Chapter 5, Part 10

In the city of Re-Estize, the king’s office was located in the front, upper level of the royal palace. A spacious room, furnished with soft, leather-bound chairs, several wooden tables of various shapes and a dozen bookcases lining the walls. Several large windows not only provided plenty of natural sunlight but offered a great view of the sprawling city as well. The room was designed to make the king feel relaxed and at ease so that he could focus on contemplating important issues.

Yet, standing in front of one of the windows, Zanac Valleon Igana Ryle Vaiself felt none of the comfort and calm the room was supposed to convey. As he scanned the cityscape, all he felt was rage. Brooding, his eyes were drawn to several figures leaving the castle area, likely after exiting one of the side entrances. It was too far for Zanac to make out their faces, but judging by their attire they were several castle servants and a guard. The servants each held a sack in their hands, while the guard’s head was spinning side to side, as he gestured for the others to move faster.

“Rats.” Zanac said as he turned away from the window, his voice filled with disgust.

“It seems like Princess Renner’s transformation has been too much for their loyalty to endure.” Warrior Captain Lemus Vitor stated, as he looked at the same scene from another window.

Zanac’s face twitched when he heard the word “loyalty.” As if any of these bastards had any, he thought. Running his hands through his hair, he felt like screaming. Abandoned by all his allies, his sister gone, about to lose his throne and perhaps his life, he felt no hope, having resigned himself to whatever fate had in store for him. How did it end up like this?

When Marquis Raeven suddenly showed up with a four thousand strong army at Re-Estize, Zanac felt quite panicked by the sudden development. However, Renner came up with a simple yet effective counter-plan – invite Raeven to discuss his demands, then take him into custody, thanks to the new Warrior Captain being stronger than Raeven’s guards. Once he held Raeven hostage, it would be a simple matter to force the army outside to back down, allowing time for Zanac to marshal his own forces. Unfortunately, the Marquis didn’t come, but sent a messenger in his stead, foiling Zanac’s plan.

Even worse, Raeven didn’t launch an attack on the city but encircled it instead. Yet, despite the apparent siege, traders and common folk were allowed to go through. Seemingly content with these actions, Raeven’s forces made no attempt to attack the city.

However, this left Zanac in an extremely bad spot. Unlike the Baharuth Empire, the Re-Estize Kingdom had no standing army, as such, there was no army for Zanac to immediately call for help. He had dispatched his men to gather one, but conscripting enough men to repel Raeven’s forces would take many days. But the events happened too quickly, leaving no time for such lengthy processes.

And while the citizens of Re-Estize would likely fight back against a siege, with no one attacking them they saw no need for battle. There were the five hundred strong city guard and the three hundred strong royal guard. Sadly, the city guard was comprised mostly of enterprising men looking to make a bit of coin taxing merchants and working with the underworld. The fact they were exempt from participating in the annual wars also meant they had no large-scale combat experience. The royal guard was supposed to be the top fighters of the nation, but the various nobles had been stuffing it full of their own men. It was debatable whether they would hold more loyalty for the King or their noble patrons. Not to mention, both groups only numbered eight hundred, while Raeven had four thousand. Asking the guards to charge at such odds would likely prove a disaster.

Unable to launch an attack of his own, and with Raeven choosing to hang back, Zanac found himself in limbo. The news of Marquis Raeven’s move, and his demand that Zanac abdicate the throne due to losing the confidence of the people and no longer being fit to rule, quickly spread throughout the city. Zanac’s inaction only serving to reinforce this point.

Once they saw his inaction, the nobles drew their own conclusions. Those of the Noble faction, as well as the remnants of the Greenhorns faction, left first, pledging their support for Raeven and bolstering his forces with their men. The nobles of the Royal faction chose to support Zanac, or at least they made the appearance of doing so.

Then the news of Renner’s transformation came and shattered what little respite Zanac seemed to enjoy. After rushing to his sister’s chambers not only did Zanac learn that Renner was indeed transformed into a monster, but he also learned of the Sorcerer Kingdom’s demand for him to abdicate. The Kingdom would be absorbed into the Sorcerer Kingdom and would be governed by Raeven and Renner. Zanac thought this news would anger people, so he had it spread throughout the city. Unfortunately for him, it had backfired.

