The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 60

Leaving behind Billy and his little siblings’ deep bows and the residents’ cautious but respectful farewells, Si-on and his group departed from Princeton and moved quickly.

They didn’t stop at any other villages, but from what they saw and heard while passing by, it seemed other places were not much different from Princeton.

Billy and the villagers were telling the truth.

The administrative power of the Duchy had deteriorated beyond nonexistence.

Simply put, it was in utter chaos.

At least, that was Si-on’s firm belief.

‘These damn bastards….’

Si-on’s chest was boiling with anger.

When he decided to return to the Duchy after meeting Derkios in the Dragon’s Wasteland.

When he received information from Jenna Olrot that his grandson and great-grandson, who had succeeded the Duchy, both died young, plunging the family and the territory into chaos.

Even though the situation was complicated, he thought it wouldn’t be too difficult to put everything back in order since he was taking matters into his own hands.

He was furious at his descendants, but he believed things would improve once he apprehended a few key figures, disciplined them, set up a suitable candidate as Duke, and took charge of important decisions from behind the scenes.

Even after witnessing Vodka’s disgraceful behavior at Cheolsan, this thought hadn’t changed.

However, when he directly witnessed the Count of Pamel’s schemes—something he had only heard about before in the Forest Without Echoes—and saw firsthand the harsh realities of the people living in the Duchy.

‘My thinking has changed.’

Until yesterday, Si-on had occasionally thought, ‘If things get too serious, I’ll crush them all.’

But that was just a vague idea.

It was similar to how a parent might feel when hearing about their sons fighting and making each other’s noses bleed: ‘What should I do with these brats?’

But when you finally face your children, things change depending on the circumstances.

They might have just been playing rough, or they could have been merely bickering as siblings do.

In any case, it might have been no big deal.

That’s why Si-on had thought the situation wasn’t all that bad when he passed through August Territory and met the elves of the Three Mountains and the Cheolsan Dwarves.

However, that perspective changed completely as of yesterday.

The people who were born and lived in the land I built, like children of mine, were being miserably mistreated by my descendants who carry my own blood.

It wasn’t just my children fighting each other—I confirmed that my children were tormenting the cousins I once cared for.

‘This is my fault.’

He felt desolate and ashamed.

He had selfishly interpreted his wife’s last words in his favor.

But Si-on had no intention of indulging in useless self-reflection.

That could be done later.

Isn’t that selfish?

So what?

First, he would deal with these ungrateful bastards (who are, biologically speaking, his descendants), and worry about the rest later.

Si-on rode forward expressionlessly, making the genuine decision to ‘kill’ rather than just break a few bones.

But two days later.

The moment Si-on saw the massive walls of Sionia in the distance, he couldn’t help but mutter the exact same words as his great-grandson, who had a similar destination but was approaching from a different direction.

“Something feels off.”

* * *

“When did Sionia’s traffic become this sparse?”

“I’m not sure either, Grandfather.”

Though not as tense as Si-on, Yonas wore a rigid expression, his brow furrowed in puzzlement.

Given the current circumstances, he hadn’t visited Sionia recently.

However, as recently as last year, Yonas had visited Sionia once or twice a year, and each time the gates would be bustling with dozens, even hundreds, of people, carriages, and wagons coming and going.

But now, only a handful of people were visible near the gates, few enough to count with the naked eye.

The same could be said for the areas along the outer walls.

Typically populated by the lower classes, that area no longer had the lively atmosphere Si-on remembered.

While people were present, there was a palpable sense of tension.

“Hmm. There’s hardly any movement.”

“Can you see from here?”

“I have good eyes. Let’s head over to the wall area.”

Given security concerns, a heavily armed group of this size rarely entered Sionia, but the area outside the city walls was freely accessible.

Although it was relatively safer compared to other areas, it was still unrealistic for the regular Duchy army of several thousand to cover the entire vast territory of over 200,000 inhabitants, and smaller mercenary groups operated within the Duchy.

Si-on and his party headed for the nearest settlement outside the city walls.

Known as the “Outer Town,” it was a rough and savage place where lower-class citizens resided, mixed with markets and brothels.

Unlike Sionia, where it was impossible to carry swords openly unless you were an official knight, soldier, or one of the few approved individuals, the Outer Town had no such restrictions—even kids hid knives, making it a hotbed of crime.

‘The last time I was here, each Outer Town had about 2,000 to 3,000 residents, didn’t they?’

It had been decades since then, so the population had likely increased.

Back then, he had blamed himself for not being able to ensure a good life for everyone due to the desperate conditions of the medieval era.

He had felt some pity.

But now, angered by his descendants, Si-on could only view the Outer Town with cold eyes.

As Si-on and his group appeared, the people loitering at the town entrance visibly tensed. Some shouted something deeper into the area.

Amid the uneasy atmosphere, Yonas cautiously stepped forward.

“Will you enter yourself?”

“Let’s send a few men first. Not the elves—use the soldiers.”

“Yes, sir.”

Yonas nodded and gave orders. Knight Longlive called a few soldiers and went into the Outer Town with them.

