid.

All the maids would be asleep in bed at this time of night unless there existed an emergency. Or at least, that was the routine before the Mikoshiba barony attacked the capital.

But just a week ago, the situation had changed.

How long can we keep living like this?

Boredom and a sense of wasted effort that bordered on resignation gripped the soldier’s heart. No one knew how long the city wall would last, and only a few people working in the castle maintained their morale. Many of the soldiers who participated in the northern subjugation still felt rattled by the horror of facing the Mikoshiba barony soldiers in battle. Other troops gathered by the local nobles to defend the capital lamented they were in a losing war.

It was hard putting their discontent into words. They had to perform their duties all day to defend the capital with no break times. Depending on the circumstances, they sometimes had trouble making time for meals or to relax.

The soldiers were unfamiliar with this concept, but the workload they dealt with was even worse than modern sweatshops.

I realize this is an emergency, and I love this country as much as anyone, but... Didn’t this war start because Queen Lupis and some power-hungry nobles viewed the hero of the last civil war, Baron Mikoshiba, as dangerous?

This doubt crossed the soldier’s mind now and then. Receiving the Wortenia Peninsula as his “reward” for his distinguished service was nothing short of harassment. During the O’ltormean invasion of Xarooda, he joined the expedition despite being busy developing his domain.

After all, he was a hero who had participated in every recent Rhoadserian war. Queen Lupis had some blame over this war for trying to expel this man.

If I were treated like that...

Perhaps he wouldn’t outright rebel against the country, but he would be enraged; this soldier knew how tyrannical Rhoadserian nobles could become. He wasn’t pleased with putting his life on the line for people like them, even if it was in the name of his homeland.

Do we really have to sacrifice this much to defend the country?

The seventh day of fighting had ended, and he couldn’t tell if it was a very short or long week. Either way, these were seven suffocating, endless days. The ration sizes for food and water were unsatisfactory. Even when he was allowed to rest, lying in bed while listening to the voices echoing from outside the castle made it difficult to fall asleep.

No. Compared to the others, I’m lucky to have my own room.

The soldiers from the surrounding domains didn’t have barracks prepared for them. They had to stay in campsites in large areas like the parade ground, where they slept on the cold earth with only a blanket to keep them warm. Castle guards were luckier as they had proper lodging, even if they couldn’t get sufficient sleep.

Having to fight in such conditions meant they would inevitably start doubting the validity of this war. But speaking or even nonverbally expressing such doubts was dangerous.

Saying the wrong thing could get you executed on the spot for treason.

Several soldiers had faced execution for being uncooperative during their missions or arguing about their orders. Their deaths set an example, and that intimidation tactic was effective.

When you consider how much they care for the country...

A man and a woman serving Queen Lupis crossed the soldier’s mind. One of them was Meltina Lecter, who returned Queen Lupis to the capital after her defeat in the northern subjugation. The other was Mikhail Vanash, the one handling the capital’s defenses.

I’ve heard many rumors about them. Even so, one cannot doubt their loyalty.

Many soldiers, even their fellow knights, mocked Mikhail and Meltina by calling them fools. While they were first-class warriors, they weren’t politicians, nor did they have aptitude as commanders. They were pure warriors, and were in their element when holding a weapon and fighting an enemy.

During the previous war, Mikhail’s foolhardy nature made him a prisoner of war when he walked right into a trap trying to capture the traitorous Kael Irunia.

This is all in the past, of course.

Both Meltina and Mikhail had learned from their mistakes to become more capable commanders. As proof, the capital mounted a quick defense after the defeat in the northern subjugation, thanks to Mikhail’s efforts. Those who knew Meltina’s prior narrow-minded personality years ago would be impressed to see her take the reins, cooperate with Mikhail, and help Queen Lupis, who had shut herself off in her room.

But everyone’s still extremely critical of those two.

Human nature forced people to forget others’ achievements and recall all their failures. Because of that, those around Mikhail and Meltina doubted the validity of their leadership. People may have been cooperative on the surface but never devoted everything they had to being successful.

Under such conditions, even the most carefully planned strategy could not meet expectations, making it seem less trustworthy. It was a vicious cycle.

