In a certain great n.o.ble’s residence, twelve shadows were having a secret conversation.
“What do you think of this a.s.sembly”
“Fourteen of us have been gathered from so many n.o.bles. Probably … the kingdom’s side had noticed as well”
“There are reports of the black hand’s dogs sniffing around us”
“Then the goal of this a.s.sembly is …”
“A warning, I surmise”
“A warning? You don’t think it’s a trap?”
“Hu hu hu. Unlike the corrupt rebelling n.o.bles, we did not leave any evidence. Neither the King nor the black hand could judge us”
“I see … that’s why they’re giving us a warning”
“Indeed. Tomorrow will be your turn, is what they want to keep us down with”
“Two of the Three Dukes have been defeated and the n.o.bles who could not partic.i.p.ate in the war had lost their influence. If that King could silence us, then there would be no more obstacles to his rule”
“Hmph … so it’s all going according to what he wants”
“But on the other hand, you can say that this is all he could do to us”
“Ku ku ku, that’s right. Which is why we should lay low for now. We need to avoid rousing his anger and act as to not give him any cause to punish us. Rather, we should make a show of cooperation with the King’s plans”
“What an annoyance”
“What … it’s not going to take that long. Without any more obstacles, that youngster of a King is going to innovate his policies at a faster pace than before. There are going to be people who will reject such quick changes. We can just support those people from the shadows, and the more he put them down, the more that King is going to look like a tyrant, and they will simply rise in revolt”
“So you mean he’s not going to last long”
“Indeed. At that time, we can just install someone who will make it easier for us to move”
“And then we could get back the peaceful rule like we had under King Alberto”
“Right now the King has influence. We should keep from getting swallowed by that influence and let it dry out. But when the time comes …”
“What do we do with the houses of Javana and Saracen? They had their heads changed, didn’t they?”
“Leave them be. They incurred the King’s displeasure and became unable to maintain their houses. Nothing we can do about that”
“Naturally. Well then, gentlemen, I hope that we will all keep to what we decided today”
“Yes. For the return of our era”
“”” For the return of our era “””
I didn’t even feel disturbed when Soma told me that Duke Carmine died in jail
I only said a short “really …”. Even though when someone I admired like a father and as a mentor died, my heart felt so calm I surprised myself. It’s not that I wasn’t sad, but rather, I was so sad my chest felt like it would split, and yet, I just acted like my normal self. I think … this was surely because I had a presentiment that it would happen
That Duke Carmine must have chosen to draw all the darkness of this country onto himself and destroy them alongside himself, and that Soma will not leave that resolve of his to waste
Georg Carmine was a great man I respected and admired. He was strong, n.o.ble, and to me, a military man I must strive towards. I held him in reverence, and I thought that I must become a person like him
As for Soma … he was someone I decided to support of my own will. I couldn’t clearly say what I felt toward Soma, having lived a live unrelated to things like love (as a member of royalty, being married out of political convenience is a given, so I don’t have any illusions about marriage), but seeing the faces of Aisha, who was full of smiles when she became the second Queen Consort, and of Juna as she smiled when he told her “I will someday receive you (as Royal Consort)”, stung my chest a little
These were the decisions of the two men in my life that I held dear. Even if it was hard, even if it were heartbreaking, I couldn’t excuse myself to their decisions if I couldn’t accept them. I had decided to believe in what they decided, which was why I didn’t make any grievance when Soma let me know of Duke Carmine’s death. That wouldn’t be what Ducke Carmine wanted. I will pay my respects to Duke Carmine by magnificently standing by Soma’s side like I always do.
Then I will continue to believe in Soma from now on. Whatever decisions he will make, I will accept those and stand by his side. Today was the day we judge Duke Vargas and Carla. I still wanted to save Carla as my friend, but I have resolved to accept whatever Soma will decide. That is, no matter how sad the outcome would be
… and yet
Say, Soma. Why do you look so pained?
