ILTDAMH |CHAPTER 67

Chapter 67

I Came Only to Reclaim What Was Taken from Me

Two days later, a night as black as ink descended, with not even moonlight to pierce the darkness.

At midnight, the castle gates slowly creaked open as promised. 

When Kymon and Hugo led their men inside, not a single knight was present to guard the gate—just as the Count had assured them.

“Advance, all of you!”

At kymon’s command, a thousand knights slipped in silently, one after another.

“Lord Count, are you certain about this?”

From atop the battlements, Ford, the captain of the guard, spoke uneasily as he looked down at the procession. 

But before he could say more, Count Rephanon silenced him with a stern gesture.

“This is all by order of His Highness the Crown Prince. So act as though you know nothing. As written in the letter, shut the gates two hours from now. Then, deliver word to the Duke that they have entered.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Duke, may your plan succeed…

Rephanon cast one last glance at the tide of knights flooding through the gate before slipping away into the shadows of the keep.

“Are they all inside?”

“Yes, master,” Hugo bowed in reply. “All of our soldiers have entered safely.”

“Good. From here, it will take but a week to reach the capital. March on the Imperial City! Soon, the Empire shall be ours!”

“Waaahhh!!”

“Yes, my lord Duke!!”

With a roar of voices, kymon led a thousand knights toward the heart of the Empire.

…

“They’ve all entered the fortress?”

Cassel nodded as he lowered the Count’s letter in response to Harmon’s question.

“Yes, Your Highness. Sir kymon leads them—about a thousand knights in all.”

A thousand… kymon, you truly managed to conceal many under your banner.

“And Prince Daimond?” Harmon asked.

Cassel shook his head.

“He was not among them. According to our spy, he still has not left the Viscounty of Beano.”

Harmon let out a bitter laugh.

At such a crucial moment in their rebellion, he chooses instead to linger with a woman… My brother he may be, but he is an utter fool.

“He likely thought him a burden and left him behind.”

“Wait—you mean to say Sir kymon abandoned His Highness the Prince?”

“No. He would never forget that Her Majesty the Empress is his daughter. He knows full well he cannot sit on the throne himself.”

Ruan’s quiet agreement drew Cassel’s puzzled look.

“Then… they intend to place Prince Daimond on the throne? But why has there been no contact?”

“Because while the prince is necessary, he is also a hindrance. They won’t summon him until the rebellion succeeds. Then, they will set Prince Daimond on the throne, and kymon will rule through him as the puppet master.”

“As much as I loathe to admit it… Ruan, you’re right.” Harmon’s face darkened.

“I suspect Her Majesty the Empress herself offered the deal—to break him free from exile. To save her son, she would hand the Empire over to her father’s grasp. Think of it: kymon, who lost his ducal seat because of Daimond, would never let him live without reason. If not for her intervention, he’d have been slain on the spot.”

“Then Her Majesty has indeed crossed the line,” Cassel muttered gravely.

“Perhaps so. But this is only my deduction—we’ll uncover the truth in time. For now, how many troops are stationed at the pass?”

“Fifty knights, and ten mages.”

“Good. Once they enter the gorge, have the mages conjure a heavy fog to blind their vision. When they reach the marked location, the plan begins. Leave some of kymon’s men alive.”

“What? Aren’t we to annihilate them all?” Harmon asked.

Ruan shook his head.

“Your Highness, Prince Daimond is not among them. If we kill them all now, the Empress will shield her son. At worst, he will face punishment only for escaping exile. To draw him into this rebellion, both Sir kymon and Prince Daimond must enter the Imperial Palace together.”

“Ruan… you mean to kill my brother?”

Ruan lowered his head.

“Forgive me, Your Highness. But I cannot let Prince Daimond live. His crimes are too great.”

When Harmon first heard of Daimond ’s involvement in rebellion, he had already sensed death would be his brother’s fate.

And though he wavered—after all, Daimond was his brother—the unyielding look on Ruan’s face left him no choice but to nod.

“You’re right. He has committed countless sins, and now he dares rebellion. He cannot be spared any longer.”

Harmon’s voice was heavy with sorrow.

“Then, allow me to explain the plan in detail.”

Ruan spread the map across the table.

There was but one road leading through the central gate into the capital—the Quaybec Gorge.

So narrow, steep, and treacherous it was called the Valley of Death. 

A single twisting path, with no chance of escape.