And that’s why...

Even with many soldiers stationed in the capital, the knights and nobles who commanded them didn’t use them proactively. It created a situation where the soldiers felt isolated and hopeless.

“If Lady Helena could at least help them just a bit, the situation would surely change... But that’s not possible...” The words spilled from the soldier’s lips.

Helena Steiner, Rhoadseria’s fabled Ivory Goddess of War who had braved many battlefields, was considered the strongest and best of the knights. Matters of the kingdom’s army and defense would usually fall to her. With her glory and accomplishments, she would have inspired the soldiers and roused the opportunistic nobles and knights to act.

Even though Helena remained passive in this war, that problem stemmed from how Queen Lupis and Meltina had approached her. They used said approach because they sought to eliminate Baron Mikoshiba. Rumor had it that Helena was displeased with her treatment and was in cahoots with that man.

The soldier didn’t know if that was true, but it didn’t seem entirely unlikely based on her situation.

In this position, anything Lady Helena plans doesn’t matter because Her Majesty would never trust her.

The reputation of Queen Lupis and her aides would plummet if they used one of Helena’s plans that then succeeded. This show of incompetence would be that trio’s death warrant.

The bigger issue was that everyone expected them to act in self-preservation, even in this situation.

But it’s hard to tell if their demise would happen. Since they don’t trust us, we don’t trust them either.

No one believed their peers—mutual mistrust. With that thought in mind, he focused on the maid walking away and had nothing but anxiety for his country’s future weighing on his heart.

♱

A room in the castle was always active, with its lamps and lanterns making the notion of time meaningless. Meltina Lecter sat by a table with her colleague and most trusted ally, Mikhail Vanash.

The pair had noticed how others frowned upon them since the northern subjugation failed, and the pair deemed themselves the most loyal to Queen Lupis now. Mikhail and Meltina’s usual mistrust became much more pronounced over the recent weeks. And that noticeable attitude made Meltina and Mikhail receive more hostility and become isolated.

Mikhail knew this situation would worsen things for them, but he didn’t know how to improve their standing.

There’s nothing I can do about that now. Given Meltina and Queen Lupis’s situation, she’s hardly getting any sleep, thought Mikhail.

Ever since they returned to the capital, Meltina spent her days visiting this war room and Queen Lupis’s room to help comfort her liege’s aching heart. She occasionally went out to the walls to inspect developments in the war, having no time for breaks. As such, she had to make do with small, simple meals she could eat quickly.

And she’s hardly been getting any time to sleep either...

He was in the same situation; the only difference was that Meltina was a woman. That would not change, even if Meltina trained more than any male knight. Mikhail had put as much effort into his training as she did, which showed in the noticeable difference in their endurance. Men’s physical advantages made a tangible difference in situations like this.

Honestly, we shouldn’t be holding a strategy meeting in the middle of the night. I know I should be counting on someone else...

But with the Mikoshiba barony attacking them, Mikhail couldn’t handle things alone. Meltina was the only commander he could trust.

Frankly, relying on someone else to help might have been the correct answer. But Mikhail couldn’t do that because he needed to give the other person something. Regardless of whether they were drafting a plan or deciding a future policy, he would defer to their intentions and beliefs. That was the bare minimum of respect given to someone offering their aid.

If I did that, Meltina and Her Majesty would start suspecting me.

Those two would barely remain composed because they knew they had Mikhail’s unconditional aid. If their trust in him were to crack, Queen Lupis would lose her grip on reality and slip. Mikhail realized he had to maintain the status quo at all costs.

With Meltina in this state...

Mikhail gazed at Meltina, who had her eyes fixed on the map. Despite being devoted to her work, her ghastly resolve went beyond passion and was concerning. He couldn’t stand to see her so emaciated and exhausted.

Still, Meltina overlooked Mikhail’s worries.

“I can’t read his plans,” she said, still absorbed in the map. “I think he’s planning something, though. What do you think, Sir Mikhail?”

