“By the way, is there any additional information?”
“As told by Kajan before, the information overload is a problem. The difficulty lies in filtering out the trustworthy information.”
Dick collapsed onto the sofa, holding the teacup that Lorraine had brewed.
“However, there’s barely a whisper regarding the Sagarin incident you all experienced. Naturally, the kingdom isn’t officially responding either……. It seems the only solid evidence will be the memorial crystal footage that you recorded, Simon.”
Lorraine tidied her hair ribbon and turned to Simon.
“Simon, I also contacted Rock Island and found out that politics seem to be chaotic as well. Since the Dark Alliance was initiated as a coalition of four kingdoms, it appears that the entire system revolves around those four kingdoms, causing confusion in decision-making. They are in urgent need of revising the decision-making structure to prioritize three kingdoms, but it seems the countries and organizations that would be at a disadvantage are opposing votes, now that Baldwin is out.”
It was the usual adult reasoning. To put it simply, the Dark Alliance was failing to do what it was supposed to be doing.
If this continues, the existence of the alliance system itself might be threatened.
‘The First Army is indeed different from the enemies we have faced until now.’
An external attack by the sect would lead to everyone holding some common animosity against a common enemy. The improved relationship between the Dark Alliance and the Divine Federation, along with their joint fronts or Rune League, was a result of that.
However, this First Army was provoking internal issues regarding Baldwin Kingdom’s independence, targeting the most vulnerable aspects of the Dark Alliance’s system from within. It was clear that the First Army was moving cleverly.
“Fortunately, Simon, you acted quickly, which is truly a relief.”
Dick shrugged his shoulders.
“You recorded everything that happened in Sagarin with the memorial crystal and brought the Crown Prince here alive. Without you, we wouldn’t even have known what happened inside and would have had to just sit back and take it. In any case, now we also have cards to counterattack.”
“……Hmm.”
That was true. There were strong cards and a justification to act.
The important thing was how to use them.
Bang!
At that moment, the door to the hideout swung open, and a man walked in. Everyone got up from their seats.
“Kajan!”
Kajan, who had entered Baldwin Kingdom to gather information, returned to the hideout. He also looked worn out after days of hard work.
“I have new news from Baldwin.”
Kajan walked over and dropped something on the table.
One was a poster, and the other was a memorial crystal.
Simon and Dick first checked the poster.
There was a date at the top, and below it was a large royal seal stamped by the king. It was none other than a decree issued by the king directly to each region.
And the most important part caught their eyes.
<Declaration of Independence>
‘!’
As expected of a royal decree, its content was unnecessarily verbose, but to summarize, it stated that a ceremony for independence would be held in just two days, and the king would personally appear to declare the kingdom’s independence before all his subjects.
Furthermore, it mentioned that the king would announce the independence at a place called ‘Nobaren,’ which had served as a temporary capital in urgent situations throughout the history of the kingdom, replacing Sagarin.
Additionally, for the citizens unable to reach Nobaren, seven nearby cities had been designated as locations for the independence ceremony. The Great Lord Cardel, who was strongly aligned with the Dark Alliance, was excluded.
“……Wow, this is really a mess! Declaring independence without any discussions first?”
Dick let out a helpless laugh. Lorraine, who had been resting her hands on her knees and watching, also tightened her expression.
“Those who harmed the royal family are brazen. Moreover, to use the royal seal on the decree and impersonate the king is something unforgivable.”
After checking the decree, Simon immediately activated the memorial crystal.
The voice of the king could be heard.
– All citizens of Baldwin, hear me. I am Sardor Baldwin, the king of Baldwin. We declare our independence from the Dark Alliance…….
There was nothing particularly special, just the king’s voice reading the decree.
To the citizens, it seemed that the decree was sent with the voice of the king directly to the noble families.
“…….”
At that moment, perhaps hearing his father’s voice, Crown Prince Rias, who had been sitting at the kitchen table, stepped forward timidly.
He trembled as he listened to the recorded voice of the king and covered his face.
“Father…….”
“…….”
The king was already dead. This voice was either a fake or recorded through some means by the unique black magic of the First Army.
Rias, feeling the shock, lowered his head deeply.
“The shock is that the independence ceremony is in two days. It will be hard for the citizens to gather in time.”
Dick said. Everyone was in shock, murmuring among themselves.
“Let’s consider the worst-case scenario.”
Simon raised his head and spoke.
“This independence ceremony could be a scheme by the First Army to gather many people in one place and exploit them with black magic. It is the same phenomenon I discovered in Frost Field, which Professor Abo demonstrated.”
Everyone, except Crown Prince Rias, nodded with serious faces.
“Third Prince Henrik has certainly allied with the First Army. He will grasp the throne using his own people as sacrifices, wielding power. We must stop their plans.”
Simon turned to Rias.
“Your Highness. I apologize for placing the heaviest responsibility upon you at the most painful time after losing your family. But if you do not ascend to the throne and raise your voice, many citizens will die.”
“……Ah.”
“While we have strong evidence, it would be empty rhetoric if someone opposing the Dark Alliance from the Kizen side reveals this evidence. They might just be dismissed as conspiracy theories. It’s essential that you, a credible royal, ascend to the throne and inform the people of this truth.”
Gasp! Gasp!
Crown Prince Rias clutched his chest and bent his body.
He trembled painfully several times, and the team members quietly observed.
“I…… the throne……. the people…….”
The so-called ‘small Rias.’
This boy, who was so weak and fragile and only loved the arts, was now the only hope of Baldwin.
After a long time of trembling, he finally.
Clutching tightly to his clothing, he looked up at Simon.
“What should I do? Simon.”