“Ah, to maintain secrecy, choose from among your retainers internally. Forced abduction would be exposed somewhere.”
“…Fine by me, but what is [Plan B]? What do you intend to do with my retainer?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Zax raised his wine cup.
The next moment, the cup was engulfed in flames and shattered.
“!?”
“If we burn him to just before carbonization, there won’t be any facial features left. Then we can show the people ‘This is Weiss’s corpse!'”
“What… th-that’s…”
It was an effective strategy. Many would give up with that.
But,
“Setting aside those who followed my brother, to burn and display my own retainer…”
Even Schwarl hesitated.
Though he had killed family for the throne, he wasn’t entirely cold-blooded.
“The lives of obstacles don’t matter. But for men who follow me…”
He had some feelings for them—
“Cut them loose, Your Majesty.”
But with one word.
The mercenary king negated the words he was about to continue as if biting them off.
“Anyway, you’re a king who rose through revolution. Eventually, plenty of retainers will betray you.”
“What are you saying so carelessly!?”
“It’s not careless. When people deal with someone who broke the rules to get on top, they think ‘This guy’s no good, so maybe I should do the same.'”
Zax spoke dismissively.
He stood on the golden long table, stepping on the delicacies as he approached the young king.
“I had a favorite executive betray me a few years ago too. He screamed ‘You’re too cruel, I can’t follow you anymore’ and tried to kill me.”
“I’m different from you!”
“Is that wishful thinking? You’re a demon who killed family and stole the throne.”
“!?”
Zax’s words showed no mercy.
For Schwarl, who had been constantly flattered by those around him, this was almost refreshingly cutting.
“I-I’m not a demon…”
“Subjective views don’t matter. What matters is what others think. And as long as you’re seen as an [evil ruler], your retainers will inevitably betray you. Think of this as practice for killing them.”
“Practice…”
“Yeah, that’s right. And—”
Zax’s fingertip, having come close, lifted Schwarl’s slender chin upward.
“Ugh…!?”
The young king’s face was forcibly lifted.
Before his clear blue eyes, the [Mercenary King’s] violet pupils reigned like the dark night.
“Schwarl. When you show the ruthlessness of a [King], [Hell Wolves] will repay you with their work.”
“What… what are you planning?”
“To crush the neighboring country.”
“Haaah!?” A sound leaked from Schwarl’s throat.
He forcibly brushed away the hand gripping his chin and shouted “What nonsense!” at the man.
“Our country has just finished a revolution and still hasn’t established proper governance! And now war—”
“Think about it the other way. Don’t you think the surrounding nations are targeting this country, all messed up from revolution?”
“What… no way!?”
“It’s information our spies gathered. The neighboring country [Ragtime Duchy], which has an alliance with this nation, is planning to attack us within half a year.”
“That can’t be…!”
Yes. The recently revolutionized Strain Kingdom was exactly the right target.
The wound from the replaced head hadn’t even healed, and the bleeding from the wound was attracting countless enemies with its sweet scent.
“Damn… it’s not an unreasonable story. Our Strain Kingdom is a resource-rich great nation. If I were in the position of neighboring countries, I’d want to attack even if it meant betrayal when there’s an opening…!”
Schwarl began trembling again.
But,
“Don’t worry, I’m here.”
“!”
The mercenary king’s large hand struck his shoulder firmly.
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“I swear as a warrior. This [Mercenary King Zax] and his subordinates will be the main force and crush the neighboring country in return. …If we do that, the other nations will shut up, and the people will submit to you too, right? Combined with the [fake corpse operation], your authority will be complete.”
“—”
At that moment… Schwarl found himself feeling something like reassurance toward the man before him.
The leader of the mercenary guild, Zax-Roa.
Though he was a fearsome existence who had ravaged many battlefields, how reliable it was to have him as an ally.
He liked war, liked alcohol, liked women, was greedy… he thought he was a human who only evoked disgust, but…
“I apologize again, but sorry, Schwarl. I’ve caused you worry about not finding the first prince’s corpse.”
A smile on that villainous handsome face.
Why did that rough smile feel so calming…?
“In exchange, I’ll take on this war for just the march expenses. Well, I have to feed my subordinates too, so I’d like permission for plundering in the neighboring country.”
“P-plundering is… by treaty…”
“Hey now, Schwarl. Are you going to apply those nice rules to someone who committed the worst rule violation of [betrayal]? Isn’t this the moment to express [anger] toward [traitors] in the name of royal dignity…!?”
“…!”
Ah, that might be right, he thought with understanding.
Now [justice] was on his side, having been betrayed. To keep other allied nations in check, the plan to devastate the neighboring country wasn’t bad at all.
Schwarl took a breath and answered with the dignified expression of a king.
“Yes… understood. I grant free action in the name of the king.”
Schwarl approved the plundering. At his words, the mercenary king deepened his smile with “Wise decision!”
“Haha, you’re quite the man. I respect you as a male.”
“I don’t need praise from you!”
—Though he said this angrily, a warm joy welled up in Schwarl’s chest.
So… now I’m someone worth looking up to as a man.
These were words Schwarl had never heard before.
It was always his brother Weiss, the first-class swordsman, who was praised as a male.
Conversely, Schwarl had received mountains of praise for his intelligence and beauty, but as a man, he naturally had his thoughts.
Such an evaluation he had secretly desired,
“I acknowledge it. King Schwarl is worthy of being my master.”
The most fearsome male, the man called Zax-Roa, acknowledged him. It was somehow ticklish.
“Hmph… Then I’ll prepare a retainer’s corpse to display to the people. I can leave the subsequent war actions entirely to you?”
“Yeah. After all, Zax-sama is a war professional! Rely on me, partner~!”
“Who’s your partner! Really, you’re such a familiar guy…!”
Though complaining, a smile floated on Schwarl’s lips.
Ah, it felt like clouded vision was clearing.
Yes, yes, that’s right. Now under his command was a battlefield wolf who had even defeated that Weiss.
Then what was there to fear? Like the night he achieved revolution, he would sweep away all obstacles.
“Then—in the name of King Schwarl, I command guest general Zax-Roa and his subordinates! Destroy the [Ragtime Duchy] that betrayed me!”
“Yes sir!”
Zax and the mighty [Five Great Wolves] members knelt down.
Ah, magnificent. Now with supreme power and all the nation’s wealth, he could even move the world’s strongest mercenary group.
For the first time, Schwarl truly felt he had become a [King].
“Hahahaha! Then I’m counting on you, Zax! Bring me victory!”
“Leave it to me, Your Majesty. Glory to your future!”
“Yes!”
Incidentally—
“Hehe.”
Evidence that the allied nation [Ragtime Duchy] had betrayed them existed nowhere in this world.
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