A King is Born on the Road

Originally, the king intended to assassinate Cadella quietly. Because he didn’t want to admit that Iris Lepos had escaped the Traitor’s Labyrinth safely.

If the witness dies, the proof that she has been to the maze will disappear. However, it was difficult since the Knights of Tejas, who anticipated the king’s thoughts of killing, took turns protecting Cadella.

This young child, Cadella, was so skinny that he would die if he ate one wrong food. He was a fragile boy that would die with just one hit.

Then, in the process of verifying Cadella, the king saw.

Cadella instantly made flowers bloom and butterflies fly in an empty place. Purple snow fell, and white flowers bloomed on the blue soil, even the leaves.

Cadella was an illusionist who enjoyed showing people beautiful things. When historians who were verifying him themselves admired it, they smiled proudly.

Watching that, King Eswa thought of countless ways to utilize this ability.

“Work for me.”

Of course, King Eswa thought that Cadella would be delighted with this proposal.

However, the boy, who lived a long and boring life, burst into laughter at the king’s proposal.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I entered the Traitor’s Labyrinth because of a king like you. It’s funny that nothing has changed.”

Cadella was smiling, but his eyes were wide open as if he were about to shed tears of blood.

King Eswa said.

“It’s different from when you committed treason. I’m not trying to squeeze the labor of my beloved Luwan citizens.”

“Then what is it? Why does the king want me to help him?”

“Come here.”

King Eswa patted Cadella’s head as if he were dealing with a child and took him somewhere.

Cadella was led away in a terrible mood by the fearsome-looking king’s escort, but he clenched his hand hard to protect his pride at a minimum.

King Eswa made him look down the window without saying anything about it, as if to please Cadella.

“I want the citizens of Luwan to be free from their suffering.”

“…Suffering?”

“Many Luwan people are suffering. I hope that every citizen of Luwan will believe in me and rely on me.”

“…So, to put it mildly, you want me to brainwash them into liking you?”

Cadella immediately understood the meaning of King Eswa.

Eswa was not only reluctant to hand over the throne to Iris, Hayer, and his brother. He had no intention of handing over the throne to his son either. Until he dies himself.

The previous king, who said that he would rather use magic to make people less tired and draw more labor, was better. This man dreamed of making the entirety of the Luwan people lose their will and make them love only the king.

“I don’t want to.”

Cadella refused without hesitation, and King Eswa showed patience once again.

“As I said, this is not a choice. I’m just doing you a favor. The moment you turn this down, you’ll be locked up in the dungeon…”

Before he could finish, Cadella rushed to jump down the tower. Hating both the dungeon and brainwashing the Luwan people, he chose the third option.

However, his arms were tied, so it took time to climb up the railing. Before he could eventually jump, the king’s guards quickly caught Cadella.

Cadella cried out.

“Just kill me! Why don’t you kill me! You can grind me to death, so stop saving me now!”

Cadella’s screaming mouth was gagged, and King Eswa sighed.

“Prepare for the trial right away. I’ll say that now.”

Cadella, who was subdued, glared at King Eswa.

King Eswa looked down at Cadella and said.

“You look younger than Hayer back then, you.”

“……”

“He’s strong, but you don’t look like that, so it’s going to be hard to hold out. You will change your mind soon.”

Then, Cadella was sent straight to the court.

* * *

Without a word of defense, the trial began.

Cadella was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t even cry. After barely getting out of the Traitor’s Labyrinth, he never thought he’d be tried again like this.

Cadella recalled the trial he had received decades ago after killing the king. It was better then. At that time, the king’s brother who lost his brother was desperately defending Cadella.

What’s annoying is that he, Ardi Lepos, promised to pick him up but didn’t keep it. Until his descendant came and saved him 60 years later.

Cadella thought that if he wasn’t going to say a word during the trial, he might as well just take a nap and wake up. At least you don’t have to listen to things you don’t want to hear.

When he slowly closed his eyes. Hayer’s voice was heard.

“Kid, don’t be such a crybaby.”

When he opened his eyes, Hayer checked Cadella’s condition and removed the gag.

