"And of course, Ill beco the Emperor."
From a declaration of rebellion to declaring oneself emperor.
The audience hall was blanketed in silence.
Half of my party mbers were shocked and stupefied at my mad proclamation, while the other half instantly rose to their feet, ready to say sothing.
"I wont be taking any questions!"
I yelled as I thrust my hand forward.
"The only thing you must decide now is one thing. Will you stand with , or not?"
I gave a faint smile.
"Are you willing to die with ? Thats all."
Because the only path to survival lies within death.
Would they walk the long road that lay ahead with ? Thats what I was asking.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Facing the party mbers who looked at in despair, I spoke with a stern face.
"Ill give you one hour. Consider freely within that hour. Will you stand with , or will you leave."
After eting the eyes of every party mber, I nodded.
"Lets et here one hour later."
Then, I walked out of the audience hall without looking back.
***
The party mbers were scattered around the mansion, deep in thought.
Most remained in the audience hall, hotly debating my remarks, while a few strolled around the garden, lost in thought.
And a few others left the mansion altogether.
"..."
The second floor of the mansion, the lords office.
I was standing by the window, watching the backs of the party mbers leaving the mansion when I heard a knock at the door.
"Co in."
Creak-
The one who opened the door and entered was Lucas.
"My lord."
"Lucas."
"I ca to ask you a question."
Without waiting for to say anything, Lucas blurted out imdiately after he entered and closed the door.
"Is this rebellion a desperate asure to request reinforcents from the royal family?"
I chuckled at Lucass sharp point. Lucas continued.
"You, my lord, are a legitimate successor to the royal family, inheriting the Emperors blood directly. If you declare rebellion, the royal family cannot sit idly by."
"..."
"They will dispatch troops to suppress the rebellion. Isnt your plan to use those troops to exterminate the monsters?"
"Well done, Lucas. Reading my thoughts so accurately."
I nodded my head.
"Youve guessed quite correctly. I havent told the party mbers yet, but the next monster invasion is in a week."
"..."
"With the current situation here, theres no way we can fend them off. Hence, I decided to do this absurd show."
Lucas, looking in the eye, cautiously spoke up.
"I understand your intention, my lord. But there are two problems with your plan."
"Two problems?"
"First, the distance between the royal capital and this southern front. Even if the ssenger changes horses and races, it will take a week."
Lucas quietly pointed out the errors in my plan.
"It will take a week for news of the rebellion here to reach the royal capital, and another week for them to assemble and deploy troops. At the very least, it will take two weeks. In reality, it will probably take longer."
"..."
"You said the next defensive battle would be in a week. They cant arrive before it starts."
I just listened with a smile. Lucas continued.
"Second, theres no way to prove this rebellion was a hoax."
"Hmm."
"Even if you explain it was a desperate asure to summon the royal troops, the royal family wont believe it. You will be arrested and charged with treason. As a royal, you wont be executed on the spot, but you will be transported to the royal capital."
Thats certainly true.
As I was about to nod and accept Lucass point,
Bang!
"Lucas, youre absolutely right!"
The platinum-haired female knight burst into the office.
It was Evangeline. My eyes widened in surprise.
"How much of our conversation did you hear?"
"Obviously, from the beginning! But thats not important! I get the whole reinforcent thing. But rebellion, really, senior?!"
Almost crawling on the floor, Evangeline reached and shouted out.
"Please, think again! That should be the absolute, absolute, last resort! No, not even then! Its a thod that should never be used!"
"..."
"The Emperor shows no rcy to traitors! You should know better! Even if its his own son, hell definitely kill him!"
Evangeline was pale with fear.
"Thats not all! If youre involved in the rebellion, hell exterminate three generations! Everyone in this place, the entire Crossroad, will be sentenced to execution!"
The reason Evangeline was so vehently discouraging this was clearly because she was the successor to the Margraves title.
Crossroad was Evangelines hotown, the land she would inherit and rule in the future.
But to declare a rebellion here.
Youre going to turn your holand, your domain, into a sea of fire - my decree was tantamount to that.
"Look at the war with the neighboring Bringar Kingdom, senior!"
Evangeline spat out in a trembling voice, as I remained silent.
"For the slightest discord, hes crushing a kingdom that has been loyal for hundreds of years! A small domain in such a remote place will undoubtedly be burned to the ground without a trace!"
"..."
"Please, senior! There must be another way! Just not a rebellion!"
Without answering, I looked outside the open office door.
"You two there. Stop hiding and co in."
"Oh..."
"Cough."
Then, Damien and Junior, who were outside the door, awkwardly walked into the office.
I gave them a slight smile.
"Shall we hear your opinions too?"
Damien and Junior glanced at each other. Damien nervously spoke first.
"Well, I... Im the Princes right-hand man. I have nowhere else to go anyway. Ill stand by the Princes side to the end, but..."
"Stand by, but?"
"Rebellion, well... isnt it a bit... dangerous...?"
Damien, whose round eyes flickered at , started trembling when he saw my quiet smile.
"I-Ill shoot at whoever if the Prince commands it! Just leave it to !"
"Right, right. Thank you, Damien."
After smiling at Damien once more, I turned my gaze to the wizard next to him.
"Your opinion, Junior?"
"Its suicide."
Junior cut in decisively with her clear voice.
"I heard there are dozens of magicians of my level in the imperial magic troops. Setting aside all other forces, just comparing the wizards, its like this."
"..."
"You said youre inciting a rebellion to call in reinforcents to stop the monsters, but it doesnt make sense. The troops sent by the empire wont even care about the monsters, right? They might just turn us into ashes with magic bombing and return."
