READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 80
“Oh, Royal Younger Brother!! Why is this happening!?”
Reos, pinned down, screamed with all his might.
“What, you didn’t hear? Reos Markein.”
“What do you mean by human sacrifice!? Why!? We’re the ones who captured the leader, Sosua!! Why are you doing this!?”
In response to Reos’s outburst, Yuan and his men responded with cold sneers.
“You should’ve said that when you won yesterday’s battle. After losing, all you are is a traitor who betrayed your master to save your own skin, right?”
“D-damn it, that’s…”
“Besides, when Queen Sosua proposed surrender during the siege of Rekuryaku Castle, it was you who stopped her.”
“W-why… would you…?”
Reos and his men wore expressions of confusion at Yuan’s declaration. Seeing this, Yuan smirked coldly and asked,
“Didn’t it strike you as odd that I knew your name without you even introducing yourself?”
“Huh… ah…”
“How dull. Our people have already infiltrated Rekuryaku. Your every move has been transparent from the start.”
At Yuan’s words, Reos and his men began to tremble uncontrollably.
“Queen Sosua, do you know who our informants are?”
“Yes.”
At Sosua’s reply, Reos and his men looked at her in shock.
“Ryoshua, Junoke, Neis, and Reock—those four are certain. There may be others, but those four are definitely among them.”
“Impressive.”
Yuan praised Sosua’s response.
“Then why didn’t you kill Ryoshua and the others, your enemies?”
Sosua smiled faintly and replied,
“Why kill them? They’re valuable liaisons with Zabeiru.”
Yuan and his staff looked impressed by Sosua’s answer.
“Besides, I fled here with King Jilvol’s help. If I killed his subordinates, it would undoubtedly lead to a massacre.”
“I see.”
Yuan nodded in understanding. He had grasped what Sosua was aiming for.
(As reported, Sosua is the only sane one in the Gildoruk royal family.)
Yuan had no choice but to admit that Ryoshua’s report was accurate.
“Sosua!! You spared the enemy!?”
Reos, who had been listening, shouted accusations at Sosua. But his voice, though loud, lacked strength. Not only was he pinned down, but the terror of his impending death had sapped his energy.
When Yuan glared sharply, the officer pinning Reos kicked him in the face to silence him. Though the kick was restrained, it was effective, and not only Reos but the others fell silent as well.
“Queen Sosua, I understand what you’re saying. The condition for surrender is the sparing of the others, right?”
“Yes. I ask for the lives of those in the castle in exchange for my own.”
“Very well.”
“Of course… huh?”
Sosua was taken aback by Yuan’s immediate agreement. She hadn’t expected such a quick response.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean we’ll protect them.”
“…Understood.”
“We have no intention of killing those who don’t oppose us. But if they resist again, we won’t be so lenient.”
“I understand.”
Sosua looked Yuan straight in the eye as she replied. If they were spared once and then acted foolishly again, there would be no saving them. Sosua’s true feelings were that she couldn’t afford to care for those who were already as good as dead.
“And Queen Sosua.”
“Yes.”
“Whether or not you are executed is not my decision to make.”
“Huh?”
Sosua showed a hint of unease at Yuan’s words. She had assumed she would be executed here, with only her head taken away.
“The orders we received from His Majesty are to ‘bring you to Miressbelle.’ Your fate is for His Majesty to decide.”
“Understood.”
For a moment, Sosua thought she might survive, but the mention of Jilvol’s name made her realize that was impossible. Having witnessed Jilvol’s hatred for the royal family, she couldn’t imagine her life being spared.
“Th-thank you!!”
“We’re grateful!!”
Reos and his men raised their voices again. Just as the officer was about to strike them, Yuan stopped him with a gesture.
“Are you that happy? Well, thanks to you, establishing control over the former Gildoruk will be easier. You could say it’s your achievement.”
“Y-yes!! Thank you!!”
(How foolish… still interpreting things to their advantage.)
Listening to Yuan and Reos’s conversation, Sosua couldn’t help but feel exasperated. Reos and his men thanked Yuan because they believed they had been spared. But that couldn’t be the case. If their lives had truly been spared, they would have been released. The fact that they were still restrained meant their execution was still on the table.
“From now on, you will be executed in the former royal capital of Gildoruk. At that time, your betrayal of Queen Sosua will be widely publicized. You will be subjected to considerable abuse, and the most brutal punishment possible will be carried out. But it’s a noble sacrifice for the sake of reconciliation between our two nations. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
At Yuan’s words, Reos and his men froze.
“W-why…?”
“What are you talking about? I’m merely acknowledging your willingness to sacrifice yourselves for the sake of reconciliation.”
