Battle for the Imperial Palace (4)
“My Lady, the daughter of Viscount Margorg has been killed.”
“I see. How unfortunate.”
Emilia, who was notified of Linea’s death responded briefly. It was clear from her voice that she didn’t find it unfortunate whatsoever.
“And so, how would you like to deal with Margorg?”
Being asked such by one of the retainers, Emilia pondered a little.
“With his daughter dead, Margorg has already served his purpose.”
“Yes.”
“I think Father will decide his fate, but in my opinion, you can dispose of him.”
“Understood.”
The retainer responded joyously after hearing Emilia’s words.
(We did not plan on keeping him alive in the first place.)
Emilia muttered in her mind as she listened to the voices of battle at the Imperial Palace.
—————
“General Burling, I bring orders from the Salbuveirs.”
“That so?”
When the messenger under General Burling arrived, the general urged him to read the message to him.
“They want us to pull back the Margorg troops and dispatch the troops of another lord. They are leaving the selection in your hands.”
“… Tell them I understood.”
Burling responded with extreme bitterness. The Salbuveirs strictly ordered Burling to keep attacking the main gates of the Imperial Palace relentlessly. Moreover, not with the entire army, but with one troop after another.
Decreasing the number of men attacking would reduce the likelihood of successful assault, but Burling who was shut down with “Ignore the orders if you all want to be killed now” had no other choice.
“Excuse me, then…”
The messenger who received Burling’s orders excused himself and left. Once the messenger left, one of the officers spoke to Burling.
“The damages will be too large like this. To begin with, the 2,000 troops stationed at the Imperial Palace are only a tenth of our troops. We would be able to take down the palace in about three hours if the entire army attacked at once.”
“I know. There’s no way the Salbuveirs wouldn’t know that too.”
“So you mean they have another motive besides capturing the Imperial Palace?”
A grave expression floated on Burling’s face at the officer’s words. In fact, Burling has already guessed the motive behind the Salbuveirs’ orders.
(They are playing with us…)
Burling muttered to himself with loath. Capturing the Imperial Palace on their own would be an easy feat for the Salbuveirs. They are only playing with the lords by sending them to attack instead of doing it themselves.
(Choosing Viscount Margorg as the first to attack was also simply to have his daughter killed… and now, they have no reason to let Viscount Margorg continue fighting.)
For Burling, the battle keeps getting increasingly frustrating because he can’t perform his duty as a soldier at all, but he can’t show that on the outside. If, by any chance, the Salbuveirs get to know about it, his men will definitely be the next to be killed.
“Make the Margorg troops retreat, have the troops of Count Agemund advance.”
“Roger!”
The officer replied and left to convey Burling’s orders.
(We have to do something about this… we have to do something about those knights…)
Burling was coming up with countermeasures against the Salbuveirs.
—————
“You did well, Margorg.”
Viscount Margorg who was summoned by Ortho aged in a moment. That would only be natural after having his daughter killed before him like that, though.
“I’m sorry about Miss Linea.”
There was no sincerity in Ortho’s words. His words were perhaps the best example of the meaning behind the word “insincere”.
“Lord Ortho!! I beg you!! Please let me take revenge against those guys in the Imperial Palace!!”
Viscount Margorg appealed to Ortho with tears in his eyes. Ortho took a glance around his retainers and saw sneers floating on their faces.
(As expected of my retainers, they understand me.)
Ortho snickered.
“Margorg, your role is over.”
“Eh?”
A befuddled expression appeared on Margorg’s face and by the time he guessed the meaning behind Ortho’s words, his body started trembling.
“It seems that you have understood the meaning of my words. I’m delighted.”
Ortho spoke and grinned. To Margorg, he looked like the embodiment of death.
“Hiii!”
Margorg tried to stand up but fell straight back. When one of the retainers held the fallen Margorg down, he started screaming crazily.
“Save me!! That’s not what you promised!!”
The Salbuveir party looked at Margorg coldly. In response to those glares, Margorg turned his pitiful gaze at Ortho.
“What are you saying? I told you to capture the palace. There’s no meaning in saving you, who couldn’t accomplish that.”
“Wait a moment, please! I have not lost yet.”
“No, you have no further use. Your last job while alive was to hold the blade of revenge for our Salbuveir clan.”
“Hiiiiiii!!”
A cry of fear leaked out from Margorg’s mouth. Seeing that, Orto commanded his retainers.
“Take him. Do as you please with him.”
“Understood!”
There was unconcealable joy in the tone of the retainer who responded to Ortho.
“Oh, yes. There’s one condition.”
Ortho called out to the retainers who were ready to bring Margorg out.
“Drag it on for as long as possible…”
Ortho’s words made Margorg look on with despair. Margorg never thought that he himself would be at the receiving end of such cruel orders.
“He played a role in our circumstances, be careful with him.”
“Roger!”
“Hiiiiii! Lord Salbuveir!! Have mercy!!”
When Ortho responded with a sneer to Margorg’s words, he got mercilessly dragged away.
After that, Margorg’s screams echoed for about two hours in the care of Ortho’s subordinates.
“The next one is Agemund, huh…”
The retainers laughed cruelly at Ortho’s words.