Aku no Joou no Kiseki Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part4

Lieutenant General Leonir helped Margrave Mydal get up as he gazed at the Queen while still tied up. He deciphered his warning.

The outcome was obvious. Leonir knew that he wasn't the type of person to run away when he lost.

"Are you alright, Rion?"

"&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip; Ern, is that really the Queen?"

Rion Mydal governed a remote area in the country. Earl Ernst Leonir attended the same school as him and they were former cla.s.smates. Rion, who succeeded the Margrave t.i.tle after graduating from school, couldn't overlook the citizen's distress and opposed the Queen. Leonir on the other hand, swore loyalty to the Queen as a knight and could not disobey his master.

As a result they ended up as enemies and allies but they didn't lose their friends.h.i.+p. Leonir brushed the dust off Margrave Mydal's clothes and answered his question.

"I didn't serve Her Majesty before. I have heard many horrible rumours about Her Majesty but this is the first time I've met her. The Queen I met was a kind hearted woman."

Leonir continued with a dreamy expression on his face.

"She was scared of fighting, sad that the people were getting injured, her face was pale and her hands were trembling&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip; Nevertheless, she never diverted her gaze from the battlefield."

"She's really kind, isn't she?"

Holg had came up to them unnoticed and called out to Leonir with his cheeks flushed.

"She even worried about the enemy soldiers. She could annihilate the rebel army if she wanted to, but she chose the most time consuming strategy to minimise the damage."

"&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip; Like I said, whose Queen is that?"

Rion couldn't believe it. The person who would act like that was definitely not the Queen he knew.

If the Queen had a splinter of kindness, then he would not have caused a rebellion.

Rion used to care more about the Queen than anyone else.

Here, Rion was born as the eldest son of Margrave Mydal who resided in the northern area of Karkula Kingdom. The encounter between him and the Queen dated back 17 years ago.

The Margrave families who undertook negotiations with the neighbouring countries was held in high regard by the former King, and he would visit them on a regular basis. That year, the former King along with the Queen took their beloved three year old daughter to the northern area for the first time.

The Princess was dotted on as the only daughter of the King. In those days, she was very spoiled and selfish. She pushed around the ten year old Rion, who was appointed as her caretaker during her stay.

Rion normally took care of his four younger siblings. Thanks to that, he was able to cope with the Princess, who was like a typhoon. Even so it was still difficult. She liked Rion and wept because she wanted to take him with her when she left.

The selfish Princess, who was faithful to her desires, gave in for the first time at Rion's polite and persistent persuasion.

When Rion went to the royal capital he would definitely visit the Princess. When her father, the King visited the Mydal territory again, she could accompany him. Although he thought it was impossible for a three year old child to do, he promised to exchange letters with her. Then the Princess reluctantly let go of Rion's hand.

The King and Queen as well as the people accompanying them, cried out in grat.i.tude at the miracle. This time the King, himself, tried to take Rion along to the royal castle and caused another fuss. It was a funny story.

——— But the promises were never kept.

On the way home, the King and Queen pa.s.sed away in an accident.

Only the young Princess was saved because they had both protected her.

The accident happened away from the Mydal territory and close to the royal capital. It wasn't a mistake on Mydal's side so of course there were no punishments. However, people attributed it to the Mydal's sinister ground and spread rumours about them. Rion's father, who attended the funeral service of the King and Queen, came back worn-out.

Naturally the King's visits ceased.

The following year, Rion attended a school in the royal capital in order to become a knight, but a first year student couldn't easily meet with the girl who had just become Queen. Rion, himself, was also apprehensive, so he didn't go to meet her.

He wrote her a letter once.

It was a very ordinary letter expressing his condolences and concern. Rion didn't know whether the letter from Mydal reached the Queen's hands ———, or even if she'd receive it, or whether a three year old child could even read the letter. And of course, he never received a reply.

