656. [Side Story] Dusk Bringer (4)
Day Bringer’s white military uniform was stained with bright red blood.
When the confidant he trusted and entrusted his back stabbed him with a sword from behind, he couldn’t even escape. The Daybringer vomited blood as he held the blade that had pierced his body.
“Lyton… Sir. What the hell is this… what the hell…!”
“…”
Layton sighed coldly as he fixed the sword that had stabbed the queen.
“It is for this country, sir.”
“What is that…?!”
“Your Excellency rules the country too emotionally.”
The Day Bringer coughed up blood and looked back with difficulty. Leighton continued.
“You emotionally mingle with the citizens at the festival, emotionally waste your budget on welfare for the poor, and finally emotionally decide on your successor.”
“…”
“It may be loved by the citizens, but the Duchy of Bringer has always been in danger under your Excellency. As someone who cares about the future of this country… I can’t take it anymore.”
Layton clearly revealed the ambition he had been hiding.
“The next duchy is mine.”
“…!”
“Whoa… You don’t even know what I’m doing. Do you think you’re going to hand over the country I’ve built my whole life to a kid? Why have I been eliminating other dragon knights for so long?”
The Day Bringer’s voice trembled with embarrassment.
“Sir Layton, what are you talking about? no way.”
“yes. you’re right. In the meantime, all of the dead or retired dragon warriors were handed over by me from behind. So that I will be the only option left to His Excellency.”
Leighton’s lips twisted.
“However, His Excellency did not intend to make me his successor until the end.”
“…”
Layton will never know.
Apart from his competence, because of this spark of ambition that glimpsed inside him… the fact that the Day Bringer did not consider him his successor.
And even knowing the existence of that flame, believing in his loyalty was also the Day Bringer’s failure.
“I am also a dragon knight. I have rights too. No, who can rule this country better than me?”
Layton’s cold voice gradually became warmer.
“I can rule this country more properly than your Excellency. Only me.”
“Even if you dare to rebel and stab the king… Cool! Do you think you can safely receive support from the citizens?”
“Who do you think is the person in power who has been in charge of all domestic and foreign affairs in this country?”
Layton’s coup d’état was thoroughly prepared from the beginning, much more than Day Bringer thought.
“Since time immemorial, the military has been completely within my grasp. We are already suppressing other government departments.”
“…!”
“When His Excellency passes away, all real power in this country will now be in my hands. You don’t have to worry about public support right now. It’s something like that, you just have to get it slowly.”
“Sir Layton…!”
Daybringer tried to get out of the situation by pulling up his strength to shake off Layton, but his body did not have strength.
“This is an ancient dragon sword prepared for this day. Even if you say you’re the Grand Duke of Bringer, you’ll have a hard time holding on because you’ve been stabbed this deeply.”
Layton slowly twisted the stabbing blade.
I stabbed the sword aiming at the heart from behind, but Day Bringer’s unconscious instinct twisted his body and the sword narrowly missed the heart.
But it was fatal enough. The floor of the room was already covered with the blood of the grand duke.
“Go back in peace, sir. I will rule this country efficiently and well. After swallowing Your Excellency’s heart and His Excellency’s blood.”
“Keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…!”
The very moment Daybringer sensed his end.
Knocked out –
“Oh my! I’m ready-”
Said the young dragon knight- Dusk and entered the office.
For an instant, silence fell between Day Bringer, Layton, and Dusk.
Dusk was a bright kid and could grasp the situation immediately.
In fact, it wasn’t even a rare sight. Even in the back alleys where the girl grew up, adults often stabbed and betrayed each other over the throne.
Taat-!
Dusk had been practicing swordsmanship for the past year, and he picked up a wooden sword that he had never removed from his body and threw it as it was.
The wooden sword aimed precisely at Layton’s face and flew. Layton lightly turned his head to avoid it, but his attention was distracted for a moment-
“Huh…!”
Daybringer didn’t miss the chance and grabbed Layton’s blade stuck in his chest and pushed it backwards, scattering his mana in all directions.
“What?!”
