Chapter 115: Thirteenth Episode: Chapter 6 (1/2)
Chapter 115: Thirteenth Episode: Chapter 6
Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Hefner (Church’s calendar 677 – 746), Deiss’ great musician, playwright, and poet. During the years when he lived, he had left countless pieces of musical works and had also organized the first symphony orchestra in the world. He was respected as the ”Father of Classical Symphony” while in his homeland, he was the most outstanding representative of the Deiss classical Romantic Period and also the most-hired literati.
Deiss was a strange nation! In the other sovereign states in Westland, people were accustomed to using politics, economy, culture and other societal categories to evaluate the country’s degree of civilization comprehensively. In Deiss, conflicts were usually used to maintain one’s position; serfs were used to maintain their livelihood and the King’s willpower to maintain a rule. However, it was in this nation whose political economy was extremely lagging, that innumerable, most outstanding philosophers and musicians in history were produced! These engineers of the soul produced great wealth in their narrow, desolate corners.
In Deiss, one could be illiterate, but could not go without music! Music was this nation’s consistent method of expressing their feelings! In the Kingdom’s capital, Borensberg, those towering, massive dome buildings were not necessarily a palace but were certainly opera houses after opera houses or a massive concert hall. Even if it were in the scarce Shalons of the nobles, the most conspicuous place would be the space monopolized by the band. The Deiss, were like the people of Vielonna who revered in the melodies. When Deiss nobles, who were a bunch of cultural snobs, gathered together in the Shalon, aside from the Kingdom’s wars that they discussed most, they would gossip about the latest works that screened in Vielonna. Needless to say, during the second half of Church’s year 797, the Deiss nobles added another topic to their routine discussions. The prince who came from Titan undeniably captured all their curiosity and zest.
Year 797, the 12th day of the 8th month was the Hefner’s 120th annual birthday memorial. This evening, Borensberg could only be described as jam-packed. In order to attend the memorial concert held by the nation’s main theatre, the top nobles from all over the land set out, dressed resplendently. They came from the borders, the inland and even rushed back to the capital from abroad.
The streets of Borensberg had already been decorated anew. This royal city was congested with low houses and ancient buildings of an age of long ago, but the clusters of flowers and brightly lit furnace cast the street into a bewitching luster it never had before. The hefty knights wearing their Teutonic medal of honor were maintaining the order of the street. They ushered the crowd of onlookers to stand beneath the eaves at the side of the streets and also inspected the noble carriages that were streaming into the Kingdom’s capital from every direction.
Standing on a platform in the lobby of the Kingdom’s opera house, watching the long string of carriages lined up before the steps, and gazing at the diverse throng of people pouring into the heater, Marquis Harriens Van Rousted could only pray silently to the God of Light; may tonight pass by smoothly!
Harriens was lacking in his confidence for the Kingdom’s top figures in a few various aspects that had amassed in the theater behind him. In the blistering hot day of the eighth month, thinking about the elusive assassin of Titan, DeKTer’s Supreme Executive Officer felt a chill that traveled from his soles all the way up to the back of his head! Harriens admitted that, for the brief confrontation with the assassin last month, he had held back a lot of details when reporting to His Majesty. For example, the fact that no one knew how the assassin had slipped into the villa, how he had successfully assassinated his target before the eyes of five paladins! More so, no one knew how the assassin had escaped from the heavy besiegement and after leaving behind forty over bodies of the guards, vanishing from the national land of Deiss.
Harriens was confident that he had the Kingdom’s capital completely in his hands and even procured support from the Supreme High Command. Initially, the Highest Executive Officer of DeKTer thought he had messed up the matters regarding the Southern border guard’s Chief of Staff and that the Supreme High Command would certainly make a big scene about it. However, he finally understood that even the high-ranking military of the Kingdom could profoundly feel the threat that the assassin posed. They even mobilized the Teutonic Knights to maintain the capital’s public security. In that case… His department should also show some effort!