Rion, who spent time worrying about the young Queen, first heard the Queen's infamy eight years ago. The 12 year old Queen, who had finished her political education, had interrupted her guardian. At first, it was just silly insults. Her bad reputation grew day by day as if to corner the outraged Rion.

She had no interest in the government and ignored it. Nonetheless, she appointed those she liked and punished those who opposed her. She increased tax to live in luxury ーー and so on. It gradually became radical, it became something so unbelievable.

Rion felt dejected every time he questioned it. His father had grown remarkably weak after the death of the former king and retired, so he escaped from it after graduating and left the royal capital.

Rion devoted himself to being a good lord in the Margrave territory that he had inherited from his father. He didn't worry about the Queen if he handled state affairs every day. Although he was turning his back on her, the Mydar territory flourished and became a place that was easy to live in thanks to his efforts.

As a result, the people who couldn't endure the misgovernment of the Queen came to Mydal territory.

He received the Queen's disastrous government damage report as if chasing him while he was busy dealing with the refugees. The people's necessities were s.n.a.t.c.hed away because of the expensive taxes and homeless people flooded the streets. The streets were also flooded with disease because of budget cuts for things such as health and welfare. The sick and injured couldn't receive treatment. More and more people were dying and there was nowhere to bury them.

Meanwhile the Queen and a portion of the n.o.bles lived in luxury.

A pet.i.tion for a rebellion was sent to Rion, who despaired over the Queen's misconduct.

Rion had become a ruler who was popular with the people, which was completely opposite to the Queen.

Nevertheless, he endured it until the very last moment.

He had hoped that she would open her eyes and correct her misgoverning.

That was his introspection. If he had stayed by her side without being apprehensive, then the situation might have changed. Even if the young Queen was selfish, she would listen to Rion's words. He wondered how he could meddle with things now when he didn't do anything in the first place.

ーー 17 years had pa.s.sed since the Queen first began ruling. The refugees reached the limit and finally a few days ago, Mydal territory fell into crisis. Rion finally got off his backside.

To persuade the Queen, not to rebel.

He went to the royal capital and could finally meet the Queen after receiving curt treatment, but she didn't remember him. Still Rion exhausted his words and appealed the people's plight.

Rion, who believed that she would understand, received words of rejection and reprimand.

The Queen wasn't interested in the country nor its people. She didn't have any thoughts nor responsibilities. As a Queen, she wanted to be waited upon and all her desires granted.

Rion, who was requesting something from the Queen, was just a disrespectful person.

When he was being flogged, it was his heart that felt pain.

He was too late and because of that the young princess that he used to play with, was forever gone. What remained was a tyrant who oppressed her people.

Thus Rion decided to revolt.

He thought that he could settle it by abandoning his responsibilities.

Although he had tragically prepared himself for a rebellion ーーー, the Queen that he had met after the fight was over, was like a completely different person.

First, her aura was different. Her actions weren't overbearing but firm. In addition, she gave off a quiet and gentle aura. He felt that her figure that had controlled the field with her knight beast, was truly majestic. She had pondered over the prisoners and gave out orders even though she shouldn't be interested in them. Although he was conflicted, he didn't change his att.i.tude and even tried to control the knight that was shaking him in violence.

It could be said that Rion was taken aback.

Because he was confused when she was receiving blame.

(Why? What for? &h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip; If you had such a side, why did you not show me? If you had shown me that side of you then I wouldn't have caused a rebellion!)

On top of that, Rion had even made the Queen cry.

He was shocked when the black haired knight, who had hit him, had pointed that out to him.

The Queen was covered in blood and mud because of the battle.

Even so, she was still beautiful and her tears squeezed Rion's chest.

Leonir talked with Rion, who was still taken aback even though the Queen had left.

"Rion, you might not believe this, but Her Majesty apologised to Bas.h.i.+r, who was lamenting over the fact that the Queen was attacked."

"――― What!?"

Rion froze at the Queen's unbelievable behaviour.

