My Words Are the King's Words (2)
As soon as the Royal Knight Commander entered the great hall, he frowned.
He had received reports of a loud disturbance inside and had rushed over with his knights, but it seemed he was a little late.
'Tsk, we should have blocked those mercenary bastards from entering in the first place.'
A prime minister, struck in the forehead with an axe, lay dead within the royal palace. It was an unthinkable event.
Until now, the royal knights had refrained from interfering in state affairs, leaving governance to the ministers. It was not their place to judge.
But leaving things alone had led to this disaster. How could this place still be called a royal palace?
It was no different from bandits storming in and causing havoc. Some truly insane people had entered.
As soon as the knights arrived, the ministers scrambled behind them, making a commotion.
"That barbaric mercenary killed the prime minister!"
"The mercenary is spouting lunacy, claiming to be the king's proxy!"
"The king has gone mad too! Arrest them all at once!"
Clicking his tongue, the Knight Commander drew his sword. In a way, this was fortunate. If the king was crazy enough to grant authority to a mercenary, taking him into custody wouldn't be difficult.
Marquis Falkenheim would take care of the rest.
He ordered the Royal Knights, "Arrest them immediately. If they resist, kill—hmm?"
The Knight Commander blinked a few times, looking past Ghislain at the knights standing behind him.
They were undoubtedly knights who had come with Count Nordhill. The emblem on their armor confirmed it.
But some of their faces were strangely familiar.
"Wait… you?"
He was certain that knight had once served under Marquis Falkenheim. Why was a knight of that caliber standing alongside these lunatic mercenaries?
Under the sharp gaze of the Knight Commander, the Nordhill knight let out a bitter smile.
Indeed, he was the high-level knight who had once ambushed Ghislain and been captured.
When they were taken prisoner, Ghislain had given them only two choices.
— You surrendered, so I'll spare you. But you must choose: will you return with your mana cores shattered, or will you become a knight of Nordhill?
A shattered mana core meant the end of knighthood. It would leave them worse off than ordinary people.
Thus, most knights swore loyalty to Nordhill. Only two chose to return with their mana cores destroyed.
In a single move, Nordhill gained dozens of high-level knights. Only a handful had been assigned to Lacus to guard Rio.
Of course, Ghislain didn't trust them easily. All of them were bound by his black magic, their souls shackled.
Having witnessed Gasqot turned into a Death Knight, none dared to plot against him. They had no choice but to trust Ghislain's promise that he would release them once everything was over.
And now, more than twenty of these high-level knights had entered the royal palace.
Drawing his sword, one of the knights spoke to the Royal Knight Commander.
"We have chosen to follow Count Nordhill. There is… nothing more to say."
There was no need to continue this humiliating discussion. It was easier to go with the flow.
After all, they had experienced firsthand just how terrifying Ghislain's power was.
"You… you pathetic traitor…!"
The Knight Commander had no right to say such words, yet he shouted them as if it were a betrayal of Marquis Falkenheim.
Even as he glared at the knights, his mind was racing.
They were high-level knights—warriors capable of fighting hundreds of soldiers alone. And he had no idea how many of them stood against him.
'I need an army to take them down.'
That was the only way. The Knight Commander decided to retreat for now.
"Escort the ministers outside. We will discuss how to deal with them later."
It was embarrassing to leave the enemy standing while they all retreated, but things would change once he returned with the military. The Knight Commander believed this firmly.
However, Ghislain had no intention of letting them escape.
"Where do you think you're going? You think you can just walk in and out as you please in front of me?"
He suddenly shot forward, brandishing his staff.
Boom!
The Knight Commander barely managed to block the strike, but the impact sent him sliding far back.
A chill ran down his spine. They had only clashed once, yet the difference in skill was clear.
"Stop him!"
The Knight Commander shouted desperately to his subordinates, trying to retreat. But Ghislain's staff moved faster.
Crash!
"Urgh!"
His staff struck the Knight Commander's neck with brutal force, twisting it at an unnatural angle.
As Ghislain spun his body, his staff followed through, smashing into the Knight Commander's side.
Boom!
Crunch!
Armor crumpled, and bones shattered. The Knight Commander's body bent grotesquely as he collapsed.
