The rebel leaders were both the means of sustaining the rebellion and their own defense mechanism.
They placed trustworthy individuals in leadership positions and concealed their identities to avoid being tracked.
They were descendants of a Duke family that had perished long ago, and they had been using the rebellion to establish a new dynasty.
“W-what… what do you mean…?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t know? His Majesty the King is also aware of this. Will you speak willingly or die as you are?”
Of course, the king wasn’t fully aware of everything.
He merely considered Zion’s opinion and saw other possibilities.
But even hinting that the king was aware gave Zion a significant advantage.
“I-I don’t know anything about that. A fallen Duke family? Really?”
“I told you this was the last question. Are you going to keep stalling?”
“How can I tell you something I don’t know…?”
“Don’t blame me when you die.”
Zion handed the sword back to the knight and pretended to leave the room.
Then he turned slowly and spoke in a low voice.
“Your families are well hidden, aren’t they? They should be. I don’t know what orders His Majesty the King might give.”
There had been no royal decree regarding this matter yet.
The original content did not mention this part, and the protagonist had only speculated about what might have happened.
But used correctly, this could put psychological pressure on the enemy.
“I don’t know! I was just following orders!”
“Will you still say that after you’re dead? Regret comes too late. Good luck.”
Zion gestured to the chief knight commander as he began to walk away.
The commander quickly understood and followed Zion outside.
“…How will you handle the interrogation?”
“I plan to bring in a specialist. Do you have any suggestions?”
“You must find out about the fallen Duke family. Catching them is key to completely eradicating the rebels.”
“Yes, we plan to coordinate with scouts in other regions, and I understand reinforcements will come from the capital. We will definitely capture them.”
“They might try to stall for time. Don’t withdraw the troops even if you’re interrogating them.”
“We will extend our stay and focus on capturing the rebels.”
“The forces in the western region are also moving, correct?”
“We agreed to act simultaneously. By now, they should be attacking the rebel base.”
Zion leaned against the wall, letting out a shallow sigh.
Fatigue set in, but it wasn’t overwhelming.
He would have been more worried if the chief knight commander had been incompetent, but fortunately, he was quick to command and followed Zion’s instructions well.
“It will be difficult, but ensure you find any secret passages.”
“Yes, I will remind my subordinates once more.”
“Funds are likely hidden in various places. The troops might try to embezzle them, so you need to establish discipline early.”
“…Ah, I see. I haven’t communicated that yet. I apologize.”
“It’s not urgent. I trust your troops won’t do such things. And… one more thing.”
Zion hesitated over his final words, considering his intuition.
It was a guess based on instinct, but it couldn’t be ignored.
Under the right conditions, a trick might work.
“Please thoroughly investigate the women.”
“…You mean the women who were with the leaders?”
“Yes, it might be nothing… but it’s a bit suspicious.”
“Do you think one of them is a rebel leader?”
“They could be rebel leaders… or descendants of the fallen Duke family.”
The original content didn’t specify that all rebel leaders were men.
If a few women were involved, they could disguise their presence by pretending to entertain.
If they were descendants of the fallen Duke family, it would help in quickly dismantling the rebellion’s backing.
“I understand. I will interrogate the women as well.”
“That should suffice. Now we just need to wait and see.”
“I will take immediate action on what you’ve mentioned.”
The chief knight commander bowed and re-entered the room.
Zion watched him go and slowly closed his eyes.
‘…I want to sleep.’
It had been about a day since he received command from the king and came to Rodab.
It took another day and a half to plan the operation with the chief knight commander and the subordinate commanders.
Another day was spent mobilizing the troops to raid the rebel headquarters.
After today, it would be about four days since he arrived in Rodab.
‘Hopefully, everything will be fine.’
Zion thought of Hanette, who remained at the mansion, and smiled faintly.
She had promised not to leave the mansion until he returned.
To send her to the magic academy, he had to return to the capital quickly.
‘She can take care of herself…’
Hanette’s magical power had already surpassed his own, and she was recognized for her abilities as a mage.
Even if skilled knights attacked her, she would be able to handle them.
‘But still… I can’t leave her alone.’
There were no more rebels in the capital.
Hanette always had a bodyguard and excelled in magic.
Even though he was currently eradicating the rebels, why was he so worried?
‘I need to be by her side. That’s the only way I’ll feel at ease.’
At Duke Adelaira’s mansion, in the indoor training hall.
Hanette was alone, focusing on enhancing her magical power.
But she couldn’t concentrate as she used to, and her motivation seemed to have faded.