"I won't say that the rumours about her are wrong. I know that there is evidence backing those claims. But Rion, I'm ーーー, I think that I'll believe in the Queen I saw today."

Leonir said without any hesitation.

Following that, Holg said, with his brown eyes shone with aspiration.

"I will definitely become an imperial guard who protects the Queen. Hey, I can, can't I? Leonir-sama."

"Well, we were entrusted with Her Majesty's safety this time. So instead of a reward, I intend to pet.i.tion for a position on the imperial guard."

"I see. I'll do that as well!"

Rion stared at the boy and his friend, still unable to believe it.

"What's going on?"

The fleeting appearance of the crying Queen occupied his chaotic mind.

Darius, who was following the Queen's triumphal return, was concerned about the Queen's crestfallen appearance while being perplexed.

(I guess I protected that Queen&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;)

If he'd heard this before the battle started, he would have burst into laughter.

Darius was quite bored with living in Karkula Kingdom that the Queen ruled.

He had came to this Kingdom several years ago. He liked that Karkula was a place with good pay and he was pleased that he could continue fighting without caring about the arrogant Queen. Thanks to that, a mercenary like him was never out of work, thus he did something unusual and stayed for a long time.

However, recently he had also gotten bored of that life and he had thought that it was about time.

He had somehow raised his rank and became a Major General but he didn't have any expectations for the future of this Kingdom. The beauty of the Queen definitely deserved praise but she was so arrogant that it was stupid. Also the other n.o.bles, except for Bas.h.i.+r and Leonir followed her foolishly.

When the war was over, Darius was determined to squeeze as much gold out of here as possible before leaving.

Therefore when the Queen was defeated by the enemy during battle, he was dejected.

Because he could no longer get his reward. Darius, who was convinced that this battle had been lost when he looked at the battlefield, tried to run away as quickly as possible.

At that time his eyes met with the Queen's, who he was sure was dead.

(That surprised me&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;)

Anyhow, the Queen's neck was slashed, heaps of blood was splas.h.i.+ng out and she fell off her knight beast. That would normally cause instant death, wouldn't it? He stared at her wondering why she was alive and she glared at him. Darius knew that the Queen disliked him but he never thought that she would glare at him while she was dying.

(Are you trying to get up in your condition?)

Her body was trembling and she got up while vomiting up blood. She raised her head proudly and he was —— amazed and fascinated by her.

He never pitied her even though her gruesome figure was covered in blood. &h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip; There was just a beautiful woman standing there.

Then the Queen once again fascinated Darius, who was enchanted at a glance, with an unexpected action.

She, who was trying to get onto her knight beast, took the hand that Darius had offered her. The moment her b.l.o.o.d.y, slender, white hands touched his, Darius's heart thumped in his chest like a naïve boy.

(&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip; It's soft.)

He was surprised at her hand, which seemed like it would be crushed if he applied force —— and he was also perplexed by this side of him.

Furthermore, she had tried to thank him. It was something unbelievable and Darius's thoughts were thrown into mayhem. The roar of the Queen's knight beast, Alware, brought him back to reality.

Silence filled the battlefield and people admired the power of the Queen.

The Queen in front of him, so full of dignity yet her hands were soft and small.

Darius's heart was completely captivated by her. He was filled with euphoria that he wasn't sure about.

(If I'm captivated by her then I just need to steal her heart.)

Darius demanded the Queen's body as a reward for the strategy. She had readily agreed. Darius smiled evilly when he recalled it.

(She definitely doesn't know what it means.)

Darius didn't intend to end his relations.h.i.+p with her after one night.

(I'll slowly ーーー wear her out.)

Darius smiled wickedly.

Darius's heart danced as he watched the Queen's back.

That’s the last of Chapter 1 ^^b, and the teaser is finished!
It will be getting picked up soon by Ainus.h.i.+ (Or at least I think it is&h.e.l.lip;)