TPWTM 23

“Ha-eung, ah, ah-heuk…!”

“Ha-ak… eut…!”

Thrust, thrust, Karon thrust his hips so roughly that his scrotum collided, picking up speed and gripping Yurik’s waist so tightly it would leave marks. Buttocks and groin slammed together without a gap, creating a flurry of sticky sounds. Karon grit his teeth and pushed Yurik to the limit.

“Ah-heuk, ah! Eu-eut, eu! Karon! Slowly! Eu-heut!”

“Yuri, Yuri….”

Yurik grit his teeth, his jaw trembling. Karon’s movements were too rough. His vision blurred with natural tears. Karon didn’t stop, moving his hips and pulling Yurik’s waist into an embrace. When Yurik’s knees could no longer hold out and gave way, Karon pulled Yurik’s arms back.

“Heu-eut, ah, eut, eu-eung!”

His knees were forced back up. Grabbing both his arms, Karon began to pound and crush the inside of the hole as if this were just the beginning. His tightly held body trembled and bucked. Pleasure surged up to the crown of his head, mercilessly devouring his body. Yurik trembled violently.

“Ha-eu….”

“Aaat… ah, heuk…!”

After pressing and pounding him as if grinding him to his climax, Karon arched his back and pressed his core against Yurik’s buttocks. The penis, which had gone in as far as it could, twitched. As the inner walls contracted and squeezed his penis tightly, Karon let go of his hands and pulled Yurik into an embrace.

“Yuri, I’m going to cum.”

“Haaa… ha-eut….”

Yurik was out of his mind. His whole body was trembling violently. Karon gently rotated his penis, continuously touching the sensitive spot. As Yurik’s head tilted back and his climax built, seminal fluid spurted from his penis.

Karon saw the semen splattered on the sheets and ejaculated inside Yurik. The thick membranes of the inner walls, which were clamped shut, enveloped Karon’s penis and trembled as they received the seminal fluid. Yurik flinched and trembled, feeling the pleasure that was enveloping and rising through his entire body, before letting all the strength leave him. He couldn’t muster any strength.

“Now… stop now. I’m busy….”

“Yuri….”

Exhausted, Yurik pushed away Karon, who was pressing his lips against his nape with a smooch, smooch sound to kiss him. He couldn’t waste any more time. There was a mountain of documents to deal with. But Karon wouldn’t let Yurik go.

“Karon…!”

Karon, still holding Yurik, grabbed his thighs and lifted him up in a flash, getting up from the bed. Yurik, unable to escape from Karon who was walking towards the mirror on the cabinet, twisted his body and came. His penis was still embedded inside the hole.

“Karon! Please! Eut!”

“Yuri, Yuri, look. Look at us joined together. It’s lewd.”

“Karon!”

Standing in front of the mirror, Karon laughed with a flushed face. Yurik couldn’t bring himself to lift his head. He couldn’t bear to look at himself, held by Karon in such a maddeningly shameful position, receiving his penis. But Yurik’s penis was ramrod straight, pressed firmly against his lower abdomen.

Squelch, squelch, the rosy-red hole was stretched to its limit, greedily engulfing Karon’s penis. Yurik felt like he was going crazy. Karon rotated his hips, stimulating the inside of Yurik’s inner walls, and whispered in his ear.

“Ha, Yuri… look at us. It’s lewd. Look at yourself.”

“Karon, please… sob, ah…!”

“Hmm, Yuri, why are you more turned on?”

“It’s, it’s you…! No!”

“Cute, Yuri. If anyone else saw this, I would have killed them.”

“Karon!”

“Yuri, I love you.”

“Ah-heuk, ah! Heu-eu-eung!”

Karon, who was holding Yurik tightly, slammed him down onto his penis. Karon’s penis split the opening, pried open the inner walls, and pierced through to the climax point in one go. Yurik opened his mouth and clung tightly to Karon’s arm, having nowhere else to turn. He felt as if he were being pierced through to the crown of his head. An unbelievable pleasure surged through him. His head involuntarily tilted back.

Karon roughly thrust his penis upwards again and again. Yurik’s body continued to shake. The lewd scene was reflected directly in the mirror. Karon held the trembling Yurik, inhaled the pheromones flowing out, and thrusted even more forcefully inside Yurik.

“Haa, Yuri.”

“Ha-eut, eu-ah! Eut!”

“Yuri… Yuri.”

Karon did not let go of Yurik until the very end, continuing to thrust his penis. Karon did not let Yurik go all night long.

• ~ *

“There has been a request for support from the Enenberg territory. Baron Rothman is said to have dispatched his knights. The East is in an uproar with riots.”

A magnificent fan made of white feathers fluttered and swayed before coming to a sudden halt. Not a sound came from the faint silhouette behind the splendid, seemingly gold-plated curtains.

