13 (35)

His armor clattered and rang. The two-handed sword was even fiercer. It flew as if splitting the floor apart with a crack. Louis struck his helmet. His stance had been slightly imperfect. Only the helmet flew off. His face was fully revealed. His cheek was viciously torn, but his eyes were steadfast. Louis looked at his face and smiled. The man shouted as if making a declaration.

“I am Crowd of House Turnt. My family has served as the standard-bearers of House Bread for generations. I consider it an honor to take the life of the lion.”

Louis did not even listen to all of it. After pulling out the dagger at his waist and spinning it once, he threw it to the side. Long for a dagger, it pierced straight into Bread’s broad thigh. Along with the scream, his chest trembled wildly. It seemed to have missed a fatal spot, because the blood did not gush out like a fountain. The two sons who had been trying to carry him away froze.

Louis’s killing intent was blatant, and their faces turned pale as if they had been caught in a trap. No one moved anymore. Louis spun the longsword in circles. The blood clinging to it fell to the ground in droplets. Louis crooked the fingers of his free hand toward him. The man who had identified himself as Crowd breathed heavily. He knew that what Louis was showing now was absolutely not arrogance. He readied his sword and swallowed hard. The sword slowly rose high into the air.

Louis broadened his senses. Many things were entering his perception. Bread, bleeding and gasping like a beast. All his sons and daughters, plunged into shock. Crowd, raising his heartbeat and focusing his mind. The mage above, preparing his next casting. Anok literally crushing men. Mihoff climbing along the railing. Boromir locked in a fierce melee with a Sword Expert. Kaiser facing the combined attack of six centurions. Countless other things besides were coming to him clearly. There was not a single disappointing part among them.

Louis met the descending two-handed sword head-on as if meeting a beam of light. The sword groaned, and Louis’s other hand was already at Crowd’s throat. The dagger struck into his neck as though setting it ablaze. He instinctively let go of his sword. Before the dagger even cooled, Louis swept aside with his sword and set his side aflame. True to being a steadfast knight, his dying cry was brief, and that was the end of it. Louis thought easing his pain was his honor, and took two more steps. The longsword drove with a thud into the neck rolling on the ground.

“Cr… Crowd!”

“Sir Crowd!!”

Louis enjoyed the surrounding gasps and cries. Having finished the next casting, the mage was creating a pit of fire aimed at Louis. The blazing flames looked as hot as the fires of hell. But Louis had no thought of dodging and instead turned his back. Along with a scream, a thin cry from the mage was heard. Mihoff had climbed onto the railing like a cat and attacked him. His sword was protruding straight out through the mage’s chest.

Mihoff kicked him off the railing along with the reddening robe. The mage fell beneath the table. Perhaps a candle had caught on the robe, because flames began to spread from the legs upward. His neck bone was bent to the left. It was instant death, far beyond what a mage’s frail body could withstand. Louis cooled his head slightly and walked forward. Bread, writhing on the floor, was on the verge of his last breath. For an old man, this level of injury was fatal.

“I loathe the cunning sort. How long did you think I would dance to your tune?”

“Ghk…. Kkh….”

“Did you truly think I would not know?”

“Th…. that….”

Louis saw one of the sons beside him begin to flee. Louis threw the wine bottle beside him at the man. With a sharp sound, the fleeing son sprawled flat like a frog. The others froze in place.

“If you move, I will kill you.”

There were dozens of soldiers around Louis alone. They had drawn their swords and surrounded him tightly. But not a single one of them could even think of charging Louis. That was because Louis’s sword was pointed at Bread’s neck. Louis ordered Bread to stop the situation at once. With the last scrap of strength, Bread shouted to the soldiers.

“St…. stop!”

That was the end of it. After a few final clashes of steel, the situation came to a close. One by one, the soldiers let their weapons fall. At the same time, Louis’s soldiers poured in from every direction. Judging by how they were covered in blood, they had killed their way in from outside. Louis’s soldiers began forcing the unarmed soldiers with both hands raised to kneel one by one. Bread had lost too much blood. Yet somehow he had not died and was still looking at Louis. Those eyes were filled with terrible regret. Louis picked up the wine bottle beside him and poured it over Bread’s face. The deep red liquid continued spilling over his face. When the last drop fell onto it, Louis knew he was about to die.

“Speak your final words.”

Barely drawing breath, he forced out a single phrase.

“A mis…. mistake….”

That was the end. His eyes rolled back, and he entered the final stage of death. At this point, even if some high-ranking priest had been present, death would have been the next step. Louis pulled the dagger from the back of Crowd’s neck, where blood foam clung. Hot blood throbbed out for a moment. He shook it off once and slipped it back into his waist. Louis slowly looked around. It was a total mess, but he felt refreshed inside. He thought he should cut off this bastard’s head and send it directly to Orpendius. It would make a fine example. Naturally, it would also damage morale and affect the battle to come.

“Clean it up.”

