Free Web NovelChapter 397: Chapter 394: The Number One Traitor
The guard’s shout drew the attention of his colleagues. Just then, the Guard Captain lunged forward, intending to run the meddlesome bastard through with his sword. But a noose suddenly flew over his head and cinched tight around his neck. Two men at his side yanked back, felling the poor Guard Captain in a single move, just like roping a steer.
"COUGH, COUGH... Do you have any idea... COUGH..." The Guard Captain tried to spit out a threat and struggle, but the noose only tightened. He tried to cut the rope with his sword, but as he lay on the ground, a pitchfork stabbed down onto his sword hand.
If he hadn’t been wearing Chain Armor underneath his clothes, this man—once the greatest Swordsman in the royal court—would have been beaten to death by a flurry of farm tools.
Having lost their Guard, the Royal Family fell into complete despair. Charles XVI could only barely maintain his composure. "I am the King! Go and bring the local Nobility to me at once!"
A Guard brandishing a pitchfork replied, "Sir, the Nobility here fled long ago!"
"Then bring me the person in charge!"
However, his bad luck for the day was far from over. The town’s mayor, a man who looked more like a farmer, was a supporter of the "Mountain Faction." When he was roused from his bed in the middle of the night, he was already scowling. Upon seeing that the King had "graced" his jurisdiction with his presence, he was first stunned, then his expression grew even darker.
His Majesty the King’s dramatic capture during his escape attempt was a source of both ridicule and fury for the people of the Holy Kingdom. This bungled escape attempt served as definitive proof of who the Kingdom’s greatest traitor truly was.
The Guards who had subdued the Royal Family and the Guard Captain first reported the matter to the town hall. After confirming the news, the mayor rushed to the city overnight, traveling in complete darkness. Historians record the event as follows:
A tall, burly man approached the city gate and shouted, "Are there any true patriots here? Something terrible has happened!"
Just when everyone assumed the Empire Army was attacking, the man delivered a stunning announcement: "The Royal Family is in town! They were in disguise, trying to escape!"
Instantly, the city Guards poured into the small town, carrying rifles and swords. A crowd gathered to gawk at the Royal Family as if they were monkeys in a zoo. The one who had first identified them proudly held up a Gold Coin, showing everyone the superb design and craftsmanship of the Kingdom’s old currency.
The reinforcements from the city Guard were essential, because the cavalry unit that was originally escorting the King soon rushed over from their barracks, leading to a tense standoff. Ultimately, both sides agreed to jointly escort His Majesty the King back to his "loyal" Valuva Palace. It was a sleepless night for the telegraph system as the news spread like wildfire.
By the time the sun rose the next day, even the fishmongers in the grand market knew the truth: the enemy was in the Royal Palace!
Their hearts turned to ash, the Royal Family was returned to the palace gates, where gendarmes slammed the great iron-clad doors shut behind them.
The National Assembly established the National Salvation Committee, granting it nearly absolute power during the state of war. The first time the committee members exercised their newfound carte blanche was to strike at the Royal Palace.
BANG! A commissioner violently kicked open an expensive door. They ransacked the room, overturning furniture that servants had meticulously cleaned and arranged, and seized His Majesty the King’s antique safe.
"That chest is three hundred years old!"
"Then you shouldn’t be using it to store anything, should you?" A three-hundred-year-old lock was not very reliable. The investigator broke it open with ease and removed a collection of letters. Most bore ancient family crests, revealing a vast network of old rulers that spanned the Ferolun Continent.
Now, they were all stuffed into a bag. The Guard Captain was taken away as well, hauled off like a sack of rags. The soldiers paid no mind to the pitchfork wound on his arm, binding the utterly devoted and loyal courtier tightly and dragging him from the Royal Palace.
The letters between Charles XVI and foreign Nobility were kept under wraps. In the Committee’s official announcement, the entire affair was framed as having been planned and instigated by the Guard Captain.
