#023.
[Breaking News: Imperial Hero Lupeon Elcidore Perishes Along with the Heart of the Revolutionary Army!]
[On August 21st, the brutal and heinous rebels, led by their infamous airship ‘Liberty’, oppressed the innocent imperial citizens of Belkers territory.]
[Count Lupeon Elcidore, along with his knights, annihilated the rebel’s air fleet and achieved a great victory by killing the rebel leader, the wanted criminal ‘Maximilien de Lascol’. However, Lord Elcidore himself did not survive the battle’s aftermath.]
[In response, the Imperial Court has posthumously awarded Count Elcidore the title of Imperial Hero for defeating the rebel leader and sacrificing himself for the Empire. A funeral ceremony will be held this December…]
“D-Don’t joke around…!”
The boy’s hands trembled like aspen leaves as he read the newspaper.
“It’s a lie! All of it is a lie-!”
Even after reading it two, three tis, the newspaper’s content remained unchanged.
A scream-like cry burst from the boy’s clenched mouth, and the imperial newspaper in his hands was torn to shreds.
“He can’t be dead! Master couldn’t have died! The Empire is lying!”
The plan had been perfect.
Using the air fleet as bait for deception, occupying the mansion with an elite small force, and the assassination of Lupeon.
It was an operation they had pondered and discussed countless tis.
It was supposed to be their masterstroke, the Revolutionary Army’s first symbolic dagger thrust at the Empire!
But, but why…!
“Claude.”
“The Empire is spreading false information! They must have captured Master, they’re trying to deceive us! We need to organize a rescue team quickly…!”
“Claude-!”
A young man in a suit spoke to the staggering Claude.
“The newspaper’s contents are true.”
“What are you saying! Even you, Brother Randall…!”
“We got word from our informants. Imperial forces entered the territory and retrieved Maxim’s body.”
“…!”
Randall Clark.
He was one of the rchants secretly supporting the Revolutionary Army and a mber in charge of gathering intelligence for this operation.
“You need to accept it. Maxim is… dead.”
“That’s… impossible!”
Upon hearing his words, Claude clutched his head and collapsed to the floor.
He should have gone with them after all.
He should have returned to Elcidore Castle together and punched that detestable Lupeon in the face.
He should have torn that little devil apart with his own hands, the one who had given him such terrible feelings of powerlessness!
If only he had.
If only he could have convinced Maxim to go together, maybe…!
“Get a hold of yourself, Claude.”
While he was lost in self-bla, a firm hand gripped Claude’s shoulder.
A giant of a man with an unkempt beard, Vark Urgon.
A tal magic imprint was embedded in the middle of his steel-like forearm.
“Vice Commander Vark…”
“You’re the seed of a hero personally chosen by Maxim. If soone like you shows such a disheveled appearance, who should our mbers following you believe in?”
“……”
Vark’s words landed heavily.
Claude looked at the magic imprint engraved on his arm.
‘Red Wings’, Claude’s imprint that Maximilien personally created by extracting the essence of ‘Wings of Crimson’.
It was the Revolutionary Army’s first self-created magic imprint and would beco the standard armant for Revolutionary Army mages.
“Don’t forget. You’re our youngest and most talented mage. It’s no exaggeration to say that the future of the Revolutionary Army of your generation rests in your hands.”
“……”
“If you’ve chosen to live as a hero, don’t turn away from that responsibility. Understand?”
At Vark’s resolute advice, Claude slowly raised his head.
Vark was one of the founding mbers who established the Revolutionary Army alongside Maximilien.
Perhaps he was the one most shocked by his death.
‘When soone like him is holding back his resentnt, I…’
Inwardly reproaching himself, Claude slowly bowed his head.
“Yes, Uncle Vark. I’m sorry.”
But that didn’t last long. Randall, who had been listening to the conversation, cut through the tense atmosphere between the two.
“You don’t need to be so down, Claude. You’re already doing plenty well in your position.”
