May Soul Dissonance Bow Before Me

Chapter 103

Naur waited for the Palantír Hall to fall silent again before he continued the record. Although everyone was very curious about what was going to happen, they were all still internally complaining about the king’s incompetence and cowardice.

As royals themselves, however TBOAH!Zed and TCF!Zed kept their emotions in check. TBOAH!Alberu, once he calmed down as well, managed to mask his frustration and irritation well. Although, no one cared to point these things out because they were all dealing with subduing their own riotous feelings at this injustice.

Nobody was saying anything. However, the eyes of the soldiers and leaders who were standing at attention were quickly looking around. The chiefs who were gathered to one side had terrible expressions on their faces.
“Supreme Chief-nim!” One of the chiefs called out to Harol.
They all seemed to be in a state of panic. On the other hand, Harol had no expression on his face, but his eyes were sparkling in anger. The chief that called for him did not say anything else after seeing that angry gaze.

The Palantír panned to show the expressions on all the faces of the gathered people – it revealed exactly how deeply the absence of the king made them feel. TBOAH!Toonka and TCF!Toonka sat quietly as they stared at TCF!Toonka’s own expressions being shown on the Palantír alongside the rest of his people. TCF!Toonka quietly acknowledged that he had done the right thing.

“Ahem.” One knight entered the plaza. It was the Vice Captain of the king’s personal Knights Brigade. He headed toward the chiefs by the entrance as soon as he entered.
“What is going on?”
The Vice Captain flinched at Harol’s cold tone that was directed at him before opening up a parchment and starting to speak. His voice was quite loud.
“His highness is not feeling well, so he is unable to make the speech.”
“Ha.”
Cale heard Choi Han scoffing behind him. It was not just Choi Han. The gazes of the chiefs turned hostile.

“Wow, this bastard sure knows how to save his own skin.” TBOAH!Bud hissed with animosity and disgust. As someone who led the Mercenary Guild, TBOAH!Bud and TCF!Bud both knew and seriously adhered to the heavy responsibility that came with carrying the lives of so many people in their hands.

They’d met plenty people during their years taking on missions and traveling around the continents, but they’d never seen a person like the king of the Whipper Kingdom. It made them angry that such an incompetent  person was in a position of power.

‘The person who was screaming in the strategy room just yesterday is suddenly ill? And ill to the point that he cannot give a speech? Total nonsense.’
The chiefs’ gazes started to turn into sharp glares. There was no way the king was ill. He was the type that considered his body to be the most precious thing on the continent. Forget being ill, he was probably extremely healthy but just choosing not to take part in this speech.

The Palantír courteously provided an explanation for the King’s logic – of course it was thanks to Cale’s unparalleled strategic mind that everyone was able to understand the true intentions of the absent king. The record explain that it was not TCF!Toonka’s actions from the day before that triggered the king, but rather that he was “afraid of the Empire”.

Giving a speech here would be accepting a direct confrontation with the Empire and declaring war. However, if he avoids giving a speech then there would be no official word from him, giving him an excuse to save himself from the Empire if the Empire won and charged into the Whipper Kingdom’s palace. The king was giving himself a way out while remaining neutral, just as he had done for the war between the mages and the non-mage faction.

“So he sent the Vice Captain instead.” TBOAH!Dodori’s voice was heavy with disapproval and disappointment.
“Did the concept of killing the messenger to send a message not occur to him?” Rok Soo asked Cale, his voice sounding stern and cold. Cale shrugged and resisted the urge to mentally call Kim Rok Soo’s tone “vicious” in his head.