Kill the Emperor Chapter 70 : Chapter 70

Translator: AkazaTL

Pr/Ed: Sol IX

***

Chapter 70 : Deserved Death

Around the ti the noon sun, which had risen high in the sky, set and a red sunset spread.

The grand battle that would decide the direction of the Zodiac civil war concluded.

Judging by the procession of prisoners lined up while bound like bundles of fish, and the appearance of knights shouting cheers of victory, the direction of victory and defeat seed to have been decided quite unilaterally.

Ismael, who was moving busily for the finishing work of the battle that had been settled, approached , Hein Reichart, and reported the current situation.

“Commander, as you said, we have bound all the nobles and Royal Guard Knights.”

“Specifically, how many people were captured as prisoners?”

“The number of bound nobles is a little less than a thousand, and the Royal Guard Knights are about two hundred.”

“Only two hundred Royal Guard Knights were bound?”

“Yes. About a hundred of the Simmach personnel resisted fiercely, so we could not capture them alive.”

“…….”

“Is there sothing bothering you?”

“No, I didn't think as many as a hundred would resist. It seems the Royal Guard was not as much of a ss as I thought.”

Showing a cold smile once, I fell into thought.

Considering that Rishu mobilized most of the high-ranking nobles residing in Abysin to the battlefield, it was safe to say that most of the capital nobles had beco prisoners.

And considering that most of the Royal Guard died in battle or surrendered, it had to be seen that Abysin had now lost its own defense capability.

“What about the damage situation of our allies?”

“There are 67 dead, about 100 seriously injured, and a little over 200 lightly injured.”

“What about Haken’s damage situation?”

“13 seriously injured, 40 lightly injured, and no dead.”

“Understood. Deliver the news to the families of the dead imdiately and tell them that the family will honor their sacrifice with the utmost courtesy.”

“Understood.”

“And treat those captured as prisoners especially strictly. There must not be any soldiers privately harming the nobles due to personal grudges.”

“……Understood.”

Did he think my appearance caring for the safety of prisoners was unlike usual?

Ismael made an expression of having questions but soon bowed his head.

“Of course, they will receive punishnt befitting the cris they committed, but not now. If there are any who have complaints about this asure, tell them that there will be a separate place for condemnation later.”

After resolving Ismael’s question, I fell into thought again.

It was regrettable to miss Rishu and Helkane, but it was truly a complete victory.

With this, all the power of the Zodiac Kingdom was practically in the hands of Reichart, or to be exact, my hands.

‘With this, can I consider the first goal achieved?’

However, even though I achieved the first goal in a faster ti than initially expected, my expression was not that bright.

‘Soon this news will reach you. I wonder how you are doing.’

My gaze headed toward the direction where my old friend was, where the Akrishima Empire was.

Around the ti I was thirsty with a thirst that was hardly quenched.

“Young Master, I have sothing urgent to tell you.”

Bohvelt, with soot all over his beard and armor, looked for with an urgent expression.

“Is there sothing bad happening? Sir Bohvelt.”

“No. It is not sothing bad. An urgent ssage arrived from the Inner Castle of the territory just a while ago, saying that the Family Head opened his eyes around noon today.”

“……Father regained consciousness?”

“That is so. To think the Family Head opened his eyes following the great victory, how fortunate is this?”

Bohvelt, unable to overco his emotion at the fact that Redin opened his eyes, conveyed this fact with a choked voice.

“Is what you just said really true?”

“It is. It is truly fortunate. In fact, I was extrely worried about what if he couldn't open his eyes. Haha!”

Similarly filled with emotion, Ismael and Bohvelt shared joy while holding hands.

‘He already opened his eyes? Redin Reichart, truly shows appearances exceeding expectations many tis. Whether in a good way or a bad way.’

Hearing the news of Redin’s resurrection, I quickly entered the calculation.

The battle started at noon.

Redin opened his eyes also at noon.

If it was a coincidence, it was truly ironic.

“It is truly a relief. Hearing he regained consciousness, I feel like I have finally lifted a little burden from my mind.”

I made a happy expression so that my inner thoughts entering complex calculations would not be noticed.

“Then would you issue an order to the whole army? Say that we will march to Abysin imdiately after taking a rest for 1 more hour.”

“Did you say march?”

Perhaps thinking we would wait for Redin’s recovery progress while waiting in Rodlan Plains, Bohvelt asked back.

