It was a dark dungeon. I walked a long way down the dripping corridor to get to a steel door.
As I approached, the warriors guarding the door saluted.
“Master, are you out?”
“Okay, good work. But everything’s fine, right?
“Yes.”
I spoke to them in a very small voice.
“But you know what? I’d like you to move. I have something important to talk about with the prisoner in here.”
“Yes, sir.”
The ordered warriors willingly stepped down. There was an order to never leave the seat, but it was none other than me who gave the order.
As the warriors moved away, I opened the iron door and went inside.
“Baekmyeon!”
Inside was a blond middle-aged man tied to a rope. He struggled with excitement when he saw me but soon realized that he couldn’t resist and only sent a livable look. I walked slowly and sat on a wooden chair next to him.
“The handsome Earl of Malthus has become miserable.”
The ear was open, so Earl Malthus shouted in anger.
“You punk!”
“I’m not being sarcastic. you were well-known for your integrity and uprightness, but I was sorry to hear that he was in such a miserable state of despicable betrayal.”
And Earl Malthus was so obsessed with success that he was almost obsessive. That’s where integrity comes from. In addition, the earl does not tolerate mistakes. Especially his own mistake.
That’s why I pointed this guy out.
Now the Earl lost everything by being taken away the Polkin gates. He lost his success and his values.
Earl Malthus shook his eyes.
“B..betrayal ·····?”
“Yes, the Earl made no mistake. Honestly, it doesn’t make sense that this Polkin gate is being occupied by 4,000 Kara soldiers. It’s absolutely impossible if someone didn’t betray you and open your way.”
“Who the hell is that traitor?”
I was pretending to be worried and shook my head.
“Anyway, who’s about to be executed, what’s the point of knowing that? Just go comfortably.”
“What? Execution? Baekmyeon! Don’t you know that it is the unwritten rule of the continent that the captured noble must return at ransom?”
“I know.”
“And you’re still gonna kill me?”
“Yes, we’re in a position of necessity.”
“My king will never forgive you!”
I looked at the Earl for a long time and sighed deeply.
“King Robros has ordered Kara. He wants us to execute the traitor. Honestly, I don’t want to kill either. What do I have to do with you to kill you?”
shouted Earl Malthus.
“You, don’t play tricks on me! Do you think I’m going to be fooled by that stupid tongue? How can you call me a traitor, and why do you, you enemies, listen to our king!”
“Why would I hear that? The interests are right. Kara wants to build a kingdom, but King Robros doesn’t like the Duke of Bastian. So if we kill the Duke of Bastian, who has rebelled against the Kingdom of Robros, King Robros will allow and support the establishment of our kingdom. This is it.”
The Earl’s face slowly bleached, as if it sounded reasonable. All the world knows that King Robros hates the Duke of Bastian.
“Okay, then why would you kill me? I have nothing to do with the Duke of Bastian.”
“No, it has to be relevant. If the Duke of Bastian wants to revolt, he has to cross this impregnable fortress, the Polkin Gate, but unless you’re a traitor, the story won’t be made. That’s why you have to be a traitor.”
“Oh, my God. ·····.”
I showed the Earl a list of slain victims with the king’s seal on them.
“Anyway, this order has been issued, and the Earl will be executed as soon as it dawns tomorrow. I’m sorry. I can’t help it for Kara.”
“Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…”
Earl Malthus trembled in anger. The king is trying to kill him for nothing. If you’re not angry, you’re not a person.
“Then I hope today will be a good time to look back on your past life. With no regrets.”
When I was about to leave, the Earl asked me the last question.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“What?”
“Is the traitor you mentioned earlier, our king?”
I gave a deep sigh of self-help.
“Do you really need to know?”
“Yes.”
“Well, You’re going to die tomorrow anyway, so there’s no reason to hide it. Yes, your king. Your king taught me how to take over the gates of Polkin.”
“What?”
“When I took over the Polkin Gate here, I came inside it through a side road. How could I have known that way as an outsider? A very familiar person would have told me. For example, someone like the former owner who held the Polkin gate for a long time.”
“Why the king would do such a thing?”
“Well, I don’t know why. Marquis Fabius’s expedition was defeated by Kara, and King Robros was in great trouble. It’s none other than the king who ordered the Duke to send out his expeditionary troops.”
“Yes.”
“Then the weakening of the throne is inevitable, and now King Robros is a hero. The war you lost turned the king into a victory by diplomatically turning our Kara into a subordinate state. I think that’s why. As expected, politicians are smart.”
As I left the prison with my head tilted, a scream broke out over the closed iron door.
“You damn old man, you stupid old man! I’ll go kill you even if I’m a ghost!”
It was worth saving Earl Malthus. A successionist is not loyal. The only object of loyalty to the successionist is the seat where the superior sits.
Now the Earl is willing to act as a catalyst if I reach out.
* * *
I was standing in front of the magic station. In the video reflected in the correction, Marquis Fabius, who has been silent for a long time with a serious face, was seen.
After a while, the Marquis opened his mouth with difficulty.
“Are you saying the entire command will be executed for treason?”
“Yes, but don’t worry too much. I’ve saved your life. It was just in time that the Kingdom of Robros wanted you to live.”
“Really? What about my men?”
“I can’t.”
Marquis Fabius hung a faint smile around his mouth.
