Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Episode 126
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Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Episode 126
32. The Madman Appears (1)
"But what about the interest?"
"What?"
"I mean this Michael Gale fellow. Anyone can see he's a foreigner, right?"
When the Kingdom of Roberto was in turmoil from civil war.
While drawing up the kill list with Princess Sia Rin, I noticed a man giving off a strange vibe and raised a question.
He had black hair and black eyes, but his features could only be described as Western.
Anyone could see he wasn't Eastern.
At that, Princess Sia Rin revealed what she knew.
"They say he's a Mage from Lyseth Island."
"Lyseth?"
Lyseth Island.
It's an island nation located between the Tetatron Continent of the Prius Republic and the Triton Continent of the Eastern Six Nations.
Since ancient times, it has amassed great wealth as a trade hub between the Prius Republic and the Eastern Six Nations, and although it's a class-based nation, it's uniquely a country without a King.
Seven families jointly run the nation, with the Head of House of each family taking turns serving as chairman of the joint council every four years.
With a population of 80 million, Lyseth Island is small but quite formidable if forced to rank it, it sits above the Kingdom of Roberto, the hegemon of the Eastern Six Nations, and below our Kingdom of Rhinehearts.
"He's a 6th Circle Mage, but he possesses a natural talent for artifact crafting and blueprints. He took charge of Grand Marquis Dal's Mage Tower and within two years has even begun producing Vanguard equipment on his own."
A Mage who came out of nowhere is producing Vanguard equipment?
If he were a capable Mage, there'd be no reason to leave a wealthy, comfortable homeland for the harsh Kingdom of Roberto.
This reeks of something fishy.
"Extremely suspicious."
"They looked into his criminal record in Lyseth Island, and nothing came up. Though that too is just Grand Marquis Dal's one-sided claim, so it's hardly reliable."
The best policy is to get rid of someone this shady.
I advised the Princess.
"No matter how talented he is, leaving someone like this alive will make him a constant threat."
"I think so too. It's a shame, but he's also Grand Marquis Dal's loyal hound."
And so, following her judgment, we drew up the kill list a total of 42 names.
At this level, it's practically cleaning house of nearly every power player in the Kingdom of Roberto.
It showed just how resolute Princess Sia Rin's heart had become.
"Duke Lawrence."
After finishing the kill list, she looked straight at me.
Realizing Princess Sia Rin had something important to say, I listened attentively, and she made an unexpected request.
"Please allow me to personally carry out the execution of Grand Marquis Dal Rian."
"You intend to cut off his head with your own hands?"
"Yes."
Is it out of vengeance?
Or perhaps part of a resolve to live a new life?
Seeing a Princess who had never once killed anyone discuss execution, I hesitated for a moment.
But the answer was already set.
There was no reason to stop her.
After all, I'm merely in a position of supporting her in exchange for payment.
If Princess Sia Rin wishes it, I should do my best to make it happen.
"Very well. We'll do that."
The Princess nodded gratefully.
She's the one who will become King after the family that was slaughtered.
Perhaps it's something she needs to go through at least once.
"Soon, a force opposing Grand Marquis Dal, including the Minister of Military Affairs, will march out. Naturally, the Royal Palace will be thrown into chaos scrambling to respond and that will become an opening."
My plan is very simple.
Create a massive disruption, then ride that chaos to strike at the head.
With Blue Moon's prior groundwork added to the process, I didn't think it would fail.
Even if the enemy knows about me and Arcia, they wouldn't expect one of the highest authorities of the Kingdom of Rhinehearts to launch a risky raid.
After all, their side also has a 7th Circle Grand Mage and two Aura Masters.
'If they knew we were actually an 8th Circle Grand Mage and a Grand Master, they could never afford to dismiss us but they don't.'
A surprise attack by an 8th Circle Grand Mage pretending to be 7th Circle, and a Grandmaster pretending to be an Aura Master.
It's only natural that I wouldn't account for failure.
Besides, I have Blue Moon's elite operatives with me, don't I?
"You must be careful."
"Don't worry."
Even though much of the doubt about my abilities had faded, it was still Princess Sia Rin who voiced her concern.
