144
Lieutenant Colonel Cassert and I knelt down and waited for Frances to stand.
There was not even an escort around Francek. He appeared alone in the danger zone.
“Schwell Cassert, open the checkpoints and protect the Imperial subjects.”
Francis stood up and spoke. His voice carried widely even without a loudspeaker. It had the sound of several people speaking at once.
“Is this Your Majesty’s order? Is this Your Majesty’s order?”
Lieutenant Colonel Cassert spoke with his knees and head bowed.
“Are you saying you won’t follow my orders?”
“… … I’m just curious.”
“What value do you think an army that can’t even protect its own citizens is?”
“It is a decision to protect more people.”
“Let me be clear. We’re not protecting the many, we’re protecting the privileged few!”
At Francek’s shouts, the protesters shouted for Akbaran to leave. Some boldly stepped onto the border line.
Lieutenant Colonel Cassert was at a dead end. With the Crown Prince’s presence, he could not resort to violence.
And the appearance of Francesque only added fuel to the fire of the protests. Among the lower classes of the empire, there were many who disliked the nobility, but few who disliked the imperial family.
Francis was especially popular with the public. Among the lower classes, he was probably even more popular than the emperor.
With Francesque on their side, the protesters moved boldly, as if they had nothing to fear.
“Lukaus Custoria, stand up and protect me. We’ll talk more later.”
I stood up after receiving the order and looked around. There were many suspicious movements even within the protesters. I saw some people panicking. They were not innocent citizens, but probably wind catchers.
‘If Frances had been even a little late, there would have been bloodshed.’
I thought about it and then shook my head.
‘No, Francesque waited and deliberately aimed for a dramatic performance. He is a man who knows better than anyone else what kind of situation he stands out in.’
Even I was nervous that Francesque might not come. When he did arrive, I was the one who felt more relieved than anyone else.
‘I wonder if Ilay explained it well to Francesque.’
I sent Ilay to Francesque to convey my intentions. There were many things I could not say on the network.
‘I hope Francis has the stomach to swallow this chaos.’
Francesque would not be accustomed to dark schemes. He was a man thoroughly educated as a man of the sun.
‘How would Francis feel if he heard that the Emperor and his brother were conspiring to kill him…?’
I also took into account the possibility that Francesque might panic and not respond to my calls.
But Francis had not learned the art of kingship in a dry manner. There was not a single trace of anxiety in his dignified appearance.
The crown prince’s voice was magnificent, and his body was perfect. His cloak and hem were long and fluttering without being crushed by the wind and rain.
Those who felt the divinity knelt down, even if it was late, and paid homage to the bloodline of the founding nation.
Choaaaah.
Francesque took a step forward. A golden wave spread out in a circle beneath his feet. A simple light without any physical power. One of the luxurious decorative features.
But the soldiers stepped back as if they dared not even step on that light.
Damn it.
Francesque walked slowly towards the entrance leading to the stairs. A circular wave followed his footsteps and then disappeared.
No one touched Francis. I followed him.
chuck!
Lieutenant Colonel Cassert caught up with us and blocked our path.
“Your Majesty, it would be better to kill me here and open the door. If you do that, I will become a fool who failed my mission with my eyes open.”
“I want to resolve this peacefully, Lord Cassert.”
Francesque said with his eyes lowered. His expression seemed forlorn at first.
“If you want to carry out your will, you will have to shed blood.”
“The Emperor… … .”
Francek’s arm moved. A knife longer than his arm emerged from inside his sleeve, defying the laws of physics. I don’t know how.
Squeak!
Francek’s blade passed through Lieutenant Colonel Cassert’s head. It didn’t cut his neck, but his head. The cut was smooth, perhaps due to the monomolecular coating.
As the blade passed, a cross-section of the brain was revealed.
“… … You shouldn’t be afraid of blood, even if it’s blood on your hands.”
The soldiers at the checkpoint remained silent even after their superior died. They probably did not know what to do. They were torn between their duty as soldiers and their loyalty to the royal family. There was no training institution that taught them how to deal with such situations.
‘In chaos, you can only judge by your own will.’
I was most surprised by Lieutenant Colonel Cassert’s decision.
‘He chose death for himself.’
Lieutenant Colonel Cassert is a man who can avoid Frances’ attacks, but he willingly accepts death as if he were keeping his word.
‘Perhaps Lieutenant Colonel Cassert had nothing to do with the current situation… … He was just a very loyal soldier.’
Lieutenant Colonel Cassert silently and nobly performed his role. The Empire has lost a talented man. This is why civil war is dangerous. How many talented men will die during this storm? Rather, evil opportunists will side with the victors and take Lieutenant Colonel Cassert’s place.
‘Because of my judgment that it adds to the confusion… … .’
The loss of life will increase, and the empire will become weaker. It was not Francesque’s displeasure that was the problem, but mine. From now on, I must swallow the evil I commit without spitting it out.
“Luka, don’t just stand there and open the door. Show that we are the shield for the imperial subjects who cannot protect themselves.”
I nodded and stepped forward, my sword moving briskly.
Ka-Ang!
Crux cut through the complicated locking mechanism with ease, and I reached out and pulled the iron door left and right.
To be honest, it was a tough job. I had to keep my body’s output at maximum for quite some time.
But the door opened slowly, which had a great dramatic effect. People were holding their breath and looking at me.
Kkieeeeeeeeee!
