Chapter 182 - As Splendid as a Flame (1)

It was two days before The Capital was besieged, on the night when Montpellier, whose execution had been publicly declared, was tied to a pole in the square, shivering in the cold.

Queen Margarita called a Royal Knight and instructed him to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.

"In the worst-case scenario, you are to protect the princes and princesses and escape The Capital."

At her words, the Royal Knight dropped to his knees.

"I have sworn to lay down my life for the bloodline of the Leonberk family. To ask me now to close my eyes, turn my back, and flee in the face of the Royal Family's peril is something I cannot dare to accept."

At the Royal Knight's words asking her to entrust the order to someone else instead, she smiled as if she was proud of him.

"I am not ordering you to simply flee in disgrace. Nor is it an order to run away blindly. I am merely asking you to protect the children who will bear the future of the kingdom, should the worst-case scenario arrive."

However, her voice was as stern as the autumn frost, leaving no room for refusal despite calling it a request.

"His Highness the First Prince implored me to remain by Your Highness the Queen's side no matter what happens."

Nevertheless, the Royal Knight brought up the order given by his master to refuse her command. Even knowing that the situation where 'no matter what happens' occurs would be the time he must throw away his life.

"Was it Karl Ulrich?"

At those words, the Royal Knight, Karl Ulrich, bowed his head as if deeply humbled.

"That child has kept a knight far too good for him by his side."

"I am merely an ordinary man for whom daring to follow behind him is overwhelming, and simply following his footsteps is enough."

"There is no need to be humble. Is that child's temper an ordinary one? I may not know much, but it must not be easy to follow such a fussy master."

Karl Ulrich mumbled. He seemed to want to retort, but not daring to spout lies in front of the Queen, he only mouthed soundlessly.

At his honest appearance, the Queen smiled again.

But the smile did not last long.

"It is largely my fault that that child grew up so eccentric."

She soon erased her smile and spoke in a somber tone.

Karl Ulrich merely bowed his head as if humbled and listened attentively to her words.

"When that child was born, I was not ready to be a mother."

The position of Queen in a declining kingdom was by no means a good position to raise a child like any ordinary mother.

During the night, I fought against the blades hidden in the dark, and during the day, I fought against the nobles who had become nothing more than dogs of the Empire.

I lived every day like walking on a blade.

Let alone properly disciplining the child, I was not even allowed the luxury to hold that young infant in my arms.

I had to leave the raising of the child to a wet nurse and devote myself solely to assisting the King.

After spending such hectic days, time passed, the child became a boy, and only around then did she learn of the scandalous rumors surrounding the child.

"Those who did not dare to report the wrongdoings committed by the eldest legitimate son of the Royal Family had kept it quiet. Because that child did not act so outrageously in front of me and His Majesty, by the time I learned of his twisted character, it was already too late to do anything."

Karl Ulrich had a face full of anxiety, not knowing what to do at the slander of his master.

But whether he was like that or not, the Queen continued what she had to say.

"I tried scolding him strictly, and I tried coaxing him. But he only lowered himself briefly in front of me; where I could not see, that child's tyranny only grew worse."

She had asked her brother to try and guide the child, but she only confirmed that the child's innate nature did not follow either his paternal or maternal side.

And around that time, there was already no one left by the side of the child who had even been cast out by his maternal uncle. Even his father.

"What right do I have to blame that child's innate nature for being lowly? It was because I could not properly guide the child born from my own womb that he reached such a state."

At her voice filled with self-deprecation, Karl Ulrich carefully opened his mouth.

"But you did not give up until the end. When everyone in the kingdom failed to see the great ambitions His Highness harbored and only spouted bad things about him, only the Queen believed in His Highness and arranged a meeting with His Excellency the former Count Ballorhard once again. And thus, His Highness became a new person."

"It is not that everyone failed to see that child's great ambitions. Because there was no such thing in the first place."

"But His Highness saved the North and became a Hero the kingdom desperately needs."

She did not bother to answer the loyal knight's words.

Perhaps she had become sentimental after donning iron armor and grabbing a bow for the first time in a long while, but she had already spoken too much.

She had no desire to say now that calling her brother back to the palace at the risk of death was the last chance she gave that child, and if he had kicked away even that last chance, she had intended to end everything herself.

"He has skillfully achieved many things, but that child is still unstable. If upright people like you do not look after him by his side, he is a child who will surely burn up like a flame and fade away."