Layton, swept away by the Day Bringer’s magical power, fell far away. Daybringer coughed up blood and collapsed on the spot, and Dusk hurriedly rushed in to help him.
“Oh my God! Are you okay?!”
“Dus… Big.”
The Day Bringer blocked the blood pouring out of his chest with his hand.
‘Internal wounds do not heal…’
As the power of the dragon manifested, the torn skin healed and the blood stopped, but the inside that had been torn by the blade did not heal.
The magic that would normally boil like lava was now cooling down.
It was said that it was an ancient dragon slaughter sword, but it seemed that there was a special curse on it.
“Don’t make things difficult, sir.”
In the corner of the office, Layton was neatly straightening his posture and holding his sword straight.
“Think carefully about what is better for this country. If only your Excellency and the little girl are gone… this country can become even richer and stronger.”
“….”
“I can. Doesn’t His Excellency know better about my competence?”
The Daybringer smiled with blood-soaked lips.
“If you only aimed at my neck, you could have given me my heart and blood. I can’t do that at the point where I’m going to kill this child too.”
The Day Bringer stretched out his arms and hugged Dusk’s small shoulders tightly.
“A country that can become rich and strong only by sacrificing the life of such a child would be better off destroyed…!”
Then he reached out his other hand and touched the wall.
Kwagwawang-!
The exploding magic power of the Daybringer made a huge hole in one wall of the palace, and in an instant, misty dust flew in all directions.
Layton rushed in with a sword to search the surroundings, but when the dust settled, the Day Bringer was no longer visible.
“Release the soldiers.”
Military officers who had been waiting outside, holding their breath, rushed towards Layton. Layton ordered ferociously in a cold voice.
“You won’t get far. Be sure to find it…!”
***
The city, which was beautifully decorated with flowers and decorations for the festival, was already full of soldiers.
The festival was canceled and martial law was declared in the city.
Citizens were taken aback by the sudden situation, but there was no way to resist the sharp thrusting of spears and knives by the soldiers.
Everyone had to raise their hands and return to their homes.
Every sunny place in the city was already under Layton’s grasp.
“Come this way…!”
But in the shadows of this city, there were still places to hide.
And about the back alleys, Dusk knew better than any other soldier.
Dusk headed deep into the back alley, supporting the Daybringer wearing a shabby robe.
“help!”
Dusk shouted as he stepped into a filthy vacant lot used by no one but the uninhabited inhabitants of the underworld.
“help! Anyone else?!”
There were people hiding everywhere, but no one showed up.
Rumors were quick. A coup d’état took place at the palace, and Layton and the military quickly seized key points in the city.
Layton was the Queen’s right-hand man for a long time. All citizens knew how accustomed he was to wielding power as the real power of this country.
Reeking of fresh blood, power in the country was shifting to a new master.
In this situation, after helping the dying queen who was kicked out, what kind of aftertaste should he do?
Life was precious to both the poor and the rich. People shrank and held their breath to avoid getting involved in this affair.
“please…! The queen is dying! Someone help me…!”
Dusk shouted desperately, but no one showed up.
How could this be?
Unable to believe people’s heartlessness, Dusk gritted his teeth.
“It’s okay, Dusk.”
Supported by such a girl, the Day Bringer said with a pale face.
“…Maybe Layton was right.”
“Oh my God.”
“I was only emotional, but I was not a competent king. Although it gained instant popularity among the citizens, it did not make the country rich and strong…”
The Day Bringer smiled dejectedly and looked around the empty space.
“So this is the citizens’ choice.”
It was then. I saw someone standing on the other side of the back alley.
Surprised Dusk looked around and saw a familiar face. It was a young woman with tattoos all over her body.
“sister?”
“…”
When Dusk grew up in the back alleys here, she was the leader of a group of tramps who extorted and abused girls in the name of protecting them.
“Help me sister! Now the Queen…!”
However, the leader woman flinched as soon as Dusk met her eyes, then gnashed her teeth and ran away.
“Ah…”
A dejected moan escaped Dusk’s lips.
that buck! that buck! that buck!
The sounds of soldiers stomping were heard in the distance, gradually approaching. It seemed that the intelligence that the queen had fled here had already spread.
