Chapter 438
Chapter 438. Duty and Responsibility
“Umm… It’s better now, thank you…”
Fortunately, thanks to Arthur’s swift treatment, Duke Graham was saved.
Saved might be an understatement—he was fully healed. Arthur is one of the highest tier healers among the humans, capable of healing even severe injuries. On top of that, his physical enhancements allow him to rush to the scene at a speed that ordinary beastmen and horses can’t match.
Having Arthur in the city of Kaemuran might have been the greatest stroke of luck for Duke Graham. Currently, he was resting on a canopied bed in a guest room of the lord’s mansion.
“Do you have any dizziness or headaches?”
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
Duke Graham gently restrained Arthur, who continued healing him diligently.
“So, there’s no point in going any further…”
He let out a small sigh.
“I’m getting old… My lifespan is drawing near. I can see that clearly now…”
Having wandered close to death, Graham appeared to have aged drastically. His eyes were sunken, wrinkles deepened, and his complexion remained poor. He struggled to lift himself from the bed, as if his limbs lacked strength.
His wounds had healed, but it seemed like his inherent life force had been diminished… It was beyond Arthur, or even a normal healer’s capabilities. Unlike ‘Saint’ Liliana, Arthur couldn’t restore life force, the very strength to live.
“Your Majesty…”
Kirk, who stood by the bed, couldn’t bear to watch and tried to stop Duke Graham, but the old king, revived from the brink of death, grit his teeth and forced himself upright.
“The fate of the nation hangs in the balance, and yet I’m in this state. How shameful…”
He stared down at his own wrinkled hands, a look of deep sorrow on his face.
“…Hamilton Duchy is merely a small nation. Without uniting forces with the city-states of Aulitos Lake, maintaining our independence from the Empire will be difficult.”
Then, he started to speak as if to himself.
“Therefore, a king at the helm must be a wise leader, an excellent magician, and a strong warrior. In times of national crisis, those who lead must be prepared to face dangers head-on, or the people will not follow. Ultimately, it is the people who suffer the most bloodshed. Anyone who commands them to ‘die’ must shoulder an equivalent responsibility…”
It felt as if he were trying to convince someone.
“To put it simply, the people don’t particularly care who their leader is. What matters most is whether that leader can enrich the people and ensure they live happily. Whether it’s a duke or an emperor is a trivial matter to the populace.”
Thinking of this as the words of a king of a nation… it was quite bold. Can I really listen to this?
“If that’s the case, then the ruler of our duchy could just as well be an emperor, couldn’t it? The duchy could revert to being a territory of the Empire… The answer is no. Because the Empire, and the emperor, don’t care about the people’s happiness.”
Suddenly, Duke Graham’s words gained strength.
A fierce light ignited in his eyes.
“Oranio said he witnessed the true nature of the Empire during his studies abroad. The Empire’s prosperity is merely a façade, an illusion built on the exploitation of the people. Only a handful enjoy wealth while the majority suffer under heavy taxes and labor. If those who casually exploit the populace gain control of the duchy… will they care for the people? Absolutely not! Their only interest lies in the mines and ports…!”
Duke Graham shot a fierce glance at Hien.
“Those who have walked alongside us for hundreds of years, the cat-like beastmen… they would strike down the citizens of the duchy over a mere excuse. They would surely create another reason to persecute the people of the duchy. I will not entrust this land to such a nation…!
Thus, we must fight. Even if it leads to substantial bloodshed, thinking of the suffering of future generations, we cannot avoid small sacrifices.
However, bloodshed is a reality. The one who must bear that responsibility and show the resolve to shed their own blood must be the king…!!”
Duke Graham stretched out his hand to his neck, pulled on a chain, and produced an emblematic pendant.
Then—he directed his gaze toward Hans.
“Johannes.”
“…Yes, Grandfather.”
Hans stepped forward and knelt beside the bed.
What? Johannes? Huh? Wasn’t he Duke Graham’s grandson who died when the carriage fell from a cliff while studying abroad…?
Could it be that this was all a ruse by the duchy to prevent him from being taken hostage by the Empire, and he had hidden himself all this time!?
“Show me your face…”
At Duke Graham’s words, Johannes (or so he seemed) reached up to his jaw and peeled off his skin-like covering.
What…? A disguise!? That’s some quality special effects that would surprise even a Night Elf! How on earth did he—oh, it must have been Gizelle. She’s probably the only one who could have pulled this off.
Still, the line from beneath his eyes to his cheeks changed dramatically, turning a clumsy country bumpkin’s face into that of a refined, handsome young man…
“Well, no wonder he needed to disguise himself. He’d stand out too much walking around town.”