The Great Plaza of Parnam was now wrapped in a strange mood. The father and daugter Castor and Carla will soon be judged here in this place. By the pet.i.tioning of Ecksel who had gained distinguished service in the last war, the right to judge them had been taken from the deliberation committee. It wasn’t a commendable act, but forced by Ecksel’s arm-twisting. That was why Soma was now judging the two
The basic arrangement of people was not too different from the audience the other day. Soma was seated at the seat of honor in a rather elegant chair, even though it’s not the throne. Standing to his left and right was Aisha and I. Aisha’s position was not her usual one step behind but right beside him, that change was due to her candidacy as Queen Consort. Inevitably, because she stood next to Soma who had everyone’s attention, the stares also fell onto her. She looked rather tense
And at the position of the people requesting audience, was the former Marshal of the Air Force Castor Vargas and his daughter Carla, kneeling with their hands tied behind them. They seemed to have utterly resolved themselves for this, and was kneeling with their backs straight. On either side of them stood Prime Minister Hakuya and d.u.c.h.ess Walter, facing each other. Hakuya would be prosecuting them of their crimes, while d.u.c.h.ess Walter would be pleading for their defense
In a normal trial, the prosecutor and defense would argue over whether there was a crime, but here, the crimes of the pair had already been established. It will be conducted with the prosecutor Hakuya giving a recommended sentence, continued by the defense d.u.c.h.ess Walter advocating for a reduction in penalties. If the advocacy was approved, then the penalty will be reduced, if it wasn’t then they will receive the sentence just as Hakuya had proposed. There would be no pleading innocence
Then, there were fourteen n.o.bles sat in a line next to each other on the long edge of a table, auditing the trial. I heard that Soma will be asking their opinions as the trial proceeds. He said they were randomly chosen … but I wonder if that’s really true. The n.o.bles looked to be whispering among themselves
(I wouldn’t be surprised if something’s afoot. This is the trial Soma thought up after all …)
There had been cases here in this country where judgement rights had been taken from the deliberation committee, though not many of them, but in those cases it was normal for the King to arbitrarily pa.s.s judgement without any room for objections. So, a trial court such as this had no precedent in history, this court of trial would be the precedent, and for that, I had no idea what was going to happen
“Now, let’s conduct the trial for Castor and Carla, shall we”
Soma said in a quiet voice, and Hakuya came up first to read the charges against the two
“The pair Castor and Carla, despite having being handed authority by the crown, had rebelled against His Higness Soma, disregarded his Final Counsel and raised their swords against the Royal Guard. This is a Crime of Treason, and thus is subject to Forfeiture of Lands and Property and Capital Punisment”
I suppose I should’ve expected Hakuya to request the death penalty on them. It was a matter of course, treason is a crime that implicated one’s family to the third degree and is punishable by death. That was why Duke Vargas heeded d.u.c.h.ess Walter’s counsel and cut familial ties in order to affect the least number of people. Also, by using d.u.c.h.ess Walter’s merits, it was decided that Carla’s young ties-severed brother would inherit family headship, on top of the reduction in territory to just Crimson Dragon Castle Village and its immediate surroundings. His advisors would be the boy’s mother, Ecksel’s daughter Accella, and the family butler Tormann
Then, Ecksel also held defense, pleading for a reduction in their penalties. Furthermore, she had consulted beforehand to offer “her own head or the rights of House Walter to Lagoon City for both their lives,” but was refused. Having her head is out of the question, and taking the territories of all the Three Dukes would cause the other n.o.bles to be nervous of Soma
“Castor Vargas’ decision to resist against His Highness was not made out of wanting to supplant him, but of loyalty to the previous king Albert. He had no designs on the throne. Of course, since Lord Albert formally ceded the throne to His Highness out of his own will, Castor had no right to resent him for it, but the handover happened so fast caused confusion for him, and Carla only followed behind him. Fortunately, there were no casualties among the populace or the Royal Guard during the Crimson Dragon Castle Village attack. I therefore plead that they may have just their lives spared”
d.u.c.h.ess Walter, seeking a reduction in penalties. Soma just silently listened to what she had to say. His face did not look as agonized as it was before. In fact, he looked expressionless, as if he was thinking about something. He was probably hiding it
Having heard the prosecutor and defense, Soma opened his mouth
“Castor. Do you have anything to say?”
“None”
Said Duke Vargas clearly
“The general of the defeated army had no right to say anything. Have my head if you will”
“… is that so”
“Just one thing. The one that instigated the war was me. Carla was only following my orders. I will bear the crime and the punishment. I don’t mind the rack nor being made a show, so I beg of you to pardon Carla’s life”
“Father”
Still with his hands tied, Duke Vargas lowered his head, brushing the ground. Seeing the proud Castor Vargas acting like this surprised even his daughter Carla. However, Soma, still with an expressionless face, sighed and said “Don’t say something so selfish”
“I heard that Carla was leading the Air Force troop that time. I couldn’t possibly let go of a person like that. You should’ve thought about this when you decided to fly the banners of revolt”
“Guh …”
Duke Vargas bit the corner of his mouth, but he didn’t say anything more. Next, Soma turned to Carla
“Carla. Do you have anything to say?”
“… I do not”
Carla weakly shook her head
“Will that be all? Are you sure you have nothing to say?”
