This Kingdom Needs a Coup

As always, the most annoying task in the mission was the cleanup.

“Hey, guys, move those trees to the corner first. If we leave them like that, they’ll collapse.”

“Understood. Should we also clean up the looted shops?”

“Just clean up the trash roughly and leave it. Don’t touch the inside.”

The pursuit unit, which had captured the royal family, was naturally mobilized for civilian support tasks.

Cleaning up the streets ruined by riots, repairing the burnt roofs of houses, or cleaning up bloodstains and corpses. Just miscellaneous chores like that.

The reason was none other than Karolus’s orders and the battalion commander’s judgment.

“How many days will it take for the escort unit to arrive?”

“At least a week. They’re bringing a lot of stuff, so they won’t be able to come quickly.”

“Damn, I thought we’d be going home soon, but it’s not happening.”

The royal family couldn’t be transported carelessly.

They could use the carriage the royals came in, but that would be too courteous.

We can’t show such mercy to those who ruined the kingdom and tried to flee abroad.

A special carriage for transporting felons, sent by Karolus, was already on its way.

We sent a messenger to inform them of our location, so once it arrives, we’ll load them up and take them away.

“Don’t complain too much and take good care of the citizens here. They had to suffer because of us.”

“Don’t worry. Even without your orders, everyone is working hard.”

And it felt a bit guilty to leave immediately after finishing the job.

If we had just searched and investigated normally, it would be fine, but we made thousands of people take off their pants just to find one eunuch.

The public opinion was furious, saying, “What kind of perverts are these guys?”

Given the times, we could ignore it, but as outsiders, we had to be mindful of appearances…

So, to compensate and help with the city’s recovery.

At least to prevent them from harboring resentment against the central government for its tyranny later.

“Once we clean up to that point, it would be good to feed the kids. It’s not urgent, so let’s take breaks and do it properly.”

“Good idea. What’s on the menu today?”

“Sausage, beer soup, and rye bread. Pretty rich for field rations.”

“Awesome.”

We spent a few days like this.

Just when we thought we could leave soon, another group of unwelcome guests arrived in the city.

* * * * *

“Battalion Commander!! An unidentified group is approaching from the 2 o’clock direction!!”

“A group? How big is it?”

Around the time between morning and lunch.

A soldier on guard at the city’s tallest clock tower reported as if screaming.

“At least several hundred! All on horseback!!”

“…..Hundreds of people riding horses together? Does that make sense?”

“It’s true! They’re running together so fast that you can see the dust cloud!”

The battalion commander was puzzled.

People riding horses instead of carriages? It’s rare but not unheard of.

Cavalry units often roam around the country for training or reconnaissance.

But the direction and area were strange. The 2 o’clock direction… isn’t that where the Kailas Kingdom is located?

‘It’s been a long time since the cavalry units dried up except in areas where the frontlines with the Empire are formed.’

Unlike infantry or artillery, which can be formed by conscripting anyone and training them for a few weeks.

Cavalry isn’t easily formed. Even if you gather people who already know how to ride horses, it’s still difficult.

To maintain speed, formation, and perform mounted combat, it takes at least 6 months to a year, even with a short estimate.

That’s why, from the mid-war period, as the kingdom ran out of reserves, they pulled cavalry from the rear and sent them to the frontlines.

The annual influx of new recruits couldn’t meet the demand.

‘They can’t be civilians, right?’

If so, there’s no way kingdom cavalry would be roaming around here in the rear.

The nearest training ground is at least 70 miles away from here.

Civilians usually use carriages, not horses, so it’s inconvenient… Combining the information, the conclusion is one.

They’re either new rebels or an armed force from outside the kingdom. Either way, they’re not exactly friendly to us.

“Everyone, combat readiness! Get up and grab your gear, you slugs!!”

“Leave only the minimum guard and everyone else move out! Assemble outside the Northern Gate in 20 minutes!!”

Having made an immediate decision, the battalion commander put on his armor.

We’ll try to talk first, but if things go south, we’ll have to crush them with force and take them prisoner.

* * * * *

Hurriedly forming ranks and assembling outside the city, the enemy also seemed to recognize us and slowed down as they approached.

As they got closer, their appearance, equipment, and demeanor became visible.

“Pretty sharp.”