After a moment, the woman in the silhouette gestured, and the curtains were drawn to the side, revealing Empress Vistete seated in an elegant posture on her throne. She looked at Marquis Gaetanil, who had just delivered the news, with sharp eyes.

“With the East moving like that, is there anything we can do?”

Her tone was gentle on the surface, but her words were barbed. Marquis Gaetanil bowed his head and swallowed a groan. It was the same as saying not to question her about the things that had been going on, even if the East was in a mess due to the riots. But Marquis Gaetanil spoke up once more.

“Your Majesty the Empress, the riot this time is a bit more severe, and it is said that the Lord of Enenberg is in a considerably difficult position. This is already the third riot. If we leave it like this…”

“So, are you thinking of reducing it?”

“Your Majesty the Empress…”

Empress Vistete leaned one arm on the armrest of her throne, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at Marquis Gaetanil. Her gaze held a kind of unspoken pressure. Marquis Gaetanil swallowed a groan. He knew what she was saying without her having to spell it out. The Empress was asking if he was going to give up the huge amount of money she was profiting from the East.

“Why do you think I trusted the Marquis?”

At the Empress’s sudden words, Marquis Gaetanil raised his head and looked at her. Marquis Gaetanil was one of the nobles who had consistently maintained relations with the Kingdom of Ujhal, located to the east of the Halcon Empire. He was acquainted with the first prince of Ujhal, and that first prince was soon to ascend the throne.

The Kingdom of Ujhal was the second-largest kingdom on the continent after the Halcon Empire. It was also a hostile nation that was constantly looking for opportunities to invade the empire. The riot in the East could only be a very good situation for them.

Although the East shared a border, a large army was not stationed there. This was because Ujhal’s main forces were stationed in the south. In the East, the lords had been serving the role of that army. But now the lords, who served as a defensive barrier against the neighboring country with whom they often interacted, were not functioning properly and were being pushed back by the riots…

This was a matter where the interests of Empress Vistete, who was trying to swallow the next imperial throne using her maternal relatives, also aligned. The soaring price of grain was a disaster that coincided with the drought, but the one playing on top of it was the Empress. Marquis Gaetanil swallowed a sigh.

‘Still, to give the empire… to her maternal relatives…’

He was a little reluctant. But as someone who had supported the Empress for a long time, he couldn’t back out now. The Empress spoke.

“Let’s watch. If the situation worsens, let’s see how far it will worsen.”

“…Yes. Your Majesty the Empress.”

“By the way. Those who are rioting.”

“Yes.”

“Are they only in the Enenberg territory?”

“The riots are spreading throughout the East, but they are most severe in Enenberg. However, it will spread in an instant.”

“What is the goal of the rioters?”

“Naturally, the stabilization of grain prices and…”

“No, not that kind of thing. When they protest through riots, if they are not successful, how far can they come?”

“If they break through Edinburgh, which is below Enenberg, they can push directly into the capital…”

Marquis Gaetanil stopped there and his eyes widened. The Empress covered her mouth with her fan and smiled.

“The rain-making ritual is being held just in time. Coinciding with the movements of the rioters. Isn’t that right?”

Marquis Gaetanil couldn’t bring himself to answer. Her words were shocking.

• ~ *

The day of the rain-making ritual dawned, but for some reason, the sky outside the window was dark and gloomy. It was weather that might make one hope for rain, but no matter how much it rained in the capital, what was important was the East. The land was so vast that the amount of rainfall varied greatly, and Yurik hoped that the sky in the East would also be dark, as if it were about to rain. If it rained at the perfect time for the rain-making ritual, it would not only strengthen the imperial authority but also deepen the meaning of the event.

Yurik pulled at the collar that came up to his neck to get some air. He was currently at the Prince’s Palace to be the Prince’s partner for the sacred covenant ceremony.

‘Karon must be busy.’

Karon, who had only stopped by the mansion at dawn due to work, had left again at the crack of dawn. He was probably swamped with work. He had heard that for the past two days, they had been maintaining the roads in the Imperial Palace and the capital and inspecting the path to the temple.

When you added the knights and elite soldiers hidden among the crowd to secretly escort the royal family, the number of escorts Karon had to manage was much larger than expected.

It was because this rain-making ritual was being held on a very large scale. Normally for a rain-making ritual, they would have simply gone to the square where the citizens gathered and offered a prayer, but this time, they had decided to proceed with all the ceremonies that were originally omitted, in order. As a result, there were a great many things to be done, but they had somehow managed to finish them. Now, all that was left for Yurik was to assist the Prince and fulfill his duty as the partner for the sacred covenant ceremony.

“Yuri.”

As he was lost in thought looking out the window, he heard a voice calling from behind. When he turned his head, he saw Lazhwell had arrived. Lazhwell let out a small exclamation of admiration upon seeing Yurik in a pure white priest’s robe. The platinum blond hair and blue eyes matched the priest’s robe like a picture.