A tall gallows was erected in the same square where a luxurious six-wheeled carriage had once appeared. The populace packed the square and its surroundings shoulder to shoulder. Amidst their jeers and curses, the Guard Captain was forced onto the platform, made to listen as the executioner proclaimed his crimes.
"Traitor! A criminal through and through! Do you have any last words?"
The Guard Captain looked out at the incensed crowd, at all the unfamiliar faces. He suddenly realized that for most of these people, it was likely the first time they had ever laid eyes on him. Yet now, every single one of them bore a deep-seated hatred for him and wanted him to die.
It was as if he were back at the Royal Grand Theater, watching a play. He had seen so many of the nouveau riche, so many wealthy men. He then remembered all the people who had clinked glasses with him and called him brother in his glory days.
Now, some of them sat on high daises, sealing his fate. Others had vanished into the shadows, their whereabouts unknown. But none of them were here. The square was filled only with strangers, people who had no connection to him but were seething with an inexplicable rage.
’Impressive. Truly impressive.’ The Guard Captain couldn’t help but marvel at the people who had orchestrated his journey to the gallows.
"Today you dare to try and execute me, the Court Guard Captain! Tomorrow you’ll dare to put the King on the gallows!"
The executioner gave a triumphant smile. "If Charles XVI has indeed committed treason, then he too shall be judged. Before the law and the interests of the nation, all are equal!"
"After I die, it will be His Majesty’s turn! And after the King dies, your turn will come one day! Sooner or later, the people behind you, the people above you—they’ll all take this walk!" the Guard Captain roared, his voice a curse.
SHIIICK—
The stream of curses stopped abruptly. As blood spattered, the onlookers were first stunned into silence, which was then broken by a wave of frenzied cheers.
...
「In Lansite, a rising city in the Bayern Kingdom, inside a newly opened restaurant.」
"So Charles XVI’s escape attempt failed. He was caught by a bunch of farmers and became an international laughingstock." Rorschach folded his newspaper as their food arrived. frёewebηovel.cѳm
Back in Istani, Caroline had already grown used to Rorschach dropping novel terms like "international community" into conversation. She patiently sliced the skin off a crispy pork knuckle.
"I heard about it on the road yesterday, from a carriage driver of all people. It seems any news reaches the common folk immediately these days."
"That’s because newspaper reporters are like bloodhounds chasing a story, terrified of being a step behind their rivals. And there’s another crucial factor: the telegraph allows news to spread among the populace faster than anyone can run."
In the past, only the Magic Guild and the Church possessed special channels for rapid communication. The cost for the Guild to maintain its Communication Arrays was exorbitant, but the profits they reaped from the information disparity were even more staggering.
Caroline then recalled that the invention of the "telegraph" was somehow connected to the young man before her. "The Empire must have gotten its hands on telegraph technology by now," she reminded him.
Rorschach nodded. "That’s right. Since they’ve occupied the northern Holy Kingdom, they were bound to find wreckage or one of the operators. No matter how tightly Valois guards the secret, or how Bayern tries to protect its so-called ’confidential’ technology, they can’t completely stop it from spreading." He shrugged. "But that’s a good thing. Sooner or later, everyone will be able to enjoy the conveniences brought by advancements in communication."
"You’re certainly magnanimous about it. If everyone at the academy were like you, I wouldn’t have gotten angry enough to resign." Caroline wanted to roll her eyes but restrained herself to maintain her composure in public.
’If everyone were like me, the academy would be in total chaos...’
After the meal, Caroline set down her utensils, wiped her mouth, and said with some excitement, "Alright, let’s go. Take me on a tour of your Mage Tower. You’re the first of my students to build a tower of your own."
"Hmm... How about we tour the factories first? Each one is like a child to me..." The words tumbled out before Rorschach realized how odd they sounded. ’Am I, a single young man, trying to show off my ’kids’ to my old teacher?’