“Hoo, Baekmyeon. Did I look like a man who would see all his men killed and live alone a good life?”
No. That’s why when Count Boris said to save the Marquis, he was willing to approve. Marquis Fabius died alone, and he was not shameless enough to leave his men and survive alone.
Otherwise, he would not have taken charge of all the unpleasant things alone every war, nor would he have taken the lead in a dangerous battlefield even if he was the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary forces.
“But wouldn’t it be better to survive?”
“No, You shouldn’t have done it.”
“Then what do you do?”
“Let me go. I’ll go to the kingdom myself and try to explain. If I were to say so, the king would reconsider.”
I tapped the table with my index finger.
“Don’t say anything, just survive. This isn’t going to work.”
“How come?”
“Grandpa, don’t you think it’s weird? I’m being honest because You’re an old man. It’s a made-up game. It’s already concluded.”
Marquis Fabius wiggled one eyebrow.
“What do you mean?”
I gave a deep sigh of sadness.
“In fact, in this war, Kara and the Duke of Bastian fought. I didn’t fight the kingdom of Robros. We’ve sent a delegation to open this door before, haven’t we?
“I did. But you failed, didn’t you?”
“No, I succeeded. I think the king has already made up his mind. I must kill the Duke of Bastian for royal well-being. So as soon as the battle with you was over, he sent me a connection. Of course I got a bargain. And this is what happens within that line of extension.”
Marquis Fabius hit the table with all his might.
“Oh, my God! King, he’s so jealous that he’s finally gone mad!”
“It’s not exactly like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think there’s a lot of politics. After we win, King Robros suddenly turns himself into a hero of victory, as we promised. He’s really smart.”
“Baekmyeon! I’m not kidding!”
“I’m just telling you to survive. I realized again about this incident, but ignorant swordsmen like us can’t beat politicians. I was scared about the way they think.”
Marquis Fabius must have been greatly heated up to his bald head. Indeed, if you are not angry in this situation, you are not a human.
“I’ll have to go, though.”
“You’ll die if you go in this state.”
“But if I don’t go, won’t all my men die? This is the last request. Let me go.”
I stared at Fabius for a long time, pretended to be deliberate, and opened my mouth.
“Then don’t go politically, go armed.”
“What do you mean?”
“Swordsmen like us can’t beat them politically. So let’s go with what grandpa is good at. The knife.”
Marquis Fabius trembled around one eye.
“Do you mean to plot treason?”
“Yeah. 150K soldiers are enough for you to do it, right?
“But there is no justification. Your testimony and murder will not persuade the people of Robros.”
I had a faint smile. Judging from the justification, it seemed that he was interested.
“The testimony of the Great Holy Lady and the declaration of support. I’ll do this for you.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s a good cause.”
“Just do it. To be honest, where’s a kingdom that lasts a thousand years? I’d rather die with a knife following my men anyway, so I’ll give it a try. It’s worth losing, isn’t it?
Marquis Fabius looked at me implicitly.
“But why would you want to help us with our rebellion? If we end the war like this, your Kara won’t lose anything.”
“I have a degree with my grandfather, and today I informed Earl Malthus of the execution, and it was heartbreaking.”
“Is that the only reason?”
“It’s disturbing. I can never trust them. We held hands because we were in a tight situation, but I feel uneasy for some reason. I’d rather join hands with someone I can trust.”
“Really? Got it. Then let me go to Braam. I’ll talk to the Duke of Bastian.”
I called for good luck inside. There we go. Now we have the foundation to persuade the Duke of Bastian. Earl Malthus and Marquis Fabius, who are known to be stubborn in the Kingdom of Robros, will appear.
In addition, I am an enemy, but these are the comrades who shared life and death with the Duke. It is better for them to persuade the duke a hundred times than for me to come forward myself.
* * *
As soon as I received Marquis Fabius’ sympathy, I informed Earl Malthus of this fact. Of course the Earl was willing to agree.
The Earl was waiting for tomorrow’s execution. As an Earl, my offer was bound to feel like a ray of light from heaven.
“I will never forget this favor.”
The Earl, who was about to hold on to Braam, thanked me. I waved as if it was nothing.
“That’s enough. Just convince the Duke. All I can do for you is take you to the Duke.”
“Don’t worry. The Duke of Bastain will understand our cause.”
I stared at Earl Malthus with a dim gaze. The Duke of Bastian is not a pushover.
Surely the Duke doubts my intentions. If you go into the matter of profit and desire, you’ll find something suspicious. As Marquis Fabius once said, there is little benefit we get from this rebellion. Then there’s something. There’s no way the Duke doesn’t know that.
Arriving at the gate of Braam, Earl Malthus shouted at the soldier in the castle.
“I am Earl Malthus, the gate commander of the Polkin Gate. I have a long talk with the Duke of Bastian, open the gates!”
The soldier on the gate opened the gate only after a while of observation. After a great delay in time, the Earl stared sharply at the guard of the gate, but he passed by because he had no time.
Soon after, we headed to the former Braam Castle, where the conference room was arranged, following the guidance of a knight.
“Come on, come here. Marquis Fabius has already arrived.”
After a while, when I arrived in the conference room, I was able to face a bloody silence in the hall. The entire command team was gathered, but they were showing their feelings with living silence.
They seemed to have heard the news through the Marquis.