She had merely asked him to stay by the Prince's side and assist him as he did now, so that the child would not burn even himself to ashes.

"I, Karl Ulrich, shall live as His Highness the Prince's sword until the moment I die."

Only then did Margarita smile in satisfaction.

"Then I shall consider our conversation settled."

"What do you mean..."

As Karl Ulrich asked with a bewildered face, she spoke nonchalantly.

"Did you not say it with your own mouth? That you will live your entire life as that child's sword. If so, you must not carelessly throw your life away, and when the worst-case scenario occurs, you must not forget your current resolve and instead plan for the future."

"I did not say it with such an intention..."

"I do not think someone like you would speak out of both sides of your mouth. Could it be that I misjudged you?"

Karl Ulrich looked troubled.

If he agreed with those words, he would have no choice but to follow the order, and if he denied them, he would become a man without faith, so he seemed at a loss for words to reply.

Margarita smiled benevolently, as if she even liked his inflexible nature.

* * *

"The enemy has begun their advance!"

At the report from the captain of the guards, Margarita awoke from her thoughts.

Even though she had sealed the mouth of the knight who had stepped forward and blabbered, the enemy's momentum was not broken in the slightest.

It was truly military discipline befitting the dagger the Empire had hidden right under the kingdom's chin.

"Archers, do not loose your bowstrings until there is an order!"

As she shouted sternly, the knights widely deployed on the wall repeated the order.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.

The sound of the drums of advance was approaching from all directions.

"Huu..."

The sound of the soldiers' breathing, suppressed to the limit due to tension and fear, filled the entire wall. Even the strong knights were overwhelmed by the momentum of the swarming enemy and were breathing heavily.

"A little more. We must draw them in further still."

Margarita repeatedly soothed those who looked ready to loose their bowstrings in a fit at any moment.

At her calm voice that did not suit the urgent situation, the soldiers' breathing settled down, even if just a little.

However, the sound of breathing that had barely subsided began to turn rough again as the bloodthirsty enemies finally entered the range of the arrows.

A hundred paces. Ninety paces.

"Please give the order."

"Not yet."

A tense knight requested as if pressing her, but she shook her head.

Eighty paces, then seventy paces.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM.

The leisurely drumbeats quickly grew urgent. In time with them, the enemy's pace also began to speed up.

Sixty-five paces.

It was now to the point where the bloodthirsty glares of the enemies revealed beneath their helmets could be distinguished with the naked eye.

Sixty paces.

"O Queen!"

Even at the scream-like voice of the captain of the guards, she did not even bat an eye.

THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD.

Having increased their speed, the enemies began to run.

And finally, when they reached a distance of fifty paces, Margarita shouted.

"Fire!"

At her sharp scream, the archers let loose their bowstrings as if having a seizure.

"Kuaaagh!"

"Keugh!"

Screams burst out in succession from the enemy's vanguard.

Those who were struck in vital spots and died instantly rolled on the ground with the momentum of their run. Those who suffered relatively minor injuries grabbed parts of their bodies and collapsed on the spot.

Those running close behind tripped over the sprawled corpses and tumbled to the ground, tangled with those who had collapsed.

"Prepare for the second volley!"

The soldiers of The Capital, who were half-dazed after witnessing a scene of agonizing chaos they had never seen in their lives, mechanically nocked arrows to their bows and pulled the strings at Margarita's order.

"Fire!"

Before they could even untangle their tangled formation, a second barrage of arrows fell upon them, driving the enemy's chaos to its peak.

Margarita continued to encourage the archers.

"Pull your bowstrings without resting!"

While shouting so with her mouth, her hands continuously drew and released the string of a strong bow of the North.

Each time, unlike the regular soldiers, the enemy commanders in their flashy attire fell over with an arrow planted right between their eyebrows.

It was truly a wondrous archery skill of perfect accuracy.

The knights and soldiers, their morale lifted, let out a war cry.

However, the number of enemies reached into the thousands, while the archers on the outer wall numbered no more than three hundred.

Although there was a moment of confusion, the enemies ultimately reached the walls of The Capital.

CRASH!

Enemies wielding a battering ram pounded on the gates.

THWACK.

Ladders were hooked onto the walls.

"Archers, keep attacking! Leave the ladders to the defenders!"

At Margarita's instruction, the defenders who had been watching the archers' fierce struggle rushed to the wall holding forked poles.

