The swift surrender of the Kingdom of Ireon quickly spread throughout the continent.
And naturally, this almost immediately reached the ears of the Revolutionary Army, which was heavily focused on news from the Empire.
Revolutionary Army members were quietly angry.
How was the Revolutionary Army created? Wasn't this a group of people who were angry and opposed to Emperor Eduardo's conquest?
Above all, most of them came from kingdoms that were destroyed by the Emperor's hand.
The Emperor's actions of advancing without hesitation and obtaining the surrender of a kingdom sprinkled salt on the bitter wounds of the Revolutionary soldiers and brought back painful memories.
A grueling eight year war in which many kingdoms disappeared from the map.
'It's been a while since we stopped all activities. How long do we have to hold our breath like this? Wasn't the reason we moved so far to puncture his power and lower his approval rating rather than to kill the emperor? What on earth is the leader thinking?'
The Emperor's actions ignited the Revolutionary Army's desire for revenge.
However, the leader's answer after hearing this news and the reaction of the Revolutionary Army members was simple.
'No change in command.'
Power should be preserved as is.
Naturally, many people protested. However, the leader's next words silenced their voices in an instant.
'Prepare to hit the Emperor's head.'
A new wind began to blow among the Revolutionary Army.
***
Meanwhile, Daniel, the leader of the Revolutionary Army who gave all these orders, was quietly preparing to leave the headquarters. His face, covered in fatigue, was subtly stiff. He put on his coat and let out a faint sigh.
'I'm tired.'
His body could handle it just fine, but the mental fatigue was incredible.
He knew right away that it wouldn't be easy to control those who tried to rush forward in anger, but it felt like it was getting more difficult as each day passed.
The more the government was pushed back, the more precarious this position will become.
Honestly, it's unfair.
'It's thanks to someone that we've stayed together and not scattered until now.'
With people from each kingdom gathered together, there was no way factions would not arise.
Among those who were divided into factions and were at odds with each other, Daniel was the one who coordinated them and kept them from scattering.
Even if just one thing went wrong right away, the Revolutionary Army would not be able to unite properly and would disperse.
"Hyung."[1]
"Ah, Paul."
"Are you going to see your mother?"
"Yes. So wait here. I will be back."
He left Paul behind and walked down the dark road. As he was crossing the road with no lights, like an old secret passage, all kinds of random thoughts came to mind.
And he remembered it again. The reason the Revolutionary Army gathered.
It started for a very simple reason.
'My kingdom has been destroyed. I am angry and want revenge, but there is no royal family to serve as a focal point and raise an army.'
Because the cruel Emperor sought out and killed all of the royal family's blood, even the collateral branches. Even if they were non-royal figures, if they were popular, they were killed without mercy.
While they were suppressing themselves and only observing their thoughts, someone came forward as if to represent their feelings.
'I will kill the Emperor. Anyone who wants to participate, please gather. Origin does not matter.'
Until the last word that it did not discriminate against origin because the purpose of killing the Emperor was consistent with his own.
Many people gathered.
The number was beyond imagination. It felt like he could achieve my goal at any moment. Then, even though they had not done anything yet, worries about what would happen after the coup arose in the minds of those who had some free time.
'If we kill the Emperor and all his family members, what will we do with the empty space?'
The crown prince or princess could not be presented as puppets. Because they must die.
However, if one of them sat in that empty seat, problems would arise.
They were a group of people from each kingdom who were trampled by the Emperor. It was clear that if someone sat down, people from other kingdoms would be dissatisfied.
While they were just having a subtle battle of wits without being able to come up with a clear plan, someone's voice came out.
'Do we really need to fill the empty seat? Can't the 'position' itself be eliminated?'
If they simply kill the Emperor, they will only become rebels.
So, let's create a new system in the name of 'revolution'. This was the time to abolish the caste system and create a world where everyone was equal.
This statement received majority agreement and became the core ideology of the Revolutionary Army.
Thus, the radical and violent group that was born primarily out of revenge and anger was transformed into the current Revolutionary Army that was supported not only by those who lost their country, but also by civilians and even some imperial citizens and scholars.
'It's only natural that it has captured the tastes of many people.'
Those who were angry about losing their country were fascinated by the violent aspect of killing the Emperor, while scholars are opposed to the caste system, and civilians are fascinated by the dream-like future of a world where everyone is equal.
But did they really know?
All of these processes and results were not accidental, but came about through someone's thorough planning.
Daniel stopped for a moment in front of the door he arrived at and eventually raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Mother. This is Daniel."
"Come on in."
'Someone' who gathered people together under the pretext of 'killing the Emperor.'
When people were worried about what would happen after the massacre, 'one person' said, 'Let's eliminate empty seats and create a world where everyone is equal.'
Daniel had long known of the concept of 'a world where everyone is equal'. A world without kings, nobility, and no class system. A world where everyone is the owner of the country and everyone is its worker.
"Welcome, son. Are you hurt anywhere?"
Inside the room, a woman with a noble aura was sitting in a rocking chair, welcoming him. Eyes as clear and deep as the sea that seem to pierce the world, and fine wrinkles that looked like they often smiled softly.