“… Then just one thing, I apologize for not knowing my place. The one who doesn’t know their place was me, not King Soma”
Carla said as she hung her head. This time it was Duke Vargas’ turn to open her eyes wide. Carla, who said to me “I’m afraid to be so powerless” while hugging her knees. She was probably in the same state of mind now as she was in back then
“Will you not ask for a pardon?”
“I will not. Judge me as you will”
“… I see”
Soma took no more look at them. He turned to the n.o.bles behind them and said
“Now then, I would like to ask the gentlemen gathered here for your opinions. Though ill-advised, they did commit treason against the current King, that is me. What judgement do you think is appropriate for these fools? Please speak your thoughts freely on the matter”
Soma said that with a look that even scared me a little. That moment, I felt something was slightly amiss. The way he said it is as if he weren’t giving them any avenues of escape. While asking for their opinions, he was threatening them as if saying, “None of you are defending the traitors, right?”
Seeing the n.o.bles with that in mind, I recalled some dark rumors. I noticed they were mostly the houses who stood on the fence during the emergency. Could Soma be making an example of Carla and Castor to have them swear allegiance to him? “Obey me if you don’t want to end up like them”? It does sound fitting for a ruler, but …
One of the n.o.bles then stood up and raised his voice
“Your Highness! Aren’t you making it sound like their crimes had already been decided!”
The one who raised his voice was a blonde haired young man. He was probably about the same age as Hulbert, but he didn’t have Hulbert’s rough look, but an image of earnestness instead
“This is?”
“The current head of the House of Saracen. Piltory Saracen”
Hakuya answered Soma’s question. Piltory then said
“I understand that this is the place to discuss the importance of the crime. If, if Your Highness is going to press your own intentions down on them, there is no meaning to this court!”
“Gah hah ha ha! Well said of you, young Lord Saracen!”
Then another n.o.ble stood up. A man with his grey hair swept back, a similarly grey moustache, and strong muscles despite his advanced age. Hakuya narrowed his eyes and announced his name
“The current head of the House of Javana. Lord Owen Javana!”
“Lord Black Eminence. That Duke Vargas over there had from a hundred years ago, from before we were born, continued to defend this country. Though there is his mental rawness as a dragonewt, his heart that wants to protect this country should still be the same. To begin with, he did not turn his sword against Your Highness for his own ends, but because he wanted the previous king, Lord Albert’s reign to return, that is what I think”
“Are you saying it can’t be helped since we’re young?”
Seeing Hakuya glare at him, Owen shook his head, saying “not at all”
“That is not what I’m saying. I’m merely saying that Duke Vargas is quick tempered as Your Highness Soma was formally handed the throne. His crime is also not something pardonable. However, Lord Vargas had already lost his status, his t.i.tles, his territory, and his property. I’m thinking, it might bee to heavy to also take his life and his daughter’s together”
“Then you’re saying to forgive the traitor?”
“… I find it regrettable, as an old man. Vargas still had two, three hundred more years of active service left in him. I don’t think there’s anyone in this country now who could command the Air Force better than Lord Vargas”
“Your Highness! Did you not say that ‘If you have talent then I have use for you’? Are you going to let go of a hard-to-find talent just like that! Lord Vargas who worried over the future of this country with the previous King and bared his fangs against Your Highness is not inferior to us n.o.bles who couldn’t take any sides and stood on the sidelines! Please be lenient on them, just like Lady Walter had said!”
“…”
Listening to the two, Soma closed his eyes for a while, then ordered
“Take those two away”
Promptly, soldiers surrounded the two and took them away from the plaza. At that time, the look of Owen who stiffened with an astonished face as the soldiers took him away and Piltory who was yelling “Your Highness, please reconsider!” contrasted each other
After the two were taken away, the plaza fell into an eerie silence. n.o.body dared to breathe or say a word. Soma cut through the mood
“Now, everyone else’s opinion?”
From then on, all the n.o.bles’ opinions were “death to the both of them”
“The law is the law”
“Forgiving them now would be a bad example for the retainers”
“No traitor to Your Highness should be taking any positions”
They were saying things like that, but it was plainly obvious that they were really thinking, “we don’t want to earn Soma’s wrath like those two” … I don’t understand anymore. Sure, now the n.o.bles that remained in this place would fear Soma and would find it hard to plan against him, but I wonder, between the twelve that remained here, and the two taken away just now, which ones would be of more benefit to Soma
(… Don’t waver, me. You’ve decided to believe in Soma)
I stealthily pinched my own thigh, desperately shutting out the conflict inside me. Then I heard Soma softly say, “I have to do it, don’t I”
“I have heard all your opinions”
Soma stood up and raised his right hand, and finally swung it down
“Cut them down”
The next moment, I heard the sound of swinging blades, blood danced in the air
And twelve heads rolled