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🕑 Added 2025-08-10 00:05:06 +0000 UTCEP.29 Rebellion (1)
While his older brother Prinz’s 1st Army was engaged in a desperate struggle at Streve, Yuno’s 2nd Army advanced at incredible speed, crushing the minor lords of Count Redelmo’s domain.
From the day of the invasion to the third day, Yuno had captured one barony and one viscounty, and on the fourth day, he attacked Baron Kreis’s territory, tightening the encirclement around Streve.
However, unlike before, Baron Kreis’s resistance was quite strong. He conscripted even peasants to defend his castle, putting up a thorough resistance.
But against Yuno’s army of ten thousand, they could not hold out for long. When the walls were breached and the gates smashed by a battering ram, Baron Kreis raised the white flag.
“Your Highness! Baron Kreis has arrived.”
“Understood. I’ll go out.”
About an hour after accepting the surrender, a messenger brought word that the enemy lord had arrived at the camp.
Yuno left his tent, received a salute from the soldiers, and went forward to see Baron Kreis kneeling at the gate with three women and a small child presumably his family.
“Baron Kreis? You’re surrendering. But… why did you reject my initial offer of surrender, only to give in after the gates were breached?”
“Ugh… Your Highness knows as well as I do. We Teseito lords are obligated to resist for at least a week when the country is attacked!”
Yuno nodded, as this was true. However, some of his soldiers had died taking the castle, and the troops were eager for revenge, with some waiting for permission to loot after the siege.
Understanding his men’s feelings, Yuno pondered how to deal with the enemy lord.
The two territories he’d taken before had surrendered immediately upon seeing the disparity in forces, so he’d spared their lives and property. But in cases like this, it was common to execute the lord and allow the soldiers to loot and rape.
“Hehehe, Your Highness~ That young girl on the left looks quite tender, don’t you think? If you let us have the two older women on the right, we’ll take good care of them… hahaha.”
Jake, the second son of Count Hazelmere and one of Yuno’s lieutenants, openly revealed his lust, suggesting Yuno take the lord’s daughter while he and the others took the wife and concubine.
As Yuno hesitated, he noticed the terrified, trembling young lady Baron Kreis’s daughter and made his decision. He called Jake.
“Jake! I’ll go inspect the lord’s manor first. Bring only the five most trustworthy men from my guard. Baron Kreis! Take your family and lead the way.”
“Haha, as expected, Your Highness is wise. We should claim the important spoils before the common soldiers get their hands on them, or else the lowly grunts will snatch up the best for themselves.”
That wasn’t Yuno’s intention, but Jake prattled on as he followed Yuno to the manor.
At the manor, Baron Kreis looked at Yuno, curious about his intentions.
“Sigh… Baron! Honestly, I don’t want to kill you. Your sense of duty to your country is admirable… But rules are rules! I’m supposed to execute you and your family and allow my soldiers to loot.”
“…I understand… But… at least spare my family…”
“So! I’ll make you an offer. In two hours, in front of my soldiers, show them your suicide. And you must have hidden wealth hand it over so I can distribute it to the troops and forbid looting. I’ll guarantee your family’s safety.”
“…Really?”
“It would be easiest to just execute you and allow looting, but why would I go this far? Letting the troops run wild would ruin discipline… and… never mind. Anyway, what will you do?”
“Sigh… I accept your offer, Your Highness. The method…?”
“Poison isn’t dramatic enough. Use a dagger to your throat.”
“Thank you. Please, protect my family…”
“Don’t worry. I swear on my honor.”
Thanks to Yuno’s mercy, Baron Kreis was allowed some time to say farewell to his family. Though his wife fainted and his children wailed, Yuno felt this was the best choice, and the baron agreed, comforting his family.
An hour later, with all but the guards assembled, Baron Kreis climbed the platform, denounced his own foolishness in resisting the empire, and slit his own throat with a dagger. His hidden gold and silver were distributed equally among the soldiers, satisfying them to some extent.
However, this process also brought certain people’s pent-up resentment to a boil namely, the noble sons Yuno had demoted.
They gathered in a tent, drinking together, venting their complaints about Yuno.
“Is this right? Showing mercy to an enemy lord who resisted to the end?!”
“Maybe the Third Prince is actually a Teseito spy? He wasn’t even hurt when Teseito attacked the palace! Why? Because killing a spy would only hurt Teseito themselves!”
“Huh~ That makes sense! Then, as patriots of Balkan, we can’t just sit by.”
“Anyone got a plan?”
Their talk grew more reckless as they drank and stewed in their resentment toward Yuno.
“We should lead the 10th Corps ourselves! Lock up the Third Prince, and if his crimes are revealed later, report to the Crown Prince and execute him as a traitor.”
“Of course, but how do we subdue a master like him?”
“Hehehe, I’ve got a way. This is the sleeping drug I give to women… Just one drop and you’re out for a whole day. I have about five drops left mix it all in his drink and he’ll be out cold.”
“Then?”
“We tie him up, hide him, and claim that Baron Kreis’s family betrayed us and killed Yuno, so we executed them and took command.”
“Hahaha, but before that…”
“Yes, before that, we’ll sample those women ourselves, hahaha. Jake should be the new corps commander.”
The noble sons, no longer even treating Yuno as a prince, decided to make Jake, the highest-ranking among them, the new commander.
Jake, lusting after Baron Kreis’s concubine, was dissatisfied with Yuno’s decision. The thought of commanding the troops made him giddy, and in his drunken state, he agreed.
“Fine… I’ll be the one to offer Yuno the drugged drink. But we should keep him alive everyone knows the Crown Prince cares for him. We need perfect evidence before we do anything else…”
“But what if Yuno wakes up? No one can stop a rampaging master.”
One noble, in charge of prisoners, offered a solution.
“There are mana-suppressing cuffs for master-level prisoners in the supply wagon. I’ll get them. Then… Jake, it’s up to you. You get first pick of the captured women.”
“Good! Let’s do it right now.”
It was a sloppy plan, but drunk and blinded by desire, they didn’t care. Jake, already aroused by thoughts of Baron Kreis’s concubine, took the mana-suppressing cuffs and the sleeping drug and headed to Yuno’s tent.
“Your Highness, may I come in for a moment?”
“Hmm? Jake? What is it, at this hour?”
“Haha, how could I sleep while Your Highness is awake? I brought you some fine brandy. Have a drink and rest.”
“Haha, I appreciate it, but you know I don’t drink. Your thoughtfulness is enough.”
“Your Highness… You haven’t been sleeping well lately, have you? Sometimes a strong drink is just what you need. If the corps commander can’t sleep and loses judgment, the whole corps is at risk.”
Yuno thought Jake’s words made sense. He’d been worried about Prinz’s struggles at Streve, which kept him up at night and left him drowsy during the day.
“Hmm… Alright. Thank you, Jake.”
Yuno downed the drink Jake offered, and immediately felt drowsy. Thinking it was effective, he forced himself onto his bed and quickly fell asleep.
