This Kingdom Needs a Coup

“Run, you slugs! Whip them harder!!”

“We’re already doing it without you telling us, so stop nagging!”

“The horse isn’t foaming at the mouth yet!! That means it still has stamina, so keep whipping!”

The pursuit unit ran. At a speed close to the maximum that the transportation of this era could achieve.

They alternated between spare horses to avoid exhaustion, pushing them to their limits to maximize mobility.

The momentum was so great that even in late winter, dust swirled over the frozen ground.

It was a side effect of the forced march, pushing the roads, horses, and people to their limits.

“Guh, gah. Is, is this really okay?!”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s too fast! I’ve ridden horses before, but at this rate, they’ll collapse before half a day!”

“Don’t worry! These horses are tougher than you think, they won’t tire easily! And if you don’t want to bite your tongue, stop talking—Gah!—Oh, you already bit it.”

Like true horse whisperers, there were no stragglers. However, the accompanying investigators were mentally and physically drained.

But anyway, since they arrived quickly, let’s call it a win.

“That’s Münhausen over there.”

“Shall we search it, Battalion Commander?”

“Of course. Go and bring the guys we got testimonies from earlier. We’ll interrogate them again.”

The pursuit unit, arriving at the town where the royal party enjoyed a feast and water play, took a brief rest and re-collected evidence.

They met the cook who sold food to the exiles, checked the spots where the carriages were parked, and the places where the royals played. They also confirmed the appearances with nearby merchants.

They already knew the destination, but they thoroughly searched the city for additional information to report later.

“You guys, replenish the water supply and feed the horses. We’ll depart in about two hours, so handle your meals and bathroom breaks on your own. The meeting point is here.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Be careful not to overeat. If you’re too full, your condition will suffer during the journey.”

“Don’t worry too much, sir. We’ve been through the Northern Region for years.”

Taking a moment to replenish their energy and rest, the pursuit unit soon set off eastward again.

Exactly one day and four hours later, they successfully caught up with the fugitives.

* * * * *

Thus, they arrived at the capital of the territory located between Münhausen and Barene.

The Battalion Commander, who had been urging the soldiers by saying the high ground was just ahead, had to grimace.

“What the hell is this?”

Originally, it wasn’t a big city, but it was a bustling town.

With fancy clothing stores, jewelers, shopping districts, and everything you’d expect in a modest city.

But seeing such a city burning fiercely, what reaction should one have?

It wasn’t just a fire; chaos, destruction, and mayhem were unfolding in real-time.

“What on earth is happening here?”

The Battalion Commander, showing the same reaction as Karl VII two days prior, clutched his head.

“Ugh…”

It was an infuriating situation, but they were on a mission.

They couldn’t just stand there dumbfounded; they had to come up with a plan and act.

“Long live Sir Roytel! Long live the Revolutionary Army!”

“Let’s pay taxes to the central government, not the lords!”

“…The slogans are peculiar. Did discord break out between the commoners and the nobles?”

Quickly regaining his composure, he surveyed the situation.

It seemed the lord’s castle had already been breached, and several unidentified corpses were lying in the square.

The riot had succeeded, and the process of overthrowing the existing ruling class was over.

Given the momentum of the territorial citizens, it didn’t seem like they acted with restraint. They probably smashed, killed, and burned everything in sight.

Precious administrative documents, reports, and tax-related materials must have all turned into a pile of ash.

‘It’s going to be a pain to restore this.’

He could imagine the administrative officials clutching their heads and foaming at the mouth, but he decided to ignore it.

After all, complex paperwork wasn’t the responsibility of a mere Battalion Commander.

The bigger concern was what to do here. In this state, forget about supplies; even getting investigative cooperation would be difficult.

Should they just waste no time and move to another region to continue the search?

While pondering, something caught his eye under a destroyed stable.

“Huh?”

It was a luxurious carriage.

Painted black without any flashy decorations, but the craftsmanship was evident.

At a glance, it wasn’t something that would be casually parked at a roadside inn.

Was it owned by a wealthy noble or royalty? But then, why keep it so modest? There must be some hidden reason… Ah!

“Could it be? Did they get stuck here too?”

It didn’t take long to deduce that it might belong to the royal party. Having made his judgment, the Battalion Commander immediately shouted to his troops.

“Everyone, draw your weapons! Quickly suppress the rioters and seal off the city so no one escapes! Our king is hiding here!”

“R-really?”

“You’ll know when we catch him! Stop talking and move, you idiots!!”

There’s no way they could have sold such a luxurious carriage. In a city like this, there’s no one to buy it.

And they wouldn’t abandon it and run on foot with children in tow.

They couldn’t have bought a new carriage either, so they must still be in the city.