Raeven’s brazen attempt to seize power, and the fact that many nobles had pledged their support for him, had greatly undermined Zanac’s standing in people’s eyes. The news that Raeven also had the support of the Sorcerer King all but sealed the outcome of this confrontation. Naturally, the news that the Kingdom would become a part of the Sorcerer Kingdom made many people angry, but who would be brave enough to openly oppose the undead king?

The nobles, that had only just joined Raeven, couldn’t just turn back and pledge support for Zanac. Nor would doing so be a good decision, as it would signal their opposition to Ainz. Realizing the danger their support of Zanac placed them under, the nobles of the Royal faction soon began to quietly flee the city, and pledge their support for Raeven..

As he watched more and more of the Royal faction’s nobles leave, Zanac became increasingly desperate. In his anger he ordered Renner to be executed, some part of him hoping this act of power would bring some of the nobles back to his side. But again it had backfired. All of the remaining nobles fled, scared of angering the Sorcerer Kingdom by executing what was essentially its agent in Princess Renner.

Now, the only ones by his side were Lemus Vitor, the Warrior Captain, Shaun Olter Bonur, the captain of the castle guards, and about a dozen guards. Everyone else had fled the castle, including the servants and remaining guards, some of whom appeared to have stolen what they could as they left. Rage burned further inside Zanac when he saw this, but with the men he had, there was little he could do.

“Was ordering Princess Renner’s execution the right choice?” Shaun’s voice brought Zanac back to the present. In response, Zanac just gave the man an exasperated look.

Is there a right choice given the circumstances? He wondered. It probably was a stupid decision, but by the Gods, I had to do something!

“That Innocent Sam guy was a loose cannon. Better to have him out there than getting stabbed in the back.” Lemus offered.

Damn, this guy is so calm, Zanac thought as he felt his own anger flare. Of course, he’s not the one losing the throne, nor is his life in that much danger.

His thoughts were once again interrupted, this time by the hasty steps that came from outside the room. Soon the door opened, and one of the guards stationed outside entered.

“Your Majesty, Captains,” the guard saluted those in the room, “The city guards have surrendered. Marquis Raeven’s forces will arrive at the castle shortly.”

“Keep guard outside,” Shaun ordered after Zanac failed to say anything.

He knew this was coming, but hearing the news still caused Zanac to collapse into a nearby chair. If only I had more time, he thought dejectedly. Slumped over, his body feeling lifeless, all he could do was glance at the two captains with a defeated smile on his face.

“It’s all over,” he said chuckling softly. I thought father was incompetent, yet here I am, about to lose my kingdom just a few years after taking the throne. What a joke.

“Perhaps you should consider fleeing? There is still time,” Shaun offered, unsure of what else to say.

“Flee? If the Sorcerer King wants me dead, could I really flee far enough to escape his grasp?” Zanac shook his head, “I might as well face my fate head-on.”

The two captains nodded in understanding and the room descended into silence. A short while later, several hundred soldiers entered the castle along with Marquis Raeven. Seeing this through the window, Shaun let out a sigh.

“What are your orders, Your Majesty?” He asked.

Your Majesty, this might be the last time someone addresses me that way, Zanac thought.

“Tell your men to stand down,” Zanac ordered as he stood up and stepped closer to the two captains. “I want to thank you both for your service; in the end, you two proved to be the most loyal to your King. I will ask the Marquis not to punish you for doing your job, even in the face of the cowardliness displayed by the nobles.”

“I’m sorry I have failed to defend your rule,” Lemus said solemnly as he bowed. Shaun bowed too, concurring with the Warrior Captain.

“It’s not your fault, we simply lacked an opportunity to reverse the situation,” Zanac sounded melancholic as he said this, “Both of you can wait outside, I will face Marquis Raeven alone.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the two replied in unison and exited the room.

Zanac moved to stand in front of the window. Looking down at the sprawling city he recalled the many memories he had of this place from his childhood, when his father the king would invite him and his older brother to this room, and explain why he had chosen to make certain decisions. Later, his relationship with his brother had changed to a rivalry, and they tried to one-up each other before their father. Later still, their rivalry turned into a fully-fledged political struggle, both sides scheming against each other while growing increasingly tired of their father’s inaction. Then, he finally managed to get the throne and his reign had begun.

And now it’s all about to come to an end, Zanac sighed. He felt no fear, only melancholy and regret. If only it wasn’t for that damned Sorcerer King… His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and Marquis Raeven walked inside. For a while, neither of them spoke, as the two looked at each other.

