Chapter 53

Chapter 53: For the Revolution

Four months had passed since the assassination of Prince Medrein, the fourth prince.

And within those mere four months, the Eldorado Kingdom had fallen under the control of the revolutionary army, Rebellion, to the extent of seventy percent. The only areas remaining were the capital city Drain, other cities directly governed by the royal family, and cities in the western region aligned with the Grand Empire. With the assassination of Prince Medrein, the suppression forces organized against the Rebellion had disintegrated into thin air. The revolution was now imminent.

"Your Majesty, now is the time to eliminate the fools who dare to call themselves the Rebellion! By combining the power of our kingdom's magi-knights and enlisting the aid of the Grand Empire's forces, it should be a simple task."

"Hmm..."

In the conference room of the royal castle, a noble in charge of military affairs raised his voice. To be precise, it wasn't just military affairs but also the responsibility of maintaining the entire kingdom's security, although it was temporarily referred to as military affairs.

The Rebellion was no longer just a terrorist organization; it had transformed into a legitimate anti-government force. In other words, the Eldorado Kingdom was in a state of civil unrest. To put it plainly, it was a war. There was no time for idle discussions about maintaining security.

"Marquis Amber. I understand your point. However, to counter the Rebellion, we must now wield desperate strength. Even if we manage to suppress them, there will be nothing left of this country."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

King Yanbaar Keel Richtahl responded calmly. He might not have been the wisest of kings, but he possessed the qualities of a ruler. He had the capacity to think rationally about any situation.

However, he usually refrained from using that capacity and only truly acted like a king when he was backed into a corner, which is why he couldn't be considered truly wise.

"That's why we must seek assistance from the Grand Empire."

"Will they lend their aid? Weren't they previously opposed to involving themselves in our internal conflicts?"

"They've stated that they will lend their aid unconditionally. We, too, must be willing to compromise."

The Eldorado Kingdom was a vassal state of the Grand Empire. Consequently, the Grand Empire had an obligation to protect its vassals. That was the essence of being a subordinate nation.

However, the Grand Empire had withheld its support until the last moment to truly dominate the Eldorado Kingdom. They had waited until the internal conflict escalated. It was more advantageous for the Grand Empire to assist the Rebellion when it posed a genuine threat, rather than when it was still in its infancy. In other words, the Grand Empire would likely not offer their aid until the capital of the Eldorado Kingdom was under attack.

Furthermore, the Grand Empire was also aiming for the Rebellion to gather in order to capture the capital. From the perspective of the Grand Empire, they wanted to crush the Rebellion completely while they had the chance. It was because dealing with a scattered Rebellion that could regroup and gather strength once more would be troublesome.

"Your Majesty, please make your decision. We will abandon the remaining eastern cities and engage the Rebellion in a decisive battle in the capital. This will give us a reason to seek support from the Grand Empire."

"Hmm... I see..."

"Your Majesty, I implore you."

"...Very well. Order the garrison stationed in the eastern cities to withdraw. The nobles governing those regions should also be prepared to flee. Marquis Amber, maintain close communication with the garrison and report on more detailed plans. This concludes our meeting."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The one-sided presentation by Marquis Amber, disguised as a conference, came to an end.

The course of action for the Eldorado Kingdom had been decided.

King Yanbaar had lost most of his family, and only Crown Prince Lotus and the third prince, now the leader of the Rebellion, Prince Rainvald, remained. This also posed a succession problem.

The rumors of the Rebellion had already spread among the citizens of the capital, causing anxiety and prompting families to flee during the night.

With a myriad of challenges ahead, the king's work was far from over.

King Yanbaar took a moment to catch his breath before preparing for the next meeting.

◆◆◆

In a room within a luxury inn, Shuu and Iris were enjoying tea. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting faint shadows in the room.

"I bought these sweets from a popular shop on the first-tier avenue! It's quite renowned."

"I see. So they use honey instead of sugar."

"Do you notice the difference? Yes, that's right. That's the secret to its popularity."

Honey made from sap was a luxury item. It was a similar product to maple syrup. Since there were no maple trees in the country, it was simply referred to as honey, but it was a rare and luxurious commodity due to its limited production.

Of course, Shuu and Iris were also wealthy enough to afford it.

"Speaking of which, what about this tea?"

"Yes, I dropped some honey onto the tea leaves that you mentioned you liked, Shuu-san!"

"I see. It's delicious."

Shuu took another sip.

A moist sweetness and a refreshing aroma. They helped calm his mind.

At that moment, a shadow moved ever so slightly.

"It seems like we've received a message."

Shuu muttered to himself.

A black snake emerged from the shadows. It slithered onto the table and dropped a letter from its mouth. Shuu picked it up and opened it.

This black snake was a type of spirit that Shuu could create using his own magic power. He used these spirits when he accepted missions from the Black Cat.

While it could be bothersome to visit the client each time he received a request, this method helped maintain a low profile. As an assassin, secrecy was paramount.

"...Hmmm."

"How is it, Shuu-san?"

"It's a request from the Rebellion. They want me to assassinate Cruge Pierle, the S-ranked magi-knight 'Phantom' from the Grand Empire, in order to capture the capital."

"That's a significant target."

"That's why the reward is quite substantial."

When Shu said so, the shadow spirit known as Black Serpent spat out a bag filled with a large amount of gold coins.

As written in the letter, it should be five hundred gold coins.