Harriens had divided the nation’s main theater into six areas. Those who were the most astute and possessing the most commendable battle skills Special Forces under him were deployed all around the main viewing platform of the theater. For the other five areas, he allocated over three hundred security personnel with ample experience. Lastly, above the dome of the theater, he positioned nine of his most outstanding archers at the hanging platforms normally used to clean the murals of the dome.
”So… I’d like to see just what you could throw at me!”
”Sir!” A subordinate interrupted the Highest Executive Officer's train of thought, ”We have encountered a problem!”
”What did you say?” Harriens knitted his brows.
”According to your arrangements, the box closest to the stage are set aside for His Majesty King, Her Royal Highness The Princess and His Imperial Highness The Prince O’Neil Andrew Morisette from Titan! But, you have apparently forgotten that His Imperial Highness The Prince O’Neil Andrew Morisette’s box has always been occupied by the Head of Supreme High Command, Marshal Schneiven. Marshal Schneiven is the closest friend of Marshal Veron and he has expressed explicitly that he will not let out his seat to the enemy!”
”Oh my God of Light!” Harriens sighed in exasperation, ”He’s still bickering about that sort of matter at a time like this?” It seemed that he would have to personally make a trip! Marshal Schneiven was not a person whom just anyone could persuade.
The nation’s main theater, as its name implied, was the symbol of Deiss’ most prestigious music hall. Its dome theater was decorated magnificently. It possessed four thousand four hundred seats and four levels, each with forty-eight boxes. On the dome of the theater, the most impressive crystal chandelier in all Westland emitted a bright, soft glow. Each time this chandelier, which had sixteen hanging platforms and five hundred and twenty candle holders for the candle flames, had to be refueled, it would take an entire hour of the staff members' time.
The seats within the theater had designs outlined by gold lines and soft leather was spread out on its back. The exterior of the soft leather was wrapped in vivid red silk. The designs in the box were all the more luxurious and unique and the walls displayed the theater’s collections such as handwritten musical scores by well-known composers and greetings from respected figures from countries all over the world. The insides of the boxes featured a varied quantity of seats and this included family seatings, individual seatings and even seatings that could accommodate more than ten people. On the other side of the boxes were the wine cabinets that the theater provided for the prominent figures. Contrasting the lights in the box, the priceless wine cups and precious wine shone with multicolored rays of light within the glass window. It could be said that this was indeed a paradise of pleasure as well as a place for one to flaunt their status.
The nobles from all over the Kingdom had come together and exchanged warm greetings at their seats, using their nation’s etiquette to exchange pleasantries and kisses. The nobles in the boxes raised binoculars of every shape and size. They viewed the whole scene and when coming across those they were familiar with, offer up flying kisses to each other. No other could be as ecstatic as the young ladies. They were dressed in a kaleidoscopic array of formal attire, like the countless flowers scattered all around the theater. The flowers gradually converged and slowly took the form of tiny wreaths with many shades of colors. The monotonous, black swallow-tailed coats were all around the flower wreaths. Those were the gentlemen of Deiss. When these men with an eye-catching golden hair were out of their armors, they actually appeared rather elegant and refined. They spoke in high voices with their old friends they had not seen in ages and adopted a look that was a mix of revere, seduction, provocation, and debauchery.
Following the two blows of the resounding horn, the whole scene settled into an abrupt silence. All the nobles in the theater rose from their seats in succession and faced the box on the second floor that was close to the stage, giving a salute with their eyes.
Sure enough, His Majesty the King reclined on the soft couch that was lifted by the court’s chamberlain into the box! Under the cries of Long Live, the wan-looking Majesty IX merely waved his hand to his loyal subjects.
That was it? The people were astonished. Usually… His Majesty the King would at this time give a speech!
Just when the people started to whisper in each other’s ears, discussing, an extended sound of a horn sounded. The people promptly quietened themselves and turned their bodies ever so slightly towards the second box beside the King’s.
