A Barbaric Proposal Chapter 122
- Oct 23, 2025
- 9 min read
Updated: Jan 4
※The War of All (2)※
[Tiwakan] "This is actually quite fun."
The man who had just cut down a Royal Guard spoke with a grin. Clad in the enemy's uniform, the path to the King’s bedroom had turned into something akin to a high-stakes game. They walked with feigned nonchalance as guards, only to strike down any genuine guard who grew suspicious.
[Tiwakan] "If I had the stamina, I feel like I could play this game all night."
[Black] "Do not overrate yourselves. Their numbers are still vast."
There were twenty-four of them now—excluding Randall. While they had already faced more than double their number, hundreds of Royal Guards remained. If they were surrounded all at once, they would eventually hit their physical limits.
[Black] "We must find the Princess Consort as quickly as possible. It won't be long before they realize they’ve been infiltrated."
The words had barely left his mouth when the air was sliced by the sound of steel.
Clang! Thud!
[Tiwakan] "Oh! They’re swarming from that side. I suppose they’ve finally noticed. Wow, they sure are slow."
Black nodded slightly and adjusted his grip on his sword.
[Black] "I’ll lead. Follow my lead."
[Tiwakan] "Yes, My Lord."
Swish!
Black moved toward the heart of the main palace, where the King’s bedroom was located.
The ring of clashing swords followed in his wake.
[King] "Wh-what did you say?"
Fortunately, he received the report before Tiwakan reached him.
[King] "Say that again. What is happening?"
[Royal Guard] "It... it isn't certain yet, but it seems Tiwakan have disguised themselves as Royal Guards and entered the palace. You must evacuate, Your Majesty—"
Thud!
The King, unable to contain his fury, hurled a pillow at the guard.
[King] "It isn't certain? And yet you tell me to flee! In my own bedroom! What on earth are you people doing!"
[Royal Guard] "We are doing our best. But since they are disguised as our own, it isn't easy to—"
[King] "Shut up!"
Thud!
The second pillow joined the first on the floor.
The King was haunted by the deja vu of the previous night’s terror—a nightmare that had already left him emotionally shattered.
[King] "Is my entire Guard blind? How many of them have swarmed in that you cannot handle them!"
[Royal Guard] "The numbers... we are not sure..."
[King] "Aaaaaagh!"
The King shrieked, unable to bear his own rage.
However, the memories of the previous night were just as vivid for him as they were for the guard.
They said every sentry guarding the path to the bedroom had been cut down in a single strike. If that weren't the case, no one could have reached the bedroom so swiftly and silently. It happened yesterday; it could happen again today.
[King] "If I am to flee, where am I supposed to go?"
[Royal Guard] "Well... they say the enemy is heading this way, so..."
In truth, the Royal Guard was in a state of total disarray. It hadn't been long since their Captain had been beheaded. Before they could even fill the vacancy, Tiwakan had ruthlessly exploited the gap. Trying to perform duties that the Captain should have coordinated felt clumsy and foreign to them.
[Royal Guard] "For now... please evacuate to the Separate Palace. It is smaller in scale, so it will be easier to defend."
[King] "The Separate Palace? The Queen is there right now."
[Royal Guard] "Yes. But the defense will be more manageable."
[King] "......Lead the way."
The King ground his teeth, but realizing he had no choice, he climbed out of bed.
[Liene] "I regret having to visit you like this, Your Majesty."
[Queen] "......."
Queen Dileras stared at Liene, unable to close her mouth as the younger woman removed her helmet.
[Liene] "We have little time, so I would like to finish what I have to say. Please, do not be too alarmed. Sit comfortably."
[Queen] "Wh-why are you...?"
[Liene] "I came to inform you that the war has begun."
[Queen] "W-war?"
Queen Dileras pressed a hand to her chest, trying to catch her breath. However, she did not scream or call for help.
When a maid in the room stood up, trembling violently, the Queen signaled for her to remain silent. It wasn't just the fear of the sword Randall wore at his waist.
[Liene] "I am not sure if Your Majesty is aware, but yesterday, the Princess Consort sent an assassin to me. Someone precious to me took the blade in my stead.”