Ruan’s plan was clear: once the rebels entered, mages would conjure a thick fog to blind them. 

He would wait until kymon and the vanguard emerged from the gorge—then trap the rest inside, isolating them from escape.

“Sealing the gorge won’t be simple.”

“Don’t worry. Tablo and the knights are already there setting up. As soon as the vanguard emerges, they’ll block the entrance and exit, cutting them off. Then, with the soporific mist, they’ll be subdued and captured alive.”

Harmon’s eyes gleamed with admiration. 

A thousand knights taken without spilling a drop of blood… truly ingenious.

“But what if Sir kymon abandons the rebellion and seeks terms?”

“That is impossible.”

“Impossible?”

“kymon’s rebellion is fueled by wealth, yet his coffers are nearly empty. Supporting a thousand knights for months drained him. Worse, instead of fifty thousand gold to bribe open the central gate, he paid a hundred thousand. His fortune is gone.”

“A hundred thousand? You knew his resources?”

“More or less,” Ruan admitted. “That’s why I told the Count to demand it. Kymon has no choice—this rebellion must end here. But to ensure he doesn’t falter, we will let his elite knights survive. With them, he will still press forward, clinging to hope.”

“Hope?”

“Yes. The hope that I am at the gorge.”

“You?”

“If he believes I am at the capital, he’ll despair. But if he thinks I am here in the gorge, occupied with his trapped men, he’ll seize the chance to strike at the palace with his elites.”

“But later, won’t you just return and overturn everything?”

“Perhaps. But if his knights seize the Imperial Palace and wrest the imperial seal from His Majesty, the game changes.”

“The imperial seal? You mean—”

“As you said, a hundred knights cannot secure the throne. But if Prince Daimond holds the seal, he is the Emperor. And as long as he bears it, even I must swear loyalty.”

“They’ll be caught before reaching the palace guard. Can that truly happen? And if so… my brother slips away once again.”

“Rest easy. I know exactly where they’ll enter.”

“What do you mean? The palace has but one gate.” Harmon frowned.

“Then His Highness has yet to be told by His Majesty.”

“Told what?”

“The palace holds a secret passage—routes for escape and entry in times of war. Only the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince know of them. Once your education as heir is complete, you too would learn.”

“Then… my brother knows of it?”

“Not directly. But with Her Majesty in the palace, she may well tell him.”

Indeed. 

If his knights slip through unseen and steal the seal, the rebellion could succeed.

“But how do you know this?”

“Because our ducal house is the only one outside the bloodline entrusted with this knowledge. When one becomes Duke of Canoluf, he is given the palace’s blueprints—so he may spirit the imperial family away should the palace fall.”

“I see…”

Harmon looked at Ruan with relief. 

Thank the gods he belongs to the Empire. 

If he were another nation’s man, our Empire might have perished long ago.

***

Meanwhile, Diamond seethed as he glared at the knights standing watch outside his hut.

I honored him as my grandfather, yet he dares abandon me?

Dragged away from Lucianne and confined here, the knights gave him no answers—only repeated that he must wait until Caimon came.

To treat me, the rightful Emperor-to-be, like this? They will pay dearly for this insult!

Clenching his fists, Daimond glared through the window at his guards.

***

Having passed the central gate, kymon met with Hugo to plan their advance.

“Master, if we follow this road for three days, we’ll reach Quaybec Gorge. Once past it, the path to the capital is smooth. Thankfully, between the gate and the capital, there are few villages—we’ll avoid unwanted eyes.”

Kymon traced the gorge on the map.

“Even so, we must take care. The path is narrow and treacherous. We travel by night, rest by day.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Push the pace—we must reach the capital swiftly. Spread the word.”

Hugo bowed and went to relay the orders.

So they marched mostly by night, moving cautiously, steadily, yet swiftly enough that within two days—sooner than planned—they reached Quaybec Gorge.

“At last, Quaybec Gorge. Thanks to the knights’ endurance, we’ve gained a whole day. Beyond this, two more and we enter the capital.”

Kymon gazed at the long, narrow gorge stretching into darkness.

“Yes, Hugo. At last, my long-cherished dream will be realized. Let the men rest half a day, then we march by night. There’s but one path through—slow and careful, and we’ll be fine.”

“Yes, master!”

When night fell, kymon led his chosen elites at the vanguard. 

Behind him, Hugo and the thousand knights began their steady march into the gorge.