49. Arrest

“There’s one more matter I must address,” the king said, his gaze fixed directly on the Eastern Knight Order Commander.

The commander’s Adam’s apple bobbed visibly as he swallowed hard.

“W-what do you mean, Your Majesty?”

Clearly under the king’s unflinching stare, the Eastern Knight Order Commander couldn’t help but ask.

The king, however, did not answer.

The other commanders glanced at one another in confusion, unable to grasp what was unfolding before them.

“Bring them forward!”

The king’s voice cut like steel. From the rear entrance, Military Police officers emerged, dragging in a single man and supporting him by his sides.

At the sight of this man, the Eastern Knight Order Commander’s face contorted involuntarily.

It was his own trusted subordinate.

“This man poisoned Reet. Furthermore, he released the Trolls and Goblins that attacked the village where Reet was staying. The Military Police have already gathered the evidence!”

At these words, the Eastern Knight Order Commander’s face drained of all color.

The other commanders held their breath.

“Do you have any excuse, Commander?”

“N-no! That’s… that’s not true! Your Majesty! I had nothing to do with—”

“Do not insult my intelligence! The evidence is overwhelming.”

“I-I swear it’s true! I am not involved in any of this!”

“Silence!”

The king’s voice thundered through the hall.

“I know not what drove you to such deeds, but for a knight commander—one sworn to protect the people—to release monsters is utterly inexcusable.”

Realizing that further denials were futile, the commander finally broke.

“I… I only followed the orders of Duke Welzley!”

The king’s brow twitched at those words.

“I see. This matter demands thorough investigation. Military Police! Take the commander into custody!”

“P-please! Have mercy! I beg your pardon!”

The Eastern Knight Order Commander was led away by the Military Police officers.

Everyone watched his departure in silent, rigid tension.

“As you can see, we must appoint a new Eastern Knight Order Commander,” the king announced.

He had summoned all the commanders to explain the situation.

“Furthermore, I charge each of you to ensure that such injustice does not take root in your own orders. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

†

“My apologies for such sudden turmoil.”

After the Eastern Knight Order Commander was escorted away, Reet was shown to the throne room with Iris.

The king addressed him with words of regret.

“No… I must confess I was somewhat surprised, but…”

“As the commander himself admitted just now, this matter almost certainly involves your father.”

Reet didn’t know how to respond to that. But as a son of his blood, he felt an apology was necessary.

“Your Majesty, I am deeply sorry.”

“Foolish talk. You have nothing to apologize for.”

The king showed no inclination to blame Reet at all.

“I know your father, Duke Welzley, cast you out from your home. He is now nothing more than a stranger to you. You need not feel responsible. In fact, let me be frank—thanks to you, I was able to eliminate both Duke Welzley and the Eastern Knight Order Commander as obstacles.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Duke Welzley and his faction served my father—the previous king. My father favored them greatly. Because of that, they accumulated far too much power. When I ascended the throne, I deliberately withheld special treatment to maintain balance. For them, this felt like abandonment. So they grew to see me as a threat and began their secret intrigues.”

“Secret intrigues?”

“Precisely. They were amassing military forces.”

Reet’s eyes widened in shock. “Surely you don’t mean… they were plotting rebellion?”

“I cannot say whether they intended outright rebellion. But without question, they were positioned to strike at my throat if the moment came.”

“That’s…”

“In this incident, I was able to expose one of the Eastern Knight Order Commander’s crimes. However, I have yet to seize evidence against Duke Welzley directly. From here, I will pursue that investigation. Therefore, I felt obligated to inform you beforehand.”

Reet stood stunned as the conspiracies unfolding within the imperial court laid themselves bare before him.

“And from this point forward, the role of the palace guard has become extraordinarily vital. I ask that you dedicate yourself to protecting both myself and my daughter.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

†

Welzley Duchy.

“What!? The Eastern Knight Order Commander has been arrested on suspicion of interfering with Reet!?”

Upon hearing this news from the former commander’s subordinate, Duke Welzley lost all strength in his legs and collapsed into his chair.

“Impossible…”

Though Duke Welzley had already retired from active service, the successor Eastern Knight Order Commander remained under his control, allowing him to effectively dominate the order. But if the commander were removed from his position, that influence would crumble entirely.

No—it went far beyond that.

His own safety was now in jeopardy.

“Damn it… How could things have come to this…”

A knight who, through his own merits alone, had ascended to the rank of duke.

And now, to face ruin at this point…

Undoubtedly, a summons would soon arrive for him as well.

He would have to find some way to protect himself…