“You really look like a priest. I feel like I should offer a prayer.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“I’m not just saying that. It’s true. If you had become a priest, you would have been the joy of all people. Your appearance itself is so holy that everyone would have been in a frenzy to receive the grace of the Lord from you.”

To Lazhwell’s jest, Yurik offered a light smile. Like Yurik, who was dressed in a pure white priest’s robe, Lazhwell had also changed into a white priest’s robe. Looking at him like this, the prince also had a neat and tidy appearance, worthy of receiving the adoration of the empire’s citizens. Yurik, whose eyes met the prince’s emerald ones, hastily erased such thoughts and spoke.

“How may I be of assistance? I haven’t heard the details.”

“The priests beside you will help. Just follow their instructions. It’s not a difficult task.”

“That’s a relief.”

Yurik recalled Karon’s request. Karon, who had worked until dawn and then came to the mansion in the early morning, had told Yurik not to stay too close to the prince.

‘Are you jealous?’

‘Jealous… ha.’

At Yurik’s words, Karon had clutched his head. Yurik said with a deadpan face.

‘It’s a joke.’

‘I’m not joking, Yuri.’

Karon was worried that attacks from the Empress’s faction, who were targeting the prince, could also be directed at Yurik at this time. The probability of an attack during the complex and chaotic ceremony could not be ignored. That must be why Karon was moving so busily.

‘But since I am assisting the prince… I can’t help the minor things.’

Lazhwell had already designated Yurik as his partner for the sacred covenant ceremony, and it had already become a topic of discussion among the nobles. That alone was tiring for Yurik, but as he was assisting the prince, he was prepared to take on a certain amount of risk. And at this time, when the Empress’s faction was under attack from the Prince’s faction due to the grain price collusion, he also thought that the Empress’s faction wouldn’t go out of their way to cause any dangerous trouble.

‘Surely they wouldn’t cause a disturbance at the rain-making ritual.’

In truth, it was Yurik’s wish. Please, let the rain-making ritual end safely, quietly, and without incident. Yurik let out a sigh, and with Lazhwell who said it was time to go, he left the Prince’s Palace and headed for the Central Palace where the main ceremony would begin.

In front of the Central Palace, preparations for the ceremony were already complete. The prepared altar was adorned with flowers, silver candlesticks, and gold ornaments, befitting the ceremony with dignity, but also decorated splendidly.

‘How much was the budget for that?’

Yurik looked at the altar and recalled the document he had personally approved. The amount at that time was enormous, but compared to the amount, it was quite modest.

‘It seems quite a few nobles have participated.’

In front of the platform, nobles dressed in white were talking amongst themselves while looking at the altar. Since everyone was wearing white, at a glance, they looked like a single group with the assembled priests.

Soon, a high-ranking priest who would preside over the initial rites of the rain-making ritual held at the Imperial Palace came forward. In the past, the ceremony was performed with the barbaric offering of animal blood, but now it had become much simpler.

As the priest, draped in a white cape, stepped forward to the altar, Empress Vistete, dressed in a white ceremonial robe with magnificent silver embroidery, came to the front of the platform with the young Princess Vistea by her side. And the First Prince, Lazhwell, stood beside her.

Since the Emperor and the Second Prince could not participate, the Empress performed the sprinkling of holy water on the sacred tree planted in the Central Palace in place of the Emperor. As the holy water was sprinkled on the sacred tree, priests holding silver candlesticks, a reliquary, a golden bowl filled with gold coins, and a candelabra engraved with the image of a god stood before the platform. Then, the choir from the temple began to play a low melody.

The wind blew, and a sacred atmosphere was naturally created. Yurik, as the partner for the sacred covenant ceremony, stood directly in front of the platform and received the reliquary that a priest held out to him.

With the sound of the song, Empress Vistete, who had finished pouring the holy water on the sacred tree, knelt before the priest with the princess. As Prince Lazhwell also knelt, the ordained priest, who had dipped his hand in the holy water in the golden bowl, lightly sprinkled the holy water on the members of the imperial family. The song, with its unintelligible lyrics, modulated to a higher key, and as the members of the imperial family rose, the voices began to gradually fade.

As Empress Vistete lifted the Rod of Abundance used in the rain-making ritual, a jingling sound was heard, and the jewels on the rod swayed as if dancing. The priest says.

“Illuminating the path of the covenant, the Lord has commanded that all shall have the joy and glory of the harvest and that the produce of your fields shall be abundant—”

After the long benediction of the ordained priest, Empress Vistete walked to the very front of the priests. She set off, holding the rod that was incredibly large for her body. Yurik took a deep breath. With this, the ceremony at the Imperial Palace was over. Now, only the more important path through the square and streets to the temple remained.

“You may begin now.”

The priest next to Yurik whispered softly. Yurik looked at the priests carrying the candelabra and the sacred objects who were leading the way and slowly began to walk. Lazhwell had come to Yurik’s side at some point. Lazhwell began to move in step with Yurik’s pace.