Randall’s eyes glanced at Vark as he said this.
“Right, Vark?”
Aren’t you putting too heavy a burden on soone who just joined the Revolutionary Army?
Under such silent pressure, even Vark had to take a step back.
“…Go upstairs and rest. You must be heartbroken.”
If he pushed any further and Claude broke down, it would truly be irreversible.
Thinking this, Mark sent Claude back to his room.
“So, what are your plans going forward?”
After confirming Claude had left.
Randall, his expression changed, asked Vark who stood with his arms crossed.
Though Maxim had designated him as successor, Claude leading the Revolutionary Army would only be possible after at least 5 more years.
In the current Revolutionary Army, which had lost its leader Maximilien, only the second-in-command Vark could lead.
“What else?”
“The funeral ceremony. Anyone can see it’s a trap set by the Empire.”
As Randall spoke while picking up the torn newspaper pieces, Vark twisted his face with gritted teeth.
“We’ll go and turn it upside down.”
The hatred and anger he had been trying to suppress leaked out.
Though it was clearly an emotional decision, Randall had no intention of stopping Vark.
‘Lupeon’s funeral ceremony is the Empire’s declaration of war against the Revolutionary Army. If we just leave it be, the Revolutionary Army will beco known as cowards who ignored their leader’s death and ran away.’
That was exactly what the Empire was aiming for.
Their intention was to lure out the Revolutionary Army remnants by holding Lupeon’s funeral as grandly as possible.
It was a tactic commonly used by the pigs sitting atop the Imperial Palace.
However…
“We’ve already lost many comrades. Even if we attack the funeral site, I wonder how many volunteers would remain…”
Randall’s mind beca complicated.
They had already expended considerable elite mages in attacking the Elcidore mansion.
If they lost more comrades, more magicians here, it would an losing the majority of the Revolutionary Army’s fighting force.
“There’s no need to worry about that.”
But that was brief.
Speaking in a chilling voice, Vark looked at a letter placed on one corner of the desk.
“As soon as they heard Maxim died, those ‘sponsors’ happily contacted us.”
A letter printed by chanical press, different from imperial format.
Seeing it, Randall exclaid in shock.
“Vark. Don’t tell
those sponsors are…!”
“We can’t avoid fighting, and losing comrades must be avoided even more. Then there’s only one option left.”
Saying this, Vark tore open the letter and channeled magical power into it.
In one corner of the letter was stamped the seal of the People’s Republic of Westraine.
***
“Haah……”
What in the world is all this.
While taking in the wasteland and monster nests visible through the train window, I tried to calm my bewildered mind.
“It’s fortunate there was a clothing shop in Belkers. We couldn’t have let you into the mansion looking like that.”
“Y-Yes……”
What I’m wearing now is a white silk shirt with suspenders, shorts, and boots that noble children usually wear.
It was the first ti in my 10-year life wearing such expensive clothes.
“Eugene. This feels weird. It’s cumberso.”
“Sa here.”
Irene, sitting next to , kept pulling at the hem of her frilly dress, seemingly uncomfortable.
But the reason I felt so uncomfortable wasn’t simply because I wasn’t used to the clothes.
“It would be best to get used to it quickly. Once we enter the mansion, I’ll have to introduce you to the family mbers, and there will be much to learn.”
Keiren said this while looking at Irene and
seated at the table.
The reason I felt uncomfortable in this situation was none other than because of that man.
‘Things are going too well.’
He didn’t demand Elcidore’s magic imprint from .
Even when I took out Elcidore’s arm and held it up, he waved it away.
On top of that, he helped hide the ‘Wings of Crimson’ I had stolen and even adopted Irene and .
These were extraordinarily generous conditions, beyond unexpected.
‘But the important thing is……’
I narrowed my brows while looking at Keiren’s face as he picked up the newspaper.
‘Why is Keiren showing such kindness to ?’
