A King is Born on the Road

When Iris stumbled as her legs gave out, Cadella rushed to support her.

“Iris!”

Iris, who barely managed to straighten herself, closed her eyes tightly and calmed her fear.

She knew that she was neither particularly fearless nor very intelligent. Nonetheless, her strong sense of purpose was the only thing that made her endure it all.

However, the presence of the sage, Zeniel Bronte, in front of her has brought great confusion in determining whether her actions have been consequently correct.

Was it good or bad that Zeniel got out of the maze quickly?

Prior to that judgement, Iris sensed an overly ominous feeling.

Then, Zeniel Bronte asked the crowd of spectators.

“Where is Hayer Asheri?”

“He went to take Her Majesty the Queen to the west building.”

Zeniel Bronte nodded to a guest’s answer. Then, in a loud voice that seemed to be heard by everyone, he said to Iris.

“I revived the sacred tree of the desert.”

“I know.”

“As I saved the sacred tree, I can see who cut it, too.”

“……”

“Hayer Asheri cut down the sacred tree of the southern border, and the traitor Tamati Sepate cut down the sacred tree of the desert.”

All the guests around him shut up at once at his words. Some of them even screamed.

Zeniel continued.

“And I want Princess Iris Lepos, who was close to the two of them, to testify as a witness.”

───  ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅  ───

Peonia Asheri Lepos, the queen of Luwan and Hayer’s mother, was completely exhausted just by attending the wedding.

Hayer took his mother to the basement of the west building and bid her farewell.

“Then I’ll go.”

“The wedding was very pretty.”

“Ah, yes.”

Hayer waited as his mother seemed to have something left to say, and Peonia said.

“Please invite me to your wedding, too.”

“…Why are you saying the obvious?”

“Just. I’m afraid I’ll forget because I’m out of my mind.”

Peonia muttered and fell asleep.

After that, when Hayer was watching his mother fall asleep next to him. A trumpet sounded. Hayer, realizing that the sound meant the return of Kernin Lepos, left the room immediately.

As he was heading to the west building gate, Hencke, the vice-captain of the Knights of Tejas, rushed from afar.

“Captain.”

Hencke’s urgent voice made Hayer realize that something was wrong.

Hencke breathed out and told him.

“Meppo Behad, the vice-captain of the Royal Knights, is gathering the knights to look for you, Captain.”

“Do you know why?”

“I don’t know that far yet.”

Hayer clicked his tongue once, and looked at his face reflected in the mirror hanging in the west building foyer.

Hayer, who tidied up his appearance, left the west building. In front of the door, Meppo Behad arrived, as he was told.

“Lord Hayer.”

“Is there a problem?”

“There is evidence that the Lord cut down the sacred tree. I need you to come with me for a while.”

“Evidence?”

When Hayer asked back, Meppo replied.

“Ah. We have a witness.”

And he had his men bring someone.

Hayer, who sighted the person dragged in front of him, clenched his teeth hard. A subordinate who fell in love with Freya, a mountain woman of Kawat ethnicity. It was Don from the Tejas Knights.

“Captain, I’m sorry. Captain… I’m sorry…”

Don could not raise his head and sobbed.

Hayer was a quick-witted person, and immediately grasped the situation.

Don’s lover was a pagan. If they had left Kawat, and Freya had been imprisoned for being a pagan, Don may have revealed a major secret for her.

Hayer looked down at Don, then at Meppo again.

He recalled himself before the sacred tree was cut. If he told the boy at that time to decide the punishment for the one who cut the sacred tree, he would say death without hesitation.

A heavy sentence was given just by accidentally damaging the sacred tree. But when you say you cut it down. Rather, even the death penalty was an insufficient punishment.

Hayer considered himself a sinner, so he had no choice but to be easily persuaded by his opponent’s words.

It was when he was looking at the approaching Royal Knights to take him away. Annamaria’s voice was heard.

“The princess has to pass by, step aside!”

At her voice, the Royal Knights hastily cleared the way for Iris to pass.

Iris passed through the knights and arrived in front of Hayer. Hayer spoke quickly to stop Iris from giving false testimony in his defense.

“Don testified that I cut the sacred tree.”

