Chapter 82. The Uplifting Rebellion (2)
"Still no word from Owen?" Marquis Leandro asked.
"Yes, my lord. We've tried contacting him through the communicator, but there's no response," replied Sir Decal, the Deputy Commander of the Reben Knight Order.
"...It was just a simple escort mission for Caron Leston. They weren't even passing through any dangerous areas. Nothing should have gone wrong." Marquis Leandro's voice came through the communicator, sounding displeased.
Decal had been exchanging messages with Marquis Leandro, who was on the frontier, through a communication device. "Do you think they could be having a bit too much fun in Thebe?" Decal asked.
Thebe was a city famous for its entertainment, and by now, Caron's group was supposed to have arrived there. The lack of communication could mean they were indulging in the city's pleasures.
"Owen isn't that reckless. If there had been any provocation from those southern bastards, he would've left a message on the communicator, wouldn't he?" Marquis Leandro's tone sharpened with irritation.
"Yes, my lord, I believe so," Decal assured him.
"As soon as you hear back from Owen, notify me immediately. Now, about the Sixth Prince... Is it true that Prince Revelio is in Reben?" Marquis Leandro asked.
"Yes, my lord," Decal confirmed. "He's currently speaking with Noor at the auction house."
"Of all the times for this to happen... Did you find out why he's there?" Marquis Leandro asked.
"He said he came to purchase a unique slave. Apparently, Caron Leston had been boasting to the Sixth Prince about his elven slave," Decal answered.
"Make sure Prince Revelio is treated with utmost respect. We don't need him causing any trouble. I'll see to it that he returns south as soon as this madness ends. In the meantime, help Noor delay him as much as possible," Marquis Leandro instructed.
"Understood, my lord," Decal responded.
With that, the communication ended, and Decal placed the device back in his pocket. He sighed softly and walked over to the window. This was the Reben Knights' headquarters. Ten knights had been dispatched to guard Caron, and of the few who remained, most had been sent to the southern border. Including himself, only four knights were left in the headquarters.
The reason they hadn't all been deployed alongside the marquis was simple: The underground prison beneath the headquarters. Someone had to guard the underground facility where several rare slaves were currently imprisoned.
If that prison had been empty, we could've gone with Marquis Leandro... but those monsters locked down there need to be watched, Decal thought.
Among them, there was a female beastfolk and a male giant. The beastfolk woman had been a nightmare to capture. There were two knights who had been gravely injured in the process. Even though it had been fifteen against one, she'd left her mark, proving just how dangerous she was.
And then there was the giant. Standing nearly three meters tall, with immense strength and regenerative powers, he was a walking tank. They had to cut his tendons every hour just to keep him restrained.
They're troublesome, but they'll fetch an enormous price at the auction, Decal thought.
Beastfolk, especially those of noble lineage, were notoriously difficult to capture and highly valued in the slave trade. The giant could also be sold for a fortune, especially to magicians who found giants useful for their experiments.
Decal's one mission was to stay behind and guard the prison. And now, with Prince Revelio unexpectedly in the city, his workload had increased.
"Ha..." Decal sighed as he reached into his desk drawer for his cigarette case.
Suddenly, the door swung open with a loud creak, and a pale-faced soldier burst into the room and cried, "Sir Decal! There's an emergency!"
"What's going on for you to be in such a panic?" Decal asked.
"We've received reports of an unidentified force approaching the Knight Order headquarters!" the soldier informed him.
Decal shot up from his chair, his voice rising in alarm. "What are you talking about?"
"A heavily-armed force is heading straight for the headquarters! Leading them is a knight clad in black armor, and they're being followed by a ragtag group from Cobler's Manpower Agency. It's a rebellion, sir! A full-on rebellion!" the soldier answered.
"...Cobler? That lunatic slave trader has completely lost his mind! Mobilize all the forces in the city immediately!" Decal barked as his disbelief quickly turned to fury.
The soldier hesitated, a troubled look crossing his face as he said, "Most of our forces are currently stationed in the square, sir."
"...Why would they be at the square at this hour?" Decal asked.
"Prince Revelio is delivering an announcement to the citizens of Reben. Nearly all available soldiers have been assigned to guard him," the soldier explained.
"Damn it!" Decal cursed under his breath.
Cobler, that eccentric slave trader, was known for treating his slaves like prized possessions, raising them as if they were royalty. Decal thought he was completely out of his mind. But he wondered why in the world Cobler would gather forces and rise up in rebellion. At best, Cobler could muster thirty men. Even compared to other slave traders, his numbers were pitiful.
"That bastard... What a creative way to kill himself," Decal muttered, grinding his teeth as he imagined Cobler's grotesque appearance.
Whatever that lunatic was thinking, it was clearly a death sentence. The Knight Order alone had over fifty men stationed at the headquarters, not to mention four knights. There was no way a lowly slave trader could stand against that.
And yet, one thing bothered him: The mention of the knight in black armor.
Decal frowned and asked again, just to be sure, "That knight in black armor... Are you positive that he's a knight?"
"We're not sure, sir!" the soldier replied.
"He could've just dressed one of his thugs in black armor to make them look more intimidating," Decal mused. He thought that there was no way a knight would ever work for someone like Cobler.
Knights were proud, noble warriors. They would rather die than lower themselves to the point of working under a slave trader. Decal slowly calmed his thoughts, picking up his sword and standing up from his chair.
"If that lunatic wants to die, I'll grant him his wish. Declare an emergency to all forces within the headquarters and have them gather at the front immediately," Decal ordered.
"Yes, Sir Decal!" The soldier saluted, then ran out of the room to carry out the order.
