Revolutionary Period – The Weight of Sin
“Unlike those who rot away the treasure in their hands without even knowing what potential they are wasting, it is possible if the Marquis and I are together. “Marquis de Lafayette, wouldn’t you like to write with me the greatest myth in history?”
I quietly looked at Balian’s hand held out to me, and Balian, seeing my expression, shyly withdrew his hand.
“Hmm, your reaction is a lot worse than I expected?”
“Did you think I would take it positively?”
Balian scratched his head shyly.
“Honestly, I thought it was half and half. “I guess it’s because of what the Count of Aquitaine experienced…”
Balian’s eyes seemed to have become sharp without him even realizing it, so he immediately raised both his hands.
“Oh, don’t misunderstand. Even if a conflict arises between us, I will never dream of laying a hand on the Count of Aquitaine.”
Balian said that, shrugged his shoulders, and added:
“I want to live a long, glorious life.”
Only then did I smile at him.
“is it so. As General Balian knows, I rejected the National Assembly and the order it put forward.”
I was so enraged that I killed not only the lawmakers who tried to kill Christine but also their attendants.
It is absolutely unacceptable under the laws of the National Assembly and the Republic, and I myself do not believe that the action was justified.
“But that doesn’t mean I hate the National Assembly itself.”
As a result, even Maximilien Isidor realized his problem and changed his attitude.
Although it was only the result of my efforts, the National Assembly compromised with the people of the western region and accepted them.
“Hmm not yet. is it.”
“Yes, not yet.”
Now that the war with foreign powers is over, there may be some changes in the National Assembly.
If they lose their senses and try to do the same thing again, I have the intention of completely defeating them like Balian said.
However, it is a republic that was barely built through the shedding of countless blood, and a national assembly with its own ideals.
In order to overthrow the National Assembly, even if all the sacrifices were made in vain, the alternative must be clearly better than the lesser evil.
“I do not find the general’s proposal attractive enough to overthrow the National Assembly.”
This time Balian twitched his eyebrows.
“What is the problem?”
“General. “Aren’t you overestimating Franzia’s capabilities?”
“…”
“We have been fighting a civil war for years now. “We defeated King Louis and defeated foreign powers with the help of the National Conscription System and the high morale of the Republic, but it is unlikely that the devastated domestic situation will be restored in a short period of time.”
Balian furrowed his brows and retorted.
“So, isn’t there a need to break down inefficient systems like the National Assembly and implement more efficient systems?”
“You are right, but as you know, I have put a lot of effort into improving the inefficiencies of the National Assembly. If we were to blow it all away and choose a general, we would have to have something guaranteed…”
Christine has been working hard in the National Assembly for us, strengthening the position of the Center Party, and she has laid a solid foundation that we can trust both in terms of her abilities and as a person. Abandon and join hands with Balian?
“Let’s hear the general’s goals. It seems like you are ignoring our enemies too much. Or are you overestimating us?”
This time, Balian also hardened his face.
“Of course, General Balian has tremendous military wealth. If you just look at the military governor, he’s probably higher than me. But are you sure that the general will win against the foreign countries of the empire and the continent?”
“…At least I don’t think I’ll lose to those old-timers from the old system.”
“Yes, I will win right now. If we educate the common people to use magical powers and lead soldiers who believe in and follow the banner of the revolution, we will definitely achieve victory. But do you believe that you can defeat them all and become the loser of the continent with that?”
As Balian said, just by teaching magic to the heavy cavalry, we were able to do well against more cavalry of the empire.
Of course, heavy cavalry are the most disciplined soldiers next to knights, so there are many who learn faster and have the aptitude for it, and it would be more difficult for regular soldiers.
Still, if all soldiers were able to use magical power, they would be able to demonstrate groundbreaking combat power as Balian said.
But enemies aren’t stupid either. They may be defeated by us at first, but one day they will face us in the same way.
“Archduke Leopold, who fought with us right now, would have the idea of teaching magic to heavy cavalry, who receive the most training and are highly loyal next to the knights.”
Isn’t it none other than myself as a witness?
I am the one who distinguished myself by using the skills I learned while losing to Balian in the civil war before the return and using them after the return.
“If we suffer consecutive defeats from our soldiers who use magic, those in power under the old system will at least try to teach magic to troops whose loyalty has been proven. How long do you think the general and our advantage will last? “If it takes a few years at most, it will only be one war.”
Balian listened to me with a serious expression and then refuted.
“Well, look at King Louis and those foolish nobles. “How could it be so easy for those who are bent on protecting their vested interests to allow commoners to use magical powers that have been blocked for hundreds of years?”
If you’re lucky, maybe so.