At his words, Iris turned to look at Don. And asked in a cold voice.

“Did you do this with Freya’s permission?”

“…No. If she finds out, she will never see me again.”

Don answered in a trembling voice.

Leaving the Tejas Knights did not make him completely estranged from the Knights. If you once belonged to an order, the rules of that order apply until you die.

Because the secret of the Tejas Knights was revealed, Don became the target of the Tejas Knights’ reprisals. He was fully aware of it.

Annamaria said, looking down at Don.

“As soon as this is done, I will cut your throat.”

“Yes. I know, Marshal.”

Don answered meekly.

Soon after, when the Royal Knights tried to take Hayer, Iris stopped them.

Since the princess blocked them, the Royal Knights, who had the duty to protect the royal family, pushed back and hesitated, unable to take Hayer.

Meppo, the vice-captain, also did not rush, but instead told his subordinates.

“Back off. Protecting the princess is more important than Lord Hayer’s arrest.”

It might have been different for Kernin, but for Meppo, the vice-captain, the first duty of the Royal Knights was still to protect the royal family.

Temporarily, the Royal Knights withdrew from Hayer. Iris stood upright in front of the west building gate and did not move, and the Royal Knights had no choice but to wait.

While they waited, vice-captain Hencke arrived with the Tejas Knights stationed in the capital.

Likewise, Kernin Lepos, who finished greeting the new bride, also appeared where they were.

Thinking that they could not remain in a standoff, Hayer whispered softly in Iris’s ear.

“They already have a witness. First, the trial…”

“They have a witness anyway, why don’t you just admit that you cut the sacred tree if you’re at a disadvantage?”

“You don’t have to spend unnecessary time, then.”

Iris spoke again to Hayer, who responded jokingly.

“And they say you will stand trial whether it was right or wrong to cut the sacred tree.”

Hayer understood what Iris wanted to convey.

It was the right thing for Hayer to cut the sacred tree. No, it was a must for Luwan, beyond good and evil.

Denying cutting the sacred tree now made it all the more difficult to justify the action later.

Iris continued.

“Tell them you will bring proof. The reason why you had to cut the sacred tree.”

Hayer looked at her silently for a while, and then nodded.

Then he carefully set her behind him and said, stepping forward to Kernin Lepos.

“It is correct that I cut the sacred tree.”

His words made the Royal Knights flinch.

Hayer continued.

“I have cut it before, and I will cut it in the future.”

He strode forward, raising his sword and said.

“And if there is anyone who stops me, they will be cut too.”

“You’re out of your mind.”

Hayer replied to Kernin’s words.

“As such, I believe that my choice to cut the sacred tree is right.”

“How can it be right to cut the sacred tree?”

“Before cutting down the sacred tree on the southern border, ferocious monsters killed countless Kawats.”

“What’s wrong with Tilla punishing pagans?”

As someone who had grown up in the royal palace, Kernin showed little tolerance for pagans.

Hayer said.

“Even in the capital of Siere, monsters are killing the Siere people.”

“That too, Tilla is punishing the pagans.”

“Are you saying that Tilla is in charge of the monsters? That is an insult to Tilla.”

“……”

Kernin, who was momentarily speechless at Hayer’s rebuttal, clicked his tongue.

Hayer said forcefully.

“The sacred trees will soon kill even the Luwans. It will take time. I will prove that the sacred tree must be cut down.”

“I can’t listen to nonsense.”

Iris, who had been silently listening to Kernin’s words, said.

“It is a wedding.”

At her words, Kernin turned to Iris.

Iris continued.

“It is the wedding of my father, Sir Peter Wick. Isn’t it against the rules of the Royal Knights to make a fuss on such a day?”

At her words, Kernin stared down at Iris. Then he smiled and bowed politely.

“That’s right.”

He raised his head again and then compared the Royal Knights with eight units, and the Tejas Knights with two units, half of them guarding the southern border and half of them remaining in the capital.

A fight against the Royal Knights would be seen as treason and will have you attacked by all eight great noble families spread throughout Luwan. However, even without going that far, it wouldn’t be a fight if only the two were directly compared.

Kernin ordered his men to watch Hayer and turned around. Only then did the Tejas Knights take a breather.