As Meltina spoke, she gnawed at her fingernail in an angry gesture. They looked over a map of central Rhoadseria, with the capital at its core. Upon the map, they set black-and-white game pieces. Around twenty white pieces on the capital symbolized the Rhoadserian army, while five black pieces to the northeast were the enemy.

In terms of sheer numbers, the Rhoadserian army outnumbered the enemy army four to one.

We’d usually have the overwhelming advantage here. Anyone would want to believe Meltina’s reading too much into this.

Before the northern subjugation, Mikhail would have believed numerical superiority might ensure victory. The basis of strategy and tactics was to gather more soldiers than the enemy. Yet, skilled commanders could use a smaller army to overcome an opponent with greater numbers. Such victories were feats of martial glory, and many people known as heroes reached that status by winning battles against the odds.

Still, the importance of numbers was the foundation of all tactics and strategies. No military treatise in existence would deny that Rhoadseria had the edge.

Unlike last time, we hold the advantage. Our best play would be to stay holed up inside our castle, as the Mikoshiba barony can’t remain away from their home turf forever. We should bide our time, wait for the enemy to retreat, and launch a counterattack as they try to flee... thought Mikhail, but he was unsure if defending the capital until the enemy decided to retreat was feasible. Should we try to engage them in open combat, then?

This idea made him restless, as engaging the enemy in open combat meant leaving the safety of the walls. If they were to keep the vast area of the capital protected, they couldn’t deploy all two hundred thousand troops.

Should we choose that option, we’d only be able to deploy a hundred thousand to one hundred twenty thousand soldiers.

An army over twice the size of the Mikoshiba barony should have no cause for concern. But after their previous defeat against the same enemy, it didn’t feel like a guaranteed win anymore.

Just like Meltina said, not knowing what he’s planning is unnerving.

Mikhail contemplated Meltina’s question before finally speaking up. “Yes... Like you said, his actions feel a bit strange. I find it hard to believe he’d insist on launching a direct assault on the capital.”

“You think so too? But if that’s the case, what is he planning?” asked Meltina.

Seven days passed since the Mikoshiba barony began its siege of Pireas. The barony’s soldiers had been charging at the walls to break through the gates with battering rams or scale the walls with ladders. These were all classic tactics for an attacker in a siege battle, textbook examples taken from military treatises.

It all seems far too plain and much too monotonous.

Military plays like this relied on superior numbers, which applied to the same war treatises that recommended these tactics. The Mikoshiba barony ignoring this logic and sticking to traditional tactics felt oddly mismatched. To add to that inconsistency, their attacks over the last few days lacked variety and force. They were rather aimless attacks launched strictly out of inertia.

The Mikoshiba barony’s soldiers are definitely strong, with weapons and equipment better than ours. They might not take losses in these attacks. Maybe they estimated how many supplies we have and are trying to starve us. But they didn’t need to attack the gates if that was the case.

To apply pressure and starve Pireas, the Mikoshiba barony army would only need to keep their cavalry stationed nearby to keep the Rhoadserian army in check and prevent any forces from leaving the gates. There was no need to have their soldiers storm the walls while being pelted with arrows and rocks.

Mikhail wasn’t foolish enough to think Ryoma Mikoshiba wasn’t aware of that. If so, what was he trying to achieve at the cost of these seemingly needless casualties?

I doubt he expects us to respond by fighting his army head-on. That leaves...

Another option arose, but Mikhail didn’t want to consider it.

“He’s probably waiting for some insider to make their move,” said Mikhail.

When Meltina heard this, she twisted her face in anger. For a knight so loyal to Queen Lupis and so brimming with love for Rhoadseria, betrayal was the most loathsome idea. In her eyes, having their entire family executed for the crime wouldn’t be enough to absolve a traitor of the sin of treason.

Had it been a few years ago, the mention of treason would have made her raise her voice and slam her fist against the table. Meltina had learned to restrain her emotions but couldn’t fully control them. With her shoulders trembling, Meltina slowly spoke up.

“Do you think... It’s Helena Steiner?”

That would be a significant weak point for the Rhoadserian army. Helena joining Ryoma’s side would end the war immediately. While this was a possibility they had recognized, there was a reason they never acted to prevent it.

