Forced Dispersal

Polia Kingdom Royal Castle.

“Are these people truly out of their minds?”

Even from Ian’s mouth, which normally did not let out rough words, harsh language naturally came out. The actions and common sense of those called the Dairam had gone far beyond the line.

“They are people filled with nothing but their own common sense and their own stubbornness. That is why the king before the previous king also simply left them alone.”

“Even so, is this not just them doing whatever they please?”

He felt that he had never once seen people filled with such extremely self-centered thinking. Of course, it could be said that they had been suppressed since long ago to the point that they would think that way. But he still felt that this was not the same as this bizarre course of action now.

“Where is the one who insulted me now?”

“It is said that, upon arriving on the mainland, he was immediately put on a train and is heading here to the capital, Pullea.”

“So this means it was something sparked because of that man.”

“He insulted not only Your Majesty, but even Her Majesty the Queen. I believe he must be punished severely.”

At Viscount Rubingston’s words, Ian nodded. Even in his own view, he thought the bastard deserved severe punishment. A crippled bastard who cannot even have a son—this was conduct that insulted not only himself but also Queen Adrina altogether. Inwardly, he had not thought there would be someone who would say such words.

‘In a way, that means he even insulted my daughter Karina as well.’

Thinking that, he could not help but feel his temper rising for the first time in a long while. He felt that he too could not simply stand by and watch this matter. It seemed everyone had forgotten, but he had been a usurper. Though he showed a gentle side through benevolent policies, he had the kind of personality that could clearly show just how mistaken it was if someone crossed the line.

“How lightly must the Dairam have been looking down on me?”

“It seems Your Majesty has shown too much kindness and leniency.”

“Should this not be an opportunity to show them clearly just how mistaken that thinking is?”

“Of course. If this matter is simply overlooked, others who wish to cross the line again will appear. To prevent that, we will have to root them out completely.”

A faint chill had settled into Viscount Rubingston’s expression. Killing intent toward those who had insulted and disregarded the king lay in his eyes. It was true that he had shown quite a few mistakes and failures until now, but those were matters limited to foreign affairs.

Inside the Polia Kingdom, the influence of the intelligence bureau Mauter was absolute. The Dairam’s armed retaliation organization? The moment they made a move, he was confident they could wipe them all out. From the beginning, a large part of the organization’s power had been deeply embedded inside the kingdom.

In truth, one of the reasons rebellions had not been able to break out until now was because they existed under constant surveillance.

“Ah, and about the public official who was murdered this time and called a discriminator.”

“Yes, he is a man named Sandler.”

“Raise that man’s rank, and protect his family so they can return to the mainland. Also, though I do not know whether this will be any comfort, deliver compensation money to his family as well.”

“I shall do so. They will all accept Your Majesty’s warm heart.”

“I hope so. And convey this as well. Tell them that the same punishment will be inflicted upon those who committed such a terrible act against Sandler.”

“Yes, that is what they will wish to hear even more.”

Though he said the same punishment, he did not mean setting them up on poles, but literally executing them. Since all those involved would be captured and killed, a considerable number of people would likely be sentenced to death. He thought that alone would be sufficient.

A household in Dallon, the capital city of Dairam Island.

“The Polia Kingdom has now made a truly wrong move. They do not properly understand just how enraged we Dairam are.”

“So it has gone according to plan for now.”

“Yes, it is proceeding according to plan. We must seize this chance to achieve independence.”

The one speaking boldly was a man who looked to be in his early thirties. In truth, he was also the one who had actively led this matter. The man named Luson had planted people, incited them, and blown the matter up. Using this as a turning point, the Dairam had now become one and were burning with anger toward the Polia Kingdom.

“But I do wonder whether this will be alright.”

“What worries you?”

“Do you think we can truly become independent from the kingdom?”

“Even on the Colonial Continent, two kingdoms have already split away and become independent. There is no reason we cannot do the same.”

