One thing that always happens when a new king ascends the throne is a purge.

　This purge must be thorough.
　If it is done half-heartedly, the effect of making people fearful of the new king will fade and, on the contrary, it will cause resentment to build up.


　The reason for the purge is to stabilize his own government. Furthermore, it is to ensure that his successor, who is still young, will be able to run the government after he has fallen.

　But purges are not always necessary.
　Julius Caesar, for example, showed leniency and did not kill his political opponents.

　Well, he fell on the republican's blade for that.

　I'm not so smug as to think I'm any more capable of governing than Caesar.
　So I'm not going to forgive the Dibelites.

　Now, the question is, where do we go from here to there to forgive them?

　If we kill all those who rebel, it will be a politics of fear.
　On the other hand, if we forgive too much, people will think that this man will eventually forgive us.

　The first thing I have to forgive is the Dibelites who showed me reverence.
　The names of those who were turned before the announcement of the execution list were removed from the list.

　It's common for great families to switch to another force if the shape of the situation changes. For them, the most important thing is not their country, but their status, their fiefdom and their family.
　You have to understand that.

　Then there were those who turned in after the announcement of the list.
　They were the ones who had trouble dealing with it.

　It would be a problem for the future to keep these bat bastards alive.
　The same people who changed sides after I won the battle with Domorgal, though.
　Both of them are still bats.
　The question is, which one is the worse bat?

　What's the difference between the two?

　Let's be clear. There is no such thing.
　I just misjudged the shape of the game, and both were essentially bats.

　In short, it was just bad luck.
　So why don't you forgive him?　But that would mean that a large number of dibelists would survive.

　It's not good to have a large number of treacherous reserves in the country.
　Moreover, as a king, I have a reason to believe that the national government will run more smoothly if there are as few of the big families as possible.
　That's why he's going to die.

　In addition, I'll have them become my enemies to test the loyalty of the bats that joined our side relatively quickly.
　Let the bats kill the Dibelites and make it clear whether they are birds or beasts.

　The quintessential bat would be clearer in his intentions if he killed his former comrades with his own hands.

　Now, should we allow women and children to do this?
　This is also a question of some sort.

　As far as I'm concerned, I'd like to forgive him. Killing an innocent person is cruel and inexcusable.
　Moreover, babies are not able to decide for themselves what to do with their lives.

　But in the end, I decided to kill him.
　For two reasons. First, because Bartolo and Raimondo convinced him to do it.

　It will lead to problems later on. You may be a child now, but you'll be an adult later.
　You can never get rid of the resentment of having your family killed, etc. etc.

　I thought that made sense.

　And one more thing.
　It's a familiar example.
　Yes, Tetra.

　King Ferrum killed him from the inside out, but he only let Tetra escape.
　And I got him killed.

　How do you know I won't do the same?




　In the end, I came to this conclusion.
　I will regret this conclusion later on. No, I still regret it.　
　It was really the right thing to do.

　But now I'm going to die, Julia and Tetra are going to be killed, and my children are going to be killed.
　Somewhat better than regretting such an ending I thought.






　The new king's edict swept through King Rosyth's kingdom.

　One, execute the traitor.
　Two, execute the traitor's collaborators.
　Three, the man who strikes down a traitor's head, even a commoner, is rewarded.
　Four: In principle, a rebel's vassals are executed, but those who assist in the execution of a rebel are commuted for their crimes.

　Bartolo and Raimondo were the first to make their move.
　Acting separately, they invaded the territory of the great tribes of the Dibelites one after another and raised their heads.

　They were led by the former Dibelites who had been turned after the Battle of Domorgal.
　They were allowed to do so at the last minute because they had shown their reverence to Almus before the list of executions was announced.

　They had one reason for letting them lead the way.
　If you want to be forgiven, show me how you work.

　If they change their minds, they will be crushed by the main body of Bartolo Raimondo and his men behind them.
　They must kill their former comrades if they are to survive.

　The next to move was Ron and the others who received the edict.
　They led five hundred and invaded the Dibel territory first.

　The new king led four thousand troops while advancing straight into the Dibel territory to show his people what he looked like.

　And the last ones to move were the vassals of the Dibelian great clan.
　As soon as they realized that the Dibelites were really being executed, they led their forces to attack their master's mansion.

　More than two thirds of them were captured by their own vassals.



　'Please!　Only this girl ... she's not even three years old yet!
　One woman asks Bartolo for help.
　She puts her forehead on the floor and begs for her life.

　Bartolo replies, sipping his drink.
　'I have a little girl myself. I know how it feels to have a little girl. I'd like to make it convenient for you.

　After saying this, he throws down the bottle of alcohol.
　Then he pulls out his sword and releases it.

　'But I don't let my feelings get in the way of my job. This is the new king's order. He wants me to send the child and mother to the other side.
　Bartolo says and cuts the woman off.
　The woman spits blood and glares at Bartolo.

