15. The Happiness We Created Together

Elfleda’s name was called. Now becoming a proper member of the imperial family as the Crown Prince’s consort, she would eventually transform from the empire’s little star to the empire’s moon.

So many jewels had been ground and sprinkled on her snow-white dress that the light reflecting in the sunshine with each step she took made one have to squint to see. Her red hair was twisted up into a bun under the long veil that dragged on the floor. A hairpin crossed through her tied hair to secure the veil.

Pure white pearl earrings and necklace, and between them, red rubies resembling her hair color looked momentarily like drops of blood.

With each step Elfleda took, people repeatedly exclaimed in admiration. She responded to the praise directed at her with a small smile and stood next to Baningo.

“Today before God Kailum, we are here to conduct the ceremony where two of your children become one. …… Baningo Perron……”

“I, Baningo Perron, swear to cherish and love only Elfleda Argen for the rest of my life.”

“I, Elfleda Argen, swear to depend on and love only Baningo Perron for the rest of my life.”

“……With this, I declare that two of God’s children have officially become husband and wife under God’s blessing. Let the two people prove that they will live loving each other before these witnesses and evidence of this ceremony.”

Baningo lifted Elfleda’s chin.

And he gave her such a deep kiss that all the guests gasped.

When their lips parted, thunderous cheers and applause poured down. Ears were buzzing so loudly that one couldn’t hear the person next to them speak.

Everyone poured out whatever words they wanted to say, congratulating the couple’s marriage.

The couple linked arms and turned to walk down the red carpet. With each step they took, they waved their hands to thank the guests who sent congratulatory praise.

When they reached the end of the red carpet, that is, when they stood at the edge of the stairs looking down at the nobles cheering below them, a huge firework exploded.

A very high, very large, very colorful firework soared high into the sky and burst.

— Peeeeeeep…

The explosion was so loud that people’s ears momentarily rang. With the last firework that burst after several rounds, people’s vision also turned pure white like the light from the firework.

“My goodness, which mage would go this far.”

“Oh my, I can’t see anything.”

“Ugh. Isn’t this too much? I can’t hear!”

“What is this.”

“What’s happening!”

With their eyes and ears blocked, people shouted in confusion, each staying in place knowing that moving in such chaos would be more dangerous.

“What’s going on. What happened.”

“Your Highness. Moving is more dangerous in this situation. There are stairs right in front of you. Your vision will return shortly.”

“Ah, stairs. What kind of idiot can’t even control their magical power.”

The same was true for Baningo and Elfleda.

When Baningo tried to move, Elfleda tightened her arm around his and stopped him, while Baningo spewed curses despite having just completed a sacred wedding ceremony.

It all happened in an instant.

Everyone’s eyes and ears were blinded, and their feet were tied.

“Priest, this way.”

“Oh my, who are you?”

However, there were objects moving even during this time. Men of unknown identity, with hoods pulled down to cover their eyes and ears, first evacuated the priest to a safe place.

Along with the priest, several more people disappeared, pulled away by the hooded figures. Including the Marquis and Marchioness Argen, Miss Daniella’s parents, their relatives… mostly people from the anti-war faction.

“Ah, I can see a little now.”

“Honey, are you beside me?”

“Ah, finally the ringing in my ears is gone.”

“That was an incredible firework.”

As the coordinated movements subsided, people blinked their eyes. Then, they all screamed at the scene unfolding before them.

“His Majesty the Emperor! His Majesty the Emperor has collapsed!”

“Everyone protect His Majesty! Your Highness! Your Highness!”

Emperor Adam had collapsed in front of his chair, looking like a mummy.

His unsightly sagging flesh clung tightly to his bones, and without any vitreous fl*id, even his eyeballs were gone… a strange appearance indeed.

People turned pale and scrambled at this never-before-seen sight. Those trying to escape the Central Palace and those trying to approach the Emperor became entangled. People poured onto the red carpet, and in the middle, Baningo and Elfleda were surrounded by knights, trapped with nowhere to go.

“What is this! Who did this to Father!!”

“Stay still!”

Baningo tried to shake off Elfleda’s arm and run to Adam, but Elfleda dropped her bouquet and firmly grabbed Baningo’s arm.

“For Pergos!!”

“For the Europa continent!!”

Just as Baningo was about to look at Elfleda and spit out some curse, a loud cheer was heard.

Mounted cavalry removed the hoods they had been wearing and were trampling into the Central Palace. A cauldron of chaos unfolded.

People were trampled by other people and by horses.

Duke Cyrie Seymour drew his sword and shouted orders, saying they must protect Baningo since Adam was already dead.

