Become Kindling

The Alsarm army entered the city to complete the occupation.

Following behind Duke Baroba, I surveyed the conquered city.

The fighting had been mostly in the field; the buildings looked undamaged.

Discipline held firm; no soldiers were looting.

"Aren't there… too few people?"

"Yeah. It's way too deserted, no matter how you look at it."

Azu whispered to me. I'd been thinking the same thing.

Even granting that the Church of the Sun God's forces had been driven out, there were hardly any civilians.

Only a handful of people peeked out at us from hiding.

"It seems most of the residents followed the church's soldiers when they retreated. They've delayed us well."

"I see…"

A man claiming to be the city's representative came forward before Duke Baroba.

The duke assured him that the surrendered city would not be treated harshly.

He added, however, that the city would be thoroughly searched for any hidden church soldiers.

The man accepted readily. Their will to fight had been broken, as expected.

After the search confirmed the city was safe, the soldiers were given leave to rest.

The supply corps distributed food and water.

Good timing. With Duke Baroba's permission, I turned the carriage into a makeshift stall and sold the supplies I'd brought.

The duke looked a bit surprised and laughed.

He probably thought I had merchant's blood through and through.

As expected, the stall was a hit.

Sweets, especially, flew off the shelves.

They had enough rations, but no way to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Soldiers crowded around like kids at a festival booth, and the cookies and candies sold out completely.

Daily necessities did well too.

It didn't take long to clear the entire stock.

The trip had been worth it.

"I thought the logistics were thorough enough."

"Enough to survive on, sure, but some things are always out of reach. When you're hauling essentials, there's no room for luxuries. Times like these, it helps to rely on a merchant's carrying capacity."

"Coming all this way for business, are you? The merchants in Alsarm have been petitioning me too. Perhaps I should permit them after all."

The golden crown had reverted from sword to its original form.

It had been the same technique King Izard used.

"Curious about this?"

"Yes. I can't forget what I saw."

"I imagine not. It was my first time witnessing it directly, but I feel the same."

"You called it the royal treasure… But if it's a crown, hasn't it been passed down through the royal line?"

"It has. And only those of royal blood can wield it. Myself, my daughter, and Princess Tianis. We're all that remain. The First Princess can no longer grip a sword."

"If you'd had it, you might have stopped the attack on the capital."

"What's done is done. There's no use dwelling on it."

"What do you intend to do now?"

"I won't return the crown to a powerless royal house. Nor will we take the throne ourselves at this point. This crown should be held by one capable of protecting the kingdom. I will return it temporarily for the coronation, of course."

He'd chosen to keep it himself rather than entrust it to Princess Tianis.

The burden would indeed be heavy for that girl.

Perhaps this was better for her.

"Report! Suspicious figures have appeared to the east!"

The relaxed atmosphere vanished in an instant.

Soldiers grabbed their weapons.

"To your positions."

After giving the order, Duke Baroba climbed the city wall to get a look at the approaching figures.

Archers waited atop the wall, and heavy ballistae were being readied.

Spearmen advanced as the gate opened, and I spotted the figures the report had mentioned.

Three people in red robes, walking toward us.

No one else in sight.

The same garb as those who called themselves Prominence, the Church of the Sun God's combat unit.

I rushed to inform the duke.

The Alsarm army watched, but the trio kept coming, unconcerned.

They finally stopped just short of the gate.

"Your Grace. These are the church's combat forces. I encountered them in the Empire as well."

"The same group that attacked my daughter, aren't they? Perfect. The perpetrators were dealt with, but we never got to reprimand the church itself."

Without waiting for them to act, Duke Baroba gave the order. A volley of arrows rained down.

Enough to turn the three into pincushions, but one tilted both hands toward the barrage, and a circular wall of fire appeared.

It spun, deflecting the arrows.

Then the ballistae fired. Massive bolts carved from tree trunks.

Sheer volume overwhelmed the flame wall, and the bolts hurtled toward the trio.

A second man extended both arms from beneath his cloak.

Bizarrely long arms. Pulsing like serpents, they caught the bolts.

And redirected them into the ground.

One of the three stepped forward.

"Quite impatient, aren't you? We haven't even had a chance to speak."

"You're the ones who refused negotiation with your declaration of war and turned the capital into a sea of fire. There's nothing left to discuss besides surrender."

"And yet we are only three?"

"I know you're far from ordinary. Strange powers, and letting you close would only invite poison."

"How rude to call them strange. These are the great blessings of Lord Sun God."

The speaker lowered his hood, revealing hair that was ablaze.

No, his hair had been replaced by fire itself.

"Accept the Sun God's blessing. Then you may dwell with the divine for all eternity."

"The age of gods has passed. From now on, humanity walks by its own strength."

"Then you are unnecessary in the era Lord Sun God shall create. We'll have you become kindling."

The man snapped his fingers.

Screams erupted from within the city.

The few remaining civilians had burst into flames.