Decal clenched and unclenched his fist, taking a deep breath. He muttered quietly, "Something doesn't feel right..."
He had been a knight for twenty-five years, and over that long career, his instincts had been honed to a razor's edge. Those instincts were now screaming that something was very, very wrong.
But regardless of his gut feeling, he had a duty to perform. Decal adjusted his grip on his sword and strode out of the room, ready for battle.
***
In under ten minutes, all the soldiers remaining at the headquarters had gathered in front of the Knight Order's gate. Their equipment was in top condition, the well-maintained armor and weapons gleaming in the dim light. Despite the alarming situation, they wore calm, disciplined expressions befitting soldiers stationed in a border city.
Decal stood at the front along with three other knights, silently watching the approaching force. The streets were eerily quiet as a result of the Sixth Prince summoning all the citizens to the square.
"They're coming," Decal said in a low voice, alerting the soldiers.
A group of about fifty men approached from a distance. Unlike the disciplined knights, these were a ragtag bunch, walking haphazardly. They resembled nothing more than a band of local thugs. But here, in this fortress city, bearing weapons without the marquis' permission could mean only one thing.
"They're really going through with this rebellion. Idiots," Decal muttered, his expression twisted with disdain.
The enemy was clearly a disorganized mob. Slave traders and scum from the underworld couldn't possibly hope to defeat well-trained soldiers. And yet, no one present dared to underestimate them because of the knight in black armor leading them.
"He's no fake..." Decal exhaled sharply, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the knight in black armor.
The moment Decal laid his eyes on the black-armored figure, he knew. This wasn't just some thug dressed in knightly armor. This was a real knight. The sheer pressure the man radiated was proof enough. The sense of dread that came with it spread quickly among the soldiers, like a plague of fear. It felt as though a catastrophe was marching toward them, step by step.
"...Stay calm, everyone," Decal ordered, trying to keep his voice steady. Perhaps he was speaking to himself as much as to the others.
Finally, the rebels halted about fifty paces away. Decal unsheathed his sword and shouted at them, "Disarm immediately and surrender! You are committing treason! If you repent now and surrender, I'll make sure you're spared from execution!"
However, the only response that erupted from the rebel side was laughter.
"Hahaha! Did you hear that, Young Master?" Cobler mocked. "That mustached fool has lost his mind! He's offering to spare us from execution! Hey, Decal, I've always dreamed of setting fire to that ridiculous mustache of yours!"
"Cobler!" Decal shouted and gritted his teeth.
That filthy slave trader had the audacity to mock a knight to his face. By all rights, Decal could have cut him down on the spot, and no one would have questioned it. And yet, despite his fury, he held back, his lips pressed into a thin line as the standoff continued. It was impossible to gauge the true power of the knight in black armor.
"The ones who should be surrendering are you guys!" Cobler shouted, baring his yellowed teeth at the soldiers. "The knights, of course, won't surrender because they're too interested in kissing up to the marquis. But the soldiers? That's another story!"
Cobler turned to the soldiers and shouted, "Join us now, and you'll be able to save your lives! Don't you want to lessen your sins, even just a little?"
His words were absurd, so Decal quickly raised his voice in response, "The nerve of you rebels, talking about sin. What crimes do you think you can accuse us of?"
Cobler smirked and turned to the knight in the black armor beside him, whispering slyly, "Our Young Master here will explain it himself! Isn't that right, Young Master?"
But in response, the knight removed his helmet and let out a light breath, replying, "How many times do I have to tell you to brush your teeth? Your breath stinks. Back off, would you?"
The knight's golden hair gleamed in the light, and his piercing blue eyes shone with brilliance. Decal immediately recognized him, muttering in disbelief, "Caron Leston?"
The black-armored knight was none other than Caron, the youngest of the ducal family of Leston. Only a day before, he had been a guest in the city, and purchased an elf slave. By now, he was supposed to have arrived in Thebe with the knights of Reben. Decal wondered why Caron was here, and why he was standing with these rebels.
With a grimace, Decal asked him, "Why are you here, Young Master Caron? And why are you... with these rebels?"
Caron grinned slyly and replied, "Is there some place I'm not allowed to go?"
"I'm not sure what you're thinking, but you need to disarm immediately. No matter who you are, you won't escape responsibility for this," Decal said sternly.
"What crime have I committed? Please explain, because I really don't understand," Caron replied in a mocking tone.
"I don't know the full details," Decal said, his frustration mounting. "But what you're doing now is an act of rebellion! The Zion Kingdom is already stirring trouble at the border, and this will only harm the empire's security—"
"Oh? And using the soldiers who are supposed to guard the border to conduct an illegal slave trade is perfectly fine? Sounds like a case of 'it's a romance when I do it, but a scandal when someone else does', don't you think?" Caron interrupted.
He scoffed at Decal's words as he slowly drew his sword, Guillotine, from its sheath. He continued in a more sinister tone, "Prince Revelio has personally uncovered evidence of treason from Marquis Leandro."
"That's madness! Marquis Leandro would never commit such a crime!" Decal exclaimed.
Caron smirked and said, "Someone named Noor has already confessed everything. Oh, right. You're the Deputy Commander of the Reben Knight Order, aren't you? Aren't you curious about what happened to your fellow knights who were escorting me?"
"...You can't mean..." Decal's voice trembled.
"Commander Owen and ten others from the Reben Knight Order resisted arrest, so they were executed on the spot. For now, that's the official story. But I've got a slightly different, more unofficial version of the story. Want to hear it? I'll tell you if you're curious," Caron teased, gripping Guillotine tightly as a wide smile spread across his face.
"So, tell me," Caron continued, his eyes gleaming. "who are the real rebels here?"