Two giants spawned behind the knight. Previously, she would have only been able to spawn a single clone of that stature. But thanks to her ascension, now she could make as many as she’d need, or as many as she could handle. Not being forced to ride on the giant's shoulder was another plus. Though looking at her humongous-self from down-below wasn’t exactly flattering. And on the other end, Jaid’s body looked puny from their point of view.
The two behemoths slammed the tips of their swords underneath the iron slab that was protecting the front gates of Guzrinn castle. They pushed down and pried the slab up effortlessly. Jaid walked through, and the swords were removed, causing the metal to crash back down, resealing the exit.
She left the two giants still standing. Word would undeniably spread soon, if it hadn’t already, especially with the two of them out there. Everyone in the city would be able to see them. Jaid doubted any civilians would take action, but Guzrinn’s main army base was only a few lages away from the capital city, so they’d be there in no time. She’d leave the two Soldiers of Ruin posted to prevent anyone else from getting inside—not letting anything disturb her mission.
But The Paladin was met with a dozen or so more nuisances as soon as she entered the castle’s main courtyard. It was a fairly small squadron, just the usual night guard who had all rushed over when they heard the gate. Jaid wondered if it was anyone she knew, not that she could tell because of the new tactical outfits they were all wearing, waving guns around like they were the swords that used to be at their hips.
The true knight, however, didn’t even break stride. Clones sprung their trap against every guard all at once. Not a single one of them even had a moment to think about firing their rifles, all subdued in moments before they could realize what was happening. The courtyard was cleared out before Jaid could even walk over half of it.
And entering the castle itself was much easier than the front gate. The guards hadn’t been given enough time to barricade or even lock it, so the knight pushed the familiar doors open just like thousands of times in her previous life. So many more memories came flooding back when she saw the castle's decor. It hadn’t changed at all—the same carpeting, the same paintings, same flowers in the vases, even the same smell.
Hopefully that meant the layout hadn’t changed either. Even after all this time, Jaid knew every brick of the castle, where every corridor led, where every hidden passage was accessed. And she’d use that to her advantage to make sure the king wouldn’t escape.
New Jaids popped out of the woman and scurried off in every direction. While the knight had a good hunch that she knew where the king would be, there were no guarantees. That, and she still needed to uncover his corruption for herself. Odds were that he wasn’t flagrantly flaunting his misdeeds and likely had any proof tucked away and well-hidden.
The Paladin herself, though, headed straight for the throne room. King Guzmeir spent almost all of his time there, forcing servants and subjects to come and go, attending to every beck and call, rather than making any effort himself to walk around his own castle. If he needed a private meeting, he’d throw everyone else out, and if they weren’t back before he could call out their names, they’d enjoy a night in the dungeon.
Thinking back on it, if Jaid hadn’t been so brainwashed by her upbringing, she would have despised the king and everything he stood for. But she tried to refrain from such thoughts—condemning him before she could confirm the truth. Still, the knight took the walk slow, processing all the information that her clones had scoured.
The first clone had sprinted for hidden escape tunnels, splitting apart to make sure to cover every exit. They dodged any guards they came across, making more clones and dissolving themselves to avoid attacks. There was no time to engage, since they had to make sure no attempts to flee had been made.
And sure enough, there were a few in the process of skittering out of the castle, but none of them were the king. Rather, they were envoys from other nations, decked in their drawers since they’d been preparing for bed. Jaid didn’t attack or harass them, but just blocked their path so they had nowhere to go, wanting to see what they’d do. And they stayed still, possibly confusing her with security or that she was there to help. The knight then began a basic interrogation, trying to obtain knowledge of any secret dealings they may have been involved in with Guzrinn.
That was a good lead, but the other clones weren’t having as much success. At the study, the ransacking-Jaid found nothing of interest regarding the claims to Humanity or the Red Eyes Gang, but she did find a ledger further implicating Guzrinn’s treasurer, whose hands Drim had cut off earlier that night. So the clone took a picture with their phone to save the record.
In the war room, that clone found maps and invasion plans against other countries. If she presented them to the king’s targets, it could certainly stir up conflict, but the intent felt ingenuine, like it was the king’s passing fancy or idealistic dream of one day conquering the world.
At the armory, a Jaid found standard weapons and military gear—all modern and high-tech. Over in the corner, she saw piles of their old swords and platemail, rusting away. Not long ago, they had been the knight’s pride, spending hours polishing and sharpening. It was just sad to see what had befallen them.
Even in the kitchen, the atmosphere had lost its luster. Jaid tried a bite of the food and scowled—bland and boring. Long gone were the flavors she loved, when she was forced to eat some of the prince’s food anyways. Maybe the chefs had changed, maybe the methods, or maybe she had finally learned what good food actually tasted like.
In the barracks, where the knight found many soldiers scrambling to get dressed now that an alarm was blaring, she had to quickly defeat them all before they could grab their guns. Looking around at how much better these guards were treated than her fellow knights ever were, Jaid started to wonder if these were even Guzrinn soldiers to begin with, or possibly paid mercenaries. Between them, the new gear, and turning the castle into a fortress, clearly the country had somehow come into a lot of money.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
A clone even invaded the king’s quarters. She didn’t know what she expected to find, but uncovered a few things she wished she hadn’t. Closing the drawers and locking the door behind her, that Jaid tried to work out if it was possible not to share her memories with the others, to spare them the same burning visions.