They’re disciplined. There’s a sense of unity and control that you don’t see in civilians or amateurs.

They must have undergone extensive training and lived in a group for a long time.

They probably have some combat experience too. You can feel the aura of people who have killed and been killed, just like us.

‘But their outfits are shabby. Is it camouflage?’

They’re clearly skilled and elite troops, but their equipment is trash compared to their skills.

Leather armor, padded clothes, and old, scratched iron armor are all over the place. Like some second-rate mercenaries.

‘This is too suspicious.’

That’s what makes it even more awkward.

It doesn’t make sense for such talented people to be treated like this in any decent country.

The only explanation is that they’re deliberately disguising themselves for some purpose.

If they were just mercenaries, there’s no reason to hide themselves… They must be a very famous group.

Or… maybe they’re not mercenaries at all.

Either way, they’re the kind of people who shouldn’t exist in this kingdom.

The kingdom hasn’t hired mercenaries since the early stages of the war. Why would mercenaries with no work stay in a land with no money?

“A messenger is coming. It seems they want to negotiate.”

“Don’t attack and leave them be. Let’s see what they have to say.”

Both sides maintained a reasonable distance and faced off for a while.

A soldier holding a white flag emerged from the enemy’s formation.

The soldier approached the battalion commander, gave a light bow, and shouted.

“Nice to meet you, officer. I am Jeronymo of the Akulus Mercenary Group, affiliated with the Kailas Kingdom.”

“I don’t care who you are. Just state your business.”

“Yeesh, yeesh. You’re quite impatient.”

A frivolous tone. But the traces of training and the sharp gaze hidden in every action.

The battalion commander kept his guard up and glared at the opponent.

“The reason we’re here is none other than to protect a certain noble person here.”

“Are you talking about Karl VII? We already have him in custody.”

“….Is that so? This is quite troublesome.”

The soldier named Jeronymo clicked his tongue and made a polite proposal.

“Would you hand him over to us? His family too. I guarantee there will be no bloodshed.”

“Funny talk. He’s a criminal. He must be transported to the capital soon to stand trial. Do you think we’d hand over our enemy to some ragtag group we don’t even know where they came from?”

“Well, isn’t it better to cooperate than to stubbornly resist and lose your lives?”

Jeronymo pointed to the mercenaries (?) lined up behind him.

“Sir, we number over 1,000. That’s more than double the size of your unit. It’s obvious who would win if we fight, right?”

“…..”

“Don’t bring death upon yourselves. It’s just a matter of handing over a few people. Don’t waste your lives needlessly and make a wise decision.”

Listening to Jeronymo’s sweet talk, the battalion commander asked briefly.

“You’re not from Kailas, are you?”

“Huh? What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”

“People from Kailas have trouble pronouncing the ‘ㄹ’ sound when speaking the kingdom’s language. But you don’t have that habit, instead, your ‘ㅂ’ and ‘ㄷ’ sounds are awkward.”

He learned this during his time at the military academy, studying linguistics as part of his education.

Each country’s language has unique habits or pronunciation differences.

“People from the Holy Kingdom speak exactly like that.”

“…..You’re sharp.”

Jeronymo immediately revealed his true colors upon being exposed.

“So what are you going to do? If I, if we, are really from the Holy Kingdom, what changes? Your disadvantage remains the same, doesn’t it?”

Now, even the pretentious polite speech was discarded, and he arrogantly tried to intimidate the battalion commander.

“Sorry, but you know too much. At least I’ll make your journey to the afterlife comfortable–”

–Slash!

“Bullshit.”

The battalion commander drew his sword and decapitated Jeronymo in one strike. Shaking the blood off his blade, he shouted to his soldiers.

“Guys! Foreigners have invaded our land and are trying to take our king! Let’s wipe out these thieving bastards!!”

“Waaaaah!!!”

“Slaughter them all! If anyone doesn’t kill at least one, I’ll personally deal with them!!”

Suddenly, the enemies from the Holy Kingdom had to face the pursuit unit’s full-on assault, fueled by high morale.

“Huh? Pre, prepare for impact! Spears forward–”

“”Lai lai cha cha cha!!””

They were mercilessly cut down by the insane, rotten bastards using dual swordsmanship while stepping on their stirrups.

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