Somewhere, elsewhere, around the same time…
A black-cloaked man walks into a throne room without delay. He hurries past the armored guards that stand with halberds in hand by the door. The men standing alongside the red carpet that stretches all the way to the throne watch him closely, as he draws near the throne, almost running.
Finally, he makes it to just before the steps, and lowers himself in front of the throne. He hangs his head low, and places his palm on his opposite shoulder as he kneels. The luxuriantly robed man on the throne dressed in royal regalia looks down upon him with squinting eyes.
「Speak.」
The crowned, middle-aged man on the throne says, with his head propped up on his fist as he's slouching in the throne lazily. He clutches onto a sword in his lap, as he sits with his legs crossed, lacking any royal aura to speak of. The man in front of him swallows, and begins to report.
「M-my liege… One of the manhunter divisions we dispatched have sent a messenger. They report a confirmed sighting of the murderer princess. She is hiding in Murusburg…」
「Hmmm… That is good.」
The man on the throne says, unimpressed. He looks down at the cloaked man with disdain, not hidden in the slightest. He swings one of his feet back and forth out of boredom. The black-robed, balding man who stands by the throne, glances at the man on it for just a second. The young knight standing guard on the other side takes a quick peek as well, with a very obviously nervous face.
「M-m… My lord…」
The man beneath the throne stutters and sweats. The crowned man raises his eyebrow slightly.
「They also report a failure to capture her, on the account of a man-」
He stands up from the throne, making his subordinate flinch and pause. He takes slow, heavy steps down the throne. His sword's blade bounces up and down with each step. The black-cloaked man starts breathing quickly, and heavily.
「I am terribly sorry my liege, I assure you this failure is only temporary.」
He does not dare to look up, as the man walks in front of him, however, the tip of the sword enters his vision as he is kneeling. He stares at it with terrified eyes, unable to take them off from it for even a second.
「Ihavealreadydispatchedmessengersorderingotherdivisionsto-」
He speaks rapidly, desperately trying to salvage the situation in the eyes of the ruler.
「It is no problem. I don't mind.」
The monarch standing over him says, and the man kneeling takes a massive, shaky breath of relief.
「Thank you, my liege-」
「Lift your head.」
The cloaked, kneeling man does as ordered, with a relieved smile.
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Swish.
His smile turns to confusion, then brief abject terror when he realizes he is flying, the world is tilting sideways, and he catches a glimpse of his headless body slumping forward. He hits the ground and rolls towards one of the guards' feet. Blood sprays onto the carpet from the man's headless neck, reddening it further. The murderous ruler narrowly avoids getting dirty by standing off to the side.
「…But I have no use for the incompetents.」
He says as he turns around and starts walking back to his throne. The robed man is shaking his head slightly, with his palm on his face as the maniac monarch climbs the steps slowly.
「My liege, at this rate we will run out of loyal men. Must you really every time kill- Hrk!」
「You dare question me?」
He runs the robed man with the sword through his chest completely. He forcefully pulls the sword out, and the man staggers forward, stumbles, then falls and rolls down the steps leaving splatters of blood. The crowned man slumps back into his throne, and the young knight stares forward, trying to mask his horror. Blood drips from the sword quietly onto the stone steps, almost inaudible if not for the deathly silence in the throne room.
「You…」
The crowned man looks forward at nothing in particular, propping his head up with his fist again. The young man whimpers, as knows the monarch is calling out to him.
「Y-y-y… Yes, your royal highness?」
「You have served me well so far. You do not question my orders, and you do as I tell you. I am promoting you to the captain of the royal guard. Be honored.」
「Yesyourhighness! Thankyouyourhighness!」
The young man shouts, then clenches his teeth in a heavy grimace.
《The last captain lasted two days! It's so fucking over!》
「And clean up the trash…」
「Yes, your royal highness!」
He shouts out, jumps down the steps, and starts dragging the corpse of the stabbed man away. An elderly, long-bearded man walks into the throne room from the side, he walks around the young knight as he drags the corpse into the side hallway. He climbs the steps to the throne and leans in.
「I assume you come to report…」
「Yes, your majesty… The ritual is nearly complete.」
「She is in Murusburg, by the border. How long until it reaches her, the ritual included?」
「At this rate, it will likely find her by midday tomorrow… Should it agree, of course.」
「This took long enough. Ensure it works as intended… Unless you want to end like him.」
The bearded man looks at the headless corpse.
「…Yes, of course, your majesty…」
He bows with his palm on his shoulder, across his chest, and returns towards the side hallway. He steps out of the way of the panting, heavily breathing young man as he runs up to the headless corpse, and starts dragging it away…