But the clone who ascended the tower received the biggest emotional blow. Her home, even though it was small and practically a store room to begin with, was entirely gone. All of her belongings, all of her memories, every trace of herself and her mother had vanished. Now, it was just a pile of junk everywhere. It made sense after her alleged betrayal, but to think they’d even disrespect her mother like that who’d given her love for the country.
She had already been to anywhere she could think of, and the Jaids scoured every inch of the castle. However, there was still one room she hadn’t visited, one she’d been subconsciously ignoring until it became the only place left to check. The clone stared at the door which was sealed by a giant padlock. One clean slice was all it took to sever it away. And after a breath to compose herself, the clone opened the door to the prince’s bedroom.
At the same time, the main Jaid pushed the heavy doors into the throne room. Her leisurely walk had allowed her enough time to mentally prepare, ready to face the man she once served. She grimaced when she caught a glimpse of the king’s face, not that she had long to look. The knight quickly had to divert her attention to the fifty or so kingsguard standing between them, protecting the man as he cowered behind on his throne.
With a quick wave of the king’s hand, every guard opened fire, but Jaid just kept walking forward. Dozens of clones sprouted in front of her, blocking the bullets with their swords and armor, not letting so much as a scrap touch the original. And a few seconds later, more clones spawned, leapt out, surrounding the small army on both sides. They all charged their swords and retaliated with a shower of lightning.
Just like that, the entire kingsguard was wiped out, and all Jaid had done was taken a few steps. Most of the clones vanished, but a few remained, dragging the limp bodies of the guards out of the way so that the knight wouldn’t sully her boots. And seconds later, Jaid stood mere feet away from the king. A long dormant muscle memory almost tempted her to kneel as she had countless times, but this was a man to whom she could never again bow her head.
“Ah, Jaid Luciri,” the king attempted to regain his composure, trying to hide how he’d just squirmed in his seat after watching his last line of defense crumble before him so effortlessly. It really was rather sad how easy it was. Either the standards of their training had gotten too lax, or maybe Jaid had just gotten too strong in her absence.
“So you remember me,” the knight stared straight at the king, a blatant act of disrespect.
“Of course I do,” Guzmeir snarled. “How could I ever forget that bewitching green hair from the day that you came in here crying falsehoods after you killed my son?!”
“You know I had nothing to do with that!” Jaid spat back, trying to hold back years of rage and contempt.
“Hmph, obviously,” the king grinned. “My foolish son brought about his own demise. To think he’d hire such an incompetent assassin. Couldn’t even kill a defenseless girl properly, and ended up slaying his own employer. Idiocy all around. But the boy always was a disappointment.”
“So you knew about the assassination plot then?!” The Paladin demanded to know.
“What kind of king do you take me for?!” Guzmeir scowled at the insult. “Of course I knew. I know everything that happens in my castle. In fact, I was the one who planted the idea in his head. Political marriages… what zjik. They serve their purpose, but it also gave the others a big head. They thought our alliance through wedlock would put them on equal footing, and we couldn’t have that. No, Guzrinn will never submit to being equals with others. One day, we’ll be at the top of the world!”
Perhaps those invasion plans that Jaid had found were more than idle dreamery. The knight wanted to scream at him for playing his son like a pawn, but the king was surprisingly talkative, and his next words caught her off guard. “You did wonderfully, Luciri.”
“They boy may have been incompetent, and possibly could have ruined us with his poorly thought plan, but you swooped in and saved us—the perfect scapegoat. You served your prince well, not only in life, but still cleaning up his messes after his death. He should be proud of how you’ve served your country. Well done.”
The Paladin wasn’t quite sure what the king was playing at. Did he think this vain attempt at stroking her ego would somehow cause her to spare him? So she elected to ignore it and got down to the reason she’d come. The knight lifted her sword, pointing it at the man and inquired, “What’s your connection to Humanity and the Red Eyes Gang?”
“And why would I answer that?” Guzmeir slumped back in his throne, as if entirely uninterested by the turn of events.
“Because I’ll kill you if you don’t,” Jaid’s words burned with aggression, making sure he understood that it wasn’t an idle threat. Really, though, her question had been a rhetorical one, because her clone had already found the answer.
In Prince Lyke’s room, little of the prince’s memory actually remained—similar to Jaid’s tower, but the king at least had the decency to keep a single picture of his son. The boy’s bed was gone, so were all of his belongings—the games he loved, the clothes he hated. As with her, his room had been turned to storage.
Crates and shelves filled with ledgers and records were scattered all about the bedroom. Everything Tize had said about the king was true. Not only was he heavily involved in funding Humanity and the Red Eyes Gang, the amount of nefarious trades and acts he’d spearheaded to get that money in the first place was staggering. And not only that, there was a list of politicians he’d gotten in his pocket, laws he’d pushed forward at the CP. Guzmeir had truly sold Guzrinn’s soul, all for more power.
“Silly girl, you would never kill me!” Guzmeir then slammed his fist down on the throne’s armrest. “Because I am your king!”
“Sorry…” was all Jaid could think to say. Her giant broadsword cleaved through the thone from behind, a clone swinging down with all her might. It cut the wood effortlessly, and carved through the king’s body with equal ease. Guzmeir was sliced from his shoulder down to the opposing hip. The top of the throne, along with his upper torso, then slid off to the side, crashing onto the floor. “But I serve a new king.”
Just as the final clone vanished, and Jaid was about to turn around and leave, her phone suddenly buzzed.