Count Luken received the expedition order handed over by Harchen.

The count asked his aide if he had any documents that could verify the Emperor’s handwriting.

The aide took out a file he always carried at his side and pulled out a document with Kazan’s annotations from among the stack of papers.

Count Luken spread out the document received from the aide and the expedition order side by side, comparing the handwriting as he went to those gathered as jury members for the impromptu trial.

They slowly compared the handwriting on the two documents, passing them around to read. After examining the two documents, they all nodded in unison, confirming and acknowledging that the handwriting was the same.

Kazan could not believe the ridiculous turn of events.

This was his palace and the Gratia Hall where he was going to hold a banquet to celebrate the birth of his Empress.

Yet the low nobles he did not even acknowledge, the pathetic bastards not even registered to families, and the vassal kings who had kissed Kazan’s feet in acknowledgment of the kingdom’s defeat to the Tane Empire in war and to offer up the kingdom, were all sitting with their heads held high and shoulders squared.

Moreover, several influential high nobles from the capital had also moved their seats to Patrick’s side or to the middle.

Around Kazan, there were many empty chairs except for a few of his closest aides and Duke Parse and Prince Chris.

The only fortunate thing was that the knights of the Imperial Guard and the Security Force were lined up in double rows, swords in hand. Kazan glanced sideways at the knights’ swords. As he had instructed, they were real swords, not ceremonial ones.

“Chris, what is going on?”

“It’s a rebellion, Your Majesty.”

This was not the kind of rebellion Kazan had in mind.

Power should have been backed by force, wielding a mighty sword to subdue the opponent.

To think it would be a place for desk theories, passing around ridiculous documents. Moreover, Patrick was like a paper doll who didn’t even know how to draw a sword from its scabbard.

As Kazan gripped the hilt of his sword, Chris grabbed his hand.

“Father, let’s watch a bit longer.”

Chris was watching this suffocating historical moment of the Tane Empire with excitement. He wanted to witness the rebellion and rebuilding of the empire as Patrick had proposed.

He wanted to support Patrick’s governance that would give decision-making power over imperial affairs, including administration and legislation, to an imperial assembly that included commoners and low nobles.

Comforting the deposed emperor would be left as his role.

*

After Patrick organized the chaotic Gratia Hall, he pointed to Norman Lasbur. He called Binen as a witness to his crimes.

“I have done nothing wrong.”

Norman refused Count Luken’s order to come to the center, remaining seated and looking to Prince Chris and Emperor Kazan for help.

On Count Luken’s orders, security knights forcibly lifted him on both sides and brought him to the center of the hall.

Patrick flipped through a few documents and read them.

“Norman, you are the owner of the Lasbur Trading Company and are in charge of and responsible for all affairs within the company. Do you acknowledge this?”

“I don’t understand such difficult words, but yes, I am the owner.”

Norman answered confidently, thinking to himself that he had done nothing wrong.

“Do you operate a mine that extracts pyrop garnets in the Kingdom of Torun?”

“Yes, we extract a considerable amount of garnets every year, process and sell them, and faithfully pay a portion of the profits as taxes to both the Kingdom of Torun and the Tane Empire.”

“The mine was walled off so that it could not be inspected by the Kingdom of Torun, and the facilities for the mine workers were terribly poor. I personally went to the site and investigated this.”

“Well, the terrain in Torun is so rugged that we don’t have the means to provide good facilities.”

Even the Karsic Empire was picky about the facilities at the Kaoshan mining site.

Norman couldn’t understand why such things were being made an issue.

“Most of the workers at the mining site were boys and girls around ten years old, and about ten of them were living miserably in hut-like dwellings.”

“Hah, what are you saying? I give them meals every day and pay their wages regularly.”

“Why did you build the huge stone wall?”

“That was to protect the hard-earned garnets, of course.”

“Evidence has been found that the Lasbur Trading Company forcibly trafficked women and illegally detained them to exploit their labor. As this will set an important precedent for inter-imperial labor employment on the Arkan continent, it must be handled clearly and carefully.”

“Our company has never engaged in forced human trafficking. And detention? What nonsense.”

“Ah, let’s speak truthfully even if it splits your mouth.”

Binen, the boss of Luken Alley, grabbed the shoulder of the skinny boy Jet and stepped closer to Norman.

“This little rat would lure women wandering in Luken Alley and hand them over to me, then I would forcibly put them on carriages bound for the Kingdom of Torun. Then you, Norman, would put a price on each person and give me money. In fancy words, isn’t that human trafficking?”

“Ah, you traitor. You’re guilty too.”

“Well, I’ll take care of my own sins. You just worry about yourself.”

Binen hunched his large frame and whispered to Patrick, asking if he had testified well.

“You did well, thank you, Binen.”

Patrick patted his thick shoulder.

“The punishment for the Lasbur Trading Company will be decided by the Imperial Assembly. For reference, we plan to set the minimum number of members with voting rights in the Imperial Assembly at one hundred. Once the preparatory committee is formed, we will announce it immediately.”

“This is ridiculous.”

Kazan stood up, laughing derisively.