“Who would’ve thought that the first time I’d see you after the Massacre at the Katze Plains would be under such circumstances,” Zanac spoke first, “Why did you suddenly decide to act, after staying away from politics all this while?”

“A servant of the Sorcerer King made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” Raeven replied in a solemn tone.

“I see,” Zanac nodded, “The Sorcerer Kingdom… are they the ones who orchestrated the current situation? Just how long have they been pulling the strings from the shadows?”

“I never told you this, but during the Katze Plains Massacre I was chased by one of those goat-monsters. It could have killed me, but it stopped,” Raeven’s face turned slightly pale as he recalled the terror he felt at that time.

“You mean the Sorcerer King already had plans for you back then? Truly a frightening opponent. I wonder if I have been dancing in his palm all along,” Zanac’s voice was filled with bitterness. “I guess, I should’ve done what Jircniv did, and declared the Kingdom a vassal state of the Sorcerer Kingdom.”

The room descended into silence once more as both men contemplated what could have been. Zanac closed his eyes and took a deep breath; after steeling himself he spoke once more.

“What happens now?”

“You will abdicate the throne and the Kingdom will become a part of the Sorcerer Kingdom.”

“Wouldn’t that cause an immediate uprising? Surely many people will choose death over serving the undead monster. Especially since many people have lost family or neighbors at the Katze Plains.” Zanac said confounded.

“The Sorcerer King’s servant seemed quite confident in a peaceful transition,” Raeven shrugged, “To that end, Renner and I will govern the territory that used to be the Kingdom on Ainz Ooal Gown’s behalf,” Raeven added.

“Um, about that, in my anger, I ordered Renner’s execution, so…” Zanac said, feeling somewhat awkward.

“She’s fine. Apparently Climb showed up in time to stop the execution.” Raeven dismissed Zanac’s worry, before continuing,“Though I doubt the Sorcerer King would let her die even if Climb didn’t intervene.”

Zanac nodded as the feeling of powerlessness surged in him. Just how many of my actions have been a part of the Sorcerer King’s scheme? Was I really just doing what he wanted, under the appearance of free will?

“Then, what will happen to me after the abdication?” Zanac asked having resigned to his fate.

“You will be exiled to the former Draconic Kingdom to oversee the reconstruction of the area that was destroyed by the beastmen, as well as oversee the relations between the humans and the beastmen. Being an outsider, you will be more clear-headed when dealing with the beastmen than the citizens of the Draconic Kingdom, who had lost friends and family during the beastmen’s invasion,” Raeven explained.

“That… is a surprising offer. I thought I would be executed for sure,” Zanac admitted after a brief pause.

“There is no need to kill you. Moving you to the former Draconic Kingdom is enough to remove any threat your existence poses. Besides, I was told that the Sorcerer King needs smart men to help him manage the territory he has so quickly amassed. ” Raeven explained.

“I suppose I should feel happy about this outcome,” Zanac said, nodding to himself. “Then, how will we go about the abdication?”

“We’ll hold a public ceremony in three days, you’ll abdicate the throne and the Sorcerer King will announce the new order. That should be enough time for the news to spread.”

“The Sorcerer King is coming to Re-Estize personally?” Zanac asked surprised.

“Nothing like a monarch’s presence to inspire the citizens,” Raeven replied, “Though in this case it’s likely to have the opposite effect.”

“Hm, I guess that’s no longer my problem. By the way, what will happen to the two captains and the guards that chose to stay with me?” Zanac switched to a different subject.

“That will be up to them, there won’t be any punishment from the Sorcerer Kingdom.”

A short silence ensued as both men were done talking. Once it was apparent that Zanac had no more questions, Raeven spoke.

“Don’t beat yourself up, Zanac-sama. You simply had the misfortune of being in the Sorcerer King’s way. There was nothing that could have prevented your demise,” Raeven offered words of consolation as he came over and patted Zanac on the back.

“I guess it really was inevitable. The other countries aren’t doing any better. Even the SlaneTheocracy has fallen,” Zanac said with a sigh.

“We can talk more later, right now there are still many things I need to do,” Raeven bowed to Zanac before departing.

After he left the king’s office, Raeven and several guards moved to his next destination – Princess Renner’s chamber. Crossing a large portion of the castle to reach his goal provided Raeven with plenty of time to clear his thoughts.

