Sword of Salvation-Chapter 97: - Envoy of Denland (2)

Not far from Vallhamoza, a luxurious four-wheeled carriage drawn by three horses was forced to stop when more than thirty people blocked the way.

Stewart zen Allegria stepped out of the carriage with two guards. The crown prince of Denland Kingdom was far from pleased with the ambush. His violet eyes glared sharply at the people who had indirectly declared themselves as criminals.

"Do you think they are purely criminals, Your Highness?" one of Stewart’s guards asked, subtly suggesting the possibility that these men had been hired by someone.

"We didn’t come secretly, so it’s not surprising if they are bandits. However, it’s also possible that someone hired them... Kill them all, leave one alive."

Upon hearing the prince’s command, the two guards nodded and swiftly approached the arrogant-looking criminals.

There was an exchange of words between the guards and the leader of the criminals, but the conversation quickly turned heated. A battle became inevitable. Two against thirty-four. The criminals had the advantage in numbers, but their numbers rapidly dwindled.

Stewart watched the battle in silence. The 20-year-old man with short brown hair remained unfazed by the bloodshed. Even the sight of severed heads rolling on the ground didn’t change his expression. It was as if he were watching a dull stage play as a judge.

In less than ten minutes, the battle was over. Aside from the one criminal Stewart ordered to be spared, none of the others survived.

"Your Highness." The two guards returned, forcing the criminal to kneel before Stewart. "Do you wish to interrogate him, or would you prefer to watch us do it, Your Highness?"

Stewart drew the double-edged sword from his left hip and crouched. "I’ll handle it myself," he said, pressing the blade against the criminal’s neck.

The two guards, former Tier-2 Sterminatore members, nodded.

At that moment, the carriage window opened. Two women peeked out. One of them had facial features similar to Stewart’s, but more feminine. The other was a blue-haired witch with a single braid.

Stewart ignored the two women and demanded the criminal’s name.

"Robell," the criminal answered, his body trembling in fear.

"Then, Robell, why did you ambush us?" Stewart asked, the tip of his sword pressing against Robell’s neck. "Tell me in detail, if you value your life."

When fear had taken over one’s mind, nothing mattered more than survival. Robell immediately spilled the information Stewart wanted. And unsurprisingly, they were genuine criminals.

Unsatisfied, Stewart pried for more details.

Five minutes later, Stewart’s sword pierced through Robell’s neck. The man’s eyes widened as he stared at the prince with pain and betrayal.

"I never promised to spare your life," Stewart muttered before pulling his sword out. He wiped the blood off his blade with Robell’s clothes before sheathing it.

"Did you really have to kill him?"

Hearing the question, Stewart’s violet eyes shifted to his younger sister, Julia zen Allegria, who had black eyes.

"Would you take responsibility if he went on to rob, rape, and kill others?" Stewart asked, but he didn’t wait for an answer. "There’s a chance he will repent, but there’s also a chance he wouldn’t. I’m not a god, nor can I see the future. So, killing him is the best solution to save others."

"What if he truly wanted to repent? What if he was forced into crime because his family was starving? You didn’t even ask why he became a criminal."

"If we commit evil, we can’t expect kindness in return. No matter his reason, harming others cannot be justified. His death is the consequence of the crimes he committed. The gods may grant him a second chance, but I am not a god."

"What about his family’s fate?"

"What about the families of those Robell had wronged?" Stewart retorted.

"..."

"This world is not as kind as you want to believe, Julia. Truth is not absolute. Kindness is not always needed. You don’t need to think about ’what if’ or ’maybe’. What you should focus on is the reality before you. Don’t trouble yourself with things that are irrelevant to the situation at hand. Robell and his men attempted to harm us, and death was the consequence they received. End of story."

Stewart concluded his brief lecture and returned to the carriage—they needed to continue their journey quickly.

-----[ ooOoo ]-----

"That is not a bad idea," Mariel commented after Athenia explained her thoughts in detail. "But, Athenia, I don’t think it’s the right plan. What makes you so sure that Stewart zen Allegria will agree?"

"From what I’ve heard, he’s a trustworthy person."

