In the middle of the night, an unexpected incident erupted into chaos, as is often the case with such events.
Wherever they were, the moment news broke that the king had fled, everyone had to drop what they were doing and rush to the palace.
Many didn’t even have time to change their clothes.
The scene became a blend of disorderly images: someone who had been drinking all night, another who was still in dreamland, and yet another who had been embracing a woman.
It was a mess, even though the call to gather had been extended only to those with clout in the kingdom’s politics.
“Has everyone arrived?”
“It seems so.”
“Then I will explain the sequence of events,” declared Major General Kys, who had been waiting, beginning his briefing once the necessary attendees had assembled.
“Approximately two hours ago, at around 6 a.m., the first witness emerged. It was a servant who, as usual, went to greet the king with his morning pleasantries but found the royal chambers completely empty.”
“Who’s missing?”
“A total of six individuals. Carl VII, Queen Zalomir, one concubine, and three of their children.”
“So, the entire immediate royal family has fled.”
The concubine aside, the royal couple currently only has four children.
Of them, the eldest daughter is older than the crown prince and was married off long ago.
Other than the children, the closest blood relatives left are, what, fifth cousins?
This meant that everyone who could properly inherit the throne had vanished.
“Was the escape route confirmed?”
“We’ve gathered testimony from the guards on duty the night before. They reported seeing two black carriages speeding out of the eastern gate in the middle of the night.”
“What time was this?”
“Around 1 a.m.”
“And they let carriages through at that hour?”
The statement raised questions.
This was a medieval fantasy world, and a curfew existed in the city to maintain order.
Civilians were forbidden from leaving their homes between midnight and 6 a.m., except for patrolling soldiers.
So how had suspicious carriages managed to pass without being stopped or inspected?
“It’s the middle of the festival season.”
“….Ah.”
“With everyone excited, cheering, and reveling, enforcing a curfew was impossible.
As a temporary measure, the guards allowed night-time passage for three days starting yesterday, and it just so happened…”
“Perfect timing, isn’t it?”
Escaping amidst the lowered vigilance of a festival—what an incredible coincidence.
Wait.
No, it might not have been a coincidence.
If they were prepared enough to arrange escape carriages, they must have calculated when the best time to flee would be.
Perhaps they anticipated the celebration following the suppression of the rebellion and planned their escape accordingly. In fact, that seems more likely.
“Do we have any clues about their escape route? Did we confirm their direction?”
“They left through the eastern gate, so they’re likely heading that way.”
“So basically, you have no idea.”
“…Yes.”
All they had was the general direction; nothing about what happened after the gate.
“Looks like we’ll have to start from scratch.”
There’s a chance they deliberately misled us about their destination while still inside the capital.
For instance, heading east initially but later circling around to the west.
“We can’t rely on this information. Let’s rule it out for now.”
“They wouldn’t stay within the kingdom, right?”
“Right. They wouldn’t have anywhere safe to go.”
The lords in the provinces—essentially the noble factions—aren’t in any position to shelter the king.
After witnessing the downfall of Barelmud and Roengram Dukes, no one would be foolish enough to invite additional risk.
Sheltering the royal family who only survives within the capital would be akin to begging us to label them traitors and destroy them.
If the royals sought refuge with any noble, they’d either be handed over to us or the noble would report themselves to avoid suspicion.
The king is probably aware of this reality, so let’s set it aside.
“So the question is, which country might it be…”
“For now, let’s eliminate the north and south from consideration.”
“The west is also unlikely. Still, the king might act recklessly and try to seek asylum in Daiching or Caledona.”
The north is held by the United Empire, and the south by the Albione Republic—neither is a viable destination, even in desperation.
That leaves the east or the west, but with the lack of clear clues, we’ll have to investigate directly.
“Let’s dispatch a pursuit team. Take two cavalry battalions from the Central Army and split them up.”
“I’ll assign some investigators from the Intelligence Bureau as well.”
“They’re using carriages, so they must have stopped at relay stations along the way. Focus the search on those locations.”
Unless they brought royal coachmen with them—which is doubtful—any carriage they used would need to stop to swap out drivers.
Coachmen, like anyone else, have homes and families and typically work within a specific region.