The procession began, and the line started to follow behind the Empress. Most of the nobles, dressed in white, followed at the very end of the procession. As they passed through the Imperial Palace and crossed the castle gate, unlike the quiet Imperial Palace, the roar of the massive crowd, the sound of breathing, shouts and yells, and the sound of prayers being recited instantly struck their ears. Yurik, slightly tense, looked ahead.

From the road connected to the Imperial Palace’s castle gate to the square, the crowd was packed tightly. It seemed as if all the citizens of the capital had gathered.

As he walked while looking at them, Yurik’s foot suddenly got caught in his long robe, and he stumbled. Lazhwell quickly supported Yurik’s waist to prevent him from falling.

“Careful.”

“…Thank you.”

“Even the great Sir Yurik Windsor gets nervous. Relax. It will get quiet again once we pass the square.”

“Yes.”

Lazhwell whispered, holding Yurik’s waist tightly before letting go.

“O, Lord…”

“Have mercy. Light and glory.”

“Bless the dying land with abundance!”

As the procession passed, the citizens of the empire each touched their foreheads and then removed their hands, offering their greetings. Yurik swallowed dryly. He felt his hand holding the reliquary grow sweaty. He glanced around, and he saw knights and soldiers controlling the crowd gathered around the procession. Karon must be working somewhere among them. For now, Yurik focused on looking ahead and walking.

• ~ *

“Captain. More people are gathering than expected, what should we do? The 3rd Squad is already reporting a shortage of personnel. They say they need support.”

An officer who had been watching the procession rushed over to Karon and said. Karon nodded. From his perspective, the situation was not good. The procession, still about 300 meters away from coming this way, had crowds clinging to both sides as if they were about to spill out. Behind them, people were pushing forward like a receding tide to get a look. The soldiers and knights at the front were doing their best to hold them back, but it was not enough.

“Tell the 2nd Squad to move for now.”

He hadn’t expected to have to move the 2nd Squad, which had been set aside as a support unit, so soon, but Karon scowled and gave the order. The officer bowed his head and quickly relayed the order to another soldier. Watching the soldier run off, Karon swallowed a sigh.

Maintaining the path was becoming too difficult. The knights were all reporting to Karon with anxious faces. Originally, soldiers from other units and the Blue Rampart Knight Order were supposed to guard the procession and protect the royal family together, but the Blue Rampart Knight Order had suddenly pulled out, saying they would guard the empty Imperial Palace where only the Emperor resided, leaving them even more short-staffed.

‘Of all the times to be stubborn.’

The Blue Rampart was a knight order under the Empress’s sphere of influence. They must have received some word from the Empress’s side. The Imperial Palace was already being guarded by the Royal Guard; there was no need for the Blue Rampart Knight Order to be there as well.

‘Why on earth…’

Karon looked at the Empress, who was walking in the distance, holding the rod. She was walking deliberately slowly, pretending to be holy. Thanks to her leading the procession from the very front, the procession was further delayed. If the Blue Rampart did not escort the procession, it was the royal family who would be in danger. But he couldn’t understand why she had made such a choice.

‘Damn it, really. It’s full of things I don’t like.’

Karon clicked his tongue and turned his head. At this rate, if a problem arose in the square or with the procession, the Grand Glory Knight Order would have to take all the blame. Was it just a feeling, or was there a sense of unease and anxiety? Karon looked at the approaching procession with anxious eyes.

It was at that moment. A knight positioned in the middle of the procession’s path urgently gestured towards Karon. Karon furrowed his brow and read the hand signals. Suspicious individual detected. That’s what the knight was saying. Another aide who was on standby next to Karon spoke to him.

“…Something feels off.”

“Me too.”

The knight who was sending the hand signals looked at Karon again as if he had seen something else. But just then, his figure disappeared due to the procession passing through that spot. Karon tapped the shoulder of the aide next to him.

“You go. I can’t see him.”

“Yes, sir.”

The procession was about to pass where Karon was. At Karon’s command, the aide moved quickly and ran towards the knight who had sent the hand signals.

Just then, another knight rushed over from behind and reported to Karon. His face was filled with urgency.

“Commander! There are men with knives among the crowd! A kid from the 2nd Squad caught one, and this…!”

What the knight handed him was a piece of white cloth. The problem was the writing on it.

「The wicked Imperial family has abandoned the East.」

Karon grit his teeth and clenched it. His anxiety was becoming a reality. If it was the East, there was only one thing. The riot that had broken out in Enenberg flashed through his mind.

“Edinburgh has been breached.”

“Pardon?”

“The rioters broke through Edinburgh from Enenberg and came down. Give the order to the undercover team right now! If you see anyone who looks like a rioter, arrest them immediately…!”

Bang! Bang!

Aaaah!

