Abandoned Bastard of the Royal Family Volume 5 Chapter 31 (Patreon)

Chapter 31 – The Clean-up

Schild returned to the royal capital in triumph.

It was Humanity’s first victory against the new generation of the Demon Race.

The army of soldier ants led by Ante, the “Ant Sovereign,” was more formidable than the ordinary monsters they expected. Still, even though it was a difficult battle, all the soldiers – knights and subjugators alike, were able to work together to defeat them.

It wasn’t only that. This battle which was fought without strategy or tricks and resulted in the ant monsters being defeated by sheer force also showed the prowess in battle of Schild, the army’s commander, to the fullest extent.

It was already set in stone that he had added “generalissimo” to his already outstanding “Slayer of Forty-Eight” title.

At this point, the secret of Schild’s birth which was already known to some became widely known from here, and every single person in the capital from the nobles at the top to the infant sons of the commoners at the bottom greeted Schild’s existence with open arms.

Along with it was the public recognition of the arrival of the new king, Schild.

◆

“Congratulations on your victory, Schild.”

The First Princess Cymbium, the first candidate to succeed to the throne, said as she knelt before him.

“I am so happy for your safe return, big brother.”

Next to her, Serenea, the second candidate for the throne, was also bowing her head.

At first, this might seem too formal of a greeting between a brother and their sisters.

But it also has another meaning.

This act of “kneeling” was also an act that signaled an important message both inside and outside the country.

The remaining heirs of the throne getting on their knees before Schild.

This meant that these most qualified to object to Schild’s accession to the throne have now renounced their qualifications.

Which also meant that no one else could complain about Schild becoming king anymore.

Formally, that is.

“Now that the revival of the Demon Army has been confirmed as a fact, the existence of a heroic king like you, Schild, is the most reassuring thing for our country. Please become the guardian deity of this country and protect us from the evil Demon Race.”

“I also beg of you.”

Not only Cymbium and Serenea but also the soldiers, nobles, and onlookers who had gathered on the spot of his arrival knelt before Schild.

Schild could not help but be overwhelmed by the sight it was giving him.

“I understand. There is no denying that I will fight. As long as our enemies keep on showing up, I will gladly crush them.”

“You haven’t mentioned that you will be our king yet, you know? After all the things you did, why are you still persistent about not becoming our ruler?”

Cymbium said the last lines in a soft tone. Not a whispher, but also not so loud that it could be heard by the audience in the vicinity.

However, before Schild could answer, Cymbium already took a step back.

“Well, it’s all right. This is a matter that will become clear in time. Just do it at your pace, little brother.”

“I-I see. Thank you?”

“A king is usually someone who wants to be one and tries his best to claim the throne of his own volition, even if it means exposing his shallowness to the public. On the other hand, you are pushed up to the throne by many people, regardless of your own will.”

“But maybe that’s what a true king is,” Cymbium added with a smile.

“I wonder if that is true.”

Schild also began speaking disinterestedly.

“In the first place, a king is a politician, isn’t he? A politician is a man who has a clear vision of what he wants to do with his nation and the desire to make it happen.”

“Oh, my, you have good insight. If it’s with this, you’ll be able to pick out a good prime minister without being distracted by ties in the future.”

But before that…

“Let’s put your discernment to the test and judge these people here.”

Suddenly, Cymbium drew out a group of men of good age, all of whom were pale in the face.

Schild recognized their faces.

“Ah, the conspirators, is it…”

They were the group of people who called themselves the Aristocratic Federation, led by Marquis Sambani.

“What are you going to do about them? These are the same people who have impiously made threats against the royal family, and in broad daylight as well.”

Even if Schild decides to get them acquitted of the crime of impiety here, because their move has already proven that they are a traitor of their own faction, the Oscar’s former patriarch will not allow them to get off scot-free.

“Prince Schild! We have all been fools! We have not been prudent!”

Marquis Sambani lay flat on the ground, not just his forehead but also his entire body.