Keiren’s disposition as shown in the ga was neutral.
He wasn’t a villain as heinous as Lupeon, but neither was he a good person like Otto from Grey Quarter.
Why would soone like that adopt a vagrant like ?
While I was contemplating how to negotiate my future treatnt, he ca out with this out of nowhere.
I couldn’t guess his intentions at all.
“You’ve been looking suspicious since yesterday. Are you unhappy about becoming my adopted son?”
“No, I’m not unhappy. It’s just……”
Well, there’s no point in beating around the bush.
Might as well hit it head-on.
“I’m grateful for your kindness, but I’m just a vagrant with nothing. Showing such grace to soone like … I don’t understand.”
What do you want from ?
Just say it quickly.
When I spoke like that, a faint laugh ca from behind the newspaper.
“Why? Think I’ll assign you assassination missions like Count Lupeon?”
“…I’d feel more at ease if that were the case.”
Keiren had already searched through the Elcidore mansion and examined all sorts of internal docunts.
He must have found out long ago how I’ve lived until now and what kind of things I’ve done.
That’s why it makes even less sense.
Not a sponsor but an adopted son?
Just what kind of fucking job are you planning to make
do to offer sothing like this?
“Don’t worry too much. This will probably be quite a good deal for you as well.”
“A good deal……”
Keiren was looking at
from behind the newspaper.
It definitely wasn’t the way one would look at a 10-year-old child.
‘He’s the best among the nobles I’ve t so far.’
He neither looked down on
like Lupeon nor pitied
like Maximilien.
The way he treated
was as a complete stranger.
Sitting at the sa table, conversing as equals.
Slowly, I was starting to quite like this Keiren fellow.
Though I shouldn’t blindly trust him, of course.
Knock knock knock-
anwhile, with a knocking sound, the train car door opened and a soldier appeared.
“Reporting, Major General. We’ll soon arrive at Orland territory.”
“Understood. Get ready.”
Keiren waved off the soldier and stood up.
Just as I was about to stand up holding Irene’s hand to follow him.
“Huh?”
I turned my eyes to the newspaper Keiren had been reading until just now.
Propaganda published by the Imperial Court.
It reported Lupeon’s death and his funeral ceremony schedule.
“December, huh.”
I could guess well enough the intention behind the funeral ceremony.
With Maximilien’s death being reported, the Revolutionary Army must be in turmoil right now.
‘The funeral is three months from now. If Maximilien is dead, the current commander must be Vark.’
They will definitely raid the funeral ceremony.
While thinking this, a phrase written in the last part of the newspaper caught my eye.
[Furthermore, the Imperial Palace has announced that this funeral ceremony will be personally presided over by the noble and almighty ruler of the Kalhyram Empire, Kalhyram II.]
[This will be the first ti His Imperial Majesty appears in public since his coronation, showing how great the imperial citizens’ grief is for losing a hero……]
“…The Emperor is personally attending?”
The Imperial Emperor will show himself.
At a highly dangerous event where the Revolutionary Army is sure to co.
Reading that newspaper article, an ominous premonition flashed through my mind.
The Emperor showing himself to the public for the first ti since his coronation.
The Revolutionary Army aiming for the Emperor’s head.
And the nobles pretending not to notice it all.
This is…
‘This is exactly the sa situation as Chapter 1!’
Every situation was identical to Chapter 1 of [Revolution Empire].
The Emperor who was supposed to appear at the victory ceremony 5 years later was trying to appear now.
Maximilien and Lupeon.
The deaths of those two had changed the original history.
“This is properly ssed up.”
The situation itself couldn’t be better.
History being changed ant, in other words, that my fate as the protagonist had also changed.
But I frowned.
If my thinking is correct.
If what will happen at the funeral ceremony is identical to Chapter 1 of the original work…
“There’s no ti.”
The funeral ceremony three months later.
There, the Emperor of the Kalhyram Empire will be assassinated.
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