The Returned Sword King Decided to Become a Tyrant Episode 21
Coming Dark Clouds (2)
“Hmm!”
The door to the main hall opened with the servant’s guidance, and my father appeared.
Thanks to this, the heavy atmosphere in Daejeon calmed down in an instant, but it seemed that the chaotic flow of the room could not be hidden, and empty coughs erupted here and there.
“… … .”
“Hmm!”
The chaos that continued for so long finally dissipated after my father ascended to the throne.
Father immediately brought up the main topic and announced the start of the State Council meeting.
“You must be familiar with the news that came in a while ago.”
As you know.
The nobles nodded.
My father also confirmed the sight and nodded along.
“The Federation Empire has entered full-scale war. And even now, the barbarians are gathering on Imperial lands.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“But Esteban is not safe either.”
Even at this time, the barbarians were advancing south.
It meant that no matter how much attention the Federal Empire had, they could not avoid battle.
Everyone present knew that fact.
“Is there anyone who has any ideas on how to resolve this situation?”
“May I speak first?”
At that moment, the one who raised his hand more confidently than anyone else was the young noble who had been quietly standing guard on behalf of the Northern Margrave.
My father’s mouth, which had been silent for a moment as if he was thinking about something, slowly began to open.
“You are the grandson of Count Romert.”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Let me tell you first.”
After his father’s permission was granted, the grandson of the changeling count nodded.
“At least a few thousand barbarians have been confirmed in the border area. If this momentum continues, the barbarians will truly trample the border area.”
“……hmm.”
“The Romert Estate is taking the lead, but the northern nobles cannot hold out for long with just their military power. Please raise troops and support the north at the order of His Majesty the King.”
Raise an army?
My father raised his eyebrows slightly and said.
“It sounds like you’re telling us to move the southern troops. Are you saying that it’s difficult to solve the problem by just sending the royal troops like last time?”
“Yes. The situation in the North right now is… … .”
“That’s impossible!”
The one who quickly interrupted and stepped forward was a nobleman from the south.
He twitched his lips and laughed at the grandson of the changeling count, then began to speak in a leisurely voice.
“It was just a regular barbarian attack. Why are you making such a fuss over something like that?”
“This is not a situation that can be passed over like that.”
“This incident? I thought the northern nobles had taken advantage of various obligations, including tax rates, to organize a standing army in preparation for such a situation?”
As the eyes of the audience focused on him, the southern nobleman who had been shrugging his shoulders opened his mouth again.
“This side is already struggling to pay the reduced tax rate from the North, so shouldn’t we be able to stop the barbarians on our own?”
“… … .”
The grandson of Count Romert closed his mouth as if speechless.
Why are you calculating profit and loss in a country’s important affairs?
But the southern nobles still faced the situation in the north with a relaxed tone.
“Doesn’t that mean you’re literally taking all the profits and sharing them? It feels like a really cunning yardstick.”
“What the… … !”
“If you keep listening, there is nothing you can’t say!”
The nobles, divided into the southern and northern factions, began to bare their teeth at each other.
Because of this, the State Council meeting, which should have been held in a serious atmosphere, quickly turned into chaos.
Did they say the grass is greener on the other side?
In fact, it has often happened that the North and the South are divided and show hostility toward each other.
But this time, they were showing such an extreme side that I even forgot where they were.
Even though I knew that something more catastrophic than ever was going to happen.
I was starting to find this situation, which was obviously intentional, amusing.
“How pathetic.”
“Your Majesty!”
The words that came out without my knowledge penetrated through the noise and reached the nobles’ ears.
The bewildered Baron opened his eyes wide and hurriedly grabbed the hem of my clothes, but I just smiled coldly and stepped forward.
“How can I be trying to protect my own rice bowl even though my country is in danger?”
“… … .”
“If anyone saw this, they would think this was my playground.”
“Mom, what you said is too… … .”
“Shut up.”
My cold gaze pierced straight through the southern aristocrat.
Then… … .
“Ugh, crap… … !”
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A strong murderous intent that made it impossible for him to breathe strangled the bastard’s neck, and he rolled over with his eyes as if he was about to faint.
The nobles suddenly looked at the fallen noble with bewildered faces, and began to shiver from an inexplicable cold.
I continued speaking as I approached the place where the nobles were lined up.
“Which country are you nobles from?”
“… … .”
“You?”
A nobleman who was standing where my finger was pointing opened his mouth with a start.
“I, I am a nobleman of Esteban.”
“Huh?”
It was definitely close to the correct answer.
But I was still looking down at them with a smile.
“One, even though it doesn’t add strength, fighting on different sides feels like something deliberately intended to instigate civil war to me.”
I looked at each of those who avoided my gaze, and finally my gaze landed on the Count of Balmons, whose flesh was twitching.
Yeah, like… … .
My smile grew deeper.