Talking to Renner was always unnerving, her intellect seemingly exceeding all limits, but now that she had actually turned into a monster… I wonder what kind of monster she has become, Raeven mulled. The Sorcerer King’s messenger that guided his actions had also told him of what happened to Renner, but most of the details were omitted.

The group made their way to Renner’s chamber, and Raeven could see a large group of soldiers standing guard. However, they were somewhat further away from the door than they should’ve been, and as he got closer he could see a hint of fear in the men’s eyes. Trying to keep his calm, Raeven walked to the door, which clearly looked like someone tried to cut through it. He paused for a moment to calm himself, then knocked and without waiting for a response entered the room.

Inside, Raeven saw Princess Renner seated in a chair behind a tea table. She wore a blue dress decorated with row of white flowers and although she had retained much of her human looks, there were several changes: a pair of black horns stood out quite a bit on her now silver hair and two dark wings had sprouted between her shoulders. Climb stood beside her, visibly agitated, his hand tightened around the hilt of his sword.

Apparently, Raeven’s eyes lingered on the wings too long: “Yes, they are leathery. Are you going to touch them next? As if Renner-sama was an exotic animal,” Climb couldn’t help but spit out as his face flashed with anger.

“That’s enough Climb. I am sure the Marquis was just taken aback by my new appearance,” Renner said. “But thank you for standing up for me,” she added as she reached out with her hand and placed it on Climb’s hand, squeezing it lightly.

“Ahem, It’s nice to see you in good health, Renner-san,” Raeven said with a bow.

“The pleasure is mine, Marquis Raeven,” she replied with a heartwarming smile, “Climb, it’s alright, the Marquis means me no harm.”

“Of course not. However, I do need to discuss some things with Renner-san,” Raeven said.

Renner gestured to a seat opposite hers, before turning to face Climb, “Please give us a moment to discuss things.”

“Yes, Renner-sama, I will stand guard outside,” Climb replied with a bow. Eyeing Raeven with some suspicion, he left the room, leaving the two of them alone.

“Now you look like a monster on the outside as well,” Raeven commented as his eyes inspected Renner’s new appearance.

“It’s fine, I got what I wanted, my appearance is no longer important,” Renner replied, not at all bothered by Raeven’s obvious inspection.

“Climb?” Raeven asked, his brows arched.

“Yes, all of the obstacles had been removed. Now he will be with me, forever,” Renner was positively beaming with pleasure.

I wonder what kind of twisted game she has played, that poor lad. Well, better him than my son. The further away I can keep my boy from this terrible woman the better, Raeven thought as he recalled that Renner had once proposed a marriage between herself and his son.

“Ahem, then let us get down to business,” Raeven changed the subject.

“I believe you have already been informed of the major pieces. I was told the Sorcerer King will be making a speech, so we need to make sure that every citizen is in attendance,” Renner said before adding excitedly, “I can’t wait to meet His Majesty, supposedly he’s quite a gifted orator as well.”

“Good enough to convince the people whose family members he killed not to revolt but peacefully accept his rule?” The Marquis asked with a hint of a doubt.

“From what I know, that should be a simple feat for Ainz-sama,” Renner replied showing little concern.

Raeven nodded, “What about the governing, how will we handle it?” Raeven didn’t press further.

“There is no need to bother with such details just yet. For now, we just need to spread word of what happened. Now that the cards are on the table, I don’t imagine the nobles will voice their opposition to the Sorcerer Kingdom. So, we just need to make sure the commoners don’t spread any ugly rumors about the Sorcerer King, or me,” Renner explained.

“I see. I take it the Sorcerer Kingdom is providing assistance in controlling the spread of rumors behind the scenes?” Raeven asked after nodding.

“But of course,” Renner replied with a smile.

“Then I shall attend to other matters,” Raeven said as he stood up.

After bidding Renner goodbye he left the room. There were plenty of things for him to do, however as he walked through the corridors of the familiar castle his mind was occupied by other thoughts.

By my hand, I am delivering my country to the undead king. Is it the right course of action? Should I instead die for my beliefs, like the late Gazef Stronoff? Will my death change anything? Taking a deep breath Raeven sought to calm himself. Regardless, the die has been cast. All I can do now is serve to the best of my ability. Soon I will meet my new, terrible master.

*****

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