“We were really so presumptuous as to try to manipulate a man as brilliant as you, Your Highness Schild, at our will! We are fools! We are useless incompetents!”

“From now on, we will change our minds and serve Prince Schild single-mindedly without thinking anything else!”

“We will be loyal to our prince, now and forever! Please! Please have mercy on us!”

In a situation where there is nothing but doom, no matter how things turn out, the nobles are still willing to cling to Schild’s mercy with a gleam of hope.

They are casting aside all pretense and pride, even if this makes them turn out to be a fool and pathetic.

“……”

But what is Schild’s judgment on that?

“Sigh, fine… it’s fine now, all of you. Come on, get up.”

“Y-you’re forgiving us?”

“I said it’s fine.”

The Marquis and the nobles who got down on the floor were made to stand one by one by the hands of Schild.

Like he was a kind of deity forgiving the sins of others.

“Stand up. Up up up… that’s right. Now line up side by side.”

“What? Line up?”

“Yes, yes, side by side. That’s it! Now, let’s try to give a little more space in between. Oops, that’s enough. Good. This distance is perfect!”

The nobles who have been wriggling around as the pariahs of power were now neatly lined up side by side like dominoes in front.

After that, Schild…

Dzun.

Drew his sword and swung it sideways, cleaving the nobles into two.

“Eh?”

Sambani and the others let out a muffled cry.

But that was all they did.

Their upper bodies flew and got separated from their lower bodies.

Their lifeless lower halves, exposing their pure cross-section, immediately lost their strength afterward and fell.

The soldiers and onlookers who crowded around the scene gasped as they witnessed the scene.

With just one cleave, more than a dozen adults were cut in half.

It was a quick action, too, so quick that Sambani and the others barely even realized what kind of punishment they had been subjected to until they had been cut in two.

The warm reception area immediately turned quiet, as the center of the floor was stained red with the blood that sprayed the scene.

With a wave to splatter the blood that tainted the blade, Schild put his sword back on its sheath.

“I think that’s enough for now.”

Looking down at the corpse he had created, he began another speech.

This time, to the onlookers watching.

“People of this country. This is a time of emergency. The Demon Race is attacking us with no mercy, and because of that, the nation must fight as one. At such a time, if you only pursue your own interests and play games, the nation will not be united, and humanity will not be able to win the war.”

“A warning, is it?’

Someone commented, to which Schild nodded and spoke again.

“While I do not condone the act of intrigue as a whole, I wish these guys had done it in a more peaceful time. We are now in wartime, and only the enemy would benefit greatly if we were to divide ourselves and create confusion in our ranks.”

That is a sin, and that sin deserves death.

“Witness this, all of you, and remember it. I will not tolerate any selfish scheming or plotting until the day we defeat the Demon Race. I have already shown you what will happen if you try to do so. Do not forget this horrific scene for a single moment until the war is over!”

As he ended his speech with this sentence, Schild walked away as if he was no longer interested.

The excitement of the victory had completely cooled down, and the people gathered there only resumed breathing when Schild turned his back on them. They were as quiet as the dead bodies beneath them.

But…

“…we can win.”

There was a whisper.

“We can win the war against the Demons! We can win……!!”

Then it became a loud cheer.

“He is incomparably strong and is never off guard. If you do something that benefits your enemy, he will show you no mercy, even if you’re an ally. How can a person so thoroughly committed to battle possibly lose?”

“Yes! We will win! We will defeat the Demons again!”

“…under Prince Schild’s banner!”

The crowd’s excitement was renewed, and the city was enveloped in a frenzy.

With this one incident, the awareness that the royal capital was in a state of war spread all over the city.

A decisive battle with the Demon Race that had made a comeback.

But the people were not worried.

They have Schild.

Frighteningly strong. And resilient. A king among kings who protects his people from all kinds of dangerous threats.

At that moment, all the people of the royal capital recognized Schild.

And that he is the rightful king to rule them.

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