by Dojyomaru
“What do the rest of you make of this summons?” one of them asked.
“Of all the nobles in the land, our fourteen families have been summoned. Most likely... the kingdom has caught on to us.”
“There have been reports of the black-robed one’s dogs sniffing around us, as well.”
“Then, the intent of this summons is...”
“...to make an example of the others, no doubt.”
“To make an example? It isn’t a trap?” one suggested in a hysterical voice.
Another laughed dryly. “Heh heh heh. Unlike the nobles who have engaged in corruption, we haven’t been caught doing anything. With no crime to condemn us for, that king and the black-robed one cannot bring us to justice.”
“I see... That is why he is making an example of the others.”
“Indeed,” one of them agreed. “To keep us in line by making us think, ‘Tomorrow, that could be me.’”
“Two of the three dukes have fallen, and those nobles who didn’t participate in the recent war have lost their influence. If he can just keep us quiet, there will be nothing left to stop that king.”
“Hmph... All as the king planned,” one of them said. “Or was it the black-robed one?”
“It doesn’t matter which of them it was. But, if we look at it from another perspective, we can say that this was the best the king could do against us.”
“Heh heh heh, you are quite right,” another chuckled. He added, with a sneer, “That is why, for now, we must lay low. We must act in a way that will not anger that king, that will not give him reason to punish us. No, if anything, we must cooperate with what the king does.”
“It galls me to do it,” another one said irately.
“It’s no matter... I doubt it will take long,” the sneerer replied. “Once all obstacles have been removed, I am sure that king will rush forward with revolutionary policies at an even faster rate than he has been. Reform taken too quickly will breed resistance. We need only support those people from the shadows. The more of them he executes, the more that king will be seen as a tyrant, and that will only breed more resistance.”
The other men nodded, impressed by the man’s words.
“I see. He cannot keep at it for long, then.”
“Indeed. When the time comes, we will push the king from power and place someone more malleable on the throne.”
“When that is accomplished, we can take things back to how they were under King Albert’s reign.”
“The momentum is with that king for now. We mustn’t be caught in it. In order to wait it out, we must do as the king demands for now. But, in due time...”
The men laughed darkly.
Then one of the men raised a question. “What do we do about the houses of Jabana and Saracen? Haven’t the heads changed?”
“Leave them be. If they displease the king and can no longer maintain their houses, that is their concern, not something for us to get involved in.”
“Of course. Now, gentlemen, I ask you to all follow the plan we just agreed on.”
“Yes. To take back our era.”
“““To take back our era.”””
However, they had not realized that there was a watcher in the darkness.
◇ ◇ ◇
It was a sunny afternoon. I was helping Souma with his administrative work again today.
“Okay, Liscia,” Souma said. “Hand these papers to Hakuya for me.”
“Got it.”
Taking the papers from Souma, I went to leave the office, when...
“Liscia!” Souma called out to me.
Wondering what it could be, I turned around. Souma seemed to be trying to say something, but it wasn’t coming out. He either was trying to tell me something and couldn’t find the words, or kept opening his mouth to say something and then hesitating.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Ah...! No, um... it’s nothing.”
“Okay... Well, I’ll get going then.”
I left Souma and headed out from the governmental affairs office. When I closed the door, I sighed despite myself.
Souma probably felt obliged to say something to me because of what happened with Duke Carmine.
Geez... It’s not something Souma should feel responsible for...
Even when I’d been told Duke Carmine had committed suicide in the dungeon, I hadn’t lost my composure. That man I had respected like a father and a teacher was dead, yet I felt strangely calm. That surprised me.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t sad. Actually, I felt like my heart had been torn apart. But, still, I was able to act like my usual self. That was surely... because I’d had something like a premonition that it would turn out like this. That the Duke Carmine I knew would chose the path of ruin, taking all of the darkness that has infested this country with him. And that Souma would accept his determination to do so.
Georg Carmine and Souma Kazuya.
Georg Carmine was a great man who I held in high esteem. He was strong and noble, a warrior who epitomized everything I should aspire to be. I respected him, and I thought I wanted to be like him.
And, as for Souma... he was the man I had decided, of my own will, to support.
I had lived a life largely detached from love and romance, so I wasn’t sure what it was that I was feeling for Souma. Being a member of the royal house, I’d never held any great hopes for what my marriage would be like.
But when I’d seen Aisha’s beaming smile when she became his second fiancée, or Juna’s smile when he told her, “I swear, I will take you (as my wife),” I had felt just a little pain in my chest.
...I knew now. This was probably that sort of feeling. I felt strongly enough about Souma to be having those sorts of emotions.
This was something that two men who were important to me had decided on. Even if it was sad, if it was painful, I had to accept it or I would be making a mockery of their resolve. I chose to believe in their decision.
That was why, when I heard about Duke Carmine’s death, I didn’t take out my frustrations on Souma.
Duke Carmine wouldn’t have wanted to hurt our relationship. That was why, if I stayed right there at Souma’s side, like normal, that would be paying my respects to Duke Carmine. That was how I felt.