At the sudden sound of gunshots, dry screams erupted from the crowd. People screamed and fell to the ground, looking around. Karon, who had instinctively ducked, raised his head and looked towards where the gunshots had come from.

“It’s the rebels!”

“Let’s execute the Imperial family that starves its people to death!”

Bang! Bang!

Again, the guns fired into the air. From all sides, people holding cloths with writing on them rose and shouted. Save the East! Save the East!

At those voices, the ranks of the gathered crowd broke. People started to move to escape.

“Get out of the way! I said get out of the way!”

“It’s a gun!”

“There are rebels!”

Shouts, screams, and yells erupted from all directions. The knight next to Karon took a hesitant step back with a pale face. The procession came to a halt as the crowd suddenly pressed in from both sides. Karon grabbed the retreating knight by the neck and shouted.

“Get a grip! They’re the enemy. We have to keep the procession moving. Tell them to clear the way ahead! So we can go directly to the temple, not the way we were supposed to go!”

“Shouldn’t, shouldn’t we be turning back?”

“The temple is closer from here! Go and tell them now!”

“Ye, yes!”

The knight, spurred by Karon’s fierce gaze, immediately moved. Tang! Another gunshot rang out. Dammit! Karon commanded the bewildered knights.

“Get close!”

At the sharp cry, the knights swarmed around the procession. The Empress, who had been holding the rod with a perfectly holy expression, was startled by the sudden rush of knights. Karon ran towards the knight who had just sent the hand signal. He saw Yurik and Lazhwell in the middle, but he forced himself to turn his head away. Yurik would only be safe if he could prevent any bigger problems from occurring here.

“Damn it!”

“Block them!”

“Is the Imperial family trying to starve the citizens to death!”

“Save the East!”

“Kyaak!”

A man with a dagger rushed at Karon. Karon snatched the wrist holding the sword in one move, flipped the man over, and forced him to his knees on the ground. Other soldiers approached from the side. Leaving the man to be restrained by the soldiers, Karon moved towards the back of the procession again.

“Where is he?!”

“There’s a sniper!”

He met up with the knight who had sent the hand signal, but the surroundings were already in chaos. The knight pointed to a large building on the way into an alley. On the rooftop, a figure who appeared to be a sniper was aiming a gun at the royal family. Fortunately, due to the crowd and the procession, the people were mixed up, and he couldn’t get a clear shot, so he lowered his gun. Karon shouted.

“4th Squad, move! Subdue the rioters first!”

“4th Squad!”

At his shout, the knights mingled with the crowd and began to subdue those carrying weapons and white cloths. The citizens were mixed in, creating a scene of utter chaos. Karon looked at the procession that had already passed. The knights were blocking both sides, and the procession was moving forward. The situation was spiraling into a mess. Karon grit his teeth.

• ~ *

Tang, tang!

“Your Highness!”

The sound of gunshots echoed mercilessly. Yurik couldn’t duck because of the holy relic he was holding. Lazhwell was in the same situation. Instead, Yurik pressed close to Lazhwell. Blocking the rushing crowd with his body, Yurik looked at the front of the procession. Although she had faltered and stopped, the Empress was still holding the rod. If the rain-making ritual stopped here, that in itself would cause talk. If the rain-making ritual was interrupted, there would surely be people who would say the drought was because of it.

‘Damn it…!’

He had hoped it wouldn’t fail to proceed safely, but he hadn’t expected the problem to be a riot by the eastern rebel army, rather than the Empress’s faction’s game of killing the prince.

“Uwaaak!”

“Keut!”

A knight who had moved closer to protect the prince was swept away by the crowd and couldn’t move, and a rebel soldier slipped in. A sword, gleaming menacingly, was brought down, aiming for the prince.

Yurik urgently reached out and blocked the descending sword with the holy relic. Clang! The sword, clashing with the reliquary, was deflected, and the rebel soldier retreated. Yurik, unable to withstand the impact, dropped the reliquary and staggered. From behind, Lazhwell supported Yurik’s back.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. More importantly, the other knights…!”

“They can’t keep up. It can’t be helped. We have no choice but to go on like this.”

The escorting knights had been swept away by the crowd and separated. The rain-making procession barely managed to leave the square and enter the main street with buildings. Fortunately, they had left the square, but this was also a problem. They had confirmed the presence of rebels, but the square was blocked, so they couldn’t lead the royal family back to the palace.

‘We’re still quite a way from the temple.’

After passing the street, the road to the temple would appear. Since it was on a low hill, there was nothing around it, but the rebels could be hiding there. Of course, the knight order would have taken up positions and be guarding it first, but looking at the situation in the square now, a battle might already be taking place.

“Do not leave my side.”

Yurik said to Lazhwell in a resolute voice. Lazhwell looked around with a hardened face, then looked at Yurik and smiled faintly.

“This is very reassuring. To be next to the top graduate of the military academy. It’s a stroke of luck.”