For example, a coachman living in the capital wouldn’t usually work beyond a 60 km radius.
According to the testimony, only two carriages were used.
No matter how many people they crammed in, they wouldn’t have included the families of the coachmen.
If the escape plan involved fleeing abroad, royal coachmen likely weren’t part of the operation.
Only someone fanatically loyal would agree to such a role, and that’s highly unlikely.
Thus, they must have relied on relay stations to swap out their drivers.
“Kys, you’ll oversee the pursuit team. Manage the orders and gather intel yourself; just report the results directly to me.”
“Understood. And what will you do now, Your Excellency?”
“Well, isn’t it obvious?”
I shrugged toward Kys.
“From now on, we start the propaganda.”
It’s time to lay the groundwork to prevent any backlash later.
After returning to Camilla’s mansion to freshen up and dress appropriately, I headed straight to the assembly hall with her.
Taking my time to prepare, it was already 10:30 AM by the time I arrived.
In the meantime, the summoned members of the assembly had been fidgeting nervously, waiting for me.
—Clack.
“Good day, everyone. It seems I’ve kept you waiting too long.”
“Deputy Chair, no—Member Royten! What is going on here?”
“Why have you called us here on a holiday?”
A flood of heated questions poured in from every direction.
I raised a hand, signaling for calm, and stepped into the center of the chamber—the space reserved for those presenting proposals.
“Everyone, I understand you must be bewildered by this sudden summons. Believe me, I sympathize. But I must ask for your patience and understanding, for the matter at hand is of the utmost importance.”
“And what exactly is this matter…?”
“The king is currently fleeing abroad.”
A moment of silence hung in the air.
They were all straining their minds to comprehend what I had just said.
“…Our king? You mean our King Carl?”
“Indeed.”
Without giving them a chance to process further, I pressed on.
—Boom!
“Members of the assembly, this is not just a simple escape. It is a rejection of our system, a direct affront to the freedom and rights of every citizen in this kingdom!”
I stomped the floor to command attention, emphasizing the magnitude and implications of this event.
They needed to grasp the gravity of the situation, to understand the treachery and colossal crime committed by Carl VII.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we stripped Carl von Liudolf of his power and exercised it on his behalf. This was neither a coup nor treason. It was a just and rational measure in response to his grave transgressions.”
I deliberately referred to the king by his given name and emphasized our legitimacy.
The narrative was clear: we are righteous, and he is the villain.
“Carl colluded with the nobles to unilaterally declare war against the Allied Empire. He started a conflict that should never have occurred and used it as a pretext to exploit the people.”
“For the past ten years, he has stolen their property, their lives, and their futures. That is why we stripped Carl of his power. It was a justified action to ensure that this tyrant could no longer harm innocent citizens.”
I paused briefly, catching my breath before projecting my voice even louder.
“But now he has shown through his actions that he does not accept this. He wishes to continue sucking the lifeblood of the people, to indulge in wealth and luxury at their expense.”
If he had stayed quietly in his place, I would not have sought his death.
His authority would have been taken away, leaving him a powerless figurehead and a forgotten relic in the backroom of history.
At least as a symbol of the monarchy, he had some value for maintaining appearances to the outside world.
But he chose to throw away the last vestiges of his purpose with his own hands.
“What do you think he’ll do once he’s abroad? Undoubtedly, he’ll seek foreign powers to meddle in our affairs. He’ll sell privileges and rights that don’t even belong to him to gather armies and resources.”
“And with those, he’ll try to destroy what we’ve rebuilt—dragging this nation back into chaos and misery, plunging the people into despair once more.”
I scanned the room, ensuring the weight of my words was sinking in.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot let this stand. Before he has the chance to cause harm, we must act decisively to stop him.”
“He must be stopped before he has a chance to destroy our country from the outside,”
I declared, fixing my gaze firmly on the assembly members.
“I hereby propose that we officially strip Carl von Liudolf of all authority and decision-making power, effective immediately. Completely revoke his status as a representative of state authority.”
“No laws, treaties, or agreements he attempts to enact without the approval of this Assembly or the National Reconstruction Supreme Council shall have any validity or force!”
And, of course, the motion was immediately put to a vote.
My proposal was unanimously approved by the representatives of both the First and Third Estates.
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