I would continue to believe in Souma. No matter what decision he made, I would accept it and stand by him.
Today was the day of judgment for Duke Vargas and Carla. As her friend, my desire to spare Carla remained unchanged, but no matter what decision Souma came to, I was prepared to accept it. No matter what tragic conclusion it might lead to.
And yet...
Hey, Souma, I thought. Why do you have such a pained look on your face?
A strange atmosphere had fallen over the great hall in Parnam Castle.
This was the place where Castor and Carla’s sentence was about to be handed down.
In response to the pleas of Duchess Walter, who had contributed greatly to the recent war effort, Souma had taken the right to judge them from the courts, and would be doing so personally. It was no praiseworthy act for a king to insert himself in the affairs of the courts, but Duchess Walter had gone so far as to return all other rewards for her service in order to make the request, so he had been able to force it through.
Now, Souma could judge the two of them personally.
People were positioned more or less where they would be in the audience hall.
Souma was seated higher than the rest, using a chair that, while not the throne, was still fairly impressive, with Aisha and me flanking him on either side. Aisha’s position as bodyguard was no longer diagonally behind him, but directly beside him, a change made to reflect her new status as a candidate to become a queen. That inevitably meant that she was in the center of everyone’s attention, so Aisha seemed tense.
Looking down at the floor there was the former General of the Air Force, Castor Vargas, and his daughter, Carla, both kneeling with their hands bound behind their b
acks. They both, perhaps because they had resolved themselves to accept their fate at this point, were sitting up straight.
Between them stood Prime Minister Hakuya and Duchess Walter, facing one another. Hakuya’s role was to call for them to be prosecuted for their crimes, while Duchess Walter was to defend Castor and Carla. In a normal trail, the prosecutor and the defense argue over whether a crime has been committed, but on this occasion the two’s crimes were already known.
Because of that, Hakuya’s job was to seek punishment for their crimes, while Excel’s job was to defend their actions and seek a more lenient punishment. If her defense was successful, their punishment would be lightened, and if she failed, they would face the punishment Hakuya was seeking. Therefore, there could be no finding of innocence.
Also, to observe this trial, there was a long table facing sideways with fourteen nobles seated in a single row. Souma had told me he would seek their opinions during the trial.
I had been told their selection was random, but... was it really? The nobles seemed to be whispering to one another.
No matter what’s in store, I won’t be surprised, I thought. This is a trial that was thought up by Souma, after all.
While there hadn’t been many cases of the king taking the right to judge from the courts, it had happened before on occasion. However, in those cases, normally the king gave a verdict which could not be contested. This format, where the king held a trial where he would be the judge, was unheard of. It was a form of trial with no precedent. I couldn’t predict anything that might happen.
“Now then, let us carry out the trial of Castor and Carla,” Souma declared in a quiet voice.
Hakuya read out the crimes of which they were accused. “Former General of the Air Force Castor Vargas and his daughter, despite the lawful transfer of the throne to His Majesty, resisted his authority and even rejected his ultimatum, turning their swords against the Forbidden Army. The crime of treason applies in this case. Therefore, I believe it is appropriate that their land and assets be seized and they be subject to the death penalty.”
I had expected this. Hakuya was pushing for the death penalty for both of them.
...Of course he was. Treason was a serious enough crime that it carried a death penalty for all relatives of up to three degrees of consanguinity.
The number of people affected was being kept to an absolute minimum because Duke Vargas had heeded Duchess Walter’s advice and formally cut ties with his family. Furthermore, in recognition of Duchess Walter’s distinguished service in the war, it had been decided that Carla’s young brother Carl, who had been disowned and left in the care of the House of Walter, would inherit the House of Vargas with just Red Dragon City and the area around it as his fief. Excel’s daughter, who was also Carla and Carl’s mother, would serve as his advisor.
When Hakuya finished presenting the punishment he sought, it was Excel’s turn to defend the two and request a lesser punishment.
In prior deliberations, Duchess Walter’s offer to “offer my head in exchange for their two lives, or turn over all of the Walter Duchy with the exception of Lagoon City” had already been rejected. Taking her head was out of the question, and if he destroyed all three duchies, it would put the rest of the nobles on guard against Souma.
“It was foolish for Castor and Carla to rebel against Your Majesty,” said Excel. “However, they most certainly did not do it in an attempt to usurp your position. It was their loyalty to the former king, Sir Albert, and friendship with the General of the Army, Georg Carmine, that led them astray. Of course, the throne had been formally ceded to you by Sir Albert, and it is unthinkable that any of your vassals should have doubts about that.
“However, the sudden change of rulers threw not only Castor but many other people into confusion. Carla only followed Castor as his daughter. Neither of the pair had any ambitions of their own. Fortunately, there were no casualties among their subjects or the Forbidden Army during the battle at Red Dragon City. Can you not spare them their lives, if nothing else?”
Bowing, Duchess Walter sought to reduce the severity of their crimes.
Souma just sat there listening to her speak.