“I may have received a commission as an officer and then been relegated to a minor post to look at documents, but I will be able to protect Your Highness the Prince.”

“Thank you.”

Lazhwell whispered. The voice brushing past his ear due to their close proximity made Yurik pause for a moment, but he did not turn his head. From the front, he could hear the Empress’s fiery, angry voice.

“Knights! Where are the knights!”

The knights who were on standby in the middle of the street came and bowed their heads. The Empress snapped at them in annoyance, but the knights didn’t seem to have the mental capacity to listen to her right now. They were all guarding the procession and keeping an eye on their surroundings, but their numbers were significantly lacking. Yurik frowned. How could the royal escort be so weak?

“It’s because the Blue Rampart Knights are missing. I had a feeling something was wrong. To think a situation like this would happen.”

Lazhwell muttered, explaining the situation. With the Blue Rampart Knight Order missing, a hole had been created in the escort. Yurik let out a sigh. The Blue Rampart was a knight order that listened to the Empress’s commands. The Empress must have pulled some strings. But it seemed she hadn’t expected to shoot herself in the foot.

Before long, the procession had passed the central street and entered the road leading to the temple. Just then, a commotion was heard from behind.

“It’s the rebels! Get them!”

“Uwaaaaah!”

Ruffians shouting war cries came from the square and rushed towards the procession. The men with red bandanas on their heads threw themselves at the knights’ defense.

“Take responsibility for the East! Vile Imperial family!”

“Let’s execute those who only fill their own bellies!”

“Die!”

The sound of shouting and the clash of weapons. The priests in the procession, thoroughly intimidated by it, looked back with anxious faces. Still, the procession did not stop and headed for the temple.

After a short while, the temple on the hill came into view. Since the Empress, holding the rod, could not run, the entire procession was walking slowly in step with her. Yurik found it frustrating, but he reminded himself that the rod was extremely heavy for a noblewoman to carry continuously and kept his mouth shut. In the middle, the princess looked around with a terrified face. The young princess was pale and visibly trembling for all to see.

‘Blood…?’

He saw the sleeve of the princess’s white dress turning dark red. Yurik frowned. While the Empress and the Prince were fine, the princess had been hit by an attack. It was clear that since she was surrounded only by priests, there was no one to help her.

Soon, they arrived in front of the temple. At the temple, there were priests and a small number of knights who had been waiting in advance. When they took the rod from the Empress’s hands, only then did the Empress attend to the princess.

For the time being, a decision was made to stay inside the temple until the riot was suppressed.

‘…Should I call this a relief. The Empress is safe.’

The Empress and Prince Lazhwell were safe. Without a single injury. Only the princess had a wound on her arm. The priests held the princess and offered prayers, but in this era where divine power had become an old legend, prayers did not heal wounds. The princess, as if all her energy had been drained, lay unconscious on a bed in the temple, her face pale.

“What on earth is this! Why couldn’t the knights provide proper escort!”

At the fiery burst of anger, the few knights in the temple bowed their heads to the Empress. The knights guarding the temple numbered no more than twenty. With the Blue Rampart Knight Order missing, there had been a reduction in personnel here as well.

Yurik, feeling drained, came out of the room in the temple and sat on a chair for a moment, letting out a sigh. The Empress was still shouting and fuming.

How did things end up like this? Did Karon expect this? He was worried about Karon, who must be struggling in the square right now, trying to find and arrest the main culprits of the riot. He thought of him all the more because, compared to the crowd, the number of knights in the square seemed significantly lacking.

Crash!

A sound of something falling violently to the floor came from inside the room. Yurik, startled, shot up and went into the room. The Empress and Lazhwell were standing in confrontation. Everyone held their breath and looked at the Empress. The Empress shouted sharply.

“We have to go back right now, my son is alone in the Imperial Palace!”

It seemed there had been a clash over deciding when to return. Yurik put his hand to his forehead and looked at Lazhwell. Lazhwell replied to the Empress’s words with a deadpan face.

“His Majesty the Emperor is also lying in bed. Who would dare touch the palace? A palace with the Royal Guard.”

“Then aren’t you worried in this situation? What on earth is the prince thinking?”

“I am thinking about how to return to the palace safely.”

“I am thinking the same thing! We have to go back now, right now!”

“I understand your impatience, but we cannot. There are less than twenty escort knights remaining here. How can we break through the rebel army, which has not yet been confirmed to be fully subdued, with them.”

The Empress glared at the prince, who was speaking calmly. She seemed to not even see the other nobles and priests around her, openly glaring at the prince and shouting.

“We’re blocked in the front and back. How could it be so coincidental? Prince, why are you so unshaken? Could it be that you orchestrated this situation, Prince?”

Lazhwell’s cheek twitched, and he opened his mouth. At the two of them arguing so openly, everyone solemnly bowed their heads.

