When the messenger from the Prime Minisiter arrived at Raidorl, there was a disturbance in the palace. The cause of the disturbance was, of course, the king, Granard Zain.
The royal capital of Zain. The throne room. There were two people inside.
One is Granard, the lord of the castle and the king. He used to be a wise and mighty monarch, trusted by his people, but the achievement, achieved by Raidorl had driven him mad, and now he has become an apostle of witchcraft.
The other was the kingâs confidant, the Prime Minister Lockwood Marcell. As Granardâs loyal servant, he supported his reign and was deeply involved in the banishment of Raidorl.
The large throne room is empty except for the two men. The attendants and even the soldiers of the guard are kept away by order of the Prime Minister, and are waiting outside the room.
It was an act of evacuation to prevent the king from spreading his turbulence and unsettling peopleâs minds, and to prevent any damage from his outbursts.
When Granard acquired the magic sword a few days ago, more than a dozen knights were slain as if he were testing his powers. Lockwood couldnât afford to make any more unnecessary sacrifices.
âIsâŠâŠRaidorl coming yet?ăShouldnât he be here by now?â
Granard murmured impatiently as he sat on his throne.
His arms were folded, his feet were tapping on the floor, and he was clicking his tongue in annoyance.
Looking up at his lord in a kneeling position, the prime minister, Lockwood Marcell, replied with a sigh.
ââŠYour Majesty, we sent a messenger to summon His Highness Raidorl about three days ago. They havenât even reached the eastern border where His Highness is.â
âMmmâŠâŠIs that soâŠ.. MmâŠ..â
Granard frowned at Lockwoodâs words and increased the speed of his foot tapping on the floor.
Lockwood sighs quietly at the sight of his lord, who looks like a child who has been deprived of his favourite treat.
âHeâs being impatient again. There was no way Raidorl could have made it back in such a short time.â
But Lockwood didnât know, even before Salawin, who was sent as a messenger, reached the city, Raidorl had already sensed Granard unbecoming and sent his army close to the capital.
It will arrive in less than two days, Granard also does not know that, and he can not stand it, he repeatedly shakes his head and occasionally scratches his head.
Since being possessed by the witchâs sword, Granard has become very mentally unstable.
He would sit quietly on his throne and then suddenly burst out laughing.
Sometimes he shouts at those around him, sometimes he scratches his face with the nails of his hands.
He looked like a serious drug addict, and there was no telling what he might do. Lockwood tried not to leave Granardâs side, keeping a close eye on his every move.
âYes! Iâve got an idea!â
âYes, how can I help you, Your Majesty?â
Granard suddenly stood up and shouted.
Granardâs expression changes from annoyed to a glowing face, and Lockwood asks with a sense of foreboding.
âThere are two hostage girls right? Then, thereâs nothing wrong with killing one of them! Iâll torture them a bit to pass the time until Raidorl gets here!â
âWha-!!â
Currently Granard is holding two women as prisoners.
The two women have had their weapons taken away and are under house arrest in a room in the palace. They are not kept in the dungeons, which is a result of Lockwoodâs concern for Raidorl.
âYou-Your Majesty! The two of them are valuable hostages to lure His Highness Raidorl! Didnât you want to execute them and make them suffer in front of His Highness when he arrived in the Royal Capital?â
âThatâs why I say weâll keep one. We donât need two hostages.â
â..butâŠâ
âYouâre being a pain in the ass! Or do you have a problem with what I, the King of ZainâŠdo?â
ââŠ..!â
A bright light shines from behind Granard.
In the halo of the rising light, Lockwood is as immobile as if he were in a golden bind.
From the void emerges the magic sword Brionac, given to Granard. Granard grasped the shining sword and pointed the tip towards Lockwood.
âAnswer me, Prime Minister. Who is your sovereign?â
ââŠâŠ Granard Zain, Your Majesty.â
âI see. Then youâll understandâŠâŠ. Tell me you understand!â
ââŠ.. Yes,Your Majesty.â
Lockwood bowed his head to hide his reluctance.
Granard will not listen to the Prime Ministerâs remonstrance now that it has come to this. If he continued his defence, Lockwood would be cut down and nothing would change.
âI understand. Then take the hostages toâŠâŠ.â
âYour Majesty, I beg your pardon!â
The Prime Minister had no choice but to bring in Neimilia, but before he could do so, a knight burst into the throne room.
The knight was horrified at the sight of the king holding his sword against the Prime Minister but quickly knelt down on the spot.
Granard frowned when he was suddenly interrupted. Lockwood hastens to speak, lest the kingâs anger should be directed at the innocent knight.
âHow rude of you, all of a sudden. Whatâs the matter with you?â
âWeâve just had an intruder in the castle and weâve captured him. It seems that they have come to rescue the hostages who are being held!â
âWho the hell isâŠâŠtrying to save the hostages?â
Lockwood furrowed his brow.
It is too early for Raidorl to be here. Who had broken into the castle, he wondered.
Unknown to Lockwood, the castle had been broken into by a man hired by the Lord Advocate, Ave Macbeth.
Macbeth was a traitor who had turned to support Raidorl, and had been informing the Empire for decades.
Macbeth attempted to rescue the hostages on his own, for the sake of the Empire or for Raidorl, but his plan seems to have failed.
âWait! ThisâŠâŠthis is the chance I need!â
Although Macbethâs rescue plan was not fruitful, it was not in vain. It did give Lockwood an idea of how to keep the hostages from being killed.
âYour Majesty, Granard! If you could spare your time on your hands, why donât you interrogate the intruder youâve captured first?â
âIsnât it a lowly job to interrogate intruders?ăItâs not something I, as king, would do.â
âBut the intruder may be connected to His Highness Raidorl! His Highness will be very disappointed if the assassin he has sent fails!â
âHohoho, I see!â
Granardâs lips lifted in amusement at Lockwoodâs words. He seemed to like Lockwoodâs suggestion.
âWell, well! Well then, letâs start with Raidorlâs men! KukkukâŠ..The rescue was a failure. Iâm sure that stupid brother will be stomping his feet in frustration!ăHahahaha, what fun this is!â
ââŠâŠâŠâŠâ
âWhatâs the matter, Prime Minister? Enjoy yourself!â
âH-haâŠâŠYes, Your Majesty. Then bring the intruder to me. His Majesty the King will interrogate him personally.â
âHa!â
The knight leaves the room as soon as the Prime Minister, his face contorted with bitterness, gives the order.
In this way, the two hostages were saved by the narrowest of margins.
By a series of coincidences, and at the suggestion of the Prime Minister, Lockwood, the two hostages are saved, not only for Raidorl, but for the future of the Kingdom of Zain.
Two days later. More than a week earlier than Lockwood expected, the army led by Raidorl arrived at the royal capital.
The fate of the Kingdom of Zain would be decided in the âBrotherly Fightâ. The time for the decisive battle was steadily approaching.
TL(few more chapters, will be released. still editing phase..iâve messed up my schedule)