One day after Edwin began his march to the capital, Count Gunnleifus Varma had a pale look on his face. He had ordered his second son Boril Varma to send a report every day from the front lines, but he didn't receive one yesterday.
As far as he knew, Boril Varma had advanced to the city after the defensive positions on all the three narrow entrances to Kamonas were abandoned.
Count Gunnleifus Varma found it suspicious but did not intervene in his sons' command of the forces. Boril Varma had a bad personality and loved to abuse women, but he was also a great strategist and military commander despite this.
This is why Count Gunnleifus Varma put him in charge and why no one objected to it.
Count Gunnleifus Varma trusted his son, but that does not mean he didn't have a backup. Among the mercenaries hired were those who also sent him daily reports. He also hired a different team of spies from the thieves' guild, but none of them were reporting back to him.
If that wasn't bad enough, many of his spies in the eastern, northern, and southern towns were no longer sending reports.
He couldn't make sense of what was happening.
He scratched his head as he gathered his thoughts. He concluded that Boril Varma had failed and had been killed along with the rebel forces he commanded. While he was right on that account, two things puzzled him.
How could he have killed all those people and leave no trace? And is he responsible for what's happening to the north and south as well.
Count Gunnleifus Varma could understand if Edwin was responsible for eastern cities falling but for the north and south cities to fall as well. Even he could think of any scheme that could have such an effect.
He thought and thought until he came to one conclusion.
It is dangerous to stay here
Later the night, Count Gunnleifus Varma fled the capital. His carriage rode through the night at great speed. He was heading west to his territory. Sighting the ill health of his daughter, he convinced King Lance Von Winters to allow him to leave the capital.
Count Gunnleifus Varma was loyal to no one. He didn't believe in betting on a losing horse or going down with a ship. As far as he was concerned, everyone else was a rug on the ladder to success, and he wasn't afraid to step on them.
"Tch...This isn't funny. That shitty brat. I don't know how he is doing it but this is his doing. Those dam assassins, how could they fell to kill one little brat."
When Edwin was still studying in the Holy Kingdom, Count Gunnleifus Varma had arranged for assassins to assassinate him. Hitomi, as well as other members of ghosting, prevented that from happening.
"Hurry up, I need to reach my territory at once," he shouted at the coachman.
If I can get to my territory, I can set up a defensive position against Edwin. If I hold out long enough, maybe I can negotiate with him. No, that won't work. Edwin was too close to his father, he won't forgive me that easily. I guess I will have to flee to Jarodor, but that is way too close to those dam demons. Maybe I should flee to one of the empires. Yes, that is the right decision. I will flee and buy my time. I will watch what is happening in Highland and wait for an opportunity to strike.
Count Gunnleifus Varma had a disgusting smile on his face. He was already making plans in his head on how he could make an opportunity for himself. He was so in his thoughts that he was taken off guard when the carriage suddenly stopped.
"What the hell is going on!?" He shouted as he peeked out the window.
Even though it was night, the moon shuns brightly in the cloudless night. He could see an empty road ahead of him, which made him confused.
"Why have we stopped!" he shouted, but the coachman made no sound.
Furious, he got out of the carriage and walked to the coachman's side. He shook the coachman only for the coachman to fall over to the ground. He was dead.
"Guards!" he shouted, but all the knight guards on top of their horses followed suit and fell to the ground one by one.
Count Gunnleifus Varma fell on his ass. His face began to get paler and paler by the second. He trembled with fear and the sight before his eyes.
"You look extremely pale, Count Gunnleifus Varma. Whatever is the matter?
A voice spoke to him from the coachman's seat. There in black clothing stood a beast-kin. His eyes reflected the moonlight as they pierced Count Gunnleifus Varma's very soul.
"Viscount Honcho." He spoke
"His majesty suspected that you would flee the capital and sent me ahead of him. To think he was right. You are truly worthless. Abandoning your new king just like you did the old."
"It's not my fault. Margrave Lance Von Winters forced me to betray the king. I didn't want to do it."
"Save me the bullshit. Anyone with half a brain can tell that you are trash. You would probably sell your mother if it would bring your profit."
"That not true. Listen to me Viscount Honcho-sama. I am innocent. Spare me."
"I will not," he replied before jumping and unsheathing his sword. It shined a light blue and had a buzzing sound to it.
"Wait, Wait. I surrender. Take me to Edwin-sama. Let me talk to Edwin-sama" he said as he crawled backward from Honcho.
Viscount Honcho sighed at his words before channeling mana to a gem on his wrist. It shined before an image appeared in the air. Viscount Honcho took a knee before speaking.
"Your majesty, Count Gunnleifus Varma wishes to have a word with you."
The image on the screen was none other than Edwin. Count Gunnleifus Varma couldn't understand what was happening here. He had never seen such a magic tool in his existence. He was so overwhelmed by what he was seeing, that he forgot his fear.
Honcho quickly reminded him. Count Gunnleifus Varma felt a pain in his right chick all of the sudden. He grasped it with his left hand. When he pulled back his hand.
Blood!?
"You're in the presence of the king of highland. Show proper respect" Viscount Honcho said with a terrifying glare.
Count Gunnleifus Varma quickly got on all fours and bowed to the image of Edwin.
"You have something to say, Count Gunnleifus Varma? Speak I will allow it."
Count Gunnleifus Varma had met Edwin on a few occasions. His impression was that of a boy filled with dreams and nothing more. He couldn't feel any of his father's aura from the boy. This made him think of Edwin as a weak child, but that was different now.
Even if what was before him was nothing more than an image, Count Gunnleifus Varma could feel his father's aura from the boy, no, it was more than that. He knew that he had to pick his words carefully.
"Great king of Highland, Edwin-sama. I am honored that you would allow this humble me to..."
"I do not have all night, Count Gunnleifus Varma. Do you have any reason as to why you shouldn't die here and now?"
Count Gunnleifus Varma shook with terror. Edwin's words were chilling, to say the least.
"I have a fortune that-"
"I have already taken your territory and fortune."
What! When! How!
Those thoughts crossed his mind, He was still receiving daily messages from his territory even today. How was it possible that he already could take over his territory without him noticing?
He could only think of one possibility. He did it as soon as he left for the capital. The fact that he was talking to him right now over this magical tool meant that Edwin had the capability of talking to his spies in real-time over a vast distance. It would have been easy for him to order his forces to attack the moment he left for the capital.
With such power, one could rule the world. Dam it why didn't I know the royal house had such a magic tool. No, that not right. My spies would have told me of such a tool, which means it was developed while they were trapped in that city! How? Who? Tch...
"Your majesty I have many friends across the continent. Connections that would be of benefit to you-"
"I don't need them."
"Eh..."
"Your connections are not needed for the Highland I will make, or rather, Prime Minister Herman Clark and Viscount Honcho's spy network are more than sufficient. If that is all then."
"Wait, wait. Please wait. I have many skills and talent, I could be very useful in your kingdom."
"True, you are very talented despite your many flaws, and I did consider recruiting you, but," he spoke before glaring at him, "The goddess of death demands its pay!"
Count Gunnleifus Varma by now had lost all color and was white as a ghost.
"I thank you for your service to Highland. Now kindly die."
"Edwin-sama!!" he cried as the image disappeared,
"You heard the king. It is time to pay the goddess of death,"
Count Gunnleifus Varma screamed as Honcho slowly approached and beheaded him.
A historian would later name this event as, 'the goddess of deaths' calling.'
Edwin's line, "The goddess of death demands its pay!" would be used by several legendary adventures, knights, and assassins. There was no goddess of death, but the phrase still became a cult favorite