I Plotted The World Destruction With The Male Lead - Chapter 48

Leaving Eleanor in the tent with the knights, Van left the barracks to identify the captured.

The knights of the Imperial 14th Order, led by Lapel, were unharmed, with not a single casualty. None had suffered fatal injuries, and they were elated.

They had achieved victory over five knight orders with just one, a feat worthy of celebration.

Of course, Duke Granmire’s terrifying performance was undeniable.

“Good heavens. I thought only His Majesty was a monster…”

Even those called archmages could create whirlwinds. Rumor had it that the archmage of the Mo Kingdom could create two storms at once.

But their duke seemed capable of creating several times that number. Without magical tools or spells.

And the lightning strikes that fell all over the battlefield! Their knees buckled, and their jaws chattered, but they were also thrilled.

It felt like someone with terrifying power was watching over them.

Despite their outstanding skills, the Imperial 14th Order held one of the lowest positions among the knight orders. The Imperial Family had 18 knight orders, and the lower the number, the higher the regard for their abilities.

The 14th Order received its name because the nobles of the empire unanimously opposed it. Originally, the Emperor had intended to name them the Imperial 8th Order.

“Will things change if he ascends the throne?”

One of the knights asked in a low voice. More than half of their knight order were commoners, and the other half were low-ranking or fallen nobles.

However, they had been thoroughly vetted for their skills and had fought in more battles than any other Imperial Knight Order, making their abilities outstanding.

“We’ll have to wait and see.”

“True. It’s common for nobles to forget favors after rising to high positions.”

While gossiping in Van’s absence, they glanced at Van passing by in the distance, their eyes filled with anticipation and awe.

He had chosen them specifically, setting aside many other knight orders. His trust was based on his experiences from before his regression, but they, unaware of this, believed that Van trusted them.

Being trusted by the future emperor held great significance. At least, it did for them.

As they watched, Van entered the tent where the prisoners were held. In this battle, more than Half of the knight orders they faced had abandoned their weapons and fled. Most of the remaining half had met their deaths, and the commanders of the five traitorous knight orders had been captured.

The five knights who entered Van’s tent were in the same situation.

The current Emperor was known for his clear rewards and punishments. He cherished those who were loyal to him but was ruthless to those who were not.

They judged that they would not survive even if they were taken to the capital. Their only chance to save their lives was now.

***

Claude stared at Nayar, whose face had turned ashen and who was bleeding from the mouth. He had not attempted suicide. It seemed he had bitten his tongue while convulsing from the lightning strike.

‘How ridiculous.’

He had chosen the wrong side. Claude had sensed this the moment he saw the whirlwind coming over his knight order.

The reason he couldn’t surrender was that, unlike other ordinary knights, he knew that he would not simply lose his position in the Imperial Knights.

Now, my head will be separated from this body. Sooner or later, it was inevitable. From the moment this failed, it was bound to happen. The Emperor would never spare someone who tried to kill his beloved nephew.

He thought he had prepared for death when he took up his sword, but as death approached, he realized how much he wanted to live.

He couldn’t stop thinking that he should have persuaded his master, who had sided with Grand Duke Carlyle. Or, when he received such instructions, he should have leaked information to Duke Granmire’s side and sided with them.

If he had, the one standing beside the next emperor would have been him, not that commoner knight Lapel.

Duke Granmire’s face was expressionless as he entered the tent. Claude gritted his teeth, feeling as if he had already decided their punishment.

“I never thought I would face you like this.”

At Van’s words, Claude rolled his eyes, his face ashen. Claude was in charge of the Imperial 4th Order, the fourth of the Emperor’s most promising nine knight orders.

He had once stood on the battlefield with Van, but he had betrayed the Imperial Family after the Emperor’s death. Van vividly remembered Claude’s actions of slaughtering other nobles in the East.

Van had gritted his teeth for days, confirming that the five knight orders personally chosen by Marquis Baird, whom he had trusted, were filled with complete traitors.

This expedition, which he had requested from the Emperor to strike the mage division, had two purposes.

One was to ‘truly’ destroy Carlyle’s mage division, as he had told the Emperor.

