Chapter 35

「Count Roland! Where?! Where are you?!」

Raising his voice with his hair disheveled while running around in his mansion, the appearance of the male noble in the south, Margrave Alnode, was not at all dignified .

「Roland-sama has just returned to his own mansion for an emergency…」

One of the followers of a lower noble answered timidly as he watched Alnode’s sudden change in appearance .

「That stupid geezer just won’t die! You only ran away!!」

「Th-that baseless way of speaking! What on earth is it?」

Alnode kicks his desk away forcefully .

「Our army has been beaten by the king’s army, and my son died! The troops have also been mostly killed off or ran off! … . How dare he! How dare he! What was it about the king’s plaything, what was it about being gathered randomly! With this my house will!」

Roland was the one who urged Margrave Alnode to start the rebellion, and yet Roland has already escaped; Margrave Alnode hurled all the abuse he could think of in anger . But no matter how much he says it won’t change the fact that he’s the ringleader, he understood that there is no way to come up with an excuse for the royal family . It is possible to simply run away, but he has the pride of a well-known noble . There is no way that he could live by throwing everything away and living as a peddler or farmer .

The nobles that have gathered in the mansion could not hide their unrest . It is clear that the king’s army is heading here after being able to break the battle . But there is no place in their own territory to run to where they can oppose the king’s army . In the end, there is no other way but to rely on the Margrave, this is a sinking ship… .

In the gloomy atmosphere, the gatekeepers come running with strained voices .

「A messenger from the king’s army has arrived!」

Everyone stood up, Alnode suppressed his fury and regained his calmness .

「Call him here . 」

「I will tell you the words from the king . 」

Alnode doesn’t hide the discouraged expression . When negotiating with nobles of higher status it is normal to send a representative with equal standing . To send a messenger with a message in hand, means that there is no room for negotiations .

「I wish for peace . 」

The nobles have relieved expressions, having broken the army, not wishing for further warfare is common knowledge . It is inevitable that more or less territory and interest be forfeited at this point .

「However other than what I’ve said, it would not be done for free . The conditions for peace is to have Margrave Alnode as well as all nobles who joint signed to be executed! All peerage will be lifted; territory will be confiscated! Your son is held in the capital and his safety is guaranteed . 」1

「Is there such a stupid thing?!」 「This is no different from the crime of high treason!」

「Fu, fufufu…that’s right…if it’s this…a messenger is good enough…」

Margrave Alnode is not a complete idiot . He understood everything now . The king intended to do this from the beginning . To make an example of the nobles who did not pay the tax and make me into an offering .

「A-Margrave Alnode…this is some kind of mistake . If the king sent a messenger to us it means」

「It’s enough, I’ve had enough . 」

Standing up unsteadily, he took a sword from the wall into his hand . Nobody knew what was going to happen and while everyone looked on dumbfounded, Alnode swung his sword down, and cut down the messenger .

「Aah!!」 「What did you do!?」 「Are you going mad!?」

The nobles’ faces turned pale and shouted, if you cut the king’s messenger, nothing you say will go through . It is the same as signing the execution order for all the nobles here and their families .

「What a foolish person, you still don’t understand . The king intended to erase us from the beginning! It was from the time when we said we were unhappy with the temporary tax…Everything else after that was for the sake of getting us agitated and provoking us . After the conclusion was out, there is nothing we can do now…」

「No way! Then we should look for someone to help…」 「Who would be willing to help traitors like us?」

The nobles were clamoring hysterically .

Alnode was strangely quiet . When you are unable to do anything, people cane become unexpectedly calm . And he thought of the one way to escape .

「Calm down, we still have an option . To get someone to help us who suffered a hit from the king’s army that is pushing us back . 」

「Is there anyone who would become our ally and help us…」

「There is . In the south, it falls under the oath that we swore to the king of Arkland . 」

Everyone was at a loss for words, it was exactly the deed for traitors, it is the worst disgrace .

「Think about it, if we continue like this, then we can only choose death, and our house destroyed . Then even if we must cover ourselves with shame we can extend our lives and our children and grandchildren will have an opportunity to take revenge . 」

There is already only one way left . The choice is whether we stop or continue .

Some did it for their children, some did it to live on, all the nobles were determined to continue .

「Is Viscount Bellido here?」

「I’m here . 」

A warrior wrapped in silver armor, age is around 30 years old, appearance is gallant