“Surely not. Wasn’t it something Your Majesty the Empress did?”

“What kind of absurd accusation are you making!”

“I have also been accused. I heard that Your Majesty the Empress ordered the Blue Rampart Knight Order to withdraw. In conclusion, wasn’t the reason the princess was injured because of a lack of personnel.”

“Your Highness!”

“Ah, you actually had something else you were aiming for. I am sure you wished for me to die, but for the princess to get hurt instead… Her Majesty the Empress’s heart must be breaking. How truly unfortunate.”

Razhwell smiled faintly. It was a smile unsuited for the situation, but the empress could only grit her teeth and glare at the prince. Since she was the one who had withdrawn the Blue Rampart Knight Order, she had nothing to say.

Yurik held his breath and silently watched the scene unfold. It was clear that Razhwell was also quite angry right now. The way they were openly talking about killing each other was proof of that.

“Hah, bring me some water at once. My head aches.”

In the end, the empress took a step back. She collapsed onto the sofa as if fainting and gave orders to the nobles supporting her by her side. The priests moved swiftly. From what the empress was saying, it did not seem like she had anticipated this situation and pulled the Blue Rampart Knight Order. It looked like the events had just unfortunately coincided.

‘…Still, I cannot trust her.’

Yurik knew how well the members of the imperial family, especially the empress, could act. Her getting angry like that in this situation might just be one scene in a picture she had directed. If she truly had not intended for this situation, then who would have led the rebels to move and harm the imperial family? Were they really just the rebels? Yurik’s mind was spinning in confusion.

Razhwell looked at the empress, then turned his body. Yurik followed him as he walked out of the room.

Razhwell passed through the temple corridor and entered the chapel. He seemed to be in a foul mood, but since he was the person Yurik had to protect, Yurik followed him in without hesitation. As the chapel door closed, Razhwell saw Yurik, who had followed him, and raised an eyebrow.

“That was quite a commotion. It wasn’t pleasant, was it?”

“I believe you have every right to say something.”

“It’s hard to play along. They spout nonsense, so I played along with them.”

“Her Majesty the Empress must have been flustered as well. She probably did not expect Her Highness the Princess to get hurt.”

“Right. What is that saying? Tripping over your own feet?”

Razhwell muttered, looking out the large window. Yurik nodded and stood beside him. Razhwell closed his mouth for a moment, lost in thought, before slowly opening it.

“A lord died in the East.”

“…Pardon?”

It was the first time he had heard of it. Yurik’s head shot up as he stared at Razhwell. Razhwell gazed out the window with a troubled expression.

“It seems Lord Enenberg was captured. Edinburgh was breached in that gap. That is also why the rebels are charging ahead so recklessly.”

“No way…”

“Now they have truly become rebels with no way out.”

In an empire where the feudal system remained, killing a lord was the same as starting a rebellion. They might have done it to survive, but… it felt too heated. To kill a person.

Then again, how many tenant farmers in the East must have died to fill their bellies? The lord’s death was not regrettable, but the circumstances of those who were pushed to orchestrate things this way were pitiful. Razhwell also had a bitter expression.

“The empress will probably be happy about it, saying it is a new lease on life. She will try to deal with everyone who killed the lord. She will obviously think they are making a fuss over nothing more than pocketing some grain money.”

“…Then what happens now?”

“Those who started the rebellion will try to see it through to the very end. If all that is left for them is death anyway, they will risk their lives to make something happen. Just like now. The empress… she did not expect them to attack the imperial family like this, but she does not seem to think it is a big deal.”

“Even in our current situation, trapped in the temple?”

“Is that not why there is so much talk about having to go back and what not? Our current situation is more dangerous than the Imperial Palace where the Royal Guard is.”

“This is worrying.”

Yurik swallowed a groan. The situation was as tangled as it could get, and he was at a loss as to how to resolve it. The first priority was to get out of this temple. While the rebels’ circumstances were unfortunate, if they had decided to give it their all, then this side had to protect what needed to be protected.

Razhwell, who was staring intently at Yurik’s thoughts, suddenly let out a small laugh. psst. At the sudden burst of laughter, Yurik turned to look at him. Razhwell looked at Yurik with a smiling face and spoke.

“Do not worry too much. So… how are things with Karon?”

It did not seem like a question to be asked right now, but it seemed he brought it up to change the mood. Yurik thought of Karon, who was probably having a hard time right about now, then looked at Razhwell.

“Seeing as Your Highness is so interested in married life, it would be good for you to start arranging your own engagement soon. You do not even have a prospective crown princess yet…”

“Do not change the subject.”

Razhwell thought Yurik was avoiding the question, but Yurik was being quite sincere. Yurik shrugged his shoulders.

“What part are you curious about?”

“Hmm. There is something I wish for.”

“Yes.”

“I hope it does not turn out the way I wish.”

“…Pardon?”