“Didn’t you just say you’d spare the lives of those in the castle!?”
Yuan sneered coldly at Reos’s words.
“Ah, yes, I did say I’d spare the lives of those in the castle. Are you in the castle?”
Reos and his men were left speechless by Yuan’s words. His logic was nothing short of malicious.
“You’re joking!! Such a scam can’t be allowed!!”
“That’s right!! Doesn’t Zabeiru have any sense of justice!?”
But after a moment of shock, Reos and his men began to scream. If staying silent meant a悲惨な最後, they had no choice but to protest.
“I’m not joking. I’m being serious. You betrayed your queen and came crawling to us. And in a situation where defeat was imminent. It’s only natural to use such obvious villains, don’t you think?”
In stark contrast to Reos’s rage, Yuan spoke calmly and methodically. His calmness slowly poured the poison of despair into Reos’s heart.
“Queen Sosua, let me make this clear. I won’t allow their lives to be spared. If you plead for their lives, everyone in the castle will be slaughtered.”
“Understood. I will not plead for their lives.”
Sosua bowed slightly in response to Yuan’s stern tone.
“Y-you can’t!! Queen!! Are you abandoning us!?”
Reos clung to Sosua, who had betrayed him. It was unthinkable that she would accept his plea, but Reos had no other choice.
“Reos Markein, you will die for the sake of reconciliation between Zabeiru and Gildoruk. Suffer as much as possible, and die miserably. That will somewhat ease Zabeiru’s hatred and lower the psychological resistance of Gildoruk’s central figures to submitting to Zabeiru. Your deaths will not be in vain.”
Sosua spoke without a hint of emotion.
(This is fine. I appreciate Royal Younger Brother Yuan’s consideration, but this is something I must do for the people of Gildoruk.)
Sosua glanced at Yuan, who seemed to understand her intentions and nodded quietly.
“Y-you’re joking!! This can’t be how it ends!!”
“Let me go!!”
“Help me!! Help me!!”
“Aaaah!!”
Having lost everything to cling to, Reos and his men fell into a state of panic, but they couldn’t overpower the soldiers pinning them down.
“That’s enough. Take them away. Make sure they don’t commit suicide. They must die in the royal capital.”
“Yes, sir!”
At Yuan’s command, the soldiers gagged Reos and his men, who were dragged away while groaning.
“Royal Younger Brother, thank you for your consideration.”
“Ah, it’s nothing. Queen Sosua, you will follow our instructions from now on.”
“Understood.”
Yuan nodded at Sosua’s reply and turned his gaze to the soldiers.
“This way.”
The soldiers led Sosua away.
“Quite the composure.”
“Indeed, her calmness at that age is remarkable.”
“Lord Yuan seems quite taken with her.”
“Yes, she seems to understand Lord Yuan’s consideration well.”
The staff spoke favorably of Sosua’s demeanor after she left.
“Hmm, spread word of today’s events within the army. Let the traitors be met with hatred and contempt.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Then, Viscount Kaizein, I leave the opening of Rekuryaku Castle to you.”
“Understood.”
“Coordinate with Ryoshua and the others. But if there’s resistance, show no mercy.”
“Yes, sir!”
Yuan’s policy was to be lenient with those who surrendered, but only if they didn’t resist. If they resisted, he had no intention of showing mercy. This attitude was thoroughly ingrained in the Zabeiru Military.
After giving orders to his subordinates, Yuan thought about Sosua.
(She understands what’s most important. She has not only emotions but logical thinking as well.)
What impressed Yuan about Sosua was that she didn’t object to the execution of Reos and his men. She calmly carried out retribution against those who had betrayed her. In such a situation, it would be normal to express joy, but Sosua spoke to Reos and his men with detachment.
Yuan believed that Sosua acted to minimize the harm to those in the castle by not letting her emotions dictate her actions.
Moreover, directing Reos’s hatred toward Yuan was his way of showing consideration for Sosua. Yuan thought that if Reos’s hatred were directed at Sosua, it might wound her heart.
However, Sosua, aware of this consideration, still did what she had to do.
(Her heart is stronger than I thought.)
Yuan was impressed by Sosua’s strength of heart. Acting while knowing she would be met with hatred placed a great burden on her heart. That Sosua did so without hesitation was not something to be taken lightly.
(What a shame…)
Yuan muttered to himself. His thoughts weren’t entirely aligned with Jilvol’s. Of course, he had no intention of rebelling. But when it came to Sosua, his thoughts were different.
The news of Rekuryaku Castle’s surrender quickly spread throughout the former Gildoruk.
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