Two paladins clad in black armor with knight swords hanging at their sides drew back the curtains of the second box. Her Imperial Highness The Princess Opareal Roulexberg, dressed in a white evening gown, emerged before the people’s eyes, and the crowd again let out a chorus of praises. The Princess stood poised and accepted them cheerfully.
Opareal was extremely pleased for she knew that she stood out more than any other girl at the scene! Her white evening gown sparkled with diamonds and jewels, preventing anyone in the scene from being able to look directly at her. In actuality, the madams and ladies who attended the memorial concert already knew beforehand that Her Imperial Highness The Princess would be dressed in a white evening gown and to express their respect for the Royal Family, they had deliberately chosen attire of other colors.
”Subjects of the Kingdom!” Opareal called out loudly, ”Thank you for your unwavering loyalty. Because of you all, Deiss is colorful; because of you all, it is rich and powerful! Today is the memorial birthday of a great man. Yet I wish to say, it is because of everyone seated here that a great Deiss is founded!” The Princess suddenly swerved towards her brother’s box, ”Please, once again cheer for His Majesty The King! It is he who had led us to strive towards wealth and power, and it is he who allowed the Kingdom to revel in the blessings of the God of Light!”
”Long Live His Majesty The King!”
The nobles of Deiss cheered in unison, but they were all aware that perhaps tomorrow, or the day after, Her Imperial Highness The Princess Opareal would truly experience such a cheering.
The conductor of the band had appeared in front of the curtains of the stage. He acknowledged His Majesty the King and Her Imperial Highness The Princess. Opareal, in turn, made an inviting gesture, signifying that the annual grand music celebration was about to begin!
Oscar sat in a corner of his box, finding Einsenstein continuously amusing as he watched him. Finally, the advanced prisoner from Titan made the Deiss court’s senior officer lose his patience.
”Can you tell me, just what are you laughing at?”
Oscar confronted Einsenstein and shrugged nonchalantly, ”I heard… that you and Her Imperial Highness The Princess has held a wedding ceremony?”
”Yes, that’s right!” Einsenstein nodded, he was aware that his fiancé beside him was looking over at them, ”Imperial Highness Prince O’Neil, are you… disappointed?”
”Ola! Why would I be?” Oscar blurted out his catchphrase with ease, ”I am merely awed by the fate of you two!”
”Oh?” Einsenstein twisted his head dubiously.
”If I have the opportunity to return to my country, I believe I will also marry a Princess!” Oscar gasped softly, ”Distinguished Chief of Palace, believe me, that marrying a Princess is absolutely strenuous and unrewarding…”
”That’s enough!” Opareal suddenly broke off their exchange, having heard everything, ”Could the beautiful music not make you both shush?”
”Look!” Oscar prodded Einsenstein’s arm, and under his breath, he said to the young Palace Chief, ”She has already revealed the makings of a queen! Your life after marriage is one worth being concerned over!”
”You don’t have to worry about this! You better…” Einsenstein suddenly trailed off. It turned out that his fiancé was shooting a leer with a dangerous glint in her eyes. Perhaps… His Highness The Prince of Titan had been right about just one thing, that is… Opareal indeed portrayed the prestige of a queen!
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Paul was hiding on the top floor of the opera house. To be more exact, it was a corner where junks were placed, in the vicinity where the dome murals adjoined with the stairs of the top floor. This corner that was heaped up with picture frames and stage props had been searched by the bodyguards protecting the scene an infinite number of times but aside from alarming rats and stirring up dust, they came up empty-handed. Actually, all these were a cover that Paul had fixed up. He was scared that he himself might forget how he successfully got through the sentries and was concealing himself here, bored!
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Snowstorm did not understand why he would switch from the tranquil river surface to this risky, narrow space. He only felt an unexplainable blaze stirring inside of him and the heat emitted from it made him restless. He did not understand this feeling and he would definitely not stir up a fight in this place that was brimming with security guards. He only had a feeling that this massive building from which sweet-sounding melodies flowed out had something that he was more looking forward to than saving his young companion.