“But it needs to happen for things to work out. For some reason, I do not like that.”

Razhwell stared intently at Yurik. His gaze was setting a profound mood, and Yurik was momentarily flustered. It was because the look in Razhwell’s eyes as he stared at him was too serious. Unable to answer the vague words, Yurik just opened and closed his mouth, and Razhwell curved his eyes and smiled.

“I think I quite like him too.”

“…”

Yurik was not so slow as to ask, ‘Like who?’ Unable to answer, Yurik turned his gaze out the window. Raindrops had started to fall at some point.

• ~ *

On the path leading to the temple, there were lush forest paths on both sides. The distance to the temple was about 2 kilometers, and one had to pass through a slightly inclined road to reach it.

Karon stood on the rooftop of a 3-story inn near the forest path leading to the temple, looking down toward the temple. The temple, built inside the only small wooded mountain in the middle of the capital, was so large that its grandeur was magnificent when viewed from the foot of the mountain. But in the current situation, it was a view that was not very helpful.

As Karon stood there, biting his lip and glaring at the place, the adjutant of the Vast Glory Knight Order approached his side and saluted.

“Reporting. Traces of the rebellion leaders infiltrating the wooded mountain forest have been discovered. It appears their objective is to approach the imperial family once more before they enter the Imperial Palace.”

“The number of knights at the temple?”

“Originally, they were supposed to join the knights on the main road, but they were unable to. We estimate there are around twenty in total.”

Karon rubbed his forehead with a weary face. Due to the sudden outbreak of the rebellion, the knights who had been on standby were drawn toward the plaza. As a result, the knights who were supposed to escort the rain-making ritual procession to the temple were stuck in the middle of the city.

Seeing Karon swallow a sigh with a hardened face, the adjutant took out a cigarette and offered it to him. Karon, who had been struggling to maintain his composure, furrowed his brow and took what the adjutant offered, placing it in his mouth.

He had never once been properly nervous in any battle, but today, his hands were trembling. Karon exhaled smoke and then impulsively swore.

“Damn it…”

“Are you worried?”

“About what. Why would I care about the royal family.”

“No, I mean about him.”

At the adjutant’s words, Karon scowled.

“Be quiet.”

“Yes, sir.”

The adjutant responded nonchalantly to the irritated Karon. He too understood Karon’s feelings. They were a couple who had been married for just a month, but they were forced to be apart, and one of them was now in danger; it was impossible not to be worried.

After exhaling a puff of smoke, Karon surveyed the now-quiet city streets where everyone had gone inside. Except for a few people who looked like vagrants, there was not a soul to be seen on the streets. There were quite a few casualties and injuries, from people trampled while fleeing the rebels’ gunfire in the plaza, to those hit by stray bullets, and those who died during the fierce battle with the knights. Because of that aftermath, everyone was holding their breath.

Karon crushed out the finished cigarette and said,

“Even if they have guns, they are civilians. We will enter, secure the safety of the royal family, and then proceed with suppression. Is the entire Vast Glory Knight Order gathered?”

“Yes, sir. The knights are on standby in front of the wooded mountain in case the procession returns.”

“Set up a surveillance network so the rebels who entered the wooded mountain cannot escape. What about the ones remaining in the city?”

“It seems they have created an escape route out of the capital. Our units are covering everything, starting from the sewers.”

Karon ran a hand through his hair with a dissatisfied expression. They had to be sure to catch the ones who had broken through all the way from Edinburgh. Only then would it be possible to suppress the eastern rebellion. He felt a sense of resistance at having to arrest people who were probably just farmers or ordinary imperial citizens, but it could not be helped.

“Tell the entry team to all grab their swords.”

“Yes, sir. Are we killing them?”

Karon frowned at the adjutant’s question. The thought of pointing a sword at civilians bothered him, but it could not be helped. The safety of the imperial family came first, for now. In any case, they were already no different from rebels.

“We came back alive from the southern front, so dying here would be a dog’s death. Tell everyone to keep their wits about them.”

“Yes, sir!”

The adjutant saluted and moved quickly to relay the orders. Karon kept licking his constantly dry lips as he stared at the wooded mountain.

To be honest, he did not care what happened to the royal family. He was just worried about Yurik. Was it not because of the prince’s request that Yurik, who would not normally be involved in such a situation, had to join the event? No one knew things would turn out like this, but Karon felt a bit resentful toward the prince.

And he had his own share of the blame in this. The key to the sacred object. If not for that, Yurik would not be trapped in the temple with the imperial family right now.

‘He would step forward even knowing the danger.’

That was the kind of person Yurik was. If the royals beside him were in danger, he was the type to step forward himself, take up a sword, and fight to protect them rather than his own life. He was not underestimating him, who had graduated from the military academy with him, but… he was just, just anxious. He probably had not even held a sword much while working as an adjutant for so long… Karon squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them fiercely.