I once again found myself in the hidden room where Wilhelm slept.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
No matter what I asked, he never answered. And yet, I asked him all the same.
“I never thought you knew the depths of my anger, nor that you were prepared to lose your life for me.”
How difficult had it been for him? He knew his death was coming, and he faced it head-on. He said nothing, knowing his death would signal the end of House Radford. He never complained or lamented his fate. He merely wanted to do what he could to save me, seeking nothing in return.
How much did it hurt, knowing he would lose everything?
Tears trickled down my cheeks. No, no, don’t, I thought. It’s unfair to him if I cry now.
“It’s almost over,” I promised him. “You’ll be free again soon.”
His life was all I could give back to him. I was incapable of providing a more fitting reward for his efforts.
“Aaron told me before, you know. That I shouldn’t take everything on by myself. And look what I’ve done since this began—walked in circles all on my own. I’ll be sure to work with Godfrey and Aaron from now on. The members of Étoile are on our side now too. We’ve amassed an impressive number of allies. I’ve even made preparations for the kingdom to function when I am no longer here. A proper end to this struggle is nigh.”
✦ ✦ ✦
All I could do now was exact my revenge. I had come this far already, and it was my duty to ensure justice was served. Only with this could I express my gratitude to Wilhelm. I simply didn’t know any other way.
✦ ✦ ✦
The next day, I called a select few individuals to my side: Gilbert, Commander Aaron, Head Mage Godfrey, and Anita. Tommy, as usual, was secretly stationed nearby.
“The reason I’ve called you all here today is precisely what you suspect: to discuss arresting the criminals of Houses Beckford, Weston, and Slade.”
They stood up straight, clearly understanding the weight of my statement.
“Anita,” I began. “You will hand off the children to Karl.”
She exploded at my command. “Never! I’m cooperating with you to save these kids! What are you thinking, deliberately putting them in more danger?!”
“I understand your concern, but these are no normal children. They’re Tommy’s underlings.”
“Oh. Well, fine, but isn’t that a risky move? Yeah, Tommy’s men should know how dangerous this is gonna be, but…we’d be marching them straight into enemy hands. We’d be responsible for anything that happens to them.”
“We still lack the evidence to force an arrest upon House Slade,” I replied. “That means we can’t even legally perform an inspection on their land. If we learn where the children are being held, we can use that as evidence. As much as I wish to save the children trapped in the Celden Republic, we need to resolve the situation within our kingdom first before we can get into that mess.”
“I have an idea!” Anita exclaimed. “We can capture Karl right away and compel him to, uh…I think the word is ‘testify’? Yeah, make him testify, and we’re good!”
“If we act against House Beckford too soon, House Slade will most likely purge all traces of evidence they have lying around—if any still remain. Or they may simply go into hiding and attack us when we least expect it. Regardless, doing so would only serve to benefit them. We need to take down Beckford and Slade at the same time.”
“What about House Weston? Don’t we need to get the Westons at the same time too?” Aaron asked, finally speaking up.
“No. We need to move as quickly as possible with a small amount of trusted people. Even with the head mage on our side, taking on two houses at once will be troublesome. Oscar can hold House Weston at bay—we have a strong connection there. So the other two houses need to be prioritized.”
“Understood.”
“Anita, I promise Tommy’s agents will be protected by the power of the Sacred Swords. Do not fear for them,” I assured her.
“She’s right,” Godfrey chimed in. “The Sacred Swords all have names derived from their abilities. One of them, the Sword of Honor, is said to be powerful enough to destroy all enemies of the kingdom while protecting innocent civilians. The children will be blessed by its power, most certainly.”
“All right, then. Let’s do this,” Anita said.
“Yes, let’s,” I agreed. “We’ll be splitting our army into two groups: one with a fifth of our troops, and the other with all the rest. Aaron, Godfrey—you two will lead the larger group to march on House Beckford.”
“That’s a hell of a difference between the two, Your Majesty. Who’s commanding the small team, then?”
“I am, of course.”
“Wha—Your Majesty! You’re headed to battle yourself?!”
“Absolutely.”
“It’s too dangerous, please reconsider!”
“It’s too late to reconsider.”
“Then at least bring more troops with you for your own safety!”
“That will not be necessary. Your concern is touching, but please remember that I command the Sacred Swords. I will be safe, even with a smaller squadron. Ensuring the defeat of House Beckford is of utmost importance.”
“U-understood!”
Aaron and Godfrey were clearly reluctant about this plan.
From there, we spent much time discussing our strategy: how to topple both houses at once, military formations, and so on.