The imperial guard moved in unison under his command, but attacking the mounted cavalry among the nobles running in panic was not easy. In an instant, the Central Palace became a bloodbath.

Only screams and the sound of blades cutting through people echoed.

In the midst of it all, only Baningo and Elfleda, surrounded by knights, remained calm.

“W-what is this… Who… Who would stage such a coup!”

“A coup? We’re merely wiping away the tears of those filled with resentment.”

“And also reclaiming what was taken from us.”

Caleb and Rudbeckia appeared on horseback in front of Baningo, whose arm was held by Elfleda.

The knights’ swords all pointed toward the two.

“My, Your Highness the Crown Prince’s consort. You must be very frightened. You’re holding the Crown Prince so tightly.”

“W-what do you plan to do with us?”

“What do I plan to do? I intend to do exactly what you did when you trampled my kingdom!”

Rudbeckia’s horse raised its front legs high. Then it charged toward Elfleda and Baningo.

“Kyaaa!”

Elfleda screamed in terror and flattened herself on the ground.

With his arm freed, Baningo turned to flee in the opposite direction, but Caleb had swiftly arrived there.

“Enemy of the Sanders grand duchy! Die!”

The battle between Caleb, Rudbeckia, and the knights began. Though the knights had the handicap of fighting while protecting Baningo and Elfleda, they were blocking the attacks of the two better than expected.

No, they appeared to be blocking them well.

Those who were meant to die had died, and those still alive sat on the ground trembling in fear.

The screams gradually subsided, and the sound of blades clashing increasingly filled the surroundings.

The imperial guard couldn’t reach Baningo at the edge of the stairs and were fighting Werner and his mercenaries, while Duke Cyrie Seymour was evenly matched against Werner.

The battle had split into two locations, and the surviving nobles were looking back and forth between them.

— Swoosh!

“Aaaaargh!!”

Baningo’s voice rang out loudly amid the gradually subsiding screams.

He grabbed his smoking eyes and began to writhe.

“What are you doing! Kill them!”

Without time to figure out what kind of attack had come from where, the knights attacked Caleb and Rudbeckia more fiercely.

But the two were on horseback, and as if the game was now over, they slashed the necks and backs of those who approached, one by one.

And once again, with the sound of cutting through the wind, Baningo grabbed his other side and rolled around.

Though no arrow had struck him, everyone was confused by the sight of him struggling while holding both eyes, but only for a moment. Anyone who gave even the briefest glance at Baningo would inevitably have their heart pierced by Caleb’s blade.

“It seems they’re wrapping up over there. For the Fabio Kingdom! Attack!”

When Baningo’s screams reached Werner, he raised his hand to signal.

Mercenaries appeared from among the hydrangeas and began throwing stones from their pockets onto the ground.

— Tak! Tak! Tak!!

The stones, hitting the ground hard, shattered into pieces, creating fire or lightning. The imperial guard rolled on the ground trying to extinguish the flames on their bodies, while those hit directly by lightning collapsed to the ground as their skin burned.

Though there were mages in the imperial guard, they were overwhelmed by the shower of magic stones, and figures with deeply pulled hoods and large scythes were neutralizing all the magic unleashed amidst the flames erupting everywhere.

Even when lightning struck and tidal waves formed, a single sweep of a large scythe made everything disappear. As soon as the scythe’s trajectory vanished, blades were thr*st into mouths.

“H-how could this happen……”

Cyrie looked around, having lost his fighting spirit, as if he couldn’t believe the scene before his eyes.

“Well, you should have been a bit more greedy.”

He lowered his sword to the ground. Though it was an action equivalent to surrender, Werner cut Cyrie in two without changing his expression.

Werner’s mercenaries, no, Fabio’s soldiers, entered the palace and found the hiding members of the Perron imperial family. Those who struggled were killed on the spot, and those who surrendered, begging for their lives, had only their tongues cut out.

Since tyranny stemmed from the tongue.

Orders to fulfill one’s greed, orders to take from others, all began with the tongue.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince. Look around you. Now only you remain alive. Ah, that’s right. You have no eyes.”

Rudbeckia’s cold voice echoed in the middle of the garden.

She dismounted and walked past Baningo to stand in front of Elfleda.

Baningo, whose eyeballs themselves had disappeared, was flailing on the ground, while Elfleda was trembling violently.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince’s consort. Since you have eyes, you can see your surroundings. The Perron imperial family has fallen. I’ll give you a choice. Will you live quietly in your own lands like twenty years ago, or shall we erase the Pergos Empire from the map?”

“T-twenty years ago……”

“I’m referring to before you occupied my country, the Glimm Kingdom. Will you return to that time? Or shall we eliminate Pergos?”