The Returned Sword King Decided to Become a Tyrant Episode 20
Coming Dark Clouds (1)
The place where the man sat was more arrogant and authoritarian than anywhere else.
And those two pithy words are more than enough to describe the man.
The man’s name is Berletto William.
He was the head of the only ducal family in Esteban and a capable man who produced Queen Sarah, the mother of the second prince.
Also, now that the king’s close friend Asus had died, he could be said to be the true most powerful person among the nobles.
Besides that, there are countless words that can describe the man.
“The Plains of Galderd… … .”
The duke’s deep voice echoed softly throughout the room.
His faithful followers realized that the voice contained joy.
Indeed, the true meaning could be found in the words that came next.
“It’s a shame that the assassination attempt failed, but it’s definitely not a bad situation.”
At the prince’s suggestion, Esteban received back the Galder Plains.
If the land had been useful, it could have been the right choice, but this was such an arbitrary and foolish choice that even those who followed the first prince were puzzled.
Thanks to this, the optimal time has come for them to become active while shedding the shell of the Second Prince faction.
“What was the reaction?”
As soon as the Duke’s eyes met, Count Balmons nodded and said.
“As expected, the reactions are negative. Public opinion is slowly spreading behind the scenes.”
“You’re doing well.”
Even though the King had given his approval, this was ultimately an agreement that took place without any consultation with the nobles.
That is why the nobles felt that they should end the conversation and start renegotiations as soon as possible.
It was a change in public opinion that didn’t even need to be deliberately decorated.
The peacock laughed.
“This incident will be an opportunity to doubt the First Prince’s abilities.”
“Yes.”
Moreover, if renegotiation is decided due to public pressure, it will not only be a matter of doubting one’s ability, but will also be branded as a diplomatic faux pas against the Federal Empire.
It was something the man had been longing for.
“You were so eager to show leadership that you committed the crime without even thinking about the consequences.”
From the moment he struck down Asus, who had been controlling the nobles, he had stepped into a swamp from which he could not escape.
Thanks to this, not only was the power of the first prince, who had a solid support base, shaken, but by making these kinds of mistakes, they even helped them to move behind the scenes…
Bam-
The sugar in Duke William’s hand sank into the abyss of his coffee cup.
“His next move will be the final one that will determine his fate.”
His efforts were in vain.
For a weak and dull subject, a foolish would-be leader who couldn’t even see his own path, this was the only way to end up like this.
But even in the midst of all this, there were certainly those who acted cautiously.
“dismissal.”
“what?”
“If there was a reason we didn’t figure out about receiving the Galder Plains… … .”
Something called ‘information’ that they don’t know.
The Count of Balmons’s suspicions, carefully taken out, were justified.
It has already been over a month since the delegation returned, but even the king, who is very clear about the distinction between public and private affairs, has not mentioned this story at all…
But, in view of the Count of Balmons’s caution, the Duke declared:
“No. That won’t happen.”
The reason was simple and reasonable.
“If there really was such a thing, the Federal Empire would not have given up the plains so easily.”
Also, if the royal family of Esteban had taken action to find out such information, it would have reached the ears of the Federal Empire.
This also applied to himself, the maternal grandfather of the second prince.
The peacock’s head slowly turned.
“Wouldn’t that be so?”
“… … .”
A man appeared through the darkness that was hidden like a curtain.
A graceful and elegant gesture. Yet, as if showing one’s true character, one walks without a hint of hesitation.
The impression I got from that man was the wind.
“You just have to keep your promise, dismantle the power of the first prince, and ascend to the throne.”
The peacock’s eyes sparkled with desire.
“Albedo Esteban.”
* * *
A month had passed since the delegation returned. These days had been a repetition of meticulously interlocked training.
When I opened my eyes, I went to the training ground to practice swordsmanship, and after that, I stayed up all night training my body without any time to rest.
As a result, I became a little more accustomed to dealing with the aura inherent in my body.
… … To be precise, we should see it as the body belatedly learning past experiences.
However, my body is still not up to par with the realm.
Woooooooooo-
A blood-red aura blade over two meters long unfolded from the sword in his hand.
The density of the aura was much thicker than when I first absorbed the dark magic energy.
I straightened my posture and tensed my muscles.
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The target is a scarecrow right in front of you.
“Huh!”
The sword, shot out like a bolt of lightning in a storm, accurately cut through the scarecrow’s waist.
Chomp!
He slowly retrieves the sword he was swinging from and keeps an eye on the scarecrow.
The scarecrow retained its original appearance as if nothing had happened.
… … But that was only for a moment.
Soon, the scarecrow, unable to withstand the shock, disintegrated into pieces and collapsed to the ground.
The scarecrow, torn to pieces, was transformed into a gruesome sight reminiscent of a wild beast attack.
It was the result of releasing three auras in a single strike.
Of course, this too was an unreasonable movement that did not fit the body.
“The realm is chasing the past, but it’s still a pitiful body.”
Still, it doesn’t feel so bad.
My current body is not complete, but it is maintained in a clean state.
Like a blank sheet of paper waiting for the artist’s brush strokes, I can draw not only the past but also the future I want.
perhaps.