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Before the interval of the ensemble, the nobles of Deiss would evaluate Her Imperial Highness The Princess’ box. They were aware that the hero from Titan was there because, before the opening of the concert, Marshal Schneiven was courteously invited by Marquis Harriens, with being the arrival of that Imperial Highness Prince. There were many rumors circulating within the borders of Deiss regarding O’Neil Andrew Morisette. From his being imprisoned since young to him becoming the national hero of Titan, these experiences itself were sufficient to be weaved into a riveting novel for the yearning people.
The performance escalated to reach an overwhelming cadence and the first act came to an end! The conductor of the orchestra acknowledged the cheering crowd that had stood up. However, this professional conductor did not appear that excited. There were still the second, third and fourth acts; this music festival was far from being finished.
The curtains gradually closed! The audience who were seated at the very front of the stage suddenly gave startled cries! They caught sight of, to their horror, the drummer who played the bass drum, tautening an arrow on his longbow aimed at the audience.
Upon hearing the chaotic cries of horror, the paladins who were responsible for guarding the King and Princess immediately aligned their bodies in the direction of the stage, completely obscuring the box. Suddenly, at the last possible moment, before the curtains folded, an arrow shot through between the two massive red curtains at breakneck speed. The nock of the arrow let out a high-pitched whistle and with just a flash under the colossal crystal chandelier, it vanished into thin air!
It was… the centermost box on the second level, directly facing the stage! The experienced paladins had judged the destination of the arrow based on its trajectory. A horde of guards made their way to the box among all the screaming. They all knew that that was the seat of Deiss’ Highest Commanding Officer, Marquis Harriens Van Rousted!
Harriens was raving in horror with a hoarse guttural voice. Right beside him, the Kingdom’s Head of Supreme High Command had a long arrow embedded in his chest. The arrowhead which had pierced all the way through as he fell was glinting like the twinkling stars! Having fought for the Kingdom of Deiss for half a century, establishing a lot of military services, Marshal Schneiven breathed his last without even having uttered a sound!
Einsenstein came rushing into the box closely after the guards. He gazed at the body of the Marshal before flicking his gaze towards Harriens who was scared stiff and this loyal warrior of the Kingdom finally let out an earth-shaking bellow!
Perhaps it was in response to Einsenstein’s roar, the fiery red curtain fell onto the ground without warning. The former stage was swamped with knights wielding swords in their hands!
Coup d’etat? Rebellion? The nobles of Deiss below the stage guessed in alarm! Being confronted with knights who were flooding the stage, they gave ear-splitting shrieks and retreated towards the theater’s exit helter-skelter!
Einsenstein sized up the stage. The Knights definitely had not identified the assassin. The guards were just staring blankly at the chaotic scene before them.
The Palace Chief’s eyes darted towards the completely emptied Royal Household box. Good, His Majesty had already been evacuated safely! Einsenstein pulled out his sword and shouted towards the area beyond the box!
”Lock down the theater! Close off the streets! Seal off the capital! Those who leave without authorization, kill on sight! Find the killer! Find him! Find him! For the Kingdom’s revenge! To avenge Marshal Schneiven!”
The moving torches lit up the night sky of Borensberg. Under the starry sky that was brimming with a secretive air, ear-piercing screams and dreadful wails could be heard! The horse hooves of the Teutonic knights sounded as closely packed drum beats on the ancient city roads. With torches and weapons in hand, they streaked past before the people.
Using the opera house as the center, the infantries who were out to track down and arrest the assassins herded each family’s members of all ages onto the streets. They warned the horrified crowd that whoever left without authorization would be killed on sight and then begun their hunt, turning over every corner of the buildings and houses in the city!
It was the sixth time that this military group galloped past this block. The last knight of the cavalry suddenly heard a bizarre movement coming from above their heads. This knight hurriedly pulled against the reigns and the unwilling fine steed neighed, circling on the spot. The knight lifted his head and discovered that a few shattered tiles were rolling down the roof of this tremendous building before him!