“Those two have been close since the last civil war,” said Mikhail. “That didn’t change when he took over the Wortenia Peninsula. There was also the issue of them being in the expedition to Xarooda, making it clear they’re trusted friends.”

“But she acted as the commander in chief of our army in the northern subjugation. Did Mikoshiba plot to have her join his side after all this?”

Meltina already suspected Helena might betray them, so she alluded to that name first when Mikhail mentioned a possible insider. Despite that, she also brought up a counterargument.

She’s considered the possibility, but wishes to deny it... After all, Meltina admires Lady Helena.

Meltina was a female knight, and Helena was an aspirational figure for one climbing the ranks. So Meltina didn’t want to believe a woman she looked up to so much would sell her kingdom out like this.

We can’t let personal feelings influence our judgment at a time like this. As far as Mikhail could see, there was no reason preventing Helena from betraying Queen Lupis. Not after how they treated her.

No one would risk their lives for a sovereign who doesn’t trust them, and that reflected Queen Lupis’s caliber as a ruler. Mikhail intentionally didn’t mention this issue since this would stir the hornet’s nest, deepening the antagonism between Queen Lupis and Helena.

He continued, “For all that man is concerned, having her by his side is natural due to her abilities and relationship with him. Of course, it’s possible his scheming extended to other nobles, but she’s by far the most suspicious.”

Meltina couldn’t argue with that.

It’s only natural. We couldn’t trust her, knowing full well a time will come when we must pay the price for that.

Mikhail could only think of one reason Helena would betray the kingdom—her relationship with the queen failing. Therein lay the problem.

This is not surprising, given Her Majesty’s upbringing...

Rhoadseria had suffered under the tyranny of the nobles since the reign of the previous king, Pharst II, and their corruption had been eating away at the country even before he took the throne. When the problem surfaced, Pharst II lacked the power to oppose the nobility’s control. To that end, he firmly educated his only daughter and then sole heir, Lupis, instilling in her the purpose of restoring the royal family’s power. She became a general princess to increase the royal family’s control over the knights.

An inevitable outcome of this education led to her being wary and antagonistic of the nobility since childhood. She did not see the nobles as her allies in running the country but as threats to the royal house’s sovereignty.

For this reason, King Pharst entrusted the knights with Her Majesty and gave her a knight’s education.

The king must have reasoned that if the nobles were untrustworthy, he would turn to the knights and use them to restore the might of the royal house with Lupis at its center.

But that plan went awry when the late General Albrecht used the knights to seize power.

Knights loyal to the crown existed back then, but they were all dispatched to periphery domains far from the capital. Queen Lupis felt the knights had abandoned her. As such, she could only trust Mikhail and Meltina, the two aides who had served her since she was a girl.

This event meant Queen Lupis never had a chance to connect with the knights. And this is why she can’t trust Lady Helena.

General Albrecht’s tyranny discouraged her from trusting the knights, giving her the impression that Helena—the famous and reputable Ivory Goddess of War—wouldn’t be devoted to a powerless monarch like her.

Those two issues are piercing into Queen Lupis’s heart like wedges.

Said misconceptions hardened Queen Lupis’s heart, making her distrustful. Driven by her attitude, Mikhail and Meltina also treated Helena coldly, which led to the knight assuming her vague, undefined position.

Trust goes both ways. One side not displaying trust means the other side won’t be able to believe in them either.

Queen Lupis wouldn’t believe in Helena, who couldn’t trust her. It was simple logic. Restoring faith in someone who wouldn’t put faith in you was difficult.

Maybe we should have taken things step by step to build our trust with Lady Helena. Still, we can’t give up now.

Mikhail recognized Helena Steiner as a woman with a noble heart, not as someone who would mock the queen for being weak. If Queen Lupis put in good faith and effort, Helena would eventually acknowledge that and swear loyalty to the queen.

Not only did Lupis have trouble maintaining order in the kingdom, she also failed to restrain the interference of the nobles and antagonized Ryoma, who had helped place her in the throne. Those things ruined Helena’s relationship with Queen Lupis.

“Then what do we do? Do we have her executed?” asked Meltina.