But, with only such expectations, he starts a war to create a great empire for his own honor? How is that different from the Blue Knight?
“On the other hand, do you assert that your enemies will all be as foolish as King Louis and his nobles? “If their vested interests are threatened by us, they will ultimately consider the lesser evil to win.”
Balian got drunk and with a red face, he filled his empty wine glass with wine and drank it again.
“This is being said by no one else but the Marquis, who is a nobleman and stands at the center of innovation, so I am at a loss for words to refute.”
Balian put down his glass, looked at me quietly, and opened his mouth.
“Well, that’s good. “I don’t think I can convince the Marquis yet.”
“I will consider it as something you said when you were drunk.”
Anyway, he and I are not completely at odds yet, and he is an essential talent that this country needs to prepare for the coming war.
I am also keeping an eye on the National Assembly, so there might come a day when I join hands with it, regardless of the war.
Balian asked while twirling his wine glass.
“Then I would also like to ask you something, Marquis. Foreign powers will be preparing for war right now, but the National Assembly will be distracted by the fact that the war is over and will want to keep the noble Marquis in check. “Do you have an alternative for the Marquis who rejected my offer?”
I smiled softly at him.
“there is.”
And that’s the biggest reason why I rejected Balian’s offer.
There is a princess who can greatly weaken the cause of the Germanian Empire to reveal its ambitions, buy time, and alleviate the status conflict in the National Assembly, but there is no way that the princess would agree to the idea of overthrowing the National Assembly and going to war in order to establish an empire.
–
Convoy heading to the capital Lumiere.
After vomiting several times, King Louis felt a burning thirst and severe hunger, but he did not even have the strength to complain about it.
Whatever King Louis’s condition, the cart clatters down the road and a rebel walks beside the cart carrying his prisoner.
Instead of being on a comfortable bed, my body was tired and sagging as it was constantly rocking on the floor of a hard wooden cart.
The rebels surrounding him grew tired of him time and time again, and instead of cleaning his stinking body, they only expressed their contempt and hatred.
At first, he was angry at their attitude, but with his ankles shackled to suppress his magical power, he did not even have the strength left to destroy the wooden cart.
The extreme pain and contempt shattered his vanity and sense of authority. As if the thing I wanted to protect so hard didn’t even have any value.
Stuck helplessly in the rattling cart, King Louis only looked at the passing road with blurred vision.
He wasn’t this ugly to begin with. If he had been this ugly from the beginning, there would be no way the knights would have followed him and the late king would have favored his second son.
However, as he competed with his older brother for a long time, aiming for the throne, and a long civil war ensued, he began to change one by one under pressure from reality and his close associates.
As long as I ascend to the throne, I can rule this country.
Little by little, I gave up and discarded the values and ideals I had when I first wanted the throne for that time that would come someday.
After being so corrupted under the pretext of compromising with reality, what was left was ugly even for him to see.
Even though he took the throne, nothing changed as he was already weighed down by the weight of the burden he had accumulated over the years.
As a result, the time he enjoyed as king was only about two years.
Even so, he was unable to properly enjoy his power as king because he had to fight against the remnants of his brother’s supporters and rebels.
Only fleeting tears flowed endlessly from King Louis’ eyes.
For what reason did he go to such lengths to covet power?
What came out of my chinless throat was more of a scream than a proper sob.
Where on earth did I go astray and why should I suffer this much?
The rattling of the carts stopped and the procession stopped.
“short break! “Let’s eat and then move again!”
The loud voices were fading away, but King Louis was lying helplessly on the bottom of the cart, looking away.
As time passed, the sound of the cart being unlocked was heard.
“excuse me.”
A soft voice that I have become quite accustomed to now.
As King Louis was gently placed on the bottom of the cart, a person wearing white robes, a hood, and a veil came into his sight.
Unlike him, who receives only hate and loathing from all the people in this procession, he is a being who is welcomed only with respect and admiration.
At first, King Louis also vented his anger and hatred towards the saint.
But after an arduous and painful journey, none of them remained.
“You’re thirsty.”
King Louis nodded frantically.
After hearing the answer, Eris slowly removed the bandage from his chin and tilted the water bottle in her hand to pour water down his neck.
King Louis quenched his thirst by pouring water slowly, little by little, all the time to prevent him from choking while drinking.
Tears naturally flowed.
In this procession of people who treat themselves more like animals than people, this saint is the only one who treats them like humans and cares about them.
The saintess fed King Louis the finely mashed, boiled, and cooled porridge in the same manner.
King Louis finally took a breather and slowly extended his hand to the saint, and she held out her hand.
King Louis expressed his intention by drawing letters on the saint’s hand.
Even though he, who has lost his chin, wants to express himself in this way, the only person who responds is the saint.