　''What in the world do you think we are guilty of........''
　'Yes. To you it's the sin of marrying a traitor. To the child it's a sin to be born itself.
　Saying this, Bartolo thrusts his sword into the child the woman was holding.
　The young life is easily scattered.

　'Go to hell........'
　The woman stops moving, spitting a curse.
　Bartolo takes out a new drink and says as he drinks.

　'Fool, there's no way a loyal vassal as loyal as me would go anywhere but heaven.




　Bartolo continued his march.　　
　One of his men ran up to Bartolo.

　'General!　The lords down the road are refusing to allow troops to enter their territory!
　Hmm?　Beyond this........neutralists, I believe. I'm pretty sure he's married to the next rebel, right?　Well, I guess we'll just have to do it then.
　Bartolo drains his drink.

　'Keep marching. And you go tell your lord. And you will help me if you want to live.
　Are you sure?
　I thought traitors and collaborators were to be executed as well.

　The lords again refused to allow the army to enter.
　They were destroyed by Bartolo and their blood was cut off.




　'That's a letdown,'
　Raimondo mutters.

　A rebel tied up in front of him. He was deceived by his own vassals and died.
　This was already the third time he hadn't fought a single battle.

　Well, Raimondo is not that good at war, so that helps.
　Raimondo walks up to the bound great family and cuts off their heads.

　'Master Raimondo. May I ask you one question?
　What?
　The vassal who betrayed the traitor asks with a smirk.

　'The traitor's wife and daughter may I do as I please?
　No, you can't. Fire him now!
　Raimondo yells at him, and the retainer leaves in a hurry.

　Seeing the back of them, Raimondo spits.
　'The prick,'




　Two hundred soldiers were holed up in the Dibel family compound.
　All the commanders were relatives of the Dibel family. The non-relatives had all betrayed them.

　Rigal, who had originally refused to go out on the grounds of keeping the borders alert, had retreated into the territory with five hundred soldiers.
　Almus As had thought that he would be defeated.

　Rigal's plan was to gather the great tribes of the Dibelites to clean up the mess after Almus As had failed, and attack the Domorgal army.......

　The first two days were inferior, with Almus As being pushed into the fort and outnumbered.
　But before long, by the time Almus As had won a great victory and Rigal Dibel had decided to rush into the war, peace had been made.

　But it was a blessing, and by the time the news of the defeat of the rebels arrived, he had five hundred men.

　Let's manage to hold back the defeating army and use that time to defect to another country.
　Just as Rigal was planning to do so, three hundred troops were turned over to him.

　Thus, Rigal was driven into the mansion with no time to escape.
　Immediately, five hundred troops from the As territory marched in and joined the three hundred that had been turned over, forming a large army of eight hundred and besieging the mansion.

　The two hundred that are here now could be turned over at any moment.
　Rigal felt like he was sleeping on a bed of needles.

　But the only fortunate thing is that Almus has also executed all of the traitor's relatives.
　Therefore, on the contrary, the unity of the Dibel family was greatly strengthened.

　They all want to avoid being executed.






　''I don't feel like I can follow this development too quickly, but.......Captain Thousand, are you sure you don't want to attack them?
　'It's enough to surround them for now. And it's a waste of time to do some damage. Leader it's only after the new king arrives. We'll be able to attack them in earnest.

　Ron looks at the Dibel family compound.
　Inside the mansion, there is a list of names of the village chiefs and other documents.

　It's not a good idea for such important documents to be burned. Besides, the last enemy should be saved for Almus.
　Ron thought to himself.

　He thought to himself, "Well, we've won this one. Why don't we take it slow?
　I'd like to take credit for this, but...
　''Whether you stand up or not, I'm sure your promotion to Captain of a thousand will be fulfilled in a few years, right?

　When Ron said this, Josef's eyes lit up.

　'Really?!'
　True, true. When I become a general, you'll be my second-in-command. That is, unless someone better than you comes along.
　Yay!

　Josef is overjoyed.
　The prerequisite is that Ron must become a general...


　Sixth night.


　Gilbert was thinking.
　How can I save my own life?

　It's too late now, but it is human nature to want to be saved. The only thing that matters is your own life.

　It's not a bad idea.
　You can't be a good friend of the man. It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on it.
　Maybe it's not too late to do it now........

　If you think so, the story is fast.
　Gilbert hurriedly called the soldier in charge of him.



　On the seventh day, just as the sun was setting, I arrived at the Dibel territory.


　I finally arrived at the Dibel territory.
　I made sure to appeal to the commoners everywhere I went.

　This was to inform not only the great families, but also the commoners and slaves of my succession to the throne.

　I was especially careful with the people of the Dibel Domain.

