Chapter 508
Because I’ll See It Through to the End. (1)
Berhem momentarily wore a dazed expression. How could some backwater brat from the frontier know about the royal family's secret?
“H-How do you know about the Shadow Knights?”
“I’m the one asking the questions here.”
“…….”
Berhem couldn’t bear the humiliation. But what choice did he have? His life was hanging by a thread, held in the hands of the man before him.
That damned priest from the Salvation Church had fled the moment he heard that Count Fenris had arrived in the capital. Now that even the Royal Knight Commander had been defeated, there was no one left to protect Berhem.
Ghislain hadn’t even bothered to ask about Placus’s absence. The answer was obvious. He had likely determined that the king was no longer of use and abandoned him.
After hesitating for a moment, Berhem slowly spoke.
“Did you hear it from Marquis Branford? Even I, do not know much about the shadow knights. All I know is that he is another ‘king’ of this country…”
“What? A king?”
“Y-Yes. He does not rule the kingdom, but I know that he was granted the same authority as a king.”
“Explain in more detail.”
“That is a royal secret…”
“Then just die.”
The moment Ghislain raised his sword, Berhem recoiled in terror and shouted.
“They are one of the three families that founded the kingdom!”
“Hmm…”
“The Founder King, the Shadow Knights’ leader’s family, and the Duke of Delfine’s family—they built this kingdom together! The three families agreed to share the same authority!”
Berhem carefully gauged Ghislain’s reaction before continuing.
“That is why the title of duke was only ever permitted to the House of Delfine in this kingdom. And the ducal house always held the right to overthrow the royal family whenever necessary!”
“Hah…”
Ghislain’s expression twisted in disbelief.
Even exemption privileges granted to royal contributors never extended to treason. Yet the ducal family had been given the authority to depose the royal family? That was no different from wielding royal power itself.
“Then what about the Shadow Knights? Why don’t they hold a title?”
“They chose to remain hidden. They became the rulers of the kingdom’s night.”
“Why did the Founder King grant such authority?”
“I do not know. I can only assume it was an unavoidable decision. From what I understand, the political landscape was in utter chaos at the time. It was dire enough that even these three powerful families had to unite.”
“Are there no records? The royal family places great importance on such things.”
“There are none. Nothing at all. I was told that the people of that era intentionally erased all records.”
It was said that after the fall of the Ancient Empire, countless factions had scrambled for power. But this was a story that had only ever been passed down orally.
The prevailing belief was that historical records from that time were lost during the wars. It was only in recent history that proper documentation of events had begun.
Yet according to Berhem, the records hadn’t been destroyed by war but deliberately erased by the elite of that time. He was curious as to why, but even Berhem didn’t seem to know the answer.
“The three families shared equal authority… So, how did things end up like this?”
“The royal family sought to monopolize power, no matter what. After all, they were the figurehead among the three families. Over centuries, they systematically weakened the other two.”
“And it seems they succeeded to some extent.”
“That’s what we thought. But… the Shadow Knights had no interest in power. They only focused on protecting the royal family.”
“Hm.”
“The ducal family was the same. They never sought external influence and only concentrated on governing the south.”
In short, only the royal family had sought to eliminate them, doing everything in their power to weaken them. But even that effort had only diminished their strength—it had ultimately failed to erase them.
Berhem continued in a trembling voice.
“That is all. This is merely a story secretly passed down within the royal family. I don't even know if it is true. Since there are no proper records, it has only been transmitted orally from king to king.”
“Hm… Then what is this relic?”
“T-That… It has been passed down since the time of the Founder King. It was said to be a treasure meant to protect the royal family, but… until now, I didn't even know it contained such divine power.”
“That’s all? Judging by your expression, it seems like you’re hiding something.”
Ghislain’s cold gaze pierced through Berhem as he pressed his sword against the king’s throat. The man clearly knew more.
Berhem hesitated before finally squeezing his eyes shut. He wanted to live—he had no choice but to answer.
“It’s the Saintess’s Necklace.”
“The Saintess? What saintess?”
If it had been passed down since the time of the Founder King, then it meant there had been someone with the title of Saintess even back then—perhaps someone like Parniel.
Berhem slowly explained the relic’s origins.
“The necklace… belonged to the one known as the First Saintess. A saintess who was said to have been loved by all goddesses.”
“A Saintess? But wasn’t the Founder King a man? Why would the royal family have a Saintess’s Necklace?”
Under Ghislain’s sharp questioning, Berhem struggled to open his mouth.
“The Founder King… was the Saintess’ servant.”
“…A servant?”
“Y-Yes. He was said to have tended to the Saintess’s every need… T-This is a royal secret!”
Even the attendants listening nearby were shocked. Did this mean the esteemed royal lineage of this kingdom was descended from a mere servant?
Ghislain let out a quiet chuckle.
“Well, now that’s interesting. How does a mere servant end up founding a kingdom? He must not have been an ordinary servant.”