Without the person who should be by her side, she felt an empty loneliness.
‘I hope he’s not starving…’
Hanette sighed, halting her magic enhancement.
Sweat trickled down her cheeks, but she didn’t even think to wipe it away.
The thirst gnawed at her, but even that was slowly forgotten.
It was just a mission to the southern region, so why was she so worried?
‘He might stay up all night. He’s probably busy…’
Hanette glanced to her left.
There was nothing there, but Zion’s form seemed to appear in her mind.
If he were here, he would probably whine like a child or crack unnecessary jokes.
‘He hasn’t been hurt, right?’
Zion was a swordsman who used sword energy and was continually growing stronger.
He couldn’t be compared to her, and he was someone both the king and the royal knight commander took note of.
No matter who he fought, he wouldn’t get hurt and would only achieve overwhelming victories.
‘I should be there to support him…’
Unlike before, she could now freely use magic.
She had trained extensively, reached a high level, and earned the title of mage, proving her skills.
Now she could stand alongside Zion and help him in any way needed.
‘Why can’t he just stay as a kid…’
Zion had taken on all her burdens.
Protecting her during the attacks, seeking revenge on the assailants, and gaining permission to use magic.
He was so capable that he could do anything alone, while she always ended up needing his help.
‘I wonder what he thinks of me.’
She viewed Zion as a friend and a future partner.
Maybe Zion saw something in her too, which is why he agreed to the marriage.
‘Does he… see me as a woman…?’
“Hanette, Zion has returned.”
“What?”
A maid entered the training hall, announcing the news.
Hearing the long-awaited news, Hanette quickly stood up.
“Where is he now?”
“He just passed through the front gate.”
“Is he injured?”
“Uh… he seemed fine. I didn’t hear anything about him being hurt.”
“…I see.”
Hanette composed herself, responding calmly.
There was no reason to be overly excited or rush out to meet him.
She would simply greet him as usual and act like nothing was out of the ordinary.
‘Oh… I need to change my clothes.’
Hanette quickly wiped off her sweat with a towel and hurried her steps.
She needed to wear something appropriate, even if it wasn’t a dress.
She had always done so, and she needed to present a consistent image to Zion.
‘Should I take a bath? What should I wear? Ugh, he could’ve at least given me a heads up.’
Zion had probably gotten dirty during the mission and would need to clean up as well.
But she couldn’t welcome him back looking disheveled after he had worked so hard.
‘What perfume should I use? Makeup… ah, this is frustrating!’
At Duke Adelaira’s mansion, in Hanette’s room.
Zion, after returning to the mansion, had quickly washed up and changed into formal clothes.
He had sent an urgent letter to Freed and needed to go to the palace to report in person.
Now, taking a moment to see Hanette, she bombarded him with questions.
“Did you eat properly? You look a bit thinner.”
“It wasn’t as good as here… but I managed.”
“You’re not hurt, right?”
“Sis, that’s the third time you’ve asked. I’m not hurt.”
“How can I trust that? Are you hiding something?”
“…Why would I hide an injury?”
“Uh… to look tough?”
“Why would I do that?”
“How should I know?”
“…….”
Zion chuckled and sipped his tea.
It seemed like Hanette was being irrational, but perhaps she was just trying to look out for him in her own way.
Her expressions and actions were likely a bit off due to her clumsy way of showing care.
“There were royal knights there. I was dispatched as a commander. I did hold a sword, but I didn’t fight.”
“You probably went around saying you’d kill the leaders yourself.”
“…I didn’t. I just stayed quiet.”
Zion recalled his words from that time, lying naturally.
He had said it was better to kill than to fail to capture, and that he would take action if necessary.
Had he not been given command, he would have likely used his sword energy at least once.
“Ha… alright. As long as you’re not hurt.”
“You don’t need to worry anymore. There won’t be any more attacks.”
“Sounds like you did a good job.”
“We captured all the leaders there. We’ll catch the stragglers soon.”
“But does it really matter? I can fight now too, you know?”
Hanette casually replied, condensing magic into her right hand.
The magic stabilized quickly, then turned into a small flame.
The red flame burned fiercely, radiating heat.
“…I don’t want you to have to kill anyone. I can handle that alone.”
In his previous life, Zion had never killed or even hit anyone.
But after coming to this world, he had killed people without hesitation.
Even if they were enemies who had to be killed, he didn’t want Hanette to bear that burden.
“What do you see me as?”
“This isn’t a good experience. So…”
“If you can do it, I should be able to do it too. No, I should do even more. If anyone threatens us… beast or human, I’ll kill them.”