Indeed. He stood out like Arthur…!
Hans… you were a prince all along…!?
“…You’ve become more and more like Christine.”
With a soft smile, Duke Graham spoke. I learned later that it was the name of Johannes’ mother, the late queen.
“Johannes. I’ve been harsh and strict with you. But it was all for this day. A king must be strong. And during this journey, you must have learned a lot. It is the people who grant a nation its existence. A nation grants existence to its king. That’s what I wanted you to understand…”
Duke Graham gently closed his eyes.
“Forgive me…”
He bowed his head solemnly.
“Yes… Grandfather. I understand. I understand…!!”
Johannes’ voice trembled. As he raised his head, Duke Graham pressed the pendant into Johannes’ hand with a fierce expression.
“I pass this pendant to you. As the rightful heir of the duchy, rise up in the capital and collaborate with Oranio until reinforcements arrive from the city-state alliance. He will surely stop pretending to be a fool once he senses danger. The capital should have gathered its forces during the drills and martial arts tournament. We mustn’t miss this opportunity…!”
“…Yes! But what will you do, Grandfather?”
“I will remain here. I must delay the Empire’s occupation as much as possible. Fortunately, the emperor himself is at the front lines. Then—”
Having said that much, Duke Graham suddenly fell silent.
With a placid expression, he gazed at me and Arthur.
Ah… we’re outsiders, aren’t we? Moreover, the Holy Church is neutral and not an ally of the duchy.
I guess we can’t hear any more of this.
“Arthur, my lord, thank you for your swift and perfect treatment. I shall have a reward delivered from the capital later. Thank you.”
“No… you honor me with your words.”
“Alex. Although it was short, I truly enjoyed our journey together. Thank you for everything.”
As he smiled at me next, he had transformed back into the face of the old man… such a farewell felt like a last will…
I was at a loss for how to respond. A retired old man like him, drinking at a tavern, enjoying delicious commoner food, training with Hien and Johannes. Memories of me sparring with young prince Johannes came flooding back…
“May you both stay healthy.”
Effectively, that was a farewell greeting.
“…Excuse me.”
Arthur bowed politely as he stepped back.
“Old man… I wish you good luck as well.”
I echoed the sentiment and left the room.
†††
In silence, Arthur and I departed the lord’s mansion.
“Well… that was quite shocking.”
After walking for a while, that was all I could articulate. I was just standing there like a scarecrow, and suddenly, young prince Johannes appeared, and they casually mentioned Oranio pretending to be a fool… there was just so much information.
Speaking of which…
“I can’t believe the old man was the king… I’m shocked, right!?”
When I sought sympathy, Arthur looked at me with a rather ambiguous expression.
“Yeah. Well… I knew about it.”
Huh!?
“In fact, aside from you and Leila, everyone on the NeedAlun… no, the Third Alun knew about it.”
What!?
“Why… why didn’t you tell me sooner!!!”
It was a soul-crushing scream. I just hit the back of the king and prince’s heads without knowing anything! What are you going to do about that!?
“Wuhihihihahha!”
Antendeixis burst out laughing. You little—did you suspect something!?
“No, I wanted to tell you, but the old man said it was ‘more interesting’ to keep quiet…”
“Nuu…! Yeah…”
imagining that playful old man’s face made me suddenly feel sad again, leaving me speechless. I looked back at the lord’s mansion.
“…………”
Arthur, keeping silent as well, must have felt the same way.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Is there anything we can do?”
“…………”
Arthur didn’t answer.
“Based on that parting comment from… the old man.”
He mentioned, “Fortunately, the emperor himself is on the front lines.” If we were to devise a strategy that allows the outnumbered duchy army to achieve the maximum outcome—
“It would be a decapitation strategy.”
Targeting the emperor. I did consider a scorched earth strategy to delay but thought that Duke Graham wouldn’t take that route, given his selflessness towards his people. It seems quite difficult in terms of public sentiment as well.
Duke Graham did say he would remain here. Could he be planning to use himself as bait to lure out the emperor…? Or perhaps he might launch a night raid on the imperial army besieging Kaemuran, utilizing the terrain?
Many possibilities arise, but it seems certain he aims to execute a small, elite strike.
“If it’s just me and Arthur…”
We might be only two, but if we bolster our strength…
“You cannot do that.”
Arthur interrupted my words.
“We… the Holy Church cannot take sides with any particular nation…!”
“But come on! Isn’t this just too much!?”
I couldn’t help but raise my voice a bit.