He was so expressionless that it was impossible to read from his face what he might be thinking. I think, probably, he was suppressing his emotions so they wouldn’t show.
Having heard the arguments of both the prosecution and the defense, Souma opened his mouth. “Castor. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
“No,” Duke Vargas said firmly. “There is no need for a defeated commander to speak. Please, part this head from my shoulders.”
“...I see.”
“There’s just one thing,” said Duke Vargas. “I’m the one who started the war. Carla only followed orders. I’ll take her punishment, as well. I don’t care if you torture me, or humiliate me in public. But, please, can’t you spare Carla’s life?”
While still bound, Duke Vargas bowed so that his head nearly touched the ground.
Seeing her prideful father do that, Carla’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “Father!”
However, Souma let out a sigh, his expression remaining impassive. “I’ve heard that the one leading the Air Force in that battle was Carla. I can’t let that crime go unpunished, can I? You must have known this might happen when you raised the flag of rebellion.”
“Urgh...” Duke Vargas bit his lip. However, he said no more.
This time, Souma looked at Carla. “Carla. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
“...I do not.” Carla shook her head weakly.
“Is that all? You have nothing else to say?”
“In that case, there is one thing. I apologize for my lack of wisdom. Lic... The princess tried to mediate between us, but we still stubbornly refused to listen.” With those words, Carla hung her head.
While Carla had been in prison, she’d said she didn’t want to become a burden by having us intercede on her behalf. She probably felt the same way now.
“You won’t beg for forgiveness?” Souma asked.
“I will not. Judge me as you see fit.”
“...I see.”
Souma looked away from the two of them, then said to the nobles seated in the rear, “Now, I would like to hear from those of you gathered here. These people have, in their thoughtlessness, raised the flag of rebellion against me, the current king. What do you think is the appropriate judgment for these fools? I would very much like to hear your unreserved opinions.”
Souma said that with a look that, even to my eyes, seemed a little frightening. For a moment, something seemed off to me. The way he said it, it was as if he had already made up his mind. Though he said he wanted to hear their opinions, it was as if he was saying, “I can’t imagine any of you would dare object to executing these traitors, would you?” in order to intimidate them. It was as if he was acting to constrain the nobles watching the trial...
Normally, Souma would listen to any opinion, implementing it if he felt it was right, but what he was doing now was the exact opposite of that.
When I considered that and looked at the nobles, they were all from houses with dark rumors swirling around them or houses that had repeatedly declined to get involved when there was a crisis. Could it be that Souma meant to use Carla and her father to make an example and force these people to swear loyalty to him?
He was showing off his power and saying, ”If you don’t want this to happen to you, then obey me.” That was the impression I got.
Then, one of the nobles stood and raised his voice. “Your Majesty! When you say it like that, you make it seem as if their crime is already decided!”
The speaker was a young man with a masculine face. He was maybe around the same age as Halbert. But he didn’t have the same roughness as Halbert. He seemed to be a serious, good-natured young man.
“Who is that person?” Souma asked.
“That is the head of the House of Saracen, Piltory Saracen,” Hakuya sai
d.
Piltory said, “I understand this to be a place to determine the weight of their crime. If you do this, forcing your will on the rest of us, then this trial has no purpose!”
“Ga ha ha! Well said, young Saracen!” another of the nobles said, rising to his feet. With his ash gray hair combed back, and a thick beard the same color as his hair, he was a big, muscular man just starting to show the signs of old age.
Hakuya narrowed his eyes, calling out that person’s name. “The head of the House of Jabana, Sir Owen Jabana.”
“O Black-robed Prime Minister,” the man responded. “Duke Vargas over there has defended this country for over a hundred years, which is longer than I’ve been alive. He may lack maturity, but I doubt his feelings towards this country have changed. He rose against His Majesty not out of personal greed, but because he was prepared to die for his friendship with Georg Carmine.”
“You suggest his treason couldn’t be helped because it was done in the name of friendship?” Hakuya glared at him.
“No, no,” Owen said, shaking his head. “That’s not what I’m saying. The throne had formally been passed to His Majesty King Souma, so I can only say that Duke Vargas acted rashly. It’s not a crime that can be pardoned. However, Duke Vargas has already been stripped of his position, his fame, his lands, and his assets. Is it not, perhaps, a little much to now take both his and his daughter’s lives on top of all that?”
“‘Forgive the traitor’—is that what you are saying?”
“Old as I am, I think it would be regrettable not to,” Owen said. “Duke Vargas is a person who could command troops for another two, three hundred years. Is there anyone in this country who could lead the Air Force as well as he?”
Perhaps emboldened by Owen’s words, Piltory began to argue forcefully once more. “Sire! You yourself said, ‘If you have a gift, I will put it to use,’ didn’t you?! Are you going to lose a rare gift like his?! I cannot believe that Duke Vargas, a man who bared his fangs against you because he trusted in his friend, is somehow inferior to us nobles who opportunistically refused to take a side! I beseech you, do as Duchess Walter has said and lighten his sentence!”