A woman who appeared to have been knitting, with a somewhat shaped scarf resting on her lap, made eye contact with Daniel. The woman's eyes softened.
Daniel, who was standing there, took a step forward with a smile similar to hers.
"No. Mom, are you okay?"
...His mother was the daughter of a noble family who ran away and married a commoner.
It would be difficult to think that this was just a story about a foolish person crazy about love. She was smarter than you could imagine.
By falling in love with a commoner, she questioned basic rules that no one had ever questioned before.
An idea that went beyond basic rules and was close to the fundamentals.
The caste system.
From a young age, Daniel listened to his mother, sat on her lap, and shared her thoughts. Even while continuing a simple married life with his father, when his father died after being mistaken for a nobleman, and even when his mother became ill due to severe stress.
She explained her thoughts and methods to Daniel, and Daniel piled up such knowledge in his head.
And as he watched my mother getting weaker day by day, he made a decision.
I will show you the world you think of before you close your eyes.
"I'm fine. Son, what brought you here today?"
"I want to go to Ireon."
Daniel knelt at his mother's feet as he spoke of the name, which was now a region of the Empire rather than a kingdom.
They needed to increase our power until there was a coup.
Unlike during the Eight Year War, the king and his lineage were alive in the Kingdom of Ireon, but the fact remains that the Empire obtained a forced surrender. Of course, there will be people who are dissatisfied with this result. If they did well, they may be able to receive support from the king.
'No, he's going to feel uncomfortable because of the ideology.'
Even without the support of higher-ups, if they could attract those who are dissatisfied with the current situation, that was enough.
"It must be dangerous."
"Many people died."
He leaned his face on his mother's lap and closed his eyes.
The faces of those who threw their lives away passed by.
"...If we continue like this, we will not be able to achieve our goal. I need to replenish our power."
"Son."
"Mother, I am a sinner."
If the situation was not favorable, at least he was the one who paid the bomb so that he does not die alone, and he was the one who made him do something that almost killed him.
Then, when he occasionally heard news that a civilian had been caught and killed, Daniel had to suffer all day long.
He opened my eyes. As if he couldn't even feel the hand gently caressing his head, Daniel muttered softly, his eyes shining with determination.
"For their sake, the purpose must be achieved."
"Are you planning to go directly?"
"Yes, how can you earn their trust without going there yourself?"
"The Emperor is probably expecting it. He likely put soldiers on standby."
The Emperor was smart. There was no way he was unaware of the revolutionary army's thoughts.
"...The Emperor will go to war again. I'm sure. The Emperor never stops. I will use this opportunity to go all the way to the end. So..."
Even though he thought to himself, he continued to make skeptical assumptions.
"You can't worry about this. Besides, the Revolutionary Army hasn't had any major incidents recently, so he may have put it off as a priority."
As if she sensed his intentions, the woman smiled kindly instead of bothering to refute him.
"There is no need to try to convince this mother. Son, do whatever you want."
"Ah..."
"But before I leave, there is one gift I would like to receive from my son... can you give it to me?"
"Whatever you want."
The woman's mouth opened with a smile on her face, and Daniel's face, who had been quietly listening, immediately turned white as he heard the words that followed.
***
"Are you here?"
"Yes."
"Nothing happened, right?"
"Yes."
"Oh, Paul. Could you please tell Iram to recruit some good people? Of course, if you decide to go together."
"Yes? Yes. By the way, are you okay? You don't look good..."
"Ah."
He reflexively touched his face.
"...It's no big deal. There's one more thing I'd like you to do, Paul."
"Please speak."
"Please find me a poison that will allow someone to die without pain."
"...!"
"Please."
Daniel smiled bitterly, looking at Paul's surprised expression.
This was the best he could do.
'Which mother can survive the loss of her child? The son must return safely. If the son dies, the mother will die too.'
He could not stop his mother.
***
Contrary to expectations, the Emperor did not even care about the Revolutionary Army. At the second meeting convened, each noble who thought the subject matter was valuable brought forward a plan for the Revolutionary Army.
It was a very diverse set of plans. After listening to each of the plans, the Emperor chose the most useful one and left the rest to others. So there was no need to waste his attention on such a thing.
'Did you say that once the Kingdom of Ireon is conquered, the Revolutionary Army will move there, so let's have soldiers on standby?'
Probably so.
He remembered saying something roughly.
'Send the Lofty Knights.'
Another name was the Murderous Knights.
There were two reasons for sending these guys away.
Firstly, the job was to deal with too many accidents.
'I'm bored, I'm annoyed, I'm happy'... He felt like his severe headache was getting worse because he kept having to deal with accidents every day for all sorts of reasons. Why do you destroy a healthy building and why do you have to juggle an iron sword and almost cut off a good arm? It wasn't even his own arm, but the arm of a passing attendant.
And secondly...
'Who else can deal with crazy people?'
The Murderous Knights were a self-proclaimed crazy group, and the Revolutionary Army was a group of people who have a different meaning from them.
Shouldn't crazy people be dealt with by crazy people?
[1] Hyung directly translates as "older brother" but is also used by younger boys to refer to men older than them as a term of respect or closeness.