The moment this body is completed may be the moment when I surpass my pre-regression self.
“… … Is this the completion of the body?”
I slowly stroked the tattoo on my right arm.
The work of absorbing the magical power in the air was still ongoing.
Of course, if left alone, it would steadily absorb and synchronize, but there were many ways to artificially control the speed.
Exactly like this.
Phew!
The aura that had been dormant within the body began to blend into the entire body, rapidly strengthening the body’s abilities.
The only difference was that instead of simply flowing through his blood vessels, it began to race towards his right arm along an artificially created passage of magical imprints.
Eventually, the aura that had spread throughout the body met the accumulated magical power and led to explosive activation of the body.
“Huh!”
The body’s activation did not last long.
This is because the aura felt overloaded and stopped working and started to recover.
It was an act of deliberately stimulating the transplanted magic imprint. There was no way it wouldn’t cause strain on the body.
Phew.
Finally, I let out a deep breath, calming my boiling energy.
After checking the energy I felt, I was able to confirm that the amount of mana absorbed by the magic seal had slightly increased.
However, due to the recoil, my whole body felt paralyzed and I could not feel anything, and I broke out in a cold sweat trying to calm my magical power that was about to run wild.
It was a moment when I found myself frowning.
“… … About 3 seconds.”
This was a huge step forward, considering that the first time the impression was stimulated it didn’t even last a second.
It was also evidence that the body’s ability to endure was increasing.
Of course, the returns coming back through stimulation were also gradually increasing.
“It’s almost time to cross the first threshold.”
A deep silver mana rippled over the tattoo on his right arm.
It was exactly as expected.
The magic engraving function will soon be fully released.
Since he also knew all the knowledge, it was clear that the synchronization progress speed was abnormal throughout the entire regression.
“Your Majesty. It is almost time.”
I nodded at the urging of Baron Vidor, who had come all the way to the training grounds.
Then he stared at the fallen scarecrow and left the training ground.
The sun, which had fallen asleep, had swallowed up the darkness, and the outside was bustling with servants preparing for the day.
The destination was the First Prince’s office as usual, but today there was no time to delay.
* * *
Groan groan-
Although they had gathered for a State Council meeting, what the nobles were actually expressing was a sense of anxiety.
An extremely selfish desire that only considers one’s own comfort.
Or, pure worry, fearing that the sparks might fall on Esteban’s feet.
Whatever it was, there was no doubt that the reason was the news that had come from the Federation Empire two days ago.
“War… I wonder if Esteban will be affected as well.”
The movements of the barbarians finally became visible.
The Emperor of the Federal Empire, judging that he could not sit idly by and watch the barbarians advance south, raised an army, and eventually a war broke out between the barbarians and the Empire.
It was the commotion that happened just this morning.
“It looks like the barbarians have finally gone mad.”
“Now we are starting to see the movements of barbarians in the northern border region as well.”
“Huh!”
As if to prove that statement true, the faces of the nobles who actually had enemies in the North were pale and pale.
Thanks to this, the atmosphere was naturally tense even though the State Council meeting had not even started.
Baron Vidor, who was standing next to me, brought his face close and spoke quietly.
“There really is a war with the Empire.”
“I guess so.”
The eerie sound of the name war.
Although it was a tension that Esteban was quite familiar with, it was rare for something on this scale to occur.
I looked at the northern nobles who couldn’t calm down for even a moment and snickered.
“Isn’t it funny how they are worried about losing even the smallest of possessions?”
“yes?”
“I can’t even protect you with my own hands, but I can just stomp my feet.”
“……omg!”
Then, Baron Vidor, who was quite embarrassed by my verbal abuse, looked around and spoke cautiously.
“Your Majesty! But aren’t they the nobles of the North who protected Esteban from the barbarians?”
“No. If they truly wanted to protect their country, they would have rushed to their territory and reorganized their forces immediately to escape the current situation.”
“Even if you say that… … .”
The Baron’s gaze scanned his surroundings once more.
If you think about it, the northern nobles currently located here were the ones who rushed to the capital as soon as the barbarians’ movements were confirmed.
Considering that the Count, who was in charge of most of the northern border region, was sending his grandson in his place and taking the lead in extinguishing the chaos himself… … the only ones left were those who had been pretending to protect Esteban.
I continued speaking after noticing that the Baron’s expression had changed strangely.
“Even birds spare no expense in protecting what is theirs.”
Even a small creature comes face to face with a predator to protect its home.
That’s what protecting something was like.
“Take a good look at it.”
As he spoke, his gaze turned to a northern nobleman who was nervously biting his fingernails.
Next, my gaze lingered on a group of opportunists who were flattering others even as security was under threat.
Without the courage to face even the slightest threat.
Great men who would run away and abandon the citizens of their domain if given the chance.
Even when the war with the Federal Empire broke out, he immediately betrayed his country and sided with them.
“They are just trash with a will worse than that of an animal.”
“… … .”
“Coming.”
I said so and straightened my posture.
What is coming all of a sudden?
Baron Vidor, who had been wavering between bewilderment and puzzlement, eventually discovered something and quickly lowered his head.
“His Majesty the King, the beacon of all knights and the leader of the Kingdom of Esteban, enters!”