“Yes. We will march. Because I must finish all the ‘troubleso matters’ before Father cos. Anyway, Father would also want to check directly how this matter will be concluded, so eventually, he will head to Abysin.”

When ntioning troubleso matters, my eyes shone exceptionally coldly.

“We must go to Abysin and prepare to greet Father. Once we enter the capital, I should first take care of the spatial movent magic circle the bastards closed off.”

Schwing-

As if my hand was more accustod now, I scanned the blade of Axion emitting dazzling light once and put it into the scabbard.

“Let’s go to Abysin.”

***

“Umm…….”

What was seen first before Luplan’s eyes, who just opened them in a hazy spirit, was a dagger and a glass bottle.

“Are you coming to your senses a little now?”

And a black-haired man looking at him with cold eyes whose inner thoughts were hard to guess.

“W-where is this? And you are…….”

Luplan looked around and groped for his blurry mory.

He rembered Helkane visiting and giving him a potion saying it was prepared by Rishu.

And he poured it into his mouth in one go. However…….

‘What-what on earth happened?’

After that, the mory was not clear at all.

He rembered eating as usual, having an audience with his father, and slapping the cheeks of attendants, but…….

The mories existing in his head were all only blurry as if looking beyond a thick fog.

“How do you feel waking up from a nightmare?”

The black-haired man who was watching Luplan took out a piece of paper and a quill pen from his bosom and said.

“Nightmare? What are you saying right now…….”

“No, perhaps for you, from now on might beco a more terrible nightmare.”

Luplan yelled out loud.

But the black-haired man completely ignored his remark and pushed the paper and pen, saying.

“Write down as I dictate.”

“……!”

Luplan’s eyes, checking the paper the man held out inadvertently, widened in surprise.

The paper the man held out was the paper mainly used when royalty left a will.

“This bastard, how dare you! Look here, is there no one there!”

Luplan yelled loudly while bringing his hand to the sword hilt at his waist.

“Do you still not know? It’s over, Luplan, this war, and you too, everything.”

Only the man’s cold voice was heard.

Luplan, feeling goosebumps at the man’s cold voice, examined the man ticulously only then.

Black hair and slender physique,

Sharp eyes and slender jawline,

And the emblem of crossed swords engraved on the right chest of the breastplate.

“Hein…… Reichart?”

“Yeah. It’s .”

Luplan, realizing the identity of the man before his eyes, flopped down on his knees with a despondent expression.

He was not foolish enough not to grasp the aning of the fact that I was before his eyes with such a confident expression.

“Where is the Grand Madam…… What happened to Grand Madam Rishu?”

Luplan’s pure love looking for Rishu even in a cornered situation looked sowhat pathetic at a glance, but.

“That is no longer an important matter for you. Since you won't be able to leave this room alive anyway.”

“……!”

What returned was only a chillingly cold answer.

“How dare you, in front of , the Crown Prince of a nation, dare to speak of death……!”

A protest close to instinct burst out from Luplan’s mouth.

He also knew well that it was a situation where he could be intimidated by .

But the instinctive childishness and foolishness acquired while living made him blurt out words close to stubbornness.

Clang-

I suppressed Luplan’s childishness in one breath just by drawing Axion.

“It seems a little explanation is needed…….”

In my expression thrusting the sword at Adam's apple, not a shred of anger or irritation was felt.

That calmness made Luplan even more terrified.

I briefly explained the actions Rishu and her son committed against Luplan and the progress of the civil war.

“That can't be. The Grand Madam, the Grand Madam would…… to …….”

“Well, whether to believe or not is your freedom. It’s not my business.”

“I cannot believe it. Bring the Grand Madam. I will talk directly with Madam Vispon!”

Madam Vispon, the title Luplan used to call Rishu, was Vispon, not Reichart.

Luplan believed this title was a signal symbolizing the affection between him and her.

“I must have told you? That is not what is important right now. We don't have that much ti. I will give you three choices, so choose among them.”

Completely ignoring Luplan’s protest, I held out the choices I prepared.

“First, write the will as I dictate and commit harakiri.”

“Second, after writing the will, take the dicine and face a painless death.”

“Third, hold out without writing the will and face a death where the flesh of your whole body is torn off by my hands.”

Thud!

Eventually, Luplan fell from the chair.

There was no choice that wasn't terrible, but among them, he didn't even want to think about the third one.

Tap.

“If you don't choose, I will consider you chose the third alternative and go into action. I will give you 10 minutes to think.”