Karl VII and his family are definitely here somewhere.

“If we do this well, a promotion might be possible.”

Dreaming of a hopeful future where he’d be promoted for swiftly resolving the incident, the Battalion Commander took the lead in controlling the citizens.

* * * * *

And a couple of hours later.

“What on earth is going on?”

“Why are people from the central government here…”

The suppression was quickly and successfully completed.

The citizens were startled by the appearance of the cavalry unit bearing the central army’s flag, and taking advantage of that, they secured cooperation.

They didn’t want to use force, so they asked the citizens to calm down and gather in one place, and they complied.

Since the riot was sparked by dislike for the nobles’ actions, there was no reason to cause further friction.

“It’s packed here.”

The number of citizens gathered in the central square was in the thousands. Despite many being killed or injured, it was still a considerable crowd.

“If we try to inspect each one of them, it’ll never end.”

“Exactly.”

“Besides, there are only three of us who know what the king or crown prince looks like. The intelligence officers who came with us.”

But the problem remained.

How to identify the disguised royal family hiding among them?

This wasn’t 21st-century Earth with facial recognition or AI. They were hundreds of years away from that.

They couldn’t bring portraits or sketches to compare; they were too large to carry.

Paintings of this era were usually on canvas; how could they carry that around?

Even if they left it to the investigators, it would take all day and still not be finished.

During the French Revolution, Louis XVI had his and his wife’s faces on coins, so they could compare, but… the Kingdom of Ullanor didn’t have such a culture. They used the founder’s portrait or the royal crest instead.

“What should we do?”

It wasn’t a dire situation, but it was quite troublesome.

Then, the Battalion Commander came up with a brilliant idea.

“Separate the men and women. Then take all the men to one corner and have them urinate one by one.”

“Huh?”

“The crown prince is a eunuch. His balls and shaft are all gone, so his lower body is smooth like a woman’s. He won’t be able to urinate properly, so we’ll find him easily.”

Since he underwent involuntary castration, pulling down his pants would reveal him immediately. What a simple and effective idea!

“Once we find him, identify the men and women who resemble him. That should be possible even if we haven’t seen them before.”

Impressed by the clever idea, the soldiers took groups of a dozen people each and conducted the test.

“Hey, why are you standing so awkwardly?”

“Did you hide something? Let’s check. If there’s nothing, we’ll let you go. Why are you hesitating?”

Soon, the target was found. A man who couldn’t hold his crotch because he had nothing to hold.

“We got him! This is the guy!”

“Really? Intelligence officers, is this guy the crown prince?”

“Yes. His features match. His impression has changed a bit, but it’s definitely him.”

The man, trembling in fear and wetting his pants, looked nothing like the handsome heir to the throne he once was.

After tying him up, the Battalion Commander ordered the remaining people to be checked.

It was easy to distinguish. In this world, due to magic, parental traits strongly pass on to their children.

Parents and children usually look like carbon copies, so it’s easy to spot them.

“We’ve caught the queen!”

“The king is here! Over here!!”

Thus, within just 30 minutes, the queen with her children and the king with his mistress were brought out in a line.

It was the anticlimactic end to days of intense pursuit.

“Finally caught you. Nice to meet you, Your Majesty? I’m Lieutenant Colonel Alex of the 4th Cavalry Regiment’s 2nd Battalion.”

“……”

The sarcasm-laden greeting was met with silence.

But that was fine. He wasn’t expecting a response anyway.

“Why did you run away and cause all this trouble? If you had just stayed quietly in the palace, we would’ve treated you decently.”

“…..”

“Once we return to the capital, the parliament will decide your fate. Until then, behave yourself.”

Though he used polite language, there was no respect in his warning. The Battalion Commander ordered the soldiers to lock up the royal family.

“What should we do with them?”

“Tie them up so they can’t escape and requisition a suitable house to keep them in. Provide some water and food.”

“Do they need servants or attendants?”

“Why bother? That man has been stripped of all authority and power. He’s just a king in name now.”

Though he addressed him as “Your Majesty,” it was merely a formality. In the past, his attitude would’ve been considered disrespectful, but now it was legal.

There was no need to show respect or consideration to a fool who only caused trouble.

“We’ve captured all the targets, so send the rest of the people home. Report mission completion to the central command.”

There were still some attendants left, but there was no need to capture them. They were just simple attendants, not high-ranking officials or important figures.

Leaving them alone wouldn’t cause any problems.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, around the same time.

At the border between the Kailas Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom.

“From here on, speaking the Holy Kingdom’s language is prohibited. Only use the kingdom’s language. Understood?”

“””Yes!”””

A group of uninvited guests was trying to cross over.

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