　Some of the Dibel Lords followed me, and I didn't chase them away.
　I won't chase them away either. They want to avenge their resentment. I know exactly how they feel.

　"Ron!
　"Leader not king!　We've cornered Rigal Dibel!

　I run up to Ron.
　Apparently, he saved the last one for me.

　'I wouldn't have minded if you took it out. Well, okay.
　I turn to the Dibel family compound.

　Beside me is Ron, Gram and Rosward with the flag.
　Behind me are So Yeon, Lulu and Tetra with a sorcerer in tow, and Yulia.

　Bartolo and Raimondo haven't arrived yet.
　But we can begin now.

　'Soldiers in the service of House Dibel!　I don't blame you guys at all. I will forgive you all if you turn in the Dibel's soon enough!

　As soon as I shout that, there is a noise in the Dibel family compound.
　It seems that a civil war has started immediately.

　After a while, the gates slowly open.
　A number of Dibel family relatives are tied up with ropes and carried away.

　And the last man who came out........Gilberto wasn't tied up with a rope for some reason.
　What is this.........

　I see. You betrayed me. The reason he betrayed me after I arrived was because he figured that since the edict to kill all the Dibel family members had been issued, he couldn't save himself unless he talked to me directly.

　He didn't want to give up, did he? I'm sure you've heard about the wealthy families who died trying to get to me.

　Gilberto came running to me.

　"New King!　I used to hate working for Rigal. I thought he was my kin and I had no choice. But when I heard he had betrayed us, I didn't think I could follow him anymore. So I bound the men of House Dibel and gave them to the new king. So please, I beg you to take your life, huh?

　Gilbert looks curiously at the sword growing on his chest.

　Rosward says.
　'I'm sorry. My hand slipped.'
　'You always slip up. The last refugee crisis. Well, it was an unfortunate accident. I'm sorry, Gilberto. I'm sorry, Gilberto.

　Gilberto makes a slamming noise and falls over.

　Well, now, the rest.....
　I walk over to Rigal Dibel.

　Rigal Dibel looks dejected and droopy.
　Well, I feel sorry for him for being betrayed by his own people, who trusted him to the end.

　Maybe if he had listened to Vermette, it would have been a little better at the end.
　Well, I'm the one who excluded Vermette.


　'I'm sorry. I'm not holding that grudge against you, you know. A man in my household is missing a limb because of you, but he's not dead. I'm angry, but not enough to kill them. But I want Yulia. And you wanted Julia. And neither of us wanted to give in. And that is what this is all about. I'm going to kill you because you're in my way.

　I raise my sword.
　Then Rigal takes action.

　He presses his forehead hard into the ground and lowers his head towards me.
　My nose catches the smell of feces and urine.

　

　Rigal sobbing and begging for his life.
　All you have to do is beg for your people's lives. I mean, really....

　Haha, I've lost my temper...

　I'm going to put my sword down.
　There's no need for me to bother with this.

　And on second thought, it's a shame to kill them now.
　It would be better to execute him publicly.

　"Throw him in the dungeon for now.
　I say and turn my back to Rigal.
　Rigal looks up and exclaims as if he's misunderstood something.

　''Oh, thank you!

　Doesn't change the fact that you're going to execute him?

　So, Julia. Let's go back.
　I smile at Julia and she squeezes my hand back.

　Tetra enters between us.
　'No more than the two of you,'
　Yeah, I'm sorry.

　I hug their shoulders and turn to leave.
　It was then.


　-Couscous.


　There was a laugh.
　It sounded like a child. This is ... not the first time.

　Yes, it is. I've heard it before in a previous life, before I was run over.

　I'm the only one who can hear it?

　The people around me look at me curiously as I scurry around.
　No, it's not just me.

　Yulia is also looking around.
　In other words, is Yulia and I the only ones who can hear this voice?

　-Boring.

　-Disappointing.

　Clearly, I hear a voice. This is the same language that I think in........Japanese!

　Alms, do you read me?　I'm not bored now...
　'It sounds like Adelian to you...'

　It has the same effect as "blessing of the language" and "blessing of the word.

　-But it's a good match. Let's say that's a good thing. We've got what we came for.
　-You've passed.

　A child's high-pitched voice, indistinguishable from a man's or woman's.

　-I'll confiscate it.

　A chill ran down my spine.
　I turn around in a hurry.

　At the same time, blood splatters on my face.
　The person who started spurting blood is........Rigal.

　Blood is blowing out of Rigal's pores. What is this........

　"I don't know about this. I didn't see it before... what, what?　What is it?
　Julia gives me a frightened look.　
　I stared at Rigal Dibel's corpse as I hugged the trembling Yulia.


________.

　-Rigal Dibel died of a disease that caused blood to spurt from every hole in his body. With this, the Seven-Day War was ended - an excerpt from The Founding of the Romano Empire by Yang Qingming