I, who completed suppression by putting my foot on Luplan’s chest, took out a pocket watch and started timing.

“Look here. Young Master Reichart, I will apologize for my rude-rudeness just a mont ago. Let's talk.”

“1 minute passed.”

Did the fear of death approaching his Adam’s apple make him forget the lingering attachnt to Rishu?

Luplan, regaining his cool, began to convey words of apology to .

“Young Master, if the Young Master’s words are true, am I not also a victim deceived by Rishu and Helkane? So is there a need to treat so harshly?”

“2 minutes passed. 8 minutes left.”

After that, while the second hand went around 7 more tis, Luplan pleaded with all kinds of circumstances, but,

I did not show even a movent.

“If, if I take that dicine, can I face death without pain?”

Eventually, around the ti the second hand started the race for the last round.

Luplan completed his choice.

***

“I, Crown Prince Luplan of Zodiac, fell for the trick of a wicked group with unbearable foolishness and committed an unpardonable felony shaking the peace of the nation.”

Scritch scratch.

“……Thinking of the depth of the sin I committed, though there is no way to apologize, I intend to make minimal atonent by ending my life myself here today…….”

Scritch scratch.

While writing down the contents I dictated into the will, Luplan begged and begged again.

Even now, the knights of Simmach would open that door, defeat this villain, and save him.

“……I only hope you respect the foolish one's last choice.”

But the thing Luplan hoped for did not happen, and the writing of the will ended.

I, still with an expressionless face, sealed the will written in Luplan’s handwriting in a glass box, and then drew my sword without a word.

Schwing.

Making a silent threat that if Luplan did not implent his choice, I would execute it forcibly.

“……Uugh…….”

Luplan picked up the dicine bottle with trembling hands.

If there was a relief, it was the point that this dicine brought a peaceful death without any pain to the taker.

Drip.

Gulp.

Feeling thick teardrops grazing his cheeks, Luplan poured the dicine bottle into his mouth with a desperate feeling.

And.

“Urrgh!”

A while later, Luplan started rolling on the floor while clutching his Adam’s apple.

Unlike my explanation that he would face death as if falling asleep, terrible pain as if his whole body was burning was felt.

“Why…… Why?”

Rolling on the floor, Luplan glared at .

That gaze seed to argue, isn't this different from the promise.

“Sorry. It was a lie.”

I answered in a tone that it was nothing major.

A smile appeared on my lips for the first ti since eting Luplan.

“……Ugh…… Ah…… Ack!”

Luplan struggled with his arms to grab my thigh, but.

Thwack!

Shaking off Luplan with a single kick, I faced his gaze full of grudge.

‘Villain of the Zodiac, to deceive , it’s a lie, it’s unfair, I was only deceived.’

Toward the Prince appealing unfairness even while dying in extre pain, I opened my mouth.

“Your sin is not light enough to be forgiven with the words that you were deceived.”

Asolpa turned into ashes,

Reichart’s knights who died in battle,

The left-behind families.

Recalling the deaths and wounds that would not have happened if Luplan had even a little discretion, I gave the foolish Prince the final lesson.

“Even this much pain is undeserved for you.”

I clearly watched Luplan making beast-like groans unable to overco the pain for about ten minutes after that.

Bang.

And after handling the traces of pain remaining on Luplan’s corpse, I imdiately left the room and headed to the long corridor.

Stomp stomp.

Two days after the grand battle in Rodlan Plains ended.

The capital Abysin was already completely occupied by the Reichart military forces.

The capital was busy greeting the flow of the new order established by the victors.

I, standing at the peak of that flow, intended to destroy all obstacles that must be cleared for the new order right today.

“You worked hard, Commander.”

“It wasn't much work.”

At the end of the corridor, Ismael and Pierce were waiting for standing side by side.

The two people looked as if they knew well what I had done, but they just bowed their heads without asking anything.

“Commander, Commander! I have sothing to tell you.”

At that ti, one of the Haken mbers who was waiting for the three people outside the palace ran with an urgent face and opened his mouth.

“They say the Family Head arrived at the capital just now!”

“Is that so?”

Unlike with a still relaxed expression, Ismael’s expression stiffened hard hearing the news of Redin’s arrival.

The thought occurred that if it was the Redin he knew, he would not tolerate the thod his lord took.

But unlike Ismael’s worry, I looked back at the two people and said with a cheerful voice.

“Let’s go. To see Father.”