"Do you accept?"

"Yeah, I plan to go to the capital of the Great Empire eventually. I want to earn imperial gold coins beforehand. Plus, using the shadow spirit allows for storage. I won't be troubled by having too much."

"It's convenient, isn't it?"

Earning money as the assassin "Grim Reaper" is good, but the issue was how to manage that money. Unlike paper currency, gold coins are bulky and heavy, making them inconvenient to carry.

So, Shu devised a new magic, "Servant Summoning."

Though it was different from magic that acted on the laws of physics until now, he managed to create it with this magic. This allowed him to effortlessly summon creatures ranging from hybrid weeds to mid-tier middles.

"Now, deliver this sign to the Black Cat Tavern."

Shu entrusted the note with his acceptance and signature to the shadow spirit. The spirit, shaped like a black snake, leaped off the table, vanished into the shadows, and disappeared.

It was a form of transportation magic that used shadows.

While it couldn't achieve instantaneous movement like teleportation, it could move linearly, ignoring obstacles between shadows. This made it an incredibly useful means of communication as long as the distance wasn't too great.

"An S-ranked magic armored warrior of the Great Empire, huh? Going to defeat them with death magic again?"

"It's a hassle, so wiping them out along with their garrison using 'Gluttonous Black Crystal Belze Material' might be a good idea. Since it's an army owned by the Great Empire, they should have plenty of high-level magic armored warriors. It's perfect for absorbing their magic power."

"Using that thing again?"

"It's the easiest option... but there's a problem."

"What's the problem?"

Iris tilted her head. The plan to wipe out the Zetsumei Legion with the "Gluttonous Black Crystal Belze Material" seemed perfect at first glance. However, there was one crucial flaw.

"Dark King Arklight being identified as the 'Grim Reaper'."

"I see."

"It's fine if a few individuals figure it out, but I don't plan to announce it openly. Besides, I don't want the Great Empire to launch an offensive to defeat Dark King based on this."

"Everyone knows about the incident with the fall of the Ramza Kingdom's capital. It's definitely going to get exposed."

"You think so too, right, Iris?"

The "Gluttonous Black Crystal Belze Material" that obliterated the Ramza Kingdom had become quite famous. While common citizens might not know about it, the leaders of various countries, including the Emperor of the Subarokia Empire, were likely aware. Due to its ability to annihilate a radius of ten kilometers, anyone directly hit by it died. However, people who witnessed it from distant towns existed due to the extensive range of its effects. Moreover, when compared to the remnants of the Ramza Kingdom's capital, it would be easy to discern that Shu had used the "Gluttonous Black Crystal Belze Material." Naturally, people would also start associating the "Grim Reaper" Shu with Dark King Arklight.

"When we crush the Zetsumei Legion, we'll need a different approach."

"Creating a new divine spell?"

"As if divine spells can be made left and right."

"It hurts!"

Shu brought his hand down in a chopping motion towards Iris. She winced as if it hurt, glared at Shu with teary eyes. Of course, Shu remained unfazed and sipped his tea.

By the way, Iris's glares were just adorable, so there was absolutely no reason to be scared.

"Okay... so how are we going to defeat them?"

"Using magic to finish them off is fine, but it consumes magic power. It's inefficient since it takes time to recover."

"Well, that makes sense."

Shu, being a magical creature, would lose strength if he expended magic power. He could replenish magic power by absorbing energy from killing living beings, using death magic, or consuming meals. However, there was no concept of natural recovery.

Only awakened magic armored warriors could naturally recover magic power.

Naturally, if Shu were to consume vast amounts of magic power due to a large-scale magic, he would suffer significant power loss. However, Shu, being a ruin-level demon and the primal spirit Alpha Spirit, had an abundance of magic power. So, even if he were to use a spell equivalent to a forbidden curse once, it wouldn't pose a problem.

"That's why you'll handle it this time, Iris."

"Huh...?"

"We'll annihilate the Zetsumei Legion with the Ninth Tier Wind Magic, 'Heartless Void Concentrate.'"

"Wait, I can't use tactical-level magic yet!"

"I assume you know the incantation. I'll support you."

Iris made a displeased face, not because she didn't want to participate in battle or kill people. It was simply because she felt uncertain about being able to use Ninth Tier magic.

Known as tactical-level magic, the Ninth Tier was a type of magic capable of killing over a hundred people with a single spell or causing massive damage to a city. Naturally, casting it alone was extremely challenging. Considering Iris's magic power, there was no doubt she could cast it. However, her skill was still lacking.

"Can I really do it?"

"No problem. I supported you when you used the Eighth Tier magic, 'Great Discharge.'"

"Yeah, but..."

The difficulty level between grand magic and tactical-level magic was significantly different.

Generally, Grand magic, or the Eighth Tier, was within reach with enough effort. Tactical-level magic, on the other hand, was a domain that even geniuses required considerable effort to master. Furthermore, strategic-level magic fell into a realm where only geniuses might manage it after decades of dedication.

Since Shu hadn't analyzed the magic formations, using large-scale magic became exponentially harder.

Understanding the meaning behind the magic formations would enable one to use any magic purely through magic power and knowledge. Unfortunately, humans hadn't delved that deep into the abyss of magic.

(It might be time to start teaching Iris theoretical physics... If I do that, I should probably start with mathematics. It's difficult to grasp physics without calculus.)

The day of the impending revolution was drawing near.