Chapter 46: Toward the Rebellion
It had been a month since the brutal murder of the Second Prince, Linvruld. They say rumors last for seventy-five days, but even a major event like the prince's assassination would vanish from people's discussions within ten days.
The capital city, Drene, appeared as it always had.
And Linvruld's sisters, Luschana and Wyrus, didn't seem to be concerned about his fate.
"Oh? Today's tea has a floral scent."
"Yes, Your Highness Wyrus. I mixed in a hint of fragrance extracted from roses."
"How delightful. Can I request the same blend for a while?"
"Of course, Your Highness."
The Second Princess, Wyrus, appeared to be a delicate young girl at first glance. With her innocent looks and demeanor, she had many admirers among the nobles, some of whom were keen on marrying her.
"Indeed, as Wyrus said. It suits me perfectly."
Sitting across from her was the First Princess, Luschana. These two were half-sisters, with Luschana being of the same lineage as Linvruld, while Wyrus shared the same father as the Fourth Prince, Medline.
By the way, the First Prince, Lotus, and Reinvard were full-blooded brothers and also the children of the legitimate wife.
"By the way, do we have any other perfumes with the same fragrance?"
"Yes, we do. If you require it, I can have it brought for you."
"Very well, Banze."
"As you wish."
Banze, the butler, nodded and made a mental note of her request. Unlike Wyrus, Luschana wore heavy makeup and possessed a vast collection of perfumes, luxurious accessories, and dresses, which she used to enhance her beauty. While one couldn't call her ugly, her natural appearance was closer to ordinary.
However, that was something one should never touch.
Previously, a maid who spread such rumors was reported and promptly executed.
Therefore, Banze always complied with Luschana's requests and provided the answers she sought.
"By the way, there's a banquet in four days. Did you have a dress tailored, Wyrus?"
"No, I'm thinking of choosing something from what I already have. I spoke with the maids, and they said the dress I received from Count Lute on my birthday would be perfect."
"..."
Luschana sighed at Wyrus's lack of discretion. Probably, the maids were instructed by Count Lute to recommend that particular dress. If Wyrus attended the banquet in a dress gifted by the Lute family, it would signify a special relationship between Wyrus and the Lute family, even if it wasn't the case.
In reality, once you established a fait accompli, anything could be molded accordingly.
Ultimately, the plan was to bring Wyrus into the Lute family and incorporate her bloodline into the royal family.
The intentions were obvious.
However, the flower-brained Wyrus seemed oblivious to it all.
(Well, thanks to her foolishness, I can do as I please...)
Wyrus was easy to manipulate. If given a plausible reason, she would readily agree. Moreover, Wyrus had many noble admirers, and by controlling her, Luschana could control them as well.
For Luschana, her half-sister was a convenient pawn.
"Speaking of which, Wyrus, there's something I'd like to tell you."
"About me? Your words are always enlightening, big sister."
"That's a good girl. You see, there's a group calling themselves the Revolutionary Army causing disturbances in the country. Have you heard of them?"
"This is news to me. Big sister, you know everything!"
Wyrus's eyes sparkled, but she probably had no idea what the Revolutionary Army was. While she was eager for information, it remained within the realm of being a gossip-loving girl. She didn't consider what it meant or how it could be used.
That's why she was considered a fool behind her back.
"The Revolutionary Army is causing harm in this country. And there are rumors that they have supporters in a certain village."
"Oh my, how terrible."
"What do you think, Wyrus?"
"We should dispatch troops to that village and punish them for their wrongdoing."
"Yes, that's right. What kind of punishment do you think would be appropriate?"
"Taking their lives would be too cruel... What should we do, big sister?"
How foolish, as expected from her flower-brained mind.
Luschana smiled, hiding her contemptuous grin.
"Perhaps enslavement? We could turn them into slaves, making them work for the royal family. Even after committing wrongdoings, they'd receive mercy and, on top of that, be honored with the privilege to serve the royal family. Isn't it a splendid act of clemency?"
"Wonderful idea, big sister! Let's do that!"
"Indeed. Then, let's prepare to move the troops immediately. Would you sign this document as well?"
"Of course."
A document she had prepared from the start was brought in by a servant. Wyrus signed her name without any hesitation, without even bothering to read its contents.
On the other hand, Luschana gained the support of the popular Wyrus. Once she set her own faction's nobles in motion, she would obtain the authority to mobilize the troops.
"All done."
"Thank you, my dear Wyrus."
Luschana covered her mouth with a fan, sending a smile from the depths of her heart.
A smile filled with derision.