“No! It is not a confirmed fact! It is merely a myth that has been passed down!”
“Usually, yes. But if it’s a story only secretly shared within the royal family, that makes it different. Regardless, why has the royal family kept this all this time? Even without knowing what power it holds?”
“I do not know, I truly do not! We were only ever told to keep it hidden from everyone else. That it was an object of great importance. That is why the royal family has created countless treasures to conceal its true whereabouts.”
“But you tried to hand it over to the duchy?”
“W-Why wouldn’t I? I thought it was just an ordinary necklace! I believed it only held symbolic meaning!”
“Hm…”
“The Shadow Knights are gone, and if I could just get rid of the ducal family, everything would be over. I thought there was no need to cling to relics of the past.”
Ghislain nodded. If Berhem had truly believed it to be nothing more than an old artifact, his actions made sense. The fact that he had agreed to hand it over at the ducal family’s request proved that even the king himself didn’t know its true significance.
Still, based on what he had learned, Ghislain could make some assumptions.
‘There must be a secret tied to this relic. That’s why the ducal family wants it. Could it be that the Shadow Knights were actually protecting it all along?’
The royal family had guarded this relic in secret for generations. The other two families likely hadn’t known where it was.
The ducal family had sought to claim it, while the Shadow Knights had worked to protect it. That delicate balance had likely preserved the power structure between the three families for centuries.
Just as the Founder King had intended, merely possessing the relic had kept the royal family intact.
It was clear now—everyone, except this foolish king, had known exactly what the relic was for. The Duke of Delfine and the leader of the Shadow Knights had clearly understood its true purpose.
“What an interesting story. Do you know anything else about the Shadow Knights? Why did they disappear?”
Ghislain already knew the general story from Belinda—how Melchior, the former vice-commander, had betrayed them and sided with the Salvation Church in an ambush.
But he wanted to hear what Berhem thought. After all, this was a story that concerned his mother.
Berhem hesitated once again before answering.
"I... I allowed it to happen."
"What?"
"How can there be two suns under the same sky? Our ancestors failed, but I succeeded!"
"What exactly did you do?"
"Melchior, my vice commander, secretly proposed it to me. He said he would kill the Knight Commander. That the Ducal Family had agreed to help. So..."
"And then?"
"I gave my permission and told him of the commander's hidden sanctuary. A place known only to the king."
"Hah."
"The vice commander distorted information so that the agents sent by the Ducal Family could reach the place undetected. Afterward, I planned to wipe out the Ducal Family as well, but my health deteriorated..."
Berhem spoke proudly, but the more Ghislain listened, the dizzier he felt.
"…Wow, you ordered the elimination of someone who was protecting you? And you even involved outside forces?"
"Bah! How could I stand idly by while someone else held power equal to mine? Melchior swore loyalty to me!"
Ghislain glanced behind him. A chilling bloodlust filled the air.
Belinda, on the verge of tears, had dozens of daggers floating midair.
"So... you played a decisive role in taking down the commander?"
Even Belinda hadn't known Annette's hidden sanctuary. Neither had Melchior, the vice commander. It was a secret passed only from king to king, a sanctuary meant for the commander of the Shadow Knights to retreat to in times of royal crisis.
And yet, Berhem had leaked that secret.
"I had no idea..."
Belinda had assumed Annette was ambushed elsewhere. Even with so many transcendents attacking, it had been strange that someone of Annette’s caliber had fallen so easily.
In the sanctuary, Annette would have been at ease. But she was ambushed by a horde of transcendents, and she suffered grave wounds as a result.
Yet, even then, she chose not to kill Berhem. She suppressed even her desire for vengeance, bound by duty.
She must have known Berhem had betrayed her.
How much pain and sorrow had that betrayal caused her? Belinda couldn't even begin to imagine.
"You bastard!"
Thwack!
Belinda's daggers shot forward, piercing Berhem’s body in multiple places. His body was hurled backward, slamming into the wall.
"Uaaagh!"
His arms and legs were impaled, pinning him to the wall as he screamed.
"W-Why are you doing this?! D-Didn't I tell you everything you wanted to know?"
Ghislain shrugged.
"She’s the sole surviving member of the Shadow Knights."
"W-What? But… the Shadow Knights were all killed!"
While Annette had been away, the Shadow Knights' base had been attacked simultaneously. They were powerful and held out for a long time, but they couldn't escape annihilation.
The only survivor had been Belinda, a mere apprentice at the time, who had barely been saved when Annette arrived at the last moment.
"P-Please spare me. I didn’t kill them myself! It was Melchior and the Duke of Delfine!"
"If you hadn't revealed the commander's sanctuary, they wouldn't have dared to make a move."
"Ugh… How can you do this to your king?! The Shadow Knights were supposed to be loyal to me! That was the vow!"
Berhem was outraged. What crime had he committed to deserve this?
