Chapter 55

Chapter 55: Notice of Assembly

The battle between the Revolutionary Army Rebellion and the Eldorado Kingdom's Royal Guard and Mercenary Corps was fierce. However, the mighty force of the spirited Revolutionary Army quickly reached the main gate of the capital city's fortress.

It seemed only a matter of time before the defenses were breached.

Inside the royal palace, the first prince, Lotus, gathered the elite magical knights for an escape plan.

"Hurry!"

"Your Highness. But what will become of Her Majesty, the Queen?"

"I don't care! I matter more."

Lately, Lotus had been rather unruly. The Eldorado Kingdom's government had suffered defeat, tarnishing the royal family's reputation. Even the relatively authoritative position of the first prince was now merely superficial.

Many nobles had already defected, and even the trust of the common people was lost.

In short, the royal family was on the decline.

Above all, even loyal subjects were finding it difficult to tolerate Lotus' tyranny.

"Hurry up! What are you doing?"

Lotus shouted at the guards who stood still with a stern expression.

However, out of the eight guards present, six aimed their spears at Lotus.

"W...What are you doing? That's insolence! Do you know who I am?"

The remaining two guards quickly moved to shield Lotus, but one of them was struck and fell by the butt of a spear. The leader among the guards murmured to Lotus.

"We can no longer follow you. Your recent tyranny is beyond tolerance. You abuse attendants and maids with violence, and you greedily consume the country's wealth like a pig. We can no longer see you as our leader."

"What did you say!"

"We have pledged allegiance to the third prince, Reinvald. Surrender peacefully, Your Highness."

"Fool... This is betrayal!"

"No, it's not. You betrayed us first. Prince Lotus."

The guards moved to subdue Lotus immediately.

However, Lotus was still a prince. He had protective magical tools for emergencies. One of them emitted a blinding flash of light, temporarily blinding the guards.

"Ughhh!"

While the guards covered their eyes and screamed, Lotus fled. He was heading toward a secret escape route known only to the royal family.

In a certain corridor, there was a keyhole behind a painting. Inserting the key Lotus possessed into it would open a hidden door leading to an underground escape route.

"Traitor!"

Frustration clenched Lotus' fist as he ran.

As the legitimate successor to the royal family, he believed that he could survive anything. After all, his own younger brother and third prince, Reinvald, had already fled successfully. Lotus thought that if Reinvald could do it, so could he.

At this point, none of the loyal subjects were following Lotus anymore, making it difficult to claim equality with Reinvald.

"First... I must escape to the Grand Empire!"

The Eldorado Kingdom was a vassal state of the Subarokia Grand Empire. Given the current domination by the Revolutionary Army Rebellion, Lotus, the rightful heir to the royal family, believed he would be valuable. He intended to seek asylum in the Grand Empire.

But things weren't that simple.

"So, you've come here after all, Lotus."

"Who are you...!"

A voice with a tone of exasperation echoed from the shadows of the corridor. Lotus halted and responded sharply.

Multiple figures emerged from the other end of the corridor. At the forefront stood Reinvald.

"You scoundrel! Reinvald!"

"It's been a while, Lotus... or should I say, elder brother."

"Silence, you traitor!"

Reacting to Lotus' words, Reyla and Lilia, who were standing by his side, drew their swords. Faced with their weapons, Lotus couldn't help but scream in pain.

"Argh..."

Reinvald intervened, calming the situation and addressing Lotus again.

"Father... no, His Majesty the King has already been captured. We infiltrated through the secret passage used by the royal family. Surrender peacefully."

It seemed Reinvald had abandoned formalities, adopting a somewhat commanding tone. The Revolutionary Army Rebellion had almost secured victory on the surface, and now, Reinvald's forces infiltrating from the secret route were closing in on the captured royal family.

The Revolutionary Army Rebellion's victory was all but assured.

"Refuse! I will escape to the Grand Empire and restore the rightful rule of the royal family. Even if you're my blood, I won't hand over the Eldorado Kingdom to a traitor like you!"

"Disrespectful."

"Aaargh!"

Lilia stabbed Lotus' right leg with the short spear she held. Lotus screamed in agony, clutching his wounded leg as he collapsed on the corridor floor, blood flowing.

Reinvald sighed in exasperation and addressed Lilia.

"Calm down. We can't kill him here."

"But Lord Reinvald. We can't allow such insolence."

"Despite that, he's still our blood brother. In the end, I want to give him an honorable execution."

"Yes... I apologize."

Lilia immediately bowed her head, and Rail, who had approached Lotus, administered rudimentary first aid.

"With the palace under control, we'll head for the throne room. We'll take full control of the courtiers as well. Let's go."

"Yes, sir!"

On that day, the Revolutionary Army Rebellion ceased to be a rebel organization and became the legitimate ruler of the Eldorado Kingdom.

◆◆◆

"Your Majesty, let us conclude today's official duties."

"...Indeed. Liilia, would you mind brewing some tea?"

"Of course."

Several months later, Reinvald had ascended as the new king of the Kingdom of Eldorado. No longer a revolutionary force, the Rebellion had become the legitimate government.

However, the Rebellion was not completely disbanded.

"Our journey has only just begun. We must make it rock-solid. It will take time, but now is the time to endure."

"Talking to yourself?"

"Yes, I need to confirm what needs to be done. I might forget otherwise. My goal isn't just to become the king of Eldorado."

"To be freed from the oppression of the Subarokia Empire, right?"

"Yes."

At that moment, an aide named Rail entered the office. He was now serving as a bridge between Reinvald and the Rebellion.

"Lord Rail. A report has arrived from the Rebellion. Negotiations have begun with neighboring vassal states."