As Ghislain looked down at the corpse, he muttered, "Too weak. Far too weak."
It was only natural.
All the skilled warriors who had once pledged loyalty to the royal family had either been purged or exiled.
Those who remained were not there to protect the king but to monitor him.
No wonder the Royal Knights were so weak.
Ghislain straightened his back and scanned the room. Everyone was frozen in fear.
The most skilled knight present had just died in two strikes.
An ordinary mercenary should not have been capable of such a feat. The sheer difference in ability left everyone breathless.
Ghislain pointed his staff forward.
"Are you all traitors too?"
"..."
"If you are not, then kneel before His Majesty and follow me. I have no time to waste."
No one knew what to do. Without a leader to guide them, confusion reigned.
Even the Vice Commander of the knights could only roll his eyes anxiously, glancing at the ministers.
Ultimately, it was not knights but politicians who dictated the course of the kingdom.
At that moment, one minister bravely stepped forward.
"H-how dare you! Even if you act under His Majesty's orders, such behavior in the royal palace is outrageous! Marquis Falkenheim will not stand for this!"
Crack!
"Aaaaagh!"
The minister barely finished his sentence before Ghislain's staff crushed his shoulder, forcing him to his knees.
Trying to use Marquis Falkenheim's name again was meaningless.
Ghislain clicked his tongue.
"You don't listen, do you? I just told you—we're going to capture Marquis Falkenheim next. Make your choice now."
Swish…
Ghislain released his full presence.
A terrifying aura erupted, pressing down on everyone in the room.
The Royal Knights turned pale, while ordinary soldiers and ministers collapsed, struggling to breathe.
Fear spread across every face.
That level of presence was not something just anyone could possess.
'A superhuman!'
Recognizing what he was dealing with, the Vice Commander immediately fell to his knees and struggled to speak.
"W-we submit! The Royal Knights and city guard will follow you!"
Whoosh…
The moment he spoke, the suffocating aura vanished.
Only then did people finally exhale.
"Cough!"
"Haaah… haaah!"
"Ugh…"
They gasped for breath, struggling to steady themselves.
Ghislain pointed his staff at several ministers.
"Lock up everyone except these few. We will determine their guilt later."
Most of the ministers were dragged off to the dungeons. Only about five remained in the audience hall.
Under these circumstances, the kingdom's affairs could not function properly. But Ghislain was unconcerned.
That was a problem for later. He would issue direct orders to the administrators for now.
"The prime minister is dead, so I will serve as acting prime minister for the time being. Also, I will assume the position of commander-in-chief of the Kingdom's Army."
"......"
No one said a word.
Becoming the acting prime minister or commander-in-chief of the kingdom wasn't something that could be decided with just a few words, but arguing here would only lead to a beating—or worse.
Ghislain twirled his staff and spoke.
"We'll be moving to our next destination immediately. Summon the city guard and have them stand by."
"U-understood."
The vice commander led the knights and soldiers outside. The remaining ministers merely watched nervously.
Alex, who had witnessed everything, had his mouth wide open. Andrew and Rio were no different.
They knew Ghislain was a man of action, but they hadn't expected him to be this reckless.
Stammering, Alex asked Ghislain, "W-what is this? Aren't you moving too hastily?"
Beating up a few ministers wouldn't restore royal authority. Even if the royal knights could control the city guard, they had no sway over the kingdom's army or Marquis Falkenheim's forces.
If those armies moved, the capital would be reduced to rubble in an instant. Charging forward recklessly like this was not the right way.
Andrew and Rio, sweating, added, "S-shouldn't we focus on strengthening our military in the territory first? Expand our influence gradually? Maybe even form alliances with other lords? That's the proper way, isn't it?"
"Hyung-nim, this isn't right. Even if we take the capital, we'll be surrounded on all sides. How do you plan to fight?"
Ghislain chuckled.
"Why are you all so nervous? We just need to handle things one step at a time."
"......"
"News won't reach Marquis Falkenheim immediately. Until then, we have to strike like lightning. I have a plan."
Everyone clenched their lips, shivering slightly.
When Ghislain said he had a plan, it sounded like he simply intended to crush everything in his path. They couldn't understand his thoughts or actions.