Mikhail shook his head and said, “If we do it without any supporting evidence of wrongdoing, we’d just be making things harder for ourselves.”

Even if they had evidence, executing Helena Steiner as a traitor would have horrible consequences. The knights might suspect Mikhail and Meltina had conspired to get rid of her, and the nobles would claim the same.

“Then there’s nothing we can do, is there?!” Meltina burst out angrily.

So, Mikhail shook his head silently again. “No, we still have one play. I’ll speak to Lady Helena directly.”

Meltina’s eyes widened in disbelief. Speaking to the person they suspected most of colluding with the enemy? Mikhail, however, met her confusion with a strained smile and said what he thought.

“In truth, we should have spoken to her much earlier.”

His words were full of emotion. They should have spoken to Ryoma, as well. Indeed, this realization came too late since their armies had locked blades and blood had spilled, making talks impossible. But with Helena, there were still only rumors. Even if they were right about Helena, there were still loose ends and the possibility of persuading her not to act on traitorous intentions.

“But if we do that, what of Queen Lupis’s...” muttered Meltina.

Would doing that not harm Queen Lupis’s dignity? Although she had left the question unsaid, Mikhail answered to the contrary.

“I know. Queen Lupis might consider this a betrayal on our behalf, depending on how things go. We must covertly stay in contact with those around us to act with her best intentions in mind. That includes going against Her Majesty’s will... I believe that’s our duty as loyal retainers to our queen.”

Meltina hung her head, realizing that despite simply believing Queen Lupis’s will was supreme, going against those wishes was better judgment. But countless intentions and desires kept her from acting.

“Yes... I do think you’re right.”

While Meltina didn’t want to admit this, she had to pick between acknowledging it despite her misgivings or willingly looking away from the facts. That was why Mikhail belatedly volunteered to speak to Helena, even if they had to confront a harsh reality. And if Helena was colluding with Ryoma Mikoshiba, he was prepared to apologize for all their past misgivings and plead with her to help them.

At this point she could say anything. Perhaps a show of sincerity would inspire her to change her mind.

He had reached the heights of wishful thinking. Helena could reasonably refuse to hear Mikhail out altogether. Even so, he believed—or wanted to believe—that there was still a chance since this was their Ivory Goddess of War. At the same time, the cold, calculating part of his mind braced for the worst.

If the rumors are hearsay, then that’s good. But if they’re true, I’ll need to be persuasive. Otherwise, I will have to slay Lady Helena with my own hands. Even if it means forfeiting my own life in the process.

He believed this was his only way of taking responsibility as Queen Lupis’s retainer and as a man who guided this futile war.

“Of course, this is all too late...” said Mikhail with a self-mocking smirk.

His determination, though unspoken, was clear in his voice. Grief struck Meltina and was momentarily visible in her expression.

“Very well...” she said, sighing. “I’ll explain things to Her Majesty.”

This was a task only Meltina was qualified to handle as a fellow woman and Queen Lupis’s oldest, most trusted aide and emotional support. Someone unrelated to the matter reporting the outcome of this event would distort Mikhail’s true intentions and emotions.

“Thank you,” said Mikhail, then bowed his head to her.

Here, a knight who lamented Rhoadseria’s fate made a decision with his life in the balance. But the two of them had no way of knowing what they had set in motion and the horrifying extent of the malice threatening to blanket their kingdom.

♱

On the afternoon that Mikhail talked with Meltina, a guard patrolling the southwestern gate of Pireas saw knights disappearing into a back alley near the slums. The event occurred opposite the northeastern and northwestern gates of where the Mikoshiba barony army was attacking. As such, the area was relatively peaceful.

“Hey,” said the patrolling guard, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “What are these knights doing here?”

He only spotted the knights coincidentally when he walked by a crossroads and accidentally looked to the side. The slums went beyond the gates and were known as a place where public order was the worst in the whole city.

That disorder was relative to the rest of the capital, meaning it was not actually particularly dangerous. If nothing else, many considered the commoners who lived here the top class as far as Rhoadserian peasants went.

Even so, no one expected members of privileged classes like nobles and knights to be in this part of the city. Because of that, it struck the patrolling guard as unusual to see these knights.

