Chapter 305
- Thamalasca
- 11 hours ago
- 8 min read
An unexpected father and son reunion...
This chapter is dedicated to Zesty ! Happy to know that ISTDF is one of your fav's!
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Episode 305. About One Month (5)
“That's a lie. Hehe. I do not know these men.”
Hans’s voice was polite and unwavering. He was the very picture of a courteous and trustworthy Consul. As soon as he finished speaking, the Duke of Toulouse took a step forward in disbelief.
"That's a gross fabrication. Toulouse Knights were the ones who stopped the Second Prince's rebellion. Tsk, tsk. You seem to be seriously deluded and mentally exhausted. Are the elders of your Houses aware of your deviant behavior? Which House's heirs are you, exactly?"
It was an implicit warning that if they said the wrong thing, the repercussions would reach their families.
At the Duke's words, the nobles who supported Joseph gathered around the dais, gleefully chiming in, each offering their own admonitions.
Just as the faces of the three young aristocrats who had stepped forward started to turn ashen, another figure appeared.
“Oh my God...!”
The crowd's collective gaze turned towards the newcomer.
A middle-aged nobleman stood there with a furious expression.
"I am Viscount Maclean, residing near the Capital. A few months ago, that so-called Consul came to my estate and threatened me by bringing up the corruption that I...that I had committed. To survive, our family had no choice but to cooperate with him. We were forced to pay a fixed monthly sum into the account he specified - an account belonging to His Highness the Third Prince - and my youngest daughter was sent to the Palace and brought to the Third Prince's quarters."
“Our family was blackmailed as well.”
"My family was threatened, too!"
All around the hall noblemen began venting their indignation, then suddenly a servant who had been standing quietly behind the guards at the far right of the room stepped forward.
“It’s me!”
At the sound of his voice, all eyes turned to the back of the hall and the surrounding guards parted so the servant was more clearly visible. The servant squarely fixed his gaze on Hans, his words precise.
"I was a subordinate of the Consul, Hans Button. My family was held hostage in a place called a Black Crown Village. That man had our families kidnapped and imprisoned in the village, ensuring we would obey his orders. Because of this, we, and anyone else involved in his schemes, were forced to live as if we were dead, unable to escape his shadow. I've heard that His Highness the Third Prince, who kept such a man as his Consul, provided the funds to build that village. Is this true?"
The hall instantly erupted into chaos. The whispers of the onlookers glancing at the Third Prince grew louder by the minute.
The Third Prince, who should have been trembling with rage, stood motionless on the podium, simply gazing at the crowd without offering a response.
‘What’s going on?'
I quickly glanced at Hans, who was frantically whispering to Taylor, the man who had dragged me here.
‘Something’s up!'
Just then, a figure glided out from the central aisle of the VIP section.
"Your Highness the Third Prince. Prove yourself now. The throne requires legitimacy. Since there are so many doubts, the one who calls himself Emperor must prove his legitimacy!"
Upon hearing his voice, the guards around me began to murmur with recognition.
“Didn’t he run away?”
“Isn’t he the one who vanished without a trace after the Emperor fell…?”
It was none other than Consul Allen Godfrey, whom I knew well. The nobles echoed Allen's words.
Legitimacy.
Yes. It was possible to disregard legitimacy and ascend to the throne by any means necessary in some circumstances.
But holding the throne was another matter entirely..
There wasn’t always a need to prove the ascending Emperor's legitimacy in every situation. The Sovereign’s word was treated as law.
However, in a public setting like this, where the potential monarch’s legitimacy was being called into question in front of the Empire's most distinguished nobles, the seat itself, - the Imperial Throne - demanded legitimacy of the person who wished to sit upon it.
Although his face was contorted with rage, Joseph felt the weight of the Imperial Crown and forced himself to restrain his anger.
"... There is some merit to what you say. Very well. I shall prove it, how about we move this to another location?"
"Indeed. Everyone, please calm down. It seems there has been a slight misunderstanding. Rather than staying here, I think it would be best if we moved to the banquet hall where we can clear up these tangled misconceptions while enjoying the feast that has been prepared for us."
Hans immediately added to the Duke of Toulouse’s words.
"I suggest that anyone with questions move to another area to convey their concerns to His Majesty. Hehe. I have arranged a separate rest area for any noblewomen and young ladies who may have been startled. The Head Butler will guide you there. Hehe. The Imperial Guard shall escort you as well."
The Guards lowered their weapons. At Hans's words, the members of the crowd merely exchanged wary glances and remained motionless.
Then, Hans signaled the Head Butler, who turned toward the crowd to lead the noblewomen out first.
Suddenly, a loud thud echoed through the chaotic hall, reverberating across the floor. The sound of a cane striking the floor echoed from the podium.
“The Third Prince must explain himself!”
At the sound of the new voice coming from the direction of the palanquin, the crowd stirred with even greater alarm than before.
All eyes turned toward the platform, and as if in response to their gaze, the white curtain swiftly parted, and the Emperor stepped out of the palanquin.
The Emperor was completely healthy.
“Good heavens…”
“He’s fine!”
“Your Majesty!”
The Empress stared in shock, her hands pressed against her mouth. Joseph stumbled backwards and collapsed into a chair. The Duke of Toulouse and the nobles gathered around Joseph near the podium blinked as if they had seen a ghost.
Hans moved swiftly, slipping halfway behind a chair to hide himself as he scanned the room.
