Subaru Natsuki, who returned from the new Three Kingdoms

How to stand, how to speak, how to face nobles, and how to protect one's lord.

His life has always been surrounded by countless rules.

Even now, as he prepares to die, he is thinking about how to die without implicating Anastasia, and how to die in a way that fulfills his duty as a knight.

But the man sitting opposite him seemed to never care about any of that. Even knowing that he was going to die the next second wouldn't affect what he was going to do in that second.

That almost domineering and unrestrained air made Julius unable to look away.

"how?"

Natsuki Subaru shook the sake bottle.

"Afraid that we'll poison the wine?"

Yurius snapped out of his daze.

He looked down at the large cup, then suddenly reached out and unbuttoned the top button of his collar.

"I just suddenly felt..."

As Julius raised his wine cup, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"You live a very enjoyable life."

"of course."

Natsuki Subaru accepted the compliment without hesitation.

"What's the point of living a long life if you can't enjoy life to the fullest, like settling scores and drinking heartily?"

Yurius repeated softly:

"Live today to the fullest, and live tomorrow to the fullest..."

"good."

"If there is an execution order tomorrow, I will face it tomorrow."

Julius raised the wine cup to his face.

"At least for today, I am not dead yet."

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank the entire glass of strong liquor in one gulp.

The spicy liquor burned down my throat and into my stomach.

Julius coughed violently twice, his face quickly turning bright red. But this time, instead of trying to straighten himself, he grabbed the edge of the table and couldn't help but laugh.

"Ha ha……"

The laughter started softly, then grew louder and louder.

The deathly feeling that had been weighing on my chest finally dissipated with this sip of strong liquor.

Natsuki Subaru patted his shoulder forcefully.

"That's more like it!"

"Mr. Xun Yu, you finally look somewhat like a living person!"

Julius wiped away the tears that had welled up in his eyes from the strong liquor, and surprisingly, he didn't correct that strange way of addressing him.

When he looked at Subaru Natsuki again, his eyes no longer held the wariness of a stranger, but rather a genuine appreciation.

"Your Excellency Freuger."

"how?"

"It's nothing..." Julius ultimately chose to remain silent.

He wanted to say that he felt he could become close friends with the other person.

But considering that he could be summoned to the palace at any time, which would make him practically a dead man, he ultimately suppressed the thought.

Natsuki Subaru frowned immediately.

"Why are you being so effeminate again?"

He refilled the large cup and pushed it heavily in front of Julius.

"You won't die today as long as you haven't finished your drink!"

Julius looked at the refilled wine cup in front of him, and the smile on his lips could no longer be suppressed.

"it is good."

He raised his glass again.

"Then let's finish drinking first and then talk."

It was late at night when Natsuki Subaru and Julius finished drinking.

Natsuki Subaru dragged his drunken body back to his room.

I still toss and turn, unable to fall asleep.

She still summons her beloved mount/body pillow.

"Releasing me at this time again? Do you think I'm just a toy to sleep with?" Capella's voice carried a hint of annoyance.

But Natsuki Subaru remained silent, holding her in his arms.

The strong smell of alcohol filled Capella's nostrils.

Looking at that hateful face so close to his face, Capela vowed that he would never fall asleep again tonight!

result......

Capela was not only asleep, but because Subaru Natsuki was holding her so close, her mouth was pressed against Subaru's chest, causing her to drool...

Meanwhile, in the temporary council chamber inside the palace.

Crusch has not had a full night's sleep for several days in a row.

The list of kingdom officials covered the table. With each page turned, several names were marked and moved to the other side of the map.

Crusch sat in the center of the list, the shadows around her eyes so thick they seemed impossible to dispel, and the quill pen in her hand remained motionless.

As the purge has progressed, nobles, officials, knights, and even mid-level staff responsible for relaying orders have all been found to have been replaced.

The Royal Guard Knights' security system almost came to a standstill, orders couldn't be delivered to their intended destinations, and the temporary replacements couldn't take over their original duties.

The Six Tongues could only continuously draw members from the marketplace, trade routes, noble residences, and slums, filling them one by one into the royal palace, the knightly order, and various government offices.

