Chapter 122: Flames of Revolution

Earth-shattering clashes resounded along with warcries of soldiers that didn’t lose one bit in intensity to each other.

Maids and other non combatants were running around and screaming as Karluk King Inishida was heading for the throne room.

「What is this disturbance!」 he shouted

The prime minister that accompanied him stopped some of the guards running nearby, and after asking them for the details, turned white.

「It would seem like the knights of viscount Eltier are attempting to destroy the gates of the Royal Castle! Furthermore, the banner of Duke Castor was also spotted at their rear!

「A rebellion? How, how dare they……! Ingrates, forgetting all the good that they received……!」

Contrary to the prime minister, Inishida’s face turned red, and grinding his teeth, he stepped into the throne room. Paying no attention to the panicking guards Inishida, overflowing with wrath, walked through the throne room, heading towards a giant window.

Seeing that, flustered soldiers with shields rushed to take positions in front of him and then opened the window.

Countless voices leaked into the room the moment the window was swung open. As the angry bellowing resounded akin to a tidal wave of voices, Inishida moved to the edge of the balcony.

Below him were knights that took positions encircling the royal castle. With the way the Capital was built, one couldn’t have a good view of the city from the heights of the royal castle, and the army currently surrounding them didn’t appear that big.

Even so, if they can’t repel the attacking force, it would mean they cannot leave the castle all the same

While Inishida was grinding his teeth, the prime minister spoke up, as if petitioning him.

「Yo-Yo-Your Majesty! At this rate……! Wha-what-what, what do we do?! Ah, So-Someone, dispatch an emissary and ask them what are their goals, so we can prepare a……」

「Their goals are clear as day. Usurpation of the Throne. That trash…… I wonder which country is backing them. No, it doesn’t matter right now. Shredding those idiots to pieces comes first.」

Groaning in a voice oozing with fury, Inishida turned his head.

「Your, Your Majesty……! Are you going to send your personal guard against them? But doing that, Your Majesty will have no one around to protect them……」

「If the enemy manages to invade the castle it would be the same. In that case, we should just leave one opening and gather enemies there. Sticking to defense in encirclement we have no chance of winning. But taking formation inside a town is difficult after all. If we make an all-out attack on one position, we might have a small chance to prevail.」

Having said that, Inishida snorted, and taking a sidelong glance at the prime minister at his side, smiled with the corners of his mouth.

「Besides, there is also the last resort, that was passed from king to king.」

After saying that, Inishida walked off at a quick pace.

His destination was the inner room of his chambers on the top floor of the castle, the treasure storage.

☆

The castle walls have a unique shape. The royal castle that had an excessive fortune sunk into it without any reservation was sturdy not only physically but also magically. Furthermore, the height of the castle walls made it impossible to climb them easily, and in addition, their top part was slanted, so it would protrude, as to prevent from scaling them.

From the upper part, that resembled in the form of reversed slate, the defenders poured arrows, stones, and even attacks made from sorcerous devices.

Each time a ball of a mysterious brilliance hit the ground, flames enveloped surrounding soldiers, and violent winds blew them away.

Compared to the castles of other countries its defenses were more than sufficient. As proof of that, soldiers and mercenaries that stood on the front lines looked at the castle walls with looks of complete despair.

However, the faces of commanding nobles in the rear showed that they had plenty of composure.

They even engaged in a friendly chatter, during which a certain plump man opened his mouth.

「It would be interesting to see how long it will last.」

「Indeed. It’s terrifying that they can so freely use such expensive sorcerous devices, but it also means that they soon should lose the momentum. The royal castle’s reserves are finite.」

A short person said with a half-smile, then, a lanky man shrugged his shoulders.

「……There would be no reinforcement. After all, the Duke’s envoys are going around, giving them different missions. Though it might look a bit unnatural, they still can’t just return to the Capital, ignoring the orders. His Majesty Inishida is completely surrounded. The outcome is obvious.」

When he said this other men immediately replied in affirmation.

「Exactly so!」

「To think that the mere presence of Your Excellency Castor would allow things to proceed so smoothly!」

Ignoring such voices, the man called Castor slightly lowered his head, narrowing his eyes.

「The problem is, how will the King respond? Though that castle has sorcerous devices, they also keep soldiers of other kingdoms that were made into slaves. Depending on the situation, they might even attempt a counterattack…… HM?」

As Castor kept contemplating, he caught signs of movements in his sight. As he raised his voice upon noticing that, others turned around with quizzical looks.

「Did something happen?」

「Hm? The formation of troops……」

Seeing the distortion in the ranks of the troops right in front of the castle gates, the two tilted their heads. As Castor hummed, squinting his eyes, a slightly flashy knight in a mantle ran up to him.

「You Excellency! Please order a temporary retreat! The gates were opened slightly, but an unexpected situation……!」

Hearing the proposal the knight shouted along with a nonsensical explanation Castor replied with a frown.

「What are you saying? If the gates were opened, then wouldn’t it be better to try and settle this, even if it means making a few sacrifices?」

「Your Excellency, it wasn’t us who opened the gates! It was the enemies!」

Replying to the question in a shout, the knight turned to the castle and continued.

「A person immune to the sword appeared! We believe it is a sorcerous device called Anti-Physical Armor!」

After the knight shouted that, the troops that were flooding the gates began retreating, abandoning the battering ram.

With soldiers’ commotion and yells, a man in armor shining in silver arrived. He has a bloodstained longsword in his hands and surroundings are littered with corpses.

At that sight, the nobles screamed like women. Scowling, Castor clicked his tongue.

「So they even had such an item. It’s a national grade treasure indeed, just where did they get it from…… Can’t be helped, for now, let’s fall back! Mage squad, shoot fire arrows as a distraction! Force the enemy to retreat as well!」

Castor retreated while shouting orders, and ten seconds later fire arrows flew towards the castle gate.

Drawing an arc, three arrows flew, after which, five more fire arrows followed.

Soldiers rushed away, afraid to be caught up, and the silver armored knight also took a couple of steps back.

Then, from behind the knight, from behind the castle gates, appeared a black shadow. Trading places with the other knight, a knight in a pitch-black full armor showed himself.

Fire arrows flew near him, with the last one coming right at the knight in black armor.

Upon impact fire arrows burst into flames, swallowing everything around into pillars of flames.

The knight in black armor was enveloped into one of such flame pillars and disappeared from sight.

「Even if that is Anti-Physical Armor, its contents should be cinders. Now, rearrange the formation. Encircle them.」

Ordering so, Castor turned back to the gates and noticed that everyone around was staring into the same spot with wide-open eyes.

Following their gazes, he looked into the same spot, and to his shock, saw a black silhouette walking inside a fire pillar.

「……It, it cannot be……?!」

When the knight in black armor swung his sword from right to left, the flame pillar dispersed and flames died out.

What appeared, is the figure of the knight in black armor without a single injury.

「……An Antimagic armor……?」

Gulping at that sight, Castor muttered in a hoarse voice.