How Long Has It Been Since the Royal Knights Departed for the Subjugation?
The king, clutching a letter supposedly written by the emperor himself, trembled uncontrollably before finally slamming it down onto his desk in a fit of helpless rage.
Of course, this happened after Alkan’s envoy had already departed.
But for a king who was typically timid and constantly wary of the empire’s gaze to express such visible fury—it could only mean that the content of the letter was truly outrageous.
‘So, Alkan really is demanding that Princess Brigitte be sent?’
‘Then what about those items we saw being brought in earlier? They looked like betrothal gifts…’
‘Could it be a threat? Something like, “We’ve already accepted the gifts, so the marriage must go on”…’
Now that they thought about it, the envoys who had been dispatched hadn’t returned with the delegation.
As soon as the idea of a threat crossed their minds, a reasonable suspicion followed—that perhaps the entire group had been detained.
“Unbelievable.”
After grumbling to himself for a while to calm his anger, the king finally opened his mouth.
“A few days ago, the delegation sent to the Alkan Empire was apparently attacked by demonic beasts.”
His ministers gasped audibly.
“Do you mean… they were all killed?”
Even Princess Anette?
Well, she had already retired from active duty due to injury. Even if she did possess the bloodline of monsters, it was unlikely she had survived.
Some close aides who were aware of the queen’s sentiments exchanged glances.
Their expressions seemed to say, perhaps this is for the best.
Now that things had turned out this way, Brigitte would inevitably become the Grand Duke’s bride…
“Only Anette managed to reach the imperial palace. She’s gravely injured, so the wedding won’t be happening immediately.”
Everyone in the throne room, not just the conspirators exchanging glances, was taken aback by that revelation.
“Th-Then what about the rest of the delegation…?”
No one even entertained the idea that they might have died protecting Anette.
Not because they couldn’t, but because they wouldn’t have.
“The real problem lies with them!”
At the mere mention of the delegation, the king, unable to hold back his rage, bellowed in fury.
“When the demonic beasts attacked, they all ran away and left Anette behind!”
Of course. No one was particularly surprised by the story.
What was shocking was how Anette had made it to the imperial palace alone.
“Alkan has demanded that those who failed in their duty be punished to the fullest extent—and that if they did not return alive, their families be punished instead.”
“…!”
The ministers froze, unable to believe their ears.
Anette, when she had heard that Alkan would demand punishment for the delegation, had thought that most of them probably wouldn’t make it back alive, and so no real punishment would occur.
But she never imagined they’d go so far as to demand punishment of the families, just in case.
She hadn’t realized the depth of Alkan’s fury, nor how greatly they wished to show how much they cherished her.
Luckily, that intention had been conveyed loud and clear to Heyworth.
“T-This is going too far, even for the Alkan Empire! No one released those beasts on purpose—it was an accident!”
“Even so, the fact remains that they ran away. We can’t deny that.”
“But isn’t that just Alkan’s version of events? How can we be sure the delegation didn’t die protecting her?”
One minister protested angrily.
Though in truth, he didn’t believe for a second that any of the knights or even Count Randell, the leader of the delegation, had died defending Anette.
But he had to argue that they might have—because he was a cousin of Count Randell.
If only direct relatives were punished, perhaps he’d be spared—but if Alkan demanded that extended families be included, he too could be implicated.
Terrified by the thought, many remained silent in fearful anticipation.
The king, massaging his forehead to calm his temper, spoke with biting sarcasm.
“What good would it do to argue that now? The dead can’t plead their innocence.”
With a sigh, the king issued a sharp command.
“Immediately arrest all members of Count Randell’s family, and bring in the families of the knights and attendants who went with the delegation. In accordance with Alkan’s demands, we will severely punish them for abandoning their duty to protect the future Grand Duchess—Princess Anette of Heyworth. And Rubellino, was it? The empire has also requested that this sword be delivered. It should be somewhere in the palace. Retrieve it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The royal guards and attendants bowed and quickly exited the throne room.