[Liene] "Regardless of who was harmed, this is an act that cannot be committed against the royalty of a friendly nation. Consequently, Nauk formally demanded that the King punish the Princess Consort. Instead of punishing her, however, he sent his Royal Guard to us."
[Queen] "How could...!"
The Queen’s face turned deathly pale. The word 'war' had felt so out of place that she couldn't believe it even as she heard it, but now the reality was sinking in.
They were indeed at war. The enemy had moved so fast that the realization was lagging.
[Liene] "I wish to find a way to resolve this peacefully before both nations reach a point of no return."
[Queen] "And... I...?"
She swallowed hard, clutching her robes as if she might tear them.
[Queen] "Do you believe I have the power for that? I couldn't even keep my position in the main palace and have been cast aside here."
[Liene] "I believe you are more than capable."
[Queen] "Why...?"
[Liene] "Nauk wants only one thing: the punishment of Princess Consort Blini. I believe this is something Your Majesty desires as well."
[Queen] "That is..."
[Liene] "However, Nauk wishes to carry out that punishment. What Nauk demands from the Sharka royalty is a vow of non-interference regarding her punishment. If Your Majesty will make this promise on behalf of the King, Nauk will act as if this war never happened."
Queen Dileras furrowed her brow.
No one wanted Blini gone more than she did. The condition offered by the Princess of Nauk caused her no loss whatsoever. It was actually too easy a condition for ending a war.
[Queen] "But I cannot represent the King. You know this as well, Princess."
[Liene] "Since the war has begun, the King will likely try to gather an army—if he does not die tonight."
[Queen] "......"
The blood drained from her face, making her look like a corpse.
[Queen] "Are you saying the main palace... Tiwakan already in the main palace...?"
[Liene] "Yes, Your Majesty. If the King is lucky, he will live, but he might also die. Regardless, the result is the same."
If luck were on the King’s side and the Royal Guards managed to block Tiwakan, he would survive and start a war. Conversely, even if he died, twenty-five men could not occupy a kingdom. Sharka would hold Nauk accountable for the King’s death, and the result would still be war.
[Liene] "Your Majesty is someone who can move the noble families before the King can issue a conscription order."
[Queen] "Are you... asking me to prevent him from gathering an army?"
[Liene] "Yes. Even if they know why Nauk declared war, I doubt any noble would truly favor it. Those who agree would only be following the King’s command. Your Majesty surely knows which nobles would be willing to defy him."
[Queen] "Aha..."
She slapped the bedding instinctively.
[Queen] "I see what you mean. You want to keep the scale of this conflict from growing."
[Liene] "Yes. As I said, Nauk does not want the Kingdom of Sharka. We want Princess Consort Blini."
[Queen] "I shall do it."
The death of Prince Vasheyd had created invisible cracks between the royal family and the nobility. It started with the King and Queen themselves.
The Queen could not forgive the King, and the King had exiled her to the Separate Palace. Now, scandalous rumors were circulating that the Princess Consort had moved into the main palace and was sleeping in the room next to the King's.
The 5th Prince, whose son was blamed for the death of Prince Vasheyd and had moved theVasheyd troops at will, was also unlikely to be pleased.
If only the Queen’s family and the 5th Prince opposed the war, the size of the army the King could muster would be significantly reduced.
[Liene] "Then I shall leave, trusting that Your Majesty will sign the vow on behalf of the King of Sharka."
[Queen] "If you do that, I will... oh... ah."
As if remembering something, she raised a hand.
[Queen] "Will you kill the Princess Consort today?"
[Liene] "We won't kill her here immediately. There is something we must reclaim from her."
[Queen] "She is not in the Prince’s palace. She is either in the main palace or has already left the palace."
[Liene] "Left the palace?"
The Queen nodded.
[Queen] "It is only my suspicion, but there is a small castle used for hunting near Gereum Gorge, northwest of Sharka. I overheard that the King sent something there a short while ago. Unless he plans to hunt leisurely in the middle of a war, I suspect he might be trying to hide her there."
[Liene] "That seems plausible. Thank you for the information."
It was then.