And we’re in the middle of a war, thought the patrolling guard. Regular soldiers might occupy this area, but knights wouldn’t be loafing around here.

Since the capital enacted martial law and started rationing food, eateries were closed for business as people could not leave their homes. Under such conditions, no reason existed for a group of knights to go into a back alley.

“What’s wrong? Why are you just standing there?” asked a fellow guard, noticing his apprehensive gaze.

“Nothing, it’s just that I spotted a group of knights going into that alley... I was wondering what they were up to.”

“Knights? What unit were they from?” inquired his colleague.

“I don’t know... But I think they had the same design on their armor from the brief glimpse I got. Looked fancy too. Maybe some of them were Royal Guards or Monarch’s Guards.”

Only knights in service to the crown, the royal family, and major nobles had uniform armor. Applying a standard design to all armor was a major expense because expert blacksmiths had to forge it. Standardization didn’t exist in this world, so having matching equipment implied they were powerful. The Royal Guards and Monarch’s Guards emphasized design in their armor due to their roles. This detail made the guard assume he saw knights from those respected units.

“There were Monarch’s and Royal Guards mixed in? That’s peculiar,” responded the colleague.

Knights in these orders rarely teamed up with members of other knight orders, since they were Rhoadseria’s elites tasked with protecting the ruler and royal family. Their pedigree, economic standing, and personal abilities were part of getting chosen for the role. The Royal and Monarch’s Guard were regarded as special, not mingling with other knight orders despite being two of the many orders under the direct command of the Rhoadserian royal family.

After all, forming a mixed unit of knights with different levels of skill and aptitude would be challenging. While this might happen during unusual emergencies, one wouldn’t expect to find such a group at a gate far from the front lines.

“What do we do...? Do we check in on them?”

The guards exchanged looks since they would usually remain uninvolved. But this was wartime, and letting suspicious activity go uninspected would be negligent of them. Knights under the queen’s direct command in such a slum registered as suspicious. And yet, an ill premonition brewed in the guard’s heart.

“Isn’t Lady Helena’s estate nearby?” said the guard anxiously.

“Hey... You don’t think...!” The other guard raised his voice, catching onto his intent.

“But isn’t it?” started the guard, daunted but not backing down. “Besides, you’ve heard the rumors.”

The fellow guard fell silent as their captain approached.

“You two,” said the captain firmly. “Return to the barracks and call reinforcements, understood? And get some other knights to join you, if possible.”

Both guards’ expressions tensed up in alarm. It was an idea they all considered, but no one dared propose aloud.

“Should we really go that far, though?” asked a soldier.

Although the guards found the knights suspicious and couldn’t overlook that behavior, calling for reinforcements and a separate group of knights was a major decision. Knights were more difficult to suppress since they could perform martial thaumaturgy. If the suspected knights got caught doing something wrong, ordinary soldiers wouldn’t be of much help.

Furthermore, the soldiers would be responsible if the knights weren’t doing anything strange. But the captain didn’t back down from his initial choice.

“If we overstep our bounds, I’ll assume all responsibility... Either way, hurry up and call for them.”

The captain had no proof to back his suspicions, yet the sixth sense of the soldier beside him blared out an alarm that filled him with the same unease as if he had set foot in an enemy trap. With the responsibility of defending the capital, they couldn’t back down.

It would be better if nothing were suspicious about the matter, as they would just get scolded, which was preferable to standing by and letting the enemy have their way. Sensing the captain’s resolve, the other soldiers nodded and ran to the barracks. The remaining guards followed the suspicious group into the alley.

Thus, the Rhoadserian kingdom’s final day dawned.

♱

“An uprising?!” roared Mikhail as he heard the messenger’s words. “Are you sure that information is accurate? You’ll pay dearly if what you just said is wrong!”

Meltina, also in the room, looked on with a stiff expression. The way Mikhail lost his temper was natural, considering the second-worst scenario they could imagine happening. Despite flinching from Mihkail’s anger, the messenger spoke clearly.