Louis was covered in blood, but not a single drop of it was his own. The soldiers were too distracted watching Louis to process what he had said. A beat later, a tremendous shout filled the hall.

Orpendius was now becoming afraid. A box had been delivered before his throne. Hundreds of officials were silent, and the man standing in front of him was somehow tense as well. It was not because of the king’s authority, but because of the influence of another man. Orpendius calmly flicked his sleeve and pointed at the box. “Open it.” He ordered the trembling retainer holding it. The man slowly opened the box. Inside was a head that had already been dead for quite some time. Orpendius sprang to his feet, clenched his jaw, and paced left and right.

“It is Marquis Bread of House Grey. It seems he pretended to surrender and tried to assassinate Duke Louis. He was honorable.”

Orpendius barely heard the retainer’s words. He felt like vomiting. It felt as though every minister present was mocking him. In a ruined mood, he muttered, “Damn it.” A few ministers, having heard the king’s words, said:

“Please remain calm. Marquis Bread was doomed to die anyway. Since he bought us time, House Boarne has gained time to move its troops. Your Majesty. Persuading the lion is no longer possible; he has already crossed the river. You must command the war.”

“All of you, leave.”

“But….”

“Leave.”

All the ministers withdrew outside like an ebbing tide. He sat on the throne with a vacant expression. One man remained. Marquis Boarne Gregory. He came before the king. The king asked him what in the world had happened to the assassins. Showing discomfort, he said:

“It seems they were either taken down or went into hiding. They are quick to judge a situation. After the first assassin failed, they must have concluded they could not break through the security. The situation is difficult. But war is always uncertain until the end. Give me full authority. I will stop the lion.”

Kius Borenus rose from atop a damp blanket. He was a soldier in the army led by Louis. After the uproar not long ago, he had been given one or two days of rest. He had been there at that place. It had almost become a blood-soaked hell. He thought of how terrible the situation would have become if Duke Louis had died. It was enough to give him chills. He yawned the rest of the way and looked at the thin, haggard woman lying beside him. There was no rest anymore now; it was straight to war.

Even he did not know whether he could survive such a brutal place. Only the god Mars would know. Since it came to mind, he thought he should make an offering. He got up roughly and picked up the clothes that reminded him of last night’s urgency.

Rummaging through them, he found two sticks of incense. He placed them on a table with one loose leg and lit them. Then in the middle he placed the offering he had obtained at that place a few days ago. It was a finger that had already stiffened hard. Raising both hands, he recited a short prayer. Perhaps because of the commotion, the woman rubbed her eyes and woke up.

“What are you doing?”

“I am asking the god Mars for mercy.”

“Oh my.”

Borenus held up the finger and asked if she knew what it was. She widened her large eyes and shook her head. Borenus said:

“I saw it. I saw the god Mars descend. I was there that day.”

“Really?”

He gave a short nod and continued.

“Duke Louis was Mars himself. We’re going to win this war.”

“Oh, come on…. How could a person be like that?”

“You don’t believe me? Even now?”

Borenus lifted a coin and gently shook it. The woman became meek like a tame cat and said, “I believe you,” nodding her head over and over.

“I picked up a little there. Here.”

He flicked the coin to her. She caught it like a puppy. Borenus had liked her last night. She might well be the last woman for him anyway. Only the gods knew what would happen in a real war.

He went down the wooden stairs caked in dried mud. Below was quite crowded. He planned to get a quick bite and then go to Boromir. Once he sat in an empty place, a scrawny young girl quickly attached herself to him. She brought bread and warm milk stew. The stew was thin, but there was one piece of meat floating in it. Lucky. Thinking that, Borenus scooped up the meat and listened closely.

“Duke Louis is going to change the country.”

“Is that territory really a good place to live?”

“I heard it’s so prosperous your eyes would go wide. Better that the old greedy man died, honestly. The rumor is that he’ll lower taxes.”

“Oh. That’s good! That is.”

Far from holding resentment toward Louis, the people of House Grey’s territory were actually welcoming him. House Grey must have been truly lacking in popularity. Borenus kept spooning stew into his mouth. He too had seen the man dying. ‘He certainly looked greedy enough. His wives too…. How many were there? They were all pretty. His daughters too. Whew…. Anyway, he just didn’t know his place. It looked like Duke Louis had viewed him favorably enough, and yet he hid a dagger like that.’

He finished his meal and rose from his seat. Everyone was watching Borenus. But rather than quieting down, they showed Borenus respect. Feeling something he had never experienced before, Borenus thought it had been the right decision to quit selling fruit and enlist when Louis began recruiting soldiers.

He stepped outside. The streets were quiet, but full of life. Even though the lord had died, the atmosphere made it hard to believe. That was how prepared Louis already was to become king. Everyone passing by wore expressions of firm belief that if Louis took over, a good world to live in would come. Borenus quickened his pace. His superior, Boromir, was surely waiting for him. Boromir had long served Louis as a loyal retainer and followed him at official occasions. Receiving his attention was proof to Borenus that a path to advancement had opened for him.