It was thanks to this organization's long-standing seclusion in the most inconspicuous places that it was able to avoid being replaced by the Aiko Organization.

Only in this situation can they barely keep the already crumbling Kingdom of Lugnica afloat.

To prevent the remaining enemies from turning on their leader and rebelling, Crusch never publicly purged them.

With so many seats suddenly vacant overnight, the people of the capital naturally noticed, and rumors about her plot to seize the throne were quickly spread to the council chamber.

Kurshu had no time to explain.

The real McCrotoff's lucid moments were getting shorter and shorter, and Russell Ferro, the leader of the Six Tongues, could not reveal her identity. She could only stand at the forefront herself, using her status as a candidate for the election and the reputation of the Karlsten family to suppress the situation.

Even so, they still couldn't identify all the enemies within the kingdom.

Kazami Kagao can discern lies, but he cannot identify those who treat lies as their faith.

These people are the true backbone of that massive organization.

As long as these people remain dormant, they could emerge from another wound in the kingdom at any time.

Crusch looked up.

The capital city outside the window had fallen into the dead of night, and the candlelight in the council hall had burned down to just a short wick.

"How many times has Lord McCrotoff been conscious today?"

Russell flipped through the notes in his hand and answered his current political partner.

"Twice. Each time he regained consciousness, he asked the same person."

Crusch's quill pen stopped in mid-air.

"Subaru Natsuki?"

“Yes.” Russell nodded. “He keeps saying he wants to see that young man.”

Crusch looked up, her eyes filled with confusion.

Lord McCrotoff is a good man, but not a pushover who doesn't know what's good for him.

At this turbulent time in the kingdom, every time he regained consciousness he wanted to find Subaru Natsuki, and it was definitely not just to thank him.

Crusch believed that Subaru Natsuki must have obtained some extremely important information.

That's why the real Lord Mycroft took it so seriously.

Unfortunately, Subaru Natsuki has already been kidnapped by the organization and taken somewhere unknown.

"Any news from the investigation?"

"No."

Crusch raised her hand and pressed it to her brow.

"Keep searching."

She lowered her hand, her voice revealing exhaustion.

"After finding Subaru Natsuki, bring him here first, in case he is an enemy in disguise."

Russell responded and turned to the next page of his notes.

"Whose turn is it to be verified next?"

“Julius Jucrius”.

Crusch's fingertip lingered on that name.

"Julius?"

Crusch certainly remembered this elite knight of the Royal Guard.

She looked up at Wilhelm, who was standing to the side.

Julius's strength far surpasses that of ordinary knights. If he too is replaced, sending others will only increase casualties.

Crusch glanced out the window, then closed the record.

"It's past midnight now. We'll deal with Julius's matter at dawn. Tomorrow morning, Lord Wilhelm, I'll trouble you to go see him in person."

"Yes." Wilhelm nodded slightly.

……

On the same night, another secret gathering was taking place in the sewers beneath the capital.

Deep within the secret passage, there were no kingdom flags hanging, nor were there lights bright enough to illuminate every face.

The dim candlelight lined the stone wall, casting a cluster of dark shadows.

They filled the entire passageway densely, stretching as far as the eye could see; at a rough estimate, there were at least a hundred people.

These people are scattered throughout the capital. Some infiltrate the merchant guild, some sneak into noble mansions, and some live in slums and streets dressed as ordinary people.

Tonight, they have all been summoned here.

The turmoil in the capital has spread to every hidden thread.

The purge began in the royal palace and then spread to the knightly orders, noble residences, merchant guilds, and government offices.

At first, everyone thought it was Crusch's act of eliminating dissidents after his rebellion, so they did not take any rash action.

It wasn't until the members responsible for the undercover operation were arrested one after another that everyone realized something was wrong.

They were all summoned, so why are all the people who disappeared the ones who were replaced by the new organization?

Even if they were slow to react, they should have realized that this was a premeditated attack against the organization!

These personnel stood in the secret passage, none of them speaking first.

After their "mother," Capela, went missing, none of the "sons" would submit to the other.

So no one wanted to speak first, lest they be attacked by everyone.