“This information is correct. Patrolling soldiers encountered a group of knights moving about suspiciously. When they asked the knights for their affiliation, their response was to draw their weapons and some of our soldiers ended up dead. Other knights hurried to support the soldiers and engaged in combat. They’re fighting as we speak!”

“What unit are they from?”

“Unknown. They’re a force from several orders. According to the report, some appeared to be from the Monarch’s Guard or Royal Guard.”

This is bad... This is very bad, thought Mikhail as he clicked his tongue sharply. He knew it was only a matter of time before the situation became critical, but he had believed they had more time until that happened. What do we do? No, who do we mobilize?

Knights were clearly involved in this revolt, which meant a predicament. Only other knights could deal with their martial thaumaturgy in order to suppress and arrest them.

But we’re in the middle of a war. Do we mobilize knights?

What made this situation harder to handle was that they had no idea of the scale of this revolt. A single knight order company could subdue a dozen individuals. However, a hundred insurgents might complicate things.

“And we have no way of knowing they’re the only insurgents...” added the messenger.

Deploying forces carelessly and having them be part of the uprising would spread chaos further.

“Can we ask for the nobles’ private knight orders to help?” asked Meltina.

Mikhail fell silent and swiftly considered the pros and cons of doing so.

It’s not a bad option. There aren’t many knights we can trust with the Monarch’s and Royal Guard implicated. Would the nobles even obey us if we sought support from their forces?

Nobles outright rejecting or ignoring their call to arms would still be preferable to some alternatives. At worst, they could see this as a golden chance to join the uprising.

“No. I will set out to resolve the situation. Meltina, stay by Her Majesty’s side, just in case.”

Meltina handily realized Mikhail’s misgivings and nodded. She was also unsure about the idea she proposed. “Very well. May luck and victory shine on your path.”

As Meltina was about to bow her head, the castle suddenly trembled under their feet. Mikhail staggered from the unexpected quake as the rumbling of something large crumbling reached them from the window.

“What?! What’s going on?!” he called out.

Yet, no one answered him. The surprising quake sent Meltina tumbling to the floor. She looked around, trying to grasp what just happened.

It couldn’t be an earthquake, could it...? he thought immediately.

Earthquakes weren’t an unheard-of occurrence. Typhoons, tidal waves, volcanic eruptions, and other natural disasters happened here just like in Ryoma’s world.

Unlike Japan, Rhoadseria only faced major earthquakes every few decades to once a century rather than dozens per year. Mikhail had experienced one such earthquake as a child, allowing him to remain calmer than Meltina could in this situation.

What are the odds of it happening at a time like this?

While he couldn’t believe this phenomenon had happened coincidentally during an emergency, he could not deny the possibility. Natural disasters cared little for when or where they took place. A calamity like an earthquake would strike even if they faced enemies and were on the brink of an uprising.

Another messenger hurried into the room, not bothering to knock, and instantly shouted, “I bear urgent news! The Mikoshiba barony army has destroyed the walls and is charging into the city!”

Meltina and Mikhail turned pale, and the roaring from the walls reached their ears. At that moment, Mikhail felt all the strength leave his body. Every unrelated event then made sense and formed a single image—one that a single man painted.

“It...can’t be...” Nothing else could explain the string of events happening one after another.

“Sir Mikhail... Is this his doing...?” asked Meltina, her voice feeble.

She instinctively sensed Rhoadseria’s reckoning was at hand. Even so, the two still had work to do.

Not yet. So long as Her Majesty is fine, we still have a chance.

Then, Mikhail decided they had to abandon Pireas and swiftly explained his plan to Meltina.

“I’ll go organize the troops. Now that he’s breached the walls, it’s only a matter of time before that man invades this castle. Meltina, hurry to Her Majesty’s side and have her evacuate the castle while I stall them.”

“Sir Mikhail... Are you saying we should abandon the capital?!”

“I am. Trying to fight a defensive battle here could put Her Majesty’s life in danger. Doing so could lead to the royal bloodline’s destruction!”

With that said, Mikhail left the room and charged into battle with his life on the line. Meltina could only watch him go, her eyes fixed on him despite tearing up. She burned the visage of her comrade walking to his death into her very eyes.