"Heave! Heave!"

Two or three of them clung together to push back the ladders, and the ladders propped up against the wall fell backward one after another.

The enemy soldiers climbing the ladders screamed as they fell upon the heads of their comrades.

However, the fallen ladders were quickly set back up, and enemy soldiers swarmed them like a dark cloud, beginning to climb the wall.

The defenders tried to push the ladders away with their poles, but the ladders, already bearing the full weight of the enemies, did not tip over as easily as before.

"Block them!"

"Die!"

The defenders screamed as they thrust their spears and swords. Enemies who had climbed the ladders and poked their heads over the wall were skewered by spears and swords and fell off.

However, the defense forces of The Capital were not numerous enough to densely guard the expansive outer wall. Eventually, enemies managed to squeeze through those sparse gaps and climb onto the wall.

"We must abandon the outer wall even now!"

To the scream-like report of the captain of the Capital Defense Force, Margarita retorted sharply.

"Is this some abandoned castle in the countryside outskirts! This is the capital of a nation! If we hand it over to the enemy so easily, how could the soldiers on the front lines fight when they are anxious about their rear,, and what will happen to the people residing in the outer city!"

Saying so, she aimed at the top of the wall.

And then she drew and released the bowstring so quickly it could not even be seen.

The arrows that flew like rays of light pierced the heads and chests of the enemies who had climbed onto the wall.

"Royal Knights and knights of The Capital, deal with the enemies who have climbed the wall first!"

"But if we do that, Your Highness..."

"If the outer wall falls, I will not be safe anyway! Right now, defending the wall takes priority over all else!"

At her words, the knights left behind only a minimum number of personnel and scattered across the wall.

"We shall defend it with our lives!"

"I trust you, Sir Knights!"

When those remaining shouted while ringing out Sword Resonance, she answered refreshingly.

Even during that time, she did not rest her hands.

The number of enemies who had already met their end by her bow numbered in the dozens.

And the blisters forming on her fingers were also growing larger.

Her innately born sense for archery remained the same even now after a long time had passed, but her fingers, which had gone soft, could not endure it.

Soon, her fingers were covered in blood.

"O Queen! Please set down your bow!"

Unable to watch any longer, the Royal Knights pleaded, but she did not even pretend to listen.

"The soldiers over there are shedding every drop of blood in their bodies! How could I shy away from this little bit of blood flowing from a mere scratch on my flesh!"

At her stern voice, the Royal Knights bit their lips, and the defenders of The Capital gained even more morale, pushing back the enemies fiercely.

And the central wall, which had exceptionally high morale, drew the enemies' attention.

At a certain point, the enemies' offensive began to concentrate toward the central wall where she was.

The Imperial Knights had begun to swarm in order to capture her and put an end to the battle.

In an instant, over a dozen knights and dozens of soldiers climbed onto the central wall.

The five Royal Knights scattered sword light in all directions to stop them.

Karl Ulrich was also one of those five.

"O Queen! The enemies' offensive is growing fiercer! Please step back and preserve your well-being!"

He swung his sword frantically and pleaded with the Queen.

SWISH.

Instead of an answer, a sharp sound of tearing air was heard. A black shadow slipped exquisitely through the gap where sword light clashed against sword light.

THWACK.

The enemy knight who had been fiercely clashing swords just a moment ago fell over with an arrow lodged in the eyehole of his helmet.

Karl unknowingly looked back.

Amidst the increasingly severe concentrated offensive of the enemies, the Queen stood there without a single change in her expression.

"Duck!"

The Queen spoke coldly. Karl instinctively ducking his head and the Queen's fingers dancing upon the bowstring happened almost simultaneously.

TWANG, TWANG.

In the blink of an eye, the sound of the bowstring twanging was heard twice.

"Keugh!"

"Kuaaak! My eye!"

And two screams echoed out.

Karl looked behind him.

An Imperial soldier who had been thrusting a spear and a knight were screaming with arrows skewered into their eye and armpit, respectively.

Karl hastily scattered sword light and severed the necks of the soldier and knight whose lives had not yet been extinguished.

"Do not worry about my safety, and focus on the battle."

Karl smiled bitterly.

He had offered half-baked advice and only received a scolding in return.

The sight of her not losing her spirit even in the midst of an urgent situation made him think of a certain someone.

Truly, like mother, like son.