Merchant Noble is out (3/4 chapters for today)
Usurpation
(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)
“Mikanda’s alcohol, you say…!?” (Minister)
The minister’s words echoed through the room, and the lively venue immediately fell silent. Then, the next moment, it turned into a hellish scene of screams and chaos.
“Guuff!” (??)
“Gaah!” (??)
Some pressed their chests, others vomited blood. The high-ranking officials of Kali were falling one after another.
“This is bad! This is poisoned wine!” (??)
In a panic, they tried to spit out the alcohol, but it was already too late since they had swallowed it.
“As expected, when mixed with alcohol, the poison circulates quickly.” (Merchant)
The merchant muttered this, then threw off his clothes. Underneath the merchant clothes was the armor of Randal.
“Laika!” (Randal)
Randal shouted.
“Signal outside! ‘The first stage is successful!'” (Randal)
Laika nodded, swiftly cut down the dazed guards, and broke through the door, running out of the room. After a while, a group of about one hundred troops entered grandly through the front doors of the great hall.
“The initial phase went well.” (Unnamed)
Upon seeing the leader of the troop, the collapsed high-ranking officials widened their bloodshot eyes.
“Uhh… You are… from the Warden Household…!” (General)
The generals groaned with hoarse voices while vomiting blood. However, Arc did not even glance at them.
“Excuse me for a moment.” (Arc)
Arc casually walked over the high-ranking officials who were in the way, ignoring the hellish scene of people writhing on the floor, and sat down heavily on the throne, which was vacant in the absence of King Rudolf. Then, while looking down at the officials who were on the brink of death, he spoke.
“Well, well, everyone. I am sorry for the delayed formal greeting. I am Arc Warden.” (Arc)
His words were extremely polite, which was in sharp contrast to his arrogant posture in the chair. He continued speaking to the dying officials of Kali.
“From now on, Kali Kingdom will temporarily come under the rule of the Warden Household, so please keep that in mind.” (Arc)
After exhaling a breath while observing the motionless high-ranking officials of Kali, he turned to his subordinates.
“Give your orders.” (Arc)
“Yes.” (Subordinate)
The ones participating in this operation were the Randal-Laika siblings and the second-class adventurer, Rishu. Arc gave them orders quickly as the second phase of the operation began.
“Randal and Laika. You two lead your subordinates and hunt down the remaining enemies in the palace.” (Arc)
“Rishu. It seems King Rudolf has imprisoned the former Kali nobility without killing them. Find the location. Then, release those who have sworn allegiance to us and quickly gather soldiers.” (Arc)
The nobility of Kali. This existence held the key to the success of Arc’s operation, which was as precarious as walking a tightrope. Just like in the Laplace Kingdom, the king and nobility of Kali had been in conflict. And, unlike the Kali nobility who had been thoroughly massacred by Casablanca, the Kali nobles had been imprisoned as if they were hostages.
“I’m counting on you. If we don’t get the cooperation of the Kali nobility, the operation will fail.” (Arc)
“Rishu-san is also a master at handling people as an adventurer. I don’t think there’s any need to worry.” (Subordinate)
After each person set off for their tasks, Arc and his guard, Yuria, remained in the hall with the corpses of the high-ranking officials. Because it was such a sudden operation, Arc was worried, but Yuria reassured him that there was nothing to worry about. The reason there had been no rebellion from the nobility faction within Kali, despite Tyr’s consecutive victories, was that the nobility had been used as hostages. This unforeseen factor would lead to Tyr’s death, but Arc decided to turn it to his advantage.
“Arc-sama. All fifty of the captured nobility have sworn allegiance.” (Rishu)
After waiting for a while, Rishu came to report. For the nobility, it was a simple choice between freedom from the prison or not. There was no hesitation in swearing allegiance.
“Let them in.” (Arc)
At Rishu’s signal, the former nobility of Kali—now no longer nobles—came trudging in.
They were in terrible condition. Their cheeks were gaunt, likely due to a lack of proper food, and their tattered clothes reeked of a foul stench. Arc stood up from the throne and gently addressed the nobles, who were trembling in fear as they looked at the pile of high-ranking officials’ corpses.
“Everyone. I am Arc Warden. I know you have been in the dark about the situation, but please listen to me for a moment. To put it simply, the Warden Household wants to defeat Queen Casablanca. You all want to defeat King Rudolf. Therefore, let us form an alliance, as the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” (Arc)
Even after Arc finished speaking, the nobles stood silently, staring in shock without saying a word. Arc, in his excited state, probably hadn’t explained it well. He had rushed through the explanation, and the nobles seemed unable to follow.
At that moment, an old man tottered forward.
“Arc. So, you are truly Arc!” (Old Man)
“…? Ah! Is that you, Duke Edel? I’m so glad to see you safe!” (Arc)
After a brief silence, Arc spoke.
The old man was Duke Edel. He was the greatest noble in Kali and also a major client of the Warden Company. Arc hadn’t recognized him due to his ragged appearance and the aging of his face. This was a good opportunity. Arc decided to ask the duke for help.
“Duke. Could you lend me your military strength? My plan…” (Arc)
The duke listened silently to Arc’s explanation, but as soon as Arc finished speaking, the duke answered immediately.
“My daughter, Charlotte, died because of Rudolf. Avenging my daughter will be my final task.” (Duke Edel)
Duke Edel’s daughter, Charlotte, had been engaged to King Rudolf, but after their engagement was broken, she was imprisoned and committed suicide. For Duke Edel, the desire for revenge burned even more than Arc’s. Then, turning to the other nobles who were still confused by the situation, he spoke on Arc’s behalf.
“Everyone. The nobility of Kali will cooperate with the Warden Household to defeat Rudolf and Casablanca!” (Duke Edel)
He had originally been the highest-ranking noble and a leader among the nobility. With his passionate speech and strong words, he was able to push through the decision forcefully.
(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)
Please consider supporting Bayabusco Translation @
bayabuscotranslation 