“Patrick, is this your idea of politics and rebellion? Digging up one small trading company and blowing away the maggots?”

Light, when many lights combine, becomes an even brighter light. As darkness upon darkness becomes an even deeper darkness, the vile become even more vile when cornered.

Patrick hoped that the Emperor would acknowledge his dethronement even now. If so, he planned to spare him from the death penalty out of respect for the former emperor.

However, Kazan intensified his vileness.

“Captain of the Imperial Guard! Captain of the Security Force! Bind Patrick, that traitor. It’s the crime of rebellion!”

Kazan raised his voice, the veins in his neck bulging so much that his overgrown beard trembled. The knights of the Imperial Guard and Security Force looked at each other but did not move.

The first time is always the hardest. The second and third times often become a habit.

However, Kazan would likely be the only father to put a sharply honed blade to the neck of his own son, his closest blood relative.

Clang, clang. Kazan drew his sword for the second time and aimed it at Patrick’s neck.

“Patrick, repent and stop this rebellion now, and I’ll forgive you.”

“Dear Emperor of the Tane Empire, I sincerely hope you will reflect on your past misdeeds and crimes and decide to abdicate voluntarily.”

Patrick meant it sincerely, but Kazan took it as mockery. So he responded with equal sincerity.

“Patrick, do you want to die by your father’s hand?”

“Your Majesty, death threats are a serious crime.”

Strength entered Kazan’s fingertips. A red line appeared on Patrick’s neck, and soon red blood spread.

In that moment, Harchen drew his sword and aimed it at Kazan’s neck.

“The Emperor’s sword is truly vile.”

Harchen raised his right hand towards the ceiling of the Gratia Hall.

“Let’s do this properly.”

Kazan’s blue eyes boiled with rage. Harchen, no less powerfully built than the massive Kazan, stared at him with a cold expression.

Kazan lowered his sword from Patrick’s neck.

Patrick wiped his neck with his gloved hand. Though the white glove was soaked with red blood, the blood flowing from his neck did not stop. Princess Silvia, sitting behind Duke Parse, approached Patrick and wrapped his neck with her handkerchief.

“Emperor of Karsic, very well.”

“Wow, a duel!”

“A duel between the Emperors of Tane and Karsic!”

The Gratia Hall boiled like lava. The venue for the Empress’s birth celebration banquet had changed to an impromptu courtroom, and now to a dueling ground.

The Security Force and Imperial Guard knights organized the scene. The Imperial Guard knights blocked people who stood up from their chairs and tried to crowd into the center. After the knights lined up, the Captain of the Imperial Guard stood before the two men.

To ensure fair judgment and prepare for unexpected accidents, each could designate a qualified inspector.

Kazan took off his golden crown and cloak, giving them to Chris.

“I’ll have Duke Parse as my inspector.”

As Kazan designated him, Duke Parse gripped the sword at his waist and stood behind Kazan at a certain distance.

“Emperor of Karsic, please designate.”

Calip and Lean both squared their shoulders and tightened their grip on their swords.

“Eden Patterson.”

Everyone was surprised at Harchen’s designation. The Karsic Emperor choosing a Tane inspector?

“My lord!”

Calip called out to his lord with a voice full of dissatisfaction before he could stop himself.

Eden was deeply moved inwardly but didn’t show it, standing behind Harchen with a composed expression.

Harchen took off his uniform jacket and loosened his cravat, handing them to Eden with a slight smile.

You platinum-haired brat, watch my skills well.

You’re smiling? Kazan was already puzzled that Harchen had chosen Patrick’s knight over his own skilled knights, but seeing him smile on top of that made his anger surge.

As that anger turned into murderous intent filled with hostility, he felt the war-crazed Kazan stirring to life inside him.

You little punk, have you ever actually stabbed the writhing innards of a living person? You’ve probably only stabbed pig bladders filled with pig blood tied to your waist.

Only then did Kazan also smile cruelly.

On the Captain of the Imperial Guard’s instructions, the two men stood facing each other at a distance where they could grasp hands if they reached out.

They held their swords with both hands, touching blades with their opponent, then bowed their heads in courtesy. Lowering their swords, they stepped back two paces each.

All two hundred people in the Gratia Hall looked at one place.

Ladies on the verge of fainting turned pale, covering their mouths with lace handkerchiefs and catching their breath. No one dared make even the slightest sound of breathing.

Everything froze like a painting.

“Ready!”

The Captain of the Imperial Guard standing between the two men took off his glove and threw it towards the high ceiling of the Gratia Hall.

Whoosh, the glove that had flown up paused briefly in midair before falling rapidly downwards. The white glove touched the floor.

Clang clang, clang clang clang.

Kazan spun his massive body in a full circle, slashing the air with his sword before aiming to strike down on Harchen’s shoulder. The sword of the war-crazed Kazan was brutal.

Harchen nimbly stepped back, deflecting Kazan’s sword with his left hand.

Left-handed, huh? How pathetic.

Kazan drew a large circle and then aimed to strike at Harchen’s empty waist, but the blades clashed in midair. A blue light flashed from the forged blade.