Thump, thump!
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from a distance.
[Guard] "There are bodies! It seems someone has infiltrated the Separate Palace!"
[Guard] "Find them! Check on Her Majesty!"
The bodies at the entrance had been discovered. The Separate Palace suddenly erupted into chaos.
[Randall] "...Tsk. I wonder how many are coming."
He cracked the bedroom door open to peer outside.
If too many came, it would be difficult to handle. Queen Dileras would also be in a precarious position.
[Randall] "Is there no other exit? We can't kill all these innocent people... oh, wait."
He winced, realizing he had spoken of killing far too casually. He knew the Queen was being cooperative, but treating her like an outright ally was a different matter.
[Queen] "There is."
However, the Queen nodded readily.
The situation was absurd, but she had to get these people out safely. Only then could the Princess Consort be held accountable for her crimes.
[Queen] "I will handle my people. Princess, you must flee."
Liene offered a calm smile in place of a thank you.
[Liene] "I will remember your kindness, Your Majesty."
[Queen] "As will I. I hope you obtain exactly what both Nauk and I desire. Now, go."
She instructed her maid to show them the servant's passage.
[Queen] "These are my guests. Ensure they leave the Separate Palace safely."
[Maid] "Yes, Your Majesty."
Liene, Randall, and Klima left the Queen's room before they could cross paths with the guards.
[Tiwakan] "The adjacent room is also empty. It seems they’ve already fled."
They had searched all the way to the King’s bedroom, but Blini was gone. The King was nowhere to be found either.
It seemed they had missed him by a hair's breadth. The disheveled bedding and the messy state, indicated that someone had just left.
[Black] "Any sign of the Princess Consort? Do you think she fled with the King?"
[Tiwakan] "I'm not sure... the only room showing signs of recent use is the King’s bedroom."
Thud!
Black roughly tossed aside the body that had been hanging from his sword.
[Black] "He turns out to be surprisingly good at running away."
[Tiwakan] "Indeed. What should we do now?"
[Black] "He likely fled in a direction that doesn't cross our path. We head this way. We must find either the King or the Princess Consort."
[Tiwakan] "This way would lead toward the Separate Palace."
[Black] "......Of all places."
His expression turned as sharp as a blade.
Shlik!
Black flicked the blood from his sword and put strength into his stride.
[Black] "Hurry."
[Tiwakan] "Yes, My Lord."
Before they could go far, they encountered a swarm of guards. They seemed to be guarding the path to the Separate Palace. It was proof that the King had gone there.
Bang, bang!
[Royal Guard] "Open up! It is His Majesty the King!"
Bang, bang!
The entrance to the Separate Palace was firmly shut. No matter how much they pounded on the door or raised their voices, there was no sign of movement inside.
It was only natural. Queen Dileras had ordered everyone in the Separate Palace to hide the bodies, lock the doors, and remain as quiet as mice.
[King] "Open the door! Can't you hear me!"
The King, growing desperate, roared at the top of his lungs.
[King] "Break the door down! Do it now!"
[Royal Guard] "We cannot, Your Majesty. If we do, we won't be able to keep the intruders out either."
[King] "Argh!"
The guards thought quickly.
[Royal Guard] "Is there no other way into the Separate Palace?"
[Royal Guard] "There is a passage used by the workers."
[Royal Guard] "Then we shall lead His Majesty that way. Hold that gate coming from the main palace at all costs!"
[Royal Guard] "Understood!"
The Royal Guards were doing their best. They had been caught off guard only because they never imagined anyone would wear their uniforms. Now that they knew the identity of the intruders, they could respond properly.
Above all, they sensed that the enemy's numbers were not that large. If there had been many, the guards would have been overwhelmed much faster.
[Royal Guard] "The intruders are wearing helmets to hide their faces. It would be better if we took ours off so we can recognize each other."
[Royal Guard] "That’s a good idea. Hey, everyone, remove your helmets! Anyone wearing a helmet is Tiwakan!"
The guards gathered at the entrance of the Separate Palace all removed their helmets and prepared themselves.
It was only a matter of time before Tiwakan appeared at the Separate Palace.
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