◆◆◆
Several weeks later, Shu and Iris were having tea at a cafe in the Second District when they noticed that the main street was getting noisy.
"I wonder if something happened?"
"It's probably because of the deployment. There were rumors that they were sending troops to crush the revolutionary army."
"Was that rumor true?"
"Well, the fact that they are deploying troops seems to be true."
Using Shu's magic sensing ability, they could perceive a large amount of magic. There were countless soldiers, and Shu understood that each one was a soldier.
"There are quite a few of them. Probably close to a thousand. Most of the castle's soldiers, or rather, the guards, seem to have set out."
"The Eldorado Kingdom is serious, huh?"
"Well, with this, the castle's defenses must be empty. Is that alright?"
"I think there will be minimal security, at least."
"But it's foolish."
The Revolutionary Army, Libellion, had even infiltrated the royal capital, Drain. And its leader was the third prince, Reinwald, who knew a lot about the royal castle. If they could weaken the castle's forces, it would be an opportunity for them to launch an attack. Even Shu and Iris, who didn't know much about the country, could easily predict that.
"If they take the castle and the revolution succeeds, the civil war will be over."
"That's true."
"And this is just after the mysterious death of the second prince. It's foolish."
"The cause is right in front of me, though."
"Well, yeah."
In a sense, the fact that the second prince had died was what set things in motion.
The princes and princesses were not cooperating; they recognized each other as rivals. With Linvuld's death, there was room for movement. It wouldn't be surprising for them to do something noticeable.
However, they should have waited until they thoroughly investigated Linvuld's death.
There must be something in the royal capital that could easily kill a member of the royal family.
"Perhaps someone from the royal family was manipulated. Maybe they incited the military to send troops against the Revolutionary Army, Libellion."
"Yeah... Reinwald used to be the third prince, right? So, are there also allies hiding in the royal castle?"
"That's possible. Since Linvuld is dead, normally, the king wouldn't approve the deployment. But the fact that they managed to push it through means that they had enough allies within the Revolutionary Army, Libellion."
"Then, it's decided that the Revolutionary Army, Libellion, will move."
As they continued talking, the noise outside the cafe grew louder.
They would probably not be able to leave the shop for a while, as the line of soldiers seemed to be endless.
"Should we order another cake?"
"Oh, I want this fruit tart!"
***
In the Fourth District, there was a slum.
Among them, the largest building was the hiding place of the Revolutionary Army, Libellion. Of course, its leader, Reinwald, was also there.
"So, Izan, did you find something?"
"Don't be hasty, Reis-san. I called you because I got something."
Izan, the leader of the slum, scolded Reinwald as he handed over some documents. Reinwald snatched them and quickly looked through them.
"I see. So, that deployment was Luchana's decision. Did Count Bold push her into it?"
"That's right. Count Bold wants you guys to move."
"We have gathered quite a bit of information. We will succeed."
They called themselves the Revolutionary Army, Libellion.
They aimed to overturn the country and return it to its pure state. That's why Reinwald had been fighting. He had no intention of backing down now.
"There's a lot to do. If we assassinate all the royals, I will become the king. I'll change the country and break free from the oppression of the Great Empire. I must ensure that the benefits reach all the citizens."
"It's going to be tough. Kukuku."
"Don't joke, Izan."
"Sorry, but I'm not working for free either. I'll take my share of benefits. Specifically, I'll raid the treasury. It's the treasure that squeezed our blood tax. We'll take it back."
"Fine. I'll leave that to you."
The magic-equipped soldiers of the Revolutionary Army, Libellion, would infiltrate the royal castle with their small, elite group and assassinate King Yanbar, the first prince Lotus, the fourth prince Medline, the first princess Luchana, and the second princess Weilus. Depending on the situation, they had considered sparing Weilus, but they decided to execute everyone equally to avoid any future grievances.
They would also eliminate all the nobles who had been involved in the corrupt government.
Then, they would appoint the nobles who agreed with the ideals of the Revolutionary Army, Libellion, as their ministers and establish a new royal authority.
Meanwhile, the slum collaborators would raid the treasury while the Revolutionary Army, Libellion, caused chaos. They would reclaim the wealth collected from the citizens of the Eldorado Kingdom. This wealth would be the slum's share and be distributed to the poor.
"Even if they call it a deployment, it's just a security force. They won't be able to march properly. We have plenty of time."
"Yeah, let's aim for the operation five days from now. Depending on the situation, we may need to delay it, but let's prepare with that date in mind."
"We'll be ready soon. You, on the other hand, need to hurry, Reis-san."
"I know."
After that, the two discussed some minor details and parted ways promptly.