Chapter – 61
The palace was as gloomy as the dark sky. Many people walked with their heads bowed. A silent palace where not even the sound of chatter could be heard. But among them, those busily scurrying about clenched their teeth, held piles of documents, and ran.
Dwoong-
As someone struck a massive drum from a watchtower, the inner palace gate slowly opened. There was a procession of people with their faces covered in white cloth. Most were emaciated, bent-backed elders of considerable age.
They staggered, yet matched the procession and slowly entered the palace. One of the people running with piles of documents shouted somewhere.
“Have the medics stand by!”
But even as he shouted, people began collapsing, one by two, with groans. Many rushed to support the elders in white. Soon, weeping spread. The elders’ eerie wails made the already chaotic air within the palace even heavier.
“The bereaved families…….”
The man with the pile of documents stood blankly for a moment, watching the scene. Then he sighed and lamented.
“All seven Star Ministers are dead.”
There were three princes.
The three who now seemed much more at ease with Radon’s coronation ceremony approaching. Pah, Masanti, and Kane. They gathered in a small room lit by candles, leaning close together.
Masanti rubbed his fingertips and spoke.
“All seven Star Ministers are dead. Did you hear?”
“How could I not have heard? I almost fell out of bed.”
Even Pah was taken aback. It was a major incident. To dare to assassinate the palace’s seven Star Ministers, and at that, while they had accepted the transfer of command authority.
Kane, too, unlike his usual frenzied self, was frowning.
“What madman…….”
It could be considered an act of treason. But there was no evidence. Kane had also deployed his private soldiers to assist the investigation team, but there were no results.
There had been a massive explosion, and everything had evaporated, that was all.
Except for tiny flesh fragments, no bodies could be found. The grief of the bereaved families would be all the greater because of it. Kane asked Masanti.
“The bereaved families’ procession has reached the inner palace?”
“We’re keeping an eye on it for now. We haven’t opened the audience hall to them, but we’re deploying as many medics and mages as possible to prevent the elders from collapsing further.”
“A memorial protest procession, what is this…….”
The close relatives of the seven Star Ministers. They were not just elderly; they boasted of being super-elders. That’s why they had no more worldly desires. Their lived lives and relationships were all they held in their hands. But since their proud friends had vanished in an instant, they had decided to hold the palace accountable.
Risking death, they donned white garments and formed a long procession.
And walked barefoot from various places to gather outside the outer palace. They had now arrived at the inner palace and were attempting to enter the palace’s innermost depths.
They held no particular force, but they were palace history itself. In the already heavy atmosphere, it was clear that public sentiment would sour if they were suppressed by guard forces.
“What about Radon, Masanti? You’re helping with Radon’s succession procedures, aren’t you?”
“I’m assisting with the succession procedures, but are you asking about Radon’s decision regarding that procession?”
“Yes.”
“Well…….”
Uncharacteristically for Masanti, he let out a long, pensive sound. He pressed his forehead with his fingers and raised his head.
“My thoughts, brothers.”
He finally removed his mask and revealed his true expression. He looked terrified, or as if startled by something.
“That Radon… it seems he intends to shake the very foundations of this kingdom.”
The gate to the most innermost part of the inner palace, the domain called the main palace. It remained closed, still barring the memorial procession.
While the ministers all just watched, that gate slowly opened, and a courtier cautiously emerged from inside. Then he approached the elder at the head of the procession and whispered something in his ear. Simultaneously, the guard forces surrounded the procession and escorted them directly outside.
Everyone watching could only sigh.
“Radon……!”
“Did he really choose such a worst-case measure?”
“He’s just banishing them like that?”
The vast palace square.
It was a platform located on the outer palace wall. It was built outdoors to be able to accommodate people as far as the horizon, and that architectural intention proved true.
The king’s death, the death of the Seven Star Ministers, the coronation of the new king.
All these intertwined, and countless people of the kingdom joined the long journey to see Radon. Now, one side before the outer palace wall was crowded with a massive number of people, as far as the horizon.
And the one who ascended the platform was Radon. Dressed in royal robes for the coronation, a Radon with a somewhat tired but sharpened gaze.
“Hear me.”
Everyone prepared for a long speech and looked up at him half-heartedly. The process of a kingdom’s king changing had always been like that. They thought that after a process so long it was boring, even foolish, Radon would be proclaimed king.
But the words that fell from Radon’s mouth were unexpected.
“From now on, I am king.”
And he simply picked up the crown on the platform and placed it on his head himself.
Everyone was shocked.
“What now……?”
“Is that it?”
“I walked for days for this?”
On the contrary, this was too short even for being short. Just as the thought was spreading among the crowd that this was lacking in sincerity, Radon spoke again.
“I have no intention of going through complex procedures. You all understand the current situation, right?”
There was a strange solemnity. A resolute certainty, as if he held conviction in his heart. It was on Radon’s tongue.
“The coronation ceremony ends here…”
“The Seven Star Ministers!”
Someone in the crowd shouted. Daring to interrupt the new king. But as everyone looked at him, they nodded. He was an elder who, though not part of the white-clad procession, was equivalent to them. A very old, worn-out official robe-wearing elder. The gap-toothed elder spoke to Radon.
“What about their deaths…!”