The door was dragged out. The parts of the opening mechanism connected to the end of the door broke one by one under my force and were thrown out.
Kwung! Boom!
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
The stairs leading to the upper floor opened wide.
“Woooooooooooooo!”
“Long live His Majesty Francis! Long live!”
“Long live Krachia, the protector of the empire!”
The demonstrators marched up the steps, praising Francis and the royal family. No one was afraid to cross the line anymore. They even had a strong background in Francis.
“Thank you! Thank you!”
A woman kept bowing her head and then was swept up by the crowd. She was holding her child.
‘A weak person who cannot protect himself.’
The poor were desperate. They had not been able to leave their homes throughout the storm. But they were not safe inside either.
All areas except the upper zone have become lawless. People are still dying in the lower zone.
Francesque and I also walked up the stairs. The protesters who had been going up ahead also made way for us and gave us the lead.
“There are people everywhere trying to assassinate Your Majesty. It may be difficult for me to protect him alone.”
I whispered next to him.
“What we’re seeing now is being seen all over Akbaran, no, the entire Empire. We won’t do anything rash. And if your warnings are true… … I’m having a hard time trusting anyone around me.”
“Do you believe me?”
“No, I’m still half-doubting it. But my brother Riley, no, Ivan now? If the boy is really preparing to rebel against his father, I guess I can believe you. But… … .”
Francesque’s tone was calm.
“… … If you and Ilay deceived me, the price you pay will be much worse than what you think.”
“Your Majesty, you already know that I am not lying. That is why you have come here.”
There was a crack in Francis’ mask. His eyebrows twitched.
“Akis Domini is such a tiring being.”
“That position has been stripped.”
“Then what are you?”
It’s a difficult question to answer. I thought for a moment and then opened my mouth.
“It will become a symbol of the new era that His Majesty desires.”
Francesque burst out laughing.
“Your flattery has increased. But what you are doing now is a typical abuse of authority by a watchdog. You want the royal family to do as you wish, beyond your role as an advisor.”
“I will put Your Majesty’s words differently. I am in a desperate and urgent situation where I must use Your Majesty right now. This is not an abuse of power, but a struggle.”
I felt my forehead heating up. My thoughts were flowing endlessly.
‘Francesque’s intrusion.’
This spreads the possibilities further into dozens, and each time another variable is added, the possibilities double.
Infinite possibilities that are difficult for the human brain to process. The only tool to navigate the sea of possibilities is ‘intuition’.
From now on, I trust my intuition. I cannot navigate this path with a level of thinking that follows logical understanding.
* * *
The ring road in the upper district was jam-packed with Franciscans and protesters.
Francis took a gamble. He knew that his father, the Emperor, was trying to kill him. If that was true, he had no choice but to act.
‘Fransec’s weapon is popular support.’
The crowd following me and Francesque numbered in the tens of thousands. There was no room to set foot on the streets. The number of people visible was probably over 20,000.
And the number gradually increased.
“… …Stop fighting. I will guarantee your rights.”
It was an area where the military and the rioters were in a standoff. Francek advanced between the cover and the barrier. I looked around with extreme tension.
Francis could die at any moment. By now, the Emperor and Ivan would have figured out Francis’s sudden actions.
I’m also in danger. There were Nemesis members among the mob. It wouldn’t have been strange if they had pulled the trigger on me right away after killing Rick.
“It is dangerous! Your Majesty. They are rioters… … .”
The officer who had been confronting him approached Francis and said:
“Watch your mouth. They are not rioters, they are citizens of the Empire. I will not tolerate citizens of the Empire pointing weapons at each other.”
Francis snapped. He stretched out his hand and pointed at the mob.
Those who were bewildered lowered their guns, overwhelmed by Francesque’s splendid appearance and halo.
“Lukaus Custoria! In the name of Kratzia, take back command of those squires and reorganize your forces. From now on, you will not be guard dogs for the privileged, but true shields for the people of the Empire.”
Francis shouted to the troops. The officers were at a loss and were trying to communicate with their superiors for instructions.
The officers of the Imperial Army were usually of noble birth. However, the soldiers and non-commissioned officers who made up the majority of the army’s members came from the lower classes.
Thud, thud.
Non-commissioned officers who were captivated by Francek’s charisma began to desert the battle line and join Francek. The desertion accelerated and became unstoppable.
“… … Those who wish to right all these wrongs, take up arms and follow me. The name of Kratzia is with you. The bloodline of our founding nation exists to protect you before ruling. Those who abandon their duty to protect have no right to rule, and that is the oath the first emperor uttered as he raised his banner!”
I don’t know if it was really Dino Kratzia who said those words, but it was clear that those words set people’s hearts on fire.
In fact, Francek’s goals were not even mentioned in the speech. The words themselves were vague. However, Francek used his honed charisma to absorb the military and the mob in the upper echelons.
But there are those who want to stop this flow. I expected that there would be several assassinations and sniping attacks, no matter who instigated them.
The roar of the crowd felt slow. I stared at them, feeling extremely tired. One of them caught my eye.
‘sniping?’
Someone was sticking their head out the window. I could see the muzzle of a gun. I was going to protect Francesque even if it meant throwing myself at him.
But the sniper couldn’t pull the trigger. Someone grabbed the sniper’s head and twisted it.
‘Kinuan… … .’
Kinuan appeared in the crucible of chaos. He killed the sniper targeting Francek and then disappeared like a ghost.