"I see!"

Reinvald stood up and rejoiced.

"At last, we've taken the second step in countering the Subarokia Empire. Well done, Rail."

"Yes, Lord Rail. On that day of revolution, the 'Grim Reaper' annihilated the Shadow Legion of the Subarokia Empire. Thanks to that, the Subarokia Empire is overly wary of the Rebellion. The legions stationed in various garrisons have returned to the homeland, leaving only a minimum presence. This will make it easier for the Rebellion to operate in the shadows."

"The vassal states suffering under the oppression of the Subarokia Empire are numerous. Let's gradually gather supporters."

"Of course, Lord Rail... no, Your Majesty. Please leave it to me."

"I'm counting on you."

Even with the Kingdom of Eldorado secured, the activities of the Rebellion continued. Under the leadership of Reinvald as the unseen leader, they were still operating under the guidance of new leaders.

The determination to oppose the mighty empire, with its many magic-equipped soldiers and technologies, was steadily spreading.

◆◆◆

In the Subarokia Empire, there was unrest spreading in some areas.

The emblem of the Golden Lion and the status of an S-Rank Magi-Knight known as "Zetsuei" (Shadow of Annihilation) were both held by Krueger Pielle, who had passed away. He was considered a prodigy, even rumored to be close to the position of Grand General. His loss was immeasurable.

"Your Imperial Majesty, what shall we do?"

"You're annoying. Show some respect. I am the Emperor."

"It's just a meeting with childhood friends, isn't it a bit late for formalities?"

"...It's still an official meeting. Address me properly as Your Imperial Majesty. Despite being childhood friends, they are now my superiors."

"Both perspectives make sense, but does it matter now?"

Five individuals sat around a round table.

The most luxurious chair was occupied by Emperor Gias Surutarti Murjif Barrat Noaz Subarokia. The remaining four seats were held by heads of the Great Ducal Houses, second only to the Emperor in power.

The Subarokia Empire had four major noble houses: the Noaz, Ishta, Sauz, and Vest families. Successive Emperors were chosen from these four Great Ducal Houses.

The current Emperor, Gias Surutarti Murjif Barrat Noaz Subarokia, was chosen from the Noaz family. The current head of the Noaz family, a cousin of the Emperor, held the position. Their familiarity was the cause.

"So, Your Majesty, how do we fill the void left by 'Zetsuei'?"

"Indeed. As Sauz suggests, we must address this urgently. Honestly, even though it's an incident in a vassal state far to the east, the slow pace of information is problematic."

By the way, in this meeting, they address each other by their surnames.

When children are born into the Great Ducal Houses, they receive one name from each of the four houses. To ensure equality among the four noble houses at the pinnacle, they use surnames for addressing. Among friends, they typically use the names given by their families.

For example, an Emperor would be addressed as Gias.

"Ista, you brought the information, correct? Please explain in detail."

"Understood. However, I don't know many specifics. We do know that the Black Cat is somehow involved..."

"The Black Cat?"

"Tedious. It's difficult to track down the underground organization."

"Indeed. It seems that the one who killed 'Zetsuei' was the 'Grim Reaper.'"

"Surprising. I don't think he was the type to be killed by an assassin..."

"I heard his death was quite dramatic... I doubt it was truly the work of the 'Grim Reaper.'"

An S-Rank Magi-Knight possesses considerable power.

Even though it's the notorious Dark Organization 'Grim Reaper,' it's hard to believe he was killed. Moreover, there are signs that he was killed in direct combat, not by assassination. The Zetsuei Legion was completely wiped out. It's challenging to call it an assassination.

"Your Majesty, it is certain that something capable of wiping out 'Zetsuei' and the Zetsuei Legion exists. As a precaution, we have withdrawn nearby S-Rank Magi-Knights. Sharing information and investigating what happened are our top priorities."

"That's acceptable. Hey, Vest, you have contacts within the underground, right? Find the Black Cat."

"Of course. I understand."

The round table conference between the Emperor and the Great Ducal Houses continues.

"Now, onto the next topic. There are reports of a potential uprising in the northern vassal states, correct?"

"That's a report I submitted."

"Was it you, Noaz?"

"Detailed information has been compiled. Please take a look at this."

...

Meanwhile, Shu Arc Light and Iris had left the Eldorado Kingdom and were heading west. They had stopped at an inn in a village along the way.

"Hmm?"

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

Shu suddenly took out a coin bearing the symbol of the 'Grim Reaper.' On one side, there was a cat with a staff, and on the other, a skull and a knife. It was a badge of the Dark Organization, the Black Cat... and it was trembling slightly.

It was almost like receiving a call on a cellphone.

"What's this...?"

"Is this a magical item? It seems to be receiving magical energy."

"It's not for communication. It's more like a one-way device to receive messages."

The trembling coin activated a magical array, and Shu deciphered it. He realized it was designed to receive messages. What he had thought was an ordinary coin turned out to be a magical item.

After the magical array finished forming, it transformed into a coherent message.

"Gather in the imperial capital of the Subarokia Empire on the sixth moon, eleventh day, five years from now."

As soon as he saw it, Shu remembered something.

"Come to think of it, 'Takame' mentioned that high-ranking members are obligated to attend regular meetings."

"So, is this one of those meetings?"

"Likely."

Shu picked up the 'Grim Reaper' coin and stowed it away.

"Five years is a long time... But it's the time it'll take to gather the various high-ranking members in the imperial capital. We're in no hurry. Let's continue on to the imperial capital, Aldaal, at our own pace."

"Indeed!"

"Our goal remains unchanged. The imperial capital of the Subarokia Empire, Aldaal."