Junior stressed once more.
"Declaring a rebellion to call in reinforcents is, literally, no different from setting your house on fire to catch a flea."
"Indeed..."
I nodded.
"I appreciate the valuable opinions."
I looked around my main party mbers gathered around my office table.
"All of you have valid and reasonable opinions. But my declaration of rebellion was not just for the sake of calling for reinforcents."
"...?"
"Ill tell you the real reason a bit later when everyone gathers in the reception room. So, for now, calm down, cool your heads, and wait for ."
I pointed at the office door and waved my hand.
"Now, out!"
***
The main party visited the office.
As for the rest, when I checked what they were doing, the Shadow Squad trio was standing in the garden, chatting amongst themselves.
With 30 minutes left until the reunion, I went down to the garden.
"Godhand. Burnout. Bodybag."
As I approached, calling their codenas, the Shadow Squad mbers all bowed to .
"Your Highness."
"How is it? Have you made up your minds?"
As I asked with a smile, the three exchanged glances and, without any precedence, one by one they knelt before .
"Dont you know, Your Highness? We were already sentenced to death in the capital."
Godhand, with his head bowed, spoke solemnly.
"You took us in, Your Highness. You already own our lives."
"..."
"The only one we will serve is you, Your Highness. Even if the path you choose is rebellion, we will gladly follow."
Looking down at the three elves kneeling before , their heads bowed in deference, I said,
"I appreciate your loyalty. I, Ash, acknowledge it."
Grinning, I added, "Thank you. Lets et again in 30 minutes."
Turning around, I left the garden. The three mbers of the Shadow Squad remained still, heads bowed, until they could no longer see .
***
Two mbers of our party had left the mansion: Margarita and Lilly.
Among them, Margarita returned ten minutes before the assembly ti.
Standing at the mansions entrance, waiting for the two, I greeted the first to return, Margarita, with a smile.
"Where have you been, Saintess?"
"I was at the temple, offering prayers to the Goddess."
Margarita sighed deeply, hands clasped in front of her chest.
"I sought guidance from Her for the path I should take."
"Really? Did She give you a good answer?"
"..."
"Have you made up your mind?"
After a mont of silence, Margarita let out another sigh.
"...From the mont I first ca to this city, my mind was already made up."
Clasping her trembling hands tightly, Margarita raised her head to et my eyes.
"My destiny lies with Crossroad."
"Are you saying that youll join in my rebellion?"
"If that is the path Crossroad is ant to follow."
"Thank you."
I gestured towards the interior of the mansion.
"Please go to the parlor. Ill join you once Lilly arrives."
Unwavering, Margarita walked straight into the mansion.
***
The last party mber, Lilly, only showed up ten minutes after the scheduled assembly ti.
It seed like she was coming from afar, dragging her wheelchair along with her, laden with various bags.
A bag stuffed with clothes, another with various magical tools and alchemical potions.
"Lilly? Whats with all this stuff?"
On reaching the mansions entrance, panting, Lilly exclaid,
"Of course, its the stuff Ive gathered to leave this city!"
"..."
"I may have lost the use of my legs serving this city, but I was okay with it. Ive faced death multiple tis but I could bear that too. But!"
Lilly shook her head vehently.
"But I cant bear rebellion! This is really... really too much, Your Highness!"
"..."
"I was once ready to lay my bones on the frontlines here, but to be labeled a traitor is beyond what I can tolerate. Im leaving."
Glancing through the window at the other party mbers in the parlor, Lilly seed to soften a bit, her eyes trembling.
But soon after, she slapped her cheek, regaining her composure, and waved at .
"I just ca to bid you all a final farewell with a clear conscience. Im going to run away now. Goodbye! Good luck with the rebellion! And if it fails, dont ntion my na!"
"Indeed..."
I nodded in agreent.
"Youre wise, Lilly."
"Huh?"
"But running away like this wont do."
I moved behind Lilly, grabbed the handles of her wheelchair, and forcibly pulled her into the mansion.
"Just hear out one last ti. After that, you can either run away or stay, as you please."
"Whaaa! Let go, let go! You rebel! Treason is contagious! Its not my fault! Im really innocent!"
***
"It was a lie."
Back at the eting with all the party mbers.
I blurted out to the tense faces looking at ,
"The rebellion was a blatant lie. I had no intention of starting one."
"...What?"
I leisurely smiled at the confused party mbers.
"Of course, if a rebellion was instigated, we could forcibly bring in troops from the royal court. But as you all pointed out, while it may help hold off the monsters for a while, it would lead to everything burning in the aftermath."
I would be arrested and executed.
Crossroad would be burned to the ground.
Staging a real rebellion was never a viable option. I never considered it.
"So, you must be wondering why I declared such a farcical rebellion to you."
Ahem!
Clearing my throat,
I let it out.
"Theres a spy in this city. A dog of the royal court, reporting our every move to the Emperor."
"...!"
"It was a show to catch that spy. And that friend bit my bait as expected."
And so it happened.
The bait of rebellion had been thrown, a potent trick from the start, aid at smoking out the spy.
Party mbers began to buzz with whispers. Lucas asked anxiously.
"Where is this spy?"
"Here."
I stretched out my hand, lightly sweeping over the assembled party mbers in the reception room.
"In this room, among you, sitting with a calm face."
"...?!"
The stunned party mbers looked at each other.
"Now..."
With a wide and kindly smile on my face, I asked quietly.
"Do you know who it is?"
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