But it was too late to turn back now. Apologizing to Marquis Falkenheim was no longer an option.
Ghislain assigned a few high-level knights to guard Alex before heading outside.
Yulian mercenaries were already standing by. The royal knights and city guard stood next to them, looking uneasy.
Standing before them, Ghislain raised his voice.
"I will now capture the commander-in-chief of the kingdom's army, who dared to ignore the royal decree!"
The commander-in-chief had refused the king's summons. He saw no reason to obey a puppet king's orders.
As usual, he was indulging in debauchery at his lavish mansion.
That was, until Ghislain's forces stormed in.
BOOM!
"Uwaaagh!"
"What's going on?!"
"We're under attack! The enemy is here!"
No matter how heavily guarded his mansion was, it couldn't stop an army determined to break in.
With overwhelming numbers, the defenders—knights and guards alike—were swiftly subdued.
The commander-in-chief, who had been enjoying himself in broad daylight, was dragged out completely naked. He was too dazed to even grasp what was happening.
"W-what is this?! Who are you people?! Do you have any idea who I am?! How dare you attack this place?!"
As he steadied his breath, he recognized some familiar faces—royal knights and city guards.
"You… have you all gone mad?!"
The men who should have been watching over the palace had suddenly stormed his mansion. It was too absurd to comprehend.
At that moment, Ghislain stepped forward.
"Hello there. So, you're the commander-in-chief? Tsk, you should've put some clothes on before being dragged out. This is an unpleasant sight."
"You bastard! If you don't want to die, withdraw your forces and release me at once!"
"I am Astion, vice-captain of the Yulian Mercenary Corps, acting under the wise king's decree as the kingdom's acting prime minister and commander-in-chief."
"What kind of nonsense is this?! Hey! Arrest this fool immediately! Hurry up and detain him! Do you all want to die?! Call all the generals at once!"
The commander-in-chief screamed at the royal knights, but they avoided his gaze. None stepped forward.
Only then did the commander-in-chief realize something was terribly wrong.
"W-what is going on here?! What is happening?!"
"We are restoring order to the kingdom."
"W-what do you mean restoring order?! Who do you think you are?! W-what the hell is happening?!"
He couldn't wrap his head around the situation.
Ghislain had moved too quickly.
The events in the royal palace had not yet spread outside. Most ministers were imprisoned, and the royal knights and city guards had been dragged along by force.
Ghislain pointed at the commander-in-chief.
"Lock him up. We need a proper handover."
The commander-in-chief glared at Ghislain and shouted, "You crazy bastard! Do you think you can capture me and get away with it?! The entire kingdom's army will raze the capital and burn you alive! And that wretched king of yours will die too! Do you think Marquis Falkenheim will just sit by?!"
"Hmm. If I lock you up, the kingdom's army will scramble to rescue you."
"That's right! Do you think everything will go as you planned?! Do you think seizing military power is that easy?! You're going to die! The king will die too!"
The commander-in-chief, now frantic, continued to scream. His eyes burned with rage.
He never once considered that he might die here. He believed his position was too important, his backers too powerful.
But as he glared at Ghislain, shouting in defiance, Ghislain merely asked with an indifferent expression,
"Wouldn't it be much easier if you cooperated?"
"Shut the hell up! I will never cooperate with you!"
"Really?"
"Yes! I'll have you and that king torn to pieces—!"
CRACK!
Before he could finish his sentence, his skull shattered. He collapsed, dead on the spot.
The royal knights and city guards shuddered.
He was utterly ruthless.
From his attitude alone, it seemed as if he could overturn the entire kingdom single-handedly.
They still didn't realize that Ghislain actually possessed the power to do so.
Ghislain searched the commander-in-chief's mansion, gathering seals and other important documents. Then, he rounded up the high-ranking nobles who had ignored the king's summons.
Not even a few hours had passed since the prime minister's death.
Ghislain moved too fast for anyone to react, and so they were captured before they even heard the news.
With the capital's most powerful nobles now imprisoned, Ghislain issued his next command.
"Now, let's take control of the kingdom's army standing in our way."
His forces were vastly outnumbered compared to the kingdom's army.
But that didn't stop him from pressing forward without hesitation.
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