"Yawn."
But then Arcia, who had been staring blankly at us the whole time, suddenly let out a yawn and broke the mood.
Knowing she didn't take a liking to the princess, I let out a smirk and pinched Arcia's cheek.
"Depending on the situation, there may come a time when you'll need to step forward yourself, Princess. Steel your resolve."
"If there's anything I can do, I'll do it."
"An excellent attitude."
Shortly after, the traitor faction's forces, including the Minister of Military Affairs, began advancing toward the capital at full speed from all corners of the kingdom, and I informed the princess and Gregory of a plan to maximize the chaos in case an unexpected situation arose.
* * *
The civil war of the Kingdom of Roberto.
The people fell into despair, but even more than that, they were seething with fury.
"Return Princess Sia Rin!"
"The royal family is the Sia family, and no one else!"
"Stop persecuting Princess Sia Rin!"
A massive crowd gathered before the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Roberto, holding protests demanding the restoration of Princess Sia Rin.
A sight rarely seen in a feudal state.
It showed just how beloved Princess Sia Rin was by the people, and how much the Sia royal family enjoyed their support.
But with traitors advancing with massive armies by the minute and neighboring nations circling like hyenas, the new regime frantically scrambling could hardly help but find the people's actions an immense nuisance.
'They're just commoners. Ignore them and it's done. There's nothing they can do anyway.'
At first, they tried to brush it off, but as the people's fervor only grew hotter instead of cooling, Grand Marquis Dal's patience finally snapped.
'Teach those worthless wretches a proper lesson about who the true master is.'
In the end, they made the worst possible choice one they never should have made.
"All who seek to elevate Princess Sia are rebels!"
"Cut them down!"
The Vanguards drew their weapons against the protesting citizens in the plaza before the Royal Palace.
-Run!
-Aaaah!
At a glance, the number of citizens participating in the protest was nowhere near ten or twenty thousand.
It easily exceeded a hundred thousand.
Yet that vast multitude was no better than candles flickering in the wind before fewer than a hundred Vanguards.
"Halt!"
But that was when
"How dare those who claim to protect the kingdom raise their swords against their own people!"
A girl appeared on the rooftop of a shop near the plaza and shouted at the Vanguards.
Caught off guard, the crowd blinked in confusion and fell silent.
-Waaaaah!
-Her Highness the Princess!
-Her Highness Sia Rin!
Then, with a thunderous roar, they welcomed her appearance.
"Strike me instead, if you must!"
As if answering the people's cheers, the girl proclaimed boldly.
A lovely girl of small stature, still wearing a youthful look.
But the sight of the princess her coat of western style fluttering as she cried out to protect her people was Rondel's Joan of Arc incarnate to the citizens.
"Seize her! Capture that wench and the enemies will have no Justification/Cause left!"
Against such a sight, the Vanguards thoroughly loyal to Grand Marquis Dal threw themselves forward.
But no one could reach the princess.
-Shwaaaaak!
A knight in white armor appeared at her side and slew the enemies.
Upon his sword, contrasting with his armor, lay a blood-red Aura Blade.
-Waaah! Protect Her Highness the Princess!
Seizing the moment as the enemies faltered, the princess's Vanguards subordinates of the Minister of Military Affairs who had been hiding nearby, burst out and shielded the citizens.
"So I'm playing the Holy Knight."
Gregory, now the white-clad knight, let out a small sigh and swung his sword.
'This is a major event that will go down in history. Appearance matters as much as ideology. Surely you're not planning to guard the princess looking like some villain, are you?' Adrian's laughter-filled words flashed through Gregory's mind.
Words spoken in anticipation of exactly this kind of situation.
* * *
When Princess Sia Rin appeared like a knight of justice, and the Vanguards who had secretly infiltrated the capital alongside her were causing chaos.
When Princess Shia Lin appeared like a knight of justice, and the Vanguards who had secretly infiltrated the capital alongside her were causing chaos.
August, watching this from a nearby high-rise hotel, let out a chuckle.
"It's a play in itself, isn't it?"
Then August asked the woman who was toying with the people lying like corpses.