Longlive spoke with several men at the entrance—thugs or mercenaries, it was hard to tell.

Yonas and the others couldn’t hear the conversation, but Si-on could hear every word clearly.

“Huh?”

“Yes?”

Yonas looked puzzled as Si-on suddenly made a surprised face.

Gesturing for everyone to stay quiet, Si-on listened further to the conversation between Longlive and the men from the Outer Town, frowning as he did.

“What the hell is going on?”

“What is it?”

“They say Blint and the Twin-headed Eagle Castle have surrendered.”

“What!? N-no way….”

Yonas’ shock was brief. His face turned pale as he worried that his brother Gede might have already made his move.

Si-on continued speaking.

“They surrendered to Blaho, the Black Eagle Regiment commander, Sirvan Si-on, and Piotr Si-on.”

“What!?”

An even more bizarre cry of shock burst from Yonas’ mouth.

* * *

“Are we really allowed to do this?”

“What’s the problem?”

“But still, this is…”

“Then should we have just said at the time that we only came to restore your status without any other intentions?”

Having become quite friendly over the past few days, Blaho smiled faintly at Piotr before his expression turned serious.

“If we hadn’t subdued the surrendering guards back then, or accepted the surrender of the nobles here, we’d all be rotting in the castle dungeon being tortured right now.”

“But with Master Blaho here…”

“So, you’re saying I should have drawn my sword against the bloodline of the previous Duke and the nobles who serve him just to save myself?”

“……”

Piotr fell silent.

Blaho had already gone above and beyond by resigning from the Black Eagle Regiment and joining them as a free agent (or a freelancer, to be exact) in response to this (specifically, Si-on’s) proposal.

Asking for anything more would not only go against reason but also insult a man who had lived his entire life as a knight of the Ducal family.

“I’m not sure if this is the right thing to do either. But for now, it’s been proven to be the only way that doesn’t harm anyone. There’s nothing else we can do now but wait for that Lord Salen you sent to arrive as soon as possible.”

Blaho was right.

There was nothing he and Piotr could do at this point.

So, when they met with Blint Si-on and the castle’s nobles again in 30 minutes, they would have no choice but to package yesterday’s message and present it to them again.

—Matters can only be discussed in the presence of Lord Salen, who has come from the Royal Family.

Lord Salen, Si-on, had told them to enter the Twin-headed Eagle Castle and wait for him.

Before that, he had instructed them to ensure the Black Eagle Regiment didn’t move or, if possible, to bring Master Blaho to their side.

And now, both directives had been fulfilled.

However, the surrender of Blint Si-on and the nobles, shocked by the front line troops and the thousands of city residents following behind them, was an unforeseen variable.

“Good things happen when they go well. Do you know what’s even better?”

“…?”

“By now, Governor Gede Si-on must be having a massive headache. Hahaha.”

Blaho laughed heartily.

“Even if he had sent envoys once or twice to ask about our intentions or protest, nothing would have happened. Despite arriving here with a grand show of force, they haven’t been given even as much attention as the neighbor’s dog.

So he must be wondering what’s going on. He’s probably itching to ask what the hell is happening, what’s going on. But in his current state, he can’t enter. And why?”

“The moment he comes… it could truly turn into treason?”

“Exactly. That man is a bit sneakier compared to the former Duke. He’s smart, but… there’s that.”

While this might be a subjective opinion about Gede Si-on, it was clear that Gede was someone who outwardly cared a lot about legitimacy.

They had sent a few Janstrick mercenaries as scouts and spies, and Gede’s forces were reportedly camping a few kilometers away from Sionia, not moving an inch.

“But won’t he make some move in a few days?”

“Probably. That’s why it’s crucial for Lord Salen to arrive soon. If we’re not careful, this could escalate into a full-blown civil war.”

Blaho’s warning sent a chill down Piotr’s spine.

Strictly speaking, he was not yet officially a member of the ‘Si-on Ducal Family.’

Though the Founding Patriarch had acknowledged him, there were still formalities to complete.

But beyond that, Piotr didn’t want to see a civil war where members of the Si-on Duchy would shed each other’s blood.

After all, he was Piotr ‘Si-on’ Kilburn.

“Master Blaho! Lord Piotr!”

At that moment, the door burst open, and the Twin-headed Eagle Castle Guard Captain rushed in.

“The meeting with Lord Blint and the others isn’t until later.”

Piotr, trying to hold back a sigh, spoke as the Guard Captain hurriedly explained with a pale face.

“It’s urgent! Lord Yonas of Paloma has arrived as an envoy! It seems like the Governor of Paloma is about to issue a final ultimatum for surrender!”

“Oh! Ah….”

Yonas had come.

That meant Si-on had arrived too.

Piotr, unable to hide his delight, leaped to his feet, but his expression quickly turned troubled.

To the Guard Captain, who was on edge, fearing that a civil war might break out at any moment and engulf Sionia in flames.

—Well, actually, they’re on our side.

Piotr couldn’t quite bring himself to say that because he wasn’t as brazen as Si-on.