NOVEL NEXT Chapter 31
31.
In the early hours of dawn,
Cain stepped out, only informing a select few, including Iris, of his departure.
Passing through the castle gate under the guise of verifying the aftermath of the black rain that contained the emperor’s decree,
the guards remained silent upon hearing it was a mission that valued stealth, and news of Cain leaving the capital never reached the imperial palace.
He slipped out of the capital without any interference, heading west.
The horses’ hooves mercilessly pounded against the desiccated earth, their exhausted forms being replaced at each locality to continue the relentless ride.
Around the time the news of a duke and some knights leaving the capital and the identity of a certain knight captain reached the ears of the central nobility, causing unrest in the imperial palace,
Cain arrived at the manor of a certain noble.
An unannounced, surprise visit.
The sudden appearance of an armed group, their bodies completely covered by somber robes, was met with resistance by the guards—but
the gates broke apart easily with a kick from Cain, opening their way.
“What is this commotion?”
Drawn by the screams and the noise outside, Lord Rulton threw the manor doors open roughly.
‘These must be mercenaries. How foolish to come here to die.’
Lord Rulton appeared with an imposing demeanor.
But upon seeing the scene before him, his confidence faltered quickly.
Though covered in dirt, the robes gave off an air of elegance.
Faces were hidden in the shadow cast by the hoods, as the sun was at their backs.
Around them lay the knights and guards, lying in pools of their blood.
“…”
“Please… spare us…”
Rulton stopped in his tracks involuntarily.
A moment before, the commotion seemed like a fleeting illusion, for no sound, not even of bugs, could be heard in the garden.
While Rulton desperately thought about the intruders’ identity,
the leader of the invading group quietly spoke.
“Lord Rulton.”
Despite causing a ruckus, the intruder’s calm demeanor had a strangely overwhelming presence, which made Rulton tread carefully in response.
“…Who might you be? This is the private property of the Rulton House. The knights and guards you’ve dealt with belong to me, Miles Rulton, as well as being the valuable citizens of the empire.”
Commoners, once roused to a frenzy by the laws of the empire and the rights of the nobility, would quickly submit.
Nobles receive their titles from the master of the empire and wield great power, including knights, to protect the helpless from beasts and monsters.
With the life of common folk linked to the grace of the nobility, the life and death of these commoners rest with the nobles.
Even if Rulton were to die at their hands, it mattered not. The other nobles wouldn’t tolerate their rights being infringed upon or being threatened.
Being associated with a noble means there’s no escaping death. Every person involved in this will be hunted down and their heads claimed.
To threaten a noble with a sword meant just that. The intruders must know this well.
For now, placate them, send them away, and later gather the forces to annihilate them.
“You stand here threatening us, trespassing on the private land of a noble knight appointed by his majesty, with full knowledge of the implications. This is outright rebellion!”
As the intruder approached slowly, Rulton drew his sword.
Even preparing for the worst.
Rulton was not just someone dabbling in swordplay as a hobby; he was a seasoned noble with genuine skill.
If ambushed, the battle might have gone badly, but with a sword drawn, the story could change.
“I’ll cut down this fellow first, and then hold out until reinforcements arrive with the help of the compound.”
Just in case, he sent a butler out the back to ask the nearby patrol forces and mercenaries for assistance. They only needed to hold on for a bit.
Watching the intruder approach, Rulton tightened his grip on his sword.
When the intruder was less than five steps away, they stopped and pulled down their hood, revealing their face.
“Lord Rulton, it’s good to see you again after the national inspection tour. It’s Cain MacBilian.”
“…MacBilian?”
Through the gaps in his robe, a glimpse of a black uniform appeared. The attire of the royal knights.
Recalling the brief encounter with the crown envoy during the national inspection at a major city in the west, Rulton gasped.
“The Duke…!”
Upon seeing Cain’s face, Rulton stepped back, his previous hostility replaced by shock.
‘How could someone who should be in the palace be here… and leading a group of knights?’
As he stared dumbfounded, his eyebrows furrowed quickly.
Though stunned by the appearance of the Empress’s consort,
Rulton’s mind was rapidly calculating.
This was not a visit made in good faith.
An unexpected and unannounced visit, followed by an unauthorized intrusion and coercion—it could be leveraged as an opportunity for the Western faction to pressure the Duke.
“What are you doing here, Duke! As decreed by Her Majesty the Empress through the proper legal procedures…,”
“Three years ago, the Belosif Viscounty. Sale and purchase of military supplies. Later connected through war merchants to other merchants.”
“…?”
Confused by the sudden statement, Rulton gazed at Cain as he continued.
“After increasing their rates to 70%, you forced people who could not pay taxes to send their children under the guise of mandatory labor. And the evidence suggests you sold those children to the slave trader Sylvester.”
Cain’s words made Rulton’s eyes waver.
“And you’ve been taking money in exchange for turning a blind eye to illegal immigration.”
“That’s… nonsense…”
As Rulton failed to provide a coherent rebuttal, Cain drew a document from his robes and held it up.