Feeling the encirclement narrowing, the Day Bringer sat down on the floor. Dusk knelt down in front of her and bowed his head.
“I’ll protect you, Mama. I’m also a dragon knight…”
“…”
The Day Bringer opened his mouth after looking into the big eyes of the young girl who spoke boldly.
“Dusk. The darkness of the world is so deep.”
“yes?”
“And a person’s darkness is even deeper.”
Layton, blinded by power, betrayed the lord he served his whole life.
And the citizens who turned their backs on the queen for fear of its power.
People who easily forget the grace given by the other person and the time spent together in front of each other in the face of gains and losses of interest.
It was an ugly but true side of the beautiful Duchy of Bringer. The Daybringer laughed bitterly.
“Ugly, cruel, and terrifying is the world and people.”
“….”
“But I love you, Dusk.”
Even in this situation, Daybringer was saying this.
“Don’t hate, love.”
“…”
“Because you are a child who can do that.”
What does it mean to say that you are like that?
Dusk couldn’t understand the queen’s true intentions. However, the Day Bringer’s eyes were so earnest that he nodded.
Then Layton’s soldiers poured into the back alley.
“I found the Archduke!”
“Complete the siege and report to Lord Layton immediately!”
The soldiers came running with spears and knives.
Dusk hoped that the Daybringer would break through the siege and run away, but the Daybringer did not prepare for battle at all.
Just with one hand on his chest. He took a deep breath and looked inside himself…
Dusk gritted his teeth and held up the piece of wood he had picked up on the way like a sword. He was going to die fighting while protecting the queen until the last moment.
For the only person who gave him warmth all his life….
It was then.
Inside the back alley, a veteran with a prosthetic leg limped and stood in front of the Queen and Dusk.
“ah…?”
A groan escaped from Dusk’s mouth.
It was a familiar old man.
He would be the same because he was the old man who stabbed himself at the festival a year ago.
“…”
The old man glanced at Dusk and stood there silently.
chuck! chuck! chuck!
One after another, people appeared from all over the back alley and blocked the soldier’s path.
They were elderly people with no limbs or poor mobility. All of them were wearing old military uniforms.
They were veterans living in slums.
Those who appeared before they knew it stood in a circle as if protecting the queen, blocking the encirclement of the soldiers with their bodies. The soldiers were perplexed.
“What are these old people?!”
“What can I do? I’m not armed…”
“But you can’t attack civilians-”
At that moment, a cold voice flew in.
“Is the weapon in your hand a decoration?”
It was Layton who appeared behind the soldiers.
He glared with cold eyes at the veterans and at the queen and girl behind them.
“Make your way. Kill a few of them and they’ll get out of the way.”
“…”
But the soldiers couldn’t bear to wield their weapons and only looked at each other, and Layton stepped forward in annoyance.
“You cowards… get out of the way. I do it myself.”
Sreung-
Layton’s dragon slasher was pulled out with a bloody sound and pointed forward. However, the veterans stared straight ahead with empty eyes and did not move.
Layton, who had approached, swung his sword upward without hesitation.
And –
“The Queen lives!”
Suddenly, a cry was heard from above.
Everyone looked up in surprise and saw a woman on the roof of a building in the back alley, screaming towards the city.
“His Excellency the Grand Duke of Bringer is here!”
She was the leader of a group of vagabonds with tattoos all over her body.
Led by her, the rooftops and the children of the slums standing on the roofs shouted as if screaming.
“Here is His Excellency the Grand Duke! The Dragon Lady is under siege by the rebels!”
“The Sun Queen is in danger!”
“These cowards! Are you still subjects of the queen!”
A few soldiers hurriedly climbed the building to catch the children screaming in anger.
“What are these bastards doing now!”
“Disband immediately! Otherwise, I’ll dispose of you too…”
The soldiers who had pointed their weapons at the children while threatening them gradually lost their words.
It was belatedly seen by the eyes of the rooftops and those standing on the roofs.
“
Oh my god….” “My God, this is-”
Citizens flocking from all over the city like a tidal wave, following the cries of the children as a signal.