“Sure, it’s true the Holy Church’s policy is political neutrality! But think about the imperial army’s actions! Unjust territorial occupations, resource plundering, and the slaughter of civilians! Isn’t that just like banditry?! It’s worse because it’s on a national scale! What difference is there between our hero’s mission and hunting down outlaws!?”
“…It’s different! If they were just a bunch of bandits, I’d run out there to eliminate them right now!”
Arthur shot back, visibly frustrated.
“But they’re the national army! Not just any bandits, they wave the Empire’s flag! Our taking down of bandits occurs because the state has requested the Holy Church to do so. And the Holy Church maintains neutrality and avoids taking sides, enabling it to exert powerful authority in emergencies! That’s the ‘order’! Surely, we, as heroes of humanity, see the imperial army acting much like bandits. Nevertheless, they are still the national army, so they aren’t targets for elimination…!”
With gritted teeth.
“We, as heroes, are the embodiment of order and law…! The reason the Holy Church is able to move freely across nations is because we maintain that boundary between them, right? As heroes, we cannot prioritize individual beliefs or desires and disrupt that order!”
“I understand the reasoning, but…! The reality is!”
“I get it! But we mustn’t forget we are representing the Holy Church, Alex. With ‘power’ comes greater responsibility.”
“If we don’t wield that ‘power’ when it’s needed, it’s meaningless! The people of the duchy need help right now!”
“I can’t tolerate the imperial army’s misdeeds either! But…!”
Arthur clenched his hands in frustration, shaking his head.
“To ignore order and wield ‘power’ solely based on one’s beliefs and desires is… not what a hero would do. That’s exactly what the Empire and demons would do…”
…!
“Even so, if we abandon those asking for help, isn’t that disqualifying as heroes…?!”
Arthur bit his lip at my words.
“Alex… please calm down and think about it. In a multifaceted way. Bandits are undeniably evil. Every member of their ranks is aware of their lawlessness. But the imperial army comprises regular soldiers who are merely following orders. Are you suggesting we should… slay them?”
I felt his intent to soothe me through logic. But Arthur, are you genuinely convinced of that deep down?
Sorry, but I won’t lose in a battle of reason.
“I will slay them.”
As I asserted, Arthur fell silent for a moment.
“Even if ordered, everyone can disobey according to their conscience. Certainly, one might be executed for doing so. If they followed orders out of fear of losing their lives, then they chose to take another’s life to preserve their own. In that case, they wouldn’t have grounds to complain if they were killed in battle, would they?”
“…You say to follow one’s conscience, yet maybe they have been led to believe they are the righteous ones.”
“I believe in my own justice. It’s equal.”
“…So, picture what happens AFTER we charge in as heroes. Sure, we could easily die due to being outnumbered, but aside from that… you do know what the relationship between the Empire and the Holy Church would look like if things were to unfold, right?”
“I heard the Holy Church in Sokfol was destroyed. Aren’t we already at a lethal level of opposition?”
“Well, that bit seems to have been exaggerated.”
Huh, really?
“Earlier, apprentice priests and monks fled from the Sokfol branch. Apparently, it wasn’t so much destruction as the Light Blade Cult breaking down their gate. The imperial army commander quickly showed up and stopped the Light Blade Cultists. I also heard there was an official apology from the military.”
“…I see.”
So, the Empire doesn’t want war with the Holy Kingdom.
…So, it appears the Light Blade Cult got out of control and deviated from military command? Regardless, it’s all pretty messy.
“There are still priest-level or higher clerics left at the Sokfol branch. For the sake of local medical support. And there are numerous Holy Churches in the Empire too…”
If the Empire and the Holy Kingdom were to erupt into war, who knows what might happen to the staff of the local Holy Church.
“But they probably won’t be killed. They’re healers, right?”
“I could have believed that if not for the Light Blade Cult’s existence. Honestly, the current Empire is unpredictable. They might get crazy ideas of wiping out the Holy Church factions. We can’t afford to lose valuable comrades over such foolishness, right? If we are to die, it should be in battles against magical beasts or demons. Not against fellow humans!”
Arthur spat this out as if in disgust.
“So… if we’re going to ‘do something’, we need to expel the Holy Church from the entire Empire! That’s not something we should be doing as individuals, Alex…!”
Arthur grasped my shoulder, his grip painfully strong, fingers digging in.
“I want to do something too… But, I just can’t…!”
That is…
The limit of the Holy Church’s ‘hero’…!?
“However…”
Suddenly, Antendeixis, who had been silently listening, spoke in a strange tone.
“…You are the Demon Lord’s Prince, aren’t you?”