"Clown, shouldn't the play be yours to perform?"
"You looking at me?"
The woman's identity was Bug.
Beside Bug stood two autonomous Vanguards of Aura Master grade, and beneath her feet lay the Minister of Military Affairs who had waged war against Grand Marquis Dal and his comrades.
"Enough, we're killing these bastards anyway. Any need to keep them alive?"
"There's always the one-in-a-million chance. I don't think those two will fail, but if they somehow do, these guys will need to fight."
"And if they succeed?"
"What's there to ask? We'll cut their throats on the spot!"
The conversation between Bug and August was villainous by any measure, and with Pierrot masks, red suits, and maid outfits modified like dresses, the two of them looked like madmen incarnate.
And yet these very people were acting to save an entire kingdom.
Had a third party witnessed this, they would have laughed out loud.
"It's time."
Having slipped into the capital with the forces opposing the new dynasty, August checked the time on his terminal and muttered to himself.
* * *
"What? Princess Sia Rin has appeared before the Royal Palace?"
"Yes. She's fighting the Vanguards who were attacking the protesters alongside the Minister of Military Affairs' troops. Rumor has it there's also an unknown Aura Master by the princess's side, so the situation is not good."
"She stepped forward to protect the citizens? And brought along an unknown Aura Master at that? How?"
Grand Marquis Dal's question of "how" to his subordinates carried many meanings.
'How did she manage to sneak troops into the Royal Palace?"
'How can there be an unknown Aura Master at her side?' And so on.
Naturally, his subordinates, who could not possibly know the truth, kept their mouths shut.
At that, Grand Marquis Dal ground his teeth with an annoyed expression.
"Grand General Ashin."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
At Grand Marquis Dal's call, the warrior standing right below the throne responded.
Grand General Ashin Sui.
He was one of the two Aura Masters representing the Kingdom of Roberto and the Grand Marquis's son-in-law.
The Grand Marquis ordered his son-in-law.
"Take your men personally and bring that woman back."
"Understood."
Having hastily mustered troops to purge the traitors rallied around the Minister of Military Affairs, holes had appeared not only in the capital's Defense Force but throughout the Royal Guard as well.
In such circumstances, it was only natural that the Royal Palace's defenses would weaken if one of the two Aura Masters guarding Grand Marquis Dal left his post.
But no one dared point that out, fearing that the Grand Marquis's wrath might fall upon themselves.
True to a group bound by self-interest, not a trace of loyalty could be found.
"Hm? Your Majesty, it seems we have intruders."
"What?"
How much time had passed since they sent out a force including an Aura Master to capture Princess Sia Rin?
At Michael Gale's sudden warning, Grand Marquis Dal and his subordinates were thrown into confusion.
"How many enemies?"
"Two no, it seems like four."
"What? You scared me for nothing. Where are they?"
"The corridor connected to the annex."
How he had noticed the intruders' appearance when no one else had was not what mattered.
What mattered now was intercepting them.
Grand Marquis Dal immediately alerted the Royal Guard and sent out a response force.
But.
"Y-Your Majesty! Something's wrong!"
"What is it?"
-CRAAAASH!
Along with a rare look of panic from Michael Gale.
A thunderous impact shook the entire Royal Palace.
-CRASH! BANG! BANG!
At the same time, the deafening explosions, accompanied by earthquake-like tremors, began rapidly drawing closer.
Like the footsteps of a giant.
"Grand General Kii!"
Though unaware of what was happening, it was enough to throw Grand Marquis Dal and the ministers gathered in the royal family's great hall into panic.
At the Grand Marquis's shout, the Aura Master guarding the great hall, 'Grand General Kii Van,' rallied the Royal Guard.
And as the Grand General formed a defensive line toward the direction of the explosions, the King spoke.
"I-I shall take my leave for now."
But Michael Gale shook his head.
"It's already too late."
"What?"
-CRAAAASH!
The back wall of the great hall burst apart, and the intruders revealed themselves.
The intruder revealed his face fully, as if he had no intention of hiding his identity.
The moment everyone saw his face, they all gasped in disbelief.
"Duke Lawrence?"