There was no doubt! ”He’s here!” The Knight yelled!
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A warrior cloaked in darkness watched the gradually assembling Deiss below and could not help but spit lightly. Although this was the escape route he had calculated well earlier on, he did not foresee the house being run down by years. On this bare roof, no cover could be found!
The Deiss’ footsteps and shouts of commands traveled up from below. The assassin in the dark must make a decision! The master assassin put away his hook cable! He did not heed the arrows that were being shot up from the streets. After bursting into a takeoff run, he soared up. The black silhouette traversed swiftly over the pavements between the two buildings. Under the startled cries of the Deiss, he pulled himself up firmly onto the roof, then, kicking down a wooden window, he barged into the other building. The arrows of the Teutonic Knights were shot into the shattered wooden window without order. The impatient cavalry had their horses slam down the building’s door sideways and they went ahead and intruded the building.
Soon, the Deiss soldiers who swarmed into the building heard a brief hand-to-hand combat coming from inside. With a flash of clashing swords, the shout of one being at the brink of death, the patter of military boots on the floorboards, the sound of a body smashing onto the ground from a height was heard! In short, the soldiers who ventured into the building lost a commander and direction. It was only until the very end, when everything quietened down, had they realized that event their target had gone missing!
In a location at the other corner of the street, a soldier clad in the Deiss infantry armor intended to distance himself from the place. He strode urgently along the alley beneath the roof. Infantries continued to brush past him; the men were rushing toward the scene of the accident. Very soon, an officer finally noticed the soldier who intended to flee and he positioned his horse to bar his way.
”Private! Tell me your team and unit designation! And what is up with the blood on your body?”
”Damn it!” The assassin cursed under his breath. So long as he spoke, his shoddy Deiss would be revealed!
”Private, answer me!”
The assassin gave a quiet sigh. Being an assassin, he was bound to encounter his last moments!
Under the terrifying gaze of the Deiss officer, the private, who was clothed in infantry armor, suddenly leaped up. Just when the officer decided to pull out his sword, the blood that spattered out from his throat caused him to meet his demise!
”What are you doing?” A knight of Deiss who had witnessed everything questioned the private who was stealing the horse loudly.
The private urged the horse and charged over, but the Knight had already noticed the dagger that his opponent was using to attack! The dagger was too quick and the Knight unwillingly fell to the ground. However, before that, he had sounded a booming alarm to his surroundings and the all the soldiers on the pavement turned their heads.
The fine steed carried the assassin and dashed with all its might! Very quickly, the assassin realized that he was trapped! The soldiers on his tail continued to fire arrows, and the road ahead of him was lined by a phalanx and completely packed by infantries with their shields held high, barring the road off.
The master assassin swung his legs up, leaped onto the horse and strived to maintain his balance on the galloping steed by crouching down. A section of the roof was protruding out onto the street, and the assassin used the horse's back as footing and made a leap. He managed to climb onto the eaves but the arrows that came after penetrated his shoulder bone just at the moment when he was rolling on to the roof!
The assassin who clambered up on to the roof cursed his luck silently. This building was too low, leaving him completely incapable of making it on to the building to his left.
The Deiss rushed to the building in no time and a horde of archers had assembled at a location not far off, preparing to launch their cover attack!
Without warning, the assassin, who had no way out, noticed a thick hook cable being swung over from the towering building opposite him. Without having any time to think, the assassin grabbed the hook cable tightly and swung out! The thick rope brought the assassin cross over the street, over the heads of the many soldiers giving chase, through the effect of inertia. The Deiss finally released a multitude of arrows only to realize that not a soul was on the hook cable and rope after the hail of arrows!
”That street! Hurry to the opposite street!” The officers shouted loudly. The soldiers started forwards promptly and appeared as if they were heading towards the night sky where the assassin had vanished.
The sound of cavalry traveled out from the streets. One moment, it was the huge boots of the infantries, and another moment it was the sound of men cursing and women and children crying. The Deiss once again ushered the residents to the pavements and they started searching door to door.