Chapter 47: The Young King’s Sword

Right after the Tower Master was dragged out by the Deputy Commander, the magicians—having lost their leader—began to tremble in fear.

Especially Pim, who had secured the position of Deputy Tower Master not by skill but by scheming and political maneuvering, was the most terrified.

Leon’s cold gaze fell upon Pim.

Leon spoke.

“Deputy Tower Master.”

“Y-yes?”

“Do you really think Ratel was arrested simply for attempting to harm His Highness’s benefactor?”

“Pardon? W-what do you mean…?”

“Who ordered the summoned beasts to be released on the perimeter road?”

“T-that, that’s…”

At Leon’s question, Pim hesitated, unable to answer easily.

It was because, although Ratel had been detained for now, Ratel was, after all, of the New Queen’s faction.

And a true power player among power players.

Therefore, Pim believed that Ratel’s confinement would not last long.

But Leon could clearly see Pim’s calculating thoughts.

Disgusting.

Weighing the options even in this situation.

Leon frowned as he spoke.

“You still haven’t come to your senses. Whether you’re the one who commissioned a murder or the assassin who carries it out, you’re both fools. All of you are the same scum. Arrest every last one of them!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Y-yes? Sir Leon! This is outrageous! This is pure injustice!”

At Leon’s command, the thirty-odd magicians of the Tower were dragged out like beggars by the Red Lions.

There were no exceptions. Thanks to that, Revan—

[‘Quest: Total Annihilation’ completed.]

[Quest reward will be given.]

[You have gained experience points.]

[You have leveled up.]

—was able to complete the Total Annihilation quest in one fell swoop.

Once all the magicians had been dragged out, Leon surveyed the now-empty Mage Tower.

Then he stepped onto the floating stone that led to the very top floor of the Tower and signaled to Revan with a nod to follow him.

In response, Revan boarded the floating stone with Leon, and the stone soon carried them to the highest floor of the tower.

On the top floor was Ratel’s office. However, the door to the office was firmly locked.

“It’s locked.”

“Step aside.”

Ratel’s room was securely locked, but—

Crack!

Leon tore the locked door off with brute force alone.

‘Wow…’

A display of strength that inspired awe.

A true legendary knight, indeed.

After tearing off the door, Leon searched Ratel’s office for a while. Then, at a certain spot, he paused and spoke to Revan.

“Sir Revan.”

“Yes, Sir Leon.”

“I asked you earlier—why do you think they released summoned beasts onto the perimeter road?”

“Yes, you did.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“Well? Given that stolen goods turned up, maybe they just wanted some extra bribe money?”

“In the Mage Tower, one of the most heavily funded places in the kingdom?”

“Skimming off the top is usually something only those in power can do; it doesn’t always trickle down to the lower ranks.”

“Hm, that could be true. But this time you’re wrong. Theft using summoned beasts was just a distraction.”

“A distraction?”

“Yes. The perimeter road is one of the most crucial routes in our kingdom—anyone entering or leaving must pass through it. Now, here’s the question: if a king who’s lost power within the kingdom wants to reclaim his throne, what is his last resort?”

“Hmm, if he can’t regain strength domestically, he usually seeks help from abroad… Oh, don’t tell me—”

“Exactly. The magicians released summoned beasts on the perimeter road to monitor His Highness, in case he sought help from outside the kingdom. This is the proof.”

Leon held up a document he had found at the spot where his gaze had stopped, waving it toward Revan.

It was a report.

A surveillance report written daily to Ratel by the magicians who controlled the thieving monkeys.

Leon continued.

“With this report, Ratel’s guilt can never be forgiven. But that’s not all. Behind this report stands the Queen herself, but if the Queen feigns ignorance, Ratel will become nothing more than a lizard’s severed tail—no more, no less.”

As he shook the report, Leon’s expression grew somber again.

Only then did Revan understand why Leon looked so troubled.

‘Of course he’s angry. Even if he knows everything, he can’t hold the Queen accountable.’

It was true.

Though Ratel was the Queen’s closest aide, if they insisted Ratel acted alone, that would be the end of it.

For Leon, who wished the Queen would disappear, this was truly regrettable.

At that moment, a sudden thought flashed through Revan’s mind like lightning.

“Wait a minute.”

“What is it?”

“Even if you can’t hold the Queen accountable, the key is to weaken her power, right?”

“If there’s no best option, that would be the next best. Do you have an idea?”

“Mongoose has a ledger. When Ratel embezzled funds from the treasury, Mongoose kept a record. And according to Mongoose, that ledger contains not just Ratel’s name, but others as well.”

“Others?”

“Yes. I can’t be sure until we check the ledger, but if Ratel was embezzling, he surely did it with close associates—and if so, those people would surely be…”

“No doubt the Queen’s faction. All the more reason to check that ledger. Take us to Mongoose immediately!”

Never had they thought that Mongoose’s ledger would be used in this way.

Having made their decision, the two quickly headed to the library.

Upon arriving, Revan went straight to the boss room the moment he entered the dungeon.

There, Mongoose was waiting for him and greeted Revan warmly.

Mongoose said:

[Revan, you’ve brought a guest.]