Those who believed they were now out of danger quietly sighed in relief.
The king swallowed his fury at these self-serving ministers and redirected his scorn toward Anette.
If only she had just died with them…!
Had that happened, the Alkan Empire wouldn’t have dared make such a brazen demand—one that crossed the line by instructing another sovereign to punish his own subjects.
That was what angered the king the most.
Yes, he had long lived in fear of the empire as the ruler of a small kingdom. But he was still a king.
Even if Heyworth was weak, its history was just as long and storied as Alkan’s.
Granted, that was only because Heyworth had been so insignificant that no nation had ever bothered to conquer it. But in the last decade, they had accumulated unprecedented wealth and gained a certain standing on the continent—enough to swell the king’s pride.
Once no more than a powerless buffer zone bordering the Demon Beast Swamp, Heyworth had now become a true shield that protected the continent—standing side by side with Alkan.
That must be why Alkan extended their hand to us.
The king had been delighted at the thought that they were forming a marriage alliance as equals between two sovereign nations—until Anette ruined it.
Had she actually died, he might’ve been forced to send his cherished daughter Brigitte instead—and would have hated Anette all the more for it.
But selfishly, that was what the king thought.
In truth, the fact that the delegation had abandoned Anette meant they might also abandon him in a crisis. He should’ve punished them harshly for that reason alone.
But the king didn’t truly see Anette as his daughter, or even as a member of the royal family.
That was why he couldn’t even think of such logic—and instead felt shame when Alkan treated her like royalty and demanded punishment in her defense.
“Your Majesty.”
A voice addressed the king as he simmered in anger.
It was Baron Verdi, a man favored by the queen.
He was the only one in the room who truly understood the king’s feelings, and he spoke softly.
“Please don’t be too angry, sire. Perhaps the empire is merely expressing its displeasure in this way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it. How could Alkan be pleased with receiving someone other than Princess Brigitte? But they can’t outright demand she be sent, nor do they want to jeopardize this alliance with Heyworth…”
Baron Verdi’s words bordered on absurd rationalization, but they struck a chord with the king.
Now that he thought about it—would Alkan really value Anette that highly?
Perhaps this was all a ploy to express their dissatisfaction and force a change.
“Just look at the extravagant gifts they sent. Despite everything, they clearly still want the marriage alliance to proceed.”
The exact thing the king wanted to hear—that Alkan did not look down on Heyworth—came from Baron Verdi’s mouth, and the king’s doubts evaporated.
“Ahem. Yes… now that you mention it, they did send gifts.”
Cheered slightly, the king asked to see them.
Baron Verdi signaled a servant, and the grand doors to the throne room opened as Alkan’s treasures were brought in.
The sight of such opulence stunned the court.
Rare jewels, breathtaking works of art, and master-crafted artifacts from famed artisans were piled high.
They were so magnificent that even the shame of the earlier letter seemed to melt away.
The king, having forgotten decorum like the others, gaped openly before hurriedly correcting his expression.
“Well, it seems the empire did put in some effort.”
Though it was clearly far beyond “some effort,” the ministers pretended not to notice the king’s downplaying.
Then the servant carrying the treasures spoke again.
“Your Majesty, these are only a portion. The rest were too many to bring here and have already been secured in the palace treasury.”
The quantity was so massive they couldn’t move it all to the throne room—this time, the king couldn’t hide his joy.
“Haha! Indeed, a royal marriage between Heyworth and Alkan is a grand event. Inform the queen’s palace and the princess’s palace. Let them visit the treasury, examine the treasures, and choose what they like.”
“They will be overjoyed, Your Majesty!”
“They will surely be moved by your grace!”
The king, now basking in their praise, laughed heartily.
He watched with satisfaction as the treasures were moved to the treasury.
To think this is just a portion. This must be worth more than an entire year’s worth of monster part sales…
Then he suddenly paused.
“How long has it been since the royal knights left for the subjugation?”
“Pardon?”
“Two weeks… yes, it’s been about that long. Shouldn’t they have returned by now?”