The prisoners decided to join Alejandro’s self-proclaimed great thief plan. Naturally, who would willingly go to the execution block to have their heads chopped off?
Moreover, executions in this era were a sort of entertainment. Life could be so monotonous that watching someone’s head roll was the ultimate spectacle. People even sold seats close to the execution platform.
For prisoners who prided themselves on crushing those weaker than themselves, meeting their end as a public spectacle was far from appealing.
“Disembark.”
Thus, the transport wagon carrying the prisoners entered the heart of the royal city of Armenia, the Armenia Royal Palace.
Squinting against the sunlight after so long, Alejandro lowered his gaze, examining the people who had led the wagon.
“The Black Wing Duke himself! There was no need for you to come personally.”
“Do you think I wanted to be here? There was no other way to prevent the prisoners’ escape.”
“What? But Deputy Commander Lucia of the Royal Guard herself…”
“Even that’s not enough. Let’s discuss it inside.”
“Yes, yes! I will escort you in!”
Alejandro understood why the busy Duke, the kingdom’s only Duke, had come personally—it was due to the barbarian accused of the horrendous crime of regicide. It proved that the barbarian was a monster even the Royal Guards couldn’t handle. This knowledge made Alejandro confident that his plan had a higher chance of success.
“Follow me!”
The prisoners followed the armored female knight, Lucia, Deputy Commander of the Royal Guard and the Duke’s legitimate daughter, somewhere.
Given their usual behavior, some resistance would have been expected, but the prisoners were unnaturally compliant, which made Lucia tilt her head in puzzlement.
Of course, this was all part of Alejandro’s plan. They needed to be placed in the underground prison as part of the execution of their escape plan. However, there was one person who did not follow Alejandro’s plan and acted on his own.
“Hey, Deputy Commander.”
“Why do you… What is it?”
“Do I have to stay in the same cell as these scum? Their stench is unbearable.”
The hulking barbarian looked down at Lucia, his intimidating behavior enough to raise her guard. They had been pretending to comply to lower suspicion, but here he was, nearly blowing their cover.
Alejandro felt a strong urge to rush out and smack the back of the barbarian’s head but restrained himself. Drawing attention now would be the worst move, and getting on the bad side of the fearsome barbarian was even worse.
‘Damn it. I hoped he’d quietly follow along…’
And with the blatantly disdainful remark, it was no surprise that the proud prisoners wouldn’t quietly tolerate it. In an instant, a corner of the royal palace was filled with vile curses and insults.
Of course, the escort soldiers quickly intervened to subdue the rioting prisoners with beatings. The real problem lay with the barbarian. In the worst-case scenario, the Deputy Commander of the Royal Guard might have to subdue him brutally…
“Ahem. You are among the worst offenders here. Naturally, you will be kept isolated from the other prisoners.”
“Now that sounds more to my liking. Understood.”
Wait, what? Alejandro couldn’t believe his ears.
It was clear this wasn’t the original plan, but Lucia had accepted the barbarian’s suggestion on her own. The reactions and murmurs of the escort troops confirmed it. But why?
‘Why is the Deputy Commander of the Royal Guard acting accommodating toward the barbarian…?’
Although he suspected it might be a simple misunderstanding, Alejandro trusted his instincts. The Deputy Commander seemed to find the barbarian problematic, but not merely out of fear—there was something more…
Startled, Alejandro’s shoulder twitched as he observed Lucia’s demeanor carefully. His gaze was caught by the barbarian’s as he finished his conversation with Lucia and turned away.
“Move it! Hesitate, and you’ll get another beating!”
Alejandro felt uneasy about the strange look the barbarian had given him, but he had no time to ponder it. The soldiers brandishing their spears forced him to move onward, pushing his uneasy thoughts aside.
However, Alejandro should have recognized the meaning behind that look right then and there.
‘He’s after my treasure, isn’t he?’
Khan’s gaze had been that of a hunter wary of another predator eyeing his prey.
***
“Damn, it stinks.”
That was the first thing Khan blurted out after being thrown into the underground cells of the royal palace.
Spending days in the same space as these filthy people who hardly ever washed was a tough ask for someone used to showering twice a day. He would have considered refusing the Black Wing Duke’s proposal had he known.
‘Well, getting to the prison is a success in itself.’
Khan’s incarceration was all part of a plan orchestrated by the Black Wing Duke.
Being heavily restricted from entering the royal city due to the central nobles, the Duke used the transport of Khan, accused of regicide, as his ticket in. He also intended to introduce Khan as an asymmetric threat into the palace without hindrance.
‘He did ask me to kill someone…’
It seemed like a grand process just to kill one person.
But it wasn’t excessive considering that the Duke’s target was one of the most influential figures within the palace.
With the King and Crown Prince having distanced themselves from state affairs and even Prince Alan deceased, the person with the most influence within the palace was the Duke’s target.
‘Indeed, several things didn’t add up.’
While Alan’s ambition for glory was understandable, the timing of the Hydra’s appearance and Alan’s early intervention were suspiciously coincidental. If he were in his right mind, he wouldn’t need to act so rashly. As he had said, if he stayed quiet, he would have been appointed as regent.
The Black Wing Duke speculated that the mastermind who provoked Alan was the Palace Steward. Through the actions of the steward’s eldest son, the Royal Guard commander, and his own loyalists, the Duke noticed suspicious movements from the Palace Steward.