“But those places had royals who became kings, did they not? And our island is far too close to the mainland island. If we were far away, that would be another matter. Being this close, they will surely oppose independence.”

“Even so, it does not matter. We will certainly win independence.”

As if vowing to make it happen no matter what, Luson’s eyes were filled with fierce desire. If not for this opportunity, then even after another hundred or two hundred years passed, the Dairam would still remain unfree under the grip of the Polia Kingdom.

‘I will reclaim the freedom our ancestors lost.’

In his heart, a firm resolve had taken root that he would achieve his goal no matter what means he had to use. Naturally, those means included the projection of force. At present, one hundred thousand Dairam were out working on the mainland, and among them were those belonging to the armed retaliation organization. That meant they could carry out acts of terror through them.

“But the army has been deployed and is now occupying Dallon City. They are dispersing the protesters.”

“Tell them to keep doing so.”

“They may end up using firearms at this rate. Then many people will die.”

“Independence without bloodshed has no substance. By shedding blood, do we not gain legitimacy and achieve independence through struggle against them?”

At his words, which were so extreme that they even called for blood, the middle-aged man felt concern. He too was someone with extreme thoughts, but he shrank from the sacrifice of fellow Dairam. Their population was not large to begin with, and he knew how painful it would be if many were to die in a situation like this.

“Right now, the people are enraged over the situation of their kinsman who was dragged away to the mainland. If guns are used in such a situation and people die, they will all explode.”

“….A great deal of blood will flow.”

“If not by this method, we will never gain independence. Do you truly want that?”

“Hmm, if this really is the only way, then there is no choice.”

“That is right. We must succeed in this without fail. Given the king’s personality, if heavy losses are produced, he will ultimately have no choice but to back down.”

He thought the current king was too soft a man. He was certainly a benevolent king. At the same time, he thought of him as an opportunist and an extremely lucky man. He believed that the kingdom’s current development was only possible because it had happened to meet the right era.

From the start, the only reason taxes could be lowered and various policies carried out was because, by good fortune, they had stood as a neutral nation during the Great War and earned money by selling many weapons. Had it not been for that situation, such policies would have failed long ago.

“But does the king not seem to be far from an easy man? Was he not the man who built his power behind the scenes while still the Ninth Prince and ascended to the throne?”

“Of course. But were those actions not only possible in the past? Now he has sat on the throne for quite a long time, and both his conduct and his heart have grown much weaker.”

At the way he spoke as though he were certain, the middle-aged man wondered if they were underestimating him too much, but even in his own view, the king’s recent conduct did not seem especially remarkable. Just as stagnant water rots, perhaps the king too had continued only in the role of king, and so had lost the kind of self he once had.

In a way, this was their limitation. In another country, they would have known how much the king of Polia had been doing all this time and how much he had been strengthening both internal and external power. Even the fact that the secret organization lurking across the world did not touch the Polia Kingdom was proof of that.

Trapped on the island, they had a frog-in-the-well mindset, thinking that their own ideas alone were best. From the beginning, even their way of acquiring knowledge was to do it on this island rather than outside it.

And so, without knowing what kind of being they were provoking, they were plotting while yearning for independence. Meanwhile, in the city center, the protest situation was now being driven further and further toward an extreme.

[Disperse the protest! You are now engaging in an illegal protest based on groundless action!]

Soldiers stood before the demonstrators, and the one hundred thousand or more Dairam who heard the voice speaking through the loudspeaker wore expressions full of fury. Before long, they began throwing all kinds of trash toward the front and shouting.

“Do not talk nonsense! Return our person to us at once!”

“Return the kinsman you forcibly dragged to the mainland!”

“You discriminators! What wrong have we done!”

“Get out of our island at once!”

“This is our island!”

[I warn you. Disperse the protest at once!]

