Chapter 257

Words : 1600 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Chapter 257 The trembling hands of Jacques-Hwan were not only due to fear. It was also the shivering of rage from someone who belatedly realized they had been used as bait. But no matter how late his realization was, there was nothing more he could do. “Move, move aside!” “Count!” “Where are you going now!?” “I need to command the soldiers outside!” The nobles, who were trying to stop Jacques as he bellowed, shrank back. However, once he bolted from the stronghold, his actions were nothing like his previous words. “Lickey! Where is Lickey!?” “Here, Your Grace!” “Gather the knights! We’re escaping!” “What, what?” “Hurry!” “A-All right!” After calling the knights, Jacques-Hwan ran towards the east gate faster than anyone else. ‘I must survive first. Damn, how did it come to this...’ Blood dripped from his tightly bitten lips, but he felt no pain. Regret was the only thing consuming his mind. Throughout his life as a noble, he had never been too greedy, or rather, he had been careful because there were many predators readily lunging for one’s throat at any sign of greed. Thanks to this, he had survived the 1st and 2nd civil wars. Only when those predators were gone did he lift his head, thinking there was no one left to threaten him. ‘I had forgotten that it was this king who devoured all those predators.’ A series of incomprehensible states of affairs had been a ploy to clean up those dissatisfied with him. Now that the situation had reached this point, he couldn’t help but shudder. To him, imagining that he had been pulled out for being a hindrance in the King’s plan was unimaginable. ‘I’ll flee. To the small kingdom alliance... no, to the empire. I’ll live quietly there.’ Fortunately, he had some accumulated wealth. With just a few jewels he had on him, he could get a decent mansion in the capital of the empire. The next step... ‘First, survive and then think.’ He no longer had the energy to contemplate further. Thud-thud-thud. “Quickly! Even faster!” While rushing his knights with an impatient heart, “We found him. Count Jacques-Hwan.” Suddenly, with the sound of a cold voice, Jacques-Hwan felt the world spin around him. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a silver gust of wind. Thud. “We have taken the head of the leader of the rebellion, Jacques-Hwan, Your Majesty.” “Ha... That cunning fox has done it again...” Ignoring the complaint of an old rival, Wisken looked straight up at the young king. “Good work, Sir Wisken.” The King nodded with a smile. The young man who once stood against him, brimming with vigor, had now surpassed him to become an extraordinary figure, the king. What he once saw as a mere bud of a hero was now the ruler of this country, standing before him. He had gone from hero to traitor, to king, and even to a tyrant. And now, he was waging war, claiming it was to lower taxes and ease the people. Every move he made was so unprecedented that Wisken couldn’t predict what he would do next. “Your Majesty, is it true that you plan to substantially lower the taxes for the territorial people?” “Yes. The past year has been too taxing indeed. It has been a heavy burden on our people.” Knowing full well, it was the king himself who had imposed those heavy taxes to strengthen his army. Wisken was curious about where his gaze would turn next. “To limit the power of the lords and then...” “Hey, stop it, waggler. Why are you talking so much? Just do as His Majesty commands.” “Shut it, lump. Not everyone is as thoughtless as you.” Amidst Luther’s interruption, Wisken’s eyebrows twitched, but his gaze remained fixed on the king. Truth be told, since the defeat in the civil war, he had felt a sense of futility in staying in this country. Bound by law and serving the Sword Saint, he wasn’t constantly monitored; if determined, he could flee. But, with the exception of the Sword Saint... ‘Ah, excluding this king as well.’ A wry smile crossed his face at the thought. Nevertheless, he stayed in the country because he had no greater ambition. What would he do if he gained power in another country? As a superhuman, he could become a high noble anywhere, which was true even in the empire. That was why he felt no motivation. No one obsesses over things too easily obtained. Hence, Wisken yearned for a new goal that would rekindle his enthusiasm. Luckily, it seemed the young king had a rough idea of his psychology. “Sir Wisken, are you curious what I intend to do next?” “Yes. May I hear the answer?” Was it because of his lean frame? In the king’s red eyes, his reflection seemed desperate. But an unexpected answer came. “I will protect my people.” “Excuse me?” “From all threats, internal and external, I will protect my family, my people, my country. Everything I do is for that purpose.” “But why such...” The question left unvoiced by Wisken about whether Count Juan’s people weren’t his own was quickly understood by Logan. “It was necessary.” “Truly, I cannot fathom Your Majesty.” Unaccustomed to confusion, Wisken found the expression suddenly dawning on the king’s face even more puzzling. The hero who ended the civil war became a traitor and then a king, who was called a tyrant for his unreasonable tax collection. Now, he was waging war to lower taxes again and claimed his purpose was to protect the country. Had he not witnessed those unshaking and shining red eyes, he would have dismissed it as the behavior of a lunatic. But Wisken knew that some of history’s madmen were called by entirely different names. ‘Heroes or great men.’ Perhaps seen as mad for being unpredictable, in the end, they achieve great things. What variety of changes would occur during this king’s reign, under whose rule madmen are seen as heroes? ‘At least it won’t be boring.’ That amusing thought brought him to chuckle unexpectedly. “Pffft...” The flames of passion, which had dimmed after his defeat in the civil war, now seemed to be reigniting. “Ahahaha!” “Drybones, have you suddenly gone mad...?” Ignoring the senseless chatter of his foolish friend, Wisken smiled broadly, planting his beloved sword, Transfixio, deeply into the ground of the stronghold. “I, Wisken Callyah, pledge my allegiance to the King of Macline.” Caught off guard by this sudden action, the king’s gaze wavered. “What’s with the sudden nonsense?” “I accept your pledge, Sir Wisken. I am looking forward to working with you.” Greeted by the young king’s light-hearted voice, Wisken responded with a radiant smile. * * * – The king has quelled the traitor. The battle, which ended in just a day, or rather, a few hours, sent ripples throughout the kingdom. “I mean, the difference in the military forces was vast, why did those nobles revolt...?” “I don’t know. They must’ve had their reasons.” “Nobles being foolish isn’t new. They were blinded by greed.” Self-proclaimed intellectuals, unaware of what truly happened, ridiculed the folly of Jacques-Hwan and the deceased nobles. But those with even a slight insight into the situation shivered at the king’s terrifying strategy and kept silent. Amidst this atmosphere, Logan convened all the nobles for another grand meeting. The expressionless Logan began to speak in an even tone. “The taxes collected from the territorial nobles by the royal family will remain at 60%. However, the taxes that the lords impose on their people will be limited to 40%.” Despite the shocking tax decree, most nobles simply stayed silent and bowed their heads. The core figures who opposed taxes had all been decapitated at Juan’s stronghold. Those remaining were either too cautious to voice objections easily or were simply cowards, so naturally, no one dared to challenge Logan’s decision. * * * – Taxes for all territorial people will be lowered to 40% or less. The new tax policy spread rapidly across the kingdom. The people, initially skeptical, were forced to recognize the new reality as the royal inspectors reaffirmed the announcement and the lords themselves merely nodded in silence. Cheers erupted throughout the kingdoms. “Wowwww!” “Long live the King!” “Long live the Kingdom of Macline!” The majority of the territorial people, accustomed to paying 50-60% in taxes and despite cursing Logan and the royal family last year, now praised him. The subsequent policies were equally welcome among the citizens. – All citizens are under the protection of the royal family, and no lord may force unpaid labor or exploit them without justification. – Nobles who extort property from their people by means other than the fixed taxes, regardless of rank, will be severely punished. While these policies were in place to prevent the abuse of tax reductions by the lords, they were enough to be received with cheers by the citizens. And so, the nightmarish memories of the previous year also began to be glorified. “The rotten nobles were disposed of for our benefit.” “Yes, that’s right. He was the one who overthrew the tyrant and became king. We were too hasty.” With the prospect of a lively world now upon them, smiles began to bloom on the faces of the Macline kingdom’s citizens.

Chapter 257

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