“By the command of Her Majesty the Empress, I have come to clear out the parasites that feed off our nation. Lord Rulton, in accordance with the Emperor’s decree, you are to diligently assist in this investigation to prove your innocence.”
“Your lies have gone too far. To insult me, a devout follower of the Sun God and a respected servant of Her Majesty the Empress!”
As Rulton cried out with a desperate attempt at defiance, Cain looked down at him calmly.
“You will be judged guilty of contempt and face summary judgment by me, the knight captain acting on behalf of Her Majesty’s will.”
“…”
Rulton heard faint footsteps nearing the manor.
The support troops were nearly here. The basement contained many incriminating documents. The Duke and his knights must not be allowed inside.
Through gritted teeth, Rulton suddenly swung his sword.
‘First, I’ll subdue the Duke and then take advantage of the reinforcements to deal with the knights.’
Whoever knew they found out about this, but if they search the manor, they can’t get away with pretending ignorance.
The Duke must have met an unfortunate accident on the way to the west. The incident must be masked as such.
While the Duke’s death in the outer regions would cause a commotion, the faction’s power is sufficient to cover it up. They have done it before.
With that thought, Rulton struck.
However, his attack was easily halted.
Clang!
Incredulous at the ridiculous pain that felt like his grip was torn apart, Rulton turned his head in shock.
As the last flash of light in front of him, his consciousness faded away.
“I understand your intentions well.”
Cain’s voice followed a light shake off of his sword.
Rulton’s head, eyes wide open, fell to the ground.
“AAAAAAAAH!”
“Lord!”
Amidst the cries and screams,
Cain held up the golden document handed to him by Iris and announced loudly,
“From this moment, I will enact the verdict upon the traitor Miles Rulton! Anyone who interferes will be considered a rebel and dealt with strictly according to the imperial law! Knights, tear it all down!”
At Cain’s proclamation, the knights of the Execution Squad shrugged off their robes.
The revealed black uniforms of the Royal Knights, adorned with insignias of the silver lily and the crow on their collars,
caused the ones entering the manor to halt, but the royal knights wasted no time and leapt into action.
Thus, not only Lord Rulton but also other corrupt officials and nobles tied to the faction within the Western region were dealt with, and Cain’s group moved toward the south.
By the time news of the turmoil in the west reached the imperial palace,
Cain, having stirred things up in the calm southern region, had moved on to the east.
When the central nobles urgently dispatched their private soldiers and knights upon receiving news of Cain’s actions throughout the regions, Cain’s group had already swept through the east and reached the northeastern part.
*
At the moment Cain arrived in the northeast,
the news reached the imperial palace almost immediately.
Bang!
“Certainly not…”
The central nobles trembled at the sight of the individuals being paraded towards the capital.
At the forefront were the black-uniformed royal knights, followed by captives led by soldiers.
The central nobles roared with indignation.
“That’s the garrison force from a western major city!”
“How dare they擅自 mobilize the army like this!”
Those leading the prisoners were neither the imperial army nor the guards from the security command post.
Instead, these forces, stationed throughout the west, south, and east to protect those regions, now followed the knights in the black uniforms.
While the central nobles associated with the various regions quickly rushed to confront them,
“We are executing our duties lawfully by order of Her Majesty the Empress. By the command of His Highness the Duke, we have called upon troops to escort the traitors. After the mission concludes, all mobilized personnel will return immediately to their respective regions.”
Upon seeing the document bearing the seal of the Empress presented by the knights, the central nobles had no choice but to step back.
“This… this cannot happen!”
“Without a word, he led the knights out and stirred up the whole empire…”
“There must be some way to…”
The situation was grave.
From the west, through the south, to the east,
the Duke, who had departed the palace on a surprise mission, was executing those involved in wrongdoing.
Even though some were not outright rebels, they were entangled in various types of corruption.
In the rapidly developing situation, the nobles had no choice but to sweat and watch as they were unable to respond promptly.
The spies of the enemy nations and the rebellion allegations Cain had brought forth along with explicit evidence against those who were corrupt.
If this was a surprise attack with clear evidence, the central nobles couldn’t stop Cain’s movement.
The central nobles now understood what this sudden occurrence signified.
Cain MacBilian was proceeding with a thorough purge.
The death of the agent of Sylvester, Pandray, was the starting point, with Cain and the Royal Knights moving swiftly afterward.
The noble factions deeply tied with Pandray turned pale and hurriedly fled the imperial palace.
As shocking news kept pouring in, the nobles looked toward the heads of their factions.
“…”
“…”
Since the surprise move was already underway, it was too late to confront this storm.
Reckless reactions to the current situation would only play into their opponent’s plan.
They needed to prepare for what was next.
The Duke refused any alliances.
Just as he announced, he moved to weed out those who did not follow the Empress.
The sword of the Empress had finally been unleashed, and with a surprise attack.
The central nobles shuddered with cold fear running down their spines.
The gentle autumn that once embraced the empire had ended.
And a colder winter than any other descended upon this land.