Cadella grumbled.

“I thought it would be Iris if someone came to save me.”

“Iris is over there.”

When Cadella turned around, Iris was standing in the middle of the courtroom.

Cadella asked.

“What is Iris doing over there?”

“She said she’d defend you…”

Hayer, who turned around while saying so, stopped talking.

Iris was holding her folding spear open. And said to the judge.

“What happens when you take out a weapon in the royal court?”

“The trial is interrupted, Princess.”

“Yes. I’m glad the law is not different from what I know.”

“Instead, since you have taken out your weapon, we have no choice but to detain the princess.”

“I’m glad that’s the same as what I know.”

Cadella paused at the sight of Iris, who stopped the trial recklessly, and called Hayer.

“Hayer?”

“……”

“Hayer!”

“Huh. Uh…”

“Is it because Iris is detained?”

Hayer looked at the boy and nodded at Cadella’s words. Then he rose in a hurry, and ran to Iris, surrounded by the judge’s guards.

“Iris.”

When he called, Iris turned around and said.

“It’s all right. I just took out my weapon. I didn’t swing it.”

It was just as she calmly said. The judge could not impose strong sanctions on her, a royal.

The judge said.

“I hope Princess Iris Lepos will reflect on herself where she stays for a week.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

Iris apologized politely and looked back at Hayer.

He sighed and covered his forehead. Iris felt a little embarrassed because she looked like a troublemaker.

* * *

Once the trial was suspended, Hayer alone had to find a way to save Cadella because Iris couldn’t get out of the room. Without exaggeration, he was literally alone.

Hayer muttered as he looked at the restless Knights of Tejas.

“…A brain, I should have recruited one.”

Then Annamaria said.

“I thought the captain would be the only one who used his head.”

“I knew at least one of you would try something called learning.”

“Excuse me? Are you not good at seeing people?”

“Yes. I saw it wrong. Now that I look at it, there is nothing to deny. There is no need.”

Hayer sighed deeply after speaking.

Iris would be living a rather stuffy but comfortable life in her room with the help of her servants and maids.

Anyway, because of that, Hayer was actually searching the entire library alone, looking for a way to defend Cadella in court. Iris bought time for this reason.

Hayer thought he should have been investigated and Iris should have searched the royal library.

But Hayer was a disciplined knight. If he had taken out a weapon in the courtroom, he would have been thrown behind bars.

He still had a psychological problem of faltering in front of a prison. Even though he could break through most prisons by force now.

It was not without the code of law in Luwan, but many accidents in the world were not clear in black and white. Even if the whole scene was painted, each interpretation would be different, but there was no such evidence.

In that case, Luwan’s trial left the judgement to the individual opinions of the judge at that time.

Being a judge was just the role of the eldest adult in a family, and there were many times when opinions differed from those of the younger ones.

In order to find a way to defend Cadella, even if it was only one line, Hayer has been checking the history books since the year Cadella was born all night.

After reading it once, he checked with his subordinates to see if he missed anything, but even if everyone put their heads together, the pages couldn’t be turned.

Inevitably, Hayer had no choice but to read with concentration so that he wouldn’t miss a single letter even when he looked at it once.

There were more than ten books until Cadella killed the king and a new king ascended the throne.

“This damn country keeps track of everything, even useless things!”

Annamaria eventually couldn’t resist and threw the book away with a shout.

Even if it was a copy, both the paper and the book were of such high quality that Hencke hurriedly picked it up.

“You always say you couldn’t eat because you were poor, but why did you throw away this precious book?”

“I used to be poor, but I’m not now!”

Hayer continued to turn over the pages while his subordinates were fighting next to him, and would have been more uncomfortable without it.

“Ah.”

Then, when he found something and exclaimed, his subordinates’ eyes turned to Hayer.

afterword 

honestly this is so fun i’m glad they also focus on side characters and don’t cast them aside that much!! although the novel was tagged as a rofan it feels more like an fantasy adventure with a slowburn romance subplot (my fav combo btw all my fav physical books are like this)