‘And… there’s the power of the royal bloodline that has been passed down through Argon’s royalty. That’s worth investigating.’
After observing Alan’s mutation following the strange reaction from the dragon scale shard he received from Darkin, it was certain that this ‘bloodline’ was related to dragons. Perhaps…
‘It could be part of the ancient mages’ experiments…’
Khan’s deepening thoughts were interrupted by a silhouette appearing beyond the iron bars of his cell.
“What is it?”
“…Um, the trial is about to start soon.”
“Already? I thought it would take a few days.”
“Father… the Black Wing Duke thought the same. But it seems the other side isn’t in a favorable position either. They’re eager to expel the Duke from the royal city as soon as possible.”
Lucia hesitated as she explained the situation. Typically, the Palace Steward and the Duke, both prominent figures of the King’s faction, cooperated. However, now the Palace Steward was the one leading the charge to expel the Duke.
“It seems the Palace Steward’s betrayal is almost certain. If the situation becomes dire…”
“I understand. As promised, I will act if necessary. And—”
Khan began sharing Alejandro’s plan to Lucia, the petty thief’s plots and the fact that some fools were attempting to steal his treasures.
“What a bother… as if there weren’t already enough complications. I’ll inform the warden to strengthen the security.”
“Oh, by the way. According to that thief, the old man, the Palace Steward, took something from the treasury.”
“Excuse me…? The Palace Steward?”
“Yes. I didn’t get the specifics, but it didn’t seem like a lie.”
“If that’s the case… it’s hard to confirm. Currently, the only ones with access to the treasury are His Majesty, the Crown Prince, the Black Wing Duke, and the Palace Steward. Only Lady Roswell, the chief advisor, also has that privilege.”
“Lady Roswell?”
Lucia seemed uneasy discussing Lady Roswell, hesitating before she began to explain.
“Her exact status is not widely known. Aside from the fact that His Majesty personally appointed her as his advisor. There are rumors that she is His Majesty’s mistress from outside, but she has contributed significantly to state affairs. Furthermore, she is an incredibly skilled sorceress.”
“And Lady Roswell’s potential as a variable?”
“Unlikely. She stays by His Majesty’s side at all times.”
So she’s absent along with the King, thought Khan as he mentally noted the suspicious aspects of Lady Roswell. He then stepped out of the solitary confinement prepared for extremely dangerous criminals.
“For now, the verdict will be ‘not guilty’. That part is already settled, so you don’t need to worry…”
“The Palace Steward. Do you have a plan for dealing with him?”
“After the trial, there will be discussions to open the treasury. During this, my brother, the commander, will present evidence of the Palace Steward’s misconduct to the gathered officials. Ideally, the Steward will step down quietly.”
“Since there’s no knowing what schemes the Steward will pull, you called me to be ready for that moment.”
“Yes. Your companions should also be waiting near the palace by now.”
Lucia continued to discuss potential variables and their corresponding contingency plans with Khan, reflecting the Black Wing Duke’s firm insistence on meticulous preparation.
“From here, no further conversation is allowed.”
“Do what you need to do.”
Khan exited the solitary confinement and joined the procession of prisoners, walking alongside the surrounding guards with an indifferent expression.
His role, after all, was simply as a backup force in case things went wrong. The ideal outcome for him was that the old Steward would allow himself to be captured quietly, resolving the situation without further incident. He had no desire to create unnecessary complications.
‘Whether a chubby office worker or a barbarian, all one needs to do is fulfill their role.’
The courtroom resembled more of a spacious university lecture hall than a modern courtroom. The primary difference being that the seats usually occupied by students were now filled with nobles and palace officials.
In front of the seats occupied by the nobles and officials, knights presumed to be members of the Royal Knights stood in formation. They were there to separate the audience from the prisoners in case of a disturbance.
“We will now proceed with the verdicts one by one.”
It was a purely formal trial, where the chief judge, an irritable old man, merely recited the charges and delivered the verdicts. This was typical of medieval trials.
As death sentences were handed out one after another, Khan waited patiently for his turn. When it finally arrived, there was a brief commotion in the hall. The appearance of a barbarian who had killed a prince of the kingdom was bound to cause a stir, even though his not guilty verdict had already been predetermined.
“Please be quiet.”
With a voice on the verge of giving out, the chief judge called for silence and then recited Khan’s charges—that he was a barbarian who had killed Prince Alan. He also noted Khan’s heroic deeds in saving the North and his numerous contributions to the kingdom.
“Furthermore, had that barbarian not stopped Prince Alan, it would have led to the worst possible outcome, further tarnishing the royal authority. Thus, it is judged that his merits outweigh his crimes.”
Cough- Cough-
After delivering this lengthy explanation with great difficulty, the chief judge paused to catch his breath before declaring the not guilty verdict.
A third of the audience reacted with shock at the not guilty verdict for a regicide, while the rest, who were apparently aware of the decision beforehand, merely nodded impassively.
‘Well, staged trials are always like this.’
At that moment, Lucia approached to remove Khan’s handcuffs. Khan extended his hands calmly, and just as Lucia inserted the key into the cuffs—
“I find this difficult to accept. No matter how many merits he has earned, releasing a barbarian who has committed the heinous crime of killing royal blood is unbearable.”
A sudden, irritable voice halted Lucia’s actions.
“The verdict for that barbarian should be the death penalty. Anything else is unacceptable, chief Judge Dorothe.”
“The Palace Steward…!”