He was the king, the father of this nation! It was unjust that he was being tormented by these wretched traitors.
But he couldn’t afford to die here. He had even allied with the Salvation Church to survive. He had to live, no matter what.
Bleeding profusely from his hands and feet, Berhem pleaded desperately.
"Quickly, release me. I will forgive this rebellion. I will retire quietly and live in peace."
Ghislain shook his head and raised his sword.
"That won’t do. You need to die for everything to be cleaned up neatly."
A powerless king wouldn’t pose much of a threat. He could simply be locked away in a tower.
But his continued existence would only make things complicated.
Seeing Ghislain’s bloodstained sword, Berhem turned pale and screamed.
"I-I told you everything! I gave you all the information I had!"
"I never said I’d spare you if you talked. I was just curious."
"Y-You… you bastard! Aaaagh!"
Berhem tried to reach out, but the daggers impaling his arms kept him pinned. He could only writhe in pain.
Gasping for breath, his bloodshot eyes glared at Ghislain.
"Ugh… I… I made a mistake. If only the commander of the Shadow Knights were still alive… you wretches would never have dared set foot here."
"…Hmm."
Ghislain scratched his chin. He couldn't exactly agree with that. Moments like this always felt awkward.
"If the Marquis of Branford had been present, do you think you’d dare to start a rebellion?"
It was true. They had tried to avoid a situation where they had to fight against the duchy while also turning the kingdom into an enemy.
But what was the point of regretting it now? The one who had cast away all those defenses had been the king himself.
"You're done with your last words, right?"
Just as Ghislain was about to behead him without another word, Belinda shouted.
"Young Master's mother was Lady Annette!"
Berhem, momentarily forgetting even his impending death, stared at Belinda in a daze.
"What?"
"The Marchioness of Ferdium was Lady Annette!"
"W-What...?"
"Lady Annette ultimately died from the wounds you bastards inflicted upon her. But before that, she met the Marquis of Ferdium and left behind the Young Master and the Young Lady. So, this is Lady Annette’s revenge. Never forget it, even in death."
Belinda had no intention of letting Berhem go without making him fully realize what he had done.
Berhem, his mind blank, muttered as he looked at Ghislain.
"You... You're the son of the Shadow Knights' commander? That woman... She was alive?"
"Yeah. In a way, I guess I owe my birth to you."
"Ugh... Uwaaaaaaah!"
Berhem screamed, his eyes filling with bloody tears.
He couldn't believe it. Wasn't this the ultimate proof that his and the duchy' past deeds had now blocked his own future?
Her child had grown up, standing in the way of the duchy and destroying the royal family. Her husband was now marching toward the capital to become the new king.
What kind of twisted fate was this?
And he had unknowingly boasted that he had killed this man's mother.
"Argh! Even in death, that wretched woman stands in my way!"
He should have just left her alone. If he had, he could have lived out his days in peace, and the royal family would still be intact.
...No, he should have made sure she was dead back then. He should have searched the entire kingdom if necessary.
At the time, Berhem had never found Annette’s corpse. Terrified, he had expanded the Royal Knights and even fed a Dragon Heart to Count Palantz, the commander of the Royal Knights.
Only after ten years had passed did he finally believe Annette to be dead, and he had relaxed. Though after that, he had suffered once again under the growing power of the Marquis of Branford.
But he should have never stopped at merely increasing the knights. He should have deployed them to hunt Annette down and kill her at all costs.
Now, Berhem could do nothing but scream, his voice filled with regret, despair, and rage. Whether due to the side effects of his procedure, blood began to pour from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
Ghislain looked down at Berhem and spoke in a cold tone.
"The old dynasty ends today. A new era begins now."
"Shut up, you bas—!"
Slice!
Before Berhem could finish, Ghislain's sword moved. His head was cleanly severed from his body.
His face was frozen in an expression of rage and injustice.
Ghislain flicked the blood off his blade and muttered.
"This is what happens when you mess with someone who was minding their own business."
The duchy, the king—they had all brought this upon themselves. Why did they have to provoke someone who could have lived without causing trouble?
Still, he felt a slight sense of relief. It wasn't complete, but he had gained a bit more insight into the relics. He could uncover the rest by wiping out the Salvation Church.
And along the way, he had avenged his mother yet again. That part felt quite satisfying.
Soon, the king’s severed head was displayed at the city gates for all to see. The people erupted in cheers.
"Uwaaaaaaah!"
"The mad king is dead!"
"We're free!"
For days, the capital was engulfed in a festive atmosphere.
Ghislain confiscated the food hoarded by corrupt nobles and distributed it generously. The people were finally able to eat and rest in peace.
And when the Ferdium forces finally arrived at the capital—
Zwalter couldn't help but be astonished by the scene before him.
A massive crowd had gathered outside the capital, kneeling before him and crying out in unison.
"Please, be our king!"