[Are we all in the capital?]
“Yes. “It will arrive by tonight.”
[Jim will be executed, right?]
“…Yes. maybe.”
King Louis cannot tell the expression of the saint whose face is covered by a veil. All you can see is the purple eyes shining beyond the veil.
After that conversation, there was a moment of silence.
King Louis grabbed the bottle of water and the bowl of porridge that the saint had fed him, and unconsciously reached out and grabbed her arm.
The saintess looked away and held out her hand, so King Louis, thinking this might be the last time, wrote on her hand again.
[Why don’t you at least show me your face?]
The saint slowly withdrew her hand, reached inside the hood, and pulled down the veil.
King Louis widened his eyes at the face of the saint he saw for the first time.
Transparent purple eyes and white or silvery hair.
Even King Louis had heard of the mysterious appearance of the now very famous saint.
But what surprised King Louis was that she looked quite similar to someone he knew.
A face similar to Cortizan, who became the concubine of her father, the late King.
It was quiet inside the palace, but as a prince, he knew that her daughter was vulnerable to sunlight and had purple eyes and silver hair, so it wasn’t difficult to make the connection.
As the shocked King Louis was unable to move his fingers, Eris opened her mouth.
“The Third Princess Esiliste Liliane de Francia greets you, brother.”
Only then did King Louis come to his senses and stutter to draw the letters.
[He was alive.]
“Yes.”
[Your mother?]
Eris smiled bitterly and shook her head.
[I’m sorry.]
There was silence for a while, and King Louis drew the letters again.
[I’m going to hell, right?]
“…”
Eris didn’t answer.
King Louis hesitated and then asked again.
[Would you like to go to confession?]
“I am not a priest.”
[But isn’t she a saint who is closer to God than anyone else? If you confess, God will-]
Eris laughed bitterly before King Louis, who was desperately clinging to him, could finish writing.
“I don’t know. Can someone who is not even a party to the crime forgive another person’s sins? Will people who will go to hell go to heaven if they do that?”
King Louis looked at Eris with blank eyes.
“Actually, I don’t believe that if you do this, you will go to hell or if you do that, you will go to heaven.
Because…”
Eris smiled bitterly.
“Because my mother committed suicide. According to what the priests say, your mother would have gone to hell, right? “He was a good person, but that doesn’t work.”
As Eris slowly stretched out her hand, a warm and soft light enveloped King Louis’ body.
The stiffness and pain that still remained in King Louis’ body disappeared, and he regained some vitality.
“So I blamed God a lot, but I’m still using my strength well.”
King Louis slowly wrote on Eris’ hand.
[The saint blames God?]
“Yes. Still, just in case. What if my mother is really in hell? So…”
Eris said, smiling brightly.
“I’m helping people. “I really don’t know, but if there really is a heaven and a hell and they are divided based on a person’s actions, then maybe if I do a lot of good deeds, I might be able to pay for my mother’s sins.”
Eris added playfully.
“This is actually a secret. There is someone helping me, but they look like they don’t know why I’m living like that. “If he finds out that I’m being nice for such selfish reasons, he’ll definitely be disillusioned.”
King Louis couldn’t move, and Eris, who had erased her smile, opened her mouth.
“Too many people have suffered because of my brother’s actions, and I cannot dare to forgive them on their behalf. Because that is a burden that you must bear.”
[Are my sins unforgivable? Even if I atone?]
“Atoning is something you have to do because you committed a sin, not because you expect your sins to be forgiven. “When you sincerely reflect and apologize, those people and the God of Heaven will decide whether to accept it.”
His sister did not forgive him or let him turn away from responsibility.
As King Louis shed tears, Eris reached out to where King Louis’ missing chin was.
In an instant, light enveloped his jaw and King Louis twisted his body in intense pain and indescribable sensations.
When the light finally cleared, King Louis slowly reached out and smoothed his chin.
My chin is now fine.
“Ugh huh. “My chin is…”
As King Louis himself was shocked by the human language that he had not heard for some time, Eris opened her mouth softly.
“This is all I can do for you. I have given you a chance, so you will decide whether or not to atone for your sins when faced with those who harbor hatred and revenge against you. “It is up to them and God to decide whether to forgive their brother or not.”
As King Louis was unable to say anything with tears pouring from his eyes, Eris reached out her hands and held his hand tightly.
“I will still pray for you. I hope that the hearts of those who have hatred and revenge on you can feel at least a little at ease, and that you can find some peace in the arms of God. … If God continues to give strength to a child like me, he may be more generous than we think.”
Eris muttered softly as she looked toward the capital in the distance.
“If not, I will serve the people of this country and do good deeds on your behalf. This will lighten the weight of your sins even a little.”
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