“You know him, right?”

[Of course. Is there anyone in Passna who doesn’t know Sir Leon? It’s been a while, Sir Leon.]

Mongoose greeted Leon warmly.

Leon returned the greeting with a polite bow and immediately apologized.

“My apologies, Sir Mongoose. Had we known the truth back then, none of this would have happened… This was all our fault.”

[Heh, what’s done is done. I’m just glad you’re willing to help me now. But since you both came together, I assume you bring good news?]

Mongoose coolly accepted the apology and smoothly shifted to the main topic.

Revan replied,

“That’s right. Ratel’s been arrested. Not just him—all the magicians of the Mage Tower.”

[Not just Ratel, but all of them?]

“Yeah. By the way, about that ledger you mentioned before—can you give it to us now?”

[Of course! I’ve kept that ledger safe all this time, just to drag that bastard down. However—]

“However?”

[I can give you the ledger, but I have one request.]

“What is it?”

[The arrest of all the Mage Tower magicians means Ratel’s crime is grave. But Ratel is a magician dispatched from the Central Mage Tower, and by the contract between the Mage Tower and the kingdom, no matter how grave the crime, he can never be executed in the territory where he’s assigned.]

At this unexpected revelation, Revan turned to Leon for confirmation.

“Is this true, Sir Leon?”

“It’s true. That’s why Sir Mongoose received a sentence of 100 years instead of execution.”

What an unfair treaty.

As Revan frowned, Mongoose continued.

[But I want Ratel dead. I died because of him, and became a lich because of him. So my request is this: even if Passna or the kingdom cannot kill him, I can. Please, let me be with him in the same place. That’s my only wish.]

A request for personal revenge.

Once again, Revan looked to Leon, as this was beyond his own authority.

Leon, as cool as Mongoose, readily accepted the request.

“If that’s your wish, we gladly welcome it. I swear on my name, I’ll keep that promise.”

[That’s Sir Leon for you. Then, with full trust, I will give you the ledger.]

[You have obtained Mongoose’s Secret Ledger.]

With the deal struck, Revan received the secret ledger as promised.

He immediately handed the ledger to Leon, who began to review its contents right there on the spot.

Soon, Leon’s face broke into a bright smile.

Just as Revan had said, the Queen’s close aides were indeed listed in the ledger.

Having secured what he needed, Leon closed the ledger and spoke.

“I will prove that your death was not in vain. Thank you, Sir Mongoose.”

[No, thank you.]

The two exchanged a handshake.

At that moment, when the wishes of the living and the dead aligned, a wind of revolution began to blow in Passna’s royal palace.

---

Mongoose’s ledger quickly passed through Leon’s hands to Evergran.

Preparations were complete.

With the ledger in hand, Evergran hesitated no longer.

Now was the time to restore royal authority. Using the ledger as a list for execution, Evergran began to stir up a bloody storm in the palace.

It began with arresting everyone named in the ledger.

The Queen could do nothing.

By the time she understood the situation and tried to intervene, Ratel’s crimes were already so clear and heavy that even getting involved would burn her.

So the Queen could only watch, helpless.

Even as her closest aides were pulled up by the roots like potato vines.

With that, Revan had nothing left to do.

The new epic quest he received after ‘Total Annihilation’ would automatically complete the moment Mongoose and Ratel ended up together.

So all Revan could do was sit back and munch popcorn while the young king’s sword dance played out.

Of course, he didn’t just sit around doing nothing while the king was in action.

Revan recorded everything—the dignity of Evergran, the weeping and wailing criminals, and the Queen’s venomous, tight-lipped expression—capturing every emotion in the palace.

‘What a shame. If I could stream this, it’d be legendary.’

It was a pity. It wasn’t every day you got to witness such an epic tale unfold.

But as he’d vowed before, becoming a famous streamer without power in Warlord was tantamount to suicide.

Because content-stealing streamers and pest-like Black Guilds would swarm him relentlessly.

Finally, when all the criminals had been gathered in the palace garden, the young king, who had been watching it all, finally rose from his seat.

“This is ridiculous.”

Ridiculous.

Those were the king’s first words.

But they also reflected his true feelings.

“How could you bear the stench, when rot like this filled the palace?”

It wasn’t directed at anyone in particular. Just something he had longed to say from the depths of his bones.

It made sense: while everyone called Passna a ruined kingdom, it was a paradise to those close to the Queen.

The king hated that reality.

But until now, he had neither the power nor the justification, so he had to endure it.

He watched as the country his ancestors built crumbled, unable to do anything.

But not anymore.

What began as a small spark had swept through the palace like wildfire, and only the king had the authority to put out the flames.

The young king had no intention of missing his chance. So, for the first time, he drew his sword and showed his ruthless side.

“I will not let this go unpunished. I will make an example of this. This is my atonement for my father’s neglect and proof of my new resolve. Leon!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Execute everyone except the magicians.”

“Yes, sir!”

Execution for all.

That was the king’s decision.

Only then did the criminals realize the seriousness of the situation and began to beg for their lives.

But Evergran remained as cold as the color of his eyes.

The moment the ruined kingdom’s young king was reborn as a true monarch.