No matter how furious the people looked, the soldiers merely did their job. In their eyes, these Dairam were only strange beings. They had merely taken away the one who had dared to insult the king. The evidence was clear, and witnesses had even been secured. In such a situation, their behavior looked like nothing less than a challenge to the king.

“Get out, all of you!”

“You lackeys of the king-!”

“You dogs following that trash king-!”

“You underlings of that cripple king! Go ahead and try arresting me too!”

As their shouts increasingly crossed the line, the soldiers’ eyes were growing more savage. Every soldier here had come over from the mainland. As such, the feelings they held toward the king were at a level close to worship. Naturally, hearing such words made them furious.

[Which bastards are they! How dare they speak words about His Majesty the King that should never pass their lips!]

Even from the mouth of the officer in command, vicious language could not help but come out. He could feel his patience steadily disappearing. He had stayed still while listening to their bullshit until now, but he felt that he could not tolerate it any longer.

In the first place, this whole affair had happened because bad words had been spoken about the king.

[Ten minutes. Disperse within that time! If you do not disperse, then we cannot take responsibility for what happens afterward!]

The commander was giving a stern warning. At those words, the people only jeered even more loudly.

“Do not make me laugh! We will not give up unless our kinsman returns!”

“You should be the ones to disperse at once!”

“Booooo-!”

Though they showed themselves to be deeply enraged, the atmosphere among the soldiers remained only cold. Even the expressions of the police deployed nearby were cold. They could feel the atmosphere. It was as if the scene of what would happen after those ten minutes was already unfolding before their eyes. In the midst of this, time steadily passed, and the ten minutes approached.

[One minute remains.]

The voice rang out again, but the more enraged people only continued throwing trash. They threw glass bottles as well, scattering shards of glass, but the soldiers simply watched in silence. In the midst of this situation, before long, the words were heard that only ten seconds remained.

[…..5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Your time has now expired. It will be taken that you have no intention of dispersing any longer, and we will now begin the forced dispersal. All personnel, raise your guns!]

Click-click-click-!

There were roughly three thousand soldiers here. Every one of them had raised and aimed rifles. Even the three tanks positioned off to one side had begun turning their gun barrels. They would not fire their cannons immediately, but the barrels had begun rotating if only for the sake of the atmosphere.

At that sight, the people thought, Surely not, will they fire? At that moment, the police side also drew their pistols and took aim. They too numbered around one thousand. At the sight of all those gun barrels, the atmosphere was gradually becoming strange.

Everyone had read the atmosphere that they really might fire. There were likely some among them who instinctively sensed danger and ran away. But the majority were ordinary people. At first, they were flustered by the sight of those aiming guns at them, but then they steeled their eyes and shouted again.

“Go ahead and fire, then!”

“You think something like that will scare us!”

“That is right! You cannot stop us with that kind of thing!”

“You discriminators. Go ahead and fire if you can!”

They were all putting on a display of sheer bravado. The price of failing to read the atmosphere at all was soon bound to be paid. Before long, the commander’s cold voice was heard directed at such people.

[Forced dispersal will now begin! His Majesty the King is with us! All personnel, fire!]

Tatatatatatata-tang-tang-!

Gunshots began to erupt wildly. Together with the gunfire from the soldiers, the bullets they fired flew straight toward the bodies of the protesters. People could be seen collapsing while spraying blood. At that sight, those farther back were shocked and screamed, having no choice but to flee in a panic.

Bang! Bang-bang-bang! Bang-bang! Bang-bang-bang!

Soon the gunshots fired from the police pistols erupted as well. More and more people fell, and with fleeing people all tangled together, the area in front of the police station had no choice but to turn into utter chaos. This situation was only brought under control after around thirty minutes had passed.

Of course, there was hardly anything to call control, since all that remained at the front were masses of the dead bleeding out and others wailing in agony. Seeing that sight, the commander gave an order in a cold voice.

[Arrest all survivors at once!]

In accordance with that command, the soldiers began to move.