About a month had passed since the threat of the Undead had been eliminated. In the royal office, Crown Prince Alexis faced Elliott, a former Holy Knight, with Bishop Powell present as a witness.
For the time being, the governance of the nation was being led by the noble council, headed by Marquis Beresford. The council and the church had stripped the current king of all command authority, assigning him the responsibility of reconstruction, with a decision already made that he would be dismissed after a three-year grace period. Although abdication was still some time away, the royal authority effectively lay with Crown Prince Alexis.
“Elliott Wolf Tris, from a national perspective, there is no punishment that can be imposed upon you. You were used by Dylan Agreas Jiemeld, and in a sense, you are a victim. Furthermore, the fact that you served in the northern campaign for one year and eight months, with a year of that spent on the front lines, cannot be disputed. Even without being a Holy Knight, you remain a hero. In truth, you should only be left with honor.”
“No, Your Highness. I have tarnished the dignity of a woman through my own actions. I cannot bear to be called a hero. Moreover, the public disclosure of the facts I desire is not merely a punishment. It is also a means to restore her honor. If I can leave a record of why I lost the Holy Sword, it may prevent others from making the same mistake in the distant future.”
Elliott answered without hesitation, his eyes slightly trembling as he grappled with his remorse. Alexis exhaled deeply. As a fellow human, he could understand the sins and punishments Elliott spoke of. However, personal matters could not be judged by the state. Even if the king had some involvement, that was his sin, not Elliott’s.
Yet, Elliott wished to clarify his actions and make them widely known. He seemed prepared to bear the scandal that would follow him for the rest of his life.
“It would be cruel to continue bestowing a title that the person does not desire. Very well. As you wish, I will revoke the title of hero. I will also allow the facts to be disclosed and recorded.”
Crown Prince Alexis respected Elliott’s desire for atonement over the superficial appearance of the state. The public disclosure of the circumstances surrounding the loss of the Holy Sword would likely provoke backlash from the proud nobles concerned with appearances. Nevertheless, the truth was the truth. Even nobles who had no ties to the Jiemeld household had, out of greed, become involved in the matter. For them, it would also serve as a punishment.
── They may call my youthful judgment naive, but sometimes, revealing everything without concealment leads to better outcomes. I am accustomed to the humiliation of being mocked. After all, everyone has witnessed the subsequent truths with their own eyes.
I understand that being blameless does not always equate to making the right decision. However, for now, I choose to be sincere. Taking a breath, Crown Prince Alexis faced Elliott once more.
“One more thing, I have a request for your transfer to the knight order. You will be assigned to guard the southern border under Marquis Beresford. This aligns with your wishes as well. Unlike the north, the south is a place where one fights against other humans. It is a harsh land in a different sense. Are you truly certain about this?”
“I understand. There will be those who leave the royal capital to escape the scandal. If that is the case, it would be more acceptable for it to be harsh. I myself wish for that.”
Alexis had no comforting words for Elliott, who sought punishment. The other senior knights felt the same. Many had volunteered for the northern reconstruction forces. If one were to consider the scandal as punishment, the north, having directly suffered, would be harsher in that regard. However, the people of the north, knowing the brutality of battling the Undead, were sympathetic to those who had fought and served. In contrast, those who regularly fought against fellow humans at the southern border possessed a different kind of harshness. Elliott deliberately wished to place himself in that situation.
Once Elliott exited, Crown Prince Alexis let out a deep sigh. Bishop Powell, who had remained silent throughout, stood up and gazed out the window.
“She too had a tendency toward self-punishment.”
Powell was referring to Emily, who had been elevated as the false Holy Maiden. She had merely been at the castle by the king’s arrangement and had not been recognized as a Holy Maiden; she simply did not deny being called one by those around her. While it could be said that she had caused confusion in the kingdom, the one who had truly orchestrated it was Dylan Agreas Jiemeld. Emily had merely been a pawn used in the game. There was no sin to be judged by the state in that.
“I received an offer from Priest Sidney of the Western Grand Church to take her under his wing. It seems she has agreed to it. She will likely spend her days in atonement as a servant of the church.”
“Sidney must also bear the same regrets as I do. We have upheld the unspoken teachings as the best course of action. Yet, because of that, we have failed to guide those like her and have let them slip away.”
Powell lamented the sin of not admonishing or guiding her, even if the root cause lay within Emily herself.
“She too wished for everything to be made clear.”
“To bear the scandal and endure the shame as a form of atonement, huh… Ironically, it seems that the one who is suffering the most from that punishment is the mastermind behind it all.”
Crown Prince Alexis looked out the window at the tower to the east of the Royal Castle. It was heavily fortified with multiple barriers, and within it was Dylan Agreas Jiemeld, imprisoned. He would soon face a long trial. He was not the type to speak freely, but he would be kept alive until the threat he posed was completely eliminated. The existence of any remaining loyalists to his ideology, or whether new followers might emerge, would also be points of contention. Regarding the latter, it might be more advantageous for him to live and spread scandal rather than die and be glorified. His imprisonment would likely be prolonged.
However, Agreas, who had lived with noble blood and pride, found it most unbearable to continue living with the shame. He wished for death at every opportunity.
His wife, Marianne, was expected to be taken under the care of the Western Grand Church, depending on the proceedings of the trial. The Duchy of Jiemeld would be dismantled, with the current head being the last.
“…Now, all that remains is my father.”
Crown Prince Alexis gazed blankly into the distance. The punishments following his dismissal were mostly decided. In an era blessed by the goddess, bloodshed as punishment was avoided. He would likely face imprisonment or forced labor after being stripped of his status.
“My father, despite being my own, is a man of high pride and concern for appearances. Perhaps for His Majesty, the shame of being humiliated is a punishment heavier than death.”
Alexis smiled bitterly.