“It’s as if someone is moving to make it happen.”
“No, absolutely not! That is absolutely not the case!”
“okay?”
After answering that question, I turned around and returned to my seat.
But I, the first prince, was still the one who controlled the atmosphere in the room.
“If there are still nobles who take sides and try to protect their own rice bowls, I will consider them as those who dare to betray the will of the royal family.”
“… … Ahem!”
“I guess there are no objections.”
Then he took a step back and bowed to his father, who was waiting for the situation to calm down.
After a while.
My father’s dignified voice struck like lightning over Daejeon, which had suddenly become a solemn atmosphere.
“I will call up troops.”
It was absolutely the right decision.
It was unknown how many more barbarians would come in the future, and as I had said, it would be difficult to stop them with only the northern forces.
But it wasn’t like there were no problems at all.
“Your Majesty, may I say one more thing?”
This time he was the grandson of Count Romert.
My father nodded silently, and then the grandson of the Count spoke.
“The North is currently in a precarious state, as if it could collapse at any moment. The barbarian warriors are ready to attack with their weapons at the slightest opportunity, and the number of troops to fight them is woefully inadequate.”
“Does that mean that even if we send out troops, we won’t be able to hold out until they arrive?”
The grandson of the Count, who still had some traces of youthfulness left, nodded immediately.
“Yes. To make matters worse, this attack is on a different track, so temporarily withdrawing the defense line like before would be tantamount to giving up the advantage of the walls.”
Even stepping back to hold on is threatening.
The southward advance of the barbarians before the return was so dire that we had to give up three castles.
If the Federal Empire had not taken notice of us this time, we would have had to endure an even greater onslaught ourselves.
Still, my father shook his head firmly.
“The line of defense is impenetrable.”
“Your Majesty the King!”
“They will never trample this land. They will never even consider defeat.”
A firm belief that it will definitely happen.
My father’s determined eyes soon turned to me.
“Those who will help defend the border have already arrived in the north.”
“yes?”
“If they are there, they can hold out until the troops arrive.”
“… …If you say they are.”
Amidst the pouring questions, my father’s lips moved slowly.
“The Sun Knights will help the North.”
“Tae, Sun Knights!”
The nobles were surprised at the name they heard.
The 2nd Order of Knights, directly under the royal command, comprised of only the most elite knights of the kingdom.
As befitting its glorious name, it possessed an astonishing record of users who could control Aura. It was truly one of the representative knight orders of the Northern Continent.
“But weren’t they guarding the border between the two empires?”
While the northern barbarian lands were certainly a threat, none were more important than those bordering the Holy Empire and the Federation Empire.
Therefore, the main area of activity of the Knights of the Sun was fixed to the southeastern part of Esteban.
The news that the Sun Knights have arrived in the North is… … .
“Surely you were expecting an invasion by barbarians… …!”
“Oh!”
The nobles’ admiring gazes were directed toward my father.
It was only a few days ago that their movements became visible.
In other words, the king foresaw all of this and moved the Knights of the Sun in advance.
But my father shook his head while agreeing with this.
“I expected an invasion, but that wasn’t Jim’s doing.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Are you saying that there was someone else who provided the information?”
“That’s right.”
The nobles’ expressions once again showed doubt.
That moment.
My father’s gaze, which had been on me from the beginning, changed to a warm and pleasant one.
“Allen Esteban. Are you going to let me explain your exploits?”
“omg!”
“what……!”
I once again met the eyes of the nobles and soon smiled lightly and said.
“Even if I were to deploy the Knights of the Sun to the north, that would be the will of His Majesty the King, who permitted all orders, and not mine.”
“No. If it weren’t for your judgment that the barbarians would invade, we would have had to face them unprepared.”
“okay.”
It was a natural thing.
I shrugged and stepped forward towards the astonished nobles.
Of course, that gaze was looking straight at my father.
“Now that the entire Sun Knights have headed north, I believe this will be the driving force that will allow us to hold out until the Kingdom’s forces arrive.”
“Yes.”
“So, what do you plan to do after that?”
“hmm?”
My father was taken aback by my question, but he slowly gathered his thoughts and spoke.
“After repelling the barbarian offensive, we should keep a close eye on the situation and prepare for the next attack.”
“But the situation will not change.”
Even if I step down this time, they will still come after Esteban as they have been doing so far, and this will continue for 10 or 20 years.
Just like Esteban before his regression and up until now.
My father’s expression immediately frowned as if he sensed something strange.
“So what do you want to do?”
“We must take advantage of this war with the Federal Empire.”
“… …Utilizing war?”
There was no other chance than now, while they were starving, and any careless move would soon snowball into Esteban.
That’s why.
I smiled and confessed my true feelings.
“Send me to the North. I will break the barbarians’ spirit with my own hands.”
My father’s eyes widened in shock.
“Now… … What are you talking about… … .”