He had no intention of doing this with just the Emperor’s knights. He had already sent a messenger to mobilize his private soldiers in the duchy to track them down.

He was also exchanging information with the current Master of the Magic Tower, whom he contacted from time to time. The Master of the Magic Tower was wary of the Magic Tower’s knowledge being leaked and losing his position, so he thought they could help each other.

As expected, the Master of the Magic Tower had obtained clues about the mage division that Carlyle was training and sent the information.

Based on that information, the duchy’s capable knights were tracking and monitoring the mage division’s traces. If they joined them as soon as the work here was finished, they could raid the mage division’s base.

Even if they couldn’t eradicate them, inflicting significant damage would be enough. The evidence from this incident would tighten the noose around Carlyle’s neck.

Secondly, it was to purge the traitors from the Emperor’s side. There would be spies in many places in the Imperial Family, but the most important thing was to weed out the traitors in the military.

Even though he had tried to persuade the Emperor, he had no concrete evidence, so he came up with this method. Carlyle would be on edge because of Eleanor and Van’s imprinting.

“…I feel the same, Your Excellency. Please believe that this situation is not of my own volition.”

Claude said, bowing his head as a vassal would to his lord. He was wearing shackles and handcuffs containing spells that sealed mana.

Since they were going to face the mage division, they naturally had such items.

Van looked at his bound wrists and kneeling body behind him. The commanders of the other four knight orders were in the same state.

Ironically, Van remembered all of their faces. In his previous life, he had personally cut down two of them.

Thinking of the Emperor’s nobles and his subordinates who had died at their hands, he wanted to tear them apart on the spot, but there was testimony he needed to obtain.

“I think you can guess what I’m going to say. It will be difficult to spare your lives, but if you confess and reveal who is behind you, I can spare the lives of your families.”

They were men who had risen to the highest position a swordsman could achieve: Commander of the Imperial Knights. It would be a lie to say they had never thought of death. But they never imagined they would be killed with the disgrace of treason.

“That’s…”

“Only one of your families will enjoy such mercy. I will count to five now.”

Van’s gaze turned to Raphael, who stood beside him. Raphael raised his hand with a cold expression and began to fold down his fingers one by one.

“5…”

A look of astonishment crossed the faces of the five kneeling Knights Commanders. Most knights who had fought Van knew that the Emperor’s nephew and great nobleman of the East, was a gentleman, contrary to his nickname, ‘Mad Dog’.

They had never imagined such cruel treatment. Some of the Knights Commanders, who had hoped to negotiate with Van, turned pale.

“4…”

Raphael seemed to have no intention of waiting. Already, the knights of the 14th Order had their hands on the hilts of their swords, ready to draw them.

Van sat there with an expression that said he wouldn’t mind killing them all. It wasn’t a bluff; he really meant it.

He knew who the enemies and traitors were, so he could fabricate testimony if he needed to.

If it had been Van before all those events, he might have given them a little more chance. But not the Van of now.

Carlyle had thoroughly set traps and planted spies in almost every conceivable place.

Before the roots of the poisonous weeds he had planted dug deeper into the Empire and bore fruit, they had to be ruthlessly dug up and destroyed.

So that other traitors would be frightened and shrink back.

While they hesitated to act, Van intended to slaughter them one by one. Thus, he intended to protect Eleanor and those he cherished.

Killing them off was only the beginning of it all.

“3…”

The five kneeling Knights Commanders looked at each other. Nayar, feeling disadvantaged, found it difficult to bite his tongue and speak.

As Nayar urgently shouted, the other Knights Commanders also began to call out someone’s name in a rush. The moment they opened their mouths, they realized that the honor and pride they had as knights were shattered and lying on the ground.

Only Claude remained silent.

At Van’s nod, a knight of the 14th Order drew his sword and beheaded Claude without hesitation. Crimson drops of blood poured onto the ground, but his kneeling body did not fall.

The other Knights Commanders hurriedly began to spill out what they knew. Van sat back in a chair brought by a soldier and listened to their confessions.

Soon, Claude’s head and headless body were dragged out of the barracks.