Chapter 19

From the crack of dawn, a visitor came looking for me.

Instead of the frightened maid and coachman, I dragged my sleep-heavy body to greet them.

The soldiers pointing spears at me all seemed like fresh-faced youths, newly conscripted.

“R-Raul Muska. You are under arrest for treason and attempted murder. R-resist, and you will be shot…!”

Raul Muska was the second name I took after abandoning Berze Castle.

The soldiers who shouted that name were trembling like leaves, as if they had heard stories about me.

“Hmm. They sure act fast.”

When I raised my hands, they took a step back, their faces full of fear.

Such clumsy soldiers, retreating just because I tried to brush my hair back.

Surely, that guy aimed for me to harm these soldiers.

If I attacked them, he would use it as an excuse to report and mobilize the army properly.

If not, he might have requested reinforcements from the capital.

“You all.”

“Y-yes?!”

Of course, I had no desire to kill these green recruits.

What kind of vile bandit would kill these young soldiers dragged here against their will?

“Have you had breakfast?”

“W-we… haven’t yet…”

“Why would you tell me that! You think we’d attack if we knew you were hungry?!”

“W-we ate! We’re stuffed!”

For a moment, I wondered if that guy sent a clown to amuse me as an apology, but it didn’t seem so.

“Betty.”

“Yes, Raul.”

“Can you make some sandwiches for everyone here while we go?”

“Everyone here means…”

“I trust you understand the extent of my words.”

My maid quickly made sandwiches, and I took one to eat.

Fortunately, this sandwich didn’t have pork ham or onions, so I could eat it without issue.

“Here, take some.”

“T-then, I’ll just have one…”

“Idiot! It might be poisoned! Drop it now!”

I detest using poison, so I don’t keep such vile things in my house.

Besides, my maid has a habit of tasting anything in sight, which is quite dangerous.

“You all must have heard about me.”

I crushed the blade of the spear they were pointing at me.

“I don’t need such cumbersome tools to harm you.”

“M-monster…”

“Cliché insults. If your mouth is only good for such words, better use it to eat.”

I handed them the tray of sandwiches.

Whether they were very hungry or took my words as a threat, they hesitantly accepted the tray.

Watching them hastily munch on the sandwiches, memories of the past flashed through my mind.

Like the memories of training for three days without food or drink, then enjoying a meal with friends.

Though just simple memories, they were strangely more fragrant and sweet than any delicacy.

“Now that you’ve eaten, let’s go.”

I held out my hands for them to cuff.

Such things no longer held any meaning for us. But people still believed they could bind us with them.

The handcuffs they put on me were like a single thread I could snap at any time.

“Let’s go then.”

As I was about to leave the village with the onlookers behind, I saw Cecilia running from afar, her silver hair fluttering.

Carrying a massive lance, she seemed ready to use force if necessary.

“Lord!”

“Put the lance down.”

“If you’re being arrested for yesterday’s incident, I…!”

“These men are just following orders. Killing them would only bring more, resulting in unnecessary deaths.”

“But this is an unjust treatment! That bastard attacked first!”

“The world is full of unjust treatments.”

She still seemed unable to accept the situation, glaring at the soldiers.

“Even if problems arise, don’t worry too much. I take responsibility for the seeds I sow.”

The one who used violence against that guy and his group was me, not her.

So, I intended to ensure the sparks didn’t fly onto them.

“Why do you keep fueling misunderstandings?!!”

“Isn’t it true that I sowed the seeds?”

“This is incomprehensible.”

“Anyway, this is wrong! If you’re taken away, we…!”

“You’ll just return to your daily lives before I came. It’s not a big deal.”

After all, my life is already on borrowed time.

Not much time has passed since I arrived.

I haven’t done anything particularly significant for them.

Even if there are those who mourn my death, it would be limited to my close friends.

“Even if I die.”

What meaning is there in a death that doesn’t even stir emotions in my family and fiancée?

So, I don’t value my life much.

“Just accept that such things happen and move on.”

If my death is something even those I met just days ago would mourn.

Yet, my family wouldn’t shed a tear.

I might become a vengeful spirit cursing everything in such contradiction.

“Lord…”

“See you again.”

I bid farewell to her, who was staring blankly at me, and followed the soldiers, walking and walking.

After about two and a half hours, a modest fortress came into view.

After a long and complicated procedure, they tried to shove me into the underground prison of the fortress.

“I don’t recommend kicking me to assert dominance.”

“Huh…?”

“I detest troublesome actions. If you do that, I’ll have to act.”

Coincidentally, the clothes I’m wearing now are quite expensive, and getting them dirty would require a troublesome washing process.

So, I usually wash expensive clothes myself, hence my warning to the soldier not to kick me.

“I, too, am human and don’t want to get my hands dirty.”

“… J-just get in!”

“Cold-hearted. Even after sharing a meal.”

Sitting in the cold underground prison, the soldiers still gripped their weapons tightly, glaring at me.

“Did I do something wrong again?”

“The Commander ordered us to keep a special watch on you!”

“… That’s odd. I thought he’d come down to kick me himself.”

“Right now, the Commander is busy treating injuries from tripping while running to the fortress…”

“Hey, why are you telling him that?!”

Seriously, these guys should consider becoming clowns after their military service.

“So, what’s my sentence? I’d rather not be dragged to the capital.”

After coming all this way, being dragged back in a few days would be embarrassing.

Moreover, His Majesty would laugh so hard he’d cry, then probably kill everyone involved.

“Not a chance. The Commander said you’re to be executed!”

“I didn’t know he served as a judge too. Isn’t that overstepping?”

“The Commander said in this small countryside, nobles like him are the emperor and the law.”

“… This remote area is full of things I can’t comprehend.”

No matter how high-ranking the fortress commander is, he doesn’t have the authority to execute a village leader.

Moreover, executing someone without a proper trial is outrageous, even for someone like me with a questionable status.

“… I’ll have to ask later.”

“What questions does a man to be executed tomorrow have…”

“Even if I die, there’s someone to ask questions. Whether she’ll answer is another matter.”

By the way, it’s quite amusing that I, who once led armies on the battlefield, am now locked in this small fortress prison.

No, perhaps it’s not just this prison that’s amusing.

Even His Majesty, who achieved great feats on the battlefield, almost had his succession rights stolen by the son of a favored concubine. He had to endure the title of “Patricidal Emperor” to reclaim what was his.

Her Majesty the Empress also earned numerous merits on the battlefield, yet people mocked her with vile titles. No one cared about the reason she lost her purity.

Unlike me, their tragedies were not something that should have befallen such flawless individuals.

And thinking of them, something else came to mind.

“One more question. What’s the weather like outside now?”

“Just a while ago, it was clear with no clouds… Now it’s a bit gloomy with dark clouds…”

“Hey, are you going to answer everything he asks?”

“But it’s scary!”

I’m not the type to resort to violence just because someone doesn’t answer my questions.

“A storm is coming.”

“It’s not that bad.”

“Well, it’s hard to predict. From that perspective, it might be worse than a storm.”

I was certain this old fortress would soon undergo major repairs.