"You don’t know the truth behind that rumor. And even if it’s true, it doesn’t mean he’ll agree to cancel the marriage agreement after you seize the throne. You’ve looked in the mirror often enough to understand that it’s nearly impossible for a man to willingly give up a marriage agreement with you. If I were Stewart, I wouldn’t let you fall into another man’s hands."

"Ma-Mariel, you’re not trying to flirt with me, are you? Let me emphasize, I won’t fall for flattery easily. No matter what you do, it will take years for you to infiltrate my mind."

"..."

"..."

"...Let’s just pretend I didn’t see the blush on your face or hear that excuse," Mariel said softly. "What I want to emphasize is, what if he refuses to cancel the agreement willingly? What if he takes advantage of the situation and makes this nation part of his own?"

"People can change," Mariel continued without waiting for the princess’s answer. "Especially if the empire is in a weakened state. What would stop Stewart from taking over this country? If he’s worried that Moskvallha might think of attacking again, he might consider seizing this nation. If that happens, it means you’ve failed to achieve your goal. And do you know what that means?"

"...You would destroy this country?" Athenia asked, her expression filled with worry.

"I wouldn’t think twice about doing so."

Mariel’s serious answer made Athenia furrow her brow. The princess had somewhat understood that Mariel was not someone easy to deal with. She knew that Mariel was strong and dangerous as an enemy. So, when Mariel said that, Athenia could picture it happening.

"Then, what do you suggest?"

"Before I answer, are you ready to antagonize your siblings, including Viertino? Have you fully declared them as your enemies?"

Athenia nodded. "I’ve already taken down Vincent and seized his wealth. There’s no way they’d still consider me neutral. I’m sure they’ve already made me their primary enemy. I can no longer return to the way things were. I’ll do whatever needs to be done. So, tell me, what’s your advice?"

"What about the emperor? Are you ready to raise your weapon against him?"

"He’s the primary enemy of this nation’s utopia, isn’t he?" Athenia asked confidently.

"What about harming this nation? Are you ready?"

"Huh?" Athenia couldn’t hide her confusion. "I want to save this nation, not destroy it."

"’If you desire peace, you must be prepared to ignite the flames of war.’ Have you ever heard that saying?"

"...Go on."

"To become the ruler of this nation, to be accepted by all, you must become its hero. To become a hero, you need enemies and conflict. Creating enemies and conflict will hurt this nation. Are you willing to let the nation suffer in order to become its hero and achieve your goal?"

If a bandage merchant wanted his bandages to sell, the easiest way would be to make others physically injured. They would need bandages to cover their wounds, which would lead to high sales. And if you think about it, doesn’t God give His servants illness so they would beg Him for healing?

"Will many die?" Athenia asked after a while.

"The emperor desires war, so yes, many will die. But," Mariel paused, then stood up and approached Athenia, "their blood won’t be on your hands. You won’t be the reason for their deaths. I will merely fulfill your father’s wish."

"You will become the hero in the crime that the emperor and prime minister will ignite," Mariel said as he stopped directly behind Athenia, placing his hands on the princess’s shoulders. "People will die. Homes will be destroyed. Many will starve because food will be prioritized for war logistics. People will grow restless, and rebellion will arise.

"In the midst of that chaos, you will stand like a goddess descending from the heaven. You will help them solve the food crisis, rebuild their homes, support the families of the fallen, and call for the emperor to end the war. With full support from the people, the emperor will no longer be able to sit idly by.

"There are two possibilities he could take, and I’ve prepared responses for both. What’s certain is that the pressure he receives will weaken his focus on the war. That will lead to his defeat. And, at that moment, it will be the perfect time for you to replace him."

"However—" Mariel removed his hands from Athenia’s shoulders and returned to his seat. "—none of this will happen if we don’t prepare an enemy and create conflict. Are you ready to sacrifice a little to save many?"

Mariel stared intensely at the princess, indirectly pressuring her to make a quick decision.

"...I’ll do what needs to be done," Athenia replied after a moment, her voice firm. "If I must spill blood, I’ll do it without hesitation. If I must sacrifice many lives, I’ll let them die. If, in the end, my goal is achieved, I’ll bear all the sins I must commit. This is my answer, Mariel."

Mariel’s lips curved into a perfect smile. "In that case," he said, "the first thing you must do is corner Linea Moskvallha to replace you in your initial plan. I’ll be behind you, so you don’t need to worry about anything. The second thing..."