“Are you willing to disregard the lives of your own people just to sit in that seat?”
“You… you deceived me?”
“Look down there. See how your own people are looking at you. Do you really think you deserve to sit in that seat, Joseph?”
“I… I…”
“Everything has been laid bare before the world. Guards! Arrest Joseph Amure and his henchmen!”
But the guards did not lower their weapons.
The Imperial Guard had already been transformed into a mob of Joseph’s knights and mercenaries and they refused to obey the Emperor's orders.
“Hahaha!”
Joseph burst into laughter that came from deep within his chest, his eyes darting about as he pointed a finger at the Emperor.
"Who would listen to a toothless tiger? I'm glad I listened to my Consul's advice! Hahaha!"
He spoke the words softly enough that only the Emperor would hear, then smiled. His face lit up with wicked glee, and he threw his head back, bursting into booming laughter.
“You’ve truly lost your mind.”
"Lost it? My mind is clearer than it’s ever been, Father. Haha! Listen up! Detain the nobles, the citizens and the former Emperor who deceived me. All those who ruined my coronation ceremony, insulted the Imperial Family, misled the nobles and those who sided with them. In other words, arrest everyone here! Anyone who refuses will be immediately beheaded!"
“We obey your command, Your Majesty!” Knight Commander Taylor shouted, as if he’d been waiting for this.
At his signal, the Imperial Guards formed ranks, and in an instant, soldiers poured into the hall from outside.
“Aaaaaaargh!”
“Aaaahhh!”
Before anyone could even get over their shock from the Emperor's healthy state, the crowd was suddenly overcome with terror and scrambled in all directions.
***
The horrified Empress hid behind her maids against the wall while I rushed to the corner between 2 columns I had spotted earlier and pressed my back against it.
"Lock all the doors and windows in the hall, do not let even a single rat escape!"
Hans, still hiding behind a chair, barked orders while his wild eyes darted around frantically, as if searching for someone.
I also tried to find him amid the chaos. He had to be here, just as I expected.
As I watched the Imperial Guards close in on the crowd in a tight formation, I scanned the podium carefully.
Bernard and four other bodyguards were attempting to ascend it to protect the Emperor, but the Imperial Guards surrounded them, blocking their path and preventing them from taking action.
‘Don't get hurt, Bernard…'
Readying myself to dash in that direction at the first sign of trouble, I pulled up the hem of my dress and undid the buckle. I grabbed my axe and concealed it behind my back while keeping a watchful eye on my surroundings. Since the guards who had been watching me earlier had been ordered to rejoin the ranks, I was relatively free to move.
On the platform, Knight Commander Taylor, sword drawn, stood about two paces away from the Emperor, unable to approach under the Emperor's imposing aura. Then, Joseph shouted loudly, his words laced with profanities.
"Damn it! Kill him right here! Show him exactly what the price is for ignoring me for my entire life!"
"You scoundrel!"
The Emperor’s roar echoed through the hall, and for a moment, all eyes turned toward the dais. However, the ranks of Imperial guards surrounding the crowd remained unmoved.
“Shouting won’t work anymore!”
Perhaps feeling dizzy for a moment at the sight of Joseph shouting back at him without backing down, the Emperor grabbed the pillar of the palanquin in an attempt to stand firm.
“Kneel.”
“The Imperial Crown is upon my head. You are no longer in a position to command me!”
At Joseph’s furious outburst, the Emperor took a deep breath and glared at him fiercely.
“Until I entered through that passageway in my palanquin, I thought—no, I hoped—that once the whole truth came to light, you would kneel and beg for mercy, Joseph.”
“I’ve done nothing wrong, so why should I?... What are you doing! Arrest the late Emperor immediately for deceiving the entire Empire and deceiving me!”
The Imperial Guards rushed toward the podium, while the escort knights, including Bernard, blocked their path.
The Emperor did not back down a single step; he gritted his teeth and growled at his son.
“So the Second Prince was right after all. I had no idea you were such a knave!”
Was that the signal?
“Knights and Imperial Army, protect His Majesty the Emperor and the people of the Empire!”
It was Kyle!
At that voice, a wall behind a pillar to the right of the VIP section opened, and the Phoenix Knights began pouring out in droves.
***
Kyle had waited for this very moment atop the dais.
He had scanned the hall while concealing his killing intent as much as possible, but his focus had kept wavering.
The moment he’d entered the Palace, he had faintly sensed her Aurore, but couldn't be certain since his own hadn't completely recovered.
She wasn't supposed to be attending the Coronation Ceremony. Yet, the moment he’d entered the Ceremony Hall, carrying the palanquin, he’d noticed the distinctive feel of it and been captivated by her intense red dress. Tara Elias was here, among the crowd.
‘Damn it.’
Editor's note -
It's been sweltering hot in France where I live, with 42 - 43°C (107 to 109°F) for the last week to 10 days. I've been a puddle in my apartment where the temperatures reached 33°C (91°F). AC isn't common in France except in the south east, and even there, not always. It's just not in our culture. And it's very expensive here, both to buy and to use... Electrical bills through the roof! Bought some ceiling fans a couple of days ago to make it bearable. Thus the delay in posting 305... But rest easy, 306 will be published in a couple of days, we aren't going to let you with this cliffhanger too long....
On another note, are you, my dear ISTDF fans, enjoying this climax to the story? How do you think the possible reunion between Kyle and Tara is going to pan out?
Let us hear your thoughts in the comment section!
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