“Well said.”
But this time, too. Radon nonchalantly received the words as if he had expected it.
“I have something to tell everyone here. The same goes for simplifying the coronation.”
Radon gripped both ends of the platform tightly and spoke loudly.
“From now on, the kingdom declares a state of emergency.”
The voice amplified by magic spread, and the scene visible from the platform became tumultuous. Everyone looked at each other in confusion, causing the heads of the crowds lined up to the horizon to move like waves.
“The Seven Star Ministers and the previous king all died by the same group. I intend to avenge those deaths.”
Following Radon’s words, all the soldiers drew their swords. This was prearranged. He declared even more sternly.
“Archmage Mosgil is dead. He too was an infiltrator of the group behind this.”
Confusion multiplied on confusion. Many people busily wrote something down, but they too soon stopped. Things so massive were being listed that even reporters gave up writing.
“The group behind this are those who wish for the demon realm’s revival. Behold this. Mosgil’s true identity.”
A huge illusion unfolded in the sky above the palace. Inside it, Mosgil and Allen Bahaar were fighting. Mosgil became a demon and eventually died. After that were smaller images. The devastated demon realm, the appearance of the Overlapped Ones. Records about the Overlapped Ones from the palace’s secret archives, etc.
All gathered clues were spread across the sky.
“Thus, that group is gnawing at the kingdom from its roots, so now that I, Radon, have become king, things will not go as you wish.”
Radon called someone onto the platform.
He was now a warrior among warriors with a mighty physique. Placing a hand on his shoulder, Radon said to everyone.
“And for this purpose, I intend to bring one more prophet into the palace. Greet him, the palace’s First Prophet, Allen Bahaar.”
And finally, the kingdom, which had been moving with two hearts—the Prophetic Noble Family and the palace—began to crumble from its foundation.
Allen Bahaar stepped forward, scanned everyone, and smiled.
“Nice to meet you. Former 8th Prince of the Prophetic Noble Family, former member of the Hertel Mercenary Group, former Dragonslayer, former winner of the Strong Man Contest, former Black Prophet and Grand Prophet, Allen Bahaar.”
Allen’s tone was as casual as if talking to a friend, even in front of the numerous crowds. He was genuinely excited.
‘There are still this many humans I can protect.’
Allen declared to everyone.
“One prophecy for now.”
Instantly, everyone held their breath.
“Letters from me will soon arrive for those who are about to die.”
The palace’s First Prophet, Allen Bahaar.
The first thing from his mouth was a chilling prophecy.
I stood with Radon at the place I finally wanted to go. It was the royal treasury.
Looking at Radon’s hardened face, I asked.
“Hey, by the way.”
“Yes?”
“Ah, ‘yes,’ that’s a relief.”
“What do you mean……?”
“I thought you’d tell me to use honorifics now that you’re king.”
“Th-That can’t be!”
“Good, never mind then.”
Thump thump.
I knocked on the massive iron door.
“So this is the royal treasury?”
“Yes. The royal brooch display is also inside.”
“You checked the princes’?”
“Checked all of them.”
“Then it’s the Door of Truth now. Let’s go.”
I had Radon open the treasury.
Soon, the thick iron door opened, and lights began to turn on brightly inside.
I couldn’t hold back my admiration.
“Damn, look at this…….”
An expletive came out involuntarily. It seemed all the world’s gold, silver, and treasures were gathered here. Even I, the Mercenary King, couldn’t identify the origins of many items.
We slowly entered inside. Radon asked me.
“Are there no swords you wish to take?”
“Swords?”
At his words, I fidgeted with the holy sword Decard at my waist for a moment. From the perspective of using a longsword, I did need one.
“……No.”
But I soon stopped. Anyway, I have a Bone Sword I can use in an emergency. Rather than showing my armed state externally, it was better to always carry Decard like this.
Given Decard’s excellent concealment ability, in front of unexpectedly strong enemies, how fast I could swing Decard could determine life or death.
“Let’s go first.”
Walking straight, what appeared was a small chest.
It was a long, horizontal chest, and inside was something I had often seen.
“Brooches, huh?”
“Yes. They are all here.”
“Only the king can access this place, right?”
“Correct. For non-royal access… Sir Allen would be the first.”
“I see.”
Our eyes started from the right and scanned the brooches one by one. Radon, too, holding a brooch in his hand, looked for an empty spot, but…
“What the….”
Both Radon and I simultaneously found the same empty spot.
But it was far too unexpected.
“The previous king…?”
He said previous king, but strictly speaking, it’s not the immediate previous king.
Since Radon is now king, it would be the king two generations above.
“Exarion?”
His spot was empty.
Simultaneously, I recalled a certain memory I had temporarily forgotten. The Stone of Infernal Demonfire. The one that gave birth to the slime named Rola. The one deep in the lake.
And the writing on it.
“……To Exarion. Hide this by dropping it in the deep lake to prepare for the future. This is an item for the war, for the 2nd Demon Realm War.”
I now understood its true meaning.
It wasn’t a matter of knowing or not. It wasn’t even a riddle.
“He was still alive. And it was simply a message delivered to the living Exarion.”
It became clear.
What we needed to find.
It was the one behind everything: the being called Exarion.
